《Irwin's Journey - The Cardsmith》


 Chapter 1: It鈥檚 never what you want

    Irwin ran through town as fast as his thin, wobbly legs could carry him. As much as he tried to dodge the puddles from last night''s storm, his feet kept finding them, splashing more and more gunk on his pants.


    "No, Mom, I didn''t run," he muttered, breathing raggedly from the slight effort. He was mentally preparing himself for the scolding he would get, but it would be worth it. Bronwyn would be back. Finally! He barely recalled anything of what had happened during school, only that Teacher Rhym had repeatedly shouted at him for his inattentiveness.


    It''s not like he is teaching me anything I don''t know already, Irwin thought before focusing back on the important things.


    I wonder if he got me a card! Or if he added an upgrade to his own! Maybe a summoning one!


    He dodged around the butcher''s rickety stone building, his mind filled with hopes and dreams. He slammed into something sturdy, bounced back, and landed on his ass a few inches from a nasty puddle.


    "Dammit, you brat! Look where you''re going!"


    A towering man loomed over him, grinding his teeth as he held a massive bag. An indent on the blood-stained material showed exactly where Irwin had slammed into it.


    "Sorry, Master Bullwinkel," Irwin muttered, carefully getting back up.


    His face was hurting, but he kept any comment on the matter to himself. Of all the things that could have gone wrong, he had to run into this angry Charbull! If only he''d looked where he was going. The man had no sense of humor and seemed to dislike him with a passion.


    "Your Mum has to come by here tomorrow, Irwin, and you better believe I''ll tell her you were running again," the man growled.


    Irwin''s face fell.


    "You know full well what she had to go through each time you hurt yourself. Worse, what would you have done if I''d dropped this bag?" Bullwinkel continued, glowering at him.


    Irwin deflated even more, any joy at Bronwyn''s return stifled at the prospect of having to explain to his mother why he''d not just walked. The fact that it was for his safety made it even worse.


    "I won''t run again," he said with a tired sigh as he hung his head.


    At these moments, his small stature, barely the size of a twelve-year-old, came in useful. Many people forgot that he was fifteen and let him off the hook. He hoped his behavior would placate the man, but when he took a peek up, he saw the scowl remain.


    "Don''t think I don''t see what you''re doing. You''re always trying to make people feel sorry for you. I won''t have it," Bullwinkel snorted.


    Irwin''s shoulders sagged as he looked at the man, fearing his mother''s disappointment already.


    There was a moment of silence as Bullwinkel stared at him, then the man sighed. "You, boy, are a major pain in my back. Fine. I''ll be seeing your Mum later tonight for the district meeting. I''ve got to clean and prepare all this meat before then, but the kennels also need cleaning. You seem to have too much energy. Go and clean them, and I''ll refrain from telling your mother you were running again," Bullwinkel grunted, staring at him intently.


    "But-" Irwin began, knowing he should be home within a quarter of the glass, and the cleaning would take way longer.


    "Your choice, boy. Help me out, or explain to your mother," Bullwinkel said with a snort.


    Irwin only had to think about it for a second before sighing and nodding.


    "Good. Now, get in there. I''ll come check on you in an hour or so," Bullwinkel said as he stepped aside.


    Irwin walked past the man, and before he reached the door, he''d calmed down. It was for the best. His mother was going to find out anyway. She always did, somehow. There would be less trouble if he told her himself and added that he had already helped Bullwinkel with a chore.


    "Don''t act like a beaten dog. Your wannabe ranger brother won''t be going anywhere for a while, with winter upon us," Bullwinkel called after him.


    Irwin managed to hold himself from turning and shouting that Bronwyn was a real ranger! He finished training last spring and was accepted into Magnif''s ranger group. He probably closed at least one portal by now!


    It wouldn''t matter though. He knew exactly what Bullwinkel -and some others- thought of Bronwyn, or worse yet, of how his brother had gotten his first card. If he gave Bullwinkel any lip, the man might not let him go this easily.


    His behind still remembered the last spanking by the smith, Randal, and he wasn''t up for another. Although Bullwinkel wasn''t as strong as Randal, his hands still resembled shovels.


    Growling and snapping sounds came from inside the low, rickety building that leaned against Bullwinkel''s shop.


    Right, the dogs are in, he thought with a weary sigh.


    The first snow had fallen, meaning the rangers must have returned them. They wouldn''t survive the frigid cold snaps that happened outside. Nothing but the demons, monsters, and most powerful carded could.


    Taking a deep breath, he opened the door, and the stink of wet dog slammed into him. At least it''s warm, he thought as he walked inside.


    Intelligent, dark eyes gazed at him as Bullwinkel''s pack of seven Shadehounds stopped their play-fighting. Each came to his waist and could locate portals over great distances.


    "Hey guys," Irwin said as he closed the door behind him and grabbed a nearby shovel.


    There was a sniff from his side, and he looked up to see the pack leader, an almost black, silver-eyed hound nuzzling his waist.


    "Nope, no treats today- sorry," Irwin said, reaching out and scratching the dog''s jaw.


    The hound snorted, then went back to snapping at the others as Irwin maneuvered between them, making sure to keep an eye out. Though the Shadehounds wouldn''t attack him, they were known to get lively when they played. If he was caught in the middle, he''d probably be bedridden for a week.


    He made his way to the back of the low building, deciding that was another benefit of his size. At least he didn''t have to bend over, which would have made the work even more grueling.


    Struggling with a shit-caked layer of hay, he sighed as he shoveled it into a large bucket in the corner. As the weight left the shovel, his arms trembled. Before he could stop it, the familiar depressing thoughts struck.


    If only I had a card. This would have been so easy!


    He struggled but failed to suppress the rising anger and sadness, and he felt any remaining joy at Bronwyn''s return fade. Familiar outrage at the unfairness of his predicament made him force himself to put more shit on the shovel, and he instantly regretted it as he failed to lift it. He futilely tried to push his weak frame to cooperate, then sighed and let some slide off. Part of him knew it was going to cause him sore arms the next day, but he didn''t care.


    Nobles get cards. Crafters get cards. Rangers get cards, he chanted as he flung more shit into the bucket. But the kid with the sick and weak body? Noooo, he gets to live and die as a-


    He cursed, barely managing to coil in his anger before he would hurt himself. As soon as it faded, the familiar weary sadness replaced it, and he sighed as he continued shuffling smaller amounts. A tiny pang in his back told him he was going to seriously regret his inability to control himself when morning came.


    Perhaps Bronwyn got me a card, he thought.


    The thought barely managed to cheer him up, but he let his mind drift off to try to ignore his weary arms and shaking hands.


    He imagined Bronwyn handing him a common, or -could he hope?- an uncommon, strength-based card. A full body-improvement card to offset his inborn weakness. He''d grow big and strong and show that annoying Bast that he wasn''t a baby that should be pushed back into-


    Irwin forced the thoughts away as he noticed he was putting too much shit on the shovel again.


    It wasn''t important anyway. He glanced at the back of his hands and imagined there being a set of three card-outlinings on each. They would give him the power to join the rangers in searching and closing portals or perhaps the guards at the wall. He''d get to fight monsters and become a hero known even in the capital.


    Halfway done, the Shadehounds stopped play-fighting and lay down to one side. He felt the alpha''s eyes on him, and he looked over to see the curiosity in the intelligent eyes.


    "What?" he muttered. "You can always come and help."


    The Shadehound blinked slowly, then turned its head away and closed its eyes.


    "Right," Irwin muttered.


    When he finally deposited the last bit, he was swaying on his feet and barely managed to place the shovel back. Bullwinkel stared at him from the door with an unreadable expression. How had he missed the draft and noise from when it opened?


    "How you even managed to survive to this age is beyond me," the man said with a weary sigh before stepping aside. "What are you, thirteen? Well, you did as I asked, so I won''t complain. Now run along, and don''t worry, I''ll keep my word and not tell your Mum. Still, I suggest you do it yourself ''cause she has a way of figuring things out."


    "Yes, mister Bullwinkel," Irwin muttered as he walked towards the door. And I''m fifteen!


    He didn''t say it out loud, though, knowing the ridicule that would bring.


    There was a soft keen, and he looked up to see the alpha stare at him for a moment.


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    "Bye," Irwin muttered, unsure what else to say.


    Bullwinkel raised an eyebrow, and he shrugged lamely, trying to increase his pace. His body ignored his attempts at moving faster, and when he finally stepped outside in the cold but fresh air, he saw the red tint in the sky.


    So late? Mum''s going to be furious.


    "Off with you," Bullwinkel growled, and Irwin jerked, realizing he''d been standing there, zoning out. He walked away, unable to go faster than a regular walk.


    The streets strung together in a blur as he headed towards the last hurdle before his destination. Irwin felt weary to the bone and wished he could have gone around the busy square.


    Officially called Loglinin''s stand, everyone in Malorin called it Commoners Square. It was loud and swarming with people. A deafening cacophony of sounds, chatter, and shouting came as people tried to get a few final items from the merchants and crafters before they closed for the night.


    Irwin shuffled along the edge, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible. Halfway, he saw a group of four rangers move through the market. Three had a glove on their left hand, while the leader, a tall, dark figure, had one on each, indicating he had at least four cards.


    I wonder when Bronwyn will get to be a full-hand, Irwin wondered as he eyed the gloved hands with envy. They hid the ranger''s cards from prying eyes, mostly the few intelligent Demons, but also those who believed the rumors that killing carded sometimes caused their cards to drop.


    "-don''t believe you!"


    An angry shout made him look away from the rangers to a small group of people glaring at an older merchant wringing his hands. The merchant''s attention was on a tall boy dressed in fine clothes in the middle of the group.


    What is a noble doing here? Irwin wondered, slowing down even more to catch what was happening.


    "It''s just a rumor," the man said in a raspy voice. "I didn''t mean to-"


    "Then stop spreading false rumors about an increase in portal spawning. Peasant! The rangers are doing their job, as are the sorcerers!" the boy snapped. He leaned forward. "If I hear your lies again, I''ll have my father''s guard find you!"


    "No, no! There''s no need for that," the man said as he waved his hands helplessly. "I''ll be silent."


    The boy glared at him for another moment before turning and stalking away. Two men followed him, looking around as if they expected someone to get in their way.


    Always so overbearing, Irwin thought as he resumed his way.


    When he finally reached the old, gray-walled area of Rat District, his legs would barely move. He continued through the narrow alleyways until he reached the dead-end one known as Kettlestreet. There were only three doors, and he was staring at the one at the back, wondering what he could say.


    It opened before he was halfway to the door, and his mother stepped out. Arms crossed, fingers clenched around her arms. The way her jaw was moving showed him he might even have to go to sleep without food- again.


    "Hey, Mum," he muttered as he walked up to her.


    "Don''t you ''Hey Mum'' me, Irwin!" his mother snapped while pulling him into the tiny hallway and closing the door, bolting it in a single move. "Where have you been, and why-" she sniffed, and her eyebrows narrowed as she began looking him over. "Why do you smell like dog shit?"


    "I''m fine, Mum," Irwin tried as he heard a voice call his name from the living room. "Can I see-"


    "No. Not before you tell me where you''ve been!"


    Irwin sighed, the little energy he had regained from hearing Bronwyn''s voice vanishing as fast as it had come.


    "I might have run into mister Bullwinkel," he muttered, slurring his words.


    "And I presume you mean that literally?" his mother asked as her eyes passed over him again, and she sighed tiredly. "Boy, you had better not''ve gotten into trouble again. If that angry man refuses to sell, we won''t have any meat for a week."


    "No, Mum," Irwin said, dropping his head as much in defeat as due to his weariness. He glanced at his dirty boots, wondering why he hadn''t thought about cleaning them. It was no surprise that his mother had figured out something had happened.


    "I cleaned his dog pen for him, and he said he''d drop it."


    As he looked up, he thought he saw a smile flicker across her lined face, but he had to be mistaken because when he blinked, he only saw her annoyed glare.


    "Well, at least you did that," she said. "Now, take off and clean those boots- you probably forgot we have to trade them with Miss Liverly for a bigger pair, and I don''t think she wants them as they are now! Or would you like to walk in small boots for a few more months?"


    "No, Mum," Irwin said, not saying what he actually thought, that he really didn''t think Miss Liverly would care as she would probably toss the worn-out things away. Besides, with how slow he was growing, he could probably still walk in the shoes for another year before they became painfully small.


    As his mother turned away and stepped through the thin door into the living room, Irwin caught a glimpse of his brother.


    "Well, you should thank your brother for bringing food, or I''d not have saved you any. Now, hurry up and come join us- after you wash your hands and face!"


    Irwin nodded and pulled off the caked boots. When he finally put them away, they were as clean as he thought he could get them. With a yawn, he stepped into the living room. Barely twenty-foot square, it was the living room, kitchen, and spare bedroom. Which it would be tonight, as with Bronwyn back, they needed the extra bed.


    A large, burly boy, almost a man, sat on one of the hard wooden stools, elbows on the table and resting his face on his hands as he watched Irwin. There was a shadow of a beard on his cheeks, which hadn''t been there when Irwin had last seen him. At not even seventeen, Bronwyn was already as large as most adult men and still growing taller and brawnier by the month.


    Part of this was the card he''d lucked upon when he was thirteen, but most of it was because, according to their Mum, Bronwyn took after their late grandfather- a giant of a man that would have towered over even the smith and his sons with hands large enough to wrap around a kettle. Not that Irwin had ever seen him. His brother and mother were all the family he had.


    How can we be related, Irwin thought as he noticed the corded muscles on Bronwyn''s arms. Perhaps I was adopted? It wasn''t the first time the thought came to him, and his smile dimmed. His Mum was almost as large as Bronwyn and stronger than most women. Part of this was because of the cards she had, but only part.


    "And here''s the little troublemaker," Bronwyn said, his voice deeper than Irwin recalled. "So, decided you''d try and gain some muscle instead of coming to see me?"


    Irwin shook his head, grinning at Bronwyn as he recalled the reason for his rush and bad luck.


    "Don''t call me little," he said, annoyed when his voice wouldn''t go to the depth a man''s should be.


    He quickly scanned the table for any packets. A tiny bundle wrapped in a dirty cotton cloth lay in the center, and his eyes widened as his daydreams returned with a vengeance.


    "Yes, yes! I brought you something," his brother said with a grin. "Now go wash your hands before Mum has an aneurysm!"


    "Bronwyn Roddington, mind your language! I''m still your mother," their Mum snapped.


    Irwin was wondering what an aneu-something was when he heard something off in the tone of his mother''s voice. Looking up, he was surprised to find another smile on her lips, and he realized she was just playing angry. He sighed in relief, looking at her for a moment. With the smile, the lines eased from her face, making her look younger than before, which was good. He knew she wasn''t actually that old yet, only turning thirty-seven this winter, but she looked as old as Tilly''s mother next door, who was a decade older.


    "Irwin!"


    "Right," he said as he hobbled to the old stone sink and the small bucket.


    The bubbly water inside was already dirty, but it would suffice, and he quickly scrubbed his hands. The soap bit into the cuts in his hands, but he just gritted his teeth and struggled until they were clean¡­ ish.


    Hoping that he was finally done, he moved to the table and jumped up the stool across from Bronwyn. His feet dangled uselessly, but as they finally had a chance to relax, he felt them shiver from all the strain he''d put them through. He''d not be able to walk normally tomorrow. Unless-


    "So¡­." Bronwyn said as he grinned. "I was going to ask if you''ve been behaving, but I guess we just found out that you haven''t!"


    "Bronwyn," Irwin exclaimed as he shook his head. "Don''t treat me like a kid! Besides¡­ I''ve been mostly good! This was just because- because you were coming back, and I wanted to hurry and-"


    "And you learned a valuable lesson," Bronwyn said with a sage nod. "Sometimes the fastest way isn''t the shortest, and sometimes it is."


    Irwin frowned, trying to make the lines make sense, then looked at his mother, who sighed and shook her head.


    "What Bronwyn means is that sometimes it''s better to go slow and take a long way than to rush and break your neck," his mother said before pointing at Bronwyn. "Now hurry along. Irwin needs to sleep- it will be a busy day tomorrow."


    Busy? Why? Irwin thought as he looked at his mother with wide eyes. He was supposed to have the day off, shouldn''t he? He hoped he didn''t have to help his mother at her job again- the last time, he''d had pain in his hands for a week.


    "Well, then you had better open my present," Bronwyn rumbled, and Irwin snapped to attention, licking his lips as he accepted the parcel handed to him.


    It had to be a card- Bornwyn''s smile said as much. As soon as he held it, he knew it wasn''t a rare card because those were heavy. At least, that''s what Teacher Rhym had told them. No, this was so light it was probably not even uncommon. As happy as he was to finally get a card, it took some effort not to show his disappointment, and he smiled widely at Bronwyn.


    "Thanks, brother!" he said, trying his best to show an honest grin.


    Bronwyn just raised an eyebrow, though Irwin thought he saw something flicker in the other''s eyes. Then it was gone, and he shrugged as he carefully removed the bindings from the cloth, unwrapping the small card. As soon as he saw the dull and pale gray back of a common card, he knew his dreams wouldn''t come to pass. Even the best common single-aspect body-enhanced card wouldn''t magically change him from being small and scrawny into being strong, let alone as strong as his brother.


    I don''t have to be as strong as him! Any card is better than none, he reminded himself as he slowly flipped it over.


    An image of a finger with a flame atop covered the card, as real as if it was there at that moment. The border lines were smooth and tight, except for the top one, which had an odd swirling pattern. It was unusual, but he barely cared, staring at the card. This wasn''t a body-enhancing card. This was¡­


    "What''s this?" he blurted before he could stop himself. He cringed as he heard the disbelief and dismay in his own voice and quickly looked up at his brother, trying to fake a surprised smile.


    "I''ve not seen-"


    "It''s fine," Bronwyn said as he sighed and looked at their mother, who looked at the card with a slight frown. "I know it''s not what the two of you were hoping for, and I can understand your confusion, but let me explain."


    "No, I-" Irwin started but stopped when his mother hissed.


    "Let your brother finish talking, Irwin. No interrupting!''


    "Yes, mother," he said demurely, glancing at the card. He might not know the exact skill the card would give, but he recognized a utility card when he saw one.


    "I know what you want, but during the last few months, I got to meet a lot of knowledgeable people -rangers- whom I asked for advice on a card for you," Bronwyn said slowly, carefully picking his words as he gazed into Irwin''s eyes. "From them, I heard that the only cards that could help with your problem are rare or higher. I tried getting one, but¡­ nobody will trade common cards for uncommon, let alone rare."


    Irwin grimaced, feeling horrible for not being happy with what he''d gotten. He knew it would be impossible for his brother to get him a rare card, let alone a full-body-enhancement one. Besides, if he could get one, it would be better for everyone if he used it himself. As a ranger, he was responsible for closing the portals and clearing out the monsters from Gloomforest before they swarmed the fields.


    Even though he knew this, Irwin couldn''t help but feel sad as he stared at the card. Even a common body-enhancement card would have let him become as strong as a normal person. He just knew it. With this?


    "The thing they all said was to get you a utility card with potential for combat, which is what you have there. It''s called Flickerlight, and if you slot it, you will learn how to create a tiny flame above the tip of your finger, which you can throw."


    Irwin swallowed and knew his smile had turned uglier than it should, but he couldn''t help himself. The card was as close to the opposite of what he''d dreamt of as it possibly could be.


    If it had been his second card, or if he could become a crafter or alchemist, it would have been useful¡­ but as his first? The first card was the one that defined a person''s future and changed their body and mind more than any that followed. So what did this say about his? All he could do with it was light a candle, at best from a distance, if he could even throw it. His throwing skill was almost as bad as his running.


    "Thanks, Bronwyn," he said as he swallowed and climbed down from the chair. "I''ll go to bed now."


    As he moved to the door that led to his small room, he saw his brother''s sad look, but Bronwyn said nothing, and neither did their mother. Only when he was already staring at his bed, about to close the door, did his mother speak up.


    "Irwin. Slot the card," she said in a tone that left no room for discussion.


    Irwin didn''t know what to say and just nodded as he closed the thin door.

 Chapter 2: To Card or not to Card

    I don''t want my first card to be a utility card, Irwin thought lamely as he pressed his back against the door.


    His first card was the most important one and would form and shape the person he would be. What would this card make of him? A glorified candle-lighter?


    He knew he was being unreasonable. Most kids in the Rat District didn''t ever get a card.


    It was just that he hoped and dreamt about a card that would fix his rickety body! Something that would allow him to join the others during the midsummer fest or to help him run away when Bast felt the need to bully him.


    Taking a deep sigh, he was about to move to the bed when he picked up the soft mutter from the room.


    What was that?


    Knowing he wasn''t supposed to, he placed his ear to the door.


    "No, I didn''t tell him," his mother whispered.


    Her voice was so soft that Irwin knew he''d never have heard it if he hadn''t put his ear to the door. He also knew she would be upset if she found him listening in. In such a small house, respecting each other''s privacy was paramount...


    "You should. If he hears tomorrow from-"


    "Bronwyn, enough," his mother snapped, and he knew he''d have heard that.


    Even with his ear on the door, he couldn''t hear Brownyn''s reply, but he almost started when the front door was yanked open. Staring at his own door, he frowned. Where was she going?


    "I''ll be back late," his mother said. "Make sure to wake Irwin in time and tell him- by Gelwin''s Beard. Irwin? I know you can hear me! I''ll come around the school during the break- make sure you go! Teacher Rhym has something important to tell."


    Irwin froze against the door, the hairs on his arms standing upright. Tomorrow was supposed to be a day off. Why would he have to go to school? Worse, what was so important that his mother had to impress on him to go?


    He jolted as the door slammed shut. There was a tired sigh from the room, followed by Bronwyn''s voice.


    "Gelwin''s balls, how things can turn around. Irwin, slot the card. I know you don''t want it, but you need to practice with it tonight and tomorrow morning- Never mind. Just do it. You might not get another chance."


    Irwin didn''t respond to the curse his mother would have objected against or his brother''s worried voice. He clutched the card as he stepped towards his tiny crib and slumped down with his back against the wall. His mind was in utter chaos, filled with questions. What was going to happen tomorrow? What had his mother not told him? And what did Bronwyn mean by he might not get another chance?


    It took him a while before he''d calmed himself enough to look at the card, still clutched in his hand. Although he wasn''t handling it carefully, the card showed no bend. The tiny flame flickered brightly, and-


    Wait, why can I see?


    Irwin looked around the room, which should have been pitch black yet wasn''t. Instead, everything was bathed in a dim orange light that came from the flame on the finger of the card, which was, of course, ridiculous. Everyone knew that the images on the cards couldn''t interact with the real world. That was just-


    Irwin licked his suddenly dry lips as he raised the card closer to his face. The odd swirl on the top of the border of the card was definitely odd, but it looked more like it was damaged than anything else. The flame hovering above the finger wobbled slightly from a wind he didn''t see. Afraid he was imagining things, he put the card on the bed beside him, and instantly, the light vanished.


    He gazed around the dark room before carefully picking the card back up. Instantly, a vague light flickered around the room. The longer he looked at it, the more he realized there was something odd about the card.


    I don''t have much choice anyway, he decided as his fantasy began running wild.


    What if the swirling pattern was a hidden thing? Something that meant it was actually some hidden card, or perhaps even a legendary ranked card? His worry faded fully to the background as he sat in the middle of the bed and raised his left hand.


    As he placed the edge of the card against his skin, three simple square shapes appeared on the back of his hand. The tendons and blood vessels around the edges stood out, while those behind were obscured.


    The tiny flame card was almost twice the size of one, but under his watchful and awed gaze, the leftmost slot on his hand began glowing.


    The card shuddered, then jerked from his grip, hanging above the slot. It glowed brightly, then shrunk and moved inside so fast he almost didn''t notice.


    "Wow," he whispered.


    The process barely took two seconds, and as soon as the card slotted into his hand, he felt a slight drowsiness. Though he''d never experienced what was happening, he knew what it was- his body was going to integrate his first card and change him. Had it been a rare or better card or one explicitly dealing with body enhancement, he''d wake up taller, stronger, or with other physical changes. But now?


    He waited, hoping for his body to start hurting as that would mean the card really was something special. A minute in, nothing was happening, and he yawned. Cleaning the dog pen was catching up on him, and as his stomach rumbled, he suddenly remembered he hadn''t eaten.


    Come on, he thought as he stared at the card in annoyance.


    As if answering him, the card slowly changed. It had already stopped moving and glowing, and as he watched, it slowly turned into no more than an etching in his skin. The other slots faded, and the etched card turned to lines before all he was left with was a dim tattoo of an edged card with a tiny swirl in the top border.


    It''s barely visible, just like any other common, he thought. A stupid common utility card.


    He felt tears begin to well up in his eyes, and he quickly turned his head away. He didn''t want to look at the card anymore. Putting his head on the pillow, he yawned so wide it squeezed some tears into his pillow.


    At least he had a card, he tried to tell himself. As his body became heavy, he stared blearily at the mold on the wall. The last thing he thought was that he was missing something, and then his overworked body and mind yanked him into a deep, dark sleep.


    --


    "By Gelwin''s beard! Irwin, wake up!"


    "Wuh- wha?" Irwin muttered as his eyes slowly opened.


    Lingering images of raging fires that swallowed worlds faded before he could focus on them.


    His head was pounding as if he''d gotten a cold, but he didn''t feel the customary runny nose that would otherwise accompany that. Something prodded his shoulder, and he groaned as he rolled on his back.


    Bronwyn was hovering above him with a frown, shaking his head as the corner of his mouth curled up in a mock half-smile. "Well, show it then!"


    Irwin blinked in confusion as he sat up and rubbed his eyes- why were those stinging this much? Annoying.


    "Well?"


    "Show what?" he croaked, realizing his lips were parched and his tongue dry as leather.


    He got up and stretched, staring at Bronwyn, still not sure what he meant when he scratched his hand. Suddenly, everything came back, and his eyes widened as he looked at his hand. The tiny lines, almost a tattoo, of the card with the finger and flame were still there. He got his first card!


    For a moment, joy and wonder came, then his head throbbed again, and he groaned.


    "What''s wrong? How long did you practice? Did you even sleep?" Bronwyn asked, the smile gone and replaced by a frown.


    "I didn''t practice," Irwin said as he stepped around his bulky brother and through the door into the living room.


    "What? Why not?!" Bronwyn snapped, storming after him.


    "I was too sleepy," Irwin said as he suppressed his desire to add that it wouldn''t matter anyway.


    Who would care how proficient he would be at lighting candles or campfires? He took a cup from the shelf, removed the lid of the tiny water cask, and dipped it in, making sure not to get his hands in. The water tasted like sweet honey to his parched throat and dry mouth, and he gulped it down. When the cup was empty, he quickly refilled it, drained it, and did it again.


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    As he finished his fourth, there was a grunt from the table, and he looked up to see Bronwyn stare at him, eyes narrow. Wait, had he even thanked Bronwyn? As bad as the card was, at least he''d gotten one- something none of the other kids in the Rat District could say. That put him on par with the children of the craftsmen and rangers.


    Well... maybe not on par, but at least closer, he thought. He wondered what Greldo would say when he saw his card! They had been speculating a lot, and he knew his friend was incredibly jealous, even though he hid it as best as he could.


    "Bronwyn, thank you for the card," he said, meaning it.


    His brother didn''t answer, still watching him quietly, and slowly Irwin became uncomfortable. His headache was fading rapidly, though he felt like he could probably still drink one or two more cups. Instead, he carefully put the lid back and rinsed and replaced the cup before turning around. Bronwyn was still looking at him, and he swallowed.


    "What''s wrong?"


    "How do you feel?" Bronwyn asked softly.


    Irwin shrugged. "Okay¡­? I''ve got a little headache, but it''s almost gone, and-"


    "Do you have any muscle cramps?" Bronwyn asked, interrupting him.


    Wait, was his brother checking if he''d somehow changed? Why would that happen? It was just a common card. He was about to say as much when he held back. Perhaps he had changed? He stretched a bit and tried to check his height from the doorpost. When he saw he was still the same tinyness as the day before, he barely managed a smile.


    "No, nothing. Just a little sore from cleaning the dog pen," he said before frowning. He stretched again and did feel a bit of soreness, but not nearly what he''d have expected. Was that normal when you slotted a card?


    Bronwyn frowned, opened his mouth, and then looked at his own hand, which had two card slot tattoos.


    Wait, two?


    "You got another card!" Irwin shouted before clasping his hand before his mouth.


    "Yes," Bronwyn said, looking up. Slowly, his frown lifted as he raised his hand and put it on the table for Irwin to inspect.


    Irwin was happy to oblige, curiously putting his face so close he almost put his nose on his brother''s rugged and tanned hand. A card with the tiny image of an owl sat beside Bronwyn''s starting card, the clasped hands- a simple body improvement card that granted increased body strength and hand dexterity. It was uncommon and one of the best of its kind, and the reason some people despised his brother.


    "Wow, you got a summon!" Irwin hissed as he looked up with wide eyes. "Show me?"


    Bronwyn grinned as he sat back. "Alright, but don''t frighten him. He is still very young."


    Irwin nodded enthusiastically as he felt his excitement grow. "Does he have a name?"


    "Not yet," Bronwyn said. "I was thinking you might want to help me with that?"


    Irwin''s head bobbed up and down so fast the vestiges of his headache returned, and he stopped quickly.


    "Definitely!"


    Bronwyn laughed and raised his hand, frowning as if concentrating. His left hand glowed for a moment, then a soft woosh came, and a gray spark appeared above his raised palm. Then, out of nowhere, a tiny, fist-sized owl plopped down on it. Dark gray, almost black, with beautiful auburn streaks across its feathers, the owl turned its head around and looked at Irwin with almost glowing orange eyes.


    "It''s beautiful," Irwin muttered as he slowly moved his hand forward before holding back. "Can I touch it?"


    "Yes, but be careful of its beak!"


    Irwin moved his finger towards the owl''s side, and it followed his finger before the large orange eyes blinked lazily. The feathers were soft and smooth, unlike anything he''d ever touched, and as he stroked them, he marveled.


    "How big will it become?" he asked.


    "Roughly twice the size of my head," Bronwyn stated proudly. "Nowhere big enough to ride, of course, but big enough to be dangerous in combat! After it''s fully grown, it can attack the monsters, distracting them so I can get a clean shot or hit in!"


    Bronwyn''s words caught Irwin by surprise, and he looked up, slightly worried. "Are the monsters as bad as they said?" he asked, his shoulders dropping.


    He hadn''t even talked with his brother yet about how it had been. All he had thought about was himself and his troubles, not even asking about how it had been to roam the lands around Malorin and go through portals to close them.


    "Don''t worry, Irwin. It was alright, and I learned many new things," Bronwyn said, placing his hands on the table and absently stroking the tiny owl. "I-..." he waited, then shook his head, muttering something about their mother. "Listen, Mum, she- man, how do I tell you this?" Bronwyn rubbed his face.


    Irwin looked at his brother quietly, recalling the conversation he''d overheard the day before.


    "What is going to happen at school today?" he asked.


    His brother looked up sharply. "You heard? You know you aren''t supposed to listen in!"


    Irwin didn''t respond. He knew Bronwyn was right, but something was going on. If Bronwyn didn''t even want to talk about the portals he''d gone in? It had to be something-


    The sorcerers?


    Irwin gasped, and his eyes widened as he began connecting dots. Only a few things would cause everyone to have to return to school during an off day, and of those, only one would explain his mother''s behavior.


    "But they were here only half a year ago? And I''m not sixteen yet and the weakest," he rambled as his hands gripped the edge of the table. "And I''m not the smartest! There''s Clarish and Lark and¡­ and¡­ The sorcerers are here? Why?" he almost cried, barely holding back his tears.


    Bronwyn seemed to wilt at the other side of the table, now no longer looking at him but staring at the tiny owl that was curiously examining Irwin.


    "A week ago, there was a message from the sorcerers that we were to get a new group of people ready," Bronwyn said as he began tapping angrily on the table.


    "What? Why?" Irwin whispered.


    "Nobody knows for sure, but there''s a rumor going around the Rangers groups that a Diflor assassin got into the towers and killed hundreds of potential sorcerers."


    Irwin''s eyes widened in shock. "But, that means-" he began.


    "That means that the sorcerers need new people, or they won''t have enough to close the portals between the towns and cities," Bronwyn said. "Worse, if we get another upheaval or massive surge at the wall..."


    "But that hasn''t happened in ten years," Irwin said, shaking his head, still in shock.


    "Eleven," Bronwyn corrected him. "The older rangers say that this means there will be another one, and soon. The reports from the wall say that there have been more attacks and... well..." he seemed to want to add something, then shook his head.


    "But, the stories say that the portals will slowly stop appearing..." Irwin began, stopping as Bronwyn shook his head miserably.


    "The stories are wrong. Magnif, the ranger that I''ve been placed with? He''s turning fifty, and he remembers the previous three¡­ He''s told me about the worst one, over thirty-five years ago. By the end, a single sorcerer was all that stood between us and total annihilation."


    Irwin sunk down on the stool, feeling miserable, and it wasn''t just because Bronwyn''s ranger captain was right. No, this also meant that the stories he loved hearing painted the wrong picture.


    Of all the disadvantages of his condition, at least he''d never worried they would select him to go to the sorcerers or the wall. Those needed to be physically fit and strong or have had powerful cards from a young age. Or both, like some nobles.


    But now they were even taking this from him?


    He shuddered as he suddenly understood why the noble''s children had been so quiet the last few days.


    "The city council has determined that we can''t send any of the rangers or guards. We are barely holding on as it is, and the sorcerers only accept those or young people. So we will be sending twenty of the children of your class," Bronwyn said listlessly. "I''m sorry that you don''t get to stand on the square and be chosen, Irwin. I''d have loved to stand and see one of the mapmakers or alchemists apprentice you.¡±


    Irwin just shook his head at the lies. He knew full well he''d never be picked by anyone. Even if the card he had now were an uncommon card, his physical weakness would have been too much of a liability to any master to consider spending time and precious resources on him.


    Bronwyn clapped his hands suddenly, startling both Irwin and the owl.


    "Enough of this. The bell hasn''t rung yet, so we got a quarter left. Let''s see to getting this little one a name, and then you need to see what your card does!"


    "Alright," Irwin muttered.


    He listlessly called out a few names, barely paying attention.


    There was no way he''d be sent to the wall, which meant he was going to the towers. What would life there be like? Would Mum come to see him? Was she even allowed? Who else would go? Probably Greldo, who was almost as much of a runt as he was.


    And just as disposable, he thought, feeling his anger bubble up.


    "That''s a good idea," Bronwyn suddenly said, and Irwin blinked as he tried to recall what he''d just proposed.


    "Glint! I like it, short and snappy," Bronwyn said as he nodded his head and began grinning at the owl. He seemed oblivious to the fact that Irwin had no memory of saying the name.


    Irwin forced himself to pay attention when he saw Bronwyn place his left hand on the owl''s head.


    "I name you Glint," Bronwyn said, and the card slot burned a bright silver for a second. The owl simply cocked his head, then vanished.


    "Where did it go?" Irwin muttered.


    "Back into the card. It''s just an uncommon summon card, so it starts very young and weak. Now that I''ve named it, it will start growing and gaining its own abilities. I''m hoping for either Gigantism or Shadow Stealth."


    Irwin couldn''t help himself from nodding. Those would definitely be awesome, with the first making the owl as big as one of the ranger''s hounds and a dangerous adversary, while Shadow Stealth would make it the perfect infiltrant. That Bronwyn would gain a tiny measure of the same ability wouldn''t hurt him either.


    "So, call the flame," Bronwyn said, waving his hands outward, the muscles on his arms and chest rippling below the thin tunic.


    Irwin snorted.


    As if it will be anything that impressive, he thought.


    Still, as he raised his hand, he couldn''t help but become curious. Focusing on the card still meant looking at it for now, as he needed way more practice to do it without- so he stared intently at the finger and the flame until he sensed something. It was like a connection that he''d never noticed and that he could flex.


    The connection was vague and weak, but he knew it was the card and that it would become clearer the more he used it. He raised his other hand, a finger up as in the image, and slowly tensed the muscle.


    A tiny spark erupted from his fingertip, then another, and for two seconds, a poor representation of fireworks illuminated the room.


    "Focus on a flame," Bronwyn said.


    "I am," Irwin snapped as he heard the worry in his brother''s voice.


    By Gelwin''s balls, does the curvy line mean his stupid common card isn''t anything special but broken? It barely registered that he''d used the same curse as Bronwyn had.


    He gritted his teeth and focused on the odd connection, trying to force more of a reaction. For a few moments, the card seemed to ignore his wishes, then he connected with it, and a woosh came from his finger. A tiny flame hovered there, heat waves rippling outwards. As he looked at the flame, any hope he might have left vanished. Feeling something inside him crack, he released the connection, causing the flame to disappear with a soft woosh.


    "I''m going to school," he said, turning to the door without looking at his brother. There was no response, but as he closed the door to the shadowy alley, he heard a soft ''I''m sorry'' from inside.


    "So am I," Irwin whispered, too soft for his brother to hear, as he closed the door.

 Chapter 3: Sorcerer says

    Irwin walked away from his house, holding back his desire to run. It would relieve some of his listlessness and annoyance, but if he ran into someone again, things would only get worse. Besides, his legs and arms felt alright now, but who was to say the pains and aches wouldn''t return with a vengeance?


    So, he stalked through the town towards the school building near one of the central squares.


    The odd sensation that was the connection to his card lingered in the back of his mind. He fiddled with the sensation, but not enough to accidentally trigger it. With his hands in his pockets, that''d ruin his pants.


    It feels like a mug slowly filling with water, he thought.


    He flexed the connection, noting the sore sensation. Did Bronwyn have this with both of his skills? He hoped not. It was one thing to have a sore body from walking up a stair, but if he was also going to be in pain from using his card, he wasn''t sure he''d ever use it again.


    After thinking about it for a bit, trying to recall if he''d ever heard about it before, he decided it was probably because he''d only just gotten his first card.


    As he moved, he bent down and grabbed a little grime, wiping it across the back of his hands, instantly hiding the thin, tattoo-like lines from sight. He wasn''t interested in drawing any attention to it, at least not just yet.


    The narrow streets he walked through were quiet and empty, which made sense as the first bell still had to ring. A dull chime suddenly rang from far to the left as if to mock him.


    Irwin looked up at one of the dark spires from Lastristal castle. It was the place the whole of Malorin was built around. Situated less than twenty minutes from the Gloomforest, it had been the sole bastion for survivors in these backwater parts.


    Ahead of him was the largest square of the town, lined with craftsman''s workshops to one side and the town''s school to the other. The central street ran through it from left to right, and he knew that if he followed it, he''d either reach the castle or the town gate¡ªneither a place he wanted to go to. Straight ahead was the Nobles District, the direct opposite of the Rats District, both in location and who lived there.


    I wonder who they will send, he thought, staring at the wider, cleaned streets. If they really needed to send twenty people, that meant there weren''t enough children from the Rats District or even the crafters. The nobles would have to bleed with them.


    Somehow, that made him feel slightly better.


    I wonder if the Cityholder will send his grandchildren, he thought, knowing the chances of that were probably zero.


    A figure stood, huddled against the wall near the school''s double gate, watching his feet. Irwin wasn''t surprised to see Greldo here at all. It was even likely that he''d been here for a while, as his mother was probably tumbling with another of the guards, hoping for some coin. He sighed as he walked up, wondering what his friend would say about his card. As bad as it was, he was sure Greldo would have killed for it.


    "Hey, Greldo," he said so as not to spook the other.


    Even then, Greldo jolted and looked up with wide, fearful eyes. His dark, bushy brows almost came together in a mono-brow, and at fifteen, he was starting to show the thin shadow of a mustache. He calmed as soon as he saw Irwin, smiling half-heartedly before waving.


    "Irwin," Greldo whispered.


    Irwin stopped and leaned against the wall next to him. They were of a height, but even Greldo had more muscle than he did.


    "Did you hear?"


    Irwin sighed as the looming notion of going to the sorcerer towers returned with full vengeance. Oddly, Greldo looked at him with wide, gleaming eyes.


    "You don''t seem too sad about it," Irwin whispered.


    He quickly looked around to make sure none of the bullies were heading their way. There wasn''t anyone heading to the school, and only a few people were moving around the crafter''s buildings.


    Greldo shrugged, his familiar sad smile cropping up. "Yeah, well¡­ you know," he muttered, looking around and at the door before leaning closer. "It''ll get me away from that horrible woman¡­ The sorcerers can''t be worse than that, right? And at least I''ll get food each day!"


    "Probably," Irwin said with a knowing and pained grin. He''d long since gotten used to Greldo calling his mother ''that woman''.


    "But you know how few ever return, right? And those that do... Remember old Garbil?" he said.


    Greldo waved his hand in the air. "Doesn''t matter. I''ll not survive another year here. That woman? She''s managed to charm one of the older guards, promising him she can still bear him some children."


    "What? Who?" Irwin exclaimed in surprise.


    It had been a long-standing bet amongst many people they knew that Greldo''s mother would never find anyone that stupid.


    "Tyson Bas," Greldo said with a scowl.


    "That violent maniac?" Irwin said as he swallowed. He instantly knew what Greldo meant. If he had to live at that man''s house, he''d be in for a beating every other day or more. And Tyson had two cards. If he forgot to hold back only one time...


    "Yeah, I heard him beat her up two days ago, but she didn''t seem to care much. Was all happy the day after, sporting her blackened eye and telling me that Tyson just showed his love like that¡­"


    "By Gelwin''s Balls, you might be right," Irwin said, wanting nothing but to change the topic.


    "Better make sure your mother doesn''t hear you," Greldo said, grinning nastily. "Or she might finally stop being nice and smack you around some.


    "Just don''t tell her then," Irwin said as he suddenly grinned, though it quickly turned into a pained one. "Bronwyn is back-"


    "Did he bring you a card?" Greldo hissed, his eyes darting to Irwin''s hands.


    "Yeah," Irwin said hesitantly as he raised his hand for the other to see.


    "Oh. It''s a utility one," Greldo said, taking a single, short look before smiling ruefully.


    "Yeah," Irwin said as his shoulders hung. "I''d had hoped¡­"


    Greldo didn''t reply, and they stood there for another five minutes. A couple of their classmates came slowly drifting in from the Rats District and Crafters District. They stayed with their own little groups, and although Irwin couldn''t hear what they were talking about, he was pretty sure he knew what it was about.


    Finally, a group of well-dressed teenagers began walking out of the street of the Nobles District, congregating near the exit to the side of the school.


    And here come the lucky ones, Irwin thought.


    One of the young nobles waved his gloved hand at another, electing a loud ooooh from a few of the surrounding girls.


    Must have gotten another card, Irwin thought.


    Maybe if he was lucky, he could get a glove to cover up his, though it would likely only draw more attention to it. Eyeing the boy''s leather jerkin and padded pants above well-fitting black boots, Irwin sighed wistfully. He''d probably not be getting those new boots now.


    Wait, when do we have to leave? Not today, right?


    He recalled Bronwyn''s words, and his hands turned cold. At the same time, his stomach clenched, reminding him that he''d not eaten since the previous afternoon. Even though there probably hadn''t been anything but some moldy carrots and the dried meat his mother spoke about, it would have been better than nothing.


    "Do you know when we have to leave?" he whispered as he turned to Greldo.


    Greldo was staring straight at the group of nobles, gazing at Clarish, a tall girl with a long, curly ponytail. She was one of the few children, besides the nobles, who had a weapon: a long quarterstaff with metal-plated ends. Some said she slept with it, which Irwin found more than reasonable as the price of the weapon could feed him and his Mum for months.


    "Grell," he hissed, pulling his friend''s sleeve. If the nobles saw him looking, it would just be trouble they could do without.


    "Dunno," Greldo muttered, tearing his eyes from Clarish.


    Irwin pressed a hand against his stomach.


    Mum said she''d come to school. Perhaps she''s got food, he thought, as he saw Greldo''s gaze slowly drift back to Clarish.


    He didn''t even bother looking. Greldo and the other boys had been giving Clarish more and more attention over the last year, and he knew why. She was tall, smart, and beautiful, and she was rich to boot as the youngest daughter of one of the few carded tailors. He''d even seen more than a few nobles stare at her in class with a dreamy, far-off look.


    Fools, Irwin thought, somewhat smug.


    Clarish had no interest in any of them, not even Lark, who was better than her in everything besides turning boys'' heads. If she didn''t want Lark, what chance did any of them, or him in particular, have? He banished the image of her intelligent brown eyes.


    A clunk from the door of the school snapped him out of it, and he mechanically moved to the back of the line of youths that had formed.


    "So, I hear we are finally being relieved from your skinny presence?"


    Irwin looked up at the sound of the grating, cocky voice to find Bast and his friends grinning at him as they stepped into the line behind him. All three were brawny and could have been brothers from both their looks and intelligence, the latter of which was the lowest in the class.


    Because the sorcerers don''t want you and are sending you to the wall? Irwin thought, but he said nothing. He wanted to, but getting a beating after school wasn''t his idea of a good time.


    "What now? Afraid to speak?" Bast said as he stepped closer, his nasty grin widening. His hands moved towards Irwin, who couldn''t stop himself from flinching.


    "Hah! You won''t survive a day in those towers! I''ll light you a candle when we hear you''re dead," Bast said.


    Irwin held back an angry retort, afraid that whatever he did would just result in a beating.


    "Inside, you brats! Go to the main hall. There''s no class today," a cracked voice shouted.


    Their teacher, Rhym, father to the current smith Randal, stood at the door, staring straight at Bast. His sharp, dark eyes, set in a wrinkled face with a ragged gray beard, promised punishment for those who didn''t act upon his orders immediately.


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    Bast scratched his nose as he backed off, nodding at Rhym before turning around to beckon his friends.


    "I''ll find you after school," he whispered as he backed toward Rhym. "Some bruises might motivate you to get lost sooner!"


    Irwin slumped, already feeling the heavy thuds on his body. It wasn''t just the pain of the moment or that he''d be unable to do anything for days after. The fact that they kept reminding him they were holding back because he was too weak for a proper beating somehow made everything far worse.


    Perhaps we are leaving right away, he thought.


    For a second, he wondered if he could perhaps burn the three with his flame to scare them off. Then he recalled the pinky-sized flame he''d produced, and he barely managed to hold back the anger from making him glare at Bast. If he did that, things would only get worse.


    "We can just hide in the attic till they are gone," Greldo whispered, and Irwin nodded.


    They followed the other youths into the old building made of stone and wood. Walking through the familiar dark and dusty hall, they headed into the largest room, generally used for festivities and the occasional shared breakfast.


    Irwin stopped in his tracks as he saw the tables lined together and laden with plates and baskets filled to the brim with bread and cheese. A shove from Bast made him stumble forward, but he barely cared as his eyes locked onto the food.


    "There''s milk," Greldo said, his soft voice still the loudest thing in the quiet room.


    There was a round of laughter and mockery from the front of the class as a group of nobles began whispering and pointing at Greldo.


    "Pipe down, brats," Rhym shouted, his voice cracking as he moved to a small elevated podium. It was empty, but Irwin saw a cloaked figure standing near the wall.


    "You will all be grateful to know that we get to share a meal gifted by Sorcerer Xourdin," Rhym said, waving his hand at the figure. "However, before we do, I''ve got some not-news, as I''m sure most have heard it by now!"


    Rhym coughed, and his face turned pale. It took him a few moments to gather himself as the youths quietly watched. They had long since gotten used to Rhym''s poor health.


    There were many stories about how someone with as many cards as he had ended up in this state, from him being poisoned by a monster in the Gloomforest to surviving a stabbing with a sword he forged himself. However, the most commonly believed one was that he used to be with one of the last groups of mercenaries that closed portals before those were all forced to join the walled cities.


    "Due to a... minor inconvenience at the sorcerer-initiates tower, our noble city council has agreed to the sorcerer''s request for more people," Rhym said, looking around.


    Nobody dared speak, and he nodded.


    "To celebrate your unexpected ability to help keep our beautiful peninsula safe, you will all get to eat to your heart and stomach''s content. When we finish, Sorcerer Xourdin will explain a few things, and then I''ll let you all know who has been selected," Rhym said.


    This time, there was some shuffling of feet and anxious looks, showing that not everyone knew or perhaps hadn''t been told that the selection would come from within them.


    "Your parents already know who will be leaving, and they will be waiting for you at noon. Those who are chosen can then go with them for-"


    The hooded figure cleared his throat, and Rhym blinked, then gritted his teeth as he stopped talking. When nothing else came from the hooded figure, Rhym took a deep breath, then waved at the tables with a short, angry gesture.


    "Go eat."


    As afraid and curious as he was, Irwin knew better than to ask questions or expect anyone else to dare. He followed Greldo to the furthest table, keeping a close eye on Bast. Luckily, the burly youth and his friends had run to the first free table, seeming to have forgotten all about him.


    Irwin lowered himself to the bench, and all his worry faded as he smelled the food. His gaze fell on a big mug of warm milk, and he almost grabbed it, barely holding back. Nobody was eating yet. He swallowed and looked around.


    Everyone was doing the same, though the youths from the Rats District were easily distinguishable. They were all swallowing, and their gazes kept drifting to the food. Even the crafter''s children seemed ready to dig in. Only the nobles looked around in disdain.


    Still, even they knew better than to begin. It wasn''t the first time they had eaten together, but that only occurred at the height of summer, when food was more plentiful. Rhym would tell a long story about how lucky they were to be alive and live where they did, instead of near the dangerous coast, on the unforgiving plains, or worse, beyond the wall where the demons ruled. This time, however, he showed no interest in his usual speech.


    "Eat, I said," Rhym snapped.


    There was only a moment''s hesitation; then everyone turned to the food.


    Irwin looked at his food-laden plate. There was a thick vegetable porridge on it, whole carrots lurking within, and he even thought he saw a few chunks of gravy. Suddenly, the worry and fear at what was coming, or the promised beating by Bast, seemed unimportant.


    His stomach rumbled, and he grabbed the spoon and a piece of bread, then began scooping the steaming porridge into his mouth. The warm explosion of flavors made his eyes water. His mind seemed to grow fuzzy, his thoughts unclear as he swallowed. As the food slid into his stomach, it seemed to heat up like a furnace, and he quickly blinked the tears away before anyone could notice.


    Still, he sensed eyes on him, and he looked up at the person sitting in front of him, freezing as their eyes met. Purt, another youth from the Rats District, stared at him in stupefaction, blowing on his heavily laden and damping spoon.


    Irwin waved at his mouth before whispering, ''Hot,'' and Purt gave him a ''no shit'' look as he took small tentative sips from his spoon.


    Irwin hoped Purt wouldn''t tell the others because he didn''t need another reason to be pestered, but before he could worry, his stomach clenched, shouting at him to continue. As his thoughts hazed over again, he faintly realized there was something odd, but with the allure of food before him, he ignored it and focused back on his steaming plate.


    Only the noble''s children spoke for at least half of the next bell as all the other youths busied themselves with finishing off all the food from the tables.


    As Irwin finished his second helping of bread, the fuzziness in his mind slowly faded. Using a piece of bread to wipe the stew''s meat and vegetable juices from his plate, he wondered why he felt he could still eat more. It wasn''t that he was incredibly hungry, but he should definitely be stuffed by now!


    He had started slowly, afraid that his empty stomach would rebel against the sudden influx of food, but nothing of the sort had happened. Instead, it almost felt like everything he put in his mouth vanished. By now, he''d eaten more than he ever had. Not that he had many occasions for overeating. Only during Gelwin''s eve was there ever enough food. Now, like with the water that morning, he felt almost insatiable.


    Something changed, he thought as he looked at his hand.


    Some of the mud and grime had gone from the back of his hand, and he could see parts of the faint outlines. It was well known that common cards did not change one''s body unless they were specifically meant for that. Only uncommon and above cards did that, and the rarer the card, the more significant the change.


    "Careful, don''t draw attention to your hand," Greldo whispered, handing Irwin another big chunk of bread and cheese. "Just keep showing off and eat the rest of the food."


    Irwin nodded, continuing to stuff his face while keeping an eye on the others to make sure he wasn''t drawing attention. Only Purt kept glancing at him, but even then, he seemed more interested in trying to stuff every morsel of food in his stomach that would remain without vomiting. Their position at the back of the room made it so nobody else noticed his overeating.


    When he finally felt satiated, many of the larger boys and even some of the girls were still eating, though he knew that they had been eating at a far more measured pace.


    Irwin wiped the last of the thick, sweet milk from his lips when he got a poke from the side.


    "It is common, right?" Greldo whispered so softly that even Irwin barely heard him. Still, he took a quick look up to find that Purt had begun chatting with the guy to his left.


    Irwin looked at Greldo and nodded, causing his friend to frown and inspect him but remain quiet.


    It took another while before everyone finished, and Rhym got up from his own table at the back where he''d been drinking from his flask of Shril.


    "Quiet!"


    His voice was much more stable, and his face less pale as he stood straight and frowned at the softly whispering youths. It took only a few moments before everyone turned quiet.


    "Make sure to thank Sorcerer Xourdin for his generous gift by carefully listening to what he has to say!"


    There was no response, and Irwin repressed a scowl. As if any of the children, even the nobles, would have dared to interrupt a sorcerer! He wondered if Rhym had forgotten what having little to no cards was like. The old smith himself had a full-hand-and-one, making him one of the most carded and most influential people in Malorin.


    His thoughts stilled as the hooded figure of Sorcerer Xourdin stepped forward.


    The cloaked figure removed his hood with a shake, revealing an unkempt, bearded, and bored-looking man. His gaze passed across the children, and Irwin felt himself freeze as the Sorcerer''s cold brown eyes gazed straight into his briefly. He was glad the man didn''t linger as he did with Clarish.


    "I''ll cut this short. Twelve of your group members will be coming with me to the towers, and eight will be brought to the wall tomorrow morning. I know none of you had expected this, and I apologize on behalf of the good people of Giard," Xourdin said dully, showing not the least bit of sorrow.


    He looked around, seeming to search for anyone who dared oppose. Although none did, he apparently found something he didn¡¯t like, and his thin eyebrows lowered in a frown.


    "Do I need to remind you that the safety and plenty you have experienced your entire life is only possible because the sorcerers continue to close the portals?"


    Plenty? Irwin thought. He knew he and Greldo were going to have a laugh about that later. But for now, he kept very still.


    Nobody else spoke either, and Xourdin nodded before turning to Rhym.


    "I''ve been reviewing the proposed list you handed me and have found some issues. I''ve taken a look at the school ledger and made some changes. I expect that you don''t interfere."


    Rhym blinked in surprise, seeming stunned. He looked around, and Irwin saw the old man''s gaze linger on Lark and Clarish before returning to Sorcerer Xourdin. He seemed ready to object, but Xourdin quietly held his gaze, and Rhym finally looked down, the muscles in his neck taut.


    "Good. I will start with those that will join me at the tower," Sorcerer Xourdin said as he looked around the room. "When I call your name, move to the wall behind me and wait. I''ll be talking to you privately later."


    "Clarish Uldrot."


    Irwin''s mind froze, and for a moment, everything was still. Then, there was a scraping of chairs as a few of the noble''s sons rose. Amongst them was Lark, the youngest grandchild of the current city warden and the most powerful man in Malorin.


    "What is the meaning of this?" he asked.


    His voice was deeper than those of the other youths, and he was already taller than many of the adults, even those who had cards. He glared at Rhym, shaking his head. "Clarish isn''t supp-"


    "She wasn''t on the list," Rhym declared as he stood, his hands clenched. "She is one of the most promising youths in this group and Malorin needs-"


    "Quiet," Xourdin snapped. "The sorcerers are not obliged to accept the secondhand rejects the ungrateful give them. We are the last line of defense against the Demons!"


    His voice rose in volume as he spoke, and five cards began glowing on the back of his hands while his previously bored gaze turned sharp and angry.


    "You know the number of portals has been increasing, and we need skilled people to close them!"


    He has five cards, Irwin thought as he looked around to see if anybody else had noticed.


    Everyone had, and the whole class was staring at the Sorcerer''s hands, frozen in shock. Even Lark, a step from his seat, gaped.


    Five! It was but one more than Rhym, but the power difference would be impossible to overcome. Finding five compatible cards was incredibly difficult, as the list of compatible cards shrunk with each added card. The only way to make it easier was if the cards were of a very high rank, as those cards had more elements and effects, and only one of those needed to be genuinely compatible for the card to be slotted.


    It was generally accepted that the more cards someone had, the more powerful they were.


    All this flashed through Irwin''s mind, as he knew it did with the others, while Rym took a half step forward.


    "You can take up any issue you have with the Towers! Now, be quiet lest I remove you from the room!"


    There was a deadly quiet as everyone looked at Rhym, who was visibly shaking. His hands gripped his wrists, and he suddenly turned and bolted for the door.


    "Yes, by all means. Go tell that old fool what I''ve done," Xourdin snapped. "Also, tell him not to come to complain unless he wants a fight! My fifth is beyond my fourth!"


    Irwin sat back, and he wasn''t the only one. Though he didn''t know what the Sorcerer had meant with the last bit, he was sure it didn''t mean anything good.


    Teacher Rhym didn''t stop but almost stumbled out of the room, leaving them with Xourdin.


    The Sorcerer sniffed, then focused back on them.


    "It doesn''t matter who your father or mother is. If you hear your name, you will stand behind me or suffer the consequences."


    Nobody dared speak as he began snapping off names, and as one of the nobles was called, Irwin felt a slight wave of relief. Perhaps he didn''t have to leave? If the Sorcerer wanted only the best, then there was surely no reason to bring him.


    More of the noble''s sons and daughters were called than some of the children of the crafters, and Irwin felt a slight bit of schadenfreude as he saw their shocked faces of disbelief.


    It lasted for the whole of five seconds.


    "Irwin Roddington," Xourdin said, not looking at him but continuing. "Greldo Domnyr!"


    Irwin was still staring at the Sorcerer when Greldo grabbed his sleeve and pulled him up towards the wall. "Move before you draw his attention," Greldo whispered.


    Irwin stumbled, then followed his friend to the wall, barely realizing he stood beside Clarish. The names continued, and at some point, Xourdin said the next eight would go to the wall. Irwin barely heard it, as everything seemed to pass in a haze.


    Only when Xourdin finished and clapped his hands did he snap out of it.


    The Sorcerer looked at the remaining children. "Go back home and tell your parents they are lucky. I have a rule not to take more than one child from a single family, and for now, that will hold. For now..."


    Most of the children backed up before turning and fleeing out of the room. Only Lark and a few of the other nobles remained behind, faces pale as they looked at the Sorcerer.


    Xourdin ignored them and turned to the smaller group of eight that would be heading to the wall.


    "Go to the square and wait there. When Rhym returns, alone I am sure, tell him not to bother us!"


    He spun around on his heel and pointed at the twelve children.


    "Follow me!"

 Chapter 4: Future laid out

    Irwin barely saw where they were going and only snapped out of his daze when a soft, cold breeze blew in his face. Looking up, he saw they had been brought to the classroom at the far end of the building. The window''s shutters were open, and the dark, gray air outside promised more rain.


    Greldo jutted him in the side, and he quickly focused back on the front of the class.


    Sorcerer Xourdin moved behind the small desk, staring at them briefly.


    "I''ll only explain this once, and it''s up to you to listen," he finally said coldly.


    As he spoke, he raised one of his hands, and a card glowed, revealing an eye that hovered on the back of his hand. It seemed to look around, glancing at each of the children before it flashed and faded, leaving the children staring at the hand wide-eyed.


    "Sit!"


    Irwin jolted and scrambled after Greldo and the others to find a seat. He dropped into the first wooden stool he saw before looking around worriedly. The room felt empty with only the twelve of them, and he knew he and Greldo stood out being the poorest from the Rats District. Even the other Rats District children looked more like they belonged there, especially Dalsin, who was the largest of the youths and somehow seemed to blend in, even with his decrepit old tunic. He sat beside Ensil, the youngest of the sons of the smith, and both were pale.


    "Good, at least you can all obey orders," Xourdin said. "Now, first off, I wholly expect some of your parents to attempt to weasel you away... You had better talk them out of it. If I have to come to get you personally, I''ll destroy the houses I visit. Do I make myself clear?"


    Irwin felt his hair stand on end as he swallowed away a sudden lump in his throat. The classroom was deadly quiet, and Xourdin frowned, standing up straighter as he glared at them.


    "Do you understand?" he said in a soft, deadly voice.


    "Yes, Sorcerer Xourdin," twelve boys and girls shouted as one, some with shuddering voices.


    Sorcerer Xourdin gazed at them quietly, then nodded, the intense cold danger that had radiated from him fading.


    "Good. You are probably angry with me, but I suggest you keep that to yourself. Our world is overrun, and only if we all work together can we survive and perhaps somehow prosper. Although you are closing in on adulthood, you are still but children... still, this doesn''t exempt you from having to contribute," Sorcerer Xourdin said calmly. "From now on, you will be part of those that must protect this world. Do you understand?"


    Irwin nodded, even though the Sorcerer wasn''t looking at him. "Yes, Sorcerer Xourdin," he shouted together with the others.


    "Good. Now for the important things. We will be taking a temporary portal to the Azurepeak mountains tomorrow. It will be a short trip from the arrival point to the Apprentice Tower, your new abode. There, you will find a few hundred, or hopefully more, children from other towns across the peninsula. Normally, there would be a few weeks where we would drill you and teach you how to use staves and bows. However¡­"


    Sorcerer Xourdin suddenly looked both sad and angry, and he sighed.


    "Never mind, I''ll explain that when we get there," he said, seeming absent before looking back up.


    Somehow, the sadness in Xourdin''s eyes frightened Irwin far more than the previous cold danger had done. What could sadden even the five-carded Sorcerer? He immediately found he wasn''t the only one.


    A soft sobbing came, but Irwin didn''t look at the girl who slowly broke down, nor did he see any movement from his peripheral. Everyone kept looking at the Sorcerer, who took another deep sigh before turning back to them, his eyes growing cold and hard like sheets of ice.


    "In the tower, you will be expected to create groups of six, with whom you will both follow the courses and clear the common training portals. Have you heard about these portals?"


    There was no response, and he frowned as he looked around.


    Training portals? Irwin thought with a frown. He knew about portals, more so than most due to Bronwyn''s story, but he''d never heard of any being used for training.


    "I presume you know what portals are?" Sorcerer Xourdin asked.


    Clarish scraped her throat as she stepped forward. "Shimmering red swirls of magic that appeared together with the cards. Monsters and demons appear through them. If left unattended, they will eventually cause a surge of demons or monsters. They are said to grow in rank with time, and someone''s cards determine what portal they can enter into. Rangers close the common and uncommon portals while the sorcerers search and close anything higher to make sure none grow to epic or legendary rank."


    Although Irwin had known most of that, he saw looks of surprise from the other children. Even Xourdin looked at her with quiet approval before nodding.


    "Clarish Uldrot, granddaughter of Sorcerer Doukyser Uldrot, one of the most powerful sorcerers in the towers. I should have known you''d know more. You are right. That is what we do, but let me elaborate slightly. Only common-carded people can enter common portals, while uncommon-carded people can enter the uncommon portals. This goes up all the way to legendary, which is why we are on a time frame. We must enter the places beyond the portals, searching for cards while closing them before they grow too powerful."


    That got a gasp from the other children while Clarish turned pale. Irwin saw that a few of the nobles were looking at each other with weary glances as if they wanted to say something.


    Irwin had a pretty good idea of what that was. Xourdin made it sound like finding cards was a given, while he knew from his brother that sometimes only a single card was found in a portal. That meant if the party lost even a single person, it was a net loss.


    "You know my grandfather?"


    Clarish''s soft whisper made Irwin look up.


    Sorcerer Xourdin looked at Clarish, nodding softly. "Yes. When he knew I was coming here, he told me to bring you," he said, seeming unbothered by her interruption. When she said nothing else, he looked back at the others.


    "Now. As you have probably heard, many common-carded people were lost in a stealth raid some weeks ago, and we are struggling to keep up. We need to get more people to clear the common portals before they grow out of hand completely," the Sorcerer said before frowning again.


    "The day after you arrive, you will start drilling with the weapon masters while learning how to use your cards to kill the most common monsters and demons. Most likely, the best of you will enter your first true rift within a month. Now, something the instructors will tell you, but that you probably won''t believe¡­ The group you start with is very important. More so than you can even know right now. I am telling you this now so you can begin preparing! Make sure you pick people you trust over those you think are powerful. If you don''t, you will probably not survive the first portal!"


    Irwin felt his mind jitter all over the place as it tried to keep track of all the Sorcerer was telling them. How could they be expected to enter portals within a month? The rangers trained for a year before they were even allowed close enough to one.


    "Right. Now, all of you, tell me how many cards you have. I know four of you have none yet. Don''t worry about that. I have brought a few common cards," Xourdin said, causing everyone to sit up straight.


    He pointed at a youth Irwin knew from the other part of the Rats District.


    "You will start. Tell me the number of cards, their rank, and their type. Don''t tell me the details, and never tell anyone. Cards that look alike can still have different effects, and sometimes it''s better to keep your secrets close to your chest."


    As if anyone besides the nobles has more than one card, Irwin thought.


    "Desmond Telrin," the boy said, swallowing as he shook his head but stared at the Sorcerer with gleaming eyes. "I have no cards yet."


    "Okay, stay behind after we finish, and I''ll give you one. Next, you!"


    Irwin barely heard the next children as he gazed at his hand in disbelief. Seriously, he could have had something else if he had just waited a day? The chances of the card being better than what he had were almost guaranteed!


    Greldo poked him in the side, and he looked up to see Xourdin staring at him.


    "Irwin Roddington, one card¡­ common, utility," he said slowly, almost as if the words were dragged from him.


    There was a surprised grunt when he said he had a card, followed by a burst of soft laughter when he continued.


    Xourdin frowned, and for a moment, Irwin hoped he''d tell him to stay behind so he could get a second, combat-oriented card. Then the Sorcerer turned to the next person and pointed at Greldo. Irwin wilted, though he knew it''d have been too much to hope for. Cards were hard to come by, especially on this part of the peninsula.


    "Greldo Domnyr, no cards," his friend said, sounding almost happy.


    Time continued in a haze as Irwin dully listened. Even when a few of the nobles hesitantly said they had multiple uncommon cards, he wasn''t able to get excited.


    A few minutes later, all the children were done, and Xourdin looked at those who had none before turning to the rest. "Right. Now, go outside and see your parents. Say your goodbyes, but remember what I said. Don''t make me come find you¡­"


    The youths nodded before rushing out. Irwin listlessly followed the others through the hallways, trailing behind them and trying not to catch anyone''s attention.


    I wonder what those training portals are, he thought. Xourdin hadn''t told them what was inside, but it had to be monsters¡­ besides, how were they supposed to close them? Or weren''t they?


    "Clarish, can you tell us some more about those training portals?"


    Endil, the smith''s son, was looking at Clarish. His jaw was squared, and he seemed to expect an answer, projecting a sense of calm self-assurance Irwin usually only saw with the nobles. Then again, his father was the most renowned smith in town, and most folks did all they could to keep on his bad-tempered good side. The fact he had an uncommon card didn''t help much either.


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Irwin perked up as he focused on the group ahead of him. He kept back, willing himself to be invisible and almost holding his breath as Clarish started talking. If someone saw him, they might chase him off before he could learn more.


    "I don''t know that much. Father told me some of Grandpa''s stories, and most of them dealt with fighting monsters and finding the linchpin to close the portals. They are supposed to be similar to true portals."


    "What''s a linchpin?" Dalsin asked, stepping beside Endil.


    She just said it''s the thing that closes the portal, Irwin thought, holding back a derisive snort.


    "It''s the item keeping the portal open that you need to destroy, though sometimes it''s a monster," Clarish said, now the center of attention but seeming unbothered. "Father said in most of the common portals, they resemble large, mutated beasts, like those from Gloomforest."


    "Fantastic," Dalsin said with a sigh as he turned to Endil. "Let''s go to your father and ask him for wooden weapons and armor. Our few cards won''t be enough if we need to fight, and who knows if the sorcerers will actually give us anything."


    Endil nodded, then turned to Clarish. "Come with us. I''m sure Father has some gear for you if you want."


    Clarish smiled, and the room seemed to turn a little brighter for a moment.


    Irwin stepped back in the shadows as the others moved away, listening to their slowly disappearing conversation. It all dealt with preparation, and he heard no talk about trying to hide. He wondered what their parents would think. His Mum always said that the nobles didn''t take kindly to being told what to do.


    When the group of youths disappeared around the corner, Irwin snuck into a nearby classroom. His mind was a mess, and it took him all of his effort to keep focusing on the first problem. Bast. He reached the window and looked out to see if Bast and his friends were waiting, only for his eyes to widen in surprise.


    A host of people stood on the square, almost as many as on the previous Gelwin''s eve. It took him only a few moments to spot his Mum and Bronwyn looking around anxiously. As soon as he saw Bronwyn, he felt a tiny bit of relief. Even if Bast was around, he''d not risk angering Bronwyn.


    Irwin ran through the hallways before hesitating as he reached the exit. He snuck to the door and looked around.


    There was a loud wailing and shouting from the different parents, and Irwin saw a few of the nobles glare at the building, seeming ready to storm inside and demand their children remain. Still, none moved, and Irwin wondered if any would actually dare. Even if some had two or three cards, or perhaps one of the higher nobles had four, none would be willing to anger Xourdin. Even if they could somehow handle him, the Sorcerer Towers would not take kindly to their transgression.


    Seeing nothing troublesome, he dashed across the square to his mother, who immediately spotted him.


    "There you are!"


    Irwin slowed as he closed in on his Mum, her eyes red and a stink of Shril thick around her. He stopped in shock, staring at her, and only when he saw Bronwyn shake his head quickly and beckon him over did he snap his mouth shut and continue ahead. Before he could even think about asking her what had happened, she shocked him again when she wrapped him in her arms. The sharp stench of Shril almost made Irwin gag, but he held it back as he felt his Mum shiver. She barely ever showed her emotions in public, and even in their house, hugs were uncommon.


    "My little boy is leaving," she whispered. "I''m so sorry, Irwin. If only Whyrdin were here, he''d know what to do."


    Irwin froze at the mention of his father. He looked up, gaping at his mother. Something was definitely wrong. She''d never talked about his father, never as much as mentioning him. The only reason he even knew his name was because Bronwyn told him. His mother didn''t seem to notice his shock, stroking his hair while tears flowed from her eyes as she stared at something only she could see.


    "Don''t worry, everything will be alright," she whispered.


    As she continued muttering, Irwin felt himself grow uncomfortable. His mother barely ever drank, and when she did, it was one cup. Now, she was very obviously heavily doused. Should they bring her home?


    Bronwyn was looking at the ground, tears dripping from his eyes as he shook his head. As if sensing Irwin''s gaze, he looked up, quickly wiped the back of his hand across his eyes, and stepped forward.


    "Come on, Mom, it''s not good doing all this out in the open. Let''s head home so Irwin can tell us what he''s heard."


    Irwin felt his mother slowly unwrap her arms, then step back, muttering something that he didn''t catch. Then she grabbed his hand and pulled him along. Irwin didn''t bother resisting. He was nowhere near strong enough. Instead, he let himself be dragged away alongside his brother.


    His Mum kept rambling all the way to their tiny house. When they entered, she sat down, slumped on the table, and almost immediately began snoring softly.


    "What happened?" Irwin asked stupidly, staring at her. She''d not even taken off her shoes!


    "She is in pain, Irwin," Bronwyn said as he lifted two stools and put them opposite each other near the door, far from the table. Then he sat down and pointed at the stool.


    "We heard some things from your classmates, but I want to hear it from you. Did that Sorcerer really select over half of the noble and crafter''s children?"


    Irwin sat down, nodding. "Yes, even Endil and Clarish!"


    Bronwyn blinked. "Wow. No wonder the nobles looked ready to attack. I wonder how that Sorcerer thinks he''s going to do this- he should know the nobles will just keep their children hidden until he leaves and-"


    "He is one-from-full," Irwin said with wide eyes, still not believing he''d seen someone with five cards.


    Bronwyn''s mouth fell open, and it visibly took him a lot of effort to regain his calm. "By Gelwin''s beard, that explains a lot¡­ So what else did he say?"


    Irwin began talking, then stopped when Bronwyn''s eyes widened.


    "What?" Irwin asked, confused.


    "That''s my line! When did you learn another language? What was that?" Bronwyn asked as he waved his hands.


    "I''m not using another language!" Irwin said with a frown. "I just told you what Xourdin told us about the portals, and-"


    His brother shook his head wearily. "He hexed you," Bronwyn said. "I don''t know what he told you, but apparently, it''s not supposed to be common knowledge."


    Irwin had no idea what Bronwyn was talking about and sputtered something, but his brother just laughed.


    "Don''t bother. It''s not going to work. I saw something like that a while ago when they captured a demon. Couldn''t get him to tell us anything useful, no matter what they did to-" Bronwyn stopped talking and shook his head. "Never mind that. I''ve got another little present for you. It was supposed to be for Mom, but I''ll get her some more next year¡­" he held out his hand, putting a few copper pieces into Irwin''s hand.


    Irwin fell back in his chair, clutching the coins, which were more than he''d ever held. Right. He probably wouldn''t be here next year¡­ or the year after. Sorcerers never came back until they had at least a full-hand.


    Probably because they can''t enter the common and uncommon rifts anymore by then, he thought.


    His mind kept spinning, and he barely heard all the things his brother said. Only when it was quiet for a few minutes did he realize Bronwyn was staring at him, and he focused again.


    "What?"


    "I asked you if there''s anything I can do for you," Bronwyn said with a weary smile. "And put those away before you lose them," he added, pointing at the coins still clutched in Irwin''s hand.


    Irwin blinked, then stuffed the coins into his pocket.


    "Thanks," he said lamely, unsure what to say, then remembering the question.


    He tried to come up with something. He almost asked for a card but then shook his head. His brother had none to give. Besides, now that he had one card, he couldn''t just slot any random thing anymore. If it didn''t resonate with his first card, it would be rejected by his body. He at least knew that much. As his Mum''s soft snoring continued, he looked at her and smiled.


    "Just look after mum," he said, trying to sound tough but unable to stop his voice from cracking up. "... Who¡­ who is going to take care of her if we are both gone?" he asked.


    "She doesn''t need anyone to take care of her," Bronwyn said with a shake of his hand. "She''s got more cards than I do."


    Irwin sighed. Although Bronwyn was right, it was also not as simple as that. He absently stared at his mother''s hand. The first card outline was that of a broom or something that resembled it. Beside it was the middle one, which looked like a tiny pile of dust, while the third and final showed a faint, slightly skeletal hand. He knew them all like the back of his own hand: utility cards, the lot of them, and so faint she didn¡¯t even bother covering them. Still, with three, it made his mother somewhat special. If they hadn¡¯t all been as common as commons got, she¡¯d have been able to find a great job.


    A dull gong came from outside, signaling the start of dusk, and Irwin looked up in surprise. "It can''t be that late!"


    "We talked for a long time. Well, I did," Bronwyn said with a mocking smile. "I think you were sleeping on your chair!"


    "No, I wasn''t. I was just thinking," Irwin grunted before his body betrayed him by yawning. As he looked at his hands, he realized he was very tired.


    "You should go and sleep, maybe practice your card a bit," Bronwyn said. "You know, I thought about that. I know it seems weak, but having fire whenever you need it can be a massive benefit. Try and get a body-enhancing card for your next card. They usually mesh well with anything. Also, learn how to wield a bow. You could light your own arrows on fire."


    Irwin stared at his brother, then looked at his card with a sudden renewed interest. That wasn''t even such a bad idea.


    "Also, there are some solid fire-based cards that most people can''t slot because they don''t mesh well with most other cards. You might have an easier time trading in the towers if you focus on that," Bronwyn continued. "Besides, there''s more cards there than out here."


    Irwin nodded, surprised at how much sense Bronwyn was making. How had he not thought of that? It took him only a few moments to remember why he hadn''t.


    "As long as I can stay alive," he said softly.


    "Yes," Bronwyn said as he got up and pulled Irwin into a solid embrace. "You will survive," he hissed, seeming to want to make it so simply by force of will.


    "I''ll try," Irwin said.


    A few minutes later, he was lying on his cot, staring at the ceiling. Suppressing another yawn, he briefly debated whether to fall asleep and practice tomorrow. Then he shook his head. Bronwyn had been right.


    He shouldn''t just write off his card!


    He pushed himself up and looked at his hand. Perhaps he could use it to become a scout. Bronwyn had spoken about those types of rangers and how they had cards that allowed them to see in the dark. Having a light at hand was almost as good, right? Still, the idea of wielding a bow seemed far-fetched.


    Raising his arm and staring at his bone-thin arm, he knew he''d need a body-improvement card focused on strength to even draw one.


    No, he needed to find out what the card could do so he could decide on the feature.


    Taking a few deep breaths, he calmed his mind and focused on the card. The sensation of that morning returned, the card almost seeming like a muscle and a balloon at the same time. With some focus, he squeezed the card when an idea popped into his head, shattering his concentration.


    It''s like a bladder, he thought with a grin.


    It took him a few moments to regain his focus, and then the sparks appeared again until he pushed harder. When the tiny flame erupted above his finger, he felt the warmth. Wondering how long he could hold it, he kept the flame up, staring at it. It flickered softly, swaying left and right¡­


    Left and right¡­


    Left and-


    ...


    ...


    "Irwin?"


    Irwin shuddered as he looked up, gasping for breath as the flame on his finger whisked away. He was drenched in sweat while his mother stared at him from the doorway. She was waving cool air into her face as she did in the summer, staring at a spot to his side with wide eyes while blinking. Her silhouette was slightly red in the shadowy darkness, which was odd.


    It had to be pretty late, almost evening if it was this dark. How long had he sat? Two hours?


    "You didn''t have to dismiss it right away! Now I can''t see anything," she hissed, angrily waving her hand about. "Put that flame on for a moment so I can light the candles- better yet, you come and help me!"


    Irwin didn''t move, staring at his mother, who was reaching for the door frame before slowly stepping back into the room. How could he see her? Was it the card? But that made no sense! Common cards gave no passive physical benefits like these.


    "Irwin, stop sleeping and come help me! I''ve got something for you!"


    Irwin jolted, got up, and quickly and effortlessly stepped forward, around his mother and towards the table. A few half-burned-through candles stood there, and he focused on his card. The flame appeared instantly, with barely any sparks, and he quickly lit the candles. Then he turned to his mother, who was looking at him thankfully.


    Irwin managed a smile, but all he could think about was that he was able to see in the dark. He quickly walked to the tiny window in the far wall, usually bolted shut. There was a tiny gap in the bottom, and he leaned forward, glancing through it. A few stars sparkled in the sky, not enough to give off much light, but to him, the world outside was a mixture of gray and red, as if the setting sun''s final rays still illuminated the world.


    I can see in the dark! Irwin thought as a big grin tucked the corners of his mouth up. It''s not a normal common!

 Chapter 5: Story time

    "I think the card isn''t normal," Irwin blurted as he looked at his mother. "I can see in the dark!"


    Seeing his mother''s eyes narrow, he blew out the candles, ignoring his mother''s annoyed hiss. The room had turned into a red and orange version of what he knew, but he could see everything perfectly fine.


    "Hold up some fingers," he said excitedly.


    His mother was looking around, worry creasing her face. Then she held up her hand.


    "Three!" Irwin said. "Two. Five!"


    His mother gasped, then shook her head. "Light the candles," she hissed.


    Irwin quickly did as she asked, grinning widely only to see his mother seemingly staring off at nothing.


    "Mum?" Irwin asked worriedly.


    His mother didn''t react, staring through him, mouth slightly open as if she''d not heard what he had just told her.


    His wide grin had faded, and he worried he''d made a mistake. He had shown her how he could find things when the candles were out, and now she was just sitting there.


    "Did you hear-"


    "I heard you, Irwin," his mother hissed as she looked at the door. "I can''t believe this. How could Bronwyn find- never mind. It looks like a common, but you are right. Passive effects never occur on a common."


    She sighed and seemed to deflate, still not looking at him. "Irwin! You can''t tell anyone! Not even Bronwyn! You shouldn''t have even told me!"


    Irwin leaned back on his stool, gaping at his mother. Why not? Wasn''t this a good thing? He frowned, about to tell her that, of course, he would tell Bronwyn when he saw her looking at him with eyes so wild he swallowed what he was about to say.


    "They will try and take it from you," she whispered as she glimpsed at his hand before quickly staring back at him.


    "What, that''s impossible," Irwin said. Everyone knew you couldn''t take someone''s card while placed.


    "It''s not. If someone who is carded dies, there is a small chance for their card to drop for someone else to take," she stated. "It''s not something people talk about, and most don''t even know, but your..." She sighed as she looked at the ground. "Your father¡­"


    Irwin held his breath, too afraid to speak, praying to Gelwin she would continue.


    "Your father had four cards, a full-hand-and-one, and one of them was rare," his mother whispered as if afraid someone would overhear. "His second card was a Shadecat, with gigantism¡­ large enough to tear demons apart and for Whyrdin to ride it. It''s how he got the other cards."


    That would make him a noble, Irwin thought in disbelief. Didn''t that mean they were nobles? Why did they live like this? His thoughts began racing, and it took all his effort to pull them back and watch his mother. She never spoke about these things, and he wanted to hear more, hear everything!


    His mother''s eyes were distant and clouded; her face warped as she seemed to relive old pains.


    "Four rangers came early in the morning, and I instantly knew something had happened. Bronwyn was playing in the room, so small, when they told me that Whyrdin had fallen at the peninsula wall. The guard, an older one with black and green hair, said Whyrdin fought valiantly, killing a dozen Diflor. I almost broke down but managed to hold out. I invited them in, gave them tea¡­. Tea!"


    She shook her head so hard Irwin thought it might snap off. When she continued, her voice was dull and dead.


    "There was nothing to bury, so I grieved at home. The midwife came many times because I was pregnant with you, telling me to calm down, relax... Pah! I sold the house the next day and moved in with my parents, knowing we would be evicted soon enough if I didn''t. Then, nary a week later, one of the rangers came to town after dark. I saw him because I had worked late at the Tanner household. He didn''t see me, but I saw him and almost confronted him. He had a Shadecat! Young still, and not with gigantism, but I recognized it. It was the same as Whyrdin''s!"


    Irwin completely forgot about his night vision or what it meant for his card. Instead, he was still, wide-eyed, and listening to his mother. She didn''t seem to see him, appearing to be recounting something that she''d bottled up inside for far too long.


    "I went to the city warden, but he just sent me away. Didn''t even want to investigate! I went to the Rangers, but they said it was just a bad coincidence and that Dalynris had gotten the card days after that incident. Nobody believed me¡­ not even my parents," she spat, her hands camped around the table''s edge, fingers white.


    "Then Dalynris found me late the next evening. He tried to tell me I was wrong and that nothing had happened, but he was lying! I could see it in his eyes! When I continued confronting him, he must have realized I didn''t believe him, and he grabbed me, snarling, and said that... that..."


    Tears began running down his mother''s eyes, but Irwin waited with quiet morbidity for her to continue. The heat in his body had faded, and with the weariness setting in, he was shivering.


    "He threatened me! Said that if I didn''t stop making up lies, my babe, you, might not come out right. Then he told me that it might be time for me to leave from R-"


    The door was shoved open with a bang, cutting his mother off, and Bronwyn entered carrying a long wooden staff. He had a harried look but froze in his tracks as he saw the tears on his mother''s face.


    "What''s going on?" he hissed, then shook and quickly closed the door. "Never mind, tell me later! There''s trouble! Some of the nobles have banded together and are attempting to sneak their children out of town to hide them in Gloomforest until the sorcerer leaves!"


    As if to punctuate his words, a dull boom caused the loose items on the shelves to rattle. Silence hung in the room, and then screaming came from the distance, followed by more, smaller explosions.


    Irwin looked at the wall, his head still filled with the story his mother had just told him¡­ or told herself- he wasn''t sure.


    Bronwyn was standing facing the door, raising his hand. The familiar glow of a card came from his hand, and an owl the size of a dog appeared next to him.


    "Attack anyone that enters the door," Bronwyn whispered. The owl blinked and then focused on the door, projecting a sense of readiness that made Irwin''s hair stand on end.


    Nobody spoke as the shouting and sounds of fighting continued.


    It lasted for another ten minutes before stopping as suddenly as they had begun. Irwin had his arms around his body. The cold of the night had crept into the house, causing his shivering to increase. He hadn''t dared to move, and remained on his stool, wondering which of the nobles was resisting and what would happen. After another minute, Bronwyn sighed and finally lowered his staff. He moved to the old table and sat down but kept clutching his staff.


    "It''s probably the Uldrots," their mother said. The distant look had left her, and she turned to Irwin, seeming the same as she had been before.


    "Don''t speak about any of what I told you," she said before turning to Bronwyn. "Don''t ask him or me. I shouldn''t have spoken, as it''s too dangerous!"


    Bronwyn looked at her, and Irwin saw his brother''s jaw clench and unclench. He could perfectly imagine what Bronwyn wanted: knowledge about his father, where he came from, and what had happened. Bronwyn knew only bits and pieces of what had happened before and remembered only vague images of their father, which he''d shared with Irwin many times.


    "Fine," Bronwyn said as he rose, surprising Irwin. "I''ll go and check what has happened and what the consequences will be. Irwin, sleep. It''s the middle of the night, and you will have a long day tomorrow!"


    Irwin nodded silently, wishing he could tell Bronwyn about his card but afraid to go against his mother''s wishes.


    "Bronwyn, you should stay. It''s dangerous to go out now," their mother said, suddenly sounding worried.


    "I''ll be back before you leave," Bronwyn said, looking at Irwin before turning to the door. "Glint, let''s go!"


    The owl hopped after him, moving ungainly to the door, then disappearing outside with a flap of its wings. Irwin listened for a final rustle, but there was nothing as the door closed with a solid thud.


    Then, it was quiet in the room.


    Irwin looked at his Mum, but she was staring at the door with clenched fists, muttering something.


    "I''ll go rest," he whispered. He''d expected no reaction, but she looked up, and a sad smile crept on her face.


    "Forget what I said, Irwin. I know it''s hard, but it''s ancient history- just learn from it! Cards can be and are stolen. After I got here, I spoke with the librarians, and they know of more accounts of this happening. What you have? It''s a common! Nothing more!"


    "A common," Irwin muttered as he moved out of the room and into his own tiny bedroom. As he closed the door, the candlelight vanished, but he could still see just fine.


    He quickly crawled into his cot and pulled the old blanket around him, but it only seemed to make him colder. Shuddering below the blanket, he suddenly thought of something and pushed the blanket away. With markedly less difficulty, he summoned his tiny flame, and it flared into being. Heat radiated from it, washing over him. Feeling himself slowly warm up, he sighed.


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    He made sure not to look too closely at the flame this time, but at some point, he still lost himself, and time passed without his notice as he thought about what his mother had told him, about his common that wasn''t a common, and about what he would have to do the next day.


    He woke with a start as the door creaked open. He was still sitting on the bed, his shoulders cramped, and the flame slowly flickering above his finger. He wasn''t the least bit cold, but unlike the previous time he''d zoned out, the temperature wasn''t extreme either. Just comfortable.


    He heard footsteps from what he hoped was Bronwyn moving through the room next door and got up, the flame disappearing as he did. Yawning so wide his jaw popped, he moved to the door, feeling guilty that he hadn''t done as Bronwyn had said.


    I should have slept, he thought as he pulled open the door.


    Bronwyn was moving towards his door and stopped midstep. He backed up as soon as Irwin entered the living room.


    "Good, you''re awake! Mom, wake up! We have to go to the school!"


    "What is going on?" Irwin said as he felt the need to relieve himself grow, his bladder and bowels reminding him of the copious meal he''d had the day before.


    "Warden Donderin has locked down all of Malorin. He and sorcerer Xourdin are waiting at the square, and the tensions are growing. Rumor is that two guards of the noble houses were killed last night, though the rumors don''t agree on whom. The youths Xourdin selected are to go to the school before the first bell of dawn."


    The only other door, which led to their mother''s room, opened, and she stepped out with puffy eyes and a mess of tangled hair. She walked towards Irwin and hugged him without speaking, startling him. Bronwyn waited for a minute, then moved to the door and pulled it open.


    "We need to go," he said, still not looking at their mother.


    Irwin silently walked outside and, after his mother closed and locked the door, followed her through the streets. The cold wind bit into his bare hands and face, and Irwin wished multiple times that he could summon his flame. He didn''t, though. It wasn''t a good idea to draw more attention.


    "The cold is coming fast this year," Bronwyn said as they reached the square, and a freezing wind blew their hair back.


    Eight of Irwin''s classmates stood next to two figures who were squared off before the school doors. Xourdin seemed small compared to Malorin''s warden, Donderin, someone Irwin had only seen twice before, but the warden was the one who seemed on edge. He was blowing plumes of white air through his thick gray-peppered brown beard while the cards on his hand occasionally flickered with light. With a full-hand-and-one, two rumored to be uncommon and one rare, and a great deal of wealth, he was usually the most powerful person in town¡­


    ¡°Lots of girls,¡± Irwin¡¯s mother muttered, and Irwin looked up to see she was right.


    More people stood on the side, and Irwin recognized both nobles and craftsmen alike. A few women stood close together, crying, while two burly men, smith Randal and Dalsin''s father, glared openly at the sorcerer, seeming unafraid.


    Normally, the girls were almost exempt from the picking, as having no women to bear children was a death warrant to any town. But as he gazed at those picked, he realized at least one in five was a girl. More surprising to him was that many belonged to the best of his class.


    Maybe Xourdin forced it? he thought, wondering how the others would react.


    He looked around, but there was no sight of Rhym anywhere.


    "Most are here already," Bronwyn said as he turned to Irwin with a smile.


    Irwin could see the pain in his brother''s eyes and saw him clench and unclench his hands.


    Suddenly, what was about to happen hit home: he was going to have to leave, leave his home, his mother, his brother, and everything he knew! Until this moment, he''d somehow been going on mechanically, but now the reality set in, and he felt his eyes begin to burn.


    "Don''t cry," Bronwyn said. "The others are watching, and you can''t show any weakness. Not now."


    He stuck out his hand, and Irwin grasped the thick, calloused hand with his own smaller and softer one as he ground his teeth, trying to refrain from crying. Bronwyn was right. He had to be strong! Then, his mother''s arms wrapped around him, and he almost failed. Holding his breath, he quickly wiped his face on her shirt before pushing himself clear.


    "Do your best to stay alive," his mother said as she looked at him, tears flowing freely down her face.


    "I will," Irwin croaked.


    "Hurry, the others are here," Bronwyn said, staring at another group walking down from the main road.


    Irwin nodded, took one more look at his mother and brother, then turned and walked towards the other children. Greldo stood to the side, wearing a cloak Irwin had never seen before and one that seemed vastly oversized. He smiled, raising his hand so Irwin could notice the thin lines of a card. He couldn''t make out what it was, but he thought he saw a clasped hand.


    Did he get a body improvement one? Irwin thought, eyes widening.


    A day before, when he still thought his own card was useless, he might have been jealous, but now he was just happy for his friend. If they hadn''t had to leave, the card would have greatly changed Greldo''s life, as many craftsmen would want him as their apprentice.


    Now? Now, Irwin hoped it would be enough to keep his friend alive.


    "Where did you get the cloak?" he whispered, getting a shrug and a glance in response. He frowned, then looked around.


    There were only a few missing, and there was no sign of those who were to head to the peninsula wall. As soon as he thought about the Wall, he recalled the conversation with his mother.


    I wonder what city she and Bronwyn came from, he thought. The Wall was nearly on the other side of the peninsula, and he didn''t know any of the places nearby.


    "As they are all here, I''ll be taking my leave now," Sorcerer Xourdin shouted, his voice silencing the angry murmurs. "I''ll be back next year for the usual group, and I hope we won''t have to resort to violence then."


    There was an angry hiss from the crowd but nothing more.


    "We will abide by the rules," the warden grumbled. "Now leave. I have to clean up this mess."


    Xourdin didn''t respond but turned and stared at Irwin and the others.


    "Get ready to run through the portal, or you might be lost in the in-between," he said. Then he raised his hands, and his calm face changed to one of complete focus. With a flash, his hands burned, and a dull blue glow appeared to the side, swirling larger and larger until a jagged, six-foot-high, four-foot-wide swirling blue portal of light appeared.


    We have to go through there? Irwin thought, swallowing back his rising bile.


    "Run," Xourdin snapped at the hesitating children.


    Eldin was the first to move, running forward and almost sprinting through the portal, quickly followed by his friend Dalsin. The others moved after that, and Irwin swallowed as he ran forward. Two steps from the portal, he thought he heard someone cry out his name, but it was too late, and he jumped headfirst into the portal.


    An electric current ran through him, similar to when he''d touched the fur rugs of the merchants a few years ago. Almost complete darkness enveloped him, and he could only make out small details. Two long tentacles rushed towards him, and he screamed just as the darkness disappeared and he flew out of the portal on the other end. He slammed into someone who cursed, but all he could do was scramble away from the portal that shimmered behind him, afraid the tentacles would come out.


    What were those things? he thought as the image of the tentacles seemed etched in his mind.


    "Stupid Rat, look what you did," someone cursed, and he felt a kick against his back that caused him to fall forward with his hands in the mud. He looked up to see Dalsin glare at him, hands and tunic splattered with mud.


    A crack came from the portal as Xourdin jumped out, the portal instantly closing behind him.


    "I''ll get you later," Dalsin hissed as he stepped away from Irwin.


    A hand appeared to his side, and Irwin grabbed it as Greldo pulled him up. Wind, cold and sharp, blew his hair out of his face, and he shivered.


    "We better stay away from them," his friend whispered.


    Irwin nodded but didn''t really listen. He was gaping at the rugged, bleak mountains around them. Gone were the familiar cobblestone streets and old, worn-down stone buildings he had known his whole life, replaced by a landscape of rocks and the occasional bushes.


    "The Sorcerer towers," someone whispered, and everyone spun around to see Clarish stare at a point behind them, her mouth hanging wide.


    Five tall, dark towers almost grew from the side of what looked like a broken-down mountain. It was far darker than the gray mountains surrounding it, causing it to stick out. From this far, the entire thing looked like a glistening black piece of firestone from which a shard the size of half a mountain had been ripped free where the towers stood.


    "Follow the trail. It''s half a day''s walk, and we need to reach it before nightfall," Xourdin said as he waved at a path that wound away from where they stood. It seemed to start at where they were, a muddy area, oddly round and seemingly made for something.


    "You at the front," Xourdin said when the children didn''t move, and he pointed at Endil, who nodded dumbly and began walking.


    Barely ten minutes later, Irwin''s legs were protesting as he followed the others down a steep slope, slipping and sliding over the muddy stone. Sorcerer Xourdin walked behind them, seemingly unperturbed by the path, walking down as if on flat ground.


    As Irwin slipped down the last bit and onto what from above had looked like a flat track up to the side of the hill, he realized it was a slight incline up. With a groan, he tried to hurry after the others a dozen feet ahead of him.


    "You will need to increase your physical strength and constitution if you want to survive," a dull voice said from behind. Irwin turned to Sorcerer Xourdin, surprised and afraid that the sorcerer was actually talking to him.


    "I''d advise you to trade the first common card you get for anything that can boost your physique," Xourdin said before scanning their surroundings. "We aren''t going to make it with your current speed... so don''t get used to this."


    Irwin had no idea what he was talking about when a pale glow came from Xourdin''s hand, and he sensed a slight energy return to his body. The pain in his legs dulled, and he gasped in surprise.


    "Keep moving," Xourdin said, still scanning the surrounding landscape. "Sometimes, there are portal demons in these mountains."


    Irwin felt his skin crawl, and he quickly began walking after the others. Even with the increase in strength from whatever Sorcerer Xourdin had done, he couldn''t catch up, but at least he wasn''t falling behind any more than he had.


    As he struggled forward, he wondered why Sorcerer Xourdin had taken the time to give him some advice. From all he''d seen so far, the man seemed unfriendly.


    Then again, they are trying to close the portals, he thought to himself. Perhaps sorcerers were nice to each other? It wasn''t as if they were forcing people inside to kill them; at least, he didn''t think so, which got him wondering why they only accept young people. He took a peek at Xourdin but didn''t dare ask.


    Half an hour later, his curiosity was gone, replaced by pain as he wished for nothing more than to curl up and rest. The others were a good way ahead of him, and only Xourdin was quietly walking after him. Shivering from the cold and not a little bit of fear of being left alone in the mountains, if Xourdin decided he''d had enough, he focused on taking one step after the other.


    The day passed in a blurry mess of cramps and cold shivering until he felt strong hands grip his shoulder. He blinked, looking at two leather and scale-covered boots, absently forcing his foot up to take another step. As soon as he stopped, he slumped forward.


    "Whoa there, you must be the weakest one I''ve ever seen sent here if you can''t even make the trek," a warm, gritty voice said.


    Irwin forced his chin up and saw a dark-bearded man with glittering black eyes and a wide grin showing crooked teeth. A long, curved handle of some weapon angled across his pauldron-covered shoulder.


    "Normally, I''d leave you out here to feed the wargs, but I guess with our current plight, I''ll just have to help you," the man rumbled, smiling warmly.


    Irwin shivered, afraid that he''d really be left here.


    "Calm down, calm down. I was just joking," the man rumbled as he looked worried. "What was Xourdin thinking, bringing someone with only a single common card here?"


    Irwin barely heard the final words, swaying on his feet. At the realization that he was safe, or at least somewhat, the last energy he had seemed to leave him.


    Before he could keel over, two strong hands lifted him up and across a shoulder. A moment later, he felt himself being carried away, and within moments, the swaying motion made him fall into a deep slumber, uncaring about the uncomfortable position.

 Chapter 6: Ragtag group

    "Irwin, wake up!"


    Irwin groaned, trying to turn and pull his blanket further across his shoulder. It didn''t seem to budge, almost as if someone was holding it. Was his mother teasing him?


    "A little longer," he moaned, feeling the aching muscles and knowing that he''d be in for a bad time if he fully woke.


    "No, you need to wake up! We need to group up, or we will be in trouble!''


    Group up? Irwin thought sluggishly. What was Greldo doing here, and group up for what? Was it a sports day?


    For a few more moments, his mind remained in a daze, and then his memories of the previous days returned.


    The sorcerer!


    With a jolt, he moved forward, knocking his head against Greldo''s, who had been bent over him.


    "Ugh, careful!" Greldo hissed, rubbing his head.


    Irwin ignored him. Where was that bearded warrior? Had he carried him to the towers?


    A wooden ceiling rose twenty feet above him, and long glowing poles pointed down in odd jumbled directions. Looking around, he saw he was in a massive hallway with two enormous arches on one end, the doors in them closing. He barely saw the dark mountains behind them before they shut with a dull thud.


    Right, he thought as he looked around.


    Hundreds of children sat, stood, or huddled together in the room. He saw the familiar faces of the Malorin nobles talking with a group of other nobles he''d never seen before. The rest of the youths were looking around awkwardly, some moving to others and starting up a conversation.


    "Where are we?" he muttered, looking around.


    "In the common tower or the Initiates Tower as they call it. But we don''t have time for this! We need to find others to group with, preferably strong ones, or we will be in deep shit," Greldo said as he pulled Irwin up.


    Irwin''s legs barely had any power, and he wobbled, almost dropping back down.


    "Stop that. You have to stay standing, or nobody will want to group with us," Greldo whispered, looking at him with wide, worried eyes. "We need to look stronger than we are!"


    It''s not that easy, Irwin thought angrily.


    He struggled to remain on his feet and finally found his balance. His body was screaming at him that he''d done it wrong, and it took all his effort to keep tears from welling up in his eyes from the way his feet burned. He probably had blisters everywhere. It took all his flagging willpower to just sit back down and check. Instead, he looked around. Greldo was right. They needed to find a group.


    "Look for those that are standing alone," Greldo whispered. "Everyone with eyes can see we aren''t top picks, so we need to find those who have little other choice."


    Irwin looked around the hallway, quickly finding those who stood out as they did. Most were weak and sickly, some even more so than he was, but not all.


    A tall, pale-skinned, teal-haired girl with a nasty scar across her cheek that looked like she''d been scratched in the face was glaring at anyone who dared come too close.


    Not too far from her stood a youth taller than most men; only the softness in his face and lack of a beard showed he wasn''t fully there yet but probably no older than Irwin''s own fifteen years. He had a dull, dimwitted look on his face and seemed unable to process what was going on.


    "The big one first?" Irwin said.


    He turned to look at Greldo, who seemed to be doing much better than him. He looked almost enthusiastic about everything that was going on.


    "Good idea," Greldo said, pulling Irwin with him towards the tall boy. Each step felt like agony, but one look around told Irwin he was the only one, and he had better keep it to himself.


    "Hi," Greldo said to get the towering guy''s attention, and the other blinked.


    "Yes?" he asked, his voice dull.


    "I can see you are having a bit of trouble with what is going on," Greldo said, waving around, and the boy slowly nodded.


    "It''s confusing. Mum''s gone. She said, go with the carded man, but now he is gone. What should we do?"


    Irwin and Greldo shared a look before Greldo continued.


    "We need to create a group to practice going into the portals. We both have cards and are looking for four more. Do you want to join us?"


    The big guy''s shoulders slumped. "I only have one card¡­ the carded man said I''d get another one here, but I think he was lying."


    He was promised a second card? Irwin thought, slightly confused. Then he saw Greldo shake his head quickly, and he realized what was going on.


    "I''m sure he will do so if he said that," Irwin said. "But it might only happen after we group up. Do you want to join our group and find the other three?"


    The guy shook his head, and Irwin felt his hope for a third member waver.


    "Mother said I shouldn''t follow strangers."


    "I am Greldo, and this is Irwin," Greldo said hurriedly, reaching out his hand.


    The guy looked at it before shaking it incredibly carefully as if he feared breaking it.


    "Daubutim Coulwoater," he said, his voice suddenly sharp, steady, and rehearsed, as if he''d said it a million times in a row.


    If not for his dull look, Irwin would have thought he had been tricking them into thinking he was stupid.


    "Now we know each other and are no longer strangers," Greldo said, nodding sagely. "So, we can group together, Daub."


    Daubutim blinked, and for a moment, Irwin thought he was going to say something. Then he shook his head, and a slow, dull smile came to his face.


    "But are you two nice? Mom said only to go with people that had my... best... interest in mind," Daubutim said, seeming to struggle over the words.


    Irwin blinked, then nodded as he looked at the boy. As dull and dumb as he seemed, he seemed to know to ask for things. He shared a quick look with Greldo.


    "We are nice, and I promise we won''t hurt you," he said, smiling at Daubutim. "Besides, we all have our own strengths. You are really strong, but I''m smart. So we can help each other!"


    Daubutim looked at him for a few moments, then nodded slowly.


    "Alright," he said dully.


    "Good, then we are now a group of three," Irwin said, sharing a hopeful look with Greldo.


    "Are you?" a thin voice chimed.


    Irwin looked to the side where a girl even smaller than him stood. If not for her sharp eyes, he''d have thought her to be barely eight.


    "I''m Twintin, and I want to join the group too," she said energetically. "I''ve got a card!" She waved the back of her hand at them so fast that Irwin had no idea what it was.


    He shared another look with Greldo, who shrugged, for some reason letting him decide.


    He looked at the girl but instantly knew he wouldn''t have any choice. They still needed three more, and with her, only two. That meant the chances of picking up two stronger ones would grow if they were with enough.


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    "Alright," he said, though he wondered what she was going to do. He had thought he would be the physically weakest of the group. But now? This girl looked even weaker than him!


    "Okay, so two more," Greldo said.


    Irwin could see his friend was happy, probably due to how fast they had found two more.


    Too bad that one is too stupid to hold a sword and the other too weak, he thought, wondering how they were ever going to survive a portal.


    He followed the other three, more than happy to let Greldo take the lead as they moved around the room.


    Ten minutes later, they had found a fifth, Olban, a fat boy with zits across his face and a voice so shrill that it hurt the ears. Still, he had a body-enhancing card that was fit for fighting. Oddly, he was probably the most equipped to enter the portals. All around them, groups of children had begun moving to the other side of the hall, where a few adults, probably sorcerers, were watching the proceedings.


    "No."


    "You can''t stay alone," Greldo said, looking at the scar-faced, teal-haired girl with a frown. "We are supposed to group together and-"


    "I don''t care," the girl snapped. "I don''t want to go with you people!"


    Irwin gazed at the girl who was glaring at them and finally shrugged. "Let''s just go. She doesn''t want to come-"


    "So! It seems you''ve all finally finished gathering," an exceptionally loud and annoyed-sounding man blared from the other side of the room.


    One of the two sorcerers, a brawny man with two long-handled swords that sat in scabbards along his shins, stomped forward. His arms were longer than they should be, dangling at the height of his sword pommels. He was holding the pommel of one of his swords, waving around with the other.


    The other sorcerer was holding a long quarterstaff and jogged after him, whispering something.


    "No! No more waiting! I''m done with waiting! A dozen common portals changed to uncommon yesterday, and twice as many are going to change today," he snapped at the other. "If this continues, the both of us will be over our ears in very rare portals by the end of the week!"


    The other sorcerer gritted his teeth, seeming ready to continue arguing, but the other one ignored him and stomped to the center of the room.


    "Everyone with uncommon cards, go stand over there," the loud man said as he pointed to a nearby hallway.


    There was a moment of silence, then a few of the noble groups headed to the spot he''d designated. Irwin wasn''t surprised to see that two of the groups were partially made up of youths from Malorin.


    "Alright, you are going to be brought away in a moment. For now, pay attention and shut up!"


    Irwin swallowed as he watched the man put both of his hands on his sword pommels and looked around. Then he jabbed a finger at the hundreds of youths.


    "Beyond that door is a hallway with stairs leading to rooms that hold up to six people! Each has a symbol on the door. Go there and bring your gear if you have any! There''s bedding for those who need it. You have one hour to yourself, then a two- three- or four-carded will come to pick you up, depending on the number of cards you already have. For those with two cards or more¡­ don''t get cocky! All of you have only common cards, and the people getting you will have uncommon or better! Don''t piss them off, or they are allowed to put you in your place!" At this, he glared at the remaining nobles, who comprised a third of the group. "Got it?"


    There was a soft muttered and halfhearted consent, but it seemed enough for the sorcerer.


    "Good. I''m Mouldir, the master of the first tower. You will be here for as long as you don''t have uncommon cards. You will be moved to the second tower as soon as you get one. Don''t expect that to happen anytime soon, though. Most people never find an uncommon because they only rarely drop in common portals. Now, this tower is called The Card Grinder¡­ If you don''t understand what that means, don''t bother even asking. You will find out soon enough. Let''s just say that if you want to be one of those who survive till they find five cards, you must train, train, train. If you don''t?" Mouldir slit his finger across his throat with a nasty smirk. "You won''t survive the first real portal you go into!"


    Irwin swallowed, noticing that the staff-wielding sorcerer was glaring at Mouldir, shaking his head in disgust.


    Mouldir looked around, then snorted and stomped away, waving his hand at the door. "Get to your rooms, punks."


    "I hope not all of the sorcerers are like him," Greldo whispered.


    "I don''t think they are," Irwin said softly as he looked at the staff-wielding one who was rubbing his head.


    "I''m not going with you," the girl suddenly snapped. "I don''t care what Mouldir said!"


    With a glare at Greldo as if she held him accountable, she moved through the room toward the door.


    "Just let her go. Let''s get a room before we end up with nothing," Irwin said as he looked around.


    "We had better," Olban said as he scratched open a zit on his chin, wiping what came out on his pants.


    Irwin shuddered as he moved towards the door. He walked like an old man, his legs barely able to hold him, and he was glad when Greldo moved closer, putting an arm below his elbow to help him along.


    "Are you two already like that?" Olban asked as his eyes widened while he licked his lips.


    "Like what?" Irwin asked, already regretting having him on their team.


    "You know," Olban said as he made an odd gesture with his fingers. "That!"


    Greldo shook his head, his ears getting red, showing he had at least some idea what Olban meant. "No, we are just friends. Now let''s go before we¡­" he fell quiet as a group of five nobles and Clarish moved past them, shoving past the group ahead of them. A tall, blond boy was about to say something when his gaze landed on the apparent leader, and he froze. The other group didn''t seem to notice, and as they walked away, the boy''s shoulders slumped.


    "I guess those are the top dogs," Olban said, way too loud.


    The blond boy turned and gritted his teeth as his eyes landed on Olban. "That''s Gailrich Daybrin, youngest son of the warden of Graimarin, third-largest of the remaining cities after the capital and Caldange. Don''t anger him. He is not known for his humor," he said before turning.


    "Well, that sounds like a fantastic person to stay far, far away from," Olban said as he grinned widely at Irwin.


    Irwin couldn''t agree more, and despite the unappetizing appearance, he found himself liking the zit-faced boy.


    Besides, he also had no interest in getting on anyone''s bad side, let alone something worse than a regular noble.


    The group moved through the building, and Irwin looked around in wonder. The hallways were far wider than he was used to, and the ceilings were over ten feet high. As short as he knew he was, he felt even shorter as he walked through them, and when they reached a massive central room with dozens of stairs leading up to the different levels, he shared a look with Greldo.


    "Makes you feel small, doesn''t it?" Olban said, seemingly uncaring about the looks he got.


    "Not really," Daubutim said dully as he looked around. "It looks like back home, although not as nice."


    What? Irwin thought as he looked up at the tall boy shambling beside him. He was almost one and a half heads taller than him, gazing around, seeming unimpressed.


    Where is he from if he thinks this is normal?


    "Let''s go here," Greldo said, heading towards the staircase furthest to the right, which led up to one of the middle floors.


    Irwin groaned as he saw the many steps, his legs already burning painfully.


    I hope we at least have nice beds, he thought.


    After a few minutes of stair climbing and moving through two hallways, they stood before a room with an open door. A symbol of two carrots sat above the door frame, etched in the stone.


    So big, Irwin thought, while Greldo whistled.


    The room was four times as big as the living room back home, with three beds on both sides, a table with six chairs in the middle, and a small fireplace with what looked like a teapot hanging above it.


    "Looks like our summer cabin," Daubutim muttered softly as he walked inside, then he moved to the left and took the first bed.


    Irwin looked at him dumbly.


    "Maybe he''s a noble?" Greldo whispered from the side before pulling him along to the other two beds on the left. Irwin followed dutifully, taking the furthest bed. It was longer than his cot and wider, and the blankets seemed thick and soft.


    "No," a voice snapped from the other side of the room.


    He looked up and found Olban standing before the middle bed while Twintin was wagging a finger at him and pointing at the bed closest to the door. "You don''t get the bed beside me. Go over there!"


    "But-" Olban began, his whiny voice going up in pitch.


    "No! You smell bad, and I don''t want you to be the first thing I see when I wake up," Twintin said, stomping her foot.


    "Just do what she says," Greldo snapped from where he lay on his bed, arms behind his head. "I want to rest a bit before we have to do whatever it is they want us to do."


    "Fine," Olban said as he walked back, shaking his head.


    Irwin sighed as he lay down on his bed, marveling at how soft it and the blankets were.


    "Can someone get the fireplace going?" Twintin asked.


    Oh no, Irwin thought as he felt his body tremble at the prospect of getting up. Then Greldo''s voice shattered his hope that someone would offer to do it the regular way.


    "Irwin?"


    For a moment, he wondered if he could pretend to be sleeping, and then Twintin chimed in.


    "Please? It''s cold here."


    No, it''s not, Irwin thought, but he got up with a groan.


    As he swung his rebelling legs over the edge of the bed, he hesitated to put his weight on his feet. He should probably pull off his boots soon and look at the damage. Gritting his teeth, he got up, feeling like he had rocks in his boots.


    Twintin was on the opposite bed, huddled below the blankets with her clothes on apparently, and staring at him with wide, innocent eyes. Daubutim was lying on his bed, eyes already closed, and Olban was picking at the zits on his face again. Greldo gave him a big thumbs-up before closing his eyes with a content smile.


    "Fine," Irwin muttered.


    Wasn''t Greldo supposed to be his friend? Annoyed, he moved towards the fireplace and saw there was already wood and kindling ready. It took barely any focus to get the flame to appear above his finger, and he held it at the kindling, which instantly ignited. Within a moment, the bigger wood was also burning -much faster than it should, from what he knew- and he waited for a few moments for his hands to warm. Then he turned around to see Olban and Twintin staring at him with wide-open eyes.


    "You have a fire card?" Olban asked, licking his lips. "That''s awesome! Is it Fire Dart? I''ve heard of that one but never seen it! Can you throw it?"


    Irwin was about to say he couldn''t, then frowned.


    "I don''t know. Never tried," he said, looking at his finger.


    If it''s not a common card¡­ what can it do? he thought as he held back the desire to try it right then and there.

 Chapter 7: Thrown in the deep

    "No more questions. I want to rest now," Irwin said, lying back on his new, comfy bed and closing his eyes.


    After a few moments of more questions, Olban fell quiet with an annoyed grunt.


    Finally, Irwin thought.


    Olban had been far too interested, going as far as getting up and demanding to see his card''s tattoo. It was such a not-done request that Irwin had been startled and just looked at him until the taller, brawnier youth seemed uncomfortable and returned. Something about the way he had asked confused Irwin, but he was too tired to process it.


    "Fine, fine. But you have to show us what you can do soon," Olban said.


    Irwin didn''t respond, hoping Olban would shut up. Besides, he sounded way too interested. Irwin didn''t want anyone to find out he had a card that looked common but wasn''t. If his mother was right, it could prove lethal, and even if she wasn''t, it didn''t seem wise. He''d only wanted to tell his family at first anyway.


    As the room turned quiet, the pain in his foot seemed to increase, and he realized that he really had to check his feet. Just one minute, he thought, relaxing for a moment.


    The next thing he knew, someone was shaking his shoulder.


    "Are you dead or something? Wake up!" Olban said, shaking him again. Greldo stood behind him, shrugging helplessly.


    "Wu- wah," Irwin said, trying to fend off the persistent shaking. "I''m awake. Let go!"


    "Good, because we have to leave," Olban said as he stepped back.


    Irwin blinked his gritty eyes, and his body screamed at him that he should ignore anything and simply stay in bed.


    I hope we only have to listen, he thought as he looked to the side.


    A tall, bored-looking man with long red hair stood there, scratching at what looked like the start of a beard, thin and unevenly distributed.


    "Yeah? Finally decided to wake up?" he said, sounding annoyed. "You do realize this isn''t an inn, right? You are here to learn and help protect the peninsula!"


    Irwin nodded, forcing his protesting body out of bed. He recoiled as soon as he put his weight on his feet, remembering what he should have done. For a moment, he thought about just trying to ignore it, and then a jab from his heel made him cringe. Gritting his teeth, he ignored the others and took off his boots. His thin, pale yellow socks, stained and stuffed from years of wearing and fixing, were marred by dark red stains on multiple spots.


    "Shit," he whispered as he tried to pull one off, only for it to stay painfully stuck to his foot.


    "What are you-" the man began as he stomped forward before seeing Irwin''s foot. "Ah. Well, great. Of course, I get the broken one."


    Before Irwin could pull them back, the man grabbed his ankles with disgust and yanked his socks off. Irwin held back a startled scream of pain, his eyes watering. It didn''t help when he saw his feet. They were riddled with blue, green, and yellow bruises and stained with partially dried-up blood. Large blisters covered the sides, back, and bottom, with fresh blood welling up where the socks had been torn free.


    Still, as bad as they looked, they looked as if they were days old instead of from the previous day.


    They healed, Irwin thought, wondering if you could even call it that. Looking around, he saw Greldo looking at his feet, frowning slightly.


    "Fantastic. You can''t walk like this," the man snapped.


    Irwin quickly turned to him, seeing the man glare at him as if it was his fault.


    "I''m sorry," Irwin croaked, wiping his eyes as he saw the four others stare at him.


    "Yes. So am I," the man grunted. "Fine, let''s get you fixed up before we start."


    Before Irwin could respond, the man lifted him and held him under one arm like a bag of potatoes. As he was hoisted away, Irwin saw Olban snigger while Twintin and Greldo looked horrified. Halfway to the door, the man was already struggling.


    "I can carry him," Daubutim rumbled as he stepped forward. He was only slightly taller than the sorcerer but nearly twice as wide in the shoulders.


    "Good," the man said, grunting in effort.


    Irwin felt the man release him, and he barely had time to raise his hands before he fell on his hands and feet. He cried in pain as another few blisters burst, and he rolled on his side, grabbing his feet.


    "Sorry," the man said as he looked away. Irwin thought he saw a nasty smile, and he gritted his teeth, holding back a string of curses. He was no stranger to being bullied or beaten, and he had no idea if the man was their teacher. If he angered him even more, things would become way too hard for him.


    Daubutim knelt beside him, and a moment later, he was lifted again, but much more gently this time. Daubitum felt like a rock, unmovable and stable, and he seemed totally unfazed by Irwin''s weight, little as it was.


    "Are you alright?" Daubutim asked, looking at him with dull eyes.


    Irwin just nodded, which seemed enough for Daubutim, who turned to the carded man.


    "Right. Follow me," the man grunted as he stomped off, followed by the rag-tag bunch of youths.


    Irwin frowned as he glanced at Daubutim. "How old are you?" he whispered.


    "Turning fifteen next crossings of the moons," Daubutim said.


    He is younger than me! Irwin thought, barely believing it.


    That meant that while he looked like a twelve-year-old at fifteen, Daubutim looked like he was eighteen at fifteen.


    Life''s just not fair, Irwin thought with a weary sigh.


    "Now that you''re all awake, and-" the man began before stopping in his tracks.


    Olban, who had been walking close behind him, bumped into him, causing the man to scowl angrily.


    "Why are there only five of you?"


    "There was a sixth girl, but she didn''t want to be with us," Olban said, his annoyingly squeaky voice cracking halfway into a somewhat deep rumble. Everyone looked at him, and his ears turned red.


    "Don''t know why that keeps happening," he muttered, looking to the ground.


    "Great¡­ So a group with a broken one and a missing one?" the man growled. "Where did the girl go, and what did she look like?"


    "Teal hair and a big scar on her left cheek," Greldo said. "A bit taller than me," he added lamely when the man frowned.


    "Alright, we will get that sorted at the same time then. Now, I was going to tell you what you need to know, but I hate repeating myself, so I''ll only tell you a few things and wait until she''s found."


    He began marching off again, and everyone hurried to follow behind.


    "So, my name is Johnathan, which you will call me. No John, or Johny, unless you want to get into trouble," he said as he glared across his shoulder as if someone had already done as such. "I''ve been here for over seven years and am a full-hand." At this, he raised his left hand, back facing them so they could see the three cards that sat there. Intricate lines wrapped around the tattoos, binding them together to show they were not just linked but combined into one, the requirement to be called a full-hand.


    "Now, you are probably wondering why I don''t have any more cards, and I''ll tell you to shut up and wait till you have been here for a year or longer. If you can''t figure it out by then, come ask me so I can have a laugh."


    Great, this guy must have been trained by Mouldir, Irwin thought as he looked at the sorcerer walking away.


    Wait, was he technically a sorcerer? Mouldir had said they would become sorcerers upon gaining an uncommon card. Was that what he was waiting for? It seemed likely¡­ Then again, if he just collected another two common cards, he was allowed to leave! Why didn''t he? With seven years here-


    As Irwin pondered, he almost fell asleep again and was startled awake when Daubutim put him down.


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    They were in a large room with oddly black floor tiles and walls covered in shelves filled with glass jars, satchels, and books. Beds lined the walls, and he was on one while a slim, silver-haired woman, barely an adult and probably only a few years older than them, inspected his feet.


    "Why did you not come sooner instead of walking around with this for days?" she asked as she gently prodded one of the bruises.


    Irwin blinked in surprise. "What? We-"


    "He didn''t have the time. We had to get here yesterday, and things got heated when some of the nobles tried to hide away their children," Greldo said.


    As everyone turned to his friend, Irwin wondered why Greldo had said that. Didn''t he realize that he had only gotten his feet mangled the previous day- Oh! His sleepy mind finally caught up with what was happening. His feet had healed too fast!


    Wait, does Greldo suspect something? He looked at his friend, but Greldo was staring at the others, answering questions about what had happened.


    "You can tell us about that later," Jonathan said, interrupting them. He turned to the silver-haired woman. With an awkward smile, he waved at Irwin''s feet.


    "Do you think you can heal him up, Gwyneth? I''m supposed to get them ready for their first training-portal today."


    "Today? Are you crazy? These kids need at least a month of practice before-" Gwyneth exclaimed, only to fall quiet and grimace.


    "Ah¡­ right," she said.


    Irwin saw a quick look of sadness in her eyes as she looked at him, but it was gone just as fast. That didn''t do anything to stop his budding fear from growing, however. Were they going into a training portal today? From Gwyneth''s reactions, this seemed more than a little abnormal, and knowing they should have had months of training before made it worse.


    Taking a deep, weary breath, Gwyneth turned to his feet, inspecting them for a moment.


    "It shouldn''t be too long ago, so it should work. I''ll fix them now." She turned her gaze to Irwin, smiling at him reassuringly. "This is a one-time thing. Normally, it would cost you one cardbead to get minor injuries not sustained in a portal healed. Also, if you want healing that I can provide, next time, come and see me right after it happens! My skill works best on fresh injuries."


    Irwin nodded dumbly, wondering what cardbeads were supposed to be.


    Gwyneth smiled at him. "Don''t worry, okay? It won''t hurt, and it''ll be fine!"


    She placed her hands on his feet, seeming unbothered by the blood and matted bits of sock. The back of her left hand began glowing a dim red. The light seemed almost syrupy as it oozed over his foot, warming his feet where they touched it. The blisters started closing, the bruises fading, and a few minutes later, all that remained of his injuries were stains of dried blood.


    "Incredible," Irwin whispered as he wiggled his toes, which were as good as they had been. No, better even! Then he looked at the girl''s hand, trying to get a glimpse of the card she''d used. She only had two, but besides noting they were intricately combined, he didn''t get a good look at the image.


    "Good, that went better than I''d thought," she said, sounding both weary but also somewhat surprised. She looked up, a curious glimpse in her eyes as she inspected Irwin''s small frame. A crease came between her eyes, then she got up and stretched.


    "Right. Now, you better hurry along! And remember, next time, I expect a Bead for my troubles!"


    Sure, as soon as I know what those are, Irwin thought.


    "Gwyneth, there''s one more thing," Jonathan said, causing the young woman to look at him. "Their sixth is being a problem and is somewhere in the tower on her own. Can you alert the guards to search for her and bring her to training room sixteen?"


    "Ugh¡­ this is some group you have here," Gwyneth muttered as she gave him a sympathetic smile.


    Jonathan smiled back, straightening up. "Oh, it''s fine. I can deal with it!"


    "I''ll alert the guards," Gwyneth said with a nod. "Now, I need to prepare some more salves."


    "Alright," Jonathan said as he motioned for Irwin to move.


    Oh no, my boots, Irwin thought as he felt the cold tiles on his sole. As he looked around in panic, Greldo stepped forward, holding out his boots, what remained of his socks stuffed in. Putting them on was a disgustingly wet affair, but wearing his boots without them would get him back here way too fast.


    A minute later, they were following Johnathan, who seemed far happier than before. He still ignored all their questions. The hallways all blended together, and as they finally reached a larger room with doors on all sides and two corridors leading away, he knew he was utterly lost. The back wall was covered in racks with staffs and clubs in different sizes, slings, bows, and even a few whips. Irwin hadn''t seen such a large assortment of weapons except from his quick glances in the smithy.


    "Alright," Jonathan said as he stopped before a door numbered eighteen. "Normally, you get a week or two of theory and explanations, then six weeks of combat training before ever setting foot in a room like this, but there''s no time for that. You are unlucky that none of you have two cards, or things would have been easier, especially with only five. I had hoped the guards would have brought your sixth by now, but she must either be resisting or somehow hidden. No matter¡­ Listen closely."


    He pointed over his shoulder. "This is called a practice portal, and it was created by the craft master from the fifth tower. Before you ask, no, I don''t know how. I just know they have powerful cards. There''s a legend that says Gelwin himself created some of these, but that could just as well be an old wives'' tale. Inside, you will find an encounter that mirrors something you will find in a common portal. Most of the time, it means fighting Imps or Galubs, but you may come across-"


    "Fighting," Twintin squealed, taking a step back and shaking her head fearfully.


    "Yes. What else did you think we did in portals?" Jonathan snapped. "You fight the monsters within while searching for the linchpin, which you will destroy or kill to close the portal."


    "But the stories say there are puzzles and-"


    "Those are some of the uncommon and above portals," Jonathan said as he raised a finger. "Now, no more interrupting!"


    Twintin wilted as Jonathan continued.


    "You can not be injured or die in these training rooms. Instead, when you come out, your injuries will be healed, and if you die, you will just pop back out. However, you will still feel pain! So, I know that two of you," he pointed at Daubutim and Olban, "have combat cards. Make sure you use them. The rest of you can pick out some weapons and just learn as you go."


    "Learn what?" Greldo muttered as he looked at Jonathan with a pale face. "You can''t just shove us in here without explaining more! We don''t even know how to use weapons!"


    "There is no helping that," Jonathan said. "Mouldir has ordered that everyone was to be tossed in on day one so he could find those with high potential as fast as possible, train those up, and send them out to close portals."


    "Can we at least get a sword?" Olban asked, his voice rising in pitch.


    Irwin sighed, knowing the answer but keeping his mouth shut.


    "No. When you enter, anything besides items made of leather and plant fibers and stuff like that vanishes. So, make sure you leave any metal objects like coins, weapons, jewelry, or otherwise here before stepping in.


    Irwin suddenly recalled the handful of copper he had with him. Why hadn''t Jonathan told them earlier that they would go into a portal? Then he could have left them in their room!


    "Where¡­ where do we put those things?" Olban asked as he licked his lips and looked around worriedly.


    "You were supposed to leave them in your room," Jonathan said incredulously.


    "You- ¡­ Nobody told us!" Olban cried.


    Jonathan''s face darkened.


    "Right. I might have forgotten with all the commotion," the carded man said. "Fine. For this once, I''ll hold your items."


    Nobody moved as they all gaped at him, and Irwin saw the reluctance he felt mirrored on the other''s faces.


    "Take it or leave it!" Jonathan said as he stepped away from the door. "I don''t believe any of you even has anything worth stealing but to set you at ease. Stealing is punished severely here, as some of you will undoubtedly soon find out. I wouldn''t dare, nor should you, if you know what''s good for you."


    Irwin shared a look with Greldo, who was pulling something from his waist, a rather ornate belt with metal studs that Irwin had never seen him wear. He also had a small pouch.


    Where did he get those things? He''d have to ask him later.


    Still, there wasn''t much else to it, and he sighed. I hope he gives them back, he thought as he pulled the coins from his pocket and stepped towards Jonathan.


    The other held out his hand and then looked at the nine coppers in disdain. With a snort, he put it in his pocket.


    "Nine coppers for Brokenfoot," he said.


    "I''m Irwin," Irwin said, annoyed.


    "And I don''t care," Jonathan replied as he took the belt and pouch from Greldo. He blinked as he weighed the pouch on his hand before nodding at Greldo.


    How much is in there? Irwin wondered. Greldo was as poor as he was.


    A minute later, everyone, except for Olban, had handed some items to Jonathan. Olban was still fidgeting, seemingly unhappy, while the others were picking out weapons. Irwin grabbed a sling, hoping he could use it, pocketing as many stones as he could before taking a small bat.


    "Either give it now or go inside and lose it forever," Jonathan finally snapped, glaring at Olban.


    "Alright¡­ but¡­ if you don''t give it back, I''ll-" Olban whispered before pulling a thin chain from around his thick neck. A golden, gleaming locket with an eye on it appeared from below his shirt, and everyone''s eyes, including Jonathan''s, widened.


    "An eye of Yilda," Twintin whispered.


    "Where did you get that?" Jonathan snapped as he stepped forward threateningly.


    "It''s mine! I got it from my father before coming here," Olban said, gripping the locket against his chest as he took a step back. "He''s a... he''s..." Olban frowned and shook his head but looked at Jonathan as if he''d fight if the other even threatened to take it.


    Jonathan stared at Olban for a while, then nodded. "Fine. I hope for your sake that''s true. I''ll hold that for you, and you will get it back, but I will have to report it to the guards."


    "Alright," Olban whispered as he reluctantly handed the locket over.


    Jonathan looked at it for a moment before placing it in the pocket of his vest instead of his loose pants.


    "If it''s really yours, you can be at ease," he said, suddenly sounding a lot less angry. "I''ll make sure nobody takes it."


    Then his eyes narrowed, and he pointed at the door.


    "Now grab a weapon, get in, and do your best. You have eight tower hours to train today, and depending on how you do, you will be sent to one of the classes."


    Irwin looked at the door, swallowed, and took a halting step forward.


    What if your card isn''t common... what will happen? a tiny voice shouted in his mind.


    He hesitated, then shoved it down. What else could he do? Besides, everything about his cards looked screamed common - that had to mean something, right? It had even looked like a common when he got it from Bronwyn.


    Daubutim moved past him and pulled open the door. A swirling red portal hung behind it, causing the dull, burly boy to stop in his tracks. The others huddled beside him, sharing looks of panic and fear.


    "In, or I''ll toss you," Jonathan said.


    Irwin was about to step forward when Greldo beat him to it.


    "See you on the other side," his friend whispered before jumping into the portal. He vanished in a swirl of yellow.


    Irwin shivered, steeled himself, took a step forward, and jumped in.

 Chapter 8: The first practice room

    Unlike during the teleportation moment, there were no odd tentacles or other scary things as Irwin whisked through the darkness for a split second. Then he stumbled out, and instantly, a soft, comforting heat washed over him.


    Surprisedly, he looked up to see deep orange light come from cracks in the walls while a smell of sulfur filled the air. Distant chittering laughter made him jerk around to find its source, but all he saw was a square opening leading out of the small stone chamber they were in. Broken and rusted metal hinges were on one side, but there was no sign of a door. Dust wafted in the air, probably from him and the others moving around.


    "There''s something here," Greldo whispered a few steps to the side.


    Before they had a chance to talk, Daubutim and Twintin appeared in the middle of the room. The big boy looked around with a frown, lips closed, but Twintin seemed absolutely terrified.


    "Where-" she began, just as Greldo jumped forward and put a hand over her mouth.


    The chittering laughter instantly stopped, and Irwin shivered as his hair stood on end.


    Olban appeared behind the others, looking around, his eyes widening quickly. Before he could speak, Greldo moved next to him, holding a hand over his mouth and a finger to his own lips. Olban nodded quickly.


    "Block the door and get ready for anything," Greldo whispered, surprising Irwin with his quick thinking.


    Daubutim stepped into the doorless opening, which, although he was the tallest of them, still made him look small by comparison. Beyond it was a long corridor with uneven rocky walls with more glowing orange cracks and fissures. The ceiling was low with odd protrusions, easy to bump your head against.


    Irwin scrutinized the tunnel, seeing shadowy side entrances at odd points in the wall. Some seemed too high to enter comfortably, and it all looked more like a giant version of the ant hills he investigated during the summer.


    "What''s going on?" Olban whispered.


    "There''s demons or something ahead, and they know we are here," Irwin replied as he swallowed back his rising fear of what was approaching them.


    Olban''s eyes narrowed, but he nodded and stepped up next to Daubutim, who made a little room for him.


    Footsteps came from beyond the tunnel, and before Irwin could fully come to grips with what was happening, three figures, roughly the same size as him, leaped from one of the side paths. They had belts looped around their waist, with torn black leather dangling down, covering their legs up to their knees.


    "What are those?," Twintin screeched, causing the figures to turn to them.


    Irwin gasped as he saw the wrinkly, burning red skin, glowing yellow eyes, and large, jagged, pointy ears.


    "Imps," Olban said, his voice rising in pitch to match Twintin''s. "What do we do?"


    He stepped back, the white of his eyes large as he looked back.


    "Coldblooooooods," one of the Imps crooned, eyes widening hungrily. The three Imps rushed forward. Two drew daggers from their belt, while the middle one, slightly taller and with black hair falling down the side of its head, unwound something that looked like a chain.


    We need to get out of here! Irwin turned around, but there was no other way out.


    Greldo stood in the center of the room, mouth open as he gaped at the incoming demons.


    "Get ready. We need to fight."


    Daubutim''s deep voice was calm and collected, pulling Irwin out of his increasing panic. As he looked up, he saw the Imps were halfway toward them.


    "Dammit," Olban screamed, raising the club in one hand while his other began glowing. A thick layer of gray ooze covered his fist, enlarging it threefold before hardening into a dull, uneven mass.


    Irwin scrambled forward, fumbling with the sling. He should have picked up some stones! Shivering, he dropped it, clutching his own club while raising his hand and focusing on his card. As afraid and fearful as he was, the flame erupted from his finger without fail.


    "Ohhhh, yes, burn me," one of the Imps howled, laughing in a way that made Irwin sick in his stomach.


    How the hell do I do this, Irwin thought as he tried to flick the tiny flame from his finger towards them. It wobbled slightly but didn''t move, and before he could even try again, the Imps were on them. With only Daubutim blocking the entrance, one dashed past without issue while the two with daggers charged Daubutim with nasty smirks. This close, their pointy faces and wide, lipless mouths were horrifyingly clear, while their yellow-white teeth glistened in the light from Irwin''s flame.


    The one with the chain and the hair laughed as he struck at Olban.


    "Nooo," the zit-covered youth screamed, stepping forward and striking out at the chain. The greyish metal wrapped around the wood, and the Imp laughed as he yanked the weapon out of Olban''s hand.


    Irwin felt his mind freeze as he watched Olban back up in panic.


    In the door, the two dagger-wielding Imps used the distraction to attack Daubutim. The brawny youth raised his shield, the only thing he''d taken from the outside, deftly blocking one attack while stepping away from the other. His movements were fast and fluid, and he made an odd two-step toward the Imp while his hand began glowing. Before anything could happen, he struck at the nearest Imp, and a large wooden club appeared at the last moment.


    Irwin watched in awe as the arm-length, dark, and smooth wooden club impacted the side of the surprised Imp''s head. There was a dull crack, and the Imp spun a half circle, then crumpled to the ground a few steps from Irwin.


    The second Imp hissed, moved like a blur, and slashed at Daubutim with the dagger faster than Daubutim could move the shield. A long red slash appeared on the youth''s weapon arm, and Irwin could hear him suck in a breath as a black mist wafted up from the wound. The downed Imp was slowly stirring.


    I need to help, Irwin thought, trying to stop his mind from drowning in panic from Olban''s and Twintin''s screams and the Imp''s laughter.


    Forcing his unwilling body to move, he suddenly saw something glint to the side.


    The Imp''s dagger!


    He saw the Imp groggily stir, hands searching for the weapon.


    If he could take that!


    He moved before his fear could stop him, scrambling for the dagger. Before he got halfway, a red foot flashed toward his face, and he barely moved to the side, slamming into the wall next to the door, now cornered. The second Imp let out a happy giggle before refocusing on Daubutim while the other pushed himself up, glaring at Irwin. He had a lump on the side of his head and was blinking angrily.


    "Mine," he hissed.


    Daubutim was grunting, and Irwin saw him grabbing his arm, more of the dark fog leaking from between his fingers as he swayed on his feet. He was waving his club at the Imp, trying to keep it away.


    Irwin licked his lips and pressed his back against the wall as the Imp closed in. He raised his club and his flame, but the Imp just smirked, raising the dagger it had picked back up. It slashed casually, and Irwin barely managed to raise his club. As the dagger struck the club, the wood instantly darkened, and smoke trickled up, almost seeming to climb along the wood toward Irwin''s fingers.


    Irwin cursed and dropped his club, which crumbled as it hit the ground.


    "I''m going to enjoy tormenting you," the Imp crooned.


    Irwin pressed his back against the wall, trying to find a way out. Was he going to die just like this? He''d only just arrived!


    As his fear grew, a blur moved from the side and slammed into the Imp.


    Irwin''s eyes widened in disbelief as Greldo began grappling with the demon, holding its dagger arm in place. There was no sight of his weapon, but his hand was flashing brightly. Irwin had no idea what his card even did, but the Imp suddenly yelped in pain and dropped its dagger. Greldo kicked it away while the Imp howled, unsuccessfully trying to rip its arm free from Greldo''s grasp.


    "Grab the dagger," Greldo screamed, his voice filled with panic.


    Irwin cursed, shoving his panic and fear away. He had to help Greldo!


    He scrambled towards the dagger, only to get a kick in the ribs halfway to it. Clenching his teeth against the pain, he grabbed the dagger and rose just as the Imp bit Greldo in the shoulder.


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    "Let gooooo," his friend screamed, his voice rising another notch.


    Irwin had never held a dagger this heavy, but he''d helped his mother in the kitchen many times and had mock-fought against shadows with her kitchen knife when she wasn''t there. Not even thinking about it, he jumped in close and slashed at the Imp''s back, splitting the skin and causing the Imp to scream in surprise and pain.


    Irwin gasped as a thick, yellow liquid squirted over his hand. It was warm, and a thin trickle of smoke came from it, but he didn''t stop. Instead, he slashed again while the Imp finally let go, howling with its head up. Seeing the thin neck and veins bulging visibly, Irwin struck, but the heavy, unwieldy dagger caused him to miss, instead slashing at the back of the Imp''s head. The howl increased in intensity as the Imp bucked and heaved to get its hand free, jostling Greldo around. Still, although the Imp was stronger, they were roughly the same size, and Greldo somehow managed to hold on.


    Irwin, in blind panic, rammed the dagger in the Imp''s back with two hands, and the scream turned shrill before falling quiet. The Imp made some odd choking sounds before yellowish blood gurgled from its mouth. It coughed, and a spray of yellow blood spread forward all over the unfortunate Greldo.


    Greldo''s eyes widened, and his mouth went open in a surprised O as the spots the blood hit began bubbling, blisters appearing within moments. He muttered something, then his eyes rolled up, and he slumped down, his hands finally releasing the wrists of the Imp, who rolled over.


    Greldo?


    Irwin was sucking in the air, staring at his friend, not knowing what to do or why his friend was unconscious. Why did Greldo look like he''d been covered in acid?


    "Irwin, help!" Olban screamed, and Irwin looked up.


    The fat, zit-covered boy was standing against the wall, a chain wrapped around his oversized, gray hand. The taller Imp was pulling on it, causing the chain to screech across with an odd motion. It was staring around, glaring at Irwin, who swallowed when the venomous eyes focused on him.


    "Irwin!" Olban screamed again, and Irwin cursed as he ran towards the Imp. He had no idea what to do, deciding to try and stab it with the dagger. Two steps away, the Imp moved and backhanded him so fast that he stumbled back while seeing stars. Feeling blood ooze from his lips, Irwin saw the Imp laugh, yanking at the chain. This time, it succeeded in freeing it, and as the Imp pulled back, it leaped an insane distance back, almost reaching the door. As it landed, it struck its chain, this time at Irwin.


    Irwin raised the dagger as he stumbled back, and the chain wrapped around his arm. A joyful giggle came, and then his arm felt like it was being ripped apart as the chain was pulled back. There were tiny edges carved into it, and as it moved, it sliced through the skin of his forearm. Screaming in pain, he clutched the chain, trying to rip it free, only for him to slash open his palm.


    "Die!" Olban screamed as he charged, hand held out like a lance.


    The Imp laughed, released the chain, and dodged below the blow, slashing with its sharp-tipped nails.


    Olban screamed as he clasped his hands across his waist.


    Irwin felt his stomach heave as he saw Olban¡¯s intestines spill out. Tears streaming down his face, he grabbed the chain, ignoring the pain, and pulled it back, out of reach of the Imp. He had no plan, but as pain filled his being, all he knew was that he wanted to kill the reason for it. That Imp! With a strangled cry, he tried to swing the chain at the Imp.


    The Imp''s eyes widened, and it jumped back, seemingly expecting him to succeed, but the chain was far too heavy, and it thudded on the ground a mere foot from Irwin.


    "Weak," the Imp hissed before laughing as it jumped forward, stepping on the chain and causing it to grow taut.


    Irwin felt more of his flesh rip apart, and crying and shouting, he ran forward, no longer caring but just wanting the pain to stop. The Imp laughed, lowering its stance. One step away, Irwin had a single moment of clarity, and as he lunged, he stabbed out a single finger at the Imp''s face at the same time as the Imp slashed at his chest. His flame appeared as a burning hot pain ignited from his chest, and then his flame poked into the Imp''s cheek.


    Its eyes widened, and where Irwin''s finger touched its skin, the redness turned black and crispy, flakes falling off.


    "How-" the Imp croaked before it seemed to freeze while the blackened spot expanded, and its flesh rippled upon itself like burning paper wilting away.


    Confused and in pain, Irwin watched his flame grow, and when the Imp was no more than dark flakes wafting down, it was twice the size it had been before, flickering as if agitated.


    Irwin fell back, his arm a burning mass of fire, his chest torn and ripped, with tears and snot running over his face.


    It took him a few moments to realize that the Imps were gone, and he looked around. He stopped as he reached the door. A dozen imps were coming from the far end of the corridor, laughing and giggling loudly.


    "Please let this stop, please let this stop," a soft voice whimpered from the side. Irwin turned to see Twintin sit there, huddled in the corner, arms around herself, pale as a sheet, and shaking her head.


    All he could do was agree with her as he heard the dozens of feet close in. He tried to get up, but he was spent, and although the flame flickered brightly, he couldn''t even raise his hand. The only benefit was that he didn''t see the daggers as they plunged into him.


    The world turned into a swirling darkness, and a second later, he landed on his feet on cold gray tiles.


    "So, you two held out the longest? Impressive!"


    Irwin barely heard the voice as the clearness of his mind and the chaotic memories of mere moments clashed together.


    What happened?


    There was no pain, and raising his arm, he saw his old cloth shirt across his unharmed flesh. Touching his chest, he felt nothing, no pain, just the distant memory of it.


    "Don''t worry. I said you couldn''t get injured here-"


    "They killed us!" Twintin howled, huddled on the ground beside Irwin. She began crying, her sobbing cries so full of fear that Irwin felt sorry for her even though he knew she''d not helped them back inside the portal.


    "Yes? Of course, they did," Jonathan said. "Like I said. What did you expect? You need to learn how to close these portals¡­ do you not understand what will happen if things like those are allowed to roam free? Don''t you know the stories about the months of the Long Pain?"


    Jonathan sighed as he shook his head. "I know this is hard. But there is no use sugarcoating it. You are here to close portals even if it costs some of you your lives."


    "Why us?" Greldo said, sounding tired as he sat nearby with his back against the wall.


    "What do you mean?" Jonathan asked, sounding annoyed. "If not you, who else?"


    "Guards? Rangers?" Greldo snapped. "Why-"


    "Did you not pay attention at school?" Jonathan said, sounding annoyed.


    "What are you talking about?" Olban shouted, hugging himself.


    "Watch your mouth, boy," Jonathan said in a dangerous whisper. "I''ve done all you have and more for seven long years. Lost all my friends! I have no interest in your self-pity."


    "Why not the trained guards or rangers?" Irwin asked softly. He already knew the answer, but he was sure that if he told them, the others might be angry with him.


    Jonathan gave Olban another glare before turning to Irwin, letting out a weary sigh.


    "There are not nearly enough of those. The cities and towns need the rangers to clear out the nearby portals, and most of the guards are near the wall to keep the surges from beyond at bay. That''s why we train a portion of the youths at the sorcerer towers."


    Irwin saw a small twinge in the sorcerer''s eye, and something about the way he said it felt wrong, which made no sense because the answer was in line with what he knew.


    Is there something else that I don''t know about? Irwin thought.


    He took a quick look at Greldo and Daubutim, but they both seemed to agree with Jonathan.


    I must have imagined things, Irwin thought. Feeling incredibly weary, he looked at Jonathan hopefully. "So, can we go back and sleep now?" he asked softly.


    "Sleep? You have seven hours left to go in there again and again," Jonathan said. "You may rest for five minutes. Then you will enter again."


    "Because Mouldir wants to find the best of us?" Irwin asked, stifling a sigh.


    "Stop asking questions if you already know the answer," Jonathan said angrily.


    "Isn''t it obvious none of us will be amongst those?" Irwin asked, feeling a tiny sliver of hope that they could just be exempt.


    "Obvious? No," Jonathan said, shaking his head. "You already survived longer than I had expected without training. Besides, Mouldir gave his orders."


    Irwin felt like crying, but even that seemed like too much of a hassle. Instead, he moved beside Greldo and slumped on the ground.


    A minute or two later, sharp footsteps came from the route they had arrived from, and Irwin looked up, praying for a sorcerer to come and tell them there had been a mistake and they were actually too weak and pathetic to be there.


    Two tall guards, each with brandished swords, were escorting the teal-haired, scar-faced girl forward. She glared at them every few steps, but they just prodded her with their swords.


    "Well, I see the lost sixth has been found?" Jonathan said as he stepped forward. ¡°Name?¡±


    "Taselina, but I don''t belong to any group," the girl snapped as she glared at Jonathan.


    "You do now," Jonathan said, his eyebrows lowering dangerously. "And if you don''t do as you''re told, I''ll throw you in here on your own for two hours straight," he said as he jerked his thumb at the swirling red portal.


    Taselina''s face paled, and her lips pursed into a tight line.


    "Well?" Jonathan snapped.


    "I''ll do as you say," Taselina hissed.


    Jonathan frowned, crossing his arms as he glared at her.


    "You be okay with this one, Johno?" one of the guards said, sounding slightly amused.


    "I''ll be fine," Jonathan snapped back, turning his glare on the guard, who just grinned, waved at Taselina, and turned back around.


    "Don''t you think-" Taselina began.


    Jonathan spun around and raised his hand, which glowed. Dozens of ropes appeared out of nowhere, binding Taselina up, one wrapping around her face, covering her mouth. Her eyes widened, bulging, and she fell forward with a thud.


    As Jonathan walked forward, he turned away from the others, but Irwin caught the look on his face and shivered. Jonathan had licked his lips with a dangerous glint in his eyes.


    The sorcerer bent forward and grabbed the bundled-up girl, and Irwin already knew what would happen before Jonathan dragged her to the portal. He wished he could just do nothing, as he wished he could do anything else than go in the portal, but it was more than obvious that Jonathan wasn''t going to let them just leave. Besides, Bronwyn had always told him to help those he could, no matter how weak he was.


    Dammit, he cursed as the memory of the pain in his arm flitted through his mind.


    "Please don''t," Greldo whispered from the side.


    Irwin turned and looked at him until Greldo wilted under his stare and nodded reluctantly.


    "Ah, fine. Now or in five minutes, what''s the difference," his friend whispered.


    They both got up just as Jonathan was about to toss Taselina through the portal.


    "There''s no need, Jonathan," Irwin said softly. "We need to work with her, and this won''t help. Please unbind her, and we will go together."


    Jonathan looked at him, and something dangerous flashed through his eyes. For a moment, Irwin feared he''d make a mistake, and then the sorcerer smiled.


    "Alright, if that''s what you want," he said. "Go in then, little hero."


    Irwin sighed, not looking at the girl he didn''t know or care about but instead at the portal.


    Stupid, stupid, stupid, he thought as he jumped back in.

 Chapter 9: School of pain and misery

    Irwin exited the portal and stepped sideways, holding his breath as he looked around while raising his club. There were no signs of the Imps they had killed or of their own bodies. The cave was its previously dusty self, while the same cackling laughter came from the end of the tunnel.


    It''s back to how it was before? Irwin thought, struggling to believe Jonathan had been telling the truth.


    He kept scanning the room and the hallway, still half expecting to get jumped. He didn''t know what he''d thought would happen, but this wasn''t it. Perhaps another place? Or with the imps feasting on their remains¡­ wait, do we even leave those?


    A soft scuffle came from behind as Greldo appeared, quickly moving to the other side of the entrance. They shared a look of resolve as they waited for the others. The cackling came from down the tunnel, and while Irwin didn''t dare move, he readied himself to jump Twintin if she did come through and started crying. Not that he thought she would. It seemed unlikely anyone would make a sound again this time.


    Perhaps we can hide from them, he thought, looking around. Just hide till the time played out.


    Where are the others? he thought.


    Seconds ticked by, and his worry grew with it. Were they even all supposed to come to the same portal world? Finally, after two minutes, he licked his lips and looked helplessly at Greldo, who snuck towards him.


    "I think Jonathan might be¡­ trying to prove a point?" Greldo whispered, his voice shaky. "Either that or they arrived somewhere else?"


    "Would he be that petty?" Irwin whispered. He''d not even thought about that option.


    "Did you see him?" Greldo hissed. "The way he looked at Taselina?"


    Irwin shivered as he recalled. What was wrong with these sorcerers? Had they all lost their mind by going into this place from a young age?


    "Great, so it''s just us two now," he whispered, unable to keep the jitter from his voice.


    He realized that any hope he''d had of finding somewhere to hide and prevent a replay of the previous time was gone. He and Greldo were the weakest physically, and although their wounds were gone, his legs and back were still in pain from the long walk that morning.


    Not that he''d had a chance against even a single imp in his best state.


    "I think it''s time you tell me what your card does," he whispered, praying that Greldo''s new card could help them.


    Greldo looked at him, then around and frowned. "That goes for both of us," he said. "You got sprayed by that blood¡­ I saw it! Why didn''t it hurt you?"


    Irwin froze. He hadn''t thought about that, but as he recalled Greldo''s almost melting face and his own arm, he wondered. Had that been what Greldo had been trying to ask before he fell unconscious?


    He licked his lips again, suddenly realizing he was incredibly thirsty. As soon as he paid attention to it, he wished he had some water, then shook his head and focused on his friend. His mum''s words echoed through his mind, and he really didn''t want to tell anyone¡­ but¡­


    "Is it possible that your card makes you vulnerable to their blood?" he asked, then wanted to kick himself. That wasn''t how common cards worked, and from Greldo''s dead-pan look, he knew the other boy didn''t even entertain the thought of taking that seriously.


    "Seeing as you don''t want to tell me, I can only assume it''s some sort of passive effect from your card," Greldo whispered, his eyes gleaming as he looked at Irwin''s hand. "You lied. How did your brother find an uncommon, and how did you trick the sorcerers?"


    Irwin''s mind spun quickly, and for a moment, he considered telling Greldo the truth, then crushed the thought. Though they were friends, could Greldo keep this secret? No. It was too much of a risk. Having Greldo think it was an uncommon was already dangerous enough, and besides, if Greldo could keep that a secret, he could always share more later!


    He faked a sigh and let his shoulders hang.


    "Please don''t tell anyone¡­ he said I should keep it a secret."


    Greldo nodded his head and smiled. "What did you say before? By Gelwin''s beard? I like that. An uncommon for your first card¡­ That''s better than most nobles! So, what does it do?"


    Irwin could see that the smile wasn''t fully genuine, and he felt a pang at not being able to share his secret with Greldo. They had always told each other everything, but he just couldn''t keep his mom''s words from echoing through his mind. He shoved his lingering worry away.


    "It¡­ lets me make that flame, which I can use to light almost anything on fire," Irwin said, not sure if that was true, but deciding an uncommon needed to be able to do at least that. "The resistance I didn''t know."


    "Your brother didn''t tell you?"


    "He got it from someone who thought it was a common," Irwin said, which was definitely true. Nobody in their right mind would sell a card that looked like a common but wasn''t.


    "Then you better hope that person never finds out, or your brother is going to be in a heap of trouble," Greldo whispered. "But no throwing the flame?" he asked, hopefully.


    "Not that I figured out yet," Irwin said. "I wonder how people find out what cards do," he added.


    "They explained that a while back," Greldo said. "I think you were sick, so you might have missed that lesson."


    Irwin didn''t doubt it one bit. He''d been sick every few months since he was born and missed his fair share of lessons. If Bronwyn hadn''t taught him things he learned while becoming a ranger, he''d have been way behind. As it was, he still lacked some knowledge.


    "Well, I guess you won''t have that problem anymore now," Greldo said. "With an uncommon card, you should grow stronger really fast, at least until you are more normal."


    Yeah. Normal, Irwin thought, happy and sad at the same time. He glimpsed across Greldo''s thin, malnourished frame and almost commented on it before deciding against it.


    He kept looking down the hallway, but there still wasn''t any sign of any of the Imps.


    "So, cards?" he asked.


    "There are common cards that can Inspect other cards. They aren''t all that hard to find in the larger places and near the coast and wall, but apparently, there is only one in Malorin," Greldo said. "You are lucky. Otherwise, you''d never have gotten that card because someone would have found out about it."


    You don''t know the half of it, Irwin thought, suddenly worried.


    What if someone in the tower had an inspection card and used it on him? He''d have to explain how he got the card, only to find out that his mother might be right! He shivered as he thought about how the sorcerers had acted so far. They did seem like the type to attempt killing someone for the off-chance his card would drop. Whatever he did, he had to keep out of the way of others and give them no reason to Inspect him.


    "So, what does yours do?" he asked.


    "Xourdin said it''s called Strong Grip," Greldo whispered, holding out his hand. A thin tattoo of a clasped fist stood on the back, a bit of wood sticking out from each side. "I can grip something, activate it, and it will be almost impossible to remove it from my hand."


    "That''s how you held onto that Imp?" Irwin asked, staring at the card dubiously. It was a physical card, so it likely gave some temporary strength enhancement, but he instantly recognized the problems with Greldo''s card. It meant he had to get close, which was dangerous.


    "I know what you''re thinking! But I didn''t just pick it for its ability. Because it''s a physical card, it will slowly increase my hand and arm strength. Xourdin said lots of people along the wall have it and use it to throw stones so hard they can kill common demons!"


    Irwin barely held back a whistle. "That''s awesome. Can you do that already?"


    Greldo''s shoulders and smile dropped as one. "No¡­ it takes at least a year before my arms become strong enough to notice any difference, and four before I''m strong enough to throw like that."


    "Well, it''s still not a useless card," Irwin said, meaning it. If they could stay alive, the card would always help Greldo out, even with simple things like climbing. And if they ever made it back, he could work with a baker.


    "Yeah, but that won''t help us now," Greldo said as he looked at the tunnel.


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    The giggling and laughter hadn''t stopped since they got here.


    "So, now what?" Greldo asked.


    Irwin licked his lips again, feeling the cuts and cracks with his tongue. He tried to come up with something, but all he could think was that they were doomed. The best they could try was to kill a few of the Imps. Maybe they could ambush them?


    As if to punish his thoughts, two imps moved around the corner, dragging something behind them, giggling insanely.


    Irwin ducked behind the corner and pulled Greldo along. There was no scream or shout, and the giggling continued.


    I wish I had that dagger, he thought, his fist clenching around the club. Somehow, it felt way less dangerous than the dagger had.


    The image of the Imp dying played through his mind, then followed by the other, who had crumbled after he''d jabbed it with his flame¡­


    The flame! How could he have forgotten about that? He''d just mentioned it!


    Irwin pulled Greldo closer, his ear next to his lips. "I can kill one with the flame. Can you hold the other so it can''t draw its dagger?"


    Greldo''s eyes widened, and he nodded.


    By now, the giggling, footsteps, and dragging sound was almost at the door opening, and Irwin held his breath, readying his card. Time seemed to turn to a crawl as a foot appeared, followed by a leg, then upper body. As soon as he saw an arm, he summoned his flame and jabbed it at the red flesh less than an arm''s length away.


    The Imp had time for a surprised yelp, then the flame touched his shoulder, and red skin blackened and cracked instantly while the Imp froze, face warped in angry panic.


    Greldo jumped around it and out of Irwin''s sight.


    "More play thingssss," a happy, drawn-out voice said, ending in a strangled and surprised gasp.


    Irwin barely registered any of it. He was far too focused on the first Imp, which was turning into flaky blocks that turned to ash as they fell to the ground. Within three counts, the Imp was gone, only a dagger dropping on the ground. The flame, which had been the same size as it had been before, grew twice as long, and making sure not to touch himself with it, Irwin stepped forward. Greldo and the other Imp were wrestling atop a burly green body in the tunnel.


    "Hurry," Greldo whispered, panic in his voice as the Imp pulled his arms wide and tried to bite at his face.


    Irwin pressed the flame against the Imp''s back, and it froze as a dark spot appeared where the flame touched it, continuing to spread across its back. Three seconds later, it turned to clumps of soot that fell on Greldo. With closed eyes and his face turned away, his friend was unable to block any of it.


    The flame on Irwin''s finger grew again, now as long as his hand and radiating a gentle and soothing heat.


    "Disgusting," Greldo whispered as he wiped his face while crawling back into the room.


    Irwin was about to follow him when he saw a dagger. He grabbed it and, after a quick search, a second one before following Greldo into the room. He slumped beside his friend, back against the wall, out of sight of the tunnel, drawing in gasps.


    "We did it," Greldo whispered, swallowing oddly.


    "Yeah," Irwin replied, still clutching the daggers.


    They had done it! They had killed two Imps without getting hurt while using their cards. Raising his hand, he stared at the thin, barely visible outline of his card tattoo. What kind of card was this? He had darkvision, a flame that could almost instantly kill Imps, and resistance to their burning blood!


    After he regained his breath and senses, he handed one of the daggers to Greldo.


    Greldo took it without hesitation, gave it a quick look, then looked at him. "What just happened!? I''ve never heard of Imps being vulnerable to fire!" he said, looking at Irwin''s hand before coughing dully.


    "I have no idea," Irwin said truthfully. Then he noticed blood dripping down Greldo''s side into a quickly spreading pool. "You are injured!" he hissed as he turned and inspected his friend.


    "It''s fine, it''s fine," Greldo muttered, waving him off weakly. "It doesn''t matter- I''ll.. I''ll just reappear back there in a minute. Besides, this is a lot less painful than some other options."


    Though his words sounded tough, Irwin could see the primal fear in Greldo''s eyes, which didn''t meet his but kept drifting around as he tightly clutched the dagger.


    If he dies, I''ll be here alone, Irwin thought, feeling the blood drain from his face. The idea of being here by himself terrified him.


    "I''ll try and convince Jonathan to send the others through," Greldo said as blood began leaking from between his lips, and his eyes stared at something, unfocused. "This is so weird... I wonder if this is how it really is."


    His breathing turned shallow, and his eyes flickered to Irwin. "See you soon," he whispered, followed by a long hiss.


    As Greldo''s now dead body slumped sideways, Irwin automatically put his hand on Greldo''s shoulder and lay him down. His mind was empty, and at the same time, he felt something build up inside of him. Panic. This meant he had to go into that hallway on his own. To be killed. Alone.


    Maybe if I stay here long enough, Jonathan will come to get me? Irwin thought as he licked his dry lips again, trying to stifle the rapidly growing panic. Deep down, he knew Jonathan wouldn''t come, but he just wasn''t ready to accept that yet.


    Seconds turned to minutes, and as time passed, his fear grew with it. At one point, he found himself dully staring at the wall, no longer counting. How long had he been sitting here? The last thing he remembered was counting to a thousand, but he knew that had been a good while back. His lips were so dry that blood had started dribbling over his chin, which he kept licking up.


    I can''t stay here, he thought, looking around dully. I can''t stay here! he thought with more force, willing himself to move.


    Greldo''s body lay beside him, the dagger clasped in his hand. Deciding two was better than one, Irwin tried to pry the dagger from the dead boy''s grip, but it was lodged tight.


    I''ll have to tell him that his grip remains after death, he thought listlessly before getting up. Staring at the doorway, he took a deep breath, then snuck a peak. The hallway was empty, safe for the green body, and before he could change his mind, he stepped forward.


    The large green body lay there, and he frowned as he looked at it. It looked vaguely humanoid but even more muscular than Smith Randal, and it had an oddly square face. Long, ragged cuts, dark green, almost black bruises, and burn marks covered the being''s body, while its face was pulled back in a horrifying grimace. Irwin knew he should probably feel something from looking at this, but he just stared at it, wondering if the thing was another demon. If it was, he''d never seen it before.


    The laughter and giggling hadn''t stopped for a moment, and as he stood there, a chorus of voices echoed through the hallway. He couldn''t understand what they were singing, but it sounded almost like counting.


    Steeling himself, he moved forward, dagger in his right hand while readying his spell in his left. He didn''t know what the flame would do to the dagger he was holding, but he could always throw it if he had to.


    Perhaps if they think I''m dangerous enough, they will kill me fast.


    Halfway down the hallway, the temperature continued to rise, but he didn''t really mind. It felt gentle and safe.


    When he reached the first side entrance, oddly positioned at knee height, he took a deep breath and quickly peeked inside. A tunnel curved away to the right, and a bright orange light sat at the end.


    Hadn''t some Imps come from there before? He looked back down the main hall, listening to the dozens of voices. He shivered and climbed into the smaller side entrance, which was still high enough for him to stand, and walked inside. Thin fissures crossed its side, the red and orange glow lighting up the path forward. As he passed one, he saw that the fissures were slits into another area, and there was something bright red or orange streaming down a distant wall.


    Molten metal? he thought.


    It looked like the stuff the smith had shown the day they were allowed to watch him make a hoe. This seemed to have stone and grit in it, so maybe something else? After a few moments, he continued on.


    At the end of the tunnel, he crept the last bit until he could see around the corner. Holding his breath, he slowly took a peek.


    Three towering stone pillars sat in the middle of a massive cavern. They were illuminated by more of the brilliant molten rock that fell from a hole high in the ceiling. Stone bridges connected the stone pillars, and there were chaotic patches of buildings attached to their sides.


    The figures of imps moved around everywhere. A ledge sat before the tunnel entrance that led to a long stone bridge with crumbled edges.


    Perhaps the other way, Irwin thought as he pulled back and turned around.


    An imp was two steps away, dagger raised as it snuck forward with a gleeful smile on its almost triangular, sharp-chinned face.


    Irwin reacted without thinking, dropping the dagger, stepping forward, focusing on his flame, and stabbing at the Imp with his finger. The tiny red figure yelped and tried to dodge, but Irwin''s finger struck him on a flailing arm, the flame on its tip burning into the flesh.


    "Nooo-," the Imp screamed, then his voice was cut short as his body cramped up and started turning to dust.


    Far away, the giggling and laughter stopped, and from behind him, Irwin heard shouting. He didn''t dare run yet, as the Imp wasn''t dead, but as soon as it began turning to soot, he stepped away.


    Back or into the cavern¡­ he didn''t know! Gritting his teeth, he took a step back in the tunnel he''d come from when he heard running and incessant giggling from that direction. Fear growing rapidly, he kept his flame active, turned, and ran out into the cavern.


    Dozens of imps were running his way across the bridge, and he looked for a way out. The ridge he was on moved further to the left, looping around the cavern and heading down. Barely feeling his protesting body or his legs, he ran that way, dagger in one hand and flame hovering above the other. He didn''t notice that when he''d clenched his hand into a fist, the flame had begun hovering above it instead of through his hand. The ridge was strewn with rocks and grit, and his feet kept sliding.


    "Ruuuuun, ruuuuun," a high-pitched voice screamed from behind him. He took a quick look, and his eyes widened. Six or seven Imps, far too many, had reached the end of the bridge and were chasing him, closing in as they giggled, eyes gleaming.


    Ahead, the ridge angled down sharply, but he didn''t dare slow down; instead, he sped up. As he reached the downslope, his feet skidded forward, and he fell back, sliding down in a rain of stone dust and pebbles.


    Far below, the ridge narrowed, and he saw a lake of molten rock beside it, the heat warping the air. Within a moment, his slide turned into an out-of-control plummet, scratching open his hands and snapping fingernails.


    Not over the edge, not over- he reached the even, narrow bit, scrambling to stay to the side¡­ and failed.


    He felt his body drop towards the hellish inferno a dozen feet below while an insane crackle came from behind. As he spun in the air, he saw a dozen Imps laugh at the top of the slope, some pointing at him in glee.


    The air went from hot to scalding to burning, and the few breaths he managed burned his lungs. Then he fell into a chunky, blubbery mess, and a momentary pain flared from his back and legs, then disappeared. He smelled burning meat, then didn''t smell anything as he slid into the thick mass that felt like the mud on the sides of the road near the gates. Each inch of his body that slid in hurt for a moment, then stopped, and a blackness encroached from the sides of his vision. The last thing he heard was a surprised shout from one of the Imps before the world turned dark.


    The next thing he felt was the cold tiles on his back as he was ejected out of the portal and slid away from it. A pair of well-crafted brown leather boots stepped up to him, and as he looked up, he saw Jonathan look at him curiously.


    "Well, well. I''d planned to teach you to listen to me instead of talking back, but who would have thought that you would last this long? Interesting..."

 Chapter 10: Practice makes perfect

    Ten minutes after he''d been burned alive, Irwin stepped back through the portal. He appeared in the same tiny cave-like room that he''d been in the previous times.


    His mind was spinning from what had happened and the intensity with which Jonathan had looked at him. Oddly, it had remained at a piercing look. After his initial remarks, the sorcerer said nothing but told him to sit down and rest.


    A ten-minute break. Why do I feel like that wasn''t because he felt bad? Irwin thought acidly.


    He stepped next to the entrance. This was not the time to be zoning out.


    Greldo was staring at him from the other side, seemingly biting his tongue to avoid asking questions.


    A few seconds later, the other four joined them, Taselina glaring at all of them as if it was their fault she''d been tossed through the portal by Jonathan.


    "Be quiet," Irwin whispered, looking at the others but mostly hoping Taselina would remain still.


    "I''m not the stupid one here," Taselina hissed as she moved to the other side of the door, glaring at him. She was holding a long staff she''d grabbed before they entered.


    Are you implying I''m stupid? Irwin thought. He had no idea what to say, but luckily, he didn''t have to.


    The giggling and laughter shot up a bit, drawing Taselina''s attention. She spun around, glaring at the hallway, color draining from her face, and she began shivering.


    "What are those?" she whispered.


    "Imps," Greldo snapped, turning to her with a sudden angry look. "The things that just killed Irwin and me for the second time because you keep acting like that!"


    Greldo''s voice rose up in pitch, and Irwin and Olban jumped forward to try to stop him.


    They were too late. Like a horrible nightmare that kept repeating, the Imp''s laughter stopped.


    A step from his friend, Irwin stared at Greldo in horror, who was looking at the hallway, wide-eyed and pale as a sheet. He was whispering something, but it was so soft Irwin couldn''t hear it.


    A soft cackle came from far away, promising pain and torment.


    For a second, Irwin felt his mind go blank as the image of getting brutally murdered appeared in his mind, and then something deep inside him rebelled. Instead of becoming terrified, a wave of anger flooded up from deep within him.


    With it came a rapid stream of disjointed thoughts.


    Why was this happening to him? Why couldn''t he just be with his mum and brother? He finally had a card, which might be much better than he ever thought he''d get! He just needed some time to practice, to learn... Did they think he was just going to take this?


    With each question, his anger boiled more, and with the final question, he snapped. He stepped forward and pulled Greldo with him.


    "This way," he whispered, running into the hallway.


    "Are you crazy? Where are-"


    Irwin ignored the complaints and rushed forward, trying to make as little sound as he could.


    Greldo followed him to the side hallway he''d entered the previous time. A look behind showed everyone, including Taselina, running after him. Irwin didn''t know what to think of that. He turned and hid inside the tunnel. He didn''t want to run into the large cavern beyond, so that left one other place to go. They had to find out where those other imps were coming from, and he didn''t want to get ambushed in a room with no exit.


    As a plan grew, he turned to Daubutim.


    "Summon your club and get ready. A few Imps will walk past us, and we are going to jump them," he whispered before looking at Greldo. "Greldo, grab one so I can burn it."


    Both boys nodded, eyes wide and fearful but not yet panicking. He turned to the others and swallowed, words spilling out as they came up.


    "First time there were three, last time two. I don''t know how many there are now, but you will have to hold back the others until we can come help," he rattled.


    Twintin was huddled against the side, shivering. One look told him she wasn''t going to be of any use. Taselina, however, was glaring at him with blazing eyes that barely managed to hide her resentment at him for being there. Not that he had any idea why she blamed him.


    "Do you have a useful card?" he whispered.


    Before Taselina could answer, quiet footsteps came from the main corridor.


    Irwin swallowed but kept staring at Taselina, willing the brown-haired girl to tell them she had some really great card.


    Taselina growled softly. For a moment, she seemed ready to snap at him. Then she nodded, raising her hands and looking at the hallway.


    Let''s hope she isn''t lying, Irwin thought as he focused on himself.


    The feet came closer and closer, and then two Imps appeared, sneaking forward.


    Daubutim was the first to move, jumping at the back one, his carded hand flashing as he summoned his club. Greldo wasn''t much slower, jumping the other one. He had a club in one hand, the other stretched out.


    Irwin didn''t wait but summoned his flame and rushed after Greldo, hoping Daubutim could hold out for a moment. As he appeared in the hallway, he saw a third Imp behind the others.


    "Get that one," he hissed, hoping the others would be up to the task.


    Then he focused on Greldo, who barely managed to block a dagger thrust. He had clutched the startled Imp''s arm. Irwin didn''t even wait but slammed his fist, flame hovering above his knuckles, into the Imp''s exposed arm.


    "Eeeee-" the Imp squealed, then froze.


    Stupid, why did you have to scream, Irwin thought as he looked around while his flame finished the Imp. He needed to figure out how long he had to hit one of them, but now wasn''t the time.


    Daubutim was flicking his club around deftly, easily holding back the Imp and surprising Irwin immensely with his proficiency. But what really made him gasp was Taselina. She had her arms outstretched, and two stone arms were protruding from the ground four steps away. They were as large as a small person and were mirroring her motions, strangling an Imp that was desperately kicking at the ground below its feet and trying to get free.


    That can''t be a common card, can it? Irwin thought, feeling his skin crawl.


    The Imp he was flaming fell apart, and he quickly jumped forward, jamming his now much longer flame at the Imp fighting Daubutim. This time, he aimed for the center of the back.


    The Imp gasped, then froze without another sound. Daubutim''s eyes widened, and he hesitated, the club raised before stepping back. It took only a few moments for the Imp to slide to the ground, its body crumbling into black soot.


    Irwin held Daubutim''s eyes, and as he did, he noticed a very tiny flicker of intelligence, something he''d not seen before.


    Daubutim nodded, then turned to the final Imp.


    It was only twitching, and its eyes bulged out as it dangled from the stranglehold on its neck. Taselina let out a soft grunt, and the stone hands flexed. There was a dull crack, and the Imp''s neck snapped. Immediately, it stopped resisting, its body dangling limply.


    Taselina straightened, breathing raggedly, and the stone arms crumbled, causing the Imp to thud into the ground.


    "Demons¡­ what rank card is that?" Olban whispered.


    Irwin wanted to know, too, but he knew there was no time for that. He stepped forward and tried to drag the Imp into the side entrance. It felt like the time he tried lifting a bag of potatoes, impossible with his undersized physique.


    "Quick, get it out of view," he whispered as he grabbed the two daggers from his own kills. He hesitated for a moment, then handed one to Olban and the other to Greldo. Both immediately dropped their simple wooden weapons, more than happy with the cold steel.


    Daubutim quickly pulled the dead Imp away while Irwin kicked at the soot, trying to spread it as evenly as possible. A few moments later, they were huddled together in the narrow tunnel.


    "What card is that?" Olban whispered as he stared at Taselina.


    She glared at him and didn''t answer.


    "Doesn''t matter now," Irwin said as he turned to Twintin, still shivering. She hadn''t moved from the tunnel. "What kind of card do you have? Is there any way you can help?"


    The tiny girl looked up, a far-off gaze in her eyes, and Irwin poked her shoulder. "Twintin, we have to know what we can all do!" Irwin hissed. "Jonathan, he isn''t just going to let us stay out of this. He will-"


    "We died," Twintin mumbled as she looked up at him.


    "Yes¡­" Irwin said as he tried to push away the horrible memories the two words brought up. "And we will die again if we don''t learn how to fight back. If this is an example of what a real portal is..."


    He let his words hang, his mind spinning as he thought of something that should have been obvious before.


    "There has to be a linchpin! Perhaps if we find it and finish this training, we will have shown them what we are capable of, and we can rest?"


    "For how long?" Olban whispered, and Irwin saw tears well up in the fat boy''s eyes. "In a few weeks, we have to do this for real! If we die then, we won''t just wake up!"


    "That means we just have to become stronger," Greldo said, glancing at them from the tunnel entrance. "We just killed three Imps easily, without planning, and with weapons we barely know how to use! We have a little time now- that first Imp shouted, but there''s none running here yet like before. We should¡­" he frowned, seeming uncertain.


    "Find the linchpin," Irwin added quickly, getting a grateful nod from Greldo. "If you three," he waved at Greldo, Taselina, and Daubutim, "can distract them or hold them, I can finish them."


    The others looked at him, but only Greldo and Daubutim nodded. Taselina and Twintin were staring at him, one angry and the other with dull eyes. Irwin focused on Twintin, who was still shivering.


    "What card do you have?" Irwin asked softly.


    "Waterdrop," Twintin whispered softly, a look of despair on her face." I can summon four drops of water."


    Useless, Irwin thought. It was even worse than his card had seemed initially. Although only barely, he knew.


    Still, he kept quiet, merely smiling at her sadly. It wasn''t an unusual card, though he''d never heard of someone who could only summon four drops. Most of the time, it was two or three cups full.


    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    He looked at the dead Imp, searching and finding another dagger clutched in its hand. As he moved over to grab it, he remembered something. Didn''t the previous group have one with a whip? He looked around but didn''t see it.


    Perhaps the portal wasn''t always the same?


    He handed the dagger to Twintin, who looked at it with wide-eyed fear, only reluctantly accepting.


    "Hide behind the others and wait for an opening to stab those Imps," he said.


    Twintin''s lips shivered, but she nodded.


    Irwin hoped she wasn''t going to hurt herself as he turned to the others. Seeing them all look at him, he felt another kind of fear grow, but he squashed it resolutely. There was no time for that now.


    "Behind us is a large cavern with hundreds of Imps," he said. "We should go to the other end of the tunnel and see if that is safer."


    Taselina seemed ready to object, but Daubutim nodded, raised his club and wooden shield, and stepped out of the tunnel. Irwin followed him, Greldo close behind. A few steps in, he was glad to see everyone else follow them, though Taselina was sporting a scowl.


    In the distance, the end of the tunnel loomed, and from it came giggling, howling, and laughter.


    Irwin licked his lips, steeling himself. I wonder how long till we die again. The thought came unbidden, and he shivered.


    --


    A short while later, he stood with his back against a wall, breathing raggedly, one hand clasped around the dagger protruding from his stomach. Pain was blossoming from it while his vision slowly faded from the edges.


    "Not¡­ too¡­ bad," he gasped at Olban, who was leaning against the same wall, eyes closed.


    A semi-circle of Imps stood around them, slowly closing in. He barely saw the dead and mutilated bodies of Greldo, Daubutim, and the others behind them.


    "We are going to have funnnn with you," one of the Imps said gleefully.


    Irwin felt his body grow cold, and he grimaced as he put his second hand on the dagger. Whatever was going to happen, the prospect of being tortured to death was the worst outcome. With all that remained of his paltry strength, he pulled out the dagger, and a stream of hot blood poured down his stomach and legs. The imps screeched and rushed forward as he slumped on the ground. Hands grabbed, prodding, but all he could think was that he was incredibly happy to see the entire world turn dark.


    The cold floor on his back was the first thing he felt as he woke. It was a blessing, as was Jonathan''s hateful voice because it meant he wouldn''t be cut up by murderous Imps.


    "Not too bad. You got a lot further this time," Jonathan said, hands folded before his chest, thumps tapping thoughtfully.


    How does he know that?


    Irwin felt a sudden fear that the sorcerer could see and hear everything. He looked up to see Jonathan stare at the symbol above the door, and as he followed his gaze, he saw a tiny part of it glowing a dull white. A moment later, it flickered, and Olban was ejected out, tumbling forward and onto the ground, where he lay in an unmoving heap. Only his chest showed he was still alive.


    Wait, he was still alive back then? Irwin thought, and he shuddered. Had the Imps gotten to him?


    "You have ten minutes of rest, and now that you have at least some idea of what to do, I suggest you plan ahead," Jonathan said as he crossed his arms.


    Irwin rolled over and saw Greldo sitting with his back against the wall, eyes closed, seemingly sleeping. He crawled next to him and wondered if he should wake his friend.


    Footsteps echoed through one of the square stone hallways, and he looked up to see three guards and a tall woman in a metal-plated leather robe walk toward them. Her eyes were a brilliant and stunning topaz and focused on Taselina. A small, surly-looking freckled girl with a bruise on her eye walked between the three guards.


    "Lady Yrinta," Jonathan said, suddenly standing up straighter and staring at the woman. "How can I-"


    "Quiet," the woman snapped as she stepped before Taselina. "You, hold out your hand. If you resist, I''ll just knock you unconscious."


    Taselina''s eyes narrowed, and she jabbed out her hand aggressively. The woman took it, and the back of her hand began glowing. For a moment, nothing happened, then a tiny glowing parchment with letters appeared above Taselina''s rune. Irwin got up and tried to get a look, but one of the guards stepped forward, blocking his view.


    "As I thought, a rare card, and a very good one at that," Yrinta hissed as she glared at Taselina. "I don''t know how you managed to trick us or the portal, but you are coming with us. Fool. What would you have done if you had died in your first portal?"


    Irwin barely heard her as his attention entirely focused on Yrinta. If she scanned him, she was going to find out that his card was different! Would she... take him away? And where to? Wait, what would happen if he died in a common portal with his card?


    "I don''t want to enter a-" Taselina began.


    Lady Yrinta stepped forward and slapped her in the face.


    "I don''t care what you want! You could have gotten yourself and five others killed! Now come with me. You are going to the next tower."


    Killed? Irwin thought as he shivered. He felt Greldo move next to him, but he didn''t say anything.


    As Taselina stared at her in shock, a hand on her face, Lady Yrinta beckoned the guards. Both men grabbed Taselina, none too gently.


    Jonathan had turned a sickly green as he stared at Taselina. As she was pulled away, Lady Yrinta turned to him, and he swallowed nervously.


    "Jonathan, I¡¯ve brought you another common-carded. She was one of the few survivors of last week and will fill out this group."


    ¡°Thank you, Lady Yrinta!¡±


    The woman looked at Jonathan for a few moments, then turned to the portal door. Her eyes widened slightly, and Irwin wondered what she saw. There was nothing but the door and the carvings etched in the top of the doorframe.


    Lady Yrinta turned around, staring at him and the others. Her face softened as she looked at Twintin, but it returned to its previous coldness when she continued to inspect the others.


    When her cold eyes bored into his, Irwin felt like it lasted forever. In reality, it was barely a second before she turned and walked away.


    Should I say something? Irwin wondered as he saw her walk away.


    But what if she was going to bring Taselina to a class that had to go into more difficult portals? Worse, he''d have to leave Greldo, the only person here he knew. Setting his jaw, he remained where he was. He''d figure out what to do later.


    The final guard pushed the freckled girl forward. "Good luck. I hope they do better than they look," he whispered, tossing the girl a sad smile.


    She grimaced and nodded before turning to the others. As her gaze passed over the group, Irwin saw her eyebrows shoot up when she saw Daubutim before turning dull and filled with despair when she saw him and Greldo.


    "And Jonathan?"


    Irwin felt his blood freeze as he looked up. Lady Yrinta was standing in the hallway, staring at them. He was sure he''d seen her walk away! Had she turned back?


    She was gazing at Jonathan, who had turned deadly pale.


    "If they show they have reached the maximum of their abilities, bring them back to their rooms! Uxin''Tar is no longer the head sorcerer. We need confident sorcerers, not frightened common-handed. Try to remember this?"


    Irwin felt hope grow. So if they could show they had reached as far as they could, they could stop!?


    "Yes, Lady Yrinta," Jonathan croaked.


    "Good. I''ll be paying closer attention to you from now on. If I find you are using his teaching methods, you will return to closing portals¡­ alone."


    Jonathan stumbled, then straightened and glared at the ground, his left eye twitching and his lips turning back in a snarl. It lasted for only a moment before he took a deep breath, and his face turned placid.


    "Understood," he said, his voice barely a whimper.


    "What are you gawking at?" he said, turning to glare at them. "You get thirty minutes to plan and rest, then back in," he said, not looking at the group.


    Thirty? Irwin thought, but he held his tongue.


    He had no idea what was going on in the towers, but it was obvious they hadn''t exactly gotten the best of the instructors. Still, they would need to find a way to give Jonathan the feeling they had reached the best they could so he would allow them back to their room.


    The new girl moved towards them, looking straight at Daubutim. "How many times have you been in so far?" she whispered.


    "Two times," Daubutim said, his voice dull as he looked back.


    "They went in three times," Twintin piped as she pointed at Irwin and Greldo.


    The girl''s eyes widened in confusion. "Alone? Why?"


    "Never mind that," Irwin said, too tired to explain. "I''m Irwin. These are Greldo, Twintin, Daubutim, and Olban. Can you tell us your name and what your card does?"


    The girl nodded, and instead of speaking, her hand flashed, and a large metallic buckler appeared on her left arm. It was obviously of better quality than the wooden shield Daubutim was holding and better than any other weapons they had.


    "I''m Rachel," she said proudly.


    "So you''ve entered a practice portal?" Greldo asked, his eyes running over her shield.


    Rachel''s face fell, and she stared at the ground as her eyes unfocused. "Yeah¡­" she whispered. "Two weeks of training was barely enough, and when we came out, the tower was... was..."


    She didn''t say anything else, but a few tears ran down her cheek, which she quickly wiped away.


    That must have been when those demons came here, Irwin thought curiously.


    It was evident that Rachel wasn''t interested in talking about it, though, and he leaned back, closing his eyes. They needed a plan. Something.


    Sadly, between being tired and stressed, thirty minutes passed by almost unnoticed.


    Far too soon, Jonathan grunted and walked back to them from where he had been brooding near the corridor entrance.


    Irwin looked at the sorcerer, this time not as panicky as he''d been the first three times. Odd, but the prospect of dying seemed less scary- was he going crazy?


    "In with you!" Jonathan snapped. He seemed to have regained his self-control and, with it, a temper.


    Irwin sighed and got up, looking around at the others. He noticed a surprised glance from Rachel, which he ignored. Without waiting, he stepped forward and through the portal.


    The cave was empty again. All the traces of battle, the soot, and the blood were gone. A minute later, the others entered, and he turned to them, stepping away from the entrance and beckoning them towards him.


    "Listen, I''ve thought of a few things," he whispered.


    He saw that Greldo and Daubutim were the only two who seemed interested. Twintin still seemed terrified while Olban stood near the wall, seemingly zoning out. Rachel was looking around uncertainly, before focusing on him.


    Good enough, he decided.


    ¡°You all heard what Lady Yrinta said. If we can prove we reached our limit, we can stop.¡±


    ¡°You think Jonathan is ever going to believe that?¡± Olban muttered.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but it''s worth a try,¡± Irwin said before quickly continuing."We need time to think and rest. The second time I was here, after killing two Imps that came dragging some monstrous being, I was in this room for over an hour, and nothing happened. Let''s wait here, kill those imps. After that, we have more than an hour to rest and-"


    "What do you mean, an hour?" Greldo whispered as he shook his head. "I died just before you, and you came out maybe a minute after me!"


    Irwin blinked and shook his head. "After you died, I was in here for over an hour, then snuck out and went to the large cavernous room. I''m sure of it!"


    "It makes sense," Olban whispered, and they turned to him. His hands were wringing, but Irwin saw a tiny bit of light in his eyes.


    "I mean, didn''t it appear odd to you that we all kept popping up soon after each other, and Jonathan kept saying we have an hour less? Perhaps¡­ Perhaps if we enter here, no matter how long, only an hour passes?"


    Rachel sighed as she waved for their attention. "He is right. I still can''t believe they sent you in here without any schooling or explanation! If this is an improvement of the other one, I can''t even believe how bad that was," she muttered, shaking her head.


    After a second, she looked back up with a sigh. "Anyway, these training portals always take an hour, even if you only remain for a minute, and they will always reset when you enter."


    Everyone stared at her in wonder. "So¡­ what? Can we stay here forever?"


    Rachel smiled, such a wondrous sight that Irwin gaped at her, and she shook her head.


    "No, just a day, and you can only enter each training room eight times per two weeks.¡±


    Eight times? Irwin thought with a frown. Was that why they were to go in all the time now? After that, they would need two weeks of practice before they could go in again.


    ¡°Also, if you get more cards or better cards, you can''t enter these easy-" Rachel blinked as Twintin cursed, then continued as if nothing had happened. "- these easy training rooms again."


    Easy? Irwin thought. So there were hard ones?


    "We can get cards here?" Greldo hissed.


    "Quiet," Olban whispered, all color drained from his face. Even then, he was staring at Rachel just like they were.


    "I''d heard rumors about Jonathan," Rachel whispered. "But that he didn''t even tell you this... No, you don¡¯t get cards from monsters in here. But each person that survives finding and closing one gets a card. If you are the first to close a portal you get to pick the one you want, but that never happens. I think they just tell us that to get us excited."


    "Great, then we could just hide for a day?" Greldo asked, and Irwin saw a calculating look replacing his previous suppressed fear as he turned to look at him. "How long did we wait here before those first two came?"


    "Not very long," Irwin said. "A few minutes?"


    "Alright, let''s set up an ambush. We should be fine against two Imps," Greldo said, raising his wooden club with a grin. ¡°After that we can rest and try to come up with a plan on how to kill as many of those things without dying.¡±


    Nobody responded, but they all hid out of sight.


    A few minutes later, they heard the Imps approach. Hidden from view, they waited for them to step into the room before jumping them. Irwin and Greldo took out one, while Daubutim managed to crack one''s skull before it could even be surprised.


    So easy, Irwin thought as he looked at the bodies of the Imp.


    Had it really been only hours before when he''d almost pissed himself from seeing one of these things and imagining having to fight it? He knew part of it was because they had the jump, but even then, he was slightly awed by the change.


    "Right¡­ let''s rest for an hour and try to come up with a plan on how to not get killed again," he said, sitting down and leaning his back against the wall. His legs were cramped up, and he rubbed them while the others divided the daggers.


    I wonder how we will do this time, Irwin thought as he closed his eyes and wished he could sleep for a day.


    Perhaps they would be lucky, and the Imps wouldn''t return for half a day. Either way, he needed to rest and, after that, figure out how to use his flame. It grew each time he killed an Imp but reset if he unsummoned it. There was something up with that... and he had the feeling he needed to figure that out before going into a real portal.


    But first, rest.

 Chapter 11: Rinse and repeat

    Consciousness returned slowly to Irwin, starting with a rock poking in his shoulder and a slight pain in his back from how he lay, half propped up. Something was wrong. He''d slept! And not just for a few minutes or even an hour.


    His mind cleared up, and despite the fact that he''d been lying on the rough ground, he felt much better than before. Not great by any means, but better. Besides the pain in his back and soreness in his arms and legs, his lips were parched. He should probably be afraid and worried about Imps, but the calm, whispering voices nearby showed nothing was wrong.


    The faint sulfurous stink of Imps still hung everywhere, so they were still inside, and he considered getting up. Then the conversation registered, and he pretended to be asleep a little longer.


    "No, I told you five minutes ago, let him sleep until he wakes. As long as no Imps come, we are fine here. There is no reason to rush this."


    Greldo sounds exasperated, Irwin thought, curious to see who had asked. He tried to recall, but he hadn''t been paying attention before.


    "How can he even sleep in this horrible heat? He''s even lying a few feet from one of those stupid cracks! Are we sure he isn''t, like, unconscious?" Olban replied, sounding annoyed.


    "I checked an hour ago, and he was fine. A bit hot, but that''s no surprise," Twintin whispered.


    Wait, she touched me while I slept? Irwin thought.


    He must have been exhausted or perhaps partially unconscious? Usually, he would wake up if someone even entered his room, let alone touched him.


    "But¡­ we''ve been here for a really long time," Olban whined again, his whispered voice rising and falling. "Just because those Imps didn''t come when he said, doesn''t mean they won''t come soon! We need to plan what to do, someplace to hide!"


    There was no response, but Irwin didn''t move. He had no good answer, but he agreed, though not with the hiding part. He thought about what Lady Yrinta had said. If they showed they had reached their limit, they were to be sent back to their room. Though trying to kill more imps and search for the Linchpin was one way of dying, finding a place to hide this time and after that another five or six times was barely any less dangerous.


    As he let his mind wander, he felt the memories of dying trying to resurface and draw him in. He quickly pushed them down, not interested in spending whatever little time he had to deal with those now.


    Perhaps ''never'' would be a fine time for that.


    Willing himself to relax, he focused on the other stuff that had happened. Now that he wasn''t under constant threat, he noticed a few things. First, his flame didn''t need to be on his finger, and it grew from killing those Imps. Second, those Imps had seemed incredibly sure that the fire wouldn''t harm them, but instead, the flame easily killed them, seeming to dissolve or eat them.


    Besides that, based on how much damage the others had gotten from it, the Imp blood was either hot or toxic. He, however, had felt nothing. Was that another benefit of his card? If it was, how many benefits did it have?


    I wonder how large the flame can become, he thought. If it could become large enough for him to use as a spear, he could kill the Imps with far less risk of getting hurt.


    As he lay on the ground, a plan began forming in his mind, and finally, when it crystallized, he knew it was time. Taking a deep breath, he got up, looking around. The others were lying away from the single exit while Greldo sat near it, peeking outside.


    "Finally awake?" Olban whispered, wiping his gleaming, sweaty head. "How can you sleep in this heat?"


    Irwin ignored him and looked at Greldo. "Did you sleep? How long was I out?"


    "I did, and I have no idea. Shorter than a day, that''s for sure."


    "No Imps came?"


    "They kept walking in and out of that side entrance, but none came here yet. I don''t think we will stay this lucky, though."


    "Alright, then, I think it''s time to come up with a plan that will let us kill as many Imps as we can without dying."


    There was a scared gasp from Twintin, and Rachel put a hand on her, smiling reassuringly.


    "And how do you propose we do that?" Olban asked.


    Irwin swallowed as he saw the others looking at him expectantly -hard with a mouth dry as dust- before laying out his plan.


    "We search the tunnels and find a chamber that doesn''t end in a dead-end, like this one. There has to be one, with so many paths in that maze," he said, pointing at the tunnel. "When we find one, we go inside and make enough noise to attract some Imps. We ambush them, grab their weapons, and hide in another tunnel so we don''t get cornered. If a few come to see, we kill those. If there are too many, we remain in hiding or move further away until we get clear."


    "Simple, yet effective," Greldo said. "I like it."


    Olban seemed hesitant, but neither Rachel nor Twintin seemed to mind.


    So, with nobody against it, they headed into the main tunnel, scouting the dozen or so tunnels leading away from it.


    Eventually, tired and hungry, they found themselves huddled in one of the tunnels.


    Over half of the side tunnels led to simple caves like the one they had appeared in, but the one they were in now connected with others, creating a winding maze with only a few tunnels leading to dead ends. Two of those ended up in the massive cavern Irwin had seen during his second time here, but there were enough routes that it made for an excellent place to flee.


    "Alright, ready?" Irwin said, looking around, hoping someone else would offer to shout. Nobody did, so he crawled into their target tunnel, his legs heavy and painful.


    This better not go wrong, he thought as he took a breath.


    "Argh," he shouted, cringing at how stupid it sounded.


    The giggling and laughter coming from the back of the tunnel stopped instantly, and Irwin swallowed, his throat dry like sand.


    It took almost a minute before three Imps snuck around the corner. As soon as they saw him hanging out at the end, they stopped, eyes wide.


    Irwin faked being stunned, which proved way too easy, and turned around, heading back into the room. He raised three fingers at Greldo, who nodded.


    He steeled himself and looked back around the corner to find the Imps halfway toward him. He must have made some noise because two of them snapped their yellow eyes on him, and he jerked his head back.


    He jumped next to Greldo and held his breath as he heard the footsteps close in. Even though it was his plan, and he''d killed a half dozen of the Imps by now, he still felt his heart skip a beat when the Imps giggled in an insane and high pitch.


    "Don''t hiiiiiide," one of them squealed.


    Irwin didn''t answer, but he saw Twintin shake like a leaf. The others looked nearly as scared, well, except for Daubutim, who was dully staring at the entrance, his carded club and his simple wooden shield raised.


    As soon as one appeared, the tall youth stepped forward and smashed its head while everyone except for Twintin jumped on the others.


    A minute later, Irwin stood, a hand-long flame above his clenched fist, staring at the three piles of ash and soot. They were all that was left of the Imps.


    "We can do this," he whispered before looking at Greldo. "We can do this!" he said again, somewhat louder.


    "Let''s show these Imps what we are worth," Greldo added with a grin.


    "If too many come, we are going to get swarmed," Rachel whispered. "Imps sometimes come in groups."


    Irwin nodded, taking a deep breath and trying to calm himself.


    "You are right. Let''s wait a few minutes, then try again."


    How long they continued their trick before the Imps realized what was happening was hard to tell, though Irwin guessed it was over an hour before a group of a dozen Imps began prowling the tunnels to find them.


    Their group hid, moving from tunnel to tunnel until the Imps left again. The fact that Irwin had burned all of the bodies probably helped. By this time, he''d killed over a dozen Imps, and his flame had turned into a raging flame as long as his arm. The heat from it was intense, and the others couldn''t remain within five feet of him, but one touch and an Imp turned to ash.


    They repeated their trick four more times, and by the end, even Twintin had managed to get a kill, although it had come at the cost of a long laceration on her arm. Not that the rest had gotten away unharmed.


    "I wonder how much longer we can stay here," Irwin whispered wearily.


    He was sitting with his back against the wall, trying to catch his breath while holding his flame away from his body. It hovered above his hand, hungrily wafting around as if searching for something.


    "It didn''t grow again," Greldo said from a safe distance away, inspecting the flame.


    Irwin nodded, slightly annoyed by the fact that the others were quietly standing there, waiting for him to catch his breath. Even Greldo, who was almost as scrawny as him, and Twintin seemed able to keep up. It was just him holding everyone up, like always.


    "Give me a few more minu-" Irwin began as the world around him jolted, and he saw a flash of the room outside the portal before he slammed into the ground.


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    The flame on his hand was gone as he pushed himself up and looked around at the others. Only Greldo was on the ground. The rest had managed to retain their footing.


    "So¡­" a soft voice said, and Irwin froze as he looked around to see Jonathan examine them one at a time.


    "You," the sorcerer said as he pointed at Rachel, "must have some very good skills to keep them alive through an entire rotation this easily. You didn''t find the Linchpin, but you managed to clear out a pretty sizable chunk of enemies. I''m impressed, though I guess it makes sense for someone who managed to survive where the rest of her group died."


    Rachel was looking at him with wide eyes, but before she could say anything, Irwin coughed. He had wondered how to explain their success, and this had been one of the things he had come up with.


    Jonathan suggesting it himself was an incredible stroke of luck.


    "Yes, Jonathan, she is amazing. We couldn''t have managed without her," he said, trying to sound as sincere as possible.


    Rachel blinked, then shrugged, just looking at the ground. Irwin saw her ears turning red, and he had no idea why, but it was only helping their cause. Greldo and Olban quickly agreed. Jonathan was looking around, and Irwin feared he suspected something, so he cleared his throat.


    "Jonathan, why don''t we get hungry in there? We''ve been inside there for so many hours now," he asked.


    He already knew the answer because Rachel had told them, but he hoped it would distract the sorcerer.


    Jonathan turned to him and scowled. "I told you before. These rooms were created by crafters from the fifth tower. It''s epic level or beyond!"


    "Incredible," Irwin muttered, only half meaning it. He could see right away that Jonathan had no idea why they didn''t need any food, but he wasn''t going to call him out on it.


    "Thanks," he said instead.


    Jonathan just snorted. "You don''t look one bit winded, but I''ll give you ten more minutes of rest before you can go in again. You and you," he pointed at Irwin, then Greldo," have four more attempts, while the rest have five."


    Nobody answered, but Jonathan didn''t seem to care as he was nodding at the door with a sly smile.


    He''s planning something, Irwin thought, shivering at the thought of what Jonathan could be up to.


    He quickly lowered to the ground, leaning against the wall beside Greldo. They sat quietly, resting and waiting until Jonathan had had enough and pointed at the portal. Irwin got up, faking reluctance. In reality, he was almost looking forward to seeing how far they could come without him sleeping away most of their time. The only worry he had -besides the risk of dying- was what Jonathan was up to.


    I wonder if we can find the Linchpin, he thought. If they could do that, they would definitely be allowed back to their rooms.


    To his surprise, the next attempt went roughly similar to the one before. The others were tired and afraid, so they spent most of their time resting. They did find out that Twintin had a knack for crawling around unseen and unheard, and although shivering in fear, she''d become the one to scout ahead to relieve Irwin and his lack of endurance.


    They were sent in again almost right away, as Jonathan had seemed less impressed with them.


    Irwin didn''t really care. Although he wanted to find the Linchpin, the ease with which they were staying out of the Imp''s hands made the others only interested in hiding. He couldn''t blame them, and he wasn''t that curious.


    So, they went through the motions again, ending up with a lengthy rest in a well-hidden corner of the tunnel maze.


    When they exited on that run, Jonathan had been frowning and asked why they hadn''t made any progress compared to the previous attempt. They lied and said they were having a hard time finding the Linchpin. Jonathan hadn''t cared and told them they had better show more progress, or he''d toss them in one at a time until they did. They were supposed to show what they were capable of, not waste time.


    Although his words had come out harmless enough, the dangerous glare caused them to reevaluate. When they went in again, they tried harder, resting less and attempting to clear the Imps from the tunnel system.


    Everything continued as effortlessly as it had the previous three attempts.


    That was until they reached a large, torch-lit cave that seemed to indicate the end of the tunnel system.


    "There''s a dozen in there," Twintin whispered as she crawled back, her face pale as a sheet and tears running down her face. "And¡­ and¡­" she wiped her face with her smeared sleeve. "They are cutting into two of those green demons. That''s why they are laughing."


    She knelt on the ground, tears running down her face as she hugged herself.


    Irwin shared a worried look with Greldo while Rachel crouched beside the much smaller girl, stroking her hair and whispering soothing words.


    "Did you see anything else? A bigger Imp, or something¡­ something that could be the Linchpin?" Irwin asked lamely.


    Twintin shook her head, tears still streaming down her face again, then she turned to Rachel, hugging her tight.


    The bigger girl held her and looked at Irwin as if he''d done something wrong. Having no idea what, Irwin still mouthed sorry before turning to the others.


    Daubutim was silently staring at him with his dull eyes, quietly waiting until someone would actively ask him something or tell him what to do. Irwin still couldn''t get rid of the feeling that the boy was more than met the eye, but he hadn''t caught him on anything yet. The best he had to go of was that he sometimes acted a little too quickly when Irwin asked something.


    Olban was rolling his right shoulder, grimacing every so often, and seemingly totally uninterested in Twintin''s plight. It had taken a few rests before he''d stopped brooding, but he had refused to answer any questions on what had happened when he''d been the last to return.


    "This should be the final room, so if the Linchpin isn''t here, we will have to go to the main chamber," Irwin said.


    "I don''t think it will be here," Olban piped, his voice cracking at the final word, and he scowled, trying to clear his throat.


    "It would be too easy," he added as the others looked at him. "Think about it. Rachel has told us that initiates usually get a few weeks of introductions and training before they are allowed into one of these. Also, they normally don''t force them inside at this breakneck pace. Normally, we would have had the time to think about what we had seen, plan for a day or more, and ask questions. Maybe look things up?"


    "He''s right," Greldo whispered with a sad sigh. "It sucks, but they need to replace a group of initiates with half a year of experience within days¡­ it wouldn''t surprise me if they are finding more children as we speak."


    Irwin tried to imagine the sorcerers returning to the towns and cities to get more people and wondered how they would react. Would they agree? He couldn''t imagine the people in Malorin accepting this, but what could they do? If the sorcerers sent their most powerful carded, they could simply take whomever they wanted.


    "Do you think we are doing better than the others?" he asked, looking at Rachel.


    She shrugged, stroking Twintin''s hair. "I don''t know. When I was in the other training portal, we never got this far. We got ambushed inside a swamp and killed within half an hour."


    The others stared at her. She''d not said much about her time before, except for the lessons and the things she''d learned.


    "I guess they weren''t Imps?" Greldo said.


    "No... something called Nyzir," Rachel said as she looked at the ground and shivered. "I didn''t get a good look, but the books say they are pale, cold-blooded shadow beings."


    "Lovely," Greldo muttered.


    They were all lost in their own thoughts for a bit until the laughter coming from the room grew in intensity.


    "Let''s go clear that room," Irwin said as he shivered and raised his hand.


    A maxed-out flame hovered above it, and he wished again that he could throw it, but no matter what he''d tried, it just didn''t want to move from his hand.


    He snuck towards the entrance, and a quick look inside showed Twintin had been right. Almost a dozen Imps stood around some racks in the middle of a room. Two green Demons, similar to the one he had seen before, were tied up, wads of some fabric stuffed in their mouth and dangling from chains. Imps walked around them, slicing into them with their daggers or beating them with the blunt end while laughing insanely.


    "The left one has a testicle left," one of the Imps hissed.


    The green Demon''s eyes widened as he moaned through the cloth, and the Imps squealed in delight.


    Irwin felt his skin grow cold, and he almost vomited, barely holding it back. Twelve Imps were more than they had attacked so far, but there was no option to leave them. It was obvious now that Jonathan wanted to see constant progress, and he was pretty sure that the threat of being thrown in here alone wasn''t a joke. Even then, the image of himself strapped to one of those racks almost made him turn and run.


    We can do this, he thought as he clenched his teeth.


    They had killed a group of six Imps before without much trouble. Their plan should work in these narrow tunnels even if there were twice that many.


    Irwin looked back and motioned the others to get ready, and as soon as everyone was in their positions, he licked his lips.


    "Hey, leave him alone," he shouted before stepping back and running down the tunnel.


    "Another one! Get it!" a voice piped behind him as the giggling stopped.


    Irwin dashed around the corner, took two steps, and entered a narrow corridor. Daubutim and Rachel were waiting in a crevice opposite him, while Greldo and Olban were a bit further down the corridor. Twintin was hiding somewhere in the back.


    Irwin waited as the footsteps rushed towards him. After some Imps ran past him without looking, he stabbed his flame at the nearest one. His flame nearly reached the other side of the corridor, and four Imps ran in before they could stop, turning to ash instantly.


    Something moved in the corner of his eye, and Irwin looked up to see one of the other Imps had doubled back. It was jumping for him. He struggled to turn just as Daubutim''s club slammed into the screaming Imp''s head, cracking it like a walnut and knocking it sideways into Irwin''s flame.


    Too close, Irwin thought as he jumped into the corridor.


    There were three Imps to his left and a screaming group on the other side. Daubutim and Rachel stood on one side, while Greldo and Olban stood on the other, using their daggers and shields to hold back the Imps that were now clustered far too close together in the narrow tunnel.


    Irwin knew immediately this wasn''t the right thing to do. There were far too many Imps to do it like they had before.


    He turned to the three Imps on the left that had been sneaking closer and jabbed his wobbly, fuming flame forward. One of the Imps had underestimated how long it was, and Irwin jabbed its arm, causing it to turn to ash within moments. Without stopping, he ran forward after the two others that were trying to scramble back. Whatever they had expected, being chased by a malnourished human child with a dangerous flame hadn''t been it, and they tripped over themselves.


    Irwin ashed them both before turning around just in time to see Rachel catching a dagger on her shield. She grunted from the effort as her shield was slammed into her chest.


    Irwin ran forward just as Daubutim struck at the Imp in a frenzy.


    "Out of the way," Irwin shouted.


    Rachel and Daubutim jumped to the sides, letting him pass. With his flame stretched forward like a lance, he stabbed it into the nearest of the Imps.


    We can do this, Irwin thought as he saw the Imp turn to ash.


    A pained cry from Greldo made him look behind the mass of Imps to see his friend stumble back with a dagger lodged in his leg. Irwin jumped forward, waving his flame at the clustered Imps, while Daubutim and Rachel stepped out after him.


    We should have split them up or found a room with more than one entrance, Irwin thought in panic as he saw Greldo and Olban stumble back.


    Luckily, clustered as they were, the Imps were getting in each other''s way so much that they kept tripping and shoving. With only a touch being lethal to them, it took only seconds before the final one fell to ash.


    The group didn''t even look at them and gathered around Greldo, who was clutching the dagger stabbed in his leg, muttering incoherently.


    "It hit an artery," Daubutim said dully, causing Irwin to look up in surprise. The boy was staring at Greldo''s leg and shrugged. "He has half a minute left."


    "Can we do something?" Irwin hissed.


    "I don''t know. The teacher never told me," Daubutim said.


    "It''s fine. He will be back with Jonathan, and he won''t even have to wait that long," Olban said.


    Irwin knew Olban was right, but as he saw Greldo''s face turn white and his eyes kept looking around in terror, he wished he could do something. Instead, he could only hold Greldo''s hand until it turned limp.


    Staring at the dead, unmoving body, Irwin shivered. He should have had a better plan...


    With tightly clenched fists, he got up. The others were standing behind him, all looking mostly unharmed, though he saw a bit of Imp blood on their shields.


    Way too close, he thought.


    "Let''s go and see if those green Demons know where the Linchpin is," he said wearily.

 Chapter 12: The Linchpin

    "Ukl ron daghrba!"


    Irwin looked at the green Demon, glaring at him, unsure what to do. One of the two was barely conscious, but the other glared at them constantly. A look around showed that the others were staring at him, expecting him to do something. He missed Greldo already.


    "It sounds like the languages the sea-portal closing sailors in port speak," Daubutim said.


    Sea portals? Irwin thought.


    "Can you understand it?" he asked hopefully, deciding Daubutim was getting odder with every passing moment.


    Daubutim frowned and poked the chained-up demon, causing it to grunt what was probably a string of curses.


    "Something about my mother and a dog," he said, showing no reaction but a slight frown. "Gurgin tar," he grumbled, his tongue stumbling at parts.


    There was a moment of stunned silence from both the party and the tied-up green demon, then the demon barked a laugh and rattled off a few quick, guttural sentences.


    "What did he say?" Irwin asked.


    "I don''t know. It''s too fast. I asked where it is from... I think. But I have no idea what it replied," Daubutim said.


    He grunted something again, and this time, the green demon waited before speaking slowly and carefully. Daubutim nodded and replied.


    For the next few minutes, the others watched as he spoke in short, halting words with the tied-up demon. Finally, he nodded and turned to Irwin.


    "He says he''s an Arwk, or Orkh, or-"


    The green demon hissed and shouted, "Orc!"


    Daubutim looked at it, then continued. "Orkh," he said, butchering the word. "He was caught during a raid or attack on the Imp city, which they call demon-children. He has no idea about being in a portal, but he knows about them. He wants us to release him so he can return home¡­"


    Irwin saw Daubutim frown.


    "What?"


    "The sailors learned this language inside the sea-portal," Daubutim said softly. "It''s a demon language. He is a demon from a portal."


    Great.


    Irwin looked at the tied-up Orc. Even dangling from the chains, it was two heads taller and probably four times as heavy as him.


    Letting it go seemed like a very bad idea. Besides, even if they released the Orcs now, what good would that-


    "Maybe they are the Linchpin?"


    Irwin turned to Twintin, her soft whisper having interrupted his thoughts.


    "I don''t know much about these things, but perhaps¡­" she turned to Rachel. "Can you tell us what you were told about Linchpins?"


    "I don''t know much more than I told you already. The sorcerer said that most of the time, they are boss monsters that you need to kill or items like crystal orbs that need to be shattered," Rachel said slowly. "He did tell us that if there were neither, it was sometimes a special card or item that had to be destroyed. But that only happens in uncommon or higher portals."


    "Nothing about it being freeing captives?" Irwin asked.


    "No," Rachel said.


    "Still, it was a good idea," Irwin said as he smiled ruefully at Twintin.


    "So, what do we do now?" Olban said as he glared at the Orcs. "We''ve killed all the Imps in the tunnels and even those in this room, but if not this time, Jonathan will expect more progress when we go in again¡­"


    A moment of silence hung in the room, interrupted by a few snapped words from the Orc.


    "He asked that we release them again," Daubutim said.


    Irwin took one look at him, then at the others. "I don''t think we should."


    The others nodded, and when he looked at the Orc again, he saw an angry glint in its eyes. It might not understand him, but it had definitely gotten what he meant.


    "Sorry, but you are too dangerous," Irwin muttered before he quickly moved out of the cave. The others followed him while the Orc began shouting and raging behind them.


    "What if the Imps hear him?" Olban hissed. "Perhaps we should kill him?"


    "Or¡­" Irwin began as his mind spun. "Or we can use this to our advantage?"


    His eyes grew wide as a plan rapidly grew.


    "If Imps come and see what he is yelling about, we just kill them, and if it''s too many, we stay hidden," he said.


    "Yeah! That way, we can just kill them until the cavern is empty," Olban said with a predatory smile on his zit-covered face.


    It probably won''t be that easy, Irwin thought, but he didn''t say that out loud. The others still looked rattled from the previous fight.


    "Let''s find a good spot to ambush any Imps that come," he said.


    They hid in one of the side tunnels and readied themselves. The Orc continued roaring angrily, trying to free himself of the chains. It didn''t take long for a group of seven Imps to appear, skulking down the tunnel.


    Irwin prepared to ash them, wishing he hadn''t released his flame. He''d instinctively dropped it when Greldo had been wounded, and now it had returned to its barely finger-length size. He wondered if they would do as well without his firepower. What if another one of them died?


    His worry was ungrounded. The others jumped in with far less fear than he had expected, and with openings aplenty, a minute later, the last of the Imps crumbled into black sooty chunks and his flame was back to its fully charged state. Only Daubutim had been cut on his arm, but it was a surface wound, and they all had some of those by now.


    Perhaps Olban is right, and we can keep doing this until the cavern is empty, Irwin thought.


    An hour later, they were sitting together, waiting. Another four groups of Imps had come, and they had killed all with little effort, but the last one had been half an hour ago. The Orc had stopped shouting, and Irwin was wondering if they should start themselves. He hoped they didn''t have to, as it meant the Imps would better understand where they were.


    We should have killed many of the imps by now... right? he thought, gazing at his arm-long flame.


    "I wonder how many cards we get if we finish this training portal," he muttered. It was something he''d wondered about before, but it had seemed so unlikely so far.


    "One common card for each of us," Rachel said. "Though, it''s highly unlikely that we manage in a single day."


    "One each?" Olban shouted before covering his mouth with his hands. "Sorry," he whispered.


    Everyone glared at him, and Irwin sighed.


    "Let''s go to another place just in case the Imps heard you."


    He led them to the opposite end of the tunnel system from which most of the Imps had seemed to come. Huddled in the tunnel, with Olban keeping an eye on one and Daubutim on the other side, he looked at them.


    "Listen, I know it''s highly unlikely that we will find the Linchpin," Irwin said. "But we have two more chances after this one¡­ I think we should try to find it."


    "I agree," Daubutim rumbled immediately, causing the others to look at him in surprise. Daubutim didn''t react to their sudden interest but looked at Irwin. "With more cards, we have a larger chance to survive the eventual portals we will need to close."


    "It could also mean that we get captured and tortured to death for a day," Olban said, suddenly pale and shivering.


    "I think we should try," Rachel said. "Even if the chance is really small, with another card on each of us¡­"


    Twintin shrank into herself but nodded. "I''ll help."


    Irwin looked at Olban, who bit his lips before nodding reluctantly. "Fine, but if we get into trouble, I''m running away and hiding for the rest of the day."


    Rachel snorted derisively, but Irwin nodded. Whatever Olban had gone through wasn''t something he''d want either."


    "Okay, but don''t run if we are winning," he said with a slight smile.


    "So, how should we do this? Just continue shouting and draw their attention?" Olban asked.


    "Yes, let''s try that for the time being. I think we have been here for about half a day, so we-"


    "Eight hours, twelve minutes," Daubutim said dully. When the others looked at him in surprise, he shrugged. "I''m good with time and numbers."


    Stolen story; please report.


    "Can you tell us when we have an hour left?" Irwin asked. "That gives us time to rest and clear out as many Imps as possible while leaving time to investigate the central room."


    Daubutim nodded.


    "Alright, let''s continue then. Who is going to shout to draw them in," Irwin asked.


    Nobody responded, and Olban looked at him as if he was stupid.


    "Fine¡­ I''ll do it," Irwin said, barely able to hold back his annoyance.


    --


    Irwin lay on his back, looking at the tunnel roof. He was dead-tired, and his back hurt like crazy from being kicked by an Imp, but they were still alive.


    The Imps had initially come in groups of four to ten, but their groups had grown in numbers after a while. Eventually, they had to flee, hiding in the tunnels for two hours while a patrol of nearly thirty Imps searched for them.


    When they finally stopped, a few remained near the entrances, probably as some form of warning system.


    "So¡­ we barely scratched their numbers," Olban said from the side, his voice grating on Irwin''s calm.


    "Daubutim, how much time do we have left?" Irwin asked, ignoring Olban.


    "Two hours and forty minutes," Daubutim said dully.


    He''s like those clocks in the crafter''s district, Irwin thought.


    "We need another plan," he said.


    He''d tried to come up with something, but between being tired and hungry, he''d drawn a blank. He wished Greldo was here, if only to keep everyone a bit more upbeat. Perhaps they should just give up on this run and try again next time. They should have made a lot of progress.


    "Let''s just rest until the next run," Rachel said, echoing his thoughts. "If we keep going and return all tired, we will have to rest when we enter again. That would waste time we could use to kill Imps."


    There was a mutter of agreement, and deciding he agreed, Irwin leaned back and closed his eyes.


    He must have fallen asleep because he woke as he fell through the air and landed on the tiled floor of the tower.


    "Much better," Jonathan said, grinning at them from the side. "If you keep this up, you might be picked by Mouldir!"


    Irwin flinched. Was that even what they wanted? It wasn''t... right? He slowly got up and moved to Greldo, who was sitting at his customary spot against the wall.


    "How far did you get?"


    "Cleared the tunnels and tried to clear as many of those Imps in that central cavern."


    Greldo''s eyes widened, and he nodded. "And those green things?"


    "Orcs, apparently, and Daubutim can speak their language a little," Irwin said.


    Greldo looked at Daubutim, who was sitting a few feet away.


    "Weird."


    "Yeah."


    Irwin noticed that Jonathan was looking at him intently, and he faked resting, closing his eyes as he lay back. When Jonathan forced them back in, Irwin and Greldo were the first to enter. As soon as they were back in the small cave, Greldo turned around.


    "You got really far," he said, sounding excited. "I was out almost a minute before you and saw the symbol fill in. You cleared the training room halfway!"


    The others appeared behind them, catching most of what Greldo said.


    "That''s incredible," Rachel said excitedly. "We¡­ my previous group, we only got to a tenth of clearing it."


    "That means we have a chance," Irwin said as he suddenly felt a hunger to continue. They could get more cards if they cleared it and found the Linchpin!


    "Let''s go and clear these tunnels," he said, grinning at the others.


    Roughly three hours later, according to Daubutim, they looked at the three Orcs in the room. They had gone so fast that the Imps had only managed to kill and deposit half of their playthings.


    "He knows nothing else," Daubutim said as he returned. "But he wants to be let free."


    "What if we release them and have them help us kill those Imps," Greldo asked, focusing on Irwin.


    "I don''t think we should. Look at how they stare at us¡­ almost as if we are prey," Rachel whispered before Irwin could respond. He agreed with her, though.


    "Let''s keep that for if we don''t manage by ourselves," he said. "We have one more shot after this¡­"


    "Do you think Jonathan is going to force the rest of us back in here if you two can''t join?" Twintin asked, holding Rachels'' hand.


    "Yes, definitely," Greldo said. "Don''t even think he won''t."


    "But-" Twintin began, her face pale.


    "It''s fine. We can do this without Irwin," Olban said, puffing out his chest. "We just have to draw in smaller groups."


    Irwin didn''t say anything, but he didn''t think they would have any chance.


    The others didn''t seem as certain either, and as they walked towards their next goal, Greldo moved up beside him. The Orcs were shouting behind them, three strong this time, and he wondered if that meant more Imps would come.


    "What do we do when they are back in?" Greldo whispered.


    Irwin shrugged. "Rest?"


    "You think we have a chance?"


    Irwin wanted to say yes right away, then thought about it, recalling the size of the main cavern. Even with all of the Imps in the tunnels, and a lot of them from the city, they had only cleared half of them in their previous attempt.


    "Maybe," he finally said. "But we definitely have to try!"


    With three Orcs shouting, they didn''t have to wait as long for the Imps to come and investigate. They were able to kill seven groups before the Orcs stopped shouting. After that, Irwin and Greldo took turns calling near the entrances, luring in another eight groups. Everything seemed to be going well until Greldo went for another group but ran back immediately.


    "We''ve got trouble," he whispered, beckoning to follow him. A few moments later, they were taking turns looking around the corner at a large group of Imps amassing on the other side of the bridge.


    "I think we pushed them too far," Greldo whispered. "There''s over a hundred there, most of those that remain if I counted right."


    "Let''s hide until they go back," Olban whispered. He was fidgeting at the back of the group, his hand covered in a thick, gleaming coat of gunk that was the effect of his card.


    There was a round of agreement, and everyone quickly moved back into the bloomy tunnel system.


    When they reached the next intersection, Twintin muttered something.


    "What?" Greldo said as he turned, eyes widening.


    "Why don''t we release the Orcs," Twintin said, looking at the ground as if fearing too much attention. "If we wait until the Imps are almost there, the Imps will go and kill them first¡­ Then we double back and enter their city to find the Linchpin."


    "And be killed like rats when they return," Olban hissed, pale and sweating.


    It''s not a bad idea, Irwin thought as he stopped walking. Even if only to give them time to find the Linchpin. Even if the others didn''t find it, he had the idea that they would likely need to enter again in two weeks for more training.


    "You can''t seriously be thinking of going there," Olban whispered, staring at him.


    "It''s a good idea," Greldo said before Irwin could, nodding slowly. "It will give us a chance to search for the Linchpin."


    "What if it''s one of the Imps that just came here," Olban snapped. "Whatever¡­ I''m not going there! If they capture us, they¡­" he shivered and fell quiet.


    "I''ll come," Twintin said, and Irwin smiled at her gratefully. Then again, it had been her plan.


    "I think it''s too dangerous," Daubutim muttered, causing Olban to look up with a grin. "But I''ll come too."


    Olban wilted, and Rachel just shrugged when Irwin looked at her. "Let''s find that Linchpin," she said.


    "I don''t think we have to release the Orcs," Greldo said. "All we have to do is get them to shout again. That cave is all the way at the other side of the tunnel system, and I think it''s a better idea not to run back here."


    "I can do it," Twintin whispered, her face turning pale. "I''m the fastest and quietest."


    Irwin was about to ask her if she was sure, then swallowed the words. Of course she wasn''t. Who would be?


    "Alright, just go to them and throw a rock or something," Greldo said. "We will wait at the nearest entrance."


    Twintin looked at them, then dashed into the tunnels.


    I hope she will be fine, Irwin thought before sneaking away through the tunnels. They had to double back twice, as the Imps had entered behind them and spread out, but after a precarious moment inside a dead-end tunnel, they reached the end of the tunnel that led out into the central cavern.


    "They aren''t shouting yet," Rachel whispered.


    She''d constantly been looking over her shoulder, and Irwin had almost thought she would double back on several occasions.


    "She will be fine," he whispered, ignoring Rachel''s glare.


    "What do we do if she''s caught?" Greldo whispered.


    "What does it matter?" Olban hissed. "She will just be back after we return."


    "After being tortured," Rachel snapped back.


    "It was her own idea," Olban muttered, but even he didn''t seem to buy his own words.


    A minute later, the Orcs began roaring and shouting, and the sounds of battle echoed through the tunnel system.


    "Did she free them?" Olban asked, getting no response.


    I hope she''s fine, Irwin thought as he suddenly and vividly recalled the times he''d been killed by the Imps.


    Ten minutes later, he was about to tell them they were going to search for Twintin when she showed up. She was breathing heavily, blood streaming from a bruised cut on her head, but she was smiling widely.


    "The Orcs didn''t hurt me," she whispered as soon as she saw them, smiling. "They even helped me get away when four of the Imps blocked a passage! They are really strong."


    "Strong enough to win?" Irwin asked as he got another idea.


    "Not that strong," Twintin said as she wilted. "I think they are going to die fighting..."


    "Then we are wasting time," Greldo said. "Let''s go. The Imps won''t be there for a long time."


    Everyone hesitated, looking at the bridge beyond the tunnel''s safety, and then Irwin stepped forward.


    I''m the weakest one. Why do I keep going first? he thought before shoving his worry away. There was no sense complaining now.


    As he stepped onto the bridge, he felt incredibly exposed, walking out into the open and away from the tunnels that he felt had been his whole life for months. He knew it wasn''t that long, but it felt like that for some reason.


    The shuffling footsteps from behind told him the others were at least following him, but he kept his eyes forward, looking for any signal of Imps. He saw a few movements, but there wasn''t any shouting yet, and he hoped those that remained didn''t expect anyone to actually go towards them.


    The bridge ended on a massive, rocky outcrop that sat like a pustule on the side of the stone pillar. Smaller, crumbling ledges and bridges hung between them, and dozens of large buildings were suspended from the sides.


    As he closed in, Irwin saw odd scratch marks and tiny symbols etched in some parts.


    Did someone carve this entire thing from the rock?


    He snuck across the small open area before the nearest entrance.


    "Let''s go and search through the buildings," he said.


    "Are you stupid?" Olban hissed back. "Anything worth holding will be in the most guarded building!" He pointed up at a building with a single path a hundred feet above them that hung partially between two of the pillars. "If there''s anything here, it will be there!"


    Irwin gritted his teeth at the other. He''d barely wanted to come, and now he was calling him stupid?


    "Calm down, he''s right," Greldo whispered.


    Irwin took a quick, deep breath to release the tension and fear building up. He had known what to do in the tunnels, but here?


    "Okay, this way," he said, moving along the building toward the nearest way up.


    "No, that won''t get us there," Olban whispered loudly. "That would lead us away from where we want to go. We need to go there!" He pointed at a path that seemed to go away from the tower they needed to reach, but as Irwin was about to say so, his gaze followed the path and noticed it curved around the chaotic paths above to eventually lead to a platform next to the bridge and the building.


    How did he see this so fast? he thought before deciding it didn''t matter.


    "Alright, fine," he said, staring at Olban, who blinked and paled. "Lead us there. You seem to know how to get there, so go!"


    Olban swallowed, looked at the others all staring at him, then puffed out his chest weakly.


    "Right, follow me."

 Chapter 13: Fun from above

    Irwin followed after the others as best as he could, but now that he wasn''t the one in the lead, he found they had been holding back more than he''d known. It took all his effort just to keep up, let alone have any energy left to look around for things to jump them.


    He also noticed his body was hurting. The muscles in his legs and back screamed with every step, but not in the same way he knew. Then, it had been weakness and overuse. Now, he felt a different pain, and he couldn''t explain it.


    Over the last few days, he''d come to accept the fact he had to do things because the others didn''t dare, want, or think of them. Though he''d complained at times, it had also brought a sense of self-worth. Now that he was relegated back to being the runt at the back of the pack, the slowest and weakest, he realized just how much it bothered him.


    It didn''t matter that he could use his fire to kill more imps than any of the others... if it came to something as simple as running, he was left in the dust.


    And he hated it.


    Even Greldo is doing better than me, he thought, his fists clenched as he forced his aching body onward. Shouldn''t this special card be making me stronger?


    As his thoughts turned dark, part of him knew that he was asking too much, even from a card that might be rare. It usually took a year before significant changes were noticed when someone slotted an uncommon, and though it was probably faster with better cards, it was unlikely to happen within weeks. Not that he knew that much about it. He didn''t know anyone who had cards higher than uncommon.


    Perhaps if I survive, next month I''ll be as strong as Greldo is today, he thought, watching in envy as his friend jogged after the others, out of breath, red-faced, and sometimes stumbling, but keeping up.


    Ahead of him, Olban reached another bridge, this one next to a four-story stone thing that could barely be called a building. He stopped and looked around, seeming to try and decide if they had to cross this or continue circling to the next one ahead.


    The previous times, these moments had given Irwin the opportunity to catch up, but he was so far back that he knew he wouldn''t. Worry grew as he wondered if they would leave him behind. He stumbled along the edge of the building, trying his best to cover the hundred feet between him and them.


    A red blur moved from the roof of the building. If he hadn''t been so far back, Irwin knew he wouldn''t have seen it.


    "Look o-" he croaked, his weary body not even allowing him a shout.


    Olban must have heard something because he looked up at the last moment. A massive Imp, easily twice as tall and much heavier than the other Imps, slammed into Olban, knocking him off the bridge.


    ¡°Olban!¡± Greldo shouted.


    Irwin stopped, his hands on his knees as he almost slumped to the ground. His body cared nothing for what happened ahead, and he struggled to keep his head pointed forward. The Imp stood on the bridge, its large, leathery wings curled up on its back, and a massive belly hung over a loincloth.


    How can that even fly? Irwin thought before seeing the others hesitantly take a few steps back.


    "So you are the ones that have been killing my minions!"


    The Imp''s voice was deeper than the high-pitched ones of the smaller ones, but his slimy smile was almost identical. He put a hand on his stomach, leaving it there as if it were a table while raising the other to his chin and tapping his lower lip. It glared intently at the group, which had backed up and was now huddled together and shivering. Daubutim stood at the front, his club out, while Rachel stood beside him with her shield.


    "Now¡­ What am I going to do with you? It will take a year to replenish my forces. Such bad humans. Perhaps¡­ Ah! I know exactly what to do!"


    The Imp''s smile turned even more malicious as his wings spread out and, with a massive beat, pushed him a few feet up.


    "I''ll torture you until you pay me back by entertaining me!"


    Irwin tried to force himself up, run towards them, and summon his flame to help, but his body decided this was the perfect time to break down. He crashed to his knees, eyes ahead, just in time to see Greldo turn to him. Hidden behind Daubutim, his friend pointed at the building and mouthed hide!


    "Time to prepare my meal," the Imp screeched.


    It belched, and a torrent of flame erupted from between its lips, starting as wide as its mouth but quickly fanning out to cover the group in a sea of fire.


    A panicky, high-pitched scream erupted from somewhere in the fire, and Irwin looked away from the blinding gaze. He expected spots to cover his vision, but there was nothing. With incredible effort, he pushed himself up and stumbled sideways toward the nearest entrance leading into the building. Another cry came from behind him, this time one of anger.


    Don''t get caught, Irwin thought as he staggered into the rubble-filled hallway.


    Unlike the neat stone and brick buildings in Malorin, the walls around him were a dull, dusty gray, with long, thin gauges running diagonally from left to right. The hallway led to another that split up, left and right. The left led to a staircase going up, while the right seemed to curve around deeper into the building.


    Hearing another high-pitched scream from behind him, Irwin hesitated. Should he go back? He couldn''t just-


    His legs buckled, almost causing him to fall, and he gasped.


    Scout, and maybe we can use it for the next time, he told himself.


    He turned toward the right corridor that led down. He was barely standing, and moving up the stairs was unlikely. Trying his best not to picture the others being caught and tortured, he moved further into the building. Part of him was surprised at the size of it, corridors leading up, down, and further away.


    It''s built into the pillar, he thought as he stumbled along the narrow path with dust layered thick on the ground. The sounds from behind had died down, muffled by the layers of rock surrounding him.


    Don''t get caught, Greldo!


    ¨C


    Greldo jumped to the side, barely managing to dodge the claws. The skin on his face was tight, his eyes blurry, and pain everywhere. Daubutim was the only one still standing, but his face was red, his eyebrows burned off, and he was stumbling to the side.


    "Look out," Greldo croaked.


    Daubutim took two more steps and toppled from the ledge, vanishing without so much as a scream.


    "No! Come back here so I can torture you," the Imp screamed.


    Right, a quick end! Greldo thought, looking around.


    Twintin was crouched on the ground behind him, crying and covering her face. He stepped forward, triggered his skill, and grabbed her arm. He made sure not to crush it and used as much power as he could to pull, then throw her to the edge.


    Twintin let out a high-pitched scream as she vanished over the edge.


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    "Jump!" Greldo croaked, then growled, and tried again, only managing a half-baked shout.


    "No! No, no, no!" The Imp screamed.


    Greldo didn''t even bother looking at it.


    Make sure you get us some information, he thought, thinking of Irwin, even though he knew it was highly unlikely. Irwin had been almost unconscious from exhaustion when he''d walked into the entrance from which the incredibly hot air had come billowing.


    He stumbled to the edge and didn''t bother looking down but just leaned forward. Gravity grabbed him, yanking him down, and a moment later, he was plummeting down, his stomach clenched and arms flailing.


    Far below, he saw Twintin vanishing in the molting rock. There was no sign of Daubutim, and a few seconds later, he closed his eyes before hitting the scorching molten rock.


    His last conscious thought was that he hoped Rachel and Olban had jumped.


    --


    Another dead end, Irwin thought as he put his hand on the wall, head hanging.


    Who built this place? He was about to turn back when a trickle of warm air flowed around his sweaty and matted hair.


    What? Where is that coming from?


    He looked around, trying to find the origin of the air current. It took another two warm breezes for him to know it came from above.


    Was there some sort of ledge or hole? He moved closer to the wall, and only then he saw them. Hidden in the shadowy part of the wall were handhelds, chiseled into the existing cracks and tears of the rock. They were positioned in such a way that even his near-perfect night vision had barely been able to pick them up.


    He gazed at them, then up. From this position, he noticed that the wall continued beyond the ceiling, and there was a narrow, half a foot wide gap with more handhelds leading up.


    Is it a secret? he thought.


    He suddenly recalled stories Bronwyn had told him about some portal worlds where the linchpin was hidden away.


    He looked at his hands, then up, then back at his hands, and with a sigh, sat down. Who was he kidding? He couldn''t get up there now, even if someone offered him a legendary card for it.


    As his body relaxed, he felt a gnawing pain in his stomach. Hunger. It was something he had grown used to over the years, but it surprised him how fast it had come up this time. Until then, he''d only been slightly peckish. But now? As his stomach rumbled, he wondered how the others were doing.


    Although he was hungry enough to eat anything edible, he was even more weary, and he felt his mind go numb. He tried to keep from falling asleep, but the room was cozily warm, gloomy, and quiet, and his chin kept dropping to his chest.


    Stay awake, he thought, wondering why the room seemed to grow dark.


    --


    A soft rumble shook the entire room, tiny debris dropping on his head, and Irwin snapped awake. How could he have fallen asleep?


    His body was aching, and his legs were numb, but he didn''t feel even half as bad as he had before. A distant rumble shook the pillar.


    What is going on? Are they still fighting? That made little sense, he thought, looking up and noticing the tracks he''d left in the thick layer of dust.


    He must have slept for a long time because his mind felt sharp. He instantly missed Daubutim. No more easy way of knowing how many hours had passed.


    He forced himself up, trying to ignore the thick dust billowing around him. Another shudder ran through the building.


    Up or back, he thought.


    Then he tried to imagine finding his way back through the maze-like building and shrugged. Up it was.


    I hope Greldo and the others died quickly, he thought, not something he''d ever imagined thinking before.


    As he put his first hand into a handhold and pulled himself up, his arm shook but held. He gingerly continued, stopping each time another shaking happened. He had to pause halfway to catch his breath but eventually pulled himself over a ledge into a hallway rife with dust and tiny debris. It was barely high enough for him to stand, leading away into the darkness and curving to the left.


    Twenty feet in, he reached an intersection. The long, winding path down continued left, while a short path led to a handhold wall similar to the one he had climbed up. A soft rumble came from above.


    He licked his lips, dry and cracked but not yet bleeding, and shivered. He had no idea where he was going¡­ What if there was some demon spider ready to jump him? After a moment''s hesitation, he turned back to the long curving hallway. He focused on his card, summoning the finger-sized flame, then continued, ready to hit anything that came his way with the flame.


    The corridor seemed to go on forever, continuing left and down.


    Irwin thought about stopping and going back a few times, but where to? The Imp city, all alone? He shivered at the thought. He could just continue seeing what was here and, after that, wait for the time to end.


    At some point, a pleasant warmth began coming from the wall. It had been warm in the tunnel already, but now the temperature continued to increase. When it reached something comparable to a warm summer day, Irwin stopped and pressed his hand on the stone to his side. It was hot, though not enough to hurt him. As he looked at it, he frowned.


    I wonder if the others would have been able to stand the heat, he thought as he looked at his flame.


    Ever since he''d gotten it, he''d not really had trouble with anything hot. An image of how the lava burned him alive flashed through his mind, and he shivered. Right, almost nothing hot. He had no idea how long he walked, but the temperature kept increasing, and at various times, a soft orange glow could be seen from the walls. A faint rumble came from above, but it was so distant that he mostly only felt it through the soles of his feet.


    Wait¡­ feet? A quick inspection showed the soles of both of his boots were gone, just some charred edges remaining at the sides to show they indeed had been there.


    Irwin ducked and put his hand on the ground. It was warm, hot even. But this hot? He gently put a tiny part of his sleeve on the ground.


    Flames flared up, and his sleeve instantly caught fire. Irwin yelped and yanked it back, slapping it against his leg to stop the burning. When it stopped, he had burn marks on his pants, a jagged hole in his sleeve, and even more respect for his own card.


    I''m not impervious to fire, but it''s close, he thought as he saw a few minor red scuff marks on his hand where it had touched the fire.


    He continued down the corridor until he finally saw an end to the blasted thing, or so he hoped. A bright glow began to cover one side. A soft bubbling and dripping came from there, and he quietly headed forward. The light was so bright he didn''t worry that his flame might draw any attention. And beside the fact that if he let it go, it would revert back to its starting size, he felt more secure with it ready.


    As he stepped around the last part of the wall obscuring his path ahead, Irwin stopped. The tunnel widened rapidly, and beyond it, a landscape of black stone and small waterfalls of molten rock filled a massive cavern. It dwarfed even the one he''d been in before. Clouds of dark smoke hung in the air, billowing from vents in a chaotic maze of black rock.


    In the middle of a lake of molten stone was a piece of land, and upon it stood a black anvil the size of a small hut. Curled up, with wings covering its head, lay a fat Imp. From this distance, it was hard to gauge its size, but it was definitely bigger than the one that had attacked his friends. As frightening as it was and as imposing as the anvil, neither was what made Irwin''s eyes gleam.


    A red sphere hung from a chain attached to the top of the anvil, glowing brighter even than the molten rock.


    The Linchpin! Irwin thought. It had to be, right?


    Looking away from what he hoped was a sleeping Imp, he inspected the crumbling, narrow path leading toward the island. It started not too far from him, near the bottom of a slope and beside one of the lava waterfalls, which was good. The problem was, to get there, he''d have to move out in the open.


    He shivered.


    If I get it¡­ do I get a card? And what if I go in again and get it again? Two?


    As his mind began imagining having two cards, a tiny seed of greed grew into a raging flame. Two more cards, and he could become a full hand! His chances of surviving would increase so much¡­ Even more, he could explain the oddities of his first card by spreading them across the others!


    Irwin licked his bleeding lips and moved out of the wide and tapered tunnel exit, looking left and right. There was no sign of any more Imps. If he could sneak up on the big one¡­ would his flame work? So far, it hadn''t let him down, though he wished he could have grown it to its biggest size.


    Unable to hold back, Irwin ran towards the nearest rock and hid. It was a short dash to the start of the narrow, winding bridge and then a five-minute trip. But if he succeeded!


    Irwin Roddington, think before you act!


    His mother''s stern voice seemed to echo from the depths of his mind, her face disappointed as she shook her head after he''d done something foolish again.


    Irwin shook his head. He was doing it again!


    Calm down, calm down, he hissed to himself, closing his eyes and taking deep breaths.


    When he finally felt the incessant urge to run towards the Imp die down, he opened them again. If he was going to do this, he was going to do it right.


    He slowly climbed back from the rock to a higher position and thoroughly inspected his surroundings. The chances of there being only one Imp here seemed odd, and with some being able to fly, perhaps more were hiding?


    Ten minutes later, he had found half a dozen other tunnel openings in the wall, and the one he had checked was similar to the one he''d come from. What he hadn''t found nor seen was movement outside of the molten rock. Calm and steady this time, he moved back to the start of the stone bridge, staring at the lava next to it.


    What''s the worst thing that can happen besides falling in that stuff again, he thought as he steeled himself and snuck forward.

 Chapter 14: Anvil of the gods

    Irwin ignored the small stones that pressed into the soles of his feet as he snuck across the path. A sharp stone dug into his tender flesh every few feet while the ground was hot enough to hurt even his heat-resistant feet. He barely noticed, his mind completely focused on the molten rock around him and the plateau ahead.


    The air was odd, thick, and hard to breathe, and he kept taking peeks at the lava from which yellowish fog trickled up. The molting rock consisted of dark swirling patterns with edges as bright as the stone. The top layer of the stone almost seemed to harden as it reached the surface before being swallowed down by the churning mass.


    Halfway across the path, a dull, droning snore joined the bubbling and hissing of the molten rock.


    Perhaps he''ll just remain sleeping, Irwin thought as he stared at the Imp.


    He reached one of the narrowest parts, barely enough to put two feet side by side. Twenty feet beyond was a large outcropping of stone, after which was the final stretch. As he stepped forward, an odd movement came from his left, accompanied by a sloshing sound. Irwin''s heart skipped a beat as he looked to the side.


    A large black head rose from the depths, the molten rock sliding off and dribbling back into the lake. Two narrow yellow irises sat in massive gray eyes, focused intently on him. The thing reminded him of the snakes that sometimes found their way into Malorin during the hottest summer days.


    Irwin froze- unable to move as the massive thing rose further. Its lips parted, and a long tongue flicked between four canines the size of his legs. Slowly, it moved forward.


    Irwin''s legs began shaking, and it took all of his effort to keep his bladder under control as the thing moved within a foot of him, hanging partially over the narrow path. A burning hot air came from two slits on its snout.


    I don''t want to be eaten alive, Irwin thought as the lips parted again. He should have fled as soon as the thing appeared. I''m such an idiot. Why didn''t I just go up and search for-


    The tongue slowly moved forward, its tip touching the flame above his hand. There was a tiny outburst of sparks as the flame surged up to its maximum size, and the tongue jerked back. There was another sniffing sound, and the massive head cocked to the side, a curious interest radiating from its eyes.


    It''s like Bullwinkel''s hounds, Irwin thought as he blinked.


    The tongue licked forward again, this time touching his chest. His shirt and jacket caught fire and turned to dust so fast he didn''t even feel the flames. Then, a soft pressure came from where the tongue pressed against him. It was scorching hot, to the point of pain, but Irwin remained motionless.


    The snake, or whatever it was, remained like that for a few seconds, then withdrew, leaving a smooth and painful spot on Irwin''s now bare and bony chest. The large eyes focused on Irwin''s flame, then Irwin himself. The lips parted in what looked like a smirk before the head sank into the molten rock, leaving no more than a wobble.


    Irwin fell back and thudded on his ass, not even caring that his pants flamed up and turned to ash or his flesh hurt. His flame was hovering above his hand as he stared in disbelief at the lava. Had that been a demon? It didn''t feel like one, but it had been intelligent. Well, as intelligent as a hound. And why was it even in this practice portal? After a second, he licked his lips, frowned, and forced himself back up to his feet. Something nagged at the back of his mind like he was missing something, but he didn''t care.


    He looked at the path. The lava that had dropped on it was already cooling... but should he continue? What if the thing had just given him a warning? He hesitated as he looked at the edge of the Anvil. Part of the chain from which the Linchpin dangled glistened there. The idea of another card beckoned, and he prayed to Gelwin that a giant lava snake wouldn''t eat him.


    Keeping his flame ready and to the side, he carefully snuck across the stone trail. As he closed in on the last stop, he still saw no sign of the snake. Only when he stepped on the large outcrop did he notice an odd movement in the lava fifty feet from him. It didn''t come closer, but a slight elevation appeared momentarily before disappearing again.


    Stepping on the relative safety of the wider platform, Irwin rose to his toes, trying to see if the Imp was still before the Anvil. However, the jagged stone platform was too high, and the closer he got, the more the edge blocked his view of what was atop. He took a deep breath and wondered if he should take a break before moving the last bit. Prodding and probing his legs showed they were weary but alright, and he continued along the final, wider path.


    Five minutes later, he slowly pulled himself up the ledge, his toes pressed against the warm stone as he tried to find a good handhold. He tried to ignore the fact that the back of his pants was completely gone. He had angled the flame to the back of his hand, the tip darting up and over the edge.


    The hot stone crumbled, dust raining on his face. Holding his breath, he peaked over and instantly retreated. The Imp was a short distance away, seeming even larger now that he was this close, and the massive Anvil cast a shadow across the area. There were no shouts or surprised screams, so Irwin looked again. The Imp didn''t move, its chest moving up and down as it snored.


    Behind it, hanging from thick chains, hung the red jewel, its facets shimmering and glittering from the many light sources. Dozens of blemishes and scratches covered it, with dark rust marring parts of the dull metal chain.


    Did something try to break it?


    Irwin looked at the Imp, hesitated, then pulled himself up.


    A rock cracked below his foot, and a smaller one shot away, clattering across the stone before plummeting over the side. Irwin held his breath, eyes wide as he gritted his teeth against the pain. The Imp grumbled and snorted, then continued snoring.


    Way too close, Irwin thought.


    Flame forward, he snuck toward the Imp. If he could end that one-


    "That''s an interesting flame, brat," a metallic voice whispered.


    Irwin almost had a heart attack, and with a face drained of blood, he stared at the Imp. It was still snoring, appearing deep asleep.


    "Great, another one that can''t understand me," the voice muttered, annoyed.


    Irwin looked up and around and saw a mouth on the side of the massive Anvil. The etched lips would have looked like a drawing if they hadn''t been curved down in discontent.


    Irwin just gazed at it. This wasn''t happening, was it? He''d heard about talking weapons from rare cards, and there were rumors of a hero on the wall that had an armor imbued by a carded smith, but this?


    Irwin licked his lips. "What- what are you?" he whispered.


    The lips froze, then shivered as if suppressing something. "You can speak common¡­ how?" The lips curled up in a wide smile. "Never mind, this is fantastic! What''s your name, brat?"


    "Irwin," Irwin whispered after a moment''s hesitation.


    "That ''s an odd name," the Anvil muttered. "Well, as for what I am? You speak common! How can''t you know? So young and already turning blind. So sad. Well, you do look fairly skeletal, so perhaps you are sick?"


    Irwin stared at the rambling Anvil, unsure if it was a question, and the Anvil continued without waiting.


    "I''m a Ganvil! And a fantastic one at that," the Anvil said in a slightly louder whisper. "I''m Ambraz, Anvil of the gods! The Infernal Titan lord once used me to craft Glibzwonger, the dagger of Fury!"


    Irwin stupidly stared at the Anvil. He''d never heard of any of those things, and besides sounding extravagant, they also sounded... fake? How the Anvil spoke reminded him of some of those older rangers who told tall tales everyone knew weren''t real.


    "A good flame you have there, kid, and nice and Hidden to keep away prying eyes," Ambraz rumbled, seemingly oblivious to Irwin''s stunned confusion. "That could heat metal nicely if you find some decent emerald or ruby cards to increase its power! Ever think about becoming a smith?"


    "A what?" Irwin muttered, trying to keep up. Somehow, the way the Anvil had said Hidden should mean something, but he was too distracted by the rest.


    Ambraz grinned, showing a mouthful of dull gray teeth.


    A snort from the Imp made Irwin''s heart rate speed up, and he held his breath until it snored again.


    "Ah! Don''t worry about that thing- he''s completely out of it! That silly Imp has been trying to remove the binding that stupid Beardyface placed on me. Thinks it will get us out of here! As if that is going to succeed. He''d have to grow twice as strong even to contemplate it, and there''s no time for that. Not with this shitty place resetting every day."


    Irwin looked at Ambraz, then turned to the Imp. He''d almost forgotten about it, and he was wasting time. What if it woke up? He raised his hand and took a step towards the Imp.


    "That won''t work," Ambraz said. "Durpy over there is on the cusp of having an emerald soulskill. That ruby card of yours might be from a stronger beast, but it won''t ash him like it probably did those quartz-souled Imps you saw above."


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    Irwin stopped moving and stared at the Anvil, utterly confused. "Soulskill? Ruby card?" he whispered.


    The Anvil let out an annoyed groan. "One of these places. Great! Another bloody world where they don''t use the regular wording."


    He rumbled a few moments before sighing. "Fine! What are the ranks of cards you have in this backwater place?"


    Irwin had no idea what was happening, and without even thinking about it, he just answered.


    "Common, uncommon, rare, very rare, epic, and legendary," he whispered.


    "Seriously... common? And what do you call a common card that is very rare versus one that''s easily found? Common common and rare common? Bah! And don''t get me started on rare and very rare."


    Irwin shook his head, having no idea what to say. "I... all cards are hard to find?" he finally said lamely.


    "Not in a million years, brat," Ambraz muttered. "But fine. Your card is epic, and I can sense you haven''t had it very long yet. Seeing as this stupid Imp''s soulskill is closing in on very-rare you aren''t going to be able to ash it. Maybe in a few months? Who knows... there''s something odd about your card, but it probably won''t help you with this."


    "..." Irwin dumbly stared at him. His card was epic? That couldn''t be possible! Where did his brother even find it?


    "Don''t give me that look!" Ambraz said louder than before, and Irwin automatically dropped to his knees, staring at the Imp. It didn''t react, still snoring.


    Perhaps it''s trying to keep me talking so the Imp can wake? Irwin suddenly thought, then shoved the thought away. If that were true, the Anvil could have just shouted loudly.


    "Do you have a way for me to end him? I need to find the Linchpin," he asked, deciding it couldn''t hurt to try.


    "End him...? You mean kill? Hmmm."


    Ambraz''s lips pursed again, and Irwin could almost picture him tapping his chin with a finger. "Well now, and why should I help you?"


    Irwin didn''t know what to say, trying to come up with a quick answer. The problem was he was so thoroughly confused by the whole situation that his mind felt like it had almost come to a standstill.


    As he scrambled for a reason, the Anvil hummed a tune before speaking again.


    "I guess I could help you. But only if you do something for me."


    Irwin''s hair rose. What did it mean with that? "Wha- what do you want?" he asked softly, taking a small step back towards the edge.


    "If you can get me out of here, I''ll help you in any way I can," Ambraz said softly, his voice carrying a sudden deep rumble.


    "But this is a fake portal," Irwin muttered. "You''re not-"


    "Real? Brat, didn''t Beardyface tell you anything before sending you in here?"


    "I don''t know any... Beardyface," Irwin whispered.


    Ambraz was quiet for such a long time that Irwin almost thought he''d imagined the whole thing. That was if the Anvil''s mouth hadn''t been opening and closing as if it was gasping for air.


    "I''d tell you to stop lying, but I can see you aren''t," Ambraz finally muttered. His etched lips pursed in a line for a moment. "Bah! Did that bastard die while I was in here? How am I going to take revenge if he''s already dead?"


    Irwin was about to ask who Beardyface was supposed to be when Ambraz sniffed and began talking rapidly.


    "Do you really think anyone from your world could create something like this? Bah! Not even if they had only diamo- ... legendary cards! This place is only able to remain as it is because I am bound here. Beardyface created this fake shardworld with some soulskill, and it''s draining my energy to sustain it. A prison, really. Stuck in time and reset every time someone enters or every day. Whichever comes first."


    Irwin looked at the Imp, then at Ambraz, and finally frowned. He was having a hard time trying to understand half of the words Ambraz was saying. Besides, what was Ambraz anyway? It said it was an Anvil, but it was too big, and it talked. Also, even if he wanted to bring it out, how would he even lift it?


    Ambraz seemed to read his mind as it sniffed. "Don''t worry about my size! If you can remove that chain, I can shrink down to the size of your thumb!"


    Irwin looked at the Linchpin as he tried to figure out what to do. If Ambraz could help him destroy the thing, he''d be able to get a new card¡­ but would taking Ambraz out destroy this portal? The sorcerers might get upset with him! He shivered at the thought of angering Jonathan or, worse, Mouldir.


    "What will happen to this place if you are gone?" he whispered.


    "Nothing! That fool didn''t just bind me, but also that stupid serpent and this fat-ass in here. Overkill! One or two of us would have been plenty to power this tiny place. Don''t worry. If you help me out, nobody will be the wiser¡­ at least not for a few years. Perhaps eventually someone will wonder why the portal is becoming easier, but that won''t be for a long time."


    Irwin cocked his head as a sudden idea came to him. "If I help you out, can you get me another card?" he asked.


    "Ohhh, making demands already?" Ambraz said. "Cocky."


    "Ughhh, keep it down, you stupid chunk of metal," a high-pitched voice came as the snoring stopped. "I''m trying to sleep, and -... wait, who are you talking to?"


    Irwin jumped back towards the ledge just as the Imp rolled over. Its bleary yellow eyes blinked as it took in Irwin, then widened as he struggled up. "Human! Finally, something to play with," the Imp cried out in joy.


    "Help me," Irwin shouted as he backed up, terrified as the hulking Imp waggled towards him. He raised his hand, flame outward, and the Imp cackled in glee.


    "Errr¡­" the Anvil muttered, its mouth turning into a thin line. "I can''t do much with this thing on me¡­ sorry. You shouldn''t have made so much noise!"


    You made the noise! Irwin thought. His foot touched the plateau''s edge, and he almost fell backward, barely holding his balance.


    "You''ve been talking with this plaything instead of waking me?" the Imp snarled as it took a quick look at the Anvil. "I''ll remember that!"


    "Bah- you have been trying to break that chain for decades and are no closer! The last few hundred attempts, you barely tried! Can''t blame an Anvil for trying other avenues!"


    As the Imp scowled at Ambraz, Irwin lowered himself to his knees and dropped down the edge. He had no serious plan, but in the back of his mind, he decided he''d prefer burning in the lava over getting tortured by that Imp. The memories of the Orc''s long scars, bruises, and horrible mutilations were far too scary.


    "Don''t leave," the Imp squealed as he began stomping towards Irwin. The wings on its back flapped back, each stretching so far to the side that it almost looked comical.


    Irwin might have laughed if he hadn''t known what the fat Imp was capable of. He lowered himself, and dropped down, landing on the small ledge, before turning and running to the narrow path. A thunderous flapping came from behind him, similar to his mother beating out the rugs in spring, but then a thousand times louder.


    "Get back here¡­ I''m too tired, and if you make me catch you, it''ll only be worse!"


    Irwin didn''t believe that for a second, and unlike the previous time, he ran over the path. As was prone to happen, a tiny part of his mind was busy with other things and suddenly alerted him that his legs weren''t as painful as they should be and that something was wrong with his lips.


    That doesn''t matter, Irwin thought, focusing on running.


    A soft woosh was all the warning he got that something was wrong.


    He simply let himself fall forward. A burning pain erupted from his back as his skin was sliced apart by the Imp before it rushed past him.


    As Irwin pushed himself up, breathing raggedly, the Imp, as massive as it was, made a nimble turn across the lava, flapping thunderously and gaining altitude.


    Irwin covered his ears as he watched the Imp go around for a second pass. When it was high enough, he scrambled to his feet, feeling the blood run down his back. How his flame was still up, he didn''t know, nor why it comforted him. But it did, and it was. Holding it in front of him like a shield, he backed up until his foot was at the path''s edge. Heat came from his back, and he prepared himself just to jump in to get it over with.


    "Careful!" the Imp screeched. "If you fall in, I''ll have no fun, and that''ll make me mad!"


    Somehow, the idiocy of the remark caused Irwin''s fear to be replaced by a wave of rage. The bottled-up resentment and irritation of the last few days in this portal surged forward all at once. Couldn''t this stupid Imp just drop dead? Why was everything so- so¡­ so hard!


    One hit as it swoops down, he thought as he glared at the Imp. Even if his flame didn''t ash the thing, it might hurt!


    "Yes, wait right there," the Imp cackled as it dove down, wings spread out like the kites of the wealthy kids during the summer.


    Irwin lowered himself, his heartbeat thundering in his ears as the Imp came toward him. Two feet away, the Imp''s eyes widened, and it made an odd flap as if to move away, but it was too late. Its claws were a foot from Irwin, who jumped back and struck forward with his flame. The flame almost seemed to reach out, touching the Imp''s leg. The red flesh sizzled and bubbled, and the Imp howled while trying to flap up and back, a look of panic and fear on its ugly face.


    It did hurt him! Did Ambraz lie? Irwin thought as he fell back.


    He fully expected to feel the moment of burning pain when he struck the molten rock, followed by nothing and a sinking sensation. Instead, he thudded onto something hard and smooth. It was scorching hot, but nothing compared to the molten rock. Even then, what remained of his pants, shirt, and coat burned away in a flash, scalding his skin.


    Irwin lay on his back, stunned and confused, while the Imp''s back was rapidly closing in, which made no sense. It was flying away as fast as it seemed able.


    The ground he was lying on tilted, and Irwin slid back. He yelped and scrambled for a handhold and barely managed to hold on to some edges that covered the surface. Then he hung, and the Imp was gone. Feeling his arms burning as he dangled from his fingers, he heard a high-pitched scream. For a moment, he thought it was his own. Then he realized his jaw was hurting from how hard he was clenching his teeth.


    The dark surface before him was rotating back again. A moment later, the strain on his fingers and arms disappeared as he lay face-first on the ground.


    Right as he pushed himself away from the scalding surface, he heard a deep thudding sound from below the surface. Then he lay on his back, panting and completely confused.


    "I''d get off its back before it realizes you aren''t one of its long-lost halfbreeds that just looks funny," Ambraz shouted.


    It what? Irwin thought as he pushed himself up.


    The plateau''s edge was in front of him, almost level with the ground he stood on, and there was no sign of the Imp. The Anvil stood alone on the plateau, its mouth drawn in a thin line.


    "Get off, brat. Hurry!" the Anvil snapped.


    Irwin shuddered, then jumped onto the plateau before turning around.


    An enormous snakehead of black stone hung before him, its yellow-slitted eyes locked onto him, and he sensed the curiosity in them again.


    "Bow!" the Anvil snapped, and Irwin instantly did so.


    When he got back up, the snake had turned away and was sinking back into the molten rock.


    "What¡­ what just happened?" Irwin whispered.


    "I guess old Black Scale finally had enough of the flying pest. Not that it will do either of us any good. Durpy will just return in a few hours when this stupid plane resets. Isn''t even really dead¡­ just locked away."


    Irwin took a few steps, swayed, and sat down with a thud. The few remaining threads of his clothes hung around him, and he stupidly thought it was a good thing they would return when he exited the portal. Otherwise, he''d reappear nearly naked.


    "So¡­" Ambraz said with a half smile on its lips. "Now, how about you see what your surprisingly odd flame can do on this chain?"

 Chapter 15: Cards, cards, cards

    Irwin stared at the chain and the massive gem that hung from it.


    "So this isn''t the Linchpin?" he said, pointing at the gem.


    "Nope. It''s the chain. Fools them every time," Ambraz said, sounding smug. "If you clear it, you''ll be the first to do so since the start."


    "And that was-"


    "A little over eighty years ago, yes," Ambraz hummed. "Now, are you going to repeat everything I just told you or start cutting away the chain?"


    Irwin blinked and looked at the chain again. It didn''t look very special, just a leg-thick, rusty set of interlocking links. He slowly nodded, thinking about possibly getting a card, finishing this stupid test portal, and finally getting some food and rest, which all sounded perfect. A tiny voice warned him that Jonathan might not just let him stop after this.


    "Good! Then get to it!"


    "About that card?" Irwin said, looking at Ambraz.


    "Yes, yes. You break the chain and pick me up before you get transported back out, and you will get a card!" Ambraz said.


    "But, how can you even come with me?" Irwin muttered. "Doesn''t everything, including my clothing, reset?"


    "Ugh¡­ yes! It does, but I''m special, alright?"


    "And what do I do after I get you out? Do I keep you, or-"


    "I''m not some pet dog!" Ambraz snapped, startling Irwin with the anger in his voice.


    "Sorry," he muttered.


    "Yes. You should be," Ambraz snapped. "No. You don''t get to keep me. But I might stay around if you want to become a smith! If you do, we can talk later. If you don''t, I''ll leave to search for someone with potential that does."


    "You can walk?" Irwin asked, gaping at the massive thing and imagining it with legs.


    "Wa- What? No, of course not! I can fly!"


    Irwin''s mouth fell open as he pictured the massive thing with wings.


    Didn''t he say something about shrinking?


    "We have less than an hour remaining. Unless you want to go through the trouble of coming here again?" Ambraz asked, sounding exasperated.


    Irwin looked at the chain, then at his flame, and knew Ambraz was right. He stepped forward, still unsure if he could trust the Anvil but deciding it was worth the risk. If for nothing else than for an extra card!


    Hoping he was doing it right, he pressed the tip of his flame against one of the links. Nothing happened, and he frowned.


    "Wait for it to heat up. Don''t you know anything about metal?" Ambraz said angrily.


    "Only that it''s hard and used to create loads of things," Irwin said.


    "Oh. Really? You don''t know more?" Ambraz asked, sounding confused. "What do they teach you in school?"


    Unsure what that had to do with anything, Irwin''s eyes widened as he saw the link turn red.


    "How cards work, the basics of farming, building roads, and working with the different tools the crafters use," Irwin muttered, no longer paying attention to the Anvil but staring at the link that was turning a crimson red.


    "No numbers? Languages? Reading?" Ambraz asked.


    "What? No, that''s for the nobles and the kids of the richer crafters," Irwin said, looking up in surprise. "Why would I need to learn that?"


    "You¡­. can''t read?" Ambraz whispered, making it sound like the most horrible thing in the world.


    Irwin shook his head, then cocked it as he recalled something. "Well, I know the letters for my name. Mum taught me last year," he said.


    "Your mother can read and write?" Ambraz snapped, sounding angry.


    Before Irwin could reply, a hissing sound came, and he focused back on the chain. The link was a bright white where his flame touched it, yellow and orange around the edges, while other links attached to it were glowing. Drops of white, molten metal dripped down onto the ground.


    "That is one interesting card you have there," Ambraz whispered. "I''d expected this to take hours, maybe even too long¡­ but just like this? It must have a mutation..."


    A mutation?


    Irwin didn''t know how to respond to that, and for a few minutes, they both looked in wonder as the link slowly dripped down until only a small bit remained.


    "Oh! Right! Listen, as soon as that link breaks, this chain is going to roll down. I''ll change to my small size, hover before you, and you need to grab me. Don''t hold back, or I will just get reset like the rest of this infernal place!"


    Irwin nodded, getting ready when he thought of something. "What will happen to Black Scale?" he asked.


    "What? Who? Oh! The snake! It will remain here, I suppose," Ambraz said, sounding uninterested. "Now, pay attention! Here goes!"


    Irwin licked his lips just as the final bit of the link snapped. As soon as it did, a gong echoed from nowhere and everywhere simultaneously, and a humming sound permeated the entire cavern. The chain rattled down the Anvil, but before it could even hit the ground, there was a flash, and Ambraz was gone. In its place, a tiny Anvil with silvery wings hung in the air.


    "Quick," a soft voice piped, and Irwin grabbed the Anvil.


    Ambraz was barely the size of a coin, easily fitting in the palm of his hand. He pressed the small Anvil against his chest as the world shimmered and wobbled around him. A chime sounded, and then a portal appeared, together with a force, pulling him towards it. Mechanically, he dug his heels into the ground and leaned back.


    "Hurry. Hide me and get in," Ambraz whispered.


    Irwin blinked, then stuffed Ambraz and his hand into his shirt. He stopped resisting and stepped forward. The closer he got to the portal, the stronger the pull, and then he was sucked in. Darkness surrounded him, shadowy purple tentacles and enormous eyes everywhere. He felt something within inches of himself, and then there was a chime, like metal on metal, and the tentacles rushed away as if stung. He caught a flash of a star-filled blackness, then there was a white light, and he dropped to the ground on the tiles of the tower.


    Jonathan and the others were standing a few steps, gaping at him. The repeated sound of a bell came from further down the hallway, seeming agitated.


    The hand he''d put in his shirt was now beside his body, and he felt the tiny shape of Ambraz in his hand. He kept both hands clenched but still to hide that he was holding something. Putting the tiny Anvil away now would draw way too much suspicion. Instead, he lowered his balled fists and swallowed, glad to find that his clothes were restored.


    "Hi," he muttered lamely.


    "How¡­ how, by all the cards, did you do that!" Jonathan shouted, his voice starting soft and ending in a shout as he pointed behind Irwin.


    Irwin flinched and slowly turned, afraid that Ambraz had lied and that the portal had vanished. Luckily, the red swirling portal remained. What had changed was a tiny card with a flame and the name Irwin that had appeared in the stone next to the door frame together with the number one.


    So much for pretending nothing had happened.


    "I found the Linchpin," he said, noting something shimmering at the top of the portal. The symbol was blinking rapidly.


    "Yes! I know! How did-" Jonathan roared.


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    "Jonathan, enough!" a sharp voice cut him off, and Jonathan went from red-faced and angry to pale and gaping faster than Irwin had ever seen anyone go.


    Lady Yrinta came pacing towards them, another pair of guards almost running to keep up. She glared at Jonathan, showing no sign of stopping as she walked toward him. Jonathan began backing up until he had his back against the wall.


    "I only just warned you! You know the rules! The secrets of the training portals are not to be discussed except with the sorcerers. How dare you attempt to force someone who doesn''t know better into giving you classified information," she snapped, stabbing him in the chest with her finger.


    Jonathan had turned even paler than before, and he kept looking around as if searching for a way to escape.


    "I told you only a few hours ago I''d keep an eye on you, and you didn''t take me seriously? Fine! Report to the portal expedition room. Branner, guide him there and tell Grundig that Jonathan is to be reminded of what we do here. One year of clearing out the hardest uncommon portals will hopefully help with your foggy mind!"


    "No, please," Jonathan whispered.


    "No begging. Now get out of my sight before I decide to expel you!"


    Jonathan shivered, but he didn''t say anything. He stared at the ground and stepped around Lady Yrinta. One of the guards was waiting for him, white teeth flashing in a grin behind his beard before guiding him away.


    "Oh, and Jonathan. Hand over their items," Lady Yrinta snapped.


    Jonathan shuddered as if struck. He seemed to hesitate before pulling out the different things the group had left with him and dropping everything on the ground. Then he walked away.


    Olban rushed forward, snatched up his amulet, and quickly placed it around his neck. The guard was frowning at him but said nothing as he picked up the other items and moved back.


    Irwin barely noticed as he gaped after Jonathan, not able to process what had just happened. He''d worried about how to get away from Jonathan, how to-


    "And you!" Lady Yrinta snapped as she stomped towards him, staring at him with a frown. Irwin froze and knew it was now him that was turning white as a sheet. Even then, a tiny part of him was surprised that Yrinta wasn''t that much taller than him.


    "If I find you tell anyone that''s not a Tower Master how you succeeded in clearing this training room, you will join Jonathan in his punishment. Do I make myself clear?"


    "Yes, Lady Yrinta," Irwin said, his voice barely a squeak.


    "Good," she said, and slowly, a smile covered her face as her eyes glittered. "Though I will tell you that many people will be curious. This is one of the last of the older-generation training portals that remained unbeaten. There are some people who say it was made by Gelwin himself! As soon as I have time, I''ll have you brought before Mouldir and me to recount how you finished it. Probably later tonight after supper or tomorrow morning."


    Irwin''s blood ran cold, but he nodded, about to lick his lips out of habit. Then, realizing they weren''t all that dry, he stopped.


    "Now, having beaten a training portal without any practice means you are among the top performers," she said, grinning broadly. "Who would have thought that someone your size would do this well."


    Irwin forced himself to smile, not sure what else to do.


    Lady Yrinta turned to the others. "That means that this group is going to be joining the others that will be trained by me, Mouldir and some of the other high rank sorcerers."


    The others all seemed stunned, though Irwin saw Twintin was close to crying.


    "I''ll bring you all back to your room so you can rest. Then I''ll bring you along to get your reward," Lady Yrinta said, pointing at Irwin.


    A card! Irwin almost shouted as he thought about it. If he got a card now and one from Ambraz, that meant he''d only need to combine them, and he''d be a full-hand! He knew there was more to it, but he couldn''t stop the wide grin from growing.


    Lady Yrinta moved forward, beckoning them along, and Irwin quickly jumped after her. She seemed nice now, but from what he''d just seen with Jonathan, he had no interest in seeing her anger targeting him. Someone ran up next to him, and he looked up to see Greldo grinning at him.


    "Thanks so much for finishing that. I don''t think I could have gone in again¡­ all that dying¡­ I won''t sleep another night without nightmares."


    "Don''t worry, boys," a deep whisper came, and both boys saw the guard step up on Irwin''s other side. "As you get more cards, your mind becomes tougher. I''ve not had a restless night since I became a full-hand!"


    Irwin sighed in relief, noting Greldo did the same. "Thank you," he said, getting a nod and a grin from the guard, who then dropped back.


    Irwin heard him ask Daubutim about his age just as he turned back to Greldo. "What happened after I managed to run?" he whispered.


    Greldo grimaced and got a far-off look. "I pushed Twintin into the molten rock, then jumped in after her. Daubutim and Olban did the same. Rachel..."


    Irwin swallowed as Greldo shook his head softly.


    He took a quick look over his shoulder and saw that Daubutim seemed his normal, stoic self, answering the guard''s question with short, dull answers. Rachel was trailing at the back, staring at the ground with her arms wrapped around her.


    I should have come back to help, Irwin thought as he clenched his fists closer, feeling Ambraz poke in his palm. Even if he couldn''t have done a lot¡­ he had left them to their own devices and-


    "It''s not your fault," Greldo hissed, and Irwin started as he felt the other''s strong grip around his thin upper arm. "You couldn''t even stand, let alone fight to help."


    Irwin didn''t respond, but as they continued after Lady Yrinta, he couldn''t lose the feeling that he''d failed. Bronwyn had always told him heroic tales when they were younger, and this didn''t match it at all.


    The trip back seemed over before he knew it, and Lady Yrinta stopped before their door.


    "You have the rest of the day to yourself. Before evening, the dinner bell will ring, and you are expected down. Just follow the stairs back to the main hall and find a table. Now, Irwin, follow me."


    Irwin quickly walked after her, getting a final excited thumbs up from Greldo and a jealous one from Olban. The others had already entered their room, probably too tired to care.


    "Irwin, I''m going to bring you to a place you will hopefully frequent more in the future. It''s the card library, which holds our collection of common and uncommon cards. There, you will be allowed your choice of a predetermined set of cards that has been set aside for those finishing the training portals. I suggest you think carefully about your choice. I was told you have a common utility card involving fire. My suggestion would be to pick one of the body enhancement cards. You will need it, even if it takes a while before their effects set in," Lady Yrinta said.


    She spoke in a calm, commanding tone that reminded Irwin of Teacher Rhym when he was in front of the class.


    "I was planning on that," he muttered.


    "Speak clearly. You are to be a sorcerer. Start to act like one!"


    "Yes," Irwin said, louder but with a shudder. "I was planning to get a card that strengthens my body."


    "Good."


    Lady Yrinta didn''t say anything else as they crossed a few hallways and climbed up another stair. Halfway through, Irwin''s legs were shaking, and he shivered.


    Winter must be coming faster in the mountains, he thought, almost missing the warmth of the lava-filled cavern.


    Eventually, they reached a spacious antechamber with a double door on one end. They swung open smoothly before they arrived, and a tall, slender man in a dark robe looked at them.


    "Ah, Lady Yrinta. Is this the one that succeeded where so many failed?" the man spoke in an oily, oddly accented voice.


    "Yes, Bellemui. This is Irwin, who only joined us today."


    "Today, you say? My, my."


    Bellemui''s eyes widened, and Irwin barely suppressed a shiver as the light gray eyes pierced into his before dropping to his hand.


    "And just one card? Surprising¡­ Well. Only an hour to supper, so let us hurry this along then. Irwin, follow me."


    Bellemui stepped back in while Lady Yrinta stopped at the door, merely taking a glance inside.


    "Someone will be here to guide you back after your choice is made," she said. "We will see each other either tonight or tomorrow."


    Lady Yrinta scanned his face for a moment, then turned and walked away, the guard following after her like a shadow.


    "Yes, yes, she''s gone. Come now, boy, I don''t have all day," Bellemui called from inside.


    Irwin stepped into the room, which was long, with dozens of small doors on each side, ending in a circular staircase leading up.


    More doors, he thought, wondering if there were portals behind those.


    In the center of the room was a round wooden construction, elevated and with a door on the side. Bellemui moved towards the left side of the room.


    "Normally, someone else would be helping you, but we had already closed for the day," Bellemui said as he stopped before the third door. The doors had symbols on them, and the one before him had one of a flexed arm. "This is the room with common body enhancement cards. I suggest you pick one that suits you, either something with fire if one remains or a generic one. Those would more easily combine."


    Bellemui pulled open the door, revealing a small room with walls lined with shelves. On the shelves stood metallic, gleaming pages with cards on them and text etched on the side. From a quick glance, Irwin counted at least a hundred. Bellemui stepped inside, then next to the door.


    "Now, go and take a look. I don''t think I need to mention this, but I''ll just do so to be clear. If you attempt to steal anything, you won''t live to reach this door. Thievery of cards is one of the few crimes we punish with death, and even that, sadly, hasn''t helped abolish it entirely. My cards allow me to notice any card that is taken from its slot, so¡­ leave them inside until you find the one you want. Then take it and see me at the main desk. Now, you have less than an hour."


    Irwin shivered at the coldness in Bellemui''s tone and watched as the tall man moved away, leaving the door open.


    "Good, I''d thought he''d never leave," a soft whisper came from his clenched hand, startling Irwin. "Now, put me in your shirt already. Your hand is sweaty."


    Irwin turned from the door, blocking what he was doing with his body, and quickly pushed the tiny Anvil inside his shirt.


    "Good. One hour? Then you need to make a choice. If you want to become a smith, I can help you become the best in this world¡­ well, maybe. If not, I''ll help you reforge one into something better," Ambraz whispered.


    Irwin thought about Randal and his sons, sweating away in their smithies, creating farm utensils and weaponry all day. He had no idea what he wanted for his life, but somehow, he couldn''t imagine doing something like that.


    "Don''t decide now," Ambraz whispered, perhaps having noted his reluctance. "Go see what they have here, and hurry. You have an hour!"


    At least on that, they could agree, Irwin thought as he moved towards the shelves. He took the metallic page from the shelf and stared at it in wonder.


    So many cards, he thought.

 Chapter 16: Bacon and porridge

    Irwin gazed dully at the card before him, waiting for Ambraz''s opinion. He didn''t even bother to ask what the flowing handwriting next to the card said. His initial joy at all the cards had been tempered by the Anvil''s increasing despair at the quality of the cards. A soft rumbling from his stomach showed that he''d not had anything to eat since the large meal that Xourdin had given them back home.


    "Another one of these partial things! Durable fingers, even if I reforge it, it will be no better than Durable hands! Bah," the tiny Anvil whispered, his voice dripping with disgust.


    Irwin shrugged and returned the card to the shelf, looking around. He''d looked at half of the cards in the room, and so far, not a single one seemed good enough for Ambraz.


    Well, if he doesn''t like any, I''ll just take the one I think is best, Irwin thought as he moved to the next card.


    Before he could even see what it was, Ambraz hummed, something he''d not done before. "Oh! Now, this is more like it," he whispered. "If there''s nothing better, this would do."


    Irwin focused on the card, which had an image of a tiny skeleton. "What''s it called?" he whispered.


    "Metallic Skeleton," Ambraz whispered before quickly reading out what the text next to it read. "The common version of metallic skeleton makes your bones nearly indestructible but also increases their weight exponentially! It''s very good, but pay attention! Don''t take this skill unless you have a body-strengthening card that has tempered your body for at least a year! Otherwise, you might not be able to move for months as your body adjusts."


    "I don''t think I can use this," Irwin said as he swallowed back his rising fear of being squashed by the weight of his own bones. "I can barely move my current body weight¡­"


    "Bah, what does it matter if you can''t move for a while? It''ll give you more time to learn. Besides, after I reforge it, the weight should become less restrictive."


    Should? Irwin thought, not hearing a lot of certainty in the other''s voice.


    He quickly moved to the next card, which got a disgusted grunt from Ambraz, as did the next six. Irwin absently wondered who wrote the texts on the cards.


    There was a startled hiss that drew him back to reality.


    "Where did they find this," Ambraz whispered. "Whatever dropped this must have had a soulskill one step away from growing to Amethyst¡­ It deserves a place among the uncommons and would probably need to be among the best there."


    Irwin excitedly listened as Ambraz read the name and text in an excited whisper.


    "Simple small hammer. A utility hammer that can be used for smaller smithing jobs. Only take this if you have another smithing card and want to endeavor on a crafter''s path."


    "It''s horrible," Irwin muttered with a surprised blink.


    "What? Are you dense? It is incredibly rare to find an item summoning card among the commons! Besides, I can reforge it into something much better. Wait, where are you going?"


    Irwin sighed, ignoring Ambraz. First, bones that he couldn''t carry, then a hammer that would be useless except to a crafter. He was starting to realize that Ambraz and he were on a very different path. He continued examining the other cards until he reached one that drew his eye. It was a dazzling red eye with a flaming eyebrow.


    "Scoffs at a wonderful hammer then drools over a common fire card," Ambraz whispered, sounding annoyed. He''d not said anything about the other cards except for a few sad sighs.


    "What does it do?" Irwin asked, waiting and hoping Ambraz would respond. He really should learn how to read!


    "Hmm, there is one interesting combination to be made with that," Ambraz whispered, sounding more interested suddenly. "I can reforge it for you, and if you combine it, it will give you a short-range fire burst from your eyes. That''d be perfect for forging smaller items."


    "What does it do?" Irwin asked again, annoyed.


    With a soft cough, Ambraz read the card. "Eyes of Blaze is a utility card that is good for appraisers as it infuses you with the ability to discern the general nature of unslotted cards. As a common, it requires you to inspect the card for a minimum of ten minutes while not being usable on slotted cards. The added benefit is that it will enhance your body by tempering it with heat. A decent body card with the oddity of having two effects. Still, unless you have a fire card or really like the first ability, there are better body improvement cards due to the limited heat people can handle."


    Body tempering, Irwin thought as he looked at the card. It was fire and body, which meant it would probably be fairly easy to combine with his own card. Besides that, with it, he''d be able to increase his physique, hopefully in weeks instead of months.


    And if it works better, the hotter I get, Irwin thought, recalling how easily he had handled nearly all of the heat in the portal.


    "What happens if you reforge it?" he whispered, suddenly realizing he didn''t even know what that did. He''d sort of just assumed it would make the card better¡­ but how?


    "I will upgrade it one rank to uncommon," Ambraz said softly as if that was obvious.


    Irwin''s hand froze halfway toward the card.


    "You can do that?" he whispered. "Can you-" he licked his lips, then frowned. Why did he keep doing that? "Can you reforge uncommon to rare?"


    "What? No, of course not! That''d be ridiculous," Ambraz whispered.


    Right, Irwin thought as he nodded to himself.


    "I''d need the help of a smith to do that, of course."


    Of course, Irwin thought, suddenly very much liking the idea of becoming a smith. "Can you go higher?" he whispered excitedly.


    "Well, it depends on the smith, but theoretically, yes. There are a ton of requirements, but-"


    "From epic to legendary?" Irwin asked, barely able to keep his voice down.


    "Maybe¡­ probably¡­ but it would require a smith unlike any that this backwater plain has."


    "But there are smiths like that?" Irwin asked.


    "Beyond this place? Of course, there are! Lots!"


    "Could you teach me how to become that good?" Irwin whispered.


    Ambraz remained quiet for a while before sighing. "To become that good requires a smith that loves the craft, not someone who does it for his own benefit."


    Irwin barely heard him, only hearing the implications. So, Ambraz could teach someone to reforge cards, even from epic to legendary. Even if he didn''t want to sweat in a shop, the benefits were making him salivate. His body would be tempered by the work and the card, and he might be able to reforge his first card to legendary. His heart began pounding at the idea of helping his brother become stronger and earn enough for his mum not to have to work herself to the breaking point. He could even-


    Irwin cut off the line of thought he was about to go on, trying to shove back what his mother had said about his late father. One step at a time, he thought, taking a deep sigh. That would be a thing for later. Maybe.


    His stomach rumbled as if to agree.


    "As a smith, will my weak body hold me back?" he suddenly muttered, fearing what the answer would be.


    "Not really, well¡­ yes, but only for a few months, maybe a year? Your body is already slowly growing stronger. You just need better food, time, and practice," Ambraz said before sniffing. "But, I''m not sure I should teach you. I can''t shake the feeling that you are only doing this to get things."


    "What else is there in the world?" Irwin whispered, surprised. "If my mother had things, she wouldn''t look twice her age from the work she did. With things, my brother wouldn''t have to risk his life closing portals. With things, I could have had a card when they found out my body was¡­ like this¡­ and I''d have had a better life!"


    "You alright in there, boy? Your time is almost over!"


    Irwin quickly looked back, but Bellemui wasn''t anywhere around.


    "I''m alright, almost done," Irwin called out.


    "You shouldn''t speak so loud," Ambraz whispered before sighing. "¡­ What you said is partially right. But you have to realize material goods won''t necessarily bring you happiness."


    "Unhappy people will always find things to be unhappy about," Irwin automatically repeated one of his mum''s favorite sayings.


    "Yes¡­" Ambraz said, sounding conflicted.


    He was quiet for a few moments before sighing. "Alright. I''ll teach you, but you must listen to my advice."


    Irwin nodded, turning around and moving towards the hammer. If he had to take the useless utility item he¡­ he¡­ wait, how was he going to survive the portal tomorrow like he was now? With some tiny hammer, he''d be as weak as he was now.


    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "What''s wrong?" Ambraz whispered.


    "They will make me go into another portal soon," Irwin whispered, the idea of reforging his card to legendary suddenly seeming incredibly far away. And what after that portal? He''d have to enter another, and another, until he died.


    "So? You managed to find me, right?" Ambraz hissed. "They won''t ask you to enter anything but a quartz¡­ errr¡­ common portal yet, so what''s the problem?"


    "I died many times before I found you," Irwin whispered. "I''ll be sent outside in a few weeks, months at most. I won''t just reset to life in a real portal!"


    "Oh," Ambraz replied. "You died? To those Quartz rank imps?"


    "I''m almost sixteen years with a body weaker than that of a twelve-year-old and I have no combat cards," Irwin hissed, barely able to contain his voice. "What do you expect?"


    Ambraz was quiet, then snorted. "Well, not a lot yet, I guess. Fine, as much as it pains me, go pick up that eye card. You can combine it with your own before tomorrow, and I can reforge it later. That will give your original card some boost and should increase the speed at which your body improves. We''ll just have to hope nobody takes the hammer before you close another portal and earn another time in here or that you find a better one."


    "Later?" Irwin asked, slightly confused. He''d hoped Ambraz would reforge it now.


    "Well, of course. Or do you want to explain how you got an uncommon card? That guy sounded pretty clear," Ambraz whispered, sounding amused. "Even if you can, they will then make you enter uncommon portals, and I''m rather sure you will die within ten seconds."


    Irwin deflated as he recalled that reforging meant making it a level higher. Perhaps he could figure out a way to make them believe he found one, but Ambraz was right. Going into uncommon portals would...


    ¡­ wait¡­


    What about the other girl? Taselina? Perhaps she hadn''t had to enter portals yet? The problem was only with common portals right now... what if he got an uncommon card and was allowed to practice here for a year instead of having to leave in a few weeks?


    But that would mean Greldo would have to go alone, a tiny voice whispered in his mind, and Irwin felt miserable.


    "Did anyone ever tell you that you sigh a lot?" Ambraz whispered. "Now hurry. Bellemui is returning."


    Irwin quickly shoved Ambraz in his shirt while grabbing the page with the Eyes of Blaze. As he turned, Bellemui stepped into the room.


    "Ah, good, you finally found something. Nobody can say you aren''t thorough... Now, let me see it."


    Irwin handed over the page, and Bellemui nodded thoughtfully.


    "Not a bad choice¡­ it will give you plenty of choices during combination, and although it won''t make you a physical powerhouse, it should help offset your disabilities with time." He tapped the card, and his own hand glowed. A second later, the Eyes of Blaze let go of the page, sliding into Bellemui''s hand, who gave it to Irwin.


    "Now, I would advise you to slot it now and do the combination tonight or tomorrow. As much as the guards try to keep the peace, if someone sees you with an unslotted card, I can''t promise you will still have it when you reach your room. There are still a lot of sorcerers that follow Uxin''tar''s old rules."


    Though the wording suggested it wasn''t an order, the tone left no doubt that it was.


    Irwin swallowed, looked at the card, and let out a long breath. No sense in waiting. Under Bellemui''s watchful gaze, he placed the card on the back of his hand. A burning, flickering glow erupted from his first card as the second vanished, and a tiny second drawing appeared on his hand. It was faint, as all commons were. Both cards burned with a fiery light then faded and turned to thin, hard-to-see lines.


    There was a slight rush, and then he felt his body relaxing. Though, he could be mistaken. Perhaps it was just the stress that left him.


    "Good, there is a resonance there, which will make it easy to combine them later. Make sure to think well about the effects you want to be boosted because they can''t be changed," Bellemui said as he placed a hand on Irwin''s shoulder and guided him to the door. "Now, you have no more time to go back to your room, so I''ve asked one of the guards to guide you to the central room for supper."


    Irwin nodded, unable to keep the smile from his face. Although it felt like he''d been here for a week or longer, in reality, he''d only arrived this morning, and already he had a second card! He couldn''t wait to try it out.


    The door opened, and he saw a guard leaning against the opposite wall as Bellemui gently pushed him out.


    "Good. Now, I hope I see you again, Irwin. You seem like a nice boy, though somewhat slow in choosing. Goodbye," Bellemui said before closing the door with a final nod.


    "Not bad. Bellemui usually doesn''t like new people," the guard said in a sly, oily voice. "Wonder why that is¡­."


    Irwin looked up, suddenly cold. The guard was looking at him with narrow, glittering eyes. "Let''s go. I need to make sure you are where you''re supposed to be on time."


    Irwin didn''t respond but silently walked after the guard. His neck hair rose as the guard looked over his shoulder a few times.


    "Not sure how a scrawny kid like you did it," the guard finally muttered. "Means the solution''s not a strength or stamina-based thing."


    When Irwin didn''t respond, the guard grunted as he led him deeper down the building.


    After a while, a loud hubbub came from a hallway in the distance, and Irwin hoped it was their destination. The constant looks of the guard were creeping him out. Even if Lady Yrinta hadn''t warned him, he''d not have wanted to tell this guy anything. The guard slowed and stopped halfway in the hallway, looking at him with a frown.


    "Are you smart, kid?"


    Irwin wasn''t sure how to answer and shrugged. "Not sure," he said, which caused the guard''s frown to increase. Then he huffed and jabbed a finger through the hallway. "There''s the diner. Careful who you talk to."


    The guard followed him with gleaming eyes until he reached the open door at the end of the hallway. The deafening sound of hundreds of people talking came from inside, and Irwin looked to see something that resembled a massive inn. Small, square tables were everywhere, some shoved together to create longer areas, all filled with people roughly his age or slightly older chatting.


    I wonder where Greldo and the others are, Irwin thought.


    He took a look back to see what the guard was doing, but the suspicious guy was gone, so he walked into the room. There was a table filled with food to the far right with a long line, and he decided to get food first, then search for the others.


    It took almost ten minutes for the row to move forward far enough for him to grab a large wooden plate and some cutlery. Then another ten before he walked away, saliva watering his mouth as he smelled the porridge, bacon, eggs, and odd bread rolls an arm''s length from his nose.


    "Irwin, over here!"


    He looked up to see Greldo wave him over from between a few tables. He had a mug in his hand and a rosy glow on his cheeks.


    Irwin dodged around people to reach him, and as he came close, he smelled the sickly scent of Shril. It was coming from Greldo''s mug.


    "What? It''s just one mug. We aren''t allowed more," Greldo said, voice louder than normal and with a wide grin on his face. "You should try some. It''s really great!"


    Irwin frowned, remembering how his mother had behaved after two, and quickly shook his head.


    "Suit yourself! Let''s go. The others are waiting," Greldo said happily, seeming uncaring that Irwin wanted none of his joy.


    Irwin followed Greldo to a table near the far wall, and he noticed most of the children here wore clothing similar to his instead of the luxurious armor or colorful attire that he''d seen near the food and drinks area.


    Rachel, Twintin, and Olban sat there, each with a mug and a big stupid grin.


    "Daubutim ate as much as the rest of us and then headed back. Something about it being too loud and him being sleepy, if you can believe it," Greldo shouted as he dropped into a chair before taking another gulp of his drink.


    Irwin just sat down and instantly dug in. As the first of the food arrived in his stomach, it seemed to realize there was more to be had, and it rumbled, then clenched almost painfully.


    Yes, yes, Irwin thought as he continued stuffing himself.


    "I was going to ask if you were seriously going to eat all of that," Rachel said softly, and Irwin looked up while swallowing a large chunk of porridge-drenched bread to see her stare at him. "But I think we might have to get you some more."


    Olban laughed far too hard, then burped and put his head on his arms. Everyone ignored him.


    Looking at his half-empty plate and feeling his stomach, Irwin wondered if she was serious. Deciding that it was worth a try, he nodded. "That''d be great, especially some more bacon and porridge!"


    Rachel gawked while Twintin giggled loudly before getting up and pulling Rachel along. "Come on, let''s get him some more before he eats us instead," she said, sounding way too happy.


    Irwin looked at the cups of Shril they left behind, suddenly a bit curious. They seemed really happy, and even Rachel showed none of the downtrodden, depressed behavior of only hours before.


    "Try a sip!" Greldo said as he held out his mug.


    Irwin put it below his nose and sniffed. A scent sweeter than the baker''s sugar pastries made him almost gag, and he shook his head as he pushed it back.


    "No thanks, not my taste," he said as he took a quick bite of his last bacon to get rid of the sweet sensation in the back of his throat.


    "No worries, more for me," Greldo said, taking a sip. Then he put the mug away and leaned forward, glancing at Irwin''s hand. "So¡­ what did you choose?" he whispered.


    Irwin continued eating until his plate was empty, enjoying the slowly increasing annoyance on Greldo''s face. He grinned as he wiped the last gravy with his bread and stuffed it in his mouth.


    "Weeeellll," he said before slowly holding out his hand for Greldo to inspect.


    "It looks like an eye," Greldo muttered, slightly slurred. "Weren''t you going to get a body enhancement one?" He poked Irwin''s shoulder as if to add to his remark.


    "This is a body enhancement one," Irwin said.


    He was about to add the other things it did, then held back. Even if he could tell Greldo, there were far too many others around. He''d not yet thought about the second part of the card, and he wondered what kind of information he''d get. Would it be like what was on the card pages?


    "Well, I hope so," Greldo said suddenly without a smile. "Tomorrow is going to be pretty horrible, I think. I''ve heard rumors that we weren''t the only group that did well, and those that arrived yesterday went through their first day of training. Apparently it was horrible."


    Irwin grimaced, then shrugged. "It''s better than real portals," he said.


    "Oh, that''s for sure," Greldo said, leaning forward. "The group over there-" he pointed to a table four apart where four slightly older youths sat, staring into cups or at the table. "They are from last year''s batch and have been doing real portals. They lost two of their group and only survived because they fled back out."


    "You can flee out?" Irwin said, surprised and worried at the same time.


    "Apparently, but not from all portals. It depends on where you spawn."


    "There was no exit from the training portal," Irwin muttered.


    "No kidding," Greldo said, taking another sip. "Ah, the girls are faster than you were. Put up a smile before Rachel starts crying again."


    Irwin tried, but as he looked up and saw the girls come over with another plate with even more food, his crooked smile instantly turned genuine.


    "Here you go! They wouldn''t allow us more and said we''d have to eat it first," Twintin said as Rachel put the plate before him with a big grin.


    "Thanks," Irwin said, then blinked as Twintin put a large mug before him. He was about to reject it when he realized there was no Shril in it but clear water.


    "And thanks again," he said, grinning as he took a long gulp. The water went down like in a bottomless pit, and when he lowered the mug, it was empty, and everyone was looking at him again.


    "What? It''s my first drink since-"


    Greldo kicked him, but it was too late. Rachel''s smile withered, and she quickly grabbed her own mug, taking a long drink before looking at it with glassy eyes.


    Irwin sighed, not sure what to say, so he focused on eating his new food. As hungry as he was, even his new card-gifted bottomless stomach couldn''t deal with all the food they had brought, and eventually, they were all munching on some small bits of bacon.


    When everyone was yawning, Greldo got up somewhat unsteadily. "Let''s go. I''m tired," he said, prodding Olban until he woke up.


    Yes, because I need to combine my cards, Irwin thought, wondering if he could do so without the others noticing. Perhaps he could find a quiet place?

 Chapter 17: Combining

    Irwin took a deep breath as he gazed at the back of his hand. He was in the room beside the one they had been given, which had conveniently been empty. At first, he''d wondered about that, but after some more looking around, he''d found theirs was the only occupied room in their hallway and decided it was probably just Jonathan again. After telling Greldo where he was, he''d locked the door from the inside by shoving a bed in front and was now sitting at the opposite wall, at the fireplace.


    The fire was crackling softly, the heat slowly warming the stone-cold room.


    Ambraz was flying around him, the tiny metal wings a softly whining blur moving so fast he couldn''t make out any details.


    "I can''t believe you got this and have no idea what it does," the Anvil muttered.


    "Keep your voice down," Irwin whispered, glancing at the door. "I don''t want someone to listen in and ask who I was talking with."


    "I can detect any low-ranked being within a few dozen feet around us," Ambraz whispered. "There''s nothing besides your sleeping friends."


    "Low?" Irwin muttered, confused for a moment.


    "Low. Common and uncommon is what you backwater plebs call it."


    Plebs? Irwin wondered what that was. Then he took a deep breath. "No, I don''t know exactly what my card does. Can you tell me?"


    "Ugh, you will have to take it out for a moment," Ambraz said as he hovered lower, the airflow from his wings cooling Irwin''s hand.


    Irwin stared at Ambraz stupidly, not believing what he just heard. Since when could you remove cards? Worse, what if someone stole it when he had it out?


    He looked around, suddenly worried the closed door wasn''t good enough.


    "Can someone take it after I remove it?" he whispered.


    "What? No! Only if you unslot it," Ambraz said. "But don''t do that. It will damage the card!"


    Irwin blinked, then licked his dry lips. "How do I take it out?"


    "Dear elders, you know nothing¡­ Put your other hand over it and will it out."


    Slightly afraid, Irwin did as told, thinking as hard as he could to have his first card back in his hand. There was a tiny bit of resistance, followed by a mental click. Accompanied by a bright flash, a solid sense filled his right hand.


    "Good, now hold still for a moment. Oh, and remind me to teach you reading so you can use your second card''s skill next time!"


    Irwin didn''t answer, staring at his card in wonder. He''d never expected to see it again, and as he inspected it, he was slightly sad that it looked just as simple as any other common he''d seen while searching for a proper second card. The only difference was the wavy line at the top.


    "Do all epic cards look like commons?" he whispered.


    "Quiet, let me focus. And, no. Your card has a type that makes it do that, probably a mutation or, if you are really lucky, the growth type. Now, if you are quiet for a moment, I can figure out what it is!"


    Irwin nodded stupidly, staring at his card. So it will get stronger after I combine it with Eyes of the Blaze?


    "Ohhh my¡­ I don''t know where someone found this, but¡­ this is something!" Ambraz whispered, sounding incredibly enthusiastic. "It''s called Fire-sensitive Body, and even for a special card, it''s something else. I was joking just now, but it actually does have the Growth property! That means you can increase its power and effectiveness through skill and training!"


    "What? That can''t be right," Irwin muttered. "Bronwyn said it was called Flickerlight!"


    "Don''t doubt my abilities! I''ve never been wrong in reading a card, and if I tell you it''s called Fire-sensitive Body, then that''s its name."


    Irwin hesitated to double down on what his brother had told him, then held his mouth. For a moment, he wondered if Ambraz was lying to him, but that made no sense. The Anvil wanted him to become a smith. What use would it have to lie to him? No¡­ perhaps Bronwyn had been wrong? Or had the card Bronwyn had found been swapped out at some time?


    Still¡­


    It doesn''t sound that impressive, he thought.


    "Don''t look that disappointed, you ungrateful brat!" Ambraz snapped before taking a deep breath.


    "Listen to what it does first. Besides all the passive effects to your body that lower rank cards grant, it increases your resistance to fire by a great deal. It goes so far that while in fire, you get an effect similar to Greater Rapid Regeneration, which is a rare card. It does have the nasty side effect of decreasing your tolerance to cold, but we might be able to limit the trouble from that. Perhaps a thicker coat until we find cards to offset it. I''ll think about it."


    Ambraz hummed a bit while Irwin''s frown deepened. He looked at his card with a growing worry. It was more often cold than warm in this part of the world. Very cold. Especially in the winter. What was he to do now? Stay inside until summer?


    Greater Rapid Regeneration sounds awesome, though. I guess that''s what happened back in the training portal, he thought as he raised his hand. Wait. Did that mean his regeneration would drop if he was somewhere cold?


    "Right, either way. There''s more. You get the ability to see in the dark, but best of all, you can summon that flame. It''s a pretty handy one, with the ability to drain the heat from other nearby heat sources," Ambraz said before falling quiet for a moment, humming thoughtfully.


    "It might also have something else because there''s something odd about the card that makes it hard to read. It might be why your brother gave it another name. Perhaps whoever inspected it couldn''t see through the oddities. Anyway, my suggestion is to focus on that active flame part of the card when you combine it with Eyes of Blaze. I''m not exactly sure what the combined effect will be, but the flame will likely grow stronger, while the body tempering part of Eyes of Blaze should increase. "


    Irwin didn''t reply, slightly overwhelmed by the deluge of information Ambraz dumped on him.


    "Give me a moment," he muttered.


    He leaned back and stared at the door without really seeing it, his card clenched in his fist. It was hard to believe how many effects his special card had, and he thought about the paltry few things he knew about the card-rarities. Commons had almost always only one effect and no inherent benefit. The best commons were thought to be single-type body enhancement cards and the smaller summons. Uncommons had a slight passive effect that increased the strength of his body. They were also the first cards that held augmented weapon summons and summons suited for battle.


    Rares¡­ well, he barely knew anything about those except for some rumors. For instance, a rare single-type body-focused card, one that increased strength, was said to make you stronger than any other person. Well, besides carded people who also had similar cards¡­ or better ones, which he knew next to nothing about.


    "What would happen if I combined the regeneration part of the card with the body tempering?" he asked.


    "Well, first off, I''d call you a fool because it''s a waste of that flame. Beyond that¡­ I don''t know. If you are lucky, only the benefits of the fire-sensitivity would go up. If you''re out of luck, the cold sensitivity also increases, which might become a problem."


    "Right¡­ What other options are there?"


    Ambraz hummed a bit, seemingly deep in thought, before he continued. "Potentially, you combine the flame with the other effect of Blaze. Though, as just a common, you won''t get the eyebeam. You might get some odd ability. I don''t know much about combining high-rank cards with low-rank cards... It''s not really something that''s done much."


    Irwin licked his lips, then berated himself for it, and asked something that he''d worried about but kept forgetting to ask. "Can you still reforge a card after it has been slotted?"


    "Yes, but after it''s been combined with the one beside it, I can only increase what is already there. Before that, I can change some things as long as I stay within the card''s normal parameters and typing. If you combine them all into a full-hand it becomes impossible."


    Irwin quietly thought for a while, then put his card on his slot and watched it vanish. "What will give me the biggest chance to survive in real portals?"


    "What I said initially," Ambraz stated, sounding absolutely sure of himself. "Besides your flame becoming stronger and becoming a more effective weapon, the passive effect of Eyes of Blaze will be improved from being bound to a much higher rank card. It might even rival a normal body improvement card."


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    "Okay, let''s do that," Irwin said before staring at the tiny Anvil.


    Ambraz didn''t say anything, and Irwin licked his lips, waiting quietly.


    "You don''t know how to do that either," Ambraz said, sounding stunned.


    Irwin shook his head, not sure what kind of people Ambraz had been with before that they all knew these things. What he did know was that plebs probably wasn''t a compliment.


    "Hold your right hand over your left hand and focus on your two cards- wait¡­ can you even feel your second card yet?" Ambraz hissed.


    "Err¡­" Irwin looked at his hand and tried to sense the second card like he could the flame. For a moment, he thought he felt something burn in his eyes, then it was gone.


    "Practice that until you can feel it. After you succeed, we will continue," Ambraz said, sounding exasperated.


    For the next hour, Irwin focused on the second card. It took him twenty minutes to activate it normally by staring at it, which was a weird experience. His eyes became burning hot, and when he put his hand before them, there was a glow on his palm. If he looked at his cards, he saw them like burning red outlines on his hand, now easily able to make out their images. If his eyes hadn''t turned into miniature torches, showing he was doing something, he''d have tried using it on the others later just to see their images.


    Another half an hour passed before he managed to enable the skill without staring at the card, at which point Ambraz whispered something.


    "What was that?" Irwin asked as he stopped trying to use the Eyes of Blaze skill.


    "One of your ancestors must have been an interesting person for you to sense and use a card this fast," Ambraz said. "I had thought it would cost you all evening, but you are doing very well. Continue."


    My ancestors? Irwin wondered what Ambraz meant by that. He let his mind wander for a few seconds, then pushed the questions away and continued.


    Another fifteen minutes later, he could more or less start the skill when he wanted, playing around by illuminating the shadowy corner of the room. He grinned as he saw the two round areas of ruddy light on the wall. His mum would have liked this. It''d have saved candles. Not that he really needed those, as even the darkest corners were easily visible to his red night vision.


    "That should be fine. I think you should combine the cards now," Ambraz interrupted him.


    Irwin nodded and went back to sitting on the bed next to the fireplace.


    "So, as I was saying. Put your right hand over your cards and try to sense them both. As soon as you do, focus on the flame, but only pull up the Eyes of the Blaze. If you don''t focus on the eye''s ability, you will lose any chance of controlling which ability the merge will enhance."


    Hand covering his cards, Irwin had no trouble picturing the flame, but connecting to the Eyes of the Blaze while only focusing on the body reforging part took a little effort. Eventually, he had a fleeting moment where he was able to link them.


    "Okay, will them together," Ambraz whispered, seeming to sense he was ready. "Just like with taking out the card!"


    Irwin held the two senses and began thinking about merging them, having them as a single thing, and combining them. For a moment, nothing happened, then a burst of light came from both cards, and the faint images of the flame and the eye began pulsing. Lines of fiery red ran towards each other, like spilled ink running across some paper and moving toward the other card''s outline. Where they touched, sparks flew up, and a beautiful pattern of thin, intertwining flame tendrils emerged.


    Irwin stared at it in wonder when a burning sensation started in his body. Within moments, he felt like he was back in the cavern near the lava, then it faded as suddenly as it had come to be replaced by an intense cold. He started shivering, his teeth clacking together, and he wrapped his arms around himself.


    "Wha-t, i..s going o-n," he whispered, his teeth constantly threatening to bite on his tongue and cheeks.


    Ambraz was hovering nearby, and the tiny mouth was pursed in a frown. "It has to be the effect of the combination, but-"


    A dull, droning noise drowned Ambraz''s voice, and Irwin looked around, suddenly terrified.


    There was no source, and his body curled in on itself to try and find warmth. As he saw the flickering flames in the fireplace, he felt a tiny bit of warmth come from it. By now, his hands were like ice, and he couldn''t even feel his feet anymore. Ignoring the Anvil flying around him, he crawled from the bed and stumbled towards the fireplace. As he got closer, he felt the warmth from it, and he moved within arm''s reach from the crackling wood.


    Did I accidentally combine the other part of my card? he thought as he stretched out his hands.


    Slowly, he felt the blood begin to flow within them, but it was not enough. Not enough heat, he thought. A cold stab came from his chest, and he sucked in a breath. Was he going to die?


    No!


    Without thinking, he put his hand in the flame, and instantly, warmth flowed into it, pushing away the freezing cold. Realizing what he''d done, he was about to yank it back out when he noticed that there was none of the burning pain that he should be feeling. Not even a little. Instead, his hand was the only part of himself that felt anywhere near good.


    Irwin moved closer and put his other hand, followed by his entire arm, into the fire, the warming effect of it spreading rapidly. He was about to step into the fireplace when he saw his sleeve begin to burn, the thick cloth turning black, and he quickly pulled his arms back.


    Shivering but without hesitation, he removed his clothes, which took longer than it had ever had. When he was as naked as a newborn, he carefully put his now blue foot into the fire. A sizzling warmth came from it, and the cold seemed to flee up his leg. No longer worrying about the consequences, Irwin stepped forward and kneeled in the fireplace, trying not to disturb the wood and accidentally douse the fire. Within moments, the droning sound left.


    "Incredible¡­ Never seen anything like this," Ambraz''s voice muttered, and he realized the Anvil had been speaking for a while now.


    "Ambraz," he whispered. "What is happening?"


    "Ah! You''re awake! Summon your flame, quick! Its heat should help even more than the fireplace."


    Irwin wanted to kick himself for not thinking of it. He held out his hand, and a palm-length flame erupted above it, an intense heat spreading from the bright fire. At the same time, the fire around him began whirling through the air towards the flame on his hand, which began growing even faster. Before he even had the time to cut off the skill, all the fire in the fireplace had disappeared, while the flame had grown another half-a-hand length. The heat from it was rapidly pushing back any tiny bits of lingering cold that had remained in his body. A soft glow from the corner of his eye made him look up and he saw the stones of the fireplace were turning a dull red from the heat.


    "Did I make a mistake?" Irwin asked, looking at the flame. He wondered how much bigger it could get now.


    "No. I did," Ambraz said with a weary sigh. "I underestimated the Fire-sensitive Body card. When it bonded with the Eyes of the Blaze, it increased its body tempering by fire ability but also added the cold weakness."


    "Does that mean I have to remain like this?" Irwin asked, unable to keep his voice from rising in pitch as he pictured having to stay naked in a room of fire forever.


    ¡°No, no,¡± Ambraz said. "Just until your body has gone through the initial tempering¡­ you will have to make sure not to combine your next card just willy-nilly. When you combine the last card of that hand, this will happen again, but it will be worse."


    "Worse?" Irwin thought, remembering his ice-cold feet, the shivering, and the fear of dying.


    "Yes, and when you combine them all together in a fullhand it will likely be very bad," Ambraz said, hovering before him. His lips were a thin line, and a soft sigh came from him. "Sorry, kid. If I''d known this, I would have told you to pick the hammer."


    "How.. how long?" Irwin whispered as he looked at his arm. He didn''t see much change. Perhaps his skin was a tiny bit darker, but that could just be the glow from the now orange stones in the fireplace, which he noticed had started cracking in places.


    "I''d say, probably ten to fifteen minutes," Ambraz said, but Irwin heard the uncertainty.


    "I thought you were the Anvil of the Gods," he snapped, barely able to keep raising his voice. "How come you don''t know these things?"


    "Well, yes. An Anvil of the gods," he muttered, whispering the first word.


    An? Irwin thought, staring at the tiny Anvil. What did he mean with an Anvil?


    Ambraz must have seen the question on his face and snorted.


    "What? I didn''t say I was the only one."


    "..."


    Irwin''s mouth fell open, and he was about to ask for an explanation when his body started to turn warm, then hot. He quickly moved his flame away from his body, but it barely helped. It was the heat from the now brightly glowing fireplace, and he quickly stepped out, releasing the flame before realizing what he was doing. He flinched, fearing the cold to return, but nothing happened. Instead, the heat turned from burning hot to bearable, and he sighed contentedly.


    Finally over, he thought.


    "Well, that went almost perfectly," Ambraz said as he hovered nearby, the wind from his wings a cool breeze on Irwin''s chest.


    A loud knocking on the door made him start and look up in fear.


    "Irwin Roddington. Master Mouldir and Lady Yrinta have requested your presence," a deep voice said. "Please stop what you are doing and follow us."


    Right, she asked me to come! Irwin thought, cursing himself for having forgotten. What if the guards had come half an hour earlier?


    He looked around in a panic, then down, and his eyes widened.


    Clothes!


    He jumped forward and began picking up the pieces of his undergarments that had been strewn about, glad to see none had any damage. He frowned as he pulled on his pants, which felt snug. It had been baggy before, and as he pulled on his rough, scratchy shirt, he felt the same around his chest. It wasn''t too tight, but he knew what it meant. He''d grown enough in a short time that it would be noticeable! As he finished with the rest, Ambraz flew over and into the inside pocket of his now well-fitting coat.


    A dull knock came. "Irwin, it is not good to keep the Lady waiting!"


    "Yes, coming," Irwin shouted as he picked up his boots and held them next to his feet.


    Those will never fit, he thought as he stared at the door.


    "Last warning, or we come in."


    Irwin shivered and ran to the door, noting his body moved better than he was used to while the pain he''d had before was now no more than a faint muscle ache. He wished he had time to see how much he''d improved, but that would have to wait till tonight. He pulled the bed away, noting it was still heavy but less so, then opened the door.


    A guard with a gray beard and an angry scowl looked at him.


    "We are not used to people barring doors here," he snapped as he looked at the bed.


    "Sorry," Irwin said, wanting to explain but not sure how to. Staring at the guard, who raised an eyebrow, he managed to hold back any response and just shrugged.


    "Whatever. Explain to them why you are late," the guard snapped. "Now, follow me!"

 Chapter 18: Interrogated

    He didn''t even look in the room, Irwin thought as he quickly followed the guard, his boots in hand.


    It took him only a few moments to sense another of the changes the body tempering had brought him, as he had a much easier time keeping up. He was still out of breath by the time the guard stopped in front of an intricately crafted door with a beautifully crafted handle, but at least he''d not had to ask for a break.


    I wonder if anybody is going to figure out something is different, he thought.


    There was also something else that he knew¡­ he needed a thicker coat. He couldn''t recall if the tower had felt this cold. Luckily, it was nothing compared to the cold he''d felt before, and he was pretty sure that a coat would be enough. Perhaps he could buy one with the coppers Bronwyn had gifted him?


    "Alright, put on your boots and go inside. Oh, and make sure to act like you are talking with the most important people you''ve ever met, who can make or break your life in an instant. Because you are," the guard grunted.


    Irwin looked at the boots, his shoulders dropping. "They don''t fit after I combined my cards," he finally said honestly, getting a surprised grunt from the guard.


    "... that won''t do," the guard grumbled, moving towards Irwin and sticking out his hand. "Give them."


    Irwin handed his boots over, unsure what was happening, and the man stepped away, raising his left hand. There was a bright flash, and a long, gleaming sword appeared. Irwin swallowed, afraid he was going to get gutted, but the guard just held out the boots. With a single, quick slash, he expertly slashed away the front toe area, which clattered to the floor.


    Irwin''s mouth fell open as he accepted the boots.


    "Now, put those on and make sure to use their titles when addressing them!"


    "I will," Irwin said, still startled. He sat down and put on the boots, staring dumbly at his dirty toes as they stuck out from the open end. As he got up, he wanted to thank the guard, but the man was already stomping away, his sword gone. He''d been brusk, but in the end, he had helped without complaint.


    I guess I''ll need to find a way to determine who is and who isn''t nice here, Irwin thought as he sighed.


    It was almost the same as back in school. Some people looked gruff but were willing to help, while others looked and talked nice but would find you after school to beat you up.


    "Are you coming in, or are you waiting for an invitation?" a loud roar came from behind the door.


    Irwin flinched and looked at the polished wood, wondering if he should knock, then swallowed and opened it.


    He stepped into a large room with a heavy-looking table and half a dozen chairs that stood in front of a library that had more books than Irwin had ever seen in one place before.


    There had to be hundreds!


    The shelves were packed with leatherbound, wood-bound, and some sort of gleaming metal-bound tomes, ranging from two fingers to a hand width in thickness. The leftmost shelf had a wooden sign with a word and the image of a flexing man on it. Irwin took two steps towards it when someone loudly cleared their throat.


    "Are you interested in books, Irwin?" Lady Yrinta asked, staring at him from one of the padded chairs to the side of the library area that he somehow hadn''t noticed. A round table stood between it and another, two open books on it.


    Irwin felt his ears burn as he saw her and Mouldir look at his feet before turning to look at him. The tower master had a pulsing vein on his forehead that seemed like a snake trying to free itself from his skin.


    "Sorry," he said, his voice cracking. "I-"


    "Yes, books are nice. Great. Now, sit your ass down and tell me how you managed to finish number eighteen!" Mouldir boomed as he jabbed his finger at a small stool opposite the two sorcerers.


    Irwin froze, then rushed towards it, his mind spinning. He''d forgotten to come up with a good reason for closing the portal! What should he tell them? Speaking about Ambraz was a no-go, so what should he do? As he reached the chair and sat down, he decided he''d simply tell them about the tower, the tunnel, the massive lair, the chain, the amulet, and the snake in the lava. He''d just leave out everything about Ambraz or anvils!


    As he finished his thoughts, he looked up to see Lady Yrinta examining him with a raised eyebrow.


    "You are allowed to speak about this to us," she said with a smile. "But I do suggest you don''t lie. We will send another group in as soon as training portal eighteen reopens, and they will verify what you tell us. We have a few that are up for their reward."


    "Wait, they will still get a card?" Irwin blurted out, confused. Did that mean he would get cards for all of the training rooms he''d clear? Wait¡­ could he even clear more?


    "Yes, the next group will validate your claims and find a route to clear the room. For this, and the first clear, there is a reward of one common card," Lady Yrinta said solemnly. Beside her, Mouldir seemed to be fuming.


    "Don''t ignore me, brat! How did you clear that thing? We''ve had people attempt it for years," Mouldir said, almost shouting.


    "Leave out the tunnels, Imps, the Orcs, and all that," Lady Yrinta said, frowning at Mouldir before throwing Irwin a reassuring smile.


    "I¡­ Yes, Lady Yrinta," Irwin said.


    He took a deep breath and focused on what he wanted to say.


    "We made it to the central cavern beyond those tunnels, and-"


    Slowly, he told the story, answering their questions on how they''d overcome the mass of Imps in the city. Both Lady Yrinta and Mouldir shared a look, and then Lady Yrinta frowned.


    "I know we said we didn''t need to know about how you moved through the caverns, but can you explain how you managed to force those Imps to leave their city?


    Irwin had hoped they wouldn''t ask too many details, and he forced himself to shrug.


    "We killed any lone or small groups we came across, then ran and hid if we found large groups. When they split up, we did the same thing, and when they finally stormed the caverns, we lured them to the Orcs and released those," he said, praying they wouldn''t ask how they had killed the Imps.


    "Guerilla tactics," Mouldir said, eyes wide as he leaned forward. "Who of you came up with these tactics?"


    Irwin blinked, then tried to recall. After a few moments, he shrugged. "I don''t recall exactly," he said honestly. "A bit Greldo and a bit me, I think."


    Mouldir let out a burst of laughter, then waved his hand. "Your group is definitely going to be among those we train! Now, continue!"


    Irwin nodded and hoped they would stop asking so many questions during the final bit of his story. When he recounted the part where he had to flee due to his poor health, wandering through the hallways and eventually finding the dead end, the tower Lord almost rose from his seat. The massive man gripped the armrests so hard the wood groaned in complaint.


    "Do you remember how you got there?" he asked, eyes narrow as if he suspected Irwin was holding something back.


    "No, Lord Mouldir," Irwin said quickly.


    "Do you think you can find that dead end again if you went in again?" Lady Yrinta asked, surprising Irwin with the warmth in her voice.


    "I don''t think so," Irwin said as he felt the blood drain from his face. They weren''t going to force him back in right away, right? He''d hoped to get some rest and a chance to learn some things! Besides, Ambraz wouldn''t want to come with him¡­ where would the Anvil go?


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    "Calm down, kid," Mouldir grunted. "It''s fine if you don''t want to. We''ve got a full party that can enter, and-"


    "And what? We had those ruins turned inside out, maps and all," Lady Yrinta interrupted him. "Nobody found anything remotely like what Irwin just told us."


    "Maps?" Irwin whispered, only just able to keep the anger he felt rushing up from his tone. They had maps and still sent him and the others in blind?


    "Ah! Perhaps the kid can recognize it on the maps!" Mouldir shouted, seeming not to notice Irwin''s anger. Instead, he jumped up and stomped to the door, yanked it open, and called into the seemingly empty hallway to bring him the maps of training room eighteen. He slammed the door shut and nearly ran back to his chair, sinking in and waving at Irwin.


    "Continue!"


    Irwin nodded and told them how he had walked down the long, curving path, his flame and the molten rock lighting his way. He wasn''t going to tell them he had night vision, as his common wasn''t supposed to give that. When he got to the massive cavern with molten rock everywhere and the insane temperature, both sorcerers shared a look.


    "So, it''s one of Gelwin''s elemental practice portals after all," Lady Yrinta said. "The Imps were a giveaway, but as nobody found any¡­" She turned to Irwin. "Irwin, your card is a flame, you said?"


    Irwin had been wondering what she meant by elemental practice portals and was surprised by the sudden question. "Yes, Lady Yrinta, it was only a finger long back then."


    "Perhaps¡­" she mumbled, then shook her head. "No matter. That''s for another time. Continue."


    Irwin did as ordered, talking about the giant snake but leaving out that it had sniffed him, finally telling the first real lie.


    "Behind the Imp was a rock, and around it hung a chain with a red multi-faceted gem," he said.


    He made sure not to look away, which was the telltale sign of lying. He knew because his mother always chastised him for that. And for scratching his nose. He instantly felt an itch, and it took more willpower than he had thought to resist scratching it.


    "No guards?" Mouldir asked, confused.


    "Yes, a big imp with wings like the one above but bigger. About three times as high as me," Irwin said.


    "And¡­ you beat it with your flame?" Mouldir asked with a raised eyebrow.


    "No, the snake ate it," Irwin said with a shrug.


    "It what now?" Mouldir shouted. "Who are you kid-"


    "Lord Mouldir, calm yourself," Lady Yrinta snapped, glaring at the larger man


    Mouldir snorted but crossed his arms and said nothing.


    Lady Yrinta turned to Irwin. "How did the snake come about eating it?"


    "The Imp attacked me, and I fled to the narrow ledge¡­ and¡­" Irwin hesitated. Should he tell them he was about to kill himself out of fear of being tortured?


    "Spit it out," Mouldir said.


    "I poked it with my flame while jumping back in the lava¡­" Irwin said.


    "Why would you do that?" Lady Yrinta asked, this time with a sad, knowing smile.


    "Because I didn''t want the Imp to capture and torture me," Irwin said softly.


    "Understandable," Lady Yrinta said, turning a withering glare at Mouldir. "So, what happened then?"


    Irwin hesitated again, wishing he could find some logical way to tell this, but there just wasn''t.


    "The snake caught me on its back and put me on the land," he said, realizing how ridiculous it sounded.


    Mouldir seemed ready to explode, but one look from Lady Yrinta calmed him back down.


    "I see¡­ and then you destroyed the gem and finished?"


    "No, Lady Yrinta," Irwin said, scrambling for more ideas. "I couldn''t damage it and decided to remove the chain so I could put the gem in the lava. It took a long time, but eventually, I melted one of the links with my flame, and the portal suddenly appeared¡­"


    "Oh! So it was the chain," Mouldir said, standing up and pacing around the table, his fists clenching and unclenching, causing soft plopping sounds.


    "I get the feeling you''re not telling us everything," Mouldir said after a while, turning a glare on Irwin. "But the others can go in to validate what you said. If I find out that you lied to me..."


    A knock on the door interrupted him, and Irwin was relieved when a guard moved in with arms full of rolled-up maps, distracting Mouldir.


    The man grabbed the maps, waved the guard away, and spread them on the nearby table.


    "Get over here," he said, beckoning Irwin.


    Irwin walked to the table and looked at the incredibly complex but highly beautiful map. One part represented the three pillars with the attached buildings, each with dozens of floors. It took Irwin a few minutes to figure out where they had entered the city, and he pointed at the building he thought he had entered.


    "I think I entered that one," he said, staring at it for a bit longer before nodding with more certainty. "Yes, it''s that one. The Imp jumped from the top!"


    "That matches with the report," Lady Yrinta said as she tapped the long letter attached to the map.


    Irwin looked at the letters, noting they were different from those on the card pages he had seen but just as unreadable. He looked away, slightly annoyed and, for some reason, feeling bad that he couldn''t read them.


    "Can you read, Irwin?" Lady Yrinta asked softly.


    Irwin looked at her, glad to see no ridicule in her eyes.


    "No, Lady Yrinta."


    She was quiet for a while, staring at him before nodding firmly.


    "Alright. I don''t think you''ve lied, and after the group has confirmed what you did tomorrow, find librarian Bellemui. I''ll tell him to expect you. He is teaching a few dozen others how to read and write. If you are to become sorcerers, we can''t have you being illiterate."


    Irwin smiled as he looked at the hundreds of books around him. Perhaps if he could read, he would be allowed to look at them?


    "Get that out of your head, kid," Mouldir snapped. "These books hold knowledge you''re not ready for and probably never will be. Now, go away! You need to sleep, and we need to discuss what you told us." The burly tower lord jabbed a finger at the door, which opened, showing a guard.


    "Bring him to his room and make sure he stays there," Mouldir snapped before turning to Irwin. "If I find you have lied, expect a very annoying conversation and many times of being tossed into training room eighteen! Alone!"


    Lady Yrinta glared at Mouldir, but didn¡¯t say anything.


    Irwin swallowed as the much taller man stared him down, then nodded and quickly backed up to the door.


    "Good luck, Irwin," Lady Yrinta said.


    "Thank you," Irwin whispered before quickly stepping out and closing the door.


    The unfamiliar female guard looked at him for a moment, then beckoned him. "Follow me then. You aren''t the only one tired," the woman said in a pleasant, soft voice. "Though after getting chewed out by Mouldir, I think you deserve a rest."


    Ten minutes later, Irwin returned to the hallway with his door, smelling a slightly burnt scent. He didn''t look at the door he knew it came from, hoping he didn''t have to explain what he had done to the fireplace. The guard sniffed, looking around in confusion before stopping at his door.


    "As Lady Yrinta said, good luck tomorrow," she said before nodding at him and walking away.


    Irwin sighed in relief. He opened the door, finally realizing how tired he was. A soft snoring came from the others, and he saw they were all fast asleep. To his surprise, Twintin''s bed seemed empty, and it took him a moment to find two shapes in Rachel''s bed, and he nodded as he walked to his own.


    As he sat down, a soft rustling made him look up to see Greldo stare at him, rubbing his eyes and raising himself on an elbow.


    "You okay?" his friend whispered softly.


    "Yeah, I''m fine," Irwin said as he raised his hand with a grin. "Managed to combine my cards, but I''ll show you tomorrow."


    Greldo yawned, gave him a thumbs up, then lay back down. A second later, soft snoring came.


    Did he wait for me? Irwin wondered as he looked at Greldo, only his unkempt hair sticking up from his pillow and below the blanket.


    Kicking off his mutilated boots, he hesitated but only took off his coat and dropped it in a pile before climbing below the blankets. As dirty as his pants and shirt were, he was slightly cold and didn''t want to make it worse.


    As the blankets wrapped around him, he had a nagging feeling he was forgetting something, but then his head warmed the pillow and his body the bed, and he didn''t think of anything anymore.


    --


    Lady Yrinta slammed the door to her room shut, glaring around the large, luxurious chamber as if searching for something to blame. Then her eyes widened as she saw a tall woman at a table, looking up with a raised eyebrow. She looked like a younger, tanned, and scarred version of Lady Yrinta.


    "Tanya! When did you return?" Yrinta asked, a smile managing to banish her angry scowl.


    "An hour ago, but don''t be too happy. I''ll need to leave for another few weeks first thing tomorrow. They have found another uncommon portal nearby," the younger woman said. "Now, why do you look like you are ready to kill someone?"


    Lady Yrinta walked to the table and sat down.


    "I wouldn''t mind wringing Mouldir''s neck," she said wearily. "Did you hear what that fool decided?"


    "I did," Tanya said with a weary sigh. "Sis, I know you don''t like this, but... we desperately need more people to close those common portals. It''s as if for every single one that we close, two open back up!"


    "I know that," Yrinta said with a weary sigh. "But he is sending them in without any training! We might gain a handful of groups that survive if he sends them out in under a month, maybe less, but what does he think will happen to many others? We have already gotten a dozen that are nearly catatonic from the pressure! We only have three carded able to remove traumatic events, and we can only hope they are fast enough before there is permanent damage to those poor kids'' psyches."


    ¡°I know,¡± Tanya said, placing her hands on the table. ¡°Did you tell him your plan?¡±


    Yrinta snorted. ¡°I did. He refuses to split up working groups to babysit new groups. Told me to just send the new groups to the areas with weaker portals. As if there¡¯s any guarantees to that.¡±


    The two sisters looked at each other for a while, then Tanya shook her head, a weary scowl appearing on her face.


    "Has there been any news on Uxin''tar''s whereabouts?"


    "No. That horrible old man is nearly impossible to track when he decides to leave. Let''s just hope he loses himself somewhere and never returns!"


    Yrinta could see from her sister''s weary face that she believed it no more than Yrinta did herself.

 Chapter 18.2 Training Dummy

    Irwin woke feeling warm and comfortable. It took him a few moments to realize that he''d been woken up by a whispered conversation. He stretched his slightly sore legs and rolled over on his other side with a content sigh.


    His body felt better than it had in a long time, and he was a two-carded!


    He could hardly believe it. A week ago, hoping for one had seemed like a miracle, and now he had two. Better yet, one was comparable to a high-rank body-improvement card, meaning he would grow beyond his previous small-statured, weak-bodied, bleak future. He became excited just thinking about it as the previous night¡¯s happenings returned to his mind, and he remembered how much he had already grown in a single night. If this continued, where could he end?


    If we survive the training and the real portals, at least, he thought. Slowly, the content sensation faded as he realized he''d be forced to enter portals in less than a month.


    "Irwin, you awake?"


    Greldo''s soft call made Irwin wonder if he should answer or pretend to be asleep.


    "We need to head downstairs for breakfast, and after that, find the eastern training rooms."


    Irwin took a deep breath, clenching his left fist as he focused on both of his cards. Their presence felt like a faint body part, a finger or toe, that he could move if he wanted to. His flame card -he couldn''t get himself to think of it as Fire-Sensitive Body- was the clearest of the two. Almost like a finger, easy to flex and point, while his new card was more like his ear. He could move it if he focused only on that card, but it still wasn''t easy.


    He sat up and pushed the blankets from his body. The cold air of the room seemed to engulf him, and he shuddered, pulling them back.


    That''s going to take some getting used to, he thought, when another struck him. Another benefit of being a smith! He''d get to stay close to a roaring fire most of the day.


    As soon as he thought about smithing, he thought about card reforging, and he realized what he''d forgotten the evening before.


    Ambraz!


    He pushed the blankets away a second time and jumped out of bed, catching a glimpse of the others sitting on and standing around Daubutim''s bed. Then he reached his jacket and quickly put it on, gently patting his inner pocket.


    "Thanks a lot."


    The whispered snort of Ambraz was too soft for the others to hear, but Irwin sighed in relief before scolding himself for just dropping the coat and the Anvil on the ground. What if someone had wanted to steal his coins? Shivering at the idea and his cold feet, he gazed at his boots. He didn''t want to wear them, but what other option was there?


    Perhaps we will get some better gear. We are in the advanced training group, after all, he thought as he quickly put on his boots before walking to the others.


    "What happened to your¡­" Twintin began before giggling loudly.


    A second later, Rachel and Olban were laughing just as hard.


    Irwin sighed and shrugged at Greldo. His friend only gave his boots a cursory glance before inspecting Irwin, his eyes widening briefly. Then he shook his head and looked at Irwin''s hand.


    "So, you''ve got a second card?" Olban asked, his voice going up two octaves before cracking halfway into the question.


    "Yes," Irwin said as he stood at the end of the bed next to Greldo.


    A quick look sideways showed he was now just as tall as his friend, meaning he''d grown at least an inch during the tempering. He was still short, but at least he was growing in the right direction.


    "Good¡­ wanna share a bit about it?" Rachel asked.


    Irwin saw everyone, even Daubutim, staring at him with interest. It made sense. He was now the only one of them with two cards. He thought for a second, then decided it probably couldn''t hurt to tell them about the body improvement part.


    "It''s a body improvement card," he said. "Not a single type one, but it should help with where we are going."


    There was a round of sighs and congratulations, which he had expected. It was always good to have at least one body improvement card.


    "So, they didn''t give you an uncommon one then," Olban said.


    "Course they didn''t! He wouldn''t have been able to join us into a common portal if they did," Greldo said, shaking his head. "They would have sent him to another group!"


    "I know that!" Olban snapped, his voice rising before breaking as it sometimes did. It didn''t stop him from continuing angrily. "But he might have just come here because he had to sleep and then tell us he wouldn''t be staying with us?"


    There was a stunned silence, and Irwin didn''t know what to say. He''d played with the idea¡­ but he was here now. He still wasn''t sure if it was the right choice.


    "Well, he is here, so that means we need to figure out what to do," Greldo said.


    "What do you mean?" Irwin asked.


    "We''ve been trying to come up with a plan on what to do to survive the next training portals," Rachel said.


    There was a soft sniff, and she sighed and hugged Twintin, who was leaning into her like a kitten.


    "I''ve told them what I remember from the basic training, and we were just coming up with survival strategies."


    "Do you think they will send us into other training portals without any training again?" Irwin asked.


    "I don''t know," Rachel said. "But we only have ten minutes before breakfast. After that we have to get to the advanced class. It''s best we prepare as much as we can."


    Irwin nodded, surprised and slightly annoyed that they hadn''t woken him up before they started. Something must have shown on his face.


    "He wouldn''t let us wake you," Olban said, pointing at Greldo. "Something about you needing your sleep!"


    Irwin looked over and saw Greldo nod resolutely. "When you came back, it was the middle of the night, and you''d not even had any rest after exiting the training portal."


    Irwin couldn''t help smiling.


    "You are right, and thanks for that! Now, how about you tell me what you''ve discussed, and perhaps I can help."


    "Alright," Greldo said, clenching his fist and returning the grin. "Let''s make sure we perform so incredibly well that they are going to hand all of us a second card!"


    Or a third, Irwin thought as he listened to Greldo explain what they had gone over.


    ¨C


    "You''re lucky the others don''t know you as I do," Greldo whispered as he walked with Irwin at the back of the group.


    Irwin looked at his friend, almost afraid of what he meant.


    "You''ve grown¡­ which isn''t something that should happen if you get just a common. Even if it''s a body improvement card."


    "I..." Irwin began, about to deny it before stopping. Greldo was his friend and his only one at that. He was very sure he wouldn''t rat on him. The problem was that they weren''t somewhere safe. Irwin looked around to check if anyone was nearby.


    Greldo raised his hand, drawing his attention, eyes narrow. "It''s fine. I already knew something was up back in the training portal. Too many things didn''t make sense," he whispered, eyes gleaming.


    Irwin worriedly looked ahead, but Rachel and Twintin were a good deal ahead, talking loudly. Olban and Daubutim were at the head of the group. With nobody else here, he guessed that as long as they didn''t talk about anything dangerous, this might be the most secure moment.


    He nodded with a grin, and Greldo''s widened before he visibly forced it back.


    Greldo took a deep breath, then looked at him seriously. "I won''t tell anyone. But... I hope whatever is happening with you will strengthen you enough to help us survive the real portal. Let''s watch each other''s back, alright?"


    Irwin nodded without hesitation, surprised Greldo thought he wasn''t going to have his back. He was even more surprised to see a look of relief on his friend''s face before Greldo looked ahead, lowering his voice even more.


    "Definitely," he whispered.


    "Alright, because there''s something odd about Rachel''s story, and let''s not even begin about Daubutim," Greldo whispered.


    Irwin expected him to continue, but Greldo seemed to have said his piece and continued forward quietly.


    Irwin frowned as he looked at Rachel, whispering and grinning with Twintin. She seemed like a nice girl, behaving like a bigger sister around Twintin. Going over her story, or what he recalled of it, he didn''t notice any weird things. She and her first party entered a training portal that led into a jungle. Within minutes, they had been jumped by odd, wooden-stick monsters that killed them. Then, they had exited amid an all-out attack on the tower that wiped out all of them except for Rachel. She had managed to use her shield and hide till the guards managed to restore the peace.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    Wait¡­ shouldn''t weapon summons be uncommon? Irwin thought, suddenly distracted.


    He looked at Daubutum, recalling the wooden club. Something was odd about those two. He wished he had a moment to ask Ambraz if shields and clubs counted as weapons or utility cards. Perhaps they were like the hammer Ambraz had pointed out?


    Mind buzzing, he followed the others down the stairs and into the main room, which was still filled with tables and a large kitchen area.


    After waiting in the long line, he piled up as much food as they let him before following the others to a quiet table.


    "You eat a lot," Daubutim said, the first thing he''d said that morning, which wasn''t an answer to a question. He nodded approvingly at Irwin''s plate, which held as much as his own. "Eat more, grow stronger," he added before turning his attention to his food and digging in.


    Irwin didn''t know what to say and shrugged.


    "Did you not have a lot of food where you are from?" Twintin asked softly, and he saw a knowing look on her face.


    "No," Irwin said with a pained laugh. "Mom tried, but food was hard to come by."


    "We always heard Malorin was a nice, quiet place with enough food," Rachel said through a mouth full of bread.


    Greldo barked a laugh and shared a knowing look with Irwin.


    "Only if you are noble or a carded crafter," Irwin said.


    "The same as everywhere else then," Rachel said.


    "My father says if people don''t have enough food, they don''t work hard enough," Daubutim said.


    The others, including Olban, looked at him in disbelief. For a moment, nobody spoke, and then Olban barked a laugh.


    "You sound like a noble," he said.


    "I am," Daubutim said with a short nod.


    "You what?" Olban shouted, drawing the attention of nearby tables.


    "Keep it down," Greldo hissed.


    Irwin quickly focused on eating, trying to give the impression that nothing was wrong. A few moments later, the nearby conversations picked up again, and they all looked at Daubautim.


    "You''re an actual noble?" Greldo asked softly.


    Daubutim looked up from his plate and nodded. "The youngest son of Lord Coulwater," he added before frowning and adding in the sharp voice he sometimes used. "Pleased to meet you."


    "Why are you not with a noble group?" Rachel asked, leaning forward.


    "Mother said to stay away from them and find a group that I could trust," Daubutim said, waving his fork around. "She said it would be best not to go with a strong group because that meant I would have to go into more dangerous portals."


    Irwin''s fork was halfway to his mouth as he looked at the tall, dull boy. Daubutim didn''t seem to notice the attention of the others, and when nobody spoke, he happily continued eating.


    Someone kicked his shin, and Irwin looked up to see Greldo stare at him for a second before mouthing see? He wasn''t sure what to say and just nodded before focusing on his food.


    Ten minutes later, when everyone had finished, the main gates began opening. There had been no warning or message, but as it widened enough, Mouldir stepped inside. He looked around before pulling the doors closed so hard the resulting boom rattled all the plates.


    "Right! You should have had your fill by now! Now, everyone who got picked for the advanced class, follow me! The others, wait here. You will be divided among the available teachers."


    Mouldir turned and stomped through the room.


    There was a moment of hesitation, and then groups of youths began getting up and running after him.


    "We better go before he gets angry," Irwin said, grabbing a few remaining slices of bread before getting up and walking forward.


    The others followed him, but he barely noticed. Surprised gazes were following him as he walked towards the exit that led to the large staircase. He could hardly blame them. One look at the other groups showed they all had a few things in common. They were nearly all tall, most the size of regular adult men or bigger, and they wore decent clothes.


    He was small, wore rags, and had shoes without toes.


    Irwin felt his face grow hot, but he ignored it, including the whispers he picked up.


    "Think they are trying to fake it?"


    "How can he get in? He''s scrawny!"


    "Maybe he lucked out on some great card?"


    Irwin sped up as he reached the edge of the dining area, then rushed to the exit after a group of what had to be nobles. Most were male, but a tall redhead with a ponytail looked at him as he followed her, and her eyes shot up in surprise.


    Irwin shrugged, then stopped and waited for Greldo to catch up. Walking beside him, he slowed down and let Daubutim and Olban take the lead. Daubutim''s size would stop any questions.


    "Forty-two," Daubutim said softly. "So, seven groups."


    Irwin looked at him in surprise. When did he get the time to count that?


    "Only so few?" Greldo muttered. "I''d expected more if they chose us..."


    "Clearing that training isn''t a little feat," Irwin whispered.


    They fell quiet as they began slowly crowding together with the others. Eventually, they walked through wide corridors toward an open area larger than anything but the room they ate in.


    Mouldir moved to the center of the room, where four men and one woman stood, all holding weapons. Racks of weapons stood to one side, filled with worn swords, clubs, staffs, and bows, while archery practice targets stood at another.


    "Alright, listen up you punks! Normally, we would give you lots of time to get used to the idea of having to fight for your lives, but there''s no time for that now," Mouldir shouted as he glared at them.


    "Right now, we are twenty common-carded groups short, and the pressure on the uncommon groups is growing. In a surprising turn of events, we actually have more cards right now than trained people to give them to. So! We will be giving the two most promising groups here an uncommon card at the end! They will get one week of practice in real portals before they get them, after which they will be sent into uncommon portals!"


    There was a surprised outburst as everyone, including the Nobles, began whispering amongst themselves.


    Irwin didn''t even bother joining in. He knew from one look that their group was by far the weakest. Besides, uncommon portals were far more deadly than common ones were!


    Olban, however, was looking stunned and happy. "Can you imagine if we can get an uncommon card?!" he hissed, his voice breaking up and remaining high-pitched. "After we return home, we could join the rangers, or become crafters, or-"


    "Enough!" Mouldir boomed, causing the entire room to fall silent. "That was the good news! The bad news is that we don''t have the four weeks we had hoped. We have two weeks. In two weeks from now, you will be teleported to a village to start clearing out portals."


    A deadly silence hung in the room.


    "Come on, it''s not that bad," Mouldir snapped. "For each portal you close, you will get points, and if you close enough, you can pick another card!"


    If we live, Irwin thought.


    "Whatever! This is how it''s going to be," Mouldir grunted. "We will start by gauging your skills, so if you have carded weapons, bring them out; if you don''t, go pick a weapon from the racks! Choose the one you are most comfortable with, but no metal! If you don''t have a carded blade, you''re out of luck!"


    There was a moment of hesitation, and Mouldir stomped his foot, causing the ground to tremble slightly.


    "Move!"


    Irwin turned and walked to the racks, worried already. What should he pick? The weapon he''d used most had been his own flame and the imp daggers. He gazed at the clubs, which looked like something he could use.


    "Take a staff."


    Irwin blinked, looking up at Daubutim, who was looking wistfully at the swords before grabbing a heavy club and a shield.


    "They are easiest to learn, have range, and you can make one in the wild."


    With only slight hesitation, Irwin grabbed one of the staves, grimacing at the weight. He looked around for a lighter one, but they all looked identical.


    Hoping things wouldn''t go as bad as he feared, he walked back to the group, noticing that Greldo also had a staff, while Olban also had a wooden shield and a club. Rachel had a bow, but from how uneasy she was holding it, Irwin wondered why. Twintin was holding a club in two hands and seemed afraid it might hit her.


    "Alright! All of you go with Edwan!" Mouldir boomed, and Irwin saw he was pointing at them and the group beside them while one of the men, a tall, clean-shaving, black-haired sorcerer, walked towards them. He had a short broadsword loosely in one hand.


    "Alright, follow me," he said, walking towards one of the corners of the room. It held training dummies, wooden constructions with pegs for arms and legs that vaguely looked like horned demons.


    "How the hell did you lot get in here?"


    Irwin looked up to see a tall noble stare at him and Greldo. He looked as if he''d bitten down on something incredibly sour.


    "Skill," Greldo said before looking back ahead.


    Irwin saw the noble''s mouth fall open before his eyes narrowed in anger.


    "Alright, stand with your groups and shut up," Edwan snapped.


    Irwin looked up to see the tall, lean man glare at him and Greldo, and he swallowed.


    "You are either very good with that staff or your cards are special," he said. "Which is it?"


    Irwin felt himself turn pale from the full attention of the sorcerer and the group beside him. The only saving grace was that the others had all been divided and were far away at the other corners of the room, not noticing what was happening.


    "Whatever. All of you find a training dummy. You, bow girl. Have you ever used one before?"


    Rachel muttered something, and Edwan''s eyes narrowed.


    "If you think this is a joke, don''t come crying to me if you die in a portal," he said. "What do you mean, you''ve never held one? Why did you pick it up?"


    He heard that? Irwin thought.


    That meant he had some kind of hearing-enhancing card, just like some of the Rangers. He shared a quick look with Greldo. They had to be very careful about what they said.


    "Yes, the range is good," Edwan said. "But if you can''t use it, why- Agh! Whatever. Go back there and grab a club!"


    Rachel ran back to the racks while Edwan turned to them. "Training dummy. Now!" he snapped.


    Irwin ran to the nearest free dummy, staring at it stupidly.


    Even this thing is taller than I am, he thought.


    "Alright, everyone not with me, go hit the training dummy the best way you know. I''ll see what you can do and then decide who needs what training."


    Irwin licked his lips as he looked at the dummy before raising the heavy staff. Dull thuds rang out from all around him, and a quick look showed the most proficient had already begun unloading a barrage of strikes on their wooden targets.


    Seeing one noble wielding a staff and swirling it around left and right with ease, Irwin sighed and focused on the dummy.


    Raising his staff, he let it slam into the wooden side, and he only just held back a yelp as the staff reverberated in his hands.


    Gritting his teeth, he hit it again, softer this time.


    Within a minute, sweat was running down his face, neck, and back. He barely heard Edwan talk with people nearby, and only when someone prodded him did he jerk around. He could barely raise the staff, his arms shaking.


    Edwan was looking at him in disbelief.


    "What are you doing here?" he muttered. "Is Mouldir going-" he held back whatever he was about to say and looked up quickly.


    Irwin saw Mouldir at the far side of the room. He seemed to be beating up two tall nobles with just his bare hands, blocking their clubs with ease.


    "So...?" Edwan asked, looking at Irwin. "You look like you are going to fall over any moment. Why... are... you... here?"


    Irwin shrugged. "Lady Yrinta said I couldn''t talk about it."


    Edwan''s eyes widened. "You''re the... impossible!"


    He stared at Irwin for a while longer before sighing.


    "Fine. There''s nothing I can do to help you... Keep hitting the dummy for as long as you can. With two cards and plenty of food, you should grow stronger. If you can''t raise your hands, go run around the room."


    Irwin looked at him, feeling fear settle in his stomach. He had to do this... for the entire day?


    "Move," Edwan muttered.


    With shaky arms, Irwin raised the staff and struck the dummy.


    Edwan looked at him for a few moments before walking away, cursing something under his breath.


    Irwin continued forcing his arms up, slowly wondering if perhaps it wouldn''t have been better to be in the training portal.

 Chapter 18.3 Midnight warning

    Irwin stumbled down the stairs, every inch of his body in pain. Which day was this? The third? Or the fourth?


    He couldn''t remember. The days had turned into a blur of hallways, training dummies, and tables laden with food. All he remembered was that he could now raise that bloody staff for longer and hit the stupid dummy more times before he was forced to jog around the room.


    "Are you okay?"


    He looked up at Greldo, who looked barely any better than he felt.


    "Dinner," Irwin croaked, forcing a grin on his face.


    Greldo somehow managed to laugh, shaking his head before grimacing and rubbing his neck.


    "You are trying to eat them into submission, aren''t you?" he asked. "I think you grew another inch."


    Irwin tried to straighten himself up, felt something pull in his lower back, and decided seeing if Greldo was right wasn''t worth the effort.


    An indeterminable number of hallways later, they were sitting back at a table.


    Irwin smiled at the double portion in front of him. The only benefit so far was that they had finally stopped wondering if he tossed the food out somewhere and just gave him as much as he could carry, which wasn''t that much, sadly.


    Glancing at his thin arm, he sighed. Where was all this food going?


    Ten minutes and most of his food later, the others of their party arrived and slumped down. They had barely seen each other the last few days. Only during food and in their room. Not that the latter helped much. Every one of them was so dead tired they slept the moment they touched the bed.


    "I heard rumors that things are going worse outside," Olban muttered around a mouthful of bread and meat. "The rest periods have been shortened again, and the groups that arrive get only one day before they are sent back out."


    There was a soft crying sound, but Irwin didn''t even look up. Twintin seemed to be crying most of the time now.


    "Come, Twintin, it''s going to be fine," Rachel whispered, hugging the smaller girl.


    "Some of the other groups have been let into the other training portals," Olban said, ignoring the girls as he looked at Greldo.


    He didn''t seem to like any of them a lot, but Irwin had noticed that he disliked Greldo the least, for whatever reason.


    "From what I''ve heard, we will go in three days."


    Irwin shivered.


    "Any idea which room?" Greldo asked.


    "The swamp..." Olban said, staring at his plate.


    "No!" Rachel whispered.


    Irwin sighed and focused on the bits of food he had left before getting up for another plate. He was almost full, but he knew that if he got up and moved a bit, he''d be able to fit in another half a plate, and if he didn''t, he''d be hungry in bed.


    The rest of the night started as it had the previous days, with him lighting the fire and the others falling asleep two seconds later.


    Irwin was about to close his eyes when there was a knock on the door. He hoped for a moment that Daubutim would open the door, but nobody reacted, and when the knock came again, louder, he slipped out of bed, put his coat back on, and ran to the door.


    A guard stood before it, looking as weary as Irwin felt.


    "Irwin?"


    "Yes..."


    "Lady Yrinta requires your presence," the guard said, stepping away. "Let''s go."


    Irwin sighed, then stumbled forward. Forcing his way up the stairs and through the hallways cost whatever energy he had gotten from dinner, and he barely remembered how he arrived in front of a dark wooden door.


    "I''ll wait here to bring you back," the guard said, covering his face with a yawn.


    Irwin nodded, stared at the door, then knocked.


    "Enter."


    I hope this won''t take too long, Irwin thought as he pushed open the door and stepped into a well-lit room. Bookshelves lined the walls, maps of regions he didn''t recognize plastered on others, and Lady Yrinta stood before one.


    "Irwin? Good. I''ve heard you''re having some trouble with the training."


    Irwin grimaced, not sure how to react. He''d expected Mouldir to have kicked him and Greldo out days ago, but they were still there, so it was probably too much to hope that Lady Yrinta would do that now.


    "I''ve not had my cards for a long time," he said, knowing she knew that just as well as he did.


    "I know, and I''m sorry you are being forced so hard," she said, turning a weak smile at him. "Sadly, things are going worse than ever, and with what you''ve shown in portal eighteen, I can''t send you to the slower class."


    "I understand," Irwin said, unable to keep the disappointment from his voice.


    "Not that anyone is going to be in the slower class much longer," Lady Yrinta muttered. Then she looked at him, and Irwin was shocked by how tired she looked compared to the last time he''d seen her. Her eyes were heavily lidded, dark bags below them.


    "The sorcerers I sent inside portal eighteen managed to find the way you used to finish it, finally, so you are officially a training portal closer now," she said.


    Didn''t getting a card mean that already? Irwin thought, but he kept quiet.


    Lady Yrinta gazed at a spot behind him, falling silent.


    Seconds ticked by, and Irwin almost wondered if she''d fallen asleep standing and, if she had, if she could teach him how to do that. He''d tried twice and crumpled down each time. Suddenly, he realized she''d been talking to him, and he blinked, looking up.


    "Back? Good. It''s fine; we are all tired," Lady Yrinta said before frowning and shaking her head. "Except for Mouldir. That man is a monster. Not enough of one, sadly. Now, I''ll let you go back to bed, but first, the reason you came here. See it as part of your reward. Though it''s more of a warning, I guess."


    Irwin licked his lips, feeling his heartbeat rise. What reward was a warning?


    "You will only have three more days of training. After that, your group will get a half day of rest before being brought to your first real portal."


    Irwin stared at her stupidly. Olban had said things had changed, but this bad? He wasn¡¯t even sure he''d heard her right.


    "What?" he muttered, but Lady Yrinta softly continued.


    "The best I could manage was to have you moved to a region with weaker common portals. Due to that, most will have Imps, so with a little luck..." she looked at him, glancing at his cards. "If you can use your card to rapidly close Imp portals, that would already be a great help."


    "I thought we had two weeks left?" Irwin whispered, barely realizing who he was asking a question of.


    Lady Yrinta looked at him, then smiled sadly.


    "Yes... that was before the number of portals increased again. It''s become so bad that the Capital has begun forcefully conscripting anyone not already doing so to close portals. It''s why you will see more girls here if you manage to return," she added, staring at him meaningfully.


    Irwin frowned, and it took his weary, overstimulated mind a moment to figure out what that meant. Girls usually remained in the towns to ensure a new generation was born, as much as his mother had cursed that. The exceptions were either the very best or those deemed useless. There had only been one girl sent from Malorin, Clarish Uldrot, and she had been taken to the uncommon tower straight away, likely to be gifted a healing card or some powerful control card.


    "The king removed the rule last year, but it hasn''t really been widely noticed where you are from," Lady Yrinta said absently. "Beldorin tried to resist, and a day later, the lord was killed and a puppet planted in his place."


    Irwin barely believed he heard. The Capital was a faint, unknown thing they never spoke about back in Malorin, and killing lords? He swallowed as he watched Lady Yrinta, who seemed to have forgotten him, staring at the map as she spoke softly.


    "If we don''t manage to stop the tide of portals, it won''t matter... nothing will matter..." she whispered.


    Irwin felt his skin crawl, and the forlornness Yrinta had spoken with made him shiver.


    What will happen to Mother and Bronwyn? he thought.


    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    A sudden worry about portals appearing around Malorin made him clench his fists, ignoring the muscle pain. What if his mother had to help close portals? She had no combat cards!


    His toe-less feet rustled on the stone ground, and Lady Yrinta looked up with a start.


    "Ah, you are still here! Sorry, I''ve had no sleep in days."


    "Go, head back to your room," she said as she waved at the door. "I''ve done what I could for you based on the reward your clearing warranted."


    Irwin walked towards it, his feet heavy like lead and not just from how tired he was.


    "If I don''t see you again, good luck," Lady Yrinta said. "Remember this. Don''t die closing one portal. Leave if you have to and try again," Yrinta said.


    Irwin nodded and quickly walked out of the door, closing it behind him. The guard stood to the side, head against the wall, eyes opening blearily.


    "Wu.. what? You ready?" the man asked, yawning.


    "Yes," Irwin said.


    The trip back was possibly even more quiet, with both of them yawning and seemingly lost in thoughts. When Irwin reached his room, the guard just waved and left.


    Irwin gazed at the door, his mind dull.


    "Kid, go into the other room. We need to talk!"


    Irwin jolted as the soft whisper came from his pocket. It took him two seconds to realize he''d had no time to speak with Ambraz for the last few days. Forcing his weariness down, he moved to the other room and slipped inside, closing the door behind him. It still reeked of smoke and burned stone, and the fireplace looked like someone had tried burning it.


    "Finally," Ambraz said as he struggled out of Irwin''s pocket. "Do you know how it feels like to be cooped up inside someone''s dusty old jacket all day?"


    Irwin yawned and looked at the Anvil without actually seeing him. Lady Yrinta''s final words kept flowing through his head. He had never worried too much about the portals, at least no more than that he wished Bronwyn would be safe. The horrible time in Training Portal Eighteen had made him fear them even more, but he''d never thought that things were as bad as this.


    Something rustled in his face, and he automatically dodged back.


    "Don''t ignore me," Ambraz hissed. "You can sleep soon."


    "What did you want to talk about?" Irwin whispered.


    "A warning- seeing as you already had one, another won''t hurt," Ambraz said. "If you can get away from this tower, you should do so! There''s something weird with some of these sorcerers, and although I can''t pinpoint what, it''s not good. So, try to hold back the next few days so you don''t look like a corpse when it''s time to leave. You don''t want that Mouldir to decide to keep you back here."


    "What do you mean, something weird?" Irwin asked.


    "Brat, I just told you, I can''t pinpoint it. All I know is that their cards, the way they feel? It''s off. I know of a few things that could cause it, and none of them are good. Heed my warning. Get out of here, and don''t come back."


    Irwin licked his dry lips, then nodded. "Alright, let me know if there''s something wrong."


    "And how do you suppose I do that?" Ambraz muttered as he lowered himself back into Irwin''s pocket.


    "I don''t know... can''t you make some movement?" Irwin asked as he walked to the door. A soft vibration came from his pocket.


    "That will do," Irwin said, yawning again. "I''ve got to go sleep, or tomorrow will be worse."


    Irwin snuck out of the room, glad there was nobody waiting for him, then into his own. He''d half expected Greldo to be awake, but all he found was an empty fireplace where the fire had gone out, a cold room and his snoring teammates.


    His body hurt as he climbed under the blankets, and he didn''t even remember putting his head down.


    ¨C


    "Three days..." Greldo cursed as he walked beside Irwin.


    They were far behind the others, and neither of them was able to really keep up, which gave them their only moment to talk without being overheard.


    "We should warn the others," Greldo whispered.


    Irwin let out a groan of relief when they reached the top of the final staircase. He very much felt the lack of sleep, and he knew that he was going to feel it even more when he raised the staff for the first time.


    "Tonight," he said, agreeing.


    "Three days," Greldo said again, gritting his teeth. "We aren''t going to be able to really learn anything useful in that time."


    Irwin didn''t bother responding, as it was obvious. He had only been hitting a dummy to get some stamina... the only thing he had learned had been from looking at some of the youths who seemed to know how to use it.


    Shouts and thudding came from the distant hallway, showing they were probably the last to arrive, again.


    This is going to be a pain, Irwin thought, flinging his arms around to start warming them up.


    He was right. The rest of the day passed grudgingly slow, and even with him trying to hold back as much as possible, he could barely lift his fork during dinner. It didn''t stop him from eating two full meals and a bit, stunning even Daubutim.


    "Shouldn''t you be growing really fast or getting fat?" Olban said as they walked towards their door. "You eat more than all of us combined, except for our silent noble."


    Irwin didn''t respond but pulled open the door. The others rushed in, heading straight for bed.


    "Before you sleep, I need to tell you all something," Irwin said.


    All eyes focused on him, though Olban seemed ready to complain.


    "Lady Yrinta called me to her room yesterday," Irwin said.


    "The guard," Daubutim said, his dull eyes lighting up for a fraction of a second.


    So he was awake! Irwin thought.


    "What did she want?" Olban said, leaning forward on the edge of his bed. "Don''t tell me she is into scrawny, smelly, badly dressed hobos?"


    Irwin held back a desire to throw his shoe at Olban and instead focused on Daubutim and the girls.


    "She told me that we are going to be sent to a town, two days from now," he said. "The portals are starting to overflow, and the Capital has begun conscripting anyone with cards."


    There was a moment of silence, then Rachel rose and shook her head.


    "That''s not a funny joke!"


    Irwin just looked at her, and slowly, her eyes turned wide with horror. From beside her, Twintin grabbed her hand.


    "Are they still sending us into the swamp?" Rachel asked after a few moments.


    "I don''t know," Irwin said. "She didn''t tell me. But... I don''t think so."


    Rachel nodded, and Irwin saw the slight relief on her face.


    "No extra cards either?" Olban asked hopefully.


    Irwin shrugged.


    "Well, if we only have three days left to live, I''m going to sleep," Olban said, kicking off his boots and hiding below the blankets.


    "Should we warn the others?" Rachel asked, staring between Irwin and Greldo.


    "The nobles?" Greldo snorted. "If they even want to listen to us, what use will it do? They might even welcome the challenge."


    Irwin agreed but waited to see what Daubutim would see. To his surprise, the noble was staring at the wall with dull eyes, seemingly lost in his own world.


    He, Greldo, and Rachel spoke for a while longer before heading to bed.


    As he lay on his back, every muscle in his body hurting, Irwin thought about his Mother and Bronwyn. Maybe he should try and flee when he had a chance.


    If only I knew where Malorin was from here, he thought.


    It took longer than usual to fall asleep, but even the stress and panic couldn''t keep it away for long.


    The next day went the same as the previous, with the sole exception that Eldwan came to him and demonstrated a few ways to use the staff correctly. He even corrected Irwin for half an hour before walking away with a distant look.


    When they arrived on the last day, Mouldir and Lady Yrinta were standing in the center of the room, and none of the other sorcerers were there.


    "Alright, you brats, listen up," Mouldir shouted. "You''ve been doing really well. So well, actually, that I''ll be taking you to get your uncommon cards! For those wondering about the best groups? Thats them," he said, pointing at a group consisting of burly nobles.


    There was a stunned silence before the room exploded in a cacophony of shouts. There were some complaints, but most of those were drowned out in the cheering of the nobles.


    Irwin grimaced as he watched the nobles, wondering if they would feel like cheering in a few moments. His own hands had begun shaking, and it wasn''t from muscle pain this time.


    Mouldir let them shout for a bit before raising his hand.


    "Enough! Now, against my better judgment," he said, glancing at Lady Yrinta and shaking his head as if he still couldn''t believe it. "I''ll be giving you all the rest of the day off to rest."


    There was another, more muted cheer, mostly because Mouldir was looking at them with raised eyebrows.


    "Don''t be too happy... The only reason I agreed is that tomorrow morning, you will all be teleported to the towns and cities that have active common portals. And there are a lot of those."


    The cheers seemed to be swallowed by a monstrous force, and the next moment, it was so quiet in the training room that you could have heard a pin drop.


    "Now, Lady Yrinta here will give you a few lessons on real portals. Good luck, and I hope to see you all again," Mouldir said before pointing at the ''lucky'' group. "You lot follow me!"


    Irwin watched as Mouldir walked away, followed by the group. When they vanished around the corner, he turned to Lady Yrinta.


    "I understand you all have a lot of questions," Lady Yrinta said. "If you all listen quietly, I''ll explain what is happening."


    Every person in the room stared at her, listening as she began telling them about the increased number of portals.


    Irwin let her words wash over him, hearing nothing new. If there was anything, she seemed more optimistic than when she''d told him what was happening.


    Perhaps she was too tired back then? Irwin thought, hoping she''d just made it sound far worse.


    When Lady Yrinta finished, there was a hush before one of the nobles stepped forward. Young, lanky, and with piercing blue eyes below bushy dark eyebrows, he looked almost like an adult.


    "Lady Yrinta, can we be sent to our own cities?" he asked.


    Irwin saw a lot of the nobles nodding.


    "I fear not," Lady Yrinta said, raising her hand to stop their complaints. "Most of you are from cities with many guards and rangers, and they can still hold out¡ªthe towns we are sending you to have no such luxury."


    Another noble stepped forward.


    "Lady Yrinta, we all know this! Of course! But why should we go there and risk our lives for people we don''t know if our own cities are in danger?"


    Irwin zoned out as Lady Yrinta responded in a similar fashion as to the first question.


    It lasted for over ten minutes before Yrinta exploded.


    "Enough! I have heard your petty complaints, and there''s nothing I can do! You all know that if we let the portals continue to grow stronger, we will eventually be overrun, just like the rest of the world! We are the only place in all of Giard that is still free. Now, head back to your rooms. Rest, eat, and prepare for tomorrow!"


    Irwin felt someone tug his sleeve, and he looked up to see Greldo beckon him to the exit. The others were already walking there, and Irwin quickly followed them as fast as his aching body could.


    They reached their room without any issue and stood in the center, looking at each other.


    "So... now what?" Olban muttered, scratching his cheek, breaking a zit without seeming to care.


    "I don''t know what you are going to do," Greldo said as he stretched his arms. "But I''m going to sleep, then eat, and finally sleep again. Maybe a miracle will happen, and the portals will disappear by the time I wake up."


    Irwin grinned and walked to his bed, agreeing with his friend wholeheartedly.


    "It''s too bad we didn''t get to earn another card," Olban muttered.


    I wonder what they are going to do with all the cards they have stored here, Irwin thought, staring up at the stone ceiling. Wouldn''t it be better if they gave everyone more cards?


    Wondering about that, he lay in his bed until he fell asleep.

 Chapter 19: To Wignut

    Irwin was scarfing down as much food as he could, which, in his case, meant a lot. The only sounds were those of eating and the occasional scraping of a chair. Besides that, a charged atmosphere hung in the large room. The six groups that would be leaving today were sitting off to the side, but even the other youths seemed tense.


    Irwin tried to ignore it as best he could, but he felt small and weak. Something tapped his foot, and he looked up to see Greldo stare at him before very carefully slipping some bread into his pocket.


    Right, that might not be a bad idea, Irwin thought.


    A few moments later, he''d stuffed as much bread and cheese in his pockets as they would hold without showing it.


    Maybe they will give us food on the way? he thought.


    He had barely finished the thought when the massive main door was shoved open, and Mouldir stomped towards them. His face was pulled into a scowl, and something about him made Irwin''s skin crawl. It wasn''t just that he looked angrier than usual; there seemed to be an aura of crackling energy around him.


    "Common portals have started spawning like lice on a stray, and we need to get them closed before we get overrun," Mouldir boomed as he looked around.


    "I know most of you haven''t held a weapon and that you were all expecting more training, but there''s no time!"


    Irwin looked around to see the youths who hadn''t been in the advanced class look around in confusion.


    "All of you are going to have to help! That includes you," Mouldir shouted, waving at the entire room. "Get out there and move to the person holding a sign with your room number. They will get you to where you need to go. Now move!"


    One of the nobles that hadn''t been in the advanced class rose, his lip shivering.


    "My lord, do you mean all of us?"


    "Yes, I mean all of you," Mouldir snarled. "Now move before I hurl you out!"


    The last shout was punctuated with a flash of light, and a massive two-handed maul, gleaming with blueish light, appeared in Mouldir''s hand. As it slammed into the ground, a dull thrum ran through the tables, forks, plates, and other things, shaking and clattering.


    The hundreds of youths scrambled towards the door, pouring out.


    Irwin and the others were somewhere in the back of the pack, and when they finally stepped outside, a wave of cold air caused him to shiver. He still had no new boots, and his coat and shirt suddenly felt too thin. The staff he was holding, gifted by the tower because he had none, seemed to become colder rapidly.


    I hope we are going near a town where I can buy new boots, he thought as he followed the others through the crowd.


    There was confused talking and even some crying, and he couldn''t blame them. He''d had at least some warning.


    I wonder what changed that they suddenly sent most of us, he thought.


    Spread out around the open area before the tower stood sorcerers carrying wooden poles with signs. Each sign had multiple numbers on it, and scanning around, he didn''t see theirs  anywhere.


    "Over there," Twintin shouted.


    Irwin and the others followed her towards a tall woman with a long leather dress and a dull gray breastplate strapped to the front. She had a spear jabbed in the ground beside her, a metallic shaft almost as tall as her with crimson ribbons attached to the end.


    "Ah, the first ones," she said with a sad smile. "Come then, stand behind me as we wait for the next. What group are you?"


    Greldo muttered a reply, and the woman''s eyebrows shot up.


    "Ahhh, the ones that completed that horrible Imp-filled place! I''ve been there, though that was three years ago. Did you get eaten by that two-headed flying serpent in the central tower?"


    The group shared a horrified look before shaking their heads.


    "Ah, well, you were luckier than I was then," the woman said just as another group moved over.


    Irwin stayed at the back, keeping his arms wrapped around himself for heat and wondering if anybody would mind if he summoned his flame. He didn''t think they would, but he decided to wait a while longer.


    Ten minutes later, the sorceress, who had introduced herself as Tanya, tossed her sign to the side and looked at the four groups before her. They were one of the smaller groups, and Irwin had no idea if that was a good or bad thing. If he had to guess, their group was the weakest of all those present.


    "Good, let''s get moving. With some luck, we can reach our designated travel area before the others," Tanya said as she stomped away, a light grin on her face and her green eyes sparkling.


    "No nobles."


    Irwin looked at Greldo, who was walking beside him.


    "I noticed," he said. "I don''t think any are crafters either¡­ do you think they planned it like this, or is it a coincidence?"


    "No idea, but it can go two ways. Either they are using the common folk to try out portals and soften them up, or we are deemed too weak for stronger portals," Greldo whispered.


    "It''s the second one," Tanya shouted from the front, looking at Greldo over her shoulder.


    A few dozen people following her looked at Greldo in surprise, and Irwin noticed a few with a calculating look he didn''t like one bit.


    "There is nobody trying to get you all killed if that''s what you are thinking. We sorcerers, which you will hopefully be part of soon, are here to help people. I wish you didn''t have to start right when everything goes to shit, but we will do our best to keep as many of you alive as we can. Even then, I''m afraid some sacrifice will have to be made to keep the majority alive."


    Everyone looked at her, and Irwin knew they were thinking the same as he was. Why did they have to be the sacrifice?


    The trip down the mountain was easier than he''d expected, probably because it was down and because he had eaten, slept, eaten. His body was still aching somewhat from the painful staff training, but it could have been much worse. Besides, his staff was actually a benefit as he walked down, while those with shields and clubs had to carry them.


    When they finally reached the muddy round area, he was just out of breath, as was Greldo, instead of ready to drop dead.


    Another sorcerer stood in the center, arms folded and frowning at Tanya. "You are on time, uncommon-one. Good. You are going to Crescent Hill?" the man spoke in an odd cadence.


    Ahead of Irwin, Olban''s head shot up, a horrified look on his face.


    Tanya''s smile had vanished, and she calmly stared at the other sorcerer. "Yes. Preferably as close to Wignut as you can get us."


    "Very well," the sorcerer said, unwrapping his hands, which began glowing.


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    Before Irwin could react, a shimmering mist wooshed from the sorcerer''s hands, engulfing their whole group. It clung to his bare skin, cold and wet, and within seconds, he saw nothing but white. He had no idea how long it lasted, but eventually, there was a soft grunt of pain that came from every direction at the same time, and the mist faded.


    He blinked as bright daylight shone down on him. Glad at the slight warmth it brought, he looked around. They stood halfway up the slope of a grass-covered hill. Bushes on the left led down to a forest sprawled as far as he could see like a sea of green leaves. A walled town sat on the border of the forest, nestled in a plain of grass. It was probably a mile or two away, and Irwin could make out guard towers and a moat similar to the one Malorin had. To the right were more hills, starting lower than where they were, while those in the distance were almost as tall as mountains.


    The sorcerer stood nearby, breathing hard and cursing.


    "Are you alright?" Tanya asked, not showing any worry.


    "Yes," the man replied through gritted teeth. Then he looked at the group and snorted. "One of those kids brought some kind of summon or family artifact, and it almost caused us to appear somewhere else."


    A mutter of surprise came from the youths as they looked around. Irwin knew they were trying to figure out who could be the one with an artifact, but he was pretty sure he knew what the sorcerer was talking about.


    I hope Ambraz is alright, he thought.


    "I''m heading back," the sorcerer snapped before looking at the assembled youths. "Next time, tell me if you have something with you!"


    Then he raised his hands, and a small column of mist rippled up all around him. It lasted for two counts, then the constant wind blew it away again, and the sorcerer was gone.


    "Hey, I don''t know which one of you has an artifact, but be careful! They might interact with the portal and increase its difficulty," Tanya said, looking around. "Just a friendly warning. You can leave it with me, and I promise I will return it when you exit it."


    Nobody answered her, and she shrugged with a suit-yourselves look.


    "Now, we are going to go to Wignut and get a guide to show us where the portals are. There are supposed to be seven here, so I hope some of you finish your portals on the first attempt, or the next time we come here, the good people of this town might not all be alive."


    "Sorceress Tanya, do you think we will all die?"


    Everyone looked at a tall, pale-faced girl with dark hair bound tightly in a ponytail. Although she was probably as old as Irwin, she had likely had no cards till recently, and she was even smaller than he was. Her hands were shaking as she looked at the sorceress.


    "Ah, I hope not," Tanya said with a sad smile. "And not just because I''d hate to see you lose your lives at such a young age¡­ for each group that dies, the chances of us closing the common portals before they become uncommon will rapidly diminish. Now let''s walk. You can ask questions as we move. We aren''t in the tower and will probably be here for a few weeks."


    As they headed out towards the town, Irwin moved closer to Tanya, unsure if she meant what she''d said but determined to at least try.


    "Yes, Irwin?" she asked as he stepped up.


    Irwin gaped at her, and she grinned down at him. "I heard you talking with your friend," she said as she tapped the back of her hand to her ear. "Card-enhanced hearing."


    Irwin nodded, then wondered if he should have just stayed at the back and whispered his question. She would probably have heard it.


    "Sorceress Tanya, my boots were too small, and a guard cut the noses off so I could still wear them," he whispered, staring at his feet, the toes slightly pale from the cold. "I also need a thicker coat for this weather. If there''s a market in Wignut, can I get a moment to buy some new ones?"


    Tanya looked at his feet, then at him, and back at his feet before bursting out in laughter. Tears ran down her face as she kept moving, and after a few moments, she took a deep breath and grinned at him, probably noticing his scowl. A host of chatter and giggles came from behind, and Irwin kept his gaze focused on the grassy hillside ahead.


    "Sorry, Irwin," she said, not sounding at all sorry, and sighing as she rubbed her face. "I''m sure they have a place where we can buy you some new boots. Do you have the coin?"


    Irwin nodded, then cocked his head. "How much do boots cost?" he asked.


    "Depends," Tanya said, and Irwin saw her frown at his boots. "What you are wearing should be five or six silver, but if you want some decent boots, I''d say one gold and a few silver."


    Irwin silently stared at her, not sure if he''d heard her right. His mother barely made two silver a week, and that was enough to feed her and her two sons. Well, keep them alive, at least. With five silver, they would have had plenty of food and never gone hungry.


    "Okay, thanks," he muttered as he slowed down, letting the others move past him. None spoke, but he saw a few gleeful grins.


    "What did you ask that made her laugh that badly?" Rachel asked as she moved past him.


    "I showed her my boots," Irwin said, waiting till he was back at the end with Greldo.


    "Being poor sucks," Greldo said, padding him on the shoulder.


    "Yeah," Irwin said with a sigh. "Perhaps I can find a place that has some old ones that I can use," he said.


    They continued trudging down the hill, the grass tickling his toes until they reached the large, sprawling grass plain. Wignut''s walls were hard to see now, and Irwin was starting to get out of breath.


    "Are you going to make it?" Greldo asked, looking at him with a slightly flushed face, breathing slightly hard but otherwise seeming alright.


    "I''ll be fine," Irwin said.


    He wished he could have had a year to let his cards work on his body. Then he''d be fine walking this far. He was sure of it.


    Two hours later, Irwin was trailing behind the others, his breathing laborious. Greldo had remained with him for a while but eventually moved forward to ask Tanya if they could have a short break. That was ten minutes ago, so Irwin guessed the break wasn''t happening.


    He glared at the town in the distance, probably still a ten-minute walk away.


    "It''s a good thing you got that Fire-sensitive Body card. Without it, you''d not live to thirty," Ambraz whispered.


    Irwin flinched and looked up to see if Sorceress Tanay would react.


    "Don''t worry, she can''t hear us this far. Just make sure you whisper," Ambraz whispered again.


    "Thanks," Irwin snapped, wondering what he was supposed to do with those comforting words.


    "Don''t be angry. You just have to survive the upcoming portal. Depending on which one, you might even find an uncommon card! Or¡­ I could reforge Eyes of Blaze, turning it into an uncommon."


    Irwin continued forward, wondering what Tanya would say if he told her he somehow had an uncommon. Besides, he gazed ahead and saw Greldo trail back toward him. That''d mean he''d have to leave Greldo to go in alone. Was he really willing to lose his only friend?


    "You''d risk your life for them?" Ambraz whispered, almost as if the Anvil had read his mind.


    "Greldo? Yes. The others? I guess..." Irwin sighed, though he could hear the uncertainty in his own words.


    Maybe Ambraz can reforge Greldo''s cards?


    Ambraz didn''t respond as they caught up with Greldo, who stopped, turned, and kept up with him.


    "Sorry," he said. "She said we don''t have the time. If we fall behind, we will just have to catch up and find them in town."


    "We?" Irwin asked.


    "Damn right," Greldo said as he nodded. "You think I''m leaving you here? Besides the fact you''re my only friend, you''re also the best chance I have to survive the portal."


    "What a chance I am," Irwin muttered, feeling his anger at his own weakness. Even with a few days of stamina training, good food, and his first body tempering, he couldn''t even walk for half a day at the same speed as others. He could only hope the tempering''s effect would continue for a while.


    "Don''t let it get to you," Greldo said.


    Irwin looked up, seeing Greldo''s brown eyes gleaming energetically. "With two cards, you will grow stronger! And so will I!"


    Irwin nodded, feeling an intense happiness that Greldo was here with him. Without him, he''d be all alone and probably would have had a whole lot more problems.


    "Thanks," he said, managing a grin before focusing on his breathing.


    Ten minutes later, they reached the gravel path that led up to a bridge across the moat. Two towers flanked the massive gate before the bridge. There was no sight of the group, as they had already entered, and as Irwin and Greldo stumbled towards the gate, a guard looked at them from the side.


    "So, you''re the last two the sorceress spoke about?" he said, looking them over.


    Irwin couldn''t be bothered to waste his breath responding to the obvious remark, so he just nodded as he trudged forward.


    "Can''t believe a bunch of kids like you are supposed to save us," the guard growled. "Whatever. She said to tell you they are at the Cracked Leaf, which is one of the two inns here in Wignut."


    Irwin waved back in thanks, ignoring the helpful remarks.


    We aren''t kids, he thought. We are almost sixteen already.


    Not that he could blame the man. Their entire group, especially him and Greldo, probably looked like they were thirteen.


    His feet caused hollow thuds on the wooden bridge, and ahead, he saw the second, larger gate had another pair of guards, but these remained quiet. They just stared at him and Greldo as they walked past.


    As they moved below the gate and through the fifteen-foot thick wall, a sound of chatter and hubbub met them, coming from the town within the walls. Dark gray stone blended with mottled wood, creating a place that reminded Irwin of Malorin. The same dreary little alleyways filled with rubble, filth, and people in drab clothes.


    "Just like home," Greldo muttered.


    Irwin grunted, then saw a signpost nearby what seemed to be the main road.


    "Let''s go find that Cracked Leaf."

 Chapter 20: Rumors and reality

    It took them a while to locate the Cracked Leaf Inn. It was nestled in the busiest part of town, oddly hidden between two three-story buildings that dominated the town''s central area. Wooden boards hung from the dozens of shops, and rickety stairs led to those on the second and third stories.


    Though Irwin felt his heart race at the prospect of walking up the exposed ladders and stairs, many didn''t seem to care. A hubbub of people walked and climbed from shop to shop, and all looked perfectly at ease. An old lady, gray and wrinkly, walked a narrow ladder next to a twenty-foot drop as if it were nothing.


    Still, as odd as everything looked, the thing that dominated the area was a wooden building that partially hung from the sides of the others, bulging outward. It had a massive sign on the wall with worn red letters.


    "Wignut''s trader''s society," Greldo said as he gaped at the building.


    Irwin wasn''t doing any better, his eyes drifting to the Cracked Leaf, which sat in the gap between the buildings, almost as if everything had been built around it to accommodate its existence. A sign above its center window showed a leaf cracked in half as if made of stone, with letters below. The building and those around it almost seemed a whole thing, and he let his gaze wander around for a while. They didn''t have anything remotely as big or odd in Malorin.


    "Let''s find the others, then see if we can get some boots," he finally said, causing Greldo to shake out of his stupor.


    "Okay," his friend muttered, and they wound their way through the increasingly dense mass of people.


    "Watch out for pickpockets," Ambraz whispered from Irwin''s chest pocket.


    He blinked, then quickly put a hand over his coin while looking around fearfully. There were many people walking around, but he didn''t spot someone who seemed ready to steal the little coin he had.


    A short area before the oddly small door that led into the Inn was cleared of people, and a guard stood leaning against the wall, his eyes darting from left to right. When he saw Irwin and Greldo approach, he raised an eyebrow.


    "With the sorceress, I take it? She be in the leftmost rentable group room. Get there right quick, and no dilly-dallying," the guard grunted in heavily accented common.


    Irwin and Greldo nodded but remained in place as the guard gave them a death stare. After a few more seconds, the guard turned his attention back to the mass of people.


    Creepy, Irwin thought as he headed to the indicated room.


    The door was heavier than it looked, and it took some effort to open it enough for them to sneak through. It slammed back shut behind them, surprising Irwin. He looked up and saw a rope attached to the door''s corner. It looped around on the opposite side and down with a heavy-looking bag attached.


    "Smart," Irwin muttered.


    They stood in a wide corridor with a register in front and a door on each end.


    "Ah, more young ones," a happy voice called out.


    An elderly woman with more wrinkles than Irwin had ever seen smiled at them. Her blue eyes seemed too large for her face, and she was leafing in a book on the counter before her.


    "Now, don''t block the door! If you are with Tanya, you can go through the left door, walk through the restaurant, and take the leftmost door again," she said with another broad smile.


    "Thank you," Irwin and Greldo said, almost at the same time, garnering them another smile.


    The left door didn''t have the auto-closing mechanism and opened as a door should, leading them into a large, busy room. Twice as high as an average room, wooden poles elevated platforms ten feet up, with ladders leading to them. People sat there, perched like birds, eating, laughing, and chatting, while others sat at the tables below.


    "Incredible," Greldo muttered, and Irwin agreed.


    They wound their way along the paths between the tables.


    A half dozen doors sat in the far wall, and going through the most left one, they entered into a hallway with more doors, ending in an open area. People that Irwin recognized stood there, looking at someone, and he heard Tanya''s voice. They walked forward, picking up halfway through her speech.


    "-back in two hours. The guide will be ready then, and we will head to the first of the portals! Don''t make me find any of you. Got it?" Tanya said, grinning to show it wasn''t a threat.


    "Yes, Sorceress Tanya," a few of the younger-looking girls chimed before half of the group turned, walking around Irwin and Greldo.


    Irwin ignored the pointed glares and whispered insults that he got from two large, burly guys. They reminded him of Bast and the other bullies, and he made a mental note to stay away from them.


    Old, worn-looking benches stood in the room, many covered in intricate crafting that might one day have been beautiful. Now, they just looked like they had been found in a ruin. Those youths that weren''t leaving stood grouped together, and Daubutim towered over everyone. A quick look showed the rest of their group surrounding him.


    "Irwin! Glad you made it," Sorcerer Tanya called out.


    She was walking towards them with a slightly apologetic look.


    "I''m sorry we couldn''t wait for you, but I needed to get this room, and if we were too late, it might have been unavailable," she continued. "Did you catch what I just told everyone?"


    Irwin nodded. "Two hours to find boots, then back here," he said.


    "Good. There are doors back there leading to a room for each of your groups. Good luck finding some boots," Tanya said before turning and walking to the only door leading away from the larger open area.


    "Thank you, Sorceress Tanya," Irwin whispered after her retreating form, and she waved, showing she''d heard. He wasn''t surprised.


    "Are you going to the shops?" Rachel asked as she came towards them, Twintin next to her.


    "Yes. I need some boots, so I''m going to see if I can find some that are a silver or less," Irwin said with a shrug.


    "You should not skimp on good boots," Daubutim said with a deep frown. "They are the things that carry you where you need to go."


    Irwin blinked, wondering who had told Daubutim this so many times that he''d managed to say it in such a way that it channeled another person''s voice. He heard him do that on occasion, but this was the clearest it had been.


    "I know," he said. "But I don''t have more coin than this. So unless you want to lend me more¡­" he said with a grin that showed he was kidding.


    "Alright," Daubutim said with a short nod and glassy eyes. "I''ll come."


    Irwin blinked at him stupidly. Seriously?


    Someone kicked his chin, and he looked at Greldo in annoyance, but the other boy just raised an eyebrow.


    "You need boots," he said before turning to Daubutim.


    "Thanks, Daub," he said.


    Daubutim frowned and looked at him. "Only my mother calls me Daub," he said. "Please don''t do that."


    There was an awkward silence as Greldo flushed, then he nodded quickly. "Sure! Daubutim it is. Didn''t know."


    Daubutim''s frown disappeared as fast as it had come. "Thank you," he said with a dull smile.


    "Right¡­ interesting and all that. But I need to take care of something. I''ll see you back here before two hours have passed," Olban said before he turned and almost ran toward the door.


    The others looked after him, and Irwin shared a confused look with Greldo.


    "That was weird?" Rachel muttered, matching what Irwin had been thinking.


    Greldo frowned, and as he stared after Olban, Irwin saw his eyes narrow as if he had realized something. It lasted for only a moment, then vanished.


    "Well, he''s not wrong! Let''s go and get you some boots," Greldo said, gesturing towards the door through which Olban had vanished.


    Irwin nodded, wondering what Greldo had noticed that he had missed. Still, there were more important things now. Like boots! With Daubutim behind them, they headed out.


    Fifteen minutes later, he stood in an old but well-maintained store with various leather boots, shoes, belts, pants, and even simple armor on display. He was looking at a set of boots his size yet way more expensive than he''d ever seen. The dark leather gleamed, and the pair of hard-wooden buckles that held the sides together were simple but high quality.


    "These should be fine," Daubutim said, sounding disinterested.


    He''s definitely a noble, Irwin thought.


    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    He felt his heart rate rise as he looked at the price below the boots that said they were one gold and three silver. He wanted to ask Daubutim if he was sure, then thought better of it. He needed boots, and if his question somehow made the other second guess his reasoning, he''d have to go into their first real Portal with the ones he had now.


    Feeling odd, he picked them up and carried them to the front desk, inspecting the belts that looped around and wondering how to even put them on. A tiny, eagle-nosed man was frowning at him, his eyes darting to Irwin''s shoes and then back up. "I hope you don''t make a habit of mutilating your footwear, young man."


    Irwin''s face turned red, and he quickly shook his head. "No, sir crafter," he said, which got him a raised eyebrow.


    "Well¡­ good. Now, I don''t do haggling, but from your apparel, I can see you are not flush with cash. So if you buy these, I''ll help you buckle it properly so you will have no shaving," the man said, and Irwin got the feeling he brooked no argument.


    "Please don''t take us for fools," Daubutim said before he could say yes.


    The taller boy''s voice was suddenly razor sharp, and both Irwin and Greldo turned to him with surprised, confused looks.


    "Though well crafted, these boots have wear on the heel, and the belt buckle was added later. These have obviously been repaired and should not be the same price as new ones. I think nine silver would be more than a fair price."


    The old man''s eyes had focused on Daubutim, widening slightly as the tall boy spoke.


    "You are right, but you will not find any cheaper boots in Wignut," the man said with a slight frown, not denying what Daubutim had said.


    "Perhaps. But I think it would pay not to overcharge potential sorcerers," Daubutim said, causing the man to freeze for a moment. "We might otherwise not return for more equipment."


    Has he been playing us all this time? Irwin thought as he stared stupidly at the boy, barely recognizing him.


    "Sorcerers," the man said, drawing out the word as if tasting it. "I see. And you think I should believe you on your word?"


    "You can verify it easily enough. If we are lying, you can find us without issue. Wignut is not large, and we are new and easily located," Daubutim said, seeming undeterred.


    "One gold," the man said.


    "Nine silver and three copper," Daubutim said. "And when I need my new boots and am able, I''ll come here to have them made."


    The man seemed ready to snap something when he stopped and examined Daubutim from head to toe. His eyebrows shot up when his gaze reached the other''s muddy but obviously high-quality black-leather boots. He swallowed audibly before nodding.


    "Fine, young lord. You drive a hard bargain, and I hope you don''t prove a trickster."


    "You have my word," Daubutim said while he took a purse from his belt and put one gold coin on the table before turning to Irwin, who was staring at the thumb-sized gleaming golden coin. "I don''t have or want copper coins. With three copper, he can return me a silver."


    Irwin looked at him as if he was joking, then quickly scrambled for his copper and put three on the table.


    "An odd group you are," the man said as he swiped up the coin before handing Daubutim one silver back. "Now, follow me."


    Ten minutes later, Irwin and the rest left the store. He was now six copper poorer, but the new socks another three had bought him were thick and warm. His boots fit snugly but had a reasonable amount of room in the toes for growth, and the craftsman had shown him how to change the belts and buckle if needed.


    As happy as he was, the first thing he did after they moved away from the entrance was turn to Daubutim.


    "Have you been tricking us?" he asked.


    The boy looked at him for a moment, his eyes dull and no sight of the sharp gleam from before.


    "What do you mean?" he asked.


    "Just now, what was that?" Irwin asked, noting that Greldo was standing quietly beside them, not interrupting.


    "Haggling," Daubutim said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "My father taught my brothers and me. I''m not as good as them."


    Irwin grunted. Was he joking? How could he act like this when he''d obviously-


    "Daubutim, did your father tell you to look and talk like that when haggling?" Greldo asked, interrupting him.


    Daubutim nodded slowly. "Yes. He made me look in mirrors for long times and said my eyes had to look like ice. It was boring and hard."


    "Incredible," Greldo muttered before turning to Irwin. "Let''s go. Daubutim is just good at this. I''ll explain it later."


    Irwin nodded, but Greldo''s question had made something click, and he realized what the other meant. Daubutim could act in a certain way with incredible confidence, but it was no more than that¡ªan act.


    It made sense as he recalled the boy''s previous actions. Still, he decided to keep an eye on the dull boy and discuss it with Greldo later.


    They climbed back down the ladder, making their way towards the road below, when they passed a larger wooden platform with a small group of people. They stood in a circle and talked loud enough for Irwin to overhear as he passed.


    "I''m telling you, my cousin is a guard on the peninsula wall, and he wouldn''t lie! High-rank cards, some of epic rank, have been dropping, and he says the last time that happened was during the great dying a hundred years ago!" a stubble-faced man snapped angrily.


    "And I just told you to stop spreading lies, Jeffrey. You will get people scared for nothing," another man said, raising his voice. "There''ve not been any large overflows from portals in decades, and the last one was a far cry from that horrible time! Just because a few more portals appear doesn''t mean overflows will!"


    Irwin slowed, pulling Greldo and Daubutim to this floor''s shop, which sold an assortment of cloth, towels, bed linen, and soap. A look at his friend showed he was staring through the window without really seeing anything, obviously listening as intently as he was.


    Daubutim was frowning at a bar of soap. "Why are we here? Do you also need soap?" he asked.


    "No, I want to listen to what they are talking about," Irwin whispered, getting a nonplussed look and a shrug from Daubutim. Irwin ignored him and focused on the heated discussion behind him.


    "So? Because people might become afraid, we should ignore the warnings?" the man called Jeffrey retorted. "You''ve heard it! Half a dozen or more portals are in the hills, plains, and woods around us. That''s just here! We normally get none, and you know that. Then there''s this rumor that something happened with the sorcerer''s towers. It took two days before they came to close the portals. Normally, they are here within a few hours."


    "Normally? You make it sound like it happens all the time," another man snorted.


    "It never did," Jeffrey snapped. "Which is exactly my point! Something is happening!"


    "So," the first man said. "What do you suppose we do? Go to the wall, risk our lives against those demons in the idle hope that we find what? Uncommon cards? Rare cards? They''re not like nuts that grow in trees!"


    "We could enter the Sleepers Forest and find some there," the man said, though his voice was softer now, as if he was afraid of who might hear.


    "Suicidal fool," the second man barked. "Those are rumors! Besides, the monsters there are as strong as those in portals! Just because they never leave, you think you can just wander in and kill them in the hope that some tavern talk is actually true? Bah!"


    The conversation quickly dissolved in a heated argument about the nature of the rumors, and Irwin and Greldo moved away, back towards the Inn.


    So¡­ that''s how Bronwyn got his hands on an epic card, Irwin thought.


    He''d thought it was insane luck, but perhaps if those rumors were right, he wasn''t that special. That meant there might be more like him out there, people with cards that seemed to be common but were actually much higher. Perhaps even¡­ he thought about Daubutim''s club and Rachel''s shield. He''d thought perhaps their cards were deemed utility for some reason, but that was on the assumption they were common rank. What if they were special, like his?


    But what are the chances for the three of us being in the same group?


    They reached street level again, and as they stepped onto the street, he saw Olban hurry towards the Inn. The side of his face was bruised, his coat had a large tear, and he kept looking over his shoulder.


    "Now what?" Greldo whispered before stepping forward. "Olban!" he shouted.


    The zit-covered boy spun around with eyes wide with fear. As he saw Greldo, evident relief wiped the fear from his face, and he ran towards them.


    "What happened?" Irwin asked, noting the bloody smear running from the boy''s nose across his cheek.


    "I... I¡­¡± Olban stuttered before taking a deep breath and seeming to steel himself. "I can''t tell you here. We''ll talk in the Portal, alright?"


    The others looked at him with different levels of surprise, then Irwin nodded awkwardly. "Sure, let''s head back in."


    Olban nodded, and they followed him, almost running to the Inn while he kept looking at the crowd behind them. Irwin looked but didn''t see anyone suspicious. Just a mass of people moving to and fro.


    The Inn was the same as before, the lady at the entry nodding at them kindly, while the main room was slightly busier. Olban moved as if someone was after him, only stopping when they finally entered the room appointed to their party. Rachel and Twintin were sitting on the bed, and they fell quiet, looking at Olban.


    Olban moved to the furthest bed without talking and lay down on his side with his back towards them, getting surprised looks from the girls.


    "What happened?" Rachel asked, looking at Irwin.


    "I don''t know," Irwin said, moving to one of the other beds. "We came across him like this outside. He didn''t want to tell us and said we''d have to wait till we were inside the Portal."


    As soon as the word came out of his mouth, he knew he had made a mistake because Rachel''s upbeat smile faltered, and Twintin stared at him with a look of pure fear.


    "How long do we have?" Rachel asked.


    "Almost an hour," Daubutim said from his own bed.


    He''d barely finished when they heard someone run through the hallway. A moment later, there was a knock followed by Tanya''s voice.


    "Come to the main room. There is news!"


    Irwin had just laid down on the soft bed, and it took him a great deal of effort to roll back off.


    Great. Why do I feel like I won''t like this, he thought.


    As he and the others exited their room and moved toward the larger room at the back, he saw a lot of their big group had also returned. Tanya stood in the center, her usual smile gone and her face unreadable. Beside her stood a tall man in leather armor with a bow in hand and a quiver peaking over his shoulder.


    "Good, the rest aren''t nearby, so we won''t wait for them," Tanya said as her eyes darted across the children. "Alright, I see three of the five groups are complete. Good. You are going to go with Delwood toward the nearest set of portals. I know I said you had another hour, but we''ve just had word that one of the portals has changed from common to uncommon. We can''t wait another second. Delwood and I will have to try and close that one by ourselves, and if another one changes..."


    Her gaze passed over the children, looking them all in the eye. She must have seen something because she took a deep breath, and a forced smile came to her as she spoke again.


    "I know many of you, if not all, don''t want to be here, and I can relate. But know that if we don''t close these portals immediately, this town and a few nearby will be overrun. There are not enough uncommon sorcerers to close this many portals. So, as before, I want to ask you to do your best. Don''t attempt to flee. Find a way to close those portals! Lives depend on it!"


    A worried whispering came from the surrounding youths, and Irwin heard the growing fear.


    Tanya did too, as she seemed to hesitate, looked at Delwood, then continued.


    "I''ll share something that''s not yet been made public, which I hope will help you understand. Puulwind, which was a town on the northern side of the peninsula home to over nine thousand people, was wiped from the map yesterday. Three portals changed from common to uncommon to rare in the span of two days, after which there was a surge. One of them spit forth a horde of Landsharks that wiped out almost every living thing in a hundred-mile radius around the Portal. We have no information about what came out of the others, as only a single sorcerer stationed there managed to return alive."


    A hushed silence hung over the children, and Tanya smiled weakly.


    "This is why we have to hurry. Now, the three complete groups, follow Delwood and close those portals!"


    There was another outburst of whispers, but as Delwood strode to the door, those of the groups fell in line behind him. Irwin and the others joined at the back, moving in a line through the Inn, which fell quiet.


    As he stepped back outside, Irwin wondered if this would be the last time he saw the town. Either because he was going to die or because another group would fail and a surge would trigger.

 Chapter 21: Portal One

    Irwin could barely enjoy the solid feel of his new boots as he walked beside Greldo while Wignut was turning smaller behind them. The small pack on his back gave him some comfort, as he knew it held a waterskin and some rations.


    I wish they had also given us a coat, he thought as a gust of cold wind tousled his hair and pulled on the loose flaps of his jacket.


    It wasn''t the first cold breeze since they walked out into the windy planes beyond Wignnut. Gritting his teeth, he focused on their destination.


    Ahead of them was what the locals called Sleepers Forest, a dark forest that stretched from the hill they had arrived at all the way to another hill a half day''s travel away. Though smaller than Gloomforest near Malorin, Irwin saw the differences even from an hour''s walk away.


    Sleepers Forest had a dense undergrowth of large vines, while the forest was made up of tall, dark green, almost black-leafed trees packed densely together.


    If I was going to die in a forest, I could have stayed home and just run into Gloomforest, he thought.


    An hour later, he was standing still, out of breath, and his legs heavy from the unfamiliar weight of the boots. Greldo had been looking at him on occasion, seeming confused.


    Ahead of them was the edge of the forest. Delwood turned and looked at their groups, his face expressionless. Behind him was a narrow, dark path leading into the forest.


    "The first of the three portals is a ten-minute trek inside. Make sure to stay close together and don''t wander off no matter what you see or hear. Any questions?"


    To Irwin''s surprise, Greldo stepped forward. "Do you know what type of portals there are?"


    "Only one of the three was scouted, as it appeared a few days ago. The rangers haven''t had the time to investigate the other two. The one we did scout seems to lead to a cavernous aquatic area filled with plants and swampy areas."


    There was a bit of excited chatting from one of the groups while a slender, black-haired boy nodded at the others with a weary grin on his face.


    The others were whispering to him, and Irwin picked up a few words from a girl who spoke louder than the others.


    Perfect for you? he thought to himself.


    He guessed the boy must have some type of water or plant card, though which common could possibly make them this confident, he had no idea. Then again, he barely knew any cards, so that wasn''t surprising.


    Delwood raised an eyebrow. "Anything else?"


    Greldo grimaced but shook his head.


    "Good. Then let''s go," the ranger said.


    "What were you trying to find out?" Irwin whispered as he moved next to Greldo and into the forest.


    "We need another fire portal," Greldo whispered. "It''s what we did during practice, and your flame would give us a major advantage."


    Irwin didn''t respond but silently followed him. Why hadn''t he thought of that? He frowned, knowing that it was partially because of the constant pressure they were under. He''d never been that good with it and preferred some quiet time to contemplate. Otherwise, he''d just run into trouble, as his mum always told him.


    I need to ensure we don''t enter a cold portal, or I''ll be dead within moments, he thought before realizing he could still summon his flame at those times. His momentary relief vanished as he realized he couldn''t keep his flame up forever. At some point, the energy would be gone!


    Greldo entered the forest, following after Rachel and Twintin, and as Irwin stepped after him, the light from the cloud-filled sky faded to a ruddy gloom. Thirty feet in, all he saw was the path ahead and thick bushes and leaves left and right.


    Even then, from the stumbling and curses ahead and behind, he knew none of the others could see anything.


    As he stepped over a green plant that covered the ground, he sighed as a warm breeze came from the depths of the forest. His relief was short-lived as a stinking, moldy scent surrounded them.


    Delwood¡¯s description seemed to be on point, as within ten minutes, they followed him into a rather spacious, leaf-filled area. In the center hung a black portal with small swirling tendrils of red energy along its edges. The canopy above split apart to show the gray sky, and Delwood stopped and turned.


    "Alright, which party is going in this one?" he asked without any preamble.


    "Is this the water one?" the black-haired boy asked as the group around him looked at the ranger.


    "No, that''s the next one. This is the one that appeared yesterday. Now, we don''t have much time. One of you will need to enter, after which I''ll guide the others to the next ones."


    Didn''t portals become stronger the longer they remain? Irwin thought as he tried to recall how that worked. It made sense to him, as they eventually turned Uncommon, so it would be reasonable to assume they started weak. He looked at Greldo, but his friend was focused fully on the ranger.


    "What happens if we come out again?" a boy almost as tall as Daubutim asked worriedly.


    "You will need to wait here until I return, or if you didn''t finish the portal, go back in," Delwood said.


    "What if we just leave? We only have common cards, and I don''t want to die," someone said.


    Delwood looked around, but nobody stepped forward.


    If we need to find our way out of the forest, being this close to the edge would be best, Irwin suddenly thought. Even if the people wouldn''t want to help him, they could always say they had tried!


    "I would advise you not to try. Besides that, even if you find your way back, nobody will help you in Wignut," Delwood said, his bow moving up slightly. "Now. Who will enter this one?"


    "We will go," Irwin said, hearing a surprised hiss from Olban, which he ignored.


    Delwood turned his attention at him, then at those around him, and nodded. Irwin thought he saw a tiny bit of relief in the ranger''s eyes, though he could be mistaken.


    "Alright. Enter, and I''ll return for you after you succeed," the ranger said, almost making Irwin snort. The chances of them getting out alive were small, and succeeding on the first try was even less so.


    He swallowed back his rising bile and stepped towards the rippling portal.


    As he closed in, he realized it seemed far more intimidating than the training portal. It was easily three meters high and two wide, and he wondered for a moment if they grew when they went from common to uncommon. A quick look over his shoulder saw that the others had followed him, Olban glaring at him while the others just stared fearfully at the door.


    I hope I see you again, Mum, Irwin thought as he clenched his fists and stepped through the portal.


    For a moment, everything was so dark that not even his night vision could pierce it while a bone-shivering cold slowly seeped into him. Before he even had time to be afraid, there was a burst of light, and everything changed.


    Irwin''s feet thudded onto a dusty slab as a bright sun burned down on him, causing him to blink from the sudden change. He looked around and saw shimmers everywhere while the scent in the air was heavy with the heat of summer. The cold from both the trip and the portal rapidly melted away, and he felt energized.


    By Gelwin''s beard, I''m glad it''s hot here, he thought.


    A soft, howling wind made him jolt out of his reverie, and he looked around. Towering gray buildings that seemed to touch the few puffy white clouds in the sky were crumbled and charred at the top. Each seemed taller than the tallest tree he''d seen, with eerily square windows so evenly positioned across their sides that it seemed unreal. Green leaves and tendrils poked out of them, the edges in direct sunlight darkened and curled up. On the shadow sides, he saw a dull green glow from the windows.


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    Where are we? Irwin thought as he looked around.


    There were buildings everywhere, some reduced to a one-story pile of rubble, while others must have been ten or more. How did anyone build something like this? A full hand of legendary cards? Confused, he continued in a full circle, finding nothing but dust and rubble between the buildings, with an occasional gust of wind creating a small whirlwind of sand. His eyes widened when he saw the portal was still behind him, but not as it was before. Instead of black with swirls of red, there were tiny, jagged bolts of red lightning around its edges, some seeming to vanish inside.


    A shudder ran along the edges, and Greldo hopped out, stumbling as he landed on a deep gouge in the cracked, square slabs. He let out a pained hiss as he covered his eyes and almost stumbled.


    Irwin watched in surprise as Greldo looked around before quickly jumping in the shade cast by one of the massive buildings.


    "What''s wrong?"


    Greldo didn''t respond but opened the front of his jacket, taking slow breaths as if he was sick.


    Irwin almost said that it wasn''t that hot when he caught himself. He''d sat in a fireplace without being hurt. Who was he to talk about, hot?


    "So hot," Greldo whispered, just as Daubutim and the others appeared one at a time.


    Twintin let out a startled scream that tore through the silence, and Irwin rushed forward, quickly pulling her into the shadow before doing the same for Rachel. Daubutim had already joined Greldo. Olban appeared, and Daubutim stepped forward and yanked him into the shadows.


    "We can''t stay here," Greldo said between his ragged breathing, and Irwin saw sweat run down his head. "Let''s go into one of the buildings."


    Irwin frowned as he looked at the green glow from the otherwise shadowy entrance of the building.


    "We don''t know what''s in there," he said.


    "So what! If we stay out here, we will die," Olban snapped.


    "We could just head back," Twintin cried.


    "Let''s wait for a few minutes. Perhaps it''s cooler in the buildings," Greldo said as he stumbled towards the entrance.


    Irwin ran forward, then past his friend. As he stepped through the doorway, he belatedly thought he should have summoned his flame. As soon as he stepped into the building, the temperature dropped considerably, and a rustling of leaves came from a venerable jungle of green. Vines and bushes grew rampant, growing over the roots and branches of other plants, while pale-white mushrooms sat everywhere, glowing a dim green light that cast odd shadows. The plants seemed to stay far from the door, and a few in the middle had char marks, creating a small open area between the door and the surrounding wall and the jungle.


    "By Gelwin, this is better," Olban whispered from behind him as he stepped further into the room. "I thought I was suffocating out there!"


    "Keep quiet," Irwin said as he looked around. He had no idea how spacious the room was, as all he could see were the plants. Parts of the roof were visible, cracked, and with large fissures through which the plants grew up.


    Olban didn''t respond, but there was an odd scuffle, and as he turned, he saw a long vine wrapped around the boy''s neck. His eyes bulged, and his feet tried to reach the ground as he was lifted a foot in the air. Behind him, more vines were shooting over the roof and wall, moving towards the door.


    "Irwin!" Greldo screamed in panic, jumping back from one of the vines.


    A flash of red light illuminated the room, cranking up the temperature as Irwin''s flame burst alive above his hand. He jumped forward and held it against part of the vine strangling Olban.


    There was a blur as the vine released Olban and retracted, slapping against Irwin in passing. He felt something tug his leg, but he remained on his feet, swirled around, and jabbed his flame at any vine that moved. More green blurs drew back in a rustle, and a moment later, the vines were gone, leaving only the other bushes and leaves.


    Irwin held his flame forward, pulling a coughing Olban up with his other hand.


    "It moved," Olban said between his ragged breathing. He stumbled back out into the heat, where the others stood, drenched in sweat. "So fast, I couldn''t respond. Tried to strangle me!"


    "Irwin, we can''t stay here. We will die," Greldo said, not looking at him. "We need to go out now."


    A thunderous howl came from behind them, and Irwin flinched, then ran out of the building. Next to the portal stood two black hounds with fiery hair across their flanks. Their eyes burned like cinders as they stared at the group.


    "Back in the building," Irwin shouted as he held out his flame. The others scrambled past him and into the building as he backed up.


    The hounds padded forward, blinking white teeth bare and letting out a deep growl. Steam rose from their nostrils. They stopped before the shadow, looking at him before passing along the edge. A howl came from the left, and looking there, Irwin saw three more hounds lope towards them.


    "Irwin, the vines!" Greldo screamed from inside.


    Irwin hissed, turned, and sprinted into the building.


    Dozens of vines were swaying in the air while Daubutim was holding one between his hands. Olban was being dragged away by his ankle, and the girls were huddled behind Greldo, whose hands were clenched around two vines trying to drag him two ways.


    Irwin ran towards Greldo, slashing his flame across one of the vines, leaving a black scar before it whirred away too fast for him to notice. A look showed the other had also let go, but Olban was almost inside a dense leaf-filled area.


    "No, no, no," Irwin groaned as he ran forward.


    Five steps from Olban, the boy looked at him with panic in his eyes, his hands covered in a thick, hardened crust.


    "Help!" he screamed, then he was pulled into the bushes, his scream quickly dampening, then faded altogether.


    "No!" Irwin shouted, jumping forward with his arm and flame outstretched.


    A sizzling came as the fire torched the leaves that curled up, but they didn''t pull back as the vines had. Waving his flame over them, the plants began drying up, and a burning scent drifted up.


    "Stop it! He''s gone, there is nothing we can do, and if you start a fire, we are goners! Remember those demon dogs!" Greldo shouted, pulling him back.


    Irwin stared at the wall of leaves, charred where he''d tried to get through, gasping for breath. "But- but," he muttered.


    "We can''t help him!" Greldo shouted, and Irwin took a few steps back.


    He knew Greldo was right, but as he looked at the wall, he couldn''t get Olban''s terrified face out of his mind. With a shiver, he stepped back and looked at the others sitting beside the wall, sweat still dripping from their faces. Twintin was crying softly, while Daubutim was staring at the greenery, seeming dazed.


    "What do we do now?" Irwin muttered stupidly.


    "We need to find a way back to the portal," Greldo said as he moved away from the vegetation and put his back against the wall. "We don''t have enough water to stay here. This isn''t like a training portal where we can go without food and water or respawn when we die."


    Irwin moved to stand before them, his flame still out.


    Nobody spoke for a while, and Twintin¡¯s sobbing slowly died down. Finally, Irwin sighed. His mind seemed numb now. They were here for five minutes and had already lost one. Were they unlucky with the rift they picked? And what kind of rift was this? It was fire and plants? He tried wracking his memory of stories from Bronwyn, but he couldn''t recall any like this.


    Is Olban still alive?


    The thought flashed through his weary mind as he gazed at the wall. Fear of Olban crying, alone deep in that vegetation as those plants did who knew what to him grew, and he shoved it down and away. Greldo was right. Even if he was alive, there was no way for them to do anything to help. His flame would have to be much stronger to get through-


    Irwin''s thoughts stopped as a single idea flashed forward. He remembered how his flame grew if he killed an imp, and there were dogs outside¡­ what if¡­ As he turned around, he saw Greldo look at him with a frown.


    "If I can kill those dogs, I might be able to burn through those plants," he said, his lethargy leaving him as fast as it had come, replaced by the desire to try something.


    The others looked up while Greldo shook his head.


    "We have no idea how strong those dogs are or if they react to your flame as those Imps did. What if-"


    "We can''t just do nothing," Irwin said as his mind began spinning up ideas. "We have no idea if those vines will attack again. What if so many come that I can''t keep them away?"


    As he spoke, he felt his anger grow. What if Greldo was next? Did he have to abandon him too?


    "We should wait for the sun to set," Greldo said. "Those dogs don''t seem willing to move into the shadows, so eventually, they should leave."


    "And what if something worse comes then?" Irwin said, his voice rising. He knew he was being unreasonable, but he had to do something!


    Before Greldo could say anything, Daubutim¡¯s dull voice sounded out.


    "This looks like a desert. My father taught me that it becomes very, very cold in deserts at night."


    Irwin''s rising anger froze over, his breath lodged in his throat as he felt fear tickle him.


    He saw the realization set in with Greldo. If it became cold here¡­ not only could other things come out, but Irwin would be next to useless. And if it became cold enough, they couldn''t do anything either. Just huddle around his flame, which would draw everything here.


    "How sure are you of what your father said and that this is a desert?" Greldo asked, staring at Daubutim.


    "I never forget what my father tells me," Daubutim said, his eyes narrowing. "And I have never been to a desert. There is none on Clour peninsula."


    He looked at Greldo as if he should know this before slowly continuing.


    "But the book from father¡¯s librarys spoke of incredible heat, oddities in the air, and sand everywhere. This matches what is outside."


    Greldo wiped his sweat away as he struggled up and looked at Irwin.


    "Let''s go see what those dogs are doing."


    Irwin nodded, walked towards the door, then stopped and turned around. There was no sign of the vines, but the last time he''d left, they had returned quickly.


    "I think I should stay here," he said, pointing at the plants behind them.


    "Yes, maybe that''s better," Greldo agreed.


    With a weary sigh, he turned and stepped out. His strangled gasp almost made Irwin run out anyway, but a few moments later, he stepped back in. As hot as it was, he was pale as a sheet.


    "What''s wrong?" Irwin asked.


    "There are a lot of dogs out there," Greldo said, and from his tone, Irwin knew he didn''t mean just a handful. Looking at the vegetation, he took a gamble, ran to the door, and quickly looked outside.


    Hundreds of hounds lay or walked around the shadow in front of their building, many staring straight at the entrance.


    "Vines!" Greldo shouted.


    Irwin, mind still reeling, almost stumbled as he turned and saw a vine shoot over the ground towards the group. He ran forward, but halfway there, the vine stopped and pulled back before he could torch it.


    Slightly out of breath, he walked to Greldo. Rachel, Twintin, and Daubutim were staring at him, and he swallowed.


    "I think we have no choice but to wait for night to arrive¡­"

 Chapter 22: Stuck

    "They are leaving," Rachel whispered from her position next to the door.


    A dull red glow poured from the entrance, bathing the room in an eerie crimson. Their small backpacks lay to the side, in a stack, with Twintin and Daubutim beside it.


    Finally, Irwin thought, his gritty eyes staring at the wall of plants. He had been standing there for hours, his feet hurting and his mind a weary mess. Still, each time he would sit down, vines would poke out of the bush, ready to attack.


    Glad it seemed over, he looked at Greldo standing beside him. He was the only one who wanted to remain anywhere near him while his flame was up, as the heat just added to their already horrible discomfort. Greldo was just taking a sip from his waterskin, then looked up and nodded.


    "I''ll check," he whispered after another drink.


    As he moved away, Irwin glared at the green plants, wondering how they would react when the sun was completely gone. Hopefully, not at all. Or perhaps they would freeze.


    A soft howling came from outside, and Twintin audibly gulped.


    "They are almost all gone, and the shadow will be at the portal soon," Greldo said from the door. "Get ready to leave."


    "What- what''s that?"


    Irwin felt his hair stand on end at the fear in Rachel''s voice. He was already moving before Greldo''s strangled yelp came. At the door, Greldo was pulling Rachel back, who was raising her hands in defense. One hand glowed, and her shield appeared. Daubutim was up and moving, his club out. Twintin sat to the side, startled like a scared rabbit.


    "Twintin, warn us for the vines!" Irwin snapped as he reached the others, stepping past Greldo and looking through the door.


    The sun was almost gone now, and a cold wind blew over him, causing him to shiver. Shadowy movements came from between the cracks in the stone plates. It took a moment for his dark vision to adjust, but when it did, he clamped his teeth in anger. Vines, long and nimble, were slowly ripping through the dusty ground, rising into the air everywhere.


    Should have tried to kill a dog, he thought, even though he knew how unlikely that would have been.


    He took a step back and saw that two vines were slithering across the ceiling. They froze when he moved, and as he raised his flame, they pulled back in a blur.


    "They are too smart," Daubutim said, and Irwin looked at him, hoping the odd boy would follow up on the statement.


    "And?" he asked after a few seconds.


    "The Botany book at school says that plants attack without care for themselves," Daubutim added.


    "Did you read anything about things that look like plants and act like this?" Greldo asked, sounding rushed.


    They had gathered at the wall near the entrance, Greldo looking outside and Irwin at the plants.


    "No," Daubutim said as his eyes focused on the door.


    "Great, now what?" Greldo whispered, looking around. "Please tell me that somebody has a great idea?"


    It was quiet, and Irwin saw everyone slowly turn to him. What did they expect him to do? It wasn''t like he could pull a miracle out of his-


    Ambraz...


    He clenched his teeth, looking at the others before turning back to the plants. If only it had been only Greldo here, he could have told him. But the others? How much could he trust them with this?


    "Irwin?" Greldo asked softly.


    "I''m thinking," Irwin whispered, glaring at the plants.


    Time slowly passed, the temperature dropping ever lower, but where the plants kept the room cool during the day, they seemed to warm it during the night. At some point, Irwin heard snoring from behind him, and he turned to look at the others. Everyone was sleeping except for Greldo, who was sitting near the door, looking outside. He took the occasional sip of his waterskin.


    "Those plants outside at least can''t seem to move here," Greldo whispered, looking up. "Got a plan going yet?"


    Irwin hesitated, looking at the sleeping trio.


    "Not yet," he said.


    "Well, if you''ve got something that might work, I suggest you don''t wait too long," Greldo said.


    Irwin looked back, wondering if Greldo knew something or had somehow found out about Ambraz.


    A rustle made him look up, and he was just in time to see the tip of a vine shoot back in the bushes.


    "This is going to be a long night," he whispered.


    Luckily for him, it wasn''t that long.


    "That''s weird," Greldo whispered a few hours later. "There''s a glow in the distance... it can''t become day yet.. right?"


    "I hope it will be," Irwin said. "I need to sleep, and perhaps we can go outside and find a building without plants tomorrow."


    He knew it was very unlikely, but he needed a moment to talk with Ambraz. Perhaps the Anvil knew a way to get out of here.


    Ten minutes later, a dim glow came from outside, slowly lighting up the room. A rectangular shape slowly moved towards the plant, stopping exactly at its edge.


    "The plants not in the shadow are leaving back underground," Greldo whispered. "Sadly, the ones around the portal are still there. It''s in the shadow of some building and will be there for way too long. We... we need to check the other building."


    Irwin nodded as he walked backward, keeping his burning eyes on the wall of vegetation before kicking Rachel''s foot.


    "Wu- what?" she muttered, looking around blurrily. "It''s daytime already? What happened?"


    It took her a few moments to fully wake up, but as she did, Daubutim and Twintin woke as well.


    "We need to check the other building before the hounds return," Irwin said. "We need one without plants."


    "But what if whoever checks gets stuck?" Twintin whispered, shivering. She was hugging her waterskin, drinking every few moments.


    Irwin had been worried about the same thing, but before they could decide who would go, Daubutim stood up.


    "I''ll go," he said dully. "I''m the fastest in a straight line."


    "Are you-" Irwin bit his tongue and grimaced. "Good luck."


    Daubutim nodded, walking to the door and looking outside. "I''ll go left," he said. Then he stepped out of the building, and they heard heavy footsteps run away. The others headed to the door, all of them looking outside, leaving only Irwin to wonder what was going on.


    "He''s reached the door," Greldo said, then he grunted. "He''s heading to the one on the other side."


    Time ticked by slowly, then Greldo rose. "He''s beckoning us to come towards him!"


    Irwin hesitated for only a moment, then backed up to the door. He was dead tired, his eyes were burning, and he needed sleep. As he reached the door, he gazed at the others.


    "Run."


    "But..." Twintin whispered, her voice close to crying.


    "We have to," Rachel said, pulling her along as they ran.


    Irwin jumped back and ran after Greldo. Daubutim stood beside a door opening with a tiny bit of shadow, looking at them. It was only a hundred feet away, but halfway there, Irwin''s lungs were burning, and his heart was thudding. The slight heat from the first light was making him feel somewhat better.


    "Hurry!"


    Greldo''s panicky shout made his adrenaline spike, giving him the final burst to reach them. As he did, he turned around just in time to see two hounds sprint after him. They only stopped when they saw he had reached the door.


    "Let''s get inside," Greldo said.


    Irwin took one last look at the hounds before stepping inside.


    The first thing he realized was that it wasn''t as cool inside as the other building. Then he saw the light on the left side, where a large hole in the ceiling and wall allowed light to beam in, creating a beam of light through the center of the room. A part of a staircase leading up into the building was also illuminated. Only the right side of the room was covered in plants, but due to the light, it was hard to say if there were any vines.


    "It''s much hotter here," Rachel muttered. "Why did you make us come here?"


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    Daubutim frowned, seemingly confused for a moment.


    "The plants can¡¯t reach us, and Irwin can sleep there," he said, pointing at the patch of bright sun.


    Irwin looked at it, then at the plants, and his weariness slammed home so hard that he took a stumbling step forward.


    "Yeah," he said before anyone could complain. "I''m going to sleep before the sun turns away."


    He looked at Greldo, who was lying down beside the door, yawning.


    "Wake us if anything happens!"


    "But... what are we supposed to do here in the meantime?" Twintin called out, her voice trembling.


    Irwin didn''t even bother responding but lay down on the sand-covered ground, closed his eyes, and fell asleep.


    --


    "What... how are we going to get out of here?"


    Greldo sighed, trying to ignore Twintin''s whiney voice. He knew she was right to worry, but he wanted to sleep. His tiny water flask was empty, his lips drying, and he needed the reprieve.


    Maybe Irwin has some water left, he thought.


    "We need to run to the portal after the plants leave and before the hounds come," Rachel muttered.


    Right, and how are you going to do that? Greldo thought.


    He slept in tiny bursts, waking up every now and again to make sure Irwin was still in the sunny part. The temperature increased until it was steaming, and soon, he couldn''t sleep anymore. All he could do was lie against the wall, feeling his lips become drier and drier.


    "How come he can just sleep there?" Rachel snapped, glaring at Irwin.


    Either the timing was impeccable, or he had heard her because, right at that moment, Irwin turned over.


    About time, Greldo thought, groaning as he pushed himself up.


    ---


    Irwin woke feeling much better than before. Much better than in weeks, even. Slightly hungry, very thirsty, but not tired or weak. Instinctively, he kept his eyes closed and refrained from moving, enjoying the heat of the sun on his face and shoulder.


    I wish there were no plants and hounds here, he thought. This place wouldn''t be so bad. Sadly, they were here and were blocking the portal.


    As if a foggy blanket was ripped from his mind, he saw himself chase away the vines with his flame. He could just head to the portal at night! None of those plants would get near him...


    For a moment, he wanted to jump up and tell the others. Then he realized the problem.


    How am I going to protect everyone?


    Mind blank, he remained on the ground, futilely attempting to come up with a plan. Finally, after ten minutes, he knew that if there were no other way, he would have to make a run for it. With some luck, he could guard Greldo and himself.


    Most of the joy of a good rest was wiped away and he rose and stretched as he looked at the door. Greldo and the others stood there, a sheen of sweat on their heads and dry and cracked lips.


    "I hope you slept well," Rachel muttered, turning her angry stare at the wall of vegetation.


    Irwin didn''t bother to reply.


    "We need to get out of here," Greldo said. "If we don''t leave before tomorrow evening, we are going to die without water."


    Irwin felt his heart skip a beat as he remembered what Bronwyn had told him about water. They could go without it for two or three days, and then they would die. How long had they been here? He looked up and saw that the sun wasn''t at its peak yet.


    Strange, it felt like I slept much longer, he thought. So, not two days yet.


    "Do you have a plan?" he asked, hoping Greldo had thought of something.


    "We wait till the hounds leave, then make a run for the portal, hoping to be faster than the vines," Rachel said, sounding uncertain.


    Irwin tried to remember how fast things had gone the previous night. Was there actually a window of opportunity they could use? Then he saw Greldo shake his head minutely.


    "Didn''t they come almost right after the hounds left?" he said softly.


    "Yes, but what else can we do?" Twintin shouted in panic.


    Nobody answered, and they all looked at each other in consternation. After a few moments, everyone was looking at him, and Irwin gritted his teeth. If he told them his plan, there would definitely be trouble, so that could wait. It wouldn''t work until nighttime anyway. No, what he really needed was a place to talk with Ambraz without-


    The staircase!


    He turned to the staircase, still fully covered in the scorching sunlight.


    "I''m going to go up and see if the next floor is clear," he said, heading towards the door. "Maybe I can reach the roof and find out where the linchpin is."


    There was a stunned silence from behind that lasted until he put his first foot on the strangely perfect, angular stair.


    "Wait, what if there are vines or worse monsters up there?" Rachel shouted. "Without-"


    Irwin tuned her out as he snuck up the stairs. They led to a small square midway point. The stair above that was partially broken, but there was enough room to walk up. Above it, the second story started with a massive hole, which he knew had to mean there was light enough.


    As he walked up, he looked back through the massive rupture. Hounds walked to sunny areas on the sandy streets, some even looking up at him with burning red and hungry eyes.


    Irwin swallowed as he saw one that was much larger than the others disappear around a corner.


    A quick walk-up showed that the back of the other room was partially filled with plants, with long stretches of emptiness where the sun poured in through the windows. The stair continued to the side. Although it wasn''t as full of light, long cracks had enough light pouring in that only a few hand-sized plants had managed to grow roots.


    Irwin continued up, and after another tiny square stop, he saw the next floor bathed in sunlight. The entire top section, with the exception of a small ridge, was ripped away. Sand-covered debris had created slopes, covering the windows.


    He took a quick look around, then sighed in relief.


    "Ambraz?" he whispered.


    There was a slight rustle in his pocket.


    "About time you remembered me, brat! Do you have any idea how dusty and smelly it is in this pocket?"


    Irwin sighed in relief at the Anvil''s voice. Between everything that had happened, he had the idea that Ambraz might have a way out.


    "We are stuck here! How do we get out?" he whispered.


    "Unless you are really stupid, you already know how you can get out," Ambraz muttered.


    "At night with the flame," Irwin hissed. "Yes, but how do I get the others out?"


    Ambraz was quiet for a bit, then sighed.


    "I don''t know, but I do know you have to hurry."


    The Anvil let out another weary sigh before continuing.


    "This isn''t a typical quartz -or common as you call it- portal. Somehow, the connection to your world is quickly increasing its stability, much faster than normal. From what I can tell, it''s only hours from causing other surrounding shardworlds to connect to it. If that happens, more dangerous and numerous monsters will come here. Whatever happens, you can''t remain here."


    Irwin swallowed as he tried to follow what the Anvil was saying.


    Shardworld?


    When had he heard that term before...? Right. When he had found Ambraz in training portal eighteen! He wanted to ask what it was but held back. There were more important questions first.


    "What do you mean, increasing its stability?"


    "Not sure if this is the time for all these questions, but fine," Ambraz said, sounding exasperated. "This is a remnant of a world that shattered. Normally, these things degrade before returning to the-" Ambraz stopped mid sentence before grunting and continuing. "No, let''s not go there. Too many potential questions. Anyway, because of the portal to your world, it''s stabilizing itself, but it''s happening way faster than it should."


    "What could be doing that?" Irwin asked worriedly, looking up at the sky. Would it happen before it turned dark? There was no way he could reach the portal with all those hounds here.


    "No idea. It could be that there''s a very powerful linchpin here, or your world resembles this shard''s original form and is highly compatible. I don''t know. I''m no expert on shardworld specifics."


    Irwin leaned against the wall, staring into the bright sky, noticing that there was no sun for the first time.


    ¡°Can you reforge cards so we become stronger?¡± he muttered.


    ¡°Sure, but that takes energy,¡± Ambraz said with a snort. ¡°I can do one per day, roughly, and only up to uncommon. Well, unless you have cards for me to eat. I can reforge another card if I consume one.


    "You eat cards?" Irwin hissed in surprise.


    "Of course? Where I''m from, there are so many commons. Why wouldn''t I? Eating one common means I can reforge another into uncommon¡ªa great deal!"


    Irwin frowned.


    "So, say we find a common card," he asked, barely believing what he was asking. "You could reforge a card after eating it?"


    "Yes," Ambraz said enthusiastically.


    Not that I''d let you eat one, Irwin thought in slight distress. The entire concept made him shiver.


    ¡°Well, the chances of finding one are minimal,¡± he said before sighing.


    ¡°So¡­ what do we do?" he muttered, more to himself than as a question to Ambraz.


    "I don''t know, kid. But... I just thought of something else. Worse, perhaps. Or a chance. Those hounds might be gathering here because they can sense what is happening and are preparing to go out."


    "A surge?" Irwin whispered. Horror images of the hounds running out of the portal and into their world, ripping everything apart, made him shiver.


    "How is that better?" Irwin asked.


    Ambraz hummed softly, then his lips pursed.


    "Well, if those hounds surge out, it will give you the chance to go out after them. You would have to wait for an hour or two, but those hounds will want to get away from the portal as fast as possible. So, if there is a surge, all we have to do is remain here while you fend off those plants. From the number of creatures, it would likely happen soon. Perhaps next -"


    "What is that?"


    Irwin turned to the door, his hair standing on end. Twintin was standing there, her eyes wide and afraid as she gazed at Ambraz.


    "How did you sneak up on me?" Ambraz snapped, hovering towards Irwin and landing on his shoulder. "That''s... You''re too weak! I was too focused on strong things. Dammed rusty-"


    Irwin watched Twintin, then took a slow step forward. "This is Ambraz," he said slowly, ready to run and catch her if he had to. "He is my friend."


    "Is it a demon?" Twintin asked, taking another small step back.


    "No," Irwin said, though as he said it, he wondered if that was even true. "He is a... like a carded summon."


    "You have a carded summon?" Twintin asked, suddenly seeming angry. "Those are uncommon or up! Is that why this portal is so... so...horrible!?"


    She almost screamed the final bit, and Irwin grimaced.


    "No, no. It''s got nothing to do with this-" he began.


    "Bah, you whiny little brat. This portal is perfectly normal for a quartz¡­ common portal! There''s much more dangerous ones."


    Didn''t you say this thing was becoming uncommon soon? Irwin thought, but he kept his mouth shut.


    "Twintin, why did you come here?" he asked, wondering why Greldo hadn''t warned him or stopped her.


    "Greldo fainted! Daubutim said it was due to the heat!" Twintin said, her face going pale.


    Irwin''s heart skipped a beat, and he stared at her. He had to help Greldo, but how?


    "You have to tell them!" Twintin shouted. "Perhaps it can help!"


    She turned and ran, and Irwin jumped after her. He had expected he could catch her, but he''d forgotten just how fast and nimble Twintin was.


    Before he reached the final stairs, he heard her sprint below. As he reached the bottom, Twintin stood beside Rachel, talking rapidly to the confused girl.


    "What do you mean Irwin has a summon?" Rachel shouted before looking up. Her eyes widened as she saw Ambraz.


    Irwin barely noticed it. Greldo was lying on the ground with Daubutim sitting beside him, waving cool air at him. Like Rachel, he was staring at Ambraz in surprise.


    "Well, I guess the cat''s out of the bag," Ambraz whispered.

 Chapter 23: Water and fire

    "A flying, talking Anvil," Rachel whispered. "You... have a summon? Why didn''t you tell us?!"


    Irwin didn¡¯t respond but ran to Greldo. His friend was breathing in short, ragged bursts, his head red while pearls of sweat ran down his face.


    ¡°Does someone have water left?¡± he asked worriedly. He grabbed his own flask, but one check showed he must have drained it. He couldn¡¯t recall when, but the few drops barely wet Greldo¡¯s lips.


    "Irwin!" Rachel shouted.


    Irwin looked up. "Why do you think? If they had known, what do you think would have happened? Now, does anyone have water left?!" he shouted, looking around.


    Daubutim sadly shook his head while Twintin was still staring at Ambraz in disbelief.


    Rachel gritted her teeth, seeming ready to explode.


    "Wha... what is all the co..motion about?"


    Irwin looked at Greldo, feeling a tremendous relief as he saw his friend''s eyes open. For a moment, they were foggy, then they focused on Ambraz and turned sharp.


    "You okay? Get me up," Greldo muttered, holding out a hand to be helped up.


    Irwin looked at Greldo, surprised, then very happy about his reaction. There was no ''what''s that and why didn''t you tell me''¡ªjust honest worry.


    "I''m fine," he said, helping Greldo up.


    "Did you know? Is it uncommon, and is that that why-"


    "My card is not uncommon," Irwin said, cutting Rachel off. "Now, let''s focus on getting out of here, alright?"


    "So, did you come up with an idea then?" Greldo asked.


    Daubutim inched closer, a tiny flicker of curiosity in his dull eyes.


    Irwin shrugged. "Well, Ambraz told me a bit about what is going on," he said.


    "This portal world is going to turn into an uncommon one soon. Ambraz said that it''s likely that those hounds will surge out. If that happens, we might have a moment to flee out."


    "That means those monsters will go out of the portal and into the world," Daubutim said, sounding suddenly very clear. "I can''t allow that to happen if there is something I can do to stop it. My father would not approve!"


    "There''s nothing the five of us can do to stop this!" Rachel hissed, still glaring at Irwin. "Summons that can talk are rare! Did that summon tell you anything?"


    Daubutim stared at her, and his eyes clouded as if he were confused by her outburst.


    "Anything else?" Greldo asked, seeming intent on ignoring Rachel.


    Irwin hesitated, then decided it didn''t really matter now. "We could try to reach the portal after it gets dark and hope my flame keeps those plants away."


    "Any idea how long till it''s night?" Greldo asked.


    "No," Irwin said, looking at Ambraz. "Ambraz?"


    "Probably fourteen to fifteen hours," the Anvil said.


    There was a shocked silence, and Irwin saw Greldo flinch. His previous stoicism melted, replaced by a look of fear.


    "We can''t survive that long..." Irwin muttered, suddenly incredibly aware of just how dry his lips were, and that was without all the sweating the others were doing. He looked at Greldo''s parched lips.


    "You, flying Anvil! How do we get out of here?" Rachel snapped as she walked towards Irwin, glaring at Ambraz.


    "You could sacrifice someone to draw the attention of those hounds so the others can get away," Ambraz retorted. "You would probably do nicely!"


    Rachel growled, and Irwin took a step back, afraid she was going to summon her shield to smack Ambraz with.


    "Twintin''s card can summon water," Daubutim said.


    Irwin turned to Twintin, suddenly recalling what she''d told them what seemed like months ago.


    Right, water drop or something!


    "How much water can you make?" he asked, looking at Twintin hopefully.


    Rachel had also turned to the smaller girl. "Twintin?"


    Twintin took a step back, shaking her head. "Two or three drops per hour," she whispered.


    "I could do something about that," Ambraz said with a snort.


    Irwin grimaced, wishing the Anvil would keep quiet.


    "What do you mean?" Rachel asked.


    "There''s a way to reforge one common card to uncommon," Ambraz said, humming softly.


    "You can do that?" Twintin''s shout surprised everyone, but only for a moment. Then, they all focused on Ambraz.


    Don''t tell them this! If someone tells the outside world, I''ll be hunted! Irwin thought, feeling his heart thud in his throat.


    "Only because this world is changing into an uncommon," Ambraz said. "There''s so much energy here that it can be moved into a common card, but only one that''s very weak."


    If Irwin hadn''t known about the things Ambraz could do, he would have believed him. But he did.


    He is making it so they don''t think he can do it, he thought, feeling a slight bit of relief. His worry wasn''t completely gone, though. Even this much would cause trouble if it was brought outside, just not as much as the truth.


    There was a stunned silence around him, and then Twintin jumped forward. "You can make cards better?" she squealed.


    "Yes, but there''s only energy here for one," Ambraz said. "Seeing as you need water..."


    Rachel''s face turned ugly for a moment; then, she turned to Twintin with a forced smile. "That''s great!"


    Twintin was standing there, dazed, then looked up smiling radiantly. "I''ll not be useless anymore!" she shouted before jumping and hugging Rachel.


    "Incredible," Greldo muttered as they were watching the two. "Why didn''t you tell me your first card was a summon?" he asked. Although he tried to hide it, Irwin noticed the tiny bit of hurt in his voice.


    "There was too big of a chance to be overheard," he said.


    It wasn''t completely true, and from Greldo''s frown, he understood the other realized this as well.


    "The more people know, the bigger the chance the sorcerers would find out and take him from me¡­" Irwin added lamely. He still thought he was right for not telling anyone, but he also hoped Greldo wouldn''t hold it against him. Too much.


    "There''s no time for this," Rachel said, suddenly pushing Twintin away and focusing on Ambraz. "How do you upgrade her card?"


    "She is going to have to show me her card first," Ambraz said.


    "What? How?" Twintin asked while the others looked equally confused.


    "Right. You probably don''t know either, so close your eyes and focus on your card. Imagine ejecting it from your hand and holding it.


    Twintin closed her eyes, a crease appearing between her brows. After a few seconds, she shuddered, and her eyes snapped open. "It''s not working!"


    "It takes time and practice," Ambraz said. "All of you try! If she can''t learn, we might have to go with another plan!"


    Irwin looked around to see everyone, even Daubutim, with their eyes closed.


    Seconds ticked by slowly. Just as Irwin''s worry grew again, a flash of light came from Daubutim as a dull, common card hovered above his hand. A simple club decorated the front.


    Irwin quickly scanned it for any odd wavy lines, but there was nothing out of the ordinary.


    "Oh, another fast one," Ambraz said. "Such an interesting card! Highly unusual. This is part weapon, part crafting card!" Ambraz muttered from above Daubutim''s card. "How odd¡­ to find two cards that are on the cusp of a rank-up in this place."


    Ambraz frowned, then backed up.


    "However, as interesting as it is, the best I could do is turn it into a full weapon card. If you had a second elemental card, I might have been able to merge them, and that would be interesting, but nothing would get you past a few hundred hounds."


    Daubutim stared at the Anvil for a while before summoning his club and looking at the door.


    A lot of moaning, and ten minutes later, another burst of light, someone else had succeeded.


    Irwin looked up. He had thought it would be Greldo, but Twintin looked up with a wide grin as her card hovered above her hand. It was a simple one, with a single drop of water on it. There were no curly lines, but Irwin didn''t need those to know what it was. There were a few people in Malorin who had the water drop card, and although it had its uses, at best it could create a few handfuls of water from the air. Worse. Usually, they had multiple water drops on the image, and the fewer there were, the worse the card was.


    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    "Ah, yes!¡± Ambraz crooned as he rushed closer, hovering above the card.


    Twintin stared at him, her face a mixture of awe, fear, and hope.


    "Oh¡­ oh my, now this is definitely one that we could use," Ambraz said as his lips curled up. "It is the weakest water element card I''ve seen, meaning it would benefit greatly from a reforging, taking it up to uncommon, and a rather strong one at that!"


    As he spoke, Twintin''s twinkling eyes had gone, and with an open mouth, she was looking at Ambraz with deep hope and desire.


    "But, but," she whispered. "It''s just Waterdrop¡­ and I can only-" her face turned ugly, her shoulders going up as she shivered.


    "Yes, yes," Ambraz said patiently. "Only able to create three or four drops of water?"


    Twintin froze, then nodded slowly.


    "Well," Ambraz said as he looked around. Rachel was cursing in anger, opened her eyes, and shook her head. "I can''t do it," she said.


    "Neither can I," Greldo said, sounding more sad than angry.


    "Don''t be alarmed. It can take a few days sometimes," Ambraz said. "These three are just very fast."


    "Wait? Did you do this already? Why?" Rachel asked suspiciously.


    "Enough!" Irwin snapped back. A sudden wave of anger made him glare back at her. "Stop trying to come up with some reason that this is my fault!"


    Rachel seemed to shrivel up, taking a step back. "Sorry," she muttered, looking at the ground. "I¡­ I just¡­"


    "Never mind," Irwin said as he looked at Ambraz. "What do you need to do to reforge that card?"


    "Me? A lot, and all beyond your current knowledge. You, however, are going to have to hit the card," Ambraz said.


    Irwin stared at him stupidly. "I what?¡±


    "Kid, how do you think this would work? It would be best if you had a hammer, but without it, your fist will do. You just have to hit the card each time I tell you to."


    Irwin swallowed and saw Twintin look at him worriedly.


    "What happens if I don''t hit it when you tell me to?" he asked.


    "Then her card might become flawed, so let''s just not do that, alright?"


    Irwin shivered, then nodded. "Anything else?"


    "No. The energy in this shardworld is ridiculously abundant."


    A dull rumble followed his words as if to punctuate what he said while interrupting Greldo, who had seemed ready to ask a question.


    Twintin let out a startled scream, jumping next to Rachel and grabbing her hand.


    "Well, that proves it. It is growing to be uncommon, and it''s happening even faster than I thought," Ambraz said, sounding happier than Irwin felt as he sensed a dull shaking through his feet.


    "Alright, show me your card again," Ambraz said as he whisked toward Twintin.


    The girl was staring at the door and didn''t seem to hear him.


    "Twintin!" Irwin snapped, causing her to jerk and look up with wide eyes. "Your card, quick!"


    She nodded and closed her eyes.


    "Are you sure her card is the best?" Irwin asked Ambraz, wondering if it wouldn''t be best to increase his flame. If it became much stronger, he could probably burn the plants!


    No, it''s not common, he told himself, finding that even now, he still had a hard time believing it. He quickly focused back on Ambraz, who had been answering him.


    "Yes. At uncommon, she should be able to summon her body weight in water and manipulate both it and the water in simple organisms," Ambraz said.


    "She can do more than just summon water?" Rachel asked, seeming stunned.


    "What? Of course..." Ambraz muttered.


    "How do you know all this?" Rachel asked, shaking her head.


    "As an Anvil summon, I got some simple knowledge," Ambraz said.


    Irwin could almost hear the distaste in his voice, and he hoped the others wouldn''t realize he was lying. Scrambling for a way to change the subject, he thought about what Ambraz had said.


    Simple organisms?


    "Like plants?" he thought out loud, his eyebrows shooting up as he remembered teacher Rhym explaining that roughly eighty percent of their bodies were made of water.


    "Yes. Like plants," Ambraz said. "Now, how about we stop with these questions, and you get your card back out?"


    Twintin nodded, quickly sitting down and closing her eyes. A few minutes later, as the rumbling from outside continued to increase, shaking the building so hard that dust fell from the ceiling, a burst of light filled the small area as Twintin''s card appeared above her outstretched palm.


    "Alright, the growing will be finished as soon as the rumbling stops," Ambraz said. "That means there''s a big chance for more dangerous things to appear. We need to do this now. It might feel a bit weird, but you don''t have to worry, alright?"


    "Will it hurt?" Twintin asked, leaning closer to Rachel, who put a protective arm around her shoulders.


    "No," Ambraz said. "It might sting a little, that''s all."


    Twintin didn''t seem relieved, and when the rumbling caused a crack to appear in the wall to the side, she turned pale.


    "It will be fine," Irwin said as he gave her his best, winning smile. "After this, you will be the first uncommon-carded in our group, and you won''t have to go into another common portal ever again!"


    Twintin nodded hesitantly.


    "Let¡¯s begin," Ambraz said, and with a flash, a one-meter-high Anvil appeared where the small flying one had been. "Put your hand on top and relax."


    "By Gelwin''s beard, that''s big," Greldo whispered.


    Irwin didn''t respond, but he noticed the side-eye Rachel was giving him.


    Twintin began crying silently but still moved forward, putting her hand on the flat surface.


    "Make sure she doesn''t remove her hand," Ambraz said. "Kid, get over here and get ready to hit the card."


    Irwin felt his heart skip a beat at the coolness in the Anvil''s voice. He looked at Rachel and Greldo, then stepped forward next to Twintin. Twintin was crying loudly now, and Rachel hugged her while Greldo and Daubutim held her arm in place.


    "Don''t let go," Ambraz said. "No matter what. Now, Irwin, I''ll say hit, and you hit. Don''t stop, don''t hesitate, just hit!"


    Irwin nodded, raising his hand above Twintin''s card.


    "Three, two, one, hit!" Ambraz snapped.


    Irwin brought his fist down, feeling the bottom sting painfully as it slammed into the card and the Anvil beneath.


    A dull thud came from the Anvil as if a massive hammer had struck it.


    He felt an odd tingling in the back of his mind and a tiny shiver from his own card, but he barely noticed as Twintin jerked. She almost ripped free from Daubutim and Greldo''s hold. Her eyes widened, and her mouth opened in a startled, soundless cry.


    "Hit!"


    Irwin closed his mouth and struck again. He sensed the same odd shiver from his card, but he had no time to focus on it.


    Twintin screamed. She tried to pull her arm back with such force that the others had to struggle to hold her.


    "Keep her still," Ambraz roared. "Hit!"


    Irwin brought his fist down, his heart beating in a frenzy as he looked at Twintin, eyes wide and rabid.


    Please be done fast, he thought as Ambraz roared for him to hit again.


    He did, and Twintin screamed.


    ¨C


    "You said it wouldn''t hurt," Irwin said shakily as he looked at Twintin, curled up in a ball on the ground. His hand was hurting, but he barely cared. Compared to what Twintin had gone through, it didn''t count.


    She''d fallen unconscious directly after the reforging had completed, and Rachel sat next to her, stroking her hair. The other girl threw hateful glances at both Ambraz and Irwin.


    "Well, it doesn''t hurt that much," Ambraz said. "I keep forgetting you are barely more than children and from a world where they don''t teach you much."


    "What kind of teaching could help someone with this?" Irwin hissed.


    A shudder came from Twintin, and she stretched her arms in a sudden jerk, looking around with wide eyes. Snot covered her face, and her eyes were haunted.


    "It''s over," Rachel whispered. "You have an uncommon card now!"


    Irwin knew she was trying to cheer Twintin up, but he wondered if it would work.


    "It hurt so much," Twintin cried as she hugged Rachel. "It felt like my hand was stuck between a door, and someone kept closing it."


    A deep rumble shook the building, followed by an angry howl from outside.


    Irwin looked up and jumped to the door. The hounds that had been walking around outside were glaring at something outside of his view.


    "Something is making them anxious," Greldo said as he moved next to Irwin. He was pale and breathing quick and shallow. "I hope she snaps out of it fast."


    Irwin looked at Twintin and nodded. Her haunted screams played through his mind for a moment, and he had to forcefully shove them away into the deepest recesses of his mind. As much as he wanted to give her time to deal with it, they would die if she didn''t use her card. Taking a deep sigh, he stepped forward, and Rachel glared at him.


    "Let her recover for five minutes," she snapped.


    Irwin licked his lips. Five minutes seemed reasonable¡­ but¡­ was it wise? They had no idea what might happen in five minutes. He took a deep breath.


    "Twintin, you need to start practicing with your uncommon card," he said loudly.


    The girl shuddered and pulled back from Rachel, who was staring daggers at him.


    "I don''t think-"


    Greldo stepped forward, but Irwin shook his head as he spoke. "I know it hurts and that you are scared. But if we don''t get out of here, we will all die. Please look at your card and see if you can connect with it!"


    He didn''t know if that was actually necessary, but he hoped that if Twintin saw her card it might help her.


    Twintin hesitated, and Rachel bent forward, opening her mouth when a faint, purplish light illuminated the room. A card with a dull purple border and a few dozen raindrops hovered over her hand. Even from this distance, Irwin could sense the presence of the card, and for a moment, he wanted to try and use his Eyes of Blaze.


    It only works on unbound cards, he reminded himself.


    His plan seemed to work, at least partially, as Twintin wiped her face and stared at her own card in awe.


    "It''s beautiful," she whispered.


    "Yes," Irwin said. "It is! Why don''t you try it?"


    Twintin didn''t respond, and Irwin was about to ask again when she slowly got up, and her face turned to one of focus. The card vanished as she cupped her hand, and a moment later, water dribbled from her hand, slow at first but quickly increasing. It was soaked up by the dusty floor like a sponge, and she raised it, sniffing it.


    "It smells so nice," she whispered before taking a sip.


    Irwin couldn''t help but swallow as he looked at the crystal-clear water. He could somehow see or feel that it was slightly colder than the ambient room temperature, and the idea of drinking it seemed heavenly. The water kept dripping out, and Irwin stepped forward, pulling out his waterskin as he suddenly realized what was happening.


    "Don''t let it go to waste," he said. "Quick, fill our waterskins if you can!"


    Twintin looked at him, then his hand, and suddenly, a bright smile blossomed as she nodded and took the waterskin, tilting her hand above it. A clear stream of water poured from it, continuing for half a minute. When the waterskin was full, Irwin handed it to Greldo while grabbing his friend''s waterskin for Twintin to fill.


    "Interesting. There¡¯s more water than there should be," Ambraz said.


    The water stopped instantly as Twintin looked up at him, pale and startled.


    "You hurt me," she whispered, shivering as she stepped away from the Anvil.


    "Well, yes. But I also gave you an uncommon card," Ambraz snapped, sounding annoyed.


    "Ambraz said you could drain the water from the plants," Irwin quickly interjected. If Twintin suddenly went back to being afraid and worried, they would be in more danger.


    Twintin turned to him, eyes wide as she looked at her hand.


    "I can do that?" she whispered, turning to look at her card. After a few moments, her eyes widened. "I can!"


    With a suddenly angry expression, she turned to the small patch of plants on the other side of the room. Her card hand glowed a deep blue, and a second later, the plant she was looking at began gleaming with water that dripped to the ground. Within seconds, it began shriveling, and the vibrant green turned brown. It rapidly extended out along the root, and moments later, the nearby plants began turning brown, their edges curling up.


    "Incredible," Greldo said as he moved beside Irwin. "With this, we can probably reach the portal after the hounds leave!"


    Irwin''s shoulders sagged in relief. Between his flame and Twintin''s water card, they would have a chance!


    "Now that we stand a chance, we should try to find the Linchpin and close the portal!" a dull voice rumbled from behind them.


    Irwin and Greldo turned to look at Daubutim, who was looking out of the entrance.

 Chapter 23.2: Back against the wall

    "If we leave, there will be a surge, and lots of people will die," Daubutim said, turning to look at them one at a time.


    Irwin wanted to say he was wrong, even wished for it, but the faces of his mother and brother appeared in his mind''s eye. If portals like this remained open, they would also die eventually. Maybe not from this surge, as it was too far away, but¡­ if they closed it, they might find a card or likely get at least one card, maybe more from the sorcerers.


    He recalled Tanya''s words and sighed, knowing what they had to do.


    "I don''t want to stay here," Twintin whispered.


    Irwin didn''t respond to her and looked at Greldo. The same resolve he felt was in his friend''s eyes. To his surprise, Rachel moved to Twintin, putting an arm around the smaller girl.


    "With your power, we have a chance. We can''t leave this portal to surge¡­ it might overflow Wignut. You remember what Sorceress Tanya said, right?"


    Twintin hesitated, staring at her hand, then at the now wilted section of plants. "I remember," she whispered.


    "So we all agree?" Irwin said, swallowing. "We have enough rations for a few days and, with Twintin, enough water for a long time. We are going to try to find the Linchpin... Well, unless this world evolves."


    "Yes," Daubutum rumbled, an uncommon smile on his face.


    "Definitely," Greldo said with an almost believable grin on his face. "We need to get more cards."


    Rachel and Twintin nodded, though the latter reluctantly.


    "Then I think we should head back to the original building we came from," Irwin said.


    "What? Why?" Rachel asked, confused.


    "Because Olban had more rations, and the more we have, the safer it is. Twintin and I can remove the plants and clear the building."


    "Brats, you are forgetting one thing," Ambraz said while a distant rumble was followed by a snapping crack as the wall to the side split slightly. "This portal will become much more dangerous, and it won''t take a long time."


    "After this shardworld evolves to uncommon... Amethyst... how long will we have till the stronger demons start appearing?" Irwin asked.


    "Amethyst is uncommon, yes," Ambraz said. "It''s hard to say, but more than an hour and less than a day."


    "Our day, or this world''s day?" Gerldo muttered as he finished his waterskin before handing it to Twintin for a refill.


    Ambraz didn''t answer.


    "Why don''t we wait till the dogs leave, or they leave during the evening?" Rachel said hesitantly. "Then we can search our building and the others nearby for clues."


    "Right, and if we don''t find any, and it gets too dangerous, we will leave," Greldo grunted.


    Irwin saw both of them looking at him, and he shrugged. "Unless there''s a better shardworld?"


    Daubutim was quiet, his eyes seeming glazed over, and Irwin would just take that as an agreement.


    "Then let''s rest and stay ready to run to the portal if we have to," Greldo said.


    The others agreed, and slowly, everyone calmed down. Twintin continued filling bags for a while until she finally ran out of energy.


    Ambraz had returned back to Irwin''s pocket but heard him whisper something about too much water a few times.


    Finally, a long time later, the light outside began to dim. The invisible sun seemed to sink below the horizon faster than normal. They were all standing ready near the entrance, watching the hounds very slowly and hesitatingly retreat. A soft tremor made them all stop, but when vines began ripping out of the ground, they finally dashed away.


    "I''ll go in the front with my flame. Twintin, you remain at the back," Irwin said as he stepped out of the building, his hand and flame raised.


    It was dark, but he could see well enough. The pale sand and gray buildings had turned to a slightly creepy red-hued.


    I wish I could increase its size and power," Irwin thought as he watched more vines slowly appear. One hovered nearby, seeming to observe his flame.


    "Let''s hurry while there are only a few," Irwin said.


    "Okay, stay close," Greldo muttered, stepping up beside him.


    A few moments later, they jogged towards their original building. Three vines were nearly in their way, but as Irwin closed in, they shot down into the ground.


    Irwin moved forward slower, keeping an eye on the muddled sand. He held his flame close to the collapsed hole, and the sand rustled as it appeared that something burrowed deeper into the ground.


    His heartbeat ran a mile a minute. Irwin waved Greldo forward and only ran after him when Twintin passed the area.


    A few moments later, they reached their original entrance, and as Irwin stepped inside, he saw dozens of vines rush back into the vegetation.


    When everyone joined him, he shared a relieved look with Greldo before turning to Twintin.


    "Good, then let''s see if we can find Olban''s backpack behind those plants."


    With a vicious, vindictive smile, Twintin raised her hand, and a section of plants began shriveling.


    "I''ll stay at the back now. You take the lead," Irwin said as he motioned to Greldo. "You guys stay in the middle."


    Twintin shivered, but she walked forward, pale and with large, wide eyes. Ahead of her, the plants began flopping to the ground like empty sacks, those behind them also starting to turn brown.


    Irwin kept his eyes on the door behind them, but there was no sight of the vines trying to circle around them.


    Why don''t they enter from the outside, he thought suddenly. They hadn''t done so the first night either. Were they too short to reach it?


    As he gazed outside, he saw that a glistening white frost had begun covering the sections of the ground that he could see.


    "There''s ice forming," he said. "Did that happen the first night?"


    "No," Greldo said, sounding as worried as Irwin felt.


    Even if we had wanted to, we might not have even reached the portal, he thought.


    Some time later, a large section of plants had died, turning to brown sludge, which they moved through. A square staircase similar to the one he''d gone up in the other building had become visible.


    "Should I keep clearing this room?" Twintin asked as she looked hesitantly at the staircase.


    Irwin looked at her carefully, trying to see if she was getting tired or out of energy. There was no sign of either, and after hesitating for a moment, he nodded.


    "Yes. It''s best to create at least one safe area before going up," he said.


    "Yes, and we might find the root of these plants so we can destroy them from there," Greldo added.


    Twintin continued clearing the room and eventually found a deep hole along one wall, with dark gray roots crawling out. Twintin began draining them of water, but it seemed the roots went deep because their decay was a lot slower. Only a few bushes, covered in the luminous mushrooms, now remained, and they had left those so it wouldn''t become completely dark. Still, with only a handful of mushrooms remaining, everyone but Irwin was looking around worriedly, jumping at shadows.


    It took at least an hour before the massive root finally sagged into a soft, pudgy mass. The ground was muddy with water, and a lot was running down the hole, creating a small waterfall. Irwin had filled his waterskin, as had the others, and he had drunk his fill. A couple of bites of his rations had helped with the hunger, and now he was just tired. Not that he or anyone else even suggested sleeping. The rumbling had become less pronounced but more frequent, and somehow, that made it way more ominous.


    As he turned to the door, he realized that Twintin was frowning at the hole.


    "What''s wrong?"


    "I thought I saw something glow down there," she whispered, causing everyone to turn back to the hole in alarm.


    Twintin seemed unconcerned as she stepped forward, sloshing through the muddy water, and looked into the hole. Her eyes widened, and she gasped.


    "There''s a card in there!"


    "Hah! Prophetic," Ambraz shouted.


    Not possible! Irwin thought, but he was moving before he realized it.


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Stepping next to Twintin, he looked down. It was dark and shadowy, but deep down, nestled amidst the sludge, he saw the edge of what looked like a card. It was the dull grayish white of a common, but even that was enough to make his heart beat faster.


    Ambraz whizzed in front of him, a wide smile on his Anvil face. Then, his lips turned into a flat line.


    "That''s not a card," he said, sounding almost cheated.


    "What do you mean?" Irwin asked.


    Everyone was standing around the hole now, and he took a quick look around. There were no vines left. He focused on the card''s edge, but from what he could see, it looked like any other card he''d seen. It even glowed slightly.


    "Watch," Ambraz said.


    He whisked into the hole, down past the sagged roots. Almost at the card, he suddenly reversed directions, rushing back up.


    "Whoops!"


    A shudder came from the bottom of the hole, then the ground burst apart as a dull gray vine shot after Ambraz, a glowing card lodged into its tip.


    "Look out!" Rachel shouted as she pulled Twintin away while the others stumbled back.


    "Incoming," Ambraz shouted as he shot out of the hole. "Burn it!"


    Irwin balked, then jumped back to the hole, holding his flame above. He had hoped it would scorch the vine and scare it off.


    Sadly, the arm-thick, gray, and slightly silvery vine didn''t seem to care for what he wished. It burst through the flame with black char marks across its top. The tip split apart four ways, opening into a gaping maw lined with razor-sharp teeth and a wet red tongue.


    A deafening, high-pitched screech made Irwin stumble as his ears suddenly rang. White spots danced before his eyes, but he still saw the shadowy thing rush him. He jumped back with his flame and jutted out forward.


    Although he managed to dodge the teeth, the side of the vine struck him like a door, flinging him to the side. Feeling something crack in his ribs, he crashed into the ground and rolled over twice. Somehow, he managed to keep his wits, and he crouched up just as the teeth-lined maw snapped at him. He flung himself to the side while blindly striking out with his flame.


    A tiny part of him knew that only a few days before, the speedy movements would have been far beyond him. Something soft and wet clenched around his hand and wrist, followed by piercing stabs of pain from his lower arm.


    Shocked, Irwin stared at the vine that had swallowed his hand, wrist, and lower arm. Its teeth had partially dug into his thin upper arm, and he felt a scream of pain and fear bubble up.


    Something moved in the corner of his eye, and Greldo, pale and with fear-filled eyes, grabbed the vine a foot from Irwin''s fist and clenched it while pulling it back. The teeth scraped across his skin, but Irwin didn''t complain as he tried to pull his hand back.


    "Wait!" Daubutim stepped forward, calm and steady, as he put a hand over Greldo. "Look!" He pointed at the head of the vine.


    The skin all along it and further back was rapidly turning dark, bubbling as steam rose from it. An orange flame erupted from the side, then another, and as the three looked, the head began sagging in as it melted. Irwin''s flame was rapidly dissolving the plant from the inside out.


    Greldo let go and stepped back as the vine split apart at the spot Irwin''s flame hovered above his fist.


    Irwin sat down with a thud, staring at the remainder of the head, lips, and teeth still around his wrist. With a sinking feeling in his stomach, he tried to pry it open. The jaw was like a solid metal clamp, and he couldn''t use much force with one hand. His effort only seemed to cause the teeth to scratch deeper into his already profusely bleeding flesh. Greldo ran next to him, grabbed the jaw, and pulled it open with a rip.


    Irwin jerked his hand back, unsummoning his flame as he cradled the hand against his chest.


    "Argh," he grunted, looking at Ambraz.


    "Don''t whine like a little brat," Ambraz snorted as he flew to inspect the gray vine.


    Irwin was about to mutter something when cold air from the doorway and the cracks in the wall seemed to close in around him. No longer held at bay by his flame, he shivered, his mind instantly clear.


    For a moment, he wondered if whatever was happening was causing the temperature to drop more than before. Then he shook his head. No, that wasn''t it. He''d held his flame up throughout the previous night.


    He clenched his good hand as he prepared for the pain as he held out his hand. Seeing the bloody gashes, it took him a moment to summon the flame. As soon as it appeared, the cold almost seemed to flee, and he held the flame closer as he warmed again.


    "Are you alright?"


    Irwin looked up at Greldo, who was sitting next to him with worry on his face. Somehow, the other''s instant reaction to help him instead of running warmed him as much as his flame did, even letting him ignore some of the pain.


    "I''ll live," he said, trying to sound tough.


    Greldo let out a relieved hiss and sat down, staring at the blood running down Irwin''s hand.


    "We need to wash and bind that," Daubutim said as he looked at Irwin''s arm. "If it gets infected, you will die."


    Irwin shivered even with his flame, and Greldo let out a snorted laugh.


    "No mercy," he muttered, staring at Daubutim with a smirk.


    "What?" Daubutim asked, confused.


    Greldo looked at Irwin and shook his head wistfully.


    Irwin couldn''t help it, but he grinned, then laughed. The pain was nauseating. Its combination with the stress was toying with his mind, but he held his head back and laughed louder.


    He felt someone bend something around his arm, and when the thing was pulled tight, the burst of pain stopped his bout of insane hilarity. Wiping his eyes from both the pain and the laughter, he looked up to see Greldo, Rachel, and Twintin staring at him worriedly. Daubutim was quietly binding his wound, seemingly unperturbed by his seeming insanity.


    "Sorry," Irwin said as he waited for Daubutim to finish.


    As soon as he was done, Iriwn got up and saw Ambraz hover around the remains of the vine.


    "No card?" he asked.


    "No, it was just a fake thing to lure in unsuspecting brats. But this thing is interesting! Its skin has metal particles inside," the Anvil said.


    "Shouldn''t you be worried about him?" Rachel snapped, pointing at Irwin. "Aren''t you his summon?"


    "What? Worried?" Ambraz stammered, sounding surprised. "What are you muttering about? He''ll be fine when the sun comes out again."


    Irwin blinked, his mind stilling for a moment before he realized what Ambraz meant.


    Right! Rapid regeneration!


    How had he forgotten about that?


    "Anyway, from what I can sense, we still have some time before this place evolves. But, instead of telling me what to do, shouldn''t you be searching for the linchpin?" Ambraz continued.


    "Right, let''s go up," Irwin agreed, trying to ignore the constant throbbing pain in his arm."


    He walked towards the stairs, his flame in front of him, and stopped as he rounded the corner. A massive amount of rubble and debris blocked the path forward.


    Greldo stepped up beside him, moved a bit closer to the top, then shook his head.


    "This happened recently, perhaps even today. It''s unstable and dangerous."


    He walked back, and a few moments later, they stood in the room, looking around. "So... do we go to the nearest other building?" he asked, swaying on his feet.


    "I think we should stay here for now," Greldo said. "It''s not too hot, we have plenty of water, and there are no plants. Your arm is looking really bad, and we need you up and running with your flame."


    Irwin wanted to tell him he would be fine, but the pain was growing worse, and the thought of going outside made him more than a little afraid.


    "He''s right," Rachel said, staring at Irwin for a bit before moving to a corner with Twintin, huddling close together.


    "Can you make more cards better?" Daubutim asked, looking at Ambraz.


    Irwin held back a curse.


    "Only in very special shardworlds," Ambraz said smoothly.


    Daubutim''s eyes went dull, but just as Irwin thought he was going to go silent again, the burly youth shook his head forcefully.


    "Is there a limit?" he asked, his voice cracking as if he was forcing himself.


    "Yes. Only from common to uncommon," Ambraz said.


    Daubutim nodded just as his eyes turned glassy. Then he sat down beside the door, staring outside.


    I hope they stop asking about this, Irwin thought, knowing how unlikely it was.


    "Let''s check that vine," Greldo muttered.


    Irwin nodded and forced himself up to follow him, trying to ignore his arm.


    They quickly found out that Ambraz had been right. There was no card. The thing that looked like one was nothing more than a fleshy growth, greatly damaged by his fire.


    With nothing else to do, they sat down with their backs against a wall without cracks.


    As the night continued and the cold increased, they all began gravitating closer and closer to Irwin until they sat in a circle, huddled around him, shivering even with the warmth of his flame.


    "I think the plants somehow kept it warm in here," Greldo whispered.


    Irwin only nodded, too preoccupied with the growing pain in his arm.


    Time passed slowly, and as it worsened, he had little trouble staying awake. When he finally saw a dim glow from outside, only Daubutim was still awake. Somewhere during the night, his eyes had cleared up again, but he''d remained on the lookout while the rest huddled around Irwin, snoring softly.


    "After we are done here, you should come with me to my father," Daubutim said. There was a deep crease on his forehead, and he seemed to struggle with his words.


    Irwin shivered and wrapped his right hand closer around him. "Why? And when do you mean?"


    "We close this portal, then go to my father''s estate," Daubutim said. "News of him," he pointed at Ambraz, "will somehow get out. People will try to steal him."


    "Hah, let them try," Ambraz snapped from his perch on Irwin''s thin shoulder.


    "And your father won''t?" Irwin asked, ignoring the Anvil.


    Daubutim''s eyes widened, and he almost got up. "Never! My father¡­ my father would give up anything to do what he thinks is right¡­" he looked down at that and sighed. "No. My father and mother would protect you, if¡­"


    "If Ambraz and I improve cards for them," Irwin said slowly, realizing what Daubutim wanted.


    He expected he would become angry, but to his surprise, he only felt weary resignation.


    "Yes," Daubutim said shortly. "Even if it''s difficult, every strong card will help close portals and prevent great suffering."


    "What about the others and the sorcerers?" Irwin asked as he looked at the red glow creeping up from outside.


    "The others are welcome," Daubutim stated as if there could be no doubt. "The sorcerers¡­ We need to flee from them?" he sounded confused as he looked at his hands. When he continued, his words came out haltingly. "I don''t know. I am not good with these things, not like my brothers. If Dianor were here, he''d know what to say."


    Irwin looked at the large youth, shoulders slightly drooping, and suddenly felt incredibly sorry for him. Not something he''d ever thought he would feel for a noble-born. He could almost see Daubutim struggle with his own mind.


    Horrible, Irwin thought, trying to imagine it. Of all the weaknesses he had, at least his mind had been keen. A sudden sense of kinship for the other stopped him from just telling him a hard no.


    "Let''s talk about this after we manage to find the Linchpin," he said. "I want to talk with Greldo about it."


    Daubutim nodded and returned his gaze outside.


    Together, they silently waited until the red almost reached where they were sitting. Then Irwin poked Greldo, who woke with a sucked-in breath and a strangled cry.


    "What?"


    "Calm down, everything is fine," Irwin said as he struggled to get up.


    His shivering had stopped, but he felt a cold sweat on his forehead, and the skin around the mottled, red-stained bandage was dark and puffy. It reminded him of the inflammation his mother had in her foot a year earlier. Not a good sign as it had cost her toe.


    "I need to go outside for a bit," he whispered.


    "Alright, I''ll come with you," Greldo said, yawning as he got up. "Did you sleep?"


    "No," Irwin said as he moved towards the entrance.


    The vines had left somewhere when the sun came, but shadows covered most of the area beyond the building and around the others he saw. There was no sign of the hounds yet, and the portal quietly hovered there, a way out and to safety. He suddenly felt a strong urge to run in and through. Then he shook it off.


    First, let''s see how well this greater rapid regeneration works, he thought as he stepped out of the building, feeling the temperature rising slightly.

 Chapter 24: Lose some, win some

    Irwin stood in the burning light as it poked through two towering buildings. It was the only little bit between the shadows that surrounded them, though more areas would quickly appear as the light in the sunless sky rose. A few hounds loomed around, and he tried to ignore them as he let his body heal. There had been more appearing during the morning, but most had left again, only a few remaining around the portal.


    He sighed and closed his eyes for a moment. The heat was soothing, almost seeping into his bones, and after a second, he looked at his thin arm. The puffy skin had returned to its normal pale, and the lacerations left by the teeth were scabbing over noticeably.


    High-rank cards are amazing, he thought.


    He had been pondering the events that had happened, his mind surprisingly sharp and clear for someone who hadn''t slept and was wounded. Lingering on the present for a few more moments, he finally focused on his future problems.


    With people knowing about Ambraz, even if they thought he was the summon of his first card, he was bound to get into trouble. He could take up Daubutim''s offer, but they would want him to enter all sorts of portals, hunting for those that Ambraz could harness for his so-called card upgrading.


    No, he was in deep shit, and he knew it. Either people would figure it out, and some might try to kill him so his ''anvil'' card would drop. Or they would force him into dangerous portals.


    Irwin looked around at the few hounds on the edges of the shadow, most of which were still staring at him with hungry red eyes. Then he looked at the portal, hovering amidst the sea of hounds. He wondered what would happen if they all stormed through the portal. There had been large surges before, but this felt like it would be over the top.


    I hope we can find the Linchpin before that happens, he thought.


    With enough time to think, he realized how dangerous it would be to exit. Out of the portal, they would be back in the forest. Although he had never heard of plant monsters coming from portals, what if some vines had made it there? With the sun blocked by the canopy, nothing would hold them back from growing almost unstoppable.


    Irwin sighed and looked at Ambraz, who was sitting on his shoulder. The Anvil had been quiet all morning. Irwin looked at him, gazing at the wings, when a sudden realization pushed his worries to the back of his mind.


    He can fly, he thought, staring dumbly at Ambraz''s wings.


    Why hadn''t he thought of that before? Ambraz could just fly up and search for the Linchpin.


    He was about to ask Ambraz when a weary yawn sounded from a bit to the side.


    He looked up to where Greldo stood a few steps away, just outside the direct light. He was taking small sips from his waterskin, and when he saw Irwin look over, he grinned.


    "I was wondering... Your first card," Greldo whispered. It''s not just a little higher rank, is it? Some weird flame, the ability to withstand ridiculous heat, faster growth than I have heard about, and the ability to heal in the sun¡ªor is it the heat?"


    Irwin held quiet as he saw Greldo look at his arm before looking around. It didn''t pass him by that Greldo did not mention Ambraz. Had he figured out that the anvil wasn''t part of his card? Quietly, he waited for his friend to continue.


    Sweat dripped down Greldo''s face, and his shirt was damp while his jacket was tied around his waist with the sleeves.


    "I was thinking about what we heard back in Wignut¡­ About cards up to rare rank having started appearing. This is one of those, isn''t it?"


    Irwin hesitated, not sure what to say. Instead, he looked at his arm, the wounds all nearly gone. Greldo wouldn''t be the only one who would notice the oddities, and where he was only hesitating about how much he could trust him, he didn''t trust any of the others with knowledge.


    "It''s fine," Greldo whispered. ¡°I understand you don''t want to talk about it, but I think we might have to if we get out of here alive, especially if we are going with Daubutim."


    "You heard?" Irwin whispered as he gazed at the other in surprise.


    "I woke early. Always was a light sleeper," Greldo said. "I didn''t catch everything, but¡­ I think it might be a good idea."


    Irwin heard his uncertainty and frowned as he felt an itch from his arm. The scabs were peeling back, revealing a slight, dim scar below. He wiped them off, and even the scars faded until he could barely see more than a few dots with lines.


    Irwni hesitated, then looked back at Greldo, who was staring at him.


    "I''m not sure yet, but I don''t want to stay with the sorcerers," he whispered. "I know they are right, and we can''t leave these portals, but¡­ there''s something seriously wrong with how things are handled in those towers."


    "Yes¡­ also, if there really are more portals appearing, their efforts might not even be enough," Greldo said.


    "Vines!"


    Irwin turned, summoned his flame, and dashed forward in a single move, running toward the building. He barely registered how energetic he felt as he watched Daubutim backing away from the entrance. Rachel stood next to him with her shield up. Twintin stood before them, partially in the opening, a glowing hand directed at something Irwin couldn''t see.


    "Where?" he said as he stopped next to Daubutim.


    As if to answer him, a gray vine shot from the opening, aiming straight for his face. He sucked in his breath as he raised his flame. The vine flickered around it, then slammed into Rachel''s shield, which she had put between him and the incoming thing. Irwin struck at it with his flame, and this time, the vine drew back, a black scorch mark on its side.


    "Thanks," Irwin said as he backed up.


    "I can''t draw its water out," Twintin screamed from behind him.


    "Back up, into the light!" Irwin shouted.


    He stumbled back toward the tiny pocket of light. The vine hovered in the entrance for a moment before retreating inside slightly. Next to it, another one appeared, its tip splitting open and revealing a toothy maw.


    As the group backpedaled toward the brighter areas, the ground rippled, and a massive quake caused sand to burst up and buildings to sway.


    Irwin barely managed to remain on his feet, struggling to keep an eye on the vines in case they did come after them.


    The vines in the entrance withdrew into the shaking and shuddering building, and a moment later, a section of the wall beside it crumbled. A swirling mass of vines sat in the room they had been in all night.


    Irwin swallowed as a wave of nausea hit him. If those had come during the night...


    "They came out of the hole," Rachel shouted over the constant rumbling and crashing. "If I hadn''t been looking towards the stairs, I''d never have seen them."


    "We can''t stay here," Greldo snapped, and Irwin heard from his voice there were more problems. Looking around, he saw Greldo point at an area bathed in light slowly moving toward their tiny pocket of safety. The building that had provided its shadow had crashed into the one beside it and gradually slid down.


    A dozen large canine shapes were prowling around in the light-covered area, shiny eyes glaring at them.


    "They are leaving," Daubutim said.


    Irwin looked up and saw hounds running away from the portal, leaving it hovering there.


    They are afraid but aren''t going in? he thought.


    The mass of hounds was gone so fast he barely believed it. Those few that had been focused on them were still around but had begun backing up.


    "Perhaps we should leave now?" Twintin shouted, the fear in her voice thick.


    "And fight those things?" Irwin shouted, pointing at the hounds still there. "There''s no way we can fight those! Let''s go into another building and clear it of the green plants."


    Keeping an eye on the hounds, he searched for a building. There were a few that bordered the shadowy area, and picking one at random, he walked towards it.


    When he didn''t hear any footsteps, he worriedly turned around. Rachel and Twintin were looking at the portal. Daubutim was moving towards them slowly, hands at his side.


    "This might be the only chance we have to leave," Rachel shouted.


    She looked around, focusing on Irwin. The panic in her eyes told him she wasn''t thinking straight anymore, not by a long shot.


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    "If we stay here, we might not have another chance! They are far away. I''m sure we can reach the portal before they get us," she shouted.


    "The world isn''t evolving yet," Ambraz said from Irwin''s shoulder.


    He was the only one that sounded even remotely calm.


    Rachel didn''t pay any attention to the anvil. She nodded at Twintin, and both seemed ready to sprint to the black rip.


    Irwin looked at them and shook his head in disbelief. "Don''t you realize what will happen if you just leave?" he shouted, looking at Greldo for support. His friend had been staring at the two girls without saying anything.


    Rachel looked at him over her shoulder but kept walking. "Yes, we won''t die here."


    "No, but you will die out there when the surge happens," Irwin snapped angrily. "You heard what Ambraz said."


    He felt his anger rise as he glared back, wondering how she couldn''t see. If she went outside and the surge happened, she could never flee in time! Even if those plants weren''t there, those hounds would find them within moments!


    "And why should we believe him?" Rachel spat. "He lied about hurting Twintin. He could be lying about this! Besides, how should a carded summon even know about this?"


    "If Twintin leaves, we might not be able to find the Linchpin," Daubutim said dully. He stood a few feet from them, giving the feeling he might jump them if they tried to run.


    Irwin cringed as he saw Rachel''s eyes flare up while turning on the taller boy. "You stupid fool! How will we find anything if we die from those vines or those dogs?"


    Daubutim stopped and took a step back, his eyes muddled and unfocused. He seemed to be struggling with a response.


    "And how will you run if those vines or hounds reach the forest?" Irwin snapped.


    Rachel stopped, frowned, then shook her head, her anger reappearing. "I don''t believe there will be a surge," she snapped. "Look around you! Those hounds ran away instead of going through, and how is a vine even going through without losing its roots?"


    As she glared at him, Irwin saw something silvery burst out of the ground in the shadows behind them.


    "Look out!" he screamed as half a dozen silvery vines shot towards Rachel and Twintin.


    Twintin screamed and raised her hand while Rachel''s shield appeared before her, blocking two of the vines. Another darted past and bit her leg, causing a mist of blood to spray out.


    Irwin was moving forward when something held him back. He turned in anger and saw it was Greldo.


    "Look! We can''t help them," Greldo shouted, and Irwin turned to see two of the vines wrap around Twintin, who was desperately struggling. The rest were biting Rachel but seemed to be having trouble.


    "We can''t leave them like that!" Irwin shouted, but he didn''t move. He remembered what a single vine had done, and the only reason he had killed it was because it had swallowed his flame.


    "Look!"


    Daubutim''s shout caused him to stare at the boy pointing at the building that had been sliding down. It was a foot or two from the edge, and it would drop down as soon as it reached it. The shadow the silvery vines were in would vanish, replaced by the scorching light from the sunless sky.


    "We just have to hold them back for a short bit," Irwin muttered, then looked at Daubutim. The tall boy nodded, then rushed toward Twintin.


    "We can''t risk our lives like this," Greldo whispered as he stared at Irwin.


    "Without Twintin, we can''t get through those buildings to find the Linchpin," Irwin shouted as he ripped his arm free and stared at his friend. "Come on. We can do this!"


    Greldo looked back as if he''d never seen him before, then nodded.


    They ran forward, and Irwin felt his stomach turn. Rachel had fallen to the ground, still struggling slightly as the vines bit down into her. Blood was pooling around, and she was clawing at the ground, her shield gone.


    Twintin hung in the air, wrapped up by two vines. Her face contorted in fear, her eyes closed. Her hand glowed brightly, and the two vines hung frozen in the air, shuddering occasionally as if struggling against something.


    "She is holding them back," Irwin shouted.


    "It''s because they are touching her," Ambraz shouted in his ear. "It increases the effectiveness of her card!"


    Irwin took one look at Rachel and knew her chance was over. She''d stopped struggling, her body now only shaking as the vines ripped portions of her flesh away. Daubutim stood a few steps from her, seeming frozen by the sight.


    "Daubutim, help Twintin!" Irwin shouted.


    He forced himself to look away from Rachel, focusing on the smaller girl.


    As soon as he reached her, he slammed his flame into one of the two vines. It shuddered violently, its top splaying open slowly, and a low keen came from it.


    The silvery skin rapidly blackened, bubbling, and with a pop, the skin ripped open like a blister. Irwin''s flame, which had been licking around the sides, vanished inside, and the vine began bucking. Then, it dropped to the ground and slowly pulled back towards a hole next to the portal.


    "Don''t let it get away," Ambraz said beside his head.


    Irwin ignored him, turning to see Greldo clenching the second one, trying in vain to rip it free.


    "The creatures here have a chance to drop a card," Ambraz said calmly. "You need to kill them because we really need more cards."


    He''s right! Irwin thought.


    Hoping Greldo could hold out, he rushed after the crawling vine, keeping his flame inside the now large and open wound. He knew it would probably be faster to attack the head, but getting through the skin might take too long.


    Two steps from the hole, the vine finally shuddered and stopped moving. A large section of its body was black and bubbling while a steaming fluid leaked from the tip. Irwin held his breath, but nothing happened.


    "The other one," Ambraz said, and Irwin turned, sprinting towards Greldo.


    Daubutim had reached it, trying to help Greldo, who was pale-faced and struggling to hold the vine. Together, they seemed barely able to hold it from ripping them apart.


    "You need to hurry," Ambraz hissed, causing Irwin to look at the gruesome sight of Rachel''s remains.


    The vines had almost finished with her, and only tattered clothes, blood, and chunks of meat remained.


    Irwin quickly averted his gaze and looked at the building. It had already started sliding down, picking up speed. It would be mere moments till the burning light would reach this area.


    "Get back," he shouted as he jabbed his flame against the side of the vine.


    The silvery skin blackened, and as it spat open, a distant rumbling caused the ground to shake. A bright light illuminated their surroundings as if heralding it while the temperature rose instantly. A screech came from behind, and he looked to see the other vines jerk back, trying to pull out of the direct light. Their skins were darkening quickly, steam rising off them. The vine before him was almost vibrating, and then it went limp, dropping Twintin. She hit the ground like a sack, unmoving, the glow of her hand gone. The vine shuddered and tried pulling itself back towards the hole.


    "Hold it!" Irwin screamed as he tried to keep up.


    Greldo and Daubutim jumped forward, and they began struggling with the vine.


    They barely made it, as it had already partially withdrawn when it finally died. As soon as it did, Daubutim sprinted to the unconscious Twintin, who was lying in the light. He picked her up and ran to Greldo, who was now in the shadows, panting and red-faced.


    Irwin remained behind, staring at the vine, biting his lip, and hoping for a card.


    Come on, come on, he thought. After a few seconds, he knew it was useless.


    "Even in shardworlds it''s a rare thing," Ambraz said, but he sounded annoyed.


    Irwin turned and walked towards the others, feeling numb. He tried hard not to look at what remained of Rachel, but that didn''t do much for the smell. The scent of cooking meat began emanating around as the burning light power roasted the slivers of meat the vines had left.


    To his surprise, Daubutim suddenly ran out of the shadow towards the body, snatched something, and ran back.


    What¡­ Irwin stopped as Daubutim turned to him, eyes wide and a bloodied card in his hand.


    "She dropped her card," he whispered.


    "Now that''s lucky," Ambraz said as he whizzed towards Daubutim, seeming excited.


    Irwin wasn''t.


    Mother was right, he thought as he felt a shiver of fear.


    He looked at his hand and then at the others as he joined them on the edge of the shadowy region. Before, it had only been hearsay, but now? Now he shivered as the true gravitas of his situation set in. If the wrong person found out what his card could do, they would kill him.


    Greldo looked back at him, and smiled wearily. "Don''t worry. You can trust me."


    Daubutim looked up, seeming confused, before turning to the card. It showed an image of a shield resembling the one Rachel had summoned.


    "Let''s go inside a building," Greldo muttered. "Your flame will keep those normal vines away, and with some luck, those silvery ones will be licking their wounds for a while."


    Irwin nodded as he looked at Twintin, then at Daubutim. Though he wasn''t as weak as he had been, and Twintin was small, he knew he couldn''t lift her.


    "Daubutim, can you carry Twintin?"


    "Yes," Daubutim said, slipping the card into his pocket and turning.


    A minute later, they sat huddled near the entrance of another building. It was similar on the inside to the first one, with dozens of mushrooms giving it a gloomy illumination. Twintin lay against the wall, still unconscious, but Irwin hadn''t found any dangerous wounds on her¡ªjust some scratches and a few superficial bites.


    The three boys stood with their backs against the wall, facing the vegetation to prevent the silvery vines from jumping at them.


    "So, what do we do with the card?" Irwin asked.


    "I want it," Daubutim instantly said. "It will combine easily with my club, and if I can find an uncommon or rare armor card, I can merge them into a weaponry hand. Besides, I''m the only one with real training, and the shield will make me far more effective."


    Irwin nodded, recalling their training sessions in the tower. Daubutim wasn''t lying, though he was surprised at how little trouble he seemed to have with talking now.


    "How long till this world evolves?" he asked Ambraz.


    "A day, maybe two," the Anvil said, hungrily licking his lips.


    Irwin could almost imagine him looking at the bloodied card, intending to eat it. Normally, he''d never even consider letting Ambraz eat a card, but with their current situation, he was hesitating. There was just one other issue.


    I''d have to tell them Ambraz can consume cards to reforge others, he thought. He didn''t want to, but with Twintin unconscious and Rachel-


    He swallowed back rising bile, forcing the memory of the girl being eaten away, and focused on their current situation.


    If they left the portal there would likely be a surge. If they were anywhere near it, they would die. If the surge happened, everyone in Wignut would be killed, and the forest would be overrun.


    He glanced at Greldo and Daubutim. He had been friends with Greldo for years, and although some of that had been because neither had any other options, he still felt increasingly confident that he could trust him with more than just where he''d hidden his stash of raw meat. Besides, Greldo already knew or had guessed most of what was happening. That left, Daubutim...


    "Maybe Ambraz can reforge that card after this shardworld evolves," he said slowly. "It might be better for you when it''s an uncommon-"


    "No," Daubutim said, placing the card in his hand in a single fluid motion. It shone brightly and sank into his hand, leaving Irwin to stare at him in dismay.


    "If I have an uncommon card, I can''t come with you to enter common portals," Daubutim said matter of factly.

 Chapter 25: Lost and found

    "Ready?" Irwin whispered.


    "Go," Daubutim replied.


    The burly boy stepped through the door opening, his club in one hand and a shield in the other, sweat dripping off his face. The shield was similar to the one Rachel had used, with only a few differences, the most interesting being that it was much larger.


    Irwin followed behind Daubutim, flame ready. A wall of vegetation sat in the room, and they waited and watched. After a few seconds of nothing but distant rumblings, Irwin turned around.


    "It''s safe."


    Twintin said nothing as she stepped into the room, not even looking at him. Fear and anger had been warring on her face ever since she''d awoken and found that Rachel had been killed. She''d barely spoken to them after that, just sitting huddled in a corner, arms around her legs.


    Greldo followed her into the room before turning and keeping watch behind.


    Twintin''s hand gave off a blue glow, and the vegetation began withering. She glared at it with such hate that Irwin shivered. Still, he was ready to move if a silvery vine appeared.


    It took a short while to clear the room up to the staircase, and they didn''t encounter any of the dangerous silvery vines. The normal ones had all stayed away initially, only charging when they reached the hole from which their roots grew. Twintin had quickly ended them.


    "I wonder if the staircase goes all the way up this time," Greldo whispered.


    "Let''s hope so," Irwin said softly.


    This was the third building they had cleared since Twintin woke up and eventually calmed down. The first one''s staircase had been a crumbled mess after the first floor. It was also the last one they could reach while moving through the shadows.


    I wish Ambraz was willing to scout around, he thought, taking a glimpse at the Anvil on his shoulder. It had been adamant that nothing would be able to get it to fly around on its own. If it was due to fear or inability, Irwin couldn''t say, but he wondered if Ambraz was afraid of becoming stuck here.


    The next floor was filled with more plants, but they only had to clear a little bit to reach the next staircase.


    "Looks good," Greldo said.


    Twintin sniffed, turning to Daubutim. "If we don''t find anything this time, can we finally leave?" she asked, glaring at the boy.


    "No," Daubutim said emotionlessly before moving up the stairs.


    Twintin didn''t respond, but the look in her eyes as she watched Daubutim walk away made the hairs on Irwin''s arm rise.


    It''s a good thing she can''t use that card on one of us, he thought as he recalled the moment Twintin had awoken. I still don''t understand why she thinks it''s our fault.


    As he followed Twintin, he saw her fists were clenched so hard her knuckles were white.


    The stairs on the next few floors remained useful, and after climbing a dozen, they finally reached the end. A patch of light sat below the staircase, showing that above would be either the roof or a destroyed floor. A quick look showed the sky at the top of the final staircase.


    "I''ll go check," Irwin said as he saw the others hesitate at the edge of the bright patch of light. "Make sure you drink."


    He got a grunted reply from Greldo and silence from the others. Twintin glared at him, and Irwin grimaced as he stepped into the burning sunlight. He''d tried talking with her, but she wouldn''t listen, which worried him.


    The staircase led up to the roof, and as he stepped out of the small building, he looked around in wonder. Their building was far from the tallest around, but as impressive as the horizon of structures was, what instantly drew his attention was a set of three towering monstrosities that seemed to reach for the sun.


    He walked on the edge, making sure to stay far enough away so he wouldn''t be flung off if another rumble caused the buildings to sway. Besides, the whole roof felt fragile, with all of the crumbling corners and cracks in the wall.


    "Hey, look! There''s someone on that building over there," Ambraz said, and Irwin spun around.


    The tiny Anvil hovered a few feet away. Next to theirs was a building that was a story lower, and he saw a blackened shape huddled next to the stairs leading down.


    It was hard to see what it was, but he thought he saw a glimmer on the ground next to it.


    "Can you see what that is?" Irwin asked, trying to get a better look.


    "Sure, I should be able to go that far," Ambraz chimed happily as he whisked away.


    That far? Irwin thought with a frown. Did that mean Ambraz couldn''t go further? Was that why he wasn''t willing to scout? Because he couldn''t?


    He pushed the question away as he saw the Anvil reach the other roof, slowing down. When nothing jumped forward, Ambraz lowered until reaching the shiny thing. Irwin saw him do something, then he turned and came rushing back with something dangling from his mouth.


    Irwin started getting a bad premonition as he closed in.


    When Ambraz reached him, he held out his hand in dismay. Olban''s odd amulet, the golden locket with the eye on its front, dropped onto it.


    "We found what''s left of Olban," Ambraz said, sounding slightly sad.


    Irwin looked up in surprise. Ambraz hadn''t shown any reaction when Rachel had died. Had he somehow bonded with the boy when he wasn''t looking?


    "Too bad he didn''t drop his card," Ambraz said with a weary sigh. "I double-checked, don''t worry."


    Right.


    Irwin held back a rude remark as he inspected the amulet. Round and with hinges on the sides, it seemed meant to open, but as he tried, he couldn''t find the trick to it. There was no keyhole anywhere, no button, no little latch.


    "Oh, don''t bother opening that. Yilda''s lockets don''t open. People have been trying for as long as they have been around," Ambraz said.


    "You know what this is?" Irwin asked, looking up in surprise.


    "What? Of course! There''s a lot of those stupid things drifting around. Some are bracelets, other''s earrings, but most are lockets like that."


    Irwin looked at the locket. Olban and the sorcerer had made a big deal out of it, and it didn''t seem like a stupid thing.


    "Who''s Yilda?" he asked.


    "Nobody knows," Ambraz said, sounding bored. "Probably some legendary overpowered soulcarded crafter. Her stuff has been around forever, but nobody really knows what it does or what it''s for. There''s a library somewhere on Ten''ur Dihlan dedicated to collecting her artifacts, but from what I''ve heard, nobody knows what they do."


    "Tenner Dillan?" Irwin said, stumbling over the odd pronunciation.


    "Ten''ur Dihlan," Ambraz corrected him, landing on his shoulder. "It''s not important. It''s one of the few worlds without known coordinates, and to get there, you need an invitation. Then, someone has to come pick you up with a Diamond rank teleportation or gate card. I don''t expect either of us to ever be important enough to warrant an invitation."


    "Diamond?" Irwin muttered.


    Ambraz grunted. "Keep up, kid. Diamond is what you call Legendary. Remember?"


    "Where is here anyway? And where are you from?" Irwin asked, ignoring the Anvil. It was a question that had been playing through his mind for a while.


    "Here? I have no clue. The Smith''s Guild entourage I was with got ambushed during an investigation of a semi-stabilized shardworld, and that stupid sorcerer found me. He must have taken me here through a portal, which, now that you mention it, means that the shardworld I was on was connected to two worlds. Weird," Ambraz muttered, petering off.


    Irwin was about to ask why it was weird when Ambraz snorted loudly.


    "Not that it matters. Either way, at first, beardyface was super hyped when he caught me. He seemed to think I was some legendary solidified card remnant -an artifact he called me- but he seemed annoyed when he found out I was a living being. He just stuffed me into that tiny world as a power source. The gall of that beardy!"


    Irwin was pondering who the sorcerer that had found Ambraz could be when he recalled something Lady Yrinta had told him. Wasn''t Gelwin the one who created those practice portals?


    "That ¡­ beardy. Do you recall what his name was?" he asked, getting a dreadful premonition.


    "What? Name? Yes, something like Glehn or Gwin," Ambraz said with a snort.


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    "Gelwin?"


    "That''s it! Wait, you know him?"


    Irwin blinked. That meant Ambraz had been in there for hundreds of years! Legend said Gelwin had vanished over two hundred years ago after saving the peninsula from a legendary portal.


    "Do you know how long you were locked up?" Irwin asked, licking his lips.


    "Well... I could guess. Like eighty or ninety years?" Ambraz muttered.


    Irwin stared at the Anvil but didn''t even see him. That couldn''t be right! If that was right, that meant Gelwin was still¡­


    That can''t be right!


    "Irwin, you still here? Did you fall asleep?"


    Greldo''s worry snapped Irwin out of the confused state he''d drifted into, and he looked around.


    Let''s just figure this out after, he thought, shivering. His first priority should be to find the Linchpin and close this portal.


    "I''m fine, still searching," he said as he looked around.


    A lot of buildings had crumbled or toppled, more of them the further away he looked, but those tallest towers seemed impervious to the shaking of the earth. They were the most obvious targets, and he looked down to see if they could even reach them. The first thing he saw were large packs of dogs roaming the sunfilled streets. Still, with all the shadows, he quickly found a few shadowy routes that led to them.


    He stared at them for a while, trying to memorize them before looking at the hounds.


    They seemed small from up here, and he wondered what they were doing. Did they need food? Perhaps they fought and ate the silvery vines or each other?


    When he couldn''t find anything that stood out as much as the towers, he headed back to the stairs before an idea made him stop and almost groan.


    "Ambraz, do you have any idea where the Linchpin could be here?" he asked, kicking himself for not thinking of it sooner.


    "Maybe in one of those big towers, but I''d say there''s a bigger chance that it¡¯s absorbed by the strongest of those hounds. It could also be below ground with one of those silver vines," Ambraz said slowly as if contemplating his options.


    Irwin nodded and took one more look at the shadowy routes they could take before heading down the stairs.


    Below, Greldo peeked around the corner, his face partially red from the overexposure to the sun.


    "I''m fine. Go back in the shadows," Irwin called as he hurried back down. He suddenly felt bad for having worried the other.


    When he reached the group, he found Twintin glaring at Daubutim, who either didn''t notice or was ignoring her.


    Now what happened, Irwin wondered, but a quick shake of Greldo''s head kept him from asking.


    "So, did you find anything?" Greldo asked.


    Irwin cringed as he remembered Olban, and he carefully pulled out the odd locket amulet.


    "Olban made it to the roof somehow, but the sun still got him," he said softly.


    "Ah," Greldo said as he stared at the amulet with sad curiosity.


    "How did you¡­" Then his gaze went to Ambraz, and he just nodded.


    "There are three, much bigger buildings that way," Irwin said as he pointed toward one of the walls.


    He thought for a moment about what Ambraz had told him about the other options, then kept it to himself. If the Linchpin wasn''t in the building, they would have to find either a monstrous hound or some deeply burrowed plant. Neither was likely to work out for them.


    Here''s hoping that there''s nothing horrible in that building, he thought.


    "Alright. How far are they? Can we reach them without alerting the hounds?" Greldo asked.


    Daubutim looked up, seeming interested, while Twintin was coldly staring at him, making him uncomfortable.


    "Yeah, there are a few shadowy paths that lead to them. Still, we will have to be careful. There are hounds everywhere," Irwin said.


    "What if we get lost and can''t find the portal again?" Twintin asked with a soft and shaky voice.


    Irwin saw her anger fade, her eyes wide and her face pale as she looked at him, seemingly terrified.


    "We will mark the sides of the buildings," Irwin said as he raised his flame. "That way, we can always find the way back!"


    He tried to sound as sure of himself as he could, even though he wasn''t.


    "But the surge hasn''t happened, and it has been half a day," Twintin said. "If we wait till night, we can just as well go out and.." she stopped as another soft rumbling came from outside.


    It rapidly increased in intensity, and Twintin screamed as she huddled on the ground. Large splits ripped into the walls, then something massive crashed into the ground, knocking Irwin and the others on their ass. This time, the earthquakes lasted for a whole minute, and when they stopped, the sound of distant buildings crumbling came from all around them.


    Irwin and the others stood in the center of the room, looking around until everything calmed down a bit.


    "It''s always like this," Ambraz said from Irwin''s shoulder. "There''s this saying from one of the worlds I was in. ''It''s bad luck tempting fate, for she''s a fickle one!'' Always liked that saying!"


    That felt like way more than just a single building, Irwin thought, ignoring Ambraz.


    He ran back up the stairs to the roof and looked around. In the distance, a towering column of dust was rising into the air. A nearby building had been toppled over, taking dozens of others around it with it, while a single one remained standing, swaying dangerously.


    Irwin''s hair rose as a deep growl echoed up from even closer. He stumbled forward, remaining far from the edge, and looked down. Below, the dust had filled the streets, but he saw something large move through it.


    "What¡­" he began, then faltered.


    A gust of wind blew a section of the dust away, revealing a hound so large that it made the others nearby look like tiny puppies. It was padding across the still-rolling rubble of the toppled buildings, chewing on something long and silvery. More importantly, it was moving partially through the shadow, seeming fine.


    That answers that question, Irwin thought as the blood drained from his face. "How likely is it that the Linchpin is inside that?" he asked.


    "Oh¡­ I''d say almost guaranteed," Ambraz whispered. "I''m starting to think the girl might be right."


    Irwin watched the massive hound for a few moments longer, then turned and sprinted back down the stairs.


    "We need to get out of here," he said. "Let''s head to the portal and hope there are no hounds blocking our way."


    "But-"


    Irwin shook his head as he interrupted Daubutim. "A massive hound just toppled one of the buildings, and Ambraz says the Linchpin is probably inside it. There is no way we can kill that."


    There was a moment of shocked silence as everyone watched him in disbelief. Then Greldo stepped forward.


    "He''s right. Let''s get out of here!"


    Twintin didn''t wait for them to change their minds and began running down the staircase. Irwin had expected some kind of I told you so, but there was nothing.


    Daubutim, however, was frowning as he followed them, staring at his club and shield.


    "There''s no way you can beat it with those," Irwin said.


    They reached the lower floor without much trouble, but when they headed to the exit, Twintin yelped as she came to a sliding halt. The others moved next to her to find a pack of hounds in front of the door. Because of the buildings that had crashed, the sun had now reached the edge of the building, and there was no way out.


    "We should have left when we could," Twintin cried as she fell to her knees.


    Nobody replied, and Irwin sighed as he looked around.


    "Let''s clear this room completely so we don''t get ambushed and wait it out. We''ll leave as soon as it becomes dark enough for the hounds to leave."


    Twintin didn''t respond, sobbing softly, and Irwin gritted his teeth. For a moment, he wished Rachel had survived instead. At least she wouldn''t have broken down like this. Then he shook his head. He didn''t want any of them to die. Not really.


    Not even if it means your secret will be safe?, a tiny voice whispered in his mind.


    "Twintin, let''s go," he said, holding in his temper.


    She didn''t respond, and he raised his voice as he snapped her name.


    Twintin shook as if hit, but this time, she scrambled up, wiping her tears away and glaring at him.


    "You''re a bully," she hissed. "I thought you were nice, but I was wrong!"


    Irwin suddenly felt very, very tired.


    "I''m not a bully," he said as he looked at her. "But we need to clear this room if we are to survive here till night. Do you want those silver vines to find us?"


    It was a low blow, and he regretted it as her face contorted in panic. Still, she needed to move!


    "Fine," Twintin whispered, turning to the plants.


    They continued clearing the room, finding and dispatching a second root system that was hidden in a corner. Nobody suggested checking for silver vines, and instead, they sat down at the opposite end of the room.


    Time slowly passed, and Irwin was relieved when the hounds finally moved away from the entrance. Sadly, his relief was short-lived as a shadow fell across it.


    He licked his suddenly dry lips as he thought of the massive hound. Seconds passed, but nothing happened, and he slowly got up, realizing it was slowly going dark.


    How come it''s so fast this time? he thought.


    "Let''s go see," he said, unable to keep a shiver out of his voice.


    He snuck to the entrance, Greldo right behind him. He didn''t bother asking the others. Daubutim had been staring dully at the wall, only answering with a short yes or no, while Twintin hadn''t spoken at all.


    The shadows had returned to cover the entrance, and the hounds had pulled away. They paced through the area in the distance, in front of the street they had to go through to reach the portal.


    Irwin scanned the area, Greldo beside him doing the same.


    "It''s growing dark faster this time. We just have to wait for that street to go dark, and then we can head back to the portal," Greldo said.


    "Yeah," Irwin said as he took a look over his shoulder.


    The other two were still not showing any interest, and he frowned.


    "I''m starting to worry about what will happen when we exit the portal."


    Greldo leaned against the door entrance, wiping some sweat from his face. "Because of the hounds and the vines... or because of Daubutim?" he whispered.


    "Both," Irwin said. "But more so about Twintin. She blames us for what happened with Rachel."


    "It''s not our fault," Greldo whispered softly. "She was the one that walked away, and even if we had gone along, it would have just resulted in all our deaths."


    Irwin nodded, though he wondered if they might not have been able to do something if they had left back then. Or perhaps Rachel would have been able to block the attack better had she and Twintin not been the only ones there. He didn''t speak about his worries, instead looking outside.


    "When you were on the roof, she tried to get Daubutim to leave with her."


    Irwin blinked in surprise. Then he shook his head. "How was she even going to get to the portal?"


    Greldo didn''t answer, and Irwin resisted looking at the girl. She was glaring at the wall.


    "He said he wouldn''t leave us here," Greldo whispered.


    Irwin nodded, suddenly feeling a lot better about Daubutim.


    They remained at the entrance, quietly staring outside, both lost in their own thoughts.


    Movement in a wide street to the right caused them both to look over, and as one, they stilled and held their breath.


    A giant hound was padding forward, followed by a dozen smaller ones barely coming to its chest. Everywhere it passed, the other hounds backed up and lowered their heads.


    Don''t come here, don''t come here, Irwin thought as he watched the hound reach the corner, praying for it to go anywhere but forward.


    The hound slowed and looked around. Irwin saw its glowing red eyes passing over the entrances of the nearby building as if scanning for something. Feeling his hair stand on end, he didn''t think but stepped back, pulling Greldo with him. Then he gazed at the entrance, still holding his breath.


    Nothing happened, and as quietly as he could, he breathed out.


    A dull growl echoed across the square as the sound of soft padded feet headed towards them.

 Chapter 26: Blackened Hands

    Irwin turned and ran further into the building, pulling Greldo with him. The growling and padding grew louder.


    Greldo cursed, pulled free, and ran with him.


    Ahead, Daubutim was up, club and shield in hand, as he stared at the door. His jaw was clenched, and his eyes wide. Irwin saw a glimpse of fear in them, the first he''d seen. Twintin stood two steps away, shuddering as she pushed herself against the wall as if trying to go through.


    Before he reached them, the building shook as something slammed into it. Twintin screeched, and Irwin turned to see a massive head poking into the building, glaring at them. The stone around the entrance was cracking and crumbling from the impact. The hound''s red irises were glowing and pulsing while thin red tendrils leaked into the white eyeballs.


    As the eyes focused on him, Irwin felt himself freeze.


    The hound backed up, then slammed its shoulders into the building again, causing a violently cracking sound as a tear ripped through the left wall, bits of debris raining down.


    "What now?" Daubutim asked, his voice stable but a pitch higher than usual.


    Irwin stared at the hound. Was it his imagination, or did it look hungry?


    "Twintin, try your skill!" Greldo shouted.


    The girl didn''t respond, staring wide-eyed and pale-faced at the hound.


    Irwin stepped forward, grabbed and shook her, causing her teeth to rattle together.


    "Try your card," he shouted, his own panic growing.


    "It won''t work," Twintin cried, but she turned, raised her hand, and the blue glow appeared.


    Irwin watched, hoping she was wrong, then felt his hope shatter as the hound showed no reaction. It pulled back and slammed its shoulders into the doorframe again. A large chunk broke off and crashed into the ground.


    "Your flame?" Greldo asked, his eyes reflecting the panic Irwin felt.


    He gulped as he saw the dozens of white teeth glittering in the hound''s mouth.


    "It''ll bite me if I get too close," he said.


    "I''ll block it," Daubutim said, a slight tremor in his voice.


    Irwin stared at the hound, and the prospect of going up to it and using his flame terrified him. The problem was that he had no other choice. If he waited too long, it would be inside and any chance would be lost. He took a deep, shuddering breath as he looked around.


    "He''s right. If that thing gets in here, it''s going to be even worse for us."


    "This is all your fault! We should have left when I asked you to," Twintin cried as she glared at them.


    She was breathing hard, tears running down her face. Her card flashed for a moment, then she turned and ran to the nearby stairs.


    Irwin watched her leave and, for a moment, thought about following her. Then he recalled how the other building had come down, and he looked at the new set of cracks in the walls.


    "I''ll head in first, and as soon as it bites at me, you flame it," Daubutim ordered as he stepped forward.


    Irwin turned to Greldo, who was as white as a sheet. He was about to say something when Greldo focused on him.


    "There''s nothing I can do, but I''ll try and distract it if it turns to you."


    Irwin nodded, and they walked after Daubutim.


    The hound had stopped, its pupils narrowing as it gazed at Daubutim. As the boy came closer, Irwin suddenly saw a slight confusion in the hound''s eyes. He''d seen it when he was handling Bullwinkel''s hounds. It happened sometimes when they were growling and acting up.


    Perhaps it''ll leave? he thought as he watched Daubutim raise his shield, now a mere ten feet from the entrance.


    The hound opened its maw and let out a blood-curdling roar.


    "Get ready," Daubutim shouted, and Irwin ran to the side wall.


    With his shoulder against the stone, he felt the tremors from the hounds'' pressure. A thick sulfuric smell wafted towards him as he moved within jumping distance. He readied himself, about to attack, when the hound turned its gaze on him.


    Irwin froze as he saw the hunger in the blood-red eyes.


    The hound growled, then turned towards Daubutim, who raised his shield. It moved so fast that Irwin had barely any time to blink as the head blurred forward. A loud thud came as Daubutim was knocked back, his shield ripped from his arm. The dog was chewing on it as it glared at Daubutim, who was lying stunned on the ground.


    Too fast! Irwin looked at Daubutim, who scrambled back to his feet. Thick streams of blood ran down his arm, and he raised his hand. A glow came, and a startled grunt from the dog came as the shield vanished from its mouth and reappeared, unscathed, on Daubutim''s arm.


    "Again," the burly youth said, his voice sharp and clear, just like it sometimes was.


    Irwin nodded, took a deep breath, and focused on the hound that was growling at Daubutim. As he saw Daubutim step forward from the corner of his eye, he moved. The hound''s head blurred as his hand reached for it. His flame touched the hound''s neck at the same time as it collided with Daubutim, and the hound froze with its teeth around the edge of the shield as Daubutim thudded on the ground again.


    Irwin pressed his fingers against the side of the hound. The rough hairs almost punctured his skin as his flame grew wider. For a moment, he thought it had worked. Then the hound slowly turned towards him, the shield between its teeth. The hair where Irwin''s flame touched was turning gray as if the color was draining from it.


    "Don''t let go!" Greldo shouted as Irwin was about to back up.


    "It''s not working," he shouted back, then realized he was wrong.


    The hound''s slowness wasn''t deliberate! Every motion it made seemed slow and forced. The hound let out an angry whine.


    Irwin nearly jumped back as a cacophony of howls came from outside, followed by grunts of pain. With the large hound blocking the way, it was impossible to see what was happening, but he heard yelps, snarls, and panting moving closer.


    "They are coming to help it," he shouted, keeping his attention on the hound.


    Its nose was nearly pointed at him, and the shield dropped with a clatter. The hate in the red eyes was burning, and as the mouth inched closer, razor-sharp teeth bared, Irwin felt his fear grow. Although the hair was turning white in a larger patch, it didn''t seem to do anything but slow the hound.


    "It''s not fast enough," he shouted.


    He''d barely said something when Greldo appeared next to him and gripped the lower jaw. A hissing sound came, and a moment later, the stench of burning flesh wafted up.


    Greldo let out a whimper but didn''t let go. The back of his hand glowed blue, meaning he had activated his card, and he struggled to push back the jaw. It barely helped, and Irwin was about to tell him to let go and run when Daubutim appeared next to Greldo. He grabbed Greldo''s shoulders and yanked him back, causing the boy to hang taut between the hound and Daubutim. A strangled growl came from the hound as his head was slowly pulled away from Irwin.


    "Keep going," Greldo screamed, his face pale and sweaty.


    Irwin focused on his flame, wishing he could somehow make it stronger. The gray color was spreading further away from his hand, now crawling up the hound''s jaw. Angry and pained growls came from behind it, but its massive body was preventing the others from entering.


    Seconds passed by, Daubutim''s arms shaking as he continued to hold the hound at bay with his shield. A panicky keenness came from the hound''s throat as the grayness inched closer towards its eyes. An alien panic was settling in them; then its left eye turned gray.


    The hound let out a whimpered sigh, and its head snapped back, its constant resistance gone as it slumped down. Irwin sank to the ground with it, keeping his hand on the now mostly gray neck.


    Daubutim let go, causing Greldo to thud onto the ground with a pained grunt. His hands ripped free of the hound''s jaw, and Irwin saw the blackened palms, slivers of flesh dangling free.


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    An area behind the now sprawling dog became visible, and a smaller version jumped on its bigger brethren. It was moving stiffly and slowly.


    "The shadows," Irwin whispered.


    "I''ll keep them away until it''s dead," Daubutim shouted as his club and shield appeared in his hands.


    Seemingly without fear, he stepped on top of the large hound''s head, striking at the one moving towards them. Irwin expected it to dodge, and it tried, but the shadows seemed to weaken it so much that Daubutim''s hit struck it square on the side of its head. It was knocked away, sliding back out of sight, only to be replaced by another.


    Four hounds later, Irwin felt his hand suddenly push forward. The hairs and hide that had turned completely gray crumbled under his touch, and a wheezing sigh came from the hound. Its now gray pupils dulled, and the tiny red embers that had managed to remain inside were whisked out of existence.


    Daubutim let out a strangled shout as the head of the hound suddenly collapsed in a cloud of gray particles.


    Where''s the Linchpin? Irwin thought as he searched around, wiping the thick dust away.


    Suddenly, his hands touched something hard and square, and he pulled them back to reveal another card with a pale gray border and a tiny hound on the cover.


    A summon! He almost placed it on his hand, then held back.


    "Ambraz, where is the Linchpin?" he shouted, looking at the Anvil.


    The ground shuddered, cracks ripping through the surrounding walls. Startled cries from outside, and he heard the hounds run away.


    "The hound was the linchpin," Ambraz shouted. "We need to get out of here before this shard world completely disintegrates!"


    "It what?" Irwin shouted, but he was already up and beside Greldo.


    The boy was shivering, his hands cusped before his chest and his eyes dull.


    "Daubutim, help me carry him!"


    Something ran past him, and as he looked up, he saw Twintin rush through what remained of the cloud of gray dust, pulling a trail behind her. Before he could call out to her, Daubutim arrived, grabbing Greldo around the waist and lifting him.


    "Run!"


    Irwin scrambled forward, running after Twintin as fast as he could.


    Outside, the buildings were swaying, and he saw no dogs anywhere. He hoped they hadn''t run through the portal, but there was nothing to be done if they had. Silvery vines were hovering near some entrances, but the path to the portal seemed clear. Twintin was already halfway to it, her arm above her head trying to give her some protection from the slowly dimming light.


    The ground continued to rumble, and when he reached the corner of the street, he saw the black portal flickering ominously.


    "We have to hurry," Ambraz shouted, and Irwin turned to find Daubutim struggling after him. He hesitated, then waited for the other boy.


    "Heavy," Daubutim gasped as Irwin put an arm below Greldo, trying to take some of the weight.


    It made running awkward, but Daubutim did move faster. Halfway across the square, Irwin saw Twintin disappearing inside.


    "Have to be careful of her," Greldo muttered, his voice slurred.


    "Later," Irwin said as they reached the portal. It was shivering, the edges flickering with bursts of red light.


    "Wait for it to stabilize, then jump inside," Ambraz said, landing on his shoulder. "If you jump in now, you might not arrive where you want."


    Irwin gritted his teeth and waited. The world shook again, and in the distance, he heard a building collapse. Then the portal stilled for a moment.


    "Now!" Ambraz snapped, and Irwin jumped forward, pulling the other two along.


    The cold of the in-between hit him like a hammer, and he had a moment to look around the darkness. There was no sight of the tendrils or anything else, and then they were through.


    A fresh, musky scent wafted over him as the cold receded slightly. Rain dripped on his head as he stumbled forward, almost falling as his foot slipped over the mud. There was no sight of Twintin, but small footsteps led away from the open area back to where he thought they had come from.


    He spun around, searching for hounds or tendrils, but there were none of those either.


    A high-pitched scream pierced the forest. For a second, he thought it was Twintin. Then he realized it came from behind them. He turned around, but besides the incredibly vibrant green colors of the forest, he saw nothing.


    Daubutim stumbled to a patch of grass, gently putting Greldo down. Cradling his hands, Greldo had gone limp, his soft breathing the only indication he was still alive.


    Come on Greldo, you have to survive, Irwin thought. He shivered again and summoned his flame, both for warmth and the sense of security it offered.


    Daubutim quickly unwrapped his jacket from his waist and pulled it on. Then he stepped towards Irwin, his normal dull gaze replaced by one of resolve.


    "Decide," he said, looking intently at Irwin. "Are you coming with me to my father?"


    Irwin blinked, hesitating.


    The screams in the distance went up to a crescendo, then fell quiet. A thunderous roar of victory came, and Irwin paled.


    "One of the other portals spit out a surge," Daubutim said, then swallowed. "We don''t have much time."


    "How are we even getting to your father?" Irwin asked, looking around.


    Greldo had thought it was a good idea, and as he heard a distant scream, he made up his mind. Going back to the sorcerers meant trouble now that Twintin was out there. If she told them about Ambraz¡­


    "So you are coming?" Daubutim said, suddenly smiling.


    "Yes," Irwin nodded, and the tall boy grinned wide before turning to Greldo. "And him?"


    "Greldo wanted to come too," Irwin said quickly.


    "Good, then let''s hope he survives the journey," Daubutim said as he walked back to the other boy. "Help me get him up."


    Irwin wished he was strong enough to carry him, as Daubutim had both his club and the shield. If they got jumped, he''d be better able to defend them. Sadly, even if he could lift the other boy, there was no way he could carry him further than a few dozen feet.


    A few moments later, Daubutim was straining with Greldo in his arms, and they walked towards the forest edge. They had carefully put Greldo''s jacket back on, though the boy''s head was burning hot.


    "How are we going to reach your father?" Irwin asked.


    "We will have to walk to Esterdon Tower," Daubutim said. "Father has a contingent of carded there with at least one teleporter."


    Irwin stumbled as he recalled the map they were made to learn back in school. He didn''t know exactly where Wignut was, but Esterdon was an old ruined city near the Swamps of Suffocation. If that tower was near the ruins¡­


    "How long will that take?" he asked.


    "I don''t know," Daubutim said. "From there to Wignut is four days on horseback or carriage. I''ve never traveled on foot."


    "Four days¡­ we will never get there alive," Irwin whispered, looking at Greldo''s unmoving form. "Do you even know how to get there?"


    "Yes. Father made me memorize all the routes."


    Irwin wondered what Daubutim meant with all routes when a dull roar sounded from ahead. They both froze midstep.


    The raindrops that hit his flame sizzled loudly in the silence that lingered after.


    "They are ahead of us," Irwin whispered. He turned to Daubutim. "Do you know another route?"


    "Through the forest? No," the boy said, and he shook as another roar came from ahead.


    He turned pale, looking around with a frown as if trying to decide what to do.


    Irwin looked at him, then shook his head in consternation. He didn''t know much about Daubutim yet, but he did know that he was lost when he had to think for himself. With Greldo out, that meant he had to decide.


    "Let''s go see what is going on," he said. "Staying here is no option."


    As they continued, he realized Ambraz was still on his shoulder, and he carefully grabbed the Anvil and placed it in his pocket. As he did, his fingers touched the edge of the card the hound had dropped, and he blinked.


    Should I slot it or not? he thought, thinking of his other two cards.


    A few weeks ago, it would have been a no-brainer, but now? It took a while for the summons to grow, and they had little combat utility early on. Also, if it didn''t get the gigantism skill, it would be nearly useless until a year had passed. After a second, he pulled his hand back, leaving the card. He wasn''t sure if he would use it yet, but he was definitely keeping it for now.


    They continued through the forest, jumping at every sound while the pelting rain increased to a torrent. Irwin could barely see the tree ahead of him, and the loud rainfall drowned out even the screams.


    What had been a ten-minute walk when they arrived took them twice as long through the mud. The only upside for Irwin was that Daubutim wasn''t any faster than he was now that he had to carry Greldo.


    They didn''t even notice when they reached the edge of the woods until they stepped from between the last trees. Streams of rainwater ran down into the lower regions, puddles filling up rapidly. The glow from his flame shone on the surrounding water, and Irwin suddenly worried about who might see it. He hesitated for a moment, then turned it off, the cold, wet rain instantly chilling him like icy water, causing him to shiver.


    He had lost any sense of direction as he looked around. "Do you know where to go?" he asked, his teeth chattering slightly.


    "Yes," Daubutim grunted. "We have to travel along the right edge of the forest until we reach the Trevinour River, cross it, and continue across the Denlavi plains."


    Irwin had no idea where the Denlavi plains were, but the Trevinour River ran from the north to the south part of the peninsula. It was said to be wide enough for ships.


    Perhaps this is a mistake, he thought as he looked at the other boy.


    How were they supposed to cross that? And even if they could, until recently, he had never been out of Malorin. Now, he was going to travel across the peninsula?


    A high-pitched scream came from somewhere down the slope before quickly being drowned out by the rain. As if that wasn''t enough, everything suddenly lit up, and a few moments later, the ominous thunder of a fall storm vibrated his bones.


    "We have no food, dry clothes, or camping equipment," he said, staring at Daubutim. "And Greldo needs medical help¡­"


    "I can hunt for food until we reach the river, where we can fish," Daubutim stated with a shake of his head. "We won''t die from the rain or the cold as long as your flame is around, and Greldo has a card now. He won''t die that easily."


    Irwin stared down the hill, and Daubutim stepped closer to him.


    "If we stay here, we are going to get killed by whatever came from those portals. We can''t help because we lack strength. The sorcerers are in Wignut," he shook his head as if it was all as clear as day.


    "You''re right," Irwin finally muttered, hating it as it meant he''d be going even further away from home.


    Taking a deep sigh, he began walking along the forest.


    I hope I''ll see you again, Mom, he thought, picturing his mother and brother back in their tiny little house.


    He''d always wished they had a bigger, more luxurious place, but right now, he wished he could just be there. Shaking it off, he squared his shoulders as much as he could.

 Chapter 27: Coal

    "We need to rest," Irwin said.


    His voice was ragged as he struggled onward through the mud. He could barely feel his toes, and he was constantly shivering. He longed to summon his flame, but the sky had darkened, and the rain stopped. If he summoned it now, the creatures still screaming and roaring far behind them could see the single bright light in the darkness.


    "The forest?" Daubutim muttered.


    He was stumbling along beside Irwin, looking no better than he was, Greldo still knocked out in his arms. How he could even carry the other boy for this long was beyond Irwin, but it was clear even Daubutim was almost done.


    He glanced at the dark, shadowy forest a few feet to the side. It was ominous and potentially filled with danger. Even though it was a dull red and he could see inside, he still shuddered at the darkness it exuded.


    But did they have a choice? They had been walking for hours now and needed to rest.


    Steeling his ragged nerves, he turned and walked towards and then into the forest. He heard Daubutim stumble after him. The little light from the moon and stars vanished below the thick canopy, but Irwin could still see clearly. He sent out a silent thanks to his first card.


    "Let''s stay near the edge," he said, keeping his voice low.


    Daubutim just grunted, and they continued deeper into the forest. The going was surprisingly easy, even easier than along the edge. Green moss and patches of grass covered the ground between the dark trees, damping their steps. Compared to the mud that seemed intent on sucking his boots solid, his feet felt lighter.


    Perhaps we should travel through the forest edge tomorrow, he thought as he looked around, stifling a yawn.


    The trees were sparse enough that he could see a few dozen feet ahead, and there was little undergrowth.


    After fifteen minutes, a sprawling patch of bushes appeared in the distance. It was the only form of cover anywhere, and they headed toward it. When they reached the side, the top of the bushes towered over them, and Irwin hesitated.


    How big were the odds that there were animals inside?


    It was tranquil around them, only the occasional distant rumble showing something was still happening back in the direction of Wignut.


    Daubutim lowered Greldo to the ground, then stood there, panting with his hands on his knees.


    Irwin didn''t dare sit down, no matter how much he wanted to. He was afraid he''d not be able to get back up.


    ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ check¡­ inside¡­¡± Daubutim said, straightening again.


    "No, wait," Irwin said as he pulled Ambraz from his pocket.


    The tiny Anvil fluttered up, and even without eyes, Irwin had the sense it was looking around. Then the Anvil whisked to Greldo, hovering above the boy.


    "Hmm¡­"


    "What?" Irwin asked worriedly.


    "He is dying," Ambraz stated. "His common card isn''t strong enough to keep him alive."


    Irwin stared at Greldo''s sweaty, pale face and swallowed.


    "Can you help him?" he asked, his voice cracking.


    "The best I could do would be to reforge his card¡­ But he might not survive the ordeal," Ambraz said.


    Irwin blinked. Cards!


    He looked at Daubutim, then at Greldo, and sighed, feeling miserable. There was no way Daubutim would be willing to move away, and even if he did, he''d known what had happened. Even he wasn''t dull enough to mistake a common for something else.


    Still, as he recalled Greldo grabbing the hound''s face, pulling it away from him, he already knew what he would do.


    "Can you reforge cards that aren''t slotted yet?" he asked, looking up at Ambraz as his hand went to his pocket.


    "Of course. And a whole lot easier and faster, I might add," Ambraz said with a sniff.


    Irwin pulled out the card of the hound, seeing Daubutim''s gaze fall on it.


    "Can we reforge this so we can give it to him?" Irwin asked.


    "Well¡­ to slot a card, someone has to be conscious," Ambraz pondered. "I could probably wake him up, though he wouldn''t like it much. Still, it''s better than dying."


    Irwin raised the card. "Please, let''s reforge this and wake him."


    "Well¡­ I still need a while before I have enough energy," Ambraz said. "Unless you had another card for me to consume?"


    What does he think cards are? Cookies? Irwin thought, anger bubbling up.


    "You can reforge cards outside of portals?" Daubutim asked dully.


    Irwin looked at the other boy, seeing nothing but confusion in his eyes.


    "I''ll tell you later," he said with a weary sigh. Of course, it would have been too good to believe he''d just not notice.


    He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Everything that had happened was slowly catching up to him, but snapping at Daubutim or Ambraz wouldn''t be smart.


    Never bite the hand that gives, he thought, recalling a saying of his mother.


    "You know I don''t have any more cards," Irwin whispered. "How much longer till your energy is back?"


    "Somewhere in the morning, it''s hard to tell," Ambraz said.


    Irwin stared at Greldo. "Will he live that long?"


    "Maybe," Ambraz said.


    "Dammit," Irwin snapped as he clenched his fists. Taking a deep shuddering breath, he looked at the plants.


    "Can you see if there''s anything in there or if we can safely hide?" he asked through clenched teeth.


    "I''m not some scouting utensil," Ambraz muttered, but he whisked away into the bushes.


    A few moments later, he rushed back out, hovering before Irwin. "Nothing in there but more bushes and some old nest, long abandoned."


    "Follow me," Daubutim said as he got up and summoned his shield and club. "And try to carry Greldo."


    Impossible, Irwin thought as he looked at Greldo, almost as big as him.


    Daubutim, however, had begun pushing into the thicket.


    Feeling hopeless, Irwin knelt beside his friend. His legs were shaky, and he didn''t even know if he could get up himself, let alone with something as heavy as another person. Arms below Greldo, he struggled but managed to pull him against his chest, almost falling backward from the weight. Then, without giving himself the time to doubt what he was doing, he rose to his legs.


    He swayed, the weight almost pulling him back down, but he was standing.


    How am I standing? he thought.


    Only half a year ago, they were required to move training equipment to another room. He''d been next to useless then, unable to even carry a light sack half this size. He knew he''d grown stronger during the weeks in the tower, but this much? Not even an Epic card should be changing his body this fast... right?


    Who am I kidding, he thought.


    He barely knew anything about cards beyond uncommon! For all he knew, rare and very rare cards did the same.


    Pushing his confusion away, he focused on moving.


    A step forward almost caused him to fall over, but he managed to hold his balance, and step by step, he walked to the opening Daubutim was creating. The taller boy looked up but seemed unfazed by him carrying Greldo.


    Yeah, typically, people can do this without it being a big thing, Irwin thought.


    He might have enjoyed the moment if he hadn''t been so tired and Greldo hadn''t been dying in his arms. Now, he just wanted Daubutim to hurry up. He struggled after Daubutim, who held branches out of his way while using his greater bulk to press further in.


    "A bit to the left," Ambraz said.


    Some stumbled steps and directions later, Irwin almost fell forward into the small lair. It was too low for Daubutim to stand, and at most six by six feet, but Irwin was ecstatic as he put Greldo down. As soon as he saw his friend''s sweaty face and heard his ragged breathing, his joy at finding a safe area vanished.


    "Can we do something to help him?" he asked, looking at Ambraz.


    "I''m not a healer," Ambraz replied as he hovered over Greldo. "I''d say, try and have him drink plenty of water?"


    Irwin nodded and moved to take his waterskin from his bag, only to find a large tear on the side. Only the waterskin and some of his rations remained, only sufficient for two days at most.


    Of course, he thought with a sad sigh. Not like he had needed those¡­


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    He managed to get some liquid into Greldo''s mouth, but most of it leaked down his chin. If any made it inside, he didn''t know. Putting Greldo in a comfortable position, he sat down next to him.


    A yawn made him look up, and he saw Daubutim swaying on his haunches, his eyelids drooping, but his gaze constantly moving around the surrounding plants.


    Irwin shivered as a cold breeze managed to find its way through the surrounding bushes. I wonder if I can cast my flame without it being seen, he thought.


    "Ambraz, can you go outside and check if my flame is visible from the outside?"


    "You''re really using me like some kind of utility card," Ambraz said snippily before rushing away through the bushes like an anvil-sized, giant bee.


    Irwin waited for a second, then summoned his flame, keeping it up for a few moments and relishing in its warmth.


    Ambraz returned quickly, hovering beside him. "I don''t see anything, but if you leave it up, there might be creatures that can sense the warmth. Though I''m not sure those even exist in this place."


    Irwin looked at Daubutim, who just looked back bleary-eyed. Shivering again and still unable to feel his toes, he summoned his flame and kept it close to his body.


    "I need to rest," Daubutim said as he yawned. "Wake me if anything happens or when you can''t stay awake," the last bit sounded sharp in the voice that Irwin had begun to associate with what Daubutim''s father sounded like.


    "Alright," he said, not minding too much.


    As cold as he was, he wanted to get warm before he would even contemplate sleeping. Besides, with some luck, the small den would keep the heat.


    Time passed slowly as his body warmed, the flame''s heat driving the cold from his bones. At some point, his toes tingled uncomfortably, growing painful before suddenly improving.


    Irwin checked on Greldo every minute, but the boy didn''t show any signs of improving. It worried him a lot, but there was nothing he could think of to help.


    To distract himself, he tried getting some more information from Ambraz, which was only partially successful. The Anvil knew innumerable things about cards, crafting, and other worlds, a concept Irwin had a hard time wrapping his head around but seemed unwilling to part with a lot. Still, at some point, he began talking about something called metal purifying, and as the Anvil droned on and the den turned cozy and warm, Irwin''s mind turned fuzzy.


    "You should wake him," Ambraz suddenly snapped in front of him. "I''ve been talking to you for twenty minutes, and I don''t think you heard anything."


    Irwin blinked, then yawned so wide that his jaw popped before moving to Daubutim. He shook the large boy awake. A strong hand clenched around his throat as Daubutim''s eyes snapped open, a cold, dumb look in them. It faded within a moment, and the hand dropped away.


    "Sorry," Daubutim said dully, rolling on his back and rubbing his face. "Bad dream."


    Irwin''s heart was beating as fast as the summer festival drums, and he swallowed.


    "Can- can you take the watch?" he muttered.


    Daubutim pushed himself to his knees and nodded, then frowned and looked at him. "I have weird dreams¡­ next time, kick my leg. It''s what my brothers did to wake me."


    A look of distant pain in his eyes caused Irwin''s worry to dissipate, and he nodded.


    What kind of dreams make you want to strangle someone? Irwin thought.


    Still, the sudden shock left him quickly, replaced by an intense need to close his eyes. He lay down and abided by his body''s wishes, wondering if he could even fall asleep.


    --


    "Irwin, wake up!"


    Irwin surged upright, bumping into something hard that cursed. His eyes had a hard time focusing, and for a moment, he saw three Daubutims. Then they converged, and he saw the big boy rub his jaw, staring at him stupidly.


    "I''ll kick you awake next time," he muttered.


    "Sorry," Irwin said, seeing a dull red light filter through the top of the bushes.


    A dull groan caused him to jerk upright again, and he saw Greldo, arms flailing weakly around.


    "What''s going on?"


    "I don''t know. He just started muttering and groaning," Daubutim said as he crouched to Greldo. "He needs to be quiet, or he will draw monsters."


    Irwin joined him, noting that he wasn''t as cold as the day before.


    "Ambraz, how much time do you need?"


    "Not long, I''m feeling it fill up. Perhaps half an hour," Ambraz said as he whisked above the boy.


    Irwin gritted his teeth as he saw Greldo''s hands clenched together, the skin ripping apart, and blood trickling down. Even if another card would keep him alive, he wondered if Greldo''s hands would ever be the same again. They would have to find a carded-healer, but those were almost as rare as flying Anvils.


    With no idea what to do, he did what his mother did when Brownyn had a fever dream a few years ago. He tore a small piece of what remained of his ripped bag, poured some water on it, and pressed it against Greldo''s head.


    It seemed to help somewhat, and after a few minutes, Greldo calmed.


    The following thirty minutes were some of the longest Irwin could recall, and when Ambraz finally lowered himself to the ground, he felt hopeless.


    "Alright, I''m ready! Put the card on top, and get ready to hit it," Ambraz said as he turned into a larger version of himself.


    Daubutim gasped, but Irwin ignored him.


    He didn''t hesitate, yanked out the card, and put it on Ambraz''s flat surface. Then he got up and stood before Ambraz, waiting for his call.


    ¡°Hit it!¡±


    Irwin clenched his fist and struck the card, causing a bright flash and a loud thud to reverberate from the Anvil, echoing through the small enclosure.


    That stupid noise is going to get us killed! Irwin thought as he felt his heart skip a beat.


    He stood erect as he looked around, his skin crawling. If there was anything nearby, there was no way it didn''t hear-


    ¡±Hit!¡± Ambraz hissed.


    Irwin focused on what he was doing, striking the card again.


    He barely noticed a flash from beside him, but a quick glance showed Daubutim had summoned his club and shield. Then he ignored it, focusing fully on striking when Ambraz said it.


    He continued striking for what seemed like forever but was probably only twenty times. Then, there was a bright purple glow from the top of Ambraz.


    "Done," the Anvil stated.


    Irwin could hear the pride in his voice, but he had no time for that. Instead, he held his breath, listening for anything. A distant squeal, like a pig being slaughtered, came, followed by another.


    "Something heard," he whispered, turning to Ambraz and snatching the card from his metal surface.


    A beautiful purple edge sat around the image of a dangerous-looking hound. Sleeker than the one on the image when it was common, it had two red gleaming eyes that seemed to jump out of the card. Somehow Irwin had the feeling it wasn''t as small as the hounds he knew from back home.


    "Are you sure you want to give this away?" Ambraz asked. "It''s called Cinder Hound, and it''s a fire-named summon. Those are pretty rare, as they don''t lose their memories and personality when they are reforged further. It would mesh well with your existing cards."


    Irwin hesitated for only a moment, then knelt beside the pale, sweating, and shivering Greldo, grabbing his hand. He almost let it go as he felt the gritty flesh.


    "Yes, I''m sure," he whispered, putting the card on the back of Greldo''s blackened hand. Nothing happened.


    "I need to wake him. Get ready," Ambraz said. "Place his hand on me."


    Memories of what had happened to Twintin rushed through Irwin''s hand. He forced them away as he gently put Greldo''s hand on the side of Ambraz.


    A shock seemed to run through the boy, and he gasped as his eyes fluttered open.


    "Greldo, accept the card," Irwin whispered as he kept the card on Greldo''s hand.


    Greldo''s eyes swirled in their sockets, and he let out a painful moan.


    "Greldo!" Irwin snapped, patting the boy on his cheek, then again, harder.


    Greldo''s gaze focused on him, filled with panic and pain, and Irwin squeezed his hand. "The card! Slot it!"


    There was a single moment of clarity and a flash of light, then Irwin breathed a sigh of relief. The card sank into Greldo''s hand and a moment later a new tattoo appeared.


    Unlike the common one, this one was clearer, and the lines had a slightly purple hue.


    "Wheeeeeeeeere are you hiiiiiiiding?"


    Irwin''s heart almost stopped as a high-pitched, squeaky voice came from outside the thicket. He let go of Greldo''s hand, and it flopped on the ground. The boy''s eyes had closed again, but Irwin barely noticed. All his attention was on the footsteps that moved a few dozen feet away from their hideout.


    "I know you''rrrrrre therrrreeee," the voice drawled.


    A slight motion made him look at Daubutim, who had his fingers in front of his lips and was looking at Greldo. Irwin nodded, crouched as silently as he could, and put a hand over the unconscious boy''s mouth.


    The footsteps continued moving, passing around the thicket for a while before slowly moving away.


    Even though it was quiet, Irwin didn''t move, and Daubutim was no less on edge. What he guessed had to be five minutes later, an annoyed sigh came from the same place.


    "Mussst have fled already," a high-pitched voice said, sounding angry.


    "No matterrr, sisterrr. We will find something to feeeeed soon," another voice crooned, slightly deeper. "Let''s leave this infernal forrrest. The others have chased those mammal''sss out of their hidey holes. Perhaps we can play with some stragglerrrrrs!"


    The voice turned softer as two sets of footsteps led away.


    What were those? Irwin thought as he shivered. And what did that one mean? Hidey holes?


    He and Daubutim remained quiet for at least ten minutes before the taller boy finally relaxed. "Don''t speak," he whispered so softly that Irwin could barely hear. He nodded and sat down, removing his hand from Greldo, and inspecting the boy.


    He was still pale and sweaty, but the shivering had stopped.


    He seems slightly better, Irwin thought, hoping he wasn''t fooling himself.


    After a few minutes had passed, he relaxed.


    "What were those?" he whispered.


    "Something annoying," Ambraz grunted. "I couldn''t detect them until they spoke."


    "Any details?" Irwin asked hopefully.


    "Kid, I''m not some lexicon of knowledge! Those were probably beings from a portal. That is all I know. They felt powerful enough that we might want to keep away from them."


    Irwin looked at Daubutim, but the boy had zoned out again, staring with glassy eyes at the plants.


    Great, Irwin thought, looking down at Greldo.


    A few hours later, as the sunlight filtered through the top of their hiding place, Greldo drew in a ragged breath. His arm flailed, then stopped, and he tried to push himself upright.


    "Stay still," Irwin whispered.


    He didn''t think the two monsters were still around, but he wasn''t interested in finding out he was wrong.


    Greldo''s eyes focused on him, and he nodded and slowly lay back down.


    "Water," he whispered.


    Irwin nodded and got his waterskin, which was dangerously light, and held it against the boy''s lips. Greldo eagerly drank, licking his lips when Irwin removed the now empty flask.


    I should have filled it in the rain yesterday, he thought sadly.


    "What happened," Greldo whispered as he raised his hands.


    Irwin saw his eyes go wide with shock and horror at the sight of his mutilated hands, and he flicked his fingers, drawing Greldo''s attention.


    "Look at the back of your left hand," he said.


    Greldo swallowed, then turned his hands over. The disgust and horror faded instantly as he saw the second tattoo. Its greater detail was apparent, though it had faded from its initial clarity. What''s more, the flesh around it was a healthy color, seemingly having healed.


    "I thought that was a dream," Greldo whispered, pulling his hand closer. His eyes turned unfocused, and then a wide smile crept on his face. "I''m going to summon him," he whispered.


    Irwin''s eyes widened, and he was about to stop Greldo when a flash came from his friend''s hand. Darkness wafted around in the small enclosure, merging into a hound-shaped cloud the size of a regular dog. Then the darkness faded like steam, and two curious red eyes set in a sleek face stared at Irwin.


    "He''s beautiful," Greldo whispered, and the hound turned to him, putting his head on Greldo''s chest. The boy''s eyes widened, and he shook his head. "No, I won''t die. I''ve just hurt my hands, see?"


    He can talk with it? Irwin thought as he looked at Daubutim, who was staring at the hound.


    Irwin inspected the hound and shook his head in wonder. How large could it get if it was this big when it was first summoned? And what if it got gigantism? He suddenly felt sad that he hadn''t kept the card to himself. He mentally kicked himself. It wasn''t the right card for his left hand, and besides that, it wasn''t worth losing his friend over.


    He smiled as he watched the hound sniff and lick the back of Greldo''s hands.


    The hound suddenly sat up and cocked its head. It slowly turned its head around before staring at a spot of greenery and letting out a low growl.


    "Coal says there''s fighting that way," Greldo whispered.

 Chapter 28: Shattering

    "Can you stand?" Irwin whispered as he looked at the spot the hound, Coal, was looking at.


    Greldo frowned and struggled to move, managing to get upright. "Yes, but I''ll need a hand," Greldo whispered.


    Irwin blinked as he looked at his friend, noticing the crooked smile. He grimaced back and pulled Greldo up by his elbows. Greldo''s legs wobbled slightly, then he took a tentative step and remained standing.


    "I can move, but don''t ask me to run," Greldo whispered.


    "I won''t," Irwin said, turning to Daubutim, who had been following the interaction, club and shield in hand.


    "Ready?"


    Daubutim nodded and moved towards the bushes they had entered the den from. Irwin looked up when he stopped and frowned before looking at Coal.


    "Can it fight already?" Daubutim asked.


    "He says he can, but that he''s still small," Greldo replied, sounding both excited and worried.


    "Does it know how big it will become?" he asked, wondering if his brother''s owl Glint could also talk with him like this or if it was something only available to uncommon and higher summons.


    Greldo didn''t immediately respond, and Irwin saw his frown deepen before his eyes turned wide. "Coal says he''ll become two times as big, or four times if he gets gigantism!"


    Irwin''s eyes went as wide as Coal''s as he looked at the hip-sized dog. Did he mean tall? If he became four times this high, he''d be like a plow horse!


    "We need to leave," Daubutim whispered.


    Irwin snapped out of it and helped Greldo through the dense wall of vegetation, following after Daubutim, who was forcing his way through.


    The sun was shining brightly outside, and Irwin stepped around Daubutim, who was squinting at the glare. There was no movement anywhere, but as he looked at the ground, he noticed odd footsteps everywhere. Deep and with large triangular spots at the ends of the toes, the toes were splayed far too broad. It reminded Irwin of bird prints in the snow.


    "So¡­ where are we anyway?" Greldo whispered, hanging heavily from his shoulder.


    "Just inside Sleeper''s Forest," Irwin replied, then realized he hadn''t even told Greldo what had happened after he''d fainted. He quickly caught him up, ending with, "And now we are heading towards Esterdon Tower. From there, we are going to Daubutim''s home."


    "Okay," Greldo said with a nod. "And you didn''t see any sign of Twintin after you came out?"


    Irwin sighed as he recalled the girl. "No. She ran through the portal before us and was gone when we arrived."


    Daubutim began walking forward, and Irwin followed, Greldo leaning heavily on his shoulder. Coal walked beside his friend, sniffing at things curiously.


    "Then we will have to be careful if we encounter sorcerers," Greldo said. "She might have died, but.."


    Irwin just nodded sadly. He''d never expected that he was going to hope someone else died, but as he recalled Twintin''s angry scowl, fearful nature, and that she knew about Ambraz? It was more than likely that she was going to say bad things about them and talk about Ambraz.


    They continued towards the edge of the forest. As they got closer, Coal became more agitated, staring at the end of the forest.


    "Coal says the fighting is toward where we are moving," Greldo said.


    Daubutim, who had been slightly ahead of them, stopped, as did Irwin.


    "Can he hear if it''s going that way," Daubutim asked, pointing to the right.


    "He says it is. Why?"


    "Great, that''s where we are heading," Irwin said. He looked at Daubutim, who was staring dully at where he had been going, a look of confusion on his face.


    Irwin looked around. The forest was clear enough, and he recalled that it was easier to walk than the muddy ground had been. Between that and the fact that they were harder to spot from a distance, he made up his mind.


    "We don''t need to go out of the forest," he said. "If we don''t wander in, it''s safer to stay inside," he said.


    Daubutim''s confused look faded, and he nodded. "You are right." He looked around, then corrected his course slightly to what Irwin expected to parallel to the edge of the forest.


    "If Coal hears anything, tell him to alert us," Irwin said.


    "He will," Greldo said. "And he says he can understand you."


    Irwin blinked as he looked at the sleek hound staring up at him. "Good, thank you," he muttered, slightly taken aback.


    Coal''s head bobbed up and down, and Irwin decided that if he had the chance, he had to head home and have Ambraz reforge Glint. If his brother had an uncommon summon, he would be much more likely to survive.


    Wait, what happens to a summon if the card is reforged?


    "Ambraz, what happens if a summon card is reforged after it''s been slotted?" he asked.


    "Ah, that''s a special case," Ambraz said happily. "If the original summon is strong enough, it will survive the reforging, and the next time it is summoned, it will have changed. The strongest summons are those that are brought up from common to legendary like this, though only one in a hundred survives each reforging."


    "And if they don''t survive?" Irwin asked.


    "Then the old summon perishes, and a new one is formed from the card''s magic," Ambraz said.


    Irwin thought back to his brother and Glint and frowned. He somehow expected Bronwyn to reject the attempt. With mixed feelings, he continued walking, thinking about summoning cards, Coal, and his third open slot on his left hand. He wanted a summon eventually, but after seeing the reforging of two cards, he knew he wanted to be able to do that. Which meant he''d need a smithing card for his next one. He also wanted a weapon, though, and he wondered if there were hammers that could function as both. Were hammers even useful as weapons?


    After a while, he decided to ask Ambraz that evening. He was bound to know.


    That left his right hand, and as he glanced at it, he wondered what he should focus on with that one.


    With his left dealing with his physical problems and, hopefully, giving him a utility or weapon, he wondered what he should take.


    Look at me, he thought as he sighed. Not that long ago, I didn''t even have a card and was praying for Bronwyn to bring me one. Now I''m imagining getting more than three!


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    They stopped a few times to let Greldo rest while collecting water from the many pools. Though it tasted muddy, it was better than nothing. As the day progressed, all three were surprised to see that Greldo was slowly getting stronger. He ate all of the rations he had left and drank so much he had to water the plants constantly, but by the time the sun was lowering again, he was walking unaided.


    "Uncommon cards are really incredible," Greldo said as they stopped to decide where to rest for the night.


    "They are, but they are nothing compared to those after. My father has a rare card, and with it, he once held back an entire surge on his own," Daubutim said, his eyes gleaming and his lips curved up.


    "He has a rare card?" Irwin whispered, staring at the other boy in disbelief.


    "Yes. My elder brother also has one. The others have uncommon," Daubutim said. Then he looked at his own hand, his eyes dulling as if the fire was sniffed out within. "Father said I would get a rare card if I managed to survive for a year¡­"


    Irwin didn''t know what to say while Greldo was kneeling next to Coal, petting him. Either he hadn''t heard, or he was ignoring them.


    "Let''s search for another place to rest," Irwin said as he looked around.


    "Coal says the sounds are far away now, but he can still hear them," Greldo said as he rose. His legs were shaking slightly, but there was a healthy color to his face.


    They continued for another half an hour until they found another thicket large enough to hide all three of them. After validating that the light from Irwin''s flame wasn''t visible from the outside, Daubutim went inside and used his shield to create an area large enough to sleep in. They had to crawl inside, and branches poked them, while insects crawled over them as they lay down, but it beat sleeping out in the open.


    Irwin took the first watch, and he waited until the other two slept. Coal was lying nearby, eyes open and ears moving around. Greldo had said he would alert them if anything approached, and Irwin felt a lot better this time around.


    As soft snoring came from Daubutim, he turned to Ambraz.


    "How can I start learning smithing?" he asked. "And what should be my third card?"


    Ambraz whisked before him, his lips forming in a big grin.


    "About time you remembered," he said, landing on Irwin''s knee. "Well, normally, I''d say it would be near impossible to start learning without the proper tools, but you''re pretty close already. You have me and your flame, so you have two out of the four things already."


    Irwin felt overwhelmed by the Anvil''s sudden enthusiasm and stared at it dumbly. "What are the other two things?"


    "A hammer and some raw materials, of course," Ambraz said. "And you don''t need a card-hammer to start with. We just have to get you a normal one initially."


    Irwin looked around stupidly, then back to the Anvil. "Well, we can''t really get a hammer right now."


    "Right," Ambraz muttered, and if an anvil could deflate, Irwin imagined this was what it would look like.


    "Well, we are heading to Daubutim''s home. I take it they have hammers," Irwin said quickly. "And raw materials."


    "Right, that was a thing," Ambraz said, his lips pursed in a line. "Are you sure it is a good idea? They might try to take me¡­ and I won''t let them."


    He''s right, Irwin thought as he looked at Daubutim. The tall boy had seemed sure that his father would help and he might have to create things for them¡­ but Daubutim just wasn''t that sharp. However, his memory seems very good. Wait, what did Ambraz mean?


    "What would you do if they tried to take you?" he asked.


    "I would flee. I''m fairly confident none of the lower-ranked carded here could contain me. And I won''t let myself be tricked again as that horrible beardy did."


    Irwin grinned, wondering how others would react if they heard someone speak of the honorable Gelwin like that. Still, the potential attempt to take his things matched with something else he needed to figure out.


    "Ambraz, I need to get stronger," he said. "And I don''t have a year to wait for my cards to help me. Do you know something that might help?"


    "A year?" Ambraz uttered, sounding utterly confused. "What takes a year?"


    "For the cards to make me stronger?" Irwin said, suddenly fully focused on the Anvil. "Right?"


    "Well¡­ if you do nothing, then yes," Ambraz said. "Though your first card would be much faster already, making that perhaps half a year at most. But¡­ if you start forcing your body, it will be much faster. Also, the time you spent in portals counts."


    "Wait, what?" Irwin hissed as he almost stood. "The time in portals counts?"


    "Of course! They are worlds, even if they are elsewhere. What did you think? That your body would just¡­ forget?"


    "But-" Irwin began, thinking about how his body had reset each time he had gone into the practice portal. He stopped and looked at his current outfit. That hadn''t happened with the real portal.


    "So I could find a portal and stay there until I am older?" he asked.


    "Well¡­ theoretically, you could. But if the portal gets closed or evolves, it might prove troublesome."


    Right, that could happen, Irwin thought as he leaned back. He took a quick look at Coal, but he was quietly looking around.


    "Alright. So, in almost three days, when you can reforge a card again, can you reforge my Eyes of Blaze?" he asked. "I don''t want to go into another common portal, and-"


    "No, no! That''s not smart," Ambraz said as he flew from left to right as if agitated.


    "Why not?"


    "Because you need more cards! Without another reliable source, like a portal-explorer guild, which they probably don''t have here, clearing common portals is the best way to get cards! You will need them if you want to trade for a good hammer card and to practice reforging! Also, if I can consume them, I''ll be able to upgrade cards!"


    Irwin stared at the Anvil, surprised by the outburst. He licked his lips, caught himself midway, and stopped with a frown. "Clearing a common portal isn''t that easy. We almost died the previous one, remember?"


    "Yes, well, you just went in without knowing anything about the portal and without a proper plan," Ambraz said snippily.


    "How would I know what''s inside a portal without going in?" Irwin asked. Was he missing something?


    "Well, with- no, wait, you don''t have those. Or¡­ with¡­ ehhh¡­ yes¡­ you wouldn''t have any of those things. This is such a backwater place..." Ambraz grumbled. "Still, my point stands! If you evolve your common now, you will have to enter uncommon portals, and there is no way you will survive with just you and Greldo. To do an uncommon-rift would require you to have at least a full-hand-and-one of well-attuned cards."


    Irwin was stunned as he stared at the Anvil, wondering what he had wanted to say. Not that it mattered. How had he forgotten that he''d only be able to enter uncommon portals if he had his Eyes of Blaze reforged? Worse¡­ with Greldo having an uncommon card, he''d have to go in alone with Daubutim.


    Or I could just not go in and earn cards by reforging them, he thought.


    His mind turned empty as he gazed at Ambraz without really seeing him. If he tried that, what would he do if someone wanted to harm him, or what if they encountered monsters like those that had stood before their hideout the day before? No¡­ he would need at least one more card, preferably a weapon one.


    "Can hammers be used as weapons?" he asked.


    "What? Of course! Especially if you have to fight fully-plated enemies¡­ you will need to bulk up a bit, though. Warhammers are pretty heavy."


    "And I can also use that to craft?" Irwin asked, just to be sure.


    "Oh¡­ you want to use a forging hammer to fight.."


    Irwin could hear the distaste in Ambraz''s voice, and he quickly continued. "Well, not always, but right now, I don''t have any weapons. Could I get a third card that can be used as a weapon and for smithing?"


    "Well¡­ I suppose you could. But the balance is different, and they have a shorter handle. They lack the sharp back, and-"


    Irwin zoned out as Ambraz began listing the host of differences between the two. When the Anvil finally stopped talking, Irwin only knew that if he were going to fight with a forge hammer, he''d probably be better off sticking to his flame.


    "And forging with a Warhammer?" he asked, realizing Ambraz hadn''t answered that.


    "It depends on the hammer," the Anvil responded after a few uncomfortable moments of silence. "If it''s got a flat head and you can hold it close enough to the hammerhead, maybe. It wouldn''t be efficient¡­"


    "No good, huh," Irwin sighed.


    "You want your third to be a battle card?" Ambraz mused. "I don''t think it''s smart to try fighting with hammers, but let me think about it. Perhaps there is something¡­" Ambraz fell quiet, seemingly pondering about things.


    Irwin didn''t respond as the Anvil lowered to his shoulder.


    An hour or two later, he woke Daubutim and fell into a deep sleep. When he woke, he couldn''t pinpoint what had caused it, but he saw a deep red filter through the top of the plants. If something flies over us, they would see my flame, he thought absently.


    After a short breakfast, half a dried ration, and some muddy water, they crawled out of the bushes and continued on their journey.


    Late in the morning, as they walked across an open area in the woods and enjoyed the warmth of the sun, Ambraz suddenly flew from Irwin''s shoulder and into the air, hovering twenty feet up.


    "What''s wrong with him?" Greldo asked as he knelt and let Coal lick his blackened hands.


    "I don''t know," Irwin said as he watched Ambraz flitter about for a bit before rushing back.


    "There''s a portal nearby," Ambraz said, sounding excited. "A common one!"


    "That''s not good," Daubutim said with a frown. "Too many portals in such a short time. I hope this is only here¡­"


    "I''m sure your family is fine," Irwin said, hoping he was right. From what he had gleaned from Daubutim, his father seemed competent and powerful.


    "So?" Ambraz asked as he flew around Irwin''s head. "It''s this way. Let''s go!"


    "Go where?" Daubutim asked with a frown.


    "He wants us to find more cards in the portal," Irwin said, staring in the direction Ambraz was hovering.


    "The two of us?" Daubutim asked, blinking stupidly.


    "You will be fine!" Ambraz said. "You can just go in and see if it''s one with imps! Those are easy with Irwin''s flame. If it''s another one, just go back out."


    Irwin swallowed as he recalled his time in the practice portal. Though what Ambraz said was technically right, he''d also died multiple times, and he''d not found a card. If cards came from things like the giant hound?


    "We can try," Daubutim said, sounding oddly happy suddenly.


    Irwin looked up to see him nod. He wanted to say no or think of a good reason not to do it, then recalled what he''d thought about the previous night. If we just check if it''s imps¡­ he thought.


    "I have both a shield and club now," Daubutim said as he stepped forward, summoning them. "I''ll be able to draw their attention, and you ash them."


    Irwin shared a weary look with Greldo.


    "Will you be fine if we enter one of those portals?" he asked. "You''d have to stay out here alone..."


    "I''m not alone," Greldo said as he looked at Coal.


    Still, he didn''t sound either happy or sure, and Irwin was about to say something when Greldo sighed deeply and looked at him.


    "Ambraz is right. The journey would have been near impossible before, and now with the surge behind us? I''ll hide in the woods with Coal. Don''t worry."


    "Great! This way," Ambraz said.


    Irwin looked at Greldo for another moment, then nodded reluctantly.


    They followed the flying Anvil for a few minutes until Irwin began smelling smoke and burned wood. A few hundred feet later, they stepped out into a larger open area, the opposite side of the woods distant. The ground was blackened, and stumps and burned trees stood haphazardly around. Three portals hung in the middle, their red light almost overlapping.


    "This looks dangerous," Irwin whispered.


    "Impossible, more like it," Greldo hissed. "They told us portals never spawn this close together!"


    "Well, this isn''t good," Ambraz whispered, and the shiver in his fear caused the boys to look at him.


    "What-" Irwin''s mouth was suddenly dry, and he tried again. "What do you mean?"


    Ambraz lowered itself on his shoulder, its mouth a narrow tight line. "This only happens if a world is becoming dangerously unstable and is starting to get close to the point of shattering. Which means that there are too many legendary portals that aren''t being closed."


    The boys stared at him with looks of confusion and disbelief, and the Anvil snorted.


    "If those legendary portals aren''t closed¡­ this world is going to shatter!"

 Chapter 29: Doomblade Hardswing

    "How many years?" Irwin whispered, staring at Ambraz in dumb disbelief. He recalled the things Ambraz had told them about the world-shattering, which seemed like ages ago now.


    "Hard to say. We haven''t seen portals all over, so more than two. But with three together? Less than ten," Ambraz said, landing on Irwin''s shoulder.


    All of Irwin''s own troubles suddenly seemed tiny as he imagined the entire world exploding. They needed to do something! Warn the sorcerers? The nobles?


    "Is there a way to find out how many years we have?" Greldo asked, interrupting his panicky thoughts. Coal was nuzzling his friend''s leg, letting out a soft, worried whine.


    "Not that I know¡­ There''s one way to figure out if there are over five years remaining," Ambraz said. "If we don''t find any uncommon portals close together."


    Everyone was quietly staring at the portals, then Daubutim grunted. "We need to hurry to my father and warn him," he said, glaring at the portals. Irwin could see his desire to go into the portal and close them, war with his father''s teachings.


    "You need to go into these," Ambraz said, suddenly fluttering forward. "They have only just spawned and should be as weak as common portals can be. But if we leave them, they will start resonating and send out surges. You don''t want all those monsters here, right?"


    Irwin blinked as he looked at the Anvil, as it licked its lips quickly. He just wants to consume cards. Not that he could blame the Anvil. He hadn''t had anything to eat in¡­ a very long time. Not that he seemed to really need it.


    "How weak are we talking?" Greldo asked, looking at his card with a frown. "Because I can''t enter those, and that means it''s just Irwin and Daubutim."


    "Well, they should be easier or just as easy as the training portal you were in," Ambraz said.


    "That wasn''t easy," Irwin snapped as he shook his head. "If those Imps hadn''t died by just touching them with my flame¡­"


    "Well, there aren''t that many different types of freshly opened common portals," Ambraz said. "The chances of there being fire imp portals are one in four for each portal. Well¡­ unless¡­¡±


    "There are only four types of common portal shards?" Irwin asked as he frowned. Somehow that didn''t seem right.


    "No, but there are only four types of common portals that spawn in such small groups. Imp, Frozir, Galub and Nyzir. The thing is, if you find Frozir in one of them, there won''t be any Imp portals."


    Small? Irwin thought as he shuddered at the thought of larger groups of portals. Wait¡­ Frozir? Like frost?


    "Frozir are ice demons?" he and Greldo asked at the same time, and Irwin grinned weakly at his friend.


    "Yes, and yes. Galub love using weapons and fight anything, even each other. Nyzir are horrible slippery little things that live in lightless world-shards," Ambraz said.


    I wonder if the sorcerers know all this, Irwin thought as he listened to Ambraz explain things about the different beings they could encounter. He wondered what the people that were called upon the previous years, that had time to prepare, had been taught in the towers.


    Ten minutes later, they moved in front of one of the portals, Daubutim with his shield and club out and a clenched jaw.


    "You''re sure about this?" Irwin asked, staring at the leftmost portal.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Daubutim said.


    "It is for the best," Greldo said. "If it''s one of those ice worlds, you''d be in big trouble. Daubutim can go in quickly, take a look, and jump right back out after he sees what type of world it is."


    Irwin nodded, casting a glance at Ambraz. The Anvil had instantly shut down the idea of it going in but didn''t want to explain why. He was starting to wonder if there was another reason Ambraz was sticking with him. Perhaps he didn''t leave because he couldn''t? He tried to recall if the Anvil had ever been far from him since they exited the training portal but couldn''t recall a single time.


    "Good luck," he said as he saw Daubutim step forward.


    "Thank you."


    The boy stepped into the swirling red portal and vanished.


    "I''m glad we don''t have to wait for an hour like with those training portals," Greldo said.


    Irwin didn''t respond, staring hard at the portal. Seconds ticked by, and at thirty, he was starting to get worried when Daubutim appeared in a flash of red. He stepped forward and stumbled. Irwin jumped forward, catching the much heavier boy and barely holding him upright.


    "What happened?" he asked.


    "It was almost completely dark in there," Daubutim grunted as he sat down, unsummoning his shield and club. "There was a shadow, and I barely blocked it." Then he looked at his arm. Three thin scratches had split apart his leather coat.


    ¡°Nyzir,¡± Ambraz said. "Good, three more chances!"


    Daubutim shuddered but got up.


    How can he just go right back? he wondered. But he kept quiet, as did Greldo.


    Thirty seconds later, Daubutim stepped back out of the second portal, this time calm and without wounds.


    "The same. This time I didn''t look but jumped back out," he said, shaking his head as he walked to the final of the portals.


    "Such rotten luck," Ambraz snapped. "Those are the hardest of the common portals!"


    Daubutim didn''t respond but simply stepped into the third portal. Again time passed, but at thirty seconds, there was no sign of Daubutim, nor at sixty.


    "Do you think he got caught?" Greldo asked, staring pale at the portal.


    Irwin gnashed his teeth. Should I go in and check? I can''t just leave him¡­ what if he needs help? He took a hesitant step forward just as Daubutim appeared. He had a nasty bruise on the side of his face, but there was no fear in his eyes.


    "Sorry I kept you waiting. There was a smaller version of those Ork, and it was about to shout," he said as he cracked his neck. "I managed to kill it before it could, but he struggled. Then I had to wait to make sure nothing appeared. There were some things wandering by the door, but none had entered yet. We should hurry inside before they find the body."


    "Which are those?" Irwin asked Ambraz.


    "Galub. How many horns did that one have?" Ambraz asked as he flitted to Irwin''s shoulder and sat down.


    "One. And a shortsword which it didn''t know how to use."


    "Good, those are the weakest! It''s not as ideal as Imps, but the best of the other options!"


    Irwin turned to Greldo, who was taking a step back, suddenly seeming lost. As he saw Irwin look, he squared his shoulders and nodded, but he couldn''t hide the fear in his eyes.


    There''s not really another option, Irwin thought with a sigh. He turned and walked towards Daubutim, who jumped inside.


    "Good luck," Greldo called from behind him.


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    Irwin looked back, seeing the slightly terrified look on Greldo''s face. He forced a smile and raised his hand in greeting. Then he jumped into the portal.


    The familiar cold struck him as a dark, star-filled area surrounded all he could see. It was clear without any odd monstrous tentacles and lasted for a split second before he exited on the other end.


    He stood on a dirty, paved floor with a small green shape lying before him in a puddle of green liquid. Daubutim was standing next to a dark wooden door in the left wall, closed with a knob and no visible lock.


    "What took you so long?" he whispered, looking at Irwin with narrowed eyes.


    "What? I jumped in a second after you," Irwin replied, noticing a wooden cabinet against one wall with three straw-filled beds next to it.


    "It''s the time-dilation," Ambraz whispered. "It''s not completely random, but close to it. How long were you in here when you killed that thing?"


    Daubutim blinked, his eyes suddenly sharp. "Almost two hours."


    "You were gone for barely two minutes," he whispered before looking at Ambraz as he recalled what the Anvil had told him.


    "Not bad, almost sixty times? That''s far above average," the Anvil said, suddenly sounding happy. "That means this is a reasonably large and stable shard world."


    "They aren''t all the same size?" Irwin whispered.


    "No, no. The training world was tiny, or perhaps smaller. I didn''t get to see enough of the other one, but I think it was probably also tiny, perhaps a bit bigger."


    "And this one?"


    The Anvil hummed. "Either small or medium."


    And what does that mean? Irwin thought, annoyed with the terms he had no reference for. His annoyance must have been obvious because Ambraz sniffed.


    "Tiny is home to roughly a thousand creatures. Small ten thousand, and medium fifty thousand."


    Irwin''s legs gave out, and he sat on the ground with a soft thud, staring at the Anvil. How were they going to close a portal with fifty thousand monsters? All of Malorin wasn''t even half that!


    After a second, he looked at Daubutim, who was dumbly staring at Ambraz.


    "How are we going to kill fifty thousand demons?" Irwin whispered as he looked at the black portal hovering almost at the back wall.


    "What? What is wrong with you people," Ambraz whispered. "Why would you have to kill them all? You just need to find the Linchpin and kill the stronger monsters for cards!"


    "As if it''s that easy-" Irwin snapped his mouth shut as he heard footsteps from somewhere behind the door.


    "Glib big trouble! Fat-boss no like wait," a sly voice muttered behind the door.


    "Good. Glib big dummy," another came, and the door began opening.


    Daubutim stood behind the door, beckoning Irwin with wide eyes.


    Irwin pushed himself up and snuck towards Dautubim as fast as he could, the edge of the door following inches behind him. The noisy stomping made more noise than his scuffles, but his heart was in his throat as he put his back against the wall. The door continued heading towards them, then suddenly stopped. Looking down, Irwin saw it had hit Daubutims toes.


    "Wah? Glib get shanked?" one of the voices shouted, and rushing steps entered the room.


    "Left," Irwin heard Daubutim whisper as the large boy shoved the door, stepping forward and summoning his club and shield.


    Two of the green things, Galub, were next to the one Daubutim had killed. Each had a single horn on their left brow, a short leather tunic that seemed stained and molded, and a rusty sword on a belt at their waist.


    "Carded!" one of the Galub hissed as he began getting up.


    Daubutim was faster, and before it could draw its weapon, he''d struck it on the side of its head with his club. A raised arm came too late, but instead of dropping down, the Galub demon let out a strangled grunt, putting a hand to its head. Daubutim didn''t wait but continued hitting.


    As Daubutim jumped the first demon, it took Irwin a fraction of a second longer to shove his growing panic down. But as Daubutim''s first strike hit, he summoned his flame and jumped forward. The second Galub had gotten up and was pulling at its short sword as he reached it. Its teal eyes widened in shock, and it abandoned its effort, striking for Irwin.


    Wrong, Irwin thought as he shoved his hand-long flame into the incoming arm.


    The Galub''s eyes turned huge, and it sucked in a breath as its mouth opened for a scream.


    It never came. A hand slammed across it while an arm wrapped around its neck. Then it was clutched against Daubutims chest as it struggled with wide-open eyes of panic.


    "Grab the sword. Kill it."


    Irwin shuddered at the coldness in Daubutim''s words, but it helped to clear his mind. He grabbed the struggling Galub''s sword, pulling it out before the demon could react. One step back and feeling the cold metal handle on his hand, he stabbed forward. It was a clumsy attack, but the Galub had no way to dodge. The rusty point of the twelve-inch shortsword thudded into its leather tunic, but as Irwin''s weight came behind it, it punctured through, sliding deep inside the Galub''s belly. The demon let out a gurgle behind Daubutims hand, and green blood leaked from between his fingers.


    "Kill the other one," Daubutim ordered.


    Irwin swallowed and turned to the second Galub. It lay on the floor, green blood on the side of its head, but with a slowly rising chest. Walking forward, Irwin was about to stab it when he hesitated. They had no knowledge of this place, and this thing might be able to tell them things.


    "Shouldn''t we interrogate him?" he hissed as he put the sword against the Galub''s neck.


    Daubutim didn''t respond, and Irwin looked up to see the confusion in his eyes. He still held the Galub in a stranglehold, but its struggle was dying down quickly.


    "Ambraz, can we get this thing to tell us things about this world shard?" Irwin asked.


    "Maybe¡­ but you would need to threaten it somehow," Ambraz said. "It might work if you cut it a bit, then tell it you will let it live if it tells you all you want to know."


    Irwin''s blood ran cold as he thought about torturing something living. He licked his lips, not caring this time.


    "Yes. Keep it alive, but put the sword on its throat," Daubutim said from behind.


    Irwin swallowed and put the blood-covered sword tip on the unmoving demon''s neck.


    Daubutim dropped the other Galub and removed its belt before tying it around the downed one''s arms. A few moments later, he used the other two belts they had to tie its legs at the ankles and the knees. Finished, he grabbed one of the swords.


    Irwin saw him examine it, holding it in a few positions and slashing and stabbing with it. He knows how to use these.


    A dull groan came from the Galub, and Daubutim grabbed it by the arm and pulled it to the far side of the room.


    "If it tries to scream, I''ll kill it. Ask it the questions," he said.


    Irwin nodded, looking at the Galub. Its eyelids were fluttering open, its eyes rolling oddly in their sockets.


    "Can you hear me?" Irwin whispered, prodding the Galub with his sword.


    The Galub''s eyes suddenly focused on him, then widened in shock. Its mouth opened, and Irwin raised his sword to its face. "Don''t scream, or he''ll kill you," he whispered as he pointed at Daubutim.


    The taller boy had already raised his sword for a killing blow, only stopping when Irwin had done so. Now he was glaring at the Galub.


    "No! No kill poor Gak," the Galub whispered. "Gak no shout! Gak live, good Gak!"


    Irwin looked at the demon, trying to figure out if it was really this stupid or if it was toying with him. It didn''t seem to be, and they had talked somewhat like this before. Deciding to try something, he lowered his sword slightly.


    "Yes. Gak good," he said. "If you- Gak, tells me everything I want, I''ll only tie you up and leave you here."


    He saw a frown on Daubutim''s face but ignored it for now as the Galub began nodding fervently. Its tiny horn flashed, and Irwin saw the sharp point on it. He''d have to be wary of those things if they had to fight them again.


    Not if. When, he reminded himself.


    "Yes, Gab tied! Gab give words!"


    Irwin blinked, then nodded, suddenly not sure what he had to ask. He looked around at the room, the door, and the furniture.


    "Are we in a city?" he asked, almost hoping they weren''t.


    "Yes, yes! Great city of Thero," the Galub said, nodding his head.


    "Do you have a map?"


    Gab gaped at him, shaking its head. "What, map? Food? Gab no have food. Gab hungry."


    "How do you know where to go in the city?" Irwin asked.


    Gab shrugged, or tried to, which looked odd tied up. "Gab knows. Gab go where Gab go."


    What? Irwin narrowed his eyes, trying to understand what the thing meant.


    "No angry! Gab show where you want go!"


    Irwin saw Daubutim shake his head, and he agreed. Taking this thing along would be a great way to get killed.


    "Ask it who the strongest Galub are and where they are," Ambraz whispered from his shoulder.


    The Galub''s pointy green ears wiggled, and its eyes focused on the Anvil. A glimmer of greed grew in his eyes.


    "Shiny metal!" he hissed. "Metal for food!"


    Irwin ignored him and raised his sword a bit. The Galub instantly focused on the tip.


    "Gab, who is the strongest here?"


    "You!" Gab whispered, fear on his face.


    "And outside of this room?" Irwin asked, starting to get annoyed. It felt like talking to the four-year-olds when he had to watch them back in school.


    "Doomblade Hardswing," he whispered with awe. "He slay ten carded!" Then Gab seemed to realize what he''d said and closed his mouth.


    That name can''t mean anything good, Irwin thought. He hoped that this Doomblade Hardswing wasn''t the one who was or had the Linchpin.


    "Where is Doomblade?" he asked.


    "He at top of city, with females," Gab said, sighing. "Gab like females."


    "How many Galub are in this city?" Irwin asked, and Gab looked up, startled.


    "What Galub? I Gab!"


    "No, you and them. You are all Galub," Irwin hissed, starting to lose his patience.


    "We no Galub. We people," Gab said resolutely.


    "You''re not people. We-" Irwin held his tongue. There was no use debating with this thing. Taking a deep breath, he wondered what else they needed. Food, water. Weapons. Cards!


    A minute of a struggled conversation later, he found that food and water were only to be found on the higher levels of the city and that they were now in the lowest layer. Weapons were held by individual Galub, and the stronger ones simply took better ones if they wanted them.


    The most interesting thing came when he asked after Cards.


    "Doomblade keep Cards from carded! Collect them!" Gab said, nodding fervently again.


    "Oh! That sounds good. How many cards does he have?" Ambraz asked as he fluttered up.


    "Flying metal!" Gab whispered in awe.


    "Yes, yes. I''m awesome, I know. Now, how many cards does this Doomblade have?"


    "Many! Very many!" Gab stated. Then he frowned. "Need fingers to show."


    Irwin stared at the Galub for a moment, then sighed and raised his hands with all fingers up. "This many?"


    Gab''s eyes went wide. "How you know?"


    Irwin shook his head in disgust and turned to Daubutim. "Let''s tie him up. I don''t think he can help us anymore right now."


    Daubutim frowned, then stepped forward. His hand flashed, his club appeared, and he struck Gab on the side of the head. There was a dull crunch as the Galub slumped to the ground with a slack expression. Blood poured from its nose and ears.


    "What-" Irwin began, then stopped as he saw Daubutim stare at him with a frown.


    "This thing is a demon. It will kill everything it sees when it goes outside and will show no mercy."


    Irwin blinked, then looked down at the dead Galub. Daubutim was right, and he knew it, but he couldn''t shake a feeling of wrongness. "It might have been able to tell us more if we knew what to ask," he said.


    "There are more here," Daubutim said. "It''s too dangerous to stay here. If someone walked by and he shouted, we might die."


    Irwin took a deep breath, looked at the dead Galub, and finally nodded.


    "You''re right. Fine. Now what?"


    "Now we find out how to steal those cards from that Doomblade demon," he said.


    "Great plan," Ambraz whispered enthusiastically.

 Chapter 30: House cleaning

    Irwin clenched the sword handle hard as Daubutim opened the door and looked outside. When he pulled back quickly, Irwin got ready to attack.


    "It''s dark, you look," Daubutim whispered.


    Right.


    Irwin snuck forward to the door opening and looked outside. An empty and unlit corridor led left and right. The walls were made of dark gray stones with thin lines between them. The right ended in a dead end with one more door on the opposite wall of where he sat. Left continued on for a while with a dozen doors on either side until ending in a split.


    "It''s empty," Irwin whispered. "Let''s go."


    He stepped outside, quickly followed by Daubutim, who had a belt with two swords attached to his waist. His club and shield were raised, and he looked around before shaking his head.


    "I can barely see anything," he whispered. "You take the lead. Go right first. We need to make sure there''s nobody in there, so our back is secure."


    Irwin nodded as Daubutim closed the door behind them. If he''d not been so on edge, he''d have been more impressed with how well-trained Daubutim seemed to be. The next door was a copy of their own. He listened, but there was no sound from inside, and seeing Daubutim ready himself to storm in, he opened the door slowly.


    Behind it was a room similar to the one they had arrived in, except for the portal and the dead bodies. He snuck in and looked around, suddenly realizing something.


    "Alright, this is good," Daubutim said. "Let''s go and check the other rooms."


    "Wait," Irwin whispered as he beckoned the other inside.


    "What?" Daubutim asked, but he quickly closed the door, looking around as if expecting trouble.


    "Ambraz, the portals that spawn, how do they appear in the shard worlds?" Irwin asked.


    "They appear as they do here. The exact reasoning why they appear between two spots is unclear, but the stronger a shard world becomes, the more likely it is for new portals to appear."


    "So¡­ it is very likely that nobody knows that portal back there appeared?" Irwin asked, his eyebrows raised.


    "Uh, yes?"


    "Daubutim, we need to think of a way to stop those Galubs from finding out there is a portal there," Irwin said as he turned to the large boy.


    "Right!" Daubutim said. "So we can come and go without trouble. Good."


    He didn''t continue, just nodded slowly as he looked at Irwin.


    "Any ideas?" Irwin asked after a few moments, already knowing the answer.


    Daubutim shook his head.


    "Ambraz?"


    "You could try to blockade the door, but we still need it to go back out."


    Irwin shook his head. If he wanted to get this done, he''d have to come up with something himself. Right, how could I get those things to stay away from that room? Locking it would be best, but then we can''t get in¡­ Wait. Do we actually need to lock the room? Perhaps we can use something to block only the portal? He looked around, noting the large closet. A quick examination showed it was filled with rags, straw, and splintered wood.


    "Let''s go back. I need to check something," he said.


    A minute later, they were back in the room with three dead Galubs. The closet in this room held almost the same items. With a calculating look, he decided it should be almost as big as the portal.


    "Help me shove this in front of the portal," he said.


    Daubutim just shrugged and shoved the heavy thing, causing a loud screeching noise. It took him a few moments to position it, but eventually, it stood before the portal. From the side, it was instantly obvious something was going on, as the closet now stood two feet from the wall, but from the door opening, it was harder to notice. Irwin tossed straw on top to hide the top of the portal before staring at it from the door.


    Not going to fool anyone that actually comes in, but it will have to do. Now those bodies. He looked at the three dead Galubs, feeling his stomach roil.


    "Can you put them in the closet?" he asked, getting a stoic look from Dautubim.


    "Why don''t you toss them in the portal if you want to hide the evidence?" Ambraz asked, flitting around.


    "We can do that?" Irwin asked, suddenly wondering about something else. "Wait, can these things go through here to our world?"


    "They can try, but they will not arrive at the other side unless there is enough energy here to cause a surge," Ambraz said. "And I don''t think that is likely."


    "So they will just disappear if we toss them in?" Irwin asked to be sure.


    "That''s what I said," Ambraz muttered.


    Another minute later, the room looked reasonably clean. The straw they used to clear the green blood was tossed through the portal, and a bed shoved over the worst stains. Anybody who had been here before would instantly notice the difference, but Irwin was hoping they had already killed those Galubs.


    They snuck down the left hall towards the nearest door, Irwin first. A careful look showed that the next rooms were all empty, and as they continued down the hallway, Irwin began wondering if this was an abandoned part of the city. If it was, that would be great. Then he put his head to one of the final doors and heard a dull snoring.


    "There''s something in here," he whispered to Daubutim, putting his hand on the doorknob.


    "Ready," Daubutim said, eyes narrow and his club raised.


    Irwin released his pent-up breath and pulled open the door. A single Galub lay on one of the beds, snoring softly. Daubutim snuck forward with cold, determined eyes. Irwin was about to stop him when he recalled their previous conversation.


    We can''t leave it here, he thought. It''s too dangerous...


    Gritting his teeth, he turned around as a dull thudding came from the room. When it stopped, he looked to see that the Galub was quiet and unmoving, blood streaming from its face. Daubutim''s breath came out in ragged gasps, his eyes on the body. Suddenly, he heaved, and the little rations he had eaten splattered across the dead body.


    Irwin held his breath as the sour scent drifted his way, then walked forward. Daubutim was wiping his mouth, glaring at the Galub and his vomit.


    "We-" Irwin began, then had to turn away as he almost vomited on the spot. After a few moments, he managed to get a grip. "We need to put this in the closet," he said.


    "I''ll do it," Daubutim whispered, and Irwin heard the rustling of straw. He looked up to see Daubutim move the body toward the closet. He jumped forward to pull it open, trying not to breathe and failing. The sour air entered his nose, and it took all his willpower to keep in the little food he had.


    When they put the rest of the bloody and vomit-covered straw in the closet, Irwin noticed something gleaming below the straw. Keeping his hand far from the wet straw, he pulled out another short sword. It was as rusty as the others, but Daubutim nodded as he stuck out his hand for it.


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    "Good. I''ll use this for now," he said as he unsummoned his club. "Let''s go."


    Irwin noticed Daubutim kept glancing at the bed, frowning.


    "You were right before," he whispered, finding he had to say something. "If these things go out into our world, they will just kill whoever they come across, and if they had the chance here, they would kill us."


    "I know," Daubutim said. "But it''s different if they don''t fight back." Then he shuddered and moved to the door. "Let''s go."


    A quick look showed no movement in the hallway, and they continued along the other doors, finding none. The split right led to another dead end, and they decided to leave that one alone.


    The yellow glow of torches came from the left. There was only a single door on each side of the short hallway, and Irwin saw what looked like a small wooden railing beyond. They snuck forward and took a quick look inside the two rooms. One was another of the bedroom-like things, while the other looked like a storeroom that had been raided.


    "It''s almost like these things didn''t build this but took it from someone else," Irwin muttered as he looked at the broken crates and ransacked shelves.


    "That''s very likely," Ambraz said, coming from his pocket and looking around. "Galubs are known for taking over other beings'' cities and towns. Those with less than three horns are really too stupid for anything but fighting."


    "Do you think we will find stronger ones here?" Irwin asked.


    "Perhaps a few with two horns, but at least one with three," Ambraz said. "But there''s always a stronger one that leads them. Probably that Doomblade guy."


    "How much stronger are two horns?"


    Ambraz was quiet for a bit. "It''s hard to say. The heartboun- Err¡­. never mind that. The people that I had to deal with never went into such weak portals¡­ I think you should be fine against a two horn?"


    Irwin nodded as he stared at Ambraz. What was he going to say? Heartboun¡­?" I wonder what those are.


    The Anvil flitted back into his pocket before he could answer, and when he saw Daubutim dully staring around, he decided to leave it for now.


    They snuck back out and towards the end of the hallway. Ahead of them, a light flickered from a few torches set on the other side of the wall, two dozen feet or more away. A narrow balcony sat in front of them, and a quick look revealed it ran left and right along a square room. A massive, battered wooden staircase led down from the right side. Below them, just over the wooden railing, was a large spacious area with broken tables and chairs that vaguely reminded Irwin of the tower''s dining hall.


    It was empty, and he was about to stand to get a better look when Daubutim pulled him down.


    "Movement," he whispered, pointing to the opposite side of the balcony.


    Irwin held his breath as he watched a group of three Galubs move out of another hallway, then over the balcony. Their soft chatter was audible here.


    "Do you think they are heading here?" Irwin whispered.


    "I don''t know."


    Irwin waited until he saw them move along the right side of the balcony. Please move down, he thought.


    The Galubs moved past the stairs, heading towards the next corner, meaning they would move onto the same area they were on.


    "They are going to look for the others," Daubutim stated as he pulled Irwin back.


    "How do you know?" Irwin thought, agreeing with him that it was likely.


    "There are three, and one has two horns. There were two before," Daubutim said as he pulled Irwin back into the hallway. "We need to lay an ambush," he whispered, looking around.


    Irwin didn''t wait but quickly pulled him back to the first door in the original hallway. "Let''s go to this room and wait for them to walk past. Then we can go-"


    "No," Daubutim said. "We need to kill- kill them, so they don''t find the portal."


    "We hid it," Irwin complained.


    "Do you believe they won''t find it?" Daubtim asked with a surprised blink.


    Irwin thought for a moment, then shook his head. If they really looked in the room, they would find it¡­


    "But there''s three! And one has two horns," he whispered, almost as if trying to convince himself.


    "Yes, but now we have swords. We can stand next to the door again," Daubutim said as he pulled Irwin towards the room the portal was in.


    Irwin gnashed his teeth, then nodded. Daubutim was right. Again. If the two-horned Galub found the portal, he would tell the others. But standing next to the door to jump three demons sounded like a bad plan. Still, he couldn''t think of a better idea, and footsteps and chatter came closer.


    Should we try and capture one again?


    They quickly went back into the room, and Irwin grimaced at the way the closet stood before the wall. Daubutim was right. It was too obvious. He just didn''t know of a better way. Perhaps they could shove the thing over the portal?


    They hid behind the door and waited as the footsteps got closer.


    "If we start to lose, run to the portal," Daubutim said.


    "You too!"


    "I will¡­ if I can," Daubutim whispered.


    "Fools. Fat-three be angry, and now me go here and find Glib and other fools! Bahhh!"


    Irwin frowned at the slightly deeper voice. That had to be the one with two horns.


    The door was shoved open more violently than the first time, but Daubutim had his hands forward and slowed it enough, so it didn''t knock against them.


    "Go in, and-" the same voice said, then stopped. "Why smell like blood in here?"


    Irwin''s hair rose. Footsteps entered the room, and as soon as they saw three Galubs, Daubutim shoved the door closed and ran at the two-horn. It was a head taller than the others and slightly bulkier but wielded the same short sword.


    Irwin moved just as fast as Daubutim this time, his sword forward, pointed at the back of one of the one-horns. Their feet thudded on the floor, and the two-horn spun around just as Daubutim slammed into him, shield first. The two-horn was shoved back a bit but managed to remain standing with a dangerous growl.


    The one-horns weren''t as fast, and Irwin stabbed his sword in the lower back of one just as it began turning. A loud scream began, and instinctively he jabbed his hand forward, summoning his flame and shoving it into the thing''s face. The scream turned into a gurgle and the Galub threw itself to the ground, clawing at its face and rolling around.


    I hope nobody heard that, Irwin thought as he looked at the second Galub.


    Its eyes had gone wide as it looked at the rolling figure on the ground, then it snarled at Irwin.


    "Carded! Hold him! I deal with this one!" the two-horn shouted as he grabbed the shield.


    Irwin didn''t wait to see what happened but slashed at the other Galub. His strike was uncoordinated and slow, and the Galug slapped it away with its own sword. A nasty grin came to its green face, the fat lips stretching over yellowed teeth.


    "You bad fighter," it said, slashing forward much faster than Irwin had.


    Irwin barely managed to jump back, and as he did, he got a glimpse of the two-horn hitting Daubutim''s shield while the boy was backing up. He didn''t look worried, though, his eyes sharp and calculating, the sword angled oddly away from his body.


    "No run," the one horn said with a laugh.


    Irwin barely dodged another hit and came with his back against the wall. He looked around for a way to get more distance and saw the closet. The portal! He didn''t stop to think but jumped sideways. Something pulled on his jacket. Then he was running for the closet.


    "Bah! Weak and pathetic," the one horn laughed, running after him.


    Maybe, Irwin thought, somehow not as afraid as he thought he should be. But not stupid.


    He reached the closet and instantly put his back against it, sliding between it and the portal. He was barely passed when the Galub ran after him straight into the portal. It didn''t even get time to let out a startled shout but vanished in a flash.


    Irwin felt great, then focused on the fighting still coming from the other side. Daubutim!


    He ran around the other end of the closet, coming out behind the two-horn. Daubutim was blocking and nimbly slashing with his sword, showing far more skill than he had with his club and easily keeping the two-horn at bay. Still, as many wounds as the green-skinned demon had gotten, its eyes showed anger and no fear.


    Irwin snuck forward, flame forward, seeking eye contact with Daubutim.


    The bigger boy saw him and instantly began attacking the two-horn with more and faster attacks, all aimed at its face.


    Irwin waited for the two-horn to step back and block with his sword, then stepped forward and stabbed his sword into its lower back and his flame at its neck.


    "Njo-ak, wait, I-"


    The strangled scream and plea of the two-horn was cut short as Daubutims sword slashed across its throat. Daubutum had stepped sideways at the same time, the spray of green blood only slightly touching him.


    "Good," he said as he made an odd flourish. Blood flung from his sword, and then he tried to put it in a sheath that wasn''t there. He blinked, looked down, and for a moment, a look of pain and loss came to his face.


    That looked incredible, Irwin thought as he stared at the taller boy in awe. The way he had moved, both himself and the sword, had been so different than with the club. Then he saw the other stare at the ground, eyes cloudy.


    "Are you alright?" Irwin asked as he ignored the blood as best he could and looked for wounds.


    "No," Dautubim said, then sighed deeply. "You did well. How did you kill the other one?"


    Irwin grinned, standing up a bit straighter. He''d never had a compliment on anything from another of his age before, let alone about something physical.


    "I lured him into the portal," he said.


    Daubutim blinked, then nodded. "Smart."


    They remained standing for a bit, Irwin looking at the two bodies and then at the sword in his hand. He''d killed that demon on his own, tricked another, and together, they had killed a two-horn. Perhaps¡­ perhaps they could do this!


    Ten minutes later, they were at the large room again, the bodies disposed of in the portal and a new sword in Daubutim''s hand. The one the two horns had was a bit longer and better balanced, according to him.


    Irwin looked at the other sides of the balcony, then down. Should they check the direction those three had come from or down first? Gab had said that the food was at the top, and they were now at the bottom part of the city. So, what was down if this was the lowest part? He recalled the Linchpin that had been hidden deep underground in the training portal and began heading along the balcony.


    "Let''s go see what is down there," he said. "After that, we can see where those three came from."


    "Alright," Daubutim whispered.


    The wood of the balcony was smooth and hard, and as they made their way around, it didn''t creak at any point. They moved slowly, stopping and looking around every few steps until they reached the staircase. It was of the same wood and tapered wider as it went down. Beautiful carved lines and glyphs decorated the oval handrails.


    Definitely not made by those Galubs, Irwin thought as they snuck down.


    The room downstairs was ransacked, while a layer of dust clung to many surfaces. A single way led out of it, a wide entrance with a broken to pieces double door in front. Holes large enough for them to climb through seemed stabbed through by some massive weapon.


    Deciding they were down now, Irwin snuck towards the massive door, and the closer he got, the more impressed he was. Heavy metal plates had once covered it, but they had been either sheared through or bent away by the impact of whatever had battered it down. As they closed in, he felt a soft breeze, not cold but definitely not warm either.


    At the door, he heard a soft wind howling in the distance, and looking through a low crack, he saw a broken down wall, rubble everywhere, and beyond it, a dark forest. A dull red silvery glow came from above, and as he looked up, his eyes widened in shock.


    "Is that a moon?" he whispered as he stared at the sliver that hung in the air, dark shadowy cracks on the end and smaller chunks next to it. Everything gleamed, highlighting dark cracks that ran down the entire length.


    Daubutim moved next to him, and Ambraz crawled out of his pocket before flying to his shoulder.


    "Well, what''s left of it," the Anvil said with a dry chuckle. "This is definitely a medium world shard if it even kept a part of its moon. Impressive!"


    Is this what''s going to happen to us? Irwin thought as he swallowed at the idea of the world shattering. Would he survive and have to live on a world shard like this?


    "There is something moving in the forest," Daubutim whispered.


    Irwin looked up with a snap, and saw shadows move from tree to tree. They moved incredibly fast, and the angle of their limbs was off.


    "Let''s head to the other part of the city," he said as he shivered. Whatever was in that forest, he wanted nothing to do with it.

 Chapter 31: A plan, of sorts

    "It''s empty," Irwin whispered, opening the door, looking around, then stepping aside for Daubutim to enter.


    Their movements were quick and practiced, a testament to the number of rooms they''d looked through. Irwin had long since lost count of how many, as he had the amount of Galubs they had killed.


    As he ruffled through the large cabinet on the far wall, he found a hidden sword. They had plenty now, so he left it and continued searching. After a few more moments, he found a dark leather flask between the side of the cabinet and a pile of wood scraps that might have been a chair at some point. It sloshed as he shook it, and he grinned.


    "And another bit of water," he whispered, turning back to Dautubim. He took off his torn backpack, placing the flask inside next to the other six. A piece of cloth clogged the holes, keeping the flasks from falling out.


    "So, that''s the last one. Weird, there''s nothing but these odd small bedrooms and a few storerooms. I wonder who made this and lived here."


    "Whoever they are, they are dead now," Daubutim said with a shrug. "It''s time to go up the stairs."


    Irwin grimaced as he thought of the large stone stair that wound up the second large room they had found.


    "Yes, let''s go," he said, summoning his flame and holding it up.


    They walked out of the room and into one of the dozens of hallways of the maze-like city they had moved through. His flame cast long shadows away from them, and it would probably alert the demons ahead, but there was little choice. Daubutim couldn''t see in the dark, and the Galubs could. Even with Irwin scouting, they had gotten jumped twice. Now Daubutim was at the point, Irwin with his flame lighting the way.


    "This way," Daubutim said as he turned left.


    Irwin followed him, still not used to the incredible memory the other boy had. He was somehow able to keep an entire map of where they had been in his head without any apparent effort.


    It''s a good thing, he thought as he followed Daubutim, who was carefully checking every corner before moving forward. I would have been lost hours ago.


    He kept his focus on his surroundings, forcing his mind to stick with the task instead of drifting off and thinking about all the things that had happened. Walking into a patrol of two Galub had taught him quickly that drifting off was a good way to get himself killed down here.


    After a long trek through the tunnels, and up a few smaller wooden stairs like the one before later, they stood at a crossroad. Behind them was the path back to the portal, while left and right were corridors leading to similar areas. They had just searched the last section, finding nothing but empty rooms and a few Galubs.


    The fourth path ahead led into a massive stone room with columns twenty foot high lifting a curved stone ceiling. They snuck forward until they reached the engraved large door frame and stared inside. A square staircase sat to the right, going up to the next floor. Flickering of flames came from there, as well as dull thudding, sometimes accompanied by laughter.


    "Ambraz, ready?" Irwin whispered.


    The Anvil flew up, then looked around.


    "Sure, scouting Anvil reporting for duty," he said mockingly.


    Irwin had no idea why Ambraz seemed so annoyed at helping them, but he had begun to ignore it. Perhaps after they left here and were in a safe spot, he could ask after the Anvil''s history some more.


    "Right, lets go," Irwin whispered. He moved ahead this time, his flame unsummoned. To him, the room was perfectly lit, but Daubutim had told him it was hard to see more than some shadows and shapes.


    Ambraz flew ahead of them, ready to rush back if anything approached, and Irwin began climbing the stairs. One of the things he''d realized as they moved through the city was that it wasn''t very cold. Daubutim had confirmed, saying it felt like a hot summer night. The other was that the doors, closets, and hallways all seemed made for beings roughly as tall as he was.


    And the steps, he added mentally, as he moved up.


    The stair ended at a square platform, with another stair going further up, and there were six more before they reached the top.


    Irwin''s legs were sore, and his breathing laborous, but he was happy with both. A month ago, he''d have never been able to even walk for a day, searching through rooms. He''d have collapsed from exhaustion.


    Two platforms later, the sound changed, and a dull voice began shouting. The echoes and bass made it impossible to understand, but Irwin and Daubutim waited until it was over before continuing.


    Four platforms later they stood below the final flight and a cold wind blew down from above, causing Irwin to shiver. Right, cold, he thought as he wondered if there wasn''t just some way to get rid of his weakness. Perhaps a card that gave him an internal fire to keep him warm? Pushing the dreams away, he focused on what was above them.


    Flickering torchlight illuminated the edge of a city with squarish buildings built snugly together, made of different colored gray and brown stone. High above, past the buildings and a few towers, was the night sky. It was odd, long fissures running through the sky. They couldn''t see the moon, but a few more pieces of it hung muttered around like overly large stars. The only ones. There was no sight of any others.


    Laughter rang from somewhere far to the left.


    "Let''s take a look," Irwin whispered.


    Daubutim simply nodded, raising his sword, while Ambraz hid back in his pocket.


    He snuck up, the sounds growing progressively louder until he was at the top. A quick look around caused his eyes to go wide. The buildings everywhere had lit torches, flickering softly in the breeze. To the left was a large square, and a building that sat opposite it was filled with Galubs. In front of the building were two semi-circles of Galub''s shouting and cheering as a couple of two-horns were hitting and kicking each other. One of them was bleeding, but his wide grin showed he wasn''t going to give up anytime soon.


    Further away from the building were more Galubs, walking around, laughing, and taking long gulps from odd square metal mugs. Many held orange things from which they bit large chunks.


    I thought they had no food and drink? Irwin thought as he frowned. He couldn''t see what the orange things were, but they looked a bit like carrots, and his stomach clenched.


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    A tap on his shoulder caused him to freeze before understanding it was Daubutim. He looked up to see the other point at the other side, empty and dark before beginning to sneak around the right edge. Irwin licked his lips, frowned, then followed Daubutim. Backs against the border around the staircase, a line of buildings was not too far ahead of them. Perhaps twenty paces. Daubutim leaned in, whispering.


    "They are celebrating something and drinking too much. Father says drunk people are fools to be exploited. Let''s scan that side of the city for some ambush points, and wait for them to fall asleep."


    I wonder what else his father taught him, Irwin thought, before nodding. With Daubutim''s memory, it would pay to get to know the city or at least a part of it.


    Daubutim motioned for him to take the lead, and after a quick look, he ran towards a narrow alley between two of the grown-together buildings. The staircase helped block them from view until they reached the shadows of the alley. And Irwin didn''t stop until he was behind another corner. Here, the only light came from the broken moon bits floating high above. Enough for him, but he saw Daubutim squint and look around without seeing anything.


    "Let''s look around for a high place, so we get a good look around," he whispered.


    Daubutim nodded, and Irwin suddenly grinned. Nobody but him would have been able to see that.


    "Make sure you memorize our route," Daubutim whispered. "I can''t."


    Right, Irwin thought, the grin wiped from his face.


    He snuck forward, noting how clean the narrow paths were. Just a little dust and grit lay in the corners, but for the most, the stone ground looked like someone had just swept it. The buildings they passed all had sturdy wooden doors, and most he tried were either locked or barred because they didn''t open.


    Left, left, right, straight, straight, Irwin repeated to himself as he walked forward and into a dead-end alley. A single door sat at the back, and he was about to turn around when he stopped.


    Is it open?


    Carefully he snuck forward, less afraid than he might have been because of Daubutims soft steps behind him.


    The door was of the same, dark-grainy wood as the others, and slightly ajar. Taking a deep breath, and raising his sword, he pulled open the door, ready to fight or flee. The door opened to a dark room. Splintered wood, a table on its side, and chairs smashed below the left wall. A kitchen, not unlike what his mother had used, sat to the right.


    There was nothing moving anywhere, and Irwin snuck inside, noting a narrow stone staircase in the corner and a large leather-covered bench with slash marks.


    This is a good place to hide, he thought as he saw the sturdy beam meant to block the door. How big would the chance be of something being upstairs? Low he decided, and he walked back to the door, closing it.


    "Safe?" Daubutim whispered, his voice no more than a breath.


    "Stair," Irwin whispered back, realizing even he saw poorly as if moonlight filtered through a window. Daubutim must have no idea what was around them. He grabbed the other boy''s arm and slowly pulled him along to the staircase.


    "Wait," he whispered, then took a deep breath and snuck up the narrow staircase. His shoulders almost touched the sides, and he wondered if Daubutim could even get up normally. The next floor was as large as the one below, with a single small window barred with a wooden shutter. Three large beds stood along one side, and a cabinet and closet back to back against the other wall, creating the image of two separate areas.


    A quick look around the room showed no signs of any recent Galub activity. A thin layer of dust covered everything, and as he walked back he suddenly felt incredibly tired. Yawning, he walked back down.


    "It''s empty," he whispered, and he saw Daubutim start in shock.


    Another look showed no holes or other places for light to filter through, and he activated his flame. A flash of light illuminated the room, and he suddenly saw everything in detail: tiny wood fragments on the floor, a cloth doll in the corner, and kitchen utensils strewn about.


    Daubutim hissed, closing his eyes and looking away.


    "Sorry," Irwin whispered.


    "Are you sure nobody can see?" Daubutim asked.


    "No windows here, and the one above is shuttered. The door falls in the frame," Irwin whispered before quickly rechecking it to see if he remembered correctly.


    Daubutim visibly relaxed, and together they searched the tiny house until they reached the top floor.


    "We should rest here," Daubutim said as he looked at the beds. "That party doesn''t sound like it is over any time soon. We can look around undisturbed in the morning when there is light."


    Irwin stopped nodding midway. "Are we sure there is going to be a morning?" he asked.


    Daubutim didn''t respond, but his eyes widened and he paled a bit.


    "Ambraz?" Irwin asked as he took the Anvil from his pocket. "Is there a chance that the sun is also still here?"


    The Anvil''s lips pursed. "I don''t think that''s even possible," it finally said.


    "Oh," Daubutim said.


    Irwin could understand the other. With no night vision, everything was going to be a whole lot more difficult. He didn''t know what to say and moved to one of the beds. It had an odd, tiny sort of straw in it, with a sheet partially covering it. Just seeing the bed made him want to lie down.


    "Ambraz, can you keep watch, so we rest?" he asked.


    "Divine Anvil, Scout, and now Guard," Ambraz grumbled before he flew to the stairs. "Sure, you two sleep. I''ll wake you if anything happens."


    It showed how tired Daubutim was that he didn''t complain, and a few minutes later, Irwin was lying in bed, his stomach full of water. He''d removed the final leg to get it flat on the ground and put another partially sliced sheet over it. Without even bothering to take off his clothes, he lay down. He barely had time to register his rumbling stomach when he fell asleep.


    --


    A familiar pain from his legs, back, and arms woke Irwin. He groaned as he curled up. For a few seconds of bliss, he thought he was in his own bed, back home, and the pain was the usual pain after a day of school labor. Then the memories reasserted themselves, and he sighed.


    He heard something shuffle downstairs and shot up, the pain in his body causing him to groan. Daubutim''s bed was empty, but Ambraz still hovered at the stairs.


    "The big one wakes much easier than you!"


    Irwin didn''t reply but lay back down. His eyes felt sandy, and he was slightly cold. Still, he remained in bed for another ten minutes before finally getting out and going downstairs. He summoned his flame halfway and was surprised to see that Daubutim had cleared much of the debris. It lay piled in one corner, making the room a lot more presentable. The leather-covered bench stood against one wall and the table before it.


    How did he do this without light? Irwin wondered.


    "I have an idea," Daubutim said, and from his gaze, Irwin had the feeling it surprised even him.


    "Alright¡­"


    "Sit down?"


    Irwin blinked, then sat down on the leather bench. It was comfortable, almost more so than the bed.


    "We need food," Daubutim stated. "And more water¡­ but¡­" he frowned as if struggling with himself. "But if we can find those somehow, I think we should stay here."


    "We what?" Irwin stared at him, unsure what he meant. Did he mean here, in this room? Or in this shard world? And how long?


    "You are bad at fighting," Daubutim stated.


    Irwin blinked in surprise, feeling slightly offended even though he knew it was true. Daubutim just stared at him, and after a while, he nodded.


    "You lack training and experience. After this portal, we might have to close more or fight surge demons. We need to maximize our chances," Daubutim continued, again speaking like his father or whoever taught him all he knew.


    Irwin looked at the room around them, trying to imagine what Daubutim was suggesting. "You want to stay here so that I can practice fighting?" he asked.


    "Yes. I''ll teach you what I know," Daubutim said with a nod. "I don''t understand everything that Ambraz told us, but we can stay here for a long time, and not a long time will pass outside. Right?"


    Irwin nodded. "Yes."


    "Then I think we should try. It is dangerous here but also predictable. The Galub with one horn are weak, and those with two we can defeat. If Ambraz is right and there is only one stronger one, we just have to avoid large groups."


    Irwin leaned back on the bench and looked at the stone ceiling.


    "What about the portal? They might find it?"


    "Maybe," Daubutim said, his brows furrowing as if he hadn''t thought of that yet.


    Ambraz fluttered on the table.


    "I think Daubutim is right. Besides the points he made, you still have to find the cards of that Doomblade guy. With those, even if none are suitable for you, I can easily reforge both your cards and Greldo''s," he said. "The rest you can use to trade?"


    Irwin didn''t respond, still wondering if it was even safe to stay here. That was without taking into consideration that they had no food left. His stomach clenched and rumbled at the thought, and he sighed.


    "If we have to, we can go outside and hunt in the forest, then come back," Daubutim said.


    Irwin looked at his rusted short sword, resting on his leg, then at Daubutim. He could still picture the quick, practiced moves of the other as he fought the two-horned Galub. Then he looked at his thin wrist and arm. He was still weak but already stronger than he''d ever been. If they could stay here for two months, only a day would have passed outside the portal. How much stronger would he become? Perhaps they could even find more cards?


    "Alright," he said. "But first, we need to get food."


    "Then we should go now," Daubutim said. "They had food, and we need to get some before they eat it all."


    Irwin groaned as he got up. "I wonder if it''s day now," he muttered.


    "It is still dark," Daubutim said with a sad sigh. "I checked."


    Irwin nodded, suddenly even more impressed with what the other boy suggested.


    "Alright, let''s go and see if we can find food without getting killed," he said.

 Chapter 32: Food and training

    It took them a while to backtrack to the stair, as Irwin had forgotten a few bits of it, but eventually, they reached the square. It was quiet now, but the torches were still burning. The area was deserted, the building quiet and still.


    Irwin stared at it, then turned to Daubutim. "You just want to go inside?" he whispered.


    Daubutim nodded, and Irwin internally groaned.


    They snuck one after the other along the buildings until they reached the first of the torches. Irwin noticed something odd about how it burned, but he couldn''t figure out what was wrong. Then Daubutim prodded him, and he continued to the building.


    The windows had shutters, but most were ripped off or swung wide open. Irwin took a deep breath and looked through the nearest window.


    There were a dozen or so Galub sleeping on the ground. Empty flagons and tankards lay strewn around them, as well as, what he hoped, were puddles of drink. Dull metal kegs lay against the side beside wooden boxes. Irwin saw some of the orange things the Galubs had been eating stick out.


    They continued to the entrance, then stopped. Daubutim put his head closer to his and whispered, "I''ll stay here and get ready. Grab a box, then get out." He stuck out his hand to Irwin''s sword.


    Irwin swallowed, nodded, and reluctantly handed over his sword. Then he looked at the closest box. He almost wanted to say he couldn''t lift it, then held back. He''d managed to lift Greldo, and this wouldn''t be that hard¡­ hopefully.


    He snuck forward, dodging around a puddle, and past one Galub that was snoring loudly. He took a look, but its back was turned to him, and he reached for the box. The top was ripped off, but a part remained with some etched writing. Though he couldn''t read it, he knew instantly it wasn''t the same as what he''d seen before. Instead of flowing lines, the characters and symbols were blocky and angular.


    The things inside were a sort of root or carrot that he''d never seen before. Dull and wrinkled, he wondered if they were edible to them or only the Galub. Keeping an eye on the nearest Galub, he lifted the box, making sure nothing lay on it that could fall off. It was heavy, but not so much that he couldn''t lift it, and with it in his hands, he turned around to head back and froze.


    A Galub at the other side was stretching, letting out a groan as he blinked around blearily. In the entrance, Daubutim was beckoning him, and Irwin snuck forward, praying the Galub wouldn''t see him. He got halfway when there was a surprised shout.


    "Carded! How?"


    Irwin stopped caring about silence and rushed forward. Daubutim stepped out of the way while more moans came from behind him.


    "Run," Daubutim hissed as he grabbed the crate, lifting it easily.


    They sprinted from the building as confused shouts and angry howls came from behind. When he reached the narrow passage between the buildings, Irwin took a look back to see a dozen Galubs carefully move out of the building, looking around.


    They seem afraid, he thought, then he turned and ran after Daubutim.


    Ten minutes later, the shouting from behind faded, and they returned to their hideout. Irwin closed the door, summoned his flame, and looked at Daubutim. The burly boy put the crate on the table with a relieved sigh, then looked up and grinned.


    "That was incredible," Irwin said, matching the grin. It had been terrifying, dangerous, and perhaps even a bit stupid, but¡­ now they had food. As soon as he thought about it, his stomach growled, and he walked to the crate.


    The carrot thing was heavier than he had thought, and he sniffed it. It didn''t smell moldy, maybe a bit dusty. After a moment, he wiped it on his sleeve.


    "Have you ever seen these things?" he asked.


    "No," Daubutim said, taking one and frowning.


    "Ambraz, do you know what these are?" Irwin asked.


    "Dunno, but they look like some sort of vegetable," the Anvil said after taking a look.


    "Let me try first," Daubutim said as he looked at the carrot. "I''ve had my cards longer, so if it''s not good, I''ll live. Also, my father taught me how to taste for poison."


    He what? Irwin thought, just as the other took a tiny bite from the carrot.


    "That''s hard," Daubutim grunted as he began chewing. Slowly his eyes widened, and he took another bite. "This is good," he said.


    Irwin couldn''t hold back anymore and took a careful nibble. The structure was brittle but hard, and as he chewed, it reminded him of some roots his mother gave him sometimes. A robust and sweet flavor flowed into his mouth, causing it to water. Swallowing it, he felt his stomach rumble for more, and without holding back, he devoured the carrot. When he finished, he felt satiated, a warm glow coming from his stomach. He was also confused.


    "I feel like I''ve had a full meal," he said with a frown, looking up to see Daubutim stare at his second carrot, half-finished.


    "Yes¡­ these remind me of the card-grown foods my father served during the summer solstice," he said, putting the partially-eaten carrot back.


    Irwin shrugged. He''d never heard of card-grown foods, but if it was like all card-made things, it meant it was better than normal. He shuffled through the box, quickly counting the carrots before whistling softly.


    "There are almost a hundred carrots," he said.


    "Good. If they work like all card-grown foods, we will need at most two per day," Daubutim said.


    "So we can stay for twenty days or a bit more," Irwin nodded as he sat down, keeping his hand and flame away from the bench.


    "We should check again tomorrow to see if we can steal more," Daubutim said before moving towards the kitchen area and removing more of the debris, carrying it upstairs. Irwin looked for a few moments, then got up and began helping. They continued until all of the broken furniture, wood, and other debris was thrown in the corner of the other floor. They left a few pieces of wood, which Irwin lit on fire and then put into the wall sockets.


    As he climbed back down from bringing the last bit up, Irwin stopped. Daubutim stood in the center of the kitchen with a sword loosely in his hand and a calm, sharp look in his eyes.


    "Alright. We begin now.".


    Irwin slowly walked forward, picking up the sword from the table. The calm of Daubutim made him somewhat weary of what was to come, and he looked at the other''s thick lower arms in trepidation. Still, even then, the idea of learning to wield a sword and becoming stronger filled him with anticipation. Perhaps when he got back, he could show Bronwyn what he had learned! He could almost see his brother''s impressed look already.


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    If I get back, he thought, trying to temper himself.


    "So¡­ what do we do?" he asked.


    "You are too weak for sparring, so I will teach you three moves which you will start practicing," Daubutim stated, and this time his entire demeanor changed. Seeing the calm and collected way he stood and his sharp eyes, he reminded Irwin of the rangers back in Malorin.


    "Copy how I stand," Daubutim said as he widened his stance and raised his sword.


    Irwin nodded, trying to do just that.


    "No, like this," Daubutim said as he stepped forward and used his foot to reposition Irwin''s feet. "Sword higher, hand low and relaxed, tip of the sword forward and up."


    Irwin tried to copy what Daubutim said, and it took him over ten minutes to even get the position right. Then Daubutim made him stop, walk a few paces, and jump into the same position. He continued practicing this, slowly wondering when he would learn to swing. After a while, Daubutim made him do it with the other hand, ignoring Irwin''s remarks that he was right-handed.


    How long it lasted, he didn''t know, but when Daubutim finally called it quits, Irwin''s arms were shaking from holding up the sword, and his legs were cramping from the odd position.


    "I thought you were going to teach me how to fight with a sword?" he whispered as he slumped on the couch, taking a swallow of water.


    "Yes. To learn how to run, one must walk. To walk, one must stand. To stand, one must first get up," Daubutim chanted, almost singing. Then he nodded. "You did alright, given that you have only had your cards for a short while. When did you get your first? Half a year ago?"


    Irwin frowned and shook his head. "No, a short while before we met."


    Daubutim stared at him quietly, then shrugged. "Perhaps it''s because you have gotten two cards shortly in a row. I don''t know. I''ve had my card since I was eight."


    Irwin looked at him as he thought about something he''d been curious about before. "Why do you only have one card? Don''t noble sons usually get three quickly?"


    Daubutim looked at the ground, his jaw suddenly clenched and a distant look in his eyes. The silence continued for a while, and Irwin was getting more uncomfortable by the second. Finally, he shrugged.


    "Sorry for asking," he whispered.


    Daubutim shuddered, and he looked up in surprise. "No, it is alright. It is¡­" he sighed sadly, his shoulders drooping down. "My father thinks I''m a disappointment. I am not¡­ smart like him or my brothers."


    "But your memory is really impressive," Irwin said quickly, feeling bad for Daubutim.


    "Not as good as that of my brothers," Daubutim said. "We were tested at eight, and our scores decided what and how many cards we could pick. My father bent his own rules to give me this¡­ otherwise I''d have gotten a cooking utensil card."


    Irwin didn''t know what to say and quietly observed the other boy, who was drifting off in thoughts again. Back in Malorin, Daubutim would have been at the top of his class, only bested by Clarish and possibly Lark. The idea that someone could be disappointed in someone like that. What would Daubutim''s father think of him then? His memory was far worse, and though he guessed he was smarter, Daubutim was far stronger.


    He didn''t know how long he sat there, but at some point, Daubutim got up.


    "Alright, let''s continue."


    "What? More?" Irwin asked, feeling his arms and legs still protesting.


    "Yes. We can''t start ambushing the Galub until you can defend yourself. Until now, we got lucky, but if we encounter four or more, you will have to fight two."


    Irwin paled at the prospect.


    "Alright," he said.


    I hope we get to the swinging part soon, he thought as he walked forward.


    --


    "Good. The swing was alright, but keep your balance as you strike," Daubutim said, prodding Irwin with his club, causing him to sway. "Again."


    Irwin nodded, eyes focused on an imaginary enemy as he swung the rusty sword forward. He focused on his stance, tightening his abdominal muscles while relaxing his shoulders. Daubutim prodded him again, but this time he remained where he stood.


    "Alright. That was better," Daubutim said. "We will rest now."


    Irwin sighed in relief but lowered his sword in a controlled way like Daubutim had shown him. Putting it on the table, he rubbed his calloused hands together, feeling the slight tension in his body. Still, compared to a week ago, he was feeling much better. He rubbed his lower arms and couldn''t help but grin. Between the odd carrots, constant practice, and two cards, his body was growing stronger rapidly, and he loved it. It would still take months before his growth would catch up and slow down, and he was already starting to notice the difference. His pants, which had been baggy so incredibly baggy, were starting to wrap closer around his legs if he stood and practiced, while his jacket was now no longer loose.


    Can''t believe it''s going this fast, Irwin thought as he stretched. If this continued, he might actually outgrow his clothes soon.


    "We need to find more water bags," he said as he took a deep drink. They still had a few full ones, but they were draining fast.


    "Because you drink so much," Daubutim said as he glanced at Irwin taking another drink.


    "What? No I don''t."


    "You do. You drink twice as much as me, which is odd," Daubutim said. "But you''re right. I think it''s also time to start exploring again. You should be able to at least use that sword well enough so as not to hurt yourself now."


    "What?" Irwin spluttered. "I can swing it pretty good after all that-"


    Daubutim just stared at him. "Tomorrow, we will start sparring, and you can show me."


    Irwin deflated instantly. "Right," he said. Still, he couldn''t hold back a grin. Though Daubutim was a harsh teacher, he was also a good one, and under his full tutelage, Irwin knew he''d learned far more than he could have back home.


    They both gathered their backpacks and swords before turning off the makeshift torches. They had gathered more wood from nearby buildings over the last week, finding that many more had been forced open.


    Sneaking into the gloomy city, Daubutim close behind, Irwin wound through the narrow passages and streets toward the central square. They had gone out a few times, once for the wood, the others to keep an eye on the Galubs, and his knowledge of this part of the city had improved greatly.


    A soft chatter echoed up to him from ahead, and he stopped. There was one alleyway left till they reached the square, but this didn''t sound like it came from there. It was closer. He stepped back and looked at Daubutim.


    "There are voices ahead," he whispered.


    "I can hear them."


    Right, he can still hear, Irwin thought.


    The footsteps were closing in rapidly, and he looked around. There were a few doors nearby, one of which he knew was unbarred. He quickly moved towards it, pulling Daubutim with him. Inside, he kept the door slightly ajar, listening.


    "I think there''s three," he whispered.


    Daubutim nodded. "Look around. Can we fight here?" he asked.


    "Mostly empty," Irwin said after a quick reply. "Why-"


    "Get a piece of wood," Daubutim whispered as he stood behind the door. "Stand at the other side, and throw it when they are close. When they come in, wait till I close the door, then summon your flame. We will kill them."


    Irwin hurried to a nearby log, suppressing his growing worry. As he felt the sword in his hand, his worry grew. He''d only been practicing for a few days! What if he fumbled? The previous times might have been a fluke.


    "Calm your breathing," Daubutim hissed authoritatively.


    Irwin took a deep, shaky breath, then blew it out as he stepped next to the door. Daubutim was looking at a spot next to him, a frown on his face.


    "Ready," Irwin whispered, wondering if he was right. Then he heard the footsteps close in.


    Heart hammering in his throat, he waited till the footsteps were almost at the door. He was sure there were two or three now, and with a deep sigh, he threw the wood at the other side of the room. It hit the wall with a loud thud, then clattered down against a chair, clicking twice.


    "Who there!"


    Irwin held his breath as the footsteps rushed to the door. It was shoved open, and he watched three Galubs sprint inside. They showed no concept of looking first or being careful, and as Daubutim slammed the door shut, he summoned his flame.


    "Ahk!" one of the Galubs shouted as he closed his eyes while the others covered their faces with their hands.


    "Kill the left," Daubutim hissed as he lunged forward. "High slash, neck slash," he ordered.


    Irwin moved before he could think, his body doing what he''d practiced four days straight, slashing at the left Galub and slashing it across its face before pulling the sword back and slashing it across the neck. It got a single gurgle in, then it slumped on its knees and thudded down.


    Irwin stared at the Galub, then at his sword, then back.


    "One more," Daubutim snapped, drawing him out of his startled shock.


    He looked up to see one of the two was down, the other backing up. Daubutim stood before the stairs and looked at Irwin.


    "Fight and kill it," the burly boy said, his eyes gleaming and his voice cold.


    "Wait! No kill-" the Galub began, but Irwin was already moving. What had Daubutim said? Always aim for the unprotected side, and when they parry, pull back and stab.


    He swung at the Galub''s left side, and it swung its sword up and around with a screech. The clang against his hand was far stronger than he had anticipated, and with a painful sting, his sword spun from his grip. Eyes wide in fear, he stepped forward and jutted his flame into the Galub''s chest. It let out a strangled gasp, eyes wide, but before the scream could come, a hand covered its mouth, and a sword point jutted out from its stomach. Green blood spattered across Irwin as he stared at the scene.


    "If you lose your weapon, you''re dead," Daubutim snapped. "Tomorrow, we will practice again how to hold it!"


    Irwin could only nod as he saw the burly boy put down the Galub.


    "Alright. Gather their water bags, then help me carry them up," Daubutim said as his eyes turned back to normal. "We will wait and see if more walk past so we can try again."


    "Again?" Irwin whispered. Then he blinked and nodded. "Right. Again."


    Five groups and twelve Galubs later, he dragged his bruised and battered body back into their own little house.


    "Rest," Daubutim muttered. "Tomorrow, we will practice again."


    Irwin just nodded, lit a few torches, then stumbled up the stairs. Though he hadn''t been this tired in a long time, he slowly felt a grin grow on his face. He was growing stronger, and not just from his cards!

 Chapter 33: Books

    "It''s clear," Irwin whispered as he looked into the room. He summoned his flame so Daubutim could follow him up as he stepped inside.


    His eyes widened. Undamaged tables and chairs stood arranged neatly to the side while a massive bookcase covered the left wall.


    So many books, he thought.


    Taking another quick look around, he saw a narrow ladder pressed against the wall opposite the bookcase. Above it was a rectangular hole covered by a rotting wooden cover.


    "Book!"


    Irwin turned to see Daubutim, eyes wide and glittering, practically running towards the bookcase.


    "Books?"


    A muffled call came from his pocket as Ambraz wiggled out and flew up. "Well, look at that," the Anvil said as he flitted after Daubutim, hovering behind the boy who had taken one of the books from the shelf.


    Irwin joined them, noting the annoyed frown on Daubutim''s face as he flipped through the pages of the hand-sized, leatherbound book. One look showed him the reason for Daubutim''s annoyance. The pages were filled with more of the angular, odd glyphs and letters that he had seen before.


    "I can''t read these letters," Daubutim muttered as he gently closed the book and returned it.


    "That''s not surprising, and neither can I," Ambraz said. "Although theoretically there should be dozens if not more shards leftover from when a world shatters, portals to them are hardly ever found. I''ve only heard of a few known instances of portals leading to shards of the same world."


    Daubutim snorted and turned away while Irwin took a sad look at the tomes.


    "Still," Ambraz said, causing Daubutim to stop walking away. "It might be a good idea to look for books related to cards. They usually have images, and to the right people, they are worth a lot."


    Irwin frowned as he looked at the wall with hundreds of books. "How large is the chance that we will find those people?" he asked. If Ambraz was talking about people in other worlds, that didn''t seem like a useful thing. Besides, the prospect of carrying books around didn''t appeal to him.


    They didn''t come here without reason either, and he looked at the ladder and the square above.


    "I don''t know about this world," Ambraz said. "But I''d imagine that those sorcerers would collect them. That Bellemui fellow who gave you your second card had some in that small library of his."


    Cards? Irwin''s reluctance vanished as he looked at Daubutim.


    The taller boy sighed and shrugged. "We can look for half an hour." He moved to the far left top of the bookcase. "I''ll start here. You start at the other side."


    Irwin nodded, wondering if Daubutim''s father had taught him how to look through books too.


    Much longer than half an hour later, Irwin and Daubutim stood before the table. Nine thin books lay atop it, each filled with images of cards with writing to the side. Irwin was leafing through one, staring in wonder at the intricate detail of the images.


    "I wonder who painted these," he whispered.


    "A carded," Daubutim said as he closed the book he was looking through and picked up the stack. "Right, let''s go. These aren''t too heavy."


    Irwin closed the book and put it on the stack the other was holding. Then he turned to the ladder.


    I wonder what we''ll see from up here, he thought as their original goal returned to him.


    The wood of the ladder was partially rotten, and as he slowly climbed up, a few steps snapped under his weight. He made it up and inspected the wooden hatch. Holes had rotten through it, and he could see parts of the dark sky above. A careful prod caused another hole to appear as wood chips and pulp fell past him. With a shrug, he began ripping the hatch away until he could crawl through and onto the stone roof.


    All around him was the dark forest, with a few taller buildings blocking his view. To one side stood a towering, angular building with a single spire rising above the rest. Torches flickered around the square in front of it while more light came from the windows dotting the sides. Tiny shapes were moving around the square.


    That has to be where Doomblade is, Irwin thought as he moved to the hole. Daubutim stood below him, and he beckoned the other up.


    A few moments later, they stood side by side, staring around.


    "It''s too dark for me to memorize all the routes," Daubutim whispered as he looked around. "But I''ve got at least parts of it." He turned and indicated a larger area. "That''s the area we''ve been at and explored. See? Those are the roads we stopped at." Then he pointed to a spot in the area near the edge of the wall. "That''s where we have been staying. And that''s the square."


    Irwin nodded, though he wasn''t sure if he saw what Daubutim did. There were many squares all throughout the chaotic city, buildings that almost meshed together perfectly surrounding them. Roads divided everything into sections, and there were a dozen that looked almost identical in their chaos. Still, he didn''t doubt Daubutim''s ability. The other had proven able to navigate the city almost blind. Last week when they went back down to check on the portal, he''d been able to navigate to it in a single go.


    Daubutim sniffed, and Irwin realized he hadn''t responded. "It should be fine," he whispered, getting a curt nod. He turned to the castle-like structure. "I''m about ready to find Doomblade and his cards."


    "Let''s go down and talk about that before someone sees or hears us," Daubutim whispered, then he moved back to the ladder.


    Irwin waited as the other boy climbed down again, gazing quietly over the city. Three weeks down here, he thought. He could barely believe it. It felt both much longer and shorter. Still, there was no denying the effects. Clenching his fists, he grinned as he felt the strength in his arms. Swinging the short sword around for the better part of three weeks and holding the odd stances Daubutim had shown him had been horrible at the start. But after three weeks?


    It''s still horrible, he thought as he felt his legs cramp. That being said, he was stronger than he''d ever been and could swing the sword around while knowing what he was doing.


    Looking at his arm, he flexed, the tendons of muscles slightly showing below the skin. He wasn''t even close to as strong as Daubutim, but he wondered what Greldo would think if they came out again.


    A tap came from below, and he took a final look before climbing down the stairs.


    "What happened?" Daubutim whispered as he joined him in the library room.


    "Just thinking," Irwin replied. He was slowly starting to feel his excitement grow at the prospect of going out and searching for Doomblade and the cards. "You think we are ready?" he asked, actually meaning if he was ready.


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Daubutim frowned, then nodded. "I think you could become better if we stay longer, but it''s not a bad idea to start scouting more. We''ve only got a general idea of the direct area around the staircase down and the empty part where we are hiding. Father always said that knowing where things are is almost as important as knowing your enemies'' weak points. You can find a way to offset a weak point, but moving a tower around isn''t as easy."


    "Alright, where to first?" Irwin asked, getting a frown in response. He wondered how much Daubutim understood everything he had been taught and how much he was just following the rules. "Let''s bring the books back first," he said after a second.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Daubutim said.


    As they headed back, Irwin tried to temper his excitement. They had successfully ambushed a dozen or more Galubs, and he''d slowly improved to the point where he could fight one head-on and beat it. Two was still a gamble, but between him and Daubutim, they had managed against a group of five a few days ago. However, a lot of that was due to his biggest trump: his flame. He summoned it to blind the Galubs.


    They dropped off the books, then made their way to the edge of the district that they had scouted the last few weeks. Hiding in a narrow alleyway in front of a wide, stone-covered street, Irwin looked around for any movement.


    "Seems clear," he whispers.


    "Alright. Let''s scout this section first. It borders that castle, and we need to find escape routes and houses where we can hide," Daubutim said.


    Irwin nodded, took a deep breath, and ran across the street, Daubutim close behind. There were no shouts or screams, but they didn''t stop after they reached the first alleyway. Instead, they continued deeper into the district before hiding.


    "Good," Daubutim whispered.


    They were hiding in another alleyway, deep in the new district, and hadn''t come across a single Galub. Irwin looked at him, feeling his old envy crop back up. Daubutim was breathing as calmly as before, as if he''d not just run for almost ten minutes while his own breath came out in gasps.


    I''ll catch up, he thought, clenching the sword hilt in his hand. His special card would help him with that!


    "I am confused," Daubutim said.


    Irwin looked up in surprise. The noble, which he was slowly starting to see as a friend, had shown barely any insecurity while wandering the city.


    "What''s wrong?" he whispered as best he could, still out of breath.


    "Ambraz," Daubutim whispered.


    Irwin''s eyebrows rose, but he waited as the Anvil flew up and landed on his shoulder.


    "What''s wrong, mister memory?" the Anvil whispered, getting a glare from Daubutim.


    "Don''t call me that. Didn''t you tell us there would be thousands or tens of thousands of beings in here? I''ve only counted seven hundred and eighty-three so far."


    He counted them all? Irwin thought as his mouth dropped open. Then he shuddered. If Daubutim was right, and his brothers and father had a better memory than him and were smart, they had to be monsters.


    "Yes¡­ I don''t know? Maybe they are hiding somewhere?" Ambraz said. "But in such a big shard, it''s impossible. Only if-" the Anvil fell quiet, its thin lips drawn into a thin line.


    "Only if what?" Irwin whispered, the hairs on his arm rising.


    "They are probably just hiding," Ambraz whispered, sounding uncertain. "But.. well. There''s one other way for this place to be this big."


    "Which is?" Irwin hissed.


    "There might be something powerful hiding here¡­" Ambraz said. "It doesn''t happen a lot, but sometimes things find shards through other means than portals."


    "Things?" Irwin whispered, looking up, almost worried to see something enormous staring down at him.


    ¡°Elder Diflor, Dracoserps. Those kinds of things," Ambraz whispered.


    Irwin looked at Daubutim, noting the confused frown on the other''s face.


    "How¡­ big is the chance?" Irwin asked.


    "Well¡­ very small?" Ambraz said. "I''m not an expert, you know."


    Irwin leaned with his back against the wall. He''d somehow made peace with the idea of thousands of green, horned demons running around in this portal. The idea that there might be some monster here¡­ Is it really worse? he suddenly thought. A big monster would be easily spotted, and it couldn''t just be hiding somewhere. Perhaps this just made it easier? And even if it didn''t, did it change anything? He still wanted those cards if he could, and closing the portal would be for the best.


    "Let''s scout this area, then inspect the castle," he whispered.


    Daubutim looked up, and he saw surprise in the other''s eyes before he nodded. Ambraz just hummed and hid back in his pocket as they made their way to the nearest door. It was locked.


    Here we go again, Irwin thought, preparing himself for a hopefully boring day of looking at locked doors and scouting empty buildings.


    They returned when they were starting to get tired, their day-night rhythm long since confused by the permanent darkness.


    "I wonder what kind of monster there could be," Irwin whispered as he dropped onto the leather-covered bench.


    Daubutim sat on the other side, munching on a small bit of carrot.


    "I don''t know," he said. "I''ve never heard of monsters being inside portals¡­ just demons."


    Irwin nodded as he looked at the noble. He''d tried asking him a bit more about his family the last few weeks but got nothing.


    "Did you go to school?" he asked suddenly.


    Daubutim blinked, the carrot halfway to his mouth. "No. School is for the poor," he said.


    "In Malorin, the nobles'' and crafters'' children also went to school," Irwin said defensively.


    "Yes," Daubutim said as if that proved his point. "Father says everyone in the southwestern area is poor."


    Irwin blinked, then shook his head in disbelief. "Some of the nobles there give their eldest three whole cards before they turn fifteen!"


    "Uncommon or rare?" Daubutim asked, looking up with interest.


    "What? No! Common, of course," Irwin said before blinking at the other. "Wait, do all nobles where you come from get rare cards?"


    Daubutim looked at his lap, then shrugged. "Some do. Most get uncommon cards. My eldest brother got a rare card when he turned eight. Father says he needs to attempt to get a full-hand rare, as it''s the only way to clear the portals around our borders."


    Irwin looked at the back of his hand, wondering how it must be to get a rare card at a young age.


    "Does your father have more than one rare card?" he asked.


    "Yes, two and three uncommon," Daubutim said. Then he frowned and stared at Irwin. "Don''t tell anyone. I''m not sure others are supposed to know."


    Irwin nodded and sighed. He remembered his mother''s story about his father and how he probably had a rare card. He was about to ask Daubutim something when he remembered Rachel''s card stuck in the noble''s hand.


    "Did you know cards can drop from people if they die before that?" he asked, pointing at Daubutim''s hand.


    "Yes," Daubutim said calmly. "Father says that beyond the wall, people kill each other for the small chance of obtaining cards."


    "Beyond the wall?" Irwin said, staring blankly at the other. "There''s no more people outside of the Clour peninsula."


    Right? He saw the shrug from the other and thought about everything they had been taught in school.


    "Are there people living beyond the wall?" he asked, licking his lips before he could stop himself.


    "You should drink some more. And yes," Daubutim said as he tossed a water bag toward him. "It''s not really a secret, just something most people don''t talk about."


    "How is that possible?" Irwin whispered as he gulped half of the bag down before stopping when Daubutim gave him an accusing stare.


    "Father didn''t tell me. All I know is that the hand-and-a-half guards sometimes go beyond the wall and come back with information and cards. Sometimes with carded people¡­"


    "I was told there are only Diflor demons out there," Irwin said as he sat back.


    "You were told wrong," Daubutim said with a shrug.


    They sat in silence for a while before Daubutim rose. "We should sleep. If we want to try and find a way into that castle, we need to be well-rested.


    Irwin didn''t respond, still lost in his own thoughts. Quietly, he got up and followed the other.


    I wonder what else they lied about, Irwin thought as he lay down and thought about the implications of people living behind the wall. Were they still fighting? Closing portals?


    He fell asleep and dreamt about a being with six eyes staring at him from beyond a wall that reached the stars.


    The next morning they ate the same, by now boring breakfast as they had the last few weeks. They didn''t talk much, and after relieving themselves, they headed back to the district. They scouted until they had a few good escape routes and a dozen empty buildings with hiding spots. They also found a few Galubs, the one-horned type, which they easily dispatched.


    After a few hours, they finally found themselves in another of the seemingly infinite narrow alleyways, staring at the castle across the square. Galubs loitered around or stood in small groups. Most seemed to be bored and doing nothing, but a few moved with purpose.


    "There are a few hundred around," Daubutim whispered as he looked around the torchlit area. "I''ve counted at least forty two-horns."


    "Not as much as there should be," Irwin whispered, and they shared a worried look.


    "Let''s circle the square to find a weak point," Daubutim said.


    Irwin nodded, taking the lead. Ever since his swordsmanship led him to take at least one Galub without too much trouble, Daubutim had begun staying back again. Irwin''s better vision made it less dangerous.


    The castle didn''t have a wall like Irwin was used to, but with the only windows being twenty feet or higher and the gates surrounded by bored-looking Galubs, it was still almost impenetrable. Almost. Nearly at the edge of the district, they found a small area that had once been a park. Nestled behind rusted and broken-down fences, it looked almost as bad as the forest outside the city. Brown, almost black, leafless trees stood in neat lines, while withered pale bushes covered both sides of a road that led up to a smaller gate. Two Galubs lay against the wall, staring at two others that were wrestling. Behind the bushes was a line of shuttered windows five feet above the ground.


    "If one of those windows is open," Irwin whispered, staring at the edge.


    "There should be enough cover behind those bushes," Daubutim said from next to him before scanning left and right. "There are no patrols. Father would¡­" he fell quiet, shaking his head in distaste.


    Irwin didn''t respond as Daubutim glared at the Galubs.


    "Run and check?" he asked.


    "Yes. If someone sees us, turn and run back into the district. If we get split up, wait in a hiding place for at least a day before heading back," Daubutim said, his eyes glinting and his voice cold and commanding.


    "Alright," Irwin said, long since used to the other''s oddities. "I''ll go first."


    He looked at the opposite side of the street, choosing his path before making sure that there weren''t any Galubs looking. Taking a deep breath, he sprinted forward, absently enjoying the fact that his body was moving as it was. Three long seconds later, he reached the bushes, jumping behind them, then crouching and holding his breath.


    Wait, where''s Daubutim?


    He looked back and saw Daubutim hidden in the alley, staring to the left. Feeling his heart skip a beat, Irwin saw four bored Galubs saunter towards them.


    No¡­ he thought, looking around in panic. Now what?

 Chapter 34: Nexus

    Irwin backed up further into the bushes as the Galubs moved closer. Daubutim was staring at him, then waved him further in. All of his confidence seemed to leave him at once as he saw the taller boy turn and vanish into the alleyway. Before he had the time to contemplate running back, the voices of Galubs reached him.


    "Why do you keep asking? Big fat said it. We need to guard the entrances," a dull voice grumbled.


    Two heavy slaps were followed by an outcry.


    "Sorry, Ulrop! Me get hit in head at party¡­ keep forgetting things," a whiny voice replied.


    The group of four Galubs stomped past the bushes Irwin was hiding behind, and he felt his skin crawl. As dense as the bushes were, he could still see through some of the holes, and he felt exposed. The lead Galub was slightly bigger and had two horns, its eyes gleaming.


    "You told me that already," the two-horn growled.


    With a quick glance, the two-horn backhanded the Galub to his left, causing it to stumble back and rub its face. A hateful glare surfaced then the struck Galub shook its head and ran after the other three.


    "There''s people going missing," the two-horn said. "Big-fat says there''s carded somewhere."


    "But there be no portal," the Galub responded, still rubbing its face.


    "Who can say," the two-horn grunted. "This blasted city has more hidey-holes than a Glendagon anthill. It''s more than possible for there to be one somewhere."


    He is way smarter than the other ones, Irwin thought, focusing on keeping his breathing as calm and quiet as possible. If they could capture this one, they could get so much more information!


    The Galubs continued walking further away, and Irwin looked back at the alleyway where Daubutim had disappeared. They weren''t paying attention! If he angled away from the opening, he could run back now! He began to sneak back when the door swung open, slamming into the wall.


    "There you are, Ulrop," a voice eerily similar to Ulrop''s came from the door at the end of the worn-down park.


    Irwin froze and moved back to the bushes, peeking through another hole. A second two-horn, almost a duplicate of the one called Ulrop, was walking through the door, closing it behind him.


    Too close, he thought as he swallowed. If he had run just now, that one would have spotted him!


    "Lardur. Go back and warn Blendir not to be late again!"


    "You don''t order me around," the two-horn growled, stopping a foot from the other one.


    For a moment, Irwin thought they were going to fight, then they growled, and each took a step to the side before they walked past each other. The Galubs that had been sitting at the door followed Lardur, and Irwin held his breath as they passed him.


    "You stay here and call me if you see any carded!" Ulrop said.


    "Yes, Ulrop," two of the Galubs responded, but the two-horned was already through the door, slamming it shut behind him.


    Irwin waited until Lardur''s group left, and the other Galubs sat back down. Right, now go back to sleep so I can leave, he thought, staring at them.


    He waited long minutes, but the Galubs were just standing there looking around. Daubutim was still not back, and he was starting to get worried. He tried to distract himself by thinking about what he had just heard.


    So there are two stronger Galubs: the Big Fat guy and Doomblade Hardswing. They also know we are here, but they haven''t found the portal.


    He frowned as he wondered if they had been spotted or if the Galubs simply assumed they were here based on their missing people.


    People, Irwin thought with a frown. Those two two-horned had spoken far better than the others he had seen so far. They did almost seem like people. He shivered as he wondered if they had families.


    It took almost an hour before the lazy Galubs abided by his wishes, and by then, Irwin''s legs were cramped. Taking a deep sigh, he looked up and was incredibly relieved to see Daubutim back in the alley. The other boy waved, then motioned for him to stay when Irwin got up. To Irwin''s surprise, Daubutim ran towards him before quietly sitting down as if he''d not just done something dangerous.


    "I''m-" Irwin began, wanting to say he was glad the other was alright, but Daubutim raised a hand to quiet him.


    "Let''s check the windows," Daubutim whispered.


    Irwin nodded, and they snuck towards the nearest shuttered window. From a distance, it looked like a sturdy piece of wood, but as they closed in, Irwin saw dark mold and dust caked on the dark stone below. With a frown, he slowly poked his finger at the wood and then through. A hole appeared, the edges crumbling down.


    Daubutim just shrugged, so he carefully created a hole large enough to see through. Beyond the hole was a wall, no cries of outrage or anything.


    If we open this, they will see, Irwin suddenly thought, pulling his hand back. He misjudged his angle, making the hole even larger. Bigger than his head now, he wanted to curse.


    "They will see," he whispered.


    Daubutim was looking at the hole, a confused and worried look on his face, and Irwin gritted his teeth. By Gelwin''s beard. As soon as something happened that he hadn''t practiced, Daubutim just couldn''t cope!


    Taking a deep sigh, he looked at the bushes, but there was no sign of movement. The snoring was all the indication he had that the Galubs were still there.


    He hesitated for only a moment, then opened a larger hole. As quietly as he could, he pulled himself up and looked through. A corridor paved with neat stone tiles, and a dull plastered wall ran left and right. Left seemed to end with a corner. The right way had a few openings, hallways or doors, and there was a door at the far end.


    Ten seconds later, he and Daubutim stood inside, a large hole in the window behind them. The torchlight from outside leaked in through the window, and the outside sounds were slightly muffled.


    "Let''s get out of here before someone notices and comes to check," Irwin whispered. "We should scout around a bit."


    Daubutim''s eyes almost seemed to light up, and he nodded, shoulders straight. He suddenly reminded Irwin of a hound commanded to be at attention. He shoved the idea away, berating himself for it. Daubutim wasn''t a hound!


    The other motioned him to go ahead, and Irwin focused fully on the task of watching and listening for Galubs. It reminded him of when they had just reached this shard world. They moved to the first hallway, which proved a foot deep with a door at the end. To Irwin''s suprise, this one had an actual keyhole. Putting his hand on the door lever, he hesitated, then slowly pushed. Silent and smooth the lever went down and the door opened with a tiny click. Daubutim nodded, raising his sword, and Irwin tightened his grip on his own as he pushed open the door, ready to rush in if needed.


    A slightly disordered but otherwise normal-looking room lay beyond. Seeing no movement, Irwin jumped inside. There was a bed, a table, chairs, and- It looks just like the ones outside... do they only have one type of room? The bed linen was crumpled, and though he saw dust in places, most of the room seemed remarkably clear.


    "Empty," he whispered belatedly.


    Daubutim followed him in, and they searched the room, finding three mostly filled water bags.


    "This room seems¡­ used," Irwin whispered as he looked around. "Do you think it belongs to one of those two-horns?"


    "Perhaps," Daubutim responded.


    After a careful check in the hallway, they left the room and moved to the next door. Another similar room and two new water bags. Slowly getting emboldened, Irwin continued checking the rooms. All of them were empty, and they didn''t find any food, but Irwin wasn''t unhappy. He gulped down two partially filled water bags. They had no room for them, and he was still thirsty. He ignored Daubutims look as he put the second down.


    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    "I wonder what''s behind the final door," he muttered as they got ready to go through.


    Daubutim didn''t respond, and Irwin shrugged as he checked, then headed back into the empty hallway. The final door had no lock and a larger handle. Just as he put his hand on it, he froze. Dull voices came from behind. He spun around, but the hallway was still empty.


    Are they coming from outside¡­ or... better not risk it.


    He focused on the door, quickly but carefully pulling it open. A large hallway sat behind it, dark wooden staircases at the back leading to other floors. A shove in his back caused him to stumble into the room, and his heart rate surged as he turned just in time to see Daubutim pull the door close.


    Before he could ask, Daubutim turned his eyes wide as he looked around, squinting. "We need to hide."


    His tone caused Irwin to shiver. What did he see? He didn''t bother asking but looked around for the nearest door. Not too far was a small one with a lock, and he almost ran there, his feet tapping too loudly on the stone tiles for his liking. As he put his hand on the handle, he heard a soft sound from inside the room, and he yanked his hand back as if bitten.


    Left was another door, and he ran there. A quick listen showed nothing, and he had his hand on the door when the one they had just come in through swung open. In a single move, he opened the door and jumped inside, sword raised. Daubutim was behind him, closing the door.


    Around him was a huge kitchen with tables covered with shattered pots and pans and ransacked cupboards. Ovens lined the left wall, and two narrow passages sat opposite them, leading away.


    Dull shouts came from behind.


    They found us, Irwin thought as he spun to Daubutim. The noble boy''s eyes were sharp, but his face pale as a sheet as he looked around. Behind the door, they heard someone yank open doors and shout inside, causing more shouting to respond.


    Irwin made a decision and rushed to one of the two hallways leading out of the kitchen. "This way," he whispered. There was a gasp, then Daubutim followed.


    The narrow passage curved ahead, and after only ten paces, they reached a four-way intersection.


    "Always left," Daubutim whispered. "Back will always be right then."


    Irwin blinked, wondering why that didn''t make sense, then turned left, running faster. Behind them he heard a door open and shouting.


    They''re in the kitchen!


    A hundred feet, another intersection, again left. Then a short flight of stairs. They ran up and reached another intersection. Then another. The sounds behind them slowly died out.


    Irwin kept running until he didn''t hear anything from behind, then he slowed to a walk. How many lefts had they taken? How could anyone ever find their way here? It was pitch dark, and even his darkvision couldn''t make out more than a ruddy red outlining. At the next intersection, he stopped, looking left, then right, then ahead.


    "What now?" he whispered anxiously.


    "We took seventeen turns left and moved up nine flights of stairs," Daubutim replied softly.


    Irwin turned to gaze at the boy, noticing him looking around with fear in his eyes. His eyes kept wandering around, searching for something. Probably light.


    Should I summon my flame? Irwin thought for a moment. After a moment, he decided against it. He thought about asking Daubutim where to go, then stopped. The boy wouldn''t know¡­. but perhaps.


    "What are the benefits of going up versus going down?" he asked.


    Daubutim blinked, then frowned. "Down will return us to the ground floor, meaning an easy way to flee into the city if we can find an exit. Up will bring us closer to the top of the building. Based on what we heard, that should be where Doomblade is. And the cards."


    There is no use going back now, Irwin thought. They might not get back inside, and even if they did, it wouldn''t be safer than now. Still¡­ it might be a good idea to find a place to hide for a day. Let the tumult behind them die down.


    "Let''s go up and find a quiet place to hide," he whispered.


    "Quieter than this?" Daubutim hissed.


    "One where I can summon my flame without drawing attention," Irwin replied. "Can you memorize where we are going even if we don''t go left?"


    Daubutim grunted. "Yes, but if we get split up, you won''t find your way back."


    Irwin hesitated, then sighed. "Then let''s not get split up," he replied, walking forward.


    They continued forward, this time taking each path that led to a flight of stairs. Ten minutes of walking in the dark later they heard dull noises coming from the passage to the right. After a whispered conversation, they slowly continued forward.


    A hundred feet later, a flickering glow came from the end of the corridor. They snuck forward and reached a large, low-ceilinged room with corridors leading away on all sides. A set of chains hung down from the ceiling, moving through a hole in the center of the room. A low wooden fence sat around it, barely knee-high. A chatter of voices rose from below.


    Irwin crept forward and, holding his breath, took a quick look over the edge.


    A large chandelier hung a foot below him, blocking a large part of the view but not all of it.


    A throne room? Irwin thought as he gazed at the long purple and golden carpet that led up to a white throne that stood almost against the back wall. Scarlet and azure gemstones sat in the sides, and a long-limbed Galub sat atop. Two smaller horns sat on each side of its head, with a larger one next to the left one, gleaming dangerously. Red hair grew from the back of his head, pulled back in a tight ponytail that clashed harshly with the green of his skin. Leaning against the throne was a slab of iron roughly shaped like a sword or paddle.


    A dozen two-horned Galubs stood before the throne, talking rapidly, and Irwin noticed a scowl forming on the seated Galub''s face.


    "- find any carded, Doomblade," a two-horn shouted over the others.


    "Shut up!" the three-horn roared.


    The group of Galubs took a step back as Doomblade rose.


    "You will find those carded and bring them here! I can barely remember the screams of the last group, and I grow bored! You will find them, or I''ll grab a few of you to feed the Bablibon!"


    The Galubs froze, then turned and spirited away, leaving the three-horned Doomblade alone before the throne. It gritted its teeth, and then when they were gone it snarled, turning to the sword. It whispered something, and Irwin''s eyes widened in surprise.


    Just a little bit more before¡­ what? he thought. Below him, Doomblade walked around the throne, disappearing from view.


    A tap on his shoulder almost made Irwin jump in fright. Daubutim sat beside him, hand raised and squinting down. He beckoned, and Irwin followed him back to the corridor.


    "What happened?"


    "Doomblade is a three-horn," Irwin whispered.


    Daubutim''s face fell. "Then we can''t fight him until we get more cards," he whispered. "We should try and steal them without him finding us."


    Irwin agreed, and he looked around. "Let''s see where these paths lead us," he whispered.


    "Alright, but we need a place to rest," Daubutim whispered. He frowned, then shook his head. "And we need to find more food if we are to stay here."


    Irwin thought back to the kitchen. He hadn''t seen any food, only broken shelves, and cupboards.


    They circled the chandelier hole, moving through the corridor ahead of them. It quickly ended in another room with boxes around the sides. A quick inspection showed they were full of candles or something that looked a lot like them. At the back of the room was a rectangular hole with the ends of a ladder poking out. From what Irwin could see, it led to the floor below and into a tiny room.


    "Let''s check the other corridors first," he whispered. Daubutim merely grunted in response.


    Ten minutes later, they were back in the box-filled room. The other corridors had led to dead-ends, most with ladders that led down to the floor below. As this room led to the one behind the throne room, they decided to scout it first. Doomblade had to keep the cards somewhere.


    "I''ll go first," Irwin whispered, steeling himself.


    The ladder didn''t as much as creak when he climbed down, and when he reached the floor, he saw a small room with a single door and more boxes. A few hesitant moments later, he beckoned Daubutim. There was no reaction. Can''t see me, he thought as he ticked the ladder. A soft rustle from above indicated that Daubutim was moving down.


    "What if that three-horn is there?" Irwin whispered as he held the door handle and licked his lips.


    "Do you hear anything?"


    Irwin put his head against the door, but there was no sound from behind.


    "No."


    "If there''s something there, close the door, and we go back up. We know the way, and it didn''t seem like anyone else was up there."


    Heart rate spiking, Irwin slowly opened the door. A soft flicker of torches came from around a set of boxes blocking his view. Pulling the door fully open, he saw that there was a narrow path left. Then he froze as he heard a soft sound.


    Is that breathing?


    He swallowed as a grinding sound came from behind the boxes as if something massive had moved. It was followed by a dull rattling sound, and the boxes shook slightly. Then it was quiet again, and the breathing resumed. Very quietly, he pulled the door closed again, and when it was shut, he drew a shuddering breath.


    "Up," he whispered.


    When they were back in the room above, Irwin sat down. He had a cold sweat on his forehead.


    What was that?


    "What did you see?" Daubutim whispered.


    "Nothing, but I think there''s something big in that room," Irwin replied. "I heard breathing... it sounded like a smith''s bellows!"


    Daubutim didn''t respond immediately, then he sighed. "Let''s go to one of the other ladders and see if we can find food. If we can''t, we will have to find a way outside again."


    Irwin nodded but remained seated for a few more moments. When he finally felt the shaking of his hands stop, he rose.


    I hope there''s only one of these things, he thought.


    --


    Irwin lost any sense of time as they explored the large castle. Most of it was empty, with any room not occupied seemingly having been looted. Hungry and tired, they continued on until they stood before a wider corridor. There was a set of double doors at the end with metallic handles. Deep gauges in the wood and splinters on the ground showed someone had attempted to open it, probably unsuccessfully.


    "If there''s nothing here, we go back," Daubutim said.


    Irwin didn''t respond, knowing Daubutim couldn''t see the door. Let''s just check, he thought, wondering if Daubutim could even find the way back. Taking a deep breath, he snuck forward, noting the lack of dust on the path. At the door, he put his head against it and, when there was no sound, put his hand on the handle.


    Tiny blue bolts of lightning sparked from the handle, running across his hand as all of his muscles spasmed.


    "What the-" Ambraz grunted from his pocket as the lightning rippled towards that spot, moving unnaturally across his clothing. A deep gong sound came from the door, drumming through the walls and outside, so loud Irwin covered his ears in shock. Then the door opened, a crisp blue light streaming out.


    Irwin heard Daubutim''s startled shout as he saw a massive room expand before him. In the center hovered a bluish flame surrounded by a circle of nine large anvils.


    Distant shouts distracted him, and he took a quick look behind. There was nobody there, but he wondered how long that would-


    "Get in there!'' Ambraz hissed as the tiny Anvil flew out of his pocket, dropping on his shoulder. "Hurry!"


    Irwin hesitated for a second, then stepped into the room. A tingling sensation ran through him as more lighting rippled across his clothing, moving towards and into Ambraz.


    Behind him, he heard a surprised shout, and he spun to see Daubutim rebound from what looked like a sheet of blue glass that blocked the door.


    "Ah, dammit, right," Ambraz muttered, and Irwin felt his weight disappear as the Anvil flew back through the door. The sheet of blue, glowing glass didn''t stop him at all, and he dropped onto Daubutim''s shoulder.


    "Get through before those things reach us," Ambraz snapped.


    Daubutim reacted instantly, pushing himself up and jumping inside in a single move. This time he made it through as the lightning moved to Ambraz.


    "Close the door," Ambraz ordered, and Daubutim yanked it closed while Irwin stared at the Anvil.


    "What is this place?" Irwin asked, his whispered voice echoing hollowly throughout the otherwise empty room.


    "It''s a place of worship," Ambraz said as he flew forward. "I don''t know who built this city, but whoever they were, they had good taste. That''s an altar dedicated to the Anvils of the Gods."


    "Anvils?" Irwin muttered as he carefully moved towards the flame.


    There was no heat coming from it though he saw the heat waves around it.


    "Yes, yes. I told you before, there are more of us," Ambraz said as he flew towards the Anvils. "This place is ancient! There have been eleven Anvils for over a thousand years by now!"


    Something crashed into the door behind them, followed by a roar of anger. "Open that thing! If they can get in, so can we!"


    Irwin shivered as he heard Doomblade''s voice. More strikes rebounded on the door, muted and dull.


    "There is no other way out," Daubutim said.


    Irwin spun in a circle, noticing that Daubutim was right. Beyond the flame and the anvils, there was nothing else here.


    "We are trapped," he whispered, his fear growing.


    "Of course not!" Ambraz said, turning to them, his lips curved in a wide grin. "From here, we can go anywhere in this city."

 Chapter 35: Smithies and Libraries

    Irwin stared at Ambraz as the Anvil hovered in the center of the flame. It had been there for a long time now, hours at the least. How much longer, he thought as he took another bite of dried carrot. Staying here was boring, though the benefit was that the banging had stopped a while ago.


    "They have left," Daubutim said from the door. "There might be a guard left."


    Irwin let out a sigh of relief as he leaned his head against the wall. "Good," he whispered. "The constant slamming was making my head hurt."


    "I don''t think we can leave that way," Daubutim said.


    "Probably not, so let''s hope Ambraz knows what he is talking about," Irwin muttered.


    "Of course, I know what I''m talking about," Ambraz said as he flew away from the flame and towards Irwin. The heat radiating from the Anvil showed the effect of the blue flame, and Irwin basked in the comfortable sensation. He wondered how hot it really was when Daubutim backed away.


    "Not all of this city''s smithies managed to survive the shattering, but there are three points we can travel to," Ambraz said as he hovered over the anvils and landed atop the one nearest to Irwin.


    "Travel? Like the teleport the sorcerers used?" Irwin asked.


    "Yes, but only from here to one of the smithies in the city," Ambraz said. "I know where they are now and most of the layout of the city!"


    "Do you know where Doomblade is keeping his cards?" Irwin said as he perked up.


    "What? No, how would I know that?"


    Irwin shrugged.


    "Well, this one will take us to the smithy in the main castle, which is the building we are in," Ambraz said as he flitted to another two anvils, landing on them in quick succession. "This one and this one will bring us to another two further out in the city."


    "Can we teleport from there to here?" Daubutim asked as he walked away from the door.


    "Yes," Ambraz said. "Now, though I don''t know where the cards are, there are two places I can think of. The throne room has a tower above it. The highest room above it would, by my first guess. If not that, the library at the other side of the castle."


    Irwin looked at Daubutim, who was frowning.


    "The smithy in the castle, is it close to either of those two places?" Irwin asked.


    "We can get to the library quickly from there, but it''s pretty far from the throne room," Ambraz said.


    If it''s far from the throne room, that means there is a big chance there are no Galub''s there, Irwin thought. He looked at the few roots in his backpack. They had plenty of water but would run short on food soon. If they headed to the tower and got stuck again¡­


    "Let''s go to the library first," he said. "If there''s nothing there, we can return here and go back into the city and return to our hideout."


    "A good plan," Daubutim said as he nodded.


    Ambraz didn''t comment, but Irwin saw the Anvil''s lips curl up for a moment.


    "Alright, come to this one then," the Anvil said as he rushed to the initial Anvil he''d been sitting on. "Put your hands on it."


    Irwin and Daubutim moved forward before they stood before the Anvil. Irwin noticed tiny glyphs on the top, etched in the metal and glowing. He''d not noticed before due to the light cast by the blue flame. He took a quick look at that, wondering how hot it was.


    "Irwin," Daubutim rumbled, his hand on the Anvil.


    "Right!" Irwin put his hand on the corner of the Anvil, noting that it wasn''t as cold as he had expected. Instead, it was slightly warm, and vibrations seemed to come from inside.


    "Here we go," Ambraz said.


    Before Irwin could blink, the world around them changed into a swirling mass of molten metal. It lasted for two heartbeats, which he knew as they thundered in his ears, then it disappeared, and they were surrounded by darkness. Irwin blinked in surprise as the room around him slowly came into focus. It was as if a glowing coal had appeared, illuminating everything.


    Ambraz sat on an anvil similar to the one they had been touching before. Hammers the size of his body hung from hooks on the wall behind it. Taking a step back, he spun around slowly, checking if they were alone.


    There was no movement in the small recess in which they stood, but there was no wall behind them, and beyond it, he saw a larger room.


    "Wait here," he whispered at Daubutim, who stood frozen in place, looking around with blind eyes.


    Just this night-vision would make my card better than a common, Irwin thought suddenly. He grinned as he snuck toward the other side of the small recess and stared out into the room beyond.


    Bellows and dark, unlit forges lined the left side while dozens of anvils in different sizes were arranged seemingly haphazardly around the room. Tables with pieces of metal, tools and-


    Hammers! Irwin thought as he looked at a hammer on the nearest table. He held back from rushing into the room, instead looking around. There was a single massive door at the far right side, closed and barred with a beam of gleaming metal. How is this barred from the inside? Irwin thought, then turned back to the teleporter anvil. Right, they must have left through that. He looked around for other exits, but besides some holes high in the ceiling, he saw nothing.


    "There''s nobody here, and the room is locked," he whispered as he walked back to Daubutim. "I''m going to summon my flame. Close your eyes."


    Daubutim covered his eyes, and Irwin raised his hand, focusing on his flame. As it burst alight above his hand, the room around them turned clear, the hammers gleaming on the walls.


    "I wonder who used those," Irwin thought out loud as he stared at them.


    "Those are mauls," Daubutim said as he peeked through his fingers. "Those look like the one a carded warrior I''ve seen uses."


    Irwin nodded, wondering if he even knew anyone that could even lift it. It seemed a tall order, even for Daubutim. Then he thought about the hammers on the table.


    "Ambraz, there are hammers here!"


    "Yes¡­ and you are surprised why?" Ambraz said with a wide grin on his anvil-side.


    Irwin could hear the laughter in the other''s voice, and he shrugged.


    Right.


    They moved into the room and began looking around, but besides more metal than Irwin had ever seen, the only interesting things were the hammers, which were far heavier than he had imagined.


    "I don''t know if I can even carry this," he grunted as he struggled to hold up a hammer with a haft as long as the lower arm and a head as big as two grown man''s fists.


    "It will be hard at first, but that''s a very high-quality smithing hammer. It''s also one that can be used-" Ambraz stopped talking as Irwin put it back with a resolute shake.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    "I can''t carry this if we have to run away," he said, looking around to find a smaller one.


    "Hmm¡­ I forget how weak you still are," Ambraz said before sighing sadly. "Fine, this one then." He flitted to another table, and Irwin followed him to find a much smaller hammer on the table. Its handle was slightly shorter, curved, and with a hole in the end. The head was only as big as one fist.


    Irwin picked it up, noting that it was still heavy, but he could manage with one hand, though it wobbled dangerously. Looking at the hole, he wondered what it was for.


    "This is a traveling hammer," Ambraz said. "Not really meant for forging, but more for undenting armors. Still, it''s the lightest here."


    "Alright, I''ll bring it," Irwin said as he looked at it with a frown. Was he going to have to carry it in hand all the time?


    "Good! Then after we find those cards, we can start practicing," Ambraz said, sounding delighted.


    Why the cards first? Irwin thought as he looked at the Anvil, then around.


    "Shouldn''t we just start now? We can-"


    "No, no, no. The first part of your practice will involve a ritual which we can''t do inside a shard world," Ambraz said. "If you are to become a true smith, we can''t skip steps!"


    "Ritual?"


    "Yes. A ritual to signal your start in the holy profession," Ambraz said.


    Irwin looked at Daubutim, who was dumbly staring at the Anvil. Irwin shrugged. He didn''t know what kind of ritual it was, but he wondered if it couldn''t just be skipped. Still, hearing Ambraz getting worked up, he decided against mentioning it.


    "Fine. Let''s go and look at the library," Irwin said. He didn''t expect the cards to be there, or if they were, probably under heavy guard.


    The bar before the door was a heavy thing, and it took both of them to lift it off. When it was finally on the ground, Irwin looked at it, then the door.


    "What if the Galubs find the door is now open?"


    "There is nothing we can do about that," Ambraz said.


    "Can they use the teleporter anvil?" Irwin asked.


    "No. Impossible," Ambraz said with a shake. "They probably won''t even recognize it for what it is. And if they do, they can''t move it."


    Irwin hoped Ambraz was right as he released his flame. A sharp breath came from Daubutim.


    "Sorry," Irwin whispered.


    "It''s alright. See if it''s clear?"


    Irwin nodded and pulled at the door, which was heavy but opened smoothly. A wide hallway lay before it, and he froze in shock. Figures of fully armored warriors lined the walls, and it took him a moment to realize they were statues. Seeing no movement, he snuck out and moved to the nearest statue. It was a bit taller than him but four or five times as thick and wide, with arms like a grown man''s upper leg. Helmets covered the faces, so he had no idea what they looked like, but something told him they weren''t human.


    He moved through the rest of the hallway towards an intersection, and when he reached it, he wanted to sigh. Another maze of hallways and corridors led deeper into the building.


    I hope Ambraz knows where to go now, he thought. Then he blinked. Wait, how does he even know?


    When he reached Daubutim, he quickly explained what he''d seen before turning to Ambraz.


    "How do you know where to go?"


    "Connecting to the anvil''s teleporter network shows a map of the city," Ambraz said. "Now, let''s go!"


    The Anvil flitted forward, and Irwin grabbed Daubutim''s hand, pulling him along after the Anvil.


    "Don''t go so fast," he hissed. "We could run into Galubs!"


    Ambraz slowed at the end of the statue-lined hallway, waiting for them.


    "We should go slow and scout," Daubutim whispered, and Irwin was surprised to see he was glaring at Ambraz.


    "Right, right," Abmraz whispered as he landed on Irwin''s shoulder. "I''ll just give directions then! Left and straight ahead!"


    They continued through a similar maze of hallways and larger rooms, and as they continued, Irwin became more and more confused. Torches hung everywhere, lighting up most of the area.


    Why aren''t there more Galubs? Irwing thought. He was pretty convinced there was one of those demons Ambraz had talked about, but still- shouldn''t there be patrols?


    "The library entrance is in the next room," Ambraz whispered, and Irwin stopped, staring at the room ahead.


    "Why are there torches and no Galubs," he whispered.


    "I don''t know, but keep going," Ambraz whispered. "If they put up torches here, that''s a good sign!"


    Irwin hesitated, then snuck forward, sword raised and ready to summon his flame. He almost stepped into the room, barely managing to stop in time as he saw a pair of two-horned Galubs flank the side of an ornate double door. His foot scraped across the floor, and as his skin crawled, he pulled back. He only just saw one of the Galub''s turn as he retreated into the hallway. He held his breath as he stood motionless, back pressed against the wall. A few moments went by, and he didn''t hear anything. Looking up, he saw that Daubutim had his sword and shield in hand, eyes on the hallway entrance.


    That nearly went-


    A soft tap was all the warning they got as the guards jumped around the corner.


    "Carded!" the left one hissed. "I''ll hold them, you-"


    Daubutim barrelled into the one speaking, barely missing its neck with his sword.


    "Get the other one," he snapped. "Left foot, neck, neck, stomach-burn!"


    Irwin''s body moved before he could even think about it, and he jumped forward, landing on his left foot and slashing at the other guard. The two-horn''s sword flashed up to meet his, but Irwin hadn''t put much power behind it. As soon as he saw the other''s guard up, he pulled back and slashed around from the other side. With the one-horns, that would have been the end of it, but the two-horn''s sword moved with a snap, and a clank came as Irwin''s second attack was blocked. His hand tingled, but he ignored it as his left hand moved forward, flame appearing as he struck at his opponent''s stomach. Before the flame could reach, the two-horn dodged back.


    Daubutim was circling the other one, blocking its way back, his sword flashing forward and around, but constantly met by the other.


    "We can take them," the two-horn in front of him whispered. "This one is slow and unsteady. Hold that one, I''ll-"


    "Don''t give him time," Daubutim snapped, and Irwin moved forward into a two-step swing attack that ended with a slash at the arm. The two-horn''s grin widened as he blocked the attack, slashing back and almost catching Irwin''s own sword arm.


    "You will regret coming here," the Galub said with a grin.


    Irwin felt the sweat run down his face, his breathing ragged. He''d fought plenty of one-horns by now, but this two-horn was faster than him and had more experience. A quick look showed that Daubutim hadn''t managed to get through the other one''s defense yet, and a frown was on his face. The ringing of swords was becoming faster and louder.


    Someone is going to hear! We need to hurry.


    Gritting his teeth, Irwin stared at the Galub, and a wild idea came to him. His healing was really fast¡­ what if he did something reckless? He licked his lips, stepping back a bit, trying to look afraid. It didn''t take much effort, and from the hungry grin on the Galub''s face was successful. Irwin swung at the other''s left arm, and the Galub easily dodged. Noting it was left, Irwin made the same attack, but clumsily, and again the Galub grinned and sidestepped. This better work, Irwin thought as he attacked a third time. He saw the Galub''s eyes widen in glee, but as the Galub sidestepped, Irwin stepped forward, heedless of the other''s sword, flame forward. Even though he had expected it, he felt panic rise as the Galub''s sword shot forward, a wicked frown on the Galub''s face.


    Too fast! Irwin thought, desperately trying to dodge the blade aimed at his chest. He''d hoped to take a small cut and still jab his flame into the Galub, but this? Pain flashed up as the rusty shortsword cut through his coat and the skin beneath, his flame nowhere near the Galub.


    Stumbling back, he barely managed a backhanded slash to block a slice at his face.


    "No-" the Galub''s surprised shout was cut short as a sword punctured his neck from the side.


    Irwin saw Daubutim rip his sword free, a splatter of blood on his cheek, and a cold gleam in his eyes.


    "We have to leave. Someone will have heard," the taller boy said.


    Irwin swallowed, raising a hand to his chest and feeling them come back hot and wet. The bright blood on his fingers gleamed in the torchlight.


    "It''s not deep! We will check later. Come!" Daubutim hissed as he pulled him away towards the door. "Let''s check quickly, so we know what they were guarding!"


    Irwin nodded dumbly, noting that the other two-horn lay on the ground with a slashed-out throat.


    "Irwin!" Daubutim hissed, and Irwin looked up. His head felt stuffy and-


    Pain came from his cheek as his head flipped sideways, and suddenly he could think. He heard shouting in the distance and his own ragged breathing. Daubutim stared at him.


    "You back?"


    Irwin nodded, then swallowed and forced himself to walk to the door. The pain in his chest wasn''t too bad, but the blood seeping into his shirt felt odd and uncomfortable. He ignored it and pulled at the door, which swung open with little resistance.


    More torches lined the short sides of a dozen bookcases arranged along the walls. Oddly, a bed stood in the middle of the room while tables covered in opened books were shoved to the side against one of the bookcases. A small staircase at the back led up to another floor, and looking up, Irwin saw multiple levels of balconies until they reached a chandelier at the top of the wall.


    "There are cards in here," Ambraz snapped as he shot up and hovered before the bookcases.


    Irwin looked at the floating Anvil, the mention of cards wiping away the rest of the clutter in his mind. Daubutim shut the door behind him before pulling him towards one of the larger tables.


    "We need to block the door!"


    Irwin stumbled forward, then stopped and shook his head. What? "No¡­ we will be stuck in here!" he said.


    "If we don''t get those cards now, we will not get another chance," Daubutim replied as he pulled a massive table towards the door.


    "If we get stuck here, we will die," Irwin snapped in response, a timely shout from behind the door giving more credibility to his point.


    Daubutim stopped, glancing up at him, then at the door, then around at the bookcases.


    Irwin saw the dullness return to his eyes, and he grit his teeth as the shouting behind the door increased.


    "Let''s just leave before-" he began when he stopped mid-sentence as his muddled mind reminded him of something. He looked up with a snap, staring at the ceiling above the chandelier. Though small, he could see the rectangular hole behind it, just like in the throne room.


    "We can flee through there," he said as he pointed up.


    Daubutim followed his finger. "How do we reach it?"


    "Tie a rope to Ambraz and let him fly up, grow large, and we can climb up," Irwin replied, surprised at his own idea.


    Shouts came from beyond the door, closer now, and even if they had wanted to flee, it was too late now.


    "There is no rope," Daubutim hissed, and Irwin blinked. How had he forgotten that? He looked around, noting the bed. "The sheets!" he said. Daubutim didn''t look hopeful, but more shouts came from the hallway.


    "Help me block the door!" Daubutim said.


    Irwin ran forward, feeling his chest pull painfully as he began pushing the table. They shoved it before the door.


    "This will not hold them," Daubutim said before gritting his teeth and ducking below the table. Irwin looked in surprise as he shoved his sword between the ground and the door, kicking it in until it was secure. "Give me your sword," Daubutim whispered, and Irwin quickly slid his sword to the boy. It went below the second door.


    "Find the cards. I''ll keep the door blocked," Daubutim snapped.


    "Alright," Irwin replied, turning to Ambraz, who was hovering before one of the bookcases. "Where are the cards?"


    Ambraz turned. "I don''t know! There are enough so I can sense them, but I can''t determine where!"


    Irwin gritted his teeth and ran to the door when a loud bang hit it. He spun around, seeing the double doors shudder. Daubutim was shoving another table against the first.


    "Get the cards!"


    "Right!" Irwin ran to the bookcase and stared at the dozens of leatherbound backs.


    In the books? He yanked a book out and held it by the spine, shaking it. Nothing happened, and he dropped it, trying another, then another. Ten books in, the door was shaking from the rapid thudding, and he was starting to think he was wrong.


    "Hurry," Daubutim shouted.


    Irwin felt his panic grow as he pulled out another book. If we don''t find them, we have to leave! He thought. A soft sliding noise was followed by something falling from the book and ticking against the floor.


    A common card lay on the ground before his feet.

 Chapter 36: Hammering

    "There''s one!" Ambraz said, and he rushed forward, a hungry look on his face.


    Card! Irwin ducked and grabbed the card before the Anvil could¡­ what? Eat it? He didn''t know, but whatever it was, he needed to see if they needed it first.


    Flipping it around, he saw there was a simple dagger on the front.


    Combat card! Years of hoping and wanting one almost made him slot it before he recalled he didn''t need it.


    With a grin, he shoved it in his pocket before grabbing more books and shaking them. A dozen books later, he had four more cards, all common.


    "We need to leave," Daubutim cried.


    Irwin saw the sweat drip from Daubutim''s head as he stacked books atop the table, which shuddered violently. "The door won''t take this much longer!"


    "Alright, let''s leave," Irwin replied, grabbing four more books and shaking them. Another card slid out, and he snatched it as Daubutim reached him. The sheets of the bed were a crumpled ball in his arms. The desire to shake more books was almost too hard to resist, and Irwin was secretly a little happy when Daubutim pulled him along. Still, he managed to grab two more books. With no way to shake them and get the cards, he clenched them below his arms as he ran towards the staircase. Without Daubutim, the table was thudding, sliding back slightly.


    They ran up the stairs, over the wooden balcony to the next one, and then up those. Just as they reached the final floor, the door below slid open. Irwin looked over the wooden railing to see a massive two-horn run into the room. He wasn''t much larger than the other two-horns that followed him, but at least three times their weight and circumference.


    "Find them, or Doomblade will feed us all to that stupid monster!"


    Irwin swallowed as he looked up. The hole was at least fifteen feet up, and angry shouts came from below as he heard the Galubs spread out to search for them.


    "Ambraz-"


    "Yes, yes. Give me the corner," the Anvil hissed, flying to Daubutim, who was expertly slicing the sheets with his short sword. It almost seemed like he''d done something similar before.


    Watching the rope, Irwin quickly stuffed the two books in his bag. He''d check them later.


    "Tie," Daubutim whispered as he handed Irwin long lengths of the sheet, starting to tie them up himself.


    "Where are they!"


    Irwin swallowed at the angry roar. When he had tied up six lengths, Daubutim snatched them away, tying his to it before turning to Ambraz. The tall boy''s gleaming eyes suddenly turned dull as he looked at the Anvil.


    "Just give it here," Ambraz whispered, sounding annoyed as he bit into the end of the makeshift rope. Then he flew up, dragging it along.


    "What¡­? Up there! Stop them!"


    Irwin grimaced and waited as Ambraz reached the hole and vanished inside. There was a sudden loud thud, then a creaking from the ceiling.


    "Climb up!''


    Irwin didn''t have to think about it, but he jumped forward, grabbed the sheets, and pulled himself up. Only when he was halfway did he belatedly wonder if he even could reach the top. But there was barely any strain in his arms yet. He looked down to see Daubutim standing at the edge, staring up with burning eyes, swords in hands.


    "Hurry!''


    The shouting and running were close almost there when Irwin reached the edge and pulled himself up. Ambraz stood before him in his large form, the sheets below his massive bulk. He instantly felt the makeshift rope go taut, and a quick look showed Daubutim clamber up rapidly. Behind him, a two-horn appeared, swords in hands and an angry snarl on its face.


    "Hurry!'' Irwin shouted.


    "Pull him up," Ambraz said, and Irwin felt like kicking himself. If he''d let Daubutim go up first, the other could have easily pulled him up. With distress born of fear, he grabbed the sheets and tried to pull them up. It was so heavy he felt his fingers pop, and he growled as he tried to lift it up. Ever so slowly, he managed to pull it up half an arm''s length then his arm strength failed him. A hand reached for the edge of the wooden railing, and Daubutim pulled himself forward.


    "Cut it!" he shouted.


    Before Irwin could, Ambraz flashed and turned into his small form, and the sheet rope shot away and down, followed by a strangled cry.


    Irwin looked over the edge to see a two-horn on his back, eyes glaring up in anger before he scrambled up. Four more shoved in beside him, while behind them, a larger form appeared. Sickly red eyes sat in a large face and glared up at Irwin.


    "Don''t think you can get away! We will find you, and when we do-" the largest of the two-horns made an odd move with his fingers, a nasty grin on his face.


    Irwin stepped away.


    "Let''s get out of here," he said, a slow grin replacing his worry. "We got what we came for."


    "Some of it," Ambraz muttered.


    Irwin ignored the discontent-sounding Anvil and ran to the nearest corridor leading away.


    "This way," Daubutim whispered as he headed to another corridor.


    Irwin turned and moved after him, ignoring the angry shouting from below.


    Twenty minutes later, they had moved so far away that they didn''t hear any of the Galubs. They sat in another room with a ladder leading down, and Daubutim gave him a small look before nodding.


    "Down here and a few hallways further is the smithy. If we go in there and close the door, we will be safe."


    Irwin sighed in relief, following the other down the ladder. A quick look in the hallway beyond the door showed it was empty. Another few minutes later, they saw the entrance to the massive smithy appear in the distance. There were no signs of Galubs, but Irwin still snuck forward, listening every few moments until he was sure it was safe.


    When they finally closed the door and, with immense effort, managed to replace the large bar, he sagged on the ground in relief. He let out a sigh as he realized his sword was gone. He''d left it back in the library.


    "So! Let''s see what our troubles brought us," Ambraz said as he rushed towards a nearby table. "Come, come! Show me the ones you don''t want! I''ve not had a decent meal in¡­. Forever!"


    Irwin looked at Daubutim, who was staring at the Anvil with a frown before shrugging. To Irwin''s surprise, he put his hand in his pocket and removed two common cards.


    "How?"


    "They slid out while I was putting books on the table to weigh it down," Daubutim said.


    Irwin nodded, then took the books from his bag. Wondering if he was lucky, he picked them up and gave them a good shake. A single card ticked on the floor, and he grinned as he picked it up before heading to the table.


    Daubutim swiped his massive arm over it, clearing a space before he put his two cards down, face up, and Irwin followed his lead. A moment later, eight cards lay before them, a wealth far greater than Irwin had ever thought he''d see with his own eyes. Though they were all common, a look at the almost drooling Anvil widened his grin. The Anvil could turn some of these into uncommon!


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    The staggering wealth before him almost made Irwin want to laugh.


    He looked at the cards, and as he focused on the first one, a metallic spiked ball, he felt the second part of his Eyes of Blaze respond. He''d never paid much attention to it, but now he focused on it, trying to activate the ability. Slowly he felt his eyes begin to burn, and there was a surprised grunt from Daubutim. Irwin ignored it as he looked at the curly lines that appeared above the card. They looked like burning letters in the air.


    And, of course, I can''t read them, he thought with a weary sigh. What was he thinking? He really needed to learn how to read! Perhaps Daubutim could teach him?


    "That''s part of a morningstar," Daubutim said slowly as he looked at the first card. "Can you see what it does?"


    Irwin heard the desire in his voice, and he ignored the question as a surprised grunt escaped him. "Isn''t a morning star a weapon?" he asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Daubutim said. "But that''s only the head-part. I''ve seen commons like these. They can be used to augment others! My father has a spearhead card that one of his guards uses. It''s placed on a staff summoned by another card. It''s not as effective as a real weapon card, but-"


    Irwin stared at Daubutim, who continued talking rapidly, his eyes bright as he stared at the first card.


    I don''t really need that, he thought as he ignored the prattling and looked at the other seven cards.


    He glimpsed over the dagger, but his eyes widened when he saw two armor-type cards. One was a gleaming chestplate with the insignia of a bird claw on it, and the other was a pair of crossed armguards. He''d seen those before, on one of the top rangers. Then he noticed a card with two clenched fists knocked together. His frown turned to wonder as he saw the dull metallic sheen of the skin.


    A body strengthening card! Though it was only common, if he could have Ambraz reforge it into an uncommon, he could increase his physical strength much faster!


    It took him some effort to tear his gaze away from the fists and look at the remaining cards. One looked like a metal mug with odd patterns, another was a curled-up rope, and the last one was a collection of leaves seeming to blow in the wind.


    "Alright," Ambraz said as he whistled, a sound almost like a flute. "There are at least two good ones here! Impressive!"


    Irwin looked up, noticing that Daubutim did the same. When Ambraz didn''t speak, he coughed.


    "So? What do they do?" he asked.


    "Well, this should be the perfect time to use your Eyes of the Blaze," Ambraz said. "Why don''t you tell me?"


    "Because I can''t read, remember?" Irwin said dully.


    Ambraz turned to him, then sighed theatrically. "Fine! So, I probably don''t have to tell you that most of this is trash. Only Storm Leaves and Coperion Fists are really any good."


    Irwin saw a look of dismay come to Daubutim''s face, and the noble boy stared at the morningstar''s head.


    "What do they do?" Irwin asked quickly.


    "Coperion Fists are easy. They passively boost your strength and skin toughness, especially in the hands. They also give you the ability to change your hands to Coperion for a few minutes per day," Ambraz said with a grin, hovering above the fists. "They are also prime candidates for reforging!" Then he moved to the leaves. "Storm Leaves is a mental air skill that allows the one who has it to wield parts of the surrounding air. It''s not that impressive right now, as it could only blow out some candles, but they would be incredibly useful if reforged. Even more so than Coperion Fists!"


    Irwin stared at both with a frown. He''d thought the fists signified a full-strength card and was slightly let down. He still hadn''t figured out exactly what he wanted for his next card, but these didn''t seem all that great.


    "What''s that look?" Ambraz snapped. "Both are rarely seen commons, which would have fetched a nice price even at- err¡­. Never mind. Anyway, Coperion Fists can be reforged to Coperion Body or Greater Coperion Fists. Each has its uses, but-"


    Irwin''s eyes widened as he pointed at the card. "Will Coperion Body make my entire body tougher or something?"


    "Yes. You will turn denser, making it harder to pierce your skin and flesh. Normally that would cause its own problems, as it slows down the body''s natural healing, but you won''t have that problem. You might lose a bit of speed initially, but that should return as you grow stronger."


    Irwin glanced at Daubutim. Luckily the other seemed absorbed by the morningstar card, not listening to Ambraz.


    "That actually sounds really good," he said as he focused on the Coperion Fists. The idea of his skin turning into some magical metal caused his eyes to glitter.


    "Good, and with all the other cards, I can easily reforge a few of these cards," Ambraz said as he looked at the rest of the cards. A silvery tongue licked his slate-like teeth. "Pick the ones you want, and we can get right to it!"


    Irwin stared at the Anvil, shaking his head stupidly. "I thought you couldn''t reforge them inside a common portal?"


    "Don''t tell me what I can and can''t do," Ambraz snorted. "This," and he whisked around the table in an odd pattern," doesn''t count as a common portal anymore! There''s a bloody Bablibon inside! With the energy that thing gives off, I could reforge something up to rare!"


    Irwin dumbly stared at the Anvil, then blinked stupidly. Why did he have such bad luck? The first portal he went into was on the cusp of going uncommon, and now he found one with some monster that made it count as a rare portal?


    "Now, chop chop! I''m hungry. Tell me which ones you want, and I''ll use the rest as fuel!


    Irwin looked at the cards and cringed at the prospect of something eating them.


    "Are you sure that''s a good idea?" he asked. "We could sell these and-"


    "No. He is right," Daubutim said. "We''ve got what we wanted, but getting out might prove hard. My father always says one shouldn''t linger. It will just invite trouble."


    Irwin frowned, then looked at the cards. The mental air card didn''t seem too helpful to him, but after some hesitation, he grabbed it and the Coperion Hands one. "Which do you want?" he asked.


    Daubutim grabbed the morning star head and the chestplate before frowning. His gaze was on the armguards, and Irwin could see him hesitate.


    "Ambraz, what do the armguards do?" Irwin asked.


    "Oh, those are one of those useless archer cards, Handful of Arrows. They allow you to summon arrows in your hand. Ten per hand, per day if I recall."


    Irwin gulped as he looked at the card, and he wasn''t surprised when Daubutim grabbed it. Having twenty arrows without having to carry them was... incredible! What did surprise him was that Daubutim stuffed the card in his pocket.


    "We should keep this," Daubutim said. "It is worth¡­ a lot. We can use it to bargain, trade, or sell it." His hand went to his pocket, almost protectively.


    It''s good, but it doesn''t seem like it''s worth more than the other cards, Irwin thought, surprised.


    "Fine, fine! So then the others are mine," Ambraz said.


    Before either of the boys could react, the Anvil dropped to the table and licked up the remaining cards. They disappeared into his mouth.


    "... what did they do?" Irwin asked, feeling slightly sad that the dagger was gone.


    "Nothing. A Booming Dagger. Ridiculous contraption that. The mug could create a cup of water every half an hour, and the other was just an Endless Rope," Ambraz said as he made an odd suckling noise.


    That doesn''t sound like nothing, Irwin thought, though he had to admit that he had no desire to slot either. Still, there would have been plenty of people overjoyed with them back home.


    A loud crunching and chewing came from Ambraz, and then he shone brightly for a moment. When the light was gone, he sighed.


    "Ahhhh, so good. Right! I can reforge three or four items now, depending on which ones," he said. "Let''s do it now before we return to the outside. If you two scream, at least nobody can enter here!


    Irwin paled, and he heard Daubutim audibly swallow. The image of Twintin screaming in agony was something he''d never forget.


    I wonder what happened to her, he thought, trying to suppress his desire to just slot the card as is.


    "What does the armor do," Daubutim asked as he held up the chestplate card.


    "That? Right now, it''s just a normal Rincian Steel Chestplate. It will repair itself when unsummoned."


    What''s Rincian Steel? Irwin wondered. He''d learned about most common metals, but this one never came up. He couldn''t recall Bronwyn ever mentioning it either.


    "And if you reforge it?" Daubutim asked, either knowing what it was or not caring.


    "I haven''t done one of those before, but I would expect it either covers more of your body or becomes a stronger material," Ambraz said, sounding uninterested.


    Daubutim nodded, his eyes gleaming. "And this," he asked as he held up the morning star.


    "Just a morning star head, also from Rincian steel. I could probably combine it with your club and turn it into a full morning star," Ambraz said.


    Daubutim stood up straight, his eyes suddenly gleaming. "Yes," he said as he stepped forward, hand raised. "Please do!"


    "Alright! Let''s get to work then," Ambraz said. "I would have preferred letting Irwin work on a few cards, but seeing as he has no knowledge, that''d be a waste." The Anvil flashed, and with a thunk, his larger form thudded on the ground. Amongst the other smithing tools and apparatus, it still stood out: dark, smooth, and flawless.


    Daubutim closed his eyes, and a moment later, his club hovered above his hand. He stared at it, and Irwin saw him hesitate before grabbing it.


    "Do I put my hand on top?" he asked.


    He seems unfazed by what is to come, Irwin thought as he stared at the taller boy. Then he noticed the paleness of his face and the sweat on his forehead. As tough as he looked, he was definitely afraid. He just¡­ cares more about the uncommon than the pain.


    "Put the morning star on first, then your hand. Oh, and remember. This will sting," Ambraz said. "Irwin, hold his arm in place."


    "Sting," Irwin hissed as he walked towards Daubutim. "I''ll try and hold you but..." he said, giving Daubutim a weak smile as he shook his head.


    "I won''t move," Daubutim stated, but Irwin saw his eyes widen. His face was now as pale as a sheet.


    "Here we go," Ambraz said cheerfully, and a sound like a hammer slamming into steel echoed throughout the room.


    Daubutim stood rigid, his eyes round, his mouth open in a silent scream, but Irwin felt no pull from him to try and remove his arm. A second hammer blow followed, and Daubutim let out a silent whimper. Another, a louder whimper, but still, he didn''t move. Then a howl.


    Soon, his howling hurt Irwin''s ears, and he had to avert his eyes from the boy. The pure agony and terror on his face were getting to him. Yet still, Daubutim''s hand didn''t move an inch.


    He is¡­ incredible, Irwin thought in between cringing from the howling and hammer strikes.


    Irwin had no idea how long it lasted, but at some point, he was flinching while there was no hammer strike. Daubutim was softly whimpering, tears running down his face and his jaw clenched.


    "Right, that''s one," Ambraz said.


    Daubutim stumbled back, yanking his hand back as he sank to his knees. His ragged breathing sounded like the bellows around them might have.


    "Are you-" Irwin swallowed as he felt his own legs give out. He thudded on his knees. "Are you alright?" he asked again.


    Daubutim didn''t respond but slowly raised his hand, staring at the back. A smile appeared on his tear and snot-covered face, and with a burst of light from his hand, a morning star appeared in his left hand. Its haft was longer than Daubutim''s arm, and there was a pommel in the shape of a bird''s head on the end. The spikes on the massive head glinted dangerously, and Irwin thought he saw thin red lines run through the dull gray metal.


    "It is fantastic," Daubutim croaked, his voice gone from the howling.


    "Yes, it came out surprisingly well," Ambraz said. "I outdid myself! It''s called Yighfin''s Slammer, and don''t ask what or who a Yighfin is. Those names¡­" Irwin could almost see the Anvil shrug.


    "Now then, let''s upgrade your Eyes of Blaze!"


    Irwin shivered, slumping on the ground as he looked at the Anvil. Perhaps he should have gone first. The screams of Daubutim were still echoing in his head.


    "You will survive," Daubutim croaked, and Irwin looked up to see the noble stare at him.


    "It is not just the cards that are reforged. I will hold you, and¡­ Irwin? Don''t hold in the screams. It helps."


    Not helping, not helping, Irwin thought as he began shaking uncontrollably. But as afraid of the pain as he was, he also felt a wonder, a desire, a hunger for the uncommon. Although he had a special card, it hadn''t actually felt like that. Now he would get his first real uncommon by his own power, a feat not even Bronwyn could say he had done yet.


    Feeling his momentary resolve slip, Irwin struggled up and closed his eyes. It took three tries to summon his Eyes of the Blaze, and by then, he wanted nothing more than to run and hide. Instead, he placed his hand on Ambraz, the metal surprisingly warm against his hand. Daubutim''s strong hands wrapped around his lower arm and elbow, and he got a nod from the boy. The approval and respect he saw in the other''s eyes barely reached him as he gritted his teeth.


    "Here we go," Ambraz said, and then something crashed into his hand, crushing his bones.

 Chapter 37: More pain

    Daubutim quietly held onto the shivering and screaming boys'' thin arms. His respect for Irwin grew with each passing moment.


    He has only tried to pull back a few times, he thought.


    Another loud strike hit the curious Anvil, and he forced Irwin''s hand to remain on the Anvil while he howled in agony. It wasn''t the first time Daubutim had heard something like that, and he shivered as he recalled the practice his father had forced upon him and his brothers. The nightmares from those days haunted him to this day. Still, there was a benefit. Without those sessions, he''d never have been able to hold his hand on that surface.


    No, he thought as he shivered at the memory. That sensation of his hand being crushed again and again had been horrible.


    The next bang didn''t occur, and he waited for a moment. Was it done? There had been eighty-seven strikes this time¡ªtwelve more than were needed for the morningstar.


    "Right, and another one done!"


    Daubutim was both surprised and annoyed by the cheery tone. He didn''t say anything and slowly led Irwin away. The scrawny boy had changed again, his arms having gained the barest hint of muscle. His gaze moved to Irwin''s hand. The middle card was still glowing, the lines clear as a painting. A pair of red eyes sat in the center, with a wide cone of fire bursting out towards the edge of the card.


    "Ugh," Irwin muttered, and Daubutim lowered him to the ground.


    "Rest. I''ll guard you," he said.


    Irwin muttered something he didn''t catch, and suddenly he began shivering. His teeth rattled, and his entire body seemed to vibrate.


    "What is going on?" Daubutim snapped as he looked up.


    "Ah, right! Forgot about that part," Ambraz said. "You might want to wake him up! He needs to use his flame and heat himself up, or he might die.."


    Daubutim blinked, his mind blank as he stared at the boy. What did that mean? With a jerk, he pulled Irwin back to his feet and slapped him across the face. There was a startled yelp, but he was glad to see Irwin wake up and look around in fear. He raised his arms as if to hit back, then his eyes widened, and he flung his arms around himself, shivering madly.


    "Co-ld," he said with chattering teeth.


    "Ambraz says you must summon your flame!" Daubutim ordered, using the commanding voice his father had taught him.


    Irwin blinked dully, then slowly raised his hand. A flame as long as his lower arm rippled above his hand, and intense heat washed over Daubutim.


    It became larger again, he thought as he gritted his teeth. And hotter. The heat was rapidly increasing to painfull levels.


    "Get- me. To-¡­ furnace," Irwin said haltingly.


    Daubutim nodded as he pulled him along toward one of the dark, cold and dead furnaces. The heat had turned scalding, and he felt blisters appear on his arms. Reaching the large, almost closet-like area, he shoved the boy inside. Irwin stumbled but managed to remain standing as he huddled in the center of the furnace. The coals below him were black, but within moments a dull glow began to appear on the outer ones.


    How hot is that flame? Daubutim thought as he watched the coals begin to turn dark red. And how could anyone still be cold standing that close to it?


    Irwin''s shivering had stopped, but he huddled on the glowing coals.


    What kind of card is that? Daubutim barely believed what he saw as the other boy pressed his flame into the coals, seeming intent on igniting the furnace. His movements were slow and unsteady, and his eyes kept blinking stupidly as if he was still half asleep.


    Slowly the coals turned orange and began to crackle. Heat wafted from the furnace, forcing Daubutim another few steps back. He quietly and in disbelief looked on as the coals turned white in the center, and the forge ignited in earnest. When flames reached up, curling around Irwin''s legs, he almost ran forward to pull the fool back. But Irwin didn''t shout or scream. He simply remained, letting the flames lick across his leather jacket, which was turning black and fizzling.


    Should I have undressed him? It''s too late now, Daubutim thought.


    He continued to watch over Irwin, who remained inside for at least an hour. At some point, his skin turned red. His leather jacket was black, parts flaking and falling off when Irwin suddenly yelped. Eyes wide and awake, he jumped out of the fireplace, running away as if he hadn''t just been standing inside.


    What now? Daubutim thought.


    When Irwin reached him, he felt the heat emanate from the boy.


    "Are you alright?" he asked. He had to repeat the question twice before he finally got an answer.


    "Yes¡­ Tired," Irwin replied with a loud yawn, swaying on his feet.


    Daubutim looked in wonder as Irwin took a few steps, lay down, and began snoring.


    "Is this normal?" he asked as he turned to the Anvil.


    "For him? Yes. It''s that second card of his! It''s pretty good, really. Surprisingly so. He will be a bit stronger again when he wakes. Good gains!"


    Daubutim had no idea what the Anvil meant, and he didn''t ask. So far, Ambraz had spoken in cryptic terms, referencing things he had never heard before. Ignoring the thing, he waited for a while, staring at Irwin. When he was sure the other was sleeping soundly, he turned to the Anvil.


    "Can you do my other card, or do you need to rest?" he asked, suppressing his rising fear.


    "Right away? Shouldn''t you wait for Irwin to wake and help you stay there?"


    Daubutim frowned as he heard the fake worry in the Anvil''s tone. His father had him practice with dozens of courtiers over the years to pick up the nuances of lies and deceit, and though Ambraz seemed genuinely interested in Irwin, Daubutim wasn''t sure why.


    I wish Dianor was here, he thought as he pictured his older brother. A desire to be reunited with his family threatened to engulf him for a moment. He knew they didn''t think too highly of him, but with the exception of their father, they had never acted upon it.


    Daubutim let the feelings linger for a moment, then, with well-practiced ease, pulled up the mental image of his old room. He pictured the familiar weapons on the wall and the chipped and worn training dummies. The more details he added, the calmer he became, and quickly his raging emotions faded. When he was sure he had them within his grip again, he realized Ambraz had said something as he was zoned out. Something about unbound cards and reforging.


    "What is the difference with reforging unbound cards?" he asked.


    "The difference is, like I just said, that I can''t do that inside a common world shard," Ambraz huffed. "Either you socket it now, or you will have to wait until we are outside."


    Daubutim bit his tongue. He''d almost said he''d wait. The Anvil''s words rang with truth, and he had no desire to go through the pain again. But his father''s gruff voice played through his mind. Never delay something just for convenience! Problems will crop up that make you wish you had done it the hard way! He had time now, and the only downside would be the pain.


    Steeling himself, he looked at his hand, then at the card with the chestplate. After debating it for a moment, he placed the new card on his hand. As it sank down, he shook his hand in disbelief. His father had told him not to slot any commons, and he had done so twice since leaving home. It was good that Ambraz could reforge them, or his father would have forced him to unslot them.


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    "If the option is to make it cover more versus becoming harder, try to make it harder," he said.


    "Oh? An unconventional desire, but alright," Ambraz said.


    Daubutim didn''t answer but placed his hand on the Anvil.


    My brothers, give me strength, he thought, picturing his siblings'' faces.


    ---


    Irwin woke up with a start. A vague and chaotic dream of being incredibly cold, then walking into a burning furnace to curl up in the flames faded.


    It was quiet in the room, and he shivered as the sensation of having his hand crushed, the bones turned to dust, and the skin ripped apart replayed in his mind.


    I don''t know if I can go through with that again, he thought as he let the painful memories wash over him. He shivered, then couldn''t hold back a groan and opened his eyes. He lay on the ground of the smithy, and as he pushed himself up, he saw Daubutim slumped on the floor. Ambraz was still in his larger form.


    I''m stronger, he thought as he raised his hand, staring at it dumbly.


    "Ah, finally woke up? I think all that screaming you two did finally drew a crowd!"


    Irwin pushed himself up, his mind too fuzzy to comprehend what Ambraz meant. "Wha-"


    A dull thud came from the door, loud enough to rattle it. Muted voices came from behind.


    He turned and almost fell as his legs threatened to buckle. The door shook again from a second hit.


    "They''ve been trying to get in for a while now," Ambraz mused. "Luckily that door was made to hold out far stronger things. Curious, that."


    A dull groan came from Daubutim, and Irwin turned to him. He vaguely recalled that the big boy had helped him somehow, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn''t remember what had happened after the reforging was complete.


    He did remember the forging, though. Memories of pain and screaming cropped up, and his hands began to shake. Later, he thought as he shoved the growing fear back. He was about to move to wake Daubutim when he recalled the previous time he''d done so. Not interested in getting assaulted, he gently kicked the larger boy''s leg.


    Daubutim moved with a start and pushed himself up to a standing position in a single motion, startling Irwin, who jumped back. Daubutim''s hands were up, his eyes open but appearing to see nothing as they flashed around.


    "Wu- what?" Daubutim said, blinking his bloodshot eyes.


    "Are you alright?" Irwin asked.


    "Yes," the boy replied, seemingly mechanically. Then he raised his hand, staring at it, and Irwin saw there was a third card outlining there. A chestplate with a bird''s claw on it.


    So, he slotted it, Irwin thought, staring at the now full hand of Daubutim. His hand unconsciously moved to his pocket, to where the Coperion Fists card sat. If he slotted that, he would be a full-hand! If I do that, I''ll have to go through that reforging again! No! He shivered, quickly focusing on Daubutim.


    "Congratulations."


    "Thank you," Daubutim said as he looked up. "Are you alright? You went into that furnace."


    I what? Irwin thought as he looked back dumbly. Then the dream came back, and he turned around to see a glowing furnace. How had he not seen that before? It hadn''t been a dream?


    "Right then, what will your second reforging be?" Ambraz asked, ripping him out of his attempt to remember the dream.


    "Second?" he muttered before turning to Daubutim.


    "He already reforged that chestplate," Ambraz said, humming approvingly. "As both of his weren''t that special-"


    Daubutim let out a strangled grunt, which Ambraz seemed to ignore.


    "-I have enough energy for one more! Which will it be?"


    "You, you did another one while I slept?" Irwin asked as he gaped at Daubutim. He''d thought Daubutim had just slotted the card, but if he''d actually had the second one reforged? He shuddered.


    "Are you¡­ alright?"


    ¡°Yes. I am fine,¡± Daubutim said.


    Irwin saw him shudder and pull up his shoulders slightly.


    "Can''t you¡­ reforge the cards without us slotting them?" Irwin asked, trying to recall what Ambraz had said about that.


    "No, no. I told Daubutim already. To do that, we have to get outside first."


    "Then I''ll wait till then," Irwin said as he shook his head violently. He didn''t know how Daubutim could stand the pain, but just imagining it made him want to turn around and flee. No. He''d wait till he was outside!


    "That is not a good idea," Daubutim said slowly. "We will have been gone a day or more when we return. If there are others outside, they might steal our cards if we are not strong enough. Also, if more surges have happened or will happen between here and home, we need all the strength we have to fight our way through."


    Irwin blinked. Daubutim was right, but¡­ He shook his head. "No. I can''t-"


    "Perhaps you can hold him?" Ambraz opted, and Irwin took a step back.


    "I can''t-"


    "We can wait a few hours," Daubutim said. "But not doing it now will make things harder down the line."


    I''m telling you I don''t want to, Irwin thought. He gritted his teeth and glared at Daubutim and Ambraz.


    Daubutim returned his gaze without emotion, but after a few moments, Irwin saw annoyance appear in the other''s eyes.


    "Let''s try out our new cards," he said. What did it matter if Daubutim was disappointed? A little voice in his mind said it mattered, but he suppressed it. He focused on his hand, sensing the Eyes of Blaze. His connection was much stronger than it had been before, and he sensed the increase in power.


    He tried to pull it forward, to use the skill, but failed. His mind was in too much turmoil. There was a flash from the side, and he looked up. Daubutim stood there, a shield in one hand, a massive morningstar in the other. His torso was wrapped in a leather hauberk with a gleaming black chestplate covering most of it. Between that and his set jaw, he almost looked like one of the noble''s guards.


    I guess he chose to make the chestplate harder instead of making it cover more of his body, Irwin thought. He wondered why. Having more armor seemed like a better idea. Then he shrugged. If Daubutim was doing something else, that meant he was trying to make him go through another reforging. He quickly turned and walked away. It was time to use his own skill.


    Almost three hours, a morsel of carrot and a flask of water later, he finally succeeded just as he was about to call it quits. Tired and annoyed, he tried a final time, not really focusing on it and letting his mind wander slightly. His eyes began heating up, and the world changed to shades of yellow, orange, and red.


    What¡­ Irwin thought as he looked around in surprise. Even the parts of the room that had been shadowy before were easily visible now.


    There was also a build-up of something behind his eyes, almost like a burp about to happen. He instinctively knew that if he let it go, his skill would trigger. Looking around, he saw an anvil a dozen feet away and focused on it. Then he burped.


    The room lit up with red light. Then, two cones of fiery light rippled forward through his vision, the edges turning the room oddly indistinct. They hit the Anvil almost instantly. Flames licked around it, the central area where the cone hit turning a dull red. A few pieces of leather on top burst aflame, and the red turned to orange. Then it whisked out.


    Irwin gasped as a sense of fatigue hit him. And hunger. Still, the skill was clearer in his mind now, and with it came the sense that the stuff that let him eye-burp was rebuilding. It was fast, but it would still take a few minutes.


    "Hmm, not very focused and short," Ambraz said, sounding displeased.


    Irwin looked up, unsure what the other meant. The fire beam had lasted for at least six seconds!


    "Well, I guess we will have to reforge the card some more to make the duration increase," the Anvil lamented. "Like this, you can''t even heat up the softest of metals."


    Irwin was confused for a moment until he remembered what Ambraz had said long ago in the tower. He said he could use the eyes not just for combat but also to help with forging. Wait, wasn''t that just a few weeks ago? He barely recalled everything that had happened since, but it felt like a year had passed. He suddenly wondered how his mum and brother were. It was still only the start of the winter, and snow hadn''t even fallen yet.


    A hiss and grunt drew him out of his melancholy, and he looked up. Daubutim had unsummoned his shield and was moving through attack stances with his morningstar, wielding it in two hands. He didn''t seem to have noticed him using his skill, or if he had, he was ignoring it. Instead, he spun around. His movements were fast and snappy. However, they seemed to lack the oily aspect they had when he was wielding the shortsword.


    Not that it mattered. Irwin had no illusion that he would be helpless if he had to face someone like Daubutim. He sat down, back against one of the anvils. He wanted to try out his new skill again, but it would need a few more minutes to recharge. So, he quietly watched as Daubutim continued and slowly drifted off in thought. His mind conjured up images of the hounds from the previous portal, roaming the lands and attacking people. Galubs attacking the cities, and legendary portals appearing.


    --


    "Irwin?"


    Irwin snapped awake, blinking around as a nightmare about the world-shattering faded. He''d dozed off at some point, Daubutim''s movements and his own weariness getting to him. He had no idea how long he''d slept, but Daubutim''s morningstar was gone, and he was sitting not too far away, staring at him.


    "You need to do your second card now," Daubutim said as he got up.


    Irwin felt his heartbeat jump up, and he shivered.


    "I know you''re afraid of the pain, and I understand, but you can''t let it define you," Daubutim said as he held out his hand to pull Irwin up.


    "Imagine when you have both of the cards, you-"


    Irwin grabbed the offered hand, causing Daubutim to fall quiet. He was shivering violently but pulled the Coperion Fists card from his pocket. Daubutim was right. If their world was going to explode into shards, he needed strength. Strength to save himself, his mother, his brother, and everyone else he cared about. He didn''t want his world to shatter!


    It was a simple, clean desire, and it barely balanced with his fear. He felt like he was standing on a narrow ledge, about to fall as the edge seemed to crumble. The fear constantly tried to pull him down, and he quickly put the card on the back of his hand. He had to do this now. As the card sank into his hand, there was none of the joy and happiness that he had when he got his second card. Instead, there was just the struggle.


    A dull feeling spread across his hands, and for a moment, they shimmered with a polished copper gleam. Then it stopped, and his fear momentarily gave way to wonder as his hands grew stronger and stronger. There was a soft squeaking sound like metal across metal as he clenched his hands into fists.


    Two hands gripped his shoulders, turning him around, and he stared into Daubutim''s eyes.


    "This will hurt. But pain is fleeting, and life is full of it. This is more than normal pain, but if we are to survive, what is to come¡­"


    Irwin licked his lips, then nodded. Daubutim''s words didn''t help, instead drawing his attention back to the pain. He closed his eyes, trying to sense the new card. Having practiced on the other two, he almost instantly sensed its presence, like a heavy, strong weight in the back of his mind. With a tug, he drew it forward, and a card appeared, hovering above his hand.


    Trying to suppress any thoughts, he stepped towards Ambraz, who had been silently waiting. With each step he took, the fear and memories of the pain increased, but he forged on and, without stopping, put his hand on the forge. He suddenly realized that tears were running down his face.


    "About time! So then, full body or stronger hands?" Ambraz asked.


    "Full body," Irwin croaked. He steeled himself for the-


    The first hit struck his left hand, and he screamed. Something held his hand on the surface as he pulled it back, and he howled as the second blow came.


    Hit upon hit followed, and his mind tuned out, awash with pain. A tiny part of him felt how Daubutim struggled to keep him at the Anvil. Somewhere halfway, blissful unconsciousness took him.


    --


    Daubutim sat on the ground, watching over Irwin. The screaming had lasted shorter this time, and he''d almost let him drop when Irwin suddenly slumped, having gone unconscious. Still, after he''d gotten a good grip, things had become easier. Without the screaming and thrashing, it would have been almost tranquil if not for the steady, evenly-timed strikes.


    He is so heavy now, he thought with a frown as he recalled the moment Ambraz had finished. Irwin''s weight had more than doubled almost instantly, catching him off guard. Even now, the other''s skin glimmered in the torchlight. Somehow, he didn''t expect his father would have found the card agreeable. Limiting one''s speed was dangerous.


    After a few minutes, he summoned his morningstar and began moving through the forms he''d learned long ago. He was rusty, not having used them for a long time, but he would become better.

 Chapter 38: Chicken scratches

    Heavy, Irwin thought as he rolled on his shoulder, trying to find a better position. Something seemed to be weighing him down. A heavy blanket? His hand shivered, and he held it against his chest.


    A shiver ran through him as he remembered the pain. He''d blacked out¡­ so did that mean that the reforging had failed?


    Rolling on his back, he felt his jacket and pants move oddly below him. There was a crunching sound that reminded him of caked hardened mud. He debated investigating it for a moment, then focused on something more important: his card.


    Can I even feel if it worked?


    He looked up at the ceiling while probing for the skill to see if it had changed. It took him surprisingly little effort to connect with the card. Solid, stable, and secure, the sensation no longer just covered his hands but hung like a heavy curtain over his entire being.


    It worked, he thought as he released the skill. A body-improvement skill, the thing he''d dreamed about for so long. He was surprised at how calm he felt. He now had three cards. Shouldn''t he be out of his mind with joy?


    He moved his hand before his face, staring at the three thin tattoos. They only lacked the lines connecting to show he had combined them. Still, like when he got his first card, his first one should already be influencing the third one. He wondered what effect it would be. Would the Coperion Skin be stronger? Or hot?


    The skin of his hand was stunningly darker than before. Tanned, as if he''d worked in the sun for weeks. There was also something else different. A dull gleam as if it was slightly wet?


    Wait, why is the sleeve of my jacket black and burned? he looked down to find that the rest of his leather jacket was hard, dried, and blackened. The edges were curled up and cracked.


    "So? Ready to head out? You slept enough now, right?"


    Irwin jolted as Ambraz flew into his field of vision. Seeing the small fluttering Anvil made him shudder, and he wondered if he could ever look at one the same.


    Wait, didn''t he tell me that if I wanted to reforge the card higher than uncommon, I had to do something? Does that mean I need to strike my own hand?


    Irwin felt nausea rise at the idea of hitting his own hand with a hammer. He could barely believe it, but it seemed even worse than having Ambraz doing it.


    "What? Still tired?"


    "No," he said with a sigh.


    As he pushed himself up, he was surprised at how hard it was. It reminded him of all those mornings after helping his mother with cleaning the nobles'' houses. Back then, it had been because he was weak. Looking at his lower arm, he saw the now clearly defined muscles. Small, yes, but he wasn''t weak anymore¡­ he was just slow? Tiny bits of the outer layer of his jacket, pants, and boots were flaking off and drifting to the ground.


    "So, it wasn''t a dream after all," he muttered as he patted himself. A cloud of black dust and bits billowed out, and he poked the jacket. It would still work, but he wondered what would happen if it got wet. The leather was blackened, parts charred, and the edges curled up. It wasn''t supple either. Was that why he felt heavy? He took a step forward, waving his arm.


    No, definitely heavy. This might be a problem, he thought as he waved his hand around. He did feel solid as if he could punch a hole through a door.


    After a few moments, he looked around. Daubutim stood nearby, looking at him dully.


    "Hey, what happened?"


    Daubutim blinked, then nodded. He didn''t say anything, just kept staring at him, gaze moving over his face.


    "What''s wrong?" Irwin asked as he worriedly raised his hands to his face. Had something else changed? He''d never been handsome, but perhaps the skill had changed his face to something hideous?


    He felt nothing weird, no changes. Everything seemed the same. Confused, he looked up and saw Daubutim had summoned his morningstar and was staring at it. He was about to ask again when the noble shook his head with a frown.


    "You move slow. We need to test what your final card did before we leave here. If we get jumped, I must be sure you can still fight. Try and familiarize yourself with the card."


    Is it that obvious? Irwin thought worriedly.


    He flexed his hands, sensing even more strength in his fingers than before the reforging. It also stretched out across his entire body now. Should he try hitting a wall to find out how his hand would hold up or see how strong he was?


    Strength first, he decided.


    He walked towards a nearby table with a hammer almost as large as Daubutim''s morningstar. Gripping the handle with two hands, he raised it, and his eyes shot wide. It was heavy, too heavy to wield easily, but he could lift it! Barely believing what he did, he let go with one hand. The massive hammer lowered slightly but remained in the air. His arm was visibly shaking, but he didn''t care.


    A month ago, he wouldn''t have been able to hold this hammer, perhaps barely able to move it around. Now? Now he was holding it in one hand! He gripped the hammer tighter and struck down. The heavy head slammed into the table, which shuddered, smaller items rattling.


    A surprised cry came from the door, and he looked up. The Galubs were still there? Were they waiting for them to come out?


    "Look at that! You can actually hold a hammer now!"


    Irwin looked up as Ambraz flickered around him. The wide smile on the Anvil''s face ignited his own joy. He grinned and momentarily forgot about the pain the thing had caused. Then he put the hammer down and walked to the nearest wall. It was a sturdy gray stone, and hesitantly he tapped it with his hand, then knocked his fist against the rough surface. He felt his skin prick a bit, but not a lot. Hoping he wasn''t going to regret it, he hit the stone. Not hard, but enough that it should have left a bruise. A dull thud came, and though he felt it, it was more like hitting sandy ground than stone.


    Feeling a stupid grin grow, he hit it harder. There was a bit of pain this time, and the stone cracked, narrow lines running away from his knuckles. A quick inspection showed no more than a scuff on his knuckles.


    By Gelwin''s beard! If this is uncommon, what will it be like at rare?


    He could hardly wait to see it, though he had to actively push down fear at the hurt it would take to get there.


    "Take this."


    Irwin turned and saw Daubutim holding out the short sword. He had his armor, shield, and morningstar out, and Irwin immediately recognized the other''s mood. They were going to practice.


    More confident of himself now, even if he was slower, he walked towards Daubutim, noting the heavier thud as he walked. It also felt like he was being pulled to the ground. Wrapping his hand around the held-out sword handle, he was stunned at how much lighter it felt. Taking a step back, he swished it around in the familiar patterns Daubutim had taught him.


    Ah... he thought.


    The difference was evident. Though light, his arm seemed weighed down, and though he would probably hit harder, his movements were slow and sluggish.


    "How often can you use that eye card?" Daubutim asked.


    Irwin saw the other looking at him worriedly.


    "Every few minutes," Irwin said as he kept swinging.


    He wondered if the strength increase from his first and second cards would eventually offset the weight.


    "And your flame? How much stronger did it become?"


    Irwin blinked. He''d completely forget about that!


    He held out his left hand, and an arm-length flame rippled to life over his hand. It was less stable, flickering and rippling as if agitated, but the heat from it was comforting.


    Stolen novel; please report.


    It grew again, he thought, staring at it with a wide grin. So many gains!


    Daubutim hissed and jumped back. "It''s too hot!"


    Irwin backed up a few steps, then ignored the other. He began waving the flame around, admiring how it seemed to move towards where he was moving, almost as if- As if it moves as I want it to?


    Licking his lips, he tried to will the flame to move. There was a jitter, then the flame angled in the direction he wanted. It wasn''t very fast, but as he willed it above his clenched fist, it remained there.


    "This is fantastic," Irwin whispered as he tried to stabilize the flame. Within moments the jittery, wavy flame that had been moving as if there was wind rippling around it became calm, pointing straight forward from his fist.


    As he looked up, he saw Daubutim''s eyes gleam, and the other moved forward. "Try and use it as a sword."


    Irwin blinked as his mouth hung open. He focused, and the flame moved until it hung above his hand. He swung it down, hoping to see it slash like a blade. Sadly, though it did move, the flame bent slightly, and as he waved it around, the top part had a hard time moving fast enough. Feeling a bit let down, Irwin was surprised when he saw Daubutim grinning.


    "That will do. Now, unsummon it, and let''s practice!"


    --


    "Ready?"


    Irwin nodded as he placed his hand on the teleporter anvil. He was holding Daubutim''s old shortsword, though he felt less secure with it than he had previously.


    The world swirled for a moment. Then he felt a cold wind pass over him as he reappeared inside a partially destroyed building. A large hole sat in the wall before him, and behind it, he saw the rest of the city. Pale light shone inside, highlighting heaps of debris, and rubble, while dust swirled in the air.


    Irwin quickly scanned the area. No movement or sounds. Daubutim snuck out from behind him, his bulk greater with his new breastplate.


    "Follow me," he whispered.


    Irwin didn''t respond, following Daubutim while trying to make as little noise as he could. He had a constant hold on his Eyes Of Blaze card, ready to use it if more than two Galubs appeared.


    The outer part of the city showed almost as much destruction as the building they left, and he tried to determine where that meant it was. He couldn''t recall seeing a heavily destroyed part of the inner city, so that had to mean they were nearer to the walls.


    They continued further through the rubble-strewn area until they reached a square. The buildings on the other side were all in one piece, dark alleyways snaking away.


    "Alright," Daubutim whispered, back against a wall. "That way should lead to the staircase down."


    Irwin followed his pointed finger and nodded. There was still no sign of Galubs, and part of him hoped it would stay that way. Another part was hungry to test out his new cards. Though he was slower, what would happen if he did hit something?


    It took almost thirty minutes to make their way through the district, sometimes having to backtrack when they found their paths blocked by deadends. When, by Daubutims estimate, they were a few minutes away, a loud boom shocked the entire city. Doors and shutters rattled all around them, and Irwin jumped away as a fissure ran through a nearby wall, stone splinters pelting the surrounding.


    "What-"


    An ear-rattling roar came from a place ahead of them, and Irwin crouched down. Before either of them could speak, another roar came. Anger and annoyance were clearly audible in it.


    "That monster got free," Irwin whispered, unable to keep the shiver from his voice.


    "Bablibon," Daubutim whispered. "The shard monster Ambraz told us about."


    "Yes, yes. And a pretty strong one from the looks of it," the Anvil piped from Irwin''s pocket. "Better get out of here. If it starts rampaging?"


    They continued forward, slowly and stealthily, stopping every time another roar came.


    "It''s from near the staircase," Daubutim whispered.


    Irwin didn''t respond but continued forward until he could see from the end of the alley. Ahead of them was the square with the staircase down. Behind it was the building the Galubs had partied in, but little of it remained. Only the central staircase and part of the back wall remained standing, the rest reduced to rubble. A cloud of dust hung in the air, swirling as something massive moved within.


    "Over there," Daubutim whispered.


    Irwin saw him point to the edge of the square. A group of figures stood beside one of the buildings, Doomblade and Big-Fat easily recognizable amongst the other one and two horns. Irwin wasn''t a hundred percent sure, but he thought he saw blood and wounds on some of them. Doomblade was lugging around the almost door-sized sword.


    A deafening roar, louder now they were this close came from the building.


    Irwin watched as an oily gray and blue leg stretched out from the cloud. It seemed almost boneless in its movements, and a moment later, a head poked out above it. With a stubby beak and three blazing teal eyes, a black, ooze-like bird stepped onto the square, glaring around. Its beak opened, and a trickle of dark, blue-tinted fog leaked out.


    That thing is as tall as a building, Irwin thought. He felt a strong desire to run.


    There was a struggle from the Galubs, and he watched in disbelief as Doomblade grabbed a one-horn and threw him across the square. It slammed into the ground with a loud yelp, then scrambled up to get away. The giant Bablibon moved forward in an almost liquid way, snatching the Galub before it got more than two steps away. It tossed it up, its beak opening far too wide for any normal bird, and gulping the entire Galub down in a single chow.


    "There. I''ve fed you! Please go back to sleep now," Doomblade shouted from the side.


    The bird turned its eyes to Doomblade and cocked its head. Irwin could almost see the smirk on the beak, as it shook its head.


    "What? I''ve fed you seven already, and you want more? If I keep feeding you there won''t be enough of us left to handle the carded!" Doomblade roared.


    The bird stepped forward, lowered its head, and roared oddly. It was almost as if there was a laughter within. The air rippled in front of its beak as a wave of the dark blue-tinted fog billowed outward.


    The Galubs screeched, and a few of the one-horns panicked, running away.


    Irwin shivered. They had to get out of here before that thing found them! He looked at the entrance. Making a run for it would be suicide. But if the Bablibon charged at the Galubs? That would be their chance.


    What a time to become slower, he thought as he gritted his teeth and turned to Daubutim.


    "Let''s run as soon as it attacks them," he whispered.


    Daubutim frowned, then shook his head.


    "Wait. Something is wrong," the noble boy whispered, sounding confused.


    Irwin quickly turned back to the bird, afraid it would be coming for them. But it hadn''t moved. It was still staring at Doomblade, almost seeming to taunt him.


    "Fine! One more," the three-horn snarled.


    Irwin could hear the hate in his voice, but it didn''t seem to stop him from jumping to the side and grabbing the nearest one-horn. The others backed up, but the two-horns moved to block their path.


    With a grunt audible across the square, Doomblade flung the flailing Galub towards the bird. This time it snatched it out of the air, cracking the body. It bit the screaming Galub in two, silencing it before gulping the two halves down.


    Doomblade stood on the other side, glaring at the Bablibon, seemingly expecting it to leave.


    "It''s toying with him," Daubutim whispered, sounding amazed." I''ve seen this before¡­"


    What, a giant monstrous bird that eats demons? Irwin thought as he glanced at Daubutim, wondering what the boy meant.


    "It''s going to attack him," Daubutim whispered, looking around. "We need- we need to flee!"


    As if in response to Daubutim''s words, the Bablibon stalked toward Doomblade and his group. Its glittering eyes reminded Irwin of gems.


    "What do you want? I gave you food, carded, cards!"


    A booming laughter came from the bird as a voice seemed to emanate from all around them. "Yes, and now that I''ve replenished, I''ll have to thank you for that!"


    Irwin sat frozen against the wall. He''d felt pretty good and strong after gaining two uncommon cards, but as he watched the Bablibon slink forward, he felt smaller and weaker than he ever had before.


    "No! Stop him!" Doomblade roared as he raised his sword toward the Bablibon.


    Then an oddly pleasing, low song resonated from his throat. It was smooth and deep, and as Irwin heard it he felt the incredible urge to charge the Bablibon.


    On second thought, it wasn''t that big.


    Perhaps only twice a horse!


    He could burn it, and-


    Something flew into his face, shocking him. He blinked in surprise as he swatted at it.


    "Stop it, fool!" Ambraz hissed, rushing at his face again.


    Irwin blinked again, staring dumbly at the Galubs charging across the square. He realized he wasn''t crouched, but standing, and had taken a step forward. Ahead of him, Daubutim was striding forward, morningstar out, shield up, and with a determined look on his face as he stared at the Bablibon.


    Irwin jumped after him, grabbing the other boy''s shoulder and pulling him to a stop. He absently noticed how much easier it felt, then a morningstar rushed at his face, and he brought up his hand. A dull thud came, and he felt a sharp pain in his palm. Afraid, Irwin took two steps back.


    Daubutim stood behind him, morningstar frozen midair. Then he shivered, shook his head, and looked around.


    "What? Irwin?"


    A high-pitched scream came from the other side of the square.


    Ignoring the pain in his palm, Irwin quickly looked at the battle. The Bablibon was standing on two Galubs with a single-taloned foot, while pointing the other up and at the incoming two-horns. Metallic gray darts sprayed from its silvery black nails, speeding through the air like a cloud of angry bees. Big-fat, belying his massive bulk, managed to jump aside, but the others weren''t as lucky. More screams came as hand-length thorns pierced eyes, faces, and chests. Two of the Galubs dropped like bricks. An odd purplish fog slithered through their mouths, ears, and nose before floating away.


    Behind the battle, Doomblade had his sword raised and was still singing in his low deep voice. The entire length of the blade was shimmering, a purplish fog surrounding it, and the fog from the dead Galubs added to it.


    "Either that''s an artifact, or he is charging a rare skill," Ambraz hissed as he fluttered next to Irwin. "Whatever it is, we shouldn''t be here when he finishes. We need to leave. Now."


    Irwin nodded dumbly, looking at the staircase. It was twenty feet from the Bablibon, and he saw some of the two-horns follow Big-fat down. He didn''t know why they weren''t affected by Doomblade''s skill, but he wasn''t going to stay and ask.


    "Run," he whispered as he headed towards the staircase.


    They were halfway when the singing stopped, replaced by an angry shout.


    "There, you blasted, infernal bird! Its those carded I told you were sneaking around! Go and eat those!"


    Irwin felt his heart skip a beat as he reached the edge of the staircase. A quick glance almost made him stumble. The Bablibon was staring at him, a happy glitter in its eyes.


    "Ah! More food! How nice! Go and wait down there. I''ll find you when I''m done here!" A dull laughter followed as it swatted two more Galubs down as if they were flies.


    Irwin felt himself being pulled down the stairs by Daubutim. There was no sight of Big-fat and the other two-horned Galubs, and he quickly shook off Daubutim''s hand, running after the other.


    "We need to get to the portal," he whispered.


    "Follow me, and get ready to use your eyes," Daubutim hissed. "If we come across those Galubs, don''t hesitate. Shoot, charge, and fight!"


    Let''s hope they are gone, Irwin thought as he followed Daubutim down the many steps and platforms toward the dark catacombs of the city.

 Chapter 39: Bablibon

    Irwin snuck another look around the edge of the staircase. Columns blocked large portions of the room, but he instantly found what he was searching for. Nearby, close to one of the corridors leading out of the room, a group of figures was trying to hide behind one of the columns.


    He pulled back, sneaking up the staircase until he sat next to Daubutim. A dull roar from above showed the fighting was still going on.


    "They are hiding near a pillar farther to the right," he whispered.


    "The fourth from the staircase?" Daubutim asked.


    Irwin blinked in astonishment as he tried to recall. After a second, he shrugged. "I don''t recall. I think there were two pillars between them and us."


    "Alright, that means we can make a run for the entrance we need to get," Daubutim said.


    "They will follow us."


    "Yes, I''m counting on it," Daubutim whispered as his eyes glistened with cold certainty. "The corridor will lead to a crossing. We will go to the right and enter the second door on the left."


    Irwin just dully stared at him. The other''s memory never ceased to amaze him.


    "And then?"


    "Then we hope they don''t find us," Daubutim said. "But just to be sure, we will set up an ambush. Here''s what we will do-"


    Irwin listened quietly, and when Daubutim was finished, he swallowed, his mouth suddenly dry.


    "That''s risky."


    "We can''t go up. We can''t stay here," Daubutim said. "We need to leave, and if they follow us, we will have to fight. They are faster than you."


    Irwin nodded, clenching his fist, creating a soft squeak and pop. He looked at the back of his hand, at the trio of not yet inter connected cards, then nodded.


    "Alright. Let''s go."


    "Remember, you go first, and don''t stop," Daubutim whispered.


    Irwin didn''t reply but snuck down until he was at the edge. A quick look showed the figures of Big-fat, and the other two-horns were still there. A deafening and pained screech came from above as the Bablibon''s reached them.


    "You annoying little ant! I''ll make your torment longer for that!''


    Irwin steeled himself, then jumped forward. He sprinted towards a corridor to the right of the one opposite the staircase. Daubutim had assured him that was the one from which they had entered. He wasn''t sure, as the last time they''d been here was weeks ago. He heard the noble boy run behind him, probably holding back from passing him.


    "Big-fat! Look, the carded!"


    The hissed voice was followed by running footsteps, and Irwin took a quick look to the side. Big-fat and four other Galubs, all with two-horns, came running towards them.


    "Get them! We can make them show us the portal!"


    Irwin cursed as he saw how fast they ran. He focused on his seemingly leaden feet, trying to force them to move faster.


    When he reached the corridor, they sounded incredibly close, and he didn''t dare take a look. Straight through, the crossing was twenty feet ahead, and he reached it just as the Galubs entered the corridor.


    "They went right," one of them shouted as Irwin slid around the corner, his new weight causing him to thud into the side wall. Feeling his tattered leather jacket rip, he pushed himself forward. The second door was barely thirty feet away, but the Galubs had rounded the corner before he reached it.


    Hoping Daubutim knew what he was doing, he yanked open the door and jumped inside. Daubutim followed right behind him, slamming the door shut. They both jumped behind the door, and Irwin focused on his eyes. The room that had seemed dimly lit before became brightly lit in shades of fiery red, orange and yellow.


    He had two moments to draw in ragged breathing before the door slammed forward against their held-out palms.


    "Get them, but don''t kill them!"


    Four Galubs rushed into the room, immediately looking around. There was no sight of Big-fat, and Irwin hesitated. Daubutim didn''t. He shoved the door closed. His hair on end, Irwin stepped forward right as the two-horns turned. He felt the eye-burp sensation build and let it out. A flare of bright flame burst in front of him, making everything move oddly. Then the room filled with shocked and pained screams.


    He kept up the blast for two seconds, leaving him time for another couple of bursts if needed. As he released his hold on his skill, he saw two Galubs roll on the ground, their green skins full of blisters, screaming and clawing at their eyes. The other two had backed up, both with blisters on their torsos and arms but with swords raised, showing they hadn''t been taken care of yet. Still, they, too, were blinking rapidly, looking around, blinded.


    Hurry, hurry, he thought as he focused on his flame.


    It burst alive above his hand, and he jumped at the left-most of the two blinking Galubs. It must have heard something because it slashed out, missing him by mere inches. Sucking in his breath, he jabbed his hand out, using the flame like a short spear, and stabbing it into the Galubs face. It screeched, pulled back, and dropped its sword. The howls intensified, almost making Irwin stumble as the Galub covered its face with its hands and howled in agony.


    "Take the door!''


    Irwin snapped out of his sense of disgust and spun on his heel to see Daubutim, hands against the door. It opened a bit, and Daubutim shoved it back, but Irwin saw he was struggling. He ran forward and slammed shoulder-first into the door, causing it to slam shut with a bang. A startled and angry roar came from behind it. Finally, something his increased weight would prove useful for!


    "Hold it. I''ll deal with them," Daubutim snapped.


    Irwin pressed his back against the door just as something heavy collided with it. He instantly felt the benefit of his new weight. Though he was forced forward a bit, one shove closed the door. Ahead of him, Daubutim stalked forward, shield and morningstar in hand. With a single measured hit, he brained one of the Galubs before moving to the next.


    Two seconds later, three of the Galubs were lying motionlessly on the ground, the last one squinting at Daubutim. Irwin''s flame was behind the boy, blinding the Galub.


    "Don''t kill me! I can tell you things! Helpful things," the two-horn snapped as he backed up.


    "Hold your tongue," a roar came from behind the door, and Irwin was shoved a hand length away again as a sharp-nailed hand scratched around. Before he could pull it back, it reached his arm. He panicked as he felt the nails scratch across his skin, then relaxed. It hurt, but the blackened, sharp nails didn''t manage to pierce his skin.


    This time it cost him more effort to close the door, and he failed to close it completely. A quick look showed a meaty green foot lodged between the door and fingers curled around the edge.


    "Please, I will not harm you. Let me live," the Galub shouted as he took one more look at Daubutim and then tossed his sword to the ground.


    What?


    Irwin blinked. He hadn''t expected any Galub to react like this. All that he''d seen so far was that they were always fighting and acting rowdy. The others he''d seen had attacked him on sight. Then again, he hadn''t had much contact with the two-horns yet, so perhaps he''d just imagined they were all like the one-horns?


    "Ulrop, if you say one more word, I''ll-"


    Irwin scooched to the side and shoved his flame into the foot between the door. A startled intake of air came, then the foot was yanked back, and a howl of pain came from behind the quickly shut door. Irwin pressed his back against it, lowered his stance, and prepared for a loud slam. None came.


    Daubutim was creeping towards the unarmed Galub, but Irwin saw he was hesitating.


    "We can use his help," he hissed, not interested in seeing Daubutim slaughter the Galub. If not for anything else, perhaps they could get more information again!


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Daubutim stopped, frowning deeply. "These things are demons. They are dangerous, and if they get into our world, they will kill women, children, and everything they see."


    "Not true," Ulrop growled as he shook his head. "Only the things that attack us first! We are just trying to get out of these crap-world shards, that''s all!"


    Irwin blinked as another halfhearted shove came from the door. Then Big-fat''s voice came from the other side, laden with spite and hate.


    "Ulrop¡­ you traitorous weakling. I told him to kill you after you grew your second horn. He said we needed everyone, and I let it go. I should have just done so myself! You better hope I don''t find you again, or I''ll rip out your horns and use them to pierce your eyes!"


    Irwin blinked at the rage and hatred dripping from Big-fat''s voice. Ulrop was glaring at the door. There was a final slam, then the sound of distancing footsteps.


    "If he hadn''t managed to kill a heartbound, he''d never have gotten his third horn," Ulrop growled. "Ugly piece of Rounderimp dung."


    Heartbound? Irwin thought as he shivered at the palpable hate between the two Galubs. He''d heard that term before... but when?


    "Whatever we do, we should do it now," he said, unable to recall. "If that bird comes down here¡­"


    "Doomblade won''t go down that easily," Ulrop said with a disdained sniff. "Though he can''t beat the Bablibon, he might even succeed in scaring it away. He sucked up enough of our people''s essence for that, at least."


    Irwin felt a soft rustle in his pocket and, without thinking, pressed his hand on it, getting a curious look from Ulrop. He wasn''t sure how much the Galubs had seen of the Anvil, but he''d prefer to keep Ambraz out of the picture for as long as possible. What if they knew what he was and wanted to steal him? He didn''t need another reason for them to try and get to them. He was glad when Ambraz remained unmoving, hoping the Anvil would stay that way.


    "You said you just want to get out, so why have you been killing the carded that come in here?" he asked, partially as a distraction. "We saw Doomblade''s collection."


    Ulrop grimaced, a horrible sight as a row of curved teeth appeared as his thin lips drew back.


    "They come here and hunt us like beasts hoping for our soulcards to drop! What do you expect?" he snapped, his voice raising at the end.


    Irwin looked at him, noting the bottled-up pain and anger. His image of the Galubs as evil, vile monsters faded slightly, and he suddenly felt bad. Perhaps they should have tried talking when they first appeared?


    "What are soulcards?" he asked. He had an inkling of what he would hear, but he wanted to be sure. He vaguely recalled Ambraz telling him things, using words like quartz-soul.


    Ulrop''s eyes widened in surprise. "How can you not know? You have three slotted in your hand!" he said as he pointed at Irwin''s hand.


    Irwin swallowed as he looked at his hand. "What are cards exactly?" he asked. It was something he''d always wanted to know, but he had only ever gotten a roundabout answer.


    "They are the crystalized soul-skills of other beings," Ulrop said, staring at him in wonder. "How can you not know this? What kind of world are you from?"


    Irwin licked his lips. Based on the things Ulrop had said, he''d suspected the answer. Still. What did that mean? He knew nothing about souls or how there could be skills in them. Whatever it was, did this mean he now had parts of demon souls locked into his hand? He wasn''t sure how that made him feel, but it was definitely not a good time to try and worry about it now. Then he thought of something and turned to the young noble.


    "Did you know about this?" he asked, unable to keep the accusation out of his voice.


    "Of course. It is common knowledge amongst the nobles and probably the sorcerers too," Daubutim said. "It changes nothing."


    "Not to you," Ulrop said. He shook his head. "We should leave. Big-fat will be looking for others that made it down here and lay an ambush."


    We? Irwin thought. Did that mean Ulrop was planning on going with them?


    "You want to come with us?" Daubutim asked, sounding more confused than Irwin felt.


    "If you don''t kill me, I want to see where the portal is," Ulrop said. "After that, I have to hide, or Big-fat will try to kill me if the Bablibon hasn''t eaten him by then."


    "Why don''t you just leave through the portal?" Irwin muttered before realizing he knew why the Galub didn''t.


    "We can''t! We''d just turn to dust," Ulrop said. "Unless this world-shard''s energy harmonizes with the world on the other end, we can''t leave!"


    "Is that when a surge happens?" Daubutim asked.


    Irwin saw he''d lowered his morningstar, the sense of imminent violence gone.


    "Yes," Ulrop said, and he sighed as his shoulders lowered. Then he shook his bald, horned head and looked up. "It''s one of the reasons we keep the soul-cards from the carded instead of absorbing them. The more we have, the sooner this place harmonizes."


    Absorbing them? Irwin thought as he recalled how Ambraz had eaten the cards. Was it the same thing?


    "Do you know where this shard-world''s Linchpin is?" Daubutim asked, and Irwin blinked at that. Right, he''d forgotten about that!


    "Linch-pin?" Ulrop asked, shaking his head in confusion.


    "The thing that if you remove it will make this shard-world collapse?"


    "The world-shard anchor!" Ulrop whispered as he stepped back. "You can''t remove that. All of us will die!''


    "If we don''t remove the portals, our world will destabilize and shatter," Daubutim stated calmly.


    Ulrop stared back at him, and Daubutim slowly raised his morningstar. For a moment, Irwin thought they were going to fight again, then Ulrop deflated.


    "I know. That''s what happened to our world."


    Irwin wondered what Ulrop''s world had been like. Did they have trees and snow? Mountains and sea?


    "Where is the anchor?" Daubutim asked calmly.


    Urlop stared at him and time ticked by slowly as Irwin saw him struggle. It surprised him how easily he could read the Galub''s emotional distress. A soft scream came from far away, and he blinked.


    What was that? he thought.


    "Doomblade should be the anchor, or his soul-skill rather," Ulrop said, interrupting his thought process. "But I''m not sure if this place will disappear even if you kill him. The Bablibon¡­"


    There was a momentary silence in the room, and Irwin wondered how this was even a common portal. Nothing about this world-shard seemed common! How was even a group of full-handed supposed to kill that Bablibon?


    But that''s the thing, isn''t it, he thought. That Bablibon wasn''t supposed to be here at all. And a group of six full-handed would have been able to easily kill all of the Galubs. But... did that mean there were more common and uncommon portals with such strong monsters? Wait, Doomblade''s sword definitely wasn''t a common card. How had he even gotten here?


    "How did you come here in the first place?" he asked. "You shouldn''t be able to move to this world with anything but common cards."


    Ulrop looked around the room sadly, then back to him. "That''s not true... There are three ways I know of getting into shard-worlds. If there are no portals to a world, sometimes shard-worlds randomly connect to others. Some things, like Bablibons roam the chaos-space and can enter like that..."


    "And the third one," Irwin asked when Ulrop didn''t continue.


    "If a portal surges, you can enter even if you are stronger," Ulrop said. "Though, it also means you have to fight your way through the surge."


    Fight your way through-? Irwin thought as he shook his head. He remembered when they had been in the first rift and how many hounds had been there. Even with his uncommon cards, he couldn''t even imagine something like that.


    "We need to leave now," Daubutim suddenly said. "We''ve been here for almost five minutes."


    The noble looked at Ulrop, and Irwin could see him hesitate. Daubutim probably didn''t know if he should bring the Galub, and apparently, his teaching hadn''t covered this. Irwin''s thoughts spun rapidly. Then he made a decision. There was no way for them to close this portal now, which left only one way to keep their world a bit safer.


    "Ulrop, we are leaving," he said. "I can''t tell you where the portal is. I don''t know if it can, but it will be horrible if that bird comes to our world."


    The Galub''s face fell, but he didn''t say anything. Irwin looked at Daubutim, who had backed up next to the door, keeping an eye on Ulrop. Neither discussed killing him.


    "I''ll open the door. If anything moves, I''ll Eye Blaze them," Irwin whispered.


    Daubutim nodded, and Irwin took a deep breath, focusing on his card. He pulled open the door while jumping back and getting ready. The hallway beyond was empty, and he sighed in relief as he snuck a glance to the left and right¡ªstill no sight of Big-fat.


    "Let''s go," he whispered as he stepped out. "Good luck, Ulrop," he said, meaning it.


    There was an angry snort but nothing else. He could understand that. It had to be horrible to wander shard-worlds, trying to survive. Irwin hoped he would never have to experience it.


    When Daubutim was outside, he closed the door and they snuck towards the corridor, constantly checking for sounds or movement. They reached it without incidents and quickly moved deeper into the part of the undercity that harbored the portal.


    Twenty minutes later, and far from the entrance, they had still not encountered anything.


    "I had expected an ambush by now," Daubutim whispered as they stared into the final large room.


    It was the first they had come across, and Irwin recalled how they had fought the one-horns that Big-fat had sent.


    "You are sure nobody is following us?"


    Irwin looked back, staring intently into the corridors they had left. They didn''t dare make a light, meaning Daubutim was relying fully on him again. There was nothing there, but he waited for a few minutes before being sure of it.


    "I think they didn''t want to risk it?" he whispered.


    Daubutim didn''t respond, but Irwin could see his eyes scanning the darkness, a tiny bit of fear in them.


    When they reached the other side of the balcony, Irwin took a final behind, then moved inside.


    I hope we''ll never return to this stupid city.


    When they reached the intersection, Daubutim, who had constantly been looking around even though he couldn''t see anything, pulled him back.


    "No. This is wrong. Father''s books said always to trust your instincts, and mine are telling me we are being followed somehow," the noble boy whispered.


    Irwin frowned, poking his own instincts to see why they were calm. Well, calm wasn''t the right word. They were oversaturated with fear, panic, and stress and had been like that for days. Perhaps he couldn''t sense anything because he was just dull?


    "This way," Daubutim whispered, pulling him towards the wrong corridor, his hand on the wall. When he reached the first door, he pulled it open and pulled Irwin inside.


    "Let''s wait for a few hours," he whispered. "Even if those Galub''s can''t go through the portal, who knows what that Bablibon can do!"


    Irwin frowned but nodded. He hoped Daubutim was wrong.


    Minutes turned to hours as they sat there, and Irwin was slowly starting to get annoyed. He wanted to get back out of this perpetually dark world. Even if he could see in it, he wanted to see the sun again. And Greldo! For them, it had been almost two months since they came here, but even for Greldo it would have been two days. Would he be fine? Had he been able to hide? Coal should have helped but-


    A soft thudding came from the hallway. Then a scraping noise came as something large moved through the hallway. It stopped, then continued down the hallway. As it passed the door, it wobbled and squeaked as if subjected to incredible pressure, appearing barely able to remain on its hinges. Irwin held his breath as he saw Daubutim stare at the wall beside the door, his head moving as he followed the sound.


    Did Big-fat make such loud noises as he walked? He couldn''t recall.


    "You must think you''re smart, don''t you?" The Bablibon''s voice seemed to echo from everywhere and nowhere. "I know you are here somewhere, silly carded!"

 Chapter 40: Four horns

    It''s looking for us, Irwin thought as he kept still. How can it even fit in here? Shouldn''t it be too large to enter these corridors?


    The steps moved further away, slowly turning soft. Daubutim moved his head close to Irwin''s, who looked up in worry. If he made any noise¡­


    "That''s a dead-end," Daubutim whispered so softly Irwin could barely hear it. "It will return this way, so stay quiet."


    Irwin nodded, and they waited. A few minutes later, the thudding returned, stopping a few feet beyond their door.


    "I will find you¡­" the voice came again, intense hatred and anger seemingly echoing through the walls and door.


    Irwin remained quiet, holding his breath, relieved when the footsteps moved away.


    A few minutes later, they were gone, but Irwin didn''t dare move. He looked at Daubutim, who had a hand up, and shook his head. They waited for a long time, longer than Irwin thought they had, before the thing showed up. Finally, Daubutim nodded.


    "That was over an hour. It should be gone by now. Let''s get out of here."


    Irwin nodded, and they got up. A quick listening later, he opened the door, afraid of seeing a massive bird-head. There was none, and as he looked through the hall, he saw none there either. Deep gauges sat in the stone floor tiles, and scrapes around the walls ran all the way to the top as if something too large had forced its weight through.


    If it shows up, I''ll blast it, Irwin thought as he swallowed at the thought.


    They snuck to the corridor, only a few steps away, when a soft sound came from the path that led back to the larger area. Irwin froze, staring at the end of the corridor, his heartbeat skyrocketing. A shove in his back sent him stumbling into the corridor, but not before he saw the Bablibon''s horrible head poke across the balcony edge.


    "The fat-one was correct¡­ so sneaky. Perhaps I''ll let him live till last," the demon bird''s voice sang behind him, followed by a burst of soft laughter. "Now! Either show me where the portal is, or I''ll eat you alive, starting at your feet!"


    Irwin shivered, then ran forward. Cracking and breaking sounds came from behind as something rushed through the corridor.


    "Summon your flame," Daubutim whispered, and Irwin didn''t second guess him but complied immediately.


    A loud scream came from behind, and Irwin spun around to see the Bablibon yank its head back, eyes closed. It had already turned around the corner, its body filling the entire hallway.


    "Vile tricks," it screamed. "Hurting my eyes? I''ll take one of yours for that!"


    Irwin and Daubutim rushed through the hallway, Daubutim in the lead, and the boy pulled open the door to the right, slightly opposite the portal. Irwin wanted to scream at him that it was the wrong door, and ask what he was doing. They had to get out of here! Daubutim pulled him inside but left it open,


    "Get ready to blast him," he hissed as he rushed back into the room.


    Irwin remained behind the door just as something massive shoved it open, snapping it clear out of its frame. The Bablibon poked its head into the room, but its shoulders wouldn''t fit. Still, with the door gone, Irwin was only a foot away, and he shivered as he stared at the massive eye.


    "There you-" the Bablibon began.


    Irwin didn''t think but used his Eyes of Blaze. The fire rippled into the bird, whose beak snapped open. There was a soft tick, and the next thing Irwin knew was that there was a ringing in his ears, and all sound was gone. He felt something drip on his lip, and a look showed Daubutim had collapsed on the floor.


    The Bablibon''s beak was still open, and its right eye had turned blood-red with blisters all over.


    Somehow, without any sounds, Irwin felt calm. Daubutim was down, and whatever the noble had planned was over. That meant he had to do something. He almost felt like dreaming as he jumped forward and onto the long neck just behind the Bablibon''s head. His flame acted instantly as he willed it to angle down, into the monstrous bird''s skin, below his hand. Then the world blurred as he felt himself move. He barely managed to hold on as the room flicked around him, then something heavy struck his back.


    Feeling more hot liquid drip on his lip, he absently wondered if it was blood.


    Another blow, and he felt something snap in his side. Then the room made way for the corridor, and he was flung left and right against the walls and ceiling.


    It''s a good thing there''s not enough room, a small part of him thought. The stunned muddledness was quickly vanishing as fear resurfaced. At the same time, he felt the remaining energy in Eyes of the Blaze. Not even questioning if it was a good idea, he blasted straight at the back of the Bablibon''s neck.


    The world blurred again as he felt his jacket rip as he was scraped across the ceiling. Pain blossomed, then the corridor made way for a spacious area. The Bablibon had dragged him back into the room with the staircase and the balcony. Part of him screamed in fear. The shaking intensified as the demon bird had more room to move. Irwin felt his fingers lose their grip, and he didn''t hear his own startled cry as he was flung clear.


    Flying through the room, he slammed into a table that snapped below him, and suddenly he was on the ground, stunned. His entire body was a mass of pain, and his vision was slowly turning dark. He saw Ambraz hover in his corner, his mouth open as if he was screaming, but he didn''t hear him.


    Looking up, he saw the Bablibon stalk towards him. One of its eyes was a mangled mess, and purplish blood dripped along its neck, but it didn''t even falter. Irwin saw the hate in its single good eye as it lowered its head to within a few feet from him.


    I wonder if mum will be okay, Irwin thought as he felt his fear fade.


    A second ticked by, then another, and the Bablibon was still glaring at him.


    Why isn''t it killing me? Irwin thought.


    A movement came from the side, and he saw a two-horned Galub pop into view. He was confused as he felt arms lift him, and his vision shifted. Doomblade stood near the staircase. With a hungry look on his face, his blade was raised at the bird, purple clouds shifting around while blood-red lightning flashed inside.


    Then Irwin saw the stair, and the wall, and more wall as the Galub, Ulrop, carried him up and away.


    A few minutes later he was inside the room with Daubutim who was still lying in a crumpled heap on the ground. Ulrop put him beside the noble then began shaking him, a look of fear on his face. Irwin had no idea how much time had passed, but when Daubutim finally moved he could only see a small patch. The rest around him was turning black. Was his night vision not working properly? He wanted to warn Ulrop to get back from Daubutim before the boy strangled him, then Daubutim shot up, arms outstretched. Irwin couldn''t see what happened after, but a moment later, he was picked up again.


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    This is nice, he thought as he felt himself go warm and fuzzy. The last thing he knew was that he thought he saw the portal. Then everything went dark.


    --


    "Irwin! Don''t fall asleep!" Daubutim snapped as he looked worriedly at the other boy.


    Wounds covered every inch of him, and his blackened clothes were torn apart, revealing more of his seemingly sunburned skin. Worse than most, a worrisome deep gouge sat in his back, blood flowing from it. The skin on its edges was puffy and dark.


    Daubutim wished he had the healing card he wanted for his second hand already.


    A shuffle from the side made him look over at the Galub hovering nearby and staring at the portal with apparent fear.


    "Shouldn''t you go through?" Ulrop whispered as he kept looking at the door.


    He is up to something, Daubutim thought as he frowned. Everything he knew was telling him to kill the Galub, but for the fact that it had saved Irwin and probably him.


    "Why did you save him?" he asked coldly.


    "Because I need help when I get to your world," Ulrop whispered as he looked back at the door.


    "What do you mean? You can''t go through the portal!"


    "I couldn''t before, but if Doomblade kills the Bablibon he will grow his fourth horn," Ulrop grunted as he glared at the portal.


    "And what does that do?" Daubutim asked while staring at Irwin. Would he even survive going through the portal? And what would be waiting for them on the other side?


    "He will become way more powerful, being a single level below evolving," Ulrop said. "More importantly, he will be teleported back to what remains of our ancestral world."


    "You said that it shattered," Daubutim said with a frown.


    "Yes, but large sections are being held together by the most powerful of my race," Ulrop said. "We normally aren''t allowed there, but if Doomblade-"


    A loud howling came from the room, followed by a sudden shaking. A rumble came from far below the ground while the temperature suddenly plummeted.


    "He did it," Ulrop whispered, sounding almost afraid. He raised his hands and tapped both his horns in an odd pattern before whispering something.


    A deafening roar came from somewhere far away, muted but easily understandable. "I''ll find you for what you did, Ulrop!"


    Daubutim saw the demon shiver before looking at the portal.


    "You should go through now! I''ll come in a moment," Ulrop said. "This world-shard is going to break apart any moment."


    Such a waste of all those cards, Daubutim thought as he picked up a now shivering Irwin.


    Right, he needs warmth, he thought as he recalled everything he knew about the other''s cards. He''d have to get him into a warm cave with fire as soon as he returned. Hopefully, Greldo was still around and had found a good place. If not¡­ his mind fogged as he tried to come up with an idea, but none came.


    "Damnit," he whispered.


    Taking one look at the demon, he jumped into the portal.


    The world swirled in patterns of black and red energy as it always did and then the temperature dropped even more as he stumbled out of the portal onto the muddy ground. The air was incredibly clear compared to what they had breathed, and a look around showed it was the dead of night. The three portals still hovered there, though he saw an odd swirl around the one he had exited. It shook and shivered as if unstable.


    There was no sight of Greldo, but also, luckily, no sounds of battle or shouting. Everything was calm and tranquil.


    And he had no idea what to do. He quickly shuffled through the plans his father had let him read, and the only one that came up again was -find a safe place to hide-. He took one look at the portal and wondered if he should wait for the Galub.


    Ten seconds, he decided.


    He waited for ten seconds, the time ticking away in his head. He felt Irwin shiver in his arms, and he backed up before turning to the forest. It was dark and brooding, but at least the moonlight lit more than back in the darkness of that blasted city. He jogged forward, reaching the treeline without any issue. A quick look back showed that the Galub was nowhere to be seen.


    Good. It''s not worth the risk, Daubutim thought as he quickly moved further into the forest.


    A soft clacking made him stop, ready to drop Irwin and battle whatever was making it. Then he realized it came from the boy, whose teeth were clicking together.


    Don''t die, Daubutim thought as he headed onward while looking around. His best bet would be to find another of those large clusters of undergrowth to hide in. With a few stones, he should be able to make a fire. As he began methodically planning, he kept an eye on everything.


    --


    Warm¡­ Irwin thought as he slowly woke. His whole body felt soothed and hot. And sharp? He tried to move, and something hot stabbed into his back. Then he realized it wasn''t hot. It was¡­ pain! He wanted to bolt upright, but a heavy weight pressed his shoulder back.


    "Don''t move. You will open the wounds."


    "Daubutim," Irwin whispered, his throat dry and sore. He tried licking his lips, but he barely felt either, and he couldn''t seem to open his eyes. There was another option which he quickly shoved away.


    "Water," he muttered.


    It was quiet for a moment. Then he felt something roughly pressed against his lips. Muddy, cold water flowed into his mouth, and it felt divine. Without even worrying about what the gritty parts were he swallowed it.


    "More," he whispered.


    He continued drinking until he finally felt his thirst quenched, and almost immediately after fell asleep again.


    He had no idea how long he slept, but when he woke up again he felt a little better. Or worse, depending on how he looked at it. It was cold outside, and his entire body was screaming at him in agony, especially his back and arms. At the same time, he was thirsty again.


    He opened his eyes and saw a tiny glimmer of light peer through a dense cover of yellow and orange leaves.


    Winter has arrived, he thought dumbly.


    He barely managed to raise his head, and he saw that Daubutim sat beside him with his head drooped on his chest and a little drool leaking from his mouth onto his metal breastplate. Irwin wanted to ask for more water but decided to leave the other asleep. He had no memory of how he''d gotten here, but he was pretty sure Daubutim must have saved his life somehow. The last thing he recalled was riding the Bablibon then¡­


    Right, it was going to eat me, he thought as the image of the massive beak lowering toward him popped into his mind. He felt a shiver of fear, but it was muted by his pain, weariness, thirst, and hunger.


    Returning to look at the leaves, he wondered if he was going to have another thing to haunt his nightmares. Probably. It would have to compete with burning alive and the other gruesome things that had happened since he left home. He wondered why his mind felt so at ease, almost as if the pain and stress were balancing out with something else.


    Tranquil, he continued to look at the leaves above him, and a random memory popped up from when he was younger and had been in school. Rhym had been talking about the time before the portals appeared in relation to the world, and Clarish, always thinking she knew it all, had interrupted him.


    "Master Rhym! That can''t be right! Everyone knows that winter follows summer, and-"


    "Miss Uldrot! Stop interrupting me! And I guarantee you that I''m not mistaken. There are highly detailed paintings of those days that remain as well as countless books, stories, and anecdotes! Before the portals came, there were four seasons on Giard. Spring, summer, fall, and winter! However, after the Diflor came and almost destroyed our world, portals ran rampant. Things changed, and now winter follows the summer and lasts for six months. Long ago, the coloring of the leaves took weeks or longer, and usually, no snow fell in the first three months of winter. Which they called fall."


    It''s probably the other way around, he thought, knowing he''d get into major trouble if he said any of this out loud. No. It was more probable that the portals came and the Diflor through them. The missing season, as weird as he found it, was likely due to the portals destabilizing their world.


    He sighed as he looked at the colorful leaves. They would be like this for only two days, after which the first snow wouldn''t be long behind.


    Perhaps it''s all because the world is becoming unstable, he thought. A stab of pain lanced through his back, and he groaned.


    A shocked gasp came from Daubutim, and he saw the boy shoot up, arms outstretched and eyes clouded as his shield and morningstar appeared in his hands.


    "Good morning, sleepyhead," Irwin groaned.


    Daubutim blinked, then looked around fearfully. Slowly he calmed, and his stoic look returned, eyes dull as he frowned at Irwin.


    "You are awake. Don''t move. Your wounds are bad, and if you hadn''t slotted that final card, you would have surely died," he whispered.


    "As I told you," Ambraz''s voice said as the Anvil flitted through the bushes to land on Irwin''s chest. "There is no movement outside, nor has there been all night."


    "Good. I''ll go outside to search for edible roots and berries or perhaps some small game. Stay here," Daubutim said as he moved to leave.


    "Wait, can you give me some more water first?" Irwin asked.


    Daubutim stopped, looked at him oddly, then nodded. He went to the side and a moment later came back with his hands full of brownish water. Irwin saw tiny bits of sand drift inside, and he realized this was what he''d been drinking before. Closing his eyes, he drank it, trying to ignore what might be in it.


    "Thanks."


    Daubutim looked at him again. "How you can drink this much without urinating is baffling," he said. "I''ll be back as soon as I can. Stay quiet."


    Irwin nodded and watched the noble boy sneak out.

 Chapter 41: Familiar foes

    "So, you finally decided to wake up?"


    Irwin looked at Ambraz before nodding dumbly.


    "I thought I was going to need to search for another smith a few times. Daubutim wasn''t mistaken. If you hadn''t slotted the Coperion Skin card, you would have died. What were you thinking, jumping on that Bablibon?"


    Irwin shivered as the chaotic moments of movement and chaos replayed themselves. Wait, hadn''t he been deafened? He raised a hand to his ears, feeling crusts running from them down his neck.


    "Don''t worry. Your ears are fine, just some punctured eardrums," Ambraz said.


    Irwin was quiet, staring at the bits of scab on his fingernails. He''d almost died. Would his mother ever find out what had happened to him if it had? Would she even survive what was apparently happening?


    "How do we stop this world from shattering," he asked, staring at the Anvil. He realized the question had been bothering him for a while now. He just hadn''t paid much attention to it with everything that had been going on.


    "You don''t," Ambraz said matter of factly. "With how fast this world is destabilizing? You would need the full cooperation of hundreds of thousands of carded to clear all of the portals as fast as possible, and even then- It might be too late."


    Irwin knew his mind was still not recovered. At least, that''s what he thought was going on, as he was surprised by how quietly he accepted the news without panicking. Instead, he shook his head.


    "There has to be something we can do. We can''t just be doomed," he said. Part of him wished he could always be this calm.


    Ambraz quietly observed him for a while, and Irwin saw the Anvil''s lips moving on occasion as if he wanted to speak but was holding back.


    Irwin decided to calmly wait while he still could. An infernal itch was starting all over his back, and he hoped the wounds weren''t infected. He''d seen one of the rangers with an infected hand once, and he''d lost three fingers before his cards had helped his body fight off the infection.


    "There are two ways I can think of," Ambraz finally said, though he sounded uncertain. "If you or someone else can become a heartbound, you will be able to move the location of portals below legendary. If you can join with a teleporter, you can bring the portals to places where people can close them."


    Irwin dully gazed at the Anvil. "How many portals are there?" he whispered, not even bothering to ask what heartbound was. That would have to wait.


    Ambraz barked a laugh. "To create this much instability? Hundreds of thousands. No, probably more! But, most should be common or uncommon. You don''t need to move those, just the tens of thousands of rare and very rare ones. If you can become heartbound, you should be able to close what you people call legendary portals by yourself. Do you even have a term for what is beyond that? Probably not if you call it legendary¡­ Anyway, as long as there is no portal above diamond, you may be able to stabilize this world. The remaining portals will need to be closed before any go above rare ever again."


    There are portals above legendary? Irwin thought, uncertain what those would even look like. The stories he''d heard about legendary portals and cards already defied everything he knew.


    After a few moments, he swallowed back his fearful worries.


    Even if they had to close only the portals rare and above, what would it take to close thousands of portals and then move them? Thousands of people with rare and above cards! Even if they got all of the sorcerers and rangers together, they wouldn''t have that many!


    "And the second way?" he asked tentatively.


    Ambraz was quiet for a while, then plopped his lips, something he''d never done as far as Irwin remembered.


    "You would need to find a legendary teleportation card. With it, you or someone else can teleport between worlds. You could create portals to get the people to a safe place before the world shatters."


    Irwin was about to laugh at the idiocy of it. Legendary cards were¡­ legendary! He knew of only one, and that was the one Gelwin had. And it wasn''t a teleportation one. Then he leaned back. There was something, though. Something he might be able to do, even if it was no more than a tiny chance.


    "If¡­ if I become a great smith, could I reforge cards until they become legendary?" he asked carefully.


    Ambraz was quiet again, and though the Anvil lacked eyes, Irwin had the feeling he was examining and weighing him. The silence lasted even longer than before and ended as Ambraz plopped his lips.


    "Yes. But... If you are serious about that, you can''t just select any card you want anymore! Even if it means lowering your chances of surviving. To reforge up to diamond is something only a handful of smiths in any single world can do. You are lucky that I am here because without me, it would have been impossible for you. Even then... You have anywhere between seven and twelve years. I''m not sure anyone ever managed to get to the level of reforging diamond cards in that short time."


    Irwin stared at the Anvil, then up at the leaves. It would be great to see them like this for a few months and for winter to last shorter. If he could save the world, that would be best. But he wanted to save his mother and brother. And Greldo and Daubutim, he thought as he shook his head. And the other people of Malorin! Where would he live otherwise if everyone was dead?


    "What does heartbound mean?" he asked, trying to distract himself.


    "After a carded gains his sixth card and combines his second hand, he needs to combine them all together. The only place they can go is in his heartslot. After he manages to combine them, which is no small feat, he has to pick one of the six cards'' abilities as the base, then change it by adding a tiny part of each of the other cards to create his very own heartcard. The new card will be¡­ different and influence all of the others as much as his first card would."


    Heartslot? Heartcard?


    Irwin frowned and shook his head, not sure he understood. So he could combine all of his cards into a single one? And it was different and would go into his heart? There was another socket there? He''d never heard anything about that!


    "What happens to the cards in my hands?" he asked, trying to wrap his head around what Ambraz was saying.


    "They and the slots vanish, but their effects will remain," Ambraz said. "A Heartbound will never be able to change one of his cards ever again. In return, they become far more powerful with what they have and gain other things- never mind. That''s not important right now. To become heartbound, you need at least one diam-... legendary and no more than one common. Anything else would be too unstable. Though most heartbound that I know have only rare and higher."


    "One legendary," Irwin whispered as he shook his head in disbelief. And there were many of these where Ambraz was from? He could hardly believe it.


    "Yes. But with one legendary, you can only use the effects of that card as the base card. Any cards below diamond are not stable enough¡­"


    "Are there cards above diamond?" Irwin asked, trying the word Ambraz used and finding he liked it. Even if it meant the same thing, it made the cards seem less unobtainable.


    "Yes and no. None that you can slot in your hand at least," Ambraz said before snorting. "Enough. You don''t even have a single combined hand yet. There is no use in talking about things so far away you might never reach them!"


    Irwin thought quietly as he looked at the leaves. He might have slumbered a few times, but he wasn''t sure. He did know that his mind was slowly starting to return to normal. And he wasn''t too happy about it. The stress of what had happened was making it hard for him to think about anything but what had happened, while his growing worry about his back wounds and possible infections made him antsy. The only useful thing he managed to do was decide that he wasn''t going to be able to fix the world by himself.


    No. He''d need help, even if he became the world''s best cardsmith. And only.


    With a suddenness, he realized he hadn''t seen Greldo yet. Shouldn''t he be here?


    I hope he is just out gathering food, he thought, but somehow he knew it was unlikely.


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    When he finally heard a rustle and managed to subjugate the panic he felt, he almost Eye Blazed Daubutim. The noble had his arms filled with Udnit root, a pale root found near creeks that were mildly sweet and normally used in soups and broth. Irwin had gotten many at school, though mostly raw.


    "Where is Greldo?" Irwin whispered loudly.


    Daubutim blinked, then shook his head. "I''ve only found tracks. He was at the portal, but the last ones I found were a day old. For him, three days should have passed. He either decided we were dead or had to leave for some reason."


    Irwin felt his mood sour even more, and he glared at the leaves above him. He was about to ask Daubutim if they could somehow find him and track him down when his stomach rumbled loudly.


    "Don''t worry about Greldo. I saw no signs of him being chased or of Demons. He probably decided to head to Esterdon and wait for us there. Now, I need to clean them. Then I''ll hand you one," he muttered.


    Irwin didn''t respond, just staring intently at the root while thinking about Greldo, scary birds, legendary cards, and hundreds of thousands of portals. When he got a root handed to him, he snapped back to reality.


    "I need to tell you something," he said as he looked at the root before taking a slight nibble.


    Daubutim looked up from the other roots.


    "Ambraz told me some things when you were gone-"


    Irwin quickly repeated what Ambraz had told him as best as he could. When he finished, Daubutim was sitting on the ground, the roots forgotten in his hand.


    "Heartbound," the noble boy muttered. "I''ve heard of those, but father said it was a fairytale told by the sorcerers to keep people hoping." He frowned as he gazed at the Anvil, and Irwin could almost see the battle between his absolute belief in his father''s war with his common sense in his eyes.


    "I don''t think it is, but until we see one, we won''t know for sure," Irwin said, hoping the Anvil wouldn''t be upset.


    "Oh, they are real. Trust me on that," Ambraz said, sounding amused.


    Daubutim frowned for a while longer before moving to Irwin.


    "Try to move on your side. I need to inspect your wound," he said.


    Irwin nodded, more than happy to help. He feared what the other would find. Probably infections, maybe even wound rot. Wait, did wound rot happen this fast?


    As he rolled on his side, he felt a painful jab and more itching from his back as his skin stretched.


    "The scratches are healing, but slowly," Daubtim said before sighing deeply. "The deep wound¡­ we need to clean it. We will wait till the sun is up, so nobody sees, and make a fire to boil some water. I''ll have to clean it, perhaps cut some bits out. Then we need to-"


    Irwin was shivering by now as he heard his worst fears become reality.


    "Ahum," Ambraz said as he hovered next to them, clearing his throat loudly.


    "What?" Daubutim and Irwin said nearly at the same time.


    "You should pay far more attention to what your cards do," Ambraz said as he hovered before Irwin. "Don''t you recall what I told you about your first card?"


    Irwin blinked, then blinked again. His mind had been tranquil before, though partially filled with fear. He''d somehow imagined he was fairly alright. But he wasn''t. As he tried to reason, it seemed like a foggy blanket was slowly pulled away.


    Right, the healing with heat! How could I forget, he thought as his mind seemed to awaken.


    With it, a chilly pain came from dozens of places. He groaned, almost curling up and potentially exasperate his wounds. Pain washed away tranquility, but the pain also brought clarity, and as it did, he gasped.


    How could he have missed it?


    "I''m going to make it hot in here," he said before letting out a pained moan as the wound on his back burned with an icy cold.


    Daubutim seemed confused, but the noble boy''s eyes widened when Irwin summoned his flame and held it above his body. A wave of heat washed from the jittery flame, its edges rippling chaotically.


    "I''ll wait outside!"


    Irwin didn''t pay attention to the other, instead feeling his body start to shiver. Had it been cold before? He couldn''t recall, but the surroundings were heating up rapidly. That much was sure.


    Within a minute, a dusty, moldy scent filled the thicket. He saw the leaves around the edges begin to curl up dangerously, then the itch in his back intensified. It went from mildly annoying, to horrible, to torture, and he couldn''t stop himself from beginning to grind his back in the now dry ground he lay in.


    Another minute later, he smelled something burning and looked up. Tiny flames licked around the thinner branches, the leaves above him having gone from red and yellow to curled-up black.


    "You are burning down the bushes!" Daubutim''s voice sounded panicky as it came from the outside. "Stop it!"


    Irwin was about to unsummon his flame when Ambraz piped in.


    "If you keep it this hot, you should heal most of the really dangerous damage within an hour. Who cares about one more bush?"


    Daubutim must have heard the Anvil because before Irwin could respond, he hissed a response.


    "You''re going to draw attention to us!"


    Irwin hesitated. The itching was still bad, but it had become slightly better. Should he stop? If he didn''t, would that mean Daubutim had to cut away wound rot? He shivered in fear at having his back mutilated.


    A crackling sound came from the side, and he looked up. The tiny flames had grown, and a large path licked across the bushes. Panicking, he was about to snuff out his card flame when his no longer frazzled mind reminded him of something.


    With less pain than it should have cost, he rose to his knees and moved his flame near the fire. A soft hiss came, and then the fire rushed into his flame, dissipating. As it did, he felt the temperature emanating from his flame go up from soothing to pleasantly hot.


    He struggled to his feet, his head touching the ceiling of charred leaves. As soon as any fire grew larger than a spark, he moved to it and held his flame close, causing any flames to be sucked away.


    Minutes ticked by as his itch increased then decreased, then increased again. It was horrible, and he scratched and rubbed where he could. But he could only reach the upper part of his back. The pain became unbearable if he tried moving his arm up from below.


    When he felt something in his back stitch together, and the itch on that area intensified to rival pain, a muted shout came from outside.


    "Irwin, get out here! There are demons incoming. We need to leave!"


    Irwin stared at the leaf coverage, then unsummoned his flame and jumped through the dry and darkened bush. There was still pain flaring up from his back, but he was more than a little surprised at how easily he could move.


    A name flashed through his mind. Greater Rapid Regeneration. That''s what Ambraz had called it, and though he had used it before, he hadn''t appreciated it as much as he did right now.


    Sharp branches pierced the rags that remained of his clothing, scratching across his skin. It didn''t hurt, and he wondered how strong his skin had become. Then he reached the edge and leaped outside on the carpet of partially dried leaves and mud. A cold wind washed over him, and he shivered.


    Daubutim stood a few feet away in the shadowy-filled forest, staring forward steely-eyed. Dozens of ruddy figures were rushing towards them, smaller than him but faster than he thought he could move. Something about them seemed familiar, but he couldn''t put his finger on it.


    "We can''t flee," Daubutim hissed as he backed up, shield and morningstar in hand. "Get your eye fire ready!"


    Irwin nodded, focusing on the sensation from his Eyes of Blaze card. The energy reservoir seemed full, which meant he could blast for six seconds.


    A high-pitched giggle came from the side as two familiar figures jumped out into the open.


    "Look! Carded! They look weak! Let''s kill them," an Imp hissed as he elbowed a larger one beside it.


    "I think we should wait," the second said as it took a few steps back. "Look. They have three cards!"


    Irwin looked at the two small imps in wonder. He''d last seen them in the trial portal and, back then, had killed dozens of them, though not without risk. Now, as he looked at them, they seemed small and almost harmless compared to the Galubs and hounds.


    "They are too fast. Kill them," Daubutim hissed as he rushed at the two imps. "And get ready for the rest."


    Irwin saw more were coming, then followed Daubutim. He was slower than the other, but he saw the two Imps'' eyes widen. Then they jumped behind a tree with a fearful cry. Daubutim stopped with an angry snarl.


    "Get ready for the other ones," he said as Irwin stepped next to him.


    Irwin looked around, then at Daubutim, and nodded. "Draw their attention and group them. I''ll-" he began. A group of imps ran out in the open, and Irwin didn''t bother to wait. He jumped forward, and a blast of fire erupted from his eyes, catching half of them in its area. There was a startled shout, and he deactivated the skill to use it again, expecting to find the Imps rolling on the ground, burning.


    As the flame vanished, the imps stood with eyes wide in fear, looking around at tiny embers burning from the bushes and ground. They seemed unharmed.


    "Gelwin''s beard," Irwin hissed as he realized what had happened.


    Imps live in hot places. They don''t care about fire! How had he forgotten this? As well as he felt, given the circumstances, his mind had to still be in disarray!


    Daubutim was moving like lightning, his morningstar slamming into one of the startled and confused imps. A dull crack came as the Imp''s head snapped back, its neck at a completely wrong angle.


    Irwin ran forward and swung his flame into two that stood close together. The pain in his back flared up, and he felt his mind fog from the exertion, but he ignored both, focusing on the Imps. A sly smile had crept up their lips, but their eyes shot wide as his flame touched them. Within the blink of an eye, their skin darkened. A whooshing sound followed a soft gasp, and then both Imps turned to ash that flowed down into the wind.


    Irwin stared at them, then at his flame, and then at the other Imps.


    All of them were staring at his flame, eyes filled with fear. Then, as one, they took a step back.


    "Don''t let them flee," Daubutim snapped and charged.


    Irwin followed his lead, charging the nearest Imp that stumbled back. As slow as he was, he reached it before it could get away, ashing it as if it was a paper sheet. But when he turned, he saw the others had scattered, screaming as they ran away.


    Daubutim had managed to catch two, standing above their clubbed bodies.


    "We need to get out of here before they find stronger allies," Daubutim hissed. "One of those portals must have surged."


    Irwin nodded dumbly as he looked at the flame above his hand. It flickered, almost hungrily, and had grown to over the length of his arm, too narrow for any natural flame.


    How much bigger can it get, he wondered, and slowly he regained his calm.


    "Perhaps we should wait for the bigger imps," he whispered, ignoring the stunned look from Daubutim.


    "I can probably kill any of them with my flame," he continued. "And they might drop more cards?"


    Daubutim blinked and looked around, then at the dead Imps and the tiny bits of ash still drifting in the air. Slowly a calculating shine came to his eyes. After a few seconds, he nodded, his mouth opening.


    Before he could say anything, a distant cry echoed through the forest.


    "Help, someone help!"


    "That sounded like¡­" Irwin muttered as he tried to place the voice. He was sure he knew it, but he couldn''t place it. It wasn''t Greldo, but it sounded like a girl. For a moment he feared it was Twintin. Then he shook his head. He was sure he''d recognize her voice.


    "Come!"


    He looked up to see Daubutim jogging toward the sound. As he followed the noble, he tried to recall the person who belonged to the voice.


    I''m sure I''ve heard it before, he thought.


    Then the pain in his back flared up, and he stopped wondering about it as he clenched his teeth, following Daubutim.

 Chapter 42: Troublesome encounters

    Irwin grunted as he jogged after Daubutim, the pain in his back dull and annoying. Still, he knew that the fact that he was up, let alone running, was incredible.


    Now, if only it weren''t this cold, he thought, shivering.


    The heat from the fire that had suffused him rapidly faded in the cold, while the wind blowing through the orange and red-leafed forest contained a crisp, dangerously chilly scent.


    A scream of fear echoing from up ahead ripped him from his moment of contemplation, and Irwin looked up. In the distance, he saw the edge of the forest and a dozen or more moving shapes chasing something. Daubutim changed course and slowed down until he ran beside him.


    "I count nine, and I think they are Imps. They''re chasing someone. If we continue like this, we will intercept them..."


    Irwin looked up to see Daubutim stare ahead in confusion, starting to slow down. It seemed like more than nine, but Daubutim hadn''t been wrong about these things before.


    "We should help, but we need to get to my father," Daubutim muttered, the frown on his head deepening.


    There he goes again, Irwin thought as he clenched his teeth.


    He understood why Daubutim was conflicted, though. They could get killed if they just ran over there without knowing what was happening to save someone they didn''t know. Are you sure you don''t know them? a tiny part of him asked before adding that nine wasn''t that many more than five.


    No, it would be best to leave¡­


    If only he didn''t think he knew the voice. As bad as he was with remembering names, he''d always been good with faces and voices. Who could even be here?


    Nine Imps. Would they flee again if he ashed some? He rolled his shoulders, the pain in his back still there, as was the cold. The wind blew through the dozens of rips and holes in his ruined clothes, but he made up his mind. Steeling his resolve, he continued forward slower than before.


    I need clothes, and we need to find out what happened. It''s just nine imps, he thought, trying to convince himself that it would be fine.


    "Someoneeee!"


    The high-pitched scream came again, and this time Irwin saw a small shape rush behind a tree. He caught a glimpse of a long brown ponytail and a drab gray tunic.


    "That was a child," Daubutim said, and this time there was a sort of finality in his voice as he jumped forward and sprinted ahead. "Follow as fast as you can with the flame," he shouted.


    Irwin hissed as he tried to run after Daubutim, who was shouting at the top of his lungs, seemingly attempting to draw the Imps'' attention.


    There goes the surprise, Irwin thought angrily.


    Ahead of him, the small shape of a girl with a dirty, disheveled appearance rushed from the bushes towards Daubutim. The tall noble boy was moving rapidly, his long legs flashing forward, and he was dozens of feet ahead already. The Imps saw him instantly, and Irwin felt a nagging worry as he saw them turn to Daubutim.


    I need to figure out a way to become faster again, he thought, and for the first time ever, he wondered if he should unslot his Coperion Body card.


    It was rarely done, but as the mud slushed around his toes and he had trouble pushing himself forward, he knew he would need to figure out something. Either if he had to help or if he had to run away, the weight was weighing him down dangerously. Bronwyn would be aghast if he''d ever found out.


    "Hide behind a tree!" Daubutim shouted.


    Irwin saw him jump and engage the first Imps. For a moment, he thought it was directed at him. Then he saw the tiny figure. She rushed into a massive bush that sprawled between a bunch of trees. Four Imps ran after her, and another scared scream came from within.


    Daubutim was facing off with five Imps, and Irwin hesitated.


    "Help her," Daubutim shouted.


    Damnit! Pushing himself as fast as he could, Irwin dove headfirst into the bushes, then looked around to orient himself.


    Branches, leaves, and scattered light came from everywhere. For a moment, he thought he was alone. Then a shadowy thing moved from his side. A high-pitched giggle came from nearby, and he sucked in his breath as he realized something. He couldn''t summon his flame without setting everything on fire and likely killing the girl! Why did she have to run into here?


    Something moved from the corner of his eye. Irwin instinctively lowered his stance into something resembling one of the sword stances and punched at the moving shadow. Branches bent back and snapped before his fist slammed into something solid. There was a sicking crunch, and the shape was flung away. Branches snapped everywhere as the entire bush shook from the violent movements.


    "Where-" Irwin whispered, then there was a soft cry.


    A nearby shape, huddled on the ground, was wailing softly. He took another step and saw the girl, hands pressed against her face and shivering uncontrollably.


    The sounds of more Imps came from all around, and he shoved himself forward. Sharp branches ripped more holes into his clothing but scratched harmlessly against his skin. Then he stood next to her. Small and perhaps eight, he suddenly recognized her.


    "Megah?" he hissed as he stared at the young girl that he had last seen back in Malorin''s Rat District.


    She looked up with a terrified, shocked, and snot-covered face.


    Before she could even say anything, there was a rustle from the left. Irwin''s hair stood on end as he raised his arms. Something sharp slammed into them, and pain bloomed from his left arm. Growling in anger, he jumped forward, finding another Imp in front of him. It was wielding a shortsword, but the bushes made it impossible for it to strike properly.


    Seeing the fresh blood on the sharp edge, his blood, Irwin''s mind froze for a moment.


    He''d been forced from his home, in a portal for months, almost died many times, and now this thing wanted to finish the job?


    Anger washed away the fear of what might have happened in Malorin, and he let out a strangled roar. Ignoring the bushes, he jumped forward, slapping the sword away with one hand. The Imp tried to back up but got entangled in the bushes, and he struck it in the face with strength born from fury. There was a dull crack, and the Imp''s body went slack, sagging down, partially propped up by some branches.


    Stunned, and for a fraction of a moment, Irwin thought he''d killed it. Then there was a soft moan.


    Another giggle came from the side, and he jumped back, forcing the bushes away with his compact weight. A blade pierced through the air where his head had been. He didn''t think but grabbed at the wrist before it could pull back. He almost missed it, then his fingers wrapped around the hand, and he clenched. A startled scream tore through the bushes, and he felt the hand let go of the sword as the Imp tried to pull it back.


    "No you don''t," Irwin hissed as he yanked on the arm.


    There was a startled grunt as he pulled the Imp through the orange bushes into view, straight into his right fist. Another crack and the Imp slumped to the ground.


    Breathing raggedly, Irwin looked around for the next Imp, but all he heard was rustling as something fled from the bushes. Then there was soft crying and moaning.


    They aren''t dead yet, he thought, suddenly getting worried.


    He looked around and saw the bloodied shortsword lying nearby. He knelt down, grabbed it, then hesitated as he looked at the Imp. It was moaning, its face contracting, and a massive blackened spot sat below its eye. He''d only ever killed things that had been fighting back, and-


    The Imp''s eyes opened, and Irwin thrust the blade into its neck with a yelp.


    A wet gurgle came as the Imp''s eyes widened, and it clutched at the cold metal. Then its movements slowed, its eyes dulled, and it lay still. Irwin swallowed, stepped back, and searched for the other two Imps. As soon as he found them, he slashed their necks, not daring to hesitate. Still, as his hand got slick from the blood that sprayed up, he felt himself grow nauseous.


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    When he finished with the last one, there was a soft sniffling next to him. Looking up, he saw Megah sitting there, eyes wide as she stared at the sword in his hand.


    "Irwin?" she whispered before sniffling and looking at him.


    "Megah, what are you doing here," Irwin said as he lowered himself to the same height as the girl.


    Megah''s eyes widened as she scrambled towards him, hugging his leg, crying and muttering things unintelligibly.


    "Wait, calm down, I need-" Irwin began when a loud shout came from outside.


    "Irwin!"


    Daubutim!


    Irwin looked at the girl, gently but forcefully unwrapping her arms from his legs while trying not to hurt her. "Stay here. I have to help my friend," he whispered.


    Megah''s eyes widened with fear again, and she clenched his leg tighter. Irwin felt horrible, but he slowly peeled her hands off. He had to help Daubutim.


    "I''ll be right back," he said.


    The sounds from outside the bushes were muted, but he heard Daubutim''s strained grunts.


    He closed his eyes, put a hand before his face, and ran out of the bushes.


    Outside, Daubutim stood against a nearby tree, shield up, blood on his face, and four Imps prowling around him, giggling and making mock lunges as they tried to bate him. Two more lay dead on the ground nearby.


    Six? There were only five! Irwin thought before banishing all other thoughts to the back of his mind.


    He ran and summoned his flame at the same time. An odd hissing came, but he had no time to figure out what it was as the Imps heard him. They turned with surprised snarls, and Irwin watched in awe as Daubutim moved.


    Swirling his morning star around, the noble boy took two measured steps and struck one of the imps while swatting another away. It dropped like a sack of stone, and the Imps screamed and spread out. Irwin reached one before it had a chance and shoved his flame against its chest. It froze like a statue, then turned to ash which wafted away.


    There was a shocked silence, but this time neither Irwin nor Daubutim stopped moving.


    The Imps didn''t stand a chance.


    Twenty seconds was all it took for the two carded boys to kill them. The final one changed into a cloud of black soot and ash, and then it was quiet.


    Irwin stood breathing raggedly, staring at the bodies around them. A dozen feet away lay another three Imps, probably the first ones Daubutim encountered.


    "You okay?" Irwin muttered as he looked at the other. "I thought there were five?"


    "Three more came, and one from the bushes," Daubutim said. "I''m fine. What happened to the girl?" He wiped the blood from his face, revealing a nasty cut across his cheek.


    Megah, Irwin thought as he forced his tired body to move to the bushes.


    His back was a mass of pain, and a quick look at his arm showed he had a long, shallow cut with bruises around the edges. Right, he''d blocked that sword attack. Something about that confused him, and it took him a few moments to figure out what. He''d blocked a sword with his arm and only gotten a shallow cut?


    "Megah, they are gone," he whispered as he stared at the bushes, not feeling interested in going in again if he didn''t have to. "Come out?"


    There was a soft rustling from inside, but no more.


    With a weary sigh, Irwin tried for a few moments longer, but in the end, he had to crawl back in and carry her out. As soon as Megah saw the Imps on the ground, she turned pale and began softly sobbing.


    "Don''t worry. They are dead. They can''t hurt you," Irwin whispered as he sat down and put the girl on the ground. He stayed next to her, unsure of what to do.


    "How did you get here? Megah? Where is your mother? Where are the others?" he asked. Where is my mother?


    The girl suddenly wailed louder, and in between the sobbing, Irwin barely made out what she said.


    "Who died?" he asked, staring at the little girl in shock.


    "Mama," Megah howled.


    Irwin swallowed as he remembered Leidah, the quiet, hardworking woman with a card that helped with cutting vegetables. Her husband had been one of the rangers that died clearing an uncommon rift when Megah had been only a year old. Megah''s mother had even watched him when he was younger. Now Leidah was dead? Stunned, he gently wrapped his hands around her, and she pressed up against his chest, crying as he hushed her.


    "Easy, Megah. Hush. There might be more around," he whispered.


    The girl became quiet but continued sobbing against his chest.


    "Where are the other people?" Daubutim asked.


    He''d moved next to them, staring at the girl with a worried frown.


    It took Irwin a while to calm Megah down, but when she finally did, she wouldn''t let go of his arm, clutching to it as if he might up and vanish at any moment.


    "Malorin- Malorin is under attack," she whispered before whimpering. Irwin put a hand on hers and squeezed it, and she sniffled before continuing.


    Slowly, as she spoke, her words became clearer. "A portal opened in Gloomforest. Big and nasty! Before the rangers could close it, another appeared next to it, and there was a surge."


    Oh no! Irwin felt his heart clench as he thought of his family.


    Megah''s eyes began filling with tears again, and Irwin shook his head as he got up, pulling her along.


    "We need to leave before more show up," he said.


    "Are you going to help the others?" Megah whispered, staring at him with large open eyes.


    Of course, she can''t be here on her own, Irwin thought.


    "How did you get here? What happened after¡­ after the surge?" he asked.


    Megah clenched his hand as she looked at the edge of the forest.


    "Mommy died. Many people died. Some people said we had to flee Malorin, and Auntie Tes brought me," she whispered.


    Irwin couldn''t hold back anymore, fear for his family growing with everything he''d heard. "Megah, did my mother and brother survive? Did they come?"


    Megah shook her head. "No, they stayed in Malorin. Auntie Tes asked them, but they said it was safer in Malorin. Then there was a lot of cursing and shouting," the little girl said with a soft shrug.


    "I think they were right," she added as tears flowed from her eyes again.


    "It was horrible. We had to walk and walk and walk, and then we reached those plains, and there was no food, and I was hungry, and¡­" She glanced at the dead Imps and shivered. "And then those imps came, and-"


    Daubutim grunted as he knelt next to the girl. She shrank back, but he raised a piece of udnit root they had taken from the portal. It was cleaned, and Irwin felt his own stomach rumble at the sight of Daubutim moving it from left to right. Wondering what he was doing, he kept quiet. Megah''s eyes were locked on the food, following its movement through the air.


    "How many people went from Malorin and onto the plains," Daubutim asked as if he wanted to have a loaf of bread.


    "Fourteen," Megah whispered, still following his finger.


    "How many of these Imps came to attack you?"


    "Many," Megah whimpered as she wiped her eyes.


    Irwin quietly watched as Daubutim continued asking the girl questions. After a few minutes, he handed her the food, which she began nibbling on instantly. He picked her up, which she seemed fine with, and began walking towards the edge of the forest.


    "We need to see if anyone else survived. She said two rangers were with them. How many cards do Malorin rangers need before they can call themselves rangers?"


    Irwin shook his head in confusion. "One, of course," he said before shivering as a cold wind flew around them.


    Daubutim stared at him hard, then grunted. "Of course. How is your arm?"


    Irwin looked at his left arm, the sleeve almost falling away as he looked through the hole, one of many. The wound wasn''t deep but still bleeding softly. "Fine. I''ll live," he said.


    Daubutim grabbed his arm and took a quick look. Megah looked at it, and Irwin saw her face pale as she looked away. Daubutim, instead, blinked in surprise. "That card is great," he muttered, and Irwin saw a flash of jealousy. Then it was gone, and Daubutim grinned at him.


    "Father is going to enjoy training you."


    Irwin''s eyes widened, but before he could react, Dautubim walked away.


    Train me? He wasn''t sure what to think of that or what his skin had to do with it. Looking ahead, at the edge of the forest, he unsummoned his flame. The air instantly chilled his skin, and he shivered but forged on.


    To his amazement, when they were halfway, Megah began snoring softly. He hoped that was a good thing.


    When they reached the final trees, dressed in orange and yellow leaves, many of which were twirling down and away in the wind, Daubutim grunted.


    "Hold her. I''ll see what is going on."


    Irwin looked at Megah, then shook his head. If they had to run, she would be safer with Daubutim.


    "You keep her. I''ll be right back."


    He turned and snuck forward, moving from bush to bush until he reached the last one and finally got a clear view. A short muddy stretch of land led to a sharp drop, and in the distance, the grassy plains continued as if without end. A dozen feet to the left was a dangerous and muddy natural path that led down, and footprints stood out as a long line of watery puddles, likely from Megah and the Imps. Sneaking forward on his arms and legs, ignoring the mud he got everywhere, Irwin looked across the ridge.


    A caravan stood there, in a half circle, with hundreds of people talking and moving between the wagons. Massive Charbulls snorted plumes of ashy smoke, their eyes glowing like embers.


    She said they were with a small group, Irwin thought as he looked around, wide-eyed.


    The first thing he noticed was a row of figures lying to the side. From their neatly arranged limbs, he guessed they were dead. Rangers, recognizable by their armor and weaponry, were moving nearby. They were dragging the bodies of dead imps onto a pile.


    Seeing the Rangers, people, and wagons, Irwin had a sudden sense of security. If he went there, he''d be safe! He was about to rise and wave his hands when he saw a familiar figure walk from behind a wagon.


    Tanya!


    The sorceress that had brought them to Wignut walked awkwardly, seeming to favor her left leg. Why was she here? Another ranger, tall and familiar, stepped out with her. This one had a familiar symbol on his shoulder¡ªthe symbol of Wignut.


    Irwin felt a cold fear suffuse him as he looked around more carefully. He found the symbol on some of the wagons and other rangers.


    The rangers only leave if something horrible happens, he thought as he thought back to when they had exited the hound portal. Had the surge overrun Wignut? He barely noticed or cared as he licked his lips, then crawled back.


    Daubutim was looking at him sharply, speaking as soon as he reached him. "Did the imps leave yet?"


    "The Imps are all dead," Irwin said as he shook his head in disbelief. "I think something bad happened at Wignut. There are a lot of people down there with a caravan. And sorceress Tanya is with them," he added somewhat lamely.


    Daubutim''s face went slack; then the noble stepped forward. "Hold her. I need to see for myself."


    Irwin took over the girl, who muttered something but continued sleeping. As Daubutim moved to the ledge, he stared after him.


    Should we go there? It''s safer, but what will Tanya say? Will she take us back to the tower?


    He stared at the mud before him as he thought about it before shaking his head. He didn''t want to go back to the tower. Besides the fact that he would have to explain how he got two uncommon cards, he had Ambraz. There was no way he could get away with saying it was luck, and with what he''d seen of the tower? If he went back there, he didn''t think he''d ever see his mother again. At least not alive.


    No. They needed to reach Daubutims father. Then he could learn card reforging from Ambraz. If he could become more powerful, help Daubutim and Greldo and others become more powerful, they might be able to do something to prevent the world from shattering.


    A tiny voice in his mind whispered that the sorcerers could help with that, but he shushed it. Daubutim''s father could let the sorcerers know.


    His mind kept spinning as he waited for Daubutim.

 Chapter 43: Degonda

    "Little one, can you tell the nice sorceress who saved you?"


    Tanya stared at the pintsized girl, crying as she clung to the older woman. She''d come running down the hill to the surprise of everyone.


    "Auntie Tess can''t be dead," she cried, and with a wail, she began sobbing louder. "Now- they are, all-," she cried louder.


    The older woman looked up at Tanya apologetically. "I''m sorry, sorceress Tanya. She''s been through too much. I''ll take her till she calms down and find you later?"


    Tanya stared at the woman, hesitating for a moment. She wanted to get the girl''s account now when it was fresh, but did it really matter? The Ranger who''d first reached her had said she was talking about two carded warriors that had saved her from the imps and brought her back. It wasn''t too unbelievable, but she had enough on her plate to hunt for the types of carded that were likely to hide out in the woods.


    "It''s fine. I''ll talk to her tomorrow," she finally said, smiling at the older woman who quickly pulled the girl away and toward one of the wagons.


    And what does it really matter if they are bandits? she thought. They had saved a little girl and saw her back safely. They couldn''t be that bad if they were. She knew she was oversimplifying things, but compared to the dozens of portals spawning everywhere, nearly an entire group of initiates dead, and having to accompany the group of refugees from Wignut, she couldn''t bring herself to care about the rules.


    She looked around the long wagon line, then turned to Delwood, the tall Wignut ranger.


    "Did you find any more portals?"


    "No. Just those Bas found."


    Never a word too many, Tanya thought as she gazed coldly at the Ranger. As if three portals that close together weren''t a horribly bad sign!


    "And did you close them?"


    "One was already gone when we reached them," Delwood said, meeting her stare with calm eyes, something she''d not yet gotten used to. "We lost another Ranger closing the other two. They were filled with those shadowy snake things."


    She could hear a tiny bit of accusation in his voice, but he didn''t say anything else, just held her gaze until she nodded. It wasn''t as if she could have changed the outcome.


    "Nyzir¡­ evil little things," she said. "I''m sorry you lost another one, but we can''t leave those portals open. You know how much harder it gets if they become uncommon."


    "I know."


    "Any sign of who closed the third portal?" she asked, trying not to get angry at his shortness. Delwood had lost all but a dozen of his rangers within a week. He was entitled to a bit of anger.


    "No. We found tracks in the nearby woods, likely of a carded with a dog type minion. Whoever it was either died closing the third portal or left after. The rain washed most of the tracks away."


    Probably barely managed to close one and was too afraid to close the other two, Tanya thought as she recalled her own time closing rifts with Nyzir. She still had nightmares from those.


    "Alright, I want you to create new groups of common-handed by combining the remaining initiates and your rangers. When you scout for portals, use the new group setups," she said.


    Delwood''s mouth opened, then closed, and she could see his mind spinning. Sorcerers were known to be very guarded of their initiates, not letting them mix with rangers. What he probably didn''t know was just how strict those rules were. Or why they were there. The latter would really surprise her, as she didn''t even know. She''d complained many times about the poor training and equipment the initiates were given before entering their first portals. She''d never gotten an answer but was told not to cause trouble.


    To Gelwin with the rules. Without more common-handed closing portals, we won''t get to Tenproud alive, she thought.


    Delwood didn''t ask anything but instead gazed at her intently for a few moments before giving her a sharp nod.


    "Do you want me to add that girl, Twintin, to one of the uncommon-handed groups?"


    Tanya thought about it for a moment, wondering if it was a good idea. The girl was odd and hadn''t spoken much after she was found. According to her, all of her party had been killed in a fire hound portal, which she found odd. Hounds didn''t normally appear in common portals, especially none as large as the ones she''d described. Something told her the girl was lying about something, but without a truth reader carded, she couldn''t be sure.


    Still, she had a powerful uncommon card and needed more experience.


    "Yes, do that," she finally said.


    Delwood nodded calmly, but she could see he was happy with her answer.


    Perhaps his shortness isn''t that bad, she thought.


    At least she never had to explain a lot with the quiet Ranger. Besides, she eyed him for a moment taking in his long supple body. He was handsome. She quickly dismissed the thought as she focused on the here and now. She could have some fun with him when they reached their next stop.


    "Let''s get them moving again. We don''t have enough food to stay here any longer. We need to get these people to Tenproud safely."


    Delwood snorted. "It''d be much easier if we had portals."


    Tanya glared at him. "The Towers have their hands full, closing the portals around what''s left of Wignut! There is no teleporter free to get these many people away," she snapped, annoyed that she had to explain it again.


    "I know. I''m just saying it''d be much easier," the Ranger said calmly. Then he turned and walked away, shouting for the wagons to get ready to move.


    Yes. Portals would be handy, she thought as she looked around the forest''s edge. As would be more rangers and sorcerers. Sadly, she had neither, and that meant she was on her own getting the survivors to safety.


    She took a final look at the forest, then turned to follow Delwood.


    --


    I hope Megah will be alright, Irwin thought as he stomped beside Daubutim.


    The despair on her face as they had told her they wouldn''t be going to the other people with her had been almost too much to bear. Still, he had waited until the Ranger reached her before pulling back. She would be safe there.


    Safer than we will be, he thought as he looked around the darkening forest. Half of the orange and red leaves had dropped from the trees already, making everything look even darker. A chilling gust of wind blew around them, and he shivered as he felt the pain in his back intensify. The sky was still gray, but the little sunlight that filtered down barely gave off any heat anymore. Leaves were tumbling through the air, blown by the freezing wind.


    Snow will fall soon, he thought, fearing the prospect more than he ever had before.


    "We need to find a place to spend the night," he said through clattering teeth.


    They''d been walking at Daubutim''s brisk pace for most of the day, and he was tired, cold, and hungry.


    "It would be best to put more distance between us and Wignut," Daubutim said without slowing down.


    Irwin frowned as he gazed at the other boy''s back. They were at least two days from Wignut. That should be enough, right?


    "How much further? Besides, if we continue, I''ll need to summon my flame," he said. "I''ll freeze otherwise."


    Daubutim looked back at him and slowed. When they were walking side by side, Irwin saw him glance at his back.


    "You can''t summon your flame. It will make us far too visible. We also won''t find a place as we did before. The leaves are falling fast, faster than normal, and won''t be enough to block the glow."


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    By Gelwin''s beard, Irwin thought angrily as he looked at the nearest bushes.


    "Perhaps we should have gone with the refugees," he muttered.


    "No, we made the right decision," Daubutim said as he shook his head. "Tomorrow, we will reach the merchant''s outpost, Degonda. There we can trade for new and thicker clothing. With some luck, there will also be a carded healer to look at your wound. The arrow card should be enough to get us anything we need and more."


    Irwin grunted. "Tell me again why you didn''t mention this option before?"


    "It adds almost two days to our journey to our travel to Esterdon," Daubutim answered seriously, seemingly unable to read his annoyed sarcasm.


    "Do you think we will find Greldo again?" Irwin asked, uninterested in explaining it and hoping to distract himself from the pain in his back.


    "I don''t know. We didn''t find a body, and there were only old tracks showing he had been around, so there''s a chance he is fine. Besides, he knows where we are going, and he has Coal."


    Irwin nodded at that, remembering the hound, already large when it had just been summoned. It should be enough to guard Greldo against most common troubles.


    Unless there are too many, he thought.


    "Let''s hope we will find him at Esterdon," he muttered as he continued to trudge forward.


    Perhaps I should give him the Storm Leaves card, Irwin thought, trying to distract himself with anything and everything that came to him.


    They ended up walking for another hour before finding shelter beneath two trees that had fallen into a crumpled heap. The muddy hole was deep enough that Irwin could use his flame for a short while, holding it between the ground and his body. It managed to dry up and heat the ground just enough for him to fall into a restless sleep.


    The following day he woke cold, shivering, and with a sharp pain in his back. Daubutim looked at it but only grunted when Irwin asked how it looked. They quickly headed out, eating their final bit of roots and drinking muddy water from the pools.


    The forest continued on for half a day until they finally reached the end. The rolling plains had turned into a hilly landscape, and standing on the forest''s edge, Irwin looked at the distant hills. All around him, dull brown leaves littered the ground or blew in the wind, none left on the bare black trees.


    "The Lostcarded hills," Daubutim said as he scanned the horizon. "There should be an old kingdom road further east. It will lead straight to Degonda."


    "Let''s keep going then," Irwin said through clattering teeth.


    "There is a chance that we come across merchant wagons on the road. If we do, we need a story," Daubutim said before turning to Irwin and looking at him. He remained quiet, and slowly Irwin realized why.


    "And you want me to come up with one," he said.


    "Yes. You can''t say you''re from Malorin and of no importance, or they might forcefully draft you."


    Of no importance? Irwin thought as he gnashed his teeth. Stupid nobles.


    "Wait, what do you mean, forcefully drafted?"


    "It happens during times like these, when too many portals appear for people to close. The lords of the cities and towns will draft any carded in their domain to help close the portals."


    "I''ve never heard of that..." Irwin muttered in confusion.


    "It hasn''t happened in over eighty years," Daubutim said. "And its usually kept quiet to not cause a panic."


    Irwin sighed as he waved ahead. "Fine, let''s keep walking. I''ll try and think of something as we move."


    After half an hour of trudging up and down pebble-strewn slopes, he thought he had something that might work. Maybe.


    "Do you have any distant cousins or relatives?" he asked, suddenly realizing something. He was cold and in pain but not out of breath¡ªa marginal improvement over a month ago.


    Daubutim blinked, then nodded. "Seven uncles and aunts, and twenty-three cousins."


    Irwin shook his head. He should have known Daubutim would be far too specific again.


    "Is there one that is unknown or is known to¡­ seek the company of other women?" he asked.


    Daubutim stopped and stared at him, his mouth opening and closing a few times. After a while, he nodded. "Yes?"


    "Alright. How likely is it that we can get away with me being an illegitimate child of one of your uncles or cousins and you bringing me along because of my cards?"


    Daubutim''s eyes went dull, and he was quiet for so long that Irwin wondered if he had to repeat the question.


    "Uncle Ondrist has multiple bastards running around that we know of and likely dozens that we don''t," Daubutim said softly. "It isn''t something we want to be known, so don''t mention it except when there is no other way. He is also¡­ smaller than average."


    What does that have to do- oh right. Irwin sighed as he looked up at the taller boy. He''d grown almost half a head since getting his cards, but he was still small compared to the towering noble.


    "Alright. Then let''s go with this. I''m one of Ondrist''s bastards, and you found me at the sorcerers. Beyond that, we just keep most of the story as much in line with what happened: we went into a few rifts, cleared one, and got lucky in another. Now we both are both almost full-handed, and you are bringing me to your father or family or something."


    Daubutim nodded. "To the main family branch. Yes, this would work. But then you need another name," he said, calmly.


    "What? Why?" Irwin asked. His name wasn''t that uncommon, and there should be plenty of people around with his name.


    "Because every male in my family, even the bastards, get a name that starts with the same letter as their father''s."


    "What? Why? And how does that work if the bastards don''t know who their father is?"


    "It is tradition. And as to how? As soon as they are made known, or we find one, they get a new name," Daubutim said. "If they want to be part of the Coulwater family, they are required to."


    It took Irwin a few moments to wrap his head around the idea that people had to change their names. Or that this seemed something that happened enough for Daubutim to know.


    "Alright, so can''t I just use Orwin then?" he asked.


    "Yes, or Oudibun, or Olban, or-" Daubutim began rattling off a whole list of names.


    When he finally stopped, Irwin just shook his head in amusement. He''d never known there were this many names starting with an O. Though mentioning the name Olban brought back some painful memories of the first rift they had gone into and the losses they had taken.


    I wonder if Twintin is still alive, he thought before pushing it away. More problems for another time.


    "I think Orwin will just be fine. Orwin, son of Ondrist," he said.


    Daubutim shrugged, seeming unhappy about the name, but Irwin decided he didn''t care. Orwin was close enough, which would make it easier to remember.


    They rounded another hill of almost black dirt caked with greenish moss, and Daubutim stopped and pointed.


    "The Kingsroad," he said.


    Ahead was a wide, gray-paved stretch of street. Cracks and holes puckered its surface but did little to detract from its oddness. Irwin had heard of Kingsroads before but never actually seen one. The nearest one was probably this one, and he looked at it in wonder.


    "How did they get the road this flat?" he asked.


    "Nobody knows. They''ve been around for hundreds of years and were made at the peak of the Galadin Kingdom''s power before the portals appeared. Some have said it was made with old-world magic, but there is no proof."


    Irwin whistled as they came closer, and when he finally put a foot on the slightly elevated road, he was surprised at how smooth it was. There was a rustle from his pocket, then Ambraz came out, flitting down.


    "Well, well! Interesting!"


    Irwin looked at the Anvil, wondering what he knew of the road. When the Anvil didn''t continue, he frowned. "You know these roads?"


    "No, but I know the material, Cremtar," Ambraz said with a sniff. "It requires a very special card. Legendary!"


    "This was made before the portals," Daubutim said as he looked at the Anvil. "There were no cards back then."


    "Well, I guess you don''t know everything after all," Ambraz said before barking a short laugh. "Cremtar can only be made with skills gained from legendary cards. So either there were portals before then, or there were carded here, and powerful ones."


    Daubutim frowned his mouth opening and closing a few times. Then he stared at the ground with dull and confused eyes. Irwin guessed he knew that Ambraz didn''t have any reason to lie.


    "Does it matter?" Irwin asked before looking along the length of the road. "Let''s go."


    "Bah. It might! If there were powerful carded here, there might be someone who can help?" Ambraz said.


    Quietly, Irwin stared at him. "If there had been such powerful carded, they were all killed when the portals appeared," he finally said.


    Ambraz just sniffed, and Irwin decided he had another thing to figure out.


    As he took his first few steps across the road, Irwin was in awe at the increase in their traveling pace. Effortlessly they walked across the leveled route, only the occasional gentle slope following the curve of the hills to slow them down. Though, in most cases, the road seemed to have been cut straight through, towering rock faces flanking them on occasion.


    An hour later, Irwin began hearing soft, distant sounds. After another few minutes, they became recognizable. Screams and ringing of metal on metal. He stopped and shared a worried look with Daubutim.


    "Let''s keep going. There is no other place we can reach safely," Daubutim said.


    They continued on, and the sounds increased, making it more than evident that they were moving toward the source of what sounded like a massive battle. They stopped when they reached a hill from behind which the sounds came.


    "Another portal?" Irwin asked, having to shout to get over the sounds.


    "Possibly," Daubutim said before he hesitated as he looked ahead. "We need to check if there is a possibility for us to reach Degonda. If not¡­" he trailed off.


    They continued up the hill, and as Irwin reached the top, he couldn''t hold back a startled curse. Down a gentle slope stood a single, ancient-looking gray tower amidst a wooden village encircled by a twenty-foot wall. Left of it was a battle unlike any Irwin had seen.


    Rangers stood on one side, shooting arrows, some glowing red or golden, into a melee. Guards and what he could only describe as pale white Galubs with two curved black horns were fighting each other voraciously. The pale demons were tossing orbs of pale blue light at the guards, and those that hit caused shields and armor to freeze over. The guards were fighting back with card abilities, and the blue flashes and glowing weapons showed that these weren''t mere common-handed fighters but uncommon or even higher. They were decimating any of the pale, horned devils that came within range, slowly pushing forward.


    Irwin looked at where the pale demons came from, and his eyes widened in shock. There were two portals hanging close together behind them, the edges rippling with energy tendrils. Pale demons kept popping up from one of them, getting directed by a taller one with longer horns to rush into the melee.


    "They are winning. As long as they can reach the portal, it should be fine," Daubutim stated, snapping him back to reality.


    "How can you tell?" he asked, looking at the battle and only seeing what looked like an even match.


    "There are rangers circling around. They will have the advantage of high ground within a few minutes," Daubutim said as he pointed at the hill behind the portal. Irwin saw small shapes there, climbing up from the side.


    Ambraz whisked out of his pocket and onto his shoulder, crooning. "Oh my! An uncommon and a common portal side by side? Less than six years. After that, this planet is going to shatter apart."


    Irwin stared stupidly at the portal. "Hide before someone sees you," he muttered.


    The Anvil let out a theatrical sigh but went back into his pocket.


    "Let''s wait till they are done," Daubutim said as he moved to a nearby boulder to sit down.


    "What if they lose?" Irwin asked.


    "Then we will have to try and fight our way in to get the supplies we need," Daubutim said.


    Right, Irwin thought, wondering how likely that would be.

 Chapter 44: Room and board

    "I''ve never seen a card-ability like that," Irwin muttered.


    He gazed at the tall, heavily armored man with spiky golden hair who was charging the portals at the head of a group of other warriors. The pale Galubs were focus-firing on him, but each time one of the blue crackling balls hit the warrior, a shell of light appeared, absorbing the ball. Perhaps more importantly, the warrior''s massive two-handed sword began glowing brighter each time this happened.


    "It''s a-" Daubutim began just as the warrior swiped his sword in a long arc at the demons.


    Whatever Daubutim wanted to say was lost in the thunderous crackling of the wave of lightning that swept away from the edge of the blade. It rippled and crackled through what remained of the pale-skinned Galubs, or whatever they were.


    Irwin wiped the spots from his eyes and saw that the other guards had slowed down. He wondered if they were as much in awe of what had happened or were staring like him at the many dozens of blackened, twitching bodies before the portals.


    Whatever the guards must think, a few moments later, two groups of six rangers in leather armor, two with large cat-like pets, ran up from behind the guards. They had bags on their backs and weapons in hand, but thats where the similarities ended. One group was made up of heavily armored, large weapon-wielding warriors, with the lead person having a giant gleaming bird on his shoulder. Those with the cats were also in this group, but both stopped before the golden-haired man. After a few moments, they took something from him, then jumped through the two portals, disappearing in a flash.


    "It''s a lightning absorption retaliation skill," Daubutim said softly. "It''s a rare card. My father has a similar one, though he projects balls of lightning from his shield when he uses it."


    A rare battle card, Irwin thought, staring wide-eyed at the warrior.


    He''d seen rare-cards, or at least their outlining or after-effects before, but never a true battle card. All he knew of those were stories and rumors about the rangers and guards around the capital or near the peninsula wall that Bronwyn told him.


    The yellow-haired leader had stabbed his sword into the ground, lightning still crackling along its edge occasionally.


    It''s a bit like my fire body. I wonder if there''s a fire version? It would be great if I could absorb heat to keep myself warm, Irwin thought as he imagined absorbing heat. Wait, didn''t his flame allow him to absorb heat and grow? It was only temporary, but perhaps he could somehow use that? He had to combine his cards into one, afterall! What if he combined the heat absorption with his Coperion Body? He''d have to ask Ambraz.


    "They''ve spotted us. Stay calm, and don''t forget who you are, Orwin," Daubutim said, laying heavy emphasis on his new semi-fake name. "Ambraz, stay hidden away."


    "Right, right," a bored voice rumbled from Irwin''s pocket.


    Irwin blinked as he watched the group of riders heading their way. They were riding Cindermares, tall, beautiful, four-legged, and fast. He''d seen images of those but never one in person. All he really knew was that they were the counterpart of the Charbulls but used by the nobles to ride.


    Rare battle cards, Cindermares... what else am I going to see? He wondered.


    The loud thudding of the hooves stopped as they slowed a few dozen feet from them. The lead rider was a black-bearded man with sharp blue eyes and heavily muscled, bare arms. A full-hand of combined cards sparkled on his left hand, and a single darker one sat on his right. He pointed one of his fingers at them.


    "State your name and business!"


    Daubutim stepped forward, his eyes suddenly sharp, and his demeanor changed.


    ¡°I am Daubutim Coulwater, youngest son of Lord Doldingen Coulwater of Caldangen. I am escorting my cousin, Orwin, soon-to-be Coulwater, to our Esterdon tower guard outpost. We got into trouble on our way and had to fight off monsters from a surge."


    The man''s eyes sharpened, and Irwin thought he saw something pass in them. Then it was gone, and he gracefully dismounted and stepped closer to Daubutim.


    "And what, Daubutim Coulwater, is your business here? Esterdon is a good way from here," he said softly. Irwin saw his gaze dart to Daubutim''s hand, and his eyes widened slightly.


    "We lost most of our supplies, and my friend got seriously injured. We are here to rest, recover and resupply," Daubutim said coolly.


    It keeps surprising me when he does that, Irwin thought as he gazed at his noble friend from the side.


    "I see. Well, you are lucky to have reached us, but I fear your journey is going to have to wait for a while," the man said as he motioned his hand. "If you would kindly follow us to the keep, Lord Bron will explain."


    The riders moved forward, flanking them, and Irwin swallowed.


    "What is the meaning of this," Daubutim said coolly.


    "It''s not up to me to explain, young lordling," the man said. "Just kindly follow us."


    Daubutim fell quiet, and Irwin could see he was struggling. Before Daubutim could do or say something that could make their lives more difficult, Irwin quickly stepped forward. "Let''s just go with them, Cousin Daubutim. I am sure the Lord can explain."


    As odd as it felt to call Daubutim cousin, the noble seemed to take it in stride, simply nodding.


    "Fine."


    The man''s demeanor relaxed as he took a step back.


    "Right, let''s head back before another surge happens," he said before getting back on his Cindermare.


    As calm as he sounded, Irwin noticed that two of the riders remained behind them at all times as they slowly made their way to the walled town.


    He''d expected Degonda to be a small, quiet enclave, but as they closed in, he got a few looks through the open gate and saw the narrow streets bustling with people.


    As they reached the open gate, a hubbub of wounded guards, rangers and dozens of others moved around hectically, busy taking care of the wounded. A hard-faced ranger with a long ponytail moved along with them, staring at the bare-armed guard leading them.


    "Hutch, where did you find these youngsters?" she asked with a smirk. "Don''t tell me you were out searching for replacements while we were getting knocked around?"


    The rider huffed but ignored her, which didn''t seem to bother the ranger.


    Irwin noticed the woman stare at Daubutim and him intently, her gaze on their hands. He had to force himself to resist putting it behind his back, instead staring back at her when she examined his face.


    "You look like you were used to start a campfire, boy!" the woman said. "No matter, I''m sure with three cards, you''ll be either sent to me or the guards!" She laughed, and her eyes twinkled while Irwin stared at her, dumbstruck.


    Sent to her groups? What?


    "Myda, be quiet! They have not yet spoken with the Lord."


    "The Lord? Since when do new-"


    "Since one of them is a Lordling himself," Hutch said as he stared at her. "Now. I think you need to get your rangers ready. There are a half dozen more portals that need closing!"


    "Right, right. Man, such a tight-ass," the woman muttered. She winked at Irwin before turning away and heading to a group of rangers standing nearby.


    "Don''t mind her," Hutch said, looking at Daubutim. "She still hasn''t gotten used to her new responsibilities."


    When Daubutim didn''t respond, he shrugged and rode to the side of the wall beside the gate. He dismounted in a smooth movement and handed the reins to a young guard.


    "Take her to the stables and rub her down. She''s had a tough day and likely more to come," he said before turning around and beckoning them to follow.


    Trudging across the muddy ground below the gate, Irwin was surprised to see people sitting there, staring dully at their knees. Most wore barely more than rags, and all of them had wounds of some sort. The almost silence that hung was filled with sighs and moans.


    When they moved back into the open, it wasn''t much better. Rickety wooden buildings and tents filled a cobblestone square, and more bedraggled people wandered or sat everywhere. The soft muttering and occasional shouts of pain made for a horrible view.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    Around the square, he saw that dozens of buildings were under construction. Second stories were being built on older buildings.


    "We are trying to fit all the refugees from the surrounding towns inside," Hutch grunted at him. "We normally only have around two hundred people here, and right now, there are over two thousand."


    Irwin swallowed as he looked around, wondering how many surges had even happened.


    There are usually a few per year, but this... It is horrible!


    "Don''t worry. We will be fine here. When all of this happened, a small group of hand-and-a-halves were here. I think you saw them enter the portals before."


    "The ones with the companion cards," Irwin said softly.


    "Aye. Strong ones those, though nothing compared to Basil! Such a shame that higher carded can''t clear lower portals. We''d just send that monster in and he''d rip them all closed within a few days," Hutch said before barking a weary laugh.


    Irwin didn''t respond, and they continued on quietly.


    Two long streets later, they followed Hutch toward the central tower. Up close, it became truly evident how massive it was, with two lower buildings attached to it that were wide enough to be comparable to the Malorin school building.


    Or are as big as the housing block we lived in, Irwin thought as he looked up at what had to be a ten-story tower. Definitely higher too. Malorin had some high buildings in the castle, but nothing compared to this. He looked at Daubutim to see what he thought, but the noble was staring straight ahead with a slightly worried frown. Either he''d seen similar or was too preoccupied.


    Another guard came stomping towards them, splattering mud everywhere. He had a wide grin on his unshaven face, and his hair stood out on all ends. Like Hutch, he had no sleeves on his otherwise armored body.


    "More new''uns, I see? Want me to bring them to the barracks then?"


    "No, maybe later. They need to speak with the Lord first," Hutch said, bumping fists with the other guard.


    "Oohhhh, like that, huh? Tell me about it later. I''ve got some new recruits to show what''s the pointy end and why sometimes daggers beat bastardswords or fists beat both!"


    Hutch barked a laugh, then shook his head. "Ah, fun times. We can drink on it tonight, perhaps forget our woes."


    "I''ll keep you to that," the other guard shouted joyfully as he moved away.


    The tower entrance was guarded by two sword and shield-wielding guards that nodded at Hutch while inspecting him and Daubutim closely. They didn''t ask them for their weapons, which Irwin thought made sense. People with weapon cards could hardly be required to unslot them, and compared to those, regular weapons were probably uninteresting.


    "Scrape the mud from your boots," Hutch said as he moved to an odd wall with wooden outcrops. He began wiping the bottom of his boots and the sides. "The lord doesn''t like the mud."


    Mum would agree, Irwin thought as he copied Huch''s movements as best he could. He''d never done it before, and with his boots caked by days on the road, it was a messy affair. To his surprise, Daubutim managed it easily, as if he''d done the act a thousand times.


    "Right, that''ll have to do," Hutch finally said when he had been at it for a while.


    Five minutes and a dozen rooms and hallways later, the rugged guard shoved open a towering wooden door, and they stepped into a large room. Maps hung from most of the walls and a massive table dominated the center. A small rendition of a hilly landscape stood on it, and as Irwin stared at it, he saw a small version of what had to be Degonda in the center.


    It''s more like a small city than a merchant outpost, Irwin thought as he unconsciously stepped closer to the table, inspecting the beautifully crafted tiny version of the outpost.


    "Hutch. Good, I need you to take your riders to the Grinning Man''s hilltop. There''s a rumor that another uncommon portal popped up there, apparently, without being common first. I''d say its Cindermare shit, but with all that''s going on? Take one of the ranger groups and close it if you find it!" a soft voice said, seeming to emanate from the table.


    Irwin jumped in surprise. Then he saw someone almost draped over it, his nose almost glued to a paper.


    "Of course. But one moment, my Lord," Hutch said. "You have guests."


    The man looked up with a surprised gaze in his steel-gray eyes, then rose, and Irwin was surprised when he seemed to keep rising. When the man finally stood fully erect, Irwin gaped at what had to be the tallest man he''d ever seen. Gaunt, pale, and with baggy eyes, the man radiated sleeplessness.


    "What? Hutch, I''m busy. Can''t you have Basil take care of this?" he said as he glimpsed at Irwin and Daubutim, his gaze lingering on the latter. Suddenly they widened, and without another word, he moved around the table, staring closely at Daubutim.


    "You look familiar. That jawline, the hair color... yes.. yes. Some young lordling, but not exactly the one I''ve seen, a sibling perhaps. Ah! That''s it! Are you one of Coulwater''s brood?" he asked, stopping a step away from Daubutim, leaning forward slightly as if he couldn''t see properly.


    Daubutim took a tiny step back, dipped one knee slightly, and leaned forward with an arm crossed before his chest in a single, smooth motion. "Lord Larzen. It is an honor to meet you. My name is Daubutim Coulwater, youngest son of Lord Doldingen Coulwater of Caldangen."


    "Ah, you''re the one whose blood got mixed with a Diflor! The odd one," Bron said.


    He sounded curious as he moved even closer, seeming not to notice Daubutim''s stiffened face or the drop of his shoulders.


    "Yes, I''ve read about you! Always wanted to have a look at you and your condition! Is that why your father sent you here? Bad timing on his part, I''m afraid." Bron shook his head before sighing wearily. "Got no time for research these days. Or for anything at all, really."


    "No, Lord Larz-"


    "Call me Bron. Or Lord," Bron said as he raised a finger, his eyes narrowing.


    Irwin didn''t think he looked angry, more¡­ annoyed, maybe.


    "Yes, Lord," Daubutim said. "As I was saying, I am just traveling through. I am en-route to bring my new nephew, Orwin, to the family estate for training."


    Bron looked at Irwin, who could feel the others'' gaze run over him, seeming to scan each part of his burned-down leather jacket and pants. He suddenly felt far more conscious of his ragged apparel compared to the other three in the room. Even Hutch, as ready for battle as he seemed, was wearing far higher quality clothes than he had, even if they hadn''t been burned.


    "Right. And you got caught in a forest fire on the way here?" Bron said with a raised eyebrow. "Either way, it matters not. I''m afraid your family and good Orwin here will have to wait. I see you both have three cards? And do I spot an uncommon one there? Good, good. I can''t have you leave, Daubutim," Bron said as he looked at Daubutim closely.


    He raised a hand when the other began to speak. "No interruptions, please. We have some serious issues here¡­ well everywhere. Besides that, it wouldn''t be safe to send you anywhere with the dozens of portals, and Yilda knows how many surges in between here and¡­ well, anywhere else, really. No, I''m afraid I''ll have to ask that you assist my guards in securing Degonda first."


    Irwin knew instantly it wasn''t a question, no matter how it was framed, and he felt his heart sink in his stomach. It also made little sense. How was it safer for them to help close uncommon portals compared to heading to Daubutim''s family? From what he''d seen from common portals, uncommon portals had to be nearly impossible! Was he going to get stuck here, sent out to close rifts after he''d barely escaped from the sorcerers?


    Before he or Daubutim could say anything, Lord Bron swirled back around and seemed to focus on the table.


    "Now. Bring them to Basil and tell him to add them to one of the guard squads," he said. Then he stopped and cocked his head at the table as if spotting something odd. "Right. Seeing as at least one of them is a lord, free up a room in the tower for them. Yes. And get someone to train them too."


    Seeming content, Bron nodded as he moved to the table. "Now leave! I need to figure out how to close two uncommon portals on opposite sides of Burdid valley with a surge in between."


    Irwin was dumbly staring at the man as he went back to leaning over the table, an uncomfortable silence now hanging in the room.


    "You better follow me," Hutch whispered, and Irwin looked up to see him beckon them.


    Daubutim was staring in the distance with a dull gaze, and Irwin shook himself out of his own worry. Daubutim was the only thing keeping them from being treated like everyone else. If they found out he had issues... He quickly grabbed the noble''s arm, gently pulling him along. He was happy when Daubutim merely looked down, nodded, and followed him.


    After Hutch closed the door behind them, he stopped and watched them long enough for Irwin to become uncomfortable. When he fidgeted, Hutch looked at him and grinned weakly.


    "Well, we are going to get two fairly upset nobles in a few moments, I guess, but what''s there to do? Follow me, and let''s see who will cause the least fuzz when we tell them they need to shack up for the foreseeable future."


    Irwin wasn''t sure if he was supposed to say anything, so he quietly followed the guard through the tower. They went further up, passing a long open corridor with dozens of rooms. Grunts and angry curses came from inside, together with the clashing of metal and wood. Irwin took a quick look inside and saw dozens of men, young and old, swinging swords, maces, axes, and staves, either at each other or at odd wooden contraptions that vaguely resembled monsters.


    "Eager? I like that. But you need to get some better clothing and rest before you go practice," Hutch grunted.


    Irwin saw the guard, and Daubutim where watching him from near another corridor. Turning slightly red, he quickly followed them.


    Eventually, they reached a quiet area of the tower, and by now, Irwin was completely lost. Worse, even though the well-dusted, light gray floors and brazier-lit walls were nothing like the darkness of the Galub portal, it still reminded him of it. Not a happy memory.


    "Alright, whatever happens in a moment, don''t interfere or make as much as a peep," Hutch said as he stopped before a simple but sturdy pale wooden door. "Got that?"


    Irwin nodded, and Daubutim gave a curt nod.


    Hutch stared at the door, and for a moment, Irwin thought he saw a nasty grin pass over his face. Then he thudded his fist on the door louder than was necessary. A startled shout came from inside, followed by curses as something clattered on the ground.


    "What is it?"


    Irwin blinked at the high-pitched, unkind nasal quality of the voice.


    "Lordling Joustihr Rindaw, please open the door. It''s Headguard Hutch on orders of Lord Bron," Hutch snapped, and Irwin saw him frown at the door in annoyance.


    "Wha- why, no, wait, darn. Right! One moment!"


    A rustle, clattering and other sounds came and lasted for at least a few minutes, during which Hutch''s face turned from annoyed to a carefully schooled, steely calm that Irwin found far more intimidating.


    He reminds me of Randal just before he was about to flip, Irwin thought as he recalled the smith.


    The door creaked open and a disheveled brown-haired youth, seeming a little older than Daubutim peaked out. His wrinkled white tunic seemed hastily put on, and he had dark stains on his face.


    "Yes?" he asked carefully.


    "Please open the door," Hutch said, not waiting and shoving the door forward.


    There was a startled shout as Joustihr was shoved back. The door opened to reveal a single room with a bed pushed into the left back corner and three tables filled with vials, books, stacks of crumpled paper, and other items dominating the rest.


    "What, by Gelwin''s beard, have you done to these quarters!" Hutch shouted as he looked around in dismay.


    "Well, I- you see," the young man began as he looked around and rubbed a stained hand through his hair. "Who told you? Was it Sebastian? That big oaf, I told him-" he muttered.


    "Nobody told me anything, but this¡­" Hutch growled as he looked around, then he stepped towards the Lordling and stared him straight in the face. "You. Stay. Put." Then he turned to Daubutim and Irwin. "You two, wait here for a moment."


    He turned and stomped out of the door, slamming it shut behind him.


    As the loud footsteps faded, Irwin looked up to see Joustihr frown at them, turning to him and inspecting his clothing with interest.


    "Err¡­ so, I guess there''s a reason for you two to be here?" he asked. "Mind telling me what''s going on?"


    "Lord Bron is looking to free up a room for us," Daubutim stated calmly.


    That''s one way of putting it, Irwin thought as he saw Joustihr''s eyes pop open and face go slack.

 Chapter 45: Hot and cozy

    Irwin stood next to the wall, trying to make himself as small as possible as an angry Lordling carried a big pack of belongings into Joustihr''s room.


    "Sebastian Delaplui, Lord Bron will be very happy that you are willing to share a room with Lordling Rindaw," Hutch said, his eyes narrow as he stared at the youth.


    "It''s Lordling to you, guard," Sebastian snarled.


    The angry young man glared at Daubutim and then at Joustihr, who stood wringing his hands and staring in dismay at the second bed being pushed into a corner by two guards.


    Hutch didn''t say anything but waited as two more youths walked in carrying more bags. Irwin had no idea who they were, but their simple clothing showed they definitely weren''t nobles.


    "Good. Now, you two, with me," Hutch said as he stomped out of the room.


    Irwin quickly followed, noticing a nasty glare from Sebastian directed at Daubutim''s back just as he left the room.


    A few minutes later, they entered another room, similar to Joustihr''s, but without the tables filled with vials, books, and papers. It was reasonably clean, though Irwin noticed a few shirts crumpled in a corner. It had two beds with crumpled linen, a table, some chairs, and a couple of large wardrobes. The only major difference was a small window in the far wall. The shutters were partially open and light peaked through the cracks while a cold draft passed through the room.


    Irwin shivered, then saw a dark, unused fireplace and decided the first thing he''d do was find some wood and light it up.


    "Alright. Get some rest. I''ll have someone drop off some new clothing and show you to the bathing area in an hour. You said your friend was seriously injured?"


    Irwin was surprised Hutch had remembered it, and he shivered as the pain in his back came with a vengeance. As he saw Hutch gaze at him intently, he nodded.


    "I got slashed on the back," he said, pointing over his shoulder.


    "Slashed?" Hutch snapped. "Show me!"


    Irwin blinked, then turned around, pointing at his back.


    Hutch moved closer and began poking around the rips and holes. "Hmmm¡­ Can you take off the jacket, please?"


    Irwin hesitated, then shook his head. "If I do, it might fall apart."


    "That''s fine. I''ll have new ones brought to you soon," Hutch stated.


    Licking his lips, Irwin shrugged and unbuttoned the front, unstrapped the belts, and slowly removed the jacket. As he did, he felt parts stick to the shirt and his bare skin around the wound, which pulled painfully. Blackened leather bits dropped to the ground like dark hail.


    A startled hiss came from Hutch, and Irwin felt his hair stand on end. How bad was it for a seasoned warrior to react like that?


    "What, exactly, did you two say you were fighting?" Hutch asked.


    "We didn''t," Daubutim said. "We were ambushed by a large bird-like demon."


    Irwin felt Hutch poke around his wound as he began shivering from the cold.


    "How large are we talking?" Hutch asked.


    "About one story tall," Daubutim said before Irwin could stop him.


    Hutch''s hands froze. "Where was this?" he finally asked, but Irwin could hear the disbelief.


    "Almost two days from here, in the woods towards Wignut," Daubutim said.


    Dammit, Daubutim, Irwin thought. He should have told the other not to talk about those details.


    "I see."


    Hutch was quiet for a while, then stepped back.


    "The wound is healing and isn''t infected, likely due to your uncommon cards. But you are fortunate. Bigger monsters aren''t just powerful. Their scratches and bites carry deadly pathogens and can be deadly even to full-handed. A one-story tall demon would normally kill even a ranger with a rare body improvement card."


    Patho... gens? Irwin thought, wondering what those were. He didn''t ask as he saw the guard inspecting them with narrowed eyes.


    He thinks Daubutim is exaggerating, Irwin thought. He prayed the noble boy wouldn''t figure it out and keep quiet.


    "It was dark and dangerous," Irwin said quickly. "I didn''t get a good look."


    Hutch frowned and took a glance at Daubutim before looking back at Irwin. "Right. Well, I''ll have one of the carded healers look at you tomorrow after the seriously wounded are helped. Your scabbings show this happened a week or two ago, so you will be fine."


    Irwin nodded, and Hutch grunted. "Either way, this means you won''t be able to participate in the training for a few more weeks. Now you-" and he turned to Daubutim. "I''ll send someone tomorrow morning to get you to see how much training you need and in what group I can put you."


    Daubutim nodded, and Irwin got the idea that Hutch was confused about something. Still, the gruff guard just nodded and turned to the door.


    "Guard Hutch," Daubutim said crisply. "If we could also get some food and drink? We have been traveling on empty stomachs."


    "I''ll see to it. Now, stay in this room until someone comes to get you. Otherwise, you will get lost in the tower," Hutch replied before stepping outside and closing the door.


    Irwin blinked at the sudden quiet in the room, listening to the guard''s stomping footsteps distance themselves.


    Should I have asked if they were going to check after the bird demon? Irwin suddenly thought, wondering if their lies were going to get them into trouble.


    He turned to Daubutim but forgot his own worry when he saw his friend looking at his hands and frowning. He hoped the other wasn''t worrying about what Hutch thought about the story with the Bablibon.


    "Do you think we will have to stay here?" he asked, deciding those were things for later.


    Daubutim jolted and looked up. "I don''t know," he muttered. "Lord Bron seemed adamant that we stay here, and I have no way of reaching my father. Perhaps we could try to sneak out but¡­ Well, that might be difficult," he continued with a weary sigh. He moved to the window and pulled it open, the draft turning to a strong gust as a cold wind from outside blasted into the room.


    Irwin moved over, annoyed yet at the same time curious, and saw that they were much higher up than he had thought. At least three stories above the rest of the merchant''s outpost and with a clear view across the wall. From up here, he could easily see the streets filled with huddled people and how much of a strain the influx was on the small outpost. Besides the central tower and its adjacent buildings, everything else had likely been only single-story up to a week ago. They also had a clear view of the main gate they had entered through, and he saw a large force of Guards had encircled the two portals far beyond the walls.


    "Even if we could get out, Lord Bron was probably right. If portals spawned this close to a town, worse that one changed to uncommon before they even managed to close it? It is too dangerous."


    Irwin glanced at the other boy in disbelief. "So what? We stay here? You know what is going to happen¡­ we need to- to¡­"


    Irwin shook his head as he frowned. Wait. What did they have to do? They had been heading to Daubutims father, so they had a safe place to stay both out of reach of the sorcerers and with help for them to become stronger, for him to learn to smith. He looked around the tiny town. He''d yet to see a single sorcerer, and with everything as hectic as it was.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    "Do you think they have a forge here somewhere?" Irwin asked. He was almost surprised when there was a fidgeting in his pocket.


    "Guaranteed," Daubutim said. "This is a merchant''s outpost. There will be more than one smith plying their trade here, I''m sure."


    Irwin nodded as he looked around the town, trying to locate one. He had never seen a town from above, but he searched for chimneys as a smithy was bound to have one. He quickly found multiple and shrugged. He could just ask Hutch. The man was bound to know.


    They looked out of the town until the cold bothered Irwin too much, and they closed the window back down.


    Ten minutes later, there was a loud knock on the door. Irwin moved away from the fireplace that was crackling with the meager wood supply they had found below one of the beds. Daubutim was lying on the bed, and from his calm breathing, Irwin guessed the noble had fallen asleep.


    He opened the door to see a young woman, a few inches taller than him, with two bowls of steaming stew and a plate full of bread, cheese, and smoked meat strips. She looked straight at him, then her gaze drifted down to stare at his ruined jacket, which he had tried to put on again, before quickly flicking back up.


    "Lordling," she said softly. "Guard Hutch asked me to bring you some food."


    Irwin almost flinched at being called a Lordling and barely managed a smile. "Thank you," he said, quickly taking the bowls from her, causing her to stare at him in surprise. He barely noticed but looked at the plate with a frown. She''d carried everything easily, but he had no idea if he could without dropping it.


    "I''ll just put it on the table," she said, and Irwin nodded as he stepped back into the room.


    When the food had been placed there, she turned to leave when Irwin thought of something.


    "Can you also bring us some water?" he asked quickly.


    "Yes, of course. Will that be all?"


    Irwin blinked at her courteous behavior and hesitated. It can''t hurt to ask, he decided.


    "Are there any forges and smithies in Degonda?" he asked.


    Brown eyes widened in surprise, and he wondered if he had made a mistake. Then she nodded with a smile. "Yes, there are three smiths. I presume they all have a forge, too," the young woman said. She turned, then seemed to hesitate. "Though, if you want to have them forge you new armor, I''m afraid it might be difficult. I''ve heard they are overworked with orders from Lord Bron.


    "Thank you," Irwin said as he nodded hastily.


    The woman curtsied, making him even more uncomfortable, and when she finally left, he slumped in the chair. He hadn''t realized he''d been sitting up straight.


    "Food has arrived?" Daubutim slurred as he pushed himself up from the bed and staggered at the table.


    "Yes," Irwin said stupidly as his stomach rumbled.


    They began eating ravenously, while halfway in, two large flasks of water were brought by the same young maid, which Irwin decided she had to be. They wolfed down everything, and Irwin finished all of the water after he''d made sure Daubutim had had his fill. More tired than before, with the temperature in the room quickly increasing, he retreated atop his bed.


    Just a quick rest.


    He''d barely closed his eyes when a loud thudding came from the door, and he started awake. His eyes felt dry and gritty, and he rubbed them before pushing himself up and looking at Daubutim. The nobles soft snoring continued through the loud thudding.


    "Coming," Irwin croaked. He struggled up and noticed that there was no light coming from the cracks in the shutters.


    A tall boy with a soot-stained leather coat stood before the door, frowning at him. A big sack stood to the side. "I was almost wondering if I''d been sent to the wrong room!" he said cheerily. "Move over so I can carry this inside, will you?" The young man blinked. "Lordling!" he added quickly with a strained smile.


    Irwin wasn''t sure how to react, so he just stepped out of the way, looking at what he guessed was an armorer or leatherworker''s apprentice moving past him.


    "I''d heard you weren''t a big one, but I hope I''ve got the right sizes here," the boy said as he dropped the bag on the ground and began pulling out jerkins and bodices.


    In the end, the smallest jerkin fit, though barely, but Irwin was happy that he was wearing something that didn''t look like it had been used as kindling. Daubutim didn''t wake throughout the entire thing, and when the tall apprentice left, he was still snoring.


    Irwin stared at him, then patted his new, well-fitting tunic. He''d only worn something similar once before, long ago at school. He was more used to jackets that he could open in the front, but the tunic was light and supple, and he instantly preferred it. Though, he did wonder if it provided as much protection. The leather was thin and barely had any padded elements.


    Perhaps it''s for out of combat, he thought as he sat down at the table.


    Staring at the smooth surface and his dirt-stained fingers atop it, he felt a sudden lethargy take him. The cold and pain seemed to increase slightly, and he realized he''d almost died. Again. And who knew what he and Daubutim might have stumbled into with all those surges happening? So many things had happened over the last months. After so long in the portal and then traveling here, he was finally in a safe environment.


    It was just a week in the real world, he reminded himself, before wondering what real even meant anymore.


    Staring dully at a partially healed scab on his right thumb, he wondered what the next week would look like. Whatever it was going to be, he needed to get stronger quickly and fix his speed issues.


    I''m keeping the Coperion Skin card, though, he thought to himself. It had saved his life, and he was sure he''d never have been fast enough to dodge the Bablibon even without it.


    No. There was another way to become stronger, fast. He needed to combine his left-hand cards and become a true full-handed. Still, it would probably prove challenging. Between determining what parts of the cards he wanted, he also needed to go through the process of combining them, and he knew next to nothing about it. It wasn''t something done a lot, as not many people he knew had access to multiple cards.


    Wait, that''s not completely true, he thought as he thought back to some of the people he knew from Malorin. He''d seen people with three cards that hadn''t combined them. Was it really difficult? He''d wondered about it before, but that was long ago when he''d have imagined that Bronwyn would have told him. But now?


    Ambraz probably knows, he thought as his hand automatically moved to his pocket and then stopped. Better not bring the Anvil out yet. There should still be someone here for-


    A knock on the door came as if something had read his mind and deemed this the perfect moment.


    "Lordlings Coulwater," a calm voice called out. "I am here to bring you to the bathing area. Two rooms are ready for you."


    "One moment," Irwin called out.


    He took one look at Daubutim and shook his head. It might be best to leave his friend to his sleep. If he felt half as tired as he did, he''d need all the sleep he could get. And what if someone comes to hurt him or me? A tiny, persistent voice asked him.


    He tried shoving the fear down, but it only seemed to increase. With a weary groan, he moved to the bed and kicked it a few times until Daubutim woke with a snort.


    "Wha- what?"


    "Someone is here to show us the bathing area," he said. He fully expected Daubutim to dismiss it in favor of sleeping, but instead, Daubutim''s eyes cleared instantly, and he struggled out of bed.


    "Finally," he muttered. "Let''s go. Mother would disapprove of me walking around like this and talking to someone like Lord Bron."


    Irwin didn''t respond but quietly followed Daubutim. An older man with one arm and a hideous scar on his left cheek stood waiting for them on the other side of the door.


    "Lordlings, if you would follow me?" he said before turning on his heel and walking off.


    Irwin stared after him, surprised by both the appearance and the shortness, but when Daubutim followed, he quickly did too.


    I hope it''s warm water, he thought.


    Ten minutes later, he was lying in a massive bath, his skin prickling comfortably as a stream of hot water was poured into the tub. Daubutim was in another bathing room, and he was stunned by the lavishness of the place. He''d been in a bath before, but a small tub for which the table had to make way. Something like having multiple rooms just for baths?


    "Are you sure you want it any hotter, Lordling Orwin?" a bare-chested man asked as he stared at him worriedly.


    "If it''s not too much trouble," Irwin asked, barely able to hold in his content grin. He''d never been called Lordling before, and today it had happened so many times that he wondered if he could get used to it. One thing he was sure of was that he could get used to the bath. He raised his arm and looked at his bronzed skin which was gleaming oddly as if he had spilled oil over it.


    "No problem, Lordling¡­ but are you sure it''s safe with your wound?"


    Irwin thought for a second, carefully wiggling his shoulder around. He was warm, not hot yet, and comfortable and the pain seemed dulled. Probably the heat from the water.


    "It''s fine. A few more buckets?" he asked.


    "A few-" the man said with a start, then nodded quietly. "As you say."


    After a few minutes and three buckets of near-boiling water later, Irwin sighed as he finally felt his skin protest against the heat. It was on the edge of being painful, and he loved it.


    "This will be fine," he said, looking at the worried man through the billowing steam.


    "I''ll¡­ I''ll come back in an hour to help you out," the man said before turning away.


    Irwin nodded and laid his head back, enjoying the fact that he finally didn''t feel cold for the first time in a long time. Slowly his mind drifted off, and he didn''t even hear when the door shut.


    --


    Loid closed the door shaking his head in wonder at the foolish Lordling. Another servant of Lord Bron stood leaning against he wall, waiting for him.


    "What took you so long? Don''t tell me it was a troublesome one. He looked young and¡­ normal for a lordling!"


    "No, no¡­ well," Loid grunted as he took the jacket handed to him and quickly flicked it around his quickly cooling top. "You should have seen how hot he wanted to bathe! I swear, the water was more than half boiling by the time he was satisfied, and he looked¡­ perfectly fine. Never seen anything like it. Also¡­" he looked up, a wide grin as he finally had a bit of gossip of his own to share. "He had an incredible scar on his back! Three cuts, like blades, had dug into his back close together! And below, there was this hole, like from a spear but jagged. I wonder what the ladies will say when they see that."


    The other servant whistled as they moved away. "Let me guess. He also had a rare card, like those other Lordlings that showed up a while ago? It had to be something like that, probably body enhancement things we can only dream of. Yilda bless us, but I fear we will have to take care of all these wayward Lordlings for a while yet."


    "Let''s hope these horrible surges and portals stop soon again, and everyone can get on their way," Loid said. "Now, let''s go and tell the others! Oh, right, tell me, who did you have to bathe?"


    "Some odd one," the other servant said. He grinned as they walked away. "Let me tell you-"

 Chapter 46: Finding a smith

    Irwin slowly woke to a muted conversation. His body felt warm and cozy below the thick blankets, and the sensation of his clean skin against the coarse fabric made him want to stay put. Slowly the memories of the previous day came back.


    Right, I was in the bath way too long, he thought as he stretched his body and blinked a bit. The dim pale light in the room showed it was probably early morning, and as he took a deep breath, he smelled something familiar in the air. A crisp, cold and clear scent¡­ The scent of-


    Snow!


    Irwin clutched the blankets tight as he sat upright and looked around. Daubutim stood near the window with another young man wearing dark green leather armor.


    "Ah, your cousin has finally decided to wake," the man said as he grinned. "Orwin, right? Good morning. I''m Pytin It Groudin, son of lord It Groudin. From the capital?"


    Irwin blinked twice, then nodded slowly. "Orwin," he said, not sure if he should add Coulwater behind it and deciding not to.


    "Yes, so I''ve heard. I''ve also heard that you are still injured and won''t be joining us today. A shame, but I''m sure after the carded-healers have a look, you can join us tomorrow," Pytin said.


    With a slight smile, he turned to Daubutim. "So, as he is awake now, can we go?"


    Daubutim stared back, then turned to Irwin. "I''ll be training most of the day. Are you going to be alright?"


    Irwin stared at him, noting the worry in the others'' eyes. He grinned and nodded. "I''ll be fine. I''m feeling a lot better. I''ll see if I can find a smithy."


    "Good. Be careful," Daubutim said before turning to Pytin. "Let''s go."


    The other noble raised an eyebrow at Irwin but didn''t comment, and they walked out.


    Irwin watched the door fall shut, then fell back into bed. His back barely ached, and as he tried to reach over his shoulder to where the wound was supposed to be. All he found was a small round scab surrounded by smooth skin.


    Heat regeneration is great, he thought as he lay back with a smile. He knew he could have probably trained, but finding a smithy seemed like a better idea right now.


    As he began thinking about what he wanted to do, the pleasant joy slowly faded, and after a few minutes, he struggled out of bed. The air in the room felt cold, and he rushed into his new clothes. When he pulled the jerkin over his head, he felt something squirm in one of the pockets, and a second later, Ambraz whisked out.


    "I''ve had about enough of being cooped in your stuffy pockets," the Anvil snapped as he hovered around the room rapidly before landing on the table. "I heard you say we are going to search for a smithy today? I think that''s a great idea, but we should discuss something first."


    Irwin hesitated, looked at the pristine, thick white carpet covering the city then closed the shutters. A year ago, he''d found the snow beautiful in how clean it made everything look. Now, all he could think was that it meant he''d have to walk through it, and it would probably be painful. He debated for a moment if he should light the fireplace again, then sat down at the table. It wouldn''t matter if he was going to go outside soon.


    "Yes? Done? Good," Ambraz said, its lips pursed. "So, seeing as you know next to nothing about anything, let''s summarize quickly, yes? This world will likely shatter between now and seven years unless something incredible happens. Common and uncommon portals appearing side-by-side? Not a good sign. You have zero knowledge of smithing and zero knowledge of cardforging. Normally it takes a long time for a Cardsmith to get to the point that he can reforge cards up to legendary. It depends on aptitude, cards, and previous knowledge. Even if you somehow, mysteriously managed it, the chances of you stopping the shattering are small. From everything I''ve seen, the people of this world are not advanced enough. So, my advice would be to stay here for a year and learn the basics of Cardforging if you can. Then enter the first rare portal you find to get to a more civilized planet, earn enough money to trade for a teleporter card, and move as many people from here to another world as possible."


    Irwin''s mouth hung open as he stared at Ambraz, trying to digest what he''d just said. The Anvil hadn''t told him anything new, but hearing it broken down somehow made it worse.


    He looked around the room, then at the light filtering through the cracks of the window pane, struggling to clear his head.


    "What about finding strong carded here to help clear the portals?" he finally asked, recalling the previously opted plan.


    "Let''s say there''s a few here. What exactly do you think they have been doing up to this point?" Ambraz asked. "No, let me answer that. They would have been trying everything to stop the portals. Look out of that window, and you''ll see how well that''s been going."


    Irwin felt the remainder of his good mood vanish. Depressing memories of the destroyed city filled with Galub''s flashed through his mind, and he clenched his jaw. He wasn''t going to just abandon his world to shatter. He hadn''t even seen any of it besides from some forests! Still... what Ambraz said made sense.


    "How would we even get to another world?" he asked.


    "Roughly a year after uncommon portals start appearing, which is now it seems, rare portals will begin popping up," Ambraz said. "These natural connections will be connected to shard worlds that will lead to farming worlds which link to hubs from which we can go almost anywhere. Well, we would need some cards to bargain, of course, but you can get those here."


    "Farming worlds? Hubs?" Irwin asked, trying to keep track of what Ambraz had said. He imagined a world filled with fields and crops and wondered what that had to do with anything.


    "Yes, yes, I''ll explain," Ambraz said, letting out an over-the-top sigh. "Hubs are largely uninhabited worlds kept at the brink of shattering. Each has thousands of portals, some of which lead to special shard-worlds, which are called portal hubs or just hubs. The uninhabited worlds are kept in that state by- Never mind that. Anyway, people can pay to get entry and delve resources from them. Special minerals, spices, woods, and, of course, cards. Now, as I said, these farming shardworlds have thousands of portals, and we should be able to find one here that leads to a farming shardworld. Once there, all you have to do is find some resource hunters or Farmers. They can point you to a portal leading back to a Hub."


    Irwin''s mind was overflowing as he tried to keep a hold of all the new things Ambraz was telling him.


    "There are already some rare portals beyond the wall," he said, sounding uncertain. "And I''ve never heard of one that has thousands of portals..."


    Ambraz was quiet, then snorted. "First off, why would you know? These things are probably not shared around. Besides that, what do you mean behind the wall? What wall?"


    Right, of course, he wouldn''t know about this, Irwin thought as he stared at the Anvil. He tried to organize his mind, then began telling a story everyone on the Clour peninsula had been told from a young age.


    "Two hundred years ago, the first portals appeared. Curious, the kings and queens of old sent their best fighters inside. Most never returned, but those that did brought back the first cards. Amazed by their power, the leaders continued sending in their warriors. Eventually, they found out they could close the portals, but instead of doing so, they told the warriors to leave the portals so they could gather more ca-"


    Ambraz let out a loud snort, interrupting him. "Yes, yes. A story about history and the greedy nature of people. I''m not interested in that! What I mean is, what do you mean about a wall? And don''t give me the entire history of this world, please."


    Irwin sniffed, annoyed that the Anvil had stopped his storytelling.


    "Well, surges began happening as the first portals evolved to uncommon and even rare. The monsters ran rampant, and by the time they attempted to close them, it was too late. Portals had appeared in remote areas, and entire kingdoms were overrun," he began, noting Ambraz''s steel lips growing thin in annoyance.


    "Right, well! The king of Caldangen pulled back his armies and saved his people by bringing us to the peninsula of Clour, where we are now. Then he built a massive wall on the landbridge, blocking Clour from the rest of the world. That was over a hundred and sixty years ago," Irwin said.


    He was about to add that the other kingdoms had been killed in the massive surge that happened but hesitated. With all he''d learned over the last few months, he suddenly hesitated. The stories said all the other kingdoms had been wiped out, and the world beyond the wall was a wasteland. But there were also rumors about portals opening beyond the gate. Where did those rumors come from if nobody left beyond the wall?


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "And they let the portals behind this wall run rampant?" Ambraz said, incredulous. "They didn''t go out to close them?"


    "I¡­ I don''t know. I don''t think so," Irwin said.


    "Bah," Ambraz snorted. "Well, it doesn''t matter. Gradually evolved portals don''t ever link to farming shards. They are too small and weak. Still, there''s something¡­" the Anvil hummed oddly.


    Irwin waited, wondering what Ambraz was thinking about. The Anvil was quiet for a long few minutes before humming again.


    "Two hundred years, you say," he mused. "Well, I can guarantee you that there are people closing portals beyond the wall. If you leave portals to open willy nilly, a world won''t even last for a hundred years. Most perhaps not even half of that."


    Irwin stared at him, nodding slowly. He''d always wondered about what was beyond the wall, and it made sense. He wondered what the world beyond the wall would look like, who would live there.


    "Maybe we can find people to help close more portals faster? Move them around as you suggested?" he asked, suddenly feeling slightly more optimistic.


    "No," Ambraz said with a snort. "If there were strong enough warriors or kingdoms, they would have long since come over here to close the portals you have."


    "How can you be sure?"


    Ambraz was quiet, then snorted again, sounding even more derisive than the first time. "I can''t be, but even if I''m wrong, how do you plan on finding them?"


    Irwin sighed as he stared at the table beneath Ambraz. He had no answer, and he wondered if anyone did. He thought about everything Ambraz had told him, and he tried to imagine leaving and finding a world to bring his friends and family. Each time he did, all he could think of was the broken world of the Galubs, with the shattered moon.


    There is still time, he thought. They had years left!


    "I want to learn Cardsmithing first and see how that goes," he said. "We can decide these things months from now."


    Ambraz whisked up and made a spin around him. "Good, good! You are right. Cardsmithing is more important than anything!" he said.


    The Anvil seemed to easily dismiss their previous conversation as he continued upbeat and happy. "Now, normally, you would need to learn the fine, nitty-gritty details of smithing before even contemplating forging cards, but as we are short in time, we will use another approach."


    Irwin felt his anticipation grow as he glanced at his first card, his special card. If he could reforge that, it''d become legendary!


    "How do we start?"


    "Finally, finally! First, I need to teach you the basics of removing impurities," Ambraz said, sounding happy. "The magic of normal smithing is changing something raw into something refined. The same applies to reforging cards. As with normal smithing, the magic of cards needs to be hammered and refined, worked and shaped into something better or purer than before. To start, you will need to get an intuitive sense of when metal is pure!"


    "And how do I get that?" Irwin asked, staring at the Anvil that seemed ready to explode for joy while wondering what metal had to do with cards.


    "Stop interrupting me. I''m getting to that," Ambraz said. "You need to find that local smith and get him to let you work on his raw metals, ironing out the impurities."


    "How?"


    "Well... by hitting it mostly. Purification, they call it, though it''s actually more like homogenization, and- Agh, never mind. Just go and find one!"


    Irwin stared at the Anvil in disbelief. "Wait, you want me to hit normal metal? I thought you said-"


    "I know what I said!" Ambraz said. "You won''t need to learn the details of every metal, nor the best way to create the perfect alloys for different situations, or any of the other things I''d normally expect any smith to know. However, there is no way around this point. Without the ability to sense impurities in metal, you can''t learn to find the impurities in the cards. It will also determine how much affinity you will have with Cardsmithing."


    But what does smithing metal have to do with cards? Irwin thought angrily as he stared at the Anvil.


    Ambraz seemed to read his thoughts as he sniggered. "Why do you think we call it card reforging or those who do so Cardsmiths? It''s because working with cards is like working with metal. The magic of the cards is strong, tough, and unyielding. Only diamond, err, legendary cards as you call them or higher, are not filled with large amounts of impurities."


    But what does that mean? Do I need to hammer the cards? Irwin thought as he opened his mouth.


    "No more questions! I''ll explain more after I''ve seen if- how fast you can learn," Ambraz said.


    Irwin tried to get some more information, but after a few seconds, he realized Ambraz was serious and wouldn''t tell him anymore. He took a look around the room, then sighed, got up, and headed to the door.


    It took him a while of searching and requesting directions before he found his way back to the base of the tower. A thin layer of snow covered the ground, but he was glad to see it was already melting in the sun.


    Still, an intense cold wrapped around him, and he shivered, wishing he had better clothing. It''s not the clothing, he corrected himself as he saw two guards nearby wearing similar tunics with merely some leather chest parts covering it. It wouldn''t make them much warmer, and they seemed fine. No, it was his heat-sensitive body.


    Deciding he needed to get a thick cloak, he walked up to one of the guards beside the entrance. Two piercing gray eyes looked at him above a ragged brown beard.


    "Lording Orwin?"


    Irwin barely managed to hold back his surprise as he stared at the guard. How had he known his name?


    "Could you tell me the fastest way to the smithies?" he asked.


    The guard raised an eyebrow but nodded.


    A minute later, Irwin was walking away from the tower, trying to make sure he wouldn''t forget the directions.


    As he walked towards the nearby roads leading deeper into the town, he saw ragged tents and huts lining the walls of the other buildings. Campfires crackled atop the cobblestones, and gray and white-haired refugees, women, and a few children sat around them, shivering visibly. Thinking back to his hot bath and warm bed, Irwin shook his head at the disparity.


    If I hadn''t met Daubutim, I would have been like these people, he thought as he saw a few single-carded amongst the people. They likely only had utility cards, which would help them survive longer, but wouldn''t be useful in the current situation.


    I hope the rangers and guards at Malorin can keep the surges out, he thought. His desire to help his family made him increase his pace.


    Walking into a wide road that would lead to the crafter quarters, he noticed only a few curious glances. The other refugees he passed just gazed dully into the flames or focused on their muted conversations.


    Gray walls, wooden beams, and dark roofs dominated this part of the Merchants outpost, but he knew from his view from above that it wouldn''t stay like this for long.


    He wasn''t at all surprised when a few streets further, he came across dozens of workers, cursing as they lifted freshly split planks and beams up a rickety wooden stare. Higher, he saw the start of another story atop the existing stone building.


    He didn''t stop to look, and for a while, all he heard was hammering, grunted shouts, and curses as he passed through the streets. But as he neared the direction he''d been given, the buildings became taller and had fewer space for another story. There were also fewer refugees sitting around. Instead, better-clothed and fed people walked around with purpose.


    Two streets from his goal, strong, foul smells began wafting his way.


    That smells horrible, Irwin thought as he crumpled his nose.


    When he finally reached the small oval square he''d been told to find, he was glad to see workplaces and shops circling it.


    A group of young men, all refugees from the looks of them, stood in the center. They had their left hands raised, showing off one, or to Irwin''s surprise, sometimes two cards. Still, most were underfed, ragged, and in some cases, sported scabs and wounds.


    Wondering what was going on, Irwin looked at what they were staring at. A couple of older men were talking softly, inspecting the group. Behind them was a building with a tanner''s sign and hides hanging on racks outside. A plume of yellowish smoke came from a window in the side of the building, and as a gust of wind blew some towards Irwin, he realized the horrible smell came from there.


    A sudden crash from the side made him turn in shock. A wide double door of a workspace dominated the building to his left. He couldn''t see the sign from the angle he stood, but there was little else it could be. The moldy scent of wood dust flowed out from it as dozens of people inside busied themselves, sawing fresh logs told him all he needed. This was a woodworker''s place.


    "Three cards? Not bad for such a youngster! Listen, I need more hands! If you''re willing to, I can offer food and lodging for at least a week if you work hard!" a gritty voice said from behind him.


    Irwin turned around in surprise to see a thin, wrinkled man wearing a long leather skirt atop a burgundy vest stare at him. To his surprise, the man was almost the same size as him, making him one of the smallest people he''d ever seen.


    "Sorry, what?" Irwin asked.


    "Come now, don''t make me beg, boy! As skinny as you are, with three cards, you should be strong enough, and you don''t look as underfed as the others here, so-"


    "Hamir, don''t insult this strapping lad," another voice called.


    Irwin looked up to see that one of the two men that had been examining the refugees was walking toward them.


    A pudgy man with gray hair bound in a knot, he dragged with his right leg as he walked. Behind him, Irwin saw the refugees stare after him in consternation, then he saw a few glare at him.


    What did I do?


    "Listen here, lad. If you work at my tannery, I can offer what that old crouch can, plus two copper a week," the man said, smiling at Irwin. "We need clothing and armor for hundreds if not thousands of people, so I don''t even have to bother with the one bothersome one-week thing."


    The wrinkled woodworker called Hamir snorted and shook his head, but didn''t make a counteroffer. Not that Irwin cared.


    "I''m not looking for work," he quickly said before realizing that wasn''t entirely true. "I''m looking for a smith," he added.


    "A smith? Bah, another one of those that hopes to forge swords to start hunting demons?" the tanner said with a suddenly exhausted look. "Well, Uldor isn''t taking anymore, says he''s out of hammers and patience. Trimdir might have room for a few more, but I''m not sure he''ll take you with how scrawny you look. Besides, he''s already had his pick of the litter," the man added with a sad sigh, pointing at the opposite side of the square and a wide street flanked by shops. "Its that way."


    He looked at Irwin for a few more moments, then turned. "If you change your mind, come find me," he said as he walked back to the youths that were staring at him hopefully again.


    Irwin watched him leave, then saw the woodworker also walking towards the youths.


    I hope mum and Bronwyn are fine, he thought for the second time that day as he imagined his ma standing in such a line.


    Bronwyn would never let anything happen to her, he thought, shoving his depressing worries away as best he could.


    He walked across the square quickly, entering the street the tanner had pointed out. At the back, he saw a sign with a hammer and an anvil. A single door in the center of the building stood open, and he heard the dull striking of hammers.


    Stepping forward, Irwin wondered if the man, Trimdir, was going to allow him to work there.


    I can always offer to work without pay, he decided. He would get food at the tower¡­ hopefully.

 Chapter 47: Working

    "Keep your bloody arms raised!"


    Irwin clenched his teeth as he held the hammer before his body. He looked out of the corners of his eyes and saw the two other hammers shiver and shake but remain aloft. Focusing on the one in his hands, he squeezed the handle and willed his arms to remain up.


    Why does it feel like this thing is getting heavier every second? he thought.


    The hammer was only a one-handed one, and at the start, it had seemed lighter than he had imagined. Now, a minute later, it felt as heavy as a mountain.


    Laughter and shouting came from the side.


    "Never thought that scrawny lad could keep it up this long," a guttural voice roared, followed by another bout of laughter.


    "Pipe it down, yah bunch of ingrates," a dull voice boomed from the man standing before Irwin and the other two.


    The room quieted noticeably, but the man didn''t show any reaction. He looked like he''d been molded from metal, his face rigid, and tendons and muscles running from his jaw to his neck. Eyes as black as night were focused on Irwin and the other two.


    "One more peep, and you get to join them," the man said when there was a slight snigger from the back, and instantly the only sounds left were the strained grunts of Irwin and the others.


    Feeling his back begin to twitch, the wound throbbing painfully, Irwin wanted nothing more than to drop the hammer. But he couldn''t. If he did, Trimdir wouldn''t let him work at the forge, not even without pay. No. He had to keep the hammer raised before him longer than the other two.


    A slight motion from the left made him look up, and he saw the hammer on that side gradually descend.


    "Up or leave," Trimdir said calmly.


    The hammer shivered, seemed to rise, then dropped with a thud. A cry came from the side.


    "Out. Come back when you''ve grown some muscle," Trimdir said.


    Irwin felt his mouth go dry as he saw the two intense eyes had focused fully on him. He stared back, gritting his teeth and deciding he was not going to let the hammer drop.


    It''s a wonder you can even raise it, a small voice said in the back of his mind. Irwin agreed but ignored it anyway.


    As he glared back at the muscular, bald smith keeping the hammer up, though shivering and shaking, the corners of the smith''s lips rose slightly.


    Irwin felt like it took another ten minutes before there was a roar of denial to his side, followed by a curse and a thud. He dropped it, he thought. He was bout to drop his own hammer when he saw Trimdir hadn''t lost any focus, his eyes full on him. He also didn''t tell the second one to leave yet.


    He can''t mean I have to leave even if I win? Irwin thought.


    By now, his hands were shaking, his shoulder vibrating like a pitchfork, and sweat was running down his face staining his new clothes. Parts of his back and neck were hurting, almost cramping up.


    "Alright. Lower it slowly," Trimdir said, still staring right at him.


    Irwin swallowed, close to vomiting, as he tried to control the descent of the hammer. It went both faster and slower than he wanted, but when it finally reached a hanging position, Trimdir nodded.


    "Two minutes and twelve seconds for you," the smith said as he pointed at the tall, lanky boy next to Irwin. "And an impressive two minutes and twenty-nine seconds to you."


    It took Irwin a moment to do the numbers, then his mouth fell open in between his ragged breathing. Had he only kept it up seventeen seconds longer? It had felt like¡­ forever!


    "Alright, follow me," Trimdir said as he turned and walked deeper into the low-ceilinged building. "And the rest of you, back to work! I expect you to finish what you were doing, or I''ll dock your pay!"


    A round of muttered curses and groans came as Irwin saw a dozen men and two women grabbing hammers and rushing to anvils and other forging equipment. All of them were built like Charbulls, wide, heavily muscled, and all of them had cards.


    He struggled after the smith, wondering how holding a hammer up for over two minutes was hurting his legs. Next to him, the other youth kept glancing at him with wide, incredulous eyes, taking peaks at his carded left hand.


    At the back of the smithy was a door that led to a small office. A cluttered table with papers stood in the center, and odd diagrams hung from the walls. The left wall held a large bookcase with a great number of thick, leather-bound tomes.


    "Alright. Name?" Trimdir said as he sat down opposite the boys and grabbed a book and an odd-looking quill. He was staring intently at Irwin.


    "Orwin," Irwin said, deciding he''d best keep up the name from now on.


    "No last name?"


    "Coulwater," Irwin said, feeling like a fraud. He knew that sticking with the plan was the safest, but somehow it felt worse than changing his first name slightly.


    The smith nodded, showing no reaction that he recognized the name.


    "You?"


    "Brent Heavyhand," the youth said, sounding proud.


    This time Trimdir looked up with a raised eyebrow. "And born as?"


    Irwin saw him hold the boy''s gaze until the youth seemed to deflate.


    "Loopdig, sir. But¡­ but I got this card, and-"


    "Don''t care," the smith said, but Irwin saw a glitter of amusement in his eyes.


    "Now then," he said as he began waving the ink dry and staring at the boys. "If you are to work here, there are some rules you must abide by. One, no fighting and no shouting. You can curse if you do it calmly, but I don''t like chatter. Second, you will finish what I assign you, even if it means you have to work late. I know exactly what someone is able to do," he said, raising his left hand and showcasing the three combined cards on it. "And I know exactly when someone is not pulling their weight."


    His cards let him read minds? Irwin thought, suddenly afraid.


    "No, I don''t read minds," Trimdir said with a weary sigh. "My card shows me how much someone is capable of," he added, staring at Irwin.


    Irwin nodded quickly, hoping the smith wasn''t lying. Why would he lie? he thought. Just because he''d never heard of cards like that didn''t mean it wasn''t a real card.


    "Yes, master Trimdir," Brent added.


    "No masters here, boys. Call me Trimidir or Smith. Either will do. Now, Brent, go find Olger. He should be at the largest anvil. Tell him his quota for today is alright and to show you how to begin. Do what he says when he says it. If he tells me you are fooling about¡­" the smith stared at Brent pointedly.


    Irwin''s worry rose. Why did he have to stay?


    "I''ll do my best, Mast- Trimdir," Brent almost shouted, then turned and ran out.


    Trimdir''s steely face split into a smile as he looked after the lanky youth before returning to its placid look.


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    "Right, and now you. You''re one of the two noble kids that came in yesterday," he said as he stared at Irwin.


    It wasn''t a question, but Irwin still nodded.


    "Quiet fellow? You aren''t deaf, are you?"


    "No, Trimdir," Irwin said quickly, wondering if he''d angered the smith.


    "Good. I don''t mind quiet, so don''t worry. Now, you''re a noble. Why, by the hallowed forge, a noble would want to learn smithing is beyond me, and I don''t want to know. However¡­ you just showed me an impressive feat of will. I expect the same diligence if you are to work here."


    Irwin stared at Trimdir. The smith was way sharper than he''d expected and well-informed. He hadn''t expected his and Daubutim''s arrival to have gone the rounds yet. Not sure what to say, he quietly waited.


    "You are small and scrawny, but you have three cards. With all that''s going on, I can only imagine you aren''t one of those rich nobles, but a lucky break," Trimdir said as he tapped a thick, scarred finger on the table, causing a hollow thudding.


    After a second of silence, Irwin realized the smith expected a reply this time.


    "I¡­ yes," he stuttered, uncomfortable from the piercing stare.


    "Good, that explains how someone with three cards didn''t grow bigger. Now, you are what, fourteen?"


    "Fifteen," Irwin said, instantly wishing he''d just nodded.


    The smith raised an eyebrow, seeming skeptical, but nodded. "Well, then, here is what we will do. You will go find Olger and tell him you will be responsible for carrying the raw metals from the pile to the purification forge. You''re going to do that for a while until you are strong enough."


    Irwin bit his lips. He wanted to ask if he couldn''t help purify the metal, but he was afraid he''d be told to leave if he did.


    "What? Ask if you have questions!"


    "I- would like to learn how to purify metal," Irwin said.


    "That''s what you said when you came here, yes," Trimdir said calmly. "It''s an odd request. Most young ones want to forge blades and axes. Why?"


    Irwin swallowed as he looked at the smith. He''d expected the question and prepared an answer.


    "One of my cards," he said, staring at his own hand, "deals with metal. It is tied to my knowledge of metal purifying." The last part was a lie, but he knew there were cards like this, although they were incredibly uncommon.


    Trimdir''s eyes widened, then Irwin felt his gaze drill into his as the smith observed him. It lasted for almost a minute, and by the end, Irwin was afraid the smith had lied and could read minds. Or perhaps detect lies. He was relieved when the smith began talking again.


    "Very well. I''ll be candid. Most smiths here want nothing to do with purifying, and it''s always a chore getting them to do it. This means I do most of it, and if you can take even a small bit of the work away, I''ll be happy," Trimdir said. "It''s the only reason I even let you attempt the hammer test."


    Irwin almost sighed in relief as the intense stare left him. He had no idea how much Trimdir even believed him.


    "Now, I don''t believe in letting people work without explaining why, even if it''s good for them. My old master did that, and it was a pain in the ass. So, here''s what''s going to happen."


    Irwin swallowed as he stared at the smith.


    "Before I let you anywhere near my hammers, anvils, or metals, let alone purifying anything, you are going to carry ore and metal for two weeks. Why? Because it will build your strength and give you a feel for the metals as you move them around and memorize their names and properties. After two weeks, I''ll ask you to differentiate different metals based on weight and structure. If you succeed and can hold the hammer for three and a half minutes, I''ll teach you how to purify the simplest of metals I have here, Degnin Iron. It''s weak and soft but a great base for alloys, and I''m always short. In exchange, I''ll provide food mid-day and water during the first two weeks. After that, we will have to see how well you do."


    Irwin was staring at him slack-jawed, thinking about what Ambraz had said about just learning to purify and not the details.


    "Do we have a deal?" Trimdir asked.


    Irwin nodded instantly. "Yes, Trimdir!"


    The smith grinned. "Well, I hope you''ve got a thick skin. Also, lose that jerkin. Hang it near the door and grab one of the aprons or you will scrape open your skin and faint from the heat."


    Irwin couldn''t help a grin from spreading on his face as he thought of his Coperion Skin.


    "Alright!" he said, then turned and ran back into the main workroom.


    He heard a snorted laugh from behind him but ignored it as he saw a few long leather aprons hanging on hooks beside the entrance.


    It took him a few minutes to find the smallest apron, which still almost hung to his ankles. To his surprise, none of the men hammering or standing at the bellows commented or even looked at him. Everyone seemed fully focused on their job, be it working the bellows, holding large sheets of steel in the coals, or flattening metal. In the far left corner stood an anvil almost half as high as him, and Brent was next to it, listening to an older man with a short, well-trimmed beard and a scarred forehead.


    As Irwin joined them, the man, Olger, he presumed, looked up.


    "Ah, so both go to me this time? Trimdir must think me a teacher," the man grunted, sounding annoyed. ''Well. Stand over there, and listen then.


    Irwin swallowed as he raised his hand. "Trimdir told me to tell you that I''ll be responsible for carrying the raw ore and metal around," he said.


    Olger blinked at him before frowning, while Brent had a look of heartfelt sympathy on his face.


    "I see," Olger said before turning to Brent. "Stay here for a moment." Then he turned and headed towards the far end of the room, where an open door led to a massive storage room filled with crate upon crate. A few to the side were open, and Irwin saw clumps of dirt-stained rock inside one of them. Gleaming bits and edges showed this was probably the raw ore.


    "Not sure what he is thinking," Olger muttered as he moved to the side and showed Irwin a basket with loops. "Put that on, the basket at the front."


    Irwin did as asked, and a few moments later he stood before one of the crates with a label he couldn''t read. Inside lay roughly made bars of gleaming dark metal.


    "Alright, this is Degnin Iron which is what most of us need right now. As long as there is over half in this crate, keep bringing the-"


    A dull, solid thud came, quickly followed by another, and Olger looked up, confusing Irwin.


    "Never mind. Bring me ten of these, then-" Olger motioned to the crate with raw ore, "-start bringing those to Trimdir. Apparently, he is going to make you work hard today because that loving tap is him beating the raw ore into submission. Understand?"


    Olger stared at him, and Irwin quickly nodded.


    "Good luck," Olger said before turning away and heading out.


    Irwin stared at the bars, as long as his lower arm and almost as thick. With a sigh, he grabbed one, and his eyes widened. It was heavy, heavier by far than the hammer he''d been lifting before. Staring at it, he put it in the sturdy basket feeling it instantly dig into his shoulders. Four bars later, he was struggling to stay upright.


    "This will have to do," he muttered. He took one look at the raw iron and hoped it wouldn''t be as heavy.


    Hours later, he could barely feel his feet as he slogged towards a super hot forge with his basket filled with raw ore. He had a single heavy piece in his hand, squeezing it as the heat increased more and more. The dull pounding of Trimdir''s massive hammer on the heated slab that had been raw ore before caused his throbbing headache to pulsate. Rivets of sweat poured from the bare-armed smith''s strained face, but Irwin had no sympathy. The man was like a machine, pounding and pounding non-stop.


    He mechanically placed the ore on the pile beside the anvil, then emptied his basket, no longer surprised by the few pieces that still lay there. Swaying on his feet, he was about to turn to get the next load.


    "Orwin."


    Irwin stopped and slowly looked at the smith, who threw a slab of iron into a basket to the side.


    "This will be enough. Head home and get a good night''s rest. I expect you back here tomorrow," Trimdir said.


    "Alright," Irwin croaked, his throat parched and his lips cracked and dry. As he turned to leave, he saw that the other smiths were already exiting in a single organized file.


    He barely remembered putting on his jerkin and stepping outside. Then the freezing wind slammed into him like a punch in the gut, and he gasped. Snow cracked below the boots of the others as they walked away across the square. Within moments he was shivering uncontrollably, and it felt like someone had put heavy weights around his arms. Not sure what to do, he took a step forward and almost collapsed.


    The only effect the cold had was that it cleared the wooziness of his mind, though his thoughts remained sluggish.


    I won''t make it back like this, he thought, and he almost instinctively turned and headed back into the smithy. As soon as he closed the door, the warmth permeated him.


    "Orwin?"


    He looked up to see Trimdir stare at him in surprise.


    "Did you forget something?"


    Irwin shook his head, trying to come up with a reason he couldn''t go outside. In the end, his mind couldn''t come up with anything then the truth. Or part of it.


    "I¡­ I''m not good with the cold," he said as he stared at his hand. "One of my cards."


    Trimdir stomped towards him, looking at him, then at the door.


    "Are you telling me you can''t go outside due to the cold? How did you even get here?"


    There was no judgment in his voice, just curiosity, and emboldened, Irwin nodded. "There was no snow, and the wind wasn''t this cold yet," Irwin said. "Also, it was nice and warm here¡­"


    Trimdir''s eyebrows rose. "Nice and warm?" he said incredulously. "It is insanely hot here!"


    Irwin shrugged as he shuffled his feed. The pain and weariness made the prospect of going outside scary. He saw Trimdir ponder, and for a moment, he thought he would tell him to back outside. Then he sighed and shook his head in disbelief.


    "Well. I don''t have any warmer clothes," the smith said. "I don''t get bothered by the cold. Whatever. Follow me."


    Irwin followed him as he stomped off. A few minutes later, they were in a backroom. Though not as warm as the smithing area, it was still warm enough. Blankets and other things lay in piles in the corner.


    "You can sleep here for tonight. We will need to get you some warmer clothes tomorrow," Trimdir said.


    Irwin nodded, staring at the pile of blankets and wondering what they even did there. But, the prospect of simply lying down and sleeping was too good.


    Trimdir sniffed as he looked at him, then glared. "I don''t think you even have the strength for it, but a warning. If you are thinking of stealing metal and leaving in the night, I''d think again. You won''t find a place here to sell it, and you won''t survive to keep it."


    Irwin swallowed, bobbing his head up and down. "I don''t want to steal anything," he said honestly.


    "Right, well, I believe you, or I wouldn''t let you stay," Trimdir said before turning away.


    "I''ll make sure you get some breakfast tomorrow. Make sure you pay me back somehow."


    "I will," Irwin said, not sure how he would. As the door closed, he lay down on the pile of blankets, looking around the room. Light from the forge peaked through the cracks between the door.


    As he put his head down, the last thought through his mind was how Daubutim would react if he didn''t return.

 Chapter 48: Grappling Gauntlets

    Irwin woke to shouting, and the first thing he felt was pain. His lower arms and legs were cramping up, while his back felt like he''d had a beating the day before. He groaned and rolled over, hearing the shouting intensify.


    I should have drank before sleeping, he thought. His mouth was dry as sand, and his lips cracked.


    "-get him! You are not allowed to just-"


    The door to his room slammed open, and Irwin shot up, causing his muscle pain to increase. Daubutim stood at the door opening, looking around until his eyes fell on Irwin. They widened, and Irwin saw surprise, anger, then fear in his friend''s eyes.


    "Orwin, are you alright?" Daubutim said as he rushed forward.


    "Yes, yes," Irwin said, surprised at how ragged his voice sounded.


    Daubutim knelt next to him and inspected him. Slowly the anger and fear faded.


    "Why did you stay here?" he asked, a slight accusation in his voice.


    "It was too cold to go back yesterday," Irwin said as he forced himself upright, propping his back against the wall. "So, Trimdir was nice enough to let me sleep here."


    "As I told you," an angry voice came from the door.


    Irwin looked up to see Trimdir standing there, glaring at Daubutim. The noble boy looked up and met the gaze with what Irwin thought was surprising calm.


    "Yes, you did. But my father told me never to trust people you don''t know if lives are on the line," Daubutim stated calmly.


    The smith snorted, but Irwin saw a momentarily pained look in his eyes before his face returned to its usual look.


    "Next time, you better not barge in here," he said. "Orwin, come to the smithing area. I''ve got breakfast."


    Irwin nodded.


    A minute later, he walked into the smithy, wondering if this was how old people felt. He could barely walk, every inch of his body sore. Still, as he walked closer to the still-burning forges, the heat seeped into his body, and he felt the soreness dissipate a fraction.


    A table he hadn''t noticed before was pulled from the side, and a pitcher, some cups, and a basket filled with steaming bread stood atop. As soon as his eyes fell on the food and drink, Irwin felt his stomach clench and his thirst grow. Ignoring the pain in his body, he walked towards the table, sat down, and poured himself a drink, downed it, poured another, and continued until he heard a loud cough.


    Looking up from drinking another cup of water, he saw Trimdir looking at him.


    "You need to make sure you drink water while working today, or you will get into trouble," the smith said. "That-" and he motioned at the cup, "- isn''t normal."


    "It is for Orwin," Daubutim said calmly. Irwin looked up to see him stand to the side of the table. "He can drink more water than anybody I know."


    Trimdir barked a laugh while Irwin ignored them and took one of the pieces of freshly baked bread. Dark, heavy, and with bits on top, he inspected it for a mere second before biting down.


    "Hey, careful they are¡­"


    Trimdir''s shouted warning faded as Irwin chewed the surprisingly sweet bread, swallowed, and took another bite.


    "You must have a body made of metal," Trimdir muttered.


    Irwin almost choked on the next bite, quickly draining another cup before looking at Daubutim.


    "How did you find me?"


    "Lord Bron had you followed when you left, and the guard told me where you were."


    "Followed?" Irwin asked incredulously.


    Daubutim nodded. "When you weren''t back yesterday, I was surprised. Then when you weren''t back when I was awake this morning, I was worried."


    Irwin stared at the boy as a happy feeling crept up on him. He''d never had someone worried about him except for his family. And Greldo! The thought of his friend made his happy mood drain away.


    "Thanks for looking for me," he said, taking another piece of bread and staring at it. He wanted to ask Daubutim about it. He glanced at Trimdir, who was blowing on a piece of bread, nibbling carefully. After a second, he decided it didn''t really matter. There wasn''t anything secret or weird about what he wanted to know. "Do you think we can find out if Greldo made it to Esterdron?"


    Daubutim frowned, then shook his head. "No. There is no communication with Esterdon, and they have no teleporters here."


    Irwin sighed and nodded.


    "You lost a friend?" Trimdir asked.


    "Yes. We lost one of our party in the forests beyond Wignut," Irwin said.


    Trimdir grimaced. "Did you try asking some of the traders? I know a few came from that area. They might have seen him. Did he have anything special that could make him stand out?"


    Irwin thought for a moment, then nodded. "He has a very big hound with him. Black with glowing red eyes."


    Trimdir whistled. "Yes. That would stand out. I''ve got to speak to a few traders later today. I''ll ask them about it."


    "Thank you!" Irwin said.


    They continued eating in silence, and when the water and bread were gone, Trimdir rose.


    "Now, you have a little while before we begin again. I expect you to-"


    "No," Daubutim said as he shook his head. "Lord Bron said Orwin needs to train with the rest of us."


    Trimdir''s eyebrows lowered, and Irwin swallowed as he saw the smith glare at Daubutim and then at him.


    Irwin quickly turned to Daubutim. "I need to learn this first," he said. "It''s important."


    Daubutim frowned, and Irwin saw a confused look in his eyes. After a moment, the larger youth sighed and shook his head. "Lord Bron won''t accept that. He will expect us to help close portals, and for that, you need to learn how to fight and use your cards."


    Right, the portals, Irwin thought as he shivered.


    "Insanity," Trimdir snapped. "Sending youths into the portals, it is the most ridiculous thing I''ve ever heard. They should let the guards and rangers take care of it!"


    "There aren''t enough," Daubutim stated.


    Trimdir snorted, got up, and moved from the table.


    "Decide what you will do, boy. But you owe me breakfast."


    Irwin stared after the smith who walked through the door that led into his office, closing the door. Then he turned to Daubutim.


    "I need to do this," he said. "Remember what he told us?" he said, tapping the pocket Ambraz was inside.


    Daubutim remained quiet.


    "Can''t I¡­ do both? Train in the morning and smith in the afternoon?" Irwin finally asked.


    "We would have to ask," Daubutim answered.


    After thinking about it for a while, Irwin nodded as he made up his mind. He walked to the office and knocked.


    "Come."


    Pushing the door open, Irwin hoped he could somehow convince Trimdir. He wanted -no, needed- to learn Cardsmithing. If he failed at this first step, how would he ever get beyond it?


    --


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    An hour after talking with Trimdir, Irwin was standing in front of Hutch, still shivering from his trek through the snow-covered town. The blanket he''d been allowed to borrow barely helped.


    "So, let me get this straight," Hutch said, staring at him. "You want to train in the morning, then work at Trimdir''s during the afternoon?"


    "Yes," Irwin said.


    "And it''s because your card becomes stronger because of it?"


    Irwin barely held back a flinch.


    "Yes," he lied.


    "Fine," Hutch said.


    Irwin stared at the bare-armed guard in surprise. He''d expected a long talk, like with Trimdir, to convince him. Instead, it was fine?


    "Don''t look so surprised," Hutch snapped as he rose and walked to the door, beckoning them to follow. "What we need are strong carded to close portals. If your strength increases more from learning to smith, that is fine."


    Irwin flinched as his sore legs tried to keep up with the much taller man. He managed to suppress a moan, wondering if he could get the rest of the day off. Staring at the bare-armed guard, he decided not to risk it.


    As he tried to force his pained body to follow the others, he wondered what the training entailed.


    --


    As the dim sun peered through the gray sky and snow drifted down over the city, Irwin walked towards Trimdir''s smithy. He was bruised and battered and wondered if he could even carry two clumps of raw ore.


    Battle training¡­ more like running, he thought as he dragged his foot up through the snow. He felt like metal was weighing down his boots.


    Tugging the thick, furred coat Daubutim had somehow managed to find him closer around himself, he shivered. It held back the cold, but not enough to make it anywhere close to comfortable.


    More wooden huts stood leaning against the larger buildings, sometimes almost blocking alleyways. He got curious looks from a pair of older women, who stared at his face, probably wondering about the bruises and scratches.


    Irwin thought back to the training. The running had been the worst, though swinging around a sword for hours on end had been a close second. Still, the training Daubutim had given him in the Galub world-shard had helped as at least he had some idea what to do. Without it, he would probably have been even more miserable.


    As he moved onto the square, he saw a group of youths standing there, probably hoping to be chosen again. There was no one inspecting them, though, and as Irwin moved toward the smithy, he heard them whisper amongst themselves.


    Staring at the door, Irwin steeled himself. He knew if he hadn''t seen all the things he had and knew the world would shatter, he might not have been able to go through the door to another day of pain. As it was, he clenched his jaw and moved through.


    The first week passed in a blur of days of constant movement, weariness, then falling unconscious on his bed. He nearly gave up on numerous occasions, but the image of his mother and brother kept him going, as did the memory of the shattered moon in the shardworld.


    It was only halfway through the second week that he began noticing a change. In the evenings, when he dropped into bed, he had just enough energy to think a bit and reflect on the day. Then, when he woke, he didn''t feel like he''d been beaten to death¡­ merely to the brink of it.


    At Trimdir''s smithy, he noticed his arms shaking less as he carried the ore, going from a half-filled basket to one three-quarter full. During battle practice, he could stay with the rest during running instead of trailing far behind.


    Still, time went by in a blur, and he didn''t even get a chance to work on combining his cards to become a true full-hand. All he could think of was getting to the end of the two weeks and starting to learn purifying.


    When he woke on the last day of the second week, he was tired but excited and quickly got dressed. Daubutim was already sitting at the table, ready to go.


    "Do you think he will teach you today?"


    "Yes. I asked him a few times last week if he was satisfied, and he said that he was," Irwin replied.


    "Alright. Remember, there are less than two weeks of training left before you and the others without weapon cards are supposed to pick your final weapon. Have you decided yet?"


    Irwin sat down, thinking about how to answer. He''d thought about it a few times but didn''t really know yet. Trying to delay answering, he grabbed some dried jerky from the bowl, then poured himself a cup of water.


    "Orwin?"


    "I don''t know," Irwin finally said with a sigh. "I''m best with the short sword, but even with them, I can''t beat any of the others."


    "Not a fair comparison. Most have had years of training," Daubutim said.


    "Do you have any advice?" Irwin asked, not for the first time.


    "Choosing a weapon is a personal thing. My father-"


    "I know, I know," Irwin interrupted him, not interested in any further fatherly wisdom. "I''ll think about it more this week."


    "Make sure you do. It''s already the end of the week. I think Hutch has his own ideas for you if you don''t."


    Irwin shivered. Hutch and a dozen other guards used sets of metal gauntlets and wrestling techniques. They specialized in closing certain uncommon portals, but when they returned, they were almost always bruised and battered. The only weapons they brought were daggers.


    "I''ll probably use a sword," Irwin said hastily.


    "I think Hutch will not agree to that unless you become a lot better," Daubutim said.


    "But you said it''s my choice!"


    "If we were at my father''s home. Lord Bron thinks differently about these things," Daubutim said.


    Irwin sighed as he imagined having nothing but wrestling and barehanded practice. Seeing Daubutim begin to voice his opinion, he quickly got up. He knew Daubutim thought he''d make a great pugilist, whatever that was, and he had no interest in it.


    "Right, let''s head out to training," he said.


    Daubutim opened and closed his mouth, then nodded.


    When they reached the training room, they heard a soft swishing sound.


    "Pytin''s early today," Irwin muttered.


    "Yes. I presume he wants to be completely ready for the challenge," Daubutim said.


    Irwin stumbled. "The challenge? That''s not today, right? That''s next week!" He instantly knew he was wrong when he saw Daubutim''s lips turn into a frown.


    "You really forget a lot," Daubutim said.


    By Gelwin''s beard, Irwin thought as he stopped before the room, wondering if he couldn''t just head to Trimdir''s. He had no desire to do the challenge. He barely remembered anything from the previous time, which had been a week ago, but what he did remember involved pain.


    "Come, Hutch will find you and drag you here if you try to get out from under it," Daubutim said. "They are having more and more trouble closing the portals, and they need more teams."


    Irwin licked his lips, then followed the noble youth into the training hall. The entire left side was made up of square wooden platforms with training dummies, while the shooting targets stood on the far end. A twirling figure in green leather armor was moving through motions at a speed Irwin knew he couldn''t match. Neither could Daubutim, to his friend''s annoyance. Pytin was good enough that Hutch had him train the least talented, meaning Irwin and Jousithr.


    They walked closer and watched quietly as Pytin sliced his sword through the air, decapitating some imaginary foe. Then he made a flourish, bowed, and sheathed his sword on his hip scabbard before turning to them.


    "You are early," he said, grinning at them happily. "Orwin, I think we should practice a few movements before the others come. It will help you during the challenge!"


    Irwin wanted to groan at the others'' enthusiasm but instead moved to the rack that held the wooden practice swords. He took two, a shorter, heavier one for himself and a longer one for Pytin. He''d practiced with him enough that he knew the other youths'' preferences.


    After handing it over, he stood before the tall, lanky boy in one of the sparring corners.


    "Alright. Let''s practice your defensive movements," Pytin said, swinging the sword up and down. "I''ll come for your leg, then your arm. Use what I taught you and try to do a single retaliation, after which I''ll attack again."


    Irwin quickly raised his sword, barely in time to step back and block a parry for his leg. Pytin grinned and nodded.


    "Nice!"


    Yeah, and you should really give people time to get ready after you stop talking, Irwin thought, but he didn''t say anything. Pytin would probably say it wasn''t good practice if he did.


    He blocked the next attack, knowing Pytin was moving slower than he could then retaliated by swinging at the other boy''s sword arm. Pytin''s sword moved out of the way, swirled around, and struck for his leg again. Irwin had expected as much, blocked it, then barely managed to block the attack on his other arm. He stumbled, and something slammed into his leg, causing him to trip and fall.


    "Footwork, footwork!" Pytin said while Daubutim was muttering something similar from the side.


    "What did I tell you?"


    Irwin held back a glare, and sighed. "Feet first, then sword," he said.


    "Indeed! If you fall-"


    "You are dead, but one attack to the arm won''t kill me," Irwin quickly said. "I know, but you''re just much faster than me."


    "Perhaps," Pytin said. "But you are getting faster. Still, I would advise you to focus on your speed when you combine your cards."


    Irwin nodded, getting ready for the next attack.


    They trained for half an hour, and when they stopped, two dozen youths were in the training hall, practicing with swords, spears, and axes. Hutch stood to the side, inspecting them. Behind him stood a stout woman with a long dark braid, looking annoyed. Irwin recognized her instantly as one of the few carded healers in the keep. He didn''t know her name, though Daubutim undoubtedly did.


    "Good, good! It warms my heart to see you all here before me," Hutch finally shouted. "Now, line up! You know what day it is," he said, staring at them and wiggling his eyebrows.


    "Your favorite day," a few of the youths chanted.


    "Exactly!" Hutch shouted. "Now! I''m going to have you all fight twice, and depending on that, we can see your progression. Fight one is with normal weapons and no cards! Return the practice weapons you have because I''ll be deciding what you fight with today."


    Oh no, Irwin thought as he saw Hutch''s wide grin.


    "To get this out of the way, Daubutim and Pytin. Both bring a bastard sword and come up. You are first to show how it''s done."


    Irwin sighed as he dropped off his wooden shortsword and stood with the others around the center training field. Daubutim and Pytin were walking there, each with a long sword. Daubutim had a calm, dull look on his face, but Irwin saw the gleam in his eyes. Pytin was grinning almost as wide as Hutch.


    Battle maniacs, Irwin thought.


    "Alright, show me what you have," Hutch said as he slapped his hands together, signaling the start of the training bout.


    Pytin danced forward, the sword in two hands as he moved through steps too fast for Irwin to comprehend. Daubutim moved less gracefully but with a snappy smoothness that was no less compelling, and their blades tapped each other low to the ground before turning into a blur of movement. Within moments it was obvious that Daubutim had the reach and power, while Pytin was faster and more agile.


    Loud discussions began among the others, and Irwin couldn''t blame them as he stared at the two fighters twirling their blades around.


    "Who do you think will win?" a soft voice asked him.


    Irwin didn''t look, knowing it was Jousithr. The lordling was an oddity, more interested in books and alchemy than in fighting or cards. Even though he had a full-hand, combined and all, none of them seemed suited for combat. He was the only one worse at fighting than Irwin, though he was taller.


    "I don''t know," Irwin said. He hoped it would be Daubutim, but the two had been equal, each winning multiple training matches since they got here.


    A loud thwack and cracking were followed by a muted shout as Pytin''s practice sword splintered where Daubutim had struck it.


    "Hold!" Hutch shouted as he walked forward.


    Daubutim was staring at the broken sword with as much surprise and annoyance as Pytin, but Hutch was just grinning.


    "I call it a draw," the guard said. "Now, go rest. You will fight each other again later, and at that time, you may use cards!"


    There was a sharp intake of surprise, but Hutch seemed to ignore it. He turned to the others and stared pointedly at Irwin.


    "Next matchup, Orwin versus Sebastian! Grappling Gauntlets!"

 Chapter 49: Bruises

    Irwin almost stumbled as he registered what Hutch had said.


    A muted shout of joy came from the side, and he looked up to see the much sturdier Sebastian grin at him. Because of his afternoon smithing, he''d not really mingled a lot with the other youths, but he''d heard that Sebastian was always hitting harder than he should. Most of the others preferred not tangling with him.


    You are kidding me, Irwin thought.


    "Move!"


    Hutch''s shout made him flinch, and he slowly moved towards the shelf lined with Grappling Gauntlets. He''d worn them one day during a simple introduction in the morning, but the rest of the training had been in the afternoon. He remembered Hutch had been annoyed when he left, though, at that point, he''d been so tired he''d barely noticed. Was this some form of punishment?


    Irwin took a pair that looked like all the others and put them on. As he walked back, he looked at the thick leather gauntlets with wooden plates on the back to block bladed training weapons and narrower strips on the palm area.


    Why do they even call them Grappling Gauntlets? He thought as he made his way to the center of the training area.


    Daubutim was looking at him, a tiny bit of worry in his eyes, while the other youths seemed mostly relieved they didn''t have to spar with Sebastian.


    "Alright," Hutch said, turning to Irwin. "I remember you didn''t have the time to stay for the full introduction of the gloves, so I''ll give you a bit of information now. Normally these gloves are used to battle demons with weapons, and they are the choice weapon for an assortment of portal types, especially Nyzir."


    Irwin shrugged when Hutch stared at him intently.


    "You don''t know them, alright. They are demons that roam the portal worlds without light and have sharp spikes on their hands and parts of their body. Due to the darkness and the narrow passages they live in, it''s hard swinging anything but a dagger around. In there, you will need to wear these gauntlets constantly! Now! Good luck, and don''t worry about injuries! Lilinethe will heal them for you," Hutch said as he backed up.


    A grunt came from the woman behind him.


    "Let''s see what our little blacksmith can do," Sebastian drawled as he stalked forward.


    Irwin began circling in the same direction as the larger boy. His heart rate rose and sweat beaded on his forehead while he tried to recall what Hutch had shown him days ago. He kept an eye on Sebastian, who was inching closer and bobbing and weaving oddly. Hutch had said something about slapping but not punching. Grabbing and backhand-


    A Gauntleted fist seemed to materialize in front of his head, and he flinched, dropping his head and raising his shoulders. His raised hands were too late, and his head snapped to the side as a painful stinging came from his cheek. He mechanically punched outward and felt his fist connect. A surprised grunt came from Sebastian, who had danced inside, struck him but hadn''t withdrawn. Irwin had no idea why not, but he dashed forward, swinging with his left to try and swat the other on the head.


    --


    Daubutim gritted his teeth as he watched Irwin, Orwin, he corrected himself, trying to strike the faster noble. Sebastian was obviously toying with him, moving slowly, baiting him to strike, then punching him in the gut or face.


    Sebastian had only gotten hit once when he had expected Orwin to get knocked out from his first surprise punch, and Orwin had simply stood his ground and struck back. Even Daubutim had been surprised at that, even though he knew of Orwin''s cards.


    The thudding continued, Orwin''s face slowly turning more bruised while surprised mutterings came from around them. Most hadn''t sparred with his friend, but a quick look at Pytin''s showed a knowing grin on his rival''s face. The lanky, fast noble was the only one who might have a clue about how tough the small, skinny boy was.


    Not that skinny anymore, Daubutim thought as he watched Irwin bunch his shoulders, muscles in his neck popping out.


    He flinched when his friend threw a slow haymaker which was easily dodged. I need to practice with him!


    A few minutes in, Irwin was moving sluggishly, but so was Sebastian. His face was contorted in a weary fury as he pounded Irwin each chance he got.


    Daubutim was about to call out for Hutch to stop the fight when Sebastian stumbled when he backed away. Irwin, slow as he was, managed to bridge the gap and grabbed the other boy in a bear hug. A surprised yelp came as Sebastian tried to struggle free. The struggling caused them to lose balance, and they thudded onto the ground, Irwin atop Sebastian. A cry of pain followed a loud snap, then a panicky struggle ensued.


    "Enough," Hutch shouted, running forward and followed by Lilinethe.


    Daubutim ran forward just as Hutch pulled Irwin from the other boy. Coiled muscles appeared on Hutch''s arms, and Daubutim heard him grunt with effort. The guard threw a confused look at Irwin before pushing the weary boy to the side.


    Sebastian was holding his arm, which stood at an odd angle, cursing under his breath as Lilinethe moved to help him.


    "Alright. That''ll be all for now," she snapped, glaring at Hutch, who opened his mouth. "No! First, you let the poor boy get beaten to a pulp, and look at what happened to this one. Enough."


    Hutch was quiet for a while, then sighed. "Lilinethe. They need to be ready for the portals! We are not sorcerers to send them in unprepared, but you know how bad it is out there. We''ve lost two groups of common-handed, and all of the other groups are going in with too few people."


    Lilinethe glared at the guard for a while longer as she was holding her hands above Sebastian''s arm. After a few moments, a glow came from it, and it snapped back to its normal position electing another grunt of pain from Sebastian.


    "Fine," she finally said with a weary sigh. "But not today. I need time to heal these two, and if this happens again-"


    "It won''t happen again," Hutch said before turning to Irwin.


    "Orwin, you did good, better than I expected. Your cards are perfect for Grappling Gauntlets. Starting tomorrow, you will be practicing with Dess. Now, let Lilinethe inspect you, then you can go and rest.


    Daubutim saw Irwin nod, swaying on his feet. One of his eyes was so puffy he could probably see nothing through it, but all in all, Daubutim was surprised he was even standing. He wasn''t sure he would be.


    As Lilinethe finished with Sebastian, Hutch had some other boys fight, but this time he stopped the fight as soon as two solid hits landed.


    Why did he let Orwin fight for such a long time? Daubutim thought, trying to understand what was going on. None of the things his father had taught him made it make sense.


    When Lilinethe walked away from Irwin, he saw his friend''s face was mostly normal again, though some faint bruising remained. He returned Irwin''s wave and watched the boy shuffle away to the exit.


    I hope learning the smithing will help as much as he thinks, Daubutim thought as he turned his focus back on the fighting.


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    --


    Bloody bastard, Irwin thought.


    He glared at the ground, picturing Sebastian''s face as he grinned and kept hitting him. Even after being healed, his face felt like it had been scrubbed by rocks. Clenching his hands as he continued towards the smithy, he decided he was going to try combining his cards that evening.


    "Bloody speed," he muttered as he kicked away some of the snow. The cold wind biting on his face wasn''t making him feel much better either.


    When he entered the smithy, the heat from the furnaces was like a warm balsam on his skin, and he quickly got rid of the coat and the jerkin below. It was mostly keeping the heat away instead of helping him stay warm in this place. Putting the leather tabard on, he heard footsteps behind him, and he turned to see Trimdir walk his way. The smith''s dark eyes scanned his face quickly.


    "I was hoping you''d come early today, but I hadn''t expected it would mean you had to fight the guards to get free," he grunted, beckoning him to his office. "At least tell me they didn''t get away harm free?"


    Irwin fell in line with the larger, heavily muscled smith. "It was another challenge today."


    "Ah, and you had to fight all the other lordlings all at once?"


    Irwin stifled a laugh at the image of him having to fight Daubutim.


    "No, just someone who is faster, stronger, and taller than me," he said.


    "Yes, well, one of those problems will be remedied soon if you keep working here," Trimdir said seriously. He clenched his fist, and muscles rippled across his arms and shoulders like snakes.


    "That will take months," Irwin said as he looked away.


    "Two at most, and you aren''t in a rush, are you?" Trimdir said as he motioned Irwin to sit on a chair.


    "No, I guess not," Irwin said. The smith was only half right. He was in a rush, just not to become stronger and taller.


    Trimdir sat down and stared at Irwin for a few moments, and slowly he became uncomfortable.


    "So, let''s begin with Degnin Iron. What can you tell me about it?"


    Irwin took a deep breath, forcing the recent fight out of his mind and focusing on the question. Trimdir seemed to like him well enough, but he knew the man had little patience.


    "It is heavy compared to some of the alloys made with it, brittle, and gets darker if you polish it for a while," he began, trying to recall all the things he''d noticed about the metal. He continued rattling off what he knew, from smell, texture, and tensile strength, all things Olger and the other smiths had told him at the moments he brought them metal bars.


    "Alright, and with all those drawbacks, why do we use it so much in alloys?" Trimdir said.


    Irwin thought for a moment, then shrugged. "Nobody told me," he said.


    "Guess."


    Irwin licked his lips, noting no anger or annoyance on Trimdir''s face. It seemed a genuine question.


    "There seems to be a lot of it, so maybe that''s the reason?" he finally said.


    "That is partially true," Trimdir said. "The other reason is that parts of the iron meld well with other metals and compounds making it comparatively light and bendable. Most of all, it''s easy to work with and cheap."


    Irwin nodded. That made sense.


    Trimdir nodded a bit, asking him a few more questions about the other metals he had carried. He knew far less of those, mostly because he hadn''t handled a lot of it. As the questions continued, he suddenly began feeling worried. So far, he''d imagined this to be no more than a technicality, but as Trimdir grilled him on details, he wondered if he had been wrong. What if Trimdir told him to leave? He knew there were two more smiths in Degonda, but would they even let him work there if Trimdir had kicked him out?


    After a few questions about Paldyrin Iron, something he''d never heard of before, Trimdir nodded. "Alright, you pass."


    Irwin let out a ragged breath and couldn''t help a smile from popping up on his face.


    "Now, that means from now on, you are going to work with me on purifying Degnin Iron in the afternoon. I also expect you to read a few of the books here," he said as he waved his hand about.


    Irwin tensed, his eyes widening as he licked his lips. Trimdir frowned, lowering his hand and staring at him.


    "What?" he said.


    Irwin stared at the books, then at the smith, then at his hands, not sure how he would answer that. All nobles he knew could read!


    "Orwin?"


    "I can''t read," Irwin muttered, staring at his hands.


    There was no answer, and he looked up, worried the smith would be angry. Instead, Trimdir was grinning.


    "I thought as much. I guess Olger owes me a free day of labor!"


    "You knew?" Irwin asked, staring at the smith in surprise. If he knew, why had he asked?


    "Yes, I saw you ignore all the signs in the storage area, always asking what was where while the names were perfectly visible."


    He began nodding, then got up and moved to one of the shelves, taking a small booklet from it. "You might think that is a problem, and it is if you can''t learn, which I think you can. Most of the common folk prospects that come to me to learn can''t read," Trimdir said as he handed Irwin the book.


    "I expect you to learn three pages each evening," he said as Irwin opened the book. There were pictures and words on the first page. An image of a hammer had six letters next to it, and Irwin saw an Anvil with different letters, a few of which were the same as in the first word.


    This is how you learn to read? he thought as he traced one of the letters, mouthing the letter h.


    "Seeing as you got beat up today and need to read that tonight, you can leave after you''ve brought every smith a single load of ore," Trimdir said, staring at him intently. "Make sure you learn these words because I expect you to finish that book by the month. I will teach you the first part of purifying tomorrow."


    Irwin nodded, unable to keep his eyes from the book. He''d seen books before, but never one that was this simple and had pictures.


    "Good, now leave it here and pick it up when you are done. Make sure you don''t dirty it," Trimdir said as he got up.


    Irwin did as asked, and the rest of the afternoon passed quickly as the prospect of some time for himself loomed ahead. As the heavy bars passed through his hands, the heat of the forges seeped into his bones and the heavy thudding of the hammers continued around him, his angry mood from the battle dispersed. Slowly, his anticipation at trying to combine his cards began making him anxious to finish and leave.


    When he finally dropped a set of a dozen bars beside one of the female smiths, a young woman of his height but probably twice as heavy, he was weary but not overly so and ready to leave.


    "Thanks, Orwin! I hear you got the rest of the day off. Make sure to take a bath," Lamia said in her surprisingly gentle, pleasant voice.


    Irwin blinked stupidly, wondering why he had to go to a bath. He had one a few days ago, and though the prospect was enticing, he had other things to do.


    Lamia''s grin widened as she grabbed one of the metal bars he''d brought her.


    "You smell, lordling," she said as she sniffed.


    Irwin almost retorted that she smelled worse than he did, barely managing to hold his tongue.


    "I''ll see if I can make some time," he said, wondering if he should.


    "Good, make sure you do!" she said, winking at him.


    Irwin nodded stupidly, and as he walked away, he took a look over his shoulder. Lamia was hammering the ore with a wide smile on her face.


    What was that about? He thought. Did she fancy him? That couldn''t be it. She was at least three years older and probably strong enough to bend him like the iron handle she was making.


    Still pondering about the odd encounter, he moved into the office, took the book, and headed to the exit. Nobody paid him any attention, and he saw Olger showing Brent something at one of the smaller anvils. Trimdir was nowhere in sight, and with a wave to nobody in particular, he left the smithy far happier than when he''d entered it.


    The cold wind that blew his now shoulder-long hair back made him shiver but he couldn''t wipe away the smile. It was still light outside, and as he wandered through the city back to the central keep, he saw there were even more people. Smoky air from the campfires was everywhere, and small groups of young children were playing near them. If he didn''t know of the danger right outside the gates, he''d almost think it was a happy time.


    When he pulled open the door to his and Daubutim''s room, he was chewing on some dried meat that he''d grabbed from the kitchen at the bottom floor. Finishing the last bit, he put the book on the table.


    So¡­ what first? He thought as he stared at the book. Read or combine? A grin widened on his face as he knew the answer.


    "Ambraz," he whispered, pulling open the side of his coat. There was a soft rustle, and the Anvil flew out.


    "Finally! Do you have any idea how stuffy it gets in there?" Ambraz hissed as he flew around before landing on the table.


    "Ambraz, I want to create my full-hand," Irwin said as he put his hand on the table.


    "Are you sure?" the Anvil asked.


    Irwin blinked in surprise. "I need to get stronger," he said. "And faster."


    "Yes, but if you lock them into your full-hand, you can''t reforge them anymore," Ambraz said.


    Irwin stared at the Anvil as he recalled what it had told him what seemed like ages ago. As he remembered, he sank back, his joy and happiness wiped away.


    "But.." he muttered before sighing and shaking his head.


    "Don''t act like a kicked puppy," Ambraz snapped as he hovered up and closed in on him. "It''s not that bad! You have two cards that increase your physique, and you have a lot of growth left!"


    Irwin sighed as he put his arms on the table. He recalled how long it would take to learn to reforge his cards to legendary. Far too long. But I don''t need them all to be legendary, do I?


    "How much time would it take me to reforge uncommon cards to rare?" he asked as he looked up.


    "It depends. I still haven''t seen you do any purifying," Ambraz said. "Worst case would be many years."


    "And the best case?" Irwin asked.


    "The best prospects can learn it within months."


    Irwin sighed and pulled the book closer. "You wouldn''t be able to help me learn to read faster, would you?" he asked as he opened the book to the first page.


    The Anvil hovered over his shoulder before snorting.


    "What? This simple script? I can read thirty-six languages. It''ll be a piece of cake," Ambraz snapped.


    "Good, let''s begin then," Irwin said.

 Chapter 50: Strike the iron when its hot!

    "Feel the metal as you strike it!"


    Irwin grunted as he held the tongs with his left hand, bringing the hammer down on the chunk of Degnin Iron. It flattened at the top as the reverberations ran from his wrist through his arm.


    Keeping his eye on the metal, he struck it again, forcing his weary arm to comply. He knew that Trimdir stood to the side, staring at him, and if he relaxed even the slightest, he''d start shouting again.


    "Listen to the metal after you hit it. It rings like a bell if it''s pure-"


    Irwin heard a high tink that echoed after as Trimdir tapped a completed ingot onto an anvil.


    "- and clanks if it''s not."


    A dull thud came as his hammer struck the iron, flattening it further, the sound coinciding with Trimdir''s words.


    "Like that."


    I know already, Irwin thought as he gritted his teeth and tried to focus on the sensation of the hammer striking the iron and the ringing after. After another ten hits, he thought he heard a slight difference, but it could just be his imagination.


    He had been hitting the same bloody piece of iron all afternoon, and besides proving he wasn''t even remotely as strong as Trimdir, who could flatten it in a dozen hits, he wasn''t sure he was really making any progress.


    "Alright, enough," Trimdir finally said.


    Irwin lowered the hammer, breathing raggedly as he felt the heat of the nearby forge wash over him. Sweat dripped from his forehead and ran down his bare back. If it weren''t so hot in here, his pants would have been drenched by now.


    Trimdir nodded as he walked forward and inspected the iron. "Alright. From now on, you will hammer iron for an hour when you arrive," the smith said, nodding. "As soon as you can flatten it this thin-" he held his fingers apart less than an inch, "-within an hour, we will continue."


    And now you are going to actually teach me? Irwin thought, unable to hold the hopeful look from his face. Purifying couldn''t just be hammering the iron.


    "Alright, now go and bring everyone the metal they need. If you finish early, come back here and continue."


    Irwin gazed after Trimdir, who walked away, heading towards his own forging area at the opposite side of the hall. After a few moments, he jolted out of his annoyed confusion. The smith wasn''t joking¡­ Grumbling to himself, rubbing his painful lower arms, he got his basket.


    Filling it was more of a chore than the day before, his fingers barely able to grip hard enough to lift the ingots.


    When he reached Lamia''s, he grunted as he dropped her ingots off, causing her to look up.


    "So, he''s making you learn purifying, huh? Poor you," she said with a grin.


    Irwin shrugged, not interested in being mocked.


    "Ah, don''t look like that! Trimdir is the best metal purifier in a hundred miles around Dregonda! Before all these surges happened, apprenticing smiths came from far and wide to learn from him. Sadly, learning purification is so incredibly tedious," she said, shaking her head in dismay.


    Irwin couldn''t hold back a snort before matching her grin. There was no denying that. He''d seen Trimdir do the same repetitive labor for days.


    Lamia wiped a stray hair from her face with her calloused hand, and Irwin wondered about something.


    "Does purifying only take hammering the metal until it''s flat and rings?" he asked.


    "What? By Yilda''s ti- err¡­ no, of course not!" Lamia said, looking around quickly before continuing in a softer tone. "That''s just what you need to do to get familiar with a new metal and in your case, to get some muscle on those scrawny arms."


    Irwin looked at his bare arms, which were starting to develop more muscle than he had ever had, then at Lamia''s. There was no comparison. Her arms looked more like his legs.


    Lamia''s grin widened, and she raised and flexed her free arm. "Like what you see? Heh, continue like this, and you''ll get strong soon enough," she said with a smile.


    "So, what do I do after hitting it?" Irwin asked, again wondering if there was a double meaning to what she said or if she was joking.


    "Ah, I''m not telling you! Trimdir wouldn''t like it if I spoiled that, but¡­" she looked around, mock conspiratory. "But it involves your cards."


    Irwin glanced at his hand, grimy and black from soot which obscured his three card-outlinings.


    "Say, how is your reading going?" Lamia asked, her bushy eyebrows raised.


    Irwin grimaced as he recalled he''d have to sit still and ''meditate'' on another list of words that evening. Still, he gave her a thumbs up.


    "I''ve managed to read the second book Trimdir gave me," he said as he recalled the odd book on hammers. He had learned about more different hammers than he had thought there would be needed for smithing. Still, he''d found reading fun and calming, even if it still took him great effort.


    "That fast?" Lamia muttered. "What did Trimdir say?"


    "He just gave me another book," Irwin said with a shrug. He had noticed the look of surprise in the smith''s eyes, and he couldn''t blame him. Without Ambraz''s constant evening tutoring, he''d never have gotten even remotely close to being able to read even full sentences. Now his knowledge of words grew by a dozen every evening.


    "Yeah, somehow that doesn''t surprise me," Lamia said. "Now, git, before Trimdir sees I''m not working," Lamia said, raising her hammer, then staring at the cooled sheet of steel which looked to be a breastplate. "Ugh, cold again," she grunted.


    Irwin walked away, leaving her to it, and wondering what he would have to do with his cards to help him purify the metal.


    He didn''t finish early, and his hands were barely able to close his coat as he left. It was almost a relief to step into the freezing wind. Almost. Taking a deep breath, he looked up at the steely sky, noting the tiny flakes dropping. Another blizzard was coming, and he rushed through town.


    Days passed by in a blur of working on practicing striking and wrestling with the unwieldy gauntlets, then striking with a hammer on unwieldy metal. Each day he managed to flatten the iron a bit more while his body changed. His arms thickened while his legs grew sturdy, and he noticed that he was becoming increasingly used to his Coperion Body. Though still the slowest of the youths in training, he was slowly creeping up on the pack as his growing strength became more and more apparent.


    What was also apparent was his increasing appetite.


    Three weeks after he''d begun learning metal purification, and probably only a few days from his goal of flattening it within an hour, Irwin sat in the tower''s mess. A towering plate of food and a water jug meant for a dozen stood beside him. Daubutim and Jousithr sat opposite him, eating their own food.


    "The rangers found and closed seven portals this week," Jousithr said as he poked a piece of bread and looked at Irwin. "Another increase over the previous. Worse, two of them were uncommon."


    "How many losses this time?" Irwin asked as he swallowed a mouthful of dried meat before downing the salty stuff with a large gulp of water.


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    "Two, one in each of the uncommon portals," Jousithr said. "Berling and Synthia will replace them, so our group grows smaller again. Worse, lord Bron has asked Hutch to increase our training to get us ready."


    Irwin sighed as he continued eating. He knew both youths, one the son of a refugee ranger and the other the daughter of a farmer. They had been the furthest along in their training, both with uncommon cards, and it didn''t surprise him they were chosen. What bothered him was that this meant that Daubutim and Pythin were now the best all around, meaning if more losses happened¡­


    I guess that''s why Pythin is training, he thought, looking at the empty chair beside Daubutim. Usually, Pythin ate with them, but today he''d grabbed food and ran to the training hall.


    With a weary sigh, he glanced at Jousithr every so often.


    The young lordling had started joining them when they ate a week or two ago. According to Daubutim, he was a bit of an outcast among the other lordlings due to his aversion to fighting and physical confrontation. His tendency to constantly talk about his odd experiments probably didn''t help either. Irwin didn''t mind, though. Not in the least, because Jousithr had a way of learning about almost anything that went on in the city.


    "There''s something else, though," Jousithr said, and Irwin blinked at the other''s intense stare. "Another group of refugees arrived."


    "They made it through the surges and the cold?" Irwin said incredulously. No new refugees had arrived for over a week.


    "Yes, and there''s more! They came from Tenproud!"


    Irwin felt his skin crawl as he shared a worried look with Daubutim. Tenproud had been their initial goal as it was the closest to Estardon.


    "Did Tenproud fall?" Daubutim asked cooly.


    "No, but according to the refugees, it won''t last through the winter."


    Irwin glanced at his plate, the face of a young girl appearing in his mind.


    "Jousithr, can you ask around if a girl called Megah is with the refugees?" he asked.


    "You know people in Tenproud?" the lordling asked, a sad look on his face.


    Irwin nodded.


    "I''ll ask around then. But¡­¡±


    "I know," Irwin said as he stared at the food. His appetite had suddenly left him, but he forced himself to continue. He''d regret it if he didn''t.


    Another few days later, Irwin stood in the smithy, the handle of the hammer far more comfortable in his hand as he hammered as hard as he could. Gone were the wobbling wrist and the many misses or partial hits. The hammer slammed solidly into the iron, flattening it to almost the size it had to be. Irwin barely noticed, his arms working mechanically. He was weary, but not overly so, and he absently pulled his overly tight pants as he thought back to the morning.


    Jousithr had finally gotten around to asking about Megah, and according to him, she wasn''t with the refugees. Irwin wasn''t sure if he should be happy or sad about that. After combat training, Hutch had told him he would be fighting Sebastian again the next day. The condescending smirk on the other youths'' faces popped up in his mind.


    Gritting his teeth, he channeled his worry and anger into another hit, enjoying the feeling of the hammer striking the iron. He was about to lift it again when he realized the sound of the impact had been less dull. It wasn''t anywhere near the ring when Trimdir hit it, but it was too obvious to be his imagination.


    Lowering the hammer, he carefully brought the glowing metal closer to his face and blinked. It was thinner than an inch! He looked around quickly, but he was pretty sure he hadn''t been in for an hour yet.


    Feeling a grin appear on his face, he put down the hammer and stomped towards Trimdir''s office, taking the tongs and flattened iron with him. A look around showed that Lamia was grinning at him, giving him a big thumbs up.


    Finally! Irwin thought as he knocked on the door.


    "Yes?"


    Irwin pushed open the door and grinned at Trimdir, who was staring at him.


    "It''s done!"


    Trimdir''s eyes widened, and he got up, taking the massive tongs from him and inspecting the rough slab.


    "Indeed it is," he said, looking at Irwin with a gleam in his eyes. "Follow me."


    Irwin stepped aside as Trimdir stomped past him, and he followed the smith back to the forge he''d been at mere moments earlier. Trimdir grabbed a hammer in passing, put Irwin''s metal slab on the anvil, and struck it back into a squarish shape with a few easy strokes. Then he handed a startled Irwin the tongs again.


    Don''t tell me I have to do it again, he thought as he took the tong and stared at the thing he''d been hitting for hours.


    "Now, listen closely," Trimdir said, snapping his fingers.


    Irwin blinked and looked up. The smith''s intense gaze drilled into his eyes.


    "Have you ever removed one of your cards from your hands?"


    Irwin''s mouth fell open, and he stared stupidly at Trimdir. Asking someone to remove their cards or anything related to it was not done, and his brother had told him stories about it that still curled his blood. He licked his lips. Trimdir was unlikely to mean something bad¡­ If the smith had wanted to, he could have harmed him many times already. So, did he mean what he''d done to reforge it or really remove it? Probably the first?


    Trimdir seemed to sense his disturbance. The smith raised an eyebrow, then his right hand, which had a single card. "Like this," the smith said. A moment later, a purple-bordered card hovered above his hand. It depicted a heavily muscular arm with thick veins covering it.


    Irwin stared at it and then nodded stupidly. Trimdir showing him his card was something he''d definitely not expected. Normally people kept it pretty close to their hearts. Then again, he''d never heard about removing the card like Ambraz had taught him, either. Maybe this was more common outside of Malorin?


    "I can," he said.


    "Really? Good, that will save us a lot of time," Trimdir said as his eyebrows rose. "So, you know the sensation you have when you touch a card? Try and do that, but without actually taking your cards from your hand.


    "All of them?" Irwin asked, incredulous.


    "Yes."


    Taking a look at his hand and staring at the cards, Irwin focused on sensing his cards, trying to find his Fire Sensitive body, Eyes of Blaze, and Coperion Body cards. His first card was easiest, and as he focused his attention on it, he sensed it like a burning ember deep inside his mind. He was surprised to find that it had changed since he''d first gotten it. How he hadn''t noticed before was a miracle, but now he almost couldn''t ignore its presence. Oddly, his Coperion Body was the second he managed. He''d somehow thought it would be his second card, Eyes of Blaze, but that took far more effort.


    Is it because I haven''t used it enough? Irwin mused, thinking back and realizing it was true. He''d only really used its passive effect. Now that he could read, he should check out his own cards and perhaps even ask if he could read Daubutim''s!


    Five minutes later, he had a precarious sense of all his cards, though his Eyes of Blaze didn''t want to cooperate.


    "And now?" he asked, the strain evident even to him.


    "You are sensing all three?" Trimdir asked, and this time Irwin could hear the surprise in the smith''s voice. As if to mock him, the Eyes of Blaze faded from his mind.


    "I had them," Irwin said, lowering his shoulders.


    It took him another two minutes to get his second, stubborn card back into focus.


    "Now," he whispered.


    "Alright, you need to practice holding them far easier than you are now," Trimdir said. "But this is a great start. Now, I want you to hold onto this sense and strike the iron again. We will continue after you can flatten it to an inch while holding your cards focused."


    "That will take hours," Irwin couldn''t help but say.


    Trimdir didn''t even bother to respond to him but had turned and was walking away.


    Irwin looked at his carded hand, then the iron, and finally grabbed the iron, gritting his teeth.


    "You have one hour. After that, you need to bring everyone their materials."


    Of course I do, Irwin thought as he sighed and brought down the hammer on the iron. Two strikes were all he managed before his Eyes of Blaze blurred away again.


    I definitely need to practice this card more, he thought as he began focusing on it again.


    When he finally walked away from the smithy, shivering as the cold wind blasted his hair back, he had managed ten strikes while holding all his cards in focus. He barely looked at the now overly familiar streets, but when he reached the tower, he noticed a group of rangers standing outside. They were staring at Myda, the head ranger who was speaking to them. She had an angry scowl on her face, though that had been normal ever since more portals appeared.


    Curious, Irwin inched closer until he could hear while trying to stay out of her field of vision.


    "Now, get ready for tomorrow. That''s all," Myda snapped as she turned.


    Realizing she''d just finished, Irwin watched the rangers move back into the town. He was about to leave when he saw one of the rangers head his way. Waiting until the tall, slender man with a quiver on his back reached him, he raised his hand.


    "Hey! What''s going on?"


    The ranger took one look and snorted.


    "Finish your bloody training and join us, and I''ll tell you," the man snapped before aggressively shoving past him.


    Irwin gaped after him, then walked into the building. I''ll ask Jousithr tomorrow, he decided as he saw the ranger stomp away.


    When he reached his room, he was surprised to see Daubutim and Pytin sitting at the table, staring at him. As soon as he saw their downcast faces, he knew something was wrong.


    "Hey, there you are. About time," Pytin said as he waved him over. Daubutim''s face was dull, but something in his eyes made Irwin''s worry increase.


    Closing the door, he quickly moved to the table.


    "So¡­ what''s going on?" he asked without sitting down.


    "Did you hear what happened today?" Pytin asked before shaking his head. "No, never mind. You never hear anything in that smithy. It''s horrible¡­ The rangers found a rare portal this morning near the Grinning Man''s hilltop. When- When they went in to investigate it, demons flooded out! A rare surge! The ranger said there were Frozir twice as tall as the tallest man... Myda lost three of her rangers before they managed to flee."


    Pytin''s shoulders slumped as he stared at his hands.


    "Lord Bron is sending out Basil and three guard squads to beat back the surge and hopefully close the portal."


    Irwin thudded in his chair. It took him a few moments to realize Pytin was still looking at his hands, clenching them open and closed. There was something else!


    "And?" Irwin asked, almost afraid to know.


    "Pytin and I are assigned to one of the guard groups while Basil is gone. We leave on our first scouting mission tomorrow," Daubutim stated.


    Irwin felt the blood drain from his face as he looked at his friend.

 Chapter 51: Crushed

    When Irwin woke the next morning, Daubutim had already left. Staring at his friend''s empty bed, Irwin fell back, staring at the rugged stone ceiling. He''d already lost Greldo. Was he going to lose Daubutim too?


    Greldo isn''t dead, he thought, angry at his own mind for implying it.


    Forcing himself out of his warm bed, he rushed into his clothes before heading down to the mess. It was busy even this early, but after getting a plate of food, he found Jousithr in the back.


    "So, it''s only the two of us today," Jousithr said in greeting. "Are you ready to face Sebastian? He''s been talking about nothing but putting you in your place, whatever that is supposed to mean."


    Irwin started as he looked at the stale bread and lumps of undefinable vegetables. He''d totally forgotten about having to fight Sebastian again. As the image of the boy came to his mind, there was an odd high-pitched squeaking from the table. Looking down in surprise, he saw his hands had pinched indents into the table''s edge.


    "You¡­ aren''t going to kill him, are you?" Jousithr asked.


    "What? Of course not!" Irwin snapped as he looked up to see the lordling watch him with clear trepidation. "I''m just angry that¡­ Daubutim is out there alone," he finally ground out.


    As he said it, he realized it was true. As little desire as he had to go out in the cold to fight Frozir, which was probably the worst matchup for him, he''d have preferred being with Daubutim. They had each other''s back for months and knowing he was now out there was angering him.


    Jousithr continued to look at him for a while before finally sighing and picking at his food.


    "Don''t worry about him. He is with the guard group that stays closest to Degonda. I''m more worried about that rare portal. There is only one group that can close those, and if they lose anyone¡­"


    Irwin stuffed his mouth, trying not to get distracted by the softer bits. Absently he realized the food was getting worse by the week. If this continued, they were going to run out and starve before the demons got them.


    If I can learn card reforging, he thought, ignoring the gagging noises Jousithr made. Then he could at least fix one of those problems.


    "Do you know how the food situation is outside of the keep?" he asked.


    Jousithr wiped his mouth, pushing his plate away. "Don''t bother. It''s no better than the slop we are given. Worse, from what I''ve heard, many people are close to starving. Be glad that we are here and training. The only people still getting enough food are the guards, rangers, and the crafters equipping them."


    Irwin stared at his hands as he thought back to the previous winter in Malorin. During the worst period, there had been barely enough food, and he vividly remembered the hollow feeling in his stomach. It had turned to a painful gnawing as the days with little to no food chained on into weeks. He shivered and stuffed another partially mushed root in his mouth, chewing it and swallowing without thinking.


    Ten minutes later, he and Jousithr walked into the training hall. The large group had slowly been whittled down, and by now, only twenty youths remained. As Irwin looked around, he realized something else. The next one to be taken into the guards or rangers would be Sebastian.


    Unless I win?


    The previous time they had fought had been close, even though Sebastian had stopped playing around like he had the first time. Only the other''s longer range and faster movements had gained him victory, but Irwin had become stronger and faster in the meantime. More importantly, he had a plan. But... if he won, would he have to go outside? That meant no more smithing, but he could also go with Daubutim! With conflicting emotions, he wondered if he should let Sebastian win.


    He inspected his soon-to-be adversary. The tall boy was chatting with two other youths, already wearing his wrestling gauntlets. He suddenly laughed and looked up, staring straight at Irwin.


    Irwin barely stopped himself from looking away as the lordling''s eyes drilled into his. A nasty gleam came to the lordling''s pale purple eyes, and his lips curled into a grin.


    Any thought about letting the lordling win vanished from Irwin''s mind as he gritted his teeth. Besides that, he wanted to pound the boy. If someone had to be with Daubutim to have his back, it had better be him, not that stuck up little-.


    "Right! You all have heard about the big shit we are in, so I won''t bring it up again," Hutch shouted, drawing both their gazes.


    The guard strode through the door with the carded-healer, Lilinethe, in tow. She had a sad look in her eyes as she looked around, and Irwin wondered what that was about.


    "I don''t have time for pleasantries. Sebastian, Orwin, you are up first. I expect great results, so don''t let me down!" he said.


    Irwin had the feeling the guard''s gaze lingered a little longer on him, but he didn''t care. With measured steps, he moved to the training weapons rack and took a few of the Grappling Gauntlets. As he turned, he saw Sebastian was already standing on the sparring floor, stretching his arms and legs.


    Irwin moved to stand opposite him, putting on his gloves before jumping in a place a few times.


    "Remember, no skills except for the passive you can''t control," Hutch said as he raised a hand. "Ready? Go!"


    Irwin raised his hands and elbows like Hutch and Daubutim had shown him, fingers relaxed enough to grab something if he could reach it. At the same time, he lowered his stance and rushed forward. He knew he''d get pounded for a bit, but that was fine. He could take it- he just needed to get in close.


    And he had a plan for that. Something he''d practiced with Daubutim.


    Sebastian held his hands higher and wider, making odd little jumps as he moved around.


    Irwin moved closer, and a flicker was all he got when the taller boy''s hand shot forward. He ignored it, biting his teeth harder and powering through a strike against his head. Before he could retaliate, Sebastian danced away and began pelting his head with soft blows.


    Irwin simply ignored them, relying on his much higher toughness to carry him on.


    They circled each other for half a minute, and by now, Sebastian''s grin had long gone. Instead, he was dashing in and out with gritted teeth, glaring at Irwin.


    Irwin knew he was going to act soon- he had to, or Irwin would wear him down.


    As if reading his mind, Sebastian grunted and dashed forward, left hand forward as if telegraphing a massive hit. Irwin moved forward, faking a grin. He knew it was no more than a decoy, and instead of moving as the punch bit his cheek, he waited.


    Sebastian''s other hand came from behind his other, and Irwin''s grin widened as he did something nobody else on the ground could have without sustaining heavy damage.


    He headbutted the fist, ignoring the surprised and worried shouts.


    Though the hit''s damage was reduced because he intercepted it before it could fully wind out, it was still strong enough to cause his head to snap back, but it didn''t stop him from stepping forward. In range now, he grabbed Sebastian''s vest and arm and yanked him closer. There was some resistance, but compared to the heavy iron he was moving around it was no more than a slight inconvenience.


    Sebastian yelped and lost his balance, and Irwin grabbed the lordling in a bear hug. Grinning at the wide-eyed fear in front of him, he squeezed just as Hutch shouted his name.


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    "Orwin, no-"


    There was a pop, then a snap, and then a scream. Sebastian''s eyes went round, then he snapped his jaw shut, biting the tip of his tongue, blood spraying on Irwin''s face. He dropped the lordling as a sudden fear filled him. He''d only meant to show him he had won, not-


    "Out of the way!" he was shoved away by Lilinethe, who dropped near the boy who was moaning and frothing at the mouth.


    Irwin took a step back and saw two of her cards flash bright purple. A dull glow erupted around her, forming a shell that forcefully pushed him away as it nestled around the healer and the lordling.


    "Damnit, Orwin! I told you to hold!" Hutch snapped, and Irwin didn''t resist as the head guard spun him around. "Were you trying to kill him?" Hutch asked, a dangerous glint in his eyes.


    "What? No!" Irwin snapped as he shook his head. "I just¡­ just¡­" he faltered as muted but pained howls came from the purple bubble. Seeing Sebastian writhe on the ground while Lilinethe''s face was warped in pain, he took a step back and licked his lips. "I just wanted to show him I was stronger," he managed.


    Hutch stared at him for a while, the angry scowl rapidly dissipating. Then he sighed, and for a moment, Irwin thought he saw a glimmer of humor in his eyes. Then it was gone.


    "Well, you definitely showed him that. And the others too," Hutch said, shaking his head. "When Lord Bron told me to select the next two to go with the guards, I thought I''d chosen the two strongest. Perhaps I was wrong."


    Hutch gazed at him for a while, then took a deep breath.


    "Alright. Wait over there. I guess Lilinethe is going to object to another set of practice bouts¡­ dammit. I should have let you go last after what happened the first time."


    Hutch turned away, waving his hand at the other youths.


    "Alright, Jousithr, Gregor, you are up! Wooden long swords, first to two clear hits, mark the victor. And... try not to hurt each other!"


    Irwin backed up, but as he looked around, he saw surprise and awe on some faces while a slight fear in a few others. Swallowing back his annoyance, he focused on Sebastian.


    It took almost ten minutes before the barrier faded, and by then, Lilinethe''s face was drenched with sweat. Sebastian lay on the ground, breathing normally.


    "Hutch, get someone to bring him to his bed. He isn''t allowed to train for a few days," she said.


    Irwin swallowed as she glared at Hutch, then the carded healer rounded on him.


    "And you! First you break his arm, then you do this! I understand you don''t like him after that beating, but we are all in this together! Without every able body, we won''t survive through this winter! Figure out your strength so you don''t keep hurting the people around you," she snapped.


    With a final look of disgust at the other fighters, she stalked away, shoulders slumped and breathing raggedly.


    Irwin stared after her, not sure what to say but feeling sad. He hadn''t meant to hurt Sebastian, at least not this much, and he felt sorry for him. But he seemed alright now. What bothered him more was that it somehow had hurt Lilinethe. The healer had only helped others.


    "Don''t worry about what she said, boy. She''s just angry and in pain."


    Irwin looked up to see Hutch standing beside him. The anger had faded from his face.


    "It''s just that her healing is special. Though it''s faster than most I know, it makes it so she and her patient both feel the full pain of the entire healing process in the span of minutes. I''ve had it done a few times, and let me tell you-" the guard shuddered. "It''s worse than getting stabbed."


    Irwin nodded, took a deep breath, and stared straight at the guard. "I didn''t mean to harm him. If I''d known a squeeze would break him, I would not have done it."


    Hutch grinned. "I know, boy. Don''t worry! I was just a bit¡­ startled at first. However, I am curious. How about you do the same thing to me so I can see how strong you''ve become!"


    "Are you sure?" Irwin asked, staring at the guard. He was a head taller and almost as muscled as Trimdir.


    "Don''t worry about me," Hutch said as he cracked his neck. "Just gimme one of those hugs, but don''t squeeze too hard until I tell you to."


    Irwin felt slightly uncomfortable as he wrapped his arms around the massive, hairy man. Stinky too. He squeezed, using half the strength he''d used on Sebastian.


    "You can squeeze harder," Hutch said.


    Irwin did as answered, squeezing as hard as he had with Sebastian.


    "More."


    Irwin squeezed even harder, closing in on his maximum.


    "Alright, that''ll do," Hutch said, sounding strained.


    Irwin quickly let go and stepped back, looking at the guard worriedly.


    "Don''t you give me that look! I''m fine!" Hutch snapped, raising and rolling his shoulders before wincing.


    He seemed to hesitate, then cocked his head and looked around. "But I''m afraid it won''t help to have you fight anyone else here. If you accidentally hit them, you might break their neck. Go back to Trimdir for some more forging and find me after you are done."


    Irwin blinked, then nodded, wondering what the guard had in mind. He took one more look around, but the others were all fully engrossed in the current battle.


    When he walked outside, he was buffeted by tumultuous wind that blasted snow into his face. Painful stings on his face made him take two steps back, and he stared outside in distaste. For a moment, he thought about just forging on. Then he shook his head. If he went in that blizzard, he had no idea if he would even get out alive.


    Seeing nobody that could rat him out to Hutch, he headed back to his room. It was quiet, but tiny bits of snow had drifted in through the cracks and created a shape on the ground. He rushed to the cold hearth and summoned his flame, shoving it on top of the cold wood. Within moments, it burst aflame, filling the room with a cozy, ruddy light.


    "Stupid cold weather," Irwin muttered as he pulled a chair before the fireplace and sat down.


    Wondering what he should do, he looked around and saw the book the smith had given him lying on the small drawer beside his bed. He could read, but he didn''t feel like it. He was worried about Daubutim, still confused about what had happened with Sebastian and wondering how long the blizzard would continue. If it didn''t stop in a few hours, he''d have to either brave it or get scolded by Trimdir.


    A rustle came from his inside pocket, and he opened the front to let Ambraz out.


    "So? Skipping out today, are we?" the Anvil said as he flitted around.


    "It''s snowing outside," Irwin said as he leaned back, enjoying the warmth radiating from the crackling fire.


    "Yeah, if I''d known you were living in a winter wonderland, I would have suggested focusing on another aspect of your card," Ambraz said, not sounding at all sorry.


    "It''s fine," Irwin said, not really paying attention. Something was nagging him, but he couldn''t put his finger on it.


    "Well, as long as you are here, let''s continue your reading practice," Ambraz said as he flew to the book and landed on it.


    "Reading," Irwin snapped as he looked up. That was it! He could try to use his Eyes of Blaze and read his own cards. That way, it would be easier to focus on it while smithing.


    "Kid?" Ambraz asked as he fluttered before his face, startling him.


    "Yes, we can practice reading later," Irwin said as he raised his hand and focused on his first card. It came easy, and as he pulled it out, it hovered atop the back of his hand.


    Focusing on his Eyes of the Blaze while his Fire Sensitive Body was out proved difficult, and it took him a few tries before he succeeded. Then, a hovering scroll appeared beside the card, filled with text. He instantly saw he wouldn''t be able to read all of it easily. Luckily, it was at least in the same language.


    Trying to figure out all of the meanings took a long time as he slowly tried pronouncing the letters in order to figure out what they meant. When he finally finished, he reread it a few times to get the meaning across.


    Card: Fire-sensitive body


    Type: Epic, Growth, Impersonate


    Owner: Irwin Roddington


    Due to its fire-based nature, the holder will heal faster when near a source of fire and heat while slower when in a cold environment.


    Passive: Increased resistance to and regeneration while in or near fire, decreased resistance to cold.


    Passive two: Night vision (Can see dimly in complete darkness).


    Card combination focus: Regeneration.


    Growth, Irwin thought as he reread the card.


    Hadn''t Ambraz told him something about that? It took him a moment to recall, then he nodded. Right, if he practiced the card, it would become stronger up to a certain point. That was probably why his flame kept growing. But what did impersonate mean? He had an idea, but he wasn''t sure. Turning to Ambraz, who was floating around the room, apparently bored, he sniffed.


    "My card says it is of the type, impersonate. What does that mean?"


    "Ah, that! Yes, well, didn''t you ever wonder why your nice epic card looks like a mere common?" Ambraz said as he swung around and hovered before the card.


    "So that''s because of this? Aren''t all epic cards like that?" Irwin asked, trying to remember where he had heard that.


    "No, not all. Only those that have the hidden or impersonate type," Ambraz said. "Many epics have one of those, so it''s not rare to see¡­ Wait, not rare as in a rare card, I mean¡­ Gah!. Damn you people, for not using the proper terms for cards! Now I''m all confused!"


    Irwin grinned as he stared at the text a little longer, deciding to ask everything he wasn''t sure about.


    "What is the difference between hidden and impersonate?"


    "Hidden just makes it look like a common or uncommon or something," Ambraz said, and he sniffed. "Impersonate means it truly acts like another rank of card. This is why you can enter common portals with it."


    Irwin frowned. There was something he was missing... but he couldn''t find it. Something about his card and entering portals. After a few more minutes trying to crack his head over it, he shrugged and looked back at the card.


    "And what does card combination focus mean? It says regeneration."


    "That''s because when you slotted the other cards, that''s what you focused on," Ambraz said with a snort.


    Irwin ignored the others'' annoyance and nodded slowly.


    After a few more moments of inspecting it, he put his first card back and tried pulling up Eyes of Blaze. He quickly found that using a skill while removing the card was either impossible or far too difficult, as each time he pulled up the card, his Eyes of Blaze dissipated. Slightly annoyed, he pulled up his third card, Coperion Body.


    It took him a long time to decipher it, and when he finally managed, he stared at the text stupidly.


    Card: Coperrion Body


    Type: Uncommon, Growth


    Owner: Irwin Roddington


    Body improvement card that increased the holder''s entire body density, making their skin resistant to cutting and piercing. Decreases movement speed.


    Passive: Increases the wielder''s strength and constitution.


    Active: Grants the ability to temporarily change the entire body to Coperion, making it near impervious to conventional weapons.


    How did I forget about the active ability?

 Chapter 52: Coalesced, remnant soul cards

    Irwin stood in the center of his room and focused on his Coperion Body skill. To his surprise, it activated with a soft crooning sound. Before he could wonder where it came from, he felt himself grow more compact. Within moments his weight pressed heavily on his soles, reminding him of the first time he''d gotten the card. A look at his arm showed a deep copper-colored skin that gleamed like brushed metal. Tapping it made the sound of metal on metal.


    "Not bad, kid! Now you only need to reforge it to rare, and you can use it to offset your cold resistance at least for a small amount of time," Ambraz said.


    Irwin grinned, the skin of his face responding as it always did, the skin movement seeming unimpeded by the change of material. He walked around, his feet thudding heavily on the ground.


    I wonder how long this will last, he thought.


    Roughly ten minutes later, the skill stopped. He felt a rush of power as his body became lighter, but at the same time, he felt the cold press upon him more. With a shiver, he pulled his jacket closer as a thought surfaced.


    So, I can use this in an emergency with cold, Irwin thought, feeling slightly relieved. Then he thought back to something he''d pondered before.


    "Do you think I can find a card that lets me absorb heat and store it for later?" he asked as he stepped closer to the fireplace.


    "How would I know?" Ambraz snapped. "They exist, but if they are in a backwater place on a backwater planet? No idea!"


    Irwin sighed and looked at the shuttered window. More snow was filtering through the edges, and the howling of the wind showed the blizzard was still blowing full force. Wondering how Daubutim was doing, he quickly grabbed the book and began reading about the many different ways to work iron.


    A few hours later, he threw the book on the table in disgust. The howling had only increased, and when he took a peek through the shutters, he had seen a chaotic wall of snowflakes roiling around the tower.


    Annoyed, Irwin moved to the fireplace and gazed into the fire as he continued to wait out the storm.


    Many hours later, tired and weary, he crawled into bed, the storm still raging.


    --


    A dull knocking woke Irwin, and he took a deep breath of freezing air.


    Cold!


    Opening his eyes, he saw a plume of air spiral away as he exhaled. White crystals lined the walls, and he felt the chill even through the blankets. The dull thudding came again, the door shaking.


    "I''m awake," he croaked. "Give me a moment!"


    There was a grunted reply for him to hurry.


    Crawling out from under the blankets, he summoned his flame, increasing its heat as much as he could. A wave of hot air rippled away from it, and he looked up to see a small pile of snow beneath the window. The wind outside had died down.


    Clothes on, he kept his flame up as he opened the door, staring into Hutch''s annoyed face.


    "You were supposed to come and find me yesterday!" the bare-armed guard snapped, hands on his hips and showing no indication of any discomfort from the cold.


    "It was too cold," Irwin said. "I can''t handle the cold."


    Hutch blinked, then snorted. "Bah, you better get used to it. Now, follow me." He turned and stomped off.


    Irwin sniffed but kept quiet about his weakness. Hutch would probably think he was trying to get pity. So, quietly, he followed the guard through the towers to the training area, which was empty. He had no idea how late it was, but it had to be early. Hutch moved to the rack with weapons and threw him a pair of gauntlets, grabbing two for himself too.


    "Alright, we have until the first of those brats arrive, so let''s go," Hutch said as he moved to the sparring area.


    "What exactly are we going to do?" Irwin asked as he stared at the guard who was stretching and swinging his arms around. The guard couldn''t mean-


    "Spar," Hutch said as he pointed in front of him. "I fully expect you have only days before you need to join a group. I pulled some strings, and you can join Tomma''s group. They are short two."


    And I should be happy about this? Irwin thought as he stared at the guard. "I would rather go with Daubutim," he said.


    "His group is full, and you don''t fit with them," Hutch said as he raised his arms. "Alright, I''m going to attack you the same way a dozen times. Try to anticipate and retaliate."


    Irwin barely had time to raise his hands when a jab connected with his chin, followed by a punch in the gut. He blinked as the gauntleted fist appeared again and barely had time to move his head to the side, getting a graze across his cheek.


    Hutch pulled back, grinning at him. "You are a really good punching sack," the guard said. "Now, get ready. Here I come again."


    Irwin fared little better than the first time, nor did he manage to get even a single hit in for the rest of the morning. Still, when the first of the other youths arrived, he at least managed to dodge the punches to the face, which was good, as his face was feeling puffy and painful.


    "Alright! Not bad, come back tonight," Hutch said as he backed up.


    Irwin dumbly nodded before staggering away.


    --


    Hutch tried to keep his grin up as he gazed after the odd Lordling.


    It''s like hitting a slab of wood, he thought, trying to ignore the stinging sensation from his knuckles. Even the thick slab of wood and leather of the gauntlets hadn''t been enough to dull it. He suddenly had a whole lot more respect for Sebastian.


    Still, the toughness wouldn''t be enough to save the boy if he had to fight Nyzir. Their claws were razor sharp, and they moved hellishly fast. Hutch hadn''t even used his own enhanced speed, and he''d already easily been faster then the boy.


    Still, if he combines his cards, he should get a good bump to that ridiculous toughness and strength, Hutch thought


    With a final look at the door, he turned to the others, pushing Orwin out of his mind.


    --


    "You look like someone used your face as an anvil," Timrdir said. "Is that why you didn''t come yesterday?"


    Irwin shook his head, wincing at the painful stretching. "No, it was the blizzard," he said as he moved deeper into the smithy, enjoying the heat that wiped away the cold. Even with his flame out, the wind had been strong enough to cool him down rapidly.


    Trimdir didn''t respond, and Irwin began practicing hitting while focusing on his cards. He managed fifteen hits before it dropped, staring in wonder at the iron. The improvement over the previous day was staggering. Was all that because he had used Eyes of the Blaze to read his cards?


    Having no answer for it, he continued for an hour before bringing metal to the smiths.


    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Midway through, a commotion from the door caught his attention. A dozen guards moved inside, and Trimdir met them in the middle of the forge. Slowly the other smiths stopped working, and a silence hung in the otherwise loud room. The lead guard was someone Irwin had seen before, the bald and bare-armed guard that trained another group of guards and rangers to be.


    "Tomma, why are you here?" Trimdir''s voice carried loud enough that everyone could hear.


    "How far are you with the last order of chest plates and swords?" the guard asked as he looked around tiredly.


    "Not even half done. You know it has only been a week¡­"


    "I know, and I''m sorry, Trimdir. Can you bring what you have out? We will bring it to the guard towers and distribute it," Tomma said.


    "For whom to use?" Trimdir asked cooly, his face stoic as it usually was when anyone but smiths were here.


    Tomma looked around, and Irwin could see him hesitate. Then the guard shrugged. "Lord Bron has begun the creation of a militia to help guard the walls and the different guard towers."


    Irwin swallowed as he saw the different smiths begin looking around worriedly.


    "And who is to be in those militias?" Trimdir said.


    "Trimdir, you know I can''t-"


    "Who?" Trimdir asked, his voice now as cold as the snowy wind outside.


    Tomma gnashed his teeth and pointed at Trimdir''s office. Without waiting, Trimdir spun on his heel and led him there. Tomma slammed the door shut, leaving a host of confused and worried smiths and some uncomfortable guards in the room.


    Irwin looked around, then took a deep breath and turned to his anvil. Time is running shorter. I need to learn how to do this! He gritted his teeth and, with an extreme force of will pulled all three of his cards into focus. Then he began striking the iron, his blows clangingly loudly through the silent smithy.


    He heard a startled curse, ignored it, and continued. Perhaps it was the silence, everyone watching spurring him on, or the worry of the mounting troubles outside, but Irwin kept striking and striking, easily holding his cards focused. A trance-like state came over him, and time slipped by as he focused on the hammer, the iron, and his card.


    At some point, he noted that the sound of the iron was becoming clearer, but he only snapped out of it when a dull ring echoed from the iron. Hammer raised for another blow, he stared dumbly at the flattened iron, barely an inch of thickness remaining. Thudding and hammering came from all around, and as he turned, he saw the other smiths were busy, and the guards had left.


    Trimdir stood nearby, staring at him intensely. When Irwin looked back, Trimdir stepped forward and handed him a big mug of water.


    "Did you keep the focus on every hit?" the smith asked as Irwin gulped it down.


    "Yes¡­ I think so," Irwin said as he tried to recall having dropped it.


    He couldn''t, and he wondered if he could even replicate the feat again. Probably not as smoothly, though he very much wanted to try and attain the same trance-like state again. It had felt incredible.


    Trimdir gazed at him harshly, then nodded as he took the iron and inspected it. "Not bad for a non-focused purification," he said before staring at Irwin''s hand.


    After a few uncomfortable moments, he shook his head. "Just the common and two uncommons. I don''t understand..." he muttered. "It has to be that metal card you have."


    Irwin didn''t respond, keeping his face emotional.


    Perhaps its the special card?


    "Alright, from now on, you don''t have to move the metal. Focus solely on this," Trimdir said as he held the slab of flattened iron.


    "As you continue, try to sense the vibrations in the metal resonate with your cards. If you keep them in focus, they will resonate more at the start, which is what will interrupt your concentration. Make sure you hit those parts harder. The resonance in the iron should diminish, and you have to find the spots where the resonation is hardest, trying to whittle them down."


    Irwin nodded as he tried to absorb what he had heard.


    "Each time you finish a piece of iron, bring it to me, and I''ll show you what you could have done better," Trimdir said. He seemed to want to speak more, then sniffed and turned around.


    "Trimdir, what did the guard say?" Irwin asked, unable to hold back his curiosity.


    "I can''t tell you yet, but you will probably find out soon enough," Trimdir said without looking back.


    I''ll have to ask Jousithr tonight, Irwin thought.


    As he did, his thoughts moved to Daubutim, and he wondered if his friend was alright. Then he thought of Greldo, and his shoulders sagged. Two friends, both in trouble, one possibly more than the other. And what of his mother and brother? He gazed into the fire, lost in an increasingly turbulent feeling of being lost when a louder-than-normal hammer strike jogged him out of it.


    No. No time to lose myself in worry, he thought as he gripped the hammer handle and glared at the pile of raw iron.


    He grabbed a new piece with his tongs and held it into the burning furnace nearby.


    Ambraz needs to start teaching me how to reforge cards, Irwin thought as he forcefully pulled his cards into focus.


    The day passed in a blur of focus and hammering, but he didn''t manage to get into the trance-like state.


    When he finally returned to his own room, he was cold, tired, and mentally drained.


    His hopes of seeing his friend were dashed when there was no sign of Daubutim. Both beds were rumpled and unmade, the table and chairs as he had left them.


    Staring at the table, then the cold hearth, Irwin turned, slammed the door shut, and headed for the mess hall. A massive line stood before the kitchen, and he ignored it, searching for Daubutim and Pytin. After a moment, he saw Jousithr waving at him from the back, and he strode forward, his worry growing.


    "Where are they?" he asked, not even bothering with a greeting.


    "Calm yourself, Orwin. They are alright, really. One of the rangers with them came back to warn Hutch- It''s just¡­" the twitchy noble looked around as if afraid someone would overhear.


    "Two portals, one common and one uncommon, have appeared between them and us," he said, clenching and unclenching his hands. "Their group had to stay in one of the Guard Towers deeper in the hills or risk getting caught in a surge during the night."


    "By Gelwin''s Beard," Irwin hissed as he dropped into a stool. "How did they get that far out? I thought they were with the group that scouted the surroundings?"


    Jousithr shook his head, staring at his hands. "I don''t know, I don''t know, but things are going badly. Another group of refugees managed to reach us today, and¡­" he leaned forward, his voice dropping to a whisper. "There are rumors of Very Rare portals having opened around Esterdon."


    Irwin sucked in a breath, his heart hammering in his throat. "Did any surges appear?" he whispered back.


    "Nobody knows- Jill, the daughter of a Lord I know, was with the refugees. She said they came across multiple common portals in clusters when moving here, but they lacked the people to close them."


    Irwin didn''t say anything but quietly sat opposite the lanky Lordling for a long time, staring at the table until his stomach rebelled. With a sigh, he rose, staring at the now much shorter line in front of the kitchen.


    "Do you want anything?" he asked.


    Jousithr shook his head and didn''t look up. He was muttering something about regens, portals, and linchpins again, but Irwin didn''t bother to listen. He''d long since stopped understanding what the other boy was talking about, especially when he started about alchemy.


    When he finally returned with a plate of hot but simple food, Jousithr was gone. Feeling alone and sad, he forced the food down his throat before heading back to his room.


    Slamming the door shut, he power-started the fireplace with his flame, sat down at the table, and pulled Ambraz from his pocket.


    "Eej! Easy there," the Anvil grunted as he flew up and around rapidly, seeming annoyed at being grabbed.


    "Sorry," Irwin said halfheartedly. "Did you hear what Jousithr said?"


    "About a very rare portal? Yes¡­ there''s nothing you can do about it right now," Ambraz said with a sniff.


    "Teach me reforging cards."


    The anvil''s metal lips quirked up. "Hungry for knowledge, are we? I can relate! Well, though I''d prefer you learn to purify metal more, I guess we can at least start. You might just get killed before then otherwise, and that won''t help either of us. But¡­ we need some more common cards first."


    Irwin frowned, then fumbled in his coat and took out the Storm Leaves card, the only card he had left.


    "Ah, that one. Yes¡­ it would be a waste if you ruin it, but I guess we don''t have much of a choice," Ambraz said. "You should see if you can find any merchants with cards tomorrow. You do realize you might break that one?"


    "I don''t think I want it anyway," Irwin said as he gazed at the lifelike image of the leaves on the simple card. "It doesn''t feel right."


    "Yes, I guess it would be weird, blowing around leaves when you keep setting things on fire," Ambraz grunted. "Still, I think you underestimate how strong it can get, and fire needs air."


    Irwin frowned but nodded. To get a small fire going, you had to blow in it gently, and the forges had bellows to supply them with air. It made sense, but¡­


    "Fine, fine, let''s get started," Ambraz snapped as he flew to the center of the room.


    With a thud, he changed to a larger form, dominating the mostly empty room. Luckily he wasn''t as massive as he had been when he reforged the cards because Irwin didn''t think the floor would have held him.


    "Right, put the card on my surface and focus on your own cards as you do for purifying metal."


    Irwin did as asked, and he was happy it only took him a minute to connect all three in his mind.


    "Alright, as soon as you are done, strike with your fist on top of the card," Ambraz said.


    Irwin hesitated, remembering the last time he''d touched the anvil and a card simultaneously. The pain was something he''d probably never forget.


    "Don''t worry. I won''t do anything. Besides, the first time is always so confusing it''s easier for you to see it before I explain," Ambraz said, seemingly reading his mind or seeing the fear on his face.


    Steeling himself, Irwin struck down on the card. For a split second, nothing seemed to happen. Then a burst of light erupted from it, blinding him.


    "Keep your hand there," Ambraz snapped just as he was about to pull back.


    Blinking away the spots, Irwin did as asked, and as his vision returned, he saw shapes in various colors hovering above the anvil. Green and brown shapes that roughly looked like leaves and silvery white streaks that somehow made him think of wind. In between hung black, disgusting blotches and shiny stars of light, he couldn''t look into directly.


    "Neat, huh?" Ambraz said, sounding proud and happy at the same time. "Welcome to the ranks of the small percentage of beings who''ve ever seen the inner workings of coalesced, remnant soul cards!"

 Chapter 53: Resonance

    Irwin stared quietly at the beautiful patterns and lights, colors mingling to create pallettes he had never seen before.


    "What is that black stuff?" he asked, curious but also slightly disgusted.


    "It''s the potential of the card," Ambraz said. "The more of it there is, the better you can make the card. This one only has a little, so beyond what you call Legendary is impossible for it, but it should be reforge-able up to that. But before you even think about it, you need to start at the beginning!"


    Irwin nodded, wondering how something that looked like black goop could be the potential. Then pointed at one of the stars. "And those?"


    "Believe it or not, those are holes," Ambraz said. "Apprentices always believe the shiny spots are the good stuff, but what you really have to do is plug them so the card''s energy doesn''t drain away. It''s why cards left unattended eventually degrade over the years."


    If they are holes, what is the light coming out of them? Irwin wondered. It looked more like something was leaking out from the other side instead of the cards'' energy draining away.


    "Don''t worry about them too much. You are far from being able to plug them. But, if they were plugged the card would upgrade from rare to very rare," Ambraz said


    Irwin thought that the Anvil seemed more than a little happy talking about these things.


    "Now! Before you get all riled up about dark potential and siphoning holes, let''s focus on what you can try. Look at the lines and the colors. Do you see how they are all fuzzy and smeared out in some places?"


    "Yes?" Irwin asked, curious to learn more. The image looked nice, even with the smears and holes.


    "Alright, now, gently strike the card again," Ambraz said.


    Irwin took a deep breath, then hit the card. The image remained, but the shapes and lines wobbled and shifted slightly. It vaguely reminded him of the surface of a puddle of water just before something hit it, causing ripples. There was also a slight¡­ resonation with his card. They almost seemed to vibrate, but it felt unharmonized. Almost painfully so.


    "Alright, what do you feel?"


    "Like something is humming but out of tune," Irwin said, trying to find the right words.


    "Oh! You can feel all that already? That is outstanding! Must be the effects of your first card," Ambraz muttered, slightly confused.


    Then he smacked his lips and grinned.


    "Well, even better! Now, with the same power, continue to hit it for a while and let me know what you feel," Ambraz said. "Don''t go too fast or too hard, and keep sensing your cards!"


    Irwin was surprised at how hyped the Anvil sounded. Was it so odd that he could feel the resonance? Hadn''t that been why he had started learning purifying metal in the first place? Suppressing his desire to ask, he began slowly hitting the card.


    The image of leaves and the silvery wind began wobbling and distorting even more, but after a while, he noticed that the edges of the leaves were turning clearer, less fuzzy. At the same time, the humming and vibrating of his cards began increasing, though not equally. There was a noticeable difference between his Fire-sensitive Body card and the two uncommons. Where they hummed with a slight dissonance like a knife taped to an anvil and giving him the sense that something was wrong, his special card was almost shuddering in dismay each time he struck the card. It almost felt like his card was disgusted by something.


    "Alright, stop for a bit," Ambraz said.


    Irwin did as requested, a slight tingling sensation in his hand. His cards continued to resonate for a while longer, his Fire-sensitive Body card lingering for the longest.


    "Alright, describe what you felt," Ambraz said.


    Irwin did, trying to explain the feeling and the difference between his cards. When he finished, Ambraz was silent. His lips were a tight line, and he remained quiet for minutes. Then he exhaled so hard that Irwin felt like he was standing too close to one of the forge bellows.


    "I can see you''re not lying, but boyo¡­ that is something else!" Ambraz exclaimed. "Then again, it only makes sense that my future Cardsmith is a special case! If the others hear¡­ err¡­ never mind," Ambraz muttered before his silvery lips curled up in a wide grin that showed his dull teeth.


    "What oth-" Irwin began, curious.


    "Now then, let''s figure out if it''s because of your card or because of something else!" the Anvil boomed, drowning him out.


    "Use your Coperion Body card and then continue striking the card some more. Start soft, and slowly proceed harder. Listen to the card resonating with your own, and try to time the strikes in such a way that the resonations strengthen. Try not to interrupt the flow, and as soon as you hear something, stop!"


    Hear something?


    Irwin hesitated, wanting to ask Ambraz what was going on. From what he had said, Irwin guessed it was weird that he could sense the cards resonating.


    "Come on, Orwin, start!" Ambraz snapped.


    Irwin sighed and focused on his card triggering the skill. His body turned solid and heavy, and the texture of the card and the anvil below his fist changed. Smooth and soft, almost like velvet. There was also something thudding inside, almost like a-


    Heartbeat?


    Irwin slowly moved his other hand to Ambraz''s surface to try and feel better when the Anvil made a clacking sound.


    "Don''t get distracted! Did you forget you need to save Daubutim?"


    Hearing his friend''s name, Irwin jolted and pulled his hand back. The Anvil was right. He needed to get this done as fast as he could! If he had some innate ability, or his card was helping so that he could do it faster, all for the better!


    I''ll just ask him later, he thought, thugging the questions away.


    Now fully focused, he struck down on the card, and the image almost warped as the lines turned fuzzy and straight, fuzzy and straight. At the same time, a deep pain came from his cards, most noticeably from his special one, as they resonated so loudly that he was afraid they would shatter.


    "What? Did you hear something already?" Ambraz whispered in disbelief.


    "No. It hurt," Irwin said, feeling the resonating and vibrating slowly slow to more manageable levels.


    "Ah. That. Yes, well¡­ get used to it! Many things dealing with cards cause pain. Just clench your teeth or something," Ambraz said.


    Irwin shook his head, not interested in being blown off that fast again. "It felt like my cards were about to shatter. Can that happen?"


    "What? Of course not. The worst thing is that you fall unconscious due to a soul-shard overload! Now continue, and just start slowly and carefully."


    Soul-shard overload? Irwin thought.


    "And that is?"


    "Something you don''t have to worry about if you do as I say," Ambraz said.


    Irwin hesitated, licked his lips, then brought his hand down with far less power this time.


    This time the wobbling of the card''s image was far less, as was the resonance. It was still slightly uncomfortable, but he could deal with it. Deciding this was hard enough, he continued slowly hitting the card, trying to keep the resonations as even as he could.


    He quickly found it was far more complex than it sounded.


    When he hit the card, the resonations didn''t start at the same strength, even when he was sure he had hit the card just as hard or soft as the time before. Either that, or he needed way more finesse.


    With the chaotic starts, he sometimes full-out missed the mark. Each time that happened, the jarring sensation that followed gave him a sense of wrongness like the first time. A headache was slowly forming, and he might have stopped to complain or ask some more questions if not for what happened when he did time it exactly right.


    The sense of rightness that came with it, a harmony between him, his card, and the card he was hitting that ran through him, was exquisite. His special card almost seemed to humm pleasantly at those few times.


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    He continued for almost ten minutes, only slowly getting better when a dull whine seemed to come from his hand. He flinched and looked at the card. The image was constantly moving and flowing around, and he thought he saw thin lines crack across it.


    "I hear something," he whispered.


    "Alright then! Perfect! What does it sound like? A gong? A bell, or-"


    "As if something is scratching across metal," Irwin said, grimacing as the soft sound continued, increasing in pitch and speed.


    "Ah. Well¡­ that''s too bad," Ambraz said. "Guess we need another card then."


    "What?" Irwin started at the card below his hand in dismay. "Why?"


    "The price of learning is what it is! You need to learn how to time your hits better, and the only way to do that is to practice! That''s why you need to learn metal purifying," Ambraz muttered. "Right, toss that thing in my mouth before it explodes and takes off your arm."


    What?


    Irwin jolted back, jerking his arm from the card, which was now screeching and vibrating on the table.


    "Hurry!"


    Irwin quickly grabbed the card, struggling to keep a grip on the shaking and shuddering card. With a hurried flick, he tossed it in Ambraz wide open maw. Just as the lips closed, cracks appeared on the card, and it lit up. It was quiet for an ominous moment. Then there was a dull, muted thud.


    Ambraz grunted, and a trickle of smoke came from between his lips.


    "Are you alright?" Irwin asked, suddenly worried he''d broken the anvil.


    "Bah. Shattered cards still taste as vile as ever," Ambaz said.


    There was a soft glow then he shrunk to his tiny shape and hovered towards Irwin''s pocket.


    "Well, that''s about all we can do for today!"


    "Wait, can''t you tell me some more about the resonance? What are those blotches, and what did you mean with the sounds?" Irwin said as he tried to stop the Anvil from hiding in his pocket. "Also, who are these others you keep mentioning?"


    "Ugh, so many questions. No. Not telling, and you would have succeeded if it had made a sound like a bell or a gong. Lastly, you are too young and weak to know about anything more. Now, I need to digest these broken soul shards. Don''t bother me for a while," Ambraz muttered, shrinking again, flitting around his hand before drilling into his pocket.


    Irwin stared stupidly at his pocket, then his Coperion Body skill faded, and he felt the coldness of the room seeping into his bones. After debating what to do for a few moments, he sighed, added some more of the rapidly dwindling wood on the fireplace, undressed, and climbed into bed.


    Lying on his back below the soft blankets, he stared up at the stone ceiling, absently noting some cobwebs.


    Hitting the card had felt¡­ good, especially when he''d managed to get his own cards to resonate exactly right. Wait, were they really resonating? That would be weird, right? Perhaps it was that they helped him sense the resonation of the card he had been hitting.


    Destroyed even, he corrected himself.


    He could barely believe that he was responsible for destroying a card. His mother would never believe him if he told her.


    As more questions bubbled up in his mind, he wished Ambraz could have told him instead of waving him off. Then one that had simmered in the background for a while bubbled up.


    How am I even going to get more cards without something to trade for them?


    Then he blinked and almost got up as he realized something. He was an idiot! He should have let Ambraz upgrade the card he''d just destroyed to uncommon and trade that.


    Perhaps I can do that for the arrow card Daubutim has, he thought.


    The thought got him thinking about his noble friend, which in turn made him wonder how Greldo was doing, his thought spiral eventually ending with his mum and brother.


    When sleep finally came, it was deep and filled with dark dreams.


    --


    Another four days flew by like the increasingly erratic winter winds that brought more snow. It had started piling up against walls and houses, making everything a pristine, beautiful white. Sadly, Irwin couldn''t enjoy it, because it was also getting ever colder.


    Daubutim still hadn''t returned but had sent a message through one of the rangers to tell him he was fine and had already helped close two portals. When Irwin had reacted shocked, the ranger had frowned and shrugged, telling him Daubutim had said to not worry, it was pretty easy.


    Irwin still didn''t know what that was supposed to mean, as none of the portals they had gone through so far had been even remotely easy.


    Early morning of the fifth day, he was running through the streets, his footsteps causing loud thuds. He was ignoring the occasional surprise and curious glance. He was in full Coparion Body mode, as he had been the previous four days. It seemed to insulate him from the cold, but sadly it lasted too short to get to Trimdir without running. Even then, he hadn''t yet made it all the way.


    Which was why he was focused on every corner, sprinting forward and dodging people who were hauling wood around.


    He was counting off the minutes in his head, and with over ten seconds remaining, he couldn''t hold back the grin.


    "I''ll make it! I''ll actually make it today," he gasped as he forced his heavy body forward.


    The muscles in his legs and upper body were complaining, not yet recovered from the previous day''s sprint.


    Rounding the last corner beyond which lay the square where Trimdir''s was, a large shape seemed to appear out of nowhere.


    "Look out!" he shouted, trying in vain to stop.


    He got a flash of a guard in full winter plate before he slammed into him.


    It felt like he''d rammed into something nearly immovable that clanked as he hit it. The figure grunted and took one step back while Irwin bounced a few feet back, barely remaining on his feet. Breathing raggedly, he stared at the guard.


    "Yilda take you kid! What are you made of?" a dull, muted shout came from the hooded, helmeted head. It sounded more surprised than angry.


    Irwin shook himself, looking at the guard when he realized he''d stopped counting. His eyes widened.


    "Oh no! I''m almost out of-"


    His voice changed slightly as his Coperion Body reverted back to normal. Instantly, the intense cold of his surroundings wrapped around him like a deadly vice of ice.


    "What the- Some active full-body skill?" the guard muttered, sounding even more amazed now.


    "So-rr y," Irwin managed to say as he tried to walk around the man.


    He had to get inside quickly. Though Coperion Body made him able to be out in the cold for ten minutes when it stopped, the cold seemed to be twice as bad for a short while.


    "Not so fast! You actually shoved me back, which only a few people in this place can do! Why aren''t you out there with the guards? And don''t lie, because I know each of them by face!" the man said, stepping into his path.


    Irwin began shivering harder, and knowing he had no other choice, he stepped back and summoned his flame.


    "Hey now! What are you doing!" the guard snapped, also taking a step back and raising his hands in an odd gesture. As he did, something about him seemed familiar.


    Irwin tried to speak, but the cold air seemed to take his breath away, and he gasped.


    "What? What is wrong with you?" the guard shouted, his voice now an angry, confused and worried rumble as he lowered his hands again.


    "I- I''m co- cold," Irwin stuttered, increasing the heat from the flame to the hottest he could. His whole body began shaking.


    "Cold? Of course it''s cold! Dammit, what kind of crap is this? No, never mind that. Where were you going?" the man grunted.


    "Trimdir," Irwin managed.


    "Alright, don''t make a weird move with that flame," the man grunted as he stepped closer, and before Irwin knew it, a strong arm wrapped around his upper body, and he was lifted off his feet.


    "Unbelievable, now I have to carry some silly kid to Trimdir! Of all the things..." the guard grunted.


    I could have made it if you hadn''t blocked me, he thought.


    Now that he had a moment to think, he was slightly angry at the whole situation.


    "Hold on," the guard grunted.


    Before Irwin could react, the world around him blurred as the guard ran forward at a speed he couldn''t believe. Within two seconds, they flashed across the square, then Irwin felt himself drop to his feet.


    He stupidly stared back at the trail of snow that was drifting down then. How can anyone be that fast? he thought, trying to imagine a card doing that.


    Behind him, the door was yanked open, and he was pushed through. The heat of the forges wrapped around him like a warm, comforting blanket. He took a few shuddering steps deeper inside, taking deep breaths of warm air and unsummoning his flame.


    "Almost made it today, Orwin?" one of the smiths he didn''t know the name of asked, looking up at him with a wide grin. Then his eyes widened as the guard followed after.


    "Basil!" he gasped. His mouth fell open while his hammer stopped midswing as if the smith had frozen.


    Irwin agreed with the sentiment. He spun on his heel, or tried to, staggering from the movement. The guard, no Basil, stood behind him, surveying the smithy. Now that Irwin took a closer look, he recognized him. How had he missed the man''s signature chestplate with dark blue edges? None of the other guards had that!


    "Yes, hi," Basil said as he slammed the door shut and looked around and over the heads of the smiths.


    All of them had stopped working and moved closer, looking awestruck as they stared at Degonda''s main defender.


    "Trimdir, where are you, you old demon!" the man boomed, his voice silencing any sound that might have lingered.


    There was a shuffle and stomping, then the door of Trimdir''s office was flung open, and the bald man strode out with a wide grin.


    "Basil, what brings you here, you slow-ass!"


    If there had been silence before, a pin could have been heard dropping now as Irwin and the smiths gaped at Trimdir. Everyone seemed to hold their breath. Basil was the second in command and the strongest carded in the city! Had Trimdir actually just called him a slow-ass?


    Basil seemed completely unperturbed, laughing uproariously as he stomped towards the smith. "Toymaker! How have you been?" As he moved, he removed his helmet, revealing his short, brown hair.


    They clasped each other''s hands while Irwin saw the surrounding smiths suddenly stare at Trimdir in shock.


    Toymaker?


    Irwin wondered if that was Basil''s form of a jab at being called out or a title. The smiths around him began whispering, all but Olger, who sighed, rubbing his neck. So, they knew what Toymaker meant? He''d have to ask Talia later!


    "What brings you here? Don''t tell me you came to personally check if the weaponry is done?"


    "Hah! No, I was on my way to Yogwirt to see if I could rouse him from his drunken stupor. "


    Irwin watched the two men silently, noting that Trimdir''s face had turned ugly at the mention of Yogwirt.


    Who is that?


    "Well, I don''t expect much from it, but I wish you luck," Trimdir said.


    "Thanks, but while I''m here- who''s the kid? He actually made me take a step back when he ran into me!" Basil said, turning and pointing at Irwin.


    What he couldn''t see, but Irwin could, was that Trimdir''s smile completely faded, and for a moment, a worried look flashed over his face.


    "That''s Orwin. He is going to be the one purifying most of the first-grade iron soon," Trimdir said.


    I am? Irwin thought, his eyes widening.


    He could pretty reliably purify metal now, but it was still a difficult and slow process for him. Most of it? That would be impossible right now. He might be able to get a tenth done if he only purified, and the quality would be worse than what Trimdir could make.


    "He is?" Basil echoed dumbly, his bushy eyebrows raising higher. "Well¡­ could you-"


    "No," Trimdir said, shaking his head. "I can''t let you take him on one of your suicide missions."


    Basil frowned, and the silence that had slowly been filled with whispers returned in force. A palpable tension began brewing as Basil''s mood seemed to shift more.


    "But-" he said.


    "No. Now let''s continue this conversation in my office, as I know you aren''t going to understand until I explain it in full," Trimdir said, seeming uncaring about the other''s frown or the tension in the room.


    Basil''s frown deepened, and he examined Irwin, his pale gray eyes gleaming. Irwin didn''t dare move. He felt like he was being stared at by a predator ready to strike. The pressure was something he''d not felt since the Bablibon, though it wasn''t as filled with hate as that one had been.


    After what felt like forever but couldn''t have been more than a few seconds, Basil sniffed and followed Trimdir into his office.


    As the door closed, Irwin let out a relieved sigh.

 Chapter 54: Change of plans

    "Did you really run into Basil?"


    Irwin jerked from the sudden question and looked up to see Lamia almost skip towards him. She had a look of reverence, awe, and longing.


    "What did it feel like?"


    What?


    Irwin blinked, not sure he''d heard her right. As she continued staring at him, he looked around, seeing more than a few smiths stare at Lamia with as much surprise as he had.


    Guessing it wasn''t just him, he shook his head. "Feel like? What do you mean? Hard? He is wearing his armor!"


    "Yes, yes- but when you hit him, did it feel like slamming into a wall?" she asked, her face suddenly red as if she had only just realized the weirdness of her question.


    Irwin had no idea what she was going on about, but as Lamia was always nice to him, he tried to recall. Replaying the scene and trying to focus on the moment of impact, he shook his head. "No. More like running into a heavy bag of sand that gave a little."


    Lamia stared at him with gleaming eyes, making Irwin wonder if he''d said something wrong. She seemed about ready to ask more when Olger moved from between the others.


    "Enough of this nonsense. Back to work! We are already behind, and this isn''t helping. Orwin, start by bringing us new ingots, please. We are lacking. You can go practice after that."


    Irwin jolted at the unveiled annoyance in Olger''s voice. He was glad it wasn''t directed at him, but he still quickly ripped his jacket and shirt off. As he was putting his leather jerking on, he realized not everyone had left. Someone was watching him. He looked up to see Lamia inspect him with a cocked head, tapping her finger on her lower lip.


    "You are definitely not skinny anymore," she said with a smirk. Then she turned away while Irwin felt his cheeks turn red.


    By Gelwin''s beard, she has to be doing this on purpose, he thought.


    As she walked away, he wondered again how old she was. Initially, he had thought she was rather old, then, a few days ago, he''d seen her wash the soot from her face. From beneath the grime and black soot came out a youthful face that probably belonged to someone in the early twenties. Perhaps younger, though he found it hard to tell. It was just that her physique and behavior threw him off.


    As his mind spun around with the different things that had happened, he began to fill his basket with iron bars, and as he put in the last one, he stared at it, stunned. The bag was full, but he felt like he could probably carry more! Inspecting his lower arm, still small compared to those of the smiths, he flexed it and looked at the corded muscles. Lamia was right. He wasn''t skinny anymore! He suddenly felt a strong urge to see his mother and brother, to show how he''d grown.


    As he began moving metal around, occasional shouting and pounding came from Trimdir''s office. He caught multiple smiths taking the occasional glimpse at the door, probably wondering the same as him.


    How could Trimdir argue on seemingly equal footing with Basil?


    At some point, it became quiet, and slowly the usual banter returned to the smithy.


    Irwin had barely finished and was standing in front of what he now thought of as his anvil, stuffed in the corner next to his own furnace when the door was shoved open. The doorframe protested against the force while a crack came where it hit the wall.


    Basil strode out, a grin on his face, while Trimdir followed him with a worried look. Basil looked around, spotted Irwin, and walked towards him, Trimdir in tow.


    "Orwin!" he said, the smile reaching his eyes. "I''ve heard about your troublesome card, and I''ve got good news! We are going to see the merchants so you can get another one. It''s a good thing that you haven''t¡­ that¡­ what? Why are you shaking your head?"


    Irwin grimaced as he stopped, then licked his lips as he saw Basil''s smile fade. He knew the offer was something normally anyone would have agreed to, but he couldn''t. Besides the fact that he liked his first card, it was also more powerful than even the cards Basil had. And most of all¡­ he was used to it.


    It was his!


    As he thought that, he suddenly wondered if everyone really would have accepted Basil''s offer. He felt a strong connection to his card, and it couldn''t be that he was the only one, could it?


    "I warned you," Trimdir said as he stepped forward. "You think too lightly of these things."


    Basil frowned, then shook his head, moving closer and towering over Irwin.


    "Kid, do you know what I''m offering? I''d take you to the merchants, and you could have your pick of the cards they have!"


    Irwin shivered under the intensity of the other''s gaze. He couldn''t come up with a quick answer, so he asked the first thing that came to mind.


    "Why?"


    "Why? What do you mean, why? Because your other cards are pretty great, and we need more strong people!" Basil exclaimed loudly. "We have only three groups closing uncommon portals right now, and all are undermanned!"


    "There are hundreds of people outside that could do that?" Irwin asked, frowning as he suddenly thought of something. "Why don''t you just get all the merchant''s cards and give them to people so they can help defend?"


    Basil snorted, then shook his head in apparent disbelief.


    "Dunno why I''m telling you this, but fine! Two reasons. One, if we forcefully take their cards, we will get into major trouble with the merchants guild. If they decide never to return here, we are doomed even if- scratch that, when we close the portals. Uh, and clear out the roaming bands of demons from the surges, of course!"


    Basil frowned, then shook his head as he continued.


    "Two, and you should know this, just giving someone a card won''t make them strong enough to clear rifts! They need to be young enough when they get their first card to bond with it properly, and even then, most cards the merchants have are not combat cards! Let alone the uncommon ones!"


    As Basil spoke, his voice began turning more convinced, and at the end, he stared at Irwin hard.


    "Your first card isn''t a combat card either! Reconsider," he said. "We need more people and-"


    Irwin shook his head, then shivered again as Basil''s eyes turned cold. He quickly spoke up, scrambling for a good reason or another idea.


    "Don''t they have a card that lets me resist the cold or draw in heat, or... something like that?"


    Basil''s eyes widened, and he barked a laugh. "What, as a fourth card, you mean?" he asked.


    Irwin nodded slowly. He didn''t want to create a full-hand yet, but he was getting the feeling he didn''t want to get on Basil''s bad side either.


    Basil crossed his arms, staring at him for a while. "Say that they do. You think you have the willpower to create a full-hand? You know it hurts? A lot?"


    Irwin blinked and couldn''t keep the surprise from his face.


    "Right," Basil snorted as he laughed again, shaking his head. "Kid, you have no idea. Didn''t you ever wonder why there are so many people with three cards that never get a full-hand?"


    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Irwin shook his head. There were only a few people with three cards in Malorin, and those all had a full-hand. It couldn''t be that bad, could it?


    "Well¡­ I''ll make you a deal then," Basil said, his eyes gleaming.


    ¡°Basil¡­¡± Trimdir grunted.


    "No. I need more fighters," Basil snapped, not turning around. "I understand you need more smiths, but pick one of the kids that doesn''t have an uncommon battle card!"


    Irwin gaped at the two men, incredibly uncomfortable.


    Trimdir glared at Basil''s back before giving a sad shrug to Irwin.


    "Fine," he grunted.


    Irwin felt like taking a step back as Basil''s gaze focused entirely on him again.


    "If you can create your full-hand between now and tomorrow evening-"


    "Basil! Give the boy a week! Even that is shorter than most," Trimdir snarled, causing Irwin to swallow as the tension rose again.


    Basil sniffed, looked at Irwin, then shrugged.


    "Fine. One week. If you make your full-hand in a week, I''ll let you pick any uncommon card from the merchants as your fourth. If you don''t succeed, you will unslot that common and slot a useful card! After that, you will go with a group to close the uncommon portals! "


    Irwin swallowed. Basil''s glare showed he tolerated no argument. For a short moment, Irwin wondered if he should just tell Basil that he had a special card. Perhaps even about Ambraz.


    Then he pushed it away. They would try and take the forge or keep me here to reforge cards forever.


    His gaze flitted to Trimdir. If he was going to confide in someone, he''d rather it be the smith who had done nothing but help him out so far. As the thought came, it instantly lodged in his mind. He had to talk with Daubutim, suggest it, and see what the other thought.


    Basil grunted, and Irwin looked up to find the guard glaring at him. Shit, he''d zoned out again! He was about to nod when he thought of something else, and he held back. Worrying about Basil''s response, he licked his lips but forced the question out.


    "Why no rare cards?"


    There was a muted outrage from the smiths all around, and he could understand. Asking for a rare was¡­ insane. The problem was that if he was to lock his cards in a full-hand, he wanted to get them rare first. And if he did that, he wouldn''t be able to enter uncommon portals anymore. Not to mention that he didn''t have any idea how he was going to hide such a thing.


    Basil gawked at him. Then he roared with laughter.


    "I like you, kid! You''ve got some balls on you! Fine. If you can do it before tomorrow night, I''ll let you pick a rare!" he said in between bursts of laughter.


    He turned and stomped past Trimdir, stopped, and looked up at the smith.


    "I''m sorry about this, but you know I need every able hand!" he said softly, but for all to hear.


    Trimdir didn''t respond, and Basil shrugged, put his helmet back on, and walked out of the smithy. As the door slammed shut, Trimdir looked at Irwin.


    "Orwin, come with me."


    Irwin swallowed as he looked around to see the smiths looking at him. There were looks of envy and sympathy, while Lamia looked worried. Not sure why, Irwin gave her a reassuring smile, which didn''t at all match with how he was feeling, then turned and jogged after Trimdir.


    The smith closed the door behind him before walking around his massive desk. He sat down, stared at the surface, then struck it.


    Irwin froze as he saw the smith''s face go through a range of emotions, rage, disbelief, hurt, and sadness, before landing on resignation.


    "There''s nothing I can do about this," he stated as he looked up. "Normally, my advice would have been to accept the uncommon and replace your first card, but¡­" the smith frowned before raising an eyebrow.


    Seconds ticked by, and Irwin swallowed.


    What was Trimdir implying? He couldn''t have found out about his first card, could he? Irwin hesitated, then kept quiet. He wanted to talk to Daubutim first before deciding on anything. If he misread Trimdir and he wanted to harm him, he wasn''t strong enough to stop the other.


    "Well, you don''t have to tell me if you don''t want to," Trimdir said with a snort.


    Irwin suddenly felt bad, and he decided he''d definitely talk to Daubutim when he got back. The chances that they would reach Daubutim''s city were getting smaller and smaller, and they needed to do something. He quickly focused back on Trimdir, who was still talking.


    "-but I think I understand why you want to keep your first card. So, then my advice would be. Don''t rush it. Take your time to prepare before combining your cards. Basil wasn''t wrong when he said it hurts. Because it does. Don''t attempt it before tomorrow, either! That''s a fool''s gambit and will only result in so much pain that you might never dare again."


    The smith sighed as he leaned back, and Irwin felt uncomfortable from his intense stare.


    "How do I prepare?" Irwin asked.


    "Sleep, eat, rest. Make sure you have no tension or stress. Know all your cards. Feel them. Decide which card will be the central one. Usually, that''s someone''s first card, but not always. Also, decide beforehand which parts of each card you want to use as the combining factors." Trimdir cocked his head, then snorted. "I''d suggest you do not pick the one that makes you weak to cold because it will only make it worse."


    Irwin nodded weakly. He''d never heard anybody explain these things, and he wondered why that was. Then he wondered why Trimdir didn''t mention the card that would make him stronger if he learned more about purification. Had he figured out that was a lie?


    "Alright. Now, head out and practice for a bit. Leave before you are too tired, and do the same for the next few days. If you have any questions, come and see me."


    Irwin looked at the smith, and the same question he''d asked Basil kept popping up in his head. Why? Why was Trimdir so nice to him, helping him with all these things? They only knew each other for a few weeks, and it couldn''t just be because Irwin wanted to learn purifying metal, could it?


    Trimdir must have seen something in his face because the smith snorted again.


    "You''re wondering why I''m helping you? It''s because you remind me of myself when I was young," the smith said with a weary grin. His gaze drifted off, getting a faraway look.


    "I got my first card late in life, and when I came here, I had nothing. One of the smiths took me in, don''t ask me why, he never told me. But he taught me, helped me, and guided me. It was... exactly what I needed at the time."


    Trimdir was quiet as he gazed off into the distance.


    "Thank you," Irwin said, meaning it.


    Trimdir jolted out of his memories.


    "Don''t mention it," the smith said. "I just hope you survive these horrifying times we are in. But, Orwin, if we do, promise me something?"


    Irwin nodded, then realized he should have probably asked what he was promising.


    "Remember this, and if you get the chance, help those you can," Trimdir said, staring at him intently. Irwin noticed that the smith''s gaze flickered to his left hand.


    He either knows or suspects, Irwin thought. He managed to stop licking his lips and nodded. "I will!"


    "Good boy," Trimdir said, grinning. Then his face returned to its passive mode, and he pointed at the door. "Now, go practice!"


    Irwin jumped up and back, nodding. "I will!" He was about to leave, then hesitated and turned back. "And I''ll try not to rush anything and do what you told me."


    Trimdir smiled and nodded. Then he picked up a stack of what looked like smithing orders from a stack and bent his head over them.


    Irwin left quietly, and as he walked towards his anvil, he saw dozens of curious eyes stare at him. He ignored them, just nodding at Lamia.


    It took him more effort than usual to focus on his cards and refine the iron, but as time passed and the usual sounds returned to the smithy, he slowly got into a mechanical flow. Part of his mind was thinking about what had happened and what he should do with Ambraz. How he should go about reforging his cards and making sure nobody found out. If he should tell Trimdir.


    His mind a churning mess, he didn''t pay much attention to what he did and slowly got into a rhythm. His thoughts circled around and around, almost seeming to follow the beats of his hammer.


    He had no idea how long he was working, but at some point, he reached for a lump of raw ore to find the massive stack he had prepared gone. Hand still, his body was covered in a thin sheet of sweat, his muscles sore but not painfully so. Next to his anvil lay a massive pile of purified metal bars.


    "When you get going, you really pull out all the stops, don''t you?"


    Irwin looked up to see Lamia leaning against a nearby wall. Then he realized it was really, really quiet. Surprised, he turned around to find that they were the only two that remained.


    "Trimdir told us to leave you to it. Said something about you needing to work through something. I''ve got no idea what he meant, but¡­" Lamia shrugged. "You look like you could use a bit of relaxation. Wanna eat at Greggor''s? I hear he somehow managed to get some fresh meat for his stew!"


    Irwin blinked, then blinked again. As he stared at Lamia, he saw her face turn pink, but she didn''t back down.


    She is asking me out? Irwin thought.


    He felt his own face heat up. He was about to say that he needed to go back and practice when he recalled what Trimdir had said. He needed to be relaxed and free of tension. Even if he didn''t want to permanently lock his uncommon cards with his special¡­ he might not have a choice. Which meant he needed to be prepared. Going out with Lamia actually sounded like it could be fun.


    "I- Alright," he said.


    "Good! Go get a bath, get dressed, and I''ll pick you up near Diamo square."


    "Where?" Irwin said, surprised.


    "The square in front of the tower you sleep in every night?" Lamia said, suddenly grinning. "It''s too bad you don''t like the cold, or I could have given you a proper tour of Degonda."


    Irwin grinned back, not sure what to say.


    Lamia rolled her shoulders, then headed towards the door, picking up her stuff on the way.


    "Don''t make me wait!" she shouted.


    "I won''t!"


    As the door closed, Irwin stared stupidly at it. Had that just happened? Wait¡­ did that mean she liked him? He barely caught himself from licking his lips, instead biting his lower one as he looked around for the nearest jug of water.


    As his mind was fighting over which of all the things that had happened was most important, he chucked down the water, draining the jug to the bottom.


    I guess I have to hurry, he thought as he looked around. He''d not been here without the others before, and it felt weird.


    Ten minutes later, he was sprinting through the darkening city, glad it wasn''t snowing and the wind had died down. His Coperion Body skill barely got him back to the tower, but as he opened the door, just when his body returned to normal, he couldn''t stop grinning. He''d made it! As small as a victory as it might seem, it somehow felt great.


    Voices came from all over, and he heard a hubbub from the common room. He looked at it, then at the stair. Should he check?


    Bath first, he decided.


    Running up the tower and winding through the hallways, he reached his room, pulled open the door, and froze.


    Daubutim sat at the table, face filthy, bags under his eyes, and a large mug in front of him, but alive and well.


    "You''re back!"

 Chapter 55: One for many

    Irwin sat in front of Daubutim, quietly waiting for the noble boy to continue.


    "After we closed the second portal, we were down to four guards," Daubutim said, staring at his hand. "The rangers found another common portal, so we went there to get the common-handed group there safely. When we got to the place they called the Grinning Man''s hilltop¡­ we¡­"


    Irwin watched as Daubutim''s face turned slack, his eyes dull. Then a shiver ran through the boy as if he was slapped or shouted at. His back straightened, his eyes turned clear, and he looked through Irwin as if he didn''t see him.


    "There was a rare portal surrounded by the beginnings of a camp. Parts of the buildings were made of ice and snow, and I counted two thousand seventy-eight Frozir."


    The way Daubutim spoke, clear as if he was handing out a report, made Irwin wonder who he was speaking to in his mind. Probably his father. Daubutims clear eyes stared straight at a spot behind him.


    "The bodies of nine guards and three rangers were tied to the walls. Each was missing their hands. On the hillside below the top were four uncommon portals."


    Irwin swallowed. Why would those demons tie them up and-


    A rustling came from his pocket as Ambraz forced his way out. The Anvil flitted to the table and landed.


    "One rare and four uncommon?" he snapped, his mouth-side turned to Daubutim. "Did you see any common portals?"


    Daubutim closed his eyes, and when he reopened them, they were their regular dull as he looked at Ambraz.


    "There were eight within three miles," he said.


    "But none directly around the rare?"


    Daubutim shook his head.


    There was quiet in the room, and Irwin leaned back. So many portals! That couldn''t be normal¡­ could it? What was going on?


    "Interesting," Ambraz finally said. "Well, as long as there weren''t any common portals besides the rare or uncommon, it could be worse."


    "Worse?" Irwin snapped, always choking on his saliva. "He just said there were over a dozen portals, with a rare one and a base, and-"


    "Calm down," Ambraz said as he flitted at his face so fast he blinked and dodged back.


    "Yes, it could be worse! If there had been common portals, that meant my initial conclusion was wrong. I''m not saying it''s not bad, but this just means there''s a hotspot over there. Probably some kind of metal deposit deep in that hill."


    "Metal¡­ deposit?" Irwin muttered, staring at the Anvil. "What does that have to do with it?"


    "Ugh, instead of asking all these questions, shouldn''t you be going to get a bath? You wouldn''t want Lamia to wait for you, would you?"


    Irwin looked back, shaking his head stupidly. He''d forgotten all about that.


    "But, isn''t this-" he began.


    "More important? Hell no! I completely agree with Trimdir- you need to combine your cards and get stronger. If this continues, you might die, and that''d be a shame after I''ve finally found¡­ err¡­ Never mind! You need to combine those cards!"


    "There is more," Daubutim said softly, interrupting them and causing Irwin to look at him.


    "When we left here, a large surge of Frozir chased after us. We moved faster, but they were heading here. The rangers said they were somehow tracking us, and nothing they did could get them off our trail... They should be here within a few days to a week."


    "Well, fantastic!" Ambraz snapped. "Orwin, go take a bath, eat with the pretty girl, then come back here! We need to practice quickly. We need to have you reforge at least one of those cards you have to a rare one!"


    "But we don''t have any more commons," Irwin muttered. Wait, we do! He looked up at Daubutim.


    "Did you find any more common cards?" he asked.


    The noble boy shook his head. "We only found two cards, and both of them were instantly taken by the lead guard. The common-handed found only one."


    "So few¡­" Irwin muttered. "Do you still have that arrow card?"


    Daubutim nodded. "Do you want it?" he asked as his hand moved to his pocket.


    "No¡­" Irwin said as his mind spun. "Ambraz, can you reforge it to uncommon?" he asked. They weren''t inside a portal, so that should be fine, right?


    "Sure¡­ you wanna use it to trade? Smart!" The Anvil rushed to the center of the room, changing to his large form.


    Daubutim hesitated, then pulled out the card and put it atop the Anvil. "This won''t make a lot of noise again, right?" he asked.


    Ambraz''s lips pursed. "No! Just a few strikes- it''s just a common, and this time it''s not slotted! Remember, I only have energy for one more."


    Irwin nodded. "It''s fine!"


    "Of course it is!" Ambraz said, and a dull thud echoed through the room. A second later, there was a noise that sounded clearer, and the third almost sounded like a chime.


    "There, all done!" Ambraz said, causing Irwin to stare at him dumbly.


    Just three? He had to hit us so many times! For a moment, he felt anger growing. Had Ambraz hit them more than was necessary?


    No, no. It has to be because they were in our hand, he thought, shoving his anger away.


    He stepped forward to see the purple of an uncommon on the Anvil. The image on the card had changed from a fist with arrows to a raised hand with a dozen arrows hovering above it.


    I wonder what it does now, Irwin thought. He wanted to try his Eyes of Blaze, then shook his head. What did it matter? They needed common cards! He turned to Daubutim, who was staring at the card with hungry eyes.


    "Can you- Can you go to the merchants and try to trade it for as many common cards as you can? It doesn''t matter if they are any good."


    Daubutim just nodded as he grabbed the card before turning to the door.


    Irwin saw him sway on his feet, and he was about to tell him he needed sleep when he stopped. They needed those cards- and they needed them fast. "Will you be alright?" he asked, feeling bad for not letting his friend get the rest he obviously needed.


    "I''ll be fine. I''ll get some food and head out," Daubutim said.


    Irwin watched him walk slowly to the door when he thought of something else.


    "Daubutim?"


    The boy turned.


    "We might not be able to reach your father''s city¡­ I''m thinking about telling Trimdir about Ambraz, the cards, all of it." Irwin saw Daubutim''s dull look strengthen. "Do you think your father would find that a good idea?" he quickly added.


    Daubutim stared at him, his eyes glassy, then he shook his head. "I don''t know. I''m too tired to think straight, but I''ll think about it. Don''t do anything yet until we get a chance to talk."


    "Alright. Be careful," Irwin said, getting another nod before Daubutim left the room.


    Irwin stared at the table for a while, barely noticing when Ambraz returned to his pocket. Then he sighed, pushed himself up, and headed out. He wasn''t really looking forward to going out with Lamia anymore, but with multiple suggestions that he should, he decided to make the best of it.


    The baths were empty, but he was lucky that there was one of lord Bron''s servants there to help him heat one of the tubs. Rinsed and back in his only set of clothes, which smelled worse than he remembered, he headed back to the tower''s exit.


    I need to find out if there''s a carded cleaner somewhere, he thought. His mother had told him about one in Malorin that could clean someone''s clothes while they were wearing them, removing dirt and stink alike.


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    As he shoved the door open, the cold air made him shiver. Still, he pushed on and saw Lamia was already waiting for him, shuffling her feet not too far away. She was wearing a long, thick, and soft-looking coat that stood out against the snow. As dark as it was, the little light remained refracted across the snow, making it easy enough to see even without his advantage, and he saw Lamia focus on him.


    Irwin blinked in surprise as he stared at her. Her face was cleaned up, and her dark hair was tied in a long braid at the top of her head that hung down. He suddenly realized she was actually pretty- though more muscular than any girl he''d seen, and he wondered how old she really was.


    Then a cold breeze whipped his overly long hair back, and he shivered.


    I can''t wait for the end of winter and more warmth, he thought as he jogged forward.


    "You sure took your time," Lamia said as she scrutinized his clothes. "And you need a second set of clothes."


    Not sure how to respond, Irwin just shrugged. "Where are we going?" His body was rapidly cooling down, and he shivered.


    "Well, you probably haven''t ever been there before, but it''s the best inn in town!" Lamia said joyfully.


    To Irwin''s surprise, she grabbed his hand and pulled him after her. Within moments they were running,


    "You can change into that metal form of yours," she said. "It''s closer than Trimdir''s!"


    Irwin didn''t hesitate and triggered his Coperion Skin as he ran with her.


    In under five minutes, they were in a part of the town he''d never been to, crossing a bustling square. Even with the snow and the day coming to an end, people moved around, entering odd tents through flaps. Each tent seemed attached to a wagon, and they all had enough snow on and against them that Irwin knew they''d been here for a long while.


    I wonder if this is where Daubutim is, he thought as Lamia pulled him through a wide opening between two of the largest tents. Behind it was a double door with lanterns to the side and a sign above it with a roasted leg of meat and a mug. In long, flowing letters, a name stood below it.


    Greggor''s great Inn, Irwin read.


    Even with everything going on, he couldn''t stop the grin creeping up his face.


    Lamia let him go before the door and straightened her jacket.


    "Right, better drop the skill before we go in," she said, grinning at him. "Though I have to say, I could get used to that sheen!"


    Irwin waited for the blush to drop from his cheeks before he did. Lamia grinned.


    "Good, let''s go!"


    She pulled open the door, and Irwin stepped in after her, feeling a stuffy warmth with numerous smells flowing around him.


    A massive room with a low balcony curved from the back of the lightly lit room all around the left lay splayed before him. Halfway in, there was a short, three-step stair leading into a deeper area, and at the back was a long bar. The first area was dotted with low tables and chairs filled. People sat and stood everywhere, constantly chattering and talking, while men and women dressed in brown leather pants and white -albeit stained- shirts moved in between them with plates and mugs.


    So many people, Irwin thought as he gaped around. He''d been to Jakoby Inn in Malorin once, and he''d thought that was grand, but this?


    "Close your mouth and follow me," Lamia whispered as she pulled him along.


    A few of the girls running around, handing out food and drinks, waved at her, smiling, and Lamia waved back.


    "You come here a lot?" Irwin asked.


    "Yes, my uncle is one of the owners. I help him with any metalwork or heavy lifting, and he lets me eat for free," she grinned as she headed towards a narrow staircase that led up the balcony.


    Irwin followed her, and when he reached the top, he saw the top area was divided into beautiful wooden enclosed sitting areas. Some had futons and couches, but most had dining tables. The one directly ahead was full, but Lamia pulled him along to the back, where there were small ones, one empty with a card on the table. She tossed off her long coat, revealing a tight leather bodice that showed way more than he''d ever seen before.


    Irwin gulped as he stared at her, realizing she''d done her hair and put on nice things. Lamia didn''t seem to realize what was going on, plucking the card and staring at it before putting it away. Irwin quickly took off his own coat before sitting down opposite her.


    "So, did you hear about the guards that came back?" she began, leaning forward and giving him an eyeful.


    Irwin did his best to keep his eyes up, then had to think about the question before he could answer.


    "Yes," he said. "Daubutim returned and told me about it."


    "Oh! How is he? Did he see the¡­" Lamia looked around and lowered her voice. "Rare portal?"


    "Yes," Irwin said. "He said there was a massive camp of Frozir, and-"


    Irwin continued to relay what Daubutim had told him, and Lamia asked dozens of questions to which he didn''t have the answers.


    "By Yilda''s giant¡­" Lamia began, then blinked and sniffed. "I mean. That means we will get another surge attack soon. I''d really hoped the winter would stop those, but I guess¡­ Frozir and all¡­"


    She sighed, and Irwin grimaced.


    "Well, I''m sure we will be-" he began.


    "Lamia! How are you, girl?"


    A booming voice drowned out what he was going to say, and he looked up to see a small man, probably no bigger than him, with an enormous brown mustache next to them. It dominated his face so much that it took Irwin a few moments to realize two sparkling blue eyes while examining him.


    "Uncle Burt! Why are you here?" Lamia said, her voice raised a pitch.


    Irwin turned in surprise to find her face had turned red.


    "What? Don''t tell me I can''t see who my favorite and most beautiful niece brought to my establishment for some food?" the man exclaimed, seeming offended.


    Lamia''s face turned even redder, staring at him angrily.


    "Only if you bring me two portions of stew, fresh bread from auntie, and two pitchers of water!"


    The man nodded with a grin as she spoke, then blinked at the last part. "Two pitchers?" he muttered. "What for?"


    Lamia glanced at Irwin, who sighed.


    "That would be for me," he said, trying his best to sound nice.


    The man''s eyes refocused on him, one immaculate eyebrow curving up.


    "I drink a lot of water," Irwin added lamely.


    "I see. Well, with all the snow, water isn''t a problem," Burt said. "I''ll have one of the girls bring it over in a minute!"


    He glanced at Irwin again, who saw the blue eyes glided over him, stopping at his carded hand and widening. Then Burt left with a flourish.


    "I''ll be back later, Lamia! I have some more bread for your mother!"


    Lamia sighed. "Of course he''d get her bread," she muttered.


    Irwin wasn''t sure what that was supposed to mean.


    They continued talking about the potential surges, eventually getting to cards when the food was brought. A massive bowl of stew was placed before both with two fist-sized chunks of dark bread. Fresh, and the first Irwin had seen since arriving here.


    As he took one bite, a hot spiciness burst in his mouth, and his eyes widened.


    This tastes fantastic!


    "Yeah, it takes some¡­ getting¡­" Lamia began, tapering off at the end.


    Irwin, mouth-watering, started stuffing the stew in his mouth. Not bothered by how hot it was or the spices, he cleaned out his bowl in under five minutes, using the bread to get clean out the final bits.


    "You must have a mouth like a furnace," Lamia muttered.


    Irwin looked up to see she had barely taken a bite but was staring at him.


    "Is that why you''ve been growing so much since you got with us? Didn''t they have enough food where you are from?"


    Irwin sighed, then looked at his hand. Should he tell her about his card? It wasn''t really a secret. He just had to add a bit of time from the moment he got it¡­ After a few moments, he told her about how he had only gotten his first card a year ago and had been born weak. Lamia listened to him as she ate.


    They remained in the booth for at least an hour, chatting about little things, like family and their first cards, when Burt returned. He had a cloth bag with him, which he put on the table next to Lamia.


    "So, you youngsters! Did you have a good meal?"


    "It was great," Irwin said, meaning it.


    "Good, good," the man said, twitching his mustache. "Now, Lamia, are you going to tell me the name of your young suitor or?"


    Irwin''s eyes widened, and he felt his face heat up.


    At the same time, Lamia burst out in a fit of coughing as she turned red, grabbing for a cup to drink. When she managed to regain herself, she growled at Burt.


    "Uncle, I told you not to¡­ that''s not¡­ why don''t you just leave!"


    "Now, now! No need to get so offended," Burt said with a snort. "You never brought anyone, can''t blame your old uncle for being curious, can you?"


    "But you''re embarrassing me," Lamia said, looking at Burt, behind him, at the table, but not Irwin.


    Suddenly Irwin couldn''t hold back a soft laugh.


    "Orwin, don''t laugh!" Lamia shouted, and Irwin raised his hands in defense, trying to get a grip.


    "Sorry, sorry! It''s just nice to see you two like this," he finally managed. "It reminds me of my family, my brother."


    Burt, who had been staring curiously, sighed. "Ah¡­ are they¡­ alright?" the short man finally asked.


    Irwin stared at the table. "I hope so, but I don''t know. I left with Daubutim weeks ago, before the surges¡­"


    Burt nodded, and Irwin saw the look of sympathy deepen.


    "Well, boy, I''m sure they are fine," he finally said. "If your brother looks anything like you, I''m sure he can defend himself well!"


    Irwin nodded.


    Burt left shortly after, seeming less happy than when he came and apologizing before leaving. Irwin barely noticed as he stared at the table.


    What was he doing? The world was large, and so many problems were going on everywhere, from the surges, and the portals to the sorcerers. There was a chance that the world would be ending¡­ and he might be the only one that really knew.


    He looked around, noting that Lamia was staring at the wall, seeming lost in thoughts herself.


    Even if I get two full hands of legendaries or one of those heart cards Ambraz talked about, I can''t save everything¡­ I haven''t even closed portals yet¡­ he thought. The plan to go to Daubutim''s father was out, so that meant he needed to find more people, people to help find a way to save the world. Close the portals, think of a plan¡­ something.


    Staring at his fist, he sighed and got up.


    "I think it''s time to go," he said as he forced a smile on his face.


    Lamia nodded. "I''m sorry about uncle Burt."


    "Don''t worry! It was fun, but there are things I need to do. I need to talk with Daubutim¡­ and Trimdir," Irwin said as he pulled on his coat.


    Lamia nodded, following him out of the booth and towards the exit. Some of the girls came to greet them, but Lamia waved them off, and Irwin saw a few glares at him then. Why were they angry with him? He''d not done anything!


    It was dark and cold outside, and with Irwin back to full Coperion Body mode, they ran back to the tower.


    When they reached the square, Lamia looked at him. He could see she wanted to say something, but with his skill running out soon, he smiled.


    "Thank you for the great meal," he said. "See you tomorrow?"


    Lamia nodded, and Irwin waved before turning away and sprinting towards the tower. He thought he heard something from behind, but when he looked back from the door, she was gone.


    The tower was quiet, but as he ran to his and Daubutim''s room, he heard chatter from the other rooms.


    Pulling open their room''s door, he saw Daubutim sitting there, arms over the table, head atop, snorting softly. As he closed the door, the noble boy snorted, and when he turned, he saw him look up blankly.


    "Ir- Orwin?" Daubutim muttered.


    "Did you get cards?" Irwin asked, unable to hold back his desire to practice.


    Daubutim''s eyes widened, and a wide smile came with a nod.


    "They were¡­ very interested and curious where I got it," he said. "They gave me nine¡­ nine! Common cards. All of them are utility ones, but that was fine, right?"


    Irwin''s grin matched Daubutim''s, and he yanked Ambraz from his pocket.


    "Right, right! No need to get handsy!" the Anvil exclaimed, but Irwin could hear the joy in the Anvil''s voice.


    "So! Let''s see what you''ve found!"

 Chapter 56: Shattered rest

    Irwin dully gazed at the trickle of smoke running from between Ambraz''s lips.


    "I ruined another one," he muttered, thinking about the simple utility card that had just shattered¡ªthe third of the nine Daubutim had brought.


    "Don''t act so surprised," Ambraz grunted. The Anvil flashed dimly and returned to its smaller shape, floating shakily to Irwin. "That''s all I can take for now. We will practice more tomorrow evening.


    Irwin sighed as he nodded and moved to the table. Daubutim, head resting on his arms, was back to sleep while a small stack of the remaining six cards lay below his hand.


    "I don''t understand how I''m supposed to hit exactly at the right moment if the moments keep changing," Irwin said, feeling closer to an anger tantrum than he had in a long time.


    Ambraz landed on his shoulder, grunting angrily. "Orwin, you are able to sense the vibrations better than most prospects can that had months of preparations and a year of metal refinement practice. If you continue like this, you will be able to reforge a card within a month. That''s a great accomplishment."


    Irwin sighed and leaned his head on his hands. "Yes, but I need to get my cards to rare before I combine them¡­ right?"


    "Fine, yes, that would be for the best," Ambraz agreed with obvious hesitation.


    They sat in silence for a bit, Irwin staring listlessly ahead. Part of him wondered why the Anvil seemed uncertain, but for the most part, he was angry with himself for not being able to do what he wanted. There just wasn''t any flow, rhyme, or reason behind it! Or at least none that he saw! So all he got were the occasional solid hits, which weren''t enough. It was almost as if he was missing something.


    Ambraz sighed deeply. "There is a thing we could try¡­ but I really won''t like it," it grunted.


    Irwin forgot all about his worry and sat up more. "What is it?"


    "If I eat another of those cards, I can use its energy to boost my own ability for a short while. It will let me partially guide your strikes. It would probably be enough to reforge one of your cards while giving you an idea of how it should feel¡­ but¡­"


    Irwin''s eyes widened, and he was nodding. Losing one of those commons was fine. There hadn''t been a single interesting one amongst them, and even Ambraz hadn''t noticed one that could have a good potential for reforging. He waited with bated breath for the Anvil to continue.


    Ambraz kept his lips pursed, and Irwin could almost sense his annoyed reluctance.


    "But, what?" he asked after he couldn''t hold back his curiosity.


    "It will hurt, and I don''t like pain," the Anvil grunted before muttering something Irwin didn''t understand.


    Irwin stared blankly at the solid metal anvil, not sure if he had just heard it right. Ambraz, the one that had hurt him and the others more than he thought possible, and had literally said that he should clench his teeth, was afraid of pain? Enough to not do something?


    Perhaps it''s way more painful than what I felt? It had to be something like that¡­ right?


    "Alright, but¡­ how sure are you? Perhaps we should practice on one of the commons first? Get it to uncommon, then attempt to get it to rare?" he asked. He didn''t feel like risking any of his cards.


    Ambraz, lips pursed, muttered some more before sighing exceedingly loud. "I guess we should do that, but I''ll need a day to prepare. Give me one of the cards. I''ll have to extract the energy." The Anvil rushed to the center of the room and changed back to its bigger shape.


    Irwin''s hand moved to the stack, then he hesitated. Ambraz seemed to enjoy eating cards¡­ it wasn''t tricking him, was it? Does it matter? He thought. The alternative was doing it himself and just ruining the card like that. He grabbed the top card, another utility card, looked at the shoe on it, and tossed it to the Anvil, which snatched it up.


    As he watched Ambraz chew, Irwin began leafing through the cards, wondering which one they should try.


    In the end, he decided on a simple card that kept lice and other small bugs away from the wielder. He had no idea how it would evolve, but perhaps it would resist more things? It might be another good bargaining chip.


    With Ambraz back in his pocket, he woke Daubutim with a kick, guided the sleepy boy to bed then moved to his own. Curling up under the blankets, it took him a while to fall asleep.


    --


    "I think we need to wait until we are both a full-hand," Daubutim said as he leaned back in the chair.


    It was early in the morning, dim light glittering through the cracks in the shutters. There was no gale today, and Irwin was glad. Less storm was okay with him. He realized Daubutim was still talking and quickly focused back on his friend.


    "-will give us enough power to at least have our voices heard. If we can get rare cards before then, even better."


    Irwin nodded, agreeing with Daubutim but also happy the other trusted his opinion. Still, he asked again just to be sure.


    ¡°So, Trimdir first? Not Bron?¡±


    Daubutim frowned, his eyes flickering around as if he was trying to recall something. Then he nodded.


    "Yes. I... think my father would agree to that."


    "Alright, well, that leaves us with one problem," Irwin said.


    Daubutim just looked at him quietly.


    "We need to have a plausible reason for having a rare card," Irwin said. "How likely would it be that you managed to sneak one from the shard-worlds you were in without someone noticing?"


    "Not," Daubutim said immediately. "First off, we were never alone. Second, there weren''t any monsters there that could possibly drop a rare."


    "I''ll try and come up with something," Irwin muttered as he got up. "Let''s go. I''m sure Hutch will be glad to see you and Pytin back!"


    "Alright," Daubutim said hesitantly.


    Irwin blinked and looked up. "What is it?"


    Daubutim frowned, then looked at Irwin. "The portals I was in were both uncommon, but each was far easier than any of the portals we entered. It was¡­ stunningly different. There were far fewer mobs than in the Hound and Tower portal we were in. Less powerful too."


    Irwin blinked, standing near the table as he stared at his friend. "Perhaps you just didn''t find them stronger monsters?" he asked.


    "No. We closed the portals. Had there been more, they would have attacked us. One of the linchpins was a larger monster, but it paled in comparison to the large hound we saw.


    That makes no sense, Irwin thought. They had only entered common portals¡­ how could an uncommon portal be weaker?


    A door slammed shut somewhere nearby, and he jolted back to reality.


    "Right, I''ll think about it," he said.


    Daubutim nodded, and Irwin decided to ask Jousithr if he knew any reason why a common portal could be more powerful than an uncommon one.


    They headed out, and after a quick meal together with Pytin and Jousithr, they made it to the training hall. To their surprise, Hutch was already there. With an angry glare, he was striking one of the wooden dummies.


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    "Ah, the first ones, as usual," he snapped as he saw them coming. "Wait for the others."


    They moved to the side, out of earshot, as they waited.


    "Think he''s upset because of the incoming Frozir surge?" Pytin asked, staring at Daubutim.


    "Don''t know," Daubutim said.


    As Hutch''s angry striking continued, they quietly waited for the rest, which didn''t take too long. As soon as the group had gathered, slightly bigger than the day before, Hutch let out an angry shout and threw off his practice gauntlets.


    "Alright! You all heard about the incoming surge," he snapped.


    It wasn''t a question, but Irwin still saw a few surprised looks.


    "So, we have less than two days before they arrive. You are all coming with me for proper gear, and you will be divided into groups, and starting tonight, you will be positioned around the walls. You should rest and take it easy the rest of today. There is no practice until this is resolved. Now, follow me!"


    Hutch stared at them for a moment, then gnashed his teeth as he turned.


    The group followed after him, and Irwin saw many worried glances.


    An hour later, he was walking through the city wearing a thick, padded leather vest covered by a simple breastplate. A pair of leather and metal gauntlets, heavier than he was used to, dangled from a wide leather belt on his waist. Though he knew he didn''t have to be at Trimdir''s, he had decided to go anyway. Ambraz had said he would need a few more hours, so he''d agreed to meet Daubutim in their room later.


    Opening the smithy, he saw it was quiet, with only a few smiths at work. Trimdir was nowhere in sight, and neither was Lamia. Greeting a few of those there, he agreed to bring them some metal before switching to his leather apron. After finishing the chore, he put down a stack of ore and began the process of purifying them.


    As he hammered the ore, the steady pounding of the hammer and the warming of his muscles began to take his mind away from his worries. Noticing himself getting distracted, he decided not to fight it, letting his body move as it willed while he simply focused on the movements and sensations. Within moments he fell into an almost meditative state while striking, turning, heating, and striking over and over again.


    At some point, he noticed a soft humming from his cards, and absently he focused on it. There was something¡­. odd about how his special card resonated compared to the other two. Something-


    "Couldn''t just sit still and do nothing?"


    Irwin looked up in surprise, noting Trimdir looking at him. The smith had a hammer in hand and was leaning against another anvil.


    "It relaxes me," Irwin said with a shrug. He tried to recall what he had been thinking about, but the threads had unraveled.


    Trimdir''s eyes flared brightly, and he seemed ready to speak. After a few moments, the corner of his lips curled up, and he nodded. "Good. Well, don''t overdo it."


    Irwin dumbly nodded back, but the smith had already turned, making his way to another anvil. A massive pile of raw ore lay beside it, and Trimdir immediately grabbed one, holding it in the nearby furnace.


    I guess it calms him too? Irwin thought.


    Trimdir struck the ore with a thunderous blow that almost resonated with Irwin''s own cards, and he shivered as he saw the smith pound it again. His shoulders were tense, and the power behind his strikes seemed fueled by anger.


    He watched Trimdir''s fluid movements for a minute, then turned and continued working.


    After a few minutes, he was surprised to find himself falling back into the same state, and he let it happen. Soon he lost track of time.


    A painful clenching and rumbling in his stomach were what snapped him out of it this time. Wiping the sweat off his forehead, he turned to see Trimdir was gone, as was the massive pile of ore. In its place lay an equally impressive pile of purified metal.


    There were even fewer smiths than before, for a moment he worried he''d worked till late. Turning to the door, he saw the afternoon sunburn at its full -weak- power.


    Time for some food.


    After emptying a water jug, he donned his new armor, waved his goodbyes, and stepped outside.


    A clear blue sky sat above the town, the sun high in the sky, actually giving off a little warmth for once. The wind was barely noticeable, and Irwin grinned. Good weather for once! Perhaps it was a good sign?


    "You ready?" he whispered, padding the pocket that held Ambraz.


    "Yes," came a muted response.


    Grinning, Irwin walked through the city. It wasn''t as cold as the last few weeks, and he was glad he didn''t have to use his Coperion Body skill. Instead, he walked slowly and leisurely, inspecting the tiny huts, trickles of smoke showing people were doing all they could to stay warm. By now, many of the buildings had been finished, but though a lot of people had been moved there, there weren''t nearly enough buildings for all the refugees.


    I wonder if lord Bron is going to expand the town come summer, Irwin thought as he watched an old woman shove some snow against the side of a shack. Perhaps it was the weather or something else, but she was humming and smiling.


    A deafening roar from above made him duck down. There was a moment of silence, then frightened shouts came from all around him as people ran out of houses and huts alike. The old woman dropped the shovel and rushed towards the shack, quickly moving inside.


    Irwin looked up, searching for whatever had made the sound. The sky above was empty, then something big and white flashed by, swishing toward a nearby building. It disappeared over the roof, nearly clipping it off.


    "What-" Irwin whispered.


    A muted explosion from beyond the building drowned out his voice, and the street beneath his feet shook. Buildings all around rattled as more panicky screams came from all around.


    What was that? he thought as he tried to make sense of what he''d seen. His heart was pounding like crazy, and he barely refrained from triggering his Coperion Body.


    Another roar came, sounding far too close. He flinched as a second shape appeared above a nearby building, angled down. It moved down so fast that before Irwin could act or think, it slammed into a set of shacks in front of him, splintering the wooden constructions. Snow, wood chips, and segments of wood hurled through the air, and Irwin stumbled back, pressing up against the wall behind him.


    The crackling rumbling died down, and he heard a pained crying coming from inside what remained of the shacks.


    As the snow and wood fell, a large shape crawled out of the wreckage.


    A frog? Irwin thought as he paled at the size of the massive thing.


    It was at least as tall as he was but easily twice as wide and a sickly white. Instead of round, it had rough, angular shapes. The front of its head comprised over half of its body, while two enormous feet made up most of the rest. Small limbs to the side were dangling down almost uselessly as the giant demon frog kicked part of the building away.


    A soft groan came as a man crawled up, freed by the debris pressing down on him.


    Irwin felt his blood freeze as the man looked up at the demon frog, just as the frog''s large blue eyes focused on him. The lips that had been pressed closed until now opened, and a purple tongue darted forward almost too fast to see. It wrapped around the man, who had time enough for a single terrified cry before he was ripped from his feet so fast that Irwin could hear his neck snap from where he was standing.


    Dumbfounded, he watched as the demon frog ate the man in a single bite.


    I need to get out of here, Irwin thought as he took a careful step back.


    A soft cry came from another part of the building, and he froze as two small figures climbed up. A boy that looked barely six and a slightly taller girl stared in horror at the frog. Irwin fumbled with his gauntlets, ripping them free from the cord and stuffing his hands inside while running forward.


    His mind was a mess, and he had no idea what he was doing, but as the frog turned to the two children, he drew in a deep breath.


    "Over here, fish fodder!"


    His voice boomed across the small square, and the frog''s eyes swished to him.


    Irwin tightened the clasps around his wrists just as the frog turned to him, lips parting.


    Irwin triggered two abilities nearly simultaneously as his body turned heavy from Coperion Body, and an arm-length flame burst over his left hand. With a control born from fear and anger, the flame changed shape faster than he had ever managed, turning into a thin, round shape hovering a few inches before his arms.


    He barely saw the tongue flicker towards him when something struck his raised arms, stopping his forward momentum and pushing him back a step. A startled croak came from the demon frog as he saw the tongue jabbed through the fiery shield and wrapped around his left-hand gauntlet. Boils covered the slimy purple tongue, many of which had popped from the heat of his flame.


    There was a moment of stunned silence as the frog glared at him, the children stood frozen on the spot, and Irwin desperately tried to come up with a plan. Then he saw the children.


    "Run!'' he shouted, his voice much deeper than normal.


    The moment shattered as the children turned and scrambled away, and the purple veins popped up in the frog''s eyes. The glare deepened, and Irwin felt the tongue pull him forward. He''d expected to be pulled off his feet, but as he dug his heels in, the frog grunted with effort as his forward motion slowed. As he gritted his teeth, Irwin pulled his flame around his left gauntlet, willing the flickering fire to cover the gauntlet like a protective coat.


    A startled scream came from the frog as the purple flesh of its tongue began bubbling and hissing. Irwin was jerked forward a few steps, then managed to hold his ground. He was barely ten steps from the frog now, and as he stared into its ugly eyes, he saw them begin to radiate with a cold blue light.


    Knowing it was about to do something, Irwin did the only thing he could think. He used Eyes of Blaze, and as his vision turned red, a wide cone of fire flashed forward, scorching the front of the frog.


    A second scream that made the first seem like a whisper caused his ears to pop. Feeling the tongue try to release him, he clamped his gauntlets around it, holding it in place as he continued. As the frog screamed, the flames licked into its wide-open maw and covered its eyes, which turned pink, then red, and finally began ballooning. Irwin barely managed to turn his face away when the two eyeballs exploded into a shower of disgusting fluids.


    Almost at the same time, the frog stopped pulling on him, and when he looked back at the frog, he saw it had slumped on the ground. Purple liquid flowed from between its lips, the tongue limply hanging from Irwin''s grasp.


    "I killed it¡­" Irwin muttered as he stared stupidly at the giant frog.


    Only then did he realize more screaming and fighting was coming from other parts of the city. Ripping the tongue from his gauntlet, he stepped back and looked around. There was no sight of the two children, and he hoped they were hiding somewhere safe. Then he looked at his gauntlets, at the frog, and finally sensed the remaining energy in his Eyes of Blaze.


    Enough energy for two more, he thought as he turned to the nearest sounds of screaming.


    Steeling himself, he forced his heavy body into a run.

 Chapter 57: Reforging is hard!

    "Is he one of Bron''s hidden guards?"


    "I don''t know. I''ve never seen him before."


    "I have! He is one of Trimdir''s smiths- isn''t he the one that is always dashing through town when it''s snowing?"


    "No smith I know fights like that!"


    Irwin swayed on his feet as he walked away from another dead demon frog. His armor was tarnished, his Coperion Body skill long since given out, and he''d overdrawn on his Eyes of Blaze, causing a migraine. Only his flame remained, burning softly as it wrapped around his charred, bent, and thoroughly abused gauntlet. His right gauntlet was gone, lost at some point while battling the third- or was it fourth?- demon frog. The skin of that hand was pale and covered in painful gashes.


    All that considered, he couldn''t hold back the weak smile as he walked away. He suddenly understood why Bronwyn had insisted on becoming a ranger. An old lady, hugging a crying teenage girl, smiled gratefully at him, and he nodded back. He''d saved them and a dozen other people that were fleeing from the frog.


    The sounds of fighting were almost gone, though he heard some from beyond the town wall. He didn''t even think of going there. He could barely stand on his feet, while his stomach was a clenched mass of hunger and his lips so dry they were cracked. No. He needed food, water, and rest.


    When he reached the tower, he saw a small group of people in front of it while more slowly trickled in from the streets and alleys leading to it. Myda stood before the door, seemingly stopping anyone from entering.


    "Orwin!''


    Irwin looked up, long since used to his new, fake name. With how many people called him by it, he sometimes found himself thinking of himself as Orwin.


    Pytin stood with a few of the other teenagers, waving at him. Seeing no sign of Daubutim, Irwin felt his worry grow as he headed toward them.


    Pytin welcomed him with a weary smile. His armor was in tatters. Only the metal chestplate and shoulder guards remained usable. Most of the leather was melted and ripped, and Irwin saw glimmers of blood.


    "Are you alright?" Irwin asked worriedly. Then he looked around. "Where is Daubutim?"


    Pytin let out a muted laugh, then shook his head. "That friend of yours is a monster¡­ him and me finished four of the Frozir Frogs, but instead of coming here, he just headed towards the gate to help Basil and his guards deal with the situation."


    "Yeah, that sounds like him," Irwin muttered, feeling relieved and worried at the same time.


    "You look like you wrestled with a few of those bloody things," Pytin said, shaking his head with a grin.


    "I did," Irwin muttered as he turned to the tower, missing the look of utter surprise on Pytin''s face. "Why is Myda stopping people from entering?"


    Pytin snorted. "Because the situation at the gate isn''t done yet. If they are pushed back, we are to reinforce them."


    Irwin sighed. "I need water and food before I can fight again."


    There were a few snorted laughs from the other youths, but when he looked up, he didn''t see who had laughed at him.


    "Here," Pytin said, handing him some strips of dried meat. "And why don''t you just eat some fresh snow?"


    Irwin took the meat, then looked at the snow and shivered at the idea of putting the cold substance in his mouth. Then he had an idea and looked at his fist, the flames still flickering around them softly. He barely needed to focus on it to keep it there, and he moved to a nearby building, removing his gauntlet. As he pulled the last strap, the whole thing fell apart, dropping to the ground. Staring at it stupidly, he shrugged and grabbed a handful of snow, which began melting as soon as his flame touched it.


    Drinking the little bit of water in his hand when he was done, he continued until he had drunk his fill. Only then did he eat the dry meat, which barely did anything to reduce his hunger. When he returned to Pytin, more guards had joined them, and the sounds of battles had faded in the distance. As they waited, a ranger came running through the main road, heading to Myda.


    "Either we have to fight now, or we can finally go inside," Pyin whispered. "I hope the latter. I need a shower, food, and a warm bed!"


    Irwin held his response as he saw Myda walk away from the door. She made some hand gestures at some of the rangers, who split up, standing to the side beside the roads leading to the walls.


    "Alright, listen up! Basil is chasing away a group of Frozir, but there are half a dozen flying demons hiding somewhere in the hills. We need to have eyes and ears just in case they come back to dump more of these vile long-tongued wretches on us! I''m going to split you up into groups. They-" she waved at the rangers, "will be in charge. Follow them and man the walls!"


    There were a few grunts, but nobody complained. Irwin was glad he''d at least had enough to drink. He was placed with Pytin and four other youths, and they were sent to the opposite -and most likely, safest- of the walls.


    When their weary group finally reached the watchtower and climbed it, they found two rangers looking at the hills beyond.


    "Right, split out in groups of three and walk from here to that middle point and back," the ranger that had brought them here said. Then he grinned. "I''ll try and get some rations from somewhere and distribute them."


    There was a round of thanks, then Irwin followed Pytin and another guard prospect. Though the sky was still blue, the wind at the top of the wall was far stronger than in the city, and he shivered. Without thinking, he enlarged his flame.


    "Douse that light, fool! Do you want to draw attention?"


    Irwin looked back at one of the rangers, glaring at him angrily. He wished he could ignore him, but he knew that the rangers were right. On the wall, he''d be way too visible, even if it was a clear day.


    I hope we don''t have to do this too long, he thought as he unsummoned his flame.


    --


    Hours later, a group of weary-looking guards and rangers finally came to relieve them, and they were allowed back into the tower.


    Hungry, frozen to the bone, and tired, Irwin stumbled after Pytin to the mess, where he cleaned away three massive plates of dried vegetables, meat, and a stew of roots and mushrooms. Finally having a full stomach, he found the baths all occupied and headed back to his room.


    As he stepped into the room, he was worried but not surprised to find it empty. Cold and annoyed, he moved to the center of the room and summoned his flame, making it as hot as he could.


    It took only minutes for the cold in the room to be replaced by stifling heat. Well, stifling to all but him. Content, he sat down at the table, finally able to relax. He put his head on his arms.


    Just a bit, he thought. He could check with Ambraz soon.


    It felt like only a few seconds when a kick against his leg woke him, and he looked up with a start.


    Daubutim smiled wearily, then moved around and sat down opposite him, his face pale and covered in blood splatters. His breathing came ragged and laborious, but his lips were curved up.


    "Dau- are you okay?" Irwin croaked as he tried to clear his head.


    "Yes. Lilinethe has already healed me. I''ve just lost some blood."


    Irwin inspected him as his foggy mind slowly cleared up and noticed the smile on Daubutims face. Something happened?


    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    "What?" he asked before reaching for the jug of water. His throat was parched again.


    "When we returned, I heard some rumors spreading of a young guard," Daubutim said. "A guard that could strike with a flaming gauntlet and shoot demons with his eyes." There''s a lot of people saying he saved them from certain death!"


    Irwin blinked, then felt his cheeks heat up.


    "You saved a lot of people, according to Jousithr," Daubutim said, more serious this time.


    "He is alright?"


    "Yes."


    Duaubtim leaned back in the chair, which groaned under his weight.


    "What happened beyond the wall?" Irwin asked.


    "Some of the Frozir rode large lizard-like demons, which they used to come here faster than anticipated," Daubutim said, his smile fading. "There were also flying lizards that dropped those Frozir Frogs on the city. Basil led a group of elite guards and rangers to disperse them, yet there were far too many. I did what I could, but¡­" Daubutim shrugged.


    "Many losses?" Irwin whispered.


    "Yes. Too many. There is only a single group to close rare portals now, and I heard that over half of those able to close uncommon portals died."


    Irwin leaned back, staring at the ceiling.


    I need to find a way to help people reforge cards without getting into trouble¡­ Without getting locked down here forever.


    As he tried to come up with a way, he quickly decided that the only way would be to do it in such a way nobody would realize it was him. But before that, he had to do something else.


    "There is something else," Daubutim said softly.


    Irwin looked up curiously and saw the noble slowly take something from his pocket. His breath caught in his throat as Daubutim placed a brightly yellow-bordered card on the table.


    "How¡­" Irwin liked his suddenly dry lips. "How did you get that?"


    Daubutim looked at him with a sudden intensity. "There was barely any time, and Basil didn''t allow anyone to search for cards, saying the rangers would take them¡­ But I was there, guarding one of the healers, when one of the lizard-riding Frozir jumped us. I got smothered by it while the rangers pelted it with arrows. At some point, it stumbled, and my spear pierced its throat. Lying below the body, I saw the card appear barely a foot from my hand¡­"


    Irwin stared in awe at Daubutim. He knew his friend was a powerful warrior, but this? He had heard rumors of rare cards dropping from large surges, but only from the most powerful mobs.


    "What kind of card is it?" he asked, not lifting a finger.


    "Not very useful to you," Daubutiom said as he flipped it over. On it was a massive longsword with snowflakes hovering around it. "I think I''m going to replace my club."


    Daubutim''s voice was laced with pain and loss, but Irwin saw his jaw was set.


    "Are you sure?" Irwin asked slowly. "We can wait and reforge your club?"


    Daubutim shook his head. "I am a better sword fighter, and we need to become stronger faster than you can reforge cards to rare. Those Frozir will be here soon and might send even more advance troops. Besides, if I replace my card, you will have an excuse for having your own rare."


    Irwin stared stupidly at him. "But... it''s your first card?"


    "It''s not unheard of," Daubutim stated. "I''ll just have to wait while re-slotting the others until I can sense and use it properly."


    Irwin didn''t respond. He knew Daubutim was making it sound better than it was. Was the noble doing this to help him? It had to be¡­ he could just wait for Irwin to reforge his club. It made no sense unless he was trying to help.


    There has to be another way, Irwin thought as he gritted his teeth. As he tried to come up with something, anything, he realized he was forgetting Ambraz. The Anvil should be ready to help him reforge a card!


    He took the Anvil from his pocket and placed it on the table.


    "Well, about time! So, I presume you are serious about slotting this rare?" the Anvil asked as he flitted closer to Daubutim.


    Daubutim quickly put a hand over the card. "Yes," he said.


    "Well, then it''s time to attempt to help you to see what it is truly like to reforge a card," Ambraz said as he flew towards the center of the room. "And I suggest you remember my help¡­!"


    There was a moment of stunned silence as Irwin stared at the Anvil and shared a surprised look with Daubutim. Something about the way Ambraz had added the latter sounded like he already knew what he would ask in return for his help.


    I''ll figure out what that is when it happens, Irwin thought, deciding that if it was too much, he would just not do it. It wasn''t like he was going to or had promised anything. Then he focused on the anvil and took the insect repellant card from his pocket, and hesitated. He looked at his hand, then back at the card.


    "Don''t," Daubutim said softly. "It''s too big a risk. Do that one first, try it, and see how it works. My father always said that risks born from haste get you killed."


    Irwin took one more look at his cards, then nodded and placed the common on top of the anvil. Instantly a clouded image of an insect scuttling around and fingers prodding it appeared. A few dark blotches sat around the edges, and only two stars dotted slightly off-center.


    "Alright," Ambraz said. "This will be slightly different from what you did before. Use your card and start hitting the card. Don''t strike too hard, and keep up a steady tempo."


    Irwin did as asked, tapping the card and sensing the immediate resonations from his three cards. He kept it up for a while, not striking hard enough to cause any real resonations that might start the process of reforging the card.


    "Alright," Ambraz said, strained. "I am going to force the card''s resonance to stay as stable as I can. Start hitting harder!"


    Irwin waited for one more hit, then struck the card with far more power. The resonating started as it always did, at a seemingly random internal, and he missed. But as he raised his hand and readied for the second hit, he instantly noticed the difference. The next resonance was almost at the exact same moment. He missed again, but barely, and the next time he anticipated it happening and hit it straight on. A sense of wellbeing spread through him as he felt the cards vibrate seemingly happily.


    The next hit increased the sense, and a soft sound, like wind running through chimes, sounded in his mind. He struck again and again, a wide smile on his face as he sensed the perfect harmony! Why hadn''t Ambraz told him about this before?


    A deep, clear bell sound came from the card, and he stopped mid-strike.


    "There was a gong," he said.


    Ambraz let out a shuddering breath, then began gasping. ¡°About¡­ time¡­¡± The Anvil grunted.


    His gasping and grunting were the only sounds for a while, but as they abated, the Anvil began talking again, though strained.


    "Alright, pick up the card and place it on the table."


    Irwin did as asked, noting the image on the card was in massive flux. Where there had been only a single, tiny insect, there were now a dozen swirling around as if trying to figure out where they should remain. He placed it on the table, and the card continued shivering, sometimes so violently that it bounced around on the table. Then there was a soft, crisp ting, and it flashed with a pale purple color, blinding Irwin. When he looked back, a purple-bordered card lay on the table. A hand was displaced on it, oddly similar to the one on his own card, hand palm outstretched towards a small group of insects.


    "You did it!" Daubutim whispered, carefully picking up the card.


    "Bah. The kid did barely anything," Ambraz grunted. "Without my help, he''d need another twenty cards to get to this level."


    Irwin didn''t respond but grinned at Daubutim. Then he turned to the Anvil.


    "And now what?"


    "Now we do this again, but this time it will be far more difficult," Ambraz grunted. "Put the card back down."


    As Irwin did, he was surprised to see that the card''s clouded image projected above it was larger and clearer than before. He also thought there were a few more blotches, though he wasn''t sure.


    "We will start the same," Ambraz said, sounding disgruntled. "Slow, and wait till I tell you to increase your speed. This time, don''t just listen to the resonance. A vague outline of your fist will appear where you hit it. Try to make small adjustments and strike the black blotches."


    More than a little enthusiastic, Irwin struck down. The image blurred around, and the image of a fist appeared almost in the center of the card. This time, the resonance was far more chaotic, seeming to speed up and slow down.


    "Impossible," Ambraz grunted, his voice strained.


    "What?" Irwin asked, afraid to hit again.


    "Nothing. Don''t stop!" the Anvil croaked.


    Irwin, slightly worried, did as asked. He continued striking softly, feeling his optimism begin to die down. It was hard enough to accomplish the minute changes required hit the smudges, but that wasn''t the worst of it. The chaotic resonance became even worse as he continued. He had no confidence he could even strike the card at the right moment, even if he didn''t have to pay attention to the blotches.


    "Harder."


    Ambraz''s voice came as a whisper through his clenched teeth, and Irwin began realizing the Anvil might not have been wrong when he said it would be hard.


    He struck the card again, harder this time, and almost flinched at the painful resonating. He was almost going to stop when he felt the resonance changing, turning¡­ clearer? Slower?


    He hit again, trying to time the strike, and he almost struck it at the right point.


    "Blotches!" Ambraz croaked, his voice almost cracking from the effort.


    Irwin didn''t respond but hit again, continuing at the steady interval. The third time he hit both the resonance and a blotch, the sense of wellbeing that waved from his cards was almost intoxicating. He missed the next one because of it, eliciting a pained and muted howl from Ambraz.


    The next one hit, and slowly he lost himself in timing the hit and placements. The same clear chimes came again at some point, though softer and less stable. He had no idea how long he was hitting when a sound like a wet towel striking a shield came. He stopped instantly, unsure.


    "I- I heard something odd," he said, surprised by how weary he sounded.


    "What?" Ambraz whispered.


    Irwin described it, and Ambraz let out a shuddering breath as he flashed back to his tiny shape. Irwin barely managed to catch the shaking and shivering card before it hit the ground.


    "Good.. enough¡­" Ambraz said as he shakily flew to Irwin. "Need¡­ rest."


    Irwin grabbed the Anvil, which immediately stopped moving, and carefully placed it back in his pocket. Then he put the card on the table, staring at the card. The small group of insects had turned into a venerable cloud, while the hand had grown sharp nails that were outstretched towards the insects. A flash came, less bright than before, and Irwin saw the purple drain away and turn yellow.


    Then he dully stared at the rare card.


    They had done it¡­ but it had definitely not been easy. Worse, he wondered how he was ever going to do this without Ambraz''s help.


    "Now what?" Daubutim asked, eyes wide and full of wonder.


    "Now you need to somehow trade this for as many commons as you can," Irwin said softly. "And I need you to search for cards that deal with fire, heat, or metal. Or hammers," he added belatedly.


    Daubutim nodded as he slowly picked up the card. "I''ll slot the sword, then rest and see to it tomorrow," he said.


    Irwin stared at him for a while, then sighed as he made up his mind.


    "We also need to come up with a way that we can give other people upgraded cards without them locking me up like some prized charbull."

 Chapter 58: Taking chances

    "Thank you, but-" Irwin said as he stared at the older woman beaming at him and holding forward a small parcel.


    "No! Don''t you dare," she said. "You saved mine and my grandson''s life! I brought these raisins just for a festive occasion, and what could be more festive than living another day!"


    Irwin reluctantly took the package, looking at the little boy staring at the parcel. He was probably two years old, at most, and seemed unable to understand why food was being given away. Taking a quick look around and noting no other people around, Irwin knelt and pulled open the tiny bag. In it were two handfuls of raisins.


    "By Gerwin''s beard, so many raisins," he whispered as he raised his eyebrows at the little boy. "I don''t think I can ever eat all of these. Do you think you can help me with some?"


    The boy nodded resolutely, and Irwin took a handful of raisins, carefully placing them in his hands. He grinned widely as the boy began stuffing his face. Then he took a few, chewing on the savory and incredibly sweet dried fruit. Sharing another smile with the boy, he rose and saw the old woman nod at him.


    "Such a decent young man," she said as she took the boy''s free hand. "Thank you again! Take care of yourself, and make sure you don''t get killed."


    Irwin swallowed and nodded. "I will." He watched the old woman walk off, hearing her mutter under her breath. "A shame I don''t have any more daughters."


    Irwin grimaced, stuffing the remaining raisins in his new coat''s pocket as he continued towards Trimdir''s. Pulling the front of his new jacket closer together, he shivered. The sky was still blue, and the wind almost nonexistent, but the temperature had dropped even more. A thin layer of ice covered the ground, cracking below his boots.


    I wonder how Trimdir will react, he thought.


    Daubutim had agreed that it was time to talk with the smith, though he had advised not to explain exactly how they could reforge the cards. They had talked for a while and came up with what Daubutim said would be an at least reasonably plausible explanation. After that, he''d suggested he come along in case the smith would try something.


    He won''t, Irwin thought as he shook his head. He''d never heard or seen anything bad from Trimdir, and unless he was willing to let Degonda perish, he needed to find some way to get more higher-level cards circulating. Thinking back to the demonic frogs eating people, he shuddered. No. He wanted to help!


    As he passed through the town''s narrow streets, he thought back to the sight just outside of the tower he''d witnessed. A few dozen people had been gathered at the tower square, chatting and thanking Basil and some of his elite guards. The heavily armored men and women, some still wounded from the previous day, had mingled easily, obviously knowing many of those that had come there.


    The noble''s guards back in Malorin never did that, he thought, feeling more than a little impressed with Lord Bron.


    A loud chatter came from up ahead, and as he rounded the final corner to the crafter''s square, he saw a large gathering of youths. They were surrounding a few of the older craftsmen who were shouting and pointing. As he closed in, the wrinkled old woodworker that he''d seen his first day in Degonda walked towards him.


    It took him a few moments to recall the old man''s name.


    "Orwin! I hear you did well yesterday. You made Trimdir proud."


    "Hamir," he said as he nodded back, slightly uncomfortable as he noticed some of the other people began to stare at him.. "Thanks. I did what I could."


    "Hah, well, let''s thank Yilda. We managed to get through with mostly ruined buildings," the old man grunted. "Now, off with you to Trimdir. I''m sure there''s plenty of work to be done!"


    Irwin nodded, thankful he could move forward. As he did, he absently noticed that Hamir had seemed smaller than he recalled. More hunched over? Probably stressed from the hard work.


    Two young men stood before the door to Trimdir''s, moving out of the way to let him pass. One look showed him that they were likely new prospects, and as he stepped into the smithy, he saw Trimdir in the center, staring at two other youths. Both had a hammer before them, trying hard to hold them up while Trimdir stood quietly staring at them.


    A dozen smiths stood around, but where they had been joking and making fun mere weeks ago, it was quiet now. Irwin also missed a few faces.


    "There you are," Lamia whispered as she rushed to his side. Before Irwin could react, she began prodding his shoulders and arms.


    "What-?"


    "Good, you seem fine. No injuries, at least no bad ones," Lamia said as she sighed. "Did you hear?"


    Irwin, still stunned by her prodding, shook his head. "Heard what?"


    Lamia''s face dropped, and she continued in a whisper. "Olger and three others died trying to fight off two of those monsters."


    Olger? Irwin thought as he felt his joy die down at the memory of the older smith. Though sometimes cranky and short of words, he''d been fair to most others.


    "Trimdir''s asked me to take over some of his things," Lamia said with a grimace. "I guess I''ll have to work harder from now on."


    Irwin looked around, scanning for another face, and when he didn''t see it swallowed. "And Brent?" he asked, recalling the other youth that had started together with him.


    "He was injured," Lamia said, sounding down. "One of his legs¡­ it''s not good. He might lose it."


    Irwin stared dumbly at Lamia before looking around the smithy. He noticed a large stack of broken armor, plates, and shields on one side and cracked and shattered swords beside another anvil.


    A pained groan came, and he looked up to see one of the boys drop the hammer.


    "Out, and come back when you''ve got more strength of will," Trimdir grunted without giving the boy another look.


    The other still stood, jaw clenched, arms shivering. Irwin felt for him, remembering how it had been for him to do so.


    Wait, didn''t Trimdir say I had to hold that hammer for a full two minutes at some point? As he recalled the moment, the second boy dropped the hammer.


    "Not bad. Follow me," Trimdir said before turning around and marching toward his office. "The rest of you, back to work! Focus on repairing the armor and weapons!"


    There was a rustle as the smiths rushed to their anvils and workstations, and Irwin looked around, wondering what to do. He needed to talk to Trimdir in private, but that might not happen for a while yet.


    "Can you bring us some ingots before you start?" Lamia asked, snapping him out of it.


    "Sure."


    "Thanks. I''ll talk to you after I get things underway," Lamia said, giving him a small smile. Then she turned, shoulders squared as she stomped towards the stack of broken armor.


    Irwin quickly brought ingots around, barely noting how easy it was or how many bars he could haul in a single go. When he finished, he decided the best thing would be to continue practicing his metal purifying, so he dumped a few loads of raw iron beside his anvil and started.


    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Two hits in, he knew something was different. The resonance from his cards seemed clearer and slow. With ease, he struck at exactly the right moment, causing the resonance to increase. The sensation of harmony he felt was nowhere near as strong as with card reforging, but he could sense that it had the same underlying reasoning.


    He continued, trying to figure out if something had actually changed or if that was just what it felt like compared to the Card Reforging the day before. Tentatively, he struck harder, and the speed and chaos seemed to increase only slightly. He struck at the exact right moment with ease, using even more force¡ªanother increase, still manageable, and another, harder hit.


    Then there was a ringing, showing the iron was finished, and Irwin stopped, hammer raised for another hit that wasn''t needed anymore. The rough iron had been flattened and lay gleaming and ready to be processed into an ingot. It had cost him a fourth of the time it usually did.


    Is this because of working with Ambraz? he thought.


    There was no answer, and he''d have to ask Ambraz later. For now, he grinned, put the purified iron to the side, and continued working.


    He quickly got used to the ease, striking with so much force that the next nugget of ore was finished even faster. The only downside that he found was that he was sensing the wear in his arm and shoulders, and after each chunk of ore, he switched hands. It still felt awkward, but Trimdir had told him early on to always use both hands. Besides increasing a smith''s output greatly, he also said it would stop his body from becoming unbalanced. Irwin didn''t know exactly what he meant with that but had decided to do as the smith had told him.


    "-that you have improved again!"


    Irwin was jolted by the loud voice, striking off-center and getting a nasty dissonant sound from the nugget. He blinked and looked up to find Trimdir staring at him, one corner of his mouth turned up. Then he realized the smith had said something before which hadn''t gotten through to him.


    "Sorry," he muttered. "I didn''t hear you."


    "Yes, I noticed," Trimdir said, a grin flashing on his face before disappearing again. "I asked how it was possible that you improved again in such a short time," the smith said.


    Irwin shrugged, unsure how to answer that, before remembering why he was even here. He put the tongs down and took a deep breath. "Do you have some time? I need to talk to you," he said, staring at Trimdir.


    The smith blinked as the smile vanished from his face. After a second, he nodded.


    "Alright, let''s get this over with then," he muttered.


    Irwin was surprised by the weary sadness in the smith''s voice. Wondering what the other thought he was going to tell him, he followed him into his office. Trimdir thudded into his chair, leaning back and staring at Irwin.


    "Well, let''s hear it then," he said. "You going to go with your friends?"


    Irwin blinked, then shook his head. "No? That''s not¡­ not what this is about."


    He saw Trimdir''s eyes widen in surprise, even more so when Irwin checked to make sure the door was closed before sitting down opposite the smith. As he stared into the curious eyes, he suddenly wasn''t sure how to even begin the conversation. He suppressed the need to lick his lips, took a deep breath, and decided to just go for it.


    "I''m going to tell you something nobody else knows, and I hope you can keep it to yourself," he said in a rushed whisper. Somehow speaking about this out loud seemed more dangerous than before.


    Trimdir cocked his head, then frowned. "If I thought you were the type, I''d warn you against telling me things that are illegal," he said. "Fine. I''ll keep what you tell me to myself. Don''t make me regret it."


    Irwin felt some tension release from his shoulders and took another deep breath, preparing the story he and Daubutim had come up with. He suddenly wasn''t as sure how Trimdir would respond.


    "In one of the Portals I''ve entered, I came across a way to reforge cards, taking them from common to uncommon," he said before waiting to see how Trimdir would react. He and Daubutim had decided to keep anything above that a secret, as they had no idea if Ambraz could even help him do more than a few of those.


    The smith blinked, then blinked again and leaned his elbows on the table. His mouth opened, then closed, then opened again. "That is¡­ not possible," he muttered, sounding far less certain than Irwin thought he should. Not just that, the smith''s eyes drifted off to the side, and he seemed lost in thought.


    "Why¡­ why don''t you seem surprised?" Irwin whispered. Most of his fear had faded, and his curiosity was now piqued.


    Trimdir jolted, then looked at him, his face rapidly returning to its normal placid look. "Tell me everything," he said.


    "I¡­ will," Irwin said, surprising himself. "But I''m afraid that if anyone finds out, they will try to lock me up somewhere."


    "To reforge cards?" Trimdir asked. "Yes¡­ I can understand why you would think that." He was quiet, then looked up at Irwin. "What do you know of Lord Bron?"


    Irwin blinked at the odd change of direction of the conversation. "Not a lot, but please don''t tell him!"


    Trimdir was quiet, then shrugged. "I can understand your fear¡­ and without knowing the details of how you reforge cards, I can''t be sure, but¡­ I think it would be easiest to take this discussion to him. He isn''t what you seem to think he is, or like most other nobles."


    Irwin felt his blood drain from his face, and he almost got up. Trimdir wasn''t going to tell more people, was he?


    "Calm down, Orwin, calm down," Trimdir hissed as he leaned back with a sigh. "I won''t tell anyone unless you let me, but¡­ can you tell me more about how you do it?"


    "Why aren''t you more surprised?" Irwin said, shaking his head. "I had expected you to tell me it was impossible and want proof."


    Trimdir grimaced, then raised his left, full-hand, staring at it for a bit. "You told me something that might get you into trouble¡­ trusted me¡­ I guess it''s only fair for me to tell you," he finally muttered. Then he looked up. "But this goes both ways. Don''t tell people about what I''m about to share! It is something only known to city rulers and higher nobles¡­ sorcerers, of course."


    Irwin nodded quickly, waiting with bated breath. Part of him somehow wasn''t surprised that the nobles and sorcerers knew more than the rest of them did.


    "I used to close portals with Lord Bron, Basil, Myda, and-" Trimdir hesitated, a sad look on his face. Then he shook his head. "No matter. I don''t like long stories, so here''s the short version. During one of our excursions into a rare portal, we came across¡­ people."


    "People?" Irwin blurted, leaning forward. "Like us?"


    "For as far as I could tell, yes," Trimdir said. "They didn''t see us, and we followed them. They spoke of impossible things, one of which was something they called card-reforging. Back then, I didn''t think much of it, but¡­" Trimdir shrugged before staring straight at Irwin, his eyes suddenly sharp and pressing.


    "Now. Orwin, I have shown you enormous trust by sharing this with you. I think it''s about time you told me how you reforge those cards?"


    Irwin swallowed, then hesitated. He really wanted to share everything with Trimdir, but he had promised Daubutim to stick with their story.


    "I¡­ have a card," he began, staring at his hand.


    "The one you told me about that becomes more powerful?" Trimdir asked, eyebrows rising. "Don''t tell me¡­"


    "It lets me summon an anvil," Irwin said slowly. "And with it, I can reforge cards. Though, only one per day."


    "That is¡­ incredible," Trimdir said slowly.


    Not half as incredible as the truth, Irwin thought, feeling slightly bad, but not enough.


    "Now¡­ Why are you telling me this?"


    "Because I want to help," Irwin said, meaning every word. "But¡­ I don''t want to be kept here, forced to reforge cards for the rest of my life."


    Trimdir was quiet again, looking at him intently, then he sighed.


    "I think you should speak with Bron¡­ but I understand you might not have much trust in other nobles. There is wisdom in this. Fine. I''ll think of a way to get common cards and circulate them back."


    Irwin blinked, then blinked again. Trimdir would help him, just like that? He''d hoped the other would, almost expected it, but he couldn''t help but stare at the other somewhat stupidly.


    "You look confused. Did you not expect me to help?" Trimdir asked.


    "No- yes! I mean¡­" Irwin stuttered. "It''s just.. You believe me?"


    "Yes. I don''t think you would lie about something like this. Though I have to say, I''m very curious to see you reforge a card," Trimdir said. "Who else knows about this?"


    Irwin shrugged. "Daubutim and another friend of mine. But we lost him on the way here."


    "My condolences," Trimdir said with a sad look.


    "What? No! He isn''t dead¡­ at least, I don''t think he is," Irwin said. "He had to flee from a surge, and we lost each other. But I''m pretty sure he made it out alive. We think he went towards Esterdon."


    "Good. I hope he made it there before all those surges occurred," Trimdir said softly. "Now. Go and purify some more Degnin Iron. We need far more with all the broken weaponry. I''ll get some common cards and warn Daubutim you will stay here after closing time."


    "I will?" Irwin asked.


    "Yes. If you can only do one per day, we need you to start right away," Trimdir said. "And this is a safe place to do so. If someone asks why you are staying, tell them I''ve asked you to help make more purified metal."


    The smith pushed himself up as he stared at Irwin.


    "If you can really do this, perhaps we will still survive this winter."


    Irwin nodded as he let Trimdir guide him out of the room and back into the smithy.


    "I''ll be back with food before dark," he said as he stomped away.


    As Irwin watched him stride through the smithy, then outside, he suddenly shivered. Was there a chance that Trimdir was going to go to Bron? He didn''t think so¡­ but¡­


    They knew each other from before, he thought as he stared dumbly at the door, wondering if he had made a big mistake.


    "You alright?"


    Irwin jumped, then looked at Lamia. He really had to stop his mind from wandering off!


    "Yes, fine," he said. "Just heard I''ll be here for a long day," he said with a weary grin. "Need more purified metal and all that."


    Lamia grimaced, then sighed. "Not fun, but Trimdir is right. If we are to replace all the broken parts, we will need way more. Lord Bron has also commanded all smithies to provide more weaponry so the commoners can defend themselves if worse comes to worst."


    "Then I better get started," Irwin muttered as he smiled at her. Then he turned and headed to his corner.

 Chapter 59: A good nights rest!

    Sweat poured from Irwin''s head as he continued striking the metal. His shoulders and arms were cramped, the muscles building while his back was burning. As hard as it was, at the same time, he felt better than he had in his entire, short life. The pile of purified metal beside the anvil was rapidly growing, and at some point, he realized he was forcing himself on.


    He wanted to get through the pile of raw ore!


    As the raw ore dwindled and the purified metal grew, he couldn''t stop himself from smiling. To him, only months had passed since he left Malorin, but he had changed so massively.


    Three lumps of ore.


    Two.


    Then he grabbed the final one and, with a grin of victory, struck it flat and pure. As he tossed it on the pile, a soft clapping came from behind him.


    "Very good," Trimdir said, crossing his arms while staring at him.


    He was alone, with no guards along, and Irwin felt the tiny bit of worry that had built deep inside vanish. Then he blinked and looked around in surprise. There were no others left, and from the dullness of the other forges, he knew it must be late. Perhaps evening?


    "I got a bit carried away," he muttered, putting his hammer on the anvil.


    Rubbing his hands, he grimaced at the soreness in his palms. No blisters, though. Coperion Body probably took care of those.


    A dull rumbling came from his stomach, and he blinked stupidly. He hadn''t eaten since he got here! He vaguely remembered Lamia bringing him water a few times, which was probably why his lips weren''t chipped.


    "Don''t worry, "Trimdir said. "I brought enough food, even for you."


    Irwin nodded as he followed Trimdir to his office. A minute later, he was munching on a massive chunk of dark bread, dipping it into the hot stew.


    "Where did you get fresh bread?" Irwin muttered in between bites.


    "Lamia," Trimdir said with a shrug, focused on his own food.


    When Irwin finally wiped the last grease from his plate, he saw Trimdir staring at him with a glint and a grin.


    "I''m still growing," Irwin muttered.


    "It''s fine, boy," Trimdir said, sounding like he meant it. "I was young once."


    Then he leaned back, eyes on something else, and Irwin realized there was a tiny box standing on the table.


    "Your friend was out with Basil, but he should be here soon," Trimdir said, gaining Irwin''s undivided attention.


    "Did they go after the Frozir?" he asked.


    "No, they had to close a portal that had appeared nearby," Trimdir said. "Do you want to wait for your friend, or¡­" he stared pointedly at the box.


    Irwin hesitated, then reached out and grabbed the box. Ambraz knew to be quiet and fake, reforging a card while Irwin struck the common. He wasn''t going to use his own skill, at least not yet, and not when anybody could see. That would have to wait for when he was good enough.


    So heavy, he thought as he opened the lid. As he did, he couldn''t help but be impressed by the quality of the craftsmanship. The tiny box looked better made than almost anything he''d ever handled. Then he stared at the stack of cards inside, and any thoughts about if Trimdir had made it vanished.


    "How... how many did you get?" he asked as he looked up in disbelief. There had to be twenty or more here!


    "Some people still owed me," Trimdir said smugly. "I told them I was going to attempt an experiment that might result in an uncommon combat card but that I needed common cards. They weren''t impressed until I told them I''d dismiss what they owed me to the first to hand me the largest amount of common combat cards. You should have seen those bloody merchants. They almost scrambled over themselves to rush to their hidden stashes!"


    A dangerous look crossed Trimdir''s face as he glared at the tiny box. "I always knew they were hiding cards¡­ but I''d never thought this many. And I''m pretty sure they have even more. A dozen merchants, each with over a dozen cards in hand. If it wasn''t for the bloody merchant guild-" he hissed angrily.


    Irwin nodded dumbly, the idea of having twenty common combat cards in his hands surreal.


    "And they didn''t ask what the experiment was?" he asked.


    "They did," Trimdir said. "I told them it had to do something with one of my cards that I finally fully mastered."


    Irwin''s head snapped up. "But they might-" he began.


    "Try and do something to me?" Trimdir asked as a sharp glint came to his eyes. "Let them try. The four strongest people in this keep would be on my side, and all the others combined can''t take on even half of those."


    "Like Bron?" Irwin whispered.


    Trimdir nodded. "But he isn''t the strongest. Not by far."


    He really trusts Bron that much? Irwin thought.


    Then he thought about what Trimdir had told him, that he and Bron and the others had gone through rifts when they were young. If what they had gone through had been anything like what he had experienced?


    And I trust Daubutim and Greldo.


    Somehow that made him feel even better about trusting Trimdir, at least as far as he had. Someone who could trust others like that and seemed sure the others would trust him likewise had to be a trustworthy person.


    "I can try one," he muttered as he took out the stack and began spreading them out. Almost all of the cards were body improvement cards ranging from grip strength to leg power. What surprised him was the trio of curved blades with hilts on both sides. He''d seen those before, and they were meant for tanning. The tanning knives, though obviously not meant for combat, looked sharp enough to cut things apart.


    "They look almost the same," he muttered, putting them side by side.


    "It''s one of the things I''ve always wondered about," Trimdir grunted as he leaned forward and took one of the gray-bordered cards. "Where do these things come from? How are they made."


    Irwin only just stopped answering. If he answered that, he''d have to explain how he knew, and he wasn''t ready yet to share Ambraz''s existence. At least, not yet. To hide it, he pushed himself up and away from the table, taking one of the dagger cards. One was as good as another, and if the uncommon dagger card proved incredible, they had two more to use.


    "Let''s reforge a card," he said with a grin.


    Trimdir jumped up, nodding, more excited than Irwin had seen him.


    Back in the smithy, Irwin moved to a spot not too far from his own forging area. Feeling slightly odd, he took out Ambraz from his pocket. The anvil didn''t make a sound or movement, looking like nothing but an elaborate prop. Just for theatrics, Irwin initiated Eyes of Blaze''s card reading before gently throwing Ambraz forward. With a flash, the tiny anvil turned into a massive one. He was surprised to find no sign of lips, not even a thin line.


    "By Yilda," Trimdir hissed, and Irwin saw him take a step back. "Could have warned me!"


    "Sorry," Irwin said, feeling a little childish glee. Then he stepped towards Ambraz and put the dagger card atop.


    He counted to ten, enabled Coperion Body, and slowly brought his fist down on the card. The image flashed into being, and he continued slowly striking it. In reality, he wasn''t doing anything as Ambraz was superseding his strikes.


    "Incredible¡­ it looks like the image, but all¡­ warped," Trimdir muttered, moving closer and staring in rapture at the floating image.


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    Irwin kept striking for a few minutes, then hit it harder for a final time. The card flashed brightly, and the image shifted before vanishing. A purple-bordered card lay on the anvil, depicting a longer, more intricate tanning knife.


    "It worked," Trimdir gasped, stepping forward. He hesitated, then gently picked up the card. "This-" he looked at Ambraz, shaking his head. "If we could get more cards like yours¡­" his voice trailed off as he continued shaking his head.


    Irwin wished it was that easy. If only someone could learn reforging cards without-


    Wait, do we need Ambraz? Or can we learn how to do this without him?


    He stared stupidly at the anvil. The anvil had said he''d teach him how to reforge. Didn''t that imply he might be able to do this without Ambraz? At least at some point? He couldn''t wait to ask Ambraz!


    They both remained quiet, staring at the card, lost in their own thoughts.


    "I''ve put a bed in the small storehouse," Trimdir said just as the door opened and Daubutim walked in. He took a single glance around, focusing on Ambraz, then on Trimdir before pulling the door closed and heading inside.


    "You should not stay here tomorrow evening. It will be too easy for people to figure out what is going on," he said out of the blue.


    Irwin wondered if he had heard as he opened the door or been listening in. He nodded, quickly examining Daubutim. There were no signs of wounds. Even his armor seemed undamaged.


    "Also, Basil told me to let you know he will find you after the Frozir have been beaten back. Until then, he expects you to help guard the walls in the afternoon."


    Irwin blinked, then nodded. He''d hoped he could stay here, working in the smithy, but with how Basil had reacted to him, he guessed that was too much to hope for.


    "Are you alright?" he asked. "I heard there was another portal?"


    "I''m fine," Daubutim said. "It was a common portal and easily closed. We found two more, which is why it took so long."


    "Good to hear we had an easy day for once," Trimdir said. "I''m going to finish up here."


    Irwin watched him leave, the new uncommon card clutched in his hand. After he closed the door, Daubutim moved closer, lowering his voice.


    "How did he react?"


    Irwin grimaced. He wanted to share what Trimdir had told him, but he had promised to keep it to himself. If he broke that promise already, how could he expect Trimdir to keep quiet?


    "Good. He was startled by the appearance of¡­ the anvil," Irwin said, quickly catching him from calling Ambraz by his name. ¡°Trimdir managed to-¡±


    He slowly regaled all Trimdir had done and said, leaving out only those parts he couldn''t talk about. As he did, he felt annoyed. He realized he didn''t like all these secrets. When he finished, Daubutim just nodded before taking something from his pocket.


    "I found a merchant with two common fire cards. He wasn''t very interested in the bug card, but in the end, took the deal," Daubutim said as he held out two common cards.


    Irwin''s eyes widened, and he carefully accepted them. Between the others they had, Ambraz could feed and upgrade another card for him!


    If one helps with my weakness, he corrected himself. And after I combine my first hand¡­


    Annoyed at all the things he had to do, he examined the top card. It showed a rain of red sparks floating in the air. He couldn''t make out any other details, meaning it was probably a utility card. With a frown he activated his Eyes of Blaze.


    Card: Rain of sparks


    Type: Common


    Utility card that allows the wielder to condense the ambient heat.


    Active: Draw in pre-existing ambient heat to create a rain of sparks.


    "It''s not¡­ bad," Irwin muttered. The problem was that compared to what he was used to, it wasn''t very good either. Though, honestly, it was better than what he had thought his first original card had been.


    Hoping the other one was better, he focused on the second card.


    It showed two hands pressed against each other with a glow between them.


    Card: Warm hands


    Type: Common


    Utility card that allows the wielder to heat their hands by rubbing them together.


    Active: Rubbing hands together causes enough frictional heat to warm them.


    Irwin''s first response was to groan. Then he stopped and stared at the card. Didn''t Coperion Body begin with only the hands? Would this card turn into Warm Body? And what would that mean? Would he be able to rub himself to get warm?


    After staring at the card for a while, he looked up to see Daubutim staring at him.


    "The second one¡­ might have promise," Irwin said softly. "I''ll have to reforge it to find out for sure."


    "If it''s not good, I can try and find more."


    Irwin nodded, staring at the card, wishing he could have Ambraz reforge it right away. Sadly, he''d have to wait to slake his curiosity till the next evening.


    Daubutim decided to remain, and so after talking for a bit more, they found more bedding and went in for the night.


    I hope Basil can stop the Frozir, Irwin thought just before falling into a deep sleep.


    The next day went by rapidly, starting with purifying metal and ending with a boring and cold afternoon on the southern wall. Besides a few birds, there had been nothing but snow as far as the eye could see. The only thing of note was the common card Trimdir had passed him before leaving. It was a body improvement card focusing on arm strength and the one he wanted Irwin to reforge that evening.


    When Irwin finally reached his and Daubutim''s room, the first thing he did was summon his flame and heat up the room until he could see the occasional heat shimmers. Then he put the common cards Daubutim had handed him on the table next to the one Trimdir had given him.


    "Ambraz?"


    A struggle came from his pocket, followed by a disgruntled snort.


    "Bah! I can''t wait for you to have two full hands and the strength to protect yourself," the anvil snapped. "Being cooped up in your pocket, unable to interact with anything, is stifling!''


    Irwin grinned. "Well, then we need to reforge one of my cards to rare, so I can begin with my first hand!"


    Ambraz snorted. "I will need to eat another card first and refine it."


    Irwin took the top card of the stack, one of the more useless common cards, and held it up. A happy grunt and a flash later, Ambraz stood in his large form, munching on the card.


    "Before we do that, can you reforge these two cards?" Irwin asked as he pushed both the arm strength one from Trimdir and the Warm Hands one forward.


    "Shouldn''t you do this so you can practice?"


    "I will try one of the less important ones after," Irwin said. "I can''t risk failing on these two."


    Ambraz''s lips were pursed. "Fine. Let me see them then."


    Irwin put the arm strength one on first, and a minute later, he picked up the new uncommon card. He glimpsed at it, then stuffed it in his pocket. A year ago, he would have cried for happiness if he''d gotten one like that. Now the simple physical strength it granted seemed somewhat lackluster compared to his cards.


    As he put Warm Hands on the anvil''s surface, Ambraz sniffed. "Ah! A friction energy card. That is actually not bad for you, though we will have to see what kind of effects it gets after reforging."


    "You can''t see before?" Irwin asked.


    "No. You either have to know or try. As many cards as I''ve seen, it barely scratches the surface of what is possible," Ambraz said, his voice becoming filled with enthusiasm." Friction cards have a great number of different possible effects. Some change to add ranged energy attacks, others change to become touch-based, while yet more gain passive bonuses to the wielder''s physique. As I reforge them, I can influence the direction, but only slightly. Now, I presume you want a full-body version and not a blast?"


    "Yes! Something that could help me resist the cold better," Irwin said, not interested in more ranged. He had his eyes for that, and he had an inkling those might improve greatly when the card became rare.


    "Fine. Feed me another common, and let''s see!"


    Irwin blanked, then stared at the anvil. "Another?"


    "Yes¡­ how do you expect me to reforge multiple cards otherwise?" Ambraz snorted.


    "Right," Irwin muttered, looking at his dwindling stack and picking the least useful one. After his own training and feeding Ambraz, he only had thirteen cards left, and he still needed to practice that evening. If he didn''t want to get rid of or at least limit his horrendous problem with cold, he wouldn''t have experimented like this.


    He tossed the card at Ambraz''s mouth and watched the anvil crunch it to bits. A few moments later, the card began glowing and shaking. It lasted longer than the previous times, but eventually, the card flashed once, and a new uncommon lay on the smooth metal surface.


    The hands had changed into a figure that was rubbing his hands. The entire figure glowed dimly while the hands seemed almost aflame.


    "Not bad! Ambraz said.


    Irwin didn''t listen, but he activated his Eyes of Blaze to look at the card.


    Card: Burning hands


    Type: Uncommon


    Utility card that allows the wielder to heat their body by rubbing their hands together.


    Active: Rubbing hands together causes frictional heat to spread from the hands throughout the body.


    "No passive," he muttered, more than a little disappointed.


    "What? Of course not! I''ve told you before that your other cards were pretty good. Especially Eyes of Blaze. But this is still a good card, at least for you. If you use it as your first card on your other hand, it will synergize with a part of the combination of your other hand and also with the next card."


    Irwin nodded. What Ambraz said made sense, but he had really hoped it would have gotten a passive warming effect. Well, he didn''t have to use it right away. He still hadn''t combined his first hand.


    The rest of the evening was spent practicing his own reforging, and when he finally quit, he had managed to reforge two cards, only breaking a single one.


    "Your progress is¡­ very good," Ambraz muttered as Irwin stared happily at the new uncommon card.


    It wasn''t useful to him, but he hoped both would allow Daubutim to trade for more cards dealing with heat. As he absently looked at the card, he suddenly remembered a question he''d meant to ask Ambraz.


    "Say¡­ can people learn to reforge cards without the use of a godly anvil?" he asked.


    "What? Are you trying to get rid of me?" Ambraz snorted. Before Irwin could respond, he laughed. "No matter! Eventually, you should be able to reforge up to rare with even a regular anvil, but by that point, you will not care much for it. What use is that when you can use me to create legendary cards?"


    Irwin stared at the anvil as his mind began skipping along.


    "How long would it take for me to teach someone like¡­ Trimdir, to reforge from common to uncommon without you?" he asked, imagining smiths all over the peninsula reforging useless commons into more powerful uncommons. How much easier would it be to resist the surges like that?


    "Interesting¡­ Normally I would say he is too old to learn, but¡­ I have seen how he purifies metal, and he is close to the master level. But without me? Between two and three years, probably."


    Irwin felt his hopes of having Trimdir and other smiths help reforge cards shatter.


    After talking with Ambraz about different cards some more, he went to bed.


    --


    A scream snapped Irwin out of a dream about swimming through lava, and he bolted upright, looking around. Shouts, screams, and explosions rang from outside, and the covers in front of his windows shuddered. There was only darkness beyond, marred by the occasional flash of bright light.


    "What-" he blurted as a dull roar came from the square below his window.


    Feet rang through the hallway beyond his door, and he heard muffled shouting. Then the feet reached his room, and the door was kicked open. A scared-looking guard stepped inside.


    "Wake up, we are under attack!" he shouted. "Assemble in the mess!" he shouted, seeing Irwin awake. Then he turned and ran to the next room.

 Chapter 60: Hot and cold

    Irwin rushed down the stairs, still tightening the straps of his new armor, his grappling gauntlets under an arm. As he finished the last bit, he ran into the hall together with dozens of sleepy guards and rangers. A full-armored guard stood by the entrance to the mess, shouting and pointing at the door leading to the square.


    "Outside and get ready to fight," he shouted, constantly pointing at the door.


    So much for regrouping, Irwin thought as he followed the mass through the hall and outside.


    A cold wind gushed around him while the dull explosions from before came from all around. Screams and shouts from people in pain echoed from the streets and alleyways. Guards were blocking those entrances, only stepping aside to let people through. A small melee of fighting was happening on the road leading to the main gate.


    Those are Frozir? Irwin thought as he saw blue-white beings surge forward.


    Most were shorter than the guards, but some towered over them. Though they looked nothing alike, they reminded him of the Galubs. A dozen of older, wizened guards that had just exited the tower sprinted towards the fighting, drawing swords and axes.


    Irwin hesitated, not sure what to do. He saw the same looks of fear and trepidation on the faces of the rangers and guards.


    The cold wind and lack of sun were making him shiver already, and he knew he would need to be careful. Still, he didn''t turn Coperion Body on yet.


    "Jamel, take that group and lead them to the east gate! Clear it and then head around the side," a familiar and booming voice roared.


    Irwin looked up to see Hutch nearby, waving at him and the group that came with him. Another grizzled guard with a massive two-handed sword ran towards them.


    "Follow me, ladies!" he roared as he began shoving people away from the door and towards one of the blocks of roads. Within moments the guards began showing their training, falling in line, and Irwin did his best to follow them. From what he could see, they were almost thirty-strong.


    Jamel ran to the front of their group, then stopped and looked at them. His eyes were darting across everyone as if he were looking for something. When he reached the end, he shook his head and muttered something. Then he pointed at two guards and a ranger. "You three will act as squad leaders! You-" and he waved a section of the group. "Split off and follow him. You-"


    Irwin watched in awe as the man rapidly turned the disorganized group of guards into three squads, giving each of the ad-hoc sergeants a set of instructions. Then he turned and looked over the group.


    "These bloody demons sent an advance force, and somehow they managed to create a portal to one of their horrible worlds! Don''t ask me how- I don''t know. Now! Hundreds managed to get out before Jamil, and the other higher-ups reached it and cordoned it off! While they are doing the hard work, it''s up to us to clean up what managed to slip past! Follow me, stay with your squad, and kill any of these Frozir you see! Remember your training. They are extremely cold to the touch, and the bigger ones can breathe out cones of frost! Move out and watch each other''s backs."


    Jamel turned and ran towards the guards blocking the road. They moved out of the way, and the group followed Jamel out and into the city.


    Irwin was in the third of the groups holding his jaw clenched to stop the constant ticking of his teeth. He felt the cold run through him, and he barely managed to put his grappling gauntlets on.


    I should have stayed inside, he thought. How was he going to help anyone if he couldn''t move due to the cold? Two streets in, a warning shout came from ahead. Irwin tried to look over the others, but as much as he''d grown, he was still barely average.


    "First group engage and kill them," Jamil''s voice rang out. "Second group hold back. Third group, circle around the right!"


    The guards around him, eyes wide and hands gripped around weapons, began moving in the direction of those ahead, and Irwin followed along. The clatter of weapons and screams of pain came from beyond the chaotic mess of people, and as the group of ten he was part of split off from the rest, he caught glimpses of pale blue figures in white armor fighting with the others. Jamil stood in the center, a large space around him as he swung his massive two-hander around.


    "More incoming from Calder street," someone screamed.


    "Second group, deal with it!"


    Irwin followed the ranger leading his group as they ran through a narrow passage. He''d not been to this part of town, and everything looked foreign.


    "Dammit, dammit. We should have brought light," one of the guards next to him muttered, gnashing his teeth as he raised his shield higher. Young, probably only a few years older than Irwin, his eyes were looking around in fear.


    Irwin was suddenly incredibly glad about his ability to see in the dark. Without it, he would probably be just as afraid.


    "Incoming!"


    The warning came too late as a Frozir two heads taller than the tallest guard jumped from an open doorway. Three men between him and Irwin, he could see its cold blue eyes radiate hate as it grabbed one of the guards with one hand and rammed a shortsword through his gut. As the bloody end shot out the back, the demon lifted the guard up and raised itself up to its full length as it let out a growl that made Irwin''s hair stand on end. At the same time, the temperature seemed to drop significantly.


    Irwin didn''t hesitate but triggered his Coperion Body card. Instantly the icy cold seemed to vanish, though his body was still cold and sluggish.


    Over half a dozen Frozir spilled out of the doorway behind the large one. The front two guards backed up until they were blocked by those behind them. The dark and narrow street, barely ten feet wide, gave little room to dodge.


    "Ranged to the back, shieldbearers forward," their lead ranger shouted. "Get rea-"


    Whatever he wanted to say next was cut short as the massive Frozir jumped at him, sword forward. Screams came from the other guards as the seven Frozir clashed with them. White frost was growing on the guards'' helmets, armor, and weapons.


    At the back, Irwin saw two guards drop, and within two seconds of the ambush, they had already lost four, including their new leader. The three guards ahead of him were stepping back. The screams from behind them showed that something was happening at the square, and it didn''t sound good.


    I need to do something!


    "We need to flee," the guard next to him shouted. "I can''t even see what''s attacking us!"


    Irwin clenched his grappling gauntlets, stepped as far to the wall as he could, and took a breath. "Close your eyes," he roared. He waited for a split second, hoping the guards would listen. Then he summoned his flame, causing it to hover above his hand and stretching it forward and up, increasing it to its maximum power.


    It was as if a massive bonfire roared to life, a wave of blistering heat rippling away from it. To Irwin, it felt like a soft spring balm, and his body finally began warming up.


    A surprised scream came from the Frozir and a few guards that hadn''t done as he had said.


    Irwin rushed forward and clenched his grappling gauntlets. He shoved a guard away, then pulled another from between the three Frozir about to impale him. They were rubbing their eyes, peeking through their fingers.


    Triggering his Eyes of Blaze, the world turned orange as fire roared over the Frozir. Their bodies tensed, arms outstretched as they let out a scream that hurt Irwin''s ears. He saw their armor crack while pale, wet drops appeared on their exposed skin, almost as if they were melting.


    Startled by their scream, Irwin dropped Eyes of Blaze. As if waiting for it, a sword flashed past him, stabbing one of the Frozir in the throat. It gurgled, grabbing its throat before dropping to its knees.


    "Kill them! Quickly before they can see!" a guard shouted as he rushed at the other two.


    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Irwin jumped with him, shoving his flame toward one. Its scream increased in pitch even more, and Irwin almost felt bad.


    Then he saw the remaining Frozir that had backed up, stalking forward. The giant Frozir stood behind them, hate in his eyes as he glared at him. It opened its mouth, and an icy air rolled out of it, rippling forward in a billowing cloud that engulfed the other Frozir. The walls it touched turned into ice which gleamed and reflected the light of his flame.


    Then the cloud of snow reached the Frozir that Irwin was torching, and his flame was pushed back. Worse, Irwin felt his blood run cold as he saw the almost dead Frorzir bask in the wave of cold, then stare at him with lucid and hate-filled eyes.


    "Stop it! It''s boosting their strength," the guard shouted.


    Irwin heard rustling from behind, but he had no time to check. He used another of his slowly dwindling Eyes of Blaze, focusing on the Frozir and the cloud. The cone of fire washed over the wall of icy cold and began pushing it back. The Frozir jumped back this time, barrelling into the others.


    Sensing his energy start to run out, Irwin stopped his skill.


    "Kill the warmbloods," the giant Frozir growled in a voice like cracking ice.


    We need to run, Irwin thought as he took a step back. He couldn''t get anywhere near that cloud, and they were outnumbered!


    The Frozir he had burned raised its sword and darted forward. Irwin backed up another step, feeling something stop him. Fear growing, he panicked and readied himself to grab the incoming frozir. Two steps from him, an arrow passed by his ear, thudding into the Frozir''s eye. Another followed almost instantly, then two guards pushed past him, pushing him against the wall.


    "Keep the light burning, kid!" Jamil said as he followed them, eyes focused on the massive Frozir.


    Irwin swallowed, raising his hand to increase the light. The two guards slammed into and shoved the remaining Frozir away, creating room for Jamil to pass by. More arrows shot out in rapid succession, and within a second, all of the Frozir, besides the tall one, dropped to the ground.


    Irwin turned around and saw three rangers, bows raised, arrows nocked, seemingly waiting for something.


    A shout came from ahead, and he snapped his gaze back forward to see Jamil barrel through the Frozir with no regard for the cloud of cold air that created a layer of frost on anything it touched. A barrier of ice appeared a foot before the Frozir.


    "Kid, fire off another one of those fire beams!"


    Is he crazy? Irwin thought.


    Jamil roared as he struck the barrier with his sword. There was a dull clank, and cracks appeared on the ice, but it held. "Don''t worry about me! Do it!"


    Gritting his teeth, Irwin focused on Eyes of the Blaze, blasting another cone of fire. He sensed his energy running low and knew he wouldn''t be able to use it many more times. The fire rippled around Jamil, who seemed unharmed as he continued striking the icy barrier. A chunk blasted out, revealing the Frozir, hands outstretched, eyes wide, and mouth open in a silent scream.


    "Keep it up!" Jamil shouted.


    Irwin licked his lips, feeling his energy dwindle rapidly. Knowing the fire would vanish in a moment, he rushed forward and reshaped his flame into a shield. There was barely any room beside Jamil, and he knelt so he wouldn''t get hit as his energy ran out.


    "What-" Jamil roared just as Irwin pressed his fire shield against the icy barrier. There was a soft cracking, then a loud pop, and the entire wall burst apart. Splinters of ice ticked against his reinforced skin.


    Jamil, still seemingly unharmed, roared a challenge and charged at the Frozir. A step away, he blurred and reappeared behind the Frozir. It fell down below him, its head dropping to the side with a dull thud.


    He was breathing heavily and shaking while his heart thudded in his chest. He''d fought before, but never in a group like this, and he realized he''d felt held back. The moment where he couldn''t turn replayed in his mind, the fear he''d felt, something he didn''t want to feel again. Something like this had never happened while fighting with Daubutim.


    Because we practiced and planned, he thought, leaning with his back against the wall.


    "Kid, can you turn down the heat?"


    Irwin looked up to find Jamil staring at him from a few steps away. His face was pale, and his body was shaking. With a quick focus, he turned down the flame and finally realized all of the guards had backed off from him, staring at him with wide eyes.


    "A new definition of hothead," Jamil said as he came closer. "Good job. Now follow me. We aren''t done yet."


    Irwin swallowed back a reply, then followed the other guards back to the main square. Bodies lay everywhere, mostly Frozir, with almost a dozen guards mixed in.


    One fight and we lost over a third, Irwin thought as he shivered.


    "Listen up! I know you are all afraid and tired. So am I," Jamil shouted. "But there are still Frozir in the city, and people need our help. Now, follow me and keep an eye out for another ambush!"


    Irwin shivered, then followed the other guards.


    A weary mutter came from his side as someone fell in line with him. "Thanks for saving us back there."


    Irwin looked up to see the young guard that had rushed to his aid. He nodded.


    "That''s one hell of a card you have. The one with the eye thing," the guard said, looking slightly curious, despite the situation. "The best I have is this-" He raised his hand and showed Irwin an image of a shield with a glittering top. "I can use it to cover a shield with a layer that is able to block any single attack. The problem is that the shield breaks right after¡­ kind of annoying to carry a dozen shields along."


    Irwin took a quick look, but the guard only had a single shield on his arms.


    "The rest got lost the last few days. I''ve been trying to get new ones but¡­" the guard shrugged.


    Irwin shook his head as he realized that explained something.


    "Quiet back there," Jamil snapped. "You''ll alert everything that we are coming!"


    The guard shrugged, but Irwin saw him pale, and he didn''t speak again.


    I wonder how long Coperion Body has been up, Irwin wondered, glad nobody had asked him to turn off his flame. He knew it made him a big target, but if he got ambushed by one of those ice things, he might not have the time to react otherwise.


    A few streets later, Jamil stopped and turned.


    "Eej, Hothead, come here for a sec."


    Irwin suppressed a cold shudder. Coperion Body had stopped a while back, and even his flame wasn''t enough to completely push away the cold. Wishing for the heat of the forges, he walked up to the senior guard. "It''s Orwin," he said, the name flowing out easily. As he did, he was slowly starting to think of himself as Orwin. Ever since coming here, nobody had even called him Irwin anymore, not even Daubutim.


    "Well, Orwin, I need you to do something dangerous," Jamil said with a wide grin. He turned and pointed at the square. "According to Brundich over here, there are a few of these icy pests in that building. I need you to draw them out with your little flame."


    Irwin blinked, then stared at the building across the square. It was probably some kind of noble residence, but the door had been rammed open. "How?" he muttered, suddenly feeling worried.


    "Simple. You are going to run up there with your flame and run back as soon as they come out."


    "Can''t we just shout?" Irwin asked dumbly.


    "I don''t think amidst all this noise they will care much," Jamil said as he put his hand to his ear.


    Irwin realized he''d somehow tuned out the constant shouting and screaming that came from further away.


    "Don''t worry. All of the rangers will be ready to shoot when you come out, and I''ll be waiting over there." Jamil pointed at a fountain that he would have to pass.


    Irwin stared at the door, then at the rangers around him. There were only seven left, but all had bows out, arrows ready. He''d seen them shoot. The other guards were silently watching, probably glad they weren''t the ones asked.


    For a moment, he wanted to reject the idea, then he pushed his fear down. Jamil was right. They needed to kill these things. And not just for the people. He needed Degonda safe so he could become stronger.


    Taking a deep breath, he walked towards the building. He heard Jamil follow him, the large guard''s footsteps moving towards the fountain. Irwin increased the output of his flame until it was roaring at its maximum power and changed it into a shield. It wouldn''t stop any arrows, but if those Frozir were going to shoot ice at him, it should help.


    Halfway across the square, he heard muffled sounds from inside the building, and he slowed his pace. A quick look back showed the rangers with arrows pointed at the door. Jamil waved at him from behind the fountain before hiding again.


    I don''t like being bait, Irwin thought. Then he reached the door. As he did, he saw something move inside, and he barely managed to jump to the side when a white shimmering orb shot through the space he''d just occupied. Irwin turned and sprinted back at an angle, so whatever was inside would have to come out first.


    A set of footsteps came from behind, and he took a quick look across his shoulder. Three smaller Frozir ran out and after him, while a tall one with long white hair stood in the door opening looking after him. He was holding his hands in front of his body, and a white ball of swirling snow was rapidly forming.


    Where are those stupid archers? Irwin thought. He''d barely finished the thought as he heard the faint snapping of bowstrings followed by a woosh. A shout was almost instantly cut off, and another look showed the frozir had dropped the icy ball. Five arrows poked from his chest while he was clawing at another protruding from his throat.


    Footsteps rang, and he stopped as he saw Jamil run towards him. A dozen feet away, he changed into a blur, and Irwin spun around just in time to see him slash through the Frozir that had chased him.


    "Incoming!"


    Irwin and Jamil looked up to see more Frozir run from the door, using icy shields to block the arrows directed at them.


    "Let''s go, Hothead!"


    Irwin growled but ran after Jamil.


    A few minutes later, another dozen Frozir lay sprawling on the street.


    "Not bad," Jamil said with a wide grin. "Hutch trained you, didn''t he?"


    Irwin nodded his head, increasing the output of his flame to combat the cold.


    "Well, I''ll have to buy him a drink later!" Jamil said cheerily. "Now, let''s go!"


    Irwin sighed as he followed the other, hoping he didn''t have to become bait again.


    His wishes weren''t granted.


    They patrolled the district for two hours, clearing out so many Frozir that Irwin lost count. They lost a few more guards, but as they began getting the hang of it, it became easier.


    When they hadn''t found another Frozir in over ten minutes, and the sounds all throughout the city had died down, they headed back. By this point, Irwin was walking in the front next to Jamil. When they reached the square before the tower, they saw that the blockades were gone. Dozens of tents and bonfires dotted the area, only a single narrow path free to the tower''s door.


    "Alright. All of you head back. Get food, let someone look after your wounds, then sleep," Jamil snapped. "And don''t you bloody have nightmares! We will probably need to fight again tomorrow!"


    None of the guards said more than a few grunts as they staggered back to the tower.


    "Orwin, you did really well," Jamil said as he pulled Irwin back. "I''m not sure what Hutch has planned for you, but I''m sure you will be with one of his elite groups soon!"


    Irwin grimaced, then nodded. "Probably. But sleep first," he muttered.


    "Off you go!" Jamil said, forcing a weary laugh.


    Irwin turned to the tower, cold, hungry, and tired. Again.


    I hope tomorrow will be better, he thought.

 Chapter 61: Grief and wailing

    The next day was one of grief and wailing. From waking in a tower full of tired and depressed guards to walking through a destroyed town, Irwin was glad when he finally finished at Trimdir''s. It was probably the first time since the start of the winter that he would be happy to leave the heat of the furnaces for his quiet room.


    Trimdir had left early, handing him a card and telling him he wouldn''t be back till the next day. He''d not explained where he was going, and Irwin had been too preoccupied to ask. Now that the day was almost over, all he could think of was heading back to his room and reforging one of his cards to rare. He still didn''t know exactly which one.


    But before that, he had something else he needed to do.


    Lamia was sitting with her back against her anvil, as she had for most of the day. Anyone that had approached her had been met with a dull stare. There were again fewer smiths than before, and as Irwin watched the handful that had been there, working, leave, he gritted his teeth. Of the almost two dozen smiths, only seven seemed to still be alive or willing to work.


    I hope they are still alive, he thought, as he thought about what he''d heard.


    It had become apparent what the Frozir had been doing. They had rushed into houses, killing anything they found, and the funeral house was full, and bodies had been placed outside the walls to freeze.


    How can they just¡­ come and slaughter innocents? Irwin thought as he moved towards Lamia and sat down with his back against the wall opposite her.


    Lamia didn''t speak, just looking at the ground.


    Irwin wanted to help, wanted to say something, but he had no idea what to do. One of the smiths had said that Lamia''s house had been one of those visited by the Frozir while she was at her uncle''s inn. Nobody inside had been left alive. Irwin could only imagine what she must be feeling as he thought about his mother and brother.


    I hope they will be fine, he thought.


    "I want to become strong," Lamia whispered, snapping him out of his own sadness.


    Irwin looked up to see her gaze straight at him. "I¡­ need¡­" she muttered, tears in her eyes.


    Irwin scrambled forward, not sure what to do. The only thing he could think of was what his mother had always done when he or his brother had been crying. He wrapped her in his arms. Lamia shuddered, then began crying against his leather apron. Her wailing turned so intense and lost that Irwin felt tears run down his own face as he tried not to think about his own family.


    How long they sat there, he didn''t know, but at some point, Lamia pushed herself away. Sniffling, she wiped her face, tears still running down. It took her a few moments, but when she finally got a grip, she gritted her teeth and stared at him so intently Irwin almost backed up.


    "I know you are strong, I''ve heard the stories! Help me¡­ I want to make them pay!"


    Irwin swallowed.


    The anger in Lamia''s eyes burned so bright it made him incredibly worried. Bronwyn had told him stories about people that went out to get revenge on the demons, and usually those didn''t end well. Seeing her eyes glitter, seeming to demand an answer, he struggled to find something to say. He had to¡­ help her through this. He could understand she wanted to grow stronger, and he¡­ could help. But should he if she was going to rush out and get herself killed?


    Then he thought about himself and his own reason for getting stronger. Why was he fighting?


    He had hated being weak and dreamt of having a strong card that would fix his inborn disabilities. He had that now, but he still needed more strength. Why? Because he wanted to stop the portals¡­ to save what? The world? Yes¡­ but mostly-


    Because I want to protect my family¡­


    As he thought of his mother and brother, of Daubutim and Greldo, he clenched his jaw and looked at Lamia. She was still looking at him as if trying to draw knowledge and power from him.


    "They will return and kill more people," he said softly. "And if not the Frozir, other demons."


    "Then I''ll kill them all," Lamia said, her hands clenched into fists. Veins throbbed on her neck.


    Irwin searched for a way to express what he felt. He agreed that killing all of the demons would be best, or at least those that came and killed innocent people. Then he recalled the Galub, Ulrop. The Galub had been angry because people hunted him and his race just for their soulcards. So they killed those who came to close the portal, taking their cards.


    Like a cycle, he thought.


    "Why?" he asked, keeping his voice low, and s "To hurt them as you were hurt?"


    "Yes!" Lamia snapped.


    "But¡­ they won''t stop, and there are too many to kill them all," Irwin said, suddenly unsure of what he felt. He knew things that Lamia didn''t, and even he had a hard time with it¡­ There was only one thing he knew for sure.


    "Do you know why I fight to get stronger?" he said, louder this time, as he gazed at Lamia.


    "No," she muttered. He saw the confusion and anger in her eyes.


    "To protect other people," Irwin said. "My family, my friends¡­ you."


    As he said it, he knew it was true. He didn''t want something bad to happen to Lamia. Or to Trimdir. He liked them.


    "If you get stronger just to kill demons¡­ I don''t think that''s a good idea," he continued before shaking his head. "I can''t explain why, but I think it will destroy who you are."


    Lamia blinked, pulling back as if she was slapped. "But they killed¡­ all of them!" she almost growled.


    "Your uncle is still alive," Irwin said, hoping he was right. "Do you have more family here? Don''t they need protecting?"


    "Yes," Lamia said, her voice cracking as tears rolled down her eyes. "But¡­ I want to¡­ have to¡­¡± She gritted her teeth, striking the side of the anvil. "I''m so angry! I need something to hit! Hit those demons until they¡­"


    "Feel your pain?" Irwin completed her sentence. "I know... But if I had to choose between saving those I love that remain and hurting the ones that killed those I couldn''t save, I know what I''d choose."


    As he spoke, a tiny voice deep inside asked him if he would say the same thing if his mother and brother had been killed by Frozir. Irwin shuddered, then clenched his own fists. I don''t know. But I''m going to try my best to make it, so that doesn''t happen, he thought.


    Lamia leaned back against the anvil, her hands opening and closing while her eyes looked at a point beyond Irwin. Then her eyes focused on him, and she blinked.


    "I need to think," she muttered as she scrambled up.


    Irwin watched her run to the door, then stop, hand on the knob.


    "Thank you, Orwin," she whispered before yanking open the door and running outside.


    As the door slammed shut behind her, Irwin stared at it. He hoped what he''d said would help, and he wondered if he had even been right. As his mind calmed, he wondered if she hadn''t been right. Perhaps they should just try and kill all of the demons as fast as they could.


    He remained seated where he was until he noticed the light through the door crack begin to fade. Then he pushed himself up and looked around. Trimdir wasn''t back, and it was hot and quiet here. Daubutim hadn''t been back since the previous day, and all he could do was hope his friend was alright.


    As he walked to the door, he stopped and looked around. If he was going to reforge a card to rare¡­ why not stay here? He could close the door, so nobody could enter and would have more heat than in his own room. Besides, if those Frozir attacked again during the night, he would be safer here.


    And I could combine my hand¡­


    "Trimdir won''t mind," he whispered. "And Daubutim can find me here¡­"


    Making up his mind, he walked to the door and shoved it closed before bolting it shut. The thick beam should hold back anything that would want to come in, and he walked to the center of the room. After a second, he went into the different rooms to be absolutely sure there weren''t any smiths hiding out.


    Finding nothing, he took out Ambraz.


    "About time!" the Anvil grunted. "Do you have any idea how stupid you were yesterday? Why didn''t you just stay in your room!? Those Frozir are the worst thing for you to fight!"


    Irwin stared at the Anvil hovering angrily before him. He didn''t know what to say. The Anvil was correct. After a second, he sighed.


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    "Are you ready to reforge one of my cards?" he asked softly.


    "Bah. Sure, change the conversation¡­" Ambraz muttered. "Anyway¡­ yes, I am ready. Have you decided which one?"


    Irwin raised his hand, shaking his head sadly.


    "No¡­ I was hoping you could tell me what would be the one to help me the most."


    Ambraz clicked his tongue, an oddly metallic sound.


    "About time you decided to ask someone that actually knows what''s what," the Anvil snapped. "Well, it depends, doesn''t it? If you reforge Coperion Body, you can turn it into an improved version, which will increase the duration of the active ability while strengthening the passive effect. If you do Eyes of Blaze and focus solely on the body reforging passive, you will become much stronger, especially in hot environments, but your cold weakness will become even worse."


    "I don''t want that-" Irwin began, only to be interrupted by Ambraz.


    "Tssk, tssk. I wasn''t done. After you reforge that card, I presume you are going to combine them?"


    Irwin blinked, then nodded.


    "I thought as much," Ambraz said. "I think that''s the smart thing to do. This world is sliding down faster than I''ve ever seen, and I''m getting more and more confused by what I''m seeing. Demons summoning a portal? Unheard off. The only places portals can be summoned on a whim are farming worlds."


    Irwin felt his skin crawl and the hair on his arms rise. "You can''t mean that this is a farming world," he whispered, afraid. "You said those are world shards!"


    "Well¡­ there are entire worlds that are turned into farming worlds. And it would explain some things," the Anvil muttered. "But, no. That doesn''t explain the portals spawning so fast. Unless¡­¡± Ambraz faltered.


    "Unless what?" Irwin asked.


    "Unless this is a farming world that has served its purpose," Ambraz whispered, his voice laced with fear.


    "What do you mean?"


    "Farming worlds don''t remain useful," Ambraz said. "When their resources are depleted, they are abandoned. The portals to the hub worlds will be closed, and dozens of normal portals begin cropping up for each that is closed."


    Irwin stared dumbly at the Anvil. Their world couldn''t be a farm world! It¡­ it¡­ But what if it is?


    "What¡­ what do we do if that is the case?"


    Ambraz was quiet for a while.


    "I don''t know¡­" he finally said. "If this is true, then the world beyond that wall you told me about would be filled with demon surges and portals. If you could find a portal to a hub world, you could flee and survive. But¡­¡±


    "I would have to leave everyone here?" Irwin snapped angrily. "They would die!"


    Ambraz''s metal lips curved down, and he sighed. "I guess that''s not an option. Well.. we still don''t know this is really a farming world. Let''s not get ahead of oursel-"


    "How do we find out?" Irwin asked.


    "Err¡­. by finding a portal to a hubworld?"


    Irwin slumped. "How do we even find those? There are so many portals here, and who knows how many more beyond the wall?"


    "Oh, that''s easy," Ambraz sniffed. "They are twice as tall and have golden lightning bolts. Pretty easy to recognize, really."


    Irwin stared at his feet, unsure he''d heard right. Then he looked up and shook his head. "Those are legendary portals¡­" he hissed.


    "And what would you know?" Ambraz snapped back." Legendary portals aren''t that tall! Barely taller than normal portals!"


    Irwin sat down, his mind buzzing. He knew he''d heard about a portal like that¡­ back in history class. Something about Gelwin closing one? Or entering? He couldn''t recall. But he did recall where it was supposed to be. Just beyond the wall, in the ruins of a city that used to sit there.


    There had to be a history book somewhere in town¡­ perhaps a library?


    "Daubutim will know," he suddenly said.


    "What?" Ambraz asked, confused.


    "Nothing. Why did you say I should reforge my Eyes of Blaze?"


    "Dammit, I didn''t say that! I said that you shouldn''t not choose it based on a false assumption! Well¡­ I didn''t say that either, but it''s the same thing. If you are going to combine your hand, you can attempt to use the heat from your flame and combine it with Coperion Body''s passive effect. That should offset most of your weaknesses."


    "I can combine an active effect with a passive effect?" Irwin asked, surprised. With all he''d heard about combining his cards, he wasn''t sure about the exact details.


    "Yes¡­ you really don''t know much. Well, your first card always becomes the core, but then you can pick one active or passive effect of the other two cards. There will be more effects merging, strengthening, some even weakening but the effect is almost always better than before¡­"


    Irwin sat back. "Shouldn''t I reforge my Coperion Body then?"


    "You could, but that one is already doing for you what it needs to, and even if the timer becomes longer, how much stronger will it really make you?"


    Ambraz'' is right, Irwin thought, staring at the Anvil. He was using Coperion Body as a last-minute resort sometimes, but mostly to combat his cold weakness. If he could get rid of that?


    "There''s one thing you need to remember," Ambraz said as if recalling something. "After this, you will only have three more slots, one of which is required to be legendary. Well, if you want to become a heartbound at some point."


    By Gelwin''s beard¡­ I forgot about that! Irwin grunted. He raised his hand and sighed. He''d imagined he would reforge his first card, but that was out of the question now. He would probably be dead before that moment.


    "I guess getting Fire-sensitive body to legendary is out then," he said with a sad sigh.


    "Yes, but who cares," Ambraz snorted. "It''s a good card, great even for becoming a cardsmith, better even than I''d initially imagined, but¡­ for combat?"


    "Will I become a weaker heartbound if I only have one legendary?"


    "Bah, you worry over things that make no sense!" Ambraz snapped. "First off, I''ve never heard of someone with only legendary cards on any of the non-core worl¡­. errr¡­" He sniffed, then continued softer. "There are nearly no smiths able to make them, and you need to sacrifice anywhere between three and ten special cards to create one. And yes, technically, you could find a demon that could drop one if you could kill it. I''ve seen heartbound that had three legendaries being beaten by those with one."


    Irwin sighed, then nodded. Ambraz was right. Besides, he could always wait before combining his right hand until he''d reforged everything to legendary!


    "Alright¡­ What is the best combination I could make?" he asked.


    "The one I just told you," Ambraz replied calmly. "Obviously. You need to reduce your weakness while getting stronger. This is the best way with your current cards."


    Irwin sat up straight as he thought of what Ambraz had said.


    With my current cards¡­


    "What if I replace a card with something else?" he asked.


    "..."


    "Ambraz?"


    "You¡­ could. But do you have any idea the torment you would go through? If you combine that with the pain of having to combine your cards..."


    Irwin paled, then shivered. "Never mind," he muttered. If even Ambraz hesitated after he''d let him reforge a card and go through the pain as before... No. He''d rather not.


    He remained quiet, thinking about all of the potential combinations, asking Ambraz about them. The only one that seemed to have any potential was his flame and Eyes of Blaze active to create a much more powerful fire beam. Sadly, that meant his weakness would only get stronger as it meant reforging Eye''s of Blaze without any potential fix for his cold problems.


    "Fine." Irwin said as he got back up and stared at the Anvil. "Let''s reforge Eyes of Blaze."


    "I will increase the passive body tempering part," Ambraz said. "So don''t expect a great increase in the other abilities."


    "I know. How do we start?"


    "By you feeding me another card," Ambraz said, letting out a weary sigh. "I''ll need it, because you won''t be able to help much this time."


    "Why not?" Irwin asked, reluctant to lose another of his rapidly dwindling common cards.


    "Because you will be doing your best to keep your hand there, focused on your card, hammering your hand while crying to your mommy. That''s why," Ambraz said grimly.


    Irwin felt all of the hairs on his body stand on end. "I have to hit my own hand?" he asked.


    "Yes. I can''t do this without your help. Normally, you would have to do this or feed me a rare card. I don''t think either is an option, is it?"


    "No," Irwin said slowly.


    He stared at his hand, then around. His fear was bubbling near the surface, but he kept a lid on it as he thought about Lamia''s crying, his family, and all the other things he wanted to protect. After a moment, he threw another common card at Ambraz, staring at the thin stack he had remaining.


    They won''t help anyone enough if I can''t become strong enough to survive, he thought.


    Somehow, the thought cleared his cluttered mind, and he remembered what had happened the previous times he''d reforged his cards. Slowly he removed all of his clothing except for his underwear. Then he began firing up two of the forges, stoking the fire hotter and hotter. Ambraz said nothing, crunching softly on the card.


    "Alright, let''s do this," Irwin said. Without giving himself a chance to second guess, he put his hand on the forge and focused on Eyes of Blaze. An image appeared above his hand, marred by dozens of black splotches and a few sparkling stars. Two burning red eyes amidst swirling clouds of gaseous fire.


    "Wait," Ambraz grunted.


    Irwin felt something pressing against his cards. A foreign entity, cold and hard, it slowly wrapped around his middle card.


    "Alright, this will not hurt as much as the previous time because you will do it yourself¡­ mostly," Ambraz said, sounding strained. "Hit when I say, and don''t, under any circumstance, remove your hand!"


    Irwin clenched his jaw, triggered Coperion Body, and waited, fear coursing through his veins.


    "Now," Ambraz grunted, and Irwin struck. It felt like he hit his hand with a hammer, shattering the bones within, and he couldn''t help but let out a whimper.


    "Again."


    Irwin struck again, unconsciously holding back a little. The pain came again as if his hand had been repaired just to be snapped apart once more.


    "Again, harder!"


    He struck again, tears running down his eyes.


    "Again."


    More pain.


    "Again."


    At some point, part of him knew that he was shouting each time he struck the card, but most of him were barely conscious. His eyes were blurry, and all that registered were the voice and the pain.


    --


    Daubutim increased his pace, now sprinting across the dark square as he heard the scream of pain. Muted and distant, he recognized it immediately.


    "What¡­ what is going on?"


    An old man moved out of the nearby building, a look of fear on his face.


    Daubutim slowed down, his thoughts stilling and his mind close to shutting down. What could he say? What- His methodic mind pushed a memory to the surface, almost like picking up a book. It was one he''d hated. A lesson with his brothers. One on torture, and- He cut the thoughts off, a trick he''d learned early on. He knew what to do now.


    "Someone is having their bones reset," he whispered, ignoring the coldness in his own voice. "There is nothing you can do. Go back inside."


    "At Trimdir''s?" the man said, sounding dubious.


    "It''s one of his smiths. His house was destroyed by the demons," Daubutim said, copying something he''d heard in the tower. He didn''t stop walking and by now was past the old man and at the door. He entered the alleyway, now out of sight, and rushed to the door. A dull hammering came from inside, and each was accompanied by a muted whimper or shout.


    He is reforging his own card!


    Daubutim tried to open the door, but it wouldn''t budge. Forcing all of his strength on the handle only caused it to creak dangerously, and he tried pushing the door, but it felt like shoving a wall.


    Damnit, Irwin, he thought as he pressed his hands against the door. Why didn''t you wait for me!


    --


    A flash of light barely registered as Irwin raised his hand mechanically. His jaw was shivering uncontrollably, his face stained with tears.


    "Done," Ambraz croaked. "Stop, fool! It''s done!"


    Irwin''s hand lowered, and he sank down as if his bones had melted. He lay on the ground, tired and weary, when a shiver ran through him. Then another.


    Cold¡­


    The thought barely registered, and as the cold increased, he curled up in a ball, eyes closed shut.


    It didn''t help!


    It was too cold!


    Wait... the cold from one side was less. He slowly unfurled, his body seeming unwilling to comply. Barely able to move, he clawed and crawled his way toward where it was less cold. The closer he got, the less cold it became, then he reached something high. It took an effort to climb up, and then his hand touched something warm. It felt so wonderful that he managed to urge his almost frozen-solid body onward, climbing fully into the warmth.


    As it touched him and surrounded him, his mind cleared slightly, and he thought he had heard something.


    Then his weary mind cared for nothing anymore, and he curled up in the warmth.


    Warm.

 Chapter 62: Full-hand

    The first thing Irwin heard was rustling at the door and soft talking.


    "-been quiet for a while."


    Daubutim? Irwin thought as he wondered why he was feeling so hot.


    Especially his back.


    Not painfully so, just slightly hotter than was comfortable. He felt incredibly relaxed and, except for the discomfort on his back, more comfortable than he had in weeks. No lingering muscle aches or even any real cold, nothing. To his surprise, the memories of the intense pain weren''t as intense as he''d feared. No more than memories, and though he couldn''t hold back a shudder if he focused on them, that was the worst of it.


    I guess everything worked out, he thought as he opened his eyes.


    Right above him sat a dirty, grimy black metal sheet with a hole in it. He could touch it if he wanted to.


    Why does that seem so familiar? he thought.


    It took him two whole seconds to realize he was looking at the inside of a forge. With the realization came a jolt of fear, and he rolled over and away from the coals, thudding on his back on the cool ground below. He looked to the side, staring at the rumaged-looking forge. The coals had been shuffled about, and a person-sized indent was in the middle.


    I can actually lie in a forge now? Irwin thought, barely believing it.


    "Finally awake?" Ambraz whispered, swirling down to land on his chest. "Daubutim is outside, and I think that girl''s with him."


    Irwin stared up at him stupidly, then the words registered.


    "Lamia?" he whispered.


    "Yes, her! You might want to combine your cards before you open that door."


    "..."


    "What? Don''t look at me like that. That''s what all of this was for, right?"


    "I just woke up from a pain-induced sleep," Irwin whispered, almost angrily. "I need a moment!"


    "Bah.. compared to what you just went through, combining your cards will be easy for you."


    Irwin''s eyes narrowed as he glared at the Anvil. "Just like you once said, reforging doesn''t hurt?"


    "When are you going to let that drop? And no¡­ I''m serious. It won''t hurt half as much as a single hit."


    Irwin grunted and pushed himself up to his feet. As he stood, he swayed as he stared around stupidly. Everything seemed a little smaller, and the ground seemed farther down.


    "What¡­?" he muttered. How much had he changed from just reforging his Eyes of Blaze? Technically it had body strengthening effects before... had turning it rare turned it into a true body enhancement card?


    His gaze fell on the pile of clothes to the side. Right, he''d undressed! Looking down, he saw he was stark naked. No hint of his underpants remained.


    Flushing, he stepped to the pile and grabbed his pants. It was slightly uncomfortable without his underpants, but he''d prefer that over Lamia coming in and seeing him butt naked.


    "I think I heard something!"


    Irwin looked at the door. That had definitely been Lamia.


    "Irwin? Are you alright? Please open the door!"


    Irwin hesitated, then remained where he was, staring at his arms. His muscles had grown again, and as he flexed, he stared at his biceps.


    I think I''m bigger than Bronwyn now¡­


    "So¡­" Ambraz whispered, hovering around him. "Done admiring yourself?"


    Irwin hesitated again. Should he combine them now? Trimdir and Basil warned him that it was difficult, but Ambraz was right. He had gone through all the pain so he could combine them.


    Still...


    Irwin looked around, then at himself again. If reforging one of his uncommon cards to rare had done this much, what would reforging Coperion Body do? He shuddered as he recalled the pain he''d gone through. Then he thought about his family. The pain was... fleeting, but if he wanted to save them?


    "I... perhaps I should wait and do my other card, too?" he whispered.


    "What? And risk this backwater place being overrun by surges and dying tomorrow?" Ambraz retorted, landing on his shoulder.


    Irwin grimaced and hesitated. Ambraz was right... but getting a second rare was just so close. He ignored the muted voices from behind the door. If it had only been Daubutim, he''d have let him in instantly, but with Lamia there?


    "Are you sure you can''t do one now?" he asked. Ambraz didn''t look as tired as he had the previous time.


    The Anvil remained quiet for a while, then snorted softly. "Fine. Feed me all the remaining common cards, and I''ll try."


    "All of them?" Irwin muttered as he thought of the half a dozen cards he had left.


    "Yes- all of them," Ambraz whispered as he flew back to the center of the room. With a thud, his large-sized form appeared.


    Irwin hesitated, then grabbed his tunic and recovered the cards. Staring at the small stack, he hesitated again. Perhaps he should risk it? Wait for tomorrow?


    No. I can always get more cards, he thought as he shoved his worry about feeding so many cards away.


    He stepped towards the Anvil and threw the cards inside.


    Ambraz grunted as he began chewing.


    Irwin stared at him quietly, his body starting to shiver uncontrollably at the prospect of having to hurt himself again.


    "Alright. Do you want to upgrade to Dense Coperion Body or a Hardened Coperion Body? Dense means you will be heavier and stronger but slower. Hardened means tougher skin, even less penetrable than now, but with reduced regeneration when cut."


    "I- I think Hardened?" Irwin muttered. "What would you suggest?"


    "Dense," Ambraz said. "You have enough body strengthening cards to overcome the heaviness and reduce the impact of the slow."


    Irwin tried to think about what would be best, but he just couldn''t keep his mind away from the imminent pain. Ambraz has proven right enough times, he finally thought.


    "Dense," he whispered.


    "Smart move, kid! Let''s go!"


    Irwin shoved all fears to the back of his mind, focusing on what it would feel like to wake up after the pain.


    --


    Daubutim slammed his fist on the door as another pained moan came from the other side.


    "What is happening? We need to get someone... break open this door!" Lamia cried. "Someone is torturing him!"


    Daubutim sighed as he stared at the door. There was a dull thud, then another high, piercing scream.


    "No, he is practicing," he finally muttered.


    "Practicing?" Lamia hissed, shoving him to the side with surprising strength before glaring at him with her tear-stained face. "What kind of practice does this?"


    "The one that involves cards," Daubutim said softly. They both jolted when there was another scream, unrestrained this time.


    "This... this is stupid!" Lamia shouted. "How long will this take?"


    Daubutim stared at the door, trying to recall how long the previous reforging had taken.


    "A few minutes," he said.


    There was a soft muttering from the other side of the alleyway, and he looked up to see people staring inside.


    "Can you go and tell them to leave? Orwin will open the door when he is ready."


    Lamia stared at him, then rubbed her eyes and stomped off.


    Daubutim turned to the door, staring at it dully.


    --


    Irwin woke with a jolt, lingering memories of pain slowly fading. He was curled up in a ball, his back against an Anvil.


    Two times in a day is too much, he thought as he slowly unfurled. Each of his movements felt slow and ponderous, but also as if nothing would stop his motions.


    It took him a few seconds to get to his feet, and when he did he saw Ambraz sitting on a nearby anvil. He was quiet, his wings unmoving, and his lips pressed tightly together.


    "Ambraz?" Irwin whispered.


    "Ah, you''re back," Ambraz responded softly. "Listen, kid. This took way more out of me than I''d anticipated."


    Irwin took a slow step forward, noticing he was already getting used to the odd sensation of being heavy and ponderous. It reminded him of when he''d first gotten Coperion Body.


    He took a glance at his hand, then stared back at Ambraz while trying hard to ignore the memories of the pain. Something about the second time had been even worse, but he had done it to become a full-hand before tomorrow.


    "Are you still able to help me with becoming a full-hand?" he asked.


    "Yes, but... you are going to have to do the heavy lifting."


    Irwin swallowed, the pain of having both cards reforged mixing with the stress of what still lay before him.


    "Don''t give me that look," Ambraz grunted, sounding slightly more energetic. "It should be easy enough for you. Your cards have so much overlap that I don''t think you could fail even if you tried to!"


    Irwin looked around, then at his hand, noting the changes to his two no longer uncommon cards. The tattoo outlines were far more evident than before, and both had small flames etched around the edges. He wanted to see what they were called now, what his Eyes of Blaze -was it even still called that?- showed him. But that would have to wait. He heard muttered voices outside of his door, and he was surprised they hadn''t broken the door down yet.


    "Okay, what do I do?" he whispered.


    "You need to focus on all three of your cards in order of importance. Try to make them appear above your hand. Then you need to force them together. Create a unified whole... I''ll try to guide you as much as I can."


    Irwin closed his eyes and focused on his first card. It responded instantly, and he was surprised to sense a slight resonance before it appeared. He didn''t even have to look to know that it was hovering above his hand. Eyes of Blaze was slightly harder, and he sensed its greatly increased power.


    "Good, two¡­ one more," Ambraz whispered, sounding surprised.


    Irwin wondered why, but he had no time to ponder it now. Trying to keep both his cards in focus and out, he focused on Coperion Body. It felt like he had to split his mind three ways, and he felt his focus on Eyes of Blaze slipping. He struggled to keep it from disappearing again, and just as he feared it would vanish, he felt the resonance from his first card.


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    They need to combine so... they should resonate the same, he thought.


    Letting his focus on Coperion Body slip slightly, he tried to force Eyes of Blaze to resonate with his first card. It took barely any effort, and to his shock, the cards began almost humming. Forcing his confusion away, he focused on Coperion Body again, and this time it instantly snapped into focus, humming along with the other two.


    "Insane," Ambraz whispered weakly, but Irwin ignored him. He opened his eyes to see three cards hovering above his hand. They were spinning slowly, backs together.


    "Alright, keep them there," Ambraz said, sounding resigned as he flew above the cards. He hung there for a bit, then sniffed. "Try to force them together, but make sure you move them evenly! I''ll warn you if you pull on one too much."


    Irwin licked his lips, not sure what to do. He tried to will his cards together, but nothing happened. Sensing his cards gently revolving around each other, humming along, he noticed they were almost exactly in tune. Almost.


    Perhaps...


    Irwin focused on the resonance of his first card, then tried to force the other two to join in, slowly ironing out the tiny difference.


    All three cards shivered, then the cards began inching closer together.


    Irwin stared at them in wonder, ignoring a surprised whisper from Ambraz. He continued removing the tiny discrepancies, the cards moving closer and closer, then with a jolt, they touched, and as they did, a painful tearing sensation pulled at his hand.


    It wasn''t enough to make him worry, especially compared to what had happened hours prior, but it was far from comfortable. At the same time, it felt like the humming became clearer, almost like he had moved closer to the source. With the clarity came the realization that there were still dozens of tiny inconsistencies.


    "Good, now pull them together into a single whole," Ambraz whispered. "Ignore the pain, and keep going!"


    Irwin nodded, gritting his teeth, and continued forcing the cards to resonate together to create a single, uniform hum. With each tiny fix, the cards seemed to pull closer, and the pain increased.


    He had no idea how long it took, but when he finally fixed his Coperion Bodies final tiny flaw, the three cards disappeared in a flash of light.


    Blinking away the blurry spots, Irwin saw a large, card-shaped golden glow hovering above his hand.


    The tearing increased exponentially, and Irwin clenched his teeth, all the muscles on his body rippling. He lost control of his focus, but the cards remained there, and all he could do was keep their hum in line.


    "Almost done," Ambraz whispered. "Keep doing what you''re doing!"


    The glow intensified, and as it did, the humming became louder and louder until it seemed like a roaring. It almost felt like three giants were humming inside his ear. At first, it seemed perfectly in unison, but then he felt it. A tiny dissonance was between his main card and the other two.


    Before he could worry, he sensed his first card do... something with the other two. Instantly the final flaw disappeared, and the humming changed, turning into a soft song as it increased and decreased. It almost seemed like his cards were... happy?


    Any hope that it would alleviate the pain vanished as the tearing sensation increased together with the complexity of the song. It wasn''t enough to make him scream and cry, but he couldn''t help his teeth from grinding together.


    It continued for a few long minutes, then the humming song came to a crescendo, the glow faded, and the pain disappeared.


    The card-shaped golden glow dropped into his hand, and as it did, he felt a shiver run through his body. Something heavy seemed to weigh his body down as the pain disappeared, replaced by an odd itching. Staring at his skin, he saw the top layer turning white, tiny cracks running across it.


    He shivered, and flakes of skin came off, slowly falling to the ground. The skin below had a metallic gleam and a very pale copper color. His muscles cramped, and it was as if it snowed inside as the skinflakes flew away from him. A sense of a single, aligned resonance came from his three cards as if they were a single entity.


    With it came a feeling of strength. A sense that he could do anything if he wanted to!


    "Well, congratulations, you are now full-hand," Ambraz whispered, his lips in a tight grin. "Told you it wouldn''t be too bad?"


    Irwin snorted. Technically the Anvil was right, but that didn''t mean it hadn''t hurt horribly. Still, if he had to compare it to reforging his card, he had to agree that he''d prefer going through combining his cards every day.


    He stared at his hand and smiled at the thin, beautiful lines running along and around them. They vaguely reminded him of flames. He couldn''t help the smile from growing into a wide grin.


    He was a full-hand!


    Three cards, all combined, each empowering him and each other. He wished he could show Bronwyn and his mum. As he examined his cards, he saw each had changed slightly. Their details were a bit clearer, and all of them seemed like a single coherent image due to the lines connecting them. He could also sense the echo of the hummed song, still lingering inside each. And they had become more powerful, especially his first card.


    I wonder what happened to my flame, he thought, unable to resist.


    With barely any focus, a flame longer than his arm and twice as thick roared to life above his hand. It was so bright that the yellow was almost white, and he felt the heat coming from it in waves.


    "Careful that you don''t light the place up," Ambraz muttered as he landed on his shoulder.


    Irwin was about to snort at the joke when he saw a nearby table begin to smoke. He quickly decreased the flame''s heat, noting how much easier that was too. The light coming from it dulled the heat now no more than from a fireplace.


    Wondering what else he could do, he changed the shape of the flame and stared in stunned silence at the sword shape hovering above his hand. It had felt so easy... natural! He slowly moved his hand, and the sword moved with it, roaring as it moved. Curious, he tried other shapes, and within moments a shield, a hammer, an anvil, and the shape of a bird appeared. Then he dug deep into his mind, and the flame warped and shrank, and a moment later, a woman hung before him.


    Mum... Irwin thought as he stared at the face he''d not seen in what felt like ages. He looked at her for a while, then released his flame with a slightly sad feeling.


    It only lasted for a moment as he realized it wasn''t just his flame that had improved! If that had, how much would his Coperion Body have improved?


    I hope my cold sensitivity has become less bad, he thought as he looked at his arm.


    "Orwin? What is going on?"


    Daubutim''s voice came from the door, sounding worried and weary.


    Irwin jolted, completely having forgotten his friend was standing outside. Then he realized there had been voices for a while but had been ignoring them.


    I can''t let them keep worrying, he thought as he unsummoned his sword.


    He would have to check the effects of the combining as well as practice with his abilities later.


    And his physical strength. The way his body moved was smoother than before, slower too. Though, he had the feeling that part of that was because of how tired he was.


    "I''m alright," he said, then blinked.


    His voice was deeper than it had been and had a smooth hollow quality to it, almost like he was speaking from inside a bell.


    "Orwin! Open this door. Let us in!" Lamia shouted, her voice cracked.


    Irwin moved to the door, removed the bars, and pulled it open. Daubutim stood before the door, and as Irwin looked at his friend, he couldn''t help a startled hiss. He could almost look Daubutim in the eye! How much had he just grown?


    "Orwin¡­. Is that you?"


    Irwin looked to the side where Lamia was staring at him. Her eyes were slightly red and puffy. A cold wind poured in, whipping around his body, and he shivered.


    "Better come in," he said as he stepped back.


    Daubutim and Lamia hesitated before stepping inside, and with a quick look behind them, he shut the door. The cold still felt freezing but¡­ there was a change. It didn''t hurt him as it had the day before.


    I''ll have to check how much I''ve improved on the way to the tower, Irwin thought.


    "What- why-" Lamia stuttered as she stared at him.


    "You''ve combined your cards," Daubutim stated, staring at his hand.


    His words elicited a surprised shout from Lamia, who jumped forward and grabbed his hand.


    "You¡­ You are crazy! Why did you do that alone?" she whispered. "Don''t you know it could be dangerous? I''ve heard about people fainting from the pain¡­ are you alright?"


    Irwin grinned as he flexed his arm, copying the move she had used on him weeks -or was it months?- ago.


    "Strong as a charbull," he said.


    Lamia snorted, then shook her head as she stepped back and inspected him. "Your voice changed, and you grew," she said, and Irwin saw her stand a bit straighter. "You also look like you are made from metal! This isn''t normal! What did you do? Did you find another card somewhere?"


    "No, no. It''s just my body improvement card," Irwin said with a shrug.


    "Don''t act like I can''t be surprised! This is way more than should happen when someone becomes a full-hand," Lamia said. "I''ve never heard of someone growing a hand length with just an uncommon body improvement card!"


    Yes, well, mine''s not uncommon, Irwin thought, holding back a grin.

 Chapter 63: Incomming

    It was quiet for a moment as Lamia and Daubutim stared at him. Irwin could completely understand how they must feel. He must have grown more than the hand-length Lamia said, as he was taller than her now and nearly the size of Daubutim. That meant he had finally caught up to the others of his age!


    If this keeps up, mum might not even recognize me, he thought as he wondered what Bronwyn would say if he came back taller than him!


    His joy was interrupted as he saw Lamia''s gaze drift away, a look of sadness and envy on her face.


    As he remembered what had happened the previous time and recalled the previous time he''d seen Lamia, his good mood faded. He took a quick look at Daubutim, who was quietly watching them, nodded to his friend, then focused on Lamia again.


    "How are you?" he asked.


    The muscular girl deflated and gazed at the ground.


    "A bit better," she muttered. "I talked with Uncle Burt. I''ll be staying with him for a while¡­"


    She sighed, then shook herself and focused on him.


    "You were right."


    Irwin blinked.


    "I want to be stronger, but I can''t just do it to get revenge. I¡­ I want to protect my friends and what remains of my family!"


    Irwin looked at her, slightly surprised. She seemed serious, and he couldn''t help but wonder what had changed her opinion this quickly. Had it been his speech or her talk with her uncle? Or was she just lying to get him to help her?


    "Uncle Burt¡­ We talked all night," she said with a weary sigh. "Most people don''t know, but he knows some pretty strong people. I went to him, and... well. I''d thought he would be angry! Get his strong friends to come and help us¡­ do something!"


    "But?" Irwin asked when she didn''t continue but seemed to drift back into her memories.


    She blinked, then grimaced. "All he talked about was how he was going to try and get more guards and get the family to his inn¡­. I¡­" she clenched her fists, staring at Irwin so hard that he almost took a step back.


    "I got angry. I shouted at him, and-" she cut off. "No matter. He let me rage, then slowly asked me what going out and killing a dozen, hundreds, or even thousands of demons would do if more demons could just come while I was gone to kill my little cousin Ubern. He said that we might be able to prevent that. That we should protect and create a safe place before even thinking about going out to strike back."


    Irwin didn''t know what to say, looking at her quietly while Lamia stared at her clenched fists.


    "Your uncle is a smart man. My father always says that the best offense is an active defense," Daubutim suddenly said slowly. "One of our family''s properties is near the wall. When my father was young, he was in charge of its defense. He told many stories about how he would defend and wait for the demons to overstretch before striking back. Or of how he lured their attacks into their defense when they thought they weren''t there."


    Lamia barked a laugh, then shook her head. "Well, I don''t know anything about all that. But I don''t want Ubern to die if I can stop it. So¡­ I''m going to accept Uncle Burt''s help to get a new card."


    Irwin nodded, but inwardly he sighed. He could recall how he couldn''t even get a common card. There was such a great difference.


    Lamia hesitated for a bit, then stared at Irwin. "Can you help me to combine it?"


    Irwin''s first instinct was to nod in agreement, but then he stopped. He had only been able to combine his hand with help from Ambraz. He had no idea what it meant to do it by himself. People kept saying it was incredibly challenging, but except for some pain... it hadn''t really felt like that.


    "Shouldn''t you ask your uncle about this?" he asked carefully.


    "Uncle never managed to combine his own cards," Lamia replied. "He tried it a few times, but¡­ he says he can''t deal with the pain."


    Irwin frowned at that. It had hurt, but had it hurt that much?


    "Will you help me?" she asked.


    Irwin nodded, hoping he could, and he felt slightly worried when Lamia sighed in relief.


    "Thank you. I''m heading to Hutch now and ask if I can join the training program. They have reopened it and lowered the bar to anyone with two cards or more," she said as she looked around. There was a wistfulness in her eyes, then she gritted her teeth and stepped back. "Can you tell Trimdir I''ll come back to explain later?"


    "I''ll tell him," Irwin said, wondering how the smith would react. Probably not very good.


    "Okay, thanks," Lamia said as she walked back to the door before turning around. "You''re sure you are alright?"


    "I''m fine," Irwin replied honestly.


    "I''ll¡­. I''ll come back to see you after I get my third card, alright?"


    "Don''t rush it. It''s important to get the right card," Irwin said. "If it doesn''t match your other two-"


    "I can''t combine them properly," Lamia said with a grin. "Yes, I know." Then she hesitated. "Is that why you managed to do it so easily?"


    Irwin almost choked, then shook his head. The only reason it had been anywhere near easy was thanks to Ambraz, but he could hardly tell her that. "Perhaps," he managed to say.


    Lamia''s grin widened, and this time, her joy reached her eyes, if only momentarily.


    "Talk to you soon," she said.


    As she closed the door behind her, Irwin noticed her staring at him until it shut. He waited for a few moments, trying to get his thoughts straight, then turned and looked at Daubutim.


    "What do you think?" he asked, wondering if Daubutim believed her.


    "I think she likes you," Daubutim said matter of factly.


    "I- I didn''t mean that," Irwin hissed. He felt his face heat up as he saw his noble friend grin at him.


    "Never mind," he muttered as he moved to an anvil and jumped on.


    Does she really like me? he thought, suddenly confused.


    "Tell me what happened," Daubutim said. "And why didn''t you wait for me?"


    Irwin softly told Daubutim about reforging his Eyes of Blaze and the reasoning behind it, adding most of the things Ambraz had told him. When he finished, Daubutim was staring at his hand.


    "So¡­ did you get rid of your cold weakness?" he asked.


    "I am not sure," Irwin said. "I still felt the cold from outside, but it was different."


    "Did you look at what the cards say now?"


    Irwin''s eyes widened, and he grinned. "No, let me check!"


    It took him barely any effort to pull out his Eyes of Blaze card and activate the skill. The ease of it all made him grin wider.


    Card: Tempered Eyes of Blasting


    Type: Rare, Reforged, Impersonate [Uncommon] (From combination)


    Owner: Irwin Roddington


    A combat and utility card, good for adventurers and explorers of portal shards. Grants the appraisal skill to discern the general nature of unslotted cards. Grants the ability to focus on an unslotted card for a few seconds to see its details. To inspect and appraise slotted cards, the card must be visible above the hand. The card''s secondary ability allows body tempering with heat.


    Passive: Increased strength and constitution based on body tempering.


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    Active: Appraise cards


    Active two: Blasting beam. A beam of heat that can be focused on a single target up to a hundred feet away or spread out in a cone. Can be used six seconds per minute. Slight drain on the user''s stamina.


    Card combination focus: Body tempering.


    Irwin stared at it, then shook his head in confusion. "It says Impersonate with the types?"


    "What?" Ambraz hissed from in his pocket. There was a struggle as he felt the Anvil force its way out then it flew beside the card hovering above his hand.


    "You must be born lucky¡­" Ambraz grunted after a few moments. "One of your first card''s traits actually partially copied over to the other card!"


    "Is that¡­ normal?" Irwin asked, staring at his card.


    "No. There is less than a one percent chance of that happening," Ambraz sniffed. "Show me your Coperion card!"


    Irwin nodded, switching to his Coperion Body card.


    Card: Dense Coperrion Body


    Type: Rare, Reforged, Impersonate [Uncommon] (From combination)


    Owner: Irwin Roddington


    Body improvement card that greatly increased the holder''s entire body density, making them harder to cut and pierce. Greatly increases the wielder''s strength and constitution. Grants the ability to temporarily change the entire body to Coperion, making it near impervious to conventional weapons. The big drawbacks are a decrease in speed due to the increase in the wielder''s weight and a reduced healing rate.


    Passive: Increased body density and toughness


    Passive two: Increased strength and constitution.


    Active: Full Coperion Body. Temporarily grants the ability to change the body to a stronger version. Twenty minutes duration. Once per hour.


    Card combination focus: Body density.


    "Bah¡­ this is ridiculous," Ambraz grunted before flying back to Irwin''s pocket and disappearing inside.


    "How does this work?" Irwin asked, patting his pocket. "Does it mean I can still enter uncommon portals?"


    "Yes," Ambraz said.


    Irwin wondered why he sounded so annoyed. This was a good thing, right?


    "Can this happen again?" he asked as another possibility came to him.


    "When you create your other full-hand, it can happen, and when you create your heartcard."


    "So I could get Growth from my Heat-sensitive Body card on my heart card?"


    Ambraz sighed, then snorted. "Yes¡­ if you are really, really, lucky. Now, let me rest. Do you have any idea how hard it was doing two cards like this?"


    Irwin let his mind run wild with ideas of having a full set of six cards that could all grow stronger before finally calming down. Then he turned back to Daubutim, who was staring at him.


    "Nothing about your cold vulnerability?"


    "No, not that I saw," Irwin said.


    "That''s on your other card," Ambraz snapped.


    "Right¡­"


    Irwin dumbly grinned as he pulled up his first card.


    Name: Fire-sensitive body


    Type: Epic, Growth, Impersonate


    Due to its fire-based nature, the wielder will heal faster when near a source of fire and heat while slower when in a cold environment.


    Passive: Increased resistance to fire, decreased resistance to cold


    Passive two: Night vision (Can see dimly in complete darkness)


    Card combination focus: Regeneration, Store Heat


    Store heat? he thought as he looked at it.


    "And?"


    "I got something called Store Heat at the combination focus. What is that from?"


    This time, there was no answer from Ambraz, and Daubutim just shrugged.


    "Maybe because all of my cards deal with fire," Irwin wondered out loud. "I''ll need to find out how that works."


    "Well, you better figure that out quickly," Daubutim said. "Basil is reforming the squads. We''ve suffered too many losses. The scouts say the Frozir have stopped near Grinning Man''s hilltop and are creating a large base from ice and snow."


    "Grinning Man''s hilltop again? Isn''t that where you went? With the rare portal?" Irwin said, trying to recall what he knew about it.


    "Uncommons too, but yes. I overheard Lord Bron speaking to Basil. Lord Bron thinks there might be something in the old mines below the hill that is somehow increasing the rate the portals are spawning," Daubutim said before looking pointedly at the pocket where Irwin kept Ambraz.


    "Ambraz¡­ What could cause this?" Irwin asked. When there was no answer, he padded his pocket and asked again.


    A tired yawn came from his pocket, followed by an annoyed voice. "The great never get any rest¡­ bah. Right, well, some places more easily cause portals to appear. I don''t know the ins and outs of that, but those are dangerous places. Chances are, a portal is in those mines. Likely Rare, but it could be worse."


    Irwin swallowed. Worse meant... a very rare portal? Were there even enough carded here to close that?


    "I was afraid of that," Daubutim said, mimicking Irwin''s own growing worry. "Basil has sent out Myda''s best scouts. They should be back tomorrow¡­ I fear Lord Bron is going to stage a preemptive strike."


    "To close the portals?" Irwin whispered.


    "If he finds them? Probably. But also to remove the Frozir presence."


    Irwin quietly stared into the nearby fire of a forge as he wondered if Basil was going to get him to join. Probably, especially if he saw he had a rare card and was now a full hand.


    "Can you reforge my Armor Card to rare?"


    Irwin snapped his gaze up to Daubutim, who was looking at him. He padded his pocket again, getting an annoyed and weary growl.


    "Not today¡­ I need more energy and cards," Ambraz said.


    "Tomorrow morning?" Daubutim pressed.


    "No. In the evening, no earlier. And we will need new common cards."


    "What happened to the ones we had before?" Daubutim asked, staring at Irwin in surprise.


    "He ate them all," Irwin said with a sad smile.


    "Don''t make it sound like I''m the bad guy! You wanted both cards at rare. This is the price."


    ¡°Both?¡± Daubutim said.


    Irwin could hear the disbelief in his voice, and he smiled wider.


    "Then, if we are still here, please reforge both my cards too," Daubutim said. "I''ll try to get more common utility cards."


    "Both?" Ambraz growled. "Find six or more for me to munch on then¡­ blasted greedy kids."


    Two? Irwin looked at Daubutim''s left hand, noting there were only two cards: the massive sword and the plate armor.


    "Where is your shield card?" he blurted.


    "I haven''t slotted it again," Daubutim said. "I won''t be able to use it together with the sword."


    "You¡­ how does it feel to have the sword card slotted?" Irwin asked quietly.


    "Like someone removed my arm and put another one on that belonged to someone else," Daubutim said calmly.


    That''s horrible, Irwin thought as he stared at his friend, whose eyes were dull.


    "What kind of third card do you want?" he asked softly.


    "I don''t know yet," Daubutim said. "I was hoping¡­ to find a common card with great potential that you can reforge."


    "Of course," Irwin said as he nodded, then he recalled what Basil had said. "Basil promised me I could look for cards if I managed to become a full-hand. I''ll ask Ambraz to keep an eye out for something!"


    Daubutim nodded at him.


    "Enough! Go and sleep," Ambraz grunted. "I''m tired, and it will be a day within a few hours."


    Irwin and Daubutim ignored the Anvil and talked for a while longer, discussing potential cards for Daubutim and what the full-hand meant for Irwin.


    When they finally went to sleep in the smithies storage room, Irwin couldn''t stop yawning. It really isn''t that cold, he thought as he crawled below the blankets.


    --


    Irwin woke early, feeling refreshed. Wondering what time it was, he was surprised he didn''t hear any sounds of forging. Did that mean there wasn''t anybody yet? That couldn''t be¡­ he should be tired if he only slept for a short while!


    Confused, he crawled out of bed.


    Daubutim''s soft snoring came from the nearby bed, so he snuck out of the room.


    "Strange," he muttered as he looked around the quiet smithy. There wasn''t even any sign of Trimdir yet.


    Let''s see what the changes brought, he thought as he stretched and began waving his arms around.


    Running towards the other side of the smithy, he was relieved to find that he didn''t feel as heavy as when he''d gone to sleep. Better even, he was pretty sure he felt lighter than he had since he had gotten his Coperion Body card. Not light and nimble by any means yet, but he was pretty sure he could have kept up with the running training if there still was any.


    A soft rumble from his stomach reminded him that he hadn''t had dinner the previous night. He searched for some food but eventually had to make do with a jar of water. Then he decided it was time to check what Eyes of Blaze had changed into and how much stronger he was as a full-hand.


    Let''s see how much my strength has increased first.


    He moved towards the main storage room, strapping on the basket he used for raw ore, and began filling it. When he was halfway, he knew he had become far stronger than he had been. When the basket was filled to the brim, weighed down by far more raw ore than he had ever carried, he simply stood and walked through the smithy with ease. He felt the weight. It just¡­ didn''t bother him!


    After thinking about it for a bit, he distributed the ore around the smithy. He was just thinking about which skill he should try and how when there was a rustle by the door, followed by a surprised grunt.


    "Orwin? Can you open up?"


    Trimdir''s voice came from outside, and Irwin rushed over to pull away the bars. As he opened the door, a stream of pale light entered. The cold wind blowing in made Irwin shiver.


    "By Gelwin''s beard!"


    Trimdir stopped midstep, staring at him straight into his eyes.


    "How did you¡­" the smith faltered, and his gaze drifted to Irwin''s hand.


    Irwin raised it, grinning sheepishly.


    ¡°You did it¡­ That is¡­¡±


    Trimdir looked at him, eyes wide. Irwin expected him to look happy, but the smith''s face fell.


    "What''s wrong?"


    Trimdir sighed and stepped inside, pulling the door closed behind him.


    "Basil will be here in a few hours¡­ I had wanted to try and discuss with him to leave you here, but now?"


    Ah¡­ Irwin thought as he realized what was wrong.


    "Daubutim told me about the trouble at Grinning Man''s hilltop," he said as he followed Trimdir.


    "A scout came back just now," Trimdir said. "The Frozir have created a massive fortress, and there are two portals there. Basil is going to bring all battle-ready carded and attack them while two groups are going in to close the portals."


    Irwin nodded, watching Trimdir stare at him. "He is coming here to bring you with one of them."


    The sadness he saw in Trimdir''s eyes somehow made Irwin feel both better and worse.


    "I''ll be fine," he said, thinking about his new cards.


    "I hope so, Orwin¡­ I hope so," Trimdir said softly. "I''ll have some food brought to you when¡­ if the others arrive. Relax for now."


    Irwin nodded, but Trimdir had already turned and was stomping towards his office. As he shut the door, Irwin looked around, wondering what he should do. Before he could think of something, the door opened again, another rush of cold wind blowing in.


    Looking up, he saw a trio of smiths enter.


    "Hey, Orwin! You''re early!"


    "Yes, I was restless. Couldn''t sleep," Irwin said with a grin.


    The smiths didn''t respond, simply staring at him.


    "You''re... taller," one of them said carefully.


    Irwin grinned as he raised his hand, showing his full-hand.


    There was a collective gasp, and then the smiths moved closer, one going as far as to take his hand and inspect the cards.


    "Congratulations!"


    "That''s amazing!"


    The smiths began patting him on the back until there was a dull shout from Trimdir''s office.


    "Right, better get going," one of the smiths said, and with a final congratulations, they headed to their forges.


    As they began getting ready, and the smithy slowly came to life, Irwin headed to his own anvil.


    I''ll just purify some metal, he thought as he grabbed his surprisingly light hammer.


    --


    He was only done with half a dozen, not even sweating yet, when the door was almost kicked open. Basil stomped inside, slamming the door shut.


    Irwin looked up to see the massive guard look around and spot him.


    "Orwin, Trimdir. I need to speak with you! Now!"

 Chapter 64: A rabbit?

    Irwin followed Basil into Trimdir''s office. There was a look of reluctant acceptance on the muscled smith''s face.


    As soon as the door closed, Basil turned to Irwin.


    "You are coming with me. I need you to join the group that will close one of the uncommon portals," he said. "Too many died, and I need everyone!"


    He raised his hand as if expecting them to reject, then looked confused when Trimdir and Irwin remained quiet.


    "What?" he snapped. "We have only nine combat-ready uncommon warriors ready to close portals right now!"


    "We know," Irwin said, suddenly even happier that his cards had gotten the property to act as uncommon. Otherwise, he''d have had to explain how he had suddenly gained two rares.


    "You- What? Right, good," Basil said before nodding in obvious relief.


    He turned to Trimdir. "I''ll try to keep him alive, though he will have to survive the portal himself. Can you use what you have ready to outfit him? I don''t have the time to go back and take care of that."


    Trimdir didn''t say anything, and as he remained quiet, Irwin felt the tension slowly rise.


    He can''t be thinking about telling him about the reforging, he thought suddenly. It made sense. He was the only one who could reforge, and if he died in a portal¡­


    "I''ll be fine," he said, staring at Trimdir, who turned to him with a blank look. "With my full-hand," he raised his hand for both of them to see, "I should be fine."


    There was a snap, and Irwin looked up to see Basil''s mouth had snapped shut as he stared dumbly at Irwin''s hand.


    "You what?" he shouted. "How?"


    "Are you sure you will be alright? The portals could lead to the frozen wastelands of the Frozir," Trimdir said, seemingly ignoring Basil.


    Irwin nodded. "When I combined the cards into my full-hand my cold weakness became slightly less. It will still be far from optimal, but with proper clothing, I should be fine. Besides, my flame seems to hurt them a lot."


    Trimdir nodded, then sighed as he leaned back and closed his eyes.


    "What are you acting all protective for," Basil snapped, still eyeing Irwin''s hand. "We were younger than him when we entered our first uncommon portal! Don''t you remember?"


    Trimdir didn''t respond, and Irwin wondered what was going through his mind. Just when Basil seemed ready to explode, he leaned forward, and his eyes snapped open.


    "You owe him a rare card, Basil."


    "Ugh¡­ you remembered that did you?" Basil muttered.


    How could anybody forget that? Irwin thought in disbelief.


    "Basil¡­"


    Irwin''s mind went into overdrive as he thought of Daubutim and his missing card.


    "Fine, fine! After he comes back from closing that portal, I''ll-"


    "Wait," Irwin said, interrupting Basil.


    Both men turned to him, Trimdir calm and Basil confused and slightly annoyed.


    "Daubutim will come with me. Right?" Irwin said, trying to make it more of a giving fact than a question.


    Basil frowned, then shook his head. "He has a rare card now- he will be helping to close the rare portal."


    The sword is rare, Irwin thought as he felt like slapping himself. How could he have forgotten about that? At the same time, he shivered at the thought of having to enter a rare portal, and his fear for his friend rapidly increased. Daubutim had barely any time to practice with his new card, and with only the sword and the armor, he would be in great danger inside a rare portal!


    "He has to go in?" he asked.


    "Yes," Basil said. "He will join my old group. You don''t have to worry. They will keep him safe, and-"


    "Let him pick a card," Irwin said, interrupting the head guard for a second time. A tiny part of him wondered why Basil said old party. Did that mean he wasn''t entering the rare portal?


    The massive man slowly closed his mouth, blinking, then frowned. "You mean, instead of you picking a rare?"


    Irwin nodded. "Yes. Daubutim has a free socket. It would be best if he could get a good third card before he enters!"


    "You realize I won''t give both of you a rare?" Basil said, cocking his head. "I''ll still let you pick something to offset your cold weakness but- wait, do you still need that?"


    Irwin almost said he had it solved, then realized the opportunity. "Yes," he said. "As I said, it became slightly better with becoming a full-hand, but it''s still bad."


    "Fine, fine," Basil said, slightly disgruntled. "I''ve already gone to those leeches and gotten all the useful cards yesterday. They didn''t like it and will probably complain, but they can come and whine about it later. If we all die in surges because we can''t close those bloody portals, what''s the use!" He seemed to remember something uncomfortable, his eyes drifting off for a bit, then his gaze refocused on Irwin.


    "But I mean it. You can not have two rares¡­. Are you sure?"


    Irwin faked a sad look. He hadn''t really expected to get an uncommon card after his offer, but he definitely didn''t mind.


    It''s perhaps even better than a rare, he thought before quickly calming himself.


    He had to make sure Basil didn''t realize this. Very few people, if any at all, would have done what he was doing now. Rare cards, especially battle ones, were far too valuable. The thing was¡­ he was starting to think that it would be better for him to have a common card with potential and reforge it slowly. That way, he got to decide every part of it.


    "What use is that rare if Daubutim or I die in a portal trying to close it?" he finally said.


    "So¡­ you would give up a rare card to help your friend''s survivability?" Basil said, stepping closer and staring at Irwin intently, seeming to want to be absolutely sure.


    Trimdir seemed ready to speak, so Irwin quickly answered.


    "Yes."


    Basil clapped his hand together, grinning at him widely. "I like you! Fine! It''s a good thing, too, because I wouldn''t have let you slot the rare card until after we closed the portal!"


    Irwin choked as he stared at the massive guard. What the- and how should he have gone in with his cold weakness?


    "Hah, don''t worry," Basil snorted. "I would have just given you an uncommon as a loan!"


    Right, Irwin thought as he recalled what Daubutim had said about unslotting a card. As if it is that easy.


    "Well, let''s go find him and help him get his third card. We are leaving for Grinning Man''s hilltop as soon as the army is ready," Basil said.


    "I''ll go get him," Irwin said quickly, turning and exiting the office.


    --


    Basil quietly stared at the door until it slammed shut, then he turned to Trimdir. His smile had faded, replaced by a frown.


    "How?" he asked, staring at the smith that he had known since he was a young boy with big dreams. He didn''t have to explain to Trimdir what he was talking about. His friend would know he had heard about mysterious cards appearing.


    "A card and experimentation," Trimdir said, calmly staring at him.


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    "That is not an answer," Basil said quietly. "What card is it? We need to find more! If we can turn common cards into uncommon, we can-"


    "There are no more from what I know," Trimdir said. "And the requirements are stringent. One card per day, no more."


    "But it doesn''t matter what kind of card? Utility, body enhancement?"


    "Anything goes," Trimdir said slowly.


    "Did you tell the kid?"


    Trimdir blinked, then shook his head. "I did not tell the kid," he said softly.


    Basil stared at him quietly. There was something about the way Trimdir had said that that felt off, but he couldn''t put his finger on it. Before he could drill Trimdir further, there was a knock.


    ¡°Enter,¡± Trimdir said.


    Irwin and Daubutim walked into the room, and Basil sighed as he saw the dim-eyed noble look at him. He still couldn''t get a grasp on the boy. Sometimes he seemed positively brilliant, yet in other moments he seemed too stupid to figure out something simple. Then again, he made a good pairing with Orwin, or whatever his name was.


    Little punks think they can hoodwink me, Basil thought as he gave Trimdir a nod and headed out. He''d noticed there was something fishy going on right away, and he''d heard from his informants that Orwin had acted way too odd when he had just got here.


    "Daubutim with me. Orwin, meet us at the tower as soon as you have your gear sorted. Prepare to move out as soon as you are there!"


    He frowned when he saw the two share a quick worried look.


    "Can you wait for a minute so I can come along? I want to check the cards too," Irwin said quickly.


    "We don''t have-" Basil began.


    "I have what he needs ready," Trimdir interrupted him, getting up. "Just wait a minute."


    Basil clenched his fists, thinking about all the things he still had to do, then took a deep breath and nodded.


    "Fine. Hurry up!"


    He sniffed, as Trimdir pulled Irwin out, leaving him with the quiet one.


    "Got any idea what card you want?" he asked.


    The lad just shrugged, staring at him dully.


    Ugh¡­ how he can be so effective at killing is beyond me, Basil thought as he decided to wait quietly.


    --


    Irwin pulled the straps of the thickly padded armor until it was tight, then tapped the dull gray chestplate.


    "Good, it still fits. I had this made for you a while back and hadn''t expected you to decide to grow this much," Trimdir said as he nodded. "It should keep you warm."


    "Thank you, Trimdir," Irwin said, moving his arms around to get a feel for the new armor.


    It was very similar to what Hutch was wearing, except that he luckily had sleeves. Then he focused on his new grappling gauntlets. Unlike the normal, bulky things, these had barely any material on the palm area, while the top material and knuckles were made of gleaming orange metal.


    "Those are custom-made for you," Trimdir said. "Your hands, even without you using that skill, are far stronger than those of others. You would rip normal gauntlets apart, so I strengthened the insides with thinner, heavier metal. How do they feel?"


    "Light," Irwin said, pulling one on and flexing his hand. "What kind of metal is this?"


    "Elarian Insulated Steel. The color comes from the small amount of Firesteel it contains," Trimdir said.


    Irwin looked up in surprise. "I didn''t read about those in the books!"


    "That is because those only deal with the mundane metals, not those found in portals," Trimdir said. "Keep yourself safe, don''t do anything stupid, and I''ll teach you about them when you return."


    Irwin wanted to ask what Firesteel did, but a loud thud stopped him as the door to Trimdir''s office was kicked open.


    "Are you two bloody well done yet?" Basil shouted.


    The few smiths working fell quiet, staring at the giant guard before quickly returning to work.


    "Be careful," Trimdir said as he turned and walked towards his office.


    "I will," Irwin replied.


    Basil stomped towards the exit, Daubutim behind him.


    "Let''s head out," he snapped.


    Irwin took a quick look around, and as he did, he suddenly wondered if this was the last time he''d be here. With one special and two rare cards, he didn''t worry about entering an uncommon portal, but¡­ he couldn''t be sure either. He took a final look at the anvil and forge he''d begun to see as his own before walking towards the door.


    When he stepped out of the smithy, he felt the cold wind blow around him, tugging at the folds of his armor. Snow trickled down slowly and steadily from the dark gray sky.


    It''s a lot less cold than before, he thought as he focused on the sensation of the cold on his face. It was still uncomfortable, but he didn''t feel the massive drain that he had only days prior.


    He quietly followed Basil, in step with Daubutim.


    As he walked, he remembered when he''d told Daubutim that he should pick the rare. He looked to the noble youth, that was now only slightly taller than him. Daubutim''s gaze was locked on his feet, eyes fuzzy.


    It''s just a rare, he thought with a grin. How times had changed!


    Daubutim had been stunned, staring at him dumbly when he told him he was to choose the rare. Something in his stance had warned Irwin that he wanted to reject. So, he had spoken out before the noble could beat himself up about it.


    "Without that card, you could die. Who is going to have my back then? I can get more rares, but friends are hard to find!"


    Daubutim had blinked, then nodded slowly before following Irwin.


    It wasn''t a bad speech, Irwin thought as he remembered the stories Bronwyn had told him about the heroes of old.


    As they passed through the normally busy, tent and hut-filled streets, he looked around, shocked by the damage. Not a single tent remained, and most of the wooden constructions had been reduced to splintered heaps of wood. At Least a dozen of the stone buildings were reduced to rubble, and the soft sound of crying came from multiple buildings.


    "We will survive," Basil said softly.


    Irwin looked up and saw the guard leader look at him over his shoulder with a look of resolve.


    Unsure what to say, Irwin nodded. Basil seemed to expect nothing else and looked away again.


    But how many will die? Irwin thought as he clenched his hands.


    They continued to the central tower, the square crowded with huts. People walked around or sat in front of large bonfires, and the only clear path was up to the tower entrance.


    "Let''s make this fast," Basil said as he led them inside and down. They reached a hallway with a guarded door, and after Basil shooed the guard away, he opened it with a thick key.


    "Right. Don''t take anything without asking," Basil snapped as he stepped inside and to the side.


    Irwin followed him, then stopped in surprise. He had expected to be brought to a large room with cards, like those he''d seen in the tower of sorcerers. Instead, they stood in a room barely large enough for the three of them, with a single large cabinet. More a closet than a room, really. Behind its glass-filled doors lay a few dozen cards. Most had the purple borders of uncommon cards, but he spotted three rare yellow-bordered ones.


    "Right, there are notes below that explain what they do but don''t trust them all. The one who wrote it down has a card that allows him to inspect them, but it''s all based on feelings," Basil said, sounding annoyed.


    Irwin hesitated for only a moment, then stepped forward.


    "Let me," he said as he activated Eyes of Blaze. Though it technically had another name, he found he still thought of it as the original name he''d gotten the card with.


    As the world turned orange, he leaned forward and stared at the first card. It showed a creature that he''d not seen before, rat-like, but with larger ears.


    "Typhoon rat, an uncommon summon best used for stealth and recon. It has weak air magic that allows it increased movement," he said, shaking his head. "No extra types. Doesn''t sound very useful."


    "I can''t use that," Daubutim said in agreement. "Tell me about the rares."


    "Wait a blasted moment," Basil snapped. "Are you telling me you can read these bloody cards?"


    Irwin looked at the guard who was staring at him.


    "Yes," he said, turning his attention back to the shelf.


    Behind him, Basil rummaged through a drawer, pulling out a quill, ink, and paper.


    "Read them out loud," he said, dripping too much ink on the sheet.


    It took him longer than Basil liked to read through them all, though that was in large Basil''s fault. He wanted to write down each little detail in his gruesomely slow handwriting.


    In the end, Irwin found only a single card of interest while Daubutim was looking dumbly at the three rares. Surprisingly, each was good, but they were very different.


    "By Gelgwin''s beard, pick one already," Basil snapped, glaring at Daubutim. "You can''t even slot more than one! Just pick that full-body one! You know it''s the best for you!"


    Irwin ignored Basil, staring at Daubutim and the three cards in front of him. One showed a figure, heavily muscled and somehow giving off the sense it was larger than life. It was called Lineage of Giants and would grant Daubutim a significant boost in strength, together with an increase in height and reach.


    He''s right, Irwin thought, agreeing with Basil.


    "I will take this one," Daubutim suddenly said, picking another card and shoving the Lineage of Giants and another card away.


    "The Aquatic Raven summon?" Irwin said, looking at the stats again.


    It was the only card with one passive, and two active abilities and the only summon amongst the rares. It granted Water Affinity for the one who slotted it, while it would let Daubutim summon a Raven that could both fly and swim. He could also grant himself the ability to breath underwater for an hour. Not bad, but...


    It doesn''t really synergize with his others, does it? Irwin thought. Was he missing something?


    "Why?" he asked, at the same time as Basil snapped, "Seriously?"


    "Yes," Daubutim said, and without giving either of them a chance, he pressed the card against the empty slot on his left hand. A blue glow followed a soft cry as the card sank into his hand.


    "Well¡­ suit yourself," Basil snapped. "And you''re sure you want that one?"


    Irwin grimaced as he held up the card in his hand.


    "Yes, this will be fine," he said.


    I hope.


    "Bah¡­ if we were not in such a hurry, I''d have taken the time to make you change your mind. Whatever, let''s head out."


    Basil turned and practically yanked them out of the room before closing it back.


    "Alright, now that this is settled, let''s go to the others. Then I can finally wrap up the last part, and we can be on our way," Basil said as he rushed them through the tower.


    Irwin barely noticed where they were going as he followed along dutifully. Most of his attention was on the card in his hand. Ambraz couldn''t talk, but when Irwin had inspected it, the Anvil had begun vibrating and humming so hard that he worried Basil would notice.


    Now why would you want me to bring this one, he thought as he recalled the card''s status.


    Card: Derlin Rabbit


    Type: Uncommon, ???


    Owner: -


    The owner of this card can summon a Derlin Rabbit.


    Passive: ???


    The text was short, shorter than even most of the commons he knew, and he had no idea why there were question marks. Whatever it was, it must have something to do with reforging it¡­ but what?


    I''ll not slot it until he tells me, that''s for sure, Irwin thought.


    "Alright, listen up," Basil snapped as he turned abruptly.


    Irwin looked up to see the massive wall beyond. He knew where they were, a single turn from the main gate.


    "You are going to be the youngest on your team," Basil said as he looked Irwin straight in the eye. "I don''t expect any trouble while I''m here, but they might question my decision. If you''ve got anything fun to show them in a minute, that might be for the best."


    Seriously? Irwin thought, then he just nodded.


    If he had to, he could simply turn full coperion. He hadn''t tried that yet, so it would be a good test. He was pretty sure he could do something impressive then.


    "Alright. Great! And you-" he turned to Daubutim. "Hutch knows you are joining him, and he seemed happy enough."


    "I''m going with Hutch?" Daubutim said, his normally stoic demeanor shattered.


    "Yah! Fun times!"

 Chapter 65: Gallons Blazers

    Irwin couldn''t help but let out a snorted laugh as he followed Basil around the corner, only to freeze mid-step.


    So many people, he thought, staring at the middling mass of movement.


    Guards and Rangers filled the square, more than he had ever seen in one spot. Basil just stomped towards them, and they split to let him pass while a few of them muttered greetings.


    Basil brought them to the corner next to the actual gate, where Hutch towered above the others, his overly muscular bare arms crossed in front of his chest.


    "Basil! There you are! I was starting to think you''d decided to sit this one out!"


    "Sure you did," Basil snapped. "Hutch, you know Orwin and Daubutim. Get them sorted, and get ready to follow along!"


    His entire demeanor changed, an air of authority rippling away from him that made Irwin stand up straighter. It had the same effect on everyone around them; even Hutch''s eyes sharpened.


    "Will do," their old teacher replied curtly.


    Basil nodded, glanced at Irwin and Daubutim, then moved away. Within moments they could hear him shouting orders.


    "Right, you two," Hutch said. "I''d never have thought I would be working together with people I''d only trained the previous month, but what can you do? At least I know you two are up for the task!"


    I hope you are right, Irwin thought as he saw the group of four staring at him silently.


    He was pretty sure they were the group he was going with, three rangers, two men and a woman, and a guard in plate armor with a sharp, clean face and dark eyebrows that almost touched in the middle from the frown he had.


    "Orwin, these are Gallon''s Blazers¡­ though I guess with Gallon dead, you guys will need another name," Hutch said.


    There was a series of sharp breaths, and Irwin saw the female ranger''s eyes turn red as she stared at the ground.


    Hutch blinked, his shoulders sinking. "Ah¡­right, sorry, Gwallina," he whispered. "It''s just been..." he didn''t continue, his voice tapering off sadly.


    The ranger just shook her head, her long, dark, matted hair falling slightly before her face.


    Nobody spoke, and Hutch sighed again as he focused on the sole guard, seeming unsure what to say.


    "It''s fine, Hutch," the guard said, his frown gone. He took a look at the female ranger, then stepped forward with a face as weary as his voice and focused on Irwin.


    "You''re one of those new kids that are working at Trimdir''s smithy?"


    Irwin nodded. From the corner of his eye, he saw Hutch take a last sad glance at Gwallina before pulling Daubutim towards the other group. A sudden sense of dread almost made him call out. Then footsteps drew his attention back to the group. The rangers had moved forward, flanking the guard, who he guessed was called Desmir, and now stood in a half circle before him.


    "So¡­ you know how to use those?" one of the rangers asked gruffly as he pointed at the card-outlines on Irwin''s hand. "Or do we have to teach you first?"


    Irwin blinked, surprised by the unexpected hostile tone.


    He turned his full attention to the ranger. It was a short man with a wad of matted brown hair and a stubbled beard. He had scabs covering his chin, heavily battered armor, and a worn bowstring. Still, the quiver on his back was full, and the callouses on his fingers reminded him of those the rangers back in Malorin had.


    As he silently inspected the man, there was stunned silence that was broken by the yet unnamed ranger.


    "Lous!" the man with short blond hair and an intense look in his dark eyes shouted. "Be nice. This is the one who helped clean out those demon frogs! Remember?"


    Lous''s face soured, but he didn''t back down. "So? We could have done the same thing easily! Where we are going-"


    As the ranger spoke, Irwin felt his annoyance rise. Basil had warned him to expect something, but he''d not expected this reaction.


    "Enough, Lous," Desmir snapped. The guard''s voice was quiet, but Lous stopped mid-sentence, scowling.


    There was a moment of laden silence as Irwin stared at Lous, annoyed but unwilling to snap back. Not yet, at least.


    Desmir sighed. "Sorry, Orwin. Please ignore Lous. We''ve all had a trying week, losing friends¡­ family."


    As he spoke, Desmir''s eyes darted to Lous and the female ranger before quickly focusing back on Irwin. "Perhaps you can tell us a bit about your cards? Just so we know what to expect of you? I''m sure, with Basil referring you and Hutch''s training, you are more than up to the task!"


    The guard glanced at Lous after the final remark.


    The gruff ranger ignored it, and Irwin almost asked the other what his problem was. Instead, he examined the others, and slowly he calmed. They all had worn armor and weapons, dirty and disheveled appearances, and deep bags under their eyes.


    These people had been the ones closing uncommon portals for months. Likely they had only just returned from closing another portal. They were tired, had lost at least a few of their group, and now, instead of some well-deserved rest, they had to go straight back out there. He recalled how he had felt after being in those portals, especially the hot one with the dogs and plants. It had been horrible.


    "Alright," he said, giving the guard a half smile before nodding at the others.


    As he decided on the skill and prepared himself, his own anticipation grew. Since reforging it and becoming a full-hand, he hadn''t used Coperion Body''s active yet. Wondering what would happen, he focused on his card and triggered the ability.


    Energy rushed through his body as he felt it change with an electric jolt. He suddenly felt solid, and his weight increased drastically, causing his feet to sink deeper into the mud. The world around him shifted, and everything seemed to shrink just a tiny bit. It didn''t, of course. He just grew! There was a strained groan from his armor as his muscles bulged, and his previously well-fitting clothes suddenly felt tight.


    Then everything settled, and he gazed at the rangers, now at least a hand-width taller than the tallest of them. Any lingering sensation of being cold had vanished, and all he felt was the wind blow gently along his head.


    "Yilda''s tits," the unnamed ranger whispered as he took a step back.


    The others of his new group were gaping at Irwin, Lous shaking his head in disbelief.


    "That''s one hell of a transformation!"


    "You think he''s got a rare?"


    "No, you fool, he is with what remains of Gallon''s¡­ they do uncommon portals, remember?


    Irwin heard a loud muttering around him, while behind the rangers, Hutch had turned, gazing at him with a surprised look.


    That might have drawn a little too much attention, Irwin thought as he looked around and that many of the nearby guards and rangers had turned their curious gazes on him.


    "I have never seen an uncommon card that has a body transformation," Desmir said.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Irwin saw the guard''s hard stare at his left hand, and he raised it slightly so the guard could see the dull lines of the fake uncommon card tattoo. "Just a good uncommon," he said.


    Nobody responded, and Irwin shivered. Did uncommon cards even have skills with changes like this? He couldn''t recall.


    "Why are you all looking so upset?" Lous said loudly, drawing everyone''s attention. "Just because his skin is gleaming and he grew a bit?"


    Irwin barely held back from saying Lous himself had been staring just as hard, also containing a relieved sigh. He was happy the grumpy ranger had spoken up, as the spell had broken and normal conversation had resumed.


    Lous frowned at him. "What does it do, anyway?"


    Irwin thought for a second but couldn''t think of a good reason to keep it to himself. Besides, he could kind of agree with Lous. If all the card did was make him big and shiny that would be somewhat lackluster.


    "It makes me stronger, tougher, and harder to cut," he said. They stared back at him dully. "And, like this, I''m mostly unbothered by cold," he added as an afterthought.


    Eyebrows shot up at that, and Lous''s scowl vanished, replaced by a calculating look.


    "How long does it last? How often can you use it?" Desmir asked carefully.


    "Over ten minutes, then there''s a cool-down. I can use it a few times per day," Irwin said, trying to keep his voice low enough that it didn''t carry to the mass of guards staring at him.


    He didn''t feel like sharing with everyone how one of his key skills worked, even if only slightly. Still, apparently what he''d shared was enough, as there was a surprised mutter around him.


    "Ten minutes? Yilda be thanked," Gwallina exclaimed as she turned to Desmir. "That means you don''t have to do all of the melee on your own. More distractions so we can quietly shoot those evil icy-blooded bastards!"


    Desmir nodded, looking incredibly relieved. "Okay, even if you can''t do anything else, that''s going to be a boon. Anything else you can share with us?"


    Irwin thought for a second, then shrugged. "Let''s talk about this while we are traveling. I wouldn''t mind knowing what the four of you can do."


    Desmir nodded resolutely, interrupting Lous, who seemed ready to speak up.


    "You are right! I see you have grappling gauntlets, and as Hutch was your trainer, you should be able to use them well. Let''s head outside and discuss some tactics. I don''t know how much you know about fighting Frozir, but as most of the portals had those, I''m pretty sure we will be encountering those."


    Irwin grinned, happy his display seemed to have changed the mood. "Sounds good!"


    Desmir returned the grin, weary as it might be, before turning and heading towards the gate''s small side entrance. Lous and Gwallina followed him while the unnamed ranger hung back.


    Irwin looked up to see Daubutim listening to Hutch. His friend''s eyes focused on him, and Irwin nodded, pointing at the gate. Daubutim returned the nod before focusing on Hutch.


    Irwin was about to head to the gate when he saw the ranger motion for him to hang back.


    Now what? he thought as he slowed his step.


    As Lous and the others walked out of earshot, the ranger looked at him.


    "Thanks for what you did with those horrible Frozir frog-demons," he said softly.


    "You are welcome," Irwin said, surprised.


    "No. I mean it. My parents were here," the ranger said, staring at him. "I hear you killed two of those near Kettleburn street?"


    "I don''t know the names of most of the streets," Irwin said.


    "It''s with those wooden beams nearly touching in the- Ah, never mind, it doesn''t matter. My parents live there, and from what I hear, those bloody Frogs ravaged entire houses. So. Thank you," he said.


    He extended his hand, and Irwin shook it, feeling slightly uncomfortable. They didn''t shake hands in Malorin¡­ at least not that he knew.


    "I''m Yerich," the ranger said.


    "Orwin," Irwin said automatically. As he did, he blinked at how natural it felt.


    If I don''t stop this soon, I''ll start thinking of myself as Orwin, he thought, not for the first time.


    "Actually, to be completely honest, there''s another reason I''m glad you''re here," Yerich said, looking to see if the others were really far enough away before throwing Irwin a crooked grin. "I only joined a week ago, just before the portal where everything went to shit."


    Irwin looked back with interest. "What kind of portal was it? What happened?"


    "Nyzir," Yerich said as he shivered. "We expected Frozir, but we stepped in, and it was completely dark. Gallon had a torch going in a second, but it was like there was a blanket covering it. It gave off as much light as a nearly burned-out candle. Still, it was enough to see these¡­ horrible demons. Long and spindly, and moving horribly, they had daggers instead of fingers!"


    Irwin swallowed as he tried to recall what he knew about Nyzir. Not much except for the name and that Ambraz had spoken about them.


    Didn''t he say they were one of the types of demons that are in common portals? he thought. Starting demons or something?


    Yerich fell silent as they reached the small door beside the main gate. The others had gone through, and as they did, Irwin saw even more guards.


    There have to be over a thousand, he thought, slightly in awe. He and Yerich followed the others, while Desmir led them to the side of the army.


    "Have you been in any portals?" Yerich asked.


    "Yes, a few," Irwin said.


    "Any Frozir?"


    "No, Galubs and some sort of hounds."


    As he mentioned the hounds, he suddenly thought about Greldo, and his summon Coal. I wonder how he is doing¡­ where he is, Irwin thought. Trimdir had asked around, but none of the traders had heard about him.


    "Galubs? Those can be nasty," Yerich said with a frown. "I''ve heard from another ranger that said he''d been to a portal with Galub''s two heads taller than us and with two horns instead of one!"


    "I''ve seen those," Irwin nodded.


    "Really? Then it had to be an uncommon portal that you entered," Yerich said, sounding surprised.


    Irwin frowned, about to refute him, when Yerich continued.


    "I''ve heard that there are even three-horned ones in rare portals!"


    Irwin blinked and closed his mouth with a snap. He had seen three-horned ones... but that hadn''t been an uncommon portal. It had been a common one.


    What is going on? he thought, suddenly wishing he had time to talk with Ambraz.


    "Anyway, I''ve no idea about the hounds, but there seems to be a near-infinite amount of demons around," Yerich said. "I''m glad you at least have some experience."


    Irwin nodded while his mind spun. Either Yerich was lying, the ranger he''d spoken to had been, or¡­ he glanced at his special card. He barely noticed how they joined up with the others until he got a soft jab from Yerich.


    "Gather around," Desmir said, and Irwin realized he''d said so before.


    Irwin joined the others in a small circle.


    "So, let''s get the introductions out of the way first," Desmir said. "I''m Desmir, and I was Gallon''s second in command. Right now, I''m the acting squad leader until Hutch or Basil says otherwise."


    He focused on Irwin and raised his hand. "Like you, I''m a full-hand, and I have two abilities worth noting. One lets me absorb damage of any source, then become resistant to that same type of damage for five minutes. The other¡­" he smiled as he drew his sword from his belt. "Well, sometimes it''s better to show something."


    Desmir''s hand glowed as he triggered a card, and he stabbed his sword straight down into the ground. There was a dull boom as sand scattered everywhere, and a hole two arms deep and wide enough for Irwin''s leg appeared in the ground. As he looked at Irwin, a pale glow slowly withdrew from Desmir''s sword.


    "So, if you hold something for me to finish, make sure not to stand behind them," he said thoughtfully.


    Irwin swallowed and nodded quickly.


    Gwalina stepped forward. She stared at the ground, then sighed. "I can blend with the shadows and shoot arrows better."


    Irwin stared at her, not sure what she meant by either. Everyone could shoot arrows, right? What did better mean?


    Gwalina must have seen his confusion. "Fine¡­" she muttered.


    In a single fluid motion, she drew an arrow, spun around, and fired it at a small copse of trees in the distance. A sparkling trail followed the arrow as it moved so fast Irwin could barely follow it before slamming into a tree that had to be half a mile away. The only reason he even knew it was because the entire tree shook as if a demon had struck it.


    "I''ll show you the shadow blend another time," she muttered.


    Irwin just nodded. He suddenly felt far less powerful than he had mere moments ago.


    Lous grunted as he shook his head. "I''m not joining you in this pecker-measuring contest," he said before staring at Irwin. "I can curve and move my arrows mid-air to hit things around corners or turn misses into hits."


    Irwin waited, expecting something else, but Lous stared quietly at him.


    "So, my turn?" Yerich said, not sounding too happy. He looked around the wall, took his bow, and shot an arrow into a wooden beam that protruded slightly across. The whole action looked somewhat sad after Gwalina''s rapid shot. Yerich''s eyes turned a dull white as he stilled.


    "So, Basil is getting ready to move. He is waiting around at the first line, and they should open the door in a few moments," he said. Then his eyes turned normal again, and he shrugged. "I can see around the impact of my arrows for a few moments."


    "Now, if only you would learn to shoot," Lous said.


    Irwin frowned, wondering if Lous enjoyed being mean to everyone when he saw Lous give Yerich a weary grin. The other smirked back.


    The massive gate opened. A stream of armed guards and rangers began filing out. Yerich shrugged.


    Only one thing? Irwin wondered, taking a quick glance at the ranger''s hand, noting three cards, though not combined into a full-hand yet.


    "So. I presume, as a full-hand, you have at least one more trick up your sleeve?" Desmir asked.


    Irwin hesitated for only a moment before stepping back and raising his hand. He''d shown his flame many times already, so it wouldn''t matter too much to show it. He didn''t believe the others had shown all they could, especially not Lous, but beyond this, he still had tricks.


    A swirling cone of fire erupted above his hand, reaching over an arm''s length into the air before fanning out.


    "By Gelwin''s beard," Yerich whispered.


    Desmir just nodded as he examined the flame. "I heard about it, but it''s more impressive close by. The rumor is you used it like a sword to kill those frogs?"


    Irwin nodded as he changed the shape slightly to look like a wide sword before swinging it around.


    "Not bad¡­ and the way you move, you have experience with blades?"


    "Yes. My friend taught me," Irwin said.


    "It''s good to have friends," Desmir said, nondescript. "Alright then, let''s come up with some ways to include your skills in our tactics so we can close that portal without any more losses."


    Irwin nodded, wondering how long it would be before they would leave.


    "Portal? Make that portals," Lous muttered, but everyone ignored him.

 Chapter 66: Chains of ice

    The loud crunching of booted feet on snow echoed down the slope of the hill. It was the only sound, as Basil had ordered them to remain quiet. Nobody seemed to dare ignore his order. There were some whispers now and again, but most of those were sightings that were being relayed across the line.


    Irwin raised his head, trying to ignore the constant cold air. Becoming a full-hand had taken the edge off, and he didn''t think he''d die if he kept moving, but it was far from fun. He was close to just triggering Coperion Body again, then shoved it away.


    No. If we get jumped, I''ll need it, he derided himself.


    Trying to distract himself, he looked out across the four-man wide line of guards and soldiers that trodded ahead of him. A snow-covered forest sprawled across the valley below, the hardened path they were walking across leading directly to its edge. Not that he could really see the path, only the line of footsteps left by the scouts that had gone ahead.


    Darkness hung below the trees, the thick snow covering the trees, not letting even a bit of the faint sunlight through.


    On the other side of the valley was another hill, jagged and with a rocky pass like a black patch in the white lands. It was the final path that led to Grinning Man''s hilltop and their current goal. Hutch had joined them just before they were moving out, explaining that they would wait in the pass for the scouts.


    At least we will be out of the wind, Irwin thought as he gritted his teeth.


    "You alright?"


    Irwin looked to his side, seeing Daubutim stare at him.


    "I''ll be fine, just highly uncomfortable," Irwin said with a crooked grin.


    His friend nodded and focused back ahead. Hutch, who was walking to Daubutim''s left, looked at them before nodding and focusing back on scanning the hills.


    A shiver from his pocket almost made Irwin let out a startled shout. Then he realized it was Ambraz, and he looked around in confusion. What was going on?


    He didn''t see anything, but the shivering came again, even stronger.


    Confused, he looked at Daubutim, seeing his friend staring back at him. Unsure what to do, Irwin shrugged and padded his pocket gently.


    Daubutim''s eyes widened, then he nodded.


    What?


    Daubutim took out his bottle and took a sip. Instantly he began coughing, causing the people around them to stare at him.


    "Eyes of Blaze, forest."


    The soft whisper was overridden by the coughing and hissing, but Irwin had heard it. Feeling his hair stand on end, he focused on his Eyes of Blaze, not even knowing why and gazed at the forest.


    Beside him, Daubutim had stopped coughing and was getting a whispered reprimand, but Irwin ignored it. At first, he didn''t see anything, but as they continued walking down and closed in on the dark, snow-covered forest, he began making out things in the shadows.


    It started as faint orange lines but quickly turned into slightly ruddy surfaces and dark red outlines. They seemed to move slightly, and each time they did, they became clearer before dimming again when the slightly swaying stopped.


    What are those? Irwin thought as he stared at them, the cold almost forgotten.


    One of the ruddy outlines moved sharply, and as it did, the outlining turned crisp, and he instantly recognized the familiar shape.


    "Frozir-frogs," he said with a gasp as he felt his skin crawl.


    "What?" Hutch and Daubutim said as one, staring at him. There was a surprised mutter from Desmir and the others of his and Hutch''s party who were walking behind and in front of them.


    "There are Frozir in the forest," Irwin hissed. He was about to shout a warning to the head when Daubutim grabbed his arm.


    "Wait," his friend said before turning to Hutch.


    The bare-armed guard was staring at them. "How-"


    "Orwin can see in the dark," Daubutim said. "I think¡­ Orwin, did your ability improve when you became a full-hand?"


    "I think so," Irwin said as he stared at one of the nearest outlines that was slowly dimming. A few moments later, it turned so pale he could barely notice it.


    "It''s the movement," he whispered before looking around. He didn''t see any glow around the soldiers. "I don''t know how it works¡­" As he said it, he wished he had the time to check what all of his improved abilities did. And why hadn''t Ambraz told him if he knew what his new skill could do?


    No, why didn''t it show on the card?


    "How many?" Hutch said, a cold glow in his eyes.


    "Not sure. If they stop moving, I can''t see them," Irwin replied as he scanned the treeline. He saw dozens of clustered groups of outlines nearby and fainter ones deeper in the forest. They had closed in even more, and he now clearly saw them fade away and reappear further away too. Trying to count, he quickly felt his blood chill.


    "Hundreds," he whispered. "And that''s only those I can see."


    Hutch''s face fell, then he gritted his teeth and moved forward.


    "Alright. Stay here, and don''t act unless you see them move," he snapped over his shoulder. Then he was jogging along the line, heading towards the head.


    "How many tricks do you have," Lous hissed from behind Irwin.


    Irwin ignored him, staring at the head of the column where Hutch had reached Basil and began talking fervently.


    "Was it your special skill?" Daubutim whispered.


    "Yes, the metal one," Irwin whispered back.


    Daubutim nodded, and Irwin saw him glance at his pocket before looking up. "Alright, let''s wait and see what Basil does, but I expect him to spread us out into a v-shape, then charge at the last moment."


    "What? Why? We will run into their trap," Irwin whispered.


    "We can''t turn and go back. They will attack us while we are still in a line and crush the front before the back can react," Daubutim said slowly. "If we stop and regroup, they will most probably also attack. My father has told me many times that when in doubt, charge your enemy if you can catch them unaware. It is very likely they don''t know about Basil''s power, so if he takes the front, they won''t know what hit them."


    Irwin wanted to nod and agree, but as he stared at the dark forest, he wondered how anyone but him would even see their enemies. He tried to think of a better thing to do than blindly storm into the woods, but he couldn''t come up with anything. Just shooting into the forest wouldn''t work because he was the only one who could see them. At least, he expected he was. Otherwise, someone would have said something already.


    "Look, Basil has sent orders," Daubutim said.


    Irwin saw his friend was right, as the soldiers in the long line were turning around, saying something to those behind them and stepping sideways. Those behind them did the same, though even further, and within moments the line began fanning out.


    They have to notice this, Irwin thought as he stared into the forest. For a few moments, nothing happened, then more and more outlines popped up, all of them moving to the front of the forest.


    "Orwin, to the front! Now!"


    Irwin looked up to see Hutch run back, waving at him.


    "Be careful," Daubutim whispered.


    Irwin was about to run when the line in front of them turned around. Yerich stood in front of Irwin, and his eyes were wide with fear as he stuttered the message he''d probably just heard from those ahead of him.


    "New orders, the left two people move to the left of those in front. Those on the right to the right. Get ready for battle. Relay the order before acting."


    Irwin nodded. "Be careful. I''ve gotta go," he said.


    "You too," Yerich said.


    Irwin nodded, then took a few steps around the others and began running ahead of the line. He saw more and more red outlines appear all over the forest''s edge.


    When he reached the front, he stopped with a gasp. Basil stood at the head of the army, a head taller than before, covered in full plate armor and wielding a massive, black two-handed sword. His hair was a gleaming golden, more like spikes of metal than hair.


    "Orwin. How many," the guard captain snapped as soon as Irwin stopped beside him.


    "Hundreds," Irwin said. "More are moving in from the center."


    "Alright. Stay at my left, and keep at least some distance between us. Keep your eye on the forest and tell me if they try to move around us. If you see a small group in the distance, tell me that too," Basil said.


    Irwin swallowed as he moved to the empty spot left of Basil. The half dozen warriors around him were all the elites of Degonda, each with at least one rare and all full-handed. They all looked calm and ready, staring at the forest.


    They looked like soldiers from the old stories he had learned at school, and Irwin couldn''t contain a shiver. He was the youngest and probably weakest here. Couldn''t he just tell Basil where they were and move back a bit? He didn''t mind fighting¡­ but this?


    He licked his lips as he looked at the massing Frozir that stood below the treeline.


    "Keep your cool. They made a big mistake meeting us in the field like this," Basil said. The guard captain stared straight into Irwin''s eyes, his own now golden-glowing eyes almost sparkling. "We have only guards and rangers, no city to defend. No fear of them trying to move around us."


    Irwin nodded, taking a deep breath before blowing it out and trying to calm himself. It only worked slightly. Then he saw a movement near the treeline, and pale blue and white figures appeared.


    "They are coming!"


    "Incoming!"


    Irwin spoke at the same time as a tall woman with a long brown ponytail who stood a few steps away. Her eyes glimmered oddly as she looked at Irwin before turning to Basil.


    "Most are common Frozir, but there are more of those frogs and at least a few dozen uncommon."


    "Alright," Basil said as he stepped forward and raised the massive sword above his head.


    "Warriors of Degonda, a perfect chance has arrived! We can whittle down these demons before they reach our fair city! We shall show them our power!"


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    As he spoke, the sword began glowing brightly, and a pulse of golden light blasted out of it.


    Irwin felt a burst of energy as the light engulfed him, and his cards hummed. At the same time, he felt his fear fade. Why was he even afraid? He had strong cards, and they were with so many! The Frozir stood no chance! He felt a rage quickly building before something in his mind resisted it. For a few moments, there was a battle between two things. Then his mind cleared slightly. The fearlessness remained, but the rage died down like a forge without fuel.


    "Readyyyyyy!" Basil roared.


    A deafening roar came from the line of warriors behind him.


    Irwin wanted to look, but he had no time as Basil leaned forward and began running.


    "Chaaaaaarge!"


    The line of soldiers surged forward, roaring loudly. Irwin hesitated for a split second before following them. As he ran, he saw a mass of white and blue familiar figures rush towards them from the treeline. Frozir, multiple waves, came first, but behind them, Irwin saw the demonic-frogs he had slain before. Behind them, staying below the trees, stood taller Frozir, their arms moving in rapid gestures. A loud shriek came from the forest, and the trees shook, snow billowing out. Three massive winged shapes burst out of the cloud.


    "Archers, focus on the Frostwyrms," Basil boomed, his voice easily overcoming the roaring that came from everywhere.


    Irwin felt fear bubble up, but he shoved it down. He focused and activated his Coperion Body, almost stumbling as he grew a hand-length in height and probably twice as heavy.


    The roaring was muted by the thundering of the approaching Frozir feet, and Basil flung his sword to the side as if it weighed no more than a stick. Irwin saw a dozen Frozir ahead, cold eyes like crystals staring at him. He felt the freezing hate directed at him.


    Two steps before they would reach each other, Basil slashed his sword forward, and a massive wave of golden light burst from the edge of his sword, expanding in a split second and slamming into a large section of the Frozir. A pained multi-voiced scream came as dozens were flung back while others tripped, sliding forward on their chest.


    "Slaughter them," Basil roared just as Irwin reached the first of the Frozir.


    As he saw the demons, ready to kill him and all others, Irwin felt the remains of his fear vanish. He''d done this before, first in the portals, then when the frog demons came. And that was before he had become a full-hand. He could do this!


    Seeing the gleaming swords, longer than his reach, he summoned his flame, making it long and thin like a spear and jutting it at the nearest Frozir. The demon''s eyes widened, and it was a fraction too late as it jumped to the side. The thin fiery tip burned through the crystal armor, and he instantly increased the flame''s heat to the maximum. An ear-rattling screech mixed with the deafening battle sounds around him, then the Frozir''s head exploded in a cloud of shards, bluish liquid, and white goo.


    Irwin had no time to stare at what he''d done as two more Frozir were only a few steps away. One dropped with an arrow through the eye, but the other jumped him, sword forward. Irwin tried sidestepping, but his heavy body weighed him down. He barely managed to slap the sword away with his gauntlet before gripping the Frozir''s arm. He changed the flame to wrap around his gauntlet, and the Frozir screamed as it tried to rip its arm free. Then there was a dull crunch, and the Frozir stumbled back, gripping the stub where its arm had been.


    Irwin jumped forward, jutting his flame like a spear.


    Time turned into a blur of jumping around, dodging, grabbing, and exploding Frozir. The longer duration of Coperion Body quickly showed to be one of the biggest boons he''d gotten as swords pierced through his armor, leaving no more than minor cuts on his skin. He lost sight of Basil. The last he''d seen of the massive warrior was when he''d charged into the forest, shouting something about the leaders. Daubutim was also gone, and Irwin worried greatly. Dead littered the ground, mostly Frozir, but there were plenty of guards and rangers amongst them.


    The battle slowly spread out across the valley and even back into the forest, resulting in a chaotic set of melees. The Frostwyrms were hovering in the air, waiting for opportune moments to blur down and blast cones of freezing air all over the combatants.


    "From above," one of the rangers roared.


    Irwin jumped back, dodging two Frozir. Looking up, he saw a Frostwyrm head his way. Arrows flashed toward it, some glowing with skills, but he knew it wouldn''t matter. The massive monsters dodged most of the hits, and the few that did strike weren''t enough to even slow it down.


    Ignoring the Frozir, he sprinted across the dozen feet that separated him from the forest, dodging behind a tree. Barely in time, as a wave of wintery cold and icy wind blew around him. Even his Coperion Body couldn''t fully protect him from it, and he shivered uncontrollably while looking around for anything ready to jump him. Breathing raggedly, he looked around the forest. He could see as if it was clear as day, though he knew it was dark.


    A blur of movement came from the side, and he looked up to see a familiar figure run through the forest, chased by two of the larger Frozir.


    "Yerich, over here!" Irwin shouted as he ran to intercept his to-be teammate.


    His body was still slow from the dash of cold air, but Coperion Body was still active. As long as the battle had felt, it couldn''t have been longer than ten minutes. Probably less even.


    Yerich heard him and began looking around frantically.


    "Here!" Irwin shouted again, and this time Yerich ran towards him.


    There was no sight of his bow, and he wielded two daggers and a terrified look. His armor had long gashes, and a trickle of blood ran from the side of his face. The Frozir rushed after him, and Irwin gritted his teeth. He''d yet to fight one of them and had no idea how strong they were.


    Try to take one out before they reach me, he thought as he moved to get a clear view of them.


    As the two towering Frozir approached, he focused on Eyes of Blaze. The skill responded differently from what he remembered. The energy he''d sensed before felt malleable as if he could change it. It wasn''t like what he could do with his flame, but as he stared at the Frozir, he forced as much energy into it as he could. The card resonated, and his eyes became warm as an area appeared on the Frozir''s chest and neck, exactly where he was focusing. The Frozir''s eyes widened, and it raised its arms just as Irwin triggered his ability.


    The area of forest flashed bright as two roaring columns of fire, each a fist thick, slammed into the Frozir. It was knocked back, stumbled, and raised its arms before tumbling back with a charred hole where its chest had been.


    "May Yilda protect me. Which skill was that?" Yerich hissed as he reached Irwin.


    Irwin ignored him as he saw the second Frozir slow down and wave its hands around. A blue glow appeared around it, and within seconds a thick white armor covered its torso.


    Yeah, I wasn''t planning on shooting you, Irwin thought as he rushed forward, readying his flame.


    Two steps from the Frozir, it suddenly opened its mouth, and a gust of freezing air rippled out.


    Irwin threw himself to the side, out of the path of the cone of snow and ice. He summoned his flame, elongated it, and struck forward. The Frozir grunted and stepped back, causing the flame to strike its icy shell. A hissing and screeching came from the material.


    Before Irwin could make another move, a dagger bloomed from the Frozir''s eye. Its remaining one closed while the gust of frost stopped. It slumped on its knees before falling to the side.


    "Thanks," Irwin grunted as Yerich moved next to him.


    "Yes, it''s fine, I¡­ we¡­ I need a bow or something," the ranger said as he looked at Irwin and then around. "Do you think we are winning?"


    Irwin had no idea how to answer that. "Did you see Daubutim? My friend?" he asked.


    "He went with Hutch and the others after Basil," the ranger said as he grimaced. "I was there but¡­ we got jumped! Those two, they chased me and-"


    "Why didn''t you tell me earlier?" Irwin snapped as he glared at Yerich. "Where are they?"


    The ranger flinched as if struck, then looked around quickly. "That way," he said as he pointed deeper into the forest.


    Irwin focused, and red outlines appeared further away. There weren''t many, perhaps a few dozen, but he did see another of the Frostwyrms hover above.


    "Let''s go," he snapped as he ran there.


    He had no idea what to do, but he definitely wasn''t going to leave Daubutim there alone. He heard Yerich mutter something, but he couldn''t hear what. He dodged between the trees as fast as he could, noting a dim outlining of orange nearby. As he moved there, he found a heavily wounded Lous struggling to crawl forward.


    "Lous," Irwin hissed as he ran to the ranger.


    "What? Ah, you," the ranger croaked as he rolled on his back. "The others ran into a trap- Basil is being held down by some-" Lous grunted in pain before continuing. "Big, blue Frozir. Different¡­ it''s using multiple skills." The ranger''s eyes blinked open and closed as Yerich reached him.


    "I can''t bloody see in the dark," he snapped. Then he saw Lous and cursed. "Lous? What happened?"


    "What happened?" the other grunted angrily. "Stupid questions!"


    Irwin gritted his teeth and got up. "Keep him alive!" he snapped at Yerich before he ran towards the multiple outlines in the distance.


    As he closed in, he heard shouts, grunts, and clanging of blades. Dodging around a dark bush, he came to a sliding halt. A tall, bare-chested Frozir with a long mane of white hair stood in the center of a clearing with splintered branches and wood all around.. Both his arms were spread out, and chains of ice ran from them towards Basil, who was wrapped up by so many Irwin only recognized him by his spiky golden hair.


    Great, that has to be the leader, he thought. Now what?

 Chapter 67: Shattered

    Irwin quickly looked around for Daubutim, hoping his friend was alright.


    He saw him immediately, together with Hutch and a dozen others. They were fighting with more of the uncommon Frozir. Behind those stood a dozen smaller common ones, moving their arms in weird patterns. Blueish glyphs hung in the air before them, and a dim glow expanded from them, covering the group of fighters.


    Some kind of aura? Irwin thought. Probably to strengthen their allies. It had to be because the air was colder here than it should be.


    A low, constant, and thunderous flapping came from above, and a quick look showed a Frostwyrm hovering menacingly above them. Its eyes were focused on Basil, but it didn''t move. A thin chain of ice was wrapped around its ankle, leading back to the long-haired Frozir leader.


    "Irwin, free Basil!" Daubutim''s voice caused a momentary lull in the sound of clashing steel.


    Irwin looked up and saw his friend look with hope-filled eyes as he tried to hold back the rapid slashing blades.


    "Stop him."


    The cold voice made Irwin shiver, and he slowly turned to see the Frozir leader staring at him. Its eyes were so cold he shivered. There was movement from the woods as a short female Frozir appeared, moving fluidly.


    Irwin blinked. Where did she come from? And why hadn''t he seen her outlining? As the Frozir stalked towards him, Irwin shook his head to clear it. He needed to stay focused!


    Distract first, he thought as he connected to his Eyes of Blaze and gazed at the Frozir Leader.


    He felt his energy dwindle rapidly as he forced it through his eyes for a short, strong burst. Have to leave enough energy for a few more attacks, he thought as he triggered his skill.


    The area lit up bright as two lances of roaring fire shot toward the leader.


    Its eyes widened, and it dropped one arm, snapping it around in a chopping motion. One of the chains dropped to the ground, and a barrier of blue appeared blocking the streams of fire. The fire rippled across the barrier and loud popping came as cracks rippled across it. For a moment, it looked like it might shatter, then Irwin''s attack stopped, and the barrier remained.


    "Kill him!" the leader snarled, his voice having lost some of its cool.


    Irwin jumped back, readying himself to fight the female Frozir. He took a quick look at Basil, hoping he could break free now there was only one chain left. The chain had slid down, revealing the guard-captain''s face, which was warped by strain, lips drawn back, and teeth bare.


    "Behind-" he croaked.


    Irwin jumped forward mechanically as something wooshed through the air as he rolled over the ground. A long thin blade of ice whipped over him and then down, and he shoved up his grappling gauntlets, summoning his flame around them while turning the fire as hot as he could.


    It felt like an anvil had been dropped on his hands, and he grunted as he felt the palms of his grappling gauntlets strain but hold. The Frozir was staring at him in disbelief, her lips pursed and eyes wide and cold.


    Irwin made his flame surge up and out, causing her to jump back while the air around them suddenly rippled with heat. Tiny water drops appeared on the snow below and around Irwin.


    He scrambled to his feet and backed up.


    How did she just do that? he thought. She''d been in front of him, and he only took his eyes off her for a fraction of a second!


    "Again¡­ Do. It. Again."


    Basil''s whisper was barely audible, strained and staccato, but loud enough for everyone to hear.


    Irwin almost looked, barely stopping himself in time. As his gaze snapped back to the female Frozir, he only just saw her form turn to a thin mist that flew to his side so fast he almost didn''t catch it. He instinctively jumped to the other side just as another blade slashed through the air, still almost hitting him.


    Without waiting, he summoned his flame and slashed it like a long sword through where she stood, only to hit nothing but air. The mist solidified five steps back, but a blue hand threw a twirling blade at him before Irwin could even think about his next move. Jerking his head back, he slapped at it with his gauntlet. There was a dull thud, then a sharp pain from his palm, and as he yanked his hand back, he stared in horror at the blue curved dagger embedded in it. An intense cold tried to spread from it, and he could feel his body fight it.


    "Come, little soul thief," the female crooned. She smiled at him, and two more daggers appeared in her hands. "I''ll cool that hot heart of yours."


    Irwin gritted his teeth as anger pushed the pain from his hand away. The way she laughed showed she didn''t think of him as an equal but as no more than a tiny nuisance. He growled deep in his throat as he enlarged his flame and pressed it against the dagger, holding her gaze. There was a shattering sound as tiny fragments bounced from him, then he clasped his hands. The tiny root of frost in his palm was burned away, and he felt the wound slowly shut as his healing kicked in.


    The Frozir''s eyes narrowed, then, without any warning, the two daggers shot from her hands to his face.


    This time Irwin raised both his hands as he threw himself back, the flame expanding as a shield. At the same time, he cranked up the heat of his flame as far as it could. One of the daggers barely missed him while the other struck the thin shield of fire. It shattered on impact, and Irwin rushed forward.


    I need to get my hands on her, he thought. He wasn''t even halfway when she turned into the frozen mist and swirled away, only to reappear a dozen feet from him with new daggers. Annoyed, Irwin raised his shield, and another two daggers shattered on it.


    "You won''t be able to keep that up forever," she crooned.


    We will see about that, Irwin thought as an idea popped into his mind.


    He ran at her again, trying to determine where she might move. He watched her eyes and caught her look to the left. As she turned into a fog of ice, he used his Eyes of Blaze at full width, creating a cone and blanketing the area the mist covered. The roaring flame struck the cloud, and the sound of a thousand glasses shattering echoed out. Then a wail drowned out the still ongoing fighting behind him as the Frozir appeared, stumbling a few steps from Irwin. Her entire body was blackened, and long cracks ran across her face, a white goo dripping from it.


    Irwin suppressed his desire to vomit and jumped forward, jabbing his flame at her. She shrieked, jerked to the side, and he felt something sting his face. She almost got away, but then the tip of his spear ripped through her upper leg. It exploded, blue and white shards scattering around as she howled. Irwin didn''t wait. Daubutim had always told him never to underestimate a downed enemy. Another stab of his flame burst the Frozir apart, cutting off her howl.


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    Irwin stumbled and caught himself. His face stung, as cold spreading outward. Raising his left hand, he swallowed back his fear as he hesitated, pressing the flame against it. Even after all that had happened, the idea of putting a flame on his face scared him. But only for a moment. As the cold spread rapidly, he closed his eyes, shoved the flame against it, and sighed in relief as a gentle warmth caressed his flesh. The cold receded instantly.


    The sounds of battle still ongoing, Irwin turned around to find the leader had created a new chain. It was hanging a few inches from Basil as a golden shield held it back. The guard-captain was still clutched by the other chain. Daubutim and the others were slowly losing ground, confusing Irwin. His friend was moving slow and awkward, as if-


    Those common Frozir!


    He turned his attention to the line of Frozir behind the floating runes. It had to be! He took one look at Basil, then rushed towards the common Frozir.


    No way to know what last resort that demon has, he thought.


    The Frozir saw him coming, and looks of fear and horror came to their faces.


    Only months ago, Irwin would have hesitated at killing something that couldn''t resist. Not now. Not after all that had happened. As soon as he was close enough, he struck out with his flame, which moved through the rune as if it wasn''t there. The Frozir dropped his hands at the last moment and jumped back, just out of range. As it did, the rune in front of it whisked away.


    As Irwin rushed the others, they all began dropping their arms and reaching for swords.


    Not happening, Irwin thought. He''d wanted to keep his Eyes of Blaze ready for the boss, but they didn''t leave him with another option. As he triggered the card''s skill, he felt the energy rush out of him, leaving him winded. Still, the interrupted screams and shattering, as four of the Frozir exploded, made it worth it. The others had jumped out of range, probably when his eyes turned red, and he rushed forward.


    A minute later, he finished the last one and turned to Daubutim just in time to see his friend decapitate one of the uncommon Frozir with a quick swirl of his massive claymore. The other guards were easily pushing back the others, and Irwin rushed to help them. The dozen guards and rangers quickly showed why they were the best in Degonda. With the effect of the runes gone, they destroyed the defense, and soon they were stalking towards the boss.


    "You alright?" Irwin asked as he noticed a few odd blue gashes on Daubutim''s arms and face. White lines seemed to be very lowly expanding from them.


    "No. Most of us got infected by something on their weapons," Daubutim grunted. "But we can fix that later. We need to-"


    "Evil soul-stealers¡­" a voice laced with a freezing hatred interrupted him.


    The Frozir leader''s eyes were glowing with a bright blue. The second chain had dropped to the ground again, and instead, he held the tiny chain that led up to the Frostwyrm.


    "We will kill all of you, wipe your rotten existence from these worlds," he snarled. His eyes stared at Basil, then turned to Irwin, who felt the temperature around him drop.


    "You. I will remember you," the leader hissed. Then his hands flashed and he was jerked up by the chain.


    Arrows rushed after him, but a blue aura came around him.


    "Can you use those fire eyes of yours?"


    Irwin was spun around, and he stared at Hutch, looking at him hopefully. Realizing what the other wanted, Irwin pulled up the skill, instantly sensing that the energy was still refilling.


    "Not yet," he said with a shake of his head.


    "Dammit!" Hutch snapped as he let him go.


    Irwin and the others watched helplessly as the Frozir reached the Frostwyrm. It threw one more icy stare at them before the massive winged beast flew away. They heard its wings for a few seconds, slowly turning softer until finally disappearing into the distance.


    ¡°Well¡­ that was fun¡­¡±


    Irwin looked back at Basil''s annoyed snarl. The guard-captain was ripping apart the chains, freeing himself before joining them. He cast a look at Irwin before turning to the others.


    "Don''t just stand here! Go and clean up the rest of these demons!"


    Hutch jolted, then began barking orders. Within moments the group dispersed toward the distant sounds of violence. Irwin moved with Daubutim when a soft voice stopped him.


    "Orwin."


    He turned to see Basil look at him calmly.


    "Remain for a moment."


    Irwin nodded.


    "Don''t worry," Daubutim whispered.


    Easy for you to say, Irwin thought as he watched his friend rush after Hutch. Somehow, he had the idea that cleaning up the remaining Frozir might be easier than talking with Basil right now.


    "How many skills do you have?" Basil asked as soon as the others left. "And don''t give me this noble, I can''t tell you our house''s secrets, crap!"


    Irwin swallowed as he saw the Guard Captains barely contained anger. He could imagine Basil was upset with him for holding back potentially important skills, but¡­ it wasn''t like he had known he could use his eyes like this! He licked his lips, about to answer when Basil took a deep breath and exhaled brusquely.


    "Sorry¡­ I just¡­ I hate feeling useless, and that blasted fool caught me good," he said, shaking his head.


    Irwin quietly waited as Basil began pacing across the open square, stomping over severed limbs and through piles of blue and white ichor.


    "Our scouts didn''t return, and I''d planned to wait in the pass," Basil muttered. After a few moments, he turned to Irwin.


    "Alright. Out with it. You can do what? Turn into metal, wield some ridiculously hot flame, read cards, shoot fire from your eyes, and see in the dark over large distances?"


    "Yes," Irwin said.


    "And you think anybody is going to believe you have two uncommon cards and a common?" Basil snapped before taking another few deep breaths. "Never mind. Let''s just say there have been rumors about special cards that somehow look like uncommon cards. So, is that it? Is one of your uncommons actually special?"


    Irwin didn''t respond, not sure what to say. In Malorin, everyone always tried incredibly hard to keep knowledge of their cards and skills a secret, going as far as covering their hands in gloves.


    "Whatever. You don''t have to answer that," Basil said after a few moments. "Still, as powerful as you are, you can probably close most uncommon portals by yourself."


    Irwin blinked and couldn''t hold back a snort as he recalled the last two portals he''d been to. He wasn''t sure about the Hounds, but he was sure he couldn''t have defeated Doomblade Heardswing or the Bablibon.


    "What?" Basil snapped. "I''ve been to rare portals where you would have been able to destroy most things."


    "I''ve been to common portals with things more dangerous than those Frostwyrms," Irwin retorted before he could stop himself.


    Basil stopped pacing and turned around, staring at him. He blinked, opening his mouth before closing it again. He repeated that a few times as a host of emotions ran across his face, resulting in weary resignation.


    "By Yilda, you aren''t lying¡­. Are you?"


    Irwin shook his head, already regretting he''d spoken up.


    "Well," Basil said. "Most uncommon and rare portals I''ve been through don''t have things-" he waved up at the empty sky. "Nearly that bad. But¡­ I have seen things like that in the only very rare portal I was in."


    Irwin looked up in wonder, his gaze drifting to Basil''s hand.


    Basil sighed, then tapped the sole card on his right hand. "Keep it to yourself, but see it as a sign of trust." He frowned and looked up. "Ah... I think the fighting is done."


    Irwin realized it had turned quiet.


    "Let''s head out," Basil said. "If you feel like sharing some more, come find me. Until then, you are at the front. If you see anything, tell me right away."


    The guard captain began stomping away, and as he did, there was a flash from his right hand. His body shrank while the massive armor vanished. There was another flash from his left hand, and his sword disappeared too.


    He must have an even better version of Daubutim''s card, Irwin thought as he followed Basil.


    Did that mean if he could turn Daubutim''s card into a very rare one, he would have similar powers? And what would that have meant for his own cards?


    Too late to wonder about that now, he thought as he glimpsed at his locked left hand. Then he gazed to his right and thought about the cards he was carrying. He had two uncommons, Burning Hands, which he wondered what would happen with if it became Rare, and the Derlin Rabbit one, which he still had no idea what it might do. Ambraz had seemed highly interested in that, and it had question marks all over. Moreover, how long would it take him to reforge up to rare himself, and better... beyond that?


    Before that, I need to think about what to get for my next three slots, he thought.


    Bronwyn had told him that most people waited for a very long time after becoming a full-hand, trying to find cards that would offset weaknesses in their full-hand or wait until they found high-rank cards. But he could just reforge them. As he thought that, he shivered as he recalled the pain that had brought with it.


    If I can get them reforged without socketing them first, that would be best, Irwin decided.


    "Orwin!"


    A dull shout ripped him back to reality, and he saw Daubutim waving at him. Hutch, his party, Desmir, and the others were all nearby, and Irwin was surprised to see Lous on his feet and seemingly fine too. Then he noticed a familiar figure, Lilinethe the healer, moving around with a pained face.


    "Go to your friends, but come to the front as soon as we start heading out," Basil said, giving him a quick look.


    "Alright," Irwin said, getting a nod as the Guard-captain turned and moved away.


    Bodies lay everywhere, most of them Frozir, but Irwin saw far too many guards and rangers. He quickly turned away and headed to Daubutim.


    I need to find some time to talk with Ambraz, he thought, while hoping the others wouldn''t ask too many questions about his cards.

 Chapter 68: Derlin Cards

    "I don''t see anything," Irwin said, his eyes roaming the rocky passage. "Unless they remained motionless for ten minutes, it should be clear."


    "Alright," Basil said, standing up and stretching.


    Irwin followed his example, shivering from the cold. They had been sitting here for a while, long enough for his legs to start cramping and his body to cool down. Seeing as he wasn''t able to summon his flame of fear of drawing attention, he couldn''t wait for them to find a spot to rest.


    The female ranger, who was able to see things almost as fast as him, rose from behind a nearby rock, and Basil turned to her.


    "Sairadi, go inside the hideouts and scout for any dangers. If you see anything, rush back," Basil said, and she nodded before rushing away.


    "Alright. Head back to Hutch and the others. We will stay there for at least an hour as I send out new scouts," Basil said.


    Irwin nodded and headed back towards the main force.


    A short while later, Sairadi returned, and Basil signaled everyone onward.


    In a surprisingly short time, the entire army was gone from sight. The narrow passage had a set of well-hidden tunnels that led into a cavern system, and except for some guards, everyone was hidden inside. A set of well-crafted doors that looked like rocky surfaces from the outside were replaced. Finally, out of the open, a soft chatter had begun as everyone spread across the cavern system.


    Irwin and Daubutim had gone to the backside of the quiet cave that Hutch and Gallom''s blazers had taken as theirs. He sat with his back against a wall, flame out to warm himself while the others held whispered conversations. Daubutim sat beside him.


    He glanced at the noble youth''s hand, noticing the third card slotted in it, and suppressed a sigh. When he''d first met Daubutim, he had only one card, and it was considered useless yet still dear to him. Then he''d gained the shield and, finally the armor in two of the portals they had gone to. And now? It wasn''t even that long since then, and only the armor card remained, while his original two cards were replaced with completely different ones.


    I should really ask him how he is doing, Irwin thought. As soon as they were back in Degonda, or at least somewhere safe, that was. But first, they needed to help Basil and the others close portals. And for that, they might have to get stronger. His hand drifted to his pocket, and he was both relieved and sad as he felt the cards. Daubutim had gathered four common cards and just given them to him. As soon as he saw them, he felt stupid. How could he have forgotten to look for those himself? If Daubutim hadn''t snuck them along, he wouldn''t have had any cards to feed Ambraz if they needed to reforge something.


    "Now will be fine," Daubutim whispered, interrupting his busy mind. "Keep your voice low."


    Irwin grunted in relief. He''d wanted to find a more secluded spot to talk with Ambraz, but all of the caves were filled by now, and nobody was allowed outside. Now they had been waiting for the others to become busy enough not to notice if they acted oddly.


    Barely able to hold his curiosity, he softly patted his pocket. He wanted to ask many things, but he started with something he knew the Anvil could check.


    "Are we safe here? Nobody is listening in?" he whispered.


    "I don''t detect anything except for the ones you can see," Ambraz replied in a muffled whisper. "About time you find a moment to talk to me! I tried to draw your attention while you were fighting, but you ignored me!"


    Irwin blinked, then reminded himself that he was supposed to look inconspicuous. He nodded at Daubutim as if the other had said something.


    "Sorry. I was a bit preoccupied."


    "Yes, yes," Ambraz whispered. "Make sure you don''t get anywhere near that topaz-rank Frozir again. His skill is bothersome, as it holds, drains, and freezes the one he wraps up in it. If you get caught, you will probably die within minutes."


    Irwin''s hair stood on end as he thought to the white-haired Frozir. So that had been a rare-rank demon? He''d feared as much but hadn''t been sure. A question suddenly popped into his mind, and he recalled the other strong demon''s he''d faced over the months.


    Why did demons with rare skills seem so much stronger than a carded with one rare card slotted? Was it just the difference between the cards, or did it have something to do with that whole soul-skill stuff?


    He almost asked, then held back. There was no saying how much time he had, and as curious as he was, there were more important things to ask first. He had his right hand empty and cards to slot in them. Though he had always thought full-hands were incredibly powerful, he had seen many things more powerful. If he was to protect himself, his friends, and his family, he had to continue to become stronger. That meant figuring out what direction he should take. And for that, he needed answers¡­


    "What is up with that rabbit card?" he whispered. "It has question marks on the type and the passive."


    "Rabbit card¡­ ah, sometimes it''s so refreshing to hear how little you know," Ambraz whispered, hilarity in his voice. "Derlin cards, no matter the creature, monster, or demon that they summon, are all rare cards, even by the standards of where I''m from."


    "Rare?" Daubutim muttered, looking confused.


    "No, he means rare, as in scarce," Irwin replied, ignoring the annoyed sniff from his pocket as he quickly looked around to see if nobody was watching them. The group was still chatting on the other side of the cavern, and he didn''t see anyone even glimpse at them.


    "Alright? But why? A summon doesn''t really seem like a good fit for me," he replied, keeping his eyes moving around.


    Ambraz laughed softly. "It''s not a summon¡­ or at least, not like you think. I''ll tell you about the world-shards of Derlin another time, but suffice it to say, all cards that originate there are precious. They belong to a type of one-time use card that allows the wielder to summon a creature from Derlin. All of them are relatively intelligent and, depending on their nature, will give you something."


    Irwin leaned back, trying to wrap his head around that. "I''ve never heard of one-time use cards, have you?" he asked Daubutim.


    The noble didn''t instantly respond, then slowly nodded. "I''ve read about them," he whispered. "Though none that summon a creature. There is a lesser known story about Gelwin saving someone by using a single-use card that was able to heal someone from the cusp of death, even regrowing a leg."


    Irwin sighed, shaking his head. "There''s still so much I don''t know," he whispered.


    There was a strangled laugh from his pocket. "What? You only realize this now? Of course there is! Even I, who have lived for far longer than the two of you, only know a tiny sliver of only the things I could. Let alone the things that¡­ never mind," Ambraz said, his voice trailing away.


    He still has so many things he is hiding, Irwin thought as he shared a look with Daubutim. His friend seemed slightly confused, then continued keeping an eye on the others.


    Ambraz continued to whisper, and Irwin focused on him.


    "Now, that card, as soon as you get a moment, summon it. There are a few things it might give you, but the best would be- well, the truly best won''t happen, but the most likely beneficial things would be an added effect to a card, a card-combination holder, or a card of choice from the Derlin list."


    "A card-combination holder?" Irwin gasped.


    "Yes, that would be a good one for you," Ambraz whispered. "With it, you can combine two cards, picking and choosing active and passive elements and create a new, custom card. Those are traded for up to diamond or higher rank cards¡­ Finally understand why I wanted you to take it?"


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    "Yes! And¡­ there are bad things the card could give?" Irwin asked as he tried to hold back his enthusiasm.


    "Well¡­ sometimes all you get is a carrot," Ambraz grunted. "Or a lucky rabbit''s foot. As far as I know, new options still appear, though usually, it''s amongst what I told you."


    Irwin sighed as he began thinking about the options Ambraz had said and looking around. Daubutim''s eyes had glazed over while the others had moved into small groups, chatting softly. He couldn''t hear what they were saying, meaning they shouldn''t be able to hear what he was saying either.


    "So¡­ if it''s that card-combination thing, does that mean I have to have cards ready?" he asked.


    "No, it''s an item you can carry around, though I wouldn''t ever show it," Ambraz whispered.


    "What if Orwin can choose a card?" Daubutim whispered.


    Irwin saw him look around again, a frown on his face.


    "Then he needs to choose a hammer," Ambraz said shortly.


    Irwin frowned. "Why? Using my fist works fine?"


    "If you are content with only reforging uncommon and sometimes rare with my help," Ambraz whispered. "And if you are, let me know so I can find another smith!"


    Irwin blinked, then blinked again, and he imagined Ambraz actually leaving him. If that happened, any chance he had of saving his world or even his family would be gone. He suddenly realized how dependent he really was on Ambraz.


    I need to learn how to reforge by myself, he thought as he stared into the distance. Ambraz had said it was possible, and though he guessed it would be hard to learn the hardest things, even just reforging up to uncommon would help out immensely.


    "What hammer would be best?" he whispered.


    "It depends on the list of options you get," Ambraz replied. "The most likely is the common list, though it is possible to get a higher list."


    "Even legendary?" Irwin whispered, his mouth going dry.


    "No," Ambraz snapped softly, dashing his hopes. "The highest I''ve ever heard of is very-rare, and that was heralded on Igirian Prime as the occurrence of the century."


    Igirian Prime? Irwin thought, wondering if that was the world Ambraz was from.


    "The best common from the Derlin list would be the Solidstrike Hammer," Ambraz continued softly. "But, there is little sense in thinking about all of this now! You still have no idea what you will get. It might just be a strand of Tangerine Hair."


    Irwin sighed, then nodded. Still, this did mean he would have to wait with slotting another card for now.


    I still need to reforge Burning hands, he decided. After he got that up to rare, it might become Burning Body or something, and though it didn''t have any passive, he might be able to combine it with another card in the future.


    As he continued thinking about what to do, he lost track of time.


    "Orwin!"


    Irwin snapped out of a daydream of him having a full right hand with legendary cards that allowed him to fly around and close every portal he could find, stabilizing his world.


    Desmir stood before him, a worried look on his face.


    "Are you alright?"


    Irwin nodded quickly as he scrambled to his feet. Wondering why Daubutim hadn''t warned him, he saw his friend had fallen asleep, snoring softly.


    Right, he didn''t get any sleep after waiting before the door all night, Irwin thought.


    "What is going on?" he asked, noting the others of Gallom''s Blazers were moving around actively. Hutch was nowhere to be seen.


    "The scouts returned. We are moving out, and together with Hutch''s group, we are going to move another way while Basil and the main force attack the Frozir stronghold," the guard said softly. "Wake your friend. Hutch is getting the others, and they will join us."


    "What did the scouts see?" Irwin asked as he stepped forward and kicked Daubutim''s leg, causing Desmir to frown at him.


    When Daubutim''s eyes snapped open, and his hands shot forward as if to strangle something, the guard''s eyes widened, and he stepped back.


    "Desmir, what did the scouts find out?" Irwin asked again, beckoning Daubutim up.


    "I- yes, the scouts," Desmir muttered, taking one more look at Daubutim before focusing on Irwin.


    "The Frozir castle is growing rapidly, made from ice they seem to conjure out of thin air. There are two portals in a central area, guarded by the walls, one uncommon and one rare. One of the scouts managed to sneak inside the castle, and he says there is a well-guarded door leading down."


    "How many defenders," Daubutim asked as he rose.


    "Hundreds," Desmir said. "But far less now that we wiped out their advance force. More Frozir are still coming from the uncommon portal, so Basil has decided we move now before they can recuperate the losses they have sustained."


    Irwin nodded, following Desmir as he moved away. "So we will close the uncommon portal and Hutch the rare?" he asked.


    "Perhaps," Desmir said, sounding uncertain. He hesitated, then continued. "The scouts said that the Frozir were sending groups into the rare portal, and before he pulled back, he witnessed one of them return, heavily injured."


    "They are trying to close it?" Irwin asked, startled at the idea.


    "We don''t know," Desmir replied as they joined the others.


    Lous snorted. "It''s not like they come out to tell us!"


    "Pipe down, Lous," Desmir snapped. "Right, everyone, pack up, and let''s go!"


    Irwin ignored the grumpy ranger, waiting for the others to finish grabbing their weapons and backpacks. Then he followed them through the narrow tunnels. The fake doors were open, and as he walked out, he saw Hutch and his group standing there together with Basil. Sairadi was standing to the side, calmly looking through the narrow gorge.


    As they approached, Irwin saw Basil examine him before focusing on Desmir.


    "Alright. We are moving out in a short while, but I want you to sneak around the back. As soon as we attack and draw their attention, I want you to enter those portals and close them," Basil said. "Sairadi will be going with you to make sure you aren''t ambushed. If anything jumps you before you reach the edge of the Grinning Man''s hilltop, I want you to flee and try to join up with us. No heroics! If we lose you, we have only one more group to close uncommon portals!"


    "Don''t worry so much," Hutch said with a wide grin. "We will be fine!"


    Irwin swallowed as he thought about Ambraz''s ability to reforge cards. When he saw Basil stare at him, he quickly nodded.


    The others muttered consent while Desmir promised he''d be careful.


    "Alright. Sairadi knows the way. Be careful. Hopefully, I''ll see you soon," Basil said as he turned to the entrance of the rocky gorge. A group of rangers was standing there, bows drawn, and he made a hand gesture at them.


    Sairadi stepped forward, staring at Daubutim, then Irwin. "The others already know what I can do, so I''ll keep this short. One of my cards lets me blend myself and a small group of others into the background. It doesn''t work with noise and lights, though, so keep your flame in your pocket and don''t talk."


    "Will do," Daubutim said as he nodded so deep it almost looked like he bowed.


    Sairadi''s eyes widened, but she didn''t give any other reactions.


    "Alright, let''s go," she said, turning and walking away.


    Hutch moved after her, and the others followed, Irwin walking next to Daubutim. Rocks slid below his feet as he moved to the exit, and when they reached it, he got his first good view of the hills of which Grinning Man''s hilltop was one.


    A high and rugged hill, nearly a mountain, sat in the center of a group of others that stuck out of the white snow-covered flowing landscape. The central hill''s top was oddly flat, and atop it was a tiny shimmering white construction. Two pale shapes flew above it like tiny birds, but Irwin knew he didn''t have to tell anyone else that those were Frostwyrms.


    A cold wind blew around them, and he pulled the coated part of his armor closer.


    "That''s one big building," Lous hissed in surprise.


    "Follow me and make sure you keep your big yap shut," Sairadi said, grinning at Lous.


    "Of course," the ranger retorted before snorting.


    Irwin looked between them in surprise, noting the glitter in Sairadi''s eyes. Did these two know each other?


    "Orwin, keep those eyes of yours open, and let me know if you see anything," Hutch said. Then he turned to Sairadi. "Lead the way, lass."


    Sairadi didn''t respond but turned and began jogging across the sandy path that led to the hills. Her left hand glowed a dim, green light, and then it was as if a mist spread from her to cover a large area around her. The others seemed to expect it and ran after her and inside the mist. Irwin frowned, staring at them through the mist, wondering how this was supposed to keep them out of sight.


    "Where¡­" Daubutim muttered.


    Irwin looked up to see his friend''s eyes scan the area before them, twice passing the mist without seeming to react.


    "This way," Irwin said as he ran after the others. He heard Daubutim follow him, and a moment later, they caught up to the others. Sairadi looked back, staring at him before shaking her head and muttering something he didn''t catch.


    "Alright, stay close," Hutch whispered.


    The group continued jogging, all of them staying inside the mist.


    As they traveled, Irwin quickly fell to the back. He was again the slowest, least nimble, and it annoyed him greatly. First, it was his weak constitution. Now, it was his heavy body. Even Hutch, the bulky guard, moved more agile than him, jumping across crevices and large rocks alike.


    Twice Frostwyrms flew overhead, but Sairadi showed no sign of stopping, and they easily reached the foot of the hill. The snow made everything slippery while crunching loudly below their feet. Sairadi continued around, then up without any apparent trouble, but Irwin was glad to see some of the guards start slowing down and slipping like him.


    At least I''m not the only one, he thought as the group slowed their pace to a normal walk.


    He guessed half an hour had passed when they stopped behind a large stone outcrop. Noises and chatter came from behind it, and Irwin wondered why it felt like he was near a town instead of a place filled with demons. Sairadi moved ahead before kneeling at the edge of the outcrop, staring beyond it.


    "Alright. We will wait here until Basil charges," Hutch whispered, drawing everyone''s attention. "Keep quiet, and don''t go wandering about." Then he turned to Irwin. "Orwin, join Sairadi at the front and keep an eye out."


    "Alright."


    Irwin nodded at Daubutim, then headed to were the quiet ranger had gone. Kneeling next to Sairadi, he looked up to see a path leading up to the back of a steep outcrop. A narrow staircase, barely visible, led up.


    "You can see through my skill, can''t you?" Sairadi whispered, not looking at him.


    "Yes," Irwin said after a while. "It looks like¡­ fog."


    Sairadi nodded but didn''t say anything. Wondering if she was annoyed, Irwin remained beside her, silently waiting.


    Another half an hour passed when the chatter above rapidly dissipated. Then a loud horn blared, and a deafening roar followed.


    "Time to move," Sairadi said as she turned away.


    Irwin swallowed, then followed her.

 Chapter 69: Unexpected Battle

    Irwin had his back pressed against a narrow ledge, listening to the screams coming from the castle. It reminded him slightly of the portal-world of the Galubs. There were a few differences, though, and the one that had him stare at Daubutim with wide-open eyes were the shouts of young, terrified voices.


    Are there children there? he thought as he looked at the others.


    Hutch''s eyes were narrowed, his lips narrowed in a thin line, while the others were looking around as confused as Irwin felt.


    A sudden thunderous explosion came from further away.


    "Now," Hutch snapped as he rose and jumped to the edge of the ledge.


    Irwin licked his lips, then followed after, pulling himself up onto a cold, rocky area. A thin layer of snow had turned to ice, the rest blown up against the thick white wall that sat a dozen feet before them. Hutch rushed forward, quickly followed by the others.


    As he reached the wall, Irwin felt a waft of icy cold, and he almost triggered his Coperion Body. The sounds of battle came, muted by the walls and distance, still indicating a massive fight was ensuing. Another set of high-pitched screams of fright came from somewhere.


    "Am I going crazy, or am I hearing chi-" Lous hissed.


    "Quiet," Hutch snapped, staring at him. "We all hear it, but we can''t do anything about that now. And what if there are? Every single thing in there is a demon! Remember what they did!"


    Lous'' eyes clouded as he glared at Hutch, while Irwin swallowed at the callousness in Hutch''s voice.


    "You might have a rare card, guard, but I''m not here to butcher children," Lous snarled softly.


    "Neither am I," Hutch snapped back. "But we don''t have time for this! We are here to do a job, so let''s do it! Or do you want to explain to Basil why we didn''t enter the portals? Our brothers and sisters are dying out there to give us a chance to close them!"


    Lous seemed ready to say something, but Desmir put his hand on the other''s shoulder. "Later, Lous. Don''t worry. We won''t harm any children."


    Lous glared, then nodded. "You better believe we won''t," he snapped before backing off.


    Irwin was looking at the gruff ranger before being pulled back by Daubutim. He looked up to see a confused and conflicted look on his friend''s face. Before he could ask anything, Hutch stepped forward.


    "No more talking! I''m going to make an entrance for us," Hutch said. "Make sure you follow me and enter the portal without waiting."


    Irwin nodded, as did the others, and Hutch backed up and to the side. A wide grin came to his face as one of his cards began glowing in a bright golden color. Then he stepped forward and punched out so fast that all Irwin saw was a dark green blur, then a thunderous explosion as a section of the wall exploded. Bits and pieces of ice flung around, ticking against his armor and skin, then there was a swirling mass of snow and icy air twirling around.


    There was a stunned silence as Hutch ran forward. "Move!" he snapped.


    The others rushed after him, Irwin in the middle of the pack. As he felt the cold snow cling to his face, he burst out of the cloud of snow into a small clearing. Oddly round buildings, two and three stories high with multiple entrances, stood before them. Pale blue light shone through the windows, giving off a clean and crisp vibe. Behind them was another, larger unfinished construction. Pathways angled away haphazardly while snow covered everything.


    "Sairadi, lead us to the portals!" Hutch ordered.


    The female ranger moved immediately, and the rest followed her toward one of the wider passages.


    As they ran past buildings, Irwin looked through round windows closed by thin panes of ice. Behind them were simple rooms, some with oddly blocky furniture, others with what he guessed were chests made of ice.


    It almost looks like a place people live in, he thought.


    As they continued, the din of battle was getting louder, and slowly Irwin began hearing familiar sounds. Familiar cries. Familiar... laughter?


    Aren''t those- he thought, just as Hutch followed Sairadi around a corner and let out a startled shout.


    Fearing what he might see, Irwin'' hurriedly follow the others out of the alleyway and onto a massive square.


    A circle of Frozir guards was battling with dozens of taller, red-skinned, horned figures who were laughing and shouting uproariously. Two portals shimmered amidst the raging melee, one rare and one uncommon. Frozir stood before the uncommon one, looks of frenzy as they battled with the barbarous Galubs that wielded swords, some small, others massive greatswords. Amidst the mass lay two massive Frostwyrms in a pool of blue liquid, slashed apart, their heads almost beyond recognition. The combatants moved around, and sometimes even over them.


    "Galubs!" Irwin exclaimed as he stared at the one and two-horned demons.


    A golden glimmer beyond them caught his eye, and he looked across the chaotic brawl.


    There stood a massive gate, its thick icy doors ripped open and blasted apart into chunks that lay strewn about. Another line of Frozir guards stood before it, blocking the rangers and guards of Degonda. Basil''s massive figure stood in the center. Sword lowered, his face was blank, and his eyes wide in shock.


    "What is going on here?" Hutch shouted as he raised his fists, seemingly ready to fight something.


    "The Frozir are fighting Galubs that are coming from the rare portal," Daubutim said calmly.


    "I can bloody well see that!" Hutch snarled.


    "Look. Isn''t that the leader we fought before?" Sairadi said, pointing at the center between the two portals where the battle raged hottest.


    Two massive, heavily muscled, and fat Galubs, both wielding black greatswords, were slamming against a thin blue barrier with dozens of cracks.


    Three-horns, Irwin thought, as he saw three horns poke proudly from their heads.


    He felt his blood curdle as he remembered Doomblade Hardswing.


    Behind the barrier stood the long, white-haired Frozir he had seen during the ambush, the one that had tried to bind Basil. A look of hate and terror covered his face as he stepped back slightly with every hit.


    "Children¡­" Lous''s soft voice still drew everyone''s attention, and they looked at where he was pointing.


    Far to the left, away from the gate and the battle in the square, was another group of Frozir. A dozen guards stood beside hundreds of smaller, shimmering blue and white Frozir, most less than half their size. Most were either bald or had short-cropped hair, save for two, at the front, which had long white hair like the leader in the center.


    A few of them held small weapons, but even from this far away, Irwin could see their hands shake, looks of panic on their faces.


    "Sairadi, circle around and ask Basil what we need to do," Hutch whispered.


    "On my way."


    Irwin blinked as he saw Sairadi turn and run away, the cloud of gas around her again, but this time so small it wrapped tightly around her. Within seconds she ran past two Frozir, and Irwin felt his heart beat faster, afraid they would see her. Someone grabbed his shoulder and spun him around, and suddenly he was staring at Daubutim.


    "Don''t look at her. The Frozir or Galubs might notice," his friend whispered as he shook his head.


    Irwin nodded, swallowing as he realized he might have given the ranger away. "Right," he said.


    They remained where they were, and Irwin looked at the battle, wondering who was going to win. He didn''t have to wonder for long. More and more two-horned Galubs exited the portal, and they began slowly overpowering the Frozir.


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    "If those fools had kept those stupid frogs and not tried to ambush us, they might not have been in such trouble," Lous grumbled.


    "Are you feeling sorry for these demons?" Gwalina replied while the others looked at Lous in surprise.


    "Demons?" Lous snorted back. "Look around. No demons I''ve fought built things, have children, or protect each other till death!"


    Nobody replied, but Irwin saw the confusion on a few faces. He didn''t blame them as he looked at the Frozir children again. He barely understood what was happening either!


    "I wonder where their women are," Yerich whispered. "Children means they have those, right?"


    Irwin blinked, wondering why Yerich worried about that. Then he recalled the ambush.


    "I saw one during the ambush. She was-" he stopped talking and looked around, then up as he realized that back then, he hadn''t been able to see the female frozir. He didn''t see anything but step closer to Hutch.


    "I can''t see those female Frozir¡­ they can hide from me somehow," he whispered.


    Hutch nodded as he looked around. "Basil told me. But I think if there had been any around they would have acted already."


    Irwin nodded, looking back at the battle. The Frozir were now rapidly losing ground, the white-haired Frozir leader now standing with his back against the portal, pale blue blood oozing from the corners of his eyes.


    "Basil says to hold," Sairadi said as she moved next to them.


    Irwin almost jumped out of his skin, but Hutch just nodded.


    "But¡­ what are we going to do?" Irwin asked as he gazed at the battle. As much as he despised the Frozir for attacking Degonda and ambushing them he somehow felt saddened. He knew exactly what those Galubs could do, and it was obvious they were outmatching the Frozir.


    "We will find out soon," Hutch said as he pointed beyond the battle.


    Irwin looked up to see the line of guards that had been blocking Basil and their main forces backing up. When Basil didn''t move, they turned and ran towards the melee, charging at the Galubs. Their attack slowed the horned demons'' progress slightly, but Irwin knew right away it wouldn''t be enough.


    "They are sacrificing themselves to try and clear a path to the portal," Daubutim said calmly.


    Irwin shivered, and as he watched more and more Galubs drop, he looked at the children.


    Lous stepped beside them, a dangerous look in his eyes. "They will slaughter them if they get to them."


    "And what do you suggest we do?" Hutch grunted. "Help them? They attacked us first."


    "Then what? Let those Galubs kill them, the children, and then we mop them up?" Lous snapped, glaring at Hutch.


    "Basil is moving," Sairadi said before Hutch could respond.


    Irwin saw she was right, as Basil and their main force were moving around, slowly encircling the back of the fight.


    "Let''s go," Hutch ordered as he moved towards the edge of the square.


    The others followed him, eyes constantly on the battle, ready for anything that might happen. Before they reached halfway, Basil reached them.


    "What, in Yilda''s name, is going on?" Hutch asked, staring at Basil as the golden warrior stomped closer.


    "What am I? Clairvoyant?" Basil replied calmly.


    "Basil, we should help them!"


    Everyone looked at Lous, who was staring angrily at the golden warrior. Hutch seemed ready to reprimand him when Basil sighed.


    "I fear you might be right."


    "What?" Hutch asked, echoing Irwin''s own thoughts.


    "Have you ever seen something like this?" Basil asked, waving his hand around.


    "No¡­"


    "Neither have I. And never have any of us seen this many portals appear. Not even in the stories of Gelwin''s days was it this bad. Something is happening¡­ changing, and we are in the dark. We need information."


    "And you think these demons will just share it with us?" Hutch asked, sounding slightly incredulous.


    "No¡­ not just," Basil said. "But if we save their lives, that might help. Especially if we save their children," he added as his eyes moved to the group across the square.


    "We would."


    A cold voice startled everyone, and Basil spun around, his sword raised forward. Behind them stood a female Frozir. Even her pale face and cold eyes couldn''t hide her pain and worry.


    So there were still a few around, Irwin thought as he looked at her, then around.


    Basil was quiet for a moment, then lowered his sword. "If we help you with these demons¡­ we want information. What is happening? Why are you here?"


    "We will share everything, but you must help. Before they reach the young and all is lost," the Frozir said. "Before they slay our last elder."


    Basil hesitated again, and Irwin wondered what was going through his mind as he looked over his shoulder at the battle. Only a small group of Frozir were left.


    "If you are to act¡­ there is not much time left, soul-thief," the Frozir whispered, and Irwin could hear the resignation in it.


    "Fine," Basil snapped, swirling to Hutch. "Take your groups and move around. Kill any Galub before they reach the Frozir." Then he turned to the female Frozir, who had a look of relief on her face. "Make sure your people know we will help. If they hurt even one of my men," Basil said, his voice laden with danger.


    "We won''t attack you. I have already told the Elder. He knows," the Frozir said.


    Irwin heard Hutch sigh before turning to them. "Alright. Change of plans, let''s go!" Then he turned and ran back around. Irwin followed the others, noting an odd look on Lous'' face. It was a cross between anger, resentment, and sadness.


    As they closed in on the group, they heard a loud roar from behind them, followed by hundreds of feet. Irwin looked back to see the guards charge, while the rangers began shooting arrows at the Galubs. One-horns dropped instantly, even a few two-horns under the metal hail, but the three-horns merely swirled their blades around, easily swatting the arrows away before they could strike.


    To Irwin''s surprise, the three-horns began backing up back to the portal rapidly, shoving away the others.


    He stopped with the others, noticing they were not too far from the children. They were looking at him and the others with big, frightened eyes. Realizing they reminded him of human children, a dull explosion made him turn his attention back to the portals. The remaining few dozen Frozir had backed up next to their Elder, back to the uncommon portal while the guards slammed into the mass of Galubs.


    Seeing how easily the guards dispatched even the two-horns, Irwin shook his head as he remembered his own fights against the Galubs.


    "Good. Those three-horned demons are leaving," Hutch said. "I''ve fought those before, and it''s a hassle."


    Irwin saw the bare-armed guard was right, as both three-horns took one look around before shouting something and jumping back through the portal. Immediately the other Galubs turned and rushed at the portal, shoving and pushing at each other in their haste to retreat.


    "Stupid¡­ Why did they not flee when they saw us?" Yerich muttered.


    "Because they are. Stupid, that is," Irwin said as he recalled what Ambraz had told him. "One-horns are weak and dumb, two-horns are not much better. They are capable of speech, but beyond that, they mostly just fight and drink."


    Yerich gaped at him, and Irwin suddenly realized the ranger wasn''t the only one. Even Hutch was looking at him curiously.


    "I- I''ve been in a portal with them before," he said.


    "They are wrapping things up," Sairadi said, interrupting Yerich, who seemed ready to ask more.


    The ranger turned to Hutch. "I''m going to prepare. We will probably have to head in there to close it¡­"


    Hutch sighed as he nodded. "Get all rare-carded ready. Based on what we just saw, we have no idea what we will find on the other side."


    Sairadi nodded, then turned and ran towards the center. Only a few Galubs still remained, and as the sounds of battle died down, all that remained were the bodies of over a thousand Frozir and a few hundred Galubs. Irwin didn''t see a single guard or ranger amongst the dead.


    I wonder what is going to happen now? he thought as he saw Basil move towards the white-haired Elder. The previous time, the Elder had attempted to kill the golden warrior. Irwin saw his lips moving but was too far to hear anything.


    "Let''s go and see what is going to happen," Hutch said as he motioned them all.


    They reached the regrouping army of guards just in time to hear Basil snort loudly.


    "Perhaps you can start by no longer calling us soul-thieves?" Basil snapped as he looked at the slightly smaller Frozir.


    A flicker ran through the Frozir''s eyes, then he looked to his side. A thin swirl of cold air rushed up from the blood-covered snow, and the female Frozir they had seen before stepped out of it. She stared at the Frozir elder, and after a moment, his eyes narrowed before he nodded abruptly.


    "Neat trick," Yerich whispered.


    "We thank you for saving our young," the Elder said, his voice cold as ice. "And are sorry if our words insult you. We speak but that which we know."


    Irwin blinked, then looked at Daubutim.


    "He talks like you do sometimes," he whispered.


    Daubutim just nodded.


    "We were promised answers," Basil said as he looked around. "But I need a guarantee that you won''t attack us again."


    The Frozir elder''s face clouded over, his eyes almost glowing with pale white light. Before he could react, the female put her hand on his arm.


    "I will go with you as collateral," she said softly.


    Basil remained quiet for a while, as did the amassed army, as he stared at her. Irwin could see the guard-captain didn''t seem confident that would be enough.


    "I am Satiya, and with my sister dead by your hands, I am the last of my tribe that can bear children," the female Frozir said. Her eyes flickered across the army before she stepped forward. "Without me¡­"


    She didn''t continue, staring at Basil.


    Irwin felt his skin crawl as he realized who the Frozir he had killed before had been. Somehow, he couldn''t match the evil-looking, crooning Frozir with the one standing before him now.


    "I see," the guard-captain said softly. "Fine. But I''m going to have to put a skill on you to make sure you don''t use that¡­ trick. He beckoned to the side, and a tall ranger with short black hair moved forward."


    "Satiya-" the Elder began.


    "No, Elder. They are right to be hesitant," Satiya interrupted him as she walked forward.


    Irwin saw the large frozir grit his teeth but remained where he was as the tall ranger''s hand glowed. He put it on her, and a golden rune shimmered on her forhead shortly. Satiya sagged, her face turning weary, but she raised her hand.


    "I am fine¡­ this one has a nullify skill," she said, gesturing at the ranger. "All is well."


    Irwin stared at her, impressed by the calm she was showing in the situation.


    As two guards flanked her, Basil seemed to relax, and he lowered his sword. "Hutch, take over. Keep a cordon around the portal and kill anything that comes through," he said before turning around and indicating to a few of his own squad to follow him.


    "Check that building and see if it''s empty," he said as he pointed at the nearest building.


    Two guards ran forward.


    "Head back and tell Lord Bron what has happened," Basil continued as he turned to Sairadi.


    The ranger nodded, turned, and sprinted out of the door, her legs moving so fast Irwin could barely make out their individual movements.


    "It''s empty!" one of the guards yelled, as he exited the building.


    Basil nodded as he turned to the Elder.


    "Alright, let''s go over there so you can answer some of my questions," he said.


    The Elder looked at the warriors beside him, and without words, they moved back, joining those near the children. Then he walked towards the building with long, even strikes.


    Great¡­ but I want to hear what they are going to say! Irwin thought as he shared an annoyed look with Daubutim.

 Chapter 70: Time dilation

    <div>


    "Are you serious?" Hutch''s voice rippled across the square, causing even the tiniest whisper that had been there previous to silence.


    "Hutch," Basil said softly. "We don''t have time for this¡­"


    "Time? Time! You''re asking us to head in there with them!" Hutch snapped as he pointed at two Frozir, each taller and burlier than the others surrounding them.


    "Yes," Basil said softly. "And I''m not going to tell you again. Or are you going to disobey my direct order?"


    Irwin stood next to Daubutim, staring at the struggle on Hutch''s face. Five rare-carded stood behind him, his friend the only rare-carded remaining. Irwin hoped they wouldn''t ask Daubutim to join. What if they did? He could enter too¡­ but if he even suggested it, he would need to prove it, and that would mean giving away his secrets. Was he ready to do that? Besides, there were two things troubling him.


    Firstly, he might not be strong enough to help that much. Worse, what if the presence of his special card made the things in the portal world stronger? So far, each portal he''d entered had been weird, from one that evolved while he was inside to another where one of those Galubs actually evolved to a four-horn.


    "Hutch, I''ll tell you what happened later," Basil said. "But I need you to close that portal now."


    Hutch took a deep breath, then nodded. "Fine. But you better have a fantastic explanation for working together with the demons that killed hundreds of our people, or I''m pretty sure Bron''s going to have your hide."


    Irwin heard nearby guards muttering their agreement. As Basil had been gone, he had overheard them talking, and many had been angry that they weren''t just taking care of the Frozir for what they had done.


    Basil looked at the Frozir Elder standing next to him, then nodded wearily.


    "I do. Now, while in there, don''t do anything stupid. Find the Linchpin, destroy it, and come out. Don''t bother with the cards if there is even a slight risk of losses."


    Hutch grunted as he nodded. "Fine," the bare-armed guard snapped before turning around. ¡°Daubutim, you¡¯re coming.¡±


    Irwin sighed, feeling miserable as he stared at his friend. Daubutim nodded at Hutch, then turned to Irwin.


    "I''ll be back soon. Don''t worry, and be careful," Daubutim said.


    "You too," Irwin replied.


    Daubutim nodded again, then turned and headed to Hutch, who turned away and began talking with the others.


    Basil turned to Desmir, who was standing not too far away.


    "Desmir, get your party ready. There are three uncommon portals locked below the castle, and we are going to close all of them."


    "What about that one?" Desmir asked, looking at the uncommon portal that stood beside the rare one.


    "We are going to leave it for now," Basil said. "As soon as I''ve had time to speak with Lord Bron, we will decide on it."


    Irwin saw the Frozir Elder''s face warp slightly, but the white-haired demon remained quiet.


    Desmir nodded, then turned to Irwin and the rest.


    "Let''s go," he said.


    "Desmir, the Elder is going with you to open the door and make sure there are no demons inside the containment rooms," Basil said.


    "Alright," Desmir said.


    Irwin followed the others, taking a final look at Daubutim.


    Make sure you get out alive, he thought, before focusing ahead.


    As they moved towards the central building, Desmir walked beside the Elder, and Irwin could hear them talk.


    "Do you know what types of demons are in the portals?" Desmir asked in a cold tone.


    "Two are filled with those horrible horned monstrosities," the Elder hissed. "The last one has Nyzir."


    Irwin, who was walking behind them, couldn''t hold back his own curiosity.


    "Why didn''t you close them?" he asked.


    The Elder looked over his shoulder, and Irwin swallowed as he saw the cold hatred in the blue eyes.


    "I remember you."


    Irwin didn''t know how to respond, and he focused on his cards, readying them to defend himself if needed.


    "We were planning on closing them after we had taken care of any nearby threats to our new city," the Elder said.


    "You mean us," Lous snapped, moving next to Irwin.


    "Yes," the Elder replied coldly before turning back forward.


    "Lovely¡­ And why are we helping them again?" Yerich whispered from the back.


    "Your kind has been wiping out the few of us that remain as we scramble to live on the remnants of our world," the Frozir snarled, glaring at Yerich. "You harvest us for our soulskills like animals! Don''t expect any sympathy from me."


    Yerich sniffed as he looked away, and they quietly followed the Elder into the building.


    Is this what is going to happen to us? Irwin thought. Would their world shatter, and other beings rampage across it to take what was left? He shivered as he focused on the room they moved in.


    Doors led away from a large, spacious oval chamber while a gleaming white door stood on the far end. The Elder moved up to it, stopping as he put his hand on the side.


    After a minute, he stepped forward and pulled the door open, stepping inside a room lit by a massive blue crystal that sat nestled in the ceiling. Three uncommon portals stood close to each other, and Irwin shivered.


    So many portals, he thought.


    He thought back to only a year ago when his brother had become a ranger. Only five or six common portals were deemed many around Malorin, and uncommon only seldomly appeared. Now, how many had he seen?


    "We will clear the left portal first," Desmir said, turning to the Elder. "There are no Frozir that can help us?"


    The Elder''s eye narrowed. "Had your leader not waited so long to assist us, we could have helped. Now, there are but a few that can help with the Topaz portal. There are none left at the amethyst level to help you."


    There was a stunned silence, then Lous let out a confused grunt. "By Gelwin''s bears, what are you muttering about? Topaz, amethyst?"


    Irwin almost spoke up, barely keeping quiet at the last moment.


    The Elder pointed at the portals. "Those are Amethyst rank portals, second after Quartz. The one above is Topaz."


    "So¡­ what we call common, uncommon, and rare?" Desmir said slowly.


    The Elder stared at him, cooly. "Yes. Now, I will head outside to care for what remains of my people." He turned and moved away, closing the door behind him.


    "I hope we can still get out?" Yerich asked helplessly.


    Gwalina ran forward and pulled the door open with little trouble. There was a collected sigh of relief, then Desmir walked to the first portal. Irwin saw a look of weary resolve on the guard''s face as he stared at the portal.


    "No rest, and back at it," the guard whispered. "Alright! We are going to enter the portal. Remember what Basil said, if we can close it without getting even a single card, it''s fine. So, nobody get greedy. Got that?" At the last part, he looked at Yerich, who guiltily shook his head.


    "Check your packs, check your weapons, prepare your skills. We enter in two."


    Irwin looked at the others, wishing Daubutim was here. My next card has to be rare, he thought, before he realized the stupidity of it. He needed more than rare cards. Even a very-rare, something he still didn''t even have, wouldn''t be enough to make it through the troubles that were happening. What he needed was a legendary card¡­ which meant that if he wanted to have Daubutim with him, he needed more than just one.


    And the only reliable way to get that is by reforging them, he thought as he stared at the portal, thinking about Ambraz, the Derlin Rabbit card, and hammers. What he needed was time, something he could only get in one place. Slowly, an idea began to form in his mind as Irwin gazed at the portal.


    "Alright, I''m going in first. Irwin, you are second," Desmir said.


    Irwin moved next to him. Knowing he might not have the time for it after exiting the portal, he turned on Coperion Body. A soft groan came from his armor as it stretched to encompass his new size, and he shook his head to remove the slight dizziness from his point of view moving up.


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "Ready," he said as he spread his hands out before flexing his already equipped Grappling Gauntlets.


    Desmir jumped in, and Irwin waited for a few seconds. Then he stared at the swirling portal, an anxious sensation coming in as he wondered which of the portals it would be.


    I hope it''s the Galubs, he thought as he stepped forward.


    --


    "Daubutim, are you alright?"


    Daubutim raised his head, quickly wiping some blood from his lips.


    "I will live," he answered Hutch, who was leaning against the nearby wall. The guard''s arms were covered in thin slice marks, but none seemed to go more than skin deep.


    "Alright, everyone else, alright?" Hutch asked as he looked around at the strange group.


    The two Frozir were standing to the side, both covered in pale scars but seeming fine, while the rangers and guards were only slightly winded.


    All around them, dozens of Galub bodies littered the dusty room. Most had two horns, while two three-horns lay sprawled next to Hutch. Blood sprayed as high as the ceiling, but not a single guard or ranger had died.


    "All fine, Hutch. Based on my previous checks, there should be one more three-horn Galub somewhere," a small, skinny guard with two daggers nodded. He had a thick, heavily dented breastplate on while his bare arms shimmered softly.


    "And you are sure it''s not a four-horn?" Hutch asked.


    "Of course I''m not sure," the dagger-wielding guard said. "But most of the linchpins of these Galub portal-worlds are the strongest demons."


    As the others continued to debate, Daubutim inspected himself, glad to find no more than superficial wounds.


    I miss my shield, he thought as he suppressed the still lingering pain of the missing card. It wasn''t as strong as that of his club, which was like a constant stabbing sensation in his mind. Still, both had weakened.


    "Right, let''s find that thing," Hutch said. "We''ve been here for weeks now, and I''m getting sick and tired of these bloody ruins! I want a normal bed and warm food!"


    There was a round of agreements before they moved deeper into the ruins. The two Frozir followed quietly, barely having said anything except answering some questions, while Daubutim followed at the back, his greatsword out and resting on his shoulder.


    Three weeks, four days, and seven hours, he thought. Though he knew there was no relation to the times spent in different portal worlds, he wondered how Orwin, Irwin, he corrected himself, was doing. Between all of his cards and the knowledge of Ambraz, he should be fine.


    Two days of searching later, they finally found the final three-horn, a fat maul-wielding demon that had been hiding in the deepest part of the ruined city. Daubutim was surprised at how easily they dispatched it, Hutch almost single-handedly ending the Galub, strangling the massive demon. As soon as it died, a rumbling came from all around.


    So, it was the Linchpin, Daubutim thought as he stared at the bleeding corpse.


    "Strong one," Hutch said as he kicked the body before them, turning it over. The shimmering purple border of an uncommon card appeared.


    "Finally! And a combat one, too," Hutch said as he grabbed the card.


    Daubutim saw a glimpse of a maul similar to the one the Galub had been wielding before Hutch put the card in his pocket.


    "Now let''s run. This place is breaking down rapidly," Hutch shouted. "Daub, take the lead."


    Daubutim cinged at the use of the short part of his name. Why couldn''t they just use his full name? Irwin never minded. As he sprinted forward, navigating through the maze that felt like he''d been there for years, he couldn''t wait to see his friend again.


    When they reached the portal, the entire building had started shaking, while long and jagged tears appeared in the buildings.


    "Right, that''s one rare portal down," Hutch said as he ushered them all through. "Barely any trouble either!"


    "Says you," the thin, dual-wielding guard said.


    "Ahhh, stop complaining, Juttin! You only lost two daggers and a finger," Hutch said as he ushered them through, even waiting for the Frozir to go first.


    Daubutim stepped through as the last one before Hutch, happy to finally be rid of the dusty place.


    As he moved out of the portal, he stopped in surprise. A large number of tents covered the square, and he saw guards moving around together with Frozir.


    "By Gelwin''s beard!! Hutch. I was starting to worry!"


    Basil came running from the central building, and Daubutim''s eyes widened as he saw the tall figure of Lord Bron follow him.


    How long were we in that portal? No¡­ that makes no sense¡­ Daubutim stared at the others, feeling his mind slowly shut down as it tried to wrestle with the things he deemed impossible. As the sounds dulled and his eyesight seemed to go foggy, he tried to picture his father''s face. Ruthless in his pursuit of safety for his family. As the clear, blue eyes pierced at him, he shuddered, and the sounds returned.


    "Daub? You alright?"


    Daubutim grunted as he looked to the side. "Yes. And its Daubutim, Juttin.¡±


    The small, agile dagger-wielding warrior grinned. "Sure, sure. So stuck-up. Anyway, let''s go. Basil said we need to come along for debriefing!"


    Daubutim jolted as he noticed that the others had crossed the square already and quickly paced after them. A turn around saw that the portal was shaking and shivering. It would likely vanish any minute now.


    "So weird," Juttin said, looking around with a sad grin. "Never had a portal with a slower timescale before¡­ have you ever encountered this?"


    Daubutim shook his head. "No. But I''ve heard of it," he said. The small lie annoyed him. He hadn''t heard it but read it. Still, he knew the other wouldn''t mind or care if he mentioned that.


    As he stepped inside the building, he saw rugs, a wooden table, and chairs. The Elder sat on one, looking uncomfortable, while the female Frozir, Satiya, sat beside him, staring at a map on the table.


    The region of the hills, Daubutim noticed quickly before searching the present faces.


    His worry grew when he didn''t see Irwin or the leader of his squad, Desmir. Still, with neither being near the top of the chain of command, it wasn''t completely unreasonable.


    "Alright. All of you, sit. I know you are hungry and tired, but I need to know what happened," Lord Bron said as he sat down at the head of the table.


    Daubutim joined the others and quietly listened as Hutch detailed their endeavors in the portal, ending with the killing of the Linchpin.


    "And you are sure you were there for a few weeks?" Lord Bron asked.


    Daubutim wanted to speak, barely holding his tongue. His father would have lashed out at him if he''d seen he had even thought about it.


    "Lordling Coulwater. You wanted to add something?" Lord Bron said.


    Daubutim hid a grimace. So the lord had seen. Well, there was nothing for it now.


    "Yes, Lord Bron. We were in the portal for three weeks, six days, and eleven hours," he said. He wasn''t surprised when a dozen pairs of eyes stared at him stupidly. All but Lord Bron, whose eyes had widened as he leaned forward.


    "Indeed! Just like the reports! Highly interesting¡­ Well, thank you for the detailed time frame, Lordling. Basil, find out exactly how long they were inside, so we can determine the time-dilation inside the portals. Perhaps the others are similar."


    It took a few seconds for Daubutim to realize the implications of the remark, and then he felt his mouth go dry. He was incredibly glad when Hutch spoke the question now pressing on his own mind.


    "Wait¡­ are you saying the other portals are like this?"


    "We don''t know," Basil grunted before Lord Bron could speak. "But none of the other groups are back yet."


    "Groups?"


    "Yes. When Desmir''s group didn''t return, we feared the worst and sent for the only other group of uncommon-carded we have. However, they entered a week ago and have yet to return. I ordered them to enter and return within a day¡­ In hindsight, this was foolishness on my side. I should have sent in one and told him to come back after a count of three. But at that point, we hadn''t yet realized the severity of the problems."


    Daubutim felt his hands clench the table, and it took all his willpower to relax them. He should never have let Irwin set out on his own. If he and Ambraz were lost, what would he tell his father after he reported back? The world might be lost without them! His mind began shutting down again, unable to handle both the worry and his weariness from little sleep for two weeks.


    The chatter was muted as he drifted off, staring dully forward. Then a cold, calculating voice snapped him out of it.


    "I''ve told you the reason. You just refuse to believe me!"


    Daubutim looked at the Elder, who was glaring at lord Bron.


    "Elder Gum''dil''ran, I know what you have told us. However, until I have any sort of confirmation, I find it highly unlikely that the entirety of Giard is going to explode!" Lord Bron said, stumbling over the foreign name.


    The Frozir coldly corrected the pronunciation of his name.


    Daubutim froze, feeling the blood drain from his face. So, the Frozir knew? And they had told Lord Bron.


    "You don''t believe me, but perhaps you will believe one of your own?" Gum''dil''ran spoke, and Daubutim saw the Frozir was staring intently at him.


    He couldn''t have-


    "He knows," Gum''dil''ran said, pointing at Daubutim.


    Everyone turned their eyes to Daubutim, who felt his mind slowly fuzz over. No. As father showed us- speak only what is needed, don''t think of anything but that! As he heard his father''s voice echo through his mind, he calmed instantly.


    "Lordling Coulwater?" Lord Bron asked softly, a look of confusion on his face. "Do you have something you would like to share?"


    Daubutim swallowed, trying hard to keep a straight face while attempting to come up with a reason to say the other was lying. However, as hard as he tried, all he could hear were his father''s commands to not lie but hold his tongue, conflicting with the other orders to always answer a superior officer.


    "It is possible¡­ highly likely that what Gum''dil''ran said is accurate," he finally said, trying to come up with a way to keep any more information to himself.


    There was a shuffle as Hutch stared at him, shaking his head. Basil seemed ready to speak, but everyone was silenced when Lord Brond raised his hand.


    "And how do you know this?"


    "I am unable to share this information with you right now," Daubutim said, scrambling for a way out. How had that Frozir Elder known he''d known this? Just from his shocked reaction?


    "The one who has shared this with me has indicated this is not to be shared."


    Daubutim instantly knew from the frowns and narrowed eyes that nobody was willing to accept his words.


    "Lordling Coulwater. Should I remind you that I outrank you? I will pretend you aren''t holding back information that might be vital to your and everyone''s survival, and I will ask again. Who told you about this, and what exactly were you told?"


    Daubutim felt his resolve quickly weaken, but he steeled himself as his mind tried to come up with proper reasoning. As the seconds ticked by, a single solution kept cropping up.


    I am sorry, Irwin, he thought.


    "My Lord¡­ if you insist. But in this case, I can only share it with you," Daubutim said, coming to a compromise. He remembered what Irwin had told him about Trimdir and Bron and how Trimdir had said Lord Bron was trustworthy.


    Lord Bron gazed at him for a few moments, then nodded. "Everyone, leave us."


    There was a grumble of annoyance from Basil, but the others just stood and left. He did notice Hutch staring at him with annoyance. When everyone left, Lord Bron looked at him before raising his hand. Daubutim''s breath caught in his throat as a card burned on his hand, and he saw trace amounts of a greenish color.


    A very rare card, he thought.


    A shimmering barrier appeared around them, large enough to encompass the table and a part of the room. At the same time, all sounds from outside dissipated while the barrier turned opaque, hiding everything outside except for vague shapes.


    "Alright, Lordling Coulwater. Nobody will be able to hear or see us now. Now, explain to me what is going on!"


    Daubutim gritted his teeth as he prepared to do something he normally refused to do. Withhold the truth.


    "The one who told me this was my cousin Orwin," he said, quickly continuing. "He learned about this in one of the portal worlds he visited." An itch to spill everything about Ambraz made him look down before snapping his head back up. His father always said that looking away when speaking made people think you were lying.


    Lord Bron was calm for a while, then nodded gently.


    "Orwin? I see. So that''s what Trimdir couldn''t tell me," he said. "Your friend¡­ he trusts Trimdir?"


    Daubutim nodded resolutely.


    "I see. But he doesn''t trust me?"


    Daubutim swallowed, then shrugged. "He has never spoken about it, but I feel that Orwin somehow doesn''t trust nobility."


    Lord Bron sighed as he leaned back. "Yes¡­ well. Who can blame him?" he muttered as if to himself. He seemed to be thinking about things for a bit before staring back at Daubutim.


    "There are more things you are not telling me," he said sternly.


    Daubutim clenched his jaw and calmly looked back. He''d spoken enough. Not even his father would blame him for withholding the rest. He hoped.


    "Fine¡­ I will speak with Trimdir about this when I return. I''ve heard rumors about things I didn''t believe at first, but now¡­ Fine. I will trust that you''ve told me all I need to know. If not, I''ll have words with your father when I see him in the future. Let''s hope Orwin returns so he can share what you won''t."


    Daubutim barely held back a shiver, then nodded as calmly as he could.


    "You may leave. Send the others back when you return to your group," Lord Brond said softly.


    Daubutim pushed his chair away and got up, noting his legs felt weak. He forced himself to walk through the door with a straight back and held up high.


    Irwin, please return safely, he thought.


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>

 Chapter 71: Run Linchpin, run!

    Come on! You can do it, Irwin thought as he stood with his hands on his knees, drawing in ragged breaths.


    Desmir lay on the ground nearby, chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath.


    "Quick, that bloody thing is trying to get away!" Lous''s voice was filled with anger as he sprinted as fast as he could after a small shadow that sprinted across the pale sand.


    "I''ve got it, I''ve got it," Yerich shouted, running on an interception course, while Gwallina came from the other side. All of them had looks of hope and fear on their faces as they knew they would need to wait another day if they failed.


    "They are going to make it," Irwin whispered just as the black shadow blurred past Desmir with a burst of speed. Desmir jumped, missed, and slid headfirst through the sand in the path of Gwallina. She yelped and barely managed to jump over him.


    "No, no," she screamed in anger.


    "Don''t let it get back," Irwin shouted as the nimble ranger sprinted after the blur.


    It was moving toward a set of thick stone doors with an odd octagonal shape on each side. Gwallina almost reached it, her fingers brushing the shadowy thing as it shot into the hole, causing her to scream in pain as she slammed fully into the stone. Lous reached her a moment later. The ranger slowed down and stared dully at the door before shouting in futile anger.


    Irwin felt the hope drain out of him. He slumped down onto the warm white sand, fell on his back, and looked up at the partial building that stretched above him. A dull red sky shimmered through the holes and beyond, where the building seemed to have been ripped from the city, it must have belonged to. Or perhaps not. There wasn''t anything around the ruined building, so who knew what it had belonged to? Either way, one side was fully gone, exposing everything and everyone inside to the harsh light and wind of the sands beyond.


    "Failed again?" Desmir grunted from the side. There was a sharp anger in his voice that hadn''t been there a few weeks ago.


    "Failed again," Irwin responded carefully.


    "We need a plan, or we will run out of food¡­" the guard said, his voice ending in a growl. "If we get back out, I''m going to kill that Frozir for not telling us what this portal was like."


    Irwin didn''t respond. Desmir had said similar things multiple times before, and any conversation about it ended with him getting incredibly angry and hostile.


    Because perhaps for them it was easy to get out? he thought as he gazed at the ceiling. Who knew if those Frozir were able to easily open this door¡­ or perhaps the door hadn''t been there before?


    He kept his thoughts to himself, though. He wasn''t interested in having his head bitten off by Desmir. As the days had continued to pass and the linchpin kept evading their attempts to catch it, their leader became antsier and antsier. After almost striking Lous for one of his remarks a few days ago, everyone had slowly begun to withdraw from him. Now, over three weeks in here, they only really discussed plans to capture the linchpin or break open the door. None of which had worked yet.


    Irwin felt his worry grow again as a thought that had started plaguing him resurfaced. Was it his first card or Ambraz that was responsible for the situation they were in? Taking a final, deep breath, he pushed himself up and looked around.


    Desmir didn''t move, one hand over his eyes, his lips pulled into a grimace, and the second one clenched into the sand. Yelich sat where he''d fallen, his head bent low in defeat, while Gwallina was glaring at the hole the dark blur had disappeared in while she rubbed her scratched arm.


    The stone door had dents and scuffmarks from where all of them had tried breaking it down.


    So close, but so far, Irwin thought as he imagined the portal that lay beyond.


    Then he turned to the wide desert that sprawled behind the building. They had tried everything, and there wasn''t any other option. No matter what the others said, it was time.


    "I''m going to explore," he stated. He''d suggested it before, but each time then, there had been another plan left to try, and Desmir had disallowed it.


    There was silence, then Desmir sighed. He pushed himself up and looked at him, and for a moment, Irwin saw his usual calm.


    "You are sure the sun won''t harm you?"


    Irwin nodded. "I''ve been to worlds like these before, and it''s harmless to me."


    He heard Lous mutter something about drinking enough water for ten, but he ignored it. It was true, and he had no idea why his first card had that specific effect on him.


    "Fine, but be careful. We haven''t seen anything, but that doesn''t mean there aren''t any Galubs around. This portal world looks large enough for more ruins to be around," Desmir said.


    Irwin was slightly surprised at how easily the guard agreed, but he quickly nodded. He turned to the others, who all looked at him. Lous sighed and nodded.


    "Well, be careful, brat. None of us can come along, so if you find something dangerous¡­ run back and shout?"


    Irwin tried to smile, but he couldn''t get more than a grimace. As if he would be fast enough to outrun anything?


    The others nodded at him, then moved around Yerich.


    "We need to catch that thing!" Gwallina shouted as she glared at Lous. "I think we should try the trick from a few days ago again, bury ourselves in the sand before the door and wait till it exits, then jump it."


    Irwin felt slightly pained that they didn''t show any more interest in him exploring. They had tried everything to catch the linchpin and open the door! Why did they just assume that he wouldn''t find anything? Still, the idea of having to be buried alive again wasn''t at all appealing, and he turned and hurried away before she would suggest he do that again. Just because his skin protected him didn''t mean he enjoyed the sensation. Besides, that bloody linchpin was so fast that there was no way he could catch it.


    No¡­ we need another trick to get it, he thought. With the ruins so stupidly small and everyone constantly nearby, there had been no chance to talk with Ambraz.


    As he moved away from the loudly debating rangers, he picked up his backpack. There was only enough food for a few days, even with their rationing, but water for a week. Daubutim and his previous escapade had taught him to always bring extra. Slinging it on his back, he barely noticed the weight as he stepped past the ruined arch of rubble and stared at the flat, almost white sand that stretched out for as far as he could see.


    The shadow of the destroyed building stretched out before him, and he walked forward until he stepped into the blistering sun. It wasn''t as hot as in the hound portal, but it was enough to make the others incapable of walking through it for longer than a few minutes.


    I wonder if there are places left in our world that are like this, Irwin thought as he stopped and basked in the sun for a few moments. He wouldn''t mind visiting those!


    Then he continued forward. He had no exact goal in mind, just far enough away that he could talk with Ambraz without someone overhearing. Ten minutes of trudging through the soft sand later, the ruin behind him had turned into a tiny dark, almost black spec, and he stopped.


    "Are we alone?" he whispered.


    "Yes, and about time. However, I do detect¡­ something far below us. I can''t exactly pinpoint it, but it is moving around erratically," Ambraz said before letting out a weary sigh. "So¡­ how exactly did I end up locked in another portal?" It sounded more like a muttering to himself than a question.


    So there''s something below us? Is it a creature, or are there more ruins down there? Irwin thought as he stared at the ground. Not that it mattered. They needed to get out of here and close that portal.


    "Do you know a way for us to grab that linchpin?" he asked.


    "And then what? If you have it, that won''t open the door," Ambraz snorted. "Worse, if you grab it and destroy it, this world shard will be finished with you in it."


    "What?" Irwin stared at the sand in stunned silence. "The linchpin won''t open the door?"


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    Ambraz was quiet for a moment, and Irwin felt his heartbeat speed up. If the linchpin wasn''t going to open the door, how were they going to get out of here? He barely noticed that he had begun panting and gritting his teeth.


    "Irwin, cooldown," Ambraz said, his voice calm and commanding and so unlike his usual snappy self that Irwin blinked, shook his head, and tried to comply.


    "Deep breaths, or whatever you mortals do, and think soothing things or something," Ambraz grunted.


    He''s right, Irwin thought as he focused on his breathing until he felt it slow down.


    "I guess it''s only normal that our luck couldn''t continue indefinitely," Ambraz said, sounding tired. "If it wasn''t for there being no other way, I''d have tried to stop you from entering any portals, but what''s an Anvil to do."


    Irwin swallowed, looking around the sand. "What do you mean?"


    "Don''t tell me you didn''t notice the oddness in the shard-worlds that you arrived in?" Ambraz said, a little of his usual annoyance back.


    "Yes¡­ Is it because of you? Or-"


    "Nah. It''s that first card of yours¡­ I really didn''t want to tell you all this you know? It''s something that should be taught properly at one of the Smith guild branches. Not in some almost shattered world or on a portal shard in the middle of nowhere. But I guess it''s better to tell you now."


    Irwin waited with bated breath as the Anvil grumbled a bit before continuing.


    "Your first card? It might be able to allow you entrance into lower-ranked portals, but as we travel through the soulforce-tether, your card absorbs energy. Too much energy. Now it''s releasing this energy inside the shardworld, empowering the linchpin and allowing creatures to rapidly grow, even this portal to grow."


    Irwin choked on some spittle as he had to resist pulling the Anvil out of his pocket. "Wait- but back in the hound portal, you said you didn''t know why this was happen-"


    "I lied," Ambraz interrupted him. "Back then, I didn''t know what to think of you," he added, almost sounding apologetic.


    So¡­ it was my fault that those portals ended up becoming so dangerous, Irwin thought, suddenly thinking back to those that had died inside the portals.


    "And now you tell me?" he said, annoyed, suddenly very unsure about his odd companion. If Ambraz had been lying to him about one thing, what surety did he have that he hadn''t been lying about something else?


    "Yes," Ambraz said, seeming not to notice his internal struggle. Or not caring. "You have incredible potential as a Cardsmith, and the chances of me finding someone else in your backwater world, or even gathering enough Soulforce to get me around to search for one, is too small. "


    "Well, that''s great," Irwin said, feeling his anger growing. Why hadn''t Ambraz told him this before? He would have found an excuse not to come here!


    "Now we are stuck in this portal!"


    "It''s only a temporary setback," Ambraz said. "We nee-"


    "Do you know a way to open that door?" Irwin asked heatedly.


    "What? No, but-"


    "Then what use is it?" Irwin almost shouted as the worry about being locked in a portal for over two weeks with limited food, water and no exit finally got the better of him.


    "Calm down!" Ambraz said, and Irwin felt his pocket heat up and rumble. "I know you''re afraid, but-"


    "I''m not afraid. I''m angry," Irwin snapped back. As he spoke, he realized it was true. Ambraz had lied and withheld important information from him. He had no idea what had happened to Daubutim, and he regretted entering this portal. And now he heard that not just had he entered the portal, but if they all died, it was because of his card?


    His anger grew like a raging fire in his mind, and he took a deep breath before letting out an angry roar as he kicked sand, spraying it far away. Seeing the glittering stuff, he stamped on the ground, then again, continuing until he felt himself calm down.


    As he stood there, breathing hard, he glared at the distant ruins.


    "Calmed down?"


    "No. Yes¡­ maybe," Irwin retorted.


    He forced himself to calm down as much as he could, trying to think back to the previous months. So far, Ambraz had helped him many times, and he seemed to need him for something. Besides, without him, he''d have died a few times and not had the cards he had. And he enjoyed reforging cards and purifying metal. The Anvil might have lied, but he didn''t seem to want to do him harm.


    Who says he isn''t withholding more and lying? A small voice whispered in his mind. Who says the world is even really going to be destroyed?


    Irwin shook his head, clearing the thoughts. From all he had seen, something was happening, and the Frozir had said similar things.


    "You should have told me," he finally said, staring at his pocket.


    "Perhaps. But you know barely anything, and I''m not a teacher," Ambraz said.


    Irwin was about to snap an agreement, but the Anvil continued loudly.


    "Besides, would you have come here if I''d told you?"


    "What? No! Of course not!" Irwin hissed.


    "Exactly. And we need to be here. Inside here, we can use the Derlin card without it having any dangerous effects."


    "And what if we can''t get out?" Irwin said.


    "As I was going to say. You don''t need to open that door to get out of here. There are more portals we can use."


    Irwin snapped his mouth shut, looking at his pocket stupidly.


    "More?"


    "What? Did you really think every shard-world only had one portal leading out of it?"


    Irwin didn''t respond, realizing he hadn''t really thought about it.


    "Well, not all shard-worlds have them, but this one does. It''s too large and stable for only one connection to appear," Ambraz said, softer.


    "And where does that portal lead?" Irwin asked softly, starting to worry. He had no interest in going into a hub-world.


    "Another spot on your world," Ambraz said soothingly. "And it will be within a few miles of the original portal, so you don''t have to worry about getting lost."


    "Alright! Where is it?" Irwin asked, suddenly more hopeful.


    There was a moment of silence before the Anvil whispered something Irwin didn''t catch.


    "What?"


    "I don''t know," Ambraz said.


    "..."


    Irwin kicked the sand, glaring at it. Then he blinked, staring at the sand again.


    "You said there is something moving deep below. Is it like a worm or creature, or¡­?"


    "Walk a bit further here," Ambraz muttered, and Irwin felt pressure on his leg, trying to push him somewhere. He moved with it, walking further away from the ruin. "Fainter- go the other way," Ambraz whispered.


    Realizing what the Anvil wanted to do, Irwin began walking back towards the ruins. After a bit of back and forth, he stopped.


    "I don''t know what it is, but it feels too powerful for some simple creature," Ambraz said. "It is very likely that there is an underground area still open below those ruins."


    "Then we need to find the entrance," Irwin grunted.


    "Yes, but wait," Ambraz hissed. "First, you need to walk further away until you can''t see the ruins."


    "What? Why?"


    "Because you need to use the Derlin card and see what you get," Ambraz said before snorting. "And pray to that beardy face."


    "Beardy¡­ Gelwin?"


    "Yes, him. Pray that you get one of the useful effects."


    Irwin stared at the ruins, licking his lips at the idea of losing sight of it. "What if I get lost?"


    "You won''t. I know exactly where to go," Ambraz said.


    After hesitating for another few minutes, Irwin turned his back to the ruins and continued walking. When Ambraz finally said he was far enough, there wasn''t even a tiny spec remaining of the ruins, and a look around made him feel his anxiety grow.


    A rustle came from his pocket as Ambraz appeared, hovering beside him. His metal surface gleamed brightly in the sun.


    "Ahhh, finally out! It''s so stuffy in there," he grunted.


    Irwin ignored him and removed the few cards he had, taking the Derlin Rabbit card and returning the others.


    "Now what?"


    "Just like slotting a regular card. You put it in your hand, but instead of going into your hand, the card will summon the creature. Which one depends on the card, so a rabbit for you. It will grant you something, and then it will leave."


    "Leave? Just like that? What¡­¡±


    "The Derlin world-shard held incredibly powerful beings, and they created a specific type of soulskill," Ambraz said. "These soulskills allow beings from Derlin to return if they are killed. Though it will take a long time for this one to regain enough power to regain a soulskill, it''s essentially resurrection."


    "Wait! So they can''t die?"


    "Of course they can. They simply didn''t die completely¡­ just their body," Ambraz said, sounding exasperated. "After we return, we should really search for a way to a hub-world."


    Irwin jolted, then shook his head.


    "No! I don''t want to leave my family-"


    "Enough, brat!" Ambraz snapped, shooting at his face before hovering there with his metal lips pursed tightly. "You want to save your world? Teaching that Trimdir fellow how to reforge the initial step and have him teach others is a great way to buy yourself more time, but you need to become more powerful! For this, you need to find a hub-world and join the Smith''s guild."


    Irwin continued to shake his head, clutching the card tightly. "What if I don''t find my way back?"


    "What if you get locked in a portal? What if you get killed by a Frozir? What if you are eaten by a Wyrm? All of this could happen! You need to start looking at the bigger picture. The chances of you saving your world are astronomically small¡­ If you want to even have a little chance, you need to become a true Cardsmith. You have the talent. What you need is time."


    Irwin blinked, then looked around. "But can''t we just stay here? Train here? We have time!"


    Ambraz let out a weary sigh, muttering something again.


    "No¡­" he finally said. "Your world is too close to fracturing. The time-dilation won''t work for much longer¡­ it might have even stopped."


    "Do you mean that weeks have passed outside too?" Irwin snapped.


    "Maybe¡­ probably some days, perhaps more," Ambraz said. "That is why you need to join the Smith''s guild. They have training worlds with maximum time dilation. In there, you could train and return with barely any time having passed here."


    Irwin looked at the card, barely seeing it. After a few moments, he shuddered and stared back at the hovering Anvil.


    "Let''s talk about this later. First, we do the card," he finally managed to say.


    Hesitatingly he put it near his right hand, and as soon as it touched his skin, there was a bright burning light as the card seemed to explode. He shrank back, then saw the card hover before him. An image of a rabbit hung above it, vague and swirling and similar to when he was reforging. However, it rapidly congealed, turning clear as the light seemed to be drawn into it.


    A dull thump came as the light vanished, and a roughly four-foot-tall creature that looked nearly like a normal rabbit dropped into the sand. It was covered in bright green fur, with dark runes covering its back, while large, slanted eyes observed Irwin. They focused on Ambraz, narrowed, then returned to Irwin.


    "Soul-stealer. For releasing me, I will grant you the following choice¡­"


    A soft, steely voice came, and Irwin felt his skin crawl as he stared into the eyes. Whatever he''d expected the Rabbit to sound like, this wasn''t it.


    There was a bright flash of light then a book with a pale purple border appeared. Something about the edge and the shape reminded Irwin of a large, thick uncommon card.


    There was a soft grunt from Ambraz, but the Rabbit simply glared at Irwin.


    "You have a short time to select your reward. If you wait too long, the book will vanish. If you select one skill, the book will vanish."


    It silently inspected Irwin for a while longer, then looked around.


    "A weak shard¡­ barely able to sustain three portals," it muttered before its eyes gleamed. "Still, let''s see what we can find!"


    Before Irwin could say or do anything, the Rabbit blurred and disappeared. A long trail of sand led deeper into the desert, dropping softly as a green dot vanished into the distance.


    "Hurry! Get the book and search for hammers," Ambraz said as he flew forward and hovered above the book.

 Chapter 72: Hammer time

    Irwin carefully grabbed the floating book, which dropped into his hands. It was surprisingly heavy, and as he opened it, he saw lines of symbols and tiny images behind them. None of it made any sense.


    "What-"


    "Quick, begin flipping through and stop when I tell you to," Ambraz cried.


    Feeling the other''s panicky haste, Irwin held his tongue and began flipping through the pages. A few times he noticed symbols that seemed familiar, but he couldn''t recall where he''d seen them.


    "Stop! There, that one!" Ambraz said, and Irwin stopped as the Anvil moved closer to the book, its tip almost touching one of the lines with a rune that looked nothing like a hammer to Irwin.


    "Firesteel hammer of purification! It''s not the very best, but if we keep reforging it, it will eventually end up near perfect," Ambraz said, his voice laden with enthusiasm. "Quick, put your finger on the rune!"


    "But," Irwin began looking at the hundreds of pages that remained.


    "No! Brat, this book may disappear at any moment. Don''t let your greed get the better of you! This hammer is perfect for you now! I agree that a card combination slot would have been better, but this is plenty!"


    "I''m not greedy," Irwin hissed before looking at the line of text.


    I hope he''s right, he thought as he hovered his finger above the rune.


    "This one?"


    "Yes!"


    Irwin shrugged and pressed the rune. There was a flash of light, and the book vanished while a purple-bordered card dropped to the ground with a soft thud. Irwin bent over to pick it up, noticing an image of a dull black and red hammer. He stared at it, frowning, before looking at his right hand.


    He had imagined his first card on his right hand to be a very-rare or higher, perhaps even legendary.


    "Should we reforge it to-" he began before falling quiet as he recalled the pain and cost of reforging a card to rare.


    "No," Ambraz said. "This card has the same growth type as your special card. You need to slot it as it is and use it, making it stronger and learning how to wield it."


    "Right now?" Irwin muttered.


    "Yes. Although it doesn''t have any strong passive effects, it will still increase your physical power and soul-force. Simply slotting any card in your fourth slot will make you stronger!"


    Right! Irwin thought as he looked at the card and focused on his Eyes of Blaze.


    Card: Firesteel hammer of purification


    Type: Uncommon, Growth


    Owner: -


    A crafting card that allows the wielder to summon a forging hammer made of firesteel. Able to withstand great amounts of heat and punishment, this hammer is the perfect tool for any traveling smith.


    Passive: Increases the wielder''s speed and ability to purify metals


    Active: Summon the firesteel hammer. Lasts until dismissed or destroyed


    It''s not very special, Irwin thought as he inspected it with distaste.


    "Alright, enough with this. Don''t look at it like that," Ambraz said, sounding exacerbated. "You want to become a Cardsmith, right?"


    Irwin nodded.


    "Good. This hammer has potential. As you become better, you can increase its power and ability while the material meshes well with your first hand. Moreover, I''ve been watching you fight. You are not making as effective use of your cards as you could. If you had a weapon, you could coat it in your flame, the same with a shield. Or if you want to stick with one of those gauntlets, at least think about improving on it so you can better combine it with your cards," Ambraz said.


    It was quiet as Irwin gazed at the Anvil in stunned surprise. He''d only really talked with Ambraz about cards, crafting, and horrible things like portals and the end of the world. So far, he''d resisted pushing the Anvil for information, but it seemed uncharacteristically talkative right now.


    Irwin opened his mouth, then closed it as he realized he wasn''t sure how to ask what he wanted. Then he decided to just go with his gut.


    "Why are you suddenly telling me this?" he asked.


    "What? You think all I''m good for is reforging cards?" Ambraz retorted.


    Hearing a slight annoyance in Ambraz''s voice, Irwin shook his head. "No, it''s just¡­ Why are you even helping me this much?"


    It had been a question that had been at the back of his mind for a while now. Why would Ambraz, who seemed to know so much about seemingly nearly everything and was able to reforge cards, remain here with him in a world that might shatter within a few years?


    Or earlier.


    He shoved the tiny voice back down, not interested in the fearful thoughts.


    Ambraz was quiet, and as the seconds ticked by, Irwin felt uncomfortable. Should he not have asked? What if the Anvil suddenly realized his folly and left him? Can he even leave on his own?


    "Fine¡­ I guess it''s about time we have this talk," Ambraz said with a sigh. "Though, I would suggest you slot the hammer first."


    Irwin stared at the card and hesitated. He had no idea what Ambraz meant with that conversation.


    "Daubutim unslotted his cards and got new ones. He said it hurt¡­ will there be any permanent damage to him?" Irwin asked as he pondered slotting it and perhaps unslotting it in the future.


    "No, just the pain of his soul reshaping to take in the new cards. It might last a bit, especially with his first due to how long he had it, but eventually, the sensation will stop," Ambraz said.


    "What is soul-force and all that stuff you mentioned," Irwin asked.


    "You are procrastinating," Ambraz snapped.


    Irwin sighed and nodded. Ambraz was right. It was just that he''d hoped for something else with his first card. He had been hesitating even more due to his worry that Ambraz was trying to trick him into slotting him. He had no idea why the Anvil might do it, and he stared at the sand for a while.


    Does it matter? he thought after a while. I want to learn smithing, I need a hammer, and if worse comes to worst, I can unslot it.


    Stolen novel; please report.


    Somewhat weary, he put the card on the back of his right hand. A tearing sensation came at once as he felt tension from the cards on his left hand. It reminded him of the moments he was reforging a card, but then not as powerful. It lasted for a few moments, then a sensation of something making place came from his first card as it forcefully shoved his others slightly to the side. Instantly the tension vanished, and the hammer card flashed and sank into his hand.


    What was that?


    Before Irwin could think on it more, a sense of pushing came, and with a jolt, the card''s existence appeared beside the others. It was clear and powerful, and he knew he could summon it with barely any effort.


    What... what is going on? he thought.


    The first time he had gotten his card, it had taken him great effort to connect to it. The second and third had been easier, but still, it had taken conscious effort on his part. Now? Now it felt like the card was almost scrambling to connect with him instead.


    Staring at it, he clenched his fist and focused on his card. With a flash of light, a massive hammer landed in his hand, the weight of the head pulling his hand down. Both the handle and the head were made of the same dark, red-lined metal, and he could feel the gentle heat that it radiated on the palm of his hand.


    As much as he wasn''t sure, Irwin couldn''t suppress a grin as he gently swung the heavy tool. He knew right away that if he landed a good hit with it, it''d do as much damage to someone''s head as it would to a chunk of ore.


    "Alright," he said, staring at the Anvil. "Now. What talk?"


    "You probably won''t be able to save your world," Ambraz said calmly.


    Irwin blinked, then shook his head.


    "There are ways! You told me. I can stabilize-"


    "Yes. It is not impossible¡­ but the chances of you succeeding are smaller than the chances of you finding a legendary card by killing the next demon you encounter," Ambraz said calmly.


    Irwin stared at the Anvil, trying to figure out if it was lying and, if so, why?


    "Why should I believe you?" he finally managed. "You obviously want me to head to one of those hubs and leave everything behind!"


    "Yes. But not because I don''t want you to save your world," Ambraz said calmly. "Not that I care for this one¡­ there are innumerable worlds out there, and one more or less doesn''t concern me. However, there aren''t that many skilled Cardsmiths, and I don''t want to see you die in an unsuccessful attempt to stop something you can''t control. "


    Irwin swallowed at the Anvil''s callous words and opinion over his world. Giard was his home! He didn''t want the whole world destroyed, and if there was even a small chance to save it, he wanted it.


    "Even if it''s as small as you say, I have to try," he said.


    "Yes, I thought you would say that," Ambraz said. "There is only one way for you to succeed. You need to join the Smith''s guild, and for that, you need to qualify to join it. You fulfill three of the four requirements, and the fourth you can only fulfill when you find a hub. Which means you need to find a hub world."


    "Why should I believe you," Irwin snapped. He knew it was a stupid question, born of his growing uncertainty and anger, but he still asked it.


    "Because if I want to live and prosper, I need a Cardsmith," Ambraz said.


    "Why?" Irwin asked, surprised at this.


    "To grow, I need soul-force, and I can only grow up to Emerald-rank by consuming external soul-force," Ambraz said.


    Irwin stared at him stupidly. What did he mean, Emerald-rank? Like becoming very-rare? But that was stupid. Ambraz wasn''t a-


    "Are you a card?" he blurted.


    "No, of course not," Ambraz snapped, suddenly angry. "I''m an Anvil of the Gods, not some silly crystalized soul-skill!"


    "Then-"


    "Because I am a living, symbiotic creature," Ambraz said with a loud snort. "And I need a smith to create and adapt cards to continue growing."


    Irwin continued to stare at the Anvil. He had somehow never thought of it as a creature but more as a what¡­ magical item? He wasn''t even sure now that he thought about it.


    "Now, if you want to attempt saving your world, you will need any and all help you can get," Ambraz said softly. "At the same time, I need a smith. Although you aren''t even a Quartz rank Cardsmith, you are growing fast and will be one with a little more practice. It will be in both our best interests if we join forces."


    Irwin remained quiet as he tried to understand everything the Anvil had told him. If what Ambraz said was true, that meant he wanted Irwin''s help¡­ to what? Grow more powerful? What would even happen if Ambraz became more powerful? As the words continued to flow through his mind, Irwin constantly came back to the same thing. He didn''t want to leave his world¡­ What if he couldn''t come back?


    Whatever! I don''t have to leave yet. I need to get out of this stupid portal first, and after that, teach Trimdir how to reforge cards, he thought. After that, there''s plenty of time to think about it!


    "Come on! Don''t just stay silent like that," Ambraz suddenly snapped. "Do you know that barely anyone on backwater worlds like this knows any of this? I''m taking a big gamble sharing it with you!"


    "I need to think about all this," Irwin said softly. "Before I can decide to leave for some hub-world, I want to return and see if Daubutim is alright and take care of other things."


    "Yes, well, I wouldn''t wait too long," Ambraz said as he flicked back to Irwin''s pocket. "You haven''t found a hub-world yet, and joining the guild takes time, none of which you have to waste."


    Irwin sighed but didn''t respond to it. Instead, he looked around.


    "So, what way is it back?"


    There was pressure on his leg, and he began moving in that direction.


    "We need to figure out how to get down there and find that other portal," Irwin muttered.


    "There is probably some entrance near the ruins. We just have to find it," Ambraz said.


    Irwin stomped forward until he saw the spec that was the ruins in the distance before asking another question.


    "Why did I have to socket the hammer before you would tell me those things?"


    Ambraz sighed. "Because there was a chance that your other cards would reject the hammer-card, stopping your path to joining the Smith''s guild."


    Irwin almost stumbled as he remembered that not all cards meshed well with each other. How had he forgotten that? Taking another look at the hammer in his hand, he was happy it had worked.


    "I wonder how I''ll explain that I have another card," he muttered suddenly.


    "Just tell them you had kept it for emergency and decided to socket it to try and beat down the door," Ambraz replied.


    "I can do that?"


    "What? Beat down that door? Unlikely¡­ but they don''t know that, and neither do you. Just try and put up a good show," Ambraz said with a laugh.


    Irwin sighed as he continued towards the ruins. After a while, he saw a few figures walking along the edge, then started waving at him. He heard muted shouting but couldn''t make out what the words were until he was much closer.


    "-foolish brat! Worried sick!" Lous roared.


    Irwin grinned as he waved back. "I''m fine," he shouted.


    When he was almost at the ruins, he saw Lous glare at him.


    "Seriously! Why did you have to go so far that nobody could see you anymore?" Then the ranger''s eyes narrowed as he spotted the hammer in Irwin''s hand. His eyes drifted to the back of Irwin''s hand, then widened, and his mouth fell open. "How''d you get that?" he blurted.


    "I had it as a backup, just in case," Irwin said, walking past the ranger. "I''m hoping it can break open that door."


    "And you only tell us this now?" Lous roared as he followed him, while the others turned as they approached.


    "Tell who what now?" Yerich asked as he grinned at Irwin. "Glad you are back. Some people were starting to freak out."


    "No problem," Irwin said as he walked up to the door. He saw another set of dents- probably made by Desmir''s skill. Positioning him before the door, he heard the others whisper while Lous explained how he had somehow ''mysteriously'' gotten a new card. Irwin ignored them as he took a deep breath and slammed the hammer onto the stone barrier. A loud crack followed as chips of stone snapped off and shot everywhere. He continued striking but, after a few minutes, stopped when he''d made less of a dent than Desmir had.


    "Well, so far for that idea," Lous grunted. "Let''s go back to trying to catch that stupid linchpin."


    Irwin looked at the door, shrugged, and turned around. After a few moments, he began walking around the ruins. Yerich followed him, quickly catching up.


    "So? Nothing out there?"


    Irwin looked up to see the others were watching them.


    "No. Nothing but these ruins," he said. "But¡­ from a distance, it looked like it might be the top of a building or something. So I was wondering- what if the rest of the ruins are below the sand?"


    A burst of chatter came from the others before Desmir shouted for them all to quiet down.


    "And that means what? There''s a door at the top of some tower?" the guard asked. "That makes no sense."


    "It could be on a balcony," Yerich muttered as he began running towards the edge of the ruins. Within seconds he''d begun digging.


    Irwin didn''t think he had much chance, but he wasn''t going to stop him. Instead, he continued walking around, making ever bigger circles until he finally felt what he''d been hoping for. A soft tremor from Ambraz. He stood almost next to the furthest left wall, in the corner.


    So there''s something here¡­ he thought. He unsummoned his hammer fell to his knees, and after a second''s thought triggered Coperion Body. Then he began shoving sand away.


    "Great¡­ and now both of the kids are digging holes," Lous snapped. "As if there''s any chance we can just-"


    A dull thud came as Irwin''s hand sank into the sand up to the elbow and hit something. It sounded hollow and not at all like stone but more like wood.


    "By Gelwin''s beard," Lous whispered. "Are you kidding me?"


    A short while later, they were all staring down at a wide but shallow pit. A square wooden hatch with dull gray metal bands and a large ring sat in the middle.


    "So¡­ who wants to go first?" Yerich said softly.

 Chapter 73: Out of the portal and into the...

    Irwin snuck down the sand-covered stone staircase while an unpleasant, rank scent drifted up from below. Traces of footsteps were visible in the dust and sand in front of him, and if he had to guess, he would say they belonged to Galubs.


    There are always buildings in these places, he thought absently, listening for any sound that might indicate movement ahead. I wonder why¡­


    His new hammer rested snugly in his right hand while he had a single grappling gauntlet on the other. A soft thud from behind told him that Gwallina and Yerich were still following him. Lous and Desrin were waiting at the top, ready to defend it from anything if they had to sprint back with something on their heels. Everyone looked far more lively now, and when he had told them that Daubutim had told him that many portals like these were known to have two portals, they didn''t even bother asking difficult questions. Instead, they started planning to find it and get out.


    The Frozir said there were Grablon''s in here¡­ perhaps this part was open before?


    As he turned around the corner, he saw that the staircase stopped a few feet down. There still wasn''t any sound or light, and Ambraz hadn''t vibrated again. The reason he was in the lead, again, was because he could see. For the others, it was pitch dark in here, but he had his flame ready to summon in case they needed light.


    Reaching the bottom, he held his breath and poked his head through the door opening. Dozens, if not hundreds, of decapitated Galub bodies, lay sprawled across a massive hall. Massive stains of dried-up blood spread out below them, while splashes of more were across every surface he saw. Long lacerations covered the Galubs, many on the back and chest, almost as if they had been sliced apart.


    Irwin bit back a cursed gasp as he looked around. The room was a hallway with broken statues to the side, two angular passageways with elaborate arches above it to each side, and a throne at the back. Black and dull, for a moment, he thought it was empty. Then he realized a thin figure sat on it, eyes closed and head angled down. Long black hair draped across the front of its equally black robe, causing it to blend in perfectly with the stone throne.


    Very slowly, Irwin drew his head back. The others stood behind him, eyes wide as he looked around as if searching for a tiny sliver of light in the darkness.


    Did that black thing do that to the Galubs? Or is it dead too? Irwin thought as he exhaled as quietly as he could. Whatever it was, he was pretty sure he didn''t want to go here if he could help it. Sadly, they didn''t have much of a choice. He needed to find the other portal.


    Steeling himself, he peaked around the corner again, only for his heart to skip a beat. The throne was empty¡­ and there was no sight of the being on it. He almost turned and ran, but a tiny sliver of insight kept him motionless as his eyes scanned the room. Seconds turned to minutes, and he feared the others would become restless and say something. Then he saw a minute movement near the far end of the hallway, and as he watched, he saw a black figure almost glide across the floor, its head turned away from him, turned towards one of the dropped statues. It stopped before it, and a pale hand stretched out, touching the statue''s torn-off head.


    After a short while, it continued on, floating to the next.


    What is that thing? Irwin thought as he tried to recall the many different demons that could be inside the portals. He knew of a few, and none matched the description of what he saw before him. The closest he could come up with would be a very big Nyzir¡­ but that couldn''t be. The Nyzir were supposed to be through the other portal. Whatever it was, he had no interest in fighting it if he could prevent that.


    He silently observed the shadowy figure as it floated from statue to statue. After a few moments, a soft, weary sigh echoed through the hall. It lasted for seconds. Then a deep, rumbling voice muttered something Irwin couldn''t understand. He almost had a heart attack when Ambraz jolted in his pocket. The shadow luckily didn''t seem to notice as it moved towards the left hallway and vanished inside.


    Irwin waited, eyes focused on the hallway, and counted in his head. Only when he reached three hundred, and nothing had appeared, did he let out a soft exhale of relief. He pulled back and slowly backed up to the staircase. Whatever that was, it might be best to-


    The dull rumbling voice came from beyond the doorway, and before he could act, the shadowy figure appeared in the doorframe. Two pitch-black eyes that shone from the inside with a silvery light stared at him. There was such a murderous hatred in them that Irwin didn''t hesitate.


    "Incoming," he snapped as he raised his hand at the same time as the flame burst into existence. His own eyes didn''t care for the sudden light, but a deafening shriek came from the shadow as it shot back through the door and away. The shriek faded into the distance so fast it almost was as if it hadn''t happened.


    "By Yilda, what was that?" Yerich said behind him, his voice cracking midway.


    "We need to get out of here," Gwallina hissed, and Irwin backed up from the door until he stood beside them. A quick glance showed they both had their hands in front of their eyes, shielding them from the light but looking towards the door.


    "You know what that was?" Irwin asked.


    "No, but it can''t be anything good," Gwallina replied.


    "Gwallina, are you guys alright?" Desrin shouted from above, his voice dulled and muted.


    The ranger stepped back.


    "There''s a demon in here that I''ve never seen before. Shadowy, long dark hair, pale face, pupil-less black eyes with some kind of silver glow!"


    There was only a second of silence, then they heard a thud from above.


    "Don''t move. We are coming! Orwin, don''t turn off the flame!"


    As if I was thinking about it, Irwin thought, keeping his flame forward while his fingers clenched around the handle of his hammer.


    The dull rumbling voice came again, echoing from far away as the thing, whatever it was, shouted something.


    "Okay, I didn''t understand that, but does anyone else think he sounds really angry?" Yerich whispered.


    The others didn''t respond, as Desrin and Lous ran down towards them. It took them only a few moments before Desir burst around the corner.


    "Alright, you are fine," he grunted.


    "Do you know what that demon is?" Irwin asked as the guard stepped up next to him, his sword in hand.


    "Not officially, but I''ve heard about demons that match that description. They call them Slaughter Demons. They appear in portals sometimes, though they should only appear in rare and beyond. They slaughter the other demons and any carded... I don''t know how, but I do know we are in over our heads! We need to find that portal and get out of here."


    Not again, Irwin thought and felt like cursing. Before he could, Gewlin stepped forward.


    "Lovely name," the ranger whispered, and Irwin saw his face had gone completely pale.


    "Whatever it was, it ran away when Orwin summoned his flame," Gwallina said.


    "We heard," Lous grunted as he joined the others.


    "I''ve not heard that they are weak to fire," Desrin said.


    "Great. Now what?" Irwin said, feeling his anger grow slowly.


    "No other choice. From what I hear, those things are able to decimate even rare-parties. I have no idea if they are all the same strength, but let''s not wait to find out," Desrin said as he began pulling off his backpack. "Get your torches out. Orwin, light them up, but keep that flame of yours out and make it as bright as you can. We are going to find another portal and get out of here!"


    "What if that thing overcomes its fear of light?" Yerich asked softly as he took out his own torch and held it out to Irwin.


    As he put his flame next to it and saw the dark cloth burst aflame, Irwin blinked as he realized this was probably one of the first times he''d actually done what he had once thought all his cards capable of. Light candles and torches.


    "Then we hope we can kill it," Desrin said. "Orwin in front, Lous at the back. Stay close together, and as soon as you see it, shout. With that thing here, there shouldn''t be anything else."


    "What about the linchpin?" Irwin said softly.


    "What about it?" Desrin snapped, a bit of his previous anger showing again. "Unless you held back a way to catch it just to be funny¡­?"


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "No," Irwin said, walking towards the entrance. If they couldn''t close this portal, what would that mean?


    At least there won''t be any demons bursting out of it, he thought as he looked around the corner at the slaughtered Galubs. There was no sign of the Slaughter Demon, but Irwin barely hesitated as he triggered Coperion Body. As he grew, he barely noticed the vertigo this time, instead more surprised that his hammer became heavier. A quick look showed that it had become bulkier than before.


    Deciding to leave the questions for later, Irwin stepped into the hallway.


    "There are two exits," he whispered as Desrin stepped up next to him. "Left and right. The previous time that thing went left."


    "Then let''s hope it did again, and let''s go right," Desrin said as he motioned for Irwin to keep going.


    Yeah, Irwin thought as he began walking forward, flame raised and as bright as he could make it. The others followed after him, torches up high to cover as wide an area as possible.


    As they passed the nearest statue, he stopped and gazed at it in surprise.


    "They look like that Slaughter Demon did," he said. "Long hair and the same overly sharp, triangular features."


    "Perhaps this was his home¡­ before¡­" Yerich whispered.


    Nobody answered, and they continued further, the sounds of their footsteps echoing hollowly around them. The corridor that led away was wide, doorless, and with decorated arches.


    Walking through and forward, Irwin kept his eyes out for any sign of the shadowy demon, but as they continued down the hallway, he found nothing. After a while, they came to an intersection. The right side collapsed, but the left continued forward for a long while.


    "Straight," Desrin said dully.


    Irwin didn''t respond but continued on until they reached another intersection. The right side was blocked again, sandy rubble almost reaching where they stood.


    "Straight," Desrin said again, and Irwin was about to move when Ambraz began pushing his leg. He stopped, cocked his head, and looked to the left. It seemed a similar path, but there had to be something.


    "Orwin?" Desrin said, stepping up next to him and staring into the hallway. "What is it? Did you see something?"


    Irwin tried to come up with a good way to go left. For a fraction of a moment, the idea to tell the others about Ambraz came to his mind, then he shoved it back violently. He''d shared his secrets before in a portal, and it hadn''t exactly worked out. He still had no idea what had happened to Twintin, but he suddenly realized he almost hoped he''d never see her again.


    "Orwin?"


    Irwin started as he realized his mind had drifted off, and he shook his head. Gotta stop doing that, he thought as he turned to Desrin.


    "I saw a tiny shimmer of heat down there. We should check it out," he said, hoping their stressed leader would agree.


    Desrin scrunched his brow as he looked into the dark corridor, but Irwin knew he couldn''t see as far as he could, even with the light of his flame and the torches.


    "Normally, it''s better to stick with a single direction when going into unknown territory," the guard muttered. Then he turned to Irwin. "Alright, but if you don''t see something again quickly, we are heading back and continuing straight."


    Irwin nodded and began walking through the corridor, only to reach another intersection. Each direction seemed similar, but Ambraz pushed what he knew was forward, and without waiting, he continued on. There was a soft grunt from behind but nothing else.


    They kept walking in the same direction, heading deeper into the building until they reached a split with no way forward.


    "Great, now what," Yerich whispered.


    Irwin felt Ambraz push him to the right, so he looked in that direction. Beyond the range of the light, he saw something that made him curse in annoyance.


    "No, no, no," he grunted as he stomped forward.


    "What''s wrong?" Desrin asked, but Irwin ignored him as he walked forward.


    The others ran after him, and the light of the torches and his flame finally reached the end of the corridor.


    "Bloody¡­ is that another one of those doors?" Yerich said, his voice rising in pitch.


    Irwin reached the door, noticing far more scratches, some as deep as a finger, and crack marks covering the identical door as above.


    This can''t be happening, he thought as he snarled.


    Before he could hold back, he struck the door with his hammer, causing a loud, dull crack as a split ran from the impact to the side of the door.


    There was a moment of silence, then Desirin moved forward.


    "Let me," he said as he raised his sword.


    Irwin jumped back just as the point stabbed forward faster than he could follow. A loud, dull crack came as Desrin''s blade pierced straight through the stone. A clattering of rock and debris came from behind it, as a tiny bit of a familiar glow came through the hole!


    "Yes! Finally! Get that thing out of the-"


    A deep howling followed by the voice they had heard again, silencing Lous.


    For a moment, nothing happened.


    "I don''t think he is happy¡­?" Yerich whispered.


    Irwin was about to say they should hurry when the howling came again, closer this time.


    "It''s coming!" Desrin snapped as he turned. "Help me break this bloody door down!"


    Irwin turned and struck his hammer below the spot Desrin had hit just as another blade attack slammed a fist-sized hole in the door. As Desrin pulled it back, Irwin got a momentary view of a portal hovering in the center of the room. Then he slammed his hammer down again and again.


    What if that thing follows us through? he thought as the hole became almost the size of his torso.


    "It''s almost here," Lous roared.


    ¡°Orwin!¡± Desrin ordered.


    Irwin turned and jumped towards the others, letting his flame blaze. He could feel the temperature rising, and he knew he had to be careful with the others, so he lowered the intensity slightly.


    Then a shadow appeared at the end of the corridor, screamed, and pulled back.


    There was a sigh of relief that stopped when they realized the howling scream of pain didn''t move away. It remained next to the door, then slowly faded. A dull roar of words Irwin couldn''t understand came, followed by the sound of something striking something. There was a dull thud, nothing else.


    "Almost through," Desrin hissed.


    Irwin felt his heart skip a beat as a shadowy arm appeared then the demon stepped into view, hand shielding his face and eyes.


    "Oh, shit," Gelwin said.


    It''s getting used to the light, Irwin thought, grasping his hammer tighter.


    "Shoot it!" he snapped.


    There was a soft rustle, then an arrow jutted from the shadowy figure''s chest. A woosh and another two hit it at the same spot.


    For a moment, nobody moved, then the arrows slowly angled down before sliding out and tinkling on the ground.


    "Lak ras diiiii!"


    The words were soft and like a curse.


    "I think we pissed it off," Yerich whispered.


    A loud crack came from behind, followed by things crumbling.


    "It''s open. Get through!" Desrin shouted.


    Irwin backed up just as the guard stepped up beside him, his blade forward.


    "Why do I get the feeling this thing used us to get through this door?" Irwin whispered.


    "Yeah, I''m starting to get the same idea," Desrin muttered as they backed up. The shadowy figure slowly stepped after them, his hand still covering his face. "Crawl through. I''ll keep it away until you''re all out."


    "How are you going to keep him from killing you without my fire," Irwin whispered.


    Desrin raised the torch in his other hand.


    Irwin licked his lips, wondering if that would work. The thing was, he didn''t have any other idea either.


    Wait, Eyes of Blaze!


    He almost hit himself for his stupidity at forgetting one of his abilities.


    "Listen, I''m going to do something. With some luck, it will flee or even hurt him," Irwin said softly. "Get ready to close your eyes.


    Desrin''s breath caught, then he sniffed.


    "Okay. Ready."


    Irwin focused on his skill, then, without holding back, poured all the energy he felt into the card into the skill as fast as he could.


    "Now," he snapped.


    The world seemed to turn red, and he heard a startled gasp from beside him. Then there was a loud scream as two tapering jets of flame burst from his eyes, widening to fill the corridor. The force caused his head to want to move back, and he had to lean forward slightly as he saw the shadowy figure blasted to the back of the wall.


    The scream cut off as the figure seemed to shatter into a cloud. Flames roared around it, and something about it reminded Irwin of smoke and soot.


    He blinked, cutting off his skill.


    "No, keep it up!" Desrin shouted.


    The cloud reacted instantly, shooting to the side and away.


    "By Gelwin''s beard, if you''d just hit it again," Desrin muttered, and Irwin felt the guard''s hand as he pulled him back.


    I don''t think that would have actually worked, Irwin thought.


    "Go through and then get ready to fire again if needed," Desrin grunted.


    Irwin spun and saw a hole large enough to crawl through. The others stood on the other side, looking worried. Irwin quickly unsummoned his flame and hammer and began crawling through. The others began helping him, pulling him through and forward, only for his shoulders to get slightly stuck.


    "This would be easier if you weren''t made of metal," Yerich grunted in strain.


    Irwin cursed and turned off his final skill. He shot forward as Yerich let out a startled shout. Then he landed atop the smaller ranger, who grunted in pain.


    "It''s back! Orwin, fire!" Desrin shouted, a slight panic in his voice.


    Scrambling up, Irwin spun to the hole to see the shadowy figure rush forward. Dark stains and red blood covered his face, while one of his eyes was an empty, bloody hole. Desrin stood at the ready, sword out.


    "Step to the side," Irwin shouted as he focused on Eyes of Blaze. As Desrin stepped aside, the shadowy figure reached him, and Irwin burst a beam of fire forward. The figure blurred sideways, dodging the fire. A shout from Desrin made Irwin turn it off, instead summoning his flame and jabbing his hand through the hole.


    There was a roar of pain as the shadowy figure ran out of the hallway and jumped around. Then it was quiet again.


    "Desrin?"


    There was no response, then a bloodied hand gripped the edge of the hole, and Desrin pulled his head up. His eyes were unfocused, and Irwin quickly grabbed his wrists, dragging him forward.


    "He hit me," Desrin mumbled. "Used.. skill¡­ he uses smo-" his voice was cut off, and his eyes widened. He coughed, and a spray of blood struck Irwin''s face.


    "Desrin!" he shouted, pulling harder. There was a slight resistance, then he stumbled back, pulling the guard along while the rangers had arrows knocked at the hole. Irwin fell on his ass, Desrin dropping before him. The back of his armor was cut apart and blood bubbled up.


    "Yilda help us," Gwallina whispered. "Hurry, get him through the portal! We need to heal him! Perhaps there''s someone on the other side with a card!"


    Irwin struggled up and looked through the hole. There was no sight of the shadowy figure, and Irwin suddenly had the tiny hope it couldn''t move into the room.


    "Orwin!"


    Irwin shuddered, then bent over and carefully lifted Desrin from the ground. The guard''s face was pale, blood slowly dripping from his lips. Turning around, Irwin saw that the room was spacious, with a large slab at one side that almost made him think of a bed and broken-down cupboards and a desk in another place. The portal had appeared atop a salon table of some sort, cutting it in half, and he stepped forward.


    "Let''s go," Lous snapped, moving next to him, bow ready as he stared back at the door. "You go first. We will come right after. As soon as you are on the other side, put Desrin down and get ready to fight. I''ll follow and try and patch him up!"


    Irwin nodded and stepped through the portal, praying Ambraz was right and they were going to arrive close to the other one. There was the now-familiar moment of bone-chilling cold and darkness, though, for a moment, he thought he sensed something else¡ªa sense of movement.


    Then there was a flash of bright light, and a blast of cold air almost made him stumble back through.


    Instinctively he triggered Coperion Body, glad he still could, and looked around. He stood on a rocky outcrop below a ridge, staring at a jagged, snow-covered hill or mountainside. It didn''t look anything like the flowing hills of Grinning man''s hilltop.


    Where are we? he thought.

 Chapter 74: Return

    Stones rattled down the slope as they carefully climbed down.


    "You''re absolutely sure we are east of Degonda?" Lous grunted from the back.


    "For the sixth time. Yes!" Yerich said. "I''ve been here before, though that wasn''t here then!"


    Irwin inadvertently watched as Yerich pointed at the ripped-apart hillside to their left and shuddered. Rubble lay strewn across the hill, partially covered in snow, while massive slabs of jagged rock jutted up and outside as if something had burst out of it.


    "Could you two shut up so I can hear if anything follows us?" Gwallina hissed. She was standing a few feet ahead, on a large rock, bow out and ready to shoot anything that could follow them.


    "Even if it comes through, it won''t follow us," Yerich said, sounding exasperated.


    Irwin knew the ranger had become annoyed by the constant worrying, but he fully understood the others. More so, because if they had to run, he had to carry Desrin. Taking a look at the pale-faced guard in his arms, he saw the tiny stream of blood from the corner of his mouth had begun again. Initially, they had taken turns carrying the guard, but it soon became apparent that the others couldn''t carry him far before slowing and even tripping. Eventually, Irwin had just continued carrying the guard, only taking off his armor and weapons, handing those to Lous, while Gwallina carried the guard''s pack. Although the weight kept increasing to the point of being a horrible burden, he had a big advantage. Coperion Body. He used it when he could, as it made the weight negligible and allowed him to rest while it was on cooldown.


    Half a day down is going to be close, he thought as he looked at the valley floor far below. According to Yerich, they could move from there along the foothills and reach Degonda before dark. So far, they hadn''t come across any demons or portals, which somehow surprised him, but he wasn''t going to complain.


    As they continued on, he didn''t join the other''s banter or do much else but think. Think about what Ambraz had said. He really wanted to head back to Malorin and somehow save his family. But how? He''d thought about going there and taking them with him to the hubworld. That might work. But where in the hubworld? If it was anything like his own world, he would need some form of currency to get a house and all kinds of other things.


    Another thing he could do was try and bring them to Daubutim''s father¡­ whom I haven''t met and have no idea what he is like, he thought. From what he''d seen of Daubutim, his father seemed like a very capable, harsh, and generally horrible man.


    Steps, I need steps, he thought after a while. He''d been coming up with a list for a while, just like before, but only the first step kept staying the same. Get back and teach Trimdir the basics of card reforging with Ambraz''s help. Not just because it would help people stop the portal but also because it would remove some of the attention from him. I need to warn Daubutim, he thought. His friend had to be worried.


    A look at the sky made him grit his teeth. They had no idea how long they had been out, though the others probably still thought it was only moments. As soon as the moon was out, he''d be sure.


    A shiver ran through him as his Coperion Body dissipated. Instantly the cold bothered him more.


    I wish that thing would last longer, he thought as he increased his pace in the hopes of it warming him.


    They continued for hours, barely reaching the foot of the hill when the sun began sinking below the horizon.


    "Alright," Yerich said, sounding winded. He''d been slowing down, showing the difference between his endurance and that of the others. Even Irwin, who''d constantly carried Desrin, felt like he was doing better.


    Looking down, he saw Desrin''s blood had congealed, and he was breathing in short, ragged bursts.


    Come on Desrin. Stay with us, he thought as he gritted his teeth. Without him here, they most likely wouldn''t have had to deal with a Slaughter Demon.


    "How long until we reach Degonda?" he asked, staring at Yerich. He only realized how weary the ranger really was when there was no snappy retort.


    "We should probably camp here," Yerich said, wiping a film of sweat from his head.


    "Dream on," Lous snapped. "If that thing follows us out, I want to be as far gone as we can be."


    "That is if it even waits for the sun to set," Irwin said as he looked up. "It looked less afraid of my fire at the end."


    The others didn''t respond, but he saw Yerich shiver and his shoulders sag.


    "Fine, let''s continue."


    Another hour later, they finally crossed a small hill, and they saw a beacon of light in the distance. Perched on the hill, Irwin thought Degonda looked far more beautiful than the first time he''d seen it. What confused him more was that it felt like¡­ home? His Coperion Body was active again, insulating him from the cold.


    "It''s almost dark, and it''s over an hour there," Yerich said as he stumbled forward.


    Irwin looked at the others and saw that only Gwallina seemed able to keep going. Compared to them, he was doing much better. Still, you are starting to feel heavier than a carry bag of metal, he thought as he looked at Desrin. The guard''s face was incredibly pale, and his breath was barely noticeable.


    "Desrin needs a healer," he said, looking up.


    "Let''s keep going," Lous said, stepping forward.


    Irwin kept walking, but they hadn''t even gotten halfway when there was a dull moan and a thud. Looking to the side, he saw Yerich lying on the ground, hands holding his head up as he stared down.


    "I¡­ can''t," the ranger stuttered, then his eyes rolled up, and his head slammed into the muddy ground, luckily only just missing a stone.


    "Yerich!"


    Gwallina moved forward, kneeling next to the downed ranger and rolling him over.


    "He''s unconscious," she said, looking at Lous, then Irwin.


    Irwin hesitated, looking in the direction of the lights, then at the other two who could still barely walk.


    "You three rest here. I''ll bring Desrin back," he said.


    "Are you sure? You''ve been carrying him nearly the entire trip," Lous asked, looking at Irwin worriedly.


    "Yes, I''m fine," Irwin said. "My skill helps me, and I''ve been carrying stuff at Trimdir''s, remember?"


    The others just struggled as they slumped down. "Fine, just be careful and take good care of him," Gwallina said as she moved closer and inspected Desrin. "I¡­ he doesn''t look good," she muttered, and Irwin was surprised to see tears appear in her eyes before she spun around.


    "I''ll get him back safely," he said before looking at the others. "I think you should get off the path¡­ we have no idea if that thing is still after us."


    Lous and Gwallina shared a worried look before moving to Yerich. "I''ll carry him. You take the stuff," Lous muttered as he dropped Desrin''s weapons. "Orwin, better get going. We will be fine!"


    Irwin took one look at them, then turned and continued forward.


    The voices of the others slowly disappeared from behind as he continued on, struggling up and down inclines. When he estimated he was halfway there, Coperion Body deactivated, causing the weight to increase and his pace to decrease.


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    Still, he continued on tirelessly. By now, the only sound but his own breathing and footsteps was the wheezing from Desrin as he struggled for each breath. As the darkness continued to increase, he felt the temperature drop and shivered as he thought about what would have happened had he been out here without his full-hand upgrade. It was still cold, and he wasn''t sure he could have fought effectively, but at least he wasn''t dying.


    "Hey, who goes there!"


    Irwin looked up with a start to see six guards move down the road towards him, carrying torches and weapons.


    "Orwin, smith with Trimdir," he said, his voice ragged and weary. "I have Desrin here¡­ he is wounded. We need a healer!"


    There was a startled shout, and the guards ran toward him, quickly surrounding him. Dozens of worried gazes turned to the guard in his arms.


    "Desrin? You are with the lost party that went into that portal!" one of the guards said as he raised a hand to feel for Desrin''s pulse.


    "Lost?" Irwin said.


    "Yah¡­ you''ve been gone for over three weeks! How did you get out of there without anyone seeing you?"


    So it''s already happened, Irwin thought. The time-dilation was slowing down or perhaps even gone. He sensed a tiny tremor in his pocket.


    "We can take him from you, kid," one of the guards, a tall, muscled man, said. "Get a stretcher!''


    Two of the guards sprinted away.


    Irwin blinked and almost wanted to reject the offer. He''d carried Desrin since they left, and he wanted to bring him to safety. He''d promised the others. Then he felt how weak he was, and though he knew he would be able to reach the entrance, what if he stumbled?


    "Yeah, that is a good idea," he muttered.


    "So¡­ it''s just you two?" the tall guard asked a look of weary sadness on his face.


    Irwin started as he recalled the others. "No! The rest are an hour back. They were too tired to continue and are camping out there."


    The guard''s eyes lit up, and he turned to another guard. "Get a group ready to pick them up! If those Galubs find them¡­ hurry!"


    Galubs? Irwin thought as he looked around.


    A group of guards came running back before he could ask what had happened, and he quietly helped them put Desrin on the stretcher.


    A few moments later, Desrin was being carried on a flat board, and Irwin was following the others back to the city. As he reached the gate, he saw there were more rangers and guards than ever patrolling them while another group of guards guarded the entrance.


    "What happened while we were gone?"


    "Ah¡­ so much, where do I even begin," the guard snorted. "We''ve been working together with those Frozir... If anyone had told me a month ago we''d been working together with demons, I''d have reported him to the captain. Still, as creepy as they are, without them, we wouldn''t have been able to close as many portals as we have."


    "The Frozir are closing portals?" Irwin muttered in disbelief.


    "Aye, kid. And it''s a good thing. Galubs have been roaming the lands, and-"


    "Orwin!" a deafening shout cut off the guard as a tall figure ran forward.


    Irwin barely had time to prepare when a long-haired figure slammed into him, wrapping him in strong arms.


    "You are back¡­ I thought you were-" Lamia stopped, and Irwin stared down stupidly as the female smith cried on his armor.


    "I''m fine, I''m fine, "he said. "How did you know I was back?"


    "I asked uncle Burt to keep an eye on the gate," Lamia said.


    The heavy thud of running boots made Irwin look up, and he saw Daubutim run towards him. His friends'' eyes scanned him as he approached, and Irwin saw the relief on his face. The tall noble stopped before them while Lamia stepped back, wiping her face and grinning at him. Irwin smiled back before focusing on Daubutim.


    "Hey, I''m back," Irwin said, grinning awkwardly at his friend.


    "Good," the lordling said, nodding. "Good, good. I was worried."


    Irwin felt his heart warm at both of their responses.


    "So, what happened? Did you manage to close the rare portal?" he asked, slightly uncomfortable.


    Daubutim''s face fell, and he sighed.


    ¡°Let''s head to Trimdir,¡± Daubutim said. "He''s been breaking anvils ever since you left¡­"


    "Breaking anvils?" Irwin asked as he made to follow Trimdir and Lamia.


    "One moment!''


    They stopped as the tall guard joined them, staring at Irwin. "I fear you are going to have to go to Lord Bron first and explain what has happened. "


    Irwin hesitated as he shared a look with Daubutim.


    "It''s fine! I''ll tell Trimdir you are okay," Lamia said as she grinned at him. "Just come to the smithy when you are done?"


    Irwin nodded, and a moment later, he was trudging along Daubutim toward the familiar tower.


    "I thought you were not going to make it back," Daubutim said.


    Irwin looked up. The young lord was frowning at the ground.


    "I was afraid we might not a few times," Irwin said honestly.


    Daubutim didn''t respond, and they continued on in silence. Irwin noticed Daubutim seemed to want to tell him something multiple times but kept holding back. He wondered what that was about, but his tired mind and weary body made him decide to ask later.


    When they reached the tower, Irwin noticed that the temporary shelters and tents were gone.


    "Where did the refugees go?" he asked in surprise.


    "The Frozir built a set of temporary housing for us on the other side of the city," Daubutim said. "Not everyone wants to live there, though. Many people still think we should wipe them out for what they did."


    Irwin sighed, remembering how he had saved people left and right when the Frozir attacked Degonda. The pain and anger in Lamia''s eyes were something he would probably never forget. As soon as he thought about her, he wondered how she was handling Degonda working with the Frozir.


    The tower was quiet, and even the canteen seemed empty, from what Irwin heard. They only met a few guards on their trip further in, but when they approached Lord Bron''s room, shouting and loud voices came from inside.


    The guard that brought them here hesitated as he stood before the door, but Daubutim just stepped forward and knocked on the door.


    "We will be fine from now," Irwin said as he nodded at the guard.


    "Alright- good luck," the guard muttered as she turned and almost ran away.


    "I am sorry, Orwin," Daubutim suddenly whispered.


    Irwin frowned as he looked at his friend.


    "I told Bron what you told me about what you overheard in the portal, about the shattering of the world and the portals," Daubutim said.


    He did what?


    Irwin felt his blood freeze as he swallowed. Then the words registered fully. How he had overheard it? Daubutim knew that wasn''t what had happened...


    Daubutim''s gaze landed on his pocket, and the noble quickly shook his head.


    So he didn''t tell them about Ambraz, Irwin thought, instantly feeling slightly better.


    Lord Bron''s voice boomed from the next room, jolting him.


    "Enter."


    Daubutim gave him a sad smile, then shoved the door open and stepped inside.


    Great, so someone spoke about this, and I overheard, Irwin thought as his mind began spinning up a way to explain this.


    The massively cluttered central map table was surrounded by a few familiar people that looked up as they walked in.


    "Orwin!" Basil''s voice boomed over the rest.


    Irwin jolted again as he looked at the towering guard-captain as he approached them with long steps. He only just saw Lord Bron look at him with sharp, twinkling eyes.


    "You live! Did you finally exit the portal? How long did it feel to you? Have you spoken to Hutch? How is Ice Castle handling the new waves of Galubs? Did you close the portal?"


    Irwin stared at the taller guard, taken aback by the deluge of questions. He noticed that the others, Lord Bron and the ranger leader Myda were calmly looking at him, seeming interested in his response.


    "I- we didn''t exit the same portal," he finally managed.


    There was a sharp hiss, and he saw Basil was about to ask something when Bron spoke up.


    "Basil. Sit and let the boy breathe! How do you think he will answer if you hover over him like that?"


    Basil muttered something but instantly backed off, moving back to the table and dropping into a chair. Then he turned to Irwin and jabbed a thumb at two more chairs.


    "Orwin, Daubutim, please sit," Lord Bron said as he did the same.


    "Alright, tell us everything that happened from the moment you entered," Lord Bron said.


    Irwin took a deep breath and began, only leaving out everything dealing with Ambraz. He even showed them his new card. As he spoke, a part of him kept trying to come up with a reason to explain how he knew what he knew.


    "An uncommon card as your fourth?" Basil snapped. "You had better remove that when you find something better!"


    Irwin just nodded as he continued his story. When he reached the part where they met the Slaughter Demons, Basil jumped to his feet.


    "That is impossible! It was just an uncommon portal!" he shouted as he began pacing.


    Lord Bron indicated for Irwin to continue, and he did. When he told them they had managed to get out and back in one piece, Lord Bron leaned back, relief flooding his face.


    "Myda, make sure they heal Desrin and stay with him."


    "Basil, head out and retrieve the others! We need them ready to close another portal in a few days, so give them anything they need."


    The ranger leader nodded as she got up, though Basil seemed annoyed.


    "Can''t someone else do that?" he grunted. "They are only an hour out and-"


    "Basil¡­" Lord Bron said, staring cooly at the guard-captain.


    "Fine!" Basil said. Irwin saw him scan him and Daubutim before leaving.


    As soon as the door was closed, Bron turned to Irwin, who swallowed. Bron''s mouth opened, then he looked up and to the door as if he heard something. Irwin didn''t hear anything, but Bron let out a weary sigh.


    "Well, I guess this will work," he muttered.


    The sound of running feet came to the door, which was slammed open and banged into the wall. Trimdir stood in the opening, gaze roaming the room before landing on Irwin.


    "Orwin!" the smith bellowed before stomping into the room, straight for Irwin.


    Seeing the worry and joy on the big smith''s face, Irwin rose and couldn''t hold back a wide grin.


    "I''ve got a hammer," he said, raising his left hand and summoning his hammer.


    Trimdir''s grin widened as he stopped before him. "That''s good, boy, that''s good," the massive man said as he took the hammer and inspected it. Irwin thought he saw a tear slide down Trimdir''s face as the smith raised it to inspect it.


    "Nice and heavy!"


    "Trimdir, I presume you are not here to inspect your ward''s tools?" Bron asked softly.


    Ward? Irwin thought as he saw Trimdir''s face turn rigid in a single move as he handed the hammer back.


    "No. I have an inkling what you are going to ask, so I came to support Orwin," the smith said.


    "I thought as much," Bron said.


    One of his cards glowed, and Irwin''s eyes widened as he saw the brilliant green color. Then a barrier appeared around them, milky white, while any sound that had come from the city vanished.


    "Right, now I think it''s about time you tell me what is going on," Bron said as he waved them to their seats. "And that includes telling me where those new uncommon cards with a type reforged have originated from!"

 Chapter 75: Exposed

    Irwin looked at Bron, unsure how to start. The arrival of Trimdir had removed a lot of his worry, but now that he was looking at the Lord of Degonda, he realized he still had no idea what to say.


    "Orwin."


    Irwin turned to Trimdir, whose wide smile had changed back to his regular hard-to-read stare.


    "I don''t know why you don''t trust nobles, nor what you are hiding, but you can trust Bron," Trimdir said. Then he turned to Bron. "I think you should tell him a bit about your history. I already told him a few things."


    Lord Bron didn''t respond right away, simply staring at Trimdir until Irwin was starting to get uncomfortable. Finally, there was a weary sigh.


    "Fine, fine."


    Lord Bron leaned back and looked at Irwin with a sudden weariness.


    "So, Orwin, you don''t trust nobles?"


    Irwin gazed back, uncomfortable both by the question and the way Lord Bron emphasized his name. Had Lord Bron figured out his real name wasn''t Orwin? He should have known that the Lord would figure it out at some point, even with trade being stifled due to the surges and portals. Seeing the Lord''s eyes narrow, he tried to focus on the question. It wasn''t exactly true that he hadn''t told anyone just because they were nobles. He hadn''t told non-nobles everything either, Trimdir being the prime example. Still, he did feel more reluctant to open up to nobles. Those from Malorin and what his mother had told him showed they usually only acted in their own interest, caring little about who they had to harm to get what they wanted.


    Lord Bron had been staring at him as his mind spun, eyes narrowed, and his frown deepening until he finally seemed to lose his patience.


    "I could tell you about myself," Lord Bron finally said as he stared at Irwin, "but before that, Irwin, why don''t you tell me about yourself?"


    Irwin jolted out of his thoughts as he stared at Lord Bron.


    "What? Did you expect I wouldn''t check up on you after what I heard? As hard as it is to contact other cities and towns, it''s not impossible," Lord Bron said.


    Irwin looked at Daubutim.


    His friend still seemed as serene as before.


    "When we find someone who inherits our blood, it is normal in my family for them to adopt another name," Daubutim said calmly.


    "Is it now?" Lord Brond said, focusing on Daubutim. "Lordling Coulwater, I wonder what your father would say if I told him you''ve been having someone pretend to be one of your esteemed family."


    Daubutim blinked, then cocked his head as if he wasn''t sure what to say.


    "Enough," Lord Bron said with weariness. "You-" he pointed at Irwin," are Irwin from Malorin, taken by the Sorcerers roughly three months ago. You were deemed lost, together with your entire party, when attempting to close a portal near Wignut."


    Irwin swallowed, feeling the blood drain from his face. Was Lord Bron in contact with the sorcerers? He''d not thought about them for a while, but when he thought about the prospect of having to go back there, he shuddered.


    "Bron, calm down," Trimdir said, his voice low and deep. "Based on what you just said, something must have happened for them to act as they had. And both of us know that nobody would want to be with the sorcerers¡­ especially not at such a young age."


    It was quiet as Irwin looked from Trimdir to Bron, who was ignoring Trimdir and quietly staring at him.


    "Yes," Irwin finally said softly, knowing he wasn''t going to be able to get out from under it. "I am Irwin."


    Lord Bron nodded. "Good. Now, why did you lie about who you are?"


    Irwin sighed, shared a look with Daubutim, and noticed that his friend''s eyes had glazed over. He wouldn''t be getting any help from him. That much was sure.


    "We lost a lot of people in the portal," Irwin said as he thought back to the first portal. "When we left¡­" he thought about Twintin and what she knew of Ambraz. He should have never told her. "After we got out, there was a massive surge. Diflor and other demons from portals were all around. We¡­ didn''t want to return to the sorcerers."


    Bron didn''t say anything, just nodding for him to continue.


    "So, we decided to head for Daubutim''s father''s estate," Irwin said, not sure how much he should share.


    "And what made you think Lord Coulwater would be willing to shelter you from the sorcerers?" Lord Bron asked.


    Irwin swallowed and looked at Trimdir.


    "I know he doesn''t look like it, but you can trust him," Trimdir said.


    I hope you are right, Irwin thought. Then he took a deep breath. Trimdir hadn''t steered him wrong yet, and he''d not even told him everything.


    "I can reforge common cards to uncommon," he whispered.


    Lord Bron''s eyes began shining as he leaned forward. "I thought as much, but to hear you say it¡­ How?"


    Irwin shrugged. "It''s a combination of a learned skill and my card," he said, staring at his hand.


    "Learned?" Trimdir said, his eyes widening. "You mean¡­"


    "After becoming a full-hand my card became¡­ clearer to me," Irwn said with a faint smile, as it wasn''t even that far from the truth. "I''m pretty sure you should be able to learn it with some help."


    Trimdir''s regular stoic expression cracked as he stared at Irwin with sparkling eyes and a boyish grin.


    "That is great! We should go to the smithy right-"


    "Trimdir, calm yourself," Lord Bron said, interrupting Trimdir, who grimaced and seemed to struggle before finally nodding.


    Irwin focused back on the Lord, who had turned to look at him with a calculating gaze.


    "So you didn''t tell anyone this because¡­?"


    "I was afraid I would be locked up to reforge forever," Irwin said dully.


    Lord Bron stared at him in stunned silence, then barked a laugh.


    "I don''t know what type of nobles there are in Malorin, but I think I''ll have to have them investigated if this is what you think of us," he said as a dull fire seemed to grow in his eyes.


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    "Bah! Don''t give me that crap," Trimdir suddenly snapped. "I could name a dozen nobles who''d do just that, and so could you!"


    Bron blinked, and to Irwin''s surprise, his shoulders slumped as the fire in his eyes wilted.


    "Most wouldn''t," Lord Bron said half-heartedly.


    "Most wouldn''t," Trimdir agreed. "But if the boy had met one of those that would? Besides¡­ are you telling me you aren''t thinking about the benefits? The people that could be saved with more uncommon cards? It would alleviate our dependence on the merchants guild," Trimdir continued.


    Irwin felt a stab as he imagined the deaths of so many people. For a split second, he thought about telling everything. Then he recalled the real issue of their world shattered. If that happened, even if he created hundreds of uncommon cards, saving thousands of lives, it wouldn''t help.


    He kept quiet, looking back at the Lord.


    "Fine, fine," Lord Bron said. "I won''t force you to do anything. But-"


    Irwin flinched, afraid of what would come, and Lord Bron frowned. "Don''t worry. I just want you to teach Trimdir. The ability to create more of those will be invaluable."


    Irwin quickly nodded. "I was planning on that," he said.


    A wide smile appeared on Bron''s face, and for a moment, he seemed much younger.


    "Good! I hope you don''t mind if I sit in on those lessons?"


    Irwin blinked, then shook his head. He couldn''t think of a reason why that would be a problem.


    "Even better! Now¡­ before we discuss those things more, I have another question."


    Irwin could see that Lord Bron had to forcefully repress his interest, and he had an inkling of what was going to come next.


    "Elder Gum''dil''ran told us that our world is going to end. The shattering he called it, an event that happened to his own world centuries ago, leaving nothing but shards of it drifting in primordial chaos."


    "Primordial chaos¡­?" Irwin muttered, surprised to hear a term Ambraz had never shared with him.


    Lord Bron inspected him, the man''s clear eyes seeming to try and stare a hole in his head and read the secrets within.


    "Interesting¡­ so you haven''t heard about that before."


    Irwin shook his head, partially glad he didn''t but curious to ask Ambraz about it.


    "Well, after we learned this, Young Daubutim here shared with us that you know more about the troubles that besiege us, the reasons and possible consequences of the insane numbers of portals spawning. Is this true?"


    Irwin took a deep breath, then nodded. "Yes."


    "And you didn''t share this¡­ why?" Lord Bron asked, a slightly angry glimmer in his eyes.


    "So I didn''t have to explain how I learned about it," Irwin said truthfully and exasperatedly.


    There was a stunned silence, and he noticed that even Daubutim was looking at him with curious eyes. He was probably wondering what he was going to say, which made two of them, as Irwin was still grasping for straws.


    "I see. And¡­ are you willing to share this now? Your friend mentioned something about overhearing demons?"


    Irwin stared at the Lord, hesitated, then decided that he was damned if he was going to share Ambraz''s secrets until he was a hundred percent sure to be able to protect the anvil. He''d spoken about it once before, and he had no idea who knew about the anvil now.


    "No."


    Lord Bron frowned and leaned forward, seeming ready to try and persuade him.


    "But what I can do is explain what I know," Irwin said quickly.


    Lord Bron quietly looked at him, and for a moment, Irwin thought he was going to be difficult. Then the Lord leaned back in his chair.


    "Fine. I guess this will have to do for now," Lord Bron said.


    Taking a deep breath, Irwin tried to organize his thoughts. When he thought he had it all, he began talking.


    "From what I''ve heard, a greatly increased amount of portals spawning indicates an instability in the world they show up in. As the world grows more unstable, more portals show up-"


    Slowly Irwin told everything he knew about the portals, only leaving out the things about Ambraz. Lord Bron remained quiet, only interrupting with a few pointed questions.


    When Irwin finished, Bron shook his head in disbelief, his eyes fuzzing over.


    "Hubworlds, farming worlds, towering golden portals, and guilds," Bron muttered, leaning back with his fingers massaging his temples. He was quiet for a while, staring at the ceiling before turning to Irwin.


    "What were your plans? You must have had some¡­ or did you just plan to flee?"


    "No!" Irwin said, a sudden flash of anger making his words louder than he had planned. "I want to save my family, my friends," he said. "I wanted to¡­ to become stronger! Get legendary cards, close portals to stabilize the world¡­" as he spoke, he slowed as he saw a look of sympathy on Bron''s face.


    "You thought you could save all of us¡­ alone?" Lord Bron asked softly. "Close thousands of portals, including those beyond the wall¡­ all by yourself?"


    Irwin blinked and licked his lips. He suddenly felt incredibly tired.


    "Yes," he said lamely.


    "Not alone," Daubutim said from the side.


    Irwin looked up to see Daubutim stare at him with a strong resolve.


    "You are¡­ brave," Lord Bron said softly. "But I''m afraid it wouldn''t be very smart to let the entire fate of a world rest on your shoulders, no matter how wide and muscular they are."


    Trimdir grunted, then laughed.


    "Then what?" Irwin muttered.


    Lord Bron tapped his chin before looking around. "Well¡­ I''ll need some time to come up with a complete plan, but right now, I''d say we start by gathering data. We need to get people into a hubworld and find out if our world is indeed a farming one or if we are just unlucky."


    Irwin sighed. "For that, we would need to find a-"


    "Tall golden portal with blue lightning around the edges that is not a legendary portal," Lord Bron said. "Yes, I heard you."


    Irwin blinked as he looked at the smile creeping up on the man''s face.


    "You-"


    "Know where one is. Indeed," Lord Bron said.


    "Where is it?" Irwin asked, feeling conflicted. If he knew where one was, that meant he could go and join the Smith''s Guild. However, that also meant leaving his own world.


    "This is a secret guarded by the noble families and sorcerers, so don''t go flaunting it. We don''t need more trouble than we already have," Lord Bron said softly.


    "I won''t tell anyone," Irwin said, meaning it.


    Lord Bron flicked his gaze to Daubutim, who nodded.


    "None will hear it from me."


    To Irwin''s surprise, the Lord then turned to Trimdir.


    The smith sighed, shaking his head. "Do you even have to ask?"


    "Probably not," Lord Bron said before tapping his finger on the table.


    "The great legendary Gelwin didn''t mysteriously disappear. We know exactly what happened. He entered a portal that fits your description and never returned. The portal is below the ruins of Esterdon, and it''s the reason why there are so many of the most powerful carded around it and why nobles all have guard towers there."


    There was a stunned silence.


    "Now, I probably don''t have to tell you why nobody went in after him, but I''ll explain a little because it is the basis of another problem we now have," Bron said after a moment. "The general consensus was that the portal ended up in a world-shard so dangerous that even the mighty Gelwin couldn''t even return. So, for a long time, all we did was build guard towers and clear out any portals that appeared anywhere near Esterdon. The fact that many did appear there has caused many of us¡­ more than a little worry and annoyance."


    Lord Bron rose and began pacing along the edge of the table, prodding at some maps as he did.


    "If it''s a hubworld and Gelwin couldn''t return, it''s likely they were stopping him from returning. Maybe everyone who enters is incarcerated?" Bron muttered as he gazed at one of the maps.


    "We need to figure out who enters the portal," Trimdir said flatly.


    Lord Bron blinked and looked at him. "Yes. I was getting to that!"


    "Bron, I told you to stop being so long-winded!"


    Irwin felt his pants shiver minutely, and he swallowed but kept quiet. A second later, Ambraz buzzed him again, meaning his initial idea was right.


    He wants me to go in¡­


    "Say someone enters the portal and reaches the hubworld. What would they need to do?" he asked, trying to keep his voice from shivering.


    "Gain information and return," Lord Bron said absently as he gazed at a map.


    Irwin recognized it as the one that depicted Esterdon.


    "Or- Irwin," Trimdir said, causing Irwin to flinch.


    "Please call me Orwin," he said. "I''m getting used to it, and¡­"


    "The sorcerers might still look for you," Trimdir said solemnly. "Orwin then. You shouldn''t be the one to enter-"


    Irwin felt his pocket shiver, and he gritted his teeth. He needed to talk with Ambraz! Even if he was going to head into that hubworld, how was he going to get past guards or prevent being imprisoned¡­ or worse?


    "If you don''t need anything else from me right now, I¡­ need to rest," Irwin said, slightly incredulous that he was talking to a lord as he was.


    "Yes- yes, that is fine," Lord Bron said as he began pacing again. "I need to think about this. Come find me tomorrow morning."


    Irwin nodded as he got up. Daubutim and Trimdir followed his example, then they all stared at the pale barrier that still surrounded most of the room''s interior.


    "Bron¡­ cancel the barrier," Trimdir said.


    Bron stopped and looked up, seeming amazed they were still there before raising his hand. The barrier vanished instantly. Then he waved them away, seemingly falling back into his thoughts right away.


    A few moments later, the three of them were outside the room, and Trimdir stared at Irwin.


    "I think you should sleep in the Smithy tonight," he said. "Galub assassins have been trying to catch people unaware, which is why so few are still here."


    Irwin blinked, then stared at the door, wide-eyed.


    "Don''t worry about Bron. If demons could kill him that easily, they could have long since overrun the guards on the walls," Trimdir said with a soft laugh.


    Irwin thought about the Lord''s absent behavior and wondered about that. Then he remembered the very-rare card. Who knew if Lord Bron had more of those?


    "Let''s go," Daubutim said as he walked away. "I''m sure Lamia will want to talk to you."


    "Wait, what happened while I was gone? Galub assassins?" Irwin said as he ran after his friend.

 Chapter 76: Hammer and anvil

    Irwin closed his eyes as he enjoyed the sensation of the soft bed against his back. Sleeping on the sand for weeks, then running and carrying Desrin, had worn him out greatly.


    For a moment, he wondered if the guard was still alive. He''d wanted to ask after him, but Daubutim and Trimdir had been relentless. After that, Lamia and the others had wanted to know everything that had happened in the portal. Now he was trying to stave off his body''s desire to fall asleep.


    A soft snoring came from another bed, showing Daubutim had finally fallen asleep. Irwin sighed, turned his head to the side so he could look at the door, and raised his blanket slightly. Ambraz lay on his chest, lips drawn in a tight line.


    "About time," he whispered.


    Irwin grimaced at the annoyed tone, but he was glad the whisper was so faint he knew nobody would be able to hear it. Before he could even begin to ask the anvil anything, it continued talking.


    "You need to go through that portal, and don''t worry about any potential issues on the other side. The most likely scenario is that the portal is situated in a limited access room within some family''s main facility, and this is why nobody ever returned through it. Likely, anyone entering is moved straight out, and that''s that," Ambraz whispered.


    "Then how would I even get back?" Irwin whispered.


    "If you join the Smith''s Guild, you will be allowed entrance. Besides, there should be more portals that lead back here."


    Irwin closed his eyes, relaxing as he pondered the things he''d learned. His mind was fuzzy, making it hard to pinpoint the things he wanted to ask, but he finally managed another question and opened his eyes again. The door was still closed, and he heard nothing from the smithy beyond.


    "If that is true, why didn''t anyone find their way back through another portal?" he asked.


    "Because even that beardy face would be nothing but a tiny figure in that hubworld. The chances of him being allowed through a portal here are small without a family or guild backing him," Ambraz retorted.


    Irwin sighed as he wondered if that meant he might find Gelwin on the other side.


    "Are you going to do the reforging tomorrow?" he asked softly, unable to stifle a yawn. He didn''t want to fail and have to explain that to the others.


    "Bah. Lazy brat," Ambraz hissed. "Fine. But then I want you to practice by yourself at least once every day until we leave!"


    "If I can get cards," Irwin agreed easily.


    "Also, make sure you use your hammer. It should help, even if I do the heavy lifting," Ambraz said.


    "Uhuh," Irwin muttered.


    He closed his eyes again, trying to come up with another question. As he did, images of Malorin played through his mind.


    --


    "Orwin?"


    Irwin blinked, then shot up, looking around.


    I fell asleep!


    He looked up to see Daubutim looking at him, already fully dressed.


    "Trimdir got breakfast. I''ll wait for you in the smithy. After that, it''s time to head back to Lord Bron."


    Irwin nodded, rubbing his sandy eyes. "I''ll be right there."


    When Daubutim left, he got dressed, replaced Ambraz in his pocket, and got ready to leave.


    "Did you decide what to do?" Ambraz whispered.


    Irwin stopped and stared at the door. He really didn''t want to make this decision, but was there any choice? Lord Bron was right. How was he going to fix all this if he didn''t know all that was happening and wasn''t powerful? Besides, after he taught Trimdir and shared his knowledge of Bron, did they really need him here?


    Sensing the decision forming, he sighed again.


    "We will go to the hubworld," he whispered.


    There was a joyous hiss from Ambraz.


    "After we teach Trimdir reforging," he added.


    "Of course, of course. That won''t take more than a week," Ambraz said quickly.


    Only a week? Irwin thought as he walked to the door. For some reason, that felt way too fast to him.


    Exiting the room, he saw the others sitting around a bunch of crates that he recognized to house raw ore. He guessed Trimdir had pulled them into the main smithy. Food covered the top, and Lamia and Daubutim were both eating while Trimdir was leaning back, sipping from a steaming mug.


    As Irwin noticed the absence of any other smiths, he sighed sadly before sitting down. There was an empty plate and a massive jug of water ready for him.


    "Uncle Burt let me take a lot of food, but most of it would spoil soon, so make sure you finish everything," Lamia said in between bites.


    Irwin took a slice of meat, noting it was slightly discolored but still smelled fine. He knew that if regular, non-carded people were to eat it, they would likely get pretty sick. Shoving it in his mouth, he chewed it down quickly, noting a slight aftertaste of salt. As the meat hit his belly, it rumbled loudly, and with a hungry grin, he began wolfing down everything in front of him, barely using the plate.


    When he finally took up the final slice of sweetbread, something he''d left as a sort of dessert, the table was cleaned of food while Lamia was looking at him in stunned silence.


    "You are like a bottomless pit," she muttered.


    "He is still growing," Trimdir grunted as he put his mug down. "It should slow down in a year or so when he reaches his full potential height."


    "Wait? He is going to grow bigger?" Lamia asked as she let her gaze run unabashedly over Irwin.


    Trimdir nodded. "Probably half a foot more."


    Irwin mostly ignored their chatter as he took up the jar of water, which was already half empty. Without care, he put it to his lips and drained it in a few massive gulps. As he placed it back on the table, Daubutim rose.


    "Let''s go see Bron."


    Irwin frowned but remained seated as he looked at his friend. After a few moments, Daubutim realized something was up and sat back down.


    "You want to enter the portal," he said matter of factly.


    "I think I will have to," Irwin said softly.


    "What?" Lamia snapped, looking between in confusion. She obviously had no idea what they were talking about.


    "Why?" Trimdir asked as he raised his eyebrows.


    "Because I think Bron is right when he said the people that enter are being stopped from returning. I think I''ll be able to return," Irwin said.


    "Why do you think so?" Trimdir asked.


    "I''ll come with you," Daubutim said calmly.


    Irwin stared at his friend, unable to hold back a frown even though he felt joy at the prospect of not having to go alone. If he brought Daubutim, wouldn''t that put his life in danger? Would he even be allowed to join him in the Smiths Guild? Not sure what to say, he turned to Trimdir.


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    "My card and my ability to reforge should allow me to join the Smith''s guild. From what I know of them, that would give me enough social pull to return," he said.


    Trimdir put his fingers together as he seemed to drift deep in thought.


    "Can I come too?"


    Irwin looked at Lamia in surprise before shaking his head.


    "You don''t even know where we are going¡­ Why would you want to risk going with us?" he said.


    "Because I want to become stronger," Lamia said as she raised her chin. "And even without knowing what you three are talking about, I''m sure that if I go with you, I''ll have more chances for that than if I stay here!"


    Irwin swallowed, about to say he didn''t think it was wise when Trimdir scraped his throat.


    "Can you teach Lamia too?" he asked softly.


    "Teach me what?" Lamia asked, looking even more curious.


    Irwin blinked in surprise. Right! If he could teach Lamia, perhaps she could join the Smith''s guild. That would give them more chances!


    "I think so," he said, almost expecting a buzz from Ambraz. When there was none, he wondered if that meant he was right or wrong.


    Trimdir shoved the stool back as he got up.


    "Alright. That''s settled. Let''s head to Bron and see what he came up with. Lamia, you join us."


    Without waiting for the others, Trimdir headed towards the door, and the others shared a surprised look before getting up and running after him.


    As they walked through the tranquil town, Irwin noticed that many of the destroyed areas were either repaired or being repaired.


    "So, what are you going to teach me?" Lamia whispered as she looked at him.


    "I''ll tell you after we reach Lord Bron," Irwin said. He wasn''t interested in speaking out loud without the Lord''s barrier to block any outgoing sounds.


    Lamia sniffed, then nodded.


    The tower was as still as the previous day, with only a single group of four guards patrolling the hallways. They nodded at them but didn''t ask anything as they continued on their way, and Irwin wondered what the Galub assassins had done so far.


    When they reached Bron''s room, the door swung open almost instantly, and Bron stood there, dark bags below his eyes, as he waved them inside.


    "Come, come! I tried to get everything ready for what you might need!" he said as he almost pulled them inside before slamming closed the door. He only gave Lamia a short glance but didn''t seem at all bothered by her presence.


    Irwin stared in surprise at the room, which was now far more empty than the evening before. Well¡­ empty wasn''t the right term. The table and some other things were shoved to the side, as were the chairs and smaller tables, clearing out the center. There stood a large old anvil while more than a normal amount of wood filled the fireplace. As he looked at it stupidly, Irwin even noticed some coals.


    "Bron¡­ what''s that?" Trimdir asked cooly.


    The Lord waved his hand, and the barrier rippled out again. "Yes, yes. I know it''s not as good as the real stuff, but I want him to show me here, and I''m pretty sure this should be good enough?" Bron said as he waved at the makeshift smithy.


    "Orwin doesn''t need an anvil," Trimdir stated.


    "What, but-"


    "Orwin, get started. I''ll fill them in with all I know," Trimdir said, motioning Lord Bron to be quiet and Lamia to move closer.


    They must be really good friends, Irwin thought, watching the Smith just silence the Lord.


    He nodded and licked his lips as he suddenly realized something. "I still need some common cards," he said softly.


    "Right, right! I have them," Bron said absently as he removed a small stack from his pocket and handed them to Irwin. He opened his mouth as if to add something, but Trimdir pulled him away and began whispering rapidly, instantly drawing Bron''s full attention.


    Irwin took a look at the cards and saw all six were common, none meant for combat. One showed a quill and a paper, while the others ranged from different kitchen utensils to something that seemed to indicate increased hair growth. He didn''t get a single indication from Ambraz that there was anything special, so with a shrug, he took the first one. Curious, he activated Eyes of Blaze to see what it actually did and what it looked after he was done.


    Card: Quil of rapid writing


    Type: Common


    Owner: -


    A utility card that improves the wielder''s writing speed, making for a great card for scribes. If the wielder improves his own writing speed, this will result in a greater speed when using the actively summonable quill.


    Passive: Doubles the wielders writing speed with the summoned quill


    Active: Summon a quill


    Irwin grimaced. Years ago, when he had slowly started getting used to his weak body, he had thought about becoming a scribe or librarian. He''d have loved this at that time.


    I wonder what it will get when it''s improved, he thought as he stared at the passive. Probably more writing speed.


    "Orwin, are you ready?"


    Irwin looked up to see all three of them staring at him. Lamia was looking at the stack of cards with wide-eyed wonder, which Irwin could fully understand. Not that long ago, he would have had the same feeling. Now, as he looked at the stack, his only thought was that none of them seemed really useful.


    "Yes," he said as he slowly pulled Ambraz from his pocket.


    Then he focused on his Eyes of Blaze, making his eyes flesh fiery red as he tossed it on the ground. Ambraz thudded down and instantly changed into his larger form. As before, there was no sign of any lips, and it just looked like a normal, though slightly oversized, anvil.


    With a flourish that wasn''t needed, he made his hammer appear, and as he did, he suddenly felt like a true carded smith. He was about to focus on reforging the card when he realized why he was even here. He was supposed to explain what he was doing.


    It took him a few moments to order his thoughts before he turned to the others.


    "Alright, in a moment, I will place the card on the surface of the anvil. Then, I need to focus on my cards just like what one does when purifying metal," he looked at Trimdir and Lamia.


    "If I do it properly, an image is going to appear above the anvil, and I''ll hear a humming sound, almost like a melody. Also, my cards are going to vibrate, but not all at the same time. This will¡­ hurt a bit, and I need to keep them all vibrating at the same time. As I strike again and again, the humming and vibrating will increase, and I need to hit it just right. You won''t hear anything, which is one of the reasons this is so difficult to learn." As he said it, Irwin realized how true that was.


    "What kind of image will there be?" Lamia asked, wide-eyed.


    "An image that represents that card, with stars, lights, and fuzzy clouds," Irwin said. "There will probably also be black, nasty-looking areas that look like tar."


    Lamia''s pulled a nasty face, but Irwin just grinned at her.


    "No, those are good. It''s the card''s potential. What I''m going to do is strike those spots while attempting to keep the harmony of the sounds, chimes, or ringing the same. I''m not sure if the sounds will be the same for you¡­ Now, this will continue for a while until I finish, and at the end, there will be another sound to signal the completion. Then-"


    He broke off as he realized something and looked around, suddenly worried. Even though he knew Ambraz was supposed to do the reforging, he had no idea if there was a potential for him to fail. What if there was?


    "What''s wrong?" Trimdir asked.


    "If I fail¡­ the card will explode," Irwin said, quickly spinning up a convincing thing to do when that happened. "Normally, I''d throw the card in a deep pit or something and cover it," he said hesitantly.


    "I''ll take care of that," Lord Bron said. "If you fail, signal me. I''ll surround the card with another barrier that will contain the explosion."


    Irwin stared at him in disbelief before recalling that Lord Bron''s card was a very-rare.


    "Alright. Can you do it fast?" he asked, trying to recall how much time he had the first time he failed.


    "Instantly," Lord Bron said.


    Irwin wanted to whistle in amazement but managed to curtail his surprise.


    "Alright¡­ the sound you should not hear is a scratching whine, like metal against metal. If that happens," Irwin shrugged. "Boom."


    He saw Lamia swallow, her face slightly pale. Then she nodded, and Irwin turned to the anvil, placing the card on it.


    "Alright, here we go," he muttered, not just for himself.


    Wondering what the change would be from hitting the card with his hammer instead of his hand, Irwin held up the hammer, then brought it down.


    A melodious chime rang out, and the image of the card appeared above the anvil. Wobbling white and colorful lines surrounded a vague and cloudy quill. Four black smudges dotted it, and dozens of tiny bright stars.


    "Beautiful¡­" Lamia whispered from behind him while Lord Bron stepped closer, leaning forward with wide eyes.


    "Incredible! I''ve never seen anything like it," he said, raising his hand before stopping. "Can I touch it?"


    Irwin blinked in surprise, thought for a moment, then shook his head. "I''m not a hundred percent sure, so let''s not."


    Lord Bron nodded and stepped back.


    "Alright, now, each time I hit, I will attempt to keep the hum in tune and increasing," Irwin said as he brought the hammer down, suddenly incredibly excited. He totally forgot that Ambraz was supposed to take over and instead grinned widely as he felt his cards all chime in perfect harmony. There was a dull pain, but compared to what he had gone through over the last few weeks, he barely noticed.


    Perhaps it''s because I''m a full-hand? Or the hammer? he thought as he struck again, feeling the melody build, his cards showing not even the slightest inconsistency as they hummed with joy.


    Trying to keep the others updated, he kept talking about the types of sounds he heard, how his cards acted until all of a sudden, he heard a beautiful gong. There was a flash of light from the card, and the image vanished.


    "Did you succeed? Do I need to..." Lord Bron asked as he stepped forward, hand raised.


    "No," Irwin said as his smile widened and he stared at the card.


    "I succeeded." The simple statement brought him great joy because he also knew that Ambraz hadn''t done anything to help. Though he was curious why, right now, all he knew was that he was capable of reforging common cards with little effort!


    The border burned bright for a moment, turning from a pale silvery white to a deep purple. It flashed once more, then the color dulled.


    "Incredible," Lord Bron shouted as he stepped forward, almost reverently taking the card from the anvil to inspect it. "It''s¡­ actually uncommon now!"


    He swirled on Irwin, eyes wide and glittering. "Tell me, can you do this again? Make it rare?"


    Irwin quickly shook his head. "Not me. But I''ve heard it might be possible, so I''m hoping-"


    "Yes! We need people who can do that!" Lord Bron shouted as he began excitedly pacing around, fiddling with the card.


    "Which brings me to the following," Irwin said, licking his lips. "I think I should be the one entering the portal."


    Lord Bron blinked, then looked at him. His excitement seemed to die down instantly, replaced by a calculating look.


    "Because of the Smith''s Guild?" he asked, staring at Irwin.


    "Yes. I think it will give me a better chance of returning."


    Lord Bron was quiet, then he sighed. "I think you are right, but¡­ I would request that you only do anything dangerous like that until after you teach others how to do this."


    "Of course," Irwin said, nodding rapidly.


    "Good. Then, I suggest you do another card so we can observe once more, then I think Trimdir should attempt."


    Irwin nodded, taking a utility card with the image of a fork and placing it on Ambraz. As he started hammering, he felt an enormous sense of contentment and joy.

 Chapter 77: Cutthroat

    "So many cards¡­ gone," Lamia muttered disheartedly as she walked beside Irwin.


    Irwin couldn''t hold back his grin, and he patted her shoulder. Although it was cold and the short day was ending already, he felt great.


    A shiver ran through him as a cold blast of air blew in from a narrow alley.


    Well, he felt really good, at least.


    "Don''t worry, Lamia. I''m sure you will learn how to do it soon."


    "And waste another dozen or more cards," the burly girl declared as she slapped her hand on her leg as if to chastise herself.


    "I don''t understand¡­ how come he succeeded?" she muttered, staring at Trimdir, who was walking a few feet ahead, together with Daubutim.


    Irwin shrugged, not sure about that either and equally curious. Trimdir had brought some of his own common cards, and after Irwin had succeeded another time, the master smith had tried his hand at reforging. The first two cards had exploded, but Trimdir had been relentless, continuing on with great focus and dedication. The third card had shaken and jolted a bit before merely splitting in two instead of exploding. Undeterred, Trimdir had continued, and to the sounds of Bron''s uncharacteristic whoops of joy, the fourth time he had managed to reforge the card successfully.


    Irwin still felt a wave of surprise when he thought of the moment the smith had roared in joy, looking at the card as if it was the most precious thing in the world.


    Perhaps he should be the one going to the Smith''s Guild, Irwin thought, staring at the overly muscled smith''s back.


    Deep in thought, they continued in silence through the city''s empty streets, their footsteps echoing softly while the dim light of flickering torches illuminated their surroundings.


    When they reached the smithy, Lamia reluctantly left, saying she had to talk with her uncle but would return the next day.


    As the others entered, Trimdir stopped in the center of the smithy and turned to Irwin.


    "I''m going to head out and attempt to trade these for more common cards," he said as he raised the cards he and Irwin had reforged. "Stay here. I''ll bring back food."


    Irwin watched him leave in wonder. Why had he even come here if he was going to leave right away? Was he afraid Daubutim and he might have come across trouble? Galub assassins?


    Before he could ask, Trimdir pulled open the door and left into the rapidly encroaching darkness.


    Irwin was about to ask Daubutim how he thought it had gone when a rustling movement came to from his pocket.


    "You are a monster! And so is that old guy," Ambraz snapped, remaining inside his pocket but moving around, seemingly agitated. "Both of you have to be blessed by some ancient smithing deity!"


    Irwin grinned at Ambraz''s obvious exaggeration and shook his head, part of him wondering if there actually were smithing deities.


    "How is it possible that Trimdir managed to reforge a card so fast?" he asked.


    "What? Do you suddenly feel bad?" Ambraz snorted. "Don''t. I''m not lying. You are the biggest monster I''ve ever rea- Ah, never mind. Trimdir? He has had far more time to bond with his cards and has far more metal-purifying experience than you."


    Irwin agreed with Ambraz, but he frowned due to the odd sound the anvil had made before stopping. He saw Daubutim cock his head and frown as he gazed at where Ambraz was grumbling in his pocket.


    He keeps saying half things¡­ What was he going to say? Does he still not trust me?


    He''d noticed it before but usually didn''t have the time or forgot. Now, still buzzing from the thrill of reforging his cards, he decided to press on and discover the truth. Pondering how to broach the topic tactfully, he wracked his brain for a smooth approach but ultimately blurted out the question without ceremony, unable to contain his curiosity any longer.


    "Why are you still holding so much back?"


    There was a moment of silence, and he found that Daubutim was looking at him, seeming surprised by his outburst.


    "Who? Me?" came Ambraz'' surprised mutter. "What are you talking about? I''ve shared more with you than most people in this world probably even know!"


    Irwin sniffed. "Yes, but you keep saying things like ''never mind'' or ''that doesn''t matter'' before quickly changing the subject. Just like right now. What were you going to say? Something that you had read about something involving me being a monster?"


    Ambraz was quiet, and Irwin was about to prompt again when he heard a soft scraping coming from the door. If there hadn''t been a moment of silence, he''d never have noticed it, but when he looked up, he saw Daubutim was staring at the door. A flash of light came from his hand, and his massive greatsword appeared.


    What is going on?


    The sound came again, and this time Irwin saw something thin and dark moving up between the side of the door and touching the inner metal handle that held the door closed.


    A knife? No¡­ a claw¡­.


    Irwin tapped his pocket to keep Ambraz quiet when he realized the anvil hadn''t said anything. For a moment, he thought it was because Ambraz was unwilling to answer his question, then he frowned. Ambraz had a knack for detecting things... had he noticed it? If so, why hadn''t he warned them?


    Whatever was happening, it wasn''t normal, and with a tiny flicker of light, his hammer appeared as he also prepared to enable Coperion Body.


    There was a soft screech as the dark claw cut through the metal before pulling back.


    Irwin licked his lips as he leaned forward, preparing for-


    A tiny scuffle was all the warning he had to trigger his Coperion Body before something slammed into him from the side. The sound of metal against metal came as he felt sharp, cold metal slice across his throat while dark, horribly familiar tendril darkness rippled around him.


    Slaughter Demon! Irwin thought as he summoned his flame, wrapping it around his arm and then pulling it further. He''d never tried so before, but with the surge of adrenaline, his full-hand-powered flame wrapped around his torso with ease, covering him in a burning armor of flame.


    There was a startled scream as the solidified thing he saw from the corner of his eye rippled away.


    "Demon," Daubutim roared, and Irwin heard him run forward.


    His mind was reeling, his vision blurry as he followed the movements of shadowy tendrils as they headed towards a darker part of the smithy. Daubutim was running after it, slashing his massive sword forward just as the shadow reached the corner and curled around the back of a junk-metal-filled crate.


    Irwin shook his head which was rapidly clearing, raising his hand at his throat. There was a sensation of wetness, and as he raised his fingers, he saw they were tinted by a red gleam. Seeing the red and feeling the pain, his anger flared up. What did that demon think, just attacking him out of the blue like that?


    A dull thud sounded out as Daubutim struck behind the crate before looking up in worry.


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    "It''s gone! Look out. It''s using the shadows to move around!"


    Irwin nodded angrily, his eyes burning as he called up Eyes of Blaze. For a moment, he didn''t see anything, but then he noticed a tiny glimmer moving along the side of a thick stone beam keeping up the ceiling. Without holding back, he jumped forward, enlarged his flame like a spear, and jabbed at the spot.


    Bright light burned away the shadowy darkness, and a hate-filled scream came as a cloud of darkness billowed out and to the side.


    "Don''t let it flee away," Daubutim shouted as he ran to a nearby forge and pulled the bellows with his full weight.


    A strong airflow blew into the dimly glowing coals, which instantly ignited. Another pull and the forge began gaining steam while Irwin reached the door. His flame was out in full power, but he quickly curtailed its power as he smelled burning wood. The dark, shadowy being bolted to the furthest side of the smithy reached the door that led to the storage room and, like the smoke it resembled, moved through the narrow gaps, disappearing from sight.


    Daubutim ran to another forge, working the bellows till it was lit.


    "Help me turn them all on so that thing can''t reach the door!"


    Irwin nodded as he ran to a forge and, ignoring the bellows, jabbed his flame in the middle. The pile of coals flared to life, fire roaring around them. Within half a minute, they had lit most of the forges, the room bathing in fiery light as the temperature rose rapidly.


    "Should we get it?" Irwin asked as he glared at the door. His fingers still touched the thin wound on his neck, and he knew that if he had been a few moments later with his Coperion Body, he would have been badly hurt or worse.


    "No, that''s far too dangerous. Stay here, keep your flame up and I''ll go and get Basil," Daubutim whispered as he ran to the door.


    "Alright, hurry."


    The door slammed shut behind Daubutim, and Irwin looked at the door leading to the storage area. His flame was as hot as he dared make it.


    Time slowly ticked by, and he heard nothing from the storage room. There was no sight of the shadowy tendrils, and slowly he wondered if there was some way for it to escape.


    When the smithy''s main door finally slammed open, Irwin had calmed down considerably.


    "Where is it?" Basil growled as he stomped inside, followed by Daubutim and three guards Irwin didn''t recognize, but that oozed confidence.


    "Still in the storage room," Irwin said, pointing at the door.


    "Alright, follow me and keep your flame ready."


    Irwin blinked in surprise. He''d somehow imagined Basil to storm in without help. As the guard captain passed him, he followed, keeping his flame ready.


    "I''ve dealt with two of these before," Basil muttered. "And each time, we lost a lot of good people. It will try to hide in the shadows and jump on us. Its claws are incredibly sharp, but I can see from your neck you already found that out the hard way."


    Irwin touched the thin wound, nodding stupidly.


    They were two steps from the door when Basil''s body flashed, and he grew now wearing his gleaming armor, his sword in hand. Before, he had just been a little taller than Irwin. Now Basil was a full head taller. With a quick shove, the golden warrior pushed open the door with such force that Irwin heard the wood complain. Then it slammed into the wall, splinters spraying around as a portion of it shattered.


    Nothing happened, and Basil slowly inched inside.


    "Keep the light high and bright. Daubutim, stay with the others and make sure it doesn''t sneak around us."


    "Yes."


    Irwin''s nerves grew tense as he followed Basil into the familiar, cluttered, and crate-filled room. The tough-looking guards stayed outside with weapons raised. As he followed after the gleaming warrior, Irwin kept his eyes swirling around, looking for any sign of the demon. His flame was flickering tall above his hand, causing the room to be well-lit, but as they moved around, there were no pained screams or shouts.


    Is it hiding? he thought, afraid of getting jumped again.


    As they reached the back of the room, there was still no sight of the shadowy tendrils. They continued to search through the jam-packed room for a while until Basil finally stopped and frowned as he turned to Irwin.


    "Make your flame as bright as you can for a short moment," he whispered.


    Irwin nodded, raised his hand, and released all of his limits on the fire. It roared up and sideways, lighting up the room as if it was the middle of the day. When there was no response, but he began to smell burning wood, Irwin retracted the flame back to more manageable levels.


    "Perhaps it''s in one of the crates?" he whispered.


    Basil frowned and moved to a nearby crate, pulling the top off, sword raised. When nothing happened, he moved to the next, continuing until every crate was open.


    Irwin looked around, trying to figure out where the demon was hiding.


    After a while, he saw that Basil was glaring at the ceiling. Following the other''s gaze, he fully expected to find the shadow, but instead, he saw a fist-wide tube that led outside.


    "It left through the air vents?" he whispered.


    Basil grunted and grabbed a burlap sack from one of the crates. Then he climbed atop another and stuffed into the hole before jumping off and stalking outside.


    "It''s out in the city somewhere," he said as he looked at the guards. "Stick together and head back to the tower. Alert the others and send out hunting parties."


    The guards nodded, then turned and sprinted away while Basil let out an annoyed sigh.


    "Great. First Galub assassins, and now this. Like we needed a Slaughter Demon with all that''s going on."


    The guards-captains body flashed, his armor and weapons vanishing as he shrunk down to his normal, still large stature.


    "Alright. I''ll stay here with you until Trimdir returns."


    Irwin stared at the other in surprise.


    "What? Don''t give me that look! Bron told me to make sure nothing happens to you, and although nobody seems to want to tell me what''s going on, I''m going to make sure I do. Now, how about you fill me in on what happened in that portal and how you got back here?" Basil said as he walked to one of the anvils and hopped on as if it was a chair.


    --


    Irwin groaned as he stretched himself. A soft snore told him Daubutim was still sleeping, but as he wearily pushed himself up and looked around, he saw Trimdir sitting on a chair beside one of the crates that served as a table. The forges were all burning, causing the room to be warm and brightly lit.


    "Did you even sleep?" Irwin asked as he rose and looked around for the nearest flagon of water.


    "No. If I slept, who would warn us if that demon returned?" Trimdir said softly as he put the book he''d been reading on the crate.


    Irwin felt a slight pinch of guilt as he realized he''d never even offered to take a watch. Somehow, even with what had happened, being in the smithy felt like it should be safe.


    "Bron came by not too long ago," Trimdir said, causing Irwin to look up in surprise.


    "He brought another stack of cards, but he warned us to stay away from the merchants from now on. He-" Trimdir''s frown deepened, and he shook his head before continuing. "He suspects our dear Merchants Guild might know more about what is going on or work for someone that does."


    "They what?" Irwin snapped, his voice far too loud.


    Daubutim grunted as he shot up and looked around with sandy eyes. "Wu-?"


    "Sorry," Irwin said. "Nothing is wrong. I just made too much noise."


    Daubutim grunted as he slumped back on the ground, stretching and muttering something.


    "It doesn''t matter right now," Trimdir said as he rose. "Now both of you are awake, and the sun is out, it''s about time we talk about what to do next. After that, it''s time to eat."


    The smith waited until Irwin and Daubutim had joined him on the other stools before putting down two stacks of cards. Even with all the cards he had seen so far, Irwin couldn''t help but suck in a breath.


    There have to be over a hundred, he thought as he licked his lips.


    "These are the only cards we can get from now on," Trimdir said slowly. "There are no more. Bron has taken all of the common cards the merchants had by force, causing a massive backlash."


    A stunned silence filled the room as Irwin and Daubutim gazed at Trimdir in equal means of confusion and disbelief.


    ¡°But¡­ wont the merchant guild¡­¡± Irwin began, stopping as Trimdir stared at him with his usually calm face.


    "Yes. The merchant guild is going to act up," Trimdir said as he nodded.


    "But, because Bron assumes they know more of what is going on, he believes they won''t act. Instead, he thinks there is a big chance most of the powerful figures in the Merchant''s guild have already retreated to one of those hub worlds. Besides, with how dangerous the situation is, he believes that antagonizing does not outweigh us learning how to reforge common cards to increase our likelihood of survival."


    Irwin looked at the table and the stacks, finding he agreed with Lord Bron''s way of thinking. If the merchants guild was no more than a normal guild of this world, they would eventually benefit from this. If they were actually from a hubworld, they were part of the problem. Probably.


    "So, here is what we are going to do. You are going to help me increase my skill at reforging until I can safely reforge four out of five cards. At the same time, Lamia will be learning with us. Then, I will attempt to teach another master smith. If I manage, and if you are still willing, Hutch and a squad of guards and rangers will accompany you, Daubutim, and Lamia to Esterdon."


    Another smith, Irwin thought, realizing he should have thought of that. If he taught Trimdir, yet he proved unable to teach someone else¡­


    But he already succeeded once! Shouldn''t it just be more practice? As he looked at Trimdir, he noticed the slight smile and a bit of sadness in the other''s eyes. He probably wouldn''t have noticed if he hadn''t been around Trimdir as much as he had over the past few months. It took him a few moments to understand what was going on.


    He already knows. He is just trying to give me more time to get to grips with having to go to the hubworld¡­


    As the thought came, Irwin leaned back and stared at the table again, feeling both joy and sadness. Joy at someone willing to go this far to help him, and sadness knowing that he would have to leave and might not see the other again. Just like his mother and brother. Was that what his life was going to be like? Leave people behind as he continued on and on?


    For a moment he wondered if he should ask Trimdir to come along after they had taught more smiths. Then he shook his head. He was being selfish. Trimdir could do far more good here, while he had to go and learn what was happening beyond the portal.


    "Alright," he said as he looked at Trimdir. "After what you showed yesterday, you should be able to do that by the end of tomorrow."


    Trimdir didn''t respond for a moment, then nodded.


    "You''re a good kid, Orwin," he said as he rose and took the stacks of cards. "Let''s see if your belief in me is not misplaced."

 Chapter 78: The Burned Pillars

    Three days went by in the blink of an eye, and to Irwin, they were some of the happiest he had ever had. With only five people, Trimdir''s smithy should feel empty, but the loud, happy shouts as Lamia or the others as they managed to reforge a card successfully, or the angry curses if they failed, made it feel cozy.


    "Not bad, Dalrindir. That is your fourth successful reforging of a card? Two in a row now?" Trimdir grunted as he stomped over to the other smith.


    Irwin grinned as he looked up from Ambraz. There was another card on the surface, waiting for him to reforge it. It would be the last he did. Tomorrow morning they would be setting out to Esterdon.


    Dalrindir grunted and wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Well, it''s about time, isn''t it? I don''t like being behind the curve. But I suppose I should thank you for bringing me," the much smaller smith grunted while smiling at the other. "Don''t get too comfortable in that lead, though. I''ll be catching up soon enough."


    "I don''t doubt it!" Trimdir snorted.


    Irwin absently listened to their banter as he reforged the card before him. When he finished, he stared at the new uncommon and put it on the stack of others. Trimdir had asked him to do all the cards that had any combat potential himself, just to be safe, and this was the last one.


    Tomorrow we leave¡­ he thought as he looked around the smithy.


    He noticed Dalrindir staring intently at the projected image of the card as he hammered on it, trying to reforge. Something about the way the card-image wobbled made him think the smith wasn''t hitting it right, but before he could help, Dalrindir stepped away and cursed. Then he grabbed the card, opened the heavy metal barrel next to him, and threw it inside. Nothing happened for a few moments, then there was a loud explosion.


    Dalrindir angrily struck the anvil, causing a few tools to clatter to the ground. Then he looked at Trimdir with a mixture of embarrassment and frustration. "I got too impatient and didn''t hit it right. It won''t happen again."


    It probably will, Irwin thought as he recalled the smith''s last half dozen attempts. He felt his mind slowly move to what lay ahead, and after a few moments, he brought his stack of uncommon cards to Trimdir, who shot him a glance and raised an eyebrow.


    "Going to take a walk before we eat," Irwin said as he forced a smile.


    "Alright, take Daubutim along and be careful. There''s still sightings of that Slaughter Demon, and those Galubs keep sending new assassins."


    Irwin nodded as he headed to the door, followed by Daubutim. A thick carpet of crispy new snow almost made him turn back, but he gritted his teeth and stepped outside.


    "What''s wrong?" Daubutim asked.


    Irwin shrugged as he stomped towards the square. There were no youths there now, but he heard noises from the different workshops along it, showing there were people hard at work. Not sure what to say, he quietly walked through the city with Daubutim, who seemed to realize he needed to think.


    As he thought about many things, something popped into his mind, and he realized one of the reasons he was so on edge.


    "Do you think the sorcerers and Twintin are at Esterdon?"


    "Yes, and not just them," Daubutim said with a nod. "I''ve heard some rumors from the few merchants that managed to reach us, and apparently, a lot of towns surrounding Esterdon were attacked and unable to defend against the demon surges."


    "Do you think they will cause trouble for us?" barely hearing what Daubutim said.


    Daubutim didn''t respond, and Irwin saw him frown in the distance. He quickly thought back to what Daubutim had said and grimaced.


    "Not those villagers. Say Twintin told them about¡­ things. Do you think the sorcerers will try and¡­" he didn''t continue.


    "They might try," Daubutim said with a nod. "But you are a full-hand and one, and Lord Bron is sending Hutch and others with us. Besides, we are going to be able to head to my father''s tower and get help if need be."


    "Is that smart? What if he won''t let you go with me?"


    Daubutim sighed, then muttered something. "My father isn''t there. And if he was, he wouldn''t care. As long as I don''t bring shame to the Coulwater name."


    They continued on through the narrow paths, and as much as Irwin was annoyed, he noticed he kept scanning the roofs and the alleys they passed. A quick look showed Daubutim was doing the same, with a sad look on his face.


    "Is your father a nice guy?" Irwin asked suddenly.


    Daubutim''s foot stopped midair, and Irwin stopped as he noticed his friend had stopped walking. There was a dull look in the young noble''s eyes, then he shivered as if cold.


    "No. He is¡­ hard. Hard to mother, hard to my brothers, and... hard to me. But he is much harder on himself," Daubutim said as he began walking again. "The Coulwater family was nearly wiped out forty years ago. My father was one of the few that survived, and at twelve years old, he had to take control over what was left."


    "Were there no adults left?" Irwin asked in surprise.


    "Yes. My uncle. But even then, he was more interested in other things," Daubutim said. "My father pulled our family from certain doom, and it made him into an unyielding person."


    Irwin shivered at the coldness in Daubutim''s voice, then followed quietly as they continued. He noticed Daubutim was taking a path that would lead back to the smithy and didn''t say anything else.


    "Sorry," Irwin said, berating himself for just blurting out his questions.


    "It is fine," Daubutim said, his voice calm. "But, I don''t enjoy talking about this. Still, I can understand you wanting to know before we move closer toward my father. I will¡­ tell you more about him as we travel."


    "Alright," Irwin said.


    They continued on in silence, Irwin angry at himself for having brought it up. It had been so obvious that Daubutim had issues, but he''d been so worried about tomorrow that he''d just blurted it out.


    I wonder if that Slaughter Demon will follow us when we leave, he thought, looking around.


    --


    "Hutch, you are to take no risks. Any portal you come across, you mark on the map. If there are large clusters, send one of the rangers back with the map."


    "Yes, Lord Bron."


    Irwin stood to the side, trying to reposition his large backpack. Next to him, Lamia was staring at her uncle, arms crossed and a stern look on her face. The thick coat she had looked new, as did the other gear.


    "Lamia¡­ are you really sure about this?" Burt asked.


    "Yes. I am going to get strong and make sure nobody gets hurt again," she said sternly.


    Irwin saw Burt''s face fall. Then the small man stared at him, his piercing blue eyes slightly ruddy.


    "Orwin, promise you''ll take care of her," he said, his mustache jutting up and down.


    "Uncle-" Lamia began, sounding annoyed.


    "I''ll do my best," Irwin said, looking at Burt before nodding.


    The small man looked at Lamia, then back at Irwin, and finally at the small gathering. "I guess that''s all I can ask for these days," he said. He gave the much taller Lamia a tight hug, causing her face to turn red, then he turned and strode off.


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Irwin watched him leave, then smiled at Lamia. "Your uncle is a good man," he said.


    Lamia''s face fell slightly, but she nodded. "Yes, he looks like my father," she muttered.


    Irwin flinched, then was distracted by Lord Bron calling his name. He stepped toward the Lord, noting that the rangers and guards that would accompany them were ready. He only recognized Hutch, who gave him a gruff nod.


    "Alright. Trimdir and Dalrindir have started teaching the others, but from what I''ve heard, not a single one has even managed yet."


    Irwin nodded. Dalrindir had still only managed two, and he wondered how much the smith could really teach, but then again, what had he really done? He''d explained a bit, tried to interpret what the smiths had told him about the resonance, and that''s it. Most came down to years of metal purification practice. Recalling what Ambraz had told him about that, he shrugged apologetically.


    "It is normal for this to take a long time. Most people need years," he said. "It''s just because Trimdir and Dalrindir have so much experience that they can even pick it up."


    Lord Bron frowned. "We don''t have years. Young Lordling, I hope you succeed and come back safely," he said, his voice slightly louder as if for all to hear. Then he handed Irwin a scroll and a ring. "This is a missive by me, telling all guards to assist you if need be. The ring will designate you as one of my heirs.. Use it if you have to."


    There was a stunned silence as the guard''s conversations stopped. Then an excited mutter came from all around.


    Irwin''s mouth fell open as he stared at the tiny dull metal ring. There was a signet in it with a symbol he didn''t recognize.


    "Use it well. It''s all the help I can give where you are going," Lord Bron said. Then he turned to Hutch, nodded, and left.


    Irwin dumbly stared at the missive before putting it inside his coat. All around him were sounds of guards and rangers getting ready and the gate opening, but all his attention was on the ring. He''d never had one, the use of metal on something like this seeming extravagant. Then again, he couldn''t think of anything useful to make from such a tiny bit. Perhaps one arrowhead? He was pretty sure the metal was Rincian Steel, but there was something different about it. With a little experimenting, he put it on his thumb, then thought better of it and put it in a pocket for now. If he had to use Coperion Body, the ring might constrict his finger.


    "Alright, let''s head out," Hutch shouted.


    Irwin followed Daubutim and Lamia outside, shivering as the full blast of the cold wind struck them. The temperature had dropped again, and he wondered how much colder it was going to become this winter.


    "Lord Orwin!"


    A soft shout drew his attention, and he turned in surprise to see an old lady stand to the side. He recognized her as the one he''d saved during the first Frozir attack. A young boy ran towards him with a tiny packet in his hands.


    "This is for you! Stay safe," the little boy said, probably trying to talk like an adult.


    Irwin grinned, accepted the package, and felt it was warm. Raising it, he smelled warm bread.


    "Thank you," he said, ruffling the boy''s hair. "Take good care of your grandma, alright?"


    "I will! I''ll kill all those stupid frogs if they show up!" the boy said, raising his little fist.


    "Good," Irwin said, his smile wide as he watched the boy run back to the old woman.


    Nodding at him, she turned and moved off.


    "Orwin!"


    Irwin grunted and turned, running after the others who had stopped and had been watching. Seeing Hutch''s wide grin, he sniffed.


    "Got presents from your admirers?" the guard asked. "Take good care of it! It might be the last hot meal we have until we reach Esterdon."


    The guard turned, moved to the head of the column, and began jogging forward. Within moments the row of a dozen guards and half a dozen rangers followed Irwin, Daubutim, and Lamia in their midst.


    "Are we really going to run all the way?" Lamia asked, looking slightly panicky.


    "Not all the way, kiddo," one of the rangers said. "Just until we reach the old kingdom road."


    "How far is that?" Lamia asked softly.


    "At this speed, three hours and fifteen minutes," Daubutim said, causing Lamia to blanch.


    Irwin grinned, as did the rangers, and they continued on.


    Two hours later, Lamia was still running but breathing raggedly. The rangers and guards had spread out slightly as they ran down a hill.


    "Portal east!"


    The cry made everyone slow down, and Irwin saw the shimmering form hang to the side of a ledge. Luckily there was no sight of demons of any kind.


    "Mark it, and we continue," Hutch shouted as he moved into a slower pace, barely faster than walking.


    "Thank Yilda," Lamia gasped as she began walking beside Irwin. "How can you just keep going like this?" she grumbled.


    Irwin felt slightly bad for her as he raised his full-hand.


    "Right," she said with a weary sigh. "I knew I should have searched harder for another body improvement card."


    A short while later, they almost reached a connection between two hills, a narrow ledge the only path to the cross, when there was a dull cry that ended abruptly. Staring at the head of their group, Irwin saw a ranger rush back from the ledge, sword in hand. He began talking with Hutch, and Irwin saw the bare-armed guard look up worried.


    "Scouts," Daubutim said.


    Irwin frowned as he looked up. "I think he encountered a Galub scout."


    A loud drumming echoed from the surrounding hills as if to punctuate his words.


    "Continue, and hurry," Hutch shouted.


    Irwin followed the others as they rushed towards the ledge, pacing one at a time. As he reached the other side and turned the rocky corner, he saw a familiar body bleeding on the ground. Two-horned, dressed in a loincloth and wielding a short sword, the Galub had been stabbed through the throat, blood pooling across the white snow.


    "We are going to try to outrun them," Hutch ordered. "There are only a few routes to Estordon from here, and we should be able to reach the nearest one, Crumble Ridge Pass, before them if we hurry. That will bring us to the Burned Pillars, and they won''t know the route through there! It means we can''t use the old road, but at least we should be safe from these vile demons. Now let''s go, and don''t stop until I tell you to!"


    Worried, Irwin turned to Lamia and saw her eyes were wide.


    "You can do it," he said.


    "Of course, I can," she retorted before following the others as they ran forward.


    Within moments they were moving down the hillside at a breakneck speed, jumping across narrow gullies and scaling ledges. The thudding of the drums continued as if to spur them on to greater speeds.


    Irwin quickly noticed he was having trouble keeping up. It wasn''t that he couldn''t keep running, but the speed, a hard run for others, felt like a sprint to him. He tried to keep an eye on Lamia and Daubutim, but they seemed to be able to keep up, although Lamia''s face was as red as fire.


    He had no idea how long they ran, but at some point, all he could do was look where he was going and continue following the others.


    Finally, when his lungs were starting to burn, and he could feel his heart thudding in his chest, Hutch shouted something from the front.


    "What?" he croaked in between ragged gasps.


    "We reached Crumble Ridge Pass," Daubutim grunted, and Irwin saw he wasn''t doing much better than him.


    As he followed the others across a series of large boulders, he saw a rise in the distance. Like more he had seen, it seemed split through the middle, almost as if by a blade. Hutch and two of the rangers were the first to reach it, then the rest began arriving. Irwin noticed that most of the guards and even some of the rangers were out of breath, some pale and seeming close to vomiting; somehow, that made him feel a little better for coming in with the last few.


    Turning around, trying to get air in his lungs, he didn''t notice any galubs chasing them. The drums were still going but seemed to be further away than before.


    "Follow me," Hutch shouted, barely seeming out of breath as he walked into the gorge.


    ¡°I¡­ hope¡­ we¡­ are done¡­ running¡­¡± Lamia gasped as she stumbled next to him.


    "It beats fighting those demons," a ranger said, and everyone fell quiet.


    It depends on the demons, Irwin thought as he spat out some slime. Still, he kept the thoughts to himself.


    The travel through the narrow passage took half an hour, and they had to climb across a few partial collapses before reaching the other side. Walking out after the others, Irwin saw a wider landscape, the hills in the distance seeming to slowly turn into mountains. A long section of the hill far below was covered with what looked like burned tree trunks, standing in neat lines. They started small, but as Irwin followed them further, he saw they seemed to grow, looking like towering things in the distance.


    "Two portals," Daubutim said.


    Irwin looked up in surprise, then saw his friend point towards the side. Following his direction, he saw the telltale glow of portals at the side of the Burned Pillars.


    "Girt, mark those two portals," Hutch ordered. A few minutes later, he turned to Irwin, examined him, then Daubutim, and finally Lamia before nodding as if happy with what he saw.


    "Alright, we are going to run to the first Burned Pillar, then we can continue walking," Hutch snapped, instantly jogging forward again.


    "Not again," Lamia groaned.


    Irwin agreed with her sentiment but just took a deep breath and began running.


    When they finally reached the first of the pillars, Irwin was stunned to see those that seemed small were taller than him.


    "Alright! Nobody wanders inside, or you might get lost!" Hutch shouted. "Wait until I can explain how this goes and what to do!"


    Lost? Irwin thought before looking around. In the distance, he saw some of the burned tree trunks tower dozens of meters above them.


    "Impressive," he muttered.


    "Creepy, you mean," Lamia retorted.


    Confused, Irwin looked at her and saw she was fearfully staring at the pillars. Before he could ask anything, Daubutim grunted, staring at him.


    "Can you see through?"


    "Through what?" Irwin asked.


    "The dark fog?" Daubutim asked.


    Irwin blinked, turning to the pillars, then back. Were they seeing something he couldn''t? He knew his Eyes of Blaze gave him some interesting things, and his first card gave him the ability to look through the dark, but usually, he at least knew he was doing something.


    "Orwin, you can see me?"


    Irwin turned to see Hutch waving while staring at the spot next to him.


    Well, that settles it. They see something I can''t, he thought as he walked next to Hutch, whose eyes widened as he appeared.


    "I don''t see what you guys do. To me, there are just these odd burned tree stumps," he said.


    Hutch''s grin widened as he shook his head.


    "That eye-card of yours is the most useful thing I''ve seen in a while," he said. "Alright! Everyone forms up and grabs the one in front of you by the hand." Then he turned to Irwin. "You take the lead and keep an eye out that everyone stays together. Normally I know the route by memory, but if you can actually see through it, that''s even better. I''ll tell you when to turn."


    "Why would you need a route?" Irwin asked. "You can just walk in a straight line?"


    Hutch bent over, picked up a rock, and tossed it forward. As it passed a few trees harmlessly, it suddenly stopped as a thin line of gray seemed to hiss from the tree, striking it mid-air and causing splinters of stone to shoot everywhere.


    "That''s why," Hutch said.

 Chapter 79: Esterdon

    Irwin took three steps as instructed, then looked to see if he could spot something that would indicate something shooting.


    I don''t get what is triggering those attacks, he thought as he scanned the dirty mud and snow-covered ground around the black pillar.


    "How much further¡­"


    The grunted complaint from one of the rangers seemed to be shared by all. They were walking with ropes attached to their wrists, all trailing after Irwin. Hutch was beside him, frowning as he looked around without seeing anything.


    "I hope that Slaughter Demon doesn''t follow us here," he muttered. "Nobody but you would be able to see it."


    Irwin flinched, wanting to turn and smack the guard. How could he say something like that? Didn''t he know that was exactly how you got bad things to happen? Taking a quick look around, he didn''t see anything that resembled the shadowy tendrils or figure.


    "Okay, take a left here, then walk another four pillars straight and turn right. After that, we only need to head straight to the exit."


    Irwin stopped trying to locate something that could explain what was going on and continued on as instructed.


    A high-pitched scream came from behind them.


    "Twelve," Hutch said, and Irwin watched with morbid curiosity as the guard took out a paper and added a line.


    "I wonder how much longer they will try," someone muttered from the back.


    "Galubs are notoriously stubborn and stupid. As long as they think they can catch us, they will continue," Daubutim''s dull voice echoed out.


    "Quiet," Hutch snapped.


    Irwin grinned as he continued the last stretch, keeping his eyes open for anything. Just as he saw the end of the path and the slope that led to the mountain that bordered Esterdon, there was another double scream.


    Those sounded closer, Irwin thought as he took a look back. A quick count showed all guards and rangers were still there, as were Daubutim and Lamia.


    "What''s wrong?" Hutch whispered.


    "Nothing," Irwin said, quickly turning and continuing towards the edge.


    As he walked away from the final pillars, there were mutters of relief.


    "Finally, I can see more than an arm in front of my face," someone cursed. "If I never have to enter there again, it will be too early."


    Hutch moved further from the pillars before turning to Irwin.


    "That was the easiest I''ve ever passed through that horrible place," he grunted.


    "Why do you even go in?" Irwin asked. "We could have just gone around?"


    Hutch grinned as he shook his head. "Nah, this is the only safe way to cross this valley. If you attempt to go around, you will get slashed apart by more of those stupid attacks."


    Irwin looked back from where they came, trying to see something weird with the distant hillside that led around the odd Burned Pillars. He couldn''t spot anything, but somehow he doubted Hutch would lie about something like this.


    "Alright! Get ready. We are going to continue on. This should keep those Galubs off our back, though there is no saying how many portals are between here and Esterdon. So, keep your eyes and ears peeled for anything," Hutch shouted.


    A short while later, they were setting out again, this time walking at a brisk pace.


    "Have you ever been this far from Degonda?" Irwin asked Lamia, who was walking to his left.


    "No. A few years ago, I took a trip to a hamlet with my uncle. That was the first and only time I ever left," Lamia said as she looked around.


    Irwin wasn''t surprised. Back in Malorin, most young people never left the city unless they became rangers. Well, unless you counted the farmers, those only used the lands within half an hour of walking from Malorin and within the visible range from the walls.


    They continued chatting softly as the column continued. No longer running, Irwin slowly felt the cold affect him. Unlike the instant pain and nearly debilitating effect of before he got Coperion Body''s upgrade and then his full-hand, it was an insidious, slow progress.


    I wonder why running keeps me warm, he thought as he decided to ask Ambraz about it if he got the chance. That would have to wait for a while, though, at least until they reached Esterdon and he got some privacy again.


    Halfway through the day, he had to use his Coperion Body, causing some muttered comments from the guards. Still, the instant relief made up for the jabs from some of the guards who wanted to know if all of his body had increased in size.


    When the darkness began to encroach, they reached the higher area of the mountains, and Hutch sent scouts out to look for a suitable place to rest. It came in the form of a deep, high-ceilinged cave. Irwin was momentarily surprised when Hutch had him come up and inspect. Then he realized he was by far the most likely to spot anything hiding.


    Guards stationed at the entrance, Irwin''s flame used to heat up the cave till it was nice and warm, they settled in for the night. Except for a single loud roar that caused some rocks to drop from the ceiling and which woke everyone, nothing of note happened.


    The next day they came across another three portals before noon, and as they did, Hutch''s mood dropped more and more.


    "This is too far from Degonda to easily close them," he grunted when they found the third one. He drew the location on the map before looking at Irwin. "But if we don''t, who knows what monstrous beasts and demons will come out."


    Irwin nodded, staring at the large rockface they were moving towards. There was a flat area below that would lead them around the last bit of the mountain, and as he looked up, he realized they weren''t that far from the top.


    I wonder how high we are, he thought. However high it was, the temperature had continued to drop, and by now, he was turning on his Coperion Body each time it was ready.


    Halfway through the afternoon, as they approached the steep rockface, Hutch stopped, cocking his head. Then he put his hands behind his ears, turning his head around as if trying to locate something. Wondering what the guard was hearing, Irwin tried in vain, but he didn''t hear anything.


    "There is something up ahead," Hutch said before ordering a pair of nimble rangers to scout ahead while they moved forward slowly and with drawn weapons.


    A few hundred feet from the rockface and already on the flat gray stony area, Irwin finally began hearing it. A dull thudding and, after a while, the occasional high-pitched shout or screams.


    The rangers reached the rock face and disappeared around the corner for barely two heartbeats before jumping back into a few and sprinting towards them. One was waving his hand in hand signals.


    "Bloody bad luck," Hutch glared. "Ready your arms! We have incoming!"


    Irwin summoned his hammer, quickly trying to recall how long his Coperion Body had been up when his breath caught in his throat. A mass of fur, hooves, and spears rushed around the corner, rapidly gaining on the nimble rangers.


    "What¡­"


    ¡°Udugtaur¡¯s!¡± Daubutim gasped.


    "Bloody crap," Hutch roared. "Everyone get ready, don''t try to run. There''s no escaping these buggers! Orwin, use those eyes of yours to pick off as many as you can!"


    Irwin quickly moved beside Hutch, who had put his grappling gauntlets on. A light gleam came from below one as he triggered a card, but Irwin didn''t see any effect, and he quickly focused back on the incoming rangers. The horde of Udugtaurs was gaining on them.


    "Come on, come on, run," Hutch said.


    Soft twangs came from behind him, and half a dozen arrows shot forward before angling down toward the demons.


    "They won''t make it," Hutch cursed. He gritted his teeth as he stepped forward and raised his grappling-gauntlet-gloved hand. "Everyone, get ready! We are going to charge them!"


    Charge them? Irwin thought as he looked at the guard as if he was crazy. There were twice as many demons as guards!


    "We can''t lose them! If we already encounter these things halfway it will only become harder," Hutch snapped.


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    "Readyyyy¡­. follow me!" he bellowed before sprinting forward.


    Irwin gritted his teeth, bent forward, and shoved off, trying to keep up. Within seconds he was overtaken by most of the rangers, but to his surprise, he was managing to keep up with the guards. Either they were actively holding back, or he was faster than he thought.


    The shuddering of hoofs quickly drowned out all other sounds, and when the Udugtaur began roaring and swinging their spears, Irwin felt a calm spread through him. It was as if everything slowed down, and he saw the fur on the incoming demon''s head bob and weave, spittle flying around, their eyes a deep, almost poisonous green with horrifying vertical yellow pupils.


    Fifteen steps away, the rangers stopped, raised bows, and fired into the incoming throng. The other rangers barely reached them, spun on their feet, and joined them.


    Irwin rushed between two, the first Udugtaur barely a dozen feet away, and he triggered Eyes of Blaze. He barely noticed the strain as he forced the energy to spread out as wide as it could, and then the world turned red as a torrential wave of fire burst out from him. Startles, shrieks, and thuds followed as the Udugtaur directly before him, and the six around it were torched, many tripping and coming to a skidding halt.


    Irwin didn''t bother to wait, but with his hammer raised, he rushed forward, barely noting Daubutim and Hutch were with him. Then he reached the first demon, which was flailing with its spear, one hand rubbing at its face. All of its fur had turned to a molten disaster, both eyes closed and pus dripping out. Instinctively Irwin summoned his flame, which erupted from his grappling gauntlet and forced it to move. It rippled around his shoulders, up his other arm then across his hammer which burst aflame right as it slammed into a screaming head. There was a sickening crunch, followed by screams as Hutch, Daubutim, and the rest of the guards slammed into the downed demons.


    Time seemed to speed up again as Irwin jumped over the brained demon and slapped a spear away, barely noticing he cracked it before body slamming the Udugtaur, which was almost as tall as him. It stumbled back with one arm snapped and crooked and a look of surprise and pain across its dull goaty face. It raised an arm as Irwin brought his hammer down, which shattered the arm, then struck the face and cracked part of the skull in.


    Bringing it down for another strike, Irwin looked around to see a milling mass of guards and Udugtaur, many with arrows sticking out of them. Noting Lamia nearby, waving a smaller hammer around while trying to keep spears from poking holes in her, Irwin jumped toward her, battering another Udugtaur to the side before breaking one of its front legs with his hammer, followed by one to the underside of its jaw, nearly toppling it over in a single blow.


    "Stick close to me," he snapped before turning to the next demon. A horn trumpet came from the back of the canyon and as he looked up he saw another dozen Udugtaur rush towards them. One was slightly bigger than the others, holding a thing that looked like the horn of a large charbull. It put it to its lips, letting out another blare.


    "This is going to take a while," Irwin growled.


    Time turned to a swirling mass of hairy bodies, spears, blood, and screams of pain.


    When Irwin finally stepped back, staring at a few Udugtaur trying to run back as the ranger kept shooting arrows into them, the area was filled with dead demon bodies. Hutch stepped away from the horn-wielding one, whose neck was wrung, head at an odd angle, before looking around.


    Lamia stood a few steps away from him, blood splattered across her face, and her eyes wide as she looked at the blood that covered her gray hammer. For a moment, he thought she was going to get sick, then shuddered and looked at him sadly.


    "Wounded!" Hutch roared. "Call out your names!"


    There was a moment of stunned silence, then a few muted shouts came from all over as three guards managed to shout their names. Hutch was already moving, looking around, and Irwin saw his eyes on him.


    "You did good, Orwin!" Hutch snapped as he turned to the others. "Get the wounded bandaged and ready to move. We are continuing on before more shit finds us. Girt, you alive?"


    A sad laugh came as one of the rangers came jogging towards him from between the corpses, drawing an arrow and inspecting it before tossing it with a sad look. "Yeah, yeah. I''m alive, Hutch," he said as he stopped before the guard.


    "Scout ahead, but take it slow. Make sure we don''t get another surprise on our heads. I want to get us moving that way, if possible, within two minutes."


    Girt nodded, turned, and sprinted back along the path the Udugtaur had come from.


    "Orwin, Daubutim."


    Irwin looked up to see Hutch beckoning him over. He turned to Lamia but she just waved him away.


    "I''m fine, fine," she muttered.


    Irwin wondered about that, but he''d have to ask her later. For now, he walked to Hutch.


    "I''ve never heard about Udugtaur surges," Daubutim said softly. "Another bad sign."


    Irwin just grunted as they reached Hutch.


    "You did good," the guard said, busy cleaning pieces of flesh from between his grappling gauntlets. His voice was low enough that Irwin knew that nobody else would be able to hear them.


    "Except for Girt and me, none of the others has more than two cards, and the best they have are barely serviceable uncommon cards," Hutch said. He sighed, shaking his head sadly. "We barely had any uncommon carded left, and those left needed to help with the portals."


    He was quiet for a while, staring at Irwin as if willing him to speak up. When Irwin kept quiet, Hutch snorted.


    "I''ve heard rumors about new uncommon cards popping up. You wouldn''t happen to be able to help some of the guards here get a few?"


    Irwin barely held back a flinch. Lord Bron had told him to keep this to himself for now because he didn''t want any information about it leaking to Esterdon yet. He didn''t need an army trying to steal the few smiths he had that could do it or try to grab Irwin. Still, he''d somehow expected him to tell Hutch.


    "We have heard those rumors, but Lord Bron was adamant that we are to keep anything we know quiet," Daubutim said softly, causing Hutch to glare at him.


    "Hutch, we got three cards!"


    The shout caused a ripple of surprise through the small group while Hutch looked up, startled.


    "Alright! Bring them here- we will see about dividing them tonight!"


    "But, shouldn''t-"


    "No," Hutch snapped, cutting off Daubutim. "We are still a day out, and after we drop you off, we need to return. If we find any cards, they will go to the guards here."


    Hutch stomped off, and Irwin saw Daubutim stare after him with narrowed eyes while his hands fidgeted with the hilt of his massive sword.


    "He is right," Irwin whispered. "They don''t need the cards there now, and we need to get to Esterdon."


    "Yes, I know. But it''s custom to bring them to the lord to-"


    "Custom here. In Malorin, the rangers also keep what they find," Irwin said. "Besides, who knows how long any customs are going to hold?"


    He saw Daubutim''s shoulders slump slightly as his eyes turned unfocused. Irwin was about to shake him out of it, as this wasn''t the place, but before he could, Daubutim shivered, his eyes clearing up. He nodded abruptly.


    "You are right. Let''s see what they are."


    Irwin managed a grin as they moved towards where a few excited guards stood around Hutch. As they came up, Hutch turned, his eyes wide and gleaming, any anger seemingly vanished.


    "Two uncommon combat cards! I''ve never seen anything like this from a single encounter. We must have Gelwin''s own luck," the guard said as he raised his gauntlet fist which held three cards.


    Then he turned and began chatting with the guards, asking about who was interested in which card based on the picture. Irwin quickly realized there was a spear and a shield. The third was a simple common card that allowed for the collecting of dew from leaves into a canister.


    Before Irwin could offer to check what the cards did exactly, a ranger shouted a warning, and everyone looked up.


    Girt came running back, waving something.


    "It''s fine- all clear," another ranger quickly translated the odd hand gestures.


    "Alright! Everyone get ready to move! Anyone too wounded to move?"


    Irwin stepped back as Hutch began organizing everything, and in less than a minute they were on the move again. Walking beside Lamia, he noticed she had managed to remove all of the blood from her face while she kept rubbing at her mouth.


    "You alright?" he asked softly, barely audible above the clanking of boots.


    "Yes. No¡­ how can you two be this calm about what just happened?" she asked.


    Irwin took a quick look at Daubutim, but his friend was just looking ahead, seeming more than happy to let him have this discussion.


    "I wasn''t like this first," Irwin said with a shrug. "Daubutim and me? We had a few nasty encounters before we reached Degonda. The first time? Ugh¡­¡±


    Irwin shook his head as he recalled, and slowly as they continued, he began sharing a few of the things that had happened to him. He left out anything about the sorcerers.


    The rest of the day passed without further incident. However, they did find another uncommon portal which was probably the source of the Udugtaur. They rested in another cave, and after Irwin told Hutch about his ability to read cards, he helped them to determine what they did. All cards were distributed, both combat cards going to a guard, while the common card was stored until they returned.


    When they finally lay down to sleep, Irwin was surprised to find his mind spinning. As tired as his body was, he couldn''t seem to keep his thoughts from moving long enough for sleep to grab him.


    Tomorrow we will reach Esterdon, he thought as he lay with his head on his backpack. I wonder if Greldo will be there. Or Twintin¡­


    His mind kept pulling up things, ranging from what the towers might look like to how they would reach the special portal or if there would be any demons around it, and when he finally did feel asleep, he had nightmares about swirling lights, portals that hunted him and a giant Galub with a two-handed sword that threatened to split the world.


    --


    "Two more hours before we reach Esterdon," Hutch snapped, shaking bits of flesh from his gauntlets.


    "Everyone alright?"


    There was a chorus of agreement while Irwin looked at the two dozen Udugtaur that lay before them. It was the third group they had encountered that day, and by now, they had had plenty of practice on how to deal with the rapidly moving goat demons.


    "There are too many to be from a single portal," Daubutim said.


    "Or they didn''t close the portals," Irwin said as he looked around the rocky landscape. The mountain looked like a giant had punched it repeatedly, with rocks and boulders strewn across shallow hollowed dents and massive cracks in the towering rock faces that dominated most of the area. He could barely believe they would soon reach the valley where the ruins of Esterdon were.


    "Alright! Another card, but sadly no combat one," Hutch shouted. "Let''s go! We will see if it''s anything interesting after we reach Caulwater tower!"


    Irwin saw Daubutim perk up, and he wondered what it must be like to finally see something of home again after having been away for so long, even if it was just by proxy. He''d love to see his mother, his brother, and Malorin.


    Another hour passed, and they finally reached the top of the ridge that separated them from Esterdon''s valley. As they moved over, Irwin saw one of the rangers at the other side of the ridge, staring down. Something about his posture, his face, made his hackles rise.


    "Hutch¡­" the ranger called.


    Irwin followed the guard as he ran to the ranger, and as soon as he could see down into the valley, he knew why the ranger looked like he''d seen a ghost.


    The ruins of what must have been a giant city lay sprawl in the center, partially against the side of the valley. Dozens of portals hung around and inside it, and tiny figures could be seen moving around.


    "By Gelwin''s beard¡­" Hutch whispered.


    "Some of the towers have fallen," Daubutim stated softly. "But Coulwater still stands."


    Irwin looked at what Daubutim was pointing at. Massive towers, each with a tiny hamlet around it which in turn was encircled by a massive wall, stood near the edges of the valley, as far from the city as possible. The one straight below, probably still fifteen minutes away, was fine. As were both flanking it. However, those further to the left had been destroyed, trickles of smoke still rising from them.


    "Airborn demons!"


    The shout caused Irwin''s skin to crawl as he looked around. Then he saw the seven tiny dots fly towards them.


    "Head to the tower!" Hutch roared. "Don''t stop for anything! Those are Frostwyrm!¡±


    "Weren''t the Frozir on our side?" Lamia whispered while Irwin pulled her along to what seemed like a trial that led down.


    "Perhaps not all of them got the message?"


    "Run!" Hutch roared.

 Chapter 80: Coulwater tower

    "Thanks," the guard muttered with a pained grunt.


    "Sorry, we just can''t-" one of the two rangers muttered.


    He was hesitating as he gazed between Irwin and the wounded guard he''d been trying to carry down the steep cliffside.


    "It''s alright! Run," Irwin snapped as he hoisted the wounded man on his shoulder, ignoring the pained outcries.


    The two rangers shared a worried look, then turned and ran, slid, and climbed down the steep slope.


    Irwin took a look up at the rapidly growing Frost Wyrms and shivered.


    He followed after the two rangers as fast as he could without falling head over heels forward. The wounded guard barely weighed him down, which was why he had returned in the first place. Barely ten feet down, he and Daubutim had stopped when there were worried cries for help. Turning back, they had seen the rangers with the wounded, staring down with frightened eyes. None of them were capable of carrying the wounded down the hill safely. No. There were only three even remotely capable of carrying a fully armored, wounded man down.


    Hutch, Daubutim, and him.


    Which was why Daubutim was now struggling down a short distance ahead, a ranger draped across his shoulders, while Hutch was behind him somewhere, getting the other wounded.


    It''s a good thing there weren''t any more heavily wounded, he thought as he leaned backward and slid down one of the steeper parts.


    "Ugh, bloody¡­ ribs- Gelwin''s balls-" A pained grunt came from the guard he was carrying, followed by softly muttered curses.


    "You alright?" Irwin asked as he attempted to continue down as fast as he could without the risk of an out-of-control slide that would likely cause him to break his neck.


    The grinding of his boots against the rocks hidden below the sometimes deceptively thin layer of snow made him shiver. A stupid thought flashed through his mind. With his own increased weight and the guard atop the stress on his boots so immense, what if his soles grinded off? Would his Coperion Skin be tough enough to protect the soles of his feet?


    "Gelwin''s beard," he cursed as he felt his foot clip a rocky ridge.


    "Don''t¡­ worry about me," the guard said, seeming to pick up something but making the wrong connection. His voice was barely more than a pained croak. "Go¡­ faster."


    Right, Irwin thought as he gritted his teeth. As if he''d been going slow just to spare the guard. Still, the guard wasn''t wrong. If he didn''t move faster, neither of them was going to make it.


    Hoping both of them would be fine, Irwin scanned ahead for the quickest path down. Most of the others were more to the left, running along a rough, natural path that seemed to head almost to the bottom. Sadly it was so narrow that he had no illusions of trying to copy them.


    Straight ahead was a steep drop, and the path the others were running along seemed to loop back that way, passing below the fall.


    A few of the fastest rangers had been sprinting across it and now stood staring up, raising bows towards the incoming Frost Wyrms.


    What are they going to do with those? Irwin thought as he looked at the giant Frost Wyrms.


    The monstrous demons were so close that he could see their burning blue eyes staring at them hungrily.


    "Keep bloody running, you idiots!"


    Hutch''s deafening roar came from close behind Irwin, and the rangers started, looked up, then continued running as they slung their bows on their back.


    "Hutch¡­ is¡­ catching¡­ up," the soldier on his shoulder groaned. "He- has¡­ Gardner," the soldier muttered before sucking in a deep breath.


    Irwin grunted a response, barely paying attention as he attempted to determine how long he had before Frost Wyrms would reach them. He quickly realized that he wasn''t going to make it at his current pace.


    I need a quicker way down.


    A crazy idea turned into a snapshot decision, and without thinking about it more, he braced himself for what to do.


    "Hold on," he shouted, hoping the wounded guard would survive.


    He stopped holding back, and let his weight carry him toward the edge, his speed increasing.


    There was a confused cry from the guard. Then they reached the edge. Without slowing down, Irwin stretched his legs, propelling him forward while his heart suddenly in his throat. There was a startled and frightened shout from the guard, which he ignored.


    It''s really far down, was the last thing thought as the snowy ground vanished from below him, and his mind went into a full-blown panic mode.


    They sailed across the path a dozen feet down, over another ledge, then plummeted down further.


    Everything moved like a blur, and Irwin thought he heard surprised and worried shouts. Below him, the steep snow-covered hill flashed, then his boots touched down, and he barely managed to brace himself as he grabbed the guard with two arms.


    His legs buckled and barely held as he slammed into the thin layer of snow. A moment of relief was shortlived as his momentum threatened to carry him forward and onto his face. Leaning back again, he skidded and slipped forward, heading toward another drop a hundred feet away. He tried to grab for a handhold or dig his boots in the snow, but it was no use as he slid across the slippery slope.


    With a final thought about the stupidity of his actions, he reached and toppled over the next ridge. This time he was truly out of control, as he flailed with his one free arm to try and keep his legs down.


    As the world spun, he caught a few images of a gentle snowy slope, then he slammed into a thick layer of snow, somehow with his feet down and drilled down into the freezing mess before coming to a shocking halt. He was up to his waist in the snow, his feet pained from the collision, but his legs seemed unbroken.


    Drawing in ragged breaths, he heard worried screams from behind but chose to ignore them for now.


    "You¡­ alive?" he asked.


    There was a dull groan, followed by muted grunts and curses.


    He gently placed the guard on the snow before him and instantly saw that the other''s face was even paler than before while blood ran from his blue-tinted lips.


    He needs a healer¡­


    "We are close to the tower. I need to pick you up again," Irwin said.


    The guard didn''t respond, his pupils wide, eyelids drooping as he stared into the distance.


    Irwin cursed and scrambled out of the snow before picking the guard up. Taking a quick look back, he saw Daubutim halfway down, somehow managing not to go into a crazy slide as he had. Lamia was together with the closest group of rangers, and the others were scrambling down all across the hill. Far in the back, Hutch was climbing out of a pit of snow below a ridge, showing he had taken the plunge too but had found a much safer spot to do so.


    Safer, yes... but will he make it in time, Irwin thought.


    There was a wet cough, and fluid splattered across his face. Looking down at the guard, he gritted his teeth and turned to the tower. Holding the guard against his chest, he began running forward, plowing through the snow and hoping there wasn''t any deep gap. Absently he knew that most people wouldn''t be able to run through the snow like this, but most of his attention was on not tripping over a rock he couldn''t see.


    There wasn''t any other drop he had to jump, just a snow-covered path that led to the side of the wall that surrounded the town, surrounding the tower. A small gate sat on one side, and he began plodding towards it. At the same time, he looked up at the wall and saw dozens of guards. Some were looking at him, but most were pointing bows and weapons at the incoming Frost Wyrms.


    Irwin drew a deep breath when he reached within shouting distance of the tower. "I need a carded healer!'' he roared at the top of his lungs.


    There was a muted, hard-to-understand reply that he hoped was positive.


    A few moments later, the small gate opened up, and a dozen guards with raised shields ran out. He saw a vaguely familiar symbol on their shields, but he had no time to think about it as there was a dull shout from the lead guard.


    What? he thought before shouting it back to show he hadn''t understood.


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    "State your name and reason for coming here!" the guard shouted again.


    Irwin''s mind spun.


    "Orwin Coulwater, here with Daubutim Coulwater. We bring news from Lord Bron of Degonda! We were ambushed by multiple Udugtaur surges on our way here and have gravely injured people!" he shouted, trying to replicate how Daubutim and Lord Bron spoke.


    There was a moment of silence.


    "Don''t use any cards, and as soon as you are at the tower, drop any weapons you have," the guard yelled. "Are you carrying Lord Daubutim?"


    Lord Daubutim? Irwin thought as he felt his skin crawl.


    "No! He is amongst those still approaching!''


    Another moment of silence, then a loud trumpet echoed from the wall. A moment later, a massive flash of light came from the top. There was a thunderous flap as an enormous black and brown bird propelled itself from the wall. Before Irwin could even gasp, another bird, smaller and mostly brown, followed. There was a tiny, robed figure on its back.


    Irwin watched in awe as the massive avians rushed at the incoming Frost Wyrms.


    Are they going to attack them with just two? Wait, that''s not a sorcerer, is it?


    Irwin felt his skin crawl as he saw the figure''s familiar robe flutter behind.


    His vision of the sky was blocked as he reached the wall, and he quickly turned his attention to the guards. One of them was beckoning and pointing at a cleared-out spot on the ground.


    "Put him down there, then back up and keep your hands before your body," he snapped.


    Irwin did as ordered, putting the barely breathing, pale-faced guard on the ground.


    "Don''t die," he muttered before he backed up.


    A few of the guards had swords and crossbows pointed at him while the lead guard moved closer. A female guard without weapons rushed to the wounded guard, and Irwin was relieved when one of her cards flashed brightly, and a pale golden glow engulfed the guard.


    "Tower Lord Indoutor Coulwater is on his way here. Until then, you are to stay here. Which one is Lord Daubutim?" the lead guard said with a dull, gritty voice.


    A dull red glow came from one of his cards, showing he was probably doing something to detect if he was lying.


    Trying to stop his suddenly growing worry, Irwin turned and looked at the others as they rushed down the hill. They were still minutes away, and he was surprised by how far his dangerous fall had gotten him. As he saw the two drops he''d made, he swallowed. If there hadn''t been snow below the second one? Or a thin layer? He would have broken every bone in his body¡­


    "That one, carrying the ranger," he said, pointing out Daubutim''s massive frame.


    The guard stared at him for a moment, then the glow of his card vanished, and his tension seemed to ease.


    "Either this is true, or someone lied to you, and you believed it," he muttered, scanning Irwin''s eyes again.


    He must have seen something trustworthy because he turned to the guards waiting. "Alright. Glen, Maik, you saw who he pointed at! Get over there and assist Lord Daubutim! Glen, take the wounded, Maik, and move Lord Daubutim here immediately."


    "Yes, Second!"


    Second? That has to be a title¡­


    Two of the guards stepped forward, and one dropped his shield and sword while the other gently put a round circle on the ground with the outside facing up before jabbing his spear in the ground next to it. Then they sprinted away.


    What was that about? Irwin thought as he stared at the carefully placed shield before following the two guards as they ran along the deep path he had left behind.


    "I''ve never heard of any Orwin Coulwater," the guard said softly as he looked at Irwin. His card glowed again, though much dimmer than before.


    Instantly wary, Irwin shrugged. "Daubutim gave me the name because it had to start with an o. There is reason to believe I am the son of one of his uncles."


    The guard stared at him, eyes narrowing slightly. For a moment, Irwin was afraid he would call him out on something, but then the guard simply nodded.


    "Alright, well, let''s see what happens."


    The guard stepped away, focusing on how the two guards reached Daubutim and began talking with him, gesturing towards the tower.


    A deafening roar caused everyone to jump, and Irwin looked up and to the side. The two massive birds had reached the Frost Wyrms, and the lead one had burst out in flame, fire roaring around it and warping the air. The Frost Wyrms flapped back, their blue eyes glowing brightly as a wave of cold seemed to ripple from them. The other bird hung behind the first with its beak open and within moments torrents of flame moved away from the other bird and were sucked into its golden beak.


    What is hap-


    Irwin''s thoughts evaporated as the second bird began to glow. The tiny figure on its back stood up, both hands raised. A golden white light gathered on the figure''s hands, quickly turning so bright that it rivaled the sun. If not for his special eyes, Irwin knew he''d be blinded if he watched straight into it. As it were, he watched in awe as the brightness increased before two beams of golden light burst away, striking one of the two Frost Wyrms. There was a dull, pained cry as one wing was ripped off, then the Frost Wyrm began circling down, trying to straighten itself. At the same time, the others turned and rushed back to the distant hillside.


    One attack, and they fled, Irwin thought, barely believing what he''d seen. That had to be a special card, or perhaps¡­ a legendary? Were both birds from the same carded?


    A soft muttering drew his attention to the guards, and he saw they weren''t watching the birds but staring at the hillside.


    Irwin turned to see the two guards had reached Daubutim, and his friend was handing the wounded ranger to one of them before turning to the other. They seemed to talk for a moment, then there was a distant flash of light. At the same time, a startling howling whine came from next to him.


    Irwin almost jumped out of his skin as he saw a greenish portal expand up from the shield placed on the ground, and a second later, Daubutim came through, looking around wide-eyed. The guard followed him a moment later and the portal shrank back into the shield. With a nod at the lead guard, the other guard picked it up as if nothing had happened before moving back in line with those still waiting with raised weapons.


    By Gelwin''s beard¡­ is the shield his card skill, or did he use another somehow? Irwin thought. And did that guard seriously create a portal? He''d never heard of a card that did that!


    Noticing Daubutim''s worried looks, Irwin wanted to step next to him, but the lead guard to his side blocked him with a raised arm.


    "Stay right there," the guard said before he focused on Daubutim. His hand began glowing the same dim red again.


    "You are Daubutim Coulwater, son of Doldingen Coulwater of Caldangen?" he asked, staring at Daubutim.


    "I am," Daubutim said, locking eyes with the guard.


    Irwin saw the guard ease up slightly.


    "Have you been in contact with the sorcerers during the last two weeks?"


    "No, I have not. I''ve been staying at Degonda. Now, captain, state your name and then explain what is going on that makes you think you have the right to question me?" Daubutim said, his eyes cold as he scowled at the guard.


    Irwin watched with bated breath, barely noticing that the others began arriving.


    "Pardon me, Lord Coulwater," the guard said as the red glow vanished from his hand, and he bowed his head quickly.


    Irwin saw Daubutim''s eyes narrow as he turned slightly pale at being addressed as Lord Coulwater.


    "My name is Jondir and I am the second in command to Tower Lord Indoutor Coulwater," the guard said as he took a deep breath.


    "I see," Daubutim said slowly. "And what is going on?"


    "I think it would be better for Lord Indou-"


    "Answer me," Daubutim roared.


    There was a sudden and stunned silence as some guards mechanically raised their weapons. The captain waved them to lower them, a look of surprise and worry on his face.


    Irwin couldn''t blame him. He looked in stunned silence at his friend. From all he had seen of Daubutim, he had never acted like this. He had always been cordial and correct. A fierce fighter, yes, but not one to shout.


    Jondir took a deep breath, and a look of weary resolve came to his face.


    "Very well, my lord," he said softly. "It brings me no pleasure to inform you that Caldangen has fallen."


    Daubutim''s face turned pale. "And what of my family?" he said.


    Irwin was surprised he didn''t ask how and why but said nothing as he quietly watched on.


    "Details are scarce, but all intel we have managed to gather seemed to indicate that none but a few commoners and lucky rangers managed to flee in time," the guard said sadly.


    "One ranger with a particularly powerful stealth card managed to escape from the inner city, and he said that your father and brothers entered a portal and never returned."


    Daubutim stumbled before managing to catch himself, and Irwin stepped forward, shoving Jondir''s arm aside with ease, standing beside his friend. Daubutim looked at him, a deep pain in his eyes, before looking at Jondir and the surrounding guards, who seemed on edge.


    "Stand down," Daubutim said, his voice suddenly as cold as ice. "Jondir, explain what happened in Caldangen."


    How come Lord Bron didn''t know about this? Irwin thought as he looked at the guard captain. He saw that Hutch and the others were quietly standing behind them, the wounded being looked after by the same female guard.


    "Yes, my Lord, "Jondir said, seemingly ignoring Irwin''s presence beside his new Lord.


    "Roughly two weeks ago, a very-rare portal spawned in the city''s outskirts. Before anyone could attempt to close it, before the army could even gather, a demon surge burst out. It quickly overwhelmed the still small garrison before spreading through the rest of the city. Multiple common and uncommon portals were reported to have spawned alongside it, and in less than a few hours most of the populations of Caldangen were killed or¡­"


    Jondir frowned before continuing. "There is unconfirmed intel that a large portion of the commoners was brought back through the portals."


    There was a moment of quiet as Irwin tried to come to grips with what had been said. After a few moments, he saw that Daubutim''s eyes had dulled, and he was staring at the ground. Jondir was looking at him with worry and sympathy.


    Loud footsteps came from the open gate, and Irwin looked up to find a heavily armored man with a gray stubble beard and a look of relief approaching. There was a very faint resemblance to Daubutim.


    "Cousin!"


    The man''s voice boomed out as he burst through the gate and towards Daubutim. Before the taller, younger man could react, the armored man wrapped him in a bear hug.


    "I am so glad you are here! I am so sorry for what happened," he said as he thudded Daubutim''s shoulder before pushing him back to examine his face.


    Irwin noticed the man''s smile and hesitated a moment before returning.


    "Have my cousin''s entourage settled and provide them with food and care," the man boomed as he looked at Jondir.


    ¡°Yes, Lord Indoutor.¡±


    The man, Lord Indoutor and thus Daubutim''s cousin, nodded as he pulled Daubutim along. "Come, cousin. You need a drink, food, and rest."


    Daubutim finally seemed to jog out of his stunned silence as he took a step back and broke free of the other''s grasp.


    "One moment, cousin," he said, his voice still cold but no longer as freezing as before. "Orwin and Lamia will accompany me, and before we have any food or rest, I need you to inform me of everything that has happened. Including all details."


    Lord Indoutor blinked in surprise before frowning and looking at Irwin, seemingly only now really noticing him.


    "And who are they then, cousin?" he asked, a cool tone to his voice.


    "Orwin is very likely one of our cousins and comes from the line of Ondrist," Daubutim said.


    "What? Another of his ba-" Indoutor coughed to mask what he was saying and then turned to Orwin. "My apologies. If you are really another of our house, it saddens me to welcome you during a time of such terrible upheaval."


    Irwin forced a smile and shrugged. "Times are changing, and it seems we will have to change with them. I''m merely glad to have reached here alive."


    There was a surprised flash in Indoutor''s eyes before he laughed loudly. "Indeed. And this Lamia? Is she another of our cousins, then?"


    Daubutim shook his head. "No. She is a friend to both Orwin and myself."


    "Very well! A friend to the new Lord Coulwater is a friend to me," Indoutor said boisterously. "Then, follow me if you will, cousins. I''ll inform you of what has happened both far and near. But I must warn you, there is no good news."


    Irwin looked at Daubutim and saw the other stare coldly at Indoutor. Something about the way he looked seemed almost¡­ murderous.


    He took a quick look at Hutch, who just nodded before turning to Jondir.


    As Lamia moved next to him, staring at him with slightly worried eyes, Irwin wondered what was going to happen now.

 Chapter 81: Elderly sorcerer

    Irwin stared through the round window, the outside blurry due to the thin crystal sheet set within. It reminded him of the layers of ice inside the water barrels in Malorin, and he wondered how they had made it. Was it a carded crafter? It had to be.


    After a few moments, he focused on what lay beyond.


    The small rows of buildings around the tower barely looked like a town, stuffed with even more people than Degonda had, while seemingly hastily built shacks blocked entire passages leaving only a few partially open for traversal. Only the main road to the tower''s entrance remained uncluttered.


    Even though it was much smaller than Degonda, the buildings seemed similar, and as he watched the walls, he wondered if, with time, this place could potentially grow to become as big as Degonda.


    Probably not, he thought as he looked into the distance at the only tower that he could see from where he stood.


    It was a ransacked ruin, burned down, and, though he couldn''t see them, definitely crawling with demons.


    If not for the immense numbers of guards, rangers, and other fighters he''d seen while moving through the tiny town surrounding Coulwater Tower, this place would have likely suffered a similar fate.


    That, and because they have that powerful sorcerer, Irwin thought as he thought back to the birds and the figure on it, blasting the Frost Wyrms as if it was nothing.


    He continued looking around, only turning when Daubutim spoke.


    "How much longer?" his friend asked.


    Irwin turned back to the others, who were sitting around a massive wooden table that dominated the spacious room. Looking around, he sighed contentedly. It was comfortably warm in what seemed to be Lord Indoutor''s war room. The walls were covered with maps of the region and small renditions of other towers with numbers and information below them. Of the over a dozen towers, four had large crosses through them, likely marking them as fallen, while two had red markers.


    "Uxin''tar should be here in a few moments," Indoutor answered Daubutim''s question.


    The rough-looking Tower Lord took another sip of his glass.


    "He is always weary and winded after using his card. The downsides of forcing a rare card to do what few legendaries could manage, I presume. Not that I wouldn''t want a card like that!" He laughed loudly, shaking his head to show it was evident that everyone would want one.


    I still don''t believe it, Irwin thought as he thought back to what he''d seen.


    There was no way a rare card would be able to do that¡­ but there was something he knew that might. A special card that somehow looked like a rare card, just like his own.


    "How exactly did you confirm that Uxin''tar truly left the sorcerers?" Irwin asked as he moved back to his seat at the table. He had a reasonable idea of what was going on, but he wanted to see if his ''cousin'' was willing to share it.


    "Ah! Normally it''s a secret, but as you have actually already seen it, it matters little, I suppose," Indoutor said with a shrug.


    "Jondir is able to see if someone is lying. His card is one of the reasons that he became my right-hand man¡­ Ah, such a story, that! Cousins, you wouldn''t believe it, but when we first met me, he actually had the audacity to use it on me!"


    Indoutor let out a booming laugh, while Daubutim chuckled, and Lamia let out a worried giggle.


    Irwin didn''t respond, instead sitting down beside Lamia. He wasn''t at all surprised that Jondir had done so. The longer he spoke with Indoutor, the more he wondered what the other''s act was all about. He behaved like a buffoon, loud and boisterous, but at the same time, there was something¡­ fake and dangerous about him. A look to the side showed Lamia staring off into the distance, seemingly not paying much attention to what was happening.


    "Why don''t you just tell us a few of the things that happened," Daubutim said calmly. He''d calmed down since they had arrived here, but the way his shoulders were pulled tight and his hands gripping the edges of the table showed Irwin that his friend was all but fine.


    "Ahh, Daubutim, I would love to, but it''d really be better if Uxin''tar is here for that!"


    As if on cue, there was a loud knock on the door, followed a gritty voice that cracked on certain words.


    "My lord, I have arrived."


    "Enter Ux, enter!" Lord Indoutor said, and Irwin saw a tiny bit of relief on his face.


    The door opened, and a gray-bearded, white-haired, elderly man entered. He moved slowly as if afraid to fall over, but when he looked up, Irwin saw a sharp gleam in his pale brown eyes and a tiny smile on his lips. His brown robes were almost identical to those some of the sorcerers Irwin had seen wore, but the tunic below was different. Old, and worn, the quality was still apparent even to Irwin, who had little knowledge about such things.


    "So, it seems the Coulwater house is not yet doomed," the old sorcerer said in his cracked and gravelly voice. "Lord Daubutim Coulwater, it is a pleasure to meet you."


    "The pleasure is mine, Uxin''tar," Daubutim said.


    Irwin was still surprised at how easily his friend fell into a role if need be.


    Uxin''tar continued to the table and sat down on an empty spot to the left of Indoutor.


    "Now that we are all here, I can finally answer your questions, cousin," Indoutor said as he leaned forward on his elbows.


    His eyes lost their merry nature, and the lines in his face deepened as he gave off a profound sense of sadness.


    Is he acting or really like this? Irwin wondered.


    "What you told me about Degonda matches what we have seen here. Portals are spawning left and right, and we struggle to close them. Worse, as you have seen-" and he motioned at the window, "some of the towers have fallen. Many of the soldiers from there have found their way here, bolstering our forces, but even then, we struggle more each day. The only reason you even managed to reach us is that the demons seem to be focusing on the Blackrobe Tower, the final sorcerer one that still stands. A few days ago, the surrounding hills were still swarming with demons."


    Indoutor''s distaste showed as he almost spat the final words.


    Irwin nodded as he listened. Although he had no idea where the sorcerer''s tower was, everything he had heard so far matched what he''d seen.


    "Is there any information about the legendary portal below Esterdon?" Daubutim asked.


    Indoutor shrugged as he motioned for Uxin''tar to take over.


    "All the advance posts were overrun weeks ago," the elderly sorcerer grunted. Irwin saw him frown at Indoutor before he continued, seemingly annoyed that he was tasked to speak. "The last I heard from my pets was that a few portals spawned around it, and Galubs came pouring out."


    His pets? Irwin thought, wondering if he meant things like those birds.


    "Galubs," Daubutim said slowly. "We''ve encountered our fair share of those. Strangely enough, those horrible things, Frozir and Udugtaur, seem to make up most of the demons that have appeared. We have only seen a few others, but barely any Diflor."


    Irwin looked at Daubutim in surprise. He''d not heard about any true Diflor''s appearing. When had that happened?


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    "Yes, we have the same thing happen here," Indoutor said. "Why was that again? I recall asking you, but¡­" the lord trailed off, shrugging as if he didn''t really know or care.


    Uxin''tar narrowed his eyes before letting out a bone-weary sigh.


    "You never pay attention," he grunted before focusing on Daubutim.


    "It is not that unusual. The demons you mentioned come from portals that look like ours, though the Frozir will probably get into a lot of trouble when summer returns. Besides, ever since a hundred years ago, Diflor''s surges have been fewer and fewer."


    As Irwin watched him, he noticed the sorcerer kept glancing at him.


    Daubutim seemed to think about it for a bit before turning to Indoutor.


    "Alright, tell me everything that happened in Caldangen."


    Indoutor sighed, and his bored look turned back to one of interest as he leaned back in his chair. "Well, you remember, just before you left over a year ago, that your father was angry with some of our uncles?"


    Daubutim nodded while Irwin cocked his head in interest. He didn''t know much about Daubutim''s situation before leaving.


    "Well, after he sent you and a couple of our cousins to the sorcerers, something must have happened because within a day later, he dispatched most of the others, including their families, to the corners of the peninsula. A good thing, too," Indoutor said as he shrugged. "Otherwise, even more of our family would have been killed."


    The Tower Lord gazed at Daubutim as if he wanted him to add something, but when Daubutim merely frowned, Indoutor shrugged.


    Irwin, however, couldn''t help his eyebrows from rising as he thought about the implications. Had Daubutim''s father known what was going to happen? It was more than a little suspicious that he had sent everyone away. Wait, why didn''t he send Daubutim''s brothers away? He barely managed to keep the question to himself, but as he heard Indoutor begin talking about family matters, his attention drifted away.


    Perhaps the sorcerers told him? Or he knew something was going to happen before, and that''s why he sent everyone away?


    Irwin blinked as he looked at Daubutim. Wait¡­ was that why Daubutim had been sent to the sorcerers? To be safe?


    No, that makes no sense. The sorcerers sent us into portals to die... no, that doesn''t make sense, what if-


    Irwin rose from his seat in a single motion, his mind running rampant at the implications of his sudden thought. What if the sorcerers knew everything? About hub-worlds, shard-worlds? Could there be another reason for them to send young apprentices inside? Something to do with what they knew? But what?


    "Orwin? Are you alright?" Indoutor asked, staring at him.


    Irwin realized everyone had fallen quiet, staring at him with equal measures of surprise and curiosity. He licked his lips, his mind buzzing for a quick response, the idea that had taken root growing. As it did, he began connecting things, and slowly his eyebrows rose. Perhaps Daubutim''s father knew more too? Not just that something was happening, but things he thought that only he knew? Lord Bron had told him that the nobles knew things... but perhaps even he didn''t know everything.


    Indoutor sniffed impatiently, and Irwin tried to come up with a reason for his behavior that didn''t involve any of his current thoughts.


    Seconds ticked by, and he felt his panic rise as he seemed nearly unable to stop the thoughts from continuing. Then one idea came, and he blinked as he realized it wasn''t just some crazy idea. It might actually be true. It was logical!


    "I¡­ was wondering about something," he said slowly, turning to Uxin''tar, and noting that the old sorcerer''s eyes were focused on him.


    "Have you noticed that the time in the portals seems to be running the same as in our world recently?"


    Uxin''tar didn''t respond immediately, and Irwin ignored Indoutor''s surprised grunt.


    "I have heard rumors," Uxin''tar finally said.


    "What? Why didn''t you tell me about this?" Indoutor shouted.


    "Because, my lord, I can''t bother you with all the little rumors that float around."


    "Ugh¡­" Indoutor said before suddenly jumping in glee. "No! Wait! That''s fantastic! Perhaps it means that the parties we send out actually didn''t get slaughtered! They might return and are just late!"


    Uxin''tar didn''t respond, and Irwin shivered at the intensity of the old man''s gaze. He felt like he was being seen through to his bones.


    "Perhaps, my lord," the elderly sorcerer finaly said, still staring at Irwin.


    "Is this what had you so surprised, lordling Coulwater?" the sorcerer asked, a strong doubt audible to all.


    Irwin shook his head, quickly continuing. "What if Daubutim''s father is hiding inside the portal because the city is overrun?"


    There was a stunned silence, then Indoutor laughed sadly.


    "Unlikely. Even if time is running as it is here, the demons that came from there were all three-horned Galubs or worse. There was even a rumor of a five-horned one with a giant sword that tore through a building with a single attack. The chances of Lord Coulwater surviving in such a place?"


    A five-horn with a sword? Irwin thought, thinking back to Doomblade Hardswing. He wouldn''t be here now, would he?


    He shoved the worrisome thought to the back of his mind as he looked at Daubutim and thought back to how long they had spent in a Galub shard-world.


    "No, I think Orwin is onto something," Daubutim said slowly as his shoulders straightened and a little heat returned to his eyes. "Father has a card that could allow him to get himself and my brothers through unnoticed. For a time."


    "Cousin, don''t allow some misguided hope to take root," Indoutor said as he shook his head. "To close very-rare portals requires large, well-prepared groups. Just rushing into one like that¡­ Ux, you''ve been in very-rare portals. Tell him it doesn''t work like that!"


    He has a very-rare card? Irwin thought as he stared at the sorcerer, finding the old man was still examining him, tapping the table with a gnarly finger.


    "It is not impossible," the sorcerer finally said. "But, even if this is the case, what do you suggest we do?"


    Indoutor coughed, his expression going from shocked incredulity to ''told you so.''


    "Exactly! We don''t have enough very-rare carded here to send all the way there! If the time in the portals is that long, we would potentially lose half of our very-rare carded warriors for weeks or months," he exclaimed.


    Irwin leaned back, his hands on the table as he was suddenly worried about what he''d said. Although the longer they thought about it, the more likely it seemed, it still wasn''t any more than a guess. They hadn''t come here only to head to Caldangen and save Daubutim''s family. Not that he didn''t want to help, but¡­ who was going to head to the hubworld and find the information they needed if they did that?


    A soft sigh made him look up to find Daubutim staring at him before looking away. There was a slightly guilty look on his face, and Irwin felt his blood run cold. He wasn''t actually thinking of trying to create very rare cards with Ambraz, was he? Besides, even the anvil had said that was impossible.


    "What about the other towers?" Daubutim said as he looked at Indoutor, causing Irwin to sigh in relief.


    "What about them? They are in the same or worse situation as we are. Barely enough warriors to hold back the attacks. Besides, the teleporters are having enormous trouble teleporting anywhere near the ruins¡­ One vanished with a contingent of guards only a week ago!"


    "You have traveled long and hard to get here and are probably tired," Uxin''tar suddenly stated, sounding tired. "And if you are not, I am. Let us all retreat, rest, eat, and then reconvene here at a later time. My Lord?"


    "Right, yes!" Indoutor said as he nodded. "Cousin, I know you want to save your family, as do we all, but even if we would find enough people and go there, there is still the trouble of the entire city being overrun by more demons than I''ve ever seen."


    Irwin felt sorry for Daubutim, but he agreed with them. He needed time to think and figure out if what he was thinking about the sorcerers was true. Perhaps Ambraz might know? Something about his feelings must have shown because Daubutim let out a weary sigh and rose.


    "Alright. Cousin, could you show us to our rooms? It would be best if they were adjacent."


    "Of course!" Indoutor said as he jumped up and ran to the door. Yanking it open, he looked at a guard that looked back completely calm, appearing used to his lord''s antics.


    "Lord Coulwater and his friends need a suitable place to stay! Bring them to the eastern guest wing. Also, send people to heat their baths and bring food!"


    The guard nodded, saluted, and turned to Daubutim, who was standing behind his cousin.


    "Please follow me, Lord Coulwater."


    Irwin saw Daubutim''s minute flinch before his friend followed the guard.


    As Irwin moved to follow them, the old voice of Uxin''tar echoed after him.


    "Lordling Orwin, would you be willing to escort this old man to his chambers? I''m still feeling rather weak and am also interested in asking you a few questions."


    Daubutim turned back to look at him, and Irwin saw the same confused surprise in his eyes that he felt. He was about to say he was tired and needed sleep, turning to look at the sorcerer when he froze. The old man was staring at the pocket Ambraz was in before looking at Irwin and raising an eyebrow.


    "Sure," Irwin blurted out, feeling his mouth go dry.


    "That''s great," Uxin''tar grunted as he slowly got to his feet and walked towards the door.


    Indoutor was watching what was happening with a cocked head and a confused expression. Still, when Irwin turned to follow the sorcerer out of the door, he noticed a gleam in the Tower Lord''s eyes.


    This place is not normal, Irwin thought as he turned.


    "I''ll see you in a bit," he said to Lamia, who had been following everything quietly.


    "Be careful," she whispered before taking a look at Indoutor, cracking her shoulders and following Daubutim.


    Yeah, Irwin thought as he followed the old sorcerer.


    Uxin''tar barely spoke as they moved through the tower, giving Irwin enough time to think and worry. Had it been his imagination? No, he was sure the sorcerer had been staring at where Ambraz was. What did that mean? Did he sense something? Or even worse, knew he had Ambraz?


    His worry grew so much that he barely noticed when they had stopped.


    "Orwin, snap out of it."


    Irwin jolted as he saw the sorcerer''s pale brown eyes, almost glowing as he stared at him.


    "Follow me inside, and don''t touch things," Uxin''tar said. "Also, don''t do anything stupid, or I''ll have to drag you along."


    Irwin felt the hairs on his head stand up straight at the words spoken in an almost irritated tone.


    Seeing Uxin''tar impatiently waiting for his response, he quickly nodded.


    "I won''t," he said.


    "Good. Now follow me."


    Uxin''tar turned to the door, placed his hand on it, and Irwin almost jumped as the back of his hand glowed with a bright burst of golden light. As Uxin''tar pulled open the door, there was a pale swirling portal, golden spots drifting away from it. Uxin''tar stepped through and vanished.


    Irwin gaped at the portal. Perhaps he should run? Where was this even going? He wasn''t being dragged back to the sorcerers, was he?


    "In. Now. Or else."


    The sorcerer''s dull words drifted around him, and Irwin jumped forward and into the portal.

 Chapter 82: Crazed?

    Irwin stumbled forward across a smooth tile floor that gleamed as it reflected the warm light of candles and torches. Looking around, Irwin saw bookshelves lining walls made of a neatly lined stone with dark wooden beams. Torches were slotted in dull metal brackets sporadically mounted in between.


    A wide, three-step staircase led down to a lower area with a central fireplace, while a slab of dull black rock hung above it. The smoke drifting up from the fireplace seemed to be drawn to it, disappearing as soon as it touched the stone. Around the open area surrounding the fireplace stood low tables, some with books on them, others with candles and glass jars with colorful liquids, some of which seemed to bubble.


    Three wide, comfortable-looking stools, padded with cloth and pillows, stood roughly opposite each other.


    "Done staring around?" Uxin''tar asked.


    Irwin looked up to see the sorcerer stare at him from one of the stools.


    "Sit down. We need to talk."


    Although he seemed grumpy, Irwin didn''t hear any hostility in the other''s voice. He nodded as he slowly moved forward. As he did, he readied himself to trigger Coperion Body, followed by an Eyes of Blaze attack if he had to. Even if he didn''t feel like Uxin''tar was going to do him harm, how sure could he be?


    The soft crackling of the fire was the only sound, except for the occasional cracking of the chair as Uxin''tar moved slightly.


    Irwin walked down the stairs, all the while looking around. Halfway to the fireplace, his eyes fell on one of the books, a thick black leatherbound thing. He could only see the spine, which was as wide as his hand, but there was an image of a silvery anvil on it that reminded him of Ambraz.


    "And they call me slow," Uxin''tar rumbled goodnaturedly.


    Irwin noticed a gleam in the sorcerer''s eyes and shrugged as he looked at the massive chair. He''d heard about things like this, but it was the first time he saw one, and as he sat down and felt the soft pillow structure fold below him, forming around his body he couldn''t stop a sigh of comfort.


    "Better than hard-wooden chairs, right?" Uxin''tar said.


    "Much better," Irwin said as he leaned into the soft back and looked at the sorcerer. The brown eyes twinkled, but the sorcerer didn''t say anything and just stared at Irwin.


    After over a minute, Irwin was getting more and more uncomfortable, and he finally couldn''t take it anymore.


    "So¡­ what did you want to talk about?" he asked.


    Uxin''tar tapped the arm of the chair with his finger as he grinned.


    "Well, let''s start by asking how you got that thing," the sorcerer asked as he pointed at Irwin''s pocket.


    Irwin swallowed, unsure what to say. Asking what the other was talking about seemed stupid, as he seemed to already know. He had to be talking about Ambraz.


    "You''re afraid I''m going to try and take it from you," Uxin''tar muttered as he shook his head. "Bah, that explains a few things. Little Anvil, are you afraid too?"


    Irwin''s jaw dropped, and he felt something fidget in his pocket before Ambraz flew out, mouth in a tight line.


    "Who are you calling little, you old beardy face?"


    There was a moment of silence, and Irwin saw the sorcerer''s eyes widen a sliver before he barked a laugh.


    "Bah. That fool," he hissed. "This is what he risked their anger for?"


    "What are you whispering about, you old coot," Ambraz growled, and Irwin felt his skin crawl. Was Ambraz crazy? What if he made the sorcerer angry?


    Uxin''tar sniffed as he raised his hand. Irwin held his breath, ready to move if needed, not even sure what he''d do. Then he saw the gnarly finger point at the Anvil, no glow of cards being used appearing.


    "Are you the thing Gelwin stole from those hubworlders?"


    Irwin leaned back, staring at the sorcerer and shaking his head in disbelief. Did everyone know about that? Or just nobles and sorcerers? And if they did, why wasn''t anyone doing something to stop... well, everything?


    "Gelwin? You mean that other old beardy-face?" Ambraz snorted. "He didn''t steal me. It was an abduction!"


    "So, this is why they went all angry a hundred years ago," Uxin''tar grunted in annoyed disbelief. "A talking Anvil. Ridiculous."


    Ambraz began spluttering, but the sorcerer turned to Irwin.


    "You, kid, how did you manage to even find it? I have searched for decades after Gelwin vanished to see what he took, hoping it would help with this mess."


    Irwin stared back, his mind still slightly in shock.


    "I found him in one of the training portals in the apprentice tower," he muttered.


    Uxin''tar blinked, then closed his eyes as he groaned. "That''s where he hid it? In a spot where hundreds, if not thousands, of foolish brats would enter time and time again? I should have¡­ gah! That scoundrel!"


    Ambraz barked a laugh as if he''d somehow won something. "Wait, are you one of those he kept cursing about? Tarman?"


    "Don''t call me that," Uxin''tar shouted, his voice cracking halfway as his eyes gleamed crazily. He fell back and began coughing wetly, the gleam quickly fading. After a few moments, he glared at Ambraz.


    "Hah! Tarman, Tarman," Ambraz snorted, sounding smug. "Calling me a little Anvil! Suits you right, you expired geezer!"


    Irwin felt his heart skip a beat as Uxin''tar''s face darkened, and he quickly leaned forward.


    "Uhm¡­ could you tell me what''s going on?" he asked.


    Uxin''tar turned to him, his eyes still radiating a wave of dangerous anger, and Irwin shivered. Why couldn''t Ambraz stay quiet?


    "What''s going on is that I''d hoped Gelwin had stolen something actually useful from those hubworlders," Uxin''tar said.


    Ambraz snorted, but Irwin was glad to see the sorcerer ignored it.


    "Sadly, when I sensed that thing''s presence on you, I already knew it would be useless."


    Irwin shook his head. "Err¡­ what did you expect there to be? ¡­ Wait, you knew Gelwin?"


    "What I expected? A legendary card of course, or¡­ something even better," Uxin''tar said as he raised his right hand.


    Even better? Irwin thought. Was he talking about heart-cards? That made no sense... those couldn''t drop... right? He quickly squashed his inquisitive mind before he could ask something stupid and focused back on the sorcerer.


    Uxin''tar''s wrinkled hand rose, and Irwin saw there were two cards on it, with only a single slot left free.


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    "And Gelwin? Yes, I knew him. We grew up together. Long, long ago."


    Grew up? Wait.. how old is he?


    Irwin swallowed as he realized how old that must make the sorcerer. He had to be lying.


    "So¡­ if you knew Ambraz wouldn''t be of help, why did you bring me here?" he asked, deciding not to risk asking.


    "Curiosity, of course. If you get as old as I am, most things are bothersome and boring," Uxin''tar said, a twinkle in his eyes.


    Not sure what to say, Irwin looked around the tower.


    "Where are we exactly?" he asked, noticing Ambraz had begun flitting around, looking at books and other things. Uxin''tar seemed uninterested and ignored the Anvil''s antics.


    "Gelwin''s tower," Uxin''tar snapped, sounding amused. "He actually thought he could keep it closed from me. As if!"


    "Wait¡­ we are near the sorcerer''s towers?" Irwin asked as he felt the blood drain from his face.


    "Afraid of them?" Uxin''tar asked, raising an eyebrow. "If you were in the apprentice tower, you were to be one. What happened? Did you run away?"


    "..."


    Irwin kept quiet, afraid that anything he said could antagonize the unstable old man.


    "Bah thought as much," Uxin''tar said, coughing a few times.


    He took a deep breath, then pointed at a nearby table. There were a few glasses and a bottle with a golden liquid with dark spots on it. "Bring me a glass, will you? I haven''t spoken this much in years."


    Irwin nodded as he got up, moved to the table, and quietly poured the man''s glass. As he did, he noticed that the black spots seemed like tiny crystals of some sort, glittering in the torchlight. When he headed back and handed the glass to Uxin''tar, he saw the sorcerer''s hand was shaking.


    "Are you alright?"


    "Define alright," Uxin''tar snapped before taking a large drink. "I''m over three hundred years old and have been like this for the last hundred. I''m alive. It will have to do."


    "How?" Irwin asked wide-eyed.


    Uxin''tar sniffed as he looked around. "This place helps. The drink does too. But most of it is having a legendary card."


    Irwin gasped as he looked at the other''s hands, trying to determine which one it was.


    "Don''t bother. You won''t be able to tell which one," Uxin''tar said. "Nor will I tell you."


    Is it like my special card? Irwin thought, wondering if there were Legendary cards that had some hidden type.


    "Why are you telling us all this," Ambraz suddenly asked as he hovered beside Irwin before landing on his shoulder. As he did, a whisper came in the inside of Irwin''s other ear.


    "Careful. Except for being dangerously unstable, this geezer has books on things he shouldn''t have."


    Irwin managed to keep his face calm while Uxin''tar snorted.


    You tell me to be careful after you keep antagonizing him? Irwin thought angrily.


    "What? Afraid I''ll kill you to cover it up? Bah.. as if that would matter. We have less than two years left. Perhaps even less. Then this entire place goes kaboom," he spread out his hand, making a throwing gesture while the dangerous gleam returned to his eyes.


    "How do you know all of this?" Irwin asked, hoping he could get Uxin''tar to keep talking. He needed time to think. What did Ambraz mean, books he shouldn''t have? Books from a hubworld? Or books with something in it that was bad?


    Wrong questions, wrong questions! How do I get out of here? Irwin thought.


    "If you live as long as I have and have entered as many portals, you learn a thing or two," Uxin''tar said, either not noticing or caring about his shock. "I presume Ambraz told you?"


    Irwin nodded slowly, worried he had made a mistake by telling Uxin''tar the Anvil''s name.


    "I see. And why are you here?"


    "We were on our way to go to Daubutim''s father," Irwin said quickly before sighing. "I guess that won''t happen anymore."


    Uxin''tar stared at him for a while as if he was trying to look into his mind. Then he nodded.


    "Alright. How about you tell me what else the Anvil told you?" the old sorcerer said, his voice almost a hiss as his eyes narrowed.


    Irwin barely managed to stop himself from licking his lips. What was wrong with Uxin''tar? No, that wasn''t important. What should he tell? Should he lie?


    "Why don''t you just ask me what I told him?" Ambraz grunted, remaining on Irwin''s shoulder.


    "Because you''re from a hubworld, and I don''t trust anything from there," Uxin''tar snapped, his voice dangerously low.


    Any possible idea that he might have had that things were going in a good way evaporated, and Irwin swallowed.


    "Tell him everything except that you want to go through the portal," Ambraz whispered inside his ear. "And nothing about anything above legendary cards!"


    Irwin quickly sorted his mind, then nodded as he began.


    "He told me that the worlds beyond portals are world-shards of shattered worlds that became instable."


    Uxin''tar drank a sip but said nothing.


    Irwin continued, trying to recall anything he knew that might appease the man. As he continued speaking about what he knew about the hubworlds and that the Merchant''s guild might contain hubworlders, he expected some reaction but got none. Uxin''tar quietly continued sipping, his eyes glittering as he gazed at him.


    Why do I get the feeling he knows all of this, Irwin thought, starting to get even more worried. Would it be good or bad if he didn''t tell the sorcerer something he didn''t know? Or something that shocked him even?


    "Tell him about reforging, but no more than uncommon," Ambraz suddenly whispered again.


    Irwin looked around, then shrugged. "He also showed me it''s possible to reforge common cards to uncommon," Irwin said slowly.


    Uxin''tar lowered his glass as his eyes narrowed. "Showed you? How?"


    Irwin swallowed, suddenly wishing he could just fight with some Galubs. At least he knew how to do that! Or purify met-


    Right!


    "It''s like purifying metal," he said slowly, trying to think how he should explain. Then he saw Uxin''tar''s frown deepen, and he continued quickly. "Any smith who is capable of doing that fast and has plenty of experience can learn to do it."


    "Interesting," Uxin''tar muttered. "Explain how it''s done."


    Irwin nodded, quickly talking about what he knew about the process. When he finished, Uxin''tar looked down, his gaze focused on his hand.


    "You. How do you reforge a card up to legendary," Uxin''tar said, staring at Ambraz. "And don''t try to tell me it''s not possible."


    Ambraz let out a soft laugh. "It''s possible, but you need a lot of knowledge and training, which can only be found in the Smith''s guild."


    "Smiths guild¡­ and let me guess. Those are only in hubworlds?" Uxin''tar said, his voice cracking a few times. A dangerous gleam came in his eyes as he glared at the Anvil.


    "Yes," Ambraz said, and Irwin thought he felt a slight tremor on his shoulder.


    "Tell me, how do I get to a hubworld unnoticed," Uxin''tar asked, suddenly very still as he focused on Ambraz.


    "Unnoticed? Impossible. Any portals into hubworlds are carefully curated and guarded by guards with strong combat cards."


    Uxin''tar frowned, then focused on Irwin. "Do you know anything more about this?"


    Irwin quickly shook his head.


    "Alright," Uxin''tar said as he swallowed the last bit of his drink. "You can go back."


    Irwin blinked, stunned, silent.


    "Move, fool," Ambraz whispered in his ear, and he jolted.


    "Alright," he said as he rose and looked around. As curious as he was, he was more inclined to leave and talk with Daubutim about Uxin''tar.


    "Also, you are not to tell anyone about what we discussed here or that you came here," Uxin''tar said, his voice turning less annoyed. "Not that anyone would believe you. When you exit, you will be in my room in the Coulwater Tower. Don''t linger. Leave and head to your friends."


    Irwin nodded, briskly walking back to where the portal still hung.


    "And Orwin," Uxin''tar called. "Be careful what you believe."


    Irwin looked over his shoulder and saw the old sorcerer''s brown eyes look at Ambraz.


    "I will," Irwin muttered.


    Two steps from the portal, Ambraz flew back into his pocket, and then he stepped through the portal.


    --


    Uxin''tar gazed at the swirling pseudo-portal, waiting for a thin silvery sheen to cover it.


    "He is gone. Come out."


    One of the bookshelves slid to the side, revealing a narrow passage, and Jondir walked out, a worried look on his face.


    "And?"


    The guard and second in command of Coulwater snorted. "He was lying. Not about everything, but definitely about why he was here. He was also holding back things."


    "And going to a hubworld unnoticed?"


    "No, that was the truth," Jondir said. "Though it was hard to read the Anvil. Only when you started grilling him harder did I catch something."


    "I thought as much," Uxin''tar said, motioning to the table with his glass.


    Jondir took it without complaints and moved to refill it.


    "What do you think they are here for?" Jondir asked as he handed the full glass back.


    "Can''t you tell? Haven''t you been paying attention when I taught you things?" Uxin''tar grumbled.


    Jondir didn''t respond but simply took a few steps back and gazed at the sorcerer.


    "They are here to go through the legendary," Uxin''tar finally said.


    "Why would they go through that portal?" Jondir grunted. "No, wait. How even? The kid doesn''t have a legendary card, does he?"


    Uxin''tar quietly watched the guard and, when he finally quieted down, shook his head. "Brat, you haven''t been reading the books I told you to¡­ You don''t need a legendary card to enter a portal. You don''t need a card to go through any portal."


    Jondir blinked, then shook his head. "That can''t be right."


    "The cards aren''t there to let you in. They are to make sure you survive until you get to the other side," Uxin''tar croaked, taking a few sips. "And to make sure you survive on the other side."


    Jondir stared at the sorcerer in disbelief. "If that''s true, why have I never heard of it? That would be common knowledge!"


    "If you enter an uncommon portal with a common card, your body will disintegrate as you touch it¡­ this is common knowledge," Uxin''tar said as he took another sip. "Go back and make sure Orwin doesn''t leave that tower. Also, keep an eye on our new lord Coulwater and the Tower Lord."


    "I will master," Jondir said as he turned and headed for the tower.


    Uxin''tar didn''t look up until the portal jolted a few times. When it was gone, he raised his hand, and the card on its back flashed twice, causing the portal to vanish.


    Then the ancient sorcerer leaned back and stared into the flames as he drank. Occasionally, his wrinkles deepened as warped looks of pain and anger fled across his face, and his eyes seemed to glow almost from within. When the glass was empty, he took a deep sigh and glared at one of the bookshelves.


    "I will find a way out of here," he grunted. "I''ll have my vengeance, Gelwin, even if I have to bring this whole world down to get it."

 Chapter 83: Dark Hound

    "Do you think he was going to hurt you?" Lamia asked softly.


    Irwin shrugged as he gazed at the door to double-check check it was closed. It was and had been since the guard that had brought him here had closed it. The guard, a silent man with massive shoulders, had been waiting for him outside Uxin''tar''s room. Without a word, the guard had led him to the luxurious set of rooms he was in now.


    "I don''t know, but I''m pretty sure he had a card a whole lot stronger than a rare," he said as he looked at Daubutim.


    His friend was frowning, his eyes going from dull to sharp, as if he was working through something on the edge of his capabilities. Irwin sighed and leaned back, thinking back to the crazed look in the old sorcerer''s eyes. He looked around the room absently, taking in the luxurious surroundings.


    The soft stools they sat in were angled to each other in a squarish room. One door led out, while three others connected to the sleeping quarters they had been assigned. Beautifully carved wooden decorations covered the door frames, a delicate painting of a forest landscape hung on one, and a column against one of the walls.


    "I have¡­ read something," Daubutim said, his words haltingly as if he tried to recall something.


    Irwin stared at him in surprise, wondering what was going on. Of all Daubutim''s oddities, his perfect recollection was the one thing that had seemed to be his greatest strength. How could he not-


    Daubutim rose and began pacing. "I was¡­ four," he muttered. "The book was on fathers desk, and it was open. I remember it well. Something about Gelwin, a report not meant to be common knowledge. Why can''t I recall it?"


    Irwin was gaping at him and shared a quick look of incredulity with Lamia.


    Because you are not supposed to be able to remember something from when you were four, Irwin thought. Then he blinked. Wait, Daubutim could read at age four? Was that normal?


    After a minute, Daubutim returned to his seat and looked at Irwin.


    "I can''t recall the details, but there was something in it about Gelwin, the sorcerers, and¡­" he shook his head in disgust. "It feels like I''m missing something."


    "It''s fine," Irwin said, smiling at his friend wearily. "I''m sure you will remember. For now, I think we need to be really careful around him."


    Daubutim nodded. "Yes. But I think it was a good thing that you didn''t tell him why we are here. What you told us about the way he acted looks like something my¡­" he began.


    Irwin looked up to see Daubutim stare forward dully, a soft creaking coming from where his hands clenched the stool''s armrests. Seeing the suppressed pain, he wanted to kick himself for forgetting about what had happened.


    "Daubutim, are you alright?" he asked softly. From the corner of his eye, he saw that Lamia gave the tall noble a look of sympathy, eyes slightly red.


    Both of them lost so much, Irwin thought as he thought of his own family. He didn''t know how things were going back home¡­ What if Malorin had fallen like Caldangen?


    "I don''t believe they are dead," Daubutim said, his voice rough. "My father¡­ he is not unbeatable, but¡­ If his goal is to flee and hide? I don''t believe there is any demon, even in a very-rare shard-world, that could stop him."


    "You said he had a card that would allow him and your brothers to get past unnoticed?" Irwin said softly.


    Daubutim nodded. "It''s a very-rare mobility card. He used it to survive when he was young, and it was the last card my grandfather gave him."


    "Do you want to go to Caldangen to search for him in the portal?" Irwin asked.


    He couldn''t blame Daubutim if he wanted to leave, no matter how much he''d prefer his friend to come with him.


    Daubutim looked up dull-eyed, seemed to hesitate, then finally shook his head slowly. "No. I am nowhere as strong as my brothers. If they can''t find a way out by themselves, going there would only make things more difficult for them."


    The young noble was looking at the back of his left hand, where three cards were slotted.


    Irwin looked at them silently, then cocked his head as he thought of something. Daubutim had that third card, which was the Aquatic Raven summon. But he hadn''t seen him use it¡­


    "I want to get stronger," Daubutim whispered, then repeated it louder.


    Irwin forgot about the summon card as he watched Daubutim quietly.


    Although there was less intensity, the words Daubutim just said mirrored those that Lamia had said weeks ago. It was also how Irwin felt. If only they were stronger, none of this had to happen. Taking a look to the side, he saw Lamia staring at Daubutim, jaw clenched and muscles in her arms bulging.


    "We need to get stronger," Irwin said. "And we can. We know how and where we can find it."


    Daubutim and Lamia turned to stare at him, the young Lord nodding while Lamia leaned forward.


    "Damn right. So, what are we going to do? Find a way to sneak out and to the portal?"


    "We wouldn''t get there alive," Daubutim said immediately. "Even if we had tried before, it would have been deadly."


    "How were we going to do it in the first place, then?" Lamia grunted, shaking her head angrily.


    Irwin sighed. "We expected Daubutim to be able to just command the soldiers to bring us here¡­ but¡­"


    "So why can''t we still do that?" Lamia asked.


    "Now that my father is presumed dead, the power dynamic in my family has changed," Daubutim said slowly. "Did you notice that although the others call me Lord Coulwater, Indoutor has mostly been referring to me as cousin?"


    Irwin had, but from Lamia''s surprised look, he realized she either hadn''t or hadn''t thought anything behind it.


    "Do you think he wants to be Lord?" she asked.


    Daubutim was quiet before shrugging. "I am not sure. Indoutor is an odd one, which is one of the reasons that he was sent here. Until we know for sure, it is best not to test it. Without my father to hold everything in line¡­ I fear not just Indoutor will begin acting differently. I think part of why father sent the others across the peninsula is to keep them out of each other''s hair. I am¡­" he frowned. "Not the one they had thought to inherit the title of Lord of the family. Except for a few, most of my family sees me as broken. Unfit."


    There was a moment of quiet as Irwin and Lamia stared at the young noble, who seemed to be quietly pondering something.


    "Because of what Lord Bron mentioned?" Irwin asked, recalling something the Lord of Degonda had mentioned.


    Lamia leaned forward again, interest on her face.


    Daubutim looked at her, then Irwin, and finally back at Lamia.


    "I''ll tell you what happened," Daubutim said, his face emotionless. "But you are not to share this with anyone else."


    Irwin saw Lamia''s slight shock. Then she nodded seriously.


    Daubutim inspected her for a few moments before turning to Irwin.


    "When I was four years and a few months old, a rare portal spawned near Caldangen. It was in the middle of the night, and before it could be closed, a large surge of Nyzir erupted from it and attacked the city. My brothers went with our father to learn how to fight, leaving me alone with my mother. Some demons managed to get into the city and the castle. They began slaughtering their way through the castle until they reached where I was with mother."


    Daubutim''s eyes turned flat and dull as his voice turned to one Irwin had only heard a few times before. Flat, cold, and to the point. Irwin felt his skin crawl at what was to come next.


    "Nyzir are best suited for night raids and assassinations. We were in the back of the room, with three full-hands at the door. Something slithered out of the shadows in the corner too fast for me to follow. One of the guards managed to react. The others were cut apart by dark blades seemingly made from shadows. The light in the room dimmed, and candles began extinguishing. The single guard still up jumped to my mother''s side, shield, and sword up while my mother''s cards flared brightly. Four Nyzir rushed at them, black scales seeming to suck in the light, their bodies moving as if there were no bones in them. The guard met them, using a barrier card to block some attacks, managing to slice one of the Nyzir''s heads off with his blade before being pierced through. Palm-sized leaves had started whirling around me and mother, and as the three remaining Nyzir rushed us, mother used her special card."


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    Special card? Irwin thought as he almost interrupted Daubutim to ask about it.


    "The leaves shimmered, but the Nyzir showed no reaction as they rushed in. The first one was sliced apart before the others managed to react, trying to retreat. Mother chased after them when something moved in the shadows beside her¡­ I shouted a warning, but it was too late, and another Nyzir appeared behind my mother. He struck her with two daggers. Mother screamed, and the cloud of leaves rippled outward, enveloping the Nyzir and me while obscuring what happened. Cuts appeared all across my body while the Nyzir blood filled the room like a cloud of wet rain."


    There was a moment of silence, and Daubutim''s eyes burned with a deep rage before returning to their dullness.


    "When the leaves disappeared, mother was down, as were all of the Nyzir," Daubutim said. "My body was burning, and at some point, I fell unconscious. When I woke, I was as I am now. I can remember almost everything from that point onward, but barely anything from before¡­" Daubutim shook his head, staring at his clenched fists. "Father didn''t talk to me much after he found out my mind had become¡­ addled, as he called it. He sent for carded-healers and even sorcerers to look at my affliction, but none were able to fix it."


    Irwin wasn''t sure what to say, sharing a quick look with Lamia, who looked back in disbelief.


    "Did anything else change?" Irwin finally asked.


    "I don''t know. Father tested me on many things as I grew older, but I never performed as well as my brothers. Only my memory was useful, he said."


    Lamia hissed, shaking her head. "What happened to your mother?"


    Daubutim didn''t respond, quietly looking at her until Lamia''s face fell.


    "I''m sorry," she said.


    "It is alright," Daubutim said. "But this is why I expect that me being named Lord Coulwater is something that won''t stick. If my father doesn''t return, I''m afraid the family will split up as different uncles and cousins attempt to take control."


    "Alright, so how are we going to reach that portal," Irwin asked, deciding to change the subject.


    Lamia shrugged. "If we can''t have them bring us, I don''t see another option than sneaking out and going there."


    "We won''t survive. Besides, we would need to figure out where it is," Daubutim said.


    Irwin frowned, trying to come up with a solution but failing.


    "I think we should try to get more information on what is going on," he said after a while. "Perhaps we can find out where it is, or someone knows a way to reach it."


    "We would have to be careful not to alert Indoutor or Uxin''tar," Daubutim said.


    "Do you really think they would try to stop us?" Lamia asked.


    "I don''t know what to think," Irwin said. "But if we say we want to go there, we will need to explain why. And I am sure that we don''t want to do that right now. We don''t have Lord Bron here to fall back to, and if they decide to keep us here¡­?" he didn''t continue, but he saw Lamia understood what he meant.


    "Great. So, what? Go around tomorrow and try to find an answer to something we can''t ask the question to?" she muttered before pressing both hands to her face and shaking it in frustration.


    They continued thinking up a plan for a short while longer before they all withdrew to their rooms, deciding to see what the next day would bring them.


    The night passed by fast, even though Irwin kept waking up from nightmares, he couldn''t remember.


    They barely gathered in the central room when a commoner came with a tray of food and drink. It was simple, even more so than what they had gotten used to in Degonda, but none of them complained. After that, they began exploring the tower.


    A few hours later, they stood on one of the balconies, drawn there due to the great number of people watching outside. They saw a small group of riders on Cindermares racing across the smudged snowy path between their tower and the one next to it. Demons, mainly Galubs, but also a few larger four-legged things he''d never seen before, poured out of the ruins of Esterdon that lay sprawling to the right. Still, even Irwin could tell that the Cindermares would be too fast.


    "What''s going on?" he asked as he walked up to a guard that was quietly staring outside.


    The guard''s head snapped around, and he examined Irwin, his eyes widening for a moment when he had to look up. With a short nod, he turned back to the view before responding.


    "The sorcerers send another bunch of suicidal fools to try and get Lord Indoutor to send reinforcements to their tower."


    Irwin felt his skin crawl at the mention of sorcerers. He watched the group of riders push their mounts to greater speed, risking them tripping and breaking their necks.


    "This isn''t the first time?" he asked.


    "Nah. It''s been going on for a week now," the guard said. "Ever since the Youkundir''s tower got blasted." He waved over his shoulder to the other side of the tower. "Most of their surviving guards managed to reach us, meaning we are currently the tower with the most defenders."


    Irwin nodded as he saw that most of the Galubs were turning back. Only a trio of four-legged demons that looked like a cross between a dog and a lizard continued chasing them.


    "Those Tardels might actually catch up," the guard said as he leaned forward. The soft muttering around them had quieted down, and many of the guards turned and rushed back into the building towards the stairs.


    Irwin quickly saw that the guard was right. As if afraid to lose their prey, the Tardels had increased their speed, now bent low across the dirty snowed plains as they left behind fanning clouds of snow.


    The guard he had been standing cursed, pushed himself from the balcony edge, and turned to follow them.


    Irwin''s mind spun around, and as he recalled they needed information, which needed people, he wondered if this could be an opportunity to make some friends.


    "Do we need to help?" he asked.


    The guard turned and inspected him again before looking at Daubutim and Lamia. After a second, he nodded.


    "Probably not¡­ but it wouldn''t hurt to wait behind the eastern gate just in case one of them manages to barge through."


    Irwin shared a look with Daubutim before he sped up, walking down the wide staircase beside the guard.


    "It''s good to see nobles helping out for once," the guard said softly before lowering his voice to a whisper. "Is it true that the tall guy is Lord Coulwater now?"


    Irwin nodded. "Yes, that''s about right. With Lord Coulwater missing, Daubutim Coulwater is the current Lord," he whispered back.


    It couldn''t hurt to start some rumors that helped Daubutim and them in case something were to happen.


    The guard peaked across his shoulder before continuing down.


    "Any intel on his cards?"


    Irwin felt his hackles rise but suppressed it so he wouldn''t show.


    "No, just that he is pretty powerful," he whispered back.


    "He''d have to be with his father," the guard replied before continuing down the stairs.


    Irwin didn''t respond but followed him through the tower. Soon they were out of one of the side entrances and running along with other guards toward a clearing behind one of the larger gates. Rangers stood atop the wall, and one was shouting down the guards.


    Irwin caught the last bit, something about the riders almost being overtaken, and if they should open the gate to help them.


    "Damn, I guess they are going to be demon-chow," the guard Irwin had been talking to muttered.


    What? Aren''t they going to open the door to help? Irwin thought, turning to him in amazement. Even if some of those riding here were sorcerers, there had to be guards or rangers with them who would be eaten. What if there was a ranger like his brother, Bronwyn?


    "Why?" he asked, unable to keep the annoyance he felt out of his tone.


    "Why? Because if we open the doors and one of those things gets in here, we will probably lose a lot of people," the guard says, eyebrows raised.


    "Can''t we just go out through that small door and help them?" Irwin asked, pointing at the door.


    The guard looked at the door, then at Irwin, then shook his head. "You have never fought Tardels, have you? Even if you are a full-hand, there''s only one of you and three of them! We would need a dozen three-carded warriors to kill those things, and even then, we might lose."


    Irwin shook his head just as a shout came from the top.


    "The Tardels are almost on them! Any news from Lord Indoutor?"


    There was just some silence as a response, and Irwin shared a look with Daubutim, who was frowning. Irwin was about to ask if they were seriously going to do nothing when Daubutim shook his head.


    "Let''s go up so we can see," he said before running to the staircase that led up the wall. Lamia ran after him.


    Irwin took a final look at the guard, then followed them.


    As he reached the top, he saw dozens of rangers, all with bows or crossbows raised, staring beyond the wall.


    Almost three hundred feet from the gate, Irwin saw the three massive Tardels had managed to overtake the riders. They were blocking their way, but instead of attacking, they were now squared off against a hound that was even bigger than they were. Slowly circling around the sides, the three Tardels seemed disinclined to attack the hound, instead searching for a way to grab the riders. The group of Cindermares stood still, but some had hands raised, their cards glowing brightly and seemingly ready to attack.


    Irwin stared at the familiar shape, his mind reeling, as the rangers around him chatted loudly.


    "By Yilda, they are actually afraid of it!"


    "That has to be the biggest hound I''ve ever seen!"


    "Do you think it could take them?"


    "Red eyes! That''s Greldo''s Cinder Hound!"


    "Seriously?"


    "Yeah, it''s called-"


    "Coal!" Irwin snapped, moving forward. His eyes scanned for the familiar shape of Greldo, but he didn''t spot it. Only large, burly men and women on Cindermares. Where is he? As his worry grew, he made to move forward, and Daubutim''s arm was all that stopped him from hopping over the wall.


    "Wait, if we go with just the two of us, we might not be enough to sway the balance," Daubutim said.


    Before Irwin could complain, the lordling turned, raised his head, and glared around.


    "I am Daubutim Coulwater, the current Lord of the Coulwater family! There''s someone amongst those riders that needs to make it here safely!" he boomed, causing the chatter to stop instantly. "Half of the rangers with me!"


    Then he turned and sprinted back down, Irwin on his tail. He was happy when he heard feet from above, showing at least some of the rangers had listened to the order.


    Below, the guards had heard something and were now staring at Daubutim quietly, some with fear in their eyes.


    "Follow me. We are going to kill those three Tardels," he snapped as he stomped towards the small door.


    As he reached it, he stopped, and Irwin saw a guard look at Daubutim as if unsure what to do. Unable to hold back, Irwin triggered his Coperion Body, growing half a foot as his armor creaked dangerously. Now taller than even Daubutim, he stepped next to his friend while he summoned his hammer.


    "Open the door," he said, trying to make his voice as deep and commanding as he could.


    The guard''s eyes widened, and he jumped sideways, removing some bolts and pulling open the door.


    Daubutim and Irwin walked through, and as he looked ahead, Irwin saw that the Tardels had charged. Two were biting at Greldo''s hound, Coal, while the other was chomping down on one of the Cindermres while the rider crawled up from the ground.


    Irwin stepped forward. They had to hurry! He swirled around to see that guards and rangers were slowly trickling through the door while Daubutim was snapping out orders, rapidly forming them into squads.


    Too slow¡­


    Irwin took a deep breath, then turned to the battle.


    ¡°Lamia stay with Daubutim. Follow me as soon as you can. I''m going ahead to help Greldo!" he snapped. Then he leaned forward and began running towards the screaming and shouting pocket of violence.


    Don''t you dare die, he thought as he recalled how Greldo had saved his life, ruining his hands in the process.

 Chapter 84: Battle Hammer

    Irwin sprinted as fast as he could, ignoring Lamia''s worried shouts from behind. He heard Daubutim''s voice turn to a storming roar as he began ordering people around with way more fervor than before, but he paid barely any attention to it.


    All he could think about was the only link to Malorin, to his home, was ahead of him, and he needed help. A tiny part of him was yelling at him that he was acting suicidal, but he ignored that too.


    Besides, Coal can hold back two by himself, he thought as he scanned the happenings ahead, forcing himself to come up with a plan.


    If Coal could hold them back, that meant an uncommon summon was strong enough to hold two of those things at bay. With his Coperion Body, Eyes of Blaze, Hammer and flame, he should be fine holding back at least one.


    The two Tardels were making hit-and-run attacks on the larger hound, and Irwin could see Coal wanted to chase and kill one but had to hold back or risk the second one pouncing on the riders and, by extent, Greldo. He scanned the riders, including the downed one, but still couldn''t recognize his friend. There were two rangers, both wearing a hood, a robed female sorcerer that made him frown, and three guards, one with a helmet.


    It has to be one of those two rangers, Irwin thought, gripping his hammer.


    The Tardel that had ripped apart one of the cindermares let out a deafening roar as blood streamed down its maw. The other Cindermares had backed up while their riders were shooting arrows and bolts into the oncoming demon. The dismounted rider was shoving his hand forward, and what looked like bolts of air propelled from his hand, slamming into the Tardel, which seemed unaffected.


    Thick-skinned. I''ll try with Eyes of Blaze first and follow with a hammer, Irwin thought.


    The Tardel roared and rushed the riders, who scattered, while Coal let out a roar of its own, blocking one of the Tardels it was facing that jumped towards a ranger. For a moment, it looked like the Tardel would miss them, then its body jerked midair, and it lurched into the rider, knocking the Cindermare on its side. The guard screamed, his leg pinned below the animal, while the Tardel roared again, clawing and biting the struggling Cindermare. One of the Cindermares was sprinting away, straight at Irwin, and he saw a pale-faced, wide-eyed guard spurring the animal on while the first Tardel sprinted after it, blood still running down its maw.


    Fine, Irwin thought as he focused on Eyes of the Blaze, willing out a long thin beam of roaring fire that rippled out in front of him, passed the startled guard. The Cindermount dodged sideways just as the beam struck the Tardel. The demon''s eyes widened at the last moment, and it flung itself sideways, causing the fire to rip into its flank. The thick brown hide rapidly darkened, then the demon rolled away.


    Whatever it had planned, it was too late. As it scrambled up, grunting angrily, Irwin reached the monstrous thing. This close, he realized how much bigger the thing was, almost the size of a fully-grown Charbull.


    No going back now, he thought, as his flame erupted from the back of his hand. With adrenaline driven willpower, it rippled around his arm, shoulders, down his other arm, and around his hammer in a flash.


    Without slowing down, he leaned to the side and swung the flame-wrapped hammer into the side of the barrel-sized head. There was a loud crack as the Tardel stumbled to the side, barely managing to keep its footing. Noticing there was no more than a scratch and an indent, Irwin clenched his jaw, jumped after the demon, and brought his hammer down with all the power he could.


    The demon''s head bounced off the ground as its front legs gave out. As Irwin raised his hammer, the head turned up, and two glowing green eyes the size of his fists glared death at him. Seeing the glow increase, he barely managed to step back as a burst of green energy rippled across the Tardel''s body.


    As his mind spun rapidly, Irwin stepped forward and slammed his hammer down again. If he turned and ran, he''d be in trouble, which meant he had to keep the thing down until the rest came to help him. Seeing the Tardel snarl, he jumped to the side, dodged the gleaming teeth, and struck it on the side of its jaw. Teeth the size of daggers snapped, parts flying away as the Tardel howled in anger, but Iriwn ignored it, hitting it again and again. If he let the thing catch its footing, things would go much worse for him.


    Dodging back and around while striking again and again, he wished he could see where the others were. What the hell was keeping Daubutim? As seconds passed by, strike upon strike landing upon the struggling Tardel, he thought he heard shouting, but he didn''t have the time to look. If he gave the thing even a single opening, it was probably going to jump him, and he had no interest in wrestling with it.


    After what had to have been minutes, one of his strikes hit a section of skin that had been repeatedly struck before, and the charred skin cracked apart. The Tardel shivered, the gleam in its eyes dulling slightly before it tried to bite Irwin''s leg.


    More fire! He thought as he pulled his foot back and struck the Tardel''s head away.


    Pulling all he could from his flame, Irwin wreathed his upper body in it, realizing he should have equipped his grappling gauntlet. If he could have jumped on top of the thing, he could have burned it and struck it at the same time.


    The hammer, now coated in as much fire as he could produce while burning as hot as he could make it, slammed into the Tardel''s head again. The heavily damaged demon let out a weak grunt as it made a halfhearted bite in his direction. Irwin struck again, but his front foot slid sideways in the soft slick mud, and he barely managed to catch his balance. His hammer glanced off the skin, drawing a long dark streak of bubbling brown skin before thudding into the side of the eye.


    The Tardel yanked its head sideways, letting out a whimpering screech, and Irwin jumped after it, striking again and again. Slowly the demon''s movements stopped, and with a final overhand slam, Irwin saw a crack run across the center of its charred head. Dull fluid gushed out of the cracks; there was a final sigh as the Tardel slumped down, unmoving.


    Taking weary steps back, Irwin drew in ragged breaths as he watched the thing to make sure it wasn''t faking it.


    "Orwin! Step back so I can decapitate it!"


    Irwin blinked as he looked up and around. A group of guards was standing a good distance away from him, most watching him in awe. Now that he had snapped out of his frenzied hammering, he realized that he''d heard shouting before but had been ignoring it to focus on his enemy.


    Wait, what about the other things? Irwin thought as he turned around, searching for the other two Tardels. Both lay in a heap, hundreds of arrows sticking from their bodies that were sliced apart. One had its face ripped apart, and both had their heads chopped off, both lying in a large pool of blood. The bodies of two Cindermares and one guard lay nearby.


    The giant hound, Coal, stood behind them, flanked by one of the rangers who was staring intently at him.


    "Orwin!" Daubutim snapped.


    Shaking his weary confusion away, Irwin lowered his hammer, dropping the fire as he stepped back through the dark wet patch of mud. Daubutim stood nearby, two-hander in his hands, staring intently at the unmoving Tardel. Irwin moved away further as Daubutim finally rushed in. Two steps from the Tardel, he slowed and brought his sword down in a massive overhand strike striking the neck.


    There was no twitch or sound from the Tardel, but an incredulous muttering came from the guards.


    Daubutim continued chopping until the head slid away from the body. Only then did he step away, lowering his sword and his guard and turning to Irwin.


    "You could have waited," he said calmly.


    "And risk them being overrun?" Irwin replied as he unsummoned his hammer and strode towards Daubutim. "Besides, everything turned out fine, right?"


    Daubutim shook his head, but Irwin saw that the corner of his mouth was twitching.


    A heavy thud of feet made him look up, and he saw Coal -wait is that really Coal?- trudging towards him, a ranger to his side.


    "When I heard that Lord Daubutim Coulwater had been spotted here, I thought I''d find you here," a familiar voice said as two gloved hands pushed the ranger hood back, revealing a pale face, the patchwork beginnings of a beard split by a huge grin. "Though I almost thought I''d been mistaken¡­ right, Orwin?"


    Irwin couldn''t stop the wide grin from spreading as he walked towards Greldo. Below the shaggy beard, the thin scars running across his cheeks and face that looked like he''d been clawed by a giant bird, he recognized his friend.


    "Yeah, that''s a long story," he said.


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Two steps from Greldo, a soft growl made him stop, and he looked at Coal.


    "Coal¡­ you grew," he said, unable to come up with anything more intelligent.


    "Like you''re one to talk. We had some¡­ fun in a portal," Greldo said. His grin was replaced by a pained look before returning to a smile so fast that Irwin almost thought he''d imagined it.


    "More portals?" Irwin said, acting as if he hadn''t seen it." Well, you''re going to have to tell me all about it!"


    Greldo nodded as he inspected Irwin, his gaze lingering on the back of Irwin''s now completed full-hand.


    "We definitely have to talk," he said as he shook his head in disbelief.


    Daubutim moved beside them.


    "We need to get out of here. The blood might draw in more demons, even if we are this close to the tower," the lordling said as he inspected Greldo. "Besides, I''ll need to explain my actions to my cousin."


    Irwin flinched, realizing he might have gotten Daubutim into some trouble by acting as he had.


    Greldo moved a bit closer. "Make sure you keep an eye on that sorcerer," he whispered. "Rumors about a young man with an anvil that can take cards up ranks are spreading throughout the sorcerer''s tower."


    Irwin gritted his teeth, keeping himself from looking at the sorcerer. "So, Twintin survived?" he whispered.


    Greldo nodded, but his eyes flashed a warning.


    Irwin felt his elation at seeing his friend dampened. As if they needed any more trouble.


    "Let''s talk later," Daubutim said as he turned and moved back to the guards that had kept their distance. The Cindermares stood in a small group to the side, the sorcerer in the center, looking at Daubutim and Irwin with clear gray eyes.


    Irwin beckoned Greldo, who nodded before turning to Coal.


    "Better for you to head back for a bit," Greldo whispered as he rubbed the massive hound''s jawline. There was a surprisingly soft whimper. "I know you don''t like it, but you wouldn''t like it in the tower either. I''ll summon you as soon as I''m in a room large enough."


    Irwin was surprised at the intelligent way Coal looked at Greldo before lowering its head. Greldo sighed and turned as there was a flash from his hand. Coal vanished, leaving behind nothing but large imprints in the muddy ground.


    "He doesn''t like it when I unsummon him," Greldo said as he followed along with Irwin.


    Wondering what that even meant, Irwin nodded. He saw Lamia near a few of the guards, and as soon as she met his eyes, she ran forward.


    "So, this is that friend of yours?" she said as she looked at Greldo.


    Irwin nodded while Greldo stepped forward, hand outstretched. Lamia gripped it, and Irwin saw a slight gleam appear in her eyes while Greldo grunted in surprise.


    "Greldo."


    "Lamia, as you heard," Lamia said, the corners of her mouth turned up.


    As they let go, Irwin shook his head as he saw Greldo shake his hand.


    "Don''t break my friend right after I find him again," Irwin said as he began following the large group of guards and rangers.


    The Cindermare riders moved up beside them as they walked.


    "Greldo, thanks for saving us back there," the other ranger, a man with a brown and gray beard and pale green eyes, said.


    "No problem," Greldo replied in a short, brusk way. He merely glanced at the man before continuing forward.


    Wondering what that had been about, Irwin noticed that the gray-eyed sorcerer was staring at him with unabashed interest. It was hard to decide how old the man was, but the tiny lines along his forehead and cheeks showed he had to be thirty at least.


    Not sure what to do, Irwin merely nodded before focusing back ahead.


    Why is he here¡­ Irwin wondered. Somehow, he had the feeling it wasn''t just to ask for help. Could he be here because of Ambraz?


    I shouldn''t have told them at that time, he thought, not for the first time berating himself for his actions. They had seemed reasonable at the time, but now, in hindsight?


    They continued on quietly until they reached the gate, which was still closed. The guards were trickling in through the smaller door while Irwin heard a heated conversation on the other side. He couldn''t make it out, but he did recognize Indoutor''s voice. When they were up and moved through, he saw Daubutim stand to the side, staring emotionlessly at Indoutor.


    "And there''s my other cousin," Indoutor snapped as he glared at Irwin. "It''s a good thing you took down that thing by yourself, Orwin, or you could have cost me a dozen guards!"


    Irwin frowned as he moved closer. With Coperion Body still active, he towered over Indoutor, and he saw the other''s eyes narrow angrily.


    "I needed to save a friend," Irwin said as he looked at Indoutor. "I''m sure you would have done the same in my situation."


    Indoutor frowned his mouth opening, then closing. After a few moments, he snorted. "Not if saving a friend''s life could have cost the lives of so many others," he said.


    Countering his words, Irwin could see a slight approval in the other''s eyes.


    He isn''t wrong, though, Irwin thought as he looked at the nearby guards. What would he have done if his outburst had caused some of them to die?


    "At least now I have a better idea of your capabilities," Indoutor said, drawing Irwin''s attention back to him.


    "I''d never have thought that Ondrist would father someone as capable as this," the Tower Lord added before he turned back to Daubutim, eyes narrowing.


    "Nevertheless, cousin, don''t order my men around again. Especially for a suicide mission. As nobody was harmed, I''ll let it slide this time¡­ just don''t do it again."


    Indoutor stared at Daubutim for a few moments. Daubutim didn''t seem affected by the berating, quietly looking back.


    "Good. As long as you understand," Indoutor finally said with an annoyed shrug. Then he turned around and strode toward the sorcerer. Irwin heard him mutter, not this guy again, under his breath as he left.


    Irwin frowned. Did Indoutor know the sorcerer? He took a step forward to listen in when a hand held him back. Looking to the side, he saw Greldo quickly shake his head before moving his chin to the tower.


    "How about you show me your room," Greldo whispered.


    Taking another look at the sorcerer, Irwin slowly nodded.


    "Right, let''s go catch up," he replied.


    He turned, drawing Daubutim and Lamia along with him. As they left, he had the feeling someone was watching them, but a quick look around didn''t reveal anyone looking their way.


    A short while later, they walked into the shared room between the bedrooms, Irwin carrying a plate filled with bread and four steaming bowls of soup.


    "Why do I get the feeling you''ve been living a much easier life than I have?" Greldo said as he moved to a chair and dropped into it, looking around while shaking his head.


    "You get what you deserve," Irwin said as he placed the food on the table.


    Greldo let out another snort while Lamia laughed. Daubutim ignored them, taking a bowl of soup. The others copied him, and for a short while, the only sound in the room was that of people eating.


    When Irwin removed the last of the thin, meatless soup from his bowl with a bit of the dry bread, he looked up to find Greldo staring at him.


    "What?"


    "The way you eat this makes someone believe it''s the best food in town," Greldo said. "I''d hoped there would be some better chow here, but I guess it''s the same in all of the towers."


    "You have been to more than the sorcerer one?" Irwin asked as he leaned back.


    "Most of them," Greldo said as he nodded. "I have been keeping an eye on Twintin and the other sorcerers while running around, looking for any rumor about the two of you."


    Irwin flinched as he suddenly felt guilty. He''d never put much effort into searching for Greldo, no more than asking Daubutim to keep an ear out with the merchants.


    "How did you hear about us?" Daubutim asked as he looked up from his half filled bowl.


    Greldo sniffed. "Those sorcerers have people in every tower, listening in on things. As soon as you two showed up, it took them less than an hour to know everything that had happened."


    "Is that why that sorcerer came here?" Irwin asked.


    "Hult¡­ is problematic," Greldo said. "He is probably one of the four most powerful individuals in Esterdon and a nasty piece of work."


    Irwin frowned. "He didn''t do much against those Tardel."


    Greldo looked up, grimacing. "He could have easily dealt with them if he''d wanted. I''ve seen him take care of a true Difflor demon before."


    "On his own?" Irwin asked as he leaned forward.


    "Sucked the air out from around the thing, holding it in place with some sort of tendrils and suffocating it to death."


    There was a moment of silence before Lamia cursed.


    "Bloody sorcerers. If he could have helped, those two guards didn''t have to die," she hissed.


    "Not sure if you have noticed, but sorcerers don''t really care much for the rest of us," Greldo said before snorting. "Almost as bad as nobles. Present company excluded."


    Daubutim didn''t respond, while Irwin nodded slowly.


    "So, Orwin¡­ what''s that all about?" Greldo asked.


    "We had to find a good reason to come here and have Daubutim''s father help out," Irwin said. "Then Lord Bron of Degonda decided to keep us there to help him deal with all those portals¡­"


    Irwin noticed that Lamia was looking at him oddly, and he shrugged. "Let''s just say I was born with a different name."


    "Not that much different," Greldo snorted. "Are you going to keep that name¡­ or?"


    "What happened to you? You were gone when we exited the portal," Irwin said, ignoring the question. He wasn''t ready or willing to think about that right now.


    "After the two of you went in, I waited for you for a while, but more and more demons began roaming around. At some point, a pair of Night Hags picked up my scent, and I had to flee."


    A vague memory of odd voices talking around a bush replayed through Irwin''s mind, and he shivered.


    "Luckily, I managed to reach this group of survivors from surrounding towns, led by Tanya of all people! I was lucky that she didn''t recognize me, but when I found Twintin among the apprentices trailing around her, I decided to stick around and keep an eye on them. I joined the rangers, which was easy as they needed every hand they could get, and we made our way here. After that¡­"


    Greldo looked at the wall as if he was seeing something else. "There wasn''t a way to leave, with all those surges everywhere, and we had said to meet here. And seeing as you are here now, I guess I made the right choice."


    Irwin nodded, wondering if the group Greldo had found was the one they had brought the little girl to. For a moment, he thought about asking Greldo, but then he shoved the idea down. It didn''t matter if he had, and he couldn''t do anything about it anyway.


    "We couldn''t get here any sooner," he said, slightly guilty again.


    He wondered if it was really true. He might have been able to flee on a few occasions, but between Trimdir and learning card reforging, he had just... forgotten about it.


    "Don''t worry about it," Greldo said as he rubbed his hands together.


    Noting the gloves, Irwin licked his lips. "Your hands?" he asked quietly.


    Greldo stared at his hands as if he was only just realizing what he was doing and dropped them in his lap.


    "I can use them," he said bruskly before looking at Lamia. He seemed to hesitate, looked at Daubutim, then back to Irwin, and narrowed his eyes.


    "Do you still have that thing?"


    Irwin nodded slowly, his mind spinning. Lamia knew he had a mysterious Anvil, but he hadn''t ever told her about Ambraz. He also wasn''t going to until he was in the hub-world and sure that it was safe, which meant maybe never.


    "Of course! I know how you feel about me having a utility anvil card, but you know how much it hurts to remove one," Irwin said. "Besides, it has its uses."


    Greldo''s gaze flickered to Lamia. Then he let out a laugh. "If you say so."


    Irwin grinned, glad Greldo was quick on the uptake.


    "So¡­ why did you come here?" Greldo asked, his smile fading and a serious look returning. "And don''t tell me it was because of my pretty face."


    Irwin crossed his arms, and as he did, his Coperion Body stopped working, causing his body to shrink.


    Greldo leaned forward, his eyes widening. "That''s one nice trick," he grunted. "Card?"


    "What else?" Irwin said as he rubbed his hands. "So¡­ about why we are here."

 Chapter 85: Grey-eyed watcher

    After explaining to Greldo why they had come here, the other boy fell into a quiet reflection.


    Not sure what was going on in his friend''s head, Irwin began talking about some of the things that had happened to him and Daubutim, including their encounter with the Bablibon and their journey to Degonda. Greldo and Lamia, who also hadn''t heard it before, asked a few questions, especially about the Bablibon and if it might have followed through the portal.


    When Irwin finished, there was a long moment of quiet before Greldo turned to him.


    "I''m coming," he said, stating it as a fact and seeming to leave no room for argument.


    Irwin had hoped Greldo might come while at the same time not sure what to expect. They hadn''t seen each other in what felt like years but was probably closer to months, and both had changed immensely. Besides, he and the others were going somewhere that was going to be dangerous, and as much as he was trying to suppress the fear of it, they might not all come back alive.


    "Are you sure?" he finally asked.


    Greldo stared at him, raising an eyebrow. "The world''s going to shatter, there is little we can do to fix it, and you are going to try to do something about it. What else can I do? Remain here?"


    Nobody answered, but there was a round of smiles and grins.


    "So, have you got a plan to reach that portal then?" Greldo asked finally, a smug smile on his face.


    Irwin rolled his eyes. He had no idea what Greldo was planning, but a fool could see he had an idea.


    "Not yet," he said. "We were looking around to try and find some way when we had to save your sorry self from trouble."


    Greldo''s grin turned wider. "No? Well, it''s a good thing I managed to find you before you got yourself killed then!"


    Lamia snorted before letting out a giggle that seemed to surprise her as much as it did the others.


    Irwin was about to comment on it when Daubutim scraped his throat.


    "You know a way to the portal?" the tall noble asked, staring at Greldo.


    "Of course I do," Greldo said. "I''ve been running around here for a while, and contrary to what most people think, the rangers are still scouting the ruins to try and keep an idea of what''s happening."


    "And you''ve been going with them?" Irwin asked.


    "Me and Coal have been-" Greldo began before slapping his head and jumping up. With a quick look around, he stepped toward the largest empty area in the room. His card flashed, and a second later, Coal''s massive form appeared. The side of his shoulder thudded into a drawer, and as he looked around, he jostled a chair.


    "Calm down, you big lug," Greldo said. "It only took slightly longer this time. Now, lie down quietly so you don''t break this place!"


    Coal turned his burning eyes to the youth before doing as ordered, his eyes looking around curiously.


    Greldo sat down beside him, his back against the hound''s side as he looked at the others.


    "Where was I? A right! So, me and Coal here have been keeping track of what''s happening in the ruins. I know where the portal is, and I think I have a way of reaching it without dying in the process."


    The others stared at him, Daubutim even leaning forward expectantly.


    "So, tell us already," Lamia finally snapped, letting out an annoyed shrug.


    "Just wanting to make sure you''re interested," Greldo said, his grin widening.


    He didn''t change all that much, Irwin decided as he shook his head, before focusing on Greldo.


    --


    Lord Indoutor sat opposite the sorcerer Hult, wishing Uxin''tar was here to talk to his annoying ex-colleague.


    Where is that geezer anyway? he thought as he looked around, letting Hult prattle on. He''d been telling him about a bunch of sorcerer''s apprentices that stole something from him. Nothing interesting at all, just as he''d expected. Why can''t someone else listen to his-


    "Lord Indoutor!"


    Hult''s angry snap drew his attention back. "What?" he retorted, no less angry.


    "Am I boring you?" Hult asked as he glared hard.


    Yes. Indoutor thought, thinking for a few moments and finally deciding it would probably make the conversation last longer if he actually said that.


    "You''re looking for a bunch of apprentices that stole some magical anvil from you," he said, waving his hand. "Have you been looking around? There are more important things going around than some-"


    A dull boom came as Hult slammed his hand on the table, causing a slight impression on the surface while the entire massive thing shivered.


    Indoutor''s eyes narrowed as he focused fully on Hult. His annoyed boredom was gone now, as he felt his deeply buried hatred for sorcerers bubble up. He''d managed to curb it around Uxin''tar, mostly because he looked ready to keel over and had left the other sorcerers, but he was damned if he was going to let this slide.


    "Sorcerer Hult," he said slowly, as he leaned forward. "Do I need to remind you where you are? Or who I am?"


    The tension in the room grew as the back of the sorcerer''s hands began glowing softly, instantly followed by those on the backs of Lord Indoutor.


    Do you think I''m afraid of you? Indoutor thought as he began pushing himself up.


    The door to the luxurious room was shoved open, startling them both.


    "Bah, what are you doing, you bunch of juvenile delinquents," Uxin''tar rasped goodnaturedly as he slowly hobbled into the room. "I''m gone for a bit and you act like you want to have a brawl that might destroy the entire tower?"


    Indoutor didn''t respond, but he saw Hult''s eyes flickered to Uxin''tar before he leaned back, the glow of his cards dying down. Only then did Indoubor relax, withdrawing his own focus on his cards.


    Uxin''tar shuffled to a chair before sitting down to creaking and grunts of effort.


    "What took you so long?" Indoutor asked, unable to hold his annoyance out of his voice.


    "Did you just see me walk in? It takes me a week just to get up these stairs," Uxin''tar said. "I told you to not put your welcome room on the top floor, didn''t I?"


    Indoutor blinked, then shrugged faintly, recalling a conversation like that.


    "Elder," Hult began, only for the ancient sorcerer to look up with an angry glint.


    "I''m not your elder, boy. Now. What is this about a magical anvil?"


    Indoutor barely held back a groan. Seriously? He had to hear this again?


    Leaning back, he ignored the sorcerer''s prattle as he thought back to the scene of Orwin charging the Tardel. He''d never seen anyone hit one of those things with a hammer, let alone hard enough for it to be stunned. He had dealt with them one on one himself and knew exactly how tenacious and voracious they were. If someone had told him before that someone without a rare or better carded-greatsword could take care of one of those monsters, he''d have had them locked up for a week. He knew that the body improvement card that caused him to grow and change his skin tone had something to do with it, but still¡­ he knew of a dozen people with cards like those, and he didn''t think any could strike with that much force.


    And those flames¡­ first from the eyes then around himself and the hammer, he thought. Was that a single card? If so, it had to be very-rare. He''d never heard of anything below that doing so many things.


    Four cards¡­ I''d say one for the hammer, one for the skin. That leaves the flames and the eyes. Probably two cards unless he didn''t show all he has.


    After a few moments, he began with one of his favorite pastimes. As he replayed the fight in his mind, he knew his cousin''s main weak point was his speed, and he began coming up with ways to take him out if he had to. It took him only a few minutes to find at least a dozen, mostly ranged or with superior speed.


    "Lord Indoutor, would you care to weigh in?" Uxin''tar said so loud he had to cough right after.


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    Lord Indoutor frowned, annoyed at the disturbance, as he saw the two sorcerers look at him. Hult seemed annoyed, while Uxin''tar just stared at him with a smirk.


    "About?"


    Hult hissed, but Uxin''tar silenced him with a hand gesture.


    "If we are to go to your cousins and demand to inspect them to find the anvil Hult says was stolen from him," Uxin''tar said.


    Indoutor frowned. Were those two old fools still going on about some stupid Anvil? Besides, what if Orwin had taken it? He was part of house Coulwater until someone proved the opposite, which with Caldangen fallen, could prove difficult. No. He shook his head. If he let some stupid sorcerer try and grab things from one of his cousins, what would his men think? That he''d lay down to some sorcerer that came barging in?


    "No," he said, taking delight in the darkening face of Hult. "I''ll go and ask them about it tomorrow, but neither of you is to make a move. Clear?"


    Uxin''tar just nodded, and Hult was surprised to see a slight smile on the wrinkly old face.


    Hult''s mouth opened, and he seemed ready to argue, so Indoutor quickly rose.


    "Enough. I''ve got other things to take care of now. Uxin''tar, has Jondir returned from the mission you send him on?"


    "Not yet, Lord.


    Bah. Thinks he can just use my men for his own needs, Indoutor grunted.


    "Fine. Send him to me as soon as he returns."


    "Yes, Lord."


    Indoutor took a last look at Hult before leaving.


    As the door closed, Hult hissed.


    "Why didn''t you-"


    Uxin''tar leaned forward, a dull glow erupting from him that covered both of them, causing a slight silence to appear all around them. Hult fell quiet, his face turning slightly pale.


    "Don''t bother them. Understand?"


    Hult nodded reluctantly, and the oddly glowing light turned more intense while a shivering pressure came from all around, making him flinch.


    "Good. Then I suggest you head back to your own tower and tell the new tower Lord or Lady that she is not to bother me again. Or I''ll pay you all a visit."


    Another nod, then the light and pressure vanished, and Uxin''tar rose.


    "I''ll not be seeing you out," he muttered in his cracking old voice, slowly walking out and closing the door behind them.


    As soon as he was gone, Hult struck the table again, and a long crack appeared across its length.


    "You''re not getting rid of me that easily," he whispered.


    --


    The day had passed by quietly as Irwin and the others mainly remained in their rooms, only leaving to get more food. They had begun planning how to leave, taking more food than they needed and putting it in their bags.


    When the sky slowly darkened, Irwin got up.


    "Better try and get some rest," he said before turning to Daubutim. "Are you sure you can wake up at the set time?"


    Daubutim rose, moving to his room. "Of course."


    Irwin shared a look with Greldo.


    "I''ll stay here with Coal. He will wake me when you come out of your rooms," his friend said as he leaned back and closed his eyes.


    Irwin wondered how it would feel to sleep against a massive dog''s body, then he turned and saw Lamia staring at him. She was fidgeting, but as soon as she saw him looking, she smiled quickly and hurried into her room.


    Now what? Irwin wondered as he moved into his own room.


    He was surprised at how easily he fell asleep, and when someone softly knocked on the door, he shot up right away, looking around. From how ruddy the room looked, he knew it was dark outside, and he quickly got up. He''d gone to sleep fully dressed, except for his boots, which he quickly put on before walking out of his room.


    The others were already sitting around, though Lamia and Greldo both looked around bleary-eyed.


    "I hate waking up in the middle of the night," Greldo muttered.


    "Isn''t that normal?" Lamia whispered, rubbing her head.


    Irwin didn''t say anything, but he saw Daubutim shake his head as he stepped before them, staring at Greldo.


    "Alright, get yourself awake and ready. Chances are there will be guards nearby, and-"


    "Ugh, I know," Greldo whispered. "I''ve done this before, you know?"


    Daubutim didn''t seem the least bit deterred.


    "Yes, you have told us. But you seem barely awake, and as you said, if we do it now, it''s likely nobody will see it coming."


    "Are we really sure Indoutor wouldn''t just let us leave?" Lamia asked as she hung across the chair''s armrest.


    "No, but if we ask, any potential surprise of us leaving will be gone," Daubutim said.


    "Right. Just asking."


    Irwin moved beside Greldo, nudging him. "Good luck."


    "No worries," Greldo said as he got up and began stretching his arms, then his legs.


    After a few moments, he moved to Coal.


    "Sorry buddy, you''ve gotta go in again. But after we get out of here, you can run around for a while!"


    I wonder how the hub-world handles summons, Irwin thought as he saw Coal roll its eyes before yipping.


    A flash of dim light later, the room was down one massive summoned hound, and Greldo pulled the hood over his head. Another card, his third and one he had just said helped him get around, flared up for a moment, and a dim shadow seemed to wrap around him.


    "Where did he go?" Lamia asked, her voice slightly higher than before.


    "I think he''s still there¡­ look, the shadow," Daubutim replied.


    "That''s so awesome," she whispered.


    Irwin saw Greldo look at her, a proud grin on his face.


    "Yeah, pretty awesome," Irwin said as he stared straight into his friend''s eyes. Greldo looked up, and his eyes widened. He stepped to the side, and when Irwin followed him with a grin, his face fell, and he shook his head. Irwin saw his lips move in a silent curse before he turned. Irwin expected him to open the door or something, but Greldo stepped into the dim shadow next to the door and vanished.


    It''s like what that Slaughter Demon did, Irwin thought. Or at least close to it.


    As he thought about that, he suddenly wondered if that was where Greldo''s card came from. Did he go into a portal with more of those horrible things? That couldn''t be¡­ right? Just one almost ended them all!


    "Do you think he will be able to do what he said he would?" Lamia asked as she moved beside him.


    "Yes," Irwin said, nodding. "I don''t believe he would have said so otherwise. Either that, or he changed a lot from the last time we saw him."


    "He is from the same town as you?"


    "Malorin, yes," Irwin said.


    "Was it a nice place?"


    Irwin blinked, turned to Lamia, and saw a tightness in her face, as she clenched her hands.


    She''s afraid.


    It somehow surprised him. She knew what they were going to do... so why would she be... then it hit him. Sneaking out of a tower near one of the most dangerous places on the peninsula before making their way into the ruins of a dangerous demon-filled city riddled with portals was scary. It wasn''t odd that Lamia was afraid. The odd thing was... Why wasn''t he afraid?


    "Orwin?"


    He smiled at Lamia and shrugged. He''d worry about his own lack of fear later.


    "It''s nice enough, but me and Greldo, we were from the poorest part of town. Most of the things I remember were not having enough food to eat, being tired from helping my mom or-"


    He almost added, angry at the world for how weak my body is. As he closed his mouth with a snap, he raised his arm, clenching his fist and looked at the corded muscles running across his lower arm. It was probably thicker than his leg had been only a year ago.


    "Sorry, I didn''t want to remind you of bad things," Lamia whispered.


    "No, no! Not bad," Irwin said as he grinned. "Just remembered something. If I told you what I looked like a year ago¡­"


    "Well, I remember how skinny you were when you came to Trimdir!" she snorted.


    "Yeah¡­ try and imagine me from back then with half the weight," Irwin said. He knew he was laying it on a bit too thick, but seeing Lamia smile made him feel better.


    She frowned, then saw him grin and shook her head.


    "That would make you the size of a twelve-year-old. Don''t trick me!"


    Irwin flinched as he realized that was exactly what he had looked like back then.


    A soft thud came from the shadows beside the door, and Irwin looked up just in time to see Greldo reappear.


    "We''re in trouble," Greldo hissed. "Hult is missing, and there are guards looking to find him. I trailed after a group, and they said Uxin''tar had ordered them to find and capture him."


    Irwin frowned. "Do you think you can still sneak us out?"


    Greldo shook his head. "Not with guards everywhere."


    "This isn''t good," Daubutim said as he stepped forward. "If we can''t sneak out now, there is a constantly greater likelihood of my cousin acting in a way that will be problematic."


    "What if we say we are going to help find that sorcerer?" Lamia said from the side, causing the three young men to look at her.


    "Well, you know him, right?" she asked as he pointed at Greldo. "You could say that you might be able to track him, and we are there to help in case he acts up. The guards, they''ve seen what musclehead over here can do-"


    "Hey!" Irwin exclaimed.


    "And with Lord Coulwater with us¡­?"


    "That''s not a bad idea," Greldo said, looking at Lamia appreciatively.


    Irwin agreed, and as he stared at Daubutim, he saw his friend''s eyes flicker from dull to sharp rapidly, showing he was trying to work through something.


    "What-" Greldo began, but Irwin raised his hand, putting his finger to his lips.


    "Wait a moment."


    Greldo frowned but ignored him, waiting for Daubutim to work through whatever blockade he had. It took almost half a minute, then Daubutim looked up.


    "It''s a good plan," he said. "Even if we can''t find him, we can use it to say that we are going to look around the outside because you found a trail. Once outside, we can use the cover of darkness to leave. The problem is, we can''t take our bags because that will make the guards suspicious. Stuff food in your pockets."


    Greldo whistled, staring at Daubutim.


    "Alright, let''s go right away," Irwin said as he headed to his bags, removing food and other things and stuffing them in his pockets. He ended with a flagon of water that he hung from his belt before moving to the door. The others had finished, and there was a sudden tension as he saw they all realized they were moving out.


    "Daubutim, can you take the lead?" Irwin said.


    Daubutim moved forward with a curt nod, and the others followed after him.


    It was quiet and dark in the clean corridors as they walked down the luxurious area of the tower they had been placed within. Simple lighting stones sat at regular intervals, something Irwin still had a hard time believing.


    As they reached the lower floors, loud footsteps, and voices were heading their way. Curbing a corner, a group of four guards stopped as they spotted them, but Daubutim continued, seemingly unperturbed.


    "Lord Coulwater?" the lead guard asked, and Irwin saw him frown as he gazed at him and the others.


    "Squad leader," Daubutim said calmly. "I''ve heard there are troubles with the sorcerer that we saved this afternoon?"


    "Yes, Lord," the guard said, seemingly surprised. "But there is no need to worry. We will find him soon. Lord Indoutor said that everyone should remain in their rooms until-"


    "Yes, Squad Leader," Daubutim said, interrupting the man with a sharpness Irwin knew had to be instilled by his father. "However, I have the ranger here that traveled with the sorcerer and reason to believe that he can locate him. So, we are going to search around until we find and apprehend him."


    The guard turned pale, and Irwin saw the others look at each other in worry.


    "Yes, my Lord, but the sorcerer might be dangerous¡­"


    "My cousin, Orwin, is with us," Daubutim said, waving behind him. "I''m sure you have seen or heard about his feat yesterday?"


    Irwin blinked, not sure how he felt when he saw the four pairs of eyes trail on him, nor when he saw the nods of approval. He managed to keep his face blank and nodded at the guards.


    Daubutim stepped forward as if he was going to go through the guards. "Now, Squad Leader, good luck with your search. If we find the sorcerers, we will make sure to create a loud racket so you can find us and him. I''d suggest you do the same, and we will come to your aid as fast as we can."


    The guard hesitated, then stepped aside.


    "Please be careful, Lord Coulwater," the man said.


    Daubutim nodded as he walked by him and down the staircase. As the others followed him, Irwin heard Greldo and Lamia whispering.


    "I never saw him act like that!"


    "He''s a lord. What did you expect?"


    "Hush," Irwin whispered as he hurried after Daubutim down the staircase.


    They moved past another few guards, but Daubutim only had to talk a few times before they reached the outside of the tower. As they moved through the city towards the gate, Greldo moved beside Daubutim, acting as if he was using a card.


    "Do you think they will fall for it?" Lamia whispered.


    "Probably," Irwin whispered back.


    --


    As they continued along, none of them noticed a pair of pale gray eyes glaring at them from a nearby roof.

 Chapter 86: Armless

    "Alright, we are out of sight," Greldo said as he turned and stared in the direction of the city.


    Irwin sighed in relief as he looked at the others. Lamia was looking around, eyes narrowed.


    Although there was some starlight out, the thick cloud cover was making it hard for all except him to see further than a few dozen feet.


    "I''ll walk in the front," Irwin said as he moved forward. "Greldo, tell me where to go."


    "As soon as we are further away, I''ll summon Coal. He can lead us around any demons," Greldo said as he moved alongside Irwin. "For now, we need to reach the location of the old northern gate. Do you see it?"


    Irwin looked ahead. A vast dirty white layer of snow, marred by deep gauges and furrows inflicted during the many battles and fights, separated them from the ruins of Esterdon. Beyond lay the towering gray and black ruins, and even from this far, he could see a few glimmers of portals in a few locations. A massive section of wall with half of a tower remained on one side, all that remained of what must have been an enormous entrance long ago.


    "Alright, let''s head out," he said, repressing a shiver. It was cold, colder than he would like, but he didn''t dare summon his Coperion Body yet. He might need all of its duration later.


    They continued onward, and ten minutes later, Greldo summoned Coal. As soon as the enormous hound was out, he sniffed the air walking around. Then he headed out, changing direction slightly.


    "There are a few burrowed things ahead," Greldo said as he followed his summon. "Coal will lead us around them, but make sure you all stay quiet. No talking."


    Irwin didn''t respond, taking the back so he could keep an eye on anything that might sneak up on them. Daubutim and Lamia moved in between, Daubutim fully armored and with his greatsword out.


    As they continued on, Coal kept changing directions, causing them to zigzag toward the ruins at a slow pace. Nobody was complaining, though.


    I wonder if Hutch will understand what we did, Irwin thought as he looked around, standing still and looking behind him.


    A slight flash of something ruddy shot behind a snow bump.


    What¡­?


    Irwin narrowed his eyes but continued moving. Had that been his imagination?


    No. I''m sure I saw something, he thought.


    He kept walking, but unable to keep his attention on the spot behind him, he kept having to look forward and back. A few minutes later, he had yet to see something again, and he was starting to hesitate. Perhaps it had been his imagination? He hesitated, then increased his pace until he was beside Daubutim.


    "I might have seen something move behind us," he whispered. "Can''t be sure as it was only a tiny flash, and it didn''t happen again."


    Daubutim looked at him and frowned.


    "Keep watch. I''ll warn the others."


    Irwin nodded before looking behind them again. There was no movement, but for some reason, after having spoken about it, he felt more certain he''d seen something.


    But what could it be? A demon? Someone from the tower?


    Almost an hour later, they reached the edges of the ruins, and Irwin hadn''t seen any more movement. As the towering buildings loomed closer, he was starting to pay more attention ahead.


    A dull thrumming sound came from behind them, and they all spun around. The fire beacons atop Coulwater had been igniting, flicking in the distance and illuminating the area below it. Tiny specs seemed to be moving below.


    "Now what?" Greldo snapped.


    "They probably realized we are missing," Daubutim said calmly. "Let''s continue."


    "Do you think your cousin is going to try and come after us?" Lamia whispered.


    "Hard to say," Daubutim said as he followed Greldo. "But, be still. There might be demons around."


    Lamia nodded, and Irwin saw her look around with a bit of fear.


    They passed two crumbling structures before Coal led them along the remnants of a wall that still towered over them. A while later, they reached a narrow crack, and they followed the hound through and into the true interior of Esterdon.


    A soft howling and whistling of the wind rippling through and along the remnants of four-story buildings and crumbled heaps of stone surrounded them.


    As they moved around the corner of a building of which the top floors seemed to have exploded outward, Coal stopped and jumped to the side, pushing Greldo away. A tiny flickering light barely missed the hooded youth, striking Coal''s broad flank.


    Irwin spun around, triggering Coperion Body mid-move as he tried to find where the attack had come from.


    "Incoming," Greldo hissed at the same time.


    All Irwin saw were silent, dusty stone buildings, no movement or glimmering of weapons or armor.


    "I don''t-" he began just as Daubutim shoved him to the side. Metal upon stone came from the wall next to him, and he saw a thin straw-like piece of metal stick out of the wall. It shuddered twice, then drooped down like a hair, slid out of the wall, and shot to the ground, where it seemed to vanish.


    I didn''t even see where it came from, Irwin thought as he looked around, feeling his hair stand on end.


    "Careful. It''s Hult!" Greldo hissed as he jumped back and raised his hand. A muted glow shone through his glove, and a crossbow appeared in his hand, which he pointed at the roof of one of the ruined buildings behind them, instantly shooting.


    A surprised cry came, followed by a soft laugh.


    "Not bad¡­ I''d thought I would have been able to take out at least one of you like this," a soft voice called out.


    Didn''t Hult have some kind of air card? Irwin thought.


    "Why are you doing this?" he snapped as he stared at the building ahead.


    "Why do you think, boy?" A soft burst of laughter came from another roof as two flashes of silvery light shot at them.


    Irwin summoned his hammer and shielded Lamia''s face in a single move just in time for two metal straws to strike it with enough force that he felt the hammer jolt.


    "It''s useless," Irwin snapped as he searched for the location of the sorcerer.


    "Careful, he can move short distances instantly," Greldo whispered. "I''ve seen him use three of his cards. Don''t let him get too close, or he will remove the air from around you and suffocate you."


    "Now, now, that''s not nice. Telling on other people''s cards!"


    More laughter came from one spot before almost instantly moving to another spot.


    "How about this, boy? You give me that anvil, and I''ll let the four of you leave?" Hult''s voice called from another roof just as another two silvery straws shot forward, low over the ground, striking against Daubutim''s leg. The young noble let out a strangled cry as he dropped to the ground, clasping his hand around the tubes. Instantly, blood began shooting out with high pressure.


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    "Got one!"


    Daubutim grunted as he began ripping at the straws.


    "I can''t get them out," he grunted.


    Irwin jumped forward, grabbed one of the straws, and pulled. There was a moment of intense resistance, then he yanked the tube out. There was a finger of meat around it with tiny silvery tubes moving around like worms. Daubutim let out a strangled cry, and Irwin quickly grabbed the second one, ripping it out too.


    These things are horrible, he thought as he threw them away while swallowing back his rising bile.


    "Oh, you have some strong fingers," Hult shouted mockingly.


    Irwin was about to retort when he saw something move from the corner of his eye. Coal moved like a blur, blocking two more straws before they could drill into Lamia''s neck.


    "Stay close together and move," Daubutim snarled, jumping forward with his hand still on his leg, which was bleeding badly.


    "Come now? How about it? Give me the anvil, and I''ll stop and leave you alone," Hult called out.


    "Don''t run around," Greldo snapped. "There are demons everywhere."


    Daubutim didn''t seem to care as he ran around a corner, and Irwin and the others quickly followed him.


    "Have Coal guide us to the center, a spot with a roof," Daubutim snapped.


    Two silvery blurs struck the wall just beside his head, and an annoyed tsssk came from nearby.


    "Think I can''t hit you when you''re moving?" Hult snarled.


    "Three seconds," Daubutim hissed.


    Irwin blinked, then realized what his friend meant.


    One, two- he counted, barely even reaching two when two silvery flashed shots from the roof ahead of them straight at Greldo, who barely managed to duck. Is it because of his teleport or his ranged attack?


    They sprinted forward, and Irwin quickly realized why Daubutim had said to begin running. Hult''s big words were just that as he kept missing them, only able to get close by shooting at them from straight ahead. Still, the tiny straws were hard to see, and even though they had only been hit once, it would be only a matter of time before Hult would manage to hit them again.


    "Foolish children! You are going to run into demons and get us all killed," Hult called out. "What use is some anvil if you are dead?"


    Irwin gritted his teeth. Even if I wanted to, I don''t think Ambraz would stay with you, he thought. As he did, he blinked, then blinked again. What if he just gave the sorcerer Ambraz, who could just return to him? Then he shook his head. Hult won''t let us out alive while knowing.


    "There is a group of demons up ahead," Greldo snarled as he jumped to the side and dodged another set of blinking metal straws.


    "How far is the portal?" Irwin asked.


    "The entrance is still far away and if we run like this we will draw way too much attention."


    Irwin gritted his teeth as they continued forward, his worry increasing.


    "Incoming!"


    Daubutim''s warning was barely in time, as familiar cackling came from around a ruined building. They rushed in between a crumbled building and one that remained partially standing, but as he jumped in after the others, Irwin saw a dozen Galubs with two horns and one with three horns run into the open.


    "Humans!" the three-horn shouted, and Irwin could see the glee in his eyes. "Grab them. We can have fun tonight!"


    "Now look what you did," Hult''s annoyed shout only angered Irwin more.


    It''s your fault, he thought as he rushed after others.


    "This way!"


    Loud screams came and were answered by others, and within moments Irwin heard hundreds of familiar shouts and laughter.


    "Run to the entrance. It''s our only choice," he shouted.


    "Alright! Coal!"


    A burning flash of light came as Coal''s eyes seemed to light up like torches. Greldo jumped forward and climbed on his back, and Coal jumped forward. The others barely managed to keep up, and Irwin didn''t notice any more attacks from Hult. Either he had given up, or he couldn''t keep up. Whatever it was, Irwin didn''t care.


    They sprinted across a square filled with rubble, then along another building, and even though some, Coal seemed to know exactly where to go. As they rushed below a partially collapsed roof, three two-horned Galubs ran screaming around a corner. When they saw Lamia running their way, they let out a joyful scream and rushed her way.


    Irwin didn''t hesitate for a moment and triggered his Eyes of Blaze. Two churning masses of fire lit up the area, engulfing two of the Galubs. The third one barely managed to back up with a startled screech.


    "The entrance is up ahead," Gerldo shouted.


    Irwin saw the knocked-down ruins of a massive tower, easily as large as the Coulwater tower. It looked as if a giant had shoved it back, most of the top snapping off. A large opening with crumbled and destroyed edges sat in the center, and reaching the open square, Coal''s speed increased. As he loped across, the others couldn''t keep up.


    As he sprinted after the other two, Irwin knew he was the slowest of them. Still, they should be fast enough.


    A flash occurred to the side, and a brown figure appeared on the edge of the square, raising its hand.


    "Look out," Irwin shouted just as two flashes of metal shot out just.


    Daubutim and Lamia jumped forward, then Irwin heard a startled scream. He crossed the rest of the distance to see Lamia with one of the metal straws in her arm. Blood was squirting out, and she screamed again as she pulled on it, squirming on the ground.


    No time!


    Without stopping, Irwin grabbed her around her waist and pulled her up.


    "Give me the anvil, or she will die, boy!" Hult shouted, just as dozens of Galubs rushed onto the square.


    Irwin continued onward. He wanted to pull the straw out, but he couldn''t stop.


    If I could see that bastard, I could blast him, he thought as he continued forward.


    Daubutim and Greldo stood at the entrance, waiting for him and looking around for Hult.


    "Go inside. I''m coming," he shouted.


    As the two vanished inside, he reached the entrance just as something ticked against the side of his face with the sound of metal against metal.


    "Got you, you little¡­ No! That''s impossible!" Hult screamed in a fury


    Irwin didn''t stop as the straw slid down his cheeck, unable to penetrate his skin. Then he entered the building, looking around for the others.


    "Orwin!"


    There was a large corridor to the right, and the others were running toward it. Irwin fell in line as he sensed Lamia squirming in his arms, suddenly screaming in agony. Startled, he dropped her and grabbed the straw that was twitching. As he pulled it, he felt incredible resistance, and a large section of her upper arm began bulging out. Lamia''s eyes rolled up and her head lolled to the side.


    I could pull her arm off!


    In a flash, he recalled the thin tendrils that had begun borrowing into Daubutims arm. If he waited too long, they could spread through her body and kill her. Hearing screaming Galubs draw near, he gritted his teeth and pulled with all his force.


    With great effort, he ripped a large chunk of muscle out of Lamia''s body, the sickening sound reminding him of tearing a piece of wet cloth.


    When the last bits let go, Irwin almost gagged. Lamia was shivering and shaking, but as he gazed in disgust at the piece of infected flesh, he knew he''d made the right choice.


    Dense amounts of metallic tendrils were swaying around, trying to search for more flesh to drill through. As blood sprayed and flooded from Lamia''s arm, Irwin swallowed back bile, summoned his flame, and pressed it into the hollow indent that had been the side of her upper arm.


    Lamia''s eyes shot open, and she screamed so loud that Irwin''s ears rang.


    "Get him!" a Galub voice shouted from the entrance behind him.


    Without waiting, Irwin picked up Lamia and sprinted forward. Daubutim and Greldo were waiting near the entrance, but the feet behind him were rapidly approaching. Risking a look back, he saw dozens of Galubs pouring after him, most with two horns. As the things that had just occurred, from the horrible feeling of ripping out a large section of Lamia''s arm which might cause her to lose it, to the constant attacks of Hult, Irwin''s anger finally burst out


    "Get lost," he roared, using Eyes of Blaze at the widest setting.


    A massive cone of fire rippled out behind him, and startled screams came from the Galubs as they covered their faces and heads.


    Irwin quickly looked ahead again and continued running, hoping it would buy him some time.


    As he reached the corridor, Daubutim looked at Lamia and then shook his head. "We need to hurry and get her to a carded healer," he said in a rush.


    "The portal," Irwin said.


    It was the only chance they had. He looked back through the corridor and saw the Galubs were shoving those in the front further, many tripping, creating a pileup. They had gotten a bit of time but not a lot.


    "Move! We can try and lose them inside, but we have to be careful not to come across something worse," Greldo snapped as he ran through the corridor and through one of the entrances.


    Irwin followed him.


    They quickly reached a flight of stairs, ran down through a few corridors, around a corner, and down another flight of stairs.


    Within minutes the sounds of the screaming Galubs were growing weaker, and finally, Greldo slowed down from the insane pace they had been going at.


    "Alright, we are six floors from the portals and close to as deep as I''ve ever been," he said.


    "You know the direction?" Daubutim said calmly as he looked around.


    "Yes, I''ve seen a few maps and spoken with rangers that have gone here," Greldo said. "I was supposed to be one of the rangers to check the next time."


    A soft moan from Lamia caused the three young men to fall quiet, and they gazed at her. A thin sheen of sweat covered her pale face, and her horribly mutilated right arm twitched softly. The fingers were deathly white.


    "What if we try and put a card in her final slot?" Irwin whispered, raising her left hand. She still had a free slot.


    "We have to wake her up, and it would have to be a rare body improvement card with high increases in regeneration," Daubutim said. "Do you have one?"


    Irwin shook his head as he looked at the massive gouge in Lamia''s arm. Seeing the filthy blood and the blister-covered, blackened flesh, he felt his stomach heave. He looked away and took a few deep breaths.


    "Let''s go. If we don''t get her a healer soon, she won''t make it," Daubutim said.


    Greldo nodded as he continued ahead, followed by the taller other.


    "That vile sorcerer," Irwin growled as he followed the others.


    With Coal in the lead, they continued down, sometimes having to backtrack and onetime hiding inside a small narrow passage as a rumbling thing passed them by.


    Irwin kept carrying Lamia, whose skin was cold and sweaty, while she began shivering. Nobody spoke until they reached a doorway set inside a partially shattered wall.


    "This is it," Greldo whispered as he snuck forward. The others followed him, and as they looked inside, they saw a massive rubble-filled area. Three or four floors had shattered, debris piling around the side, and in the center hung a glowing portal. Tiny golden lighting bolts rippled along its edges.


    It''s much bigger, Irwin thought as he gazed at the portal. Then he looked around for a way down, only to see a long, pale, dust-covered shape curled around the remnants of two columns.


    "What is that?" he whispered.


    "A very big demon snake," Daubutim whispered back.

 Chapter 87: The Central Registry

    "If we can sneak up close enough, Coal can distract him, and I can unsummon him as we jump through," Greldo whispered as they sat huddled together.


    Irwin nodded, staring helplessly at Lamia. Her breathing had become more laborious, and she was shaking and shivering uncontrollably.


    "Let''s go," he whispered.


    "Alright," Greldo whispered as he turned to Coal.


    After a few moments, the massive hound snuck away.


    "Be quiet, don''t kick against any loose rock or something," Greldo whispered.


    Irwin rose and quickly followed the other two.


    Calm down! he ordered himself. If he made a mistake that drew that demon, whatever it was, its attention, they might all die.


    Taking a deep breath, he took a look at Lamia and nodded. He was doing the best he could.


    --


    She probably won''t make it, Daubutim thought as he took a quick look at Lamia.


    She was draped across Irwin''s arms like a rag, and from the way she was twitching, he was sure her body was in shock. He quickly went through the things he knew on how to handle these things, but like the first time he did, he couldn''t find anything they could do right now: putting her down, letting her rest, and raising her arm, none were something they could do at this moment.


    He gazed at Irwin''s face, noticing that the tension and quick eye movements had slowed again.


    He is overcoming his panic, Daubutim thought as he focused on the way down. He''d feared that Irwin would actually break down just now. There still was a risk of him making mistakes, but with some luck, that wouldn''t happen until they were in a more calm situation.


    Staring at the corridor ahead, he was pretty sure they would be going right. A map was slowly growing in his mind, and they seemed to be heading down and further into the city. Then they would find the portal, and he''d have to make a choice. He still wasn''t fully sure what he would do.


    If I leave, Indoutor will probably become the family head¡­ and he won''t spend any time or effort in finding or helping father.


    Feeling a tiny bit of anger grow, he squashed it. There was no time for anger, not yet. He needed to¡­ come up with a plan. But what? He quickly went over the books he had read and the things he had been taught, but none helped with any of what was happening, and he felt his mind slowly slip into lethargy. For a moment, he contemplated simply letting it happen.


    No!


    With a shake of his head, he managed to stop himself from falling into his reactionary mode.


    Focusing on Greldo''s back, he tried to stay in the here and now. He''d managed to stave off the troublesome occurrences for longer than ever. Ever since he''d gone to the sorcerer''s tower and met Irwin, things had been slowly going better. If he let himself fall back into dully following, when would he be able to clear his mind again?


    Besides, I finally have a mental improvement summoning card, he thought as he glimpsed at the back of his hand. The third card, the one he hadn''t dared to use yet, glittered enticingly.


    If what he''d read in the books was true, there was a chance that the card could fix his mental ailment. But it might also cause him to become completely lethargic for a while. He couldn''t risk that. Not yet.


    Go with them or sneak back out, he thought. He still didn''t know for sure.


    --


    As they moved down a flight of stairs, they reached the same level as the portal, and from down here, the massive size of the pale snake became even more apparent.


    It''s almost as tall as Greldo, Irwin thought as he swallowed. He tried to find the head, but there was no sight of either end. The portal was only fifty feet away, but it felt much further.


    A soft tap on his arm made him look at Greldo, who pointed at the far end of the room. Coal''s eyes burned there, and Greldo raised his fist, raising a finger then a second as he counted down.


    At five, they moved while Coal let out an ear-piercing howl.


    The snake reacted immediately as a shiver ran through it. At the far end of the hall, debris slid away as something massive rose up from it. Then, a pale snakehead with gleaming blue eyes appeared. They gazed hatefully at Coal.


    Stones and large sections of the building began sliding and moving around as the entire body slid forward.


    Why isn''t Coal running? Irwin thought as he saw the hound stand frozen in the spot.


    He scrambled after Daubutim. Greldo was moving much faster, jumping and sliding over things, any sounds he made masked by the movement of the snake.


    As he reached the portal, a few steps ahead of the others, he turned to Coal, and Irwin saw his eyes widen in panic.


    "Coal!" Greldo''s scream of panic caused the snake''s movement to stop. Then it turned its head around so fast stones flew across the room.


    "Get inside," Daubutim roared.


    "I can''t unsummon Coal! That thing did something," Greldo shouted.


    Irwin gritted his teeth as he reached the portal and focused on his Eyes of Blaze. There was enough energy for a blast, and light filled the room as he fired on the snake. The fire shot the back of the head, licking around it, and there was a moment of stillness. Then the snake''s head angled towards him, the blue eyes gleaming and seeming completely unaffected by the fire.


    "Greldo?" Irwin shouted, standing next to the portal.


    "Got him! Go, go, go!"


    Irwin didn''t wait for a second but side-stepped into the enormous portal. His final thought was that he wondered what the other side would look like.


    With a jolt, the dust-filled chamber vanished, and then he was in a dark crystalline corridor. Chaotic swirling masses of light and what resembled liquid moved around outside while a sense of something pressing down on his mind began increasing rapidly. A tiny flicker of movement from the corner of his eye made him look up in time to see an enormous black cloud with dozens of eyes looking at him. As the pressure increased, a wave of heat surged up from his cards as if to combat it. The world around him vanished, and he felt like he was falling.


    --


    Jaokli stared dully at the wall behind the portal.


    "They keep tricking me¡­ Why can''t I just keep my stupid mouth shut," he uttered as he tossed the simple marble ball up in his hand again and again.


    As he heard the happy shouting from the Founding Festivities outside increase, probably from a stream of people passing by the castle, he grabbed the ball and squeezed it until it made a cracking noise. Staring at it stupidly, he tossed the remnants at the portal, watching them vanish with a few flickering flashes.


    "I hate guard duty here. Nothing ever happens! Stupid nearly dead farming plain¡­ even if there are people left alive as if they would-"


    A bright flash followed as a tall youth with long, unkempt brown hair and metallic coppery skin stumbled outside. He was carrying a woman and looked around in surprise before stepping aside.


    "What the¡­ someone came!'' Jaokli shouted as he grabbed the long crystalline slab and raised it. As it began glowing a dull green, he kept his eyes focused on the two, his eyes widening as another tall youth came through, followed by a shorter one.


    "This is Jaokli in corridor C portal room twelve. People just exited the portal. Send backup," he rattled, speaking into the glowing tablet.


    "Jaokli? Are you pulling my leg? Nobody ever comes from-" a voice began, echoing out from the same tablet.


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    "There''s four! Three young men and a woman that seems injured or something," Jaokli interrupted them.


    "Do they look aggressive?" a surprised voice asked from the tablet. "I''m sending a dozen heart-guards over."


    "They are just standing there."


    "Alright, no worries! We will be there in a minute to capture them! Keep the gates shut, and hold tight."


    Jaokli leaned forward, gazing at the three men who seemed to be looking around in wonder.


    "Hah! No worries. There''s only three, and not a single one has a heart-card!"


    "What? Just hand-carded?" the voice asked. "Well, wait for us either way. Maybe they are just scouts."


    Jaokli snorted as he gazed at the three, then shrugged. "Fine, fine."


    He watched as one of the three men began scanning the walls, tapping them.


    "Search what you want. There''s no way a few hand-carded like you will detect the hidden doors, and even then, you wouldn''t be able to open it," Jaokli said with a snort.


    The metallic reinforced door behind him was opened, and he turned to look at the six armored warriors moving inside. The leader, a man with gleaming silver eyes, grinned.


    "Jaokli, I guess your day wasn''t that boring now!" the man said.


    "Come on, Uncle Kloyn," Jaokli said as he shook his head. "Don''t add insult to injury. I''ve already lost to my cousin and have to do this boring thing for the next month!"


    Kloyn laughed as he moved beside him, staring through the thick, unidirectional crystal wall.


    "By the ancients, look at the rags they are wearing¡­ is that supposed to be armor?" Kloyn said in disgust. "It''s all made of regular leather, no craftsmanship or color." He shook his head, glancing down at his own well-tailored armor.


    "Well, let''s get this over with," he said as he moved to the door, beckoning the others with him.


    "I wonder if there are any useful ones amongst them. We could do with a few new serfs," he muttered.


    --


    "There''s no exit¡­? What is this, a trap?" Greldo shouted, looking around wide-eyed.


    "This¡­ this can''t be," Irwin muttered as he looked down at Lamia. "We need a carded healer!"


    He was about to call out to Ambraz when a section of the dark, gleaming wall of the room they were in suddenly cracked open. A group of tall men with curly black hair, gleaming silvery eyes, and beautiful red and black armor moved inside.


    "Don''t make any movements, and keep your hands forward. If we see any card glow, we will end you instantly," the lead man snapped.


    Irwin stared at him in surprise. He had understood the words even though they were heavily accented.


    "We need help," he said, looking down at Lamia. "My friend is injured, and she will die if-"


    "Quiet," the man said as he moved towards them.


    Irwin swallowed as he saw the gleaming silvery eyes scan him.


    "You have a combat card active. Cancel it immediately!"


    Irwin hesitated as he looked at the man. If he did that, he wouldn''t be able to activate it again rapidly, but he could see from the cold gleam and the tight face that the other wasn''t going to ask again. Licking his lips, Irwin disabled his skill. As he shrank slightly, he felt the weight of Lamia double instantly, pushing him down more than before.


    "My friend," he said.


    "Yes, yes," the man said as he looked at Daubutim and Greldo. "Are there any more out there ready to come through?"


    Irwin shook his head as he felt his anger grow. What was going on? Couldn''t these guards just ask questions after they had saved Lamia?


    "No, just us," he said.


    "Alright, follow me, and don''t do anything stupid," the man said before turning around.


    "All of them are just hand-carded, not even a diamond amongst them. Jakaiam, with me. We will bring them to the central registry. The rest of you remain here just in case," the man said, and Irwin heard a slight joy in his voice.


    He followed the man, wanting to ask for help again when Daubutim tapped his arm and shook his head.


    Looking at Lamia, Irwin clenched his jaw as he followed what had to be the guard captain.


    Why isn''t Ambraz doing or saying anything? Didn''t he say we would be fine?!


    The room beyond the one he had been in was lit by a blueish-white crystal set high in the wall, and as he looked back, he saw he could see through the wall in which the door had been set. A young guard with black hair and brown eyes was staring at him.


    "Jaokli, I''ll leave the rest of the squad here while I bring these to the registry."


    "Alright Uncle Kloyn!"


    Irwin noticed that the young man had two odd symbols on his hand but no card slots.


    Are they like the Frozir and have soul skills?


    "Follow me, and don''t even try to run," Kloyn snapped.


    Irwin followed him, hoping that wherever the man was taking them, there would be carded healers¡­ or soul-skill healers, at least.


    They walked through a narrow corridor, stepped through a massive door, and into a wide and spacious room. Dozens of corridors, black floored with pale walls, led away while dozens of guards moved around. On one side were a few benches, and he saw dozens of odd people sitting there. Some had hair that seemed made of fire and smoke, while others had skin covered in fish scales.


    Are those portal demons? Irwin wondered. If so, why were they just sitting there? They didn''t look like they were going to attack anyone. Were they like the Frozir?


    Kloyn led them across the square toward the widest path leading away, and as they followed him, they stepped into a bright corridor. Light streamed in from the sides, and as they walked through, Irwin gaped out of the crystal sides at the massive city that lay beyond. Colorful red, yellow, and orange roofs topped white and cream-colored buildings, while beautiful spiral towers sat in small groups.


    They continued through the corridor that led into another spacious room. This one had a cluttered, centered area with what looked like a bar in the middle with people behind it. A column of white stone rose in the center amidst the clutter, probably a hundred feet across. Irwin looked up and saw tiny windows in an odd spiral pattern.


    Guards walked everywhere, some escorting people who were tied up.


    Kloyn led them to the central pillar, which was divided into sections. Two women with the same black hair and silvery eyes stood behind it, seemingly busy with papers and other things. As they moved closer, one looked up, and her eyes narrowed.


    "Kloyn? Didn''t you guard farming-world three-five-eight''s portals? What are you doing here?" she asked, her eyes scanning over Irwin. She spoke in the same drawling accent as the man.


    "Glessile, these three just came through that dormant portal number twelve," Kloyn said.


    "The one Jaokli was guarding?" the woman said as her eyes widened, and the other woman beside her also turned her attention to them. Both looked at Irwin and the others.


    "One of them is injured. Can you take a look? They haven''t shown any signs of aggression, so I guess the shattering hasn''t occurred yet."


    Irwin frowned. What does our becoming aggressive have to do with our world-shattering?


    Glessile nodded, and Irwin''s eyes widened even more as she hopped over the bar with so much ease that he wondered how many body-improvement cards she had. She walked towards him, and when she reached him, she barely looked at him, her full attention on Lamia.


    "Alright, that''s not good," she whispered. "You, boy, can you understand me?" she asked, talking overtly slow.


    "Yes," Irwin said, which caused her to stare at him in surprise.


    "Good, then follow me and put your friend on the table," she said as she turned and moved to a table not too far to the side. There were papers on it, which she carefully moved to the side to create room.


    The other guard followed Irwin, while Kloyn stayed with Greldo and Daubutim, not even looking at them.


    As soon as there was enough space, Irwin put Lamia on the table, and as he did, he felt his heart clench at how horrible she looked.


    "Dear ancients, what happened to her arm?" Glessile muttered as she moved closer, shoving Irwin to the side.


    "Can you help her?" Irwin asked.


    Glessile looked up with raised eyebrows, then turned her full focus back to Lamia.


    "Yes, but she won''t be able to use her arm for much after. The best I can do is save it so she can at least slot her cards, but she will have to find a soul-carded healer to fix this damage."


    Soul-carded? Irwin thought, shaking his head in disbelief. So, no soul-skilled but soul-carded?


    The woman closed her eyes, and as she put her hands on Lamia''s arm, a bright glow came from the backs of both her hands. An odd rune that Irwin didn''t recognize was glowing on them as the white light spread across Lamia. It lasted for a dozen counts, and as it retreated, Irwin saw that Lamia''s breathing had become a lot better.


    "She will be fine now," the woman said as she waved at Irwin. "You can pick her up again. Can''t have her bleeding on the table."


    Mechanically, Irwin did as asked, and as he picked Lamia up, he felt her skin had become less cold while the sheen of sweat on her face seemed mostly gone. Her breathing was a lot better, though her arm was still black and gruesome to look at.


    "Alright," Kloyn said. "Stand with the others and don''t speak."


    Irwin did as asked, noting a relieved look on Greldo''s face. Daubutim was looking around with a frown.


    "So, as your family has this month''s guard duty, and none of them have diamond cards, you can decide what to do with them," the woman said, drawing Irwin''s attention back to them.


    "Can you check what cards they have?" Kloyn said as he crossed his arms. "We could use a few more serfs, but if they are useless... We can''t risk the extra taxes. You know how it is."


    Serfs? Irwin thought, vaguely recalling the term. Did it mean something like slaves? He felt his heartbeat rise as he saw the women nod in agreement. Were they going to become slaves now?


    A soft snort from his pocket instantly made a growing fear lower.


    "I don''t think that will be needed."


    Ambraz''s voice came from his pocket, causing an instant reaction from the guards. Both raised their hands at Irwin, and a shimmering barrier appeared around the two women.


    "Bah, calm down," Ambraz said while Irwin felt him struggling to leave his pocket. As soon as he flickered out, there was a collective gasp.


    "Anvil of the gods!" one of the guards whispered.


    "Good, at least you have eyes," Ambraz said as he flickered around before landing on the table.


    "The tall guy is my future Smith, and he and the girl he is carrying are prospects for the Smiths guild and under my custody! The other two are their guards."


    Guards? Custody? Irwin had no idea what was going on but kept his face as placid as he could.


    "Our luck is horrendous," Kloyn whispered, barely loud enough for Irwin to catch.


    In front of them, the women behind the desk had lowered the barrier again, and when Ambraz mentioned the Smith''s guild, their eyes widened.


    "Anvil, could we ask for your name?" Kloyn asked.


    Irwin saw he had an annoyed, disgruntled look on his face.


    "I am Ambraz," Ambraz said.


    Kloyn looked at Glessile, who shrugged.


    "It doesn''t matter... he is obviously an Anvil of the Gods," she said. "Sorry, Kloyn."


    Ambraz''s lips, which had been in a smile, turned into a line, and he snorted.


    "It doesn''t matter if you know me or not. Contact the nearest Smiths-guild charter and have some come to pick us up!"


    Irwin saw Kloyn''s face fall, then the guard sighed.


    "Fine. We will head back. This is your trouble now. Sorry, Glessile," he said as he smiled halfheartedly at the woman.


    "It''s fine, Kloyn. If there is any reward for finding the Anvil, I''ll make sure your family is mentioned," Glessile said.


    As Irwin shared a relieved look with Greldo, Glessile and the other woman stared at them, then back at Ambraz.


    "If you would be so kind as to wait here, I''ll contact the Smith''s guild. You may sit on the benches."


    Irwin didn''t wait for Ambraz but moved to the nearby bench and sat down, feeling an immense relief flood over him. They had made it... but nothing here was what he had expected. Looking around the massive room filled with people and things that looked like demons, he sighed.


    I wonder what the city looks like, he thought as he looked around.

 Chapter 88: Smiths Guild Charter

    "Irwin, wake up!"


    Irwin jolted forward, and his head thudded against something, causing a yelp. He let out a startled grunt and looked around blearily, trying to figure out what was going on. He was still in the central hall, and Greldo stood before him, rubbing his head and cursing.


    "Derlin''s balls, that hurt."


    Irwin shook his head, rubbing his own forehead as he realized two tall bearded men were staring at him quietly. They both wore dark brown, almost black pants and boots with simple metallic inlay and a black smith''s apron that left their incredibly muscular arms bare.


    Smiths! Irwin thought as he looked at the tiny figure of Ambraz hovering beside them, his metal lips curled in a wide smile.


    "I¡­ fell asleep," Irwin muttered as he looked around to find Daubutim standing to the side, carrying Lamia.


    They had been waiting here for hours, and he recalled that, at some point, he''d closed his eyes.


    "Yes. A genius I see! Great¡­ Now that he''s awake, can we get moving or what?" one of the bearded men grunted, displeasure visible in his eyes.


    Sensing a slight tension in the air, Irwin quickly pushed himself up and followed Greldo to stand in front of the two men. The one who had spoken snorted and shook his head.


    "Think you deserve special treatment because you are bound to-"


    "Gawarn, calm down," the other man said, interrupting the other.


    "Ah, come on, big brother! Look at this guy, he is-"


    "Enough, I said," the other said. "They have been through enough!"


    Irwin quickly examined the two men. Both were roughly as tall as he was, with black hair. The annoyed man had brown eyes that looked back at him in distaste, while the other had shining silver ones like the guards and Glessile. Their beards were braided from the sides into a single thick braid that ended in an ornament metal piece that only just reached their chests. The symbol of a hammer and an Anvil was engraved on the front, and as Irwin looked at them, he saw that one was pale yellow while the other was purple.


    "You are called Irwin?" the man asked warmly. "I can imagine all of this must be incredibly confusing to you, but don''t worry! Now that you have found your way to us, the Smith''s Guild, all will be well!"


    Irwin blinked in surprise at the joyful man''s exuberance, then forced a grin on his face.


    "Now, I''m Balarn, second in command of Tensor''s Smithy! Now, follow me."


    Balarn turned around, beckoning them, and Irwin and the others followed after him. As they did, Irwin noticed that Gawarn was looking at them in annoyed distaste before staring in longing at the central pillar.


    Balarn led them through the busy area towards what looked like the main exit. A wide corridor led to a pair of massive doors. Two pale blue crystals hung to their sides, and as Balarn approached them, they began glowing.


    "Balarn, Topaz ranked Card Smith," a female voice rang out emotionless. "There are four unregistered people behind you."


    Irwin started, looking around to find the person that had spoken, but there was nobody. Besides them, there was nobody even near their entrance.


    "Yes, yes," Balarn said as he shook his head. "Almost forgot about that." he turned to Irwin, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Add this one to the Tensor Smith''s guild members list." Then he moved to Daubutim and put his hand on Lamia''s arm. "Add this one to the temporary list. If she manages to succeed in the entrance exam, she will be added to the guild members list. The other two¡­" Balarn hesitated before turning to Irwin.


    "If they can''t do anything useful in the city, someone else needs to pay their taxes for them. I can add them to your list, as you are allowed five serfs, but that means you will need to pay for them. That might be hard as a Quartz Rank smith."


    Irwin looked back, not sure what to do, when Ambraz snorted. "Irwin is able to Reforge Amethyst cards."


    There was a moment of silence as Balarn and Gawarn blinked stupidly. Then Balarn barked a laugh. "Well, if that''s the case, it should be fine."


    Irwin could see the slight disbelief in the other''s eyes while Gawarn was mockingly laughing at him.


    "Add the other two as serfs to Irwin''s serf list," Balarn said.


    There was a moment of silence, and then the massive gem glowed brightly again.


    "Irwin, Unranked Card Smith, added to the Smith''s charter of Tensor. Please raise your hand and touch the Soulgem."


    Irwin licked his lips, then stepped forward.


    "This?" he asked as he pointed at the massive glowing crystal.


    "Yes," the emotionless female voice spoke again.


    Wondering what would happen, Irwin carefully put his hand on the smooth surface. A jolt passed through his hand, and a moment later, he felt something touch his cards.


    "You have been registered. Name the temporary charter member and place her hand on the soul gem."


    Irwin stepped back, looking at Lamia.


    "She is called Lamia, but she is unconscious right now," he said.


    "Place her hand on the surface of the Soulgem," the voice dully intoned.


    Daubutim moved forward, and Irwin took Lamia''s limp hand. As he did, he couldn''t help but notice the horrible wound on her other hand.


    I hope we can heal her, he thought as he carefully put her hand on the Soulgem. There was another flash.


    "Lamia, unknown qualifications, was added to the temporary roster of Tensor''s charter. Name the Serfs and touch the Soulgem."


    Daubutim calmly stated his name and put his hand on the surface, followed by Greldo.


    "Daubutim, unqualified, serf-status, added to Irwin''s list of serfs. Greldo, unqualified, serf-status, added to Irwin''s list of serfs," the emotionless female voice droned out. Almost instantly, the door ahead of them swung open, and a warm breeze carrying the smell of vegetation and unfamiliar things wafted inside.


    "Finally! Let''s go," Balarn said as he headed outside.


    "A serf¡­" Daubutim whispered, and Irwin saw him look at his hands dully.


    "We can find a way to make you a normal citizen as soon as possible," Irwin whispered. He had no idea how Daubutim felt right now, but it couldn''t be good.


    "What are you complaining about," Greldo hissed. "Irwin has to do all the work!"


    Irwin blinked as he saw Greldo grin at him.


    "Move," Gawarn said from the doorway.


    Irwin and the others quickly followed after him, with Ambraz landing on Irwin''s shoulder. As they stepped outside, a bluster of noise and sounds came from all around them, and they saw the sprawling city they had seen before and around them. Large areas of greenery were in between densely populated areas, one between them and a busy street ahead of them.


    "Welcome to Fiverio," Balarn said as he spread his arms out. "I''ve never been to a farming-world, but I''m pretty sure none have anything like this, am I right?"


    So our world¡­ It is a farming world, Irwin thought as he felt a wave of worry bubble up. That meant it was also likely near shattering. He wanted nothing more than to ask Balarn if he knew a way to stop this, but with a single look around at the enormity of the city, he was pretty sure Balarn wouldn''t be able to help him with this just like that.


    I need to get more information and find out what is going on, he thought as he walked along with the others.


    "Three suns¡­?" Greldo suddenly shouted as he stared behind them.


    Irwin turned around, his eyes widening as he saw three burning bundles of fire hanging in the sky.


    "What? No, no. Only the center one is a sun," Balarn said while Gawarn was laughing loudly, shaking his head in disbelief and muttering something Irwin didn''t catch.


    "The other two are the moons Exiral and Foesda. Every month they pass by the sun during the day. I guess you don''t have moons like these?"


    Irwin and the others followed Balarn as they continued towards the city.


    "We only have a moon that is visible during the night," Irwin said as he took a few peeks over his shoulder. "And ours doesn''t burn."


    "Really? How can its gasses not ignite if it passes your sun? Or are you really far from the sun?" Balarn asked curiously.


    Irwin blinked, befuddled as he tried to imagine what Balarn meant.


    "Our moon has no gasses to ignite," Daubutim said calmly. "We only see it when it passes due to the sun''s illumination."


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    "No gasses? Ridiculous," Gawarn snorted.


    Balarn laughed as he struck his brother on the shoulder. "Calm down, Gawarn. We have never been to another world. Who knows what weird things occur there? Now, enough chatter! Let''s quickly go to Tensor''s!"


    Irwin shared a look with his friends, then they followed behind Balarn.


    As they moved closer to the busy street, Irwin felt his hair slowly stand on end at the sight of the large amount of demonic-looking beings walking around. Bloodred beings with arm-long horns and black animal legs, small, nearly round beings with eyebrows that were so long they curved up and angled across their heads, and many others. Although most people he saw were the black-haired, brown-eyed, or silver-eyed type, those that weren''t stuck out to him.


    Are these demons from shard worlds? Irwin wondered.


    "Listen, don''t get separated and stick near us! There''s a curfew, and you don''t want to be out when it starts! If you somehow get separated from us, ask around for Tensor''s or the Smith''s guild. If not¡­ well, let''s just say a shattering world might have been preferable," Balarn said before he began making his way through the busy street.


    Irwin and the others stuck close together and followed right after Balarn. The loud hubbub all around made it hard to speak, and the number of people all around made it hard for Irwin to keep his bearings. Still, he couldn''t help but look around in astonished wonder at the tall buildings, the hundreds of shops, and the enormous amounts of people.


    "Look, Frozir," Greldo said, his head near Irwin''s to be heard over the loud chatter and sounds.


    Irwin followed the other''s gaze to see three tall blue frozir, each with long white hair. They were walking together, heading towards what looked like a shop with hats, caps, and other top wear.


    They looked as cold as the others but still different somehow, he thought. He couldn''t put his finger on it, but there was something about the three frozir that had been... less upsetting.


    They walked for a long time, and eventually, the busy streets became less crowded until they finally reached a street so wide it looked more like an elongated square. At the far end, there was a pale blue river with marble docks and enormous wooden ships with colorful sails.


    Balarn walked towards a large walled building with a pale wooden gate. A sign the size of a person hung above the door with odd runes.


    "Welcome to Tensor''s smithy, Fiverio''s largest Smith''s guild chapter," Balarn said as he pulled open the door, waving them inside.


    Irwin walked in, staring at the large marble building with dark red roof panels across a sandy open area and the large open smithing area to the far left. Dozens of people were walking about, and he saw even more people hammering on anvils, working forge bellows, and lugging crates of ore.


    It looks just like a big version of Trimdir''s, Irwin thought as he felt a sense of security as he saw the smiths.


    As odd as this world was, at least he could understand this!


    "Alright, follow me! Let''s go and get you to settle. Then I''ll see Tensor and find out if he has time today. I''m sure he will be interested in seeing another Godly Anvil," Balarn said.


    "Another?" Irwin couldn''t help but exclaim.


    Balarn laughed as he shut the door and walked across the sandy square towards the building.


    "What? Did you think you were the only one who found one? There are a dozen smiths on Fiverio who have one, two of whom are in Tensor''s smithy!"


    Irwin didn''t know what to say and simply followed Balarn. Daubutim and Greldo followed him while Gawarn walked towards a second tall building on the right side of the sandy square.


    "I''ll head home, brother," he said as he walked away.


    "Don''t forget to practice your third-stage card refining," Balarn shouted after him, but Gawarn just waved as he jogged away.


    "That little brat," Balarn muttered before looking up. Irwin saw his eyes narrow when he found that Irwin and the others were looking at him, but the bearded man didn''t say anything, simply walking towards the main building. "Let''s go."


    "I wonder why we don''t hear any sounds from the smithy," Greldo softly said as he followed Irwin.


    "There''s a rune barrier blocking the sound around each working station," Balarn shouted across his shoulder.


    He has really good ears, Irwin thought as he and Greldo shared a worried glance.


    The main double door swung open before they reached it, and a man, twice as wide but a head shorter than Irwin stomped out. He was bald, with large silver eyes that stood out in his charcoal-colored face. When he saw Balarn, he grinned widely, his ruddy beard splitting in two. The bottom of his beard was covered in a similar green metal covering as Balarn. His eyes skimmed across the others, and when Irwin saw the man look at him, then at Ambraz, he saw his eyes widen.


    "Balarn! What''s this, did you find another brother with a Godly Anvil?" the man rumbled in a deep, pleasant voice.


    "Yogog, you''re back! I thought you wouldn''t return for another year?" Balarn shouted. Both men clasped their hands, and Irwin saw the muscles on their lower arms bulge out.


    After a few moments, Balarn grunted. "Alright, alright! You win. Let go before I can''t work this week!"


    The massive Yogog laughed as he released the other Smith''s hand. "I''ve told you, you need to practice your grip strength more," he said before looking at Irwin and the others.


    "These four are incredibly lucky! They just arrived from farming world three-five-eight," Balarn said.


    "What? Hasn''t that shattered yet?" Yogog called out before his eyebrows rose even further. "And since when do they have Anvils of the Gods there? Did a cross-world portal open up?"


    Balarn blinked, then turned to Irwin with curious eyes. "Good question! I haven''t even asked them yet. I''m sure the boss will ask them. I''ll let you know when I find out."


    Cross-world portal? Irwin thought. He''d never heard of those before. Did that mean it was possible for non-shard-worlds to have portals to each other?


    "Alright! I''ll be at Catterbies. Find me there. The first drink''s on me!" Yogog said before stomping off.


    As the shorter, much wider man passed him, Irwin saw his gaze remained on Ambraz until he was gone.


    "This way," Balarn said, and Irwin quickly followed the Smith through the door.


    They reached a spacious room that wasn''t at all what Irwin had expected. Bookshelves lined the left side, with heavy-looking tables arranged in front of them. Muscular, burly men and women sat around, reading from the tomes and books. A massive counter sat to the right while doors led away at the backend, separated by an angular staircase that led up.


    Seeing Balarn move to the counter, Irwin followed after him, noticing a green-haired woman with silvery eyes behind the counter watching their approach. Her hair was bound up in a single long braid that hung across her shoulder, and the end was capped with purple metal, similar to what Irwin had seen on Gawarn''s beard.


    Is that how they determine the ranks? he thought as he frowned.


    "Balarn! What do we have here? Did you finally decide to get some serfs?" the woman asked with a songlike voice.


    "No, Ichela! The tall one is going to be our newest Smith, and the unconscious one is going to be joining the upcoming entry exam," Balarn said. He smiled, then turned back to Irwin and the others, beckoning them over. "Come! We need to get you settled as soon as possible!"


    Irwin nodded as he walked up to the counter. He noticed that Balarn seemed slightly different than before but just couldn''t focus on it.


    Ichela looked at him, and as her eyes focused on Ambraz, she began smiling widely. "So! You actually managed to find an Anvil of the Gods and learn card smithing while in a farming world? That''s really incredible!"


    "Apparently, he can even reforge Amethyst cards already," Balarn added.


    Ichela leaned her elbows on the counter, staring at Irwin. "Is that so? Well, I''m going to have to start you off with a simple Quartz reforge, and if you can manage that, I''ll get you your entry-level badge. For badge increases, you will have to wait for the upcoming assessments just like everyone else."


    Irwin quickly nodded. Even the first badge was good enough for him, as he had no idea what was really going on. Apparently, the badge represented rank, which was probably important, but what he really needed was a moment to sit and recover. His mind was spinning, and it took all his effort to simply stay calm.


    "So, I presume the Central Registry added you to our list?"


    "Yes," Irwin said.


    "Alright, well then, that means that for now, you''re stuck with us!" Ichela said with a smile. "I''m sure you have many questions, but before that, I''ll need to check if you can actually reforge a card. You have your own anvil¡­ you wouldn''t happen to have a hammer too?" Ichela asked as she glanced at his hand.


    Irwin raised his hand, and his hammer fell into it with a flash, causing Ichela''s eyes to brighten.


    "That''s fabulous! You actually have a hammer. I wish everyone was this well prepared! It''s such a hassle to hand out hammers of a high enough quality all the time. Now, I take it you won''t have any cards, so-" she knelt behind the counter and, after a few moments, came back up with a thick book. Opening it, Irwin saw two pages filled to the brim with cards.


    "This should do," Ichela said as she took a card, seemingly at random, and handed it to Irwin.


    "Alright, reforge this. It''s really just a formality, but-" and she shrugged. "Oh, err¡­ what''s your name, Anvil?"


    Ambraz snorted as he dropped to the ground and changed to his large form. "Ambraz!"


    "Good, well, Ambraz, you are not allowed to help him. Alright? Please be aware that I will notice if you do."


    "As if the boy needs any help," Ambraz said. "Why would I choose him as my Smith if he can''t even do this?"


    "I completely agree with you, but you''d be surprised," Ichela said with a wide smile. "Just start when you are ready."


    Irwin swallowed as he looked at the card. There was a flower on it with petals that seemed razor sharp. With the sudden silence and focus of everyone on him, he shivered.


    No. Calm down! You need to do this. You can do this, he rebuked himself, taking a deep breath. He focused on Ambraz and placed the card on his top. You have done this many times¡­ strike and focus, sense the impurities.


    As he brought down his hammer and struck the card calmly, Irwin slowly tuned out all the outside interference. A fuzzy image of a beautiful flower with razor-sharp petals appeared. Dozens of dark blotched and a few bright stars dotted its surface while the cloudy image moved and shimmered.


    So many blotches mean it has high potential, Irwin thought as he recalled Ambraz''s words.


    With full focus, he struck the card again, and he felt the vibrations in his own cards humming softly. The familiar feeling removed the final bits of tension he felt, and he struck again, then again.


    Slowly he fell into his familiar rhythm, forgetting completely where he was as he tried to strike at the perfect moment to increase the resonance.


    The beautiful chime came far too soon to his liking, and as he lowered his hammer, he gazed at the card. The pale-bordered common shimmered as it turned to a vibrant purple.


    Quartz, Irwin thought to himself. Need to think of these as Quartz and Amethyst.


    Realizing it was still quiet, he looked up, suddenly worried he''d messed up somehow. Ichela was looking at him wide-eyed and smiling, then seemed to jolt as she realized he was looking back at her.


    "Well, that was wonderful! Such smooth, steady blows and such a beautiful tune. I can''t recall the last time I''ve seen such a good quartz reforging," Ichela said as she moved away and began rummaging in a drawer. A few moments later, she came back with a simple white plate the size of Irwin''s palm.


    "You will have to forge it into something like this yourself, but I''m sure that shouldn''t be a problem," she said as she tapped the counter with the purple metal that sat at the end of her braid.


    Not sure what to say, Irwin simply nodded, wondering if that meant he''d have to grow a beard. He subconsciously rubbed his chin, noting there was a bit of soft hair there which.


    "Don''t worry," Ichela laughed. "You can just put it in your hair like me until you can grow a beard!"


    Irwin grinned back.


    "Alright! Now then, let''s get you a room. You will have to share it with the trainee and your serfs until you can earn some coin."


    "That''s alright," Irwin said quickly.


    Ichela nodded happily as she moved around the counter, rummaging in another drawer. She came up with a small metal plate with odd bumps and slits on it.


    "Balarn, can you bring them to room sixty-one? It still has extra beds."


    "I will, Ichela! Thanks for the help," Balarn said.


    Irwin saw him hesitate for a moment before smiling at the green-haired woman and walking towards the staircase. Irwin followed him up, then along a balcony and to a hallway. They stopped at the first door, and Balarn motioned at Irwin.


    "You can use the card to open the door," he said as he pointed at a small slot.


    Irwin examined the card, and seeing no noticeable top or bottom, he just slid it in. There was a click, and when he tried the door handle, the door opened easily.


    "Alright! I need to see Tensor now," Balarn said as he stepped back. Then he frowned. "Wait, you''re probably hungry. I''ll have someone bring some food and come to find you in a few hours to explain how things will go from now on. Perhaps even take you to see Tensor."


    "Alright, thank you," Irwin said.


    "No worries," Balarn said with a wide grin. "I''m sure everything must be really confusing for you! Don''t worry. We will make it make sense soon enough!"


    Irwin watched Balarn walk back to the stairs before entering the room with the others. It was a small room with beds against all walls and a table in the middle with chairs. There were a few shelves but nothing else.


    As he closed the door, Daubutim walked past him and placed Lamia on one of the beds before stepping back.


    Irwin looked at him, then at Greldo, who stood beside them and finally shrugged.


    "I guess that could have gone worse?"

 Chapter 89: Good deal or bad deal?

    "Serfs are like slaves?" Greldo asked.


    Irwin could hear the annoyance in the other''s voice as he stared at Dautubim. He was lying on his bed, back against the wall, while Ambraz sat on his chest. The Anvil had a wide smile as he listened to the two bickering.


    "No. That''s not what I said. Slaves are born in servitude, as are their children. Serfs have lost their freedom because they are unable to pay something, usually a debt. In our case, I think it''s because we are not expected to be able to pay for our presence in this city."


    "And so we are seen as his property?" Greldo asked, raising an eyebrow.


    Irwin flinched. "You are not my property. You are my friends!" he said.


    "I know that," Greldo said, shaking his head. "But apparently, from these people''s points of view, we are."


    Daubutim shrugged. "It would seem that way."


    "Well, then you had better work hard," Greldo said as he leaned back, grinning at Irwin.


    Irwin raised his eyebrow but wasn''t able to hold back his own grin.


    "Usually, serfs are expected to work for their master so they at least earn some money," Daubutim said.


    "Sure," Greldo said, his grin widening. "But he just said it, right? We aren''t his serfs but his friends."


    "Ugh. Why do I feel like I got the worse end of the deal here," Irwin grunted before laughing.


    He and Greldo bantered for a little while longer before he stopped.


    "So we need to figure out what to do now," he said, staring at his hands. "We will have to talk with Tensor first and see what he expects of me."


    "What are you going to tell him if he asks you why we are here?" Greldo asked.


    Irwin frowned, but before he could come up with something, Daubutim spoke up.


    "Tell him the truth."


    Irwin looked up, curious.


    "Tell him you are here because you want to learn card-smithing and save our world from shattering," Daubutim said. "There is no reason to lie, and unless these people are a lot more idiotic than they seem, it should be a logical reason for them."


    Irwin nodded, staring at the pale stone wall as he thought.


    Telling the truth was one of the options. That, or saying he was only here to learn card smithing. But if he went with the truth, he might get information on how to accomplish that. The problem was-


    "What if he laughs in our face?" Greldo asked.


    "Then we search for a way to move our people to another world," Daubutim said.


    Irwin imagined their entire world-shattering. Which parts would remain, if any? What would happen to the people that survived?


    "There''s another thing we need to figure out," he said. "Apparently, it''s expensive to live here, and Tensor might expect me to work non-stop. That means I might not have the time to find out what''s going on with our world."


    "Which is fine, as that''s what we will be doing then," Greldo said with a grin.


    Irwin was about to respond when Ambraz flew up and hovered before him.


    "He will definitely expect you to work, but he will also check how much potential you have," the Anvil said before he began darting around the room. "You better hope he thinks you have a great deal. Otherwise, you won''t be allowed into this charter''s time-dilation training world. Well... If they even have one here!"


    "Why would Irwin want to go in there?" Greldo asked.


    "You were paying attention to what Balarn and those others were talking about, right?" Ambraz snorted. "You got that your world is a farming world, but did you also recognize that it''s been abandoned? That means they have pulled back all their people and will let it shatter."


    Irwin had come to the same conclusion as Ambraz, which meant their worst-case scenario had become real.


    "So?" Greldo asked.


    "So? So, unless you are fine with letting your entire world shatter and most people die in the process, Irwin needs to become far more powerful, and he has barely any time to do that," Ambraz said. "Kids," he snorted.


    Irwin saw Greldo frown, seemingly ready to respond.


    "Greldo, even if I can find one, why would anyone who is able to stabilize our world do that just because I ask them? They might consider it if I can do something for them, perhaps because I''m a higher rank smith or very powerful. If that fails, we will need a way to move as many people to a safe world."


    "Yes, yes, I get that!" Greldo snapped as he lay down, letting out an annoyed grunt. "I''m not stupid! You are going to some time-dilation world to train and become stronger. But can''t we just bring people here and take them outside this city?"


    "There is no outside this city," Ambraz said.


    "Hub worlds are considered small, and almost every piece of land is claimed, even if it''s empty. If you want to bring your people away, you will have to find a world with room for them, which is harder than you might think. Remember how your people reacted when other beings came from the portals into your world? If you go to a populated world, prepare for a lot of war. That is if you can even find a soul-carded teleporter specialist to create a portal large and stable enough to move them there."


    Soul-carded again, Irwin thought as he leaned forward and put his head on his hands.


    "What ways are there to earn money, and what kind of money do they use here?" Daubutim suddenly asked.


    "Soulshards," Ambraz said.


    "What are those?" Greldo asked.


    "Ugh, I feel like some school teacher," Ambraz muttered. "Unlike the weaklings you have encountered, when actually powerful soul-skilled beings die, their soul skills shatter into thousands of small parts. These parts are what are required by heart-carded and even needed for certain high-level card reforging. Depending on the rank of the soul skill that shattered, there are different types, with quartz soul shards being the least valuable and most commonly used. "


    "Alright, and how do we earn those?" Daubutim said as he nodded slowly.


    "The quickest but also most dangerous way is to go into world-shards and kill demons and dangerous monsters," Ambraz. "Slower but safer is going to mining worlds, ancient dead worlds, and digging up shards from the things that once lived there. Except for that, card smiths can earn soulshards by reforging cards, or if they have the skill and manage to reach that rank, reforging heart-cards."


    "Wait, I can reforge heartcards?" Irwin asked, trying to recall if he''d heard that before.


    "You? In ten years, maybe," Ambraz said. "But yes, eventually you can. Though, from what I''ve seen, there isn''t a single one here that can teach you. Besides having to be a heart-carded, you also need to be able to reforge up to diamond cards."


    "Diamond?" Irwin whispered, trying to imagine being able to reforge from common all the way up to legendary.


    Quartz to diamond, he corrected himself.


    "Let''s not talk about that for now," Ambraz said as he flew in front of Daubutim. "Your idea isn''t too bad. If you can earn a lot of soulshards, you might be able to pay a powerful family, guild, or federation to stabilize your world or relocate the people."


    A few loud knocks on the door caused Irwin to bolt upright while Greldo''s hand sat on his dagger.


    "Probably Balarn," Irwin said as he slowly moved to the door, pulling it open.


    Balarn stood there carrying a bag which he handed to Irwin while moving into the room.


    "There''s some simple food in there," he said. "Take a quick bite. Tensor wants to talk to you."


    Irwin blinked, then the smell of bread reached his nose while he felt a bit of warmth emanating from the bag. Pulling it open, he saw a large steaming loaf of bread covered in nuts and seeds. His stomach rumbled loudly, and he took out the bread.


    "Stop looking at it like that and share it around! I''m hungry!" Greldo said as he jumped from the bed.


    A few moments later, they were all munching on the bread while Balarn stood at the door. He was looking at Greldo and Daubutim for a bit, then shrugged. "You guys are going to have to wait here while I take Irwin and Ambraz to see Tensor."


    "No problem, I wanted to take a look around anyway," Greldo said with a mouth full of bread.


    There was no response, and Irwin looked up from his bread just in time to see Balarn open his mouth as if to say more, hesitate, and close it again as he frowned.


    "Is something wrong?" Irwin asked as he swallowed his final mouthful of bread.


    Balarn looked at him with a start, and Irwin felt unnerved by the other''s silvery eyes as he looked at him.


    "It would be best if your serfs stay inside the room until I get the time to explain some things to you," Balarn said.


    Irwin saw Greldo stop eating as his head snapped up while Daubutim frowned.


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    Balarn seemed to notice, and he let out a weary sigh. "I was afraid of this... Your farming world didn''t have serfs?"


    "I don''t know, but they are my friends," Irwin said.


    Balarn looked back at him, and a grimace flashed across his face.


    "Yeah... I''ll have to talk to you about this later, but I guess I better give you a short warning now before you make a serious mistake. In Fiverio you are either a serf, a citizen, or a noble. There is a large gap between what each is allowed to do. If you can earn your keep in the city and pay for housing, you are considered a citizen. If you can''t, you are a serf. Serfs are-"


    Balarn stopped and rubbed his chin before continuing slowly.


    "If a citizen and a serf come into a conflict, the guards won''t even ask what happened. The serf will either be thrown into jail until their owner comes to pay a fine or, if the perceived insult is worse, be sent to one of the mining or farming worlds to work off their debt."


    "They won''t check who was in the wrong?" Irwin asked, not even that surprised. He''d dealt with nobles before, and those worked mostly along the same lines.


    "No."


    There was a moment of quiet, then Greldo laughed softly.


    "I guess we will need to find a way to earn our own keep then," he said as he looked at Daubutim. "Must suck to go from being the son of a noble to being a serf."


    Daubutim didn''t respond, and Irwin noticed a smirk pass over Balarn''s face. It lasted for a fraction of a second, but a raised eyebrow from Greldo showed him that his friend had noticed it too.


    Perhaps they don''t like nobles a lot here, either? Irwin thought.


    "So, can you tell me a few ways to ways to earn soulshards?" he asked, deciding to check if there were any that Ambraz might not have known about.


    "We can talk about that later," Balarn said. "For now, it''s better to go and speak with Tensor. Irwin, you should attach your guild token to your hair. Tensor is a stickler for these things."


    Irwin took the metal plate from his pocket, pulling his far-too-long hair over his cheek, wondering how he should do that.


    "Here, this will help for now," Balarn said as he handed him a simple-looking hair band with a clip at the end. A quick look showed there was a slot for his guild token. He inserted the token and quickly tied his hair back with the hair band, feeling the clip resting heavily against the back of his head.


    "You will need to let your hair grow out and add it like Ichela until you can grow a beard," Balarn said, looking at it with obvious distaste.


    Irwin nodded.


    There was a soft snort, and when he looked up, he saw Greldo grin.


    "What?"


    "Nothing," his friend said, his grin widening. "Just go. We will look after Lamia," he said as he lay back on his bed, arms behind his head.


    Daubutim nodded.


    "Alright," Irwin said as he walked to the door, following Balarn.


    As the door closed, he saw Daubutim take up a position behind the door''s opening side.


    Balarn led him back down the stairs into the main hall. Ichela was standing behind her counter, talking to a group of muscular, bearded men with white metal caps on their beards.


    "Those are some of the unaffiliated smiths, handing in their work for inspection," Balarn said. "Most were part of our charter before, but when their progress stagnated, they eventually were let go by Tensor."


    In other words, if I don''t cut it, I''ll be let go too, Irwin thought.


    He watched as one of the men, his beard more gray than black, handed a stack of cards to Ichela. She took them and put them on a thick green plate that reminded him of the soulgem he''d seen before, but smaller. There was a soft whisper that he couldn''t hear, but Ichela nodded appreciatively before taking the cards away.


    "Tensor''s Smiths charter accepts the cards handed in by Trekkor," she said, loud enough for Irwin to hear her clearly. Then she took out a small bag and handed it to the gray-bearded smith.


    "Good job, yah old geezer!"


    "Well done, brother!"


    "That''s three out of three, Trek!"


    The gathered smiths clapped Trekkor on the back before the next one stepped forward with a stack of cards.


    "Let''s go," Balarn said.


    Irwin nodded and followed him to one of the doors next to the stairs. As they walked through and into a corridor with openings on all sides, he stopped in surprise at the loud hammering and whooshing that suddenly surrounded him.


    "Welcome to the Amethyst rank smithing room," Balarn said as he continued ahead.


    Irwin followed him and looked through the first wide opening as they passed it.


    Three smiths stood around a massive anvil, one hammering on a card while another was working the bellows, and a third seemed to be inspecting the image of the card. It represented a tiny sapling, and unlike the images Irwin had seen before, this one was crisp and clear in the center, with just a fuzziness around the edges. The border of the card was yellow.


    They are reforging a rare card, he thought, his eyes widening as he leaned forward, completely absorbed.


    There were only a few black splotches on the card, and as he watched, the smith slammed his hammer down on one, causing it to shudder and shrink while the edges around the image became clearer. The smith was humming and singing softly.


    He is singing along with the resonating cards, Irwin thought as he watched the smith strike down again.


    Between the humming, the hitting, and the bellows, a beautiful song was created, and Irwin listened and watched almost breathlessly.


    When the card suddenly flashed as the black splotch vanished, the smith lowered his hammer, and Irwin jerked awake.


    That was beautiful, he thought, as the desire to try and create his own hymn grew.


    Someone cleared his throat, causing him to blink and look back. A burly man with a braided black beard that ended in a beautiful ruby-red square metal cap and brightly glowing silver eyes stood beside Balarn, looking at him.


    "Enjoyed that?" he asked in a surprisingly smooth and oddly accented voice.


    Balarn rubbed his nose, and Irwin saw the warning in the others'' eyes.


    Tensor!


    Irwin struggled for a moment with what to say, then nodded.


    "Yes, it was incredible," he said.


    "Elaborate," the smith said as his eyes gleamed a bit brighter.


    "It was like a beautiful song, where the banging of the hammer and the wind from the bellows created the instrumentation, and that smith''s singing was the melody," Irwin said. As he stopped talking, he felt his face heat up.


    When Tensor didn''t reply, he hoped he hadn''t just made a fool of himself.


    "I could almost hear how his cards were resonating," he added quickly.


    The smith looked at him for a few more moments before turning to Balarn.


    "Go and make sure that brother of yours doesn''t destroy any more cards," he said. "He messed up yesterday. Now leave. I want to have a word with our new member."


    Balarn started, and a look of surprised anger crossed his face.


    "Yes, Tensor," he said. As he turned to move away, Irwin saw he was frowning worriedly.


    "Follow me," Tensor said as he turned around and continued down the hallway.


    Not sure what to think of the other, Irwin followed him, taking a look at the different rooms he passed. Roughly half had the same three-smith setup as the first room, while the others were empty.


    I wonder why three, Irwin thought.


    Tensor walked through the entrance at the back of the corridor into a room that was a part forge and part living room. Heavily padded, dark leather couches stood to the left, surrounding a lower table with boxes, papers, and maps on them. A desk was shoved in the corner, likewise covered with paper and books, some weighed down by chunks of raw metal. The right side of the room had a few anvils while a large, brightly glowing forge sat on the wall.


    "So, finally found the punk?" a gritty voice asked.


    A large, pitch-black anvil with black wings flew from behind one of the anvils and hovered before them before landing atop Tensor''s shoulder.


    Another Anvil of the gods! Irwin thought as he stared at the other Anvil.


    "Well, well! A rank one Ganvil! I haven''t seen one of you since I left Granvox," the new Anvil said, disbelief evident in his voice. "What''s your name, weakling, and how, by Colwin''s shiny slapper, did you get here?"


    Irwin expected Ambraz to snap back loudly, but to his surprise, there was just a soft snort before Ambraz replied in a calm tone.


    "I was captured in shard-world during a raid, elder brother."


    Having been around Ambraz for a long time, Irwin barely picked up the hint of pent-up anger in the other''s voice.


    "Don''t you elder brother me, you punk," the other Anvil shouted. "Call me grandfather, or I''ll smack you around to show you where you-"


    "Kyder, calm down," Tensor said as he jerked his head aside, causing his metal-tipped beard to smack the Anvil from his shoulder. "I told you not to behave like that in my smithy!"


    "Fine, fine. I was just surprised by this fool''s presence," Kyder said as he hovered before Irwin.


    Irwin saw that there were thin runes engraved in the larger Anvil''s sides while tiny scales covered his wings.


    "Hmmm¡­ at least you seem to have found a good prospect. What''s your name, brat?"


    Irwin frowned, then held back his annoyance. If Ambraz didn''t snap back, that probably meant it was a good thing if he kept calm too.


    "Irwin," he replied.


    "Short, to the point. I like it," Kyder said before seemingly focusing on Ambraz. "And you, punk?"


    There was a sound of metal grinding across metal before Ambraz answered him.


    "Ambraz, grandfather," he said, and this time everyone present could hear the thick anger in Ambraz''s voice.


    "Good, good," Kyder shouted as he flew back to Tensor''s shoulder.


    "Alright, Irwin," Tensor said after a momentary glare at Kyder. "Tell me how someone from a farming world managed to find and bind a Granvoxian Anvil."


    There was a soft grunt from Ambraz while Kyder''s smile vanished.


    "Granvoxian?" Irwin muttered.


    He saw Tensor''s eyes narrow, and he quickly scraped his throat.


    "Ambraz was captured by one of the most powerful people in my world and locked away in a training portal," he said. "I found him and took him out, and Ambraz promised to teach me card reforging in return."


    "Hahaha, locked inside a training world?" Kyder said, letting out another burst of fake, mocking laughter.


    Tensor ignored him, instead looking at Irwin.


    "And why did you leave your world?"


    Irwin grimaced. "To increase my power and become a master Cardsmith so I can prevent my world from shattering," he said.


    There was a moment of silence, then Kyder fell backward from Tensor''s shoulder, his piercing laughter grating Irwin''s ears.


    "Quiet," Tensor said as he kicked the laughing Anvil across the smithy. Then he turned to Irwin and sighed wearily.


    "Kid, you might want to reconsider your end goal. With a Granvox Anvil on your side, becoming an Emerald rank Cardsmith should be doable, but to request the Grinwron Trade Federation to stabilize that farming world of yours? Perhaps if you managed to become a Heart-rank Cardsmith, they would do so... and that probably still meant you would have to work for them for the rest of your life. But as you are now?" Tensor shook his head. "You would have more chances of becoming a legendary seven Soul-carded."


    Irwin took a deep breath, then nodded. It was like they had imagined. Saving their world was going to be a major hassle. That didn''t mean he was just going to give up.


    "Is there a time-dilated training world this Branch uses?" he asked carefully.


    This time Tensor''s eyes widened while Kyder began laughing again.


    "Yes, but if you want to use that, you will need to become a Topaz rank Cardsmith first¡­" Tensor said.


    "This brat wants to try and get powerful enough to have an entire farming world be stabilized within a few months?" Kyder shouted.


    Irwin''s eyes narrowed. "A few months?"


    Tensor gazed at him before he slowly sighed.


    "Listen, Irwin. I thought that farming-world three-five-eight, which is what we called yours, had already shattered weeks ago. If it hasn''t, that''s a miracle in itself, but you wanting to save it?"


    Irwin clenched his teeth but kept his head straight. He was not going to just give up! No matter what, at a minimum, he would save his mother and brother and as many people as he could. He kept staring at Tensor quietly. If the smith couldn''t help him, he would have to find another way.


    Tensor stared at him for a long time, then finally snorted.


    "Stubborn... Fine. You know what? I''ll cut you a deal. In sixteen days, a portal will be opened to Scour, a ruby-ranked Smith''s guild training world. The time-dilation on it is almost three thousand to one, so at a minimum, you will have time to calm down. I have six slots for smiths and only four topaz-rank Smiths willing to go. If you can rank up to topaz rank before then, I will give you one of the slots," Tensor said.


    Irwin licked his lips, staring at him as he felt his hope flare up. He had already reforged cards from quartz to amethyst and, with Ambraz''s help, had even reforged cards to topaz, though the last two barely counted as he''d been mostly unconscious from the pain.


    The first one was¡­ very hard, he thought as he recalled how much effort it had cost together with Ambraz. Back then, he''d wondered how long it would take. Could he get that far in just over two weeks? Ambraz had eluded that he had talent¡­ but this much?


    "However¡­" Tensor said, interrupting his thought process. "In return, you will accept a ten-year contract with my smithy. Even if you fail to reach topaz rank."


    Irwin swallowed. Ten years? He wasn''t even sixteen years old yet. Ten years sounded like... forever! He gazed at the ground. What if he failed and had to stay here? He wouldn''t even be able to try and save his mother!


    "What are you hesitating for," Ambraz hissed from his shoulder. "If you work hard, there''s a chance you can do this, and it''s the only one you have!"


    Kyder snorted as he flew back over, his black lips curved up in a humorous smile. "Sure¡­ going from quartz rank to topaz rank in sixteen days. That''s totally doable!"


    Irwin ignored Kyder''s thick sarcasm as his mind spun. He was probably an amethyst rank smith already, so... one step should be doable. Right?


    He took a deep breath, then looked at Tensor.


    "If I fail, can I return to get my family?"


    Tensor flinched, then shook his head. "I wouldn''t mind, but they won''t let you or anyone back through that portal. The only reason you weren''t forced to become a serf was because of him," he said, pointing at Ambraz.


    Irwin took another deep breath and squared his jaw. "Alright, I accept."


    Tensor watched him for a few moments, then merely nodded as he turned around.


    "Then, seeing as you won''t have much time, follow me, and we will get our deal registered in the Central Registry so you can start working. Follow me."

 Chapter 90: Try singing

    "You did what?" Greldo snapped as he gazed at Irwin.


    Irwin just stared back, then turned to Ambraz, who had been flying around the room, muttering and mumbling about Kyder.


    "You are sure that I''ve got a chance?"


    "What? Yes! Of course you do! You''ve already reforged a few quartz cards, and the last one you did was flawless. That means you are already an amethyst rank smith," Ambraz said.


    "Didn''t you tell me I wasn''t even a quartz rank smith before?" Irwin asked, thinking back to when he had been stuck in that horrible desert world and slotted his hammer card.


    "Remember when you reforged that card when you showed Trimdir?" Ambraz said as he hovered before Irwin. "If you do that again, you will easily pass the amethyst test. After that¡­ well you will just have to work hard!"


    Irwin nodded, staring at Ambraz.


    "How come there are so many smiths without¡­ Ganvils?" he asked, thinking about what Tensor called the anvils.


    "First, you told me I needed you to reforge cards. Then you said I needed you for anything above quartz. So how come I haven''t seen Ganvils everywhere? Balarn even said there were only two in this charter!"


    From the corner of his eye, Irwin saw Greldo and Daubutim pay close attention.


    Ambraz snorted. "Yes, yes. Technically it''s possible, alright? But do you have any idea how long it would take you to increase your skill without me? You could probably become a ruby rank smith without me, but even I don''t know how long that would take!"


    And now I don''t know if he''s lying again, Irwin thought as he looked at the anvil. A worrisome feeling began growing, the beginnings of a thought nagging at him, but he couldn''t figure out exactly what it was.


    "Don''t look at me like that," Ambraz said. "If you don''t believe me, just ask some of the smiths around here! Didn''t you notice how that kid, Balarn, respectfully called me an Anvil of the Gods?"


    When Irwin didn''t respond, Ambraz snorted as he hovered before him.


    "Listen, I told you before. If I want to become stronger, I need a smith! You can hardly blame me for looking out for my own interests!"


    With a sudden jolt, the worry Irwin had crystallized, and he realized what was bugging him.


    "Yes¡­ so how do I know you aren''t lying to me now to get me in this smith''s charter for your own improvement? Kyder seemed to think it was highly unlikely for me to-" he began.


    "Kyder, that no good, horrible piece of rusted flab," Ambraz snarled. "He doesn''t know you have already reforged a card yet! If I hadn''t seen what you did, how you did it, I wouldn''t have believed it either!"


    Irwin looked at the anvil and finally sighed wearily. What did it matter? He would have to work no matter what. Either he would do so to make sure they aren''t all turned into serfs or to become a topaz ranked smith. Besides, he had already accepted the deal.


    "Fine," he said as he turned to Daubutim.


    "I''m going to start practicing right away. With only sixteen days, I can''t waste any more time. Try and get as much information from Balarn and the others."


    "I will," Daubutim said as he frowned. His eyes kept blurring over, and Irwin forced himself to wait and see what the noble was struggling with. Usually, his ideas were worth the wait.


    Finally, after what felt like an hour but was likely only a few minutes, Daubutim''s eyes cleared up.


    "Make sure you return here every evening. I will search for another time-dilation area or world here. Perhaps there is one you can use to train in so you will succeed."


    Irwin nodded. Daubutim was right. Even if it was just one that doubled or tripled his time, that would help him immensely.


    "While you are doing that, I''ll see about earning soulfragments," Greldo said.


    "And Lamia?" Irwin asked.


    "Yeah, yeah, I''ll stay here till she wakes," Greldo said with a weary sigh. "Which reminds me. We need to find one of those soul-carded healers to heal her up."


    "In your dreams," Ambraz snorted. "If there is even one in his small hubworld, they don''t work for free."


    Irwin and the others didn''t respond but shared a look before Irwin sighed. "Alright. Be careful¡­"


    He turned to the door and walked out.


    "Now, let''s find a quiet place in that forge," he muttered.


    --


    Daubutim watched Irwin close the door.


    I hope he succeeds, but I need to prepare for the worst, he thought before turning to Greldo.


    "I''m going to see if I can find some serfs. Father always said that to get real information, one should ask those who had nothing," he said.


    "Fine, fine," Greldo snorted. "Leave me all alone with the unconscious girl."


    Daubutim hesitated, unsure if Greldo was making a joke or not, then decided he probably was. He nodded and left the room. Instead of heading down, he began wandering the hallways.


    It took him a few minutes to find a man carrying a broom and bag who was humming quietly as he walked out of a room.


    "Hello," Daubutim said, slowly moving closer to the men. He was surprised to see that the other was almost as tall as him.


    The man looked him up and down, then blinked. "Hey there. New here, I take it? If you need me to clean your room, don''t worry, I''ll get there eventually."


    "You are correct. I am new. A few friends and I came from the farming world, three-five-eight, the one that is close to shattering." Daubutim said as he smiled cordially at the man. "I''ve been told I am a serf, but I don''t really know much about what that means or what I am supposed to do."


    The man whistled as he leaned on his broom, staring at Daubutim.


    "From that one, huh? I''d heard that nobody made it out alive, and I was glad to see they were wrong. So, what can I do for ya?"


    "Perhaps you could tell me a bit about this world and what I can expect?" Daubutim asked, holding back a frown. He''d already asked this, hadn''t he? Had he been unclear?


    "Yes¡­ well¡­" the man said. "Seeing as you''re a serf too, how about this, you help me, I help you? If you help me clean the rooms I still need to clean, I''ll answer any questions you have or tell you things while we work."


    Right, it''s like that, Daubutim thought as he nodded.


    "That is fine. Do you have another broom?"


    The man grinned as he shook his head and handed over the broom he was holding. "No need. If you do the brooming, I''ll take care of the clutter and the beds."


    Daubutim just nodded as he took the broom before following the man into the room. Some physical labor in exchange for information? No matter what the serf might think, Daubutim felt like he was getting the better end of the deal.


    --


    Hours later, Daubutim wearily walked back to his room, no longer as sure of himself. He had learned a great many things, amongst which were a few ways of getting soulshards but not a single bit of useful information on their world or how to fix it. Even talking with a half dozen other serfs had garnered nothing of use. Reaching the door, he knocked on it.


    I need to ask Irwin for the card, he thought as he heard footsteps.


    He was slightly surprised to see Lamia, her arm clutched against her side and face pale, open the door.


    "Daubutim, you''re back! I was starting to get worried," she said, her voice weary.


    "I am fine," Daubutim said as he followed her into the room. There was no sight of Greldo, and he frowned. "Where did Greldo go?"


    "After I woke up and he told me what had happened, he headed out to try and find some information," Lamia said as he sat back down on her bed. "He said he would try to return before it became dark, but if he wasn''t that, we shouldn''t worry."


    Troublesome, Daubutim thought as he moved to his own bed and sat down. If he gets into trouble, this might reflect upon Irwin, and he shouldn''t be disturbed like that.


    "So, did you find out anything?" Lamia asked.


    "Nothing useful," Daubutim said as he frowned, ordering the new information before looking at Lamia. "There is a place called a public library here. I need to ask Irwin to get me entry there tomorrow."


    "Books?" Lamia muttered. "Are you sure you can read them? What if they have another written language?"


    Daubutim shook his head. "It doesn''t work like that. When we entered through the portal, the Central Registry''s soul gem added knowledge about this world''s language to our minds."


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Lamia looked back, seeming slack-jawed, and Daubutim wondered if he had been unclear. Then he recalled she had been unconscious when they had arrived. Perhaps Greldo hadn''t explained it to her? Slowly he explained what he knew, but as he did, he saw Lamia didn''t show any sign of understanding.


    "I''ll ask Irwin about it later," she finally said, interrupting him.


    "Alright," Daubutim nodded, noticing that Lamia was leaning back, her eyes drooping down. "You should sleep and regain your strength," he said. "You will probably have to show your smithing abilities tomorrow."


    Lamia muttered something before she rolled on her side and closed her eyes.


    I wonder if she is going to be able to actually perform properly, Daubutim wondered before focusing on the door and preparing for a long wait.


    Two hours and three minutes later, give or take a few seconds, there was a knock on the door, and he opened it to let Greldo enter. The smaller youth passed him with a slight grin on his face, and as he sat down, he held up a small bag.


    "Look what I''ve got!"


    Daubutim frowned, unsure if he was supposed to say something now. After a few moments, he decided to go with it being some sort of open question.


    "What is it?"


    Greldo''s smile widened, showing his guess had been correct.


    "Twenty quartz soulshards!"


    Daubutim''s mind came to a grinding halt as he gazed at the bag with a single question.


    "How?" he finally managed.


    "As different as this place is, some things never change," Greldo said, sounding smug. "It didn''t take me too long to find the underground circuit, and as I had thought, they have cage fights here."


    Daubutim felt his mind begin to bog down. What was a cage fight? How could Greldo have gotten soulshards? He struggled to return to clarity, trying to find something he knew that could connect. For a moment, he feared he''d fail, but then a distant memory came to save him: a conversation he had picked up years ago between his brothers about them having earned some coin by placing bets on a cockfight. They had managed to keep it from their father, which was why he''d not thought of it since.


    "Gambling?" he asked, looking up.


    Greldo was looking at him worriedly, and Daubutim stifled a sigh. He missed Irwin, who simply waited calmly for him to work out what was happening and never seemed to care much that it took some time.


    "Yes¡­" Greldo said slowly. "Though I didn''t gamble. Coal and I had a little fight, and let me tell you, we should be able to earn at least enough soulshards to become citizens like this. Well¡­ as soon as we find a way to legally have them."


    He fought? Daubutim frowned. Greldo could get them in trouble with the guards or whatever they had here that doubled for those.


    A thud against the door was followed by a groan, then the door swung open, and Irwin stumbled inside. He was carrying his armor while wearing a leather smithing apron. His face was black with soot while Ambraz sat on his head.


    "Ah, you guys are back," Irwin muttered. He kicked the door closed, moved to his bed, tossed his armor on the ground, then crashed into the bed.


    Daubutim rose, worried. "Irwin¡­?"


    "I''m fine¡­ just really tired. Just let me sleep. We can¡­ talk¡­ tomorrow¡­"


    A soft snoring came from the bed.


    "Damn¡­ they really worked him to the bone," Greldo muttered. "But he''s right. I could do with some sleep."


    Daubutim didn''t respond, but a few minutes later, he heard more snoring from Greldo. He sighed and leaned against the wall, his eyes locked on the door.


    I''ll sleep tomorrow morning, he decided.


    --


    Four days after Irwin had arrived, he stood before Ichela, watching as he placed the purple-bordered card on the thin soul gem.


    "Amethyst ranked card, reforged by Irwin. Quality, ninety-nine percent flawless!"


    Thank Gelwin, Irwin thought as he let out a happy sigh.


    "Great job!" Ichela said as she began rummaging in a drawer.


    "I told you he could do it," Ambraz said, letting out a haughty snort.


    "Yes, you did!" Ichela said with a smile as she handed Irwin a bright purple Smith''s rank plate. "Now, he just needs to hand me an above eighty percent topaz rank card, and he can go into our local charters history as the fastest to that rank."


    "Just you wait!" Ambraz said.


    Yeah, Irwin thought. Wait for a year if I don''t get better faster.


    Keeping his worries to himself, he removed the hairband, took out the quartz rank plate, and replaced it with the amethyst one.


    "See you soon," he said as he smiled at Ichela.


    "Good luck Irwin," she said. "I''ll add your payment to your card after I''ve removed your serf''s living expenses."


    "Thanks, Ichela," Irwin said as he walked past two older smiths. He saw their curious looks but ignored them as he walked to the corridor beside the staircase.


    "Who''s that? And why is he going to the topaz-rank area?" he heard behind him.


    Irwin closed the door behind him, cutting off Ichela''s reply, before rushing to the private smithy that Tensor had allowed him to use until he either succeeded or failed.


    Ambraz fluttered to the anvil spot beside the lively burning forge while Irwin took the stack of cards from the table. All of them were uncommon, amethyst, damn it, and reforged by himself.


    "Alright, let''s try again," he muttered as he took the top one, glancing at the image of a pair of boots and placing it on Ambraz.


    "Alright, remember what I''ve told you," Ambraz said.


    "Don''t just hit it. Harmonize the power and the timing while still striking on the blotches," Irwin said as he took a deep breath and summoned his hammer.


    Half an hour later, he quickly tossed the shaking card into Ambraz''s mouth.


    "Failed again," he grunted as a thud came from Ambraz.


    "Stop whining!" Ambraz said, a trickle of smoke coming from his lips. "You are getting better, but this takes time. Be happy that common cards are practically free here, so as long as you can reforge them to the rank you need, you can keep practicing."


    Irwin nodded, grabbed another card, tried again, and failed again.


    And again.


    And again.


    Two more days passed, and when the last card of the stack turned into a pile of smoking debris, Irwin let out a bellow of anger and tossed his hammer across the smithy, causing it to slam into the wall.


    As he stood, breathing heavily with his hands on Ambraz, he felt like hitting the surface with his fist. It felt like he wasn''t making a single bit of progress!


    "Go and get some more common cards," Ambraz said.


    Irwin gritted his teeth. Why did Ambraz have to sound so calm? It was infuriating! Either he couldn''t hit the blotches, or he did, but at the cost of harmonizing the moments of hits or the strength of them.


    "Irwin¡­"


    Irwin looked up and saw Lamia standing at the door, looking at him. Her left arm was bound to her body, but she didn''t seem to care. A big smile covered her face, and she pulled her hair over her shoulder, showing a simple hairpin with a quartz rank smithing emblem on it.


    "You succeeded!" Irwin shouted, more than willing to focus on something else for a while.


    Lamia nodded, grinning wickedly. "It took me long enough! I''d never have managed if you hadn''t given me those cards!"


    Irwin walked up to her, staring down into her eyes and suddenly deciding he''d done enough for a while. Taking a break for lunch would probably be better.


    "Let''s go eat at Glessile''s," he said, turning to Ambraz.


    "You coming?"


    "Fine¡­ but after this, I expect you to create a new stack and work late!" Ambraz snapped.


    Still, Irwin saw the smile on the side of the anvil as he shrunk and flitted to sit on Irwin''s shoulder.


    They walked through the private smithy area, waved at Ichela, then out of the building and across the courtyard.


    "It was exactly eighty percent," Lamia said as she scratched her head.


    Irwin nodded. "Sounded a bit like a beautiful chime?"


    "Well¡­ I wouldn''t call it beautiful, but at least it was better than an odd gong sound."


    Irwin nodded as they walked through the now slightly familiar street. It was early in the afternoon and quiet, with most people working.


    "I wonder what percentage our own cards are," Lamia said as she raised her hand.


    "Impossible to tell now," Irwin said with a shrug.


    "Bah, it doesn''t matter!" Ambraz snorted. "You only need one flawless or perfect card to serve as your heartcard. It''s useless having the others that good. Better to have them at a high rank, emerald or beyond, or better yet, have a growth card."


    Lamia laughed. "Right, just have very rare or legendary cards, and all is well," she said.


    They reached Glessile''s a few minutes later, a simple dinery with an outside and inside area that was the default place to eat for most of the smiths working at Tensor''s. It was quiet inside, just a few locals drinking and chatting.


    As they sat across, a young woman came over.


    "Lamia! Good to see you again. Congratulations on getting your quartz rank! What can I get you?"


    "The special of the day, Glessile," Lamia said, and Irwin raised two fingers.


    "Will be right there," Glesile said as she turned and rushed away as fast as she had come.


    "We''ve only been here for barely six days, so why do I get the feeling you two know each other for years?" Irwin said.


    "Nah, it''s not like that. Glessile is just an easy person to talk to," Lamia said as she fondled her new rank plate.


    They spoke a bit about how her reforging had gone when Glessile came back with two plates with slices of dark meat covered in ochre sauce. As she put them down, she added a small bottle of a teal-colored drink and two glasses.


    "This is on the house to celebrate!" she said before turning and sprinting to a new customer that had just entered.


    "Thanks, Glessile," Lamia shouted.


    It didn''t take Irwin long enough to finish his meal, and with a small glass of something that smelled far too sweet to Irwin''s taste, he leaned back. Lamia shoved her still half-filled plate to the center.


    "I don''t understand how you can stuff so much into your stomach," she muttered before filling a glass and sipping it. "Oh.. this is nice!"


    Irwin copied her and grimaced as a thick, syrupy sweet drink filled his mouth. He quickly put the glass back, shaking his head.


    Lamia laughed and took another sip before looking at him.


    "So. How is it going? Getting close to reforging an uncommon to rare?"


    "Amethyst to topaz," Irwin corrected her as he glared at the tiny bottle wishing it was just water. "Not good."


    "Bah, don''t lie," Ambraz snapped from his shoulder.


    "What? I''ve not even gotten halfway," Irwin replied.


    "So? At the rate you are going, you will finish with at least a day or two to spare," Ambraz replied. "You don''t have to reforge it to flawless, remember? You only need a single topaz at eighty percent or higher."


    Irwin snorted while Lamia looked at him.


    "You should believe in yourself a bit more," she said. "If Ambraz thinks you can do it, I''m sure you will be fine."


    Irwin shrugged as he leaned back.


    "Instead of this, have you decided who you are taking with you to Scour?" Lamia asked. "I know Greldo really wants to go, but he''s also the only one besides you actually earning soulshards."


    Irwin leaned back, feeling the chair groan slightly under his weight. He absently took another sip of the glass, then almost spat it out as he quickly put the glass back down and shoved it towards a laughing Lamia.


    "Don''t know yet. I''ve been thinking about it a lot," he said, which was true. He had been thinking about it ever since he''d heard he could take a single serf with him.


    "Well, you should figure it out soon," Lamia said. "I''m getting the feeling Greldo is up to something."


    Irwin snorted. "Grel is always up to something."


    They continued chatting while Lamia slowly emptied the bottle, then headed back to Tensor''s.


    "Good luck, and try to relax a bit," Lamia said as they reached the door.


    "I will," Irwin said, knowing it was probably a lie.


    After getting another stack of quartz cards from a smiling Ichela, he returned to his private smithy.


    "You should do as she said," Ambraz said as he dropped before the forge.


    Irwin snorted, moving to the bellows and working them until the coals and fire were blazing hot. The heat that surrounded him actually made him calm even more.


    He slowly reforged a dozen quartz cards, reveling in how easy it was. When he finished, he actually had another flawless, ninety-nine percent card.


    Trying to retain his calm, he began the creation of a topaz card, only to hear the horrible dull out-of-tune gong midway through.


    "By Gelwin''s beard," he cursed as he tossed the card into Ambraz''s mouth. "There has to be a way to do this without having to destroy so many cards!"


    "There isn''t any," a smooth, accented voice said.


    Irwin spun around to see Tensor standing there.


    "You are getting better," the smith said. "I''m still not sure if you will succeed."


    Irwin sighed and shrugged.


    "Try singing," Tensor said.


    Irwin looked up, blinking in surprise. "What?"


    "Try. Singing. Softly," Tensor said. "I never saw the use of it, but some smiths believe it''s the only way."


    "I''ll try," Irwin said, wondering what he was even supposed to sing.


    "Anyway. This isn''t what I came here for. I''m here to relay a message. This morning a lot of people came through that portal from your world. They created a lot of trouble, as some tried to break through the containment area. Well¡­ according to some rumors, one might have actually succeeded."


    Irwin swallowed as he looked at Tensor in disbelief. Who could have possibly come through? Suddenly the image of a metallic straw-throwing sorcerer came to his mind.


    Hult? He shivered, hoping that if it was Hult, he wasn''t the one that got away.


    "What happened to the others?" he asked.


    "Some were killed, the others detained, which is why I am here. One of those detained says he is your family. The Central registry has requested that you come to get him and pay for the damage he has caused."


    "What? Who?" Irwin snapped, an image of his brother popping up in his mind.


    "They say he called himself Indoutor."

 Chapter 91: Unexpected guests

    Irwin tried to keep from running as he, Daubutim, and Balarn strode to the Central Registry, dodging the other people moving through the streets.


    "You are sure I have to take him with us and pay for the damage?" Irwin asked, gritting his teeth.


    "Well, if it''s proven he''s your relative, and if he cannot pay for it himself? Afraid so," Balarn said.


    "Proven?" Irwin asked.


    "The central soulgem can verify blood relatives, which is the only one you have to be worried about," Balarn said.


    Irwin grimaced as he shared a worried look with Daubutim. "What do you think?"


    Daubutim''s face turned dull as he stared ahead. Irwin waited quietly, hoping his friend would come up with something. As it was, the best he could come up with was denying any relation with Indoutor and having Daubutim wait outside to make sure they wouldn''t pin things on him due to their blood relation. The problem was that he knew that would probably either get Indoutor moved to some mining world where he would work for the rest of his life¡­ Something about that just didn''t sit well with him.


    "If we can pay for it, we should help him," Daubutim said, ripping Irwin from his worries.


    "Why?" Irwin asked as he dodged around a pair of fur-covered men with massive horns that reminded him of those that Charbulls had.


    "If we succeed with our plans and have to return at some point, having him along will be incredibly useful," Daubutim said.


    Then we better hope we can pay the soulshard cost, Irwin thought.


    He noticed that Balarn was smiling, and as he looked at the smith, the other shrugged.


    "Don''t worry too much, alright? Everything should be fine," he said.


    Irwin nodded, wondering how he could be so sure before turning his head back around. The Central Registry was ahead of them, an enormous cylindrical building on a hill with a sprawling park around it.


    When they reached the entrance, he saw there were far fewer people milling about, but instead, dozens of armed guards were positioned near every entrance and exit. A large group of people was gathered near the central pillar. A single one instantly stood out to Irwin.


    Indoutor, covered in blood and grime and with three cuts on his cheek, stood flanked by two guards.


    A soft chime came from the flat soulgem as they walked past it. "Irwin, Amethyst rank smith, please head to the central register immediately!"


    "We are on our way there," Balarn said while Irwin looked at the mass of guards standing around.


    Were they all here because of what had happened? Or was something else going on? He hoped the latter¡­ because if this would be added to any potential cost, he wasn''t going to be able to pay it.


    "Daubutim, stay here and out of sight until I beckon you," Irwin whispered.


    Daubutim stared at him for a moment, then nodded and walked away from them, heading towards a smaller group of people near the sidewall. Irwin hadn''t noticed them before. The brooms and carts they had with them told him they were serfs.


    With Balarn beside him, he walked forward, getting more and more jittery as he saw a tall well, dressed man, arms folded, staring around. All of the guards and Indoutor were watching him.


    "Don''t worry. No matter what happens, the worst thing the Grinwron Trade Federation can do is force you to work for them for a few decades," Balarn said, obviously trying to calm him again. "They wouldn''t dare turn you into a real serf, not with you being a member of a Smith''s guild charter."


    Just a temporary one then, Irwin thought as he paled at the idea of having to work for some group for tens of years.


    He saw the tall man''s silver eyes focus on him.


    Let''s hope this goes well.


    "Finally. I was starting to think I''d have to go and find you personally," the man said, his voice booming loudly and silencing the soft chatter that had been going on.


    Irwin saw a look of relief come across Indoutor''s face, but as their eyes met, Indoutor''s relief turned to a deep frown.


    "You are the one this barbarian calls Orwin?" the man asked as he remained where he was until Irwin and Balarn reached him. Irwin saw his gaze flicker to the smith''s rank token in his hair.


    "I am," Irwin said after a moment''s hesitation.


    The man nodded while a green sheen covered his silvery eyes.


    "Irwin, last name unknown. Amethyst ranked Cardsmith with Tensor''s charter," he said slowly before looking at Balarn and nodding minutely.


    "Lord Tomeron Grinwron," Balarn said, bowing slightly.


    Irwin quickly copied his action.


    "Now then. According to this barbarian, you are his relative. Seeing as he is not a citizen and is thus likely unable to pay for the damages he has caused, you are hereby surmised to do so for him," Tomeron Grinwron spoke.


    Irwin saw his flicker around as if he was looking at something and nodded.


    "Three wounded guards that needed healing, slight damages to the containment unit. Including me having to come here to take care of all of this, twenty-eight thousand soulshards should suffice to cover the expenses."


    Irwin felt the blood drain from his face, and he barely managed to stop shouting. Twenty-eight thousand? How expensive was healing? It would take him years to earn that much!"


    "Esteemed Tomeron Grinwron," Balarn said as he stepped forward. "I would like to remind you that your wage is partially paid by our charter and that part of your job entails being here to take care of things."


    Irwin gaped at Balarn, only partly due to how he spoke. Was he actually talking back against the lord?


    There was a soft snort.


    "Perhaps, Smith Balarn, however, you must admit that this is a rather unusual circumstance! Besides, I was dragged here in the middle of the night!"


    Irwin stared at the lord in disbelief. Wait¡­ which part of that cost was actually the damages done by Indoutor?


    "I fully understand the trouble this might have caused you. However, this barbarian is in no way solely to blame for any of this. Besides¡­ I hear your guards are yet to find and apprehend the one that got away?"


    Tomeron Grinwron stepped closer, his brow furrowing while the green haze left his silver eyes.


    "This is just a matter of time."


    "I would hope so, seeing as he is supposedly not even a heartcarded," Balarn said, sounding slightly confused. "Now, if you would be so kind as to tell us the exact cost of the damages done, excluding any perceived slights?"


    Irwin licked his lips, and a quick look around showed him that he wasn''t the only one. Dozens of guards were staring at Balarn, most with disbelief etched on their faces. Whatever was happening right now definitely wasn''t something that had happened before.


    "Very well," Tomeron Grinwron said, sniffing disdainfully. "But I will be having words with your charter head about this."


    Why doesn''t he look surprised? Irwin thought, trying to figure out why Tomeron didn''t seem one bit upset about being talked back to.


    Tomeron''s eyes flared green for a moment, and he sniffed again. "The total cost of healing and damage repairs will result in three thousand four hundred and twenty soul-shards," he rattled.


    There were some sucked-in breaths while Irwin looked at the lord, dumbstruck and unable to keep the disbelief from his face.


    He barely noticed when Balarn turned to him.


    "Irwin, seeing as you haven''t had a chance to accumulate any wealth, Tensor is willing to loan you these reparations on the condition that you will accept working for Tensor''s charter for ten years."


    Irwin blinked. Another ten years? Tensor would pay over three thousand soul-shards if he worked at the charter for ten years? Wait... would that mean that he''d get no pay? What about his friends? Unless they managed to become citizens, how was he going to pay for them?


    "Would I still be paid¡­?" he asked.


    "Of course," Balarn said, his eyebrows raising in evident surprise.


    So¡­ if I fail, I''d have to work here for twenty years? Irwin frowned, then turned to Indoutor. The lord of Coulwater Tower was staring at him coldly.


    Not even going to ask me to help you? Irwin thought before turning back to Balarn.


    "What would happen to Indoutor?" he asked.


    "He will be added to your list of serfs, and you will be responsible for his behavior going forward," Lord Tomeron Grinwron interjected. He was looking at Irwin with seeming interest.


    Irwin''s mind spun quickly, but he knew there wasn''t anything he could do. He would have to stay here to learn smithing either way. Then he thought of something and turned to Balarn.


    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    "If I succeed and am allowed into Scour, what time counts? My time there, or my time here?"


    Balarn shrugged. "The time there would count."


    "So if I would stay in Scour for ten years, I would have already worked off all my time after I exit?" Irwin asked, wanting to make it absolutely clear.


    "Definitely," Balarn said.


    Irwin nodded as he began to realize what was going on. Tensor was hedging his bets. If Irwin failed, he''d work for Tensor for ten years, yet if he succeeded, he''d still have to work for him.


    But why not just tell me the time here would count?


    "Irwin, let''s discuss the details later. It''s about time we let the Esteemed Tomeron Grinwron deal with the rest of the trouble."


    Irwin nodded. "Fine. I''ll accept," he said, feeling like a vice was wrapped around his chest.


    "Perfect," Tomeron said. "I''ve taken the liberty of letting Christaliz listen in. She will alert you of this when you exit!"


    Christaliz? Irwin thought.


    "Now! Off with you. I have more things to deal with, and this has taken enough of my time," Tomeron said as he turned to the guards. "Release him into the smith''s custody."


    The guards stepped away, and a shimmer came from around Indoutor as he stumbled, barely seeming able to remain on his feet.


    They had him locked down somehow, Irwin thought.


    "This way," Balarn said as he beckoned Indoutor and Irwin.


    Irwin followed him while Indoutor managed to stumble beside him.


    "Thanks," Indoutor said, his voice soft and cracked.


    Irwin just nodded, slightly angry about everything and hoping he wasn''t going to be relegated to working here for twenty years with all the consequences that would bring.


    They remained quiet as they headed for the exit. Indoutor''s eyes widened when Daubutim joined them halfway, but he remained quiet until they reached the door, and an emotionless voice echoed from the flat gem slab.


    "Irwin, Irwin, Amethyst ranked Cardsmith. You have accepted a deal with the Smith''s charter of Tensor," the voice stated before quickly stating the terms of the deal.


    "What...?" Indoutor hissed, looking around. The other''s ignored him, as did the voice.


    "You have already accepted this deal, and your term starts immediately. Good day."


    Irwin sighed as he shook his head and walked out of the door. When the four of them stood outside, Indoutor muttered something, and Irwin saw he was looking around the city with wide-eyed wonder.


    "Why did you come here?" Irwin asked.


    "Not now," Daubutim said, cutting off any reply Indoutor might have given. "Let''s go to our room so we can speak freely."


    Irwin saw Balarn give an appreciative nod before the Smith grinned at Irwin.


    "See? Told you things would be fine. The worst thing that could happen is that you have to remain with us for a few years, but you will find that that''s only going to be beneficial to you in the long run!"


    Irwin forced a smile on his face as he nodded.


    "Don''t worry so much," Balarn said as he thumbed him on the shoulder before turning back in the direction of the smithy.


    Irwin, lost in his own thoughts, followed along, barely hearing when Indoutor began asking Dauburim questions about things he saw.


    Eventually, they reached the smithy and then their room. As they entered it, Irwin realized they would need another bed. Still, as it was still in the afternoon, the room was empty now, with no sign of Greldo or Lamia.


    "Now, I''ll leave you three for now. I suggest you go back to training after you explain how things work to your¡­ cousin?" Balarn said.


    Irwin nodded, and Balarn laughed as he thumbed his shoulder again.


    "You did good! Saving family is important, even if it comes at the cost of a few thousand soulshards to line the pockets of that greedy Tomeron Grinwron."


    "What?" Irwin said, looking up in surprise. Wasn''t he only going to pay for the reparations?


    Balarn sighed. "Healing a few guards and repairing a containment room will, at most, cost four hundred or so soul shards. The rest? That''s all going to Tomeron. Why do you think he was happy? Don''t worry, though. It''s much better for you to keep that one happy. If he wanted to make things difficult for you?" Balarn raised an eyebrow. "You''d be in deep shit."


    Irwin swallowed a barrage of angry words while Balarn laughed as he left. "I''m waiting for the good news to hear you are coming along to Giard! It''s going to be dangerous, and another blade will be great."


    Irwin blinked as the door slammed shut.


    Dangerous?


    "Indoutor, why did you come here?" Daubutim asked, and Irwin was surprised by the coldness in his friend''s voice.


    Indoutor let out a snort before sitting down on Greldo''s bed and leaning against the wall.


    "Is that your way of saying sorry for leaving in the dead of night, getting Uxin''tar so riled up that he nearly exploded? Making me look like a fool?"


    Irwin stared at the lord of Coulwater tower as the man rubbed his arm while glaring at Daubutim. A vein was throbbing on his head.


    "Or for bringing someone in my tower who has a way to turn common cards into uncommon ones, and who knows, even higher? Something I could have really really used when two rare portals appeared in the hills behind my tower and a swarm of thousands of Nyzir spilled out in the middle of the night, swarming us and all the other towers?"


    By now, Indoutor''s face had turned red, and he was leaning forward, spittle flying from his lips as he shouted at Daubutim.


    Irwin''s mouth had gone dry, and he stared at the burly, wounded lord.


    Indoutor drew in ragged breaths until he finally slumped back down with his back against the wall.


    "Or, perhaps, because you left without warning me about what is actually going on?" he said as he looked around the room. Then he stared at Daubutim, who by now had taken a step back and was looking back with dull eyes.


    "You could have taken us with you¡­" Indoutor said, his voice laced with pain.


    Then he closed his eyes and leaned his head back.


    "I came here because there was no other place to flee to. Those disgusting snakes slithered in during the storm in the middle of the night, and before we could even think of defending ourselves, they had slaughtered the uncarded and common-carded. Uxin''tar managed to break us a path out, and between me, Jondir, and a few of those guards that came with you, we managed to reach the ruins."


    Irwin saw that Daubutim was staring dully into the distance, his face slack.


    "And so you fled through the portal?" Irwin whispered. "Why did you think you would survive?"


    Indoutor let out a small laugh. "It seems that Uxin, that old demon, also knew more than he was letting on. He told me that Hult had given him credible information to believe it was safe to enter¡­"


    "Safe!" Indoutor struck the bed weakly. "And I, in my gullible idiocy, believed him."


    His face fell.


    "That filthy old bastard... I should have guessed that something was wrong," he muttered, sounding more like he was lamenting to himself now. "As if Hult would know anything about this."


    Uxin''tar, Irwin thought as he recalled his meeting with the ancient sorcerer.


    "They say someone escaped from the containment room," he asked slowly, suddenly afraid to hear the answer.


    Indoutor sighed, and his eyes fluttered open as he looked at Irwin.


    "How he did that, I might never know, but he just raised his hand and¡­ blasted a hole through that wall, summoned one of those birds of his, and flew off before any of us could react. We couldn''t even use the hole to flee as dozens of those silver-eyed freaks came through a door that I swear hadn''t been there before. I managed to knock back two before they had us. I''ve never felt that weak in my life! They just held me, and there wasn''t anything I could do! None of my cards would even work!"


    Irwin only partially paid attention. How could Uxin''tar have blown a hole in that wall? According to what he''d heard, those walls were able to contain the blast of a powerful heartcarded! Then he blinked as he suddenly realized what Indoutor had said before.


    "You said some of the guards that came with us followed you?" he asked as a face appeared in his mind''s eye.


    "Yeah. A tough one, bare-armed. He actually managed to grapple one of those silver-eyed guards to the ground before they knocked him unconscious."


    "Hutch!"


    Irwin swallowed as he turned to Daubutim.


    "We need to-"


    "I''ll go find Hutch," Daubutim declared, interrupting Irwin. "You need to successfully reach Topaz rank if we want to have any chance of saving people."


    Irwin stared at his friends. Daubutim was right...


    "How about you two fill me in on what''s going on?" Indoutor asked, pushing himself up. "I shared all that happened with the two of you¡­ and from how I see it, you owe me."


    "We don''t owe you anything," Daubutim said before blinking. "But I will tell you. Irwin has more important things that he needs to do, and we are running out of time."


    Irwin stared at Indoutor, imagining all the people that inhabited the Esterdon towers dead, butchered, and perhaps even eaten.


    He is right¡­ I need to do this, he thought as he took a deep breath and steeled himself.


    "Alright. Make sure you get Hutch out of there. I''ll tell Balarn you can add him to my list," he said as he turned to the door. As he pulled it open, ready to leave, Indoutor called his name.


    "What?" he asked as he looked at what he guessed was now the former lord.


    "I don''t think it''s likely, but when we fled our tower, a group of sorcerers was racing to the ruins as well. I think they were led by Hult, and¡­ well, there is a small chance that they will reach the portal."


    Irwin thought about the sorcerer, recalling the harrowing moments as they fled through the ruins and how Lamia had been wounded.


    "Then I hope they resist the guards," he said before closing the door.


    --


    Indoutor stared at the door, stunned at the youth just closing it on him.


    This is¡­ going to need some getting used to, he thought before turning to Daubutim. He felt his hairs rise as he had to resist the urge to summon his blade and gut his cousin.


    "Now, Lord Coulwater," he said. "How about you tell me what is going on here?"


    Daubutim stared at him calmly before nodding. "I will, but after that, I need to get Hutch and warn the Central Registry about potential enemies."


    As if they need help, Indoutor thought as he recalled the massive blast of purple energy that Uxin''tar had created.


    --


    Stretching his weary body, Irwin gazed at the trickle of smoke rising from Ambraz''s mouth.


    "How close?" he asked.


    "Close to the fifty percent mark," Ambraz said as he crunched the remnants of the card.


    Irwin nodded as he took the next card and placed it on Ambraz''s surface. He closed his eyes for a moment, slowly focusing on the next attempt.


    Five days left¡­


    The thought shattered his concentration, but he ignored it. The same had been happening for days now, but he''d learned to let it happen, wait for a moment, then try again. When he felt his worry fade to the background, he opened his eyes, summoned his hammer, and struck the amethyst card. A dull thud came as a shuddering image appeared of a spread hand with large areas of skin between the fingers.


    The soft resonance began from his cards, and taking a deep breath, he struck the card again, harder. His cards resonated almost as one, with only his hammer marginally off. It wasn''t enough to trouble him. He barely even noticed it, really. Instead, he searched for something, a pattern.


    The third strike. Then the sixth, and still nothing.


    There, he thought, when he hit it a twelfth time. He finally found the slight pattern in the resonances. It was something that had taken him days of nonstop practice, wasting over a hundred cards to detect.


    He struck another four times, just to be sure, then nodded.


    Each card was different, creating differences in how his cards resonated. This one? It caused the start of the resonance to be slightly higher and then drop off, while after the first hit, the resonance of the next three came much faster, before there was a momentary pause after the first, causing an interesting pattern. Hitting them again, he hummed low, then faster, along with the next three strikes. Sensing how accurately he was hitting, he smiled.


    Time for the next step.


    He''d not bothered with the black blotches at first, but as he struck the card again, he tried to angle the hammer minutely, aiming for one of them. Juggling, holding his cards in his mind, he managed to strike the blotch at the exact right moment, causing the resonance to suddenly soar. The resonance changed slightly, but he''d known it would, and as he struck again, he managed to hit it again.


    Minutes passed as he continued striking, sometimes missing the blotches but ignoring it as if it didn''t matter, remaining fully focused on keeping up with the slowly shifting tempo of the song. He continued to hum, sometimes louder, sometimes softer.


    As the speed of the resonating tempo switches increased, he felt his calm fade, but he stoically continued.


    Then, after what felt like forever, he finally heard a dull, shaky chime. It seemed ready to crack and break if sound could even do that.


    Stopping mid-swing, Irwin stared at the card, and his heart skipped a beat as he saw the image shake and shiver before slowly settling, one blotch gone. There was a bright flash, which didn''t bother him, and he stared at the card''s border change from a bright purple to a dull yellow.


    "This is¡­ insane... you succeeded¡­" Ambraz muttered, almost too soft for Irwin to pick up.


    "I succeeded," he said, staring at the card. "I succeeded!" he shouted again.


    "Calm down, kid," Ambraz said, though Irwin could hear an increasing excitement in the Anvil''s own voice.


    "What percentage?" he asked.


    "It''s¡­" There was a hesitation before Ambraz continued. "Sixty-five percent! Your first card... Been practicing less than half a year... Are you even normal?"


    Irwin ignored the anvil, picking up the card and holding it as if it was the most precious thing he''d ever seen.


    Calm down, he told himself as he took deep breaths, trying to regain his calm. With shaky hands, he put the card on a nearby anvil that he used as a table.


    "How long did it take?" he asked.


    "How should I know? Do you think I''m Daubutim?" Ambraz shouted. "An hour? Maybe more?"


    Irwin nodded, barely hearing it, as he stared at the stack of purple-bordered cards and picked up the top one.


    "Enough time to try again," he muttered.

 Chapter 92: The price of success

    Another four and a half days passed in the private smithing booth when a thunderous roar of joy startled the few smiths in the adjacent rooms.


    "Dammit, that kid is getting on my nerves," the gray-bearded man with a yellow metal cap on the end grunted.


    "Come on, don''t you remember how it was when you were still actually progressing?" a sweating man working the bellows asked with a grin. "Besides, they say that kid is close to becoming a Topaz rank smith! Can you imagine how much that will help the rest of us? If those big branches hear about it, we will get more funding and perhaps even rare cards and metals!"


    "Yeah, yeah," the old man muttered.


    All of them looked up as they heard running feet, then they saw Irwin sprint past their room, shouting something that sounded happy.


    "Think he succeeded?" the third smith, who had been blinking and yawning as if he just woke up from a small nap.


    "No, he has to piss," the old man grunted as he gazed at the card image hovering before him.


    "Oh. Alright," the third smith said.


    The other two to stared at him in quiet disbelief.


    --


    Irwin could barely keep himself from shouting again as he stood behind a dozen smiths waiting in line for Ichela.


    "Calm down, Irwin," Ambraz said as he flitted around Irwin''s head, sat down on his shoulder, then jumped back up and flitted around again.


    "Yes, yes," Irwin exclaimed, holding the card in his hand, covered as if afraid someone would grab it.


    "It''s only in the eighty percent range. Nothing to get this excited about," Ambraz muttered as he landed on Irwin''s shoulder again, fidgeting.


    "You are absolutely sure?" Irwin asked, suddenly afraid Ambraz might have made a mistake.


    "A chime is eighty percent or up! Unless you didn''t hear it-"


    "Chime! Definitely!" Irwin hissed as he nodded his head.


    The smith ahead of him tossed him an amused look, which Irwin barely noticed. Instead, he gnashed his teeth as the line slowly whittled away in what seemed a deliberate attempt to bully him.


    When the last smith finally got his payment and stepped away from the counter, Irwin jumped forward.


    "So. Cutting it a bit close, aren''t we?" Ichela said with a wide smile. "Still, I take it you succeeded?"


    Irwin nodded as he felt his mouth go dry, and he handed over a yellow-bordered card depicting a bird. As he did, he realized he hadn''t even bothered to look at what the card did. All he cared for now was that Ambraz was right. He still had half a day left, but if he really had to go again¡­ this time had been a moment where all things just seemed to come together. He had no trust that he''d be able to replicate it again within another half a day, let alone do it better.


    Ichela looked at the card with sparkling eyes.


    "When I saw you run in here, I almost couldn''t believe it," she said as she calmly placed the card on the thin soul gem before her.


    Irwin held his breath.


    "Topaz ranked card, reforged by Irwin. Quality, eighty-seven percent."


    Ichela''s eyes grew round while Irwin exhaled in relief.


    "Above eighty-five percent in under a week¡­ you have to tell me you were close to topaz ranked before you came here, or I''ll feel horrible," she said, shaking her head.


    "He wasn''t even close... to halfway there yet," Ambraz said, landing beside the soul gem and letting a loud laugh.


    Irwin felt a surge of pride at the stunned look on Ichela''s face. Then he recalled the horrendous number of amethyst cards he''d had to spend to get there and shivered. If his mother heard about it, she would probably have something to say about it.


    "Don''t look so surprised. I didn''t expect anything else from the smith I chose," Ambraz said, letting out a happy laugh.


    Irwin and Ichela shared a grin before she began rummaging in another drawer. She returned with a yellow, almost golden ranking plate and handed it to Irwin, who immediately began taking off the hairband with his previous one.


    "Now, instead of running to Tensor with the happy news, let me give you some advice," she said as he leaned over conspiratorially. "You must have noticed that Tensor is a stickler for tradition, and that-" she pointed at the hairband in his hand. "-is far from traditional."


    Irwin opened his mouth, about to say he didn''t have long enough hair to do what she had, nor a beard, but Ichela raised her hand, and he fell quiet.


    "You''re still a bit young to grow your own beard, I know. But hair? There''s a hair salon I know that has a heart-carded barber who is able to make your hair grow long. I''d suggest going to the metal smithy outside, creating your own hair plaque." Ichela held out her own, a beautifully crafted, squarish golden box that clamped around the end of her thick braid. "Then go to Gustho''s and have your hair done."


    Irwin just stared at her stupidly. With all that was going on, this was supposed to be important? Besides, he''d barely seen his friends, instead sleeping in the smithy the last three nights.


    "Just a suggestion," Ichela said. "You don''t have to believe me."


    "No, no. I''ll go and do it right now," Irwin said as he dropped his amethyst rank plate before staring at it for a moment. He''d only had it for a short while, though longer than the first one. Would he have this one longer? A tiny bit of him hoped he wouldn''t, but instead would keep progressing at his current pace. He knew that was incredibly unlikely, though.


    Ichela told him how to find Gustho''s barber shop, and a few moments later, he was outside, basking in the sun. He''d been inside for days, and who knew what tomorrow would be like? Taking a few deep breaths, he walked around the building to the large open smithing area.


    --


    A few hours later, and calmed down, he walked through the city, following Ichela''s directions. He had a golden-colored metal cup in his hand with his new topaz rank plate worked-in beautifully. In the end, a few of the smiths, most of whom he hadn''t even known the names of, had insisted on helping him, which mostly meant they had stood to the side telling him what he was doing wrong. Still, as he looked at the metal trinket, he knew it was only as good as it was due to their help.


    Moving out of one of the narrow streets he''d taken to get here, he almost ran into a group of what looked like boulders with legs that came to his waist. Shouting an apology, he dodged around. Halfway through the packed street, he saw a shop front with enormous scissors hovering above a plate that vaguely reminded him of the soul gems he''d seen over the days. Each of the scissor''s blades were as long as his legs, and as he walked closer, he gaped as the scissors made a snipping motion every few moments. Below was a beautifully gilded placard with ''Gustho'' in gaudy writing.


    How did they make that? Is it some kind of card skill? Irwin thought as he gazed at the scissors snipping closed again.


    Reaching the door of the large establishment, two women with silvery eyes and long, well-maintained manes of hair walked out.


    "-telling you, it''s true! Four of them in a single night? That''s not normal! It has to be some monster or barbarian from a farming world!"


    "Ewww, I hope you are wrong," the younger one cried with a hand before her mouth. "Imagine walking around at night and being jumped by something! Horrible. I hope they find it and put it down soon."


    Irwin slowly pushed open the door. Could they be talking about Uxin''tar? That seemed unlikely¡­ the sorcerer didn''t even have six cards yet, and he''d seen hundreds if not thousands of silver-eyed heart-carded guards here. Perhaps-


    "Good sir! How lovely of you to choose Gustho''s, the most beautiful salon in all of the Interconnected Portal Gallery! I can see your hair is in adamant need of some love and affection, and you have come to just the right place. Let me, Gustho, help you to look better than ever before!"


    Stolen novel; please report.


    Irwin looked at an insanely thin man dressed in a beautiful white and golden gown, with vibrant green skin and hair like the autumn trees walking towards him. His silver eyes shone brightly as he put his hand on Irwin''s shoulder.


    "Please follow me to a seat and tell me how I can be of assistance!"


    Irwin nodded dumbly, startled by the man''s energy. As he followed after him, he looked around and froze midstep. Three rows of chairs stood before as many mirrors that covered most of the left, back, and right of the shop. Dozens of people were softly chatting in the chairs, and behind them stood exact copies of Gustho. Even the clothing was identical.


    "Your first time here? No worry," Gustho said, and Irwin felt a hand on his arm pulling him towards a chair.


    Before he knew it, he was sitting while the man was placing a sheet around his upper body while at the same time smiling at him in the mirror. He barely noticed as he stared at the stranger in the mirror. The last time he''d seen himself, he had been a youth with a pale malnourished face, large hollow eyes, and thin bedraggled hair.


    Now a young man that looked to be seventeen or eighteen looked back at him with clear, hazel eyes below thick dark coppery eyebrows set in a stern, darkly tanned face. An unkempt, uneven crop of unwashed hair sat above it, gleaming oddly, almost like metal. Except for the hair, it reminded him of a slightly sharper version of his brother''s face but with larger eyes.


    This is me? Irwin thought, blinking and seeing the mirror image blink back. Why did he look so much older? How much time had he been in those different portals? Glancing down, he saw the thick cables of muscles around his neck and thick shoulders below the thin, dirty white shirt.


    "Now, what would you like?" Gustho asked, jogging him back to reality.


    Irwin licked his lips, watching his mirror image do the same. He jerked his attention away from it and managed to poke his hands out from below the sheet.


    "I would like my hair grown out and braided, then have this attached to the end," he said, holding up his golden-colored rank signifier.


    "Oh my! Such an honor to host a newly minted Topaz smith," Gustho exclaimed, and there was a lull in the surrounding conversations. "Just leave it to me. I know exactly what to do!"


    Gustho snatched his ranking emblem away and put it on the counter before the mirror while raising his hands and stroking his hair.


    "Let''s begin with growing this out a bit! It''s already long, but for this, it will need just a bit more, yes?"


    Irwin wanted to nod, then held back. "Yes?"


    "Yes, yes! Oh, you have such nice and strong hair! Dare I ask, but do you have a metal-type card?"


    Gustho''s obvious enjoyment of his work was slowly starting to get to Irwin, and he smiled back.


    "Yes, something with Coperion," he said.


    "Ahhh, that explains both the color and the tensile strength!"


    As Gustho spoke, he kept stroking Irwin''s hair, and he watched as it grew longer and longer.


    "So, what world are you from? I''ve never seen someone with your combination of complexion, height, and hair type," Gustho said.


    Irwin hesitated before deciding as much as he liked Gustho''s way of talking. That was probably something to keep to himself.


    "Oh, nowhere special," he said. "Most of it is because of my card."


    Gustho smiled and nodded and seemed more than willing to drop the subject.


    "Yes, that happens to the best of us! So, have you been at Tensor''s long?"


    Irwin grinned, giving another evasive answer, which didn''t deter Gustho in the slightest as he kept chatting along. Soon, when he realized Irwin wasn''t interested in talking about himself, he began sharing dozens of odd rumors, ranging from which nobles were sleeping around with serfs to a new type of card-created item that allowed you to put temporary tattoos on your skin, which was the latest rage amongst teenagers.


    Irwin quietly listened as he watched his hair go from his shoulders to the middle of his back in just under half an hour.


    I wonder what this will cost, he thought. He had gotten some soulshard from Ichela, but he was now worrying if it was enough. She would have told me otherwise¡­ right?


    "So, time to wash it a bit," Gustho said as he stepped away, holding out Irwin''s coppery hair, which was pulling on his scalp heavily.


    Staring at it for a moment, Irwin decided he was going to grow a beard as soon as he could. The long hair and the feeling weren''t at all what he liked. Perhaps he could cut it shorter after he reached the training world? Pushing the thoughts away, he watched as Gustho made a gesture with his hand, and a large sphere of blue and sparkly water appeared. The barber stuffed his hair in it.


    "Would you look at that? Such beautiful hair!"


    "I heard something about people going missing?" Irwin asked.


    "Ah, yes! Horrible that," Gustho said without missing a beat. "It began four nights ago! Some poor serf was found without his hands and a hole in his head¡­ horrible! I''ve heard about barbarians attempting to steal cards like this before, but for it to happen in our beautiful Fiverio? Horrible! I''m sure it has something to do with the unruly things that have happened at The Central Registry."


    "Did you hear anything more about it?" Irwin asked. "Don''t they have an idea who it is?"


    "None yet, dear boy," Gustho said as he sighed melodramatically. "But don''t worry. The Grinwron family has increased the nighttime guard numbers! Patrols are walking through the most populated areas all evening! Still, I would suggest you stay indoors after dark. Ah¡­ so sad that all those serfs died."


    Irwin swallowed as he thought of his friends. Someone would have told him if something had happened to Daubutim or Greldo, right?


    As he stared into the mirror, Gustho continued to work and chatter away until, at some point, Irwin tuned it all out. He was staring at his hair, transforming into an intricate set of small copper braids at the top of his head that led down into a thick copper-colored braid at the bed. Finally, Gustho added the golden cap at the end.


    "There we go! Perfect as only I can do! What do you think?" Gustho asked.


    Irwin stared at himself. Now that his hair had been done, he truly realized how bad his clothes looked. If not for his smith''s apron, which was of extremely good quality, he''d have looked like a bum.


    He probably only helped me due to my smith rank emblem, Irwin thought, before recalling that he hadn''t actually shown that until he had been sitting in the chair.


    His worry about having enough soulshards was unfounded, though after spending five soulshards, half of what he had, he did feel slightly sick.


    "Now, come back if you want something else or when your beard starts growing for real," Gustho said as he stretched out a hand and padded Irwin''s cheek, pulling at some loose hairs.


    Barely able to resist jerking back, Irwin nodded.


    "Will do," he said.


    "Then thank you for your patronage!" Gustho said before waving, smiling, and disappearing in a tiny cloud of golden particles.


    Irwin gasped as he stared at where the man had just been standing. Looking around, he saw the dozens of copies still working diligently.


    That has to be a heart-card, he thought. He''d never heard of any card that could duplicate an entire person. What if he trained with weapons? Wouldn''t he be a one-man army?


    Shivering at the thought of having to fight someone like that, Irwin turned around and took the quickest route back to Tensor''s smithy.


    --


    "One more day¡­ Do you think he will make it?" Greldo asked, lying on his bed and staring at Daubutim.


    "There is no way to tell," the tall youth responded before frowning as the person sitting on the bed beside him let out a snort.


    "He''d better," Indoutor said. "Otherwise, we are going to have to stay serfs for who knows how long. I prefer going back to our own world."


    You only care for yourself, Daubutim thought coldly. Still, his cousin wasn''t wrong. He, too, wanted nothing but to go back, though in his case, it was to see if his father made it back.


    Greldo snorted. "Speak for yourself. If I can get Irwin to create three more cards based on what I need, I''ll be able to join the second-rank underground tournament and make a fortune!"


    "Or die at the hand of one of those silver-eyed bastards," Indoutor snapped back.


    "Hah, unlikely," Greldo said. "They aren''t allowed to join the hand-carded rank tournaments."


    The door was shoved open, and Lamia rushed in.


    "Ichela said he made it!" she shouted as she slammed the door shut behind her. Her left arm was strapped tightly against her torso, covered with a wide extra bit of leather that sat attached to her apron.


    Greldo surged up. "That''s fantastic! Where is he?"


    Lamia stood in the center of the room, nearly hopping up and down in excitement. "Ichela said he went to get his hair done before going to tell Tensor.


    "What?" Greldo snapped. "I told you, he shouldn''t be left outside alone! You''ve heard about those missing serfs, and we all know Uxin''tar might be responsible for it!"


    Lamia stared at him, pale. "I didn''t see him before now," she muttered. "You know we aren''t allowed in the private smithing area, and Balarn hasn''t been around for days."


    Daubutim got up before staring at his cousin. As much as he disliked the other''s mentality, there was no denying his strength, and his father had always taught him to use the tools at his disposal.


    "Let''s go and see if we can find him."


    Indoutor looked back, and for a moment, Daubutim thought his cousin was going to reject. Then he got up and cracked his neck.


    "Do you even know where to look?" Greldo asked with a derisive snort.


    "You said he was getting his hair done?" Daubutim asked Lamia. "Did Ichela say which one?"


    Lamia was quiet, then shrugged. "I don''t recall exactly. Something like Usto?"


    "Gustho," Daubutim said as he headed for the door. "I know where it is and the fastest way to there from here. Let''s go."


    He heard a soft mutter from Greldo, which he ignored.


    "Lamia, stay here for if Irwin comes back. Tell him not to leave the smithy again!"


    "I will!"


    The three youths rushed down the stairs, out of the smithy, and onto the streets, ignoring some surprised looks.


    Let''s hope Greldo is wrong, Daubutim thought.


    --


    A dark shadow moved high in the air, glowing yellow eyes staring down. Atop the bird stood a figure with his eyes closed.


    "He finally headed outside," Uxin''tar grunted, his muddled eyes snapping open. He pulled a purple-bordered card from his pocket, stared at it then tossed it in front of the bird. A soft squeal was followed by a snap and crunching. "Hide from the watchers and bring me to that boy."


    The bird squealed again, a deep rattling sound that didn''t seem to echo but drowned out as it dove down.


    As it dropped through a cloud, a trail formed, but it slowly dissipated.


    --


    Lamia couldn''t sit still, instead pacing through the room. Ever since coming here, she''d barely seen Irwin. All she''d been doing was focusing on card reforging. She''d attempted to reforge a common card -quartz- a few days ago but had failed miserably.


    I wonder who he is going to bring, she thought, recalling what Greldo had told her.


    A knock came from the door, and then it flew open before she could move to it. Instead of Irwin, she saw Balarn looking around.


    "Have you seen Irwin?" the gruff, bearded man asked, staring at her with his silver eyes.


    "He went to Gustho''s. Daubutim and the others are going to get-"


    She stopped talking because Balarn had turned and sprinted out of the room, letting out a stream of curses.


    "Yilda be damned that I''m staying here alone," she hissed, running after Balarn.


    -


    Irwin moved through the narrow street that he''d gone through on the way to Gustho''s, his mind occupied by tomorrow. As he was at the halfway point, there was something that jogged him awake. A sound or a bit of movement, he didn''t know, but he was suddenly fully awake as he looked around.


    Had it always been this quiet?


    A tiny breeze was all the warning he got, and he barely managed to trigger Coperion Body as three thin metal straws struck his neck and head.


    "You keep surprising me with how fast you are," a horribly familiar voice muttered from above.


    Irwin, heart racing, touched his face and was relieved to feel no blood or straws sticking out. Then he looked up at the man standing on the narrow balcony ten feet above him.


    "Hult," he whispered.

 Chapter 93: Familiar faces

    "You little brat¡­ see if you can run away this time!"


    Irwin felt his anger surge up as he stared at the sorcerer. The previously neat, luxurious robe was stained and torn in places while scratches and mud dotted his face. Still, the dark eyes glittered malevolently as they stared at him.


    For a moment, Irwin thought about talking, then he triggered Eyes of Blaze in as narrow a beam as he could. The world turned red as two tight beams of roaring flame shot at Hult.


    The sorcerer snorted, and his form dissipated into a dark shadowy form.


    Irwin had been expecting it and readied himself to follow some form of dark cloud. But as he waited, there was nothing. A soft whistle was followed by sharp objects poking his face a few inches from his eyes before falling down.


    How?


    Irwin looked around, just catching Hult on another balcony before he vanished in the shadows.


    "Your skin is tough. I''ll give you that. So here''s my final warning."


    Irwin jolted as Hult''s voice came from right above and behind him. He turned around to find Hult there with a raised hand and a nasty grin.


    "See if your skin can stop this," he said as his hand glowed as he activated one of his cards.


    A strange coldness rippled around Irwin''s skin, and suddenly he couldn''t breathe. His eyes bulged as he tried to get air in his lungs. Feeling a slight bit of panic, he jumped back. Hult followed him, hand raised and a nasty smile on his face.


    Whatever skill he had that was taking away Irwin''s breath wasn''t fading, and Irwin grabbed at his chest.


    "You are going to do as I say, or I''m going to have to kill you and take that anvil from your dead body and find someone else that can use it," Hult growled. "Do you understand me?"


    Irwin barely heard what he said, panic growing as his body screamed for air. Glaring at Hult, he triggered his Eyes Of Blaze, and for a moment, the world turned red. Then the fire was snuffed out before it even reached a foot from his face.


    "Fire needs air, little brat," Hult said. "Just like you do!"


    Irwin stepped forward to grab him and strangle him, but Hult took a step back, his smile widening.


    Flee, Irwin thought, and he turned and began scrambling away. His chest was cramping, and he felt the irresistible urge to gasp for breath. He got three steps when something struck him in his back, and he stumbled two steps, barely catching himself on his hands.


    Tiny black spots were starting to flicker across his vision, and Irwin knew he had to do something fast. His mind was becoming muddled by a combination of panic and a lack of oxygen, and he struggled to find a way out. He couldn''t die here like this! His cards! He had to use his cards¡­ But his fire didn''t work, so what did that leave?


    Hammer, his muddled mind, screamed.


    He used his last strength to step forward, making a throwing gesture at Hult while summoning his hammer. As soon as it appeared, he let it go. It was a badly aimed throw, but Hult didn''t expect it. His eyes widened, and he let out a startled shout. His body turned to a shadow just as the hammer reached him.


    Irwin felt air rush around his face. He gasped for breath, turned around, and began to stumble toward the end of the narrow street. He had to get out of here before-


    Hult stepped out of a shadow in front of him, an angry snarl on his face as he raised his hand. This time Irwin didn''t hesitate, but he blasted his Eyes of Blaze as wide as he could while unsummoning, then resummoning his hammer in his hand and hurling it at Hult.


    The sorcerer snarled and vanished, but not before throwing half a dozen steel straws straight at Irwin''s face. Irwin raised his hand while closing his eyes just in time, but he kept running. Then he felt his breath stop as the cold sensation spread around his head again. Eyes blurring open, he saw the end of the corridor.


    "If you leave, I''ll find that friend of yours and finish what I started," Hult shouted.


    Irwin slowed down, recalling Lamia''s face when the sorcerer''s metal straws had struck her. Would Hult really do that? Of course, he would. Who was he kidding? He continued until he was at the edge of the alleyway, then stopped before he reached the larger street where he knew there would be more people. Unable to breathe, he turned to look back and saw Hult looking at him with a smug face.


    "Smart! Now, come back, brat. Or you will find I can do even more horrible things!"


    Irwin gritted his teeth, then waved at his head. He couldn''t speak.


    "Don''t even think about screaming for help," Hult said. "They won''t be able to catch me, and I keep my word! I''ll finish all those friends of yours!"


    Furious and wishing he could tear the sorcerer to pieces, Irwin nodded.


    With a finally derisive snort, Hult his hand, and Irwin gasped for breath again.


    "Hand me that Anvil and tell me how it works," Hult snapped angrily.


    Before Irwin could even speak, Ambraz flew out of his pocket and hovered before him. Hult''s eyes widened in a startled shock before he stepped forward greedily. He seemed to lose any interest in Irwin, fully focused on Ambraz now.


    "Piss off, you ant," Ambraz snapped. "You think I''d go with you even if the kid would say so?"


    Irwin felt a tiny spark of gratitude, while at the same, he wondered why Ambraz hadn''t appeared earlier!


    Hult''s eyes began sparkling as a hungry smile curled his lips up. "Why don''t you just come with me?" he said hastily, seemingly ignoring what Ambraz had said. "I can give you whatever you want as long as you help me reforge my cards to legendary!"


    "Fool! That''s not how it works!" Ambraz said. "Besides, you couldn''t give me anything useful!"


    Irwin stood behind Ambraz, staring at Hult. There had to be some way he could get to him. He could flee, but if Hult just stepped out of the shadow behind Lamia or Daubutim¡­ Would even his noble friend be able to stop the sorcerer''s horrible abilities?


    "I can do whatever you want," Hult snapped back, a tinge of frustration in his voice. "What can some random kid ever do that I can''t? His best card is only uncommon!"


    Irwin blinked, barely letting out a laugh at that. Hult was underestimating him, probably because he countered his abilities perfectly. He couldn''t catch the sorcerer, while the other could simply suffocate him to death. He''d thought about finding a new card to fix this weakness of his, but after he''d gotten here, he''d only been focusing on his smithing.


    A sudden waft of air came from above, and Irwin looked up, ready to dodge another of Hult''s attacks.


    Instead of the sorcerer, there was a blurry motion in the air, and a moment later, a massive owl appeared, perched on the top balcony. It was so large that its sides touched the sides of the walls.


    "Dammit, you old bastard," Hult snarled.


    Him too? What is wrong with these two? Irwin thought.


    He kept a careful eye on the sorcerer when he heard a soft woosh. His head snapped back to Hult, just to see the sorcerer fade into a shadow and disappear. He was barely gone as a beam of ocher light speared the spot he''d been in, causing a dull crack as the stone ripped to pieces.


    "I''ll have that anvil, no matter what," Hult''s voice whispered beside Irwin.


    Irwin jolted and struck out with his hammer, but the sorcerer just snorted as he vanished again.


    "I''ll kill your friends, brat," came another whisper, now from the other side.


    Irwin clenched his jaw tighter, staring murder at Hult as he vanished in the shadows again. If he could only get his hands on the scrawny man, he would wrangle his neck!


    "Leave the kid alone, Hult," a creaky old voice muttered wearily.


    Irwin focused on Uxin''tar, who stood before him while leaning on an ornate cane. His robes seemed no worse for wear, nor did he have any noticeable wounds.


    How did he manage to get out of the holding area unharmed? he wondered in disbelief.


    "Why? So you can get the prize? I might not be able to kill you, but I''d like to see you get me," Hult snapped as he appeared on a nearby balcony, only to disappear again.


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    "His friends are almost here, so beat it," the ancient sorcerer said.


    "You aren''t getting that anvil," Hult whispered, and Irwin saw him appear from another shadow. He seemed to be moving rapidly, probably afraid of being struck down by Uxin''tar.


    "You can''t even use it," Uxin''tar muttered before turning to Irwin.


    "I wanted to talk to you, but it seems you are getting some help in a few moments. So, I''ll keep it brief. I need your help to find Gelwin. I am unable to move around this place to investigate, but you can."


    Irwin stared at the old man, slightly frustrated. Why couldn''t these people just leave him alone? What did he even need Gelwin for? Still, a tiny voice deep inside was wondering if the legendary sorcerer could really be here.


    "Don''t worry about Hult and your friends. I''ll keep an eye on them¡­ just help me find Gelwin. The last time he was seen was when he went through the same portal as we did. If you help me find him, I''ll take care of Hult for you."


    And why should I believe you? Irwin thought. He hesitated, his mind spinning rapidly as he tried to come up with the proper response.


    "Quick, boy!" Uxin''tar snapped, his eyes gleaming, causing Irwin to clench his teeth.


    "Don''t listen to him. He''s been running around killing people in his ridiculous search for Gelwin. He won''t help your friends," Hult suddenly said, appearing in the shadows on a nearby balcony. "Give me the anvil, and I''ll leave you be!"


    A beam of light burst from the bird, but Hult was already gone.


    Uxin''tar sighed as he turned around and walked to the wall.


    How is he going to get up, Irwin thought. Then his mouth fell open as Uxin looked up at the bird and slowly floated up. When he reached the bird, he sat down behind its head.


    "Find Gelwin. I''ll keep an eye on you. If you manage to find something, go and walk out in the open, then enter a narrow street like this."


    Irwin got no time for a response as Uxin''tar''s owl blinked, jumped up and out of the street, and disappeared with a single thunderous flap.


    There wasn''t a single sound after, and Irwin looked up, wondering why he didn''t hear the bird''s wings and if Hult was really gone.


    Rapidly approaching footsteps snapped him out of it, and he turned just as Daubutim and Indoutor ran into the alleyway.


    "You are alright," Daubutim said, stopping beside him with a relieved look.


    Irwin saw his friend''s gaze turn to confusion as it landed on his new braid, probably wondering what that was about. He''d explain it later. For now, he wanted to get out of here.


    "I told you there was no reason to run," Indoubor snorted, then he froze as he gazed at Irwin. "You fought? Who was it?!"


    Irwin ignored him and looked at Daubutim. "Uxin''tar and Hult managed to get here."


    "Uxin''tar is here? Why didn''t that old bastard come and see me yet," Indoutor grunted.


    "Because he broke out of the confinement and is in the city illegally," Daubutim said calmly. "Let''s head back. They won''t risk coming to the crafting district."


    Why not? Irwin thought, deciding that, too, would have to wait.


    "Alright," he muttered, walking away from the alleyway. As he did, a soft whisper followed after them.


    "One day, that''s all I''ll give you. Hand the Anvil to me tomorrow, or you know what will happen."


    Irwin spun around, as did Daubutim and Indoutor, but there was no sight of Hult.


    "I''m not going to be handed to anyone, you annoying little weakling," Ambraz snarled as he hung before the entrance.


    There was no response, and Irwin hoped Hult had left now.


    "I hate that one," Indoutor hissed, a massive sword in his hand, the tip almost touching the ground. "I should have chopped his head off when I had the chance."


    Neither of the others responded as they backed up until they were in the middle of the larger street.


    A calm voice startled them.


    "No weapons allowed in public."


    Turning around, they saw two guards with gleaming silver eyes standing behind them.


    "We were told there was a disturbance here. You three are coming with us to The Central-" one of the two began in a cold and detached voice, to fall quiet when the second one nudged him.


    "What?"


    The second guard, who had a sharp goatee and squinty eyes, pointed at Irwin with his beard.


    "Topaz ranked smith," he hissed.


    "What? No, he doesn''t even have a beard," the other one responded as he gazed at Irwin.


    Irwin quickly pulled his braid over his shoulder, showing his Smith rank plate.


    The first guard''s arrows widened, and his entire demeanor changed. "Honorable Smith, I''m sorry to disturb you. We were warned of an altercation occurring here, and we will have to ask you to come with us to the Central Registry."


    By Gelwin''s beard!


    ¡­


    Irwin blinked as he realized how odd it was to curse with someone''s name if they might actually be here. He sighed and stared at the two guards who were looking back, seeming content to wait for his answer. Perhaps it wasn''t such a bad idea to head to The Central Registry and explain what was going on? There should be someone able to stop Hult, and if Uxin''del was really the one killing the Serfs¡­. He frowned. The ancient sorcerer hadn''t denied it. Why would he be killing serfs?


    "Irwin?"


    He looked up to see Daubutim staring at him with a hint of worry in his eyes.


    "Sorry, I was thinking about¡­ something," Irwin said lamely before turning back to the guards. He really didn''t want to go with them without showing Tensor he had become a topaz rank. Besides, perhaps he could help with any potential problem.


    "Can we go to the Smithy before we go with you?" he asked as he looked at the two guards. "I need to talk with Tensor about something important. After that, I''ll go with you to answer your questions."


    The two guards shared a look, and he saw that one of them seemed annoyed but held it back.


    "Normally, this isn''t the proper procedure, but we will make an exception as it''s en route," the one who''d done most of the talking said.


    Irwin sighed in relief and began walking. "Alright, let''s head there then."


    They were two streets further, moving through a busy street, when a dozen people ahead began parting with a yelp as a burly figure sprinted through their midst.


    Balarn? Irwin barely managed when the smith reached him, barely out of breath.


    "Irwin! You are alright, thank the Elders," Balarn said loudly. Then he saw Irwin''s braid and spun him around. A wide grin came to his face as he saw the golden-plated ranking marker. "You did it! That''s great! It means you¡­" he faltered as he finally seemed to notice the guards.


    Irwin grinned as he saw Balarn''s face turn from happy and excited to his usual calm look.


    "What is going on?" he asked as he stared at the two guards before turning to Irwin.


    "It''s a long story," Irwin said. "But we have to go to The Central Registry because we were in the middle of something."


    Balarn''s face turned dark, and he looked at the two guards. Both took a step back from his intense look.


    "No. Take the two serfs and have them answer questions. Irwin needs to come with me and see the charter head, Tensor, on official guild business."


    Irwin saw the two guard''s faces turn annoyed, and one of them glanced at him. Irwin grimaced. He had just promised he''d go with them, and now.


    "Fine," one of the guards snapped. "We will send someone to have Smith Irwin answer some questions. Is that alright?"


    Balarn waved him away as he turned to Irwin. "Let''s go."


    "Yeah¡­ great. Just leave it to us, serfs," Indoutor grunted.


    Irwin ignored him, turning to Daubutim. "Be careful and return as soon as you can!"


    Daubutim nodded before turning to the guards.


    "We are ready."


    The squinty-eyed guard snorted, then motioned them ahead, following after them.


    "Crafters and nobles- always the same," one of them whispered, barely loud enough for Irwin to hear.


    "Ignore them," Balarn said.


    Yeah¡­ Irwin thought, feeling bad. It hadn''t been that long ago that he''d been saying exactly the same thing about nobles. With a weary sigh, he followed Balarn. He''d really thought the day he''d become a topaz rank smith would have been a joyful one.


    --


    "Can this guy fly?" Lamia hissed as she rushed through the streets, trying to see where Balarn had gone.


    She''d lost sight of him five minutes ago and was starting to regret going after him. It had been a spur-of-the-moment thing, but who was she kidding?


    Jogging through the crows towards where she thought Gustho''s should be.


    "Careful!" a towering man with arm-long, curved horns and silver eyes shouted as she almost ran into him when he exited a small shop.


    "Sorry," Lamia said as she hurriedly moved around him.


    She kept walking, ignoring his angry shouts, stubbornly keeping forward. Part of her knew she was being foolish. What would she even do if she got there?


    I think it was this one, she thought as she reached a narrow passage that led between two of the larger shopping streets.


    Moving inside, she didn''t see Balarn ahead.


    "Why couldn''t that guy just move a bit slower," she muttered, hugging her arm closer when she felt a painful jab from it.


    Should have just stayed there and waited, she thought as she halfheartedly walked forward.


    Even if her arm wasn''t busted, she probably wouldn''t have been able to keep up with the silver-eyed heart-carded.


    As it was, her arm was a constant source of pain, keeping her up at night and hampering most of her movements. She had tried to keep it from the others. They were in enough trouble for her to add to the burdens. Besides, she was working hard on being allowed her pick from the quartz cards, and hopefully, she would find one that gave passive regenerations. They were incredibly rare, but it wasn''t unheard of for a basic one to pop up now and again.


    As she ran forward, she didn''t notice a shadow moving, nor a nasty smirk on a face that still haunted her nightmares.


    --


    "You are not allowed to move out of the crafters district until we leave. Preferably you will stay within the smithy," Tensor said as he sat back in his chair. A book lay forgotten on his lap as he stared at Irwin sitting in the opposite seat.


    He''d been barely surprised when Irwin reached him, and Irwin guessed he''d heard from some of the others. Instead, he''d been tense, sharing a look with Balarn, who had nodded, muttering something about getting everything ready before running back out. Irwin hadn''t even been able to tell them what had happened with Hult and Uxin''tar.


    "Did something happen?" Irwin asked, annoyed. With everything going on, what else could go wrong? He couldn''t wait till he was in Scour. At least if something went wrong, he''d have some time to deal with it. Between rushing to topaz and the pressure of their entire world-shattering, he was beginning to stress out.


    That''s assuming it hasn''t shattered yet.


    He clamped down on the worries he felt growing.


    Tensor frowned as he pulled his beard. "Another disturbance occurred in the holding area around the portal to your farming-world. The Grinwron Trade Federation isn''t sharing what exactly happened, but from what I''ve heard, it was worse than when your serf came over."


    That must have been when Hult came in, Irwin thought.


    "They have now delegated a squadron of heartcarded soldiers from the Portal Gallery with a soulcarded to stand guard. They seem to have orders to kill anything that comes through."


    Irwin leaned back on the soft couch as the blood drained from his face. Kill everyone? What if innocent people came through?


    How would those even reach Esterdon?


    "Now. Tell me what happened that made the guards come," Tensor said.


    Irwin took a deep breath, hesitating for only a moment if he should hold anything back. Then he shoved the idea away. He was going to be away soon, and most of his friends were going to remain here. If there was a way to keep them safe, he''d take it.


    "So, those two that escaped found me," he said slowly, and with Tensor''s full attention, he told him what had happened. He even included what he knew of Gelwin and that Uxin''tar wanted him to help him find the legendary sorcerer. Tensor asked many questions, and soon Irwin felt his mouth dry from all the speaking.


    When he finally satisfied Tensor, he had no idea how long he''d been here. The smith was quiet for a while, staring at his book before looking up.


    "Alright, that settles it," Tensor said. "You are not allowed out of the smithy. Tomorrow I will bring you, Balarn, and the others to The Central Portal and see you to the ship that will bring you to the Scour portal."


    A ship? So it''s beyond the ocean? Irwin thought. Having to stay here didn''t bother him that much. He was tired and wouldn''t mind sleeping in a bed for once.


    "Now, head back to your room and rest. You are to refrain from any more reforging and regain your energy," Tensor said.


    Irwin pushed himself from the couch and headed to the door.


    Let''s hope nothing else goes wrong for now, he thought as he headed toward his room.

 Chapter 94: Portal Gallery

    Irwin woke up with a start, shooting up and looking around the room. It had taken him ages to fall asleep the other night as Daubutim and Indoutor hadn''t returned yet. Their beds were still empty.


    Still not back?


    What could be wrong? They only had to go there to answer some questions, right?


    A soft groan came from Greldo''s bed, and he saw his friend lying on the edge of the bed, his face slightly bruised. Still, even in his sleep, he had a content smile on his face.


    Lamia''s bed was empty too, and Irwin pushed himself up and out as he looked at the beds with growing worry.


    "Greldo," he said, moving to his friend, then stopping. Greldo''s eyes had opened, and he was looking at Irwin.


    "What?" he whispered, blinking blearily.


    Was he not asleep but pretending? Irwin thought.


    "Daubutim, Lamia, and Indoutor still aren''t back yet."


    He stared at their beds and saw they weren''t slept in, though Indoutor''s was hard to be sure of as it was a mess. The tower lord still didn''t know how to properly make his bed or refused to do so.


    Greldo groaned as he pushed himself up, rubbing one of his arms with a pained look before looking around. When he noticed the empty beds, he rose and moved beside Irwin. Irwin saw him examine his long braid before nodding.


    "Congratulations," Greldo muttered. "So, I guess you are going to head out today?"


    "Yes, but¡­ where are they?" Irwin asked. He couldn''t help but think of Hult''s threats. He had said one day, right?


    "Let''s go outside and see if someone saw them," Greldo saw as he yawned widely.


    They walked out, and when they reached the central area, they found Ichela already there. It was early, but she seemed to always be behind her counter.


    "Have you seen Lamia or Daubutim?" Irwin asked as she raised her hand in greeting.


    "Not since yesterday," Ichela said. "Why, what''s wrong?"


    "They didn''t return yesterday," Irwn said as he felt his worry grow. "Daubutim went to the central registry to answer questions about some trouble we had yesterday, and I have no idea where Lamia is."


    Ichela grimaced. "Well, any investigation from the Grinwron Trade Federation takes a lot of time, and they are only serfs. It''s possible they are held there because the Detector wasn''t ready for them or had more important things. You are going there in a few hours, so you can just check if they are there then."


    Irwin felt his relief grow a bit.


    "But I haven''t seen Lamia since she ran after Balarn yesterday."


    "What?"


    Irwin felt his blood curdle as he turned to Greldo.


    "I''ll go and search for her," Greldo said, already turning towards the door.


    "What about Hult?" Irwin hissed as he ran after him.


    "Hult? Just like he counters you, I want to see what he can do against Coal," Greldo said.


    "He will shoot those straws at you!"


    Irwin was surprised when Greldo cast him a self-assured smile. "No worries. Let him try."


    "At least ask for someone to go with you," Irwin said.


    Greldo snorted but didn''t complain as Irwin ran with him to the private smithing area. A minute later, they came back out with Balarn, who had a worried frown.


    "I didn''t notice her follow me," he grunted as they ran out of the main building and headed towards the side one. Irwin hadn''t been inside yet, but he knew it was where most of the permanent residents stayed. The central building''s quarters were mostly for new or visiting smiths.


    "Wait here," Balarn said as he used he swiped the rank insignia attached to his beard across a metal plate beside the door. It opened, and he rushed inside.


    Half a minute later, he came out with Gawarn in tow, who was looking confused and slightly tired.


    "Brother, what is going on?" he asked.


    Balarn turned to him and then pointed at Greldo. "You are going with him and searching for Lamia, that new junior smith. You''ve heard about those dead serfs? Well, it''s possible that whoever is responsible is from the same world they are. You know I can''t leave yet, so go with him!"


    Gawarn''s brown eyes sparkled hungrily. "Seriously? Some barbarian carded came from that silly farming world?"


    Irwin frowned as he stared at Balarn''s younger brother.


    "No worries, Irwin!" Gawarn said loudly as he grinned. "I''ll have your lady love back in no time! Follow me, serf!"


    Irwin saw Greldo flinch, then glare at the smith''s back. Still, he didn''t say anything, but after a few moments just jogged after them.


    "Will he be alright?" Irwin asked.


    "Don''t worry. Gawarn might not be a heartcarded yet, but as lackluster as his smithing skills are, I wouldn''t want to fight him," Balarn said. "I''ve heard a bit about.. Greldo, I think his name was? Anyway, your friend has left a big impact in the fighting circles."


    Irwin nodded, barely caring. What if they couldn''t find her?


    "Listen... If they can''t find her, you still can''t go out. Tensor has told me to keep you here no matter what."


    Irwin blinked in surprise. No matter what? What did that mean? It almost sounded like he was-


    "No, no, it''s not like that," Balarn said with a frown. "Tensor is just worried about what might happen."


    Then why do you seem uncertain, Irwin thought as he stared at the older smith. After a few moments, he headed towards a bench that gave him a free view of the entrance.


    --


    "You are pretty fast for a serf," Gawarn shouted as he sprinted through the streets.


    And you are stupid for a smith, Greldo thought, but he kept his words to himself.


    "Where are we going?" he asked. He had been planning to head to the underground contacts he had made, seeing if they knew anything. If someone went missing, they would probably know something even if they weren''t involved.


    "To a friend of mine who works with this district''s guards," Gawarn shouted with a wide grin. "If anything happened, he would have heard. Bit of a nosy one!"


    Greldo didn''t respond as he nimbly dodged around a group of loudly talking green-skinned, leaf-haired girls. As he passed them, he saw one wink at him, and if he had the time, he''d have stopped for a chat. Now all he could do was wink back and follow Gawarn.


    It didn''t take them long to reach a corner building with two entrances and a sign above it that showed a sword and shield. A couple of guards lounged at the entrance, enjoying the morning sun. One rose as he saw them run towards them.


    "Eej, Gawarn! What''s wrong? You piss off your brother again?"


    Gawarn let out a laugh as he stopped before the smaller man. Then again, Greldo thought, compared to those bloody smiths, everyone looked small. They made him look like a child sometimes.


    "Geofal! Noooo, it''s nothing like that," Gawarn said as he grinned widely. "Listen, did you hear anything about some trouble yesterday at the end of the day?"


    The smaller man''s eyebrows shot up, and he bobbed his head up and down.


    "Yeah, I heard some of your fellow smiths were involved!"


    "Well, it''s worse! One of our junior smiths, a quartz-ranked one called Lamia, is missing. Easily recognizable. Tall with a nice figure. She''s got a busted arm that she''s got plastered against her torso. Make her breasts pop out more. You wouldn''t have missed her," Gawarn said with a mocking grin.


    Greldo sighed, then couldn''t hold back a snicker. He wondered what Irwin would say if he''d been here. He''d probably shown one of his deep frowns. Still, he could understand. Irwin seemed to really like Lamia, and he never did have many friends. Neither did I, he thought with a weary sigh.


    "She is missing?" Geofal responded after a shocked silence. His smile was gone, and the other guards had gotten up. "When''s the last time someone saw her? And where?"


    Gawarn blinked, then scratched his beard helplessly.


    "She followed Balarn when he ran to find the others during the trouble you were talking about. She should have been headed to the second intersection from the Golden Gloves street to Gustho''s. Must have been half an hour before dark," Greldo said.


    Geofal stared at him intensely, then nodded, lips pressed together.


    Greldo knew most people didn''t really enjoy talking with serfs or being reminded they were even here. Not because they somehow hated them but because it was so easy to become one in Fiverio. They just didn''t want to be reminded of their own potential future.


    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    "Alright, I''ll send out a word to the other district watches to see if anyone has heard or seen anything. Let''s go and see if we can find anything," Geofal said before turning to the other guards. "I''ll go with them. Can you take care of the rest? With Gawarn along, we should be fine."


    The tallest of the other guards nodded and moved inside. "I''ll contact the others," he said without looking back.


    Geofal and Gawarn immediately began moving out, not waiting for Greldo, who just snorted.


    --


    Where are they, Irwin thought, his arms crossed across his chest.


    The other three topaz-ranked smiths had gathered outside, each accompanied by a heavily armored warrior serf, while they themselves were also armored. If he hadn''t been so worried, he would have long since realized he had forgotten a crucial thing. He had no idea what Scour was for the world and what he was supposed to be doing there. But that could wait for when they were on the ship.


    If Balarn hadn''t remained here, he would have long since set out to try and find them. Part of him knew that was probably a good thing. He still had no idea what to do if he found Hult or, more likely when the sorcerer found him. There wasn''t a single part of him that even contemplated handing over Ambraz. Not because he didn''t think Lamia wasn''t worth it, but because he knew it wouldn''t work. Ambraz wouldn''t agree and might even leave, deriving his entire world of a chance, and worse, he didn''t believe that Hult was going to let Lamia go if he got what he wanted. More likely, he''d kill her if he hadn''t already and try to kill Irwin.


    Perhaps Uxin''tar has her, he thought. The ancient sorcerer had said he kept an eye on her, and perhaps he''d meant that literally? Whatever it was, it would be better than her being with Hult. The mere idea made his anger flare up.


    Gnashing his teeth, he was about to suggest to Balarn that they could go out with all of the smiths when Gawarn and Greldo appeared at the entrance.


    "Did you find her?" he asked as he headed forward.


    His bottled-up anger made his voice almost an angry command, and he saw Greldo flinch before shaking his head while Gawarn''s face dropped. The burly smith stopped before Irwin, fidgeting.


    "I am sorry, Irwin. We looked everywhere, but she never arrived at Gustho''s, and nobody had seen her since she left. There were some signs of a battle in that Golden Gloves intersection, but those could have been from when you were there," Gawarn said, shrugging helplessly.


    Irwin clenched his hands in fists, feeling helpless and furious at the same time. If only he''d been strong enough to kill Hult when the horrible sorcerer attacked him! Then this wouldn''t have happened! Slowly a cold, detached feeling crept up on him. He had never wanted someone dead, but he promised himself that if he saw Hult again, he would find a way to end him.


    "Irwin, calm down¡­ I''ll keep looking until I find her!"


    Greldo''s worried voice snapped him out of it, and Irwin looked up to see his friend stare at him.


    The door behind them shot open, and Irwin spun on his heel as Tensor came out. Instead of his usual dark leather apron and bare arms, he was covered in dark silver chainmail with a pitch-black chestplate atop. The image of a warhammer sat in the middle.


    As he stepped forward, his silver eyes flashing brightly, Irwin felt his card resonate, something they had never done before. It lasted for only a moment, but it managed to shake him out of his anger. Still, something must have shown because Tensor stopped, frowning at him.


    "What is wrong?" he asked, turning to Balarn.


    The other smiths had turned quiet.


    Balarn stepped forward. "Lamia, the junior that came with Irwin, has vanished. She was last seen yesterday night. Gawarn went to look for her but didn''t discover a trace of her. Everything seems to point towards the one responsible for the missing serfs."


    Uxin''tar, Irwin thought, his anger growing again.


    Tensor''s eyes narrowed as he turned to Gawarn. "Have you alerted The Central Registry?"


    "Yes, Tensor," he said, bobbing his head up and down. "Geofal, that''s a friend of mine that''s a guard in the district, has also alerted all of them."


    "Alright. Then we will head to The Central Registry now and put some more pressure on this case. Also-" and he turned to the quartz and amethyst ranked smiths that were walking out of the foreign area. "I want you all to be extra careful! Don''t go out on your own until further notice."


    There was a stunned silence, then the smiths began nodding and muttering their assent.


    "Irwin, I take it Ambraz is with you?" Irwin nodded, padding his pocket where the anvil was still sleeping from their hard work of the last week.


    "Good. Did you choose your guard?" Tensor asked as he turned to Irwin.


    Irwin blinked, feeling like he''d been slapped. He''d completely forgotten about that, and then he looked around. Daubutim still wasn''t back!


    Tensor''s face fell, and Irwin could see a slight annoyance on the other''s face. Then it disappeared, and he pointed at Greldo.


    "Bring him for now. I''ve heard about his exploits, and there''s no time to find someone better now. There was a message from the charter responsible for Scour. It is now required to bring at least one guard."


    Irwin turned to Greldo, who frowned, then shrugged and stepped up next to him. Irwin nodded gratefully while Tensor turned to the others: four smiths, three men, and a woman.


    "It''s been five years, and we have grown from two to five topaz ranked smiths! Last time we only managed to gain a tiny bit of profit, but this time I expect good results!"


    The smiths lined before him grinned while their eyes shone brightly. Except for Balarn, there was one more smith with silver eyes, showing he had a heart-card. Yogog, the short, wider smith with the charcoal skin that Irwin had seen the first day they arrived. The others were a tall youth with pale brown eyes that seemed almost yellow and a beard that seemed barely able to hold his ranking plate and a woman that rivaled Balarn in height and had a short black braid with her ranking plate attached to the top in a way Irwin hadn''t seen before.


    "Let''s head out!"


    Irwin followed the others, ushered to walk behind Tensor and Balarn, Greldo beside him.


    "So¡­" Greldo whispered. "When were you going to tell me I''m supposed to come with you on this trip? It would have been nice to prepare!"


    Irwin forced a grin back as he looked around. Would Hult be watching them as they left? Or-


    He looked straight up, staring at the slightly cloudy sky, trying to see if there was a bird anywhere. Scanning around, he was startled when Greldo touched his arm.


    "He isn''t up there, or he''s hiding. I''ve been looking all day."


    Irwin sighed, then nodded.


    They continued on, walking through the crowded streets until they reached the final area before The Central Registry.


    As they walked up to the door, Irwin took a few more looks up and around, but there was no sight of Hult, Lamia, or Uxin''tarr.


    I will come back here and find you, he thought as he gnashed his teeth and followed the others into the massive building.


    A milling mass of people filled the area, and Irwin began searching for a sign of Daubutim or Indoutor. Though he was taller than he ever had been, he quickly found that he was merely above average amongst the present crowd, meaning he had a hard time looking around. It also meant that Daubutim wouldn''t stick out like he used to.


    "Why is it so busy here?" Greldo muttered, barely audible above the busy chatter.


    "Because the ship is here, of course," one of the smith''s guards said.


    He was a slender man with a long blade on his hip that walked beside the female smith. He was a head shorter than her and probably half her weight, but from the way he moved and held himself, Irwin knew he was probably a dangerous adversary with his blade.


    Tensor led them to the main stairs that sat in the central pillar, where a dozen silver-eyed guards stood. They were blocking anyone from going up, but as Tensor moved towards them, one stepped forward and bowed his head.


    "Honorable Smith Tensor," the guard said. "The Grinwron Trade Federation would like to give their best wishes to your smiths. As you have such a large ensemble this time, Lord Tomeron has managed to secure them with an additional room on the ship for their convenience."


    Tensor nodded. "Tell Tomeron I''m grateful for his well-wishes and the room."


    The guard nodded, stepping aside to let them through to the massive marble staircase.


    Irwin gritted his teeth. He still hadn''t seen Daubutim! Wasn''t he even going to be able to say goodbye? Who knew how long he was going to be away?


    "Tensor," he called out, causing the smith to turn and raise an eyebrow.


    "My other two¡­ serfs haven''t returned from here since yesterday. They were supposed to"


    "I know," Tensor said, interrupting him. He turned to the guard that had spoken to them.


    "Can you quickly check why the serfs.." he turned to Irwin, who quickly gave Daubutim and Indoutor''s names. "- Haven''t returned to my smithy?"


    The guard nodded, then turned and sprinted toward the central area where long lines of people stood, waiting for the busy counters.


    "Irwin, I need you to focus on getting to Scour and what you have to do there. If something is wrong, I''ll take care of it when I get back," Tensor said.


    Irwin nodded, internally confused. Focus on getting there? Weren''t they just going to take a ship?


    They only had to wait for a few minutes before the guard came running back.


    "Honorable Tensor," he said as he grimaced at Tensor. "Due to the ship arriving, the Detectors have been too busy scanning the new arrivals. They are being held in a cell until tomorrow, when they will be checked and set free. I am sorry, but due to another serf dying tonight, there is nothing I can do."


    Scanning for what? Irwin thought absently as he gazed at the guard.


    "Can you pass a message to Daubutim for me?" he asked, causing the guard to turn to him and nod.


    "Tell him to be careful and that he can use the soulchips I''ve left for him with Ichela."


    The guard''s eyebrow rose, but he nodded. "It will be done, honorable Smith."


    "I''ll make sure he gets back," Tensor said. "Now, let''s head out."


    Irwin took a final look at the busy room before following along with the others up the staircase.


    "Don''t worry," Greldo whispered. "We won''t even be gone that long, right? Hult won''t harm Lamia because he needs her, which gives Daubutim time to find her. He''s resourceful, and that weird mind of his will probably come up with something."


    "I hope you are right," Irwin said.


    They continued up the stairs, which continued for a long time. When they finally reached the top, Irwin hissed in surprise.


    A towering black portal with blue lightning bolts around its edges stood in the center of the room, while two squads of guards stood on either side. As they watched, a group of people exited from it, immediately called to the side by a group of official-looking people who escorted them to a side area.


    "By Gelwin''s balls, what kind of portal is that?" Greldo grunted.


    Irwin just nodded, his friend''s words barely registering as he followed the others to the towering portal.


    "Never ceases to amaze, doesn''t it?" Yogog grunted as he moved beside Irwin. "I remember the first time I saw a Portal to the Gallery. Was just a wee lad and had the same expression as you!"


    Irwin and Greldo didn''t respond but kept walking forward. When they reached the portal, Tensor turned to them, staring at Irwin and the other two non heartcarded smiths.


    "The first time going through one of these is always a special experience. Whatever you see inside, don''t worry too much. The spatial corridor doesn''t allow anything inside except from the two ends."


    Irwin swallowed as he saw the other''s stoic gaze and nodded.


    "Alright. Follow me," Tensor said as he stepped into the portal.


    Irwin almost expected a flash, but there was none. One moment Tensor was there, then he was gone.


    "So dramatic! Let''s go," Yogog exclaimed with a loud laugh, following Tensor.


    The other smiths hesitated, then began walking forward, and when it was his turn, Irwin swallowed. The surface of the portal didn''t reflect but seemed to suck in the light, and as he reached out to touch it, he felt a jolt pass through him. Everything turned black for a fraction of a second, then he was hurtling through a wide tunnel of translucent, silvery light.


    His stomach roiled as he flailed his arms about. Trying to calm his pounding heart, he looked around.


    Stars and nebulas glowed behind it, and between them, he saw tiny specs move about. As he continued falling or flying, he wasn''t sure which, he slowly relaxed. Staring ahead, he saw no endpoint, just a seemingly never-ending tunnel.


    I wonder how we don''t smash into the other side, he thought.


    He continued falling for what felt like days when he saw a black dot appear in the distance. It increased in size rapidly, then he realized he was falling toward it. He let out a startled yelp and put his hands before his face just as he hit the surface.


    There was a slight jolt, and then he stumbled forward across a dark, scratched wooden surface.


    "Keep moving," a thunderous voice shouted.


    Irwin looked up to see Tensor and the others walking ahead towards an exit out of what seemed like a wooden building. Dazzling sunlight shone from behind it, making it impossible to make out anything else. He took two steps when he heard a startled gasp.


    Turning, he saw Greldo stumble out of the portal, his face pale as a sheet.


    "You alright?" he asked.


    "Keep moving!" the thunderous voice came again, and Irwin noticed a guard tower over them from the side. He had a bone-white helmet covering his face, a single horn protruding from the top.


    "Let''s go," Irwin said as he pulled Greldo forward.


    "Yeah," Greldo croaked. "Did you see that? Those¡­ things?"


    Irwin frowned. "I just saw tiny specs moving about and loads of stars," he said.


    Greldo shivered. "Be glad."


    They hurried after the others, following them out of the building onto an enormous dock. A city spiraled up around an enormous tree to the left while ships hung in the air to the side.


    "Welcome to the Portal Gallery," Yogog said with a loud laugh. "Let''s go find our ship!"

 Chapter 95: To Scour

    Irwin followed the others, keeping an eye on Greldo. His friend seemed rattled by their travel through the portal, and after crossing half of the dock, he nudged him.


    "I thought we were going to be on a ship," Irwin said, hoping to distract Greldo.


    Greldo blinked, then looked at him and gave him a grateful smile. "Yeah¡­ me too. Can you believe it? Those things are flying! Do you think it''s a card or something else?"


    Irwin saw his friend barely hidden tension and worry and wondered what he had seen during his travel through the portal. It had to have been something horrible. He suddenly recalled when he''d gone through a normal portal long ago, and he''d seen¡­ something in a flash of a second.


    Seeing Greldo''s hollowed look return, he quickly painted a grin on his face. "Don''t know, but if it is, I want one."


    "It''s soulwood," Yogog said as he turned around and began walking face backward. "There are worlds where every living thing is some form of a plant, and there are Trade Federations that specialize in finding either shard-worlds or farm worlds like that. Tools, ships, and wagons made of that stuff are special, to say the least!"


    Irwin blinked in surprise as he gazed at the ship. So the wood was what was floating?


    Yogog barked a laugh and spun back around, answering a question from the female smith.


    Irwin saw that Greldo was gazing up at the ships in wonder, and seeing his friend slightly better, he did the same thing.


    Chains of thick black metal hung from the prow, locking the ships to beams while thick bridges connected them to the dock. People were moving around, walking from and to ships in lines, some carrying massive chests. Most seemed normal but mixed in with many beings that reminded Irwin of demons, though he didn''t see any of the ones he''d encountered before. The most impressive ones resembled the guards that had stood around the portal when they entered. Wearing an odd, bone-white mask with slits for eyes and with a single massive horn on their forehead, these, however, were bare-chested, two heads taller than even he was, and incredibly muscular.


    Irwin felt someone grasp his arm and pull him around slowly until he was looking at Yogog, who had a forced-smile on his face.


    "Don''t look at them too long," he whispered. "If they think you are challenging them, they are going to come over, and we don''t want that."


    Irwin swallowed as he saw the slight fear in Yogog''s eyes and nodded. He kept an eye on the horned things until they were further away, walking towards the final ship that was on the leftmost dock.


    "What are they?" he whispered.


    "Kraniox Caorthanach," Yogog said as he frowned. "But most people either call them Niox or Horned Monster if they think there''s none present. They are incredibly aggressive. Their world was shattered a bit over a thousand years ago, but they had three disturbingly powerful soul-carded warriors. Due to this, three large continents managed to gain a form of stability. They then found the portal to the hub world, went through, destroyed half of the hub-world, then found the portal to the Portal Gallery."


    As he spoke, the others had fallen back, and now six people, three smiths and three guards, were listening to Yogog.


    "What happened then?" the female smith asked, her eyes sparkling.


    "What always happens if trouble arrives in the Portal Gallery," Yogog said as he looked around, seemingly content with the attention.


    "One of the enforcement garrisons, Hegliron''s Second, in this case, arrived and drove them back into the hub world. Still, even they didn''t dare follow them, and eventually, an agreement was made, and the Nioxes joined the Great Portal Faction Alliance."


    Yogog stopped talking as he grinned ahead. "Well, story time''s over! We can talk more tonight at dinner, but for now¡­ let''s go and see that we get boarded!"


    Irwin and the others turned to the massive ship in front of them.


    It''s like a small town, Irwin thought as he gaped at the ship. This close, he finally understood that the boarding plank was wide enough for a wagon to ride over and the towering masts like the tallest trees he''d seen in Gloomforest back home.


    Tensor walked towards a group of bare feet men and women with loose garments that were chatting to a one-eyed man with burning red hair.


    "Captain. I am Tensor, leader of the Smith''s Charter on Excelsior Five," Tensor said stiffly.


    Irwin frowned.


    "That''s the official name for Fiverio," Yogog whispered as he leaned close to them.


    The group of barefooted people focused on Tensor, then let out a peal of laughter before running across the boarding plank and vanishing in the massive hubbub on the ship. The one-eyed man moved a few steps closer, smiling widely. He raised his hand, and Irwin saw his silvery eyes flash while a card outlining on his hand burned for a moment.


    A burning red sphere appeared before him, and he raised the eyebrow above his good eye.


    Tensor took a tiny plate from his pocket and tossed it in the sphere, which flashed brightly.


    The man, who Irwin guessed had to be the captain, clapped his hands, causing the red sphere to vanish.


    "Smith Tensor! Good to see you finally made it! You''re a bit late, but luckily we had some trouble with some missing cargo," the man said with a weird, oily accent as he made an elaborate bow which caused his red hair to flash up and down like a whip.


    "All of the other passengers have already arrived, so I''ll be seeing your smiths to their quarters. It came to my attention that Lord Tomeron Gwinwron paid handsomely for you to have two cabins!"


    Tensor nodded, then turned to the others. Irwin saw his eyes dart to Balarn, who gave a barely perceptible nod before the lead smith turned to them.


    "Good luck on your trip, and make sure to get back alive," Tensor said as he glanced at Irwin. "Balarn is in charge until you return, and I''ll be here when you do."


    Then he walked away while the captain clapped his hands again.


    "Right then, dear smiths! Let''s get you all situated! My name is Geuldrim, and I command this beautiful vessel!"


    Balarn turned and beckoned the others.


    Irwin followed along, and as he did, Greldo stepped beside him.


    "Balarn and Yogog don''t have guards," he whispered.


    Irwin just nodded. He''d noticed the same thing.


    Geuldrim led them onto the deck, and as he stepped down, Irwin noticed that the ship was swaying ever so gently. People stood all around, most with bags and luggage, but they all moved aside as Geuldrim walked past them.


    As he passed two girls that looked no younger than fourteen, he heard them whisper to an elderly man beside them.


    "-fair that they get rooms. We were here way sooner."


    "Young miss, I have told you, simply being on the ship is stretching your father''s resources. There is nothing we can do," the old man said. When he noticed Irwin watching them, a quick meek smile crossed his face, and he nodded.


    So, how expensive is a room here then? Irwin thought as he followed the others across the several hundred feet of the deck that separated them from the tall hind area. A large double door, more fitting in an inn than on a ship, led them into a lavish hallway. A red staircase to the left led down, and another similar to the right led up. Two of the barefooted women stood chatting in the otherwise empty room.


    "Girls, bring these smiths to rooms three-o-eight and three-o-nine," Geuldrim said as he smiled at them.


    "Now! If you''ll excuse me, the last bit of cargo should be here soon, and after that, we will be on our way!"


    "Our thanks, Captain Geuldrim," Balarn said.


    Geuldrim smiled, made a lavish bow, then spun around and left back outside, closing the doors behind him.


    A short while and seven flights of stairs down, the two crewwomen led them to two rooms with the numbers three hundred and eight and three hundred and nine on them. They wordlessly gave Balarn two keys, smiled, and left.


    "Alright," Balarn said as he looked at the others. "Yogog, Irwin, and I will take this room, and before you go screaming foul, we are expecting two more people to arrive at the next stop."


    Their guards, I bet, Irwin thought as he nodded, wondering why he was the one going with Balarn.


    "It''s fine, Balarn," the female smith said with a big grin. "I hadn''t expected you to split it up between men and women anyway!"


    There was a round of laughs as Balarn pulled his beard as he watched her.


    "You have a point, Monyque. We might have to think about that for the next time. Ichela and a few of our other sisters are going to have joined our topaz ranks by then," he said.


    "As long as we all return alive," Yogog said with a happy smile.


    The laughter turned to silence instantly as everyone except for Balarn looked at him wide-eyed.


    "Yogog¡­" Balarn muttered. "Tact. Remember?"


    "What! These kids need to know it''s going to be dangerous in there!"


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    "Tensor spoke with them and warned them already," Balarn said admonishingly.


    He did? Irwin thought as he shared a slightly worried look with Greldo.


    That had to be why they were going to be joining Balarn.


    "Now, let''s just go inside and rest. We will eat in the mess later, but for now, there''s not much we can do," Balarn said as he grinned and shrugged. "I suggest you enjoy these few days of doing nothing!"


    A short while later, Irwin and Greldo were sitting on the bottom half of two bunk beds in a room that was smaller than he would have liked. Even the room they had back in Tensor''s smithy had more space, and it smelled dusty and musky. A quick check showed that Ambraz was still asleep or pretending to be.


    Yogog was sprawled across one of the bottom beds opposite them, while Balarn said on the final one, leaving the four top ones empty.


    Just eight beds¡­ how would we have done this if we hadn''t gotten a second room? Irwin thought. The beds were barely large enough for him, so two to a bunk would have been impossible.


    "Now, as happy as I am that you managed to become topaz ranked and are joining us, we still have some things to discuss. Normally Tensor would have gone over this with you, but, well," Balarn grinned. "You were busy before."


    Irwin shrugged helplessly. He knew Tensor had wanted to talk to him about many things, but he just didn''t have the time.


    "Don''t worry! Luckily we have a bit of time before we reach the Scour portal. Let''s start with the following. Do you have any idea what we are going to do on Scour?"


    "Not really¡­ Tensor said we had to do something to receive rewards for our charter?" Irwin said slowly.


    Yogog let out a burst of laughter. "Yeah, we are definitely going to do things! No laying about."


    "Do you know anything about the training worlds of the smithing guild?" Balarn asked.


    Irwin shrugged helplessly. "Just that they have a very high time dilation?"


    Balarn sighed. "Alright, let''s start at the basics then."


    He looked at his hands, clenching and unclenching them, and Irwin had the feeling he was sorting his thoughts. After a bit, Balarn nodded and began talking slowly.


    "Scour is a ruby rank training world, which means the time dilation is anywhere between one to two thousand and one to three thousand. It fluctuates a little because it''s pretty far from the main Portal Gallery path, but this is also why it is so high. Like most of the training worlds that the Smith''s guild has secured, its core is highly unstable. There are many volcanic areas and large areas that are inhospitable. Fire, earth, and metal elemental beings populate those areas, and those near the fringes are small and harmless. However, if you go deeper into those areas, then you will encounter more dangerous things, most of which are highly territorial."


    Irwin frowned.


    "Yes?" Balarn said. "If you have questions, ask them."


    "Why do we use Scour as a training world if it''s this dangerous? Just because of the time dilation?"


    Yogog laughed and answered before Balarn could.


    "The heat of the volcanoes and the fire and metal cards we can get from those elementals, of course!" he said. "Not to mention the large amounts of rare metals that are hidden away inside its mountains."


    "Yogog, do you want to take over?" Balarn asked as he turned to the burly smith lying on the bed.


    "Ah, come on, don''t be like that! Fine, I''ll be quiet," Yogog replied, putting his hands behind his back and closing his eyes.


    Balarn waited, then turned to Irwin, who saw the humorous glint in the black-bearded man''s face.


    "As I was going to say, there are metals to be found there that are as strong or stronger than heart-carded summoned weapons and armor. However, melting them requires intense heat, which is where the volcanoes come in. Besides this, as you should know, smiths require specific cards if we want to progress to working with heartcards, either to form them or to augment them. "


    "Augment?" Irwin blurted as he leaned forward. "I thought you couldn''t change a heartcard?" He tried to recall if he had heard something about it, but he was drawing a blank.


    Yogog grunted but kept quiet.


    Balarn grinned. "While it''s true that you can''t add other cards to the heartcard, as long as a heartcard isn''t solidified in a soulcard, it can be tweaked."


    "Soulcards¡­" Greldo whispered. "I''ve heard there are only a few soulcarded on Fiverio?"


    "Six to be precise," Balarn said as he nodded. "But let''s not get into that now. You are both still handcarded, and you haven''t even finished right hand yet," he added as he gestured at Greldo. "You had better focus on those things before even thinking about soulcards."


    Irwin looked at his friend and saw his own barely contained curiosity mirrored in the other''s eyes. They were definitely going to be asking Balarn about this after he was done explaining!


    "So, what are we supposed to do there?" Irwin asked. "Find metals?"


    Balarn gave him a half smile before nodding. "That and cards, as well as reforge cards for the Urdwellan family who own that entire world."


    "One family owns a world?" Greldo snapped. "How?"


    "It''s not that unusual," Balarn responded. "The Urdwellan family has twelve soulcarded amongst their ranks, making them one of the more formidable powers in this region, almost on par with The Grwinwron Trade Federation. Each time they gain a new soulcarded they send out a new expeditionary force to one of the fringe arms of the Portal Gallery to search for new farming worlds, training worlds, and shards. That soulcarded powerhouse then becomes the one in control of the world."


    Irwin leaned back, staring at the smith, somewhat stunned.


    "Can any soulcarded find and take a world?" he asked.


    Yogog began laughing and seemed unable to hold himself back this time.


    "That''d be fantastic, wouldn''t it!"


    Balarn snorted. "Not unless you are incredibly lucky and find one without any intelligent indigenous people. That barely ever happens... And even then, there might be dangerous monsters. No, only those who are part of one the great families, guilds, or trading organizations are able to take over a world."


    "Like the smith''s guild?" Greldo asked.


    "Yes. Our smith''s guild has worlds. Technically, Scour could be seen as one because the Urdwellan soulcarded on Scour is also a Ruby Rank smith who is getting close to Diamond. That''s why we are allowed to send people there," Balarn said, raising his hand when Greldo wanted to ask something more.


    "Let me finish this. After that, I''ll answer all the questions I can!"


    Greldo nodded, and Balarn was about to continue when a shock ran through the room. A moment later, there was another. Then they felt the room tilt slightly.


    "And we are off," Yogog said.


    "Alright, let''s head up before we continue," Balarn said as he got up, steadying himself with his hands. "You will want to see this!"


    Irwin and Greldo followed him out while Yogog remained where he was. After a quick knock on the door, they gathered the others and headed back up.


    The deck was still filled with people, but there were enough spots near the ship rail, and soon Irwin was leaning against it, staring out in wonder at the massive jungle they sprawled out for as far as he could see.


    "What you are seeing is the Portal Gallery world," Balarn said as he looked ahead.


    The ship continued rising, and soon Irwin couldn''t make out the individual trees.


    "What''s that," Greldo hissed as he pointed in the distance.


    Irwin looked up to see a pitch-black, star-filled band in the distance.


    "That is the edge of the Gallery World," Balarn said. "Nobody knows exactly how the Gallery World was made, and scholars have been trying to find out for thousands of years. What we do know is that it''s a seemingly infinitely-branching stretch of stone covered with vegetation that hangs somewhere in space. Nobody knows exactly where because none of the star patterns have ever been observed from another world, but we can travel across it and find portals to different worlds. We are currently on a pretty narrow side branch, which is why you can see the edge so clearly. If you are on the main branch, we couldn''t go high enough to see the edge unless we were much closer."


    Looking down, Irwin tried to imagine what this was. It vaguely reminded him of some of the shardworlds, and he wondered if it was something like that.


    "How big is it?" Greldo asked.


    "Nobody knows," Balarn said. "Explorers have been traveling it for as long as is recorded, and nobody has ever found an end to the main trunk, or even the largest offshoots."


    "It''s incredible," Irwin said as he looked down at the stretch of jungle, noticing no towns or villages anywhere."


    "Don''t people live here?" he asked.


    "No. That''d be way too dangerous," Balarn said. "You can''t see them from up here, but there are a lot of dangerous things in that jungle. That''s why most of the portals are heavily guarded."


    "What kind of dangerous things?"


    "The Addled mostly," Balarn said with a shrug.


    "The what?"


    Balarn looked at Irwin, then sighed. "If a world shatters, something happens to the inhabitants that manage to survive. Over time they become more aggressive, fighting amongst each other. Unless they manage to find a new world where they can live, they eventually snap and become vicious beasts, attacking anything in sight. We call those The Addled, although there are less pretty things some call them."


    So even if people in our world would survive the shattering, they are doomed? Irwin thought, feeling his wonder at the jungle beyond, lessening rapidly.


    "And if they find another world?" Irwin asked.


    "Being Addled is incurable. But if they manage to find another world before then, they will return to normal," Balarn said.


    Irwin leaned forward.


    We have to find a way to save them, he thought as he stared at the darkness beyond, not really seeing anything.


    He spent the rest of the day listening to Balarn talk about Scour and what they would be required to do.


    In the evening, they had a quick dinner, after which they returned to their rooms and continued learning about different types of dangerous beasts and monsters they could find.


    This continued for three days, but without having to reforge cards or worry about other things constantly, Irwin gradually calmed down. The only thing bothering him was how long the entire trip was taking. Each day was a possibility of their planet shattering.


    Then, early in the fourth day, Yogog entered the room with a shout.


    "We''re finally here! Get your stuff!"


    A short while later, Irwin stood beside Greldo behind the others staring at a massive black tree that stuck out of the jungle. Houses were built in the top branches, as was a small dock. Compared to Fiverio''s massive entry port, it was much smaller, but as Irwin saw it, he couldn''t hold back a grin.


    When we are inside there, I''ll finally have time to breathe!


    --


    Daubutim gazed at the thick steel door, hearing the heavy footsteps approach it.


    "Think they will finally let us out?" Indoutor grunted. "It''s been a day since we answered their questions!"


    Daubutim didn''t respond, quietly waiting as the door swung open. A tall silver-eyed guard stepped in.


    "Daubutim and Indoutor, serfs of Smith Irwin. You are allowed to leave," the man said as he stepped aside.


    "Finally," Indoutor hissed as he got up and stomped to the door.


    Daubutim followed him out, glancing at the guard looking down at him. He was still somewhat unused to seeing so many people his size or larger.


    As they walked through the corridor, he glanced into each cell, seeing a few people inside, most of the types he''d never seen before.


    If they came through, some should be here, he thought as he kept flicking his head side to side.


    They were halfway through to the exit when he saw two figures slumped against the wall in a cell. Something about them seemed familiar, and as he focused on their faces, his mind instantly provided him with their names.


    Tanya and Twintin? he quickly looked the other way as he remembered them. One had been the sorcerers that led them to their first portal, back in Wignut, while the last time he had seen Twintin, she had been a young girl, running away because she thought Irwin had done her harm.


    It took him some effort to keep moving and looking around. A few cells beyond, he saw another familiar face, one of the sorcerers that he''d seen in the sorcerer''s camp when he and Irwin had dropped off the little girl.


    How did all of them come here? he wondered. More importantly, what were they going to do with them?


    When they reached the end, he turned, looking at the guard.


    "What?" the guard asked, staring at him, slightly hostile.


    "Have more people arrived through farming-world three-five-eight''s portal?" he asked.


    "That''s none of your business," the guard said before he suddenly fell quiet, staring intently at Daubutim. "You¡­ are you from that world?"


    No, Daubutim wanted to say, but his jaw seemed locked. He felt his mind struggle to speak the truth. Gritting his teeth, he tried to force his mind to answer that they weren''t, but even stronger this time, something inside him rebelled.


    "We were the first and didn''t cause any problems," Indoutor said. "Excuse my cousin. He has been through a rough time."


    The guard looked at Daubutim for a few moments, then nodded slowly.


    "The first¡­ I heard about those," he grunted before nodding. "Yes, more of your world came through, but don''t get any crazy ideas. Unless a citizen or noble comes to take them in, they are going to be sent on the next ship to one of the mining worlds. Now, move. There''s someone from the Smiths guild waiting for you in the Central Hall."


    Daubutim nodded and quickly headed out, Indoutor beside him.


    "What was that about?" his cousin hissed. "Are you trying to get us into even more trouble?"


    Daubutim shook his head. He had no idea what was going on, but ever since they had reached this world, he was having more trouble with himself. Indoutor kept glaring at him, and he decided it didn''t matter.


    "I saw people I know in those cells. A few sorcerers and a young woman that was in the same group as Irwin and I were in back in the sorcerer''s tower."


    Indoutor''s eyes narrowed. "Well, too bad. You heard him. There''s nothing we can do to save your little friend. They will have to learn how to... dig, I suppose? Dunno what they will do in that mining world."


    Daubutim frowned but didn''t say anything as he followed Indoutour out into the massive central hallway. His cousin was right, even if it pained him.

 Chapter 96: Nice and warm!

    "Remember what I said. Enter, follow me to the side, and put on one of the heat-resistant leaf shirts," Balarn said as he walked ahead of the others.


    "You told them ten times already," Yogog bellowed joyfully as he led them toward a massive double door that sat inside the trunk of the tree.


    Two slim, red-skinned women that walked behind them let out a burst of laughter, causing Irwin''s mouth to go dry a bit. They had joined them during the second stop of the ship and introduced themselves as Ignalia and Hotzli. Wearing form-fitting leather armor covered by curved metal plates, and silver eyes, they looked every bit like the guards of Yogog and Balarn that they were. Something about them, the way they spoke, laughed, and moved, made Irwin have a hard time keeping his eyes from them.


    A shove in his side caused him to glare at Greldo, who was grinning at him.


    Yeah, yeah, Irwin thought as he sniffed.


    "If they don''t, they might fall unconscious from the heat," Balarn said. "We don''t all have your ridiculous way with temperatures!"


    Yogog turned, walking backward as he raised his hands. "I''m great, I know! But-" and he grinned at Irwin as he pointed both hands toward him. "I''ve been told you have a liking to the hotter side of life like me!"


    Ignalia and Hotzli gazed at Irwin, their orange lips curving up to show sharp canines.


    Irwin tried to keep his eyes from drifting to them and instead grinned back at Yogog. Over the last few days, he''d been hanging out with Yogog a lot, and he''d found he liked the man''s rough and loud nature. He was always in for a laugh and willing to explain things in detail when asked. Besides this, he had a way with words and had entertained them all with incredible stories of his exploits during the trip.


    Though if they are all true, Irwin thought as he turned to Greldo, who was looking ahead with sparkling eyes.


    They were the only group to disembark and, as such, drew the attention of a group of guards. They were of a race Irwin had seen before, with bark for skin and leaves for hair. They resembled a mix between trees and men.


    Viridians, Irwin thought as he recalled the information Balarn had given him.


    They were the main people on Scour, as were the Urdwellan family who owned Scour. Although plantlike in nature and not the first thing he''d imagined would live in a hot, volcanic world, their species was capable of acclimatization to different types of environments. The guards in front of them were all roughly the same height as Irwin, which he knew meant they were under a hundred years old. The Viridians kept growing as they aged, and the oldest ones could grow up to three meters tall.


    One of the guards moved forward, raising a sword before his face before lowering it with a bow.


    "Honorable smiths. You are the last to arrive for this time''s opening, and I would ask you to move with haste. The portal will be closing soon, and it would be sad if you had to wait here until it opens again."


    Irwin blinked. The portal was going to close again? This was the first time he''d heard about this.


    Balarn seemed just as stunned as he stopped and looked at the guard.


    "It''s going to close already? I thought the portal wouldn''t close for another few months."


    "Our message might not have reached all of the charters yet," the guard said. "It brings me great pleasure to tell you that Equator Grove has finally circled the world, connecting on the first southern front. Due to this, the portal to the Gallery will close for a short while. You come at a great time, as a great feast will be held at Cindergrove over the upcoming months!"


    The silver eyes of the surrounding guards all seemed to shine brighter.


    "How long will the portal be closed for?" Irwin asked with a frown. And why? he wondered.


    The guard smiled at him. "There is no need to worry! It will open again within a few weeks Portal time. Perhaps a month at most."


    A month?! Irwin thought as he shared a worried look with Greldo. How long did that mean they had to stay in there? Three thousand months?


    "How- how long will we have to stay in Scour?" he asked, unable to keep his voice from rising.


    "Ah, my apologies! I understand your worry, but the inside of the portal will open much earlier, of course! But because of the time dilation, there''s a difference. You will only have to stay on the world for a year a most, perhaps a bit longer," the guard said, waving his hands.


    Thank Gelwin, Irwin thought before blinking. Right... he was supposed to look for the ancient sorcerer, and he''d not even been able to warn Daubutim about that!


    "Alright, let''s head out," Balarn said, and the guards stepped away, opening the gates for them.


    There was a massive hollowed-out cavern in the tree, and on a wooden elevation in the center stood a black portal with glimmering blue lightning rippling around its edges. There were a few guards standing near the entrance, but for the rest, the entire room was empty.


    Balarn waved at the guards as he continued forward. When they reached the portal, he stopped, staring at them.


    "Alright, take off your jackets, coats, and shirts and stuff them in your backpack. Only leave a shirt if you have to."


    Irwin had known this would be coming and dropped his heavy backpack before taking off his thick coat. A chilly wind surrounded him, and he shivered as he stuffed it in his backpack. After a moment''s hesitation, he left his pale white shirt on. A look around showed that most of the others had done the same, two of the guards even taking off their shirts.


    Ignalia and Hotzli, however, just grinned, not even taking off their armor. Yogog left his sleeveless jacket on, though he did unbutton the front.


    When everyone was done, Balarn nodded.


    "Yogog, Ignalia, Hotzli, and I will go first, and you will wait for exactly three seconds before going in as fast as you can," he said. "Remember. You can''t wait any longer because otherwise, we are going to have to wait for a long time for you there¡­ and it''s really hot."


    Ignalia and Hotzli let out a pearly laugh before jumping through without waiting, followed by a roaring Yogog. Balarn sighed as he jumped in.


    Irwin and the others quickly grouped before the portal while Irwin began counting down out loud.


    ¡°2¡­ 1¡­ Now!" he said.


    Everyone jumped, and he and Greldo followed as the last two.


    The world turned black, then red, and he was hurtling through another corridor towards a distant spec. Around him was a black nothingness with a red nebula ahead of him. The slight cold dissipated, leaving nothing. Not hot. Not cold. Just¡­ normal.


    Time passed slowly, and with nothing else of interest, Irwin kept looking at the nebula. As he came closer, he saw that it was a massive fire burning in the middle of the blackness.


    He kept looking for odd things, perhaps monsters. Greldo had told him a bit more about what he''d seen, enormous demonic things with too many eyes that somehow radiated something that still kept his friend up at night.


    Just more of those tiny moving specs, Irwin thought as he looked around. He didn''t really want to see what Greldo had, yet he couldn''t keep his curiosity at bay.


    A long time later, he had no idea how long, he saw a shadow move through the fiery nebula to the right, and he focused on it. It moved rapidly, almost like a fish below the water, dashing around before it suddenly rushed towards him. As it closed in, six eyes burning golden fire appeared in the shadow before an enormous head shot out. It hovered before Irwin, all six eyes focusing on him, while a fiery haze was exhaled from a narrow slit, white teeth flickering deep inside.


    Irwin didn''t move, unable to even look ahead to see how far he was, instead staring back into those six eyes, each so large they seemed like ponds of liquid gold.


    A shiver came from his hand, and he felt one of his cards begin to resonate. Weak at first, it became stronger and stronger until he felt like he himself was shivering. Without his conscious will, his Coperion Body suddenly triggered, something he hadn''t even known could be done while moving through a portal corridor.


    The golden eyes narrowed, and for a moment, Irwin felt something¡­ touch his mind. It felt almost like his cards did when he focused on them, but then as strong as a raindrop compared to the sea. It lasted for a few moments, then as suddenly as the monstrous being had appeared, it pulled back into the cloud, leaving just a tiny sense of curiosity in Irwin''s mind. The resonating of his cards lasted for a few more seconds before fading.


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Irwin sucked in a ragged breath, then another as he turned his head forward. He barely saw that he was a few seconds from reaching the tunnel''s exit, instead trying to deal with what had just happened.


    That wasn''t what Greldo saw, he thought as he shivered, the golden eyes seemingly burned into his mind.


    He barely managed to regulate his breathing when the black wall at the end of the portal tunnel slammed him into his face. With a jarring suddenness, his body stopped rushing forward. Instead, like before, he continued forward as if he''d simply taken a step inside a door opening.


    The darknes vanished, replaced by a shadowy area with beams of bright light coming in through oval windows. He stood on a dark floor with a thin film of red sand on it, with mat white walls around him with an opening ahead.


    A comfortable hazy heat surrounded him, and he took a deep breath, a dry heat reminiscent of the forges at Trimdir''s filling his lungs. The stress and fear he''d felt mere moments ago rapidly faded as if melting in the heat.


    "Irwin, move!"


    Irwin jerked awake, looking up and to the side.


    A worried Balarn was beckoning him from beside a wall filled with shirts attached to hooks. He was wearing one himself, a pale orange and yellow shirt of what resembled neatly stitched leaves, the ends pointing down. The smith''s face was red, sweat slowly dripping down his face. There was no sight of the others.


    A soft thud was followed by a surprised gasp as Greldo appeared next to him.


    "By Gelwin''s beard, it''s hot here," Greldo hissed as he looked around in a slight panic.


    "Over here!" Irwin snapped as he grabbed him by the arm and dragged him towards a worried-looking Balarn.


    He remembered what the smith had told him about the heat, and now he knew it wasn''t a joke. To him, it felt like a hot summer day, a lazy, comfortable sensation, and he knew that meant Greldo would be in danger of falling unconscious due to the heat.


    "Quick, put this on," Balarn said as he handed them both a shirt.


    Irwin helped Greldo out of his backpack and into the shirt, and as soon as the thing passed over his head, Greldo let out a weary sigh.


    "That''s really good," he whispered as he took a few deep breaths. "Like standing below a tree, out of the direct sun."


    Irwin grinned as he pushed Balarrn''s offered shirt away.


    "No need, he said. I''m fine."


    "Are you sure?" the smith asked. "There''s only one free shirt, and that''s what you get here. Beyond this, you need to pay for them."


    Irwin blinked, then stared at the offered thing. "I could give mine to one of you?" he asked after a moment''s hesitation.


    Balarn smirked, looked at him finally, seeming to realize he really didn''t need it, and put it back.


    "They don''t allow that. It''s one per person, and if they find you give it away, you get a fine. Why do you think there weren''t any shirts outside?"


    "How would they even find out someone gave theirs away?" Greldo asked.


    "They might not, but trust me, it''s not worth the risk," Balarn said.


    Irwin saw the smith look at him with obvious jealousy, and he couldn''t help but grin. When Balarn frowned, he quickly looked around. The longer he was standing here, the more comfortable he felt, and he realized something.


    There was no more time pressure!


    At least¡­ not for a long while. Instead, he could now try and become a ruby rank smith, think about reforging his hammer card, Greldo''s cards, and-


    He turned to his friend. "We need to see if we can find a quartz card that offers heat resistance! You already have Coal, so I''m sure we can find something that will combine with the ones you have."


    Greldo nodded vigorously before looking around.


    "Where are the others?"


    Balarn grinned halfheartedly as he wiped his head with his arm. "Time goes really slow here compared to outside. The others arrived almost an hour ago and are inside the local tavern to cool down. Yogog is with them, while Ignalia is waiting outside for us."


    "Let''s go then," Irwin said, staring outside. The bright light streaming in through the windows really made him curious about what it would be like outside. If it was warm here, it would be hot there!


    "No guards?" Greldo asked as he walked towards the opening.


    "Up there," Balarn said as he jabbed a thumb over his shoulder.


    Irwin and Greldo looked back, and both blinked in shock. A long reptile was hanging from the back of the wall, its heavily lidded eyes focused on them. Covered in dark gray scales with black edges, it looked like it had been made out of ash and Coal.


    "What''s that?" Irwin whispered.


    "Lavaturq," Balarn said as he stopped before the opening. "They can breathe fire that makes our forges look like a fireplace."


    "Just like Irwin," Greldo said with a grin.


    Balarn looked up in surprise. "You can breathe fire?" he asked.


    Irwin shook his head, tapping beside his eyes. "With my eyes," he said as he focused slightly on his Eyes of Blaze until his eyes turned slightly red.


    Balarn whistled before turning ahead.


    Irwin followed his gaze and saw they were standing before a long path covered in red sand. Ruddy stone buildings that seemed covered in a thin layer of dust stood all around. All of them were two stories, with the top one having a rounded roof that gleamed bright white. He saw a canopy of red and orange stick out behind them.


    Those should be those Flaming Ashtrees that Balarn spoke about, he thought.


    "You coming, Balarn?" a musical and familiar voice rang out from the side.


    Irwin saw Ignalia stand next to them, a bit away from the wall and in the middle of the burning sunlight. She had a raised eyebrow as she stared at the bearded smith.


    "You know it takes me a while to get used to this again," Balarn grunted.


    "Uhuh," Ignalia said, gaining her a glare from Balarn.


    Irwin took a step forward. A warm breeze flitted around him while a glow warmed his head and shoulders. Taking a deep breath, he looked up at the bright, almost white sun standing in the sky.


    "Don''t look into it too long, big guy," Ignalia said.


    Curious, Irwin turned his gaze away from the burning orb and saw Ignalia stare at him. Her silver eyes were a bit wider as she nodded. "Unless you have some card that gives you some very special eyes, looking into it too long can make you go blind."


    Irwin blinked, wondering if his Eyes of Blaze would count, then deciding it wasn''t worth it to try it out.


    "You said you had a good card for heat, but you seem to have even less trouble with the heat than Yogog," she said as she moved closer and gazed up at him. "Perhaps you should come and visit Escorinte in the future! If you like this, you will love it there."


    Irwin cocked his head. "That''s your world?"


    Ignalia nodded, a wide smile on her face. "It''s a beautiful place, with lava seas, burning trees, and so much life you wouldn''t believe it!"


    A world hotter than this, teeming with life? Irwin thought. He shook his head. Who was he kidding? He might not have believed it a year ago, but after everything he had seen?


    "Can you two stop standing there, chatting as if it''s not as hot as an oven here?" Greldo grunted before turning to Balarn. "You said something about cooling down in a tavern? That sounds good right about now."


    Balarn nodded, a weary smile on his face. "Yeah¡­ let''s see if we can make it in one go."


    He took a deep breath before he began to run towards the other side of the street. "Follow me."


    Greldo cursed and followed him while Irwin looked at a laughing Ignalia and jogged after them.


    They had to recover inside a shadowy door opening twice before they reached a large building with dozens of trees around it. It almost looked like a tiny forest, and as soon as they walked inside, the temperature dropped noticeably.


    Greldo groaned as he let out a weary sigh while Irwin turned to a heavily sweating Balarn.


    "So this is why you said most people live by night and sleep by day here," he said.


    He''d barely seen anyone out, the red-dusted streets empty except for a few running people with shirts like the one Greldo was wearing.


    "It is, and it''s why we are going to go and see when the next caravan is before finding a few rooms and turning in for the day. You guys are going to need to get used to that, at least until we reach Cindergrove City."


    They continued towards the building, and as they stepped inside, the temperature lowered even more to what Irwin imagined was probably roughly the same as the smithy during the evening when all of the forges were low.


    "There you are!" a thunderous shout from Yogog came, and they looked up to see the rest of the group sitting around a round redwood table with glasses and a large pitcher of water.


    As they joined them, Irwin saw Yogog staring at him before nodding happily.


    "You weren''t kidding about your cards, Irwin," he said. "I guess that means you''re the one going with me and Hotzli."


    Sitting down, Irwin took a free glass and poured himself a glass of water. He took a sip and sighed. The crystal-clear water tasted heavenly. He downed the glass before pouring himself another one. Yogog''s eyes shot up when he finished his second one in a single gulp before pouring a third one.


    "You''re going to have to spend a lot of soulshards in that case," Balarn said as he leaned back with his own glass, taking small sips. "Irwin has the tendency to drink a lot!"


    "Yeah¡­ well¡­ hey kid, you do know water is kind of expensive here, right?" Yogog said. "It''ll be better when we reach Cindergrove, but you might want to limit yourself a bit. Unless you have way more shards than I''d thought?"


    Irwin stared at his glass, already half empty again, then at the now mostly empty pitcher and sniffed. He felt like he could finish two of those pitchers, but after thinking about his very limited amount of soulshards he placed it down and leaned back. He noticed a relieved look on Yogog''s face and surprised ones all around the table.


    "Sorry. I''ll have to get used to that," he said.


    Yogog barked a laugh, though Irwin thought it was kind of forced this time.


    "It''s alright. It just means you are going to have to work a bit harder to get the shards to pay for the luxury."


    "Aren''t there people with water cards that can just create more water?" he asked.


    "Sure there are, but unless you can find someone with a Diamond one, preferably heartcarded, there''s no way they can make enough water for this place, let alone an entire city," Yogog said. "There are people that have tried to earn cash by doing that, but there''s not that many people with lots of soulshards here. It''s a bit of a backwater place both as it''s on a side branch of a branch of the Gallery and well¡­ you did notice it is bloody hot here, right?"


    Irwin nodded, then leaned back as the others slowly resumed the conversations they had been having. The smiths were talking about the different types of cards they would focus on, and Irwin wasn''t surprised to hear that, except for Yogog, the others would mostly plan to stay in the city.


    Yogog shared that the caravan would leave the next day, mostly due to the nearing festivities, and it would be the last one for a while.


    They stayed chatting for a while when a young bark-skinned, greenleafed woman came from a backroom.


    "Hey there! I''m really sorry, but we are going to close for the day now. Do you want me to show you to your rooms so you can rest?"


    Balarn rose, downing the rest of his glass before staring at the others.


    "So, as we will have a dangerous and long journey ahead of us tomorrow, I''d say we should all go and get as much sleep as we can. I know you are all going to have issues with sleeping during the day, but try your best!"


    There was a round of murmurs, and then they all got up and followed the young woman to the back and up a flight of stairs. To Irwin''s relief, they got more rooms this time, and he and Greldo got one to themselves. Apparently, the prices here were far more reasonable than even on Fiverio.


    When the door of the small square, white-walled room shut, Irwin lay down on his bed. It was pretty dark, with the only window in the room shuttered and closed.


    "I hope the trip is going to be uneventful," Greldo said as he moved to the center of the room. With a flash, Coal appeared, looking around curiously. Then it keened at Greldo, who rubbed his head.


    "Sorry you had to be in there for such a long time, buddy, but there just wasn''t any room on the ship!"


    Coal snorted, then bumped his head into Greldo''s head.


    "No, no playing. Stupid as it sounds, we need to sleep now. We are going to leave in the middle of the night¡­ though I think you are really going to enjoy this place. It''s pretty similar to where we found you!"


    He''s right, Irwin thought as he lay back and closed his eyes. The heat of this world wasn''t all that different from the second portal he''d ever been in.


    "Good luck sleeping," he said as he rolled over.

 Chapter 97: Boiling blood

    Irwin quietly gazed at Balarn, talking with the towering, green, and orange-leafed Viridian.


    Even though it was nighttime, he could see without trouble, and it was only in part due to his card''s night vision. The pair of bright orange moons that hung in the sky cast enough light for everything to be bathed in a somewhat disturbing ruddy light.


    Behind Balarn and the Viridian was a row of wagons that hovered a few feet above the dusty red ground, and dozens of other Viridians were climbing inside, causing them to sink and wobble slightly. Before each of the wagons hung a dark leathery winged shape that made Irwin think of two hands cut at the wrists and glued together. They were attached to the wagon by long chains, and instead of standing, the creatures hung in the air before the wagons, bobbing up and down as if they were in the water, while glowing fog came from a dark slit of a mouth.


    I wonder how they see, Irwin thought as he couldn''t find any visible eyes. He sighed as he examined the floating wagons, wondering if he technically shouldn''t be calling them boats or floaters. If he hadn''t been on a giant flying ship for over half of a week, he''d probably have been even more impressed.


    "What are those?" he whispered, looking at Yogog and pointing at the flying beasts.


    "Teinefola," Yogog said with a grin. "Really awesome creatures! I''ve seen a few carded that have a summoned one. These things are even able to fly through a volcano and swim in lava. The previous time we were here, I managed to get someone to take me for a ride."


    "Six?" Balarn shouted, shaking his head. "But the last time-"


    The large Viridian shook his head, grunting something Irwin didn''t catch that made Balarn hiss like a forge bellow.


    "Six soulshards per person?" Greldo whispered.


    "It''s because of the festival," Yogog snorted from beside them. "These guys are trying to profit from the fact that the portal is closing, and almost everyone in Chark is heading back to Cindergrove."


    The tall Viridian snorted as he rose himself to his full height.


    "No. Unless you plan to help guard the caravan against attacking monsters, it will be sixty soulshards for your group. If you don''t like it, wait here until the full circle festival ends next year."


    Irwin couldn''t hear what Balarn responded, but the tower Viridian merely nodded. "I''ll wait for a few minutes, no more."


    Balarn turned and headed back to them, his face pulled in an uncharacteristic scowl.


    "What''s wrong?" Yogog asked.


    "Don''t play coy," Balarn snapped. "You heard Tragt. We are to pay sixty soulshards, and you know damn well I don''t have that many."


    Yogog let out a sigh, then removed a pouch from his bag. "How much do you have?"


    "Thirty-two," Balarn muttered.


    "What? Didn''t Tensor give you anything more?" Yogog snapped. "I''ve only got twenty and a bit here."


    "The previous year, it was two soulshards per person," Balarn hissed. "I got what he thought we would need. You know we need the rest for the charter."


    Yogog sighed, then turned to the others, looking at Irwin, Monyque, and Nimdal and Syndal, the silent young and brown-eyed brothers.


    "If you three have any soulshards, better hand them over. We need to get to"


    Balarn slapped him on the head, causing him to turn around angrily. "Hey! What gives!"


    "What Yogog means is that we are going to have to pay the traveling expenses together," Balarn said calmly. "The charter will reimburse you after we leave."


    Irwin sighed and took out his final five shoulshards, and a few moments later, Balarn walked back, paying Tragt, who just nodded and let them on one of the wagons that still had room.


    They had to wait for a few dozen more people, mostly Viridians before they finally set out.


    Irwin watched as a rider mounted each of the Teinefola that was attached to the wagons. Then with a soft jolt, the wagon he was on pulled forward.


    "Sit back and relax," Balarn said. "Tragt said that we are going to pick up a few more people from outposts, meaning the trip will take at least a week as long as we don''t have any setbacks."


    "A week?" Yogog grunted.


    "Stop complaining," Balarn said as he nudged the other. "At least the heat doesn''t bother you as much!"


    Yogog groaned again, causing the others to grin.


    Irwin looked around as the wagons floated through the small forest, then the town, and finally from beneath a double ring of massive Flaming Ashtrees that encircled the entire village of Chark. Beyond the trees, there was nothing but long stretches of red, dust-covered plains with towering black mountains in the distance. Only the brightest stars were visible with the two moons out, and as they reached the edge of the plain, the Teinefola began speeding up.


    "We aren''t going to fly up?" Irwin asked after a while as they remained roughly a dozen feet above the ground.


    "Nah, there''s all manner of nasty things flying up there," Yogog said, his eyes still closed. "As long as we stay close to the ground, they won''t come down. They don''t like the heat."


    "There are things living here that don''t like heat?" Greldo asked. "How?"


    "Don''t ask me. I''m no scholar. Just be happy! Outside of the great groves, the most dangerous things are either up there or inside the volcanos. So, as long as we stay away from there, it should be fine."


    Should be? Irwin thought, wondering why that felt a bit too uncertain to him.


    Hours later, he was duly staring at the seemingly endlessly rolling plains of ruddy sand. Far in the distance, a dark line was approaching, not high enough to be a mountain range or even hills, but different.


    The line continued to come closer, and at a certain point, he could make out long black pillars of what looked like dark, gleaming stone. Some were cracked and knocked over, but most stood towering in the air like twenty to thirty-foot fingers pointing at the stars.


    "The Fingers of Lasairean," Balarn said as he leaned back beside Irwin.


    Most of the others had fallen asleep, still not used to having to rest during the day, and only he and Irwin were awake in their wagon.


    "They look like stone but gleam like metal," Irwin said as he watched the moonlight gleam on their surface, causing them to look like black burnished flaming metal.


    "They are made of obsidian, though nobody really knows how they came to be. According to what I''ve heard, they were here way before the Urdwellan family took over this world," Barlarn said softly. "I''ve only heard of them, but there are a few outposts here. It''s a useful building material, and not all people that came to this world enjoy staying in the Viridian''s groves."


    An hour later, they had been traveling for over six hours, and the moons were at the far end of the horizon while a dim glow was cropping up on the other side. The first of the twenty-foot pillars of obsidian were directly ahead of them, and the Teinefola began slowing down, dropping back to a foot or two off the ground and continuing at a walking pace.


    As they reached the first part, Tragt, who was manning the first wagon, rose to his full height, shouting some commands. Over a dozen Viridians jumped off the wagons. Cards flashed on the backs of dark-skinned hands, and weapons appeared in some hands while armor covered that of others.


    "Help me wake the others," Balarn said. "It seems Tragt is expecting at least some trouble."


    Irwin leaned over and shook Greldo awake, followed by some of the others. A few minutes later, everyone was sitting up, some groggily rubbing their eyes as they looked around the towering pillars of obsidian.


    "There are two types of nasty things in this area," Yogog rumbled as he sat with his head in his hands. "A sort of worm that is able to burrow into these bloody pillars and attack anything that passes by, and some sort of stone elemental that mimics rocks on the ground."


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "There''s way more than just those things," a soft voice said, and everyone looked up to find a guard climbing up their wagon almost without noise.


    With short green leaves for hairs so dark they were almost dark, and the silver eyes of a heartcarded, the young female Viridian immediately moved to the side of their six feet wide wagon, a foot on the edge as she scanned the surroundings.


    "Seeing that you are from the Portal Gallery, I take it you haven''t been here for almost a hundred years. Besides the Wirmrin and Ryocketin, you are talking about, there''s now a dozen other dangerous things," she whispered.


    The caravan slowly hovered onward, the towering pillars around them causing an odd echoing sound. Within moments they didn''t see anything beyond a few dozen feet, with gleaming black surfaces blocking all angels. The lead wagon led them through a winding path.


    By now, there was a sense of danger and foreboding hanging around the wagons, and Irwin saw that guards were standing with drawn weapons on everyone. He also noticed that their wagon was the only one with only a single guard.


    A scream, loud enough to cause Irwin''s ears to pop, caused him to grip the wooden railing in a start. He triggered his Eyes of Blaze, but most of the world was dozens of tints of orange and red, and he wasn''t sure he''d be able to see anything moving like this. The wagons began slowing down even more until they came to a halt, and people began moving around.


    "Well, crap," their guard whispered, while her hand gleamed and a long-handled ax appeared in her grip. "If you have any armor or weapon cards, I''d suggest you summon everything you have because we are about to be waylaid by a pack of Screequanoxes."


    Irwin immediately stood up, his body growing half a foot as he triggered his Coperion Body. He''d been on edge and had ready for anything, and in a split second, his hammer appeared in his hand.


    All around him, he saw the others summon their things while Greldo moved to the side of the wagon. Before anyone could stop him, he leaped down, and as soon as he hit the ground, Coal appeared.


    "Get ready, boy, we''ve got trouble incoming," Greldo snapped as he stepped close to the hound.


    "That''s one nice Daemon Hound," Hotzli whispered from the side. "I didn''t know those existed in other worlds!"


    Daemon Hound? Irwin thought, pretty sure it had a different name.


    "We found it on a shardworld," he said, stepping to the other side of the ship beside Balarn. The silver-eyed smith had a battle hammer of his own in his hand, massive and likely meant for two hands, though he had it in one hand. A tiny blue flame hovered above his other hand, causing Irwin to do a double take.


    Blue fire? he thought as he stared at the tiny flame for a moment.


    "Frostfire," Balarn grunted. "Sadly, not useful to cool things down."


    Irwin just nodded as he looked around.


    "Three from the east," someone shouted.


    Where''s the east?" Irwin thought as he looked around. He had no idea what to expect from the monsters, beasts, or demons on other worlds.


    "Behind and to the left," Greldo shouted, and Irwin whirled around, noting that the others on the wagon did the same.


    It took him only a second to see a dark, dull brown-red shape dash from behind a pillar. With the bottom of a lizard, a top that looked almost humanoid, it was slightly taller than him. A dozen or so oddly positioned metal plates seemed to grow from its body-like armor. They had yellow eyes that seemed to burn from within, black slits for a nose, and a gaping mouth with wide, serrated teeth.


    Not that big, Irwin thought as he saw two more racing around the edge. Somehow, from the reaction of the guards, he''d expected something¡­ bigger?


    "Be careful of their claws. They are sharp enough to slice stone, and they can jump high and far," their guard said as she took a deep breath. A card flashed on the back of her hand as she made a slicing motion at the nearest Screequanoxes, and a silvery blur flashed through the air. It moved insanely fast, just before it was going to hit the monster''s head, the monster pulled its head to the side, causing it to miss by an inch.


    As if the attack was the trigger, fiery bolts, curved blades, and silvery arrows shot from the different wagons, streaking at the incoming three monsters. However, like the first one, the Screequanoxes dodged almost everything, and only two silvery arrows managed to graze one. Even then, they left only dark markings on the thick hide and caused the one struck to let out an ear-popping screech.


    "Quick, bastards," Yogog shouted, sounding excited. "Let''s see how quick!"


    Irwin felt the wagon sway as Yogog jumped out and on the sand.


    "Yogog, you bloody-" Balarn growled.


    "I''ll keep him safe," Hotzli said as she somersaulted nimbly out of the wagon and sprinted after Yogog.


    "More from the other side!"


    Irwin hissed at Greldo''s shout, and he turned to see four more of the things run towards the side Greldo was on. He was sitting on Coal, one hand pointed at the incoming monsters.


    A quick look around showed that Tragt and his main guards stood at the front, and more of the monsters were coming from that side.


    They surrounded us? How smart are these things¡­ he thought before he summoned his flame, causing it to wrap around his upper body and infuse his hammer.


    "I''ll help on this side," he grunted as he hopped over the edge.


    "What? Irwin, what are you-" Balarn snapped from behind, but then he landed on the soft sand, his massive weight causing his feet to sink a few inches deep.


    "What are you doing down here?"


    Irwin looked up to see two Viridian guards looking at him. Both had axes in their hands and silver eyes.


    "Non heartcarded people should stay in the wagon," one of them snapped.


    "Just want to make sure my friend is alright," Irwin said as he moved a few steps forward to stand beside Greldo.


    "So¡­ I guess these training worlds aren''t very safe?" Greldo said as he looked ahead.


    "Any good ideas?" Irwin asked as he focused on the nearest of the monsters.


    "They can dodge fast, but they aren''t running all that fast," Greldo said.


    Irwin nodded, wondering how that was going to help.


    A little bit closer, just a bit, he thought. Then he triggered Eyes of Blaze as the nearest of the monsters was in range. The entire area suddenly turned brighter as two wrist-sized columns of fire erupted from his eyes, ripping through the air. The Screequanox screeched as it moved its upper body to the side, but it couldn''t prevent one of the beams from striking its arm. As if it was struck by a hammer, it was knocked to the side, its four legs jerking sideways. Then it struck the ground and slid forward.


    "Nice," Greldo said. "But-"


    The brown-red monster scrambled back up, letting out a much deeper scream this time.


    "-I don''t think they mind fire much."


    Yeah, Irwin thought as he sighed. I was afraid of that.


    ¡°My turn,¡± Greldo hissed. "Coal, roar."


    Irwin barely had time to raise his hands to his ears as the massive hound raised its head. A deep, low howl came as what looked to be ripples of air erupted from its maw. They spread out like a cone so fast that not even the Screequanoxes managed to dodge. As soon as it reached them, their squinty eyes flashed wide open, and their clawed hands raised to their heads, coming to a sliding, tumbling halt.


    The guards around them and those on the ship immediately began firing again, and this time a barrage of attacks struck the three Screequanoxes while a dull roaring came from the front showing the other sides of the wagon were fighting too. Purplish thick blood appeared on the thick hides, but the pain seemed to startle the Screequanoxes awake as they let out piercing screeches of their own while running forward again.


    Covered in deep gashes and wounds, Irwin thought they seemed even angrier than before. Still, the blood and gore, combined with the raging battle, was causing his own blood to boil. He gripped his hammer tighter as he stared at the incoming monsters. They were a lot smaller than things he''d killed, and even if they were faster, he was sure he could take one!


    "Not bad. We''ll take care of it now," one of the guards grunted. "Forward!"


    Irwin and Greldo watched as the half-a-dozen leaf-haired Viridians charged forward. As they reached the first of the monsters, they began moving in rapid bursts of movements, far faster than anything Irwin had seen before. Still, their axes seemed to merely graze the three Screequanoxes.


    "Are we seriously just going to wait here," Irwin asked, taking a few steps forward.


    "We don''t all have metal skin and muscles that belong on charbulls," Greldo snapped.


    Irwin nodded, staring at the rapidly moving guards. He knew from his own training that they were highly trained and fast, and he felt a growing desire to see how he''d do against the lizard-like demons.


    "We are going to have to fight at some point, why not start now! At least we aren''t alone and can see how strong these things are," Irwin said.


    He watched as two of the guards ganged up on a Screequanox, slicing at the same limb but failing to cut it off.


    "Besides¡­" Irwin said as he looked at his friend. "They look like they can use a hand!"


    He took a deep breath and began running forward.


    "Seriously," he heard Greldo grunt from behind him. "You need to get me some better cards!"


    "Will do," Irwin shouted as he sped up, aiming for the nearest Screequanox. He reached it just as one of the guards made a double backflip to dodge the beast''s clawed attack.


    I really could have used a grappling gauntlet, Irwin thought as he saw the claw streak by, wishing he could have just gripped it. Instead, he sped up a bit more, noting that the monster seemed to brace itself.


    Yeah, good luck, Irwin thought as he barrelled into the only slightly taller thing. He felt like he had rammed into a solid wooden door, coming to a near standstill, his teeth rattling. A dull cracking from inside the thing''s ribcage was accompanied by a gust of racing air as it stumbled back two steps.


    Irwin stepped after it, striking it full in the face with his hammer before it could recover. Another dull crack was followed by a cough. A cloud of purple blood mist spread out from the Screequanox''s mouth as it stumbled to the side, its eyes rolling around and the front of its face battered apart. Irwin didn''t stop, following up with hit after hit as he felt his blood boiling hotter and hotter.


    --


    "Seriously," Greldo grunted as he watched Irwin bring the massive lizard demon to its knees. "I thought I was supposed to be his guard?"


    As he watched the battle, he thought back to his time in the Fiverio underground arena. He''d been fighting the other three-carded back there, and although some had been pretty powerful, between Coal and his stealth card there, he''d won almost everything. This? He wasn''t cut out for this¡­


    His eyes kept looking around for any potential trouble, but from the loud booming laughter on the other side, it seemed Yogog was having a blast.


    Coal whined softly, and Greldo sighed.


    "I know, boy, but you know if one of those things comes here, I can''t even hide."


    He sensed a desire to fight in his friend, underlined by the desire to protect him, and it remained. He''d not really expected anything else.


    As the fighting continued, he noticed how Irwin began moving towards the second monster while the guards gave him some space. It didn''t take long before they let him batter one of them to the ground again before jumping on its back and slashing it apart.


    He really did become good at this, Greldo thought as he looked around. The fighting at the front of the wagons had died down already, and the towering shape of the Viridian wagon leader was moving towards them. He was carrying what had to be two-handed battle axes for any normal person, one in each hand.


    When he reached Greldo, he looked at Coal, then at him, and nodded.


    "Good. I''m glad to see someone was ready to guard the wagon in case one made it past us," Tragt grunted.


    "Of course," Greldo muttered before focusing on Irwin, who was hammering the final lizard to a pulp.


    Of course¡­ Greldo thought as he turned back to the battle in front of him, holding back a disgruntled sigh.


    He had better get me a body improvement card, or I think I''ll just stay in the city.

 Chapter 98: Firespark desert

    "You can stay in that room and eat, but all other things you will need to take care of by yourself," Ichela said softly.


    Daubutim nodded, noting the woman''s slightly apologetic tone. He wondered why she seemed to feel she was wrong. They were getting a lot of things for free already.


    "Serious? We can''t even get a small stipend?" Indoutor grunted.


    Ichela''s eyes narrowed, and Daubutim quickly turned to his cousin. "Quiet. Be grateful for what we are getting," he said before turning back and nodding at Ichela." Thank you. We will find a way to earn soulshards."


    Ichela smiled, then began pulling her braid, her eyes deep in thought. It took a few moments, where Daubutim calmly waited. After a few moments, she sighed and leaned forward.


    "You could try to do what your friend, Greldo, was doing. You don''t have a fullhand yet, meaning you would fight only the weakest of the serfs," she whispered. "Just make sure the guards don''t find out, as it''s considered illegal. They don''t really act on it, though, as long as things stay calm."


    Daubutim nodded, forcing a smile on his face. He had no plans of participating in any illegal underground bouts, especially not with Hult and Uxin''tar still on the loose. Besides, he already had something else on his mind.


    "Thank you, but I think I''m going to try something else," he said. "Instead, perhaps you can tell me how I can get permission to join the entrance exam for the junior librarians?"


    Ichela''s eyes widened, and she began yanking her braid. "Do you have any idea what you will have to do there? To succeed, you need to read and memorize a dozen books in a day. And no easy ones!"


    Daubutim felt a tiny bit of joy at his condition for the first time in his life, and he smiled. "I have a good memory. Do you know of a way for me to join? I''ve heard they sometimes make exceptions and let serfs join?"


    Ichela remained quiet as she stared at him for a while, then she sighed deeply.


    "Yes. If you can get a citizen to vouch for you and sign a writ guaranteeing that they will secure your living expenses for the duration of one year."


    Daubutim''s smile slipped as he felt a dullness encroach from the sides of his consciousness. He knew that most citizens had a hard enough time guaranteeing their own living expenses for a year, and if they had anything extra would save it for a rainy day. Besides, why would someone opt to risk this for someone they don''t know?


    "Would me being housed in the Smith charter count?" he asked.


    Ichela instantly shook her head sadly. "No, because the charter has rules against signing any writs like that.


    Just another problem to solve, Daubutim thought as he felt his mind grow muddled as another problem cropped up.


    He forced himself to focus on Ichela, sending her a tiny smile. "How much soulshards would I need to pay my living expenses for a year?"


    "If you want to pay someone to sign the writ, that''s not uncommon. Usually, it''s five soulshards per day, meaning you will need thirteen hundred seventy-five soulshards."


    Two hundred and seventy-five days in a year? Daubutim thought, his muddled mind still able to provide the answer even though the staggering number caused his face to fall. Even then, he still managed a tiny bit of surprise. He hadn''t realized that there might be different amounts of days in a year in another world.


    "Why do you want to go there anyway?" Indoutor suddenly grunted.


    Daubutim looked up, his muddled mind causing him to automatically answer before he could stop himself.


    "Librarian assistants are uplifted to citizens and gain a hundred and fifty soulshards per full moon stipend. And-"


    He caught himself just in time from adding the second and more important reason. Librarian assistants were allowed into the closed section of the library, and he might be able to get information on the shattering.


    Indoutor snorted, but Daubutim saw a twinkle in his older cousin''s eye for a moment. Before he could come up with a reaction, Indoutor leaned against the desk.


    "What''s the best way to earn that many soulshards?" he asked.


    Ichela''s eyes narrowed as she looked back at the burly man. "The best way or the fastest way?" she asked.


    ¡°Fastest,¡± Indoutor said.


    "Go into one of the monster-infested hubworlds and kill monsters for them," Ichela said slowly. "But doing so without being heartcarded is suicide."


    Daubutim saw Indoutor''s eyes narrow.


    "Alright, and safest?" he asked.


    "Go inside a mining world and sign up with a company there."


    "And how long would that take?"


    Ichela sighed, and she shrugged. "If you are unlucky? Decades. But if you can find a nice ore vein or crystal deposit? Much, much faster. The thing is, many luck seekers try this, and most never find anything."


    Indoutor nodded before turning to Daubutim.


    "Let''s go back to our room for a bit," he grunted before leaving without as much as a world of thanks to Ichela.


    Daubutim stared after him, his face blank before he turned to the amethyst-ranked smith who was glaring at Indoutor''s back.


    "Thank you," he said as he inclined his head.


    Ichela''s glare vanished as she looked at him with a smile. "It''s alright. I promised Irwin to keep an eye on his friends, though, if I''d known that lummox was one of them¡­"


    Her gaze drifted to Indoutor, who left through the door.


    "I will be sure to tell Irwin how well you took care of us," Daubutim said.


    "Thanks! You shouldn''t do anything hasty. He should be back in a few months and will probably be able to get you into the library then," Ichela said with a smile.


    "Months?" Daubutim asked as his eyes widened. He did some quick calculations based on the trip to the other world and shook his head in confusion. "Shouldn''t he be back next week?"


    "What? No, no. The trip to the Scour portal is a week there and back, then roughly two weeks through the portal. Add probably a day or two inside, depending on how many years he stays, and when he comes out, he will need to sell what he found to the merchants after giving the Smith Guild its cut. Due to how busy those are, it could take another few weeks," Ichela said as she began raising some fingers. "I''d say the fastest would be two months, and if he is in bad luck or the travel through the portal has issues, it might be up to six."


    Daubutim felt his mind fuzz over, and he barely managed to croak a forced thank you before turning and heading towards the door. He vaguely heard Ichela say something behind him, but by then, all he heard was a dull roaring.


    Focus, focus, focus, a tiny part of him chanted as he headed to their room.


    Everything was blurry, and when he finally came back to himself, it was because Indoutor had shouted something.


    "What?" he muttered, noticing he was sitting on his back, staring at the dusty ground.


    "By Gelwin''s beard, have you finally snapped out of it?" Indoutor snarled, staring at him from the other side of the room. "What is wrong with you now?"


    Daubutim tried to recall what had happened until now, but all he got were jumbled memories.


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    I lost it again, he thought as he took a deep breath, calming himself and forcing his face to return to its normal placid look.


    "We need to find a way to save as many people from Giard before it shatters," he said, forcing his mind away from trying to come up with any solutions lest he became catatonic again.


    "What are you talking about? Isn''t that what Irwin is working on? I thought you wanted to join that library to get information or something?"


    Daubutim stared at his cousin, slightly surprised the other had managed to deduce his real reasoning.


    "Irwin will be gone between two and six months," he said calmly, cousin Indoutor to jolt upright.


    "What?" Why? What was all that fuss about him going to that world about then?"


    "Traveling there and through the portal will take too much time. We can''t wait for him. Based on what we know, it''s already odd that Giard hasn''t shattered yet. I need to get into that library and find out what we can do."


    Indoutor glared at him, then leaned back. "This is so bloody ridiculous. First, I get sent to that stupid tower, losing out on- Dammit! And now this? Is it too much to ask just to live my life in luxury?" he grunted as he clenched his hands into fists repeatedly as if he were crushing something.


    Daubutim gazed at him coolly. "If we can''t find a way to save our world or the people on it, I want to head back. Perhaps I can find my father and my brothers."


    "Yeah¡­ go back to a world that is going to explode? I don''t think so¡­" Indoutor looked around the room, and he gnashed his teeth. "But I''ll be damned if I live like a serf until I die! Fine. I guess we only have one option then."


    Daubutim gazed at him, his mind suddenly spinning as he tried to determine what option he had missed.


    "What? Didn''t come up with it, you oddball?" Indoutor said. "We need to find Uxin''tar and go to one of those monster worlds. If there''s one person I know who can probably kill them by the dozens, it''s that ancient piece of leather."


    Daubutim stared at his cousin as he recalled the things he''d seen Uxin''tar do. Besides decimating those dragons when they reached the Coulwater tower, he had also come here and escaped from a dozen, heart-carded, after which he was still somehow staying out of the hands of the guards. Quickly some issues with the plan came to him.


    "Will he even be able to enter through a portal to get there?" he asked. "They will likely detain him. Also, how are we going to find him?"


    "It''s always about problems with you, isn''t it?" Indoutor snapped. "I have no idea how to get him there, but finding him? That should be simple enough. Let''s go."


    Daubutim slowly rose and followed Indoutor, wondering what his cousin was up to.


    --


    "You have some awesome cards," Yogog said as he slapped Irwin on the back before letting out a bark. "Do all of them have body improvement aspects or something? Most normal heart-carded don''t have this much strength!"


    Irwin grinned back, feeling incredibly elated as he leaned back in the wagon.


    "All but my hammer," he said as he grinned back.


    "You are one odd smith," Balarn said as he shook his head. "If you continue like this, you could probably become a mercenary."


    Yogog laughed uproariously and took a sip of the flask he seemed to have gotten from Tragt for his help in fighting off the Screequanox on his side.


    Irwin sighed as he rolled his slightly tense shoulders. He wasn''t planning on becoming a mercenary, but as he thought about his future cards, he knew that he was likely going to continue striving to get cards that would increase his power.


    I''ll need to get some card that increases my movement soon, he thought as he thought back to his recent fights¡ªespecially the one with Hult, who had taught him that he had a lot of glaring weaknesses.


    "By Gelwin, you reek," Greldo muttered from next to him.


    Irwin took a sniff of his arm and grimaced. His friend was right, but it wasn''t just him.


    Yogog, Ignalia, Hotzli, and he were covered in thick, disgusting blood, causing a bloody air to permeate the wagon. Looking at the others, he wondered how people here showered if water was so precious. Probably a very expensive bathing house?


    The wagon continued gliding through the black pillars.


    During the next few hours, they encountered two more groups of Screequanoxes, and these times, Irwin remained in the wagon while Yogog and Hotzli guarded one side of the wagon. Now that he wasn''t fighting, he could fully appreciate the fluid and well-trained guards as they made short work of the incoming monsters. Only at the end of the second encounter did he himself see some action, as one of the Screequanoxs managed to rush towards the wagon behind them. With only one guard who let out some cries for help, Irwin rushed in, battering the massive creature to the ground.


    Still, when the light of dawn began appearing, the caravan quietly glided into a small walled area. A building with two towers stood on one end, and a dozen Viridians stood there with bags and packs to the side.


    "Tragt, you are late, you old root!" a large viridian with yellow and brown leaves and a coarse bark skin shouted.


    The towering leader of their caravan moved to him, saying something that Irwin didn''t hear.


    "We will probably be resting here until tomorrow evening," Balarn said as he got up, cracking his back.


    There was a round of weary sighs while everyone got out and prepared themselves for another round of sleeping while the sun was out. Irwin surprised himself by managing a proper rest, and when he woke, the sun was slinking back down.


    When they left, their wagons were packed with even more people and luggage.


    The next few days passed by. They had to deal with a few more attacks, but between the guards and Yogog, there was little trouble. As they picked up more and more people, some with their own gliding wagons, their caravan grew until it was twice the size it had been when they left Chark by the time they sailed out from between the massive forest of black stone pillars.


    "Finally, I can see something again," Greldo exclaimed as he rose and looked around. Although it was evening, the moons and stars were providing enough light for most people to be able to see across the vast stretches of ruddy, sandy hills.


    "Don''t be too happy," a guard who walked beside the wagon shouted. "We need to pass through the Firespark desert now, and it might take days before we find a suitable windriver."


    Windriver? Irwin thought.


    "Windriver?" Greldo asked, echoing him.


    "Offworlders, you really know nothing," the Viridian muttered. "To get from here to the Cinder Grove at this speed would take months! What we need is a wind river, one of the many powerful currents that blow through the desert. The Teinefola will be able to drag us across it all the way to the equator grove. From there, it will be a short journey to Cinder Grove City.


    "So, what kind of trouble can we expect?" Greldo replied, easy-going as he leaned over the wagon, staring at the guard.


    Irwin watched the two interact in wonder. As closed off as the guard seemed to be, somehow Greldo had managed to get onto pretty good ground with many of the guards, and he snorted as he continued.


    "Firespark storms and clouds of Emberions," the guard said seriously. "Especially those Emberion clouds are dangerous. We should be fine because they normally never move about during the night, but it''s not unheard of that they attack traveling caravans."


    "What are they?" Greldo asked.


    "Tiny little fire elemental monsters the size of a grain of sand that roam about in massive groups, eating anything they find," the guard said. "We have scorchers to keep them away, but even then-"


    "Stop scaring those simians," another guard grunted. "It barely ever happens, and you know it."


    Simians? Irwin thought, wondering what they meant by that.


    The first guard smirked. "Just making sure they know how lucky they are. They don''t have to travel around by themselves."


    Irwin stopped listening as the discussion slowly revolved into an argument.


    "You need to get me a good fire-resistance card," Greldo muttered.


    "We will buy a good common in the city, and I''ll reforge it for you," Irwin agreed.


    A soft yawn from his pocket caused him to look down in surprise.


    "Ambraz?" he asked.


    "What? Can''t you just let me wake up in peace and quiet?" a rough voice snapped from his pocket. "Do you have any idea how tiresome the last week has been?"


    Irwin grinned as the tiny anvil forced its way out of his pocket before stopping. Even without eyes, he could imagine Ambraz looking around.


    "We are here already!?" Ambraz shouted, shooting up and hovering around a dozen feet above Irwin''s head.


    "You slept for a week," Irwin said when the anvil landed back on his shoulder.


    "Guess I was more drained than I had thought," Ambraz said, sounding annoyed. "Whatever. So, this is Scour¡­ I''ve never been here before, but I can feel how far we are from the Portal Gallery. No wonder the time dislocation is so strong here!"


    Irwin nodded, but his attention was drawn by Monyque, who was staring at Ambraz with gleaming eyes.


    "What are you looking at, punk?" Ambraz snapped as he hovered towards her.


    Monyque blinked in surprise, then shook her head quickly.


    "Nothing, mighty Anvil of the Gods. I was just admiring you," she said, staring at him intently.


    There was a moment of silence before Ambraz snorted.


    "Empty words. Don''t even think I''ll pick you over, Irwin," he snapped.


    Still, Irwin noticed the air of superiority that suddenly hung around the anvil.


    "I wouldn''t dare," Monyque said, shaking her head. "But¡­ perhaps you could see if any of your esteemed brothers or sisters would be interested in leaving Granvox?"


    Monyque''s eyes were twinkling, and she quickly continued. "My family would be willing to provide you with a reward, and we could promise two quartz cards for any mighty Anvil of the-"


    "Bah," Ambraz snorted. "Let me stop you right there, brat. I''ve not been back home in hundreds of years, and I have no idea what the current situation is there! Besides, how do you suppose I even contact them?"


    Irwin saw that Monyque''s eyes remained glittering, and nothing about her seemed dissuaded.


    "I am more than willing to wait until we return, and my family is able to pay for a mental connection soulcarded to connect you to someone on your world''s Gallery Portal dock!"


    Irwin saw Ambraz''s mouth turn to a thin slit, and he was almost sure the anvil was going to decline. Then Ambraz sighed.


    "You know what? I''ll think about it. Ask me again a few days before we leave."


    Monyque nodded vigorously. "Thank you, mighty Anvil of the Gods!"


    "Yes, yes, stop sucking up to me!'' Ambraz said, but as he landed back on Irwin''s shoulder, he almost seemed to preen.


    As the others returned to their conversations, Irwin leaned his head closer to Ambraz.


    "Do you think another of your kind would actually come here?" he asked, curious.


    "No," Ambraz whispered instantly. "But don''t tell little miss moneybags that. Having a soulcarded connecting me to my world is ridiculously expensive, but it would be very good for us! Depending on your growth, we might be able to be allowed through the portal back home!"


    Irwin stared at Ambraz, who was grinning widely.


    Alright, and why would that be good for me? he wondered. After they were done here, he had to go back and save his family and hopefully the rest! He had no time to go traveling around! Still noting how happy Ambraz was, he decided to let it rest for now.


    One and a half days later, they were deep inside the Firespark desert. They had to sleep in large tents that heated up immensely during the day. The Viridians, used to this heat, managed to sleep, but from the offworlders, only a handful managed even a moment''s rest.


    Deep in the second night of their journey through the desert, the lead wagon began slowing down.


    "Firespark storm! Setup the tents," Tragt roared.

 Chapter 99: A cloud of Emberions

    People began jumping out of the caravan while the hovering wagons began turning quickly until they stood in a circle with the wagons on the outside. The Viridians, travelers, and guards alike seemed to know exactly what to do as they rushed from wagon to wagon, pulling sheets of a dull gleaming cloth down to the ground, covering a large section of ground. They drove long metal rods into the ground, tying the sheets to them while a howling sound became louder and louder.


    Balarn moved to the center, clapping his hands to get their attention. Irwin looked over, noticing that Yogog and the two female Ignitzions were helping the guards set up their tent. Their quick movements showed they had done this before, and Yogog''s furrowed brow told him that whatever was going to happen was going to be dangerous.


    "Listen!" Balarn shouted above the ever-increasing howling of the wind. "The tents will protect us from the storm. Don''t, under any circumstances, leave the safety of the tents at any cost! No matter what happens, stay inside! The cloth is fireproof and will protect us, but it will become very hot outside. Hot enough to melt off your skin!"


    The bearded smith waited till everyone had shown they understood before jumping down the wagon, taking his pack with him. "Take your stuff, or it will be gone when you return," he shouted up.


    "They could have explained what was going to happen before it became a thing," Greldo muttered next to Irwin.


    "Maybe they were afraid some people didn''t want to come?" Irwin replied as he looked around. Monyque''s normal self-assured look was gone and pale-faced. She grabbed her stuff as she followed her lanky guard down below the gleaming cloth. The other smiths and guards followed in rapid succession.


    As Irwin landed on the soft sand, the howling wind masked the thudding of his feet, and although he saw the lips of some guards move, he couldn''t hear them. A pull on his sleeve made him look up. Greldo gestured inside.


    Irwin nodded but stepped aside to let his friend in as he looked around. Far to the left, the sky had turned overcast as if a massive storm was brewing, and tiny bits of sand were blowing around, ticking against his face and exposed skin. The temperature suddenly began rising exponentially, and he saw the final Viridian guards close the flaps and rush inside.


    I wonder if I could stay outside? he thought. The tiny bits of sand seemed to glow, and as they ticked against his skin, he could feel their heat. It wasn''t uncomfortable, but it was hotter than even the sparks from the forge when he''d crafted the holder for his rankplate.


    A movement from the corner of his eye drew his attention, and he saw the female guard beckon him to enter. With a final look around, he ducked under the flap. Yogog and some others instantly began pulling down the flap and tying it up.


    The howling inside was slightly muted, but talking wasn''t an option. Noting the others sitting on the ground, fanning themselves, Irwin sat beside Greldo.


    I wonder how long this will last, he thought.


    Minutes turned to hours as the storm blew unabated, and the temperature continued climbing. Eventually, Irwin saw the other smiths lie down pale-faced shortly after, followed by the Viridians. Only Yogog, he, and the Ignitzions remained seated.


    At a certain point, Irwin began dozing off, the increased temperature and the constant roaring making him sleepy.


    He snapped back awake when a rush of blistering hot air and sand slammed into him. As thick as his skin was, the sand was scratching it harshly, the heat even painful to him.


    Why¡­ what? he thought, his groggy mind rapidly waking up. Feeling the pain on his face increase as his body was being shoved back, he triggered his Coperion Body. Immediately the wind felt less powerful, the heat of the sand less sharp, and he pushed himself to his knees.


    The roaring wind boomed oddly, hurting his ears. He covered his eyes with his hand peering around through his fingers. The tiny beats of sand struck his fingers, and even with his eyes nearly closed, he felt them painfully beat against his eyes. Still, he quickly saw what was going on.


    One of the cables that held the entrance flap closed had ripped free from the metal rod and was whipping about. The entire tent billowed outward, the cloth stretched tout as the wind threatened to rip it up and drag it away. Yogog was up and leaning forward, forging towards the entrance, eyes narrow and focused on the rope. The sand didn''t seem to bother his eyes, which were wide open and filled with resolve. Behind him, the others lay flat on the ground, futilely scrambling for a handhold in the sand as they were being shoved backward across the ground.


    Need to close it, or this tent is gone, Irwin thought as he saw Greldo, head flat against the sand, barely able to remain in one spot.


    He pushed himself forward, even his increased weight barely able to keep him from being blown away. Yogog was moving ahead of him at the same speed, trying to grab the cable that was still whipping about. It took him a few attempts, but he finally grabbed it, and Irwin saw the burly smith''s body yanked forward and then to the side. A blazing inferno seemed to rush on outside, the glowing grains of burning sand like a sea of red, orange, and gold.


    It''s like the inside of a forge, Irwin thought as he forged on ahead, feeling like he was being pushed back by a giant wave.


    Yogog struggled with the ropes, and Irwin saw the edges of the cloth of the flap begin to unravel slowly. With a final burst of strength, he pushed forward and grabbed Yogog''s shoulders. It felt like someone was trying to pull Yogog away, but with their combined weight, they finally remained in one spot, the cable suddenly standing taut. Irwin grappled across Yogog''s shoulders and arms until he could grab the cable together with the other one. Yogog''s eyes were narrow, a look of focus in them, and Irwin nodded.


    Digging his feet in the sand, he slid one hand up the cable, then drew it in. Ever so slowly, the rope was pulled closer, the top of the flap coming further and further down. Long strands of what almost looked like metal wire were hanging from the edges. When the edge of the flap reached within reaching width, Irwin hesitated. Yogog didn''t, and Irwin was stunned to see him let go of the cable and jump up and grab the flap. For a moment, it seemed like he wasn''t heavy enough, then he pulled it down, leaning on the ground and holding it there.


    Irwin reeled in the rest of the cable. One of the metal rods sat to the side, and he saw the loop was empty. Dragging the cable through, he began pulling it tight until the flap was fully closed, one side by the rope and the other by Yogog''s weight. Sitting down on the edge of the flap while holding the cable, Irwin leaned back, feeling the storm against his back. A look to the side saw Yogog drawing in ragged breaths, beads of sweat on his head, and his eyes closed.


    I hope this storm dies down soon, Irwin thought.


    Almost two hours later, it finally did, though, to him, it felt like an eternity. With shoulders and arms stiff with pain, his Coperion Body long since disabled, Irwin almost wanted to cry for joy when he realized the howling was becoming softer, the pushing in his back weaker.


    Another bit later, the raging storm slowly faded away into the distance. The Viridian''s got up and began wiping sand from themselves while grabbing their luggage from the pill on the far side of the tent.


    "So¡­ I wonder who''s going to get punished for this," Yogog grunted, pushing himself up and sticking out a hand to Irwin.


    Irwin grabbed it, letting the burly smith pull him up.


    "What do you mean?" he asked as his arms dropped to his side, cramped from the long hours of strain. He had noticed that the others had fallen quiet, even the Viridians staring at him.


    Yogog kicked the metal rod Irwin had bound the rope to, glaring at it. "Whoever tied this did a shitty job. These cables don''t snap. The only time I''ve heard this happen was when someone used a too-short rod, and it was yanked out in the middle of the storm. No, this was stupidity that nearly cost everyone but a few of us their lives."


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    "I tied those, and I swear on my grandfather''s roots that I did it properly," the female guard snapped as she glared at Yogog. "I''ve been doing this for over ten years!"


    Yogog looked back, his eyes narrowing. "Yeah? Well, explain to me how this thing got loose then?"


    "I can''t, but it''s not because of my knots!" the guard shouted, moving further.


    Irwin noticed that her bark skin looked slightly paler than before, a layer of the outside almost seeming to have been sanded off.


    "Enough," a deep shout came from outside while the flap was yanked open.


    Tragt had to bow his head as he moved inside the tent before glaring around. A dozen or more Viridians filed in after him, standing to the side and looking at the female guard.


    "What in the name of the holy grove happened, Brea?" he snapped as he glared at the female guard.


    "Tragt. You know me! You taught me those bark-damned knot-"


    "Language!" Tragt roared as he moved forward, towering over everyone. "Brea," he said as he took a deep breath, seemingly to forcefully calm himself. "Don''t say what you want it to be. Think. Carefully. Is it possible that you botched the knot?"


    Irwin saw the young Viridian woman gnash her teeth.


    "Breath! Think!" Tragt said.


    Brea closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath before exhaling. Then again. As she opened her eyes, Irwin saw a stubbornness in them, and he knew the answer before Brea spoke.


    "I did the knot right. I''ll let eldest Gilerinasi perform her soul skill on me!"


    There was a sudden and loud uproar of the surrounding Viridians while Tragt''s face turned ugly.


    "That won''t be nes-"


    "It is!" Brea snapped. "You don''t believe me. For my honor, I need to prove I did it right!" She glared around, then at Tragt, before walking passed him, her breathing ragged.


    A look of pain crossed Tragt''s face for a moment before he turned to the others.


    "My sincere apologies. I don''t know what happened, but I will make sure you are all compensated. When we reach Cinder Grove city, I will reimburse you all with half of your traveling fee," the old Viridian said in his deep voice. Then he turned and left the tent.


    As soon as he was gone, the Viridians began muttering and leaving, too, until only the five smiths and their guards remained.


    Tragt''s booming voice sounded from outside. "Stand on the lookout, grab the scorchers! There''s a chance of an Emberion cloud!"


    "Well¡­ that was interesting," Yogog said, rubbing his arms from where he stood beside Balarn. "Thanks for helping me out there, Irwin," he said with a wide grin. "As heavy as I am, I don''t think I would have been able to do that by myself."


    Then he turned to Balarn. "Last time was a lot better. Though Tragt is right. Those Emberions after were a pain in the-"


    A loud scream came from outside, followed by Tragt''s booming voice. "Emberion clouds south! Grab your bloody scorchers! Keep them away from the wagons!"


    "You had to say that, didn''t you?" Balarn growled as he ran forward. "Follow me!"


    They rushed out of the tent just in time to see the guards grabbing long spears from below the wagons as a red cloud descended upon one of them. The guard next to it barely managed to jump clear as the mass of thumb-sized beads of flame rushed forward. Within moments, the entire wagon was engulfed, and dull booms resonated from within, shocking the wave but seemingly not injuring them.


    "Scare them off!" Tragt roared, and Irwin watched in shock as the guards jabbed the spears forward, roaring gouts of flame shooting out and toward the swarm.


    "Why are they shooting them with fire?" he snapped as he turned to Balarn.


    "They are trying to overfeed them with heat so they will get sleepy and leave," Balarn said. "Whatever you do, don''t get close. Those things drain the body heat out of anything they touch."


    Irwin licked his lips as he gazed around. He was itching to summon his flame and Eyes of Blaze to help.


    "If I use my eyes, will they-"


    "Don''t!" Balarn said as he turned to him, eyes wide with panic. "The reason they are using those scorchers is because if they follow the flame to them, they can throw them away! I have no idea what would happen if you do that."


    Irwin nodded as he looked around at the group of guards slowly surrounding the cloud of Emberions. They had been moving jittery, but as the gouts of flame rippled across them, those on the outside seemed to slow down. A few suddenly flitted away from the group, a stream of what looked like hundreds heading to one of the guards. He let out a surprised cry, then hurled the scorcher away. The Emberions raced after it.


    "Explosion," the guard screamed as he jumped back.


    Before Irwin or anyone could even react, the Emberions reached the scorcher, swarming it. For a fraction of a moment, nothing happened. Then it exploded with a boom, a ball of fire as large as a wagon erupting from it while individual Emberions were flung all around. They shot out like streaking marbles of fire, hitting the guards before they had a chance to react. A chain reaction of booms followed as some hit the scorchers the guards were holding.


    Irwin felt something pick him up, then he was flying through the air to slam into a wagon. His vision turned dark for a moment, then he shook his head.


    The guards that had been standing there were gone, flung about while foot-deep craters covered the sandy they had stood on.


    "Everyone that can stand, grab a scorcher and fire at them," Tragt roared. He was the only one still standing, wielding two scorchers, his dark bark looked even blacker while a section of his leafy hair was burned away.


    Irwin looked around. One of the long spear-like things lay not too far away, and he pushed himself forward, sprinting to it and grabbing it from the ground. As soon as his fingers wrapped around it, he felt his first card hum, startling him momentarily. It was almost like when he was reforging cards. A scream of pain made him look up. The cloud of emberions was moving towards another wagon, leaving behind a destroyed wreck and the blackened remains of a Teinefola.


    Irwin grit his teeth as he looks at the spear in his hands. There were runes on one end, and he knew the guards had been holding them there. Hoping for the best, he randomly touched one. Nothing happened, but the resonating from his first card became stronger. Touching another one had the same effect, but when he put his finger on the third one, a wide cone of fire sprayed from the tip of his scorcher. He immediately turned it on the emberions, moving closer.


    The fire sprawled across the tiny fire creatures, and this close, he saw they had shiny white eyes with red iris and gaping wide mouths. Their own fire seemed to come from their eyes while the fire from the scorchers was sucked into their mouths.


    It''s like they have tiny versions of my Eyes of Blaze, Irwin thought as he moved the fire across the cloud.


    Balarn and the others were moving in from the other side, all with their own scorchers. Some of the guards were moving in, too, heavily wounded and some with barely a leaf on their heads.


    As the cloud began moving more sluggish, Irwin slowly felt his heart rate slow. Perhaps things would go alright? He''d barely finished the thought when a group of more mobile emberions burst out from the cloud, streaking towards him and the others.


    "Throw it," Balarn roared.


    Irwin didn''t even hesitate, hurling the scorchers up, intending to toss it over the incoming emberions and into the cloud. The emberions moved like a flash, heading for an intercept course.


    No! Irwin thought, and he threw himself back from the explosions just as it happened.


    This time most of the power blasted him down instead of back, and he slammed into the ground. The soft sand cushioned his fall, while his thick Coperion Body''s skin helped with the rest. But he knew not everyone would be that lucky.


    Greldo, he thought as he pushed himself up, right into a few dozen emberions that streaked towards him.


    Irwin''s flame roared alive almost without him thinking it, and he forced it forward and around him as he instinctively closed his eyes for the explosion he expected to happen. A second passed, and nothing happened, and he opened his eyes.


    The emberions hovered before him, inside his fire almost lazily, their tiny mouths gaping wide as they seemed to gobble up his flame.


    What¡­ is¡­ Irwin thought as he blinked.


    A surging motion caused his eyes to widen, then a dark cloud of tiny fire creatures surrounded him, and he increased his flame as much as he could. It burst up and out of him as he sat on the ground, the sand below him beginning to glitter as the previous storm''s particles had. The emberions huddled together in the fire, and as he saw them hang there, he realized many had their eyes closed, seeming to sway back and forth gently.


    I hope they won''t eat all of my fire, Irwin thought as he remained sitting on the ground, staring at the tiny creatures in wonder. As they showed no signs of aggression, and his flame didn''t become weaker, he felt himself begin to calm down. Very slowly, he pushed himself into a better sitting position as he stared at the emberions wondering how long they would stay.


    --


    "Irwin!"


    "Calm down, there is nothing you can do for him now!" Balarn shouted as he held Greldo back.


    "We have to do something! They are going to drain all his heat!"


    "He seems to be doing fine," Ignalia said as she moved to stand beside them.


    Greldo spun to her, his eyes wide.


    "What?"


    "He is just sitting there, and those little fire elementals are hovering around him. They almost seem asleep.


    She and Hotzli were the only ones that were unharmed, all of the others, including Yogog, were covered in burn wounds and charred hairs. The Viridians were scrambling around, trying to help and save as many of their leafed brethren as they could, while Tragt moved to stand beside them. He had a scorcher in his hand, but the runes had stopped burning.


    "You say they seem to sleep?" he rumbled, staring at Ignalia.


    "Yes, many have their eyes closed," she said.


    "Good¡­" Tragt said before turning around. "Clear the tents, get the wounded aboard, and get the wagons ready! As soon as they leave, we leave!"


    Greldo watched the tall, heavily charred Viridian stomp away before looking back at where Irwin was sitting in a mass of glowing little demons.


    "How long till they leave?" he asked.


    "Shouldn''t be too long," Yogog said as he rubbed a set of red scratches on his arm. "Let''s just wait till they do! I''m sure Irwin will be alright."


    Greldo glared at the smith before turning his attention to the cloud.

 Chapter 100: Home sweet home

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    <div>


    Are they asleep? Irwin thought as he gazed at the mass of small emberions around him. Most hadn''t moved at all, and many had stopped ingesting fire. Instead, they just seemed to laze about while fire licked out from their closed eyelids rippling around before seemingly being absorbed by his flame.


    Irwin sighed, long since having stopped being too worried. How long had he been sitting here? An hour? It felt like a long time.


    A tiny flicker of movement came from the final few still drawing in fire, then they stopped, hovering in his flame. The constant resonating of his first card stopped with jarring rudeness, and instantly, all of the tiny white eyes shot open. Irwin sucked in a breath as all of the emberions stared at him. For a moment, they seemed to drift closer, and he wanted to back up, but there was no place to go.


    A soft resonance came from all his cards, giving off a sense of¡­ joy and then kinship.


    "Can you hear me?" Irwin whispered.


    A high-pitched, happy humming sound from all around him, and his first card virtually vibrated as the sense of joy turned to happiness.


    Do they have a soul skill that is like my fire-sensitive body card? Irwin thought as he stared at the tiny creatures looking at him, the happiness they felt coming off in warm waves.


    He was about to try to talk to them again when the emberions moved up and away. Within a few moments, he was standing in the wide open desert, the cloud whisking away in the distance.


    A ring of people stood around him, many with scorchers. Seeing no more danger, he dropped his flame, the fire that had been writing around him finally stopping. A wave of weariness passed over him, and the area around him turned darker as if his fiery night vision turned off slightly. Drawing in a few breaths, he rubbed his head, feeling a headache grow.


    I guess I overused my card, he thought.


    "Irwin!"


    He looked up to see Greldo rush towards him, Coal next to him, and a look of intense relief on his face.


    "Hey," Irwin said as he pushed himself up, glad to finally be able to stretch his legs. His headache grew to a throbbing pain, and he felt his lips were dry.


    "Are you alright?"


    Irwin nodded, noting the burned marks and scorched on his friend''s face.


    "Perhaps I should ask you that?"


    "I am fine," Greldo said as he shook his head.


    "Smith Irwin."


    Irwin looked up to see the towering Tragt stomp towering over him. Little was left of his leaf hair, and one side of his bark-covered face was blackened, moving stiffly compared to the rest.


    "Are you able to do what you just did again if need be?" he asked, staring at Irwin.


    Not even asking if I''m alright? Irwin thought.


    "I think so," he said, rubbing his face and feeling his dry throat complain about being used. "But I need water."


    Tragt stared at him for a moment, then nodded. "I''ll make sure you get some. Now let''s get out of here."


    The Viridian turned around and stomped back to the wagons, which were in a line again. The last one was heavily damaged, and to the side lay the destroyed, dismantled remains of another.


    "Everyone back on the wagons! We are leaving!"


    "Let''s go up," Greldo said, pulling his arm.


    Irwin let himself be drawn along toward the other smiths who were staring at him.


    "That''s some nifty card you''ve got there," Yogog said as he made as if to thump him on the shoulder, only for Balarn to grab his arm.


    "Don''t. He might fall. Irwin, are you alright?"


    Irwin forced a smirk. "Just thirsty. Really thirsty."


    "Here," Yogog said.


    Irwin gratefully took the flagon and began drinking from the narrow opening. The water tasted divine, and he almost felt his body suck it in greedily.


    I really need to figure out a way to fix this, he thought as he almost sucked the water out of the flagon. If he had to use this repeatedly, and with water this scarce? Perhaps I should get a water-type card instead of movement.


    The water was gone too soon, and as he handed the empty flagon back to Yogog, he saw a stunned look on the other''s face.


    "That was a lot of water," the burly smith muttered, shaking the flagon by his ear.


    "Sorry," Irwin said lamely, not really sorry at all. His headache was a lot less now, and he wasn''t going to just sit around with one if he could fix it by drinking water.


    "All aboard!"


    Everyone started from the deafening shout, then they began moving to their wagon. Two wounded guards already lay in it, and they had to sit close together. Still, as Irwin looked around, he was almost glad to see the tiny early flickers of the sunrise. He couldn''t wait to sleep.


    They traveled for another few hours, and Irwin began questioning Balarn and Yogog about anything else that could possibly happen in the desert. Most of what they told him he''d already found out by now, but his eyes widened when they began telling him about the windstream and what to expect. The others didn''t seem to care much. Besides Greldo, they weren''t really paying much attention until they heard the temperature in the grove would be substantially lower, after which they couldn''t wait to finish the journey.


    Tragt finally called a stop when the early morning sun began peeking across the distant hills. When the tents were finally put down, Irwin wasn''t surprised when he saw multiple people double-check the cables.


    The evening luckily passed uneventfully, and he slept like a log, only waking once from a nightmare he couldn''t recall.


    Halfway through the morning of the next day, as they were hovering about across the seemingly endless red desert, a happy shout came from the lead wagon.


    "Windstream up ahead!"


    About time, Irwin thought as he rose to his feet and looked into the distance, trying to see something that matched what Yogog had described.


    It took a few moments before they were close enough for him to see their destination¨Can over forty feet wide stream of rapidly blowing air that rushed a few feet above the ground. It pulled along a massive amount of the ruddy sand that sparkled and glittered in the moonlight.


    "That''s incredible," he whispered as he looked along the river of wind and sand. He couldn''t see a beginning or an end, but as they closed in, he could sense the anticipation of everyone around him.


    "Can''t wait to be out of here," Greldo muttered as he wiped the sweat off his forehead.


    "Alright! Everyone strap into their seats," Tragt roared from ahead.


    The Teinefola riders in front of the different gliders copied it, turning around to instruct their passengers.


    "Alright, we should be into the woods now," one of the Viridians muttered, causing an agreeable muttering from the others.


    Let''s hope so, Irwin thought as he pulled the flat rope tight across his upper legs.


    The stream of sand made a low roaring sound as they closed in, and the wagons began spreading out. The Teinefola began moving their wings, letting out dull grunts as if in expectation. A strong pull began yanking Irwin''s long hair to the side, and he felt the wooden wagon below him start to pick up speed.


    A sense of excitement came, tinged with a tiny bit of fear, as they closed in. The wagon shot forward with a jolt, his hair whipping back as the Teinefola''s wings caught the wind. A happy droning sound came from the one pulling their wagon as they shot forward, being pulled along by the powerful current. For a few moments, Irwin worried they were going to dive into the glittering sand, then the Teinefola shot up, a deep burgundy glow coming from the bottom of its wings. Within moments they shot up along the side of the river until they rose to the top, rushing along at breakneck speed.


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    "This is bloody awesome!" Yogog shouting, raising his hands in the air and letting out a happy roar.


    Irwin couldn''t help but agree, and he took a look at Greldo to see his friend''s eyes sparkling, a big smile on his face.


    The speed increased rapidly, and within minutes they began covering miles of red desert.


    "Enjoy this while it lasts," Yogog shouted from his seat. "We should arrive in an hour or two!"


    Irwin just nodded as he kept looking around. The powerful windstream carried them along, and time flew by rapidly. Irwin didn''t know when, but at some point, he saw a dull line in the distance. It started as a dark line, but as they closed in, he could make out what looked like a line of orange and red-leafed trees.


    Half an hour later, he was staring at the towering trees. If he was back home, he would have thought they were ready to drop their leaves. The river of wind and sand curved towards them before scattering against the massive trunks. Sand piled up everywhere at some places, nearly halfway up the towering tree trunks.


    "Those have to be four hundred feet tall," Greldo shouted.


    "Five hundred," Yogog roared back, a big grin on his face. "And this ain''t nothing yet! They become taller as we reach the city!"


    Irwin felt his stomach lurch as the wagon tilted to the side before hanging over slightly. Then it rushed down towards the desert below, after the other wagons. Irwin couldn''t help but grin at the immense sense of speed as they rushed down. When Yogog whooped loudly, he couldn''t help but join, roaring happily as the speed increased even more. After a short dash, they slowed again as the Teinefola shot along the side of the river and finally pushed off, straightened, then glided away.


    They struck the ground with a thud that caused Irwin''s teeth to rattle, after which they shot across the desert toward the trees in the distance.


    "That was awesome," Yogog shouted.


    Irwin turned to him, his adrenaline still spiked and his blood pumping. "Now I see why you want to get a personal one. Can you ride those rivers on your own?" he asked.


    "Damn straight," Yogog shouted happily. "It''s a local sport!"


    Irwin turned to Greldo, seeing his friend look at him seemingly helplessly.


    "What?" he asked. "Don''t tell me you don''t want to try it out?"


    Greldo hesitated, then shook his head. "I''ll take another ride in a wagon, but on my own on the back of those things, in the air? Pass."


    A few of the others laughed, and as Irwin looked up, he could see Monyque look ahead in relief.


    It still took a while before they finally reached the treeline, at which point they had to make their way up the massive pile-up of desert sand. Still, when they finally reached the top and slid down, Irwin could hear sighs of relief as the temperature dropped from what he imagined had to be stifling hot for most of them to merely very warm.


    They moved further below the canopy that was so high it looked almost like a cloudy green sky, the light of the moon and stars disappeared. Within another short while, his vision turned fully red, and he looked around to find that the others were looking around with worried frowns.


    "Are we really going to continue in the dark?" Monyque asked finally.


    "Don''t worry. Viridians can see in forests, the lights work like lanterns for them," Balarn said calmly as he leaned back. "Just take a nap. We still need a few more days of travel before we reach the city."


    They can see in the dark? Irwin thought, and as he watched the others begin to set in for a rest, he got up.


    "Irwin?" Balarn asked worriedly.


    "Don''t worry. I''m going to have a chat with the driver," Irwin said as he moved forward.


    "He can see in the dark," Greldo muttered behind him, getting a slightly surprised response from Balarn.


    Irwin ignored it and made his way to the front until he leaned on the edge of the wagon. The Viridian driver was a short distance away, looking around with a happy, content smile.


    "How long till we reach the city?" Irwin asked, causing him to turn around and look at him in surprise.


    "Tomorrow evening, close to dawn," the man said. "Please go back to your seat before you fall out."


    Irwin grinned back, raising an eyebrow as he gazed right into the man''s glimmering green eyes.


    "Don''t worry," he said.


    The man''s leafy eyebrows rose, then he grinned and looked back in front. "You''re that offworlder that saved the tent and the wagons," he said. "Although there are some dangers in the grove, none will get anywhere near Tragt!"


    Irwin remained for a few more moments, then headed back to his seat. A soft snoring came from the others, and he leaned back.


    Finally, some peace and quiet, he thought as he closed his eyes.


    They continued forward even when thin rays of light began pouring through the few little cracks in the dense canopy above.


    "We aren''t stopping for the day?" Greldo asked.


    "No. They will continue on until we reach the city now," Balarn replied with a yawn. "I think Tragt has had enough of this trip and wants to see his family."


    Soon the people on the wagon began chatting, though Irwin noticed that the Viridians kept stifling yawns, seeming tired. All around them, the tree trunks had gotten even thicker and wider, some roots now the size of a tree in the Gloomforest. The wagons were flying a dozen feet in the air, and Irwin had seen the occasional scurrying motion below in what appeared to be a thick layer of old leaves.


    The scenery around them was that of a nearly barren leaf-covered wasteland filled with towering trunks. Only the occasional tiny sprout seemed to grow, while green and yellow moss grew upon some fallen logs that lay within the ocean of leaves.


    As they continued throughout the day, the temperature continued to drop until it was no hotter than a hot summer day back home. There was even the smidgen of a cool breeze blowing around, carrying a fresh scent.


    Finally, far into the night, with only the guards, Irwin and Greldo still awake, a happy shout came from ahead. Getting up, Irwin saw a glimmering green light far in the distance.


    Soon they saw that the trunks in the distance began growing increasingly sparse, though those that remained began to become more and more massive. A dull blueish-green light came from ahead.


    "Look, it''s like a tree house," Greldo whispered.


    Irwin stopped looking at the distance light and followed Greldo''s pointed finger.


    High up was a smooth, rounded wooden house nestled between some of the massive branches. Distant specs moved across.


    "Watchtowers," Balarn said from behind them.


    Watching for what? Irwin thought, looking around. There was no movement¡­


    After a few moments, he shook his head. He''d seen enough odd things to know that no movement didn''t mean there wasn''t anything dangerous. He decided to keep an eye out, just in case.


    As they continued on, more and more houses appeared, and suddenly their caravan moved around the most massive tree they had seen so far and into a clearing. Trees the size of mountains circled it, their enormous canopies sprawling across the center and connecting in the middle. Buildings hung all across their sides, some carved out in the light brown bark.


    As amazing as all that was, the thing that blew Irwin''s mind away was the glittering and glowing azure lake that sat in the middle of the circle of trees. Roots from the trees grew along its edges, some even seeming to dip inside. The light from the water caused everything to take a bit of an azure green tint, making it look cool and calm.


    "That''s a big lake," Greldo hissed.


    "A big glowing lake," Irwin agreed before turning. "Wasn''t there a water shortage here?" he asked as he looked at Yogog accusingly.


    "There is," Yogog said. "Just not here! But how do you think they are going to bring enough water to the villages and towns without it evaporating?"


    Irwin snorted as he looked back at the lake. The glittering water made him remember how thirsty he was.


    "Where is the water coming from?" he asked. "Some soulcarded?"


    Balarn moved to stand beside them. "No, the roots of the central nine trees drill down towards the core of this world where they wrap around Frostiron veins. They somehow use the cold from that and the heat from the sun to generate water which bubbles up from the top parts of their roots."


    "Incredible," Greldo muttered.


    They continued ahead towards a bustling town at the foot of one of the largest trees. Every building was made of wood, though Irwin didn''t see any individual boards or parts. The pale wood turned dark red at the top, and as they closed in, he saw there was a thick covering of leaves atop the buildings.


    "Are those trees?" he asked, pointing at the buildings.


    "Treehouses," Balarn said with a nod. "I hope you like them because we are going to be spending a lot of time in one!"


    A wide open square bordered the town, with shops and a lot of people. To the side stood dozens of other wagons, their Teinefola nowhere to be seen.


    "Alright, everyone, take your luggage and disembark," Tragt boomed.


    All too happy to walk around again, Irwin grabbed his bag, walked to the edge, and jumped over to land on the soft covering of moss. It was yellowish green, and he''d barely noticed due to the eye-catching sights around him.


    It didn''t take long for the rest to group around him while Balarn was out talking with Tragt. When he finally left, he had a wide grin. Irwin noticed a few of the guards waving at them, and he waved back.


    "Good news?" Yogog asked.


    Balarn grinned wider and tossed him a tiny bag.


    "Tragt said that because of both of your help with the Screequanoxes, then the tent and then those Emberions, he said we had saved him so much that he couldn''t do anything but give us most of our fee back," he said as he turned to Irwin tossing him another one.


    Catching it, Irwin was surprised to feel it was heavier than what he expected.


    "There''s a bit more in yours," Balarn said. "Now, let''s go and head to our smithy!"


    He walked forward, and Irwin saw he had a slight spring in his step.


    The square was bustling with Viridians, and as they passed, Irwin was surprised at the large difference in size between them. The younger ones had pale green shades of leaves and bark so smooth it almost looked like skin and barely reached his elbow. The older ones looked like ancient trees with brown leaves dropping to their backs, and some were even a head taller than Tragt, towering over everyone else.


    Going up the different levels required walking up a circular staircase that was drilled into the outside of the tree and connected the different levels. Each level was almost like a large section of a town with one side open, giving a clear view of the lake.


    The first levels were all covered with shops and workshops, while a few levels higher, all he saw were living quarters. With tiny expanses of greenery on the edge to prevent people from falling over and beautiful vines and flowers from hanging pots, he could barely believe most of this had been a desert less than a thousand years ago.


    "So¡­ how high do we have to go exactly?" Greldo grunted after they had climbed up twelve levels.


    "Those bottom levels are the priciest," Balarn said. "Perhaps, now that we aren''t just with Yogog and me, we can earn enough to buy a better place in the middle region, but for now, we are on the eighty-first level."


    "Eighty-first?" Greldo shouted. "You mean we have to move up seventy more levels?"


    "There''s this nifty vine you can use to get up to the different levels, but it''s pretty pricey! But don''t worry, you''ll get used to it," Yogog said merely. "Going down is much faster, though!"


    They continued walking, and slowly the temperature began climbing again. They had to stop every ten or so floors, but eventually, they reached the floor they had to be on. By that time, everyone, Irwin included, was grumbling angrily.


    "I remember this being less high," Yogog growled.


    Not even Balarn seemed interested in talking, though, as he led them between the single-story buildings. It was quiet, barely any Viridians moving about, though Irwin did notice a few curious eyes from windows.


    A short while, especially compared to the hour of stair climbing, later, they reached a taller building that was on the edge of a platform, connected to another one a bit further away by means of bridges Irwin found incredibly dangerous looking. A semi-open smithing area sat to the side, and Balarn moved to the door, pushing it open and walking inside.


    "Home sweet home," he said as he turned to the others. "Get in here, and let''s get you all situated. After that, we need to discuss how we are going to start!"

 Chapter 101: The smithing starts now!

    Irwin put his sleeve over his nose to stop breathing in the massive amounts of dust. All around him, others were coughing and sneezing as they moved through the large, multistory building.


    Stepping up the narrow, round staircase, he reached a small hallway with three doors. Pushing one open revealed a windowless room with a bed, a large table, a chest, and some closets. Irwin frowned, stepping back and looking into the other rooms. He found what he was looking for when he pushed open the third room. Two wide windows gave a view of the level beyond, and because he was at the highest level, he could even see part of the trees and even the edge of the lake.


    "My room," he muttered as he stepped inside and closed the door.


    The shutters of the room were open, and although there was some dust inside, it was way less than what he''d seen in the rest of the building. He threw his bag into the corner beside the door, then walked to the windows and gazed outside. The level-ceiling was barely two feet higher, and moss and shadow vines grew across it, creating a nesting place for birds, most of whom were sleeping quietly. As he watched them, he also saw large numbers of insects, some the size of his hand, crawling about, eating the moss. A few birds moved about, sometimes diving up to eat one of the smaller insects.


    The soft chittering and singing made him grin as he gazed out across the lower houses before him. As deep as they were in the grove, a thin layer of dust was visible on some of the roofs, and he wondered if that came from the Firespark storms or something else.


    As he gazed out at the sliver of the massive lake that he could see, he took a deep breath and felt a tension that had been there for many months now dissipate. At the same time, a heavy weight seemed to lift from his shoulders.


    No more rushing. Finally, some time to live and plan, he thought.


    The image of his mother and brother flitted through his mind, and he imagined them standing still in time, hopefully in a safe place.


    "I''ll only go out when I''m strong enough to, at a minimum, get them and the others out," he said, feeling his mind ease up even more, knowing that he had time. "If there''s no other way, I''ll bring them to Fiverio and pay for them to be citizens if I can."


    "Such low ambitions," Ambraz'' voice snorted from his pocket as the Anvil began struggling out.


    It flitted out, then around his head, before landing on his shoulder. Irwin ignored him and turned around to inspect the room. It was larger than any he''d had before, with enough space for more furniture. Still, even without it, he liked what he saw.


    "A bit sparse, but the view isn''t too bad," Ambraz said before snorting as he flew around.


    Irwin looked at Ambraz, and as he saw it flit about the room, even going below the bed, he frowned. Having time meant he''d have to get some answers from the Anvil.


    But not yet, he decided after a few moments.


    It took him a few moments to locate a small closet with a broom that looked like it was older than the city. Still, it was enough to clean out most of the dust. As he busied himself cleaning up the room, listening to the others stomp around, Yogog''s booming voice rippling through the house, he couldn''t help but feel content.


    After he finished putting the thin pale bed linen over the windowsill, he emptied his bag, putting his tiny amount of belongings around the room before moving outside.


    When he reached the central room, its ceiling so low he could touch it, he saw Balarn sitting at a table, leafing through a thick stack of papers. The room had been cleaned, though a few piles of dust and cobwebs still lay in a corner.


    "If you are done with your room, you can just sit there," Balarn said, seemingly preoccupied.


    Irwin nodded and took a spot. Soon the others began trickling in. Greldo was one of the latest ones, sitting down beside Irwin.


    "I got the room directly below you," he whispered. "Coals is there now, happy to finally be out and about. I checked the ones beside the room you picked, but they didn''t have any windows."


    "Exactly why I took this one," Irwin replied with a knowing grin.


    Yogog was the final one to enter, having arrived from outside with an annoyed face and another stack of papers. He walked to the far side of the wall and began putting them up there with small pins that he easily shoved into the wood of the wall.


    "Seriously annoying," he muttered as he jabbed two pins in the top ones before stepping back.


    "All yours," he snorted as he gestured to Balarn.


    The bearded Smith looked up, and Irwin saw his eyes narrow as he looked over the wall.


    "Two at Emerald?" Balarn grunted as he got up and moved to read what was on the paper. After a few moments, he sighed.


    "Well, whatever. At least there''s no time limit on either. Still¡­ two? We will need to work through a year of orders before we do what we need for those."


    "So, this is what you told us about? The reforging we have to do?" Monyque asked.


    Balarn nodded as he moved back to the table, leaning on the edge as he gazed around. His gaze landed on Greldo, remaining there for a moment before he shrugged. The other guards hadn''t shown up, and from the shuffle above, it seemed they were still deciding on rooms or cleaning them. Four smiths sitting on the other side of the room were looking at Balarn. Yogog was leafing through the papers that Balarn had previously been looking at, snorting at times.


    Although they were all Topaz-ranked smiths, it was clear that Balarn and Yogog were the seniors, as they had been here before. Monyque was leaning back, relaxed, while the other two sat quietly, staring at Balarn. Although quiet and withdrawn, Irwin had found out they were actually cousins, nearly the same age, called Nimdal and Syndal. They came from the As Noiral family of smiths and were seen as the family''s first hope at producing Emerald Rank smiths.


    "Yes. So, I''ve already told you much of what we are going to do here on the trip, but let''s get everything cleared up just in case. From now till we leave here, we are Tensor''s outpost here. Besides the fact that the time-dilation here is incredible, we are mainly here to take back rare metals and cards. As I told you, there are a lot of fire and metal beasts, elementals and demons here. They come from deep below Scour''s surface, welling up from inside the volcanoes in waves that surge out across the desert, fighting each other and anything they find."


    Balarn spoke calmly, and although he was repeating something he''d told them before, the others listened.


    "Lots of mercenary bands and powerful heart-carded roam the desert, collecting cards, while people from the miners guild dig inside the mountains to unearth the veins of steel. Normally, most of these riches are not allowed to be taken off-world but are to be used to increase the wealth of the Urdwellan family. However, due to the large numbers of people, there are not enough smiths. Which is where we come in. Gebladir Urdwellan has given spots to different nearby Smith''s charters to send off-world smiths here. If we handle enough of the missions he hands out, we are allowed to take some of the things we acquire with us, while the charters that perform the best are even given rewards."


    Irwin frowned. He''d heard this before, and after having talked with Greldo about it, they had both wondered about something.


    "If they need more smiths, why not just allow all smiths to come here and work? And why limit it to topaz-rank?" he asked.


    Yogog snorted, then laughed. "Always forget you''re from a farming world, kid!''


    Balarn ignored Yogog and focused on Irwin.


    "If too many off-worlders stay in a world, it becomes unstable. Although it''s not as fast as with portals, it still requires a lot of effort to stabilize. This is why when Gebladir Urdwellann took over the word, he didn''t bring many heart-carded, but mostly hand-carded Viridians with little chance to ever grow beyond that. You see. When someone is born in a world, they are seen as from that world and don''t add to the instability. By now, most, if not all, of those initial Viridians, have died," he explained. "Now, if Gebladir would allow everyone who wants to simply come here, it would cost him insane amounts of effort to keep Scour stable."


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    Irwin shared a look of surprise and worry with Greldo. Didn''t this mean that all those people that had come to their world had worsened the instability?


    "This is also why we have to make sure to work hard. There are barely any worlds that are as suited to increasing our craft that have so few higher rank smiths as Scour. That''s also why nobody complains too hard about Gebladir''s steep rates to stay here. Understand?"


    Balarn raised his eyebrows, and Irwin nodded that he''d understood.


    "Alright, now let''s get to the heart of the matter," Balarn said as he turned and waved at the wall. "There are twenty-four missions there that we need to do before we can leave. They are divided in ranks matching the smithing ranks, from Quartz to Emerald," he said as he waved at the pieces of parchment that were divided into groups on the walls. "The lower ones are Quartz, and those two at the top are Emerald. Now. If we leave before we finish them, all will need to sign a declaration that we will return to work here for twenty years without payment¡­"


    Irwin gasped, then shook his head. Nobody had told him about that until now!


    "But don''t worry, there is no reason to assume we can''t finish the missions, even if there are two Emerald assignments this time."


    "Do we have to reforge two cards up to Emerald?" Monique hissed.


    "Yes, but only to sixty percent," Balarn said. "Both me and Yogog have already managed this before. It will just take a lot of work. Which means that we will be starting this as soon as we have gone through the Quartz ranked missions. Only after we finish them are we allowed to take other assignments at quartz rank to start earning the resources needed to do the higher ranks. Last time Yogog and I were here, it took us a year to get enough resources to even begin the Amethyst rank and another four to reach Emerald."


    "After which we bloody spent ten more years before we finally managed to finish that," Yogog said.


    "Nine¡­ but yes. It took a long time, most of which was spent gathering cards and metals to attempt the Emerald reforging," Balarn said. "Which is why, as soon as we finish the quartz missions, you four will begin taking as many missions and tasks as you can at that rank to gather resources. Remember, as long as our success rate is one in five. We don''t have to pay for this first batch''s resources!"


    "Fewer fails is better," Yogog said, before grunting. "We get to keep the resources we don''t need, which is what we will need to start out with."


    Irwin swallowed. Balarn had told him this on the wagon ride here, and he still had a hard time believing he could just get cards for nothing. Then he thought about what the lead smith just said, and he frowned.


    I reached topaz rank in a reasonably short time¡­ why did they not manage to reach Emerald yet if they were here fourteen years?"


    "Don''t give me that look," Yogog said as he moved to stand before Irwin. "Do you even know what it takes to go from Topaz to Emerald? At Topaz, all you need to worry about is removing the card''s impurities and hammering home the potential. At Emerald, you-"


    "Hogwash," Ambraz snapped, his voice muted from Irwin''s pocket. He struggled out and flitted into the air, his lips pursed together. "How do you ever expect to create one hundred percent Topaz rank cards with that mindset? You bloody well need to align the entire card''s potential by harmonizing your own cards and their vibration with the card you are working on. Furthermore-"


    Irwin leaned back as Ambraz began talking about reforging cards. He''d heard it all before, but he was interested to see that both Balarn and Yogog had fallen quiet, staring at Ambraz with surprise. A few times, it looked like one of the two was going to say something, but slowly they leaned back and listened with glittering eyes.


    When Ambraz finally stopped with a snort, he landed on Irwin''s shoulder.


    "Now, do you understand? Don''t underestimate the low ranks, or your basis of progression will be crooked," he said.


    There was a silence, and as Irwin looked around, he saw a burning hunger in Monique''s eyes while Nimdal and Syndal were nodding.


    "Thank you, Anvil of the Gods," Balarn said as he stared at Ambraz intently.


    Ambraz snorted, but the smile on his metal side widened.


    Balarn waited for a moment before focusing back on the others.


    "Now. Everyone take a look at the quartz rank missions, then choose one. Yogog and I will go get the resources we need after that while you familiarize yourselves with the area here."


    Irwin pushed himself up, walking to the wall before the others. By now, he was more than a little curious, and as he gazed at the first mission, his eyebrows rose.


    Reforge twelve metal utility cards to Amethyst to seventy percent or higher. Follow the standards and requirements below.


    A long list of requirements for various crafting utensils followed, and he licked his lips before moving to the next.


    Reforge four fire-based quartz pseudo-weapon cards to seventy percent or higher weapon cards. Follow the standards and requirements below.


    Another list of requirements followed, and a quick glance showed most of the weapons were ax-types. Below that one was one that made his eyebrows jump up.


    Purify one hundred bars of raw Firesteel to a ninety-five percent purity or above.


    "One hundred bars?" he muttered. He could hardly believe someone even had that much Firesteel! Back home, they could have made a hundred swords with those!


    "Yeah, those are always annoying," Yogog said as he looked at the paper. "Luckily, we only have a handful this time. The previous time over half of our missions dealt with purifying ore."


    Irwin quickly read through the other missions and found that all of them were roughly the same. It seemed that weapon cards were deemed harder, as they were always four. A look-up showed that the missions deemed Amethyst rank meant reforging Quartz cards to ninety percent or higher or Amethyst cards to Topaz at seventy percent. He also saw that there were far more stringent demands on exactly which cards and what parts of the cards needed to be enhanced.


    After deliberating for a bit, he finally decided to take one of the utility missions. Having twelve cards to practice with would be far better for him.


    A few moments later, every Smith had a mission paper, and Balarn nodded.


    "Alright, follow me!"


    He headed out of the room, and everyone followed. As the last one out of the room, Irwin noticed that Yogog remained bent over the table, staring at the paper stack.


    "Go go, this isn''t something you need to worry about yet," he muttered. Then he blinked and looked up with a grin. "Though, in your case, you will be helping me with these starting in a few months from now."


    Unsure what Yogog meant, Irwin nodded and quickly followed the others who were outside and moving into the small smithy to the side. There were four anvils in the back with two forges behind them and one to each side, creating four small, semi-separated areas. Mobile bellows hung to the sides, as did a half-dozen dusty aprons. Near the entrance stood two heavy wooden work desks with a variety of hammers, tongs, and other items. A large slab of gray crystal was embedded in one of them.


    "Alright, as we don''t have enough workspaces, we are going to have to share them for now. Perhaps in a few years, we can afford a better place, but for now, this will have to do," Balarn said as they turned back.


    "Irwin, could you light the forges for us?"


    Irwin nodded, walking forward as he summoned his flame. As it roared to life above his hand, he shoved it into the large mass of dark coals. It took a few minutes, but eventually, the heat of his flame caused the forge to burst alive, and a short while later, the others followed.


    "Alright," Balarn said. "Thanks, Irwin, that saved us a good chunk of time!"


    "I really should get me a flame like that," Nimdal, the taller of the two cousins, muttered.


    "You will have plenty of time to search for cards to complete your hand," Balarn said. "I would also suggest, for those who have room, to take it slow and not make any rushed decisions. Although it''s possible to remove some cards and start again, we all know that will make it a lot harder when you are combining your cards into your first heart card!"


    Irwin stared at Balarn, suddenly thinking of Daubutim. His friend had removed all of his cards, not just one! What did that mean for him when he had to combine them?


    "Now! I''ll be heading out to get the resources. Nimdal, follow me. The rest of you, please clean this place up so we can get started right away. We have enough soulshards for a few weeks of food, but it''d be best if we start right away!"


    There was a disgruntled round of agreements, and a short while later, Irwin was handling a broom again, wondering if his mother would approve. Probably. She was one for cleanliness.


    They had long since finished when Balarn and Nimdal returned. Balarn was carrying a massive wooden box, grunting as he did, sweat pouring from his head. He seemed relieved as he slammed it down onto one of the worktables. Nimdal had a smaller box but seemed even worse for wear.


    They should have asked me to come, Irwin thought, deciding to keep that thought to himself. He''d carried a lot of metal in his short life, and doing with less would be fine for him.


    "Alright," Balarn said as he pulled off his thin, drenched shirt revealing a chiseled body. He took two large stacks of cards from his pockets and put them on the other table.


    "Now, all of you, get the cards or metal you need. If you want to check if you succeeded in the percentage, just use the grading crystal here," he said.


    Irwin saw him point at the gray crystal, and he guessed it was similar to the one Ichela had used.


    "I''ll make myself useful and clean the rest of the rooms," Greldo said as he looked at the forges in distaste. "It''s way too hot here. After I''m done, I''ll walk around to figure out where things are."


    Irwin nodded, but Balarn stepped forward before Greldo could leave.


    "Greldo, make sure you don''t cause any trouble. Although smiths are seen as useful here, and people won''t make much trouble for us, there are a lot of mercenaries on these floors, and not all of them like off-worlders."


    "Thanks for the warning," Greldo said as he looked around the buildings behind the smithy.


    "I''ll be back soon," he said before walking away, quickly disappearing between the buildings.


    "Wasn''t he going to clean the house?" Monique asked.


    Irwin grinned widely as he stepped up next to her and began leafing through the cards to find those he needed.


    "Greldo never was one for cleaning," he said.


    "Then why did he say he would?" she asked, now sounding utterly confused.


    Irwin just shrugged, quickly gathering the twelve cards he needed. As he looked around, he decided to put Ambraz next to the tables, away from the other four spaces. He didn''t need the forge right now, and this way, they would have enough room.


    As he put the first card on the Anvil, he smiled happily.


    Finally, I''m a real cardsmith!

 Chapter 102: Dr茅imire

    They continued working until the light began filtering through the thick canopy above the lake. Irwin had managed to finish four of his cards by then, keeping them in his pocket with the others.


    Except for Balarn, the others were stumbling as they headed inside the main chamber from which the scent of hot food emanated. The table had been moved into the center of the room, stools around it, and a lot of food laden atop. Yogog sat at the head, biting into a thick slab of meat while the six guards were sitting spread out and eating.


    Irwin thudded down beside Greldo, who hadn''t waited either and was digging into what looked like a vegetable stew. A long, thin piece of meat lay on a plate beside him, and he kept taking a bite and pulling a face.


    "So, find anything useful?" Irwin asked, wondering what was wrong with the meat.


    Greldo grabbed his mug and drank deeply before responding.


    "There''s a mercenary guild here that puts out bounties for specific cards and even has missions to help clear out beast-nests and demon towers."


    Irwin nodded as he piled up some food on top of his plate. Balarn had told him about those things, and he wasn''t surprised that Greldo was interested.


    "And you? Did you find me a good fire resistance card of some sort? This heat is stifling, and I want a good rest."


    Irwin shook his head, swallowing a bite of surprisingly flavorful stew.


    "No. I checked all of them, but there are no body enhancement cards at all, and Ambraz said none of those we saw were upgradeable to get it either."


    "Hah," Yogog barked, spitting some food across the table. "Don''t even bother! The cards we get for free are all regular, common ones. If you want anything special, body improvement, rare resistance types, good weapon cards, or anything else that''s actually useful for anyone with long-term planning, you will have to buy them. And trust me, even the quartz cards aren''t cheap."


    "Fantastic," Greldo snorted. "Well, you better hurry up with those cards so you can get me one then," he muttered, giving Irwin a sad smile.


    "No worries," Irwin said, giving his friend a self-assured look.


    With as much time as he had now, there was not a part of him doubting that he''d be able to get the cards they needed.


    Even if he had to reforge them all the way from Quartz.


    "Just hang in there for a month or so. I did four of my first batch, and I should be able to finish this one by tomorrow-"


    He fell quiet as Yogog began spitting and coughing, seeming to have choked on his food. At the same time, all muted conversations ground to a halt as the others gaped at him.


    "What?" Irwin asked as he looked at Balarn.


    "You finished four cards¡­ all above seventy percent?" the smith asked. "How many did you fail?


    Irwin frowned, confused at how odd everyone was reacting. They were just quartz cards, weren''t they?


    "Fail? None. I reforged two almost to ninety and the other two slightly over," he said.


    "Show me," Yogog shouted as he shoved his stool back and stuck out his hand. He had half-finished food in his mouth, which he had sprayed over the table.


    Wondering what the hell was going on, Irwin quickly handed his four finished, purple-bordered cards and watched in slight amazement as Yogog snatched them away and ran out of the room. A few moments later, there was a loud whoop, loud footsteps, and then the heavy smith ran back in.


    "He''s bloody right! Eighty-eight, eighty-nine, and two over ninety," he said as he ran to the wall and began inspecting the notes. It took him only moments to find what he was looking for, snatched a paper away, and headed back to the table. He began reading it, checking the cards, and finally put one of the four cards atop the paper, his eyes gleaming.


    "I don''t understand?" Irwin said as he looked around.


    Monique was sighing and shaking her head while the others just stared at him oddly. Even the guards, with the exception of Greldo, were looking at him as if he''d grown a third eye.


    Balarn took the card and paper from Yogog, looked it over, then turned to Irwin.


    "What is your success rate of reforging quartz to ninety percent or higher?" he asked.


    "Probably one in two or three," Irwin said. By now, he knew that whatever he thought was normal wasn''t, or at least not compared to the others sitting here. Which is why he didn''t say that he could probably guarantee four in five if he really took the time and effort.


    "Not even with everyone? Bah!" Ambraz shouted from his pocket. "You need more practice!"


    Irwin grimaced while he heard choking gasps from around the table.


    "Irwin?" Balarn asked. "Do you know how high the success rate of Topaz Smiths usually is when reforging Quartz cards?"


    Success? Shouldn''t they always succeed? he thought, suddenly dumbfounded. He could believe that the others couldn''t reach over ninety percent with as much likelihood as him. But failing a Quartz reforge? He couldn''t recall failing a quartz card since becoming a topaz smith. He barely failed Amethyst cards, though getting them to eighty or higher was much harder.


    "Except for you, I probably have the highest success rate," Balarn said with a sad smile. "And I fail one out of every four quartz cards. To get an eighty percent success, one takes me five attempts, and ninety percent is one in ten during my best days."


    "You improved again," Yogog said as his eyebrows raised. Then he seemed to recall something and glared at Irwin. "Bah, it has to be that anvil of yours!"


    "No, it''s your incompetence," Ambraz snapped from inside Irwin''s pocket. "Do you seriously think I help him with quartz reforging? If he can''t even do this much, why would I even have chosen him as my smith?"


    Yogog''s eyes widened, red blood veins popping up as he glared at Irwin''s pocket.


    "Incompetence?" he growled.


    "Yes! This is no more than normal in the main charters on the root branch worlds! Bah- wannabe apprentices there need to reforge five one hundred percent Amethyst cards to even be considered for an apprenticeship!"


    Yogog''s eyes bulged out as he fell back on his stool. There was a stunned silence around the room before Balarn let out a soft laugh, his eyes glittering.


    "Well, this changes things. Irwin, you are going to be responsible for reforging all of the quartz cards, while the rest of us will do all of the metal refining-"


    "What?" Monyque and Yogog exclaimed at nearly the same time.


    "I don''t plan on being here just to refine metal," Yogog snapped. "If that''s the case, then I-"


    He fell quiet as Balarn looked at him with gleaming eyes. "Who said anything about only refining metal?" he said.


    "After Irwin blazes through those quartz cards, we will be left with the remaining resources as starting capital. Then we can all begin picking up quartz quests, picking only those that will either bring in a lot of soulshards or help us grow our skills!"


    By now, Balarn was speaking loudly, his eyes glittering.


    Irwin swallowed as he saw the gleam. Somehow, he''d never noticed what type of person Balarn was up till now.


    Yogog began laughing softly while the other smiths looked at each other helplessly.


    "Come, come! Eat! Tonight we feast, and after that, we are going to crush the first set of missions," Yogog roared.


    Irwin grimaced, looking at Greldo and noticing a look of resignation in the other''s eyes. He knew his friend was probably thinking the same thing. Who, exactly, would be crushing those missions?


    The rest of the evening went by in a blur.


    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    When the next evening came, Irwin woke to the loud booms of someone hammering on an anvil. He arrived at the smithing area to find Yogog and Balarn busy. Beside them lay a massive amount of metal bars, more even than had been there the day before.


    As he stood there for a moment, Irwin wondered if he should say something. After a while, he decided to just let them be and instead moved to the table. A mission paper and a stack of cards lay there, and as he picked it up, he realized it was the one he was supposed to do.


    "Fine, let''s see how many I can finish today," he muttered as he grabbed the first card.


    Ambraz hummed as he blurred forward before changing to his regular smithing shape.


    "That''s wrong! You shouldn''t rush," he said as he hummed again. "I wasn''t lying yesterday. It''s best to aim for as many Quartz reforges at one hundred percent in a row as you can. Now that you have the time, you need to solidify your foundation! Don''t even think of reforging another Amethyst card until you can do ten in a row!"


    Irwin swallowed at that, then nodded as he put the card down. It depicted a form of land-working tool. After a few moments of trying to calm himself, he took a deep breath and summoned his hammer.


    Alright, I''ll try and get at least two at one hundred percent then, he decided.


    At the end of the day, he had managed one single one hundred percent, but he had finished seven more cards, all but one at ninety percent. Ambraz had snorted that he really needed more practice, while Balarn had just smiled wryly.


    Quietly time passed by, and before long, a week had come and gone. Irwin and the others had slowly started becoming accustomed to sleeping during the day and working during the night. The other smiths, with the exception of Yogog, had finished two of the metal purification missions. Yogog vanished after three days, taking both Ignalia and Hotzli with him. When asked, Balarn had just stated that he was working on a mission for Tensor.


    With intense focus, Irwin struck down the card, causing the card to resonate deeply. A beautiful chime came, and he raised his hands, hammering in the air in victory.


    "Finally," he shouted.


    Monyque, who was working near the forge, sweat dripping from their head and dark smudges on her face, looked up.


    "Three in a row?" she asked, her eyes shining brightly.


    "Yes! I can''t believe it took me a week and four mission cards to finally manage it," Irwin replied as he watched the border of the card gleam and turned from a pale gray-white to a deep purple.


    "Yes¡­ really incredible," Nimdal said from the other side. "You should really practice more."


    Irwin snorted, then grinned back at the brown-eyed smith. His short beard, the Topaz plate almost on his chin, made him look like his chin was twice as wide as it should be. Combined with the deadpan face, Irwin snorted again, then laughed.


    From the other side of the forge, Monyque let out an uncharacteristic giggle. Irwin bit the inside of his cheeks as he took a quick look at her, noticing that her face was bright red as she grabbed her hammer and began striking the metal again. Apparently, she didn''t even care that it had cooled too much. Had it been a week ago, someone might have said something about it, but by now, they all knew to ignore it.


    "Yes, yes, alright," Ambraz said, sounding annoyed. "Stop feeling so good about yourself. Ten, remember? You aren''t even halfway there. If you manage another one right now, I might be slightly impressed!"


    Irwin couldn''t help licking his lips before turning to the table and grabbing a water bag. As he drank a bit, he stared at the stack, knowing full well how small the chances were of him doing another one.


    Oh well. I need to continue anyway, he thought as he picked up another card.


    He only got a ninety percent one, but by the evening, he''d done another three cards and was back to a streak of two.


    Two days later, he managed another streak of three one-hundred percent cards. That morning, as they were eating, a dull thud came from outside, followed by some cursing. Everyone looked up to see Yogog and the Ignitzion women walking in. Yogog had a long gouge on his cheek and was walking oddly, almost stumbling. The side of Hotzli''s face was covered in scratches, while Ignalia was cradling an arm that was covered in nasty green and yellow bruises.


    "What happened?" Irwin asked as he rose.


    "Are you alright?" Monique asked as she walked around the table towards Ignalia.


    "Yeah, we are fine," Yogog snapped as he sank down on a stool with far more care than normal.


    Irwin hesitated, then sat down, and everyone quietly watched Yogog. Balarn was looking at the burly onyx-skinned smith, slowly shaking his head.


    "I told you to only do one¡­" he said.


    "Yes, and you were right. Okay?" Yogog snapped back, gingerly reaching for a bowl. He flinched when his arm stretched all the way, and Balarn rose to hand him a filled bowl.


    "Tell me what happened."


    Balarn nodded, with a look of gratitude mixed with annoyance.


    "What you warned us about. We took that second mission to clear out those Sivpincers, which looked like a three-person job. The intel was wrong. There weren''t just two of those silver-scaled buggers, but four. We were almost instantly cut off from the entrance," Balarn said as he took a careful bite. "If it wasn''t for our instant reaction, we would have been killed, and we wouldn''t have been the first."


    Irwin saw the twitches in Balarn''s face, and for a moment, he thought the lead smith was going to shout at Yogog. Then he deflated and gazed at Yogog.


    "Don''t take two missions again, and only take those in larger groups," he said, though his words sounded more like an order.


    Yogog''s face darkened, but he just focused on his food, and after a few moments, conversations slowly returned as everyone began asking the two Ignitzions about what had happened.


    Irwin listened quietly, sometimes taking a quick look at Greldo. He knew his friend had been wandering about the last few weeks, gathering information with the goal of going on mercenary missions. The problem was, he still only had three cards and hadn''t become a full-hand yet.


    I''ll talk with him after dinner, he decided. He had some ideas, but for them, he needed Greldo to wait a few more weeks.


    After they had finished eating, and the temperature was steadily increasing with the rising of the sun, Irwin beckoned Greldo. Outside, his friend frowned.


    "I know you think I shouldn''t go on missions yet, but-" Greldo began.


    "Two weeks," Irwin said, quickly interrupting him. "In two weeks, I''ll have finished the last of these missions, and we can begin choosing other missions. That will give me a chance to look around the different cards the various cardhouses have."


    "Do you have any idea how hot it is?" Greldo muttered. "If I do a few of those missions, I can buy a Quartz fire resistance card."


    "Yes, but before you can slot it, you need to become a fullhand," Irwin said. "Focus on that for now, and I''ll get you a good fourth card." Perhaps one that grants some patience, he thought.


    It took him a few more moments, but eventually, he convinced Greldo. After some small talk, he headed to his room and lay down on his bed, enjoying the cozy, lazy warmth. To him, sleeping during the day had become a blessing- the warmth no more than something that made him drowsy.


    "Ambraz, we need to talk," he said as he lay with his hands behind his head.


    The Anvil had been sitting on the windowsill, staring outside, but now flitted up and towards him.


    "What? You have some questions about forging again?" he asked.


    "No. There are things you haven''t told me. Now that we are here, don''t you think it''s about time you shared?" Irwin asked.


    Ambraz didn''t respond, but Irwin saw his lips pursed into a thin line.


    "Does it have something to do with you being captured by Gelwin?" Irwin asked. He''d tried to come up with things that could be going on, but with all he''d learned over the last few months, he had ruled out that Ambraz was just trying to con him. No. There was something else going on. Something Ambraz wasn''t talking about, and the only thing he could think of was the odd training world he''d found him in.


    "That bloody beardyface," Ambraz growled before flitting around the room twice. He finally landed on the table, gazing at Irwin.


    "Fine. I guess there''s no harm in it now," Ambraz said. "I wasn''t just out, loitering about when I got captured by that stupid beardyface. I was together with a large group of others, searching for a portal to¡­" Ambraz hesitated.


    Irwin waited calmly, curious, but knowing that pushing the Anvil might lead to it falling quiet altogether.


    Ambraz let out a deep sigh, his voice suddenly sounding far older than it had before. It actually reminded Irwin of what it had sounded like when he had first found the Anvil.


    "Granvox isn''t our real homeworld," Ambraz said. "Our world of origin was called Dr¨¦imire, and like your world, our world was shattered long ago. Granvox is no more than a planet we gained by helping the smith guild for hundreds of years."


    Dr¡­eimire? Irwin tried, unable to even mentally recreate the odd sound Ambraz had just made. He looked at the Anvil, detecting the pain in the other''s voice.


    "So that''s why you didn''t like being called Granvoxian Anvil¡­"


    "Bah. Foolish flashbacks," Ambraz grunted. "If you have to call us something besides Anvil of the Gods, call us Ganvils."


    Irwin flinched at the anger in Ambraz''s voice and quickly changed the subject.


    "So, you are looking for a portal to the fragments of your world? But after so long¡­ shouldn''t they be gone by now?"


    Ambraz snorted. "Definitely not. When our world was overrun, portals running rampant, three of our elders grew incredibly powerful. Sadly, they weren''t able to stop the shattering, but just before it happened, they turned into worldanvils. Each moved to a different area of our ancestral world, stabilizing it and stopping it from being absorbed by the chaos beyond."


    Irwin''s eyes widened as he sat upright. "Could you become a worldanvil and stabilize my world?"


    Ambraz''s mouth fell open, then he began roaring with laughter. "Sure, sure, kid! If you give me another few hundred years, and you become a Legendary Amolite smith, then maybe!"


    Amolite? Irwin thought, wondering what those were supposed to be. Still, he sighed and lay back down.


    "So, why are you here if parts of your world are stable?"


    "Weren''t you paying attention?" Ambraz snapped. "If we had stayed, we would have turned into Addled. Have you got any idea what a crazed elder anvil looks like? You saw my real size, and I''m nowhere near fully grown!"


    Irwin blinked as he recalled the first time he''d seen Ambraz. The Anvil had been enormous, towering over him. That wasn''t the maximum size? If something like that falls on someone, they will be dead!


    "Anyway, I was sent out as a scout with some of the others to investigate your farming world. We had heard rumors of a possible portal to a shardworld of Dr¨¦imire, but¡­"


    Irwin felt a burst of sympathy for Ambraz as he heard the barely contained longing in the other''s voice. He couldn''t yet imagine what it must be like to have permanently lost his homeworld, though he feared he might in the near future.


    "You never found one?" he asked.


    "No. Either the rumor was false, or whatever portal there was closed, shattering the shard with it."


    Irwin frowned. Something about that didn''t make sense, but it took him a few moments to figure out what.


    "Wouldn''t that mean they would have had to kill the world anvil?" he asked in disbelief as he imagined simple hand-carded trying to kill what imagined had to have been a soulcarded massive anvil.


    Ambraz was quiet, then snorted. "Right. Now that you put it like that, it was probably just a lie then."


    Irwin didn''t respond, staring at the ceiling as he wondered if it was possible that there was some truth to it. Could there be a portal to a world with a world-anvil on his homeworld?


    "If¡­ if there is a portal there," he said slowly. "Could we bring the worldanvil to my world¡­ could it stabilize the world?"


    Ambraz let out a weary sight, then fitted to the table beside the bed.


    "In the very unlikely chance that there is one¡­ maybe. But- Kid¡­ your world? It''s already a miracle that it hasn''t shattered yet. There is a large chance that when we return, it is gone, even with the time dilation here."


    "Yeah¡­ I know," Irwin said as he continued to stare at the ceiling.


    I know¡­ but I have to hope for the best.

 Chapter 103: Four in a row

    "Are you serious? Look at the speed."


    "Quiet, let him focus. He is close¡­"


    "He failed the previous time!"


    Irwin ignored the whispers behind him, staring at the card before him. Twelve days had passed, and he''d managed to get to a chain of four one hundred percent cards twice. This was the third time, and as he swung down, his movements were smooth and sure. The resonating cards inside him were creating a hum that he could only describe as transcendent, and he let out a constant, deep, and rumbling hum that seemed to hold it all together.


    Even if I fail again, I have found it, he thought as he smiled happily.


    There had been a tiny flaw in his reforging. A small inconsistency in how he struck at critical moments. Not enough to be a major problem, except when you aim for perfection. Even if he failed now, with some more practice, he now saw the path forward.


    This has to be why Ambraz said the smiths all learn metal purifying from a young age, he thought as he struck down.


    As his hammer pounded on the card, the image of the fishing spear before him shimmered and became clearer. Then, a clear chime rang out, and he stopped staring happily at the card as it vibrated on Ambraz''s surface. He knew right away that he''d succeeded, and as he picked up the card, he gazed at Balarn and Yogog.


    "So? Finally managed it?" Yogog asked, arms crossed.


    Irwin didn''t respond but moved to the gray crystal slab and put the card on it. A cool, methodical voice rang out.


    "Amethyst ranked card, reforged by Irwin. Quality, one hundred percent. Perfect."


    "Bloody incredible! Is this what''s required to get up to Ruby Rank? Some ridiculous ability?" Yogog snapped out as he stomped down.


    Irwin grinned back as he picked up the card and stared at it with a smile while rubbing his chin. A thin film of rough hairs had started growing there lately, and he needed to cut it off again. Balarn had told him it would be a while longer, probably a year or so, until he''d have enough hair growth for a real beard, and leaving it up now would just be an embarrassment.


    "A few more for the final mission, and we can finally start accepting other quartz rank missions," Balarn said. "We finished the metal purifying ones yesterday! If you wrap up, I''ll prepare, and we can head to the smith charter mission center in the city core."


    About time, Irwin thought as he picked up the final three cards. He stared at them, pondering if he should do it fast or slow.


    "Always strive to improve," Ambras said from the side, his voice a low rumble followed by a snort.


    Irwin sighed, then nodded. He really wanted to be done with this, especially now that he knew that the cards he was working with now were all limited in their eventual potential. What he really wanted was to see if he could find quartz missions with good rewards. Like those that allowed him to select a card from one of the smith charter centers inventories. With his current skill, he could easily finish one and finally select a card for Greldo.


    And begin to think about my next cards, he thought. As he gazed at his hammer, he frowned. He would also need to reforge this card, which was going to be incredibly painful.


    --


    The next day, early in the evening, as the temperature dropped slightly, Irwin and Greldo followed behind Balarn and Hotzli.


    "You sure?" Irwin whispered.


    "Definitely. It''s this way to that Skytendril," Greldo whispered back excitedly.


    As they moved through the narrow streets of the eighty-first level where their smithy was located, Irwin noticed people starting to exit homes. Nearly all of them were Viridians, though he was surprised to see a few Ignitzions. What surprised him even more, was that all of them were young women.


    As they passed a single-story home with a small garden in front of it, he glanced inside to see a pale, red-skinned, fiery-haired girl strap on a sword. She looked up at the same time, her eyes widening as she saw him. Irwin was about to nod in greeting when her gaze flicked up and down, and she grinned widely, showing off a set of gleaming white teeth with two large canines.


    All of it happened in a flash as Irwin walked passed, staring ahead in surprise, wondering what that had been.


    "Hey, wait up!"


    A cry came from behind, and he shared a sudden worried look with Greldo as he stopped and turned around.


    The Ignitzion woman was jogging after them, a hand on her sword to prevent it from striking her leg and her eyes gleaming brightly.


    "You there! Tall and strapping! You''re a smith, right? Do you need a guard?"


    Irwin blinked in surprise, hearing a suppressed laugh from Greldo. Before he could answer, a shout in a language that sounded like gurgling water meeting lava hissed, bubbled, and gushed from behind him.


    The Ignitzion that had been coming froze in her tracks as Hotzli walked forward.


    She scratched her head, replying in the same language while Balarn moved beside Irwin.


    "She asked if I needed a guard," Irwin said, watching the two fiery women talk rapidly. It almost sounded like boiling kettles, and if it wasn''t so soft, he was sure he''d have a massive headache.


    I hope they don''t scream if they get angry, he suddenly thought, trying to recall if Hotzli or Ignalia had ever done so. He didn''t think so.


    "Yeah, Ignitzion come to the world like this a lot, looking for work," Balarn said as he turned to Irwin, then looked at Greldo. "You know¡­ and this isn''t to say you aren''t capable," he said as he smiled ruefully at Greldo. "It might not be a bad idea for you to look for a second guard."


    Irwin blinked, his first instinct to decline.


    "I think you should do that," Greldo said suddenly. "I''d been wanting to talk to you about this, but¡­ it''s all nice and well for you to be focusing on your smithing and everything, but I''m starting to get bored out of my skull. I''ve found a small mercenary guild in one of the levels that are willing to take me in for a year''s probation as long as I have a way to resist the heat."


    Staring at his friend, Irwin felt a twitch of guilt as he realized he''d been doing what he wanted for weeks. Even if he''d promised Greldo a card to fix his heat problems, he wasn''t even sure if he could get one straight away, and he''d only really seen him during evening dinner.


    "Are you sure?" he asked.


    "Sure. Besides, you will probably have to come along eventually. I''m pretty sure that we aren''t going to be able to buy the cards you want, nor the ones I want after this."


    Seeing how sure Greldo seemed of himself, Irwin nodded.


    I wouldn''t mind heading out and doing something else either, he thought as he looked at the two Ignitzion women chatting. By now, they had moved closer, and the unfamiliar one had removed the sleeve of her shirt, showing off a string of tiny tattoos.


    "Those are proof of her capability. Seven filled-in swords. Just one below Hotzli and almost the same as Ignalia, who has her eighth outlining. I wonder why she isn''t in a lower level-"


    Hotzli spun around, heading back and staring at Irwin with a wide grin.


    "Scintilla here has offered to come into your service as a guard. She is willing and able to join you on anything below Emerald rank missions!"


    Irwin looked at Scintilla, then back at Hotzli. They had just been passing by, and he hadn''t even known he might need a new guard until a few minutes ago. He didn''t know her¡­ somehow it felt odd to just accept her as his guard like this. His confusion must have shown as Hotzli let out a barked laugh.


    "You don''t have to decide now! I''ll send her to Ignalia to check if her skills are as good as she claims, and I can answer your questions while we head to the mission center."


    "Alright," Irwin said with a quick nod.


    "No worries, hot stuff! I''ll show elder sister what I''m capable of and prove to you I''m a good investment!" Scintilla said from the other side, showing no sign of being annoyed at not getting the job right away.


    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    Hotzli barked some odd greeting, which Scintilla copied before she waved and walked away.


    "She''s not a bad one," Hotzli said as she continued walking.


    She was now beside Irwin while Greldo walked ahead with Balarn. From how he kept turning his head, Irwin knew he was listening curiously.


    "Do you know her?" Irwin asked, wondering if all Ignitzion on Scour knew each other. It seemed odd to him, as it was a massive world, and Cinder Grove city and the dozens of smaller towns around it had masses of people. Yogog had spouted that there were close to a million, but he didn''t believe that one bit.


    Hotzli let out a hazy laugh, slapping him on the shoulders softly.


    "No, no! That''d be incredible. But I know of her Blade Master, who reached the top thousand in the sword challenges a few years back. Her school has a very strict policy on who they teach."


    "Couldn''t she be lying about that?" Greldo asked from ahead.


    "She could try, but that wouldn''t help her get the specific tattoo markings she showed me. Those can only be granted by a two-soulcarded, and none of those would do so except when it was true."


    Two-soulcarded? Irwin thought.


    "Anyway, Scintilla is here to hunt for her final card. After she gets what she needs, she will become heartcarded."


    "Which is why she was here and aiming for a smith, wasn''t she?" Balarn said as he looked back with a wide grin. "Sounds somewhat familiar to me!"


    Hotzli raised her hand in an odd gesture while she smiled. "Which is why I like her! It shows she''s got brains! Now, if Ignalia can check if she has the skills, she should be a good guard for tall and strapping!"


    She laughed again as she eyed Irwin, who was starting to feel slightly uncomfortable.


    "Why do I get the feeling there''s something about Irwin, you Ignitzions like," Greldo asked in mock confusion.


    Irwin shot his friend a glare while Hotzli stared at him with sparkling eyes saying nothing.


    "It''s the skin," Balarn said as he glanced at Irwin.


    Hotzli nodded in agreement.


    "Anyway, we are here!" Balarn said as they moved around the final building.


    There was only a small distance towards the edge of the wide level, and a large green tendril hovered to the side. A woven basket, large enough for a dozen people, was attached to it, and an old Viridian stood leaning to the side, yawning as if he''d just awoken. Which he likely had.


    When he saw them move closer, he perked up and moved to the basket''s door.


    "Hello there, good smiths," he said, his gaze quickly moving across Balarn''s beard.


    Balarn raised his hand in greeting.


    "Hello. We''d like to go to the thirtieth floor," he said as he took soulshards from his pocket, handing them over.


    Irwin caught a glimpse of them and blinked in surprise at the cost. He fully recalled Balarn telling them they wouldn''t be wasting money on this. Still, he couldn''t hold back his curiosity as he examined the basket. He knew what the Skytendrils were for, but he hadn''t even seen one yet.


    "Good, good! Let''s go right away, I don''t expect any other customers until it''s a bit later," the Viridian said as he opened the small door and let them in.


    As soon as they were in the basket, the man stepped to the back and placed his hand on the vine. A bright green gleam came from his hand, and the vine and basket began lowering down smoothly.


    Irwin and Greldo shared a look of wonder as they basket Skytendril lowered down along the floors one by one. As they passed, he saw that not every floor was the same depth. Some were barely a few hundred feet deep with a few rows of buildings, while others seemed to have been carved deep into the trunk, so far he couldn''t see the end of the wall.


    Aren''t they afraid of toppling the tree?


    In a short while, the Skytendril stopped, and the old man stepped outside, holding the door open for them. A few Viridians were waiting nearby, moving over as soon as they had exited.


    "Pleasure," the man said before quickly turning to the incoming people. "Welcome! Ah, Labria. Good to see you. Come, come. The twelfth floor again?"


    Irwin and the others walked away.


    Irwin was surprised at how spacious this floor was, with shops and tiny marketplaces everywhere.


    "Every tenth level is either a shopping district or belongs to one of the larger mercenary guilds," Balarn said as they walked through the streets.


    Everything around them was made of pale wood, with a thin bit of red desert sand everywhere. Many of the doors had been painted in vivid colors, with red and orange the most common.


    They continued through the city until they reached a small square with four wide, spacious buildings around it. There were large billboards outside, with symbols in rows. Balarn led them to the leftmost one, and as he inspected somewhere in the middle of the billboard, Irwin saw words he recognized.


    Greenbark Mission Center!


    "Alright, let''s see how they react when we hand in all these missions within a month of arriving," Balarn said with a big smile.


    They followed him through the open doors into a spacious room with a few desks on the far end and a closet around the walls, and low desks with clear crystal panes covering them.


    Three Viridians were walking around, some wiping the crystal panes, while another one had a large book and a quill. He looked up as they entered, and his silver eyes widened.


    "Balarn! Good to see you! Is there something wrong with the missions? You know I can only exchange two¡­ anything more will cost you!"


    Irwin had been looking around, but as the Viridian spoke, he looked back just in time to see a gleam in Balarns eyes.


    "Driseog, I am here to hand in the missions."


    The man stared back, seeming stunned and silent, as his quill slowly lowered until it ticked on the page. This seemed to jolt him out of his state, and he yanked the quill from the pages, grumbling before looking at Balarn.


    "Come now, Balarn. That''s not a funny joke! Look what you made me do! I''ll have to redo that page now!"


    Balarn walked forward before taking a large number of cards from his pocket and gently placing them on the crystal-pane-covered table in front of the man.


    "No joke! Why don''t you take a look for yourself? Also, we have a few of the second-rank here as well."


    Driseog grunted as he put the book down and took the stack. He quickly leafed through them, and as he did, his eyes began to widen. Midway through, he looked up.


    "These- these- they-"


    "Yes, most are above ninety percent, and a good lot of them are perfect," Balarn said smugly.


    He must have some eye-enhancing card, Irwin thought.


    Driseog swallowed as he clutched the cards to his chest and rushed to a desk at the back. Balarn followed him while waving his hand back.


    "You three just take a look around! I''ll handle this!"


    Irwin nodded as he turned to the nearest closet. Cards were arrayed behind them, and as he looked at him, he almost stumbled. The entire line he was looking at were green-bordered Emerald cards, and a look to the left showed a shelf lined with Ruby cards.


    "Look at the price," Greldo hissed from beside him.


    Irwin focused on the white papers with numbers and was shocked even more than he had been before.


    Twelve-thousand soulshards for a Ruby card?


    He felt his mind begin to fuzz over.


    Those had to be incredibly powerful! He stared at a Ruby card with two daggers on it and triggered his Eyes of Blaze so he could read the card.


    Card: Daggers of the leech


    Type: Ruby


    Owner: -


    A rare type of battle dagger, only effective against enemies that have blood.


    Passive: Increases the wielder''s speed and agility


    Active: Summon two daggers that will suck the blood out of their target until they are full.


    Active two: When the daggers are full, the wielder can reinject the blood into themselves to gain the ability to track the original owner of the blood for a day.


    Irwin swallowed, then shivered. Drain his blood? That sounded¡­ horrifying.


    Keeping his eyes up, he walked around the room, looking at the cards he found. He quickly saw that there were many weapon cards on display, but even more fire-type cards. Sadly, although there were at least a dozen cards that gave some form of heat resistance, the cheapest one was a bit over eight thousand soulshards.


    "What''s with these prices?" he whispered.


    "Don''t ask me¡­ The weird thing is that I can''t find any Quartz cards anywhere. The lowest I''ve found is a few topaz cards in the back."


    There was a soft cough, and they turned around to see one of the Viridian women that seemed to work here stand behind them. She smiled apologetically.


    "I couldn''t help but overhear the two gentlemen," she said softly. "I am sure you are new here, so please, allow me to explain. Due to the large number of smiths in Cinder Grove, cards below Topaz are not sold. They are all used for missions for esteemed smiths like yourself."


    She smiled at Irwin, lowering her head slightly.


    "If you are interested in seeing the Quartz rank missions we have, you may follow me to the mission registrar."


    Irwin nodded, and he followed the green-leafed woman to one of the desks at the back. Balarn and the man were still talking softly and didn''t respond at their arrival.


    The woman placed her hand on the desk, and it lit alive with a pale green glow. Black letters that Irwin couldn''t read appeared, causing him to stare at them helplessly.


    "Ah, my apologies," the woman said softly. "What language do you require?"


    Irwin blinked, then shrugged. He had no idea what it was called. "It''s the fourth one from the top on the billboard outside," he said.


    "Very well," the woman smiled as she pushed her finger on the top of the crystal. Instantly the words changed, and suddenly Irwin could read what they said.


    "Please take your time," the woman said. "Merely put your finger on a mission to find more information on the card requirements."


    "Thank you," Irwin said.


    The woman bowed her head again and left, but not before Irwin noticed a slight bit of hilarity in her eyes.


    "I wish we had these things back home," Greldo said as he leaned over beside me.


    "Yeah," Irwin muttered as he began reading through a massive list of cards.


    He quickly found that all of them dealt with quartz rank, and there were two prices behind each. Staring at them, he gritted his teeth, turning to the woman as she walked away.


    "Excuse me. What do the two numbers mean?" he asked.


    The woman turned, her face calm and eyes cool.


    "The first one is the price to accept the quest. The second one is the reward on successful completion," she said before turning around again.


    Irwin swallowed as he gazed at the numbers. Greldo hissed beside him.


    "Four hundred soulshards to merely attempt?" he whispered. "What happens if you fail?"


    Irwin shook his head. "That''s for five tries¡­"


    As he said it, Irwin instantly understood why Balarn had been so excited at his success rate. He quickly clicked on a mission, but when he saw it dealt with some type of plant skill, he went back to the list and began moving through it.


    Finally, after finding dozens of metal, plants, and even water cards, one of which made him hesitate, he came across some that dealt with fire.


    "That one," Ambraz whispered from his pocket. "Any cards that could gain that will have a chance to gain heat resistance of some form."


    Irwin nodded as he read the mission statement.


    > Successfully reforge one of the cards, and add fog or steam element to it. The element must be an active ability that allows the wielder to cloak themselves and at least a dozen feet around them.


    > If the card grants increased agility, there will be a bonus.


    Irwin nodded and looked up. Balarn was standing to the side, seeming incredibly excited.


    "Alright, found something?" he asked.


    Irwin nodded and stepped aside.


    "Ugh. An obscuring ability? Are you sure¡­ those are pretty hard to add," he said as he looked up.


    Ambraz snorted from Irwin''s pocket, which seemed good enough for Balarn.


    "Alright, we will take that one," he said before starting to move through the list. "And let''s see what else we can take."


    Balarn began clicking on a dozen missions, and when he finally called Driseog over, Irwin watched open-mouthed as he asked for seven missions that together would cost over three thousand soul shards.


    When they were done, Irwin noticed the man staring after him, bowing.


    "Alright! I hope you can finish at least two of these missions as well as the others," Balarn said when they stood outside. "Because otherwise, we will be destitute again."


    He laughed heartily, either not seeing or ignoring Irwin and Greldo''s wide-eyed disbelief.


    I hope that this doesn''t mean we have to walk back up again, Irwin thought.

 Chapter 104: The path of the card

    Daubutim stared calmly at the building ahead of him. Dozens of young people were milling about, most not reaching his shoulder. He gazed across and ignored the apprehensive glares as he slowly moved toward the entrance pushing them out of the way like his father''s hounds.


    A tall, clean-shaven man with silver eyes stood on the large staircase leading up to the ornate door. He was looking around, then seemed to decide it was time.


    "Alright, settle down," he shouted in a dry voice.


    In mere moments the milling mass complied, eager and gleaming eyes focusing on him, and he nodded.


    "You are all here to take the entrance exam to become librarian assistants. That means that from now on, I expect you all to be quiet, listen well, and follow my orders to the letter. My name is Purntou Lesseron, and I''m a third-rank librarian. You may address me as Purntou, though for now, I ask you to remain quiet."


    Even the minuscule rustling vanished, the only sound that of the bustling city outside of the quiet Library district. A tiny smile came to Purntou''s face as he nodded.


    Daubutim was impressed by the powerful presence of the man. Purntou reminded him of some of the Lords he had met, though he also knew, in this case, it wasn''t based on any martial prowess. Still, even he felt the desire to comply nonetheless.


    "Your first exam is the memorization one, and it will weed out over ninety percent of you," Purntou said, ignoring the shocked looks his statement garnered. "Those who fail will not be allowed to attempt again until next year. "


    There was a brief frown that crossed his face, then he sighed.


    "Now, normally, we don''t specify the following, however, after last year''s problems, we have decided to."


    His gaze sharpened as it passed over the crowd of young men and women before him.


    "If you fail three times, you will be disallowed from participating in the apprentice exam ever again! To those amongst you who have already failed three times, I would advise you to leave now. Otherwise, if you enter, you will be detected and forcefully expelled by the Library''s crystalized soul remnant. Don''t think you have some trick to evade it! Last year we had two casualties¡­."


    Crystalized soul remnant? Daubutim thought.


    His mind quickly provided the reason for it sounding so familiar. Irwin had mentioned it in passing as something that Ambraz had said. Sadly he had added no details besides knowing that it had to do with the images on cards.


    After a few moments, there was a movement in the crowd, causing a hushed murmur to arise. Daubutim saw two young men move away through the masses, pale-faced and shivering.


    Librarian Purntou said nothing, calmly waiting until they were gone before continuing.


    "Good. Now, those who succeed will be required to remain in a room designated to them until the entire exam is finished. Sustenance will be provided," the man said as he turned to the two wide, intricately carved doors. With a slight push, they swung open, and he strode inside, followed by the youths.


    As Daubutim followed with the throng, he noticed the guards inside stare at him curiously. After a moment of hesitation, he nodded at them. The guards didn''t react but, after a few moments, began looking around the crowd again.


    Hundreds of tables filled a large room with towering white walls covered in intricate carvings. Each table had a crystal tablet and a stack of books three feet high on them.


    "Move to a table and wait for further instructions," Purntou said, his voice a hollow echo in the chamber that seemed to reach every inch of it.


    With bustle, the throng of youths spread out, rapidly claiming tables. Daubutim was amongst them, choosing a table at the back. Taking a quick look at the books, he noticed their covers shimmered oddly, the markings on them moving oddly.


    Books created by cardskills? he wondered before focusing back on Librarian Purntou.


    By now, each youth stood before a table.


    "The gong will sound in a moment, and as soon as it does, you have eleven hours to read these books. After that, you will have an hour to answer all the questions on the library tablet. If you are finished reading sooner, you may begin answering the questions, but you will still only have one hour to answer the questions. Let me remind you that you may only have three mistakes. Any more and you will fail this first round and thus the exam," Purntou said.


    There was a soft murmur, but Daubutim ignored it all. Instead, he looked at the stack of books curiously.


    When the deep gong sounded out, he calmly picked up the first one, put it before him, and opened the page. It was a book on the history of Fiverion from the moment it was discovered with overly long names like those of the noble families back home.


    He drew a slow deep breath, then gazed at the first page. A moment later, he flipped it, looked at the next, and flipped that. As he continued to flip through the pages, the knowledge of the pages slowly accumulated inside of him like water running into a dry river bed. The sensation was one he could never get enough of, but that only came from new knowledge. It had been a long time since he last felt it, as he had long since read all the books his father had. He smiled calmly, a sense of intense joy that he had the chance again.


    Calm and quiet, he continued flipping through the pages, his concentration absolute, his speed increasing as his focus intensified. He no longer had any notion of what was happening around him, nor did he see Purntou staring at him.


    --


    What a curious young man, Purntou thought as he stared at the tall warrior.


    At first glance, he looked like another of those boorish martial types, but as he saw the gleaming eyes, the hand flicking the pages, and the happy smile, he nodded. For an untrained potential, likely with no relevant cards, he was reading at a decent speed. From his estimate, roughly equal to that of a first-year apprentice. It wasn''t as incredible as a few of the third or fourth-generation librarians that took the private screening, but surprising nonetheless.


    Besides, those prodigies will be divided amongst the second-rank librarians again, he thought.


    It took him a moment to recall the name of the man, then he pressed his hand on the portable crystal slab he wore on his hip.


    "If the initiate Daubutim succeeds, I will take him as one of my apprentices," he said softly. It was the benefit of having to oversee this testing¡ªthe chance to pick three apprentices before any others.


    There was an affirmative chime, and he nodded, focusing on the others to see if more good seedlings could be found.


    --


    The last pages of the book passed through Daubutims fingers, and he felt sad as he gazed at the massive stack. Sad that he was done reading and sad about what he had read.


    He had never imagined that merely taking this test would already benefit him so greatly. The knowledge of the planet, the dozens of species and races that inhabited it, as well as its most prominent and powerful families and factions, was bubbling through his mind. With it, a realization was setting in. Giard, his world, was tiny and inconsequential to these people. They truly saw it as no more than their property, a place to be harvested and pilfered for resources.


    Even if Irwin becomes a Ruby rank Smith, he will likely not be able to move those with the ability to save Giard, he thought as he gazed dumbly at the stack of books. Sensing his mind start to clog as it attempted to find a solution, he forcefully pushed the thoughts away.


    First, finish the exam, he told himself.


    With a deep breath, he focused on the crystal tablet, putting his finger on the glowing center. There was a flash from the stack of books, and he saw the oddly flickering letters had vanished from them. The text appeared on the tablet''s surface.


    > During the second century, after the Grinwron Trade Federation found Fiverion, who was the true ruler, and who was his or her proxy? Answer the question, then add the book this knowledge can be found in, including the page number.


    Daubutim''s eyebrows rose as he read the question, and he took a look around. Was his mental issue something common in this world, or did they have some special cards to memorize these things? Seeing everyone still reading, he shrugged and looked at the tablet.


    He used his finger to write the answer on the empty area of the tablet. As soon as he removed his finger, there was a tiny hourglass on the bottom, which emptied rapidly. When it finished, there was a dim green glow from the surface, and the next question appeared.


    So, after you answer the question, you have a few moments to change your answer, Daubutim thought, staring curiously at the tablet.


    He read the next question, answered it easily, and slowly lost himself in the questions.


    --


    You had me worried for a moment there, Purntou thought as he watched with mixed feelings as the warrior continued answering the question. The warrior''s confused look had made him believe he''d made a mistake picking him as an apprentice so fast. The others had warned him so many times not to be so quick to judge, and he''d almost fallen for it again!


    Still, as he watched the thick finger write answers in rapid succession, the tablet almost awash with a constant glow of green, he couldn''t stop his eyebrows from raising. Reading fast wasn''t uncommon, but being able to get the information from that which was learned at such a speed?


    As time passed by, Purntou stopped looking at any of the other prospects, staring dumbly at the towering warrior to answer questions at a speed he knew he could only barely duplicate. Slowly, a sense of elation grew in him as he realized he might finally have found a way to progress again.


    If he manages to finish this at this speed and without fault, he might rival those three, he thought.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    --


    Finishing the last question, Daubutim let out a sigh of relief. His mind was spinning, and a slight headache had begun to grow. He couldn''t recall ever having to push himself this far. Not even his father had ever asked this many questions about tiny minutia.


    As the hourglass ran out, the tablet suddenly burst out with a bright green glow, and this time it didn''t fade. The sound of running feet made him look up to find Purntou rushing his way, smiling broadly.


    "Daubutim Coulwater," he said, his voice shockingly loud in the silent room. "Good, good. Very good! These are some impressive results. Please follow the guard to the next room and wait for me there. As soon as this round is finished, I''ll come to speak with you."


    Daubutim nodded, keeping his tongue as he saw hundreds of bloodshot eyes glaring at him. As he followed the guard that beckoned him, he kept his head up, keeping a calm and stoic look on his face.


    Only when he walked out of the massive hallway into a much smaller room did he smile. The small desks, stacked with even larger piles of books, made him happy, though he knew he would need to rest before he continued on.


    "Please choose a table and sit down," the guard said, a deep respect in his tone. With a final look at Daubutim, he turned and left, leaving Daubutim to look around. When he saw the lines of books on the shelves at the far side, he almost stepped forward.


    There are probably still eyes on me, he thought, knowing there was no way they would leave someone unknown alone in the building.


    After staring at the books with longing, he picked a desk and sat down. Glancing at the stack of books, he leaned back and closed his eyes. This had only been the first test, and he needed to be sure to succeed in the other one.


    Father would be angry with me, he thought as he recalled the commotion just now. I should have kept a lower profile.


    --


    Irwin sat down on the rickety chair in his room, glancing out of the windows. Then he looked at Ambraz, who was licking his lips from his spot on the table beside the stack of cards.


    "So¡­ how about you explain to me what I''m supposed to do," Irwin said as he put the mission paper on the table. "It says I need to add a specific type of ability to these cards, either fog or steam, and preferably body improvements."


    Ambraz pouted at the cards, then flitted up, hovering above the table on eye height with Irwin.


    "Alright¡­ fine. I guess it''s time for some tutoring," he muttered. "So far, all the card reforging you have done has been in line with the card''s predisposed path. In most circumstances, this is the correct way, as it''s the only way for someone at your level to reforge cards."


    "The predisposed path?" Irwin asked curiously.


    "Yes, yes. Look at that top card," Ambraz said.


    Irwin picked it up, activating his Eyes of the Blaze to read the card.


    Card: Hot Breath


    Type: Quartz


    Owner: -


    A common skill useful for warming cold hands.


    Active: Draws in a tiny fraction of ambient heat while breathing then expels it in a single blow.


    "That''s really useless," Irwin muttered. "I think even people in Malorin might have laughed at it."


    "Yes, well, that just shows how stupid the people there are and how little you know," Ambraz responded. "You can''t determine a card''s true potential just by looking at what it does now. You have to look at what its possibilities are!"


    Irwin looked at the card, trying to imagine what a card like that could possibly turn into.


    "How? By reforging it and choosing its direction?" he finally asked, remembering how Ambraz was able to pick the path for some of his cards.


    Perhaps he means it''s like how he told me to choose between Coperion Body or Dense Coperion Fists?


    "No. That only works for cards that have predisposed paths that are of roughly equal likelihood," Ambraz said. "Every card has an origin based on the creature that grew the initial soul skill. This origin, although limited as soon as it is crystalized, has more options than just the likely paths. You can force it along one that is less likely, and thus add a rare type, ability, or passive to the card."


    Irwin shook his head, not sure he understood. "So any card can be forced to become anything?"


    "What? No, of course not! Fine, fine! Let me try like this," Ambraz snapped. "Imagine a dangerous, dark forest filled with demons and beasts. Most creatures here will have plant, darkness, or live-type soul skills. Now, forget the creature for now and picture just the card the soul skill might result in. Imagine a plant card standing before this forest. It needs to get to the other side. There will always be one or more paths through the forest, which are those most walked through. As the card passes along these paths, it encounters things that will change it, and when it arrives on the other side, it will be similar to any other card of its kind that reaches the other side. Following me so far?"


    Irwin nodded slowly, as he felt slightly odd at picturing a card with legs standing before the Gloomforest back home. "So, you are saying that the soul skills of creatures change as they walk through the forest and the cards we get from them¡­ remember this and somehow want to continue on this path?"


    "Exactly! As you know, forests don''t just have these well-trodden and easy paths. There are smaller, more dangerous paths one could take. Those might be dead ends, or they might pass through a dangerous area, but some are bound to allow you to reach the other side of the forest. Creatures with soul skills are like those, and thus cards have these options too. As a cardsmith, you can attempt to force a card along one of these paths. However¡­ Once you start reforging a card like that, there is no going back. Either you succeed, or the card is destroyed. Also, the paths are not clear, and you won''t know if you can actually find the end. You might start reforging a card, trying to go another route, only to find a dead end, causing the card to shatter!"


    Irwin whistled as he thought back to the cards he had reforged and how he had always tried to harmonize with the card as he worked on it. Perhaps that was what Ambraz meant? Trying to somehow change the harmony? Then another thought crossed his mind.


    "So, what happens when you reach the end of the forest?"


    "That''s when the card reaches its highest possible tier," Ambraz said, sounding like he had thought that much was obvious. "Most cards can reach Ruby, but it depends on those black patches of potential. If a card has many of those, and if you can close those pin holes that leak the card''s power with one or two reforges, the card can reach Diamond."


    Irwin leaned forward, eyes wide. "So it''s possible that I never find a card that can become Diamond ranked?"


    "What? Of course you can find them! You even have two already," Ambraz snorted.


    Irwin gazed at the stacks of cards.


    "Not those, you brat! Your first card, Fire-sensitive Body, could have become a Diamond rank, and why did you think I was so happy when you found that Derlin card? Your Firesteel hammer of purification can become Diamond rank."


    Irwin stared dumbly at his left hand.


    "So I could have increased it to Legendary," he muttered sadly.


    "Yeah, with great risk," Ambraz snorted. "That one is special, meaning it''s one of those cards that went way off the beaten path. If you had attempted to reforge it, there would have been a large chance of it blowing up."


    Irwin stared at his hand, trying to wrap his head around what Ambraz had said. He wondered what would have happened if he had tried to reforge it while it was in his hand and failed. Would his hand have blown up? Then he cocked his head.


    "What happens if I remove a card from my hand¡­ like Daubutim did, and then reforge it?" he asked, suddenly hopeful he could prevent future pain.


    "Nice try, but if you do that, the card''s future potential will be gutted," Ambraz said with a snort. "Each time you permanently remove a card, some of its potential vanishes. Even the best of cards would be incapable of becoming diamond rank if they were removed from someone''s hand."


    Irwin sighed, deciding that meant he was going to wait a good long while before he was going to reforge his fourth card.


    "Alright, so I think I understand," he began slowly. "To get a specific ability, you have to force the card along another path through the forest so it comes across something that will unlock the desired skill?"


    "Yes," Ambraz said. "Which brings us to one of the reasons the Smiths guild is so influential. They hold knowledge of many cards and their potential abilities. Smiths across the Portal Gallery have experimented on a near infinite amount of cards to determine the viable paths."


    Irwin''s eyes brightened as he imagined a smith finding a new way to reforge a card to unlock an especially powerful or useful ability.


    "So, where do I go to learn about the options for these cards," he said as he pointed at the stack.


    "Either one of the larger smith''s charters or from a high-rank smith," Ambraz said, his gray metallic lips curving up.


    None of which are something I can do right now, Irwin thought as he imagined asking the lord of this planet for something.


    Still, he wasn''t worried, simply waiting for Ambraz to continue. He''d been around the anvil long enough to know there was more coming.


    As the seconds ticked by, Ambraz''s smile slowly turned to a pursed line.


    "You can just tell me," Irwin finally said, afraid Ambraz might just blow up.


    "Fine. Spoil my fun, will you? Yes. I know paths for these common cards," Ambraz snapped.


    All of them? Irwin wondered but held back from asking. He''d wait for Ambraz''s mood to settle a bit.


    Instead, he waved the Hot Breath card around.


    "So. With you knowing the path, how do I reforge this card to match up to the specifications?"


    Ambraz flicked to the middle of the room, turning into his working shape, which caused a boom in the room and startled shouts from below.


    "Normally, when you reforge a card, you match the resonance that you feel when you hit the card. However, to force it down another path, you first have to push it in that direction," Ambraz said. "You need to hit it once for me to be able to determine the exact nature of this card and tell you how it works."


    Irwin got up, summoning his hammer as he did, before placing the card on Ambraz''s surface.


    "Just a normal strike?"


    "Yes. Just be ready to throw it in my mouth when I tell you to."


    Irwin focused on the card, then struck it once, causing the now familiar resonance to start as the image of two lips with a plume of hot air hovered before him. The image was faint, distorted, and constantly moving, while a dozen or so black smudges covered parts of it. Roughly as many bright spots dotted it.


    "Interesting¡­ this card has more potential than I would have thought," Ambraz muttered. "Not enough to be of use for you¡­ but it''s not bad! Alright, I''ve found the directions. Now, the main direction this card wants to go is towards a scalding air burst, where the air turns hotter and the distance greater. There are a few obvious sidepaths, but none of those will get us what we want. I do know of one that will. However, it is a difficult one."


    "Difficult, how?" Irwin asked. He still had no idea about the exact mechanics of what he was supposed to do.


    "We are going to force the initial resonance into a very specific direction. This means the next strike and those after have to be extremely precise. Also, you need to make your cards resonate at a specific frequency. Now, there are lots of ways to do this, but as you have started humming and singing, we will use that for now," Ambraz said.


    Still wondering what he was supposed to do, Irwin blinked as Ambraz cleared his throat and began humming a very odd tune of six notes that followed a very interesting rhythm.


    "Try and hum that," Ambraz said.


    Irwin complied, but it took a few tries before he got it exactly right.


    "Alright, now try to have your cards resonate along with your humming," Ambraz said.


    Irwin focused on his cards, their presence popping into his mind easily. All the reforging of the last few months had made him an expert in it, but as he tried to force them to resonate along with the tune, he found it was a lot more difficult than just humming it.


    A dozen attempts later, he finally managed a very rough version. It felt like the cards were both too rigid and too quick to move to his prodding, making the tones ring out either too fast or too high or low.


    "Ugh¡­ alright, you might need to practice this more than a few times," Ambraz grunted. "Don''t expect any cards above seventy percent if you do it this poorly. But for now, let''s continue. When you strike the next time, the card''s resonance will be pulled towards the predisposed path, and I want you to ignore it. Instead, force your cards to resonate like the first note you just did, then hit it again and do the second one. If you succeed, you will sense the card''s final resonance should be in line with yours. After that, continue reforging as normal. Just¡­ be aware that the card might jitter around. It will be far more difficult than normal."


    Irwin took a few deep breaths, resonating his cards a few more times along the hum Ambraz had taught him before raising his hammer. As he struck the card, he sensed the resonance it emitted and felt his cards wanting to hum along. Instead, he forced them to resonate with the first tone. There was a disturbing dissonance that instantly began, and he felt a strain from the card.


    "Don''t stop! Continue in the tempo of the humm!" Ambraz snapped.


    Irwin quickly struck again, forcing his cards to resonate with the second note. The dissonance grew stronger, and he saw the card tremble. Humming, he hit again and again. When he reached the sixth hammer blow and note, he knew he''d made a few major mistakes, and the card was trembling violently, a sense of imminent destruction coming from it.


    "Quick, toss it in my mouth," Ambraz snapped.


    Irwin wasn''t surprised, grabbing the card and flinging it in the wide-open maw. The lips barely closed when a dull boom came from Ambraz, followed by a soft, annoyed moan as he began chewing. A thin trickle of mist came from between his lips, accompanied by the scent of burning metal.


    "Don''t feel too bad, kid. You actually managed to keep it in one piece until the last hit," Ambraz said. "I''d expected it to blow up by the third strike!"


    Irwin frowned as he picked up the next card, staring at it. He had a bad premonition.


    "So¡­ Do I use the same tune again?" he asked.


    Ambraz let out a nasty laugh, and Irwin knew that if he had eyes, there would be an evil glint in them.


    "You wish. Each card has its own path, and you better hope I know the ones we need for all of them!"


    Irwin sighed, then, with a mock smile, put the next card on Ambraz''s surface.


    Let''s see how long it takes before I succeed, he thought.

 Chapter 105: Lord Urdwellan

    After three days of frustrations and failures, Irwin angrily glared at the table before him as he ticked with his fingers against the edge. Two mission papers were lying there, each with a few Purple Bordered cards on them. Both were finished, but it hadn''t been as easy as he had initially thought.


    In the end, he''d almost failed the first one. Only with Ambraz''s assistance had he managed to succeed on the very last card. The second mission had been an equally close call, and when the third card had failed, he almost believed he''d need Ambraz''s help again. Luckily, his fourth attempt had been a success, albeit only barely.


    That was a few minutes ago, after which he''d slumped on the chair, where he was still sitting.


    From what he sensed, he would need dozens of cards to practice this new technique to get any sense of surety of success. He had two more missions with cards that potentially had some use to Greldo, but he wasn''t willing to risk that just yet.


    Perhaps I should just have Ambraz help with those so Greldo doesn''t have to wait, he thought. He knew it meant Ambraz would be out of energy for over a day and would need to consume cards from the missions, making it even more dangerous. The problem was that if he hoped to reforge a card himself, it might take weeks, perhaps longer.


    "Isn''t there a way to practice this without using cards?" he asked.


    "No," Ambraz grunted. "Unless you can get a Ruby or higher rank smith to help you, the only thing you can do is keep trying."


    Irwin blinked, wondering why Tensor hadn''t taught him anything about this. Perhaps he could ask Balarn and Yogog? They might know more.


    "Don''t get your hopes up," Ambraz said as if he had read his mind. "Why do you think these missions have five attempts? Even then, only very few smiths are able to consistently reforge cards beyond their predisposed paths. The fact that you managed one, on your own, in such a short time is¡­"


    The Anvil let out a soft, weary laugh.


    "Well, I guess it''s only right for the smith I chose to keep showing off!"


    The outburst seemed to cost him what little energy he had remaining, as his mouth turned vague and his wings hung down. The way his tiny form was almost draped across the table, it was obvious how much the last few days had cost him. Especially the previous day, when he had helped Irwin reforge the card that had drained him.


    Eating those exploding cards didn''t help either, Irwin thought as he leaned back.


    "Then I think I need to see if I can find easier missions to stock up on more cards," he said as he thought of the stacks of leftover cards Balarn had taken. Perhaps he should ask for some back?


    "You said that some paths are easier than others?"


    "Yes, and some are even harder than the ones you''ve done. That first one was above average in difficulty," Ambraz said.


    "You should have told me so I could have started with another," Irwin muttered.


    Thinking about the previous days, he felt his annoyance rise. If Ambraz knew he''d fail, why had he let him try?


    "What? And you would have believed me?" Ambraz snorted, showing a little bit more energy. "Besides, you''ve had it way too easy. It''s good for you to feel how hard this actually is!"


    Irwin snorted. Of course, I would have listened, he thought before grimacing. Well¡­ he might have.


    "What if I just reforge a card up to Topaz and sell it? Maybe I can get a lot of quartz cards to practice with?" he said.


    "Sure, because I know the potential paths for all cards," Ambraz snapped. "Kid, there''s a reason they hand out these specific cards. It''s because they know they actually have potential paths. If you just take any random card and try to find a path without knowing the start, there''s a larger chance that you find an Ammolite card on your next kill!"


    Ammolite again, Irwin thought.


    "What''s Ammolite anyway?" he asked.


    "A legend," a familiar voice said from the door.


    Irwin jumped and spun around. The door of his room was open, and Balarn stood there with a half-smirk.


    "Sorry, but I was coming up and couldn''t help but overhear what you said about selling Topaz cards. It''s illegal to sell those except to the mission centers, card shops, or from auction houses."


    "I understand that you want to earn more soulshards and cards, but if it was that easy don''t you think Yogog and I would have done so by now?" he said.


    "I guess," Irwin said as he rubbed his head.


    "Mind if I come in?"


    Looking up, Irwin nodded. "Of course."


    Balarn moved into the room, taking a look around before sitting opposite him. Irwin saw his gaze drawn to the mission papers.


    "You''ve finished two?" Balarn muttered before shaking his head with a wry smile. "I guess I shouldn''t be surprised anymore."


    "It wasn''t easy," Irwin said honestly. "I would have failed without Ambraz."


    "Yes, well, you are a Topaz rank smith," Balarn said as if that explained everything. "Either way, that''s not what I''m here for. Yogog returned yesterday, and he had something for you."


    Irwin''s eyebrows rose as Balarn pulled two white-bordered cards from his pocket, sliding them across the table.


    "Those aren''t half bad," Ambraz muttered, rising from his position and moving to intercept them. As he landed atop them, he began muttering to himself.


    Irwin felt his interest being piqued. He had no idea what cards these were, but Ambraz wasn''t easy with his praise.


    "I''ll go thank him after we are done," he said.


    Balarn shook his head. "You will have to wait another week. He just left for another mission, taking Ignalia and Hotzli with him."


    It''s like he doesn''t want to stay here and do any smithing, Irwin thought. The combative smith seemed to take every opportunity to set out.


    Then another thing Balarn said made him frown.


    "Wasn''t there some rule that Smiths needed to have a guard present at all times?" he asked.


    "Yes, which brings me to the following. Scintilla has been hanging around here, trying to get your attention for two days now," Balarn said calmly.


    Right! The Ignitzion, he thought, realizing he''d completely forgotten about her. And with him smithing in his own room, only coming out if he had to¡­


    He rubbed his head, giving Balarn a weary grin. "I totally forgot about that."


    "That much was obvious," Balarn said as he nodded. "Before they left, Ignalia and Hotzli both sparred with her a few times and said she is more than up to the task of guarding you. With everything that could happen here, it would be best if you accept her offer."


    Irwin cocked his head. "Why me? If Hotzli isn''t here, shouldn''t you take her?"


    Balarn''s eyes flickered as he shook his head. "No, because I am going to take a few missions, and I''m going to bring Greldo along."


    "You what?" Irwin said as he gazed at Balarn in surprise.


    "If the two of you are to go out on missions later, your friend needs practice. Besides this, all the waiting and doing nothing is making him agitated. He is waiting for you, but I don''t think either of you realize how long that might take."


    Irwin grimaced as he realized he''d not spoken to his friend in three days. Even during eating, all he had been thinking about was how to keep his resonance. He vaguely remembered Greldo asking him how it was going. Had he even answered?


    Balarn continued talking, and he quickly focused back on the burly smith.


    "-has already joined a mercenary charter here and is allowed to take simple missions. I don''t think he will be able to hold himself back much longer. Normally I would remain here to complete the initial missions to provide us with the income needed to remain, but you have that covered. That means, for the first time in over three years, I have the luxury of taking a short break, and earlier than I had imagined."


    Irwin blinked, then looked out of the window at the distant behemoth trees. As he imagined Greldo setting out, together with Balarn, he felt a strong desire to join them grow.


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    "Neither of us has a good heat resistance card, so we will be taking missions in the grove, and-" Balarn continued before falling quiet.


    Irwin looked up to see the smith staring at him, before cocking his head, a faint smile appeared.


    "There will be time for you to take a mission soon and go with your friend to explore. But for now, you need to work on the cards you promised. We also really need this first batch of missions finished, as it will give us the capital to remain here for over a year. So, don''t worry about your friend. I''ll take him on two or three missions, which should keep us busy for a week or two. In the meantime, you work on those cards."


    Irwin nodded slowly. "What about the others?" he asked.


    "Don''t worry. I divided the leftover cards among them. They will reforge them as training and perhaps into something that we can auction off," Balarn said as he rose from the table.


    "Now, take your time. I''ll hand in these mission cards."


    Irwin nodded again, watching Balarn take the cards and leave. When the door closed, he watched it for a few moments.


    "Stop zoning out," Ambraz snapped. "Take a look at the top card! It''s the perfect base for Greldo''s next card!"


    Irwin sighed, then grinned as he turned back to the card.


    --


    Days rushed by, and with each one, Irwin became a little better at making his cards resonate. Slowly, his new stack of leftover cards was growing. He had decided to use those for practicing after this entire batch was done. One of the things he wanted to attempt was to find a path without getting it pointed out by Ambraz.


    A day after Balarn and Greldo had left, he accepted Scintilla as his guard, and she took residence in one of the empty rooms. The energetic mercenary was slightly peeved when he told her he needed at least a few more weeks before even thinking about setting out, but in the end, she just took up wandering around the city. Irwin barely noticed due to his complete focus on reforging.


    Finally, three weeks after they had arrived in Cinder Grove, Irwin finished the final card of the final mission. Staring at it, he began passing through his room with a scowl.


    "What''s with that look?" Ambraz snorted, changing into his small form in a blinding flash, before flitting around Irwin like an angry wasp.


    "I still couldn''t get this mission done without wasting three cards," Irwin said as he stomped around.


    Ambraz laughed as he flitted around his head before sitting down atop it.


    "Kid, as monstrous as your talent seems to be, it should take even you a year before you can do these with any degree of certainty," he said, sounding smug.


    Irwin sniffed before walking to his small cupboard and taking two cards from a drawer.


    "Great¡­ So that means the only way I''ll be sure I can reforge this for Greldo is with your help?"


    "Yes, and you better get used to it! This is just quartz rank. You have no idea how difficult this is at higher ranks," Ambraz said.


    Irwin sniffed and removed some cards from a stack in the drawer. He sighed sadly at them before shrugging.


    "Fine. Let''s see how far I can get," he muttered.


    A few moments later, Ambraz was back to his large form, a wide grin on his mouth as he chewed on the card Irwin had tossed his way.


    "Don''t look so sad," he said. "It''s for a good cause!"


    Yeah, your bottomless stomach, Irwin thought.


    Then he took a deep breath and put a card atop Ambraz taking a quick look at it with his Eyes of the Blaze.


    Card: Shared Strength


    Type: Quartz, Minion Coupling


    Owner: -


    A rare card that can connect to a summon card, creating a passive boost to the wielder''s strength.


    Passive: Increase strength based on the minion''s strength


    "So, you''re sure you know the way to reforge this to give Greldo a part of Coal''s heat resistance?"


    "Yes, and if you manage to do it without help, I can try to add a little benefit," Ambraz said.


    Benefit? Irwin thought. It was the first time Ambraz had mentioned it.


    "What benefit?"


    "You will see if you manage to do it without help," Ambraz said.


    Probably just trying to motivate me, Irwin thought as he summoned his hammer.


    He glanced at it, wondering when he should take the time and pain to reforge it up to Topaz. Pushing it out of his mind for now, he took a few breaths, then struck the Shared Strength card.


    A strong resonance pulsed out, and he waited for Ambraz to figure out the path to take.


    "Alright, got it," Ambraz muttered. Then he hummed a tune, and when he ended, Irwin glared at him.


    "Ten notes?"


    "Yes. Stop getting distracted, and begin!"


    Irwin gritted his teeth. The hardest one he''d had to do so far had been eight notes, and he''d failed that one spectacularly. He''d also noticed something odd happening after the seventh hit. Sadly, having to toss a nearly exploding card into Ambraz''s mouth had distracted him from it, and afterward, he couldn''t remember much about it.


    That one had a harder tune, though, he thought as he hummed the notes a dozen times until he had them memorized perfectly. They weren''t very fast, and had nice long pauses. Pushing all distractions away, he struck the card, forcing his own to resonate with the first note.


    Perhaps it was the slow speed of the notes or something about their resonance, but as he struck his second blow, he sensed the card barely resisted his attempt to force it along another path.


    Perhaps Ambraz is helping?


    Only when he reached the sixth strike did the card begin vibrating on the Anvil''s surface. By now, Irwin was completely absorbed in the sense of his own cards and the hammering, and as he struck the seventh, he suddenly noticed something that seemed almost like a background melody. It was as if someone or something was humming along. Not enough to distract him, he felt joy as his eighth-strike rang true. By now, the card''s image was less muddled, and the image of the two chained rings became clearer.


    The background sound became louder as he hit again, and he felt a sense of joy erupt from his first card.


    Knowing he was going to succeed, Irwin smiled broadly as he struck the final blow, and as he did, something strange happened. Without any effort on his part, his cards began to resonate at the correct frequency, and the background melody became so loud that he could hear it. At the same time, the card in front of him was vibrating, its surface barely even touching Ambraz.


    "Fantastic," Ambraz shouted.


    The joy in his voice was so obvious that it surprised Irwin. Then Ambraz began to shake and vibrate, and Irwin jumped back as he felt the floorboards below his feet in shock. Surprised shouts came from outside, followed by running feet.


    "Keep them out," Ambraz snapped, his voice massively strained.


    Not sure what the hell was going on, Irwin jumped towards the door, putting his back against it. He was just in time, as he felt someone pushing against it.


    "Irwin? What''s going on?" Monyque shouted.


    "It''s all okay," Irwin shouted over the increasingly loud rumbling. "I''ll explain in a bit, just stay there and keep the rest out!"


    He couldn''t hear the response, and he didn''t care because, at that moment, a purple rune appeared above Ambraz''s mouth, glowing so bright it hurt Irwin''s eyes. It resembled a crown with three sharp spikes, and the glow continued to increase. For the first time since he could recall, he had to close his eyes, and he was only just in time. A bright burst of light was followed by the sound of a deep gong.


    The silence that was left in its wake startled him, and Irwin opened his eyes to see the brilliant purple rune slowly fade. Below it, Ambraz had a grin so wide the corners of his metallic lips seemed to be attempting to touch the top of his anvil body.


    "By Gelwin''s beard, what was that?" Irwin hissed.


    "I finally, finally, ranked up," Ambraz whispered with a sigh.


    Before Irwin could even respond, Ambraz flashed and returned to his tiny form. The now purple-bordered card ticked on the ground as he sped through the room and landed on Irwin''s shoulder.


    "Don''t describe the rune to anyone," Ambraz whispered so softly that Irwin barely heard it. "If someone asks, tell them you saw two overlapping squares! Now, I need to rest. Don''t bother me for a few days."


    "What happened?" Irwin hissed, hearing a soft whispering from behind the door.


    "Later," Ambraz said as he crawled inside Irwin''s pocket.


    "Irwin! Are you alright?" Monyque shouted, her voice overly loud with just the door in between.


    Gritting his teeth and wondering what the hell was going on, Irwin gazed at the card, forgotten on the ground.


    "Yes, one moment!" he said as he jumped forward and snatched the card up, shoving it in his pocket. As he did, he noticed that the two chain-connected rings had barely changed.


    Did we fail? he thought, turning just as the door was shoved open.


    Monyque stepped into the room, looking around as if she expected to find a giant monster somewhere.


    "What happened? The whole building was about to collapse!" she said. Nimdal and Syndal stood behind her, their hammers forgotten in their hands.


    Irwin shrugged, not sure what to say when the other''s eyes widened so much he feared Monyque''s would roll out of her head. They were all staring at something behind him.


    Now what, Irwin thought as he slowly turned to the window.


    A powerfully built Viridian with a bare chest covered with almost metallic, gleaming bark was hovering before the window. He was staring at Irwin with two completely green eyes, which contrasted with the beautiful ruby crystal which was embedded in his forehead, bark seemingly growing around its edges to hold it in place.


    "My apologies for intruding upon your privacy," the man said, his voice sounding like wood being bent close to breaking. Although his leafhair was still mostly dark green, with only some orange highlights, his voice seemed ancient.


    "It has just been so long since I witnessed someone rank up their Anvil of the Gods that I had to see who was causing such a massive disturbance."


    Irwin swallowed as the man stepped into the room. His head brushed the ceiling, and a silvery anvil whisked in after him. It was far larger than Ambraz, but as soon as he saw it, Irwin knew it for what it was.


    ¡°Stop being so cordial, Gebladir! Just because some tiny pup stepped up the ladder a bit? It doesn''t behoove the leader of the world to come here personally! I told you, you should have just had someone bring him to you!"


    Irwin gaped at the silvery Anvil as it shrank and landed on the man''s shoulder. Of all the things he had expected, this wasn''t one of them. Suddenly realizing that he was ignoring the leader of an entire world, he quickly looked at the man, noting a tiny gleam in the dark green eyes.


    "Lord Urdwellan," he said, trying to keep the shake out of his voice, bowing slightly.


    "At least the pup knows how to act," the silver anvil crooned. "Now! Where''s the pipsqueak that just interrupted my nap?"


    Irwin looked from the Anvil to Lord Urdwellan and back, unsure what to say. He didn''t sense any movement from Ambraz, and he wasn''t sure what to say.


    "Young one, just ignore Yuustis. He has a tendency to act out of line," Lord Urdwellan said. "Instead, could you tell me what rank your Anvil became?"


    "His Anvil? His Anvil? We aren''t property, you rugged-skinned-"


    There was a flash of green light, followed by the rustling of leaves, then the silver Anvil blurred through the window. There was a distant shout of annoyance before that faded into the distance.


    Irwin''s eyes widened. He hadn''t seen the man move, and he was still staring at him, smiling.


    His mouth dry, Irwin managed a crooked grin before shrugging. "I''m not sure," he said, scrambling for something to say. Then he recalled Ambraz''s words. "When he stopped rumbling, two overlapping squares appeared on him, and he suddenly had to rest."


    Irwin watched Lord Urdwellan, wondering if this was enough. Ambraz had just said he''d ranked up, not from what to what!


    "Ahhh, a young one then," Lord Urdwellan said. "Fitting for such a young smith! I see you are working diligently on our craft," he continued, motioning to the stacks of mission papers with the finished purple-bordered cards. "Well. I''ll leave you to find out the benefits of your Anvil''s new rank. Perhaps we will see each other again sometime in the future!"


    Not knowing what to say, Irwin nodded dumbly and watched the tall Viridian walk back to the window. As the man stepped out, seemingly in empty air, he smiled back.


    "Remember to work on your personal power as much as your craft," he said as he gazed at Irwin''s right hand. "There have been rumors of some of our brethren and sisters disappearing!"


    What?


    Before Irwin could even think of asking questions, Lord Urdwellan stepped out of the window. He fell down, then there was a rustle of leaves followed by silence.


    "Can someone tell me what just happened?" Nimdal muttered.


    Irwin swallowed as he ran to the window, looking down. There was no sight of Lord Urdwellan, not that he had expected it, but there weren''t any leaves either.


    "Irwin¡­ what, by Desteroyd''s Forge, is happening!" Monyque asked, her voice rising in pitch.


    Irwin turned, watching her drop on the chair he''d just been sitting on.


    "I have no idea," he said.

 Chapter 106: Haudur鈥檚 Charter

    It took Irwin a long time to get the others to leave, and he knew that even then, Monyque wasn''t satisfied with his explanation. He couldn''t really blame her, as he didn''t actually have one he could give. It was harder for him to determine what Nimdal or Syndal thought as they just nodded and left.


    As the door closed, he looked at it and sighed.


    I really need to get a lock.


    He sat back down, trying to reason out what had happened. He had no idea what to think of Lord Urdwellan''s appearance or the knowledge he also had an Anvil of the Gods. Then there was the warning he had given him in the end. For a few moments, he wondered if it had been a lie. Then he shoved the notion away. There was no reason for Lord Urdwellan to lie to him, and it had seemed like some sort of last moment mentioning.


    Smiths disappearing? Does he mean that they are getting abducted? Why would-


    No, scratch that.


    He had a good idea why someone would want to abduct Smiths. To get better cards or perhaps to prevent someone else from getting those. No. If that was the thing happening, how was a better question? From all he knew, the Smiths guild was incredibly powerful and influential, and he was pretty sure they wouldn''t just let this happen.


    I wonder if any smiths disappeared here? he thought, then frowned. Wait, were they only disappearing here? Was this a local issue? Somehow he had the sense that Lord Urdwellan had meant more than that, but perhaps he was seeing too much into it.


    For the first time in weeks, he thought about Daubutim, wishing he could talk with his friend.


    I''ll talk with Balarn and Yogog when they get back, he decided.


    His mind kept spinning for a while before he let out a snort.


    "Whatever!"


    He rummaged in his pocket. It was time to see what the card had changed to. As he looked at the purple carded card, the clarity of the image showed that it was a high-percentage craft, and he nodded. If it was as good as Ambraz had insinuated, Greldo would be happy.


    Card: Shared Physique


    Type: Amethyst, Minion Coupling, Reforged by Irwin Roddington


    Owner: -


    An especially rare mutation of a rare card. Can connect to a summon card, causing a permanent sharing of physical aspects.


    Passive: Change physical attributes to resemble those of the connected minion


    Active: Change all physical attributes to match those of the connected minion


    "..."


    Irwin swallowed, reading the card again to make sure he had read it right.


    "How is this an Amethyst card?" he asked.


    There was no response, and he exhailed bruskly. It even had an active ability now! Was this what Ambraz had said when he was talking about a little benefit?


    I guess this includes Coal''s heat resistance, he thought.


    Looking at it for a while, he was almost inclined to keep the card for himself. He could find a summon somewhere, and with this¡­


    Irwin shook his head. He only had two slots left, and his physique wasn''t a problem. No. What he really wanted was mobility and a way to lock someone down. Besides, if he could make this, he should be able to make better things.


    Blankly looking at the far wall, he leaned back.


    He had been working on his smithing a lot. Wasn''t it about time he created a new card for himself? He still had two slots open, and Ambraz had said he could reforge his hammer to legendary. That meant he could, at the very least, find a card that removed one of his weaknesses.


    Or something to fix my water issue, he thought as he realized how dry his mouth was. A quick look at the nearby cupboard showed that the water jar had survived the rumbling. Within moments he drained it dry before looking at it with a wry smile.


    Yeah. I really need to figure out how to stop being thirsty all the time.


    Hesitating for only a moment, he grabbed the stack of finished mission papers and walked out of the room. The halls and shared areas were empty, though he heard some rustling from the other rooms. It took him only a few moments to find Nimdal in the smithing area.


    The taller of the two cousins, who Irwin still thought could be brothers, was pounding on a card. A flickering image of a thick chain hovered above the beaten and battered anvil.


    Almost done, Irwin knew as he inspected the card.


    Three strikes later, there was a flash, and the card shuddered before the quartz edge turned a dull purple. Irwin heard a weary sigh coming from Nimdal, then he turned to Irwin.


    "Here to see how it''s done?" he asked dryly.


    Irwin grinned. "No. I''m going to hand in some mission letters and was wondering if you knew where Scintilla is?"


    "Your loss," Nimdal said, a corner of his lips tugging up. "I think she is back near the edge, staring at the lake."


    "Thanks. Do you want me to hand in anything?" Irwin asked.


    "What? And tarnish your reputation with my eighty percent successes? Nah! But if you could get me one of those silvery blue fruits when you return¡­?"


    "Will do," Irwin said as he waved and left.


    Scintilla was easy enough to find. She stood near a small clearing surrounded by low pale green bushes with azure flowers and turned when he approached.


    There was a dull look on her face that instantly vanished as she saw him.


    "Hotstuff! Finally! Tell me we are going to grab something fun to do," she said as she walked towards him.


    Seeing her sparkling eyes and wide grin, Irwin felt his mood improve.


    "Almost! First, I need to get another card," he said as he tapped the empty second slot on his right hand.


    "Get a sword card! I''ll teach you!"


    Irwin grinned as he began walking towards the route down. He hesitated for a moment, then decided to take the stairs. At least down. He didn''t have that many soulshards right now, and he''d rather go up with the Skytendril.


    "I already have a weapon," he said, summoning his hammer in his hand.


    Scintilla let out some hazy laughter as she knocked a fist against it.


    "That''s a crafters tool. Not a weapon! It might work if you battle low-rank enemies, but it won''t work against anything with heartcards or similar skills."


    Before Irwin could react, she grabbed his right hand and pulled it close. He felt a hot breath on the back of his hand.


    "Only amethyst? Good! If you want to use that in battle, you should reforge it to have a battle form."


    Irwin blinked in surprise. "Battle form?"


    A few minutes later, he almost regretted having asked. Scintilla seemed more than willing to talk about anything revolving around battle, and a waterfall of information about weapon cards came.


    She only stopped when they reached the Greenbark Mission Center, and by that time, Irwin''s head was spinning.


    From what Scintilla had said, weapon cards could almost always gain active abilities to have different shapes, while high-rank utility cards could gain battle shapes allowing them to act as weapon cards temporarily.


    "Thanks a lot," he said seriously. "Now, let''s see if we can find anything useful."


    To his surprise, there were a few other smiths inside, handing in mission papers. From what he could see, all of them seemed off-worlders, their guards hanging around in the shop''s large front area. Most were roughly human, like him, but he saw two Ignitzion guards chatting near a wall that he knew from his first time here had Ruby rank cards.


    "Come get me when you''re finished," Scintilla said as she waved before walking towards the other two fiery-haired women.


    I wonder why there are only Ignitzion girls, Irwin thought as he headed toward Driseog.


    Seven smiths, all roughly human from the looks of it, were whispering in front of the counter. Driseog was working through the stack of mission papers they had handed in.


    The five women all had earrings with topaz gemstones with a smith ranking on it, while the two men had thin bands across their heads, that had theirs embedded in them. A few looked at him curiously, nodding in greeting.


    Probably all from the same charter, Irwin thought as he returned the gesture.


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Apparently satisfied, the smiths ignored him, refocusing on Driseog and their conversation. One of them, a woman with silver eyes and matching hair, stood in the center, the others appearing focussed on her. She was wearing a long dark green robe with wide sleeves that couldn''t completely cover up her athletic figure. Her entire focus was on Driseog, who nodded as the tablet before him chimed softly.


    "And you are sure we can take on enough new missions for all of us?" a woman with piercing red eyes asked.


    The silver-haired girl smiled. "Sure? No. But we should have succeeded in over half of the missions," she said. "So, in the worst-case scenario, a few of us will need to go out and procure more cards."


    Irwin blinked in surprise. Why wouldn''t they be able to take on enough missions? he thought. Was there some kind of limit?


    A soft crackling sound came as Driseog put the final card on the emerald-colored crystal tablet, and he smiled ruefully. After putting the card to the side and writing something on the mission letter, he turned to the smiths.


    "Lady Relinda! It brings me great joy to tell you that Greenbark Mission Center accepts twelve of the missions as complete. Five of the cards don''t match the required specifications, and four were delivered without a card. A very respectable result! On top of this, as the seventh charter to successfully complete over ten missions, you are granted two additional missions."


    Lady? So she''s a noble or something? Irwin wondered.


    He was surprised at how little this idea bothered him. If it had been a year ago, he knew that he would have been apprehensive of coming anywhere near her. However, after having been around Daubutim and other nobles, he knew that, as with regular people, not all nobles were necessarily bad.


    A joyous bluster came from the smiths while Irwin saw the silver-haired smith Relinda clench her fists. An annoyed look flickered across her face before being replaced by a neutral smile.


    "Thank you, Driseog. Then I would like to see the mission log to select the next fourteen missions."


    "Of course, Lady Relinda! Please take a look and let me know which of the missions takes your fancy!"


    Relinda nodded and moved to the next counter, the other smiths following her, still chatting excitedly.


    "Honorable Smith Irwin," Driseog said, giving Irwin a nod. "Balarn isn''t with you today?"


    "He is still on a mission to the east," Irwin said as he stepped up to the counter and put the mission slips down. "I''m here to hand in the missions and take new ones."


    He noticed Driseog''s eyes widen a fraction, but he simply smiled and nodded.


    "Of course! Let me see how many are acceptable, and I''ll let you know the number of new missions you may take. Are all of these for yourself¡­?"


    Irwin shrugged, not really sure. He wasn''t really interested in working through another set if he could help it. Only if he could find a mission with cards that fit his own requirements would he do so.


    "Well, let us see how many you may take first," Driseog said.


    "About that. Could you explain how this works?" Irwin asked. "Balarn never mentioned that we might not be able to take new missions. I''ve only been a smith for a short while."


    Driseog looked up in surprise, his gaze locking onto the Topaz ranking signet in Irwin''s braided hair before focusing back on Irwin. At the same time, there was a bit of laughter from the smiths standing further away. Irwin wasn''t sure if it was because of his question or not, and he didn''t rightly care.


    "Of course! As you must know, there is a limit to the number of quartz cards, especially those that align with people''s desires. As this century''s cardstorm has only just started, and many charters are still working on their initial or second set of missions, there are still plenty left. However,  in a few months, the backlog of missions that have gathered over the last few decades will be gone. As soon as that happens, Mission Centers like mine will be far more careful about who we hand out missions to. There will be more missions with only three or even just two potential cards."


    Irwin nodded, getting where this was going.


    "So, to find the best smiths, you only hand out missions based on success," he said.


    "Exactly! Now, don''t worry too much. I know you are new here, but there are always mining, gathering, and other missions you can take to earn cards. If needed, you can even take the more dangerous missions and try to find some cards on your own, though I would advise against that until you are heart-carded," Driseog said.


    "Thanks," Irwin said, bobbing his head at Driseog''s good intentions.


    "You are welcome. Now, let''s see how well you did," Driseog said, turning his attention to the stack of mission cards. "Let''s see¡­ seven completed missions, with two designated as difficult for their rank."


    Irwin waited quietly, noticing that the smiths to the side had fallen quiet. A quick look over showed that half of them were watching Driseog. One of them, a man with a small, well-manicured black goatee, looked him in the eye and grinned.


    Something about it caused Irwin''s hair to stand up, but he just smiled back.


    "Oh dear, two difficult ones? I hope you did really well on the others, Brother. Next time I wouldn''t pick those unless-"


    A soft ping from the green crystal tablet in front of Driseog interrupted the sharp words. Driseog''s eyebrows had risen, and he was nodding while mumbling to himself.


    They should all be acceptable, Irwin thought to himself, ignoring the goatee. Either that or Ambraz had made a mistake in his explanation, which he could barely believe.


    Driseog began writing something in a book before placing the mission letter and card with it. Irwin could see his eyes glitter as he looked at the card.


    After a few moments, he continued with the next card, which also caused a chime. Listening to it, Irwin realized it sounded a lot like those he heard when he successfully reforged a card.


    Driseog continued, working through the cards, the smile on his face wider with each successive one.


    "Are you kidding me?"


    "Maybe they were all really easy?"


    "They must have sent him with only those they were sure of, keeping the others¡­."


    Irwin ignored the muted conversation, though he couldn''t help glancing over quickly. Except for Lady Relinda, who was still leafing through the available missions, the other smiths had moved closer, staring at Driseog and the quickly dwindling stack of mission cards.


    Two cards left, the group of smiths had hushed, and Driseog''s eyes were glittering. As the single last card was put on the successful stack, one of the smiths hissed.


    "This has to be a joke! Driseog, are you trying to fool us?"


    Driseog looked up, his eyes narrowing.


    "Please refrain from implying my Greenbark Mission Center is in any way attempting to commit fraud," he said coolly.


    Irwin frowned as he looked at the smiths. The smith who had just spoken out was the one with the tiny beard, and he was glaring over his crossed arms.


    "Oh? So you are implying that their charter managed to succeed in nearly every mission, including a difficult one?" he asked, his disbelief evident. "What would that make us?"


    Irwin opened his mouth, about to say something before closing it and shaking his head. He had almost made a snide comment when he remembered he was new here and alone.


    "What? You have something to add?" the smith asked, his hands clamped on his arms.


    The other five smiths were looking at him with a frown, and Irwin saw that Lady Relinda had stopped going through the list.


    The female smith with the burning red eyes looked around in confusion, then stepped forward.


    "Come on, Hilber¡­ These things happen. Stop causing-"


    "No," the smith snapped. "We''ve been working our ass off for weeks, trying our absolute best, and this makes it look like we are-"


    "We are what?" Relinda''s cold voice caused Hilber to freeze as his eyes widened in sudden fear.


    "Lady Relinda! I''m just trying to go-"


    "Trying to do what? Make our charter look like a bunch of troublemakers?" Relinda said, her voice turning even colder. "Go back to the smithy."


    Hilber swallowed audibly, glared at Irwin, then stomped away.


    "I''ll make sure he gets there," the red-eyed woman said, running after him. Two of the guards quickly followed them out of the mission center.


    Irwin frowned as he saw them leave, wondering if Hilber was going to cause trouble.


    A soft chime made him look up at Driseog, who was nodding as he smiled widely at the final card.


    "Seven out of seven," he said, turning his smile to Irwin. "Remarkable! Although you haven''t reached ten yet, if you manage, you will be the third flawless result! It looks like there are great things to expect from Tensor''s charter this run."


    Irwin was about to answer when someone stepped up beside him. Looking to the side, he saw Lady Relinda.


    "My apologies for Hibler''s behavior," she said, looking at Irwin before turning to Driseog. "Also to you, master Driseog.  Hope you will forgive my charter''s foolishness."


    Master Driseog? Irwin thought, wondering what that was about.


    Driseog waved his hand around. "It is fine, Lady Relinda. The day I hold one person''s actions against an entire group has yet to come."


    Relinda bowed. "Thank you. I have marked the new missions and will return when they are finished."


    She turned, and Irwin saw her cold gaze on him for a moment before she moved away. The other smiths filed out ahead of her. The remaining Ignitzion guard nodded at Scintilla before following. A few moments later, only Irwin and Scintilla remained with Driseog.


    Driseog smiled as he motioned to the mission slab.


    "You may select up to seven new missions while there are some left. I''ll subtract the cost from your earnings."


    "Thanks," Irwin muttered as he stepped in front of the green crystal slab.


    Now let''s see if I can find something useful, he thought.


    What felt like an hour later, he walked out of the mission center, glad Scintilla was with him. The weight of the bag of soul shards surprised and worried him.


    As soon as they exited the shop, Scintilla pushed him along the side of the building. Looking up in surprise, Irwin saw her look around with a sharp gaze.


    "Come on, hotstuff, it''s time to get out of here," she hissed.


    Irwin''s mind spun, and he quickly connected the dots.


    "Are we in trouble with that other charter?" he whispered.


    "Lady Relinda of Haudur''s charter is known for being spiteful to the extreme. The only reason she was as calm as she was just now was because if she pisses off any more Mission Centers, she won''t be able to get any more missions."


    Fantastic, Irwin thought, narrowing his eyes as we looked around.


    "So now what?" he whispered as they rushed through a smaller road that he knew led to another staircase up.


    "I think we should wait till Hotzli and Ignalia are back, then set out on a mission. Preferably a longer one outside of Equator Grove."


    Irwin frowned, keeping an eye out for any of the smiths he''d seen.


    Either by luck or because none of them had been waiting in ambush, they returned to the smithy without issue. On the trip, Irwin had been thinking and discussing things with Scintilla.


    He quickly gathered the others, who were staring at him in surprise. The surprise quickly turned to upset anger when he explained what had happened.


    "I''ve never heard of Haudur''s charter, but there''s no way the Smith''s guild would allow behavior like this," Monyque said, thudding her fist on the table and causing it to creak dangerously.


    "We should wait for Balarn or Yogog. Either of them has probably dealt with them or knows of them," Irwin said as he stood up, causing the others to fall quiet.


    He turned to Scintilla. "Can you get us a mission like the one you suggested? Preferably one without a time limit, so we can leave when we want."


    "Sure thing!" Scintilla said. "You stay here until I get back, alright?"


    Irwin raised his eyebrows. "Afraid I''ll get into trouble?"


    "Without me or that punk here? Definitely!" she said as she turned and walked away.


    "Make sure we can bring Greldo too!" Irwin shouted after her.


    "Fine!"


    He heard her mutter something under her breath but decided to ignore it. Then he turned to the others, noting Nimdal''s smirk.


    "Let me guess. You are going to be noisy in your room again?" the brown-eyed smith asked, eliciting a soft laugh from his cousin.


    "Yes. I''ll finish another three missions if I can. Apparently, there''s some kind of reward for it," Irwin said as he removed the bag of soulshards from his pocket.


    He had taken a look before and was shocked to see there were over three thousand inside. After some hesitation, he''d taken a thousand for himself. He was the one who''d finished them, but he knew the others wouldn''t be able to pay for anything if he took it all.


    After a quick hesitation, he tossed the pouch to Syndal, the quieter of the two cousins.


    "In case something happens, hand those to Balarn," he said.


    Syndal weighed the pouch, his eyes widening.


    "I''ll be back in my room if you need me," Irwin said, turning and heading up the stairs.


    As he walked away,  he heard the others talk amongst themselves softly. He was curious, but not enough to stay. No, what he really wanted was for Ambraz to wake up, and he was hoping he had the trick for it.


    When he reached his room, he hesitated, then closed the window shutters. Although he didn''t think it would happen, he''d prefer nobody sneak up on him.


    He placed the seven new mission letters and spread out their cards on the table before sticking his hand in his pocket until he reached Ambraz. The anvil was surprisingly warm, even to his heat-resistant fingers, and as he pulled him out, he heard a weary groan.


    "Wu- what?"


    "I need your help," Irwin said.


    "Ughhh- come on, I said I need rest," Ambraz said before letting out something akin to a yawn.


    Irwin pointed at the cards. "Pick the worst one so I can feed it to you, and then we need to talk."


    "Two!" Ambraz said before yawning again.


    Irwin grinned as he leaned back.


    Time to find a new card!

 Chapter 107: Soulforce

    "Just wait till you are ready to create your heartcard," Ambraz said in between crunching on his second card. "When we combine all your cards, remove some useless parts and increase those we need, your drinking problem should largely go away."


    Irwin leaned back, staring at the stacks of cards. According to Ambraz, the best one there still wouldn''t be all that useful. It just left a bad taste in his mouth that even after selecting them as he had, there wasn''t a single one that gave him some movement ability.


    "Can you tell me a bit more about how to get a heartcard?" he asked, slightly disgruntled.


    Ambraz swallowed the remnants of the card, then turned to the others, licking his lips.


    "No more cards," Irwin said. "We need to finish those missions first. If we do that successfully, you can have another one."


    "I''ll hold you to that, kid," Ambraz said. Then he flitted through the room.


    "So¡­ heartcards are easy and incredibly difficult," he said. "Not as difficult as soulcards, of course, but still. To get one, you need to either be a cardsmith or¡­ well, let''s leave it to that for now. As a-¡±


    "Let''s not," Irwin said as he tapped the finger, interrupting Ambraz. "What other ways are there to get a heartcard?"


    The Anvil''s lips turned into a pursed line.


    "If you don''t want to tell me, you could just tell me what that symbol on your head meant when you ranked up. And perhaps start by explaining why you can even rank up in the first place?"


    Ambraz sighed. "So¡­ when a creature dies, most of the time, their soulskills shatter. As you know, sometimes they don''t, and this is when they crystalize into a card that beings without soulskill seeds can use."


    "Right¡­ as I know," Irwin snorted. "Soulskill seeds?"


    "Come on, you can''t expect me to explain all of that to you? We''d be sitting here for weeks if I had to tell you everything you don''t know!" Ambraz snapped.


    "Soulskill seeds?" Irwin asked, raising an eyebrow. As he did, a tiny flicker of an idea came to him.


    "Fine! Fine¡­ Well, I can''t tell you that without- Ugh, don''t glare like that! Fine! Better sit back and relax then," Ambraz shouted as he landed on the table, radiating annoyance.


    "So, there are three important distinctions of beings that we know of. Types, you can call them. The most common are those who are born with a soulskill seed, which will grow stronger during their lives as they age, kill, and eat things with soulpower."


    "Wait, those are the most common?" Irwin muttered. He''d always thought that people with cardslots were the most common¡­


    "What? Of course they are! Almost every world we know about is filled with them, while less than one in a thousand has any others," Ambraz said.


    "Now, as I was going to say. The second type is those born without a soulskill but with the ability to take and use the crystalized soulskills that we call cards. The final ones are the Addled, who have neither, and do little more than kill and eat anything they come across. "


    "So after a world shatters, do only those without soulskill become Addled?" Irwin asked.


    "Hell no! Everything becomes Addled!"


    ¡°¡­¡±


    "Uh, well. Everything that doesn''t have a super powerful soulcard. But let''s not go on an even longer tangent! You asked about heartcards and how to get them," Ambraz quickly continued. "So, in your world, nobody got one, and that''s because there were no card smiths. The only other way to get one is- Ugh, I hate this part. Anyway, it''s by removing it from a living soulskilled being!"


    Irwin frowned as Ambraz began flying around agitatedly again.


    "How? By cutting them open?" Irwin asked, feeling slightly disgusted at the idea.


    "Yeah, that''s the gist of it," Ambraz snapped. "I don''t know the details, and I don''t want to, but there are powerful factions far from the Portal Gallery''s main branches who are said to do this. Disgusting practices."


    Irwin couldn''t help but agree with Ambraz when he suddenly thought about something else.


    "Do you have a soulskill?" he asked.


    "What? Do you want to cut me open?" Ambraz spluttered as he flew to the other side of the room.


    "What? Of course not!" Irwin exclaimed. "But you said there are three types of beings, and you don''t have cardslots and aren''t an Addled."


    "..."


    "Wait, you aren''t an Addled, are you?"


    "What? Of course not!" Ambraz snapped, flitting back and hovering in front of Irwin with a scowl. "First you threaten to cut me open. Then you call me an Addled! Bah! Why do I even stay with you¡­"


    "I didn''t threaten you," Irwin said, taking a weary sigh. "So, you have a soulskill."


    Ambraz muttered something, and Irwin blinked.


    "Come again?"


    "Nothing. You are right, now let''s continue. Heartcards! After you get your sixth card, you first combine your right-hand cards, then when it''s all settled, you combine both hands into a heartcard. Now, not everyone does this because there are a lot of disadvantages to it," Ambraz said.


    "Disadvantages?" Irwin asked, cocking his head. He decided to ignore Ambraz''s reluctance in telling him if he had a soulskill for now. It wasn''t crucial right now.


    "Yes. Disadvantages," Ambraz said. "You can have six cards, each with a maximum of two passives and two actives, meaning you can have twelve passives and twelve active abilities. Now, remember when I told you that you need to get at least one diamond rank card?"


    Irwin nodded, recalling Ambraz telling him he didn''t have to try and get only legendaries. Just one would be enough.


    "Well, that''s because having even one will allow you to create the highest rank heartcard. Which is Diamond-"


    "Or Ammolite?" Irwin asked, suddenly recalling the term he''d heard being tossed around a few times now.


    "... Yes. Or Ammolite," Ambraz added.


    "Which is?" Irwin asked.


    "..."


    "Ambraz?"


    "A legendary rank above Diamond, the acquisition of which is said to be kept behind locked doors by the most powerful families and charters on the main branch, far- far away," Ambraz said.


    Irwin''s eyes widened. If he could get some more powerful than Diamond and continue all the way up to becoming a soulcarded, his mere presence on Giard might be able to stabilize it!


    "And you wouldn''t happen to know how to help me get that¡­?"


    "How, exactly, do you expect me to have that?" Ambraz asked in disbelief. "I''ve never even been on the main branch of the Portal Gallery!"


    "Too bad," Irwin muttered.


    "Yes, too bad," Ambraz replied.


    Something about his tone caused Irwin to look up in wonder.


    Why do I get the feeling he knows something?


    "Well¡­ If you do know, I will expect you to help me get it," he said.


    Ambraz''s mouth fell open, a strangled gap coming from him. Then he flitted about, and Irwin heard him mutter in what he knew was Ambraz''s own language, one that sounded like anvils clanking on each other.


    Wondering what was up now, Irwin shrugged. "So¡­ heartcards? Diamond ranks? Disadvantages?"


    Ambraz sighed as he landed on the table.


    "Reforging your handcards into a single heartcard means you will have only one card," Ambraz said, sounding annoyed.


    When the Anvil didn''t continue, Irwin cocked his head. "So?"


    "So, cards, including heartcards, can only have a limited amount of passive and active abilities?" Ambraz said.


    Irwin frowned. "How many?" he asked.


    "Well, a quartz-ranked heartcard has one, and you get one more active or passive per rank beyond that," Ambraz said. "Which is why I told you to get one card to diamond rank, which will give you six active and or passive abilities."


    Irwin did a quick count, then leaned forward in shock.


    "Wait, if I create my heartcard, I''ll only have six abilities remaining? I already have eleven now!"


    "Exactly, which is why most of the common people never even think of becoming heartbound," Ambraz said.


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "Yeah¡­ I can see that," Irwin muttered in disbelief. "So, why do people do it?"


    Ambraz grinned. "For power, of course. Although you can only have six abilities, well, that''s if you manage to get a legendary card, you can combine them from all of your cards. They will also become more powerful, and you will unlock your soulforce."


    Irwin felt his head begin to spin as he stared at the Anvil. "Soulforce?" He vaguely recalled having heard the term before. Trying to remember, he finally recalled an instance when Ambraz had said something about it back in the desert world when he had been with Desmir''s group.


    "You have Soulforce?" he asked, surprised.


    "How do you!? Right, I mentioned that, didn''t I?" Ambraz grunted. "Yes. I have Soulforce¡­ but not a lot."


    "Okay¡­ so heartcards means giving up a lot of abilities, but those that remain become stronger, and you gain Soulforce, which I have no idea what it does," Irwin summed up.


    "This is so annoying," Ambraz muttered. "Listen, imagine that you''re a container that can hold water. When you become heartcarded for the first time, the container becomes bigger depending on the size of the heartcard. After you do, you will be empty, and your next goal will be to fill yourself up. Now, it''s not water you need, but Soulforce."


    "The more Soulforce, the stronger I get?" Irwin guessed.


    "No. The amount of Soulforce determines the number of soulcards you can hold," Ambraz said. "Though, I guess that would make you more powerful in the long run."


    Irwin leaned back, thinking about everything Ambraz had said.


    "Listen, I don''t think it''s useful for you to know all the rest," Ambraz said. "Just know that, for what you want to do, you need at least one diamond-rank handcard, reforge all of them to the most powerful heartcard, and then start collecting Soulforce. I promise I''ll tell you anything you need to know before you need it!"


    Irwin gazed at the Anvil and, after a few moments, nodded.


    Ambraz let out a sigh of relief before hovering above the cards.


    "Now, back to your initial question. No card here will give you a teleportation or ranged grab or hold ability, nor should you take one if there was! Instead, I would suggest looking for a card that you can later combine with your Fire-sensitive body or Coperion Body card. Fire is known to have many abilities that allow bursts of speed, while there are a lot of metal cards that could combine with Coperion Body to give you a way to move metal with your mind. Both would help you with reforging, and you can easily combine them later," Ambraz said.


    Staring at the cards, Irwin shrugged. "And none of these have anything like that?"


    "Probably not, and if there are, I don''t know how to reforge them to get it. Both abilities I just named are incredibly rare," Ambraz said.


    "Great¡­ well then, let''s just go and reforge them and finish some missions until Balarn is back," Irwin said as he pushed himself up.


    "Sure. Let me eat another of the cards first?" Ambraz asked.


    Irwin shook his head, a mock smile on his face. "After we finish the missions."


    "Sure. Work me to death without feeding me," Ambraz said, disgruntled. Still, he flitted to the center of the room to change into his working shape.


    I''ll head back to see if there''s a mission that will give me another card when we finish, Irwin decided.


    ---


    Balarn finally returned early in the morning of the next day, stomping into the building with a cursing Greldo on his tail.


    Hearing them, Irwin pushed himself out of his bed and rushed down to greet them. He had finished another two missions and had been planning the next, and hopefully final, one the following evening.


    As he rushed down the staircase, he was surprised to hear Scintilla''s door open, and a moment later, the hot-headed Ignitzion followed him down.


    As he moved into the room, he stopped in horror. Balarn''s beard was partially burned off, and a large red wound covered his cheek, while Greldo''s hands were wrapped up in fresh white bandages.


    "What happened?" he blurted as he walked to his friend, inspecting him for any more wounds.


    "We ran into a nest of Cinderants, and their queen decided we weren''t supposed to be there," Greldo said. "And hello to you too."


    Irwin grimaced. "Your hands¡­?" he asked.


    Greldo scowled at his hands. "Useless, just like me, but no worse than they were."


    Balarn put three cups of water on the table before sitting down again and staring at Irwin.


    "Your friend is downplaying his achievements," he said. "Without that shadow skill of his and Coal, we would have died."


    Irwin''s eyes widened as he sat down, noticing that Scintilla had remained in the door opening, watching them quietly.


    "I thought you said you were going to do some easy missions?" Irwin asked, feeling a slight anger grow at the idea of Greldo nearly dying.


    "Which is what we did," Balarn said as he sipped a drink before sharing a knowing look with Greldo.


    "Have you heard any¡­ rumors?" Balarn asked quietly.


    Irwin frowned, unsure what they were talking about.


    "We met a bunch of purple-eyed bastards that tried to capture Balarn," Greldo said.


    "Shit," Irwin grunted, knowing his mother would have slapped him if she''d heard him.


    He ignored the slight sadness that brought and grimaced. "Lord Urdwellan warned me about something like that."


    "What?" Balarn snapped as he nearly knocked over his cup of water. "You spoke with him?"


    Irwin nodded, quickly explaining what had happened.


    "So. Ambraz ranked up," Balarn said, seeming to hesitate before continuing. "What rank did he become?"


    Irwin almost told the truth but managed to hold back.


    "Two squares," he said.


    A soft vibration in his pocket showed that Ambraz wasn''t asleep.


    "Not bad," Balarn said, as Irwin saw a brief look of disappointment flash across the other''s face, belying his words. Balarn must have noticed as he quickly changed the subject.


    "So, how are the missions going?"


    "I handed them in and am working on the second set," Irwin said.


    Balarn blinked, staring at him intently. "How many in the first batch were a success?" he asked.


    "All of them," Irwin said. The words barely left his mouth when Balarn leaned forward, eyes sparkling.


    "All?!"


    Irwin nodded. "Syndal has most of the soulshards."


    Balarn leaned back and began laughing softly.


    "We might have some trouble, though," Irwin said.


    "More trouble? Sure, we can handle more," Greldo muttered.


    Irwin quickly explained what had happened with Haudur''s Charter, but to his surprise, Balarn just snorted.


    "Lady Relinda again? Don''t worry. I''ll have Yogog pay her a visit. Last time didn''t go too well for her. Where is he, anyway? Did he go off on another mission?"


    Irwin thought quickly, then shook his head. "No. He hasn''t returned yet." As he said it, he suddenly had a very bad premonition, and seeing Balarn turning pale only made it worse.


    "You''re kidding, right," Greldo said. "Do you think those bloody purple-eyed bastards got him?"


    "Unless they have an army or a soulcarded, there''s no way they got past big sis Hotzli," Scintilla said as she stepped into the room. "With her there, they should always at least be able to run away!"


    Irwin shared a surprised look with Greldo while Balarn nodded.


    "She''s right. Sadly, that doesn''t mean they can''t get into trouble. If Hotzli uses her skill, there''s no way of knowing where they ended up in this burning world."


    "Right, and now for those of us who don''t know everyone''s skills?" Greldo said with a raised eyebrow.


    "Hotzli has a card that allows her to teleport herself and a few others away over large distances. It''s instantaneous, meaning it''s a great way to get out of a hotspot. The bad thing is that, due to this, there is no way for her to decide where she goes. It''s just a large distance in a random direction."


    "Yeah¡­ that sounds like a great skill," Greldo muttered. "What if she teleports into the middle of the sea?"


    Balarn shrugged. "Then she had better learn to swim. Not that there''s one here. Anyway, that skill of hers is the reason she is very sought after as a guard, and it saved us a few times the previous time we were here."


    "So¡­ there''s a small chance they got teleported to the other side of Scour?" Irwin asked.


    "If they are unlucky, yes. They should be fine, but all we can do is wait for them to return," Balarn said with a weary sigh. "Which means, Haudur''s Charter might be more of an issue than I''d initially thought."


    "No worries! I got a great mission for Irwin and me," Scintilla said, smiling widely. "It''s near the northern volcanic reaches. From what I know, most of the smiths and guards of Haudur''s charter have bad heat resistance skills. They can''t survive that heat!"


    "And Irwin can?" Greldo snorted before turning to Irwin with a look of barely concealed worry.


    "He should be fine," Scintilla said.


    "That might be for the best," Balarn said, frowning. "With you finishing those missions, there will be enough soulshards for me to hire another guard. That is if you managed to get Greldo one to help him with the heat?"


    Irwin jumped up, a massive grin on his face. "Right! I almost forgot!"


    He ran up the stairs, ignoring the surprised shout from behind, and a few moments later, he returned with a yellow-bordered card. As he handed it to a very curious Greldo, his grin widened.


    "I reforged it to Topaz, and I''m pretty sure it''s going to be one of your best cards!"


    Greldo frowned as he looked at the rings chained together. "If you say so. What does it do?"


    Irwin''s grin widened as he triggered Eyes of Blaze.


    Card: Greater Shared Physique


    Type: Topaz, Minion Coupling, Reforged by Irwin Roddington


    Owner: -


    An especially rare mutation of a rare card. Can connect to a summon card, causing a permanent sharing of physical aspects.


    Passive: Change physical attributes to resemble those of the connected minion closely.


    Active: Change all physical attributes to match those of the connected minion. Grants access to one of the minion''s active abilities.


    He quickly read the card''s specifics, and as he did, Balarn whistled while Greldo''s eyes were shining brightly.


    "Minion Coupling cards are incredibly hard to reforge into anything but the basic ones!" he said.


    "I''ll go to my room, summon Coal and slot it right away," Greldo said as he jumped up. "And Irwin? Thanks!"


    Irwin nodded as he watched his friend sprint out of the room. As soon as they heard the door slam shut, Balarn let out a soft grin, turning to Irwin.


    "I wonder if he will get Coal''s fur."


    Irwin blinked and shuddered.


    "That''s possible?"


    Scintilla burst out in laughter.


    ---


    The next evening, everyone was waiting in the room, chatting softly.


    "Think he is too afraid to come down?" Monyque asked as she sat beside Irwin, grinning widely.


    "No," Irwin said as if he was a hundred percent sure.


    Which he wasn''t.


    Dammit, I hope he didn''t turn into a fur-covered demon-looking person, he thought.


    A soft thud came from the floor above there, followed by Greldo''s door opening and closing.


    "Here he comes," Monyque whispered.


    The five smiths waited with bated breath as Greldo walked into the room, and as he did, there were a few surprised outcries.


    The first and most obvious thing was Greldo''s burning red eyes below thick bushy eyebrows that matched Coal''s. They were set in a slightly more squared face. Although he had a slight stubble, he wasn''t covered in fur, which was obvious because he had a sleeveless shirt on, revealing long athletic arms. If he wasn''t in the present company, he''d probably be seen as muscular.


    None of this was what Irwin instantly noticed, however.


    "Your hands!"


    Irwin''s shout caused the rest to startle, but he didn''t care as he stared in joy at his friend''s hands, no longer covered in gloves.


    "You know you people shouldn''t be whispering behind someone''s back," Greldo said as he sank down beside Irwin, raising one of his hands for the other to inspect. "I heard every word you said,"


    There was a round of muted laughter.


    "So, which features did you get besides increased healing and hearing?" Balarn asked, sounding curious.


    Greldo snorted. "Smell, heat resistance, strength, and agility. The whole package. Trust me¡­ I could have done without the smell," he added as he sniffed and grimaced. "You people reek."


    "You don''t smell great either!"


    "Just be happy you didn''t get fur."


    "Which active did you get?"


    "Why did it take so long?"


    "What does that full change look like?"


    Irwin grinned as he saw his friend frown at the others as they burst out with questions.


    "Long? I''d like to see you lot try and combine your first hand of cards in a few hours," Greldo said.


    Irwin leaned back, recalling that his friend hadn''t done that yet. As he looked at Greldo''s left hand, he wondered what had healed them. The combining or the new card.


    "And I''m not going to show you my new skill. Let''s just say the fur is black," Greldo said as he clasped his hands.


    Irwin saw him rub his own fingers, and he smiled again.


    "What''s all the bloody commotion?"


    Everyone looked up to see Scintilla and some of the other guards walk inside.


    "Oh," Scintilla crooned, her eyes widening as she looked at Greldo. "Would you look at those eyes¡­ enough to make a girl melt!"


    There was a moment of stunned silence, then Irwin leaned back, laughing at Greldo''s stunned look.


    Serves you right, he thought. He remembered full well how much Greldo had laughed at him each time Scintilla called him hot stuff or some other odd pet name.


    "So¡­ does this mean we are going to head out?" Scintilla asked, looking at him.


    Irwin shook his head. "I need to finish one more mission, then I want to take a final look at the available missions. If there''s no card for me- we can go."


    "Ugh! Come on, can''t you do that after we are back? Besides, you won''t find the really good cards outside of the auctions anyway!"


    Irwin shook his head. Going out with at least one more card would be way safer.


    "Fine. But try and hurry up, alright?" she muttered before walking away.

 Chapter 108: Familiar Names

    Nothing? Irwin thought as he dully eyed the mission log.


    "Are you sure?" he asked, tapping his pocket.


    "If you think you know better, by all means!'' Ambraz snapped.


    Irwin sighed, ignoring the surprised chatter behind him. He knew Ambraz was more than a little annoyed about being dragged all around to every Mission Center Scintilla knew about, but he just couldn''t believe it.


    We must have been to over twenty, he thought, stepping back and nodding at the Mission Centers clerk, who just waved him away.


    With a final, annoyed look at the green mission tablet, which seemed to be the same at every one of the Mission Centers, Irwin turned and looked around the Mission Center. This was the last on this level. A dozen people were browsing the shelves lined with cards, far more than he had ever seen at the Greenbark Mission Center.


    Scintilla stood near the exit, leaning against the door with a look of annoyance.


    "This is the last one on this level?" Irwin asked as he walked towards her.


    "The elders be blessed, yes," Scintilla said before hissing loudly. "I should have kicked Driseog''s ass when he gave you that token."


    Irwin grimaced as her eyes flickered angrily. He somehow didn''t doubt she would have truly kicked the owner and boss of a small Mission Center. Still, as he put his hand in his pocket and felt the tiny golden-bordered card, he couldn''t help but be grateful to Driseog. Without the token, he''d never have been able to look at the mission logs of the other Mission Centers. Well, those of the smaller, privately owned ones. His one attempt at one of the larger ones had been met with rejection at the door.


    "Let''s go before that old baldy blows a vein," Scintilla whispered.


    Irwin followed her gaze to see an old off-worlder, arms clasped across his chest, glaring at him from across the room.


    What''s his problem? Irwin thought.


    Then he shrugged and walked to the exit of the Mission Center, one of the Viridian girls that stood there said something about being happy for his visit and hoping he''d come again.


    He waved and smiled, then looked through the thin transparent crystal sheet that sat in the center of the door. Beyond it lay a bustling bazaar with hundreds of Viridians and off-worlders of various species moving about between stalls and small shops.


    Back into the screaming masses, Irwin thought, recalling what Balarn had said when he''d asked him to come along.


    As soon as they stepped out of the soundproofed Mission Center, the shouting of vendors and chattering of buyers erupted from everywhere.


    "The best Favorn Fruits in Cinder Grove! Get them here for only one soulshard per pair!"


    "Dried meat! Perfectly salted and crunchy! Buy three, get one free!"


    "Have your image drawn on wood! Just two soulshards!"


    The cacophony of offers quickie blurred into a mash of screaming, and Irwin resisted putting his hands over his ears.


    The first auction is in weeks from now¡­ great, he thought, as he tried to think of another way to get a good card.


    Deep in thought, he absently followed Scintilla.


    It was time to accept that he wasn''t going to find what he was looking for right now. It was close to morning, and they had been walking around for the entire evening to try and find a card that would be able to close some of the gaps in his abilities. Sadly it seemed Scintilla and Driseog had been right when they warned him he wasn''t going to find anything. Driseog said that those card missions had all been taken in the first week, and those left were for non-combat and non-smithing professions.


    That left only the upcoming auctions or going out and hoping to find something by killing monsters.


    "I think-" he began shouting.


    He nearly bit his tongue as he was yanked to the side by Scintilla, who pulled him behind a crowd of people moving along slowly.


    Seriously?


    Getting a sense of deja vu, Irwin quickly followed her, bending his head and lowering his posture to try and hide. It was a good thing that there were many older Viridians around, their towering bulky frames even large enough to hide him.


    "Haudur''s charter again?" he asked in one of the few moments of relative silence.


    Scintilla nodded as she let him go.


    "Yeah, I saw two of those icy buggers, but I''m pretty sure they didn''t spot us yet. There could be more, though," she said.


    Irwin was about to tell her to just navigate them to the next exit when her eyes widened. Before he could even see what was ahead, Scintilla stepped closer and put an arm around his waist. As he felt her body pressed against his, the leather armor barely able to cover her curves, Irwin felt his mouth go dry.


    "What?"


    "Hold your breath!"


    Irwin quickly did as she said, and he was just in time. A moment later, the world changed in a rush of sparks, shimmers of flame, and streaks of ash. All of it was against a backdrop of intensely black, red-lined clouds that churned and ripped.


    A sense of insane speed came, combined with a sense of tension across his body.


    Before he even had the time to panic, the world returned to normal, and he stumbled forward a few steps before landing on his knees. His head was spinning, and his stomach seemed intent on trying to flip upside down. Irwin clenched his teeth, barely able to hold his food inside.


    "Sorry, hotstuff," Scintilla groaned beside him.


    Irwin wasn''t able to respond, afraid that if he tried, he''d vomit on the spot. Scintilla let out a hazy moan, and she clambered up and ran to a small patch of plants and vegetation. Sticking her head inside, a very unladylike sound followed.


    Ugh, Irwin thought as he quickly looked away and tried to ignore both the sound and his own heaving stomach.


    As he recognized where they were, his surprise slightly suppressed his Nausea.


    They were standing on the edge of the level, a few feet from the staircase.


    Did she teleport us?


    He shook his head. No. That hadn''t been teleporting. Teleporting felt different- this was more like movement. But how? They hadn''t gone around anything, so how?


    As he turned around, he saw a group of four Viridians gape at them. They were carrying bags with what looked like vegetables and fruit, and as they saw him look at them, they turned and quickly moved away.


    "Let''s get up. I need a drink," Scintilla said as she walked towards him. Her face was pale, and she was rubbing her mouth.


    "What did you do, and why?" Irwin asked as they walked towards the staircase.


    "That was Inferno Blink, my fourth card and a present from my mother," Scintilla said as she gave him a wry smile. "When I said I wanted to set out alone, she said I''d need to take it, or she wouldn''t allow it¡­ Can you believe it? As if I''d ever need it. Mothers!"


    Irwin smiled at the heavy sarcasm while images of his own mother played through his mind.


    It took them a while to return to the smithy, and when they reached the street it was in, Irwin noticed two off-worlders standing near the entrance. They were leaning against the opposite building, and as Irwin and Scintilla approached, they pushed themselves forward to intercept them.


    Irwin frowned, slowing his pace. Scintilla was glaring back at the two, and Irwin quickly put a hand on her shoulder, holding her back. They had no idea what these two were up to and what cards they might have. He didn''t see any silvery eyes, but that didn''t mean they couldn''t be dangerous.


    "Let''s see what they want," he said, loud enough that he knew the two men had probably heard him.


    The two slowed down slightly, giving Irwin enough time to inspect them. Muscular arms showed him they were probably smiths, although he didn''t see any rank signs anywhere, and both were surprisingly young, probably no older than he was. One of them had a set of nasty scars on his chin, while the other had the beginnings of a flaky beard and mustache. Neither would have looked misplaced in Esterdon, though they were on the tall end. They also didn''t really look all that dangerous. Not if Irwin compared them to all the things he''d met over the last year.


    "You''re Irwin?" Flakybeard asked threateningly.


    Irwin blinked as a memory of his brother telling him how to deal with bullies suddenly surfaced. And bullies were what they looked like to him. What had Bronwyn said? If someone threatens you, push back harder. Don''t show fear. There was more to it, but he''d never really used it as he''d been too small. Now, however?


    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    Imagining turning into Coperrion Body shape and throttling the two men, he glared back.


    "Who''s asking?" he replied, lowering his tone and adding a slight growl to his voice.


    The result was a deep, dangerous, and threatening voice that caused both men''s eyes to widen. The one with the scars actually inched back a bit while the others swallowed audibly.


    "We- we are from Eboq," the one with the scars said, his young voice belying his rugged appearance.


    Irwin was still wondering what that had to do with anything when the man bowed low, pulling the other with him.


    "Please take us as your apprentices!"


    "..." Irwin gaped at the two young men.


    A snort, followed by a burst of laughter, came from Scintilla.


    "Just two wannabe smiths from one of the fringe worlds," she said, shaking her head with a wide smile. "Got me all worked up for nothing!"


    Irwin looked at the two, who were still there, bowing low.


    "I''m not looking for apprentices right now," he finally managed.


    "Please reconsider! We will do whatever you require of us and work really hard," the scarred one said.


    "Eej, punks, how did you even manage to get to Scour?" Scintilla asked, hands on her hips and looking at them with a wry smile. "Don''t tell me you managed to remain behind after your merchant group left?"


    A horrified look appeared on both men''s faces, and they began shaking their heads.


    "No, no! We are allowed to be here," the scarred one said.


    Irwin wondered how they had managed to stay here if they couldn''t lie any better than that.


    "Sorry, guys," he said as he walked past them. "I have other things to do and might be leaving for a while."


    "We can join you! Act as guards," the bearded one snapped.


    His worried face didn''t match his angry-sounding voice at all.


    Irwin didn''t bother responding as he reached the smithy. Balarn and Monyque were standing there, the latter with a sympathetic gaze. Wondering why they were remaining out of sight, Irwin frowned.


    "Hey. You were right. I couldn''t find one," he said, wondering why they were motioning for him to stop talking. "What?"


    "Sir Smiths! Please, reconsider taking us in as apprentices!"


    The pleading voice from behind made him turn around to see the two young men standing near the entrance, looking at Balarn and Monyque.


    "I told you! I''m not taking apprentices," Monyque snapped before she quickly rushed into the building.


    Balarn just frowned and raised an eyebrow, his gaze turning cold.


    "Sorry for disturbing you!" the scarred one squealed as he pulled his friend along.


    Irwin watched in stunned silence as they disappeared between the buildings, heading back toward the edge of the level.


    "What just happened?" he asked, turning to Balarn.


    "Something you should get used to," the smith said calmly. "There are many people that want to learn to smith, especially from newer worlds where there are only a few. Some manage to reach worlds like this to try and become an apprentice. My advice is to ignore them until you reach Emerald rank. From Emerald to Ruby takes a long, long time, and one way to practice is teaching others. Tensor actually began at that rank, only becoming a charter when he reached Ruby rank."


    Irwin nodded. So these two hadn''t actually been looking for him specifically. They were trying to get anyone to take them in.


    Still¡­ How did they know my name?


    "So, you didn''t find a skill¡­ what now?" Balarn asked.


    "I''m going to¡­ reforge my hammer to Topaz, then head out," Irwin said as he hesitated. The prospect of the intense pain that would bring made him shiver already.


    "That might be for the best. What route are you taking? Multipurpose form, battle form, or are you going to augment it with fire?"


    Irwin shrugged as he followed the other smith inside.


    "Not sure yet."


    "Well, if you are going out to do dangerous missions, I''d suggest a battle form," Balarn said.


    Irwin nodded, and he remained in the hallway, talking with Balarn for a while. After he had a lot of useful tips, he headed back to his room and sat down.


    "So¡­ what would you suggest?" he asked, tapping his pocket.


    There was a rustle, then Ambraz flew out and landed on the table.


    "Balarn has a point," Ambraz said. "Although I''d prefer you focus on smithing, I don''t think you are going to be able to avoid combat. There is one path we could take¡­ but it''s a stretch."


    "Which is?"


    "How many cards do you have left?"


    Irwin frowned, removing the stack of leftover quartz cards from his pockets and doing a quick count.


    "Fourteen," he said.


    "Alright, that should be plenty," Ambraz said, and Irwin could almost see him stare hungrily at the stack.


    "For what?"


    "To reforge your hammer card to Emerald."


    "What? Are you crazy? I can''t even reforge a proper, high-percentage Topaz card," Irwin snapped.


    "Kid, who said you had to do it by yourself?"


    Irwin leaned back as he stared at the Anvil.


    "Explain."


    "With enough food, I can help you reforge that card to Emerald. Remember when I told you not to reforge it beyond Amethyst when you got it?"


    Irwin nodded, absently wondering how many cards Ambraz was planning to eat this time.


    "Well, one of the reasons was because you weren''t able to reforge it to a hundred percent perfect. However, it''s a growth card, and I''ve been keeping an eye on it, and it reached a hundred percent a while ago."


    "You can see that?" Irwin asked in surprise.


    Ambraz snorted. "I can see nearly everything about cards!"


    "Alright¡­ but shouldn''t we leave it at Topaz so it can get to a hundred percent again?" Irwin asked.


    "Who said we can''t get it to a hundred percent?" Ambraz retorted.


    "..."


    "Exactly. If all things go well, you can already reach the high eighties. With my help, reaching a hundred will be easy enough."


    "So¡­ why don''t you help me with the other cards, then?" Irwin asked, surprised.


    "Sure! If you can feed me three or four cards per card, no problem," Ambraz said.


    Irwin grimaced, shaking his head. "So, how many will you need to reforge it to topaz and then to emerald?"


    "Me? No, we," Ambraz said. "It''s about time we start working together. You are slowly reaching a level where working together will benefit both of us, and we might as well get started!"


    Imagining reforging a card to Emerald and seeing the brilliant green border, Irwin felt his excitement surge.


    "So. How many cards?" he asked again.


    "Four to get it to a hundred percent Topaz, then six to get it to Emerald. How good it will be depends on how much we can work in sync," Ambraz said.


    Ten cards? Irwin thought as he flinched. Then he sighed. What else was he going to do with them? He could reforge them and sell them, but in the end, raising his own strength should be his number one priority.


    "Alright¡­ how do we start?"


    "You by preparing for the pain, and me by eating four cards," Ambraz said.


    Sounds fair, Irwin thought with a sad sigh.


    --


    Daubutim leaned back. His head was throbbing, but it couldn''t stop the sense of overwhelming joy.


    "Prospect Daubutim. Have you finished?"


    Daubutim looked up to see Purntou standing there. The man''s eyes were glimmering.


    He should know I have. Daubutim thought. That meant he wanted him to say it?


    Holding in a sigh at the illogical behavior, he nodded.


    "I have finished."


    A rush of whispers came from all around him, and he looked up and saw the other Prospective Librarians that had reached the second stage stare at him. There were looks of disbelief, anger, and even fear. He didn''t really understand the last one, nor did he care to find out right now. His mind was still overflowing with the knowledge he''d just absorbed, and he wanted time and silence to try to figure out what it all meant.


    "Good. Follow me to the next and final step of the exam," the Librarian said.


    Daubutim pushed himself up, his gaze lingering on the stack of books he''d read. The knowledge inside had surprised him, as it dealt with famous kingdoms, empires, and species. Much of it was probably common knowledge, but to him, it had been a welcome source of new information. Surprising too.


    He followed Purntou, who led him towards another door. Moving inside, this time, they entered a long hallway, the walls covered in bookcases. Paths branched off everywhere, all covered with shelves lined with books, while a periodic green tablet was attached to some of them. Heavily worn stools stood in small alcoves.


    "You may stay here and rest until the others are ready," Purntou said, staring at him intently.


    "Thank you," Daubutim said, hoping that was what would make the other man leave.


    His guess appeared right as Purntou nodded, turned, and left.


    Looking around to ensure he was alone, not accounting for the eyes he presumed were still on him, he moved to the nearest stool and sat down. Leaning with his head against the closet, he gazed at the opposite wall.


    So¡­ How is it possible that The Galadin Empire came from the Portal Gallery if there were no prior Portals, he thought, pulling up the information about the ancient kingdom. It had been one of the more powerful ones, covering almost an entire side branch of the Portal Gallery, and it had mysteriously disappeared roughly ten thousand years ago.


    This means either they found a way to Giard or they originated there.


    He sped through the knowledge again, combining it with what he knew from his father''s history and legend tomes. There was nothing known about The Galadin Empire''s origin, and all that remained were legends and roads. Flat roads, made in a way that nobody could reproduce now.


    Probably with heart- or even soul cards, Daubutim decided.


    There was no more information he could remember, and he sighed as he felt his mind slowly bog down. He wanted to know why, but he didn''t. Knowing if he tried to force it, he might even fall asleep, he quickly shoved his curiosity away and looked around. His head was still pulsing, but seeing a large number of books, he could only smile happily. Rubbing his head, he looked at the nearest shelf, noting that the books were written in a language he didn''t know.


    Running his finger around some of the beautiful leather-bound tomes, he moved along the lines, scanning them for anything that seemed familiar. He absently moved through the hallways, noting that the map forming in his head showed there were odd elevations in the library that shouldn''t be there. At one point, he looked back, and although he saw no slope, the mental map told him they had just gone down a flight of stairs.


    Some form of illusion? he wondered.


    Deciding to see if he could circle around, he used the map to continue walking back but along another path. It took him a few attempts, doubling back to find the paths leading back up. Just when he was closing in on the area he''d started at, he noticed a set of dark, leather-bound tomes with symbols he recognized.


    Galadin runes!


    Curious, he hurried towards them, picking up one of the books. His knowledge of the runes was small, mostly because there were very few left, and as he leafed through the cream-colored book, he knew there was no way he could read it.


    --


    "Interesting. He managed to easily navigate the outer library, seeming unhampered by the illusions," Purntou said, staring at the towering warrior leaf through the ancient tome with a delicacy that warmed his heart.


    "What''s more curious is that the Library Spirit decided to show him these books," an old voice muttered beside him.


    Purntou turned and bowed slightly to the ancient figure standing next to him. With silvery eyes, a gray beard, and deep wrinkles, he oozed knowledge. As always, he couldn''t read anything from the others'' responses.


    Unsurprising from a Master Librarian, he thought.


    "And you are sure that he came from the farming world that the locals call Giard?"


    Noting a tiny flicker of curiosity in the ancient silver eyes, Purntou nodded, trying to hold back his own curiosity.


    "Yes, Master Gelwin," he said. "I''ve researched him, and he came here together with three others. From what we know, they were the first group and didn''t act out in any way. Two of the others became smiths, one named Irwin quickly showing a profound level of skill, while the other, Lamia, was more in line with what is to be expected. She vanished two days ago, and it is presumed she has fallen victim to the malevolent entities causing trouble in the other districts. The fourth one, Greldo, seems uninteresting. He has been moving around the underground fighting circuits."


    The ancient Librarian quietly looked back, seeming to think it over before responding.


    "Anything else?"


    "The second group from Giard caused far more issues, and most of those are kept in the Central Registry to be sent to mining worlds to pay for the damage they have done. All but one, someone called Indoutor, who is the cousin of Daubutim."


    "Interesting. Alright. After you are finished with this year''s prospects, I want you to find out anything you can about the missing smith, Lamia. Then contact the Central Registry, and tell them to have all people from Giard work off their debts here."


    The ancient Librarian looked back at the warrior, then nodded and turned away.


    "I saw that you have asked to have him as your apprentice," he said. "I''ll make sure that happens, but I want you to keep me up to date on anything this Daubutim does."


    "Yes, Master Gelwin," Purntou said, his curiosity now fully peaked.


    Why is he so interested in the people from Giard? he thought.

 Chapter 109: Hammer, Maul, Mallet

    Irwin lay on his back, breathing raggedly.


    "Has anyone ever told you, you have cinderblock-sized balls, hot stuff?"


    He didn''t bother to reply, nor was he surprised someone had entered his room. Instead, he tried to focus on pushing away the painful memories, knowing he had to go through the next step. Would he even be able to? He knew he had lost control at least once. Was his card even at a hundred percent? A tiny part of him almost hoped it wasn''t, so he could use that as an excuse to skip the next step for a while longer.


    "I''ve heard about some archaic warrior tribes that reforge their cards like this, saying the pain tempers them. Is that it?"


    Irwin shoved himself into an upright position, deciding getting up and talking might help him forget the pain sooner.


    The door to his room was closed, and Scintilla and Balarn were sitting at the table, staring at him. A large jug of water stood in the center of the table, and the mere sight of it made Irwin thirsty.


    He walked to the table, his gaze locked on the jug. Somehow, he felt like he should be stumbling, barely able to stand, but like the previous times, his body functioned as it should. He didn''t bother speaking until he finished the entire jug, not bothering with the cup that had been standing beside it. Only then did he sit down, feeling marginally better?


    "You could have warned us," Balarn said, looking at him worriedly.


    Irwin noticed that the other smith''s gaze kept moving toward his hand. Looking down at it, he saw the only card on his right hand was slightly clearer than it had been before. Should he summon it?


    "Well, at least those two wannabe smiths got scared off," Scintilla said.


    Irwin took a deep breath, then looked at the other two, wondering when they had even come in. Seeing their questioning eyes, he shrugged.


    "I have to do another one," he said, his voice slightly hoarse.


    Balarn''s mouth fell open while Scintilla merely blinked and nodded.


    "Sure, why torture yourself only once when you can do it twice?"


    Balarn''s reaction was completely different. He leaned forward, his eyes suddenly gleaming with excitement.


    "That means you are reforging it to Emerald?" he asked.


    An annoyed sniff came, and a moment later, Ambraz flitted to the table. "Not on his own, he won''t! Kid, I might have gotten a bit carried away¡­ We need more practice together before we try the next rank. That, or you need to find a way to work through the pain better."


    Irwin stifled a sigh of relief.


    "You could try to find an Isirow," Scintilla said, causing Irwin to look up at her in surprise.


    "A what?"


    "They are these legendary people who have the ability to feed on the pain of others," she said. "From what I remember from the stories, they take your pain, making it more bearable."


    "Those are nothing more than fairy tales," Ambraz snorted.


    "Maybe," Scintilla said with a wide grin, showing she didn''t agree. "So! Now you are done playing with yourself. Are we going to head out?"


    "Yeah," Irwin said before looking around as he suddenly realized something. "Where''s Greldo?"


    "He went out to get some supplies and should be back soon," Balarn said as he rose from his stool. "I suggest you set out just before morning and travel during the day. All three of you should be fine in the heat, and it will greatly reduce the chances of coming across someone of Haudur''s charter."


    He walked out, followed by Scintilla, who turned just before closing the door. "I''ll look around to see if there is any teleporter going in the direction we have to go. There aren''t many, and it might be pricey, but it would save us weeks of traveling." Her gaze ran across him before she grinned and left, leaving Irwin wondering if he should worry about his chastity.


    Not that I''d mind.


    He blinked in surprise, feeling his face heat up. Where had that thought come from?


    "Let''s check out the hammer," he said, deciding to see what Eyes of Blaze could tell him before looking at the hammer itself.


    Pulling up the card to have it hover before him was effortless. A wicked-looking hammer appeared, the image clearer than most Topaz cards he''d seen.


    "Only ninety-eight percent," Ambraz snorted. "Well, I guess you will have to use it for a while before we can try again."


    Irwin felt a wave of joy at that when something else occurred to him.


    "Did my first card reach a hundred percent before I combined my hands?"


    "Definitely," Ambraz said. "And now that it''s bound to the others, their percentages are slowly rising too."


    "What? But didn''t you say I couldn''t change the cards after they were combined into a full hand?"


    "You aren''t changing them," Ambraz said, sounding annoyed. "They are doing it on their own."


    Irwin nodded before focusing on his card.


    Card: Firesteel Hammer of Intent


    Type: Topaz, Growth, Reforged by Irwin Roddington


    Owner: Irwin Roddington


    A multipurpose card that allows the wielder to summon a hammer made of firesteel. The hammer has multiple forms, all able to withstand great amounts of heat and punishment. Depending on the wielder''s intent, the hammer that appears can be as small as a smith''s forming hammer or as large as a battle hammer.


    Passive: Increases the wielder''s speed and ability to strike


    Active: Summon a firesteel hammer. It lasts until dismissed or destroyed.


    "Intent?" Irwin muttered with a frown.


    "Just picture what you need in your mind as you summon the hammer," Ambraz said.


    Irwin frowned, trying to recall the different types of hammers he''d seen in Tensor''s smithy. The image of a massive war maul popped up. Raising his hand, he summoned his hammer, and instantly he felt an enormous weight pull his hand down. It took all his strength to keep it from thudding onto the ground. A long-handled, nearly head-sized maul lay in his hand, obviously meant to be wielded with two hands. It wasn''t as large as the one he''d pictured, but it was far, far heavier.


    Getting to his feet, he raised the hammer with two hands.


    "It''s as heavy as a cart of metal ore," he gasped, barely able to raise it before him.


    "Kid¡­ you really need to read that book on metal again," Ambraz said. "Firesteel is really dense."


    He added something, which Irwin pointedly ignored. Looking at the hammer a bit longer, he dismissed it. Recalling a smaller Warhammer, he pictured that and resummoned the hammer again. This time an arm-length haft of ruddy metal with a head as large as two fists and adorned with spikes appeared. Although it was still somewhat heavy, he took a few experimental swings and grinned.


    He continued playing with his card for the better part of an hour, quickly finding the limits. Anything smaller than his fist was out of the question, and the first mallet he had made seemed the upper end of the size.


    In the end, he practiced with summoning a few different ones until he was pretty sure he could make the exact one even in moments of stress.


    "I wonder what will happen if we reforge it higher," he muttered as he gazed at the smooth-surfaced, sharp-edged Warhammer he was wielding. He''d even been able to add some elaborate patterns to it.


    "Well¡­ there are a few paths we can take," Ambraz said. "As with most metal-type cards, we can change the metal for a superior one. We could also increase the size it could become, but I guess for that, you''d need to become stronger first."


    Imagining creating a hammer ten times as large and hiding behind it if he had to, Irwin grinned.


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    "There''s a small chance we can get it to the path where you can reshape it while holding it, but that one is troublesome."


    They continued discussing the hammer card for a while longer, and when he finally headed down, Irwin decided he was very happy with his new card.


    Half a dozen people were sitting in the main room while the sound of hammering came from outside.


    "Finally stopped playing with your new card?" Greldo asked, leaning back in his chair. Unlike before, he was wearing a leather jerkin with a pale white shirt below it and showed no sign of being bothered by the heat.


    Irwin grinned, and for a moment, he thought about summoning the largest maul and putting it in his friend''s hand. Then he saw Scintilla''s annoyed look and sat down.


    "So. No teleporter?" he asked.


    "That''s not it," she said with a sigh. "I found one, but she requires us to help her with something in exchange for taking us along. Also, she''s really annoying."


    "Help doing what?" Irwin asked.


    "Guard her as she examines some weird buried mountain," Scintilla said, shaking her head. "It''s not really dangerous, but anything that deep in the Bloodstained Desert might still attract some unwanted attention."


    "Bloodstained Desert?" Irwin asked, cocking his head.


    "It''s beyond Sparkle Sands, which is the one you traveled through, and pretty far from any large grove. There are a few smaller settlements, and our mission is near one of those on the edge of the Bloodstained Desert. We have to clear out some demonic beasts and guard it for a while."


    "Lovely name," Greldo muttered.


    "You will know why it has it when you see it," Scintilla said with a wide grin before turning to Irwin. "I bought a lot of supplies, including this." She took out a small pouch, sliding it across the table.


    Irwin had been about to ask if there was any chance that the one teleporting them had any dealings with Relinda, but instead, he caught the pouch in surprise. Inside, he found a tiny blue crystal with silvery lines. A thin film of fluid covered it while the inside of the pouch was wet.


    "What''s this?"


    "Something that you need to pay me back for," Scintilla said. "Either in soulshards or some other way."


    Irwin blinked at her gleaming eyes and quickly focused back on the crystal.


    "And what is it?"


    "A tiny bit of Frostiron-infused crystal," Scintilla said. "If you place it in your mouth, it will produce a small amount of water. This one should last you for a few weeks to a month before being drained."


    Irwin looked at the crystal, then back at Scintilla, gratitude bubbling up at how she had thought about his water issue without him having to tell her.


    "Thanks a lot," he said, smiling. "How many soulshards was it?"


    Scintilla blinked, then leaned back, arms behind her head as she looked at the roof, suddenly seeming unable to meet his gaze.


    "Forty-seven," she said, the corners of her mouth upturned.


    For a moment, Irwin wondered if she was pulling his leg and if the way she was acting was because of that. Then he saw Balarn nod at him, and he guessed the price was about right.


    "But don''t worry- you can pay me back later," she said hastily, pushing herself up and walking to the door. "I''ll get the rest of my things packed and settled! We need to leave when the sun rises."


    Watching her almost run out of the room, Irwin shook his head in wonder.


    Balarn leaned forward, beckoning him, and with a frown, Irwin leaned closer.


    "Ignitzions are always on the lookout for someone to mingle their heat with," Balarn whispered so softly Irwin could barely hear him. "Until you repay her, taking that crystal is like accepting a gift in her culture. She''s probably hoping you will pay her back in another way."


    Irwin could see from the way Balarn grinned that mingling of heat was a euphemism, and he swallowed as his face turned red. Greldo laughed from the other side of the table.


    "Soooooo," he said.


    "It thought you knew, but there''s only one type of Ignitzion," Balarn whispered, his eyes sparkling. "They look like women to us, but technically they aren''t, although, for all intents and purposes, it''s the same. They¡­ procreate in a very interesting way with anything that has sufficient heat."


    Irwin felt his mouth go dry. "I''m not sure¡­"


    Balarn burst out laughing. "Ah, it would have been more fun if Yogog had been here," he said as he pushed himself up. "Get your stuff together. I''ve got to pick something up, and I''ll meet you here."


    Irwin glared at his retreating form, then turned to Greldo. "Was that some bad joke, or?"


    Greldo shrugged as he got up. "No idea, but if it was, it was hilarious. Now let''s get our stuff!"


    A short while later, all of them except for Balarn were back in the room.


    "We will meet her near the top level," Scintilla said. She was carrying a large backpack with an odd clasp on the front and a curved longsword dangled in a rather loose scabbard on her hip.


    Irwin nodded, readjusting the strips so they sat better. Greldo had a massive pack beside him, which Irwin knew would fit on Coal.


    Between them, they had enough food and water for a few weeks, with water making up the bulk of what they carried.


    "Irwin," Balarn said as he walked inside, carrying something. "Greldo told me that you are used to fighting with something called a Grappling Gauntlet. They are similar to something we have on Fiverion. Can you see if this fits?"


    Irwin accepted the black leather gauntlet with dark red, nearly brown metal bands and strips. It was meant to go on his left hand, and as he put it on and adjusted the bands, he immediately noticed the difference from those he had used before. This one was lighter but still felt far more sturdy. The hooks on the inside looked menacing, and he knew if he used it to grab something, he''d either flay them alive or dig into their skin to get a good hold.


    "Thank you," he said, squeezing his hand.


    "Don''t worry about it. Just want to make sure you come back safely," Balarn said. "Now, good luck, and make sure you stay gone for a few weeks. With some luck, Yogog is back by then, and he can deal with Relinda. If not, I''ll try and find a way to get her off our back."


    "Still hard to believe that there''s someone that would cause Irwin trouble just because he is a better smith," Greldo said.


    "Lady Relinda is a very problematic person," Balarn said. "She has somehow gotten the idea that she will be the next Diamond rank smith and that anyone doing better than her just means they are cheating her. She acts accordingly¡­"


    Greldo sniffed. "Well, perhaps we should just-" he made a gesture as if slitting someone''s throat.


    Scintilla laughed. "Only if she follows us outside, but I''m pretty sure she won''t. Worst case is, she sends some bounty hunters or mercenaries after us, but I don''t think she will. Too expensive."


    "Don''t even joke about this," Balarn said as he shook his head. "Lord Urdwellan has a very low tolerance for smiths killing each other, which is why Relinda hasn''t taken any action."


    He grimaced.


    "Yet, that is. However, Scintilla is right. There is a tiny chance that she might send bounty hunters after you. If it wasn''t for my fear that she might find a way to take her spite out on you, it would be safer to stay here."


    "Based on all that, wouldn''t it be safer here?" Irwin asked, leaning back in surprise.


    Balarn shook his head. "With smiths disappearing, she is more than capable of making you disappear and blaming it on some unknown agency."


    "What about you and the others? Won''t she try and take it out on you?" Irwin asked.


    "She might, which is why the others are heading out tomorrow evening," Balarn said. "I''ll remain here to make sure nothing weird happens and work on some more missions for the upcoming auctions."


    "Without a guard?" Greldo asked.


    "A friend of mine is coming to help me with that part," Balarn said. "She will be here before the others leave. Now, enough stalling! It''s about time you three set out!"


    Irwin grinned, clasping hands with the smith and thanking him again before heading out.


    It was quiet outside, and as they stepped into the early light of the sun, Irwin sighed. It had been a while since he''d seen actual sunlight, and as he saw thin distant rays pierce the thick canopy, he realized he''d missed it.


    "I''ll stay inside," Balarn said from the door opening. "It''s way too hot."


    Waving in greeting, the three set out, Irwin and Scintilla in front and Greldo behind them with Coal. He''d taken out the hound as soon as they were outside, and Irwin had been surprised to see it had grown slightly. If that was due to normal growth or Greldo''s new card, he didn''t know.


    "So, who is teleporting us, and are you sure she isn''t working for Relinda?" Irwin asked as they headed towards the nearest staircase.


    "What? Numili working for that evil ice cube? Not in a thousand years," Scintilla retorted, nudging him with her shoulder. "She''s a cousin of mine and the reason I chose this world! She''s been living here for¡­ I don''t know, a hundred years?"


    Irwin looked at her in surprise. "Didn''t you say she was annoying?"


    "Incredibly annoying! She''s always picking on me, telling me that I need-" Scintilla sucked in her breath. "You will see soon!"


    Irwin nodded, feeling slightly relieved. He''d forgotten to ask before, but at least now he didn''t have to worry about it.


    As they walked, he summoned a hammer, tossed it up, unsummoned it, and summoned it again.


    "That''s a nice trick," Greldo said from behind. "Just throw one in someone''s face, then resummon it to do it again!"


    "That''s the plan," Irwin said as he took a quick look across his shoulder, grinning at his friend.


    That way, the next time someone is all jumpy, I''ll still be able to do something, he thought as he summoned a smaller hammer and threw it as high up as he could.


    It took them a long time to walk all the way up, but at least none of them had any trouble with the heat. More the opposite. As they continued up, Irwin felt his mood increase. When they finally reached the top level and stepped into the open, he was sweaty but happy.


    "I can''t wait to be out in the sun again," Greldo said as he followed him up. He had to unsummon Coal again because the massive hound hadn''t been able to walk through the stairs house.


    "You only say that because you have that new card," Irwin said with a grin.


    "Damn straight," Greldo retorted as he walked after Scintilla.


    The top level was wider than Irwin had thought it would be, and what surprised him even more, were the large numbers of Ignizions sitting around on pale wooden benches. Low vegetation grew everywhere, with some vines covering wooden archways. He even saw a handful of very large, completely red-leafed Viridians that were standing around, arms outstretched and face up.


    "What are they doing? Catching sun?" Greldo asked.


    "Yes," Scintilla said, and Irwin grinned at his friend.


    Scintilla seemed distracted and led them past a few single-story buildings. They continued until they reached a small square with two buildings covering one side. A short Ignizion woman pacing in front of them, hands clasped behind her back, and a pack on her back. As soon as they walked towards her, she stopped and looked up.


    "Scintilla, what took you! I''ve been waiting here for ages!"


    With a youthful voice and face, she nearly skipped toward them, and as she came closer, her pink eyes focused on Irwin.


    "Ooooh! You brought something nice!"


    "Numili cut it out," Scintilla shouted as she stepped before her, waving her off.


    "Why? Oh! Wait! You like him! About time¡­ I can''t wait to tell Auntie!"


    How is she over a hundred years old? Irwin thought as he shared a look of surprise with Greldo.


    Scintilla made a slapping motion, causing the other woman to jump back.


    "Hey! No hitting! We aren''t all fighters," Numili said as she pouted.


    "Enough playing around," Scintilla said. "Get us out of here! I told you we might have some issues."


    "Boohoo! You make me wait so long, we can wait a few moments while you introduce me to your friends," Numili said, stamping her foot.


    Scintilla exhaled before turning and motioning at Irwin and Greldo.


    "Hotstuff over there is my contractor. He''s called Irwin, and the one with the nice eyes is Greldo."


    Numili darted forward, dodged Scintilla, and stopped before Irwin.


    She was almost two heads shorter than him and was smiling broadly.


    "You actually took this good-for-nothing sword-for-brains as your guard?"


    "Hey!"


    Irwin laughed and shook his head. "She has been a great help already," he said. "Now, I think we should be off. Could you get us to where we have to go?"


    Numili blinked, then pouted. "Fine. See if I''ll talk with you again later!"


    Then she turned and raised her hand. The back glowed in a flash, and a tiny ember appeared in mid-air. It began growing, a dense smoke billowing out. Numili walked inside, and with a shrug, Irwin followed after her.

 Chapter 110: Cousin issues

    Irwin felt like he stepped into an oven, and he actually felt slightly uncomfortable by the heat. He also couldn''t see anything. A sudden shudder ran through the ash, and then he felt as if he was falling or floating. It was slightly familiar to when he traveled to and from the Portal Gallery.


    Looking around and seeing nothing, Irwin felt a tiny bit of fear grow. It had been a very long time since he hadn''t been able to see through anything, and just as long as he had actually noticed the heat. The last time had been when he''d fallen into the lava, and that was way back in the first training portal he''d ever been through.


    As he thought about the training portal, he blinked. Those worlds, they weren''t world shards, were they?


    Wasn''t there a rumor that Gelwin created those?


    He frowned, trying to recall if he had spoken with Ambraz about-


    Ambraz!


    "Ambraz?" he whispered.


    His voice came out dull, and it almost sounded like he was in a tiny closet.


    A minute movement came from his stomach, then Ambraz''s voice came.


    "Kid? What''s wrong? Don''t tell me you are afraid because of this in-between?"


    Ambraz''s voice was as muted as his own, but just hearing it made Irwin feel better.


    "No. I was just wondering about something. Do you remember that world I found you in?"


    Ambraz snorted. "Didn''t we have this conversation already? I told you, that beardy face tricked me!"


    "They say he created that world¡­ but- was it a shard world?" Irwin asked, ignoring Ambraz.


    He expected an instant rejection, but to his surprise, Ambraz didn''t respond. Instead, the Anvil quietly hummed. When he finally answered, he seemed lost in thoughts.


    "Well, well¡­ That would explain a few things," he said. "I hadn''t even thought about it, but-"


    "That he created that world?" Irwin blurted, recalling the hot, lava world.


    "What? Created it? No, no! But if a world shard is small enough, there are cards that allow you to take full control of it. Create a portal at a spot of your choosing. But why would that bloody beardy do that? Cards like that only allow the binding of just a few world shards, and just putting them somewhere like that means he loses control over them! Besides, it would be a constant drain, and he''d need to¡­ no, wait- it also means he''d have to be heart-carded or stronger. There''s no way! That would mean¡­ that¡­ that bloody bastard!"


    Irwin flinched at Ambraz''s sudden angry roar, trying to make sense of what Ambraz was blurting about.


    "What?" he asked.


    Ambraz didn''t respond but instead continued cursing and grumbling. When he didn''t answer, Irwin finally had enough.


    "Ambraz," he shouted, striking his pocket and thus Ambraz.


    "What?" Ambraz snapped.


    "That''s my question," Irwin said calmly. "What is going on?"


    "What is going on?" Ambraz said before snorting. "I''m not completely sure, but I was locked in that world for a long time. Normally someone should have come looking for me, but nobody ever did. I never did understand that, but that''s because I assumed Gelwin, that lying, conniving, beardy face, was nothing more than a hand-carded with two full hands."


    "And he isn''t?" Irwin asked, confused.


    Ambraz sighed, suddenly sounding old and weary. "I think he might be soul-carded with a card that allows him to bind tiny shard-worlds to his control. That would explain why nobody ever found me. They couldn''t have inside those. Yes, it makes every bit of sense! That''s how he reset that world! I thought it was because of my presence. That lying-"


    "How could he be soulcarded without you noticing?" Irwin interrupted him, not interested in another tirade.


    "Because when you become soulcarded and socket your first card, you regain control over your Soulforce so it doesn''t leak from your eyes, and you can start building your second soulcard," Ambraz said. "Unless you are a soulcarded yourself, it''s impossible to see the difference between a soulcarded that is working on a new heartcard versus someone working toward their first heartcard."


    Irwin blinked as little things he''d heard about suddenly clicked together, creating a complete image. But as it did, he also instantly realized why Ambraz was so confused.


    "How can Gelwin be soulcarded?"


    Ambraz made a sound as if he was gritting his teeth.


    "And that is the question I want answered too," he said.


    "Wait! If he is soulcarded, why isn''t he saving Giard?" Irwin blurted out. "Wouldn''t he be able to have people in Fiverion help hold the world¡­" he trailed off as a sudden realization set it.


    "He is already doing that," he whispered.


    "What?" Ambraz asked.


    Irwin licked his lips, the change of roles surprising him as he began connecting the dots. He ignored Ambraz''s growingly agitated questions.


    It makes sense, he thought. Giard had been having larger and larger numbers of portals for such a long time. As much as he''d been trying to ignore it, he knew it probably should have shattered. But it hadn''t. That made no sense unless someone was already holding it together. That did leave him with a ton of questions. Where was Gelwin? Why had he left those training world portals back in the sorcerers guild? Why had he left Ambraz there?


    And most of all: how could he already be soulcarded? The legends said he''d been a scholar, and when portals appeared, he had been lucky enough to get a legendary card making him powerful enough to save the world.


    "Irwin!" Ambraz shouted, snapping him awake. A look around showed no sign of them being at their destination, and he absently wondered what kind of slow teleportation this was supposed to be.


    Then he took a deep breath and shared his own assumptions with Ambraz.


    "That makes¡­ too much sense," Ambraz said after having quietly listened.


    "I wonder if that old fart, Uxin''tar knew about this."


    Irwin shrugged, about to answer, when the sensation of falling stopped, and the darkness and ash cloud dissipated.


    The glaring sun beat down on him, and he heard a soft grunt from behind. Sluggish from the potential revelations, Irwin turned around.


    Greldo stood behind him, guarding his eyes, while a vast desert sprawled out all around them. Tiny golden particles littered the ruddy sand, and there was no sight of trees anywhere.


    Numili and Scintilla stood behind him, both looking up at the sun. Scintilla looked relieved while Numili was smiling widely before turning to Irwin. Her pink eyes burned brightly.


    "Welcome to Sparkle Sand," she said, sounding happy.


    Irwin didn''t respond, staring at her hand and wondering if there was a way to determine if she was actually a soulcarded. Scintilla said that her cousin was over a hundred years old¡­


    Numili giggled as she moved her hand around. "What? Trying to find out which of my cards allowed me to teleport?" she asked, putting the hand atop her chest and giving him a hungry smile that made Irwin''s mouth go dry.


    "Not telling," Numili said as she turned and looked around. "You should have chatted with me before!"


    "Stop being so spiteful," Scintilla said as she prodded her cousin. "Where are we going?"


    Numili pouted. "I''m not spiteful! You bully!"


    A soft thud drew Irwin''s attention away from the two Ignitzions.


    Coal stood beside Greldo, head raised, and eyes closed as it sniffed the air. Greldo was padding his flank, grinning.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    "Yes, yes, I know you don''t like it there. That''s why we are here. You can stay outside for a good long time now!"


    "Puppy!"


    Irwin blinked as a blurred figure moved to stand before Coal. Numili appeared, crooning as she began stroking Coal, pressing herself against him.


    "So hot and soft!"


    The massive hound was staring at her, a look of incredulity in his eyes. Irwin could see that he had no idea what to do, turning a confused look on Greldo. His friend was gaping at Numili, seeming just as confused.


    Irwin glanced to the side as Scintilla walked up to him. She was shaking her head.


    "I''m really sorry about this¡­ Mum said she wasn''t always like this," she whispered.


    The three of them continued to watch Numili hug and pet Coal, ignoring them completely. When she finally finished, she seemed reluctant to leave Coal. Instead, she turned to Greldo.


    "Sell him to me!"


    "No," Greldo said, making a beckoning motion to Coal.


    Numili''s eyes widened in distress as she spun to Coal, but the hound turned into a shadowy blur, appearing beside Greldo.


    Numili glared at Greldo, then stomped her feet.


    "Why not? I like him!"


    "Numili, enough!" Scintilla said as she stalked towards her cousin.


    To Irwin''s surprise, there was a look of sadness in her gaze.


    "But-"


    "Enough! Don''t make me tell my mother¡­"


    Numili sniffed, crossed her arms, and pouted.


    "Fine. Just go and be mean."


    "Now. You said you had found a cave with some type of special fire elemental monsters that might drop the card you need?" Scintilla said, walking towards her.


    Irwin noticed she was tactically positioning herself to stand between Numili and Coal.


    "Yes! I almost forgot," Numili shouted, looking around before pointing toward a distant dune.


    "It should be that way!"


    Seeming to have forgotten all about Coal, she began skipping forward, humming an out-of-tune song.


    Irwin followed after her, Scintilla moving beside him with a sad look.


    "Please don''t hold it against her. She can''t seem to help it," she whispered.


    Irwin nodded while Greldo merely grunted, keeping his sharp eyes focused on the skipping figure ahead.


    "What happened to her?" Irwin asked.


    "Nobody knows," Scintilla said. "It happened before I was born. She was out with her mother, searching for a special card on a volcano world. When she returned, she was alone and like this. My mother never really talks about it."


    A shout of glee came from the top of the hill, and they saw Numili point at something.


    "Look! I got us almost right atop it!" she shouted.


    "Is she a soulcarded?" Irwin whispered.


    Scintilla''s eyebrows lowered, and Irwin suddenly worried he''d asked the wrong question. Then Scintilla sighed and shrugged. "I don''t know. Numili just laughs when I ask, and Mother says she can''t tell for sure."


    "Is your mother a soulcarded?"


    Scintilla nodded. "Yes. A two-soul-carded, and the leader of our family. She is really powerful!"


    She suddenly turned to him with a wide grin. "Heatbearers get really great benefits from joining our family!"


    "Heatbearers?" Irwin muttered.


    A peal laugher came from ahead, where Numili was looking at them from the top of the hill.


    "So bold, Scintilla! I''d never expected this of you!"


    Wondering if he should even ask about the details, Irwin was happy when Scintilla ran up and began arguing with Numili again. As he saw them from a distance, he noticed the sadness and love buried below Scintilla''s angry facade.


    It''s the same everywhere, Irwin thought as he sighed.


    When he and Greldo reached the top of the dune, they stopped in their tracks. The ruddy, twinkling desert ended not too far ahead, the sand turning almost dark red and losing its golden luster. As if someone had created a barrier, there was a clear line that moved in both directions for as far as Irwin could see.


    A few hundred feet ahead, a dark rocky outcrop stuck out of the blood-red sand, and Irwin saw shadowy holes inside.


    "See? I told you it''s not that far inside," Numili said as she laughed at Scintilla. "With a little luck, we won''t encounter any of those troublesome wyrms."


    Letting out a happy-sounding whoop, she darted forward.


    Scintilla cursed before she ran after her. "Follow her before she walks into some kind of trouble," she shouted.


    Irwin took a quick look at Greldo and then sprinted after them. His feet kept slipping on the sand, and at one point, he lost his balance sliding down the hillside. With sand in his armor and clothes, he got up, ignored Greldo''s soft laughter, and continued.


    Numili showed incredible stamina, continuing toward the black stone without stopping. When she reached the dark blood-red sand, she just continued and sped up.


    "Numili! Stop before something notices your movement!" Scintilla shouted.


    Movement? Irwin thought, wondering what the wyrms she was talking about were.


    "Irwin, to the left!"


    Irwin turned to see Greldo point at a bump in the sand moving towards them. The sand slid away from it, creating a V shape, and he thought he saw something glistening inside. Were those teeth?


    "Scintilla, Numili, something is heading our way," he roared, continuing forward.


    Up close, he found that the red desert sand was far more compact. Although a thin layer atop was like the rest, below it almost felt like bedrock. The bump didn''t seem to care, moving rapidly towards Numili.


    "Numili, wyrms!" Scintilla shouted. She turned into a burning red form of herself before streaking forward at an insane speed. As she did, she left a trail of black fog behind her.


    Inferno Blink! Irwin thought as he saw her arrive beside Numili.


    She didn''t show any sign of discomfort but grabbed her cousin and triggered the ability again, this time shooting back toward Irwin and Greldo.


    All of it took only a second, and as she landed beside Irwin, she dropped to her knees. Palefaced, she vomited out a stream of red and yellowish ichor with bits and pieces of fruit and flesh.


    "No- No fire!" she said between coughing and groaning.


    Numili took a few more steps as if she hadn''t realized what had happened. Then she tripped, fell on her hands, and began throwing up.


    The bump had changed course sharply and was now rushing toward them. With no time to run back to the Sparkle Sand desert and no way of knowing if it would even help, Irwin triggered Coperion Body while summoning his hammer. He subconsciously made it a massive two-handed mallet, as big as he could.


    As his body grew, his feet pushed into the thin top layer of sand, he felt the massive weight in his hand. The previous time he''d summoned it, he hadn''t used Coperion Body, but now that he had, he could hold the hammer properly. Grabbing it with two hands, he readied himself.


    There was a rustling from his side, and he took a quick glance at Greldo. He almost shouted in surprise at the thick black hair that ran down his back and the coarse fur and canine features that gazed back at him.


    "Eyes ahead!" Greldo snarled.


    Irwin did, just in time to see the sand up ahead split open, and a dozen dark maws appeared before ruddy shapes a few times the length of his arm shot toward him. He almost instinctively summoned his flame before recalling Scintilla''s warning. He took a half step forward and struck at the incoming enemies.


    Something heavy collided with his hammer, but it didn''t manage to stop the forward motion. Instead, there was the sound of fruit being squished just before something slammed into his stomach, chest, and left arm. A dull pain flared up, and he heard a surprised cry from Greldo.


    Coal was snarling and yelping, but Irwin had no time for it as he saw a snake-like thing bite down on his arm. It was as thick as his upper arm, with a circular mouth lined with teeth that had angled forward to stab into him. They had drilled an inch into his skin before stopping and seemed stuck.


    He dropped his hammer and grabbed the Wyrm digging into his left arm, trying to pull it off just as a gleaming blade shot through. Like a ray of moonlight, Scintilla''s blade flashed across the three monstrous worms, causing them to drop down in sections.


    "There are more coming," she shouted. "We need to get to that rock until they calm down again!"


    Numili stood behind her, her eyes wide in fear, shaking like a leaf.


    "Irwin! HELP!"


    A quick look around showed that Coal had a half dozen snakes drilling into him, their heads no longer visible as they seemed to eat their way inside. Greldo stood to the side, using long dagger nails to slice at the one drilling into his stomach.


    "Greldo, unsummon Coal!" Irwin shouted as he ran towards his friend.


    Greldo showed no response, but Coal''s whining vanished while three wyrms dropped back to the ground.


    Irwin grabbed the back of the one drilling in Greldo, drawing it taut just as Scintilla''s sword slashed it apart. Before he could react, she jabbed the sword into the remaining part and stuck it a few inches into Greldo before roughly twisting it.


    Greldo let out a dull growl, staggering.


    "Pull it out, they are poisonous," Scintilla cried as she spun around.


    Irwin quickly searched for more enemies, but there were only bits and pieces of the wyrms twitching on the ground.


    A sickening crunch made him look at Greldo, who had stuck part of his clawed hand into his own stomach before pulling out the squashed head. He staggered again, and Irwin jumped forward, holding him up.


    "I''m fine! Coal''s regeneration is still working, and I have enough time in this form," he growled.


    Irwin nodded but was worried when he saw blood ooze across Greldo''s lips.


    "Hurry up!" Scintilla shouted, and Irwin saw her run toward the distant black rocks, pulling her cousin along.


    "I don''t care what happened to her, but she is going to get an ear full after this," Greldo snarled as he sprinted after them.


    Damn right, Irwin thought as he followed Greldo.


    Keeping his head on a swivel, he quickly spotted more of the bumps moving through the desert, one of which was twice as high as the others.


    Either that had way more of the wyrms, or that''s a big one, he thought as he focused ahead.


    They continued ahead, with Greldo quickly outpacing him. As he saw his friend gain on Scintilla and Numili, Irwin suddenly recalled how it had felt when he''d always been the slowest one.


    I need something like that Inferno Blink card, he thought as he gritted his teeth.


    Numili, Scintilla, and Greldo reached the rock while he was still a hundred feet away. He saw his friend''s eyes widen in fear when he saw how far behind he was.


    "Don''t come!" he roared. "They can''t penetrate my skin!"


    I hope.


    He''d barely finished the thought when he saw Scintilla blur into a red dash toward him. She appeared to his side, and as he spun to her, he was just in time to see her slash apart one of the bumps. A half dozen wyrms burst out, but the Ignitzion moved like water, dodging them and slashing at the same time. Within moments, only squirming body parts lay on the ground.


    Irwin was about to thank her when he saw another bump rush up from behind. Without thinking, he triggered a full-powered Eyes of Blaze blast, focused on the bump. There was a split second of nothing as the raging fire struck the bump, then an explosion of gore showered Scintilla in parts of Wyrm. A sickly sweet scent came with it that almost made Irwin vomit on the spot.


    "No!" she shouted as she whirled on him. "No, no! Run, run!"


    Irwin swallowed at her suddenly petrified look and followed her toward the black rock. Greldo and Numili stood there, the latter still shaking and her heads clasped. A faint rumbling came somewhere in the distance while the sand around them began oddly jittering and flowing.


    As they reached the hard rock ground, Scintilla continued without stopping, pulling Numili along.


    "Quick, inside! Whatever is in there, we will have to take our chances!" she shouted as she dashed into the nearest hole.


    Irwin ran after her, but as he reached the cave, he took a quick look back. In the distance, he saw a massive wall of dust head their way while a rumbling like thunder came with it.


    What the¡­ that''s no sandstorm!


    "Irwin!"


    He turned and sprinted into the cave, which was little more than an indent. The others stood inside a tunnel that led further inside, Scintilla beckoning him.


    As he ran toward her, he felt the temperature increase while an odd stink blew toward him.


    "We have to hide deep down until they leave," Scintilla said as she pulled him along.


    "What are they?" Irwin asked as the thunderous sound from outside, and the shaking increased.


    "A horde of Fleshgorgers," Scintilla whispered.

 Chapter 111: Copperion Flesh

    Irwin snuck forward, hammer in one hand, eyes constantly scanning for threats that might lurk deeper in the caves. The smooth, bumpy rock inside the tunnels was a stark contrast with the angular black edges of the outside.


    Why is the inside of this place so different? he thought as he inspected a nearby bit of cavern wall.


    He quickly found part of the oddity. Sand had been blown over the ages, filling the cracks of the dull brown rock. But that didn''t explain the completely different coloring. The outside had been black, gleaming, and with sharp edges.


    A dull roar from outside was accompanied by thunderous stomping.


    Whatever Fleshgorgers are, they are now here, he thought, feeling a slight worry grow. Would those things follow them inside the caves?


    "There are tracks of something going deeper into the cave," Greldo shouted above the deafening sound.


    "I see them," Scintilla replied.


    Irwin stopped, staring at the scuff marks that moved across the ground.


    How are those tracks? he thought, not in the least bit surprised that both Scintilla and Greldo could see in the dark.


    He focused on the tracks, but to him, they looked more like sand blown sideways by the wind. Still, he didn''t doubt Greldo.


    "Are they fresh?" he shouted.


    Greldo ran past him and knelt down, inspecting the scuff marks before pushing the edges with his fingers. Then he got up and shook his head.


    "I don''t think so, but with all this shaking, the tracks have been damaged," he shouted back.


    He was still in his transformed form, and Irwin shivered as he saw the razor-sharp canines.


    "We have to keep going before they follow us inside," Scintilla roared, pulling Numili with her while she kept her sword ready in the other hand.


    Yeah, run right into some other thing''s lair, he thought.


    He kept his worries to himself and continued ahead. Besides, if there was something in here, perhaps it would fight those loud things outside. According to Numili, there could be some kind of fire elemental creature here, and although he hadn''t seen anything, the noise from outside or their shouting was bound to draw the attention of everything deeper inside.


    I wonder if those things are afraid of Fleshgorgers, he wondered.


    Two smooth corners and twenty feet later, it seemed the tunnel came to a dead end with an oddly curved ceiling angling down.


    Shit! Did they have to go back? There had been no side branches¡­


    Moving a few steps closer, he saw that the tunnel didn''t stop but angled down at a ninety degrees angle. At the end was a dead drop of almost fifteen feet. Leaning forward, he thought he saw the tunnel continue on further.


    "What now?" he shouted.


    "We need to continue! If we reach the lower regions, the Fleshgorgers won''t follow us," Numili shouted.


    Irwin saw she had stopped shaking, and her eyes had regained part of their previous gleam.


    "And you''re sure you aren''t bringing us to our deaths?" Greldo snapped.


    Numili took a step back, shaking her head as she looked at Greldo with fearful eyes.


    "What? No- I¡­"


    Scintilla stepped forward and pulled her along. "It doesn''t matter! We can''t stay here. If those things swarm us, we are going to be in trouble."


    "Why? Can''t she just teleport us away?" Greldo shouted angrily.


    Irwin blinked, then nodded. Right! She could just return them to Cinder Grove.


    "I need a few more hours before I can teleport this many people again," Numili said, looking at Greldo and then quickly staring down at the ground.


    Irwin saw Greldo mouth something angrily before he shook his head.


    "Fine! I''ll take the lead," he shouted before his hand flashed dimly. Then his shape turned dark and indistinct like a shadow, and he flowed down the slope like water.


    Dammit! Irwin thought as he leaned forward, watching Greldo reappear at the end of the slope.


    "It''s clear, you can come down!"


    Gritting his teeth, Irwin stepped forward and slid down the first bit of the slope before dropping down. He landed on a bed of soft sand, and this time even he could make out the tracks that led deeper down the tunnel.


    A moment later, the two Ignitzions joined them, and they continued.


    Twenty minutes later, they had descended almost as many tunnels, some just as steep, others more like slides. Some were so high that he''d been almost afraid the Ignitzions would break their legs, but neither Numili nor Scintilla showed any fear of sliding or dropping twenty or thirty feet straight down.


    By now, the sounds outside had dulled down to a distant rumbling, but it had been replaced by something far creepier. A few minutes earlier, an odd sniffing had begun to become audible behind them. It was still far away, but as they continued down the winding tunnels that kept going down, Irwin couldn''t help but clench his hammer tighter. According to Scintilla, Fleshgorgers were blind and tracked things based on scent.


    As he got up from another drop down a steep slide, he looked up. There was no sight of the pursuers, which was confusing him. He heard the sniffing, so where was the thing doing the sniffing?


    After waiting for a few seconds, he turned to Numili.


    "We are going to need you to teleport us back out," he said.


    "I know," Numili said.


    Her whiny voice grated on Irwin''s nerves, and he could hear Greldo growl ahead of him. He quickly turned and followed his friend.


    As they went deeper, the temperature had continued to climb, as had the humidity, and by now, a thin sheen of moisture was clinging to every inch of him.


    "How bloody deep does this go?" he finally snapped.


    "I don''t know, but we should be near the end of the neck by now," Numili said absently.


    Irwin stopped in place, causing Numili to bump into his back.


    "What?" he asked as he turned, staring at her. "What do you mean, neck?"


    Numili crossed her arms, glaring at him. "Why do you all have to be so angry with me? It''s not my fault those Fleshgorgers are after us!"


    "Yes, it is," Greldo snapped from up ahead. "Now, keep moving before they catch up."


    Irwin gritted his teeth as he followed his friend.


    "What do you mean, neck!" he repeated himself.


    "I''m sure I told you this," Numili muttered.


    "Numili," a threatening voice came from behind her.


    "I did! I''m sure I did!" Numili said, her voice climbing in pitch.


    "Answer me!" Irwin said, barely able to stop himself from shouting at her.


    He knew it wouldn''t help with anything but his growing unrest. Scintilla had warned him her cousin was weird, but she should have warned him she was insane.


    "This is a vein in the neck of a dead Earth Titan," Numili muttered, barely audible.


    Irwin gritted his teeth. He''d been afraid of that as soon as she''d said neck. There was a gasp from behind, but he ignored it as he felt Ambraz move into his pocket. A moment later, the Anvil managed to come out of his pocket and flit up to his shoulder.


    Irwin looked at him, but Ambraz''s mouth was turned into a stripe, and he said nothing.


    Great, Irwin thought. If even Ambraz was stumped¡­.


    "And why are we here?" he asked quietly.


    "To hunt its heart parasites," Numili said, her voice slowly picking up steam. "The rumors are, the first ones that find an Earth Titan burrow into their hearts and absorb part of-"


    "You said it wouldn''t be dangerous," Scintilla shouted from behind her. "You- you! I''m going to tell Mother when we get back!"


    "What? No! It''s not¡­ not that dangerous," Numili retorted. "I just got a bit excited earlier. Besides, those Fleshgorgers probably won''t follow us much further."


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    Irwin sighed, wishing he''d found some sidepaths that might lead back up.


    "And why is that?" he asked wearily.


    Numili muttered something that he didn''t catch.


    "Fantastic," Greldo shouted. "And it never occurred to you that if something called Fleshgorgers are afraid of those parasites, perhaps we should be too?"


    Numili didn''t respond, and they continued down.


    "How large are these Earth Titans?" Irwin asked after they had descended another long vein.


    "The smaller ones are two hundred plus feet, while the largest one ever recorded is just over twenty-one hundred," Numili said.


    Irwin almost wished he hadn''t asked. He tried to guess how much that meant they still had to continue and wished Daubutim was with him. His friend would have been able to tell them where they were, how far they''d gone, and how much further to go for the chest¡­


    Wait, are these things humanoid?


    "What do they look like?" he asked.


    "Like really big fish," Numili said. "They live around the planet''s core, but sometimes they come up. Nobody knows exactly why they do, but they can''t survive up here because it''s too cold."


    "And what were those black rocks that we entered through?"


    "The remnants of their horns," Numili said. She sounded incredibly happy to be explaining things, and as they continued, she began talking about the biology of the Earth Titans.


    Irwin barely listened, focusing on following Greldo.


    He had no idea how much longer they went down when Greldo flowed down another vein and did not respond right away.


    Irwin was about to call down when Greldo appeared far below. Instead of shouting, he put his fingers to his lips, then beckoned them to come.


    Irwin was about to move, then stopped and turned to Numili.


    "Greldo says we have to be quiet. So, no talking," he said, staring at her.


    Numili nodded resolutely. "I''m always quiet!"


    Irwin stared at her stupidly, almost wondering if she was being serious. Then he looked at Scintilla, who was rubbing her head. His guard looked back up and then sighed.


    "I''ll keep her quiet," she said.


    Irwin hoped she would be able to, then turned. "Wait until I''m all the way down, then count a hundred before coming," he said before sitting on the edge and letting himself fall down the tubelike tunnel.


    It was too wide for him to touch each side, and as he reached the lower part, it began widening until he was free-falling. The first time he''d done so, he''d felt a weird sensation in his stomach, but after a few times, he''d gotten used to it.


    He suddenly fell out of the tunnel into a larger area beside what looked like a wall. He caught a glimpse of a spacious area with a wall of flesh. Enormous, pale bones stuck out from parts while a tower of building-sized bones sat opposite it.


    Flailing his arms to stay upright, he slammed into a thick layer of sand that cushioned his fall slightly. He knelt down with the fall, his legs barely straining. He quickly looked around and saw movement from the corner of his eye. A thin stream of sand fell down, and he instinctively looked up.


    There were ridges running all along the dry flesh walls, the nearest one a foot above where they were. Looking straight up the chest cavity, at least that''s what he presumed it was, he saw holes in the ceiling through which tiny streams of sand poured down. It fell straight into the area before him.


    "There are Wyrms over there," Greldo whispered, pointing at the wall of flesh.


    Irwin shivered as he looked at the opposite wall. The same oddly moving bumps he''d seen above ground moved across the wall in odd patterns. As he swallowed, he saw Wyrms drill out of the wall in multiple spots. The flesh seemed as dry as leather, but there was the barest hint of a wet sheen on the edges.


    There goes the hope the Fleshgorgers might fear these things, he thought.


    A wyrm with a head the size of a barn door punctured the wall almost straight ahead. The round, teeth-edged mouth swung around twice, showing them the murky red insides before pulling back.


    "Enormous," he whispered.


    He absently noticed that parts of the enormous wall of flesh seemed unmarred by holes. Either the Wyrms had only just found the Earth Titan, or it hadn''t been here that long.


    They only seem to dig around the central area, and this way¡­ Irwin swallowed as he saw holes moving along the side towards the spot they were sitting on.


    Turning further, he froze as he saw holes right behind him. A quick look showed no movement, but that didn''t make him feel secure. Looking up to the hole they had fallen down, he saw many more holes. The vein they had come through was much bigger, but as he looked at it, he shivered.


    Are these veins? Or¡­


    A bit of movement drew his attention, and he saw Scintilla on the edge, looking down, sword in hand and waving. She seemed ready to jump or Blink down at a moment''s notice. Numili was on the other side, constantly looking over her shoulder and then back. Her face was pale.


    Shit. The Fleshgorgers!


    He quickly beckoned them while stepping to the side.


    "Where can we hide?" he whispered as he looked around.


    "I don''t know, but I''m not going to summon Coal here," Greldo replied. "I don''t know how he is doing after what happened before. So we better find a place because fighting all these is out of the question!"


    Irwin nodded as he looked around. He stared at a massive Wyrm burrowing out of the distant wall. It stopped when its head was a few feet out, wiggled about, then pulled it back.


    Fire¡­ he frowned as he recalled how the wyrms had exploded. Why had that been? Shouldn''t these things love heat? It was sweltering in here, even by his standards!


    A thud came from behind, and he spun to see Scintilla letting go of Numili''s hand. They were standing there, and Scintilla was swaying slightly, showing she had used her Blink again.


    Numili''s mouth opened as she looked around, Irwin felt his heart skip a beat.


    "So-"


    Irwin stepped forward and clasped his massive hand over her mouth just as she began talking. The sound of her voice echoed through the hollowed-out chest cavity, and Irwin felt his skin crawl. The sounds of munching Wyrms stopped, and as he looked around, he saw the Wyrms had vanished. Bumps were moving down and sideways towards them.


    "You fucking-" Greldo began, only to stop as a deafening roar came from above them.


    "Wyrms hate fire?" Irwin hissed, biting the question at Numili.


    Her eyes had gone round, her face pale, and she quickly nodded. Irwin felt her begin to speak.


    "Whisper!" he ordered.


    Numili nodded again, and Irwin looked around. The nearest bumps were speeding toward the ground nearby. He removed his hand from Numili. Even if she shouted, it barely mattered anymore. The damage had been done.


    "They like heat, but too much causes them to explode! The bigger they are, the" Numili whispered quickly.


    "Where can we hide!" Irwin asked, ignoring her upset look. At the same time, a plan began forming.


    "The heart, but-"


    A bump reached the ground two feet away, and Irwin yanked Numili away. He saw movement from the corner of his eye just as he triggered Eyes of Blaze. A torrent of fire surged forward, striking the ground. Instead of instantly exploding, the rocky flesh barely reacted. It just turned orange a little.


    The skin is to-


    A hole appeared, and he saw a flash of the head of a wyrm before a fountain of blood and gore exploded out of the hole. For a fraction of a moment, he gazed at it in stunned surprise; then, a vomit-inducing sickly sweet scent wafted over him.


    A deafening roar came from above, and Irwin pulled Numili further away from the hole.


    "Where is the heart?"


    Numili looked around, then pointed at the hole-riddled wall on the opposite side.


    "It''s inside there. The Wyrms are circling it!"


    "Let''s go!" Irwin shouted as he pulled her along while running to the other side. He wasn''t going to let her out of his sight.


    "Gelwin''s balls," Greldo shouted as he sprinted after him. "You do realize this is taking us toward the creepy burrowing worm monsters?"


    Irwin didn''t respond, but as soon as he reached the path leading around, he stopped. Scintilla was a few steps away from him, her sword in her hand and a grim look in her eyes.


    "What''s your plan?"


    "Take your cousin and make sure she doesn''t do anything stupid. Can you keep those Wyrms off until you reach that big hole?" he said as he pointed at one of the holes opposite them. The edge led passed it, thought they would have to jump to reach the edge.


    "Yes, but not for long," she said. "If they start coming, then I can''t swing my blade."


    "I''ll be there soon," Irwin shouted as he turned.


    The roaring from above was closing in rapidly, showing that whatever those Fleshgorgers had been doing, they had been taking it slow. At the same time, dozens of bumps were moving toward him, the dry flash cracking under the strain.


    Fine, let''s give them some more incentive, Irwin thought as he focused on the nearest bump.


    He focused his Eyes of Blaze in a tight beam, and as he held it on the spot of a bump, the fleshy ground turned a dark red almost instantly. For a moment, nothing happened, then, like the first time, the bump opened, and he saw a flash of a Wyrm just before it exploded.


    What hadn''t happened before was that two other bumps nearby rushed toward the same spot.


    He held his attack on that spot, and a moment later, there were two more explosions. The putrid scent became thicker, and the roaring above louder.


    Taking stock of the energy he had left, Irwin knew he could use the ability eight or nine more times, depending on how long he held it.


    Gritting his teeth, he began exploding more of the Wyrms.


    When he reached the sixth one, the scent was so thick he could almost taste it, and he decided that should be enough. As a secondary benefit, most of the wyrms had begun moving toward the areas he''d heated up.


    Taking a final look at the vein or hole or whatever it was, he still saw no sign of the Fleshgorgers.


    Slow, slow, he thought as he turned and sprinted toward the edge.


    He saw the others standing inside the wyrm hole. He barely crossed half of the distance when a roar made his eardrums rattle. A moment later, something massive slammed into the ground behind him. Looking up, he saw Greldo''s face turn rigid, eyes growing wide. More roars, muted by comparison, came from the hole above.


    Right, that''s really motivating, Irwin thought as he tried to increase his speed.


    He heard heavy footsteps behind him, but they didn''t seem to chase him. Instead, after a moment, he heard a crunching sound. At least one thing went according to plan. Whatever those things were, they definitely wanted Wyrms, and he hoped they would be to busy eating and hunting those to bother with them.


    When he reached the hole, he jumped up against the wall, and two pairs of hands grabbed him and tried to pull him up. He barely noticed the help, instead pushing himself up.


    "Why did you wait?" he asked.


    "Not sure your fat ass could get up here," Greldo snapped.


    Irwin turned to look at the Fleshgorgers and almost wished he hadn''t. A six-legged, overly muscled dark red demon was standing before one of the holes he''d made. Its head was split four ways, both horizontally and vertically, and a mass of tendrils was dragging bits and pieces of Wyrm flesh into the gaping maw. The crunching sound came from somewhere inside its body.


    An annoyed bellow of rage came from above, causing the thing to look up and roar in return at the second one seeming stuck in the tunnel.


    "I guess now we know why they were so slow," Irwin muttered as he backed up and followed Greldo.


    Far ahead, Scintilla was running with Numili, and they quickly chased after them. There were dozens of smaller holes both in the ground, roof, and sides of the tunnel while the temperature and humidity continued increasing. A hundred feet of curving tunnel further, Numili began pulling on Scintilla''s hand.


    "Stop! It''s here! Here!"


    Irwin stopped, looking at the wall she was pointing at. There weren''t any holes in it.


    "What is? The heart?"


    "Yes! If we can get there, we will be safe!"


    "And how do you suppose we get in there?" Greldo shouted, pounding his fists on the wall. As he did, there was a soft sizzling sound, and he yanked his fist back.


    "That''s hot!"


    Frowning, Irwin carefully put his hand on the wall. He felt a heat not unlike a forge fire. At the same time, he noticed that what looked like stone felt softer, almost pliable. Pushing it, he managed to dent it slightly.


    "It''s soft! Maybe you can cut it with your sword?" he asked, turning to Scintilla.


    The Ignitzion nodded as she stepped forward and sliced her sword across the rocklike flesh. It slid down without any apparent effort, leaving a deep, three-foot-high slit behind.


    "Backup!" Scintilla said as she stepped before the wall.


    The others barely jumped back when she began slicing at the wall like a maniac. Chunks of thick, heavy flesh began sliding down.


    "Clear it out so I can continue!"


    Irwin jumped forward and grabbed a chest-sized slab of meat with the intention of hurling it away. He barely managed to lift it, and as he dragged it back, he grunted with the effort.


    "So heavy!"


    "This thing is like you," Ambraz said.


    Irwin looked at the Anvil with a surprised grunt before quickly grabbing another slab of heavy meat.


    "If we cut you in your normal form, it would be somewhat similar. These things have Coperion Bodies."


    Irwin shivered while Scintilla continued slicing.


    "I''m through!" she shouted as she stepped back, kicking at the wall of flesh. There was a dull thud, and she grunted.


    Irwin jumped forward and kicked at the wall. The entire midsection slid away, and as he stepped after it, he saw they were in a much smaller area.


    Purple-red cables of rock wound away from a massive heart that hung in the center of the chamber.


    As soon as his gaze fell on it, Irwin felt an intense hunger.

 Chapter 112: Hunger

    "Hold him," Numili screamed.


    "Kid, fight it! Don''t touch that piece of meat!"


    "Numili, what is going on?"


    Irwin was confused. Why were they all shouting? He took a shaking step forward, and as he did, his cards rang as if he''d struck them with a hammer. As they did, he felt a disharmony that hadn''t been there before, something that seemed to threaten the cohesion of his left hand. Trying to rip apart the bonds he''d created when his left hand had become a full, combined hand.


    As the echoes of the ringing faded, a sense of worry came. It was his first card. He could feel it amidst the ripples of the not-a-sound. It was shaking, shivering, and the hunger¡­


    His card hungered!


    What is going on?


    He barely finished the thought as the ringing faded again. Now the ringing wasn''t there, he couldn''t sense the same thing as before, but he felt a tightness. And the hunger grew. A hunger nearly impossible to hold back.


    "Hold him!" Ambraz roared.


    Hold him? Why? Wait. How long had he been staring at the heart? A pale mist, almost like morning fog, hung around the heart, spreading out and dissipating. Where it touched him, he felt a clammy wetness while the heat increased further.


    "Irwin, help!"


    Irwin shook. What? Who needed help?


    He wanted to look away from the heart, but he couldn''t. He couldn''t pull his gaze from its dull red surface.


    A dangerous growl that held a deep, seemingly insatiable hunger erupted from somewhere out of his sight.


    "Greldo, wake up! If you touch the heart, you will burn up!"


    Irwin felt a shiver run down him. What was going on? He needed to-


    Greldo stepped forward and into his view. Numili was holding onto an arm, trying to hold him, while Scintilla stood before him, her hands against his chest in a seemingly useless attempt to stop him from stepping forward again. Greldo''s body was shaking and shivering. His eyes glowed, a burning gaze locked onto the heart. Drool leaked from his lips.


    Irwin wanted to blink as a blurry form flitted in front of him, almost seeming ready to strike him in the face. His eyes didn''t cooperate, staying locked on the heart. The hunger became stronger, but he fought it down, trying to take control of himself.


    "Irwin, snap out of it! If he touches that heart, he will burn up!" Ambraz shouted.


    "If he manages to take the remaining heartcard energy, there will be nothing stopping the Wyrms," Numili screamed.


    I need to help! Irwin thought.


    He tried again to rip his gaze from the heart- attempted to hold the hunger at bay. The harder he tried, the stronger the hunger became, and with a suddenness that was jarring, it seemed to cross a threshold.


    Before he could stop himself, Irwin took two steps forward.


    Passing Greldo and the others, he was now only two steps from the heart. Each step caused a loud boom, the dissonant resonation of his cards increasing. He felt cracks begin to appear where the cards in his left full hand had combined.


    "Kid-"


    Irwin ignored Ambraz as he sucked in a deep breath. He had to stop himself, or his cards were going to break apart, and he knew that would be very- very bad. Using every ounce of willpower he had, he held his breath and focused on his cards, on his first card. The sensation he got from it was as if it was rebelling, as if it wanted to grow, to increase but was locked down by the bonds of the other two. He tried to pull it up, but it began resisting him.


    You are MY card, Irwin thought as he ignored everything around him. He had gone through too much, done too much to just let it all fall apart from some stupid mission.


    Exhaling explosively, he let out a dull roar of pent-up rage, the first sound he''d made. He focused on his other cards, which were shivering. His hammer fell in his hand, and as it did, he sensed a slight bit of relief. His Coperion Body was still active, and without waiting, he focused on his Eyes of Blaze.


    As its secondary effect activated, his vision turned ruddy, and the massive heart became like fog. The outline of a card appeared in the center of it, the edges were broken and fractured. Slowly, it seemed to dissolve into mist.


    As soon as he saw it, a jumbled mess of information appeared.


    Card: Heart of Sweltering Heat


    Type: Heartcard, [Incomplete, Dissolving]


    Owner: ?


    Active: ?


    Passive: ?


    Passive: ?


    Passive: ?


    He ignored it, unable to deal with it as he focused on his first card, his Fire-sensitive Body. With a final tug, he forced it to appear above his hand, something he''d been able to do ever since combining them.


    A bright light appeared above one of his outstretched hands, and a startled shout came. His card hung there, shuddering and shivering, but as it appeared, the hunger became muted, and Irwin felt he had regained some control over his body.


    "Irwin? What are you doing? You have to stop-"


    A growl of fury came, and Scintilla was hurled forward. Her head slammed into the heart with a crack. The outlining of the card began fading faster while Scintilla coughed as she slumped down.


    Greldo stepped into view, Numili pulling on his arm uselessly, screaming for him to snap out of it. He showed no hesitation as he stepped towards the heart, and Irwin acted on instinct as he swung his hammer to swat Greldo away.


    With a sickening crack, his hammer hit Greldo''s shoulder, flinging him away. With an insane effort, Irwin finally pulled his gaze from the heart, looking at where Greldo lay on the ground against the wall. He was still snarling and slowly getting up.


    I need to hold him still, bind him or-


    An idea came to his muddled mind.


    "Ambraz, hold him there! Sit on him but don''t crush him!"


    The Anvil let out a burst of laughter as it flitted towards Greldo, appearing above his back. A burst of light came, and then Ambraz''s larger, working from thudded down on Greldo, flattering him to the ground.


    "Don''t hurt him!" Irwin shouted with a sudden burst of panic.


    "He is fine," Ambraz snapped.


    Irwin nodded, feeling the nearly unstoppable desire to look back at the heart. Instead, he turned to Numili.


    "What the hell is going on?" he snarled, tightening his grip on his hammer.


    Numili took a step back, her lips shivering. "The heartcard, it was almost completed," she said, shaking her head. "It''s leaking energy, causing any compatible card to¡­ to," she shook his head.


    Irwin''s mind spun. "Compatible, how?"


    "Don''t even think about it, kid!" Ambraz shouted. "Even if you survive, and your card doesn''t shatter into a thousand pieces, absorbing that energy will contaminate your own cards! All the purification we''ve done will have been for nothing!"


    Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    Irwin gritted his teeth. For a fraction of a second, he''d thought he might be able to increase his cards.


    "What if I slot it?" he asked, staring at Ambraz and forcing himself not to look at the heart. He wasn''t sure he''d be able to pull his gaze away a second time. Greldo was lashing out and around, growling and hissing like a feral beast.


    "You don''t have a complete heartslot. You might be able to, but you will be stuck as a one-soul-carded from that point on," Ambraz shouted.


    "So what do we do then?" Irwin roared back, feeling his control slipping.


    "Wait, can''t we purify it? Reforge it?"


    Ambraz''s metal mouth fell open, revealing his dull teeth.


    "Are you insane? You can''t even reforge a ruby card!"


    "But you can!" Irwin shouted back.


    "If I had a hundred cards worth of energy, and-" Ambraz stopped talking.


    Irwin could almost feel the Anvil''s attention turn to the heart.


    "I¡­ we could try!" Ambraz shouted. "But you are going to have to pull that card from the heart!"


    "No!" Numili screamed. "If we do that, there will be nothing holding the Wyrms back! Look!"


    Irwin forced himself to look at what she was pointing at, and he felt his heart skip a beat. A monstrous Wyrm head loomed behind them in the entrance they had created. Its lips were rolling forward and back, causing the massive teeth to point outward, then inward in a constant, almost hypnotic pattern.


    Irwin shivered, trying to come up with another plan. There had to be something they could-


    "How long till you can teleport?" he asked.


    "What? I- at least an hour," Numili shouted.


    "As long as we keep Greldo still, is there anything that could hurt us?" Irwin asked as he forced his entire body to turn to keep his back toward the heart.


    "What?" Numili asked again, seemingly confused. "No!"


    "And you can teleport us anywhere?"


    "No, I''d need more energy to get us all the way back, and-"


    "Can you teleport us out of the Bloodstained Desert and someplace without wyrms?"


    "Yes," Numili said, nodding.


    "Good! Then look after Scintilla," Irwin ordered. "Ambraz, we have an hour to prepare! After that, we are going to grab the heartcard, teleport to safety, and try to reforge it!"


    "Kid¡­ you are crazy, you know that?"


    Irwin didn''t respond, keeping his focus on the Wyrm. He found that staring at the horrifying visage helped him resist turning to stare at the heart.


    "Tell me what to expect," he ordered.


    --


    Time passed excruciatingly slowly as he constantly had to resist turning. Between that and the increasing thirst, he had done nothing but listen to Ambraz, drink as sparingly from his flask as he could, and listen to the constant roaring of the Fleshgorgers. Greldo''s constant roaring and flailing hadn''t stopped one bit, and he was still pinned below Ambraz.


    "There''s dozens inside now," Scintilla said as she Blinked back into the room and moved to stand beside him.


    "Then let''s hope they stay hunting those wyrms and leave us alone," Irwin said, glaring at the Wyrm in front of him.


    "I''m ready!"


    Numili''s voice sounded like a balm to his pained ears.


    "Finally! Alright, you two know what to do," Irwin said as he took a deep breath. "Ambraz?"


    "I''m ready, but¡­ are you sure you can do this?"


    Irwin didn''t respond. He had no idea if he was ready, but from what Ambraz had told him, this was too good of an opportunity to miss. Even if none of them could use it, if he could reforge the card, it would fetch a ridiculous price during the upcoming auction.


    Still¡­ as he looked at his first card, still hanging above his hand and screaming in hunger, he felt his heart rate surge. If Numili hadn''t been here, he''d have never even thought about taking this risk.


    "Numili, begin! Scintilla, get ready to grab onto Greldo and Blink as soon as we reach the other side," he said as he took a deep breath and gripped his hammer as tight as he could. Then he activated Eyes of Blaze. Seeing the stupid card might help.


    "Ready. And hotstuff? Be careful!"


    Irwin forced a confident grin on his face and nodded. He waited until he saw the dark smog that entailed Numili''s teleportation pour in from the side.


    Here we go.


    Giving the Wyrm one last glare, he turned and jumped before the heartcard could begin to influence him. In one smooth motion, he released his first card and swung his hammer down with all his strength. His hunger surged as he saw the hazy card, then his hammer struck the side of the heart. Scintilla had warned him, but even then, it felt odd to see the stonelike material dent instead of crack. The heart shuddered, and the card wobbled oddly.


    "Now, kid!"


    He dropped his hammer and pressed both of his hands against the heart. There was a surging hunger from his first card, and it buckled as if it wanted to rush out of him and consume the heartcard.


    Can''t let you do that just yet, Irwin thought as he focused on his other card and forced a resonance on his first one. It felt a lot like card reforging, though usually, it wasn''t his own cards that were acting up.


    Below his hands, the degrading heartcard lurched and slowly began moving towards his hands.


    "Wyrm!" Numili screamed, then slashes and screeches followed.


    Irwin hoped Scintilla could hold back the Wyrm. If she couldn''t, Numili had been told to teleport them all away.


    A sickeningly wet splosh followed something wet, striking his back. It almost shattered his concentration, and only the sight of the foggy card a few inches from his palm helped him stay in place. As the liquid dripped down his back, dozens of thunderous roars came from the main room. It sounded like all of the Fleshgorgers were going crazy.


    "Irwin, hurry!"


    Irwin gritted his teeth.


    A sudden release came as his first card stopped rebelling and began working in line with the others. Instantly the heartcard jumped forward, and Irwin yanked his hand back.


    "Ambraz!" he shouted.


    The card seemed to hesitate with its border against the heart, then it began oozing out. Instantly a gush of fog rushed out, almost like an incredibly fine rain.


    A burst of light was followed by a rapid movement, then Ambraz, in his tiny form, appeared in a flash before him. He snatched the card between his teeth just as Numili''s teleportation fog engulfed them. Instantly the loud roaring vanished, as did the screaming of wyrms, and there was only Ambraz hanging before him.


    "Whot, whot! Twhis bwoody cward is whot!" the Anvil spluttered.


    Irwin noticed that Ambraz''s teeth were slowly turning a dull red.


    "Hold on! It shouldn''t be as long as-"


    The world reappeared, and he stumped two steps forward. Dozens of surprised shouts came, and a look around showed they were in a tiny hamlet with a single vast tree. A dozen small yellow and white houses with red leaf-covered roofs stood around it, while a white, almost gleaming wall encircled them and the tree. The only non-white or sandy yellow thing was a dark, wooden gate.


    Greldo let out a terrifying howl, which was interrupted, and as Irwin spun around, he didn''t see his friend or Scintilla anywhere. Only Numili was sitting on her hands and knees, drawing in ragged breaths. A dozen confused-looking Viridians stood near a few of the buildings.


    "Numili, where''s your house?" Irwin shouted.


    Numili staggered up, looking around with bleary eyes before pointing to a small hut on the edge of the town near the wall. Irwin grabbed her arm and dragged her toward it, hoping the Viridians weren''t going to say anything.


    "Numili, are you alright?"


    The deep, rugged voice shattered his hopes, and he saw a towering Viridian with red and brown leaf hair stomp towards them. His bright green eyes were on Numili, and he looked worried.


    "I''m fine, Crithann," Numili said.


    Irwin saw her force herself to stand up straight, then she gazed at him.


    "Irwin, you can just go inside! I''ll be there after I explain what''s going on!"


    That wasn''t the plan, Irwin thought, but a quick look at the towering Crithann made him decide he''d talk to her about that later. Instead, he nodded and ran to the building she''d pointed at. Ambraz was flying above him, and he saw a few of the Viridians look at the Anvil.


    The small cabin''s dark brown door wasn''t locked, and as he jumped inside, he saw walls lined with bookshelves and a bed in the corner that held more. A table with two chairs stood in the center with a few forgotten cups.


    He slammed the door shut, jumped forward, and dragged the table aside.


    "Ready," he shouted.


    Ambraz grunted a reply, and with a flash, he landed on the ground. A bright flash later, he had turned into his working size, the card now a tiny, foggy thing between his red teeth.


    "Twake it-" the Anvil grunted.


    Irwin nodded, licking his dry lips. Now came the hardest part.


    Taking a deep breath, he readied himself, then snatched the card. It was like picking up a hot coal, and he almost screamed and tossed it.


    Rushing to move it on top of Ambraz, the careful melody his cards had been vibrating in shattered, and he felt his first card''s energy surge to the card in his fingers.


    "Blasted, bloody, painfully, hot-" Ambraz cursed, but Irwin ignored it.


    Just as his first card''s energy was going to reach the heartcard, he dropped it atop Ambraz and jumped back, breathing raggedly. The surging hunger of his first card dissipated, almost as if it lost interest as soon as the card touched Ambraz.


    Irwin sighed at the release of the tension and examined his fingers. They were painful, but a quick look showed they were just a bit ruddy.


    "It almost reached it," he whispered, shuddering.


    "Almost doesn''t count for anything," Ambraz grunted. "My teeth hurt!"


    Irwin nodded as he gazed at the foggy card. The temperature in the room was rising rapidly.


    "Alright¡­ let''s start before this thing draws all of the wyrms to us," Ambraz said.


    Irwin nodded, summoned his hammer, and stared at the card.


    "Just like normal?"


    "Just think of it as a normal card," Ambraz said. "I''ll take care of the rest."


    --


    "Little ember, are you sure you are alright?" Crithann rumbled as he gazed at Numili.


    "Yes, yes! I thought you were supposed to respect my privacy here," Numili said as she pouted at the treeman, twice her height.


    "This is true, but only if what you do does not threaten Grianf¨¢l."


    Numili''s pout deepened as she looked up. "Why would me being here be a problem?"


    "You are not a problem," Crithann rumbled as he smiled at her as if she was a child. "But the thing your friend was carrying is going to cause trouble if it''s not taken care of fast. Is he trustworthy?"


    A loud clang rang through the town, followed by a musical hum that raised and lowered oddly.


    Crithann''s eyes widened slightly, and he looked at her hut.


    "A cardsmith¡­ we haven''t had one here in over a hundred years," he rumbled, a wistful look on his face.


    "Yes! And he''s really great! I''m sure if you help us now, he''ll be able to help you out later," Numili said.


    The old Viridian gazed at her, his barkskin unreadable as another loud clang came, and the hum deepened.


    "Fine, but I''ll hold you to that," he said as he turned. "I''ll handle the Wyrms until he is ready."


    Numili gaped after him, then stomped her foot and turned to glare at the hut. A dangerous gleam appeared in her eyes for a moment.


    "That was my card," she whispered.


    Then a shudder rang through her, and she blinked, looking around stupidly.


    "Where''s Scintilla?" she shouted worriedly before running towards the gate. "Scintilla!"

 Chapter 113: Heartburn

    "Do you think he will help us with some cards?"


    "You know how these smiths are."


    "Not all of them! Remember Zendril''s cousin?"


    "Bah, that was because he was her cousin!"


    "I''m sure he''ll ask for a ridiculously high payment."


    "The explosions stopped! Crithann must be done!"


    "Let''s hope we aren''t going to get into trouble-"


    The chatter continued as a small group of Viridians stood before Numilli''s small cabin. They had been standing there for hours now. A deep, melodious hum echoed through town, and a few of the older Viridians stood with their eyes closed and their hands up. Their cards were all glowing as if they were enjoying the sound.


    Their conversations all stopped as the methodical and consistent thudding stopped.


    "He finished," someone whispered.


    The others remained quiet while the humm gradually died down.


    "Let''s go¡­ I''m sure he will need to rest after this," one of the elder Viridans said. "If we want to ask him for help, it will go a long way if we don''t bother him now."


    There was a round of agreements, and the group of Viridians scattered. Some, however, remained not too far off, their eyes on the door.


    --


    "That was¡­ weird," Irwin groaned as he slumped to the ground, closing his eyes.


    He was bathing in sweat, and his body was shuddering, hands tingling. All of his cards felt spent and without energy, but thankfully his first card''s hunger had vanished.


    "Kid¡­ shut up¡­" Ambraz croaked.


    Irwin laughed and raised his head. The former heartcard was hovering above Ambraz''s flat surface, a foggy thing with a disturbing image of a heart with blood dripping from it. He couldn''t see the card''s real form from this angle, and he was too weary to get up.


    "So¡­ what exactly did we just do?" Irwin asked as he lay back down, his neck so sore he couldn''t keep his head up for another second. Ambraz had said just to hit it like a normal card, and he had. But as he did, he''d felt¡­ weird things happening. He wanted to find another word, but he just couldn''t think of one. It just didn''t make sense, as if the card was being deconstructed, yet at the same time, repaired.


    "We?" Ambraz snapped before sighing.


    His voice sounded as if he''d swallowed gravel, but he didn''t sound as tired as Irwin felt.


    "Well, I guess it is we in this case. I don''t think I could have done it without your absurd sense of timing. So¡­ you know what a heartcard is, nothing more than a combined card of different things. It grows as it accumulates Soulforce, which it gets by absorbing cards of compatible types. This one was not completed, and without a living body, it was disintegrating. I took the energy that was expelled during this process and guided it back to becoming a regular card. It had-"


    Ambraz grunted as if he recalled something annoying.


    "It had way too many options to choose from because of how it was one of multiple cards, and I tried to guide it to those that would benefit you. But, well, there wasn''t anything with movement or range¡ªsorry kid.


    Irwin frowned.


    "Wait, so it''s a normal card again? What rank is it?"


    Ambraz hummed contentedly. "Why don''t you look for yourself?"


    Irwin hesitated for a moment, much rather stay on his back and letting his body rest. Then his curiosity got the better of him, and he propped himself up on his elbows. He still couldn''t see the card, but that was fine. Eyes of Blaze felt incredibly drained, and he hoped it would work. Otherwise, he''d have to get up after all.


    It did, though he could sense it wouldn''t stay up very long. It was almost as if all of his cards were empty.


    Card: Heart of Sweltering Heat


    Type: Ruby, Reforged by Irwin Roddington


    Owner: -


    The wielder''s heart turns into a source of heat that draws in ambient water, increasing the temperature and humidity in the area around the wielder.


    Passive: Greatly increases fire resistance and endurance


    Passive: Increases resistance to poisons and toxins


    Irwin swallowed as he wondered if turning his heart into a heat source would offset the rest of his cold weakness. There wasn''t anything about it in the passives, but still¡­ Then he stared at the passives and realized something.


    "It became ruby ranked, but didn''t it have another passive and active before?" he asked, sounding slightly let down.


    "That''s what you notice?" Ambraz snapped. "Yes, yes, it lost some passive and active abilities. But there''s something great about this card. Get it?"


    Irwin paused as he recalled the wording of the passives.


    "Something about greater fire resistance and endurance?"


    "No, no! Greatly increases fire resistance and endurance," Ambraz said, slightly annoyed now. "Greatly! Do you know how rare that is?"


    Irwin frowned, then shrugged.


    "Nope. But¡­ it''s not a movement skill, and it''s not ranged," he said as he imagined slotting it.


    Although having a ruby card would be awesome, he only had two slots left, and this would do nothing for his weaknesses. The sweltering part had caused him to hope it would alleviate his water issues, but it didn''t seem to have that either. Just something about ambient humidity.


    Unless¡­ his tired mind suddenly began spinning. Ambraz knew what he wanted and needed, and he seemed enthusiastic. So, what was he missing? Greatly increased endurance? What would that-


    "Increased endurance helps me deal with my lack of water?" he asked.


    "Finally," Ambraz said with a weary sigh. "Yes. It won''t fix your problem, but it will make it so it will bother you no more than a regular person. You will still need to drink, but the way the card is described gives me the idea there should be a rare path we can reforge it in that should give you even more benefits."


    Irwin nodded, staring at the card with more interest.


    "What else does endurance do?" he asked. "I take it gives me the ability to run longer? And what''s the difference with constitution?" he added as he recalled his Coperion Body.


    "..."


    Irwin looked up to see Ambraz''s mouth open and close.


    "Ambraz?"


    "These questions¡­. No, Ambraz, that''s so great that you managed to think about what I needed while doing the near impossible and reforging a heartcard into a regular card. Nooo¡­. Whatever. Let me think for a moment," the Anvil muttered.


    Irwin felt slightly bad, but he quietly waited until Ambraz spoke up. After a few minutes or two, Ambraz sighed.


    "Stupid, difficult questions. I think- emphasis on think, that the difference between constitution and endurance is one between being something and using something. Your Coperion Body card increases your constitution by making your body''s makeup tougher. Think bones, muscles, tendons, and skin. Endurance has more to do with how your body works, so heart, stomach, blood¡­ that stuff. If you have higher endurance, you can run longer because your body recovers fast. If you have a higher constitution, you can run longer because your body doesn''t get tired as fast."


    Irwin nodded slowly, then cocked his head as he saw Ambraz lick his lips with his gray slate of tongue.


    "How sure are you?"


    "What? Don''t trust me?" Ambraz snapped. "Go ask someone else then!"


    Irwin grinned, shaking his head. He was pretty sure Ambraz was very unsure, but some of it did make sense, so he''d just leave it at that for now.


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    "So, if I take the card, I''ll be able to run faster, have less of a water dependency, and be even more resistant to fire¡­" Irwin said. "That means I''ll only have one card left to get a Diamond one¡­ that feels a bit risky?"


    "You should eventually be able to reforge it to diamond rank," Ambraz said.


    "By reforging it while it''s in my hand, which will make it near impossible-" Irwin stopped as Ambraz began laughing softly.


    "What?"


    "Right¡­ I might have forgotten to tell you something about endurance," Ambraz said with a grin.


    Irwin frowned, then forced himself to stand upright, suddenly looking at the card with hungry eyes.


    "Will it increase my pain tolerance?"


    "Greatly," Ambraz said, drawing out the word.


    Irwin triggered Eyes of Blaze again.


    "It doesn''t say so in the passive bonus," he said.


    "You don''t have to believe me," Ambraz said. "But all in all, I think you would be a fool to let this card slip. I know you want a movement card, but you still have a slot for that, and when you start merging your actives and passives, this card will mesh incredibly easily with Fire-sensitive body and Coperion body."


    Irwin nodded, staring at the card, and slowly, a wide grin formed on his face.


    "If I slot this, will it combine with something from my hammer card?"


    "Yes, and seeing as you''re now a proper smith, you can actively influence which one," Ambraz said.


    "How?" Irwin asked, wide-eyed.


    "When you socket the card, you will sense different aspects of the adjacent card. From what I know, you should be able to discern which is which," Ambraz said.


    That''s vague, Irwin thought, but after a few more questions, it became clear Ambraz had no more knowledge about it.


    "Alright, suggestions?" he finally asked.


    "Does that mean you''re going to slot it?" Ambraz asked carefully.


    Irwin thought about his options, but the only thing that kept returning was the pain of having to reforge cards that were in his hand. If he could reduce that?


    "Yes," he said.


    "Good. Great!"


    Irwin looked at Ambraz and cocked his head. "Why are you so happy about that?"


    Ambraz''s mouth turned into a line before he smacked his lips. "Because it means you will be able to reforge far more cards when we reach the higher ranks, meaning I''ll rank up faster."


    The sudden honesty made Irwin blink in surprise. "Can you tell me a bit more about your rank up?" he asked. "Also¡­ how come you ranked up back then?"


    Ambraz licked his lips before sighing.


    "Let''s do that after you slot the card and the others return. "


    As soon as Ambraz mentioned the others, Irwin jolted.


    "Will Greldo be back to normal?"


    "He should be fine now the heartcard is gone," Ambraz said.


    Irwin nodded, then stared at the card. He suddenly thought of something.


    "Say¡­ isn''t my first card ruby rank too? It is¡­ different from the others, and back home, we call them special cards because they don''t follow the same rules as the rest," he said, trying to remember what else he knew about special cards. "But that one has both growth and impersonate¡­ this one doesn''t have anything?"


    Ambraz snorted. "Ruby cards have this annoying tendency to have hidden abilities. Your Fire-sensitive body cards allow you to summon and control fire, right? Well, does it say so on the card?"


    Irwin''s eyes widened as he forced his card atop his hand and examined it.


    Name: Fire-sensitive body


    Type: Ruby, Growth, impersonate


    As a ruby card, it gains all of the effects of ruby cards. However, due to its fire-based nature, the wielder will heal faster when near a source of fire and heat while slower when in a cold environment.


    Passive: Increased resistance to fire, decreased resistance to cold


    Passive two: Night vision (Can see dimly in complete darkness)


    Card combination focus: Regeneration, Store heat


    "It doesn''t say special anymore," Irwin muttered as he recalled the first time he''d read the card. Back then, it had said special.


    "Yes, yes- more important, it doesn''t say anything about an active. Does it?"


    Irwin absently nodded in agreement. Something about the change in what it read bothered him. Why had it said special when he was back home, and did it say ruby now? Why had it said special in the first place?


    "Irwin, stop getting distracted! Now, after you socket that card, you will find out what its active ability is fast enough. Just focus on the card. Also-"


    "Do heartcards get hidden active abilities?" Irwin asked, interrupting Ambraz.


    "What? I- No. When a card becomes Diamond or above, any hidden features are shown."


    Irwin nodded, wondering what the details of his first cards'' hidden active ability were.


    "I wonder why they are hidden," he muttered before focusing on the card.


    So, what ability should I combine it with, he thought. After a moment''s hesitation, he brought up his hammer card to inspect it.


    Card: Firesteel Hammer of Intent


    Type: Topaz, Growth, Reforged by Irwin Roddington


    Owner: Irwin Roddington


    A multipurpose card that allows the wielder to summon a hammer made of firesteel. The hammer has multiple forms, all able to withstand great amounts of heat and punishment. Depending on the wielder''s intent, the hammer that appears can be as small as a smith''s forming hammer or as large as a battle hammer.


    Passive: Increases the wielder''s speed and ability to strike


    Active: Summon a firesteel hammer. Lasts until dismissed or destroyed.


    "Growth! If I get growth as a combination, it will definitely level! I mean, I''ll be using it nonstop, won''t I?"


    Ambraz grunted, his mouth opening as if he was about to say something. Then he closed it and hummed.


    "I was going to say take striking speed¡­ but you are right! All you have to do is run around, practice, and train, and you will constantly use your heart! Kid, that''s a great idea!"


    Irwin grinned, surprised at Ambraz''s sudden excitement. Taking a deep breath, he was about to pick up the card when he hesitated.


    "It''s fixed, right? No more hungry cards?"


    "Yes, yes! Just grab it!"


    Irwin carefully took the card, and when he felt nothing but the card''s cool surface, he grinned as he gazed at the card. When he saw the blood-red borders and the hearth with what looked like blood oozing off, his grin turned ugly.


    Oh well, the image isn''t important! I wonder what Bronwyn would say if he knew I was hesitating to slot a ruby card!


    Taking a deep breath, he put the card on the back of his hand, wondering if he was finally slotting his first eventual legendary -Diamond- card.


    There was a shiver, then the card sank into his hand, seemingly melting away as it was absorbed. He sensed his hammer card begin to vibrate. A year ago, he wouldn''t have noticed, but after having reforged hundred-plus cards and having purified so much metal, he noticed three oddities, almost like tendrils of energy waiting to grab onto something.


    The new card next to it was stretching out a single tendril of its own, seemingly hesitating as if it was unsure.


    Focusing on one of those on his Hammer card, Irwin immediately got a sense of what it did. It was meant to reshape and grow. He couldn''t tell how he knew, but he knew it had something to do with it being his own card. Almost like the card was telling him. He was also pretty sure it was the one he needed, but to be sure, he looked at the others. One was foggy and odd, while the other was solely speed. Nodding to himself, he focused on the first one, and as soon as he did, it stretched out, grabbing onto the tendril of the second card.


    A staggering pain in his chest made him stumble, and he tried to gasp. No air came as he felt himself turn limp and slump on the ground.


    Heart¡­ stopped¡­ Irwin wanted to shout. But he couldn''t.


    Al he could do was lay on the ground and endure the stabbing pain.


    "Kid? What''s wrong?"


    Ambraz whisked above him, and if Irwin hadn''t been feeling an impending sense of dread, the worry in Ambraz''s voice might have surprised him.


    "Irwin! Come on! The card¡­ I''m sure I didn''t make a mistake¡­ No, I''m positive! It''s flawless, ninety-nine percent."


    Ambraz''s voice dulled while darkness filled his vision from the edges.


    "Nothing was- wait¡­ it''s changing your heart! Kid! Don''t worry, it will be fine! It''s just-"


    Irwin felt like someone had stabbed a superheated dagger into his heart. Then a deafening thud came sounded in his ears, and he felt streams of superheated blood shoot through his veins. The control over his body returned, and he spasmed. He was about to open his mouth to roar out his pain when the raging, boiling blood calmed. The heat remained, but it was as if his veins and body began getting used to it. The thundering thudding of his heart began to die down, and slowly he realized he was curved on the top of his head and his heels, his body taut like a bow.


    Taking a deep breath, he relaxed, lowering himself back to the ground. Ambraz was hovering above him.


    "Kid? Irwin? You alright?"


    "Yes, I''m alright," he said, his voice sounding like he had a cold.


    "Thank the elder anvils," Ambraz muttered before landing on Irwin''s shoulder.


    Irwin looked at him, not sure what to say, and happy when the door was shoved open.


    "Seeing as that the moaning and grunting have stopped, I presume you are done?" Greldo snapped as he stomped inside.


    His face was slightly bruised but back to his normal self, and the top of his armor was torn and ripped apart. He froze, one foot in the air, as he stared at Irwin.


    "Are you alright? Why are you covered in blood?"


    Irwin frowned and wiped his face, his hands coming back red and sticky with thick blood.


    "I''m fine," he said.


    So that''s why Ambraz was so worried, he thought as he glanced at the Anvil.


    "... That''s good," Greldo grunted. "But you might wanna wipe that off before the girls get here."


    Irwin nodded, looking around until he spotted what looked like an old rag. As he began wiping his face, he wondered if his new card had an ability and, if so, what it was. Deciding to check it out as soon as he had a moment alone, he looked at Greldo.


    "So. Wanna tell me what happened after Scintilla brought you away?"


    Greldo looked up from where he had been leafing through one of the books.


    "My card tried to break free or something, not sure. It''s hard to explain, but I couldn''t resist it no matter what I tried. I don''t remember much till Scintilla was smacking me around. Did you know she can smack people with the flat of her blade and send them flying?"


    Irwin grinned as he gazed at the sides of his friend''s face.


    "That explains those nice markings you have."


    "Yeah, yeah. What happened to that heartcard?" Greldo asked as he looked up, a slightly fearful look in his eyes.


    Irwin looked around, then took a few steps toward Greldo. Somehow, even though he''d been talking about all kinds of stuff before, he suddenly felt a slight worry that someone might be listening in. He couldn''t say what gave him the idea, but he leaned over to Greldo, whose eyes had narrowed.


    "Ambraz changed it into a normal card," he whispered, raising his hand.


    "Five¡­ almost there," Greldo said as he shook his head. "What does it do?"


    Irwin shrugged. "Might keep me warm during the cold days, not sure yet. For the rest, I can run longer."


    Greldo raised an eyebrow. "Yeah¡­ that sounds like a great card. Are you sure you should have taken it?"


    "It also reduced how much things hurt me," Irwin said, suddenly wondering how that would actually work. Would it still hurt as much, but would he simply not mind? Or would it feel like it hurt less?


    "How much?" Greldo asked, looking up, a nasty grin on his face. "Wanna try it out?"


    Irwin grinned back as he saw his friend raise a fist.


    "Only if I get to hit you back," he said, raising his own, much larger fist.


    "Bah. Let''s just wait and see then," Greldo said with a grimace.


    They continued their banter for a while until Scintilla and Numilli entered the cabin.


    "Where''s the card?" Numilli said as she looked around. "I want to inspect it! I''m sure it has to be incredible, and-"


    "You almost got us killed," Irwin said, interrupting her. "Twice!"


    Numilli crossed her arms and harrumphed. "That''s not all my fault! I didn''t know those Fleshgorgers would come and attack us."


    Irwin gritted his teeth while Greldo stepped forward.


    "You led us into the body of some giant dead thing!"


    Numilli pouted as she walked towards a table shoved in a corner. "We are alive, aren''t we?"


    "Numilli¡­ apologize to them," Scintilla said.


    Irwin saw she was looking at Numilli with a sad gaze.


    "Why? I didn''t do-"


    "Numilli!"


    "Fine¡­ I''m sorry for not telling you about the Earth Titan," she said. "Where is the card?"


    Irwin sighed as he shook his head. "I slotted it," he said, giving her a hard look. "You have a problem with that?"


    Numilli pouted again, then sniffled. "I needed that for my research."


    What research? Irwin thought, as he looked at her. Wait, was she going to cry?

 Chapter 114: Steamy

    Irwin watched for a few moments how Numilli''s eyes turned watery. Then he turned to Greldo, deciding he was just going to ignore her for now. Still, something about her reaction made his anger die down a little. Probably the fact that she was completely crazy.


    "So, what do we do now?" Greldo asked, simply ignoring Numilli.


    Irwin turned to his friend and shrugged. "Not sure. I had thought that whatever mission we had here would last longer, but-"


    "We aren''t done yet!" Numilli said as she glared at them. Her teary eyes were gone, replaced by pouty anger. "I need one of those unfinished heartcards!"


    "Are you crazy enough to think we are going inside another of those corpses?" Greldo asked, turning on her with flashing eyes.


    Numilli''s eyes widened, and to Irwin''s surprise, her tears reappeared.


    "But you took the mission," Numilli whined, turning to Scintilla, who was looking at her quietly.


    "Cousin? You said you''d help?" Numilli asked, her eyes wide and her bottom lip shivering.


    If she is a hundred years or older, her mind must have regressed to that of a six-year-old, Irwin thought.


    Scintilla sighed before turning to Irwin. "Technically, the mission shouldn''t have been this difficult. We were unlucky that it was such a massive Earth Titan. Also, if someone," she glanced at Numilli, "hadn''t drawn those Fleshgorgers to us, I might have been able to hold back the worms."


    "I said I''m sorry," Numilli whispered.


    Irwin frowned, thinking back to the Earth Titan.


    "Are there that many of them, then? Why doesn''t everyone just go and get these heartcards?" he asked.


    "It took me months to find this one!" Numilli shouted. "They only appear sometimes, but-"


    "But she can find them because of how her teleport works," Scintilla said. Then she turned to Irwin. "Hotstuff, I can fully understand if you don''t want to help her, but I promised I''d do this mission. I signed for it with the guild and all."


    Irwin frowned. What should he do? He didn''t really feel like heading back into one of those bodies. Then again, the most dangerous thing had been the Fleshgorgers. The fact that Numilli hadn''t been able to teleport right away hadn''t helped either.


    "You can''t be serious?" Greldo snapped from the side.


    "How long would it take you to find another one?" Irwin asked as he looked at Numilli.


    "Ugh!" Greldo grunted, walking to the side of the room and dropping down on a stool that creaked dangerously.


    "I don''t know¡­ maybe I''ll never find another," Numilli said, her voice rising as if she was about to cry.


    "Numilli cut it out! How about this," Scintilla said. "Numilli will try to find another Earth Titan, and in the meantime, the three of us will do simple missions around the town. It will keep us away from Relinda, and we can even earn some more soulshards. If it takes longer than a month, Numilli is out of luck, and we head back."


    "One month? That''s impossible!" Numilli shouted.


    "Numilli, be glad he is even considering it," Scintilla said.


    Numilli let out a disgruntled cry, but Irwin found himself nodding.


    Besides what Scintilla had suggested, if they stayed here, it gave him time for something else. An idea that had begun forming as soon as he learned what Endurance did. With five cards, it was definitely time to get serious about raising one to legendary, and his new card seemed to have the highest chance. To do that, he needed to trigger its abilities, and with what Ambraz had told him, he had an idea of what might work.


    "Alright, but I want you to do something for me then," he said.


    Scintilla''s eyes widened, and an odd smile crept up her face.


    "Ooohhh," Numilli cried.


    Irwin glanced from one to the other, only catching on when Greldo began laughing.


    "No," he said calmly. "Can you teach me how to become better at fighting with my hammers?"


    He summoned one, holding the long-handled, massive battle hammer up.


    Scintilla grimaced, then sighed. "Too bad," she said before shrugging. "Anyway¡­ no, I''m not any good with hammers. The best I could do is spar with you, but I''m not sure how useful that would be. Unless you can make it long and pointy and look like a sword?"


    Irwin shook his head, staring at his hammer. He had hoped to practice with it and catch two birds with one stone.


    "Well¡­ you could ask Crithann," Numilli said as she tapped her chin. "I think I''ve seen him fight with hammers."


    Irwin threw her a curious look, wondering about her sudden calm reaction. Then he saw the gleam in her eyes.


    Right, she just wants to make sure I have a reason to stay here.


    "I''ll go ask him," Scintilla said. "So, are you alright with this? If so, I''ll get us a place to stay and begin gathering some missions from the local people."


    Irwin thought for a moment, then nodded.


    "Yeah, I think that''s not a bad idea. Though, before we go anywhere near another Earth Titan, we are going to talk about how we handle things the next time," he added with a sharp look at Numilli.


    "Yes, yes," Numilli said as she ran to a book, picked it up, and began pacing through the room.


    "Have to find another, have to," she muttered.


    Irwin watched her for a moment, but it was very clear she wasn''t paying attention to them anymore.


    "Right, let''s go," he muttered as he shared a weary look with Greldo.


    --


    As soon as the door closed, Numilli stopped walking and leafing through the book. She gazed at the closed door, and slowly, her childlike demeanor dropped.


    "I''ll have to make sure they can''t get their fingers on the next one," she whispered.


    Her glare lasted for a few moments before she suddenly shuddered and looked around. Her eyes widened, and she ran for a book. "Find one, find one!" she shouted gleefully.


    --


    They didn''t find Crithann, but a few hours later, they were looking at an empty building that stood just off the center of the town. The thick layer of sand across its floor showed that it had not been used for a while, but it had two stories.


    A burly Viridian woman was moving ahead of them, opening a small door to reveal some brooms and other utensils.


    "So you can just stay here for as long as you want," she said before turning to Irwin with a wide smile on her face.


    "I''ll be bringing you the card I''d like reforged. Please let me know if you can make it do what I requested!"


    "No problem," Irwin said, smiling back.


    The yellow and orange-leafed woman nodded, then walked out, closing the door behind her.


    "Sorry, hotstuff," Scintilla said. "I didn''t think she would require a reforging as payment."


    "It''s fine," Irwin said, thinking back to the oddly weary initial reception they had gotten. "She only wants it up to Amethyst."


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    Scintilla looked at him, then shook her head. "You are really odd for a cardsmith."


    "What do you mean?" Irwin asked as he grabbed a broom, inspecting the room.


    "Doesn''t it bother you that you have to go through all that effort?"


    Irwin shrugged, not sure what she meant. Reforging a Quartz card was something any smith could do easily.


    "You realize she probably only has two cards? So you need to succeed in two attempts," Scintilla said, staring at him as if she wanted to make something clear.


    Greldo barked a laugh. "He won''t need two!"


    Irwin grinned while Scintilla stared at him.


    "So it''s true then? You always succeed?" she asked, a glitter in her eyes.


    "What? Not always! Definitely not," Irwin said. It took me a long time to reforge a proper topaz card."


    "Alright! Good to know that you aren''t like some of those monstrous prodigies on the main branches," she said with a grin. "Now, let''s get this place cleaned!"


    The rest of the day went by with them cleaning out months or perhaps years of sand from the simple building meant to be used by visiting smiths. Apparently, none had visited for a long time.


    After they were done, they decided that Irwin and Greldo would take the first floor while Scintilla would sleep on the ground floor. What came after was something that surprised Irwin. They slept during the night. According to Scintilla, many of the tiny hamlets that didn''t have a grove around them preferred it because the dangerous monsters mostly roamed during the day. This way, they would be awake for them.


    As he lay on the old, leaf-filled bed, Irwin stared up at the pale stone, flat roof listening to Greldo''s soft snoring. He raised his hand, staring at his new card. A grin crept up his face. Five cards! He was one short of having two full hands!


    "Just try to focus on it and see what it does," Ambraz muttered from where he sat on his chest.


    Irwin nodded, closing his eyes and focusing on the new card. It was humming softly, the tune lowering every few seconds, almost like a heartbeat. He tried to sense what he could do, but all he felt was that he could trigger something. Wondering what it would be, Irwin focused on it.


    His heart slowly heated up, and a dull thud rumbled through his chest. As it did, he sensed the card drawing something in from a large area around him, far exceeding the room and even the building. Seconds passed, but nothing happened, then Irwin noticed an odd scent in the air. At the same time, a strangled gasp came from Greldo. Irwin''s eyes shot open, and he was greeted by a roiling mist that he could barely see through. Pushing himself up, he saw it spread out around him, and a wettish sheen was covering everything. Greldo was pushed up on his bed, eyes wide in panic, as he clutched his chest and neck, seemingly gasping for breath. The skin of his face was glistening, wet, and turning red.


    "Shit!'' Irwin shouted, breaking off whatever the card was doing. For a few moments, the sense of drawing remained, then it stopped, and the mist began fading away. It seemed to pour out of the windows and cracks while Irwin jumped out of bed. He noticed that his own breathing was slightly worse than before, his throat and lungs a bit sore.


    "Greldo," he shouted as he leaned beside his friend, who had dropped on his back, gasping for breath with a pained look on his face.


    "Please¡­" he croaked. "Please tell me you didn''t try out your new card inside our bedroom?"


    Irwin grimaced, glad to see Greldo seemed to be okay.


    "Yeah¡­" he said as he looked around.


    A thick cloud of vapor remained above him, hovering near the ceiling and unable to find its way out. The stone was dark and wet, drops of water dropping down and running down the walls.


    "I guess I might not have a water issue anymore," he muttered.


    The door was shoved open, and a glistening wet Scintilla jumped inside, sword in hand and a look of rage and fear on her face. When she saw them, she seemed to relax, her sword dropping down.


    "Hotstuff? You alright?" she asked, her voice coming out in a croak while her face showed a look of pain.


    "Yes¡­ sorry," Irwin said as he grimaced at his two companions.


    Scintilla looked back in confusion. Then, slowly, realization seemed to set in.


    "You didn''t," she said.


    "Sure he did," Greldo growled. "Now¡­ Do you think I can get back to sleeping now?" His voice had mostly returned to normal, showing the absurd speed of his healing.


    Scintilla stared at Irwin, then laughed. "So, what did you do?"


    Irwin shrugged, looking up and around. "I think I pulled water from somewhere, and it became really hot?"


    "It was hard to see," Greldo grunted as he rolled on his side, back toward them. "It felt like I''d been put into a pan of boiling water!''


    "You might want to refrain from using that ability if we are indoors and nearby," Scintilla said as she looked at the wet walls.


    Irwin was surprised to see some fear in her eyes.


    "I''ll be more careful," he said.


    Scintilla nodded, hesitated, then left.


    Irwin lay back down on his now slightly soggy bed, arms behind his head.


    "What do you think?" he whispered to Ambraz.


    "I think you need to experiment with it somewhere away from people, and I''m curious what will happen if you use it near a large body of water," Ambraz said.


    Irwin nodded as he prodded his card a bit more to see if he could do anything else besides activate it. After a few minutes of nothing, he closed his eyes, hoping sleep would come easy.


    --


    A few dozen people, mostly young men, stood quietly in the large open atrium in the Library. Purntou stood before them, waiting quietly.


    "Apprentice Daubutim," a quiet voice called out. "You will go with Purntou Lesseron. As a third-rank librarian, he will be responsible for your apprenticeship, and you shall address him as master.


    A third-rank librarian? Daubutim thought as he glanced at the now familiar face of Purntou, who was nodding.


    A tiny inkling of a smile sat on Purntou''s lips as he addressed Daubutim.


    "Apprentice Daubutim, as I have not taken any other apprentices this year, we will be taking our leave. Please follow me."


    So I don''t get any say in it, Daubutim thought as he quickly rose and strode towards his new master. When he reached the much shorter man, he inclined his head.


    "Master."


    Purntou smiled. "Good. Let''s go and get you situated."


    Daubutim followed the other calmly, ignoring the stares of the dozens of others. Only thirty-seven, including him, had succeeded in the final tests. More than he had imagined.


    As they left the atrium through the Library''s corridors, it became still.


    "Daubutim, while we are alone, you may simply address me as Purntou or Master Purntou if you wish."


    "Thank you, Master Purntou," Daubutim said, recalling a warning his father had told him when he was only a young boy and going to his first blade master.


    "No need for thanks. I will introduce you to my other apprentices tomorrow, for now, I''ll guide you to your room. If you have any questions, this would be the time."


    Daubutim sorted his list of questions, quickly filtering out those he could easily ask now.


    "My cousin, Indoutor, is waiting for me outside. I would like to tell him the good news. Am I allowed to leave the Library as I see fit?"


    Purntou frowned, then nodded. "Yes, but it is frowned upon if you are away from the Library too long during your apprenticeship. I''ll show you a map of this area of the Library before I leave, and you may tell him."


    Daubutim nodded, quietly following his new master.


    Ten minutes, and dozens of hallways that wound through the Library later, they eventually went up a few flights of stairs and reached a smaller library with tables in the center. A few people were quietly reading. The walls were almost completely covered with books, with only a few doors nestled between them.


    Purntou led him to one, making a small detour to pick up a book from a nearby table.


    "This will be your room from now on, and you will find a map of the section of the library that is open to apprentices in this book, together with relevant information."


    Daubutim accepted the book, barely stopping himself from opening it. Purntou smiled and nodded.


    "All of my apprentices are hungry for knowledge, and this Library has a great deal. I will alert the guards that you are going to leave for a short while, but I suggest you return before the end of the day."


    "I''ll make sure of it, Master Purntou," Daubutim said.


    "Good. Now, I presume you have no more questions, so I''ll return for you tomorrow," Purntou said before turning and walking to one of the men who had been absorbed in his book, showing no indication he''d noticed them.


    Daubutim entered the room, not surprised to find it small, with just a bed and a closet. There was a tiny opening through which cool air blew into the room, and that was all.


    He left the room ten minutes later, the book on his bed and the knowledge of it in his head. The apprentices who had been there hadn''t moved, and even now, none even looked up to acknowledge his existence. Daubutim knew that many people would feel uncomfortable by this, but he felt a sense of relief.


    It took him twenty minutes to find his way to the nearest exit, a thick door with two guards positioned on each side. Silver eyes drilled into his, then one of them nodded.


    "New Apprentice Daubutim. You are allowed outside. Please return before dark."


    The guard didn''t wait for an answer but pulled open the door. It was still light outside, and the door opened to the side of the main entrance on the edge of the large square.


    Daubutim nodded at the guards as he left. A quick look around showed him Indoutor had left, meaning he would have to find him at Tensor''s.


    Taking a few moments to decide, he decided to take the shortest route that would bring him through densely populated areas.


    Father always said if the easy path has the risk of encountering enemies, take the long way around or don''t go, he thought, almost hearing the deep, perpetually angry voice of his father.


    Another roughly twenty minutes later, he was about to enter the short, twenty-foot alleyway connecting two major trading streets when he stopped, hand lowering to the blade he wasn''t carrying.


    "Lamia?" he said softly, staring at the familiar woman that stood in the center of the alleyway. She was leaning against the wall, her wounded arm still strapped to her body.


    "Hey, Daubutim¡­ Would you mind coming a bit closer so I don''t have to shout?"


    Daubutim shook his head. "Where did you go?" he asked.


    Lamia sighed, grimacing at him before looking up.


    "See? I told you he wouldn''t just walk in here like that."


    Daubutim took a small step back, trying to see who she might be talking to. All he saw were the shadowy crevices of the tall four-story buildings on either side of the alley.


    "Who are you talking to?" he asked, feeling his father''s fight or flight training kick in. He began plotting alternative routes toward the nearest guard outpost.


    "Fine, fine, I''ll tell him," Lamia said as she sighed. "Who? Ow, Uxin''tar. He saved me from Hult."


    She looked around and took a few steps forward, closing the distance until they were eight feet apart. Then she stopped, glaring at something above them, which Daubutim still couldn''t see but that he guessed was Uxin''tar.


    "If he saved you, why didn''t he allow you to return?" Daubutim asked. He had two contingency routes, and he was sure that with as many people as were walking through the street a few feet behind him, he should be able to get away.


    Lamia sighed, a look of weary resolve crossing her face. It left as fast as it had come, but Daubutim had seen and recognized it. It was the look of someone who had to do something they really didn''t agree with.


    "That''s not really important," Lamia said. "What is, is that Uxin''tar says you can help save Giard or at least its people. Now that you have access to the Library, he says you should be able to find information on Gelwin. According to him, Gelwin took something that could allow us to¡­ stabilize Giard."

 Chapter 115: Uneasy compromise

    Lamia quietly stared at Daubutim, noticing the massive warrior''s eyes narrow.


    Come on, come on. Please just say you will help, she thought, trying to will the other to say he would cooperate. If he wouldn''t, she had no idea if that old bastard would ever let her go again. She shivered as she thought about what he''d done. If only Irwin had been able to get to her first!


    I wonder if he will come back strong enough to stop Uxin''tar, she thought.


    As she thought about the tall, powerfully built smith, she felt a sense of security. Irwin would definitely come back for her and save her. But what if he was too late? The world he''d gone to was far away, and Uxin''tar had said now that he was gone, he''d never be back in time to help. He had to be lying¡­


    "What did Gelwin take?" Daubutim said in his dull voice.


    Lamia was about to answer when she felt something painfully clasp around her cards while a voice resonated in her head.


    "Tell him it''s a powerful legendary card."


    Lamia swallowed, then quickly repeated the words.


    It''s diamond, you old fogey, she thought as she watched the young noble frown.


    "No single diamond card can stop what is happening," Daubutim stated. "However¡­ I might be willing to find out where Gelwin is if I can if Uxin''tar does something for me."


    Lamia wanted to scream for joy, but she couldn''t. The way Uxin''tar had locked her cards down left her no room for it.


    "What do you want?" she asked, relaying Uxin''tars question.


    "Two things. I want him to release you, and I want his help to find my father and brothers," Daubutim said.


    "I will agree, but only after he finds Gelwin," Uxin''tar said in her head.


    Lamia could sense the hunger and barely concealed hate in the old man''s voice, and she shuddered. She had no idea if he was lying, but it wouldn''t surprise her if he was.


    "He agrees," Lamia said quickly.


    Daubutim stared at her. She could see the questions in his eyes, but he simply nodded. Something about the dull, almost idiotic glaze in his eyes and the deep voice made her wonder how he could even ask the questions he sometimes did. Was he always just acting?


    "Very well. I take it he won''t allow you to leave, so I wish you luck. I''ll tell Indoutor to move into some alleyways every evening. If you need to tell me something, relay it through him. I''ll do the same. However, I have been told I''m not allowed to leave a lot."


    "Tell him to hurry," Uxin''tar hissed.


    Lamia grimaced and relayed the message, getting nothing but a flat stare from Daubutim. Then she felt something wrap around her, and a moment later, she was yanked up into the alley back towards the large bird. As she was dropped atop the feathery back beside the wrinkled old sorcerer, she shivered.


    "You did well. If you keep doing as I say, I''ll make sure you will get out of this unharmed," Uxin''tar croaked. "Now, let''s go. I''ve been noticing something odd with the other people in our world. They should have been moved away, but for some reason, they are all still here. Prepare to go inside the central registry and get some information."


    Lamia nodded as the bird shot up and away. A thin layer of fog hung around it, and as she looked around, she wondered again how many cards the old man really had. He seemed to have two full hands, but she''d seen him use so many abilities¡­


    Irwin, you''ve gotta come back soon! She thought, wondering if Irwin had even reached the planet yet.


    --


    "This should be what you wanted," Irwin said as he handed the card to Lavrona.


    The burly Viridian woman who was in charge of the public building they were sleeping in now stared at it dumbly before looking up at him.


    "I only gave it to you this morning," she said before staring back at the purple-bordered card. "I''ll check with Crithann if it does what I asked."


    Then she moved away, heading toward the largest central building. It was the only four-story building in the town and the highest point beside the wall.


    Irwin shook his head in confusion, surprised by her cool reaction. It hadn''t cost him a lot of effort to reforge the card to her wishes, but he''d expected more than this.


    "She thinks you are lying," Scintilla said from the side. "Can you blame her? Cardsmiths don''t usually come to small places like this, and if they do, they aren''t interested in reforging but instead are looking for cards. On the off chance that they do help the people, they usually ask something ridiculous in return."


    Irwin nodded, then stretched himself, enjoying the burning sun on his sore muscles.


    "Did you get any missions?" he asked, knowing he was procrastinating what he should really be doing.


    Scintilla grinned, nodding her head. "Yeah. Crithann has asked us to clear out any Wyrms that are within half a day from us."


    "Of course he did," Irwin thought as he rubbed his arms. The muscles were tender, which was still a remarkable improvement over how they had felt earlier that morning.


    "Anything else?"


    "No, but I suspect you will be getting a few more reforging requests soon," Scintilla said. "Now¡­ shouldn''t you be heading back to Crithann?"


    Irwin groaned, but he knew she was right. Ignoring Scintilla''s laughter, he began walking to the central building.


    I hope he won''t ask me to attack him for another hour, he thought as he recalled the previous workout.


    --


    "Are your muscles no longer painful?" Crithann rumbled.


    Irwin quickly shook his head, staring up at the towering tree man. Since he''d gotten his cards, he hadn''t really been intimidated by someone''s size or stature anymore, but standing before the two head taller, twice as massive Crithann made him feel like a child again.


    "Good. Your regeneration is very good for a simian. Almost on par with the best of us. Now, summon the biggest hammer you can."


    Irwin suppressed a groan as he did. The previous time he''d had to do that had preluded an hour of trying to hit the massive Crithann.


    "You will again try to strike me while I dodge you. This time, I will show you another movement to use. You may not use any other."


    This time Irwin couldn''t help but groan, and he summoned the large hammer. It dragged down his hand, and he looked up.


    "Coperion Body again?" he asked.


    "Not yet. Use two hands and start like this," Crithann replied. Then he stretched out his hand, and a card flashed on the back while the sand below began shuddering. A long haft began extruding out, part plant, part stone. Crithann gripped it, and a moment later, he pulled out a hammer that dwarfed Irwin''s.


    "Pay close attention," he rumbled.


    Irwin didn''t respond, focusing fully on the Crithann. The Viridian only showed things once and had been more than a little agitated when he hadn''t been able to copy him the first time he showed him something.


    Crithann spread his feet, one a bit before the other then raised the hammer in both hands, holding it to the side.


    "Hammers are slow, even if you are incredibly strong, you will never be as fast as someone with a sword," Crithann rumbled, staring intently at Irwin. "But you don''t have to be. A sword is only lethal if it strikes certain body parts or if it pierces you in a weak spot. All other hits won''t do more than scratch you."


    Only because I have Coperion Body, Irwin thought.


    "A hammer, however, can incapacitate someone with a single blow. With a long handle and your strength, you are able to create deceptive blows. Hold the handle closer to the hammerhead and strike horizontally. When you are almost at the target, let your hands slip slightly so the hammer moves forward, then grip it tight. If someone ducks below, kick them."


    Irwin watched in awe as the massive hammer blurred through the air, suddenly seeming to elongate when it reached a point before Crithann. As the hammer was passed,, the massive Viridian stepped forward and kicked out, switched the hammer to his left hand, and made a grasping motion.


    "Little ones with daggers and short pointy things usually try to close the distance. Use the momentum of the hammer to grab for them, or if need be, let yourself be drawn sideways by its force."


    Crithann moved again, the same thing, but this time as the hammer swung away, he followed it to the side with a slight jump.


    How can he move like that when he''s this big, Irwin thought.


    "Did you see?"


    He quickly nodded, knowing he was now expected to do his best to copy the move.


    "Show me."


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    Irwin took a deep breath and moved his feet as best as he could in the position Crithann had demonstrated.


    "Your left foot more forward."


    Irwin did as asked, then swung out. As he felt the hammer move, he waited for what he hoped was the right move, then released his grip slightly, allowing the hammer to slide forward. Then he clenched it nearly at the end. To his surprise, he managed to keep his grip, but before he could be happy, he lost his balance. Stumbling forward, he crashed.


    "Never lose your balance. When wielding light weapons, losing your balance may get you killed. When wielding heavy weapons, losing your balance will definitely get you killed," Crithann said.


    "Proceed until you can do it correctly. Then you will attempt striking me."


    Irwin nodded, and he continued practicing.


    It took a long time before he managed to do it without looking like a fool, and even then, he knew it would be dangerous to use during battle. Crithann didn''t seem bothered, and for another few hours, he was mercilessly forced to chase after the far too nimble tree.


    In the end, he never got close to hitting him, but Crithann complimented him even so.


    Irwin continued until he could barely stand, the hammer in his now Coperion Body changed hands, slipping constantly. Still, he was surprised at how long he managed.


    "Enough," Crithann said. "Rest for two hours, and don''t forget to drink and eat. After that, you will practice the move on your own."


    Irwin nodded, slumping on the ground and releasing the hammer. Crithann stomped off.


    "Damn¡­ he moves like someone half his height," Greldo muttered from the side. "I don''t think I could hit him." He was rubbing Coal behind his ears, the massive Hound looking incredibly happy with their current location.


    "Crithann has at least one or two soulcards," Scintilla said with a big smile. "If you were able to strike him, he''d have to be ashamed of himself."


    "Soulcards?" Irwin asked, looking up from where he lay. He could already feel his weariness subside, though the dull sensation in his arms would probably last a lot longer. Still, he scrambled up, causing Greldo to scowl at him.


    "Sure¡­ get back up. Really reasonable after what you just did," his friend snorted. "Should have given me that card."


    "Maybe we will find another one," Irwin said with a grin.


    "But you said he has soulcards?" Irwin asked again.


    "Yes. It''s not commonly known, but Numilli told me.


    "Right, and everything she says is the truth," Greldo said, sarcasm heavy.


    "She isn''t lying," Scintilla said. "Can''t you sense the pressure from him sometimes?"


    "That''s a soulcard?" Irwin said, surprised, as he recalled the slightly stifling pressure Crithann had exuded. It hadn''t been aggressive, but-


    Wait¡­ Didn''t I sense that somewhere before? he thought, trying to recall when he''d sensed it.


    "He has three," Ambraz said, flitting down and landing on his shoulder. The anvil had been hovering around, seeming bored with the training.


    "Three?" Scintilla said, gaping at Ambraz. "Are you- No, never mind. By the Flames of Aghos. Three soulcards. I wonder why someone like him is here¡­"


    "Perhaps he likes it here?" Irwin said, wondering how powerful soulcards were.


    I''ll find out someday, he decided, then began waving his arms around.


    "This greater endurance is fantastic," he said as he felt the soreness slowly retreat already.


    "Don''t you mean great?" Greldo snorted.


    "So, when do you want to clear out some of those Wyrms?" Scintilla asked.


    "Tomorrow," Irwin said. "I was told to practice more in an hour, and I don''t think it''s smart to set out with my arms hurting like this. Tomorrow is better."


    Greldo snorted.


    They headed out together, eating and drinking something at the tiny open pavilion near the gate, which doubled as the local eatery. They weren''t the only ones there, but the Viridians only looked at them occasionally, leaving them to their meal.


    After they finished, Irwin rested for a while before practicing until he fell over. He pushed himself on, going as far as to continue until he saw stars before finally taking a break. By then, he was able to swing his hammer and grab it without stumbling too much.


    Sleeping during the night came easy, easier than during the day, and when he woke to the early rays of the blistering sun, he felt no soreness. No pain. Nothing but the comfort of the leaf bed.


    He met Scintilla and Greldo outside.


    "Finally awake, sleepyhead?" Greldo snorted as he continued pating and petting Coal, who lay on his side, a lupine smile on his face.


    "What? You in a hurry?"


    "No, but you might. I think I saw Crithann search for you!"


    Ugh, already? Irwin thought as he looked around.


    A burst of laughter signaled that he''d been had, and he snorted at his friend.


    "Whatever. So, you know where we need to go?" he asked Scintilla.


    "Yes! There''s a stretch of length south that was being prepared for a grove that keeps attracting more of them. There are only smaller ones, so we should be fine," Scintilla replied with a reassuring grin.


    Irwin nodded before looking at Greldo. "Will Coal be alright?"


    Greldo gave him a wicked grin while Coal struggled to his feet and glared at him.


    "We just got caught unaware," he said. "Don''t worry, we will be fine!"


    Irwin nodded, not a hundred percent sure. Still, he''d seen Scintilla swing her sword about, and he was pretty sure that if she thought they would be fine, they would be.


    "Alright, let''s head out then!"


    When they reached the gate, two tall Viridans were looking at them.


    "Cardsmith," one of them grunted as he nodded to Irwin. "Will you be heading out?"


    "Yes. Crithann asked us to clear out some more Wyrms from the southern fields," Irwin said.


    "Good," the Viridian said as he pulled open the gate. "Be careful. It doesn''t pay to underestimate those slithering annoyances."


    "We''ll be careful," Irwin said.


    The Viridian just nodded, and they walked through the pale white wall.


    It has to be ten feet thick, Irwin thought as he reached the other side, trying to recall how many steps it had been.


    "Alright, let''s head out!" Scintilla said as she set out in an easy jog.


    "She isn''t planning to run all the way, is she?" Greldo muttered.


    "Sure am, pretty eyes!" Scintilla shouted, causing Irwin to grin.


    He ran after her, quickly setting in a calm and steady pace. Within minutes he knew that when he had to make his heartcard, he definitely needed to somehow keep the greater endurance. He was breathing as easily as when he was walking, and as he increased his speed to match Scintilla, he looked over to see that, although she had no issue, her breathing was definitely faster.


    "Should we decide on any tactics when fighting those Wyrms?" he asked.


    Scintilla looked up, and he saw her eyes widen slightly.


    "Sure! You change into your hotbody shape and kill what reaches you while I slice and dice!"


    "And what about me?" Greldo asked as he effortlessly loped beside them, followed by an eerily quietly moving Coal.


    Seeing how easy his friend was breathing, much easier even than Scintilla, Irwin sighed. If he hadn''t gotten his new card, he''d never have been able to keep up with the others. Not if they ran, at least.


    "I suggest you two stay close together, just in case the plan you have with Coal doesn''t work out. Just unsummon and-" Scintilla began.


    Coal growled a deep, dangerous sound that caused the hairs on Irwin''s arms to rise.


    "Uh¡­" Scintilla said as she turned to Coal. "Sorry, Coal. I''m sure you will be fine!"


    Coal blew a cloud of glowing ash from his nose, something Irwin had never seen him do.


    They continued on for a good while, bantering as they went.


    As they crested another sandy dune, Scintilla stopped as she reached the top.


    "We are here," she said, her breathing slightly laborious.


    Irwin nodded, his breathing the same as when he''d started. As he slowed down, he saw Greldo turn before drawing a few deep breaths.


    Heh. So, I might lose in a sprint, but neither of them can keep going this long, Irwin thought.


    As they reached the top, he stopped and swallowed. Below was a large flat area, parts of dunes to the side seemingly having been dug away. The ground was darker than the surrounding desert, and holes dotted it. Bumps that he instantly recognized were moving slowly across it, seemingly aimlessly.


    "So¡­" he said, staring down. "Now what?"


    Scintilla grinned as she removed her sword and swung it a few times, causing a hissing sound.


    "Simple. I''ll call a few over, and then we get to play tag, you''re dead!"


    Irwin grimaced at the bad joke. Still, he summoned a hammer, not the largest one he could summon, but a long-handled one that he could swing in one hand or two. Moving it around in wide arcs, he hesitated, then triggered Coperion Body. Instantly the hammer felt lighter. He''d love to try and fight without it, to practice, but he''d rather do that against something else than Wyrms.


    "Alright! Get ready, I''ll get a few," Scintilla said. Her body disappeared in a red flash that moved down so fast that Irwin had a hard time even following it with his eyes. It was more like a red lightning bolt than anything else.


    A split second later, Scintilla appeared above one of the bumps, stabbing down. A splurt of white goo shot up, but she was gone already, appearing beside another one. Another splurt of what had to be blood, and she was gone again.


    "Does she even need our help?" Greldo muttered.


    Irwin shook his head, not sure how to react. Three more bumps erupted before a dozen of them began closing in on Scintilla. They saw her look around before signaling to them and shooting back up. A split second later, she appeared in front of them, a wide grin on her face.


    "As long as they stand still, it''s easy to time my attack," she said. "It''s a shame they figured it out before I could get a few more."


    "This isn''t the time," Irwin said as he took a few steps to the side so he could have room to swing. The first bumps were closing in.


    "And Hotstuff?"


    Irwin looked up, seeing Scintilla''s raised eyebrows.


    "No fire."


    Irwin grinned, nodding his head. "No worries."


    A bump rushed up the side of the dune, aiming for Scintilla, and Irwin grinned. Taking a deep breath, he raised a foot and stomped it down as hard as he could. With the full weight and power of his Coperion body behind it, a dull thud rang out, and the bump course corrected for him.


    Let''s try this first, Irwin thought as he drew his arm back before hurling his hammer at the bump. It streaked through the air before slamming into the bump. A dull scream came as a wyrm blasted out, half of its head caved in. It began flailing about while Irwin unsummoned his hammer and created a new one in his hand.


    Jumping forward, he swung at the flailing Wyrm, smacking it on the side. It was pulled free of the ground, its nine-foot-long body skidding away across the sand to land a good distance away.


    That''s one, Irwin thought with a wide grin.


    Rustling sand came from the side, and he stepped back while slapping his hammer to the side. He hit a Wyrm midair, causing it to fly past him.


    A dull howl came, and Irwin spun around, suddenly afraid to see Coal being eaten alive.


    The large Hound stood before the remains of two Wyrms, both ripped apart into two and three pieces. At that time, another bump appeared to the side. Irwin opened his mouth to scream a warning when a shadowy blur rushed from Coal''s side, slicing at the Wyrm and causing it to slam into the ground. Coal was instantly upon it, grabbing it in his giant maw, and-


    Irwin felt a thud against his back, then something akin to someone stabbing him with a fork.


    Ugh¡­ got distracted again, he thought, he was about to reach back and rip it out when he had another idea. With a wicked grin, he slung his own hammer across his shoulder. He slammed into something, and a splat came. At the same time, a hot wet liquid splattered across his back and neck.


    The pungent scent that came with it made Irwin cringe.


    Okay, perhaps not such a good idea, he thought.


    Two bumps rushed him, another one behind, and he stopped thinking and began acting.


    Time passed in a blur of swinging and dodging sprays of white goo.


    When they finished the ones atop the dune, they continued down and, over the rest of the morning, quickly wiped out any Wyrm they came across. When it was afternoon, and Irwin knew he should have brought some food, all four of them were covered in pungent white goo.


    "So¡­" Greldo said, staring at his arm in distaste. "I presume a shower isn''t going to happen?"


    Irwin hummed as he looked at Scintilla. "So. I know we can''t use fire on these Wyrms¡­ but what about hot water?"


    Scintilla, just in the process of wiping her blood-covered face with her equally blood-covered sleeve, stopped and frowned.


    "Depends on how hot?" she asked.


    Irwin grinned, closing his eyes. Very gently, he prodded his new Heart of Sweltering Heat card. It had taken him hours of practice to realize how it worked, and as he very carefully activated it, he felt a pull surge out of him. A pale red light gleamed on his right hand, and as he looked up and around, he saw a thin fog begin to coalesce around them.


    "Irwin?" Greldo asked, the discomfort in his voice obvious.


    "Don''t worry," Irwin said as they watched the fog ripple around them in a large area.


    It covered most of the dune, and he saw it roiling down to cover a small area around it. The center around him became denser, and as he raised his arm, a thin film of water was forming. The water was warm but not hot. If he wanted to, he could pull it in faster, but that would increase the temperature while making it nearly impossible to breathe for the others.


    As the minutes passed by, the fog became so dense it was hard to see through, but Irwin saw both Greldo and Scintilla showing no sense of discomfort.


    "So¡­ you can pull in water?" Greldo asked.


    Irwin grinned as he began wiping at his leather armor. By now, he could only see vague outlines of his friends, and as he wiped his face, the warm water sliding off, he shrugged and took off the top half of his armor.


    A content, happy hum came from Scintilla.


    "This is great. Hotstuff, you need to come with me to my world! You could become rich!"


    Irwin''s grin widened as she began to sing softly.


    "Okay. Fine. Your card rocks. Happy now?" Greldo said from the side.

 Chapter 116: Familiar Laughter

    Three days after they returned from slaughtering the wyrms, Irwin stood inside a newly created expansion to their building. It was just a roof and a back wall with a table, but it doubled as his temporary forge area.


    A towering Viridian stood on one side, looking at the spot before him. He raised his hand, the card on the back glowing, and the sand and stone before him shuddered. Then it seemed to melt into a puddle that began bubbling slightly. Invisible hands seemed to start pushing the mud up, and as Irwin watched, a round dome formed. With an opening at the top for airflow and another in the front, it took only ten minutes for a rudimentary forge to appear.


    The Viridian stepped back.


    "Smith Irwin, will this work?"


    Irwin walked closer, inspecting the empty forge. It was exactly as he had specified, and he grinned.


    "Perfect! If you bring the ore, I''ll get started on refining it for you."


    A wide smile appeared on the Viridian''s face, and he nodded. "If it''s even half as good as the cards you reforge, I''m the one who has to thank you! I''ll have the boys bring it," he rumbled before walking out, still smiling.


    "Are you sure you shouldn''t just stick with cards?" Greldo asked from where he was lying in the shade of the building.


    "Why? They are willing to pay us for it, and it''s not like there are that many card missions left," Irwin said.


    In the three days since they had returned, something had changed with the residents, and he''d been working on a dozen cards ever since. There were a few more left, but unless there were a hundred people hidden somewhere, all with card reforging requests and ready to jump out, he was pretty sure he was close to finishing all their requests.


    "We could go hunting for cards?" Greldo asked.


    Irwin stopped inspecting the new forge and turned to his friend. They had gone out one more time after the wyrm mission and had killed two much larger wyrms, neither of which had dropped a card. Still, there should be more things out there, and rumors had it that some sort of stone and metal being had been spotted not too far from the town. Besides, Greldo was getting bored again.


    Why not! One can never have too many cards, he thought as he pictured the thick stack of cards in his room.


    He couldn''t hold back the content smile he felt. Besides regrowing his card supply, he also found many different ones. Although he hadn''t been able to pick from a big mission book like in the city, the Viridians here had some interesting cards. Though some didn''t have any extra cards that had requested him to reforge it, usually while they were moving around nervously, most had at least one or two. With this many, he might be able to trade for something when they returned to Cinder Grove.


    "We could," he agreed. "Let me finish preparing the forge and purifying some of the metal they bring. After that, we can find Scintilla and see what she thinks."


    "I''ll go find her while you work," Greldo said as he grinned and rose. Coal, who had been lying beside him, followed him as they headed out to find Scintilla.


    Irwin remained at the forge, filling it with the mass of coal the townspeople had brought him. Eventually, a trio of young Viridians brought him a large amount of various types of ores. Most were common things he''d worked on at Trimdir''s, but he noticed a few rarer metals. With Ambraz in his large working form, he began to work on the easy metals first.


    The morning flew by as he felt the familiar joy of striking the metal. Humming a merry tune, he didn''t notice when the others returned. Only when he tossed a very roughly finished ingot to the side did he notice Scintilla lying on her stomach in the sand in the sun. Her head was propped up on her elbows while she was ogling him with glistening eyes.


    "Finally snapped out of it?" Greldo snorted from the shadows.


    Irwin rested his hammer on Ambraz and cracked his shoulders. He barely felt the hours of strain, but even better, he didn''t feel all that thirsty. He could drink, but compared to how he''d felt while working at Trimdir''s, it was a blessing.


    Even just for that, it might be worth it, he thought.


    "So, are we going to head out and hunt for something?" he asked.


    "We could, though I don''t mind watching you work," Scintilla said.


    Irwin looked up to see her inspect his torso and, looking down here, recalled he had taken off his tunic so it wouldn''t get damaged from occasional metal drops. Instead, he''d let his Coperion Body''s tough skin do its job.


    I wonder if all Ignitzions are like this, Irwin thought as he moved to the side and quickly pulled on his vest, ignoring the sad outcry from Scintilla. He had noticed that Hotzli and Ignalia had looked at him with similar interest.


    He glanced at Scintilla and couldn''t help himself from quickly looking across her lightly armored body as she rose to her feet. Ignitzions looked just like girls, and apparently, they could have offspring with everyone, but-


    Irwin cut off his line of thought, swallowed, and decided it was time for a drink after all.


    "Ambraz, let''s go," he muttered, ignoring Greldo''s wide grin as he stared at his friend.


    "So, did you two think of something to hunt?" he asked as he began walking away.


    Greldo laughed, then nodded. "Sure! There''s a couple of interesting areas not too far from here which we can go to!" Half a day to the south, there''s-"


    Irwin nodded as he listened.


    I wonder if Crithann will be fine with me leaving again¡­


    --


    Days passed by, and soon the month they were supposed to stay was nearly over. They had been at Grianf¨¢l for almost forty days now, which seemed to be the number of days each of the nine months Scour had. Well, except the first one, which had anywhere from twenty to twenty-nine.


    Irwin knew most of the locals now and, together with Greldo and Scintilla, had explored nearly every part of the surrounding area. He had long since finished reforging cards for everyone interested and had purified a massive amount of common and rarer metals. So much even that for the last five days, there had been no more raw ore in the town.


    Numilli had barely appeared, still busy trying to locate another Earth Titan.


    By now, most of Irwin''s time was spent training with Crithann, practicing with his cards, and wondering how much longer they should stay. He also talked with the locals a lot and found that many of them had come here to get away from the dangers of the main branch worlds.


    He''d gotten many stories and details about the worlds they came from, as the Viridians seemed more than willing to talk with him. Ever since he''d started reforging, content with just one or two cards as payment, they had warmed up to him.


    One of the more curious things had been when asked if it didn''t bother them that they could grow old here, and if they left, barely a few days would have passed, none seemed to care. He had found that Viridians thought differently about time, and with the strongest of them able to become nearly a thousand years old, he guessed that made sense.


    Late in the morning, he was circling Crithann, trying to find an opening. He was weaving his hammer around him in a pattern the Viridian had taught him when the massive Viridian leader suddenly straightened up and raised a hand.


    "Wait."


    Irwin blinked, then backed up.


    "What-"


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    "There''s a group of people approaching Grianf¨¢l," Crithann said before turning a frown to Irwin. "They seem to be chasing each other."


    Irwin lowered his hammer as he looked to the gate. He had no idea how Crithann always knew what was happening in the surrounding area, though it likely had to have something to do with his cards. But what he did know was that Crithann had never been wrong.


    "How many?" he asked.


    "Three are running ahead, being chased by thirty-plus others. I''ll go and see what is going on," Crithann said as he jogged towards the gate.


    He didn''t seem overly worried, which didn''t surprise Irwin in the least. Over the last few weeks, his hammer-wielding skills and combat abilities had increased greatly, but when fighting with Crithann, he still felt like a child.


    "I''ll warn the others and come see," he shouted.


    Crithann merely waved back, and Irwin hoped that was consent. Either way, he was going to check it out. Little had happened the last few days, and Greldo wasn''t the only one starting to grow bored.


    Irwin grinned as he sprinted towards the side of the small central area, snatched up his vest, and ran towards their building. Bursting into the door, he saw Greldo start awake, his head raised as he scrambled for a shortsword that lay on the ground. It was one of the experiments Irwin had done and was made of dark, dull metal. Coal stood to the side, showing little response to Irwin bursting in.


    "Why- what?"


    "There''s someone chasing someone up to the gate, and Crithann is going out to check-" Irwin began, but Greldo had already gotten up.


    "Fantastic! Let''s go see what''s going on!" Greldo said as he pushed past him, Coal following behind. The massive hound could only just fit through the door, its shoulders scraping both sides.


    "Where''s Scintilla?" Irwin asked as he moved in step with Greldo.


    "She''s trying to get Numilli to hurry up again. Let''s hope she manages because I really feel like leaving!"


    "We can give her two more days," Irwin said. "After that-"


    Greldo cursed and sprinted forward, Coal hot on his heels.


    "Irwin, run!"


    Irwin shot after his friend.


    "What is wrong?"


    "There''s fighting!" Greldo shouted.


    Is someone stupid enough to attack Crithann? Irwin thought as he tried to increase his speed.


    Greldo rushed through the gate ahead of him, flanked by Coal, and as Irwin jumped through, he began hearing shouting and small booms. In the distance, just behind one of the many dunes, clouds of sand and ash erupted.


    That''s definitely not just Crithann, Irwin thought as his interest in seeing his mentor beat up some thugs was replaced by worry.


    "Greldo, careful," he shouted.


    A bright red flash followed by a puff made him look up to see Scintilla appear beside him, sword in hand.


    "What is going on?" she shouted, sprinting along with him.


    "Don''t know! Crithann says there were people being chased toward us, and he went to check. Now-"


    A dull boom sounded out, followed by a roar of anger.


    "Crithann¡­" he cursed.


    "I''m going up ahead!" Scintilla shouted, and before Irwin could say anything, she vanished in a fiery streak, passing by Greldo and Coal and shooting across the dune almost faster than Irwin''s eyes could follow.


    "Gelwin''s balls," Irwin grunted.


    Greldo reached and crossed the hill before him while the explosions and battle continued. Mixed in was a high-pitched laughter that caused Irwin''s skin to crawl.


    I know that sound!


    He reached the top and stared down. Crithann stood below the hill, his massive root and stone hammer a swirling blur that blocked a pale blur that seemed intent on slamming into him.


    A dozen feet behind them stood a milling mass of combatants, and Irwin''s mouth fell open as he saw them.


    Covered in gleaming black leather armor, their familiar red skin and high-pitched laughter brought back nasty memories of a time after he''d just left his mother. A time of constant fear and fighting.


    Imps!


    Irwin was moving before he even knew it, running down the hill as he focused on the massive melee. Coal stood in the center, a growling and snarling mass of white teeth and black fur, while a red flash and a dark, shadowy blur moved around him, picking off individual targets. Near the edge of the battle stood a towering, bald black figure, swinging his hands around like clubs while two nimble red Ignitzions danced around him, keeping the dozens of imps away.


    Yogog? Seeing the familiar figure managed to curb Irwin''s anger, and he slowed down.


    What the hell were they doing here? And why were there imps here?


    Calming down rapidly, he noticed two tall and lanky imps at the back. Their eyes were burning a bright red, and they kept waving their hands in slow, steady circles.


    Either those are doing something, or they are controlling the others, Irwin thought as he slowed even more and looked around.


    Some of the imps weren''t actually in the melee but stayed around the edges, tossing the occasional streak of flickering black fire at Crithann. Each time they did, the towering Viridian had to guard against it and the rapidly moving blur.


    Those two at the back first, Irwin decided as he sped up again, aiming for them. If these were the same Imps he had fought long ago in the sorcerer tower''s practice rift, he had a nasty surprise for them.


    "Another smith! End that gnarled root and get me those smiths!"


    Irwin nearly tripped, his head snapping up at the shout from above. A figure hung in the air above them, red like the imps, but wearing less armor and with red wings. How had he missed that before?


    A high-pitched giggle caught his attention, and he saw a small group of imps run toward him.


    Irwin looked back, a predatory smile appearing on his face.


    Let''s test this on you; then I''ll get rid of that flying one!


    He waited until he was a few steps from them, then summoned his flame, which roared across his arms and extended from both of his hands like four-foot spears that he swung forward. A surprised but unconcerned cackle came just as they touched the Imps.


    It was as if they froze, unable to move, their eyes widening as a terrified look appeared on their faces. Before they could even scream, they turned dull, then turned to clouds of dark ash that were blown away in the wind.


    Well, look at that, Irwin thought before staring up.


    The flying Imp was gaping down at him, terror and hate warring on its face. As his eyes met Irwin''s, he shot back a dozen feet and screeched.


    "Fire Eater! Pull back!"


    Irwin quickly looked at the two taller ones. They had begun backing up, and he sprinted forward.


    "Scintilla, don''t let them get away!" he shouted. At the same time, he summoned a small hammer, hurling it at the retreating shapes. Cloaked in his flame, it shot forward like a tiny hammer-shaped fireball, but the Imps dodged it with ease.


    Try and dodge this, Irwin thought as he focused on his newest card.


    He ran forward, thin tendrils of fog appearing out of mid-air and swirling toward and around him.


    "Greldo! Fog! Keep the others back," Irwin roared as he sprinted forward.


    He''d tried everything he could to direct the area his new card affected, but in the end, it had been in vain. This meant he needed to be closer if he didn''t want to have to blanket the entire area and risk hurting his friends.


    He was almost at the mass of Imps, many barely coming to his shoulder, and they were backing up, staring at him in fear.


    The fog was rapidly increasing, starting as a blanket across the ground. It spread out before him and reached the imps. Though they were backing up, they were far from fast enough, and the edge swamped across them. A terrified and startled scream was followed by a full retreat. Imps turned, turning away as fast as they could.


    Sadly for them, Irwin was now amidst them, the fog spreading out all across their ranks. He ignored them, though, focusing on the two taller ones. He was about to stretch out his flaming spears toward them when something heavy slammed into his back, hurling him forward into the sand. He managed to brace himself as a weight pressed down on him.


    "One smith less should be fine," a horrifying, guttural voice grunted in his ears.


    Irwin triggered the Coperion Body just as something slid across his throat. The sound of metal on metal was followed by an angry hiss. Irwin pushed himself up, his heart hammering in his throat.


    The white blur thing. It had to be.


    Something clung to his back, then he felt something spear into his shoulder blade. It didn''t go very deep, but the fact that it punctured his flesh at all caused his fear to grow. Without holding back, he summoned his flame, causing it to ripple across his body.


    Something screamed from behind, and the weight vanished.


    Turning, he saw a pale imp, almost white but with weird red streaks across its face and bare chest. It almost looked painted on. Holding a wickedly curved black dagger in one hand, it was waving its left hand, which was withering rapidly, the flesh crumpling in upon itself. With a cold, hateful look, the white Imp suddenly raised his hand and slashed at the wrist with the dagger. It pierced effortlessly, and the now gray and wrinkled hand dropped away while a bit of thick, viscous orange blood dripped from the stump. Then the Imp looked back at him, and Irwin almost stepped from the insane hatred he saw in the thing''s eyes.


    "I only need one hand to kill you, soul stealer!" the Imp said in his wet growly voice.


    Irwin didn''t bother to reply but jumped forward, his flames roaring around him, even pushing back the thick fog that had now begun obstructing the surroundings.


    Why isn''t it suffocating? Irwin thought as he slashed spears of flame at the Imp.


    It moved as if it didn''t have bones in its body, dodging below a blow while slashing at his leg. The black dagger sliced through his skin, leaving nothing but a harmless gash, but even then, Irwin hissed. Until now, most things had been unable to penetrate his skin¡­ if the Imp had more time before, he could have actually had a chance to slit his throat!


    "Retreat!"


    The high-pierced scream from above caused the Imp to stop. It gazed at Irwin, its eyes burning with hatred before stepping back.


    "Get back here," Irwin snapped as he jumped forward. If he let that thing flee now, it would just come back to try something later.


    "I''ll find you," the Imp snarled. Then it turned into a white blur that vanished through the thick mist.


    Irwin took two more steps, then stopped glaring at the spot it had vanished before looking up. There was no more sight of the flying Imp, and gritting his teeth, he saw that the other imps had mostly run away. At least he didn''t see anything but the bodies of the dead littering the ground.


    Don''t they need to breathe? he wondered, as he sighed and stopped his ability. As he did, his head throbbed with a tiny headache.


    As the mist began fading, he walked back to where he could faintly see a group standing in the distance.


    When he reached them, he saw Scintilla standing beside Hotzli and Ignalia, the three talking rapidly. A few steps away, Greldo stood beside Yogog and Crithann.


    "So¡­ I''d love to hear what that was, but I think we should get back to your town first," Yogog said as a way of greeting.


    Irwin frowned, but he saw Crithann nodding in agreement and decided to keep most of his questions for later. But not all.


    "Sure, but how about you tell me what you''re doing here while we walk there?" he asked.

 Chapter 117: Rules and regulations

    "Alright, now explain to me why a horde of Imps dared attack my town," Crithann said.


    Irwin and the others were standing near the gate while a group of curious Viridians had come out to listen in. Crithann didn''t seem to care, staring at Yogog.


    "Whoa, easy there," Yogog said, raising his hands in defense. "This wasn''t our fault!"


    "I didn''t say it was. Now answer my question," Crithann replied.


    Yogog put his hands on his side and let out a weary sigh.


    "About that. I take it none of you have had any news from Cinder Grove?"


    "The last information we had was when Irwin and his friends came," Crithann said, his expression turning serious. "What happened."


    "Portals appeared," Yogog said.


    Irwin felt Ambraz move about on his shoulder, and he thought he heard a soft, whispered curse.


    "Impossible," Crithann rumbled, his voice holding a tinge of anger. "This is-"


    "A stable world, too far from the main branch, multiple soul-carded. Yes, I know. It shouldn''t be possible. But the quartz rank portal on the border of Cinder Grove didn''t seem to agree with us."


    A worried murmur came from the surrounding Viridians, and a few of them ran off, like to get the others.


    "Didn''t? So they send someone in to close it?" Irwin asked.


    "They did, but not before a large number of those things poured out," Yogog said, waving back behind the gate. "They immediately began spreading out, and the guards only managed to catch a small number of them."


    There was a moment of quiet as people looked at Yogog, then whispered conversations began.


    Irwin wanted to ask more questions, but with Crithann frowning and seeming lost in thought, he waited for a few moments. When the silence lasted, he shrugged.


    "Are you here to warn us? When did you return anyway?" Irwin asked.


    "Don''t know exactly," Yogog said as he deflated. He rubbed his eyes, and he looked at Hotzli and Ignalia. Both were quietly talking with Scintilla.


    "Hotzli, any idea how many days we were running?" he asked.


    "Three," she replied without looking up from her conversation.


    "Three, huh? It felt longer," Yogog said. "That means we returned four days ago."


    "You said that portals appeared," Greldo suddenly said. "As in, more than one. Are they around Cinder Grove?"


    "No. I have no idea where the others are, but I''m pretty sure there should be more. Details later, but me and the girls got ambushed when we were near the southern volcanic region. A few of those flying imps tried to catch me. We fought them off, but at some point, two massive flying ones came. We did what we could, but they seemed hellbent on grabbing me, and finally, Hotzli didn''t have another choice. She triggered her ability, and the next thing we knew, we were as far north from Cinder Grove as we had been south before. Some tiny town called- .. called. Blazing balls, I don''t recall. Whatever, it doesn''t matter. Anyway, we had to get back on foot, and when we returned, the whole city was in a frenzy. Balarn said the portal appeared a few days before we arrived, so there''s no way those things could have found us that fast. "


    "How''s the situation in Cinder Grove?" Crithann rumbled. "Did Gebladir give a statement?"


    "The big man? Not that I know of, but we were only there for a day, so who knows? All I know is that flying imps have been roaming the borders of Cinder Grove, and there''ve been a few cases of missing smiths. Balarn was worried about Irwin, so he told me to find you and make sure you stay safe," Yogog said. "It was a good thing that Scintilla had told him what mission center she went to, so I could find out where you guys were. Even then, something happened when we were teleported here. We arrived in the middle of a group of these things, and if Hotzli hadn''t known the area, we would have been royally screwed."


    Irwin frowned. If Balarn had been worried enough to send Yogog even after he''d only just returned, that meant there couldn''t just be a few imps flying around. He hadn''t had a lot of problem with them, and it was only the pale one that-


    Wait¡­


    "Crithann, how could that pale imp with the daggers fight you for so long?" Irwin asked as he looked at the towering Viridian. He knew exactly how fast and strong Crithann was, and he could hardly believe what he''d seen if Ambraz was right and he had soul cards¡­ Irwin felt a worrisome thought crop up.


    "Because that thing had a soul skill," Ambraz said.


    The whispers stopped as a deadly silence hung in the air.


    Shit, Irwin thought as he heard his fears spoken out loud. That meant soulcarded imps were hunting smiths.


    "What?" Yogog snapped. "You''ve gotta be-"


    "The Anvil of the Gods is right," Crithann rumbled. "And not just any soul skill, but one meant solely for speed and combat. There was barely anything I could do besides keep it at bay."


    Irwin swallowed as he thought back to the dagger slicing across his body. The thin cut didn''t hurt, and a quick inspection showed it was closing.


    "But you-" he began before holding back. Was it normal to mention someone had soul cards?


    "My soul cards are based on strength and utility which are deemed useless," Crithann said. "It''s one of the reasons my family banished me here."


    There was silence as the group stared at him. Irwin saw no pain or even worry in Crithann''s eyes.


    "That is ridiculous," Scintilla said. "There are so few soulcarded! How can any family just-"


    "This is not a conversation for now," Crithann rumbled as he turned to Yogog. "Is there anything else you know?"


    Yogog shook his head. "Just that our temporary charter head has told me to stay with Irwin."


    "You are welcome to stay," Crithann said as he turned and stomped towards the town''s central building, which was also his home. "Everyone is to meet me in the central square in one hour," he ordered.


    "So¡­" Yogog said as he turned to Irwin. "How about you show me where we are staying? I could do with some rest."


    Thirty minutes later, Irwin was lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling. Yogog was out with Greldo to find more beds for him and the girls, while Scintilla was still filling in Hotzli and Ignalia.


    "Ambraz?"


    "What''s up, kid? Don''t tell me you are scared of being kidnapped?" the Anvil snorted from his position atop Irwin''s chest.


    "How come you can see if someone has a soulcard? Didn''t you tell me you couldn''t because soulcarded didn''t leak Soulforce or something?"


    "It''s one of the benefits I took when I ranked up," Ambraz said.


    "What else did you get?" Irwin asked, curious.


    "Questions, questions¡­ Fine! A way to better help correct tiny inconsistencies in your card reforging, some density increases, and a larger area to detect other beings! All great stuff, and something I''d have long since had if that dumb old beardy face hadn''t locked me up."


    "How long will it take for you to rank up again? And what will you get?" Irwin asked, not interested in hearing another rant about Gelwin.


    Ambraz snorted. "You will likely rank up as a smith before I rank up again, but it should be before you become a ruby smith. As to what I''ll get? It depends on what I pick."


    "Like reforging a card?"


    "Yes, something like that," Ambraz muttered. "The others are coming back."


    Irwin nodded and got up to help them carry the new beds up.


    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Another thirty minutes passed before they headed to the central square. A large gathering of Viridians was there, many of which Irwin recognized.


    With the sun burning down from above, the temperature was scorching, but none of those present were bothered.


    "Everyone, I have some bad news," Crithann rumbled without any prelude or niceties. "A group of Imps came very close to the wall, and the scouts found that they didn''t leave. More of them are gathering near the eastern mine prospect, and there is one that has a dangerous soul card."


    A surprised outcry came, and many of the Viridians clustered closer together, rapidly talking amongst themselves. Only a handful remained quietly watching their leader.


    "There''s more," Crithann said, seemingly ignoring the others. In short, calm words, he told everyone what Yogog had said.


    When he finished, one of the other older Viridians stepped forward.


    "If portals are appearing here, Scour is going to slowly become unstable¡­ we need to close them!"


    "We don''t know if there are more portals," Crithann said, seeming ready to continue when a cool voice interrupted him.


    "So these imps are just here for the smiths?"


    Irwin looked to the side to see a Viridian he hadn''t seen before standing there, arms crossed and an icy look on his rugged face. His orange-leafed hair stood almost straight up, making him look taller than he was.


    "Ah great, one of these people," Yogog snorted loud enough for everyone to hear.


    "Snap all you want, smith, but before your friend came here, none of your kind ever graced us with your presence. Now you''re here, bringing trouble, and we should what? Help?"


    Yogog snorted, glaring back as he began walking forward. However, before he could take more than a few steps, Crithann''s dull voice rumbled out.


    "And what do you suggest, Rootiryn? That we hand them over?"


    "Just send them out of the town. If they run away, one of those flying heat lovers should notice, and the rest will leave," the cold-looking Viridian said.


    "Are you crazy?" another Viridian snapped, and his angry shout seemed to unleash the others. Within moments a cacophony of shouting and arguing began.


    Irwin and the others backed up slightly, Yogog cursing nonstop.


    Why don''t we just kill them? Irwin thought as he thought back to the Imps. He''d dealt with many of them, and although the memory of the pale one still caused him to shudder, they should be able to handle it!


    The worried shouting only increased, and he looked up to see Crithann look around, his bark-lid eyes narrowed. He finally seemed to have enough as he stepped forward.


    "Quiet!"


    Crithann''s voice drowned out those of the others and caused everyone to stare at him in shock.


    "We will not be sending anyone out of our town," he said, pinning Rootiryn with his eyes. The other seemed ready to argue when a dull pressure began emanating from Crithann. All whispered conversations ceased as the Viridians stared at him in awe.


    "You completed your third soul card," one of the elderly Viridians said as he shambled forward. "Why are we even talking about this then? You can just take care of it."


    Crithann shook his head, his angry scowl fading as he smiled at the old Viridian. "Elder, do you not remember when the Imp world shattered? It has been a long time, and those imps are getting dangerously close to turning Addled. As strong as I am, if they swarm me, it will be dangerous."


    The old Viridian sighed, shaking his head.


    Crithann turned to Irwin and the others, looking at him with his dark green eyes.


    "I might not be able to do this alone, but with your help, it should be fine."


    Irwin felt himself nodding before he even thought about it.


    "Are you crazy? That pale one is way too fast! You said it yourself," Yogog snapped. "Even if Irwin could melt him to bits, which I still don''t understand how that worked, how do you suppose we even catch him?"


    "Err¡­ I think I can get him to stop moving for a bit," Scintilla said.


    Yogog looked at her, then turned to the other two Ignitzions. "Dammit, Hotzli! Tell her it''s a bad idea! Let''s just get that teleporting cousin of hers to take us all out of here?"


    "Numilli can''t teleport all of us out of here," Scintilla said.


    "Just have her teleport those she can and tell the people in Cinder Grove to send other teleporters to help?" Greldo said, causing everyone to stare at him stupidly.


    There was a stunned silence, then Scintilla turned in a red blur that zipped toward Numilli''s house.


    "Elder, get the others ready. You will leave first," Crithann rumbled.


    "Good, that''s a much better plan," Yogog said as he looked around. "Too bad we couldn''t have thought of this sooner! It would have saved me dragging those stupid beds all the way back!"


    Numilli and Scintilla came running a few minutes later, and it didn''t take too much effort to get Numilli to understand what they wanted. However, when it came to teleporting them all away, she shook her head.


    "No! You promised-"


    "Numilli, enough! I''ll help you when-"


    "No! You keep saying that," Numilli snapped, stomping her foot. "I''ve been- I can''t-" she shook her head and crossed her arms, glaring at everyone around her.


    "Have you found one?" Irwin asked as he stepped forward, looking at her with a raised eyebrow.


    Numilli pouted. "Not yet."


    "If you help us, I promise that I''ll help you with the next Earth Titan."


    "Me too," Greldo said as he stepped forward.


    Numilli frowned, and her gaze moved around.


    "Fine, fine! I have no idea what this is about, but I''ll help too! Now can we get out of here?" Yogog shouted.


    ¡°Numilli¡­¡± Scintilla asked.


    "Fine!" the smaller Ignitzion said, sighing heavily. "Who do I teleport?"


    Finally, Irwin thought as he moved back to let Crithann handle things.


    A short while later, a cloud of ash teleported Numilli and six of the oldest Viridians to Cinder Grove.


    The others waited, but as an hour passed, a worried look began spreading.


    "Perhaps they can''t find another teleporter?" Greldo whispered.


    "In times of need, the Urdwellan family will help," Yogog muttered. "Viridians are known to help each other if they can."


    "Then what?"


    "How should I know?" Yogog snapped.


    When another hour passed, a sense of foreboding and worry grew, and Crithann sighed.


    "I don''t know what is wrong, but they should have long since been here. Everyone, head back to your homes. Irwin, would you and your friends come with me, please?"


    Irwin and the others followed Crithann to a quiet area while the Viridians spread out, many together and looking worried.


    "So, I guess you want us to go with you?" Yogog said before the Viridian could start.


    Crithann sighed and nodded before turning to Irwin. "How did you turn those Imps to ash?"


    "It''s one of my cards," Irwin said. "It drains the heat out of them."


    A hiss came from the three Ignitzions, and Irwin noticed they all looked at him with a sudden fear.


    "It only ever worked on Imps," Irwin said, trying to recall if that was entirely true.


    "Well¡­ keep it away from us until we know what it does," Hotzli said.


    "Irwin would never hurt us," Scintilla snapped, turning to Ignalia. "Right, big sis?"


    "Don''t call me that. And no. I don''t think he will," Ignalia said.


    "I''ll be careful," Irwin said, turning back to Crithann. "What do you propose?"


    Crithann turned to Scintilla. "The only dangerous one we have seen so far is the pale Imp. If you can lock him down, even for only a second, I can bind him in place. Then Irwin can take care of him."


    "Sure. I saw him move, and I''m sure I can intercept him and knock him down for a moment," Scintilla said.


    "What if there''s more than just one of them?" Greldo asked.


    Crithann turned to Irwin, who saw a gleam in the Viridian''s eyes.


    "That final ability you used with the fog. What is it?"


    "Fantastic!" Scintilla blurted, causing the others to look at her.


    Irwin laughed, recalling how she had him summon the steaming air nearly every evening.


    "I can create superheated steam," Irwin said.


    "So, water and heat?" Crithann asked. "Can you do it right now?"


    "Yes?"


    "Alright, summon a small area."


    Irwin had no idea what Crithann wanted, but he decided it might take longer to ask and get an explanation than just summon some steam. With a tiny flex, he controlled his newest card to pull in the nearly non-existent drops of water. As a thin mist began circling their feet, Irwin raised an arm looking at the sheen that was appearing. Each time he did, he was surprised about how much moisture there still was in the air.


    He let the steam grow for a minute, and by then, they were all standing in a patch of dense fog.


    "So¡­ this is new," Yogog said, his dark shape barely visible.


    A soft moan came from next to him, causing Irwin to blink. It came again, and for the first time since getting his card of Sweltering Heat, he felt his lips go dry.


    "Big sis! Stop making those noises!" Scintilla shouted from nearby. "I know it''s nice, but-"


    "Irwin, how hot and dense can you make this?"


    Crithann''s voice rumbled through the white world.


    "Not sure, but hot enough to cause it to be unbreathable," Irwin said.


    "Then¡­ I think I have a backup plan in case there is more than one of those pale ones," Crithann rumbled.


    --


    "Daubutim, it is good that you returned as promptly as you did yesterday," Librarian Purntou said.


    "Thank you, Master Purntou," Daubutim said.


    They were walking away from the central area that was designated for Librarian Purntou''s apprentices after they had been introduced to them.


    "I will bring you to an area filled with books written by Librarians for Librarians now. Read through them before this afternoon because you will be meeting an important librarian."


    Daubtim nodded, wondering who that would be. His mind was oddly fuzzy, part of it still preoccupied with the conversation with Lamia the day before.


    Did I make a mistake asking for help finding my father? he thought. As soon as he did, he felt his mind begin to grow more fuzzy, and he quickly focused back on the area around them.


    A short while later, they reached an alcove within the Library, empty as most of it seemed to be. A stack of thick books lay on a table, and Librarian Purntou tapped them.


    "I''ve prepared these for you. Read them, so you will know the proper way of things for this afternoon."


    Daubutim nodded, not showing any of the confusion he felt.


    Purntou smiled at him, then turned and walked away.


    What type of etiquette could possibly require this many books, Daubutim thought as he sat down and pulled some towards him.


    Ten minutes later, he stared at the books in consternation. He was not new to rules and etiquette, but he''d never seen anything like the books before him.


    Why would it matter if I stepped onto the wooden thresholds instead of over? And, don''t look at the cover of books with eyes?


    He took a deep breath and picked up the next book.


    When Purntou finally returned to get him, Daubutim had a sense of trepidation as he looked at the Librarian.


    "Ah yes, I remember that feeling," Librarian Purntou said wrily. "Don''t worry. It will pass as you get used to it."


    Daubutim sincerely hoped so because, from what he had read, there was something sincerely wrong with this Library.


    "Now, follow me. We are going to see one of the master librarians and one of the oldest at that. He has heard of your accomplishments during the entry exam and is interested in meeting you."


    Daubutim nodded, but he barely cared about some master librarian. Compared to the rules he''d just read, he couldn''t imagine it being all that special anyway.


    They continued through the Library, and after a while, the shelves lining the walls turned a dark burgundy, while the books seemed both ancient and ageless. A hallway lay between two of the bookcases, a door nestled on the other side.


    Librarian Purntou moved towards it and took a single glance at Daubutim, who nodded. The door was pulled open, revealing a spacious office with pale walls decorated with some paintings. Many showed landscapes and towns.


    "Ah, Librarian Purntou. How good of you to arrive on time. Please enter. I''d love to have a look at our newest apprentice!"


    Daubutim looked up to see an ancient, bearded man staring at him from where he sat on a large wooden chair. His heart skipped a beat, and he barely managed to refrain from speaking as he stared at the familiar face. He''d seen it in books, on paintings, and there had even been statues of the man, though none had been able to capture the glitter he had in his eyes as he stared back.


    Gelwin!

 Chapter 118: Layers

    Daubutim kept a calm look on his face, staring at the man he''d heard and read legends about his entire life. The glistening eyes widened minutely.


    "Master Librarian, this is Daubutim, the young apprentice I''ve told you about," Purntou said calmly. "He has read through the requested books."


    So he requested I read them? Daubutim pondered as he inclined his head.


    "It''s an honor to meet you, Master Librarian," he said.


    Why did he ask me to come here? He has to know where I''m from¡­


    He felt his mind spinning, and it took all of his efforts to remain focused on the here and now.


    "Librarian Purntou, why don''t you leave me and our young apprentice alone for a while? I''ll take him on a walk through the inner library before bringing him back."


    Daubutim turned to Librarian Purntou just in time to see a look of surprise fade.


    "As you wish, Master Librarian," Purntou said as he bowed his head. Then he turned to Daubutim, who saw a flicker in the Librarian''s eyes, nodded, and left.


    As soon as the door closed, Daubutim focused his complete attention on the ancient sorcerer. The sparkling eyes were gazing back at him, then the bearded man pushed himself upright.


    "Follow me," he said with a half smile.


    Then he walked towards a small door at the back of the room, moving more spry than Daubutim would have expected from him.


    Keeping quiet, Daubutim followed him to the door. As soon as it opened, a narrow book-lined hallway appeared, and Daubutim blinked. This was the inner library already? He sorted his new knowledge, then stepped across the doorframe, making sure not to touch it anywhere. As he stepped through, an odd tingling spread through him, as the book had warned, leaving just as fast.


    That felt¡­ familiar, Daubutim thought. It took him only a moment to figure out why. They had gone through a portal.


    Gelwin moved ahead of him, leading him through the narrow hallway, and Daubutim focused on not touching any of the books as he quickly followed him.


    "Librarian Purntou told me that he was very impressed by your memorization skill," the old Librarian said as he continued walking through the maze. "Based on what you have seen of the library and the building, can you guess where we are right now?"


    "Not on Fiverio," Daubutim said. It was mostly a guess, something he usually didn''t do, but based on all that he read, it was the only thing he could come up with.


    "Correct. The inner library, only freely accessible by the Master Librarians, is hidden away," Gelwin said.


    They continued down the narrow hallways until they reached a more spacious one, where Gelwin stopped.


    Daubutim didn''t look around, keeping his eyes on the ground or the bottom rows of books.


    "Now then, young Daubutim," Gelwin said as he stopped before Daubutim. "Why don''t you tell me where Uxin''tar is hiding?"


    Daubutim barely stopped himself from looking up, focusing on Gelwin''s boots.


    "You can look up. We are inside a safe area," Gelwin said.


    Daubutim hesitated, then raised his head. He made sure to keep his gaze on the ancient sorcerer, who was calmly looking back at him. Daubutim hesitated only for a moment.


    "I don''t know. He keeps swooping down from above on his birds and has captured one of my friends to do his talking," Daubutim said honestly.


    "And what did you discuss with him yesterday?" Gelwin asked, raising an eyebrow.


    Daubutim stared back in shock. How did Gelwin know all this? The shock caused him to lose his hold on himself, and he blinked as he felt the world around him turn dull. He struggled to keep awake. He had to-


    He dully gazed at the man before him, his mind a chaotic mess.


    --


    "Interesting," Gelwin muttered. "You have some kind of affliction¡­ is this Uxin''tar''s handy work?


    He inspected the towering warrior before him. His eyes were glazed over, and the sharp look from before was completely gone. Instead, he gave off the feeling of a dumb brute.


    "Can you still speak?" he asked.


    "Yes," came a dull answer.


    "Alright, follow me for a while. As soon as you are back to normal, let me know," Gelwin said as he turned and began wandering the hallways. "Don''t worry too much. In here, we have a lot of time."


    "Okay."


    Gelwin grimaced at the dull reply.


    "I hope this doesn''t happen a lot, young one. Because if it does, I''m not sure you can help me as much as I had hoped."


    There was no response, and Gelwin continued ahead, leading Daubutim along.


    --


    Daubutim woke, staring at a towering wall of books, while Gelwin was softly speaking.


    "-wall is known as the wall of language. We add the language of each new portal world we find here. Well, I should say dialect. For some reason, nearly every human-speaking world we have encountered seems to speak the same or a similar language. There are a half dozen variations, but even then- Ah! You are back?"


    Daubutim nodded, turning his attention to the sorcerer. The memories of the last three hours and fifteen minutes replayed in his mind, and he felt a sense of gratitude. Gelwin hadn''t rushed him, pushed him, or pressured him but merely walked around, talking about many interesting little things.


    Because he wants something from me, Daubutim thought, clamping down on his mind.


    "Yes. Thank you for your patience," Daubutim said.


    "Such a massive change," Gelwin said as he looked back. "Now. Do you remember what I asked you before?"


    Daubutim looked back. "I remember everything," he said calmly.


    Gelwin''s bushy brows rose slightly, then he cocked his head.


    "I see. Also, what I spoke about while we walked?"


    "Everything," Daubutim said calmly.


    "Now that might come in handy," Gelwin said as he nodded. "So. What did you speak about with Uxin''tar?"


    Daubutim suppressed his desire to know how Gelwin knew and instead calmly recounted the entire conversation word by word. When he finished, Gelwin was looking at him.


    "Have you found a limit to what you can remember?"


    Daubutim shook his head, looking back at the man he''d never thought he''d meet.


    "How can you be here?" he asked.


    "So. You know who I am?" Gelwin asked.


    "You are Gelwin, savior of Giard, and you should be hundreds of years old."


    "Hundreds, huh? Yes, that too," Gelwin said as he stroked his beard. "If I ask you to try and analyze the situation and think of a reason for me to have come here, will you break down again?"


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    Daubutim frowned as he carefully prodded what he knew. It wasn''t an unreasonable question, but he quickly found his mind bogging down. There were too many potential possibilities.


    "Ah, sorry young one. I guess we all have our own strengths and weaknesses," Gelwin said before looking around. "I am here to try and find a way to save the last of my family and friends. Even though many don''t even remember me or where they come from."


    "You mean the people of Giard?" Daubutim asked.


    "Yes, those few that remain on Clour peninsula," Gelwin said, staring at him calmly.


    "So the little we could find about the world beyond the wall is right then?" Daubutim asked. "None remain?"


    "Just a few tiny towns, hidden away in remote areas," Gelwin said. "Well¡­ that was before I left."


    "Why did you leave?" Daubutim asked.


    "Young one, I think we need to establish some rules here," Gelwin said. "First of all, I had not anticipated you recognizing me. I''d have rather our first meeting had been less burdened by expectations and confusion. However, now that we are here let me make something clear. I don''t know if I can trust you yet. Uxin''tar is a young, weak fool, but he has also proven dangerously tenacious over the years. So, before I answer any of your questions, we are going to do something else. You will tell me everything, in detail, of what has happened since I left. History, stories, legends. Anything. Then I want you to explain why you are here and why Uxin''tar is here."


    Daubutim took a deep breath and nodded. He didn''t fully understand what was going on, but he did know that between Uxin''tar and Gelwin, he trusted the latter more. Although, just marginally.


    I''ll just keep a few things to myself, he decided.


    "Don''t attempt to lie or withhold anything," Gelwin said, a mock smile barely visibly through his thick gray beard. "I''ll know when you do."


    Daubutim looked back, wondering if that was a lie or the truth. Gelwin quietly looked at him, and he had the feeling the sparkling eyes were staring straight through him.


    Sorting his thoughts, he began recounting any and everything he recalled from the era of Gelwin and what happened shortly after he left.


    Gelwin listened, asked a few questions, and at some point guided him to another area with a table, two chairs, and a flask with fruit juice.


    By the time Daubutim reached the point where he, Irwin, and the others moved into their first training portal, his throat was slightly sore.


    "So, one of my plans worked," Gelwin said. "I had hoped someone with enough skill would enter that world and draw that foulmouthed thing''s attention."


    "So, you did put it there?" Daubutim asked, hoping Gelwin would take over talking so his voice could rest.


    "Yes. Ambraz was one of the things I planted in the hopes of giving my people a fighting chance for what is to come."


    Daubutim frowned. "The shattering?"


    Gelwin looked at him quietly, and Daubutim suppressed a sigh. Ignoring his sore throat, he continued telling everything that had happened. He tried to gloss over some things, but Gelwin seemed to have a sixth sense for it and kept asking for details. Still, he showed no more than the reasonable reactions until-


    "A Bablibon!?" Gelwin snapped as he leaned forward. "Are you sure?"


    Daubutim nodded immediately as he quickly explained what had happened. "It was killed by the leader of the Galubs in that world, someone called Doomblade," he said in the end.


    Gelwin shook his head. "Unlikely. It might have been seriously wounded, but I seriously doubt it. Bablibons are born with a soulskill, and by the time they are the size you described, they usually have three or four. Not even a five-horned Galub could handle that."


    Daubutim frowned. "Why does this matter? It was left behind in that worldshard, and the portal will have long since closed."


    "Bablibons are incredibly spiteful, never forgetting any slight or hurt. Based on what you told me, it will likely try to kill your friend for hurting it. Now, tell me more about that rather intelligent Galub called Ulrop."


    "I waited for it, but in the end, it never came through. I presumed it was captured by another Galub or perhaps feared going through in the end."


    "Plausible," Gelwin said after a while. "Or it waited for as long as it could before going through to make sure none of you were still there. Now, continue your story."


    Daubutim continued this time without any interruptions, all the way till he spoke about reaching Esterdon.


    "Esterdon," Gelwin said, his voice deep and distant. "Once, it was known as the most beautiful city in the new kingdom. Until they found us again¡­"


    The ancient sorcerer''s voice trailed off, and after a deep breath, he turned his attention back to Daubutim.


    "So, I presume this is where you met Uxin''tar?"


    "He was working or posing as the advisor to my cousin," Daubutim said.


    "Right, the one called Indoutor," Gelwin said. "Very well, finish your story and continue until the moment you stepped into this building to attempt the apprenticeship."


    Daubutim did as asked, and when he finally finished, he took a few deep drinks, hoping the next few days would allow him to refrain from speaking.


    Gelwin was quiet for a long time, and when he finally spoke, his voice was tired.


    "So, a cardsmith appeared amongst my people, but now is gone again. I''ll have to find out who failed to advise me of this information. Well, at least you are here, so that is something. Now then, I''ll allow you a few questions before I return you to Librarian Purntou."


    Elated, Daubutim asked the question that had been on his mind since he saw Gelwin.


    "Are you here to help save Giard or its people?"


    "It''s people, yes. Giard itself is doomed," Gelwin said.


    Daubutim felt a wave of sadness but suppressed it. As his father said, one should only grieve when the act wouldn''t cause more later on.


    "Why hasn''t Giard shattered yet?"


    "Good questions," Gelwin said. "Because I''m holding it together."


    Daubutim frowned, opening his mouth to ask how only to be interrupted.


    "I won''t explain how. Not yet."


    Daubutim nodded.


    "How can we save the people there?"


    "By finding another portal, the old-fashioned way," Gelwin said.


    Daubutim blinked. "The old-fashioned way?"


    "I''ll get you a book on that, but suffice to say, it involves setting out across the Portal Gallery, far beyond the outer branches, and searching for a world."


    If that''s the old-fashioned way, what is the regular way? Daubutim thought, confused.


    "Have the explorers guild find one," Gelwin said as if he had read his mind.


    Can you read my mind? Daubutim thought, staring at the sorcerer.


    A dry, rough laugh echoed through the room. "No, just your confusion. The rest is simply centuries of experience observing people."


    Daubutim''s frown deepened, but he decided not to delve deeper into that topic. Instead, he let his mind run through the new information. He almost heard his father''s voice, snapping the questions he should be asking.


    "How long do we have?"


    "As long as I stay here, the world will not shatter. However, portals will continue to run rampant, and there will be a time when the people won''t be able to survive. Based on what you''ve told me, that time is even nearer than I had feared."


    Daubutim felt something pull, an idea that was trying to form. He hesitated, then pushed it down. If he tried to find out what it was, his mind might lock up again. He had too many more important questions first.


    "What do I need to do?" he asked.


    "And that is the most important question, isn''t it," Gelwin said. "Three things. Find and take care of Uxin''tar before the idiot does something disastrous like drawing attention to this little speck of nowhere."


    Daubutim couldn''t help but swallow at the idea of having to take care of the monstrous sorcerer.


    "Sorry, young one. I know this is difficult, and I''m afraid the second thing might be even more difficult," Gelwin said. "To keep Giard stable, even with the thousands of portals ravaging most of it, I can''t leave here. Not until the people are safe."


    "You want me to search for a new world?" Daubutim said.


    "I have a few others searching, but so far, none have found one. And even if they did, none are native to Giard¡­ meaning I can''t really trust them."


    "You said you don''t trust me either," Daubutim said.


    "Indeed, which is why this task is so awful," Gelwin said.


    "Say, hypothetically, that I find a world¡­ how do I get the people there?" Daubutim asked.


    "I would give you a one-time use card that can create a special teleportation circle," Gelwin said as he leaned back, staring at him. "Of which only two exist that I know of. After you set it up, I would move all our people through."


    "All¡­ How?" Daubutim asked, shaking his head.


    "I have been preparing for this for hundreds of years," Gelwin said.


    Hundreds? Daubutim stared at him, shaking his head. How old was Gelwin? The portals had only appeared-


    "You had cards before the portals appeared," Daubutim stated.


    "Yes. Now¡­ One more question, and then it''s time you head back and think about what I have told you."


    "What? But you said there were three things I had to do," Daubutim said, not believing the old sorcerer had forgotten about it.


    "Yes. I need you to prepare your cousin and the other people from Giard to return there. They need more power there to deal with the increase in portals that are appearing because it won''t be long till the first diamond rank will appear."


    Daubutim blinked, then cocked his head. "But the others are imprisoned."


    "Not for long. Now, one final question?"


    Daubutim hesitated. He had more than one left, but he could see that Gelwin''s patience was wearing thin.


    "Who are you?" he asked, looking intently at the sorcerer. There was no way he was a simple hand-carded sorcerer from Giard. Even if he had a diamond rank card, or even four, it wouldn''t account for anything. Besides, if he had cards before the portals appeared, he couldn''t have been from Giard.


    "This is not something I can answer right now. But suffice to say, I''m the one called Gelwin¡­ at least, most of him," Gelwin said with a wry smile.


    Most of him?


    Gelwin pushed himself up, staring intently at Daubutim, who quickly did the same.


    "I''ll bring you back now and ensure that you get some of the books you will need. Besides that, I would suggest you explore the map section of the library and begin getting acquainted with the Portal Gallery."


    "You are assuming I will do as you say?" Daubutim asked, surprised.


    "You''ve already made up your mind," Gelwin said as he led him away. "So I think you should begin thinking of a way to take care of Uxin''tar. It will take me a few days to arrange for the others from Giard to be gathered close together and have an assortment of cards ready."


    Daubutim nodded but kept quiet, his mind ablaze with information. A few things had popped up, holes in the information that he knew his father would have asked questions about if he''d gotten this briefing. He forced the questions down, afraid Gelwin was lying and did have some type of mind-reading card. Although he had the feeling most of what the sorcerer had said was right, he didn''t get the feeling he was being lied to¡­ there was one thing that didn''t make sense.


    They eventually returned to Gelwin''s room and, from there, an area close to Librarian Purntou''s area.


    "You can find your way from here," Gelwin said as he looked up at him. "I''ll have Librarian Purntou bring you to me again in two days'' time. I''ll also ensure that you are allowed to leave, but make sure you don''t overuse that right. It''s¡­ uncommon here."


    "Thank you, Master Librarian," Daubutim said, bowing his head.


    Gelwin nodded appreciatively as he turned and walked away. Daubutim waited until he was far away before turning and finally letting the question he had been suppressing bubble up in his mind.


    Why didn''t you just send someone inside to bring us cards or to get information?

 Chapter 119: Foggy battle

    Irwin snuck after the others, the thin sand of the desert flowing down below his feet and making it hard to climb up without sliding back down. When he reached the top, he barely held back an angry hiss.


    The flowing hills and dunes had been shattered apart, a deep crevice looming dangerously.


    Irwin could see sand constantly trickling and flowing inside from above, dropping far into its depths, while a familiar glow sat deep below. The rippling glow made him shudder as he turned to the others.


    "Portal¡­"


    The others were quiet, then Yogog began cursing softly while Crithann let out a deep and weary sigh.


    "That''s an emerald portal," he said.


    "How can you see that from up here?" Scintilla whispered.


    "One of my cards," Crithann said without elaborating as he turned to the others. "Is there any amongst you that has no card above emerald?"


    It was quiet, then Greldo sighed as he looked around at the others. "Me."


    "I¡­" Scintilla said as she shared a quick look with Ignalia, who nodded at her.


    "Yeah, me too," she said.


    Crithann nodded as he looked at them quietly. Irwin saw Greldo pale slightly, and he shook his head.


    "You can''t be thinking of asking them to go inside," he whispered.


    Crithann sat down, staring at the depths far below.


    "We need to clear that portal out before more appear," he said. "But you are right, they can''t go inside with just the two of them."


    The others frowned, but Crithann closed his eyes and seemed to ignore them.


    "What is he-" Scintilla whispered.


    "He is using a form of communication card," Ambraz rumbled from Irwin''s shoulder.


    Everyone looked at him, and his metal lips curved into a smile.


    "What else did you think? That he was going to sleep?" he snorted.


    Yogog grinned while Hotzli held a hand before her mouth to stifle a giggle.


    "How do we even know there''s no more portals around us? Why risk this if it might be a drop on a hot plate?" Irwin whispered as he looked at Yogog.


    "Don''t ask me! I''m with you on this one," the burly bald smith grunted as his grin faded. "I think we should go in and clear out the imps as we planned."


    "We could just go inside and take a look?" Greldo whispered.


    Irwin grimaced at the idea of Greldo heading into an emerald portal.


    If I hadn''t slotted Smouldering Heart, I could have gone with him, he thought.


    They continued whispering for a while, keeping an eye out for any of the flying imps when Crithann finally opened his eyes again.


    "Four of my fellow townsfolk are on their way. They are part of those that helped me guard against smaller threats, and they will go with you into the portal," Crithann said, looking at Greldo and Scintilla.


    "I hope they are as big and strong as you," Greldo muttered as he shared a worried look with Irwin.


    "They are strong," Crithann rumbled before looking down at the portal,


    "Let''s clear out whatever is hiding down there. Irwin, are you ready?" he said


    Irwin nodded, his expectancy growing as he recalled Crithann''s plan.


    "You are sure about what you said?" he asked. "This big hole won''t cause any problems?"


    Crithann looked at the hole, his eyes gleaming brightly.


    "If anything, it will help," he rumbled. "The Groveheart tree seeds need a solid foundation for their roots and plenty of water. Normally, that would be from a large vein of Frostiron, but with you here¡­"


    "Are you sure you can keep that skill up long enough?" Greldo whispered.


    Irwin saw the worry in his friend''s eyes and nodded.


    "From what I''ve found, I can keep it up for the same time as my Coperion Body, which is over an hour. Then, I can use it again an hour later."


    "Alright. Let''s go down," Yogog grunted. "Irwin, stay at the back. If we can catch that little white bastard, we can just clear it out normally, but if there''s more than one, do your thing."


    After some whispered preparation, they began crawling down the hill, heading toward the edge of the deep crevice. A few sides had slopes of sand leading into part of it, and they were moving towards the nearest.


    At the back, Irwin watched how Greldo moved with incredible ease. His friend had used his own transform skill and was now in his taller, fur-covered form. Coal was beside him.


    They reached the edge of the deep crevice and still hadn''t seen any movement.


    "Maybe they all headed back in?" Yogog whispered as he glared across the edge.


    Irwin leaned forward, staring down into the depths. To him, it looked like a dull red hole with looming shadows and rocks and sand sliding and moving everywhere.


    I wonder when this happened if everything is still so unstable, he thought as he searched for any movement.


    "Over there," Greldo whispered as he pointed further and to the back of the crevice.


    Irwin blinked, searching the narrower areas, almost like an anthill. It took him a few seconds to see what Greldo meant. Ruddy figures moved through the hole, tiny from this distance and easy to overlook.


    "They made some sort of hideout," his friend whispered. "I only see-"


    "Get them!"


    The high-pitched scream almost caused Irwin to stumble as he looked around and up. There was no sight of the flying Imp whose voice had just erupted from somewhere nearby. The sand around them began swirling, arms and heads of imps bursting out.


    "Ambush!" Yogog roared. "Stay close together and look out for the pale one!"


    Irwin gritted his teeth as he triggered Coperion Body and summoned his flame. It rippled around him, but remembering the Ignitzion''s fears, he kept it tight around him, the flames almost rippling over his skin like fur.


    Two imps were struggling out of the sand nearby and jumped forward, grabbing at their flailing arms while trying not to slide and plummet down the hill.


    A startled shout was instantly shut down when he wrapped his hands around them.


    "Keep away from the big shiny one!" the flying Imp''s voice screamed from somewhere.


    Where is that one? Irwin thought as they turned away from the bundles of ash wafting away from him.


    "Where is that one?" he shouted as he saw the others fighting atop the flowing hill. Coal was having the largest trouble, his massive frame gliding down a dozen feet each time he moved too abruptly.


    There was no sight of the-


    "Irwin!" the startled scream was all the warning he got as he raised his hands before his face and threw himself to the side.


    Something sharp slashed across his arm, and looking to the side, he saw a familiar, hateful face. Wielding its curved dagger in its single remaining hand, the pale Imp glared at him.


    "I''ll cut off your hand and use it as my own soulstealer," the Imp snarled as he backed up a few steps.


    Irwin kept his eyes on the Imp. He knew if he tried to rush it, it would just dodge him effortlessly, and it would leave him open for another attack.


    Where''s Scintilla? he thought just as a red blur slammed into the Imp.


    It let out a screech as Scintilla''s arms wrapped around it.


    "Irwin, now!''


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    Irwin was moving before she could finish talking. As he closed in on the Imp, he summoned his flame, keeping it small so he wouldn''t accidentally hit Scintilla. Even then, he saw her eyes widen slightly at it.


    The Imp began struggling, but just as Irwin reached for him, the Imp''s eyes gleamed, a dangerous smile appearing around his sharp lips.


    What-


    Irwin jumped back and coated his entire body with his flame in a single move. He was almost fast enough.


    A sharp pain came from his left leg, followed by a startled scream of pain from below. Looking down, he saw another curved black dagger pull back into the sand, the hand blackened by fire. Then his leg buckled, blood pouring from a deep gouge just above his boot that cut through flesh, muscle, and tendon.


    Slumping into a seated position, Irwin felt his heart skip a beat as he could see inside his own leg, the pain becoming worse.


    "Irwin!"


    He looked up to see Scintilla struggle with the now laughing Imp, both seeming roughly equal in strength. Forcing thoughts of his leg out of his head, he struggled up on one, then threw himself forward, hands outstretched.


    A tiny movement came from the sand between him and Scintilla and the Imp, then a hand holding a black curved dagger shot up in his path.


    Not again, Irwin thought as he focused on his Eyes of Blaze. A mass of roiling flames rippled out from them, slamming into the Imp that was partially out of the sand now, and it let out a startled scream of fear and pain before being engulfed. The sand began gleaming and turning a red as Irwin struck it, then he crawled the last foot to Scintilla.


    The Imp in her grip was screaming and slashing, going ballistic as he closed in, but Irwin ignored it as he reached and grabbed its ankle.


    "No! No- no- no-" the flying Imp screamed from somewhere, but it was too late.


    Irwin let his flame ripple over the ankle. For a moment, the Imp seemed able to resist whatever it was that his flame was doing, then it froze, its mouth gaping open and its eyes wide and furious. Scintilla let go and backed up as she looked at him.


    "Finish him, quick!" she shouted, looking around.


    Irwin let his flames grow and encompass the pale Imp. A second later, the entire body crumbled to ash. He took two deep breaths, then pushed himself up, risking a look at his leg. To his surprise, the massive gash had closed slightly, and he saw the muscles and tendons inside squirming oddly. As soon as he saw it, he felt it, a dull burning pain.


    "The other one just hid again," Ambraz''s calm voice shocked Irwin out of his worry, and he looked around. Ambraz was right, the second pale Imp was gone, the hole beside him now an empty, slightly torched area.


    All around them, the others were slaughtering the imps, their numbers unable to overcome the individual strength difference. There was still no sight of the flying one nor the second pale one.


    I hope there were just the two, Irwin thought as he stumbled toward the nearest fighting. As he did, the imps saw him coming and ran away, getting out of his way.


    Great! Gritting his teeth, Irwin looked around, hoping his friends would be fine.


    Coal moved around nearby, Greldo appearing from his shadow like a blur, slashing apart any imp that came too close while the large hound rampaged through the imps as if they were dry wood for kindling.


    Yogog was moving around, grabbing any imp that came too close and ripping their heads off, while the two Ignitzions were swirling their blades around like small hurricanes.


    A bit away from the others, Crithann stomped around in a growing cloud of sand, moving far faster than his size should allow. His hammer was like a blur, crushing any imp it hit. Even then, the number of imps seemed endless, more and more crawling up out of the sand while their brethren slid down the hill, some dropping into the crevice.


    As if he felt Irwin watching, the towering Viridian turned to Irwin.


    "Do it!"


    Irwin nodded through gritted teeth. The pain in his leg had gone to a dull thrumming while an infernal itch was growing.


    Clenching his fists, he triggered Sweltering Heart while stumbling further down the crevice away from the others. He tried to keep a tiny hold on it, as he didn''t want to accidentally catch any of his friends. Greldo had shown he wasn''t able to stand the full power of his ability, and he had no idea if the others could.


    To his surprise, the fog began swirling up from the hole rapidly, much faster than it had any time before.


    There has to be more moisture in the ground, he thought as he watched the mist begin to intensify around him. Unlike on the previous occasions, he let the power of the skill run rampant, and a tiny cloud seemed to form below him.


    "Whoa¡­ this feels so amazing!"


    Irwin was shocked to see Scintilla stand behind him, moving her hand through the superheated fog with a wide smile.


    "Quick, back up a bit! It will get hard to breathe soon," he said.


    Scintilla grinned as she shook her head and remained where she was. Within moments the sand around them had gone slick and dark with moisture.


    "Holy shit, that''s hot!"


    Yogog''s voice came from a distance away while the sounds of combat rapidly died down. Irwin could hear the Imps scatter and run, but there were also some noises as if someone was suffocating.


    Within a few more moments, even he could hardly see through the dense mist. Everything had turned into a world of glowing white. At the same time, the pain in his leg was nearly gone, the itching the only thing that remained. He hadn''t noticed it before, but now he had a moment, he stared down in surprise. A jagged line crossed his leg, the skin stretched and cracked. It looked slightly gruesome, but compared to the massive wound before, he could barely believe what he saw.


    It has to be the increased healing from all my cards, he thought, then suddenly realizing that the pain hadn''t actually been that bad. It must have been due to his enhanced endurance!


    It wasn''t that it didn''t hurt, it just wasn''t unbearable, he thought after a few moments of analyzing what he had actually felt.


    "Irwin, we are clear!"


    Greldo''s shout jogged him back to reality, and wondering what would happen, he released the tiny bit of control he had maintained over his card. For the first time since he got it, he let it ripple out. A soft hissing sound came from all around, and he saw streams of steam shoot out of the few tiny crevices he could still see. As the fog became denser, he sensed a slow change in his card as a sense of his surroundings began appearing. It was almost as if he could see without seeing or hear without hearing, and as he stood there in bewildered surprise, he realized he could sense anything moving within the sprawling cloud, even near the edges.


    Greldo and the others had clambered back up the hill and now stood at least a hundred feet away while some of the Imps were struggling inside the outer edges, trying to move out.


    "You have to let me enjoy this when we aren''t fighting," Scintilla groaned beside him, and looking up, he saw her stand there, eyes closed and head back as if they weren''t fighting.


    Irwin didn''t respond, instead focusing on the odd sense of perspective he was having. It stretched into the cavern before him, the fog still expanding that way, and he could feel Imps moving about, hurrying through tunnels to get away. Then he sensed something else, just above the edge of his perception and perhaps twenty feet high. A tiny movement. Something.


    It''s the flying Imp!


    Irwin looked up, but he saw nothing but a dense white fog. Still, if he took ten steps to the side, he''d be standing right below it¡­


    He slowly eased toward Scintilla, trying to make no noise. Her eyes widened as she looked at him, and he quickly raised his finger to lips when she seemed about to say something. The smile that had begun disappeared, and she frowned, cocking her head.


    Irwin leaned closer.


    "The flying imp is almost right above us," he whispered.


    Scintilla blinked, then a predatory grin came to her face as she nodded and raised her sword.


    Irwin pulled her along, trying to make no sound, until he positioned her right below where he sensed the imps flapping about. Then he pointed up.


    Scintilla nodded and waved him away. Irwin took two steps back, and then Scintilla vanished in a red blur that shot straight up. Normally he could hardly see her, but the fog somehow allowed him to sense how she pierced through his cloud of steam. There was a startled scream that tore through the silence.


    A moment later, things thudded to the ground, then Scintilla appeared back next to him, her form foggy even when she was two steps away.


    "Got him," she grinned.


    "Good job," Irwin said, grinning back.


    "How did you know he was there?" she asked while taking a few breaths of the steam that was hotter than boiling water.


    Irwin hesitated for a moment, then smiled. "I can sense things inside the steam cloud."


    "Really? Damn, hotstuff! You really need to come along and meet my mother! She is going to be so impressed!"


    Irwin blinked, suddenly slightly uncomfortable when he saw the twinkling eyes and wide grin staring back at him.


    Mother? he thought before quickly turning around.


    "Let''s get the seeds planted," he said as he looked around, using his newfound ability to find where he should go.


    Although he wasn''t using his eyes, an image of his surroundings had formed, and he knew that he could walk with his eyes closed and still find his way. Even the tiny cracks in the ground showed up perfectly clear, and he grinned.


    Wait¡­ what if I use Eyes of Blaze? Could I see anything?


    Curious, he triggered the ability, and then he sucked in a breath. The world changed into a mass of swirling white, yellow, and pale orange colors, the fog blooming out like a real cloud in the evening sky. Looking around, he almost stopped it when his gaze moved across Scintilla. She was a flickering, white shape in his vision, the fog swirling around her and accentuating every part of her form.


    "Irwin? What''s wrong? Why are you looking at me like that!"


    "Nothing, just trying out two cards at once," Irwin said as he turned and began moving toward a part of the slope that would lead further into the crevice. By now, he could detect dozens of Imps moving around below, staying just out of reach from the cloud but somehow close enough for him to perceive.


    He climbed down, and as he did, the cloud followed him, the Imps below screeching in panic as they ran back. Irwin grinned as he continued when a shudder ran through the cloud. A dull sense of tension came from the edge, and as he focused on it, he realized the border of his steam cloud had reached the portal. It was now wrapping around it, and the portal was causing a reaction with the steam.


    I wish I could pull it back, Irwin thought.


    He frowned, then tried to, only to find that the only options seemed to be to block the card''s full power and shrink the area and turn it less hot or leave it.


    Even with him perceiving where he was going, it took a long time to reach the bottom part of the crevice, and when he finally reached the bottom, the others had followed the edge of his steam cloud to nearly the edge of the crevice.


    "So, this should be fine, right?" Scintilla asked as she stomped on the mud-covered stone below their feet.


    "Let''s hope so," Irwin muttered.


    By now, they were both drenched, and Irwin could sense the streams of water running down from everything. He could also sense the energy keeping up the steam cloud was costing him. It was far more than when he had practiced it on a small scale, and he wondered if part of that was because he could use it to detect things.


    Taking out some of the seeds Crithann had handed him, he knelt down.


    "So, remember what he said. Plant them in, then get out of the way," he said as he made a mental note of where the way up was.


    "If we have to, I can get us out," Scintilla said. "Just promise me you''ll let me enjoy this steam cloud again sometime!"


    "Sure, I''m sure we can find a way to do it safely," Irwin said as he inspected the mud, wondering if one spot was better than the other. Crithann had said it was fine, so he just shoved his hand and the seeds down. Rocks scratched harmlessly across his Coperion Body''s skin as he stuffed the seeds down as far as he could.


    He sensed the tiny nuts shudder between his fingers, then something shoved his fingers apart and back up. He gaped at the green plant pushing his hand away before growing while a rumbling came from the ground below.


    "Move!" he said as he turned and ran back to the steep slope up.


    Scintilla was following him as they scrambled up the hill, quickly finding that mud made for a bad thing to climb up. Sliding back down for the second time, Irwin looked back, and his eyes widened as he saw branches with golden-colored leaves a foot from his face.


    "Get us out of here!" he shouted.


    "Get ready, here we go!"


    Scintilla slammed into his middle, wrapping her hands around him, and then the world turned into a blur of red and white. It only lasted a moment, then they stumbled out of the fog a few feet from the crevice. Irwin felt his stomach heave, and he ground his teeth, trying to keep his food down. Scintilla stood beside him, hands on her knees and her face pale. For a few moments, it looked like she was going to vomit, then she drew a deep shuddering breath and stood back up.


    "I hate that feeling," she muttered.

 Chapter 120: Heart tree

    "Are you two alright?" Yogog shouted as he came jogging toward Irwin and Scintilla.


    The others were close behind while Greldo sprinted past and toward Irwin, muddy sand spraying everywhere.


    "You alright? How''s your leg?" Greldo asked worriedly.


    "You saw that?" Irwin asked in surprise before patting the jagged scar on his leg. "It''s fine, though I hope the scar will heal up eventually."


    "It''s alright, it makes you look manly!" Yogog said as he moved beside him, thumping him on the shoulder.


    Ignalia and Hotzli were standing beside Scintilla, shaking their heads.


    "What were you thinking, staying in Irwin''s cloud?" Ignalia snapped.


    Scintilla''s shoulders lowered, then she crossed her arms.


    "I couldn''t just leave him alone! I''m his guard!"


    "What if you hadn''t been able to breathe, like Greldo?" Ignalia asked, frowning deeply. "As his guard, one of the things you have to do is make sure you can actually guard him!"


    "I would have just Inferno Blinked out of there," Scintilla muttered, staring at the ground.


    "Next time, you make sure to follow the plan," Ignalia said as he turned away and moved to stand beside Yogog, who was rubbing his chin, a grimace on his face.


    "Good job on staying alive," Hotzli said before moving away.


    Irwin saw Scintilla''s shoulders lower, then she shivered and raised her head up.


    "I wasn''t wrong," she snapped before looking at him and grinning. "I''ve got your back, hotstuff!"


    Irwin smiled back and nodded. "I don''t doubt that one bit!" he said, feeling a slight warmth that had nothing to do with the sun.


    Mum was right, actions do speak louder than words, he thought, and as he thought of his mother, he felt a momentary longing. It lasted for only a moment, but it was enough to jerk him back to reality.


    A dull rumble was followed by a shaking that caused masses of sand to slide away. If they hadn''t been standing atop the hill, they might have been dragged along.


    "Irwin, you can drop the ability now," Crithann said, squinting into the dense fog.


    Irwin did as asked, and as his card''s ability stopped, he felt vertigo, followed by a sense of being drained. A slightly painful throbbing came from his Sweltering Heart card, which felt empty. Spent.


    "How long will it take for the fog to dissipate?" Greldo whispered from the side.


    "No idea," Irwin muttered, rubbing his head which was starting to throb in sync with his card.


    "You alright?" Greldo asked, grabbing his shoulder as she swayed.


    "Yeah, just a bit tired," Irwin said as he took a deep breath.


    It took a minute for the steam cloud to dissipate enough for them to see what was going on, and by then, Irwin''s weariness had largely left him. All that was left was the sense that he wouldn''t be able to use the card again for a while.


    Is it because I used it too long or because that portal was inside? he wondered as he watched a towering shadow appear in the mist.


    "Incredible," Greldo hissed. "Is that a tree?"


    A sudden breeze cleared out more of the steam, and there was a collective gasp.


    A towering tree, branches still sprouting from the sides and golden leaves popping up like rain, grew up from the crevice, its mighty crown almost touching the sides.


    "That''s as big as those near the center of Cinder Grove," Irwin said.


    "It''s enormous!" Yogog said. "And it''s still growing! Eej, Crithann, is this normal?"


    Irwin was curious about that too, but when there wasn''t any answer, he looked away from the still-growing tree to see Crithann look at it worriedly.


    "Crithann?"


    "It''s growing too fast and too big," the Viridian mumbled, his voice like stones rolling down a hill.


    "This¡­"


    Irwin started to worry as Crithanns turned back them, pinning him with a worried stare.


    "Did you notice anything down there? Any silvery metal around the bottom?"


    He thought for a moment, then shook his head. "No. Are you talking about Frostiron?"


    A soft groan from the hole and the entire tree shuddered as it continued to grow up and outward. Crithann''s mouth fell open, and he took a step back.


    "We need to back up much- much further!"


    "What is going-"


    A shudder caused the sandy edge in front of them to slide down and rapidly get closer. Everyone began to back up slowly.


    "Run!"


    Ambraz''s sudden shout caused everyone to start, then, as one, they turned and fled across the sandy dune. The massive Viridian sprinted down, seeming uncaring that he might fall down, and the others followed him.


    What is going on? Irwin thought as he felt the sand below his feed slide along. Halfway down, his foot caught as it sank deep into the sand. Irwin stumbled, fell forward, and slid down.


    At the bottom, he scrambled up and continued up the next. He was the last to reach the top, and when he did, he saw everyone staring back at where they had just come from.


    The tree was a towering monstrosity now, the crown spreading out as it continued to grow.


    "How is it growing this fast?" Irwin muttered in disbelief.


    "I don''t know," Crithann said. "Even if the largest Frostiron vein on Scour is below us, this makes no sense. It is already nearing the size of the Heart Trees on Viridan!"


    The towering Viridian was staring in awe at the tree, a smile slowly creeping up his face.


    "Seriously? How come none of you has realized it yet?" Ambraz grunted from Irwin''s shoulder. "Its trunk has connected with the portal, and it''s using the energy from that to grow."


    "Is that even possible?" Irwin asked as he looked at the tiny anvil on his shoulder.


    "Only with some types of vegetation, and usually, it eats up the tree''s maximum life expectancy," Crithann said as he let out a soft sigh.


    "Wait, so that portal is inside the tree now?" Greldo asked. "That''s great! None of those things can come out¡­ right?"


    Crithann didn''t answer while Ambraz let out a snort.


    "What?" Greldo muttered as he shared a confused look with Irwin.


    "If it had been a Quartz portal or even an Amethyst, it would be fine. The tree would have sapped its energy, and it would have been closed," Crithann rumbled. "However, this was an Emerald Portal."


    "We still need to close it," Greldo muttered with a grimace.


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    Irwin blinked, then shook his head. "Yeah, but how are we going to reach it?"


    "We don''t have to close it right away," Crithann said. "Let''s wait until the tree grows into its adult size before we act."


    Irwin felt a slight relief, and he saw the same in Greldo''s eyes.


    "Let''s head back and see if someone returned from Cinder Grove," Crithann said as he took one final look at the tree before turning and lumbering off.


    --


    "I have asked you all to come here because it''s been a week, and they haven''t returned. It''s safe to assume they won''t be returning either," Crithan said as he looked at the others.


    Irwin nodded, sitting against the side of the building, his arms weary from the hours of practice he had just finished.


    "Well, at least there''s one good thing. We''ve scouted around, and there''s been no sight of any portals," Yogog said as he stretched out. "So, are we going to do what I suggested?"


    As hard as it was to see what Crithann was thinking due to his rugged barkskin, Irwin grimaced when he noticed the angry set and glare.


    "Did the others manage to drill further into the tree?" he quickly asked.


    Crithann turned back to him and gave a curt nod.


    "They are over halfway through to where the portal should be. They should be there in a day or three. And to answer your question," he said as he turned to Yogog. "Yes. There is no other choice, and we need to figure out what is going on near the capital."


    "Finally!" Yogog shouted, either not noticing or not caring that Crithann was annoyed.


    Probably not caring, Irwin thought as he leaned back and closed his eyes. Whatever. Let them argue again.


    Something about Yogog seemed to rub Crithann the wrong way, and Yogog seemed to enjoy riling him up even more. It didn''t seem to be what he said as much as how he said it. All loud, boisterous, and far too energetic.


    "Based on what I know of your skills, I would like to suggest that you and your guards head out alone. Greldo and Scintilla have said they will help us close the portal, and they are Irwin''s guards," Crithann said.


    Greldo and Scintilla nodded, the latter more enthusiastically than the first.


    "Fine, fine! Irwin, you okay with that?" Yogog shouted.


    Irwin opened his eyes. He''d really rather see what was going on near Cinder Grove, but Crithann was right. And he wasn''t going to just leave Greldo here.


    "That''s alright. I''d like to practice more anyway," he said, cracking his neck.


    "Alright, we will be off as soon as we get our things packed," Yogog said as he grinned at Ignalia and Hotzli. "Irwin, come with me for a moment, alright?"


    Irwin wanted to reject, feeling far too comfortable on the ground, but he forced himself up anyway. Yogog wasn''t asking him to come for no reason. Probably.


    He nodded at Crithann, then followed Yogog toward their temporary house. The others followed behind, whispering amongst themselves, but Irwin didn''t pay attention.


    As soon as the door closed, Yogog''s wide grin vanished, and he turned to Irwin with a worried frown.


    "Irwin, there''s a lot of dangerous things going on here, and I don''t have any idea how safe it will be here. I understand you don''t want to leave Greldo and Scintilla alone, but they will be safer without you. Me and the girls are better equipped to fight off any trouble."


    Irwin frowned as he recalled how they had fled from the mass of imps. Something must have shown on his face as Yogog sighed.


    "That was because of that quick bugger-" he began.


    "He''s right," Scintilla said as she stepped forward. "As much as I want to guard you, I''m not as strong as big sis Ignalia."


    "And you are sure there wasn''t any card amongst those I have that you want as your next card?" Irwin asked, still surprised at that. He had a pretty large selection now, and although none were good enough for him to accept as his last card, he hadn''t expected both Greldo and Scintilla to feel the same way.


    "Nah, hotstuff, they are all too specific. My last card needs to be something more like your Sweltering Heart, something that will remove part of my weakness against the cold. If I ever want to be a high-ranked adventurer or guard, I''ll need to be able to work on most worlds, not just the ones like this."


    Irwin grimaced as he almost heard his own trouble spelled out to him. Then again, neither of them were all that special. With how powerful the elemental affinity cards were, a lot of people had pretty hard weaknesses. Greldo was actually one of the few he''d seen so far that seemed reasonably well-balanced.


    "We will be fine," Greldo said, though Irwin found the way his eyes were looking at the ground far from convincing. That wasn''t the only problem he had with the idea.


    "Why do you think it''s safer for me to go with you to Cinder Grove? We haven''t heard anything from there, and we have no idea what is going on there. Besides, I''m way too slow, and-"


    "Big sis''s card," Scintilla said, interrupting him. "If something happens, she can teleport all of you really far away!"


    Ah. Right, Irwin thought.


    He thought for a few moments, and he couldn''t help hesitating. They had killed most of the imps with only one of the pale ones left, and that one was hurt. The portal was inaccessible, but also for the others, and there was a three soulcard person here that was willing to guard him. The other option was going to the city to see what was going on, with the risk of running into who knew what.


    "No," Irwin finally said as he shook his head. The others looked up in surprise, and he saw Scintilla ready to argue something when he raised his hand.


    "I know you guys think this is the best, but I think the risk of me going out there is too big. Even with big si- with Ignalia''s card, it would still mean we could end up anywhere. Besides, I want to practice more with Crithann. I''ll be staying."


    He added the final bit with as much finality as he could, and to his surprise, he saw Scintilla smile at him with glittering eyes.


    "Well¡­ alright, but be careful. These two will be in that portal in a few days, meaning you will be alone."


    "You could wait until they get back?" Irwin asked, raising an eyebrow.


    Yogog blinked, then barked a laugh. "Growing up, huh? Nah, I have a bad feeling about what is going on. Between those imps trying to catch smiths, portals popping up on a world where none should pop up, and no teleporters from Cinder Grove, I''ve got a really, really bad feeling about this. I think, if- No¡­ never mind that. Listen, it''s alright. Stay here. We will go scout out what''s going on and return when we know more."


    They talked for a bit more, then Yogog, Ignalia, and Hotzli left. As the other two exited the building, Hotzli turned and walked to Scintilla. With a wide smile, she whispered something in her ear, which caused Scintilla''s eyes to widen before she grinned at Irwin. Hotzli lightly punched her in the shoulder before turning and running after the others, waving as she left.


    "Are you sure this is a smart move?" Greldo asked as he moved beside Irwin.


    "No, but I''m sure the other one isn''t any safer," Irwin said as he cracked his shoulders, feeling the remaining tension from his entire morning of practice mostly gone.


    "Alright, well, better practice a lot more," his friend said with a wide grin. "Just know that I''m glad you''re going to be here with us. It makes me feel a lot safer, that''s for sure!"


    The rest of the day passed swiftly, with Irwin having a short chat with Crithann, who left to check on the Heart Tree''s growth. It had stopped going up as fast as it had, but its expansive crown was still widening, although at a slower pace.


    Another three days passed until Irwin was standing beside Crithann, staring at Greldo, Scintilla, and a few Viridians. Behind them was the hundred feet wide trunk of the heart tree, part of it tight against the stone crevice it grew out of. If its bottom hadn''t been below ground, it would have been even taller than it already was, but even now, it was visible from miles away, and as you closed in, its massive size made Irwin feel like an ant.


    "All of you need to be careful. There could be other things in there besides Imps, and we have no idea about the time dilation. Because of Scour''s own above-average time dilation, it could be that you will be in the same, or even a slower time than us. I''ll remain here after you enter and stay here as long as I can," Crithann said.


    "We will be fine," Scintilla said, sounding sure of herself. "I''ve gone into dozens of Emerald rifts before, with groups far worse than this. They aren''t as hard as people make them out to be."


    Irwin grimaced and shared a look with Greldo.


    "Just be careful," he said as he looked at Scintilla. "I''d like both my guards back in one piece, and I''m sure Crithann could do without losing any more friends and family."


    Scintilla blinked, then nodded. "I''ll get them back safely," she stated, putting a hand on her sword.


    After some more words, the group set out, and Irwin watched as Greldo and Scintilla reached the edge before disappearing from view.


    "They should be fine," Crithann rumbled beside him.


    Irwin looked up to see that Crithann had a worried look on his face, and he realized that he''d been talking to himself as much as to Irwin.


    "Yeah," Irwin said. "They have strong cards."


    Time passed slowly, then Crithann sighed.


    "They successfully entered the portal. The others will stay and stand guard there. I''ll bring you back to town, then return here and-" A soft swish of sand was all the warning they got as a dagger speared through Irwin''s foot.


    He let out a muffled scream, Coperion Body triggering almost out of its own accord. He pulled back, limping with his pierced foot as he looked around. There was no sight of the Imp.


    Crithann''s hammer slammed down on the ground, sand spraying all around, but nothing happened.


    "Where is it?" Irwin hissed as he took another step, suddenly not interested in remaining in one spot.


    Another rustle came just as he moved his foot, and the dagger slashed through, missing his feet by inches.


    "What is it doing?" he shouted, jumping back again. "It can''t kill us like this!"


    Crithann stepped toward him, grabbed his arm, and yanked him up and atop his shoulder. Irwin blinked at the insane display of strength, knowing exactly how ridiculously heavy his Coperion Body form was.


    "Stay still," Crithann said, holding him in place. "Get ready to blast it!"


    Irwin blinked, not sure what the other meant. Then he noticed the dark green eyes flicker with silvery spots. Roots burst out of Crithann''s feet, surging through the soil, and within a moment later, a bump rippled to the side. A pale imp burst out, daggers in both hands and a look of pure hatred on his face.


    "All soul thieves should di-"


    A beam from Eyes of Blaze slammed into him, causing his words to end in an abrupt scream. Before it could even move to get away, Irwin jumped forward, ignoring Crithann''s pained grunt as he was shoved back. Using a trick he''d learned, he swung his hand forward, only summoning his hammer as it came down and slamming its heaviest form atop the squirming black mass. Bones snapped and cracked, but he didn''t stop, striking it again and then again. Only when the pale Imp had been turned into a smashed corpse in a crater did he stop.


    "Good form," Crithann said as he moved beside him.


    "Why did it attack us now?" Irwin muttered, staring at the Imp. "You were here¡­"


    "It can''t sense that I have soulcards," Crithann said, kicking sand across the bloodied spot. "Now, let''s head back."


    Irwin nodded, limping as he did.


    "How is your foot?"


    "It will heal before we return," Irwin said, looking in distaste at the slashed hole in his boot. "Too bad my boot will remain like this."


    "I''ll send someone to either fix it or get you something new," Crithann rumbled.


    Irwin nodded as he followed the towering Viridian through the ruddy desert.


    First my bloody leg, now my foot, Irwin thought, as he thought as he felt a twinge of pain each time he stepped on his foot. Well, at least I''m not cold.

 Chapter 121: Armies

    Irwin gazed down the damp crevice. There was barely more than two feet left between the trunk of the tree and the rocky walls. Drops of water leaked down, and far below, he saw a flat glistening surface.


    It had been two weeks since Greldo had entered the portal and over two weeks ago that Yogog and the others had set out. Neither had returned, and Irwin was starting to get more and more worried. Most of his time had gone into practicing with Crithann and smithing. He had reforged a dozen of the cards he''d gathered, even managing to get two to Emerald with the help of Ambraz. Although they were both useless to him, Crithann had told him they would likely fetch a good price during the auction.


    If we ever get another auction, Irwin thought.


    "They are still alive," Crithann rumbled.


    Irwin looked up to see his teacher standing behind him, tall and quiet like a tree. He nodded, then took a deep breath and looked around. Had he made a mistake staying here?


    You''re just getting bored, he thought to himself.


    "I''ll head back and practice some more reforging," he said.


    "Alright. I''ll find you later for some more combat training," Crithann replied.


    Irwin thanked him, then turned and ran back up the stone steps that led up the very changed hill. The sandy dune from before had been changed into a partially stone hill, and Viridians were moving around everywhere, moving square slabs of stone.


    Still can''t believe there was someone that could change sand to stone, Irwin thought as he felt the solid sand below his feet. The still-growing wall around the hill surrounded a town not unlike Grianf¨¢l, which wasn''t odd. It was supposed to be the new version of the same town after all.


    With the new and massive heart tree nearby, Crithann and the others had decided to relocate, moving their town almost an hour away.


    As he ran past, Irwin waved at two Viridians stacking the blocks atop each other in a simple pattern, grinning as they shouted a greeting after him. Three buildings, still partially unfinished, stood in the center of the town, one of them with a large smithing area.


    Well, at least I got this out of it, he thought as he walked into his much larger space.


    A large stack of raw ore lay in the corner, showing that the Viridians had found more ore as they excavated a staircase down to the roots of the heart tree.


    "Ambraz! I''ll purify those first, then I want to try for another Emerald card again."


    The tiny flying Anvil propelled itself off his shoulder and hovered before the still-burning forge. A flash and a thud later, Ambraz''s working shape stood ready.


    "Alright, but remember that I need to have another few cards!"


    Glutton, Irwin thought as he thought of his rapidly diminishing stack. A quarter of what he had collected was now reforged, while Ambraz had consumed another quarter. That left him with what, twenty-four cards? Something like that.


    "I know," he said, summoning his hammer and grabbing a large piece of ore.


    Taking a deep breath and calming himself, he began humming a new song he''d learned recently. It was from the Viridian homeworld, and although he couldn''t understand all of the lyrics, it had a pleasant, upbeat melody. As soon as he felt calm enough, he took a pair of tongs that rested against a wall and began hammering the ore.


    Time flew by as he enjoyed just hammering the metal, his hum eventually turning to a song without words.


    "Irwin!"


    Irwin looked up to see a Viridian run toward him, a worried look.


    "There''s a group of people coming our way! Crithann is asking for you to join him!"


    Now what! Irwin thought as he tossed the tongs away.


    After a slight hesitation, he kept his hammer summoned and ran after the other. Ambraz flitted after him, landing on his shoulder.


    "What''s going on?" Irwin asked as the joy he''d felt before rapidly dwindled.


    "We don''t know, but everyone has been sent back here, and we are preparing for battle," the Viridian said, looking worried. Then he turned and sprinted off, leaving Irwin alone.


    "Let''s go," Irwin said.


    Recalling his now healed foot, he triggered Coperion Body, secure in the stability, weight, and solidity it brought. Then he ran forward, absently noticing that another bit of wall had been finished.


    Crithann was standing to the south of the unfinished town, arms crossed and a hammer standing on its head beside him.


    "What''s going on?" Irwin asked.


    "There''s a large group of people heading our way. They will come across that hill in a few minutes," Crithann rumbled.


    Irwin wanted to ask if Crithann had any idea who they were but held back. If the Viridian had known, he would have told him so. Instead, he quietly waited with the others.


    After a few minutes passed, a few figures, tiny from this far away, appeared above the hilltop, and moments later, more followed. The people continued on until a stream of people walked across hills towards them.


    Irwin only needed a single moment to know these weren''t raiders.


    "Refugees?" he whispered, getting a grunt of agreement from Crithann.


    "It looks like it. And most of them are Viridian," Crithann said as he began walking forward.


    Irwin quickly followed him, and as they closed in, he suddenly noticed three familiar figures in the front, and all worry faded.


    "Yogog!"


    "They can''t have gone all the way to Cinder Grove and back in a few weeks," Crithann said.


    They continued on, increasing their pace, and soon they saw Yogog run towards them.


    "Irwin! Crithann! Glad to see you guys are alright! That bloody tree grew way more than I thought it would," Yogog shouted.


    "What is going on?" Irwin asked as he pointed at the group of people following him. "Weren''t you going to head to Cinder Grove?"


    "Yeah¡­ about that," Yogog said as he grimaced and rubbed his chin. "We weren''t the only place that got attacked by Imps. We met a group of people who were fleeing for their lives and managed to save them from a group of Wyrms. Their town was sacked by Imps, so we decided to take them along. Half a day later, we came across another group, and within a week, we had gathered a couple hundred¡­"


    Irwin stared at the other smith in dismay while Crithann crossed his arms, jaw set.


    "Alright, let''s talk later. I''ll get these people settled first," the towering Viridian rumbled.


    He walked towards the incoming column of people.


    "Irwin¡­ there''s more," Yogog said as he stepped beside Irwin. "A few of the people we saved say they have news from Cinder Grove. Dozens of portals have started appearing around it, and although they are being closed almost as fast as they are popping up, large numbers of Imps are now roaming the forests. There''s no news of the city itself."


    Irwin felt like cursing but held back as he saw Yogog didn''t seem done yet.


    "More?" he asked, unable to keep the annoyance from his voice.


    "Yeah¡­ There were a few Ignitzions amongst one of the groups. They had tried to reach the Portal Gallery and get some help, but the tower was overrun by Imps that were building fortifications around it."


    "What? Imps aren''t remotely smart enough for that," Ambraz snapped. "Did they see anything else?"


    "If they did, they didn''t tell me," Yogog said before looking around. ¡°Did Greldo and Scintilla return yet?¡±


    Irwin grimaced and shook his head. "Nothing yet."


    "Balls!" Yogog growled.


    Irwin blinked at the odd curse.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    "Well, at least I have one little bit of good news then," Yogog said as he rubbed the back of his head. "Those Ignitzions are professional portal raiders, and one of their groups is able to enter Emerald Portals."


    "And they want to help? Irwin asked quickly.


    "Yeah. I wasn''t sure Greldo and the others would be back, so I asked them before hand," Yogog said, looking away from Irwin and at the incoming group.


    "Let''s see if they can go in as fast as possible," Yogog said as he walked away.


    --


    It took half a day to get the hundreds of refugees settled in tents and back in the old town. Even then, many had to share rooms with half a dozen people. Luckily, there were dozens of carded in the group, able to shape sand into rock, and the new town was increasing rapidly. With no other place anywhere nearby, the Viridians had asked Crithann if they could remain, and he had agreed.


    Late in the afternoon the following day, Irwin was back at the tree, staring at the group of Ignitzions that were climbing down. Yogog was standing beside him, an annoyed look on his face.


    "It''s fine, Yogog," Irwin said as he grinned. "It''s just reforging some cards. They are the ones going into the portal!"


    "Bah! We saved them from Imps and other nasties, and they can''t even help us back without taking advantage," Yogog snapped. "And what do you mean, some cards? They made us promise to reforge seven cards! Up to Topaz! Seven! Do you have any idea how long that is going to take?"


    "Two days," Irwin replied as he turned back to the town.


    "Two¡­" Yogog let out a strangled sound from behind him before he sprinted after him.


    "What do you mean? Two!?" the burly bald smith snapped.


    "Stop shouting, you loudmouth!" Ambraz snapped, his voice rumbling, deep, and way too loud for such a tiny anvil. "He has my help! Remember?"


    Not that I need it for Topaz, but thanks for the save, Irwin thought as he grinned at Yogog''s surprised and pained look.


    "Well¡­ let''s hope they get the others back," Yogog finally managed as he stomped along with Irwin.


    Yeah, Irwin thought as he wondered what Greldo was up to.


    --


    "Thanks," Greldo said as he groaned. He landed on his hands and feet on the dark hot stone.


    His reply was the sound of vomiting and something falling wetly on the ground. Looking to the side, he was glad Scintilla seemed to feel better. The bandages around her hand had stopped turning red with anything she did.


    "Yeah, no worries, prettyeyes," she muttered as she wiped her mouth. "Can''t have you die here after I promised Irwin I''d take care of you!"


    Greldo didn''t respond but walked to the back of the tiny black cave before summoning Coal. The large hound instantly slumped on the ground, panting with effort while a long wound sat on the side of his head.


    "You okay?" Greldo whispered, glad to sense Coal''s mental acknowledgment.


    "So¡­ that was the last option to get back," he said as he sat down and looked at the narrow opening on the other side.


    The ashen red sky he saw still made him recall the stories Irwin had told him about the portal he and Daubutim had gone into. A dry, smelly air blew in from the world beyond.


    "Can we do what I said now?" he continued as he looked at Scintilla.


    She sighed and leaned against the other side, kicking some sand across the puddle of vomit. He still wondered how she even had any food left in her stomach after having not eaten for a week.


    "How are you even going to find the Linchpin?" she asked, before snorting. "Still not used to using that archaic term¡­"


    Greldo ignored her final mutterings as he pictured the volcanic world outside.


    "I''m going to move through the shadows on my own until I find it," he said. "And before you tell me that''s too dangerous, there''s nothing else left to do. I know those tattooed Imps can see me, but I''ll have to take the risk."


    "Fine. Let''s go and see how the others are doing," Scintilla said.


    Greldo knew she wasn''t at all happy, but he also knew there was no other way. Besides, it wasn''t like he hadn''t done these things before. He''d been alone for many months before he finally found himself at Esterdon.


    Shouting erupted from outside, followed by high pierced screams and explosions.


    Greldo was on his feet and at the entrance in an instant. Staring down, he saw the glow of the portal on the other side of the cavernous volcano. It was a tiny green spec of light in a sea of yellow, orange, and red.


    "Ignitzion warcries!" Scintilla hissed.


    Before Greldo could react, she turned into a red blur that sped through the air beyond. Without his enhanced vision, he knew he''d never have been able to follow it, but as it was, he could clearly see her shoot through anything in her way with ease, including a sudden pillar of lava that shot up out of the lake below.


    "Yeah, she could have thought about that before running off," he agreed with Coal''s non-verbal message. He patted his friend on the side of his head. "Let''s just hope there''s a hundred of them."


    Coal let out a soft howl, and Greldo sighed. "Yeah¡­ not likely indeed."


    --


    Irwin kicked the stonewall as he glared at the iron ore in his hands.


    Another week, and still nobody came back! What is going on in that portal!?


    "Dammit, kid! Calm down! There''s no use getting this worked up if there''s nothing you can do to help," Ambraz said as he whisked through the room.


    "I wish I could go in and help them," Irwin muttered.


    "What? You think you can do what a group of five Ignitzion professionals couldn''t?" Ambraz asked.


    Irwin held back an angry retort and instead turned and leaned against the wall as he looked around his large but mostly empty room.


    "Probably not, but my flames seem to work pretty well," he snapped. "Isn''t there some way to hide my Sweltering Heart card so I can enter? Just like with my first card?"


    "Sure. If you can reforge it along a path that grants it that type. And before you ask, I don''t know the path for that card, nor do we have what it takes to reforge a Diamond rank card yet. You still haven''t even crafted an Emerald card at ninety percent without help!"


    Yeah¡­ that''s going to take a while longer, Irwin thought as he recalled his last attempt.


    It had resulted in another exploding card. Luckily with the large influx of new people, he had a lot of new cards to reforge, and his stack was now larger than it had ever been before.


    He leaned back, confused thoughts about cards, reforging, and Greldo running through his head when he had a sudden idea.


    "What if I reforge loads of cards to Emerald for people, but only if they create a large group and go into the portal to find the others!"


    Ambraz stopped his constant buzzing around, hovering in midair.


    "Well¡­ that would mean you get a lot of training," the Anvil said. "But I''m not sure you will find people willing to go into that portal. I mean, the previous two groups still haven''t made it back."


    Irwin nodded but wasn''t really listening anymore. He''d finally thought of a way to help, and he wasn''t going to just give it up. As he ran to his table, he began flicking through his current card stack. There were over sixty, and six were Emerald, four at Topaz, and the rest a mix of Quartz and Amethyst.


    "How many people do you think could clear out a difficult portal shardworld?" he asked as he looked up.


    Ambraz let out a hum before landing beside him.


    "I''ve heard stories about some that required forty people, but those were exceptions. Still, if you take that number, I guess it would be fine?"


    Irwin looked at his stack. Forty? He had enough cards, but only if he succeeded in seventy percent of his attempts and didn''t use Ambraz''s help. Which meant he needed to become much better.


    Or perhaps people will allow me to reforge the cards in their hands?


    He quickly shelved the idea. Having to sit there and hammer someone''s hand, hear the scream in pain? He''d done that a few times, and the memories still made him shiver. If there was no other way, perhaps he''d offer it.


    "Let''s see if Yogog has any ideas," he said as he stashed his stack of cards and ran out of the house and through the burgeoning and rapidly growing town.


    "Have you noticed that you''ve been running everywhere?" Ambraz shouted in his ear.


    Irwin slowed down, realizing the Anvil was right. He''d always had a tendency to run, but nowadays, it seemed to be all that he was doing.


    It''s gotta be because of the increased endurance, he thought.


    It took him only a few minutes to locate Yogog. The smith was standing outside, talking with a group of Viridians who were working on a large building just beyond the walls.


    "Irwin! What''s got you out of the smithy?" Yogog shouted happily.


    Irwin walked closer, noticing a slightly relieved look on some of the Viridians.


    "I''ve got an idea that I need some help with," he said as he pulled Yogog along back to the city.


    "What? Can''t we talk here? I was just telling these guys how we used to build foundations where I''m from!"


    Irwin shook his head, continuing back into the town. "Let''s leave them to their work, alright?"


    Yogog snorted, then stopped resisting.


    "You make it sound like I''m distracting them," he said.


    Irwin was about to respond when he saw the gleam in Yogog''s eyes.


    "Which you are," he said with a weary sigh. "How bored are you? You''re just as bad as Greldo!"


    "No, no. You''ve got it wrong, kid! Me and Greldo, we know what it''s about. You''re just the weird one!"


    "Well, then you better help me with my idea," Irwin said before he quickly explained what he''d come up with.


    "You want to give away emerald rank cards," Yogog asked as he stopped and gaped at Irwin.


    "What I want is my friends back," Irwin said. "And if I can hand out some cards to do so, I will."


    Yogog kept looking at him, then he clasped Irwin on the shoulder with a wide grin.


    "You''re a great kid! Did I tell you that?"


    "No, but I''m glad you''ve finally noticed," Irwin said.


    "Alright, if you are willing to go that far, I''ll help. You seem to be underestimating how hard it is for people to get cards above Topaz rank or what they are willing to do to get them. So let me make a suggestion. Instead of just handing out cards, I''ll put up a sign at the diner saying that you will reforge cards up to emerald for anyone willing to go into the portal to find the lost people. I''ll add that they need to bring at least a few cards that they want, no matter the rank."


    Irwin frowned. "But what if they don''t have any? I''ve already done all the missions here, and-"


    "Missions being the keyword here," Yogog said, interrupting him. "Did you do any without receiving one or more cards?"


    Irwin shook his head.


    "Exactly. Besides, you only did the missions for the initial people here. Most of the refugees haven''t gotten around to even thinking about getting cards reforged. They are too busy getting a roof above their head and food in their belly."


    Irwin nodded, suddenly feeling stupid. He''d completely forgotten about that, only worrying about other things.


    "Alright! Head back to the smithy and prepare. I''m pretty sure you are going to get your first customers today!"


    Irwin nodded, then watched Yogog stomp off, seeming happy to have a purpose.


    I think he''s getting his hopes up too much, Irwin thought as he headed back to the smithy.


    He expected most people weren''t willing to go into the portal just for a card.


    Three hours later, he knew he had been very, very wrong. A line of two dozen people stood before the smithy, while four were inside, all Viridians and all siblings.


    "You are for real? You will reforge cards without requiring payment?" a pale green-haired woman asked.


    "Yes," Irwin said, still trying to get over the still-growing row of people outside.


    "Why are you looking so surprised?" another one of the young Viridians asked, his bushy green brows rising high on his forehead.


    "I mean¡­ you all know portals are dangerous, right?" Irwin asked.


    "Which is why we are here! My uncle was in the first group! We are going to go in there and find him," the Viridian woman said as she held out a card. "If you are going to do this, this is my card! I only have one, and it''s fine if you break it. I''ve heard some stuff about you being able to finish without that, but¡­" she shrugged, obviously not believing that.


    Irwin took the card, looking at the image of a large leaf with metallic-looking barbs on the edges. It was only quartz rank, but even then, he had the feeling it was supposed to be some sort of weapon.


    "What do you want it to have?" he asked.


    "I''m good with axes and shields," she said. "Either will do! But if you can make it have any water or sunlight abilities, I can easily slot it with my other cards!"


    Irwin nodded as he saw another few people add to the line.


    "I''ll see what I can do," he said as he walked to Ambraz. Staring at the card, he placed it down.


    Don''t worry, Greldo. I''ll reforge as many cards as I can and send you an army!

 Chapter 122: Prisoners

    "Hairy punk! Clear out those at the left!"


    Greldo held back an angry retort toward the Ignitzion group leader. Instead, he rushed to where he was directed, Coal behind him. Five imps sprinted through the volcanic landscape, giggling and laughing insanely as they swung their shortswords.


    They are close to insane, Greldo thought as he jumped to the side and triggered his shadow card.


    He felt the comforting embrace of the shadows as the world turned dull and black and white, and he moved to stand in the dark area beside Coal. As soon as the hound rammed into the first of the Imps, causing it to be hurtled back under the sound of snapping bones, he rushed along the shadows and appeared beside one of the Imps, slashing his daggers across its throat. The world instantly turned back into colorful focus as bright blood splashed around.


    It took him only a few minutes to dispatch the Imps, and as he turned, he saw the Ignitzions had taken care of the main force that had charged them. The two Viridians were standing in the center, weapons raised but unbloodied. They continued backing up until they returned to the long caverns that spiraled through the side of the volcano. Once inside, everyone relaxed.


    Failed, Greldo thought as he looked back out at the spot he knew the distant portal was.


    "Good job, prettyeyes," Scintilla said as she appeared beside him. Her face was wan, blood seeping from her bandages and a few scratches across her cheek.


    "You too," Greldo said. "Are you okay?"


    "Don''t worry, I''ll be fine," she said, not convincing Greldo in the least. The wound on her hand and arm had opened due to the fighting, but they didn''t have any more fresh bandages.


    "Rest up. We will try again in a few hours," Lasvirish, the Ignitzion party leader, said, glaring at the dark and smooth wall.


    "We are never going to force our way through," Greldo said, wondering why she didn''t see it. "There''s too many of them and not enough of us!"


    "And what do you suggest we do then," Lasvirish said as she moved toward him with her bloodied swords to her side and an angry look on her face. "We''ve only found one exit portal, and if there are any others, they are likely just as heavily guarded! Besides, if we wait too long, we will only grow weaker!"


    "Like I said before. Let me search for the Linchpin," Greldo said, ignoring the angry look he got.


    Over the last few days, he''d gotten used to the decidedly annoying and angry personality of Lasvirish. He hadn''t yet figured out if it was because she felt tricked into coming here or was always like this, but even Scintilla had begun staying away from her.


    "You will either draw unwanted attention or-"


    "Unwanted attention?" Greldo roared, unable to keep his anger down. The hairs all over his body stood on end, and his eyes flashed a brilliant yellowish gold. He pointed back outside. "How did this not attract attention?"


    Lasvirish crossed her arms and raised her head to glare at him. "You better keep calm, you hairy punk. Just because you have some nice eyes-"


    "No. He is right," Scintilla said as she stepped beside Greldo. "This unsuccessful attempt to force our way to the portal will draw everything dangerous to us anyway!"


    "Be quiet. You haven''t even reached your eight-sword yet," Lasvirish snapped as she glared at Scintilla.


    "And you shouldn''t have yours!" Scintilla shouted back. "You almost led us to our deaths!"


    Greldo blinked as he gazed at the normally easygoing and composed Ignitzion.


    Lasvirish shut her mouth with a snap, glaring at Scintilla with such intensity that Greldo wondered if she could ignite things with her glare. He noticed that the other Ignitzions behind her were shuffling their feet and looking worriedly. Their reaction annoyed him! Why were they all just listening to Lasvirish? If they hadn''t been the ones guarding the Viridians from the constant threats, Greldo wouldn''t have bothered listening to Vasvirish her demands. However, ever since they had burst into the shardworld the Imps had been hyper aggressive in their search for them and without the Ignitizions, the others would have been found and taken.


    Greldo waited and watched the Ingitzions as a soft muttering came from them. It was obvious they were not agreeing with Lasvirish, who was gritted her teeth as she listened to them.


    "Fine," she finally snapped. "Go and see if you can find that Linchpin. But if you encounter a large group of the assassin Imps, make sure not to bring them back to us. We can''t handle more than two."


    Greldo nodded, shared a nod with the two Viridians, then turned and moved away. Scintilla was following him.


    "You need to stay here," Greldo whispered as he reached the exit of the tunnel.


    "Are you crazy? I can stay close by and blink to you to help!" Scintilla said.


    "You are wounded and tired," Greldo said as he looked at her. "Besides, I am faster if I go on my own."


    Scintilla sighed, and Greldo saw her sway as she closed her eyes.


    "Fine¡­ but you better come back alive. I don''t want to have to explain to Hotstuff how I got his friend killed," Scintilla finally said.


    Assuming we find a way back, neither do I, Greldo thought.


    He just nodded, turned, and became one with the shadows. Coal returned to his card, something he knew bothered the hound, but there was little he could do about it.


    Running through the black and white, shadowy world, Greldo moved from dark area to dark area, ignoring the small clusters of Imps he sometimes encountered.


    He''d gone around a few times before and knew where the Linchpin wasn''t. What he needed was a top-down view so he could locate potential points of interest.


    It took him a few hours to reach beyond the safety of the central volcanic area. Standing atop the edge and looking back down at the area filled with lakes of glowing lava, large outcrops of black stone, some the size of a tiny mountain, he wondered if the volcano would ever explode. If it did, what would happen to the portals? What would happen to this world? The volcano was large enough to house a large city- would the shardworld explode with the volcano?


    Half a day later, he was done circling the rim, and he''d noticed two potential spots of interest. A ruin of a castle, with one of the towers still standing. It was too far for him to see if there were any Imps, but he was pretty sure there had to be. The other one was a square, almost boxlike shape in the center of one of the lakes of lava.


    After thinking about it for a few moments, he decided to head to the box. Not because he thought that was the right spot, but it was easier to reach, so he could rule it out.


    Another half a day later, he stood in the shadow of a massive smooth black ledge, staring at the square thing. It seemed made of the same black material as everything, some sort of molten, then hardened rock. He''d circled around it, and there was a single opening at the end of a narrow stretch of rock that led up to it. Two Imps, larger than the others he''d seen and with skin that he imagined was bright red, stood before it, wings furled on their back and large curved swords resting on the ground.


    So¡­. what are you doing here? Greldo thought. He hesitated for a while, then moved towards the edge of the lava, staying inside the few dark and shadowy areas.


    Fine, let''s see what''s going on there, he thought, heading across the rocky path.


    When he reached the final patch of shadow before the door, he inspected the two Imps. Both had stronger features and muscles almost as bloated as those of Irwin and the other smiths. Between those and the wings, he was happy they couldn''t see him.


    I wonder what they are guarding, he thought as he held his breath and snuck past.


    There was no response, nor did he expect one. He''d tested his skill on dozens of types of monsters, and the only ones that seemed able to detect him were the shadow-loving Nyzir.


    Bloody glad it''s not a Nyzir shardworld, he thought as he recalled his few escapades into those types of worlds. The shadow-loving snake beings still haunted his dreams.


    As he moved through the circular opening, he entered a squarish hallway that was so high that he couldn''t touch the ceiling even if he stood on his toes.


    Odd¡­ this looks very different from the entrance, he thought as he looked around.


    The entrance also connected weirdly with the hallway, almost as if-


    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    It''s not the real entrance! They forced a way inside, Greldo thought as he continued ahead.


    Did that mean this wasn''t created by the Imps? It made sense as he had yet to see them do anything but scream, giggle, and fight things they encountered.


    With there being no lights, it was easy for him to move through the dark square corridors, and he soon found that he was on a path with no branches. It just kept going forward to a ninety-degree turn before going forward again.


    It''s slowly winding inward, he thought. This would make for a great spot to hide a linchpin!


    He continued around, noting he was also slowly moving down. The temperature increased, and ten minutes later, he saw a glow ahead. A familiar glow.


    Feeling his excitement grow, Greldo moved faster, and as he turned the corner, he felt his mouth fall open in surprise. Two portals stood side by side while a few pale imps sat on stools around a rickety table. Papers lay sprawled across, and one of the imps was muttering something to the others.


    Greldo looked around, then felt his hairs stand on end. Along the far left wall of the square room stood a row of rusty metal cages. A few Viridians, one Ignitzion, and a handful of humans sat inside. Some were wounded, but most seemed malnourished, staring at the ground or into the distance with vacant looks. Two of them wore familiar-looking aprons, tattered and with dried-up blood.


    Those are smiths, Greldo thought, staring at the captives in dismay. Was this what was happening to them? Dragged into portals and then¡­ what? Pushed through another?


    So, where do these portals go then?


    Not sure what to do, he remained quietly observing the imps. After a while, one of them threw a paper on the table and began speaking in a hissing, pain-to-the-ears voice. Greldo couldn''t understand anything they said, but soon a rapid-fire conversation ensued.


    It lasted for a few minutes before the first Imp moved to the cages.


    "We will remove you from your cages soon," he hissed in a heavily accented voice. "If any of you attempt to cause trouble, we will cut off your feet! You don''t need those for your soul thievery!"


    There was no response from the prisoners, none seeming to even dare to look up.


    Where do those portals lead to? Greldo thought as he inspected both portals. There was a clear difference between them, and he wondered if one of them led back to Scour.


    A soft flash came from the left portal, and all of the Imps jumped up, daggers in hand, as they lined up before the portal, ready for battle. Greldo drew his own daggers. Perhaps he was going to get a chance for something?


    The portal flashed again, and two Imps burst through, each dragging a struggling and shouting person along. Another Imp flashed in behind them, one arm around a large burly bald man. The Imp screeched something in their high voice, probably help when the man ripped his arms free and hurled the Imp across the room.


    "Where did you bring me? You little-" he roared, turning around as he blocked a dagger aimed at his gut and retaliated by swinging his arm down. It rippled as it moved, the fist growing and turning dull gray before slamming the Imp into the ground.


    "Ah, shit!" the man roared.


    Greldo moved forward, ready to jump in, when two of the pale Imps blurred forward at high speeds. They dashed below the large man''s swinging blows, and a moment later, a gasp came as two daggers thudded in his stomach and chest. The man coughed out a wave of blood as he struggled to remain standing, but one of the Imps kicked him, causing him to topple over.


    Greldo looked in quiet dismay at the man. Should he have moved immediately?


    I can''t fight more than one of these things, he thought as he looked at the Imps.


    The Imps began shouting at each other while they pulled the two people into cages. Greldo stepped back a bit, trying to calm himself. What should he do? He could try and get the others here, but it was a large distance, and they couldn''t move around unseen as he could. So-


    The second portal flashed, and he looked up. This time the Imps reacted differently, getting up and standing straight. They sheathed their daggers, and a moment later, a towering Imp stepped inside. Over twice the height of the others, wings like those of the guards sat on his back, while golden rings were attached to his nose and ears.


    It looked around before focusing its burning yellow eyes on the man that was still coughing. With an angry snarl, it looked at the Imps that remained quiet. The large Imp grew angrier, and it stepped forward, grabbing one of the pale Imps and shaking it.


    This time the Imp replied, and Greldo watched as the large Imp continued berating the smaller one. It lasted for a while before the large Imp shoved the other away. Before Greldo could even think of acting, it stomped on the struggling man and slammed its taloned foot on the bald skull, crushing it to a paste of bone and goo.


    Greldo swallowed, remaining motionless. He had to do something. Right? But what¡­ his gaze moved to the table on which the stacks of papers lay. What would be on those? They seemed important, so-


    The large Imp stomped to the cages, and Greldo sped to the table. Moving from shadow to shadow, he reached it to find papers covered in tiny red letters or glyphs. He immediately knew he couldn''t read them, but that didn''t mean nobody could.


    He looked up as the large Imp began talking.


    "You will come out now and follow me through the portal. If you try anything, I''ll eat you."


    The prisoners had followed the proceedings fearfully, and Greldo saw them look around, terrified.


    "Please, I''ll do anything you want, but don''t kill me," one of the prisoners said, tears rolling down her face.


    "Good. Because as long as you do what we want, you will be useful," the Imp replied as he yanked open the cages.


    Greldo quickly grabbed the nearest stack of papers. He knew the chances were big it would be missed, but there was nothing he could do about that. After some thinking, he also took a few of the papers the Imp seemed to have already looked at. Then he backed up back to the corridor while watching helplessly as the smiths were pulled out, and moments later, the room was far more empty.


    The pale imps looked at each other and chattered a bit before half of them left through the left portal through which they had come. The others remained and began going through the papers again.


    As soon as he saw them move, Greldo turned and ran away.


    No reason to risk the Imps realizing papers were missing.


    It took him far less time to reach the exit, and as he sprinted past the two guards, he heard no shouting or screaming.


    One thing he knew was that the Imps were catching the smiths and moving to another world. Likely to have to reforge cards. The thing was. Why?


    I hope someone can read these papers, he thought.


    --


    A soft whisper filled the smithy as a small group of Viridians followed the moves of the young man with the gleaming skin.


    "He''s been working for four days straight. Barely any rest," one of them whispered. "How can he still reforge stuff this well?"


    "Perhaps the smiths have been lying to us for all these years? I''ve never heard of one that could reforge so many cards without fail!"


    "He did fail a few times-"


    "One in ten!"


    "Yeah¡­"


    "How many cards did he create?"


    "Over forty in two weeks¡­"


    Irwin didn''t even notice the conversation, fully focused on the card before him. Striking it, he continued humming the short, staccato song that matched the vibrations. Every strike felt fluid, the impact exactly when he wanted it, and with a final strike, he stopped, even before the chime came that told him he had finished.


    Taking a deep breath, he lowered his hammer, the room falling quiet as the card on Ambraz''s smooth surface glowed bright yellow, then rapidly changed to a deep, forest green. It continued glowing brighter before dimming again.


    "You did it," Ambraz said with a weary sigh. "I¡­ I¡­ never mind."


    Irwin managed a weary grin as he picked up the card, which depicted a small tree with roots that seemed to sway around like tendrils.


    So, I finally managed to create an over eighty percent emerald card, he thought as he grinned at what he was holding. He knew that it wasn''t as good as it could be and that it had been a culmination of his constant forging over the last few days. If he tried another, he wasn''t sure he could do it again, but none of that mattered. Technically, if he handed this card in, he would become ranked an Emerald smith.


    "You''re a bloody monster!"


    Irwin looked to the side, where Yogog was sitting with his back to the wall. A makeshift anvil stood beside him, his own hammer and an Amethyst card lying forgotten on it.


    "After we return, you should ask Tensor if you can head to one of the larger branch charters! You don''t belong in such a backwater place!"


    "You almost managed an Emerald rank yesterday," Irwin said back, rolling his shoulders and feeling the tension slowly ease. He knew that when he had to shape his heartcard in the future, one of the things he would definitely slot in would be greater endurance. Even after working all this time, he wasn''t all that tired. A bit sleepy perhaps, but if he had to, he could still continue.


    "Almost managed an Emerald rank," Yogog said, trying to lower his voice in a mock version of Irwin''s. "Yeah¡­ sure. After having been a Topaz rank smith for over five years, that''s not all that weird, you know! But you? How long have you been a smith?!"


    Irwin grinned as a reply before turning to the group of Viridians quietly looking at him. A pale green-haired man was the only one not looking at him. Instead, his eyes were fixed on the card, a massive smile on his face.


    "Here you go," Irwin said as he stepped forward and handed over the card in his hand. "It should have the grappling roots skill or something close to it."


    The Viridian reached out, hesitated, then accepted the card. He gazed at it for a moment, then looked up.


    "Thank you. I don''t know how I can ever repay you!"


    Irwin shook his head. It wasn''t the first time he''d gotten this reaction, and he now knew that Yogog had been right. As many cards as there were in this world, personalized cards above Topaz were exceedingly hard to come by.


    "Please just help to rescue those in the portal," he said, repeating the same words he''d said dozens of times.


    "I will! As will we all," the young man stated as he looked back at the others. All of them had cards, and there was nobody left. Everyone that wanted to help had a card, and with a happy sigh, Irwin slumped beside Yogog.


    "Think it will be enough?" he asked.


    "What? Do you think there is any way this portal can handle sending in over forty carded? Even if only half of them are warriors, Crithann has been training them ever since you started!"


    Irwin nodded as he thought about his diminished stack of cards. Although all of the people had brought at least one card, he still ended up using most of the cards he''d gathered to speed up the crafting. Only with Ambraz''s help had he been able to do what he did, and now he was left with some seven Topaz and Emerald cards.


    "Thanks for the help," he said, nudging Yogog.


    The other had taken over reforging the Quartz cards up to Amethyst as well as helping with getting them up to Topaz.


    "Bah, don''t even get me started. I can''t recall having been able to work on this many uncommon cards in such a small time frame. I''m pretty sure I improved more during this week than in the entire of last year!"


    Irwin grinned as he reached for a waterskin, took a deep drink, then handed it to Yogog.


    "Why don''t you just get more cards for practice?" he asked.


    Yogog nearly choked, coughing out some water before handing the waterskin back in disgust.


    "Remember how normal smiths fail a lot of reforges? You need to reforge at the edge of your ability to improve?" he snapped. "Well, there''s a lot of smiths compared to cards! We aren''t all blessed with an Anvil of the Gods!"


    Yeah¡­ I guess not having Ambraz would have made things a lot more difficult, Irwin thought.


    They remained there for a while before heading out and meeting up with Crithann. The towering Viridian seemed both happy and worried when he told them the small army of Emerald carded were going to set out the following day. The final ones had to wrap up bonding with their cards.


    Early the next morning, Irwin was back at the towering Heart Tree, this time looking at a large group of Viridians, armed with various carded weapons and armor, as they climbed down.


    "Let''s hope they survived until now," he said, his excitement and worry increasing.


    "The Viridians of the first group are still alive," Crithann said. "Their root-cuttings have not withered."


    Irwin nodded, hoping that meant Greldo was still alive too.


    The portal flared up as dozens of Viridians entered in rapid succession, while Irwin, Crithannn, and Yogog watched quietly.

 Chapter 123: Preparations

    Irwin shot upright in his bed, his mind groggy as he tried to understand what had just woke him up. Ambraz let out a string of curses from the ground, having been thrown off his chest.


    What was that?


    Someone bonked on his door again, a shout coming from outside.


    "Smith Irwin! People are returning through the portal!"


    They are back! Irwin shot out of bed, grabbed a thin shirt, and rushed down the stairs.


    "Coming!"


    He sprinted to the door, yanked it open to find a young Viridian with such pale green hair it almost looked white, standing there jumping up and down in excitement. The boy came to his waist and was one of the few children present in the town, having arrived with the refugees.


    "Crithann told me to come get you!"


    "That''s fantastic! I''ll go right now!" Irwin said as he grinned at the young Viridian.


    The boy nodded excitedly and followed Irwin to the edge of the town before remaining behind.


    It took Irwin a minute to reach the edge of the crevice, though that word didn''t really do it justice. A stone railing had been built around it, with simple decorative carvings that resembled plants and vines. The winding staircase on each side wasn''t finished yet, but it was wide enough for five or six people to walk down together, and it led all the way to the lake that had formed across the roots and base of the heart tree. All the way at the bottom was a new platform. A group of people stood there, with more pouring through the tunnel that bored into the tree and led to the portal.


    "Irwin!"


    Irwin looked to the side of the group and saw Greldo grinning back up at him.


    By Gelwin''s beard, I''m glad he''s alright, Irwin thought as he sprinted down.


    It had been almost a full day since the group had gone in, and he wondered what the portal had been, what had happened, and what had stopped Greldo and the others from returning back.


    When he reached the bottom, he saw that a dozen Viridians sat to the side, long gouges, burn marks and slashes across their armor and body. One of them had a thick leafy bandage around his head, covering an eye, and there was no joy in the other one.


    Crithann stood to the side, talking with an Ignitzion and the two Viridians that Irwin recognized as the ones that had gone with Greldo and Scintilla.


    "Hotstuff!"


    A hand grabbed his arm, and Irwin turned to see Scintilla look at him with a wide grin. Her face was wan and hollow, a set of deep scratches covering her cheek.


    "Happy to see me?" she asked with a grin.


    "Very," Irwin said as he frowned. "Are you alright?"


    "Of course! Though, I''d love to have a steambath soon," she said, winking at him.


    "I''m sure we can do that later," Irwin said as he noticed Greldo staring at him from the side. Although the big grin was still on his friend''s face, the way he looked back told Irwin that there was something wrong. Before he could ask, Greldo minutely shook his head.


    A bit of the joy that Irwin felt vanished.


    "Thanks for sending so many people to help us," Greldo said as he moved forward. "I hear you reforged hundreds of cards in a day to make it happen?"


    Irwin grimaced at the blatant exaggeration and shook his head.


    "Not that many, but I''m glad to see there were enough! What happened? Why didn''t you guys-"


    Greldo shook his head. "Let''s talk about this with Crithann. There are more things to discuss."


    Irwin blinked, then nodded. They talked for a few minutes before Crithann moved toward them, the Ignitzion following him. He was holding a thick stack of papers.


    Irwin was surprised to find that Greldo and Scintilla fell quiet, both giving the other Ignitzion a hard look.


    Great¡­ Now I really want to know what happened, Irwin thought.


    "Let''s go to my place so we can discuss some things," Crithann said. "I''ve sent for Yogog to join us there."


    "Alright," Irwin said.


    They moved up quietly, passing more Viridians who were rushing down, many with relieved and happy looks on their face. A short trip through the rapidly expanding town brought them to the central building, a wide tower still under construction. Crithann led them inside and through until they reached a high-ceilinged, spacious room at the back. Most of the ground was black soil with a trickle of water moving in through odd stone pipes that came out of the walls.


    I wonder what this is, Irwin thought before following the others to a simple sitting area- no more than a low table and no chairs. Yogog, Ignalia, and Hotzli were sitting there, the first waving at them.


    "Alright," Crithann rumbled as he sat on the ground and put his elbows on the table.


    "Let me quickly share what I''ve heard. Three Viridians died as they entered through the portal, finding a massive host of Imps beyond it."


    Irwin''s face fell as he thought about the Viridians that had come to him with their cards. He''d at least spoken with each of them, and he suddenly wondered who it had been that had died.


    "They managed to clear out the direct area around the portal while those already inside came to help at the sound of the battle. One Ignitzion was killed at that time, backstabbed by one of those pale imps."


    The Ignitzion that sat at the other side of the table sighed and muttered a name that Irwin didn''t catch.


    "With the portal secured, they led the wounded and malnourished back while leaving those who could still fight inside to keep the portal entry clear. We haven''t found the Linchpin yet-"


    Irwin frowned as he heard Crithann stumble over the word but didn''t think about it anymore when the other continued.


    "- so as soon as the others are healthy, everyone capable will return to find it so we can close the portal."


    Crithann stopped for a moment as if to give all of them time to work through what he''d just said.


    "Now, if that was all of it, things would be fine," he said. "Sadly, Greldo found out something we need to discuss."


    As he spoke, he placed the stack of papers on the table, gesturing at Greldo.


    "Right¡­ so, I scouted the insides of the portal," Greldo said as he looked around, looking slightly uncomfortable. "I found this massive black cube, the size of a very large building. Inside¡­ well, inside there were cages with what looked to be Smiths."


    "What?" Yogog snapped as he pushed himself up, staring at Greldo in shock. "They were in cages?"


    Greldo grimaced, and everyone listened in stunned silence as he quickly recounted what had happened. Irwin and the others took a look at some of the papers, but he could make heads nor tails of the odd scribbles on them.


    "I.. understand you couldn''t help them," Yogog grunted as he glared at the stone table below his hands. "I just wish¡­ No. Thank you for at least getting the papers."


    There was a moment of uncomfortable silence, and Irwin saw Greldo sighed sadly.


    "Those papers are worth more than you can possibly understand," the Ignitzion woman muttered.


    Yogog looked at her with a frown ." What do you mean, Lasvirish?"


    "Those papers have some information on the smiths that were abducted and a little bit about why."


    "Wait? Someone can read these?" Irwin asked as he raised the paper he still held.


    "Yes. It''s a language from the old world of the Imps," Lasvirish said, her voice cold.


    Irwin looked at her and frowned. He could sense Greldo and Scintilla''s annoyance at her, but he had no idea what was causing it. Still, for now, he needed to figure out what was going on.


    "You can read it? How?" he asked.


    "Imparious, which was their world, shattered almost a hundred years ago. Many of the beings living on it managed to reach the portal gallery and eventually found refuge on other fire worlds. They ended up sharing worlds with Ignitzions," she said. "I''m from one of those, and we use both [PGL], Ignitz and Impish there."


    [PGL]? Irwin frowned before he recalled it was the language most beings in the Portal Gallery spoke.


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    "So, what do they say?" he asked.


    "They describe the smiths captured, including their rank and some of the cards they have. There are names of worlds behind them, though if that''s because of where they are from or where they should be taken, I don''t know," Lasvirish said.


    "Who? Who would dare to anger the Smiths guild?" Yogog asked, his voice laden with anger.


    "There''s no clarity on that," Crithann said as he crossed his arms. "But there''s one bit of paper that speaks of a quota to be made and another that says that they are getting impatient."


    "And probably nothing about who these they are?" Irwin asked as he looked at the paper with a frown.


    "No."


    "We need to get out of here and warn the Smiths guilds," Yogog snapped.


    "Which is going to be a problem," Crithann said. "Another group arrived early this morning. They had gone to the Portal Gallery exit and said there is an army of Imps fortifying it."


    "Can they just do this?" Irwin asked, shaking his head. "Won''t someone on the other side figure out what is going on and sen-" he stopped, then tossed the paper on the table in disgust. "Time dilation."


    "Exactly," Crithann said. "With the way time flows differently here, we could have a hundred-year war before anyone would even notice on the other side."


    "And, if we do manage to get someone outside, just asking for help and waiting for it to arrive would mean it wouldn''t be here until years have passed," Irwin muttered as he pushed himself away from the table and began passing through the room.


    There was no response from the others, but when he took a look, he noticed that everyone seemed deep in thought.


    Well, at least we have time here, he thought. It wasn''t like he had to worry about Giard. At least not for a long time. As he kept pacing, some of the others began softly talking amongst themselves until Greldo''s cut through the chatter.


    "Isn''t there some way to teleport to another world?"


    Irwin looked up, unsure. Was something like that doable?


    "No. You can teleport across a world, but that''s it," Scintilla answered as she sighed. "We''ve never managed to teleport inside the Portal Gallery nor between words. The only things that can do that are portals."


    There was a round of weary sighs, but Irwin noticed that Crithann hadn''t joined but was instead looking at his hands.


    "Crithann?" he asked.


    The towering Viridian looked up and held Irwin''s gaze for a while before nodding.


    "There are legends in my world that speak of a time when there was a race of beings capable of traveling between worlds without using the portal gallery. There are also¡­ very rare, single-use cards that allow this. They are called Derlin cards."


    Irwin swallowed as he recalled the rabbit that had let him choose a card from the massive book. His hand unconsciously moved to his hand, which held the hammer card. As he did, he suddenly remembered something. Wasn''t that card a growth card? Would it become better with usage? So¡­ he''d used it a lot in the last few months. Would it have grown? And what did that even mean? Was it going to turn into the next rank?


    A soft, barely perceivable whisper came from his shoulder.


    "Don''t talk about it."


    Irwin blinked, looking at Ambraz and noting the Anvil''s lips were a thin line. What shouldn''t he talk about? That he''d found a Derlin card? Or that he''d gotten the hammer card like that?


    He didn''t ask, but as he looked up, he saw Greldo look at him, then turn his eyes at Ambraz and raise an eyebrow. Irwin shrugged, trying to give him a -let''s talk about it later- look. He must have succeeded, as Greldo just looked back to the discussion that was going on.


    It took Irwin a few moments to realize the others had dropped the talk about teleporting and portals and were instead trying to come up with a way to just defeat the Imps.


    "If we want to have any bloody chance, we first need to get back into contact with Cinder Grove," Yogog said, getting a round of agreements.


    "We will also need to close the portal and make sure no others are anywhere close," Crithann rumbled.


    "I''ll head out," Yogog said with a dangerous grin.


    Irwin instantly saw that Crithann didn''t agree, and he understood why.


    "Yogog, if you head out and they catch you, we will have one less smith," Irwin said as he looked at what was technically still his senior.


    "What are you talking about, kid? They have no chance of capturing me, not with-"


    "He is right," Ignalia said as she crossed her arms and looked at Yogog. "I''m here to be your guard and keep you safe, but I''m not sure I can with all that is going on."


    "What? So I''m just supposed to stay here and hide?" Yogog snapped as he got up angrily.


    "Not hide," Irwin said as he sat back. A plan was brewing in his mind, and he walked back to the table, standing in front of the shorter bald smith. "Reforging all those cards worked to get our friends back. Why don''t we expand on the idea?"


    "What? And create hundreds of cards?" Yogog snapped. "We aren''t all monsters like you! I was barely able to stand after working like that for a few days. Normal smiths need time in between reforges!"


    Irwin frowned. "Perhaps, but we don''t have to do it in a few days this time."


    Yogog stared at him, then looked around. Irwin saw that the others were all staring at them, and he suddenly realized something. Something he should have realized way earlier. Smiths were almost treated like nobility. He barely came here, and Crithann had treated him as an equal, even though he had multiple soulcards. The villagers had been afraid to come and talk with him, and even now, nearly everyone treated him really well.


    They are actually waiting for us to decide what to do?


    Taking a deep breath as a sudden weight rested itself on his shoulders, he looked back at Yogog. The set jaw, the glint in his eyes. Everything seemed to indicate Yogog wanted to head out. Should he just¡­ let him?


    "If you go out, you will be the target of attacks," Irwin said as his mind began spinning. "We have no idea how they even know where the smiths are," he added slowly, mostly thinking out loud than going somewhere with it. "That means that any group going there with you would be at greater risk. What we really need is to figure out what is going on there while strengthening our forces here."


    As he spoke, he saw Yogog''s face go from annoyed to stubborn to quiet.


    "Fine," Yogog said as he sat back down with an angry snarl. "But if we find any portals I can enter around here, I''m going to go inside and tear it apart!"


    Irwin swallowed at the intense anger, and he quickly nodded. Then he sat back down, turning to the others and noticing them all looking at him. Greldo and Scintilla grinned while Crithann nodded to himself.


    Lasvirish sniffed, then crossed her arms. "Fine, now that that''s settled, who is going to find out what''s going on?"


    "Me," Ignalia said calmly, turning to Lasvirish. "And I''ll be taking four of our sisters along."


    Lasvirish blinked, then her eyes narrowed. "What makes you think you can just do that? They are part of my group."


    Hotzli let out a hazy giggle while Scintilla covered her mouth with her hand to hold back hers. The reactions seemed to confuse Lasvirish.


    Ignalia rose and uncovered her arm. Eight small sword tattoos and the beginning of a ninth sat there.


    "Eight¡­" Lasvirish whispered.


    Irwin saw a flash of annoyance and irritation before Lasvirish bowed.


    "I am sorry for acting out, elder sister. I didn''t know you had eight swords."


    I really need to figure out what those swords actually mean, Irwin thought. He knew it had something to do with rank, but from seven to eight seemed to mark a major change.


    "It is fine. I have heard that there is another elder sister here?"


    Lasvirish nodded. "Yes, but she has only gotten hers a few months ago."


    "Alright, let''s go and see her. We need to find out who I need to bring," Ignalia said before turning to a grinning Hotzli. "You take care of this beautiful fool for me?"


    Irwin blinked, not having heard her call Yogog that before, but Hotzli just made a weird gesture with her hand, looking like she wasn''t surprised at all.


    "He''ll be safe with me! See if you can bring Balarn back?"


    Ignalia nodded. She waved in greeting, locking eyes with Irwin for a few moments, then turned and left with Lasvirish.


    "So¡­ someone wants to tell me what those swords do?" Greldo asked, raising an eyebrow.


    "It''s to show how far we are from becoming sword masters," Scintilla said excitedly as she bared her own arm. "See? I have seven, just like Hotzli and Lasvirish. To be allowed outside, we need five, and to be a personal guard, you need seven!"


    "And getting your eight is difficult?" Greldo asked.


    "Very," Hotzli said as she smiled warmly. "Up to seven, you can gain by getting a high enough spot in the local swords tournaments or challenging tournament victors. But eight? For eight, you need to win a regional tournament and succeed in the eight-tower challenge!"


    Irwin shared a look with Greldo before smiling at them. "How about you explain this to us later?"


    He turned to Crithann. "What do you think of my plan of trying to reforge more cards to help us get stronger?"


    Crithann stared back at him quietly. After a few moments, Irwin felt his smile falter. He felt a soft rumble go through the chair, becoming louder while the table shook. He looked around worriedly, only to see Yogog look at Crithann wild-eyed. Looking back, he finally realized what was happening. Crithann was laughing even though his face was barely moving.


    The odd rumbling lasted for over a minute before Crithann let out a sigh.


    "I think it''s a great plan," he said. "Though I''m starting to wonder if by the end of this, we don''t all owe you a life debt."


    Not sure what a life debt was, Irwin quickly shook his head. "No need for that! I''m planning to stay on Scour for a while. I need to get much stronger, and that''s going to be hard with all these disturbances!"


    "The highest quality metal is forged under high pressure," Crithann said. "Don''t worry. I''ll help you with your plan and teach you all I know of the way of the hammer."


    Irwin flinched, wondering if that meant even more strenuous training. Still, he couldn''t say the results weren''t great.


    They continued talking for a while longer before they all left.


    The next day, Ignalia left with a group of four other Ignitzions.


    Three days later, Greldo and Scintilla, and everyone able to, went back into the portal. Irwin was slightly worried and suggested waiting for more people to be able to enter but Greldo had convinced him it wasn''t needed.


    His friend had proven to be right.


    A day after entering, they returned en masse, and a short while after, the portal closed with a dull thud.


    "There was some kind of weird gem hidden away," Greldo said as he followed Irwin. "We smashed it, and the entire world began rumbling!"


    Coal, walking behind them, snorted.


    "Well, I''m glad that''s over. Did you manage to look at that odd cube room?"


    "It was empty. No papers, no Imps, no nothing," Greldo muttered. "Worse, both portals were gone too."


    Irwin blinked in shock as he walked deeper into the town. The wall had been moved a good distance away, and by now, dozens of two and three-story buildings had been built. The plan was to encircle the entire heart tree, but for now, they had the space they needed.


    "I wonder how long it will take before we get news from Cinder Grove," Greldo said.


    "No idea, but the scouts found another group of refugees from nearby towns. Crithann has begun sending out groups to clear out imps and see if there''s another portal. There should be, with the amount of Imps around."


    Greldo didn''t respond, and they continued on for a while until he finally did.


    "You know? All of this is starting to remind me of back on Giard¡­ portals spawning, monsters coming. Walled towns."


    Irwin looked around, and after hesitating for a few moments, he shook his head.


    "It''s not completely the same," he said.


    "How''s that?" Greldo asked.


    "Back on Giard, we didn''t have a surplus of cards or smiths to make them stronger," Irwin said as he grinned. "Don''t worry. We are going to beat these Imp raiders away, figure out what they want, then beat those they that were mentioned in the papers!"


    Greldo blinked, then barked a laugh.


    "Look, who''s suddenly sure of himself!"


    "What do you mean, suddenly?" Irwin retorted, slapping his friend on the shoulder as they headed to the smithy.


    --


    Daubutim watched Indoutor stare at him in shock.


    ¡°Gelwin? As in the Gelwin?¡±


    Daubutim nodded.


    "Are you joking with me? That''s¡­ fantastic! So he is going to send us back? Did he say when?"


    "No, but probably soon. He said you need to make sure the peninsula isn''t overrun by portal demons."


    Indoutor began pacing and wringing his hands.


    "Good. I''d almost ruled out the idea of going back, but if the world can''t really shatter¡­"


    Daubutim watched the wide smile grow on his cousin''s face, and he held back his own sadness.


    I wish I could go back, he thought as he thought about his father and brothers. They were still somewhere in a portal for all he knew.


    "And what about you?" Indoutor asked.


    "I''m going to have to figure out a way to get rid of Uxin''tar," Daubutim said as he looked at his cousin.


    "Well, that''s not going to be easy. Do you have any ideas?"


    Daubutim nodded slowly. "Yes¡­ father once told me an interesting story, and I think it might work very well in this situation."


    "Uncle Doldingen?" Indoutor said. "Well, then I''ll toast to Uxin''tar''s demise when I return."


    Daubutim didn''t respond, watching his cousin return to his joyful pacing.


    I hope it will be that easy, he thought.

 Chapter 124: Setting up a trap

    Daubutim watched as a group of badly dressed, dispirited people walked across the square towards Tensor''s smithy. Three silver-eyed heart-carded guards walked with them. He stared at a petite woman in the third row, glaring at the ground as she trudged on beside Tanya, the sorceress that had helped him and Irwin long ago. Both had changed greatly, the sorcerers sporting a weary, sad look, new wrinkles around her eyes making her look older than she likely was. Twintin had grown, though she was still shorter than he had been at ten, but her sharp, angry features made her look older than she was.


    Twintin, Daubutim thought as he watched her approach. Would she remember him? Probably, though, he had found that other people forgot the most odd things.


    "Tssk, they look like they need a year to get back to any fighting shape," Indoutor grunted. "Are you sure our old friend can''t send us some stronger carded? Some of those silver-eyed ones would be great."


    Daubutim glanced at his cousin, noting the large pack on his back. Part of it was probably filled with cards that were deemed useless here, but compared to what was on Giard, it would be a great boon to the people.


    If they are still there, he thought, wondering how much time had passed on Giard. He knew there was barely any time dilation between here and there, mostly due to the amount of portals, but even a few days could be troublesome.


    "Just make sure you don''t get into trouble with the demons inside the Esterdon ruins," Daubutim said calmly.


    Indoutor barked a laugh. "Cousin, who of us has spent years guarding that place? Me. I''ll get out of there safely, don''t worry. Especially with this little trick," he added as he patted the back of his hand that held his newest cards. He had two full hands now, though he''d not yet managed to combine those in his right hand.


    The group, led by the guards, arrived before them, and Daubutim saw a few angry glares focused on him and Indoutor. One of the guards moved forward, looking at them with a frown before turning to Daubutim.


    "You are the Apprentice Librarian, Daubutim?" he asked calmly.


    "I am," Daubutim stated.


    "These are the serfs that are to be handed into your custody. I was told to escort you and them to a location of your choice. Are you ready to leave?"


    Daubutim nodded. It had been two full days since he''d spoken with Gelwin, in which he''d scrambled around to create the stages of the trap. It was both simple, and convoluted, with multiple layers, and several roads to success. If he hadn''t had the step-by-step process, he knew he''d probably been unable to enact it. All in all, he knew there was only a single way for it to completely fail.


    Let''s hope he is somewhere close by and doesn''t just send out Lamia, he thought as he kept himself from looking up and around.


    "Yes, please follow me," he said as he walked away, ignoring the angry glances.


    The guards nodded and prodded the group of serfs to follow them as they walked through the district towards a building Gelwin had indicated was where Daubutim was to head to. He hadn''t spoken with the ancient sorcerer again but had gotten a simple paper with some instructions, which he had burned immediately after reading.


    They continued moving until they were in an area of the city Daubutim had only been once, and that was filled with smaller houses and taller buildings with rooms for serfs. Their goal was a low, wide building covering one side of a square. It had a double door, and as they entered, Daubutim heard worried mutterings from the people behind them.


    The inside of the building was filled with containers and large boxes with a path leading to a room in the back. Daubutim''s gaze passed over it, trying not to move to the ceiling. He took a look around, then nodded as he turned to the guards.


    "Alright. We will be fine from here."


    The guards looked at him, and he noticed a few gazes drifting to his hands before going back up.


    "Are you sure you will be alright?" the lead guard finally asked. "You will be responsible for anything that happens after this¡­"


    It was obvious what he was implying, but Daubutim just nodded.


    "I know."


    "Suit yourself," the guard muttered before motioning the others back to the entrance. "Head out."


    As soon as the last guard left and the door was closed, the people around them began asking questions.


    Daubutim immediately raised his hand, but before he could speak, Indoutor did.


    "Quiet! Questions will need to wait until later. We got you free at great expense, so the least you can do for now is shut up and follow orders," he snapped, glaring across the group.


    Besides Daubutim, he was the largest person, and many shrank back from his aggressiveness. Only Tanya held her ground, turning her gaze on Daubutim.


    "I remember you," she said, her voice slightly dull.


    Daubutim clearly recalled her upbeat, happy way of speaking from what seemed like years ago. He knew that for her unless she had gone into many portals, barely a year had passed.


    "Yes," he said, the memories as fresh as if it had been mere moments ago. "It was back in Wignut."


    A soft hiss came from Twintin, and she glared at him.


    "Where''s Irwin," she snapped. "And don''t tell me he died!"


    Daubutim looked at her, then turned back to Tanya.


    "We need to talk, but not here. Follow me."


    He didn''t wait to see if they would but instead moved towards the room. There was a small chance that Tanya and the others would act up, but between their current state and his and Indoutors strength, he was sure they could handle whatever the group tried. He kept his eyes straight, making sure not to look up or around too much, glad to hear the curses and mutterings before the group followed him.


    When he reached the room, he noticed the dozens of boxes lined up, almost like seats, and he nodded as he moved to stand opposite them.


    "Alright, have a seat," he said as he motioned at the boxes.


    Most of the group moved there, seeming relieved to be able to sit. Tanya and Twintin remained standing, one looking at him with a worrisome look, the other one with unconcealed anger. Normally it would have made him very uncomfortable, as it meant he had to handle it, but right now it was exactly what he needed. A reason to talk about some things and hopefully peak Uxin''tars interest and get him to come closer.


    Daubutim focused on Twintin. His father had taught him multiple ways to handle disgruntled or spiteful followers, and although he had never needed to use any, he had practiced them.


    "You seem angry," he said calmly. "Why?"


    Twintin''s mouth fell open, then her anger turned to hate.


    "Why? Why!? You got my friend killed just so you could steal her card! You tried to get us all killed, and-"


    Daubutim shook his head, raising his voice. "No, we didn''t," he snapped coldly. He noticed Indoutor step forward but raised his hand to keep him from interfering.


    "Rachel''s death was both unfortunate and partly her own fault," he said, recalling how the curly-haired girl had tried to leave the portal during a dangerous time.


    "What!?" Twintin snapped. "You could have saved her, but-"


    "No," Daubutim said as he shook his head. "I can understand you might not recall what happened, but I do."


    Twintin opened her mouth again, but he raised his hand and began talking quietly and calmly, regaling everything that had happened from the vines to how he had found the shield card after Rachel had died. Midway through, he saw Twintin stare at him in disbelief, shaking her head.


    "That''s not what happened," she whispered.


    Daubutim cocked his head. "It is exactly what happened," he said.


    Twintin gnashed her teeth, then glared at him. "And what about that anvil? It could have helped! It was so powerful, and you all just held it to yourself! You could have helped-"


    "We did help," Daubutim said. "Currently, there are smiths in our world that know the basics of reforging cards."


    He saw a look of surprised interest on Tanya''s face, but he didn''t care. After everything that had happened, none of this mattered. Besides, he wasn''t holding this conversation with Twintin for her sake. He kept himself from looking up.


    "I don''t believe you," Twintin snapped, but Daubutim didn''t listen.


    Come on, I''m sure you are around here somewhere and want to know what I''ve been up to, he thought. He barely finished his thought when a weary sigh came from the back of the room, causing everyone to jump in surprise.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    "It took you a long time to get back," Lamia said as she walked out of the shadows. Her face was thin and pale, her hair disheveled, and there was a sad look in her eyes.


    Daubutim didn''t respond but simply stared at her.


    At least I''ll get her away from him, he thought.


    Lamia looked at the group that was softly muttering.


    "He wants to know how you got all of them and why."


    "I want to send them back to Giard," Daubutim said calmly. What he needed to do now was stall for as long as possible.


    Lamia cocked her head and then grimaced.


    "He says to answer the questions. How?"


    "I paid for their release," Daubutim said. The small lie caused his mind to reel slightly, but he managed to placate himself with the technicality that he did pay for them. Just not in the way he was implying.


    Lamia grimaced again, then she sighed.


    Indoutor tisked from behind, and Daubutim was happy he had told his cousin part of what was going to happen.


    "Did you find him?" Lamia asked, her voice weary.


    Daubutim looked at her. Now was the moment of truth.


    "Yes," he said calmly, seeing her face go rigid before she looked up in surprise.


    "You did?" she said before taking a step forward. "Where is he?"


    Daubutim felt a tiny shiver of sympathy at the hope and pain in her voice. She must believe or hope that Uxin''tar would let her leave if he found Gelwin.


    "I can''t tell him yet," Daubutim said as he shook his head. "I need to figure out how to bring these people back first."


    This time his mind balked at the outright lie. He knew how to get them back, and he knew he could tell. His mind began tugging at his consciousness, his normality, and it took all his effort to keep himself in here. Even then, he almost missed what Lamia said. His memory snapped into focus, as did his eyes on her.


    "I understand he wants to know, but I-"


    Lamia stumbled, her hands clutched on her head. For a moment, she seemed ready to scream as pain rippled over her face. Then she looked up, tiny drops of blood leaking from her nose. "Where is he?" she whispered.


    There was a rush of whispers from behind, followed by a snapped quiet from Indoutor.


    Daubutim looked up at the ceiling and frowned. "Help me get them back, and I''ll tell you," he said.


    "You wanted help with your father- tell me, or you will never see him again," Lamia croaked.


    Daubutim felt sad at the pain she was going through, but he had to continue. He needed to make sure Uxin''tar was here, or at least close.


    "Bring them to Giard," he said, crossing his arms.


    Lamia stumbled forward, then sagged on the ground, her head thudding against the ground.


    Daubutim nearly held his breath.


    I hope Father was right, he thought.


    Seconds ticked by, and he was starting to worry when he finally heard the voice he''d been hoping to hear.


    "Do you think you can trick me this easy, boy?" an ancient, croaky voice asked from high above.


    Daubutim looked up to see a shadowy figure standing there. It was impossible to know if it was Uxin''tar or some skill he was using, but even if it was, he would need to be close by to use it. Hopefully.


    "No," Daubutim answered honestly.


    "I can sense those guards hiding around outside. Did you think I''d be foolish enough to come here and let them capture me? Tell me where Gelwin is, or I''ll kill everyone in this room!"


    This time there was a chatter from behind, some about Gelwin, some in fear, but what stood out to him was Tanya''s startled shout.


    "Elder Uxin''tar?"


    There was no response to her, which Daubutim had not expected.


    "Bring them back to Giard," Daubutim said, trying to let some of his dullness flow into his voice. It came so easy he almost feared he would lose himself.


    "They are coming inside, but if you think I can''t kill everyone," Uxin''tar roared. A dull hiss, like gas escaping through a narrow crack came from all around, and Daubutim frowned as he saw pale gas flow through all cracks in the room.


    What card is that?


    Before he could speak, he sensed a powerful pressure emanating from Uxin''tar. His breath faltered in his throat as he recognized it as something he''d sensed a few times before. Once when Irwin and he had encountered the Bablibon and a second time when he had spoken with Gelwin.


    "Where. Is. Gelwin!"


    Daubutim felt his heartbeat rise, and he began breathing raggedly. He hadn''t been expecting the pressure, but the other things were in line with what he''d learned.


    ¡°In¡­ the¡­ Library," he muttered.


    A dull rumbling explosion came from outside, followed by screams and shouts.


    "Where! What building?" Uxin''tar growled. "Details, boy!"


    The pressure lessened enough for Daubutim to speak normally.


    "I don''t know," he said, speaking the truth.


    There was a moment of silence, then another explosion rang from outside, followed by an angry hiss. Then the pressure vanished completely. A deafening bird screech came from outside, rapidly distancing itself.


    Daubutim straightened himself and looked around to see the group huddled to the back wall with only Tanya and Twintin standing before them. Indoutor stood far to the side, looking up with a frown before sharing a quick look with Daubutim.


    The door of the building, behind the corridor of crates, burst open, and a dozen guards stormed in. Two turned into bluish blurs that zipped away into the larger area outside of his vision. The others sprinted toward them so fast he could barely see their arms move.


    "Everyone, stay still and calm," Daubutim said as he remained where he was.


    Two guards stopped before him, their silvery eyes burning bright and angry looks on their faces.


    "Did you catch him?" Daubutim asked, knowing the answer already.


    "No! And you could have warned us that we had to deal with a soulcarded!"


    Daubutim blinked in surprise. He''d expected Uxin''tar to be powerful, but soulcarded? How could that even possibly be true?


    "That can''t be true," he muttered before he could stop himself. "I saw his hands, he still had cards-"


    "Because he is working on another heart card to eventually turn into another soulcard!" the guard snarled.


    Daubutim blinked, using the sudden anger directed at him to stop thinking about Uxin''tars soulcards. He couldn''t risk his mind spiraling upon itself.


    The guard stared back, then took a few deep breaths and took a step back. The one beside him whispered something at him urgently, and the guard nodded as he cast a final glance at Daubutim before leaving.


    The other guard looked at Daubutim calmly. "My apologies for my colleagues'' behavior, Apprentice Librarian. However, two guards were just killed because we were misinformed. Now, if you don''t mind, we will search the perimeter for anything that might lead us to find this murderer. We will come and ask you some questions later."


    Daubutim nodded, repressing his surprise at Uxin''tar having soulcards.


    Sorry, Lamia, he thought. But I can''t take any risks.


    "Before you leave, could you look after my friend? She''s a smith with Tensor''s charter. The murderer had her captive and did something to her mind. She was unable to resist him, and now she seems injured."


    As he spoke, the guard''s eyes widened, and he rushed to the side of Lamia. He shouted out, and within moments, a blue blur appeared beside him, reforming into a tall guard with striking blue hair pulled back in a tight ponytail. She quickly knelt.


    "Take this Smith to the central registry and tell them to check her for mind alterations! Don''t let anything hurt her, and make sure you use blink because the killer might want to get his hands on her!"


    "On it," the woman said as she bent down, grabbed Lamia''s unconscious form, and vanished in a blue swirl. There was no blur, no movement; they were there, then gone.


    The guard got up and looked at Daubutim, a slightly grateful look on his face this time.


    "I''ll make sure your friend is helped, but she might not be back anytime soon. We will need to get all the information we can get from her."


    Daubutim nodded, then waited as the guard left.


    A short while later, a group of guards returned.


    "The captain told us to escort you back to Tensor''s smithy," they said.


    Daubutim nodded. "I understand, but I have orders from one of the Master Librarians to escort them to the southern Library building. There should be someone waiting for you there," he said


    The guard frowned, hesitated, then nodded. He didn''t seem willing to debate if what Daubutim was saying was true.


    Daubutim turned to Indoutor. ¡°Good luck.¡±


    Indoutor smirked and nodded before turning to the group of Giardians.


    "Follow me, and keep your mouths shut," he said before walking out of the building.


    Daubutim emotionlessly watched them leave before walking out of the building. Dozens of guards were still moving around, and he looked up and around.


    "Can you escort me back to Tensor''s?" he asked one of the guards, getting a surprised look.


    It took a few moments to arrange his escort, but after he did, they got him back to Tensors without incident.


    Walking into the building, Daubutim headed directly to Ichela, who was standing behind the wooden desk. There were no smiths there, and as Daubutim approached, she looked at him with interest. He''d not interacted with her a lot.


    "Lamia, the smith that disappeared, has been found and is now in the central registry. She was likely under some form of mind control."


    Ichela''s mouth fell open. Then she began nodding.


    "I''ll get someone out there to find out what''s going on right away," she said before looking at him. "Daubutim, right? Irwin''s serf?"


    "Daubutim raised his finger to point at the pin on his shirt.


    "Oh! My apologies, and congratulations on becoming an Apprentice Librarian!" Ichela shouted.


    "Thank you. Now please have someone look after Lamia. She is a friend of mine and Irwin."


    "Of course! I''ll take care of it right away!"


    Daubutim nodded and headed out and back to Irwin''s room. As he reached the door, he looked around, but there was nobody there. Taking a deep breath, he pulled open the door and stepped inside quickly. Gawarn, Balarn''s brother, was sitting on one of the beds, and he jumped up when Daubutim entered.


    "Man! That was incredible! Did you see what happened to the buildings?"


    Daubutim nodded.


    "Yes. But more importantly, did you manage to do as I asked?"


    Gawarn grimaced and shrugged.


    Daubutim felt a wave of worry.


    "They said it worked, but according to them, it was so difficult that they wanted double pay."


    Daubutim blinked. "But did it work?"


    "Yes, they say they can track him. Listen¡­ I know employing these underground is illegal, but are you sure we shouldn''t just tell the guards? I mean, that guy killed guards!"


    Daubutim cocked his head, seriously contemplating it for a moment. He''d not expected Uxin''tar to have soulcards.


    Wait¡­ perhaps he doesn''t and has something else that does this? He hesitated and instantly felt his mind begin to slow.


    "Not yet," he grunted quickly. "How do we get his location?"


    Gawarn looked at him, then shrugged. "I contact them, and they tell me. It will cost a bit each time."


    Daubutim wanted nothing more than to sit down on the bed and rest. He had taxed his mind too much the last few days and needed sleep.


    First, I need to talk with Gelwin.


    "Alright. I need to head back to the Library. Wait for a few hours, then get his position and find me at the Librarian''s eastern entrance. I''ll have someone wait for you."


    Gawarn nodded. "Alright. I hope you know what you''re doing¡­"


    Daubutim didn''t answer but walked back out.


    --


    Irwin stretched his sore muscles, watching Crithann walk away. The towering Viridian showed no sign of having just exerted himself, and Irwin sighed.


    Perhaps he has some form of endurance card even better than mine? he wondered.


    "You''re becoming a monster with that hammer, you know?"


    Irwin looked at Greldo, lying with his back against the side of Coal. His friend had been watching his practice sessions for a while now but hadn''t been at all interested in joining.


    "Well, I''m sure Scintilla and Hotzli will have you spinning around that new toy soon enough," Irwin said as he gestured at the wide short sword lying beside Greldo.


    "Probably, but I don''t think I''d like my odds against you," Greldo snapped. "Anyway, Scintilla asked me to ask you if you could create another steambath for her and the other Ignitzions."


    Irwin grimaced, then nodded.


    "Sure, tell them to meet me beyond the wall in an hour."


    "What? Not allowed inside the city anymore?" Greldo asked, laughing.


    "Crithann told me that the sounds they make are distracting the young Viridians," Irwin said with a smirk.


    He heard Greldo mutter something, which he ignored as he cracked his arms.


    "It''s been three weeks," Greldo said, the hilarity out of his voice.


    "I know," Irwin said as he sighed.


    "It''s time we decide what to do if they don''t come back instead of beating around the bush."


    "I know," Irwin said, feeling his agitation grow. Still, he knew Greldo was right. "Let''s go and talk with the others tomorrow."


    "Did you decide what you think we should do?"


    Irwin looked out across the rapidly growing town. Another three weeks had grown it to be bigger than the initial one, and another few hundred Viridians had joined them.


    "Maybe," he lied.


    "Well¡­ that''s good," Greldo grunted as he got up. "I hope it doesn''t involve staying here for another month."


    Irwin didn''t respond as he gazed at the town without really seeing it.


    Yeah¡­ Sadly, it might, he thought.

 Chapter 125: Deceptive rest

    Irwin stared at the swirling patterns of colors and imagery that hung above Ambraz''s shiny surface as he brought down the hammer perfectly in time with the soft tune he was humming. All of his cards vibrated in harmony, forcing the card lying on Ambraz to resonate along. The yellow-bordered card trembled slightly, showing that the resonance was going against its normal predetermined path, but Irwin barely noticed.


    For weeks now, he''d been doing nothing but reforging cards and forcing them along different paths. It had taken him two weeks to get a hundred percent topaz card that wasn''t the card''s default path. Now he had been working almost three weeks on reforging cards up to emerald. He still couldn''t get over ninety percent without Ambraz''s help, but it had been days since he''d failed.


    As he struck again, a minute increase in the card''s resonance came, and he knew he was closing in on the end.


    "Now," he whispered in between his hum.


    "Ready," Ambraz grunted.


    Irwin drew a deep breath and then focused on the bright pinpoints or holes in the card. Readying himself, he struck down on the card, and unlike he normally did, he let his hammer rest while he forced his cards to continue the single note they had just held. A deep humming seemed to pass through him while he felt his hammer shake softly. It felt as if something was trying to push the hammer up and away from the card, but he kept it there with little effort.


    The cards resonating turned to a high-pitched whine, and the pressure increased. Slowly the whine seemed to interfere with the resonating of his own cards, and Irwin clenched his teeth as he tried to keep everything in balance.


    "Three¡­ two-" Ambraz counted down slowly.


    Irwin felt his hold on his own cards start to slip when Ambraz reached one.


    "One, up up!"


    Irwin pulled his hammer up just in time to keep the cards resonating along properly. The pinpricks of light all across the card had dimmed noticeably but were still there.


    "Again," Ambraz grunted.


    Irwin kept humming, then at the right moment struck the card again, keeping his hammer down as the whine began again, the buildup returning.


    This time Ambraz began counting sooner, which was a good thing as Irwin felt his cards slowly pull from his control. On one, he pulled his hammer up, and this time half of the holes were gone, with only two left. He couldn''t help a massive grin from spreading across his face.


    Finally!


    "Don''t party just yet," Ambraz snapped. "Once more!"


    Irwin grinned as he swung down, leaving his hammer on the surface again. This time the pressure was substantially less, and the whine not as painful, and with little effort, he managed to keep up the low hum until Ambraz told him to pull up.


    None of the tiny pricks remained, the card now nothing more than the distorted image covered in a few black smudges of potential.


    Irwin let out a laugh, interrupting his humming, but it didn''t matter. With perfect control, he finished the final few strikes, stopping when he sensed the card''s resonance peak and a clear chime sounded out.


    "Finally!" he shouted as he dropped his hammer, which didn''t even touch the ground as he unsummoned it unconsciously. He picked up the card, inspecting the final product.


    "And?" he asked.


    Ambraz was quiet for a moment, then scoffed. "Ninety-one percent¡­."


    Irwin whooped as he clenched the card and grinned at the Anvil.


    "I''m ready!" he said before focusing on Ambraz. "Right?"


    Ambraz let out a soft laugh. "Kid, did I tell you that you''re a monster? Yes¡­ you are ready. To become capable of reforging over ninety percent emerald cards in a year. That has to be some kind of record."


    Irwin sighed as he walked to the table in his enclosed smithing area. Putting it down on the stack of ''finished'' cards, he nodded.


    "Forty cards," he said as he tapped a finger on the table before looking at the stack beside it. "And over thirty left to work with."


    "Are you really going to give them all away?" Ambraz asked, sounding annoyed.


    Irwin didn''t answer, instead pondering about how many cards he would need for his plan.


    "Irwin?" Ambraz asked.


    "For the tenth time," Irwin muttered as he looked up. "Yes. I''m going to give them to Crithann to divide among the people. We need to get more people powerful, and-"


    "Can''t you at least keep the emerald ones? What are you even going to trade at the auction?"


    Irwin frowned, then shook his head as he patted his pocket. Six cards sat inside.


    "These will do. You said they were exceptionally rare, and everyone would want them. Right?"


    Ambraz began grumbling before he finally continued.


    "Yes, they are. But-"


    "Come on! We will probably stay here for over nine years, and I don''t want to be stuck in this town for all of that. We need to get rid of those imps and retake the portal," Irwin said.


    He thought back to Greldo''s weary resignation when they had decided to remain in the town until Yogog and Irwin had reforged cards for as many people there. Even Hotzli had had enough, and had started exploring the surroundings together with some of the other Ignitzions. Worse, as more and more people had joined, they had resorted to Yogog taking a half dozen apprentices while Irwin took on all the reforging he could. After having seen Yogog teach the young Viridians a few times, Irwin was pretty sure he had gotten the better end of that deal.


    "Fine¡­ you are right, but I still think you should keep some more cards," Ambraz muttered.


    Irwin ignored him as he took the top six cards from the stack.


    "So¡­ six cards, right?" he said as he turned to Ambraz, who was still standing in the middle of the room.


    "Yes," Ambraz said, and Irwin could hear his interest growing.


    After having talked and worked with the Anvil for so many hours each week, he had begun picking up on tiny things. One was that Ambraz turned short, snappy, and disgruntled when he didn''t agree but could be easily placated with the promise of a card meal. He also didn''t dislike explaining things half as much as he led on but seemed to just enjoy acting annoyed.


    Irwin moved to the side of the room and picked up the normal, heavyset smithing hammer. It felt odd in his hands, even after he''d used it for a dozen cards. Still, if he was going to reforge his own card, he wouldn''t be able to use it. He''d used his fist when he''d turned it to topaz, but he had found that using a hammer was much easier.


    "Alright, let''s do this!"


    "Right away?" Ambraz asked, sounding surprised. "Don''t you want¡­ I don''t know, some rest?"


    "No," Irwin said. "The previous card will serve as a warming up. Besides, you are going to do most of the heavy lifting this time. Remember?"


    "Ugh, don''t remind me," Ambraz snorted. "Fine. You still want to focus on being able to change it after it''s summoned?"


    "Yes," Irwin said. "It will greatly help as I battle, and I don''t want to focus on purifying metal."


    "Alright, that means you will also limit what you can do during the final two reforgings," Ambraz muttered.


    Irwin just nodded. They had discussed this before, and he knew the only reason Ambraz was hesitating was because he felt Irwin should fully focus on smithing.


    "Alright! Let''s get this done then," Ambraz shouted. "Pull up the card and place it down!"


    Irwin grinned as he did as asked, and he looked at his hammer card with a grin. It had less bright stars on it than the previous card, which meant it would be hard to remove them. Less of them meant a higher pressure and a more difficult process of removing them. Ambraz said it was because the Soulforce came out under higher pressure.


    Glad he is helping, Irwin thought as he began humming the song Ambraz had taught him over the last few days.


    "Good, that was perfect," Ambraz said as he finished. "Now, remember. No matter the pain, keep your cards resonating along with the tune. I''ll take care of the rest."


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    Irwin nodded as he felt a tiny bit of worry grow. It was time to see how much his Smoldering Heart was going to help him deal with the pain.


    Forcing his worry down, he took deep breaths to calm himself, and when he felt up to it, gazed at the card, raised his hammer, and slammed it down.


    Pain seared through his mind, through his hand, and crawled up his arm. He immediately knew that the pain wasn''t at all less than it had been. But as he clamped down on it and focused on his cards, he also knew things were different now. As much as the pain hurt, he barely felt his control slip.


    "Good! Keep it up, kid!"


    It''s not lessened the pain, Irwin thought absently as he waited for Ambraz''s signal before striking again. It has increased my tolerance for it.


    Three hits later, he couldn''t stop a groan from slipping out, but as he continued, a few groans of pain were the worst that happened.


    --


    Greldo lay on the couch in the downstairs room, staring at the door that led to Irwin''s smithy. Pained groans followed thunderous booms while a tight, strained voice hummed a song.


    Below the voice, a second hum was slowly increasing in power. It wasn''t as powerful as what he''d heard when Irwin and Ambraz had been fixing the heartcard they had found, but it was similar.


    "Will he be okay?" Scintilla asked as she paced through the room, looking at the door every few steps.


    "You were there when he did it before, right?" Greldo asked, looking at her in surprise.


    "Yes. But¡­ well, he said he would do it again, but never did. So I thought- well, I thought he''d learned from it?" Scintilla muttered.


    Greldo grinned as she saw her worried look, and he couldn''t help but shake his head.


    "I wasn''t there for it, but I know that wasn''t the first time he did that," he said as another pained groan came from the other room.


    "What?" Scintilla asked as she turned to him.


    "Irwin has another friend, Daubutim, and he told me about the previous time he did this. He did two in a row, screaming at the top of his lungs each time. This is¡­ a notable improvement if you ask me."


    Scintilla turned to the door. "Why does he go this far? Is it to prove himself?"


    Greldo leaned back and gazed at the ceiling as he pictured Malorin. He didn''t think about the town Irwin and he grew up in a lot nor about his own father. His youth had been one of pain, both physical and mental, but he knew it hadn''t been like that for Irwin. Although they had both been outcasts at the school, at least his friend had a loving mother and brother. Would he act like this if he had people like that waiting for him?


    Probably, he thought. He just had to picture Irwin remaining on Giard, the planet ready to shatter. He''d go out of his way to save his friend.


    "He wants to save people in our world," he said.


    "Don''t your soulcarded take care of that?" Scintilla asked as she looked in wonder.


    "We don''t have any soulcarded on Giard," Greldo said. "Or any heartcarded."


    Scintilla''s mouth fell open, then she shook her head.


    "No heartcarded? How is that even possible?"


    "We are from a farming world," Greldo said. "One that was found some hundred years ago."


    "Ah¡­"


    Greldo noticed a pained look across Scintilla''s face while she gazed at the ground.


    "So, it didn''t shatter yet?" she asked.


    "Not yet."


    "How long¡­"


    "Soon," Greldo said as he absently noticed the pained grunting and the thudding had stopped.


    The door was swung open, and Irwin stepped out. Sweat matted his forehead, some having run down his neck and causing his metallic-like hair to have a wet sheen to it. Drops ran down the open side of his vest, across his incredibly muscled physique, and although his face looked weary, his eyes were burning as he looked at them. Greldo noticed a thin shadow was showing on his jaw while the hair beside his ears was growing down.


    "We will save them," Irwin said. "I will become a high-rank Smith, and they will help us teleport as many people away to a safe area when we return!"


    Greldo grinned as he pushed himself up, gazing at his friend who towered over him.


    "Definitely! And what do you mean, will become? You''re a high-rank smith already!"


    Irwin grabbed his braid and gazed at the yellow-colored topaz rank stone.


    "Not yet. I''ll need to become an official Emerald-rank smith," he said. "Or perhaps I can become a Ruby rank."


    Greldo grinned, his gaze turning to Irwin''s right hand. He felt a tiny bit of jealousy at the clarity of the two cards there, but he ignored it.


    "So. Did you get another power-up?"


    Irwin laughed as he raised his hand. With a flash of his card, a normal-sized hammer appeared. As he looked at it, he frowned, then the hammer began changing. Its head grew wider and thicker while the haft elongated. Within moments, a hammer with a head almost the size of Irwin''s chest and a handle so long the tip reached his chin stood before him. Greldo saw the corded muscles on his friend''s arms as he tried to lift it, but the hammer barely budged.


    "So you can change it without unsummoning it and make it even bigger?" Greldo asked.


    Irwin looked up with a grimace. "Yeah, too bad I can''t really use it like this."


    "Just go into your shiny mode," Scintilla said as she leaned against the nearby wall. None of her previous worry showed as she looked at Irwin with glistening eyes.


    "Later," Irwin said as he unsummoned the hammer. "I''m going to take a steam shower, who-"


    "Me!" Scintilla shouted as she jumped forward.


    Greldo looked at them and shook his head. He didn''t like the wet cloud wrapped around him.


    "I''ll pass, thanks."


    After some banter, the other two left, and he leaned back on the couch.


    "I wonder when the others will return," he muttered, getting a soft whine of agreement from Coal.


    --


    Over a month after Irwin had reforged his hammer, he was softly humming a tune. Standing in the forge, he enjoyed the sensation of reforging a card along its predispositioned path. He''d found that working with the cards was more enjoyable than forcing them along a path.


    By now, he was able to reforge up to three cards from quartz to topaz each day and a single one to emerald. Every few days, a stack of Amethyst cards would come from Yogog and his apprentices, which would increase his output, but even then he felt drained. As much as he enjoyed reforging, he''d been doing nothing but for months now. Well, if you didn''t include the training sessions with Crithann, which were becoming more and more difficult.


    A horn began blaring outside.


    "One," he muttered as he counted the horn blasts. "Two, three, and anew"


    A fourth horn blast interrupted him, and he looked up. The double door was open, leading to the square that had become known as the smith''s quarters, although some even called it Irwin''s square. People that had been moving about outside had stopped, and he saw worried looks and conversations begin. Then a fifth horn blast came.


    "Shit!"


    Irwin ran to the door, and he heard a soft whirring behind him. A moment later, Ambraz landed on his shoulder, seeming unbothered by his movements.


    Neither spoke as Irwin dashed outside and across the square. He wasn''t the only one, as dozens of people were running around. Some were heading home, but many ran ahead and around him toward the westgate.


    "Smith, do you know what''s going on?"


    Irwin looked up to see two Viridians run beside him, both wielding carded weapons, which he knew because he''d made both of them.


    "No idea," he said. "But-"


    Another horn blast came, and he saw the younger of the two Viridians look around worriedly.


    "Are the imps attacking again?"


    Irwin didn''t respond, but as they reached the main road, he saw a group of hundreds of Viridians congregate at the gate. Coal stood out to the side, and he saw Greldo and Scintilla walk up the staircase to the defense tower.


    Running through the street, then passing Coal, he waved at some of the Viridians that called out to him before sprinting up the staircases that lead to the highest point in town. The platform of the top was filled with Viridian guards, and Crithann stood at the furthest edge, talking with Greldo and Scintilla. There was no sight of Yogog, but Irwin was sure he would appear soon enough.


    As he moved beside the others, breathing as evenly as he had when forging, he saw a mass of tiny figures move far off in the distance. He couldn''t make out any details, but he did see some carts. It would take the long line at least half a day to reach them.


    "Those aren''t imps," Greldo said from beside him, his keen eyes able to see the details way ahead of the rest of them. "It''s mostly Viridians, but I see many others among them. They have wounded with them."


    "Those are way too many to come from just a few towns," Crithann said from the side. "Perhaps they are-"


    "I see Balarn," Greldo snapped, causing Irwin to look back at the group, trying in vain to see the other smith.


    Wait, they are from Cinder Grove? Irwin thought as he shared a worried look with Crithann.


    "Let''s go and see what they are doing," Crithann said as he turned to the surrounding guards and began giving orders.


    Irwin nodded, just staring into the distance. Its a shame Hotzli isn''t back yet, he thought. She had gone on a mission to check on the exit portal to the gallery and wouldn''t return for another week. Yogog had been annoyed, as she had forced him to promise to stay in the city while she wasn''t there.


    An hour later, Irwin, Crithann, and a group of over a hundred carded sprinted toward the incoming stream of people. Balarn was in the lead, and as Irwin rushed toward him, he almost stumbled when he saw another familiar smith.


    Relinda?


    He hadn''t seen the female smith from Haudur''s charter since he''d met her in one of the mission centers, and he was shocked to see her now. She was the reason for him even being here, and now she was calmly walking beside Balarn?


    Why is she here? he thought, staring at her and then at Balarn.


    Both were wearing worn-down rags but holding weapons, and he saw a look of deep relief in Balarn''s eyes as their eyes met.


    Yogog sprinted ahead, and the others followed him as he stopped before Balarn, clasping hands.


    "It''s great to see you are safe," Balarn said.


    "How did you get here? What is going on?" Yogog asked before looking around. "Where''s Ignalia?"


    Balarn blinked, then shook his head. "I don''t know. I haven''t seen her since she left with you."


    "What? So she didn''t save you from Cinder Grove?"


    "Save me from- no¡­" Balarn said as he shared a look with Relinda. "I think we should discuss this after we reach¡­ that?" he pointed behind them at the massive Heart tree. "Do you have room for us?"


    "How many people are with you?" Crithann asked.


    "I don''t know," Balarn said, shaking his head wearily. "Thousands¡­ we saved as many as we could."


    "Saved?" Yogog snapped, but Balarn raised his hand to stop him.


    "Let''s head back. I''ll answer all questions, but¡­ we need help with the wounded and food, water, and¡­ rest."


    Irwin had been standing to the side, watching it all, trying to make sense of it. As they headed back, the guards spreading out to help the wounded, he moved to walk beside Balarn.


    "Are you alright?" he asked, examining the weary-looking smith. He could see the other had lost some weight, and there were calluses and small wounds across his hands that hadn''t been there before.


    "I am now that we''ve reached you," Balarn said.


    "Why is she here?" Irwin whispered, pretty sure Balarn would know what he meant.


    "I''ll tell you soon," Balarn said with a sigh. "But there''s a good reason."


    Irwin nodded, and as he did, another question popped up.


    "How did you even find us?"


    Balarn grimaced as he looked across his shoulder. "The Viridians said they could sense a new grove in this direction. It was a gamble, and finding you was just a lucky break."


    Irwin nodded. He could see that Balarn didn''t want to talk anymore, so he continued walking silently, wondering what was happening.


    --


    Hours later, after the slow-moving mass of refugees had reached the town that was rapidly growing into a city, and people had been spread around to find space for them, Irwin sat in the now familiar room of Crithann.


    A dozen people sat around the table, everyone silent as they stared at Balarn, who was deeply drinking from a glass of water. His third.


    "Right," he finally said as he put the glass down and looked around. "Sorry for making you wait. I''m sure you are all curious to know what happened."


    "It''s fine. Just take your time," Yogog grunted, staring at the other.


    Irwin saw the worry in the bald, obsidian smith''s eyes.


    "Almost two months ago, not too long after Irwin and the others left, portals began appearing in the forest around Cinder Grove," Balarn said, taking a deep breath before continuing.


    "At first, there was just confusion, but with so many powerful carded, most portals were closed soon after being found. However, as more and more imps began appearing, harassing the tiny towns and the caravans, worry grew. Then the first smith disappeared from within the city¡­"


    Irwin saw Balarn hesitate and look at Relinda, whose eyes narrowed as she gazed at the table.


    "That was me," she said with a pained look.

 Chapter 126: Interrogation

    It was quiet in the room as everyone watched Relinda.


    "I was walking with a few others back to the smithy when a dozen of them just jumped out from behind a building and out of the shadows. They grabbed us, and before we could even resist, they knocked us out. When we woke up, we were in a large underground area below the desert."


    "Where was it?" Crithann asked, staring at her intently. "Can you point it out on the map?"


    Relinda nodded, not looking up. "Probably, or at least close to it."


    "What did they want from you?" Irwin asked, leaning forward.


    This time Relinda looked up, staring at him.


    "What else? To reforge cards. They kept us all there, forcing us to work or be beaten and punished. Some were taken away and never seen again."


    Probably through the portals to fulfill those quotas, Irwin thought.


    "The best of us," Balarn said softly.


    "Says you!" Relinda snorted.


    "We are still here, aren''t we?" Balarn asked as he raised an eyebrow.


    "What the heck do you mean?" Yogog asked.


    Balarn sighed as he looked at Irwin before turning away.


    "After they caught me, right from inside the smithy, I was brought to one of their leaders. He kept asking me questions about Irwin, wanting to know how fast he really was, and how high his success rate was, and many other things. At first, I didn''t want to answer, but they were¡­ persuasive."


    What? Why about me? Irwin thought. Was it because of his high success rate? Or Ambraz?


    Balarn looked at him, his hand raised to his shoulder as if he wanted to grab it. Then he sighed and lowered it, glancing at Irwin before continuing.


    "Either way, I didn''t tell them everything I knew, but they were incredibly curious when they heard you had Ambraz," he said softly.


    Irwin took a deep, worried breath. He didn''t blame Balarn. Whatever happened must have been horrible, and besides, he was still safe. He did need to figure out how they knew about him and what was the exact reason they were asking questions about him.


    "Anyway, after being there for a few days, I quickly noticed that the smiths doing better than average were taken away and didn''t return. It wasn''t too obvious, which was why most didn''t notice. Still, I told the others to fake mistakes as much as they could get away with, and those that listened to me are still there."


    Relinda hissed, but she kept quiet otherwise.


    "Why didn''t everyone listen to you?" Irwin asked in surprise.


    "We got as many cards as we wanted and were instructed to try and reforge them as high as we could," Yogog said with a bitter smile. "Many smiths never get the chance to have a nearly unlimited amount of cards, so they thought to use it. To become better."


    Irwin leaned back, staring at Balarn. He could fully understand what he meant, if not for himself in the last few months, than from when he was back on Giard. Cards back there had been even more rare.


    It was quiet around the table, the non-smiths having quietly listened until now.


    "How did you get free?" Crithann asked. "And why were there so many of my people there? Those weren''t smiths."


    Balarn shared a look with Relinda before turning to Crithann.


    "Try to remain calm," he said, pausing. Only when Crithann gave him a frowned nod did he continue.


    "The Imps forced the people they found to remove their cards¡­"


    "What?! They could die from that!" Crithann snapped through gritted teeth.


    Balarn nodded, a look of pain on his face. "Yes. I am so sorry¡­ but it gets worse. They- They also killed the heartcarded they captured, hoping for their cards to drop."


    Crithann let out a startled shout as he half rose from his position. A wave of immense pressure surged out of him, and Irwin grimaced as he felt his cards begin to shudder. He heard groans of pain and surprise from around the table. Crithann''s eyes were sparkling, silver light shimmering like stars as his bark-covered face finally showed a strong emotion.


    Pure hatred.


    Irwin noticed that the others were all struggling to stay seated, eyes rolling around oddly.


    "Crit... hann..." he croaked.


    The towering Viridian looked at him with a deep growl, and for a moment, Irwin thought he was going to snap. Then he blinked, and the sparks and silvery light vanished.


    The pressure lasted for a few moments before slowly fading, though not completely. Like a blade almost drawn, the pressure remained in the background.


    A soft moan came from the side, and Irwin saw Greldo struggle to pull himself back into a seated position.


    The sound of something snapping rang out while a long crack appeared on the table, originating from Crithann''s hands. Everyone remained quiet as the pressure moved up and down for a while before Crithann managed to regain control.


    Irwin worriedly looked at Greldo until he got a nod, then turned to Balarn. The smith was breathing raggedly, blinking as he did.


    "You okay?"


    Balarn nodded, and there were a few minutes of quiet as everyone regained themselves. Crithann said nothing in the meantime. His eyes were radiating cold.


    "How did you free yourself?" Irwin finally asked as he looked at Balarn.


    Balarn quickly turned to him, seeming more than willing to turn away from Crithann.


    "Well, it was Relinda''s plan, really," he said, turning to the other smith.


    She was staring at Crithann, her face pale, but at the mention of her name looked up.


    "It was a great plan," she said smugly, raising her head. "We timed critical failures with over thirty smiths, throwing the cards at the guards and the tunnel entrances. After that, we managed to remove the card-dampeners, and those with sand and earth manipulation cards created a new path out. We used more card explosions to close other tunnels so we could get to the others and then left!"


    Balarn let out a weary laugh. "Well, it was a bit more difficult than that, but it''s the gist of it," he said.


    "How did you know to come this way?" Irwin asked. He couldn''t imagine their tree was detectable from far away, so either they had escaped nearby, or there was something else going on.


    "We decided to head to the nearest town but found it empty and raided," Balarn said.


    He hesitated, looking at Crithann, who remained emotionless, and only then continued.


    "Taking what little food and water we could find, we headed out to the next one, then the next. We found each empty until three weeks after we fled, and we reached a town in the middle of evacuating. They told us they were heading to Grianf¨¢l. We decided to join them, but as we closed in, the Viridians began sensing a new grove, and we diverted course."


    It was quiet as everyone was lost in their own thoughts. Finally, Irwin looked at Balarn.


    "What happened to Monyque and the others?"


    "I don''t know," Balarn said with a shrug. "They hadn''t returned when things started, and by then, all teleporters had been relegated to searching for portals or bringing groups of carded to close them. I wasn''t able to get one to send them a message."


    Irwin sighed and listened to some others ask some questions. After another while had passed, he thought of something.


    "Have you heard that the exit portal has been taken by the Imps?" he asked.


    Balarn blinked, then cursed.


    "No, but I guess that shouldn''t surprise me," he said before closing his eyes.


    The conversation stopped after that, and after a short discussion with Crithann, Irwin brought Balarn and Relinda to the small building beside the smithy.


    He settled them in some of the empty rooms, a luxury only there because of the smithy beside it. Then he returned to the main smithy and his own room. Lying on the bed, he thought of all that had happened.


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    With two dozen smiths here, we will be able to reforge far more cards, he thought. At the same time, he wondered if they would have to worry about the imps sending more here to recapture the escapees.


    As his mind kept spinning, moving from the Imps asking questions about him to the pressure Crithann had exerted, sleep wouldn''t come. Instead, he was just lying there, his mind a fuzzy mess.


    "Watch out!"


    Ambraz''s scream jolted him wide awake.


    Without even thinking, Irwin triggered Coperion Body as he sat up. Two blurs were moving from the shadowy part of his room, and he could barely roll away as something struck the bed.


    There was a hiss of anger, and then something struck his arm.


    Irwin looked up to see a pale Imp staring in surprise at a bent piece of metal in his hands. It was two fingers wide and probably as long as his hand.


    "Card-dampeners! Don''t let them put them around your wrists," Ambraz shouted as he flitted around across the ceiling.


    Shouts of anger and worry came from below, followed by something slamming into a wall so hard the building shuddered.


    Irwin ignored all of it as he jumped at the nearest Imp, keeping an eye out for the things it was wielding. His first instinct was to burn it with his flame, but he held back.


    We need answers! If he killed it, how would they get those?


    The Imp moved back faster than Irwin could move, but he was already working his cards. A thin fog rippled around the edges of the room as he used a trick he''d practiced for a whole different situation.


    One of the Imps had backed up, but as it touched the swirling steam near the edges, it jumped forward, clasping its neck while its eyes bulged out. Irwin jumped at it, ignoring the other one as he pulled the steam closer around him.


    A dull thud came from his door, followed by a shout.


    "Irwin!"


    "Stay outside!" Irwin roared as he saw the door swing open.


    It was jolted back, taking a host of steam with it that caused surprised curses.


    Irwin grabbed the Imp''s wrists before it could stumble away. With a hard clench, he felt the bones snap below his powerful grip, and the Imp dropped the daggers on the ground. The pain bloomed from his shoulder as something sharp pierced his skin. Gritting his teeth, he kept his grasp on the Imp as he moved forward and into the thick mist. The Imp''s eyes widened as he gasped for air, and Irwin turned to look for the other one. By now, that whole room was filled with steam, and it was in the center, one dagger left, a hand covering its mouth, and panic in its bulging eyes.


    Irwin looked at the Imp in his hands, which had slumped into unconsciousness. Dropping it, he put his foot on its chest before looking at the other Imp and swinging his hand forward, summoning his hammer midswing and releasing it. It flung through the air, hitting the unsuspecting Imp, which was slammed away and knocked into the wall, where it began shuddering on the ground.


    ¡°Is Scintilla there?¡± Irwin shouted.


    "I''m here!"


    "The room''s full of steam, but you can come in!"


    The door swung open, and Scintilla jumped inside, sword ready.


    "I''m going to drop the steam! Hold that one, and don''t kill it!"


    Scintilla blinked then a predatory grin covered her face as she lunged forward.


    As soon as she had a sword point on the unmoving Imp''s throat, Irwin immediately released his control over the steam.


    "Let''s get them outside before they suffocate!" he said as he grabbed the Imp and headed for the door.


    "I''m coming out with an unconscious Imp," Irwin shouted at the door. "Don''t kill it and get Crithann!"


    "Ready!"


    Irwin moved out as soon as he heard Greldo''s voice, and as he stepped out, he saw his friend, Yogog, and some Viridians who he knew lived in the adjacent building, all with weapons and bloody wounds.


    "Alright! Let''s head to Crithann and get these things inside some sort of cell or prison," Irwin said as he cast a worried look at a long bloody tear in Greldo''s bare arm.


    "You are alright?" Greldo asked as he moved aside to let him pass.


    Irwin saw his eyes move to his back, and he suddenly recalled the thud and the pain. Then he realized the pain was still there, though dull and distant.


    "Yeah- but could you pull that thing out?" he asked.


    He ignored the worried glances the others shared. Greldo moved to him, grabbing something he couldn''t see, which he knew was probably the dagger.


    "Ready?"


    "Get it out," Irwin said.


    There was a tug, then the pain increased sharply. It lasted for a short while, then turned back to the dull pain of before.


    "You''re bleeding, but it''s not too bad," Greldo said as he stepped back.


    "I''ll fix it after I can get my hands free," Irwin said as he walked ahead, down the stairs and into the downstairs room. Two of the tables had been shattered, and Coal stood to the side, staring at two unmoving, torn-apart heaps of Imps.


    "They jumped us while we slept, and if it wasn''t for Coal, I''d probably be dead," Greldo said as he followed him.


    A weary sigh came from one of the Viridians. "We were sharing a room, and our friend screamed as he was gutted. It was the only warning we had."


    "They must have followed Balarn and the others," Greldo whispered as they walked outside.


    Dozens of Viridians were standing around the square, talking worriedly. As they moved out, Crithann was just thudding into view on the other side of the square.


    "Irwin, are you alright?" he shouted, his voice booming out and causing the surrounding Viridians to quiet down.


    "Fine," Irwin replied as he raised the Imp in the air.


    He could faintly see its chest move, showing it was alive.


    "Stop resisting!"


    Yogog''s angry growl made him look back, and he saw Scintilla walking out. Yogog was beside her, having taken over the Imp and holding it in a headlock. The Imp''s eyes were flickering around as he struggled to get free.


    "We''ve got two prisoners. Could you get Lasvirish?" Irwin asked as he stopped before Crithann.


    The soulcarded leader of the town glared at the Imp, then nodded.


    "Follow me. I''ve got a place we can hold him," he grunted as he headed back the way he came. At the same time, he called for someone to go get Lasvirish.


    A short while later, they followed him inside his central tower and down a staircase Irwin hadn''t noticed before. It was situated at the back of a side room, and the path down was barely wide enough for Crithann.


    It led to a dark, spacious cellar with stone pillars holding up the ceiling and shallow basins of water all around. Pale white leafy plants covered the water, with bright red flowers in the center.


    "What are these?" Irwin muttered as he followed Crithann to the back. A few small, doorless rooms sat there, filled with bags and boxes. One of them was empty, and Crithann moved towards it.


    "Give me a minute," he grunted as he began pulling out boxes and bags and placing them along the side of the wall.


    When he finished emptying the room, he directed Irwin to come inside.


    "We need a door," Irwin said as he frowned at the opening.


    "I''ve got it handled," Crithann rumbled.


    A short while later, three Viridians came and created vein-like bindings that wound up and around the two imps, locking them in place. The ends were fastened to the ceiling, and another pulled out a massive slab from the stone wall, which was obviously large enough to cover the door opening.


    Lasvirish had joined them, and they were all standing outside, staring at the Imps dangling from the ceiling.


    "Lasvirish," Crithann rumbled.


    The Ignitzion woman nodded as she walked toward the only one of the two Imps not unconscious. It was glaring at her, its mouth a tight stripe while ruddy blood covered parts of its pale, exposed neck and face.


    Lasvirish spoke a string of words that almost sounded like wood or something else cracking and popping as it burned streamed from her mouth.


    The Imp grunted, snapping something back that Irwin was pretty sure wasn''t something pleasant.


    Lasvirish stepped forward and slapped it across the face, causing it to swirl around. Then she grabbed it and held it still before asking something again.


    The Imp didn''t respond, merely glaring at her.


    Lasvirish continued talking, but the Imp remained silent. After a few more attempts, Lasvirish turned to them.


    "This won''t work," she said. "He doesn''t want to talk."


    "Perhaps we should give him some reasons to talk," Greldo growled as he stepped forward.


    Irwin looked up to see his friend grow a hand length while short dark fur sprouted across his exposed skin. His face elongated into a canine-like snout, and he leaned forward, growling so low and deep that Irwin felt his hairs stand on end.


    "Tell him I''m going to eat him, starting from his feet, if he doesn''t answer us," Greldo said, his voice no more than a guttural growl.


    Irwin saw that the Imp was looking at Greldo, its jaw set, but a tiny bit of panic had appeared in its burning yellow eyes. He couldn''t blame it, even he felt his skin crawl as Greldo''s lips pulled back, showcasing lines or razor-sharp teeth. He''d never seen Greldo act like this, as far as he could recall. The worst thing was that he had no idea if his friend was merely acting or serious.


    He wasn''t the only one.


    Lasvirish was staring at Greldo with wide eyes, then nodded and spouted something, stumbling over her words. The Imp looked around wide-eyed but remained still, even when Lasvirish snapped something again.


    "All of you, back up from the room and stay out of sight for a few minutes," Greldo said, his voice even lower than before, almost a whisper.


    Irwin looked around, then swallowed as he saw the same uncertainty he felt on many faces. Only Crithann and Yogog barely blinked. Instead, Crithann hummed.


    "Leave him for a bit," he rumbled as he turned and began pulling the other Viridians with him.


    Irwin took a deep breath and then pulled Scintilla with him. He had to trust Greldo, and although the idea of torturing the Imp made him uncomfortable, he also knew that he''d have killed the same Imp if he hadn''t needed the answers.


    A minute later, all of them stood at the other side of the large, puddle-filled room. For a short while, there was no sound from the other side, then a startled scream rang out, followed by another.


    "Is he really doing what he said?" Lasvirish asked, looking around. "I¡­ I know we have to get answers¡­ but-"


    "If he hadn''t opted to do it, I would have," Yogog snapped. "His teeth just make things a bit easier."


    Lasvirish and the Viridians looked at him wide-eyed, and Yogog snorted, ignoring another scream.


    "What do you think we are doing here? These bloody Imps came here to abduct Irwin, me, and some others. It was a targeted attack, and they weren''t afraid to try and kill Greldo and some of the others. You''ve heard what they did to Balarn, Relinda and-"


    Yogog stopped talking, looking around while his eyes widened.


    "Where is Balarn?" he hissed.


    Irwin was moving before he knew it, sprinting toward the staircase up, and as he thudded up he summoned his hammer. A red blur of fire shot past him, disappearing from view within moments, but he didn''t stop.


    Outside, he continued running, and Yogog caught up within moments. They ignored surprised and worried shouts from the surrounding people and rushed to the smithy. They reached the building beside it where they had brought Balarn and Relinda, kicking open the door as they ran in. The single-story building''s main room was trashed, a table crushed while blood smears covered parts of the walls and ground.


    Scintilla stood in the room, sword bare and a look of stunned surprise as she looked at a shape in the corner of the room. A pale Imp lay there, the side of his head crushed in.


    Irwin felt his anger and worry skyrocket as he knew what had probably happened.


    "Dammit," Yogog roared as he sprinted to one of the rooms, yanking open the door. The bed was partially broken, and blood glistened on the leafy mattress. There was no sign of Balarn.


    Gritting his teeth, Irwin ran to the other room, but Relinda was gone too.


    As he ran back out, Yogog met him in the small main room, his eyes glowing with fury, and his lips pulled back in an angry snarl.


    "These bastards! Alright, let''s go back, we need answers!"


    They left the building and rushed back. When they reached the center building, Lasvirish just walked out. Her face was pale, and her hands were shaking softly.


    "Are they-" she began before falling quiet when she saw the look on Yogog''s face.


    "I wouldn''t go in there," she whispered as they passed her, but none of them even showed any sign of slowing down. Just as he walked down, Irwin realized something, and he looked up.


    "Shouldn''t you be there to translate?" he asked, not able to keep the anger from his voice.


    "That Imp speaks PGL," she muttered.


    "Of course it does," Yogog snarled as he ran down.


    When they reached the cellar, a soft whimpering came from the far room while Greldo and Crithann came walking toward them.


    "We''ve got trouble," Greldo growled, baring his now bloody teeth.


    Irwin blinked at the sight, then the words sank in.


    "What?"


    "They let them go on purpose," Crithann said as he stopped before the others. "There is an army of Imps coming here. We need to prepare to defend ourselves because-"


    A dull horn blow came from upstairs, and they all froze.

 Chapter 127: Night raid

    Everyone looked at each other, then Yogog stomped his foot.


    "Please don''t tell me that is what I think it is?" he snapped.


    Another horn came, and this time it was a drawn-out call that lasted longer than was normal, and for the second time in a short period, Irwin turned and sprinted up the same staircase.


    Outside, Viridians were rushing out of buildings, torches being ignited all around. Worried shouts came from the central buildings, while armed carded could be seen sprinting towards the main gate.


    Irwin cursed as he followed them, heading to the main gate, then up to the lookout tower.


    Why do I have to go here for a second time for something like this? he thought as he moved to the edge.


    A mass of figures streamed towards them from the distant dunes. They weren''t moving in any sort of ordered line like Balarn and the refugees had done, but instead ran towards them in a chaotic mess.


    Irwin''s eyes narrowed as he saw some figures disappear in the dunes while others popped up as they moved through the ground in rapid dashes.


    Pale imps.


    He felt his mouth go dry at the sheer quantity of them. In just this short time, he had already spotted dozens of Pale imps and thousands of regular ones.


    Why are they attacking us now? Did they already know where we were? he thought as the image of the portal in the massive Heart Tree flitted through his mind''s eye. Something didn''t add up.


    "Get everyone able to fight up on the walls," Crithann roared, his voice echoing out in almost perceivable waves.


    Irwin took a step back, rubbing his ears to get rid of the sudden ringing in them. Then his mouth fell open as Crithann stepped over the edge, his rumbling voice rapidly turning softer.


    "I''ll be right back!"


    Irwin sprinted to the edge just as Crithann hit the ground in an explosion of sand. The Viridian didn''t even dust himself off but began running forward. Within moments, his arms and legs blurred too fast for Irwin to keep up with.


    "What is he doing?" Irwin muttered, looking around.


    Greldo, Yogog, and the others looked back with similar confusion and panic, but the Viridian guards let out a laugh. One of them moved towards them.


    "Don''t worry. Crithann is just going to buy us some time!"


    "And how is he going to do that?" Greldo snapped. "There''s an entire army of them!"


    The Viridian didn''t respond, just pointed at Crithann''s figure as he dashed up the hill, leaving a trail of sand in his wake.


    When Crithann reached the final hill before he would reach the incoming mass of Imps, he stopped and raised his hands.


    Irwin narrowed his eyes.


    What is he-


    A blinding flash came from Crithamn''s raised hands, and ripples of movement came from the surrounding sand. Dark roots shot up and out, spraying sand everywhere while flailing at the incoming Imps. They grabbed them mid-jump or stride, and some even ripped them right out of the sandy ground they were buried in.


    "By Gelwin''s beard," Irwin muttered as he saw the mass of roots and tendrils spread out in a wide line, stopping the first row of Imps dead in their tracks. The mass behind them faltered and began to pool together.


    For a moment, it looked like Crithann would single-handedly stop the Imps, then a wave of fire flew from the back lines, striking the roots. Like dry kindling, they ignited and illuminated the surrounding area. It spread like wildfire, rapidly creating a sea of flames. The Imps seemed emboldened as they let out a blood-curdling scream and ran straight into it. Some of those caught by smaller roots managed to drag themselves into the sea of flame to burn off what was binding them.


    Behind the line, Crithann turned and began running back. Behind him, the Imps continued burning the wall of roots to free those caught while a small number ran after him.


    "That will buy us what¡­ five more minutes?" Greldo muttered.


    "Five minutes is sometimes all you need," Yogog said as he looked at Irwin. "Don''t use your flame right away. As soon as they see it, they will focus on you. Wait until there''s a large group of them somewhere, then burn them all in one go."


    Irwin nodded, surprised at Yogog''s sudden calm.


    "Keep Coal out of it for now. He is good for small skirmishes, but he will be swarmed. Instead, keep him with you, and use that shadow card of your''s to move to the back where those fire casters are. As soon as you see an opening, you can have Coal attack them," Yogog continued rapidly before turning to Scintilla. "I know you are Irwin''s guard, but I need you to move with Greldo. Help him take out those ranged Imps, and if need be, get him out of danger."


    Scintilla nodded, her eyes showing her surprise.


    "You¡­ seem to know what you are doing?" Greldo asked, his voice mirroring the surprise Irwin felt.


    Yogog grunted as he looked around as if searching for something.


    "Irwin, I''ll find the Ignitzions and bring them to you. As soon as they are there, head to the main gate area and begin filling it with steam. I''ll keep the rest near the other entrances and atop the wall."


    Irwin nodded, quickly realizing what Yogog was planning. Below them, Crithann returned to the gate, which was opened to let him in.


    Yogog sighed as he began walking to the staircase leading down. Just before he walked down, he turned back to them. "Also, be careful of those card nullifiers. If you get one around your wrist, run away as fast as you can."


    Irwin hissed. He''d somehow forgotten about those.


    "Do they only stop us from using our cards? Or do they also stop the passive effects?" he asked.


    Yogog shrugged. "Don''t know. I''ve only heard about them, this is the first time I''ve seen them in use."


    "Only the active effects," Ambraz said from Irwin''s shoulder. "They were made to help carded that get powers they can''t control."


    Yogog nodded. "Good to know," he said before heading down. A moment later, Irwin heard him shouting for the Ignitzions.


    Beyond the walls, the Imps had burned away the roots, and the mass that had been working on that was following the smaller group that had continued. The initial group would reach them soon.


    "Well¡­" Greldo said as he turned to Scintilla. "Ready to do what we did back in the portal?"


    Irwin blinked in surprise, then faintly recalled Greldo having told him some of the things he and Scintilla had done.


    Scintilla hesitated, then moved toward him. "Be careful, hotstuff! I''ll not be here to guard you."


    "Just take care of him," Irwin said as he forced a grin. As the screams of the incoming army grew louder, he felt his stomach clench. He''d done lots of fighting, but nothing like this.


    Greldo let out a forced laugh while Scintilla nodded, then they turned and moved to the side of the ledge.


    "Irwin!" A shout came from below the staircase.


    Irwin moved over and saw Yogog standing below, waving him down. Ignitzions were grouping together nearby. There were roughly thirty, and Irwin only knew one of them by name. Lasvirish, the leader of the Emerald Portal closing group. There was also another one with nearly perfect orange hair from which smoke leaked up. He''d seen her before, as she was the leader of all of the Ignitzions, but he had no idea what she was called.


    "Time to see how much stronger I became," he muttered as he summoned his hammer.


    --


    Any moment now, Lasvirish thought.


    The gate creaked as it bulged inwards from the constant barrage of attacks on the other side. A sudden crack appeared though she didn''t really see it. It was only because of her Vibration Vision card that allowed her to sense movements that she ''saw''. All around her, a thick, heavy fog hung, obscuring everything. If she put her hand forward, she could barely see the fingertips.


    Not that she minded. She shivered as the wet heat embraced her, the fire elemental energy that made up over half of her being, almost singing for joy.


    If my sisters hear I''ve been enjoying water, they will never believe me, she thought, taking in a deep breath of the air that would destroy any non-fire-element lungs. She had heard Scintilla invite Irwin to the prime world, and she fully understood why.


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    The door burst inward, and she shoved the sense of well-being away as she blurred into motion. Hundreds of Imps burst through the door, their crazed screams of rage cut short as they ran into the steam.


    As she reached the first one, Lasvirish deftly stabbed her sword through its neck, ending what remained of its tormented life as pain-free as she could. Sensing it thud on the ground and shudder a few times before laying still, she sighed sadly.


    May you find rest in the sun''s eternal embrace, little cousin, she thought as she felt the Imp slide to the ground.


    Without a moment''s hesitation, she spun to the next, and within moments she left behind a path of dead Imps. Her heart clenched at the pain she was inflicting on things so alike some of her best friends, but there was no other way. They were no longer sane, just a mere mockery of the fun-loving tricksters they should have been.


    May you all rest peacefully, she thought, wishing it would be different.


    All around her, she sensed her sisters weave and spin through the mist, leaving a trail of dead in their wake. Most weren''t as fast as her, unable to see as well, but with the steam suffocating the Imps, there was barely any resistance. A sheen of water sat across everything, while a sheen of wet blood covered her blade and parts of her arms and face.


    As she passed through the gates, she noticed that the Smith -Irwin- was following behind them, and as he moved, the cloud of steam moved with him. It was rushing out beyond the gate faster than the Imp''s could flee.


    He''s a monster, she thought as she sensed how wide the area of the steam was. Only a few of the hand-carded she knew had the power to do something like this. Whatever he was using, it had to be a Ruby rank card or perhaps even a Diamond, and even then...


    Too bad that I didn''t have the talent for it, she thought, thinking about the smiths and their eternal damned luck. How good would it be to be able to reforge the cards she needed and help her friends.


    She continued killing, trying to supplant her sadness at the carpet of corpses. Eventually the entire cloud of hot gas was beyond the wall, and she and her sisters danced through the steam, Imp bodies littering the ground all around.


    At some point, fire had started falling down on them, the Imps in the back making it reign fire, but neither she nor the steam cared. It only lasted for a minute before suddenly stopping again, and she could feel a distant rumbling.


    Someone has to be fighting behind the line, she thought, wondering if it was the soulcarded Viridian. She shivered as she remembered the pressure he had exerted, which had been felt throughout the town.


    Further out, she noticed more of the Imps were starting to flee, but the steam just moved too fast. It began streaming forward, away from the gate and toward where she sensed the disturbance. The Imps beyond the cloud began to flee, but she sensed the tremors of hundreds of feet as the Viridian defenders moved to intercept them.


    If this continues, we will be fine, she thought, though she couldn''t push away a sense of unease. Part of it was the sadness she felt at so many dead Imps, but there was something else.


    As they headed further from the city, she felt a sudden tiny vibration deep in the ground. Surprised she focused on it. For a short moment, she didn''t know what she was feeling, then it suddenly made sense. An image of a dozen Imps rushing through the ground below appeared, clearing up as they closed in to the top soil below the Smith.


    "Watch out!" she screamed as she turned and began running back.


    There was a moment of silence, her sisters looking around in confusion. Then a group of Pale Imps burst out around the Smith.


    No!


    Lasvirish felt her skin crawl as everything seemed to move in slow motion. Two of her sisters were also rushing in to move to help, but neither she nor them would make it in time. The Imps were already there!


    She sensed the vile resonating of the card-nullifying bracelets appearing with the Imps as they activated them, ready to slap them on the Smith.


    Anger at herself for not predicting this was mixed with fear as she realized how far she and the others were from the city and how many Imps were still around the steam cloud. If the Smith''s steam cloud would vanish, they would be in danger!


    As her fear grew, the Smith reacted, and the moment of slow motion turned to a blurry stream of movements that caused her to gasp in surprise.


    The Smith spun around, spinning a massive hammer around as if it weighed nothing, battering some of the Imps away. At the same time, a burst of fire sprung up from his skin, covering his body and extending a foot out from it. The pale area around him colored yellow and orange, and Lasvirish froze in her movements. The Imps that were struck by the fire stopped moving before dropping to the ground. As they did, she could feel them slowly fall apart into tiny specs, then they vanished from her vibration vision.


    What¡­ What was that? she thought as she backed up, her fear of not being able to reach the wall with her sisters supplanted by something far more terrifying.


    She had never in her life feared fire of any sort, but as she sensed the crackling heat around the Smith, she barely dared breathe. She''d always been sensitive to the fire elements that permeated the world around her, and she could feel it being sucked into the flame. It almost felt like it was devouring the heat, pulling all of it from the Imps, leaving them a mere husk.


    One moment a dozen Imps were ready to render him powerless or worse, the next, the metallic-skinned Smith stood alone amidst a cloud of black ash and chunks that littered the ground around him.


    How¡­ what? Lasvirish thought. Absently she heard fearful screams from all around, and she vaguely knew some of the Imps must have sensed what she had. Many began fleeing in earnest now.


    "Head back through the gate!"


    The Smith''s voice ripped her out of her startled reverie, and she looked around. None of her sisters seemed to have noticed anything, and they were finishing off the remaining Imps in the steam. Only a few straggler Imps remained, though she felt more back at the city, fighting with the Viridians.


    "Smith Irwin?"


    Lasvirish grimaced at her elder sister''s voice and its implied question. The fear she felt, mixed with the anger, caused her carefully schooled uncaring to vanish, and she almost screamed in rage. A year ago, this had been her group. Only because that ugly little Embriz had managed to barely scrape by and get her eight sword did the elders decided to make her the leader.


    "Move!" the Smith roared, and Lasvirish forced the growing anger back where it belonged. It wouldn''t help unless she managed to get either her eight swords or become a heartcarded.


    Still, when she sensed none of her sisters move, she couldn''t hold back.


    "Move," she shouted.


    As her hesitating sisters immediately heeded her order, she felt a tiny bit of pride. They had zero losses, an incredible feat, for having killed hundreds if not more enemies.


    I wonder what he has planned now, she thought.


    --


    Irwin took a few deep breaths, looking around the battlefield. Imps littered the pale hills around him, and he felt a pang of sadness at the occasional Viridian and Ignitzion. Greldo stood in the distance, Coal at his side, a weary look on his face. All around, small groups of Viridians were killing the remaining pockets of Imps.


    He had dropped his steam when he and the Ignitzions joined up with the Viridian defenders before going after the Imps. They were badly organized, and without their backline, which had been obliterated by Greldo, Coal, Scintilla, and, surprisingly, Crithann, they were barely able to resist.


    No concept of surrender, he thought as he grimaced at the bloodiness of it all.


    He didn''t bother moving to any of the imps because if he did, they would scatter out of fear. As much as he''d tried to hide it, all of them seemed terrified of his flame.


    He remained alert, sometimes running at some Imps if they threatened to group up again, though most were gone.


    Time passed slowly, but when the horizon finally turned red from the rising sun, he was surprised that it was only now becoming morning.


    "Scintilla is returning," Greldo said.


    Irwin looked up to see Scintilla appear on the nearest hill. The sandy valley below was covered in Imp bodies and Viridians helping their wounded. Crithann stood on the other side, looking out for any potential stragglers.


    A red blur rushed across before appearing beside him. Scintilla appeared, then stumbled, and Irwin reached out to grab her arm.


    "Thanks," his guard said as she smiled at him wearily. "Going that far really drains me."


    She looked as bad as Greldo, and Irwin couldn''t help but be grateful for his Sweltering Heart card. Even now, he could probably fight for hours if it came to it. Maybe more.


    "The Pale Imps have fled to one of those stone growths to the far west," she said. "I waited after they disappeared in a cave, but they didn''t return while I was there."


    "You sure they didn''t see you?" Greldo asked.


    "Pretty much," she said, leaning on Irwin some more.


    "Alright, let''s go and meet up with the rest," Irwin said as he tried to ignore the sense of her body against his. "This is pretty much done."


    An hour later, they were back on the watchtower with Crithann and Yogog. The Viridians had returned within the safety of the walls, and Irwin and the others had been debating what to do.


    "Are you sure?" Yogog asked.


    Irwin could see the worry in the other Smith''s eyes.


    "Don''t worry. You saw how they reacted to my flame," he said with a grin. "We know where they are, and they will be as tired as all of you. The chances of them expecting someone to show up now are probably zero. Besides, Scintilla will be with me, so I''ll be able to get out if I have to."


    "If you can keep her awake," Greldo said.


    Irwin grinned and looked at his friend only to see him pointing at the Ignitzion seriously. She was leaning on him to the point that she would looked like she''d fall if he let her go.


    Irwin frowned. Should he wait? If he did, the chances of them bringing Balarn away through the portal would grow exponentially. Besides, it would give them time to regroup and prepare¡­


    "I''m fine," Scintilla said as she shook her head, pushed herself away and raised her head. "With the sun up, I''ll get more energy!"


    Is that how that works? Irwin thought as he looked at her, then at the sun. It was crawling up the sky, the heat it gave off already blistering the desert below.


    "We will go, and if she doesn''t feel better when we get there, we won''t go inside," he decided.


    He saw Greldo frown, and he sent him a reassuring smile.


    "I''ll come with you," Crithann said in his rumbling voice. "I don''t expect any more immediate threats, although everyone should watch out for Fleshgorgers. They might be drawn here by the large amount of blood and gore."


    "Alright, let''s go," Irwin said, feeling even better now.


    "Make sure you don''t get caught," Greldo snapped.


    "I won''t," Irwin replied. "Keep this place safe!"


    After a bit more banter, the three of them set out. It quickly became clear that Scintilla was too weary to keep running, but before Irwin could even worry about it, Crithann picked her up. Without a care in the world, the massive Viridian increased his speed until Irwin could barely keep up.


    Scintilla directed them to where they had to go, and it took them what Irwin guessed was nearly half an hour to reach the towering stone outcrops. A stark contrast with the pale sand, the hundred feet tall dark rocks reminded Irwin of the stone that had ended up being an Earth Titan. Dozens of holes sat across it, and there was no movement anywhere.


    "This is it," Scintilla said as she hopped down from Crithann''s shoulder.


    She wasn''t kidding that the sun would give her energy, Irwin thought. Then again, as he stretched his slightly sore body and felt the sun heat it up, he felt far less tired than he had before. Surprising, as he had just spent the last half hour sprinting.


    "Let''s go," he said. "There''s no way we can sneak up, but if we go fast enough, even if they see us, they probably won''t have time to react."


    As they ran towards their final destination, he thought about what they were to do and was glad Scintilla was there to get him out if needed. Then he realized something.


    "How will you get out if we encounter trouble?" he asked, turning to Crithann.


    "They will not be able to stop me if I wish to leave," Crithann rumbled, his eyes glistening with anger. "But I hope they try."


    The sand turned to a dark stone slope, and as they moved further up, they had to climb over and through rough outcrops until they reached the entrance, Scintilla pointed out. It was a dark, wide entrance to an even larger cave, and as they walked inside, an odd stench assaulted Irwin''s nose.


    "What''s that?" he whispered, disgusted.


    "Imp shit," Scintilla said as she looked almost sick. "Such filthy things! To defile the place they live!"


    "They have almost fallen, and are nearly Addled," Crithann rumbled, seemingly unconcerned about how far his voice would carry. "The weakest among them have gone so far their rational thought is gone. That''s why they attacked us as they did¡­"


    So that''s what would happen with the people of Giard if nothing changed, Irwin thought as he recalled the crazed Imps attacking them.


    "Let''s go get Balarn," he said before blinking. "And Relinda," he added after a moment. Nobody deserved to stay down here in this shit.

 Not a chapter : NaNoWriMo 2023 update!

    Hey guys and girls,


    So NaNoWriMo is upon us again, and it seems my plans have to be changed. A fanfiction isn''t allowed, so I''ll not be writing the Pokemon fanfic afterall for this NaNo. However, if I understand the following bit


    <blockquote>


    NEW: The challenge operates on an honor-based system, and as long as you uphold the challenge''s spirit, you may tailor it to your specific needs. As an example, if you find the challenge too easy for you and you wish to write 55,555 words in just 5 days, you are free to do so, but the reward will not change.


    Or, if you maintain a backlog (advance chapters not available on Royal Road) and intend to release them while concurrently building a new backlog, then that''s allowed. However, you must remain true to the spirit of the challenge, meaning you must publish at least 55,555 words and write 55,555 for the same story, even if the content published and written is not the same but for future chapters.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    </blockquote>


    I am allowed to write Irwin''s. So that is what I''ll be doing. I''ve found that NaNoWriMo also provides the option to add to an existing novel now (not sure if that is new)


    https://nanowrimo.org/participants/carrarn/projects/irwin-s-journey


    So, how will this go? Simple- I''ll write a chapter, add it to my patron (which is 45 chapters ahead) and only then upload a chapter here. To make sure the word counts line up, I''ll be keeping track of this and adding this to the post author chapter comments so everyone can keep track.


    For those wondering, I have 0 backlog beyond what is on my Patreon. I usually start writing the Friday chapter at the start of the week, meaning, today. Normally I only write a thousand words more or more or less, so I''ll be bumping that to as high as it can go!


    - John

 Chapter 128: Denied entry

    Irwin walked deeper into the caverns, moving through the narrow passages. To his surprise, as well as Crithann and Scintilla could see in the dark, he was still able to see even farther. So, as he had when he''d been with Daubutim long ago, he was the one in the lead.


    Ten minutes after they had entered, he saw movement ahead. Blurry movements as things seemed to pass the end of the wide, rocky tunnel they were moving through.


    "Irwin?" Scintilla asked, standing beside him.


    "I think we are there. There''s movement up ahead," Irwin said as he continued moving ahead.


    As he reached the end of the corridor, he saw it led up to a spacious chamber where a mass of Imps were moving inside. Before he could decide if he should run inside with his flame on, Crithann pushed him aside and walked forward.


    "Follow me," the towering Viridian grunted as he stepped into the cavern.


    Irwin shared a quick look with Scintilla, then followed him.


    Crithann moved inside a few steps, then stopped, letting out a surprised hiss. Irwin stepped around him to get a clear view.


    An emerald-rank portal hovered at the far wall, but there was no sight of Balarn or Relinda. Instead, Imps were rushing into the Portal one after the other while a much larger Imp stood to the side. Towering over the others, with wings on its back and golden rings attached to its nose and ears, it was glaring at the Imps moving into the Portal.


    That''s like the one Greldo told us about! Irwin thought as he searched for Balarn again.


    Even on a second inspection, there was no sight of him.


    "They must have brought Balarn through the portal or somewhere else," he muttered, his worry for the other smith growing.


    Either the winged Imp heard him, or it felt him watching because it turned and looked at Irwin. Its eyes widened, a burning red flaring up around them.


    "The prey comes to me!" the Imp shouted, its words mangled by a horrible accent.


    The surrounding Imps, at least a hundred, turned around, and a cacophony of giggling and screeching erupted.


    "Grab the smith and bring him through the portal!" the winged Imp roared. "I''ll deal with the leafed one!"


    Irwin saw the winged Imp smile wickedly, and he snarled back.


    As the horde of Imps rushed toward them, Crithann rose to his full height, a look of hate etched on his face as he glared at the winged Imp.


    "We need to catch that one," Irwin hissed.


    Although they were under attack, he wasn''t all that afraid of the imps. What he feared was not catching the winged Imp. It was obviously one of the leaders and they had to know more. If he summoned his flame to deal with the Imps, the winged Imp would jump back into the Portal.


    "Alright, I''ll tie him up," Crithann snapped as he walked forward, straight at the Imps.


    Great, Irwin thought.


    That meant he had to deal with all of the others, which meant either his flame or his steam. Which created a problem. What if the winged Imp escaped Crithann''s grasp and fled through the Portal when he saw the steam? Perhaps the Imps have had the time or even the ability to explain to the big Imp what he was capable of? Watching the crazed rush that would reach them within a few seconds, he didn''t believe it one bit.


    No. There was only one quick way to solve all of it, but he''d need help for that. He turned to Scintilla, who was glaring at the incoming Imps, her sword in her hand.


    "Move us all the way behind them, next to the portal," he whispered.


    Scintilla turned to him, her eyes wide. By now, the Imps were almost on them.


    "Hurry!" Irwin hissed as he triggered his Sweltering Heart. Immediately, thin tendrils of steam began appearing.


    A look of understanding appeared in Scintilla''s eyes. In a fluid movement, she sheathed her sword, grabbed his arm, and the world changed into a red blur of fire. It lasted only a moment, and then he stumbled forward, the Portal a few steps away.


    Irwin spun around, ignoring both the slight sickness in his stomach and Scintilla''s groans. On the far side of the cave, the Imps swarmed around Crithann, ignoring him as they looked around in surprise. Irwin pulled on his Sweltering Heart card as much as he could as he saw Crithann close in on the winged Imp.


    Rumbling came from the ground below, and familiar roots burst up. The winged Imp laughed as he jumped back, spreading his wings and blurring to the side. The ceiling was too low for it to fly properly, but as Irwin saw it dash sideways, he shivered at the speed. At the same time, the Imp was looking around, apparently having noticed that he and Scintilla had vanished.


    Hurry, hurry, Irwin thought as he pulled the steam closer around him. As it touched the Portal, he sensed the powerful energy contained inside it wreaking havoc on the steam. With some effort, he tried to keep it away from the Portal.


    "Over there! At the Portal! Stop them!"


    Irwin watched as the horde of Imps turned almost as one, their crazed eyes on him.


    Behind them, the winged Imp kept shooting around, seemingly easily dodging the roots.


    Yeah, too bad for you, but you''re too late, he thought as the steam swirled around him, the Portal and a rapidly growing section around him. The walls and ground were glistening, and the vision became less.


    As the Imps rushed him again, he saw them hesitate, fear warring with the crazed maliciousness in their eyes. When the first ones reached the steam, they had stopped running.


    "What are you doing? Get them!'' the winged Imp roared.


    Good, he doesn''t know, Irwin thought with a grin. Taking a deep breath of hot air, he focused on moving a part of the steam through the room to block the other exit while ignoring the Imps.


    A minute later, the steam had circled around the room, leaving only a small pocket of clear air in the center. The Imps had begun backing up, and no matter the screams of the winged Imp, they refused to go inside.


    Crithann was inside the cleared-out portion, using the cramped space to his advantage. By now, the winged Imp was screeching in fury, dodging and swirling around the roots. Although it had been willing to send the other Imps inside the steam, it must have realized that might be dangerous as it seemed unwilling to enter it himself. Finally, it seemed to lose its calm.


    "Enough!" it roared, and Irwin could barely see it streak towards him and Scintilla. The angry gleam showed it was planning to grab him and probably rush through the Portal.


    "Get ready to move us away," Irwin whispered as he summoned his hammer in his hand.


    "Ready," Scintilla replied as she stepped closer. He felt her hand on his arm just as the winged Imp shot into the steam. As soon as it did, he got a rough view of it, and although he couldn''t see the details, he noticed immediately as it slowed. A strangled gasp came, and a moment later, the Imp collided with the ground, skidding forward.


    Moments of grunts of effort and anger passed, the sounds slowly coming closer until they finally stopped.


    Irwin sensed the Imp slump to the ground in the steam, unmoving.


    "It''s down," he shouted. "Crithann, can you get out of there?"


    "Don''t worry about me." Crithann rumbled. "Just fill the room."


    Irwin nodded as he released some of his control, and the steam rippled inward amidst panicked cries.


    As he heard the screams, Irwin felt a pang of guilt. Then he recalled what Greldo had told him, and he gritted his teeth, keeping the steam up. At the same time, he moved to the downed-winged Imp. They had to move it out of here, or it would suffocate. Before he reached it, he sensed Crithann''s lumbering form walk towards them, and a moment later, the towering Viridian appeared in the steam.


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    Crithann grabbed the winged Imp and began dragging him back to the entrance.


    Long minutes later, they were sitting in the cavern, the winged Imp tied up in roots and the steam slowly dissipating out of the room. Irwin took a single look in the room and instantly wished he hadn''t. He felt his stomach heave at the piles of corpses. As he turned away, Scintilla moved beside him.


    "There was no other choice," she whispered. "If we had let them go, they would have just harmed other people. They were so close to turning into Addled that they were beyond saving. Now, any harm they didn''t do is because of you."


    Irwin sighed.


    She is right, but why do I still feel so bad, he thought.


    He remained standing for a few minutes until the slight guilt withdrew.


    "I wonder if they brought Balarn through the portal," he said.


    "Probably," Crithan said.


    "Then we need to send people inside and look for them," Irwin said.


    I really wish I could just enter that place myself, he thought. Between his flame and his steam, he''d be able to take care of the Imps and hopefully save Balarn and Relinda.


    Crithann, who was looking at the inside of the room, didn''t seem at all bothered by the nearly two hundred dead bodies.


    "I''ll escort a large group back here later today," Crithann said. "I think with as little information as we have on what is going on, we are going to have to keep using your tactic and send in an army. For now, I''ll close the cave. We need to head back and find out what this one can tell us. The chances of another, or more, coming out to check on where they are is too big to risk questioning him here."


    Irwin nodded and watched as Crithann moved to the entrance and held his hand forward. A massive hammer of root and stone grew from the ground in the center of the tunnel, rapidly expanding more and more until it completely blocked the entrance.


    As Irwin watched it happen, he cocked his head as he wondered if he could do the same with his hammer. He knew he could make it much larger since his evolution, but he''d not really experimented with the maximum size yet.


    The trip back was uneventful, though Irwin felt himself thinking back to the bodies in the room occasionally. He wondered why, as his steam had killed far more Imps, directly or indirectly, only hours before during the war. Perhaps it was because this was solely on him?


    The winged Imp remained unconscious, and halfway back, Irwin began to worry. It had been in the scalding air for a long time. What if it remained unconscious?


    When they approached the city, they saw Viridians dragging large amounts of Imp bodies away, dumping them in holes on the distant hill. There was no sight of any battles remaining, though many Viridian warriors remained on the walls and the lookout tower.


    As he walked to the entrance, Irwin looked at the bound-up Imp.


    If he wakes, I wonder what he will tell us.


    After leaving the Imp tied up with a dozen guards in Crithann''s basement, Irwin and Scintilla returned to the smithy, where they shared what they had known with Greldo and Yogog.


    For the rest of the day, they stayed there, resting.


    Late during the day, a Viridian came to tell them that Crithann had awoken the Imp and made him share some information. Based on that, he would be heading to the Portal immediately with a large group to search for Barlarn, Relinda, and anyone else. He requested for them to meet him at the city entrance.


    Irwin and the others rushed through the town, noticing that it was quiet compared to the last few weeks. When they reached the gate, Crithann was there with a group of sixty Viridians and five Ignitzions.


    "We don''t have much time," he rumbled before any of them could even say anything. "Greldo, Scintilla, I need you to join the others."


    Irwin grimaced as he looked at his friends, then at the group behind Crithann. He wanted to say that they were too tired to go now, but he could see from Crithann''s demeanor that something was wrong.


    "What did the Imp tell you?" he asked.


    "The portal is something he called a temporary portal," Crithann said. "It will only remain there for a few more days, and it leads to a large shardworld that the Imps use as a hub. It has multiple portals, all leading to different worlds, and they gather captives there before sending them to someone or something he called Tezrionian.


    "What?" Ambraz said.


    Irwin jolted, having forgotten that the tiny Anvil was still perched on his shoulder. He''d shown zero reaction even during the battle early in the morning, so what did Tezrionian mean?


    "What are Tezrionian?" he asked, noticing the others were looking at the Anvil with as much interest.


    "A myth to scare people with," Ambraz snapped. "They don''t exist!"


    Irwin frowned. "Well, that Imp seemed to think differently. What do those myths say?"


    "A whole bunch of mumbo jumbo," Ambraz said as he snorted. "Mostly that they are as powerful as soulcarded but don''t have cards, and that they eat carded people to become stronger."


    Irwin blinked, then frowned.


    "It doesn''t matter who they are bringing them to," Crithann rumbled. "According to the Imp, they will be taken away later today, so we need to act now. He says there are hundreds of Viridian captives there!"


    There was a moment of quiet, and then Greldo sniffed.


    "How do we know the Imp wasn''t just lying?"


    Crithann looked back, and although Irwin wasn''t the target, even he shivered from the cold smile that crept up the normally emotionless bark face of Crithann.


    "He spoke the truth."


    "Right¡­ gotcha," Greldo muttered as he took a small step back.


    Another question came to Irwin, and he swallowed as he asked it.


    "If it''s such a big place, will this even be enough?" he whispered.


    Crithann nodded. "Yes. According to what he said, there are mostly regular Imps, a few dozen pale Imps, and one more winged Imp."


    Irwin frowned. "And what can those winged Imps do? This one only flew around."


    Crithann shrugged. "He says the other one mainly uses brute strength."


    "Sounds like the one I saw before," Greldo said.


    "We have to go now," Crithann said. "We can''t risk being too late!"


    Irwin turned to Greldo, and for the third time, he wished he could just go into the portals with his friend.


    "We will be fine," Greldo grunted.


    Irwin frowned. He wanted to disagree, but what could he say? Everyone was tired, well, except for him. Even Scintilla''s burst of energy had faded when they returned, and she was rubbing her eyes, barely awake.


    He took a deep breath, then exhaled explosively.


    "Just be bloody careful," he said.


    "We will be. It''s not the first time, remember?" Greldo said, but Irwin could see how forced his friend''s grin was.


    Yeah. That''s the problem, Irwin thought as he watched Greldo walk away.


    "I''ll take good care of him," Scintilla said as she smiled at him.


    "Make sure you take care of yourself, too," Irwin snapped.


    Scintilla blinked, then gave him a wide smile before turning and following the rest out of the gate.


    As he watched them leave, Irwin gritted his teeth.


    I need to figure out a way to help them, he thought. If his friends were going to keep doing dangerous things, they needed as much power as they could.


    Which means it''s time to help them reforge their cards and get new ones, he thought as he turned around and stomped back to the forge.


    --


    The next three days passed by with such grueling slowness that Irwin barely managed to get through them. Yogog hadn''t been much better, holing himself up in his own part of the smithy and working with his apprentices.


    Halfway through the second day, Crithann came to see him. The winged Imp had died during another round of interrogation, but this time, there had been differences in what he''d said. Neither of those two bits of news had done anything to make Irwin feel any better.


    As the third day slowly came to a close, Irwin was glaring at the card lying on the table. The only thing he''d been able to do was reforge as it was the only thing that seemed able to take his mind off things.


    "Dammit, you little brat! Stop glaring at me!" Ambraz snapped.


    Irwin blinked, startled awake from his worry and annoyance.


    "What?"


    "I know you''re worried about your friends, but you do realize this isn''t helping, right? They went in there with plenty of firepower!"


    Irwin sniffed at that, then took a deep and shuddering breath.


    "I know. But it''s just so horribly annoying! I came here to get stronger and not feel like I was being pressured for time! Now look what-"


    The warning horn sounded, and Irwin was moving before it stopped. He sprinted through the door, hearing a surprised yelp from Ambraz. The Anvil managed to catch up before he reached the watchtower, and as he sprinted up, he heard him grumble angrily.


    Irwin didn''t care.


    As he reached the top, he saw a few familiar guards standing on the edge, talking rapidly.


    "Are they back?" Irwin asked as he moved beside them, staring in the distance.


    "Smith Irwin. I''m sorry¡­ but¡­" a guard began, and Irwin grimaced. It took him only a moment to see a small group heading their way, and he instantly recognized them as Ignitzions.


    "It''s fine," he said, nodding at the guards. He almost headed back, then decided to stay and see who they were.


    When he could finally make out faces, he was glad he had.


    "Ignalia and the others!"


    "Finally. Let''s hope they have information on Cinder Grove."


    Irwin was startled when he saw that Crithann was standing beside him. He''d not heard him arrive.


    I really need to get a grip, he thought.


    "Let''s go see what happened," he said.


    Crithann followed him down without a reply, and it only took them a short while to reach the incoming Ignitzions. As they approached, Ignalia raised her hand in greeting. Her face was hollowed out, and her hair matted. None of the others behind her looked any better.


    "Ignalia, how are things at Cinder Grove? Did you reach it?" Irwin asked as he approached the swordswoman.


    "We did," she said as she stopped before them. "It''s worse than here. The Imps have three Emerald and a Ruby-rank portal hidden deep in the forests, and there are so many of them that a lot of the forces of Cinder Grove are pinned down in the city''s walls. They can''t leave or risk the city falling. Only Gebladir and his guards have been going out, and we met them in the forests outside."


    A ruby rank portal? Irwin thought as he blinked in surprise. Would that one lead to the same world the Winged Imp had spoken about?


    "You met Gebladir!" Crithann rumbled as he stepped forward. "How was he?"


    "Tired," Ignalia said with a shake of her head. "Let''s head back. There''s much to discuss. It''s best if Yogog, Hotzli, and the others hear this."


    Irwin sighed as he began walking back to town.


    "Hotzli isn''t here. She''s scouting the exit to the gallery," he said.


    "What? She was supposed to stay with Yogog," Ignalia snapped. The anger in her eyes told Irwin exactly how tired she must be. Usually, she was much better at keeping control over herself.


    "Yogog is fine. She made him promise to remain in the city," Irwin said. He decided that he''d better not tell her about the battles they had a few days ago. He''d be more than happy to leave that to Yogog.


    "Fine. Get Greldo, Scintilla, and some of the others then," she muttered. "And we should prepare the group of people able to enter into Emerald portals."


    Irwin blinked, then couldn''t help but lick his lips nervously, barely noticing he did.


    "Why?" he asked.


    "Because Gebladir sent scouts inside those portals, and they discovered that all of the higher-rank portals are connected to some odd world! The problem is, there is an entire army of Imps inside there, so to close it, we are going to need to¡­ what? Why are you looking like that?"


    Irwin gritted his teeth, barely able to stop from shouting in anger.


    "Greldo and the others went into an Emerald portal," he said. "That was three days ago."


    He ignored the surprised yelp as he stomped onward.


    This means I''m going to have to find that Ruby Portal!

 Chapter 129: Onward, or else

    Two days after Ignalia returned and five days after Greldo and the others had gone through, the temporary portal closed. A wave of sadness coursed through the town as nearly everyone had loved ones who were now locked away in a portal.


    Irwin glared at the wall ahead of him. Questions had been bubbling through his mind, and he looked at the stack of twelve cards. Each was emerald-ranked.


    "Can heartcarded enter through portals?" he asked, turning to Ambraz, who was sitting on his shoulder like some tiny anvil ornament.


    "What? Of course, they can!"


    "But not through every portal," Irwin said.


    Ambraz''s mouth opened and closed. "It depends on the quality of their heartcard. If it''s a Ruby rank, and the smith that combined the cards was skilled enough, they can enter into Ruby portals."


    Irwin frowned, then nodded. Over the last few months, he''d learned a lot about heartcards. After combining all cards in their hands, carded needed to find a Card Smith to combine them together into a single card. This card would be placed in the heart slot. However, what many people didn''t know was that the quality of the resulting heart card depended on two things. The highest rank of any of the handcards, which most people knew, but also the ability of the Cardsmith to reforge the heartcard. Due to a heartcard having far more effects than any regular card, it was incredibly difficult for all leakages to be closed and every black blotch of potential to be used. But this was the only way to get a card of the same rank as the highest rank of the handcards. According to what Ambraz and Crithann had told him, many heartcarded had topaz or emerald rank heartcards."


    "Don''t get your hopes up, kid! The chances of you finding someone here with a Ruby heart card are really small. Besides, remember what I told you. Many don''t want to share the quality of their heartcard."


    Irwin sighed.


    "We will just have to see," he said as he picked up the cards. "And you are absolutely sure we can''t reforge one of these cards to Ruby Rank?"


    "Not happening. The step from Emerald to Ruby is one of the three major hurdles for any cardsmith to overcome. The first is getting your first card reforged. The second is going from Emerald to Ruby, and the last is reforging a heartcard."


    "What about soulcards?" Irwin asked.


    "Bah! Let''s not even get into those! That''s the pinnacle! If you can reforge those¡­ You will be set for life! There''s only a handful of those in any given generation."


    "Wait, so how do people get their soulcards?" Irwin asked in surprise.


    "After a heartcarded fills up their soulforce, the heartcard turns into a soulcard that is slotted in their soul. There is no cardsmith required for that step," Ambraz said as he began flitting through the room.


    "But, what does that mean then? What can cardsmiths do to soulcards?"


    Ambraz let out a soft laugh. "If I knew that, I''d not be here," he said, causing Irwin to blink.


    "Wait? You don''t know?" Irwin asked, looking at the Anvil flying around.


    "What do you think? That I know everything?" Ambraz snapped angrily. "Listen, kid, I already know more than most of my kind! But soulcard reforging? I know of the term and that there are those that can do it. But that''s it. I have no idea what they can actually do. I do know something happens when you become a Soulcarded, but they are all really hush-hush about it. You could ask Crithann, though I don''t expect him to answer it."


    Irwin was quiet for a while as he gazed at the cards in his hands. The idea of filling his hand, becoming a heartcarded then a soulcarded seemed far away. With a sigh he shoved it down. He could reach that time! But now wasn''t the time to ponder it.


    So, there''s no way to get more Ruby carded to help, he thought, forcing himself to focus on what was important at this moment.


    "Fine, let''s go and see if we can find a heartcarded that can join us," he said as he headed to the door.


    I''ll hand these to Crithann. If nobody returns, they will need new people to fight, he thought as he stuffed the cards in his pocket.


    --


    A day after the portal closed, early in the morning, Irwin stood at the gate. A mass of Viridians stood nearby, many of whom had already come to wish him luck. Now, they had backed up to make room for Crithann.


    Irwin flexed his shoulders to nudge the massive backpack in a better angle as he gazed at Crithann.


    "Are you sure about this?" the towering Viridian asked.


    "Don''t bother," Ambraz snapped. "I''ve been trying to get him to change his mind for the past few days. No matter what I''ve said, he is dead-set on heading out to find that Ruby portal."


    Irwin snorted but didn''t deny it. "I might not be the most powerful carded," he said. "But ever since I got my first card, I''ve been able to fight against these Imps better than nearly everyone I''ve met."


    As he said it, he knew it was right. If it had been any other type of demon, it would be pure suicide to head into that world and hope to make any difference. But all he needed was enough time to trigger his flame to guard him from initial attacks, after which he planned to create a massive steam cloud. Then he was going to move around and find and save the others.


    "Yes, but we know nothing about where that portal leads to. It could be inside some highly protected room on another world shard," Ambraz snapped. "And all we know about its location is that it''s somewhere in the forest around Cinder Grove."


    Irwin noticed that a tiny smile was growing on Crithann''s face.


    "Which is why I''m not going in alone," Irwin said as he looked at the three Ignitzions behind him.


    Ignalia looked marginally better than she had two days ago, but her face was still thin and wan. She had been the first heartcarded to come forward, and in hindsight, he guessed it didn''t surprise him that she had such a powerful heartcard. What had surprised him was that there wasn''t a single Viridian that did. Some had come up, asking if he couldn''t reforge their heartcard to a higher rank, at which Ambraz had laughed so loud that he''d almost fallen from his shoulder. Besides Ignalia, three other Igntizions had a Ruby heartcard, one of which was their leader. She was also the only one who wouldn''t join them, as she was going to stay here to help guard New Grianf¨¢l, as the locals had come to call it.


    "Don''t worry, we will keep him safe," Ignalia said as she stepped forward, locking eyes with Crithann. "You just keep Yogog here, alright? Don''t let him leave and do something foolish!"


    "I promised I will," Crithann said. "He won''t be allowed to do anything foolish until either you or Hotzli returns."


    Ignalia sniffed and nodded before she turned to Irwin.


    "Alright. You are sure you don''t want to wait another few days?" she asked. "More refugees arrive every day, and it''s possible that more people who are able to enter ruby portals arrive."


    Irwin held back an angry response and shook his head.


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    "No. From all we have heard, either everyone is captured or fighting to survive. The scouts that had gone in before the army said that the cavern around the portal was empty. My guess is that they are holed up, unable to return for some reason," he said.


    "Then there''s no use standing around," Ignalia said. "It''s a long trip back."


    Irwin raised his hand to Crithann in greeting.


    "Until we meet again," Crithann rumbled. "Know that you always have a place here."


    A round of shouts of agreement came from the surrounding Viridians, and Irwin felt a warm feeling spread through his chest. As he looked around at the buildings, the wall, and the towering Heart Tree, he realized that he''d slowly started feeling at home in the sandy town.


    "Don''t worry. I''ll find the others, and we will come back here," he said, waving around. Then he turned and stomped out of the gate, matching stride with Ignalia. The other two Ignitzions followed behind them.


    "So, three weeks?" he said.


    "If we walk."


    Irwin looked to the side, wondering if she could even run for a day.


    "Don''t you worry about me," Ignalia said. "The return trip took us less than two weeks, and if the others hadn''t slowed me down, I could have done it in one."


    "Well, should we run then?" Irwin asked as he cracked his neck.


    "Lets. I need to get Balarn out of there before he does something stupid," Ignalia said as she began jogging and then running.


    What? More stupid than getting himself captured for a second time? Irwin thought as he followed after her. He tried to supress his worry with some humor.


    "Sisters, if you require rest, let us know," Ignalia called back.


    There was a shout of agreement, but from the disgruntled voices, Irwin had the feeling they didn''t expect it would be needed.


    Irwin couldn''t stifle a wry grin as he ran away from the town.


    Greldo, when I save you again, I''m going to keep reminding you of this for the rest of our lives!


    --


    Daubutim waited quietly as Gelwin looked at the paper which he had just handed to the ancient sorcerer. There was a location on it, and although Daubutim didn''t really know where it was, he was sure that Gelwin either did or could find out.


    "Interesting," the ancient sorcerer finally said. "Of all the things I had thought of, tagging Uxin''tar to find out where he was hiding hadn''t actually occurred to me." He frowned, tugging his beard. "I keep forgetting not everyone is immune to such things¡­ Well, young one, you did far better than I had expected!"


    Confused, Daubutim shook his head. "Excuse me for asking, but I have not taken care of him yet, which is why I am here. So, if this is better, what did you expect?"


    Gelwin leaned back and let out a dry chuckle. "Nothing, to be honest. I was simply curious to see how you would respond to such a task with your issue. I guess you could say it was a test.


    A test is something you would usually expect someone to clear. Right? Daubutim thought.


    He examined the ancient sorcerer, feeling annoyed. His father had pulled things like this sometimes but had never remained this quiet and calm under it. That had usually been combined with loud shouting and finger-wagging.


    As annoyed as he was, he carefully schooled his face, recalling what Gelwin had said about reading people''s faces.


    "So, what do we do now?" he asked. He''d been here to ask for Gelwin''s help in dealing the final blow to Uxin''tar or at least point him to someone with the ability to do so.


    "Now, I think it is time to let the Grinwron Trade Federation take care of it," Gelwin said as he snapped his fingers.


    Daubutim heard a soft crackle, almost like lightning. A moment later, a robed and hooded figure came walking out of a nearby corridor, making barely any sound. He bowed to Gelwin and took the offered paper.


    "Go to Tomeron Grinwon and tell him this is the location of the fellow responsible for the missing and killed serfs. Add to it that, if he fails to take care of it, the Librarians will be holding him responsible and reducing the number of requests he may make on us."


    The robed figure bowed again and was about to leave when Gelwin scraped his throat, causing the figure to stop in its tracks.


    "Also, warn him that the perpetrator is slippery and has cards that allow for flight and weak mind control."


    The robed figure nodded, then turned and left as quietly as he came.


    Daubutim tried to stay calm, but he felt his annoyance grow.


    "What is wrong, young one?"


    "How can we be sure that Uxin''tar won''t get away? He has proven elusive enough to get away from all of the guards and anyone else searching for him."


    "Indeed. So what would you suggest? Did you have another plan?" Gelwin asked quietly.


    Daubutim remained quiet. He''d actually hoped for Gelwin to step in and take care of matters himself, which would give him a chance to find out more about the ancient sorcerer.


    "Daubutim, as powerful and dangerous as Uxin''tar is, do you really think you can stop him? You have only a few cards, and he has over a hundred years of experience and somehow managed to get his hands on at least one soul card," Gelwin said calmly. "What had you even intended?"


    Not sure how to react, Daubutim kept looking at Gelwin.


    The ancient sorcerer raised an eyebrow.


    Realizing he was supposed to answer, Daubutim frowned.


    "My plan was to get his location and have someone more powerful deal with him," he said truthfully. "It would have been better if I''d known more about his enemies, but I presume those are all back on Giard. Otherwise, I would have played them against each other."


    "Which is why you came to me," Gelwin said.


    Daubutim didn''t respond. He was pretty sure Gelwin could read what he thought from his face.


    A soft laughter rang from the ancient sorcerer.


    "Cutthroat, smart, and able to get things done. You remind me of someone I knew a long time ago. Still, we are going to need to figure out a way to fix your issues," Gelwin said as he leaned back.


    "Now. How big do you think the chance is for Uxin''tar to get away?"


    "Over half," Daubutim said immediately.


    "Why?"


    "Because he has managed to evade everyone so far, and we still don''t know why he has been taking those Serfs."


    Gelwin was quiet, his thick, bushy brows furrowing as a sad look came to his eyes.


    "Partially correct. He is most likely taking their cards and feeding them to his current heartcard."


    "Taking¡­?" Daubutim asked as he pushed back a shiver.


    "There are ways to increase the likelihood of someone dropping their cards upon death," Gelwin said, his eyes glinting angrily. "Now, what if I tell you that Tomeron Grinwon and his small Trade Federation have nearly two dozen soulcarded warriors stationed here?"


    Daubutim blinked. He sensed his mind trying to connect dots and, at the same time, felt his weariness from a few days with little sleep kick in. It took all his effort to force the sensation down and ignore the bubbling almost-ideas as best he could.


    "Will they send one?" he asked.


    "After my threat? Probably half of them," Gelwin said with a nasty gleam. "Now, I can see you are close to one of your troublesome moments, so I''ll let you head to your room. A fair warning. Remain in the library for the next few weeks. There are odd things going on with the Smiths Guild right now, and remaining near any of their charters is potentially not safe. "


    "Will this stretch to where Irwin is?" Daubutim asked as he felt his mind once more attempt to connect dots as a vague image began forming.


    "Perhaps, but there is nothing either of us can do if it does," Gelwin said before leaning back and tapping on the armrest. "After some digging, I found a few interesting bits of information about Scour, the world he is currently in. From what I can tell, he could stay there for decades without any real-time passing to us. The world''s entrance portal is a few weeks away, so I don''t expect him to return until at least a month has passed. Also, there are at least two people there with multiple soulcards, one of which is a Smith. I''m sure that if anything happens, those will take care of it. If they can."


    Daubutim gazed at the wooden floor, wondering what could be going on with the smiths. He''d not noticed anything odd when he''d been there earlier.


    "Now, one last thing, and then you should head off," Gelwin said. "Your cousin and the others have successfully returned to Clour peninsula. That leaves you, Lamia, and Uxin''tar here. If he does escape, he will try to go after either of you." Gelwin snapped his fingers, and another crack of lightning sounded from nearby. A second cloaked and hooded figure appeared. Gelwin pointed at him.


    "He will be shadowing you, so don''t be alarmed if you notice him. If anything happens, he will be capable of, at a minimum, buying you time to flee. If so head here right away."


    "Thank you," Daubutim said, forcing a smile on his face. He had some experience with bodyguards, but when he was a child, he didn''t like it. It proved he was still far too weak to protect himself.


    "Now, I think you need to sleep," Gelwin said. "And I''ve done more talking than I usually do in a month."


    Daubutim quickly rose and bowed.


    "Thank you for helping the others return," he said.


    "There is no need to thank me," Gelwin said with a slightly weary smile. "Don''t forget to read the books that I left for you. Some deal with maps, others have history you might find interesting."


    Daubutim bowed again, then turned and headed to the corridor. As he moved, his weary mind reminded him to keep his gaze locked to the floor and to step over the doorpost. Mechanically, Daubutim moved through the library, making sure to do each and every odd act, including tapping the single book in the fourth corridor that had a black bookcase. He still had no idea what could go wrong if he didn''t, but he had no interest in finding out. Rules were there for a reason.


    When he reached Purntou''s spacious study room, two of his fellow librarian apprentices were there. Neither looked up, keeping their faces in their books.


    As he moved into his tiny room, Daubutim noticed the stack of seven books on his desk. He hesitated, then shook his head. He needed to figure out what the odd pattern was that his mind was trying to unravel, but if he tried that now, he''d sink into nothingness and dullness.


    Lying down on his bed, he gazed up at the ceiling and froze. A gray cloud hovered in the corner, with two blood-red eyes gazing at him. Something painfully pushed against his mind, and he sensed his consciousness start to flag.


    ''Move, and you''re dead,'' a familiar voice hissed, somehow in the confines of his mind.


    "Uxin''tar," Daubutim whispered.

 Chapter 130: Abide by the rules

    Daubutim stared at the gray cloud that spread out to cover the entire ceiling. As it began lowering, his fear vanished as his training took over. He prepared his cards, getting ready to defend himself. He absently hoped that the cloaked and hooded guard Gelwin had sent him would be nearby.


    ''If you make any wrong move, little bastard, I''ll crush your mind and get what I need the hard way,'' Uxin''tar hissed, the horrid voice echoing along the edges of his mind.


    The pressure increased, and Daubutim felt his consciousness compressed further. Slowly he lost his hold on his cards and finally couldn''t hold back a strangled gasp. All he could do was struggle to keep his consciousness from dissipating.


    ''This odd protection you have somehow gotten won''t save you from me!'' Uxin''tar hissed, the words echoing dully in Daubutim''s mind.


    As the pressure increased, he struggled, focusing all of himself inward. The world had turned a dark gray, and he barely felt his back against the bed. Instead, the dullness seemed like a blanket around him, threatening to drown him out. Whatever Uxin''tar was doing was agitating it, causing it to spread and thicken beyond anything he had ever experienced.


    Slowly, Daubutim felt the tiny seed of fear that he''d always carried, that he might one day remain in his dulled state, unable to ever return to full consciousness.


    He screamed in the confines of his mind, trying to pull even further inward and away from the dullness. It felt like he was both compressed together into the smallest point he could and, at the same time, pushed against a wall.


    ''How can you do this! You only have a few pathetic cards, none of which should grant you a mental barrier! No! This is impossible! A trick! I will know where Gelwin is, and you will tell me!''


    Uxin''tar began screaming in his mind, an insane hatred waving along with it.


    Daubutim felt like he was shoved into the center of his mind, surrounded by a gray cloud of roiling nothingness that threatened to swallow him while at the same time holding back Uxin''tar.


    Feeling the pressure against the clouds, he was stunned when vague images began forming around him. Unable to understand what he was seeing, he watched how a young man moved through a tower, which he instantly recognized. It was a sorcerer''s tower, and although he''d never been to this one, he knew it was the most important one. It was the tower where a handful of the most powerful sorcerers had been living. The young man stood before a hallway with a door at the end. As the image became clearer, Daubutim saw the thick carpet of dust.


    A dull droning, almost like a voice, hummed around him, but he couldn''t make out any of the words. The young man scowled. Although it lasted for only moments, Daubutim could sense that, in reality, hours passed as the young man stood there, glaring at the door. Finally, he clenched his fists, gritted his teeth, and turned away.


    Is that Uxin''tar? Daubutim thought. As he did, he instinctively wanted to hold back his mind from thinking about it too deeply, only to find that there was no reaction. The clouds of dullness around him remained a mass of swirling clouds while the pressure from Uxin''tar kept slowly increasing. But his mind remained clear, free.


    Barely believing what he sensed, Daubutim slowly let himself think about what he''d seen and naturally formed a conclusion. Smooth as butter, tiny memories clicked together, and if he could have, he might have cried at the sense of clarity that remained.


    It is Uxin''tar, he thought. It was the only thing that made sense. Somehow, he was seeing memories from the evil sorcerer as the man tried to force his way into his mind. Could he find a way to stop what was happening? Or slow it down?


    He watched with bated breath as another image formed. It was clearer than the previous one, almost as if the pressure Uxin''tar was exerting was causing some connection between them to grow stronger.


    The young man -Uxin''tar- had become older, a scraggly beard covering most of his face. He stood in an ancient, ruined library, staring at a book. A look of exaltation was on his face as he pressed a hand on the book. His lips moved, but beyond the dull droning, Daubutim heard nothing. Uxin''tar moved forward, rushing through the ruins. Daubutim tried to determine where he could be, but there was nothing he recognized.


    Again, the passage of time became muddled, and what had to be a long time passed before the man that was Uxin''tar stopped before a section of nondescript wall. His beard had become longer, and his eyes had a haunted look. He glared at the wall as he put his hands on it. A card on the back of his left hand flashed, and Daubutim watched in awe as images appeared on the wall, forming the shape of a door.


    A look of rapture came to Uxin''tar''s face as the door opened, revealing a small room with golden inlay and dust of millennia covering everything. On a small pedestal protected by a crystalline cover lay a beautiful card.


    Daubutim recognized part of it, and if he could, he would have shivered. It was a Derlin card, similar to the one Irwin had found long ago, back when they were still dealing with the Frozir situation and before they had reached Esterdon.


    The bearded Uxin''tar ran forward, then almost reverently removed the crystal cover to take the card. Daubutim was anxious to see what would happen, but the image blurred, dissipating.


    Faint images began swirling around, but none lasted longer than a moment, and they all were too fuzzy to make sense.


    Ignoring them, Daubutim realized that the pressure had increased even more. Uxin''tar had been screaming in anger for a while. He quickly replayed what he''d said to find out if there was anything useful and blinked as he recalled Uxin''tar''s words.


    What does he mean, I have Soulforce? he thought, replaying the screamed curses. What is that?


    His mind tried connecting dots, and he let it, hoping for the answer to appear while reveling in the ease of it. No fear of turning nearly catatonic. It took only a moment for him to find that the only thing different about him was the fog. Gazing at it, he frowned. Was this Soulforce? If so, what was it? What did it do?


    One of the images suddenly snapped into focus, turning clear as day. An even older Uxin''tar, his beard now fully gray, sat at a table, his eyes closed and his face warped by pain. His hands were splayed out before him. All of the slots were filled, and as Daubutim watched, he saw them glow as one before settling again.


    He combined both hands and thought.


    Uxin''tar opened his eyes, and a crazed light sat inside as he took something from the inside of his robe. It was a Derlin card, but not the same one as Daubutim had seen before. This one had a silver hammer and the outlining of an empty card slot on it.


    He watched as Uxin''tar laughed and put the card on top of his right hand. A flash of light appeared, and all three of his cards shot up in tiny beams of light before they hovered above the other card. Uxin''tar then put it on his left hand, and three more cards appeared. With all six of his cards hovering above his hand, he shouted something. All six cards began rotating around while the Derlin card glowed as bright as the sun. Bits and parts of the six cards began shooting into it, and the image of the hammer faded while the card slot seemed to be filled up.


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    The bright light lasted for a long time, but when it faded, the Derlin card had changed to show a large bird with three eyes. Odd patterns covered its wings and head, while its three eyes seemed to glow with a dull red light.


    Uxin''tar was staring at it, the crazy light in his eyes even stronger than before.


    This is how he got his heartcard, Daubutim thought.


    The image faded again, and a swirling mass of images began appearing and disappearing at a rapid pace. Some lasted for a few seconds, while others dissipated instantly.


    Daubutim stared in horror at the memories playing through the dull clouds around him. He felt his skin crawl as the images moved from Uxin''tar sitting around a table with other sorcerers to him killing young sorcerers, rangers, and other cards. Sometimes, he would take cards, at other times, none dropped. A sense of annoyance came from the images as they spun by faster. Flashes of him talking with other sorcerers came, and then it began slowing. He was again sitting in a room at a table, and the other sorcerers around him nodded as if they agreed with something. Uxin''tar smiled, and the image moved to another. But as it did, Daubutim felt his skin crawl. The smile had held a dangerous, hungry sentiment.


    Another clear image appeared, and Daubutim hissed.


    In it, Uxin''tar stood before a door that he knew by heart. It was the door leading to the first training portal he had ever gone through, in the sorcerer tower where he had met Irwin. A group of youths stood behind Uxin''tar, and he spoke to them.


    The children seemed afraid but eventually entered the portal. With a predatory grin, Uxin''tar waited until the youths were ejected back out. Before any of them could move, he raised his hands, and all of them froze, staring at him with glazed-over eyes. Then he moved to the nearest one, grabbed the small hand, and looked at the cards on the back. Seemingly not finding what he needed, he moved to the next and the next. Finally, at the third child, a young boy with curly hair, he stopped as a nasty grin crept up his face. He pulled the boy to his feet and moved him away before checking the others. After a few moments, he finished and focused on the one boy. A familiar gray cloud appeared before him, swirling around the kid, and with a blurred motion, he disappeared.


    He is harvesting them, Daubutim thought, a deep anger growing within him.


    He watched in disgust as Uxin''tar let the others leave, none of whom seemed confused about their missing friend.


    The image changed to a room where the boy was, and Daubutim saw how Uxin''tar gutted the dull-eyed, mind-controlled boy with a dagger. Steeling himself and suppressing his growing hatred for the evil sorcerer, he watched Uxin''tar take a card from the boy''s dead body before holding it before his own chest. The card glowed, the light moving into Uxin''tar''s chest, and then it crumbled. The image faded and shifted to another.


    Daubutim gritted his teeth as images began passing by faster and faster. All of them showed Uxin''tar killing and taking cards.


    Finally, after what felt like ages, the images slowed, and at the same time, the pressure dissipated.


    ''I hope you enjoyed the show,'' Uxin''tar hissed, causing Daubutim to blink in surprise.


    There was no more sign of the anger and insanity in Uxin''tar''s voice. Instead, it sounded soft and malicious as it echoed through his mind.


    ''So¡­ he is hiding inside some ancient library, is he? I don''t know how you are blocking my soulcard, but it doesn''t matter. I have seen enough to get the gist of it. He is old and weak! Needs to send others to deal with me? Good¡­ You will wake in a moment, and as soon as you do, you will read those books. After that, you will bring me to Gelwin! If someone asks why, tell them you have recalled something important upon reading those books! Use that odd ability of yours to suppress any confusion with knowledge!''


    Daubutim felt the pressure almost vanish. The cloud of dullness almost seemed to hesitate before slowly spreading out, letting his mind unfold.


    He saw my memories as I saw his? Daubutim thought, a sudden fear growing. What had he seen?


    ''Move, little bastard!"


    Daubutim shuddered as he saw the cloud hover a foot above his face. He rolled to the side and sat down at his desk, picking up the nearest book. As his eyes skimmed the knowledge about some random world, he sensed the familiar dullness settle back in around his mind. Just before it could become troublesome again, he made a decision. If he survived this and got the chance, he would find a card that allowed him to suppress the dullness.


    As he read, Uxin''tar''s voice softly rattled through his mind.


    ''If you do as I ask, I''ll let you leave with your life. I might even undo the damage I did to your girlfriend''s mind!''


    Daubutim blinked, using every skill his father had taught him to suppress the growing anger.


    It took him longer than normal to read through the top two books as he took his time to try and come up with a solution to his current predicament. Sadly, the clarity had left his mind, and each time he tried to come up with something outside of the things he''d been taught or learned, the dullness threatened to overcome him. If anything, it was far worse than normal because he could almost feel that there were things he should realize. It was as if something was shouting at him, but if he listened, he''d drown in the fog.


    Uxin''tar remained hovering around him. Finally, as he put down the third book, the sorcerer''s patience seemed to have left him.


    ''Enough! We are leaving. Stand!''


    Daubutim did as ordered.


    ''Open your coat, and remain perfectly still.''


    Uncertain of what might happen, Daubutim did as asked. His hair stood on end as the cloud moved closer, and it took all his self-control to remain standing as it slithered inside his coat. A slightly stuffy, warm sensation settled around him.


    Alright. If you try to warn anyone, I''ll kill you and then go after all your friends! Now, move! And, if that shadowy guard appears, tell him that you forgot to tell Gelwin something important!


    Daubutim mechanically nodded, but as he did, a twitch of hope grew. Uxin''tar didn''t realize just how good his memory was. But Gelwin did¡­


    Pulling open the door, he saw the two apprentices were still reading and didn''t look up. As he moved away from the room, heading back to Gelwin''s chambers, he kept his eyes fixated on the ground. He made it halfway before a soft cough made him stop. Looking to the side, he saw the hooded and cloaked figure standing there.


    "I need to talk to Gelwin again," he said calmly, deciding to repeat Uxin''tar''s words. "I forgot something important."


    He watched the hooded figure, not sure if he hoped he would act or not. If it did, the chances of him getting out alive would drop significantly.


    Seconds ticked by, but he just watched the figure. Finally, it nodded, but it remained where it was.


    Sensing a soft pressure on his waist, Daubutim continued towards Gelwin''s chambers. As he approached the door, it swung open, and he entered the empty room. The cloaked figure walked past him and opened the door leading to the library, then stepped aside.


    Daubutim nodded as he entered.


    As soon as he stepped over the threshold, keeping his eyes on the ground, something clicked.


    He doesn''t know about the rules!


    ''Interesting¡­ another world!'' Uxin''tar hissed. ''So that''s why I couldn''t sense him. I can feel him now! Vaguely, in the distance!''


    Daubutim ignored him and continued walking with his head down. He tried to make it seem like it was because of Uxin''tar. At the same time, he ran through the knowledge he had from the library. Within moments, a sense of hope came, and as he headed forward, he waited for a certain hallway. One with a single book. He''d passed it many times, and he knew one thing. Anyone who passed through was obligated to tap it. If they didn''t¡­ Well, he didn''t really know what would happen if they didn''t, but based on the other things he''d learned, it couldn''t be anything good.


    Three hallways later, the chaotic mess of a labyrinth led him to the one he wanted. A single book, in a long corridor with empty bookshelves. Two steps from it, he hoped Uxin''tar wouldn''t react oddly if he touched it. A trick of his father, normally used to palm something, shot through his mind, and he put one foot in front of the other just slightly wrong, tripping himself. He stretched his hand, using the book to catch himself. There was no response, like always, and he continued.


    One second, two, three- Daubutim was starting to worry as he almost reached the end of the hallway.


    A soft, high-pitched chuckle rang through the hallway, almost seeming to echo from everywhere. At the same time, he felt a powerful force lock him down. Or, more accurately, lock something down that sat around him.


    ''What? What are you- who? I''ll kill-'' Uxin''tar''s voice suddenly vanished, and a tiny bit of pressure removed itself from Daubutim''s mind. Something he''d not even noticed until it was gone.


    The giggling voice returned, humming as it sang a rhyme that made Daubutim''s hair stand on end.


    "Mind, soul... tarnished and whole,


    With power, not yours, you come here for a stroll?


    Through the corridors, you tread unbound,


    Yet the rules of this realm are renowned!


    In this sacred place,


    your greed...


    shall end!"


    A powerful pull came from around his waist as something began tugging at Uxin''tar, threatening to pull him back.


    Without hesitating, he ripped open his jacket and hurled it behind him. Exhaling and pulling in his breath, he raised his arms and dropped through the hold of Uxin''tar''s cloud. He closed his eyes as he did to make sure he''d not see something he shouldn''t, then took a step forward, eyes open, and another step across that took him out of the room.


    A terrifying scream rang out from behind him, then it was quiet, and he was left breathing heavily, shaking where he stood.


    Is he dead? he thought, wishing he could turn around to check. Instead, he took long paces forward, determined to get to Gelwin either way.

 Chapter 131: History or myth

    Daubutim took calm, soft steps forward. He knew he wasn''t allowed to stand still here for any long periods, nor could he look back.


    There wasn''t a single sound from the hallway behind him, and he shivered again.


    What had that voice been? Before he could stop it, his mind tried connecting the dots, and he felt the stress and weariness catch up to him. Like a blanket, the dullness enveloped his mind as he struggled against it. This couldn''t happen now! Because if it did, he''d be dead!


    A soft shuffle ahead almost made him look up as a wave of adrenaline swamped his system. Barely truly conscious, he gritted his teeth, holding on to the tethering strands of himself. The adrenaline and the fuzziness were in a precarious balance that could shatter at any moment.


    "Follow me."


    The voice from ahead was familiar, but he couldn''t place it. He only knew it belonged to¡­ someone¡­ who didn''t¡­ want¡­ harm¡­


    "Help," Daubutim managed to croak as he extended his hands.


    It was the last thing he was consciously aware of.


    --


    Gelwin looked up as the tome shade silently walked towards him, guiding the young oddity along.


    "Daubutim, please sit down over there," he said as he pointed at another chair.


    "Alright." With dull eyes but a smooth gate, the tall youth moved through the room before sitting down and staring at nothing.


    "Keep a watch out for Uxin''tar. I don''t believe he will have survived that thing''s attention, but we can''t be too sure," Gelwin said.


    The tome shade turned and left without a word, leaving the ancient sorcerer with the young man.


    "You''ve surprised me again. I don''t know how Uxin''tar managed to weasel his way into the outer library, but the way you tricked him¡­ You remind me of someone of my youth, tenacious no matter the personal setbacks. Fine¡­ as a reward, I''ll be telling you a small story, which you may think about after you awaken," Gelwin said as he leaned back in his chair.


    "Long ago, a single kingdom ruled a large area of the Portal Gallery, extending from the main branch all the way to this very distant offshoot. The Galadin kingdom''s influence can still be felt in many aspects of the worlds it once ruled, from the language to the knowledge it possessed. Sadly, many things have also gone into disuse. The entire Kingdom lived by a set of tenets, which can be summed up as ''Freedom above all, and harm to none''. There was far more to it, but as the Kingdom grew older, this mentality remained."


    Gelwin fell quiet, staring at his hands before sighing.


    "If you search hard, you will still find some legends about them, and many say they were wiped out a few thousand years ago. They are wrong, it was far longer. Almost a hundred thousand years have passed since, and different kingdoms and powerful species have come and gone, all leaving their mark," he said with a small smile before looking back up at Daubutim.


    "The Portal Gallery is so immense that some think it has no end or beginning. I don''t fully agree because, from what I have seen, everything needs a beginning. Also, with what I know of entropy, even if something does not have an end yet, it will, with absolute certainty, reach it at one point in time. But I digress. Back then, the still young Kingdom expanded as it took in worlds with different people, caring little for the differences they found as long as the others abided by their core principles. Most did, and the few that didn''t were¡­ dealt with. This continued for thousands of years, and the future seemed filled with endless possibilities."


    "Then a branch was found that led to what looked like a wider one. Perhaps another main branch, nobody ever found out. What we do know is that a powerful race of beings was there, also expanding and growing their power. Sadly, they used a different way entirely. Enslaving and subjugating any they came across, they increased their power at any cost. The Guidar, they were called, though some called them the eternal seekers. Why? Because they were always searching for something, though nobody but them ever found out what. Anytime one of them was captured and put to the exam, they would commit instant suicide."


    Gelwin looked at the youth, then continued.


    "From the first moment these two powerful groups encountered each other, it was apparent that they would not be able to coexist. War came quickly, and with the Guidar''s greater experience with this, they quickly began pushing forward. The accounts of genocide and planetary destruction committed during those wartorn times would leave you shaken, so I''ll leave them for now. Suffice it to say, with the threat of death looming over them, the Galadin learned quickly. However, as much as they resisted, there was a singular problem."


    Gelwin raised his hand, staring at the back of it.


    "Back in those days, everyone had only a single soulskill. One that grew with them over the ages. Soulcards back then were called Crystalized souls, and they were used differently compared to now. So everyone had only one skill¡­. Everyone except for the Guidar. Using devilish methods, they learned how to steal the soulskills of others. Although the process was difficult and did not always work, it worked enough for many of their ranks to be far more powerful than most of the Galadin. As time progressed, they began using this advantage to assassinate those few Galadin able to resist. After a war that lasted a thousand years, the Galadin were pushed back, and slowly, it became apparent they would lose."


    "However¡­ During this war, a few powerful soulcarded with rare abilities had been searching for a way to fight back. They went from shardworld to shardworld, planet to planet, racing across the Portal Gallery to find something to combat the Guidar. Finally, nearly when it was too late, they discovered something. Hidden away in a world with a time dilation so intense that a mere moment here was a thousand years there, they found a race of beings unlike any other. Mostly humanoid, they all had only a single soulskill, and it was the same for all of them. It allowed them to take the crystalized soulskill of their killed enemies and put it in their hands. Cardslots. Back then, all that was done with the remnants of soulskills was to imbue books or other items with them, which sometimes granted a tiny fraction of their ability. Not so these card slots. They granted nearly the entire power of the skill. Knowing what they had found, the Galadin immediately brought some of them to the Gallery, to the Council of Truth, the body of government of the entire Galdin kingdom. It was headed by a king appointed from amidst their ranks for as long as he or she lived. And¡­¡±


    Gelwin sighed, then laughed. "I keep getting sidetracked, but it isn''t often that I get to tell this tale."


    "Now, where was I? Right, the race of beings with handslots was given crystalized soulskills as powerful as could be found, then joined the war. Their appearance instantly stopped the Guidar''s uncontested winning streak, and as more were brought from their world, the war changed. Slowly, the Galadin kingdom managed to create a front and hold it."


    It was quiet for a while as Gelwin stared into the distance. Then he shuddered.


    "Time passed, and slowly, the Galadin began experimenting. They found that the handcarded could breed with many of the other races, and when they did, the offspring would always have the handcard slots soulskill. The use of cards and how to improve them began to spread, giving rise to the first Cardsmiths, and the Galadin kingdom saw an unprecedented increase in power and prosperity. The war turned as more carded came to their power, and slowly, the Guidar were pushed back."


    Gelwin looked at Daubutim, then sighed. "Still not awake? Then let''s continue¡­"


    "A few thousand years after the start of the war, the Galadin empire pushed the Guidar back to the thin branch where they first encountered them. By now, the Guidar was in full retreat, and all seemed well. That was until the front reached the narrowest part of the Portal Gallery. There, the Guidar had created a powerful barrier. No matter what was tried, nobody was able to go through from either side as the barrier blocked the Galadin Kingdom''s armies, and for the second time, a long standoff ensued. Technically, this standoff is still happening¡­ However, as the years turned to centuries and to millennia, nothing was seen from the Guidar. The barrier lay dormant, and slowly, people began to believe that the Guidar had left. A powerful force was left there to guard the barrier in case it opened or disappeared. However, as time crawled by, nothing happened. Another few thousand years passed, and the different worlds and races began searching the Portal Gallery. As is wont with kingdoms, the power and influence of the Galadin Kingdom finally began to wane. Complacency, internal struggle, and¡­ entropy¡­ ended it instead of a mighty war. New groups, the Smiths guild being one of them, began growing strong while powerful families and worlds appeared. Eventually, the Galadin empire was reduced to nothing more than a handful of worlds."


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    Gelwin was quiet again, then took a deep breath.


    "Then portals to shardworlds started appearing on one of their worlds¡­ it was something that normally only happened to worlds designated to be farming or smithing worlds, and it had been deemed impossible. No reason was found, but waves of demons, beings close to becoming Addled, started appearing from them. As fast as they tried to close the portals, it didn''t matter. Within a short year, the planet was overrun, and although the existence of Soulcarded kept it from shattering, it mattered little. The people were moved to the other worlds, but before they could even try to find out what was going on, portals began appearing on another world. Then another. Within a year, the remaining worlds under the control of the Galadin Kingdom were being overrun. The portals appeared on no other world, so the Galadin Council of Truth could only come to one conclusion. They were being targeted. At first, they looked at the new powers, but finding no rhyme or reason to it, someone finally remembered the Guidar. Messages were sent to Barrier City, but they were answered with confusion. The barrier stood, and it showed no signs of someone or something having passed through. Requests for help were mostly ignored, and the little that was sent was far from enough."


    With a grimace, Gelwin shook his head, again quiet for a while.


    "Whatever was responsible, it only took a few years before the Galadin worlds were all overrun. By then, new worlds had been found -at great cost- and the people were relocated. Things settled down, and for a few hundred years, everything was fine¡­. Then portals appeared on the new worlds¡­ stunned and weary, the Galadin council of truth again tried to find out what was happening, with no result. The demons from the portals knew nothing, no information was found inside the portals, and the barrier was still up. Worried now, they searched for another world, one further away from the main branch. Nearly a thousand years passed by when portals appeared again. It was clear to anyone now that something was trying to eradicate the remnants of the Galadin kingdom. Many people of the Kingdom left, spreading across other worlds, leaving the Kingdom with even fewer people. This time, the council took more precautions, and they searched for a dozen worlds, far from the larger branches, some even beyond the influence of the current main powers. Time flowed, but again, portals appeared. Now whittled down to only a fraction of their previous numbers, the Galadin had an emergency meeting. Unsure of what was happening, they split their people into groups and found the most distant worlds they could find, sending one of their own members along to guard them. Allowing no more communication between these worlds, each of their offshoots was on their own, and they hoped this would let them hide¡­"


    Gelwin leaned back, quietly watching Daubutim. Time passed in the room, but the ancient sorcerer seemed done talking.


    Finally, a soft sigh came as Daubutim''s eyes cleared up.


    --


    Daubutim gazed at the dusty ground below the table, absently wondering if anybody ever cleaned here. His father would have had something to say about the amount of dust in such an important place.


    Most of his mind, however, was working through the things Gelwin had told him. The sorcerer had said it was a story¡­ but was it? The way he had told it almost seemed like he had been there and that it was real. More importantly-


    Giard is one of those planets?


    Daubutim took a deep breath, then focused on Gelwin. As much as he wanted to ask questions about the story, there was one thing more important at this immediate moment.


    "Is Uxin''tar dead?" he asked.


    Gelwin watched him quietly, his eyes gleaming with mirth before he shrugged.


    "We don''t know. The thing is, anyone that gets caught by the Soulghyst of the black-book corridor is never seen again, and from what I have found, this includes incredibly powerful soulcarded."


    Soulghyst?


    Daubutim cocked his head, and he shelved the term for later study while a warning from his father came to his mind.


    "So we have no way of knowing if he might be roaming around here now?" he asked.


    "No, which is why I''m having my tome shades keep a close eye on that hallway. Both entrances are carefully monitored, and I''ve sent out a warning to the others to not approach anywhere near it. This counts for you as well. From now on, take one of the other routes from here to my office and back."


    Daubutim nodded, not feeling too happy about this. He''d hoped that his trick would deal with Uxin''tar, not leave some potential future issue.


    Gelwin laughed softly.


    "Don''t worry, young one. Even if Uxin''tar somehow managed to get away from the Soulghyst, he is now locked inside this library. There are a few people who are able to allow others to pass through the portal, and I am one of them. Uxin''tar will be stuck here¡­ though the chances of him being alive are nearly zero.


    Nearly zero is not zero, Daubutim thought as he could picture his father''s angry scowl. He wondered how his old man would have dealt with the likes of Gelwin. He hoped he could one day see such a confrontation.


    Carefully shelving his worries for later, he focused on Gelwin.


    "The story that you told me¡­ is it history, legend or fiction?" he asked. His intuition told him it was, but he wanted facts.


    Gelwin gazed at him for a long time, and slowly, Daubutim began feeling uncomfortable.


    "Is something wrong with my question?" he finally asked.


    Gelwin raised an eyebrow and laughed. "Think on it all some more, do some research. You have access to many historical entries which most deem unimportant. See what you can find, and return to me in a week."


    With another soft laugh, Gelwin rose and beckoned Daubutim to do the same.


    "Now, I''ll guide you back to your room. With Uxin''tar gone, you have time to wind down and do some proper research. In a month, there will be an exam to determine which of the apprentice librarians are ready to become senior apprentices. Normally, this takes years, but with your specific advantage, you should be able to move through it mostly effortlessly as it is one based on knowledge and not understanding."


    Daubutim frowned as a sudden worry grew in him.


    "Yes, young one. After becoming a senior apprentice, you will need to work towards becoming a first-rank librarian. For this, understanding of knowledge and reflection is key," Gelwin said as he walked out of the room.


    Daubutim didn''t respond but hurried after the ancient sorcerer. How was he supposed to do that?


    "For now, don''t worry about it too much," Gelwin said with a laugh, moving through a hallway with candle-lit chandeliers that were moving in a non-existent wind.


    Daubutim quietly listened.


    "I will contact the Grinwron Trade Federation and let them know Uxin''tar has been dealt with by the library, with a great amount of effort from one of our apprentices. You should be rewarded with a large amount of soul shards as payment, enough to look around for a soulcard that might fix your problem. If you want my opinion, I would go for one that increases your mental fortitude. There are some around, and although they are highly desired, you might be able to find an Amethyst-ranked one."


    "Thank you," Daubutim said.


    "No need to thank me, young one. Remember your mission. Read the books, study, and see me again in a week."


    Daubutim nodded.


    They continued quietly, and Daubutim returned to the central room of Purntou''s area. It was empty, and he stared at his door. Frowning, he summoned his sword, then slowly moved to it and pulled it open. As he did, he stepped back, waiting. There was no reaction, which he hadn''t really expected, but he still stepped in with his sword raised and looking up and around.


    There was no fog or any sign it had been there. Only a table with a stack of books, one still open, and a disheveled bed.


    Rest, Daubutim thought as he closed the door. Lying down in bed, he kept his sword close.


    --


    "It looks the same as before," Irwin muttered as he gazed at the massive forest ahead of them. It sprawled on each side as far as he could see while the trees towered above him.


    "What did you expect?" Ignalia asked, in between labored breathing. She was standing with her hands on her knees, glaring up at him.


    "Are you alright?" Irwin asked, looking behind her to see the other two struggling up the hill.


    "Am I alright? ¡­ Am I?" Ignalia grunted. "Whatever card you have that allows you to run like that is monstrous!"


    Definitely, Irwin thought as he felt warm feelings towards his Sweltering Heart card. As tired as the others were, he was merely out of breath, and although he was slightly thirsty, he wasn''t parched by a long shot.


    "Ambraz, did I ever thank you for helping with that card?" Irwin asked as he looked at the tiny anvil on his shoulder.


    "Not enough," Ambraz snorted.


    Irwin let out a laugh before gazing back at the forest. As much as he was worried for Greldo, running for nearly two weeks had given him time to calm down. What had also helped were the evenings, and as he recalled the previous one, he began humming a song Ignalia had taught him.


    They waited until the Ignitzions had recovered enough before heading toward the forest, this time at a measured pace. As soon as they stepped into the forest, a cool wind blew around them.


    "Ugh," one of the Ignitzions said.


    Irwin nodded in agreement. Although it was still hot, he had gotten so used to the insane temperatures of the desert beyond that he wondered how he''d ever deal with living in another world again.


    I''ll just make a bigger smithy and create a massive forge, he thought as he continued forward. He was pretty sure Scintilla would like that a lot, too.


    As he walked across the dense mossy undergrowth, he noticed a massive change. Gone was the quiet, open windiness of the desert, replaced by the sounds of branches creaking, leaves rustling, and distant animals.


    "You are sure you can find him again?" Irwin whispered.


    Ignalia nodded, making no comment at how he had lowered his voice. Instead, he saw her and the others looking around, far more alert than they had been in the open desert.


    "It''s at least another two days," she replied in a muted voice.


    Irwin didn''t respond but looked ahead, hoping she was right. He didn''t feel like traveling on foot through the forest.

 Chapter 132: Lead the way!

    As they traveled, Irwin saw birds, small rodents, and far too many insects but no sign of Imps.


    When the first day traveling through the forest finally passed into evening, they found refuge below a toppled tree. Old, moldy, and smelly, at least they were out of view. The occasional comparatively cool breeze blew around them.


    Lying on his back against the side, eyes on the entrance, Irwin wondered if he could even sleep.


    "Irwin, can you call up some steam?" Ignalia whispered.


    Irwin looked up to see her huddled to the side with the other two. Although it was far from cold, easily being as warm as he recalled the summers back home were, the Ignitzions actually shivered.


    "It might not be safe¡­ it would draw attention," he replied with a sad smile.


    Ignalia blinked, then grimaced.


    "Needing someone of your age to remind me of that¡­ I''m losing my touch," she reproached herself.


    Ambraz snorted, the first sound he''d made in a while. "As if you''re that old!"


    Ignalia ignored the Anvil, sharing a look of weary resolve with the other Ignitzions.


    Reminds me of being in Degonda at Trimdir''s walking through the snow, he thought as he pictured the snow. With all his new cards, he was pretty sure he would be able to handle that much better now.


    As he lay there, he heard them begin to whisper amongst each other, so soft that he couldn''t catch even a single word. That was until one of them hissed a name.


    They are talking about Scintilla? Irwin thought, holding back his curiosity. If they wanted him to know, they wouldn''t be whispering.


    They continued for a while longer before Ignalia let out a weary sigh.


    "Can you take the first watch?" she asked, ignoring a few whispers of the others.


    "Sure," Irwin said, propping himself up a bit more.


    "Just wake me when you can''t stay awake anymore," Ignalia said.


    Irwin nodded, staring at the entrance and paying attention to the noise. After a short while, he began chatting with Ambraz, mostly dealing with how he could improve his card reforging. In the end, he got the same suggestions he''d gotten before: learn to sing and continue practicing.


    Hours later, he woke Ignalia, who grunted as she moved away from the others.


    "Anything happen?" she whispered, rubbing her eyes.


    "Nothing. Just a lot of animals around," Irwin muttered.


    She frowned at that, then nodded.


    Not sure what to say, Irwin walked to the back of the hollow and lay down.


    The night passed without incident, though he kept waking up from animals that howled in the night. So, when the light finally filtered through the dense canopy, he rose with a headache, looking around and wondering if this was going to be something he''d have to deal with again the next night.


    Ignalia was already up, sitting in the entrance and staring up at the few rays with obvious desire.


    Must have had the last watch, Irwin thought.


    As he watched Ignalia shiver, he realized something he should have had the day before.


    "You didn''t have this much of a problem with the forest when we first arrived," Irwin said as he sat down beside her, rubbing his head.


    "I didn''t run for five weeks straight back then," Ignalia snapped. As Irwin blinked in surprise at her aggressive tone, she sighed. "Sorry, Smith Irwin. I am tired, cold, and have a headache."


    Ambraz sniffed, muttering something that they both ignored.


    "Yeah, it''s hard to sleep with all those bloody animals," Irwin muttered.


    Ignalia laughed sadly.


    "I forgot to ask before, but how do you even know where we are going? Does Gebladir have a camp¡­ or?"


    Ignalia shook her head.


    "One of my sisters is with him."


    Irwin looked at her in surprise.


    "And you can somehow tell where she is?" he asked.


    Ignalia nodded as she stared into the distance. "Depending on the father, Ignitzions get certain unique skills. Me and my sisters, we can sense where each of the others are. Well¡­ as long as we are in the same world. That''s why I came here. Because my youngest sister is here. She''s together with one of the Viridians close to Gebladir and-"


    Irwin quietly listened as Ignalia spoke about her sister, seeming lost in her own world. It was the first time he had seen her act like this, as she was usually the most calm and collected of the Ignitzions he''d seen. When she finally stopped, she gave him an apologetic smile.


    "Sorry for talking your ear off."


    "It''s fine," Irwin said. "I was wondering about Ignitzions. You said, ''Depending on the father,'' they get different skills. Do you mean like cards?"


    Ignalia shook her head, staring out into the forest.


    "There are legends that say, long ago, we didn''t have cardslots, but all Ignitzions were born with a single powerful soulskill that depended on the father. Nowadays, only some Ignitzions still get a skill, and it''s weaker than a quartz-ranked card. My mother never told me much about my father except that he was a formidable fighter who used his hands and body instead of weapons. She said he was from a race of beings that had telepathic abilities and was somewhat of an outcast¡­ That''s probably where we got it from. So far, it''s just been useful for simple things."


    Irwin nodded. He''d never picked Ignalia for being the talkative kind. Perhaps it was because they had been through so much now?


    "So, you never met your father?" he asked, thinking back to his own father, who he had never seen. He knew very little about it, no more than what his mother had told him. Would he ever get a chance to learn more? He hoped so.


    "No¡­" Ignalia said with a grimace. "It''s not that uncommon. After one of us shares and mingles their heat with another, infant Ignitzions begin growing inside us," she said as she wrapped her arms before her chest. "Unless we are in a world like this, we immediately head back to our homeworld or the nearest world with eternal heat. The young need it to grow strong. Sadly, most potential partners aren''t able to survive in our worlds. Even if they have a high heat, very few have the resistance needed to actually survive where we do."


    "There''s only fire and volcanoes in your world?" Irwin asked.


    "There are forests of Embertrees, with leaves in all colors of yellow, orange, and red so vast they dwarf this," Ignalia said as she waved her hand around. Then she snorted. "Well, not as tall, though. Besides that, there are lakes and rivers of uncontaminated lava streams between the volcanoes, while innumerable fire element creatures roam, swim, and fly everywhere. It is a paradise."


    Irwin grinned as he listened to her and watched her eyes gleam.


    "Sounds like a fantastic place to visit," he said before cocking his head. "But are you sure I can survive there?"


    Ambraz burst out laughing, startling Irwin and Ignalia.


    "Kid, you have so many cards dealing with fire and heat, if you couldn''t survive there, I don''t think anybody could."


    "Ambraz speaks the truth," Ignalia said. "Even Yogog is able to survive there, and he has more trouble in the full heat of this world than you do. You would be fine."


    "Then, if we ever get out of here, and I manage to¡­ deal with some issues back home, I''d love to see your world," Irwin said with a wide smile.


    "Good," Ignalia said. "I''m sure Scintilla will be very happy to hear that!"


    They continued talking softly until the other two woke up, and after a quick bite, they continued their journey.


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Halfway through the day, as Irwin was walking after Ignalia, the Ignitzion stopped dead in her tracks. She spun to the side, staring between two of the massive trees in the distance. Irwin was instantly fully awake, following her gaze and trying to hear what she had. He saw nothing but towering tree trunks, some wider than many buildings.


    Seconds ticked by, and he frowned. What was going on? Taking a step forward, Ignalia turned her head to him and shook it, raising a finger to her lips. Seeing the warning in her eyes and the set of her jaw, Irwin focused back in the direction she was looking.


    "Imps," Ambraz whispered very softly, gaining him a glare from Ignalia.


    Irwin gritted his teeth, readying himself for battle.


    How can she even hear them this fast? he wondered. Did she have a card similar to Greldo? It had to be.


    A few seconds later, he finally heard a familiar high-pitched laughter coming from further away.


    It was followed by a dull, laboursome groan and soon the sound of something being dragged across the ground.


    As the chatter and giggling increased, there was a snapped order, causing the giggling to stop.


    Pale Imp, Irwin knew.


    It came closer and closer, and he focused on his cards, readying all of them. Ahead of him, Ignalia''s hand moved to her waist, and she drew her sword, turning to him.


    Fight? Irwin mouthed.


    She nodded before raising her hand.


    As soon as he knew the decision was made, Irwin felt himself calm down. He prepared his cards but refrained from using any but one. The only one that didn''t give any sound. A trickle of foggy air began appearing around instantly, and within moments, it almost looked like a dense fog bank was rising from the ground. It happened so fast that Irwin barely had the time to blink before the steam enveloped him and the others, rising higher and spreading out at an alarming rate. The pull of energy from his Sweltering Heart made him force it to slow down. At the same time, he sensed the movements of things inside the steam: tiny insects scuttling and burrowing into holes, some rat-like creatures sprinting towards the edge, and a few others flopping around.


    So that answers what happens if I use it when there''s more moisture around, he thought as he saw Ignalia stare at him. As soon as she saw him look back, she nodded and motioned forward.


    By now, surprised shouts and confused squeals came from ahead of them. A sort of image formed in Irwin''s mind as the edge of his steam cloud reached the tree beyond the one he could see. Dozens of smaller figures, which he guessed were Imps, and one that was four times as tall, stood just outside of the range. At the same time, he noticed something large on the ground, which was probably what he''d heard being dragged.


    "What is that? You, go check what it is!"


    Irwin snuck after Ignalia as he heard the Pale Imp order the others around. One of the blurry figures reached inside the outer area of his steam cloud, clearing up and showing it was indeed an Imp. Irwin knew that if it moved inside, the others would be warned, and he''d lose the element of surprise. Shoving more energy into his Sweltering Heart, he began running forward, no longer bothering to be quiet. A surprised yelp was followed by the Imp being fully engulfed in his steam, but he ignored it as he focused on shoving it forward. What he had to do was get the Pale Imp and the massive-


    A thundering roar caused him to stumble as his ears rang. It was accompanied by a blast of air, which blew apart a section of his steam.


    "We are under attack! Blow that stuff away," the Imp screamed.


    "Kill the big thing! It''s interfering with me," Irwin snapped as he triggered Coperion Body and raised his hand. A large one-handed hammer formed in his hand as he rounded the final, building-sized tree trunk.


    The sound of something drawing a deep breath gave him enough time to quickly cover his ears, just in time as another roar came. This time, it was much louder, and a dozen feet or more of the cloud of steam was blasted away. A stream of smelly, rotten air swirled around him, but Irwin ignored it. Instead, he aimed for the largest shape and hurled the hammer at it with all his strength. There was a loud thud and a pained grunt.


    "Keep that smoke away! I''ll deal with them," the Pale Imp screeched.


    Irwin saw one of the blurry shapes vanish into the ground.


    "It''s digging," he snapped, at the same time wondering how those things even did that. In the desert, he could understand it, with how soft and pliable the sand was. But here? There were roots, stones, and-


    Ignalia jumped beside him and stabbed her sword into the ground in a single fluid motion that seemed almost impossible. Startled, Irwin jumped back, glaring at the soil. A second, then two passed, but there was no reaction. Ignalia sniffed as she pulled her blade back up. It had dark streaks of mud and a wet glistening glean to it, which could be water, but he doubted it.


    "Don''t get anywhere near the Brutal Imp," Ingalia shouted. "With the Pale Imp dead, it''s going to go out of control!"


    Irwin was about to answer when another roar blew apart an even larger portion of his steam. At the same time, he felt his Sweltering Heart card''s energy grow beyond what he could handle. Gritting his teeth, he reigned it in, keeping only a fifty-foot area around himself and letting the rest naturally dissipate. It still somehow clung to the ground, which confused him but wasn''t something he had time to think about now.


    "I can''t keep the steam up," he hissed, hoping the Imps wouldn''t catch it.


    By now, they were a few dozen feet from the edge of his rapidly dissipating steam cloud, and he saw Imps standing behind it. In their midst stood a hulking beast of an Imp, a darker red and easily four times as tall as those around him.


    So that''s a Brutal Imp, Irwin thought as he swallowed.


    The monstrous Imp''s arms and chest were obscenely muscled, his stomach bulging as if he''d overeaten, and he was carrying what looked like a boulder strapped to a branch. Its face was warped with confused anger as it drew in the air constantly, almost as if its lungs could hold an endless amount. A small cut and a bruise sat on his face, from which a trickle of yellowish blood leaked down.


    "It uses only brute strength," Ignalia snapped as she began moving to the edge of the mist. The other two Ignitzions moved the other way. "Keep an eye on the small ones, we will deal with them."


    Irwin nodded as he focused on the group of Imps. As he did, he saw a large dark shape on the ground, bound by thick leather straps and struggling to get free. With the body of a lizard and a roughly humanoid torso, he recognized it immediately.


    A Screequanox? What are they doing with that?


    The last time he''d seen one of those had been during their initial trip after arriving on Scour. Back then, he''d killed his fair share of them. They were tough to kill and had dangerously sharp claws. Perhaps they were hunting them for food¡­ The idea repulsed him as he looked at the mostly humanoid head and torso. But, even if that was the case, why keep it alive then?


    Keeping an eye on the Imps that were still watching the remaining tendrils of steam with fearful eyes, something moved so fast he almost missed it.


    Ignalia covered the twenty feet separating her from the Brutal Imp so fast that all he caught was a blur. Her sword slashed through its thick, sturdy leg, and its eyes widened, the air it had been sucking burst out as it roared in anger. To his surprise and horror, its own makeshift weapon swung almost as fast, but before he could even shout a warning, Ignalia dodged to the side with a flip. The enormous Imp growled, turning, and as it did, two more figures ran to his sides. They weren''t as fast as Ignalia, but both Ignitzions moved fluidly as they attacked the same spot on the Imp''s leg.


    "Those three know how to fight," Ambraz muttered, echoing Irwin''s own sentiments. With smooth, agile movements and attacks so fast he could barely keep up, the three danced around the Imp, seeming intent on hamstringing it.


    A breeze, cool and unwelcome, suddenly picked up, as it had before, and a large amount of the steam blew away, dissipating up and away. The Imps let out a startling cry of rage, high-pitched and laden with insane giggling.


    "I''ll take care of them," Irwin shouted as he ran forward. As he did, he summoned his flame, wrapping it around himself and his hammer, which he shrank to a normal hand-sized one.


    Watching the horde of dozens of crazed, screaming demons come at him, he felt no fear or even worry. All he thought about was the practice he''d gone through. With as much force as he could, he hurled the flaming hammer forward, and moments before releasing it, he increased its size to the biggest it would get while covering it with as much flame as he could.


    He''d imagined the trick months ago and practiced alone in the desert to prevent people from getting hurt.


    The hammer left his hand and whistled as it shot forward. The nearest Imp''s eyes widened, but it had no chance to dodge as the hammer slammed into it. Hurling him back with a sickening crunch while taking along those around and behind him. The fiery tendrils around it that struck the Imps caused them to freeze with a horrified expression. At the same time, the fire grew rapidly as they turned to ash, lashing around as if having a mind of its own.


    Irwin''s eyes widened in shock as he saw the flames lick around, kindling the Imps like a bonfire. Those at the back managed a terrified scream before the fire almost seemed to leap at them.


    "Control it!"


    Irwin jerked awake at Ambraz''s shout. The Anvil shot from his shoulder, hovering around and behind him.


    "Move kid!"


    Irwin gritted his teeth and ran forward, hesitating only a moment before running into the flames. As soon as he did, he felt a connection to the fire, and it wrapped and rippled around him. Not sure what to do, he unsummoned it, releasing his hold on the skill. His first card shivered, almost seeming happy as the fire leaked back inside, and unlike normal, it took a few moments. When it finally vanished, Irwin felt the fire that was always burning inside him had grown- the card seeming more powerful. At the same time, there was a difference. The always present resonance of his left, combined card felt¡­ odd.


    Did¡­ did it improve? But- he shivered.


    Ambraz flew towards him, the Anvil''s metal lips in a tight line. It landed on his shoulder with a thud.


    "Later," he whispered.


    Irwin blinked, wanting to ask what he meant when he saw Ignalia jump away from the Imp that was swinging around in pure panic while staring at him. Seeing the pale yellow, red-pupilled eyes stare at him, Irwin knew what was going on. The Imp had sensed the nature of the fire.


    "Stop it," Ignalia shouted as the Brutal Imp turned and began running away. He was limping slightly, but even the dozens, if not more, attacks on his leg hadn''t been able to seriously harm him. Seeming annoyed, it hurled its makeshift stone and branch club back, striking the massive side of a tree.


    Ignalia and the others ran after the Imp, and Irwin followed them. Passing the Screequanox, he wondered if it would manage to free itself or die there.


    Running forward, watching the Imp, running in an almost straight line, his eyes widened. Speeding up, he tried to get close to the others, but the Imp was almost as fast as him, and he couldn''t.


    "Wait," he shouted. "Ignalia!"


    The Ignitzion turned to him, and Irwin beckoned her to wait. She hesitated, then slowed so he could catch up while the other two continued slashing at the Imp as good as they could.


    "Don''t stop it," Irwin said as she ran beside him.


    Ignalia''s eyes widened, her mouth opening, and then she closed it with a snap.


    "You want to follow it," she said accusingly.


    "Yes. Is it heading towards Gebladir?"


    Ignalia looked around, a sharp look in her eyes, and slowly, a nasty grin came to it.


    "Not exactly, but roughly."


    "Good, let''s follow it," Irwin said.


    Ignalia nodded, then rushed ahead with a burst of speed Irwin knew he couldn''t match.


    "Always the speed," he muttered.


    "There''s one card left," Ambraz said.


    Irwin snorted. "I still need a diamond one. Either what I find is one, or I''ll have to wait till I can reforge it up to that."


    Ambraz laughed softly. "Perhaps."


    Confused, Irwin took a look to the side, and he saw a wide grin on Ambraz''s face.


    "Later," the Anvil said again.


    Irwin nodded as he continued to follow the others. As he did, his mind spun. Ambraz had just implied that he might not need a legendary? Had his first card upgraded? But that should be impossible¡­ everything he had learned sofar -both from Ambraz and while reforging- had said that cards couldn''t be upgraded after they were combined!


    As his mind kept buzzing, he ran across the sometimes mossy, sometimes muddy ground, following the others. The Imp didn''t seem intent on stopping.


    More running, Irwin thought with a weary sigh, once again incredibly happy with his new enhanced endurance.

 Chapter 133: A casual stroll

    They continued for hours as the forest of giant trees continued seemed to continue without end. Soon, the three Ignitzions began looking weary. Their previous light and easy movements were gone, and their feet thudded heavily on the ground. Their breathing became laboursome and heavy, and one of them started to slow until she was only a few feet ahead of Irwin.


    If this continues, they won''t have the energy left to fight it, and I can''t catch up, Irwin thought.


    He considered throwing his hammer after the Imp but held off as he had another idea.


    Still breathing as easily as if he was walking, he focused on his Sweltering Heart, sensing the instant reaction from the liquid in the ground and air as it heated up and turned to steam instantly. It began swirling around him and chasing him. He focused on the card, harmonizing as he''d been practicing. With some effort, he pushed it forward, keeping the steam thin. Looking around, a thin fog hung around him. Would it be enough? Only one way to find out.


    He forced the steamy air forward to the three Ignitzions who were stumbling ahead of him, he covered them with it. For a moment, they barely responded, but he could still ever so vaguely make out their outlines.


    I wonder how faint I can make it and still use it to detect things?


    "Wha-? Ahh¡­. that''s fantastic!" Ignalia groaned.


    "I can breathe again," one of the others sighed.


    All three began breathing differently, almost seeming to gulp in the air around them.


    Irwin grinned as he kept the steam thin to conserve his and the card''s energy.


    It didn''t take that long for the Ignitzions to start breathing evenly again, and Ignalia slowed down the run beside him.


    "If we ever get out of here, you need to come to my world," she said. "I know I already said so, but this-. I don''t know if your card works on Igniz, but if it does¡­"


    Irwin grinned as they continued after the Imp, which was also breathing heavily by now. Even then, it hadn''t slowed down in the slightest.


    Irwin lost track of how long they ran, but the sun was lowering behind them, and it wouldn''t be much longer before night fell. He''d had to unsummon and resummon his steam multiple times, and he felt a slight weariness from his card.


    "There''s something ahead," one of the other Ignitzions hissed.


    Ignalia grunted, speeding up and away from him, followed by the others.


    Irwin released the steam. It was gone within moments, thinning and dissipating behind him. Ahead of them, the Imp began slowing down, and Ignalia signaled them to do the same.


    Shouting and screeching came from ahead, and Ignalia stopped with the others behind a tree, waiting for Irwin. As he reached them, Ignalia pressed her fingers to her lips.


    "There''s an army of Imps in front of us, and we are at least an hour or more from Gebladir''s camp," she said.


    Irwin frowned as he listened to the racket. From what he''d noticed with sound in the forest, they should be only a few hundred feet away.


    "Won''t that Brutal Imp warn the others?" he whispered.


    "It only wished it was that smart," Ignalia snorted. "No, it''s far too young to have regained any form of intelligence, and it mostly just attacks anything that moves."


    Irwin looked in the direction of the sound. Should he head there? Check what was going on? With everything that had happened, the idea of just confronting an entire army of Imps didn''t bother him that much. That was if his Sweltering Heart wasn''t telling him it was about done for the day.


    "I''ll go scout ahead," Ignalia whispered.


    "Alright, be careful," Irwin said.


    Ignalia blinked at him in surprise, then grinned as she turned. "Don''t worry. I still need to save Balarn."


    She ran away lightly, and Irwin waited. The other two Ignitzions gave him the occasional glance, but none of them spoke as they waited.


    Listening to the giggling and waiting, time passed, and slowly Irwin began getting worried. How long had she been gone? Minutes? Easily¡­


    He was about to say something when a soft rustle came as Ignalia appeared from around the nearest tree. Irwin was about to sigh in relief when three more figures appeared behind her. He stepped forward, a hammer appearing in his hand, before calming when he saw they were Viridians.


    Did she save some already? he thought. How?


    Ignalia stopped before him, the three Viridians stepping beside her. They were nimble, lightly armored, and with dark green hair, designating them as at least adults. They also had daggers on their waist and no card-dampening bracelets.


    "Smith Irwin," one of the Viridians whispered, bowing his head. "It is good to see you are still free."


    "Thanks," Irwin said before turning to Ignalia.


    "I found them, scouting the Imps," she said.


    "Luck," one of the Viridians whispered hurriedly. "If we hadn''t been moving to another location, you would never have spotted us."


    "Quiet," the Viridian that had spoken first hissed. "It doesn''t matter."


    "So, what''s going on?" Irwin asked.


    Ignalia turned to the lead Viridian, raising an eyebrow.


    "Lord Gebladir Urdwellan is waiting for the right moment to strike back at these filthy demons," the Viridian said, his eyes radiating anger. "The three of us have been responsible for keeping an eye on this one."


    "Is it the Ruby Portal?" Irwin asked.


    "No, an emerald one. The Ruby portal isn''t too far from here, perhaps an hour by foot."


    By foot? What alternative is there? Irwin thought before realizing what the other must be talking about.


    "Are there any teleporters around?" he asked.


    The Viridian grimaced, shaking his head. "No, those are still moving around groups to close the smaller portals that are still appearing. We still haven''t found why those keep opening up everywhere. All we know is that they only seem to appear inside the Grove."


    Irwin nodded. So what should he do? He could go and see Lord Urdwellan¡­


    "Can you show me where we are compared to Lord Urdwellan and the other portals, including the ruby one?" he asked after thinking for a few moments.


    The Viridian scout lowered himself and jabbed his finger in the soil. "If we are here-" he jabbed four holes in a triangle shape with a dot in the center -" these are the portals. The central one is the Ruby one."


    After a moment''s hesitation, the Viridian poked nearly opposite to where they were now. "This is where our camp is. Though we move it around," he added hastily.


    That looks weird. Almost like a pattern, Irwin thought as he looked at the triangle with the central dot.


    "It''s how we found it," the Viridian said. "The Elders have hypothesized that the Ruby one in the center is somehow the reason for the other three, while those are the ones causing the smaller ones to appear."


    "They are right," Ambraz snorted as he flitted from Irwin''s shoulder while the Viridian jumped back in startled shock. "I''ve seen something like this before¡­ it''s a way to attach a major world shard to a stable farming world or to combine major worldshards together to keep them from drifting off into-"


    The Anvil stopped talking, then snorted.


    "Never mind. I''ve never heard of it being used in a stable world like this¡­ It should be impossible, but¡­ Whatever! What matters is that this is both good news and bad news. When did the third portal appear?"


    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    The Viridian was staring at the Ambraz wide-eyed, then swallowed quickly.


    "We don''t know exactly, honorable Anvil of the Gods," he said.


    "Bah¡­ fine. Well, that means soon a fourth, fifth, and sixth portal will appear here-" Ambraz lowered himself between the three Emerald portals, creating three new indents and creating a second triangle overlapping the other. "If that happens, even more low-rank portals will begin appearing."


    "How is that good news?" Irwin asked, gazing at the Anvil.


    "No. That''s the bad news," Ambraz grunted. "The good news is that all you have to do is go into the ruby portal and find the linchpin there. Destroy or kill it, and all of the portals will disappear."


    Irwin nodded. That''s what he''d been planning to do anyway.


    "That¡­ might be a problem," the Viridian said.


    The others looked at him, and he grimaced.


    "There is a large amount of Imps around there, and they have built a fortress similar to the one around the exit portal to the Portal Gallery. Worse, they have captured loads of monsters from all across the desert and have them chained up there."


    "Like Screequanoxes?" Irwin asked.


    "Yes. Screequanoxes, Wyrms, Ryocketin, and even Emberions," the Viridian said. "It''s insane. They have some sort of force fields to hold whole swarms of them! I''ve never heard of cards that can do that."


    Emberions¡­ Irwin thought as he recalled the cloud of tiny fire elementals. Of all the fire beings he''d met, those had been the only ones not afraid or harmed by his flame. Instead, they had seemed to enjoy it.


    "Incoming!"


    Ambraz''s shout made Irwin jump and trigger his Coperion Body. Looking around, he saw nothing. No charging Imps, no dangerous demons or monsters. Just confused Viridians and Ignitzions.


    "Below us," Ambraz snapped, and Irwin gazed down while summoning his hammer.


    "Pale Imps," Irwin grunted as he tried to see them. There were no bumps or tremors, nothing that-


    The soil around him burst open as four figures sprang up, clawed hands grabbing his arms and legs. He saw the flash of metal and struck at one, dragging the other, holding his arm as if it were no more than a ragdoll. At the same time, he jerked his arm away from the third one.


    There was a sickening crunch as the Pale Imp''s face crumbled below his fist, and it flew half a dozen feet away. Before the other two could regain their senses, Irwin reached for them, grabbing them around their throats. Both had bracelets in their hands, and with little effort, he lifted them up, slamming them against each other. Metal dropped from their hands and was about to crush their necks when a dull voice interrupted him.


    "Smith, stay your hand, or your friends die!"


    Irwin looked up in shock, then froze. Ignalia, one of the Ignitzions, and two of the Viridians were standing unmoving, daggers on their throats and chests. All of them had thin metallic bracelets around their wrists. Card-nullifiers. The still form of one of the Ignitzions lay still on the ground, while the Viridian that had done most of the talking was nowhere to be seen.


    A pale Imp stood behind the others, two daggers loose in his hands as he glared at him. Its eyes had a crazed sheen to it.


    "If you move¡­ if I see any mist, fog, or fire," he hissed. "We might die, but so will your friends!"


    Irwin frowned, looking at Ignalia.


    "Don-" she began, only for a black mailed hand to latch over her mouth and the dagger to press hard enough on her neck for blood to ooze out of a cut.


    "Well?" the Imp growled, its voice rising in pitch.


    Irwin remained frozen, staring at the others, then at the Imps as his mind spun around. He barely noticed the two struggling Pale Imps in his hands. It was a good thing they didn''t have the Card Nullifiers, or he''d have been in deep shit.


    What should he do? If he didn''t fight¡­ then what? He couldn''t let himself be taken. He needed a way out! Searching around, he didn''t see Ambraz anywhere¡­ Was that a good thing?


    "Smith¡­" the Imp hissed.


    Irwin took a deep breath, then glared at the Imp. If it was just him¡­ just him, he would have done what it said. But it wasn''t just him. The memories of Giard, his mother, his brother, and all his friends flooded his mind for a moment. He was about to act, summon his flame, and hope he would be fast enough when another idea came to him.


    Steeling himself for rejection and the action he''d have to take in that case, he looked into the Imp''s eyes.


    "You seem to know what I can do¡­ Let my friends go, or I''ll burn all of you to ash," he said, lowering his voice in a way he hadn''t done in a while. It boomed out, deep and metallic due to his Coperion Body''s physique.


    "No," the Imp growled, but it must have seen something in his eyes because it took a small step back.


    "If we do that, we''ll get killed," it grunted, frowning.


    Its eyes rolled oddly in its sockets for a moment. Then they snapped back, and it continued to glare at Irwin. It had happened so fast that he might have missed it if he hadn''t been staring into the Imp''s eyes.


    It wasn''t at all the response Irwin had expected, and his worry grew. How insane were these Imps by now? He took control of his cards, readying himself, then hesitated. As much as he knew he had no true choice, he didn''t want to have to force this. But what other choice was there? He couldn''t let them bring him into their-


    His thoughts stopped, then it took all his willpower to keep a nasty grin from surfacing on his lips.


    The Imp''s eyes narrowed, and he saw its gaze flick to the others as if suddenly not sure what to do.


    "I will go with you, but if you try and put one of those bracelets on me, I''ll burn you," Irwin rumbled. There was a muffled cry from Ignalia, but he ignored it.


    The Pale Imp let out a panicky giggle before looking around at the others.


    "One chance," Irwin grunted. "If I come with you, perhaps you can capture me, but if you try to put a bracelet on me, I''ll burn you and take my chances that I''m fast enough to save my friends!"


    As he said it, he knew he meant it. His flame froze the Imps before they burned, and if he could hit them fast enough, they wouldn''t be able to harm anyone.


    A deadly silence hung in the air for long moments before the Pale Imp sucked in a breath, stifling a giggle and making it sound like it choked.


    "Alright¡­ fine, come with us, smith! But not movements, or-"


    "You threaten me one more time," Irwin growled as his anger flared up. "And you see what happens!"


    The Imp backed up, raising its daggers, hesitated, then nodded.


    "This way," it said, waving in the direction of the giggling and chattering.


    Irwin moved forward, shoving the two Imps he still had by the neck away, causing them to stumble and fall. He looked at Ignalia and saw her look at him, and he could almost read her thoughts.


    What I''m doing? he thought as he focused on the Imps around him. If they gave him any moment, he''d act.


    Either I fight now, and you will likely die. Or I''ll go into their camp and see if I can force an opportunity that will allow me to kill them and save you!


    As he walked, the Pale Imp remained nearby, constantly vigilant.


    "How did you find us?" Irwin growled, more to keep the other talking than anything else.


    "You are so loud. What did you expect," the Imp snapped before letting out a dull giggle. Irwin noticed how its eyes went from the crazed look the normal Imps had back to a creepy clarity.


    "What do you want? Why are you capturing smiths?" Irwin asked.


    "I''m not here to answer your questions," the Imp screamed, raising its dagger while its yellow red-pupilled eyes flashed brightly.


    Irwin narrowed his eyes, picturing how he''d grab the Imp and bathe it in his flame. As the previous time, something must have shown on his face because the Imp jumped back.


    "Why¡­?" Irwin asked again, trying to add as much of a threat to his voice as he could.


    The Imp shook its head, continuing ahead slightly faster than before.


    A shame, Irwin thought.


    He had the feeling that if he had some more time, he''d be able to get the Pale Imp to tell him more. Which was odd. Balarn and Greldo had said the other Imps took a lot more convincing.


    Walking with captives was far slower than normal, and it took them a while to reach the edge of the Imp camp.


    As he stepped around the tree, Irwin felt his heart skip a beat at the sight of the massive wooden rampart ahead. There was a gate in the middle, and hundreds of Imps moved over it while he heard more behind it.


    At least it will be easy to fill with fog, he thought.


    There was a startled cry from ahead, and a moment later, a winged Imp, bulky and with gritty black scars across its chest, landed before them. The gate behind it opened, and Imps began streaming out while the Winged one began chittering in their own language, and Irwin hissed.


    "Talk so I can understand, or the deal is off," he snapped.


    The Winged Imp glared at him, then back at the Pale Imp, giggling nervously.


    "The smith¡­ we couldn''t put them on him. It''s the one they want¡­ Irwin? And-"


    "I can see," the Winged Imp snapped in a horrible accent. "Shut up! Why did you bring him here if he''s not wearing card nullifiers?"


    So what they said was true, Irwin thought as he felt his skin crawl. They were looking for him!


    The Pale Imp looked at the others worriedly, then shrugged. "We caught his friends¡­ the information was-"


    "Shut up! Is your mind gone already?" the Winged Imp snarled before rattling something off in its own language.


    Wait, what is he saying? Irwin was about to act when the Winged Imp stopped talking.


    The Pale Imp was looking at the Winged One, and Irwin saw a tiny flicker of anger in the yellow and red eyes, and then it was buried.


    "No¡­" the Pale Imp muttered.


    "Moronic, near-dead, addled," the Winged Imp growled, stomping its feet. "After this is done, I''ll send you back to the main shard for reeducation!"


    The flicker of rage appeared again, and this time, it burned bright, but still, the Pale Imp said nothing.


    Everything was happening so fast that Irwin barely had time to react at the start. Now, as he was calming down, he frowned. It wasn''t just the Pale Imps that were acting idiotic¡­ didn''t Greldo say they had sounded smart before? He focused on the Winged Imp, and he noticed the burning red eyes swirl around oddly for a moment before settling back.


    "At least you are able to hold your temper¡­ Now. What deal does he speak of?" the Winged Imp screamed.


    The Pale Imp quickly explained what had happened while Irwin listened. He was watching the other Imps that had remained near the entrance.


    Something¡­ is really wrong here. Are they turning Addled right now?


    Irwin frowned. That couldn''t be right. How could they even be capturing Smiths and concocting plans if they were?


    His moment drew the attention of the Winged Imp, and it turned its crazed glare at him.


    "And you¡­ I''ve heard about you! You care for your friends! Well, we have more of those!"


    Irwin stiffened. Did he mean Balarn? Or Greldo? No¡­ Greldo wasn''t here. Unless they had captured him, and- He stopped thinking as the Winged Imp took a metal band from its waist.


    "You will put this on, or-"


    "No," Irwin snarled, as his worry for his friends was replaced with anger.


    He took a step forward, focusing on his cards, barely holding back from using them.


    "You will bring me to my friends, or I''ll tear this entire place down with you in it," Irwin snapped.


    The Winged Imp glared at him, shaking its head. "You are bluffing! Put it on!"


    Irwin took a deep breath and focused on his Sweltering Heart. Turning his attention to the Pale Imps, he prepared to attack them with his flame and Eyes of Blaze.


    "Let¡­ him¡­ in¡­" a deep, lumbering voice caused the world around him to shake.


    Shocked and surprised, Irwin held back as he looked at the fortification ahead of him. There was no sight of the origin of the voice.


    In front of him, the Winged Imp''s mouth snapped closed, and he shuddered. The crazed and confused look in its eyes cleared up, and it looked around in confusion. Then it turned to Irwin, who reeled back from the intelligent and malice-filled gaze. Gone were the confusion and insanity. A quick look to the side showed that the Pale Imps were looking at him with clear, appraising eyes.


    This isn''t good¡­


    "Follow me," the Winged Imp said before turning and heading towards the gate.

 Chapter 134: Tiny Helpers

    As the Winged Imp stomped to the wooden gate, the others spread out to create a corridor.


    Now what, Irwin thought.


    He looked back and shared a worried look with Ignalia, who was trying to convey something with her eyes. He had no idea what but did know that it wasn''t anything like, all is good, don''t worry. The pale Imp that moved beside her still had a dagger to her throat.


    Should he make his move now? He hesitated for a moment, then began following the Imp. There was no guarantee that he would be fast enough, which meant that if he had to fight, he could just as well move after seeing what was inside.


    Still, as he closed in on the gate, he felt his worry grow. Perhaps he shouldn''t go in? He had no idea what type of creature had spoken, but its influence was obvious. With a few words, it had seemed to repel whatever was wrong with the other Imps.


    If it''s an Imp, my flame can kill it, he thought. He had no reason to believe anything else.


    Squaring his shoulders, he moved through the throng of Imps that were giggling and chattering in their own language. A single look showed that whatever had cleared up the addled minds of the Pale and Winged Imps had no effect on them. They were still as crazy as ever.


    Stepping through the gate, Irwin stopped, his foot a fraction from the ground.


    A large portal hovered in the center, almost completely tainted red by the swirl of chaotic lightning that erupted from its edges. Sitting beside it was an enormous Brutal Imp. The air around it was hazy with heat waves, causing everything near it to seem blurry. From within the dull haze, two pitch-black eyes stared back at him. An unmoving, groaning figure lay on the ground a few feet away. One of its arms was bent oddly, and bones stuck out of parts of its legs.


    The other Brutal Imp, Irwin thought, recognizing the groaning figure.


    Swallowing as he saw the brutal wounds that covered it, he looked at the second Brutal Imp. There was barely any comparison between it and the smaller one in terms of size and sheer intimidation. Besides that, it had nearly the same color as Yogog, and worse, something he''d never seen in an Imp. Intelligence radiating from its eyes.


    Keeping a tight lock on his cards, he pulled his eyes from it and quickly looked around the camp for any of the captives. It was a mess, with wood lying everywhere, most splintered and broken. A set of cages stood to the far end, filled with the other monstrous creatures. It was just like the Viridian scout had said.


    A pale blue dome, almost like a soap bubble, stood a few feet from the cages. Within it, he saw a mass of tiny red specs hovering in the center, seeming afraid to get anywhere near the blue barrier surrounding them. His gaze lingered on the Emberions for a moment before searching for Balarn or any of the others.


    "You¡­ won''t find¡­ your friends," the rumbling voice came again.


    Irwin turned to the giant Brutal Imp, who was talking to him.


    His mind spun rapidly, underlined by a tiny bit of worry about Balarn. There was one large benefit of the prisoners not being here. Now, he could just use his fire without worrying that he would hurt anyone. Still, if he was to guarantee the Ignitzion''s safety, he''d need to get rid of the Pale Imps. What he needed was a distraction of some sort. Something that would give Ignalia the time to free herself, if that was even possible, without the use of her cards. Otherwise, his only hope was covering her and the others with fire to ash the Imps.


    All of these thoughts flashed through his mind, but even then, he saw the massive onyx-colored Brutal Imp frown.


    "Why are you here?" Irwin quickly asked, staring at the Imp.


    "For¡­ smiths," the Imp rumbled. "Like you."


    The more Irwin listened to the slow-paced voice, the more used he got to its slow and deliberate pacing.


    "Why?" Irwin asked, pretty sure he wasn''t going to like the answers if he even got one.


    He wanted to move closer to the Pale Imps, but with the full focus of the Brutal Imp on him, he had no idea what it would do if he moved.


    "None of¡­ your concern. You will put on a card dampener¡­ either voluntarily or with help," the Brutal Imp said. It wasn''t a request.


    Irwin gritted his teeth as he shook his head. "No. I want my friends back."


    "Your¡­ choice¡­" the Imp muttered.


    Irwin focused on him, readying himself for an attack. None came. The Brutal Imp focused on the Pale ones.


    "Kill the-"


    Irwin stopped hesitating before the slow voice could continue. Focusing all the energy he had, his flame flared up from his hand, rippling out around him and as far outward as he could. At the same time, he jumped back toward the Pale Imps.


    There was a startled screech, then a deafening roar as he landed on his back. Flipping over, he searched for Ignalia and saw her shove chunks of black goop from her. His flames licked around her, but like with Scintilla, they didn''t harm her. There was a thin wound on her neck, blood slowly oozing out of it. To the side, the other remaining Ignitzion was holding her hands to her throat. Blood spurted from between her fingers, landing atop the chunks of charcoal that had been her Pale Imp captor moments before.


    Damnit! Irwin screamed, angry at himself for moving too slow and angry at the Imp for harming her.


    However, there was no time to berate himself. The heavy footsteps running from behind were way too close. Not holding anything back, he released his hold over his Sweltering Heart card, letting it create as much steam as it still could. It didn''t have the time to fully recover, but it would have to do.


    As he turned around as fast as he could, he saw tendrils of steam rising from the ground around him, then his eyes widened. A massive black foot filled his vision, and he barely managed to cross his arms before a massive force slammed into them, shoving them back into his chest. The world turned into a blur of movement as he was flung across the open area. He felt himself crash through the rows of Imps before he slammed into something hard that cracked and splintered.


    No¡­ it wasn''t just the thing he hit that cracked. Breathing became more difficult as he felt pain flair up in his chest.


    With ringing ears, he forced himself back to his feet. Spots covered his vision, and he blinked to clear them. The first thing he saw was the Brutal Imp run past Ignalia, ignoring her as she dragged something. Blinking again, he tried to clear his vision and mind. Suddenly, the blurriness left, and his gaze snapped into focus. He saw Ignalia, unsteady on her feet, try to drag the wounded Ignitzion to some of the swirling steam.


    Steam!


    Shaking his head to clear it, Irwin realized he''d lost control over Sweltering Heart, and he quickly summoned more steam while also covering himself in his flame. Using both of those skills was hard in any normal situation, but with his head throbbing, he felt his control slip slightly. The steam began dissipating, and he cursed. The Brutal Imp was almost there, and his legs were shaking. Seeing Ignalia reach the steam, he released it, hoping it was enough, and fully enveloped himself in his flames. He was barely on time as the Imp kicked at him again, this time heel forward.


    Afraid that his flame might not be enough, Irwin threw himself to the side, hoping he wouldn''t hurt whatever he broke inside of him even worse. The massive heel slammed into the already cracked rampart, crashing through and barely missing him. His flames leaked across it, and Irwin felt joy grow only for the smile to freeze on his lips.


    The black skin of the Brutal Imp turned slightly red, and it let out a pained roar. It pulled its foot back, ripping apart more wood, as it stumbled away. However, nothing else happened. It didn''t freeze, nor did it turn to chunks of charcoal.


    "Ferocious fire¡­of devouring," the Brutal Imp roared. "How¡­? Nobody¡­ touch him! I''ll¡­ deal with him!"


    Irwin pushed himself back on his feet, feeling broken bones in his chest grind across each other and poke dangerously in his intestines. He heard the Imp''s words and shivered. He couldn''t get kicked another time, and the Imp seemed able to resist his fire.


    It still hurt him, Irwin thought.


    He began moving sideways as he watched the Brutal Imp slowly prowl back toward him, this time showing some fear. He gritted his teeth and looked around. Ignalia and the other Ingitzion were on the other side of the open area, fighting with dozens of crazed Imps that were surrounding them. The one who had almost bled to death was stumbling, unable to dodge, and getting stabbed and cut repeatedly. Ignalia was moving like a blur, wielding one of the Imp''s own shortswords, the Card Dampener still on her arm.


    There was no sight of any of the remaining Pale Imps or the Winged one. He wished he could help them, but there was nothing he could do.


    "I will¡­ crush you!" the Brutal Imp roared as he jumped forward.


    Why does it like kicking this much? Irwin thought as he gritted his teeth and jumped forward and under the sidekick. As he slammed into the ground, a flare of pain came from his chest.


    No fire, perhaps steam, he thought as he released his flame.


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    As soon as he did, he saw the Brutal Imp''s eyes light up, and he knew he''d made a mistake. Scrambling to summon his flame, he saw the Brutal Imp jump towards him, arms outstretched, hands large enough to crush him wide open.


    His flame burst out around him just as the hands reached him, and the Brutal Imp roared in pain, its mouth far too close. Irwin felt his ears pop while the hands slammed into his arms and shoulders before retreating just as fast. The Brutal Imp roared again, slapping his hands against his upper legs while backing up.


    Irwin''s mind spun as he tried to come up with a plan, his eyes flickering around, trying to search for a solution, only to stop as he saw the blue barrier with the Emberions. What if he could release those? They were drawn to heat, and that enormous Brutal Imp radiated it.


    Knowing it was a long shot, he hobbled sideways, keeping one eye on the Brutal Imp, which was moving to the side of the broken wooden wall.


    What is it-


    Irwin yelped as he jumped to the side, ignoring the pain in his chest as a massive chunk of debris slammed down beside him. The sand sprayed him while the Brutal Imp was grabbing another one. Knowing there was no more time to wait, Irwin turned and sprinted towards the Emberion enclosure, constantly casting quick looks across his shoulder. As soon as he saw the debris flying, he shot to the side. As he did, a stab from his chest seemed more painful than the others, and he felt an itch in his throat. He coughed, and a fine red mist sprayed from between his lips. At the same time, he felt like he was out of breath, something he hadn''t felt since gaining Sweltering Heart.


    Pierced my lung?


    Doing his best to ignore the pain and fear, he reached the blue barrier. Summoning his flame, he jabbed it forward like a spear. As soon as the point touched the barrier, the Emeberions inside went insane, blurring about so fast he couldn''t see any individuals.


    The barrier shuddered, and it dimmed noticeably.


    "Stop him!"


    The dull roar made him sidestep around the barrier just in time to dodge another section of the debris. As it slammed and shattered against the blue barrier, he increased the output of his flame, creating a shield that he pressed against the barrier.


    The blue barrier''s brightness vanished, and the color drained rapidly. At the same time, he felt something he''d never sensed before; a slight weakness from his first card. Almost as if it was draining itself somehow. If there had been another choice, Irwin would have stopped immediately. As it was, he continued moving around the barrier to keep it between him and the Brutal Imp.


    "Stop him, stop him!" the Brutal Imp roared.


    Irwin looked up to see dozens of Imps run toward him, but there was no sight of the Pale ones or the Winged Imp.


    Before the Imps even got halfway, the barrier vanished with a soft sigh.


    The Imps stopped, eyes wide, while an angry shout came from the Brutal Imp.


    For a moment, everyone froze as the cloud of Emberions shot toward Irwin.


    Let''s hope this isn''t a mistake, Irwin thought as unsummoned his flame.


    The Emberions slowed, and he saw their fire-leaking eyes stare around in confusion. Then they noticed the Imps, and like a stream of falling stars, they shot towards them.


    The Imps let out a collective scream of fear, turned, and ran, but they were far too slow. Before they could get more than a few steps, the cloud of Emberions swarmed over and around them.


    Why not toward the Brutal Imp? Irwin thought as he slumped to the ground, looking at the towering black Imp that glared back at him for a moment before gazing at the Portal.


    Irwin was distracted by a terrified cry that was cut off abruptly. Looking over, he saw that an Imp had frozen and was now slowly turning to black soot. All around it, more and more Imps turned to crumbling black statues.


    They are like my flame, Irwin thought as he gazed at them wide-eyed. Did that mean his flame was a soulcard from one of them? Or something similar?


    The Brutal Imp turned and ran to the red Portal, its heavy footsteps causing a dull thudding.


    It''s trying to get away, Irwin thought.


    "Kill that one," he shouted, trying to get the Emberion''s attention.


    Sadly, they either didn''t hear, didn''t understand, or didn''t care. Seeing the black Imp close in on the Portal, Irwin suddenly had an idea. Focusing on his Eyes of Blaze, he shot a narrow, high-range, high-powered beam of fire at the Brutal Imp. It moved so fast it almost instantly hit it, causing the Imp to grunt in panic as the flames licked across him. However, when nothing happened, it tossed a wide grin at Irwin and continued running.


    Come on, come on, Irwin thought, as he kept the beam on the running Imp. It was only ten steps from the Portal when the Emberions finally seemed to notice. A few, then more and finally all blurred forward, reaching the Brutal Imp moments before it could reach the Portal.


    One touched its shoulder, then another, then some landed on its back and chest, and within a fraction of a second, the massive Imp was covered in tiny fire-devouring monsters. Its entire body instantly came alight as the black skin began glowing red hot. A startled shout of pain came as it stumbled.


    As Irwin watched and relaxed, he felt a slow-building hunger from his first card. He watched the Emberions, now covering the Brutal Imp, which was now crawling forward, and he swallowed. Not sure what was going on, he moved forward, slow at first, then faster until he ran the remaining distance. He ignored his own pained panting and the stabbing in his chest until he reached the Emberion-covered Brutal Imp. Mechanically, he summoned his flame, and he barely noticed how some of the Emberions close by moved to the side, almost as if to give him some space. Then he spread the flame forward, covering the arm of the Imp. As soon as he did, he felt a sense of intense delight from his Flame card. At the same time, he felt the emptiness of the card dissipate as it began filling up again.


    The Brutal Imp now lay on the ground, shaking and shuddering, its jaw moving as if it wanted to say something but was unable to.


    Irwin ignored it, focusing fully on his card that began to slowly hum and vibrate. As it did, he sensed the hum spread through his hand and across his other cards before going into his entire body. When it reached his chest, he couldn''t help but let out a soft sigh of delight before humming along. He almost closed his eyes as a warm, soothing sensation spread through his body, and he felt things click and stitch together.


    Only the place he was at caused a tiny part of him to keep some attention on his surroundings.


    At some point, a high-pitched tune mixed with his deep hum, creating a beautiful harmony. The vibration in his first card continued, and the other two cards in his left hand began joining it. Although they were combined, they were also still individual cards. But as the humming increased, he felt them draw slightly closer together.


    He had no idea how long it took, but finally, the Brutal Imp let out a strangled gasp, and its body, which looked like a burning coal, turned dull and dark with cracks appearing all over. Then, it crumbled into chunks of soot that slumped down.


    As the Brutal Imp vanished, Irwin slowly regained himself, and as he did, he found that his flame had spread around him in a five-foot radius, causing everything beyond it to be slightly deformed. The massive cloud of Emberions was hovering around him, many with their eyes closed and mouths open, letting the flame leak inside. A few, however, were hovering in front of him, and he saw them stare at him curiously. At the same time, a sense of kinship spread among them. It increased as more of the Emberions opened their eyes and began congregating before him until he felt an incredibly familiar connection with the tiny beings in front of him.


    With it came a slight realization. Although the individual Emberions were barely conscious, together, they had some sort of intelligence.


    A sense of gratitude came, then the cloud floated up and away. Blinking at the loss of the warm feeling of kinship, Irwin noticed a single tiny Emberion remained. It was hovering before him, its tiny eyes leaking flames as it gazed at him, and he sensed the kinship from it, tiny but there. Not sure what to do, he raised a finger.


    "Hey there," he whispered. "Aren''t you going with the others?"


    An unspoken sense bubbled toward him, originating from somewhere in the flame, which was slowly translated into an emotion by his card. The tiny Emberion seemed to want to stay.


    "Alright¡­ well, I''m going to have to stop the flame for a bit," Irwin said. "Are you going to be alright?"


    There was no response, but the Emberion floated forward, and to his surprise, Irwin felt it nestle somewhere in his hair. Confused but happy, he unsummoned his flame. As the fire whisked away, he saw Ignalia and the other Ignitzion stand far away, staring at him. Both had removed the Card Dampening armbands.


    "You alright?" Irwin asked as he quickly walked towards them.


    "Shouldn''t we ask you that question?" Ignalia asked as she carefully poked a finger at his chest.


    Irwin blinked, then took a deep breath. The sharp pain was gone, as was the odd sense of being short of breath.


    "I''m fine," he said.


    Then he spun around as he recalled something.


    "Where are those Pale Imps and the Winged one?" he hissed.


    Ignalia stared at him, then grimaced. "As soon as you began fighting with that monstrous Brutal Imp, they fled through the portal, dragging the smaller one along."


    "Dammit!" Irwin snapped as he focused on the red Portal. "That means they are going to warn the others!"


    "Depending on if there''s any time dilation, they may have already done so," Ignalia muttered.


    "Unlikely!"


    Irwin looked up to see Ambraz flit down from the side of a tree, streaking towards him and landing on his shoulder.


    "Where did you go?" he asked, suddenly recalling the Anvil had left them before.


    "I was waiting for an opportunity to help you," Ambraz snorted. "Luckily, you had it all covered."


    Irwin frowned, about to comment, when Ignalia stepped forward, staring at Ambraz.


    "What did you just mean? What is unlikely?"


    "It''s unlikely that there''s a time dilation between here and there," Ambraz said.


    "Why?" Irwin and Ignalia asked at the same time.


    "Ugh, kids¡­ Because if there had been, they would have sent reinforcement moments after they entered the Portal. Besides, if they connected multiple shardworlds together and connected them here, it''s very unlikely that there will be any time dilation at all."


    Irwin blinked, staring at the Portal. If what Ambraz said was true, didn''t that mean they had to go in before those Imps warned the others?


    "How many of those Brutal Imps do you think are there?" he asked.


    "I don''t know," Ignalia said. "But there can''t be many. It takes a long time before an Imp turns into a Brutal Imp, and they all start out even more stupid than the small one we fought. To get this smart? It could take a hundred years."


    Irwin nodded before turning to the other Ignitzion. Her wound was mostly healed, but she seemed barely able to stand. There was no sign of the Viridians that had come with them.


    "Where did the Viridians go?" he asked.


    Ignalia shrugged. "They were in the entrance behind us, but I haven''t seen them after you managed to free us. That was¡­ risky, but well done. Thank you. I wasn''t ready to die just yet."


    "Don''t worry," Irwin said as he took a deep breath. "I am going inside the Portal in a moment. If I can go there and hide and rest, it will be safer than waiting here and entering later."


    "Are you crazy? What if the Portal is in the middle of their base?" the other Ignitzion suddenly shouted. She''d been relatively quiet up till now, and Irwin was startled by her outburst.


    "We should go and find Gebladir and bring more people," she continued. "Otherwise-"


    "No."


    The Ignitzion turned to look at Ignalia, who was shaking her head.


    "Irwin is right. They already tried to control him by using us. If they do the same thing with Greldo and Balarn, we are going to have problems. We need to go inside there and find a way to hide and save the others."


    "You''re both crazy¡­ what if-"


    "I''ll go first," Ignalia said as she took a deep breath. "If I have to, I can trigger my card''s ability, and I''ll be teleported to a random spot on that shardworld. It shouldn''t be too big, so I''ll be fine."


    Irwin stared at her. It took him a few moments to think it through, but he couldn''t find a big flaw in her plan.


    "What if you can''t trigger it in time?" he asked.


    "If I don''t have to bring anyone, it takes nothing but a thought," she said while walking to the Portal. "I''ll go in, take one look, then come back. If I don''t return within ten minutes, which would account for any time dilation, don''t go in. Find Gebladir and tell him what happened, and try to come up with another plan."


    Irwin nodded. "Are you sure about this?" he asked.


    "Yes," she said, then stepped forward before looking at him oddly again. "By the way, not that I don''t enjoy the look, but you do know that your hair is still on fire?"


    Irwin blinked and pulled the long braid across his shoulder, instantly seeing that she was right. The dark copper hair was glistening while tiny gouts of flame rippled around them.


    "I''ll be back in a moment," Ignalia said.


    Irwin looked up just in time to see her body vanish, leaving a momentary red outline hovering in the air before it was whisked away inside.

 Chapter 135: Diamonds are the best?

    Irwin stared hard at the Ruby Portal, counting in his mind.


    Seven, eight, nine-


    A bright burst of red lightning rippled around the edges of the portal, and a figure came tumbling through. Irwin jumped forward, barely catching Ignalia. Her bare arms were warm against his, and she took a deep, shuddering breath.


    Irwin wanted to ask what was up, but she rose, pushing him aside.


    "We have to go right away," she said as she looked at the other Ignitzion. "Find your way to Gebladir, tell him where the portal is, and make sure he brings an army here."


    Then she turned to Irwin, who was looking at her, feeling the hairs on his arms stand on end.


    "Hurry," she said, moving back to the portal.


    "What is-


    "No time, the portal is clear, but not for long! Come on!" Ignalia said as she jumped back into the portal.


    Irwin gritted his teeth and checked on Ambraz, who was nestled on his shoulder. The Anvil''s lips were a pursed line.


    Great. Let''s see what''s going on then, Irwin thought as he jumped in after her.


    A dark tunnel enveloped him, with distant bursts of light illuminating clouds and nebulas. Irwin looked around, and his heart nearly skipped a beat as he saw a massive figure moving through the space far to the left. Shadowy and hard to discern, it was vaguely familiar.


    Before he could even think about it anymore, he was forced out of the portal and stumbled across a dark gray stone. Tiny bits of debris, dust, and sand covered tables, benches, and a partially aflame fire. A kettle or something a lot like one hung above it while empty cells lined the walls. Whoever had been here, however, wasn''t in sight.


    Instead, the sounds of a massive battle raging nearby nearly deafened him. A wide staircase led down from where he stood into a room with four hallways leading out. The battle seemed to come from the two leading to the left.


    Who is fighting? Is it Greldo and the others? Irwin thought as he gazed at the hallways.


    Ignalia grabbed his arm and pulled him along toward the corridors leading to the right. Realizing what she wanted to do, Irwin pulled himself free, following after her. They jumped down the staircase, any sound it might have made lost in the explosions and screams that rang out.


    Ignalia rushed to the hallway that seemed opposite of the battle, but Irwin hesitated. From all they knew, the only ones here were the Imps and Greldo and the others. That meant they were battling it out¡­ right?


    Ignalia grabbed his shoulder, and Irwin saw her shake her head as she pointed towards the corridor from which the sounds of the battle came. She mouthed something, but Irwin couldn''t hear her. Seeming frustrated, she pointed at the tunnel and shouted something.


    "Not - ave! -dled!"


    Irwin shook his head, not sure what she meant. Ignalia tried to pull him away, and he hesitated. Taking a final look at the direction of the battle, Irwin finally let her pull him away. Ignalia ran forward, stopping at the first crossing they arrived at. All directions looked the same, with the corridors made of gray stone, with small debris and dust everywhere. After some hesitation, Irwin took the lead, pulling Ignalia to the right. He didn''t have any reason for it other than it felt right, and Ignalia seemed fine with it.


    They ran forward, passing a few more crossings, but Irwin kept running ahead, counting the crosses they passed. He had plenty of experience with labyrinthian places by now, though as he ran, he did wonder why so many of the worldshards he reached were consistent or ruins or cavernous systems.


    The sound became distant, though the rumbling continued.


    When the sound was muted enough for Irwin to talk without shouting, he stopped at another cross.


    "What did you say before?" he asked, staring at Ignalia and realizing she was breathing heavily while her eyes were fluttering open and closed.


    "There was a battle between Imps and Addled back there," she said, rubbing her head. "I recognized the screams. If we had gone there, we would have been in major trouble."


    "Addled¡­" Irwin muttered as he looked back in the direction they had come from. "Do you think it''s the Imps that turned?"


    "Probably," Ignalia muttered. She took a step and stumbled.


    Irwin quickly reached out to stabilize her. "What is wrong?"


    "I¡­ don''t know," Ignalia muttered. "I feel tired, weary. It''s like-" She shook her head as if to say something, and Irwin saw her eyes roll up. He grabbed her around the waist, holding her up.


    Staring at the knocked-out Ignitzion, he looked around.


    "Great. Now what?"


    "Now we need to find a spot to rest so you can summon some of that steam to help her," Ambraz said before flying from Irwin''s shoulder. The Anvil zipped to the wall they had come from, grazing past it and creating a rough arrow back.


    "There, now we can find the way back."


    Irwin nodded as Ambraz landed back on his shoulder. Turning around, he began walking further in the same direction.


    "Do you have any ideas?" he asked.


    "What? Now you ask me? After you run in here without thinking?" Ambraz asked.


    Irwin sighed. "I did think about it. The Imps are weak to my fire. Greldo and the others are stuck in here and need help, and this is the only way to get in. Besides, how were we supposed to know that Ignalia would¡­ well, that whatever happened would?"


    "Yeah, yeah," Ambraz snorted. "Whatever. At least there''s a good chance to find some special cards in here."


    "Why?" Irwin asked as he kept walking ahead.


    "Because-" Ambraz began before falling silent.


    "Quiet. There''s Imps ahead," he whispered.


    Irwin frowned as he looked ahead. He didn''t see anything besides gray corridors.


    "Keep going," Ambraz whispered.


    Irwin frowned but did as asked. At the next intersection, Ambraz flew to the wall and created another arrow before heading left. Irwin followed after him, and halfway through, he heard familiar giggling.


    Ambraz landed on his shoulder. "There''s ten normal Imps ahead," he whispered. "But there''s something¡­ weird about them."


    Fine, let''s clear those out and see what''s going on, Irwin thought as he continued ahead.


    At the end of the hallway, there was finally an end to the monotony of the odd corridors that seemed to branch out indefinitely. To the left was a room with the glow of fire, while to the right were the remains of a small metal with holes through which bright light poured.


    The exit? Irwin thought. Then he looked to the left, from which the sound of giggling came. With a minor hesitation, he headed that way, ready to summon his flame if needed. As he closed in on the room, he sped up as he noticed cells along the back. Cells meant prisoners, and he suddenly felt hope. Perhaps he would find Balarn or some of the others?


    His hope turned to confused surprise as he stepped into the room and saw dozens, if not more, Imps inside some of the cells.


    "What the¡­" he whispered, looking around. Besides the dozens of cells, many with Imps inside, the room had a single exit on the opposite end. As he quickly examined it for potential threats, he saw it lead to another room with more cells partially visible.


    A high-pitched screech made him look at the cells, and he saw two things that barely resembled Imps standing with their arms through the bars, reaching for him. Their dull red skin was matted with long wounds, and their faces were warped beyond anything a regular Imp could do. The corners of their lips were pulled almost beside their eyes, which were pupil-less masses of gray and black.


    "Addled¡­" Ambraz whispered. "This means the Imps don''t have much time left- it always starts with the weakest ones."


    Irwin walked closer to the cells, keeping an eye out to make sure nobody would sneak up on him. As he stood before the raging and screaming Addled, he saw the thin wounds on their bodies were rapidly closing and healing. He had never seen one this close, but as he stared at them, he realized there wasn''t that much to see. They were roughly the same as Imps, with just their eyes, face, and skin changed.


    After a moment, he moved to the Imps, noting they were all either sitting still, staring at their hands, or giggling in bursts of insanity.


    "Why¡­ Why don''t they just go to another world? Why do they stay in shardworlds if this is the result?" Irwin asked as he stared at the doomed beings before him, thinking about the people in his own world.


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    "Most do, but¡­," Ambraz sighed, and to Irwin''s surprise, his usually annoyed undertone was gone.


    Instead, he seemed sad. It took Irwin a few moments before he recalled what Ambraz had told him about his own homeworld that had been shattered. With all that had been going on, he had completely forgotten that Ambraz had been searching for a part of it, a shardworld that might have portals leading back to it.


    "Sometimes beings are stuck, as many times the exit portal to the Portal Galleries vanishes upon the world''s shattering. There''s also those too stubborn to let go of what remains of their world, trying desperately to find a way to stitch it back together, while-"


    "Is that even possible?" Irwin whispered, interrupting him.


    "I have never heard of it happening," Ambraz said. "Who knows. Perhaps somewhere across the seemingly infinite Portal Galery, there''s a way to do it."


    Irwin nodded. "What other way were you going to say?" he asked.


    "Finding a world that is habitable and not yet inhabited is very, very hard," Ambraz said, letting out a snort. "Far harder than you can imagine. And even if you find one, how are you supposed to bring an entire world of people to the new world? Teleporters that can move between worlds are another thing I''ve never heard about¡­ Bah-"


    Ambraz grunted, then made a sound that sounded like he spat something out.


    Irwin sighed.


    "Are there any beings that don''t become Addled?" he asked.


    "Worldanvils," Ambraz said softly. "And there''s rumors that anyone with an Ammolite card lasts longer."


    Right, the mysterious rank above diamond, Irwin thought. As he thought about that, he wondered again how he could get that, and his mind automatically drifted to his growth card.


    He blinked and turned to Ambraz.


    "What happened to my first card? You told me to wait¡­"


    Ambraz was quiet for a bit before sighing. "Let''s find a quiet place to lay low so you can rest."


    Irwin nodded and turned to look at the corridor that led to the other cell blocks. He hesitated, then turned and walked out. If there were captive Imps here, there would be those that put them there and might put more there. Instead, he headed toward the door with the light and peeked through the cracks.


    Behind it was a burning red sky, with clouds of yellow and orange drifting by. A vast dark expanse lay beyond, with towering black trees that seemed burned but still had black leaves on them. They were swaying softly, and Irwin saw no movements.


    Either we find a room, or we go inside here, he thought. After hesitating, he tried the door and, with some effort, pulled it open. It wasn''t locked, just stuck slightly. Stepping outside, he saw the ruins continue left and right, towering black buildings that seemed covered in a thin film of ash. Walking a few steps away and turning back, he saw the door set in a building that was only a single-story angular thing.


    Behind it, an enormous volcano belched out plumes of crimson and black gas like an enormous monster.


    "Let''s circle around and search for a place to hide," he whispered.


    Ambraz didn''t reply, so he continued walking around the building, keeping an eye on the forest.


    Fifteen minutes later, he sat with his back against a dark, scorched section of wall. He was in a small alcove between two partially connected buildings. Ignalia was lying next to him, and a small area of steam covered her. She was still unconscious but breathing much easier.


    "So¡­" he said as he turned to Ambraz, who was sitting on his knee.


    "Impatient," the Anvil muttered before sighing. "Yes, your assumption is correct. Your card did grow and become a diamond card."


    "How! Didn''t you tell me the cards couldn''t be reforged?" Irwin whispered as a wave of joy filled him. That meant he was ready to get his final card and become a heartcarded!


    "It didn''t get reforged, now did it? I told you that parts of the cards merge when you combine them, and in your case, that means the growth path. In the case of your cards, the growth element," Ambraz said with a snort. "Now, instead of asking me all these difficult questions, hold up your hand so I can inspect it!"


    Irwin blinked, then did as asked. With his hand combined, he couldn''t summon the cards to inspect them individually, but Ambraz could? He waited, and seconds slowly passed. After a minute, he wanted to ask something, and Ambraz growled.


    "Don''t move!"


    Wondering what was going on, Irwin held his hand up and calmly waited. At some point, his gaze drifted to the forest, and he zoned out as he stared at it. He had no idea how long it lasted, but finally, Ambraz let out a startled sigh.


    "Impressive," he muttered. "It''s a Diamond card, alright, although only at a low percentage so far. I guess you are going to have to drain more Imps, which, luckily, there are many of here."


    Irwin blinked, then cocked his head. "So, what changed?"


    "A lot, one of them being that we can see why your fire is so weird now," Ambraz said. "Here, let me show you."


    Irwin was about to ask how when Ambraz whisked to the open area before him and grew to his larger working shape. A dim light appeared atop, and Irwin blinked as he got up.


    "What¡­"


    "Take a look instead of standing around mumbling," Ambraz said.


    Walking over, Irwin looked down at the surface. On it were silvery letters that showed the details of his card, similar to what his Eyes of Blaze showed him when examining a card.


    Name: Partial body of devouring flame


    Type: Diamond, Growth, Impersonate, [Devouring Flame]


    An incredibly rare diamond card that allows the holder to wield devouring-flame and changes parts of its body to that of a devouring-fire-elemental. The wielder will heal significantly faster when near a source of fire-element of any kind. This healing is significantly reduced in any cold or airless environment.


    Active: Create a devouring flame large enough to cover twenty feet around the wielder that can be intricately controlled


    Passive: Greatly increased resistance to fire, decreased resistance to cold


    Passive two: Night vision (Can see dimly in complete darkness)


    "How can you do this?" Irwin hissed in surprise.


    "It''s one of the things I learned after ranking up," Ambraz said.


    "That''s¡­ fantastic," Irwin whispered while his gaze drifted across the text. It had been a long time since he''d last seen his card, but he knew most of it by heart. "The cold weakness is different!"


    "Yeah, it''s much better than it was," Ambraz said with a snort.


    "I''ve never heard of devouring-flame," Irwin muttered. "And what does it mean, partial body of devouring-flame? I didn''t change that much... right?"


    Ambraz snorted. "Are you asking me? It''s your body!"


    Irwin frowned, then focused back on the card. As he read the active ability, he gasped.


    Twenty feet around me? he thought as he stared at it.


    "The intricately controlled bit," he whispered. "That must be why it didn''t harm some people¡­ perhaps I was controlling it?"


    "Could be," Ambraz said. "There''s a lot of cards that give abilities that work based on the wielder''s intent."


    Irwin nodded, re-reading the card again, getting the sense he was missing something. It took him a few moments to figure out what.


    "It lost the weakness," he said, smiling.


    "Yeah, sometimes good things happen," Ambraz said.


    Irwin gazed at it, about to say something, when a weary voice interrupted him.


    "Can you do that with any card?"


    Irwin looked back to see Ignalia watching them through heavily lidded eyes.


    "I¡­ yes, I think he can," Irwin said.


    "Not bad," she muttered. "More convenient than going to the Mission Centers."


    Irwin nodded as he moved to sit beside her.


    "Are you alright? What happened?"


    Ignalia sighed as she put her head against the wall. "Fatigue and jumping through a portal three times in a row. Where are we?"


    "Outside of the building, hidden," Irwin said.


    "Good. I need some more rest, then I''ll be ready to go. Can you keep the steam up? Perhaps a bit hotter?"


    Irwin nodded as he focused on his card. As the steam density increased, he returned to the entrance and sat down, thinking about his new card. He was technically ready to find a final card and become a heartcarded. But there was something nagging at him, and it didn''t take him too long to figure it out.


    What if I try to grow the flame card more¡­" he thought. Would that turn it into an Ammolite card?


    He continued thinking quietly, staring at the forest. Time slipped away as he thought about what it meant that he finally had a Diamond card. It had been something that had seemed so far away for so long, and now... it felt as it had just happened. Was that how life went? You ran after something only to stumble across it in the end?


    --


    What was that?


    Irwin snapped back awake, trying to determine what had woke him up. He blinked, realizing he''d been staring unblinkingly ahead. He was about to ask Ambraz when a soft tremor ran through the ground. A moment later, there was another that lasted longer while a distant rumbling sounded out.


    He scrambled to his feet, walking out of the narrow alcove and looking around. There was no sight of anything.


    "What''s going on?"


    Ignalia''s voice called out from behind, and a moment later, she moved beside him. A quick look showed her face was less wan, and there was a sense of energy from her.


    "I don''t know," Irwin replied, just as another tremor caused the ground below them to shake. Another rumbling came from far away.


    "It''s behind the city, near the volcano," Irwin hissed as he ran forward, turning around to look across the city. Just as he looked, a bright flash of green light exploded halfway up the volcano, moments later followed by a rumbling.


    "Either they are fighting with Addled, or¡­" Irwin muttered before turning to Ignalia. "Are you ready to run again?"


    Ignalia grimaced but nodded. "Let''s go."


    "Shouldn''t we go across?" Ignalia asked from behind him.


    Irwin continued forward, staring at the building to the side. It wasn''t too high, and he knew he could climb up if he had to. Thinking for a few moments, he turned, sprinting straight at the wall. Reaching it, he jumped forward against the wall, propelling himself up, grabbing the ledge, and clearing it. Ahead of him was a dark gray slab with a few gaps.


    Far in the distance, a stream of tiny red figures were rushing up the mountain, seemingly heading toward the location of the explosion. Focusing on his Eyes of Blaze, he suddenly saw them as if he were only a dozen feet away. Slowly moving his gaze around, he noticed three enormous onyx-skinned Brutal Imps and a dozen Pale ones running beside them.


    "Whatever is going on, the Imps are going there," he said as Ignalia moved beside him. "And there''s three of the big ones.


    Ignalia grunted, and a moment later, they were sprinting at full speed across the roof.


    I wish I could have brought the entire swarm of Emberions, Irwin thought as he wondered what the single tiny one was doing.


    --


    "Coal, the entrance," Greldo whispered, knowing that his friend would hear him even with all the racket going on.


    The massive hound snapped the neck of another Addled Imp, then turned and jumped to block the cave opening. A moment later, it let out a deafening growl, darting forward and eviscerating another few Addled Imps.


    By Gelwin''s nuts, it''s good they don''t have the brains left to attack in a group, Greldo thought.


    Releasing a weary sigh, he looked back. Over a thousand wounded figures stood behind him, Carded weapons ready and donned in ragged-looking armor. Seeing that Coal was still taking care of the entrance, they slowly lowered them, and he saw looks of relief on dozens of faces.


    Nodding to himself, Greldo let his gaze drift around the cavern. Narrow passages, some barely large enough to crawl through, led to other caverns while a foul-smelling yellow gas rose from fissures in the back wall and ground. The only light came from those same fissures, creating a gloomy, ruddy atmosphere.


    Come on, Scintilla, he thought as he stared back at the entrance.


    Coal was jumping around, ripping Imps apart as he kept them from entering the cave. Loud explosions came from far to the left, showing Scintilla had arrived at her goal.


    Now let''s hope that thing focuses on the Imps, Greldo thought as he gritted his teeth.


    "Get ready," he said as he turned to the others.


    The mass of people behind him raised their weapons. Most of them are Viridians but with a few humans and Ignitzions mixed in. Only half of those he had brought inside were still with them, the rest having died. If it wasn''t for the forces of Gebladir that they had saved, they would have long since been whittled down.


    Footsteps rang out, probably inaudible to everyone but him, and he turned his head to one of the narrow corridors. A moment later, an armored, hammer and shield-wielding light figure ran towards him. Emerald earrings sat in her ears, swaying as she ran towards him.


    "That blood monster is following her towards us, and Balarn and others are ready at the other exit," Lady Relinda whispered as she grinned at him.


    "Good, then prepare the other smiths," Greldo said. Relinda nodded before walking back to the others. As she did, Greldo couldn''t help but stare at her curvy figure, even visible in the armor she was wearing.


    A noble¡­ Irwin''s never going to believe this, he thought, allowing himself a moment of joy before turning back to where Coal was still keeping the wandering Addled at bay.


    "Get ready," he grunted, loud enough for all to hear. "As soon as the Addled leave, we are rushing out."


    And let''s hope that thing can keep those bloody Imps occupied enough for us to reach the portals.

 Chapter 136: Chained to the wall

    "What is going on up there?"


    Irwin stood at the edge of the roof, staring at the distant volcano. The stream of Imps had reached the halfway point, while the explosions continued at the top.


    Who are they fighting if the Imps aren''t there yet, he thought before turning to Ignalia.


    The heat that radiated from the distant volcano seemed to make her feel much better.


    "Let''s continue up. Can you use your teleport skill if you have to?" Irwin asked.


    "Definitely," Ignalia said.


    "Then let''s continue and see what''s going on."


    Taking a look over the edge, he saw there was no sign of any Imps, so he jumped forward. Slamming into the ground, he felt the tremors. Followed by Ignalia, they ran after the Imps, staying out of sight by keeping to the rougher areas to the side of the path that led up. Although it slowed them, they were still faster than the Imps, and half an hour later, Irwin slowed down.


    They had caught up to the Imps, and they were now closing in on the area of explosions.


    First, the fighting when we entered, now this¡­ he thought as he tried to see what was causing the ruckus. Sadly, the billowing plumes of yellow gas dust and debris that burst out with each explosion made it impossible to see.


    Focusing on the Imps, he noticed that the Pale Imps were moving along the sides of the main force while two Brutal Imps stood at the back. At times, some of the normal Imps seemed to get distracted or interested and rushed away from the line, only for the Brutal Imps to shout orders, keeping them in line.


    "What do you think is going on up there?" Irwin asked.


    Ignalia frowned but didn''t respond.


    They continued after the Imps, and slowly, dust began falling down while a viscous stink came with every wave of air. The explosions rocketed the surrounding area, and Irwin saw the occasional hairline crack appear on the rocks nearby.


    When the first line of Imps reached the plumes of yellow gas, Irwin saw them hesitate. Only a snapped order from behind caused them to continue on.


    Are they seriously just going to run in there blind? Irwin thought.


    He''d barely finished his thought when he noticed one of the Brutal Imps move to the side and climb atop a high outcrop. Once there, it began drawing in so much air that its chest expanded, nearly doubling its original size. Irwin clasped his hands across his ears, afraid of what would come, but it proved unnecessary.


    The Brutal Imp didn''t shout, but instead, as it exhaled, a rapidly expanding column of air erupted from its mouth, blowing away a large portion of the yellow gas.


    As it did, Irwin swallowed as he saw what was beyond it.


    Chained to the wall by rusty chains while roaring, stomping, and striking the solid rock behind it was a massive Addled Brutal Imp.


    Stunned, Irwin watched it stop as it clenched its fist, which began gleaming with a dark light. Crackling lighting rippled around it, and everything about it made Irwin want to back up. Then the Addled Brutal Imp pounded its fists on the wall holding it, and an explosion of rock and debris shot outward while the earth shook. A crater formed behind it, and Irwin''s eyes widened, afraid it would snap the chains. But instead, the chains seemed to go further beyond it into and through the rock, the crater merely excavating more of them.


    What is going on? Irwin thought as he focused on his Eyes of Blaze and focused on the chains. As they enlarged, he blinked in surprise. They were dark gray, and the rust wasn''t rust, but orange runes.


    Is it the Linchpin?


    Irwin wasn''t a hundred percent sure, but as he unfocused and looked back at the surroundings, he knew it was possible. Then he frowned. He knew items could be linchpins, and if they were able to hold that massive monstrosity at bay, it could be¡­ but-


    Ignalia pulled his arm, then spun him around. Confused, Irwin stared at her. She was staring down the route they had just come from, and following her gaze, he saw a mass of people run down the hill. At the lead of the group was a loping black shape.


    Coal! Greldo!


    Irwin turned to Ignalia, and he saw a shadow move behind the rocks behind her. In a single motion, he grabbed her and yanked her back while summoning his hammer. A shadow blurred from between the rocks, barely missing Ignalia, who stumbled to the side. An Addled Imp stood up and spun around, its mouth expanded far beyond anything normal. Irwin swung at the thing, his feet automatically moving the way Crithan had taught him and his balance moving in such a way that when he increased the hammer''s size, it didn''t cause him to stumble. Instead, it struck the Imp in the side, snapping bones and shattering its skull as it was flung to the side, crashing against one of the boulders.


    "We need to leave," Ignalia hissed as she appeared beside him.


    Irwin was about to agree that they should follow Greldo and the others when he realized she was watching up the hill where the Imps were.


    Spinning around, Irwin saw that the Imps had rushed forward, letting out crazed screams and giggles as they charged the Addled Brutal Imp.


    What the¡­ ?


    Irwin saw the three Brutal Imps stand at the back while a dozen or more Pale Imps stood beside them.


    The Addled Brutal Imp stopped striking and battering the wall, grabbing the Imps. Every time he got one, he raised it, biting off its head with its maw before tossing the body to the side. A few of the Imps sometimes hesitated from the side, but when they did, the Brutal Imps continued shouting at them, causing them to continue. Within seconds, a dozen decapitated bodies lay on the ground.


    Are they crazy? What are they doing? Irwin thought as he gaped at the scene.


    He tried to understand what was going on, hesitating. Why were these Imps attacking that monster? It was chained! Besides, in those times, tiny Imps weren''t any match for it.


    Ignalia was still pulling his arm, but he didn''t budge. As he watched, pools and streams of viscous yellow blood pooled on the ground while splatters darkened the stone wall. Hesitating for another few seconds, he was about to turn when he noticed something was changing with the chain. Focusing on it with Eyes of Blaze, he noticed that the areas splattered by blood were glowing brighter.


    Is that the goal? But¡­ he shook his head, still confused. Why would that Brutal Imp be chained there-


    "Move!"


    Ambraz''s shout, a few inches from his ear, caused him to jump.


    He realized the Anvil had been saying something, but it had been drowned out by the shouting and screaming. Taking a few steps back, he took a final look at the chained Addled Brutal Imp before turning and sprinting away.


    As they ran down the hill, he saw that Greldo and his group were halfway to the buildings in the distance. From this far, they looked like a jagged set of square blocks shoved into the ground.


    "More Addled," Ignalia shouted.


    Irwin looked at where she was pointing and saw shadowy blurs run after Greldo''s group. More and more seemed to appear from between the rugged landscape.


    Why didn''t those come when the Imps moved through? Irwin thought.


    As they continued down, he kept casting quick glances back, but there was no sign of the Imps following him. Whatever they were doing, they weren''t paying attention to what was going on besides this.


    As they ran, the Addled began slowly catching up to Greldo''s group, and soon, fighting began.


    Still, as much as it slowed them down, Irwin knew they weren''t going to catch up in time. He thought about shouting Greldo''s name, but although the explosions had stopped, there were still a lot of battle noises. Besides, what if he warned the Imps?


    When Greldo''s group reached the building, they disappeared through a large double door. A few Addled chased after them before the doors were shut closed, causing the rest of the Addled to slam into it, their distant screams of frenzy reaching even where Irwin and Ignalia were.


    You better stay safe, Irwin thought.


    When he and Ignalia finally reached the foot of the volcano again, a mass of Addled had gathered before it, banging on the massive gates.


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "Let''s circle around and enter through the back entrance," Irwin said as they watched the Addled.


    Ignalia didn''t respond, but before he could move, Ambraz flitted from his shoulder.


    "Look back," Ambraz said.


    Irwin did as asked, and he saw the Imps were running back down the path. The Pale Imps were in the lead. There were noticeably fewer regular Imps, and Irwin could only imagine they had all died¡­ but what did that mean? Had they seriously killed that Addled? He could hardly believe it.


    "Let''s leave before they return," Irwin muttered.


    "What? Kid, are you blind? Look up and to the side," Ambraz snapped as he whizzed forward a short distance.


    Irwin did as he said, and to his surprise, he saw a mass of figures move around the Imps, back up the hill. He triggered his Eyes Blaze, and he almost hissed in surprise as he saw what was comming. There were dozens of Veridians and others, and many had Smith''s ranking symbols, either on their heads, in their ears, or like him in their hair.


    "The smiths? Why are they there?" he asked.


    "How should I know? But whatever is going on, the Imps seem angry," Ambraz said.


    Irwin saw Ambraz was right, as the Pale Imps were rushing ahead of the rest, their faces warped in anger, while the Brutal Imp''s distant roars were like thunder.


    "Do you have any idea?" he asked, turning to Ignalia.


    "Perhaps Greldo and the others are forming a distraction?" she asked.


    Irwin frowned, staring at the city, the incoming Imps, and finally at the smiths.


    "Dammit, this makes no sense. Let''s go and find Greldo," he snapped.


    Ambraz landed back on his shoulder, and together they ran to the nearest part of the building. As he gazed at the roof, Irwin hesitated, then cursed. If they climbed up now, they would be visible to all. Gritting his teeth, he began running along the side of the ruined buildings.


    Greldo, what are you doing?


    --


    Greldo blurred through a shadow, shoving his dagger through the back of an Addled Imp''s head before spinning around. The screaming had ceased, and with the doors closed, no more could come in.


    "Alright, group up and search for any Imps that are still here!" he ordered. "Remember, find any papers or books you can and be extra careful with them!"


    The surrounding people let out some shouts of agreement before they rushed away through the corridors. A hundred of the most heavily armed ones stayed behind, including ten smiths led by Lady Relinda.


    Greldo walked towards them, trying to ignore the disgusting stink of Imp.


    "Ready?" he asked, staring at Relinda.


    She nodded, a weary grin on her face. "Yeah, let''s go to that anchor, and I''ll show you how good of a smith I am!"


    There was a soft laughter from the smiths behind her, but there wasn''t much force behind it.


    Greldo nodded and began walking forward with Relinda beside him. The pounding of the Addled on the doors behind him continued unabated, but he didn''t bother with it. Unless the monster got unchained and headed there, none of them could open the door, and they should have ten to fifteen minutes before the Brutal Imps reached them.


    Moving through the corridors, he recalled the previous times he''d been here, moving through the shadows as he scouted the place. Leading the others forward, they finally reached a wider corridor, a hundred feet long, that he knew ended up in the place they had to go.


    "Alright, this is it," he said as he turned to the nearly a hundred warriors behind them.


    Seeing them all stare at him, some with tension, others with fear, he struggled to find some words of encouragement. They were the strongest left, many of whom had either come with him or had been from Gelbadir''s scouting groups. Even then, he hoped they would be strong enough.


    "I know you are all wounded, but if we can kill the final guards here, the smiths can destroy the Linchpin-Skill binding the exit portals. But that can only happen if we clear out the final Imps¡­ I believe we can do it!" he added lamely.


    The soldiers, guards, and other fighters stared at him, seeming to want more, but he had none.


    Dammit, I hate being in charge, he thought.


    He wished someone else was here: Balarn, Daubutim, or even Irwin. Scanning them for a few more seconds, he nodded.


    "You wait here until we call you," he said as he turned to Relinda.


    "We''ll be ready," Relinda replied before frowning.


    Greldo had the feeling she wanted to tell him to be careful, and he smiled.


    "I''ll be fine."


    "Of course you will be! It''s not like I''d care," she muttered before turning away. But as she did, he saw her face heat up.


    For such an aggressive woman, she sure gets embarrassed easily, Greldo thought as he began walking toward the entrance. Taking a deep breath, he triggered his card and felt his body morph. The slight discomfort from the heat vanished while the bad smell intensified. The soft padding of Coal''s feet beside him became louder, and he heard the deep breathing ahead.


    Wouldn''t it be wonderful if those things kept sleeping, he thought.


    Halfway through the hallway, the deep breathing started, followed by some grunts and shuffling.


    It''d have been so wonderful¡­


    No longer waiting, he sprinted forward, hearing the hundreds of feet rush after him.


    --


    "Dammit, why is there always fighting around here," Irwin snapped as he ran through the hallways.


    He''d hoped he could find Greldo and figure out what was going on, but they had barely entered when roars, screams, and explosions rattled the buildings.


    "It''s coming from close to the Ruby Portal," Ignalia shouted from behind him.


    Irwin didn''t respond but continued to speed up. The sound became louder and louder until he sprang around a corner into a room with staircases leading down. Compared to the other rooms he''d seen, this one was massive, and a massive battle was raging on the lowest floor.


    Coal''s dark shape was rushing in the center of a melee, mauling Imps left and right, while an enormous Brutal Imp kept trying to reach him, failing due to the fighting around it. A wide stream of fire roared through a section of the room, shoving a group of Imps back but leaving them unharmed. At the same time, two black-scaled lizard summons dashed in and out, biting the Brutal Imp as it grabbed a Viridan to rip apart.


    Roaring in fury, the Brutal Imp dropped the Viridian and reached out with surprising speed. It grabbed the slowest of the lizards, wrapped its overly long fingers around its neck, and began to strangle it.


    Behind the battle, attached to a wall and hanging from familiar-looking chains, hung a hoop with angular shapes in it.


    Irwin looked around. These weren''t all of the people that had entered! Where were the other ones? A blurry black shape dashed out of a shadow at the edge of the battle, colliding with a Pale Imp just as it was ready to disembowel one of the Viridian fighters.


    "Let''s help them," Irwin snapped, his worry growing. Many of those Viridians were people he knew that he''d reforged cards for and shared meals with!


    He ran forward, ignoring the staircase. Triggering Coperion Body, he leaped forward as far as he could, aiming for a group of Imps that were threatening to surround a handful of Viridians.


    As he barreled through the air, he summoned his flame, keeping it close to himself. A soft twinge came from his first card as the tiny Emberion rushed out of his hair and began flitting around in front of his face. Its eyes were wide open as if it was hungry, staring at the Brutal Imp rampaging in the center of the battle, still trying to reach Coal.


    The ground rushed forward rapidly, and Irwin saw a startled look from one of the Viridians moments before he slammed into the pocket of Imps. They scattered aside, bones snapping, while those that touched his flame froze. As he banged into the ground, his legs buckling under the impact, Irwin managed to remain on his feet. As he rose from a crouch, dark flakes of disintegrated Imp dropped around him.


    A startled scream came from the Imps as they rushed away in all directions, seeming terrified by his flame.


    "Smith Irwin!''


    Irwin looked up to see one of the Viridians stare at him with hope and joy in her young eyes, and he recognized her. It was the young woman who had been the first one to get her card reforged so she could save her uncle.


    "Let''s go and kill these Demons," Irwin said as he looked around for the nearest Imps.


    There were plenty of choices, and only a few had noticed him yet.


    Let''s see how good intricate control is, he thought as he focused on his flame.


    Running to the nearest Imps, he imagined tendrils of fire ripping out ahead of him. The fire around him intensified as long ribbons of pale yellow fire streaked forward, grabbing onto and wrapping around the nearest Imps.


    Irwin felt his blood boil as the Imps ahead and to the sides froze before turning into chunks of black gunk that thudded to the ground. The tiny Emberion flashed forward, slamming into the face of a surprised Imp, who suddenly screamed in fear. Its body wrinkled, then turned dark until it slowly charred up.


    Irwin didn''t pay attention but turned to the Brutal Imp. It had stopped what it was doing and was looking at him. Irwin saw fear in its eyes, and as their eyes met, it took a stumbling step back.


    "Flee. Flee!"


    The sudden rumbling roar caused a ripple through the surrounding fights. Three Pale Imps, still moving around the edges of the melees, gazed at the Brutal Imp in disbelief before their eyes turned to Irwin. All around, the regular Imps were giggling and screaming as they tried to disengage, backing up to the back and center of the room.


    The Brutal Imp didn''t seem to care but turned and began shoving his way through the smaller beings that stood in its way, trampling anything in its path. The Pale Imps, much faster, blurred through the room and out of the door.


    "Don''t let it reach the Ruby Portal!"


    Irwin nearly had a heart attack as Greldo seemed to ooze out of a nearby shadow, appearing a step away from him.


    "Hurry!"


    Gritting his teeth, Irwin rushed after the Brutal Imp, trying to stretch his flaming tendrils forward but quickly finding they wouldn''t reach the running behemoth in time. As he shoved through Imps while Viridians jumped out of his way, he saw the Brutal Imp reach the exit.


    Dammit, I won''t reach it in time!


    Glaring, he triggered Eyes of Blaze, shooting a thin beam at the Brutal Imp, hoping to distract it. The fire slammed into the Imp''s back, but it barely stumbled, seemingly ignoring the fire. Just as it was about to exit the room, a tiny ember blurred after it. The imp let out a startled shriek and slapped its side.


    Irwin ran after it into a hallway just in time to see the Brutal Imp exit it. Chasing after the Brutal Imp, he saw the Ruby Portal he''d come in from.


    "Let go!" He shouted at the Emberion that was still attached to the Brutal Imp''s belly.


    If it was his warning or something else, he didn''t know, but just as the Brutal Imp jumped through the portal, the Emberion dislodged and flitted back to him, diving back into the flames still circling around him.


    "Dammit! It got away," Greldo snapped, walking in after him. "Whatever, let''s go and finish the other ones!''


    Irwin blinked, then suddenly grinned nastily.


    "Not necessarily," he said, picturing the fighters that would be waiting on the other side of the portal.


    Greldo cast a surprised glance his way before they ran back into the room. The Imps were running rampant, screeching and having lost any semblance of coordination as they attacked anything that moved that wasn''t an Imp.


    It didn''t matter. With his flaming tendrils, Irwin turned those that weren''t killed by the others into ashes and soot, and a few minutes later, the screams and giggling had ceased. All that was left was the ragged breathing and soft moaning of the soldiers that were left.


    "Did you get here through that portal?" Greldo asked as he moved beside Irwin.


    Irwin looked at his friend, noting the weariness and badly healed and scarred wounds covering any part of his furry skin.


    "Yes¡­ What is going on?"


    Greldo sighed as he turned around.


    "Relinda!''


    Irwin blinked, then looked up as a familiar woman came running from one of the hallways. More people came after her, and Irwin instantly recognized the Smith''s ranking plates they all had, ranging from Amethyst and Topaz to a single Emerald attached to the forehead of a sturdy Viridian.


    Relinda looked at Irwin, and he saw worry and surprise on her face before she visibly clenched her jaw and walked towards them. Irwin''s eyes widened as she stood beside Greldo, who grinned at her and nodded.


    She smiled back, then headed to the chain with the hoop hanging from it. Following her, Irwin noticed there were card slots on the edges. Then he turned to Greldo, raising an eyebrow.


    "I''ll explain later," his friend said with a lupine grin. "Now, how about I get you up to speed before we go outside, and you can take care of the final Imps?"


    Irwin nodded, barely noticing that Scintilla moved beside him. He listened quietly as Greldo explained what had happened.

 Chapter 137: Curious hoop

    "Wait¡­ so the Linchpin is a skill?" Irwin asked, shaking his head. "How is that possible?"


    "No idea. But there are two of these hoops, both with cards, and that big monster above seems to power it all. They keep feeding it Imps to keep it quiet."


    Irwin frowned as he recalled the massive Addled Imp.


    "They are feeding Imps to an addled Imp chained to the Linchpin?" he asked, trying to make sure he understood.


    Greldo grimaced. "Yeah. Balarn thinks they are somehow using it to power this weird shardworld. I mean, it''s way bigger than it should be, and they can somehow create portals."


    Irwin frowned, then gazed at Ambraz, who was quietly watching everything from his shoulder.


    "Is this possible?" he asked.


    "Which part?" the Anvil retorted, letting out a strangled sigh and continuing before Irwin could respond. "To keep a shardworld stable, you need a powerful thing or entity. You know that already, so I guess it''s possible to use an Addled, though¡­ that means the chain skill is definitely something special. I''ve never heard of something being able to drain anything from Addled."


    "Balarn said the same thing," Greldo said.


    "It didn''t seem that big," Irwin said as he recalled the volcanic area he''d seen. "I''ve been to a few that seem bi-" he stopped as Greldo snickered.


    "What?"


    His friend shrugged. "This volcano is just the center of this shardworld. We searched for a way out for a long time, and the area beyond it is immense. Besides, did you see that forest?"


    Recalling the dark mass of trees, Irwin nodded.


    "Well, we scouted that, and besides a ton of creepy insects the size of Coal, it also seems to go on for a really long time."


    Ambraz let out a low hum, drawing both their attention, and Irwin saw his lips puckered.


    "You''re bloody sure about what you just said?" the Anvil asked.


    "Definitely," Greldo said.


    "Interesting. I need to think about this," Ambraz muttered before falling quiet.


    Irwin looked at him, wondering what he was thinking about now but not even bothering to ask. If Ambraz acted like this, it usually meant he wasn''t going to answer any more questions.


    Instead, he turned his attention back to the smiths. They had begun using Carded weapons, hammers, and other things to pull the chain down while one summoned a massive anvil on which they put the hoop. As they did, they showed incredible care not to touch the chain or the hoop with anything but their tools.


    When the hoop was put on the Anvil, they began fastening the chain with long metallic spikes handed to them by a carded. Intrigued, Irwin saw him raise a hand and grab an arm-long stake out of the air with a flash of the cards in his hand.


    When the last spike was done, the smiths arranged themselves around the Anvil while Relinda turned to Greldo.


    "Ready."


    Greldo nodded, letting out a weary sigh.


    "Then we wait. Let''s hope Balarn and the others make it without issue and before the door fails."


    Irwin frowned.


    "They are still trying to break in?" he asked.


    Greldo tapped his ears with a smirk. "Yeah. Haven''t stopped for a moment. But don''t worry. That door is way more sturdy than it seems. I''m not sure who created this place, but they were a damn deal stronger than the Imps. Or us, for that matter. It won''t be easy for those Brutal Imps to bash it open."


    Irwin hoped he was right as he recalled the army that stood beyond the door. At the same time, he shivered as he recalled the back entrance. He quickly warned Greldo, but his friend just shook his head.


    "I didn''t even know that was there, and I thought I''d scouted this entire place top to bottom. I followed those Pale ones around, and there wasn''t a single one that ever got anywhere near there."


    "Are you sure? There were some Addled Imps locked up there," Irwin said. "So someone must have known."


    Greldo''s smile faded, and he suddenly looked worried. After hesitating for a bit, he turned to Coal. Something seemed to pass between them before he turned to Irwin.


    "Tell me again where that one is?"


    Irwin did as asked, and a moment later, Coal ran away, quickly vanishing through the corridors.


    "Will he be alright?" Irwin asked.


    "It''s too late to block that entrance, so he will warn me if something comes through," Greldo said. "I''ll unsummon him when he does, and we can prepare."


    Irwin nodded, hoping that would be enough.


    "What else did you find in this world-shard?" he asked after a few moments.


    "Mostly volcanoes, distant mountains, and more of those ugly black forests. Besides this building, there''s a destroyed tower behind where the chained monster is. That''s where the other hoop is. I''m pretty sure that''s why that thing keeps striking the wall when he''s¡­ hungry, I guess? To reach it."


    Irwin watched the assembled smiths step up to the Anvil, all with a variety of hammers in their hands. He saw they were nervous, some whispering with others beside them.


    "What are they going to do?" he asked.


    "Destroy the linchpin so we can leave this place," Greldo said.


    Irwin wanted to ask more, but his friend continued, probably knowing that didn''t mean much.


    "The emerald portals we entered through have been locked by this chain. Another one of those things nobody seems to know how they did it, but after we entered, we began scouting the place. It seemed safe at first, the building seeming abandoned, but after we began moving towards it, those Imps jumped out from everywhere. It almost seemed like they knew we''d be coming. They captured and killed a lot of us, and me and a few others barely managed to escape. When we headed back to the portals to get help, this chain was wrapped around them, and we couldn''t enter no matter what we tried."


    "By Gelwin''s beard," Irwin whispered. "How did you manage to free them then?"


    "I went and scouted this place until I found most of them, then opened up a ton of cages filled with Imps that had turned into Addled. While the normal Imps were dealing with those, I managed to free the others, and we escaped back into the caves. The Imps have been hunting us ever since," Greldo said as he stared at the ground. "Balarn had gotten some information while he''d been forced into working for the Imps, and he found out about the Linchpin and how it worked."


    Irwin listened quietly as Greldo continued talking about the things that had happened, and as they did, people began arriving at the room. Most of them were those who had been out to search for people to save, but only a few actually found any. Still, as time crawled by and the tension increased, the room began filling up until everyone and a few dozen more had joined them.


    After a while, Irwin followed Greldo to stand back at the top of what looked like a balcony, facing the corridor that led to the main entrance. He sat down, trying to rest as much as he could and regain some energy in his Sweltering Heart card. If he had to fight a lot of Imps, he''d need it, at least in some capacity.


    "Come on, come on," Greldo muttered.


    He''d been muttering the same words for a while now, but this time, he suddenly froze, and a wide smile came to his face. Irwin was about to ask what was wrong when a blur of red flashed through the hallway too fast to keep track of before stopping before them.


    "Hotstuff!"


    Irwin blinked in surprise as Scintilla appeared before walking forward and wrapping him in a sudden hug.


    "I''m so glad you''re here!" Scintilla said as she grinned at him and stepped back. "You have no idea how I''ve missed your steam baths!"


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    "Glad to see you are alright too," Irwin said as he inspected her, noticing a long, thin wound across her left eye that had even scraped across her eyelid. He couldn''t help but shudder. If that had been a fraction deeper, she''d have lost her eye.


    "Pretty Eyes, the others are ready," Scintilla said as she turned to Greldo. "Unless I lost my count, which I didn''t, they will begin in seventy-eight seconds!"


    "Fantastic," Greldo hissed as he turned to the ledge and looked down. "Seventy-five, seventy-four," he called down, continuing to count until someone from below took it over. Then he turned to Scintilla.


    "Did everything go alright?"


    Scintilla shrugged a sudden look of sadness on her face.


    "We lost another seven. There were a few of those Pale bastards there, and one tried to run. I managed to catch it, but that meant I couldn''t help the others."


    ¡°Balarn?¡± Greldo asked.


    "Nah, he is fine. Brained one of them with his hammer," Scintilla said with a mocking grin. "It tried to stab one of those daggers in his feet and got killed for its effort."


    "Alright, let''s go down and hope this all works," Greldo said.


    Scintilla nodded before turning and grinning at Irwin. "I need to head back to tell them everything is alright! Don''t get yourself killed, Hotstuff!"


    "Same to you! Make sure you come back in one piece, and we can have a nice steam bath when we return," Irwin replied.


    Scintilla smiled, her eyes glittering before she turned, visibly clenched her jaw, and vanished in a red streak. Irwin felt a slight shiver as he saw her disappear. It took him a moment to realize what it was. He was slightly worried.


    "How does she even go through that door?" Irwin muttered.


    "She can move through nearly any opening like that," Greldo replied before he turned and walked back down.


    Irwin gazed into the empty corridor for a few moments before following him.


    A short while later, a few hundred Viridians and a handful of others stood around the smiths while the countdown reached fifteen.


    "Are you sure I don''t have to help?" Irwin whispered to Greldo.


    Greldo shook his head. "That door up there. I''m not sure how long it will hold, and if we have to fight, we need you."


    Irwin nodded before focusing his full attention on the smiths. They had begun humming softly, their voices joining into a many-voiced drone that almost seemed to make Irwin''s bones vibrate in response.


    "Three, two, one, go!" Relinda shouted.


    As the smiths brought their hammers down, the hum increased in intensity.


    The hoop rang like a gong under the barrage of strikes, then a loud rinkling sound came from the chain. It began moving, shaking, and vibrating, seeming intent on ripping free from the stakes that held it.


    The smiths struck again, causing another deep ringing, while the chain seemed to become manic, rattling, and shaking as if it tried to get away.


    Luckily, the stakes seemed to hold, and the Smiths continued beating the hoop. Slowly, a nasty pale green glow, suffused with brownish streaks, began coming from the chain, lighting up the entire room.


    "They are going ballistic out there," Greldo whispered as he turned to Irwin. "I don''t think that door''s going to hold long enough."


    Irwin took one more look at the Smiths before nodding.


    "I''ll hold them there for a while," he said. "Between my steam and flame, I should be fine.


    Greldo hesitated, then nodded and pointed at a few groups of Viridians that seemed less wounded and better armed than the others.


    "Go with Irwin and help where you can. Do as he says, and we might all get out of here alive."


    Irwin was slightly surprised that the Viridians just nodded and moved forward, seeming perfectly willing to follow his friend''s orders.


    I wonder what Greldo''s father would say if he saw his son now, he suddenly thought as he recalled the nasty, aggressive old man. He''d probably demand that Greldo hand him his cards.


    "Alright, make sure to keep them from spreading out of the main room," Greldo said. "I''ll stay here with the rest to guard the smiths in case some slip by."


    Ignalia moved beside him, casting him a -I''m going with you- look.


    As if I''d ask you to stay here, Irwin thought as he grinned back.


    As they ran through the hallway, the sound of the hoop being struck stayed with them, only slightly muffled by the walls. The sound seemed to vibrate through the entire building, as did the rattling of the chain.


    I wonder if it moves through the walls, Irwin thought.


    As they ran back into the room with the entrance, Irwin immediately stopped and triggered Sweltering Heart. Cracks and small holes had appeared on the door, while a constant heavy pounding came from the other side. The stonewalls around the door''s hinges were also creaking dangerously, and dust kept trickling down.


    "Everyone spread out across the hallways," Irwin whispered as he turned to the others. "Whatever you do, don''t move into the steam."


    He saw the Viridians look at him in surprise, then nod as he pointed at the other exits out of the room.


    Within a minute, it was just him and Ignalia who were standing in the room while the steam began rippling around.


    "My card doesn''t have a lot of energy left," Irwin whispered.


    "Then why don''t you just move the steam outside, beyond the door," Ignalia replied. "That should force them away."


    Blinking at his own stupidity, Irwin ran closer to the shaking and slowly splintering door. The steam went with him, and with some focus, he directed it forward where it spread out and beyond the door. As soon as the first trickled through, there was a surprised shout. A moment later, the pounding stopped, and he heard a scramble as things ran from the door.


    Moving closer, he peeked through the door, just able to see a mass of Imps with two towering Brutal Imps in front of them standing beyond the rapidly increasing steam. He moved back when he couldn''t see anything but pale steam, focusing on the sense of the Imps just beyond its perimeter.


    There are thousands, he thought. Sending the remaining energy in his card, he knew he could probably keep it up for half an hour. He hoped that would be enough.


    Time ticked by slowly, and a few of the Imps had tried to move through the steam, getting themselves killed.


    Finally, when Sweltering Heart was working on nothing but fumes, there was a sound of something shattering far in the distance. Walls began shaking, and explosions rocked the building. Cracks appeared in the ceiling and the walls, and he sensed the Imps mill about in panic just beyond the steam.


    One of the Brutal Imps roared something he couldn''t understand, and they turned and began running away, quickly moving out of the range of his steam.


    "They are leaving," he said, turning to Ignalia.


    "I''ll go and see what Greldo is doing," she replied, turning and sprinting away.


    I hope this was a signal that all went well, Irwin thought as the building shook again while a distant rumbling increased in power.


    Irwin remained at the door and stopped using his Sweltering Heart. He had perhaps a minute or two of usage left, and he decided to use that if he needed to heal Scintilla or Ignalia.


    The Viridians had slowly moved back into the room while the sound of many running feet came towards them. A moment later, Greldo, Coal, and the others ran into the room.


    "It''s done. We need to leave," Greldo shouted as he closed in. "Open the door!"


    Irwin nodded, trying the door but finding it had been wedged by the attempt to open it. He took a step back and summoned his hammer, swinging it forward and enlarging it to its maximum size. As it struck the center of the door, the door exploded outward in a hail of splinters, revealing the empty, muddy path beyond. In the distance, he saw the Imps run up the volcano''s towering crater wall.


    "Alright, we will head to the portals," Greldo said as he turned to Irwin. "You go back through the Ruby Portal!"


    Irwin cursed. He''d planned to help his friends, completely forgetting he wouldn''t be able to leave through the Emerald Portals. He hesitated, but as the world shook again, cracks of glowing red appeared across an entire side of the distant mountain. It almost looked like the volcano was about to erupt.


    "Be careful, and you better make sure you return safely," he said as he looked at Greldo, who was waving the others forward.


    "I''ll be fine! Just make sure you come to the nearest Emerald Portal after you exit! The Imps will be there, and I''m pretty sure they won''t be happy to see us!"


    Irwin nodded as Greldo turned and sprinted after the others, Coal beside him. Left with only Ignalia, Irwin turned and ran back to the room with the chain. As he reached it, he saw the chain''s links had shattered while the loop lay abandoned on the ground. He was about to run past it when Ambraz suddenly flew from his shoulder to the hoop. He landed on it and began suddenly pulsing with a dull orange light.


    "This¡­ this is-" the Anvil croaked before flickering up. "You need to bring this along!"


    A massive shake caused more tears to appear in the walls, and with a sudden loud cracking noise, a section of the ceiling fell down. Irwin jumped to the side, dodging the debris.


    Irwin stared at the hoop, wondering what was going on now, but this -as usual- wasn''t the time, so he ran forward and grabbed it. Trying to raise it, he realized it was heavier than he''d imagined, so he triggered Coperion Body, which allowed him to lift it.


    Turning to the door, he ran for it, Ambraz landing on his shoulder.


    "Can this thing even go through the portal?" he asked as he moved into the room, noting that the Ruby Portal''s pedestal was cracking as well, bits of stone crumbling from the edges.


    "It''s a skill item. It should be fine!" Ambraz said.


    Should be? Irwin thought as he reached the portal. He turned to Ignalia.


    "See you on the other side!" she said, turning and jumping through.


    Irwin clasped the hoop close before jumping forward. The world was chained into the familiar blackness, and as he entered it, he suddenly wondered if the massive thing he''d seen before would still be there. Looking around, he didn''t see anything, and a moment later, he stumbled out of the portal into the gloomy forest.


    "It''s Smith Irwin!"


    A loud shout came, and he looked around to see hundreds of Viridian soldiers around him, all with raised weapons or hands. Ignalia stood beside him, hands up but lowering as she saw the soldiers lowering their weapons.


    Irwin quickly spotted a familiar figure with a tiny gray anvil on his shoulder standing behind them, and as soon as he saw him, Irwin felt better. He''d seen the man with the Ruby Rank gem in his forehead only once when Ambraz had evolved, but he''d recognized him immediately.


    "Lord Urdwellan," he shouted. "The shard-world''s Linchpin has been broken! The others are exiting the Emerald portal closest to here, but the Imps will have fled out, too! We need to help them!"


    The bare-chested Viridian stared at him with his intense green eyes before looking around.


    "Squad three, remain here and guard this portal! The rest of you, with me!"


    There was a rustling as the Viridian army moved, a large group remaining around the portal while the others ran out. Although those that remained reminded Irwin vaguely of the soldiers back home, he saw many of those moving with barely any armor on and looked worried. It was obvious many weren''t real soldiers. However, among them were Viridians that moved with practiced ease, shouting orders and easily keeping control.


    "Young one. It is good to see you managed to return alive," Gebladir Urdwellan said as he moved beside Irwin.


    He towered over him, exerting a powerful pressure that Irwin knew he had a hard time controlling his Soulforce. Irwin saw him stare at the massive hoop in Irwin''s hands with curiosity, but he didn''t ask about it.


    "Let''s go and help our friends," he said instead as he turned and stomped after the soldiers who were leaving rapidly. As he did, Irwin saw the Anvil on his shoulder turning around, its mouth a thin line.


    "Leave the hoop here. I''ll guard it," Ambraz whispered so softly in his ear that he barely heard it.


    Irwin looked at him in surprise, wondering what the hell was up with that hoop.


    "Don''t ask, but make sure you come pick it up after we are done," Ambraz whispered. "Now hurry, leave before that piece of rusted crap sees what this is."


    Irwin nodded as he put the hoop on the ground and moved away after Gelbadir. Ambraz flitted away from his shoulder, hovering around. Ignalia shared a confused look with Irwin, who just shrugged.


    Then, they sprinted after the others.

 Chapter 138: Remaining

    Screams tore through the silence as Greldo dodged two black daggers slicing for his face. Stepping into the shadow beside Coal, he used his skill to move through the connected shadows behind the Pale Imp and slammed his sword into its back.


    A gurgling came from the Pale Imp as it collapsed, and Greldo finally had a moment of rest.


    A chaotic melee was occurring around them, and the two Brutal Imps at the center were decimating them. Unmoving, mutilated bodies of Viridians littered the ground, and they had lost more now than they had in the weeks in which they had been surviving inside the shardworld.


    Dammit, Irwin, hurry up!


    Looking around, he saw no more Pale Imps nearby, showing he''d killed off most of those. This left the two Brutal Imps. He knew he had to do something about them, but he also knew he''d never be strong enough to handle those.


    Still have to try¡­


    He jumped into the shadows again, shooting towards the nearest of the Brutal Imps.


    The world turned dull and dark for a short moment before he appeared in the towering shadow. Hoping against hope he''d be strong enough, he slashed at the monstrous red leg.


    Shit, he cursed as he saw no more than a narrow cut, barely deep enough to even hurt.


    An annoyed roar made him quickly return to the shadows, barely in time to dodge a flailing fist.


    Appearing not too far away, he let out a howl to try and draw the thing''s attention. If he could get the thing to run after him, that would buy them at least some time. His changed vocal cords caused his voice to come out in an eerie sound, and he saw some nearby Imps and Viridians jolt and run in surprise.


    The towering Brutal Imp, however, ignored him, and instead, he grabbed a Viridian. He raised it up, opening his mouth to chow down, and Geldo gritted his teeth, about to look away.


    Before he could, a long silvery lance speared straight up from the ground, piercing the Brutal Imp''s groin and bursting out of the top of its head, spearing it in place.


    "What the¡­" Greldo grunted as the light slowly faded from the Brutal Imp''s demonic eyes.


    A shock ran through the nearby Imps while the Viridians let out muted shouts of approval.


    Greldo looked around, searching for who had done it, a tiny flicker of hope growing. Had they finally arrived? But who had a skill like this? Irwin had a fire, and he didn''t really know much about the cards Scintilla had.


    A deafening roar caused Greldo to start and jump into the nearest shadow. Tendrils of fire and flame surged from beyond his sight, latching on to the second towering Brutal Imp. Some of them flicked against other regular Imps, which turned to black chunks. This time, the battle stilled as the surrounding Imps screamed in fear.


    "Irwin!" Greldo shouted.


    With great joy, he watched as the Imps spread out, fleeing in all directions. As some space was created, there was a sudden rumbling as the ground began to shake.


    "Everyone, flee! The portal is collapsing!"


    The deafening voice came from above him, and Greldo looked up in surprise.


    A bare-chested Viridian hovered above him. There was a red gem on its forehead and an Anvil on its shoulder, showing there was only one person it could be.


    The Lord of Scour had arrived!


    The Viridians let out a shout of joy, but Lord Gebladir Urdwellan looked down in worry.


    "Get out of there before it''s too late!" he roared again.


    The worry and fear in the powerful Soul-carded man''s voice caused the Viridians to jolt and scatter.


    Greldo turned and sprinted after them, Coal right on his heels.


    The shaking increased, and he saw the Imps move away between the trees, some disappearing from his view. He had time for the fleeting wonder where they would go now and if they would turn into Addled or turn normal again when a sudden powerful force yanked him off his feet and propelled him forward at breakneck speed. A howling roar came with it, and he grimaced in pain as his sensitive ears were overloaded.


    Letting his instinct take over, Greldo landed on all fours, coming to a sliding stop. Turning around, he watched in shock at the scene behind him.


    Dozens of Viridians littered the ground, most luckily groaning to show they still live. A crater was where the Emerald Portal had been before, while dust, sand, and chunks of bark still fell down everywhere. The nearest trees had been scraped clear, pale white wood with charred edges where the dark bark had been before.


    Between the trees, a small army of Viridians was destroying the Imps that were scrambling up from where they had been blasted to the ground. Further away, the others were fleeing, small groups of Vridians chasing after them. Some Imps had grouped to the side, perhaps hoping to get out alive. Sadly for them, it wasn''t to be.


    A towering copper figure with a massive two-handed hammer, his body covered in flame, was wading through the Imps, leaving nothing in his wake but ash and chunks of soot.


    Letting out a weary sigh, Greldo sat back down, leaning against Coal.


    "Well, let''s just let them finish up then. I don''t think they need our help with this. Besides-" he tenderly touched his chest, trying to determine how deep the dagger cuts were. "I think I deserve a rest."


    --


    A day after what the people were calling the Great Portal Explosion, Irwin sat at a long rectangular table in a massive aula in Cindergrove''s lowest district.


    Food and drink aplenty covered the table while many familiar people sat around him. There was a joyful atmosphere as everything chatted and ate, and some of the smiths even sang songs on occasion. Still, sometimes, he saw people whisper and hug each other, tears flowing. The rumors said that there were over fifty thousand dead, most due to a hidden Emerald Portal that had been situated within the layers of Cindergrove''s middle level.


    Lord Urdwellan sat at the head, talking with Balarn and a group of Viridians.


    "If we always get parties like this for closing portals, perhaps we should start doing more of it."


    Irwin turned to look at Greldo, who was stuffing his face with greasy meat. Relinda sat beside him, eating delicately with knife and fork and occasionally looking at the young man beside her with apparent distaste.


    "I think I''d rather have a world without random portals," Irwin said with a grimace.


    Greldo stopped, cocked his head, then nodded. "Yeah. That would be the best option."


    They fell quiet, and Irwin looked at the people sitting opposite him. Scintilla, Ignalia, and a few more Ignitzions were eating tiny fury red insects that crunched as they bit down, whispering in their own language. Just as he stared at her, Scintilla looked up, and when she saw him looking, she grinned before focusing back on her meal.


    "What do you think he wants to talk to us about?" Greldo asked through his full mouth.


    "Probably things about the world-shard," Irwin said.


    "Why? Balarn should have filled him in on everything!"


    Irwin grabbed a long piece of bone with dark red, heavily charred meat on it. As he bit down, he relished the charcoal taste mixed with the sweetness of the bloody flesh. He knew if his mother saw him eat this, she''d ask him if he was right in the head eating meat that had been burned to a crisp, but he''d found that he quite enjoyed the Ignitzion food. Well¡­ everything except for the insects.


    "Perhaps he has news from the army that went to remove the Imps from the exit portal?" he said with a shrug.


    "Could be," Greldo said before turning to Relinda. "Are you all still leaving as soon as the portal is cleared?"


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    Irwin noticed a twinge of sadness in his friend''s eyes and frowned. Greldo hadn''t told him much about what had happened and nothing at all about how he and Relinda had¡­ hooked up. Became a thing? Irwin wasn''t even sure what they were, but she''d slept in Greldo''s room the day before, much to Irwin''s shock.


    As he thought about that, he glanced over at Scintilla again, wondering how it would be if she stayed in his room.


    Can they even-


    He quickly broke off that line of thinking, listening to Relinda.


    "There''s no other way," the aloof smith said. "I lost three of the five junior smiths I brought with me, and I''ll need to go back to explain."


    "Will you get into trouble?" Irwin asked.


    Relinda sighed. "Perhaps. Haudur can be unforgiving for what he deems mistakes. I will have to see."


    "It''s not like you could have done something," Greldo said from the side, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.


    Relinda smiled at him but didn''t reply.


    The conversation slowly went to what had happened when they had been inside the shardworld, and Irwin''s own thoughts drifted to the hoop. It was in a temporary room he had gotten. Ambraz was with it, seemingly disinclined to leave it alone. The Anvil hadn''t told him what it was about, only saying that it would be best to discuss it after things had cooled down again.


    What had to be hours later, Lord Urdwellan rose from his seat at the head of the table and declared the feast over. Everyone quickly began leaving until only Irwin, Greldo, and what had to be a dozen Smiths, some whom he''d seen in the shardworld, and many he didn''t know remained.


    It didn''t take long for the room to be quiet, and Lord Urdwellan beckoned them to follow him. Irwin walked beside Yogog, who had been in a fantastic mood ever since Balarn''s safe return.


    They walked through well-made, decorated hallways until they reached a beautiful antechamber. One wall was completely made of clear blue crystal, while another was covered in a painting that depicted a forest landscape with small rivers and streams, a distant lake, and birds and other animals flying around.


    "Viridas, our homeworld," Lord Urdwellan said as he sat down in one of the lavishly decorated chairs. The wood was engraved with images of vines and flowers, while a soft purple pillow covered the seat and back.


    "It is one of the most beautiful places in existence, and if it wasn''t for my father''s request, I''d never have left it."


    Irwin watched the incredibly lifelike painting, knowing it had to have been made by a carded-painter. It almost looked like the trees waved in the wind, and some of the birds flew around. Then he frowned and leaned forward. Wait, it wasn''t as if. He watched a tiny bird disappear in the canopy.


    "It was a requirement before I left," Lord Urdwellan said, and Irwin saw the red-jeweled Viridian smile at him. "This image will display a scene of a full year with all six seasons, so I never forget."


    All six? Irwin thought as he blinked in surprise.


    "Now¡­ I am glad you have all joined me here," Lord Urdwellan said, his voice suddenly filled with authority.


    Irwin noticed that everyone sat up slightly straighter.


    "My scouts have found no more Portals, and although some Imps seem to have scattered across the planet, without a way to return to their shardworld, they will be found and dealt with in time," Lord Urdwellan said. "With the portals no longer spawning, the teleporters have started reconnecting the distant towns. More importantly, one of those I sent with the army to the Exit Portal has returned. With the portals gone, the Imps were in disarray, and the army managed to secure the portal. Which brings me to the reason I asked you all here¡­"


    Irwin was startled when Lord Urdwellan locked eyes with him, holding his gaze for a few moments before staring at each of the smiths individually. He stopped when he reached Relinda.


    "Lady Relinda, I have heard that you and the other smiths of Haudur''s charter will be leaving Scour. I want to ask if there is a way for me to convince you to remain here. We have suffered great losses, and it will be a long time before new people will arrive from Viridas. If you could stay and reforge more cards, this would be of great assistance."


    Everyone looked at Relinda, and she seemed to hesitate before shaking her head.


    "Lord Urdwellan, I am very sorry, but I can''t do that. I am only the temporary leader of this group, and one of the rules I was given is that if any of the smiths in my care came to harm, we should return post haste. I don''t have to tell you that it was not just one of my charter that died."


    Lord Urdwellan nodded before turning to Balarn.


    "Balarn, you have yet to tell me what Tensor''s charter will do¡­"


    Balarn looked back before turning to Yogog and then to Irwin. Monique and the others weren''t present, and Irwin had no idea if they were even still alive.


    "We will stay for at least a few more years," Balarn said after a short while. "However, I would request that you send a messenger to Tensor to let him know that one of our smiths died."


    What? Who? Irwin thought as he and Greldo shared a stunned look.


    Balarn didn''t elaborate, and Irwin quietly listened when Lord Urdwellan asked the other smiths, and it quickly became clear that those present were those in charge of their charters groups. Many ended up willing to stay, with only a handful citing similar reasons as Relinda to leave.


    When Lord Urdwellan finished, he was quiet for a while.


    "Then, I''d like to request all those who aren''t smiths and those smiths that are leaving to leave while I speak with those remaining," he said.


    There was a moment of quiet, and Irwin saw a few of those that would be leaving look around, annoyed. They obviously wanted to know why, but when they saw Lord Urdwellan''s cool eyes, they left hastily. Only Relinda took the time to say goodbye. The Ignitions didn''t seem at all bothered. Instead, they made an odd salute to Lord Urdwellan before leaving. Greldo remained, but Lord Urdwellan didn''t comment on it.


    When the door closed again, Lord Urdwellan rose and smiled at the others.


    "Alright. Let me first thank you all. Not just for what you did during these terrible times but also for staying and helping me. Now, I ask that what I tell you now doesn''t leave this room."


    There was a quick round of interested agreements, and Lord Urdwellan''s grin widened.


    "In half a year from now, a great many merchant groups will arrive here to join the largest card auction that has been done on Scour since we arrived. "I hadn''t wanted to tell the smiths here yet, as that would give you an unfair advantage over those coming from off-world¡­ however, after everything that has happened, I think you all deserve a reward. Besides this, I will send each of you fifty common cards, many from my own collections, that you may distribute across your charter members."


    Irwin blinked in surprise before realizing that Lord Urdwellan didn''t mean common as in quartz, but cards of any rank that were easily found.


    There was an excited murmur through the room,


    "Now! Prepare well, and I will see you all in half a year," Lord Urdwellan said before rising and motioning to the door, leaving no doubt that they were to leave.


    None of the Smiths seemed to care, and they all rose and headed out.


    Irwin walked beside Balarn, who had twinkling eyes and seemed lost in his own thoughts.


    When they returned to their charter building, still on one of the highest floors, Irwin felt oddly happy to see it. He''d not been there for months, but it looked the same. There was no damage here, not like on the eighth to twelfth floors, which had been nearly completely ruined. Instead, it was quiet, warm and safe.


    The building seemed empty, but when they entered the living room, Monique and Nimdal were waiting for them.


    "Thank the stars, you are all safe," Monique said as she got up and approached Balarn. "We had no idea how many of you survived, and¡­" she hesitated, looking at Nimdal, who was staring at the ground, seemingly seeing nothing.


    Irwin sighed as he saw only one of the two brothers. It could mean only one thing. Syndal was the one of their group that had died¡­


    Wait, where are their guards?


    Looking around, there was no sight of them. He dropped onto one of the couches and leaned back, staring at the table. He remembered the first day they had come here, over half a year ago. He''d still been a topaz ranked smith then, officially I still am, he corrected himself, and they had been with three more people.


    Balarn sat down and slowly told the story of what had happened to Monique while Nimdal seemed to ignore them. When he finished, Monique sighed.


    "Well, it wasn''t much better here. After the teleporters began moving the guards around to close portals, few remained there, and there were riots on some of the floors. Then those Pale Imps began showing up, and Smiths disappeared left and right. We¡­ well, two of them found us a few weeks ago. It-"


    She fell quiet when Nimdal sighed heavily, got up, and left the room. They heard him move to another room, slamming the door shut.


    "Syndal pushed him out of an attack and was stabbed," Monique whispered. "He still managed to entangle one of them while our guards fought the other one. They barely stood a chance, but when Syndal died, Nimdal- well, he went berserk. I''ve never seen anything like it¡­ he has this card that he uses on forging, and he used it on one of those Imps. It began bleeding from the eyes before it nearly exploded."


    Monique explained how they managed to survive and hid in a nearby empty building after that.


    Balarn nodded, looking at the door before slowly talking about the auction that would happen in half a year. When he finished, everyone was silent, and Irwin watched around. As he did, he thought about what he''d do for half a year. Did he want to stay here and forge? It took him only a few moments to realize that he didn''t want to live by night and stay inside the shadow-filled city. He could stay on the top floor, but if he did that, he wouldn''t be with the others, and in that case, there was a better option.


    "I''m going back to New Grianf¨¢l," he said into the quiet room.


    There was a surprised jolt from Balarn while Monique frowned, but Irwin just crossed his arms.


    The others tried to dissuade him until Yogog said he wouldn''t mind being in a sunny place. After discussing it for a while, they decided that Yogog would go with Irwin to New Grianf¨¢l while the others would stay in the city. Greldo said he''d stay in Cindergrove until Relinda left. After that, he was going to find missions to do for him and Coal.


    Two days later, Irwin stood in the clearing before the smithy with Scintilla, Yogog, and Hotzli. They had said their goodbyes the evening before, and Greldo, Balarn, and the others were still asleep.


    "Are you sure she''s coming?" Hotzli asked Scintilla.


    "She will be here," Scintilla muttered, looking around in annoyance.


    A few minutes later, a ruffled figure came running up the stairs. Irwin looked in shock at Numilli. Her face was thin, and there was a harrowed look in her eyes. One of her arms hung in a sling, and she walked with a limp.


    "Sorry, sorry," she cried before startling everyone as she dove at Scintilla and hugged her.


    "It''s alright," Scintilla said. "Are you-"


    "Ready to leave? Yes! Let''s go before those horrible guards decide on another place they need to go to," Numilli shouted. A deep fog appeared around her, and she ran in as if fleeing from a monster.


    Irwin wondered what she''d been through to have changed her upbeat, happy mentality, but he guessed he would hear about that eventually.


    He took a final look around Cindergrove before stepping into the mist, holding the hoop tight.


    They arrived on the outskirts of New Grianf¨¢l, and as they did, some of the guards detected them immediately. A warning shout came from the guard tower, but it was quickly changed to a happy one.


    "Smith Irwin is back!"


    Hearing the shout, Irwin couldn''t suppress a grin as he looked at the towering Heart Tree surrounded by the pale walls of the town.


    "You left a big impression here, didn''t you?" Yogog asked as he stretched in the sun. "So glad I''m back here."


    Irwin walked towards the wall, noting Crihann approaching with a massive smile. As he did, he hugged the hoop closer.


    I wonder how long it will take me to purify this thing, he thought.

 Chapter 139: Sleeping Beauty

    Two weeks after they returned to the new Grianf¨¢l, Irwin was lying on his bed, staring up at the pale stone ceiling. It was quiet outside but busy in his mind. He had just returned from a meeting with Crithann and a messenger from Lord Urdwellan.


    The portals had definitely all been closed, which was good news, but sadly, there was no clear reason for what had happened.. The many documents that had been found had been investigated, and all that had been found was something they had already roughly known. Some unknown entity had been paying the Imps for capturing and delivering them Card Smiths. Lord Urdwellan had sent a messenger to the Portal Gallery to inform the Smiths Guild, but with how enormous the time dilation was, no response was expected this decade.


    So weird¡­ It''s almost like everyone outside is just frozen, Irwin thought.


    He tried to picture his mother and brother and all of Malorin frozen in mid-motion. Portals, perhaps with Imps or other demons exiting. Would battles be happening? How would Esterdon be? Had the demons overrun the towers and the ruins? What did that mean for when he returned?


    Taking a deep breath, he exhaled. It didn''t matter just yet. He had a long time to think about it, and before that, he had other things happening. Purifying the metal of the hoop, which Ambraz had told him would be immensely beneficial for them, was the first, but Numilli had also come and told him she still expected his help with finding another Earth Titan. Then there was the auction and his sixth and final card.


    And I need to get Crithann to keep helping me train my hammer skills, he thought as he closed his eyes with a smile.


    --


    Irwin stretched as he walked back to his smithy through new Grianf¨¢l, a town that could hardly be called that anymore.


    Four months and some days had passed since the Imp Shardworld had been shattered, taking all of the portals with it. In that time, Viridians and Ignitzions had flocked to the sunny place, enjoying the abundance of fire elemental energy and the occasional shade from the towering but still-growing Heart tree. By now, the golden and red-leafed behemoth was visible as far as a day''s travel from Grianf¨¢l, and the town had expanded to circle what had been a crevice. Now, it was a rapidly increasing beautiful piece of architecture, with circular staircases crisscrossing down the stonewall. Carded that could manipulate stone were constantly busy expanding the sprawling underwater area for the still flowing water to fill.


    As they reached the main street, which ran from the first gate to the massive square that had his smithy, Crithann''s towering abode, and the inn, they passed dozens of Viridians and sometimes a few Ignitzions. Sometimes, one of them called out in greeting, while others merely waved, and Irwin smiled or waved back.


    "So, you''re sure Numilli isn''t mistaken again?" he said as he looked at Scintilla, who was walking beside him.


    The Ignitzion grinned and shook her head. "By the infernal crevice, no. After you threatened her with no more steam baths, she wouldn''t dare waste our time again."


    Irwin grinned, thinking back to that occasion Scintilla meant a few months ago. Numilli had said she''d found another Earth Titan, but when they arrived, it had been nothing but a winding, cavernous pit. Worse, they had been lost in it for days while constantly fighting off the Fleshgorgers before they finally found the exit. During one harrowing encounter, Numilli had admitted that it had only been a guess, much to Irwin, Greldo and the other''s annoyance.


    "Are you going to hammer that hoop the rest of the day?" Scintilla asked.


    Irwin nodded and ignored her slight annoyance. "Yes. But it''s hardly a hoop anymore," he added, which only got him a snort.


    "Well, come and find me when you are ready. I had enough fun watching you jump around with Crithan, and I don''t feel like spending time watching you hammer that stupid metal."


    Irwin held back his laughter, though, from Scintilla''s sniff, she must have noticed something.


    "Sure, just you laugh! I''ll grill Numilli a bit more. Also, I''ve got a bunch of new ingredients from a new group, so¡­ do you want to come and eat with me tonight or do you prefer laughing?"


    Irwin blinked, then quickly schooled his face as he thought about the many delicious, spicy, and charred dishes Scintilla was able to make. Ever since they had returned, she''d been inviting him more and more, much to Yogog''s hilarity.


    "No, no! I''m not laughing! Did you get any more of that orange meat?"


    "Ugh, how you can enjoy that so much but dislike Blackened Insects is beyond me, but yes, I''ve got some," Scintilla said before her fake annoyance changed to a wide smile. "I also managed to trade for a flask of Kindled Liquor!"


    Not sure what that was, Irwin still smiled. He had found that he and Scintilla had many overlapping tastes in food, with only his love for water something she couldn''t understand.


    "Alright! I''ll find you tonight!" he said.


    Scintilla raised her hand, tapping her finger and thumb twice before turning and walking away. Irwin watched her curvaceous figure as she walked away. Then he shook his head and quickly turned around to the smithy.


    As he did, he saw Yogog lean against the smithy wall, staring at him with twinkling eyes. The expanded open forge area sprawled behind him, and a half dozen Viridian junior smiths, apprentices of his, were hard at work, purifying enormous stacks of metal.


    "When are you two finally-" Yogog said with a wide grin while making an obscene hand gesture.


    "It''s not like that," Irwin said, before frowning. "Besides, that''s not how it works with Ignitzions, and you know that better than most!"


    "I do, and you have no idea what it feels like," Yogog said as he sighed. "Just thinking about it makes me wanna see what Hotzli is doing tonight. You wouldn''t happen to do another steam bath for them, would you? She''s always so-"


    Irwin tuned him out and walked to the smaller, enclosed smithy that was his and his alone. His ears turned red as he heard some of the things Yogog was saying.


    I wonder if Scintilla would-


    He quickly cut off that train of thought before he would be lost in his imagination. It had been something that had been happening more as of late, and he wondered what he should do about it. He enjoyed being around Scintilla and definitely felt attracted to her, but what if she didn''t feel like that?


    Ugh, whatever! There''s more important things to do, he thought as he shut the door in Yogog''s face.


    "Are you finally back? What took you and Crithann so long? Hasn''t he taught you everything about swinging hammers by now?" Ambraz snapped. "I''ve been standing here for hours!"


    He was standing in the back of the private forge area, an arm-length chunk of flattened metal on the top of his large working shape.


    "We had a few younger guards there this time, and Crithann asked me to show them a few things," Irwin said.


    He walked forward and looked at the dark copper metal. Tiny flakes of intense purple metal streaks were visible.


    "So, talk me through it again," he said as he took off his thin shirt and put it somewhere safe. Covering his pants and legs with the thick Wyrm leather apron, he summoned a hammer.


    "Again? Fine!" Ambraz snapped.


    He sounded angry, and Irwin detected the hidden joy in his voice. He''d long since found that as angry as the Anvil sometimes seemed, he loved explaining things. Even if it was for the tenth time, he''d grunt and bitch but explain.


    "So, this thing is half of a crystalized growth item. It''s either a gift from a Derlin, just like your hammer, or the remnants of a powerful being''s soulskill. Whatever it is, it''s more a card skill item than anything else. What''s more important, however, is that there are trace amounts of Purperite in it, an incredibly rare metal that has the growth element," Ambraz said, sounding more and more excited. "For you, it''s useful because using any of your cards to work on it will increase it, while I¡­ I really like it!"


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    Yeah, you said that before, Irwin thought with a grin. "Better than eating Emerald cards?" he asked.


    "Much! I''ve only had a tiny bit just before leaving on my mission," Ambraz said.


    Irwin knew he was referring to when he''d left one of his race''s worlds long ago to search for portals that might lead to world shards of his homeworld. However, he''d had an idea a few nights before.


    "Will it rank you up again?"


    "What? One bit of¡­ No! Well¡­ I don''t think so. Hmm."


    Ambraz was quiet, his metal lips pursed. "Well¡­ It is more than I''ve ever heard of before, so I don''t know. If you refine it properly, as much as it can be¡­ maybe?"


    Irwin nodded.


    "And what will happen after you rank up?" Irwin asked a question the Anvil had never really answered.


    Ambraz was quiet, and Irwin wondered if he was going to give the same half-answer as before. Then the Anvil let out a long sigh.


    "Before my previous rank up, I wouldn''t have been able to help you reforge Sweltering Heart up to ruby. Even Emerald was straining it. I''m¡­ I''m not a very high rank yet."


    Irwin nodded. He''d imagined that much.


    "What rank are you now?" he asked.


    Ambraz grumbled something, and Irwin blinked. He''d expected a lot, but now he must have misheard.


    "Say what?" he asked.


    "Rank two," Ambraz snapped. "Happy now?"


    Irwin blinked, then shook his head. "But¡­ why did you tell me to keep quiet about the runes I saw when you ranked up? You even said I had to tell them you were rank two. I had thought you were much higher!''


    "I would have been if that old beardy face hadn''t caught me and locked me up for so long," Ambraz said.


    "So¡­ why did you tell me not to say what runes-"


    Ambraz let out a massive snort, which interrupted him.


    "I can tell you many things. I have shared more than I''d thought I would when we first met, but don''t ask me this, kid. I can''t share it for your safety and my own."


    Irwin looked at the anvil, wondering if he should press on. Still, something about the way Ambraz had just told him to back off told him he wouldn''t answer. Though, what could possibly be up with that for it to be a danger to them both?


    "Fine," Irwin said with a sigh. "Let''s focus on the task at hand. You said I needed to purify this metal, and yesterday, you told me I needed to take a rest. What was that about?"


    "We are at the point where purifying will start draining the energy from your cards," Ambraz said.


    Irwin gaped in surprise, recalling the constant drain on his cards he''d felt for weeks now. "But that was already happening," he said


    "Bah! That little bit? Yeah, well, that''s nothing compared to what you will feel when we start today. Besides, there''s another slight catch. This time, you can only use the energy in your hammer and the flame card. As soon as those are drained, stop. I''ll count the blows, and this will tell us how much you can do each day."


    Irwin gazed at the purple-veined metal as he thought about what Ambraz had just told him. He''d been dividing the drain over all his cards before, with his flame card and Sweltering Heart providing most of the energy. If he couldn''t use one of those¡­ Another idea came to him, and he suddenly felt excited.


    "If I use Devouring Flame, is it possible that it will grow to Ammolite rank?" he asked.


    "How should I know? I told you before that I have no idea about that," Ambraz said. "Is it possible? Purperite is nearly impossible to get, so I guess it would make sense."


    Irwin grinned, feeling his excitement grow. He had selected four of the cards from Lord Urdwellan as potential sixth and final cards but had yet to reforge them because he wasn''t yet sure what he wanted from them. Besides, there was also the upcoming auction, and who knew what he might find there.


    "Alright, let''s get started," he said. "Do I need to do anything besides focusing on my two growth cards?"


    "No, that should be it," Ambraz said, sounding excited.


    Then let''s do this, Irwin thought.


    He triggered his Coperion Body and grabbed a hold of the piece of metal. Raising the hammer, he calmed his breathing and began humming a song he''d learned from Crithann. It was a simple melody that he''d found made his mind calm faster than most others. When he was fully focused, he concentrated on his Devouring Flame card, instantly noticing how difficult it was to single that out. With it being part of his full hand, and the little distance there was between them shrunk after it had grown to Diamond rank, it was hard to focus just on it.


    When he finally managed to tap into it, he looked down on the metal and struck it with as much force as he could muster, gripping the end he was holding as tightly.


    A clear crackling sound, almost like lightning striking a tree, came, and the metal vibrated far more than it had done the previous days. At the same time, his flame erupted from his hand, rippling around. The energy inside it flooded through his body, into the hammer, then into the metal. He thought he saw it shrink ever so slightly, but he wasn''t sure. What he did know was that barely two-thirds of the energy in his card remained, and he felt the start of a headache.


    "Fantastic! Keep going!"


    Irwin ignored Ambraz, refocused, and struck the metal again. Now that he was prepared for it, he wasn''t as startled when another third of the energy in his card rushed out. He had a softly pounding headache, and as he looked down on the barely smaller piece of metal, he grimaced. At the third strike, he felt his card almost fully drain, and his flame whisked away.


    "That''s one card empty," he grunted, his head pounding and throbbing, a dull pain burning behind his eyelids.


    "Seriously? Three strikes?" Ambraz said, sounding surprised and annoyed. "That means, even if you get three more strikes with the energy from your Firesteel hammer, it will take weeks!"


    Irwin didn''t even answer, and it took him a lot longer to focus on the energy of his fourth card, even with it not being part of a full-hand. When he managed his fourth strike, he felt half of the energy drain away, and his vision swam. Shaking his head, the pain intensified, and he groaned.


    "Is it supposed to hurt this much?"


    "Hurt? It feels pretty good to me," Ambraz said.


    Irwin glared at him and, deciding to get it over with, focused on his card, trying to ignore the pain. This time, it took longer than all his previous attempts combined, and when the hammer struck the metal, he barely believed that he''d managed it. A pulsing and burning pain flared in his head while his eyes watered. Taking deep breaths, he leaned against Ambraz.


    "Empty?" the Anvil asked.


    "Yeah," Irwin grunted as he felt his hammer unsummon itself due to lack of energy.


    "Well, I guess it will take a while," Ambraz said. "Still, it felt amazing! Each time you hit it, it felt like I was eating a card!"


    Irwin blinked away the tears, somewhat startled by those words. "This isn''t going to damage my cards, is it?" he asked worriedly.


    "What? Of course not! You should feel much better tomorrow," Ambraz said, sounding sure of himself.


    Irwin hoped he was right as he walked back out. As he did, he saw Yogog look up from his own anvil, a wide grin on his face and seeming ready to pester him, only for the grin to fade. With a look of worry, he dropped his hammer.


    "You alright, Irwin? You look like you just fought with Crithann for two days straight!"


    "Attempting something new," Irwin said, forcing a grin on his face and knowing it was probably no better than a grimace. Thinking about the fact that he''d have to do it again the day after, his grimace turned to a true shit-eating grin, and he sighed. "I''ll probably look like this again tomorrow."


    "And.. you are sure you shouldn''t just not be trying something new?" Yogog asked.


    "I''ll be fine," Irwin said as he waved the other off and walked towards the door that led to the living room.


    At least, I hope so, he thought.


    His head still pounding and swaying on his feet, he decided to lie down for a bit and instantly fell asleep.


    --


    Irwin woke slowly, and the first thing he noticed as he did was that his cards were humming happily. Well, two of them were, but his Flame card''s humming seemed to cause the other two to join in. At the same time, he felt brimming with energy, more so than he had ever felt before.


    Pushing himself up, he looked around, noticing the light creeping through the eastern window. Staring at it, he blinked.


    Wait¡­ it''s morning?


    Looking around, he was surprised to see Scintilla sit on the floor beside his door, head against the wall, and her eyes closed. Her soft breathing showed she was sleeping tightly.


    Why is she here?


    It took him a few moments to figure out that he had said he''d find her the previous evening. Had she come to make sure he was alright? Then why had she stayed behind?


    Rising up, he flexed his arms. He felt like he could wrestle with Crithann -well, at least Yogog- and win!


    Watching the sleeping Ignitzion, he hesitated, then gently nudged her with his foot. He''d have preferred to be nicer, but anybody with powerful cards made for poor people to wake lightly. Daubutim had taught him that.


    "We- what? Irw- Irwin! Are you alright?" Scintilla shouted as she scrambled up.


    Grabbing his arms, she turned him left and right, inspecting him. Surprised by her reaction, he let her before forcing himself straight again and ignoring her antics.


    "What''s wrong?" he asked.


    "You wouldn''t wake up! It was like you had been knocked unconscious, and you slept for so long! I was starting to worry," Scintilla shouted, stomping his shoulder.


    "Come on, it''s only ten hours," Irwin said.


    "You were sleeping for three days!" she shouted.


    Someone ran up the stairs, and a moment later, the door was shoved open as Greldo burst in.


    "You bloody fool! Do you have any idea how worried we were? Crithann even sent a teleporter to Cinder Grove!"


    Irwin blinked, scratching his chin and noting that there was a slight stubble growing there. How could he have been sleeping for three days? Was this all because of what he''d done with the purifying? It had to be, but why?


    Seeing Greldo glare at him, he shrugged. He could see the deep worry in his friend''s eyes and the fact that Scintilla had even slept in his room- Wait¡­ had she slept here every night? He blinked.


    "I''m sorry. I didn''t know this would happen," he said.


    Greldo snorted, then shook his head. "Well, I''ll go tell Crithann that you woke up. You might want to go see Ambraz. He''s been almost as worried as we were." He cocked his head, and Irwin saw his eyes flicker to Scintilla. "Well, almost as worried as most of us."


    Irwin frowned as Greldo rushed back out of the room as fast as he''d run in before turning back to Scintilla.


    "So¡­" he said lamely. "I guess you already ate all the food?"


    Scintilla gazed at him, then shook her head as she let out a barked laugh.


    "I''ll go make some for you," she said, staring at him for a few moments. Then she turned and walked to the door. "But no more sleeping!"


    "Wouldn''t dream of it," Irwin said, causing Scintilla to glare at him, though the twinkle in her eye showed him she wasn''t all that angry.


    When she left, Irwin walked down and into his private smithy.


    "Thank the Ancestral Anvil, you are alright!" Ambraz shouted. "I thought you were captured, and the Imps had returned! If Greldo hadn''t come to ask me what was wrong with you¡­ I don''t know what I would have done!"


    Irwin blinked, staring at the Anvil, who was still in his working size.


    "Why didn''t you just come to check?" he asked, wondering if Ambraz was really that worried someone would take the remains of the hoop.


    "Don''t you think I would have if I could?" Ambraz shouted. "But¡­ well, you left this piece of *&&$% on me, and now I can''t move!"

 Chapter 140: Hotstuff

    Irwin stared in disbelief at Ambraz, both surprised by the odd word, which he knew he couldn''t reproduce even if he wanted to, and by what Ambraz just said.


    "You¡­ can''t move?"


    "Are you deaf? No! I can''t, and Greldo ran out before I could tell him to remove this stupid thing!"


    Irwin stared at the metal, then at Ambraz. After a moment, he picked up the metal, sensing nothing odd about it. But as soon as it was gone, Ambraz changed into his tiny shape and flickered about.


    "Finally! That was horrible!"


    After looking at the remainder of the hoop, Irwin noticed something. The amount had decreased, while the purple veins seemed slightly more prominent.


    Interesting. I wonder why Ambraz couldn''t move, he thought. It had to have something to do with the Purperion, but why? He tried to recall if this had been happening before, but he had usually removed the metal or been back soon enough.


    "Didn''t you notice this before?" he asked, thinking about the few times he had left Ambraz like this.


    "Well, I didn''t have any reason to move before this time," Ambraz grunted. "Besides-" he continued before muttering something unintelligible.


    Irwin blinked. "Come again?"


    "Having Purperion on me slowly makes me stronger," Ambraz said, sounding annoyed.


    "... why didn''t you just tell me?" Irwin asked.


    "Because I didn''t think about it," Ambraz said.


    Irwin looked at him for a bit before sighing and shaking his head in annoyance.


    "So¡­ any idea why I just slept for three days?" he asked as he put it down on the nearby workbench.


    "It has to be because of you purifying the Purperion," Ambraz said as he zipped around the room, seeming happy to be able to move again.


    Yeah, I got that much, Irwin thought as he shook his head at the obvious remark.


    "What I need to know is if this is because I drained the energy out of all my cards or because of something else."


    "How should I know? This is the first time I''ve ever done this," Ambraz said before sighing. "Let''s just assume it''s because you drained them, and next time, you use one strike less with each of your cards.


    "Yeah.. next time," Irwin muttered.


    "What? You aren''t afraid to try again, are you?" Ambraz asked worriedly.


    Irwin thought about it, then realized he wasn''t. The intense energy he was feeling told him that whatever had happened had been beneficial to him.


    "I''ll try again, but not today," he said.


    "That''s good," Ambraz said with relief as he landed on Irwin''s shoulder.


    Irwin nodded, then hesitated. "I''m going out. Can we leave this here?"


    "Can''t you just take it along?" Ambraz asked, sounding annoyed.


    After thinking about it for a few moments, Irwin sighed and grabbed the arm-length of metal. Examining it a bit, he tried using it as a walking stick and found it would work, although it might look a bit weird.


    "Fine, let''s just go then," he said.


    A short while later, he reached Scintilla''s house, a small two-story place inside a larger building occupied by more Ignitzions. It had a basement that Irwin knew well, as it was where he created a steambath every so often.


    Knocking on the door, he entered when Scintilla shouted for him to come in. As he crossed the threshold, he noticed the table was laden with food, and Scintilla was walking out of the tiny kitchen at the back. She was wearing a leather bodice that showed her toned arms and abdomen.


    Irwin stared at the smooth curves of her waist, noting that she didn''t have a belly button.


    I wonder if she has nipples, he thought.


    A soft cough made him look up to see Scintilla grin at him. Irwin felt his face turn red, and although he knew the passive effect of the Coperion body would cover a lot of it, he could see from the twinkle in her eyes that it hadn''t done all.


    "Sit, I''m just adding a few more things," she said, placing some more food on the table before walking back into the kitchen.


    Irwin felt his face stay hot, and he quickly looked around to distract himself. He put the fake walking cane to the side as he stepped before one of the walls.


    Dozens of swords hung from it, gifts from Smiths she had saved. There was an empty spot to the side, which Irwin knew was kept for a sword she wanted him to make, but he hadn''t gotten around to that yet. He did notice there was a new sword. Black with red streaks across the blade and a hilt meant for two hands, it was a massive two-hander that he wondered if she could even use.


    "I got that from Balarn," Scintilla said as she entered and put a bottle and two glasses on the table. "It''s made of a pretty pure form of Firesteel, over twenty percent!"


    Irwin nodded.


    "Come, sit and eat! I''ve got lots of new things for you to taste," Scintilla said as she sat down at the small table.


    Irwin sat down on the other chair, looking at the abundance of dishes. There were a few plates with slices of red meat, a bowl with two chunks of dark gray meat that still had a few purple scales, and many clearly charred dishes. One caught his attention, and he shivered at the sight of the insects on tiny stakes.


    "These are different," Scintilla said as she leaned forward.


    Irwin looked up from the food and stared straight into her cleavage. He quickly looked up, the idea of eating insects enough to distract him from the beautiful view.


    "They don''t have the shells you didn''t like on the other ones, but are more rubbery, and the insides aren''t gooey, though I still don''t understand who wouldn''t like that!"


    Irwin wanted to grimace as he remembered that, but he held back. Seeing the happy face before him, he decided he''d just try it. He''d eaten worse things back home when he hadn''t had any food for a day or two.


    Well¡­ perhaps not worse than gooey, crunchy insects, he thought.


    Taking one of the stakes, he gazed at the black and orange striped insects that reminded him of the black beetles back home. Trying to shove that idea away, he steeled himself and ripped one off, biting it down.


    A mildly spicy taste filled his mouth as his teeth bit through a leathery shell into a tough, meat-like interior. There was a bit of cracking but not a lot, and after some pondering, he slowly finished the stake.


    "Not bad, right?" Scintilla said as she smiled at him happily.


    "Not bad," Irwin replied, returning the smile.


    They continued chatting and eating from the many dishes until most of it had disappeared. Irwin had long found that he wasn''t the only one that could eat a lot, as all of the Ignitzions seemed to have a bottomless stomach.


    "Alright, now let''s see what you think of this," Scintilla said as she carefully took the bottle that had been standing there for a while. She removed the cap, and an intense spicy scent burst out that filled the room, overpowering the other scents.


    Irwin watched in awe as a ruby red, syrupy liquor was poured into two wide glasses before Scintilla quickly closed the bottle again. Then she looked at the glass intently.


    "There''s something you should know about Kindled Liquor," she said, her voice slightly more serious. "We only share it with someone we want to¡­ share heat with."


    Irwin felt his breath catch in his throat as he saw her carefully pick both glasses up and smile at him.


    "I''d planned to wait a while longer, but when you didn''t wake up¡­"


    There was a sadness in her eyes, and Irwin didn''t hesitate as he accepted the glass. As he did, Scintilla''s normal grin returned, and she took a small sip. Barely focusing on the glass, his mind awash with what would happen after, Irwin took a drink and felt liquid metal course through his throat. He started, automatically casting Coperion Body as a painful burning surged through his throat and into his stomach. He nearly kicked the table over.


    Scintilla burst out in laughter. "Not that much! It''s strong," she called.


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    Irwin drew in a deep breath as he felt the heat spread from his stomach through his body. His cards reacted as if they had been prodded by fiery pokers, resonating happily as energy seemed to fill them in waves.


    It took over a minute for the sensation to die down enough for Irwin to even contemplate another sip, a tiny one this time. As he did, he noticed that his cards weren''t the only thing reacting to it, as his pants were suddenly far too tight in the crotch area.


    "Not bad, huh?" Scintilla whispered, her voice hazy and deep, and as Irwin looked up, he saw her breathing had become ragged.


    All he could do was nod as she rose, stepped around the table, and sat on his lap. Her eyes widened slightly; then she gazed deep into his eyes. Almost absently, she tossed the remainder of her drink down, and Irwin did the same. As the heat in his body seemed to explode, he vaguely noticed that his flame erupted around him, causing the chair to creak as it caught fire.


    Neither he nor Scintilla cared, and Scintilla''s lips pressed to his, and everything turned into a hazy, fiery inferno.


    --


    Gelwin was slowly walking through the hallways of the Library when he looked to the side. Without a sound, his shadowy helper moved out of the shadows beside him.


    "Daubutim fell asleep and is safely in his room. Two Shades are guarding him."


    "Good, then it''s time to see our¡­ guest," Gelwin said as he turned around a corner and headed to a corridor with a single book.


    The book rustled as soon as he stepped inside, and a soft laughter followed, rising and falling in pitch oddly. A moment later, a pained howl of anguish echoed from the book, but Gelwin ignored both. As powerful as he was, even he had to abide by the ancient Library''s oddities, especially the room he was in now. Still, his time here had given him a certain bit of leeway, which he intended to use.


    "Old One, I want to use one of the favors," he whispered.


    The laughter stopped, though the occasional agonizing scream continued to emanate from the book.


    "A debt made, in-depth... Paid in full it shall be," a soft, purring voice sang before the voice lowered to an angry snarl. "Ask!"


    "You have a new playtoy, and I would ask that you give me the knowledge in his head as you did once before," Gelwin said. He almost felt a twinge of sympathy for Uxin''tar. Almost. But not quite. He knew too well what the young upstart would have done just for the sake of more power.


    A sad sigh was followed by a morose laughter. "Poor toy¡­"


    There was a moment of silence before a deafening scream echoed through the hallway, though Gelwin knew that none beyond the two entrances would hear a thing. The scream lasted far longer than any normal being''s lungs could take. Then again, it wasn''t a scream of the body but one of the mind and soul.


    It ended abruptly, and a swirl of blackness appeared on a shelf near Gelwin. It slowly faded to leave behind a thin black book with a face on its cover. If Daubutim had been here, he''d recognize Uxin''tar. His face was warped in a motionless look of excruciating torment.


    "Thank you, Old one," Gelwin said as he grabbed the book and lengthened his stride. It didn''t pay to remain here.


    He was three steps from the exit when the soft laughter returned.


    "Two more¡­ only two!"


    Gelwin didn''t respond but stepped out of the hallway. A shadow appeared at his side.


    "See young Daubutim and tell him Uxin''tar is no more," Gelwin said as he looked at the book before moving toward his private chambers. "Don''t bother me for the foreseeable future."


    --


    "I understand. Thank the master librarian for me," Daubutim said as he nodded at the shadowy, robed figure.


    The figure didn''t respond but turned and walked off.


    Daubutim watched him leave as he wrestled his mind to stop attempting to find a reason for what was happening. When it finally did, he walked out and noticed that Purntou was standing near one of the exits, watching him quietly. Not sure what the other had heard, Daubutim walked toward the Librarian.


    "Good day, Master Purntou," he said.


    The Librarian''s face twitched, but then he smiled.


    "I have gotten news from the head librarian that you are to be allowed one day off to look after a friend. After that, I am to help you gather knowledge about the most ancient civilization we have information about. I have gathered some books on it and have devised some tests for you after you have read it. Now, before this, go and tend to your friend. I hope he or she will be alright."


    "Thank you. I will do my best," Daubutim said before nodding politely, ignoring the Librarian''s obvious curiosity.


    Purntou watched him for a few moments before his smile turned slightly sour. He merely nodded and left.


    I will need to make sure he is pleased with my progress, Daubutim thought.


    A short while later, he was walking through the busy city, noting a lot of rapidly chatting people the closer he got to the Smiths district. When he reached it, he found a dozen guards blocking the streets.


    Raising himself up and projecting as much authority as he could, Daubutim walked to the nearest group.


    "I have been busy for a while in the Library, commander. Can you tell me what is happening?" he asked, looking at the one he recognized as the most senior guard, both in bearing and weaponry. Gray-haired and with dark armor that Daubutim was sure had to be carded. He was as tall as him.


    "The smiths have ordered their district closed until further notice," the guard said. "I am sorry to say that unless you have clearance from a Librarian, I can''t let you in."


    Daubutim nodded. "I understand. You may send someone to check with Master Librarian Gelwin if I am allowed entry, as he explicitly sent me here."


    The guard''s eyes widened, but Daubutim was impressed to see he merely swallowed and nodded.


    "I will send someone right away. My apologies that you have to wait, but you know how the smiths can be," the guard said before hastily motioning to one of the younger guards, who immediately sprinted away.


    Daubutim stood to the side and crossed his arms, calmly waiting.


    As he stood there, he got the occasional glance, and at one point, a conversation rose enough for him to overhear a few of the guards.


    "-larger than most of us! How can he be a-"


    Daubutim didn''t show any reaction and waited for half an hour when the younger guard came sprinting back. Slightly out of breath and looking pale and shivering, he was already nodding and waving before he was within speaking distance.


    The lead guard didn''t seem to need any more incentive.


    "Again, my apologies," he said. "You may pass."


    "No problem, commander. I am impressed with your professionalism," Daubutim said as he nodded and walked away. He knew his father would have approved of the man and likely increased his station.


    The smith''s district was nearly deserted, with only a few rapidly moving smiths walking about. Daubutim reached Tensor''s smithy without incident and was surprised to see the gate was closed. Standing before the massive steel gate, he frowned and then knocked on it as loud as he could.


    It took only moments for a voice to shout at him to stop and feet moving towards him. He was slightly surprised to see Galarn appear, while the other seemed more surprised than happy to see him.


    "Daubutim, it''s great you arrived! Quick, come in," Galarn said as he pulled Daubutim inside and slammed the door shut. The smithy was busy, with dozens of smiths walking around and many working in the open smithing area.


    "The guards have blocked off the entire quarter. What is going on?" Daubutim asked.


    Galarn snorted angrily. "You hear about the rumors of smiths disappearing?"


    Daubutim nodded.


    "Well, multiple smiths from quarters here have gone missing, while reports from the main guild charters have reported hundreds of smiths vanishing. The smiths guild has ordered all charters to take extreme measures as they try and figure out what is happening," Galarn said. "It''s horrible, and there''s no way of knowing if Balarn and the others are alright."


    Daubutim frowned. "Is there any information on what is happening?"


    "None. Most have disappeared when they were in shard-worlds or farming-worlds, but there are reports of multiple smiths vanishing while inside some of the other districts. I actually wanted to ask you¡­ Do you think it could be that Uxin''tar guy?" Galarn asked, looking worried as he headed towards the main building.


    "He is dead," Daubutim said.


    "What? Really? That''s fantastic news! I''m sure Lamia will be happy to hear that. Perhaps it will help her a bit," Galarn said. "You know, it''s good that you came here. She''s not doing too well."


    Daubutim didn''t respond, as it didn''t surprise him in the slightest. Instead, he quietly followed Galarn through the smith''s main hall, noting there was nobody behind the desk. They moved up and reached the room that had been his and the others for what seemed like only such a short time.


    Galarn hesitated, and looked up. "Listen¡­ she''s not always in her right mind, alright?"


    Daubutim sighed, stepped forward, and opened the door. The room had changed massively in only a few days, with only two beds remaining, pushed together, and a table with chairs on the side. Lamia was sitting upright in bed, staring at her hands and blinking oddly. Then she looked up at him, and a wide smile appeared.


    "You did it!"


    Daubutim had expected a few things, but not this, and he felt his mind bog down. Before it could, he stepped to the side to let Galarn in.


    "Lamia? What happened?" Galarn asked as he walked forward, a look of incredulous surprise on his face.


    "The voice! The screaming! He''s gone, finally! I thought I was going insane¡­ but¡­" she shook her head, and tears ran down her face. "I woke up just now, and it was quiet- the nightmare, it''s finally over!"


    She shouted the last part as she leaned to the side and began sobbing on the pillow.


    Daubutim looked at Galarn, who shrugged and walked forward to sit on the edge of the bed. Lamia looked up, red-eyed and smiling, while she cried before hugging him and muttering unintelligible nonsense.


    I guess that means he''s really dead, Daubutim thought as he moved to sit at the table.


    --


    "So¡­ how did all that just work," Irwin asked hazily as he lay in the smoldering remnants of what had been Scintilla''s dining table and chairs.


    Scintilla laughed as she hung against him limply.


    "Which part?" she whispered.


    Irwin blinked, then shook his head. "All of it? The fire, the images¡­ the- How come you could do that? You aren''t human, right?"


    Scintilla giggled, shaking her head as she leaned in closer to him.


    "Yogog didn''t explain anything?" she asked.


    Irwin shook his head, suddenly wondering if he should use the other smith for hammer practice later.


    "We are somewhat anamorphic," Scintilla said. "Although we only really need other being''s heat to create offspring, we evolved to be able to make sure other species would actually be¡­ willing to do that. You were willing, weren''t you?" she asked, a wide, predatory grin on her face.


    "Willing," Irwin croaked. "Very willing!"


    Scintilla laughed as she crawled even more up against him. Feeling her soft breasts, which he''d been surprised to find did have nipples, Irwin felt his heat rise again.


    "Do you think they will miss us if we stay for a bit more?" he asked, turning his head to her, unable to keep his eyes solely on her face.


    Scintilla smiled as she pushed herself up. "What? Think you are up for another-"


    Her voice ended in a surprised laugh as Irwin pulled her atop him.


    --


    A long time later, as the very early morning sun was starting to paint the sky red, Irwin was walking back through town. His clothes, even his fire-resistant pants, had been damaged beyond repair, and he guessed he''d need to get something fireproof soon. Because he definitely wanted to do that again.


    He couldn''t help himself from grinning as he swung the length of metal around.


    I wonder what Bronwyn would say if I told him this, he thought as he pictured his brother''s disbelieving face.


    As he continued through the town, he thought about the things he had to do. Scintilla had told him that Numilli had gone out to investigate the location of the Earth Titan herself and should be back in a few weeks. That meant he would have to help her when she returned. He also needed to continue purifying the Purperion, reforge more cards for the auction, and continue searching for the optimal final card.


    When he reached his smithy, which was quiet, he shoved open the door to see Yogog blearily look up from the couch, wiping a bit of drool from his face. As his silver eyes focused on Irwin, a wide grin covered his face.


    "There we go," he said as he swung his legs off and pointed at the couch opposite his. "Sit, drink, and tell me everything!''


    Irwin blinked as he saw the bottle and cups on the table. For a moment, he wanted to tell Yogog to get lost, then he sighed and said down.


    "Not happening," he said as he accepted a cup.


    "Come now! Did you manage? More than once? Any burn marks? How did you handle the"


    Irwin shook his head as he listened to the onyx-skinned smith talk about things he hadn''t even noticed.


    This is going to be a long day, he thought as he drained his cup.

 Chapter 141: Request from a friend

    Irwin hummed, focusing his energy before striking the metal with all the power he could muster. As the energy from his Hammer card flowed out, leaving three-fifths left, he stepped back with a nod. Ever since his first mistake of emptying the energy of two of his cards, he''d made sure not to do that again. Instead, he only used two strikes infused by his flame card and one by his hammer card.


    Now, although he was feeling slightly groggy, he wasn''t close to dropping a slumber again.


    I wonder why it shrank so much faster at the start, he thought as he examined the metal.


    Over the last few weeks, he''d managed to shrink the metal to the size of a hand, but it was becoming progressively harder to purify.


    "So little progress," Ambraz grunted as Irwin removed the Purperion-riddled slab of metal from his surface.


    "It''s not going to happen in time for the auction," Irwin said, knowing it was an understatement. If the current trajectory held, it would take years instead of the months he''d hoped initially.


    He inspected the metal. There was no more semblance to the hoop it had once been, but the purple metal streaks now were clear as day. It wasn''t just that, he also had the feeling there was more of it, which Ambraz had said shouldn''t be possible. He also had no clear idea how much his hammer and flame card had grown, but every time he woke, they were brimming with energy and definitely held more than they had the day before.


    Well, I guess it might be better if it takes longer. Who knows, I might actually grow two cards to Ammolite like this, he thought.


    "We have about three weeks left before it starts, so I need to focus on reforging a few more cards that I have lying around."


    Ambraz let out a weary sigh before nodding. "Perhaps you can find another growth card! The best would be one that increases the energy capacity of the other cards."


    "Those exist?" Irwin asked as he looked up in surprise. He''d never seen a card with a skill that did that.


    "Of course they do," Ambraz snorted. "You remember those two cards you saw that let you use skills more often?"


    Irwin cocked his head, then felt like hitting himself for not making the link.


    "Of course¡­ they have to increase a card''s energy to be able to do that," he muttered.


    "Exactly," Ambraz said. "Normally, I wouldn''t suggest one of those. It''s usually better to have an entirely new card with passive and actives, but with you closing in on a second diamond card while only needing one more card to become a heartcarded, it wouldn''t matter too much."


    Irwin nodded as he moved to his desk and sat down. He grabbed a thin stack of cards from atop a pile and put them to the side before grabbing two much thicker ones and rifling through them. It took him only a few moments to find the cards Ambraz had mentioned, and he placed them before him. Both were Amethyst, and he''d not actually meant to reforge them but use them to feed Ambraz.


    Taking a quick look with his Eyes of Blaze, he saw that both did roughly the same thing. One allowed the wielder to use the abilities of cards in the same hand twice as many times, while the other added a flat two times to every card he had, even those in the other hand. As he read that, he wondered how that even worked. Still, his life would have been easier if he''d had one of these before. He could have used Smouldering Heart more when he needed it back during the Imp troubles.


    "So, I assume they will both get stronger with reforging?" he asked.


    "Definitely. I don''t have a lot of knowledge about these types of cards, but what I do know is that the few that are deemed great enable someone with two-time use card skills to be used ten times. Which is the only reason people think about using them in the first place."


    "There are card skills that can only be used one time per day?" Irwin asked, surprised he''d never heard about those.


    "Yes, some soulcarded teleportation skills that work in the Portal Gallery drain the entire card per usage. There are also cards that create massive effects; for instance, there''s a well-known soulcarded on a waterworld that can create a storm that covers a massive area for a day," Ambraz said. "You can probably find more stories about them if you search the library when we return."


    Irwin nodded as he wondered about having a card like that.


    "And these people use cards that expand their card''s energy?" he asked.


    "Yes, but not too much. The problem with cards that powerful is that they usually cause a lot of destruction," Ambraz said.


    Irwin thought about it for a bit before he had another idea. As he did, he also realized how much there was still to learn about cards.


    "So, are there any cards that regenerate the energy in cards faster?" he asked.


    Ambraz snorted. "What do you take me for? A lexicon on all cards? I don''t know¡­ I guess there could be?"


    Irwin grinned as he looked back at the cards before him.


    Say I get a card that doubles or triples the number of times I can use my cards, he thought as he pictured each of his cards, trying to estimate the benefit.


    Except for a few extreme cases, he''d been able to use his flame card as much as he wanted. Only when he had to deal with massive battles did it start running out. Coperion Body already lasted for two hours, and he could use it at least three times, perhaps more. Eyes of Blaze was his least used card by now, and he didn''t really have many times he could use it as it was.


    I need to test them out again, he thought with a frown.


    That left his hammer card and Sweltering Heart. The first he could use seemingly indefinitely after summoned, and he''d yet to really note a limit on the amount of times he could transform the hammer. The one he really noticed a problem with was the steam of Sweltering Heart. If he could use that a lot more and bigger, it would have been very helpful¡­


    He explained his findings to Ambraz, who quietly listened until he finished.


    "Yeah, that''s why most people don''t really bother," Ambraz said.


    "So¡­ what do we do then?" Irwin asked as he stared at the two cards. "How about we just reforge them to Emerald and see what they become?" he asked.


    "Ugh, more work? Still, I guess you are right. Although I don''t know what special paths I can take with them, perhaps I can find one that gives you something more useful, although I doubt it."


    Irwin nodded as he rose, took the top four cards from the pile he didn''t need, and headed to the center of the smithy.


    "Let''s start with Topaz and see what changes," he said as Ambraz zipped to the empty area and changed into his working shape.


    He tossed two largely useless cards in Ambraz''s waiting mouth before pocketing all but the card that allowed all of his cards to be used a flat two more times. As he put it on Ambraz''s surface, he waited for the anvil to finish chewing as he thought.


    "Say, this one gives two more usages¡­ wouldn''t that mean that on a single-use card, it would triple the amount of energy a card holds?" he asked.


    Ambraz chewed a few times before swallowing loudly, something Irwin still wondered about. Where did the card fragments even go?


    "Yeah, a card you can use many times like your flame card wouldn''t get as much benefit from this, while one that doubles its energy would help more," he said. "It''s another of the reasons people don''t use these things a lot. Most people have a few cards that would benefit from doubling and a few others from adding flat amounts."


    Irwin nodded.


    "So, what happens when I combine all of it in a heartcard?" he asked. "How do these cards fit in?"


    "And there''s the final problem," Ambraz said with a snort. "They take up one of the few passives you can have, and unlike, for instance, two fire abilities that might be blended together in a single, better, or more useful skill, they can only be merged with other similar cards."


    Irwin felt a slight distaste as he stared at the cards. It was a good thing that these were only tests to see what he could expect, as neither had the growth attribute because he was starting to feel less optimistic about slotting one of these things as his final card.


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    "Isn''t there one that only works on firecards so I can blend it with something else?" he asked.


    Ambraz was quiet for a bit, then sniffed. "I don''t know. There might be, and perhaps one of those could be combined with others."


    Irwin nodded as he raised his hammer. "Well, whatever. Let''s just see what these things have."


    Reforging both cards, first to Topaz and finding out they didn''t really change much, and then to Emerald with the same result, Irwin shook his head as he threw them on the table in distaste.


    "A whole day and four cards wasted. Six if you count these two," he muttered.


    "Yeah¡­ well, they both only had one path! There was little I could do," Ambraz said.


    "It''s not your fault," Irwin muttered. "But unless we find something better, I don''t think I''m going to get one of these as my last card. Even if it halves the time I need to work on the Purperion."


    "Fine," Ambraz said, sounding less aggrieved than Irwin had imagined. "Let''s just continue looking for a movement card then."


    The days continued slowly as Irwin spent his time either reforging more cards, even attempting one Ruby reforge -which failed miserably- or hanging out with Scintilla. It hadn''t taken the other Ignitzions long to figure out he and Scintilla were together, and they had proven very happy about it. Some even enquired if he was going to set up shop on Ignitz, their homeworld when he was done here. Preferably creating a steam sauna. Irwin had explained that he might visit, but he had other things to do.


    The only interesting thing that occurred before the Card Auction happened late at night. Irwin and Scintilla were testing out the new fire-resistant table Irwin had forged for her.


    Lying on his back, his hands roaming Scintilla''s body, Irwin was startled when she suddenly placed two feet beside his hips and leaped across him.


    "Numilli, what are you doing here?" Scintilla screamed as she placed her hands on her hips, seeming unconcerned that she was wearing zero clothing.


    Irwin rolled from the table, stepping behind it, just in time to see the remnants of Numilli''s dark teleportation cloud dissipate. The smaller Ignitzion looked up in surprise.


    Numilli, her clothing ripped and tattered, mud and blood plastered on her face, looked from Scintilla to him and back. A wide grin came to her face as she clapped her hands.


    "You got him!" she cried happily, causing Irwin to blink in surprise.


    Scintilla took a step forward, waving her hands. "Cousin, what did I tell you about teleporting to my room in the middle of the night? You have your own room!"


    Numilli ignored her as she moved forward, her eyes on Irwin, roaming across his body and making him incredibly uncomfortable.


    "So? What did you think? Ignitzions are great, aren''t they? Have you already-"


    Scintilla''s hand flicked across the back of her head, causing her words to stop in a yelp. Then, the much taller and stronger Ignitzion pulled her older cousin back like an unruly child.


    "Numilli? Out! We can talk later, and-"


    Numilli pulled free and turned to Scintilla, her eyes wide and happy. "I found one! I told you I did, and it''s real, not just an assumption!"


    Irwin frowned, but before he could say anything, he saw Scintilla''s eyebrows lower as her eyes spat fire.


    "Didn''t you already say that before?" she asked dangerously low.


    With the attention diverted from his naked self, Irwin suddenly felt it was all remarkably funny, and he watched quietly as the two Ignitzion cousins continued arguing.


    "Yes, yes. And I was right!" Numilli shouted. "Let''s go and get our stuff and-"


    "It''s the middle of the night," Scintilla said as she pulled her cousin to the door. "Besides, the Card Auction is next week, so we need to wait for that."


    "But you promised," Numilli said, her voice rising as her eyes turned large and sad.


    "Yes, but not to do it right away," Scintilla snapped as she pulled open the door and shoved Numilli out. "Now go back to your place, and I''ll find you tomorrow!" she said as she slammed the door shut.


    "But cousin," Numilli''s cry came from outside.


    Scintilla ignored it and turned around, staring at Irwin. When she saw he was grinning, she raised an eyebrow.


    "What?"


    Irwin walked forward until he stood before her, towering over her and grinning down in her annoyed eyes.


    "You''re hot when you''re angry," he said.


    Scintilla''s anger faded as she smiled up at him. "Really? Show me!"


    --


    Two more days passed, and Irwin had just finished another card when there was a knock on the door of his private smithing area.


    "Yes?"


    The door opened, and one of Yogog''s apprentices pushed it open, looking inside.


    "Yogog asked me to come get you, Smith Irwin," the young man said, looking at Ambraz with wide eyes. "A teleporter arrived from Cinder Grove to come get you and Yogog!"


    What? Irwin thought as he frowned. There were still four days till the auction, and he already had a teleporter ready to bring him and the others there.


    "Alright, I''ll be right there," he said.


    The apprentice nodded and quickly left.


    "Any idea?" Irwin asked as he pocketed the slightly overhand length piece of Purperion.


    "What do I look like? A mind reader?" Ambraz asked as he turned to his travel form and flitted onto Irwin''s shoulder.


    "Somewhat," Irwin said with a grin as he walked towards the exit.


    "Haha. Very funny," Ambraz muttered.


    As they reached the outside, Irwin saw an elderly Viridian stand before the smithy, talking with Yogog. As he arrived, Yogog looked up and grinned.


    "So, it seems we have to go early," he said.


    "Smith Irwin, Lord Urdwellan has requested your presence for something important. If you could gather your things, I will bring you to him."


    "Can you tell me what this is about?" Irwin asked.


    "I am afraid I don''t know, Smith Irwin," the teleporter said.


    Irwin frowned, then turned to Yogog, who just shrugged. "I sent someone to get Greldo, Scintilla, and Hotzli," he said. "This guy is able to teleport a group of up to ten people, so I thought it might be fun to bring the kids along."


    He jolted a thumb at the apprentice smiths who were making a show of trying to work while still paying attention to what was happening.


    Irwin grinned and nodded. "Sure, why not."


    "I''ll get changed and grab my things," he said, turning to the quietly waiting teleporter.


    The Viridian merely bowed his head.


    A short while later, a group of Viridians, Ignitzions, together with Yogog and Irwin, stood on the square.


    Crithann stood with them.


    "The interesting part of the auction will last for at least a week, but outside of this, it will continue for a long time. There will likely be many opportunities to buy and sell cards, so don''t focus solely on the main auction. Every one of the smaller mission centers will hold their own auctions. My advice is to keep an eye on those. It might even be worth it to pay some of the centers to look for you, though you would need to be sure you can trust them. It might mean the card you want is slightly more expensive than before, but at least you get it in the end," Crithann said.


    Irwin nodded thankfully. He already knew many of the things Crithann just told him, as Scintilla had been telling him stories of the previous -albeit smaller- auction she had attended.


    "We will return after selling all our cards and getting the cards we need to upgrade," Irwin said.


    Crithann nodded, but something about the way he lingered told Irwin he had something more to say. Knowing his hammer teacher''s way, he waited quietly.


    "Irwin¡­ can you do me a favor?" Crithann finally asked, beckoning him to walk with him.


    Irwin followed him, curious about what Crithann would need his help with. Did he need a card reforged?


    "I''m still working on my next heartcard and need a very specific card. Could you see if you can find it?"


    "Sure," Irwin said, wondering why Crithann didn''t just ask someone else or make it seem like it was an odd request.


    "Don''t say yes too quickly," Crithann muttered. "The card I need, if it appears, will be hard to get as many others will want it. Also¡­ and most important. You can''t let anyone find out it''s me that asked you to get it."


    Irwin''s eyebrows rose as he stared at the massive Viridian leader. The green eyes stared back into his, and as he looked into them, he swallowed. Crithann already had soulcards, so that meant he was forming another heartcard? Irwin peeked at the other''s massive hands, noting a similarity to him that he''d never paid attention to. Crithann had five cards, with one left to create a heartcard!


    "Yes," Crithann said with glittering eyes. "Like you, I''m almost ready to form a heartcard. The fourth, in my case."


    "Who is going to-" Irwin began, only to fall silent as Crithann stopped and looked him into his eyes, profound sadness and stubbornness in his eyes.


    "My full name is Crithann Urdwellan, and Gebladir is my younger cousin," Crithann said before continuing slowly.


    "Do you remember when I told you my family didn''t want me because of my soulcards? Well, part of this is because when I was younger, I disobeyed the family laws and picked cards they didn''t approve of. It''s too complicated to talk about now, but the cards I chose are suited for what they call lower labor. They don''t care that I managed to get a soulcard or even multiple. Gebladir never cared for what the others wanted, which is one of the reasons he accepted this station so far from our homeworld, which is on one of the main branches. He will help me create my Heartcard, but even he doesn''t exactly know which cards I have assembled. If he finds out what I''m trying, he might try to change my mind. But he can''t after I form my second full hand."


    Irwin stared at the usually stoic Viridian, who was now talking animatedly.


    "So. I need you to get the card on the paper I''ll give you in a minute. That is, if you are still willing to help?"


    Irwin didn''t have to think about it and instantly nodded. He''d been training under Crithann for months and knew he was an honorable man who only wanted what was best for the people he was entrusted with. There was no way that he believed Crithann would be doing something bad.


    "Yes, I''ll help," he said.


    Crithann didn''t seem surprised, but a wide smile covered his face. He took a tiny piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to Irwin.


    "Memorize the card''s specifics, then return it," he said.


    Irwin nodded as he looked at the card on the paper.


    > Dryadic seedling. No higher than Amethyst, and one that can be reforged into a minion card.


    There was a list of specifics below, some more wanted than others, and Irwin scanned through them before handing the card back. He was confused. What was so bad about this card?


    "I''ll explain it after I have formed my heartcard," Crithann said as he took the card and frowned. The back of his hand flickered, and a tiny green flame covered his hand. Irwin''s eyes widened as he saw it because he''d never seen Crithann use any fire-type card before. He''d also never seen a green flame.


    "It''s one of the cards that got me in trouble," Crithann said as he smiled at the flickering flame, which momentarily grew as it rippled across his hand. "Like you, my first card was flamebased."


    Irwin watched the flame dissipate, then followed a quiet Crithann back.


    The others looked curious, except for Greldo, who was making a show of patting Coal. Irwin was pretty sure his friend had heard every bit of the conversation.


    "Alright, let''s go! I can''t wait to see what kind of massive fest they will have started," Yogog shouted as he moved beside the elderly teleporter. The Viridian nodded, and a green aura began hanging around him.


    Irwin walked beside Scintilla and Greldo, nodding at both while tendrils of green vegetation began erupting out from the green aura. One moved to each of them, gently wrapping around their arm.


    As the green glow began growing, engulfing them all, Irwin took a last look at his smithy. Then, the world turned green momentarily.


    The next thing he saw was the massive lake that sat within Cinder Grove''s borders, boats sailing across, and music filling the air. Looking around, he saw tents along the side, a sprawling market covering the entire area between the massive trees. Everything was illuminated by beautiful green, orange, and yellow lanterns while Viridians and dozens of other races and species were wandering about, smiling, and talking.


    "Here we go," Yogog shouted as he raised his hands in joy.

 Chapter 142: Another step

    "This is insane," Greldo muttered as he followed Irwin. "There have to be more people here than there were back on Fiverio."


    Irwin didn''t answer, far too preoccupied with looking around as he moved through the massive market. There were innumerable wagons, carts, and stalls with food, drinks, clothes, and a diverse assortment of other items. He saw pots and pans, besides swords and armor. Full body leather armor beside gauntlets he recognized as grappling gauntlets and dozens of other things.


    Examining one of the stalls with grappling gauntlets, he thought about the last one he had gotten. It had been lost during the commotion when Grianf¨¢l had been attacked, and he''d never had the chance to get another. Watching them now, he didn''t feel a big incentive to buy one, as between his hammer and other cards, he felt like he had plenty of options in a fight.


    They continued through the crowd until they reached the main trunk, and from there, it took them at least another hour to reach Lord Urdwellan''s residence. The gate that had been open was closed now, with a few silver-eyed guards standing watch. It wasn''t strange seeing the masses of people walking about, some staring at the residence with obvious curiosity.


    As Irwin and the others reached the entrance, the older Viridian talked with the guards for a few moments, and then they were waved inside.


    "Heh, so this is how that feels," Greldo grunted with unconcealed hilarity.


    "What?" Irwin asked, looking at his smirking friend.


    "There''s a lot of people annoyed and curious that we were allowed in while they have to watch from behind the fences," Greldo said as he grinned back. "Reminds me of when we were young and watched those noble brats get their cards."


    Irwin blinked, then let out a barked laugh as he recalled him and Greldo, skinny and small, standing behind a wooden shack, peeking through the cracks as the noble children received their first cards. With a wide grin, he gazed at the back of his hands, noting the five cards, one of which was diamond-ranked. Not that it was noticeable. Due to his card growing to that rank after he made it into a full hand, it still looked just like the simple ''hidden'' quartz card it had once looked like.


    "Yeah. Things did change a bit since we were still living in Malorin," he said, returning his friend''s grin.


    He pictured both of them, young, thin, and malnourished as they followed the sorcerer to the dark tower. As he did, he saw Greldo now and realized his friend had a slight shadow across his chin and lip, mirroring the growing beard he was dealing with each morning.


    Does that mean we are adults now? he wondered.


    They walked into the large room in which lord Urdwellan had spoken to them before, but this time it was almost empty. The tables stood to the sides, chairs atop them, with only a small one left before the window. Balarn sat there, waving at them, while Lord Urdwellan rose and walked towards them.


    "Welcome back to Cinder Grove," Lord Urdwellan said in his booming voice as he walked towards them.


    Grinning widely, he made a beeline for Irwin.


    "Smith Irwin, it is good that you are here. Sit, I have good news," Lord Urdwellan said.


    He gripped Irwin''s shoulder in a friendly gesture, but Irwin felt the incredible power from the slight squeeze. Even with his Coperion Body active, he knew it would hurt if the man squeezed for real.


    Letting the other guide him to a chair, he saw Balarn grin at him widely.


    Wait¡­ what is he talking about-


    His gaze landed on a beautiful deep green Smith''s ranking plate lying on the table, and he froze.


    He barely noticed the soft laughter from Balarn.


    "So, with everyone here, it''s time we did something that should have happened months ago," Lord Urdwellan said, his voice loud.


    "Smith Irwin, I have a few cards here," he continued, raising three cards up. He took out a solid crystal plate the size of his hand and pressed one of the cards on it.


    "Emerald rank, eighty-eight percent. Reforged by Smith Irwin Roddington," a soft, feminine voice spoke. She began to continue, but Lord Urdwellan removed the card and put the other two on it in quick succession, revealing both to be reforged by Irwin, and each was a slightly higher percentage, with the final one reaching ninety-four.


    Irwin stared stupidly at the cards, wondering where Urdwellan had gotten them from. Most of his cards were being used and slotted, and the others were still with him.


    "I can see you are confused about this, but don''t worry," Lord Urdwellan said. "I asked Yogog to send me a few examples of cards crafted by you."


    Irwin blinked and turned to see Yogog look at his hands, trying to act all innocent.


    "Now! As the only chapter master on the planet and the only Ruby Rank Smith, let me be the first to congratulate you on reaching the Emerald Rank! I have already forwarded this to the Smiths Guild, so the only thing that remains is for you to accept this-"


    Irwin watched as the Emerald ranking plate was picked up and held before him, and he couldn''t hold back his grin as he accepted it. The plate was heavier and thicker than his current, and he knew he had to create a different slot for it, but he didn''t mind.


    "So, you managed to catch up with us in under four years. You really are a monster," Yogog said as he grinned and reached out one of his hands for Irwin to shake.


    A few moments later, Irwin had been congratulated by the others, and they all returned to their seats while Lord Urdwellan raised his hand to speak.


    "Now, with this happy business out of the way, I would like to remind you three that if you manage to reach Ruby rank while here, you are to find me immediately."


    "Of course," Balarn said while Yogog nodded.


    Irwin frowned and nodded, having no idea what they were talking about.


    "I''ll explain later," Balarn said before discussing some things about the upcoming auction.


    They remained for a short while, with the discussion only revolving around the main auction, which was said to start in eight days'' time. The smaller mission centers would start in two days, which was the reason that the others had been recalled.


    Half an hour later, they were back in the streets, following Balarn as he led them to the thirtieth floor.


    I wonder where we are going, Irwin thought as he looked around. The only place he knew there was the Greenbark Mission Center.


    With how large the floor was, deeply carved in the massive treetrunk, they continued to walk for almost an hour before they began reaching the outskirts. As they moved across a small square, Irwin saw a pale wall of stone around a large compound with a board above the gate.


    "Tensor''s charter - offshoot."


    "You got a new smithy," he said, turning to see Balarn''s wide grin.


    "Yes. Lord Urdwellan gifted it to us based on our contributions during the crisis. Come, let me show you around."


    The gate swung open easily, and Irwin saw a beautiful open area with a tiny raised water basin and plants in the center of a smithing area. Forges and anvils were grouped neatly together, while a wooden and stone building stood behind it.


    Monique was working on one, hammering away, but they heard nothing, showing there was a noise dampener skill used on something near her.


    "As you can see, besides being far cooler, it''s also larger and with far better features," Balarn said. "We''ve also gotten a hundred-year lease¡­. Which is based on the outside time. So, for all intents and purposes, this place is ours."


    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    "Awesome," Yogog shouted as he walked around prodding at the water before sprinting to the building.


    "The entire top floor, except for the left hall, is free," Balarn shouted after him before turning to Irwin.


    "Go pick a room."


    Irwin grinned as he ran after Yogog.


    The rest of the day passed quickly and quietly as they walked around the compound and learned where all the other points of interest were. When daytime slowly came, Balarn excused himself, leaving Irwin and Greldo alone outside, sitting near the water basin.


    "So¡­ I had been meaning to ask you," Greldo asked as they looked at the water. "Can you reforge my cards to a higher rank?"


    He raised his right hand with two cards, both of which he''d gotten from Irwin.


    Irwin looked at his friend, then sighed. "You remember the pain, right?"


    "Course I do," Greldo said. "But I want to take more interesting missions, and for that, I need to become a heartcarded. I''m planning on doing that as soon as I find my last card."


    "What are you looking for?" Irwin asked curiously.


    "A shadow teleport," Greldo said with a grimace.


    "Those are¡­ very difficult to get," Irwin said.


    "You don''t say."


    "And if you do¡­ because you only have one teleport card, it won''t let you teleport that far. Not even to the nearest town," Irwin said. "And you-"


    "Can''t bring anyone along. I know," Greldo said. "But it matches perfectly with my current cards, and when I become heartcarded, it will allow Coal to become a Shadow Hound."


    Irwin nodded, leaning back. "Which of your cards do you want reforged?" he asked.


    "Both, "Greldo said. "If you are willing."


    "Of course," Irwin said. "But¡­ I can''t help you become a heartcarded yet."


    "I know. You need to become a Ruby rank for that, right?" Greldo asked.


    "The other way around, but yes," Irwin said.


    "I was going to ask Lord Urdwellan to do it for me as a thanks for my hard work," Greldo said with a shrug. "You know? You smiths got rewards, but the rest of us..."


    Irwin nodded. It made sense, though he wasn''t sure Urdwellan would just do it like that.


    If I ever become a high-rank smith, I''ll make sure to help my friends and family, he thought.


    "Well¡­." a soft voice interrupted them, and Irwin turned to look at Ambraz, who had been quietly sitting on his shoulder. He instantly knew from the other''s voice that he knew something they didn''t.


    "Yes?" Irwin asked.


    "If you feed me enough cards, we might be able to create his heartcard. As long as his highest card isn''t Diamond," Ambraz said, sounding smug.


    "What? But didn''t you say I needed to get stronger for that?" Irwin asked.


    "That is if you want to do your own card," Ambraz retorted. "But to get another person''s card is a lot easier. The only downside is that he can''t have any card above Ruby."


    Irwin frowned. He knew that to become the most powerful one could be, the very first heartcard was incredibly important. And to get that as strong as possible, someone needed a minimum of one Diamond card.


    "Perhaps we should wait then," he said softly.


    "No. It''s fine," Greldo said. "I''m fine with one card at Ruby."


    "What? But then¡­" Irwin began, falling quiet as Greldo shook his head.


    "For each rank above quartz, you need to get more and more compatible cards to fill your soulforce to create your first soulcard," his friend said. "And the only real benefit is one more soulcard and more soulpower."


    "More soulpower means the abilities you use can be stronger," Irwin said, frowning.


    "Yes. But I''m not a cardsmith," Greldo said with a grin. "It will already be very difficult for me to find as many shadow-type cards to fill my heart card when I finally get it. It might take me years!"


    "Hah! Much longer without Irwin''s help," Ambraz snapped.


    Greldo grimaced but still nodded. "See?" he said. "So, what if I get separated from you? Or something happens to you? Why do you think most people besides nobles and Smiths never go beyond Topaz?"


    Irwin looked at his friend, then at the water. He''d not thought of it like that, mostly because it was relatively easy for him to gather cards.


    "It''s why Scintilla hasn''t come to ask you to reforge her cards," Greldo said softly. "I know you will try and help us in any way you can, but you have to realize that there''s only so much you can do. Do you even know how many cards you need to fill a Ruby rank card?"


    Irwin shrugged. "Not exactly. A few hundred?"


    Greldo looked back, face full of incredulity before he burst out laughing.


    "Yes, a few hundred," he said mockingly. "As if it''s no big deal! Do you know how long it took me to find even a few shadow-type cards?"


    Irwin shook his head, feeling bad that he''d not spent enough time paying attention to what Greldo had been doing.


    "All the time you were forging, I was doing missions," Greldo said. "And in all that time, I managed to gather six shadow-type cards, none of which are what I need. I''m keeping them for when I get my heartcard so I can absorb them."


    Irwin sighed as he leaned back, hands behind his back and staring at the ceiling high above.


    "You know a lot about this," he said.


    "Yogog explained it to me," Greldo said.


    "I''ll keep an eye out for a card for you," Irwin said.


    "Thanks."


    They remained there quietly for a bit until Greldo broke the silence.


    "So. What are you going to get for your last card?" he asked.


    "Not sure yet," Irwin said. "I want a movement card, for when I need to fight, but I also wouldn''t mind an energy card to increase the number of times I can use my current ones."


    "So¡­ why don''t you find a card that does both?"


    "I don''t think those exist," Irwin said.


    "Can''t you just make one then?"


    Irwin was about to say no when Ambraz began humming. Deciding to give the Anvil some time to think about it, he waited quietly.


    "Well¡­ there might be a way," Ambraz finally said. "Just because I don''t know the paths doesn''t mean there aren''t any. With the auction coming here, you could put up a few cards and put the price to be knowledge about a path to reforge certain energy cards in such a way that they give you additional improvements."


    Irwin raised himself on an elbow and gazed at Ambraz. "I thought you said before that one of the problems with energy cards is that they don''t have other abilities?"


    Ambraz snorted as he flitted through the air. "Yes. But I also told you I''m not some library of knowledge about everything! It''s possible that there is something I don''t know about!" the Anvil exclaimed, sounding both hurt and annoyed at the same time.


    Greldo laughed, and Irwin blinked, then joined him.


    After a while, he stopped and looked at the sky. It wasn''t really light yet, so a few of the mission centers should still be open.


    "Let''s go and check on an old acquaintance," he said as he pushed himself up and pulled Greldo with him.


    "Who do you mean?" Greldo asked as he followed Irwin to the exit.


    "You will see!''


    Irwin jogged through the nearly deserted floor until they reached the area with the mission centers. To his surprise, more people were still moving around here than the rest of the floor, and everyone seemed hyper-energized. Slowing to a more normal walking pace, it still didn''t take them long to find the Greenbark Mission Center.


    Like the others, the doors were still open, and the square was filled with people moving in and out and about.


    "So, this is the guy Relinda told me about," Greldo said as he nodded.


    "Yeah, it''s where I first met her," Irwin said, grimacing as he recalled the odd encounter. "Are you going to look her up? She might have returned."


    Greldo hesitated, then shook his head. "We had some fun, but she was mostly interested because I was the one people listened to. I''m no fool- now that we are back in the real world, I''m just a nobody again."


    "You''re not a nobody," Irwin said, annoyed at his friend''s self-deprecating humor. "How many people here can say they came from a farming world and managed to become a free citizen in a few months?"


    "Well, I know of three," Greldo said with a wide grin.


    "Har har, very funny," Irwin said before turning to his friend. "Did you like her?"


    Greldo looked back, seeming surprised by how serious he was acting. He opened his mouth, obviously ready to make a snide remark, then hesitated and sighed.


    "Maybe? I don''t know¡­ She was a noble. Besides, she didn''t seem to care much when she had to leave," he said.


    Irwin stared at Greldo.


    I should have talked with him about this sooner, he thought.


    "Let''s deal with this first," he said as he nodded at the mission center. "Then we can find a place to have a few drinks, and you can tell me about her and what happened."


    Greldo raised an eyebrow, then nodded.


    I can''t keep focusing on smithing and cards all the time, Irwin thought as he walked across the square to the entrance of Greenbark Mission Center.


    The inside had changed a lot since the last time he had been there. Instead of neat shelves on the wall and a few tables with crystal to display cards, there were now bookcases on the left side, all filled with crystal explosions, while the right side had stone columns with crystal tablets filled with text. The back of the mission center was dominated by a wide bar, and dozens more of the crystal tablets hung behind it.


    A familiar face stood behind the bar while young Viridian workers walked around, answering questions and seemingly removing and adding messages to the crystal tablets that were embedded in the stone pillars.


    "Smith Irwin!"


    Driseog''s loud voice silenced the people there, and Irwin flinched at the sudden attention.


    "Hi Driseog! It''s good to see you again," he said as he moved through the shop, ignoring the stares.


    "Likewise," Driseog said as he moved from behind the bar and towards a tiny table stand hidden from the initial few behind the final set of bookcases. There was a door in the wall, which Irwin couldn''t remember if he''d seen before.


    "Have you come to brighten my day by bringing me new cards to sell?" Driseog asked as he motioned for Irwin to stand at the table.


    Irwin joined him while Greldo began browsing around.


    "Perhaps," Irwin said as he rubbed his chin, feeling the stubble had become longer. He really needed to do something about that soon. "I wonder if you could help me with something."


    Driseog''s eyebrows rose, his silvery eyes glittering. "I will do my utmost best," he said.


    Thinking quickly, Irwin looked around at the others, still wandering about the mission center. Before he could even ask anything, Driseog hummed.


    "Why don''t you follow me?" he asked as he turned and walked to the door, pulling it open to reveal a narrow, steep flight of stairs leading up.


    Irwin followed Driseog up, hearing the door shut quietly behind them. The stairs led to a beautiful room with more shelves with cards behind crystal glasses. A low table was surrounded by comfortable-looking chairs, and Driseog sat down. He took the glass carafe and poured two glasses of water, handing one to Irwin.


    "Now then, why don''t you tell me how I can help you?" he asked before taking a sip.


    "I have three things, actually," Irwin said as he pondered how to phrase the question.


    "First, I am trying to find some cards, and I''m wondering if you can help me with that," he said.


    Driseog instantly began nodding. "Of course! But we do take a small commission. Normally, I would put this at twenty and haggle with you, however, due to the help you provided all of us, I''ll be all alright with the bare minimum. Ten percent of the price the cards cost."


    Not sure if that was fair, Irwin hesitated and then nodded. It didn''t matter, as he had no idea if he was even able to get enough soulshards to buy them. Or trade them.


    "I accept," he said.


    Driseog smiled but showed no surprise.


    "Very well, tell me what cards you are looking for."

 Chapter 143: Calm before the bidding

    "I need a shadow-typed teleportation card. Rank doesn''t matter," Irwin said.


    Driseog nodded with a frown. "A hard one to get, so I understand why you would ask for help. Any other things to consider? Can it have any other types?"


    Irwin thought for a bit, then shook his head. Greldo was going to turn it into a part of his heartcard, so it didn''t really matter that much, and he was going to be the one to reforge it up.


    "No, as long as it''s a shadow-typed teleport, it should be fine."


    "That will make it considerably easier, but I still can''t guarantee anything," Driseog said. "The second card?"


    "A Dryadic seedling card, but this one has some more requirements. It can''t be higher than amethyst, and it needs to have one known path to gain the minion type."


    As he spoke, he saw Driseog''s eyes widen, and after a while, he made a sound of rustling leaves. Irwin had heard it before and knew it was the Viridian equivalent of whistling.


    "Alright, this will be far more difficult and highly expensive," Driseog said. "Any Dryadic card is highly sought after by many Viridians, and a seedling card of that rank is rare. The minion type¡­ I''ve seen them, but not many. Let us continue with your other requests first while I think about this. But I can tell you now that it will be very hard."


    Irwin frowned. If this was going to be difficult, what about his own request? He didn''t even know if that was even possible!


    "I''m also looking for an energy-increasing card that works with fire or heat and has different abilities beyond just that effect," he said.


    Driseog blinked.


    "Or metal," Irwin quickly added, thinking about his other cards.


    "Young Smith, it is your luck that you decided to ask this of me because I don''t think you would have any chance to find this on your own, and the other mission centers might have laughed and sent you away. Each of these requests is harder than the one before it!"


    Irwin sighed.


    "Well, if you can''t find the last card, my other request would be to set up a trade for a few of the cards I''ve created in exchange for known paths to reforge cards like that."


    Driseog remained quiet for a while, then sighed.


    "I see. And your final request?"


    Irwin removed two massive stacks of cards from his pockets and put them on the table. He saw Driseog''s eyes widen, and then the Viridian audibly swallowed.


    "Could you appraise my cards and advise on which would do best in the main auction and which would do best in smaller settings like mission centers?"


    "One moment," Driseog said, his voice sounding strangled as he rose and rushed to a shelf. He returned with a booksized crystal slab, which he put on the table before carefully, almost reverently taking the first of the stacks of cards.


    He placed the first card on the crystal, read the tiny print that appeared on the slab, and blinked. Putting it to the side, he examined the next card, then the next. After ten cards, he had three stacks and turned to look at Irwin.


    "Are all these reforged by you?" he asked.


    "Yes," Irwin said.


    Driseog took a deep breath, then continued to appraise the cards, his face going from surprise to incredulity to apprehension before sticking with disbelief.


    Irwin quietly waited, taking the occasional drink while noticing that the stacks Driseog was making were not based on the rank but, if he remembered the cards well, more on the percentage quality and the types.


    After a few minutes, he suddenly realized Greldo was still waiting.


    "Driseog, my friend is still downstairs. Can he join us here?"


    Driseog looked up, seeming confused for a moment. Then he blinked and gave him a tired smile. "Yes, could you bring him? I¡­ I-"


    "Sure, no problem," Irwin said. He took a look at the cards, then walked to the stairs and down. A few seconds later, he came back up with Greldo, and they sat down opposite Driseog.


    "So?" Greldo whispered.


    "I asked him for the cards, but it will be hard," Irwin whispered back. "Let''s just see what the appraisal ends with."


    Greldo nodded.


    Over twenty minutes later, Driseog placed the final card on one of the stacks and leaned back.


    "Give me a moment, please," he muttered, leaning back and closing his eyes. His hands glowed a dim green light, showing he was doing something.


    Irwin looked at Greldo, who just shrugged and gave him a thumbs up.


    They waited for another while until Driseog leaned forward and gazed at Irwin intently.


    "Alright. Based on what you have here, my professional opinion would be to auction these cards on the first day, these on the second day, and so on," Driseog said as he pointed at a few of the smallest stacks.


    "Beyond all being one hundred percent quality, they are also cards I know have paths that are very desirable and rare."


    "Why not just do all of them on the first day?" Greldo asked.


    Driseog looked at him before nodding. "You could do so, however, doing them a few per day will result in Smith Irwin''s name becoming more widely known, and people will start waiting for his cards instead of using all their soulshards on others."


    "They are that good?" Greldo asked, surprised.


    Irwin just grinned while Driseog sighed.


    "Yes," he merely said. "Now, these I would spread out over the following few weeks and pay to have them mentioned beforehand."


    Irwin looked at Ambraz, nothing the same grin on the metallic surface.


    "Great job," he whispered.


    "Of course!" Ambraz whispered back.


    Irwin grinned, then looked at the stacks and noticed a stack of perhaps six cards. None were a hundred percent, but they were all Emerald rank, the highest they could do right now. Still, not a single one was all that special from what he could tell.


    Driseog didn''t seem to notice his confusion and continued.


    "All these others I would sell in mission centers, and¡­ if I dare ask, I would be honored if you selected my Greenbark Mission Center for this," Driseog said as he looked at Irwin.


    Irwin nodded slowly. He had hoped for an indication of how many soulshards these would bring, but he had yet to hear a price. He didn''t think Driseog would con him, as Balarn seemed to trust him and knew him from previous times he had been here.


    "So what are they going to bring?" Greldo asked.


    "It is hard to say with these," Driseog said as he gestured at the stacks. "Anywhere between two hundred and fifty and five hundred thousand soul shards, maybe more if a big spender sees something they really like."


    "What?" Irwin managed as he nearly choked on his water and began coughing. Beside him, Greldo began cursing.


    "I am sorry if this isn''t as much as you had imagined," Driseog said, seemingly mistaking their reaction for something else. "However, this is only a small world. If you went to the main branch worlds, you could get far more."


    "No, no," Irwin said as he shook his head. "It''s not that, it-"


    "The kid never saw that many soulshards in his life," Ambraz said before laughing.


    Driseog blinked, then raised an eyebrow as if questioning that.


    Irwin grinned and nodded. "Pretty much."


    "For a smith with such skill that surprises me," Driseog said. "However, it is good that you are satisfied with this. Does this mean you will offer this job to my Greenbark Mission Center?"


    Irwin hesitated for a moment, then nodded.


    "Yes. But I''d like you to keep in account that the cards I requested are more important to me. If someone has them and prefers trading¡­"


    Driseog nodded, staring at the cards. Then he tapped the tablet, and there was a soft humm before a female voice came out.


    "Master Driseog. What do you require?"


    "Please set up a contract between me and Smith Irwin for the handling of the hundred and forty-nine cards currently on the table. My Greenbark Mission Center and I will do our utmost best to sell them at the highest price or trade them for the following three cards-" he quickly outlined the cards before taking a look at Irwin, who nodded.


    "This will happen for a ten percent commission, but if cards are traded, the Greenbark Mission Center will waive this commission and accept the additional cost," Driseog finally ended.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    Irwin''s eyes widened at that, knowing it was something Driseog likely wouldn''t have needed to do.


    "Master Driseog of Greenbark Mission Center, your request for a contract has been heard, and a contract has been prepared. Smith Irwin, do you agree to the pre-mentioned agreements?"


    "I do," Irwin said.


    "Very well. The contract has been established and added to my registrar. If either party acts against the agreement, please contact me so I can meet out the appropriate punishment," the female stated emotionlessly.


    "Punishment?" Irwin asked, startled.


    "Don''t worry. I have yet to see this ever being necessary. It happens every few years, usually with young merchants that think they can outsmart the system and find they can''t," Driseog said. "Now, please remain here while I get the estimated ten percent earnings for you."


    He rose and ran off while Irwin looked after him, wondering what that was about.


    "So¡­ mister rich and powerful," Greldo said. "Remember how you promised me to get a drink after? How about we go and add some food?"


    Before he could answer, Driseog walked back inside, carrying a small crystal the size of half his palm. He carefully handed it to Irwin.


    "This is a Portal Gallery Credit Crystal, which you can use to pay in most places. It saves you from having to carry all your soulshards with you. One of the services I provide is having clear Crystals created for large customers, and in this case, I think it is very suited."


    Irwin accepted the crystal, which was two fingers thick and rounded on the edges. A few simple markings sat on it.


    "Press it against this," Driseog said, raising the larger crystal tablet.


    Irwin moved the crystal until it ticked against the larger one, and the female voice returned.


    "Unbound Portal Gallery Credit Crystal detected. Smith Irwin, would you like to claim it as your own?"


    Irwin hesitated for only a moment before nodding. "Yes," he added when he realized he wasn''t sure the entity in the crystal could even detect that.


    "Binding complete! If you lose the crystal, find a major hub crystal to require it to be disabled, and we will provide you a new one at the cost of ten thousand soulshards," the voice said.


    "Ten¡­ thousand?" Irwin whispered, swallowing as he quickly pocketed the crystal


    "I''ve added twenty-five thousand soulshards to the card," Driseog said, causing Irwin to stare at him stupidly.


    "I would have liked to give you ten percent of the highest estimate, but I''m afraid even I don''t have that much liquidity readily available," Driseog said. "Now, if you don''t mind, I need to do a double take on the cards and start finding the best avenues to promote them!"


    Irwin nodded as he got up, stunned by what had happened. He pulled Greldo along, who was staring at the cards and then at him.


    As they walked through the shop, they noticed there were still people walking around, even though the sun outside showed it was day by now.


    "I guess they don''t close during the auction period?" Irwin muttered as he stood in the square, feeling slightly weird.


    "I guess," Greldo muttered.


    "You two look like you got knocked into a wall," Ambraz snorted.


    Irwin blinked, then began walking around, looking for a place to eat and drink, realizing he should have asked Driseog.


    It didn''t take long until they came across a large building with terraces that looked out at the beautiful lake. Unlike the mission center area, it was quiet here, though a few people moving around showed that it wasn''t closed.


    "Let''s try here," Irwin said.


    It didn''t take long before they were sitting at a private table on the otherwise nearly empty terrace in a remote corner bordering a wall of green vegetation. A pretty Viridian girl took their orders before walking away.


    "So¡­" Greldo asked, looking up. "What are you going to do now that you have so much money? You could just get a ton of people from our world to Fiverio?"


    "Don''t know yet," Irwin said with a shake of his head. "Why don''t you tell me a bit about how you and Relinda got together?"


    Greldo raised an eyebrow as he leaned back.


    "Only if you tell me what''s going on with you and Scintilla."


    "Ugh! If you two are going to discuss that, at least tell me that you brought something for me to eat, too?" Ambraz snapped.


    Irwin looked at the tiny Anvil, realizing it was right. With as many cards as he had, he could easily afford that. Besides, it was mostly due to Ambraz that he even had it in the first place. He removed a few cards from the top of the last stack he had in his pockets. They were all low-rank and useless, but he''d brought them to give to Moninque and Nimdal. Putting five cards on the table, Irwin grinned as Ambraz let out a joyful whoop and rushed down.


    He and Greldo began chatting, only stopping when their massive stacks of food and drink arrived, then continuing. Although they started about things dealing with Relinda and Scintilla, they quickly got sidetracked by what had happened long ago, mostly when they were separated in the different portals.


    Hours later, Irwin listened in wonder about the dozens of missions Greldo had done. He could barely believe it when Greldo told him that most missions didn''t earn more than a few dozen to a hundred soulshards. The few missions that apparently gave cards gave no more than lousy Amethyst ones.


    When they finally walked out of the restaurant, the sun was high in the sky, and it was even quieter than before.


    "We should do this more often," Irwin said, stretching and yawning.


    "Make sure to bring me when you do!" Ambraz shouted as he flitted around energetically. "I don''t think I''ve had this many cards in a row, ever!''


    --


    Some days later, and half a day before the main auction was to start, Irwin was back in the Greenbark Mission Center. He had been quietly listening to Driseog, who explained the details of what he''d done for the different sets of cards and how they had performed. As interesting as it seemed to the man, Irwin''s attention kept drifting off.


    "So, that means the entire first set sold out rapidly, and I should warn you," Driseog said at some point, and Irwin blinked, quickly looking back up from staring at the water jar on the table.


    "Now, you might get some parties approaching you and asking if you have more cards available. My advice to you would be to say you have none left and handed all the cards you reforged to me."


    "That sounds fine," Irwin said with a quick nod.


    "Now, I also have some news on the cards you requested me to locate. Three shadow teleport cards have been registered for the auction¡ªone on the first day and the other two on the final day of the week. I do have to warn you that they will probably go for twenty to thirty thousand soulshards. My advice would be to go for the first card. Many people think that waiting for the final cards is the smartest because then those who want to bid big will have moved on the first. However, this isn''t true. In most cases, the final card goes for the highest price."


    Irwin nodded, hoping Driseog had more news.


    "There is also a rumor that a merchant from one of the larger branches is coming here with Dryadic cards. Sadly, they are in the hidden bidding section, so we will have to wait each day to see which ones show up."


    "Any idea how much they will cost?" Irwin asked.


    "None, but don''t expect anything under a hundred thousand soulshards," Driseog said.


    Irwin swallowed, shaking his head. Crithann really could have handed me some soulshards for this, he thought.


    "I don''t have any news on the final card, but I did place a mission on the board for it. If one appears, we will know," Driseog said before leaning back. "So, how would you like to act tomorrow?"


    "What do you mean?"


    "Well, I can add the soulshards you made to your account, and you can buy what you need yourself, or you can come with me and let me take care of it."


    Irwin hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "I don''t have any experience with this, but I do want to come and see what cards show up. Perhaps I''ll see something interesting," he said. Then he turned to Ambraz and grinned. "Or perhaps you will?"


    "Yeah, yeah! I''ll keep an eye open," Ambraz said, causing Irwin to laugh.


    "No problem. I will be there to handle your and other patrons'' requests, and you''re welcome to join me in my private booth," Driseog said.


    Thinking about it for a while, Irwin agreed, and they agreed to meet at the shop very early the next evening, just before the first day''s auction would start. Irwin then left and kept walking around the floors, too excited to know what to do with himself.


    He barely slept, and when the agreed-upon time was there, he had been sitting near the Greenbark Mission Center for a few hours already. Driseog appeared a few minutes early but merely blinked when he spotted Irwin.


    "Right. Let''s head out," the calm Viridian said.


    They walked through the city, taking a vine basket to go to the first floor. As they stepped out, Irwin was stunned by the milling mass of people. Not just that, but where he had gotten used to seeing only Viridians with some exceptions, the crowd was made up of over half of many different races.


    "Follow me," Driseog said as he calmly walked past the crow to the side, heading towards the large building in the center of the floor. Irwin hadn''t been to this specific place before, and when they reached the massive square before the Auction House, he was stunned. There had to be tens of thousands of people standing there while a few massive lines led through the main entrances.


    "We probably should have come earlier," he said as he eyed the end of the nearest line.


    Driseog didn''t respond but calmly walked to a building adjacent to the main one. Three towering Viridians were guarding the door, but when he approached, they stepped aside.


    "Master Driseog," they said, nodding politely at the older Viridian while ignoring Irwin.


    The hallway behind it was quiet, with only a few Viridians moving about. A young girl ran towards them as they entered a large aula.


    "Master Driseog, your booth is ready. Please follow me," she said, her gaze moving to Irwin for a moment before she bowed and led the way.


    Do they do this for all the heads of Mission Centers, or is there something special about Driseog, Irwin wondered as he followed them.


    Some hallways, a dozen stairs, and a long corridor later, they stood before a small mahogany door with the insignia of the Greenbark Mission Center on it. The Viridian girl unlocked it with a key, which she then handed to Driseog.


    "I hope you have a pleasant day, Master Driseog," she said. "Food and drinks are ready inside, and if you require more, please don''t hesitate to let us know."


    "Thank you," Driseog said as he smiled at her before walking inside.


    Irwin followed him, and he was surprised to see the room was larger than he had thought. With a wide balcony to one side, a desk in the middle with a chair, and a relaxing area to the side, it looked more like a luxurious living room. Food and drinks stood in a small pantry.


    A vaguely familiar Viridian woman sat on one of the couches and quickly rose when they entered.


    "Father! It''s good to see you," she shouted, smiling as she ran to Driseog.


    Irwin was surprised to see her hug the older man, who smiled and muttered something before stepping away.


    "Smith Irwin, I''d like you to meet my youngest daughter, Yuulin. She has just returned from being off-world."


    Irwin smiled and nodded at the young woman, wondering how old Driseog was if he had a daughter who looked as old as him.


    "Nice to meet you," he said.


    "Nice to... Oh! Is that an Anvil of the Gods?" Yuulin shouted as she stepped closer and leaned in to stare at Ambraz.


    Irwin was surprised at her sudden proximity, while Ambraz just snorted.


    "Definitely! You have a good eye," the Anvil said before flitting from Irwin''s shoulder and landing on the desk.


    "That''s so amazing," Yuulin said as she stared at Irwin, a gleam in her pale green eyes. "Does that mean you are a Ruby rank smith, just like Master Gebladir?"


    Irwin smiled and shook his head, pulling his braid over his shoulder to show the beautiful green Emerald rank plate. "Not yet, I''m afraid."


    Yuulin''s smile faded, and she sighed. "That''s too bad."


    "Yuulin, please be nice to my guest," Driseog said, sounding slightly annoyed. "And just so you know, Smith Irwin isn''t even twenty years old yet!"


    "What? That''s not possible," she shouted before turning to Irwin and frowning. "Have you been lying-"


    ¡°Yuulin!¡± Driseog snapped.


    Irwin blinked, surprised by the sudden anger in Driseog''s voice.


    "What have I told you about staying cordial and civil? Have you learned nothing at that expensive school?"


    Yuulin took a step back, seemingly startled as much as Irwin, and then she snorted. Crossing her arms, Irwin suddenly realized she might not be as old as he had imagined. With her arms and the pouting face, she now looked young enough to be barely an adult. It was just her golden yellow-leafed hair that was putting him off. Usually, that meant the age of a Viridian, and yellow was middle-aged. He gazed at her hair, then at Driseog, who was frowning at his daughter.


    The older Viridian seemed to catch Irwin''s gaze and sighed.


    "Yuul turned twenty standard years a few weeks ago," he said. "But we age slower than you. Technically, she is still a child, which she sadly proved again just now."


    "It''s not that bad," Irwin quickly said as he saw the girl''s anger turn to worry.


    "Thank you. However, I''m afraid I don''t agree," Driseog said calmly. "Now, Yuul. Please head back home. We will discuss this when I return."


    "What? But father, you said I could-"


    "Staying here is a reward, and you have not earned it," Driseog said calmly. "If you are ever to take over one of the branches of my company, you will need to show more growth, young lady."


    Yuulin seemed to want to argue, but when Driseog raised an eyebrow, she sniffed, giving Irwin an annoyed look before storming out of the room.


    "My apologies, Smith Irwin," Driseog said after the door was slammed shut. "I had wanted to have her explain some things to you for both your benefit, but it seems she needs a proper talking-to tonight."


    Irwin grimaced, then nodded.


    "Don''t worry. She is still young, so it is fine for her to make some mistakes," Driseog said, seemingly catching his worry. "However, her mother dotes on her too much, and if she is to become a proper adult, she will need to learn how to behave like one. Now, let''s take our seats on the balcony and wait for Lord Urdwellan to signal the start of the auction."


    "Alright," Irwin said, suddenly excited again.

 Chapter 144: Another card

    There was a long couch on the balcony, which gave a great view of a massive aula below. Rows and rows of seats covered the ground, sloping up to give everyone a good view of the podium, which was still empty. Thousands of people were already sitting there, the front rows filled, while people were moving in from the entrances and finding spots. The sound didn''t reach them, showing there was another sound muffling skill in effect. A massive crystal slab sat behind a raised speaking chair, and an empty card with the words ''please remain seated until we begin'' was showing on it.


    "We will start in roughly ten minutes, so if you have any questions, please ask them now," Driseog said.


    Irwin thought for a bit, then nodded. "If I see a card I like, how do I buy it?"


    "You will need to place a bid, and you can do so by simply speaking the amount you wish to place," Driseog said, tapping his foot on the ground. "The crystal entity embedded in the room will forward your request. If you end up winning the card, it will be brought here at the end of the day."


    Irwin hummed as he leaned back, wondering if there was anything else he should know.


    "How many soulshards can I spend?" he asked.


    "From the current way things are going, I would say you have at least two hundred and fifty thousand credits already," Driseog said.


    Irwin grinned, barely believing how many soulshards he had now. Not able to think of anything more to ask, he quietly waited for the Auction to begin.


    When the room below was stuffed full with thousands of people, and the hazy balconies opposite them showed figures everywhere, a familiar, towering Viridian appeared from a door behind the podium. Irwin saw people below him stop their conversations and focus on the man, and although he didn''t hear it, he guessed the room was growing quiet.


    "Thank you all for coming here today," Lord Gebladir Urdwellan said, his voice booming throughout the massive room, and as it did, whatever muting skill was stopping the sounds from reaching Irwin stopped.


    The voice echoed around, and soft whispers came from all throughout the room.


    "Most of you already know me, but for some of our off-world guests, let me introduce myself. My name is Gelbadir Urdwellan, the current ruler of Scour. Today, we celebrate the first millennium of our habitation of this beautiful world by having an auction! It isn''t the first, nor will it be the last, but it will be the biggest since we arrived!"


    Irwin gazed at Lord Urdwellan in awe. He''d spoken to them multiple times, but he''d never guessed he would have such a booming voice and outgoing personality when faced with tens of thousands of people.


    "Now, to start this off with a bang, I''ll be auctioning off a card of my own collection," Urdwellan said. He moved to the massive screen on which a large card showed. The massive green borders showed it was an Emerald one, while an image of a tiny being with a nimble body covered it.


    "Verdant Sprite," Irwin read out as he quickly went over the card''s specifics. Although it wasn''t something he could use, he couldn''t hold back a whistle.


    "Fifty-thousand soulshards," a calm voice called out.


    Whoever it was didn''t matter, as the first bid caused a massive eruption of more bidding.


    Irwin blinked in surprise as he leaned back.


    "The first card always has this effect," Driseog said.


    Irwin didn''t respond as he watched in awe as the first card finally sold for a hundred and seven thousand soulshards. He had no idea who got it, but he did notice that Lord Urdwellan had left at some point. A small, wide-chested Viridian stood in his place.


    "And the next card!" he boomed as another card appeared on the massive crystal tablet.


    Time passed by faster than Irwin had imagined, and as he watched, he was surprised at how much difference there was between the price the cards went for. He also didn''t see anything useful, which probably shouldn''t surprise him, but still saddened him.


    Hours flew by, with the most interesting moment being when Irwin recognized one of his own cards. It sold for seventeen thousand soulshards, a staggering amount that left him stunned.


    "Not bad, that one did better than I anticipated," Driseog said as he began making notes on a tablet he had on his lap. "If the others do as well, I might have to increase my estimate upward."


    Irwin just swallowed and nodded as he continued watching.


    Finally, long hours later, the day ended, and Irwin sighed. He''d seen nothing of interest for himself, but he''d been more than a bit surprised at some of the insane amounts of soulshards that had been paid for some of the cards. The high point was a Ruby Rank sword with an active battle shape. It had gone for a staggering two million three hundred thousand soulshards, leaving Irwin reeling in his stool.


    "Now, that was an enervating, though slightly slow, first day," Driseog said as he rose and looked at Irwin. "Will you be joining me again tomorrow?"


    Irwin instantly nodded as he got up from his seat. "Definitely! Although I didn''t find anything for myself, it was really interesting.


    "Indeed it was," Driseog said with a smile. "I''ll see you tomorrow then! Just follow the same route as we did when we came here. I still need to finish some business, and I''ll wait for you at the entrance tomorrow."


    Irwin hesitated, then nodded. "Till tomorrow then," he said.


    As he walked through the building, he sighed.


    "That wasn''t exactly what I''d expected," he said as he looked at Ambraz, who had been mostly quiet. "So many soulshards for a single Ruby Rank card!"


    "Bah! Peanuts! That thing was under ninety percent, and even then, it was just a Ruby Rank card! If it had been a perfect card and sold on the main branch, it would have sold for over ten times this. More if it had been a more useful card! Besides, you should see what the services of a Diamond rank smith are worth! They don''t even sell cards. They just wait till someone contacts them to forge their heartcard or reforge their soulcard," Ambraz said.


    Irwin sighed as he listened to the Anvil.


    "Well, keep an eye out for something I can use," he said.


    The rest of the evening passed quietly, with Greldo still wandering the mission centers, looking for a card, and the others busy with their own things. Irwin didn''t see Balarn and Yogog anywhere, but he wasn''t too sad because it meant he had dinner with Scintilla.


    The following two days passed similarly, with Irwin''s cards starting to draw somewhat of a crowd. Especially the perfect cards, even though they were usually low ranked compared to others, seemed to be in high demand, and by the end of the third day, Driseog had been more than pleased.


    The fourth day continued as the previous ones, and Irwin was leaning back, slightly bored.


    Perhaps I should just skip the rest of the days? he thought as he stared at another card he didn''t need.


    Finally, an hour until the end of the fourth day, an Amethyst card appeared on the screen, and Ambraz shuddered softly.


    "Buy that," he whispered in Irwin''s ear.


    Startled, Irwin looked at the card. It depicted a squarish shape, perhaps a rock. He frowned but didn''t hesitate, by now knowing that the usual starting bid for Amethyst cards wasn''t that high. Well, unless they were special summons or dealt with teleportation¡­ or elemental affinities like his own first card.


    "Three thousand," he said, feeling just a bit nervous as it was the first time he did a bid.


    "We are starting at three thousand! Do I have-" The man barely finished when he raised his hand again, interupting himself. "Four thousand!"


    "Five thousand," Irwin said, licking his lips.


    "Five- Six thousand," the man shouted.


    Irwin fitted his teeth and continued to increase the price. As it hit thirteen thousand, he felt like shouting. What was going on? Not a single Amethyst had gone over eleven thousand! What was up with this card, and did someone besides Ambraz know?


    "Smith Irwin, are you sure you want this card?" Driseog asked from the side. He''d been quiet so far, making little comment.


    Irwin didn''t even have to look at Ambraz to know the other hadn''t changed his mind. If at all, the constant vibrating Irwin felt told him he was more interested.


    "Alright," Driseog said as he nodded.


    "Twenty-six thousand," he said calmly as he tapped his foot on the ground.


    Irwin blinked, and his mouth fell open.


    The man down at the podium wasn''t as easily rattled, instead smiling widely.


    "Twenty-six thousand! Now we are getting on fire! Come, come! Is there anyone else?"


    It was quiet, and as the seconds passed, they finally shrugged.


    "Twenty-six thousand going once, going twice¡­ sold! And let''s continue on with-"


    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Irwin didn''t even listen as he looked at Driseog. "Why did you bid so much?"


    Driseog shrugged. "Because apparently there''s something odd about this card, and at least one other person in this hall knows that besides you. However, with how little this person overbid each time, it was evident their finances were being stretched thin. If you had continued like this, there was no way of knowing how far this person would be willing to go. Besides this, since the price I gave was so much higher than yours, most people will think a third party got involved."


    Irwin blinked, then nodded as he leaned back. "Thanks," he said as he thought about the insane amount of soulshards that had just been spent on a single Amethyst card.


    He barely noticed any of the cards that followed, and all he could think about was why Ambraz had wanted it. Would this be a card he could use? For his third slot? Or was it something special like those Derlin cards?


    When the man finally called at the end of the first day, he looked up at Driseog, who was filling in things on his crystal tablet.


    "How long till the card shows up?" he asked.


    Driseog looked up with a slight interest before thinking for a moment. "It should be here within the next ten minutes. It usually doesn''t take too long for the cheaper cards."


    Irwin nodded, though he felt slightly annoyed at the same time.


    Time ticked by, and after what had to be an hour, a knock came from the door. Irwin jolted up and ran to the door, opening it to see an older man with a small envelope.


    "This is the card that was purchased from this room. Thank you for your patronage."


    With a nod, the man handed over the envelope before turning and walking away.


    Irwin stared after him before closing the door in surprise.


    "Don''t I have to pay for it?" he asked, turning to Driseog.


    "The purchases from this room will be deducted from my Greenbark Mission Center," Driseog said.


    Irwin nodded before focusing on the envelope. He hesitated, then waved at Driseog. "I''m going to head back and check this card! I''ll try and be back tomorrow, but if I''m not, I trust you will keep an eye out?"


    "No problem," Driseog said with a wide smile.


    Irwin grinned back, appreciating the other for not asking any questions about the card. Instead, he waved again, turned, and paced away.


    "So¡­" he whispered.


    Ambraz let out a soft laugh. "You will see when we get to the smithy, but¡­ do you remember that card that let you rub your hands to create heat with friction?"


    Irwin nodded, vaguely recalling that he''d been thinking about using that to offset his cold weakness. Wondering absently what had happened with that card, he raised an eyebrow.


    "Yes?"


    "You will see," Ambraz said with a laugh.


    Irwin increased his stride. Because he left pretty fast, the first people had only just started pouring out onto the square, so he easily reached the smithy before the masses hit the streets. He couldn''t help but fiddle with the envelope in his pocket as he walked, but he didn''t feel like taking it out where anyone could see it. There was at least one person who had wanted the card, and he didn''t feel like having to talk with whoever it was.


    As soon as he closed the door of his room, he took out the envelope, ripped it open, and took out the card. Staring at the simple purple card, he triggered his Eyes of Blaze skill.


    Card: Vaelite Ore


    Type: Amethyst, Hidden


    Owner: -


    The wielder gains the ability to imbue a piece of metal to hold a large amount of kinetic energy when it''s struck. The next time the metal hits something, all of the kinetic energy explodes.


    Passive: Slightly increases resonance sense.


    Active: Imbue at most a fist-sized amount of metal with the properties of Vaelite.


    Irwin frowned, staring at the card, then at Ambraz. After all the things that had happened, he was pretty sure Ambraz wasn''t actively trying to harm him, but somehow, this card seemed dangerous. Besides it having the hidden attribute, which confused him, what should he do with it? Combine it with his hammer? Even then¡­ how would this increase his energy capacity, as Ambraz suggested? Or, if not that, increase his movement speed?


    "I¡­ can you explain what this does?" he asked as he put the card down and sat at the desk.


    Ambraz let out a soft laugh. "Ahhh, whatever would you do without me? Let''s start by saying that the card, as it is right now, isn''t all that special. The thing is, it''s Vaelite! Now, this doesn''t tell you anything, nor anyone else on this planet¡­ well, besides the other person bidding. But know that it''s very, very rare! It is not on the level of a Derlin card, but it is definitely in the tier below it. Now, it''s not that surprising for it to be found in a world like this, nor is it odd for nobody to know about this. Like Purperion, it''s a thing diligently kept secret by many families. But-"


    Ambraz let the word linger.


    "Anvils of the Gods know," Irwin said with a big grin.


    "Damn right!" Ambraz said, letting out a nasty laugh.


    "So. What do I do with it?" Irwin asked, trying to figure out what he should do with the card.


    "Simple! We are going to reforge it along a very interesting path, and then you are going to slot it as your final card!"


    Irwin nodded. "Alright¡­ and what will the card do?"


    "What? And spoil the surprise?" Ambraz said with an evil laugh. "Come now! Let''s get this thing up to Emerald and make sure you give it your all. It needs to be a hundred percent!"


    Irwin hesitated, wondering if he should push the Anvil for answers, then shrugged. The other''s enthusiasm was contagious, and he wanted to see what card had Ambraz excited.


    "Fine. Let''s do this," he said, ignoring the fact that it was late and he had to get up early the next morning.


    --


    "Ugh¡­ is he still hammering?" Greldo growled as he entered the smithy.


    A deep hum, accompanied by a steady beat, filled the entire building, and some of the strikes so hard things in the drawers rattled.


    Scintilla hung across the chair, biting in what looked like a red fruit shaped like a heart.


    Greldo sniffed, and the scent of blood trickled in through the intense smells of metal, soot, and ash.


    Nope, not shaped like a heart, he thought as he shook his head.


    "He didn''t stop all night," Scintilla said.


    "How did you even sleep?" Greldo asked as he dropped into another chair.


    "I didn''t," Scintilla said before she sniffed. "But that''s fine. Hotstuff can pay me back when he is finished!"


    Greldo couldn''t help but grin at her before shaking his head.


    "You two make such a cute couple," he said.


    Scintilla''s grin widened beyond what a human could do, showing a few of her sharper canines. "Jealous? I''m sure there are some sisters in town that would fall head over heels for those pretty red eyes of yours," she said.


    Greldo cocked his head, then shrugged. "I might hold you to that later," he said.


    Before they could continue their banter, the steady thudding stopped, and the humming slowly silenced.


    "Guess he can pay you back sooner than later," Greldo growled as he looked at the door that led to one of the private smithing areas.


    Scintilla nodded, and they waited quietly.


    --


    "That¡­ was harder than I expected," Irwin said, sitting on the ground beside the Anvil, catching his breath.


    "You don''t say," Ambraz growled. His voice was weary, and a sound reminiscent of a yawn came from him.


    Irwin hesitated, then pulled out another of his stack of mostly useless cards and tossed it to the mouth, which was just opening for another yawn. He grinned as Ambraz made a startled choking sound before he began chewing.


    "Thanks," the Anvil muttered with his mouth full of cardshards.


    Irwin nodded as he pulled himself up and looked at the green-bordered card atop Ambraz.


    Card: Vaelite Body Enhancement


    Type: Emerald, Hidden, Reforged by Irwin Roddington


    Owner: -


    The wielder gains the ability to imbue parts of its body with the properties of Vaelite. Kinetic energy is contained within the body when something is struck, allowed to be expended upon another strike.


    Passive: Increases resonance sense


    Passive: Trace amounts of Vaelite suffuse the wielder''s body


    Active: Imbue part of the wielder''s body to harness Kinetic Energy.


    "It''s still dangerous," he said with a shudder. "What if I do that and my hand explodes? Besides, why did it lose the ability to augment other objects?"


    "First off, I''d suggest beginning with your hammer," Ambraz said with a snort. "Second, remember with Coperion Body? It had to go from only your hands but a stronger metal to your entire body. Well, that''s usually how the first reforges with metal cards go. They can change greatly."


    Irwin nodded.


    "Anyway, as useful as it is right now, the current card is not what you really need!


    "It''s not?" Irwin asked as he looked at the card, finding he agreed. So¡­ did that mean they hadn''t reforged it right? Or did it need to go up another rank? He knew that would mean they would have to wait for a¡­ pretty long time.


    He couldn''t deny it was impressive, but would even one more rank help it that much? He was interested in the resonance sense, wondering if that would help his reforging. But even then¡­ What would happen if someone hit him twice? Would he explode?


    "No, it''s not," Ambraz said with a grin. "First of all, it''s not as dangerous as it sounds¡­ yet. But, it will be after we create your heartcard and combine it with Coperion Body to create a Kinetic Coperion Body variant."


    Irwin blinked as he slowly began to realize what Ambraz wanted to do.


    "That would mean I''d have a less-than-optimal card until I get my Heartcard," he said.


    "Worse," Ambraz said, his gray lips curved up nastily. "It means that you can''t have Urdwellan and his rustbucket help you but have to wait till you can do it yourself."


    Irwin cocked his head.


    "Why?" Ambraz said, beating him to the punch.


    "First of all, because I don''t trust them to do it right," Ambraz said. "That half-baked wannabe anvil wouldn''t know how to choose the right path if it was the only one in front of him. Second, because it''s not smart to have someone else know what the mechanics of your eventual first soulcard will be."


    Irwin was about to say that he trusted Lord Urdwellan before holding back and thinking about it for a bit. He did trust the man¡­ but how far? Ambraz implied letting someone know what his soulcard could do could prove dangerous.


    "What''s the danger of someone knowing your soulcard?"


    "They can counter it or nullify it," Ambraz said with a snort. "It''s the reason those fools that prefer creating a Quartz rank heartcard just so they can get to their soulcard faster will never be able to win a true battle. Anyone that can figure out the ins and outs of their cards will just counter it, and they won''t have anything else to fight with."


    "But¡­ wouldn''t someone be able to figure it out if you used it?" Irwin muttered.


    "Did you notice how few soulcarded you have seen that actually use their soulcard?" Ambraz snapped before continuing before Irwin could answer. "Most use the handcards they have beyond that, usually empowered by their soulforce to look really impressive. "


    Irwin blinked as he cocked his head. "What about Crithann?"


    Ambraz sighed. "He seems to be the exception so far. Besides having used his soulcard where many others could see it, he also gave you some information on the inner workings of what he is doing. Perhaps if it had been him, you could have asked him. But remember how he said he didn''t want his cousin to know? Well, I think that means we shouldn''t either. Just because someone is a good guy and your friend now doesn''t mean you should trust them with all your secrets. A secret is only a secret if nobody but you knows!"


    Well.. you would know, Irwin thought, but he held his thoughts to himself.


    "So¡­ what would slotting this do for me then?" he asked.


    "You wanted a movement card, right?" Ambraz asked. "Well, what do you think would happen if you start running while using this?"


    Irwin frowned. "I''d keep hopping up every second step¡­ that or my feet would blow up?"


    Ambraz let out a barked laughter.


    "Remember your first card?"


    Irwin frowned, and suddenly, something clicked. His first card had allowed him to do something that wasn''t on the card!


    "The hidden type," he whispered.


    "Exactly! It''s one of the other things hidden from public knowledge," Ambraz said with a nasty grin. "You will be able to control exactly when and where to expand the kinetic energy. Besides¡­ your coperion body can hold heat. After we create your heart card, it will be able to hold kinetic energy instead. More interesting, your flame card gives off heat so you can use that to create kinetic energy too!"


    Ambraz seemed to become more and more excited as he kept talking.


    "How¡­ would I keep myself from blowing up?" Irwin asked as he shuddered.


    "Practice and by using the energy if it builds up too much," Ambraz said with a derisive snort. "Which is perfect because you will need a while to reach Ruby Rank, giving you a lot of time to practice!"


    "A while?" Irwin asked, shaking his head. "Like ten years?"


    "Well¡­ you still have to remain here for a while to work off your debt to Tensor, right? But, no. I''d say a year, perhaps two, and you will have gotten there. Remember, you have me! Not some puny wannabe rustbucket," Ambraz said with a wide grin.


    Irwin nodded, getting more and more excited.


    "What about the Purperion?" he asked.


    "Well, sadly, that means it will also take more time. I''ll just have to suffer in silence¡­"


    Irwin snorted, then laughed. "Fine. So what do we do? Do I slot it now, or do we wait till we can reforge it to Ruby?"


    "Don''t slot it yet. Keep it at least until we return to Grianf¨¢l," Ambraz said. "Otherwise, you have to explain why you don''t want Lord Urdwellan''s help."


    Irwin nodded his head, then pocketed the card.


    "Now, let''s head back to the Auction and see what else you can find!" Ambraz said.


    "Alright," Irwin said.


    And after that, I really need to sleep, he thought.

 Chapter 145: Infernal Itching

    Irwin yawned as he leaned back in the chair, staring at the massive auction happening below. Seeing his cards being sold for exceedingly absurd amounts had been fun at first, but after seven days of it, he''d found he could only be surprised and impressed so much. Besides, compared to some of Lord Urdwellan''s own cards and some others, the prices he got were only at the bottom of the upper amounts.


    Still¡­ I guess I''m almost rich now? he thought.


    Well, at least rich by this world''s standards. Ambraz had told him that with what he had, he could barely live for four to five years in one of the main branches and their worlds. As he thought about that, Irwin''s mind began conjuring up images of massive worlds populated by powerful hand and soulcarded and even more powerful demons, monsters, and other soulskilled beings. Ambraz had told him some stories, and he wondered if he would ever get to see those worlds.


    Probably I will if I manage to become a diamond rank smith, Irwin thought.


    Which would take a long, long time, he knew. He might be able to reforge emerald cards, but without Ambraz''s help, getting them to a hundred percent was still a dream. If he wanted to reach Ruby rank it would have to be the next thing he worked on.


    As his gaze drifted around, he wondered if Crithann would be happy. His hand drifted to his side pocket, which held the two most expensive cards he had- his own Vaelite one and the Amethyst Dryadic seedling card he bought on the fifth days. It had been the third Dryadic card in the auction, the first two both being Emerald, and it had cost him far more soulshards than even Driseog had anticipated. At almost three hundred and eighty thousand soulshards, it had easily been one of the most expensive Amethyst cards, period.


    I wonder if Crithann is going to repay me for those, he wondered, then shrugged. Even if the other didn''t, if he could see Lord Ulderion create a heartcard, that would be priceless.


    "And finally, after seven amazing days, the final card of this week''s auction!"


    The Auctioneer''s voice boomed through the room, ripping Irwin from his daydream.


    "To make sure none of us forget these great days, we have saved the best for last," the Auctioneer continued, his voice filled with even more energy than it had held before.


    With a flurry of his hands, an Emerald card appeared.


    Irwin looked at the image of a tiny bird with three eyes and read the card, which was called Psybird- a summon card. His eyes widened as he read the passive effect, and he leaned forward. Mental stability?


    "Not bad," Ambraz grunted from his shoulder.


    "Ambraz, if Daubutim has a card like that, with mental stability?" Irwin whispered.


    "Hmmm¡­ yeah, you are right," Ambraz said with a nod. "It would probably help him with whatever odd thing is wrong with his mind."


    Irwin was about to call out a number when the Auctioneer''s voice began shouting out numbers in rapid succession. Within minutes, the number had climbed to eight hundred thousand, a number above Irwin''s possibility to pay.


    "By Gelwin''s balls," he muttered, barely noticing he was again using one of Greldo''s favorite curses.


    "Smith Irwin? Do you have an interest in this card?" Driseog asked.


    "Not the card specifically," Irwin muttered, feeling a wave of sadness and annoyance as the card continued to climb. "But that passive effect, Mental stability. You wouldn''t happen to know if there are more cards like that in the auction?"


    Driseog tapped his chin for a while. "It''s not a very common effect, and usually, it''s only found on exceedingly rare cards like this one. However, I can add it to the list of cards I''m still looking for?"


    Irwin nodded, giving Driseog a grateful smile. "That would be great," he said.


    "Good. Well, then, I hope you enjoyed this first week of non-stop auctions! From now on, the auction will continue in the different mission centers. As you know, it will last for nearly a year, and every first day of the month will see another major auction, as we just saw," Driseog said. "I am sorry to say that I have yet to find any of the other cards you requested. I will be exceedingly busy from now on, so I''ll not be available for anything. However, I''ll send a message as soon as any of the cards appear. Is there a budget that you would like to set for them?"


    Irwin thought for a bit, then shrugged as he felt a moment of sadness. "No, you can spend all of the money I made if it''s needed," he said. He''d prefer the cards over the soulshards, and he knew he could make more money. "I''ll be heading back to Grianf¨¢l tomorrow to reforge more cards. Is there an easy way to get these to you?"


    Driseog smiled brightly. "I will have Yuul check in on you every four weeks, a week before the main auction day. She is a capable teleporter, and it will be good for her to get around. Would that be alright?"


    Irwin nodded, taking a deep breath before letting it out. "That will be fine. I still have something to take care of, so if I am not there, I''ll leave the cards with Yogog or Crithann."


    Driseog''s smile widened, and he got up. "Then I wish you luck in your reforging."


    Irwin rose and nodded, guessing Driseog would probably be working through a lot of things. After a final greeting, he left. He walked through the city, which had calmed down slightly, and when he reached the smithy, he saw a familiar figure stomp away towards an alleyway he knew led to a staircase leading to the next level.


    Was that Relinda?


    He continued through the gate and noticed Greldo prowling the open area. His friend''s red eyes were burning brightly while Coal lay nearby, watching him pace.


    "Yo, did I just see Relinda?" Irwin asked as he walked up.


    "Glad you''re not blind," Greldo snorted before taking a deep breath and shuddering. "Yeah. That was her."


    "How did she manage to leave and return so fast?" Irwin asked.


    "Apparently, Haudur, that''s the big smith that leads the charter she was with, wasn''t too happy with her news. The few other survivors were to return, but she was told to stay on Scour for twenty years or until she reached Emerald rank," Greldo said.


    "Ouch," Irwin muttered, knowing full well how difficult that was for anyone without an Anvil of the Gods.


    "Yeah, you don''t say," Greldo said. "Anyway, she came here and¡­ well, she wanted to join Tensor''s charter. When Balarn told her no, she wasn''t too amused, but apparently, there''s some kind of rule against smiths moving between charters when they are under punishment. Which she apparently is. Not sure how Balarn knew that, but he said she should have known better."


    Irwin grimaced. "Yeah, that would probably piss her off."


    "That, something about some fool getting the only card she wanted during the auction and the fact I told her I wasn''t interested in continuing our thing," Greldo said with a weary sigh.


    Irwin blinked at the mention of the card, then shoved a bad premonition away as he walked towards his friend. "You made up your mind?" he asked quietly.


    "Yeah. I know she isn''t really interested in me," Greldo said with a shrug. "She''s probably just trying to get closer to you after seeing those cards of yours sell for more than she might ever make."


    Irwin quietly waited for his friend to continue, but Greldo didn''t say anything else, merely looking at the ground.


    "Well¡­ I''m heading back to Grianf¨¢l. Do you-"


    "Nah. I''m staying here. I''ve found a mission center that''s got some interesting missions, and some of them pay with actual cards," Greldo said with a quick shake of his head. "I''ll go and roam around a bit and return in a few weeks. If you find that card¡­"


    "Don''t worry! If I do, I''ll make sure to get it ready for you," Irwin said.


    "Did you find that card Crithann wanted?"


    Irwin grimaced as he recalled the price of the card, then nodded. "Yeah."


    "What? It wasn''t what you thought?" Greldo said with a frown.


    "No, that''s not it," Irwin said. "It was just¡­ a bit more expensive.


    Greldo barked a laugh, then nodded, and they continued to chat for a bit until Balarn showed up.


    After a group dinner that night, Irwin and Scintilla headed back to Grianf¨¢l together with Numilli. Yogog had decided to remain with Balarn for a while to help him train his apprentices, and when the three of them appeared, Irwin was happy to see the much more quiet town.


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    As the teleportation mist evaporated and the beautiful warmth of the sun surrounded him, he saw the shadow of the towering tree and the wide view. Looking around and listening to quiet, he felt a sense of calm.


    "We are going to the Earth Titan now?" Numilli shouted happily as she hopped around.


    Scintilla snorted but looked at him.


    "I need two more days," Irwin said as he thought about the Vaelite card.


    "Ahhhh, come on," Numilli moaned, but Irwin just ignored her as he turned to Scintilla. "See you tonight?"


    Scintilla''s grin widened. "Yes! I''ll cook something nice!"


    "Can''t wait," Irwin said, meaning it.


    Walking through the sandy, calm roads, he nodded at a few people greeting him, then noticed Crithann''s towering shape leaning in the shadow of his house.


    Was he waiting for me? How did he even know I''d be back?


    "Crithann," he said, greeting the larger man.


    Crithann observed him for a moment, then he nodded and moved inside the building. Irwin followed him, not surprised when they went down into the basement that held the ponds Crithann grew his plants in. A dim glow came from orange bulbs that hung from three-foot-high stalks, causing the area to have a semblance of a nighttime room lit with candles and torches.


    "So, you found one?" Crithann asked as he sat down on a low bench beside one of the ponds.


    Irwin nodded as he took the card from his pocket, handing it over. Crithann took it almost reverently, inspecting it for a moment before looking up with a wide smile.


    "How much was it?" he asked.


    Irwin answered honestly, and he noticed Crithann wince before sighing.


    "I¡­ can''t pay you back that much right now," the towering man said calmly. "I have perhaps a third of that saved away, but after my family banished me, I was left with nothing."


    Irwin sighed, then shook his head. He hadn''t really known what to expect, and although he felt a bit sad, he knew the experience of seeing a heartcard created would more than make up for the monetary loss.


    "It''s fine," he said. "I can earn more money, and I''m really looking forward to seeing Lord Urdwellan make your heartcard."


    Crithann stared at him for a while, then nodded. "Good. Still, if you ever need something, come to me, and if I can help, I will."


    Thinking about having a powerful soulcarded willing to assist him with something made Irwin grin and the slight sadness at losing so many soulshards vanished completely.


    "Now¡­ I have another request, but I think it should be easier for you," Crithann said, raising the card. "Can you reforge this for me if I have the exact song required?"


    Irwin felt a wave of curiosity, and he nodded. "To what rank?"


    "As high as you can make it," Crithann said.


    "That''s going to be Emerald," Irwin said. "I don''t think there''s any way we can make another Ruby rank card right now¡­ right?" He looked at Ambraz.


    "Damn right. The chances of it blowing up would be ten to one," Ambraz said.


    That''s not as bad as I''d have thought, Irwin thought. Then, he recalled the cost of the card and quickly shoved the idea away.


    "Emerald will be fine," Crithann said. "Even my cousin can''t promise a guaranteed success on Ruby Rank. No smith that I know of could."


    "Yeah," Ambraz said with a snort before laughing.


    Irwin saw Crithann look at him oddly before ignoring him and focusing on Irwin.


    "Can you do it first thing? The risk that someone found out you took it to me is¡­ not something I''m willing to make."


    "Sure," Irwin said as he looked around, then at Ambraz. "We could do it here?"


    Ambraz snorted, then flitted from his shoulder and flew to an empty space before changing to his massive size.


    "Thank you for understanding," Crithann said as he handed Irwin the card back before walking to another side of the room. He unceremoniously stuck his hand in the wall and, after a few moments, removed a simple-looking paper.


    As he walked by, he looked at it for a bit, a wistful look on his face.


    "This is something I got from my mother before she passed away," he muttered. "It- Well, it was in her family for an enormously long time and used to be the thing all eldest children of her line knew. Those were all smiths¡­"


    Irwin frowned as he took the page and blinked. There were odd straight lines with weird symbols on it, and he shook his head.


    "What is-"


    "Oh! Where did you get an old Galadin music sheet from?" Ambraz shouted. "Put it on my surface, let me see it!"


    Irwin blinked, while Crithann just smiled and did as requested. He didn''t seem too surprised by it.


    Galadins, Irwin thought as he frowned. Weren''t those the ones that built the roads back on Giard? It has to be another empire with a similar name, he decided.


    Seconds turned to minutes, and Irwin sniffed.


    "So, what is on-"


    "Hush! You two go play in the corner while I read this," Ambraz said impatiently. "Don''t disturb me for an hour or so!"


    Irwin stared at him in surprise but followed Crithann, who just grinned. As they sat down, Irwin looked at the Viridian.


    "So¡­ what''s so special about that paper?" he asked.


    Crithann leaned back, staring at him for a few moments before finally smiling.


    "What do you know of the ancient history of the interconnected portal gallery?"


    "..." Irwin stared at him stupidly before shrugging. "Nothing really."


    Crithann looked at him in surprise. "Nothing? Didn''t you¡­ I thought it was normal for all worlds to teach the basics in school?"


    "Well, the world I''m from wasn''t officially part of the Portal Gallery," Irwin said. "Didn''t I tell you this?"


    "No. I''m pretty sure I would have remembered that," Crithann said as he leaned forward. "Then, how did you get here? How did you become a smith? Are cardsmiths common in your world?"


    Irwin shook his head, a stupid grin on his face. "I thought you were going to tell me something," he said.


    Crithann sighed, then nodded. "You are right. My apologies. But¡­ I would like to know more about this later."


    "Sure," Irwin said.


    "Alright, well, due to my¡­ upbringing, I know a bit more than is commonly known. But, as we only have an hour, I''ll try and be brief-"


    Irwin listened quietly as Crithann began talking about how his world was one of the oldest of the currently connected to the Portal Gallery. Due to the longevity of his people, especially those that soulcarded that ended up as soul trees -something Irwin really wanted to learn more about- the Viridians had a long history of the races that had been there. Though much was lost over the millennia, some things, like legends about the Galadin, were known to them.


    "So, they were some kind of ancient super empire that mysteriously disappeared?" Irwin asked eventually.


    "Only legends remain, but those say the Galadin people were hunted to extinction by another race and vanished."


    "All of them?" Irwin asked in surprise.


    "For as far as the legends state. All that is left of them are a few of these ancient smithing songs, most handed down as priceless heirlooms. The ancient royal families of my race''s origin world have several, and my mother gave me one when I was still very young," Crithann said as he leaned back. "Rumor has it that they are more common on the main branches, but I can''t be sure."


    "They are, but not a lot,'' Ambraz said, drawing both their attention. "I''ve heard a few things about the Galadin Empire. One of the legends of our world says that they were the first of the cardsmiths and had a level of skill so far beyond anything we know now that it''s laughable. One of the legends is that most of them had the skill to become a cardsmith and that their best would become a diamond rank smith before they were twenty."


    Irwin whistled. Definitely not the same as from my world then, he thought. If he recalled right, all those did was build really good roads.


    "Anyway, this is a pretty ingenious resonance we have to go through. Listen to this-"


    Irwin blinked as Ambraz''s deep voice turned deeper as he started humming. At first, the song was deep and mellow, but after a minute, it began higher and faster until Irwin was listening with rapt attention to the beautiful melody. When it was finished, he leaned back, shaking his head.


    "So¡­ you do realize I can''t just up and learn that?" he asked.


    "Yeah, it occurred to me," Ambraz said. "Crithann, you can take the paper back. I''ve memorized the resonance, and I''ll teach the kid."


    Crithann stared at the anvil for a few moments before sighing and taking the paper back.


    "How long will it take?" he asked.


    "Depends on Irwin," Ambraz said. "But I wonder if anyone but him could learn it faster than a year. Besides, I''ll have to practice with him on other cards."


    "That''s impossible," Crithann rumbled. "This is meant specifically for Dryadic cards!"


    "Indeed they are, but parts of it and sections will be usable for others, even if the cards end up being unusable," Ambraz said. "Either way, you are going to have to wait."


    Crithann let out an explosive sigh, showing more emotion than Irwin had seen from his trainer since the Imps had attacked them.


    "Alright. I''ll hide the card and wait," Crithann said as he slowly took the card and headed back to the wall.


    After he was finished, he took Irwin back out, seeming in need of some time to himself, which Irwin could relate to.


    When he finally entered his own smithy, he lay down on his bed with a weary sigh.


    "So," he hummed. "Do I slot the sixth card and start practicing, and we find some way to explain why we don''t want Lord Urdwellan''s help to change it into a heartcard, or do we wait till I can reforge the card for Crithann? Suggestions?"


    "Slot it," Ambraz said as he landed on his chest. "Any and all practice you can get in with that card will be useful because Vaelite skills are volatile."


    Irwin nodded, propping himself up with his back against the wall and picking out the card. He stared at the image of a vaguely humanoid figure with tiny glitters across it.


    "So¡­ this is the best choice for the final card?" he asked. It was partially a rhetorical question, partially a question to himself.


    "Yes, and don''t be so melodramatic," Ambraz said with a snort. "In a year or two, you will have a heartcard, and you will have lost much of your current versatility, but eventually, when you create your soulcard, you can just start again! You are merely at the start, and this can barely count as the first step."


    Irwin grinned as he slowly lowered the Emerald card to his final cardslot and watched it slowly slide into his hand. As it did, he felt tendrils- connections appear from his Sweltering Heart card. How had he forgotten this?


    "Wait, what do I merge with Sweltering Heart? Can I merge Growth again?"


    "No, you can only merge it with existing abilities," Ambraz hissed. "Take greater fire resistance or endurance!"


    Of course! Irwin thought as he focused on the four tendrils he sensed from the card. It took him only a few moments to sense the differences between them, the two greater ones far brighter than the lesser poison and acid resistance. One felt warm, while the other gave him the desire to start running. He grabbed that one and directed it to the waiting and humming card beside it. As he did, he suddenly recalled the pain he''d had when slotting Sweltering Heart. He had barely a second before his body began itching. It began as an annoyance, but within moments, he was scratching across himself, trying to reach the spot that seemed embedded in his flesh.


    "Don''t scratch them," Ambraz shouted. "It''s the card. It will stop soon!"


    Irwin tried to comply, grabbing the edges of his bed, which instantly cracked under the pressure.


    "It''s¡­ too¡­ much," he growled as he dug his fingernails into his lower arms, drawing deep bleeding gauges.


    "Use Coperion Body!" Ambraz snapped. "Hurry!"


    Barely hearing the anvil, Irwin triggered his Coperion Body, not caring what it might do as the itching continued, seeming to come even from his intestines.


    As his weight and size increased, the itching didn''t become less.


    "It''s not helping," he growled.


    "Scratch! But don''t drop Coperion Body!" Ambraz hissed.


    Irwin instantly slapped his hand on his chest and another on his back, his nails screeching like metal against metal as he tried to reach the infernal itches. It didn''t help at all, and he wanted to howl in fury.


    He heard Ambraz shout something, but he couldn''t hear it. Then something smacked him in the face, and he looked up while scratching his cheeks.


    "Lie down!" Ambraz shouted.


    Not caring what the other was planning, Irwin flung himself back. He was about to roll across the bed when something slammed into his chest, pressing him down into the bed. The weight doubled, tripled, and kept increasing, and suddenly, he was locked between a massive weight, unable to move besides flailing his arms.


    He grabbed the edges, trying to push it off, in vain as the itching became even worse. Slowly, he lost himself to screaming and striking the sides of the thing holding him on the bed.

 Chapter 146: Volatile card

    Irwin first noted his breathing¡­ It was ragged and loud and somehow had drawn him out of whatever catatonic state he had been in. Then he realized the itching was gone! He almost wanted to cry, but instead, he let out a sigh, feeling his chest hurt slightly.


    "Feel better?" Ambraz asked worriedly, flitting up above him.


    Irwin nodded, noting there were scratches across the sides of Ambraz''s surface and a single tiny dent.


    "Did-" he croaked before coughing till his voice returned. "Did I do that?" he tried again.


    "Yeah, it''s fine. Nothing a few cards can''t fix," Ambraz muttered. "I¡­ didn''t realize itching doesn''t count as pain."


    Irwin frowned, then realized there was also a tiny spec hovering beside Ambraz, and it took a moment for his eyes to be sharp enough to recognize the Emberion that had been hiding in his hair.


    "It fled out when you started screaming," Ambraz said, seemingly realizing what he was looking at.


    Irwin sighed, closing his eyes as he enjoyed the absence of the infernal itching. "It should," he croaked.


    "What?" Ambraz muttered.


    "Itching should be counted as pain," Irwin said, shivering. "Thanks for holding me down¡­ I had almost released Coperion Body to dig out my own skin."


    "No problem, kid," Ambraz said softly. "Listen, you might wanna go and talk with Scintilla. She was outside, but I managed to convince her to stay there. You¡­ well, you might wanna clean up a bit before you go talk to her."


    "Is she-"


    "I''m outside," a soft voice called through the door. "You alright?"


    "Yeah," Irwin said as he jerked upright, stifling a groan.


    He felt as sore as if he''d practiced with Crithann for a day. There was also a sharp pain in his arms. Looking down, he grimaced as he saw four deep gouges running through his coppery skin.


    Wonder how I managed to keep Coperion Body up, he thought.


    Looking around, he found an old shirt, and he grabbed it, wiping his face. The pale fabric came back bloodstained, and he grimaced. Right, he wasn''t really this copper colored. After he finished wiping his entire body down, the shirt was red all over, but he felt slightly better. He absently noticed the Emberion returning into his hair.


    Yeah, sleep well, he thought, shaking his head at the little sleepy glutton. He''d done nothing ever since nestling in his hair but sleep and eat the heat of his flame every time it was up.


    I could do with a bath, he thought, deciding that would probably make Scintilla happy as well.


    With a deep breath, he focused on his Sweltering Heart, and tendrils of steam began forming all around him. Within moments, the room was thick with a hot, wet fog.


    "Scintilla, you wanna come join me in a steam bath?" he asked, trying to sound casual.


    There was a snort from the door, then it opened. Something rushed in, then the door slammed closed. A few moments later, a hot, lithe figure wrapped him in powerful arms.


    Scintilla buried her face in his chest. "You really need to stop ruining my dinners like this," she muttered.


    "Yeah. Sorry about that," Irwin said.


    "How come your throat isn''t hoarse?"


    Irwin shrugged, causing Scintilla to snort and hit him, probably for jostling her around.


    "No idea. I guess it''s because of my high healing factor in heat," he said.


    Scintilla didn''t respond, remaining quiet for a while.


    "So¡­ you got six cards now?"


    Irwin couldn''t hold back a smile, not that Scintilla could see that. "Yeah!"


    "That''s good," she muttered, kissing his chest.


    Irwin frowned at the slight worry he heard in her voice. Was it because she still hadn''t found the last card she wanted?


    If only she would just tell me what she wanted, he thought.


    They continued standing in the hot steam, both lost in their own thoughts, until finally retreating to Scintilla''s room for a reheated dinner.


    Between chatting, eating, and knowing he had six cards now, Irwin slowly managed to shove the horrible memory of the itching away.


    "So, Numilli is ready to go?" Irwin asked as he took a sip of the burning liquor Scintilla enjoyed.


    Scintilla grunted, shaking her head. "Yeah, she won''t shut up about it. Let''s enjoy our little off day tomorrow and see where she brings us after."


    Irwin nodded, but he knew that he wasn''t going to be doing much resting. No, he thought as he gazed at his right hand. He was going to check what the card could do.


    --


    A deafening boom was followed by a painful grunt.


    "By Gelwin''s beard, this is horrible," Irwin grunted as he swayed on his pained legs.


    "That is why I told you, kid. Use it after we create your heartcard!" Ambraz snapped, flitting back to his shoulder.


    "That could take two years," Irwin said, shaking his head. "I don''t wanna have a sixth card that I never use until then. Besides, after I create my full hand, shouldn''t that help?"


    "Yeah, it will help, but it''s not going to make it less dangerous," Ambraz retorted.


    Irwin sighed, looking around the empty hills. He''d decided against practicing the Vaelite Body Enhancement skills inside the burgeoning town. The last time he''d practiced a new card close to others hadn''t gone too well, which was probably a good move if the deep indents in the sandy hill were any indication.


    Looking around, he took a deep breath, flexing his arms, his heavily muscled Coperion Body letting out a tiny whine like bending metal.


    "I think I can probably do it; I just need practice," he said.


    "Ugh! You''re going to try again? Wait for me to clear out this time!" Ambraz hissed.


    Irwin felt a tiny surge of hilarity as he remembered how Ambraz had been hurled away the previous time. Then he shook it away.


    "Okay, are you clear?"


    "Definitely! Go and break your legs again," Ambraz shouted.


    Such faith, Irwin thought as he focused on his Vaelite Body Enhancement card.


    Like his first card that had a hidden type, he had found that it had at least one hidden ability, which was partially alluded to in the description.


    Focusing on his legs, which was about the largest area he seemed capable of right now, he felt the tiny pinpricks of Vaelite that now spread throughout his flesh- Coperion imbued or otherwise. Taking it slow so he wouldn''t make the same mistake as the previous time, he readied himself and drew on his new card.


    It immediately resonated a deep, slightly dangerous hum that felt and sounded far clearer than any he had sensed from his other cards¡­ well before he''d slotted the sixth one.


    Looking at the hill, Irwin decided to try and run up this time. Down had been¡­ unpleasant. Lowering his weight slightly, he took a tiny jump forward, and as soon as he landed, a powerful force began building in his legs. The heat that was always in his body seemed to amplify it somehow. There was even a tiny bit of the energy bleeding over into the rest of his body as he felt all of his muscles tense.


    Let''s try two this time, he thought, taking another step and sensing the power build up even more.


    "Stay upright," he muttered as he hesitated slightly.


    Triggering the card''s ability was something that he had found came far more naturally than most of his others had after such a short time. Perhaps it was an offset for how hard it was to control.


    Stop being so worried. It''s not like it will hurt, he reprimanded himself, tuning out the tiny voice that said it might not hurt, but it wasn''t all that pleasant either!


    With a thought, he unleashed the power the card had built up in his legs, and he shot up and forward, sand spraying out from behind him. Air streaking across his face, he tried his best to focus on landing and gritted his teeth as he landed on the ground. The sand sank and slid below his feet, but he was able to hold his balance. At the same time, he felt the power in his legs, which had vanished when he triggered, return. Without stopping, he leaped forward again.


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    Managing a second jump-step, he let out a woop as his speed increased.


    Up is better! he thought.


    He landed, again holding his balance, though only just, and propelled himself forward again. This time, there was even more force, and he felt his body drop sideways, his balance gone.


    Stop, he thought in panic, releasing his hold on the card. A moment later, he slammed into the ground just as the card stopped humming. There was still some power in his body, but at least not as much as before.


    Unlike the first time, he very slowly pushed himself upright, making sure not to trigger the remnant energy in his body. When he stood, he looked back and grinned.


    "That went much better," Ambraz shouted as he hovered above him. "Try again!"


    Irwin looked up with a crooked grin. Weren''t you the one that said I shouldn''t? he thought.


    Not that he didn''t agree.


    His grin turned genuine as he prepared to try again.


    --


    "Something tells me he''s not coming back for dinner," Scintilla said, standing beside Greldo on the town walls, staring at the distant figure sprint across the hills, leaving behind explosions of sand.


    "Yeah¡­ you do realize we have to travel with him?" Greldo muttered, shaking his head. "That bloody near infinite stamina of his was already enough to drive me crazy, but this?"


    Scintilla laughed, shaking her head. "Well, I''m going to eat. Wanna come?"


    "No, thanks," Greldo said, shaking his head. "The spice and fire in that food is way too much for me."


    The Ignitzion laughed as she ran to the edge of the wall. "Your loss," she shouted before turning in a red blur.


    Greldo watched her leave before letting out a weary sigh. "Ah. Right. She had that teleport thing¡­"


    He turned to Coal, lying to the side and eyeing him with blood-red eyes, just like his own now were.


    "Guess the two of us are going to have a bad time keeping up," he said before lying down beside Coal.


    He watched Irwin jump up way further than any normal person should be able to do before shouting as he plummeted back down, slamming into the sandy dunes.


    --


    "You are sure, absolutely sure, that there are no large amounts of nasty demons around, ready to follow us inside?" Greldo hissed.


    "Yes, yes! Why don''t you believe me?" Numilli sniffed.


    "Yeah¡­ Why do you think?" Greldo muttered.


    Irwin ignored both of them as he stood beside Scintilla, examining the distant massive pit, surrounded by long, treelike stone growths that towered high above them. The high dunes around them barely managed to obscure them from view, which was probably why they hadn''t been found by anything yet. He hoped.


    "Those are fingers," he muttered as he suddenly realized what he was staring at.


    A mouth, stony lips drawn back as it rose up out of the desert, slag-like teeth the size of walls around its edges, and the tips of fingers spearing out of the sand hundreds of feet to either side. It was hard to wrap his head around it due to the sheer scope and size of the things.


    "They look¡­ humanoid?" he asked as he looked at Scintilla.


    His girlfriend -he still found it difficult to realize that- was fiddling with the sword on her hip as she nodded.


    "Don''t know the exact details, but from the images I''ve seen, they look like enormous stone elementals," she muttered, sounding unsure.


    Numilli jumped at the question, seeming more than willing to ignore Greldo.


    "Yes! Some have two arms, others three or four, but for the rest, they generally look like us," she shouted excitedly as she walked forward and began waving her arms around. "They exist on a lot of worlds, one of the few beings we know that seems to exist on worlds even before we find them!"


    Irwin blinked, then raised an eyebrow. "Well, can''t it be that they just move to them when the portals to the Portal Gallery appear?"


    "No, no," Numillis said, pouting. "There are enough ancient and more recent findings, done by teleporters that can do random chaotic teleports that find themselves on worlds without a portal, and-"


    "What?" Irwin snapped as he looked at her with wide eyes.


    Numilli blinked as she took a few steps back, looking around as if searching for a monster before realizing Irwin was staring at her.


    "What, what?" she asked, her voice rising a few pitches.


    "What are-" Irwin frowned as he recalled the exact words. "- Random chaotic teleports?"


    Numilli blinked, and then a glitter appeared in her eyes. "Have you never heard of those? They are really fantastic, and-"


    "-dangerous. Very dangerous," Scintilla snapped as she glared at her cousin. "Numilli, don''t go spouting this nonsense! Remember what Aunty said."


    Numilli''s face again switched to a pout as she crossed her arms and looked at Scintilla. "It''s not fake or a myth!" she snapped.


    "That''s what I said," Scintilla said.


    Irwin could hear the exasperation in her voice. He listened as Scintilla and Numilli argued for a bit, which mostly consisted of Numilli whining and Scintilla trying to keep her calm, only with partial success. Their voices kept rising until Irwin finally had enough.


    "Alright," he boomed, his voice deeper due to him being in Coperion Body.


    Numilli and Scintilla spun to him, both seeming startled and for the first time, Irwin noticed a slight resemblance to them. Both had a similar slant to their eyes and roughly the same jawline. It was just that Numilli''s facial expressions were usually so different from Scintilla''s that he hadn''t noticed. Greldo stood to the side, leaning against Coal and grinning widely.


    The hound''s red eyes conveyed hilarity before focusing on Irwin. Irwin was momentarily distracted by the intelligent, conscious look the hound gave him, and he wondered exactly how intelligent Coal even was.


    Gotta ask Greldo about that sometime, he thought before turning to the two Ignitzion girls, one smiling and the other pouting at him.


    "So, to summarize," he said, fixing Numilli with a stern gaze and raising a finger. "Earth Titans exist on most worlds, and there is reason to believe they don''t migrate from the Portal Gallery. Two-" he put up another finger. "The skills of some teleporters sometimes go out of control. Either by choice or not-" he quickly added as he saw Nummili''s mouth start to open. "- and when this happens, they end up in worlds where there is no Portal to the Gallery, or they can''t find it. A few of these manage to return somehow, and they have left records of this. Correct?"


    Numilli nodded excitedly.


    "And why is this relevant knowledge just before we enter into that thing?" Irwin asked as they pointed at the distant monstrous mouth, wondering how they were even going to enter it.


    Numilli blinked, then looked down while Scintilla focused on her with a sudden interest.


    Wait, don''t tell me that¡­


    "Oh, no reason," Numilli said as she walked forward. "Just something I find interesting."


    "Hey, don''t go on your own! You promised to follow my lead until we reach the heart," Scintilla snapped as she ran after her.


    Irwin shared a look with Greldo, who was looking more interested. They followed the other two, walking side by side.


    "Wanna bet she is one of those chaotic teleporter people?" Greldo whispered.


    "No," Irwin said. "Because I think I''d lose that bet."


    "Yeah. Think Scintilla caught that?"


    "Definitely," Irwin said.


    "Well, what would some teleporter business have to do with the enormous heart of an Earth Titan?"


    "No idea," Irwin said, staring after Numilli intently.


    "Think we shall wheedle it out of her before we go in?" Greldo said, echoing his own thoughts.


    "I think it might be better if we did," he muttered as he recalled the previous time they had been inside.


    As they continued the last distance separating them from the massive maw, he thought about his own card, Sweltering Heart. Although he had gotten it from the previous Earth Titan card, most of that one had been lost when he and Ambraz had reforged it -something far beyond their ability then or now. Still, he recalled the immense power the heartcard had held, and he couldn''t help but wonder what Numilli wanted it for. They had asked her a few times, but she kept brushing it off with references to research.


    "So, I''ll do a short-range teleport to get us down to one of the veins," Numilli said, staring into the deep darkness.


    "Before we go, I have a question," Irwin said as he crossed his arms and stared at her. "Why do you need the heart, and don''t brush us off again. The teleporting stuff has something to do with it, and we can''t go in there if we aren''t sure it is safe."


    Numilli''s face warped to annoyance as she shook her head. "I told you, it''s just-"


    "No. No more mentioning research and things like that. None of us believe it," Irwin said sternly.


    Numilli pouted and then looked at Scintilla, seeming to look for help from her cousin, only to see Scintilla calmly look at her.


    "He is right," Scintilla said. "You can''t expect them to risk their lives without knowing."


    Irwin grimaced as Scintilla didn''t seem to include herself in that. Did that mean she was fine with potentially risking her life without knowing exactly why?


    "But, but-" Numillia began looking around, then at the hole, then at them. For a moment, her expression turned ugly, and something flickered through her eyes; then she sighed, and it was gone as she hung her shoulders.


    "I got¡­ hurt," she muttered. "It happened long ago, and ever since, I can''t finish my current heartcard."


    Irwin blinked, recalling that Numilli was potentially a soulcarded. The way she spoke just now seemed to make that far more likely.


    "There was also something else that happened," she said, her hand rising to her head before she jerked it back. "If I don''t manage to finish the hearcard, I''ll be stuck like this."


    Irwin nodded, starting to understand what she wanted. "So you are going to try and drain the heartcard and use it to fill up your own?" he asked. Then he frowned as he realized something else. "If you have two completed hands and are working on your heart card, why aren''t your eyes silver?"


    "Probably because of the damage," Numilli said as she sighed. "I can''t fill up my heartcards soulforce anymore. Any normal card I use just fizzles away," she waved her hand around.


    Irwin shared a look with Greldo, who sniffed.


    "And this happened when you had one of those chaotic teleportations?" his friend asked.


    Numilli looked up, her eyes widening in surprise.


    It wasn''t that hard to figure out, Irwin thought.


    "Yes," Numilli said slowly.


    Irwin looked at her, then turned to Scintilla and Greldo before making a decision.


    "Fine. Let''s go and see if we can find the heart," he said. "How sure are you that there aren''t any wyrms or fleshgorgers in there?"


    "There are no fleshgorgers! Don''t worry," Numilli said while her sadness seemed to evaporate, replaced by her previous upbeat joy. She looked up with a bright-eyed smile and focused on the depths of the hole.


    Watching the dark cloud begin to grow around her, Irwin prepared himself to be transported. At the last minute, before the cloud surrounded him, he stomped his feet on the ground a few times, feeling the energy surge and throb in his legs.


    Just in case, he thought as everything turned dark.


    The teleport lasted for only a fraction of a second, and the next thing he knew, he stood on a sand-filled slope, the light of the sun a mere pinprick high above him.


    "Don''t make a sound."


    Greldo''s hissed whisper caused Irwin to stop moving, the powerful energy in his legs suddenly something he wished he could dissipate. Scintilla stood close by, frozen mid-step, while Numilli had turned pale as she looked around.


    Searching for whatever Greldo had seen, he quietly looked around as well. They were standing in a massive chamber, the walls far away, while above him, he could see light creep to the crevices between the stupidly large teeth. He was about to ask what was going on when he saw a familiar tiny hole in the wall. No¡­ not tiny. Just far away. He focused on his Eyes of Blaze, something he hadn''t done in a while, and the distant wall appeared in all of its cracked, rocky-like texture. Innumerable holes dotted it, and as he looked around, he noticed shadowy movements in a few.


    Shit¡­ Wyrms!


    There was a rustle beside him, and looking up, he saw that Coal had vanished while Greldo was cocking his head in different directions, eyes closed. Irwin waited, happy when Greldo finally looked up and around. Meeting Irwin''s gaze, he put a finger on his lips before beckoning him and the others.


    Irwin swallowed as he saw Greldo quietly sneak forward, then took a calming step as he followed him. At the same time, he recalled what he knew about wyrms, most of which came from the previous time he''d been here. They loved the heat, but if they had too much, they would explode violently. Normally, that would be a great thing, as he could just summon his flame. However, fleshgorgers loved wyrms and could smell their blood and gore from miles away.


    He followed Greldo until they reached a slanted hole leading down, which reminded him of the first Earth Titan they had gone into.


    Greldo looked around and then held up a hand before vanishing in a shadowy blur that dissipated into the hole.


    Irwin gritted his teeth.


    So, add to the list of the next cards whenever I finally become a soulcard, he thought to himself. Some cards to sneak around!


    A long two minutes later, Greldo reappeared beside them. He gave a mocking smile, then beckoned as he sat down and let himself slide down. Irwin snuck forward, trying to make as little sound as he could before sitting and staring down. Even his eyes couldn''t see an end to the tunnel vein, and there was already no more sight of Greldo.


    Fine, here we go, he thought as he pushed off.

 Chapter 147: Familiar Foes

    Irwin''s body shot down the vein faster than he had imagined possible, picking up speed rapidly. At one point, he had a moment of freefall, causing his stomach to lurch before he touched down again. After what had to be half a minute, he felt the downward motion turn to a straighter one, and before he had time to think, he reached the end. He shot out of the end and into a much smaller cavern with a dozen other openings leading away before slamming into the furthest wall with a grunt. Pushing his face from the sandy, stony surface, he wondered oddly if these things looked this rocky in life or if they changed to rock eventually.


    "Yeah, that happened to me too," Greldo whispered from the side, looking at him with a tight smile.


    Catching the hint, Irwin quickly got up and stepped aside just in time for Scintilla to slide inside the room. Halfway through, she turned into a red blur that appeared beside him with a wide grin.


    "You still happy with your jumping card?" she whispered.


    "It''s not," Irwin began, just as Numilli slid into the chamber, smacking into the far wall with a pained yelp.


    Irwin held his breath at the surprisingly loud noise. After a few seconds, he breathed in relief.


    "So¡­ now what?" he asked, turning to Greldo, who grimaced.


    "Now we need to go further down," his friend said. "And try to dodge the insane number of wyrms. This thing is riddled with them. Far more than the other one."


    "It''s a much older corpse," Numilli whispered as she poked the wall before her. Her face turned pale as she turned to them. "We should hurry."


    Hurry? Why? Irwin thought before voicing his sudden worry.


    "Explain."


    "If¡­ if one of those wyrms has been around the heart for a long time, it could have grown," Numilli said as she looked at the nearby holes.


    "How big?" Greldo asked.


    Numilli looked at them and swallowed. "I¡­ don''t know?"


    Irwin felt a slight anger grow, then shook it off. At least she''d told them immediately this time, and it wasn''t like she could have known the age before. He''d watched the same thing as her, and there was little to give away the age from the outside.


    "Alright, prepare your teleportation in case we need to get out quickly," he said before turning to Greldo. "Did you scout ahead further?"


    His friend shook his head, looking up. "No, I wanted to get you out of there as fast as possible."


    "Alright, no problem. Can you go down and scout around to find the heart?"


    Greldo nodded as he walked towards a specific side exit as if he already knew which to have.


    "I hear something from down here," he said before turning into a shadow and vanishing.


    Irwin sighed, then looked around. Scintilla was leaning inside one of the vein openings, looking down, while Numilli was poking the wall with a peculiar face. After a while, she turned to him.


    "Irwin," she whispered, her eyes wide. "If we do get caught up in wyrmsies, can you use that fantastic steam bath skill of yours?"


    Irwin looked at her before sharing a quick look with Scintilla, who was suddenly looking interested.


    "You think it will kill them?" he asked after a while. "That wouldn''t be too smart."


    "No, no! I''m not that stupid! I think it will¡­ calm them?" Numilli said with a pout.


    Irwin cocked his head, his hand raising to the braid behind his shoulder that held the tiny Emberion.


    "Like those Emberions?" he asked.


    Numilli nodded vigorously. "Yes, yes! I think so."


    Irwin thought for a bit but couldn''t see anything worrisome about the idea.


    "Alright, I''ll try," he said.


    "Good, and if it so happens to wrap around me, I won''t hold it against you," Numilli said before giggling.


    You don''t say, Irwin thought with a shake of his head. How could she move between worry and joy so fast?


    Seconds turned to minutes, and when Irwin guessed half an hour had passed, he began worrying.


    Just wait. The previous one was massive, too, and it might take him a while to¡­


    A distant scream came from the hole Greldo had come from. He ran forward and leaned in.


    "-here! Hurry!"


    Why isn''t he just-


    "Help, I-" the next scream ended abruptly. Irwin was about to jump down headfirst when he held himself and turned to Scintilla and Numilli.


    "Wait ten seconds before you come after us, and get ready to teleport us right away," Irwin said as he stared at Numilli. She nodded vigorously.


    Turning to Scintilla, Irwin nodded as he jumped into the hole. As his downward speed increased until it felt like he was falling, he hesitated. Should he store the force he felt on his legs and hands? It was a lot, and even if he just triggered it on and off, he might be filled to the brim. He''d practiced a lot yesterday, but it was still a bit touch and go. Ambraz was hidden in his pocket, but the roaring wind and scraping sand would have made asking him anything impossible anyway.


    "-win, -ry! -elp!"


    Greldo''s panicked and angry voice tipped the scales, and he triggered his newest card as he pushed himself on his hands and feet. As soon as it began resonating, he felt energy build in his hands, arms, feet, and legs, with a massive bleed over into the rest of his body. Even stopping it almost immediately later, he felt a pent-up pressure that made him want to strike out. He held it back.


    A strangled call from down made him grit his teeth.


    Why isn''t he just shadowing out of there?


    "Coming!" he roared.


    Seconds passed slowly, turning to a minute when he suddenly shot out into a small chamber. Crawling away from the wall he slammed into, he looked around for Greldo. There was nothing there but multiple exits.


    Where-


    Shouting came from one of the holes, and Irwin jumped towards it, took one look, then jumped down.


    As he continued dropping, Coal''s familiar howl came, sounding pained.


    What is going on down there?


    He had no idea how long it took, but he reached many tiny chambers, each time having to find the next way down. The roaring and fighting never stopped but began to weaken.


    Finally, when his mood was so bad that he wanted to use the pent-up pressure to hit the walls around him, his slide turned to a drop, and he saw a hole below him. Almost feeling relieved, he fell through and into a massive grotto, so big he could barely see the ends. Far below him, he saw a swarming mass of wyrms, dead and alive. The living seemed to be feasting on the dead while a raging battle was happening somewhere in the distance.


    That''s gotta be where Greldo is, he thought as he fell towards the mass of milling flesh below him.


    A startled hiss from above told him Scintilla just reached the drop, but he knew she''d be alright.


    What would happen if I took in all the kinetic energy from the fall?


    He shoved the dangerous thought away and instead called upon his Sweltering Heart. Instantly, his practice showed as tendrils of steam fizzed into being as the moisture in the air went superheated.


    A split second later, he slammed into the ground, squishing arm, leg, and torso-sized wyrms apart, blood and other bodily fluids squirting everywhere.


    Irwin squeezed his lips shut to prevent that which splattered his face from coming into his mouth.


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    Loud screeches reverberated around him, but as the superheated steam rapidly surged around him, the wyrms began slowing down. Those who had been gorging themselves on their brethren hung above them, heads lilting left and right as the steam rippled around them. For a moment, he felt his mood improve, as it seemed Numilli was right. Then, one of the wyrms shivered, and its body spasmed as it grew. Those around it began having similar symptoms, and Irwin''s eyes widened as he quickly released his hold on his card.


    The steam didn''t dissipate instantly, hanging around in the already hot cavernous body of the ancient dead creature. Something heavy pressed against Irwin''s side, and he shoved back, toppling a spasming worm away. He turned and looked at the distant disturbance near the wall. The pressure that had been built up in his body was still there, ready to be used. Focusing on it, he jumped while releasing the pressure in a single fluid motion.


    A dull boom sounded out as he was propelled up and forward so fast his head snapped back by the force. Pained shrieks and wet plops came from behind him, but he had no time to look as he hurtled through the air, balance gone and flailing his arms. He saw more wyrms huddled around a hole, Greldo standing in the entrance. In the split second before he slammed into some of the wyrms, he saw his friend''s furry self matted with blood, eyes dim, and swords raised in shaky hands. Then he felt the wyrms squish below his weight, and more wet popping sounds followed, like giant fruit squished between a stone.


    He rolled forward, bowling more over, then slammed into the wall with a resounding thud. His head spinning, he shoved himself up, knowing he had no time to wait. Getting to his feet and swaying as he felt the imbalance in his body, he saw wyrms swirl around him, turning their gaping, teeth-riddled mouths at him. His arms still filled with kinetic energy, Irwin took a step forward and struck out as he released it. There was a boom while his body was spun in a pirouette, and his ears rang.


    He managed to use the momentum to get back, looking in the right direction, and saw the wyrm he''d struck, as well as those behind it, had been turned to fleshy gibs.


    Hammer, a tiny part of him called out, and he summoned a large one-handed hammer, light enough to swing as fast as he could.


    Instantly, the bled-over kinetic energy seemed to find a release as it streamed into the hammer. Having no time to contemplate it, Irwin stepped forward, striking at the nearest wyrm, a massive specimen that was taller than him as it rose on its midsection. The hammer struck the wyrm''s side, and it blew apart in a spray of pale white fluids and chunks of meat while he almost lost his grip on the hammer.


    Should really practice this, he thought as a swirl of ideas filled his mind over how he could use this to increase his hammer skills. But that would have to wait. With a malicious grin, he stepped forward, his body automatically moving through the steps Crithann had trained him in. It was a sharp and snappy, almost dance-like set of steps, filled with strikes while changing the hand he had the hammer. At the same time, he kept increasing and decreasing the hammer''s size and handle length.


    Twice, he tried to incorporate the kinetic energy, and twice, he almost lost his footing before deciding this was not the time. As his mind tuned out, letting his now well-ingrained instincts do their thing, Irwin felt almost soothed as blood and gore splattered around him. Occasionally, a wyrm managed to bite into his arm, leg, or even back, but he simply splattered it with a well-aimed blow.


    At some point, he noticed figures -Greldo and Scintilla- moving around beside him, dashing into and out of combat and picking off some of the wyrms. Changing his motions slightly as he recalled Crithann''s practice on fighting in a melee, he shortened the length of his handles so as not to hit them accidentally.


    For a while, wyrms seemed to continue to appear, popping up out of the ground, the wall, or even dropping from the ceiling, but Irwin continued like an untiring automaton, striking and striking until there finally wasn''t any wyrm left.


    Looking around, still breathing easily, he saw thick goop on the ground around him. Barely any of the stonelike ground remained visible. Slightly twitching wyrm parts lay inside what almost looked like a putrid soup, but when he was sure there was nothing around anymore, he rose from his lowered battle stance.


    Behind him, Greldo and Scintilla stood in the semi-cave, Numilli behind them, her teleport shadow still partially there, showing she was ready to move at a moment''s notice.


    "I really need Crithann to train me," Geldo said, shoving his sword away and letting out a weary sigh. "And I need one of those infinite endurance cards."


    "It''s not infinite," Irwin said as he unsummoned his hammer, sensing the hammer card''s energy seemed barely dented by the use. "What happened? Why didn''t you move back?"


    Greldo grimaced. "There''s something interfering with my shadow ability. There''s no issue with my other cards, but¡­"


    Irwin swallowed, then turned to Numilli. "Is your card working?"


    Numilli cocked her head, focusing on the shadowy cloud around her, causing it to grow. She began nodding when she suddenly grimaced and dropped to a knee, grabbing her head.


    "Ugh! What''s that?" she hissed.


    "Yeah," Greldo grunted. "Now that''s going to be a problem.


    Irwin sighed, turning to Scintilla.


    She turned into a fiery burst, appearing a few feet away.


    "No problems here," she said.


    "Well, that''s something," Irwin said. "I guess getting out is going to take a while. Still, glad you are with us."


    He walked to Scintilla, giving her a rough smile, but she waved her hand at him in distaste.


    "No hugs until you shower! You look like some ichor-covered icefiend!''


    Irwin blinked in surprise while Numilli began giggling. Even Greldo let out a soft burst of laughter, though Irwin heard the suppressed stress in it.


    "So¡­ think there are any wyrms left?" Irwin asked, hoping to distract him.


    He began wiping his face with his hands, finding it to be a hopeless cause.


    "Yes," Numilli piped up, ignoring Greldo, who opened, then closed his mouth as he shook his head.


    Numilli looked past her cousin, her mouth wrinkling in disgust at the sight. "But those are either the bigger ones that won''t bother or the truly small ones that can''t reach this deep."


    "Bigger ones?" Irwin asked as he raised an eyebrow. "Like that one near the heartcard in the other Earth Titan corpse?"


    "Yes," Numilli said. "And probably bigger because of how old this corpse is."


    "So¡­ is there still any card left then?" Irwin asked, looking around, wondering where the bigger wyrms were and what they were doing.


    Numilli blinked at him stupidly before nodding again. "Of course! If the Earth Titan''s heartcard gets taken, this corpse crumbles!"


    Irwin blinked, then turned his full attention on the small Ignitzion. "Come again?"


    Seemingly, without noticing his sudden quiet annoyance or the fact that Greldo and Scintilla were fully focused on her, Numilli began waving her around elaborately.


    "Of course! The only reason this whole thing still stands is because of the energy from that card, so if they had consumed it somehow, it''d not be here!"


    "How¡­ how fast does that happen?" Irwin asked softly.


    "After it gets consumed? Oh¡­ pretty fast! Probably only a few hours," Numilli said with a wide smile.


    Irwin blinked, then took a deep breath and turned to Scintilla.


    "Quick, find the fastest path to the heart," he croaked.


    "Keep my foolish cousin safe. Please," she muttered before vanishing in a streak of fiery light.


    "Hey," Numilli squeaked. "I''m not-"


    Irwin ignored her as he looked around, keeping an eye out for anything moving.


    It only took long minutes before Scintilla returned.


    "Found it," she said. "It''s a bit high, though, so you might need to use that new card of yours. I don''t think I can bring all of you, pretty-eyes, the troublemaker, and still fight if I have to."


    "I''m not a troublemaker! I''ve been helpful, and-"


    Greldo turned to her, a low growl coming from his chest. "Yes, you have been helpful, but how come you never told us what might happen when the card gets taken?"


    "I¡­ well, it''s no problem, right? We take it. I teleport us away!" Numilli said, clapping happily before she suddenly realized what she''d just said. "Wait¡­"


    "Yeah. Exactly," Greldo muttered, turning to Irwin. "Any idea why our cards aren''t working?"


    Irwin frowned. If he had to guess, it was because there was something stopping shadow cards from working. He put his hand in his pocket and took out Ambraz. One look showed him the anvil had fallen asleep, which seemed to have become his favorite pastime for the last few weeks.


    "Ambraz?" he said, tapping the Anvil.


    The Anvil yawned, his metal mouth stretching far enough to showcase his slate-colored teeth.


    "Hmmm¡­ what?" he muttered. "Ah, we are still in that body? Weren''t you going to wake me after we came back?"


    "Yes, well-" Irwin quickly explained what was going on, and when he finished, Ambraz was humming softly.


    "Interesting. There has to be one of three things then," he finally said. "The least likely is that there''s a card nullifier specifically attuned to shadow cards. More likely is that there''s a card that restricts teleportations, seeing as Scintilla''s blaze thingie isn''t technically a teleport, but Greldo''s movement is. Finally¡­ well¡­" the anvil flew towards Greldo, hovering before it.


    "Hairy kid, if you focus on your card, what do you feel?"


    Greldo''s furry brow raised at the name, but he didn''t comment on it. Instead, Irwin saw him stare off into the distance, eyes unfocused.


    "It''s humming like it used to, stronger than it normally does even, but it''s erratic, almost like¡­ I don''t know, but it feels like it''s stronger? But that doesn''t make sense."


    Ambraz flitted back to Irwin''s shoulder, perching atop it. "Oh, but it does. That means there''s a heartcard with a very powerful shadow element slowly bleeding away. Cards can be influenced by other, more powerful ones, especially if they are out of control. Remember what it feels like if a soulcarded person unleashes its pressure?"


    Irwin nodded mechanically while he saw a look of understanding in Greldo''s eyes.


    "Wait, so there''s a really great card out there?" his friend said, his red eyes flickering intensely.


    "A heartcard," Ambraz said. "It''s of no use to you."


    "And it''s mine!" Numilli said, her voice far louder than before.


    Greldo snorted. "Fine, fine."


    Irwin saw the barely contained desire for the card in Greldo''s eyes, and he sighed. He still hadn''t gotten any news from the auctions on a shadow teleport card, so he could fully understand why his friend was interested.


    "Let''s head to the heart. Perhaps if Numilli absorbs the energy, her teleports work again," he said.


    "Yes!" Numilli said as she dashed forward, closely followed by Scintilla.


    "You okay?" Irwin whispered as he followed Greldo.


    "They jumped me, and I couldn''t get out," Greldo said. "My card didn''t work, and I was starting to panic."


    "Yeah," Irwin muttered. "I heard you and jumped down as soon as I did, but it took a bit."


    "I know you came as fast as you could," Greldo said, "but I felt pretty stupid screaming like a little babe."


    Irwin didn''t know how to respond, and they walked after Scintilla, who guided them to a distant part of the wall. As they closed in, Irwin began to notice the temperature was rising. It reminded him of the first heartcard they had found.


    "It''s up there," Scintilla said, pointing at a hole.


    That''s almost thirty feet up, Irwin thought.


    "Think you can reach it?" Greldo asked.


    "I can bring you all up one at a time," Scintilla said.


    Irwin shook his head, knowing full well the impact that would have on her.


    "Having to bring them up will be bad enough. Let''s just see how far I can get," he grunted, taking a step forward. As he did, he triggered his newest card, sensing the tiny bit of kinetic energy that appeared in his legs. Taking a deep breath, he began jumping in place, the energy rapidly growing, the heat from his core increasing it exponentially. Four jumps later, he stopped.


    "Back up a bit," he grunted, waving the others off.


    He took a deep breath, lowered himself, then shot up, letting the energy erupt from his feet. A deafening boom came while the damp, hot air whistled around his face, blowing the few loose strands of hair back. The hole closed in quickly, but a few feet from the edge, his upward momentum began rapidly stopping. Feeling the hairs on his arms stand on end, he reached up and grabbed the edge. Part of the stone crumbled under his grip, but he managed to climb up into the tunnel, breathing raggedly.


    Okay, that was pretty scary, he thought as he looked back down.


    Greldo was waving, giving him a thumbs up.


    This is going to need some getting used to, Irwin thought.

 Chapter 148: In the depths

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    Irwin looked at Scintilla, feeling bad for her. She had moved the others up, but now she sat in the corner, vomiting loudly.


    "Let''s go," Numilli whispered excitedly.


    Irwin let out a weary sigh, staring at the other Ignitzion. "Perhaps we should give Scintilla a few moments?"


    "But we were in a rush, right?" she said, turning to her cousin. "Can''t she just¡­ do that as we walk?"


    Scintilla looked up while wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, glaring at Numilli.


    "I''m fine," she grunted, getting up.


    As she staggered, Irwin lunged and grabbed her around the waist, keeping her standing. Scintilla looked at him with a smile.


    "Thank-"


    Irwin saw her gaze land on the white ichor and blood covering his arms, and he barely managed to direct her to the side as she managed to vomit out an impressive amount of food for someone who''d been doing the same thing for a minute already.


    "Sorry," he said.


    Scintilla just shook her head, wiping her mouth. "It''s okay, I''m alright now."


    She shivered, and Irwin grimaced, slowly guiding her deeper through the wyrm-dug tunnel. Numilli was walking ahead, constantly looking back, while Greldo took up the rear.


    A short while later, Scintilla could again walk by herself.


    "This corpse feels¡­ bigger," Greldo muttered.


    "It is," Numilli crooned happily. "It''s weird how it''s this big and only just tried to create a soul skill."


    "Yeah. Weird," Greldo muttered.


    "There''s nothing ahead?" Irwin asked, recalling the massive wyrm they had found near the card in the other body.


    "Don''t hear anything," Greldo said. "But with how much hotter it''s becoming, we should be there soon."


    They continued ahead, and the tunnel curved left until it ended in the distance. Hesitating for only a moment, Irwin caught up with Numilli.


    "I''ll go in the lead," he said, stopping her and pointing behind him. "We don''t know what is¡­" he trailed off as he saw her look at him with wide eyes, seeming ready to cry.


    "What?"


    "You''re not going to steal the card again, are you?" she whined.


    Irwin shook his head. "No, I won''t," he said before looking at Greldo and the others. "Remember, this heartcard might make us go crazy again. So, when we reach it, everyone stays outside the heart''s room and lets Numilli grab it."


    "Don''t have to tell me twice," Greldo muttered.


    Numilli hesitated, then reluctantly moved back. Even his remark hadn''t really made her trust he wasn''t going to sneak off with the other card.


    She''s so odd. I wonder if absorbing this thing will fix her, he thought as he continued to the end of the tunnel.


    A few steps away, he slowed, any thoughts of Numilli gone as he realized what he was looking at. A massive tunnel drilled by a wyrm that had to be so big it could swallow him whole. Looking in either direction, he saw nothing around, and as quietly as he could, he jumped a foot down onto the curved and dusty ground. The ceiling was too high for him to reach, and he shared a worried look with Greldo.


    "Hear anything?" he whispered.


    "Nothing."


    Irwin nodded, then turned left, the direction from which the heat emanated. Far in the distance, he saw the tunnel end, and worried and confused, he began walking towards it. The closer they got to the end of the tunnel, the more confused he became.


    "It just ends¡­" he muttered, staring at the rocky, bulbous¡­


    By Gelwin''s balls, he thought, his hair standing on end as he realized what he was looking at wasn''t just a wall. It was the side of a massive wyrm, covered in dust and with rock-flesh debris piled up against its bottom.


    "It''s¡­ dead?" he whispered, looking at Greldo.


    His friend was frowning, sneaking forward and hovering a hand above the rock''s body. After a moment''s hesitation, he pressed his hand against the surface. He instantly yanked it back, took two steps back, and looked back at them.


    "It''s alive!"


    A soft tremor ran through the surroundings, dust falling from the sides of the wyrm. Irwin had an odd feeling of disorientation as the wall seemed to slide. Then, the tremors increased while a distant screech followed.


    "It''s wrapped around the heart area," Numilli shouted as the rumbling and screeching continued. "We need to find a way inside!"


    Irwin gritted his teeth as he backed up, staring at the mass of dusty, stone-like flesh moving sideways. How, exactly, were they supposed to do that? An idea instantly popped up in his mind. There was just one big downside to it.


    Even if they smell it, they can''t reach us that fast, he thought as he focused on his card of flame. Besides, we killed so many that they would have smelled it already.


    "Backup and get ready to go inside and absorb that card," he shouted. "Grel, don''t get too close!"


    Greldo looked at him, eyes widening in panic before he dashed past him. As soon as nobody was there, Irwin took a deep breath and stepped forward as a massive gout of flame projected from his hand. It struck the side of the wyrm, which shivered, then-


    Lights burst out everywhere, and there was a moment of disorientation before he felt a dull pain in his face and realized he was lying on his back. His ears were ringing, and white spots flashed across his vision as he blinked stupidly at the ceiling.


    "What¡­ just happened?" he muttered, stunned when his own words sounded like they came from a great distance.


    Shaking his head, he pushed himself up and looked up. The wall was rushing sideways, far faster than before, then a thinner tail-end shot past, and suddenly, there was a sight of a chamber beyond. He felt a surge of fear as he saw the heart hanging in plain view. As he stared at it, he felt a tiny bit of hunger, but nothing compared to before. Was it because he was too far away? He had no idea.


    Some of the fear of going crazy faded, heat radiating from the heart washed over him, and with a soft crackle, his hearing returned in full force. It had been a while since he''d so obviously felt his regeneration. Shaking his head to stop himself from getting distracted, he focused on the room. Dozens of tendrils thicker than his upper leg hung from the ceiling, many attached to a smooth-sided round object. Dark red, it glowed dimly while the air around it was shimmering from the heat it ejected. Dark, shadowy tendrils seemed to erupt from its surface.


    A pained moan made him look up, and he saw Greldo slowly roll over, looking around in confusion. His eyes passed across the heart, and Irwin tensed up, only to relax when nothing seemed to happen to Greldo.


    "Grel, you okay?" he said, his voice a croaky groan.


    There was no reaction, and he saw his friend look around with foggy eyes that kept rolling around. More sounds came from the other side, and he found Scintilla and Numilli there, both moving as they seemed to wake from a stupor.


    Gotta get to the heart before that wyrm returns, Irwin thought as he forced himself to his feet.


    Greldo must have seen his movement because he looked over, shaking his head softly.


    "Ir- win¡­ My ears," Greldo shouted, putting his hands on his ears.


    Irwin grimaced at the hard shout but nodded, pointing at his own ears to show he''d had the same problem.


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    There was no time for anything but hurry now. The ground was still rumbling slightly, and he heard distant scraping sounds, which had to be the wyrm. Wherever it had gone, it was still around, and he had the feeling it was probably not interested in giving up the heartcard.


    Moving to Scintilla, he saw her eyes were closed, and with a grunt, he picked her up, as always surprised by how little she weighed. Holding her in one arm, he moved to Numilli, grabbed her in the other arm, then turned and paced to the heart. At the same time, he focused on his Sweltering Heart, making the steam swirl around the two Ignitzions.


    As he closed in, the heat grew, and with it, the hunger! As it did, his control over his cards began to unravel, and he quickly stepped back. Immediately, the hunger lessened.


    Shivering at what had almost happened, he turned to Greldo and shook his head.


    "Go back," he mouthed, glad to see his friend jump a few steps back.


    Knowing he probably had very little time, he focused on the two Ignitzions, seeing they had awoken at some point. They were both blinking, their eyes unfocused. Fast yet carefully, he put Scintilla on the ground before holding Numilli up in two hands, shaking her and staring into her face, willing her to wake up. If she could just absorb the bloody card and then teleport them away, that''d be lovely!


    The grinding sound began to close in.


    "Snap out of it," he hissed, shaking her again. He sighed in relief as he saw her blink and focus on him.


    "Can you hear me?" he asked, hoping she''d healed enough from his steam.


    "Ugh, why are you whispering?" she shouted, causing Irwin to grimace.


    "Your ears are damaged. Stop shouting," he said, slightly louder.


    She blinked. "What?"


    "Not now," Irwin said as he shook her slightly. "The card is behind you! Go absorb it, then get us out of here!"


    That seemed to get through to her as her eyes widened with joy.


    "Really? Let go!"


    Irwin quickly put her squirming shape down. He watched, slightly worriedly, as she turned and almost hungrily ran forward, arms outstretched at the heart. As she did, something in her face changed, and her eyes seemed to turn almost icy cold.


    What¡­


    Someone grabbed his hand, and he looked down to see Scintilla struggle up. She seemed barely able to stand but was trying to pull him back.


    "What is going on?" Irwin asked as he allowed her to pull him back.


    A wave of heat, more intense than any he had felt, washed over him, and he looked up to see Numilli, hand on the heart, leaning forward. She seemed almost ready to bite into it, the tendrils that had been small, close to the surface, reaching out as if to hug her. They stretched out, some rippling around, and then the heat that had been blazing around them vanished.


    Irwin shivered as he felt the heat around him seemingly drawn towards the heart, which had stopped glowing red and was now rippling with dark tendrils of shadow.


    A pulling sensation came from his core, and he felt a cold begin, starting at his skin and trying to pierce deep inside.


    "Ir- win-, h- ¡­ elp!"


    Irwin blinked, staring down to see Scintilla''s skin darken, the previous fiery color fading, while her eyes dulled.


    "What the.."


    "Kid, get them out of here," Ambras shouted from his position on his shoulder. "She isn''t just trying to fill her heartcard! She''s begun the process of turning it into a bloody soulcard before her own heartcard is even full! It''s drawing in all surrounding soulpower!"


    Irwin''s eyes widened and he took one look at Numilli who had turned into a dark figure wrapped in shadows, seeming to suck in all life and warmth. Then he grabbed Scintilla, pulling her in his arms as he turned and ran to the tunnel they had come in. Greldo stood on the edge, his fur puffed out and his breath coming out in tiny puffs.


    "Why do I get the feeling she tricked us," Greldo asked, his eyes blazing.


    "I have noooo idea," Irwin hissed as he jumped in the tunnel. "Let''s get out of here!"


    "And how do you suppose we do that?"


    Irwin shook his head as he sprinted forward, noting tiny cracks in the stone all around. The dust that had been there seemed pale, and a soft cracking came from behind him. It reminded him of the ice that sometimes expanded over the moat around Malorin.


    Feeling Scintilla shiver against him, he wrapped her in his arms and let his flame ripple around him. As soon as it appeared, he felt the cold on his skin lessen, but he also felt a massive drain on the energy in his card, unlike any he''d ever felt before.


    "I''m sorry," Scintilla said, her teeth chattering. "I didn''t know she was doing this."


    "She isn''t really going to hurt you, is she?" Irwin asked.


    Scintilla hugged him tighter, and he felt how weak the heat in her body had become. She didn''t answer him, and he hissed. As they jumped out into the large room, a dull rumble came from the side, and looking up, he saw a massive wyrm head shoot out of the wall far to the side and a bit higher. It continued on and out, its upper body curving down and slamming into the ground, causing the stone to crack and shatter, splinters shooting everywhere.


    The wyrm didn''t slow. Instead, it began speeding up, rumbling at the distant wall, slamming into it in a screeching collision almost like metal on stone. The entire body shuddered, then continued digging into the distant side of the corpse.


    Irwin took one look up, then at the wyrm, then at Greldo.


    "After it?" he said.


    "If she ever gets back, remind me to scream at her," Greldo hissed as he nodded.


    They ran forward, the ground around them rumbling as the wyrm continued on and on, almost seeming without end. Just when they reached the other side, the wyrms'' tail end appeared, and they waited as the final part of it began vanishing into the new, massive tunnel.


    A loud, sharp cracking sound came from the other side of the cavern. Irwin looked up to see the entire wall turn a pale white as a layer of ice seemed to cover it.


    "That''s not good," Greldo said.


    "Ambraz, what is going on?" Irwin asked, slightly panicky. "Why is everything turning into ice?"


    "She''s using the already drained energy of a heartcard, no matter how massive it is, to try and break through some bottleneck in her soulcard. The problem is that her own heartcard isn''t full enough, and the extra energy isn''t enough. All the force and heat in the area is now drawing towards her!"


    "Is that normal when you create a soulcard?" Greldo asked, his voice raising an octave as a chunk of ice-covered rocky flesh slid down on the other side of the cavern.


    The wyrm vanished beside them, and they turned and ran after it, ignoring the cloud of dust that billowed in its wake.


    "Hell no, hairy! But remember what happened with that other heartcard? Earth Titans drain heat from their surroundings deep below the ground, and apparently, their heartcards still have some of the ability!"


    "Fantastic," Greldo shouted before looking at Irwin. His breath was coming out in large plumes. "You okay there? I can summon Coal to carry her?"


    Irwin shook his head, watching the wyrm steadily disappear in the distance.


    "Kid, you need to hurry¡­ that heat draining? Well, it''s increasing rapidly!"


    Irwin swallowed and cast a glance over his shoulder. The edges of the tunnel behind them were covered in frost, and pale clouds hung behind them.


    "Grel, can you ride Coal?" he asked as he focused on his Vaelite card, which immediately began gathering the kinetic energy his feet created as they slammed into the ground.


    "But- oh, right! Yeah!"


    Irwin nodded, about to ask him to carry Scintilla, when he glanced down at her. She was shivering violently, her eyes closed, and her face pressed against his chest. Even the tiny corona of fire that surrounded Irwin didn''t seem enough to keep the cold from harming her.


    Guess I''ll have to do it myself, Irwin thought as he took a deep breath.


    There was a soft blur, and then the heavy thudding of Coal appeared beside them.


    He looked up to see Greldo swing himself on the massive hound''s back, holding onto the thick hair behind its ears.


    "Go, don''t wait up!" he shouted.


    Coal seemed to understand as he began speeding up instantly, rapidly outpacing him.


    Irwin focused all his attention on running. He hadn''t had that much practice yet, and now he had to run with Scintilla. He angled forward and let the energy erupt from his foot. With a soft bang, he was pushed forward. His balance was slightly off with the extra weight, and he landed oddly but managed to keep his balance and let the new energy burst from his other foot.


    Within moments, his speed was increasing, the dusty air ticking against his face.


    "Faster," Ambraz shouted.


    Irwin focused, knowing he could go much faster, but not without falling. He was at the edge of what his balance could hold. He felt the energy of his flame drain. He''d hoped that as they ran further, it would become less, but he only felt it increase. Far in the distance, Greldo was becoming a tiny spec.


    A loud cracking came from the wall to his side, and looking up, he saw frost began to cover it.


    "The end of the corpse is ahead," Ambraz snapped. "You have to keep up until you''re out. I''d bet my shiny steel top layer that this drain won''t expand far beyond it!"


    "How far," Irwin shouted back, keeping all of his focus on his running.


    "Maybe a hundred feet? It can''t be too far, or they would have drained everything dead if they surfaced!"


    Irwin gritted his teeth. He wanted to see how Scintilla was doing, but he couldn''t risk it, so he continued on, his energy running lower and lower. Finally, after what felt like hours but couldn''t have been more than a minute, the walls ahead changed from rocky flesh to true, much more uneven rock. Loose boulders and debris layered the ground, and the dust was gray.


    Greldo stood a good distance beyond it, waving at him.


    "-ry! St..- ere!"


    Irwin didn''t catch any of it, but he could only hope it was good news.


    He sprinted out of the tunnel into true rock, watching the ground and trying to pick spots that weren''t covered in dangerous debris. The first three steps went miraculously well, then his foot slid sideways, and his balance was gone. Feeling himself falling forward, Irwin wrapped Scintilla in his arms and rolled on the ground, stones trying to dig into his coperion skin and failing. Before he even really came to a stop, he scrambled up, pale steam hovering everywhere, slowly sinking down while the stones turned white.


    "You''re almost there," Ambraz hissed.


    Irwin nodded, running as fast as he dared to Greldo, who stood nearly a hundred feet away.


    With his first card draining to the point of being nothing but fumes, his head throbbing, and the world turning fuzzy, he finally stumbled across an almost perfect line. The snow and ice stopped as if it wasn''t allowed beyond some invisible border, and he felt the temperature shoot up. He took two more steps, then landed on his knees, looking at Scintilla. She wasn''t shaking anymore, lying perfectly still, her normally beautiful golden red skin dark and dull.


    "Scintilla?" he whispered, his voice a dull croak.


    "Shit! Is she¡­"


    Greldo sat down next to him, shaking his head. "I- I couldn''t come back! It was so cold that even Coal couldn''t stand it!"


    Irwin just nodded, barely paying attention as he held Scintilla in his arms, trying to force more energy from his flame. The fire burned shakily around him, and he focused it on her. His weary mind took a few moments to realize he was forgetting something, and he quickly called upon his Sweltering Heart. Superheated steam began flickering around him, and with all his will, he focused it towards Scintilla. Within moments, an almost cocoon-like thing hung around her, the heat causing shimmers in the air.


    Seconds turned to minutes, and he felt his fear grow.


    A shudder ran through Scintilla, and then he was relieved when he heard her suck in deep breaths of steam.


    "Thank Gelwin," Greldo said, sitting down beside him.


    Irwin looked up, staring at his friend, who looked back in relief. Realizing he was still holding his flame up, he finally dropped it, hoping the headache would lessen now they had reached an area where it wasn''t constantly being drained.


    They silently sat there as Scintilla''s breathing slowly returned to normal until Irwin was pretty sure she was sleeping a healthy sleep.


    "So¡­ any idea how we get back up?" Greldo finally muttered.

 Chapter 149: Time flies

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    "I wonder where this thing went," Greldo muttered as he trotted beside Irwin, deeper into the earth.


    "Perhaps to another dead Earth Titan? It seems to be boring in a straight line somewhere," Irwin replied softly, keeping a still-sleeping Scintilla cradled against his chest, a steam wrapped around her.


    A straight line that''s slightly curved down, he thought, suppressing a growing worry that they were going to be stuck far below the desert.


    Looking into the distance, he focused on his Eyes of the Blaze, seeing nothing but stone and dust.


    More walking, he thought, letting out an annoyed sigh.


    He''d been checking ahead every few minutes ever since they began walking away from the dangerously cold region of frost and ice, hoping to see the end of the tunnel.


    "Maybe, but I don''t think so. Numilli needed months to find another one," he said.


    "Don''t even talk about that little-" Greldo made a spitting sound. "If we find her again, I''m going to let Coal use her as a chewing bone!"


    Irwin grimaced, but he couldn''t blame his friend. Thinking about Numilli and the way her face had turned all cold and dangerous moments before she began absorbing the heartcard made his anger rise. Either she hadn''t known what she was doing, which Irwin doubted, or she was more than willing to sacrifice them, including her own cousin, to get whatever it was that she wanted.


    "She has a lot of explaining to do when we see her again," Irwin agreed.


    They continued walking, time passing slowly as they were both lost in their own thoughts.


    "I was thinking¡­" Greldo finally said, breaking the stifling silence of the deep tunnel. "Ambraz, is there a way to allow me to bring others along if my last card is a shadow teleport?"


    Irwin was surprised that Greldo spoke directly to Ambraz, something he didn''t do a lot.


    "Well, look who''s finally started using that furry head of his!" Ambraz said, flitting from Irwin''s shoulder and hanging before Greldo, flying backward and keeping pace with him. "Well, kid. It depends on how far and how many! I take it you''re thinking about just one or two people? Say for when they are below the ground?"


    "Yeah," Greldo said. "So it''s possible?"


    "Maybe. Depends on the card you get your hands on," Ambraz said as his metallic lips pursed. "You will have to wait a bit longer, though. Normally, people need multiple joined teleport cards to move anything but themselves. If you want to do it with just one, even if it meshes well with the others it probably needs to be at least rank Ruby rank."


    Greldo let out a strangled curse. "Seriously? That would mean I''d need insane amounts of cards to fill up my heartcard!"


    "Oh no, such a horrible thing," Ambraz shot back, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Do you know that most people don''t even have the option to get one? You''re lucky the brat''s your friend, and I''m so generous of heart!"


    Irwin grinned, wondering if Ambraz even had a heart.


    Greldo was quiet, staring at the Anvil before looking at Irwin, who saw a slight annoyance in Greldo''s eyes.


    "You''re right, thanks," his friend finally muttered.


    They continued through the caverns for a long time, and eventually, Irwin had no idea what time it was. It could be day or night for all he knew.


    At some point, as they mechanically plodded ahead, Greldo stopped in his tracks.


    "What''s wrong?" Irwin asked. A rush of adrenaline ran through him, and his fuzzy mind snapped wide awake.


    "The sounds changed! Something is different up ahead," Greldo whispered.


    Irwi focused on his Eyes of Blaze. His vision didn''t show the thing he''d seen for hours on end -a dusty tunnel- but instead, a dark cavern with barely any dust in the air.


    "The tunnel end is up ahead," he whispered.


    "Finally! Let''s go and see if there''s a way up," Greldo hissed.


    They increased their pace, but it still took a while before Greldo could also see the end of the tunnel.


    "I can hear some kind of wind ahead and the dripping of water," Greldo whispered. "And movement, lots of movement."


    "Let''s hope we didn''t find some kind of nest," Irwin said as he continued ahead.


    As they closed in on the end of the tunnel, they began slowing down until they were moving as quietly as they could. Before them was an enormous cavern, one that dwarfed the chest cavity of the Earth Titan they had been in. Rocky outcrops stood upright, like fingers jutting out of the stone, and more hung from the ceiling, glistening drops of liquid hanging from their tips, striking the tips of the pillars that sat right below them.


    The end of the tunnel was a steep slope of gravel and stone that headed down to a rocky cave floor, with a dusty trail leading away, disappearing into the maze of towering fingers of stone.


    "There''s things moving between them," Greldo whispered.


    Irwin nodded as he triggered his Eyes of Blaze and began looking around. Distant cave walls popped into vision, their gray sides riddled with holes.


    Maybe one of those leads out of here, he thought as he continued searching. As his gaze passed over two of the jutting stone fingers, a slight movement in one of them made him freeze. Did that stone pillar just-


    His mind froze as he saw one of the two towers ever so slightly vibrate. Swallowing, he moved his focus from the walls to the pillars, and as he watched, he saw more movement.


    Those aren''t stone pillars¡­ They are alive!


    He looked at Greldo, only to see his friend stare to the left, along the side of the wall their tunnel exited from, eyes wide, jaw clenched shut. Irwin slowly turned his head.


    A wyrm head, its maw hanging open and its teeth the size of castle doors, leaned motionlessly against the side of the wall.


    Eyes wide, Irwin focused on all of his cards, scrambling and readying himself to-


    He stopped, barely managing to hold back from shooting out a gout of flame as large as he could. Something weird was going on!


    A second passed, then another, and he finally realized what it was. The wyrm wasn''t moving, and there was a thick layer of dust covering it, showing it hadn''t moved for a very, very long time.


    Taking a slow, shuddering breath, he turned to Greldo, who was breathing raggedly, eyes still focused on the wyrm.


    "It''s dead," Irwin whispered.


    Greldo turned his head to him, shaking his head. "I can hear its heartbeat."


    Irwin shuddered, then began backing up. Greldo followed him, and they continued deeper into the tunnel until the entrance was a small dark opening.


    "What in the blazes was that?" Irwin hissed as he leaned against the tunnel wall.


    "Some kind of wyrm king or queen?" Greldo said, lowering himself to his haunches.


    "Well, it didn''t move and hadn''t moved in a long time," Irwin said. "We need to get out of here, and there are tunnels all across those walls. One of those has to go back up."


    "What if that thing wakes up when we are out in the open?" Greldo said. "I can move through the shadows, but you¡­"


    Irwin grimaced as he recalled the stone pillars. "It gets worse." He quickly told his friend what he''d seen.


    "How about we just go back and wait for Numilli to finish?"


    Irwin hesitated. When they had finally left, the tunnel had been covered in a thick layer of ice, the air so cold that each time a soft breeze brought it along, even his Coperion skin had started aching.


    "It didn''t look like it would stop anytime soon," he finally said, focusing on Scintilla.


    If she wakes up and feels better, she could carry me to a tunnel.


    He thought for a bit before nodding as he focused on Greldo. "Do you think they can detect you if you go through the shadows?"


    "Never," Greldo said, shaking his head. "I''ve only ever encountered one type of thing that can, and those things aren''t here."


    "Alright then, this is what we are going to do. Go and investigate that cavern and find a tunnel leading up," Irwin said. "I''ll stay here with Scintilla, and when she wakes, we wait till she feels good enough to use her flame movement card to get both of us to the tunnel you find."


    Greldo nodded, and Irwin saw a slight relief on his friend''s face.


    "Alright. What will you do if one of those wyrms comes here?" his friend asked.


    Irwin focused on his flame card, sensing the energy was filling up nicely. Although only a quarter full again, it should be enough.


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "I''ll flame them," he said. "If you hear fighting, stay back. I''ll run through the tunnel till we reach the cold area. It should keep the wyrms away."


    Greldo watched him for a bit, then nodded. "Alright. Be careful!"


    "That''s my line," Irwin retorted. "You''re the one going out there!"


    Greldo snorted, vanishing where he stood to reappear a dozen feet away. "They will never see me. Everything down here is shadows, remember?"


    "Well, be careful anyway. Maybe one of those wyrms can breathe fire or something," Irwin said with a crooked grin.


    Greldo looked at him and shuddered. "Thanks for that fantastic image," he muttered. "I might be gone for a bit. That cavern is massive."


    "Take your time. I''ll be here," Irwin said.


    Greldo watched him for a bit more before disappearing.


    Irwin hesitated as he thought about sitting, then decided to remain standing. If he had to move quickly, getting up with Scintilla wasn''t smart. He let out a long, drawn-out sigh, preparing for a long wait.


    A long time later, he was softly humming, trying to distract himself from the monotonous waiting when Scintilla moved. Her hands were slowly unclenching, and she stretched her back before shuddering. Her eyes snapped open, and she looked around, hands turned to claws.


    "Calm down, it''s me. You''re safe," Irwin said softly.


    "What- where? What happened," Scintilla hissed as she struggled.


    Irwin gently put her down, watching Scintilla sway but remain standing. She put a hand on her waist, and her eyes widened.


    "Where''s my blade?"


    "Probably somewhere back in that Earth Titan body," Irwin said as he tried to recall when he''d last seen it. He couldn''t recall.


    The mention of the Earth Titan seemed to snap Scintilla fully awake, and she suddenly looked around, her eyes filled with anger. "Where is she?"


    Irwin didn''t have to ask who she meant, so he quickly explained what had happened. When Scintilla heard about the massive wyrm, she calmed down quickly. Still, Irwin saw her hand move to her side on multiple occasions, searching for a sword that wasn''t there.


    "I never thought Auntie was right," Scintilla said, her face a mix of anger and sadness.


    Irwin waited quietly, watching her struggle.


    "Mother said that Numilli used to be very different," Scintilla said. "But she also said she was extremely useful to the family. But auntie -that''s Numilli''s mother- she always treated Numilli really harshly."


    "Why?" Irwin asked, slightly confused.


    "It was the one thing mother and auntie always fought about," Scintilla said. "They never wanted to explain, but there were rumors¡­ I''m much, much younger than Numilli, but some of the others of her generation didn''t want anything to do with her. I only know her like you have seen her, and as annoying as she could be, she was always nice to me."


    Wondering what rumors would be there, Irwin recalled how cold Numilli''s face had become.


    "When she began absorbing the heartcard, she looked¡­ different," he said. "Cold and dangerous."


    Scintilla smiled sadly. "Then I guess the next time we see her, if we ever see her again, might not be very fun."


    They were quiet for a while before they began talking about less horrible things. Scintilla guaranteed him that her card''s energy was plenty and that she would be able to bring him along to whatever tunnel that would lead up. Eventually, Scintilla sat down, lost in thought, while Irwin waited.


    After another long time, in which Scintilla fell asleep again, Greldo appeared two steps from Irwin, who jolted out of his own ponderings.


    "Hey," Greldo muttered, his face drawn and weary but with a glint in his eyes that told Irwin enough.


    "You found an exit?"


    "Yeah. It''s pretty far. Is she¡­" he waved at Scintilla.


    "She woke up and seemed fine," Irwin said.


    "Great, then let''s wake her and get out of here," Greldo muttered.


    "Are you sure you don''t need a rest?"


    "I can rest when we return to where the sun shines," Greldo said.


    Irwin nodded, more than happy to comply.


    A short while later, the three of them stood back at the entrance of the tunnel, Scintilla looking in awe at the massive wyrm.


    "It''s enormous," she whispered.


    Irwin could only agree, but he had no more interest in admiring the giant sleeping wyrm.


    "Ready?" Greldo whispered, seemingly thinking the same way.


    Scintilla nodded as she clasped Irwin''s hand.


    "Alright. Remember, it''s the left wall, all the way at the top. I''ll be inside, waving at you."


    "Yeah, yeah. Go," Scintilla whispered.


    Greldo took a deep breath and vanished.


    "I wonder what card this wyrm has," Scintilla whispered.


    "Whatever it is, I''m pretty sure we shouldn''t try and kill it," Irwin said. "The others will probably join, and I''m not sure even my flame will work on all of these."


    "A shame," Scintilla whispered, hungrily staring at the wyrm.


    After a while, she sighed. "Right, let''s go."


    Before Irwin could respond, the world around him changed into a red blur as he shot through the cavern. The movement lasted for only a few seconds before he crashed to the ground in a narrow tunnel opening, Greldo waving at him a few steps away. A quick look showed the tunnel was barely large enough for him to stand upright.


    Scintilla fell to her knees, coughing, but nothing but orange-tinted bile came out as she choked and vomited.


    "Oh no, we need to-"


    Greldo''s suddenly panicked voice was drowned out by a deafening roar from behind.


    Irwin didn''t hesitate but grabbed Scintilla, ignoring her flailing surprise, and sprinted after Greldo.


    The ground began vibrating and rumbling as he chased after Greldo. Head low and body angled forward, they ran forward. After a short distance, Scintilla struggled free, following after them. As the world around them shook and the roars from behind continued, they ran and climbed up as fast as they could.


    I hope they don''t follow us to the surface, Irwin thought as he struggled after Greldo.


    Minutes turned to hours, but the shaking only continued, and Irwin knew that they would have been overtaken if they didn''t have their near-infinite stamina.


    When Irwin finally saw Greldo jump and crawl his way out of the tunnel ahead of him, he was almost surprised to see the stars. Following his friend, he looked around. The sand was shaking and shivering, while the tops of the dunes were flowing down. It reminded him of the water in a barrel when you kicked it, rippling inside in circles.


    "Let''s get out of here," Greldo hissed as Coal appeared beside him.


    Irwin flinched as he saw the deep wounds across the hound''s snout, realizing he''d not seen him after the battle below. Still, Greldo climbed up without hesitation, and Coal moved as easily as ever.


    Scintilla was looking up and around before pointing in a direction. "That way!"


    Irwin didn''t bother asking how she knew, and neither did Greldo. Coal began running in the direction she had indicated, Irwin and Scintilla close behind.


    The shaking lessened the further they got away from the tunnel exit, and when it was no more than a distant rumbling, they stopped.


    "We need to tell Crithann about this place," Scintilla said, slightly out of breath.


    "You know how to return?" Irwin asked.


    "Yes, it should be a four-day journey this way," she said.


    "That long?" Greldo asked, exasperated.


    The others didn''t respond, and after looking at the distant swirling sand, they left.


    --


    "I will spread the news of the wyrm''s location and send a warning about Numilli," Crithann rumbled as he gazed at the bedraggled, hungry, and tired trio before him. "Now, head home and rest. I''ll make sure to send food."


    Irwin couldn''t manage more than a nod as he turned and trudged off. Even his seemingly unlimited endurance was empty after traveling on nothing but a few rations and water for four days. Having to carry Scintilla for half of that hadn''t helped much.


    "I''m not going to wake up for a week," Greldo grunted.


    "Two weeks," Scintilla said, struggling forward.


    Irwin didn''t respond, but he had the feeling that after a good meal and a good rest, he''d probably be fine. He kept that to himself, though, quietly following the others.


    "Do you think Numilli will return here?" he asked, looking at Scintilla.


    "No, but I wish she would. It will give me a chance to strangle her," Scintilla hissed, showing a moment of energy. Then her head fell back to her chest, and she stumbled. The outburst seemed to have cost her whatever energy she had left.


    The smithy was quiet, showing Yogog hadn''t returned, which Irwin was happy about. As he sat down on the couch, Scintilla slumped against his side while Greldo sprawled across the other couch. Both seemed almost instantly asleep, and Irwin decided to close his eyes for a moment.


    When he woke, the table was laden with food, and the house was quiet.


    Guess I fell asleep, he thought as he looked down to see Scintilla beside him, curled up at his side. Greldo was snoring softly on the opposite couch, Coal beside him. Ambraz sat at a table to the side, mouth a line, likely also slumbering.


    Irwin''s stomach rumbled as he smelled the food, and trying to be as quiet as possible, he got up and walked to the table. His entire body felt dirty and itchy, Coperion Body having turned off sometime during his sleep. As he stuffed something in his mouth, his hunger increased, and without holding back, he began devouring everything before him.


    When he finally stopped, over half of the food was gone, and the two large carafes of water were drained. Slightly guilty but not enough to do something about it right away, he rose and cracked his neck. He felt great. Rested, full and-


    Dirty, he thought, as a thick odor assaulted his nose.


    Smelling himself, he shrugged and moved out of the room towards the back of the smithy. A large stone bath was partially filled with water, but it was fine with him. Removing his grimy armor, he undressed and stepped into the bath, lowering himself until he was sitting up to his neck in the lukewarm water. He hadn''t used it a lot, having mostly filled it for Greldo as he used the steam bath most of the time. Now, however, seeing the water rapidly turn brown, he shivered in delight. He remained until the water was so dirty it would probably hurt more than it helped, after which he rinsed his -once upon a time- pale white underwear and dunked his armor in the water a few times.


    When it was as clean as he could get it now, he laid it out to dry, only removing the chunk of Purperion, which he always kept close. He took a look at the water and shuddered. It was a good thing it would evaporate over the next week. After that, he could fill it with fresh, clean water by using Sweltering Heart for a few hours.


    Deciding Greldo was out of luck and would just have to use the water around the base of the tree, he walked into the smithy and put on a pair of the leather pants he sometimes used for smithing. He gazed at the forge and the anvils, wondering if Numilli would return. A big part of him hoped she wouldn''t. It was about time for him to work on his smithing, his fighting, and practicing with his new card.


    "Well, if she does return, I guess we are going to have to force some answers out of her," he muttered before taking a deep breath and heading back to get Ambraz.


    It was time to do some smithing!


    --


    Numilli didn''t return that day or the next. Scintilla searched for her, but there was no sighting, and as the weeks turned into months, things became blessedly peaceful.


    Greldo, still searching for his last card, began taking mission after mission, heading out for ever longer periods while Irwin mostly remained at the smithy. Sometimes, however, when Scintilla got too bored, the two of them would take on the occasional nearby mission.


    Irwin spent weeks practicing with his new card, learning to incorporate the explosive ability with his other cards and finding that his Hammer card worked as a fantastic overflow valve. By using the increased speed of movement and power, he even managed to cause Crithann to take him seriously, and roughly three months after they had returned, their training had turned into sparring that many villagers watched. It had to be done outside the town, though, so they wouldn''t destroy the buildings.


    More months flew by as Irwin was lost in his smithing, enjoying his time with Scintilla and doing the occasional mission. She wielded a new sword that Irwin had forged for her, made of the best materials he could find, and between her still ever-improving skills and Irwin''s strength, they encountered no problems.


    The only thing of note that happened was that his stubble became more serious, and starting over half a year after they returned, he had to shave in earnest.


    --


    Standing before the mirror, Irwin stared at his reflection. Coperion Body was in full effect, and as he pulled the sharp blade across his chin, the sound of metal against metal echoed through his room.


    As he finished the last pull, tiny hairs ticking on the bowl below, he tilted his head, staring at his own angular face. He could barely recall what he had looked like when he was still back in his hometown, only remembering how he''d felt: small, weak, and malnourished. Now, between smithing each and every day, practicing with Crithann, and due to the power of his cards, he had layers of muscle instead of ribs to count.


    "I wonder how old I am now," he asked his own reflection in a deep, echoing voice.


    He investigated himself. The final hints of youth were fading, leaving someone he had difficulty gauging the image, even if it was himself. Somehow, he felt like years had passed by in a blur, leaving him older and unsure of what had happened to the time.


    Doesn''t really matter, he decided. When he became heartcarded, he would be able to live for hundreds of years.


    Looking at the tiny hairs covering the stone bowl, he hummed. Perhaps he should start thinking about letting his beard grow out. He was supposed to wear his rank symbol in his beard, not his hair. Besides, his bloody hair got in the way while fighting more than once, and Crithann sometimes even grabbed it, yanking it hard.


    Below, the door slammed open, and he frowned.


    "Irwin! There''s news from Driseog! He managed to find one of those cards!"

 Chapter 150: Dead Pact Mercenaries

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    Irwin grinned as he grabbed his plain white shirt and walked out of the room. Ambraz flitted to his shoulder, landing there lightly.


    "About time! While we''re there, we should get a bunch of new low-rank cards to experiment with!"


    "I''m sure I can get some from Driseog," Irwin agreed as he thought about the small stack he had remaining.


    Most were high quality or high rank, and although he enjoyed his many attempts at getting a hundred percent Emerald card, none of them had yet paid off like he wanted it to. Moving from Quartz through Amethyst and Topaz all the way there might help with what he was lacking.


    Scintilla was standing below the stairs, looking up, her gaze trailing his chest with burning eyes.


    "Are you coming?" Irwin asked, wrapping an arm around her for a moment.


    "What do you think? I''m not going to miss out on a chance to get new ingredients and talk with anyone that came from back home!"


    "Good," Irwin replied.


    A few moments later, they were walking through what was now called the old part of town, something that made him laugh.


    "It''s that old teleporter again. He appeared in the central square, as grumpy as ever," Scintilla said as she looked at him. "Which card do you think Driseog found?"


    Irwin shrugged, not sure. He had long since sent a message to Driseog that he didn''t need the energy card anymore, so it could only be Greldo''s. Though, he was curious to see what the details would be!


    When they reached the new central square between the old first wall and the second still-in-progress wall, they saw a group of Viridians talking to an older, nicely dressed Viridian. Irwin instantly recognized him as the one who had teleported him to Cinder Grove the previous times.


    "Smith Irwin. If you will, let us hurry," the man said immediately.


    Irwin blinked and shared a surprised look with Scintilla before nodding.


    I wonder what''s going on, Irwin thought as he waited for the teleportation.


    --


    "Young friend Irwin," Driseog shouted, his voice happier than Irwin had ever heard it.


    Walking through the quiet shop, ignoring the few customers who were watching him in curious surprise, Irwin raised his hand.


    "Driseog, how are things?"


    The shop owner smiled widely, his bark skin rippling oddly as he beckoned Irwin and Scintilla up to the private area. As they sat down, Irwin saw the wide smile had left Driseog''s face to be replaced by a calm but slightly worried one.


    "Smith Irwin, I am sorry to say I have asked you to come here not just because I managed to procure one of the cards you requested," the Viridian said. "Over the last few weeks, new people have been arriving, bringing news from the outside. Offworld, more smiths have been disappearing, and the smith''s guild has called a state of emergency. All charters are to recall their smiths within the month."


    Irwin frowned and leaned back. "Does that mean I have to leave?"


    "No. From what I have heard, this is in Portal Gallery time, so you and many other smiths are allowed to stay where you are. Though, I presume Balarn will tell you more about this. He has requested that you stop by the temporary charter as soon as you can."


    Irwin wanted to say something when he saw the other''s set jaw and worried look. He had more to say.


    "Now, there''s been a high interest in your person. The large number of high-percentage cards that you have put out on the market has created quite the buzz. The people in the city have started calling you the Perfectionist, and many other Smith''s charters are trying to locate you, most likely to try and have you join them. Now, if it were just smiths and enthusiasts asking questions, this would be fine. However, some less-than-savory figures have begun arriving together with the merchants. Doubling as guards for these merchants, some information I gained let me do some investigation," Driseog said, tapping a finger on his armrest.


    "There is a group of Niox that have been asking many questions about the prominent smiths, especially those below the Ruby rank. After some digging, I found that they belong to Dead Pact, a notorious mercenary group that is known for their unscrupulous behavior."


    Irwin frowned. "Niox?" he asked, trying to recall where he''d heard that name before.


    "Kraniox Caorthanach, or horned demons as some call them," Driseog said.


    Irwin suddenly recalled a race of beings that hid their faces behind bone-covered masks while walking around bare-chested. They were taller than him and heavily muscled. He''d seen them during their trip to Scour, which felt like years ago. Which it is, he suddenly thought with a startled realization. He''d been here for¡­ over a year now? He really needed to start keeping a diary or something. Shoving those worries back for later, he focused on Driseog.


    "Do you think they are here to try something?" he asked. "Isn''t Lord Urdwellan handling this?"


    "Lord Urdwellan is paying close attention, and I''m sure he will act if anything truly happens. However, I thought it wise to warn you. Now, as the other offworlders, Dead Pact will need to leave in a few months when this year ends."


    Irwin looked at the table, wondering if those Dead Pact were like the imps, hired by some other party to find and capture smiths. Or could these be the ones behind it?


    "Have smiths gone missing here again?" he asked.


    "No," Driseog said. "But I suggest that you don''t return to Cinder Grove until after the year ends. I had contemplated sending this card to you. However, I knew Balarn was going to request you to come here to share some information. Still-" Driseog looked at Scintilla. "I would suggest you are highly alert and don''t stray from the lower levels."


    Scintilla grunted, tapping her sword. "Let them try."


    "We will be careful," Irwin quickly said. "Now, what card did you find?"


    Driseog looked at them for a few moments before getting up and returning with a single card, handing it to him with a wide smile.


    "It took a bit more soulshards than I would have liked, but I think this should cover everything you requested. It is a shadow-typed teleport card of Topaz rank, and I have to say there were a lot of interested parties. It cost twelve-thousand eight hundred soulshards, which I''ve deducted from the profits you''ve made. This leaves you with roughly six hundred and eighty thousand soulshards, though there are still a few cards left to sell."


    Irwin looked at Driseog, stunned and in disbelief.


    "Two of your cards ignited a nice bidding war, which managed to drive their prices up far beyond my wildest estimates," Driseog said, a wicked grin on his face.


    Irwin couldn''t help but mirror it as he thought about how many cards he could get with that many soulshards.


    He gently accepted the card, his grin widening as he thought how happy Greldo would be. He focused his Eyes of Blaze, examining the card.


    Card: Blurred Depths


    Type: Topaz, Shadow


    Owner: -


    The wielder gains the ability to move through the shadowy depths, moving from one shadow to any shadow cast by an object they are familiar with.


    Active: Move between two shadows within the same world.


    "What do you think, Ambraz?" he asked, looking at the Anvil on his shoulder.


    "It should mesh well with the furry kid''s current cards, though I''ll need more time to see if we can reforge it to allow him to teleport with multiple people. Right now, it seems largely restricted. Next time he returns, I''ll need to investigate his current cards and see what can be done," Ambraz said, hovering before the card.


    Irwin nodded, more than a little curious to see what Ambraz would come up with.


    Driseog had been quietly observing, and he scraped his throat, making Irwin look up.


    "I have a request," Driseog said quietly. "I have found a card for Yuulin, but it is currently only at Amethyst rank. It also lacks a certain feature. Would you be able to reforge it for me? I will make sure to pay you well for your time."


    Irwin blinked, then nodded. "Of course. We can take care of that right away if you want?"


    Driseog looked at him, then around. "I don''t think we have the required apparatus for your craft here, neither a forge nor a hammer."


    Irwin grinned as he rose to his feet and summoned his favorite-sized smithing hammer.


    "No worries!"


    --


    Scintilla stood to the side, leaning against the wall, absently fondling the handle of her sword while she watched Irwin, bare-chested, striking the Anvil of the Gods as he had been for nearly half an hour. Each booming strike coincided with a lul in the humm that resonated throughout the building. Based on what she''d seen over the last year, she was pretty sure the hum would be audible all around the building and perhaps further.


    She focused on Irwin''s face, his light coppery skin gleaming and his eyes flashing with an internal light. He seemed to have lost any sense of time, something she''d seen many times when he worked. No matter how many times she saw him work, she still couldn''t stop enjoying it.


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    I wonder how far he will come, she thought, as she recalled the smiths back on Igniz. Some had the same smile and obvious joy as they worked, and those were usually the ones that became the greatest.


    As the hum deepened, she couldn''t hold back a content smile. It had been a great decision to come here, even if she still hadn''t found the card she needed.


    Perhaps I''ll truly share his heat before he heads back to the frozen lands, she thought, a wide grin on her face as she felt her core heat skyrocket as she watched him work.


    He''d proven both kind and courageous, and between that, his smithing skills, and her own skills, any child she''d make with him would have to be more amazing than those of her sisters. What would her mother say if she came back with offspring? She was the only one that hadn''t yet, and her mother had been complaining about it.


    At least it would keep her busy while she raises the brat, she thought. Brat. She enjoyed the word Ambraz used. It would beat what her mother used to call her, that was for sure.


    "Incredible. Is he always like this?"


    Scintilla looked to the side, seeing Driseog watch in awe as the card on the Anvil began glowing and gleaming, the image hovering above it rapidly becoming clearer. Smudges were vanishing, and she could understand the other''s questions.


    "He''s pretty fast, isn''t he?" she said, feeling slightly proud in Irwin''s place.


    "Pretty fa- this is nearly at the level of a Ruby rank smith! I''ve never seen a smith that uses an Anvil of the Gods at work. Is this how they all are?"


    "Dunno. We only have a few of those back on Igniz and none anywhere near where I''m from."


    A clear ringing came from the Anvil, and they both saw Irwin keep his hammer raised, seemingly ready.


    "Dammit, brat, that final strike was way too close," Ambraz snorted. "Still, from what I can see, it should be at ninety-seven percent or so."


    "Is he joking?" Driseog hissed. "He can''t possibly have¡­"


    The Viridian fell quiet as she looked at him and nodded.


    "So far as I''ve seen, Ambraz never makes mistakes in percentages," she said with a grin.


    Irwin let out a content hum as he picked up the card and looked at the Emerald green borders before nodding as he turned to them.


    "It''s not a hundred percent, but it''s not bad."


    Scintilla suppressed the urge to laugh as she saw Driseog hesitantly accept the card. He''d already seen so much of Irwin''s work. How come just seeing him make one made such a difference?


    "Thank you, Smith Irwin," Driseog said, looking up. "We- we didn''t discuss a price. If you want, I could offer you what I think it would fetch during an auction?"


    Scintilla tuned out the discussion, walking to the window and staring out across the square. Dozens of people were walking around.


    --


    Half a day later, Irwin walked through the city away from Balarn''s smithy. The other''s words still echoed through his head.


    "So, I guess we won''t be back here anytime soon," he said. "Sorry, we don''t have time to do the things you wanted to do."


    "It''s fine, we can have Driseog bring us things," Scintilla said. "Besides, you heard Balarn. We aren''t to return here until the other offworlders are gone."


    The mentioning of Driseog reminded Irwin of the stack of cards stuffed in his pocket. With those, he was sure he would be busy for the next half year, especially as Driseog had promised to send more. Scintilla had been curious why he had preferred lots of cheap cards, and he''d explained he needed them for practice.


    Reaching the square that held the Greenbark Mission center, Irwin noticed a large gathering of people near one of the mission centers. He vaguely recalled having visited it when he first came here, and it was specialized in armor cards.


    "I wonder what''s going on there," he muttered.


    The crowd roiled around, a conflict seeming to happen in the center.


    "Let''s get out of here," Scintilla suddenly muttered as she grabbed him. The world turned into a blur of fiery red, and a moment later, Irwin landed on smooth wood, looking at a surprised Driseog. Scintilla was standing beside him, breathing heavily.


    "Scintilla, what-"


    "There are Niox there," she croaked, taking more deep breaths and slowly seeming to regain her composure.


    "What? Where?" Driseog asked as he walked around the desk.


    "There''s something happening outside," Irwin said.


    Driseog hummed, then walked behind the desk. Irwin saw him move his hands. Then he heard a soft click. He was about to ask when a rustle came from behind, and he spun to see the older Viridian teleporter standing in the center of the mission center. He was holding a short-handled ax Irwin hadn''t seen him carry before, looking around with cold, calculating eyes. When he didn''t seem to find anything, he turned to Driseog.


    "Master?"


    "Get Smith Irwin and his friend out of here right away," Driseog said as he walked forward, holding out a packet. "Teleport from here. I''ll clean up later. Then, return to Yuulin immediately after, give her this card, and get her offworld. It''s about time she returned to the academy."


    "Immediately," the Viridian said, turning to Irwin. "Prepare yourself."


    Surprised and slightly worried, Irwin turned to Driseog. Something about Driseog''s reaction felt extreme to him, but Driseog began talking before he could ask something.


    "Smith Irwin, I''ll have Gadorley bring all the cheap, low-rank cards I can find. Until then, I would suggest you keep an eye out," the Viridian said while heading to the door to his private area.


    Irwin closed his mouth with a snap and nodded. Part of him remembered the name of the old teleporter for later.


    "Thanks, Driseog. Stay safe."


    "Don''t worry about me, Smith Irwin. Worry about anyone who tries to mess with my Greenbark Mission Center. Now, please, leave."


    Irwin frowned, then walked to Gadorley, who was surrounded by an area of green light. Tiny plants were shooting out of the wood, growing longer and wrapping around them as more came from shelves, walls, and the ceiling. Irwin had seen the effect a few times now but never inside a building, and as the cocoon of vegetation wrapped around him, he felt a bit of sympathy with Driseog for having to fix it all later. Then the world turned into a bright flash of green light, and he suddenly appeared on the ground before his smithy.


    The heat from the sun washed over him, and he saw a few people walking around stop and stare at them curiously.


    "Smith Irwin, I need to leave, but I''m sure we will meet again," Gadorley said.


    Irwin nodded and watched as green vines ripped from the ground, wrapping the man up before the entire construct shivered, awash with green light. Then the plants slumped to the ground.


    "That looks so strange," Irwin muttered, looking at Scintilla. "Is it just me, or does it feel like there''s more going on than they are telling us?"


    Scintilla shrugged, smiling up into the sun. "I''m pretty sure Balarn would have told you if something was up. It''s just in your head! Come on, let''s go and see if Greldo is back yet! I can''t wait to see his face when you give him his final card!"


    "He''s still on a mission," Irwin shouted. "He shouldn''t be back for another few weeks!"


    "Who knows, he might have finished earlier!"


    Irwin snorted as he watched her run toward the smithy. As she disappeared into the door, he glanced at the plants and frowned.


    I''ll talk with Crithann and see what he thinks, he thought before walking after Scintilla.


    --


    Nearly two weeks later, Irwin was walking beside Crithann as they headed back to town. His neck was sore, and he cracked it. Dozens of villagers were watching them from the walls, a few waving and shouting something. He ignored most of it, annoyed that Crithann had managed to get the better of him. Again.


    "You managed to increase your skill once more," Crithann rumbled.


    "If you say so," Irwin replied, thinking back to how Crithann had managed to lock him down with plants before hurling him into the air so high he''d been able to see across the wall.


    "I do," Crithann grunted, elbowing him hard enough to cause him to stumble to the side.


    Irwin looked up to see his mentor looking at him with deeply glowing eyes.


    "For someone without even a heartcard, you are doing exceptionally well. I am not specialized in battle, but one doesn''t become as old as me without learning a thing or two. You might not be able to beat the students of the warrior academies, but any random thug would stand no chance."


    "Unless they have a soulcard," Irwin said.


    "Of course," Crithann said. "Which you will get with time."


    Irwin didn''t respond, instead noticing a familiar figure on the wall, waving at him.


    "I see your friend is back," Crithann said. "I am curious to see what his last card will become!"


    "Something amazing, of course," Ambraz said from Irwin''s shoulder. "Seeing as we will reforge it."


    Irwin grinned but didn''t correct Ambraz. Over the last few weeks, his smithing had improved a bit again, and he couldn''t wait to figure out what to do with Greldo''s card. Even if he couldn''t reforge it up to Ruby yet, at least he could get it the next step up.


    Greldo met them near the gate, his face weary but his eyes burning like tiny suns.


    "Is it true?!" he shouted while Irwin was still a few dozen feet away.


    Irwin kept his face smooth and didn''t reply, walking forward slowly. When he reached the gate, Greldo was glaring at him.


    "Come on, Irwin! Scintilla said that you''ve got my card?"


    Irwin blinked, trying to contain his smile. "Perhaps."


    "So it''s true! That is awesome! Let me see it," Greldo shouted, showing he must have failed.


    Deciding he''d had his fun, Irwin grinned widely.


    "Talk to you soon, Crithann," he said as he dashed off towards the smithy.


    Greldo easily caught up, and when they reached the smithy, they saw Scintilla waiting for them.


    "You told him before I could," Irwin said, shaking his head.


    "You should have seen his face!" Scintilla laughed, making a mock look of shock.


    "It wasn''t that bad," Greldo said, but Irwin saw his friend couldn''t keep his face straight.


    "Let''s go! It''s inside the smithy," Irwin said, walking inside.


    A few minutes later, they were sitting around the stone table in the living room, Greldo staring at the card with glittering eyes.


    "I almost just wanna slot it now," he said, seeming to have to hold himself from doing just that.


    "Don''t," Irwin said. "If you want a chance to take others along as you teleport, we are going to need to reforge it."


    "Yes, yes. I know. When are you¡­"


    "Ambraz said we need to inspect your other shadow card first. That way, we can find the best way to integrate it, so when you get your heartcard you don''t lose out too much."


    Greldo nodded vigorously, raising his left hand and closing his eyes. A moment later, a card hovered above it. It was little more than a shadow, and Irwin leaned forward, curious. He hadn''t seen this card, as it was Greldo''s third, but he quickly knew that it was, at best, a Topaz card.


    "Where did you even manage to get a Topaz card back on Giard?" Irwin asked in surprise.


    "I''m just that great," Greldo said with a grin. Then he looked at the card, and for a moment, a look of pain crossed his face. "It was the thing that dropped from a linchpin I killed inside a really nasty portal."


    Irwin felt his joy fade slightly. Then he forced a smile on his face.


    "Well, at least we can''t reforge it anymore," he said.


    Greldo shuddered. "Yeah. I''m glad I don''t have to make that decision," his friend said with a grimace.


    "It would have been better if you could have," Ambraz muttered from the side. "As it is now, you are going to have to wait till we can reforge the new card to Ruby."


    "Serious? Can''t you just¡­ reforge it so it can do what I need at Emerald?" Greldo asked.


    "No. Even though there is great synergy between this card and the teleport one, there isn''t enough energy in this one. If we combine them, even if you could teleport with one or two others, you wouldn''t have the energy to survive it," Ambraz said before letting out a snorted laugh. "Worse, you might all end up in chaos space beyond the portal barrier."


    "Great¡­ so, how long will that take?" Greldo asked, leaning back and staring wistfully at the card.


    Irwin shrugged. "A year, maybe two?" he said, looking at Ambraz and feeling unsure.


    He''d made a lot of progress over the last few months, but he still couldn''t create truly flawless, let alone perfect Emerald rank cards. According to Ambraz, that would be the first step.


    "Probably a year," Ambraz said thoughtfully. "Though, that''s assuming you get to watch an established Ruby rank smith at work, creating a heartcard."


    Thinking about that, Irwin felt excitement at the prospect.


    "Well¡­ I guess I''ll leave this with you then," Greldo said, slowly pushing the card back. "It''d be horrible if I somehow lose it on a mission."


    "Are you still continuing on the missions?" Irwin asked in surprise. "I mean¡­ we have the card here. Right?"


    The look of disbelief on Greldo''s face made him confused.


    "Listen, Irwin, I don''t want to be completely dependent on you, alright?" Greldo finally said. "I''ve started collecting shadow cards, and will continue to do so for as long as I can."


    Irwin nodded, feeling slightly stupid. Greldo had told him a few times that he was worried about that. Then he recalled the massive stack of cards he had now and hummed.


    "Well, that''s all good," he said, glaring at his friend. "But if I find any cards that will help you, you better accept them. Or you will make me feel sad!"


    Greldo looked back, then rolled his eyes.


    "Yeah, yeah. Fine," he muttered.


    "This is the weirdest conversation I''ve ever heard," Scintilla said from the side, and Irwin saw she was leaning on her elbows, head in her hands, shaking it in dismay.


    Irwin leaned back, smiling at her, then at Greldo, who was grinning back.


    "That''s just because you haven''t heard us talk enough," he said.


    Scintilla groaned and got up. "I''ll go and get some food. Don''t run off."


    Irwin laughed as he watched her run out of the door before turning to Greldo.


    "I''ve got some news from Balarn," he said. "You''re not going to like it."


    "Of course I''m not," Greldo said, letting out a weary sigh as he leaned back in his chair.

 Chapter 151: [Hidden]

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    "It''s probably because some of those traders prefer trading lots of these useless cards for one or two high-quality ones," Ambraz said.


    Irwin gazed at the sorted stacks across the table, shaking his head.


    Over the last few months, Gadorley had returned twice more. Besides news about some heated conflicts and the eviction of a group of merchants that had been found selling illegal memory-alteration cards, Irwin was shocked by the number of cards he gave. Although nearly all of them were what was commonly deemed ''useless'' or close to, the sheer quantity of them made Irwin wonder how many demons must have been hunted and killed for them.


    "Perhaps, but there''s nearly a thousand cards here," Irwin said, looking up. "Imagine if we reforged them all, and I handed them out in my hometown?"


    "To do what? Create a town filled with people using cards to increase their baking skills or with the ability to wash a dozen sets of clothes in a minute?" Ambraz said with a loud snort.


    Irwin sighed, staring at the card in question.


    "Alright. Enough procrastinating," Ambraz said before he began humming an incredibly intricate song.


    Irwin nodded, got up, and began pacing through the room as he listened to the hum. The melody seemed to flow through him, almost sounding familiar in its beauty. At one point, Ambraz''s hum became a melodious rising and falling, and as much as Irwin enjoyed it, he grimaced as he recognized it from the previous times Ambraz had hummed the entire tune.


    "So, we got to this part," he muttered when Ambraz stopped.


    "Yeah, after this, there are two variations of things you''ve already learned. Now, try and do what I just did a few times. I''ll correct you after a while."


    Irwin nodded and stood still in his smithy. Closing his eyes, he recalled where Ambraz had started and tried to recreate the hum. Within moments, he knew he was making dozens of mistakes, but for now, he focused on the main rhythm. As with most songs he heard, he managed to roughly complete it, the sounds somehow seeming to linger in his mind. It also helped that his cards vibrated happily along with him.


    "You keep surprising me, kid," Ambraz said after he finished.


    "It''s not that hard," Irwin said, shaking his head.


    Ambraz snorted, and they continued until Irwin managed to recreate the hum, albeit with a generous helping of errors and flaws.


    "Alright, now, let''s pick a few cards and attempt to use this," Ambraz said.


    Irwin nodded with a wide grin. One of the ways that helped with both learning and remembering was just using the hum while reforging cards, and it helped that he enjoyed it greatly.


    Ten minutes later, he hastily grabbed the pulsing card from Ambraz''s back, chucking it into the Anvil''s open mouth. A moment later, something exploded.


    "Is it possible to find new paths like this?" he asked as he thought about the card''s reluctance to vibrate along with his hum.


    "Definitely, and with the number of cards we have now, it wouldn''t surprise me if we did. Though, how useful they would be depends on luck."


    "I wonder how the Galadin smiths figured out these things," Irwin muttered.


    "Probably by experimenting for a long time," Ambraz answered. "Now, begin from the start and hum everything. I''ll correct you when needed."


    Irwin nodded.


    --


    The days continued to flow by, filled with smithing practice and humming. Soon, he was able to hum the entire tune, though with plenty of tiny mistakes.


    Besides this, he continued to attempt to purify the ever-shrinking piece of Purperion. The now finger-sized piece of metal had turned nearly completely purple and so rigid that it barely seemed to register even Irwin''s most powerful strikes.


    Finally, late in the afternoon, a few weeks till the year of celebratory auctions would end, Irwin glared at the piece of Purperion. It lay on Ambraz''s surface, the same size of a pinky that it had been for over a week, and refusing to shrink. If it had been finished, Irwin wouldn''t have minded, but there was still at least twenty percent non-purple metal within the tiny thing.


    Worse, from what he could tell, his hope of having his cards grow to Ammolite hadn''t worked.


    "So¡­ any ideas?" he asked. "You wouldn''t happen to be close to another rank-up?"


    Ambraz was quiet for a bit, then sighed. "I have an idea, but you won''t like it."


    Irwin frowned. "Does it involve me using every bit of energy in my cards?"


    "It''s the only thing I can come up with," Ambraz said.


    "Yeah¡­ well, let''s try that in a few weeks after the final Auction then," Irwin said with a sigh. "Can you determine how close my cards are to becoming a higher rank?"


    "No. I can tell you that they are all much stronger than a year ago, especially your hammer card. It should be very close to becoming Emerald. It could happen any day now."


    Irwin grimaced, not enjoying the idea he was about to share.


    "So, should we reforge it then?" he asked, staring at the hammer in his hand. "Otherwise, it might upgrade naturally along the wrong path."


    Ambraz was quiet for a bit before replying.


    "Normally, I''d agree," the Anvil said. "But even though the Purperion isn''t becoming any more pure, your hammer card is still slowly becoming stronger. Well¡­ stronger isn''t the right word. The energy it can hold is still expanding. Besides, there are only two paths it can go along, and both are beneficial to you."


    "Oh? Which ones?" Irwin asked, curious.


    "One will change it to be quickened, increasing the speed with which you can wield it. The other will allow you to increase its size another half."


    Irwin nodded as he thought about the options. If he had a choice, he''d prefer the attack speed, as it would probably help him most in battles. Then again, the larger the hammer, the more force he could apply.


    "Don''t think too much about it," Ambraz said. "When we forge your heartcard, you will likely lose some of the functionality. "


    "When do you think we can attempt Crithann''s card reforge?" Irwin asked, humming the song.


    "At your current speed, I''d say in less than a month," Ambraz replied.


    "Great. I can''t wait to see Lord Urdwellan create a heartcard," Irwin said.


    "Then you had better continue practicing!" Ambraz said.


    Irwin sighed as he closed his eyes and began humming.


    --


    "Irwin!?" Greldo''s voice echoed from outside.


    "Coming!" Irwin said, not bothering to shout as Greldo would pick it up anyway.


    Pocketing the Purperion, he walked out as Ambraz landed on his shoulder. The Galadin hum was playing through his mind, as it usually did over the last few weeks. Ever since he''d started practicing it in its entirety, the speed at which he learned it had increased, and according to Ambraz, he should be ready soon.


    Greldo stood outside, rubbing Coal''s side.


    "I knew you would be in here¡­ don''t you ever get tired of just working all day?" Greldo asked.


    Irwin didn''t bother responding, noticing a fresh bandage on his friend''s arm.


    "Did you go and play with knives again?" he asked.


    "Found a smaller version of Coal over here, but it didn''t like me getting too close," Greldo said. "Anyway, that''s not why I''m here. Gadorley returned, and he is waiting at Crithann''s place."


    It didn''t surprise Irwin in the least. The last day of the auction year had been a few days ago, and he was actually surprised he hadn''t come sooner.


    "Let''s go and see what he has to say," Irwin said.


    "Probably here to take us to Cinder Grove now the festivities are finally over," Greldo snorted.


    During the short trip through the ever-growing town, Irwin noticed another group of people moving into one of the previously empty houses.


    "More people from Cinder Grove?" he asked.


    "Yeah. Apparently, the news of the Heart Tree is still spreading, and lots of them prefer the quiet here."


    Irwin nodded. He couldn''t blame them, though if more and more came, the quiet would become less. Still, he wouldn''t mind if Grianf¨¢l became a bit busier. Knowing nearly everyone around by name was starting to get old, as was having everyone come up to chat. Especially the newer people who all wanted to have him reforge their cards after they heard what he did a year ago.


    When they entered Crithann''s house, the towering Viridian village leader was standing in the entrance hall, talking with Gadorley. As they walked in, Irwin saw Scintilla standing to the side, and he grinned at her.


    "Smith Irwin, it is good to see you again," Gadorley said as he bowed his head. "Lord Urdwellan has asked for your presence in four days. With the last of the offworlders gone, he will hold a final, smaller celebration after which everything should finally return to normal."


    "Tell him I will be happy to come. So, how did the last week of auctions go?" he asked, more than a little curious.


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Gadorley looked back emotionless. "There was a small issue when the Dead Pact Mercenaries refused to leave. They attempted to start a new mission center, trying to use a technicality to remain behind. Lord Urdwellan had to come to get them to leave. However, Master Driseog thinks there might be a few that somehow managed to hide, which is one of the reasons I came early."


    "He thinks they are there for me?" Irwin asked with a frown.


    "The last month saw your name spread even more, and some of those mercenaries came by the master''s mission center a few times, asking about you. Master thinks there''s a large chance that if he is right, they might try and find you."


    "To do what?" Irwin asked, wondering again if those mercenaries had anything to do with the missing smiths and the imps.


    "Unsure," Gadorley said. "Master Driseog just wants you to remain careful when you return. Now, I''ll be back in three days to get Crithann, you, and anyone else you wish to bring."


    "Thank you," Irwin replied as he followed Gadorley back outside.


    A few moments later, a small patch of plants was all that remained of the old Viridian. Irwin moved back inside.


    "How far are you with that song?" Crithann asked.


    Irwin saw a slight hope and gleam in his eyes, and he shrugged.


    "Ambraz said I''m almost ready. I''ll stop the other things and focus fully on it."


    Ambraz snorted but said nothing.


    Crithann''s eyes began gleaming. "Then I''ll bring you the card in two days. It would be best if you could reforge it before we head back. That way, Gebladir can make my heartcard!"


    "I''ll do my best," Irwin said. "But no guarantees."


    "I trust you," Crithann said. "Now, I need to take care of some other things."


    Irwin got the hint, and after a few short words, he left with Greldo.


    "So, does that mean you can reforge my card to Ruby soon?"


    Irwin looked at Greldo. "Do you have any idea how difficult that is?"


    Greldo smirked. "No, luckily, you take care of those things."


    Irwin laughed and shook his head. "I have made a lot of progress, but I''m not sure if I''m ready for that."


    "Not on your own," Ambraz said. "But with some help¡­"


    Irwin looked at his shoulder, more than a little surprised. "Seriously?"


    The Anvil''s gray lips quirked up. "It might cost you a dozen cards, but it''s not like you don''t have enough."


    "Alright, let''s focus on one thing first," Irwin said as he rubbed his hands, ignoring Greldo''s hopeful look.


    "Yeah, fine. Well, I''ve gotta go to the mission center to let the old geezers know I can''t take the new mission after all," Greldo said as he moved in another direction. "I''ll see you tonight!"


    "Will do," Irwin shouted as he turned and headed back to the smithy.


    The remainder of the day, a part of the evening and all of the next day, was fully dedicated to practicing the Galadin song. When Irwin went to bed the day after, the song was constantly playing through his head.


    That night, his dreams were filled with images of silver-eyed, silver-haired smiths, singing and humming in tune as they worked in tandem, striking onyx-colored anvils with golden hammers. A sense of joy and exuberance came with the images, though there was an underlying fear.


    --


    "Ugh¡­" Irwin groaned as he pushed himself up, looking around his room.


    His mind was slowly clearing up, the dreams clearing out like dust swept by a broom, slow and haltingly.


    "What''s the matter, kid? Nightmares?"


    Irwin frowned as he looked at Ambraz sitting on the table nearby. The hum was moving through his mind while his cards were vibrating in tune.


    "No. Just weird dreams about silver-haired smiths," Irwin muttered, the dreams already vanishing as he fully woke up.


    Ambraz hissed something, but when he looked up, the Anvil was flitting towards his shoulder.


    "Well, that sounds like a perfect beginning of a day to attempt and reforge that card!"


    Irwin blinked, a jolt running through his system.


    "You think I''m ready?" he asked.


    "You managed to hum the song perfectly multiple times yesterday, and that''s without me helping," Ambraz said. "Go get some food, shave off that horrible stubble, and meanwhile, hum the song!"


    Irwin grinned as he surged up. The idea of finally finishing something he''d been practicing for such a long time made him feel energized.


    Ten minutes later, he was standing in the smithy, eyes closed, finishing the song a final time. When he opened his eyes, he realized it had been much, much smoother and easier than the day before.


    "Alright. Let''s do this," Ambraz whispered. "Put the card on my back, then start. You remember when to start hitting?"


    "You only told me a hundred times already," Irwin said with a grin as he took the card from his pocket and placed it on Ambraz.


    The card''s green borders were bright against the Anvil''s nearly black surface. They had reforged it to Emerald the days before, which had been remarkably easy and had resulted in a ninety-nine percent flawless card. It had involved a tiny fraction of the song, but Irwin hadn''t noticed anything odd when doing it. Still, he was slightly annoyed that it wasn''t perfect.


    Ambraz had laughed when he''d said that, telling him he was way too spoiled.


    Well, it''s not bad to wish for perfection, Irwin thought as he recalled the moment.


    Taking a deep breath, he summoned his hammer. Flexing his fingers around the ribbed metal grip, he triggered Coperion Body. He''d found that using it during smithing made everything go far more smoothly, and if there were ever a moment for that, this would be it.


    Staring at the card, he began humming, his deep voice, deeper even in his Coperion Body form, rumbling through the smithy. Without having to do anything, his cards began resonating in tune with the song, and his hum became louder.


    As the initial part of the song wound up into a slight crescendo, he brought the hammer down with pinpoint precision.


    The first strike was always important, and he was glad to see the slightly dull and misty image appear without any shaking. It meant his hit had been perfect. An image of a tiny nut, similar to an acorn, hovered before him, two lines like closed eyes in the center of its smooth surface.


    He continued humming and slowly began striking the card in tune with the song. As he did, he felt Ambraz do¡­ something. It was hard to say what exactly, but whatever it was seemed to make the process even more smooth than it had been.


    As time passed, he felt his mind slip into a state of tranquility. It was something that had happened many times but never as strong as right now. Each strike seemed almost effortless, and his cards, all six, hummed in perfect harmony.


    When he reached halfway in the song, a flash came from the card, and some of the bright specs, impurities that led to energy leak out, vanished. Irwin forced himself to continue, but it shocked him as he''d never had anything like that happen before. Immediately, he felt Ambraz do something again, and his concentration returned. Quickly shelving it for later, he tried to let his mind flow back to the state it had been before, but although it was still easy, the tranquility didn''t return.


    When he reached the point of closing the final blotches, the song moved onto a crescendo, and the hum reverberated through his chest so hard he felt it in his hands.


    As he struck the first of the few remaining blotches of potential, energy drained from his cards nearly as fast as when he was working with the Purperion.


    That''s a lot of energy, Irwin thought as he forced his sudden worry away.


    Striking the next one, in tandem with a rise of speed, he sensed a slight disturbance in the way his cards resonated. Using a slight bit of will, he forced them to stay with his hum. More energy drained away, leaving his cards just over three-quarters filled. He quickly counted the remaining blotches. Three to go, meaning he should be fine.


    As he struck again, his latest card, Vaelite Body Enhancement, rebelled, and it took all of his willpower to keep it from interrupting the melody. Ambraz again helped, and this time, he could better sense the Anvil''s actions. It was as he smoothed over the ripples of his card, removing the tiny waves it had created in the overall song.


    Fully focused now, Irwin struck again, and his Vaelite Body Enhancement balked, nearly ripping from his control. His Sweltering Heart reacted, and Irwin heard a soft groan from Ambraz, followed by the two cards being jerked back in line. Still, a tiny, minuscule inconsistency had slipped into the hum.


    One more blotch, ten more strikes, Irwin thought, his jaw now locked tight as he was unable to relax.


    Striking down, he was slightly more prepared when all of the three cards on his right hand jolted, especially his Vaelite card, seeming to bounce. Their resonance became jumbled, and Irwin sensed the melody begin to turn ugly. He barely noticed as Ambraz intervened, instead focusing on his own hum, making it louder while forcing the cards on his left hand to resonate more. Louder. Very slowly, the melody returned, though a tiny dissonance remained as if the melody had turned agitated.


    Irwin gritted his teeth, willing the cards in his right hand back in line. As he struck again, this time not on a blotch, there was no jolt, but the cards still resisted him. With each subsequent strike, Irwin wrestled with the cards while a sense of foreboding grew in him. The song should be joyful and exuberant, but currently, it felt more like a battle hymn.


    As he reached the final, hardest strike, he slammed the hammer down, instantly blinded by a flash. For a few moments, he feared the worst, and then a gong sounded, mostly clear. Blinking away the white spots, Irwin looked down on the Ruby-bordered card before him.


    "Damn¡­" he muttered.


    "Kid- card," Ambraz croaked.


    Hearing barely suppressed pain and weariness, Irwin cursed and spun to the table, snatching a half dozen cards. Without even looking at what they were, he tossed them in Ambraz''s mouth before quickly removing the now Ruby Dryadic seedling card from the Anvil''s surface.


    Loud crunching and slight explosions followed for a while as Irwin stared at Ambraz. Recalling what the Anvil had done made him realize just how much energy it must have taken to keep his cards in line. Even he couldn''t, and they were his own cards!


    When the crunching stopped, Ambraz let out a shivering sigh.


    "You okay?" Irwin asked softly.


    "Yeah. Sleep," Ambraz croaked, and with a bright flash, he turned into his tiny shape.


    Irwin expected him to flit to his shoulder, but Ambraz dropped to the ground with a tick and remained there. Slightly worried, Irwin moved forward and picked him up. Only when he heard the soft snoring did he realize the Anvil was in a deep sleep, as it had said. Taking a sleeveless jacket from a chair, he quickly put it on before putting Ambraz in the deep pocket.


    "Sleep well," he muttered, patting his pocket. "You''ve earned it."


    He looked at the card in his hand, and he couldn''t hold back a wide grin from creeping up on his face. Even though he knew the card wasn''t anywhere in the nineties, perhaps not even an eighty percent one, it was still a ruby rank card.


    For a few moments, he felt exuberant. Then he sighed as reality reasserted itself. It wasn''t like he could have done it without Ambraz or the song. As he thought of the song, he suddenly realized it had stopped playing on repeat in his mind.


    He hesitated, then called up his Eyes of the Blaze, wondering what was so special about the card now.


    Card: Embryonic Dryadic Symbiote


    Type: Ruby, Galadin, Hidden, Reforged by Irwin Roddington


    Owner: -


    [hidden]


    Passive: [hidden]


    Active: [hidden]


    "What the¡­"


    Irwin frowned, trying again, but with a similar result.


    That''s new, he thought as he looked away from the hidden values. Besides the odd name, his eyes fell on the Galadin type.


    He hesitated for a moment, looking at the door, then sat down at the table. Crithann would only need a few hours to slot it and get used to this card, but if he gave it away, he wasn''t going to figure out what was up with it. Ambraz could probably figure out what was going on with it.


    --


    "Think he failed?" Greldo asked as he leaned against the wall, gazing at the door that led into Irwin''s inner smithy.


    "Dunno," Scintilla muttered, pulling her sword out before slamming it back in the sheath nervously.


    "He''s been in there for a while now¡­"


    "Yeah."


    "That last bit of humming sounded weird. Almost like a battle?"


    "I know."


    Greldo looked at Scintilla, noting her gaze seemed to be burning holes in the door, and he shrugged.


    "Think we should knock?"


    Scintilla looked at him, then at the door, obviously hesitating. Then she sighed.


    "No. If he failed, he might want to be alone for a bit. You know how much he and Crithann were fussing over that card."


    "Yeah," Greldo said, looking at the door. He saw Scintilla look at him from the corner of his eye before snorting.


    A long time later, as the sun was setting down, he let out an annoyed grunt.


    "Did he bloody fall asleep in there? I''m done waiting. Let''s go check-"


    The door was pushed open as if on command, and Irwin walked out. He was wearing the sleeveless part of his armor, the front open. Wondering what that was about, Greldo rose and walked to his friend.


    "You okay?"


    The surprised look made him quickly reassess his initial idea.


    "So, you succeeded?"


    "Of course!"


    "Then why did you stay inside so bloody long?" Greldo asked. "We were getting worried!"


    Irwin blinked, then gave Scintilla a quick hug.


    "Let''s go and see Crithann," he said before turning and stomping away.


    Greldo raised his eyebrows at Scintilla, who looked as surprised as he was.


    Now what?


    --


    Irwin frowned as he headed towards Crithann''s home. After waiting for a while, he''d finally risked it and tried to wake Ambraz. He hadn''t actually expected anything, but apparently, the cards he''d fed the Anvil had helped enough, and after some prodding, Ambraz had awoken long enough to investigate the card.


    How come not even Ambraz can''t see what it does? Irwin thought.


    The best Ambraz had been able to see was that the card was eighty-one percent, which was higher than Irwin had thought with how the ending had been botched.


    Arriving at Crithann''s, he knocked on the door. The door almost instantly opened, revealing a worried-looking Crithann.


    "Did.. did you succeed?"


    Irwin felt slightly bad at the incredible worry on his friend- and teacher''s face. Instead of answering, he just held out the card, hiding his worry about the fact that he had no idea what it did.


    "It didn''t become a very high percent," he said.


    Crithann didn''t even respond but took the card, his eyes gleaming and a wide smile appearing.


    "It doesn''t matter," Crithann said before turning to Irwin. "Thank you so much! You have no idea how much you have helped me. I need to slot this and create my fullhand! Find me tomorrow, and I''ll thank you properly!"


    Irwin blinked as the door was shoved shut in his face before turning to the others.


    Greldo was laughing sheepishly, and Irwin shrugged.


    "Time to eat?"

 Chapter 152: Surprises and warnings

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    Irwin shot up, blinking as he tried to figure out what had awoken him. A quick look at the cracks in the window panels showed it was dark outside.


    What¡­?


    He looked to the side, but Scintilla was still sleeping, curled up in a tiny ball with a wide smile on her face.


    "Ambraz¡­?" Irwin whispered as he carefully slid out of bed, scanning the room for the Anvil.


    "I don''t know, but it was powerful," a familiar voice grunted from above.


    Irwin looked up to find Ambraz perched on an edge in the wall near the ceiling.


    "What was it?" Irwin asked, shaking his head, trying to clear the cobwebs. "Why didn''t Scintilla wake up?"


    "It felt like someone forming a fullhand¡­ but it''s weird. That''s normally nowhere near this noticeable," Ambraz said as he whisked down and landed on Irwin''s shoulder. "You probably woke up because your cards resonated with what just happened. People that aren''t smiths aren''t that sensitive."


    Irwin walked to the window and pulled it open. It was dark outside, but a deep red glow was poking over the wall, showing it was almost morning.


    Deciding he wasn''t going to go back to bed, Irwin snuck out of the bedroom. When he reached the living room, Greldo looked up from the couch while Coal''s burning gaze was following his every move.


    "What?" his friend asked in a whisper.


    "Nothing," Irwin said, noting the slight worry in Greldo''s voice. "It seems Crithann got another fullhand."


    Greldo frowned, swinging his legs over the edge of the couch and getting up. "And you sensed that?"


    Irwin shrugged.


    "Well, whatever. Let''s go and get some food ready. It''s going to be a long day."


    "Good idea," Irwin said.


    Trying to be quiet, they began clearing the table and moving some bowls of flaming fruit and dried charbull meat atop, together with water. Halfway through, Scintilla came trudging down.


    "Why in the blazes are you two up so early?" she moaned as she dropped into a chair and snapped up a fruit.


    Irwin sat beside her, quickly explaining what had happened.


    "Wow, that must have been some card," Scintilla said with a mouth full of fruit.


    "Well, we made it," Irwin said with a grin while bobbing his shoulders up and down to jostle Ambraz.


    The Anvil let out a grunt, humming in agreement.


    "Ugh, are you getting a superiority complex?" Greldo snorted from the opposite side of the table.


    "He is just finally realizing how great I am," Ambraz replied.


    Greldo sniffed while Irwin and Scintilla laughed at the antics.


    The day passed calmly, as did the one after. Irwin primarily focused on purifying the Purperion, still hoping to tip his cards over the next hurdle.


    Finally, the day of Gadorley''s return arrived.


    Mid-morning, Gadorley appeared, and they gathered before Crithann''s home. Irwin had knocked, getting a loud: ''I''ll be right there'', which meant they had to wait.


    "So, did all of the offworlders leave?" Irwin asked, standing beside the elderly Viridian teleporter.


    "Officially, yes," Gadorley said. "But Master Driseog told me to warn you that rumors have it that some of the Dead Pact Mercenaries might have remained behind, hiding. "


    Irwin shared a worried look with Scintilla and Greldo.


    They continued waiting, Gadorley seemingly perfectly fine with standing there till Crithann appeared. Finally, almost an hour later, the door to Crithann''s home swung open, and the towering Viridian town leader exited. He was wearing a loose robe Irwin had never seen before, and a thin vine crept around his bare arms.


    Irwin immediately knew there was something more, but as he examined Crithann, he couldn''t put his finger on what. Still, they had been fighting and sparring so many times he knew something was up. The other''s movements, his posture. Something.


    "Sorry to keep you waiting," Crithann rumbled as he joined them, giving Irwin a wide grin as he raised his right hand. Three filled cardslots sat there while beautiful vines surrounded them. "I sent Gebladir a message. He knows I''m ready for another heartcard, and he should be ready."


    Irwin nodded, excitement growing at the prospect of watching another smith, a Ruby rank one at that, create a heartcard.


    "Gadorley, if you will?" Crithann asked.


    "Of course," the Viridian said.


    Irwin looked up in surprise. Gadorley''s voice sounded shaky, and as he gazed at the other, he realized the older Viridian''s gaze was locked on the vines around Crithann''s arms. Still, the green glow of teleportation and the rippling of plants and vegetation came as always, and a moment later, they were wrapped in a cocoon of green.


    They appeared in front of the lake moments later. The incredibly busy market was gone, though the disturbed ground showed where it had been. Beyond that, due to it being daytime, very few people were out and about.


    Gadorley moved away immediately, and Irwin followed him, wondering what was going on. He looked up at Crithann only to get a wide, knowing grin.


    "You will find out soon," Crithann rumbled.


    Irwin hadn''t seen the other as happy as this before, and as the towering Viridian moved ahead to walk beside Gadorley, he noticed a spring in his step.


    "He looks happy," Scintilla said.


    "I guess that whatever heartcard he is going to create was a long time in the making," Irwin agreed.


    The trip to Lord Urdwellan''s house was quick, though Irwin was surprised to see guards standing at the doors. As he walked past them, he saw both Viridians take a step back and ogle Crithann''s arms.


    Getting ever more curious, Irwin followed them to the main room. The doors were closed, and as Crithann opened them, a soft tune began playing.


    "What¡­" Crithann rumbled, his face filled with surprise.


    Irwin could fully understand his reaction. The entire room was filled with well-dressed Viridians, a group of them creating soft, beautiful music to the side. Lord Urdwellan stood before a large chair positioned near the head of a table. Yuustis, his gray Ganvil, sat on his shoulder, lips pressed in a line, obviously not happy. It was the only one.


    "Did you seriously think you could get away with this without my knowledge?" Lord Urdwellan said, a wide smile on his face. "Come now, Cousin! I''ve known you ever since we were tiny saplings!"


    A soft, good-natured chatter ran through the room, and Irwin shook his head.


    This isn''t at all what I had expected, he thought, knowing from Crithann''s quiet, stunned look he wasn''t the only one.


    ¡°Geblader¡­ you¡­¡±


    "As soon as Irwin bid on the Dryadic card, I knew," Lord Urdwellan said, staring at his cousin quietly. "I have been keeping any information from leaking out ever since, and all these-" he waved at the mass of smiling, quiet Viridians, "- are people who I have known for a very long time. All were selected by me, and they all think what you are doing is for the good of the Eternal Grove."


    Crithann''s old, bark-creased face went from stunned to happy to calm, and he finally walked forward.


    "I thought you might¡­"


    "I understand," Lord Urdwellan said. "And any of the others would have tried to stop you. But I know you, and over the last few years, you have proven again and again that all you ever want is for the good of all. I wouldn''t know of anyone who would be better as the first Soultree in centuries."


    A hushed quiet went through the room while Irwin looked at Crithann.


    Soultree?


    "We are here to celebrate your eventual addition to the Soulgrove," Lord Urdwellan said, and on cue, the music turned from soft and mellow to exuberant. The other Viridians moved to smaller tables, and soon, a pleasant chatter filled the room.


    Irwin followed Crithann, who walked to the main table and sat down beside Lord Urdwellan. He whispered something that Irwin didn''t catch.


    "So¡­ a party," Greldo said as he sank on one side of Irwin, Scintilla already on the other. "Not exactly what we''d been expecting."


    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    "I have the feeling that was planned," Irwin agreed as he looked at Lord Urdwellan.


    "Indeed it was, Junior Irwin," Lord Urdwellan said with a wide grin.


    "Junior? More like a punk," Yuustis snapped.


    "Shut it, rustbucket," Ambraz said, his wings fluttering.


    "What did you call me, bratty second-ranked commoner?" Yuustis growled, hovering from Lord Urdwellan''s shoulder. A blurred movement came, then a hand gripped him, and Lord Urdwellan plopped him back on his shoulder.


    "Yuustis," he said calmly. "Remember what we discussed. No talking and stay on my shoulder."


    "Bah," the Anvil grunted, but to Irwin''s surprise, he complied.


    "Hah, rusty-" Ambraz began, only for Irwin to lower his shoulder abruptly and the Anvil to yelp. "Hey!"


    "Not helping," Irwin said. Then he hesitated and turned to Ambraz. "But thanks for standing up for me," he whispered.


    Ambraz''s mouth had opened, probably to complain, only for no word to come out. It closed with a snap, and a smile appeared on the lips.


    "As I was saying, Junior Irwin," Lord Urdwellan said with a grin. "This was indeed planned. I''m afraid even Gadorley didn''t know. I''ll apologize to him later, but I wanted this to be memorable for my cousin." he glanced at Crithann. "He hasn''t had the best treatment by the rest of our family."


    Irwin nodded. Crithann had told him about a few of the things.


    "Now! Enjoy the fest, and in a few hours, the three of us will head to my private smithy," Lord Urdwellan said. "I''m curious to hear your opinion on seeing your first heartcard reforging. I recall my own as if it was yesterday."


    Anticipation growing, Irwin nodded.


    Lord Urdwellan turned to Crithann, and they began conversing in a deep, odd language that reminded Irwin of the rustling of leaves.


    As food was brought to the tables and the music became slightly louder and more festive, the happy atmosphere increased. Soon, people were even dancing, and as Irwin gazed at them, he couldn''t help but lean back in wonder at how things had changed.


    The party continued for a few hours, with Scintilla managing to pull him onto the dancefloor, only to stop after a single dance.


    "You really need to learn how to dance," she said as she sat down, smiling at him.


    "Yeah, well, we aren''t all graced with otherworldly agility," Irwin said with a smirk.


    Scintilla laughed, then shook her head. "When we are little, all of us have to practice sword dancing, which helps with these things."


    Irwin imagined Scintilla''s athletic body dancing around and cocked his head. "I''d like to see that some time!"


    "Sure, but only if you try and learn a bit," she said.


    Irwin shrugged. "I can try, though I''m afraid I''m a lost cause."


    "Everyone can learn how to dance," she said. "Look at Greldo."


    Irwin followed her pointed finger to see his friend dancing with a pale green Viridian woman, both laughing as he spun her around, catching her as agile as a cat.


    "Yeah," Irwin said with a smirk. "Another one of you agile people."


    They chatted for a bit longer when Lord Urdwellan moved beside him. While everyone had been moving around, from table to table, eating and dancing, he had been with Crithann, talking.


    "It is time," he said, turning to Scintilla. "I''m afraid you can''t join him where we are going, but I promise I''ll take great care of him."


    Scintilla had turned quiet, looking at Irwin.


    Realizing she was actually asking him if he was okay with it, Irwin quickly rose and nodded.


    "It''s fine," he said, wondering what this was suddenly about. They knew Crithann; he was a friend, and Lord Urdwellan hadn''t done anything but help.


    "Don''t look so surprised, Junior," Lord Urdwellan said with a smile. "She is registered as one of your two guards, so officially, she would be required to accompany you."


    Irwin looked at the Lord, then at Scintilla, who was looking away with mock innocence.


    "Right," he said, unable to keep a grin from his face.


    "Alright. Hurry back so we can try dancing again," Scintilla said, looking at him and smiling wickedly.


    Irwin raised an eyebrow. Was she seriously asking him to step on her toes again? He wasn''t exactly light. Still, he nodded. With a final wave, he followed Lord Urdwellan.


    They exited through a side entrance, finding Crithann already waiting for them. He seemed more relaxed than Irwin had ever seen him.


    "Let''s go, Irwin. I''m sure you will find this interesting on multiple levels," Crithann rumbled.


    "So¡­ I presume the speaking ban is over now?" Yuustis asked from Lord Urdwellan''s shoulder.


    Irwin flinched, but Lord Urdwellan merely hummed. "If you can be nice. Yes. If not, I might need to see about cutting down your card consumption."


    "Ughhhhhhhh," Yuustis cried, letting the last syllable stutter on as if something was being dragged across ribbed metal.


    Irwin heard a tiny snicker from his shoulder but was surprised and happy that Ambraz remained quiet.


    They continued down and deeper into the building, and as the sounds of the city and others dulled, a sense of being enclosed came to Irwin. Finally, they reached a wide, round staircase that led down into the depths. Walking down, Lord Urdwellan looked back at him with sparkling eyes.


    "You might wonder why I placed my smithy so far down and away," he said. "Let''s just say that there was a very good reason for it."


    Crithann grinned but remained quiet, showing he must know what was going on.


    The trip down lasted for ten minutes, and the final bit led in a straight line down to a massive wooden door. Lord Urdwellan placed his hand on the center of the door, which was bound with bands of metal, some of which Irwin recognized. There was a sense of massive pressure that caused Irwin to take a step back, then the door swung open soundlessly. A massive wave of heat rippled out, startling even Irwin. Heat ripples played through the air ahead, and as he watched inside, a damp heat wrapped around him.


    They were in a cylindrical wooden cave with a single round balcony on one side and two staircases leading up to it. In the center was a spacious redwood slab from which the heat radiated out.


    Taking a deep breath, Irwin felt his body relax, and he couldn''t help but smile.


    "You definitely have the correct cards and predisposition for a smith," Lord Urdwellan said as he continued ahead. The door behind them closed of its own accord. "Yuustis!"


    There was a weary sigh as the other Ganvil shot forward, landing on redwood. There was a blinding flash, and then Irwin saw a massive Anvil stand before them. It was immense, as large as Ambraz had been when he first saw him, and a much duller dark. Thin red lines covered a section on the bottom, causing Irwin to frown in surprise.


    Is that-


    "Told you he was rusty," Ambraz whispered in his ear.


    Irwin held back a grin as he walked forward.


    Lord Urdwellan was standing beside the Anvil, looking tiny.


    "Now, before we continue, I will explain a few things," he said. "First, turning two fullhands into a heartcard is different from all other types of reforging. It''s more difficult than reforging a single card no matter its rank, more energy costly than reforging soulcards, and many Ruby Rank smiths don''t bother after they showcase it one time to prove their rank."


    Irwin gaped. "If that''s true, who makes all the heartcards?"


    Lord Urdwellan smirked. "A few very wealthy smiths, most of whom have their own charter on one of the larger worlds. Your own charter leader, Tensor, is one of them, although he is still young. Due to this, only those too poor to pay for a trip to a more developed world will take the gamble. It is also one of the reasons I don''t usually allow higher-rank smiths here."


    Irwin blinked, then grimaced. "Right, none higher than Topaz?" he said, realizing that meant he was actually too high to be here.


    "Exactly," Lord Urdwellan said. "Do you know what can happen if a smith fails in creating a heartcard?"


    Irwin felt his skin start to crawl, and he shook his head.


    "The best outcome is that the person gaining the heartcard dies a rather gruesome death¡­"


    Irwin had the feeling something heavy was pressing on him, and he swallowed.


    "And the worst?" he whispered.


    "The cards explode, causing a chain reaction with those the smith himself has, in some cases blowing up an area the size of a large city block," Lord Urdwellan said calmly.


    Dammit¡­ Ambraz didn''t tell me that, Irwin thought as he swallowed.


    "Now, there''s no need to be too afraid," Lord Urdwellan said, and Irwin barely managed to hold back a scowl.


    "Because you have a Ganvil," Lord Urdwellan said.


    It was only then that Irwin realized Ambraz was snickering softly.


    "When you reach the level that it deems you ready to attempt it, the worst that can happen is that your target dies," Lord Urdwellan said.


    Irwin froze as the deep green eyes pierced into his.


    "So. I know you have friends you want to help. All Smiths do. Chances are, they will come to you and ask for help to create their heartcards¡­ My genuine advice is to not accept this unless you can have another Ruby rank smith to oversee it. As you will see soon, it is easy to follow the process of creating a heartcard. If you ever need to create a heartcard for someone, and you are not sure of yourself, find another to help you contain any mistakes you might make. They will be able to turn a disastrous outcome into one that is merely less optimal by stepping in to help."


    Irwin watched Lord Urdwellan, feeling gratitude well up inside of him as he thought about Greldo, Daubutim, and all of the others.


    "Thank you," he whispered.


    "It is fine," Lord Urdwellan said. "Normally, your charter master would have told you this, but as you are not with him and growing at an astonishing rate, I decided to prevent misery."


    Lord Urdwellan looked pointedly at Crithann''s right hand.


    "Don''t think crafting that specific Ruby card marks you as a Ruby Rank smith," he said, looking pointedly at Irwin.


    Irwin nodded, and then, for the first time in a long while, he felt his lips dry. He resisted licking them.


    "What if I want to forge my own heartcard?" he asked.


    Lord Urdwellan glanced at his hands, then smiled. "I presume you want to do it yourself?"


    "He does," Ambraz said, sounding very sure of himself.


    There was a snort from Yuustis, which everyone ignored.


    Lord Urdwellan looked at the Anvil, then nodded.


    "I understand. If you wish to create your own heartcard, I can help. There are a few friends and very highly-paying customers arriving in the next few months. You are welcome to watch me create their heartcards. With enough examples and your Ganvil, you should be fine."


    Irwin didn''t have to think on the offer twice, nodding rapidly. "Thank you! I will take you up on that offer," he said. Hearing no comment, not even a snort, from Ambraz, he was pretty sure the other agreed.


    "Good," Lord Urdwellan said. "Then I think it is time for you to witness your first one. And I have to say, the chances of anyone seeing this specific heartcard as their first... You must be blessed by the elder smiths."


    Lord Urdwellan waved to an area near Yuustis. "Stand over there, don''t speak, and observe. I will explain things initially, but when I finally begin, I won''t be able to."


    Irwin took long paces to the designated area before turning to watch what was to ensue.


    "Every smith that reaches Ruby rank and does more than a few heartcards has their own specific ways of dealing with one of the troubles of the process," Lord Urdwellan said as he moved to stand beside the Anvil that dwarfed him. "For me, I have gone with the following."


    A dull green light rippled across Lord Urdwellan, and with an initial foot jolt, his body began growing.


    That is¡­ insane, Irwin thought as he watched the initially similarly sized Viridian rapidly grow to twice, then three times his size, and continue seemingly without any intent to stop.


    When Urdwellan, now a giant in his eyes, had grown for Yuustis to be of an obviously appropriate size, he slowed down.


    "The smith''s size, density, and card quality all influence the amount of energy he has while reforging," Urdwellan said, his voice much deeper and louder. "For regular cards, this is almost never a problem, but with heartcards?"


    The enormous Viridian''s chuckle sounded like distant thunder.


    "I was never one for finesse. While my master used singing and a technique so far superior to mine to do what I will do with a tenth of the energy, I never mastered that, nor will I ever. However-"


    Irwin felt pressure ripple from Lord Urdwellan more intense than the heat of the wooden plate. The Viridian smith raised a hand, and a hammer appeared. It had a pale silvery green haft and head and was currently large enough to flatten a house.


    "-I manage!"


    Irwin didn''t doubt it one bit. Who could even fight something like that? he thought.


    Crithann moved forward, and Irwin couldn''t help but notice a slight trepidation in his eyes. He couldn''t blame him.


    "Cousin, I will do my best to create that which you requested," Lord Urdwellan boomed as he lowered a hand before Crithann.


    Irwin watched in awe as Crithann stepped on the hand and was brought up to the edge of the Anvil.


    "I know you will," Crithann said as he stepped on Yuustis''s surface.


    Irwin felt his heart shudder at the intense power emanating from Lord Urdwellan, and he almost choked as the other raised his massive hammer above Crithann.


    Before he could react, Crithann raised both hands, and an array of six cards in two closely knit groups appeared, hovering above them.


    "Then, let us begin!"


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 Chapter 153: Birth of a heartcard

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    Irwin held his breath as he saw the hammer slowly descend and tap the cards. A vibration rippled out, visible in the heat as any edges became wavy lines, then a new cardslot appeared in the air above Crithann''s hands.


    "The slot looks empty; however, don''t be tricked," Lord Urdwellan spoke, his voice so loud it almost hurt Irwin''s ears. "The cards have already influenced it, limiting the slot to the maximum resonance of these combined cards."


    Irwin nodded, then realized Lord Urdwellan couldn''t see. He kept quiet, though, worried that anything he said might interfere with and jeopardize the heartcard forging.


    A crackle of energy came from the card, drawing his attention. His own cards were trying to resonate along with whatever Lord Urdwellan was doing, and as he focused on the sensation, he realized energy was pouring into the empty cardslot.


    "The first step is to fill the card. The energy it requires depends on a great many things, ranging from the quality and height of the cards to the desired outcome. However, it''s a safe bet that if you use brute force, like me, you will need roughly the same amount of energy as all the cards hold together."


    Irwin grimaced. That means if you want to help someone else, you need to have more energy than them, he thought.


    "The more skilled you are, the more finesse you have, the less energy you need," Ambraz whispered in his ears. "You are not on a path that requires mere brute force."


    Irwin nodded as he watched the cardslot crackle with green bolts of energy. The sensation was both intoxicating and scary, as the sea of energy pushed inside felt already far more than he had. The process lasted for a long time, but he barely noticed.


    "Now, with the cardslot supplied with energy, we begin the difficult task," Lord Urdwellan said, and Irwin felt a deep vibration coming from the smith. "From this moment, I won''t be able to speak, so watch and learn!"


    Crithann''s cards began vibrating, and two sets of melodies, multifaceted hums, echoed out. Irwin instantly recognized them to be the resonance of Crithann''s cards, and as he listened and felt, he noticed that both sets were similar, but not quite. The tune of the left fullhand gave off a happy, joyful exuberance, while the other felt more melancholic. There was also a tiny bit of dissonance in the right hand, as if one of the cards wasn''t perfectly in line with the others.


    For a second, Irwin feared it was the ruby card he''d reforged, that it was his incompetence. Then the resonance became clearer, and he realized it was the middle, second card.


    "There''s something wrong with that second card," he whispered.


    "Yes," Ambraz rumbled. "It''s intentional. The difference between the first and the third is too vast. I think he used the second to bridge the gap so he could still combine it. Still, it must have been hell to manage."


    The resonance surged up, and Irwin saw Lord Urdwellan''s shoulder shudder with tension. The hammer, however, remained in place. A new melody, clearer and louder, joined the hum, and Irwin gasped as he realized what was happening.


    He is recreating the resonance of one of those first cards¡­ but not exactly!


    Watching in stunned awe, he listened as the tune changed slightly before a ripple went through the new heartcard slot. A faint outline became apparent, more a cloud than anything he could make out.


    As the new melody became louder, parts of the original song seemed to dull and quiet. It wasn''t from either one but seemed to be taken from all.


    Instinctively, Irwin closed his eyes and focused on the sounds. A tiny resonance came from his hammer card, and the sounds, vibrations, and tiny hums became clearer.


    He is taking parts of the¡­ songs and combining them to form a new song, he thought as he listened in rapture.


    Another part of the original song dimed as a second, happy humm joined the new song. As it did, Irwin sensed the original song turned darker, grim, and dangerous. It felt like, with parts of the resonance gone, the song seemed ready to crumple in upon itself.


    "He is ripping the song apart, meaning he needs to reinforce what remains with his own energy and the resonance of his own cards," Ambraz whispered. "I have never seen someone use this method, and if he didn''t have the insane energy he does, I would call it suicide."


    Irwin didn''t respond, but even without more in-depth knowledge, he understood Ambraz''s reasoning. He agreed with it, too. The energy required to keep the original full hands, if you could even call them that, balanced would be far beyond what he was currently capable of. He also didn''t need anyone to point out what would happen if Lord Urdwellan lost his focus. The rippling energy -on the verge of becoming out of control- made his skin crawl. If that song collapsed in upon itself, he wasn''t sure if even the depth of the tree would save those outside from the explosion that would follow.


    Lord Urdwellan continued, and as time crawled by, the new song became louder and more complex than the original had been. Tiny changes and larger ones had been made to the parts of the previous whole, creating something new.


    How does he even know what to pick and choose? Irwin thought as he felt a slight sense of doom at the thought he might have to do this.


    Finally, when the original song was no more than disjointed pangs of vibrations, any beauty long since gone, Irwin opened his eyes.


    Lord Urdwellan was shaking, his arms and face tense. But his hammer remained motionless, and below it was a beautiful card. Bright with a pale green light, it showed a budding tree, vines rippling around it, and a single fruit, startling and red, on one side.


    "Now, pay attention. This part is the last, but not less dangerous," Ambraz whispered.


    Irwin didn''t need the warning. He knew there was something very important left. As bright as it gleamed, the energy that had been poured into the new heartcard was nearly gone. At the same time, the energy in what remained of the now dull and listless handcards seemed ready to burst. It needs a place to go, an outlet.


    "He''s going to feed the energy into the new card," Irwin whispered.


    "Failure on this step is what causes the target to die," Ambraz responded.


    Irwin gritted his teeth, taking a quick look at Crithann. The Viridian had his eyes closed, head angled back, and jaw set. The shaking in his legs showed how much effort he was giving to remain standing.


    By Gelwin''s beard, how did they ever figure this out the first time? Irwin thought as he pictured the first smiths to practice this craft. How many had exploded, and how many had killed their charge?


    The hammer moved, and Irwin''s eyes widened as it swung to the side before slamming into the right fullhand, shattering it into gleaming specs. A boom resonated out, and he felt the energy explode outward in a frenzy, only to be blocked by a new, powerful song. It was deep and calm, like the depths of a sea.


    "The smith''s cards need to resonate in such a way to contain the energy and funnel it down," Ambraz said.


    Irwin didn''t respond, watching as the hammer swung around and struck the left fullhand, and it shattered, the specs joining the first to form a cloud of rippling chaotic energy.


    A barrier seemed to form around it, with a single opening, and with a sudden surge, the specs of energy burst through it into the new heartcard. The song, which had become weak to the point of barely audible, surged up rapidly, growing into a crescendo.


    Crithann lowered his hands, the cardslots on his hands empty once again while the heartslot was singing its birth song, loud and exuberant. It lasted for a short while before the card lowered to Crithann''s chest.


    "Success," Lord Urdwellan grunted, his voice strained.


    He almost hastily picked up Crithann, placing him on the ground, before stepping back. His body shrunk rapidly before returning to its initial size while the hammer vanished as if it never was.


    Irwin watched the smith as he leaned against the Anvil.


    How am I supposed to do this? he thought, imagining himself keeping control over the energy, creating the cards into something new and still making sure nothing exploded.


    "That rustbucket didn''t help him," Ambraz whispered, so soft Irwin could barely hear it. Still, the barely controlled anger came through nonetheless. "I''d never let you do everything like that."


    Irwin looked up in surprise, noticing Ambraz''s lips were curved down.


    "To become the best requires both of us to do our best," Ambraz whispered.


    "Thanks," Irwin whispered, feeling a sudden comradery and connection with Ambraz that he hadn''t had before. He could hear how upset the other was, even though he wasn''t completely sure why.


    Heavy footsteps made him look up, and he saw Lord Urdwellan and Crithann moving toward him. It was surprising to see Crithann''s now silvery eyes.


    "I will need a short while to recover," Lord Urdwellan said as he smiled at Irwin with weary tiredness. "You can join me in my working quarters."


    Irwin nodded, not sure what to say. He wanted to thank the other smith for letting him see what this meant, but he could see Lord Urdwellan had no energy for a chat. So he simply smiled and followed the two Viridians up the nearest stairs. The room above was filled with bookcases, tables, and a single massive bed far to the side. It was filled with leaves that somehow seemed linked together.


    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    Lord Urdwellan sank down in a large chair, leaned back, and closed his eyes.


    Irwin looked at Crithann, who motioned to a table at the other side of the large area, and Irwin followed him there. When they were sitting opposite each other, he noticed Crithann''s eyes were less bright and silvery than before. The other must have seen him look because he laughed softly.


    "After you gain your first soulcard, you learn to control the soulforce enough to stop it from leaking out. But, the short while after forming a new one, it always takes a bit."


    Irwin nodded, watching his friend before looking at his empty hands. The sockets were still faintly noticeable but fading rapidly. He knew they would eventually dissipate, only to return after the heartcard had turned into a soulcard. Or, if there weren''t any more empty slots for a soulcard, never.


    "So¡­ what are you going to do now?"


    Crithann leaned back, smiling sadly. "I will slowly fill this card while finding my replacement to lead Grianf¨¢l."


    Irwin blinked, cocking his head at that. "Why? Are you leaving?"


    Crithann watched him quietly, then sighed. "In a manner of speaking. This heartcard is special and something unique to my people. When I fill it up, and the soulcard appears, I will change into a soultree."


    Irwin blinked. "What does that mean?" he asked, getting a bad feeling.


    "It means that I will stop being myself and change into something different. Soultrees make up the soulgrove, a place spread across the many worlds my people inhabit. Those of us that join it become part of the leadership of my people."


    "So you will not be able to walk around? Like, an actual tree?"


    "Yes. I will become a tree as large as the heartree, turning Scour into the next true Viridian world."


    Irwin sat back, staring at the calm Viridian and imagining him changed into a massive tree. He didn''t have to ask if the other was sure. He''d been planning this for Gelwin knew how long. Still, it felt... weird.


    "What will happen to you?" Irwin asked, trying to articulate what he felt.


    Crithann sighed and leaned back, the chair creaking slightly.


    "My body will become like a sapling, my feet and legs digging into the ground, and I''ll become rigid in mind. At the same time, my mind will expand, and as my new body grows more and more, my mind will grow exponentially. Eventually, my soul will absorb my soulskills, and I will connect to a special soulroot network. As soon as I do, my mind will become able to host other minds, and I''ll become a funnel for the young Viridians to grow and learn."


    Irwin gazed at his mentor and friend as he spoke, his expression becoming more and more happy, his voice rising.


    "Eventually, I''ll join the soulgrove as an elder!"


    "Why¡­?" Irwin asked, and when he saw Crithann frown. "Why do you want to be an elder?"


    Crithann gazed at him, then took a deep breath, exhaling it slowly as he stared off into the distance.


    "Currently, those on the main worlds of my kind, Viridas especially, believe that might makes right," Crithann said, his voice becoming deep and sad. "Those of us you see here, those that followed Gebladir here, are the exceptions. The others believe all worlds are sacred, and harvesting even the readily available resources is an affront to nature. As calm as things seem here, far away, wars are fought. Minor in the grand scheme of things, but¡­ my people are ostracizing themselves. If they continue like this, eventually, we will not be welcome in other places."


    Irwin frowned, trying to follow what the other meant. Crithann didn''t seem to see his confusion, continuing while staring off into the distance.


    "It wasn''t always like this, but a thousand years ago, the balance in the soulgrove was shattered. Four elders fell into their final slumber, their trees slowly withering. Three of them believed, like me, that nature is strong and tenacious! As long as we keep a balance, as long as we are there to keep the balance on other worlds, things will remain alright," Crithann said before turning to Irwin. "My great-great-grandmother was one of the elders that perished, as was another elder in my family. For many years, my mother tried to become strong enough to join the soulgrove, but¡­"


    Irwin watched as Crithann seemed to drift into memories. Curious but not wanting to disturb the other, he held back his questions, waiting until he saw Crithann''s eyes focused on him.


    "So, why don''t more Viridians just join the soulgrove?" Irwin asked. "As rare as that Dryadic seedling card was, there should be plenty more, especially on more vegetation-filled worlds.."


    A look of sadness came to Crithann, and he shook his head.


    "My people search far and wide for these cards, and the only place they would have gone for as little as this was one as far from where we are as this one. Besides, the card needs to be reforged in one of the ancient ways, and someone would need to choose all of their cards in such a way as to make it doable. Very few wish to sacrifice that much."


    Irwin frowned, getting the feeling that as much as that made it more difficult, he felt like many more than just a few should be able to join it over the course of the time periods Crithann was talking about.


    "Crithann, it would probably be best to explain it to your young apprentice a bit more," Lord Urdwellan said as he moved to their table and sat down.


    Apprentice?


    Irwin looked up in surprise, as much by the name as the fact that he''d not heard the not exactly nimble Viridian approach.


    "Cousin, is that wise?" Crithann asked, looking up.


    "Not too much, but let me," Lord Urdwellan said as he focused on Irwin.


    "Elders come and go, not very fast, but every few years, some die, and some new ones come. However, those like me and Crithann, who favor balance and an active role, remain in the minority. There is another problem, however, and one Crithann seems to want to remain obscured."


    Crithann grunted. "He does not need to know."


    Irwin frowned, looking between the two stoic tree men. Time ticked by, and he realized Crithann actually didn''t want to continue.


    "Well, you can''t very well leave us hanging like that, can you!" Ambraz suddenly blurted. "Fess up! What''s going on!"


    Irwin felt a sudden wave of gratitude for Ambraz''s brash personality. He had no idea if he would have just asked like that.


    Crithann focused on Ambraz, then on Irwin, and sighed.


    "Moving from Viridian to Virtree is not without risk," he grunted. "There is no need for you to worry, so I''d rather you didn''t know, but fine. It is possible that I''ll lose my mind, turning into nothing but a simple tree during the process."


    Irwin grimaced. "How big is that chance?" he asked.


    "One in ten succeed," Lord Urdwellan said.


    Yeah, that would explain why there aren''t many, Irwin thought, staring at his friend and mentor sadly.


    The idea of sacrifice wasn''t foreign to him, but he tried to imagine having to turn into a tree¡­ never walking or holding Scintilla ever again. Could he do it for something like this? It took him only a moment to realize he couldn''t, not now. He''d do his best, his utmost best, to save the people in his world, somehow, but if some, or even most of them, did something foolish? No¡­ he wouldn''t be able to sacrifice that much for it.


    Still¡­ as he watched Crithann, he couldn''t help but admire his willpower. He''d planned for this for an incredibly long time and sacrificed much.


    "You told me that others didn''t approve of your card choices?" Irwin asked as he recalled what Crithann had told him long ago.


    "They thought it was a fool''s errand, selecting cards better suited to heal, nourish, and recover," Crithann snorted. "But it was the only way. My mother told me that to become a soultree, a Viridian must only have soulcards that he feels are right. He must never select something that compromises their integrity."


    Irwin saw Crithann drift off again, leaning deeper into the chair.


    A tiny tap made him look up, and he saw Lord Urdwellan had risen and was beckoning him. He rose and followed the other smith, taking a final look at Crithann before walking down the stairs.


    "He will need time," Lord Urdwellan said. "But don''t worry. It will take many years before he will be able to commence the process, and-"


    The Viridian blinked, then let out a brusk laugh. "Well¡­ I say that, but after you leave, I guess everything will have happened before you return."


    Irwin didn''t respond, following along the other back out of the room. The hallway and staircase felt cold compared to the cindering heat of the room, and when he finally reached the top, he realized he''d not asked about the odd hot wood.


    "What was that wood you used below Yuustis," Irwin asked.


    "That was one of the hearts of the heart tree," Lord Urdwellan said with a smile. "It''s one of the reasons I came here because it empowers me to be able to wield the energy you saw. However, as Crithann told you, the opinions on me using it like that back on the main worlds are¡­ let''s just say, divided."


    Irwin nodded. With all he''d just heard, he could imagine that.


    "I''ll make sure not to mention it off-world," he said.


    "That''s much appreciated, though I don''t expect you to run into many Viridians," Lord Urdwellan said. "My people usually prefer cold and wet worlds with abundant natural vegetation."


    Irwin grimaced at the thought of that. Cold would probably not be to-


    A sudden memory of running away from the cold after Numilli had begun absorbing the heart came to him. The cold had rippled around him, and though he''d needed to use his first card, before that, the more normal cold hadn''t bothered him in the slightest.


    Walking back into the main room, the party had stopped, though a few of the musicians were still playing a soft, soothing tune. Greldo and Scintilla were sitting at the lone table still there.


    "I''ll leave you to your friends," Lord Urdwellan said. "Now, I hope you will remember what I told you and what you saw. Don''t attempt to forge someone''s heartcard until you have far more experience!"


    Irwin nodded quickly.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll be very careful," he said.


    "Good," Lord Urdwellan said with a wide smile. "Now, I''ll send you a message when I need to reforge another card. Until then, you are free to go as you will."


    The Viridian ruler of the world nodded, then turned, walking back through the door, which closed after him.


    "So! That took like waaaaay longer than I had thought," Greldo said, waking up beside him.


    "Yes! I wanted another dance," Scintilla said, giving him a mock frown.


    Irwin grinned, and they walked back through the now somewhat familiar hallways. Outside, a guard moved to greet them before they could leave out into the city.


    "Smith Irwin, Gadorley asked me to inform you that he has returned to Greenbark Mission Center. Master Driseog wishes to speak to you."


    Irwin nodded, not surprised in the slightest.


    "Thank you. I''ll head there," he said before walking out into the dark city.


    "It''s quiet compared to the last few months," Greldo muttered. "I like it better like this."


    "Perhaps we should buy you something to plug your ears with," Scintilla said, grinning at him.


    They walked deeper into the city, nearing the massive trunk of the tree.


    They walked through a road that would lead them to the vine basket when Greldo slowed down.


    Irwin looked up and saw Greldo''s eyes flash to a narrow alleyway, his jaw clenched and his hand lowering to his weapons. Immediately he was fully awake.


    "Two figures just appeared there, and another behind you," Ambraz whispered in Irwin''s ear.


    "Another up front," Greldo hissed.


    Irwin looked in the direction they were moving to see a figure stride towards them. His hair stood up straight as he saw the pale white mask and the dark robe barely able to hide the imposing figure.


    Niox¡­ Mercenaries?


    As he saw them, Irwin triggered Coperion Body, Sweltering Heart, and his Vealite kinetic card while stepping forward. If there had been any Viridians around, or if the whole thing with the imps hadn''t happened, he might have acted differently, but now?


    The Niox ahead of him showed no response, and a quick look to the sides showed that none of the others had left their spots of hiding.


    Scintilla moved to the side, hand on her sword, while a soft flash came from behind, followed by Coal''s imposing presence blocking the narrow alleyway.


    Feeling only marginally better, Irwin walked another two steps forward, stomping harder than necessary to harness more kinetic energy. He was ready to summon his hammer as the one-horned, masked figure stopped before him.


    "What do you want," Irwin asked.


    "Come with us peacefully, or we will be required to use force," a dull, growly voice said from behind the mask. At the same time, the telltale sign of soulcard pressure caused the hairs on Irwin''s arm to stand on end.


    Irwin frowned.


    "Where to?"


    "Not your concern," the masked being grunted. "Follow along. Final warning."


    Irwin only hesitated for a second, then he summoned his hammer, stepped forward, and struck at the person before him in a single fluid motion. The hammer moved almost too fast for him to follow, and he prepared to release the pent-up kinetic energy.


    There was a dull thud, and he gazed in dismay at a pale white, heavily veined hand clasped around the head of his hammer. Ripples and thuds came as the kinetic energy seemed to shake his head, but nothing else.


    "Wrong choice."

 Chapter 154: House arrest

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    Irwin reacted on instinct, unsummoning the hammer and using the little kinetic energy he had left to jump back. A blurred motion, too fast to see clearly, flashed past his face, air pulling along with it.


    He landed on his heels, stumbling back and trying to keep his balance while focusing on the blur before him. The Niox moved almost as fast as it had struck, and Irwin barely had time to raise his hands in defense, only for two large white, calloused fists to wrap around his wrists.


    Instantly, he was locked into place, his body shivering with tension as he felt something press down on him.


    The eyes behind the mask were like icy marbles.


    "Impressive for a handcarded," the voice said as the Niox cocked his head. "Sadly, I can''t play with you now, and blocking teleportation won''t help you."


    Blocking- Irwin''s thoughts were interrupted as something struck him on the chin. His head rocked back, and he felt his mind sink into unconsciousness.


    No!


    Screaming at himself, he forced his mind to remain awake, barely succeeding. Without hesitation, he toggled his flame skill, and the world turned crimson as a raging fire erupted from him.


    A startled grunt came, and the pressure around his wrists intensified as the Niox squeezed.


    Vision blurry, Irwin saw the head flicker, and he triggered his Vealite at the same moment as a more powerful blow rocked his face. He felt his nose flatten, something creaking then snapping, while absorbing a massive surge of kinetic energy, as much as jumping from the wall in Grianf¨¢l gave.


    Black spots swirled across his vision, and his legs buckled. Knowing he had no more than a split second before a third blow would knock him out, he let all of the kinetic energy flow to his legs. It was a trick he''d learned over the months to use the energy where he needed it, and after the split second it took to reach his feet, he had it explode out.


    There was a muffled boom, and he was flung up and forward as if he had been hurled by a giant. There was a surprised roar, and then he felt himself sail through the air, dragging something along for a few moments. He slammed into the ground, on his back, the air knocked out of him.


    His vision now a small patch of blurriness surrounded by darkness, he turned his head back. The Niox was lying behind him, fists still around his wrists, its eyes now burning with a cold blue fire. Behind the angry, masked giant, he saw blurry movements.


    A distant, furious roar exploded out over the city, and he jerked, but his arms didn''t move. Then there was a second, even more furious one.


    Irwin instantly recognized the voice. He''d heard it only a short while ago. Then he was rotated against his will, landing with his face in the dirt, before he felt himself be pulled up to dangle from the other''s grip inches from the mask and the burning blue eyes.


    "You are lucky they want you alive," the Niox growled. "I''ll see you soon."


    Something slammed into Irwin''s face, and he was hurled back as the grip on his arms was gone. His vision threatened to go dark, and as much as he struggled, he couldn''t stop his mind from slipping into unconsciousness.


    --


    Irwin felt like groaning as he woke, his wrist hurting and a thudding headache making his head feel like an anvil. There was a distant thunder, and he tried to recall what was wrong. Was it storming? Where-


    "He''s waking up!"


    Greldo''s worried voice caused the image of the Niox to flash in his head.


    Eyes snapping open, he bolted upright, looking around as he subconsciously triggered Coperion Body and formed a hammer in his hand.


    "Calm down!"


    Irwin blinked as he saw Greldo and Scintilla look down on him, both with weapons drawn. The fur across Greldo''s face was burned on one side, blood and bruises showing, while Scintilla''s left arm dangled down uselessly.


    The distant thunder came again, and he looked around to notice the street they had been in was partially destroyed. The buildings had been scorched while two massive pits sat in the center.


    "What is going on? Where are those Mercenaries?" Irwin grunted as he rose. As his increased endurance kicked in, he felt his weariness recede, though his headache remained. It took him a moment to realize it was because his Flame, Coperion Body, and Vealite cards were so drained that they barely had any energy left.


    "You alright?" Scintilla asked, and Irwin looked up to see her eyes focused on his face.


    Somehow, her looking made him realize how much his nose hurt, and he gently touched it only to yank his hand back. His nose was cracked to the side and thick.


    "You need to gently pull it and move the bones back in place," Greldo said. "Or it will remain like that."


    Irwin blinked, seeing Greldo making a pulling gesture with one hand.


    "How do you know?" he asked, noting how odd his voice sounded, almost like he had a cold.


    "It happened to me twice," Greldo said with a shrug. "First time a ranger in Estordon fixed it. The one after that, I had to do it myself. It hurts, but with how fast we heal¡­"


    Irwin grimaced, then touched his nose again. The pain shot through his head like a lance. Pull it? He wasn''t sure if that was a good idea. What if he made it worse?


    "He is right," Scintilla said. "It''s broken, and the bone is stuck sideways. With your healing, if you leave it like this, you''d have to break it again to fix it."


    Irwin gritted his teeth, grabbed his nose, and pulled the tip. Even his greatly enhanced endurance did little to ease the excruciating pain, and he stumbled as he felt the bones crack and screech oddly. At the same time, he knew they were right because a few of the pieces had already started regrowing. Using two hands, he closed his eyes and pushed the bits of bone back into what he hoped was their normal place.


    When he finished, tears were streaming across his face, and he shuddered.


    "Yeah, I had that too," Greldo said with a grimace. "Something about your nose¡­"


    Irwin nodded, causing his head to hurt even more. Still, he faintly felt the pain receding. Trying to distract himself, he looked around. There was no sign of bodies.


    "So¡­ what happened?" he asked.


    "There were five, one for you and two for each of us. They tried to capture me, but I managed to shadowstep away. Tried to help you, but they moved so fast. Bloody silver-eyed-" Greldo ground his teeth.


    "Same here," Scintilla said, stepping forward and pressing her shoulder against his for a moment before moving back. "Either they didn''t know our cards, or they did and thought they could grab us easily."


    As the pain rapidly receded, Irwin felt his mind clear up more. "That Niox said something about being unable to teleport?"


    "Yeah, I heard that," Greldo said. "No idea what he was talking about. I could move around without issue."


    ¡°And Lord Urdwellan?¡±


    "He is damn powerful," Greldo said with a snort. "From what I could hear, I think he literally tore a hole through his own building to get out. I have no idea how he even knew what was going on, but he flew over here! Moved really fast and slammed into the ground over there." Greldo pointed at one of the large indentations in the road.


    "The four we were fighting left before he arrived, while the other one headbutted you away before turning and jumping away, creating that other pit."


    Irwin looked at the indentation and shivered. He could jump pretty far with his Kinetic energy, but leaving such a hole in the stone and root-riddled ground was beyond him.


    A dull explosion boomed from far away, and looking up, he saw distant trees shake and shudder.


    "Let''s go to the Greenbark Mission Center," he said.


    The others nodded, and this time, they sprinted towards the vinebasket leading up.


    As he spun around the corner leading to the square, Irwin nearly tripped. A group of guards surrounded the basket area, weapons brandished. For only a moment, he feared they were mercenaries, then he saw they were all Viridians.


    "Smith Irwin, we are ready to escort you to safety!"


    Irwin blinked as he saw one of the guards run towards him.


    The woman had nearly yellow leaf hair, indicating her age, though her voice sounded young. She had a long-handled ax in one hand and a shield on her arm.


    "How did you know I was coming?" Irwin asked, examining her.


    "I''m Esetta," she said, beckoning him to hurry. "And to answer your question, Lord Urdwellan told me."


    Irwin did as asked, slightly confused.


    "I''m from his personal guard," Esetta said as she grinned and tapped a tiny translucent, golden jewel that pierced a few leaves near her ear.


    Irwin nodded, staring at the jewel, wondering what those were.


    "Bloody happy you are here," Greldo muttered. "But what does that thing do?"


    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    "Communication gem, created by one of the crafters," Esetta replied. "It''s incredibly rare, requires soulforce to run, and binds to the first wearer."


    Irwin eyed it, deciding that he''d try and get one of those if he ever got the chance. As he stepped into the basket, he saw an older man huddled in the corner. Each explosion caused him to shake violently.


    "Get us up to Greenbark Mission Center," Esetta said. "And don''t worry, we won''t let anything happen to you."


    The man scrambled up but didn''t respond as he grabbed the side of the basket. Instantly, it jolted up, moving much faster than it usually did.


    "Any idea what is going on?" Irwin asked as he looked at Esetta.


    "No. I just got a warning to meet you here and bring you to Greenbark Mission Center for a rapid extraction teleport," Esetta said. "I was actually hoping you could tell me."


    "We got ambushed by Niox who wanted to bring me somewhere," Irwin answered, feeling sick as he recalled. First, the imps, now these things. What was going on?


    "I was afraid of that," Esetta muttered, gritting his teeth. "We should have looked harder, but those one-horned rotbranches must have been hiding in some pocket shardrealm."


    "Did any other smiths get taken?" Scintilla asked.


    Irwin felt his blood run cold as he stared at Esetta hard.


    "We don''t know yet, but there are multiple areas with fighting," she said, glancing at the dense forest behind them.


    This is getting ridiculous, Irwin thought.


    The basket came to a shuddering stop, and Esetta jumped out, her hands flicking out in non-verbal orders. The guards around her arrayed themselves to the sides, and Esetta beckoned him forward.


    A few moments later, they were running through the empty level.


    Everyone is probably hiding, Irwin thought as he looked at the closed doors and shutters.


    They reached the mission center square without any issue, and Irwin was surprised to see Driseog stand before the door of the Greenwood Mission Center. Gadorley stood beside him, as did two hooded, dagger-wielding figures.


    Irwin saw a look of relief on Driseog''s face.


    "Smith Irwin, I''m glad you are alright," he said as he moved forward, the others shadowing him.


    "So am I, Driseog," Irwin said, not sure what to add.


    "Gadorley, get us all back," Driseog said.


    Irwin was about to ask where they were going but stopped when he saw Driseog shake his head. A green glow, a wrap-up in leaves and vines, and a jolt later, the distant explosions and rumbles vanished as they landed on a quiet, sandy square. Irwin blinked in surprise at the familiar sight of his Grianf¨¢l smithy.


    A look around showed that besides him, Greldo, and Scintilla, there were half a dozen guards with Esetta and the two dagger-wielding bodyguards and Driseog surrounding him.


    The guards instantly spread out, and he saw a few of them turn into green, leafy hurricanes flickering.


    "What''s going on?" he asked, searching for anything dangerous.


    "Lord Urdwellan asked us to make sure you remained safe here," Driseog said, slowly turning around with his eyes closed, one hand raised.


    After a few moments, he stopped and sighed. "There are only Viridians and Ignitzions here," he said. "Well, and our young friends. Now, let''s head inside and wait till Lord Urdwellan joins us. I''m sure he can explain what is happening."


    Irwin nodded and, after a moment''s hesitation, led the others into the smithy. Esetta and her guards spread out, some even walking up the staircase, while the two bodyguards remained with Driseog.


    "So¡­ you wanted to talk to me?" Irwin asked after they had all sat down.


    "Yes, though not exactly under these circumstances," Dirseog said with a weary smile. "I had been investigating the rumors of some of those Dead Pact Mercenaries remaining behind after the auctions and wanted to warn you personally while giving you this."


    Irwin watched him draw a stack of cards from his inner pocket, handing them over.


    "Oh! That''s great," Ambraz crooned as he flitted from Irwin''s shoulder and flew around the cards.


    "These are all cards that should roughly match the cards you have now," Driseog said. "There aren''t that many because the combination you have isn''t very common, but they should help you after you form your heartcard."


    Irwin blinked as he examined one of the cards, then another. Both were simple cards, one a self-heating pan, the other a flaming dagger.


    "Thank you," Irwin said, nodding at Driseog before pocketing the cards. He already had a few, but there were probably ten or more in this stack.


    "No problem," Driseog said with a smile. "This should be enough to pay you for your help in reforging my daughter''s card."


    "Definitely," Irwin said, actually feeling slightly bad. It had only taken him a little bit of effort, and he''d gained over a hundred simple cards for practice and now these twelve cards for his future heartcard. It felt too much, but he wasn''t going to complain.


    They continued talking for a while until a crackling came from outside.


    Irwin jumped to his feet, glancing at the door where the guards arrayed themself, weapons ready.


    "It''s Lord Urdwellan," Driseog said calmly, causing Irwin to sign in relief. The guards, however, remained where they were until the door opened, and the towering figure of Lord Urdwellan appeared. His head only fit below the door as he walked inside, and when he did, Irwin hissed in surprise.


    Lord Urdwellan''s clothes and armor were ruined, and where his left arm should be, an empty sleeve was dangling down. Crithann followed behind him, followed by Balarn, Monique, and Nimdal. As happy as he was to see the other smiths, Irwin couldn''t tear his gaze from Lord Urdwellan''s missing arm.


    "Don''t worry," Lord Urdwellan said as he moved to the table. "It will regrow in a few months."


    "It what?" Greldo muttered, echoing Irwin''s own thoughts.


    "For us, losing a limb isn''t what it is for you," Crithann said as he slumped in a chair, smiling wearily at Irwin. "Like the branches of a tree, missing extremities can grow back, though how fast depends on the individual."


    "Even the head?" Greldo asked, causing a soft laughter from a few of the guards.


    "No, not the head," Crithann said.


    "That used to be a punishment," Lord Urdwellan said as he tapped the table with a finger. "Traitors would be slowly cut down, starting at the top of the head, then given a short time to regenerate. They would continue until-"


    "Cousin!"


    Irwin swallowed as he watched Lord Urdwellan, who blinked at Crithann''s loud interruption. Then he let out a soft laugh as he shook his head.


    "My apologies. I''m somewhat out of it," Lord Urdwellan said as he stopped tapping. "I didn''t expect to have to fight three-souls in a battle right after reforging a heartcard."


    "If it had been any other moment, they wouldn''t have had a chance," Crithann snapped angrily.


    "Yes, they knew exactly what they were doing," Lord Urdwellan agreed, frowning. "The implications of which worry me greatly¡­"


    Irwin looked at Balarn, who grimaced, then shrugged.


    "So¡­ did they get any other smiths?" Irwin asked.


    A dull growl came, followed by a momentary increase in pressure that made Irwin want to get up and flee. Luckily, it disappeared as fast as it came, though Lord Urdwellan''s tapping had become louder than before.


    "They took the three Emerald Rank smiths that arrived here to learn from me," Lord Urdwellan said, his voice cold and dangerous. "I managed to stop one kidnapping, while your charter-" he glanced at Balarn, "-managed to stop another. However¡­¡±


    Irwin swallowed as he felt the powerful pressure increase again. This time, it lingered before vanishing.


    "Junior."


    Irwin looked at Lord Urdwellan, and he swallowed.


    "I''ve sent a group to the exit portal. They will validate that it is safe, and then one will return. Moving as fast as they could, it will still take weeks, perhaps a month. But as soon as they return, you are to head outside. I thought I had my world safe and in order, but it seems I was wrong."


    The entire room seemed to shake softly as the pressure increased even more, and Irwin felt his body locked into place. The people opposite him that he could see, including Crithann, were as motionless as he was, though he saw Crithann''s jaw was clenching and unclenching..


    "You are welcome to return after one year in the Portal Gallery has gone by," Lord Urdwellan said. "Until then, you and those who will leave with you will remain in Grianf¨¢l. No missions. No exploring. Esetta and her guards will remain to protect you."


    Irwin felt his hair stand on edge, and he wanted to protest, but one look at Lord Urdwellan made him keep his lips together. Something in the other''s eyes almost seemed¡­ unhinged, and the difference from only hours ago made him shiver. What had happened during that battle? Who were those smiths that their capture made Lord Urdwellan look like he was ready to explode?


    "I know there are reasons you are here, but none can be worth your life," Lord Urdwellan said as he rose and looked around.


    His soft words were dismissive, but Irwin still didn''t dare speak.


    "Esetta, if anything happens, contact me immediately. I''ll either send help or come myself."


    "Yes, Lord," Esetta said, her voice barely more than a croak.


    Lord Urdwellan blinked, seeming surprised as he looked back, and then the massive pressure vanished.


    "I¡­ sorry," he muttered as he turned and headed to the door. Then he left, and a moment later, there was a crackling of lightning.


    Everyone around the table looked at each other until Crithann finally sighed.


    "Master Driseog, I am sorry you had to see that," he said.


    Irwin looked up to see Driseog, who had been quiet and seemed largely unfazed.


    "It is alright," Driseog said as he looked around. "I hadn''t heard that there were more Emerald rank smiths here, but I can fully imagine what losing them means. Were they family?"


    Crithann visibly hesitated, then nodded. "Extended, but yes. The only three that were willing to come here."


    "A shame," Driseog said with a weary smile. "We could have used some more high-rank smiths, especially with Smith Irwin soon to be leaving us. Now¡­ I''ll be heading out, but I''ll leave my friends here."


    He watched the two quiet, hooded bodyguards.


    "They will remain here, out of sight, and make sure no oddities occur," he said before turning to Irwin.


    "Young friend, I''ll probably be leaving here in a few years. This mission center is almost up and running, and I have a few promising people to run it. If you end up closer to the main branch, anywhere near Suderfuix, come and find me."


    Irwin nodded, surprised. "I will if I get the chance. Thank you, Driseog," he said.


    Driseog nodded, then rose and walked to the exit. Gadorley had been standing near the door and followed him outside. The two hooded and cloaked figures followed him, then turned and bowed to Crithann before leaving.


    "Suderfuix?" Irwin whispered, looking at Balarn.


    "It''s one of the larger Viridian-run cities in the Portal Gallery," Balarn said, sounding almost as tired as Crithann did. "I''ve never been there, and I''ve heard that traveling there takes months."


    "Almost a year," Crithann rumbled. "But Master Driseog will likely teleport, a luxury not even awarded to most of my family."


    "That''s nice and all," Greldo said, leaning forward. "But what''s all this about us leaving?"


    Crithann smiled ruefully. "There is nothing to do about it. My cousin is the lord of his world, and he has decided it is no longer safe. He has only allowed for a handful of smiths to remain here, most of those still being taught."


    Irwin blinked, then looked around as he noticed there was someone missing.


    "Yogog?" he asked.


    Balarn snorted. "Who would have guessed that grumpy man would be such a gifted teacher?"


    There was a bit of forced laughter from Monique and Nimdal, and Irwin frowned.


    "So he is staying?"


    "For a while longer, until there is one Topaz-ranked smith among those he is training."


    A while, Irwin thought as he grimaced. Although he had learned at a comparative breakneck speed, he knew full well how long it took most smiths to get that far.


    ¡°Big sisters Hotzli and Ignalia?¡± Scintilla asked.


    "They are going to remain with Yogog," Balarn said as he rubbed his face.


    Irwin forced himself to get up. "There are some free rooms," he said.


    "Not the same as before, right?" Balarn asked with a rueful laugh.


    Irwin remembered the previous time Balarn had been here when he''d been captured upon his first night.


    "No," he said as he waved upstairs. "We expanded a while ago. You might have to share, but¡­"


    Balarn just snorted, and a short while later, Irwin sank down on the couch beside Scintilla. The room was empty, though Greldo had told him that the guards were stationed outside while Driseog''s bodyguards were moving around on the roof.


    He quietly enjoyed Scintilla''s body warmth, staring around the room.


    "What will you do?" Scintilla asked as she leaned into him, scratching his chin.


    "Sleep soon," Irwin muttered, distracted.


    "No, you cinderblock," Scintilla said with a snort. "What will you do before you have to leave."


    Irwin sighed, then shrugged. "Try to get my heartcard. Ask Lord Urdwellan if he can do the same for Greldo because I won''t be able to for a while."


    Scintilla nodded. "You are heading back to Fiverrio and your own world?"


    Hearing the tiny hesitation in her voice, Irwin focused on her, seeing her burning eyes stare into his.


    "Yes. I need to save my people if I can," he said. Should he ask her to come with him? He shook himself. That wouldn''t happen. She couldn''t survive in the cold places he''d have to go to.


    Scintilla held his gaze for a bit, then sighed and looked away. "You will find a way," she said, sounding far more sure than Irwin did.


    "I have to hope I''m strong enough," he muttered, feeling a tiny twitch of hopelessness.


    "You are an Emerald rank smith," Scintilla said as she snorted. "You even managed to make a ruby rank card. If you have to, you could bring thousands over and create some type of colony there, paying for them by smithing."


    Irwin nodded, closing his eyes as he thought about the people back home.


    "That would be a last resort," he muttered, leaning back and closing his eyes. Between the stress of the day, the warmth of Scintilla, and the suppressed worry, he felt his mind drift off.


    "If you can get them fire cards like yours, you could bring them to one of the Ignitzion worlds," Scintilla whispered.


    There was no response, and as she looked down, she saw Irwin breathing calmly, deep asleep.

 Chapter 155: Over seventy percent!

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    "Are you sure you don''t want to come? I''m sure Lord Urdwellan will be willing to do yours too¡­"


    Irwin shook his head, grinning as he gazed at Greldo, who was pacing around nervously, sometimes rubbing his hands.


    Gadorley wouldn''t be there for a while, but Greldo, knowing he was going to become a heartcard, wasn''t able to stop himself from walking around.


    "I can''t believe you got him to reforge it to Ruby rank," Greldo muttered before turning to Irwin.


    "Are you sure you shouldn''t come?"


    "I''ll be fine," Irwin said. "If I can''t do it three days before we have to leave, I''ll ask Lord Urdwellan."


    He saw Greldo''s eyes narrow, the red glow dimming, before his friend snorted and continued pacing.


    "Stubborn," Greldo muttered. "Just because you want to do it yourself! It''s not like he wouldn''t do it better!"


    I wonder, Irwin thought, as he recalled Ambraz''s opinion on the matter. Over the last year, and with all that happened, he''d found that he had begun trusting the Anvil more and more, and from the other''s behavior, he had the feeling it was mutual. Besides, he still hadn''t fully given up trying to get one of his cards to the legendary Ammolite rank.


    Now, if only he would tell me what he''s up to, Irwin thought.


    The only hint was that it had something to do with the only secret he knew Ambraz was still keeping from him, which had to do with his weird rank-up. He still recalled the odd crown image. The other had told him repeatedly that it was best he didn''t know yet, and he had the feeling he was telling the truth.


    We will see tomorrow, he thought, recalling Ambraz''s guarantee that he''d be ready the next day. Ambraz had been doing something in Irwin''s private smithy which had something to do with the Purperion.


    Irwin pondered it for a few more moments, then leaned back on the couch, drifting off as he recalled the last few weeks.


    Sixteen days had passed since the attack and their safe return, but things had barely calmed down. As soon as the initial villagers of New Grianf¨¢l heard he was leaving in the imminent future, they began inviting him for parties and dinners. Initially, he had thought that they all wanted something from him, but he''d soon found out that most just wanted to thank him and talk to him. Those few that had asked usually had done so while providing him as many -admittedly low-rank cards as they could.


    He''d quickly decided to help where he could, not in the least bit because of the cards. As low rank as those were, and as many as he was already stockpiling, he was sure he could hardly have enough of them. Partially because he had the sinking suspicion he''d need them in a few days when Ambraz finished whatever he was doing. They would attempt his heartcard, or, to quote Ambraz, ''show that rustbucket how it''s done'', which would likely require far more energy than he had available right now.


    Greldo stopped walking, looking at the door hopefully, his ears visibly twitching. A moment later, there was a soft knock on the door, followed by a voice.


    "Smith Irwin, Gadorley is here."


    "Alright, let''s do this!" Greldo exclaimed.


    Irwin got up, watching his friend almost yank open the door and staring at the viridian who had come to get them. Greldo was almost jumping as he waited, and Irwin moved slower than he had to, grinning at his friend.


    "Come now, calm down a bit," he said.


    "Har. Har. Very funny," Greldo snapped before taking a deep breath and grinning at him. "I always thought you''d be the first."


    Irwin shrugged as he walked out into the blistering sun. "It''s no matter who gets there first. As long as we become strong enough to help, that''s all that matters."


    The viridian, a young woman just out of her teens, was looking at them intently.


    "Thank you. Say hi to your grandma for me," Irwin said as he tried and failed to recall her name.


    "Thanks!'' she shouted, smiling brightly before turning and sprinting away, creating tiny puffs of dust.


    Greldo almost pulled him along to the square, and when they reached it, Irwin was surprised to see Crithann was there. He''d not seen his teacher more than a few times since they returned.


    "Smith Irwin, Greldo," Gadorley said as he nodded at them both before focusing on Irwin. "You are sure you don''t wish for Lord Urdwellan''s help? He told me he was more than happy to assist you."


    Irwin smiled. Although he was grateful, he had the idea that Ambraz was planning something, and he wanted to try that first.


    "Thank Lord Urdwellan for his kind offer, and tell him I might accept if my own plan fails," he said.


    Gadorley merely nodded. "Then I will be off, as I have more things to do. You won''t be the only ones leaving."


    Not surprised by that, Irwin nodded before turning to Greldo.


    "Make sure you don''t do anything stupid, and stay away from people with masks!''


    "Yeah, yeah! Well¡­. You be careful too, alright? Make sure you don''t overdo it- wait, what am I saying? You always overdo it!" Greldo said, grinning at Irwin, who couldn''t stop a snort from bubbling out. "Let''s rephrase that. When you do something you shouldn''t even try yet, make sure Scintilla is there!"


    "I''ll do that. Now, remember what Ambraz said. Focus on energy quantity!"


    "I will," Greldo replied as he stepped beside a quietly waiting Gadorley. "Ready!"


    Gadorley nodded at Irwin and Crithann before a green glow and a rapid burst of vegetation engulfed both him and Greldo. A moment later, it sank back to the ground, a slowly withering husk, no sight of the two.


    Irwin gazed at the ground, suddenly recalling how he and Greldo had left Malorin years ago, both teens and with a single card. The next time he would see Greldo again, his friend would have a ruby-ranked heartcard.


    A scuffle made him look at Crithann, who had stepped up beside him.


    "When will you attempt it?"


    "Tomorrow," Irwin said, not surprised Crithann knew what was going on even if he hadn''t seen him that many times.


    "Alright. After you have finished your heartcard, come to me before you do anything else," Crithann said. "I have something to give you."


    Curious, Irwin was about to ask him what it was, only for Crithann to turn and walk away.


    "Not now, tomorrow."


    "I''ll find you first," Irwin called after the other before looking around the now-empty square.


    He remained on the square for a short while longer before walking to Scintilla''s house. However, it was as much his by now. They had been sleeping there most of the time, mostly because of the solid fire and steam retardant furniture and to give Greldo and Balarn more space.


    Knocking on the door, he walked in to see her in the far room, sword drawn, spinning and dashing around. Without speaking, Irwin stood to the side, leaning against the wall as he watched her move. Every move was fast and deadly, with barely any wasted effort. At the same time, he couldn''t help a sliver of desire grow as he saw her lightly clothed and supple form.


    Scintilla continued for about ten minutes before stopping and sheating her sword.


    "Enjoy the show?" she asked as she turned and grinned at him.


    "Definitely," Irwin said as he gave her a long kiss.


    When he pulled back, he saw her look at him with a curious glint. She seemed ready to say something, then shook her head in a brusk shiver.


    "What?" Irwin asked.


    "Nothing, nothing. Let''s go and check on the root system of the hearttree. We haven''t seen it in a while, and I''ve heard that it''s really beautiful!"


    Irwin blinked in surprise but followed her. He had nothing else to do besides relaxing as much as he could for tomorrow.


    The rest of the day was spent walking around the subterranean grove that was slowly being grown below the town. Fed by water bubbling up from the roots of the heartree, the ten-foot-high caverns were illuminated by a host of flowers that glowed in different colors.


    "It''s too bad there''s so much water," Scintilla said as they finally walked up.


    Irwin didn''t know how to answer that and simply smiled at her. As they walked back home, he could see Scintilla was distracted. He knew it probably had to do with him leaving, and he felt slightly sad as he looked into the distance. If he could, he would bring her along, but he knew that even if he got her a card that somehow removed some of her weakness to cold, she would be unhappy.


    He walked forward, lost in thoughts.


    When they arrived home, Scintilla seemed happy again, creating a massive dinner and adding what remained of the different bits of fiery liquor she had bought over the months. That night, when they shared the bed, she was more aggressive, wrapping him in fire, drawing out his own in such a massive raging inferno that when they finished, the roof and walls were scorched, and Irwin was so tired he fell asleep instantly.


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    --


    Irwin woke with a start, the soreness he had felt when falling asleep gone, and the memories of the previous wild night still on his mind. A quick look to the side showed Scintilla was gone, and he heard a soft rummaging from below.


    Heartcard!


    As he thought of what he was going to attempt today, the rising desire that had sprung up from the memories faded as quickly as it had grown.


    I hope Ambraz is finished, he thought.


    A rushed shave and clean later, he saw Scintilla was absently picking at her food. She looked up when he entered, a dazzling smile on her face.


    "You okay?" Irwin asked, the memories of the previous night playing through his mind like a bonfire.


    "Definitely! You did great," she said, causing Irwin to feel his cheeks heat up.


    He sat opposite her and grabbed a Flamingfruit, taking a bite out of the spicy flesh and enjoying how it burned his tongue slightly.


    "You are going to start right away?" Scintilla asked.


    "Yes," Irwin said, staring at the door and chewing faster.


    "Alright. I''ve got to go to Cindergrove for a few days," she said.


    Irwin looked up in surprise.


    "I''ve decided that I''ll be heading back home next week," she said, fiddling with the pommel of her always-present sword absently. "That means that I need to wrap up some things there, say goodbye and all that. I mean, if I ever return, everything here will have changed again."


    Irwin nodded as he pictured returning here at some point. With the time dislocation, staying on the outside for even a year would mean hundreds or even thousands of years would have passed. Most people would have died, Crithann would have long since turned into a soultree, and this town might have become a mighty city. Would the entire world have turned into a grove by then?


    I wonder how Crithann deals with the time dilation if he connects to the soulgrove, Irwin thought.


    "Yeah¡­ returning here would be weird," he muttered.


    "Anyway, I''ll be back in a day or two," Scintilla said. "Make sure when I return to show me your new heartcard!"


    Irwin grinned as he felt his desire to begin rapidly outgrow a tiny spark of sadness at the thought of the changes that would happen to Scour after he left it.


    He got up and returned Scintilla''s hug before heading out.


    When he reached his smithy, he saw Balarn working in the open area, sweat dripping from his bare upper torso, and every now and again, he took a drink from a large water jar. A shimmering card hovered before him, and Irwin''s card picked up on its soft vibrating as they slowly began to join it. There was a simple pattern to it, and Irwin knew the card was Amethyst going toward Topaz.


    Irwin was about to say hi when he realized a soft hum was cropping up in his head, slightly familiar. He stopped and watched, focusing on the hum and quickly recognizing parts of it. Some of the ''high notes'', if he could call it that, were based on the song he''d learned for Crithann''s card, while the rest was different. There were some glaring imperfections in the song, almost as if two instruments were playing in discord with each other.


    Balarn struck the card, and the song became louder, part of it trying to form a crescendo and collapsing.


    Is he trying to force it along a path? Irwin thought as he focused on the card.


    Balarn grunted as he took a step back. "Any help is appreciated by now," he said as he gave Irwin a tired look. "I''ve been attempting to get a dual weapon card, but it just¡­"


    He sniffed in disdain, glaring at the card that displayed a distorted dagger.


    Irwin frowned as he closed in, examining the card. It had been struck three or four times by his estimates, and if not the first, at least from the second on, it had been going in the wrong direction. He couldn''t sense the resonating and fluctuations in Balarn''s guards, but he knew part of it was wrong.


    "What song are you going with?" he asked.


    Balarn looked up with a half-smirk. "I''m not that musical," he said. "I usually just try to go with the feeling and learn the exact timing and striking."


    Irwin nodded, not surprised. It was what many smiths seemed to do. A form of what Lord Urdwellan did, using force and precision instead of flow and rhythm. He remembered when Tensor had told him about humming and singing. but in such a way that made it clear he didn''t use it a lot either.


    "Do you hear the song?" he asked, not sure what else to call the humming, resonating and vibrating sounds. It''s how he thought of them in his head. The songs of his cards and the one he was forming.


    "Not like you seem to be implying," Balarn said. "I''ve tried it, and I know of it, but to me, it just sounds like a distant, faint buzzing."


    Irwin nodded, and after a moment''s hesitation, he decided it couldn''t hurt to attempt to help Balarn. As much as he wanted to start, Ambraz could wait for a few minutes, and this wouldn''t cost too much time. Either he could fix the card, or it would shatter, but either would happen within a few strikes.


    "Want me to try?" he asked as he looked up.


    Balarn smiled tiredly as he stepped back, wiping the sweat from his brow. "By all means."


    Irwin stepped forward and raised his hand, his smithing hammer appearing in a flash. Then he focused on the card, fully trying to find out what was going on. It took him little time to find the original path the card had wanted to find, a sort of distant song, simple and soft, that remained in the shivering card. The current melody that overlaid it, however, was disjointed. The idea was instantly obvious to Irwin. Balarn had tried to split the single rhythm into two, but the way he''d gone about it wouldn''t work.


    As he listened to the song, trying to find a way to save it and fill up the gaps to create some sort of rhythm that would make sense, he wished Ambraz was there. He almost stepped back to get him before deciding against it. He could do this himself. He was sure of it.


    Taking a deep breath, he began humming softly, taking the loudest of the melodies until he had it down before adding parts that made it mesh with what was remaining. As he did, he made the cards in his left hand resonate with the main melody and beat.


    It needs a¡­.


    He added an extra bit to his hum and then made his hammer card resonate with it. It was a partial bridge, somehow causing the sounds to clash less, but as he added a second, he knew what he had to do. One of the parts, one of the hits, had made a mistake he couldn''t fix by just filling the gaps. It was as if the card''s progress was one foot on the right track and another on a sidepath that would lead it to ruin.


    Leaving only his Sweltering Heart card to do nothing, he focused on the problem, raised his hammer, and focused on the card that almost seemed in pain.


    Something changed, something gone, Irwin thought as he struck down.


    A loud boom rang out, which he ignored as he tried to force the card to resonate as he wanted it.


    For a moment, it seemed to have failed, then the song became louder, and as he hummed, he felt the card seeming to latch onto the resonance of his cards. It wasn''t perfect, and with only three strikes between success and failure, he focused his full attention on the second strike, then the third, forcing his Sweltering Heart to resonate with the last one before waiting and listening. The song, uncertain and hesitant, slowly strengthened before stabilizing. It wasn''t perfect, but with the card stabilized, he could finish it and perhaps make something special.


    --


    Balarn watched in silent awe as the young man, young Smith, worked on the card, sometimes humming, sometimes singing meaningless words. Two years ago, Irwin had been his junior, gifted but without experience; now, in less than two years, he could barely believe what he was seeing. He''d known Irwin was better. He was an Emerald rank smith after all, but this? He had thought himself closing in¡­.


    He is not normal, Balarn thought as he watched the image rapidly become clearer, now showing two crossed daggers, each with a wicked curve.


    The entire process took less time than he would need on the simple Quartz to Amethyst card, and when Irwin stepped back, all he could do was smile sadly.


    "You fixed it," he said, suddenly feeling very old.


    He was supposed to be Tensor''s most talented Smith, but this? This was like those stories he''d never believed that Tensor told about. The things his charter master had seen that time he had visited a main branch charter with his own master.


    Irwin was muttering something before looking at him, the pale copper-colored face split in a wide grin.


    "You were really close to what you wanted, but¡­ are you sure you can''t learn how to listen to the song?"


    Balarn felt a stab, which he ignored, forcing a stoic look on his face as he raised an eyebrow.


    "Most smiths I know can''t hear it that well," he said.


    "Oh¡­ well, perhaps we can try it sometime soon? Maybe if I make the sound really loud."


    Irwin continued muttering as he walked away, and Balarn looked at the card, now left forgotten on his Anvil.


    Yeah¡­ maybe, he thought. If it wasn''t for Tensor and Lord Urdwellan being ruby-rank smiths without Irwin''s song, he might have lost motivation. Now, he just took a deep breath, walked to the table, and picked up another card. He tried to recall the exact strikes Irwin had done, the timing, the precision, and the power behind them before pocketing the finished yellow-bordered card and putting another one on it.


    --


    Irwin''s gaze lingered on Balarn before he closed the door of his smithy. Had he been wrong to help? The way Balarn had looked at him had made him leave quickly. Perhaps the other had been trying something else, and he had ruined it. It didn''t look like it, but who knew?


    "About time you showed up! And didn''t I tell you not to do any card forging for a while?"


    Irwin looked up to see Ambraz sitting on the table, leaning against a tiny purple¡­ Anvil?


    "What''s that!" he whispered as he ran forward, leaning his elbows on the table and lowering his head to be level with the tiny Anvil. Ambraz, in his tiny form, was the size of a large butterfly, and this thing was even smaller. The intricate detail almost made it look like-


    "Is that another Ganvil?" Irwin whispered, eyes wide. "Did you-"


    "Get your bloody mind out of the gutter, you brat!"


    Ambraz rushed forward, nearly striking him in the face before circling back.


    "First off, that is not how Ganvils-... Gah! You made me say it! That''s NOT how Anvils of the Gods are made! And no, I won''t tell you how we do that. Second, how does that look anywhere remotely like me?"


    "It''s an Anvil," Irwin muttered.


    "It''s tiny, has no wings, and isn''t black or gray," Ambraz shouted before landing beside the smaller purple Anvil. "It''s a smithing focus that I made to help us create your heartcard! It can, if we do it right, hold enough energy so we can create your heartcard in the way we should."


    Irwin blinked, frowning. "What do you mean by that?"


    "Simple. What you saw before, as impressive as it was, was like a child with too much power trying to use a hammer to cut an apple."


    "..."


    Irwin stared at Ambraz, not sure he understood what the other meant.


    "Are you talking about Lord Urdwellan?" he finally asked, barely believing it. "But he is-"


    "A ruby rank smith, close to being a diamond rank smith," Ambraz said with a snort. "Yes, I know. And I wouldn''t let him reforge your cards to a heartcard if it was the last option."


    Irwin leaned back, staring at Ambraz and trying to understand what was going on.


    "Oh, don''t look at me like that," Ambraz grunted. "For someone who can''t properly hear the cards, he is doing better than most. But do you really think he could decide to reforge two hand cards into a teleport card that takes ten people across one world or five across two? He would hit it hard and end up with either by luck."


    Irwin wanted to reject that, then recalled the immense power Lord Urdwellan had used, forcing the melodies into their different places. Even then, he''d seen there was little finesse.


    "Perhaps¡­" he said carefully. "But I don''t think I have enough finesse to compensate for the lack of energy."


    "No, you don''t. Which is where me and this thing come in," Ambraz said.


    Irwin nodded, staring at the Anvil before deciding it wasn''t worth it to discuss the skills of Lord Urdwellan right now.


    "So, do you have any idea how I can turn one of my cards into Ammolite?" he asked. He mostly expected an instant no, and when Ambraz didn''t respond but remained quiet for a while, he felt his anticipation grow.


    "There might be a way¡­ but I''m not sure how much you will enjoy it," Ambraz finally said.


    "Explain?" Irwin asked, equal parts worried and intrigued.


    "We are going to try and use your own card to reforge the heartcard. It will create a lot of stress that will push it from ruby to diamond to¡­ well, as far as it can go," Ambraz said.


    "Is that even possible?" Irwin hissed, trying to imagine both wielding his card while reforging it.


    "Normally? No¡­ but you must have realized by now that you are far more sensitive to the resonating of cards than most. Add to this a piece of Purperion larger than any I''ve ever seen, and, well, me. And this isn''t a normal situation," Ambraz said as he flitted across the table, seemingly anxious. "But there''s a slight downside."


    Irwin swallowed back a rapidly rising fear, recalling perfectly well the last few times Ambraz had called something a slight problem, a little pain, and all other things like that.


    "And what''s the downside?" he asked, ignoring how his voice rose.


    "Well¡­ it''s going to hurt. A lot."


    Irwin felt his mouth go dry.


    "A lot?"


    "If you didn''t have the Sweltering Heart card, I wouldn''t even suggest this," Ambraz said, landing on the table.


    "How big is the chance of success?" Irwin asked, trying to suppress the panic he sensed bubbling up.


    "Over seventy percent," Ambraz said.


    "And if we fail?"


    "..."


    "Ambraz?"


    "Your cards will blow up, and you have to start again¡­"

 Chapter 156: Expected and unexpected losses

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    Irwin frowned as he looked at the paper, staring at the lines, not completely happy.


    "So I really have to give up my Eyes of Blaze and card reading?" he asked, feeling sad.


    "Oh, come on! I''ve managed to combine nearly all of your physical passive bonuses in the body change, and you complain about that? You are one of the few people who can keep this many passives and actives because of how compatible the cards are not just in type but also in what they change," Ambraz said, hovering above the paper.


    Irwin knew he was right, and he couldn''t say he wasn''t impressed. With a sigh, he went over the rough outlines of the card on the paper.


    He was impressed that Ambraz seemed able to merge his Sweltering Heart into his active ability, as well as combine many passives. Still¡­ he finally fully appreciated why so many people didn''t go for a heartcard. What if you''d had the cards for twenty years and were dependent on all of them?


    It''s not that bad, he thought, again feeling impressed with what Ambraz managed.


    He was going to lose some flexibility, at least until he would be ready to form his soulcard and get his handcardslots back.


    Though, that would take years.


    Besides, this is only if my heartcard becomes Ammolite rank, he thought, suppressing a sigh as his eyes drifted to the bottom of the card. There, it held Ambraz''s estimate of the card that would come out if they failed, which he guessed was pretty likely. In that case, he would lose both his Eyes of Blaze and his Steam cloud.


    I guess it''s a good thing that Scintilla and the others are heading back, he thought. He was pretty sure they would be less than amused if he lost that ability. Then again, if he could get to Ammolite.


    "And you are sure that if we fail, my hands won''t blow up with the cards?" he asked.


    "No! That''s what we are using the Purperion for," Ambraz said. "If that starts happening, I''ll warn you, and you will need to run back. It will hurt, and you will go unconscious, perhaps for a few weeks, but I''m sure Lord Urdwellan won''t make you leave if that happens."


    Yeah, I''m sure, Irwin thought, recalling the pressure that Lord Urdwellan had exuded when he was last here.


    "Now stop procrastinating," Ambraz said as he landed on the paper, blocking some lines. "I know it''s annoying to lose things, but this will give you the perfect basis. A powerful body, nearly impervious to heat and poison and all the other things you will need to deal with in the future while leaving you with your hammer. If we have to start again, you might never get the exact start you have now, but even then, we will make due! "


    Irwin sighed and nodded. "You''re right, and you did great. It''s just that I''m going to miss my eye abilities. Especially being able to read cards by myself."


    "Yes, yes, but both of those you can get back eventually and in a better form. If you really want to take either of those, it would mean missing out on a combined set of three passive effects. That''s just not worth it! Besides, I can read you those cards, and I''ll do a better job than those crummy eyes of yours!"


    Irwin grimaced at Ambraz''s bluntness, then rose from the table, ignoring the paper.


    "You are right," he said, meaning it.


    Ambraz was right.


    Besides, even if he only managed to get a diamond card, his resonance sense would become even better than it was now, which was going to be a massive benefit for when he needed to reforge his own cards in the future.


    And I can help more people back home get very powerful, he thought, thinking about Bronwyn.


    The name of his brother jolted him, and he gazed at the wall, not seeing it. It had been ages since he had thought about him, and as he tried to picture his brother''s face, he realized it was hard. Harder than it should be. Focusing on his first card, he raised his hand. Fire flickered above his palm, rapidly shaping into a young man''s face- but it was blurry, lacking details that should be there. With a frown, he tried to dig them up from the depths of his memory. After a few moments, he grimaced, closing his hand and looking up.


    It was time to do this and go back home.


    "Alright, let''s do this," he said, clenching his fists.


    "Finally! Now, one more thing. You aren''t the only one who potentially gains something from this. If we manage to do this, there is a chance I''ll rank up again. If this happens, I''ll go into hibernation immediately after we are done. Do the same thing as before. If anyone asks, tell them you saw three overlapping squares!"


    Irwin blinked, then gazed at Ambraz. "Is that special for your kind? Ranking up this fast?"


    "Fast? For that crummy rustbucket, maybe. But for me? I should have been rank seven by now, perhaps even eight, instead of rank three," Ambras said angrily.


    He flitted forward and landed on the open area before the blazing forge. Sand that had collected there over the last weeks since he''d cleaned it out billowed out.


    "Close the door so nobody can come and interrupt us."


    Irwin hesitated, then decided he was right. If it really hurt, he didn''t need people coming in while he was screaming, distracting him even more. He began dragging crates filled with raw metal ore he still had left in front of the door until he knew only Crithann would be able to move it open.


    Taking a look at the barricade, he pulled off his shirt and changed into his fire-retardant pants, leaving his feet and upper body bare. He placed three massive stacks of cards on the table to his side, then focused on Ambraz. These were nearly all the cards he had, with only those he would need to rank up his heartcard excluded. Besides, if those cards were going to be the difference, he was going to lose anyway.


    Besides, those could act as replacements if the worst thing happens, a tiny part of him whispered in his mind.


    "So, no coperion body?" he asked, still worried about that. He was both stronger and more durable in that form, while his precision was far greater.


    "No. Using one card while doing this will already be an insane strain. Now, as we discussed, place the Purperion Anvil between your hands and focus on your cards. As soon as they hover up and above it, you will feel the energy begin to drain out of you. Put that tiny Anvil atop me and begin hammering it while following my hum. Don''t stop for anything, not for pain, weird flashes, odd sensations, people screaming outside- nothing!"


    "Got it."


    Irwin took a deep, shuddering breath before picking up the Purperion Anvil. It was tiny, and he had to put his hands flat against each other to touch it as Ambraz had instructed.


    "After the first hit, toss one of those stacks my way," Ambraz said.


    Irwin flinched at the loss of that many cards right away, but he knew that it was possible he''d lose all before they were done. Any mistake on either of their part would require energy, and he wasn''t going to risk losing all that he had worked for just for cards he could replace.


    Closing his eyes, he focused on his cards, two sets completely entwined, both one and many. He felt them appear while, at the same time, the energy in them seemed to be draining away as if they were buckets with their bottoms cut open.


    His eyes snapped open, and he put the Purperion anvil on Ambraz before summoning his hammer, which responded sluggishly. Trying to ignore it, he brought the hammer down on the Anvil in a single strike. Even with Ambraz''s insurance, he almost expected the tiny Anvil to careen through the room, knocked away by the pressure of his beat.


    Instead, a deep gong sound erupted out, loud enough to hurt, and he felt his ears pop. Ignoring it, he grabbed one of the stack of cards and threw it in Ambraz''s gaping mouth. The gray lips snapped shut, and there was a sound of crunching followed by deep rumblings. For a moment, nothing happened, then Ambraz began glowing like the sun. Irwin knew that if it wasn''t for the protection of his first card, he''d be blinded, possibly in excruciating pain.


    Ambraz hummed a deep, soothing melody.


    Irwin struck again, slightly panicking as he felt the energy in his cards almost fully drained away.


    As his hammer struck the Purperion Anvil, energy flooded through the handle and into his body. It came with such force that all of the hairs on his body tried to stand on end, his long and braided ponytail rippling under the tension.


    As he raised his hammer, the energy bottomed out almost as fast as it had come, to be refilled as he struck the Purperion Anvil. The emptying and filling were accompanied by a sense of tearing and cracking. Pain filled him, and with each subsequent strike, it increased until he felt his eyes were watering and his teeth ground together.


    Still, his mind remained focused and clear, and he continued.


    He was going to do this. No matter how much it hurt!


    --


    The quiet whisper from the crowd of people gathered on the smithing square was hushed as the hum that made everything vibrate grew again, causing things to clatter and rattle. It lasted for a minute before fading back to a more tolerable hum.


    "Do you think he''s doing something special? Maybe making a ruby rank card?"


    "Are you stupid? Listen to that! Does that sound like anything he did before?


    "It reminds me of when he created his ruby card over a year ago¡­"


    "What are you talking about? He''s only just reached Emerald Rank, right?"


    "No, no! That was before your time. He even supposedly helped Crithann make his next heartcard!"


    "I''ve heard rumors he''s making his own heartcard!"


    "..."


    "No way, that''s more difficult than a ruby card!"


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    "Is it?"


    "I¡­ I think it is?"


    The chatter continued for a few moments before a strangled scream came from the smithy, causing everyone to fall quiet again.


    "I really don''t think I wanna be a smith, Mom," a young Viridian boy said, his voice loud in fearful silence.


    Nobody responded as another strangled scream came, while the hum became even louder.


    "I can feel all of my cards vibrate," someone whispered. "Is that supposed to happen?"


    Nobody answered him, and the crowd continued to stare at the closed doors of the smithy.


    Time passed, and the screams became more frequent while the hum was now so loud that dust was dropping from roof edges, and the distant leaves of the Hearttree were rustling.


    "How long will this continue?" someone whispered. "Do you think he will be alright?"


    "Of course he will be¡­ I mean. He''s a smith, right? He knows what he''s doing."


    There was a muttered agreement, which stopped when an excruciating scream caused some people to cringe.


    --


    Irwin''s hands were shaking, his hammer heavier than it should be, while he stared at the flattened Purperion spot. It was the size of a coin, and all impurities besides a tiny spec in the center were gone. The translucent images of his cards hovered behind it, having drifted out of the way of his striking by something Ambraz had done.


    How much longer, Irwin thought, striking again, willing the tiny spec to leave. It had been there, enduring dozens of hits! Was it going to remain there?


    As his mind was rocked by the waves of pain, his hammer shuddered, then the distant connection he had with it vanished. The panic at the loss of connection almost made him miss his next hit. As he hurriedly brought it down, he saw the hammer''s surface change- the blackened head flashing as bright as Ambraz, before deep purple lines and symbols began rippling across its surface.


    The card''s translucent image where it hovered above Ambraz flickered and changed at the same.


    "Cards," Ambraz croaked.


    Irwin reached out with his free hand, grabbed the second stack, and lobbed the cards in Ambraz''s mouth while bringing the hammer down again. As he did, he felt the connection to his hammer return, the resonance different, more powerful, and clearer than it had ever been, even considering that he could barely sense any of his other cards.


    "Keep hitting, it''s evolving," Ambraz shouted.


    Feeling his hope grow, Irwin did as ordered, and each time he struck the Purperion he saw it flash with purple while shrinking. The light, instead of fading or dimming, changed to purple gas that leaked into his hammer, and as it did he felt the energy capacity grow and grow.


    Within a dozen hits, the Purperion was a mere grain, while his hammer card held more energy than all of his other cards combined. Just as he thought it was done, the final spec exploded beneath another blow, and a burst of illuminated purple gas exploded up. Some rushed into his hammer, but most sank into Ambraz, and a tiny purple symbol appeared on the previously smooth, dark-gray Anvil. It remained for a moment, then vanished, while a loud, crystal clear chime erupted in Irwin''s mind.


    "That''s it! We did it! Now we do the real work," Ambraz shouted, his voice powerful and enthusiastic, almost as if all the effort of before had been washed from him.


    So, is it Diamond or Ammolite? Irwin wondered.


    He was weary, dull, and still rocking from the pain and could only grit his teeth as he focussed on the sudden and rapidly changing hum.


    "Keep going and just follow my lead," Ambraz shouted.


    Irwin nodded, gritting his teeth as the pain continued.


    Done with the stupid Purperion, he felt a sense of cathartic release as he could finally strike the images of his cards that had, until then, been hovering above Ambraz. A soft melody sprang up, almost outside of his audible range, but he knew what it was. The beginnings of his heartcard!


    Time flew by as he felt like an extension of Ambraz''s will, striking when and where the Anvil decreed, forcing his cards to resonate to follow the blossoming song. By now, he was so dead tired that most of his consciousness was nearly asleep, or unconscious, as he continued mechanically striking and striking.


    Still, a tiny bit of himself had somehow detached itself from the rest and was observing, quietly and calmly, everything that was going on. It was what saw the empty fiery purple heartslot appearing above the Anvil. It also watched as Ambraz requested the final stack of cards and saw when the cards began rippling as parts of them were drawn into the golden purple card slot hovering above Ambraz.


    It was also what mutely watched in horror as the remainder of the cards began turning unstable while the energy levels dropped and the song had yet to finish.


    "More cards!''


    Irwin jolted back to reality, a sense of odd disembodiment coming over him before an odd deluge of memories screamed at him of the problem they were in.


    "There are no more," he croaked, his vocal cords in pain from the screaming he had been doing and his voice sounding like paper being ripped.


    "Damn, damn, damn," Ambraz growled, and Irwin felt him do something as another burst of energy came.


    For a moment it seemed enough, then the desire for more energy from the seemingly bottomless heartcard rose, and it drew it all into the golden and purple cardslot.


    Another burst came from Ambraz, but weaker, barely enough for the next strike.


    "Not good! We can''t keep this up!"


    Irwin felt what remained of his cards start to tremble as he struck them while a sense of hunger came from the heartcard.


    It required energy, and with none coming from the cards, none provided by Ambraz, it took it from the only place left.


    Irwin''s life.


    Irwin''s knees nearly buckled as he felt something drain him. His fear grew as he struck again, and his vision dimmed.


    No, he thought as he imagined his cards fracturing and exploding.


    He couldn''t stop hitting, or the song would be interrupted, but if he struck again¡­


    As his fear grew to pure panic, a tiny red dot of light moved out of his hair to hover before him. He barely noticed it, dismissing it as a bit of fire. As he brought his hammer down, horrified at what might happen, the tiny spec landed on the hammer, and he focused on it, finally seeing it for what it was.


    The Emeberio-


    He couldn''t finish the thought as a surge of burning hot energy flowed into his hammer, through the hand, and into his body right as the hammer struck the cards.


    The song''s volume grew to a deafening frenzy.


    Suddenly feeling hope, Irwin watched in horror as the tiny spark dimmed. He knew instinctively that it was giving something up that it might never get back, but he couldn''t stop.


    Not now, when he was so close!


    As he brought the hammer down again, more energy came from the tiny Emberion, and the song rose to a crescendo. Irwin felt a tiny bit of sadness as he saw his original cards finally crumble, then he squashed it and struck down with all his remaining power, knowing it would be the last and final strike.


    Ripples of light expanded from Ambraz as he felt something hot nestle in his heart.


    Irwin''s hammer vanished from his hand, and as he felt ready to fall over, he felt sadness as the Emberion, now a dull spark, only visible because all the other lights were gone, fell down on Ambraz''s once again dark surface.


    "Thank y-"


    Irwin slumped to the ground, all the muscles in his body going limp at the same time. As his head thudded on the ground, his consciousness faded, and he heard Ambraz say something, then he was gone.


    --


    "It''s finally done¡­"


    The few people that had remained stared at the smithy in horror. Cracks ran through its walls while Crithann stood before it, arms crossed.


    Roots were wrapped around the building, holding it together, while more covered the surrounding buildings that seemed little better. The sound of something crumbling came from further away.


    One of the Viridians, a young woman that Irwin would have recognized if he''d seen her, swallowed before waking up beside Crithann.


    "Is Smith Irwin alright?" she whispered.


    "I don''t know," Crithann muttered. "All I know is that he succeeded in forging his heartcard."


    "Then he should be fine," the young woman stated.


    Crithann nodded but didn''t watch as she left.


    Probably, he thought, but he knew something odd had happened. He was sensitive to life, and something had died in that building. He just didn''t know what.


    I''ll wait for a few hours. Then, if nothing happens, I''ll force my way inside.


    --


    Irwin woke feeling odd. He felt¡­ heavy, and it felt like something was pounding on his chest.


    A loud, powerful thudding.


    Boom.


    Boom.


    His mind was clogged and fuzzy, and he tried to think. Had he fallen asleep, and was Scintilla trying to wake him by hitting him?


    "I''m awake," he muttered.


    There was no response, and the thudding continued. He frowned and rolled on his back. Why was the bed so hard? Had he broken it again? He tried to recall what had happened, and as he did, something began nagging at him. Something was missing¡­


    Suddenly worried, he instinctively focused on his cards and found nothing in his hands. His eyes snapped open, and as he gazed at the ceiling, which was riddled with cracks, he finally remembered.


    Did we fail? he thought as he sadly prodded where his cards had been.


    The deep thudding returned, drawing his attention.


    It came from his chest, and as he focused on it, a powerful resonance suddenly appeared in his mind. A single, powerful card was sitting in a different spot from where his handcards had been. Feeling jubilant, he was surprised by the familiarity. Still, there was something¡­ new. It took him a few moments to figure out what it was. The card was connected to something else, something that seemed part of his mind. He followed what seemed like a tether to what felt like a massive, empty basin.


    He instantly knew what it should hold.


    Energy.


    Soulforce!


    He scanned the basin, which felt odd, partially like the cards did, but much more a part of him. In the center was a tiny bit of energy, and as Irwin sensed it, he also felt the heartcard thrumming in his chest. It was connected to this basin, this empty lake, and seemed to be powered by a tiny bit of soulforce. Even then, as little as these mere drops were, the power he felt from his heartcard was immense.


    Sitting upright, he put his hand on his chest, sensing the powerful beating of his heart. Or was it his heartcard? He didn''t know. But he wanted to know!


    "Ambraz?"


    There was no response, and he looked around. The room looked like what he''d expected it would look like if he and Crithann had used it to spar. There was no sign of Ambraz, but to his surprise, his sturdy stone table, although shoved against the far wall, had survived whatever powers had exploded as his heartcard had formed.


    He swayed as he got up, a sense of vertigo playing through him that he hadn''t felt since he''d first used his Coperion Body. A quick look at something at eye height told him he had grown again. How much was hard to say, but he should still fit through the door. Probably.


    Turning to the table, he saw Ambraz was sitting on it, tiny and asleep. A paper lay beside him, lines of text written across it, and as he read the first one, Irwin walked forward, grabbing the paper. He faintly noticed something odd as he did, but the text on the paper distracted him.


    ''Damn, kid! You bring me more luck than I would have imagined! I''ve evolved, so I''ll be out for a few days or weeks¡­ don''t know really. That Purperion was more powerful than I''d imagined.


    Anyway, we would have failed. If that little fire elemental hadn''t come out when it did-''


    Irwin stopped reading as he recalled the action of the Emberion, and panicky, he pulled at his braided ponytail, startled to find that it had unwound, which had never happened. The hairs were a tangled mess, and his ranking plate was barely hanging on by a thread.


    He tried to find the tiny emberion, but there was no sight of it. Still, it was small, so perhaps it was just hiding, he thought to himself, trying to push down a sudden sadness.


    Irwin refocused on the paper. He''d already seen something interesting below the lines of Ambraz but wanted to finish that before focusing on it.


    ''- when it did, we would have had to start all over again, which would have been a waste because your hammer evolved to Ammolite! Well, I presume that''s what it is. I never actually saw another one before. Anyway, I absorbed the Emberion''s remains for now, and I think we should fulfill its final request. Odd, that. It actually managed to send me a mental message, an image. We''ll discuss it when I wake up. Anyway, if you managed to get this far without looking at the card''s information, then you''re weirder than I thought! Anyway, one of the perks of my rank-up, which I took for you, just so you know, is the ability to add a card''s information to a paper. It''s pretty useless, but it should make you feel a bit better. Now, stop reading this and go check out that bloody card! It''s really something, I can tell you that!''


    Irwin sighed. Remains meant it was definitely dead, and the seed of sadness grew as he thought about the tiny Emberion. It had been with him for only a year, and he had mostly ignored it, but it had helped him on multiple occasions. Now, it had even saved his heart card.


    I wonder what its last wishes are, he thought.


    After a while, he finally gave into his building curiosity and focused on the lines below.


    Card: Firesteel Elemental Vaelite Heart


    Type: Heartcard, Ammolite, Unique Mutation, Forged by Irwin Roddington (And Ambraz, dammit!)


    Owner: Irwin Roddington


    The wielder of this card has a heart that constantly creates and stores kinetic energy while at the same time greatly changing the wielder''s body to accommodate these changes. The user''s body becomes similar to that of a Firesteel Elemental, allowing for the wielding of kinetic energy without the fear of ripping the body apart.


    Passive: Greatly increased strength, endurance, constitution and regeneration


    Passive: Near-immunity to fire, pressure, poison, and toxin


    Passive: Resonating heat vision


    Passive: Greatly increased resonance sensitivity and control


    Active: Summon and manipulate devouring fire


    Active: Summon a firesteel hammer of any size or shape. Lasts until dismissed or destroyed. [Soulforce]


    Active: Allows the drawing and manipulation of water in the air [Mutation]


    "Damn¡­" Irwin whispered, not noticing he was using one of Ambraz''s curses.


    How had the Anvil managed to combine all of those passives? He couldn''t wait to ask, though he had the feeling it had something to do with the fact that all of it was based around the Firesteel Elemental.


    "Irwin, are you alright?"


    Crithann''s deep voice made him look up.


    After a moment''s hesitation, Irwin folded up the paper and stuffed it down his pants, which had luckily survived. He was going to read the paper again later before destroying it.


    "I''m alright," he shouted, walking toward the door, wondering how much he had changed and what his card could do.


    I wonder if Crithann wants to spar.

 Chapter 157: The start of something new

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    Irwin slowly removed the crates of ore from before the door. Each movement added to the pressure building up in his muscles, similar to when he''d been using his Vaelite card. Now, however, it was more evenly distributed throughout his body.


    As he picked up a crate, the weight seemingly reasonable to him even though he knew he''d been unable to lift it the day before, he felt a tiny bit of the kinetic energy flow to his back, arms, and legs. It cost him zero effort, and each step he took with the heavy weight added to the same energy again.


    I''m going to have to practice with this all over again, he thought as he wondered what would happen if he bumped into something and the kinetic energy was added. He''d be hurting and destroying everything around him.


    As he moved the final crate of ore away, he picked up Ambraz. Staring at the tiny Anvil, he finally slid it into one of the slots on his pants meant for hammers. He never used it, and he knew it would be filled with sand and dust, but it was better than putting Ambraz down his pants like the paper.


    Grinning at himself, Irwin pulled the door open, feeling the stone start to crumble under his pressure. Sunlight flooded around him, and he stepped out of the smithy.


    Any idea about sparring vanished from his mind as he saw the partially destroyed buildings, layers of roots and vines keeping them together. Behind the lines of buildings, he noticed a long tear through the wall, which otherwise, luckily, looked fine.


    "By the Flames of Aghos," he whispered, mechanically using one of Scintilla''s favorite curses.


    "It''s fine. We will fix it."


    Irwin looked to the side to see Crithann look at him intently while a few Viridians were far behind him at the edge of the square. He knew two of them from when he''d reforged their cards.


    "What ha-" he cut off. He knew what had happened. Still, he couldn''t help feeling guilty.


    "I did this¡­" he said, turning around and cringed as he saw that most of his smithy had been turned into an unstable mess. Cracks ran through the walls, and the open side had collapsed atop the open smithing area.


    "Balarn!"


    "He''s fine," Crithann said. "He left halfway through¡­ something about your screams."


    Irwin grimaced, then guessed he could understand that. He only faintly recalled the pain and the screaming, though, for some reason, the entire process of reforging seemed crystal clear in his mind.


    Crithann walked up beside him, and as Irwin looked back, he realized he was looking the previously much taller Viridian almost straight in the eyes.


    "Congratulations," Crithann said, putting one of his bark-skinned hands on his shoulder and squeezing. "I''ve seen many heartcard formations, and although rare, some resulted in even more destruction than this. Don''t beat yourself up about it."


    Irwin took a deep breath, absently noticing that he smelled distant fires spread out across the city. Without even trying, he had a general idea of where they were and how large they were. Probably cooking fires, he thought.


    He realized he was staring at Crithann, zoned out, and his teacher and friend were grinning at him.


    "I think you should go and familiarize yourself with your new card. Also, go take a look in the mirror. We will fix everything here. It should be good as new in a few days."


    Irwin nodded, taking another look around.


    "Sorry for the extra work," he said.


    "It is fine. Now go. Scintilla''s place should be fine," Crithann rumbled, and Irwin felt the Viridian push his chest softly. "I still need to hand you something, but it can wait for a few hours."


    "Alright, I''ll come find you later," Irwin said. Taking a final look around, he turned and walked away, not noticing how Crithann was staring at his hands with a frown.


    As Irwin walked the short trip to Scintilla''s home, he was surprised by dozens of people who came up to him, congratulating him. Nobody mentioned anything about the ruined buildings, even those few who were actively removing debris.


    Scintilla''s house was almost unscathed, only a single crack line running through the side of the wall beside the door. As Irwin stepped inside, he took a quick look at the top of the doorframe, mere inches above him, and nodded. He had grown at least a hand length.


    "Clothes first," he decided. Besides, Crithann had said he should look in a mirror.


    As soon as he reached the tiny bathing room and looked in the mirror, he jolted.


    Two burning silver eyes gazed back at him from within a face that seemed made of Firesteel. It took him a few moments to stop looking into his own eyes, so different from what he was used to. Raising his hands to his face, he finally realized what had been bugging him before. Where his skin had been a pale copper before, now it was slightly darker, while faint red lines ran across it. Most seemed to join together in a pattern on his chest, below where he felt his heart thud heavily. It reminded him of the tattoos he''d seen on some of the smiths back in Fiverio.


    "This is going to take some getting used to," he thought.


    Inspecting his own face, he was glad that at least his features were the same. Still¡­ would his mother ever recognize him?


    He traced one of the lines with a finger, not feeling any difference in the skin, besides it still feeling like slightly pliable metal, just like when he had been in his Coperion Body mode.


    Wait¡­ I lost that, didn''t I?


    Irwin focused on his new card, and slowly, a set of active skills appeared. A quick look showed him he was right, and he realized he''d not noticed it while reading the card. Did that make him weaker than he had been?


    "Problems for later," he muttered.


    He turned away from the mirror and picked up one of the casual white shirts Scintilla had gotten him. It fit, though where it had been loose before, it was tighter now. A glimpse at the bed made him wonder if he shouldn''t be dead tired now¡­ then again, he had slept.


    I wonder how long I actually slept for, he thought before shrugging. Whatever. Let''s go and see what this card can do!


    --


    The sound of water dripping down blended with the soft wind. Irwin sighed as he felt the steam ripple around him, and he willed it further. With little effort, it spread across the entire sandy hilltop he was sitting on, a twenty-foot-high, thick blanket of hissing steam.


    "Almost ten times the size," Irwin muttered as he opened his eyes and looked around.


    As always, it was almost impossible to truly see anything, the white cloud around him obscuring everything.


    So, that leaves only the Vaelite kinetic skill, he thought, going over the other aspects of the card.


    His hammer skill had barely changed, though he had been stunned when he managed to create one that was the size of a door. He''d only barely been able to lift it, showing it wasn''t something that he could use in combat, but just looking at it had made him grin. If he stood somewhere high and dropped it on something, he wondered how much damage the massive, impossible-to-wield thing would do.


    The flame that he had inherited from his first card hadn''t changed a lot either, but like his Sweltering Cloud skill, it had become much larger. A single flex of it had covered himself and everything within a dozen feet in a blazing inferno.


    So, most of the things stayed the way they were, he thought as he focused on the card. Oddly, the things that had changed the most were the passive effects, and he guessed that was as Ambraz had intended it. From what he could tell, his physical strength now was on par with what he''d had when he was in full Coperion Body mode, and the sprint to the distant hill he was at now had been nothing.


    No, with the exception of his Kinetic abilities, which he had yet to try, all of his skills seemed roughly the same, just more powerful.


    Well, almost no change, he thought as a slight movement made him look up and to the left.


    A fuzzy red shape was descending the hill beside the one he was on. He could barely discern it had a head, two arms, and two legs. Still, if he had to guess, he''d say it was an Ignitzion, as those were the only ones he knew that were hotter than even these surroundings.


    He released his hold on the steam, letting it fade away while keeping an eye on the soulforce it had cost. Unlike with his handcards, his heartcard didn''t have energy of its own, but it was directly tied to his soulforce. He''d been worried about that, but as he examined his nearly empty Soulforce lake, as he had come to call it, he''d noticed that it seemed unchanged.


    Doesn''t it absorb the Soulforce? he wondered, deciding he needed to talk with Crithann about this. He felt a tiny bit of weariness, so it had cost him something. That much was obvious.


    Stolen story; please report.


    With him no longer holding the steam together, the always present wind of the desert blew the clouds away within moments.


    In the distance, he saw Scintilla walk towards him, a wide grin on her face.


    "Hey there," Irwin shouted as he rose and moved towards her.


    He wasn''t surprised to see her eyes widen as she met his gaze.


    "About time you got those," Scintilla shouted as she sprinted the final distance toward him.


    As she stopped a few steps away, Irwin saw her hair was brighter and far more fiery than he''d seen before, while heat waves radiated away from her as if she was on the point of exploding.


    Those new eyes are going to take some getting used to, Irwin thought.


    "So, did you get anything else besides those awesome tattoos?" Scintilla asked as she stepped closer and traced a finger across one of the red lines across his arms.


    Irwin grinned. "What, is my even larger steam bath cloud not good enough for you?"


    "Depends if it''s hotter," Scintilla grinned.


    "It might be. I didn''t check," Irwin said as he suddenly realized he should try that out soon.


    "Well, tell me all about it while we walk back!"


    Irwin nodded as he let her drag him along.


    Halfway back, Scintilla burst out laughing.


    "That big? I don''t believe it! Show me!"


    Irwin shrugged and took a step to the side while raising his hand. There was a woosh as a massive, door-sized hammer with a handle as long as his leg appeared. Even though he''d seen it before, he was surprised again, and he was barely in time to grab the handle with both hands. Even then, it almost thudded on the ground.


    Scintilla began laughing again, hands on her knees as she pointed at the hammer.


    ¡°Tha-...ts¡­ so¡­ use- use¡­ use¡­¡±


    She fell on her ass, laughing harder than Irwin had ever seen her.


    Irwin frowned, and then an idea came to him, and he grinned.


    "Think it''s silly?" he asked, as his smile widened.


    With barely any effort, he shrank the hammer to a hand-sized one and hurled it up and away. Just as it left his hand, he changed it back to the massive size, and he watched in satisfaction as the door-sized hammer flew through the air with more force than he probably would ever be able to with that size. There was a choking sound beside him as the laughter turned to coughing, which was drowned out by an explosive boom as the hammer slammed into the hillside over two hundred feet away. There was a slight tremor in the ground where they stood while a massive column of sand sprayed up.


    Scintilla was coughing as she stared in wide-eyed amazement at the partially destroyed dune.


    Irwin unsummoned the hammer and resummoned the smaller one in his hand, swishing it around while he thought about somehow adding the giant size to his combat routine. If he swung it, the weight would likely pull around, but what if he used that to his benefit?


    "Come on, I wanna see if Crithann is up for some practice," he said as he pulled Scintilla up.


    She was looking at him oddly, and he raised an eyebrow. "What?"


    "You need a haircut," she said, very matter of factly.


    Irwin looked over his shoulder at the tangled mess and shrugged. His beard could probably grow out now, though he still wasn''t sure he wanted it to.


    "Sure," he said as he rubbed his chin, feeling the slight stubble. "I guess I''ll have to see Gustho when I get back to Fiverio."


    "Ghusto?"


    "A barber in Fiverion that seems to be able to split himself into multiple copies of himself," Irwin said.


    Scintilla whistled, and Irwin began filling her in on some of the new things he could.


    When they returned to the city, Irwin saw that the inner area, everything adjacent to Smithing Square, was a bustling mess of people. Cards were glowing as sections of walls were either fixed up or removed to be replaced. He felt a tiny bit of guilt as he saw them all, but all he got were congratulations and worried questions about whether he was alright now.


    "Let''s go to my place first," Scintilla said when Irwin wanted to turn in the direction of Crithann''s house.


    Looking up, he saw her look at him with a slightly sad smile. Irwin hesitated, recalling that he had to see Crithann. Then he looked at Scintilla and sighed.


    "One moment," he said as he ran to one of the nearby Viridian workers, who looked up as he approached.


    "Smith Irwin?"


    "Hey, could you let Crithann know that I''ll find him tomorrow? I need to spend some time with Scintilla now."


    The Viridian looked over his shoulder and nodded. "Sure!"


    "Thanks," Irwin said before walking back to Scintilla.


    "If it''s important-"


    "It should be fine," Irwin said with a shake of his head. "If it is, he knows where to find me."


    Scintilla nodded.


    Curious and also slightly worried, Irwin walked beside her. When they entered the house, he saw a large bag with swords attached in a corner.


    "I''ve got to go tomorrow," Scintilla said as she turned to him.


    Irwin blinked, looking at her. Confused, he looked at the bags and then back at her.


    "I thought you were going to leave next week?"


    "I was, but there is a group of battle-sisters heading back home tomorrow, and they have arranged everything from teleporters to a ship ride across the Portal Gallery," Scintilla said as she sighed.


    Irwin nodded, not sure what to say. They had been together for over a year, longer even, and it felt both longer and shorter.


    "I''ll miss you," he finally said, knowing it was true. If he didn''t have to go back, he might not have.


    Scintilla''s eyes gleamed, and she kissed him before frowning. Her mouth opened then closed, and she looked at him. She seemed to be struggling and not sure what it was about Irwin remained quiet. After a few seconds, Scintilla sighed, and her usual smile returned.


    "Let''s go and eat! I bought two bottles of something special, so we should party tonight!"


    Irwin knew something was going on, but he had no idea what. Still, if she didn''t want to tell him, he wasn''t sure he should press her.


    "Alright," he said as he nodded with more energy than he felt. "Let''s make it a great one!"


    --


    It was as quiet in the room as it was outside, and a silent shape sat on the bed, looking down at the sleeping giant beside her.


    Stupid smith, now he''s even hotter, Scintilla thought as she raised her hand, almost stroking the beautiful red lines across his skin.


    She''d seen an enclave of Firesteel Elementals once back on Ingiz, deep in the Onyx Mountains of her home country. Irwin''s lines were paler and thinner than theirs had been, but she was pretty sure he''d make for a great ambassador in talking with the elusive, hidden people.


    She felt a tiny twitch in her fiery aura and couldn''t hold back a wide smile.


    Yes, yes. So impatient!


    She inspected Irwin again to make sure he truly was asleep, and when she was sure, she let her fiery aura expand beyond her core. A thin veil of flame illuminated the room, and immediately five tiny deep-red flames shot out. For a moment, they moved around energetically before, one after the other, they reached the side Irwin was lying on.


    Scintilla felt tiny queries pushed to her mind, and she smiled as she replied with an affirmation. The flames shrank slightly, and she knew each was carefully observing the sleeping man. Their father, even though he didn''t know.


    Watching the calm, stubbled face, Scintilla held back a sigh.


    I''m sorry, but if I tell you, it might interfere with you saving your people, she thought. But don''t worry. I told Greldo, and he promised to tell you when you return home.


    One of the flames moved back to her, a thought almost like a challenge pushed towards her.


    ''I can''t wake him, little one. But don''t worry, if he can, I''m sure he will come and find you eventually!''


    An angry sense of disagreement was pushed at her, and Scintilla almost went against her own instincts. Then she shook her head, impressing on the tiny being that it wasn''t the right thing. Not now.


    The flames remained in her aura for almost ten minutes, carefully observing Irwin before finally returning back to her core. They were weary now and would need to sleep, but it was something she had to do. She cherished the few memories of her own father that she had, deeply ingrained into her being from a similar moment, and she hoped that those of her daughters who would survive would feel the same.


    After she pulled back her aura, she lay down and cuddled up against Irwin.


    You better save your people and come find me after, she thought, falling asleep shortly after.


    --


    Irwin stood beside Scintilla, looking at the group of two dozen Ignitzions, most of whom he''d only seen once or twice. Only one was more familiar, and he waved back at her.


    Lasvirish, he thought after a moment, one of the leaders of the Ignitzions.


    "If Numilli comes back here, be careful," Scintilla said as she moved her massive pack more to one shoulder.


    Irwin snorted. "If I see her again, I''ll try and detain her and get some of your people to return her home," he said.


    "Might be for the best," Scintilla said, tapping her sword handle before looking up. "I need you to do me a favor."


    Irwin blinked, staring at her suddenly serious face.


    "Alright," he said.


    Scintilla grinned. "You never made me a proper card-"


    "Hey! You didn''t-" Irwin began, only for Scintilla to talk right over him.


    "-and now that you are able to make really good ones, I want one. So, if you come across a sentient sword card, one with a fire-elemental mind, get it and bring it to Igniz?"


    Sentient sword card? He tried to wrap his head around that. Was that supposed to be some type of minion card?


    "Okay," he said, slightly uncertain.


    "Good! Also¡­ and if you don''t find one, you still have to come and find me," Scintilla said. "I''ll be staying on Igniz for the next five years. That''s Portal Gallery time!"


    Confused and trying to suppress the sadness of seeing her leave, Irwin nodded.


    "After I finish saving everyone, I''ll come find you," he said, knowing full well the chances of that happening were slim.


    "Good, I''ll keep you to that," Scintilla said as she hugged and kissed him.


    As he felt her lips part from his, then watched her wave and walk to the other Ignitzion, Irwin felt a sense of loss.


    The Ignitzions welcomed Scintilla happily, some slapping her on the back and making jokes that Irwin saw made the fire in and around her hair spark- the Ignitzion equivalent of blushing.


    One of the Ignitzions, an older one with hair streaked with pale white, stepped back, and a ball of fire erupted out from around her.


    Scintilla was the last to enter it, waving at him a final time. As she moved inside, her aura flared up for a fraction of a moment. A few rapidly moving flames, a dark crimson, moved within it. Then the flame, Scintilla, and a layer of sand atop the stones was gone.


    Irwin stared at the empty space for a bit, recalling the time he''d spent with Scintilla, when he''d met her and when they had fought for their lives.


    I''ll come find you when I''m done, he decided. And if he could, he''d get his mother and brother a card that made them immune to fire, like the one he had, so they could come.


    Taking a deep breath, he turned towards Crithann''s house. It was time to let off some steam.


    --


    A day later, Irwin was lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling. He was thinking about Scintilla, his heartcard, and the fact that he would be leaving soon. A soft rustle from his jerkin that hung on the chair snapped him out of it.


    "Ambraz, you are awake?" he shouted as he quickly got up.


    "Ugh... not so loud!" Ambraz muttered. "Yes, barely. I forced myself. Are we still on Scour?"


    Irwin frowned. How did you force yourself awake? Noticing no movement, he hesitated before removing Ambraz from his pocket. The Anvil''s wings were hidden, and he lay on his palm. Besides the lips, he looked exactly like an inanimate anvil should.


    "We are still here," he said.


    "Good, good," Ambraz muttered. "You read the letter?"


    Irwin felt his moods slump as he thought about the tiny Emberion. "Yeah."


    "Ugh, don''t give me that! The card is fantastic, and as sad as it is, the Emberion did ask for something... interesting in return!"


    Irwin frowned at Ambraz''s callousness. "What?"


    "Do you remember that first Earth Titan that we went to?"


    "Of course," Irwin said as he recalled the place he''d gotten his Sweltering Heart card.


    "Well, our little friend asked that we bring his remains to the chest cavity that we got your card from."


    Irwin shook his head, confused. "What? Why?"


    "No idea," Ambraz said before yawning. "And you''re going to have to do it on your own because I need to go back to sleep."


    "Wait," Irwin said quickly as he saw Ambraz''s lips slowly vanish. "How do I get his remains? Or are you going to wake up again?"


    A soft flash came from Ambraz, and suddenly, a tiny smooth coal lay on his hand. Irwin stared at it stupidly, noticing tiny, closed slits.


    "When will you wake up again?" he muttered.


    Ambraz grunted. "No idea. Waking like this makes it worse. Days probably," he whispered before he returned to being a simple tiny Anvil.


    Irwin stared at Ambraz for a few moments before pocketing him. Then he gazed at the Emberion, surprised at how heavy it was.


    Fine, let''s get you to where you want to go, he thought.

 Chapter 157.2: Emberion interlude

    "I''ll join you," Crithann said calmly, closing his door.


    Irwin stared at his mentor and friend in surprise. "What about this place," he said, waving around at the town that was slowly growing into a bustling city.


    "There is no more trouble, and there are many heartcarded here to protect it," Crithann said as he looked around. "Besides, do you even know how to reach the Earth Titan body?"


    Irwin smirked. This was exactly why he was here in the first place.


    "Let''s go. There is a teleporter here that will help us," Crithann said as he began stomping through New Grianf¨¢l.


    Irwin walked after him, quickly catching up and falling in pace with the giant Veridian.


    It took them a while to reach Crithann''s goal, which was in one of the more remote places of the town¡ªa small, two-story house built beside the wall.


    Crithann knocked on the door with enough force for the entire thing to flex, and a startled shout came from inside.


    "Yes, yes! What is it?"


    "It''s me. I need your help for a day," Crithann rumbled.


    Someone stomped through the house, and the door was pulled open, revealing a brown-leafed, dark, and old-looking Viridian. Intense green eyes stared at them as a leafy eyebrow rose.


    "My my. The leader and the smith! Let me guess, you need to go somewhere that''s not within walking distance?" the Viridian said, his voice sounding like the groans of an old massive tree bending in the wind.


    "Yes," Crithann said before turning to Irwin. "This is Ruislaoch, one of the oldest Viridian here."


    Irwin nodded as the brown-leafed Viridian stepped out of the house, slamming the door shut behind him.


    "I told you when I came here that I was done with teleporting everyone around," Ruislaoch said. "If I''d known you would come and enlist me within days, I could have just stayed in Cindergrove!"


    The Viridian''s words sounded annoyed, and Irwin saw a weary look in his eyes.


    "I need you to bring us to a surfaced Earth Titan," Crithann said, who seemed to ignore the reaction. "It''s already been scavenged, but we need to take a look at the heart chamber."


    Ruislaoch eyes widened, and he looked at them with interest. "Well, why didn''t you say so?! That sounds way more interesting than porting around, hunting murderous, rampaging Imps."


    Irwin was surprised at the quick change, then quietly listened as Crithann explained where they had to go.


    "It''s fine if you bring us to the ruins of-" Crithann began, only to be interrupted by Ruislaoch''s annoyed snort.


    "What do you take me for?" the old Viridian snapped as he raised his hands. A soft wind suddenly blew around them, and Irwin smelled wet grass, leaves, and spring. "Don''t compare me to those youngsters!"


    The outlines of leaves and vines began appearing all around them, quickly turning solid and real. A moment later, Irwin and the two Viridians stood inside a tiny clearing in a beautiful forest. Sadly, it only lasted for a moment before the image turned translucent and vanished. There was none of the jarring, painful warping of the teleportations Irwin had felt many times. Instead, everything had been quiet, pleasant, and fast.


    Now, they were standing deep within the desert, and Irwin saw a familiar set of rocky hills sprawled out a few hundred feet away.


    "This thing hasn''t been here that long," Ruislaoch said. "You are sure it''s been scavenged already?"


    Irwin looked at the distant hills.


    "How can you see how long it''s been here?" he asked.


    Ruislaoch snorted as he tapped the side of his head. "You''ll learn when you live for another few thousand years, Smith," he said before letting out a humorous grunt. "Besides, I''ve got a soulcard that deals with vision and perception."


    Crithann began walking forward, stoically staring around. "Ruis, be sure to stay close to us just in case," he said.


    "Of course!''


    Irwin hummed as he fell in step with the others.


    I wonder if there are any of those wyrms left, he thought.


    Half an hour and a long slide into the dusty darkness later, he found out there were.


    The chest cavity was dark, but none of the three cared as they looked around. There was no sign of the carcasses of the wyrms and demons that had been killed when Irwin was last here, and he wondered who had eaten who.


    He turned his attention to the distance, seeing small wyrms moving through the far wall of stony flesh. There was no sign of any of the massive ones, though that didn''t mean there were none.


    "Why are they still here?" Irwin whispered. He wasn''t worried that the wyrms would come. Between his flame and Crithann''s overwhelming power and the ability to teleport, he expected very little trouble.


    "Lingering soulforce," Crithann rumbled, not even bothering to whisper. "These wyrms are small enough that consuming the flesh will still benefit them."


    Ruislaoch was walking around, examining the wall and the ground before looking into the cavernous depths of the bowels.


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    "So, you want to examine the heart or go straight down?"


    "Down? Why would we go down there?" Irwin asked as he stepped beside the old Viridian. The bottom was far below, and he saw dozens of holes drilled by wyrms leading into what was beyond. Although the structure of the body faintly resembled a human, that stopped at the general outline.


    "Sometimes Earth Titans collect interesting metals and gems in their bodies," Ruislaoch said.


    Irwin hummed at the mention of metal. Then he shook his head. "I''m going to check the heart cavity first. I''ll be right back," he said.


    Crithann and Ruislaoch followed him as he walked towards the ledge that led to the hole he''d gone in a year earlier.


    Never imagined I''d return here, he thought as he climbed up the hole and then walked through the tunnel. It took a short while to find the passage that led to the destroyed wall where the heartcard had been.


    "Completely empty," Ruislaoch muttered as he looked inside and snorted. "Well, go and do what you have to so we can check for more interesting things!"


    Irwin stepped into the hollowed-out space and looked around. Some tendrils had survived the destruction hanging from the sides, and the only other thing that stood out was the slight elevation below where the heartcard had hung.


    I wonder why it wants to be buried here, Irwin thought, slowly removing the coal-like body of the emberion from his pocket.


    The tiny orb was duller than it had been the night before, a very dark gray instead of black. Looking down at the tiny corpse, Irwin sighed.


    "Thanks for everything," he whispered before kneeling beside the elevation. It would be as good a place as any to put it.


    The tiny remains stood out against the ruddy flesh-turned-stone of the Earth Titan, and Irwin looked at it for a while. When nothing happened, he rose, took a final look, and walked out of the heart chamber. Ruislaoch and Crithann were watching him quietly.


    "That was an emberion, wasn''t it?" Ruislaoch asked softly.


    Irwin nodded as he began walking back to the main cavity.


    "It saved my life," he said. "And without it, I wouldn''t have been able to create my heartcard."


    There was no response, but he turned as he heard an odd rustle. Turning around, he saw that Ruislaoch was standing with his hand outstretched at the entrance. The walls around it were morphing softly, and odd brown-red vines grew from them, rapidly blocking the entrance. Leaves began growing from them, and within moments, the entire entrance was hidden from view by a bush.


    "There, that should keep any small demons out," Ruislaoch said as he turned to Irwin. "Now, let''s go and see what we can find below!"


    Crithann quietly followed him, padding Irwin''s shoulder in passing.


    "Thanks," Irwin said as he smiled at the elderly Viridian.


    He followed after them, his mind still.


    --


    As the muffled footsteps faded in the distance, the silence returned in the small heart chamber.


    Time passed, hours, days, as the tiny Emberion corpse went from a very dark gray to light gray until it was almost white.


    Finally, a crack appeared over its length, and with the sound of ripping paper, the orb split apart as a cloud of minuscule sparks exploded out. Barely visible to the naked eye, they drifted apart, landing on the ground and the walls.


    Almost immediately, they began glowing a dull red as they absorbed the lingering soulforce.


    --


    Two days after he returned from the Earth Titan and five after Scintilla left, Irwin was breathing heavily, glaring at the massive hammer on the ground before him. He''d been swirling his hammer around for hours, trying to become fluent in using it to reposition himself in combat. Though he was getting better at it, he had found that he wasn''t as agile as he wished he was.


    "So, she''s gone?"


    Irwin jumped and turned around, the hammer behind him unsummoned and resummoned in his hand faster than someone could blink.


    Greldo stood a few steps away, a pair of silver eyes below dark eyebrows instantly drawing Irwin''s attention.


    "Woah! Jumpy much?"


    Irwin chuckled, unsummoning his hammer.


    "You took your time. Glad to see everything worked," he said.


    His grin widened as Greldo looked at him, staring at his eyes.


    "I thought you were going to do that later?" his friend asked, pointing accusingly at Irwin''s eyes.


    "What? And let you have all the fun?" Irwin said, putting his hands in his side like his mother sometimes did when he was young.


    As Greldo shook his head with a grin, Irwin saw that his hair had changed. It had always been darker than his, but now it was nearly pitch black with just a few silvery strings mixed with them. Beyond that, he had a heavy stubble on his tan face and exuded a sense of explosive power.


    "Bit early to become gray, isn''t it?" Irwin asked as he raised an eyebrow.


    "Hah, hah. Very funny," Greldo said, shaking his head. "So now that we both have a heartcard, does that mean what I think it does?"


    "If what you think is that we are going back to see what Daubutim did in the few weeks we were gone and laugh at the fact that he probably doesn''t have six cards yet-" Irwin said, tapping his chin. "Then yes."


    "..."


    "What?"


    "I was thinking about going back and finding a way to save your family and some of the other nicer people from back home," Greldo said.


    Irwin felt a twinge of sadness when Greldo didn''t mention his own family but nodded.


    "Yes. That too."


    "Awesome, then let''s go and get everything we need. Are you ready?"


    Irwin cocked his head, then frowned. "Is Gadorley still here?"


    "He''s talking with Crithann, I think," Greldo said. "Why?"


    "Let''s go! I need him to bring me to Cindergrove and back a final time."


    "What? Why!?"


    "Because I''m almost out of cards again," Irwin said.


    "You''re what?!"


    Irwin laughed at the shout of disbelief, and he sprinted away, using a little of his kinetic energy to increase his speed.


    --


    A day later, Irwin, Greldo, Balarn, Monyque, and Nimdal were gathered together at Smithing Square. Crithann was standing before them while Gadorley was waiting patiently. A mass of people stood around the edges, causing a muted chatter.


    "If you ever need a place to stay, you have a home here," Crithann said as he clasped hands with Irwin. "And use my present well," he added in a whisper that Irwin knew only he and Greldo could hear."


    "I will, thanks," he said.


    The image of the thin stack of papers riddled with music notes stuffed in his massive new backpack came to mind, and he grinned.


    Though I''ll need to learn how to read those before I can do anything with them, he thought.


    He was pretty sure Ambraz would be able to teach him, but the Anvil was still unconscious.


    Crithann turned to Greldo, offering his hand. "That counts for you too!"


    "Maybe when I''m your age," Greldo said with a wide grin to show he was joking.


    Crithann chuckled and stepped back.


    Irwin felt a burst of nervous energy bubble up as he looked around.


    Although he was slightly sad that they were leaving Grianf¨¢l and Scour behind, there was a large part of him excited at the prospect of where they were going! He wanted to see how Daubutim and the others were doing and if they had found a way to bring people over. If not, he was going to use his new rank as an Emerald Smith to see if he could get those in the power of Fiverion to allow him to bring as many people as he could find over. Even after he''d spent many soulshards on new cards, he still had over four hundred thousand soulshards left.


    "It''s time to go," Balarn said, and Irwin nodded as he walked toward the other smith.


    Technically, he was a higher rank than Balarn, but Irwin was more than happy to have Balarn arrange everything.


    "Thank you for everything," Balarn said as he raised a hand at Crithann. "If you ever need something, come find me at Tensor''s Charter, and I''ll do what I can to help!"


    Crithann bowed his head, and a soft cheer rang out from the crowd.


    Gadorley seemed to decide that was the right time because Irwin saw the now familiar green light and vegetation appear from his side. As it did, Greldo stepped next to him.


    "I could have gotten us there," his friend whispered with a wide grin.


    "Next time," Irwin said as the leaves enveloped them.


    The final thing he saw was Crithann staring at him stoically with a massive hearttree behind him.

 Chapter 158: Five

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    Daubutim stood silently beside Gawarn, ignoring the excited muttering. All around, smiths were gathered, some still arriving, having only just heard of the order to come to the central area of Tensor''s smithy.


    After another few minutes, Tensor stepped forward and scraped his throat. Instantly, the gathered smiths quieted down, all of them staring at the bearded, Ruby-rank Smith.


    "There has been news from Balarn," he said, nodding at Gawarn, who was nearly jumping up and down in excitement. "They left Scour earlier than planned due to orders of Smith Urdwellan. He has closed the planet to offworlders for the foreseeable future."


    A surprised whisper came from the surrounding smiths but instantly faded when Tensor glared around.


    "As you may imagine, the reason is because the disappearances have been going on there just like here. Unlike here, however, they managed to find some clues on what is going on."


    This time, a deadly silence filled the square, even the rustling of movement gone as the smiths looked at him.


    Interesting! I wonder if Irwin had something to do with this, Daubutim thought as his own interest peaked.


    "What you are about to hear is still classified, so you are not to speak about it outside of the smithy," Tensor said before turning to Daubutim. "This goes for you too."


    Daubutim nodded, though he was fairly certain that if there was news, Librarian Purntou would have it already.


    "Balarn and the others were on Scour for roughly two years, during which I am sad to say they had to deal with a massive invasion. Imps managed to create portals towards the world and tried to abduct all of the smiths."


    Imps? Daubutim thought.


    "Although they were dealt with, I have some very bad and sad news. While fighting them off, Syndal lost his life."


    Shocked cries rang through the ground, and this time, Tensor let them continue for a short while.


    "I have already contacted Syndal''s family about this, and remember. Keep this news inside the smithy and the rest."


    There were a few shouts of agreement, and Tensor nodded sternly.


    Daubutim saw a few smiths stare around in shock, the deluge of information seeming to shock their system. He could relate, as he had to struggle to keep from attempting to reason out what was happening. He wasn''t interested in having an episode right now.


    "The others are currently on a ship back to Fiverio and should be here in a little over two weeks. Due to the current issues, all Portal Gallery ports have heightened security, so their trip is longer than usual. Now get back to work," Tensor said, waving his arms around. "And remember. No talk about this!"


    There was a hushed silence, then the smiths began slowly dispersing. Daubutim wasn''t surprised, as he''d already found that Tensor held a tight grip on his charter.


    "You two, come with me."


    Daubutim looked up to see Tensor beckon them after him. A quick look at Gawarn showed the smith was as surprised as him but was already moving.


    Now what.


    They followed Tensor through the smithy into his private chambers, where Ichela was sitting, nervously tapping the armrests of her chair.


    Tensor moved to another chair, sat, and waved to them to do the same.


    When they were all seated, Tensor looked at Gawarn, then Ichela. After a moment, he raised his hand, and a hush came across the room.


    "I called you here because there is more news," Tensor said. "Now, Balarn''s message was short, so I have no details, but there was more trouble after the thing with the imps. A group of Dead Pact Mercenaries arrived during the auction period, and smiths began disappearing. Again. Now, Lord Urdwellan intervened, but Basal wasn''t sure if all of the Mercenaries were dealt with. Anyway, this was the reason most smiths were sent off-world. I say most because Yogog is remaining behind and started a new offshoot of my charter there."


    Daubutim frowned, forcing his mind to remain still. Even then, he felt curiosity bubble up, and he remembered something his father had taught.


    Multiple groups are unlikely unless one worked for the other or there''s a third party holding the reins, he thought. A slow throbbing made him focus on the reactions of the others. They had continued talking, but his memory readily reminded him that it all dealt with their interest in another offshoot of Tensor''s Charter.


    "So, does that mean we will be able to send more smiths there in the future?" Gawarn asked.


    "Most likely. Though this won''t be for a few years," Tensor said. "Now. This wasn''t all I had to say. The other heads of the smith''s charters in Fiverio have been called together by Tomeron Grinwon. He has both news and will likely request us to open our doors again."


    Daubutim''s focus heightened as he saw a worried look momentarily flit across Tensor''s face.


    "There have been rumors spreading that a private ship arrived at the Portal Gallery Docks bringing a group of merchants and smiths from one of the larger branches. They are said to be led by a high-placed person from the Terlarni Merchant Family. Now¡­ I don''t know much about this family, but what I have heard isn''t too good. Tight leashes, harsh working environments, and a number of guards that more resembles a private army."


    "You think you''re going to meet them?" Gawarn asked.


    "Yes, and I expect it will last long and be highly annoying," Tensor responded.


    Tensor turned his silver eyes on the others. "If Tomeron Grinwon didn''t have control over the district guards, I''d have ignored his request, but he was pretty adamant."


    "You expect trouble," Daubutim stated, recognizing all of the signs.


    Tensor looked at him and nodded. "Yes. I don''t know what is going to happen, but it''s all too convenient."


    "Then why don''t you just stay here and say you''re sick or something?" Gawarn asked, leaning forward. "I mean, if all the others come, he wouldn''t make trouble just because-" he fell quiet as Tensor shook his head.


    "No, Gawarn. I might have tried something if your brother wasn''t on the way back, but even if something happens, Balarn will return soon, so-"


    "You expect to be gone longer than two weeks?" Ichela asked, her voice even but her eyes wide with worry.


    Tensor sighed as he leaned back in his massive chair. "Yes. We were told that we would be going to the Docks, and the only reason for that would be if we were to go on the rumored private ship."


    Daubutim calmly inspected the smith, wondering why he was even there. Still, every bit of information during times of trouble was good, as his father used to say.


    "And they are going to take you away somewhere?" Gawarn muttered. "This doesn''t sound too great, to be honest¡­"


    "Indeed, which is why I asked Daubutim to be here," Tensor said. "Balarn said that your friend managed to gain Emerald rank."


    Gawarn began coughing while Ichela had stood up, staring at Tensor in disbelief. The smith ignored them both, as did Daubutim.


    "The others were required to bring their Emerald rank apprentices, meaning-"


    "By Yilda''s tits, what are they-" Gawarn started, only to freeze when Tensor glared at him.


    "Enough, Gawarn! Stop interrupting me! I know this is all shit, but there''s little I can do. Tomeron has been clear. If we don''t go, he will pull the guards from the district."


    Daubutim saw Gawarn and Ichela pale as they sat back down.


    "Can he even do that?" Daubutim asked calmly, slightly disgusted at the idea of using power for such an act.


    "Sadly, he can. Worse, if he has decided to even threaten with this, it means he is not afraid of angering the resident Smith''s charters. Which I can assure you he is doing with these actions."


    Daubutim nodded. "Then it is likely that someone is pressuring him," he said.


    Tensor''s eyes focused on him, and he could see a tiny bit of surprise.


    "That is what I''m thinking too," the smith said. "Now. As I was saying before, the other Emerald rank smiths will be gone, as will the Ruby rank charter heads. That means that when Irwin returns, he will be the only Emerald rank smith in this entire world!"


    Not for long, Daubutim thought.


    "If I am not back by then, I need you to tell Irwin to wear a Topaz ranking stone and not tell anyone his real ranking."


    "You are worried they will abduct you and the others?" Daubutim asked, feeling there was something odd going on.


    Tensor looked at him, then snorted. "Close. You are quicker than you let on, but no. I''m afraid the nearest large branch thinks we can''t keep our smiths safe, so they have resorted to bringing all smiths they deem useful there for safety."


    Daubutim frowned. "I see. Why would they not bring all of the smiths?"


    Tensor sighed, glimpsing at Gawarn and Ichela.


    "On the main branches, they don''t think very highly of Topaz rank smiths from what they call the fringe branches," he said. "It''s not totally without cause. What we think of as an accomplished Topaz rank smith here is barely a student there, and most remain that rank and find employment in towns across the worlds."


    "Seriously? I''ve never heard about that," Gawarn said, leaning forward with an annoyed frown.


    "Because not a lot of people here ever go to the main branches, and the merchants know to keep their mouths shut if they want any smith''s help," Tensor said. "Anyway, from what I''ve found, it''s not due to a lack of talent. It''s that the cards we have here are, bar a few, low quality and too simple. Reforging them isn''t all that hard. It''s why so few smiths here reach Emerald rank. To do that, you need great quantities of expensive cards or be blessed with insane innate talent."


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Daubutim kept silent, seeing Gawarn look at his hands in disgust.


    Ichela sighed. "My aunt told me about this," she said. "According to her, some charters on the nearest main branch have nearly unlimited rare cards for their prospective smiths to practice with."


    Tensor sighed. "Yeah, well, if you can gather the two hundred thousand soul shards to make the trip, you''ve got my blessing."


    Gawarn gagged while Daubutim frowned. Ichela just smiled sadly.


    "Now. I''ve got to leave soon, and I need to speak with Daubutim privately. You two go and get ready to take over for the next two weeks. Keep the others working, and if the cards run out, focus on metal purification."


    Gawarn and Ichela shared a look before getting up and walking to the door.


    "Be careful out there, boss," Gawarn said before closing the door behind him.


    Tensor snorted. "Little brat. He knows I hate being called that," he muttered.


    Daubutim didn''t respond but quietly waited to see what the charter head wanted from him.


    "Daubutim, I hear you have some connection to one of the Master Librarians," Tensor said, looking at him.


    Daubutim hesitated, then nodded. "I have spoken to one a few times," he said.


    "Alright. I need you to tell him everything you just heard. He probably already knows, but it''s best to be absolutely sure about these things. Also¡­ ask him if he can keep an eye on Irwin. I know he is your friend, but he managed to go from being a Quartz smith to an Emerald one in under three years. That is fast, even by my old master''s standards. Whoever is after us will likely target him."


    Daubutim was sure Gelwin would watch over Irwin no matter what, but he wasn''t going to tell Tensor that. There was one thing he found curious, and his father''s training provided him with only one possible logical answer.


    "You think it''s safer for him here than with you."


    Tensor let out a deep sigh before leaning forward, elbows on his knees. "Yes. That, and I''m afraid the Terlarni will try and force him into a contract that''s not in his best interest. It''s likely why they are requiring us to bring our Emerald-ranked apprentices along. If a smith manages to reach Emerald rank in these backwaters -their words, not mine- it means they have above-average talent. With how few of us are able to do the harder tasks, the families are always attempting to bind more of us to their cause. Even if they risk angering the smiths guild."


    Daubutim nodded, wondering what his father would think of the world beyond Giard. He''d probably enjoy it a great deal, as many things were similar to what he was used to.


    "I will do my best to share this with a Master Librarian," he said.


    "That''s all I can ask," Tensor said as he got up and cracked his neck. "Now, off with you, boy. I need to finish up some things before leaving."


    Daubutim rose and barely held back an automatic bow. Something about Tensor reminded him of the powerful nobles that hung around his father. Instead, he raised his hand in greeting and left.


    I''ll see how Lamia is doing before heading back, he decided.


    --


    Irwin leaned forward on the railing, gazing out across the jungle-covered Portal Gallery. Once in a while, he saw tiny heat signatures move about, which he presumed were Addled.


    "What will you do after you return?" Monique asked, standing beside him.


    Irwin sighed, trying to keep his annoyance down. Monique had been hanging around him ever since they got on the ship back to Fiverio. She''d been constantly asking questions about where he was from, about his mother, and how he had learned smithing. Greldo thought she was coming on to him, but Irwin didn''t buy it. He did agree she wanted something¡­


    "Irwin?"


    "I''ll need to talk with some friends first. After that, I will probably go back to my world," he said, pushing himself away from the railing. "But I''ve gotta go and find Greldo now. He asked me to train with him a bit more today."


    Irwin turned and quickly sped away to make sure she wouldn''t pin him down with questions again. He did hear her say something, but he already dashed into the ship''s enormous building-sized housing area at the back. Ten minutes of moving down ladders and through corridors later, he reached the room he shared with Greldo. He waved his hand before the sentient crystal beside the door and, as soon as it opened, moved inside, pulling the door closed.


    A startled laughter greeted him, and he turned to see Greldo standing on one side of the room while Coal stood on the other. As he focused on the hound, Irwin felt his hair stand on end as the blazing silver eyes in the nearly black head stared back.


    I still don''t understand why Coal''s eyes turned silver, he thought.


    He absently reached for the pocket that held the still-slumbering Ambraz before frowning and pulling it back. They had been on the ship for a week now, and the tiny anvil had shown zero sign of waking up.


    "What''s wrong? Is Monique after you again?"


    Irwin snorted as he walked through the luxurious and spacious cabin. It had three rooms, a large central one, and two smaller sleeping cabins, and compared to the first trip they had, it was a blessing. Which was good as it cost enough and wasn''t something Irwin would have chosen if it hadn''t been the only room available.


    "I think she wants something, and before you start, it''s not that," he muttered as he carefully lay down on one of the couches.


    "Well, I wouldn''t be surprised if it was," Greldo said as he joined him.


    "Whatever. So¡­ Do you want to try teleporting again?"


    Greldo''s eyes sparkled, and he nodded, seemingly forgetting about Monique.


    "Yes! Let''s try for two consecutive ports this time," he said.


    "Alright. But make sure you don''t get us appearing in our neighbor''s room again!"


    "That was just a mistake, alright!"


    Irwin didn''t reply but leaned forward.


    Greldo took a deep breath, and his eyes gleamed a bright silver, showing how much effort it was costing him. The shadows around him suddenly deepened and spread out and, within moments, reached those near Irwin. Irwin watched how all the shadows around him connected together, then expanded out and up.


    It took ten seconds, and then he, Greldo, and their couches were covered in a dense cloud of shadows.


    "Now," Greldo whispered.


    Irwin felt a sense of discomfort as the light vanished, and he seemed to shoot through the darkness. A moment later, the lights reappeared, and he was staring at what looked to be the other wall of their cabin. Something seemed wrong with the color of the wall, though. He frowned. Had it worked, or-


    The shadows vanished, and he fell back, his back slamming into the ground with a loud thud.


    "Right. That''s the ceiling," he muttered, ignoring the groan from beside him.


    Looking around, he saw Coal stare at him, and he could almost see the hounds smirk.


    "At least we are still in our room."


    "Progress," Greldo grunted, getting up from where he''d crashed into the ground. "Let''s try again!"


    Irwin sighed as he got up and noticed the couch had partially come with them, half of it lying behind him on the ground. "Great¡­. They are going to make us pay for that, you know."


    "That''s fine, you''re rich," Greldo said with a snort.


    Irwin blinked, then suppressed a grin. If he laughed now, the bastard would just continue!


    The next teleport went slightly better, in that effect that they remained on their feet. Sadly, their feet were also planted on the wall again, and they both face-planted into the ground. In the end, Irwin let himself be talked into another attempt, which ended up with them appearing in the hallway.


    "Alright, that''s enough," Irwin said as he shook his head at Greldo. "I''ve got to practice my own skill some more."


    "Alright, I''ll keep trying with Coal," Greldo said as he followed him into the room.


    Irwin glanced at the hound, feeling a tiny bit of sympathy, but not enough to stay and help for another attempt.


    He walked into his own room and closed the door before carefully lying down on the bed. He still hadn''t been able to completely get used to his new weight, and having stone beds back on Scour definitely hadn''t helped much. Lying down, he gazed at the ceiling and focused on the heartcard in the center of his chest.


    He raised his hand and focused on the abundant water in the air. From the first time he''d attempted the Sweltering skill after leaving the desert and lava world, he''d been surprised at the absolute abundance of moisture everywhere. Each time he focused on the card, it almost felt like he was almost swimming in it.


    Raising his hand, he focused on the water, which instantly began gathering steam near his hand. Even though it only felt warm to him, he knew the heat was probably enough to burn someone else, and he frowned. He really wanted to be able to pull in less hot steam, but each time he tried, he failed. Annoyed, he dissipated the steam and tried again, with the same result.


    After attempting for what had to be an hour, he stopped in defeat.


    I guess it makes sense, he thought. All of his abilities dealt with heat, after all.


    There was a soft knock on the door as he lay there, wondering what else he could attempt.


    "Irwin?"


    Hearing Greldo''s voice, Irwin grimaced. "I''m not going to help again," he said.


    "I know already! That''s not it," Greldo replied. "Listen, can you open the door?"


    Hearing the seriousness in his friend''s voice, Irwin rolled off the bed and opened the door, looking at Greldo. He noticed a folded piece of paper in his hands and a frown on his face.


    "What is going on?" Irwin asked.


    Greldo''s frown deepened, but he held out the paper. "Before she left, Scintilla came to see me, and she handed me this. She told me to give it to you after we were a week in."


    Irwin blinked, staring stupidly at the paper before reaching out and accepting it. Something about the way Greldo was looking at him made him slightly worried.


    "Do you know what''s in here?" he asked, staring at the paper.


    "Not the details, but I''ve got a general idea," Greldo said with a weary sigh. "She made me promise to keep it to myself¡­"


    Irwin looked at his friend, then at the paper, and nodded dully as he folded it open.


    Hey Hotstuff!


    So, if you''re reading this, you will be far from Scour, and a few weeks should have passed! Do you miss me? I''m pretty sure I''ll be missing you by now.


    Now, I''ve gotta tell you something, and I''ve been thinking about how to for a few days now. I just can''t think of a good way, so I''ll just say it¡­ or write it, I guess.


    That last night we spent, I used both our heat to create five little Ignitz.


    Irwin stepped back, looking at the paper in disbelief, then at Greldo, who was grimacing.


    "You knew?" he asked as he felt his mind go into a massive jumble.


    Greldo''s shoulders slumped, and he shrugged before tapping his ears. "Wish I hadn''t, but I overheard her talking with Ignalia and Hotzli. They were¡­ arguing the night before I returned, and I could hear most of it."


    And why didn''t you tell me? Irwin thought as he gritted his teeth. He felt his hands clench but managed to resist it, afraid he''d tear up the paper. He was a father? But¡­ would he ever see his children? What was going to happen to them?


    A nasty memory of when he was younger and had been struggling with his own missing father surfaced, and he closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. He''d always promised himself that if he ever had children, he''d be there for them.


    After a few moments, he focused on the paper and continued reading.


    I know I told you that I wouldn''t just do this and that I needed your permission¡­ but your heat is so powerful! I could have made it work the first time, or nearly any time for that matter!


    At first, I didn''t even think about it, but as we spent more time together, I was starting to realize I was beginning to hate the prospect of having to leave you. Then you told me about your own world''s troubles, and I knew¡­ I knew I couldn''t ask you to come with me. I asked the others, but there''s no known card that enables an Ignitzian to live in cold areas. So when our time was cut short, and you had to leave. I ¡­ I wanted something to remember you by. In case you-


    The rest of the line was struck through and unreadable.


    I know you are probably angry. I could see how you felt about this, and the few things I managed to learn about your own family show me why.


    When you slept, I let them out and imprinted your image on them so they will always know who you are.


    Anyway, I''m sorry if I hurt you, but you don''t have to worry! Ignitzian embers, as we call our children, well, they aren''t children yet. Not like you know them. They are like tiny fire elementals with only a very rudimentary consciousness. Mostly desire. After returning home, they will be set out in the lava rivers and gaseous plumes of my mother''s homestead. There, they will remain for anywhere between five and fifty years before they ignite and are ready to truly become an Ignitzion.


    I''ll remain at my mother''s homestead to try and get my next sword and attempt to get another card for a few years, and after that, I''ll head out to see if I can find Numilli. I don''t know what she did, but I''m pretty sure it wasn''t good. According to the exit registrar of Scour''s Exit Portal, she left a week before us.


    If you ever save your world, go to Igntiz and find my mother, Lindahrai. She will have a way to let me know to return.


    Hotstuff¡­ I hope you won''t hold this against me.


    Scintilla


    --


    Irwin sighed as he folded the paper and shoved it in the wide pocket of his jacket.


    "You okay?" Greldo asked.


    Irwin looked at him and shrugged. "I don''t know. Probably? Maybe? She said they put their babies in lava to swim around for a few years to a century¡­ I mean¡­ Does that mean that it''s possible that they only grow up after all is said and done?"


    "I don''t know¡­ lava? Damn. Listen, how about we go and get a drink and talk."


    Irwin wanted to shake his head, then thought about lying on his bed and sighed.


    "Yeah. That might be a good idea."


    He followed Greldo out, his mind spinning around. Somehow, the way Scintilla talked about their -embers?- made him feel better. Even then, the fact that she had used his heat to just create children rankled him.


    I guess that means I''ll have to go there after saving mom and Bronwyn.


    As he thought about his brother, another idea popped into his head, and he snorted.


    Greldo looked up, but he ignored it as his grin widened, and he began laughing.


    "Irwin... Are you alright?"


    It took Irwin a long while to calm down, and when he did, he saw Greldo looking at him worriedly.


    "Sorry, I was just thinking that if I see Bronwyn, I''ll get to tell him I''ve got five kids running around somewhere. I''m pretty sure he will fall over in disbelief."


    Seeing Greldo''s surprised look, Irwin continued ahead, still grinning.

 Chapter 159: Return to Fiverio

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    A week flew by in relative quiet, with Irwin spending most of the time practicing with Greldo. Most of it was teleporting with ever more accuracy around the room, while some dealt with his own card and learning how to control his kinetic energy.


    The only noticeable event was a four-day delay at the dock of a small, nondescript planet. They had to wait for a group of passengers who were eventually escorted on the ship by a group of armed guards.


    Irwin wasn''t there to see it, but Monique had been more than willing to share what happened in detail. Apparently, they were some unfamiliar species that was smaller than average, with green hair, silver eyes, and pale skin.


    Due to this, two weeks after they had left, they still hadn''t arrived at Fiverio, and Irwin was lying on the couch, watching Greldo teleport throughout the room. If his friend didn''t have to carry anyone, he was insanely fast, popping up anywhere a shadow was within the blink of an eye. Coal, however, was no slower, and they were playing a rather dangerous game of tag, where Greldo would try and stay out of Coal''s reach, and the hound would win if it could nip him.


    "OUCH!"


    Irwin couldn''t stop laughing as he saw Coal nip Greldo in his backside.


    "Yeah, yeah. You just laugh," Greldo muttered, rubbing his left butt cheek while tossing Coal a nasty look.


    "Come on, you asked him to do it," Irwin said as he began snapping his fingers. Each time he did, a minuscule amount of heat was taken from his heartcard to augment the kinetic energy that began collecting in his hand. When he''d done it four times, he focused on the kinetic skill and snapped them again, releasing the energy.


    The sound of two pieces of metal colliding rippled through the room, and Coal and Greldo jumped before glaring at him.


    "What? You aren''t the only one that needs practice," Irwin said.


    "Bah. Why don''t you just go and practice reading those bloody scribbly papers," Greldo muttered.


    Irwin grimaced as he was reminded of the papers he''d been gifted by Crithann. "It''s useless. Without Ambraz, it''s not something I can learn."


    Greldo grinned, seeming ready to speak, when a drowsy voice interrupted him.


    "What do I hear? Is someone finally realizing my profound value?"


    Irwin sat upright, smiling widely.


    "Ambraz, you woke up," he shouted, opening his shirt pocket.


    Ambraz flew out, whizzing through the air before landing on the low table beside the couch.


    "Well, if you keep making such a racket, what do you expect?"


    Irwin didn''t respond, dumbly staring at the tiny anvil. A small purple flame adorned the area that also had his mouth. It was roughly where one of his eyes might have been if he had any.


    "What are you looking at me like that for?" Ambraz asked.


    "You''ve got a tattoo?" Greldo exclaimed as he sat down beside Irwin, jabbing a finger at the tiny anvil.


    Ambraz''s lips pressed into a tight line, and he began shivering slightly. Slowly, the purple flame began fading, first turning faint, then finally disappearing entirely.


    "Alright¡­ let''s pretend neither of you saw that, and whatever you do, never mention it," he muttered.


    Irwin nodded, pretty sure it had something to do with his rank-up, but Greldo leaned forward.


    "Oh? And what''s in it for me if I do that?" he asked.


    "What about I''ll not wake you up by sitting on you in my largest form?" Ambraz snorted.


    Irwin watched Greldo''s eyes begin to gleam, and he knew his friend wouldn''t just back down.


    "Nah¡­ how about you promise to keep an eye out for cards I need to fill up my heartcard?" Greldo said. "And perhaps use some of those ludicrous amounts of soulshards you are going to collect to buy them?"


    Irwin grinned, but he kept his mouth shut.


    "Seriously¡­ you brats keep making me work too hard," Ambraz said, letting out a low and undignified whine. "FINE! I''ll keep an eye out, and if I see something useful, I''ll get it for you. But not too much!"


    Irwin held back a laugh, pretty sure that Ambraz was this quick to agree because he knew Irwin would have done it anyway.


    Greldo leaned back beside Irwin, a satisfied look on his face.


    "Now, what did you wake me up for?" Ambraz asked.


    Irwin hesitated, then got up and walked towards his room. "I''ll show you," he said.


    A few moments later, he returned with a stack of papers bound in string, which he placed on the table. As he removed the bindings and unfolded the top one, yellowed with tiny tears and damages, Ambraz hovered before him.


    "Galadin sheet music," Ambraz hissed. "Where did you get this?"


    Irwin looked at the old-looking papers, surprised by Ambraz''s reactions. "Crithann gave them to me. He said these were partial bits and pieces that his family had gathered over the millennia. None were that useful because they were only parts of songs, but because of how I work, he thought I might have some use for them. These are copies."


    Ambraz landed on the paper, and it took a while before he spoke up again.


    "This isn''t a single part of a song. It''s more like tiny snippets of songs, the first few lines, a beat, or a melody. Show me the rest," he said, moving from the paper to give Irwin space.


    Irwin began spreading the papers out across the table, and Ambraz hovered around, humming to himself.


    "Alright, put this one first, then this, then this-"


    Ambraz began landing on different papers, and Irwin started rearranging them. Finally, the one he''d had on top was moved to the back, together with some others. He didn''t see exactly why, but he began seeing some sort of pattern in those that were arranged first.


    "Alright¡­ I need some time and paper. Greldo, can you go and get a booklet from somewhere? Make sure it''s normal paper, not something that has card-skill-enhanced abilities."


    Greldo let out a weary sigh. "Sure. Make me work," he said as he got up and walked away in mock weary resignation.


    Ambraz didn''t seem to notice or care, and he continued fiddling with the pages, sometimes asking Irwin to replace two pages. When Greldo returned, carrying three thin books, each bound in leather, he was humming a tune that reminded Irwin of the one he''d learned for Crithann.


    "Alright! Put the book down above this page," Ambraz said as he landed on the first page.


    Greldo snorted. "What, you don''t even want to know what I had to do to get the-"


    "No. Put it down," Ambraz said, sounding distracted.


    Irwin held back a laugh as Greldo sighed and put the book down.


    His laughter quickly died down as Ambraz began glowing. A dim purple light shone from him, and the book rustled. Ambraz hovered from page to page, the light shining while the book kept rustling. When he finished, Irwin noticed that the text on the pages was becoming faded, the yellow paper turning nearly orange.


    "What did you do?" he asked as he picked up the book and opened it. Rows of musical notes were arranged on the page, and as he leafed through it, he realized they weren''t in the same order as before. Although he wouldn''t put his hand in freezing water for it, he thought he recognized parts of different pages now put below each other.


    "I took the parts that belong together and arranged them properly," Ambraz said as if he''d read his mind. "Then I made sure the original pages would be destroyed so nobody else could just get them."


    "Why?" Greldo asked, mirroring what Irwin was wondering about himself.


    "Because if they somehow spread, someone might figure out how you got them and Crithann would get into some trouble," Ambraz said. "Or did he say you could share these?"


    Irwin sighed. "No. He said I had to be careful."


    "Exactly," Ambraz said as he landed on Irwin''s shoulder. "Now, there''s a bit of space below each page. I''m going to explain the sheet music, and you can add your own notes below."


    Irwin couldn''t hold back a grimace as he realized he was going to have to practice and learn.


    "Well¡­. Good luck and all that? I''ll go and see if Balarn and the others are up to something fun," Greldo said as he rose.


    Irwin looked up to see his friend grin at him, and he snorted. "Sure. See if you can bring me some food and drink when you return," he muttered.


    Greldo walked away, waving over his shoulder. "Sure, sure. I''ll play some more fetch! Have fun learning about squiggly lines!"


    Irwin watched him leave, then focused on the book''s first page.


    I hope this isn''t going to be as difficult as it looks, he thought.


    --


    Two days and a massive headache later, Irwin was staring at the pages with blurry eyes. His fingers were cramped from writing with a pencil, something he hadn''t done since Ambraz had taught him writing back in Trimdir''s smithy. Still, he felt a massive sense of accomplishment.


    "Alright, so this goes like-" he muttered before humming a tune.


    "Correct," Ambraz said, sounding impressed. "You really do learn fast!"


    If you say so, Irwin thought, thinking about the two days of nonstop learning he''d just done simply to learn how to read and interpret a few lines.


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "Now, go and sleep. The ship should arrive tomorrow, and it''s not going to be useful for you to be red-eyed and tired. Who knows what the situation back there is like."


    Irwin took a final look at the page before stuffing the booklet in his vest pocket.


    He rose, flexing his fingers. A sense of relief came as his great endurance slowly removed the soreness from his fingers while his headache began diminishing at a speed he knew others would need hours for. He should have taken more breaks in between; that way he''d not even have had a headache in the first place!


    "So, how long would it take me to learn this?" he asked as he walked towards the door. With some luck, Greldo and the others were in the mess, eating.


    "Where are you going?"


    "Eat?" Irwin said, slightly confused. Ambraz knew he needed to eat, and his stomach was telling him he hadn''t had anything in a while.


    "Well¡­ you might wanna wait till morning when everything is open," Ambraz said.


    Irwin blinked, and as he opened the door, he saw the general cabin lights were gone. Everything was tinted red, yellow, and orange, and a slight wavy line came from Coal as the hound looked up from his position in front of Greldo''s door.


    "Oh¡­" Irwin said lamely.


    Trying to ignore his rumbling stomach, he closed the door, looked around for some food without finding any, and finally lay on his bed.


    "Great," he muttered.


    Ambraz landed on his chest, letting out a low laugh. "Now you know how I felt when I couldn''t get any cards to eat!"


    Irwin sighed, staring at the ceiling.


    "What is going to happen when we arrive?" he asked, absently rubbing against his stubbled chin.


    "Well, you are going to have a party because you are an Emerald rank smith, and then you must decide how to save your family. I''d say go and talk with someone who owns land, buy as much as possible, then see how many serfs you can have and get your family out. As an Emerald smith, you might be able to get an entire town somewhere."


    Irwin was surprised at how well thought out Ambraz''s plan was.


    "Still no new ideas on how we can save Giard?" he asked.


    Ambraz was quiet for a bit before he answered. "Listen, kid. Remember that there is a chance it shattered in the four weeks or more that we were gone. Don''t be to surprised if we are too late..."


    Irwin didn''t reply, because he knew the other was right. He''d thought about it many nights while in his smithy and had somewhat learned to deal with the idea.


    "Let''s hope Daubutim managed to come up with something," he said before closing his eyes.


    When he finally managed to fall asleep, his dreams were restless nightmares about his mother and brother running for their life while the ground around them erupted.


    --


    Daubutim stood in the massive central hallway, looking at the staircase.


    "You are sure they will arrive today?" Gawarn asked, shuffling beside him.


    "Yes," Daubutim said, crossing his arms.


    "Okay, because we have been standing here for hours."


    "Two hours, twenty-four minutes, and ten seconds," Daubutim said, ignoring the other''s stunned glance.


    "Haha. Real funny," Gawarn said before turning to Lamia. "You wanna go and find something to eat?"


    "Let''s wait till they are here," Lamia said, smiling at Gawarn.


    Daubutim didn''t need to look to see the infatuated look of the smith as he swooned over Lamia. Ever since she had been freed of whatever Uxin''tar had done to her, Gawarn had been hanging around her to ensure she was okay. Even Daubutim, who knew he wasn''t good with these things, could see something was blooming there.


    Not that he cared. It might be better if Lamia remained here. Even though she was working hard at getting more cards -a bit too hard from what he had seen- her cards were too weak to help with where they had to go. Even his would need work! Unless she managed to find three powerful battle cards, she''d be nothing but a liability with what he had to do.


    There was a soft gong, followed by the crackling of lightning.


    "The exit portal activated," Gawarn said, sounding excited.


    "Yes. Now let''s go up before Irwin walks in here with the wrong ranking plate," Daubutim said as he walked forward.


    The guards below the stairs looked at him, nodded, and let them pass.


    "I wonder how much they changed," Lamia said behind him. "They are now two years older?"


    "Two years, three months, and a few days," Daubutim said without looking back.


    He didn''t know Irwin and Greldo''s exact age, but he guessed they would be close to twenty now. That meant they were older than him now, though only by a year.


    As they reached the portal room, a mass of people was walking towards them, but Daubutim instantly saw Irwin and the others. Irwin''s black, red-tinted hair wrapped around his shoulders made him stick out from the masses. Only the guards around the exit portal didn''t look small in comparison.


    He scanned the crowd, and he almost stopped as he came across a group of four green-haired humanoids with pale, sharp faces and silver eyes. They were staring at Irwin and the others and surrounded by a group of a dozen guards who were still busy resummoning carded armor and weapons. He continued looking around, scanning them a second, quick time on the pass back before staring at Irwin.


    They are being watched.


    "Brother!"


    Gawarn''s booming voice rippled through the relatively quiet chamber, causing the over a hundred people that were moving towards them to stare at him.


    So much for being quiet, Daubutim thought, noticing the group of green-haired people that seemed interested in Irwin turning their attention on Gawarn and him.


    Still, there was a benefit to Gawarn''s loudness. Irwin was now looking at him, and as they locked eyes, Irwin''s eyes widened in recognition and joy. He said something to the others and walked towards them.


    As they came closer, Daubutim noticed his friend had changed. Although he''d never been very childish, now there was nothing child-like remaining. Instead, a young man with burning silver eyes, a dark stubble, and a stoic look walked toward them.


    Daubutim made a slight head gesture to the side before moving out of the way of the masses. The others followed him to the wall.


    It''s good to see that he became a heartcarded, he thought. Any little bit would help.


    --


    "Lamia is back!"


    Irwin nodded, feeling more than a little relieved. Still, as he saw her follow Daubutim, walking beside Gawarn, he had the feeling something wasn''t as it had been. Her eyes seemed deeper, and the joking, slightly flirty look she usually had was nowhere to be seen.


    Balarn increased his pace and reached the others before him.


    "Brother," he shouted, hugging Gawarn who was grinning widely, a look of absolute relief on his face.


    "I was starting to get a bit worried! You were supposed to return a few days ago," Gawarn said, striking his brother''s back.


    "We had to wait for some more people at one of the stops," Balarn said.


    Irwin sniffed, looking back at the group of green-haired, silver-eyed people. As he did, he saw them look back before quickly turning away. A moment later, they followed the mass of other visitors down the stairs and out of view.


    Wondering what that was about, he turned to Daubutim, who was looking at him. His eyes were as dull as always, but he ignored that. Instead, he noticed he was now a hand-length taller than his friend.


    "It''s good to see you again, Daubutim," he said. "How have things been here?"


    "Good, but before we do anything, I need you to remove your Emerald ranking plate,'' Daubutim said softly.


    What? Irwin looked at him in surprise, which grew as he was handed a Topaz ranking plate that reminded him of his old one.


    "Replace it with this, and make sure you don''t show the Emerald one again."


    Irwin knew Duaubtim would never ask him to do this without a good reason. Without hesitation, he pulled his unbraided hair back, removing the simple cord that held his new ranking plate and stuffing the plate in his pocket. Then he took the topaz plate and gave it a quick look before wrapping it in the cord and tying it around his hair.


    "I''ll explain later," Daubutim said.


    Irwin noticed he was looking around, and he did the same. They were the last still in the chamber, only the guards still standing there.


    "What about them?" Irwin whispered.


    "I''ll make sure they don''t say anything," Balarn said as he stepped up, nodding at Daubutim before turning to Irwin. "I just heard that Tensor is gone. Can you lend me a few thousand soulshards?"


    Wondering what was wrong, Irwin calmly pulled out his bag and handed a large shard to Balarn. It was worth five thousand soulshards, and he hoped that whatever was going on was worth it. That one shard could have let him bring back and feed a lot of people here.


    They waited quietly as Balarn walked to the guards and began talking.


    "So, you are a heartcarded now. Did you reforge all your cards yourself?" Lamia asked.


    Irwin looked up to see her examine him. She was smiling, but even then he saw such a profound sadness in her eyes that had never been there before, not even when the attacks on Degonda had cost the lives of some of her family.


    "Most of them," he said. "But I had help."


    Lamia smiled as she came closer and inspected his arm. "You went full strength and¡­ metal?"


    "That and fire," Irwin said as he raised his hand and let a few flames leak around his hand. He decided there was little use in explaining all he could do.


    "A real smith," she said. "I barely recognize the young, small, and scrawny kid that came to Trimdir''s looking for refuge from the cold!"


    "Hey, I wasn''t that small," Irwin said, smiling back.


    "You were shorter and weaker than I was," Lamia said with a derisive snort. "Arms as thick as fingers!"


    Irwin burst out laughing, but before he could say anything, Balarn returned.


    "That should take care of these guys," he said, handing Irwin something.


    Accepting it, Irwin realized it was a tiny bag with a few shards in it. Combined, they were barely more than half of the large one, but he hadn''t really expected anything.


    "They were willing to split the large soulshard," Balarn said, gazing at him meaningfully.


    Right, and took the rest with the promise to not speak about anything they might have seen, Irwin thought.


    "What about all of those people that were on the ship with us?" he asked.


    "Nothing we can do about that now," Balarn said. "But these guards are notorious chattermouths, so this will at least buy us some time to find out exactly why you must hide your rank."


    "Tensor''s orders," Gawarn said with a shrug.


    "Explain later. Let''s get out of here and head back to the charter first," Balarn said.


    Irwin followed him, noticing that Lamia and Gawarn remained side by side, whispering to each other.


    Nobody stopped them as they walked down and through The Central Registry, and when they walked through the doors, Irwin stopped, taking in a deep breath.


    The city that sprawled around them was larger and wider than he remembered. The wind that blew throughout it was also colder than he''d prefer, not that it was any problem. He''d have little trouble even if it was much, much colder. Still, from the trees in the parks, he could see winter was coming to this part of Fiverion.


    I wonder how large this world actually is, he thought. Perhaps he could find a smaller city and buy a large area?


    He saw the others were moving ahead, and he quickly followed them, constantly looking around.


    The last time he''d been here, he had barely any experience with anything but his own world. Now, after having been on Scour for over two years, he realized just how dense and busy the world was. He recognized familiar areas in the distance, and as he followed the others down the stairs and into the city, he was surprised at how hectic it was. Only during the height of the Auction had there been this many people in Cinder Grove.


    As they reached the Smiths district, he saw guards walking everywhere, and when they reached the street that led inside the district, their path was blocked by a group of guards.


    Although it took only a few moments for Gawarn and Balarn to get them through, it still told him enough. Smiths were still disappearing.


    The Smiths district was quiet, and when they reached Tensor''s smithy, Irwin was surprised as he felt a slight bit of nostalgia. Seeing the towering doors, he recalled the first time he''d come here. He had been barely able to reforge a card and hadn''t even had his Quartz ranking plate yet.


    When they entered the smithy, dozens of smiths waited for them in the open courtyard. They were all chatting, but when the door opened, Irwin saw them all focus on their group. Ichela was standing in front of them, and she looked relieved when Balarn walked up to her.


    "By Yilda, it''s good to see you again," she muttered as she clasped hands with Balarn.


    Irwin felt a shock run through his system. It had been ages since he''d last heard that name. Not since he''d left Scour! He looked around, noting a frown on Greldo''s face, while Daubutim just looked as stoic and dull as ever. He wasn''t sure if that meant he''d heard the term outside their world before or just wasn''t shocked by it.


    I''ll need to ask him about this as soon as I can, Irwin thought.


    "It''s good to see you too," Balarn said before looking around and addressing the other smiths.


    "I''ve heard that Tensor is off-world for something important, but I''ll be here to make sure you all don''t get bored," he shouted.


    There was a quiet mutter while many smiths looked at him with as much relief as Ichela.


    "Now. Me and the others need to settle in after our long journey and get caught up! I know some of you want to talk pleasantries, and there will be time for that later," Balarn continued. "For now, continue with the work you still have. I''ll be reviewing everything tomorrow and make changes if they are required."


    Irwin was massively impressed at how, in stride, Balarn took everything. There was no hint that he was worried about suddenly being in charge of Tensor''s charter.


    Many of the smiths muttered greetings, some walking forward to clap hands with Balarn before heading back to the forge areas.


    "Come, there''s lots we need to talk about," Ichela said as she looked at Balarn before glancing at Irwin. "You can come along while Gawarn gets the others situated. We have rooms ready for you all."


    Irwin hesitated. He would have preferred talking with Daubutim first. Still, he guessed this wouldn''t take too long.


    "Has my family been informed?"


    Ichela froze, then turned to Nimdal, a look of deep sorrow in her eyes.


    ¡°Nimdal, I am so sorry. Things have been hectic here and¡­ no, no excuses. I am so sorry for your loss."


    "It''s fine," Nimdal said, his voice cool and his face as passive as it had been ever since his brother had died. "My family?"


    "They have been informed, and I''m sure they will send someone to come pick you up soon. From what I was told, they would be heading back to the world of your grandfather as soon as you returned."


    Nimdal finally showed a reaction at that, a surprised frown. Still, he just nodded. "Alright, I''ll go and pack up our things."


    Ichela smiled sadly as he walked away before turning to Balarn and Irwin.


    "Let''s go."


    Balarn gave his brother a one-armed hug before following her.


    Irwin turned to Greldo. "I''ll be back soon. Can you get Daubutim up to speed?"


    "Sure thing."


    Irwin nodded before following Balarn.


    Great. Let''s see what''s been going on here then, he thought.

 Chapter 160: The next plan

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    Irwin stepped out of the main smithy building and into the courtyard. It was getting dark outside, showing just how long they had been talking. Even then, Balarn had remained. He was still discussing and planning with Ichela, and from what Irwin could tell, it might last the entire evening.


    Cracking his neck, Irwin sighed.


    Sorry Balarn, but I can''t promise to remain here, no matter what you say, Irwin thought as he headed to the large side building. A pair of smiths stood at the door, both with hammers ready and looking tired.


    "Irwin, good that you are back," one of them said, before yawning.


    "Good to be back," Irwin said mechanically.


    "Your room is on the first floor, at the back. It''s easy to find," the smith said before smiling ruefully. "I''m afraid you will have to share it with your friends. With everyone back here, we are a bit tight on space."


    "That''s alright," Irwin said with a smile. "I''ve slept worse."


    "Me too," the second smith grunted. "But that doesn''t mean it''s fun. Bloody fools that are after us. If I ever get my hands on them, I will show them exactly how fun it is sleeping with three snoring bastards."


    The second guard grinned, shaking his head. "You wouldn''t mean me as one of those bastards would you?"


    "Hah! What do you think?" the first one said with a snort.


    Irwin quickly walked into the smithy, leaving them to their ensuing argument.


    The entry room was a spacious common area filled with dozens of smiths who were chatting, drinking, and eating. There was no sign of Greldo and Daubutim, but Irwin did see Monique with a few other female smiths. They saw him as soon as he saw them, and Monique waved with a wide smile, beckoning him over.


    Irwin saw the other female smiths frown as they looked at him. He was pretty sure Monique hadn''t spoken about his rank, so perhaps it was something else? Wondering what that was about but not curious enough to go over to ask, he shook his head. He mimicked sleeping.


    Monique waved, and Irwin moved through the common room, picking up the occasional half-conversation as he did.


    "Did you hear that some small worlds have been overrun? All smiths there disappearing!"


    "Stop trying to scare people! That''s just gossip and rumors-"


    Irwin frowned as he continued walking.


    "-three guards per district exit. It''s like they are expecting an attack or something."


    "Well, that matches with what they''ve been asking us to make."


    "You''re not kidding. I''ve only been doing combat cards for days now. Don''t think I''ve seen a utility card in a week."


    Irwin exited the common area into a hallway with doors and a staircase.


    Things are even worse here than on Scour, he thought, wondering if it wouldn''t have been safer to stay there.


    He went up the stairs to the first floor and looked around to find another stair, going further up and two long hallways. One went from side to side, and another led further into the building.


    Guess it''s this way, he thought as he walked deeper into the building.


    When he reached the back door, he hesitated, then knocked. He didn''t hear anything, but the door swung open a moment later, and Greldo stood behind it, grinning widely.


    "Thought I heard your heavy footsteps," his friend said as he stepped away to let him in the room.


    Irwin stepped inside, seeing a small room. A partial wall in the center created two areas, one with some beds and the other with a table and some chairs. Daubutim sat at it, looking up at him.


    "Your debriefing took a long time."


    Irwin walked to the table and sat down, nodding at Daubutim. He was glad to see him again and wondered what he had been doing since they had left. It had been years for Greldo and him, but for Daubutim it had merely been a few weeks.


    "Yeah, besides wanting the entire story, they also wanted me to promise to stay here until Tensor and the other smiths return."


    "I take it you declined?" Daubutim said immediately.


    Irwin cocked his head, noticing a small change in his friend. Although his eyes were still flat and dull, and his expression stoic, there was something different about him. He seemed almost enthusiastic.


    "Yes. I told them I was probably heading back to my own world to get my family and as many people as possible."


    Daubutim looked at him quietly, and Irwin could see the cogwheels move. He leaned back and quietly waited.


    "There are some important things we need to talk about first," Daubutim said after a short while.


    Greldo sat down beside Irwin. "Are you finally going to share what has you all excited?"


    Daubutim looked at Greldo, then at Irwin, before nodding curtly.


    "Gelwin is here."


    Irwin blinked, staring at his friend, trying to understand what he''d just heard.


    "What?" Greldo hissed. "Are you... you have to be joking?!"


    "Gelwin is one of the Master Librarians," Daubutim said calmly.


    "That''s¡­" Irwin began, wanting to say it was impossible, a joke. Then he held back. He knew Daubutim. The young noble would not even mention it if there was even any doubt.


    Apparently, he wasn''t the only one that had decided that.


    "That''s fantastic," Greldo shouted as he leaned forward with gleaming silver eyes.


    "That''s fantastic," an angry voice shouted from his pocket at the same time. "So you''re saying that beardy face is here? Great! I''m going to flatten him!"


    Ambraz flitted out of his pocket, wooshing around while laughing.


    "I''ll show him how it feels to be locked up for ages! That evil nasty..."


    Ambraz began cursing and hissing in his own language.


    Irwin shook his head, ignoring Greldo''s humorously gleaming eyes.


    "Ambraz, calm down. Let''s hear what Daubutim has to say first."


    Ambraz flew up and buzzed around angrily. "What? Calm down! Are you crazy? That old rusted fool locked me in a loop world for hundreds of years!"


    "I know, and you can ask him about it and get angry then. But for now, let''s listen to Daubutim," Irwin said.


    "Fine, but you better believe I''m going to have words with that old beardy face," Ambraz snapped as he landed on the table.


    I believe you, Irwin thought.


    Greldo had been impatiently waiting for Ambraz to quiet down and now leaned forward. "So, how is he even alive? How did he get here, and when? Does he have a way to save Giard?"


    Daubutim blinked, then shook his head. "No. Giard can''t be saved."


    Hearing it stated with such surety caused Irwin''s questions to vanish as he stared dumbly at Daubutim.


    "Of course, that useless geezer can''t fix it," Ambraz snorted. "Even if he had six soul cards, the best he could do was keep it stable."


    Nobody responded to that.


    "I don''t know how he got here or when. His age is impossible to calculate based on what he told me," Daubutim said calmly. "I''ll tell you what happened, and then we can talk further."


    Irwin and Greldo nodded as he leaned back, and Daubutim began talking.


    He spoke calmly about how he''d heard about Gelwin''s presence and met him. Then he regaled, word for word, what he''d spoken about with the ancient sorcerer, causing Irwin to be again impressed with his friend''s absurd memory. As Daubutim spoke about Lamia and Uxin''tar and the pain she had gone through, Irwin felt outraged. Still, he managed to keep quiet. Only when Daubutim told them about Uxin''tar''s end did he let out a weary sigh of relief.


    "So, he''s finally dead," he muttered.


    "It seems that way," Daubutim said. "Gelwin was sure, and I''ll take his word on it."


    Irwin nodded, noticing a look of annoyance on Greldo''s face.


    "Greldo?" he asked.


    "Nothing. I had just hoped to end that bastard myself," Greldo muttered. "I''d planned it all out: teleport behind him with Coal and rip him to pieces!"


    Irwin nodded, keeping his opinion on how unlikely the plan seemed to himself.


    Daubutim had waited for a moment before he continued talking, telling them about the things that happened after.


    Irwin and Greldo listened quietly until he finished.


    "So¡­ we need to go and find a new world?" Greldo muttered. "Based on what we''ve heard, that sounds somewhat difficult."


    The sarcasm in his voice was thick, but Irwin knew Daubutim likely wouldn''t get it.


    "And he didn''t know how long we had?" he asked.


    "Yes and no. The world would stay stable as long as this part of him stayed here, but increasingly powerful portals would continue opening. Eventually, even if we find a world, nobody might be left to migrate," Daubutim said.


    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    "Fantastic," Greldo muttered as he got up and began pacing through the room. "Do we even know if anybody is still alive right now?"


    Irwin flinched.


    "No," Daubutim said. "We can only hope that Indoutor and the others are able to save as many people as possible."


    It was quiet as Irwin looked at the table''s rough surface. Would Malorin still be there? It was a small city bordering an already dangerous forest. They had only a few full-handed there when he left, and he didn''t think there would be many more now. He gritted his teeth.


    It was possible that they had been overrun!


    For two years, he''d been trying to suppress his worry, telling himself he''d head back to do something when he returned.


    "We should go and check before we search for a new world," he said. "We can see if we can save some people and bring them here."


    Daubutim looked at him quietly, then shook his head. "As much as I want to head back and search for my father and brothers, we need to follow Gelwin''s plan."


    "Why?" Irwin asked, looking at Daubutim, unsure how he should feel.


    "Because if we go there and get stuck, everyone will end up dead."


    Irwin sighed as he leaned back and closed his eyes. He remembered how difficult it had been coming here the first time, and he knew Daubutim was right. They had no idea what the situation was back home. Even his new strength might not be enough.


    "So, what do we do then? Find some ship that will take us to the furthest edge of the known parts of the Portal Gallery and search for a world?" Greldo asked.


    "Yes," Daubutim said calmly as if it was the most natural thing to do. "I will head to Gelwin in the morning to see if he has anything we need. After that, we should leave."


    A quiet hung in the room, which lasted until Irwin took a deep breath and opened his eyes.


    "Fine. Then we need to come up with a plan on how to do this," Irwin said, feeling dull and tired.


    "I already have a plan," Daubutim declared, causing Irwin and Greldo to focus on him.


    "I have created a new official explorers group for us called Giard''s Rangers. I also got sets of old leather armor that will make us look like believable mercenaries or explorers," he continued calmly. "Gelwin will add both of you to the new group and change the dates."


    Irwin opened his mouth, then closed it again, stunned by what Daubutim had said.


    "You-" Daubutim said, staring at him, "- will need to hide anything that could indicate that you are a smith. The best would be not to take any of your ranking plates along."


    That makes sense, Irwin thought as he pulled his tangled mess of hair forward and began removing it.


    Daubutim turned to Greldo. "And you must keep Coal hidden until we are far enough from Fiverion so nobody recognizes you."


    "What, why?" Greldo asked.


    "Because when you were here a few weeks ago, you used him during many of your battles in the underground."


    "You really planned this well," Irwin muttered, having completely forgotten that Greldo had done that.


    "There''s more," Daubutim said.


    Wondering what it was, Irwin quietly listened as Daubutim continued talking about things they had to look out for.


    Hours later, when he was finally lying in his bed, he stared dully at the ceiling.


    Greldo was already snoring, while Daubutim had decided to see if he could find Gelwin right away, muttering something about not needing sleep.


    How is it possible that Gelwin is here? Irwin thought, still finding it incredibly hard to believe.


    If anyone but Daubutim had told him this, he wouldn''t have believed it. As he tried to come up with a reason, the other things Daubutim had said played through his mind, and one stuck out in particular. Gelwin was supposedly both here and on Giard.


    I wonder where he is hiding then¡­ could it be in that tower? Irwin thought as he remembered the stories about Gelwin''s tower.


    It was allegedly one of the sorcerer''s towers and had been closed since Gelwin vanished. Perhaps he was hiding in there? But how could nobody have managed to get in? Also, how did Uxin''tar find out he was alive?


    Time passed, but he couldn''t fall asleep no matter what he did. His mind just kept spinning with everything he had heard.


    Finally, unable to stay put anymore, he got up and left the room. Ambraz muttered something in his pocket, causing Coal to look up from beside the door.


    "Can''t sleep, going to the forge," Irwin whispered.


    The hound didn''t respond, so he just left.


    It didn''t take him long to reach the smithy, nor was he surprised that it was empty. It was dark outside, with a thick cloud blocking the stars and moons. As he walked inside, he pondered about waking Ambraz, then decided against it. Moving to the massive stack of raw ore, he picked up a crate, carried it to one of the anvils, and began heating the forge. As the heat billowed out, he drew in a happy breath, listening to the crackling coals. A few minutes later, the forge was roaring loudly, but he didn''t worry. The sound damping should still be active and stop anyone from being awoken.


    Perhaps I''ll get sleepy after a while, he thought as he summoned a hammer.


    --


    "Do you think he purified all of that?"


    "Has to be¡­ I guess it''s his specialty?"


    "He must have practiced it a lot!"


    Irwin blinked as he lowered his hammer, gazing at the thin slab of purified Degnin iron. Taking a deep breath, he looked at the crates of purified ore beside the anvil.


    I guess I got a bit carried away, he thought, stepping away and looking at a group of four smiths looking at him near the entrance.


    "When did you start?" one of them, a gray-bearded, silver-eyed man, asked.


    "Early. Couldn''t sleep," Irwin said as he picked up a crate of purified metal, then after hesitating, picked up another one before carrying them to the spot they would be picked up from. It took him only a few times to get everything there, and as he turned around, he saw the smiths had moved to their own Anvils, getting ready for the day.


    "Is the kitchen open?" he asked.


    "Should be," the gray-beard said. "The new bread should have arrived.


    "Sounds great, thanks," Irwin said as he walked out.


    Let''s see if they have anything spicy, he thought.


    He had barely finished his meal when Daubutim walked into the smithy''s common room. He was carrying two massive packs and wearing well-worn leather armor.


    ¡°Let''s go to Greldo.¡±


    Irwin rose and followed him, wondering if they were really going to leave right away.


    Back in the room, they found Greldo sitting at the table, staring at the table dully. As they walked in, he looked up and blinked.


    "Did you seriously leave in the middle of the night?"


    Irwin grinned as he accepted a folded pack of armor, a belt, and some boots from Daubutim.


    "Damn right he did," Ambraz said as he flew out of Irwin''s pocket and landed on the table. "I think he purified enough metal to forge an entire armory!"


    Greldo shook his head in disbelief.


    "Couldn''t sleep," Irwin said as he began changing into the leather armor. He was surprised that it fit almost perfectly.


    "Irwin, sit here so I can cut your hair," Daubutim said, pulling back a chair.


    Seeing the gleaming scissors, Irwin wondered if those would even be able to cut through his hair.


    "Perhaps it''s better if I go to Gustho''s?" he asked as he sat down.


    "We don''t have the time," Daubutim said, pulling back his hair.


    The screeching sound of metal on metal made Irwin cringe, and he expected the scissors to snap. Nothing like that happened, and instead, his hair thudded on the ground like metal wire. Daubutim didn''t seem to care, and he continued cutting off another long length of hair.


    "I''ll cut it as short as mine, then we need to leave. There''s a small ship arriving in three hours, and Gelwin got us spots on it as guards."


    Irwin dumbly stared at his hands, listening to the scissors straining to cut through his hair. So this was it? They were going to leave a day after arriving?


    "So¡­ what did Gelwin say?" he asked, still feeling odd that he was using the name of someone he''d always thought of as a legend. A dead legend at that!


    Daubutim didn''t answer and continued cutting.


    "Daubutim?"


    "He might have an idea who is after the smiths. I''ll tell you after we are off world."


    Irwin almost rose, only barely holding himself back.


    "You''re kidding," Greldo hissed from the side.


    ¡°Later,¡± Daubutim said. "Greldo, can you bring Balarn here?"


    "Ugh! Fine," Greldo grunted, and Irwin saw him move away out of the corner of his eyes.


    After he left, Daubutim continued quietly cutting his hair.


    "Is something wrong?" Irwin asked softly.


    "Yes, but I can''t talk about it right now," Daubutim said slowly. "We need to get out of here as soon as possible."


    Irwin blinked, and as the realization set in that Daubutim wasn''t joking, his mind began reeling. If they were going to leave, they would need as much power as they could get! He and Greldo were set for now, but Daubutim should still have at least two slots left.


    "How many cards do you have?" he asked.


    ¡°Three,¡± Daubutim said. "I created my fullhand, though knowing your current abilities, I think I should have waited."


    Irwin hummed. "What do you have?"


    "A chestplate, the two-handed frost sword, and my raven summon."


    Irwin frowned. He vaguely recalled Daubutim had gotten those, but he''d never seen him summon the raven.


    "I haven''t seen that raven before," he said.


    "I don''t use it a lot," Daubutim said. "I only took it because it matched well with the armor and the sword."


    Irwin frowned. Having a card that Daubutim didn''t use wasn''t handy, but still¡­ that meant he had room for three more cards.


    "I have a lot of cards left. There''s one type I think you will need that I don''t have yet, but that still leaves you with two slots. What kind of cards do you want?"


    Daubutim didn''t answer. Instead, he began rubbing Irwin''s head, wiping away the loose strands of metallic hair.


    "It''s done. Look if it''s alright."


    Irwin frowned and ignored the hair as he turned to his friend. "What cards do you want?"


    Daubutim was looking at him, and Irwin saw the other''s eyes turn even duller.


    "Something to fix¡­ my head," Daubutim said.


    Irwin grimaced as he heard the sadness in Daubutim''s voice.


    "I know of cards that can do that, but I don''t have one yet. That''s why you need to keep one slot free," he said.


    Daubutim nodded and began kicking the long strands of hair into the corner. "It''s fine. I''ll choose two when we are on the ship."


    Irwin wanted to say something comforting, but he couldn''t think of anything, so he just began helping clean up the hair.


    A minute later, Greldo and Balarn entered. Irwin saw the smith''s eyes widen as he looked at him. Grinning, Irwin rubbed his short-cropped head of hair and shrugged.


    "Balarn, we need to leave," Daubutim said.


    Irwin saw Balarn''s eyes widen in surprise at the abrupt message.


    "What? That''s not a good-"


    "One of the Master Librarians has given us a mission that could save our people," Daubutim interrupted him. "Besides, he said that it''s safer for Irwin."


    Balarn opened and closed his mouth a few times before crossing his arms in a frown.


    "I don''t like it," he said. "We only just returned yesterday, and Tensor isn''t even back yet."


    Irwin saw Daubutim''s face go slack, and it took him only a second to realize his friend was having one of his episodes. Although he had no idea how Balarn''s remark could cause that, he knew he wouldn''t be able to answer.


    "Balarn, I know we only just came back, but there''s no other way," he said, quickly stepping forward and drawing Balarn''s attention. "You know what''s going on with our world, and if there''s even a small chance we can do something, we need to take it."


    Balarn looked at him, though Irwin saw his eyes flicker to Daubutim a few times. Then the smith sniffed.


    "Are you sure you can''t stay a few days? Tensor might return any moment!"


    Irwin shook his head. "The librarian said it''s the only way, and I believe him."


    Balarn looked at him for a while longer until he finally sighed and nodded.


    "And Lamia?" he asked.


    Irwin blinked, then looked at Greldo, who was still fussing over his armor, and only gave him a shrug.


    "I think it''s better for her to stay here," he said, making a snap decision. "After what happened with Uxin''tar I don''t know if she''s up for it. Besides, she doesn''t have enough powerful cards."


    Although I guess I could give her some, he thought.


    "I think Gawarn will be happy to hear that," Balarn muttered. He seemed lost in thought for a while before turning back to Irwin. "Do you need anything? Any help?"


    Irwin was about to say no when he thought of something.


    "Yes. I need you to tell anyone who asks after me that I''m still here and practicing smithing. Based on what I did the last time I was here, I''m pretty sure they will believe it."


    "I can do that," Balarn said, before frowning. "You have to be careful out there, alright? You know what''s going on, and it''s unsafe for smiths."


    "I know. That''s why I''ll not be wearing my ranking plate," Irwin said.


    Balarn nodded slowly. "That might be for the best."


    They quietly waited until Greldo was done, and Irwin knew Balarn wasn''t happy. He didn''t blame him, but that still wasn''t going to stop him.


    "Wait here. I''ll get all of the smiths in the private smithing area for a meeting. It''s best if as few people know that you are leaving as possible. Take care," Balarn said.


    Irwin smiled. "I will. Take care of everyone here!"


    Balarn nodded before turning and walking out of the door. As it closed, Irwin looked around the room. His eye fell on Daubutim''s massive pack, and he put it over his shoulder.


    "Daubutim, warn me as soon as you are alright," he said.


    Daubutim just nodded dully, and Irwin waited as he watched Greldo.


    "They are all gone," Greldo finally said.


    "Alright, let''s get out of here," Irwin muttered.


    They snuck out of the building, finding nobody around, but as they exited it, they saw Gawarn at the gate. The guards were gone.


    Running up to him, Irwin saw Gawarn look both worried and annoyed.


    "Balarn told me¡­ are you sure about this?"


    "I am," Irwin said as he nodded. "We need to save our world, and this might be the only chance we have."


    "Fine. If you say so... And what do you want me to tell Lamia?" Gawarn said.


    "Tell her we are going to try and save our family. I don''t know when we will be back, but if we don''t¡­ well¡­ Perhaps she can devise a way to save them," Irwin said lamely.


    Gawarn snorted and stepped away. "Alright. Well, better get going before the others see you. Ichela went ahead to warn the guards not to stop you."


    Irwin blinked, then felt a sense of gratitude and warmth fill him. Balarn had really gone all out to help them.


    "Thank your brother for me," he said.


    "Sure," Gawarn said as he motioned for them to leave. "Take care, Daubutim."


    Daubutim didn''t respond, and Irwin walked out, wondering if he should explain it. If there had been time, he might have.


    The door slammed shut behind them as soon as the three of them were outside.


    "Guess he doesn''t like us much," Greldo muttered.


    Irwin sighed and began walking towards the exit that led to the Central registrar and the exit portal.


    "Let''s get out of here."

 Chapter 161: Plan B

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    As Irwin and Greldo walked through the district, Daubutim mutely stomped after them. They came across only a handful of people and not a single smith. A sense of fear hung over the entire area that Irwin hadn''t noticed when he''d arrived the day before.


    When they reached the gate that led to the general district, he saw Ichela leaning against the wall. She said something to the guards, who all stepped aside, and as Irwin passed them, Ichela fell in line with him.


    "Good cover," she muttered as she looked at him. "But this might help improve it."


    She raised her hand, and with a flash of light, a massive two-handed sword appeared in her hands. She seemed to struggle to hold it as she handed it to Irwin, who quickly accepted it.


    "What-"


    "Smiths don''t usually wield swords, so this might help with your disguise," she whispered. "It''s made of Farlin Wood, almost as dense as metal, so that it can pass through the portals. The only problem is that it''s more brittle, so it will probably shatter after a few hits, but at least you can bring it through a portal."


    Irwin examined the sword. He would have sworn it was metal, and as he tapped it, he still didn''t recognize it as wood.


    "Thank you," he said.


    "No problem, just make sure you stay safe. It''s a shame that you have to leave just after returning..."


    Irwin agreed with her but kept quiet as they crossed the final areas. When they reached the start of the stairs leading up to the Central Registry, he turned to Ichela. As he looked at her, he remembered the first time he''d seen her standing behind the desk and accepting finished cards from smiths. It was years ago, but it seemed even longer.


    "Take care of Lamia," Irwin said.


    "Gawarn will take care of that," Ichela said with a smirk before turning serious again. "You three, be careful out there."


    "We will," Irwin said. He waved at Ichela before turning and walking up the stairs between the grassy fields.


    "Balarn''s a good guy," Greldo whispered as they walked up.


    "He is," Irwin agreed. "I hope they don''t have too much trouble here."


    "Yeah, about those smiths going missing here. Do you think the Imps have something to do with it? Or those mercenaries?"


    "I don''t know, but..." Irwin frowned as he tried to collect his thoughts. "I don''t think it''s the Imps. Somehow, I have the feeling they were more like hired help."


    "Opposed to real mercenaries?" Greldo asked, looking at him with a raised eyebrow.


    Irwin sighed, trying to find the words to express something he had thought about a few times but couldn''t seem to wrap his hands around.


    "Yeah. You are right. It''s just that there was something that felt more serious about those mercenaries, if that makes sense?"


    Greldo sniffed. "Not really, but I hope that they will leave us alone."


    Yeah, I hope so too¡­ but I doubt it, Irwin thought.


    They entered one of the hallways that led into the main chamber and saw a robed person standing near the wall. He had his arms crossed and a look of confused annoyance as he was inspecting the entrance with bright silver eyes. As soon as they stepped through, Irwin saw his focus land on Daubutim and remain there for just a moment. Then he looked at Irwin and began walking towards them.


    "Get ready," Irwin whispered.


    Their movements didn''t seem to bother the robed man, and he stopped only a few feet from them. As he did, the distant chattering of the main hall vanished.


    "No need for that now," he said calmly. "My name is Purntou Lesseron, third-rank Librarian and master of Daubutim. I see that Master Gelwin was right in his assumption that Daubutim''s odd affliction has affected him again. You may speak freely as I have covered his hallway so no sound will leave it, and anyone trying to read our lips will find they can''t."


    Irwin relaxed slightly as he inspected the man. Daubutim had mentioned him, though not in detail. Still, he didn''t seem dangerous, and knowing about Gelwin made him more trustworthy.


    Purntou slowly removed something from his baggy robes before holding out a stack of pale purple disks toward Irwin.


    "These are the owner and member plates for Giard''s Rangers. Take the top one for yourself and hand one to each of your companions."


    Irwin took the offered thin crystal disks, noting they were light and smooth. The top one had an odd set of engravings on it, and as he inspected the thin lines, a soft voice came from it.


    "Irwin, Giard''s Rangers leader plate can be bound to you. Do you accept?"


    Surprised, Irwin hesitated for only a moment. "I accept," he whispered.


    There was a tiny flash from the top disc, and then it began shivering and shaking.


    "Place it on a spot you prefer, and it will attach to you for as long as you are the Giard Rangers leader," the Librarian explained patiently. "Most put it on their wrist so they can both show it and hide it easily."


    Irwin thought for a moment, then pulled up his sleeve and placed the thumb-sized disc atop his wrist. It vibrated for a moment, then sank into his skin. A moment later, a simple purple tattoo with the symbol of an eye sat on his wrist.


    I wonder why it has an eye, Irwin thought as he handed Greldo one of the plates. He did the same with Daubutim, and his friend just accepted it and stared at it dumbly.


    "Daubutim, place it on your wrist," he whispered.


    Daubutim mechanically did as asked, and Irwin was surprised to see the disk sink into Daubutim''s wrist. Shouldn''t he have given verbal acceptance?


    "Now, for some more details," Librarian Purntou said. "Master Gelwin has removed your connection to the Tensor Smithy. Although there is still an Irwin on their roster, none of the Central Registrars you may pass in the future will connect you to him. You can keep using your own name, as there are plenty of worlds where Irwin or similar names are common. Master Gelwin has given all three of you some background. It states that all three of you are from a tiny world called Balazin, which shattered roughly fifteen years ago. Only a few hundred people managed to make it off, many of them young. They were all taken in by small and far-off guilds or mercenary groups. This is a real-world that used to exist, but the chances of you encountering someone from it are very slim, and even if you do, you can simply say you recall nothing of your homeworld."


    He planned everything, Irwin thought as he absently put the remaining discs in his inner pocket while staring at Purntou.


    "He also gave you more discs to expand Giard''s Rangers, which he suggested you do. It will increase the validity of your disguise."


    Irwin was surprised as the Librarian removed a book from his robe, handing it to him.


    "Give this to Daubutim as soon as he is back to normal. It holds the final knowledge he needs, and Master Gelwin was adamant that he take it with him," Librarian Purntou said.


    Irwin didn''t need to know him to see the man wasn''t happy with it, so he simply accepted it with a nod.


    "Thank you, and thank Master Gelwin," he said.


    Librarian Purntou merely nodded as he turned to Daubutim.


    "You have been granted leave of the Librarians for the duration of your quest, young Daubutim. However, you are to continue your training. Read what you can find, categorize it, and if you come across a central library entrance, enter it. You are to add new knowledge," the Librarian said calmly. Then he turned and walked away while the sound of the main hall returned in all its loudness.


    Irwin watched him move before staring at the book. He couldn''t read the words on it, and he slowly placed it in his vest.


    "Let''s get out of here," Greldo said.


    "Yeah," Irwin said.


    The three of them walked into the main hallway, and Irwin saw that it was busy, but not as much as a few days ago when they had returned. A trio of guards stood before the staircase that led up to the exit portal, chatting with a well-dressed man before letting him pass.


    As they approached, Irwin was glad to see he didn''t recognize any of the guards. The new mark on his wrist vibrated softly, and he saw the lead guard frown before nodding.


    "Giard''s Rangers," the guard said softly. "It says you are heading to the outer branches?"


    Irwin hid his surprise and nodded. "Yeah. Got a mission to find another world for one of those nobles," he said, faking a tired sigh.


    The guard gave him a weary grin. "Yeah, even with all the shit that''s going on, they still find ways to increase their wealth. Well, good luck out there!"


    "Thanks. You keep things safe back here," Irwin said.


    The guards rumbled in agreement as they let him pass. Halfway to the exit portal floor, Greldo moved closer to him.


    "A mission for the nobles?" he whispered.


    Irwin shrugged. "It''s the truth, so if someone with a detection card is around, it won''t trigger."


    Greldo laughed. "Since when did you get this smart?"


    "I always was," Irwin responded with a snort.


    The exit portal room was nearly empty, with only two pale-masked guards standing beside it.


    Irwin and the others were just in time to see the well-dressed man step through the portal and disappear.


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    Halfway across the room stood a group of five merchants with large bags beside them, obviously waiting for someone. As Irwin and the others appeared, one of the merchants, a pale-faced, red-haired man with silvery eyes, quickly walked toward them.


    "Hello there," the man said with a warm smile. "You three wouldn''t happen to be looking for work?"


    Irwin was about to shake his head, then stopped as his mind spun rapidly.


    Only one ship should be leaving the Portal Gallery harbor now, so these merchants were probably going with it. If they were looking for mercenaries, that meant they wanted guards for the trip there. Unlike the previous ships Irwin had been on, Daubutim had warned them that the one they were going with now was a smaller craft. There would be a risk of being attacked by raiders and fringe demons, monsters like Bablibon''s that could survive on the Portal Gallery and the space beyond.


    It took only a moment for this to spin through his mind, and he inspected the merchant for a moment before answering.


    "You have a job?" he asked, wondering if he could use this as another way to increase their cover.


    The man''s smile widened, and Irwin saw a slightly relieved look in his eyes.


    "We are heading to Sesnanser''s outpost and need guards for the trip."


    From what Daubutim had told him, Irwin knew the port he was talking about, as it was the stop before their own goal, which was the ship''s final stop¡ªa tiny harbor with a portal that led to Sesnanser, a small, hazardous mining world.


    Irwin looked at the other merchants, noting the heavy bags, probably laden with goods to sell at Sesnanser. Beyond the one talking with him, two more had silver eyes, showing they were heartcarded, while the other two had full hands and looked rugged enough.


    Still, they couldn''t have just come here hoping to find guards and just go on their own otherwise... right?


    "Where are your usual guards?" Irwin asked, poking in the dark.


    The man''s smile slipped slightly. "They should have been here hours ago, but over the last few months, I''m sad to say they have been late many times. They enjoy indulging themselves on the worlds we need to wait at, and I fear they may still be sleeping off their stupor. "


    Irwin tried to see if the other was lying, but all he got was a somewhat sad smile.


    "You only need guards till we reach Sesnanser?" he asked.


    "Yes! We have a tiny outpost there and will remain for a few years to build it into a profitable place," the man said.


    Irwin took a quick look at Greldo, who didn''t show any reaction, nor did Daubutim.


    Ordinary mercenaries would do this, Irwin thought. It effectively meant double dipping a mission.


    "Alright," Irwin said. "What are you offering?"


    The man sighed in relief, nodding fervently.


    "We can pay you six hundred soulshards for the protection!"


    Irwin almost barked a laugh at the small amount before recalling that six-hundred soulshards was a lot too many people. For most that weren''t smiths, six hundred would let them live in a world like Fiverio for half a year, probably longer on a smaller world. Still¡­


    "Eight hundred," he said.


    The merchant''s eyes gleamed, and Irwin almost wished he hadn''t made a counteroffer.


    Five minutes later, they settled on six hundred and eighty, and the other four merchants joined them.


    ¡°The name is Dondast Clarioron! I''m the owner of The Sisnour Merchant''s Group," the merchant said as he offered his fist in greeting.


    Irwin tapped it, careful not to add too much power.


    "Irwin, leader of Giard''s Rangers."


    Dondast was quiet, then his eyes widened, and he smiled. "Ah! Good to see more people starting out," he said.


    Before Irwin could ask how he knew that, Dondast removed a teal crystal plate the size of his hand from his pocket and placed his hand on it.


    "I will hire the Giard Rangers to guard us till we reach Sesnanser," he spoke calmly.


    A ping sounded out, followed by a cool feminine voice.


    "Contract created. Irwin of the Giard Rangers, do you accept?"


    "We accept," Irwin said, and he felt his wrist tingle.


    "Contract established," the voice said.


    Dondast pocketed the plate. "Now, let''s quickly get a cabin on the ship before all good spots are taken. We can do introductions later."


    "Very well. Lead on," Irwin said.


    The merchants quickly picked up their bags with far more joy than Irwin had initially seen them.


    As they walked past the guards, Irwin ignored the two masked, bare-chested guards as he stepped into the portal.


    I wonder when I''ll return, he thought, before wondering if he even would.


    --


    Librarian Purntou calmly stood before Gelwin, staring at the ancient Librarian and trying hard to keep his opinions from his face.


    "They left and took a mission to guard a small merchant group before they did," he said. "The Library spirit got some requests for information on them and gave the manufactured history you provided. One of the requests came from the merchant group and seems harmless. The others were impossible to determine the origin."


    Gelwin leaned back in his wide chair, nodded calmly, and showed no worry about what he said.


    "Good job Librarian Purntou. I have added permission for you to enter the initial room that holds fourth-rank history. Take your time, as it is a one-time benefit, and it should help you immensely with your eventual exam."


    Librarian Purntou bowed, unable to keep the joy from his face.


    "Thank you, Master Gelwin," he said before turning and walking away.


    When his footsteps had faded in the distance, Gelwin remained unmoving for a long time. Only when he sensed that the shadow he had sent to Giard had finally returned and lingered nearby did he seem to wake.


    "Tens of thousands of years have passed, and now it starts again," he whispered. He felt an uncharacteristic fear at the prospect of hearing the shadow''s rapport. "Even now, I fear the plan will fail¡­"


    With a deep sigh, he closed his eyes for a few moments, enjoying the last few moments of his long wait. Sending the shadow to Giard was a considerable risk, but with everything that had been going on, he didn''t have the option to wait any longer.


    He had no wish to use any of his contingency plans, but he would if he had to, and that meant he now needed to know, even if it cost him a permanent clone card.


    Eons of experience calmed him, and he opened his eyes to look at the shadow that had glided out of the shadows.


    "Report," he said.


    "It is estimated that Giard''s population is stable at over a million," the shadow said. "Most of those that survived still inhabit Clour peninsula. The portal situation has stabilized, largely due to Indoutor Coulwater''s return. He has managed to close most of the highest-rank portals. Due to roaming bands of demons, all of the smaller towns have been destroyed."


    Gelwin tapped the armrest but held back his questions. The shadow was barely sentient, and interrupting it sometimes caused information to be lost.


    "The former merchant outpost Degonda has increased in size to become one of the largest remaining cities, with refugees pouring in from everywhere. Part of this is due to spreading rumors that Lord Bron has access to card skills that can increase the power of other cards. There are no rumors about the smiths to whom Irwin taught the rudimentary card-reforging skills. However, it is likely that they are responsible for this. Based on some specific rumors on the cards that were supposed to have been changed, these largely untrained smiths'' innate skills seem enough for them to have reached an estimate of topaz rank. Little is known about the other cities."


    Gelwin waited patiently as more information came, all disjointed and mixed up in such a way that it was hard to follow. When the flow of information finally stopped, he quickly ordered his thoughts. He had only a short while to ask some questions before the shadow would dissipate.


    "Was your appearance detected?" he asked.


    "Unlikely. The sorcerer towers have been nearly abandoned. Only a few dozen sorcerers still inhabit the first, second, and third towers."


    "Where did the rest go?" Gelwin asked with a frown.


    "They have fled to Lord Bron and Lord Indoutor due to powerful demons roaming the mountains."


    "Are the towers still stable?" Gelwin asked, slightly worried.


    "Yes. The locking portals are still in place, and none of the towers were compromised."


    The shadow was fading, and Gelwin could vaguely see the bookcases behind it. He hadn''t used a shadow like this in eons, and he''d forgotten how fast they dissipated. He had two questions left, but the shadow probably only had energy left for one. He quickly decided on the most important one.


    "Estimated time till the current defenses will break, causing the final survivors to be overrun?"


    "Based on the little information that was gained, this can be anywhere from five years to twenty," the shadow said, turning nearly fully translucent.


    Gelwin was about to ask his last question when the shadow vanished with a tiny plop. The ancient sorcerer stared at the wall behind it before letting out a tired sigh. That had been his final shadowcard...


    He continued looking at it for a long time before his eyes focused again.


    "Let''s hope Daubutim and his friends find a world soon," he muttered. "But the window is too small."


    His eyes turned steely, and he snapped his fingers.


    After a few moments, a cloaked and hooded figure appeared.


    "Prepare everything for plan B," he said.


    The figure nodded, turned, and walked away, and Gelwin remained behind, staring at the wall.


    --


    "That''s not what I expected," Greldo whispered.


    "A bit smaller," Irwin agreed as he examined the ship at the dock.


    Where the ships he''d been on before were the size of a town, this one was barely larger than a big house. It had a massive black sail on the center mast and a small triangle one connecting a much lower mast to the prow. Both pulsed every few moments with a dim blue glow.


    It does look fast, he thought.


    On the back of the ship was an elevated area where a man stood before a crystal pillar. His hands were playing across it, and Irwin wondered what it was for. Some control crystal? A door in the area below seemed to lead to the insides of the shield.


    Dondast was walking ahead of him, and he turned around, looking at Irwin. "Do you already have a cabin?"


    Irwin nodded.


    Dondast grinned. "Great, let me do the talking."


    Irwin was surprised at how much this reminded him of the first time he''d gone with a ship.


    "Alright," he said.


    Dondast turned back around and began waving at the ship.


    Irwin nudged the massive sword on his shoulder to ensure he didn''t accidentally hit anyone behind him with its tip.


    Irwin held back a grimace when they reached the long stretch of wood connecting the ship and the pier. Everything felt half-baked. Even the board''s connection to the pier looked like it might slip at any moment.


    If we fall from here, it''s a long drop, he thought with a shiver.


    "Hey there, ship! I''m Dondast Clarioron, Leader of the Sisnour Merchant Group!"


    There was a moment of silence, and then a short, wide-shouldered person dressed in dark gray leather armor came out of the cabin. Irwin felt his hair stand on end as he saw the pale blue, plated face. It almost looked like a bald human with blue metal plates covering each part of exposed skin with smaller ones around the edges of a wide mouth and eye sockets.


    "Well, well! So the first group has finally arrived to board?" the being said with a high-pitched voice.


    Dondast moved to the edge of the plank and bowed. "Honorable captain, may we board your vessel?"


    "Xi''kroak bids you welcome on his ship," the being said, and Irwin thought he saw a smile on the face, though he could fairly well be mistaken due to how alien it looked.


    As he followed Dondast aboard the ship, the board below him bent down so far he almost feared it would crack. He quickly jumped the last four feet. He landed on the ship and felt it rock below him. There was a startled cry from above. Looking up, he saw another being like the captain hanging from the top of the main mast, glaring down at him.


    "Are you trying to sink my ship?" a high-pitched shout came from below.


    Irwin looked down to see the captain standing before him, glaring up at him.


    Not sure what to say, Irwin raised an eyebrow.


    Dondast stepped forward, making tutting sounds.


    "Now, now! I am sure Irwin is sorry for his heavy physique, but you will be happy he is here if we come across any problems," the Leader of the Sisnour merchants said.


    Irwin was surprised at how oily his voice sounded, and seeing him bow again, he wondered what kind of weird customs these blue-plated people had. The captain glared at him for a few more moments before turning to Dondast.


    "Very well! Names, and I''ll bring you to your cabins if you paid for them!"


    Didn''t he just tell you? Irwin thought. He didn''t say anything, though, and merely waited while Greldo and Daubutim joined him.


    "Dondast Clarioron, Leader of the Sisnour Merchant Group, and the rest of my group," Dondast said again. "These are my guards, Irwin and his Giard Rangers."


    "Very well. Both of you have a room, so I''ll-"


    "Dear Captain Xi''kroak! Would it be possible for us to get adjacent rooms, or perhaps a single, large one?"


    The captain looked back, and Irwin saw the tiny plates around his eyes narrow. Was that a bad thing like humans?


    "This would cause me some effort," Xi''kroak said.


    "I am sure we can reimburse this effort," Dondast said quickly, though Irwin saw his smile slip.


    "Good. I will increase your prices by ten percent," Xi''kroak said as he turned around.


    It was obvious that this hadn''t been a question, and Irwin saw Dondast look like he''d just swallowed a bug. Still, he didn''t say anything and simply followed Xi''kroak.


    Curious about what kind of people these blue-plated beings were, Irwin followed him into the area at the back of the ship.


    It was a small room filled with tables and a narrow staircase leading down. Xi''kroak headed down, leading them into the bowels of the ship, which was no more than a narrow hallway with doors on both sides. Each led into a room barely large enough for the two or four beds they housed. Irwin wondered how anyone could have brought anything if they hadn''t been waist-high, leaving room for baggage below.


    At the back was a larger room with ten beds, though with barely any room to move between them.


    "This room will be yours," Xi''kroak said as he waved them inside. "We will leave in four hours."


    Dondast bowed again, and he and the other merchants quickly moved inside. When Irwin was inside with the others, Dondast scooched past him and closed the door.


    "I''m sorry for the trouble, but I''ll pay the extra fee," he said quickly, seeming afraid of Irwin''s reaction.


    Didn''t expect anything else, Irwin thought, but all he did was nod.


    "Now, let us pack away our belongings and get to know each other," Dondast continued. "This is going to be a long, cold, and dangerous trip. It''s best we learn to trust each other."


    Cold? Irwin thought with a frown. He didn''t like the sound of that.

 Chapter 162: A quiet stop

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    Irwin glared across the ice crystal-covered wooden railing.


    Wind, piercing and cold, blew into his face, and he snorted out two massive plumes of superheated air.


    Three weeks of this, he thought, wiping some water from his arms.


    The cold was intense, but the advantage of his Heartcard had shown itself within minutes of leaving. Where everyone but the ship''s crew and Greldo had to hide below deck, he had simply remained to watch Fiverion''s massive Portal Gallery Harbor disappear in the distance.


    The idea of going back down into their chamber with barely any space to move around didn''t interest him in the slightest, so he was still outside, watching the world below change.


    "This ship makes the other ones look like they stood still," Greldo said.


    Irwin nodded absently, his mind preoccupied with other things, like how long it would take for Daubutim to snap out of it.


    "Which ones do you mean? You mean those large merchant vessels?" a high-pitched squeak called out from above.


    Irwin looked up to see one of the crewmen staring down, its blue plates paler due to the layer of frost crystals covering it. He was hanging from the black sail, hands and bare feet pressed against the smooth surface, almost as if he was glued to it.


    "Yeah, those big, expensive ones," Greldo said.


    "Bah! Those things are only good for luxurious travels," the crewman shouted. "They can barely travel more than twenty knots per hour, and that''s on their best day! The Zura''ix here can hit seventy if we have some decent ambient soulpower!"


    Ambient soulpower? Irwin thought as he watched the crewman stroke the sail beneath him.


    The sail was taut as it had been before, but where it had been barely glowing and mostly black before, the backside of it was now burning with a bright blue glow that probably made it hard for most people to look straight into. Irwin, not having that problem, inspected the material and concluded it reminded him of metal instead of cloth.


    "What are those sails made of?" he asked, turning to the crewman who seemed willing to talk.


    "Nearly a hundred percent Nefkalt! You won''t find a ship with better sails than the Zura''ix anywhere in the outer leaves!"


    Nefkalt? I wonder how that works, Irwin thought. He could probably ask the crewmen, but from the way he''d said it, he seemed to expect Irwin to know about it already. He''d just have to ask Daubutim if he knew anything about it when he snapped out of it.


    A shout from the ship''s captain made the crewman return to his work, which seemed to concern climbing over the massive sail with a cloth and wiping away the slowly building ice crystals.


    "Right, I''m going down," Greldo said.


    Irwin looked up to see Greldo rub his fur-covered jaw, the hairs cracking softly as the ice flaked off.


    "I''ll come in a bit," Irwin said.


    "Sure, stay in the cold¡­ I thought you enjoyed the heat?"


    "I do," Irwin said as he stared at the ice crystals forming on the railing. He did prefer the heat, as it gave him energy instead of costing it.


    When he looked back up, Greldo had disappeared.


    Besides, I need to find out how long I can stay out here like this, he thought as he inspectred his heartcard''s energy. It was ever so slowly leaking away as the flame kept him heated.


    He stared back out across the jungle below. It was thinning in the distance, and he wondered if it would completely disappear or not.


    Half an hour later, the jungle''s trees had made way for a low tundra with pale sheets of ice spread out between the low, dark gray vegetation. There wasn''t any sign of movement anywhere.


    "You feel no cold?"


    Irwin looked up to see captain Xi''kroak walk towards him. His previously blue plates were pale white and gleaming with a layer of ice.


    "I feel it," Irwin said as he examined the energy in his heartcard.


    It had barely dipped, and he could probably remain in this cold for days or weeks if he had to guess. A slight rumble in his stomach made him snigger. That was if he could get enough food.


    "It makes me hungry," he said, looking at the captain who moved beside him.


    "You are the leader of your mercenary outfit?" Xi''kroak asked.


    "Officially, we are an explorers group," Irwin said. "But I am the leader."


    "Good," the captain said, seeming to relax. "It is hard to have only Cha''ik around to talk to."


    "Cha''ik?" Irwin asked, surprised.


    "Those of lower rank," Xi''kroak said. "Serfs, your people call them?"


    Ah¡­ Irwin thought. He felt uncomfortable thinking of his friends as lower rank, but Xi''kroak didn''t seem to notice and let out a ticking sound.


    "Is it your first time venturing this far in the outerleaves?"


    "It is," Irwin said as he thought about what he could share safely. "We''ve been to other branches and other worlds, but never¡­" he waved forward. "This far."


    "It is beautiful out here," Xi''kroak said. "Quiet, and with barely any Addled."


    Irwin was about to ask why that was when he realized it wasn''t hard to figure out. If there were no shattered worlds around, then there would be no Addled, and this far out, there were far fewer worlds to even shatter. Besides, with how cold it was, the Addled that were around likely wouldn''t go here.


    Still, as he looked around, he saw that the massive branchlike strip of stone and tundra that passed below them didn''t seem any narrower than where they came from.


    "Will the Portal Gallery begin narrowing as we go further out?" he asked.


    "Narrowing? No. As we get further from portals, we will find just less vegetation, Addled, and eventually everything will be covered in ice," Xi''kroak said.


    Weird¡­ So why do they call it the outer leaves?


    "So¡­ what does it look like when we find the end of a branch?"


    "Void, like that," Xi''kroak said as he pointed up. "But then everywhere except for the path back."


    Irwin looked up at the dark, starry emptiness above them, then forward.


    "Is this branch an end? Will it stop at some point?"


    "We don''t know yet," Xi''kroak said. "There are thousands of offshoots moving away from the branch we are on currently, and we will pass many as we continue. I have found a few dozen leaves, but finding the end and determining if a branch is actually a leaf sometimes takes months."


    They remained quiet for a while before Xi''kroak made a clicking sound.


    "Why do you not know these things? Do you not learn this in your world?"


    "No," Irwin said, deciding to just go with it. "We focus on different things, like fighting and the best way to earn soulshards."


    Xi''kroak looked at him before pushing himself away from the railing.


    "You should learn more if you are going to come out here. As the leader of your group, it is your responsibility to know these things. We will arrive at a small harbor in three days. You should purchase some books."


    Irwin was somewhat amazed as he saw the plated being amble away. There had been a clear annoyance in the other''s voice.


    So he calls the others serfs, or whatever his word was for them, but at the same time behaves like this? Irwin hummed, wondering if it was just Xi''kroak who was like this or if it was the way of his people.


    Turning back to stare into the distance, he suddenly didn''t feel like staying. With a final look into the distance, he turned and headed back to his room.


    --


    "Irwin."


    Irwin blinked awake, looking around the crowded room. Daubutim was sitting upright on the bed beside him, looking at him. His eyes were focused and mostly sharp.


    "Daubutim, you are back," Irwin exclaimed as he pushed himself upright and sat down with crossed legs.


    "Yes, I snapped out of it an hour ago. I''ve been going over everything that has happened," Daubutim said calmly.


    Irwin nodded as he looked around. He wanted to talk with Daubutim a bit seriously, but some of those things were not something others should hear.


    There were only two other people in the room, a pair of merchants. He vaguely recalled having talked with both but had already forgotten their names. They seemed to be sleeping, but he wasn''t going to risk them faking it.


    Daubutim either had the same idea or wanted to stretch his legs as he was putting on his boots.


    "Let''s go and find Greldo," Daubutim said.


    Irwin quickly put on his boots, and a short while later, they were walking through the narrow corridors.


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    "We need to talk later," Daubutim said. "We should arrive at the first stop in a day or two, depending on how fast we went. We should leave the ship and find a quiet spot there. For now, can you hand me the book that Librarian Purntou gave you?"


    Irwin fumbled in the insides of his jacket before pulling out the book and handing it over. He heard Daubutim mutter something, and one of the words made him stop and stare at his friend.


    "Say that again?"


    "This is a book about ancient ruins that are supposed to be dedicated to the Galadin empire," Daubutim said calmly.


    A soft murmur came from Irwin''s pocket, showing Ambraz was awake and as intrigued as Irwin felt.


    "Can you read it to me?" Irwin asked.


    Daubutim was quiet, then nodded. "Yes, but we should wait till we get the time to talk. There is¡­ more to be discussed. Things I haven''t spoken to you and Greldo about yet. There is a reason I am getting these books, and from what I have managed to find, it is the reason the portals appeared back home.


    "What do you mean?" Irwin hissed as he felt his mind turn crystal clear in an instant.


    "Later," Daubutim said, shaking his head.


    It took Irwin a moment to understand Daubutim was being vague on purpose, and when he did, his interest grew even more.


    "Alright¡­ let''s talk later," he said. He was about to turn when he remembered something else. "We need to find you two new cards too!"


    "We can do that in a few days," Daubutim said calmly. "I don''t need them right now."


    Irwin was surprised by that. Didn''t Daubutim think he needed them? What if they were attacked by something?


    "Alright," he said, not really feeling sure at all.


    They moved out onto the deck, where the temperature had increased greatly. Greldo stood on one side, chatting with the same crewman they had spoken to before, and as Irwin and Daubutim joined them, they stopped. Water was dripping from the sail, and the deck was slippery.


    "Much better, right?" Greldo said as he waved at the Portal Gallery ground below. "You wouldn''t believe how fast everything warmed up again!"


    Irwin didn''t respond but looked down. There was a sprawling forest of yellow-leafed trees with some orange and brown ones in between. It reminded him of the day of autumn back home, but he could see from the vibrance that this was the normal coloration of the trees.


    "I was going to wake you! We will come across a side branch soon," Greldo said excitedly.


    "Is that why it''s so much warmer?" Irwin asked.


    "There''s a world on the outskirts of that side branch. That''s why it''s so much warmer," the high-pitched voice of the crewman added. He was still hanging from the sail, seeming glued to the smooth surface.


    "The world warms things?" Irwin asked, surprised and confused.


    "No, the portal to it does," the crewman said.


    They hung together, chatting softly until a shout came from the side. Looking up in the distance, Irwin saw a narrow stretch of land split off. A shadowy line, either mountains or the massive trees he''d seen before, sat in the distance.


    "Are we going there?" he asked.


    "No, it would take too much time," the crewman said. "We will have a small period of cold before we reach the first stop. It''s called Bowoon, and it''s a small farming world, mostly dealing in produce."


    He continued talking about Bowoon for a while until Xi''kroak shouted for him to begin working again.


    Irwin kept watching the split of land in the distance.


    I wonder how many things we will see out here.


    --


    Irwin slowly walked across the small pier, staring at the building in front of them. Like all of the harbors he''d seen so far, it was built inside a massive tree, most of the buildings either carved out or attached to the sides and across the branches. Dirty green and white mold covered everything, making it seem almost abandoned. Still, a few people moved about, but from what he could see, they had no interest in the fact that a ship had just arrived.


    "It looks old," Greldo muttered." Wasn''t this one of the newer harbors?"


    "This world was discovered a hundred forty-seven years ago," Daubutim said calmly. "I wouldn''t call it new."


    Irwin and Greldo shared a look but kept quiet. Even Irwin, who was used to Daubutim''s abilities, still occasionally felt surprised.


    "Let''s go and find the shops. Xi''kroak said we should return in four hours," Irwin said.


    "Follow me. I know where the shops are," Daubutim said.


    Irwin just shook his head. He followed Daubutim across the narrow pier to a creaky wooden staircase and through what he could only describe as a smelly, moldy, rotting building. There were a few people walking around, all human from what he could see, and all still ignoring them. It was a good thing that Daubutim knew where to go because asking for directions would have been impossible.


    Daubutim, however, seemed perfectly able to lead them, and he guided them to an area that was better maintained.


    "The portal to the Bowoon is behind that area," Daubutim said as he pointed at the first well-maintained door Irwin had seen.


    Irwin inspected the door before following Daubutim towards a building to the side.


    I wonder why there are no guards anywhere, he thought.


    As they arrived at the building, he noticed that its thin, dirty crystal windows were thick with a layer of caked muck. He could barely make out some simple items and foodstuffs behind it.


    Do they even have books, and can they even read?


    The door opened with a creak, and as they stepped inside, a sweet scent assaulted Irwin''s nose.


    "Ugh¡­ Okay... No, I''ll wait outside," Greldo hissed, and Irwin heard him make gagging noises as he nearly jumped back outside.


    Irwin almost joined him, then he remembered why he was there, and he clenched his teeth as he looked around. They were in a musty shop with tables and closets everywhere. A long hallway lined with shelves continued away to the left. Produce, food, and spices covered most of them, but there were also some simple metallic items, ranging from utensils to pots and pans.


    A man with a short, shaggy brown beard was leaning across a counter, staring at them.


    "A ship arrived?" he grunted with a rough voice that grated Irwin''s ears.


    "Yes," he said, deciding to get through this as fast as possible. He didn''t even expect anything anymore by now. "Do you have any books?"


    The man''s eyebrows lowered, and he snorted. "Books? A few in the back," he said, pointing deeper into the store.


    Irwin nodded and quickly moved in the direction the man had pointed in. To his surprise, he quickly found three shelves filled with musty, old, well-used books. Daubutim immediately stepped towards them, turning his head as he began reading the spines. Irwin barely had the time to notice that some were written in a language he couldn''t read when his friend stepped forward and took out a pair of thin, dark-spined books.


    "This one is a general book on the Portal Gallery, and this one is about this region. I''ve read them. They should prove useful to you."


    Irwin frowned as he accepted them, noticing the words were in a language he could read. If you already read them, why didn''t you just tell me what''s in them? he thought.


    "It''s better if you read them for yourself," Daubutim said, seeming to guess what he was thinking.


    Irwin just snorted and headed back to the counter, wondering why it was better.


    The man looked at the books, at him, then sighed. "Twenty-seven soulshards," he grunted, moving a green crystal plate towards Irwin.


    Irwin wondered if that was a standard price, but Daubutim didn''t respond, so he guessed it should be fine. Besides, it was such a small amount that he didn''t feel like even haggling if it meant having to stay in the shop for a moment more.


    A minute later, they were back outside, Irwin twenty-seven soul shards poorer. The man had almost seemed surprised when he had paid.


    "Seriously? They actually had books in that cesspit?" Greldo muttered in surprise.


    "That one is a basic book, and the other one is common in this area," Daubutim said as he looked around. "Let''s go this way. There''s an area there that should be quiet. If the map was still up to date enough..."


    Irwin shoved the books in his jacket as he followed Daubutim.


    Daubutim led them through the corridors and up and down the staircases. As small as the harbor town was, it seemed surprisingly easy to get lost in. Eventually, they reached a dead end with a view of the harbor. The Zura''ix was still there, and he saw a few of the other people who he had seen on it walking around, probably to stretch their legs.


    "So," Irwin said as he looked at Daubutim. "What did you want to talk to us about?"


    Daubutim looked at them, his dull eyes growing a bit brighter than normal.


    "Gelwin made me read about the Galadin Empire, and for the last few weeks, I''ve done nothing but learn about it. The only conclusion I can come to is that the people on Giard used to be the people of the Galadin empire," Daubutim said.


    Irwin looked at him, his mouth open in surprise when a startled shout came from his pocket, followed by struggling.


    "You what?! Seriously- what, stupid pocket, let me out of here!"


    Irwin quickly opened his pocket to let Ambraz out, and the tiny Anvil flitted towards Daubutim, hovering before his face.


    "Tell me you are kidding, boy!"


    Daubutim shook his head. "No. I have read seventy-three books that directly or indirectly dealt with the Galadin empire, and all of them show too much overlap in language, architecture, and scriptures. Besides this, Gelwin told me a story¡­"


    "What story?" Greldo asked.


    He looked as surprised and confused as Irwin felt.


    "Who cares! That beardy face must be lying," Ambraz snorted. "There is no way that you are descendants of the Galadin empire!"


    "The story he told me was as follows," Daubutim began, seeming uninterested in Ambraz''s disbelief. "Long ago, a single kingdom ruled a large area of the Portal Gallery, extending from the main branch all the way to this very distant offshoot. The Galadin kingdom''s influence-"


    Irwin and Greldo quietly listened as Daubutim told them a story that made him barely believe his ears.


    Still, Irwin knew that Daubutim had to be reciting what Gelwin had told him, word for word. He almost couldn''t hold back his questions a few times, but when Daubutim finally ended, he was staring at him dumbly.


    So, we are descendants of some ancient kingdom that had the first card smiths¡­ Irwin thought as his mind drifted off.


    Was that why he was learning smithing so much faster than others? It made some weird kind of sense. It was probably also why Trimdir and the others had managed to learn it as fast as they had.


    Is this why I could pick up those songs so quickly!? he suddenly thought as he recalled when he''d reforged Crithann''s card.


    Ambraz landed on his shoulder, and Irwin heard him mutter in his own language. Irwin wondered why the Anvil seemed more shocked than he was.


    "Based on all that I have read, it seems that whoever was searching for the Galadin, be it those Guidar or some other unknown factor, has found us again," Daubutim said calmly.


    Irwin felt it odd to hear Daubutim refer to them as Galadin, but something else confused him more. "Why did you wait till we got here to tell us?"


    Daubutim let out an uncharacteristically weary sigh. "From everything I''d done to prepare, I was close to breaking down again. Somehow, whenever I tried to talk about it, my mind began bogging down."


    He looked down, and Irwin saw a look of pained annoyance on his friend''s face.


    "It''s alright,'' Irwin said. "It wouldn''t have helped even if he told us back on Fiverio."


    "Exactly," Greldo grunted. "So, is this why Irwin is so good at card reforging?"


    "That seems likely," Daubutim said.


    "Damn¡­ so that''s why those other bloody smiths did so well," Ambraz grunted. "If we manage to save some of them, we should bring them to Granvox!"


    Irwin looked at the Anvil. "So they can join up with others of your kind?"


    Ambraz''s lips pursed, and he sniffed. "Yes."


    Irwin frowned, getting the feeling that Ambraz had more to say. But when nothing came, he focused back on Daubutim. If Ambraz didn''t want to talk, it usually meant he either wanted to wait till they were alone or wasn''t sure about something yet.


    Instead of pushing it, he thought of something else.


    "Do you think that the abduction of the smiths has something to do with this?" he asked Daubutim.


    The dark eyes narrowed and dulled. Afraid he''d asked the wrong question, Irwin turned to Greldo.


    "So¡­ what do you think of all this?"


    Greldo looked at Daubutim, then at Irwin, and shrugged.


    "Of us being descendants of some ancient race that''s being hunted into oblivion? I think it sucks, and I''m wondering if I should try and learn some card reforging now."


    "Don''t bother," Ambraz snorted. "The ones that managed to learn quickly either had me-" the Anvil snorted, "- or years of experience, Like Lamia, Trimdir, and the others. If you want to learn it, you would have to start from scratch!"


    "Bah," Greldo muttered. "Great, so there''s zero benefit for me, only trouble."


    Irwin couldn''t help but snort at that. He could see that Greldo was just playing around a bit, and he knew it was to deal with what they had just heard.


    "No," Daubutim suddenly said calmly. "I don''t think so."


    It took Irwin a moment to figure out what he was talking about.


    "I don''t think those missing smiths have something to do with Giard. If it did, whoever is behind that could have simply sent those soulcarded mercenaries you spoke about to Giard and wiped us all out in no time."


    "That makes sense," Irwin agreed as he frowned.


    "So, now, what do we do?" Greldo asked. "We are out to find a planet, and you have some mysterious thing to get our people over there. All fine and good, but how exactly will we find a planet? I mean¡­ if it''s cold out there, we can hardly walk across the Portal Gallery''s floor. Right?"


    Daubutim looked at him, and Irwin saw a tiny twinkling in his eyes. Greldo must have seen it, too, as his eyes widened.


    "Wait¡­ you can''t be kidding? We are supposed to walk?"


    "Yes. I''m kidding," Daubutim said cooly, a wide smile on his face. "On the last stop, there are multiple other explorer groups who are searching for new worlds. There are ships there that can be hired, and we can either do that or buy one if Irwin can pay for one."


    "Bah!" Greldo snapped angrily before bursting out laughing. "Dammit, since when do you make jokes?"


    Irwin grinned, slapping Greldo on the shoulder while wondering if he could actually pay for a ship. Still, the idea of having a ship of his own did sound fantastic. They could fly around everywhere!


    They continued talking for a while later before returning to the ship. Not interested in heading back down just yet, Irwin took a place by the prow and opened the book.


    Now, let''s see what I don''t know yet, he thought.

 Chapter 163: Splintered

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    ''The Langost branch, therefore, has been deemed a waste of effort by most of the important merchant and explorer groups. Thus, until a level four or above hub-world is found, it is unlikely that any but the smallest groups continue exploring from its fringes. To those who read this, my advice would be to relocate to the Casadir branch, which is located a mere three-month journey away!


    I hope you enjoyed reading about one of the few useless endeavors of our Casadir Merchant group. Sometimes, it''s good to remember that even those who are nearly perfect still make mistakes!


    -Demnir Uldis Casadir¡¯


    Irwin stared at the last page as he closed the book, shaking his head in disgust.


    "Seriously¡­ nearly perfect?" he muttered as he tossed the book to the end of his bed and glared at it.


    "The Casadir group is mostly comprised of Da''xi, just like our good captain," Daubutim said. "This is just the way they are."


    He was sitting on his own bed, staring at the cards sprawled before him. They were the only two in the room, the merchants and Greldo, enjoying the temperature up the deck for as long as it lasted. They had just passed another portal world harbor, and for a few hours, the temperature would remain enjoyable. After that, everyone but Irwin and Greldo would be relegated back to their cabins due to the cold. Daubutim and Irwin had seen it as the perfect time to check Irwin''s cards for some that Daubutim would want and discuss the books Irwin had read.


    "That makes sense," Irwin muttered as he thought about his few conversations with Captain Xi''kroak. "It didn''t say what a level four hub-world is¡­ do you know?"


    Daubutim nodded as he reorganized a few of the cards. He began explaining without even looking up.


    "Each secondary world connecting to a hubworld makes it more profitable. A world with two or more is deemed a hubworld at level one. Five secondary worlds make it a level two world, and then ten is a level three world. To become level four, the world needs to be connected to twenty or more secondary worlds. Usually, level four worlds are large cities with powerful soul-carded families. Fiverio used to be a level four world, but a few of the secondary worlds that are connected to it have shattered. This caused its rank to drop back down to three. This happens a lot with rank four worlds."


    Irwin hummed as he stared at the book. Those worlds had probably shattered because they were used as farming or mining worlds. Harvested for all their resources and then cut off from the hubworld so its shattering doesn''t cause problems.


    "Does that mean that there are not many older high-level worlds?" he asked, leaning back.


    "Four isn''t high. High-level worlds are five and beyond," Daubutim said. "Those are the worlds that have hundreds of worlds connected to them. There aren''t that many of them, and when they are found, they are handled differently than the others. Instead of drawing out all of the resources of the secondary worlds connected to them and thus causing those to grow unstable, the worlds are kept stable. They do this by closing the portals that connect them and only opening them for a few weeks every few years. Then afterward, they clear out all the chaotic portals that spawned, thus stabilizing the world. This way, large families create networks of worlds that operate as buffers for their power."


    Irwin stared at Daubutim, noticing that his friend fell quiet, frowning and poking a card.


    "So¡­ what if we had just closed the exit portal and all other portals? Could that have stabilized and saved Giard?" he asked.


    Daubutim didn''t answer, and Irwin felt his mood dampen.


    "Kid, that wouldn''t work anymore," Ambraz said as he flitted across the room and landed on the book with a tiny thud. "It only works if the world is kept stable from the start. As soon as too many portals appear, it spins out of control. Giard had long since passed that point before you were born."


    "He is correct," Daubutim said as he began stacking some of the cards, leaving a single one there.


    Yeah... but that means those people on Fiverion could have done this, Irwin thought. What if their actions were what caused whoever was hunting the remnants of the Galadin empire to find them?


    He felt his annoyance slowly bubble up, and it took him a moment to calm down. There was no use to it now.


    He sat up, and focused on the card that Daubutim had singled out. It was Topaz rank and depicted a few floating crystals.


    "You want that one?" he asked, trying to recall what the card did. "I''ll have to reforge it to Emerald first."


    Daubutim nodded. "Yes. Besides having a reasonable amount of body enhancement passives, its active ability is very good for battles against single, powerful adversaries."


    Irwin turned to Ambraz. "Can you create a paper with its description for me? I can''t recall everything you said like Daubutim can."


    Ambraz snorted and began glowing a dim purple. The book below him shook and shivered, and after a few moments, it stopped.


    "What did you do?" Irwin asked as he stared at the book about this area of the Portal Gallery.


    "You already read it, so it''s useless. I cleared one of the pages and did as you asked," Ambraz said as he flew up.


    Irwin curiously picked up the book and opened it on the first page. The densely scribbled lines were gone, replaced by a familiar sight.


    Card: Crystalline Leg-lock


    Type: Topaz


    Owner: -


    The wielder gains the ability to create tiny crystals inside parts of the muscles of a target''s legs and control them to slow down their target''s movements. The card passively does the same to the wielder''s own legs but without any negative consequences.


    Passive: Increases leg density, stability, and power


    Active: Slow down a target''s legs


    "Interesting," Irwin muttered as he looked at the card. He had seen crystalline cards before; they weren''t all that rare, but he couldn''t recall seeing one that allowed the user to target someone else''s body.


    After a few moments, he turned to Ambraz. "If we reforge this to Emerald rank, will it become a full-body ability?"


    Ambraz snorted. "That''s the likely one, though we could also increase the power on just the legs."


    "Full-body," Daubutim said before Irwin could even ask. It didn''t surprise him at all, and he nodded.


    "Alright. That leaves us with one problem. When do I reforge it? If anyone sees me doing that¡­"


    "We can do it after we arrive on the outskirts and begin exploring," Daubutim said. "I can wait till then."


    Irwin nodded as he looked at the stack, noting the few Emerald cards. "You are sure you don''t want any of the others?"


    "Yes, I''m sure. As you said, I need one spot for a card to fix my issues. That leaves one more, and I don''t know what I want yet, but there wasn''t any there that was useful. I don''t need more weapons, and I''m not interested in another summon."


    Ambraz began flitting through the room, humming and muttering. Irwin watched him move, wondering why he acted so weird while Daubutim kept inspecting the card he''d picked.


    "Alright," Ambraz said as he flitted before Daubutim and remained hovering there. "Based on everything you have and knowing you will get one Ruby card, I''d aim for a heartcard that gives a crystalized full body armor with an aura. So, I''d pick something that either gives or expands on an aura ability."


    "Aura?" Irwin asked, cocking his head.


    "It''s something that constantly influences everything around you," Daubutim said as he slowly nodded. "I see. That way, I could have a constant slowing effect around me."


    "Exactly, and you could focus it on one target," Ambraz said.


    Irwin was about to ask why he''d never heard about aura abilities when a deafening shout came from above.


    "Raiders!"


    Irwin blinked, then shot up and to the door. His abrupt motion caused the bed to creak dangerously, but he didn''t even care as he sprinted through the hallway. As he reached the staircase leading up, he saw people come down. One of them, a merchant he''d seen before, had a pale, panicky look on his face.


    "Out of the way," Irwin snapped as he jumped up the narrow staircase, three steps at a time.


    He barely noticed he was using his kinetic energy, but the man yelped as he pressed himself against the wall to get out of the way. Irwin moved past him, shoving another two out of the way before bursting out onto the deck. Dozens of people stood around the door, ready to go down.


    "Let us in," one of them shouted, running around him and down only to be shoved back up by Daubutim.


    "Irwin, over here!"


    Irwin saw Greldo wave at him from the prow, and he shoved his way through the mass of people, ignoring their startled and worried shouts.


    Captain Xi''kroak was standing a few steps away, shouting at his crewmen. Irwin saw them crawl across the sail, carrying crystals and rubbing them across the sail, which caused the bluish glow to turn purple. As more appeared, Irwin felt the ship''s speed noticeably increase.


    "Over there," Greldo said, pointing at a distant spot that was approaching from the side. "It shot up out of the forest a minute ago and is heading straight for us. It must have been waiting in ambush for whoever appeared."


    Irwin focused on the distant thing, barely able to make out another ship.


    Okay, I miss my Eyes of Blaze now, he thought as he realized he couldn''t zoom in to see how many people were on the ship.


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    "Galub raiders," he heard the captain hiss. "Try and get us more speed. Perhaps we can outrun them!"


    Galubs? Irwin thought as he shared a surprised look with Greldo.


    "What are those things doing here?" Greldo muttered.


    "After their world shattered, many Galubs spread out across this region and took to raiding and pillaging smaller worlds," Daubutim said.


    "Any idea how many horns?" Irwin asked.


    "There are rumors of four-horns," Xi''kroak said as he walked up to them. "At least we are lucky that they aren''t Nyzir or something worse."


    Nyzir are here as well? Why are the same demons that came to Giard here? Irwin thought as he looked at Daubutim.


    Daubutim didn''t react but kept looking at the incoming ship.


    Great, at least we know how to deal with Galubs, Irwin thought as he stared at the ship. Now, they only needed to know how many horns these things had.


    He didn''t have to wait too long to find out, as within a minute, the tiny ship had closed in enough for them to make out individual figures. A group of three-horned Galubs stood on the deck of a ship, with three four-horned ones standing behind them. The ship around them looked ready to fall apart at any moment, but the Galubs were just grinning viciously, not seeming to care. The sail above them was glowing a bright red while the mast shuddered and shook.


    "They are overloading their sail," Xi''kroak said, sounding disgusted. "There''s no way for us to get away without doing the same, and that''s a death sentence in itself... Get ready for a fight!"


    The crewmen began dropping from the sail, and as they did, their speed lowered.


    Irwin stood at the back of the ship now, counting the first rows and trying to discern the ripples of heat behind them. "Twenty-one or twenty-two Galubs," he hissed, turning to Xi''kroak.


    The captain and four of his crewmen stood beside them. Each of them had their hands raised with marble-sized balls of light on their palms.


    "What is the plan?" Daubutim asked.


    Irwin saw he had summoned his carded armor, now covered in dark plate chest armor and holding his massive two-handed sword.


    "We will try and blast their sails apart," Xi''kroak said. "If we succeed, we can get away, if we fail, they will board us. If that happens, prepare for a bad fight. They won''t give us any ground because their sail will be broken beyond repair within a few minutes."


    Irwin gritted his teeth as he looked around. None of the other passengers were anywhere to be seen, leaving only him, Greldo, Daubutim, Xi''kroak, and seven crewmen.


    "We should get the others out here to fight," he said.


    "I can get them," Greldo growled as he turned.


    "No!" Xi''kroak shouted. "They will only get in the way! I''ve checked them over the last few days, and their cards are all useless in a battle."


    Irwin wanted to say that he didn''t believe they were completely useless. There were some heartcarded amongst them, and he had been able to fight even without a full hand! Before he could, Xi''kroak turned and raised his hands.


    "Fire at their sails," he shouted as he began waving his hands around. The tiny, marble-sized balls of energy shot towards the incoming ship.


    For a few moments, Irwin thought the balls would rip the sail apart. Then, a loud laughter echoed from the incoming ship.


    Irwin''s skin crawled as he saw a massive figure with five horns step forward. It must have been hiding behind the others because as it rose to its full height, it towered over the others. An orange bubble burst out from it, covering the incoming ship like a transparent shield. The energy balls slammed into it, bouncing and skidding off harmlessly.


    "Your ship looks great, you ugly Da''xi!" the Galub roared. "It will be the perfect replacement for this piece of crap we took last week!"


    The rows of three and four-horned began hooting as more energy balls harmlessly struck the barrier uselessly.


    "We are doomed," Xi''kroak said as he stepped back. "They have a five-horn¡­ and it looks ready to evolve at any moment! Why is that thing even here?"


    Irwin tried to remember what he could about when he''d battled the Galubs back when he and Daubutim had been in the shard world filled with them. Most of those had been one and two-horns, with a few being three-horns. Back then, he could fight the two-horns, although only barely. Still, he didn''t doubt he''d be able to easily take care of them now. He didn''t really think the four-horns would be a massive problem, somehow feeling sure that he could stop them, which left the five-horn.


    As he looked at it, he saw that the five-horned Galub grinning back at him. Its wide mouth was filled with sharp teeth, and tiny images of daggers or swords were swirling across its skin.


    "They will be on us in one minute," Daubutim said.


    "Daubutim, ideas?" Irwin asked as he flexed his arms before starting to jump, building up his kinetic energy.


    "Greldo, Xi''kroak, and I take care of the four-horns. Someone goes down and gets those merchants, so they and the crew hold back the three-horns."


    Captain Xi''kroak muttered something, but he didn''t complain this time.


    Irwin grimaced, looking at his friend. "And let me guess. I take care of that five-horn?"


    "Yes."


    "Fantastic. Any idea what it can do?"


    Daubutim merely shook his head while Xi''kroak moved closer. Irwin saw a tiny sliver of hope in the captain''s eyes.


    "Do you think you can seriously take on a five-horned Galub? They are stronger than heartcarded, and some can fight soulcarded!"


    "We will have to see," Irwin said.


    He suddenly realized that he''d forgotten to bring his sword.


    Whatever, I''ll just have to use my hammer, he decided.


    "Go and get the merchants. If they complain, tell them that without them holding back the three-horns, we are dead," Irwin snapped.


    He flexed his shoulders, feeling his kinetic energy roiling through his muscles, rapidly building up.


    Xi''kroak hesitated, and Irwin turned to him while drawing on his flame to increase his kinetic energy.


    "Move!" he grunted, a deep rumble echoing out from his chest.


    The Da''xi captain took two steps back, gritted his teeth, and spun to one of his crewmates. "Do it. Get all of them up here and tell them what to do!"


    Irwin turned to Greldo, noting the shadowy tendrils rippling around him.


    "Think you can grab some of those four-horns and dump them over the edge?" he asked.


    Greldo grinned. "I can try."


    "Wait till they are aboard," Daubutim said as he took a few steps aside to give himself space.


    The Galubs shouting and laughing were drowning out any other noise, and Irwin saw their ship was almost upon them. There was a massive rip in the side, almost like something had slammed into it. As he saw it, he suddenly had an idea.


    With a nasty grin, Irwin stepped forward and made a throwing motion. At the last possible moment, he summoned a massive hammer, shaping it in such a way that it looked like a warhammer and not a smith''s hammer as he usually did. A dull boom sounded out as he added his kinetic energy, causing his hand to snap back while the enormous hammer was shot forward.


    There were startled yelps from the Galubs, but they were only forty feet away and had no time to react as the door-sized hammer slammed into their front line. Irwin had aimed for one of the four-horns, deciding the five-horn would likely hardly care. The four-horn he''d aimed for screeched, and the sound of snapping bones echoed out, followed by a sickening crack.


    Blood sprayed from a torn arm, and for a few moments, everyone was staring in stupid disbelief at the carnage.


    Then the five-horned Galub stepped forward and let out an angry, ear-rattling roar as it glared at Irwin. The ship slammed into theirs a moment later, causing everything to jolt and sway.


    Irwin stepped back, his massive weight making it easy to remain standing. Beside him, Daubutim, Greldo, and Xi''kroak stumbled and nearly fell.


    On the other deck, the Galubs were gathering themselves. They screamed, no longer laughing, and jumped across the railing onto the deck before Irwin. Around him, the others spread out to give each other space.


    One of the four-horned ones stayed a bit back and raised its arms. A cloud of silvery motes rippled out and across the other Galubs. At the same time, the five-horned Galub jumped forward, landing a few feet before Irwin and causing the ship to rock and sway.


    "Kill them! I''ll take care of this one!"


    As Irwin heard the Galub growl its challenge, any worry he might have had faded to be replaced by a sudden desire to measure his new strength against the thing! He hadn''t had any real fight ever since becoming a heartcarded. He readied both his flame and sweltering steam but didn''t use them yet.


    Let''s see how strong you are, Irwin thought as he stepped forward.


    He summoned a smaller hammer, one with edges that stood out and looked like a tool of destruction instead of crafting.


    The Galub''s demonic mouth widened in a grin as it jumped at him. From this close, Irwin saw that his initial observation was correct. The Galub''s entire skin was covered in tiny images of daggers that swirled around.


    Irwin jumped forward, and his kinetic energy blasted out of his feet with such force that he felt the entire boat rock below him. The Galub''s eyes widened in surprise just as Irwin''s hammer arrived before his face.


    Got y-


    A swirling cloud of screaming metal surrounded Irwin, and he felt his fingers flung apart as his hammer, handle, and all exploded. He somehow managed to close his eyes just as the swirling cloud surrounded him, and he felt scrapes and scratches all across his face.


    "Foolish human! What use are all your tricks if you can''t use your weapons or see me?"


    Something slammed into Irwin''s chest, causing him to take a step back, and then another strike hit him across the face. As hard as the attacks were, they barely hurt him. Still, the swirling cloud continued to scratch all across him, preventing him from seeing them coming.


    By the Flames of Aghost, Irwin cursed as he flailed around. It felt like he was in a cloud of metal mosquitos, and he almost blasted out his fire and steam. He barely held back, recalling that he wasn''t alone on the ship just as the Galub struck him in the side of the head again. The hit was hard but barely enough to cause him to lose his balance. Instead, he felt his kinetic energy surge up, causing his muscles to twitch in anticipation of releasing the power.


    He isn''t that strong, Irwin thought as he took a step back.


    He focused, and as soon as he was struck on the side of the head again, he stepped forward, grasping for his assailant. His fingers thudded against something, and he scrambled to grab the Galub.


    "Let go of me, you wea-"


    Irwin yanked the Galub forward and embraced him. The screeching sound increased to a deafening noise, and he felt it scratch across his chest, face, and neck. Although it didn''t hurt, it was uncomfortable, almost as if someone was scratching him. Something tried pushing him away, but Irwin clenched harder until he reached around the thing''s chest. He could feel he had one arm pinned, and the Galub continued uselessly hitting him with the other.


    Sure, why don''t you just keep giving me more power, Irwin thought as he felt his Kinetic energy overflowing. Without knowing if it would work, he used it while he flexed his arms, trying to squeeze the Galub to paste.


    A panicky and pained scream blasted straight in his face, even overcoming the still ongoing screeching of metal on metal. The strikes against his head came faster and harder but also less coordinated, and all they did was allow him to increase the pressure he was clenching with.


    At some point, he felt something gnash on his face, but it lasted for only a few moments. Then, the metal cloud disappeared, and the cacophony of noise faded. Though his ears were still ringing, a dull groaning replaced the thunderous screeching.


    Carefully, Irwin opened one eye slightly, staring into the five-horned Galub''s face. Its eyes were bulging out, and its mouth wide in a silent scream. He could see a triangular tongue and rows of teeth.


    "Don''t let it go!"


    Irwin blinked as he heard Greldo''s frightened scream, and he suddenly recalled he wasn''t just here to try and see what his new heartcard could do! At the same time, he suddenly realized battle sounds were coming from behind him, accompanied by shouts of anger and pain.


    Gritting his teeth, he began clenching his arms together in a burst of power, using all of his kinetic energy in a single massive squeeze. There was a cracking sound, then an odd, high-pitched scream as both of the Galub''s eyes exploded.


    Ignoring the wet muck that splattered onto him, Irwin knew that his arms had clenched far more than the thing''s body should allow.


    Either it''s dead, or nearly!


    He released his arms and stepped back. The Galub thudded unto the ground, its upper body at an odd angle, ribs piercing through its skin.


    Knowing it was dead, Irwin spun around, vaguely noting that he felt cool air across his chest and stomach.


    Behind him, Greldo was standing almost back to back with him, using a long shadow sword to keep two four-horn Galubs at bay. His entire body was covered in thick shadowy tendrils, almost like an armor of dark hairs.


    Daubutim was further away, almost on the other side of the deck. He was standing shoulder to shoulder with Captain Xi''kroak and his crew, battling the remaining three-horned galubs. Many unmoving shapes lay on the deck.


    Besides that, Irwin noticed that the wood of the ship had been scratched and flayed, and splinters and curls of wood lay everywhere.


    The merchants were nowhere to be seen, but Irwin had no time to worry about that now. He jumped forward, summoning another hammer. He ran for the nearest four-horn that Greldo was fighting and used as much of his kinetic power as he dared without risking destroying the wooden deck more than it was.


    "No, don-"


    Irwin ignored the Galub''s panicked scream and struck it so hard the Galub was flung sideways, across the ship, into and then over the railing. It flailed once, then disappeared with a scream. He turned to the other one, only to see Greldo appear behind it and stab the shadowy sword straight through his chest.


    "Clear the others," Greldo shouted as he vanished from where he stood.


    He reappeared amid the battle, and immediately a three-horned Galub fell to the ground, missing its head.


    Irwin ran forward, unsummoning his hammer and slamming bodily into two of the Galubs. They shouted and struggled as he grabbed them and hurled them away.


    The rest of the battle lasted only a few moments as Irwin and Greldo took care of the remaining Galubs as if they were swatting flies.


    As he flung the last of the Galubs as far from the ship as he could, Irwin let out a relieved sigh.


    Feeling the cool wind blow across his chest, he looked down. The front of his jacket and shirt were gone, long ribbons hanging from the sides. Every part of exposed skin looked like an angry cat had scratched it, and now that he saw it, he realized his chest was sore and painful. His pants were in a slightly better state but still covered in long slices and holes.


    Well great¡­ Now I need new clothes.

 Chapter 164: Sesnanser

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    "Leader Irwin, thank you for saving my ship!"


    Irwin calmly looked at Captain Xi''kroad. The inhuman being was covered in even more blue plates and holding two broad, heavy-looking short swords. He didn''t have any visible injuries, but behind him, his crew were helping each other bandage wounds, showing they hadn''t been as lucky. Thin, bluish blood was leaking out from between their plates, dripping on the ravaged deck and tainting it blue. A single one lay to the side, arms folded over his chest.


    Daubutim stood behind them, the massive sword over his shoulder, looking weary.


    "You are welcome," Irwin said as he stared at himself again. He hadn''t thought about bringing a second set of clothes.


    Greldo stepped up beside him, looking at his chest with a snort. "So¡­ how about next time you just throw something like that overboard instead of hugging it?"


    "No."


    Irwin blinked in surprise, and he and Greldo looked at Captain Xi''kroad, who was shaking his head.


    "They will survive and return," Captain Xi''kroad said with a weary sigh. "Just tossing the four-horns and five-horns overboard won''t work."


    Irwin frowned while Greldo stepped forward, waving his hand at the railing.


    "Wait! Are you telling me that the four-horn that I tossed overboard is still alive!?"


    "Yes, and if it manages to get back to the others, it will probably warn them about you," Captain Xi''kroak said.


    "Gelwin''s balls," Greldo grunted as he glared across the railing into the jungle below. "I think we should get-"


    "Captain! We have trouble!'' one of the crewmen shouted, interrupting Greldo.


    Irwin looked up to see a crewman standing at the door leading into the ship''s interior. He was pointing inside, looking worried.


    Shit, the merchants!


    Daubutim was already running forward, and Irwin didn''t hesitate to follow his friend.


    "I''ll keep an eye out just in case," Greldo shouted from behind him. "Shout if you need help!"


    Irwin didn''t respond, already following Daubutim, who had moved into the room. His friend was standing beside the staircase leading down and stepped aside for him when he arrived. Irwin moved inside and cursed. There was blood splattered across the floor and walls below.


    "They made it past us," he hissed. "There might be some remaining! Let''s go."


    He rushed down the stairs, not bothering to be quiet. Any Galub still there would know he was coming anyway, so speed was of the essence, even if he was probably too late.


    Blood splattered the hallway, and one of the merchants lay crumbled on the ground, its head a few feet further. Irwin felt a weary sadness as he jumped across the body. Part of it was because of the dead merchant, and the other was that he found his own reaction was less horrified than it would have been a few years ago.


    I''ve changed, he thought as he reached the first cabin.


    A single look into the small room showed two bodies splayed out, one decapitated, the other with a massive chest wound. Holding back an angry curse, Irwin sped forward, glancing inside the other cabins as he passed them.


    Some were empty, but most had bloodied bodies sprawling inside of them. Halfway down the corridor, he saw a dead four-horned Galub in a cabin. Its chest and throat were sliced apart, and it was slumped against the far wall. Bloody prints left the room and headed down the hallway, fading after a while.


    Someone managed to kill a four-horn!


    "Make sure it''s dead," he ordered as he continued further. It looked dead, but he didn''t wanna leave it to chance.


    When Irwin reached their own room, he had only seen dead or at least unmoving merchants. By now, his mind was boiling with anger. What was wrong with the Galubs? They just killed everyone!


    Unlike the others, the door to the final room was closed. Irwin hesitated, then pulled the door open while jumping back.


    The first thing he saw was Dondast, silver eyes burning with fury as he stood in the center of the room. He was wielding two black daggers, dark flames rippling across their edges. The beds that had filled the room before were piled up on one side, while Bodies of Galubs and merchants lay around him, many atop each other. Four merchants stood behind the Merchant leader. Irwin recognized one, an older woman with short gray hair who belonged to Dondast''s group.


    "Thank Yilda, it''s you," Dondast grunted.


    His dangerous glare faded, and he swayed as both daggers vanished from his hands.


    Irwin stepped forward just in time to prevent Dondast from sinking to the ground. Holding him, he saw blood on Dondast''s lips and bruises on his face.


    "We headed up to come help, but that four-horn... he rushed us! We had to flee, and he followed us inside," Dondast said, his eyes glazed as he looked around without appearing to see anything. "It took me too long¡­ So many died. If only I''d been faster¡­ stronger."


    The pain in his voice made Irwin grimace.


    Irwin lowered the Merchant leader to the ground and noticed his clothes were slowly drenching in blood as he saw slices and cuts everywhere.


    "Get someone here to heal him," Irwin hissed over his shoulder.


    Dondast grabbed his shoulder and pulled him close. "I was too late to kill that four-horn¡­ I heard them, killing everyone here, but I- I just couldn''t¡­"


    Irwin saw Dondast''s eyes flick to a body, widen, then roll up in his sockets. The merchant leader slumped in his arms.


    "Do we have a healer here," Irwin snapped as he looked around.


    The older woman was wiping her eyes, and she rushed forward. Kneeling beside him, she began flicking her hands over Dondast. Thin silvery threads appeared, like spider silk, and they sank into Dondast''s chest.


    "He saved us," the woman whispered, seeming to work almost mechanically. "If he hadn''t come, these monsters would have killed us too."


    Irwin watched her work for a while before rising to his feet and looking around. The other three merchants that had survived were sitting on the beds, seeming in a daze.


    Daubutim stood in the door opening. "The four-horn is dead."


    "Good," Irwin said as he looked around the room.


    Blood and bodies were everywhere, and he knew the merchants couldn''t remain here.


    "There are a few clear rooms to the side. Go inside those and take care of his injuries," he told the gray-haired woman.


    She looked up, tears still streaming from her eyes. "I don''t think I can carry him¡­"


    Irwin didn''t reply but knelt and gently picked up Dondast.


    "Come," he said as he walked out of the room.


    If this is normal, it''s no wonder nobody goes to the fringes, he thought.


    ---


    Irwin and Captain Xi''kroak stood on the deck of the second ship that had been rammed into theirs.


    Irwin had replaced his destroyed armor with a plain leather tunic that one of the merchants had brought him. The front was tight to close, and the cold air swirled around his upper body.


    "This thing won''t sail on its own," Captain Xi''kroak said. "Their abuse of the sail destroyed it, and the hole in the deck would require a soul-carded wood shaper to repair."


    "Too bad," Irwin said as he inspected the ship. He had hoped that perhaps he could have taken it along.


    "Do you need a ship?" Captain Xi''kroak asked. "You can hire one at Sesnanser''s harbor¡­"


    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    "I know," Irwin said. "But having my own would have been better."


    Xi''kroak nodded, examining the ship before speaking up.


    "We could tow it with us. Although it will slow us, making the trip take a day or two longer, I will do so if you want," he said before adding hesitantly. "I can''t promise it''s repairable."


    Slowing us means we would waste days and could potentially be attacked again, Irwin thought.


    Besides, if the ship weren''t repairable, it would just be a colossal waste of time!


    He was about to reject the idea when he recalled something.


    "The Galubs flew in it even though there was a hole. If we could get a new sail, could we sail it?"


    Captain Xi''kroak looked around and began rubbing his fingers together before nodding.


    "Probably. You don''t seem bothered by the cold, so if you can figure out a way for your men to be alright, you could fly it like this. Getting a sail is possible, although I wouldn''t expect anything great. Also... it would cost tens of thousands of soulshards for even a simple one, and you would need a small one and a main one."


    Soulshards shouldn''t be a problem, Irwin thought. Still, potentially having to spend so much did make him grimace.


    He hesitated, then nodded. "Alright, let''s bring it along. Can you attach it in a way that if we come across more raiders, you can release it so we can still flee?"


    Xi''kroak nodded, and he began calling to one of his crewmen before turning to Irwin.


    "I''ll take care of it. Head back and get ready to leave."


    Irwin moved to the edge and jumped back on The Zura''ix.


    The ship''s deck was covered in blood, and Daubutim and a few other crewmen were busy throwing the last few bodies over the ship''s edge. Greldo stood at the nose of the ship, looking around.


    Walking towards Greldo, his friend turned to him before he reached him.


    "I don''t see any more ships, but I think we should get out of here."


    "We will. The Captain is going to drag the ship, and then we will leave," Irwin said.


    "Drag it? Why?" Greldo asked, looking up.


    Irwin told him his plan, and Greldo nodded. "Not a bad idea. Let''s hope we can fix it."


    "Yeah," Irwin thought, putting his elbows on the railing and staring at the jungle.


    A minute later, the ship began accelerating again, and a moment later, a jolt ran through the deck.


    Irwin looked up to see the other ship, now attached to theirs with a few dozen feet of chain, was being dragged along.


    Let''s hope we can fix it. That way, at least something useful came from all this, Irwin thought. His mind drifted away as he gazed at the jungle below.


    Hours passed slowly, and as they got further away from the portals again, the temperature rapidly dropped. When the trees below had made way for icy plains, only Irwin, Greldo, and a few of the crewmen remained above deck. Irwin''s mind was spinning as he thought about why Galub and other demons could be here and how he would deal with multiple five-horns if they came across them.


    "I''m going to see the others and sleep," Greldo said, disrupting him from his ponderings.


    Irwin looked up to see his friend yawn, churning condensation coming from his mouth.


    "Alright. I''ll stay here for a while longer to make sure nobody sneaks up on us," Irwin said.


    Greldo patted him on the shoulder before leaving and disappearing back into the bowels of the ship.


    Standing alone on the prow, Irwin stared off into the distance.


    I hope we don''t come across any more trouble, he thought.


    --


    "Sesnanser. Finally," Dondast said wearily. His face was pale and wan, and he had been unwilling to speak to anyone for a day after waking up.


    Irwin nodded absently, staring ahead.


    It''s much bigger than described, he thought.


    They were standing on the prow, staring at a distant, forest-covered section of the Portal Gallery. Dozens of ships were hovering around a bustling harbor built within two towering trees that had grown against each other. It almost looked as if they were leaning against each other to remain standing. A large stretch of the forest surrounding them had been cut away, leaving a muddy area with sparse pockets of low vegetation.


    It had cost them two weeks to reach Sesnanser, four days longer than planned, and they were now towing three ships. None of them had functioning sails, and they were all dead weight. Even then, Captain Xi''kroak had eventually decided that all of the raiders would catch up because they seemed more than willing to overload their sails.


    "Incoming ships!"


    A shout came from above, and Irwin focused to see three ships head their way. Their sails were blue with a black gauntleted fist in the center.


    Captain Xi''kroak was walking towards them, his face stoic, and he stopped beside Irwin.


    ¡°Sesnanser defense forces. They will be curious to see why we are towing three ships," the Captain said.


    "Will they cause trouble?" Irwin asked as he inspected the three ships, noting the heat signatures of over a dozen people on each.


    "No. Sesnanser is ruled by a council of merchants of the different small merchant families that call it home. They have hired Daran forces to guard them, who are the strongest power in this area," Xi''kroak said.


    Irwin wondered what the Daran was, but that would have to wait. The Captain seemed to trust the incoming ships, but after having to fight each ship they encountered during their trip, Irwin wasn''t willing to take any risks.


    As the three ships closed in, he looked at Greldo and Daubutim, who were standing a short distance away. Daubutim nodded as he got up and moved to the door leading into the ship while Greldo joined Irwin and Xi''kroak.


    A few minutes later, the three ships had reached them, one moving beside them while the others flew above and below them as if to make sure they wouldn''t flee.


    "Xi''kroak, is that you?"


    A booming voice came from a small, blue-scaled figure on the other ship, and Irwin heard Xi''kroak sigh in relief.


    So he wasn''t completely sure of himself, Irwin thought.


    "Xi''balak! What happened to your Zura''ix?" Xi''kroak shouted.


    Laughter came from the other ship, and Irwin''s eyes widened as he saw the figure on the other deck float up and then shoot through the air. A moment later, a short but even broader Da''xi landed beside Xi''kroak.


    "Xi''balak, it is good to see you," Xi''kroak said, raising his fist.


    The other Da''xi, Xi''balak, struck it with his own with the sound of two boulders cracking together. Irwin knew that any non-carded human''s hands would have shattered.


    "Xi''kroak, since when are you in the business of towing?" Xi''balak asked, looking at the ships behind theirs before looking around.


    Irwin frowned as the burning silver eyes remained on him for a little longer than the others.


    "Sadly, the raiders decided that my Zura''ix was too beautiful a price to let pass. They damaged it beyond repair, and it has been broken up for materials," Xi''kroak said.


    Irwin could hear the intense pain in the Captain''s voice, and he couldn''t blame him. When they had left, Captain Xi''kroak''s ship had been well-maintained and ready to take on any travel. Now, its hull had two patched-up holes, while its sides were covered in scratches and scorch marks.


    "Not many can say they survived being attacked by three raider ships and got away," Xi''balak said. "Zura''ix can be repaired, and wounds can heal. You were lucky."


    We would have had two more if they hadn''t fled upon seeing us, Irwin thought. Still, there was little joy that came with that thought, and he wasn''t surprised when Xi''kroak sighed and lowered his head.


    "Of the twenty-four merchants that entrusted me to bring them here, seventeen have died. It will take a long time for my pride to return," the Captain said, sounding ashamed.


    Xi''balak uttered something that sounded like the scratching and banging of a stone against a metal plate while glaring at Xi''kroak. Xi''kroak''s head snapped up, and he crossed his arms. He ground his teeth before replying in the same tongue. Whatever he had said made Xi''balak frown and growl another line that sounded like a question.


    They continued talking rapidly for a while, and slowly, Xi''balak calmed down. Eventually, he turned to Irwin.


    "Mercenary leader Irwin. The council of Sesnansar thanks your mercenary group for taking out three raider ships. I am sure they will send you an invite to thank you personally, and if you are interested in a few additional missions while you are handling the task you were given, find me after you have settled."


    Irwin was about to answer, but Xi''balak turned, grunted something at Xi''kroak, and floated up from the deck and back to his ship. The ship sped off back to the harbor as soon as he landed while the other two slowed and remained behind.


    "What did he say?" Irwin asked as he looked at Xi''kroak.


    Xi''kroak looked at him, then sighed. "I am to meet the Daran, the council of free-roaming Da''xi captains. They will decide if I am to return to our homeworld to plead my case or if I was not at fault."


    "At fault for what?" Greldo asked.


    Xi''kroak frowned as he looked at Greldo, then turned back to Irwin.


    "As a captain, it is my duty to protect those in my care. Failure is to be examined by the Daran, who will decide on my fate."


    "But there was no way you could have done anything to prevent this," Greldo snorted, seeming to ignore the way Xi''kroak glared at him.


    "I will just have to wait and see if the Daran agree with that," Xi''kroak said before turning and stalking away.


    Irwin and Greldo waited until he disappeared through the door before looking at each other.


    "These guys are worse than the nobles back home," Greldo said with a snort. "Just because I''m not the same rank as him, he looks at me like I''m dirt!"


    Irwin nodded before sighing. "I''m glad that''s not how we do things. Can you imagine being held accountable for something like this?"


    Greldo shrugged.


    "It is not that unlike how things were back home," Daubutim said softly, causing the others to look at him in surprise. "The nobles you just spoke about are held accountable for their decisions by other nobles and the king. Xi''kroak decided to go here with his ship. He could also have gone somewhere else¡­"


    Irwin realized he could understand where Daubutim was coming from.


    "So, by their accounts, because Dondast lost most of his people and we had taken the mission to guard them, their deaths are on us?" Greldo asked.


    Irwin flinched and suddenly realized he had forgotten they had taken that mission.


    "Probably," Daubutim said. "Though, I presume they know not everyone has the same rules as the Da''xi. I''m pretty sure we won''t be paid, however."


    Irwin and Greldo shared a look.


    "Well, whatever," Greldo finally said. "I''m glad we are here now. Let''s just find someplace to fix our ship''s sail. If there is none, we can still go with Xi''kroak to the final stop as planned. What is that called anyway?"


    "The Roaming Shipyard," Irwin said as he recalled what he had read in the book. "It''s a collection of twenty or more old ships connected atop a large tree. It was created fifty-five years ago after people stopped actively searching for new worlds out here. Before that period, around the time that Sesnansar was founded, it moved to new locations every few years. It was a basecamp from which the explorer and mercenary groups explored this region."


    Irwin fell quiet as he saw Greldo looking at him with a raised eyebrow.


    "You could have read the book," Irwin said with a grin.


    "Perhaps I should have," Greldo muttered before shrugging. "Well, whatever. If we can''t find a sail here, perhaps they have one there?"


    "That''s pretty likely," a voice called from above them.


    The three looked up to see the crewmen they had spoken with a few times before looking down. He had a thicker ridge of blue plates above his eyes, and Irwin called him Brow in his mind. They had asked him for his name before, but apparently, anyone who was a Cha''ik couldn''t share their name or accept a nickname.


    "So you think we can find a sail over there?" Irwin asked as he nodded at the incoming harbor.


    "Normally, I''d say no, but there are way more ships here than we saw the previous time we were here," Brow said.


    Something about how he said this drew Irwin''s attention and focused on Brow.


    "Do you have any idea why they would be here?" he asked.


    "Not sure, but I do recognize a few of the ships that used to be at Roaming Shipyard¡­"


    A shouted command came from the door opening, showing Xi''kroak waving at Brow, who waved back and climbed across the sail to another spot.


    Great, Irwin thought as he stared at the distant harbor.

 Chapter 165: Chasing

    "No, Irwin isn''t able to talk to you," Balarn said calmly. Monique stood before him, hands on her hips and her eyes spitting fire.


    "So it''s true? He left?" she snapped, glaring at him.


    Balarn was taken aback by her reaction. He had hoped to keep Irwin''s absence a secret longer, but Monique had somehow figured it out. He didn''t know how, but he could tell she wasn''t just guessing.


    "Yes. He has a mission that was too important to wait and won''t be back for a long time," Balarn said, wondering if it had been Gawarn or Ichela who spoke out of line.


    They were technically the only ones who knew. Well, they and Lamia, but Lamia barely spoke to anyone except for his brother. She''d been surprisingly calm when he had told her Irwin had left, but ever since that day, all she had been doing was practicing her smithing. Irwin had left her a stack of cards that made even him jealous, making her the only Smith who could still practice daily.


    "Where did they go?" Monique asked.


    "I can''t tell you that," Balarn said as he crossed his arms and frowned at her. He had an inkling of what was going on, but even then, he was surprised by her reaction. "Is something wrong?" he asked, deciding to act dumb.


    Monique stomped her feet, glaring at him again. "You know full well what position my family is in," she snapped. "There aren''t enough cards or reforging missions for me to earn the money we need, and the cards I''ve brought back from Scour won''t last us for a year! Without the income I generate, my family cannot remain here, and we''d have to use the money to return to the main family and beg for a place to stay!"


    "You aren''t the only ones," Balarn said, feeling for her, but no more than he did for the many other smiths who had been getting into trouble due to the Smith Guild''s handling of the current situation.


    "Ever since the high-ranked smiths have left, the influx of new cards has nearly dried up. Many smithing families are under pressure because of this. It''s why Nimdal and his family went back to their own main family," he said, trying to be as convincing as possible.


    Monique gritted her teeth, visibly reigning herself in. Balarn was glad that nobody else was there and that they were in the soundproof area because she looked ready to explode.


    "I know everyone is having problems, but I can''t help everyone," Monique said, gnashing her teeth for a moment before continuing." Irwin can make it so that my family doesn''t have to go through the same. He is an official emerald rank smith, so his joining will lower the taxes we have to pay! The others don''t have that option, but we do!"


    "You mean, if he joined your family as a subordinate smith," Balarn said, shaking his head. Had she not been paying attention? She knew how much Irwin valued his freedom. "There is no way he would-"


    "You don''t know that," Monique snapped, interrupting him. "He wants to save his people, and my family''s estate is massive. We have plenty of room! If we let him use some to house his people, he might agree! It''s not like it would be forever! Thirty years would give my cousins time to grow up and start earning an income. It would also give Irwin time to earn his own place! Now he is going out on a wild goose chase to find what? An uninhabited, livable planet? You, of all people, should know how impossible that is!"


    Balarn looked at her calmly, feeling a twinge of pain. He suppressed the old sadness, wondering who had told her that and how she had learned so much about Irwin. He knew a lot about Irwin, but Irwin had been unwilling to talk about many details of his past, and Greldo even more so. Monique must have listened in at some point, or there was no way she could know all of this.


    "He wants to save all of his people, not just a few hundred," Balarn said calmly. "And I would suggest you don''t spread this information. If he finds out, he might never talk to you again."


    Monique looked like she was ready to snap, then took a deep breath. Balarn saw her attitude turn glacial, and he felt his worry grow.


    "When will Tensor return?" Monique asked curtly.


    Balarn''s mood soured instantly.


    "They have been brought to the nearest main branch of the Smith''s Guild and won''t be allowed to return until the abductions have been taken care of," he said, annoyed that he had to share another bit of information he''d been able to keep quiet. Keeping his face passive, he feared what Monique was going to say.


    "Then you leave me no choice. Tell me where Irwin has gone," Monique said coolly.


    Balarn heard the implicit or else, but he shook his head. "I don''t know where he went," he lied, hoping he was wrong. If he could, he would guard Irwin''s secret, especially because he likely wasn''t supposed to know the details. Irwin hadn''t explicitly told him where he would go, but he had figured it out easily enough. There was only a single ship leaving, and there was only one destination where Irwin could find what he was looking for.


    Still... how did she figure this out? he thought as he tried to stare at Monique calmly.


    "If you don''t, I''ll be leaving Tensor''s charter," Monique said. "With Nimdal and Syndal gone, and Tensor and Irwin off-world, if I leave, Tensor''s smithy will have only two Topaz-ranked smiths on-world. It will lose its official charter status, which means you must vacate this building."


    Balarn looked at her, trying hard to keep his anger at bay. He wished she was wrong, but she wasn''t. Although it wasn''t enforced much, a charter needed a minimum amount of smiths of Topaz or higher rank on the world of their charter to be deemed viable. It was some ancient rule from long ago that nobody recalled the reason for, but it was there nonetheless.


    "If you do this, you won''t find another charter here that will take you in," he said, trying to keep his anger in control.


    "If I don''t do this, my family will have to abandon Fiverio and three generations of hard work," Monique snapped. "We will be forced to return to Suderfuix, and I''ll have to work as a low-rank smith working on low cards, losing any chance to become Emerald. It wouldn''t matter if no charter would take me in! So, unless you have another way to help me, I see no other choice!"


    She almost screamed the final part, and Balarn saw the simmering anger and fear in her eyes. Something about it caused his rage to dissipate.


    "If you do this, all of the others will lose everything," he said, feeling sad.


    Monique''s jaw tensed, and her voice rose again. "Don''t blame that on me! None of that has to happen if you just tell me where he is! Don''t make it out as if I''ll be harming him!"


    "Why didn''t you talk with Irwin about this before we arrived?" Balarn asked, shaking his head.


    "He wouldn''t even talk with me for more than a few moments," Monique said, her fingers turning white around her biceps. "I thought that with Scintilla gone, perhaps he''d be interested in talking with me, but¡­ It''s like he didn''t even see me!"


    Balarn vaguely recalled how she''d been hovering around Irwin and how uncomfortable the young Smith had seemed. Then he shoved the thoughts away. It was obvious now that she wasn''t playing around. So, what should he do? If he told her where Irwin went, that meant she would probably go after him, causing potential issues for Irwin¡­ but if he didn''t tell her, Tensor''s charter would be disbanded, and the smiths that were here now would all have no more place to go. Right now, he was using what remained of the soulshards that Tensor left him to keep everyone afloat, but he was only allowed to use those because he was the temporary charter leader. If the charter was disbanded, the money would be out of his control, and Tomeron Grinwon would come knocking. If the Smiths couldn''t pay him, they would either have to leave Fiverio or accept horrible contracts for the Grinwon Trade Federation.


    He stared at the ground, recalling all the effort he''d gone through to get Irwin out without anyone finding it out. Irwin had saved him and Yogog and helped so many people. Was he really willing to endanger the young Smith''s wellbeing?


    "If you tell me, I won''t tell anyone else," Monique said, seeming to sense he was hesitating.


    Balarn looked up to see her stare at him with wide, hopeful eyes.


    "I''ll just go after him and try to help him where possible. His mission probably has something to do with finding a world, and it''s bound to fail. So perhaps my family''s offer will help in the end!"


    Balarn hesitated, then sighed.


    Sorry, Irwin, he thought as he pulled out the charter''s crystal plate and tapped it.


    "Create a contract. I will tell Monique Egoriun what she wishes to know, and in exchange, she will remain a part of Tensor''s Charter. She will also keep anything I tell her to herself and not share this with anyone," he said while staring at Monique. He didn''t add anything about who it was about in the hopes that nobody else would figure things out.


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    Monique nodded at him, a look of relief flooding her face.


    "Contract created. Monique Egoriun, do you accept the proposed contract?" an emotionless voice asked.


    "I accept!"


    Balarn sighed again as he stared at her. "He is going to Sesnanser."


    ---


    Irwin looked at the harbor that was getting ever closer and turned to Greldo and Daubutim.


    "I think we should get our stuff. Also, after we arrive, we need to devise a way to guard the ship without having to stay and guard it."


    Irwin was surprised to see Daubutim''s eyes glazed over.


    "Yes, and we should give it a name if we end up keeping it. Calling it the ship is going to get confusing," Greldo said.


    Irwin saw Daubutim''s eyes blinking, and he knew his friend was working through something. He had no idea what, but he did know that he''d been skirting the edges of his disability for a while. Whatever it was, he should be alright soon.


    "We can do that after we find out if we can repair it," he said as he walked towards the door. "Let''s get our stuff and get ready."


    They returned to the deck with their small backpacks a few minutes later. All the remaining merchants were gathered there, each with multiple bags, which Irwin knew they couldn''t lift by themselves.


    I wonder how they will bring all of that, he thought.


    He barely felt his own pack, which wasn''t surprising as it only contained some traveling ration and the remains of his armor. He was hoping that he could find someone to replace the front. If not, perhaps it could still be salvaged for materials.


    The ship was already flying into the harbor, towards one of the few free anchor spots remaining. A small group of guards were waiting on the rugged, gray wooden dock. As the Zira''ix knocked against the dock, ropes were thrown toward wooden poles, and crewmen jumped off to bind them in place.


    "Leader Irwin, I wish to thank you again for saving my ship."


    Irwin turned to see Captain Xi''kroak standing behind him, arms crossed.


    It''s not like I could have gotten away otherwise, Irwin thought, but he kept his thoughts to himself.


    "You''re welcome," he said.


    Xi''kroak stared at him for a few moments before nodding. "I will sell the worst of the two ships and keep the best for you. One of my crewmen will guard it for you until you return, though please don''t make him wait too long."


    Did he overhear us earlier? Irwin thought.


    "Thank you," he said, slightly surprised at the offer.


    He had little knowledge about the ships, but even he knew that the first ship they had found looked older and more damaged than the others. That likely meant that the other two were worth more, and Xi''kroak would lose some soulshards by doing this.


    "There is no need to thank me. I wouldn''t have offered this if not for the following bad news," Xi''kroak said with a weary sigh.


    Irwin felt his hackles rise as he watched the captain.


    "A message has arrived. I will not be allowed to leave the harbor until I have spoken with all of the Xi''daran, the leaders of The Daran. Sadly, months or longer may pass before they have arrived."


    A weariness radiated from Xi''kroak, and Irwin saw him look side-eyed at his crewmen before continuing.


    "So, I won''t be able to bring you to The Roaming Shipyard. I hope you can forgive me."


    Xi''kroak bowed his head, and Irwin felt uncomfortable at the sudden behavior.


    "It''s alright," he said.


    Although he said that, he did grow slightly worried. What if they couldn''t find a sail? That would mean he''d have to find another ship to bring them to the Roaming Shipyard. Would someone even be willing to take them?


    Daubutim stepped beside him, head close to his ear.


    "Ask him if he can help with the sail," Daubutim whispered.


    Irwin saw Xi''kroak glance at Daubutim but remained silent. He showed no indication of answering the question, although Irwin was sure he''d heard it.


    Stupid pretenses, Irwin thought.


    "Can you help us find a sail?" he asked.


    "Perhaps, but you would still have to pay for it yourself. I will see what I can do," Xi''kroak said. "Now. I''m afraid I''ll have to leave."


    Irwin saw him stare at the group of Da''xi on the docks, staring at Xi''kroak. Like Xi''kroak himself, interlocking blue plates covered their faces, but unlike Xi''kroak, they had bright blue eyes showing they were not heart-carded. If they were soul-carded, Irwin didn''t know.


    "May we meet again during better times," Xi''kroak said as he turned and walked away.


    As he left, Irwin heard him speak in his odd language to his crew. They tapped the plates on their faces in response, and Irwin had the feeling it was either a farewell or good luck message. When Xi''kroak reached the waiting guards, two flanked him, and he was led away. None remained behind, and within a few moments, the docks were empty again.


    I guess they didn''t send a welcome for us, Irwin thought.


    "Let''s go and find a place to stay," he said, turning to the others, only to find Merchant Dondast staring at him intently. The gray-haired woman stood behind him, wringing her hands.


    Now what¡­


    "Dondast," Irwin said, wondering what the merchant wanted. Was he here because of his group''s massive losses while he had hired Irwin to protect him? Irwin felt his stomach clench.


    Dondast shuffled his feet but continued staring at him before finally speaking up.


    "Leader Irwin, as you surely recall, you were to guard us during our travels to Sesnanser. Sadly¡­¡± Dondast''s voice cracked, and he coughed before continuing. "Sadly, we encountered greater trouble than anyone could have expected. I don''t blame you. However, I am afraid I can''t pay you either. Technically, you have failed, and I will need every soulshard that I have to try and keep my Merchant group afloat."


    Dondast sighed, staring at the ground.


    Irwin felt relief, but he held back an immediate acceptance, even though he wanted to. He felt partially responsible for not keeping the others safe, and not just Dondast. The last few evenings, he''d wondered what he could have done better to prevent what had happened. Stil, as much as it pained him, he still had pretenses to keep up. He was supposed to be an explorers and mercenaries group, and those weren''t known to have too many soulshards.


    After a few moments, he nodded.


    "I understand, and I''m sorry for all of your losses," he said, meaning it.


    Dondast visibly relaxed, his shoulders lowering as he sighed. "Thank you for understanding," he said. "If you find me in a few years, I will have some missions for you. But for now, I need to rebuild."


    "I understand," Irwin said. "We will manage."


    Dondast bowed, then turned and raised his hands to the side. Three blue disks of glowing light appeared an inch from the ground, and he and the gray-haired merchant began pushing the many bags on them.


    Irwin watched in amazement as they finished, and the disks rose. They showed no trouble lifting the weight and followed Dondast, floating a seemingly set distance away from him.


    "That''s one useful card," Greldo muttered.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Daubutim said.


    Irwin looked up, glad to see Daubutim back to normal. He shoved his sadness at the dead merchants away.


    "Do you know where we should go?" he asked.


    "Yes. We need provisions, information on the Roaming Shipyard, and preferably a knowledgeable crew for our ship. All of those can be found on the trade level."


    Irwin couldn''t help but smile ruefully at the knowledge Daubutim showcased so quickly. "Any place you know that might have sails?"


    "No. According to the books, there are none here," Daubutim said.


    "Too bad, let''s deal with that later then," Irwin said. "Let''s go."


    --


    A short while later, they stood at the edge of Sesnanser''s port. It was a thriving, though dirty and moldy place. Nearly everything was created from different types of wood, with only a small amount of metal around. White mold and tiny mushrooms grew in the shadowy places while some walls glistened wetly.


    I wonder if there are any smiths here or in the world beyond the portal, Irwin thought.


    Daubutim took the lead, walking ahead as if he''d been here many times before. The further they made their way into the port, the more Irwin realized it was far more like a town than any of the places he''d been to before. There were people carrying bags and crates around while carded craftsmen were busy repairing buildings. A few groups were quietly chatting as they looked around, drinking from crooked-finger-shaped flasks.


    "This reminds me of Giard," Greldo whispered.


    Irwin looked around at the filth, the hardworking people, and the sense of general business. He could see why Greldo would say that. It did look like the poor parts of Malorin where they had grown up.


    "Yeah," he muttered. "It''s also pretty different from Fiverio''s port. That just had that big inn and the building surrounding the portal."


    "The smaller and poorer the world, the more bustling the ports are," Daubutim said. "Only the true Portal Gallery cities are bigger, and those only appear around level five and higher worlds. From what I''ve read, it doesn''t seem worth guarding such a large area otherwise. The chances of a mass of Addled attacking is far too real."


    Irwin hoped there wouldn''t be an attack on Sesnanser or any harbor or port while he was there.


    Soon, they had to stop talking as the chatter of the surrounding people began too much to have a quiet conversation. Because they had to climb multiple levels, reaching the trade area took a while, but eventually, they reached a small, bustling district filled with haphazardly placed buildings, tiny alleyways, and more filth than Irwin had seen.


    Following Daubutim through a narrow path, they came out on a square with hundreds of people moving between shops and the tightly packed stalls of an open-air market.


    "Hello, sirs! If you are new, I have a map of the area and can provide you with information for less cost than anyone!"


    Irwin looked around, then down. A young, slightly malnourished boy stood in front of them. For an instant, he thought he was back in Giard, watching one of the many young beggars. Then he noticed the boy''s spiky purple hair, his fully carded left hand, and the single card on his right. The tattoo-like images were so poorly visible that he knew they were amethyst at best, perhaps just quartz, but even then, it was more than any beggar on Giard could ever hope to gain.


    The boy''s eyes were bright but slightly too wide, and the pupils seemed almost squarish. Something about him, perhaps his sunken cheeks or the dirty stains on his face, made Irwin think of himself long ago.


    "Can you show us to the places that could potentially sell us sails or have the ability to fix overloaded ones?" Irwin asked.


    The boys'' eyes brightened even more, almost seeming to light up from within.


    "I can! It''s a good thing you found me because barely anyone could have helped you with this! For a measly two soulshards I''ll guide you to all the places you can buy used sails. I even know of someone that''s been rumored to know how to repair them."


    Irwin''s lips curled up, and he raised an eyebrow. He heard Greldo laugh next to him, but he didn''t walk away.


    "Two soulshards?" he said. "How about I give you one after you show me around?"


    "Deal!" the boy said instantly, nodding so fervently that his spiky hair flashed in the dim light. "Where to first? The repair man or used sails?"


    Irwin looked at Daubutim, who was frowning.


    "Used sails," Irwin said.


    "This way," the boy said as he walked ahead. He led them to a large shop on the other side of the square, which took them perhaps ten seconds.


    "They have sails," the boy said as he pointed at the door that had a sign showing a hammer and a nail.


    Greldo barked a laugh while Irwin sighed.


    "Just so I know, but how far away are the other shops?" Irwin asked as he looked at the boy, raising an eyebrow.


    "There''s a smaller place, four buildings that way. It has sails, but those are worse, and I''d try here first," the boy said, not showing the slightest shame.


    Barely anyone could have helped you with this. Seriously? Irwin thought as he raised an eyebrow.


    The boy showed no reaction to his stare, and Greldo laughed even louder.


    Irwin ignored him and shook his head.


    So far for doing something good for someone in need, he thought.

 Chapter 166: Crashing through a roof

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    "Alright, let''s see what they have," Irwin muttered.


    He pushed open the door and stepped into a surprisingly clean and well-maintained shop. A few people moved around the room, looking at items on overfull tables or objects behind crystal-covered wall cabinets. To his surprise, there was even a cabinet filled with dozens, if not close to a hundred cards.


    There was no sign of sails, but that didn''t surprise him. They probably wouldn''t fit or take up too much space.


    A tall man with long purple hair and bright teal eyes stood behind a desk, looking around before meeting his gaze and holding it. Seeing the sunken cheeks and wide eyes, Irwin sighed as he realized the boy outside likely hadn''t been malnourished at all. The man gave him the same impression, meaning it was likely just a trademark of their species.


    Making his way to the desk, he saw the man hadn''t let him out of his sight.


    Do I look like I''m going to steal something?


    "Greetings. I was told you have used sails here?" he asked.


    The man watched him for a moment longer before nodding. "I have three sets of second-hand sails. One for a ship two-master, the others are for three-masters."


    Irwin frowned as he realized he didn''t know which types of sails he needed. Did all ships with two masts have the same sails? The three ships they had fought had a similar setup as the Zura''ix of Xi''kroak, with one triangular sail at the front and a larger one midship. He guessed that meant it had to be the first set...


    "What does the two-mast sail cost?" he asked.


    "Seventeen-thousand four-hundred soulshards," the man said without batting an eye.


    Irwin blinked.


    "Right," he muttered.


    He knew full well that no ordinary mercenary group would be able to pay that, and even though he still had far more than that, hearing it said out loud made him shiver. It reminded him of the prices of some of the cards at the auction.


    I should have thought about this before coming here, he thought, sighing. He''d even been warned about the price. They would just have to return later, he decided.


    "Let''s get the other stuff," he said as he turned to see Greldo and Daubutim looking at him.


    "You could make a counteroffer?" the man said hastily, and as Irwin looked up, he saw the man''s calm exterior had cracked slightly.


    Realizing the other might just be trying to drive up his price, Irwin cocked his head, recalling the times he''d been with Driseog.


    "Unless the price you just quoted was the default very high starting bid, I''m not sure we will get to a price I''ll be paying," Irwin said slowly.


    The shopkeeper pursed his lips. "You are new?"


    Irwin didn''t deign to answer that, as he was pretty sure that much was obvious. The man grimaced, seeming to realize it too.


    "Alright, let''s start over," the shopkeeper said quickly. "You need sails, and there are only two places to get them. Here, or at Tonkal''s. However, his sails will not get you back after bringing you to where you have to go. So, that leaves me. I''ll be willing to make you a deal¡­ let''s say thirteen-thousand?"


    Irwin was momentarily taken aback by the relatively small drop in price. He''d somehow expect the man to go below ten thousand. Then, his mind finally began working properly again.


    "I''ll need to get some other things first and see what we have left over," he said.


    The shopkeeper frowned.


    Daubutim stepped forward before Irwin could say anything else.


    "How much to keep the two-part sail for us for half a day?" Daubutim said calmly.


    The shopkeeper''s eyes lit up, and he turned to Daubutim. "Fifty soulshards."


    Daubutim nodded and pulled a tiny purse from his jacket. He removed five large shards and handed them to the man. "We will return within half a day," he said.


    "Good, good," the man said, nodding happily. "I''ll make sure to keep the sail for half a day, but not a minute longer!"


    As if you will sell them before then, Irwin thought as he followed Daubutim out of the shop.


    He frowned as he realized he had been too used to people helping him out because he was a smith. It was time he started thinking before acting again. What they needed was knowledge about ships. One option was heading back and asking the crew of The Zura''ix, but seeing as they needed their own crew, perhaps there was another way.


    There was a soft sniff, and he looked up to see the boy standing in front of him.


    Let''s see what he knows then, Irwin thought.


    "Where can we find crew for a ship," Irwin asked. He knew Daubutim had an idea from the books, but many things were different, it seemed. Besides, he would have to pay the boy anyway¡ªno harm in asking more questions.


    The boy''s eyes widened. "Are you a captain? Do you have a ship?" he asked.


    Irwin just nodded, and the boy stepped forward. "How many do you need?" he asked, excitement evident in his voice.


    Irwin frowned, realizing he didn''t know that either.


    I should have talked with Xi''kroak and his crew, he thought.


    "Two sail-cleaners and a navigator," Greldo said.


    Irwin looked at his friend in surprise, and Greldo smirked at him.


    "What? Did you think I was just lazing about like you were?"


    "I know where you can find a navigator," the boy said, seeming unable to hold himself from interrupting. "But you don''t need to look further for a sail-cleaner!


    Irwin saw his eyes were gleaming.


    "I''m a great sail-cleaner! One of my cards lets me adhere to anything. I was even at the Roaming twice before those demons attacked it. The captain said I was the best rookie he''d ever seen!"


    Irwin raised an eyebrow. He didn''t even know the kid''s name. Besides, they would be scouting much further than most ships here would.


    "We will be checking the Cracked Hull first," Daubutim said calmly, his voice sharp and clear and drawing all attention. "Is the navigator you know there?"


    The boy shook his head. "No."


    "Alright, then you can come with us. If we can''t find someone there, you can bring us to the navigator you know. We will see about the position of sail-cleaner later," Daubutim stated.


    He exuded a sudden calm confidence and leadership that caused Irwin to suddenly recall that Daubutim was very much a noble and had been trained to lead.


    "Great, let''s go then," Greldo said. "I presume it''s that big building?"


    Daubutim nodded, and as he headed toward the building, Irwin fell in line with him.


    "How are we going to deal with having a crew?" Irwin whispered.


    "Let''s get to the inn and talk then," Daubutim replied.


    They walked through the packed square until they reached the large building. It vaguely resembled a large ship placed upside down on the ground. Round windows sat in multiple rows, and it wasn''t too hard to see where the different floors were. A group of kids of different ages sat below one of the windows, looking up at a man who hung out of it. He was shouting things and handing out packages. Each time he did, a kid took it and ran away, dashing through the crowd.


    Couriers, Irwin thought, wondering if it was food or something else.


    The entrance of the inn was on the far right of the building, and a short distance beyond that was a heavily fortified building. It was the only building Irwin had seen with more than a few tiny bits of metal and a group of guards softly chatting beside the towering doors.


    That must be where the portal is, Irwin thought.


    He was about to follow Daubutim inside when he saw the boy remain behind, looking around as if he wasn''t sure what to do.


    "What''s wrong?" Irwin asked while Greldo stopped halfway into the entranceway.


    "I''m not allowed inside," the boy said, shrugging. His eyes gleamed as he looked through a window. "Only paying customers or crew members are allowed inside."


    Irwin hesitated, then removed a soulshard from his pocket.


    "I was supposed to pay you, so with this you can just get a drink," he said, handing the small soulshard over.


    The kid took it without hesitation, but he remained where he was, giving Irwin a look that made him feel like he was an idiot.


    "I can''t waste this on a drink," the boy said. Then he hesitated and took a few steps back. "I''ll return soon, so please don''t hire another sail cleaner until you give me a chance!"


    As he spoke, Irwin noticed that a few of the kids that had been sitting below the window were moving closer, eyes gleaming.


    "Alright," Irwin said. "We will probably stay here to drink and eat."


    "That''s fine! I''ll wait outside," the boy said. "But if you don''t see me, just ask for Zender!"


    "Alright," Irwin said.


    Zender looked at him for a moment, then turned and ran away. He had barely disappeared in the crowd when two other kids, girls with short purple hair and gleaming red eyes, ran towards Irwin.


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    "Sir! Captain? If you are looking for sail cleaners, we can do the job much better than that brat, Zender! Both of us have more experience! He''s only ever gone twice, and I''ve been out five times!"


    Irwin looked at them quietly. Why were all these kids so keen on going with a ship? They had to know it was dangerous¡­ Was it that bad here in Sesnanser Port?


    "I''ll keep it in mind," Irwin said.


    "I''m Brinni, and she''s Trinn," the slightly taller of the two girls said quickly. "We''ll work for less than Zender!"


    Irwin saw the other girl nod fervently, and he sighed. Things had to be bad here.


    "I''ll remember," he said before quickly turning and heading into the inn.


    Scour was better than this, he thought.


    He wondered why the kids didn''t just go through the portal to live in the world beyond.


    --


    Soft chatter filled the room around them, while the soft sounds of a string instrument came from a corner, creating a harmonious and cozy ambiance.


    Irwin, Greldo, and Daubutim were sitting at a small table in one of the corners, giving them a modicum of privacy.


    "So, three drinks and meals and a room?" a short waiter asked. She was staring at Greldo, her red eyes glittering.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Daubutim said.


    "Alright, I''ll be right back," the tiny woman said, still only looking at Greldo.


    As she turned and left, Irwin heard Greldo sigh in relief.


    "Man¡­ she looked like she was going to eat me," he whispered.


    "It''s your triangular pupils," Daubutim said calmly. "Yuurindi are a species that put a lot of emphasis on eyes, and yours are very attractive to them, according to the book I read. It has something to do with ancient mythical beings in their world. If they were still red it would have been worse."


    Greldo let out a soft moan. "First those Ignitzions and now these¡­ Yuurindi? Great."


    Irwin grinned, happy that he wasn''t the one getting unwanted attention this time. He recalled full well how Greldo had made fun of the way most of the Ignitzions had reacted around him and decided he''d have to find some nice moments to return the favor.


    Feeling slightly better, he turned his attention to Daubutim. "That kid outside, Zender, he was Yuurindi too?"


    Daubutim nodded. "Yes. The three most common species here are Yuurindi, Da''xi like Captain Xi''kroak, and humans. There are some-"


    He fell quiet as the woman returned with two massive plates, which she placed before them. A second woman came after her, putting three mugs there, and Irwin saw she was staring at Greldo with a slight grin. His friend was focusing fully on his new drink. A moment later, they were alone again.


    "So¡­ what do we do now?" Irwin asked as he carefully took a sip.


    He was surprised by the somewhat sweet and spicy drink. Although nowhere near as hot as what he''d drank with Scintilla, it still reminded him of her, and his mind drifted off as he stared into the dark red liquid.


    "Irwin!"


    Irwin looked up to see Daubutim and Greldo look at him, both slightly worried.


    "You okay?" Greldo asked.


    "I''m fine, just thinking," Irwin said as he realized they had been talking to him. "Sorry, what did you say?"


    "If we are going to create a crew, we should find those that are willing to join the Giard''s Rangers," Daubutim said. "That way, whoever we find will be bound by the contract and won''t be able to talk about us. Otherwise, you can''t do what you do best¡­"


    Irwin nodded, knowing that he meant card reforging. He was surprised that the contract would bind someone, but even if that made things better, it still left a problem.


    "Do you think we can even find people that are willing?" he asked.


    Daubutim shrugged, seeming unsure.


    Greldo leaned forward, taking a sip of his drink before speaking up.


    "I''ve been listening in on some of the conversations, and I''m pretty sure we can find enough people. It seems the Roaming Shipyard was attacked a few months ago, and those that survived retreated here. Many ships were destroyed, and there are more crew than ships right now. I''ve already heard a few people talk about the three ships we dragged here, with the interest of either buying or joining."


    "Then we should find out what has happened quickly," Daubutim said. "My father always said that during hard times, it''s easier to find good people than when everyone has options."


    They continued talking, finishing their simple meal, and coming up with a plan.


    "Alright then," Irwin said. "Daubutim and I will look for a navigator while you find out what has been going on here! We will meet at the ship."


    "Alright. If I see Zender, I''ll take him along," Greldo said. "Even if we don''t end up hiring him, he knows more about what''s happening here."


    "Be careful," Irwin said.


    "No worries, I''ll be fine. Besides, if need be, I can bring out Coal," Greldo said with a grin. "He''s been whining non-stop since we arrived, and I''m pretty sure nobody will recognize him here if I bring him out."


    "Don''t summon him if you can help it," Daubutim said calmly. "Even if nobody recognizes him, we must keep our recognizability as low as possible. The best would be if nobody remembers we were here after we leave."


    "What? You think having a metal-skinned, nearly eight-foot-tall, muscle-bound fool with us isn''t something recognizable?" Greldo asked as he walked away.


    Irwin snorted as Greldo waved when he left the inn.


    "As if his eyes don''t do the same," he muttered.


    "Don''t worry about your stature," Daubutim said. "According to the books I have read, at least two species in this section of the Portal Gallery resemble you, and people will very likely think you are one of them."


    "Really?" Irwin asked.


    "Yes. One is called the Fiz''rin, although the Ignitzions call them Firesteel Elementals, and the others are Loydin," Daubutim said calmly.


    "So you''re saying I look more like them than a human?" Irwin asked.


    He examined his arm. The pliable pale copper color didn''t resemble what it used to be, but it wasn''t that different... was it? Then he thought about his hair that was like metal wire and how he was probably taller than anyone he knew back on Giard, and he grimaced.


    "Yes," Daubutim said calmly. "It is the price we pay for powerful body-enhancing cards. It is the reason many races refuse to use them."


    Irwin looked at him, wondering if he was joking. "They don''t use body-enhancing cards?" he asked.


    "Some don''t. For instance, the Da''xi have a rule that no card may change their outward appearance..."


    That''s stupid, Irwin thought as he shook his head. "But what if they need to defend themselves against more powerful enemies?"


    "I didn''t say I agreed with them," Daubutim said calmly. "But if you would tell Captain Xi''kroak you were actually human, he might not react as he has until now."


    Irwin looked at Daubutim before shaking his head in disbelief. "Well, if someone asks, perhaps I should just say I''m one of those."


    "If you do, tell them you are Fiz''rin," Daubutim said calmly. "They are lesser known and very reclusive. Besides, the Loydin are not known to be very nice. Also, warn me and Greldo so we know."


    "I will. Now, let''s go and see if we can find an interested navigator," he said as he rose and walked to the main bar.


    I wonder how Mum would react if she saw me.


    --


    "Are you sure?" Greldo asked as he took a quick look at Zender.


    They were hiding in a narrow alleyway near the harbor, watching three people loiter near a corner a short distance away. The men were examining the three ships that sat on the leftmost dock, right behind the Zura''ix.


    "Definitely! Those three are Raiders, and the only reason they aren''t dead is because it''s never been proven," Zender whispered.


    "If it wasn''t proven, how do you know it''s true?" Greldo asked, looking at the boy.


    "Two of my friends were on a ship with them, and only one came back," Zender said. "The one that returned didn''t want to talk about what had happened, but he did say to never go on a ship with those three."


    Greldo frowned. "Why didn''t you tell anyone?"


    Zender looked at him in disbelief. "What? Are you nuts? Who would believe a bunch of homeless Yuurindi? Do you know what those blue-plates think of us?"


    I don''t know, Greldo thought as he frowned. But now I''m wondering how trustworthy you are.


    He was about to ask some more questions when his sensitive ears picked up the voices of the three.


    "And you are absolutely sure there''s only four guards?"


    "Definitely. Those ugly blue-plates think too highly of themselves, as always. They spread out across those other ships."


    "Those simpletons are-"


    "Quiet. Did you bring our stuff?"


    "Everything is here. Let''s toss those fools overboard and get out. I''ve had enough of being grounded on this ugly backwater piece of crap."


    "We will, and we can leave some fun presents behind on the other ships."


    Greldo clenched his teeth as he heard them whisper amongst themselves.


    Well¡­ great. I guess Zender is right.


    He turned his attention to Zender. "Head back to the inn and tell my two friends what is going on! Tell them to hurry!"


    Zender blinked as he backed up. "What''s going on?"


    Right, he didn''t hear them, Greldo thought.


    "They are going to attack the ships," he whispered. "Now move!"


    Zender''s eyes widened, and then he turned and shot through the alley. He moved like a blur up the side of the wall across the roof, then disappeared over it.


    That''s useful, Greldo thought before turning to the harbor. The three figures were walking forward already.


    "There''s only three," he whispered as he rose and focused on his card.


    A towering hound appeared behind him, blocking the entire alleyway, and two eyes as silver as his own gazed into his. At the same time, his body lengthened while thick fur grew across every inch of his skin.


    "Let''s go and say hi," Greldo said, his voice now accompanied by a deep and menacing growl. He focused on a patch of shadows close to where the three figures were moving.


    "Take the two in the back."


    --


    "I''m interested, but not if I must join a new mercenary or explorers group."


    Irwin looked at the purple-haired woman wearing a black leather jacket. He''d expected the answer because she had started shaking her head as soon as he''d mentioned Giard''s Rangers.


    That was the last one, he thought, feeling a slight worry. The man behind the bar had pointed out three people, and this had been their last choice.


    "Do you know of a navigator who might join us?" Daubutim asked, showing no worry at all.


    "There should be some around, what with half of the ships having been destroyed. Even then, I don''t think you will find one by simply asking around. Why don''t you leave a message on the mission board? It might take a few days, but it will save you running around the entire port," the woman said.


    "You are right. Where is the mission board?" Daubutim asked.


    "There is a mission center inside the Portal chamber. It''s closed for the night now but will open after the eight'' gong."


    Eight gong? Irwin thought. Was that how they measured time here? It made sense as there was no night or day, and people had to sleep.


    "Thank you," Daubutim said, turning and walking away from the woman''s small table.


    Irwin nodded at her and the other crewmen who had been quietly observing what was going on. Then, he followed Daubutim to the exit.


    It was quiet outside, nearly all of the milling people that had been there only half an hour earlier gone. A few merchants were busy wheeling away their tiny carts.


    Irwin took a deep breath of the musty, wet air. He found himself missing Scour''s hot, dry air. That and smithing. He hadn''t reforged a card or purified metal in weeks.


    "Let''s go get Greldo," he said, wondering if he could take out Ambraz and reforge a simple card without drawing unwanted attention on the ship.


    We need to get some of those sound-dampening runes, he thought. Perhaps there was a heartcarded here that could make those.


    Daubutim nodded, but Irwin saw he was frowning and looking at the opposite side of the square. Following his gaze, he saw a small, familiar figure run towards them.


    "Ir¡­win, Irwin," Zender said, gasping for breath. "Grel- Greldo told me to come to get you!"


    Irwin felt his hair rise as he stepped toward the boy, who had his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath. A tiny part of him was confused why someone with four cards was this tired from just running, but he ignored it.


    "What is wrong?" he snapped.


    "Three... men- are trying... to steal your ship," Zender managed in between breaths.


    Irwin''s eyes narrowed, and his mind spun in overflow. Was the kid lying? That would mean he might have done something to Greldo, but how likely was that? Greldo could teleport out of nearly any situation! Besides, was it worth the risk? No. Within a split second, he made up his mind and turned to Daubutim. "Stay here with him!"


    Without waiting for an answer, he turned and exploded forward, using kinetic energy to propel himself across the dirty wooden square as fast as he could. The heat from his flame was erupting inside of him, boosting the kinetic energy that grew with each step. He ignored the startled cries and the sound of snapping wood as he raced through the streets, trying to recall the path they had taken.


    Greldo wouldn''t attack them if he didn''t believe he could take them, he thought.


    --


    Greldo cracked his neck as he looked at the man lying before him. His nose was flattened, blood still pouring over his face.


    He was surprised at how easy it had been. He''d teleported in front of the man and struck him before he could react, while Coal had appeared behind and simply barreled the other over the edge of the dock. Their screams had lasted for a dozen seconds before ending abruptly.


    I guess not everyone uses cards to get stronger, he thought.


    The sound of running feet made him look up, and he saw two of Xi''kroak''s crewmen run towards him. Both were holding swords. They slowed before they reached him, and he saw them look between him and the man on the ground. Coal was gone, hiding in the shadows in the alleyway a short distance away, ready to help if needed.


    "Greldo?" one of the crewmen asked, and Greldo recognized him as the one Irwin called Brow. "Why did you-"


    "These three were planning to steal The Zura''ix," Greldo said.


    "What?" both crewmen turned a suddenly murderous glare on the downed and unconscious man.


    "Are you sure?" Brow asked.


    Greldo was suddenly glad he was still alive. Otherwise, how was he going to prove what he''d done wasn''t some random killing?


    "Is there someone with a truth-reading card?" he asked.


    Brow looked at the other crewmen, rapidly talking to him in their ear-piercing language. The other nodded and ran towards the port.


    "He will get a Daran guard. They will know what to do," Brow said, frowning at the downed man.


    Greldo nodded. "Alright, let''s tie this-"


    A loud boom came from the port, and Greldo spun around, ready for a fight. Brow moved beside him, swords raised.


    In the distance, they saw wood dust rise from a building just beyond the first line of buildings. Greldo was about to teleport there when Coal sent some images to him. He blinked, then lowered his guard as he felt laughter bubble up.


    "It''s fine," he said. "Although I''m afraid Irwin might have to pay for a new roof¡­"

 Chapter 167: A hundred brothers and sisters

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    "-don''t know, but Zender should be back with the guards soon."


    "I still can''t believe you destroyed that entire house."


    "Stop laughing. It cost me over four-hundred soulshards!"


    The voices continued, and Bendi woke slowly, his head throbbing painfully. His well-honed instincts of years living outside of the law kicked in before he could move or act.


    I''m caught but not tied up?


    He tried to recall what had happened. The last thing he remembered was that they had decided to grab the ship of those blue-scaled law-abiders. Pertas has been as hateful as always, and then¡­ finally, the memories returned in a flash: a shadowy blur, some tall hairy heartcarded, a fist, and then nothing.


    "Stop acting like you are still unconscious. We have some questions."


    Bendi didn''t react to the low, growly voice. Instead, he focused on his minute-movement skill. Instantly, he sensed his surroundings. He was in a cabin, probably a ship from what he sensed, with four men. One was a towering behemoth, his overly muscular arms crossed.


    As soon as his skill examined the man, a wave of vibrations erupted from the giant, and Bendi''s skill failed to give him more than a global read.


    Shit, he has a skill like mine? Or... don''t tell me he has a Ruby rank skill? Dammit!


    With growing worry, he quickly scanned the rest of the room.


    One door, and it''s closed. Well great! Thanks a lot, Pertas! I hope you got your ass killed, Bendi thought.


    Something sharp poked his chest, and if he hadn''t been motionless, he would have been then. How had he not sensed anything moving? Even now, he could only barely detect the presence of a massive blade pointed at his chest.


    "Last warning¡­"


    This voice was calm, almost creepily so, and had an odd quality.


    "Alright, alright," Bendi said as he opened his eyes.


    Three men surrounded him, and he froze.


    Where''s the fourth one?


    His skill was never this wrong! He quickly scanned the ones glaring at him. There was a towering shorthaired giant, probably some sort of metal elemental, a man with surprisingly black hair and dull blue eyes that made him feel creeped out, and a Da''xi, probably a crewman. Still, only the giant was a heartcarded. Perhaps he could get away?


    "So¡­ finally decided to stop playing dead?" a growly voice whispered from next to him.


    Bendi abruptly looked to the side to find a fourth man, a silver-eyed heartcarded that he knew definitely hadn''t been there a moment before. Hairy and with a sharp face, Bendi recognized him immediately. This was the guy that knocked him out. He was glaring at him with silvery, triangular pupils, something Bendi had never seen before.


    Still, he was obviously human. He must have some rare Emerald or Ruby rank body-improving card.


    The others aren''t here, so I guess they are dead.


    Bendi held back an annoyed sigh. He''d been in the business too long not to know what that meant. He''d have to find a new crew.


    "What do you want with me?" he asked, deciding to cut to the chase.


    The hairy guy''s eyes widened, but all he did was laugh.


    "See that? He didn''t even ask where his friends were or where he himself is! Didn''t even ask why he was on a ship! If he wasn''t a raider, I''d be impressed!"


    Bendi frowned as he inspected the other three. Although the hairy one did all the talking so far, he was pretty sure he wasn''t in charge. If he had to guess, it was the metallic giant, but there was something uncanny about the blue-eyed one.


    "Why did you want to steal the ship?"


    Bendi''s eyes widened as he looked at the metallic giant, whose voice almost sounded like he''d swallowed a bell; it was that deep. Then he forced a smile and focused on his second skill. Time to see how high rank these guys were.


    "I wasn''t planning to steal anything," he said, his voice slightly oily as he let his skill seep through it. He himself couldn''t hear anything special, but people who had been on the receiving end of his skill had told him that his voice turned warm and comforting when he used his skill. "That was my-"


    Something sharp poked his chest, and he froze, looking down. A two-handed sword had appeared in the hands of the dull-blue-eyed one, the point jabbing him. It was probably the same one that had been there before, and- wait, when had it even disappeared? Looking at the dull eyes that showed not even the slightest emotion, he swallowed.


    "Want to try again?"


    Bendi looked back at the one he guessed was the leader, and this time, he knew his smile was more of a grimace.


    Guess they have more than one person with a Ruby card, he thought, guessing it had to be the blue-eyed one and the giant.


    It was the only way for this skill not to work. He didn''t come across many people with such high-rank cards out on the fringe branches, which was the reason he preferred it here. His mind spun as he tried to think of a way out.


    A soft sniff made him focus, and he saw the eyes narrow dangerously¡ªno time for tricks.


    "We needed to get out of here," he said quickly.


    There was a moment of quiet, then the creepy one leaned closer to him, the sword more than a little uncomfortable now.


    "Why?"


    "Because there''s going to be more trouble here, just like at The Roaming Shipyard," Bendi said as he looked around and licked his suddenly dry lips.


    He had to figure out something!


    The cabin was empty and looked like it had been unused for a while, and besides the still, quiet blue-scale, the others didn''t seem like people that knew their way around a ship. Every time the ship minutely swayed, he could see them having to correct.


    "You guys own this ship? If you are leaving, I could offer you my services?"


    He saw the three dangerous ones share a look before the creepy-eyed one shook his head. "He is a raider. Father always said that anyone willing to live like that would never be a useful addition."


    His father? Or some guy called father, Bendi thought.


    "I''m not a raider," he quickly said. "I just had some unlucky-"


    The sword prodded him, and Bendi gritted his teeth. What was wrong with these people? Couldn''t they at least let him finish talking?"


    "He has a skill that makes his words more trustworthy than they are," creepy-eye said.


    Bendi swallowed a response as the dull eyes turned so cold he feared he''d see snow forming.


    "So that''s the weird oily feeling I have when he talks?" hairy muttered. "I thought he was just annoying."


    The giant didn''t show any shock either.


    Damit, all of them noticed?


    "Hey, come now," Bendi said. "I just woke up with four strangers and a sword on my chest! I feel I''m doing pretty well?"


    A shiver ran through the ship as a half dozen heavy objects landed on the deck.


    "Irwin?" a young voice shouted came from outside.


    "In here, Zender," the metal one said.


    So that guy is the boss, and he''s called Irwin? Bendi thought, turning his head to the door.


    The door was shoved open, and a young Yuurindi kid ran inside, followed by a familiar face.


    Bendi grimaced as he watched Xi''balak.


    "Well, well¡­. If it isn''t Bendi," the obnoxious leader of the guards said, sounding more than a little happy.


    Shit. Xi''balak!


    Bendi quickly turned back to the one called Irwin. He slowly rose to his knees, keeping his back to the door. It seemed it was time to beg.


    "Listen! If you accept me in your crew, I''ll work for you for free for a year! I''m a capable crewman and can do most jobs," he said, unable to keep the fear from his voice.


    If Xi''balak got his hands on him, he''d be brought through the portal to Sesnansar, where he''d have to work in the mines for years.


    A dark eyebrow rose, and Bendi heard a soft laughter from Xi''balak.


    "Do you know if he is as good as he claims?" Irwin asked as he looked at the blue-plated crewman who had been quietly observing everything.


    Bendi frowned. He wasn''t that well known, and-


    "I don''t know him, but his movements show that he is familiar with ships," the blue-plated crewman said calmly. "There are less dangerous options if you need a crewman."


    Bendi gritted his teeth, wishing he could slap that blue-scaled fool. He forced his anger down, his mind spinning as he tried to devise a solution. There had to be something he knew or had that would interest this guy!


    The sails! He suddenly recalled the broken sails on the ships that had been dragged into the harbor. The ship they were in had to be one of those. No Da''xi would let their ship fall to such a state as the one he was in now.


    "I know where some ships crashed, sails whole! If you accept me into your crew I''ll share their location," he said, knowing that Pertas would have screamed in anger had he been here and heard him share their secret.


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    There was a flicker in Irwin''s eyes, and Bendi felt his hope grow.


    "I can even help you remove the sails without breaking or ripping them," Bendi hurried.


    The giant hesitated, then shook his head.


    "We don''t have a ship to get them," Irwin said, and Bendi cursed himself. How had he forgotten that?


    "For half of the sails, I''m willing to take you out there," Xi''balak said quietly. "I had to go and see the situation at the Roaming Shipyard anyway, and I''m sure it has to be somewhere around there. Besides, if it ends up he was lying, we can just toss him out there."


    Bendi flinched, but he saw Irwin''s eyes focus on him and nodded with a grimace. "It''s somewhere in that region," he said. "But you could search for years without finding them without me pointing them out!"


    Irwin''s eyes moved to the person behind him, and Bendi swallowed, knowing that Xi''balak was now standing a step behind him.


    He probably has those creepy daggers out, he thought, shivering.


    "Are you sure you don''t mind if I take him?" Irwin rumbled.


    Don''t ask him that! Just tell him I''m in your crew! He won''t be able to hold me, Bendi nearly screamed. What was wrong with this guy? Did he know nothing?


    "You can take him. However, even if he was the least nasty of the three I was watching, Bendi is still a raider. He would have thrown the crewmen of the Zura''ix to their deaths without blinking an eye¡­" Xi''balak said calmly. "Are you sure you can keep him in line?"


    Bendi froze. What was going on? Why was Xi''balak talking with this Irwin as if he were an equal? Da''xi never did that! Was he someone special? He felt his worry grow. What if going with this guy was worse than working in Sesnansar mines for six years¡­


    "If he makes a single mistake, we will just throw him overboard," a cool voice said.


    Bendi swallowed and turned to creepy-eyes, who was staring at him dully.


    What is wrong with this guy? Is it some type of intimidation card I''ve never heard about?


    "Daubutim is right," Irwin said. "We need a crew, at least for a while, and if he isn''t lying about the sails-"


    "I''m not," Bendi quickly interjected while memorizing the name of creepy-eyes. Dauboetimp? He''d never heard of someone called that before.


    "-it will be useful for not just us," Irwin continued, seeming to ignore him. "The other two ships need sails. But, are you seriously willing to let me take him in my crew?"


    Bendi wanted to slap himself. Again? Why would he even bring that up!? What if Xi''balk did change his mind?


    "If you want him in your crew, I can do nothing to prevent it. However, do realize you will be responsible for what he does while he is in your crew."


    "Not his past actions, I hope?" Irwin asked, eyebrows lowering worriedly.


    "No."


    Bendi frowned as he saw Irwin share a look with the hairy one for whom he didn''t have a name yet. Something seemed to pass between them, and the metallic giant lowered beside him. Bendi noticed that the pale copper skin moved like regular human skin and not at all like the few metal elementals he had met. Was he mistaken? This guy was a metallic elemental, wasn''t he?


    "Before we continue, how about you share with us what trouble you think is going to come here?"


    There was a sharp intake from behind Bendi.


    Dammit, Bendi thought as he held back a grimace. He''d hoped they would not have brought that up again, especially now that Xi''balak was here.


    "There''s a group of Nyzir out there," he said slowly, wishing Irwin would officially ask him to join his crew already. If this continued¡­


    --


    Irwin frowned at Bendi. The man''s shifty silver eyes and the tiny vibrations he kept sending out annoyed him, but he kept his face as serene as possible. Whatever Bendi was doing, his heartcard skill was either weak or low rank, and Irwin sensed the effect bouncing away from him.


    He could barely believe the discussion they were having. There was something about how accepting someone in a crew was more important than past crimes, which made no sense to him.


    Focus! he snapped at himself.


    "The Nyzir are the ones that attacked The Roaming Shipyard?" he asked Bendi.


    "Yes," the slippery guy said. "They snuck inside and managed to kill half of the captains before the alarm was sounded. Sneaky little monsters."


    Yeah, Irwint thought as he recalled the stories he''d heard from Greldo.


    They were the only demons that had been attacking Giard that he hadn''t personally seen, and from what he''d heard, he wasn''t too sad about that.


    "How did you get out alive?" he asked, taking a quick look at Xi''balak standing behind Bendi with two daggers out.


    "Pertas managed to sneak us aboard one of the leaving ships," Bendi said.


    "Pertas?" Irwin asked, guessing it was one of the two that Coal had killed.


    "The leader of their little group and a nasty piece of work," Xi''balak said.


    Bendi shrugged. "Pertas had his issues, but his heartcard was pretty useful. Without it, we would have been dead."


    "There are rumors that Pertas took three merchant vessels and wiped out all of the people aboard," Xi''balak snapped.


    Irwin saw Bendi shiver, and he looked back at Greldo. Were they seriously thinking about bringing this guy along just to get a few sails? The uncertain look on Greldo''s face showed that he wasn''t too sure either.


    "Xi''balak, do you have a crystal tablet to create contracts?"


    Irwin looked at Daubutim, who spoke in a sharp voice that matched his sudden, sharp gaze. Daubutim had been the one to say no, but he could instantly see his friend had changed his mind. That meant Daubutim had a plan, which was the only reason he hadn''t told Xi''balak to take Bendi away.


    "I do."


    "Can I use it for a moment?" Daubutim asked.


    One of the daggers in Xi''balak''s hands vanished, and a moment later, he had taken a palm-sized tablet of green crystal from his pocket.


    Daubutim took the offered tablet, and Irwin saw his eyes grow cold as he turned them to Bendi.


    "Create a contract," Daubutim ordered as he raised the crystal tablet to his mouth.


    "Dictate terms," a cool feminine voice replied.


    "The crewmen and raider ''Bendi'' will come with Giard''s Rangers and show them the location of the crashed ships he mentioned previously. He will also act as a crewman to the best of his abilities and share any information that could be useful to us, including but not limited to what happened to the Roaming Shipyard and potential attacks on Sesnanser. Lastly, he will teach all of the skills he has in handling ships to the other members of Giard''s Ranges. In exchange, the Giard Rangers will accept him in their crew for a limited time. When this time finishes, Bendi will be brought to the nearest portal gallery harbor," Daubutim said, finishing with a soft hum.


    Irwin held back a whistle. Daubutim kept surprising him, and he couldn''t wait to ask him why they were taking a potential liability with them.


    "If Bendi fails in any part of the contract, Giard''s Rangers will end his life, and if he manages to make it away, we will add a bounty of a thousand soulshards on his head," Greldo suddenly said.


    There was a stunned silence while everyone, including Bendi, looked at him with different levels of surprise and shock.


    The feminine voice spoke again. "Daubutim, should the final part be added?"


    "Yes," Daubutim said, before turning to Bendi. "Do you accept?"


    Irwin saw Bendi look back with eyes wide in fear. The silver-eyed human swallowed and looked around. Seeing him afraid made Irwin feel slightly better about bringing him along, especially if it was only temporary. If he was afraid of them, that should keep him in line.


    Too bad this means I have to wait even longer before I can do some card-reforging!


    Xi''balak sniffed, and Irwin saw he was now glaring at Bendi.


    "I- Fine. I accept," Bendi said, his voice rising an octave.


    "Irwin of the Giard''s Rangers?" the feminine voice from the tablet asked.


    Irwin hesitated, then decided to trust in Daubutim. "We accept."


    "Contract finalized," the feminine voice said.


    Irwin nodded as he rose and looked down at his newest member. He''d never expected they would bring a criminal along, especially since they had to find a world nobody knew about to hide his people. At least they could deal with the sails and learn how to work this ship. They would have to dump him somewhere shortly after so they could start exploring.


    I''m curious to see why Daubutim thought this was a good idea, he thought. There were other options to get a sail, like buying one, so he was sure that wasn''t all.


    Bendi let out a weary sigh, and he shakily rose to his feet. Irwin was slightly surprised that he was almost as tall as Greldo. Greldo and, to a lesser extent, Daubutim were taller than nearly anyone back on Giard. Were the people back home just small compared to other humans, or were they just meeting tall people?


    It''s weird how Greldo and I are both taller than Daubutim now, he thought as he felt his mind slip back to long ago when they had first met the tall noble.


    "Alright, now tell us everything that happened at the Roaming Shipyard," Daubutim said.


    Irwin was surprised at how interested Daubutim sounded. They were only here to find a world. What did what had happened at that Shipyard have to do with that?


    "Sure, but do you think I could get a drink? I haven''t had anything in ages," Bendi said.


    Irwin saw Greldo''s eyes narrow, and he walked to the door, not interested in whatever was going to happen. Daubutim could fill him in later, but he had to do something else first. Just as he was about to exit, he thought of something and turned back around.


    "Bendi, are you a capable navigator?" he asked, raising his voice to drown out the conversation.


    "I can do it, but I''m not that good," Bendi said worriedly. "You need specific cards for that, and mine are more useful for other things."


    Irwin nodded and walked outside, followed by Brow, the crewmember of The Zura''ix. Zender stood to the side, shuffling his feet, while three guards quietly observed Irwin.


    Seeing the kid, Irwin looked over his shoulder.


    "I''ll go with Zender and see who that navigator is he was talking about," he whispered.


    Greldo looked up and nodded while the others continued hammering Bendi with questions.


    As Irwin turned back around, he saw Zender stand a few steps from him with gleaming eyes.


    So he heard that? Interesting, Irwin thought as he glanced at the kids'' hand. He wondered which of the five cards gave him that or if it was something all of his species could do.


    "You ready?" he asked.


    "Definitely!'' Zender replied enthusiastically.


    Ten minutes later, they were walking through a section of the port that Irwin hadn''t been at yet, not that that said a lot. He''d only been in a few areas so far. Zender had been quiet, but he had noticed the kid kept biting his lips and hesitating, obviously wanting to say something.


    "If you have a question, just ask," Irwin finally said when the kid nearly put a hand to his mouth.


    "That ship, if you are really taking that out, you are going to need a few more sail-cleaners," Zender said rapidly.


    Irwin blinked as he thought about the size of the ship. It was smaller than The Zura''ix, which had three sail-cleaners. Still, as he thought about it, he guessed the sails did seem roughly the same size.


    "How many do you think we would need?" Irwin asked curiously.


    "Depends on the cards the others would have, but one at a minimum, while two would be best," Zender said.


    Irwin suddenly recalled the two girls who had talked with him after Zender left. Somehow, this felt way too convenient, and he frowned at Zender.


    The boy froze, then began squirming.


    Irwin tried to recall the names the girls had given him. It took him a few moments, and during that time, Zender began to fidget more and more.


    "Did Trinn talk to you?" Irwin asked, finally recalling one of the names.


    Zender''s mouth fell open, and then it shut closed with a snap.


    "Those two no-good, annoying little brats," he muttered. "They came and talked with you?"


    Irwin couldn''t stop smiling and nodded. "Yes."


    Should he tell Zender that they had tried to steal his potential job? Zender''s ugly look told him the other had already guessed what had happened.


    "Bah, and I was going to ask if you could bring them," Zender said, sounding aggrieved.


    "You don''t even know if I''ll bring you," Irwin said teasingly.


    Zender blinked, then shrugged. "True."


    "So, who is this navigator, and how do you know him?" Irwin asked, switching the topic.


    He still wasn''t sure if he should bring the kids. Perhaps he could come up with another way to keep the sails clean.


    "Just my mother. Nothing special, really. She just has some great cards," Zender said, seeming distracted.


    Irwin gaped at the boy. His mother? How was this a way to talk about your mother? Zender looked up and must have seen his surprise.


    "What? I''m a Yuurindi."


    Irwin looked back, not sure how that was supposed to explain anything.


    "¡­"


    "Don''t tell me you''ve never met one of us? We are all over the fringe branches," Zender muttered.


    "There are no Yuurindi where I''m from," Irwin said before hastily adding, "Or at least, I''ve never seen one!"


    "Oh," Zender said before his eyes widened. "Oh! Right. Well, I guess that''s fair. I''ve never seen one of your kind either, though I''ve heard of them. Lyodin, right?"


    Surprised that Zender knew about those, Irwin shook his head, quickly recalling his conversation with Daubutim. "No, I''m a Fiz''rin," he said. "We look alike, though."


    "Never heard of those," Zender said as he began inspecting Irwin.


    It almost felt like the boy was making a mental image of him. It lasted for a while, and Irwin felt himself become slightly uncomfortable. What was this kid doing, looking at him like that? Did he not believe what he was saying?


    "So, what''s with your mother?" he finally asked, hoping to snap Zender out of it.


    The boy frowned, then continued walking forward, his purple eyebrows in a frown. "Yeah, well, you know how most people here get born one at a time from women? Wait, are you even born like that? Gah! This is so confusing!"


    You are telling me, Irwin thought.


    "I have heard about what you mean. It''s how humans are born, right?"


    "Yeah! Exactly! So, Yuurindi are hatched from eggs, and our mothers lay dozens, sometimes a hundred, in one go. I don''t think I have to explain to you that having to look after that many is somewhat impossible. Anyway, we only stay with our mothers until we can walk and talk. Unlike with most races, that only takes a year or two for us," Zender said. "Only the genetically best stay with mother."


    Irwin felt a slight headache arise, and for the first time in a while, he had the desire to lick his lips.


    "And your fathers?"


    Zender blinked before slapping his forehead. "Right! Well, it takes years before the eggs are ready to leave our mothers, and most of the time, those don''t stick around."


    Irwin looked at him, surprised at how calm and normal Zender made it seem.


    "Right," he said.


    Zender just nodded and kept leading him through the narrow corridors.


    Irwin thought about Scintilla and the Ignitzions and then the Yuurindi.


    I guess what I think is normal isn''t all that normal out here, he thought.


    For a while, he tried to imagine being born with a dozen brothers and sisters. As he did, he had an idea.


    "Are Trinn and¡­ the other girl your sisters?" he asked.


    Zender turned and grinned. "Heh. Every other Yuurindi except for the adults here are from my clutch!"


    Irwin gaped at the boy as he continued forward.

 Chapter 168: Drinks all around

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    Irwin looked from a short distance away as Zender knocked on the door to an old, dilapidated building. The boy had said his presence might startle his mother.


    They were as far from the docks as he had been, and all of the buildings here were old and poorly maintained, covered in thick layers of fungus.


    Zender was waiting with his arms crossed before his chest as a shout came from the building. A few moments later, the door swung open, and a short, stocky woman with purple hair, a stern face, and burning silver eyes stood in the door opening.


    "What do you want, Zender? We were sleeping, and I told you I don''t have any-"


    Irwin saw her sharp eyes focus on him. Her hands flashed almost faster than he could catch, and she moved in a single fluid motion, stepping around Zender. A narrow blade of purplish crystal appeared in her hand, pointed at Irwin. At the same time, a soft rustling sound came from above him. He barely stopped himself from looking up, instead keeping his sights on her. As fast as she moved, he''d lose track of her if she wanted to do anything.


    "Who are you?" she snapped.


    The gleam in her eyes and the way she moved told Irwin that she was ready to fight him if she deemed it necessary.


    Better get ready to calm her if needed, he thought, before realizing something.


    He had no way of taking her down without hurting her if she decided to attack him! The best he could try was to trip her and place a big hammer on her to keep her down, but from the way she was moving, he wondered if he would be able to catch her. That, or use his sweltering skill to surround her in steam and knock her out that way.


    "Calm down, Rindiri," Zender shouted as he jumped after her. "He''s a captain looking for a crew!"


    The woman''s eyes narrowed, and she stepped back after a few more precarious seconds. The blade vanished from her hand, and Irwin heard something fly away above him. This time, he caught a few tiny shadows moving toward the roof of the building behind Zender''s mother, Rindiri.


    Zender whispered with his mother for a few moments, then beckoned him closer.


    Irwin slowly walked towards them, making sure not to make any quick hand gestures. The woman seemed as easily startled as a rabbit, and he had no interest in fighting her and potentially destroying this section of the town. Two steps away, he towered over her, and she snorted as she had to crane her head to look up at him.


    "You are a captain?" she asked.


    "Perhaps. I''m the leader of an explorers group, and we have a ship," Irwin said calmly.


    Rindiri inspected him, and she slowly seemed to relax. "You are not from around here."


    "We are not. We arrived only a few hours ago," Irwin said, looking around and wondering if they were going to stay and discuss things outside.


    "Alright¡­ well, you had better come in so we can speak then," Rindiri said, seeming to pick up on his look. She scanned the surroundings, then looked at her door and sighed. "Please don''t break anything?"


    "I''ll be careful," Irwin said, unable to keep a grin from his face.


    Rindiri nodded, and she turned back to the building and walked inside. As she passed Zender, she stroked his shoulder.


    "Good job."


    Irwin saw a wide smile appear on the boy''s face.


    A few moments later, he was standing inside a single-room home. There was a kitchen to one side, a simple table and some chairs at the wall, and what looked like a training area in the middle. Three beds were attached to the furthest wall, stacked atop each other, and a young woman lay on the top one, looking at him.


    "Ib, come and greet the captain," Rindiri snapped.


    The woman snorted, slung her legs over the edge, and jumped off before walking towards them. As she closed in, Irwin saw her eyes widen as she had to look further up to keep seeing his face.


    "You''re big," she said before turning to Zender. "Hey, little brother, where did you find this giant?"


    "Have you forgotten my name again?" Zender snapped, glaring at her.


    "What do you expect? There''s sixty of you, and you all look the same," Ib said, shaking her head helplessly.


    "Enough! Don''t make us look bad in front of a potential employer," Rindiri said, sounding more tired than angry. She motioned to the chairs, then grimaced. "I''d love to offer you a seat, but I''m not sure they will hold your weight," she muttered.


    Irwin took one look at the chairs and knew she was right. They would snap into bits if he sat down.


    "It''s fine," he said as he moved toward the table. With a little focus, he summoned a massive, short-handled hammer, placing it down beside the table. The ground creaked slightly as he sat down on it.


    "Interesting, a card to summon chairs," Ib said, shaking her head and looking less than impressed.


    Rindiri and Zender ignored her as they sat opposite Irwin, so he decided to do the same.


    "So, let''s get right to it," Rindiri said. "If Zender brought you here, that means you need a navigator and probably want said navigator to join your explorers'' group. Let me guess, the others all declined at that last part?"


    Irwin looked between Rindiri and Zender, suddenly seeing the resemblance. Their eyes, even if they had different colors, had the same sharpness as they were observing him.


    Guess it''s not surprising as he''s her son, he thought.


    "Yes," he said. "We are going to explore the furthest regions and need a navigator we can trust."


    "And you come to a Yuurindi?" Rindiri exclaimed, astonished.


    Ib was staring at him, her bored look gone and replaced by one of disbelief.


    Irwin frowned. "Yes? Why? Are Yuurindi not trustworthy?"


    Ib burst out laughing, and Zender glared at her. Rindiri just calmly stared at Irwin.


    "You don''t know a lot about Yuurindi?" she asked.


    Irwin shook his head. "I''ve never seen one of you until I met Zender."


    "That''s remarkable but explains a lot," Rindiri said. "Well, let''s get this out of the way then. It''s better that you find out before someone tells you after we join you and you end up tossing us overboard."


    A growing worry made Irwin wonder if he''d made a mistake coming here.


    "What do you know about us?" Rindiri asked.


    "Zender told me you have dozens to a hundred children in a single go," Irwin said as he shrugged. "That''s about it."


    Ib, who had barely managed to calm down, burst out in laughter again, tears running down her face.


    She''s starting to get on my nerves, Irwin thought, forcing himself not to glare at the young woman.


    "Ib, either you stop it, or you can go outside and search for a job for tomorrow," Rindiri snapped.


    To Irwin''s astonishment, Ib wiped her face, got up, and walked to the door.


    "Sure," she said in between grins. "This is going to end up the same as the other times anyway, so I''ll see you tomorrow!"


    With a smirk, she exited the building, slamming the door behind her with more power than was required.


    Irwin looked at the door, then at Rindiri, who was shaking her head sadly.


    "Sorry about that. My daughter, for all her potential, is still young."


    Irwin didn''t respond to that, but he couldn''t help but look at Zender, who had been quietly waiting and was now shaking his head in a near copy of his mother as he glared at the door. He was younger than Ib was... wasn''t he?


    "It''s alright. Now, let''s quicken this up a bit," he said. "Give me the shortest version, please?"


    Rindiri blinked, frowned, then turned to Zender.


    "You''re better at this," she said, waving at Zender.


    Irwin saw Zender''s eyes light up before the boy looked at the table for a moment, seeming to collect his thoughts.


    "Our world shattered, and we haven''t found a new one," he said slowly. "Due to how fast we can multiply, the other species don''t like us, and no Yuurindi females are allowed on their worlds. We''ve spread out across all¡­" Zender hesitated as he looked at Irwin. Then she shrugged. "Well, I guess not all, but at least across most of the known Portal Gallery. Anyway, we are searching for a new world. The problem is that worlds are rarer than perfect Diamond cards and Ruby-ranked smiths. Even after searching for a hundred years, we still haven''t found one."


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    Irwin felt his skin crawl. An entire species of people had been searching for a world and hadn''t found one in a hundred years?


    Then what chance do we have? he thought as he glared at the table.


    He had known that finding new worlds on the Portal Gallery was a big thing and involved the search efforts of an immense amount of carded. Even then, from what he had thought, many were still found. Had he been mistaken? Had Gelwin''s existence lulled him into a false sense of surety that they would find one easily?


    "It''s alright," Rindiri said calmly, her voice dull. "You can leave. I''m sure you will find another navigator."


    Irwin blinked, looking at her in surprise. "What? Why?" he asked, confused.


    "I could see it in your eyes just now," Rindiri said calmly. "You don''t want to have us around, and-"


    "Charbullshit," Irwin snapped. "My own world is-" he stopped mid-sentence.


    The sudden realization of the magnitude of his task had made him angry, and he''d almost reacted it out on Rindiri. Worse, he''d almost told her their world was on the cusp of shattering. He took a deep breath and began again, recalling the fake story they had to uphold.


    "You''re not the only ones who have lost their world," he said as calmly as he could. "Our world shattered only recently."


    He saw that Zender was gaping at him while Rindiri was quietly observing him.


    After a few moments, the older woman let out a gentle sigh.


    "I''m sorry. Although worlds shatter every year, I''d never imagined yours was one of the more recent ones. What I was trying to say, poorly it seems, is that if we do find a world, I''ll be going through that portal and carve out a corner of that world for my people. I have only laid two clutches, so I will likely be able to do one more if I''m lucky. I''ll also not accept my people being banned from that world."


    Irwin hesitated.


    "And this is why most explorers don''t take my people along," she said with a tight smile. "Unless it''s under stringent contracts, which I''ll not be agreeing to this time."


    "I see," Irwin said as he looked away from her and focused on the table, trying to figure out what to do.


    He had previously thought they would find multiple worlds, but how likely was that in hindsight? What if they found only one, and it was exactly what he needed for the people of Giard? How would his people feel about sharing their world?


    He almost jumped in the air as Ambraz vibrated softly against his leg. A quick look showed that Rindiri was still calmly looking at him, and he wondered what she would have thought of his jerk.


    It doesn''t matter, he decided. Instead, the vibration had left him slightly confused. Was it meant to tell him he should accept them, or-


    Or I can just ask him, he thought, feeling like slapping himself on the head. They didn''t have a lot of time, but there was definitely enough to wait a day or even two.


    He focused on Rindiri, who was still quietly waiting.


    "I can''t answer this for all of my people, so I''ll need to talk with the rest. Come to my ship tomorrow morning, and I''ll have an answer for you," he said as he rose and unsummoned the hammer.


    Rindiri nodded, but he could see from how she looked at him that she didn''t expect much. He could understand why, after everything she had told him, but there wasn''t much he could do about that.


    "Sure," she said as she rose, looking up at him.


    They looked at each other uncomfortably, then Irwin shrugged and walked to the door. He was surprised to see Zender follow him, and as they walked outside, the boy turned to his mother, bowed slightly, and then followed Irwin.


    "See you tomorrow," Irwin said.


    "Sure," Rindiri said as she closed the door.


    Irwin caught Zender staring at him as they continued back and finally had enough of it.


    "Ask," he said.


    "How likely do you think it is that you will accept her in your crew?" Zender asked immediately.


    "Can''t say yet," Irwin said.


    "And me?" Zender asked, not seeming all that surprised by the answer.


    "I''ll let you know tomorrow," Irwin said.


    Hopefully.


    --


    A long while later, Irwin knocked on the door of the inn room that they had rented.


    "Come in, Irwin!" Greldo shouted from inside.


    Irwin smiled, pushed open the door, and stepped inside a room with beds on the left and a few low, old chairs on the right. Daubutim sat in a chair while Greldo and Bendi lay on beds, all three looking at him.


    Seeing their new crew member, Irwin decided that he''d need to make him leave if he was to talk with Daubutim, Greldo, and Ambraz.


    "So, how did it go?" Greldo asked. "Are we going from just the three of us to five in one day?"


    "I''m not sure yet," Irwin said as he walked to the table and took a look at the chairs. None of them looked strong enough for him to sit without breaking into pieces. With a sigh, he summoned a hammer again and sat on that. Then he turned to Bendi and Greldo. He shared a look with Greldo and decided he''d have to fill his friend in later.


    "Greldo, can you take Bendi down for a drink? I need to discuss something with Daubutim."


    Greldo raised a bushy eyebrow and slowly rose from his bed, letting out an incredibly fake groan.


    "Sure, go down and have some drinks at your expense? I can do that!" he said, sticking out a hand.


    Bendi was quietly observing everything.


    Irwin barked a laugh and got out the bag with his soulshards, removing a large one and tossing it to Greldo.


    "Say, boss, think you can spare me one too?" Bendi asked with a wide grin.


    "Greldo will pay for one of your drinks," Irwin said before turning to Daubutim.


    There was some annoyed grumbling, but then Bendi and Greldo walked out.


    He waited till the door closed, then some more to give them enough time to leave.


    "We need to get one of those runes that stop the sounds from passing in and out of a room," he said as he looked around.


    "Those are very expensive and can''t be moved," Daubutim said. "There are only very few carded that can make them, and we will unlikely find one here."


    "A shame," Irwin muttered before tapping his pocket.


    "Finally!"


    Ambraz''s muted voice came from his pocket as he felt the anvil struggle his way out. A moment later, Ambraz flitted up and landed on the table.


    "Do you have any idea how stuffy it gets in there?"


    "More stuffy than the training world you were locked up in for... how long again?" Irwin asked with a mock grin.


    "Ugh! Don''t remind me, you brat," Ambraz said. A smirk covered the metallic surface. "Let me guess, you want to know why I was trying to warn you?"


    "No, I wanted to know if you were hungry," Irwin said, adding as much sarcasm to his words as he could.


    "Ha. Ha. Very funny!" Ambraz snapped. "Well, I''ll be the better one here and tell you anyway!"


    Irwin couldn''t help being curious, but Ambraz remained quiet and smirking.


    It took Irwin a few moments before he caught on. "Fine, fine. Please enlighten us," he said.


    "I will! Just because the others don''t know how to find a portal to a world here doesn''t mean you can''t," Ambraz said. "If it was as difficult as they all make it out to be, how do you think we found thousands of worlds and even more farming and smithing ones?"


    Irwin shrugged. "No idea."


    "Wait. Kid¡­ do you even know how to find a portal to a previously undiscovered world?" Ambraz asked, his previous humor turned to disbelief.


    Irwin shook his head before looking at Daubutim. "No, but I''m pretty sure Daubutim does."


    "I do," Daubutim said calmly.


    "Bah," Ambraz snapped. "What would you have done if Daubutim had gotten hurt on the way here? Or gotten stuck in one of his weird states?"


    Irwin looked at Ambraz, knowing the anvil was right. He really should start thinking about more than just how to reforge cards and use them to kill things.


    Like learning the sheet music, he thought, recalling another thing he''d have to do in the near future.


    "I have everything that is required written down in a small journal in my backpack," Daubutim said calmly. "I''m sure Irwin wouldn''t have thrown out my pack without at least looking it through if I''d have come across an untimely end."


    This time, Irwin knew he wasn''t the only one looking at his friend in surprised awe. Even Ambraz was quiet, his metallic mouth hanging open in shock. They snapped shut a moment later, and Ambraz harrumphed.


    "Right, well, good to see one of you is prepared. Anyway, portals resonate just like cards do, and to find them, someone has to sense them."


    Irwin''s eyes widened as he realized the implications. "So the sensitivity I get-"


    "Will allow you to detect portals from much further than usual. Yes."


    "So, why don''t they send cardsmiths out here to find worlds... if¡­" Irwin fell quiet as he realized the answer to his question. "Because it''s dangerous, and they have no reason to," he muttered.


    "Exactly," Ambraz said. "Though if all we know is true, you''d be following in the steps of those before you nicely."


    Irwin cocked his head as he looked at Ambraz. "Are you saying that-"


    Daubutim snapped his fingers, and Irwin looked up to see his friend shake his head. "Some things are best left unsaid."


    So Ambraz is implying that the Galadin sent out cardsmiths to find worlds long ago, Irwin thought as he looked at the anvil. "How do you know this?" he asked.


    "Legends," Ambraz said before scraping his throat. "Anyway, I would just accept Rindiri as your navigator. She is better than anyone that a new explorers group could normally afford, and the only reason she''s even thinking about joining us is because nobody else will take her."


    "Why not?" Irwin asked, surprised.


    "Because she will need to bring that irritating daughter of hers, Ib," Ambraz said with an annoyed sigh.


    Irwin shared a look with Daubutim, who looked as confused as he felt.


    "Ambraz, care to explain?"


    "Well, Yuurindi are pretty well known. They believe their children that age the quickest have the best genes, so those are the ones that are given the most attention. From what I could get, Ib is close to perfect by their standards," Ambraz said, sounding more excited than Irwin had heard him, except for when he was talking about cards.


    To Irwin''s annoyance, that also meant that Ambraz continued talking about the details of the Yuurindin for a good ten minutes before finally stopping.


    Irwin was leaning on the table, rubbing his head. He''d barely caught anything except for the first bit, and if it hadn''t been for Daubutim looking very interested, he''d have told Ambraz to stop long ago.


    "Great¡­ and you still think it''s a good idea to bring her along?" he asked.


    "The daughter? No. But the mother has some very interesting cards," Ambraz replied. "I''ve been watching the people you met, and compared to them, she will end up speeding up our chances. By a lot!"


    Irwin closed his eyes, putting his head on the slightly groaning table.


    "Fine," he muttered. "And what about those sail-cleaners?"


    "Just take them along," Daubutim suddenly said.


    Irwin looked at his friend in suprise.


    "With all of her children there, she will be extra motivated," Daubutim said calmly.


    "And the fact that we are taking children into dangerous territory?" Irwin asked both of them.


    "Well," Daubutim said softly. "Do you recall what Bendi was talking about on the ship?"


    It took Irwin a moment to recall that Bendi had spoken about some sort of danger.


    "Yes, something about us having to get away," he said. "So what did it end up being?"


    "I''ll keep it short, but from what I have understood, the Nyzir and, to a lesser extent, the Galubs are building up a force to attack Sesnansor Harbor. It''s unclear why. Xi''balak has offered to take us to the spot where the crashed ships should be while at the same time scouting the region. After that, I think we should leave and let them deal with it. It''s too great of a risk, but if the Galubs, or worse the Nyzir, attack this place-"


    "It would be safe for Zender and the others to come with us, at least for a while," Irwin added.


    "Exactly," Daubutim said. "My father would call this a win-win situation."


    Irwin hesitated for only a little while before nodding. "Okay, let''s do that then. When does Xi''balak want to go out?"


    "First thing tomorrow," Daubutim said.


    "Makes sense," Irwin muttered as he thought a bit more. "Then let''s tell Rindiri, Zender, and those two sisters of his the good news tomorrow. We can have them join our group so they know it''s no trick, and Rindiri can guard the ship. She looked capable."


    "More than capable," Ambraz said. "Her heartcard felt like it was pretty close to full. It wouldn''t surprise me if she were turning soulcarded soon!"


    Right, there''s that, Irwin thought.


    As he thought of his collection of compatible cards, he knew it was about time to absorb them. Ambraz had told him his heartcard needed to stabilize before he started growing it, but that was weeks ago. With some luck, it should be stable by now.


    "I''ll go and see what Greldo is doing, then I think it''s time to rest," he said as he got up. "Do you want to come for a drink?"


    Daubutim hesitated, then shook his head. "No. My mind has started clogging again¡­ I''ll go and sleep early tonight."


    "Alright, we will try not to wake you," Irwin said as he walked to the exit.


    "Don''t bother, I''ll wake even if you sneak in," Daubutim said.


    Irwin shrugged and closed the door.


    Let''s see what type of drinks they have here, he thought as he walked away.

 Chapter 169: The chase

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    Irwin and Daubutim walked across the dock bright-eyed and smiling, while Greldo and Bendi followed behind bleary-eyed.


    "How can he be this¡­ awake!


    "It''s his card. You''ll get used to it."


    Irwin ignored Greldo and Bendi as he looked ahead. Three ships were moored and not the same as he''d seen the previous day. The furthest was their as yet unnamed one. Before that lay the Zura''ix they had arrived with, and closest was the Xi''balak''s Tes''sar. The other two ships they had brought in had been taken away somewhere when they slept- he assumed to be dismantled or sold.


    Rindiri and Zender were standing at the end of the docks, examining the ship.


    "I guess she was curious after all," Irwin said.


    Xi''balak was waving at them from his own, and Irwin turned to Daubutim.


    "Can you go to him and tell him I need to take care of something for a few minutes?"


    "Of course," Daubutim said.


    When they reached Xi''balak''s ship, Daubutim turned to walk across the gangplank, followed by the others, while Irwin continued to where Rindiri and Zender were waiting for him.


    "The ship''s nice, but with that sail, it''s not going to be moving anytime soon," Rindiri said without a greeting.


    Irwin saw from the way she examined the ship that she wasn''t impressed. That she didn''t say anything worse was a testament that she had no other options.


    "I know. I will be joining Xi''balak on a mission that should net us a new sail, perhaps two," Irwin replied as he crossed his arms and looked at her.


    Her face was neutral, but Zender was fidgeting slightly, showing he was nervous.


    "So, what did the others say?" Rindiri said.


    Irwin grinned. "We will be taking you up on your offer on the condition that you join The Giard''s Rangers."


    Rindiri''s eyes widened marginally as a tight smile came to her face. She seemed about to speak, but Irwin quickly continued.


    "This also goes for Ibiri, Zender, and those two sisters of yours," he said, looking at Zender at the final part. "That is if you still think they are up to the task?"


    "Definitely! Definitely! You won''t regret it," Zender shouted as he jumped on the spot.


    Irwin grinned before turning to Rindiri, who looked stunned. It took her a few moments before she gathered herself, and then she frowned.


    "Are you sure? And how did you figure out I had to bring Ibiri?"


    "Did you think I''d let people aboard my ship without learning some more about them and their habits?" Irwin said as he raised an eyebrow. "Yes, I''m sure."


    Rindiri smiled widely, and Irwin was surprised at how much it changed her stern face, almost making it pretty. It lasted for only a moment before her stern look returned.


    "Alright. How do you want to do this?" she asked.


    "You wouldn''t happen to have a crystal tablet?" Irwin asked.


    "Definitely not," Rindiri said.


    "Then let''s go and see if we can borrow the one Xi''balak has. That will also allow you to meet the others," Irwin said.


    Rindiri''s face turned into a nasty grin. "Okay, I''ll be curious to see what Xi''balak''s face turns into if he finds out you are bringing me.


    Curious about that, but not enough to ask immediately, Irwin turned and walked towards the ship.


    "You did great, Zender," he heard Rindiri whisper.


    Irwin smiled.


    So far, things are going pretty well.


    --


    Balarn dully looked at Monique and the older man who stood behind her.


    "Explain this to me again," he said, wishing he didn''t have to.


    "I have used what little cards I had remaining to buy Selamin''s time. He will join Tensor''s charter for the foreseeable future so I can go off-world," Monique said.


    Balarn rubbed his head. So this was how she was going to keep her contract and head out to find Irwin.


    "Alright, and what if something happens to you?" he said.


    "I was paid to stay here for at least a year," Selamin said calmly. "After that, someone will have to pay me for my time."


    Balarn looked at Monique, who shrugged, looking slightly nervous. "I''ll be back before then, or I''ll send someone with cards," she said.


    Balarn wished he could somehow disallow this, but he knew there was nothing in the contract that would allow him to force her to agree.


    "Fine," he grunted, examining Selamin.


    He knew the old man, though only by name. He was one of the many smiths on Fiverio who had never managed to get past Topaz rank and, at some point, had stopped trying. From what he knew, Selamin was part of one of the larger charters, though he couldn''t recall the name.


    "I take it that you will be working while you are here?"


    Semalin smirked. "If you have cards, sure."


    "There are no more cards," Balarn said. "Just metal to purify."


    "Then I''ll be waiting till you have some cards," Selamin said with a smile that made Balarn want to smack him. "I''m a cardsmith, not a metal purifier."


    Balarn took a deep sigh and turned to Monique, who had taken a step back and was giving Selamin the stink-eye.


    "When are you leaving?"


    "A ship is arriving in two days," Monique said. She glimpsed at Selamin, then gave Balarn an apologetic smile.


    He ignored it and nodded. "Fine. Then I''ll go back to figuring out a way to get new cards off-world."


    Just as he turned, Selamin grunted and spoke up. "You could send some people into that abandoned farming world. Rumor has it that it still hasn''t shattered, and a few adventurous fellows have been going in to try and farm low-rank cards."


    Balarn looked at Selemin for a bit before nodding.


    "I''ll send someone to investigate," he said. "Thanks."


    Then he turned and moved away, ignoring the whispered conversation behind him.


    So, Irwin''s world is still whole¡­ Is that why he was so certain he had time? If that''s true, perhaps it''s not a bad idea to go there, Balarn thought as his mind began churning.


    --


    "Honorable Smith Monique, we will be setting out to Sensanser in half a day!"


    About time, Monique thought, thinking about the extra day she''d lost. If this continued, Irwin might have reached and even left Sesnanser before she arrived.


    No, that won''t happen. Besides, I need to somehow convince him to join me, or sis will have to marry that horrifying man!


    She shivered, then nodded at Prat, the gruff old captain who was still looking at her, seeming to expect an answer.


    Prat''s skin was a pale, wrinkled surface, showing he''d not been to any world with a sun in a very long time. Still, the bright silver eyes that almost seemed to be casting light in front of them told her everything she needed to know. This old man had almost fully filled up his heartcard.


    "Good. I hope we will arrive without any more delays," she said.


    "So do I, miss. So do I! I''ll leave you to yer time then," Prat said before nastily scraping his throat and walking away.


    Don''t worry big-sis¡­ I''ll find a way, Monique thought as she stared out across Fiverio''s harbor, wishing the ship could leave already.


    --


    Irwin stood on the prow of the Tes''sar, listening to the chatter on the deck behind him.


    The temperature had gone up significantly over the last few hours, and by now, everyone who wasn''t a Da''xi had returned from below deck.


    The ship angled slightly, causing his weight to shift, and he clutched the railing. A few moments later, the ship righted itself again, and Irwin hummed as he felt the air streak against his face.


    Even after traveling for nearly a day, he was still surprised at how fast the ship moved compared to the Zura''ix. It has to be the sail, he thought.


    He looked up to try and find a difference between this one and the others he''d seen, but as with the previous times he''d looked, he found none.


    "Boss?"


    Irwin saw Bendi walking over. He was alone, with no sign of Greldo, which meant his friend was probably still resting in their room.


    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    He shouldn''t have drunk that much, Irwin thought before focusing on Bendi. Somehow, the raider seemed to have returned to his usual self much faster, with nothing remaining of the weariness he''d had when they set out. Probably experience, Irwin thought.


    "Bendi?" he replied, still somewhat unsure of how he should deal with the ex-raider.


    "We will be in sight of the Roaming Shipyard, or what''s left of it soon," Bendi said as he pointed to a distant set of trees. "It used to be near the top of a few of the tallest of the Portal Trees. After we see it, we will also be closing in on the area with the heavy fighting, and I''ll be able to point out the location of the downed ships."


    Irwin nodded as he stared into the distance, wishing he could still use his Eyes of Blaze to check what was going on in the distance. It would have been very useful in this setting, and he wondered if he''d known that if he would have done something different when creating his heartcard.


    But at the cost of what else? he thought.


    Focusing on his Resonating Heat Vision only showed a distant cluster of heat signatures¡ªprobably the trees or something similar.


    As they waited, Greldo eventually joined them.


    "Those are some tall trees," he said as he stepped beside Irwin.


    "I still can''t really make them out," Irwin replied. "Anything special?"


    "Some seem to be damaged, and I think I can see that Roaming Shipyard thing. Either that or a dozen or more ships have crashed together and landed neatly on a tree."


    "You''ve got some sharp eyes," Bendi said admiringly. "That will be more than a bit useful when we set out. If you take a post atop the main mast, you could warn us from any incoming raiders!"


    "Only if we can get a normal chair up there," Greldo said, grinning at Bendi.


    Irwin watched them banter a bit more, surprised at how easy Greldo was handling Bendi''s presence. Was it because they had gotten drunk together the night before, or was it something else.


    Or he is just faking it, Irwin thought as he focused back ahead.


    After what felt like a long time, he and the others finally saw what Greldo had seen before.


    A sprawling mass of towering trees appeared in the distance. They were not unlike those that had surrounded Fiverio''s harbor and much larger than those around Sesnanser''s harbor and seemed to grow all the way to the distant edge of the Portal Gallery landmass. He could barely make out a construction on one of the highest points. Behind it was a branch leading off into the distance, narrower than the one they were on.


    By the time they reached the edge of the trees, everyone could now see the massive forest stretching along the edge of the Portal Gallery, across the side branch, and a second side branch a few miles further away.


    I wonder if there really isn''t a portal here, Irwin thought with a frown.


    According to what he''d heard, there shouldn''t be, but the temperature was as hot as when they were near Sesnanser.


    "Why is it so hot if there''s no portal?"


    "There''s a massive heat rune on the bottom of the central ship of the Roaming Shipyard," Bendi said. "It was put there after the larger explorer groups left, and the Roaming Shipyard became more of a small port town."


    Irwin frowned. "If they didn''t destroy it¡­"


    "I see movement," Greldo whispered.


    Nobody spoke as they all tried to see what Greldo did.


    Xi''balak joined them a few moments later.


    "You can see what''s going on?" he asked, looking at Greldo.


    "I see movement, but I can''t see what they are," Greldo replied, still squinting into the distance.


    "Alright, then, let''s do what we came here for first," Xi''balak said as he turned to Bendi. "You! Tell us where the ships crashed unless you were lying about that?"


    Bendi showed an obviously feigned expression of distress and touched his chest.


    "Of course I wasn''t! It''s two and a half miles that way, below a dense canopy. Two trees there have grown partially attached, and one ship hit it going down. Someone should be able to see the damage to the trunk."


    Irwin didn''t see anything special where he was pointing, but Xi''balak didn''t seem to mind. He turned and began gesturing at his navigator, a sturdy Da''xi. Moments later, the ship changed course again.


    "Didn''t you want to check the Roaming Shipyard?" Irwin asked as he stepped up beside Xi''balak.


    The man''s cheek plates moved outward, which Irwiw knew meant he was smiling. "Who says we aren''t? One of my crew can fly across pretty large distances, and he left a short while ago."


    Irwin frowned as he turned his attention back to the distant Shipyard. He saw nothing, but as soon as he focused on his Resonating Heat Vision, he saw a tiny streak of heat rush low across the canopy. At the same time, he saw hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of tiny specs of heat moving around the Shipyard and the trees surrounding it.


    "By the Flames of Aghos," he muttered, leaning forward.


    "What?" Xi''balak asked worriedly.


    "I''ve never seen this many Galubs... well, I guess they could be Nyzir too," Irwin said.


    I''ve never seen a Nyzir at all, he corrected himself while dumbly looking at the mass of dots, each that moved probably representing an enemy.


    "How many?" Xi''balak asked.


    "Over a thousand," Irwin said. "Roughly."


    "Roughly?" Greldo snorted. "If it''s that many, who cares if it''s a hundred more or less! By-" he clenched his teeth, stopping whatever he was going to say, which Irwin guessed would have been something like ''by Gelwin''s balls''.


    "Alright¡­ I''m going to make sure we get to the spot with the sails as fast as possible," Xi''balak said, his voice heavy with worry. "You will have a short while to get them up here, and if we see them approach, we will have to leave. Do you have a quick way to return to the ship?"


    "Yes," Irwin and Greldo said simultaneously.


    "Better let me do it," Greldo said with a grin. "If you jump that high, you will probably blow up the ship you jump from."


    Irwin blinked, then grimaced. "You''re right."


    Time passed slowly as the ship approached the area Bendi had indicated. At some point, the ex-raider rushed to the navigator to better explain. Finally, they reached a section of forest that looked no different than the rest, with the only remarkable thing being the two trees that perfectly fit Bendi''s previous description.


    There was no sight of any ships coming from the distant Shipyard, and the dense brown and red-leafed canopy blocked any sight.


    "Are you sure there is no movement?" Greldo whispered.


    "I don''t see anything," Irwin replied.


    "Alright, I''ll teleport you and Bendi down to see," Greldo said as he stepped into the shadow of the mast.


    Then he turned to Bendi. "You ready?"


    Bendi licked his lips, and as Irwin saw him do it, he recalled he''d had the same habit for the longest time, especially when he was nervous.


    "Can you teleport us right back out if there are things down there that jump us?" Bendi asked.


    "Probably," Greldo said as he grabbed the ex-raider''s shoulder.


    Irwin put his hand on Greldo''s shoulder while preparing his own card''s active abilities in case they were needed while triggering one. A long-handled hammer appeared in his free hand, and he gripped it tight, squeezing the handle.


    "Go."


    A familiar jostling burst out as the shadows deepened and completely engulfed him. It lasted for a few moments, then he appeared in a dark, muddy patch of ground.


    A tangled mess of roots, some a dozen feet high, surrounded them, while the tree trunks looked like enormous buildings covered in fungus and mushrooms. The air was damp, reminding him of a swamp and warmer than it had been in the ship.


    Irwin slowly turned around, using his Resonating Heat Vision and keeping his hand on Greldo. There was no sign of any movement, but as he nearly completed the circle, he saw the shattered remains of a ship. The mast had snapped in half, but somehow the sail seemed mostly unharmed, just slightly folded to one side.


    "Clear," he whispered, releasing Greldo, who looked weary.


    Right, teleporting more than three people is his limit right now, Irwin remembered.


    "I''ll go and scout the ships quickly," Greldo said. "Stay here so I can find you and get us back if needed!"


    "We will be careful," Irwin said.


    Greldo vanished, and Irwin continued looking around to make sure nothing somehow appeared. Greldo wasn''t the only one who could teleport, after all.


    "His teleport is only short-range?" Bendi asked.


    "No," Irwin said, noticing that Bendi had no weapon. "Get your combat abilities out!"


    Bendi grimaced as he looked around. "I already have," he muttered sadly.


    "You''re a raider! What kind of heartcarded raider doesn''t have some weapon ability?" Irwin said in surprise, still looking around.


    "I wasn''t always a rai- with those guys," Bendi replied, looking annoyed. "My cards are meant for more conversational battles!"


    "You mean the odd vibrating I sensed when we caught you?"


    "Yes¡­ it''s meant to make people like me and be more open to my ideas," Bendi said with a shrug.


    "What else does it do?" Irwin asked, shaking his head in disbelief. He was going to have made some regular weapons when he returned. If they ever got jumped¡­


    But I can''t because he can''t know I''m a smith!


    Gritting his teeth, he continued looking around.


    "I''m sorry," Bendi said after a while. "I should have told you."


    "What rank is your card?" Irwin asked.


    "... Topaz," Bendi said softly.


    "Then it should have at least another active and passive or two passives," Irwin said, hiding his shock at the low-rank card.


    "The way I manipulate people''s opinion works through vibrations," Bendi said with a weary sigh. "I use a similar thing to see everything in a few meters all around me."


    "That''s more useful," Irwin muttered, guessing it worked somewhat like how he used his sweltering card but then without the steam. "And the final one?"


    Bendi remained quiet for a while, and Irwin looked to the side. "Just tell me. If I have to protect you, I better know what you can do."


    "It''s another active¡­ If I get hit, I can redirect the energy into a shout that will blow the person that hit me away, potentially deafening them," Bendi muttered.


    "You have no passive effects?" Irwin asked, somewhat stunned. He almost believed Bendi was lying to him.


    Right, before we take Rindiri and the others along, they better explain if they can defend themselves, Irwin thought, annoyed that he hadn''t asked Bendi this before. Somehow, he''d expected everyone to have at least some useful battle cards.


    The shadows beside them blurred, and Greldo appeared. "Alright, the ships are all clear."


    Irwin let out a sigh of relief. "Alright, lead us to the nearest one," he said.


    "Wait, can''t he just teleport us?" Bendi asked, sounding confused.


    "He''s lazy," Irwin quickly said, mock grinning at Greldo. There was no reason to tell Bendi that Greldo couldn''t teleport three people around without a break.


    "Damn right I am! You don''t pay me enough for this shit," Greldo replied, not missing a beat. "This way!"


    It took them longer than Irwin would have liked to reach the deck of the first ship, which had crashed into a root fifteen feet above the ground. However, when they were there, he was in for another nasty surprise. Bodies lay scattered around, mostly humans but with a few Da''xi mixed in. They had started rotting, and the smell was enough to make him sick.


    "Alright, let''s get this over with fast," he muttered. "Bendi, can you remove this sail?"


    Bendi had been walking around, looking at the sail. "Yes, it seems mostly intact. There were a few scuffed areas, but it was still in its solid state, which is good. It would have ripped apart in the landing if it had been in its foldable state."


    "Great, explain that to me later and get a move on," Irwin said as he looked around. He saw five or six more ships, many ripped apart during the crash, littering the nearby roots. Some sails had been bent and cracked in parts, but there were a few that looked alright.


    "Can you see how many more we can use?" he asked Greldo.


    "Sure, but I don''t have to," Greldo said with a grin. "I took a quick look around, and four more seemed unbroken, though it seemed especially those tiny triangular sails got smacked hard. I''m not sure how many of those we can use again."


    "So five mainsails and a few of the smaller ones? That''s great," Irwin said with a grin. "We can have a backup just in case!"


    An odd flapping sound came from above, and as he looked up, he saw the sail fold and flap like a robe.


    "Help me fold it up!" Bendi shouted.


    "Let''s hope nothing is around," Irwin muttered as he scanned his surroundings for heat signatures. "Or they will definitely know we are here now."


    An hour later, and three ships away from the first one, Irwin was holding a massive stack of folded and packaged dull-black canvas. The sails were heavier than he''d have imagined and so thin that they could be folded into something that would fit in a crate.


    "Do you only have strength enhancement effects on your card?" Bendi muttered as he finished folding the smaller triangular sail and stepping back.


    "Something like that," Irwin said as he watched Greldo struggle to lift the sail.


    "I''ll be right back," Greldo muttered before vanishing into the shadows.


    He returned seconds later, staring at the one Irwin was holding. "Bah¡­ fine, hand it over," he muttered.


    Irwin grinned as he carefully gave the sail to Greldo, who almost dropped it. He vanished again, and Irwin looked around. There was one more ship to go to, and then they would be done.


    I wonder if Greldo tripped, he thought as he waited for his friend to reappear. Usually, he just dumped the sails and-


    Greldo reappeared, and Irwin immediately knew something was wrong.


    "Enemy ships! We have to leave," Greldo shouted as he jumped forward and held out his hands.


    Irwin and Bendi grabbed them, and the world spun. A moment later, they landed on the deck, just below the main mast.


    "They are aboard, full speed!"


    Captain Xi''balak''s voice boomed across the ship, and Irwin felt the deck below his feet shudder as the ship almost jumped forward. He turned around to see four ships speeding towards them.


    "That''s not where the Shipyard was," he said, turning to Greldo, who was swaying on his feet. "You alright?"


    "I''ll be fine, just a bit much with all those sails," Greldo said.


    "Rest," Irwin said as he turned towards the back of the ship.


    "Bendi, stay with Greldo!"


    "Will do, boss!"


    A screeching howl came from far behind them, and Irwin flinched.


    By Gelwin''s balls, what was that?


    He reached the stern and stood beside Captain Xi''balak. Behind them, a  cloud of batlike figures was flying from one of the ships towards them.


    "What are those?" he hissed.

 Chapter 170: An eye for...

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    "Some kind of swarm summon," Captain Xi''balak hissed. "Probably meant to take out our sails. Too bad for them!"


    Xi''balak raised his hands, and the air in front of him rippled as if a disk of water suddenly appeared behind them. It spread out and shot forward at blinding speed. The bats let out a startled screech, but except for a few on the edges, they were engulfed by the water sheet, and Irwin watched in awe as the sheet rippled, then wrapped around the bats in a tight cocoon, dragging them closer and closer together. A moment later, it plummeted down, vanishing with a loud rustle in the canopy.


    "Let''s see them try that again," Xi''balak growled. "How many are aboard those ships?"


    Irwin finally took a look at the ships following them, and he gritted his teeth. All four of the ships were covered in tiny heatsigns, the distance causing them to blend together.


    "Dozens, probably thirty to forty on each," he said. "But they are still too far to be sure."


    "Great," Xi''balak snapped. "Well, they won''t be far for long. They are bound to sacrifice one of their ship sails to catch and slow us down enough for the others to catch up."


    "Don''t you have a way to flee? You knew we might come across other ships," Irwin asked. He''d expected them to have some way to move fast enough to get out. Why were they even here if they didn''t have a way to outrun enemies?


    "Sure, one of my crewmen can teleport us all back to Sesnanser, but that means leaving the ship and the sails behind. I''d prefer not doing that," Xi''balak retorted, glaring at the incoming ships. "Trust me, if we didn''t need to figure out what is going on here, I''d not have come, not for a hundred sails."


    But we haven''t even found anything out yet, Irwin thought. Then he recalled the flying crewmen Xi''balak had sent out.


    "Did your crewmen return?" he asked.


    Xi''balak grimaced.


    "He did. The Galubs have taken over most of the Shipyard and are building fortifications and docks. From everything he saw, it looked like they were preparing to stay while expecting company. Luckily, there''s no sign of them rebuilding the ships to create a small fleet," Xi''balak said before he frowned. "However, he did say they are building something inside the hull of the largest remaining ship. It would have been better if we could figure out what that is, but it''s best we head back now. Between those four sails you found and the information, we have gotten enough."


    Irwin nodded, but something about the way Xi''balak said that they had found four sails made him worried.


    "You do recall that half of the sails are mine, right?" he asked as he looked at Xi''balak. As much as he wanted to help the captain and the people of Sensnanser, he had more important things to do.


    Xi''balak nodded, but his plates scrunched together so much that only his eyes remained visible. "I know. Let''s talk about this when we return," the captain said, sounding tired.


    "Xi''balak, I am right in thinking I can trust you, right?" Irwin asked as he crossed his arms.


    "You are!" Xi''balak snapped before letting out a weary sigh. "Fine¡­ listen, The Daran has issued orders that all ships are to be used to defend Sesnanser. You will get one of the sails for your ship, but the others are to be put on any hull we have remaining, the ships then outfitted with a crew."


    Irwin turned his glare away from Xi''balak, looking at the still-chasing ships. So far, none had shown any sign of overcharging their shield, and he couldn''t make out the individual beings on it yet.


    "And what does The Daran expect us to do?" he asked.


    "They will probably offer you a guard mission," Xi''balak said.


    "What if we reject the offer?" Irwin asked, glancing at Xi''balak. "We are here for another mission, and I''m not interested in getting into trouble for delaying that."


    Xi''balak''s face plates moved around, causing slight ticking sounds. "You should be able to leave if you do so right after we return," he said.


    "But with only one sail," Irwin said slowly.


    "I would suggest you do," Xi''balak said, lowering his head. "This is beyond my ability to change, and our deal is not deemed important enough compared to the order of The Dalan. I give you my sincere apologies."


    Irwin sniffed as he focused on the ships.


    Sure, and you only found this out now, he thought.


    As he watched the ships, he saw one of them begin to shudder, the sail growing increasingly brighter. A moment later, it began outpacing the other ships.


    "I will prepare everyone to be teleported and the ship to crash," Xi''balak said, sounding far calmer than Irwin would expect of a captain. He had the feeling that there was a large difference between how Xi''balak thought of his ships versus how Captain Xi''kroak did.


    Annoyed, he glared at the distant ship. He wished there weren''t so many people here so he could just throw a burning hammer at it. The problem was that if he did that, it would be way too simple for someone to connect the dots. A large metallic man with a battle hammer would probably not make everyone think of a smith, but if he showed his flame? Especially if someone recognized it as a devouring flame? Now, anyone searching for smiths, or him specifically, would definitely connect those dots.


    Wait¡­ do I have to use my flame? he suddenly thought, focusing on the rapidly approaching ship''s mast.


    It didn''t look too thick or sturdy. He thought back to the crashed ships he''d been walking over only a short while ago, and from what he remembered, the masts were just wood. What if he just threw his hammer against it? He''d managed to throw a hole in a ship before.


    "What if I can snap the mast?" he asked as he turned to Xi''balak, who had been walking away.


    "If you can drop their mast, do it already!" Xi''balak shouted in surprise. "Why haven''t you already done it if you can do that?"


    "It''s still too far," Irwin said.


    "How close does it have to be before you can do something?" Xi''balak asked.


    Irwin frowned, recalling his training back on scour. "Eighty feet, and I can start trying," he said.


    "Eighty¡­ alright, that''s something at least! We will probably have some of the Nyzir boarding us by then, but we can deal with those," Xi''balak said before walking away and shouting orders.


    Irwin continued observing the ship, waiting for it to get closer and wondering if any of those aboard would be able to stop his hammer.


    "So, what are you going to do? Throw a hammer at it?" Greldo asked as he moved beside him.


    Irwin nodded. "It should work as long as they don''t block it."


    "Block it? I''d love to see someone try that. Do you even appreciate how big and heavy that hammer is to someone not built like an anvil?" Greldo said, shaking his head.


    "Who knows what''s on that ship," Irwin muttered before glancing at Greldo. "Did you hear what Xi''balak said about the sails?"


    Greldo''s smile turned ugly. "Yeah. Bastards. So their word is only good as long as someone higher up doesn''t disagree. They really remind me of the nobles back in Malorin."


    Irwin didn''t comment on that, knowing his friend''s distaste for nobles far outstripped even his, bordering on hatred.


    "Anyway," Greldo muttered. "Daubutim went downstairs to hide the sails. He should be back soon, and I''ll tell him."


    "Make sure to stay close to him in case those Nyzir board us," Irwin said. "Daubutim doesn''t have a good body improvement card and no regeneration one yet, and if I recall from you, these things are quick and slippery."


    "Slippery, sharp and deadly," Greldo agreed. "I don''t know if they have different types like Galub''s do, but if they have an equivalent of a five-horn, we would be in major trouble."


    "Let''s hope they don''t," Irwin said as he kept his focus on the incoming ship.


    Seconds ticked away, and soon, he began making out the dark shapes moving about. They walked fluidly, arms and legs bending in ways almost as if they didn''t have bones.


    "Why do I say these things," Greldo whispered, and Irwin could hear the fear in his voice. "I should have just kept my mouth shut, dammit."


    "What?" Irwin asked worriedly.


    "You know how I told you that Nyzir''s look like snakes walking on two legs? Well, there''s one over there that has a tail and two sets of eyes," Greldo said, and he swallowed. "I''ve never seen one of those, and that has to be a bad sign. Also¡­ it''s been glaring at you nonstop ever since I noticed it."


    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    "Fantastic," Irwin grunted.


    He tried to find the one Greldo was talking about. Although he could easily see the Nyzir now, no matter where he looked, he didn''t see the one Greldo spoke about. Looking around, he saw Xi''balak standing in the middle of the ship, talking with two of his crewmen.


    "Go and warn Xi''balak, then stay with Daubutim. I''m going to start trying to bring down their mast in a moment," he said.


    Greldo ran away, and Irwin glared at the ship. It was roughly a hundred feet away, gaining so fast that it should be in range soon. As he prepared his hammer, he blinked. There had been a dozen Nyzir on the railing a moment ago, where-


    Pain bloomed from his back as something razor-sharp pierced his armor and went an inch or more into his body. At the same time, Xi''balak shouted from behind him.


    "Boarders!"


    Irwin turned around, flailing his arm around, only to feel another stab in his waist. This time, there was no pain, and instead, he felt his card''s kinetic energy fill up. A dark figure with small scales that gleamed wetly slithered back, having easily avoided his fist. It was looking back at him, and as alien as its narrow, snake-like face was, Irwin recognized the stunned disbelief in the narrowed eyes.


    Irwin gave it a threatening glare, and the Nyzir took a step back. Irwin saw it cast a quick glimpse at its dagger, and as he looked at the blade, he saw it was covered in a thick green goo.


    Poison? That won''t work on me, Irwin thought. He didn''t sense anything from the wound on his back, nor did he expect it to.


    Casting a second threatening glance at the Nyzir, he looked behind it to get a grip on the situation.


    The deck behind his attacker had changed to a chaotic battlefield. Xi''balak''s crew stood near the main mast, surrounding one of them that was glowing while tendrils of light flowed out of it.


    The teleporter.


    A dozen Nyzir were jumping and dashing around them, wielding dull black daggers as they flowed in and out of combat. Even grouped together, the crewmen had no time to attack as all they could do was dodge their ridiculously nimble opponents.


    Daubutim stood with his back to a wall, wielding two shortswords in a glittering, flashing display of skill as he kept two of the Nyzir at bay. Still, Irwin could see from the speed at which they moved that Daubutim would never be able to hold them back for long.


    Before he could even wonder where Greldo was, his friend dashed out of the shadows near the wall, slashing at one of the Nyzir attacking Daubutim. Greldo''s dagger sliced across the Nyzir''s arm, but he didn''t remain to take advantage and dodged to the side. He was just in time to evade a long, curved sword that seemed to appear from midair, followed by an arm, then a tall Nyzir with a tail. Covered in tight leather armor, it looked like a piece of living shadow.


    "Irwin, take care of the ship before it rams us," Daubutim shouted.


    Irwin cursed as he saw another Nyzir head towards his friend, but he knew he was right. He could see from the fighting that if more Nyzir arrived, they would be in trouble. He suddenly realized that the Nyzir that had attacked him was gone, and he frowned as he looked around. Were they afraid of him? Why weren''t they attacking him?


    Later, he thought as he spun the ship only to find it was now so close he could see dozens of Nyzir waiting at the railing, ready to board it.


    Eyes wide, he took a step back, then dashed two steps forward, snapping his arm forward. At the last possible moment, he summoned the largest hammer he possibly could, at the same time exploding all of the kinetic energy he had built.


    A startling boom echoed out as a hammer the size of a barndoor shot through the air, leaving ripples in its wake. The Nyzir at the railing dodged as the hammer blurred where they had just stood, a foot past the mast before crashing into the cabin area behind it, ripping the wood apart in an explosion of wood chips and splinters before careening out through the other side. There was a moment of stunned silence as the Nyzir stared at the destroyed remains of the cabin on the stern of their ship, which had mostly been obliterated.


    Irwin couldn''t help but grin maliciously at the sudden fear in the snake eyes of the Nyzir.


    Again, he thought as he released the hammer which had been falling to the canopy behind the ship. It disappeared in a flash, and he stepped forward, hurling another at the ship.


    "Stop him!" Greldo''s scream came just as the hammer left Irwin''s hand with a boom.


    Irwin felt an odd sensation ripple around him that made his skin crawl. He jumped to the side, not even waiting to see if his hammer hit its intended target this time.


    Midair, he felt razor-sharp blades cut his arms, neck, and back. His kinetic energy began building up rapidly, and he spun around with a growl.


    Something flickered towards his face, and he pulled his head to the side, using kinetic energy. His neck cracked while the tip of a flexible black blade pierced the space his head had been before making an odd swishing motion and striking his cheek.


    Irwin''s heart skipped a beat, but the sharp edge left a painful bruise but failed to pierce the skin.


    That hurt you-


    The blade pulled back a bit before streaking at his face again so fast he could barely dodge it, again resorting to using some kinetic energy to make his movement an explosive snap. Then it came again, and before he fully realized what was going on, he was doing nothing but dodging, barely keeping up as the tip of the blade kept trying to take out his eyes. His neck turned sore within moments, his head throbbed, and the world started swirling.


    The speed of it all left him with no time to even contemplate focusing on his other cards. Slowly, he began to get angry as the attacks continued.


    Finally, when the blade pulled back for another attack, he found a tiny window, and using more kinetic energy to move his hand, he grabbed at it. His hand almost reached the blade before it pulled back far enough for him to see his attacker.


    The taller Nyzir with the tail stood before him. One foot before the other, his body turned sideways, one shoulder pointing at Irwin.


    "You will pay for destroying my ship," the Nyzir said softly.


    Irwin didn''t even bother listening. He knew it would attack him again in a few moments, and he wouldn''t be able to keep up. Irwin pulled on his Sweltering skill harder than he ever had. Within a moment, the air around them grew fuzzy as tendrils of superheated fog rippled out. The ship''s movement and constant wind blew some away, but as he focused and more appeared, he managed to keep it together. It was costing a lot of energy, though, and as it trickled away, he knew he wouldn''t be able to keep this up for a very long time.


    The Nyzir that had been observing him suddenly hissed and stepped forward, blurring into motion. Its sword cut through a tendril, but as his hand touched it, the Nyzir let out a startled scream. It yanked its head back and dashed away.


    Irwin didn''t bother caring as he pulled more of his steam towards him.


    "Greldo, get everyone below deck," he whispered, praying his friend''s keen ears would pick it up amidst all the screaming and shouting.


    "You sure?" a shout came, causing him some relief.


    "Yes!" Irwin roared as he expanded the steam towards the Nyzir. Tiny bits and slivers of the steam were moving dangerously close to the fighting crewmen while the vision around him became hazy.


    As the steam spread out, he sensed the Nyzir back up, then turn and move so fast he knew he''d never have seen the movement. Instead, he felt it pass through parts of the fog, heading towards the door leading down.


    "Greldo, it''s heading below deck!" Irwin shouted as he pulled as much steam between the Nyzir and the door as he could.


    There was no response from Greldo, but the Nyzir let out a scream of pain as it passed through a thick amount of steam before vanishing through the door.


    Irwin gritted his teeth as he sensed around with his steam. Daubutim and some of the crewmembers were gone already, and he saw Greldo appear and disappear rapidly, grabbing people and vanishing below deck. As soon as his friend was there, he shouted.


    "Greldo!"


    The shadowy shape remained this time.


    "What?"


    "That big guy is below!"


    "I bloody well know! Daubutim is handling it. Just get rid of the rest, then come help!" Greldo shouted before vanishing again.


    Daubutim is handling it? Irwin thought, shivering at the odd fear in Greldo''s face as he had shouted that. Something was going wrong down there!


    He almost wanted to rush down, but instead, he spread out his steam, covering nearly the entire ship.


    By now, the Nyzir had figured out what was going on, and unlike the Galubs, they didn''t just charge in or do something without thinking. Within moments, they had spread out across the ship, then began vanishing, likely back to where they had come.


    Looking around and triggering his heat vision, Irwin found the ship, which was far in the distance now. The only reason he found it was because he saw heat signatures start to appear on it slowly, and a few moments later, all of those that had been on their ship were gone.


    Why can they teleport back now, Irwin thought, but at the same time, he was glad they had gone. The muted sound of clashing swords came from the door leading down, and he wanted to help Daubutim.


    He let the steam hang on the deck and ran to the door. As he was keeping the stream from entering, he stepped through the door and out of the steam, and as he did, he realized this was the first time he was leaving such a massive amount of steam after summoning it. He had summoned smaller amounts away from his body, but never such huge quantities.


    Irwin hesitated, trying to determine if the steam cloud would remain or if he was going to lose control. Nothing seemed to happen, and he took another step down, then another. Shouts and sword clashing continued from below, and he quickened his pace to the staircase when he felt his heartcard''s energy drain spike. Ten steps away from the steam, his expenditure doubled, and when he took another step, it doubled again.


    By Gelwin''s balls, why can''t it ever be easy?


    "Greldo! How are things?" he asked, refraining from screaming so he wouldn''t alert the large Nyzir.


    A burst of movement came from his side, then Greldo appeared. He was in his towering, hairy form and had a long cut across his cheek and forehead.


    "Quick, you have to come," he whispered, his eyes wide in fear.


    Irwin dropped the steam without thinking. "Go back to the deck after to make sure they don''t return," he said. "And bring the crewmen back to sail the ship!"


    Greldo muttered something as he grabbed his arm, then the world turned shady, and the next thing he knew, he was standing in the hold. The clatter of swords was deafening. Daubutim and Captain Xi''balak stood on each side of the tall Nyzir, and each time it attacked one of them, the other would try to catch it with no avail. Although their constant pressure kept the Nyzir from killing one of them, it was too slippery for them to wound, while the same couldn''t be said for them. Daubutim''s face was covered in scratches, and one of his eyes was closed, blood leaking out from it.


    Irwin moved, using the massive amounts of kinetic energy bubbling in his body to propel himself through the hold. There was a dangerous cracking from behind him, followed by a startled shout by the crew, but he ignored all of it as he reached the Nyzir, reaching to grab it. The Nyzir moved its body out of the way, but Irwin had expected that. His foot stomped onto the Nyzir''s foot, and it screeched, giving Irwin just the moment to grab its arm.


    "Got ya-"


    The Nyzir''s arm seemed to plop out of its shoulder, while Irwin felt the foot he''d been standing on seem to flatten. Then the Nyzir flowed around Daubutim''s blade, jabbed his own back to keep Captain Xi''balak away, and flung himself to the side.


    Irwin was momentarily stunned as he looked at the arm he was holding, noting the fingers were still flexing and unflexing. Then he saw the Nyzir move. He tried to catch it, but it swirled around him, and as he turned, he realized there was a cracked hole in the hull from where he''d jumped. It wasn''t any larger than his fist, but the Nyzir reached it slithered out of its leathery armor before turning into a long wrist thick tendril that flitted through the hole so fast Irwin only got halfway to the cracked hole.


    "How¡­" he muttered before realizing something was touching his leg. Looking down, he saw the arm had folded, and the hand with long black nails was scratching his pants, tearing long cuts into it.


    "Dammit," he roared, slamming the arm on the ground until it stopped wiggling. After a few more strikes, he dropped it and looked around.


    Daubutim stood a few steps away; one eye still closed and a look of weary resignation on his face. Irwin swallowed as he stared at his friend''s face.


    "Is it¡­ gone?" he asked softly.


    Daubutim nodded and shrugged. "I think I know what type of card I''m going to need."


    Irwin felt his stomach roil, but he ignored it as he forced a grin back. "No worries, I''m sure we will find some portals that we can farm.

 Chapter 171: Getaway

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    Irwin stood on the dock with Xi''balak, watching four guards carry off the third and final sail, which technically should have been his backup.


    Their return trip had been fast and without further incident, which was a pleasant surprise. Although the three remaining ships had followed them for a few hours, none of them had dared overload their sails to catch up. Eventually, they had turned around and headed back.


    That was less than an hour ago.


    As soon as they had arrived, Xi''balak had left for half an hour before returning with a contingent of guards to bring the sails away. He''d also been looking at Irwin oddly.


    "I am sorry, Irwin, leader of Giard''s Rangers," Captain Xi''balak said. "I hope my help makes up for some of it."


    Irwin didn''t respond but silently crossed his arms. He turned around to watch Xi''balak''s crewmen attach the fourth sail to his ship. Rindiri was watching what they did, calling the occasional order, which was obeyed immediately.


    He knew that the help attaching the sail was Xi''balak''s way to show he was sorry for taking the extra one, but compared to having Rindiri and her kids attach the sail while having a backup in the hull, it felt like a poor trade. Still, it would save them a day.


    His mind drifted back to Daubutim, now one-eyed, and he gritted his teeth. For a moment, he felt like walking off and leaving Xi''balak standing before he managed to reign in his anger.


    Can''t let what happened to Daubutim sour the relations more than they already have, he thought as he took a deep breath and looked at Captain Xi''balak.


    "It compensates some, but if you could assist us in getting supplies for a long voyage, that would be better," he said.


    Xi''balak''s face-plates chitted softly, in what Irwin had learned was a sign of apology.


    "Leader Irwin, I am sorry, but there is already a shortage of food here. Sesnanser is still struggling to grow enough crops for itself, and the amount we get is barely enough to sustain us."


    Irwin nodded, somewhat confused by the way Xi''balak was addressing him. Ever since the Captain had left to get the guards, he''d started talking far more... formal was probably the right word.


    I hope nobody figured out I''m a smith, Irwin suddenly thought worriedly.


    It was time they left, but he knew that meant he would have to buy a lot of supplies from the port''s merchant without drawing odd gazes from his spending.


    "When will you be leaving?" Xi''balak asked.


    "As soon as we get everything aboard that we need," Irwin said. He was about to turn and talk with Daubutim when he had another idea. "Is there someone in port that can create a sound nullifying rune?"


    Xi''balak''s face stilled for a moment.


    "Why do-" he blurted uncharacteristically before stopping midsentence. Then he continued hesitantly. "One of the members of The Daran is capable of this."


    Irwin frowned. "Do you think he''d be willing to add one of those runes to one of the cabins?" As he spoke, he saw Xi''balak''s faceplates chitter again.


    That''s a no, he thought.


    "He won''t be back for another month or longer," Xi''balak said. "Perhaps if you could wait¡­"


    Irwin shook his head. "It''s fine. It''s not that important."


    "Then I''ll be heading back to make sure everything is handled properly," Xi''balak said. "I''ll return in a few hours, so please hold off on leaving until then."


    The Captain turned and walked away.


    Irwin frowned as he observed Xi''balak walk towards the port.


    Something about how he behaves towards me has definitely changed after he went to get the guards, he thought.


    He walked towards the gangplank and jumped over the gap, landing on the ship that sank and shuddered from his weight. A surprised shout came from above, but that was all.


    "It''s a good sail," Rindiri said as she walked towards him. "It probably belonged to one of the larger and faster outrunners."


    Outrunners? Irwin thought as he raised his eyebrow.


    Rindiri must have picked up on his confusion.


    "Those are the explorer-scouts that go beyond what even the regular explorers do. They do quick scouting runs before returning. Based on their rather expensive reports, larger explorer groups set out on longer journeys. Explorer-scouts'' sails are better suited for long duration high-speed movement, but are also far more expensive and with have more complex maintenance."


    Greldo and Daubutim came walking towards them.


    "Do we need anything special for this maintenance?" Daubutim asked, tugging at a thin black stripe of cloth that covered his left eye and hid the gaping eye socket behind it.


    "A few things, but nothing too expensive," Rindiri said.


    "Any suggestions?"


    "Of course," Rindiri said with a smirk. "I have done nearly every job on a ship before I became a navigator, including traveling with two scout-explorers."


    Daubutim merely nodded, turning to Irwin, reminding him he was to give the orders.


    "Rindiri, can you go with Greldo to purchase what we need and as many supplies as we can afford?" Irwin asked. "Greldo has soulshards."


    "Definitely, and I''ll bring Zender. The boy has skill in haggling," Rindiri said. "When are we leaving?"


    Irwin hesitated for a moment. Should he wait for Xi''balak?


    And risk being stuck here? his subconscious shouted.


    He shared a look with Daubutim and Greldo.


    "There is no reason to stay," Daubutim said, his single eye clear.


    "Yeah. I''ve had enough of this place," Greldo agreed. "Besides, it might get dangerous here soon.


    "Then we will leave as soon as we get all the supplies we need," Irwin said.


    "Very well. I''m looking forward to finally leaving this place," Rindiri said. "I''ll get Ib, Bendi, and the others and return here in a few hours."


    "Alright, I''ll guard the ship," Irwin said.


    Rindiri and Greldo left, and he stayed watching as Xi''balak''s crewmen continued rigging the sail.


    "Think you can do it if you have to?" he asked Daubutim, who had been observing silently.


    "Yes, though the lack of my eye is making things more difficult," Daubutim said.


    "What does it feel like?" Irwin asked, staring at his friend.


    "It''s a bit hot and constantly itching and tingling. If I didn''t have as many cards as I do, I would have feared for an infection," Daubutim said dully.


    "We''ll get you a card to fix that," Irwin said as he tried to recall if there was any high regeneration card in the set he still had. He didn''t think so, but he''d have to look later.


    "Don''t worry. There are more important things to focus on first," Daubutim said.


    It took at least another hour before the sail was properly set up, after which the crewmen left with a few parting words.


    Irwin looked around. It was just him and Daubutim.


    "We need to come up with a name," he said, and Daubutim just shrugged.


    Irwin tried coming up with a name as they waited. When Daubutim suddenly nudged him, he had completely lost track of time and hadn''t gotten anything better than Safejourney, which he found tacky.


    "Greldo is returning in a rush," Daubutim said.


    Irwin looked up to see Greldo, arms filled with packages and bags, run across the dock faster than was probably smart. Zender and his two sisters -Trinn and Brinni, were running after him, all carrying large bundles in their arms. The three children had slight looks of confusion.


    When they reached the boat, Irwin looked at Greldo, but his friend quickly shook his head before putting all the stuff he was carrying on the deck.


    "I''ll help Rindiri with the rest. We will be back in ten minutes," he whispered. "Get the ship ready to leave."


    Before Irwin could react, Greldo stepped into the shadow of the mast and vanished.


    "What happened?" Irwin asked as he looked at Zender, who was far more careful as he put his packages on the deck.


    "Dunno, Captain! We were walking back, and he suddenly began acting funny. Told us to hurry, then grabbed as much as he could from Ridiri and Ib and told me and the others to run after him."


    Slightly worried, Irwin noticed that Brinni, the smallest of the three, was fidgeting, looking at the ground.


    "Brinni, what''s wrong?" he asked.


    The girl looked up in surprise, then seemed slightly worried.


    "Nothing," she whispered, shaking her head.


    Irwin was about to tell her to tell him when Trinn, the larger of the two girls, poked her sister.


    "Just tell him what you told me," she said before turning to Irwin. "Brinni only got a quartz rank first card, but it''s pretty useful! It deals with hearing¡­ or something."


    Like Greldo? Irwin wondered as he examined the girl. That meant they''d have to be more careful with what they said.


    Brinni seemed to pull in on herself, looking highly frightened at being in the center of attention.


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    "Captain Irwin won''t be angry! Just tell him," Zender snapped as he looked at her.


    Brinni hesitated, but when Irwin merely nodded, she finally seemed willing to look straight at him.


    "There was some woman walking through town, talking about you. As soon as she came into hearing range, Greldo started acting like that."


    A woman? Irwin thought, wondering who could make Greldo act like that. Wait¡­ had someone found them?


    "Did you hear her name?" he asked worriedly.


    Brinni shook her head. "No, but she was talking to someone that seemed to know you called¡­ Xibak?"


    Irwin blinked, then his eyes widened. ¡°Xi¡¯balak?¡± he asked.


    Brinni nodded fervently. "That was it, Xi''balak."


    Is that why he acted so odd after we returned? Irwin thought. Still, what woman could that be that knew him?


    "Alright, thanks for letting me know," Irwin said.


    Brinni nodded, seeming slightly less worried.


    "Go down and pick a cabin," Irwin said. "The first cabins are already occupied, but you will see that because there are packs on the beds."


    "Can we have a room together?" Trinn asked.


    Irwin was slightly distracted as he was looking at the large amount of packages while thinking about the mystery woman.


    "Yes," he said, waving them away. "After you find a cabin, come back up and start bringing this stuff to the mess."


    The two girls nodded as they ran to the door and disappeared while Zender remained.


    "Should I start getting the sail ready?" he asked, sounding uncertain.


    Realizing Zender was right, Irwin nodded. "Yes. Do you need help, or can you do it yourself?"


    "I''ll get Trinn and Brinni," Zender said as he turned and sprinted after them. A few moments later, Irwin heard him shout at them through the door before returning to the deck.


    Irwin was about to focus on the supplies when he saw Zender jump up high, grab the edge of the sail, and then quickly and easily climb up as if it were the most natural thing to do. He seemed to be sticking to the surface without any issue. Trinn and Brinni came out a moment later, but they used the rope ladders to climb up.


    Alright, let''s get this stuff down and hope we can leave before whoever it is finds us, Irwin thought.


    --


    "Hurry up," Greldo said as he glared at Ib.


    The tall girl sniffed as she glared at him from around the supplies she was carrying.


    "What''s wrong with you?" she muttered. "What''s with the rush?"


    Bendi let out a soft laugh, which caused Ib to move her glare to him.


    Greldo didn''t bother with either as he focused on his sensitive hearing. There was nothing, and he sighed in relief as he continued ahead.


    I wish I could teleport more weight, he thought as he glared at the heavy supply pack in his arms.


    He''d tried it before, but for some reason, it was easier to bring two people along than a quarter that weight in stuff. Daubutim had said that it was likely because people provided some of the energy he needed to teleport.


    A few minutes later, they finally walked out of the port''s narrow, stuffy streets and onto the main dock. There were three ships at the dock: The Zurai''x, their own, and a smaller, sleek vessel that seemed meant for speed.


    I bet that''s the ship she came with, he thought before frowning.


    Monique¡­ Why would she be here? The last time he''d seen her had been on Fiverio, and she''d been constantly pestering Irwin.


    He''d barely thought of it as he heard a soft whisper of a voice in the alleyways behind him.


    "-sure he is still here?"


    "Yes, honorable smith."


    Greldo gritted his teeth, not sure if he should laugh or cry. He knew he was possibly making a big deal out of nothing, but he knew Monique wasn''t that good at keeping secrets, and they weren''t supposed to be known here. If she came and started talking with them, how big was the chance of her keeping her mouth shut about Irwin being a smith?


    Gelwin''s balls, why is this happening? he thought before sighing.


    "Run," he said, picking up his pace and ignoring Ib''s annoyed shout.


    They reached the start of the pier when he heard the voices exit the port town. Greldo ignored it as he ran up to the ramp. He saw Irwin standing there while the kids were in the sails, seeming to polish them. Even all but one of the ropes tying the ship to the dock were gone. For a moment, he feared the ship was going to float away or something when he saw that Irwin was holding a rope, keeping the ship from drifting off.


    Holding a ship in place just by holding it. Irwin really has too many body improvement cards, Greldo thought as he ran up the gangplank and tossed the armloads of supplies to the deck.


    "Greldo, what-"


    "Monique is here," he said, interrupting Irwin as he spun around, pointing back from where he had come.


    Bendi ran onto the deck while Rindiri and Ib were reaching the gangplank and coming aboard, the girl glaring at him.


    "What is wrong with you?" she snapped angrily. "It''s like we are being chased!"


    --


    Irwin almost wanted to laugh as he heard Ib''s complaint, but he didn''t. He was staring at Monique, who was halfway to the pier, a look of surprised confusion on her face. Xi''balak was walking after her, and he could see she was slowly speeding to a run.


    So that''s the woman¡­


    "Get us out of here before she comes," Greldo hissed.


    Irwin hesitated. Monique was annoying, but she''d been on Scour with them for a long time. If she was here, it had to be important, right?


    "She''s going to say something stupid," Greldo whispered as he leaned forward.


    Irwin''s mind spun rapidly, and it took him only a few moments to connect the dots. Greldo was right. If she came and mentioned that he was a smith? That could cause all kinds of trouble.


    "Rindiri, get us out of here right now," he said, turning to his navigator. "Bendi, get that stuff in the hold!"


    "On it, boss," Bendi said with a sigh, picking up the heavy supplies he''d just put down.


    Rindiri had been looking at Monique and him but didn''t even bother asking. Instead, she ran to the backside of the ship, which consisted of the steering wheel.


    Irwin looked at the rope, then tossed it back to the dock. A moment later, the ship shuddered and began moving forward and up. As it did, he saw Monique''s eyes widen in what he could only call surprised anger.


    "Irwin! Wait," she shouted. "I''m not here to cause trouble. I just want to come with you!"


    Irwin lost sight of her as the ship angled up so steep he had to hold the railing to prevent himself from tumbling backward.


    "Damn, this thing is fast," Greldo muttered.


    "Irwin!"


    Monique''s final shout was laden with helpless anger.


    "Are you sure that was the right thing to do?" Irwin asked Greldo in a low whisper.


    "No, but we will be stuck on this ship for who knows how long. Do you want her along, constantly bugging you to join her family in some form?"


    Irwin recalled the trip back from Scour and her nagging. "You still think that''s what she wanted?" he asked, remembering what Greldo had told him on Fiverio after overhearing Balarn and Monique talking.


    "You think that''s why she came here?" Irwin asked.


    "Yes, and yes. I at least wouldn''t put it beyond her," Greldo said.


    Irwin nodded as he kept his grip on the railing. They continued shooting up and away for a long time before finally leveling out. They were higher than he recalled ever being, and Irwin wondered why Rindiri had them up this high.


    "Let''s go and talk with Rindiri," Irwin said as he let go and walked toward the back of the ship.


    As he climbed up the short staircase, he saw Ib looking at her mother in awe. Rindiri''s hands were glowing as she held the steering wheel, and the wooden disk in the center showed a ribbon of green and brown with lights.


    "So, that was your ex-lover?" Rindiri asked, looking at Greldo.


    Greldo made a choking sound while Irwin couldn''t help but laugh.


    "No, it was someone who used to travel with us and wants something from Irwin," Greldo replied curtly.


    "Who would believe that," Ib snapped.


    "I don''t care," Greldo retorted, glaring at her.


    "I''m sure you wouldn''t! We just broke like a dozen rules! If we ever have to return there, we will be in so much trouble," Ib said, her voice raising.


    "Who says we-" Greldo began, and Irwin saw his friend''s eyes start to blaze.


    "Enough," he bellowed, his voice booming louder than he''d wanted.


    Everyone but Rindiri took a step back.


    Irwin crossed his arms and snorted. "You two can discuss whatever you want later. For now, we need to decide where to go. Daubutim will probably be here soon, so let''s wait for a moment."


    There was a laden quiet as Ib and Greldo glared at each other, and Rindiri was ruefully shaking her head, paying full attention to their direction again.


    This is going to be great, isn''t it, Irwin thought.


    They had to wait for a few minutes before Daubutim arrived. Irwin saw him keep his left hand stretched out to hold to the railing as he approached while carrying a package in his other hand.


    "Trouble?" he asked.


    "Monique was there," Irwin said. "Greldo suggested we leave before she reached us."


    Daubutim was quiet for a bit, and Irwin saw his single eye go dull. It lasted for only a short moment, then Daubutim shuddered.


    "Did she say why she is here?" he asked.


    "We left before she could tell, but she screamed something about just wanting to come with us," Irwin said.


    "She was after Irwin again," Greldo grunted.


    Daubutim was quiet again, then shook his head. "We have more important things to do. However, I wouldn''t be surprised if she chases us. We should decide what we will do if that happens and she somehow finds us."


    Irwin saw that Ib was staring at Daubutim with obvious interest while Zender was hanging upside down on the sail, listening in as well.


    "Let''s talk about that later," Irwin said. "Now, where do we go?"


    "You don''t even know where-" Ib began, her eyes wide.


    "Ib, be quiet! I don''t want to hear another peep out of you," Rindiri said before Greldo could explode again.


    Daubutim moved towards Rindiri, and Irwin followed him to see him unwrap the folded parchment, which ended up being a large map that showed a section of the Portal Gallery. At the top left was Fiverio, and not too far below Sesnanser. Oddly beautifully drawn lines representing stretches of the Portal Gallery connected them, moving beyond in a network with most branches ending up as dead ends. The drawing only covered half of the parchment, and those in the middle all looked unfinished. If Irwin had to guess, it was created in such a way that the other half could be filled in.


    "Have you been to any of these areas?" Daubutim asked, indicating the edges of the map.


    Rindiri''s eyes widened, and she clicked her tongue. "I haven''t seen a complete map of this end part of the Langost main-branch before! I won''t even bother asking how you got it, but to answer your question, yes," she said as she carefully tapped two of the unfinished paths. "I''ve been here and here."


    "Good. Why did your group stop?" Daubutim asked as he rummaged in his coat, coming out with a tiny pencil.


    "The temperature here sank so low that even the two Da''xi crewmen we had couldn''t survive," she said, tapping one of the paths.


    Daubutim nodded and drew a tiny symbol. "And the other?"


    "It widened to what looked like a massive branch, which meant it would require far more searching. Also, the temperature was cold, though not as bad as the other one, and we ran out of supplies," Rindiri said as her eyes clouded over.


    For a short while, she stared off into the distance, then she shuddered.


    "No matter. After that, the crew I was with continued without me, and they never returned."


    Irwin frowned while Ib inched forward.


    "Was that when I was hatched?" she whispered.


    Rindiri nodded. "You and your sixty brothers and sisters."


    Irwin heard a sigh from where Zender was listening, and as he looked around, he saw that Bendi had stopped moving things down and was listening in, his head poking over the ladder.


    This is going to get some getting used to, he thought.


    "They never returned? But they did go back here?" Daubutim asked, tapping the part of the parchment with his pencil.


    "Never, and from what the captain told me, that was the plan," Rindiri said.


    Daubutim nodded and drew another symbol at that branch. "Anything else?"


    Rindiri grimaced. "No. You are all new at this, even if you have this fancy map, but most explorer groups don''t share much. Their findings are how they make a living, after all."


    "Why did all of those larger groups stop exploring here?" Irwin asked as he looked at the map.


    Rindiri laughed before putting her finger halfway on the explored area.


    "Usually, they don''t ever bother exploring fringe-branches beyond this point. The question should be why they continued as far as they did this time, and I don''t have the answer to that. But the reason they normally stop around here is because it gets too expensive, time-consuming, and dangerous to continue. There are thousands of fringe branches on only this part of the Langost main-branch, and even large places like Fiverio are considered fringe-branches by the large families. It''s more effective to just find another one and go from there."


    So that''s why we are going here, Irwin thought. It would be far less likely that anyone would continue and find them.


    He stared at the map before looking at Daubutim.


    "Where to?"


    "We will be going here first," Daubutim replied, pointing at the undiscovered area that sat at the top part of the map. "The last group that went here returned because they ran out of supplies but reported that the branch widened. They also mentioned that their navigator sensed something. They explored the region for weeks but couldn''t locate the portal and eventually left when their supplies ran low. After returning, they sold the information and left for another branch."


    Rindiri exhaled as she stared straight at Daubutim. "You better keep this map and what you know a secret. If any of the other groups find out you have it, they will do anything to get their hands on it and you."


    "Which is why we have such a stringent no-talking clause in our contract," Daubutim said calmly. "Now, do you need to memorize the map, or¡­?"


    Rindiri raised an eyebrow before putting her finger on the map near Sensnanser and slowly tracing it to where Daubutim had indicated they should go while muttering under her breath. When she got there, she frowned and skimmed it a second time before muttering something. Finally, she nodded.


    "You can put it away again. I''ve got it," she said.


    Impressive memory, Irwin thought, trying to imagine having to memorize the path along the dozens of splits and branches on the map. Then he looked at Daubutim and smiled ruefully.


    Daubutim folded up the map before turning to Irwin. "According to what I know, it will take us three weeks to reach that if we go as fast as we can-"


    "Seventeen days," Rindiri corrected him. "This sail is meant for a larger vessel, and we are currently moving at above-normal speeds. This does mean that the ship''s hull will likely only last for a few years, but somehow, I have the feeling you won''t mind."


    "We don''t," Irwin said as he turned to his friends. "Let''s carry the supplies down."


    Greldo and Daubutim nodded and headed down when Irwin thought of something and turned to Rindiri.


    "We will take care of this, but I suggest you think of something Ib can do to contribute."


    There was an annoyed sniff from Ib, which he ignored.


    Rindiri, however, grinned as she turned to her daughter. "Oh, I already have the perfect idea."


    Ib took a startled step back, and Irwin couldn''t help but grin. "Good! I need to talk in private with my friends. If you need anything, just shout."


    Rindiri just waved him away, and Irwin climbed down.


    "Oh, one thing! You might want to come up with a name for the ship. It''s bad luck sailing like this!"


    Irwin stepped on the deck as Rindiri''s voice came from above, and he grimaced.


    Yeah¡­ a name.

 Chapter 172: Towards the unknown

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    Why did he just run like that? Monique thought as she sat at the table in the crappy tavern, staring at the drink before her.


    "Honorable Smith, is there something more we can do for you?"


    She looked up at the Da''xi, taking a moment to recall the Captain''s name.


    "Captain Xi''balak, are you sure there is no ship that can be lent to me to follow after Irwin?"


    "I am afraid not. As I''ve told you, we are expecting a raid by a combined force of Nyzir and Galubs and need every ship to guard against them," Xi''balak said. "However, if you could assist us, perhaps by reforging some cards, I am sure The Daran will agree to help you in any way afterward."


    I''m sure they would, Monique thought, annoyed but keeping her emotions from showing. Was this why Irwin had run? Perhaps he was afraid they''d gotten her to try and keep him here?


    "You said Irwin came with you to scout the remains of the Shipyard?" she asked, still finding it difficult not to call Irwin by his title.


    She''d learned within a minute of arriving that Irwin and the others had kept their cover, and nobody knew he was a cardsmith, and she was damned if she would be the one to expose him accidentally. If she did that, the chances of him helping her in any way would be zero.


    "He did, and he was of great assistance," Xi''balak said. "I know you said it''s none of our business, but perhaps if you told us why you need him¡­"


    Monique didn''t even bother to reply to that, going back to staring at her thick crystal mug.


    Perhaps he found more information on what was going to happen, and that''s why he fled? she thought.


    A tiny part of herself shouted that she was deluding herself, that it was because she was there that he''d fled. Monique ignored it. She didn''t want to, no couldn''t believe that. If that was true, that meant there was already no chance of her plan succeeding, and that meant her sister would have to marry the Harborth Ungaryt, the Ungaryt Family''s second heir. As she remembered the last time she''d seen the man when she was still very young, she recalled the dimly glowing red eyes and the narrowed eyebrows as the narrow-faced man had inspected her.


    No, she''d be damned if she let her sister become another of that man''s trophy wives.


    "Honorable Smith, if you don''t have any more questions, I will need to leave now," Captain Xi''balak said as he rose.


    Monique looked up at him, annoyed that he was going to leave. Besides the ship she had come with, Xi''balak was the only person she knew here.


    "If you need anything later, you may find me at the council building at the top of the port," Xi''balak said.


    Monique nodded as she rose with him.


    "I''ll be going back to the ship that brought me here and see if Captain Prat is willing to continue," she said, knowing the chances were very slim. The grumpy old man had been clear that he would not go beyond Sesnanser Port. Still, she had to give it a try.


    "I will escort you back to the docks," Xi''balak said.


    Monique nodded absently as she walked through the tavern.


    As she did, she didn''t notice two purple eyes following her from within the wooden beams that chaotically covered the ceiling.


    --


    Irwin stood in the cabin he had claimed, which was no bigger or smaller than those of his friends. Daubutim and Greldo stood in front of him, their heads merely inches from each other. Even then, he could barely understand Greldo''s whisper.


    "So she has hearing like mine?"


    "From what I understand, yes," Irwin replied as softly as he could.


    Greldo pursed his lips in annoyance.


    "There is no problem," Daubutim whispered. "We won''t need to discuss anything troublesome until we reach the first potential portal, and we will be going inside without them anyway."


    A sniff came from Ambraz, who was sitting on Irwin''s shoulder.


    "Stupid whispering," the Anvil hissed. "Anyway, aren''t you afraid that they will leave with the ship?"


    Irwin narrowed his eyes, and he saw Greldo react similarly, but Daubutim shook his head.


    "Rindiri''s desire for a world is perhaps larger than ours, and she is more than capable of keeping Bendi under control. Besides, the contracts they signed will not allow them to leave. If they did, they would never be able to return to the normal, civilized parts of the Portal Gallery, and the bounty on Bendi''s head would likely dissuade him even more."


    Irwin saw Greldo grin. "Right, I forgot about that one," his friend whispered.


    "Alright, then we are going to that branch you indicated and search for the portal?" Irwin asked.


    "Yes, but we won''t find it," Daubutim said. "From what I could deduce by reading their logs, they searched it perfectly, meaning there is likely no portal there."


    "Then-" Greldo hissed before lowering his voice to a whisper and asking the same question Irwin was thinking. "Then why are we going there?"


    "Because it''s one of the two branches I know for certain that widens instead of narrows. This means it will be very long, and we can expect large side branches, and those have the largest chance of portals. We need a world far from the known branches, preferably beyond a region of extreme cold."


    "And how do you suggest we get through that?" Greldo whispered.


    "Irwin needs to learn how to navigate and clean the sails," Daubutim replied. "He is the only one that can stay above deck."


    Irwin grimaced, realizing how things had changed. Long ago, he''d been the weakest to cold, unable to even walk through a town during a cold day without fear of freezing. Now, he was able to resist, at least for a short while, the extremes of cold.


    Clean the sails, he thought as he tried to recall what the kids had been doing. They had been polishing any bit of dust that landed on it with a cloth. He didn''t see himself climbing up them, but perhaps...


    "Can those sails become wet?" he whispered to Daubutim.


    His friend nodded immediately. "Yes. There are sections of the Portal Gallery covered in odd clouds of drifting water so thick it''s said to be close to swimming. Ships can sail through those with little issue to the sails."


    Irwin wondered what those would look like.


    "Alright, then I might be able to use my sweltering skill to clean those," he said. "Though I''m not sure how well they will do with hot water."


    Daubutim looked at him, and slowly, his single good eye turned dull. It lasted for only a bit, then Daubutim shuddered and shook his head.


    "I don''t¡­ know," he said.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll ask Rindiri and Bendi," Irwin said quickly. It was so easy to forget that Daubutim could lock down if he had to try and come up with things he''d not learned before.


    Daubutim nodded. "After we reach that new area, we will search for the least likely branches to take. Those others wouldn''t due to either being too far, looking too narrow right at the start, or those with dangerous chaos space beings-"


    "What?" Greldo and Irwin hissed at the same time.


    Daubutim frowned. "Chaos-space is the area around the Portal Gallery, and there are beings there. They usually can''t enter the Portal Gallery due to the barrier, but there are areas where the barrier is either ruptured or too thin. I couldn''t find a reason for it, but it''s something that has existed for as long as written history. Through those, weaker entities like the Bablibon we encountered manage to come through."


    "Weak?" Irwin whispered, recalling the monstrous bird-like demon that he''d fought with. He wasn''t sure if he could fight that thing on even grounds even now. He thought about what Daubutim had said, wondering about some things.


    "Say we do that and are past some of those beings. What if we can''t return?" he whispered.


    "Then we continue till we find a portal," Daubutim said. "If we can''t easily return, the chances of anyone attempting it here will be good, and Gelwin said that time is crucial. If we find a hub-world, all we have to do is determine if there are worlds beyond."


    "And how do we do that?" Greldo hissed.


    Daubutim''s gaze landed on Ambraz, who snorted.


    "Sure. Just like that beardy face to make me do all of his hard work. Whatever. Yes, I can find out if a hubworld has potential farming worlds. It''s why I was sent out in the first place¡­ Just don''t expect any details on what type of world it would be. That''s beyond me."


    They continued hashing out some of the details before finally leaving. As they walked back on the deck, Irwin saw Bendi and Zender squared off near the mast. The young Yuurindi had his hands on his side and looked angry.


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "-doesn''t mean I''ll do what you say!" he said.


    Curious, Irwin walked towards them.


    "Listen up, I''ve been on ships for twenty times as long as you were born," Bendi said, sounding bored and annoyed. "If I tell you it''s better to focus on the center of the sail and not touch the edges too much, you should just trust that I know what I''m saying."


    "If you explain why that is, I might," Zender said with a glare. "Or if you asked instead of ordered! You are not the Captain¡­"


    Irwin stepped up next to them with a grin. "Someone called me?"


    Bendi pointed at Zender. "Captain, I''m trying to keep our sail in top shape, but this young pup doesn''t wish to listen!"


    Zender shook his head, though Irwin saw a slight worry on his face. "He says I should ignore the dust and debris on the edges! But that makes no sense! What I learned-"


    Irwin calmly listened to Zender''s explanation before turning to look at the upper deck where Rindiri was. She had been looking at what was going on and seemed to be able to understand most of it. Irwin raised an eyebrow.


    "Who is correct?" he asked loudly.


    "Both," she shouted. "It depends on the sail and the type of soot and dust in the Part of the Portal Gallery we are in. Where we are right now, it''s best to do as Zender suggests, but a few hours from now, it will become colder. When that starts happening, we will need to clean the center for when Zender and the other''s need to go below deck due to the cold."


    Irwin focused on Zender and Bendi, who were both looking at Rindiri. "You heard her. Any more questions?"


    "Is she your navigator or second in command?" Bendi asked.


    His question caused Zender''s eyes to widen, and Irwin frowned.


    "I''ll explain how we run things in a few hours," he said as he turned to find Daubutim.


    I wish Daubutim was the Captain, he thought. He''d much rather just do the fighting and the smithing.


    --


    "Another drink, Miss Smith?"


    Monique looked up from her cup, shaking her head. She was already a bit woozy, and as angry as she was for having been stuck here, it wouldn''t help if she got drunk.


    The old waiter walked away, and Monique returned to glaring at her cup.


    A whole week! That''s how long she had been here.


    The ship she had arrived on had also refused to take her further, but worse, Captain Prat had also refused to take her back. The grumpy old man had accepted the mission to help guard the port for at least a month, giving the members of The Daran Council time to return, which meant that she was effectively stuck here.


    Not a single captain had been willing to defy that blood council either, not even when she promised to reforge ten cards for them!


    Taking another angry swallow of her drink, she almost fell over with her chair as the entire building shook. Above her, wooden beams creaked loudly, and a moment later, there was another shake. There was a stunned silence and then screams from outside filtered inside.


    Monique rose unsteadily, part thanks to the drinks and Part due to the constant shaking.


    The door burst open, and a Da''xi guard appeared, face plates chittering.


    "Everyone, head to the portal! There''s an attack on the port!"


    There was an instant rattling and cursing as a ragtag group of shipless crewmen and dock workers began rushing outside.


    Dammit!


    Monique followed the others out into the narrow alley. One route led to the square with the portal building, while the other led to the docks. As she was looking that way, a whistling sound came from the docks. A moment later, there was a distant thud and another massive shake.


    The host of people ran away, heading to the portal door, but Monique remained where she was. Waiting for the rumbling to stop, she turned and ran to the harbor while gnashing her teeth.


    If you think I''m going in there, you''re crazy, she thought. She wanted to see the scope of this attack first. If it was obvious The Daran council would lose, she didn''t want to be locked in some horrible backwater world with no way off! Those Nyzir might destroy the portal!


    A massive shake caused her to lose her footing, and she fell sideways into the wall. She struggled back up, shaking her head to clear the stars. When she could see clearly, she continued towards the harbor.


    It took her way too long to reach it, and when she finally leaned against the wall and got a clear look at the harbor, she held back an angry scream.


    The main dock was nearly completely gone. Only a few feet of burning, charred wood remained. Above and beyond it were two dozen ships. Many were entangled with one or more others, and the Galub and Nyzir ships were easily recognizable. Laden, with more warriors than Monique had ever seen, kept trying to reach the two remaining shorter docks. Each time they made a run, one of the guardships rushed in to intercept, but it was clear to Monique that it was a matter of time before they managed to reach the dock.


    Many of the ships of the guards were also heavily damaged, some with ripped sails and clothes with massive holes in the hull. Although the Galub and Nyzir ships weren''t much better, it was clear they cared nothing for their ships as long as they could reach the port.


    Worse, dozens of shadowy figures were moving around the lower buildings.


    Nyzir¡­ This place is lost, Monique thought as she scanned the ships. The battle might have been roughly equal at the start, but with so many more fighters on the Galub ships, the number of attacks fired from them was rapidly destroying the guards, and only two of the defender''s ships looked capable of really defending themselves.


    One was a sleek, fast ship that she recognized as belonging to Captain Xi''balak. She also knew the other, a slightly more bulky vessel that seemed like a cross between a merchant vessel and Xi''balak''s ship. It belonged to some other Da''xi Captain who supposedly brought Irwin. Both were maneuvering through the melee with insane skill, managing to evade multiple adversaries while laying a constant barrage of green and blue balls of crackling energy on the enemies they passed. The bulky ship''s movements especially surprised her. Far less nimble, the navigator had to be incredibly skilled to keep up with the others.


    Then she noticed a third ship that seemed to be doing alright.


    Seriously? Prat is still here? she thought, looking at the familiar ship.


    She immediately saw why he was largely undamaged. Captain Prat obviously wasn''t invested at all. He was hanging out near the edge of the fight, and she guessed that if there were any sign of the battle going south, he''d leave in a heartbeat.


    Looking at the other two, they didn''t look like they would be leaving, which left her with only one choice.


    Focusing on Captain Prat''s ship, she gnashed her teeth. She really, really hated what she''d have to do, but there was no other option. Reaching into her vest, she pulled out the chain with the locket she''d gotten from her grandmother.


    Sorry, Nana, but I''m going to have to use your gift way earlier than either of us anticipated.


    She stared at the square amulet, sensing the card''s energy burn softly within. She was about to use it when a bright crackling beam of light burst from one of the Galub ships nearly blinding her.


    Blinking away the tears, she saw a shimmering barrier of water appear before Xi''balak''s ship, reflecting the beam through the sail of a Galub ship on the other side of the battlefield. The beam continued, fading slowly while illuminating the entire area before dissipating.


    Due to its light, Monique saw tiny shapes move towards them.


    More ships?


    She was about to focus on the card hidden in the locket when two of the Galub ships dashed for the dock, distracting her.


    This time, only a single guard ship was free to intercept, and one of the Galub ships slammed into the smaller dock. Within moments, dozens of Galubs streamed from the ship across the dock and towards the port.


    Above, another beam of greenish light shot towards Xi''balak ship, and this time, the barrier appeared too late, shattering the main mast, Part of the hull, and the upper deck.


    Monique swallowed as she saw the ship start to angle down, increasing speed before just vanishing out of sight. She felt sad for Xi''balak, wondering if he managed to escape at the last minute. Teleporters were rare, but not that rare...


    Nothing I can do, its time to go, she thought.


    She turned to see where Prat''s ship was, only to find it was turning small in the distance. Feeling her heart rate spike, she grabbed her amulet, focused on the card, and tried to activate it while picturing the ship. There was a slight shiver, but nothing happened.


    It was out of range...


    How come they are moving this fast now? Monique thought, not understanding how it could have gotten so far in such a short time.


    A soft grinding sound made her look up to find a towering Galub with four horns slowly thudding her way, grinning nastily.


    Panicking, she looked for another ship, only to find that there was only a single ship still undamaged. It was the one Irwin had come on, and it was moving away from the battle and would soon be out of range. Without hesitation, she focused on the amulet and the card, and this time, there was a shiver that ran through her own cards as their energy was siphoned into the card hidden in the amulet.


    There was a screeching sound, the world swirled, and the next time she knew, she was standing on a tilted deck, stumbling sideways before losing her footing and falling toward the railing.


    Loud explosions and shouts came from all around. She barely managed to grab the railing, pulling herself back over. Sitting on the railing and holding it tight, she saw a Zura''ix crewman standing next to her, seemingly glued to the deck.


    "Boarders!" he screamed.


    "No! No, I''m a cardsmith trying to flee from the battle," Monique screamed.


    The crewman was backing up, looking at her. Monique tried to look as unthreatening as she could.


    "Captain! There''s someone on the deck!" the crewmen shouted.


    "Hostile?" someone replied loudly out of Monique''s vision.


    "I don''t know. She says she''s a smith!"


    "I''m a friend of Irwin," Monique shouted, knowing that was likely pretty far from the truth. Still, she didn''t think acquaintance would have the same weight.


    The crewman''s scaly brow rose.


    "Says she''s with-"


    "I bloody heard her! Keep an eye on her. I don''t have time to deal with it now; we need to get out of here!"


    Monique felt her stomach heave as the ship tilted to the other side, causing her to slide from the railing back on the deck. As the tilting continued to the other way, she grabbed the railing, and then she was hanging from her arms, dangling above the nearly vertical deck. She looked down to see the Portal Galery ground far, far below her.


    "Get ready. I''m going to overload the shield!"


    Monique''s eyes widened, and she clenched her fists around tighter around the railing just as the ship shuddered. Light gleamed down on her as the sail burst into a blue glare while the ship rightened itself. Just as her knees nodded into the deck, the ship shot forward, rapidly speeding up.


    Finally able to stand on her feet, Monique looked over the railing and swallowed. The Sesnanser port was becoming smaller in the distance, while two ships were rushing after them. The others were either landing on the docks and just atop the buildings or chasing the other ships.


    "Who are you, and why are you on my ship?"


    Monique turned around to see a Da''xi standing behind her with two daggers out, looking more than a little angry.


    "I''m Monique, and I''m trying to find Irwin," she said.


    "So you said," the Da''xi said, sounding annoyed. "I''m Xi''kroak, and we don''t have a contract. Give me a good reason why I should not toss you overboard?"


    "I''m a cardsmith," Monique said quickly, pulling her braid across her shoulder to show the Topaz ranking crystal.


    Xi''kroak frowned. "Those can be forged."


    "It''s real, you can test it if you want," Monique said.


    "I will," Xi''kroak said.


    She saw him hesitate, and then he snorted. "For now, you can stay, but we are going to be short on supplies very soon."


    Relieved but confused, Monique shook her head. "Why?"


    "Because the way back has been blocked, and there''s only danger where we are going," Xi''kroak said.


    "Blocked?" Monique asked, her confusion growing. "What is going on?


    Xi''kroak''s faceplates relaxed and slid back slightly.


    "Well, I guess it doesn''t matter keeping it a secret anymore," he muttered.


    He looked up at the sail for a moment before focusing on Monique.


    "The members of The Daran Council were supposed to have been back days ago, and when they didn''t return, I was tasked to find out why. It wasn''t too hard. Part of the raider fleet that took over the Shipyard snuck around us somehow and blocked the narrowest strip just before the cold stretch that leads from Sesnanser to Fiverio. There''s no way for us to get past their blockade, and there''s probably no help coming either. Besides, if it does, it will be too late."


    "What? Why would they be blocking the port?" Monique said, trying to remain calm and understand what was going on.


    "Who knows," Xi''kroak said. "To kill us for our cards? For the world of Sesnanser? The Galub and the Nyzir have been a scourge in these parts ever since their worlds shattered and those that remained poured out of their portal. It''s not hard to believe that they are just like the dozens of other races without a world, trying to get a new one."


    Monique stared at him, dozens of thoughts running through her mind ranging from how she was going to find Irwin or even return home to wondering why those Galubs didn''t just relocate to a known world.


    "Well, whatever there is, we are going to The Roaming Shipyard and see if we can infiltrate it to get more supplies," Xi''kroak said.


    As he walked away, Monique looked at her hands and then at the distant image of Sesnanser port.


    What did I get myself into, she thought.

 Chapter 173: The Sonata

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    Irwin lay on his odd bed with high edges that prevented him from rolling off in case the ship had to make a sudden move. He''d been on the deck for a long time, but now it was his time to rest. Rindiri and Daubutim were on deck together with the girls while he, Greldo, Bendi, and Zender could rest.


    "Brinni is far up on the sail," Ambraz whispered beside his head. "So, what did you want to talk about?"


    "Three things," Irwin whispered back as softly as he could. "Can you explain a bit more about how I''m going to be able to sense those portals, and is my heartcard stable enough to absorb cards to start filling it up? Also, I want you to start teaching me those Galadin music notes."


    "I was wondering when you were going to bring that up," Ambraz muttered. "Alright, the easy thing first. Yes, you can start absorbing more cards, and I think it''s not a bad idea to do that right now."


    Irwin didn''t need to hear that twice, and he took out the stack of cards that he had prepared back on Scour.


    "Alright, now what?" he whispered, getting excited.


    "Focus on your heartcard and place one of the cards before your chest," Ambraz said.


    Irwin took the top card of the stack, glancing at the Topaz ranked card with the image of a burning dagger before holding it before his chest. At the same time, he began focusing on his heartcard.


    Unlike with his hand cards, his heartcard almost seemed to jump forward like a hungry puppy, ready to do as he wanted. There was none of the difficulty in focusing on it to pull it to the foreground that he remembered from when he had tried to pull his old hand cards to the top of his hand.


    The cabin suddenly lit up as a bright, fiery aura spread from his chest. Irwin glimpsed down to see a beautiful card hover before his chest. It had been months since he''d last seen it, but as he gazed at the tendrils of fire, he couldn''t help but smile happily.


    The handcards had always felt like some external thing, and even his first card, which had bound closely to him, had never felt like a true part of him. Not his heartcard, though. No, his Firesteel Elemental Vaelite Heart card felt as much part of him as his fingers or his nose.


    Such a long name, he thought as he smiled at the image of a burning Heart that covered the center of the card. Vaelite Heart should do, he decided.


    "Alright, enough of that. Stop teasing your own heartcard and give him the card," Ambraz snorted.


    Irwin noticed that his Vaelite Heart was inching closer to his hand but couldn''t seem to touch the burning dagger card.


    "Sorry," he whispered as he moved his hand closer. As soon as the simple handcard touched the much larger heartcard, there was a jolt, and he felt a massive pulling sensation from his Vaelite Heart card. A moment later, the handcard was ripped from his grasp and sank into the heartcard, which burned bright for a few moments.


    Irwin felt himself drawn into himself so fast there was no way to stop it, even if he had wanted to. A moment later, he hovered inside his own soul, or soulscape as Ambraz called it, above a massive empty lake. His Vaelite Heart card hung above the center, and tiny drops of bluish liquid dropped from it into the pool.


    Irwin watched it for a while, and as he did, he felt a tiny bit of worry. He''d felt it before when he first saw the lake, but it was slightly stronger now. How was he ever going to fill this thing up? The card his heartcard had absorbed had been Topaz, and if he had to fill the lake up with nothing but those, he would need tens of thousands.


    Perhaps I can get some ruby or higher rank cards to fill it up faster, he thought.


    The force that had pulled him into his soulscape receded, and a moment later, he was back in the room.


    "Not bad," Ambraz whispered. "Now, continue until they are all gone. I''ll prepare some more lessons on sheet music."


    Irwin nodded as he picked up the next card, one that showed a metal cooking pot hovering above a tiny fire.


    I wonder if every card gives the same amount of energy, he thought as he held it before his still-present heartcard.


    --


    "Irwin, did you come up with a name yet?"


    Irwin flinched as he stopped walking towards Rindiri. She was looking at him, showing no signs of being weary from having stood at the helm for over a day.


    "No, I forgot," he said as he continued to stand beside her.


    "Anything is better than none, even if only because we will need a name if we encounter any other explorer groups," Rindiri said as she shrugged. "Would you like some suggestions?"


    Irwin shook his head as he stared out across the wide horizon.


    Nothing that refers to smithing or Giard, he thought as he hummed. As he thought, he unconsciously began humming one of the simple melodies he''d learned the night before.


    "The Nomadic Sonata?" he muttered before looking up at Rindiri.


    She was staring at him, one eyebrow razed.


    "I hadn''t pictured you for being the musical one," she said. "That song was very nice. Was it from your world?"


    Irwin was about to say no, then hesitated. If all they had heard was true, it might not be from his world, but it was very likely from his people.


    "It''s an old song by my people," he said, and as he did, he felt a tiny sense of joy as he realized that was most likely very true.


    "Well, I like it. The name, I mean! It''s unlike any I''ve ever heard of a ship, but it''s also a bit long. I would register it to the Giard''s Rangers when we get a chance, but if you don''t mind, I''ll call her Sonata."


    "Her?" Irwin asked as he blinked.


    "My people refer to any ship as feminine," Rindiri said.


    Right, Irwin thought, looking at the boards below his feet. He couldn''t see himself thinking of a ship as anything more than an it, but he guessed it wasn''t all that weird. He''d seen smiths that called their hammers by a name.


    "Well, Sonata is fine," he said as he focused on the steering wheel. Yesterday, he had gotten a quick tutorial on how it worked. "So, anything I need to look out for?"


    "No," Rindiri said as she stepped away to give him the helm. As she did, the glowing center of the steering wheel turned dull and wooden.


    Irwin nodded as he put his hands on the steering wheel, and he felt his heartcard hummed slightly. A trickle of Soulforce flowed through his hands into the wheel, and a rough outlining of the map returned. Looking ahead, he stared in awe at the circular arrow that hung above the deck. It pointed to where they were going, perhaps slightly offset to the left.


    Portside, he thought, recalling the names he''d been told for the sides of the ship.


    "There will be only a few small course corrections needed," Rindiri said. "Just make sure you call someone as soon as the map starts deviating from what you see, and I''ll come to recalibrate it."


    Squeezing the wooden steering wheel slightly, Irwin nodded as he felt the vibrations through the hull in his palms. Zender was climbing across the far side of the smaller sail with his cloth, wiping away any of the dust he came across.


    Seeing the arrow move slightly, Irwin calmly turned on the wheel until he felt the ship move and the arrow point straight again. Suddenly, he felt a wave of freedom wash over him, and he smiled as he looked ahead and around.


    I could get used to this, he thought.


    He recalled the myths his mother had told him about the ships that sailed across the Giard oceans long ago before the demons had overrun the rest of the world and the seas had become more dangerous than the abundance of food in them was worth. As he imagined sailing across a sea with nothing blocking his way besides land, he began humming again.


    --


    Days later, Irwin leaned on the railing, staring out across the quiet stretch of The Portal Gallery. Rindiri was still on the wheel, calibrating the map with her cards.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    She''d explained their workings to him, and he wondered if he could reforge one of the cards in his stack to do the same. Perhaps two and combine it?


    It would have to use the sound resonation she uses or the superior one she told me about that used a combination of light and sound, he thought as he recalled the few cards he had that dealt with sound and light.


    Both were only Amethyst, one no more than a simple glow bulb, while the sound one was meant to help someone shout very loudly. Although barely usable by Portal Gallery standards, they would have been useful back on Giard. If he could reforge them to Topaz or Emerald and combine them, he should be able to create a skill similar to the one Rindiri used.


    I''m sure Zender would want them, he thought. It would be very useful if they had a second navigator, and with Rindiri here, she was bound to be willing to teach her own son.


    Thinking about reforging cards and working on his smithing, Irwin closed his eyes and calmed as he focused on his heartcard and its tiny resonations. Slowly, the resonations calmed, and he spread his senses. He didn''t feel anything as he did it, but Ambraz had told him that if he did this, he''d immediately know if there was a portal.


    After a few minutes of nothing happening, Irwin sniffed and opened his eyes again.


    He couldn''t wait till they found a portal so he could work on his smithing!


    "Dinner is almost ready!"


    Irwin looked up to see Ib look out of the door. As their eyes met, she lowered her eyebrows, then headed back into the room and slammed the door shut.


    I guess she''s still angry that her mother made her the cook, Irwin thought.


    He''d never expected that, nor that she was actually good at it. Although they only had masses of traveling rations, there were many different types, and Ib was able to combine them, cook them, and bake them until Irwin barely recognized the flavorless gunk he was used to.


    The icy wind that flitted around his face turned colder than before, and he increased the heat of his internal flame some more.


    I hope Ib is going to make that stew again, he thought as he felt his heartcard''s energy slowly trickle away.


    They had been traveling for roughly a week now, Rindiri navigating them through what he''d found was a chaotic maze of branches. The temperature had dropped so far that only he, Greldo, and Rindiri were even able to remain on deck for any amount of time. The others had to remain below deck except for the few times Irwin created a cover of warm steam that allowed them to walk around. Not that he could keep the steam up for too long as it cost a vast amount of energy to use while the ship was moving.


    At least absorbing those cards filled up my Soulforce lake, he thought.


    However, when he thought of the tiny puddle of what looked like beautiful glistening blue water that lay in the middle of his immense Soulforce lake, he grimaced.


    No wonder so many people remain at Topaz rank heartcards, he thought.


    Footsteps from behind made him look up to see Greldo walk towards him.


    "We should be reaching the wide part tomorrow," Greldo said as he leaned beside him. "I really hope you are going to detect a portal because I really feel like running around some warm places."


    "You''re not the only one," Irwin said with a grin.


    He looked up to see Rindiri calmly standing at the helm, a shimmer of heat surrounding her while her purple hair looked like it was made up of purple fire. Her eyes were focused on the distant horizon.


    She has at least one soulcard, he thought, not for the first time.


    She''d not answered him when he had asked her about her cards, only saying that she had only one ability suited for combat but that it was enough to fight off most things they could encounter.


    "She can''t hear us," Greldo whispered as he put his elbows on the railing beside Irwin.


    Irwin nodded. "Did you find out if Bendi spoke the truth about his cards?"


    "He did," Greldo said. "Or he''s a better liar than I''ve ever met¡­ which is possible, but I don''t think so. From what I''ve seen, he doesn''t have a soulcard, so that leaves the abilities we have seen."


    "Okay. Well, none of the kids has anything more dangerous than Ib''s emerald blade summon card," Irwin said. "When you get a chance, tell Daubutim to come up with a plan for cards that I could improve for them based on those he''s seen. Seeing as they all might have to help us guard the ship, they at least need some cards."


    "He still hasn''t picked one for himself?" Greldo asked.


    Irwin sighed sadly. "I''ve checked all the cards, and there''s none that would give him his eye back as is. They need a lot of work, and our heavy friend-" he padded the pocket Ambraz was in, "- said it might be better to do some heavy hunting when we reach the first portal."


    "If it''s connected to any shardworlds," Greldo muttered.


    "There''s that," Irwin said.


    They remained on the railing for a few more minutes before walking into the ship''s galley, which was a tiny room with three tables nailed to the floor and four stools. There was a low wall separating it from the kitchen area.


    As Irwin and Greldo walked inside, they saw Daubutim sitting at the table, talking with Zender.


    Joining them, Irwin noticed Zender looked slightly upset, and he looked up.


    "Captain, is it true that Daubutim can fight with all weapons?"


    Irwin raised his eyebrow as he turned to Daubutim, who was frowning at Zender.


    "Not all. Swords, daggers, clubs, hammers, spears, bows-" Daubutim began.


    "Yes, yes," Zender said, looking both impressed and incredibly skeptical. "Just before they came, you named more weapons than I even knew existed, so perhaps not all weapons, but way too much! How is that possible? Do you have a Ruby card that teaches all weapons?"


    Irwin grinned, shaking his head. "It''s true that Daubutim can wield most weapons I know of, and he doesn''t need a card for it," he said.


    Zender looked at him, then at Greldo, who was grinning widely before turning back to Daubutim.


    "So how? Were you born gifted with superior genetics?"


    Irwin saw Daubutim''s eyes turn dull for a moment, and he was about to speak up when his friend sighed.


    "No. My father taught me," he said, looking at Zender.


    "Really?" Zender said, almost shouting as he perked up. "So you know your father? That''s really awesome! I-"


    The door swung open, and Rindiri walked in, eyeing him with a raised eyebrow as if telling him to continue.


    "-I don''t know my father," Zender continued without missing a beat. Still, Irwin saw him look anywhere but at his mother.


    Rindiri shrugged and walked into the galley, followed by Trinna and Brinn. Both looked slightly down, and Irwin guessed Rindiri had scolded them for something they had or hadn''t done again. They sat down at the table beside theirs, Rindiri on the stool closest to Irwin and Greldo.


    "Most other species don''t procreate like we do, Zender. You know this. I taught you this a year ago," the navigator said as she stared at her son.


    Zender''s shoulders slumped slightly.


    "I know, but I''ve never really had a chance to talk with anyone besides the others," he said. "The people at Sesnanser Port mostly ignored us."


    "Well, if you have any questions, just ask," Irwin said as he saw Rindiri about to say something.


    She frowned and leaned back in her stool. Then she looked at the kitchen part where Ib was still walking around, and a wide grin came to her face.


    "Ib, where''s the food," she shouted. "I''m hungry!"


    "Yes, yes! It''s coming," Ib shouted.


    Irwin grinned. She had said yes, yes, almost exactly like Zender had.


    Before he could make a joke about it, Ib walked out of the kitchen with two large bowls that steamed. She put one before him and the other before Greldo before looking at him with a raised eyebrow.


    I''ll never get used to this, Irwin thought as he took the spoon, dunked it in the bowl, and shoved the unreasonably hot food in his mouth. To him, it barely fazed him, and as he chewed and swallowed, he just looked at Ib, who was shaking her head.


    "And I really made it as hot as it can go this time," she muttered before turning around and heading back to the kitchen.


    A few minutes later, they were all sitting with bowls in front of them.


    "I still think someone should be up there to keep an eye out," Ib muttered as she blew on her spoon before carefully taking a bite. She grimaced and glared at Irwin as if it was his fault, which he simply ignored.


    "Greldo and Brinni can hear if anything comes anywhere close to us," he said. "And your mo- Rindiri," he quickly corrected himself. "- can sense anything within a hundred yards around us."


    "Which you know, or are supposed to," Rindiri scolded Ib.


    Ib didn''t answer but continued eating, and for a short while, it was quiet.


    Irwin finished first, as he always did, and he looked up to see Ib wave at the kitchen. "Yes, I made you more. I''m glad we brought so much food, or I''d have to be afraid you''d clean the galley out in a week."


    A few moments later, with a second plate, Irwin continued eating. He was barely halfway through his plate when Rindiri suddenly put her spoon down halfway to her mouth and groaned. A look of pain and grief filled her face, and she leaned back.


    "Mom¡­ what''s wrong?"


    If he wasn''t so worried about something outside, Irwin might have been surprised at how worried Ib sounded. But, as it was, all he wanted to know was an answer to that same question.


    "It''s¡­ fine," Rindiri said as she took a deep breath before wiping some tears from her eyes. "I¡­ I need a moment."


    She rose and walked out of the cabin before anyone could really complain. Irwin hesitated for only a moment, then rose and looked at the others.


    "Finish your meal. I''ll go and talk with her."


    Ib looked worried, but as they heard the door leading to the deck open and close, she sat back down, knowing she wouldn''t even be able to head outside and check on Rindiri.


    Irwin was about to turn around when he saw Zender stare at the table, tears running down his face.


    "Zender?" Irwin asked softly.


    The boy jerked, then looked up and began wiping his eyes.


    "Do you know what''s going on?" he asked.


    Zender nodded, looking at his younger sisters, before glancing at Ib for only a moment. All of them were looking at him.


    "I think one of our brothers or sisters died," he whispered. "The last time something like that happened, Mother acted just like this."


    "What? How would you-" Ib began, only to stop as Zender cast her a glance that held more pain than Irwin thought a boy his age should know about.


    "It was when you were working at that shopkeeper a few months ago," he said. "I had to help with¡­ well, with something, and at some point Rindiri just slumped. Then she told me to follow her, and we went to a distant part of the docks. It''s when Gwir died¡­ but I know you won''t remember who he was."


    Ib''s face paled, but she didn''t say anything.


    "I remember," Trinn said. "He was one of the genetic defects, right?"


    "Don''t call him that," Zender snapped as he stood up abruptly. "He was¡­ was¡­ very unlucky!"


    Irwin sighed. "Stay here. I''ll be back later," he said, looking at Greldo and then gesturing with his chin at Zender.


    As he walked out of the room, he heard Zender continue to berate the others.


    Back up on the deck, he saw Rindiri had retreated back to the helm, and she was staring off into the distance. As he closed in on her, she looked up, and he saw her eyes were red, tears streaming down her face. She only looked at him for a moment before turning back to stare ahead, doing nothing to remove the tears.


    As he looked at her, Irwin realized she looked far older than she had the day before. Her wrinkles were more pronounced, and he thought he saw more gray in her purple hair.


    "Zender told us something," he began slowly. "Are you¡­ alright?"


    He knew it was a lame thing to ask, but he couldn''t come up with anything better, and he was pretty sure saying nothing would be worse.


    "No," Rindiri said calmly. "Sesnanser was attacked."


    "What? How do you know?" Irwin asked before he could stop himself.


    "Because of the twenty children that were still alive, six just-" his face warped to rage and anger, and she fell quiet.


    After a few moments, she took a deep breath.


    "Seven of my remaining children just died."

 Chapter 174: Chaos storm

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    Irwin leaned against the railing, quietly listening to Rindiri. He was still shocked by what she''d told him and unsure how to react.


    "How do you know they died?" he asked softly.


    Rindiri didn''t answer right away but continued looking ahead. Irwin was about to leave, guessing she wanted to be alone, when she began talking.


    "Every Yuurindi woman can have two, three, or sometimes four clutches of eggs. Each time we lay a clutch, we are bound to all of our children for a few years. It depends on how strong their genetic link is with us. When one dies, we feel it, similar to how you can feel your cards."


    Irwin watched her, and as he did, he saw her hair turn slightly more gray. This time, he was sure it wasn''t his imagination.


    "Your hair¡­" he whispered.


    Rindiri pulled some of her shoulder-length hair closer to her face to inspect it, and her face fell.


    "The Soulforce I imbued my children¡­ it should return, but¡­ but it seems someone is absorbing it," she whispered.


    She let the hair fall and put both hands back on the wheel.


    Irwin felt himself grow more and more conflicted. Should he tell her they could go back? He really didn''t want to, and-


    No, he snapped to himself, smothering the tiny voice that demanded he help her.


    As bad as things were, if he headed back now, the consequences for Giard would be disastrous.


    The desire to help faded slightly to be replaced with sympathy for Rindiri. At the same time, he had no idea what to tell her or say. He had known that an attack was imminent, and he had mentioned it, but perhaps he should have been more clear? Ask if she wanted to bring more of her children?


    And then what? Bring them all along and feed them and protect them? he thought.


    "When you said you were bringing Zender, Trinn, and Brinni, I almost told you not to," Rindiri suddenly said. "They are young and have only such a short lifespan. Each time they headed out, I was afraid another of them wouldn''t return. I am so glad I didn''t do that. Although they will never grow old enough to have their own children, they deserve at least as much life as they can have."


    Short lifetime? Irwin thought.


    "I''m glad they are here too," he said, hesitating a moment before continuing. "And I''m sorry we didn''t bring more of your children to be safe."


    Rindiri looked at him, then shook her head. "That is the life of Yuurindi. I''m already incredibly glad you brought us along."


    There was another long quiet before Irwin moved forward. It was time he spoke to those below. Still, he had one question he wanted to ask, something he''d thought off as he stood there, pondering what Rindiri had told him.


    "What did you mean with the lifetime of your species?" he asked.


    Rindiri smiled sadly, and this time, she wiped some tears off her face.


    "Ask Zender. The boy has a good head on his shoulders and is better at explaining all these things. Also, if you don''t mind, I would like some time by myself. I''ll come and get you when you need to take over."


    "Of course," Irwin said as he nodded and walked away. "Shout if you need anything."


    As he walked back into the ship, he saw Zender and Greldo sitting near the hatch that led down. The room around them was nearly empty, besides some supply crates.


    We really need to get some stuff in here to make it useful, Irwin thought.


    As he walked towards them, he saw both Zender and Greldo look at him.


    "Is she alright?" Zender whispered.


    Irwin thought for a moment, then lowered himself until he sat beside the other two. He was about to explain what was going on when he heard a soft rustle near the hatch. Looking up, he saw Ib''s head poking through.


    "Alright, let''s head back to the galley," Irwin said with a weary smile.


    Ib disappeared back down, and a short while later, they were all sitting in the galley again. Irwin thought about how he should tell what he''d learned before realizing there was nothing he could say or do to make it better or easier.


    "Sesnanser port is being attacked," he said quietly, keeping an eye on Zender. "And at least seven of your brothers and sisters have died."


    There was a short moment of hushed silence before Zender rose and sprinted for the door.


    Irwin moved to stop the boy, then hesitated and let him leave. He listened to Zender run through the hallway to his own room, enter it, and slam the door shut.


    "I''ll talk with him," Greldo muttered as he rose.


    Irwin saw a grim look in Greldo''s eyes, and he nodded before turning his attention to Trinn and Brinni. Both had turned pale, and Brinni was holding Trinn''s hand, her eyes closed.


    Ib was quietly staring at the table before getting up and moving into the kitchen.


    "Did Rindiri sense anything else?" Daubutim asked softly. "Anything about what is going on?"


    Irwin shook his head. "No, only that they¡­" he fell quiet as Brinni began weeping softly, and he watched as Trinn pulled her up and away.


    "Thanks for telling us," Trinn whispered before they ran to their rooms.


    Irwin sighed as he looked at Daubutim. His friend''s sole good eye was slightly unfocused, and he decided to let him work through whatever he was trying to think.


    "It must be nice not having to deal with the Geneculling," Ib said from the kitchen area.


    Irwin saw she was furiously scrubbing something, probably the pot she''d used to make the stew.


    "What is the Geneculling," he asked softly.


    Ib glared at whatever was the target of her furious scrubbing before looking up.


    "Only the genetically best of us survive to become ten years and adults," she said. "Normally, only the genetic defects die within one or two years, while only a few survive to reach ten."


    Irwin leaned back. He''d wanted to ask Zender about this, but it would probably be better to ask Ib as she seemed willing to explain.


    "You''re the genetically best of your mother''s children?" he asked, already knowing the answer but hoping she''d elaborate on it a bit.


    Ib rose and looked at him before nodding. "Yes. Of the others, Zender isn''t half bad, but the rest are like Brinni. Too small, with minds that are too weak to handle the truths of the world."


    Irwin frowned at that but decided to keep his opinions to himself.


    "My people use cards to extend our life," he said. "Does that work for yours?"


    "Yes and no," Ib said with a weary sigh. "The trouble is that those with weaker genes can''t handle the pressure of strong cards. I can wield up to diamond rank, though only one. If I would slot a second card of that rank, I''d wither and die. Zender can probably wield up to emerald, though I''m not really sure, but most? Most are like Brinni and can only wield quartz or sometimes amethyst. If they slot something too strong, the card will drain them until they are dead."


    Irwin looked at Ib as he tried to wrap his head around what she''d just told him.


    "Why are so many people afraid of your species?" he asked. "I mean¡­ What is there to fear if most of you don''t grow beyond ten years, never become an adult, and only use weak cards?" he asked.


    Ib let out a short laugh before she shook her head.


    "When they found our world and opened it up, there were far more genetically perfect people, and although they had weaker cards, they almost fought their way into the hubworld. When they were beaten back, and many died, the Egrabodu family sent some high-carded after us to¡­ cull¡­ our population," Ib said, glaring at whatever she was cleaning now. "Can you imagine their surprise when a year later there was another attack, and a year later another? It took them a while to find out what was going on¡­ and¡­"


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Ib stopped cleaning. "Mom wasn''t there, but her mother was¡­ she said it was horrible. The Egrabodu families'' mercenaries went in, found the best of my people, and killed them. They only stopped when they had killed so many that the best of those left were those that were so weak they couldn''t live beyond thirty," she said, staring off into the distance. "Those like my mother''s mother. When they say that I''m perfect, that''s only based on what remains. It will take thousands of generations to return to where we were if we can even reach it," she said.


    With a sigh, she continued cleaning while Irwin looked at Daubutim, feeling slightly sick in his stomach.


    "There are worse stories than what happened to the Yuurindi," Daubutim said. "But not any as recent."


    "You knew about this?" Irwin asked, wondering why he was even surprised.


    "Yes. I talked with Rindiri a week ago," Daubutim said.


    Irwin sighed.


    "Well, tell me everything you have learned about them that I haven''t just heard," he said.


    Daubutim nodded, and as he began talking, Irwin leaned back.


    She''s right, he thought as he absently stared at Ib. He was happy that he didn''t have to deal with any Geneculling.


    --


    "This is bloody insane," Greldo shouted.


    Clenching the steering wheel, Irwin could only barely hear his voice above the roaring storm, but he agreed. The swirling clouds and cracks of lightning almost made him want to suggest landing the ship on the ground.


    "Rindiri says that if you can, you have to keep the ship dead center. If you see any of the edges appear, turn away, even if it''s potentially the way back!"


    "How long will this last?" Irwin roared back.


    He clenched the steering wheel tight. He was too heavy to be blown away yet, though as the storm kept increasing in power, he wondered how long it would be before more than just his leather armor would be flopping around. He didn''t bother looking at the arrow that was pointing to the side because any calibration that Rindiri had done was wiped away when the storm hit them.


    "Four hours at least, maybe six," Greldo shouted before closing the door.


    Irwin saw him struggle against the storm, and when the door finally shut completely, a thin white layer of snow and ice immediately formed on it.


    Great, he thought as he prepared himself for a few hours of cold loneliness.


    He stared ahead at the roiling purple-black clouds that moved from the chaotic space above the Portal Gallery barrier straight down, seeming uncaring about the gleaming blue barrier.


    A bolt of purple lightning rippled down from the clouds and struck the ground with such force that the booming explosion caused Irwin''s ears to hurt and ring. A cloud of purple and blue glowing particles expanded from where it had passed, like steam from a kettle.


    Irwin watched them in awe just as the soundwave made the ship slide sideways, the bow turning in another direction. He pulled on the steering wheel to tighten the ship, but it felt like he was trying to turn an anvil around with two fingers. Finally, after what felt like an hour of struggling, he managed to keep the nose going in the same direction, meaning straight at the storm. There was no other option besides turning back, and as he looked over his shoulder, he saw more roiling clouds there.


    So, forward is a storm, backward is a storm, and the edge of the Portal Gallery is to the sides. Lovely, Irwin thought.


    Another surge of wind pulled the boat sideways, and he quickly corrected the course.


    Minutes passed by excruciatingly slowly, and Irwin was immensely grateful that his card gave him near-unlimited endurance. Without it, he would probably have gone unconscious an hour ago.


    A crackling bolt of lightning rippled horizontally through the stormy air, making everything turn inverse in color for a split second. Dozens of pale blue shapes were dashing around in the wake of the bolt.


    What are those?


    When the light dimmed, the shapes vanished, but Irwin kept looking in the direction he''d seen them while constantly correcting the ship''s erratic movements.


    Worried they were going to run into some Chaos Space Demons, he wondered if he should try to move closer to the sides¡­


    A few minutes later, there was still no sign of any movement, but a deep, low sound echoed from ahead.


    Now what? Irwin thought as the icy wind slammed into his face as it turned again.


    As he blinked to get the snow out of his eyes, another lightning bolt rippled through the air. This time, he clearly saw the dozens of figures that had closed in, and his breath faltered.


    Enormous shapes that reminded him of fish, but with smooth skin instead of scales and two tails, where¡­ flying? Swimming? He couldn''t make sense of what he was seeing, but the enormous things were moving through the storm, gulping up the tiny blue and purple lights that remained in the wake of the lightning bolt. One of them had been moving almost straight for the Sonata but turned and began flying, he decided, beside the ship.


    As the thing closed in, he really appreciated just how large it was, the Sonata''s being both shorter and slimmer. Only the mast and sail gave it the impression that the ship was larger.


    Irwin saw one massive eye, with four smaller ones in a semi-arch above that one, all staring at him before the smaller ones began looking around in different directions. The large one blinked slowly, and another deep sound, almost like a melodic moan, came from the being.


    Similar sounds came from the others in the distance, and Irwin looked to the other side to find another giant fish swimming on that side. It let out a deep rumbling hum, and as it did, Irwin felt his card resonate.


    Are they¡­ singing? he thought, his worry growing as he pictured what would happen to the ship if the giant singing fish decided to ram it.


    Seconds slowly passed, and nothing of the sort happened, with the enormous fish remaining beside the ship, their hums and groans sounding like a back-and-forth conversation or a part of a song.


    As they sailed further into the thunderous cloud, smaller lightning bolts crackled around the ship, but none came close enough to hit it.


    A sudden cacophony of deep groans and hums came from above, and Irwin looked up in surprise.


    A dozen of the giant fish were floating above him, some so close to each other that they were fin-to-fin. Their deep sounds slowly mixed with those of the ones beside him, and suddenly, everything seemed to click. The humming and groaning aligned, turning into a deep song.


    Irwin gaped as he looked up and then around. He had been right. They were singing!


    As the song deepened, softer voices joined it, and he saw the distant fish had started flying in the same direction as he was. With the icy wind blasting his face, the howling wind, and the occasional crackling lightning, the song of the behemoths was beautiful and melancholy, and Irwin smiled as he looked ahead.


    He was almost a hundred percent sure that whatever these things were, they weren''t going to hurt him or the ship. If they had wanted to, they could have easily rammed The Sonata. Instead, they seemed almost careful not to come too close. More so, he realized that since the two fish had begun flanking him, the buffeting winds were having less of an impact on The Sonata, and it was easier to navigate.


    The heart of the storm was ahead of them, and as they headed towards it, Irwin saw that it was a large, calm region, with rain falling in a calm drizzle. Beyond it was another mass of swirling clouds.


    The prow of the Sonata broke through a thin blue barrier that seemed to surround the eye of the storm. As the ship sailed further into the calm area, Irwin passed through the thin barrier. He felt nothing but a mild tingle. Then, the howling storm muted as if he was in a building. The deep and resonant sounds of the fish became more beautiful and clear as they followed him.


    As he listened to the song, almost wholly immersed, he felt Ambraz struggle out of his pocket.


    "Chaos Whales¡­" the Anvil whispered as he landed on Irwin''s shoulder. "I never thought I''d see those."


    "What are they?" Irwin whispered back after a while, reluctant to speak and break the spell of the beautiful song.


    "Benign beings that live in the Chaos Space beyond the Portal Gallery," Ambraz whispered. "They are barely ever seen, but when they are, it is far beyond the known portals. Many explorer groups swear that they have been saved by groups of Chaos Whales, but it''s hard to be sure. Their song and presence influence all cards, and no cards that can record images, sounds, or anything like that work in their presence¡­. I guess many people don''t believe they even exist because of this."


    Irwin could imagine that as he stared at the massive Chaos Wales. Quietly, he listened as the song deepened, the melody turning more dramatic as if something sad was happening.


    As they floated further into the eye, reaching the center, he looked around to find that he was now surrounded by Chaos Whales. The temperature was falling even more, ice appearing on the wooden deck and cabin walls, but he barely felt it. His card was vibrating and humming in tandem with the Whale song, and as they headed towards the other side of the eye, lightning rippled through the sky before him, and rain was flung sideways through the air, slamming into the barrier.


    I wish I could let the others hear this, he thought as he thought of Scintilla.


    It was too cold for her, but what would she have thought if she could have heard this? He knew she loved to hear him sing while smithing...


    Irwin closed his eyes and took a deep breath. If he could learn this song, he could at least let her hear a part of it... Her, and his mother, and Bronwyn.


    Opening his eyes, he began softly humming along with the Whales, trying to find a rhythm or melody to follow.


    His voice, as deep and booming as it was compared to most people he had met, was like a high-pitched squeal compared to those of the whales. As he heard the difference between it and the beautiful, deep song, he almost stopped.


    With an almost happy jolt, his heartcard''s resonance increased and began vibrating along with his hum. As if triggered by this, his flame roared to life more intensely than ever before, causing his Kinetic energy to surge.


    Irwin felt his chest and throat begin vibrating, and as they did, his voice dropped, deepened, and became louder, causing his hum to match and intermingle with the softest of those of the whales.


    Shocked by what happened, he failed to anticipate a change in the melody, and his, and then the entire song, faltered.


    Oh no!


    Irwin looked around, afraid he''d made a horrible mistake, to find all of the whales watching him. As his worry grew, the song suddenly exploded forth with renewed vigor; the slight falter gone as if it had never happened while more and more voices joined.


    Irwin, emboldened, rejoined, trying to follow in the song as much as he could, sometimes faltering as new parts began, only to rejoin when he learned them.


    When the ship passed through the other edge of the eye, the storm erupted around them with a vengeance, but the sound of the song continued, only changing to seemingly incorporate the howling of the wind and the crackling of the lightning.


    Irwin barely noticed as the temperature rose slightly, now humming and sometimes singing along as loud as he could. His heartcard was vibrating so powerfully that it felt like his body had turned into a tuning fork, and as he held the steering wheel, staring ahead, intense joy filled him.


    At some point, he felt an odd sensation in his heartcard, but as it didn''t seem threatening, he ignored it in favor of the song.


    He had no idea how long the song lasted, but at some moment, he realized that the whales, his deep-voiced friends, were fading, and Irwin jolted awake.


    He was staring straight ahead, the sky ahead as clear as the odd sky above the Portal Gallery could be, and the temperature back to something he knew at least Greldo and Rindiri could withstand.


    Turning around, he saw the dark storm spanning the horizon from left to right, a mass of the Chaos Whales flying back into it. A single whale hovered around the edge, and although Irwin couldn''t see them, he was sure the Chaos Whale''s eyes were focused on him.


    "Thank you," he said, smiling.


    Although the distance should have been far too great, a deep sound, similar to a warhorn, echoed out from the Chaos Whale, then it turned and followed the others.


    Irwin watched the storm for a few more moments before turning back to the steering wheel.


    He relished in the memories of the song for a few moments before focusing on the way ahead. There was no sign of the Portal Gallery walls, which meant he was either still in the middle or they had reached the widening part. The ground below was covered in a thin layer of white and brown fungus.


    I hope I can experience that again sometime, he thought.

 Chapter 175: Dividends of the song

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    It took Irwin a while to regain his clarity, but when he did, he wondered why none of the others had come up. He''d almost expected Greldo to be watching him, noting something about his singing skills.


    Locking the steering wheel, he headed to the cabin, but before he could reach it, it swung open.


    Greldo looked at him, his silver eyes gleaming and a wide smile on his face. "So, done singing?" he asked as he walked outside, followed by Rindiri, who closed the door.


    Irwin grinned at his friend, knowing he was just messing around.


    "I wondered when you would show up," he said. "Even all your hair can''t keep you warm? I''ll buy you a mantle next time we reach a port."


    Greldo barked a laugh, but as he walked past, Irwin was surprised when Greldo reached out and grabbed his shoulder, squeezing slightly. His friend''s eyes turned foggy momentarily, and his grin faltered.


    "That was probably the most beautiful thing I''ve ever heard," Greldo said.


    Irwin blinked in surprise while Greldo headed to the stern, leaning on it as he gazed off into the distance.


    "Those were Chaos Whales," Rindiri said, inspecting him as if expecting to find something new. "I have never heard of someone singing with them. Do you have these where you are from?"


    Irwin shook his head as he saw Rindiri stare at him curiously. Her hair was half gray by now, and he felt his smile slip as he realized what that meant.


    "Did¡­" he began, faltering as he gestured at her hair.


    "Seven lives remain," she said, squaring her shoulders. "Four with us and three somewhere else."


    Irwin didn''t respond but watched as she turned and headed toward the ladder that led to the steering wheel. Before she climbed up, however, she turned back to him.


    "Greldo is right. That was one of the most beautiful things I''ve ever heard," she said. "And that the whales saved us from a nasty death by that sudden Chaos Storm doesn''t make it any worse of a story."


    Irwin hesitated, wondering if he should talk to her, then decided against it. Instead, he turned and headed towards the door of the cabin.


    "I''m going to sleep for a bit," he said.


    "I''ll wake you in ten hours," Rindiri shouted back.


    --


    Irwin woke gradually, his body relaxed and warm, his mind still somewhat fuzzy. He heard the shuffling above deck and the soft talking from the galley. Everything was fine, and he felt his mind drift off again, seeming still interested in more sleep.


    Just as he pondered if he should continue sleeping, something pushed against his cheek.


    He froze, and it happened again. Confused, he opened his eyes and looked straight at Ambraz, who was sitting on his chest, a massive grin on his metal mouth.


    "What?" Irwin whispered, looking around for anything that might be ready to jump him.


    There was nothing, his room empty, and the gentle movement of the ship told him that there wasn''t another storm either.


    "The kid''s in the topmast, so she can''t hear us, so stop procrastinating and take a look already," Ambraz whispered back, sounding incredibly excited.


    Irwin blinked away what remained of his sleepiness.


    "What?" he whispered, trying to figure out what Ambraz was talking about.


    "Are you still sleeping?" Ambraz hissed. "Look at your soullake already!"


    Irwin looked back, not sure what was going on, but slowly feeling himself grow infected by Ambraz''s excitement. Closing his eyes again, he focused on his heartcard, and as he did, he could feel something was different. It responded a bit faster and with a bit more power than he was used to.


    His vision changed, and Irwin was stunned as he saw the changes to his soullake. It had filled up slightly with the watery Soulforce now almost up to the edges. It was still shallow, perhaps an ankle-deep layer, but it was far more than the last time he had checked.


    That''s so much! Irwin thought as he looked at his heartcard.


    It hovered lazily above the lake, glistening as if wet.


    "What happened?" Irwin tried shouting, but his voice only echoed in his own mind.


    Letting go of his focus, he saw Ambraz still on his chest.


    "And?"


    "The Soulforce has filled up, almost reaching the edges," Irwin whispered excitedly.


    He jerked upright just as Ambraz was whispering something, causing the Anvil to be tossed back. Ambraz let out a softly whispered complaint before flitting back to hover in front of his face, but Irwin ignored him.


    "What¡­ how¡­ the Whales?" he whispered, trying to make sense of where the Soulforce had come from. The Chaos whales were the only thing that made sense to him.


    "Of course the Whales," Ambraz whispered angrily. "I couldn''t talk to you while you were all zoned out, and after that, I was asleep from the excess Soulforce spillover, but¡­ it was incredible!"


    Ambraz began flitting around before Irwin, who tried to make sense of what the Anvil was saying.


    "Each one of those things has to be a soulskilled creature and their singing? At least from one of them that was boosted by a Soulskill! It was somehow pulling in Soulforce from¡­ Well, I don''t really know from where. Somewhere?" Ambraz ''s excited whisper turned to a confused mutter before he flitted in front of Irwin''s face again.


    "It doesn''t matter. You just got a massive boon! This will shave off a year or more of collecting compatible cards! Not to mention how much it shortened my next rank up!"


    A year? Irwin thought.


    He pictured the tiny trickle of Soulforce the cards he had absorbed before had given, then imagined how many of those he''d need to get the Soulforce that now sat in his lake. A year seemed like an understatement to him unless the cards he had absorbed had been the worst of the worst.


    Then he shook his head. It didn''t matter! All that mattered was that he''d just had a major windfall due to the Chaos Whales.


    "Do you think we can get a card that can do that?" he asked excitedly.


    "What? Are you planning on finding and killing one of those Whales?" Ambraz bit back, his metal lips in a tight line.


    Irwin closed his mouth with a snap. The entire idea of killing one of the beautifully singing Whales made his anger flare up.


    "No," he hissed, shaking his head. Before continuing softly. "No, but perhaps there are other things with a similar skill?"


    Ambraz was quiet, and as he flitted around in thought, Irwin thought about the Anvil''s harsh reaction just now. Ambraz had never reacted that extremely to him harvesting cards. Beyond his own distate at the idea, was there another reason why Ambraz seemed angered by the mere thought?


    Its probably the same reason I hate it, he thought.


    Ambraz let out a weary sigh.


    "I can''t recall having ever read or heard of a skill like that. The closest I can come up with doesn''t even remotely do what those Whales did. There might be cards like this out there somewhere, but the chances of finding one? Well, I''d say those are¡­ well, closer to zero than anything I can think of right now," Ambraz whispered.


    Irwin sighed as he sat back on the bed that creaked and protested from his weight. It made sense. If cards like those were anywhere, they would be the most searched-for card in existence, and he would have probably heard of them already. He leaned against the wall and suddenly felt like humming the Chaos Whale song again. He remembered large parts of it but not nearly all. Perhaps if he just started, he could remember-


    He shot upright and bolted for the door before he realized Ambraz was flitting about.


    "What are you-" Ambraz began before being cut short as he was stuffed in Irwin''s pocket, letting out a strangled complaint.


    Irwin yanked open the door and saw Daubutim''s door was closed. He knocked on it.


    "Enter."


    Irwin pulled the door open to find Daubutim standing in the center of the room with only a thin shirt on. He lowered his massive blue two-handed sword, the point tapping the ground before wiping sweat from his glistening head.


    "Did you hear the song?" Irwin asked excitedly.


    Daubutim stared at him with his single good eye, then barked a laugh.


    "I am half blind, not deaf," Daubutim said, sounding amused. "Everyone heard it, and Bendi almost went crazy. He kept saying we were doomed, and Greldo actually had to sit on him."


    Irwin opened his mouth, then closed it. Sit on him? He''d have loved to see that. He would have to ask Greldo about that later.


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    "Sounds like you had almost as much fun as I did," he said. "But, more importantly, do you recall the entire song?"


    "Of course," Daubutim said as he flicked his hand, his sword vanishing. "Why?"


    "Can you write music notes?" Irwin continued, almost wanting to start jumping up and down.


    "No¡­" Daubutim said, and his shoulders sagged slowly.


    Something about the sadness in his tone snapped Irwin back to reality, and he stared at his friend, realizing something was wrong.


    "I¡­ Well, that''s no problem," he said carefully. "I think I can teach you?"


    "Father said music and singing is a useless endeavor for a warrior," Daubutim said softly. "My oldest brother once had a friend teach him how to play on a lute¡­ When Father found out, he exiled my brother''s friend to the wall and forbade him from ever touching another instrument. My brother''s punishment was worse."


    Irwin stared at his friend in horror. He knew Daubutim''s father was odd and was somewhere between a harsh but capable parent and a monster, but this? This sounded both stupid and horrible to him.


    "I didn''t know," he said lamely before stepping back. "It''s alright, I''ll find another way."


    "I didn''t say I won''t help you," Daubutim said as he walked to his bag and pulled out a book and a pencil. "Make the sounds we heard, tell me the symbol representing them, and I''ll write down the song."


    Irwin didn''t feel as happy as he would have only five minutes ago, but he nodded softly.


    "Are you sure?" he asked, noting the fogginess in Daubutim''s previously clear eye.


    "Yes," Daubutim said calmly.


    Irwin hesitated, then nodded. "Alright, let me get something quickly," he said as he ran back to his own room.


    A short while later, they were sitting at one of the kitchen tables. Irwin was pointing at symbols in his book while he made sounds.


    "So if the sound goes up, the position of the symbol does, too," Irwin said as he tapped a symbol and repeated the sound but a bit higher. "I''m not able to make the exact sounds perfectly yet, but if you take this-" He made the highest sound he''d heard the whales make and wrote it down before making the lowest sound that he could and noting that down as well. "-and use these as the highest and lowest while sorting the rest in between, it should be close enough for me to work with."


    "Very good," Daubutim said as he examined the paper. "I like this. It has order and structure, and it makes sense. I also think father was wrong."


    What? Irwin thought as he looked at his friend, wondering what he was talking about. The words had been soft and plain with little emotion, but¡­ had Daubutim ever said his father was wrong? About anything?


    Daubutim didn''t seem to notice his confusion as he traced one of the lines of notes on the sheet while nodding.


    "Learning this is a good way to get used to certain structures," Daubutim said. "It is like math."


    Irwin stared dully at his notebook. It was? He tried to see what his friend saw, but he didn''t see the resemblance. It felt more like a written language to him.


    "You know math?" a soft voice asked.


    Irwin looked up to see Trinn and Brinni look at him from the door. He realized that they had been standing there for a while, softly watching and listening. He''d subconsciously ignored them, as what they were doing wasn''t a secret.


    "I do," Daubutim said.


    "Can you teach us?" Brinni asked with wide eyes.


    Irwin saw Daubutim''s surprise, and he couldn''t blame him. He''d learned simple math at school, what seemed like forever ago, and he hadn''t enjoyed it all that much. Later, he''d found that there were some calculations involved with smithing that proved useful, and that had helped, but by and large, he''d never really needed much of it. Why anyone would voluntarily learn it was beyond him.


    "I can," Daubutim said slowly.


    "You don''t sound very sure," Brinn muttered.


    "Because I''m very confused," Daubutim replied.


    Irwin held back a snort.


    "What? Why?" Brinn asked as she walked into the room and sat down on the other side of the table.


    "I''ve never had a child come and ask me to teach them anything but sword-fighting," Daubutim said.


    A strangled gasp came from the kitchen, causing everyone to look up in surprise.


    Irwin got up and walked forward, looking in the tiny obscured area to find Zender huddled on the ground, hands clasped over his mouth.


    "Why are you hiding there?" Irwin asked.


    "Cause I wasn''t sure I''d be allowed to listen in, Captain," Zender said as he scrambled up, very obviously trying to look innocent.


    Your sisters were listening, and nobody told them to leave, Irwin thought, shaking his head and wondering if Zender was lying or hadn''t seen the others at the door.


    "So you decided just to eavesdrop?" he asked as he raised his eyebrow, wondering if he should be angry or amused. He suddenly recalled how often he''d eavesdropped on his mother while she was talking with neighbors.


    Perhaps amused then, he thought, holding back his grin as he recalled his mother''s punishments for eavesdropping.


    "Sorry, Captain," Zender said, hanging his head down.


    Irwin sighed. "Don''t do it again. Now go and sit beside your sisters."


    Zender was moving before he finished, and Irwin turned to see Daubutim inspect the three opposite him.


    "Good luck," Irwin said as he walked towards the door, snatching his own book from the table in passing. "I''ll go and take over from Rindiri and come find you after."


    Daubutim waved at him as he closed the door.


    Good luck with that, Irwin thought.


    The whole idea of teaching math made his skin crawl. If he had to teach anything, it was going to be cardsmithing.


    Or hammer fighting, he added as he recalled how much he''d enjoyed Crithann''s training.


    --


    Days passed quietly, and surprisingly fast, the worry about another storm fading as slowly some order began to come to the ship and its small crew.


    The morning consisted of Irwin doing the first shift on the deck while Daubutim tutored Brinni. Zender had lost his enthusiasm for math within the hour, and Greldo had taken over his sword training. Although Greldo wasn''t as skilled as Daubutim, his enthusiasm proved a great match for Zender, and Irwin had to actually order them to only train in the ship''s cargo hold so they didn''t destroy their very limited supply of furniture.


    The third child, Trinn, didn''t care much for either math or swords but seemed capable of sleeping anywhere at any time and remained with Brinni. Irwin had pondered if it was Daubutim''s lecture that caused her to fall asleep so easily and concluded that it had to be either that or a card.


    Their older sister, Ib, had looked in on both the math and the sword practice a few times but seemed to care little about either. She was mostly in her room or in the kitchen, showing more interest in cooking by the day, to the point where she''d begun asking all of them for recipes and things about food.


    Bendi was mostly hiding in his room unless it was time to eat or head out on the deck. If Greldo hadn''t told him that the raider wasn''t doing anything odd, Irwin would have worried he was planning something fishy.


    Now, a week after the storm, Irwin leaned on the steering wheel and gazed ahead happily.


    He was softly humming a part of the song he''d learned from the Whales, something he found himself doing a lot the times he was alone, especially when he was in a good mood.


    Which he was.


    Daubutim was making progress on writing the song down, while another day had passed without Rindiri sensing more of her children dying. How three had managed to survive whatever happened to Sesnanser, he didn''t know, but if he had to guess, he''d say they had made it through the portal even if the people in that world didn''t want them there.


    Perhaps it''s just the boys, he thought as he absently turned on the wheel to keep the nose of the ship in the direction of the arrow. It was only the girls and women that weren''t allowed in the worlds, right?


    He sighed as he lingered on the oddities of the different species he''d met since reaching the Portal Gallery before his mind drifted off to the other things that had happened. He could barely remember how he''d felt or thought back when he''d left Malorin years ago. With one card, he''d been teleported to the sorcerer''s towers only to be forced into that training portal.


    I wonder if that snake thing is still in the lava of that training world, he thought as he remembered those days.


    His mind kept wandering for a while but eventually returned to the here and now when he heard the door below open.


    Wondering if he''d zoned out for his entire shift, he tried to determine what time it was. As always, there was barely any way to gauge that, the lack of day and night or anything similar making it hard to determine the passing of time. The best he had come up with was keeping an eye on the edges of the seemingly ever-widening Portal Gallery landmass. As he looked at them, he frowned. The glowing blue barriers were so far away they were no more than distant blue lines while the ground was still only covered in a thin covering of fungi, but they didn''t seem much further than when he''d arrived that morning.


    Still, it was Rinidiri who was climbing up the ladder and walking towards him. More surprising even was that Greldo came up after her, shivering in the cold. White frost covered his thick fur, and from his glimpses back at the door, he seemed inclined to head back inside.


    "We are going to reach the location that Daubutim showed us on the map," Rindiri said as she stopped beside him and glanced at the oval on the steering wheel. "I''ll need to make some small calibrations if that''s alright with you?"


    Finally, Irwin thought.


    He stepped away to let her at the wheel and walked to stand beside Greldo, who was rubbing his arms.


    "Why are you out here?" he asked, watching the thick plumes of hot air his friend blew forward playfully.


    "Cause all of you have bad eyes," Greldo said, his voice trembling slightly. "And someone needs to see if those other explorer groups left marker beacons. Remember?"


    Irwin nodded as he recalled that Daubutim and Rindiri had discussed that a few days ago.


    He examined his friend and was happy to see that although he was shivering in the intense cold, he also looked calm and well-rested. The haunted look that sometimes plagued him seemed gone for the moment.


    I think training with Zender is good for him, Irwin thought.


    Their exuberant laughter as they played a dangerous blade-wielding game of tag, with Greldo using his teleportation to make it even trickier, was something he heard more and more as of late.


    "How are the kids doing?" he asked.


    "They wanted me to ask you if you can use your warmth skill," Greldo said with a grin. "I believe Zender''s exact words were, ''I''ll do anything, please. Even cleaning sails is fun compared to being stuck down here!'' or something like that."


    Irwin laughed. It didn''t surprise him in the least that Zender had been the one asking. Brinni seemed more than happy to sit with Daubutim for as long as he was willing to teach her, while Trinn never left her sister alone but seemed able to sleep always and anywhere.


    Zender, however, had a ton of energy, and even practicing sword fighting with Greldo probably wasn''t enough.


    Irwin looked up and examined the sails, noting a few patches of dust and dirt that were starting to cake. He could use his Sweltering Skill to wash it off, but that would cost almost as much energy as letting the kids on deck.


    "The sails could do with a scrub," he said with a grin.


    "Let''s see if there''s something there first," Rindiri said as she pointed forward and slightly to the side.


    "And with see, you mean if I can see anything?" Greldo said, giving Rindiri a shaky grin.


    "Correct, young man," Rindiri replied.


    Irwin burst out laughing as he saw Greldo''s disgruntled look.


    "Fine, fine," Greldo said as he moved to the railing and watched into the distance.


    As Irwin saw him work, he realized he didn''t care as much that he''d lost his Eyes of Blaze anymore. It wasn''t that it wouldn''t have been useful, but Greldo had a similar ability, and it would be better if they had a diverse skill set. Who knew what they would come across when they finally managed to find portals?


    "Nothing yet," Greldo said after a while.


    Rindiri muttered something and began working on the wheel. After a few moments, the ship turned slightly.


    Irwin waited and watched, and as time passed, Greldo began shuddering while there was no indication of any marker beacon. Finally, he''d had enough, and he focused on his Sweltering skill, noticing that the larger pool of Soulforce in his soullake increased the speed at which the steam appeared and swirled across the deck.


    Within moments, the temperature began rising. Greldo looked up and nodded gratefully.


    "Thanks."


    "No problem, but I''m going to let the others out for a bit," Irwin said. "It would be a waste of energy otherwise."


    Rindiri looked up, seeming slightly annoyed. Then she shrugged. "Fine, but if we locate a portal, the kids have to return down below."


    "Of course," Irwin replied as he walked to the door.


    Before he reached it, it creaked open, and Zender''s face poked through. His purple eyes widened as he saw the steam, and the door was shoved open.


    "You were right, Brinni!" he shouted as he dashed out onto the deck, passing Irwin. "Thanks, Captain! I''ll clean them bright and shiny!"


    Irwin didn''t respond but watched as the others filed out on the deck. Even Bendi had been waiting, and as the ex-raider walked onto the deck, he drew in deep breaths.


    "I always hate these long trips," he said as he walked beside Irwin. "But having at least some time above deck does make a difference. If you ever decide to leave your own group, I can promise you that most mercenary and explorer groups on the main branch would accept you on their crew just for this one skill!"


    "I''ll keep that in mind," Irwin said. "Have you ever been to one of the main branches?"


    Bendi smiled ruefully, shaking his head. "No, I wasn''t allowed to pass Dimarintsia," he said, raising his left hand and looking at his cards. "Only those that belong to a wealthy family, large merchant group, smithing charter or have soulcards are allowed beyond these walls," he narrated as if reading from a pamphlet.


    "Can''t you just fly around Dimarintsia''s port?" Irwin asked, slightly confused.


    Bendi looked up in surprise. "What? Was your world on the Langost branch before it shattered? I thought it was beyond Dimarintsia?"

 Chapter 176: Boulder marks the spot?

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    Irwin looked at Bendi, unsure what to say. He knew that the world he was supposed to be from was far from where they were now, but he had no idea on which side of Dimarintsia it even was! He quickly decided that the best thing would be to say he didn''t know. Besides, he was supposed to have been very young when he left, right?


    "I was very young when I was brought to this area," he said with a shrug. "I don''t recall exactly what happened after the world shattered or what happened after we were taken away."


    Bendi quietly looked back, and for a moment, Irwin thought he was going to ask more, then he just whistled in wonder.


    "You must have been unconscious if you don''t recall going through Dimarintsia. It''s a city that spans the width of that part of the Portal Gallery, and the tallest of its towers brush the barrier."


    "It sounds like an amazing place to visit," Irwin said, not sure if Bendi believed him or not.


    "Oh, it is. I was inside twice," Bendi said. "Sadly, you need a visit crystal, and it costs over a thousand soulcrystals per week."


    "It what?" Irwin blurted, staring at Bendi. "That''s-"


    "Insane? Impossible? Yes, well, what we call wealth on this side of the Portal Gallery is nothing compared to even a moderately well-off person in Dimarintsia," Bendi said. "So, to answer your question again. No, I''ve never been to the true main branches."


    "Why don''t they just allow people through?" Greldo asked as he walked to the railing near them and continued scanning the horizon.


    "Power and soulshards, of course," Bendi said, raising his head slightly.


    Irwin had the feeling Bendi was happy to be in the center of attention, and as the ex-raider continued talking, his voice became louder as if he wanted more people to listen.


    "I spoke to an older explorer when I was there, and he said that all of the named branches have a chokepoint city, as he called them. He said he was from one near a distant branch but lacked the soulshards to return home. Either way, he told me that the chokepoint cities are run by either a powerful family, merchant group, or one of the guilds. According to him, those that are run by the guilds are less strict, but sadly for us, Dimarintsia is run by a coalition of families that all want more than the others want to give, meaning they are squeezing dry anyone who wants to pass through."


    "Lovely," Greldo muttered. "Glad we don''t have to pass through then."


    Irwin agreed wholeheartedly, but Bendi merely shrugged.


    "Dimarintsia is a fantastic place to be if you have the soulshards for it. Everything you could imagine is there, and rumor has it that rare and powerful cards are easy to get if you are rich enough to afford to move through to the other side," he said as he walked away.


    I wonder about that, Irwin thought as he watched Bendi move to the mast and climb up nimbly.


    "I wonder what would happen if someone finds a rank four or five world here and creates one of those cities," he said as he joined Greldo at the railing.


    "Those noble families would probably just send armies to take it," Greldo said with a shrug.


    Irwin was about to point out that they weren''t nobles, just wealthy families, when Greldo suddenly pointed ahead.


    "There''s something over there," he shouted.


    Irwin followed his finger but wasn''t surprised when he saw nothing.


    "Is it the beacon?" he asked.


    "Don''t know what those look like," Greldo said. "But this looks more like some enormous boulder."


    Irwin frowned as he looked across the Portal Gallery world below him. There wasn''t a boulder, hill, or even slight elevation in sight.


    Perhaps something fell from above?


    Rindiri took them lower so they could see better, and after a while, Irwin began making out the rough shape of something massive on the horizon.


    "Can you see what it is?" he whispered.


    "No¡­ but it almost looks manmade," Greldo replied, sounding worried.


    Irwin tried to make out anything, but all he saw was a rough shape. Still, if Greldo said it looked manmade, he believed him. Which meant there might be trouble up ahead.


    "I''m going to drop the steam," he shouted. "Everyone back inside! Rindiri, get us up high enough that we can flee if needed!"


    "Yes, Captain!"


    There were some sad shouts from above, but within moments, everyone besides Irwin, Greldo, and Rindiri had returned below deck.


    As soon as he was sure the door was closed, Irwin dropped the steam. He quickly looked at his energy and was relieved that it had only drained about a tenth of the energy in his card. Not enough to pose any problem except in the worst cases, and if things became that bad, he preferred fleeing even if he had full energy.


    Still, let''s hope it''s just a boulder, he thought.


    "I¡­ don''t know what that is," Greldo muttered.


    Irwin felt his worry grow slightly, and he looked at Rindiri, who looked hyper-focused on the steering wheel.


    "Rindiri, can you circle around it a bit?" he shouted.


    Rindiri nodded without looking up, and the ship changed course.


    As they closed in and circled around the massive boulder, Irwin finally began making out some details. The side they had been moving towards resembled a rough boulder, but as they began getting a glimpse of the other sides, he noticed straight lines and a flat, smooth surface.


    "It looks like a part of a building," Greldo muttered.


    Irwin agreed with him, and as he inspected the block, he realized it reminded him of a part of a defense tower.


    The ship began slowing down as they closed in on the odd debris, and Rindiri joined them.


    "That is definitely not a beacon," she said.


    "Could there have been a portal here at some point?" Irwin asked, looking around the empty wasteland. "A very long time ago?"


    "It would have to be thousands of years if none of the vegetation remains," Rindiri said. "But it''s not unheard of. Sometimes, remnants of ancient portal ports are found. That usually means that the portal that was there is gone because the world beyond shattered."


    "That''s nice and all, but why would there only be one piece?" Greldo asked.


    "Depending on what happened to the portal, it could have exploded and blasted everything away," Rindiri said slowly. "But I have to say I''m no specialist in these things. I''ve never come across anything similar, I just heard some stories."


    They quietly observed the debris for a bit until Greldo broke the silence.


    "Do you sense a portal anywhere?"


    Greldo was looking at Rindiri, but Irwin knew the question was as much directed at him.


    "I''ll check," Rindiri said as she headed back to the steering wheel.


    Irwin nodded at Greldo and closed his eyes as he focused on his heartcard. He''d been practicing the odd scanning sense on and off, and it took him only a few moments to calm his card until it seemed almost tranquil.


    For a few moments, he didn''t sense anything, and he was about to stop when his card tugged to one side softly. He barely sensed it, but it felt like it wanted to go further to the barrier and up.


    So that''s what it does, he thought as he focused on the feeling.


    He wondered if this was how everyone felt it or if it was because of his increased resonance sensitivity.


    After a few moments of making sure he had a general sense of direction, he released his focus. Greldo was still beside him, looking at him with interest and raising an eyebrow.


    Irwin nodded as he stared in the direction he''d sensed his card wanted to go.


    Rindiri was still busy at the wheel, and Irwin frowned.


    "What if she doesn''t notice it," he whispered softly.


    Greldo blinked, then grinned and turned to the steering wheel.


    "Rindiri, I think I see more debris in that direction," Greldo shouted, pointing straight at where Irwin had felt the tug.


    "Alright, let''s go and see," she shouted. "Because I don''t sense anything here."


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    So, Ambraz was right, Irwin thought as he recalled the Anvil telling him that he would be able to sense portals from much further away than others.


    He was curious to see how long it would take for Rindiri to sense the portal, and after some hesitation, he focused on his card again. This time, the tugging came faster, almost as if his card already knew what to look for, and Irwin alternated by looking ahead and sensing the tugging.


    They continued flying for what Irwin guessed had to have been an hour, and the tugging was now so powerful that he was afraid he was going to get pulled up into the sky toward it.


    How can she not be sensing this? he thought as a tiny trickle of worry wormed its way into his mind. What if she wasn''t going to feel it all?


    It still took another half an hour before Rindiri finally looked up with glistening eyes, taking away his growing fear.


    "I can sense something," she shouted. "It''s weak and far, but I think it''s above us!"


    You don''t say, Irwin thought as he shared a grin with Greldo.


    Rindiri made the ship go almost straight up, and Irwin heard shouts of anger from below deck, but the gray and purple-haired navigator ignored it all. With a wicked grin, she continued to bring them up high in the sky, beyond their usual cruising speed, before she leveled the ship out.


    Irwin looked around, but he saw nothing but an empty sky.


    "So¡­ where is it?" he asked Rindiri, who walked up beside him.


    "What? Did you think we could just see it?" she asked in surprise. "If that would have worked, people like Greldo would have been the best to locate them instead of cardsmiths."


    She moved to the center of the deck, and as she did, Irwin quickly closed his eyes and focused on the location of the portal. His card jolted, and he almost felt his entire being pulled towards the location Rindiri was walking to. He quickly released his focus, and as he did, he saw Rindiri stand before a location on the deck.


    "Portals are like pure Soulforce holes that, without external influence, are imperceptible with just your eyes. However, you should be able to sense it now if you focus on your cards. It''s like a strange wobbling feeling, almost like your cards want to move somewhere."


    Irwin watched Greldo close his eyes and, after a few moments, open them again as his mouth fell open in surprise.


    "I felt it! It''s really weird, almost as if my heartcard wants to pull out of my chest towards where you are standing," he shouted excitedly.


    Rindiri''s eyes widened in surprise. "You can feel it that clearly? That''s fantastic! Then you can help me locate more portals in the future! Now, let''s open this portal."


    "How are we going to do that, and will there be any trouble if we are this close?" Irwin asked as he walked towards her. As he neared the location of the portal, he felt his card act up even without him focusing on it.


    "After we agitate the portal, we have a few hours before the dissonance builds up enough for it to open," Rindiri said as she raised her hand. "To agitate a portal, you have to sense the resonance of the portal and make your card or cards resonate in the opposite way," she said before standing completely still, hand raised.


    Irwin nodded. That made a lot of sense with all he''d learned. As he quietly watched Rindiri, he wondered if that was also the reason the portal began appearing between shardworlds and normal worlds after the first portal appeared. Perhaps the world''s frequency became unstable due to a portal being created, and that made it possible for portals to connect it to other worlds? He frowned, not sure if that made complete sense, but he was pretty sure he was on to something.


    I''m going to have to talk with Ambraz and Daubutim about this when we enter it, Irwin thought.


    Rindiri remained at the portal unmoving for a long time, and when she did move, she stumbled back, slumping to the ground. Irwin walked forward and helped her up.


    "That was¡­ harder than I remember," Rindiri said, swaying on her feet.


    "What was different?" Greldo asked as he stood beside them.


    There was no sign of anything where the portal was, but Irwin did feel his card''s resonate change slightly. It felt off, for lack of a better word.


    "It felt like it was more stable as if someone closed it on purpose, maybe?" Rindiri said as she walked to the ladder and sat down. "Can you get us moving away from here? Just turn the wheel so nobody moves through the portal. It shouldn''t do anything yet, but... well, it''s best to be safe with these things."


    Irwin nodded as he climbed around her and to the steering wheel. As soon as he put his hands on the wheel, he began turning it to the left, and as the ship began moving, it turned away from where the portal was supposed to be. He glided a few hundred yards away before slowing to a stop and walking back to Greldo and Rindiri.


    "So, now we wait?" he asked.


    "Yes," Rindiri said as she got up and headed to the door. "It will take a while before it opens up, and we will hear that. After it''s open, we need to wait for it to stabilize to a normal shape and energy signature before we can see what''s on the other side."


    She went into the cabin, closing the door behind her.


    "So, what do you think?" Irwin asked as he looked at where the portal was going to hopefully appear soon.


    "I think this thing is way too close to other things for our plan," Greldo whispered. "But perhaps it''s a good world for Rindiri and her people?"


    "Maybe¡­ but that would mean they would stay behind, and we''d have to go on without them," Irwin said as he pictured having to take each shift on the helm. "Still, you are right. I guess we better get used to that idea and figure out how to do it all by ourselves."


    "Well, I''m not going to do the sail cleaning," Greldo whispered.


    "No, you will have to help me on the helm," Irwin said, grinning when he saw Greldo rub his arms to warm them. "But seriously, Bendi would still be there, and he can do the cleaning unless you trust him with cooking?"


    "No¡­ I think Daubutim should cook," Greldo grunted. "Anyway, let''s see what''s behind the portal first. Perhaps someone closed it because it''s a dangerous place?"


    Irwin nodded when he had a sudden idea. What if this was another one of the worlds the Galadin people took refuge in?


    It''s close to things like Fiverio now, but it must have been incredibly far from any known place back then, he thought as he pictured going through the portal and finding people like him. Well, like what he used to look like before he got his cards.


    "I''m going down for some food," Greldo said. "See you in a bit."


    Irwin waved as he remained on the deck, pondering what could be behind the portal.


    After a long time, he went down to join the others for a meal, but time seemed to pass slowly.


    Finally, as he was pacing across the deck, humming part of the Chaos Whale song, a crackling came from the side of the ship.


    Irwin ran to the railing, noticing an orb of crackling blackness suffused with red lightnings building up rapidly.


    Behind him, the door was opened, and Rindiri ran outside, followed by Greldo.


    "Don''t look straight into it when it explodes."


    Irwin frowned for a moment, wondering if he should ignore her. He could watch straight into the sun and hadn''t been blinded by bright lights ever since he had gotten his first card. Then he turned away. Who knew what could happen? Besides, it wasn''t worth the risk.


    A few moments later, a loud crackling explosion was followed by a massive surge of heat that burst out from behind him. Within moments, the temperature on the ship surged, and the ice that had formed on every surface melted, water dripping down.


    "Okay, it should be safe now," Rindiri said, standing next to him.


    Irwin turned around and smiled as he saw the familiar sight of an exit portal hovering before him. Large enough to fit a cart or more, its edges were covered in tiny bolts of red lightning that crackled around it in slow patterns.


    "It''s exactly like the other ones," he said.


    "What else did you expect," Rindiri asked as he glanced at him.


    "Maybe something smaller?" Irwin asked. "It''s the first new exit portal I''ve seen. Well, as far as I can remember, at least."


    "So¡­ how are we going to go inside?" Greldo asked as he leaned forward. "All that lightning can''t be good for the Sonata hull or sails."


    "We are going to have to jump inside," Rindiri said. "We will go alongside and use one of the gangplanks. It''s why they can be attached to the deck in the first place, although people hardly use them for that due to how rarely portals are found."


    "Okay¡­ and what about when we return?" Irwin asked as he shared a worried look with Greldo.


    Rindiri grinned as she waved below the portal. "We are going to hover below the portal so anyone that exits will fall on the deck."


    Irwin swallowed as he imagined exiting a portal only to start a freefall. Looking down, he was pretty sure he''d survive a fall from that distance, and Greldo could probably teleport to safety, but what about the others?"


    "Serious?" Greldo muttered. "So that makes the group we can take inside smaller."


    Irwin nodded as he looked at the portal. "You and me," he said, turning to Greldo. "And if it''s safe, you can go outside, shadowport to the deck, and bring Daubutim over."


    "I don''t think that''s wise," Rindiri said, causing the other two to look at her. "The opening of the portal could potentially draw troublesome things here, and if the strongest fighters are inside the portal¡­" she trailed off while Irwin sighed.


    "How do you usually do this?" he asked.


    "Usually?" Rindiri snorted. "I have never even found a portal before. Usually, there are dozens of explorer ships nearby, and everyone comes storming over when the portal explodes open. It''s kind of easy to sense because everyone that''s searching will sense the opening. I have sensed a portal just as another group claimed it years ago, and I was around for two more openings."


    Irwin was surprised that she''d only been around for three portals. Somehow, he''d expected her to have seen more.


    Rindiri seemed to guess his thoughts as she burst out laughing.


    "Captain, being around for three portal openings in thirty years is seen as an immense accomplishment! There are a lot of explorers that never even see the lights that indicate a portal opening in their entire lives."


    Right, she is only a bit over forty, Irwin thought as he tried not to stare at her gray hair too much. If she''d been a human, he would have guessed she was uncarded and probably sixty or close to.


    "Well, four now," Greldo said with a grin before turning to Irwin. "I''d suggest letting me go inside first. I can shadowport to safety if something weird happens."


    "Well¡­." Rindiri said softly, smiling apologetically when Irwin and Greldo looked at her. "I would suggest the captain go inside. Many portal worlds aren''t habitable, and the one going in first needs to be able to deal with¡­ well¡­ about everything imaginable, from lava-worlds to ice-worlds, and extreme elevation. There''s even a slight chance that there is no air."


    "Okay¡­ on second thought, I think you should go," Greldo said, looking at the portal wide-eyed.


    Irwin nodded slowly. Rindiri was right. If any of the things she just mentioned happened, he would have at least the time to return alive.


    "There''s only one situation which will prove difficult," he said. "If there are hostile people on the other side."


    ¡°Correct,¡± Rindiri said. "Which is why we need to wait here for at least a day. The general consensus is that there is almost always someone on the other side who will either go or throw someone through the portal to see what happens within a day. If nothing happens within a day, the chances of there being no living people on the other side drop to such low numbers that it''s usually seen as a reasonable risk to take."


    "Then I think I''m going to have a chat with Daubutim to see what he knows about these things," Irwin said as he took a final look at the portal before walking to the cabin.


    "I''ll remain to monitor the portal," Rindiri said.


    "I''ll keep an eye out," Greldo said.


    Irwin grinned over his shoulder at Greldo and Rindiri, who were looking at each other in surprise.


    "Alright. Call me when anything happens or you need a break," he said before entering the cabin to find everyone else standing there and looking at him.


    "Captain, is Brinni telling the truth? Did the portal successfully open?" Zender asked excitedly.


    "Brinni doesn''t lie!" Trinn said angrily.


    Ib sighed, and before she could join in, Irwin quickly spoke up.


    "Yes," he said, ignoring Trinn''s scowl, instead focusing on Zender, who was hopping on his feet excitedly.


    "What did you mean, successfully?" he asked. "Is it possible for the portal to open unsuccessfully?"


    Everyone looked at Zender curiously except for Bendi and Daubutim, the latter of whom began nodding.


    Zender shrugged. "Yes. Portals can shatter when they open, which they say is a sign of a world that has shattered."


    "Nobody has ever been able to confidently validate that claim," Daubutim said. "But Zender is right. Occasionally, Portals shatter as they open. I take it we are now going to wait to see if anyone comes through?"


    "We are," Irwin said. "After that, I''ll probably be going in, but before that, I need to talk with you a bit."


    "Very well," Daubutim said as he turned and headed down.


    The others looked after him curiously, except for Zender.


    "Captain, can you heat up the outside so we can see it?" Zender asked.


    "I''ll do so before I leave," Irwin said.


    He headed down after Daubutim, hearing Zender talk excitedly with the others.


    I wonder what the world beyond that portal is like, he thought.


    He was slightly worried about what it would be but mostly felt his excitement grow as he realized he was going to go through a portal again.

 Chapter 177: Shared Pain

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    "What?" Irwin whispered, wondering if his ears were playing tricks on him.


    He and Daubutim were as far to the back of the cargo hold as they could go, leaning against the wall and whispering to make sure Brinni didn''t hear them. Perhaps he''d not heard his friend correctly?


    "If you go inside and find portals to shardworlds, come back immediately and remain here while Greldo escorts the kids there and me," Daubutim said, calmly repeating himself.


    Irwin shook his head, trying to understand why Daubutim would want to bring the kids along.


    "Why?" he finally asked as he looked at Daubutim''s profile.


    The flickering flame on his hand caused long, chaotically moving shadows across the hold''s hull.


    "Because you and Greldo can''t go into the portals due to your heartcard, but I need cards. If we can find portals to shardworlds beyond this portal they will have been there for a very long time, and the chances of us finding powerful cards will go up," Daubutim said.


    Irwin looked at his friend, wondering if there was anything he hadn''t read to prepare. He was about to answer when Ambraz wriggled himself free of his pocket.


    "One-eye is right," Ambraz whispered as he landed on Irwin''s shoulder.


    Irwin glared at the Anvil for his poor joke, but Ambraz ignored him.


    "It''s the reason the wealthy merchants pay a lot of soulshards to be the first into those shardworlds," the Anvil whispered. "


    Irwin opened his mouth, about to say that it was too dangerous to bring the kids in there, when he realized the ridiculousness of that remark. He and Greldo had been no more than kids when they were tossed into their first real portal, and they had only one card each at the time. Besides, Zender and his sisters would need cards if they wanted to extend their life to even a decade. No, the thing that was actually a problem was that Daubutim could die if he went inside.


    "Are you sure we need those cards now?" he finally whispered. "If you get killed, it will seriously hamper what we are trying to do."


    Daubutim''s eye glazed over, and Irwin wanted to kick himself. He knew full well that it was a bad thing to ask his friend these open-ended questions. Anything that he couldn''t answer based on knowledge had the risk that his mind would bog down.


    As he watched Daubutim''s blue eye glaze over until his friend was staring at him without thought, he knew it did prove a point.


    "You are right," he whispered, leaning against the wall and closing his eyes. "We need to get you a card to fix your problem and your eye. The problem is that I also need time to practice if I am to reforge your cards into a heartcard."


    Getting no reply, he knew it would be a while before Daubutim''s mind managed to struggle out of the deadlock it was in.


    Well, I guess that gives me some time to do something else, he thought.


    "Do you think the Chaos Whale song could help with reforging cards?" he whispered, turning to Ambraz.


    "I''ve been wondering about that too," Ambraz whispered excitedly. "When we go through that portal, and if it''s a safe place, we should take a few hours to experiment on some cards."


    Irwin blinked, wondering if that was a safe thing to do. However, after thinking about it a bit, he couldn''t come up with a good reason not to. As long as the world was safe and there was no sign of any demons, it should be fine. Besides, as he imagined hammering on a card, guiding it along a path in a useful direction, he felt his excitement grow.


    "Yeah, that sounds like a great idea," he said with a grin. "It''s been a while, and I''m starting to miss it!"


    "You''re not the only one," Ambraz said, and Irwin could hear the approval in his voice. "Between the Galadin notes you''ve learned and the Chaos Whale song, I can''t wait to see what we can do!"


    Irwin grinned, and he began humming one of the more climactic pieces of the Whale song. Although his voice wasn''t as deep as it had been during the storm, the song was still beautiful and soothing.


    After a few minutes, he noticed a soft, second voice joining in. He opened his eyes, first thinking it was Ambraz, then he froze as he turned to look at Daubutim. His eyes were closed, and his face placid, but he was humming along with Irwin.


    He isn''t awake, Irwin thought as he inspected his friend. After worrying for a bit, he decided it was unlikely to do any harm. Besides, Daubutim''s voice had a deep, sad melody to it that suited the song perfectly. After thinking it over some more, Irwin closed his eyes, lay his head against the hull, and continued humming, eventually singing.


    It didn''t take him too long to reach a part he didn''t remember, and he was about to skip to the next part when he froze. The hair on his arm stood on end, and he turned to Daubutim, who, with his eyes still closed, was humming the bit Irwin hadn''t remembered. It was flawless and soothing, and Irwin looked at his friend in surprise.


    "Quick, continue," Ambraz whispered.


    Irwin blinked stupidly, then nodded. He quickly followed Daubutim, trying his best to remain in harmony. At first, it was difficult, but as he continued, the memories of the night of the storm returned, and slowly, he regained his harmony with Daubutim.


    As he did, he lost himself in the song.


    Like the first time, he had no idea how long it lasted, but at some point, he found that it was quiet. Both he and Daubutim had stopped singing, though he couldn''t recall when. He felt calm and happy, and with a deep, content sigh, he opened his eyes and looked to the side.


    Daubutim was looking at him, his one eye clear and sharp as it had been that morning.


    "You''re back," Irwin hissed as he pushed himself upright. Had Daubutim ever woken up that fast? He couldn''t recall. Or perhaps the singing had lasted for a very long time?


    Greldo would have come to get us in that case, he thought.


    "Yes," Daubutim said slowly. "The song did something to my mind. It almost felt like clearing away the dust on a shelf. When we stopped, I was back, and¡­"


    Irwin was stunned as he saw a tear slowly trickle from Daubutim''s eye. He didn''t say anything, and Daubutim didn''t seem to notice or care. Instead, he was looking at something far away.


    "It is the first time that anything managed to clear my mind," he finally said, his voice sharp and cold as it sometimes was. Irwin knew it had to do with his father and how he''d trained Daubutim, though he didn''t know the details that led to the changes in speech.


    Staring at his friend, he suddenly thought about his own father, a man he''d never met and most likely never would. He had a lingering, deep anger towards him for not being there when he was young; it had always been there. But¡­ would he want to swap places with Daubutim?


    No. Mum did a great job on her own, and I''d prefer having no father than one like Daubutim did, he thought. As he thought that, he sensed a tiny bit of tension, something he''d carried for as long as he could recall but usually ignored, unwind.


    "Are you alright?" he asked quietly.


    "I don''t know. I feel fine, but at the same time¡­ I am angry," Daubutim said, and Irwin shuddered as he saw an intense fury pass over his friend''s face. It lasted only a moment, but it was enough to make him very weary as he asked his next question.


    "Why?"


    "What if learning singing or music could have fixed me all along," Daubutim said. "What if it was only due to my father''s prejudice against music that I had to-"


    Daubutim clamped his mouth shut, and Irwin saw the blue eye flicker from dull to a bright clarity infused by anger.


    "Endure," Daubutim growled before sucking in deep breaths.


    Irwin was about to say something when Daubutim started humming a part of the Chaos Whale song. He held his tongue and quietly waited for his friend to deal with whatever was happening in his head.


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    After a short while, the intense fury on Daubutim''s face faded, and shortly after, he stopped humming. His eye opened, again clear and free of anger, and he looked at Irwin.


    "My apologies. I shouldn''t have reacted as strongly," he said in his sharp, cold voice.


    "No," Irwin said, shaking his head. Before he could stop himself, he poked Daubutim in the chest, pushing Daubutim back slightly.


    "You are wrong to apologize. I am your friend!" he said, punctuating each word. "If it helps to vent, then just vent. Why don''t you tell me about your father? It might help."


    Daubutim quietly looked at him, and Irwin just stared back. He knew he wasn''t that good with words, but he definitely meant what he''d said. Besides, he only had a few friends that he trusted with his life, and Daubutim was one of them.


    Daubutim leaned against the wall and stared at the opposite wall.


    "A year after I was infected by the demon blood, my father had another of the sorcerers come to investigate me. By then, every doctor, hedgewitch, carded healer, and interested party had been to our home to try and cure me. All to no avail. The sorcerer listened to my father for a while and seemed to think what had been attempted till then silly and useless. He finally spoke to my father and said, ''The boy was handled too softly. Leave him with me for a month, and I''ll return him in peak condition."


    Irwin swallowed as Daubutim''s voice turned to a higher, nasal voice as he narrated word for word what the sorcerer had said many years ago.


    "My father had heard good things about this sorcerer, so he paid him and sent me with him. I was seven at the time, and for the next few weeks, I was subjected to everything the sorcerer could come up with. He never resorted to real torture, but from what I learned later, he came close on many occasions," Daubutim said emotionlessly.


    As he fell quiet for a moment, Irwin licked his suddenly dry lips. Part of him wanted to know what the sorcerer had done, but he couldn''t bring himself to ask.


    "A week before the allotted deadline, Dianor, my elder brother, came to check on me. He witnessed part of the cure the sorcerer was putting me through and ran back to Father."


    Irwin leaned forward. Was this why Daubutim still respected him? Had his father-


    "Father told Dianor to forget about it and let the sorcerer attempt his cure. He said that if it cured me, the ends would justify the means. A week later, I was returned, uncured, and bedridden for another two months. Dianor came to visit me one night and told me what had happened. I still don''t know why he told it to me. After that, my father never bothered with me again. Only when he found out about my memory did he show me a modicum of interest."


    "Your father is a-" Irwin closed his mouth with an angry snap.


    He crossed his arms over his chest, and fingers dug into his biceps as he struggled to maintain a semblance of calm. He wanted to curse the man, tell Daubutim his father was an evil, vile piece of work that deserved anything the demons might have done to him¡­ But he held back. He knew that his friend, despite everything that had happened, thought highly of his father. It wouldn''t help to upset him even more than he already was.


    However, as the words rang through his mind, he decided one thing. If Daubutim''s father was still alive, and if he ever met him, he would take the man along to a quiet place and explain just how he felt about the way he had raised his children.


    Daubutim sighed, and he held out his hand. There was a flash of light, and a moment later, a dark blue raven appeared on his hand. With eyes as blue as ice, it looked around before focusing on Daubutim.


    A soft caw came from the raven, and Daubutim frowned.


    "My father''s original summon was a raven that strongly resembles Twyl, and each time I thought about summoning her, I felt a deep, burning anger," he said, staring at the dark blue raven.


    Irwin didn''t speak but stared at the raven. He couldn''t recall having seen it before, but as he inspected it, he knew that it was both ice and water-attuned and would make a great addition to Daubutim''s future heart card.


    "I always wondered why, but I think I know now," Daubutim said as he stroked the raven''s head. "I hate my father."


    Irwin blinked at the utter coldness of Daubutim''s voice. He knew he had to say something now, but he also knew there was barely anything he could say that would help. The best he could hope for was that saying something would be better than being silent. After struggling to come up with something, he just began.


    "I don''t think anyone would find any fault with that," he whispered as he saw Daubutim turn his single-eyed cold stare from the raven to him.


    "From everything you have told me of your father, he seems like a competent leader, a great warrior, and a terrible father."


    Daubutim stilled, then he leaned his head back and let out a booming laughter. It only lasted for a short while, but when he stopped, he was still grinning.


    "Do you know the worst thing?" he said, shaking his head and continuing before Irwin could ask what he meant. "Father would both agree with that and see it as a compliment!"


    Irwin snorted. "Then he needs someone to beat some sense into him," he snapped without thinking.


    Daubutim''s face froze, and then he straightened, his chin going up as an icy fire lit up in his single eye. "Yes. I think you are right," he whispered.


    They were quiet for a bit when a third voice whispered from above them.


    "Your horrible progenitor aside, can we talk about what just happened with the song for a moment?" Ambraz whispered as he landed back on Irwin''s shoulder.


    Irwin vaguely recalled that he''d left his perch at some point during the singing. He was glad the other had come, though, because it was probably a good time to change the subject.


    "Do you know what happened?" Daubutim asked quietly.


    "Not the details, but I can tell you one thing. Whatever happened to you when you were young might have altered your mind in some unusual and troublesome ways, but it also did something very incredible with your soul," Ambraz whispered.


    Irwin frowned as he looked at the Anvil who was facing Daubutim.


    "You were using Soulforce just now," Ambraz whispered, his voice so low Irwin could barely hear him. "As a handcarded! I have never heard of anything like that, and by all rights, it shouldn''t be possible. Do you even understand what you did?"


    Irwin stared at Daubutim, who frowned at the anvil, seeming slightly confused.


    "Was that why the song helped him?" Irwin asked.


    "Most definitely! Daubutim, you were doing something with your Soulforce just now, and if I had to guess, that is what woke you up. I wish you could go and look at your soullake. I''m almost a hundred percent sure that there is a hint or clue to what happened to you there!"


    "Can''t he just look now?" Irwin asked. "If he can already use Soulforce, perhaps he can do that too?"


    Irwin saw Daubutim''s single eye focus on Ambraz, burning like blue fire.


    "We can try, but it''s very unlikely that he could reach it. The only reason anyone can actually perceive their Soullake is because their heartcard is there. It is what draws someone''s consciousness into their soul," Ambraz said. "Let me think about it for a few days¡­. Perhaps I can come up with a way."


    Irwin and Daubutim remained leaning against the wall for a few more minutes before Daubutim took a deep breath.


    "At least I know of a way to snap out of it, even if I can''t start it myself. If you don''t mind, I''ll join you when you are practicing singing from now on," Daubutim said.


    "You can join any time," Irwin said.


    "Then let''s head out. I want to walk around a bit, perhaps practice my sword," Daubutim said as he moved to the exit of the cargo hold.


    Irwin followed him through the door only to stop as a tiny blur rushed Daubutim. He was about to summon a hammer when he saw it was Brinni as she wrapped her short arms around Daubutim''s waist, hugging him while crying softly.


    Daubutim stood, frozen, then slowly placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don''t cry," he said, sounding far more comfortable than Irwin knew he would have been.


    Brinni began sobbing louder, and Irwin watched in surprise as Daubutim knelt down and hugged the little girl. "Calm down. Everything is alright."


    A slight movement made Irwin look up to find Greldo standing a bit further down the narrow corridor. The other doors were closed, and he saw nobody else.


    "I''m afraid the two of you were a bit too loud this time," Greldo said as he glanced at Daubutim and Brinni.


    Irwin frowned as he recalled some of the things they had spoken about.


    "Did she¡­?" he asked, looking at the other doors, afraid she might have heard everything and shared it with the others.


    "No," Greldo said. "I brought her here before she could tell anyone about what she heard, though Trinn very much didn''t like having to leave her sister-"


    "No, I didn''t!" an angry shout came from a door down the hall.


    "Luckily, Ib was willing to keep her in her room while we waited for you," Greldo said with a slight grin.


    Irwin frowned. Now what? What had Brinni heard? If it was just the things about Daubutim and his father, that should be fine... but what if she''d heard Ambraz? Should they just ignore what had happened and have Brinni promise to keep quiet about what she had heard?


    "What did she hear?" he whispered, hoping at least those listening at the door wouldn''t hear it.


    "Mainly the singing and then the part about his father," Greldo said, giving him a quick reassuring nod and smile.


    Irwin felt his worry fade as he saw the ''don''t worry'' look on Greldo''s face.


    By Gelwin, that''s good news, he thought.


    "Alright," he said, wondering what they should do now.


    He looked at Daubutim and Brinni and remembered Daubutim''s idea to potentially bring the kids with him if there were any portals in the world.


    So much trouble, he thought.


    They didn''t know if the portal was safe to go through, let alone if there was anything useful behind it, like portals to shard worlds! For all he knew, the world was a barren, lifeless, and airless husk!


    He quietly looked at Daubutim, who was still soothing Brinni.


    He''s surprisingly good at this, he thought before deciding it didn''t matter what was behind this portal. The chances that they would eventually come across a world that did have portals to shardworlds were there, so they could just as well discuss this now.


    "Alright, everyone. I''m sure you''re all listening at your door now, so join us in the mess hall. We have a few things to discuss," he said as he took a few long steps and walked into the mess hall door.


    The doors in the corridor opened in quick succession, and a few moments later, the entire crew was sitting at the kitchen tables. Only Rindiri was not there, as she was still observing the portal.


    "Greldo, can you take over for Rindiri? She needs to hear this," Irwin said as everyone was looking at him.


    "Sure, if you stop whispering, I''m sure I can listen in from above deck," Greldo said as he walked out of the room.


    Daubutim had finally managed to extricate himself from Brinni, who was being hugged by her sister, who was also constantly whispering in her ear excitedly.


    "Trinn, it''s best you don''t ask her to tell you everything she heard," Irwin said. "They were things she wasn''t supposed to hear and aren''t her secrets to share."


    Trinn jerked up, then looked at him guiltily.


    "I won''t tell her," Brinni said, looking at Irwin sternly, eyes red and her usually demure self nowhere to be seen. "I don''t snitch!"


    Bendi snickered while Irwin couldn''t hold back a smile.


    "Good to know," he said just as Rindiri walked into the kitchen.


    "What happened?" she asked, looking at her children as if ready to scold them for something.


    "Nothing that we need to discuss right now," Irwin said. "However, there are a few things I want to share with you if we decide to enter the portal."

 Chapter 178: Lies and half truths

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    There was a hushed quiet, and Irwin saw everyone''s full attention was now on him. Even Ib, who had been pretending not to care, was looking at him curiously.


    "So, although we don''t know if we can actually enter the portal we have found, we might eventually find others," he said.


    There was a surprised snort from Bendi, while Rindiri looked dubious.


    "Don''t worry. I believe in your skills to find more closed portals," Irwin said as he grinned at Rindiri.


    Rindiri frowned, then shrugged. "I''ll do my best, but I think you might be overestimating our luck."


    "Well, who knows how much Greldo can help you. He seems very sensitive," Irwin said.


    There was a thud from above, and he guessed that was Greldo''s way of joining in on the conversation.


    "Well, even if this is the only one, let me explain how we are going to be dealing with exit portals going forward," Irwin said as he looked around.


    "I''ll be going in first because I''m better suited to the harsh conditions that might be on the other side," he said, noticing Rindiri''s nod.


    "Now, if I find out the world is safe, I''ll scout the vicinity of the portal. The chances that we find a world overrun with demons and portals to shardworlds is very small, but it''s not unheard of," he said.


    Bendi grimaced, shaking his head, but ignored him.


    "If we find portals to shardworlds, I''ll return outside, and Greldo will bring Daubutim and the kids there to clear out some of the portals," he said, focusing on Rindiri when he said the last part. He was slightly surprised that she just nodded in agreement, a content look on her face.


    "That''s great," Zender shouted. "If we find any cards, can we keep them?"


    "Boy, the chances of us finding a livable world are small, and one with portals? Those usually only appear on mining and farming worlds!" Bendi muttered.


    Zender ignored him, just looking straight at Irwin.


    Irwin grinned as he wiggled his hand in the air. "That depends on a few things. First, you have to be the one that can use the card. Second, your mother might want a say in what you slot," Irwin said as his grin turned wider when he saw Zender''s scowl. He was pretty sure Zender would care very little about his mother''s opinion on the matter.


    "Without joking," he said, turning serious again. "There are a few types of cards I''m searching for. If you find one of those, I''ll need you to trade them with me."


    "Which are?" Bendi asked, raising an eyebrow. "The rare and expensive ones, I presume?"


    Irwin felt his good mood slip as he turned to Bendi. The way the ex-raider just said that made it sound like Irwin was going to use the children to harvest the portals for him and then steal the best. The entire idea made his anger grow, and he glared at Bendi.


    "Whoa, Captain! I didn''t mean anything with what I said," Bendi said, holding his hands up defensively.


    Irwin snorted. "I need a card that deals with mental stability and cards that give healing and regeneration."


    Bendi blinked, then glimpsed at Daubutim before nodding. "Right."


    "Captain, if we find one of those, can we get two cards?" Zender asked as he leaned forward with gleaming eyes. "Anything with mental stability is probably emerald, and regeneration is always topaz or higher! I''d take two lower-rank cards!"


    Irwin looked at Zender, surprised at his knowledge. It was something he knew as a smith, but he was pretty sure it wasn''t all that common to know about mental stability cards. Unless Zender was just guessing, he hummed as he stared at Zender.


    "If you find a card that can help Daubutim, I''ll give you two cards that are of a rank you can use. You can handle up to topaz-rank, right?"


    "Only him?" Ib asked before Zender could answer. She leaned forward with gleaming eyes.


    Irwin blinked as he realized the trouble that was brewing. If he said only Zender or said the one who brought him the card, they might start competing, and that was definitely not what he wanted.


    "What are the highest rank cards you all have?" he said. "We first have to see if you can go into the same portal. I don''t think it''s a good idea to let someone enter a portal on their own."


    "Amethyst," Zender said, his shoulders sagging as he looked at the table


    Irwin nodded and turned to Ib.


    She opened her mouth and then closed it, repeating the same action twice before answering. "Topaz," she finally said.


    Irwin frowned. The way she''d just said that made him doubt very much if it was true. Did that mean she was lying? Had her mother told her not to tell anyone she had a higher rank card? Curious, he turned to Rindiri only to find that she was staring at her daughter with narrowed eyes.


    "Ib," Rindiri said softly. "What is the meaning of this?"


    "What?" Ib said, shaking her head innocently.


    Rindiri rose and slowly walked towards her daughter, and Ib quickly raised her hands.


    ¡°Wait, wait¡­ mo- Rindiri,¡± she said. "I¡­ might have an emerald rank card."


    "You might have?" Rindiri shouted. "There is no might have here! Either you have an emerald card, or you don''t, and if you did, how did you get it? And how did you hide it from me?"


    Ib crossed her arms and glared at the table. "It''s got the hidden property," she muttered, piquing Irwin''s interest.


    "And how did you get an emerald card with the hidden property?" Rindiri asked, her voice dangerously low.


    Irwin quickly raised his hands as he stepped forward. He wanted to finish his talk first, and as curious as he was, what was going to happen, that would have to wait.


    "Later," he said, raising a hand. "Let''s finish the portal talk first."


    Rindiri continued staring at Ib for a while before nodding. "Yes, Captain."


    "So, amethyst, emerald," Irwin said, pointing at the two who had spoken before looking at Trinn and Brinni. "You?"


    "Amethyst," Trinn said before sighing. "And Brinni has quartz."


    Brinni didn''t react but dimly stared at the table.


    "You can''t slot amethyst cards?" Irwin asked her softly.


    Brinni shrugged before shaking her head.


    "She is too weak to attempt it," Rindiri said softly. "There is a small chance that she could slot an amethyst card, but only if it''s one that holds very little energy. The trouble is that it''s almost impossible to determine how much energy a card has without a cardinspector or a smith. Neither of which were on Sesnanser. It''s simply too big of a risk."


    Well¡­ that''s not completely true now, is it, Irwin thought, wondering if a cardinspector was one of those crystals that the merchants had.


    Still, he couldn''t tell them that, so he made it look like he was thinking deeply before nodding.


    "Well, I have a few cards that I paid to have inspected. I''ll read through those notes to see if there are any amethyst cards with very low energy," he said.


    As he spoke, he saw Brinni''s head snap up, her eyes locked on him.


    "I''m not sure I can pay you for that," Rindiri said quietly.


    Irwin shook his head. "If we are to send the kids inside, we need to prepare them as best we can," he said as he recalled how he''d been thrown for the hounds long ago. "First, we need to make sure as many of them can go into the same portal as possible."


    For what he had planned, he couldn''t have the kids go into low-rank portals on their own, and so far, all of them had different rank cards, which was going to be a problem. He''d have to figure out how to group them together, and even then, he wondered if it was smart to let Brinni enter. Even if she could slot an amethyst card, that would still put her at great risk in portals.


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    I wonder if Ib''s highest normal card is topaz and if her hidden card works like my old card did, he thought.


    If it did, he could give Zender a topaz card, and those two could enter the portals together. Better even, that meant they could go with Daubutim! As far as he remembered, his friend''s highest card was also only topaz-ranked.


    "Let''s see if we can get as many people grouped together," he said as he sat down at the table. "Can you slot a topaz card?" he asked Trinn.


    "I¡­ don''t know?" the girl said, shaking her head and looking at her mother.


    "Perhaps¡­ but like with Brinni, the card would need to be on the lowest end of the energy scale," Rindiri said.


    "Seriously?" Ib asked as she leaned forward. "I thought you said-"


    "I know what I said," Rindiri snapped. "But that was with the assumption that we don''t know how much energy the cards have. Besides, do you think I have cards growing from my hair?"


    Ib deflated. "No."


    "Stay here, and I''ll go and see what I have," Irwin said as he got up and walked to the door.


    He didn''t really have to, seeing as he always had his cards with him, but he wasn''t going to show them how many cards he really had.


    I wonder what the portal world will be like, he thought.


    --


    "It''s been over a day, and nothing came out," Rindiri said.


    "Then it''s time to check what''s there," Irwin said, unable to keep his enthusiasm from his voice.


    "Are you sure you don''t need any armor?" she asked.


    "Him? His skin is tougher than any armor you can find," Greldo said before laughing loudly. "Thickskinned, that''s what Irwin is!"


    There was a round of giggles and laughter from the sail above them, and Irwin looked up to see Zender, Trinn, and Brinni hanging above their heads. The girls were using the ropes while Zender was sticking from the surface of the sail with his hands. They were all shivering but seemed more than happy to be out.


    The temperature on the ship had gone from deadly cold to merely uncomfortably freezing in the time since the portal appeared, and Daubutim had said it would continue to increase until it was moderately warm. That, however, would take a few months.


    Rindiri walked to the helm, and moments later, The Sonata began maneuvering closer to the portal until the gangplank was close enough for Irwin to jump into the portal.


    "Alright, if anything goes wrong, just go back out, and I''ll grab you before you hit the ground," Greldo said.


    Irwin saw a bit of worry in his friend''s silver eyes, and he nodded.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll be fine," he said before thinking about something else.


    "Greldo, if I don''t return-"


    "I''ll come find you," Greldo said without hesitation.


    Irwin grinned, feeling joy at the instant reply, but he shook his head.


    "No. I need you to do something much more difficult," he said. "If I don''t return, finish the mission first. Only return for me after that."


    Greldo''s eyes widened, and Irwin quickly put his hand forward to calm him down. He knew that of the three of them, Greldo had the least interest in saving the people of their homeworld. Besides having no family he cared about, he had only a few friends, two of whom were here.


    "You know what we have to do," Irwin said, looking at his friend.


    Greldo stoically looked back for a while before shrugging. "Yeah, what you have to do," he muttered. "But fine. I''ll consider it."


    Irwin hesitated before nodding. As he turned to Daubutim, he saw the single blue eye look at him.


    "Ready?"


    "Definitely," Irwin said as he looked at the portal.


    "Remember to hold your breath before you exit the portal''s corridor into the world. Also, you can just jump backward into the portal if there''s trouble," Rindiri said.


    Irwin nodded. It wasn''t like he hadn''t gone into a portal before! He wondered why the others seemed more worried than he was.


    "I''ll be fine," he said as he walked to the gangplank. "Everyone hanging on and ready to compensate for my jump?"


    A chorus of readies came, and Irwin took a massive breath. The black portal with crackling red bolts of energy around its edges hung twenty feet before him, and he ran across the gangplank, which shook and wobbled with each step. When he reached the end, he exploded forward with his kinetic energy, surging through the air with his hands outstretched.


    --


    "You''re sure a ship went this way?"


    Monique sat in the back of the cabin, staring at Captain Xi''kroak as he was talking with one of his crewmen.


    I hope he didn''t call me for the same thing again, she thought.


    "Yes, Captain. Although they are very weak and close to dissipating, the sail traces are unmistakable," the Da''xi crewmen said. "I know it''s an odd path to take, as this leads to the least searched depths, but I''m sure a ship passed by here."


    "Tell the navigator to set course after them," Captain Xi''kroak said.


    Monique watched mutely as the crewmen made a half-bow before turning and leaving the cabin. When she turned back to Xi''kroak, she saw he was staring at her.


    "This will be our last chance," the Captain said in a voice so calm it infuriated Monique.


    "I know," she said, trying to keep her calm.


    She''d quickly discovered that Xi''kroak had no tolerance for any type of tantrum, real or perceived, and he was the most annoying and stoic of his species'' traits, all combined into one.


    "You are sure you cannot improve his card?"


    Monique barely managed to hold back a curse, and she took a couple of deep breaths before she shook her head. "As I told you before, it is already topaz, and I can''t reforge cards beyond that rank.


    "Then we had better hope we can find the ship that passed here," Xi''kroak said. "Because the other trails led nowhere, and after following this one, the chances of finding another are zero."


    Monique could hardly believe that after getting away from Sesnanser, she''d have this much bad luck. With only limited food, no way past the barricade, and no other portal nearby than Sesnanser''s overrun one. If they didn''t find another ship with supplies, they would starve, and she''d be the first.


    Why couldn''t I just land on a ship with people who eat the same food as I do, she thought angrily.


    "I''ll go back to the deck and search for portal disturbances," she said. Xi''kroak had yet to ask her the question he always did when she was summoned to his cabin, and she really hoped to get out before having to give the same answer. Again!


    "That might be for the best. We will be exiting the warmer areas soon, and you won''t be able to stay on deck anymore then," Xi''kroak said.


    Monique got up and headed for the door just as Xi''kroak''s faceplates rattled.


    Shit. Here it comes, she thought.


    "You are still sure that Giard''s Rangers have the coordinates of a new portal?" he asked calmly.


    Why does he keep asking me that? Monique thought furiously. Then she took a deep breath, focusing on the question. Irwin went here looking for a planet and wouldn''t head straight here if he didn''t know something, she thought, repeating the mantra rapidly as she turned around.


    "Yes, I''m sure," she said, forcing a smile.


    Xi''kroak looked at her for a moment, then nodded. "Very well, you may leave."


    Monique spun around and almost ran through the door, slamming it closed behind her.


    I''m a bloody smith, and he treats me like a nobody! The nerve of this¡­ she held back a curse and headed back to the deck. It''d be cold and boring as she searched for portals that were definitely not anywhere here, but at least there weren''t people asking her the same questions.


    --


    Xi''kroak waited as the angry smith''s footsteps thundered up the ladder to the deck before he looked at the wall beside the door.


    "And?"


    The solid wood seemed to ripple, and then a crewman stepped out of it. With paler and more delicate blue faceplates, her body was slightly less bulky, and she bowed gracefully before looking at him with her silver eyes.


    "It is still impossible to know for sure, my Captain. Monique is obscuring her meaning, that much I can tell, but it doesn''t feel like she is lying. More like she is telling part of the truth?"


    Xi''kroak drummed with his fingers on his desk. "Thank you, La''suna. Then we will continue for now. We have enough food to move out for thirty days before we need to head back. It''s a risk we can take, and it''s less of a risk than attempting to storm that barricade."


    "The Smith only has food for a few weeks," La''suna said calmly.


    "Yes, and there is nothing we can do about this. Besides, she is holding back information that could be vital to our survival. If she is not forthcoming, the creed does not require us to be," Xi''kroak said.


    La''suna bowed again. "Yes, my Captain. I''ll follow her again and see if she says or does anything that allows me to determine the truth of matters."


    Xi''kroak rose and bowed as his faceplates clattered softly. "Thank you, Suna. I am grateful that despite everything, you managed to return to The Zura''ix before those wordless-ones attacked. If I had lost you, life would have been bleak."


    There was a peal of soft laughter as La''suna became slightly translucent. Then she moved back and through the wall like a ghost.


    Xi''kroak sat back down, staring at the stack of papers on his desk.


    "I hope she was right about you, friend Irwin," he muttered. "I''d like to live for a while longer."


    --


    Irwin sensed his body freeze mid-air as his fingers touched the portal''s surface. It lasted for only a moment, then there was a bright burst of light, and the next thing he knew, he was falling down the familiar corridor of energy that led to worlds.


    It took him a few moments to orient himself before he managed to relax.


    It''s just like the others, he thought as he recalled the two other exit portals he''d passed through.


    Both the one at Fiverio and the one leading to Scour had been nearly the same. Somehow, he''d expected there to be a difference because it had only just been opened, but if there was one, he didn''t see it.


    Examining his surroundings, he was glad there were no large chaos space beings around. Only a swirling teal and orange nebula of energy to one side while everywhere else was a quiet darkness. Stars twinkled in the distance.


    He relaxed, looking at the distant end of the portal. He had no idea how long the fall would last, but at least there was air.


    "So, what do you think we will find?" he asked.


    His voice echoed oddly around the corridor, and he recalled the first time he''d gone through a portal that involved falling. It had been when he''d gone to Fiverio without knowing what would happen, and he screamed so loud it hurt his throat.


    "How would I know? A world, and hopefully one that isn''t useless," Ambraz shouted from inside his pocket. His voice was slightly muted and hard to understand.


    "Do you want to come out?" Irwin asked.


    "No!"


    Not sure why, Irwin just shrugged as he wondered how long the fall would take. He knew traveling to and from Fiverio had been much faster than to Scour and that the time of the falling had something to do with the amount of time dilation.


    As the minutes passed by, he began humming the Chaos Whale song.


    I wonder if they are out there, he thought, looking at the darkness beyond.


    Time ticked by slowly, and he was starting to get incredibly bored when he suddenly saw the small circle below him start increasing in size.


    "We are almost there," he shouted.


    "Don''t forget to hold your breath!" Ambraz shouted mutedly from his pocket.


    I know already, Irwin thought.


    When the end of the tunnel was closing in so fast that he felt vertigo, he finally felt a tiny bit of fear. He suppressed it and quickly drew in a few deep breaths before holding them just as he struck the end of the tunnel.


    There was a flash of light, then darkness, and then he stumbled out of a portal over a dusty gray stone floor. Tiny bits of debris made him almost slip, and he flailed his arms, barely able to keep his footing.


    He quickly looked around for anything that might attack him, but there were no movements besides billowing clouds of dust from his own movements. The temperature was cold, but nothing compared to where he had just been.


    Although he''d been calm up until he reached the end of the tunnel, he now felt his adrenaline pumping through his veins.


    It''s alright so far, he thought to himself, trying to calm his nerves.


    It had been a long time since he''d been in a portal, and he realized knowing more meant he also had more things to fear. His imagination showed him images of Chaos Space demons, five-horned galubs, and other monsters that could be somewhere nearby, and he quickly began inspecting his surroundings.

 Chapter 179: Milky Eyes

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    "Do you think he will be alright?" Zender whispered, glancing down at Ib, who was staring at the portal from beside the cabin door.


    His sister snorted. "How should I know? I don''t know what Irwin''s cards do, but he looks strong enough, so I guess he should be fine?"


    Zender saw her gaze drift to his hand. She snorted again, turned, and disappeared into the cabin.


    You''re just jealous, Zender thought as a wide grin came to his face. He raised his right hand and looked at the new card slotted into the middle slot. It was much crisper and clearer than the others, which wasn''t surprising as it was the only topaz card he had.


    The Captain must be really rich if he can just hand out topaz-rank cards, he thought.


    Zender looked around, hesitated, then raised his hand, and a long, silvery whip appeared in his hand. He smiled as he stroked the smooth surface of the handle before letting it drop to its full length, the tip nearly touching the deck''s surface ten feet below him.


    Finally, a good card, he thought as he flicked it around. Although it would take a while, he knew the energy of the card would sustain his body and allow him to live for at least an additional ten years. That meant he could become older than twenty, something he''d never even thought possible


    "Don''t hurt yourself," a soft shout came from below.


    Zender looked down to find Bendi staring up at him. The man''s silvery eyes were focused on his whip, and seeing the slight hunger in them, Zender quickly unsummoned it.


    "You should learn how to use that," Bendi said as he grinned. "If you want, I can teach you?"


    "I''ll be fine," Zender said quickly. "Daubutim promised to teach me after the Captain returns.


    "If the captain returns," Bendi said as he shrugged and walked towards the cabin door. "But fine, I was just trying to be helpful to a fellow crewman."


    Zender watched him leave, then frowned. He had better tell Trinn to keep away from that guy. There was something weird about his behavior, especially after Irwin had given him and Trinn cards.


    After a few moments, he turned his focus back to the portal, which was still crackling a dozen feet above the deck.


    I really hope the Captain finds portals so I can try out this thing!


    ---


    Irwin looked around the room he was standing in. He was surprised to see it was roughly the same size as the portal room back in Fiverio, but all of the walls were cracked, and rubble from a partially collapsed ceiling lay strewn everywhere. There were hallways on each side of the opposite wall that led away, both empty and without movement.


    Although everything was tinted red and orange, Irwin saw that the underlying color of every surface was the same dull gray.


    As he calmed down, he noticed a soft howling far in the distance. Focusing on it, he immediately decided that it didn''t sound like anything alive but more like wind howling around a building in a storm. For the rest, everything was quiet, motionless, and¡­ safe?


    Slowly, his heartbeat went down a bit, and he realized he was holding a massive hammer while his Sweltering and flame skills were both close to triggering and swiping everything around him. He couldn''t recall summoning the hammer or readying his skills, and he slowly released his hold on his heartcard''s skill.


    He kept his hammer in his hand, though, while starting to collect all the kinetic energy he could.


    This place looks like an abandoned portal room, he thought as he scanned the ceiling.


    There was just more gray beyond the cracked hole, and he guessed something had probably fallen over it. Looking at the hole, then at the portal behind him, he remembered the debris they had found. Was there a tower above him that had crashed into the portal? Perhaps that was why it had been closed?


    Wait, how do you even close portals?


    There was a soft rustle from his pocket, and a moment later, Ambraz flitted up and landed on his shoulder. Seeing the Anvil made his nerves settle even more, and Irwin nodded at Ambraz.


    "This seems promising," the Anvil whispered before he drew in a deep breath. "No lightning storms or lava rain. Even air, and it tastes almost the same as everywhere else. Just very dusty."


    Lava rain? Irwin thought as he shuddered. He might not care much for heat, but the idea of standing in a lava rain somehow didn''t seem like a great time.


    Still, if Ambraz said there was air, it might be about time to stop holding his breath. He hesitated before very carefully exhaling a bit of the air he was holding before sniffing the air around him. Ambraz was right. It was air, just dusty and with a musty, weird smell.


    Going to have to figure out if that is toxic or not, he thought as he took a step back towards the portal. Then he exhaled slowly and drew in some more air. Nothing happened, no light-headedness or anything weird.


    "Dusty but breathable," he whispered.


    "That''s what I said," Ambraz retorted. "Let''s go and explore! If there''s nothing dangerous, this is a great place to do something smithing later on!"


    Irwin nodded, but he wasn''t interested in just rushing forward. Instead, he began looking around the backside of the room, searching for holes and droppings that might signal small beasts or monsters.


    As he moved through the room, he couldn''t suppress a grin.


    "What are you smiling about?" Ambraz whispered. "There''s nothing here¡­ right?"


    "There''s not," Irwin said as he continued looking around. "I just remembered that I''ve never actually used the things Bronwyn told me about when he entered portals with the rangers."


    "Bronwyn¡­ that''s your brother, right?" Ambraz asked.


    "Yes," Irwin said absently.


    He was looking at a large flat block that stood against one wall. A portion of the ceiling had slammed into it, but he vaguely made out something below the dust on the section that wasn''t destroyed. It looked like writing, but he wasn''t entirely sure.


    Irwin brushed the thick layer of dust and tiny, scattered debris away to reveal orderly rows of square glyphs. The falling debris had destroyed a large portion of the writing, but as he inspected them, Irwin thought they looked oddly familiar. He tried recalling where he''d seen something similar, but he was drawing a blank.


    Ambraz let out a startled cry as he lowered himself toward the tablet, causing a torrent of dust to twirl away from him.


    "Interesting!" Ambraz said, sounding excited. "These are Terullian glyphs!"


    "And those are?" Irwin asked, still not sure where he''d seen them before.


    "The Terullians were a warlike, powerful species that used to dominate the area around Dimarintsia. I don''t know too much about them, but I''m pretty sure they never got this far¡­ Even Fiverio was created hundreds of years after they disappeared."


    "These things look familiar," Irwin muttered.


    "Yeah, you might have seen some symbols like these scattered throughout. They did have a sizable empire before they were wiped out, and artifacts of theirs still exist."


    "Wiped out?" Irwin asked in surprise.


    "Well, they attacked the all-powerful and self-titled Great Portal Faction Alliance," Ambraz said sarcastically. "So somewhere in the main branch, someone sent one of the enforcement garrisons, Hegliron''s First if I''m not mistaken, there, and that was the end of that."


    Irwin was surprised at the weariness in Ambraz''s voice. At the same time, the garrison thing sounded very familiar, and it took him only a moment to recall when he''d heard it before.


    "I think Yogog told me about something similar," he muttered. "Didn''t something like that happen to the Niox?"


    "The Kraniox Caorthanach," Ambraz said, humming. "Right, that was a few hundred years before the Terullians and the Niox really pissed someone off. It was actually Hegliron''s Second garrison that was sent there¡­ and the war they had was gruesome, leading to one of the most well-known intentional world shatterings in recent history."


    Irwin felt a ton of questions bubble up, like who or what was the Hegliron, and why were their squadrons sent everywhere? However, as he looked around, he knew that right now wasn''t the time.


    "So, what does this say?" he asked, pointing at the remaining lines of glyphs.


    "Kid, you really think I''m like Daubutim, don''t you?" Ambraz said as he snorted. "I''ve got no idea what these runes say. I just recognize them because there are some surviving Terullian back on Granvox."


    Irwin sighed, another question rearing its head. He looked around, ready to continue, then found he couldn''t get himself to walk away just yet and looked back at the glyphs. This was not some undiscovered world, which meant there was a reason for these Terullian to have been here and for the portal to have been closed.


    "Can you write them down like you do with skills?" he asked.


    "Always making me work," Ambraz muttered. "Did you even bring a book?"


    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    Irwin riffled through the pockets of his tunic. He had brought most of his things, though he had left a few cards behind with Daubutim. There were two thin booklets, one containing the Galadin music sheets and the song of the Chaos Whale and another that Ambraz had used to show him the information on the cards. He pulled out the second one, a thin book that almost fit on his palm.


    Thinking for a bit, he flipped it over and opened it upside down. "Can you add it here?"


    "Sure, put it on the tablet for a moment," Ambraz muttered.


    Irwin put the book down, and while Ambraz landed on it, he kept an eye on the exits. There was still no sign of anything, and he was slowly wondering if he''d find the exits blocked by more crumbled buildings. It would make sense, though he was curious about what had happened here.


    There was a flash of light that illuminated the room, and Irwin froze as he looked around. If there was anything nearby, it would have seen that for sure.


    After a few moments of nothing happening, he focused on the book that was rustling softly as Ambraz used his ability. He''d seen the Anvil write things in a book before, but as he watched the lines appear on the page with a speed he knew he''d never be able to copy, he was stunned to see that the missing sections of the stone tablet were added as well.


    "Alright, that''s it," Ambraz said after a few moments.


    Irwin picked up the book, and as he did, a folded piece of paper slid out. Staring at it, he was about to shove it back, thinking it was Scintilla''s letter when he stopped. Scintilla''s folded letter was inside his music book. He kept it there to make sure it was safe. So what was this?


    He hesitated as he looked around the room, then shoved it back and pocketed the book. He''d look at it later.


    "Alright, let''s go and see what else is in this place," he whispered.


    Ambraz flitted up and landed on his shoulder while Irwin quickly went through the rest of the room. When he reached the right-side exit, he was absolutely sure that nobody had been in this portal room for a very long time. Probably not after whatever happened had happened.


    Inspecting the corridor that led away, he noticed decorative patterns engraved in the walls, split apart by tears and cracks. The corridor was only a few steps deep before ending in a mass of rubble.


    Right, that''s no good, Irwin thought as he turned and headed towards the other corridor. It seemed only a few steps deep, but he saw no signs of a collapse. As he closed in, he saw that the corridor bent sharply after only a few feet.


    Moving forward, he walked into the hall and froze. His heavy footsteps seemed far too loud in the narrow space. After listening for a few moments, he continued ahead, walking on his toes as best he could. He almost expected a snide comment from Ambraz, but the Anvil silently sat on his shoulder.


    Looking around the corner, he saw a longer corridor that seemed to end in a large area. A part of the wall was ruptured, and debris had slid down, covering half of the corridor but leaving enough room for him to move past.


    As he reached the debris, he took a few moments to check that the wall wouldn''t collapse at any moment, leaving him locked on the other side. Then he climbed over the rocks and debris, flinching and stopping each time a bit of rock or wall slid down and created a racket.


    By the time he reached the other side, he was sure that there was either nothing anywhere close to him or it was deaf.


    Or it''s waiting in an ambush, he thought.


    As he walked towards the larger room, he gripped his hammer handle tightly, ready to act. There was a slight breeze coming from somewhere ahead.


    So, definitely a way out, he thought.


    Taking the final step forward, he saw a massive room filled with square blocks taller than he was and covered with more of the angular glyphs. They stood in a crisscross pattern in the room, making it impossible for him to see further than the next row. Opposite where he entered, he saw another corridor, but it was blocked by another section of the collapsed ceiling. Still, he guessed that it was another way to the portal area, meaning there had been two ways to reach it.


    He didn''t know why but decided it didn''t matter and focused on the square blocks filled with glyphs.


    Damn, am I going to have to let Ambraz copy all of this in the book? Irwin thought as he snuck into the room and looked at the nearest square block.


    As he snuck through the room, he found that the entire left side had collapsed. Finding no passages leading away, he continued between the blocks.


    The room seemed to continue on without end, and the fact that he couldn''t see beyond the next row of blocks was slowly starting to annoy him.


    Finally, after what felt like tens of minutes but was probably no longer than one or two, he stepped around a row of blocks, expecting to see the next row only to see a massive opening.


    Though it had an elaborately carved doorpost with squarish figures and shapes, there was no door, and a cool breeze blew in from the sprawling mountainous visage he saw beyond.


    "We''re in the mountains!" Ambraz whispered. "That''s fantastic. Perhaps we can find rare metals!"


    Irwin didn''t even bother to answer. The chances of them finding rare metals were very remote and not his reason for being here. He snuck forward, and when he reached the doorway, he saw a small tablet embedded in the wall with a single row of tiny glyphs.


    Perhaps a warning? he thought.


    He stepped through the entrance onto a small plateau covered with debris and rocks. One part looked almost exactly like the debris they had found in the Portal Gallery. A few dozen feet from where he stood was a low wall that surrounded the plateau.


    Beyond it, mountains stretched out as far as he could see. Towering and majestical, with jagged peaks, a few looked like their tops had been snapped off, falling against the sides of their larger neighbors.


    A storm seemed to be brewing far to one side, roiling clouds moving around a distant mountain peak and obscuring the otherwise star-filled sky. Far below was a valley with a shimmering surface, dark and with flowing white across it.


    An ice-covered lake, Irwin thought as he looked around.


    There was no movement anyway, but that didn''t mean there wasn''t any, and he focused on his Resonating Heat vision.


    Masses of burning red specs burst to life across the steep hills and cliffs, moving around.


    Irwin held his breath as he saw a dozen of them move around the steep hill below where he stood. Most were too far for him to make out any details, but three were close enough so he could see that they had four legs. He frowned as he saw one of them move across a steep surface as easily as Zender did.


    As he stared at them, he thought of something, and feeling his adrenaline shoot up, he turned around to see if none were creeping up from behind. He stopped in surprise as he saw what was behind him. The doorway was part of a massive tower, so high that as he tilted his head back to see the top, he felt a sense of vertigo. Small outcrops, almost like stubby branches of a tree, sat on its sides, some of which had broken off. The main tower was riddled with holes, and it looked like someone had attempted to shatter it to pieces.


    High at the top was a beacon of heat radiating outward.


    There''s something up there. A beacon or fire? Irwin wondered.


    He stared at it for a few moments before he began searching for heat signatures around the sides of the mountain that the tower was built into. There was no sign of anything, and he walked to the side of the plateau to get a better view of the side of the tower. The mountain continued on behind it, seeming so high it could touch the clouds, though Irwin knew that it probably only looked like that because of how close he was to it.


    Luckily, there was no sign of any of the heat signatures, just the ruddy outlines of the mountain and all its jagged edges, ridges, and boulders. He checked the other side and finally calmed down again.


    Okay, so no imminent danger, he decided as he walked back to the front side of the plateau.


    "There''s definitely something here," he whispered. "There''s hundreds of things wandering around the mountain."


    "All of them far away, or any nearby?" Ambraz asked.


    "There are a few just over there," Irwin said, pointing down the hill. "Maybe a few miles away?


    "That''s great! Now we just need to see if they show signs of being Addled or not," Ambraz whispered. "If they don''t, then it''s probably safe to say that there''s either no portals beyond this place anywhere nearby."


    Irwin gazed at the tiny winged Anvil on his shoulder as if it was crazy.


    "And how do you suppose I figure out if they are Addled?" he whispered.


    "Don''t look at me like that," Ambraz said before snorting. "I know you can''t fly."


    Before Irwin could respond, Ambraz flitted from his shoulder and shot out across the balcony.


    "Get back here, you-" Irwin began, but Ambraz was already gone.


    Is he crazy? What if there are flying demons that think he''s food? Irwin thought before shaking his head and laughing at his own worry. He''d probably just change into his big shape and splatter them apart.


    As he observed Ambraz flying away, he slowly realized something.


    Ambraz had no heat signature.


    He lost track of the Anvil as he flitted around a boulder, staring stupidly at the last spot he''d seen the Anvil.


    Seconds ticked by, and he kept scanning for any sign of Ambraz without avail. Then, there was a bellowing roar from below, and he saw that the nearest heat signatures were rushing along the side of the mountain as if they were chasing something.


    By Gelwin''s balls, he alerted those things!


    Irwin''s fingers tightened around the hilt of his hammer as he began searching for Ambraz. There was no sight of him, but the heat signatures began rushing down the mountain as if whatever they were chasing had turned that way.


    Irwin worriedly watched them go, and he wasn''t sure what to think when he slowed and came to a stop. For a few moments, they move around agitatedly before eventually returning to their previously slow wandering.


    What are you doing, Ambraz? Irwin thought.


    Slowly, the heat signatures began moving away, and Irwin kept searching for any sign of Ambraz. They hadn''t actually caught him, had they?


    No, they definitely were still looking for something at the end, he thought.


    Something whisked past him, and he jerked away in surprise, swinging with his hammer.


    "Don''t hit me, fool!"


    Irwin blinked as Ambraz whisked out of reach, hovering before him, his lips pressed in a line.


    "Are you crazy?" Irwin whispered. "Don''t just sneak up on someone!"


    Ambraz didn''t respond but flitted towards him. "Quick, run back to the portal!" the Anvil hissed as he landed on Irwin''s shoulder.


    The panic in Ambraz''s voice was so starling that Irwin turned, unsummoned his hammer, and was running back through the doorway before he realized it.


    "What''s going on," he whispered as he weaved between the rune-covered boulders.


    "Those things weren''t partially Addled. They were completely Addled!" Ambraz hissed. "Those below were just weak things, but the thing on the top is-"


    A deafening roar came from somewhere behind and above as the entire room trembled and shook. Rumbling and cracking sounds came from all around while the collapsed side of the room slumped down even further.


    "-a really big one," Ambraz squealed.


    A moment later, a thunderous explosion came from the chamber behind them as if something had crashed into the ground with enough force to flatten a building.


    Debris and dust billowed all around Irwin, and he stoked his internal flame up to a roaring volcano, using all the Kinetic energy he''d gathered to explode forward. He slammed into one of the rune-covered blocks, dashed around it, and propelled himself forward to the next one with as much speed as possible.


    His heart skipped a beat as he heard a massive shattering and heavy thudding of something chasing after him, barging through the blocks.


    "Don''t stop, don''t hesitate, don''t look back, just get to the portal and jump through," Ambraz shouted as Irwin rushed through the maze of blocks, hating the person who had put them there.


    As he dashed around another block and saw the corridor that led back to the portal room, Ambraz flitted into his pocket, wiggling his way down.


    "As soon as you''re in the portal tunnel, summon your hammer!"


    Serious? Irwin thought, feeling his stomach clench.


    He caused kinetic energy to explode from below his feet, hurling him across the open area towards the exit and slamming into the wall. As he pushed himself back, a terrifying snarl came from behind him, causing his hair to stand on end.


    Irwin''s heart sped up as he saw the wall around him become illuminated by a pale light. He leaned sideways, letting whatever Kinetic energy he had explode from his feet, causing him to fly through the short corridor just as something heavy slammed into the wall he''d been standing at. He rammed the wall with his shoulder, absorbed the kinetic energy, put his hands on the wall, and fired it all from his palms. As he shot backward into the room, he unleashed the largest wave of fire in front of him that he could muster.


    Something large passed through it, letting out an intense scream of anger and pain that rattled Irwin''s ears.


    He landed on his back, flipped over, and scrambled up and towards the portal that hung in the middle of the room. As he saw it, Irwin felt a wave of relief as he used the bit of kinetic energy his fall had granted him to explode towards it. Then, the entire room lit up when he heard a crackling sound from behind. His hand stretched out to the portal, and just as he felt something touch his back, he touched the portal, and everything turned white.


    A moment later, he was hurtling through the familiar tunnel of energy, a slight tingling sensation in his back.


    "Hammer!" Ambraz shouted from his pocket, and Irwin forced his body to flip around as a massive hammer appeared in his hand, flames rippling across the head.


    "Ambraz, what was that?" he hissed. "Can it come-!"


    A being that looked like it was made of gray rock and red lightning appeared above him, its massive milky white eyes seeming to gaze at nothing and everything at once. Its mouth was like a gash carved in stone, and it opened wide to let out a screech that made Irwin want to cover his ears.

 Chapter 180: Cracking the wood

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    Irwin''s heartbeat shot up as crackling lightning bolts appeared inside the monstrous maw before him. With a jerk, he brought his hammer up, enlarging it to as big as it would go. It barely covered his body in time to block a barrage of arm-length lightning bolts that slammed into it.


    For a split second, he felt a tiny sense of relief. Then, the crackling red energy flowed through his metal hammer into his hand and through his entire body. His eyes widened in surprise as his muscles spasmed and cramped up while his kinetic energy surged out of his control.


    "You have to kill it before it reaches the other side," Ambraz shouted, his voice muted from inside Irwin''s pocket.


    How, Irwin wanted to scream back.


    But he couldn''t because the energy running rampant through his body was causing it to jerk and cramp up and ignore his attempts to try something.


    "Irwin!"


    The panic in Ambraz''s voice made Irwin try even harder to regain control over his body, but nothing was working. He couldn''t even feel the handle of his hammer, and the only things he could see were the monster''s clawed hands flailing around, luckily no closer to him than before.


    Move! he screamed in his mind, trying to force his body to respond.


    A throbbing pain was starting all throughout his body as his Kinetic energy built up, filling his entire body and making him feel like he was going to explode if it continued.


    "-er!"


    Irwin thought he heard Ambraz scream something at him, but the roaring of the monstrous thing was causing his ears to ring. Pain began rippling through his arms and legs, and he saw the skin on the back of his hand darken while red lightning jumped from his fingers to the hammer and back.


    Something slammed into his ear, then Ambraz shouted into his ear.


    "Sweltering heart! Diffuse it!"


    Irwin had no idea what Ambraz meant or how using steam would do anything. He didn''t even know if there even was water in the corridor between worlds. But he ignored all those worries and focussed on his Sweltering Skill, pumping every bit of Soulforce he had in it.


    Almost instantly, he felt the electricity tearing into him weaken. Feeling a slight relief, he tried to create even more steam using every ounce of energy he had. Part of him was surprised at how much water there was in the air around him. Where was it coming from?


    A searing pain came from a finger, and his eyes widened as he saw the skin of his left index finger blacken and bubble in the center. Holding back a scream, he squeezed in the handle.


    I can move!


    Without waiting, Irwin exploded every bit of the surging, out-of-control kinetic energy from his hands. His hammer exploded from his fingers, almost ripping his hands apart while the massive force shoved him back. He caught a glimpse of his hammer striking the chest of the flailing Addled that was flailing around within a cloud of steam and red lighting, and then all he saw was the walls spinning around him.


    "Don''t touch the sides!"


    Ambraz''s shout came just as he saw the sides of the corridor slowly close in every time he was facing it. He was going to hit it!


    Irwin summoned another hammer and blasted it away with the little kinetic energy he had left after his previous action. The explosive boom was just enough to stop his out-of-control spinning, but it did little to stop his angle toward the wall.


    He looked in horror as the wall of blue and green energy and the star-filled the void beyond that closed in.


    "Irwin!"


    Irwin looked up to see Ambraz was flitting beside him. He tried angling his body away from the wall, but it didn''t do anything, the constant force propelling him through the corridor seeming intent on slamming him into the sides.


    "Do it again! You can''t touch the walls!"


    Irwin summoned another hammer, but as he grasped for kinetic energy, he realized he had only a trickle left. It was by no means enough for what he''d need to change his course, and without ground to stomp on¡­


    "I can''t. I don''t have any more kinetic energy!" he screamed, seeing the wall approach and knowing he only had seconds left.


    Ambraz let out an angry snarl and shot away, down towards the exit. For one moment, Irwin feared that Ambraz was abandoning him, then the Anvil turned around in a tight arc and shot straight at him.


    Irwin''s eyes widened as Ambraz enlarged into his working shape, and before he could even shout in surprise, Ambraz slammed into his chest. His ribcage creaked, and he was flung back and to the side. Kinetic energy rippled through him, and he was about to use it when he realized it wasn''t needed. The collision had changed his course, and he was roughly falling in the center of the tube, though much closer to the crackling sides than he''d wanted.


    That was way too close, he thought, drawing in deep, ragged breaths. There was a dull pain in his chest, but his regeneration was already kicking in, and he slowly felt it dull.


    "Ambraz?"


    "Here," a weary voice muttered, and Irwin looked down to see Ambraz partially stuck in his slightly charred and ripped tunic. His wings were flapping weakly, and his mouth was a tight line.


    "You alright?" he asked as he gently grabbed Ambraz and, after a moment''s hesitation, placed him in his collar, far enough so he wouldn''t fall out.


    "It''s not over," Ambraz whispered.


    Irwin blinked, then slowly turned his head around, staring up.


    Far above him, a flailing shape was hurtling down, spinning slowly.


    "It''s not dead yet?" he whispered.


    "Dead? Addled don''t die. They need to be destroyed," Ambraz said, his voice even weaker than before. "I''m going to go unconscious in a moment. You cannot let that thing get... to the other side in one piece. Slam it through the side, crush it, rip it apart, I don''t care¡­ but¡­" Ambraz''s voice faltered, and the next few words were barely audible.


    ¡°Get¡­ rid¡­ off¡­.¡±


    Ambraz fell quiet, and Irwin saw his steel lips and wings vanish, leaving nothing but a tiny gray metallic anvil.


    Irwin swallowed as he looked back at the massive Addled while focusing on his Sweltering skill. Steam rapidly formed around him, ready for the attack he feared would come as soon as it turned back around in his direction. He still had no idea how the steam was even blocking that, but he wasn''t taking any chances. Hopefully, the over a hundred feet separating them now would weaken the attack, but to be sure, he also summoned a new hammer, angling it so he could raise it at a moment''s notice.


    The Addled''s constant flailing finally caused it to turn enough for it to face him, and Irwin hissed at the massive damage his hammer had inflicted. The Addled''s chest was caved in, cracked bits of stone drifting away. The maw that was its mouth had been blasted apart, and what counted as a chin had been ripped away, leaving only a gaping hole. Tiny bolts of crackling red lightning tried to build up inside of it, only to dissipate harmlessly.


    There was no roaring, and Irwin was pretty sure that was because it had no more throat to do it with.


    The Addled continued flailing, though, showing no signs of having been weakened physically. Slowly, it began turning around again, its glaring eyes locked onto him for as long as it could.


    "It can''t shoot the lightning bolts anymore," Irwin muttered, feeling immense relief.


    That meant all he had to do was get rid of it! He released his hold on his Sweltering skill and instead stoked his internal flame up as high as it could. As he did, he felt his kinetic energy grow steadily. It wasn''t fast, but it would have to do.


    How much time do I have left? he suddenly thought.


    The trip here had taken a long time, and the battle so far had been short, so he should have plenty of time.


    Irwin grinned nastily at the flailing monster as he summoned a new hammer. He was about to hurl it forward when he stopped midswing. If he exploded his kinetic energy, he might spin out of control again. Worse, if he tried to hurl it at an angle to knock the Addled into the wall, he would just go blasting off in the opposite direction!


    Feeling his optimism lessen, Irwin looked around and back as he realized another problem. If he hurled his hammer at the Addled, the explosion would increase his own speed toward the exit, which would shorten the time he was in the portal.


    He hesitated, then lowered his hand and began pondering. Although he had little time, if he ended up slamming into the sides or getting out of reach, that would just make matters worse. Besides, he didn''t just have his hammer.


    After a few moments, he thought of a trick he hadn''t used in a very long time. Unsummoning his hammer, he raised his hand, focusing on what he wanted. A massive, tightly packed gout of flame erupted above his palm, and looking at the Addled that was slowly spinning around, Irwin pointed his hand forward. The fire erupted forward in a long line of flickering heat.


    At first it felt effortless, but only halfway to his goal Irwin felt the drain on his energy increase while the flame''s growth slowed.


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    Come on, it''s not that far, he thought, trying to force the fire to continue towards the Addled.


    The flame grew with a jump, but at the same time, Irwin hissed in anger as the energy drain grew exponentially. He kept it up for another few moments, then he stopped. He wouldn''t reach his target.


    With an annoyed grunt, Irwin stopped expanding the fire, glaring at the seventy to eighty-foot flaming spear. It was only a dozen feet from his target, but it felt far more. Knowing it wouldn''t work, he released his hold on the flame, which dissipated with a woosh.


    Fine, something else then, he thought.


    Thinking about all the skills his heartcard gifted him, he wondered if he could use his steam to destroy it from the inside somehow. He raised his hand, and this time, he had no issue reaching the Addled as steam began forming around the rocky creature.


    As the steam thickened, it began obscuring his regular vision, and Irwin switched to his Heat Vision. The Addled changed to a massive conflagration of heat that seemed to fill the entire area above him.


    That was the thing on top of the tower, he thought, realizing how close he''d come to getting squished.


    The Addled showed no reaction to the steam but just kept flailing without end, seemingly with infinite stamina.


    After a few moments, it was wrapped in a steam cocoon, and Irwin started forcing the air into the cracks and the maw. He was surprised as he suddenly acquired the odd sensation of seeing inside the Addled, which consisted of narrow, hollowed passages that reminded him of a maze. As the steam poured deeper inside, he eventually detected a small central cavity where every passage seemed to lead.


    Irwin tried to stuff more steam into the insides, but no matter how much he shoved inside, the Addled showed no reaction.


    Starting to realize this probably wouldn''t be the way, Irwin suddenly realized that the steam in the center had been dissipating. Curious, he forced steam closer to get a clearer view, but whatever was there began crackling so violently he could hear it inside the Addled while his connection to the steam inside the cavity was suddenly gone.


    Is that the thing that lets it use lighting? Irwin thought before cocking his head and feeling a sudden wave of interest. Could it be a card? He hummed as he narrowed his eyes, staring at the Addled.


    After a few moments, he looked at the exit they both were still hurtling towards, noticing that the distant exit point was still only a tiny dot. He had time.


    So it can''t shoot me and might have a card inside¡­ Irwin thought as he glanced at his hammer. Could he break it by repeatedly hurling his hammer? It had risks... not in the least that he might not break it and get too far away to reach it. But what else could he do?


    He did know that if he were going to attempt that, he''d need more kinetic energy, which was going to be slow to gain without something to strike.


    As he looked at his hammer, he wondered if he should just start hitting his own hammer to get kinetic energy. That would work.


    Wait, hitting!


    His eyes widened as he stared at the Addled. It hadn''t done anything but shoot lighting at the start, and although it was obviously fast, it couldn''t use that in here. So... was the only thing it had going for it the red lightning? Its arms looked strong, but they were just some form of stone, while his were close to metal! What if he used the hammer to get closer to it and just broke it to pieces like that?


    It took him only a few more moments to make up his mind, and as he did, he took Ambraz''s still form and put it in the pocket that also held his books. Then he put his hammer behind his back, focusing most of his kinetic energy on it, and then he waited.


    Looking at the Addled, he waited till its back started to turn towards him before letting go of the hammer and detonating all of the kinetic energy where it touched his back.


    A dull boom rang through the energy corridor, and it felt like someone had kicked him in the back as he shot toward the flailing Addled, slamming into its large back and gaining a large amount of kinetic energy.


    Grabbing for a hold, Irwin felt himself slip, and he jammed one hand inside a long crevice on the Addled''s neck. Realizing what he could do, he poured his flame inside. The Addled became even more crazed, reaching behind to grab Irwin, but within moments, it became apparent just how inflexible it was.


    Good, now let me pay you back for hitting me in my back, Irwin thought as he recalled the attack the Addled had shot at him as he jumped into the portal.


    He summoned a small hammer, and using the kinetic energy from each strike to feed the next, he began hitting the Addled''s back and neck. Within moments, splinters of stone began flying around while the Addled continued its useless effort to reach him. Within moments, an entire plate of rock broke away from the shoulder, and as it slid sideways, Irwin aimed at the shoulder joint. The fist-sized hammer hit the now exposed spot, and with a loud crack, the entire thing exploded, the arm that had been attached flying away.


    Too bad for you that you can''t reach me, Irwin thought as he continued mercilessly beating the Addled.


    He continued striking until finally, the Addled was reduced to a shattered, armless, headless thing. It had long since stopped moving, but Irwin continued chipping away at the center of the back, striking it repeatedly to get to what he hoped was the card in its center.


    After a few more strikes the center of the back cracked open, and a flicker of red lighting arced out, hitting Irwin''s hammer.


    "Shit!" he hissed as he released his hammer.


    He wasn''t fast enough as the lighting rippled through his hand. Feeling the stinging, painful sensation, Irwin was about to shove himself away from the Addled when he realized he could still move. Even the pain wasn''t all that bad. Curious, he looked inside the cracked stone beast and saw the familiar angular edges of a card.


    It is a card!


    With a wide grin, he carefully stuck his hand inside what remained of his enemy, gently gripping the card. A jolt went through his body, and then the red lightning vanished, taking with it the soft crackling that had been echoing through the energy corridor ever since he''d exposed the card.


    Irwin''s grin widened as he saw the beautiful red borders indicating it was a Ruby rank card. From the energy he sensed in it, it was probably a natural one that was close to becoming a heartcard. In many ways, it reminded him of the Earth Titan from which he''d gotten his Sweltering Heart card back on Scour.


    How did an Addled get this? he thought as he inspected it for a moment, but seeing no reason to assume it was anything but a regular card.


    If he recalled correctly, Addled didn''t have soulcards, nor did they drop them. Had it swallowed it? Was that why the red lightning had seemed to be cracking apart its own body? Pondering it for a few more moments, he put the card in his pocket.


    He couldn''t wait for Ambraz to tell him what it did, but first, he had to take care of the body.


    Ambraz had told him he needed to crush or shatter it, but there was a better option. Feeling the mass of kinetic energy that had built up in his body, he summoned a massive hammer. Pressing it against the side of the Addled, he pushed himself slightly away and out of reach of what he was about to do before filling his hammer with Kinetic energy. As the hammer began humming and shaking, he let go of both his control over the kinetic energy and the hammer.


    There was an explosive boom as stone shards blasted from where the hammer touched the remains of the Addled, shooting the hammer to one side and the Addled to another. Irwin quickly unsummoned his hammer before it could hit the energy barrier while staring at the Addled as it began flying toward the side of the energy tunnel.


    It really isn''t like falling, he thought.


    As he kept his gaze on the Addled''s remains that moved away from him, he realized that it felt more like they were being pushed or pulled, or perhaps both. Somehow, seeing something else in the tunnel made it easier to grasp, and-


    Wait, how did it even come inside here?


    Irwin blinked just as the Addled struck the sides of the barrier. He had expected many things, perhaps an explosion or for it to be ripped apart, but not for the barrier to shimmer slightly and for the Addled to pass through.


    Irwin stared stupidly at the barrier as it returned to normal before focusing on the Addled''s body as it continued on its trajectory, moving further and further from the tunnel.


    Is that because it''s an Addled, or¡­ perhaps¡­ ¡­


    Irwin stopped thinking as he saw something move in the darkness. Long and massive, it had somehow lain in plain sight amongst the stars without him noticing it, but now it moved, almost unwinding. Barely visible even now, Irwin could only make out its contours by where it now obscured stars that had been there only moments before. For a moment, he thought it was close and moving along the side of the barrier with him, then he realized it wasn''t close¡­ it was just very huge and moving towards the Addled remains.


    As Irwin looked on in terrified awe, a barely visible, massive shape began blotting out all of the stars one at a time until all he saw was darkness. With it came a horrifying pressure, a sense of something pressing down and squeezing his mind.


    I''ve seen this before, Irwin thought as the pressure increased rapidly.


    Before he could remember when he''d felt this before, the pressure was so great that he wasn''t even able to scream out the terrified fear he was feeling.


    The darkness lit up as dozens of enormous eyes suddenly opened, staring at the Addled''s body.


    Irwin held his breath, not daring to move or make a sound, as he saw long tendrils stretch for the Addled''s remains. It took only a few moments for them to cross the distance, and when they touched it, the body seemed to vanish as if it had never been there.


    The pressure on Irwin''s mind rapidly left, but he barely noticed as he tried to remain motionless while hoping the thing wouldn''t see him. It was so much bigger than the corridor that it might just crush it. If it even had to do that! What if it could just move through? The Addled had, and-


    One of the eyes turned to him, a pale white orb with a black muddled center that slowly shrunk as it focused.


    The pressure on Irwin''s mind began increasing, and he was about to panic when he sensed his Kinetic energy buildup so fast that the lightning attack from the Addled was nothing compared to it. Without thinking, Irwin ripped his gaze from the monstrous thing outside, summoned a hammer behind him, and blasted it with kinetic energy.


    His body exploded forward, speeding up, and he summoned another hammer. A tiny part of him screamed at him to stop. What would happen if he hit the end too hard? Irwin didn''t listen but filled the hammer with the overflowing kinetic energy, exploding it out in another boom that increased his speed even more. He didn''t dare look to the side, far too afraid of what he''d see. All he wanted was to be out of the tunnel.


    Each time he used the kinetic energy, the pressure on his mind seemed to lessen, only to return within moments. Then the sound of metal scratching glass pierced through the corridor, and he couldn''t stop himself from looking up.


    Tendrils were wound tightly around the corridor, constricting and causing the energy barrier to flare up in bright light that increased in intensity until it felt like he was staring into the sun.


    Come on, where is that exit, he thought as his speed increased again from another Kinetic boom.


    Dozens of expulsions of kinetic energy later, the painful creaking of the barrier suddenly stopped as the intense light weakened.


    Irwin looked to the side, watching the tentacles unwrap and pull back while the pressure on his mind lessoned. At the same time, the constant overflow of kinetic energy stopped.


    Is it over? Irwin thought as he watched as the massive entity pulled away. There were no eyes anywhere, and slowly, it seemed to retreat back into the distance as stars started reappearing around the edges.


    After what felt like an eternity, the final noticeable bits of the thing vanished between the stars.


    Irwin relaxed, and tension flooded out of him, to be replaced by a pounding headache and the realization that his heartcard was nearly drained. Perhaps a tenth of his normal energy remained.


    If that had lasted any longer¡­ he thought as he rubbed his eyes.


    After a few moments, he focused on the end of the tunnel.


    --


    Greldo passed across the deck, glaring at the portal every time he passed it.


    Come on already! You''ve been inside for hours!


    "He said he was going to search for portals to shardworlds," Rindiri said from the side.


    Daubutim stood with her while Zender and his sisters were hanging from the sail, making some token effort to clean them.


    "That only takes what, an hour at most? He wasn''t supposed to go roam around for them," Greldo replied as he continued glaring at the portal.


    "Perhaps you need to take a-," Rindiri began.


    The portal flashed, and Irwin''s large physique flew out so fast it hit the deck like a collapsing house. Wood cracked, and splinters flew around while the ship was shoved down a dozen feet. Surprised and panicky screams came from the sail and from Ib and Bendi down below.


    Greldo swallowed as he stared at his friend, lying in a dent of cracked and splintered wood. Irwin''s tunic that had already been worn before was now charred and in tatters, as was the shirt below. Only his leather pants seemed to have largely survived what had happened.


    "Irwin, you okay?"


    Irwin moaned as he struggled to his feet while rubbing his head. He looked up, and Greldo hissed as he saw that his friend''s silver eyes were so dull they almost looked gray.


    "I''ll live. Let''s go down so I can tell you what happened," Irwin muttered. "Rindiri, get us a good distance away from this thing."


    Greldo frowned as he followed Irwin, looking up at his weary, pale copper face.


    "We got trouble coming?"


    "Not anymore," Irwin said with a grin.


    That didn''t sound ominous at all, Greldo thought as he followed him into the cabin.

 Chapter 181: Insufferable

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    Irwin stuffed his book back in what remained of his jerkin. He''d hoped that Daubutim could read it, but in the end, even he couldn''t read the Terullian script.


    "It actually attacked the teleport canal?" Rindiri asked.


    "Yes. The thing wrapped some sort of shadowy tentacles around it and tried to shatter it," Irwin said while holding back a groan. The headache seemed to be dropping to his neck, causing his muscles to tense up, and he rubbed his neck to try and lessen the headache. "Do you know what they are?"


    "Most people do," she said, looking at him oddly.


    Irwin couldn''t bring up the energy to care and just waved at her to continue.


    "They have many names, Shatter Omens, Advent of Cataclysm, and some even call them plain evil. Where I''m from, we call them Oculithar, the Worldgaze," Rindiri said.


    "Monster works," Bendi muttered from the side.


    "True, some call them monsters," Rindiri agreed. "They hover around exit portals near highly unstable worlds, and there are legends of people seeing them while they teleport across farming or mining worlds."


    Zender and the girls began whispering excitedly at the other table while Ib was visibly struggling to hold back some questions.


    Irwin ignored them. Something about Rindiri''s words sounded familiar, but he couldn''t think straight due to the headache.


    "Anyway, I''ve never read about one attacking a teleport canal," Rindiri said.


    Irwin decided to think about it later and turned.


    "Do you know anything about them?"


    "No," Daubutim said. "I never read about them."


    Irwin was surprised at that, somehow having expected Daubutim to have read about everything. Then he remembered that for Daubutim, only a few weeks had passed compared to his year and more.


    "Do we know if they can get through a teleport canal?" he asked, curious why he''d never heard anyone call it that.


    "I''ve never heard about it if they can," Rindiri said.


    "Me neither," Bendi said from the other table. "And I''m pretty sure it would have been common knowledge if there was a risk of being eaten while you travel to and from worlds!"


    That makes sense, Irwin thought. The throbbing headache seemed to spread behind his eyes, and he decided it was time for him to rest.


    "So we agree that we won''t try again?" he asked as he looked across the table at Daubutim and Greldo.


    The dark blue raven was sitting on Daubutim''s shoulder, staring around with its gleaming blue eyes.


    "Yes. It''s too dangerous," Daubutim said. "The large disturbance the Addled made when you fled might have drawn more of those large ones to the portal area."


    Irwin nodded while Greldo sighed.


    "There''s really no way to close it again?" he asked, looking at Daubutim.


    "None that I know of," Daubutim said.


    Irwin looked at Rindiri, raising an eyebrow. "Do you know a way?"


    Rindiri shook her head, causing her gray and purple hair to flop around. "I only know how to open them. There''s barely any reason to ever close one because even those that are overrun are used by merchant groups to train."


    "Then there''s nothing we can do," Irwin said, rising and looking at the others of his small crew who were watching their meeting.


    "You''re not going to ask us for our opinion?" Bendi asked before letting out a snort.


    "Why would anyone listen to you?" Ib snapped before Irwin could respond. "Rindiri knows way more than you, and you''re not even in the chain of command."


    "Neither are you," Bendi said, focusing on Irwin. "Captain?"


    Irwin raised his eyebrow. "Do  you know of a way to close that portal?"


    Bendi rolled his eyes and let out a theatrical sigh before he headed to the door. "I would have said so if I did," he said before walking out with a weary sigh.


    "Captain, does this mean Mom is the first mate?" Zender asked, sounding excited.


    Irwin shrugged. "I don''t know what that means, but I expect all of you to do as she says unless I tell you otherwise."


    Zender blinked at that and seemed to mull it over before nodding.


    "Good, now everyone up. We are leaving before things exit from that portal," Irwin said.


    He turned to Daubutim. "Can you go with Rindiri to decide our next course?"


    Daubutim nodded, and Irwin watched everyone walk out, leaving just him and Greldo. As soon as they were gone, he groaned and put his hands on his arms. His head was still pounding, his heartcard slowly gathering new energy.


    "You look like you need to rest," Greldo said softly.


    "Yeah, I do," Irwin said. "I''ll go and sleep in a bit. Did anything happen after I left?"


    "Besides Daubutim walking around with that raven as if it''s the most normal thing?" Greldo said. "No, not really. The kids are still ecstatic over those cards you handed out, and¡­"


    Irwin pushed his weary head up as he heard the sudden uncertainty in his friend''s voice.


    "What?" he whispered.


    Greldo leaned forward while staring at the door.


    Now what? He thought, feeling a tiny bit of worry grow, which increased his headache.


    "The kids seem to think Bendi is after their cards or something," Greldo whispered. "I kept an ear on them, and from what I heard, he did show a lot of interest in them."


    Irwin frowned, wondering what the ex-raider could be up to. He was seriously second-guessing their initial idea of bringing him along. With Rindiri here, Bendi had barely contributed anything, with even Zender and his sisters being more useful. It was a shame that there wasn''t any port nearby to leave him at and end their deal.


    "Keep listening, and if he tries anything, intervene," he whispered.


    "Of course I will. Now go rest before you fall asleep on the table."


    Irwin nodded gratefully as he pushed himself up.


    "If anything happens, wake me up," he said.


    "Only if we can''t handle it," Greldo said as he cracked his neck. "We really need to find a nice world soon. Coal is getting more than a little annoyed at being locked away."


    "Then go on deck and see if you can detect any portals," Irwin said.


    "I will. Now sleep!"


    Irwin grinned as he left the galley. A few moments later, he was lying on his bed, the door and his eyes closed.


    Why isn''t this stupid headache going away? He thought as he rubbed his forehead. He guessed it had something to do with how his heartcard had been overloaded by overuse of his Kinetic energy ability, but he''d not had any lingering pain ever since gaining his greatly increased endurance passive.


    I hope it didn''t damage my heartcard, Irwin thought.


    Somewhat worried, he closed his eyes and focused on his card. The throbbing headache made it difficult to concentrate, and the longer it took, the more worried he became, which wasn''t helping his focus either. Finally, after what felt like forever, his vision blurred, and he appeared inside his own soulscape.


    His gaze snapped to his soullake, the soulforce still almost reaching the edge just as it had the last time he looked. The card that hovered above it wasn''t glistening anymore, but it also didn''t look damaged.


    Still, it does feel empty, Irwin thought as he gazed at the beautiful card.


    Now that he was here, he could better sense that the card felt drained and somehow overstretched. Irwin inspected it for a little while, but there was nothing that gave him the idea something was wrong, and he finally couldn''t resist the temptation of sleeping anymore.


    He left his soulscape, which was far easier than entering it, and flopped on his side. He didn''t even notice when he fell asleep.


    --


    "Do you think we should wake him up?" Greldo asked as he stared at the distant branch that led away from the wide area of the Portal Gallery they were currently in.


    He''d been trying to detect another for hours now, and he was truly sick and tired of it.


    What wasn''t helping was the constant scraping and cracking noises coming from behind, where Bendi, Render, and Ib were trying to fix as much of the damage that Irwin''s landing had done. According to Bendi, it wasn''t too bad, though he did warn them not to walk over the damaged area.


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    "No. There is no sign of anything dangerous, and this is the way we should go," Daubutim replied slowly before he began humming deeply.


    Greldo looked up at the noble, the first and probably only one he felt like he could trust. The single, previously piercing blue eye was slightly muddled, but as Daubutim continued humming, he saw the clarity slowly return.


    "So you''re cured now?" Greldo asked.


    The humming faltered, and Daubutim shook his head. "No, this is nothing more than a way to work around the issue," he finally said. "If I force it, it still won''t stop my mind from breaking down."


    "But if someone starts humming, your dumb version is going to hum along and wake up again?" Greldo asked.


    He saw Daubutim''s eyebrow rise up, and he quickly raised his hand. "I didn''t mean it in a bad way," he said. "But¡­ what do we call that version of you anyway? Shattered mind Daubutim?"


    Daubutim snorted, then began laughing. "Shattered mind," he repeated, shaking his head. "My father called me Dull, so I guess that would work."


    Greldo''s hair rose up, which, in his case, meant he turned far fluffier than normal. "Not happening," he said as he thought about his own father. That one was a brute and a bully, but compared to Daubutim''s, he guessed he''d gotten the better deal. Not that he''d ever say that out loud. "Let''s just go with Dumbatim," he said without thinking.


    He realized what he''d said when Daubutim glared at him, the first time the noble showed any outraged reaction to his jabs. "Or not," he quickly said, waving his head.


    "Just call me Daubutim," Daubutim said calmly. "I''ll react to that even in my mindless state."


    "Fine," Greldo said, turning his focus back to the distant branch. "So, any idea what is that way?"


    "No. That branch isn''t on any of the maps I have, which is exactly what we need."


    Yeah, to find some magical world to hide from some ancient threat that nobody knows but Gelwin, Greldo thought.


    "How long do you think he will be out for?" he asked.


    "From what I saw, he greatly overused his card," Daubutim said. "I don''t think he has ever experienced anything like it, and in hindsight, I should have warned him."


    "Why? Can something bad happen?" Greldo asked as he looked up worriedly. He didn''t believe that Daubutim would harm Irwin in any way, not after everything he''d seen and heard, but even this guy with his seemingly perfect memory could make mistakes.


    "No,  he just has to sleep and rest for a while and not exert his card too much. From what I know of heartcards, they are far more resilient than handcards, so as long as he doesn''t do anything stupid, he will be fine."


    Greldo leaned back on the railing in relief before letting out a soft, nasty laugh. "Nothing stupid, you say? Well, knowing him, we might have to tie him up then."


    Daubutim didn''t react, and they remained on the deck for a while as the wind grew colder. At some point, the others all left as it grew ever colder.


    "I''m going below deck," Daubutim said.


    "Alright, keep an eye on Grumpy for me," Greldo said.


    Daubutim looked back, and Greldo saw his eye slowly grow dull.


    "Bendi," Greldo whispered quickly.


    It took a few moments before Daubutim snapped out of it, and when he did, he frowned.


    "I need to rest," he said. "I''ll try and wait till Irwin wakes."


    "Don''t bother," Greldo said as he walked away from the railing. "I''ll come. You can just go and rest."


    As he walked away, he waved at Rindiri. "Just call me if anything happens."


    I wonder when we will find another portal, he thought.


    --


    Monique paced the three steps forward, three steps back through her tiny cabin, wishing it wasn''t as freezing above deck. She''d been cooped up in this tiny room for over a week now, and even the idea of going outside to search for portals seemed more fun.


    By now, any hope she''d had to catch up to Irwin''s ship was gone, and she was pretty sure that if they didn''t find something soon, she''d be in big trouble. The rations she''d been getting had nearly halved already, and her stomach was constantly screaming for sustenance. Even her worry about her sister and the rest of her family had been relegated to the back of her mind.


    They wouldn''t really let me starve, right? she thought. She was a smith. They wouldn''t do that, right? They needed her to help reforge their cards or-


    A loud shout from above made her stop and stare at the door. Had they finally found something? Maybe Irwin''s ship? Perhaps they had turned back!


    Someone was running down the staircase, and she hesitated before pulling the door open slightly and looking into the narrow corridor beyond. One of Xi''kroak''s crewmen was pulling open the Captain''s cabin.


    "There''s a portal ahead, Captain! An open one that''s not on the maps!"


    An open portal? Monique almost ran out, barely stopping herself. The chances of there being a portal without anyone there were nearly non-existent. The only times that happened were when something had chased off or killed the explorers that found and opened the portal.


    The crewmen stepped back as Xi''kroak appeared, following him up. Monique pulled back a bit.


    "Are there any shipwrecks or Addled?" Xi''kroak asked as he ran up the staircase at the end of the corridor.


    Monique strained to catch the response, but between the footsteps and cracking wood, she didn''t hear what was said. She pulled her door closed and began pacing again.


    If someone opened a portal, perhaps they went inside? she thought, feeling a tiny bit of hope grow.


    If they could find a livable world out here, that meant she could go inside and find food!


    --


    Irwin woke slowly, his mouth feeling like some furry creature had crawled in it and died.


    Water, he thought as he slowly rose, blinking around.


    Most of his headache was gone, but he didn''t feel as rested as he''d hoped.


    "About time you- Ahk!"


    Irwin blinked as he saw Ambraz fly through the room, hit the wall, and slide down. The whisper in his ear had nearly scared him to death, and he only felt a tiny bit of guilt for battering the Anvil across the room. Well, perhaps more than a little¡­


    "Sorry," he whispered as he rose.


    Ambraz''s tiny wings buzzed as he flew back towards him, his metal lips in a tight line.


    "Seriously? You wake up, and the first thing you do is hit me?" Ambraz whispered as he sat down on his shoulder.


    "I said I was sorry," Irwin muttered as his gaze fell on a small waterskin lying on the table.


    "I forgive you. Now tell me what happened with that Addled! And don''t worry about that brat, Brinni. She''s asleep."


    Irwin sat down on the tiny stool and took a large drink before answering.


    "I broke it into pieces then flung it through the ¡­ what was that thing called again? ¡­ through the teleport canal!"


    He took another long drink, emptying out the entire waterskin and putting it down, wishing he had another. Still, he felt his hazy mind clear up.


    "Then an Oculithar or Shatter thing came and tried to break through the canal."


    Ambraz landed on the table, and Irwin had the feeling he was being stared at.


    "What? No response?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.


    "You''re sure it was a Shatter Omen?" Ambraz asked softly.


    "Well, I''ve never seen one before, but Rindiri said that''s what it was," Irwin replied.


    His mind slowly began working again and recalled what Ambraz had done to save him from the same fate as the body of the Addled.


    "Thank you for saving me back in that tunnel," he whispered. "Why did you go unconscious afterward?"


    "You''re welcome! Did you think I was going to let you get hurt? Bah! I''m here to make sure that doesn''t happen. Who else is going to help me grow into a Worldanvil?" Ambraz said before snickering. "And to answer your question, it''s not good for me to use my abilities that close to chaos space."


    Irwin grinned, and he tapped a finger against Ambraz''s side. "Well, you did great! I''ll be relying on you again in the future."


    Ambraz''s metal lips curved up, and he flitted around before landing on Irwin''s shoulder.


    "So, I take it we are far away from the portal by now?" Ambraz whispered.


    Irwin nodded as he thought about something else. His grin widened as he pulled his cards and books out of his pocket, placing them on the table.


    "That Addled had something interesting," he said as he slowly took the red-bordered card from the stack, placing it on the table.


    "That''s impossible," Ambraz hissed as he shot back to the table, landing beside the card. "Addled don''t drop cards, ever! Whatever soulskill they might have had was shattered when they became addled."


    "I thought as much, but it was inside its stomach," Irwin said. "Perhaps it swallowed the card?"


    "Possible¡­ unlikely, but I guess if you pulled it out of there, it would have to be," Ambraz muttered.


    "So, what does it do?" Irwin asked.


    Ambraz hummed, then moved atop the book in which he''d added card information before.


    "It''s an interesting one, and it was halfway to growing to a heartcard when it was crystalized. I don''t know what happened while it was inside the Addled, but there''s no sign of instability. Right now, it''s just a ruby card with a very high level of energy, probably similar to a powerful diamond card," he said while he began glowing brightly.


    The edges of the books rustled for a short while. Irwin waited impatiently. As soon as Ambraz stopped glowing and flew off the book, Irwin took it and flipped it open. As he did, a folded paper slid out.


    Irwin looked at it stupidly, realizing it was the same one he''d seen when he was in the destroyed portal room.


    After hesitating for a moment, he put it on the table and flipped to the last page of the book.


    Card: Blood Lightning


    Type: Ruby, Mutation


    Owner: -


    The wielder''s blood becomes infused with lightning, making them capable of far beyond normal movements and reactions.


    Passive: Increases lightning resistance


    Passive: Grants immunity to blood-related diseases


    Passive: Increases movement speed and reflexes


    Irwin''s eyes widened, and he picked up the card. As he did, he frowned as he read through it again. Something about the card made him uneasy. It took him a few moments before he realized what it was. His heartcard was resonating oddly, almost as if it was trying to reject the card he was holding.


    Curious, he put it down, and as soon as he did,  his heartcard''s resonance returned to normal.


    "I think my heartcard doesn''t like this card," he whispered.


    "That''s not too strange," Ambraz muttered. "From what I can tell, it is almost incompatible with your card. It deals with speed, blood, and lightning, three pretty major things, while yours deals with metal, endurance, fire, and explosiveness. It''s very difficult to combine that many powerful things in one card."


    Irwin frowned as he stared at the card. It was definitely powerful; he knew that much.


    "So does that mean that when I get my handslots back, I''ll be limited in the cards I can use?" he asked.


    "Didn''t I already tell you that?" Ambraz asked, surprised. "You need to create a harmonious set, or they will start working against each other. But don''t worry too much. Your card has a lot of potential cards it can mesh well with."


    "Alright¡­ then what do we do with this one?" Irwin asked as he stared at the card.


    Ambraz was quiet for a bit before suddenly flitting up and landing on the card.


    "Perhaps¡­" he whispered. "Don''t bother me for a while. I need to check something!"


    Irwin stared at him for a bit before his gaze drifted to the folded paper he''d put aside. As he folded it open, his eyes widened at the sight of Ambraz''s description of his Heartcard. Recalling that day, he read the short message above.


    "Damn, kid! You bring me more luck than I would have imagined! I''ve evolved, so I''ll be out for a few days or weeks¡­ don''t know really. That Purperion was more powerful than I''d imagined. Anyway, we would have failed. If that little fire elemental hadn''t come out when it did, we would have had to start all over again, which would have been a waste because your hammer evolved to Ammolite! Well, I presume that''s what it is. I never actually saw another one before. Anyway, I absorbed the Emberion''s remains for now, and I think we should fulfill its final request. Odd, that. It actually managed to send me a mental message, an image. We''ll discuss it when I wake up."


    Irwin ignored the rest as he recalled the tiny Emberion that had helped him at the cost of its own life.


    I wonder why it wanted to be left in such a place, he thought, recalling his trip to the Earth Titan.


    After a moment of hesitation, he summoned a small flame and burned the message.


    Ambraz showed no reaction to any of this. Irwin hummed as he rose up and sat back down on his bed. His mind was still foggy, and he had the feeling that he could sleep if he only closed his eyes.


    I''ll ask him if he has any idea tomorrow, he thought as he lay down and closed his eyes.


    --


    "Wake up!"


    Irwin shot up from the voice in his ear, looking around as a hammer appeared in his hand. He barely managed to restrain the flame he was about to eject when he saw Ambraz hovering before him with a wide grin on his metal lips.


    "What?" he hissed.


    Ambraz flew back to his shoulder.


    "Hush, the girl is awake."


    Irwin groaned as he leaned back, unsummoning his hammer and glaring at the Anvil.


    "And?" he whispered.


    "And I figured out what we can do with the card," Ambraz replied, sounding incredibly content with himself.


    "Which is?" Irwin asked.


    "We are going to reforge it sideways," Ambraz said, sounding incredibly excited. "And if we do it right, we should be able to give it the ability to increase the wielder''s speed of thought!"


    Irwin frowned. "That won''t allow me to slot it, though, right?"


    "It''s not for you, brat! It''s for Daubutim," Ambraz hissed. "Although it might not fix all of his issues, I have the strong suspicion that if he slots the card after we are done with it, he should have a whole lot fewer issues!"


    Irwin shot up, causing Ambraz to topple from his shoulder with a muted curse.


    "It will fix him?" he whispered hopefully.


    "It''s more like it will probably make his mind so fast that it can just circumvent the issues before they arise," Ambraz whispered after he flew back on his shoulder.


    Irwin grinned as he stared at the card on the table. Then his eyes widened.


    "So he''s going to have perfect memory and the ability to think faster than anyone else?" he whispered.


    Ambraz was quiet for a bit, then sighed. "Yeah. He''s going to be insufferable."

 Chapter 182: A Portal Gallery back alley?

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    Irwin spread his senses, focusing on his heartcard''s resonance, which had turned as still as a lake. Time slipped by almost unnoticeably. It seemed to do so whenever he tried to locate another portal. After a long time, when he was certain he sensed nothing, he released his focus and opened his eyes.


    He gazed over the railing at the wall that ended the narrow corridor they had been following.


    "Nothing," he whispered, turning to Greldo, who had been attempting the same but waiting for him to validate that there really was nothing then. "Another dead end."


    "You sense anything?" Greldo asked as he turned to Rindiri, who stood at the steering wheel.


    "No, it''s another dead end. I''ll get us back, and we can try the final branch," she shouted. "Captain?"


    "Go for it," Irwin said as he leaned on the railing. Ever since he''d returned from the portal, Rindiri had started asking his approval occasionally, something he wasn''t sure what to think of just yet.


    "One more," Greldo muttered beside him. "If it''s also a dud, we will have to double back two full days and take another path."


    Irwin nodded, staring across the listless landscape below him. He was starting to get more than a bit weary and tired of it and couldn''t wait to finally find another portal- hopefully a safer one.


    "Let''s go and tell Daubutim," he said.


    Greldo grunted, and a minute later, they knocked on Daubutim''s cabin door.


    "Enter."


    Irwin pushed the door open, not in the least surprised to see Daubutim stand in front of the massive map he''d drawn on the long cabin wall. It combined all his maps, including the seven deadend leaves and thin branches they had discovered in the last three days.


    "Deadend?" Daubutim asked as he rose from his small desk filled with papers.


    "Yes," Irwin said as he sat down on one of the beds they had dragged into the now overfull cabin and relegated to a couch. "One more, and if it''s another dud, we will have to return to the large area and take another path."


    Daubutim didn''t respond but walked to the map with a quill and drew the ending of the leaf they had just found.


    "Can we?" Irwin asked as he looked at Greldo and tapped his ears.


    His friend looked up and around for a moment, then frowned. "Don''t hear anything," he whispered, sounding uncertain.


    Irwin tapped his pocket, feeling Ambraz''s solid shape. There was a weary sigh.


    "She''s sleeping," Ambraz said, his voice muted by the layers of leather and fabric.


    "Again?" Irwin muttered as he thought about Brinni, who had been asleep many times as of late. He hadn''t found an amethyst card with low enough energy for her, and he wondered if she was feeling down because of it.


    "She''s been learning about Fiverion," Daubutim said as he inspected his drawing. Seeming content, he walked back to his small desk, sat down, and looked at the others.


    So, learning about Fiverion makes her sleepy? Irwin thought.


    "According to Gelwin''s calculations and discoveries, there should be a path that leads to another large branch in this region," he said. "We should find it and then just go take a fast path ahead. Our food supplies will be enough that we can head out for another two weeks before we need to return."


    Irwin nodded, inspecting his friend. "If we come across another portal, even if it doesn''t lead to a world that''s suited for our needs, I need to go there," he said, tapping the pocket that held his cards and books. "I need to do some work."


    "Subtle," Greldo muttered.


    Irwin didn''t react, but he saw the glitter of hope in Daubutim''s eye. Ever since he''d told his friend about the Blood Lightning card, he''d seemed even more motivated than he had already been. Still, he''d been unwilling to hold the card, telling Irwin to keep it. He''d said he didn''t want to risk them getting in a situation where he would slot it because it would be the simplest way to solve a problem and thus end up ruining his chances.


    "Alright, well, I take it you two will start singing again soon?" Greldo asked.


    "Yes," Daubutim said as he put his papers away, looking at Irwin.


    "Then I''ll be off to check if Ib cooked up anything new," Greldo said as he returned to the door. "Try and keep it down a bit?"


    He didn''t wait for an answer but left, closing the door behind him.


    "He''s been hanging around her a lot lately," Irwin said, lowering his voice and grinning at Daubutim.


    He knew full well that Greldo would hear him, but when there was no response, and Daubutim also ignored him, he just shrugged.


    "How big is the chance that we will find a portal?" he asked.


    "Very big," Daubutim said. "Although I would have preferred to have far more supplies, what we have should be enough to find a portal to a world with food."


    Irwin leaned back and began humming happily. "Song of the Whale?" he asked.


    "Yes," Daubutim said as he joined him.


    The rest of the day passed by in leisure, with Irwin spending some part above deck. As the days passed, he found that he enjoyed both the relative solitude and the fresh air. Although he missed the heat of Scour, he had slowly gotten used to the slight pain of the cold. The constant supply of warmth from his flame made it more than bearable.


    After an uneventful night, he stood beside Rindiri near the wheel as they looked through the final, narrow branch. The Portal Galery ground below was only ten times as wide as the ship, with the barriers so close Irwin could see the space beyond.


    I wonder if there are Shatter Omens beyond, he thought, not for the first time.


    "This is the narrowest passage I''ve ever sailed through," Rindiri said, her voice raspy from the cold. "I''ve never even heard of anything like this, and it''s getting even narrower ahead. If it gets much worse, we will have to turn around, or we might get stuck. These ships can''t sail backward."


    "Make sure you warn us in time," Irwin said as he headed to the stern to get a better view. "Of if you need to warm up a bit."


    "I''ll be fine for a bit longer," Rindiri said.


    Irwin nodded. As he walked to the stern, a thin layer of ice cracked below his feet, and he looked up to see the sail covered in a gleaming layer. He increased the heat of his flame a bit more and put his hands on the railing.


    He wished Greldo was up there with them, but he knew that even his friend''s dense fur wouldn''t protect him from the excruciating cold. Some steam would help, but he''d found that as the temperature lowered, it cost more energy to heat up his surroundings with it.


    There seemed to be no end to the narrow passage, and he crossed his arms, staring ahead.


    Minutes slowly turned to hours as he waited, shifting between searching for Portals and staring ahead every so often.


    Finally, after half a day had gone and the corridor was only five times as wide as the ship, and Rindiri had said that if it became even less, it meant they had to go back, he saw something in the distance. At first, he thought it was the end of the path, but as they closed in, he realized what he was seeing looked more like mountains.


    Okay, time to get Greldo up here, even if it costs some energy, Irwin thought as he turned and headed to the cabin.


    "Are you getting Greldo?" Rindiri asked, her voice now cracking from the cold.


    "Yes. I''ll come up there so you can heat up some," Irwin said as he reached the cabin. "Greldo, you ready?"


    "Only if you have some steam ready," his friend said from behind the door.


    Irwin focused on his card, and a few moments later, a cloud of steam began forming around him and the door. Still, he waited till he was sure it was dense enough to protect Greldo from the cold. It was too bad to take any chances.


    "Ready," he said.


    The cabin door was pushed open, and Greldo dashed out into the cloud before slamming it closed again. As good as the insulation and magical heating of the wood was, it would take hours for the heat to return if they left the door open for even a few moments too long.


    "Ugh, I don''t get how you can stand this cold," Greldo muttered.


    Irwin laughed as he led his friend up the small ladder to the steering wheel and Rindiri. He thought back to when he''d been the one unable to even walk through a cold afternoon.


    "Much better," Rindiri said as she took in a deep breath of the heated air.


    "You should have let me know how cold you were earlier," Irwin said as he saw her pale skin and blue lips.


    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    "It''s fine. You were obviously focused on something, and it''s not that bad," Rindiri said. "I''ve had worse."


    "Holy crap," Greldo said as he prodded Irwin and pointed ahead. "There''s a massive mountain over there! Since when do we have mountains in the Portal Gallery?"


    Irwin shrugged, having no idea, but Rindiri let out a surprised hiss.


    "Are you sure?"


    "Definitely," Greldo said. "I''ve seen plenty of mountains to recognize one, and this time, I don''t see anything indicating it''s not natural- like that boulder."


    "Why?" Irwin said, looking at Rindiri.


    "A mountain, especially one near a path like this, usually means we are moving towards a large branch! That''s incredible. On the Langost main branch, every direction anyone has searched beyond it has always ended in a dead end or an area like the one beyond Sesnanser, where nobody wants to search anymore," she said, sounding as excited as when Irwin had given her children cards.


    So, Daubutim was right, Irwin thought as he shared a quick look with Greldo, who was grinning.


    "Do you know what we can expect beyond there?" he asked.


    "Only a little," Rindiri said while she rapidly changed things on the steering wheel''s central area.


    Within moments, the ship began rising, and Irwin grimaced. The higher they were, the colder things became, meaning he''d need even more energy to keep his Sweltering skill active. Not that he was going to complain. They evidently had to fly over the mountain to get beyond it.


    Rindiri took a few steps away from the wheel and focused on the distant spec, which Greldo reassured them was a mountain.


    "If we fly over that mountain and see an area beyond so large that we can''t see the other side''s barrier, we will have found the first path to a new large branch leading from Langost. It''s been a hundred years since another was found, and that was on one of the other large branches, so far from here that it took the news of the discovery years before it even reached us," Rindiri said as she stared in the distance. "If this is one, it means you will most likely succeed in your mysterious mission, which I''m starting to wonder has something to do with this¡­"


    Irwin shrugged as Rindiri looked at him with an obvious desire for answers.


    "I know less about our mission than you seem to think," he finally said, which wasn''t a complete lie.


    The corner of Rindiri''s mouth curved up, but she didn''t comment.


    "So besides a massive piece of land, what else can we expect?" Greldo asked.


    "A rise in temperature as we move away from the barriers, and likely vegetations. Also, danger from Addled that roam around," Rindiri said.


    They remained on the deck, discussing and pondering for a while before Irwin finally had to call it quits. His energy was now halfway drained, and he had no interest in getting a headache from overuse again. After the previous time, due to the overloading of his Kinetic skill, Ambraz had warned him to be more careful. Although it was difficult to damage a heartcard, it wasn''t impossible.


    With Rindiri and Greldo back below deck, Irwin took up the position behind the steering wheel. He barely curled his fingers around it when Ambraz struggled out of his pocket and landed on his shoulder. Usually, the Anvil only made sure to come out when Irwin was with Greldo or inside his cabin. Irwin guessed that meant that the others were either asleep again or doing something that made Ambraz believe they wouldn''t show up at any moment.


    Strangely, Ambraz didn''t say anything, and after a few minutes, Irwin couldn''t stop his curiosity.


    "What do you think?" he whispered.


    Ambraz snorted. "I think the stupid beardy face actually seems to know what he''s talking about."


    Irwin laughed, wondering what would happen when Ambraz and Gelwin would finally meet again. It was bound to happen when they found a world and used the single-use card Daubutim had gotten.


    "Listen¡­ if we can find a rank-five world here, I need a favor."


    Irwin''s laugh caught in his throat as he stared at Ambraz in surprise. He''d never heard his companion talk this seriously about anything but cards before.


    "Which is?" he asked.


    "Set aside a region for my people on the mainworld and give us one of the adjacent worlds," Ambraz said with pursed lips. He continued quickly before Irwin could ask his confused questions. "Remember how I told you that we got that world, Granvox, from the smithing guild? Well, it''s not as much a gift as a way to keep us in their debt. It''s in the middle of a mainbranch, surrounded by nothing but controlled space, and we Ganvills, as those people call us, are incentivized to remain there or join into a partnership with a local smith. If we ever want to have a say in our future again, we need a world far away from those ugly rustbuckets."


    Irwin was quiet for a while as he began connecting the things he''d learned.


    "So, that''s why you are searching for your shattered homeworld?" he asked after a while.


    "That and because we need those three elders," Ambraz said. "With them, we would have enough power to move to a world like Sesnanser, which nobody wants without the Smiths guild locking us down."


    "So you are being held prisoner?" Irwin asked, surprised as he''d thought the Smiths guild were the good guys.


    "Well, it''s not that bad," Ambraz muttered. "We are treated better than nearly anyone and highly promising young smiths are sent to Granvox to try and find one of us to create a bond. Before I left, I had to fend off so many requests it was bloody tedious!"


    "Because of the oddity when you rank up?" Irwin asked.


    "Yeah, there''s that," Ambraz muttered. "I don''t like talking about it, but let''s just say that some Ganvils have a higher potential than others."


    Irwin nodded, surprised at how forthcoming Ambraz was being. Although their bond had strengthened over the years, there were still things the Anvil seemed to want to keep to itself, and he had mostly learned to live with that. Now, however, Ambraz seemed willing to talk, and he wasn''t going to let the moment go to waste.


    "Can you become a Worldanvil?" he asked.


    "Probably," Ambraz said before snorting. "Well, that''s too strong. Let''s say there are a few thousand Ganvils alive today that have the potential to become one, and I am one of them. If you''d asked me about it a year ago, I would have said the chances would have been very small, but ever since you went to Scour and got your heartcard, I''d say my chances increased quite a lot. I''d love to see how some of the others respond if they detect the heartcard you have! Probably going to cry and complain!"


    Ambraz laughed softly while Irwin wondered what kind of world Granvox was. He tried to picture a normal world with Anvils, but that just seemed weird. Still, he wasn''t willing to waste this chance just to ask Ambraz what a Ganvil city would look like or if they even had one.


    "I don''t think we will find a rank-five world just like that, but say we do. Rindiri will want one for her people, the Yuurindi. Do you think that will cause trouble?"


    "Trouble? More than the usual trouble if you just throw a bunch of people of different species together?" Ambraz asked, his lips curving up in a smile. "No, I think you shouldn''t worry too much about that. A rank-five world and those beyond will attract so many people of different species that it might be for the better if the initial group that establishes themselves there is not just one people. It will give them experience dealing with different viewpoints."


    Irwin nodded as he thought about that. Fiverion had been a melting pot of more species than he even knew, and that had seemed fine.


    Perhaps it''s because the ones ruling the place were from a merchant group, not one species, he wondered.


    That brought up another idea.


    "Do you think we should bring the others to a rank-five world if we do find one?" he asked.


    He was pretty sure Ambraz would get what he was implying. Somehow, even as secretive as they were trying to be, there had been this unspoken rule about what they wouldn''t be talking about- not even if they thought it was safe. One was Irwin being a smith, and the other was that they came from Giard.


    Ambraz was quiet for a bit, then hummed. "It''s not even such a bad idea," he muttered. "From what Beardy Face said, they attempted many things, but even hiding has shown not to work in the end. Perhaps it''s time to attempt something else."


    I wonder who it is that''s hunting us, Irwin thought.


    He barely noticed that he had begun thinking of himself as one of the ancient Galadin people. Instead, he tried picturing what type of being could be hunting an entire race for so many millennia. Daubutim had told him about the story Gelwin had told, and he wondered if it had something to do with the war that happened long ago. He could barely fathom it, even just the time that Gelwin was implied to have been alive was beyond his understanding.


    They remained quiet for a bit before Ambraz finally broke it.


    "So?"


    It took Irwin a few moments to figure out what he wanted, then he sighed. "Yes. If we find a five-star world, your people can have a section and one of the adjacent worlds," he said. "I do expect your help if we end up bringing everyone there."


    "What else did you think we''d do? Run back to Granvox?" Ambraz said, sounding surprised.


    Irwin grinned, staring at the mountain range in the distance. It was close enough for him to make out some of the details: ridges, peaks, and a bunch of boulders. From what he saw, the mountain started with a very steep slope that rose to a crevice-filled side, almost like a wall that blocked them. If they didn''t have a flying ship, he wondered how hard it would have been to climb over.


    Something about the conversation was bugging him, and he tried to figure out what it was. Finally, after a while, as he had stopped even trying to figure it out and was thinking about when he could reforge Daubutim''s card, it just came to him.


    "Why do you seem so sure there''s a fifth-rank world there?" he asked.


    Ambraz grinned. "I wondered when you''d ask. Well, that''s because, from what I''ve read, there is nearly always one found within range of the path leading to a large branch like this. Some researchers of the explorers guild seem to believe that the path is created because the portal is there, while others think that the path is what causes the portal to be there. Whatever the reason is, historically, there''s always one within a short distance. That''s probably why Beardy Face sent us here."


    Irwin frowned. "You think he knew?"


    "Know? Probably not. Guess, or somehow figure it out? Probably," Ambraz said. "As much as I dislike that old beardy-face for locking me up, I can''t say he isn''t smart and resourceful."


    Irwin didn''t respond as he thought about Ambraz''s words. He didn''t have a strong opinion on Gelwin anymore, but based on what he knew, he seemed only to want what was best for Giard and, thus, by extension, his family. How Gelwin was doing this was a question he was very interested in.


    "If this is known, why don''t they send more people to the furthest edges to locate these things?" Irwin muttered.


    "They do, but there are a near innumerable number of branches leading away in all directions. Also, remember what we talked about? The ones that can best find the portals are smiths, and unlike what you seem to think, there aren''t that many of those around," Ambraz whispered.


    "But if fifth-rank worlds are as desired as everyone tells me they are, some smiths must be looking?" Irwin asked.


    "Probably, but if there are, it''s not on any of the Langost branches I''ve been at," Ambraz said. "Do you even know how big just the known area of the Langost branch part of the Portal Galery is? Worlds not included?"


    Irwin blinked, then shook his head as he realized he''d never actually thought about it. He knew it was big, but how big exactly?"


    "Heh, you should really go back to school for a bit," Ambraz said with a snort. "You know by now that most world portals are a week or more away from each other, right? Well, the Langost side branch network we are on right now has over a hundred worlds going from first to fourth rank. If you go past Suderfuix, which is the largest city before the main Langost branch, you could go in so many directions that you''d get lost in a heartbeat. If I recall, the last number of worlds in the entire Langost branch numbered in the tens of thousands, and we aren''t the largest named branch out there."


    Irwin stared stupidly at Ambraz. All the mentioning of main branches, branch networks, and named branches was starting to confuse him, and it took him a few minutes to get everything sorted.


    "So¡­ you''re saying we are on a sidebranch network of the Langost branch, and if we go past Suderfuix, we reach the Langost main branch, which, like¡­ what? The center of a larger network of branches just like the one we are on?" Irwin finally asked.


    "Pretty much the entire Portal Gallery is a massive network that, for as far as we know, seems to continue on forever," Ambraz said. "At least, I''ve never heard of even a legend that says anything about it ending¡­"


    "So¡­ how many worlds are in the entire network?" Irwin asked.


    "Who knows, millions? I have no idea," Ambraz said. "Even if world portals are rare finds, with how big it is, there''s probably one found every day¡­ or hour?"


    Irwin shivered, and he stopped thinking about the scope of what something like that meant.


    "How can anyone keep finding something if it''s that big," he muttered, thinking about the Galladins.


    "You have the tendency to ask me questions I don''t have an answer to today," Ambraz grunted. "Maybe a really powerful soulcard?"


    Irwin nodded before frowning. "Is there anything beyond soulcards?"


    Ambraz barked a laugh. "What? Is a soulcard not enough for you? But, again, I have no idea! As far as I know, there''s none, but who can say? This bloody place is so big anything could theoretically be possible. Still, what would something beyond a soulcard even look like? There''s nothing more powerful than Soulforce..."


    Irwin had no answer to that, and after some futile attempts, his thoughts drifted back to a possible rank-five world beyond the mountains. He became lost in his thoughts and barely noticed when Ambraz returned to his pocket.

 Chapter 183: Begging to join

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    Monique stayed in her cabin, looking out at the two Da''xi crewmen who were being carried down. Their plates were charred and covered in scratches while pale white blood oozed from between the edges. She shuddered as she heard their ragged coughing and didn''t even notice when someone stepped up beside her door.


    "The captain wishes to see you!"


    Monique jolted, looking at the female Da''xi who had seemingly teleported next to her. She''d seen her move about the ship before, and everyone except for the Captain had gone out of their way to be nice. Her guess was that she was Xi''kroak''s mate, though she had no idea what she was called. None of the crewmen called her by her name. They just bowed.


    It was the first time Monique had seen her up close, and she was surprised at the difference in the faceplates she saw. Thin but also more sculpted, they gave the female Da''xi a dangerous, fast air about her.


    "Now," the Da''xi said, her tone short.


    Monique wanted to ask why she had to go but knew the other wouldn''t buy that. There was only one reason why she was called to go to the Captain. He was going to ask about the portal...


    "Alright," she said as she stepped outside and closer to her cabin.


    As she walked towards Xi''kroak''s cabin, which was the one at the front of the ship, she took a quick look into the one the wounded crewmen had been carried into. Both lay on beds with other crewmen caring for them, but one glance told her that one of them probably wouldn''t make it. At least, she was pretty sure even Da''xi couldn''t live with two fist-sized holes in the center of their chest.


    "Grant them some privacy in their final hours," the female said as she tried to shove Monique.


    Monique felt like grinning at the weak force but wasn''t sure how much trouble that would get her in, so she just ignored it and continued ahead. Captain Xi''kroak''s door was closed, and she nodded.


    "Come!"


    The almost angry snap made her jerk the door open with a bit too much force, but nobody seemed to care. Xi''kroak said, pacing through his larger cabin. Not that it was big, just larger than hers.


    He can actually take ten paces, Monique thought jealously.


    Her thoughts froze as Xi''kroak stomped towards her, his eyes cold.


    "I have given you more courtesy than you deserve," the Captain snapped. "And if I find that this is the reason I''ve just lost three crewmen, you won''t enjoy the consequences!"


    Monique swallowed, about to take a step back when she felt something sharp jab in her lower back.


    "Don''t move," the female Da''xi hissed.


    "My crewmen went into that portal, hoping to find Irwin or at least a message," Xi''kroak snapped, not reacting to his mate''s actions. "Do you know what they found?"


    Monique shook her head, feeling a sudden flare of anger. "How would I know? I''ve been cooped up in my cabin for weeks, and nobody even talks to me anymore!"


    The Captain''s mate leaned closer, and she felt the sharp point dig into her jerkin. "Show some respect!"


    "Why? I''m a smith, and you have shown me barely any either," Monique hissed, the bottled-up fear and rage of weeks finally bursting forth.


    Xi''kroak''s face plates rattled loud and fast, and Monique''s sudden outburst of annoyance died as fast as it had come. She wilted, wondering if she''d just made her final mistake. Her grandmother had so warned her to watch her temper...


    The rattling slowed, and Xi''kroak let out a weary sigh.


    "La''suna, let her stand at ease," he said, causing Monique to feel a lot better. That was until he continued. "It might be her last time."


    The sharp point left her back, but Monique remained perfectly still.


    "You have been deceiving us somehow," Xi''kroak said quietly. "And I''m done playing around. You told me that Giard''s Rangers have the coordinates of a new portal! Was that true, and was that this one?"


    Monique held back a shuddered denial. She knew she couldn''t use the trick her grandmother had taught her to circumvent the low-ranked truth-reader Xi''rkoak was using against her. Still, there were other ways, and she had to try. She didn''t really know if Irwin had the location of a portal, even though she believed he probably did. However, Xi''kroak wouldn''t have gone here on just her belief, and if he found out that she wasn''t sure and had lied¡­.


    "I don''t know if it was this one," she said slowly. "If they aren''t here, I believe it either wasn''t, and they continued beyond, or they found it, but it wasn''t what they were looking for?"


    Xi''kroak kept looking at her, giving her no idea if he wanted her to continue or if he was thinking. Monique hesitated, then continued. What she said herself would be better if he began asking yes and no questions.


    "I don''t know the exact details of the portal they were looking for," she said. "Nor where it is or what is beyond it. Perhaps this was it, and they left because they also suffered losses?"


    Xi''kroak stared at her for a few more moments before looking at La''suna.


    "She seems to be speaking the truth," the one behind her said, causing a surge of relief to flood Monique.


    She decided to continue quickly before they asked her more difficult questions.


    "Did you find a trail leading away from here?" she asked.


    Xi''kroak was quiet for a few moments before taking a step back, his faceplates receding slightly, showing he was slightly more relaxed. "Yes, but from what we can see, they have been going into and out of a few of the narrow side branches. It showed they didn''t know for sure where to go¡­"


    Monique heard the slight threat in his voice. "Are they all close together?" she asked, quickly trying to come up with a reasonable excuse.


    Xi''kroak crosses his arms, frowning at her. "Yes?"


    "Then perhaps the location of the portal is an indication without a path leading to it?" Monique gambled.


    "You mean they know where it should be but not how to get there?" Xi''kroak asked slowly.


    Monique nodded, afraid to say any more, knowing she was pushing her luck.


    Xi''kroak shared a look with his mate, but neither spoke for a while. As the seconds ticked by, Monique hoped they would buy what she had come up with.


    "Alright," Xi''kroak finally said. "We will be leaving from here and following after them for three days. If we don''t find them, then we are returning, and when we pass by this portal, we will leave you inside."


    Monique''s eyes widened, and she opened her mouth to object when she saw the dangerous gleam in Xi''kroak''s eyes. She snapped her mouth closed, her worry growing.


    "Good," Xi''kroak said. "Now, you will go to your cabin and remain there."


    "Alright," Monique said, quickly turning around to walk away, only to freeze in her place.


    La''suna stood before her, a long curved dagger in her hand, her faceplates angled forward, the edges standing out eerily.


    "If I find you have been lying to us and risking all our lives," La''suna said softly, raising her dagger to tap on Monique''s cheek. "I''ll throw you in the portal without any clothing or food."


    Monique swallowed and nodded.


    La''suna took a step aside, and Monique quickly walked past her back to her cabin. When she was inside, she closed the door and lay on her bed.


    Dammit, Irwin! Where are you?


    --


    "My Captain, what will we do if she is actually speaking the truth?" La''suna asked, staring at Xi''kroak. "Irwin might be upset with how we treated her."


    Xi''kroak walked forward, pushing his faceplates against his mate''s, causing it to vibrate softly and intimately.


    "If that happens, I will take the blame," he said. "I am the captain, and it is my job to keep the crew safe."


    La''suna raised her hand and stroked his neck, and they remained like that for a long while.


    --


    "It''s insane," Irwin muttered as he held onto the railing and looked at the mountains that stretched in all directions around him.


    "Yeah, I had thought it would be like this narrow ridge," Greldo muttered. "Still, it''s a good thing the temperature rose already."


    Irwin agreed completely because it saved him from having to use energy to warm others. Still, besides the three of them, the others were still unable to weather the freezing cold.


    "Look, another one!"


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Irwin looked up to where Greldo was pointing and grimaced.


    A hunched-over Addled was lurching up one of the steep slopes, using both its hands and feet in an irregular gait.


    "That thing has to be fifteen feet tall," Irwin whispered.


    "Close, more like thirteen," Greldo said. "Think that''s why there is only one? Maybe they eat each other?"


    Irwin snorted and decided to ask either Daubutim or Ambraz later.


    They continued excitedly looking around, the mountain a much-needed distraction from the monotonous boredom of the cold wasteland below. Half an hour later, they had spotted another dozen Addled when Greldo whistled.


    "What? A really big one?" Irwin asked.


    "No, I think I''ve spotted what''s beyond the mountains," Greldo said as he pointed towards a canyon between two of the highest peaks.


    Irwin didn''t see it at first, thinking it had to be very far, when he suddenly noticed a brown tint between the gray rocks and dark shadows far away. He''d first thought it was another shadow, but as he watched it, he realized it was probably earth or mud.


    "How far is that?" he asked, trusting Greldo''s ability to gauge distances more than his own.


    "Not sure, but I''d say we will reach it in an hour, more or less," Greldo said.


    Irwin soon found that Greldo was right. As they closed in, moving around and over the side of one of the peaks, they had been flying along an opening in the mountain range that unfolded itself before them. The brown area they had seen had been a small part of the brown, swampy land behind it. At the same time, a slight breeze came from ahead, carrying a warm but smelly air with it.


    "Ugh, it reminds me of the summer near the Gloomforest," Greldo said, sounding disgusted. "I can almost taste the rot and decay!"


    Irwin sniffed, and although he agreed that it smelled bad, it wasn''t as bad as he recalled of that.


    "Glad I don''t have your heightened sense of smell," he said.


    Greldo sighed. "Yeah, you should smell what it''s like below deck!"


    Irwin laughed as he continued looking ahead.


    The muck that covered the area they could see seemed to stretch towards the horizon and as far left and right as they could see.


    "There''s bubbles coming out of it," Greldo whispered. "Almost like there''s something moving below!"


    Irwin couldn''t see what he was talking about; everything looked like a slightly rippling and oozing mass of mud, but he didn''t doubt Greldo.


    "Hopefully, it''s just more of those Addled, but keep an eye on it just be sure," he said.


    "I will," Greldo muttered, and Irwin saw his gaze was seemingly trailing something in the mud far to the side.


    They remained on the bow as they flew out of the mountain range, the ship descending along the slope that led towards the swampy area.


    "There are trees way out there!" Greldo said, sounding excited.


    "Let''s hope that means an end to this swamp," Irwin said as he looked around. He was pretty sure that if they were going to have to look at this for the next few weeks, it''d become as boring as the cold, frozen wasteland on the other side of the mountains.


    The ship straightened out and slowed down as it moved forward. By now, the temperature had gone from deadly cold to freezing to chilly, and Irwin knew that the others above deck should be fine.


    "We need to start searching for the portal," Rindiri shouted. "It should be somewhere within a mile around our current position!"


    That close? Irwin thought as his eyebrows raised. He shared a quick look with Greldo before closing his eyes. It took him only a few moments to calm his heartcard, the resonance going from a constant jitter and humming to near-perfect stillness. With his eyes closed, the card still, and his mind focused, the world turned dark and empty. It lasted for only a moment when his heartcard suddenly jerked, almost seeming to pull him sideways, and Irwin quickly opened his eyes, afraid he was going to go flailing over the side of the boat.


    He was surprised to find Greldo was holding his shoulder, only letting him go when he looked up.


    "There''s one?" Greldo whispered, eyes wide.


    Irwin nodded. Even though he wasn''t focusing on his card anymore, he could feel the pull, almost like a rope was latching onto his card, pulling on it in short, rapid jerks.


    "Over there," he whispered, pointing slightly to the side and further over the swamp. "It''s less than a mile out."


    Greldo nodded, closing his eyes, his face going slack for a few moments. When it returned to normal, he shrugged.


    "Well, I definitely can''t sense it," he whispered before turning to the steering wheel.


    Rindiri stood there, eyes closed and obviously still trying to locate the portal. Irwin and Greldo waited until she opened her eyes and turned to them.


    "Nothing for me," she said, looking at Greldo. "Did you have any more luck?"


    "That way," he said with a grin. "It''s not too far!"


    "You can feel it?" Rindiri asked, her eyes widening. "That''s incredible!"


    "Yeah, I''m pretty great," Greldo said before grinning at Irwin, who rolled his eyes.


    The portal of the main cabin creaked open, and Irwin looked up to see Zender take a careful look outside, seeming ready to dash back out. His eyes widened, probably from surprise at the temperature, and he dashed outside.


    "It''s warm!" he shouted before rushing to Greldo. "Did you really find a rank-five portal world!?"


    Irwin grinned as Greldo crossed his arms and frowned at Zender. "How do you suppose we know beforehand what portal it is? Besides, what if it is something else?"


    "Come on, Greldo! What else can it be?" Zender asked, grinning widely. "Think I can come and try out my whip?"


    Greldo shook his head and turned back to the front of the ship.


    "We should be close," he shouted, closing his eyes.


    Irwin didn''t even bother. He could feel the pull of the portal without issue. It was a hundred feet to the side of the ship. He was surprised when Greldo opened his eyes wide and swallowed before pointing in the correct direction.


    "It''s over there! Really close!''


    He really is sensitive, Irwin thought.


    A few minutes later, everyone was gathered on the deck, rubbing their hands and stomping their feet to get warm, while Rindiri slowly maneuvered the ship until the invisible closed portal was right above the deck. Then she slowed the ship to a stop and joined them.


    "Can you show me how to open it?" Irwin asked as she walked forward.


    He already had a general idea of what to do from what Ambraz had said, but more explanation couldn''t hurt. The others moved forward, Daubutim in the lead, looking as intrigued as he did.


    "I can," she said. "It''s not that hard. You just have to feel the resonation of the portal and force your cards in an opposite resonance. You will feel resistance from the portal and just have to push through it."


    Irwin nodded as he walked closer to the portal, almost feeling like it was pulling him forward. He didn''t think it would be that hard, especially after everything he''d done as a cardsmith.


    I wonder why cards seem attracted to them, he thought before fully focusing on the job at hand.


    As he focused on his heartcard, Irwin sensed the portal''s vibrations and, with little effort, caused his heartcard to counter-resonate. With a mental shiver that surprised him, he suddenly felt the sense of pulling flip around as the portal seemed to want to push him away. Even though he knew it wasn''t an actual physical thing, he almost wanted to lean forward against the pressure.


    Sensing the portal, almost seeming to want to resist him, confused him even more than the pull from before. Why would it feel like he was being pulled in and now pushed away? Was there something that could have happened between his cards and the portal that didn''t happen?


    No time for that now, Irwin decided.


    He continued to force his heartcard to resonate louder in a way that began destabilizing the portal''s signature even more which cost him surprisingly little effort. Even though it was the opposite of what he''d do when reforging a card, either by following its resonance or gently guiding it, it felt like a very familiar thing to him.


    As he continued, almost effortlessly, he began wondering what would have happened if he''d increased the resonance of the portal. Would that have stabilized it even more? Perhaps that would have removed the portal to the world entirely¡­ As that thought hit him, another idea came to him. What if that was how things worked? Could he do this from the inside and not just close the portal but remove the exit portal to the Portal Gallery entirely?


    Wait¡­ according to the old stories, there were no portals to our world!


    Was this what Gelwin and the others had done? Search for a portal far away, go inside, close it, then go into an adjacent world and close that portal as well. Then, at some point, someone had found it and opened the portal, which would have had to be to Fiverio to find them again eventually.


    But that would mean that if portals could be removed, they would have done so, he decided, wanting to shake his head as he felt like he was confusing himself. After another minute of trying to figure these things out, he decided to talk to Daubutim about it later. If anyone knew, it would be him.


    It took him a few more minutes before he felt the portal''s resonance suddenly begin to spin out of control, and he took a step back.


    "Do you want me to-" Rindiri began, but Irwin just shook his head.


    "No need. It''s done," he said.


    Rindiri frowned, then closed her eyes, her face going slack. As she did, Irwin wondered exactly how sensitive his card made him. To him, the incredibly tumultuous instability a foot away seemed almost impossible to ignore.


    "How did you do this?" Rindiri shouted as she turned and ran to the steering wheel. "It''s so far along it''s going to open any moment! How hard did you resonate?"


    Irwin felt his hair stand on end while the others began backing up. As he stared at the spot the portal was on, he felt his own heartcard start to become agitated, something he couldn''t recall when Rindiri had opened the portal to the Terullian world.


    Rindiri reached the steering wheel, and a jolt ran through the deck as the Sonata surged forward and down so fast that Irwin felt his stomach rise to his throat. There was a startled cry from the others as they moved away, and Irwin ran to the railing, looking up and back. Behind them, a shimmering appeared in the center of the air. It looked like tiny embers in a forge, yellow, orange, and red, all flickering, while the outlining of a portal began forming.


    This is different from the other one, Irwin thought.


    "Look away!" Rindiri screamed.


    Irwin recalled the previous time, and he was about to obey when he hesitated. He trusted his eyes to look into anything, including a sun¡­ if he was to learn more about portals and exit portals in particular, he needed to try things.


    Half the risk, he suddenly thought, clapping a hand over his right eye. If need be, he could-


    The portal opened, and a burst of fiery light exploded out, moving so fast it was beyond anything he could comprehend. As it exploded, the center of the portal seemed to ripple open, and for a few moments, he saw the insides of the chaos space just like when he was in a portal canal. There were no barriers, and far in the distance, he saw a green, golden, and blue spec of a planet with a bright white pinprick in the center that seemed to brighten and grow, engulfing the planet, the darkness of the portal, then it connected to the portal which burst out with a brilliant white light.


    All of it took less than a second, and when it finished, Irwin felt a tiny bit of burning in his eye as he stared at a black portal with orange, yellow, and red lightning rippling along its edges.


    "Captain, are you crazy?" Rindiri shouted, sounding both angry and worried. ¡°I said to¡­ cover... your¡­ By Yilda¡­ it''s a rank six world!"


    Irwin''s second hand dropped, and he looked at the portal hovering in the air, the tiny bit of burning in his left eye already fading.


    Well¡­ now what? he thought.


    --


    Monique stared dully at the wall of her cabin as she lay on her bed. She''d been lying here for two days, and she knew that her time was rapidly coming to an end.


    Her stomach clenched, but she knew there was barely a crumb of food that she could eat left.


    Shouts and screams from above caused her to jolt out of her brooding, and she stared at the ceiling with a sudden hope.


    Did they find Irwin? Is this horror finally over?


    Someone was sprinting to the cabin door, then down, and she moved her door, hesitating. She was told not to go out, but had someone said she couldn''t open it?


    Either it''s good news, and they won''t do anything to me, or it matters little, she decided as she pulled open the door.


    Looking to the side, she saw a crewman rush to Xi''kroak''s cabin. She vaguely recognized him because of his larger-than-normal brow-plate and because he''d been the survivor of those who went inside the previous portal.


    "Captain! A rank five or above world portal just opened somewhere ahead of us!"


    Monique''s mouth fell open as she stared at the crewman, barely believing what she''d heard. Of all the things that she had imagined to have happened today, this wasn''t anywhere on the list.


    If that''s Irwin, how did he find this? she thought, feeling a sudden rush of hope grow. It had to be, right? Who else was here? Only the Galubs and the Nyzir, but how likely was it that they found it?


    Besides, they were so far in the unknown, in a direction nobody had searched for in a decade. The last rank five or above world that had been found was long ago and far away, but now it was close... and she was here!


    Monique shivered as all of the implications began settling in. If she could claim even a tiny portion of it for her family, all of their troubles and sorrow, everything would be resolved!


    Monique slowly backed up, dropping on the bed and staring into the hallway without seeing anything.


    I''m going to beg him if that''s what it takes so I can join his explorer''s guild, she thought, clenching her teeth together.

 Chapter 184: A soft breeze

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    "No, you can''t come," Irwin said as he put his hands on his hips and glared at Ib.


    "I''m really good at fighting, and I have a card that''s going to be of great help," she said. "Besides-"


    Before she got another word out, Rindiri grabbed her by the neck and pulled her back, shoving her into her seat.


    "Enough! Remember what I told you about obeying orders when on a ship?" Rindiri snapped.


    Ib looked disgruntled at the table, and Irwin sighed in relief. He didn''t feel like arguing again, and he sent Rindiri a grateful smile.


    "So¡­ if she can''t, perhaps-"


    "No," Greldo said, his voice a growl as he poked a finger in Zender''s chest. "Have all of you forgotten the rules we set up less than a week ago?"


    "I remember, but listen, this is a rank-six world! Six! There is no way that the outside is going to be dangerous! Nobody has ever been here, and rank four and above worlds are always really great with plants and water and stuff like that!"


    Irwin shook his head as he ignored Zender, leaving it to Greldo to keep him in line. Ever since the two of them had begun sword fighting together, Zender had started hanging around Greldo. Instead, he focused on Daubutim.


    "I think you should come with me this time," he said. "If you are absolutely sure the world on the other side is habitable."


    Daubutim nodded resolutely. "From everything I have read, rank-five worlds, at a minimum, are places that are far more habitable than anything below. Four are sometimes nice, but you can still get worlds that are permanently winter or summer, making them far from ideal. Six? They should be stable, large, and filled with life. With nothing dropping out of the portal yet, I would say it''s safe."


    Irwin nodded, scratching his chin. "It just feels way too convenient," he finally muttered, expressing the thing he''d been feeling ever since they had calmed down a bit after finding the portal.


    "Convenient? Finding a rank-six world on this far-end piece after everything we''ve been through?" Bendi asked sarcastically. "Captian, how exactly would you propose these worlds are found? With a hundred years of torment, bloodshed, and searching the entire Portal Gallery? Oh wait, that is exactly how they are found¡­"


    Irwin looked at Bendi, not sure if that was supposed to be a joke or not, but pretty sure that if it was, he wasn''t enjoying it. Something about his annoyance must have shown because Bendi quickly raised his hands, his grin turning ugly.


    "Wait, I didn''t mean it that way. Sometimes things like this happen, and we could definitely do with a bit of a break¡­ right?"


    Irwin wasn''t sure what to say and slowly turned to Daubutim. He would just ask Daubutim when they finally had some quiet.


    "Are you ready?"


    "We should bring a bit of food, just in case, then we can go," Daubutim said.


    Irwin nodded as he walked into the kitchen, ignoring Ib''s soft complaints.


    After grabbing some food, the entire crew headed up to the deck.


    While Irwin hung out the gangplank toward the portal, the others were all looking at it, some with obvious desire to jump in. As he finished, Irwin turned to see that Rindiri had a deep desire in her eyes that he could only call hunger.


    If we decide not to settle here, she will probably bring all her people here if she can do so without alerting any powerful force, he thought before frowning at the portal.


    If he and Daubutim decided to bring the others here, that same thing would apply to them. They would need to create a strong defense, not just against Addled, raiders, and whatever mysterious thing was hunting them, but also against the powerful families and merchant groups that would love to take the world from them.


    "Alright, let''s head in," he said as he turned to Daubutim.


    "Ready," Daubutim said as he stroked the beak of the raven that seemed to be on his shoulder now permanently. It cawed twice, then disappeared in a flash of light.


    Irwin turned to Greldo. "You''re in charge," he said. He wanted to add that Greldo should listen to Rindiri but didn''t. He was pretty sure his friend would, and the others didn''t need to hear it.


    "Don''t worry," Greldo said. "Oh, and this time, try and return a bit earlier?"


    Irwin grinned as he nodded. "One of us will return in an hour," he said. "If we don''t, just throw Bendi after us."


    Greldo burst out laughing while Bendi shouted in surprise.


    "Come on, Captain! I said I didn''t mean it like that!"


    Irwin gave him a half-smile, which the ex-raider could interpret anyway he''d like, before moving to the gangplank.


    As he ran forward and jumped toward the portal, he wondered if he''d see the creepy Shatter Omens again.


    The world turned white for a fraction of a moment; then he was shooting through a spacious corridor, orange energy barriers surrounding it. They were so dense that he could barely see anything beyond, with only a few of the brighter stars looking like pale spots on the swirling barrier.


    A rustle from his pocket was followed by Ambraz crawling out and flitting to his shoulder.


    "Damn, kid, this is incredible! A rank six world¡­ You realize what this means, right?"


    "No¡­" Irwin said, wondering what Ambraz was alluding to.


    "What do you mean, no? It means you should bring your people here," Ambraz shouted.


    "We haven''t even seen what''s on the other side," Irwin said. "Besides, this is hardly far away and hidden."


    "Far away and hidden my ass! Beardy Face tried that, and from what we know, it failed. It''s time for another plan, and I have the perfect one for you!"


    Irwin looked at him, wondering what that would be.


    "Bring your people here, bring my people here, and help Rindiri and her people return to a higher level of perfection," Ambraz said, sounding incredibly excited. "If we can get more smiths like you, working together with my people to create world anvils and with those Yuurindi as muscle? I don''t know who that mystery enemy that''s after you, but I wanna see them beat that!"


    Irwin blinked, looking at the Anvil, who was bouncing up and down in excitement. As he thought of what Ambraz said, he couldn''t help but become slightly infected by his enthusiasm. Still, there were a few problems that immediately popped up.


    "It will take a long time before we can get all of that ready¡­ what do we do if they come before then? And how do we even build up everything?" he asked.


    "I don''t believe they can find you that fast," Ambraz said. "We are still weeks away along a path with nobody knowing where we are or going! The building should be simple enough. We are going to bring all of your people here, right? Remember the stack of cards you have? From what I recall, there are many useful utility cards amongst them that we can reforge to become pretty powerful for building purposes. The only thing I''d have loved would be a way to grow the trees out here so we have a platform to build at least a tiny harbor around."


    "You really thought about this, didn''t you?" Irwin asked, slightly surprised.


    "Well¡­" Ambraz said, and Irwin could hear a slight hesitation. "Technically, it''s not all my ideas."


    "What do you mean?" Irwin asked.


    "Let''s just say I''ve had a few chats with Daubutim over the last few days," Ambraz said. "That perfect memory of his really is a useful thing!"


    "What? When?" Irwin asked, trying to remember when that could have happened.


    "Oh, mainly when you were sleeping," Ambraz said. "I waited till the girl was asleep, then called Greldo to bring Daubutim. Easy peasy."


    Irwin dumbly stared at the Anvil.


    "So¡­ while I was sleeping, you and Daubutim were having a chat in my room?" he finally said.


    "Yup, pretty much!" Ambraz said with a laugh.


    Irwin sighed, wondering why nobody had bothered telling him about that.


    "Daubutim wasn''t sure about it yet, mainly because of the chances we wouldn''t find a rank-five world, but now that we have something even better, I''m sure he''ll agree this is the best course of action!"


    Irwin nodded as he gazed off into the distance. He understood why Ambraz was so enthusiastic. Part of his goal had been to find a safe place for his people, but he was still uncertain.


    Let''s see what Daubutim has to say about it, he finally thought before staring off into the distance and wondering how long the trip would take.


    What felt like hours later, he finally saw the end of the portal approach, a much larger one than he was used to.


    "Get ready for anything," he said as he summoned a massive hammer.


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    "So melodramatic," Ambraz snorted. "You''ve never been to a rank-five world, let alone a rank-six one."


    Irwin didn''t get a chance to respond as the end of the portal suddenly seemed to close in with a final jump.


    A flash of light surrounded him, and then Irwin stumbled forward. He had a split second to see that he was in a sparse forest with trees, bushes, and flowing hills of green and yellow all around, and then his toes snagged something. He fell forward, hammer to the side as he slammed into a mossy ground. Almost at the same time, something heavy landed on the ground beside him. Heartbeat through the roof and ready to fight, Irwin looked to the side while scrambling up, only to see Daubutim push himself up with his hands.


    Irwin rose and turned around, looking for any potential danger.


    Slowly, he realized there was nothing ready to jump them, and instead, a tranquil breeze caused a gentle rustling of leaves. The sky above was a darker, deeper blue than he was used to. Beautiful puffy white clouds, with a tiny edge of orange from either a rising or setting sun, were moving across, and a soft twittering came from a tree not too far away. Focusing on it, he saw a dark green bird with a pale beak staring at him with black beady eyes. No, not at him, Irwin realized as he looked to the side. The bird was looking at Daubutim''s raven.


    There was a rustle, and he looked up to see the bird fly towards them lazily, landing on a branch of the tree beside them and staring down.


    A high-pitched chatter came from it as it cocked its head.


    Is that thing talking to Daubutim''s raven? Irwin thought.


    Curious about the reaction, he looked up only to see Daubutim''s raven stare back with its blue eyes, cocking its head in a mirror of the green bird.


    The green bird chattered again, but the Aquatic Raven gave no response except a slight rustling of its feathers.


    "Is it trying to talk with your raven?" Irwin whispered.


    The green bird''s head turned to him, the beady eyes landing on him, and the bird let out another chatter. Irwin could almost hear the question mark in it.


    "Sorry¡­ I don''t understand you," he said as he slowly lowered his hammer.


    The bird let out a louder chatter and then flew up, higher in the tree, to continue observing them.


    "This seems like a safe area," Daubutim said, still having his massive two-handed sword raised while he spun around slowly. "Let''s go and scout around a bit."


    Irwin nodded as he kept an eye on the bird.


    "Can you send your raven up to scout from above us first?" he asked.


    He barely finished his question as the Aquatic Raven shot up in the air. There was a startled squeak from the green bird, but Irwin saw it remained where it was, following the raven.


    "There''s a river far to the north," Daubutim said. "It seems like it''s early morning if we assume the sun rises and sets as it does in the other worlds."


    "Any mountains?" Irwin asked.


    "None that she can see," Daubutim said slowly. "But the forest turns massive and dense with trees, not unlike those you spoke about during your time on Scour."


    Irwin looked around, suddenly wondering how Crithann would have liked this world.


    But he''s probably a tree by now, he thought. Besides, even if he wasn''t yet, they would have to find a way around the blockade. As he thought that, he suddenly had an idea.


    "Daubutim? If we return to Giard, could we still go out of the portal to contact people on Fiverio?" he asked, eyes growing wide.


    His friend turned to him, his single blue eye narrowed, slowly turning dull. Daubutim began humming, and realizing he''d asked a way too complicated question, Irwin joined in, hoping his friend would manage to fight off the dullness.


    For a few minutes, they stood there in the middle of the sparse forest, Irwin constantly looking around to make sure nothing would jump them until Daubutim sighed.


    "That would bring the risk of us being spotted too early," he said slowly before focusing on Irwin. "Before we continue, can you reforge the card? It would be best if I can stop these attacks."


    Irwin hesitated as he looked around. "Doing that would cause a lot of sound, so if there''s anything around, they would definitely come to check," he said. "If we do that, it''d be better if Greldo was here. He and Coal can protect me."


    "That''s fine. I''ll head back and send him over," Daubutim said without hesitation. "From what we have seen, it would be better for him to be here anyway."


    "Alright, but before you go, we need to decide on something," Irwin said. "Ambraz told me that you have talked about potentially bringing everyone from Giard here?"


    "Well," Ambraz said with a laugh as Daubutim frowned at him. "I think it''s a good idea!"


    Daubutim''s frown deepened, and Irwin saw his eyes go hazy.


    "Okay, let''s do it the other way around," Irwin said hastily. "You go back so Greldo can come and scout around and also guard me as I fix your card. After that, you come back to slot it, and after that, we decide?"


    Daubutim''s eyes unfocused even more, and Irwin cursed as he began humming.


    This time, it took a good while longer before Daubutim finally joined in and even longer before he finally returned to normal. Irwin bit his lip to stop himself from asking something else.


    "Head back and send Greldo here," he said.


    "Be careful out here," Daubutim said before turning back to the portal and jumping in without even waiting.


    Irwin stared at the portal for a little while before looking at Ambraz. "Can you keep an eye out to make sure nothing gets the jump on us?"


    "I''ve been doing nothing else ever since we got here," Ambraz replied with a snort. "The only thing I''ve sensed are some birds, small creatures that remind me of mice and many insects."


    "Good," Irwin said, still distracted. Then he shook his head, looking at Ambraz. "Is it just me, or are Daubutim''s episodes coming faster?"


    "No, Kid, it''s not just you," Ambraz said with a weary sigh. "It''s not that strange, right? Daubutim''s thing is knowledge. He can use that to work around his issue, but if he has to reason things out, that''s when things go wrong. I think it''s because we are out here, and everything is new, and he can''t just use his knowledge. Tell me¡­ you knew him before, right? What was he like when you first met him?"


    It took Irwin a few moments to recall when he met Daubutim in the sorcerer''s tower. He''d been this towering, muscled man with dull eyes that talked like a... Irwin suddenly remembered something he''d forgotten.


    "Daubutim talked like he was dull and stupid all the time," he said absently. "Only very few times did he use that colder, sharper personality you must have seen. But most of the time? He just seemed to be-"


    "Playing a role?" Ambraz said, interrupting him. "Yeah, that would work, wouldn''t it? It''d prevent people from asking him questions that make things difficult for him, like a self-protective measure."


    Irwin didn''t respond but kept looking around the forest, noting that the sun was rising, causing the red lines around the clouds to turn yellow and the shadows to move slowly around. He''d never thought about things like that before, and now that he did, he wondered how difficult things must have been for Daubutim back then.


    I don''t really recall when he changed, he thought. Had it been when the two of them were in that Imp shardworld? Or before that?


    He pondered quietly, absently noting a few birds flying around while the green one still sat in the tree. Its eyes had closed, and it almost looked to be asleep. Finally, his thoughts returned to something that had bothered him for a while but he had failed to articulate.


    "Do you even think we can reforge that card?" he asked. "It''s a ruby ranked, after all."


    "If we had to reforge it up to diamond? No way. Maybe in ten or twenty years of dedicated practice. But for now? The best we can go up would be to emerald with any form of certainty. From emerald to ruby?" Ambraz said, seemingly becoming more excited as he continued." To practice, we could try, and perhaps we''d be able to succeed one in every ten tries, and it''d be a very low percentage card. But sideways? Now that''s another story, especially if we take one of the card''s existing aspects and move it closer that way."


    Irwin felt a slight relief at that. He had somehow just thought it would be fine but never actually discussed it with Ambraz, and with the Anvil never mentioning it, it had slipped his mind.


    "Alright, so how are we going to change it to fix Daubutim''s problems," he asked, and Ambraz exploded with a litany of ideas.


    They continued talking for the next few hours until the portal crackled.


    Irwin spun around, momentarily startled, only to see Greldo stumbling out. As he had, he saw his friend''s foot trip on the root that ran along the foot of the portal, but unlike he and Daubutim, Greldo flipped sideways in the air like a cat, landing on his feet in a combat-ready stance.


    "Showoff," Irwin said as he lowered his own hammer.


    Greldo rose, seeming ready to answer when his gaze drifted across the surroundings. Irwin saw a slight awe come across his friend''s face.


    "Took you long enough," he said.


    "Hah. Hah," Greldo said as he walked forward.


    With a jarring suddenness, Coal appeared beside him, and the pony-sized hound padded away immediately, sniffing the ground.


    "According to what we could figure out, there''s a four times time dilation between here and the portal gallery. Daubutim said you were inside here for a while, but to us, it felt like only a moment," Greldo said, walking to a tree and touching it softly before looking up and around. "By Gelwin''s hairy balls, it''s great to be back in a world with soil, plants, a normal temperature, and a sky!"


    "I''d be careful saying that when Gelwin is around," Irwin said.


    Greldo just snorted. "So, Daubutim said you needed me here?"


    Realizing Daubutim couldn''t have filled Greldo in, Irwin quickly did so.


    "Right, so I''m going to scout around, and when everything looks clear, you will reforge that ruby card?" Greldo said. "I''d want to ask if you don''t need an Anvil and a hammer, but we both know that''s a poor joke. However¡­ are you sure it''s a good idea to give Daubutim a ruby card?"


    Irwin looked at his friend, knowing what he was getting at.


    "For Daubutim, it will be better if he can get rid of his issue, even if that means it will take a lot longer to fill up his heartcard," Irwin said calmly, looking at two birds flying through the air.


    "Yeah¡­ I guess that''s true," Greldo said, sounding slightly disgruntled. "Well, Daubutim and I will let you know how it feels having a soulcard when ours are done!"


    Irwin laughed before he looked around. A few feet away was a reasonably flat area with moss and grass, and he knew that would be good enough for what he''d have to do.


    "Alright, go and look around. If there''s nothing dangerous around, I''ll start practicing a bit," Irwin said.


    He felt his own excitement grow as he realized he could finally do some card reforging again.


    "I''ll leave Coal here with you and teleport around a bit," Greldo said, sounding distracted.


    Irwin looked up to see his friend stare at the green bird, which had opened its eyes and was staring at Coal.


    "That thing was here when we arrived, and it tried to talk with Daubutim''s raven," Irwin said.


    "Right¡­ Well, I''ve told Coal to keep an eye on it," Greldo said before turning to Irwin. "I''ll be back in an hour or sooner if something bad happens."


    Irwin was about to say that an hour seemed long when Greldo stepped into the shadow beside him and vanished.


    "Right¡­" Irwin muttered, looking at Coal, who was walking around, sniffing at things and rubbing his back against some trees.


    "Sure, I''ll just wait here," Irwin muttered as he put his hammer on the ground, handle up so he could grab it easy, and took his stack of cards from his pocket. "Let''s find something that we can practice on," he said with a thoughtful hum.


    A long while later, he was pacing across the slowly flatting ground before the portal, long since ready with his cards and looking around with an increased sense of annoyance.


    "One hour, he said," he grunted, not for the first time.


    "Hey now, I wasn''t gone that long!"


    Irwin jumped, hammer in his hand and heart rate through the roof as he looked at Greldo standing a few feet behind him.


    "Don''t do that," he snapped.


    Greldo didn''t answer, but silver eyes were blazing, and a wide grin was on his face. "Listen, I know we need a place that''s far away and safe, but how about we just stay here?"


    Irwin blinked in surprise. "What?"


    "This place is amazing! It''s like Gloomforrest, but more like how it must have been before the portals! There''s loads of stuff to hunt, from some frog-like thing the size of a cindermare to flying squirrels the size of piggels," Greldo said with a grind.


    "You didn''t attack anything, right?" Irwin asked, suddenly worried.


    "Nah, don''t worry yourself," Greldo said. "I just went around where we are in a large circle, and all I found was a few creeks, a river, and the edge of some bloody dense-looking forest! I stopped there because I couldn''t even see more than a few feet inside."


    "That matches what Daubutim''s raven saw," Irwin said as he walked to the open area. "So, does that mean I can finally get to work?"


    "Sure! You go wack away at some poor, defenseless cards while I keep an eye out. Coal wants to have a look around, and after having been cooped up for almost a month, I don''t think either of us could keep him here except with violence!"


    Irwin blinked as Coal let out a dangerous snarl before padding off into the forest.


    "Is he going to be alright?" Irwin asked.


    "Yeah, I''d be worried about anything else out there," Greldo said with a grin. "Besides, I can unsummon him anywhere if I have to, so if he gets into trouble, I''ll just make him go poof!"


    "Alright," Irwin said. "Ambraz, you ready?"


    "I''m always ready," Ambraz said as he flew from Irwin''s shoulder and landed on the ground in his working shape.


    Irwin nodded as he morphed his hammer into a smaller form.


    Let''s start simple, he thought as he put one of the quartz cards on Ambraz. It had been almost a month, after all.

 Chapter 185: Emerald and Ruby

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    Irwin sighed happily as he lowered his hammer and stared at the green-bordered Emerald card.


    "That went better than I had hoped," he said, picking it up and examining the card''s simple image. It displayed a shovel standing upright on the ground.


    If any of the smiths back on Scour knew he''d spent so much effort taking a simple utility card from quartz to amethyst to topaz and finally emerald, they would likely call him crazy.


    "Of course it did," Ambraz said, his gray metallic lips curved in a massive grin. "I told you that practicing those songs would help!"


    "So¡­ let me get this straight?" a voice came from the side.


    Irwin blinked as he turned to Greldo, who was leaning against a tree and looking sleepy.


    "Smithing is supposed to be difficult, and most people can''t do it while those that can need considerable effort to reforge a card up a rank¡­ right? So, why did that look so easy? You were just singing and humming softly, struck the card, which seemed to cause the tiny holes to disappear and those ugly patches of dark mucus to vanish, and finally, that card mysteriously went up to emerald. Are you smiths just fucking with the rest of us?" Greldo asked, shaking his head with a grin.


    Irwin laughed as he raised the card. "First of all, this is an easy card with a clear ''song'', it''s not that special. Second, I didn''t really change much but simply continued it along its predetermined path, merely nudging it a bit. Third? Well, Ambraz and I are just that good!"


    Greldo''s smile slipped as he gaped at Irwin before snorting loudly. "You did not just say that!"


    "Damn right he did," Ambraz snapped. "And he''s right! It''s about time he figured it out! You go out and find yourself another smith with less than three years of experience who can do what he just did, or any Anvil that''s not a world anvil that''s got any more potential than me! You''re not going to find them!"


    Ambraz burst out in laughter while Greldo stared at him stupidly.


    Irwin tried to hold back from laughing at the stunned look on Greldo''s face but eventually couldn''t, and his joy boomed out as he shoved the shovel card into his pocket. It would be one of those he''d give to one of the builders he hoped to bring from Giard to here. It would allow the person with it to dig massive holes and trenches in record time while smoothing and strengthening the sides.


    Looking around the forest, the sun now high enough to feel its warmth from between the sparse canopy above, he drew in a deep breath.


    "You were right," he said, grinning at Greldo.


    "If we are acting all confident now, then let me join," Greldo said with a shrug. "Of course I was! Which part was it this time?"


    Irwin waved around, ignoring the jab at his previous remark. "It''s great being in a world with a normal temperature, with trees and a sky again!"


    Greldo nodded as he looked around. "Yeah, it''s pretty fantastic. I''m pretty sure I''ll have to wait a bit longer before I can even get Coal to consider returning without a fuss. He''s still chasing one of those odd goats around."


    Irwin felt his joy fade slightly as he frowned. "And he''s sure it''s not a sapient species?"


    "Definitely," Greldo said. "He saw one of them eat the shit of another creature."


    Irwin grimaced and nodded.


    "Alright, one more card to go," Ambraz said, causing Irwin to look up in surprise.


    "Weren''t we done after this?" he said.


    "Not yet. Do you remember that Crystalline Leg card Daubutim wanted back when we were on that ship with Xi''kroak?"


    Irwin groaned as he nodded. "Yeah, we got interrupted by those Galub raiders," he said.


    "Right, well, we need to change that up a bit," Ambraz said.


    "What do you mean?" Irwin said.


    "You will see after we finish," Ambraz said, a wide grin on his metal lips.


    "Fine," Irwin muttered as he searched through his pack until he found the card in question.


    "Sure, I''ll wait some more," Greldo said, and Irwin snorted before placing on the card.


    I wonder what Ambraz is going to do to it, he wondered.


    --


    Greldo watched Irwin hum and strike the card. It looked easy, but he was pretty sure that if he had to learn how to do it, he''d be bored within an hour. He faintly recalled that when he was much younger, back in Malorin, he''d had the idea of apprenticing to the city''s smith.


    Glad that never happened, he thought as he pictured the mindnumbing boredom of hitting a piece of metal or even a card for hours straight.


    There was a loud chime, and he looked up, knowing that meant the card was done.


    "Good, good," Ambraz said, sounding very impressed.


    Greldo didn''t blame him. Irwin was doing exceptionally well based on what he''d been able to catch on, even compared to smiths like Gawarn, who had been doing the same thing for far longer. He watched his friend lower his hammer and pick up the card, showing no hint of weariness or boredom.


    Bloody endurance card, Greldo thought, feeling a surge of happiness for Irwin. He recalled how horrible his friend''s childhood had been, unable to even walk to school without being out of breath.


    I wonder what those punks back there would think if they saw him now, he thought with a grin.


    "So, what did you change?" Irwin asked, causing his interest to be peeked too.


    "Not telling! It''s a secret. Now, kid, stop procrastinating! Get the Ruby card out, and let''s do this!''


    Greldo laughed, waving at Irwin. "Yeah, you go ''kid''."


    --


    Irwin snorted at Greldo before turning to Ambraz. A while ago, he''d have been bothered by Ambraz calling him kid, but he''d eventually realized that the Anvil didn''t mean it bad. Brat, that was another thing altogether, but the ''kid'' seemed more because Ambraz was centuries older than he was. Compared to Ambraz, he was a child.


    I''d love to see what happens if he meets Gelwin again, Irwin thought, picturing the ancient sorcerer calling Ambraz kid.


    Then he shoved his childish humor away and took out the red-bordered Blood Lightning card.


    "So, take me through the song again," he said as he placed it on Ambraz''s smooth top.


    Ambraz began humming immediately, his lack of complaint showing Irwin just how much he was looking forward to it.


    "Alright," Irwin said when the hummed song was over. "Greldo, I won''t be able to just stop midway without the risk of destroying this card."


    "Don''t worry! There''s nothing around except for that creepy bird and some hand-sized things minding their own business in the bushes," Greldo said, waving at the undergrowth.


    Then let''s do this, Irwin thought as he struck the card a single, initial time.


    The image of a cloud of blood with darker red lightning rippling through it appeared above Ambraz. It had only one tiny star-like hole and no more smudges of potential, telling Irwin just how good the card was. It also shone far brighter than any other ruby card he''d seen, showing the incredible energy that it contained.


    Closing his eyes for a moment, he focused on his heartcard, letting it resonate with the ruby card and again enjoying the simplicity of having only one card to focus on. The fact that his card seemed more than happy to resonate as he wanted made it even better.


    Slowly, the forest sounds around him began to vanish as the intensity of the ruby cards'' resonance increased. Tiny, minute details, slight variations, and mistakes became obvious to him. He continued aligning his heartcard with it until both were nearly indistinguishable to him.


    Then he opened his eyes, took a deep breath, and began humming the song Ambraz had taught him, raising his hammer.


    As it struck down, his humm deepened, and he changed the resonance of his heartcard to match, gently prodding the ruby card to follow. He didn''t have to reforge it to diamond-rank, making his task much easier. All he had to do was guide it sideways towards an adjacent path, then further to another towards where Ambraz had determined the one that would benefit Daubutim the most.


    Easy, if not for the fact that this was a powerful ruby-rank card with far more energy than was typical.


    Three strikes in, the card began to resist, the resonance trying to return to its previous song.


    Not too fast, Irwin thought as he held his hammer high for just long enough for his heartcard''s resonance to assert itself on the Blood Lightning card again. As soon as it did, he rammed his hammer down again, only for the ruby card''s resonance, trying to struggle out of control.


    "Stubborn," Ambraz growled.


    Irwin couldn''t respond, but he didn''t have to. A deep humming joined in with his as Ambraz added his voice to the song. As soon as it did, Irwin felt the resonance of the ruby-card be curtailed. It was still resisting, but now it felt like two hands were holding it, gently guiding it.


    "Hurry," Ambraz growled, momentarily stopping his humming before quickly joining in again.


    Irwin nodded as he picked up the pace. With each strike, the Blood Lightning card inched closer to a stable song, but it also began resisting more and more. A dozen strikes in, Irwin''s world consisted of the song, the resonance, and the hammer. As he brought it down, the Blood Lightning card''s resistance suddenly snapped, and Irwin felt it change, some of its aspects flowing away while others strengthened. He could almost feel a new passive appear as an old one disappeared forever.


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    Slowing down, he took deep breaths to try and calm his pounding heart.


    "That''s one," Ambraz muttered wearily. "Two more to go."


    Irwin grimaced, but he knew he couldn''t stop now. If he did, the card might ''set'' into its new resonance, which would make it far more difficult, if not impossible, to change it again without reforging it up to diamond.


    I don''t care if you don''t like it, he thought at the card angrily. Daubutim needs you to be something different, and I''m going to make that happen!


    --


    Greldo scratched his neck, grabbing a tiny mosquito and squishing it absently. Coal sent a message that he was on the way back, and Greldo told him he could take it slow.


    This looks like it''s going to take a while longer, he thought as he watched Irwin strike the card again.


    His friend''s eyes were narrow, his face tense, and the tendons of his neck and wrist stood out like the ropes on the ship. At the same time, the hummed song seemed effortless, slowly moving from a fast, chaotic thing to a more controlled one that Greldo liked a lot better than the initial song.


    As he looked around, Greldo heard a soft shuffling from one of the distant bushes.


    I knew it was too good to be true, he thought as he walked away from the tree and sent a message to Coal.


    His daggers appeared in his hands as he headed towards whatever was moving closer. It was still far enough away that he wasn''t too worried, but with Irwin occupied, he couldn''t go too far. When he heard a soft snorting and saw the bushes shake, he frowned. Should he unsummon and resummon Coal? It would make Coal''s return instantaneous but also drain his own energy greatly.


    A high-pitched birdcall made him look up to see the weird green bird had opened its eyes again and was staring at the same bushes as he had been.


    Yeah, you know what that is, don''t you? Greldo thought, wishing he could ask the bird like he could Coal.


    There was a scraping sound, and he saw the bushes a few dozen feet away shake as something large moved through it.


    Right, that decides that, he thought as he warned Coal before unsummoning. A moment later, the massive hound appeared beside him, and he felt a third of the energy in his heartcard drain away.


    "Check it, but be careful," Greldo told Coal, readying his own teleportation as Coal softly padded forward.


    He didn''t hear anything else moving around, so if he had to, he''d shadowstep in, deal with whatever-


    The bush shook like a hurricane, and a low-to-the-ground brown-furred creature shot out of them, ripping leaves and twigs in passing. As fast as it was, Greldo''s heightened senses caught up with it, and his eyes widened as he saw a boar as wide as Coal but far heavier, with six tusks rushing his summoned friend.


    Greldo moved instantly, shadowstepping to just behind and above the boar. As he appeared midair, immediately dropping down, he flipped his daggers around and aimed for the back of the hairy brown neck just below the skull. The boar-thing seemed to realize he was there, but its reaction came too late to act. Greldo plunged his daggers just below the back of the skull, faintly noticing how tough the rugged hair was. Immediately after his daggers slid in as far as they could, he shadowstepped away, appearing beside a softly growling Coal.


    Greldo readied himself in case the six-tusked boar would charge, but it wasn''t needed. With a sad snort, the thing''s head thudded into the ground, its forward momentum causing it to slide forward before it came to a shuddering stop.


    "That wasn''t too bad," Greldo muttered as he stood up and looked at the steaming, bleeding thing. He was about to inspect it when he froze. I shouldn''t have said that, he thought as he heard more rustling from the bushes much further away. Far more rustling than before.


    "Get ready," he sent to Coal as he backed up. "I don''t know how many there are, but don''t let them anywhere near Irwin."


    --


    Irwin let out a sigh of relief as the Blood Lightning card''s resistance disappeared, and the card began harmoniously resonating with his heartcard.


    Stopping his humming, he stared at the image hovering before him. It hadn''t changed much, but he knew that was only the visible aspect. Below the surface, the card had lost and gained many things, going from a card that mostly dealt with physical speed improvements to one that was focused almost completely on the mental aspect.


    "So¡­ I take it you succeeded?"


    Irwin blinked as he heard Greldo''s weary voice from a short distance away.


    "Yeah," he said, turning to his friend. "It should be about time to get-"


    Irwin sucked in his breath in shock, barely noticing that Ambraz changed to his small shape and flew up and around.


    Greldo looked up at him wearily, wiping his blood-stained hands across a section of grass, leaving behind long red streaks while seven large bodies lay strewn across the area around him. Coal was slowly devouring one of them.


    "You really don''t hear anything while you are smithing things, do you?" Greldo asked, raising a furry eyebrow.


    "What happened?" Irwin hissed. "Are you alright?"


    "I think either your singing or hammering pissed these things off, and they came to make you stop," Greldo said as he got to his feet, walked to one of the corpses, and kicked it angrily. "Annoying things. Smart too! They started sticking closer together, covering for each other when they realized I could shadowport onto their backs. Almost got skewered twice, but, no- I''m fine. All of the blood is theirs."


    Irwin nodded as he walked forward, kneeling beside one of the massive beasts. They reminded him of the boars the rangers killed and brought back for food during the summer, but bigger with shorter legs.


    "Besides that green bird, there''s nothing anywhere near," Ambraz said as he landed on Irwin''s shoulder. "If there''s more of these stinky things, I''ll warn you."


    "Thanks," Irwin said as he focused on and touched one of the forearm-length, pale white pointed tusks. He could probably shape those into simple daggers or tools.


    "So, did you succeed?" Greldo asked.


    Irwin rose, and he grinned widely as he realized the boars would probably be edible if Coal''s munching was any indication. Ib should be able to cook up something nice with those!


    "Yes, we did," he said. "It took a bit more effort than I had expected, probably because of the large amount of energy in this thing."


    "Great, then after Coal finishes eating, I''ll head back and send Daubutim back," Greldo said as he stared at his dirty fingers in disgust. "I might check that stream before that and bathe¡­ I was smelly before, but now I''m smelly and covered in gore and blood."


    "Alright," Irwin said as he thought about swimming. The idea of a bath, cleaning all of the gunk of the last few weeks, seemed like a great prospect. Still, one of them had to stay with the portal, just in case.


    In the end, it took Coal a good while to finish half of the boar before laying on his side and looking like he was as content as he''d ever be. By then, Greldo had taken a quick bath and was standing near the portal, water dripping from his damaged and scuffed leather armor.


    "Take care," he said as he waved his hand, causing Coal to disappear.


    "I will! I''ll send Daubutim back after we decide on the next steps!"


    Greldo waved as he jumped backward into the portal, and Irwin looked around, knowing he''d have to wait for a good while again. He glanced up, noticing the green bird was still sitting there, eyes closed and seemingly sleeping.


    "Do you think that someone is using that thing to look at us?" he asked, thinking about Daubutim''s raven.


    "No, there''s no soulforce coming from it," Ambraz said. "I''d have felt some if that bird was a cardskill, soulskill, or anything like that."


    "Good," Irwin muttered as he looked at the nearest corpse. They didn''t look very appetizing, but he was starting to get hungry.


    "Now, I don''t know much about eating all those fleshy bits you like so much, but if you plan on eating those things, you might wanna hang them upside down," Ambraz said. "If I recall, don''t you need to drain them or something?"


    Irwin looked at the Anvil in surprise, realizing Ambraz was right. He vaguely recalled Bronwyn explaining something about that long ago. He walked to the nearest body, staring down at it and wondering how he should do that. Just hang them in the branches? If he had rope, things would have been much easier.


    "Not to be too gruesome here, but you could cut them open and use their intestines," Ambraz said.


    Irwin grimaced, wondering how Ambraz could make that sound like the most normal thing to do. Still, as he examined the bodies, he realized using the intestines might be the only way if he actually wanted to drain them. He hesitated for a while, imagining having to cut the bodies open before turning to the one Coal had mostly eaten. Parts of the intestines were lying to the side.


    Is that why Ambraz mentioned those? he wondered. Then he decided it didn''t matter. He could wait for Daubutim, give him the card, then have him return and eventually bring rope¡­ but how long would he have to wait? Greldo had said time was four times faster in here, and he wasn''t sure how long the traveling time was, but it definitely wasn''t short.


    "Right, well, let''s get started then," he muttered.


    A good while later, just as he was pulling up the third boar, there was a crackling from the portal. Irwin looked over his shoulder, holding the slippery intestine with one filthy hand, watching Daubutim move out of the portal. His friend quickly stepped over the tree root before looking around with a gleaming blue eye. Irwin saw it widen in surprise as it took in the bloody mess that lay in one part of the area.


    "I decided to gut and hang these things," Irwin said as he pulled the body up before tying the slimy intestines to one of the nearby branches.


    "I see that," Daubutim said calmly. "You might want to clean up before you return, though."


    Irwin glanced down at his messy tunic, blood, and guts smeared across it. "Yeah, I know. There''s a stream nearby. I''ll go there later."


    Daubutim took a look around as his raven appeared on his shoulder. Then he walked towards Irwin, his eye filled with hope that made Irwin stop the tiny joke he was playing. Wiping his hand on his pants until it was reasonably clean, he carefully picked the card from his pocket, holding it between his thumb and index finger.


    "Here it is," he said, smiling as Daubutim took it almost reverently.


    "Aren''t you forgetting something?" Ambras asked.


    Irwin blinked, then almost wanted to slap his face before holding back due to how filthy his hand was. Daubutim was looking at him


    "Give me a moment," Irwin muttered as he began wiping his hands on the ground until they were marginally cleaner. Then he grumbled as he picked his stack of cards out of his pocket and took the top one off. "Here," he said, handing the emerald-bordered card to Daubutim, whose eyes widened.


    "That''s the Crystalline Leg-lock card?" he asked. "Why did you reforge that to emerald?"


    "Because you are going to have to make a choice," Ambraz said. "You want to fix your mind issue, and I agree that this is the most important thing, but you will also need to eventually create a heartcard."


    Irwin wondered what Ambraz was going to get at as he curiously listened.


    "Well, right now, you have that chestplate card, which is a physical type, the sword that has physical and ice, and your summon, which is water," Ambraz said.


    Ah¡­ Irwin thought as he finally realized where Ambraz was going with this.


    "Now, so far, they are compatible enough, but if you slot the Blood Lightning card, you will have added two other major types, and things are going to get more complex."


    "Is Irwin still going to be able to do it?" Daubutim asked softly.


    "Not right now, but eventually he will be," Ambraz said. "But if you continue adding different types of cards, we are going to get into trouble."


    "What does the Crystalline Leg-lock have to do with this?" Irwin asked, still confused about that part.


    "Nothing directly," Ambraz said. "But Daubutim is going to need two more cards, and they need to mesh both with his first three and with the Blood Lightning card. Also, I would suggest making that card the center of his heartcard."


    Irwin began nodding as he remembered what Ambraz had suggested when they had first looked at the Crystalline Leg-lock card. "You made it into a full-body card, didn''t you?"


    "Yes, it''s called Crystalline Body-lock now. My suggestion is to slot it first, then slot the Blood Lightning, and when you do, focus on the passive mental aspect of the Blood Lightning card."


    "Why not slot Blood Lightning first?" Daubutim asked curiously.


    Irwin hummed, knowing what Ambraz meant. "Because you can only select a combination focus for the card you are slotting adjacent to an existing one. If you start with Blood Lightning, you won''t get that."


    "Exactly! Now, this is what I''d do for the heart," Ambraz said before continuing in a long rant about the different aspects of the cards and how they would best fit together.


    Irwin listened, quickly drawn in by the enthusiasm, as Ambraz went over potential alternatives to the Crystalline Body-lock card and why he wouldn''t use those. He continued by giving some advice and limits to what the final card would need and finished with a general overview of what he thought Daubutim''s first heartcard should look like.


    When he stopped talking, Daubutim was slowly nodding, but Irwin frowned.


    "If we do that, there''s no room for a regeneration card, and Daubutim is never going to get his eye back," he said.


    "I can live with one eye," Daubutim said without seeming to have to think on it, telling Irwin that he had probably realized the same issue beforehand.


    "The heartcard Ambraz just outlined would not only fix my issues but take the strongest parts of my other cards and leave me with a well-meshed whole," Daubutim said calmly. "If that comes at the cost of my eye, I''ll deal with it... At least until I finish my first heartcard."


    Ambraz hummed contentedly. "It''s such a shame that you never learned smithing," he said. "With that mentality, you would make a great smith! Besides¡­ you two are both forgetting about soulcarded healers!"


    "You''re right!" Irwin said as he felt his excitement return. "There must be one who could repair his eye?"


    "More like grow a new one, but yes," Ambraz said.


    Irwin was about to share his enthusiasm with Daubutim when he saw his friend smirk. Right, he never forgot about that, he thought, grinning back.


    "I''ll be doing what you suggested," Daubutim said. "I''ll go with the emerald card first, then slot the Blood Lightning and put the card combination focus on the mental aspect of Blood Lightning."


    Irwin nodded as he summoned his hammer. "You can start. I''ll make sure nothing happens."


    Daubutim nodded as he sat down where he stood, raised the emerald card, and put it against the first slot of his right hand without any hesitation.


    Irwin watched silently as the card sank into the back of Daubutim''s hand, suddenly realizing another benefit.


    After this, he and Greldo can close portals together!


    <div>


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 Chapter 186: Blood and gore

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    Irwin barely noticed the stench coming from him and the dangling bodies; all his attention focused on Daubutim.


    His friend had slid the ruby card in and was now sitting there with his eye closed, his hands jerking and vibrating occasionally.


    "I wonder what it will do with him," Irwin whispered softly.


    "It''s going to allow him to circumvent whatever is bogging his mind down," Ambraz whispered. "But it might take him some getting used to."


    Irwin hummed every few moments, looking around and happy to see nothing had been drawn by the stench of the blood and gore.


    A soft sigh came from Daubutim, and Irwin''s gaze returned to his friend.


    "Thank you¡­" Daubutim said softly as he opened his eye. The cold blue was gone, changed to a pale amber color with tiny bolts of intensely red lightning zipping across it.


    A massive grin appeared on Daubutim''s face as he rose and looked around.


    "I can¡­ think!" he said, raising his hand and moving it around with a speed that surprised Irwin. "Ambraz is right, though. It will take a while before I can fully control everything, especially the mental aspects."


    Before Irwin could ask what he meant, Daubutim lowered himself and moved a dozen steps to the side so fast Irwin sucked in his breath. It wasn''t anywhere near Greldo''s shadow stepping in speed or Scintilla''s semi-teleport, but it was fast enough that Irwin wondered if he could move that fast, even if he used his kinetic energy.


    Still, as he saw Daubutim look around with a happy grin, his eye red with crackling light, he felt an intense urge to try.


    "The physical aspects are going to be a joy to incorporate into my sword-wielding," Daubutim said as he waved his hand around faster than it should be able to move.


    Irwin nodded, taking a look around and seeing a large gnarled tree roughly two hundred feet away.


    "Ambraz, keep an eye on the portal! Daubutim, show me how fast you are," he said, pointing at the tree.


    Without waiting for either to respond, he turned and blasted away, leaving an indent and dirt scattered about. A surprised shout came from behind him, followed by a crackling sound. A moment later, Daubutim ran past him, his legs moving far faster than Irwin knew they had been able to an hour before.


    "Lightning is faster than a hammer," Daubutim shouted as he began running ahead.


    Instead of feeling annoyed at being overtaken, Irwin felt his joy grow at his friends'' grown ability.


    Still, he wasn''t just going to let him win!


    Using the thudding of his own feet, landing on the ground, and revolving his flame, Irwin continued to generate more Kinetic energy. With each bound, his speed increased, and within ten steps, he was hurtling forward at a nearly uncontrollable pace, having caught up to Daubutim''s speed and slowly catching up.


    It was too late, though, as the tree was closing in rapidly.


    Should have put a more distant point, he thought as he realized he wasn''t going to make it.


    A few moments later, Daubutim blurred past the tree, followed by Irwin, who saw his friend come to a sliding halt before moving to the side. Digging his own heels into the ground, Irwin felt the soft soil, grass, and moss split apart as he ground forward. It took him a while to lose his momentum, and he was curious to see that his kinetic energy increased rapidly from the process.


    If I ever have to flee or run somewhere, I can use the stopping before corners to accelerate after, he thought.


    When he finally slowed down enough to come to a slow running halt, he turned and jogged back to Daubutim, who was waiting for him, a thoughtful expression on his face.


    "How long can you keep that up?" Daubutim asked.


    Irwin took a quick look at his remaining energy, then shrugged.


    "Very long," he said. "A few hours at the least."


    Daubutim nodded, then his face turned slightly slack, followed by a look of surprise before ending on joy.


    "Greldo is still the fastest due to his teleport, and for any wide-area scouting, we should send him," Daubutim said, his voice turning calm and analytical. "Beyond that, it would depend on the distance and situation. Short range and high maneuverability is me, then mid-range would be you."


    Irwin opened his mouth to ask what he was on about when Daubutim looked ahead and continued.


    "Beyond that, the way our abilities combine means that I can come up with some very efficient combat strategies. With you in the lead, taking the brunt of the damage and potentially wiping out hordes of demons weak to fire or being suffocated, I can take out any dangerous range or control enemies. Greldo can take care of any that try and either stay far back, other teleporters, or airborne foes," Daubutim said, his voice increasing in speed to the point that Irwin was staring at him with his mouth wide open.


    Daubutim nodded and crossed one arm across his chest while thoughtfully rubbing his chin with his free hand. The lightning in his eye was crackling softly, and Irwin could almost see him start coming up with tactics.


    "How does it feel?" Irwin asked as they walked back. "Is the problem solved or¡­


    "Not solved," Daubutim said. "It''s as if my mind is too fast for the issue to arise. If I think for a long, consecutive time, it might still happen, but right now, I''m thinking in short bursts," he continued, talking so fast Irwin was having trouble making out the words.


    "I''m happy for you," he said with a grin. "But you might want to learn how to control how fast you talk, or nobody will be able to keep up."


    Daubutim cocked his head, then nodded.


    When they returned to the portal, Ambraz flew towards them. "Interesting! I hadn''t thought you would start talking faster," he said.


    Daubutim didn''t respond, staring at the Anvil briefly before stepping forward and bowing. "Thank you for coming up with a way to help me. I will never forget it," he said, holding the bow for a few seconds.


    "W- what?" Ambraz stuttered before clearing a throat he didn''t have. "Right¡­ Right! Yes, I''m glad you see how great my help is," he said boisterously.


    Ambraz muttered something in the language Irwin had heard him speak before and rushed to his shoulder.


    "Irwin, thank you too for all the effort," Daubutim said.


    Irwin was glad Daubutim didn''t bow to him, and he grinned. "No problem. Now, how about we use your new card for the thing we came here for? Do we bring everyone here and risk it being too close to Fiverio, or do we keep searching?"


    He already had made up his own opinion a while ago, but he knew that was based on the fact that he wanted to get his family away from Giard as fast as possible. If Daubutim had a good reason for not choosing this world, he was willing to listen.


    Daubutim''s face slowly returned to his usual stoic calm as he crossed his arms and frowned. As he did so, his eye began flickering around, almost as if he was looking at some speedy insect, while the red lighting intensified until his eye looked like a red mass of energy.


    It must be great to be able to finally use his reasoning skills, Irwin thought.


    "Yes, I think we should," Daubutim finally said, and Irwin saw his lips crawl up again.


    "Damn right," Ambraz hissed.


    Irwin was slightly surprised but, at the same time, happy.


    "I was hoping you''d say that, but¡­ why?"


    "Many reasons," Daubutim said. "For one, as Ambraz said, history has proven that the alternatives haven''t worked. We could opt to find a spot far away and hide, but eventually, they are more than likely to find us again. That means we need to try something else. Gelwin provided me with many books on the Galadin empire, some I presume were written by himself, and from them, it is apparent that they had already become an empire in decline long before they were being hunted. From what I have found, they also had no allies anymore, while their council was in disarray. This all being as it may, bringing everyone over here doesn''t prevent us from continuing to search for a better spot to hide."


    As Daubutim continued talking, his voice slowly picked up speed again, but every so often, he would halt and restart at his normal speed.


    "I agree with all of that," Irwin said slowly.


    The idea of seeing his mother again sooner rather than later made him incredibly excited, and as he thought about how Bronwyn would feel when he told him about heartcarded and that he could reforge cards, he grinned widely.


    I wonder if they will even recognize me, he suddenly thought. He worried for only a moment before deciding he''d cross that bridge when he got there. Besides, there were more imminent things to worry about, and with Daubutim finally able to use not just his knowledge but also his mind, it was time to start working on those.


    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    As they continued toward the portal, he thought about the things that had bothered him over the last few weeks. "Do you think what''s happening now, with the missing smiths, the Galub and Nyzir raiders, and the portals appearing on Giard, is all connected?"


    Daubutim froze, and the lightning in his eye became a momentarily swirling storm.


    Irwin waited, absently looking at his dirty arm, recalling he still needed to clean himself up.


    He didn''t have to wait long before Daubutim answered.


    "I¡­ don''t know. I don''t know what Giard''s time dilation is compared to the one on the Portal Gallery and Fiverion. If we can learn that, and if Gelwin can tell us when exactly the portals started appearing in our world and what date that is in Portal Gallery time, I can determine what happened simultaneously in this region," Daubutim said as his eye slowly returned to its new amber hue. "However, you could be right. It''s odd how the same demons appeared on Giard and then on Scour, those being the Imps and now the others in this region of the Portal Galery. Still¡­ it could just be two things happening or one being a consequence of the other. Father would-"


    Daubutim''s mouth shut closed with a snap.


    Irwin looked up to see his friend''s face had turned slack, almost like when he would have one of his episodes. He hesitated for a moment, wondering if he should say something, then decided to wait. Daubutim would need to come to grips with his father, and if the man was still alive, he''d perhaps meet him in the future.


    So, we are going to bring everyone here then, Irwin thought as he stared around at the sparse forest.


    Between the boars, some of whom now hung from a nearby tree, and their sprinting, the area looked heavily mangled, but even that couldn''t hide the serenity of the surroundings. Everything reminded him of the few days in the summer before things got blistering hot and when food finally came flowing back in Malorin when people had been happy, and the world had a semblance of what he guessed should have been normalcy.


    We will need to make a town here, eventually a city, he thought with a frown. Would he be here for that, though? They would need to find portals to adjacent worlds and perhaps deal with natives. What was he thinking? Who knew if there weren''t natives in this world?


    Crossing his arms, he stared at the portal, then around. How would those react if they were here to the people from Giard appearing in mass and all the others?


    We will just have to find a way to make it work, he thought. When Greldo gets back, he''s going to need to do some more scouting.


    He looked at Daubutim, noticing that his friend''s eye was swirling with lightning, showing he was thinking.


    A crackling from the portal made Irwin turn towards it. Zender stumbled out, his foot snagging the root and falling on his knees.


    "Zender? What are you doing here?" Irwin asked.


    The boy looked up, going pale and wide-eyed as he noticed the gore covering Irwin. "Ca- Captain, are you alright? No, wait! There''s a ship approaching! Greldo told me to come get you!"


    Irwin hissed, the slowly growing tranquility washed away by a surge of adrenaline.


    "I''m going to-"


    "Go! I''ll stay here. If it''s too dangerous, send everyone through," Daubutim said as he began looking around. "I''ll see if I can figure out some way to create a defense."


    Irwin nodded and jumped into the portal.


    --


    Daubutim watched calmly as Irwin left before turning to Zender. The boy had been looking around with wide-eyed awe, then stared back, his face going slack.


    "Daubutim¡­ what is wrong with your eye?"


    "A new card," Daubutim said, waving at the boars on the tree, deciding just to insinuate he''d got them from those. "Now, tell me exactly what you saw."


    "It was a ship I think I''ve seen before! It reminds me of one of the ships that arrived at Sesnanser when you and the Captain arrived," Zender said, sounding excited. "Greldo said there were Da''xi onboard, so it might be survivors from what happened there! Do you think my other brothers and sisters could be on board?"


    "I don''t know, but we will find out soon enough," Daubutim said calmly, looking around. "I need you to climb in that tree all the way up and keep an eye on our surroundings. If you see anything, shout."


    Zender looked at the tree, a gleeful smile appearing as he ran forward. "You can count on me!"


    Resilient, Daubutim thought before summoning his massive sword. A series of spikes, so if everyone has to flee here, we can just put them in front of the portal, he thought coldly. He knew it was his father''s tactic for guarding gates, but he ignored the bubbling rage that knowledge brought. A good idea was a good idea, no matter who came up with it.


    As he ran to the nearest tree, he noticed his balance was off, and the way his sword wouldn''t work at this speed.


    Branches, spears, then some quick practice in case we get into a battle, he thought.


    "Daubutim, there''s a weird bird up here looking at me!"


    Daubutim spun around, looking at the high branches where Zender was clinging. The green bird hadn''t moved, but its eyes were open as it stared with -Daubutim hoped- curiosity at Zender. He focused on his other card, and Twyl appeared on his shoulder.


    ''Stay with the boy and warn me if that bird does anything,'' he ordered. ''If it closes in, attack it.''


    Twyl sent a cool confirmation back as it launched itself from his shoulder toward Zender. Daubutim waited, ready to act if needed, but the green bird didn''t respond and merely remained watching. Twyl landed on Zender''s shoulder, and the boy stroked its beak, looking slightly relieved.


    "Twyl will stay with you," Daubutim said. "I need to make some spears."


    "Okay," Zender shouted back, only slightly shaky.


    Good, Daubutim thought. The boy could become a strong warrior if he had this mentality, and with the card Irwin had given him, he''d live to at least thirty. I need to take some time to come up with a way to help him get stronger and perhaps older, he thought as he sliced down at a branch, his massive sword easily cut it.


    He continued till seven minutes and three seconds had passed before moving the branches to the portal and beginning to sharpen their points. Four done, the portal crackled again, and Daubutim rose, tossing the spear to the side and raising his sword calmly.


    Ib stumbled outside, but when her foot snagged the root, which he would leave until everything was saved, she managed to keep her balance somehow.


    Must be her card, he thought.


    Ib looked up and took a step back as she saw his sword.


    "It''s me!" she shouted, holding her arms up and looking around with quickly widening eyes. "Woah¡­ this place is incredible!"


    "Ib, focus. What is going on at the ship?" Daubutim said.


    "What? Oh! One of the ships that managed to escape from Sesnanser somehow found us! Greldo said there''s even some girlfriend of Irwin on it, and he seemed to know the Captain, some Da''xi captain."


    Irwin''s girlfriend? Daubutim thought, shelving that as less important.


    "Was it Xi''balak or Xi''kroak?" Daubutim asked.


    "Xi''kroak," Ib said, walking to the nearest tree and gently touching it. "It''s cold and slightly wet," she said, sounding surprised.


    "Ib, is everything alright? Did Irwin say anything?"


    "Oh, right! He said not to worry and that he was going to send Greldo back in a bit so you could come to the ship, and¡­ Ah! Those are why the Captain was so bloody and smelly? Are they edible?"


    Daubutim watched Ib rush to the dangling bodies of the boars. He decided that he was going to ask Rindiri a few things about what exactly constituted perfect genes because his current observations seemed to indicate that Zender was far more useful than his supposedly genetically superior sister.


    Perhaps gene-quality is only determined by potential age, he thought.


    He glanced at the half-finished piles of spears, and for a moment, he reveled in how fast his mind was flickering through the ideas. The dullness was still there, but he stopped thinking and focused on something simple each time he felt it rise in an attempt to overwhelm him. The speed at which he both sensed it and evaded it, even with as little practice as he had, told him that there would come a time that he''d likely not even notice it anymore.


    "Ib, come here and help me sharpen these," he said, walking back to the to-be spears.


    --


    Irwin ignored Monique''s pleading looks on the other ship and instead focused on Xi''kroak. He could barely believe Greldo had been right when he''d said Xi''kroak was onboard and wasn''t sure if he should be happy or worried. Xi''kroak had been both helpful and kind in their dealings, but that had been when they were on his ship as passengers. Now, there was a rank-six portal behind them.


    "They have noticed the portal and its rank," Greldo whispered next to him. "They seem excited."


    I don''t blame them, Irwin thought.


    "Greetings, captain Xi''kroak," he shouted, raising his hand in greeting. "How did you manage to find us?"


    "Leader Irwin¡­ or should I call you Captain Irwin now?" Xi''kroak responded, his faceplates clattering loud enough for Irwin to hear it twenty feet away.


    "Captain Irwin will do," Irwin said. Rindiri and the others were already calling him that, and he decided that if he had to have a title, it''d be best to have just one.


    Until I can show I''m a smith again, he thought.


    "Captain Irwin, congratulations on gaining such a beautiful vessel," Xi''kroak said. "What is it named?"


    "The Sonata," Irwin said, wondering if Xi''kroak was refusing to answer his question on purpose. He knew it had to be a card that had allowed them to follow, but he wanted to know if whatever skill was used had tracked one of them or something else.


    "A good name," Xi''kroak said.


    "Thank you," Irwin said, deciding to try again. "It surprises me to see you here! How did you manage to track us?"


    Xi''kroak''s faceplates chattered again, and he put a hand on the railing. "One of my crewmen has a card that allows him to trace ship sails."


    Irwin nodded slowly. That made sense and was both a relief and an annoyance. As a cardsmith, he knew very well that cards like this would not be singular, and this meant he''d have to deal with similar issues in the future.


    "Not to be too forward," Xi''kroak shouted.


    The Da''xi captain raised his hand and touched one of his cheek plates in a gesture Irwin hadn''t seen before. Still, he prepared himself for the question he knew was coming.


    "How did you learn about the location of an unopened rank six portal?"


    He thinks we knew beforehand? Irwin thought in surprise. He was about to shout they hadn''t known when Greldo prodded his foot.


    Irwin glanced at his friend before focusing back on Xi''kroak while Greldo leaned forward, whispering softly. "Monique looks like she just swallowed something disgusting. I''d say she''s got something to do with this.


    Xi''kroak showed no reaction to Greldo whispering at him, and Irwin felt momentarily at a loss. He had no idea what was happening, what Monique was doing on that ship, or how she''d even gotten here.


    What does it matter? I couldn''t answer his question, and if I told him we didn''t know, that might cause other trouble, he decided.


    "I''ll have to keep that answer a secret," Irwin finally shouted as he crossed his arms over his chest. "At least for now. However, I will say that Giard''s Rangers claim this portal and the worlds beyond it in combination with a few other parties."


    There was a sudden angry whisper on the other ship while Xi''kroak''s faceplates closed so far that only his eyes and a tiny slit over his mouth were free.


    Irwin focused on his skills, readying his hammer and deciding that he would throw a burning hammer at the ship if they showed any hostility. As much as he hoped they could talk this out somehow, there was too much at stake.


    "Captain Irwin, you are still very unfamiliar with my people," Xi''kroak shouted, his voice cold. "So I will forgive this implied insult. However, please be aware that my people would never think of trying to claim something that is not ours to claim. I think it would be best if we had a private chat before mistakes are made."


    "Careful. Some of them have carded weapons and abilities ready," Greldo whispered.


    Irwin needed only a second to make up his mind. He wasn''t going to board Xi''kroak''s ship, no matter what the Da''xi said. His words had seemed heartfelt, but who was to say what they thought was theirs to claim?


    "You are right," he shouted. "Please be welcome aboard The Sonata!"


    Xi''kroak nodded before turning to his shiphelm. "Get us a bit closer," he shouted.


    Irwin waited, outward as calm as he could be but inward, still somewhat afraid of an ambush. By now, he knew how special the portal was, and as much as he wanted to trust Xi''kroak, how well did he really know the Da''xi? A few moments later, the ship was ten feet away, and Xi''kroak stood up on the railing before leaping forward with apparent ease, landing on the deck not too far from Irwin.


    Before Irwin could walk to greet him, another figure floated across the short distance. A slender Da''xi with smaller faceplates, she hovered beside Xi''kroak protectively.


    "Captain Irwin, meet my mate, La''suna," Xi''kroak said as he walked forward.


    This close, Irwin saw that his plates were still more closed than he was used to. It seemed he wasn''t the only one afraid of an ambush. Realizing that somehow made him feel much better, and he managed a reasonably natural smile as he stepped forward.


    "A pleasure to meet you," he said, copying something he''d heard Daubutim say. "Shall we go to my cabin?"


    "That might be for the best," Xi''kroak said.

 Chapter 187: Preparations

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    Irwin stood in his cabin, looking at Xi''kroak and his mate, wishing the cabin was larger and that he had a desk like he''d seen in Xi''kroak''s cabin. It felt crowded with just four people: Xi''kroak, his La''suna, and Greldo.


    "Captain Irwin, let me start by saying your fear is ungrounded," Xi''kroak began as soon as the door closed. "We are not here to lay claim to this world you have found. Now that we can speak more freely, let me say that I have a little more knowledge about how other species think, and I know how dangerous this situation can be with nearly any but Da''xi."


    Irwin felt slightly relieved at the calm tone but didn''t speak up. He sensed that Xi''kroak wasn''t done, and he was curious about what else Xi''kroak had to say before the questions would come.


    Xi''kroak waited for a few seconds before sighing. "That being said, I will have to request refuge for myself and my crewmen. I hope you will allow us onto the world so we can find food and rest. We have been traveling on very little, and I should have returned yesterday. We continued because of the portal opening flare we spotted."


    Irwin had somewhat expected it, but the wary, sad tone of Xi''kroak still caught him off guard.


    I could have used Daubutim here, he thought, but he also knew he would need to fix this situation himself.


    There was no more time to get Daubutim; besides, if it did come to fighting, it would be better to have Greldo here. Daubutim still needed to learn how to use his skills, and even then, he was likely far less powerful than Greldo at this moment, no matter if he was more powerful than Greldo at the same point.


    "I need a moment to decide what to do," he said as he realized how long he''d been quiet. "Can you tell me what happened at Sesnanser?"


    Xi''kroak''s mate let out a soft sniff, but Captain Xi''kroak''s faceplates just rattled softly.


    "The Nyzir and Galubs cordoned off the narrow area beyond Sesnanser. Due to this, we couldn''t get reinforcements from the rest of The Daran, and when they attacked, we were outnumbered," Xi''kroak said. "In my estimate, it is unlikely that there will be any effort to free Sesnanser in the near future, if at all. This means that if we are to survive, we will either need to make a run past the blockade or-" Xi''kroak looked up at the ceiling where the portal was.


    So they actually blocked the way out? Irwin thought as he realized why Xi''kroak needed a place to go. It also meant he didn''t have to worry about someone else appearing soon. He glanced at Greldo, who was quietly listening, but his friend showed no interest in providing his opinion.


    So, that meant it was up to him. He hummed as he thought about what the biggest problem would be, that Xi''kroak would head back out before the people of Giard had the time to create proper defenses.


    "This is possible, but let me explain my issue," he finally said, mixing as much truth into what he said as he dared. "The mission we are here for requires this world to remain hidden for a long time. Your presence, especially after you go through the portal, isn''t planned and could cause excessive issues that I need to prevent."


    "There is a simple fix. Can you allow my people a permanent base on the world?" Xi''kroak asked calmly.


    And there is another one, Irwin thought as he frowned. That meant besides his own people, there would be Yuurindi, Granvils, and Da''xi. Still¡­ was that such a bad thing? His people would need expertise and knowledge when they got here, and having alliances with other races wasn''t really such a bad thing.


    Slowly, the prospect began to seem more interesting, and he slowly nodded, noting that Xi''kroak''s faceplates widened slightly more, almost returning to what he had come to see as normal.


    "What would you do if we allowed this?" he asked.


    "We would build a small outpost and remain there until we are allowed to leave, though I would require at least some form of a time period that we would need to abide by," Xi''kroak said, unable to keep all of the excitement out of his voice.


    "How large would this outpost be?" Irwin asked thoughtfully.


    "Rank six worlds have hundreds or more adjacent worlds," Xi''kroak said, and Irwin saw his eyes begin gleaming. "One of those would be perfect."


    That''s supposed to be a small outpost? Irwin thought, slightly outraged.


    He was about to suggest a small patch of land when he thought of something and hesitated. If they were on an adjacent world, that meant he would be in control of the portal to it, even if they put up a small defense force. In the end, when Giard''s remaining population came over, they would easily be able to deal with the Da''xi if they ended up being a danger. Besides, the Da''xi were known for their large fleet, something that would be useful to have eventually.


    Still¡­ if he just accepted it right away, that seemed like a bad idea. Besides, this is something that can definitely wait for me to discuss with Daubutim, he decided.


    "I can''t promise anything like that right now," Irwin said. "However, if you promise to help with what we are going to do for the world, that will most definitely increase the chances of it being possible."


    Xi''kroak''s face plates widened, and a wide smile sat around his lips, making Irwin guess that he was happy enough with what he''d gotten.


    "We will help however we can," he said, and Irwin saw him tap his hand against his mate''s, who was looking almost as surprised as she was happy.


    "So, now that''s all taken care of," Greldo said, finally speaking up. "We might want to figure out a way for us to protect this open portal. If you could find us, there''s the possibility that those bloody demons do too!"


    Irwin nodded while he saw Xi''kroak''s face plates return to normal.


    "I will remain on the ship," Xi''kroak said. "La''suna can go to the world and see if she can find food that will suit us. Am I correct in believing that the world is uninhabited?"


    Irwin frowned. "That is something that we are unsure of yet. For now, we have yet to find anything that indicates there is sentient life there, but we have only scouted a small area."


    Xi''kroak''s face plates rattled softly. "I don''t know the details of your mission, but La''suna is a fantastic scout. She can assist you in exploring."


    "That would be great," Irwin said as he slowly felt the lingering worry fade. If Xi''kroak was willing to send his mate to the world while he stayed here, that was a massive sign of goodwill in his book. However, he knew there was one thing he had to make sure of. They would need time and no prying eyes to open the one-time portal Gelwin gave them.


    "Greldo is our best scout, and I''m sure he''d be happy with some assistance," he said as he grinned at his friend, who nodded happily.


    "Then I think it''s a good idea for you to head back and warn Daubutim that everything is fine. You can bring La''suna along while Xi''kroak and I talk about the details. Return in four hours of the world''s time," he added, deciding that would give them time after that to open the portal somewhere.


    I''m going to have to find out how long that works and what we need to do.


    "Sounds like a plan," Greldo said as he looked at La''suna. "Do you need anything before we leave?"


    "No. I am fine."


    "Then let''s head out," Greldo said before turning to Irwin. "Do you want me to send Ib and Zender back, or¡­?"


    "No," Irwin said, trying to plan ahead. "Just bring them when you return. When you are back, I''ll go and fill Daubutim in with the details."


    Greldo nodded as he walked out of the cabin, followed by La''suna. After they had left, Irwin was about to ask if Xi''kroak had any ideas on how to get a defensible area around the floating portal when the Da''xi surprised him.


    "Captain Irwin, can we discuss Monique?"


    Irwin blinked, then nodded somewhat dumbly. "Uh¡­ sure. How did she come aboard your ship?"


    "She managed to teleport aboard," Xi''kroak said before continuing, slightly uncertain. "She said she is a friend of yours?"


    "I''ve worked with her, and we have common friends," Irwin said, not sure where this was going.


    "I see¡­ When she arrived to board our ship, she seemed to know of your plans to go to a portal, although not the details," Xi''kroak said. "I didn''t believe her, but it seemed I might have been too hasty."


    Irwin frowned. That Monique knew they were going to look for a planet didn''t surprise him too much, but this made it sound like they had already known exactly where to go. Xi''kroak didn''t seem to notice his confusion as he slowly continued.


    "Due to this, I was afraid she was getting my crewmen killed, and I might have¡­ threatened her a little."


    Irwin held back a snorted laugh, then shrugged. "Is she alright?" he asked.


    "Yes! She is fine. We didn''t harm a scale on her body," Xi''kroak said hurriedly.


    "Alright, then, I don''t see a problem," Irwin said with a shrug.


    If Xi''kroak had harmed Monique, he might have reacted differently, but in essence, this just meant Xi''kroak saved her while being wary of her reason for being there. Besides, he didn''t have any connection with her, nor did he like her that much, and he couldn''t forget how she''d pestered him on the way back to Fiverio.


    "Thank you for being so considerate," Xi''kroak said, and Irwin could hear the relief in his voice. "I am also sad to say that supplies of food for her kind ran out, and she might need some feeding. I''ll have her brought over to you as soon as I return."


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    This time, Irwin couldn''t hold back a sigh. He''d somehow managed to forget that she would probably be joining them, and he hoped she wasn''t just going to bother him again.


    "Alright," he said, not even bothering to hide his disinterest. "Now, let''s go to Rindiri, who is my navigator. If Daubutim, Greldo, or I aren''t here, she''s in command of the Sonata."


    Xi''kroak didn''t move, looking at him curiously. "She is a Yuurindi."


    "I know," Irwin said, looking back with a raised eyebrow. "So?"


    "Very few sentient species have dealings with them out of some misguided fear. It is surprising that you have one and seem to allow her so much freedom," Xi''kroak said, no disgust or adversity in his voice.


    Irwin stared at Xi''kroak, trying to determine if there was any hidden hatred for Yuurindi. He liked Rindiri and her kids, and if there was some hatred between these races, he needed to figure it out right now. Still, Xi''kroak''s face plates were relaxed and still slightly open, while his eyes radiated calm. Nothing gave Irwin the idea that the Da''xi was anything but honestly curious.


    "I''ve heard about the history of her people, and I seriously doubt they can overrun an entire world in a few generations," he said. "At least, not anymore. From what I''ve heard and seen, they are more likely to grow extinct before that," he said thoughtfully. He hesitated, then added. "She will likely get one of the adjacent worlds for herself and her people."


    Xi''kroak''s faceplates vibrated slightly, but not enough to rattle, and he sighed. The Da''xi''s faceplates opened nearly wholly, something Irwin hadn''t seen before, and he saw a wide smile that reached Xi''Kroak''s eyes.


    "I have never met a Loydin that is like you. I feel our collaboration will be long and fruitful, and I''ll explain to my people that they are to be more tolerant of possible differences in our behaviors. To be transparent, we, the Da''xi, think as you do. Some of our scholars have read through the history of the Yuurindi and have found many details to be highly suspicious. The assumption on my homeworld is that the history we have been shown has been tampered with. Thus, you will find Yuurindi among many Da''xi vessels."


    Iriwin, although happy by what he heard, quickly interjected. "Thank you, but I''m not a Loydin but a Fiz''rin," he said, hesitating then continuing. "Well, something very similar."


    Somehow, it felt wrong to lie full-out to Xi''kroak after he''d the trust he had shown. Although he wasn''t sure, he thought he recalled that Daubutim had told him that opening faceplates meant something significant to Da''xi.


    I''ll ask Daubutim, he thought.


    "I am sorry to say that I have not heard of your kind before," Xi''kroak said as his faceplates slowly closed again. "I would be honored if you told me more about them in the future. But for now, let us go and meet your navigator."


    Irwin couldn''t agree more, and he quickly headed out of the cabin.


    For the next hour, he, Xi''kroak, and Rindiri discussed what they could do if the Galub or Nyzir found them. Most of them were scenarios that dealt with destroying as many as they could before chasing those who fled.


    Irwin quickly realized he had little to add to the conversation, and he just listened to Rindiri and Xi''kroak discuss things rapidly. He was glad when the portal finally crackled to indicate someone was coming through. Still dirty, smelly, and bored, he was very ready to head back to the world and find that river.


    Ib was the first to come through, looking annoyed and with arms covered in the same grime as Irwin had. She was quickly followed by Greldo and La''suna, and a moment later, Zender came through with a wide smile on his face.


    La''suna immediately glided towards the Xi''kroak, and Irwin decided to give them some privacy. If they even spoke a language he knew, Greldo could just listen in without them knowing.


    Irwin walked forward, noting an annoyed gleam in Greldo''s eyes as his friend glared after Ib.


    "What happened?" Irwin whispered.


    "Nothing. Ib just required a bit more convincing than I wanted to give, so I had to throw her back through the portal," Greldo said, not bothering to lower his voice.


    Irwin couldn''t hold back his grin as he glanced up to see Ib stomp toward the cabin, face red and head down. Rindiri was giving her the stink-eye, and he guessed Ib was going to get a scolding again.


    "Anything else?" he asked, turning his attention back to his friend.


    "No. Daubutim said you should come over. He had something to discuss," Greldo said. "Just come get us when you''re ready."


    Something about the last bit confused Irwin, but he nodded. Whatever was going on, Daubutim would tell him when he arrived.


    "I was planning on it," he replied, turning to Xi''kroak. "Captain Xi''kroak, I need to speak with my friend on the planet and see to cleaning myself. If you need to discuss anything, you can do so with Greldo."


    Xi''balak nodded before pointing at his ship. "And Monique?"


    Irwin looked at the other ship, seeing Monique looking back with a weary, somewhat scared look. He felt slightly guilty for not getting her here soon, and he focused back on Xi''kroak. "Can you bring her over?" he asked.


    "Of course."


    "Thank you," Irwin said as he turned to Greldo. "I''ll be back in a few hours. Just give Monique one of the free cabins. Oh! And she might be a bit hungry."


    Greldo raised his eyebrow.


    "Something about not having enough food," Irwin said before giving Xi''kroak a final nod and heading to the portal. With each step, his enthusiasm grew.


    I wonder how that teleporter card works, he wondered as he jumped into the portal.


    ---


    As Irwin stepped out of the portal, automatically raising his foot to prevent tripping over the root, he realized the root was gone. Instead, the ground before it had been evened out, and Dautbim stood before him. Twyl, his raven, was perched on his shoulder, looking around with cold eyes.


    "Greldo couldn''t fill me in completely, but I take it that we have come to an agreement with Xi''kroak?" Daubutim asked calmly.


    "Yes," Irwin said.


    He quickly explained what had happened in as much detail as he could remember, and when he finished, Daubutim''s eye was nearly completely red with tiny bolts of red lightning.


    "We will have to be very careful with how much we trust them, but for now, this looks to be beneficial to us in the long run," Daubutim said calmly as his eye calmed. "You are also correct. That Xi''kroak showed his entire face is a sign of incredible trust and a way to honor you. However, it is best that we aren''t entirely trusting yet. Much of it will likely have to do with this world."


    Irwin nodded, fully agreeing with the sentiment.


    "Let''s just be sure that we keep an eye on them," he said before looking at his grimy arm. The blood had long since dried up, but the thicker gunk looked as nasty as a few hours earlier.


    River or portal first, he wondered, wishing he could just use his Sweltering skill to clean up. Sadly, that wouldn''t have anywhere near the amount of water he would need for the thick, semi-dried-up muck covering him.


    "I know you need to clean up, but we need to open the portal first," Daubutim said. "Things have been happening and moving faster than we want, and now that we''ve decided to settle here, it''s time to connect to Gelwin."


    "Shouldn''t we scout for sentient beings first?" Irwin asked. "Or did Greldo and La''suna manage that already?"


    "Greldo scouted an area of half a day around us. There''s a large river a few hours north, while to the east, the forest changes to hills. Southward, the forest turns so dense he couldn''t scout it without the risk of teleporting into something dangerous, and the west seemed to remain as you see it. A widespread, open forest setting that continued for as far as he could see," Daubutim said, his voice speeding up, but not as much as it had the previous time.


    He''s already getting a hang of it, Irwin thought, impressed.


    "Alright, so how are we going to do this?" he asked.


    "Ambraz, can you remain here to make sure nothing comes through the portal?" Daubutim asked.


    There was a snort from Irwin''s pocket, and a moment later, Ambraz flitted out. "I can stay here, but what exactly do you expect me to do?" the Anvil asked.


    "Irwin told me that when he first saw you, you were the size of a small hut. Can you still do that?"


    Irwin''s eyes widened as he remembered that moment, which was burned into his memory. Even then, he''d not thought about it for a long time.


    "Ugh! I can, but it''s so annoying," Ambraz muttered.


    "Good," Daubutim said as pointed at the portal. "Please block the portal so nothing can come in or out."


    Irwin was about to ask what would happen if Greldo or the others had to return when he recalled Greldo''s odd remark.


    "Did you talk with Greldo about this?" he asked.


    "Yes. I told him that nobody should come through until one of us returns," Daubutim said. "We should be back in a few hours."


    Ambraz, who had been hovering before the portal, sighed and plopped down on the ground in front of the portal, growing to twice his working size in a flash. Then Irwin saw him slowly continue to grow, almost as if he was inflating.


    "Make sure you come back fast. I''m not interested in staying here for any longer than I have to," he said.


    "We should be back within four hours," Daubutim said, frowning. "I had expected you to be bigger."


    "No need to be so impatient! It takes a while to grow to my maximum size," Ambraz said. "Just head out. I''ll keep it blocked."


    Irwin saw Daubutim''s eye ripple with lightning, then his raven hopped from his shoulder and landed on a tree nearby.


    "I''ll leave Twyl here to relay any message you have," Daubutim said. "When she disappears, you will know we have gone through the portal."


    "Wait, we are going through the portal?" Irwin asked.


    "After opening it, we need to talk with Gelwin, and he isn''t able to come here without causing Giard to shatter," Daubutim said as he began walking.


    Irwin followed him, noting they were heading north, which meant from what Daubutim had just told him that they were roughly heading towards the river.


    "How far from the portal are we going to use that card?" Irwin asked.


    "Gelwin''s instructions were that it needs to be at least a mile away," Daubutim said. "Any closer to an existing portal would cause the temporary portal created by the card to destabilize, causing it to close very quickly."


    Irwin frowned as he continued looking around. There was no sign of any movement, but Greldo had told him there were large frogs and flying squirrels, and he was still covered in enough of the six-horned boar things that he knew there definitely wasn''t anything around.


    "Let''s run," he said. "No sense in wasting time."


    Daubutim didn''t respond but just began jogging, slowly picking up speed. Irwin followed him, and soon, they were running through the forest.


    As he used his kinetic energy to speed up, Irwin realized how much he enjoyed being in the forest. Although he missed Scour''s blistering temperature, he''d grown up near a forest, and looking around the greenery and ancient-looking trees, he realized he''d missed it.


    Sooner than he wanted, Daubutim began slowing down.


    "This should be fine. It will give us enough space to build a settlement, and with the river up north, we can start spreading out the people as soon as they arrive," his friend said as he approached a reasonably open spot. "I don''t expect any trouble, but prepare for some just in case."


    Irwin nodded, summoning a hammer and focusing on his heartcard''s abilities.


    Daubutim removed a small card from his pocket, and Irwin watched as he inspected it before taking a deep breath and putting it on the back of his hand.


    Does he need to slot it? Irwin wondered.


    A bright flash of light burst from Daubutim''s hand, followed by a ball of shimmering pale light with the faint outlines of a card in the center. It slowly floated from his friend''s hand, landing on the ground with a bright explosion of light. Luckily, there wasn''t a loud sound, but even then, Irwin wondered if anyone had noticed the flash.


    A shimmering white portal with dark purple lightning crackling around its edges appeared before Daubutim. The pale light rapidly dimmed, the white turning gray, then black, and within moments a portal hovered before them. The crackling around the edges remained purple, reminding Irwin somewhat of the Purperion that he''d purified from the hoop back on Scour.


    As he gazed at the portal, he suddenly felt it had been somewhat anticlimactic. He couldn''t say precisely why, but as he looked around to ensure nothing was sneaking up on them, he felt a growing sense of anticipation.


    "Where does the portal actually go?" he asked.


    "Giard," Daubutim said as he walked forward.


    Irwin nodded. He already knew that.


    "It should end up in Gelwin''s tower," Daubutim said.


    Irwin felt his mouth fall open as he turned to Daubutim. "The first sorcerer''s tower?"


    "Yes," Daubutim said absently. "The oldest known sorcerer tower that nobody has been inside since Gelwin left."


    "That place is abandoned, isn''t it?" Irwin asked. "Or did Gelwin return from Fiverio and is waiting for us?"


    If that''s the case, why doesn''t he just come here?


    "His answer was cryptic when I asked him that," Daubutim said. "Let''s just go and see."


    Irwin walked beside him, looking around. "Is it safe to just leave this portal unguarded?"


    "If anything comes through, they are probably going to have to deal with whatever Gelwin has waiting for us. I''d say we will be safer on the other side," Daubutim said with a calm smile. "And when we return back, you can just go first and take care of anything that''s here."


    Irwin snorted, then laughed. "Alright, let''s go then."


    Daubutim nodded and stepped inside the portal, vanishing.


    Irwin took a look around the forested area, back to where they had come from, then turned to the portal.


    Back to Giard, he thought, as he felt his stomach clench slightly from a rapidly growing excitement.


    Irwin took a deep breath and stepped into the portal.

 Chapter 188: Back on Giard

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    With a familiar jarring sensation, the world was ripped away, replaced by a wide, purple corridor and the sense of falling. Irwin looked around, noting the tube-like barriers around him were so dense that he couldn''t see anything behind it. He guessed there was space, but who knew for sure? This portal was connecting two worlds that, if he would have to guess, were much further apart than anything he had moved between yet.


    "I wonder how long this will take¡­" Irwin muttered before continuing louder. "Any ideas?"


    There was no response, and it took him a few moments to realize that Ambraz wasn''t with him. With the realization came a slightly sinking feeling. This would be the first time he''d go anywhere far without Ambraz ever since he''d found the Anvil.


    It''s just a few hours, he thought as he stared ahead and absently began tapping his hammer against his leg.


    Still, as he shot forward, he felt a twinge of loneliness.


    "Well, let''s just see how long this takes," he said, raising the hammer and unsummoning it.


    --


    "Thank you."


    Greldo looked at Monique, stuffing her mouth, seeming famished. They were in the mess hall of the ship, the large female sitting at the table. He could smell she hadn''t been able to shower or clean for a good while, and everything about her showed she''d probably been wearing the exact same clothes for weeks.


    "When is the last time that you had something to eat?" he asked.


    Monique stopped with some cooked rations mid-way to her mouth and frowned. "Five days ago," she finally said." But there were only some rations before that."


    Ouch, Greldo thought. He had a lot of experience with being hungry, but five days was a long period.


    "Well, don''t eat more than is on the table," he said as he prepared to turn and leave. "It will make you feel sick."


    "I won''t, but¡­ Can you tell me what happened?" she asked hastily. "I was going to talk with Irwin on Fiverio, but then he was gone."


    Greldo looked at her, noting the worry and confusion. Combined with her obvious disheveled state, she didn''t look much at all like the boisterous smith that he recalled from their travels to and stays at Scour. He felt a slight bit of sympathy as he realized what she''d probably gone through to get here.


    Why did she follow him, he suddenly thought. Focusing on what he could hear around him, he saw everyone was still up on the deck, chatting.


    "We had to leave on a mission," he said. "How about you tell me why you followed us all the way to the edge of the known Portal Gallery and beyond?"


    Monique flinched, and she looked at the table.


    "I''d prefer talking with Irwin about that," he said.


    Greldo frowned as he recalled how she''d been chasing Irwin on their return trip and how little his friend was interested.


    "I bet you would," he said, unable to keep his hilarity from oozing through. It lasted for only a few moments before it was replaced by a cold rasp. "But we are here for important reasons, and Irwin has already been pretty clear he isn''t interested in you¡­ Just because he''s too much of a nice guy to blow you off, perhaps you got the wrong picture?"


    He expected some form of angry rebuttal or denial, but Monique''s shoulders just sagged.


    "I know," she said. "I don''t want anything like that, it''s just-"


    "You want him to join your family for some reason," Greldo interrupted her. "Something to do with the safety of your family?"


    "How-" Monique began as she stared at him in surprise.


    Greldo saw how she caught herself and clamped her mouth shut. He wanted nothing more than to tap his ears and smirk, but the fewer people knew about his hearing, the longer he could use it to keep listening in on things. So he merely shrugged. "I''m not wrong."


    Monique took a deep breath, then shook her head.


    "No, you''re not," she said.


    "Then I suggest you just tell me what''s going on and what you want," Greldo said.


    Monique looked at him for a bit, and he could almost see the way she thought about him change. It went from a ''he''s just someone unimportant'' to ''wait¡­ who are you?'' look. He''d seen it many times before, mainly when he was younger, but it never stopped amusing him.


    "I¡­ Alright," Monique said. "Because of what''s happening to the smiths, all of us were told to remain on-world, while the high-rank smiths like Tensor had to return to the main guild. The charter''s stockpile of cards was drying up, and thus, the work we could do. I am responsible for my family''s income, and without it, the family wouldn''t be able to pay for all of us to remain free citizens. Things became really bad, and-"


    I already know all of that, Greldo thought, slightly annoyed.


    Still, he kept quiet, listening to Monique continue on about how bad things were going for her family. Apparently, they were an important branch of a much larger noble family in a rich world. They had left because of some feud, hoping to find a place to settle. When she finally finished, Greldo wasn''t sure if he should laugh or cry.


    You make it sound like your life has been so hard, he thought as he held back an annoyed snort. What had she really gone through? Left her home world at fifteen, came here, found out she had talent as a smith, and had a great life ever since.


    "Alright," he said, raising an eyebrow. "And what does all that have to do with the fact that you want to talk to Irwin? You do realize he isn''t going to join your family in some sort of serf position¡­ right? If you don''t, then let me help you out of that dream right here and now."


    He was surprised that she kept quiet even though he saw her eyes flare up in anger.


    "No, I''ve understood that," she said, though not very convincingly. "I- I¡­ I want to ask Irwin if he can allow me and my family a place in this new rank-six world," she blurted before quickly waving her hands around. "It wouldn''t be without benefit for him! I''m sure he will be forming his own charter here soon, and to make that official, he would need more smiths! I can help, and two of my cousins have talent and will definitely become quartz-rank smiths in a few years!"


    Greldo looked at her, slightly annoyed that she''d somehow implied that Irwin was a smith. Luckily, he didn''t hear anyone nearby, and Brinni was still high on the top sail with her sister, chatting about the future.


    "I''ll talk with him about it," he said, definitely sure that he wasn''t going to promise anything on the spot. Who knew what Irwin felt about her being around? Maybe he had his own ideas and didn''t want to have Monique around as a smith. "If you want to increase your chances of a positive outcome, I suggest you leave him alone until he comes and finds you."


    "I will," Monique said, slumping down slightly. "Do you think he will talk with me?"


    How should I know? Greldo thought angrily, but he just shrugged and kept his face placid. "No idea. You will find out soon enough. For now, just make yourself useful and stay out of his way, and who knows? Now, I''m going to have to get some work done, and I suggest you apply the same to me."


    Instead of turning and walking away, he calmly waited to see if she had anything to add.


    Monique looked up, her eyes gleaming angrily, but she just nodded. "I''ll do my best."


    "Good, I''ll make sure Rindiri comes up with something for you to do," Greldo said as he turned and walked away.


    Great, now we have Bendi and Monique, he thought. It felt like they were starting to collect annoying people.


    --


    The end of the purple corridor finally appeared before Irwin, and he let out a sigh of relief. He had no idea how long the trip took, but it had definitely taken an hour.


    If this isn''t some other time thing, we will have to leave soon, he thought just as he reached the end of the portal corridor.


    Just as he hit the ending, he wondered if he could get someone to find out if his family was still alive and alright. Then the world changed to a blinding white, and he suddenly stumbled out onto a dusty wooden floor inside a spacious, torch-lit room.


    Daubutim stood a few steps before him, staring at a bearded figure dressed in ancient garments that lay on a wooden table surrounded by chairs. Bookcases filled with moldy books stood behind it, with a dark, unlit ornate fireplace in the middle. The walls around it were a dull gray, and Irwin instantly recognized the stone even if he hadn''t seen it in years.


    We are back at the sorcerer towers, he thought as he looked around.


    The room continued to the side, where a short staircase led up to a waist-high stone platform with a door in the center wall. It was closed, and a glimmering blue barrier covered it.


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    Daubutim moved, and Irwin turned to see his friend focus on the figure on the table.


    "Gelwin?"


    There was a shiver that ran through the figure, and then a dry cough came from the figure as a plume of dust erupted. As the dust began settling, the figure began coughing, dry hacking sounds that caused the figure to shake on the table.


    What is going on? Irwin thought as he shared a surprised look with Daubutim.


    They walked closer to the table as the figure stirred, slowly rising, accompanied by dry cracking and plopping.


    "No matter how many times I do this, I''ll never get used to it," a rough, ancient voice whispered as Irwin saw two pale, gray eyes stare at him before shifting to Daubutim. "Ah, you have arrived, young Daubutim. Good. Give me a few moments to get my bearings."


    That''s Gelwin? Irwin thought as he stared at the tangled slate-gray beard that covered the entire chest of the figure, slowly flowing down as he sat on the edge of the table. He looked at Daubutim, shaking his head in confusion.


    Daubutim nodded before focusing on the body. "Take your time, Gelwin," he said.


    "No need to look at me like that, boys. I won''t break apart just yet," Gelwin said as he lowered himself from the table and cracked his back and arms before hobbling to the nearest chair and slowly lowering himself inside. "Besides, if you two are here, that means I''ll soon be spared this painful exercise in the near future."


    Gelwin gestured at two other chairs, and Irwin walked towards one, the idea of sitting down somehow seeming very pleasant. Daubutim had told him that Gelwin was old, but this looked like he was as old as the world and had been sleeping for¡­ well, forever?


    "So," Gelwin said. "You are Irwin. I''m glad we can finally meet, young man. I am incredibly impressed with what you have managed to accomplish in the last few years."


    Irwin looked back at the pale eyes, not completely sure what to say. "Are you Gelwin? I thought you were on Fiverio?"


    Gelwin smiled. "I presume there is little harm anymore in explaining that little titbit. One of my soulcards has the ability to create a physical copy of myself that is linked to my soullake. It''s how I''m holding this-" he waved his hand around, "-world together. Had I not been here, it would have shattered over a hundred years ago."


    "So¡­ your mind can be two places at the same time?" Irwin asked.


    "Not exactly, but those details I''ll keep to myself," Gelwin said before turning to Daubutim. "My young friend, you seem different from the last time I saw you on Fiverio. Did you manage to locate a card to alleviate your condition?"


    "I have," Daubutim said. "Are you the same Gelwin I spoke with before?"


    Gelwin laughed softly as he waved his hands around in an uncertain gesture.


    Irwin could see the ancient sorcerer''s movements were slowly returning to something that he guessed was normal for someone of that age. Slow, but no longer accompanied by creaking bones and shivering stops.


    "Yes and no," Gelwin said, before sighing. "Let us say that I have the same memories, but that is where the similarities end. Still, you may think of me as the same if that makes things easier for you. Now, we have more important things to speak about than my old cards."


    Daubutim''s eye became a buzzing storm of red lightning, but Irwin was pretty sure that even his friend''s prodigious mind wasn''t going to figure out what Gelwin''s hints meant. He watched the sorcerer for a few moments before deciding he wasn''t interested in waiting and listening. Who knew how long they had been in the portal?


    "So¡­ now that we have the temporary portal up and a world, what do we do?" Irwin asked. "Are we going to bring everyone to this tower somehow?"


    Gelwin smiled. "Now, that would probably not be the most efficient way of saving everyone," he said. "No. After you tell me the details about the world you have found, I will explain our next steps. Daubutim, I think this would be best suited to your specific skill set. If you would be so kind?"


    Daubutim nodded. "We have located a rank six world two days and three hours from the sixth eastern branch from the furthest northern known area in the maps you provided."


    Irwin watched Gelwin, expecting some kind of surprised reaction, but the ancient sorcerer merely smiled and nodded. Daubutim then began explaining everything they had come across, including the ship that had followed them and the fact that Monique was there. When he finished, Gelwin was nodding slowly.


    "Not what I had anticipated," he said, tapping on the chair''s armrest.


    Irwin and Daubutim quietly waited as the ancient sorcerer seemed to ponder what he''d heard. Finally, he looked up, focusing on Daubutim.


    "I''ll make some inquiries into this Monique and her family, but for now, make sure that none of them have any reason or way to leave. If need be, just promise them an adjacent world, though make sure you explain that you are to be the final factor in which world this will be," he said before turning to Irwin.


    "Now, Irwin Roddington. Last I heard, you had a Ganvil, but I didn''t notice it anywhere. Has something happened?"


    "Ambraz is blocking the portal so nothing can come through," Irwin said. "We expected this to take a short while¡­?"


    "Initially, it will, though mostly due to young Daubutim''s fine memory," Gelwin said before turning to Daubutim. "Young friend, please go to that wall and find me the book Midway-points seventeen: Giard - Clour Peninsula."


    Initially? Irwin thought as he watched Daubutim get up and move to the indicated bookshelf.


    "Irwin, how far has your smithing progressed?"


    Irwin looked back to see Gelwin examine him curiously.


    "I''ve gotten my Emerald-rank plate," Irwin said.


    "So I have heard, but these rank plates don''t really paint the full picture, I''m afraid," Gelwin said. "What is the highest rank card that you can reforge at one hundred percent with certainty?"


    Irwin blinked, then nodded as he understood where Gelwin was going.


    "Probably Topaz," he said. "I can reforge emerald cards to ninety percent every time, and sideways reforge ruby."


    Though I wonder what percentage Daubutim''s actually became, he thought as he realized he''d forgotten to ask Ambraz.


    "Good, then by the ancient standards, you are a topaz-rank cardsmith," Gelwin said. "Which is very good with how little time and preparation you had. Taking these into account, even long ago, you would have been among the better students. Still, and excuse me if this isn''t necessary, but make sure you don''t get complacent. Any three-year student of card-reforging back then would have had more knowledge and likely more skill than you."


    "They had schools just for card-reforging in the Galadin empire?" Irwin asked, feeling his curiosity peaked. How fantastic would it have been to have no stress and just focus on card-reforging in a school with others?"


    "Of course," Gelwin said, his eyes sparkling. "There are still schools that teach card-reforging, even to this day. However, those are in main branches so far from us that it would take you years to reach them even with the fastest of the current day ships."


    "There are none in the smithing guild?" Irwin asked. He''d never expected to find a school that dealt with smithing, but now, knowing they existed but would likely always be out of reach, he felt slightly sad.


    "Those are the ones I was speaking about," Gelwin said. "Sadly, the Langost branch is a relatively new and distant branch seen by many as a backwater filled with upstarts. The best schooling you could get would be inside the Smith''s Guild chapter within the harbor city of Dimarintsia. It''s still a journey of months unless you have a teleporter capable of going there."


    Daubutim returned, handing a thick book to Gelwin, who accepted it and placed it on his lap. "Thank you."


    "How do you know all of this?" Daubutim asked.


    "If you live to be as old as I have, you pick up some things," Gelwin said with a wide smile. "In my case, I picked up a curious streak to want to know everything about anything. So, long ago, I created an extensive spy network. Sadly, over a millennia ago, my interest in seeing the same things occur but with different players waned, and I stopped looking after it. When the portals started appearing on Giard, I began revitalizing what had managed to survive without my constant oversight, regaining control from proxies I had left. Still, it is far from what it once was."


    How could anything even be left after a thousand years, Irwin thought, wondering if it was being run by people who were also thousands of years old?


    "How come you are this old?" he asked. "Is it because you have soulcards?"


    "Ah, young friend, if only it were that easy," Gelwin said with a soft laugh. "No, because if having soulcards would be enough, there would be far more ancient beings wandering the Portal Gallery than there currently are."


    "You create new, younger bodies with your soulcard?" Daubutim asked, leaning forward with a single eye crackling with lightning.


    Gelwin''s eyebrows rose, causing his creased face to flatten slightly, while massive valleys appeared on his forehead. "Your new card serves you well, Daubutim. You are closer than many with that educated guess. Now, let us see where I put those midway-points. It has been so long ago that I don''t recall."


    Irwin watched as Gelwin flipped open the book and began leafing through the yellowish, thick pages. It took him a surprisingly short time to flip through some of the pages before he found what he searched.


    "There we go, the closest waypoints to Degonda, Esterdon, and Malorin. By my current knowledge, over eighty percent of the remaining population is in either of those first two cities."


    "Malorin?" Irwin exclaimed at hearing the name. He leaned forward, barely believing what he heard. "Is it still there? It shouldn''t have had anywhere near the amount of defense to, to-"


    Irwin stopped, talking, unable to articulate through his shock. He had long since repressed any deep thoughts about Malorin and his family, but now that he was back on Giard, everything came flooding back. Memories long buried about when he''d found Megah, the little girl that he knew from the Rat District, who had said there was a surge and Malorin had been under attack. Portals opening in the Gloomforest and¡­


    They stayed behind, Irwin thought, his fingers unconsciously tightening around the armrests. Could they have survived?


    "I have no idea, young friend," Gelwin said softly and with deep sadness. "All I know is that every small town between the larger cities has been wiped away. Still, there is a tiny possibility that Malorin, being far from the regular populated areas and with the Gloomforest nearby, might have somehow survived."


    Irwin knew it was far from likely, especially with what he now recalled. He felt his emotions roil, and he knew he had to contain them- somehow. Scrambling for something, anything, a soft, deep humm suddenly came from his side. Irwin blinked as Daubutum hummed the soothing sound of the Whale song, and very slowly, he felt his grip on himself return. Taking a deep breath, then another, he closed his eyes and joined in with Daubutim.


    At some point, he didn''t know when a raspy old voice began singing a song in a language he couldn''t understand. Finally, as he regained his calm and clarity, Irwin opened his eyes to see Gelwin, eyes vacant, singing as they hummed. Although he couldn''t understand the words, Irwin could feel the sadness in the song, and although he felt better, he continued humming.


    Finally, after what had to have been nearly ten minutes, Gelwin''s voice softened, and he ended with a one-line sentence. Then his eyes sharpened, and he looked at Irwin and Daubutim.


    "I see you have met the Neamhnathair, the Chaos Whales they call them now," he said. "Long ago, it was said that those that met them would be the better for it. Let''s hope that this is a sign that things will look up for what remains of our people."


    Irwin nodded. He felt a tiny bit of the worry that had almost overrun him deep inside, but now it was manageable. Still, he wanted to act.


    "What do we do now?" he asked. "You said we will be able to return in a bit, so what can we do?"


    "Now, young Daubutim will need to read and memorize these ten pages," Gelwin said as he took the open book and put it on the table before gently pushing it toward Daubutim. "Start there, and memorize the next ten pages. You will find it to be far more difficult than anything you have learned before."


    Irwin frowned, looking at the book. What could possibly be difficult for his friend to learn?


    Daubutim''s creased brow showed he thought the same, but as he took the book and began reading, Irwin saw his eye instantly flare up with a mass of lightning. It almost seemed ready to burst out. After a few moments, Daubutim looked up.


    "Why does it feel like something is resisting me?" he asked.


    "Because those runes are meant to be read by those with soulskills," Gelwin said. "Others can learn them, but normally, it would take months for each page. If you can''t learn them within a day, you can remain here to learn them, and Irwin can head back to arrange for the rest, but it would be best if you learn them sooner."


    Daubutim nodded as he focused back on the book, his jaw set.


    "Why would it be better?" Irwin asked softly.


    "Because each day, thousands of people die," Gelwin said with a deep sadness. "And those runes are needed to change the other end of the portal to connect to the midway-points I''ve created. The sooner you can head back and connect it to the first one, the sooner you can start bringing over people."


    Irwin grimaced as he looked at Daubutim. Veins were throbbing on his forehead, and he wished he could help.


    You can do it, he thought.

 Chapter 189: The secret room

    "Done."


    Irwin blinked as the single word ripped him awake from the daydreaming semi-sleep he''d drifted off in. Daubutim sat at the table, head in his hands, elbows on the table, and the book shoved to the side.


    "Are you alright?" Irwin asked.


    "Fine," Daubutim muttered. As he looked up, face pale and drawn, Irwin saw that his eye was a dull amber with no red bolt of lightning remaining. It almost looked like when he''d have one of his episodes.


    Irwin rose and walked over worriedly.


    "Don''t worry about young Daubutim," Gelwin said, causing Irwin to hesitate and look at the ancient sorcerer. "He has done something that proves he can become one of the future carriers of history. This, however, is never easy, and he will need some rest. Now, there are two paths you may take, and neither of them is easy."


    Irwin looked at Daubutim, who forced a smile at him.


    "Okay, and what are those?" Irwin asked.


    "You can head back right away, and young Daubutim can use the runes to change the endpoint of the portal to point toward one of the three locations he has learned."


    I thought that was what we were going to do? Irwin thought, slightly confused.


    "The other option is to exit this tower and contact the remaining sorcerers," Gelwin said.


    "What? Why would we do that?" Irwin asked, shaking his head in disbelief.


    "Because they are some of the most powerful carded that haven''t joined either Indoutor or Lord Bron," Gelwin said. "Which means that if you don''t wish to have either of those two try and wrest control over the new world, you might want to have them with you."


    Wrest control? Irwin thought. He could see Indoutor doing that, but Lord Bron? He tried to understand the implications of what he''d just heard. A look at Daubutim showed his friend was frowning, a single tiny lightning moving across his eye before vanishing.


    "We need more information. Can you tell us more about the situation in Caldangen and Degonda?" Daubutim asked calmly.


    "Your cousin, Indoutor, took control of Indoutor Tower and the other towers that managed to survive during the time you were absent. With the help of the cards he brought from Fiverio, he strengthened his soldiers and increased the size of Indoutor tower to that of a small city," Gelwin said.


    "He didn''t return to Caldangen?" Daubutim asked.


    "No. There are some unsubstantiated rumors that Caldangen remains able to resist itself, but you will have to find out for yourself how much of those are true," Gelwin said. "After you have moved people to the new world, you can return here and learn the waypoints that lead there if you wish to check."


    "What about Degonda?" Irwin asked. "I''m happy to hear they managed to survive, but how did they even do that? There were so many portals popping up before we left."


    Gelwin looked at him with gleaming eyes. "It is you that granted them the ability to do so. Don''t you recall?"


    "What?" Irwin muttered, confused when Gelwin said nothing but smiled knowingly.


    What did I do that could have let them survive? Irwin thought as he recalled his time in what had been a merchant outpost. All he did was help with some missions, reforge some cards, and-


    "Trimdir and the others?" he asked, sitting upright. "They are reforging cards?"


    "Correct, my young friend," Gelwin said with a smile. "From what I have learned, it seems that at least one of them has gained the ability to reforge topaz cards, giving me great hope for the future of the Galadins people. Because of the influx of comparatively powerful cards, Lord Bron managed to keep Degonda free. Details beyond that are scarce, but all of the people in the towns and villages in that area managed to survive by joining Degonda."


    Irwin felt a wave of pride as he imagined the other smiths had learned to reforge cards so high without the help of Ambraz or anything else.


    "What would you suggest we do?" Daubutim asked, causing Irwin to perk up with interest.


    Gelwin folded his hands together on his lap. "I would either speak with the sorcerers or head to Degonda."


    "Degonda," Irwin said immediately. "If that doesn''t work, we can talk with the sorcerers, but I''m sure lord Bron will listen. He used to listen to Trimdir!"


    Daubutim was quiet for a bit, then sighed. "I need rest to think properly," he said as he rubbed his head again. "But I don''t see a problem with that."


    "Then I would suggest you go back and prepare," Gelwin said.


    Irwin was about to stand up when he thought of something else.


    "Can''t you talk with the sorcerers? I''m sure they would listen to you," he asked.


    "I presume they would," Gelwin said. "However, I need to remain in this room, and I will not allow them in here. There is a chance they would try to harm me, and that is not a risk we can take."


    Irwin nodded as he rose and looked around. "Is there anything else you can do or tell us?"


    "My advice would be to bring those you trust to the new world, give it a name, designate a spot for the first town to be built, and continue from there. As much as you will feel pressured to bring everyone over in one big wave, this will only cause more trouble later," Gelwin said. "Beyond that, I''ll not be there to supervise it, so you will have to do what you can."


    Irwin looked around the room, somewhat sad that there were no windows to look at the world around it.


    "Alright, I''ll go first. Give me a few moments to go through first so I can take care of anything on the other end," he said, walking to the hovering portal.


    Before stepping back in, he took a final look at Gelwin. Somehow, he had expected something else, and he didn''t understand why Gelwin hadn''t just taught Daubutim the waypoint locations before. The only thing he could come up with was that he hadn''t had them on Fiverio, though he still wasn''t completely sure how the sorcerer''s card worked.


    "See you soon," he said. As he turned and stepped into the portal, his last thought was that he''d been talking with Gelwin, the man from legend, and it had felt entirely normal.


    --


    "Daubutim, one moment if you would."


    Daubutim stopped a foot from the portal, turning around and looking at the ancient sorcerer. His assumption was that it was the same one he''d spoken to before, at least in mind.


    "When you bring the first people over, there will be a moment where everyone who thinks they should be in control will try to gain it. At this point, you have a difficult decision to make. Irwin seems like the type of person who will continue exploring the Portal Gallery, and as much as I am impressed by his skill as a cardsmith, his ability to lead a world is lacking. You, however, have everything you need to succeed, combined with a clinical mind and a good heart," Gelwin said, his voice cracking softly from all the talking. "This can not be said by many of those who will attempt to gain control."


    Daubutim had turned fully toward him, wishing that his card''s energy would recover faster. Although he was able to stop himself from regressing, he had no energy to think as fast as he wanted to.


    "Right now, you are powerful compared to those on Giard, more so if you can manage to get the final card to complement your others and become heartcarded. You will be able to become the leader and enforce this by this power disparity. However, this will not last forever. If you don''t move when the opportunity arises, it may not come again."


    You are right in one thing. I need my final card and the energy of a heartcard, Daubutim thought.


    "I am not sure what I''ll do," he finally said. "But I will not let someone, not even my cousin, grab control and potentially ruin the effort we have made."


    "Good," Gelwin said with a wrinkly smile. "Now, you had better head back."


    Daubutim waved in parting, then turned and stepped into the portal, vanishing from the dusty old room.


    "And so it begins," Gelwin whispered, looking at the portal that would remain here until Daubutim redirected it to one of the midway anchor points.


    I can give you one month, he thought. All I hope is that you can bring many of our people to that world.


    He struggled to rise and then walked towards one of the many bookshelves. With a shaky hand, he pulled on one of the books, causing a dry click behind the wall. The bookshelf shakily moved to the side, causing a brilliant purple light to pour out of a short corridor that led into another room.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    After that, plan B will be ready, and I''ll have no other option but to go forward with it, he thought as he walked into the room, his dusty, robed body bathed in the purple light.


    --


    "So, what do we do first?" Irwin asked.


    He and Daubutim were standing before the portal, back in the forest. There had been nothing around when he had appeared.


    "I will return to the ship and talk with Greldo and explain to the others that we need to finish a part of our mission before we can let anyone else in the world," Daubutim said. He grimaced and rubbed his head again.


    "You need to rest," Irwin said. "Although we need to hurry, there is no use if you are so drained that you revert to one of your episodes."


    "You are right. Resting is safer on the ship, so I''ll do it there. However, leaving this side of the portal unguarded is not smart. You should remain here, perhaps clean at the river, and keep an eye on the portal."


    "I''ll make sure nothing happens," Irwin said. "After that, you are coming back here with Greldo so we can head to Giard?"


    "Yes. I''d prefer if one of us remains here and one on the ship, but going to Giard might be dangerous even with your and Greldo''s heartcards."


    Irwin agreed, but he did know that would leave one problem. "How are we going to make sure nobody comes inside here? I''d prefer not to have to leave Ambraz in front of the portal."


    Daubutim frowned, and Irwin saw him struggle before responding.


    "I''ll discuss with Rindiri and Xi''kroak that neither of the ships is to remain near the portal for three days because of what we are doing. They are not to allow anyone through. That will hopefully give us enough time to get the first group here," he said. "As soon as we have trustworthy people starting to build a town, it will give us the time to go around and gather the rest while Zender and some of the others can be here and play messengers."


    "We should get the rangers here first," Irwin said as he looked around. "They can start scouting, guard against those creatures that roam around, and hunt for food."


    Daubutim nodded as he looked around, and Irwin saw his face go slack before he grunted in annoyance.


    "What?" Irwin asked, scanning around but seeing nothing.


    "I just realized we now have two portals to guard, and we can''t do both at the same time," he grunted.


    "Ambraz can guard the portal for a while while I stay here," Irwin said.


    "I know, and that will work for now, but what do we do when we go to Giard?" Daubutim asked.


    Irwin tried to come up with something until he saw Daubutim zone out as he stared at the ground.


    "Just head back for now," he said hurriedly. "Perhaps you will come up with something after you had some rest. If not, one of us will just have to stay behind. There''s no way around it."


    Daubutim nodded dully and turned away. "I''ll be back as soon as I can," he said before he began running forward. His movements were fast but nowhere near as fast as they had been before.


    His card must be completely drained, Irwin thought.


    He followed Daubtim''s heat signature until it vanished between the trees. After standing there and looking around for a while, he began walking around the portal in expanding circles, inspecting the trees, plants, and even a few mushrooms. Eventually, he grew tired of that and began pacing before the portal, reading through his book with Galadin sheet music.


    As the sun continued up, then down the sky, he just wandered around aimlessly. By now, he''d thought about their problem from a dozen angles, and the only thing he could come up with was that Greldo remained behind. He was the only one who could cover both of the portals, having Coal at one and him at the other and the ability to shadowport between them if needed.


    I hope Daubutim didn''t fall into a long slumber, he thought as he picked up a small rock and tossed it into the forest.


    It was growing dark, and he knew that if Daubutim slept for a mere three hours, it would be the middle of the night before he returned.


    "Bored yet?"


    Irwin jumped back, hammer in his hand and his flame rippling across his body.


    Greldo stood in the shadows of a tree, grinning.


    "Seriously," Irwin snapped. "You could have warned me you were coming!"


    "True," Greldo said. "But that wouldn''t have been half as much fun as this."


    Irwin snorted as he pondered for a moment if he should hurl his hammer at Greldo. Deciding it wouldn''t matter if he did as his friend would just dodge it, he unsummoned it and glared at him.


    "How is Daubutim?"


    "Better. I don''t know what you did, but when he returned, he looked horrible! I do like the new color of his eye, though; it doesn''t constantly remind me of ice!"


    "Did he tell you what happened?"


    Greldo shrugged as he walked forward. "Only a bit, but enough for me to realize we aren''t going back together."


    Irwin nodded. "I think you are going to have to remain here, at least for the first bit. After we get Lord Bron and others we trust here, things will be easier."


    "Definitely. There''s one massive problem, though!"


    Irwin frowned as he looked at his friend. "What?"


    "Do you think anyone is even going to recognize you?" Greldo said with a smirk. "Between your coppery skin, that beard, and the fact that you are over two heads taller than the last time they saw you¡­"


    "I''ll just tell them about the things we did before, which I know," Irwin said.


    "Let''s hope that works," Greldo said with a grin.


    They continued bantering deep into the night, and at some point, their discussion went to Malorin and whether it would still be there. Although Greldo cared little, he still wanted to go and see, and Irwin was incredibly grateful for it. The idea of having to go there and find the city destroyed, with nothing but the dead around, made him slightly afraid.


    Finally, when the first glimmer of dawn was already coming, Greldo stopped midsentence, cocking his head.


    "Coal just told me that Daubutim is here," he said. "He is coming over and bringing Ambraz."


    Irwin nodded, and they quietly waited until Irwin saw a tiny heat signature appear and disappear between the trees in the distance.


    "Here he comes," he said.


    "Wasn''t sure if that was a shadow or not," Greldo muttered as he looked around.


    After a short while, a blur with tiny bolts of crackling lightning rushed towards them.


    Daubutim stopped before them, and Irwin felt slightly jealous at how little difficulty he had to slow down from fast to stop. Then he saw Ambraz on Daubutim''s shoulder and grinned.


    "Glad you''re back," he said before turning to Daubutim. "Do you feel better?"


    "My card was just drained," Daubutim said. "I''ll have to make sure to prevent overusing it this much in the future."


    "Sure, sure! Good to see you," Ambraz snorted as the tiny anvil flew from Daubutim''s shoulder, landing on Irwin''s. "And you don''t have to thank us for blocking the portal for nearly an entire day and night. You''re welcome."


    Irwin grinned. "You did great," he said.


    "Damn right I did. Now, are we heading back to that backwater world or what?"


    "Almost," Irwin said, turning to Daubutim. "I take it you came to the same conclusion as us?" he asked, making a head gesture at Greldo.


    "Greldo and Coal need to stay here to guard the portals," Daubutim said.


    "Which shows that being strong and smart won''t help if you need to be in two places at the same time," Greldo said. "Alright, I''ll remain here and leave Coal at the exit portal. So, you can just send someone through, and I''ll handle it on this end."


    Irwin nodded as he removed the stack of cards from his pocket and removed a few from the top. He handed them to Greldo, who raised an eyebrow. "You do know I don''t need payment, right?"


    "These are topaz-ranked crafters cards," Irwin said. "The images should show which does which, but most deal with stone and woodworking. The others are more generic, but hand them out to those who have some skill in that area already."


    Greldo whistled. "You''d almost think you''d planned all this beforehand!"


    Irwin grinned, and then there was a moment of quiet between the three. Daubutim broke it as he walked towards the portal.


    "I''ll attune the portal to the waygate nearest to Degonda," he said. "It''s in a hidden room below one of the hills near Grinning Man''s hilltop."


    "I wonder if any demons found it," Irwin said.


    "If they have, I''m sure you can clear them out easily enough," Greldo said. "It would be more fun if you came there, and there''s a portal in the same room!"


    "I wouldn''t call that fun," Irwin muttered. "I''d probably not even be able to close it."


    They quietly watched Daubutim begin to clear out the ground around the portal. As soon as he finished, he began using his two-handed sword to draw complex glyphs in the soil around it.


    "What do those do?" Greldo whispered.


    "Those things are so the one that is going to attune the portal has something to focus on," Ambraz said, sounding highly interested. "It''s Galadin script. By the way, did that old beardy face say anything about me?"


    "He asked where you were when I arrived," Irwin said.


    "Good! ¡­ Wait, that''s it?"


    "Pretty much," Irwin said as he saw Daubutim had finished and was now standing before the portal with his hands forward. There was a flash of light, and then his cards appeared above his hands, and he began walking around the portal, tracing the runes he''d drawn before. Irwin was surprised to see that they began glowing, seeming to draw in the energy from Daubutim''s card. At the same time, a soft vibration came from the runes that were lit up, and as Daubutim continued around the portal, eventually, they were softly humming in a very specific melody.


    It''s just like smithing, Irwin thought as he inspected the glyphs.


    A few moments later, Daubutim finished with the final Glyph, and as soon as it lit up, the portal gave off a single bright flash. Then, it seemed to shimmer while the light of the runes around it faded as they returned to nothing but lines drawn in the ground.


    "That should be it," Daubutim said as he turned to the others.


    "Well, you two better get going," Greldo said as he waved at them. "The sooner you leave, the quicker you are back."


    Irwin saw a tiny bit of worry in Greldo''s eyes, and he forced a laugh. "Don''t worry about us. You just make sure you aren''t skewered by more of those boar things."


    "Pah, I''ll be fine," Greldo said with a wide grin.


    Irwin nodded before turning to Daubutim. "Alright, let me go first. Wait a minute so I can clear the entrance if needed."


    Daubutim calmly nodded.


    Irwin walked towards the portal, noting no differences from how it had been before.


    "Ready?" he asked as he looked at Ambraz.


    "What kind of question is that? I was born ready!"


    You were born? Irwin thought, wondering how that worked. Then he grinned and jumped into the portal.


    The familiar jarring flash came, and then he was inside another purple corridor.


    "So! How about you tell me what I missed?" Ambraz said. "Do you have any idea how bored I was?"


    Irwin thought about the first part of his own wait.


    "I can guess," he said before telling about their meeting with Gelwin.


    "Something seems fishy," Ambraz snapped angrily when he was done.


    "What do you mean?" Irwin asked.


    "Come on! That beardy face is tens of thousands of years old or worse, and he''s had hundreds of years to prepare, and this is the best he can come up with? Send a bunch of kids to bring everyone here?"


    Irwin frowned. "He said he couldn''t leave the tower¡­"


    "So what," Ambraz said. "He''s also on Fiverio, right? He could have sent people from there to contact people on Giard to prepare for all of this."


    Irwin stared dumbly into the distance, realizing Ambraz had a point.


    "But why didn''t Daubutim say anything?" he finally asked.


    "Come on, kid! Daubutim has the best memory of anyone I''ve ever met, and he is pretty smart, especially now that he can use his full mind. However, how much experience does he really have with these types of things? Less than you, I''d say! No, I think that beardy face is up to something."


    As they continued hurtling through the tunnel, Irwin thought about what Ambraz said, going over their meeting with Gelwin. He didn''t feel like anything was really off, but he also couldn''t deny that what Ambraz said made a lot of sense.


    "Great," he finally muttered. "So now, what do we do?"


    "What do you mean?" Ambraz snorted. "Get your people out of there. Just be on your guard. I''m not sure if Beardy Face is hiding something bad or not."


    They continued hurtling forward until, after a long time, the end came in sight. Hammer in hand, Irwin prepared for what could happen as he slammed into the end of the portal.


    He stumbled out of the portal into a dusty, rocky cave. The air was stale, but a quick look around showed nothing but a single stony tunnel leading away.


    As he walked forward, examining everything, he felt a soft vibration in the ground. A moment later, there was another, and a distant rumbling came.


    "Seems like you came just at the right time, kid! There''s fighting up there," Ambraz whispered.


    Great, Irwin thought as he waited for Daubutim.

 Chapter 190: Scorched by the waves

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    Daubutim followed a few minutes later, and Irwin was surprised at the light his eye provided in the previously dark room. He''d been seeing everything in the usual red and yellow dark vision he had, but as soon as Daubutim came, a pale red light flooded the room, causing shadows and darker patches.


    Daubum''s face warped to one of disgust as he sniffed.


    "The air is bad," he whispered before Irwin could react. "We need to get out of here."


    It''s not that bad, is it? Irwin thought.


    Daubutim coughed, then looked around, the light of his eye causing the area he looked at to light up. Hearing the roughness of Daubutim''s breathing, Irwin walked towards the tunnel.


    "Kid, you aren''t going to be able to do any stealthy things until you can find a way to fix that," Ambraz whispered as they passed Daubutim.


    The tunnel was tall enough that Irwin could barely touch the ceiling and filled with old, drapey cobwebs. There was a manmade wall at the end with a door comprising of a massive stone slab with rings at the waist height.


    As he reached it, Irwin felt another shiver run through his feet. Either there¡¯s another big thing chained to a wall, or there¡¯s a battle going on out there, he thought as he felt his worry grow. What if they were too late and Degonda had been overrun?


    "Open the door," Daubutim whispered from behind him, coughing again. "There''s-" he coughed, unable to continue, and Irwin heard him stumble.


    Looking back, he saw Daubutim leaning against the wall, blinking and breathing raggedly.


    "Hold on," he said, turning and grabbing both rings, the rusty metal grinding against his palms.


    He pulled, and it felt as if he was pulling on something immobile. A sudden fear that they were locked up and would have to run back to the portal made his adrenaline spike, and Irwin yanked on the rings with all his strength. There was a slight give this time, and he put his foot against the side wall, yanking again.


    With a complaining groan, the slab slid back across the dusty ground, dim light pouring through the sides while fresh, cold air poured in. The distant clatter of weaponry, muted screams of anger and pain, and a series of dull explosions echoed through the hills, impossible to pinpoint. As it wasn''t anywhere close, Irwin knew that it could wait. He grabbed the edge of the four-foot-thick slab, then pulled it to the side, creating an opening large enough for them to crawl through into the area beyond.


    Irwin hurriedly stepped aside to let Daubutim scramble forward and through, drawing deep breaths. Irwin followed him into the spacious area beyond, looking around for anything dangerous. They were in a wide semi-cave, with the furthest wall almost completely open, showing a rugged, sunbathed hillside with distant cliffs and outcrops.


    How come nobody ever came here, Irwin thought as he looked around.


    He''d expected it to be incredibly well hidden, but the entire side of this place was open. Then he looked back at the entrance they had come from and realized part of why. The back of the slab looked exactly like the rest of the dusty, bumpy stonewall, showing someone had gone to great lengths to hide it from view. Any cursory inspection would likely have revealed nothing, let alone in the darkness of some cave in the middle of these hills.


    ¡°Let''s go and see what''s going on out there,¡± he said, about to walk towards the wide-open side.


    "Wait. First, we need to open that wider so the air can clear up," Daubutim whispered. "If we need to bring people there without cards or with only one, they might not survive."


    Knowing his friend was right, Irwin moved to the slab and shoved it further inside until it sat against the sidewall. He could smell the stale air leaking out, and he wondered how long it would take for it to clear up.


    "Alright, now let''s go," he said as he helped Daubutim back to his feet.


    They walked through the cave towards the wide open side, and the view of the hills became clear. They were on the side of one of the higher hills, and the rest sprawled out before them.


    "There''s a ridge over there," Daubutim said, pointing towards the side and still drawing in deep breaths.


    Irwin saw the ridge below and to the side of where they stood, wide enough to walk on but covered in pebbles and rock that meant they would have to be careful not to fall off. He was about to lower himself down when a soft flash of blue light was followed by a caw as Twyl appeared on Daubutim''s shoulder.


    "Twyl will scout ahead," Daubutim said calmly as the raven flew from his shoulder and into the air beyond. Two flaps later, it disappeared up and out of sight.


    "We are roughly a mile from the edge of the hills," Daubutim said. "This path leads to a wider one that leads to a hillside that we can follow around to the narrow ravine."


    He was quiet for a few more moments before nodding. "Let''s go. We need to head to Degonda. Whatever is happening is in that direction. Twyl is going there now."


    Irwin shivered as he heard those words, remembering all the time he''d spent in the walled merchant town.


    I wonder if everyone is still there and alive, he thought as he recalled Hutch, Basil, Lord Bron, and all of the lordlings he''d met back there.


    There was one face that stood out above the others, however. Trimdir, the smith that had helped on his path, gave him a place to sleep when he couldn''t brave the cold, food when he was hungry, and did his best to help him when he had to go and help close portals.


    He followed Daubutim to the ledge, and they both lowered themselves on the path before setting out.


    "Can you see where and what the battle is about?" Irwin asked as the cool breeze blew around his exposed skin.


    ¡°Tywl is almost there,¡± Daubutim said.


    They continued for a few more moments before he hissed. ¡°It''s just beyond that ravine we went through before. They are fighting on some slope between the ravine and the forest that separates the hills from Degonda, and we need to hurry," Daubutim said as he increased his pace.


    "Why?" Irwin asked.


    "The battle is between forty-seven human guards and Frozir on one side and at least a hundred Nyzir on the other," Daubutim said as he increased his pace." And the Nyzir are getting the upper hand."


    "By the Flames of Aghos," Irwin hissed as he followed his friend.


    Still, it''s a good thing that they are still working together with the Frozir, he thought.


    After a while, they reached the larger ledge, which allowed them to increase their speed to a jog. Even then, when they finally closed in on the slope leading around the final hill, the sounds of battle had become louder and more desperate.


    It''s insane how much the sound rebounds around these hills, Irwin thought, still unable to pinpoint the direction.


    "We need to hurry," Daubutim said. "There''s too many Nyzir coming from that ravine, and with all those openings in the side, there has to be a portal there somewhere."


    "That has to be why the guards came here," Irwin said.


    He continued on, wanting to increase his speed but knowing that he would risk sliding off the ledge if he did. When they finally reached the slope, he didn''t have to say anything as Daubutim rushed forward. Blasting forward, using the kinetic energy he had saved up, Irwin eventually caught up.


    "The Nyzir are pushing them back, but they seem unwilling to leave the ravine and step into the light!" Daubutim shouted.


    Fantastic, Irwin thought. "Can we move around the canyon?" he shouted back.


    "No. It would take half a day!"


    Great, Irwin thought as he unconsciously increased his speed more.


    After a while, the fighting sounds and explosions began weakening. When they finally circled around the hill, they got a clear view of the rugged, jagged landscape on the other side that led towards the deep cavern that would lead to the forest to Degonda. Many dozens of red outlines moved around in the cavern, but they couldn''t see beyond it. There were no more sounds of fighting, showing that whatever had happened had stopped, at least for now.


    Daubutim slowed down, and Irwin followed suit. There was no reason to rush anymore.


    "Can you make out the Nyzir?" Daubutim asked.


    "Yes, there''s dozens of them on this side," Irwin said. "But none show any sign of moving into the sun."


    "Very good. That means they are the same as the ones I''ve fought before," Daubutim said. "When I fought them first, Nyzir were dangerous, highly agile, and nasty things to fight, with their prime weakness their inability to move into the full light. I presume with our new cards, they will be easier to deal with, but a hundred isn''t going to be easy. They usually inhabit worlds of perpetual darkness or hide in caverns. This is likely already far too bright for them."


    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    They don''t like light? Irwin thought. He''d heard that before, but that begged a question.


    "Are you absolutely sure they don''t like light? Because the Nyzir back in the Portal Gallery didn''t seem to care," he asked.


    "Hah, don''t compare those two," Ambraz snorted from inside his pocket. "The ones you saw on the Portal Gallery were stronger than those pitiful examples you fought in those low-rank shardworlds connected to Giard. Those you found on the Portal Gallery wouldn''t have that weakness to light, though I presume they wouldn''t have liked it if you hung them in front of a big light. Those here? Well¡­.¡±


    Ambraz hummed loudly before bursting out laughing.


    "The strongest one down there is weaker than the weakest one that you fought back on the Portal Gallery."


    Irwin blinked.


    A big light, huh? he thought as he looked over at Daubutim.


    His friend looked back with a calm, knowing smile, showing that the hint hadn''t passed him.


    "Take the lead," Daubutim said. "I''ll take care of anything that remains at a distance."


    "Keep a little bit of distance," Irwin said as he focused on the canyon ahead and began jogging, then running again. He hesitated if he should go as fast as he could, then decided to lull them into a fake sense of superiority and dash in at the last moment.


    They were halfway there when he saw the heat signals begin moving differently, and a dozen of them gathered near the entrance.


    "They have spotted us," he said, not bothering to keep his voice down.


    By now, he had gathered a massive amount of kinetic energy, while at the same time, he saw the shapes of the Nyzir, dark and moving with an oily fluidity. After a moment of hesitation, he summoned his hammer, more for show and to make them believe that he really was just going to try and force his way through.


    More heat signatures began appearing, some climbing up the cavern''s walls while others disappearing behind boulders.


    Sure, bring your friends, Irwin thought as he began fanning the flames of his fire.


    It burned as hot as a forge fire within moments, showing no sense of plateauing out.


    As he reached the flat area below the hill that led to the ravine entrance, two dozen or more figures were hiding in the shadowy areas of the entrance, probably in the assumption they were invisible to him.


    Irwin''s flame started overflowing ten feet from the entrance, and he could almost feel it reach out to wrap around him.


    That''s plenty, he thought, letting the excess heat increase his kinetic energy built up.


    "Now," he snapped.


    He jumped forward, using all of the built-up kinetic energy to shoot forward like a ballista bolt, letting the flame burst out of him like a rippling ocean of fire. The cavern entrance and the part of the hill that wasn''t blocked behind it lit up as if the sun had risen.


    As Irwin landed on the ground, part of him was surprised by the size of the fire that flowed from him, roaring against the walls of the more than thirty-foot-wide cavern before rolling up like waves.


    Everywhere, Nyzir were exposed in their many hiding places, and piercing screeches of pain came from all of them as they raised their hands to their eyes just as the roiling fire rippled around them. A few that were further out turned and dashed away, only for the much faster fire to overtake them, their screams silenced within moments.


    Irwin kept looking around, half expecting at least a few hidden ones to resist the fire and attack him, but as he continued running forward, nothing happened. Halfway through, he slowed to a walk as he noticed the caverns and holes that dotted the wall.


    He only faintly remembered the path he was taking from when he had gone to Hangman''s Hilltop, what seemed like ages ago.


    "You might wanna let off on the flame," Ambraz shouted from inside his pocket.


    Irwin nodded, deciding he was right, lowering his flame''s intensity until it was no more than a small blanket around his body. He didn''t see anything moving up or ahead, and as he turned around, he was just in time to see Daubutim dash inside a crevice, slashing his blue sword forward at blinding speed. There was a startled scream, and as Daubutim stepped back, a Nyzir toppled forward, missing one arm and nearly slashed apart.


    Irwin watched Daubutim decapitate the body before turning towards him, his eye a mass of writing red lightning.


    "That was more fire than I had expected," Daubutim said as he walked forward.


    "It''s the first time I really used this much since getting my¡­ improvement," Irwin said, tapping his chest with his fist. "Ambraz, do you sense any more?"


    "Lots, and they are in the process of fleeing into a portal," Ambraz said, his shout muffled.


    "Clear them out?" Irwin asked, looking at Daubutim.


    Daubutim nodded. "It is unwise to leave enemies behind your position, even if they are weak."


    "Ambraz, can you show us where?" Irwin asked as he looked at the dozens of entrances in both towering sides of the ravine.


    Ambraz struggled out of his pocket, and a moment later, they were following towards one of the entrances. He was about to fly in when he stopped.


    "What''s wrong?" Irwin asked as he summoned his hammer and walked forward, searching for any heat signatures inside.


    "They are all gone," Ambraz said as he flew back and landed on his shoulder. "And from what I can sense, that''s just an amethyst rank portal, so there''s no way for you to close it."


    "All of them?" Irwin asked as he looked around the many crevices and openings in the walls.


    "What do I look like, a crystal ball? All that fled inside there, yes!" Ambraz snorted, annoyed. "Who knows, some might have gone towards the other end of the ravine."


    "Twyl sees a small fight on the edge of the woods," Daubutim said as he walked forward.


    Irwin released the last of his flame, and as he did, he felt a tiny bit of weariness. A quick look showed that his little stunt had cost him a fourth of his energy.


    Good, that means I can do that three more times, Irwin thought as he followed toward the other end of the ravine.


    Ambraz didn''t detect any more Nyzir, and he returned to Irwin''s pocket as they climbed up.


    When they reached the end and got a clear view of the slope that led up towards the distant forest, the battle had finished. Dozens of bodies lay strewn across, both human, Frozir and Nyzir.


    "They retreated into the forest except for one person," Daubutim said.


    "Then let''s see who it is," Irwin said.


    "Likely a ranger or guard from Degonda," Daubutim said.


    Irwin nodded, and as they walked up the slope, he noticed a figure waiting near the trees. As he closed in, it became obvious that it was a female ranger wearing dark leather armor and holding a short, curved sword. She was looking calmly at them as they approached, but from how she was standing, it was obvious she was ready to dash into the forest to flee. Her attention seemed mostly on him, which he guessed made sense. He was a head taller than Daubutim, wider, and looked like he was made of living copper.


    Why does she look so familiar? Irwin thought.


    "Sairadi, it is good to see you survived," Daubutim said calmly.


    "Ah!" Irwin snapped as he finally recalled where he knew the woman from.


    Her hair was longer than it had been, and her face narrower as if she hadn''t had enough food in a long time, but it was unmistakably the female ranger that had been with Hutch''s group. Thinking of Hutch reminded him that the last time he''d heard about the bare-armed ranger had been when he had only been on Fiverio for a short while. He''d been with the group that came with Indoutor.


    I wonder if he made it back with Indoutor, Irwin thought.


    Sairadi stared at Daubutim and then looked at him. Slowly, her eyes widened, and Irwin saw recognition dawn in her eyes.


    "Orwin?" she asked as she lowered her sword.


    Right, Irwin thought with a sigh. Best fix that right away.


    "Yes, though I''d prefer you call me Irwin," he said. "I''m glad to see you are still around, and-"


    "When did you come back from Fiverio?" Sairadi shouted as she stepped forward. "Did Indoutor send you?"


    Irwin was surprised by the barely contained anger in her eyes, and he quickly raised his hands.


    "Calm down, I wasn''t sent by Indoutor! I came here on my own to talk with Bron!"


    Sairadi took a step back, raising her sword a fraction.


    "No, wait- you could be tricking me," she muttered before looking at him intensely. "You look like Orwin but taller even than he was when he used that odd card, but¡­ you are with Indoubor''s cousin. Fine, tell me! What can Orwin do that nobody else could do here? What did he teach¡­ the others," she ended lamely.


    Irwin sighed, wondering if she''d always been this suspicious. He hesitated for a moment, sharing a look with Daubutim, who nodded.


    Well, I guess it makes little sense to keep this quiet now, he thought.


    "I taught them how to reforge cards."


    Sairadi let out an explosive sigh before she walked forward, her sword vanishing.


    "How did you manage to get here?" she asked, a curious look on her face.


    "I think it''s best I tell this to Bron first," Irwin said.


    "Yes, of course," Sairadi said as she nodded. "Come! I''m sure Hutch is going to burst a blood vessel when he sees you."


    "Hutch made it back?" Irwin asked, barely able to contain his surprise.


    Sairadi grinned. "Yeah, and he''s been insufferable with all those stories of another world with towering buildings, people with legendary cards everywhere, and¡­ well, you will see!"


    Irwin grinned as she turned and began walking towards the forest. "Let''s go! They are waiting at the ranger''s hideout for us."


    She was two steps before she suddenly spun on her heel, causing Irwin to stop with a start.


    "Wait! What about those Nyzir? Did you close the portal?"


    "No," Irwin said. "We can''t enter that one, so you are going to have¡­ to¡­"


    He stopped talking as Sairadi ran forward, her body becoming cloudy.


    "I''ll be right back!" she shouted before becoming completely incorporeal and rushing forward at speeds he was absolutely sure he couldn''t attain.


    Irwin scratched his chin, the stubbly beard poking into his fingers slightly.


    "She wasn''t this chaotic before and looked fairly malnourished," Daubutim said.


    Irwin nodded as he looked around, guessing they would just have to wait for a bit.


    "If she isn''t back in ten minutes, we should head to Degonda," Daubutiom continued.


    "Yes," Irwin said. "Do you think we should tell them not to close the portal? We will leave anyway, and some of the rangers might die."


    "No," Daubutim said. "We will need to move along here, and creating a safe path towards the exit will be paramount."


    "Yeah, you are right," Irwin said, looking into the forest. "Ambraz, can you tell me when someone is coming?"


    "If I can sense them, sure," Ambraz muttered from his pocket.


    "How does your skill work, exactly," Daubutim asked. "You seem able to detect both portals and beings, but not everything?"


    "Yes, yes, and no," Ambraz grunted. "What I detect is the chaotic energy from portals or from creatures with strong cards and soulskills. It also works if something or someone just came from a portal."


    Irwin grinned as he saw Daubutim''s eye flare with red lightning, indicating he probably had more questions.


    Luckily for Ambraz, he didn''t get the chance.


    "There''s something incoming," Ambraz muttered. "Multiple somethings."


    Irwin raised his hand, summoning a hammer, while he saw Daubutim''s massive two-handed sword appear.


    A few moments later, a group of people came running through the forest. Four Frozir warriors moved spread out among the humans, and Irwin saw no tension between them and the rangers.


    Irwin instantly recognized the hairy, muscular, and bare-armed person in the front.


    "Orwin! You''re alive!"


    Irwin grinned as Hutch stomped towards him, a wide grin on his narrow, unshaven face. More rangers and guards came over, but they only took a quick, curious look before they ran down the hill and toward the bodies. Two of the Frozir hovered nearby, scanning the surrounding forest.


    "Of course I am," Irwin said, clasping the other''s offered hand. "But please, call me Irwin!"


    Hutch looked at him and shrugged. "Orwin, Irwin, it''s all the same to me. You can tell me that story later, but for now, I need to close a portal. You wouldn''t happen to know the rank it had?"


    "Ame- uncommon," Irwin said, quickly correcting himself. "And I can show you where it is."


    "No need!" Hutch said with a wide grin. "You aren''t the only one with some new tricks! We can find it, especially after you cleared out all of the Nyzir¡­ at least, that''s what I''m assuming?"


    "They were gone before," Irwin said as he looked back. "But you might wanna be careful, just in case."


    "We are always careful," Hutch said. "Now, I''d love to stay and chat, but I have a strong feeling that you aren''t here for fun and games. I''ll send Sairadi with you to the city so you can enter without a hassle."


    "Thanks," Irwin said with a wide grin. "Make sure you don''t lose anyone in there, alright?"


    Hutch''s grin turned slightly ugly, but he nodded. "I''ll do my best."


    Irwin forced his grin to remain as he walked towards Sairadi.


    "If I recall, you have great stamina," she said as she motioned at Irwin before looking at Daubutim. "Can you run?"


    ¡°Yes,¡± Daubutim said.


    "Then let''s go. I want to be back here as soon as I can," she said, turning and running through the forest.


    Irwin and Daubutim hurried after her, and as they did, Irwin wondered how things would be at Degonda.


    I can''t wait to see Trimdir!

 Chapter 191: Planning a large-scale evacuation

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    Deep in the forest, Sairadi slowed down, her cloud form returning to her physical form. They were surrounded by dense undergrowth and trees with vines climbing up along their trunks, many winding around branches to connect the trees, causing barely any sunlight to filter through.


    To Irwin, everything looked ruddy, but he knew it would likely be dim and dark to the others. Still, Sairadi had continued ahead effortlessly, so perhaps she had some form of night vision?


    Irwin slowed down, looking around but seeing nothing and hearing only the canopy rustle above them and the sounds of distant birds and other creatures. A quick vibration in his pocket showed that Ambraz definitely noticed something, but he saw no heat signatures except their own.


    Sairadi looked back, putting a finger on her lips while her shortsword reappeared in her hand. Then she began walking sideways from where they had moved initially.


    So much for hoping for an uneventful trip through the dark and gloomy forest, Irwin thought.


    He shared a quick look with Daubutim, who had his sword out and Twyll on his shoulder.


    They followed Sairadi as she headed into a denser area of the forest, and the further they went, the slower she went until she stopped. She turned and raised three fingers while pointing her sword at the bushes before her. Then she grinned and made a cutting gesture before pointing at Irwin.


    ''Easy,'' she mouthed, or something very much like it.


    If you say so, Irwin thought, looking at Daubutim, who held up his hand while Twyll shot up and flew up and through a gap in the foliage.


    Sairadi raised an eyebrow but said nothing, and it took only a moment for Daubutim''s eyebrows to raise as he snuck to Irwin.


    "Three imps," he whispered.


    Imps? Iwrin thought in surprise. What were those things doing here? Not that that mattered, he decided as he snuck toward the dense undergrowth and slowly pushed forward.


    Within moments, he was completely surrounded by sharp branches and rustling green leaves. As he continued deeper, he began hearing eating noises and occasional soft cracking and snapping. Irwin fanned his flames. If it were Imps, he knew exactly how to deal with those.


    A soft, familiar, high-pitched giggle came just as he pushed through the undergrowth into a small, chopped-apart section. Three imps were sitting in the middle, gnawing on some remains. They saw him as soon as he saw them, but Irwin was prepared. He raised his hand, and three thin tendrils of fire burst from his hand, reaching the imps before they could even reach their weapons.


    A single scream was cut off as all three froze midmovement, their bodies turning into ash. It happened faster than Irwin had expected, and he felt a tiny trickle of energy feed into his card- no wait, not his card, but¡­


    Did that just increase my soulforce? he thought.


    It had been barely more than a drop, but as he replayed the moment, he was sure of it. His flame had consumed those imps, drained them of something that had given him a tiny bit of soulforce.


    Did I consume their soulskill? Irwin wondered as he walked forward.


    His thoughts abruptly stopped as he saw a bloodied sleeve wrapped around part of the remains the imps had been feeding on.


    They are eating people...


    Daubutim pushed through the undergrowth beside him.


    "No issues?" he asked calmly.


    Irwin sighed as he pointed at the body. "They were eating someone," he muttered.


    "Wait¡­ they are dead already?" a surprised voice came from behind as Sairadi, in her cloudy form, moved through the branches as if they weren''t there before reforming beside them.


    "Just three imps," Irwin said, tearing his gaze from what remained of someone''s corpse. "You might have warned us that there''s Imps out here."


    "Yes, sorry. It''s just such a normal thing ever since the portal overflows that I don''t really think about it anymore," Sairadi said.


    "Isn''t someone clearing these forests?" Daubutim asked as he walked forward and began inspecting what could barely be called a camp.


    "There''s no time for that," Sairadi said with a snort. "Even with all the new cards, we only have barely enough people to close the portals within a day''s travel of Degonda. Besides, there are only two squads powerful enough to go out this far."


    They are on the brink... We need to get everyone out of here, Irwin thought.


    "Let''s get to Degonda," he said.


    "Irwin¡­" Daubutim said as he knelt beside the remains of a campfire.


    Hearing the sudden surprise and worry in Daubutim''s voice, Irwin quickly moved beside him, noticing he was fiddling with a small pack. A tiny piece of parchment was in it with a few lines of a familiar script. The last time Irwin had seen it, it had been in the papers they had retrieved from the portal with Brutal Imps that had been abducting smiths.


    "Don''t bother. We find those things all the time, but nobody can read them," Sairadi said.


    Daubutim raised the paper to her. "It says, find where the smiths are, bring the information to, and then a description of a location."


    Which smiths? Irwin thought. Trimdir and the others or him?


    "You can read that?" Sairadi hissed. "Indoutor said nobody could! Was he lying?"


    "Daubutim has nothing to do with Indoutor. You can trust him!" Irwin said.


    Sairidi kept looking at Daubutim for a few moments before deflating and letting out a weary, tired sigh. "It- it''s been difficult the last few months," she said, turning to Daubutim. "Sorry, but with your cousin unwilling to share more of what he knows and his cards-"


    "It''s alright," Daubutim said as he rose, raising the paper. "You found more of these?"


    Sairadi nodded as she stopped staring at Daubutim. "Yes, they all have at least one of those scraps. We tried to translate it but got nowhere. Even the sorcerers couldn''t tell us more than that each scrap seemed to hold roughly the same message. You said it described a location?"


    "It said: Bring the information to the camp at the narrow stream with the three rocks leaning together," Daubutim narrated.


    "I know that place! It''s at the other end of the forest, at least a two-day run even for our fastest rangers. No wonder we couldn''t find any main camp¡­"


    Let''s just get out of here, Irwin thought.


    "Alright," Irwin said as he stuffed the scrap in his pocket. "Let''s get back to Degonda and clear out any Imps we come across."


    "Yes!" Sairadi said as she turned and moved through the undergrowth like a cloud.


    Irwin and Daubutim moved after her.


    --


    A few hours later, they finally reached the edge of the forest. Between Twyll and Sairadi, they had found and destroyed another two camps of Imps, finding another scrap of paper that held roughly the same message as the first.


    Staring at the edge of the forest, Irwin knew that the first order of business would be to find and talk with Lord Bron. Anything else would have to wait, including meeting Trimdir and the other smiths.


    He ran out of the forest onto a muddy, flat area with patches of yellow grass and tree stumps. Far ahead stood a wooden palisade that looked nothing like the small stone-encircled town he recalled. Two tall wooden watchtowers stood beside a gate, and far to the right, he saw another two, likely signaling a second entrance. A single glance already told him that the town of Degonda couldn''t be called a town anymore.


    "Impressive, right?" Sairadi said as she grinned at him. "If only we had some rest from the constant attacks and more food, we would become the peninsula''s biggest and most prosperous city."


    "Very impressive," Irwin said.


    They began jogging forward again, and a short distance from the tree line, a horn sounded from Degonda.


    "Don''t worry. It''s just a way to alert people that there are rangers returning," Sairadi said.


    Halfway across the open muddy plains to the city, the gate swung open, and a single person appeared. He walked forward and, with a flash of light, grew two heads taller. A golden armor and winged helmet suddenly covered him, and a two-handed sword as large as Daubutim''s appeared in his hand.


    "Basil is such a showoff," Sairadi muttered, the joy in her voice evident.


    As they walked closer, Irwin was impressed to see that Basil and he saw eye to eye. Ever since leaving Scour, he''d not come across anyone his height, let alone anyone taller.


    "Well, well! Who would have thought I''d ever see the two of you again!" Basil boomed happily. "I do hope you are here to help?"


    "Definitely," Irwin said as he stopped a few feet before Basil. Two golden eyes sparkled from the slits in the helmet.


    "Sairadi, where are the others?" Basil said, keeping his distance.


    "Hutch and the others are closing the portal after Irwin and Daubutim cleared out the Nyzir overflow," Sairadi said. "We also cleared out a few Imp camps in the forest."


    "So, those little giggly demons are back again," Basil rumbled angrily before focusing fully on Irwin.


    "Irwin or Orwin, what is it?"


    "Irwin. I had some issues with sorcerers back then," Irwin said, deciding it mattered little anymore.


    Basil was quiet, then, with a flash, his helmet and sword vanished, leaving only his armored body. The most powerful warrior of Degonda''s face was narrow and unshaven, like that of Hutch. His eyes were sunken and baggy, and he looked almost ready to topple over. Still, he smiled as he looked at Irwin.


    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    "I''m glad to see you two managed to survive. I presume you are here to see Bron?"


    "Yes," Irwin said.


    "Well, then, you had better come with me! Sairadi, you are heading back to Hutch?"


    "Yes, sir! We will do a pass over the forest as we come back," Sairadi said as she pressed the back of her hand to her chest before turning and rushing away.


    "See you soon, Irwin, Daubutim," she shouted before changing into a cloudy outline that zipped towards the trees.


    "Never gets old seeing her disappear in midair like that," Basil said as he shook his head and turned away. "Let''s go. Bron should know you are here by now, and I''m sure he''s going to be more than happy to see our secret benefactor again!"


    Irwin grinned as he followed Basil towards the gate.


    The entrance behind the city was muddy, with deep trails that showed wagons were still going through. Guards stood nearby, watching them as they passed before they began whispering. The city beyond it was a ragtag mess of wood and stone buildings, many leaning against each other almost as if they would fall over with the slightest push.


    "Beautiful, isn''t it?" Basil said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "You should see what we did in the main tower."


    Their trip through the city led them through dozens of narrow paths, not a single main road in sight.


    "You''ve created even more kill boxes," Daubutim said, looking around and up the narrow walls.


    "After the third time the gates were breached, Bron changed the entire outside where he could. We built buildings to block any square, and except for two, any road wide enough for carts," Basil said.


    It took them a good while to move from the newer parts of the city into what Irwin knew were the older parts. He recognized some buildings, but so much had changed that it almost looked like half the inner town had been rebuilt as well. Besides that, there was also something else he wondered about.


    "Where are all the people?" he asked as he looked around.


    "Hiding inside the guarded houses," Basil said. "When the horn blows, everyone flees to the nearest safehouse while guards congregate there for protection."


    "I am impressed by the organization," Daubutim said.


    "Thanks," Basil said as he looked up and grimaced. "Even then, some more powerful Nyzir still sneak in when it''s dark, butchering people before the alarm can be sounded."


    Irwin looked around the cobblestoned alleyway that led to the central tower, damaged, patched-up buildings all around, and he sighed grimly.


    It''s time to get everyone away from here, he thought.


    A trio of guards stood near the entrance of the tower, the square that had once been in front of it gone, filled with low buildings.


    "Basil," one of them said, staring at Daubutim with gleaming eyes. "Did we capture something important for a change?"


    "No, Daubutim is here with The Smith," Basil said without stopping.


    The guard quickly jumped away, but Irwin saw his eyes widen as he gazed back. There was a soft whisper from the other two as they walked past them and into a muddy, badly maintained hallway.


    As the door closed, Irwin heard the three excitedly whisper.


    "Is it smart telling them that?" he asked.


    "We''ve had nothing but death, hunger, and bad news for nearly two months," Basil said. "It will be good to have a little hope."


    Irwin saw Daubutim looking around emotionlessly, only the lightning-filled eye showing any indication of his inner turmoil.


    The entire tower was a mess, with beds in hallways, some filled with sleeping guards and rangers. There was barely anything that reminded Irwin of the well-maintained inner tower that he remembered. Nothing, except for well-oiled swords and weaponry and a dangerous glint in the eyes of any waken person they encountered.


    As they reached the hallway that led to Bron''s chambers, Irwin recalled the last time he''d been there. It had been when he had explained his abilities to Lord Bron and just before they had headed to Coulwater Tower.


    Basil hesitated at the door and looked at them. "Listen, he is fine, alright? He just looks a bit¡­ worse for wear."


    Irwin frowned but nodded, and Basil pushed open the door.


    "Bron, you awake?"


    "That''s Lord Bron to you," a raspy voice came from a figure bent over a table. "Took you long enough to-"


    "Irwin! You''re alive!"


    Irwin saw a familiar figure walk towards him from the far end of the cluttered room. Towering, bald, and with gleaming gray eyes, Trimdir was the first person he saw who didn''t look malnourished and depressed.


    "I am," Irwin said as he walked forward.


    He was about to clasp the massive smith''s hand when Trimdir wrapped him in a massive bear hug, slapping his back and grinning at him before letting him go.


    "Irwin, I never thought I''d see you again. You can drop your ability now. By the way, nobody will harm you here!"


    Irwin blinked, still surprised by the hug, before shaking it away and grinning back.


    "This isn''t my Coperion Body skill," he said as he raised his hand. "This is what I always look like now."


    "I see¡­ and your eyes?" Trimdir asked as he raised an eyebrow.


    He was about to answer when Lord Bron let out an annoyed snort.


    "Dammit, Trimdir, at least let me welcome them first," Bron said as he walked over.


    Irwin held back a hiss of surprise as he saw Lord Bron. Six thin wounds disfigured the side of his face, drawn across one now milky white eye and slicing apart the corner of his lip, giving him a perpetual frown. His face was pale and thin, and everything about him gave a sense of weariness. Everything but his single good eye, which blazed with an internal fire that made Irwin realize that Basil had been right.


    "Besides, it seems I''m not the only person with one good eye in the room anymore," Lord Bron said as his single piercing eye gazed at Daubutim. He didn''t react to Irwin''s reaction, while Daubutim just calmly looked as if there was nothing strange about Bron''s poorly healed scars.


    "I''m glad you are here, Lordling Daubutim. Does that mean your obnoxious cousin, Indoutor, is finally willing to cooperate?"


    Daubutim shook his head. "Lord Bron, it might be wise to put up your barrier."


    Lord Bron''s smile withered, and he raised his hand, which flashed. A barrier appeared in the room, covering the walls and the door like a thin sheet.


    His skill increased, Irwin thought as he recalled the way Lord Bron''s skill had worked before.


    "Alright, let''s just sit. With Indoutor refusing to tell us much, the only knowledge we have is what Hutch managed to bring back," Lord Bron said as he walked to the sitting area where Trimdir had been before.


    Soon, they were all sitting, except for Basil, standing at the door, silently leaning against the wall.


    Lord Bron focused on Irwin. "So. Are we doomed?"


    "Lord Bron, could you fill us in on what happened here?" Daubutim asked before Irwin could ask anything.


    There was a moment of quiet, and then Bron sighed. "Very well. For a short while, things looked up when Trimdir and Dalrindir managed to upgrade uncommon cards to rare, and our alliance with Elder Gum''dil''ran and the Frozir gave us the ability to clear out many portals faster than ever. However, only a few months after we began, portals spawned farther away, and the Nyzir began doing night raids. We still managed to hold on, and when Hutch came back telling us Indoutor had returned with powerful cards, I had hoped that things would change for the better."


    Trimdir slammed his hand on the seat of his chair, causing the wood to split. Bron didn''t even seem to notice as he stared at Daubutim.


    "Indoutor, however, decided that he would use his new position of power to take control. He used the cards to strengthen his forces, clear out Esterdon''s ruins, and remain where he was. Instead of spreading out, he sent out messengers that anyone who required safety could join him but only if they swore fealty to him."


    Irwin leaned back. He hadn''t interacted all that much with Indoutor, and he hadn''t expected this. Then again, as he tried to imagine what he had expected, he realized he had no clear idea.


    "Yes," Daubutim said calmly. "This is something he would do. We were told that there are rumors that Caldangen might also still be-"


    Daubutim fell quiet as Lord Bron''s face turned ugly.


    "Yes, we heard the same rumor," he said, his voice shaking slightly. "Daubutim, I am very sorry to inform you that where Caldangen was is now an enormous crater. Upon hearing the rumor, I sent one of the sorcerers there to verify it, and according to him, there is a massive creature coiled up in the center of what was once the central castle."


    Irwin looked at Daubutim, feeling sorry for his friend. He knew that for all his anger towards his father, he also had brothers and a mother, and this meant the chances of finding them were now either gone or smaller than finding a rank seven world.


    "I see," Daubutim said, his eye slowly turning a dull amber.


    "I am sorry, Lordling," Lord Bron said, letting out another deep, weary sigh. "We have been scouting the other cities in the hopes of finding allies, but everything has been overrun. Even Kasadiron City, the bastion of the King, is no more than smoldering ruins."


    Irwin felt nothing when he heard that. He barely knew anything about the King of the Peninsula, a title given to the oldest child of the royal family, and Kasadiron City was as far from where they were now as they could possibly be. He''d learned the name in school, but that was the extent of his knowledge.


    "Well, then, I think it''s about time we leave here," Irwin said.


    Lord Bron looked confused for a moment before his eyes widened. "You have a way to get through the portal at Esterdon?"


    "No," Irwin said. "We have our own portal that leads to a new world devoid of demons and war."


    There was a stunned silence in the room, and then Trimdir slapped the chair''s armrest again, but this time with a massive, hopeful grin. He was almost bouncing up and down on his chair, barely holding all of his questions back, staring at Lord Bron.


    Lord Bron''s single good eye was staring at the floor, and his lips were moving as if he was ready to talk. Just when Trimdir seemed ready to explode, Lord Bron suddenly pushed himself up and began pacing through the room.


    "I won''t ask how you got it or if you are sure," he said loudly. "All I need to know is what your plans are. Do you want us to go there and swear fealty to you? Will you be the new King then?"


    Irwin shook his head rapidly. "No! I am here to save my family and friends if I can! Gelwin can be King for all I-"


    "Gelwin?" Lord Bron shouted, frozen midstep. "You found Gelwin?" He shook, then stumbled to his chair and slumped down in it. "Alright, perhaps you should just tell me everything that happened."


    Irwin grimaced, turning to Daubutim. He was more than a bit happy to see his friend look back calmly. Tiny bolts of lightning were rippling across his eye, showing that he''d managed to suppress the horror of hearing his home and family were gone.


    Irwin shivered as he imagined hearing that Malorin was destroyed.


    I''ll go and see if they are alive as soon as things are up and running here, he decided.


    "How are you feeling?" he asked softly.


    "I''ll be fine," Daubutim said calmly. "There will be time to mourn later after we are safe. For now, let me explain what happened."


    Irwin nodded, and Daubutim turned to Lord Bron. "After we went through the exit portal in Esterdon-"


    Irwin leaned back, listening to Daubutim as he calmly and to the point regaled most of what had happened, omitting only those things that were irrelevant to the situation. Although so much had happened, Irwin was surprised that it took Daubutim barely an hour to recount everything, only slowed down by the occasional question from Lord Bron.


    When he finally finished, Irwin saw that Lord Bron was staring at the table thoughtfully. At some point during the conversation, the deep creases of worry on the Lord''s face had faded, replaced by a mixture of happiness and intense curiosity.


    "I see¡­" Lord Bron finally said before turning to Irwin and Daubutim. "One day, if we all survive, I will find a way to thank you for what you have done for everyone here. Though, I''m afraid that will be a long time from now."


    "That''s fine, I don''t need-" Irwin began.


    "Nonsense," Lord Bron said, and Irwin was surprised at the intense hope and joy he was radiating. "People need heroes, something to live up to, something that gives them hope. After we are safe, there will need to be stories and songs, statues and paintings."


    Irwin grimaced, looking at Daubutim only to see a calm look back.


    "I will start preparing a plan and contact the teleporters," Lord Bron said. "There are only a few, but they should be able to bring a large group of guards to the portal to safeguard it from any roaming demons. No matter how safe it might look, we can''t take any risk. Basil-"


    Bron turned to the guard captain, who was standing at the door with an excited look.


    "Send a messenger to the sorcerers and tell them to come to my room immediately, then head to the merchants and ask them what they would need to get their caravans ready to leave within a day. We need to transport as many supplies-" he stopped mid-sentence and looked at Daubutim. "Can we transport goods through the portal?"


    "The same rules apply as always. No metal," Daubutim said calmly.


    He really did read up on everything, Irwin thought as he stared at his friend. I wonder what his father would have said if he''d seen Daubutim now.


    "Great. Tell them we need everything in bags or nailless crates," Lord Bron said. Then he jumped up, walked to the table, and cleared everything from it with a swipe of his arm, revealing a map. He ignored the clattering of things around him and began tracing a trail. Daubutim got up and walked to stand beside him.


    "Daubutim, show me where-" he began, only for Daubutim to point at a location on the map.


    "It is here."


    "Ah, well, that''s no good," Bron mused. "We can''t get the wagons all the way there. Perhaps¡­"


    "A friend of ours is waiting on the other side, and he has cards for crafters and builders," Daubutim said calmly. "What we need is to get the first group of craftsmen that can build houses and rangers to hunt for food on the new world as fast as we can."


    "Right! That''s great! I''ll get-"


    "Irwin."


    Irwin looked up to see Trimdir stare at him. "I think they don''t need us for this. How about we go to the smithy?"


    Irwin grinned and nodded. As they got up, Daubutim nodded at Irwin before responding to something Lord Bron asked him.


    "Are you two going to be alright?" Basil asked as he opened the door for them.


    "Bah, Basil, you heard the same story as us! Unless we get another wave, there''s nothing here that''s going to hurt me with him around," Trimdir snapped.


    Basil snorted. "It''s dangerous to be too sure of yourself. You know that."


    "I do, so trust me that I know what I''m doing," Trimdir said. "You better get ready to evacuate nearly a hundred thousand people through the forest and across those hills!"


    Basil grimaced, then snorted. "To safety, Trimdir. To safety! I''ll get them there even if I have to carry all of them on my back!"


    Trimdir clapped his shoulder, a wide grin on his face. "I''ll help you if that''s what it takes. Now, let me bring my apprentice back to the smithy. There are things I want to talk with him about."


    Irwin followed Trimdir out of the suddenly bustling room and took a final look at the two one-eyed men, talking rapidly. He knew that if anyone could plan something of this scale, it was Daubutim.


    And hopefully, we will have to do it more than once, Irwin thought as he turned and followed Trimdir.

 Chapter 192: Certain or uncertain future

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    Irwin and Trimdir walked through the narrow paths of what had once been the outer area of Degonda and was now almost the center.


    Although narrower, Irwin recognized the path they were moving along. It was the one he''d taken many times when he was learning smithing at Trimdir''s smithy, and it should lead to the crafter''s square.


    "How are you feeling?" Trimdir asked, looking up. "Things can''t have been easy, no matter how much like a minstrel''s tale your friend made it out to be."


    Irwin was about to say he was good when he saw the actual care and interest in Trimdir''s eyes.


    Instead of blurting out an answer, he thought for a moment, wondering how he felt. As soon as he thought about everything that had happened, he realized that most of it had been far easier than the first part of his life on Giard. Back then, he had been poor, malnourished, weak, and eventually fleeing.


    No, if anything made him feel worried, it was being back on Giard. Part of him was happy to be back, though mostly to save people, which also caused a constant bottled-up desire to rush to Malorin. Another part of him was worried about what Indoutor was doing and what would happen when they went there to save the people. Still, with everything that had happened, they had managed to get back here, and he was an Emerald rank smith. Or Topaz according to the old rules¡­


    How did he feel?


    "I feel good," he said.


    Trimdir''s grin widened, reaching his eyes. "Good, and I imagine you must have learned a great deal of things about smithing?"


    "Definitely," Irwin said.


    "Well, we have learned and changed a lot too," Trimdir said as he looked ahead.


    They reached the end of the street that led to the crafter''s district, and as Irwin moved in, he was surprised to say the square was still open, unlike all of the others. More so, Trimdir''s building had expanded to cover the entire opposite side of the square, with the adjacent buildings being connected to it.


    "Dalrindir moved his smithy next to mine, and we''ve been accepting many new smiths," Trimdir said proudly.


    "Are you teaching them everything?" Irwin asked, raising an eyebrow, wondering if Trimdir was showing card reforging to others.


    "Only to the older apprentices," Trimdir said. "Many returned eventually, and I''m sure you will see some familiar faces. When Lord Bron had me run over earlier, I warned Dalrindir so he should have everyone there."


    Irwin blinked as he looked at the smithy, the shutters now lined with metal and the door closed. It almost looked like it had changed into a guard''s tower with how fortified it had become.


    "So everyone is in there?" he asked. A year ago, that would have probably made him nervous. Now, he was only curious to see what Trimdir had managed to accomplish all on his own.


    "Let''s go and find out," Trimdir said as he knocked on the door.


    A few moments later, there was a rattling behind the door, followed by some clanking, and then the door was pulled open. Dalrindir stood before them, his short but heavy frame covered in a dark smithing apron that left his tan, hairy arms bare.


    "If it isn''t the master himself," he said, his dark eyes gleaming as he stepped out of their way. "Come in, come in! Everyone is here!"


    Irwin followed him into the smithy. It had been expanded both left and right, and where he recalled the storage room for raw metal to be was now another forge area. Even then, the ceiling felt low, and the area, even as expanded as it had become, seemed smaller than he remembered. Especially the main forge, which had seemed so large in his memory, was roughly the same size as the one he''d had to himself on Scour.


    A dozen smiths, none young and many with familiar faces, stood around the smithy, some with hammers, others arms crossed, and everyone with big grins and smiles. Even then, nobody moved at first, just seeming hesitant.


    "Well, look at that, the little kid grew to be the tallest of us all," a smith Irwin recognized said as he walked forward, reaching out to clasp his hand. "I can hardly call you a kid anymore, but it''s great to see you!"


    The smith''s action caused the others to move forward, and within moments, Irwin was shaking hands and getting his shoulders struck by smiths. At some point, he almost thought they were trying to see who could shove him sideways.


    "Alright, alright, enough! Leave him alone so we can get to the important things," Trimdir shouted.


    The smiths instantly moved back away, and a wave of memories of similar scenes came to Irwin. He shoved them away as Trimdir and Dalrindir walked towards him.


    "Now then! I''m going to want to talk to you about a hundred things later, but for now, we have questions about smithing! Everyone here. After you left, we began teaching the others, experimenting and trying things out," Trimdir said as they held out a stack of cards. "We managed to increase our success rate in upgrading to uncommon a lot and, with Dalrindir getting to eight in ten. However-"


    "Don''t bloody make it sound like I''m so great," Dalrindir snapped, though Irwin saw his ears had turned slightly red. "You''re the one that-"


    "YES! I''m getting to that," Trimdir shouted over him. Then he turned to Irwin. "So, as I was about to say, I managed to reforge a card from uncommon to rare! I only succeeded a few times and at a massive loss of cards each time, but those cards have helped us so much! Please, you have to know how to do it! Tell me what I''m doing wrong?"


    Irwin took the offered stack of cards, and as he looked at the top one, a simple topaz bow weapon card, he smiled. Long ago, this would have seemed so incredible to him, and he was massively impressed that Trimdir had managed it without any help from Ambraz or tutoring¡­ but-


    "Alright," he said as he shuffled through the offered cards, quickly picking out a few quartz ones with combat potential before handing the rest back.


    Trimdir and the other smiths were all looking at him with incredible expectation.


    "One of the things I didn''t know when I first taught you what I knew," he began as he walked to the forge and effortlessly shoved a few anvils to the side to clear a space. "Was that besides a card''s rank, they also have a different quality. The lowest quality to successfully reforge a card to the next rank is roughly sixty-five percent. Anything below that will most likely shatter and explode. Everything above ninety is considered very good, ninety-nine is great, and a hundred¡­ well, a hundred percent quality should be the goal."


    As he spoke, he calmly removed Ambraz from his pocket. The Ganvil was quiet, wings and mouth nowhere to be seen, but when Irwin placed him on the ground, he flashed once before changing into his working size.


    Thanks, Ambraz, Irwin thought, gently patting the Anvil.


    A look around showed that the smiths had encircled him, all seeming to wait with bated breath.


    "Now then, I''ll start by reforging this to Ameth¡­ uncommon," Irwin said.


    He struck the card, looking at the slim gauntlet image, faint and covered in black gunk and with tiny specs of light all across like many Quartz cards he had worked on before.


    Perhaps I can show them sideways reforging after this, he thought enthusiastically.


    --


    Daubutim stomped after the guard who was leading him through the city. He didn''t really need a guide as he remembered the path to the smithy even with all the changes, but Lord Bron had wanted to hear nothing about it.


    As they reached the crafters square, the guard turned.


    "Lordling Daubutim, do you require someone to come pick you up tomorrow morning?"


    "There will be no need," Daubutim said.


    "Alright, please remember that Lord Bron is expecting you and Lordling Irwin first thing in the morning," the guard said before bowing his head and walking away.


    Remember? It would be hard to forget, Daubutim thought as he walked towards the door of the smithy.


    Soft voices came from inside, combined with incessant hammering, so he thudded on the door with force to make sure they would hear him.


    A few moments later, a small peephole noiselessly opened to the side, and he saw a gleaming eye stare at him. Then the hole shut, and the rattling of chains and bolts came.


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    As the door was pulled open, Daubutim saw a small, wide-shouldered smith stand before him, eyes gleaming and face ruddy in excitement. He had a card in one hand and a hammer in a loop on his waist.


    "You must be Irwin''s friend!" he boomed as he beckoned him inside. "Come, come, I''m busy!"


    Daubutim walked inside, looking around while the door was meticulously closed behind him with both bolts, a crossbeam, and some odd little chains.


    A dozen smiths were hard at work, almost as if it was the middle of the day instead of the middle of the night. Irwin stood at the back, talking animatedly to Trimdir, who was striking a card in utter concentration.


    "I hope Lord Bron doesn''t want you to bring Irwin over right now?"


    Daubutim looked at the shorter smith, looking at him worriedly.


    "No. We are to go there in the morning," he said.


    The smith didn''t even listen. He was walking away, waving over his back. "Good, good! Well, just find a place to sit or rest or look!"


    Daubutim looked around, noting that barely anyone had even acknowledged his presence. After a moment, he walked to the side and sat down on a stool against the wall beside a water barrel, which would give him an overview of the smithy and of the door. He observed the smiths, who were all striking on cards with a fervor and intensity that surprised him. The smiths he had seen during his time at the Fiverion smithies had been far more calm, showing little to no excitement.


    I wonder if it''s because Irwin is here to teach them, he thought as he leaned back.


    Time passed slowly as he watched the smiths, sometimes standing around Irwin as he explained something, but most of the time, smithing. Sometimes humming filled the smithy as Irwin or Trimdir worked, while the others seemed content to keep quiet.


    As the night continued, Daubutim hesitated. He looked around, then closed his eyes and leaned back. The smiths showed no sign of stopping, and Irwin had merely waved at him before continuing with a wide smile.


    --


    Irwin looked at his friend, slumped on the chair and fast asleep.


    He faintly remembered that Daubutim had arrived, but he''d been so busy that he hadn''t really registered it.


    "He said you had to see Lord Bron in the morning," Dalrindir said before yawning widely.


    Irwin looked to the shorter smith, who was rubbing his face, before looking around. A single dull thudding remained, slow and steadily filling the spacious smithy with its rhythm. The other smiths had one after the other fallen asleep in the smithy, and only Trimdir was still at work. Staring bright-eyed at the card before him, he showed no sign of weariness or of stopping.


    "He''s a monster," Dalrindir grumbled. "And so are you! Don''t tell me you also have an endurance body-improvement card?"


    Irwin grinned as he inspected Trimdir. So, his former master also had an endurance card? Somehow, that didn''t surprise him.


    "Well, unlike you two, I''m going to need rest now," Dalrindir said. "So, I''d say, wake your friend and head out."


    Irwin nodded as he summoned a long hammer and prodded Daubutim in the leg. Daubutim''s eyes snapped open, one an empty eyesocket, the other a swirling mass of red lightning that quickly began returning to its normal amber.


    "We are heading to Lord Bron?" Daubutim asked.


    "Yes," Irwin said.


    "Irwin¡­ thank you for showing us what you did, and tell Lord Bron that we can be among the first to head out. With us there, we can start building," Dalrindir said.


    "I''ll tell him," Irwin said. He took one more look at Trimdir, but his old mentor was completely engrossed.


    "Just go, I''ll let him know what happened," Dalrindir said.


    "Alright. Let''s go then," Irwin said.


    A minute later, he and Daubutim stood before the smithy''s closed door. The pale morning sun was barely able to peek through the clouds above, but Irwin could already feel a tiny bit of warmth from it.


    "Ugh," a weary groan came from his pocket. "I presume that I don''t have to hide when we return?"


    "I don''t know," Irwin said, looking at Daubutim.


    "As soon as we are all there and up and running, it should be fine," Daubutim said calmly.


    "Well, great," Ambraz whispered before falling quiet.


    "So, what did you two come up with?" Irwin asked as he began walking towards the narrow alleyway that would lead to the central tower.


    "There are seven teleporters here, one who can bring a group of over twenty people, the others ranging from ten to five," Daubutim said calmly. "A group of two dozen rangers led by Hutch and his group are already moved there, and they are creating a defensive perimeter while also scouting for any portals between here and there. As soon as the teleporters are ready, another group will be brought in to take over. Then Hutch and ten rangers will head to Greldo to start scouting the surroundings and finding places for towns."


    Irwin whistled softly as he looked at Daubutim. "And crafters?" he asked, thinking about what Trimdir and the smiths had said.


    "The third group will be carded lumberjacks and woodworkers, then a first set of farmers, and after that, we will start interchanging rangers and crafters."


    As he listened, Irwin frowned. "How long will it take before we start bringing citizens over?"


    "We aren''t going to be waiting for that," Daubutim said calmly. "The teleporters will continue bringing essential personnel, while the merchants will create caravans to bring the people over."


    The merchants, Irwin thought as he frowned. "Are we sure there are no people from Fiverion among those merchants?"


    "We are. Lord Bron and a few other truth-readers-"


    "Truthreaders?" Irwin blurted.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Daubutim said. ''Lord Bron has a rather weak truth-reading card, mostly meant for combat to indicate when someone is about to attack. However, he can use it for other things. Either way, when Hutch returned, they tried to investigate, but within a day, seven prominent merchants were gone, and all of the others were regular merchants. The sad thing is that the ones that disappeared were those with the largest stockpiles of cards."


    "Yeah¡­ I guess that makes sense if they were from Fiverion," Irwin muttered. "So, the merchants are going to move the regular people over? How long will all of this take?"


    "There are an estimated ninety-five thousand people here. If we want to get as many safely there, it will take weeks," Daubutim said.


    Weeks, Irwin thought, realizing he''d thoroughly underestimated what it would take to move all the people there.


    "Didn''t Gelwin have some useful trick to do this faster?" he asked.


    "If he did, he didn''t share it with me. All I know of is the waypoint system," Daubutim said.


    Irwin nodded as they continued ahead, and unlike the day before, they came across dozens of people.


    "I want to go and see what happened to Malorin," he said slowly as he looked up. "I presume there was no information on it?"


    Daubutim looked back, his single eye filled with red lightning. "No. I''ve done all I could to find some, but the last information they had was over half a year ago. Back then, it was still defending itself successfully, but no more information has come from anywhere near thereafter."


    "Right," Irwin said. "And Caldangen? Your family?"


    "Only what Lord Bron already told us," Daubutim said cooly. "After we get everyone over safely, I want to talk with Indoutor and see if he knows more. However, I presume it''s hopeless."


    Irwin hesitated, then put a hand on Daubutim''s shoulder, giving it a squeeze. He wished he knew something useful to say, but he didn''t.


    "I''m fine," Daubutim said calmly. "My brothers were strong, and my mother tough. Father¡­ I wonder if he is really dead, but if he is, I''m sure it will have cost his enemies more than they would have ever imagined."


    Irwin nodded, and they continued for a while.


    Two young girls ran through the mud out of a street, one holding the ragged mess that might look like a doll from some angle, and they stopped midstep when they saw Irwin and Daubutim.


    "Sorry sirs," one of them whispered. They lowered their heads and rushed off through another alleyway, disappearing out of sight.


    The image of their dirty, disheveled, and underfed seemed to linger in Irwin''s mind.


    He dully looked at the now empty, dirt-riddled alley, and as he did, he felt his anger grow. Anger at the mud, the shambled buildings, the hungry and underfed children and people. People like his mother and neighbors back in Malorin, who had to live in a world being eviscerated by demons that poured from portals. And why? Because some unknown enemy was hunting their race for something nobody alive -none but Gelwin- recalled. Hunted, nearly into oblivion to live like-


    "Irwin¡­ calm down!"


    Irwin blinked at the shout, and he looked up to see Daubutim a few paces away, his figure slightly blurry from-


    Shit!


    Irwin scrambled to regain control over his flame, which had wrapped around him like a thick blanket. For a moment, it seemed to resist his desire to ramp it in, then with a woosh, it vanished, leaving behind a large patch of dried and cracked mud. He looked at the ground, then around, noticing a few frightened faces looking down from windows and roof edges.


    "Sorry," Irwin said as he looked at Daubutim. "I just saw those girls and¡­"


    He looked up at the faces and realized the fear in them made him sad.


    "Come," Daubutim said as he pulled him by his arm, and Irwin let himself be guided away as he took a few deep breaths. It didn''t take him long to calm down, but the anger left a lingering aftertaste that made him want to act.


    "I am going to head to Malorin," he said. "You are going to be alright here, right?"


    Daubutim looked at him quietly, then nodded. "I want to come with you, but it will be better if I stay here."


    Irwin nodded, not surprised or bothered by that. He trusted Daubutim more than anyone besides Greldo, and he knew if anyone could get everyone to the new world safely, it would be his friend.


    "There is something we need to discuss," Daubutim said, and Irwin looked up in surprise to see him stop before the square before the tower. Daubutim crossed his eyes and looked around as Twyl appeared on his shoulder.


    Curious, Irwin moved beside him, waiting for his friend, whose eye was a ball of red lightning.


    Is it because I''m going to Malorin? Irwin thought with a frown. Should he wait¡­ perhaps they needed his help?


    "Gelwin spoke to me after you left," Daubutim said, looking at him. "He said I should become the leader of the new world."


    Irwin blinked, then nodded slowly as he imagined Daubtim as the one in control. Somehow, it made him feel a lot better even than seeing Lord Bron in control. Even if he did think for a noble, Bron wasn''t too bad.


    "What did he say?" he asked after a few moments.


    Daubutims leaned closer and, in a low whisper, did what only he could do. Retell word for word exactly what Gelwin had told him. When he finished, Irwin couldn''t hold back a grin.


    "So, Gelwin thinks I''ll be going to explore the Portal Gallery, huh?" he said. "Well, I guess that shows you do learn a lot of things when you get that old."


    "Are you sure¡­ You could become the leader, and I''d support you," Daubutim said. "I-"


    "No. Hard pass," Irwin said as he shook his head. "If I become the leader of anything, it''s going to be the leader of the Smiths guild."


    As he said that, Irwin felt Ambraz shiver in his pocket, and he grinned. He was pretty sure Ambraz would approve of that.


    Daubutim nodded, his eye swirling with lighting for another few seconds before it slowed down.


    "I think I will do what Gelwin suggests," he said, his eye focusing fully on Irwin. "Even though it will pain me to let you head out on your own."


    Irwin felt the realization set in that if Daubutim was going to remain behind, they would thus not be able to travel together.


    Daubutim looked back, and they stood there for a few moments before Irwin realized whatever was to happen wasn''t going to be anytime soon. They had more important things to do, and even then, it wasn''t like he''d leave for good. He was going to find his mother and brother, and who knew, perhaps when he was older, he''d come back to create Smiths charter!


    Raising his head, he nodded. "Let''s go and make sure that happens," he said.


    They continued to the gate.


    "So, any idea what Lord Bron wants of me?" he asked.


    "I''m pretty sure he wants you to reforge the cards in his right hand," Daubutim said.


    "I can do that," Irwin said. "But after that, I''m going to Malorin."


    "I''ll make sure you get some rangers with you," Daubutim said.


    Irwin hummed as they reached the door.


    I''m not sure they could keep up, he thought.

 Chapter 193: Card trouble

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    Irwin watched the three figures clad in robes sitting beside Lord Bron. One was an older man with a brown and white beard and kind eyes. The other two, young men and women, almost looked like siblings with light brown hair and eyes. Something about their faces gave Irwin the idea that they might be related to the older man.


    Their brown robes reminded him of the sorcerers he''d seen long ago, but he felt none of the fear he used to. Even without Daubutim here, if they had wanted to try and do something to him now, they''d find themselves outmatched.


    Irwin glanced at their hands, a full left hand with only the older man having another card in his right. From the faintness of the tattoo-like images, he knew they were mostly amethyst with perhaps one topaz amongst them. That meant they were either not noble-born or from a small family.


    The three sorcerers looked back at him with evident curiosity, and the two younger ones were visibly holding back their questions.


    "Thank you for being willing to reforge my cards," Lord Bron said, drawing everyone''s attention to him. "Do you require anything before we can start?"


    Irwin ignored the sorcerers as he focused on Lord Bron. "If I reforge your cards, it will hurt," he said. "It will feel as if I''m shattering your hand with each strike, and I''ll need dozens of strikes per card."


    Lord Bron shook his head dismissively. "What is some pain compared to the ability to become so much stronger? Just do what you have to do. I''ll bear it."


    You say that now, Irwin thought.


    However, he said nothing but got up and moved to the cleared-out area on the other side of the spacious room. The table that had been there was shoved to the side, and he took Ambraz from his pocket, placing him on the ground. As the anvil grew to his working size, there were surprised outcries from behind.


    "What is that? Is it a carded skill?"


    "Why isn''t it appearing from your hand? I felt no-"


    "Quiet," the older sorcerer said.


    Irwin looked at the younger sorcerers who were looking at him as if he were a mystery waiting to be discovered.


    "Both of you apologize at once," the older sorcerer said, glaring at the younger ones.


    "Sorry," they said almost as one, and the older sorcerer rolled his eyes before turning to Irwin.


    "My apologies for my two young apprentices," he said. "They won''t disturb you again with meaningless questions."


    As he spoke, he glanced out of the corner of his eye at his apprentices, who both showed very little remorse.


    Irwin nodded before turning to Lord Bron. "Can you tell me what types of cards you have? That way, I know in which direction to take these two to make them work better together."


    Deadly quiet fell over the room as Lord Bron stared at him. "You¡­ can change existing cards?" he asked slowly. "I thought you could only improve them?"


    "It''s roughly the same thing," Irwin said as he waggled his hand. "Cards don''t need to be improved along a singular path. There are multiple directions to take them. For instance, if you have a fire dagger card, I could improve it along the fire path or along the blade part by either increasing the heat or turning the dagger into a shortword."


    "Can you also do mine?" the young male sorcerer asked excitedly.


    Before Irwin could respond, there was a slapping sound, and the sorcerer was rubbing his head while the older one glared at him, lowering his hand.


    "Irwin, can you change my cards to fit the three I have?" Lord Bron asked. "I have thought about removing them many times because of how poorly they synergize, but I just don''t wish to miss their abilities."


    So that''s why he doesn''t have a sixth card, Irwin thought.


    "I''d need to know exactly what cards you have."


    Lord Bron frowned, then focused on the sorcerers. "Sentil, please head out. As soon as you three are ready, commence with the plan and bring another group of guards to the portal."


    "Of course, Lord Bron," the older sorcerer, Sentil, said before rising and beckoning his apprentices to follow.


    Irwin saw disgruntled looks on the younger sorcerers, but they still followed Sentil as he left the room.


    Bron glanced at Daubutim and nodded, seeming perfectly fine with Daubutim to remain. Irwin immediately felt more comfortable.


    "When I was young, my family handed me three cards as is the custom. Back then, I didn''t know any better, so I accepted, slotted, and combined a fullhand before realizing the limits of these three."


    Lord Bron raised his hand, and a simple, unadorned longsword appeared.


    "I have this, an uncommon weapon summon, and two rare body improvements cards. One grants me enhanced constitution, agility, and strength; the other resistance to and detection of poison. Combined with my other two, I''m having trouble finding a sixth as all those I wanted have been rejected."


    Irwin frowned as he looked at Bron''s left hand. If he''d heard the man had been gifted two rare cards and an uncommon back when he was young, he''d have been incredibly impressed. Now, he was underwhelmed. An uncommon sword card given to a noble kid seemed low to him. Had Lord Bron''s family been on the poorer end of the nobles?


    "Body improvement cards and weapon cards usually don''t have many issues combining properly with other cards," he said. "Can you focus on them and project them above your hand one at a time for me to inspect?"


    Bron nodded, and he closed his eyes. A moment later, a card appeared above his hand.


    He has done this before, Irwin thought, impressed with the ease of Bron''s action. Then, he focused on what he could detect from the card.


    A few minutes later, he crossed his arms while the third card of Bron''s left hand vanished.


    Irwin frowned, not completely understanding what he had felt. Although he wasn''t able to detect card details like Ambraz, ever since he''d gotten his heartcard, he could sense the rough typings of the cards, and in Bron''s case, he was almost a hundred percent sure that the problem was his poison resistance and detection card. It leaned heavily to the poison type, and after Bron had combined them into his fullhand, he had either consciously or unconsciously focused even more on that. If he had to guess, his third card had also gotten some effect due to that.


    "Those cards are interesting," he said thoughtfully. "Does your sword have a slight poison effect?"


    Lord Bron''s eyebrows shot up, and he nodded. "Correct, but it''s very minor and useless."


    "Alright, can you show me the two cards in your right hand?"


    Lord Bron raised his hand again, and a new card appeared. It was far clearer than the others had been, and Irwin immediately recognized the energy density and signature of a very rare. Or emerald if he used the regularly used term.


    "This is my barrier card," Lord Bron said.


    Irwin inspected it for a bit, then nodded for him to continue, and a moment later, a final card was projected. This one was rare again, but Irwin could sense how intricate it was.


    "This one allows me to read body language, both large and small," Lord Bron said as he stared fondly at his card. "It''s the card that saved my life more than any other, both in and out of combat. Without it, I''d have been killed when they charged me with attempted rebellion."


    Attempted rebellion? Irwin thought. He wanted to ask some more about it, but he knew this wasn''t the time for that.


    So, he shelved the question for later when he could ask Daubutim and inspected the card. He immediately saw the biggest problem. Between the barrier card, the poison card, and this one, they were creating a dissonance. None of them had any overlap, and even though he couldn''t really hear the song they were trying to create, he was sure it would be ugly and painful to hear. To find a sixth card that could fix this mess somehow...


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    Perhaps if he added more poison and infect the other two cards? But that would cause the problem that neither of those had any overlapping qualities. Their types were so far apart that only two might work, but three?


    I wish I had time to talk with Ambraz, he thought.


    With a frown, he began pacing through the room, ignoring the confused and worried glances from Bron.


    How much did he trust Lord Bron? A lot... but enough to show him Ambraz? What if he just told him he couldn''t fix it?


    No, we are going to need him as strong as he can be for the next world, he thought, shoving that idea away. It was too likely that they would also have Indoutor there, and if Daubutim were to rule, he''d need strong allies. Besides, Lord Bron had done nothing but show himself to be a trustworthy ally. Staring at the Lord, he realized he did trust him.


    After a few moments, he turned to Daubutim. His friend''s eye almost sparked with red lightning, and he nodded, seeming to understand what he was asking.


    "Alright," Irwin said, making up his mind. "This is a bit beyond what I can fix on my own."


    Lord Bron''s face fell minutely.


    "So, I''m going to show you something, and I need you to keep it a secret," Irwin said.


    Bron''s eyes widened, and Irwin could see him think, but to his credit, Bron nodded without hesitation. "You may speak freely," he said as a barrier appeared around the room. "You can trust me."


    If I didn''t, I wouldn''t have shown you this, Irwin thought as he looked at Ambraz.


    "So, what do you think of his cards?"


    "Bloody pathetic!" Ambraz snorted immediately as if he''d been biting his tongue all the time.


    His metal mouth appeared on the side and turned into a scowl.


    "There''s barely any cohesion between those types, and if I didn''t know better, the people that gave him his cards wanted to make his life more difficult. Who focuses on poison?! It can only harm people with weaker cards than you, and this is a topaz card! Bah, it''s less than useless; it''s a detriment!"


    Irwin grinned as he saw Lord Bron''s mouth had fallen open as he looked at Ambraz.


    "Is¡­ is that a carded ability?" Lord Bron asked softly.


    "Something like that," Irwin said, glad Ambraz didn''t blurt out something. "More importantly, Ambraz can probably come up with a solution to your cards."


    "Probably? Bah! You better be happy I''m here and willing to help," Ambraz snorted. "Because your five cards mesh about as well as fire and grass. Now, kid, let''s start with the barrier one. We are going to be moving it sideways before reforging it up. So, first-"


    Everyone quietly listened as Ambraz began detailing the plan. When he finished, Irwin nodded while Lord Bron''s eyes gleamed.


    "You mean you will have a sixth card for me?" Lord Bron asked. His usual calm was gone, and he seemed almost like a child hearing they were getting their first card.


    "Yes," Irwin said. "Now, prepare yourself because this will hurt."


    --


    "What do you mean I can''t go in," Myda grunted. "I''ve been scouting for a week and need to tell him what I found!"


    Basil sighed, remaining where he was, blocking the door. "Lord Bron is with Irwin and said he wasn''t to be disturbed for any reason."


    Myda snorted as she leaned against the wall. Still, her eyes gleamed.


    "Irwin? So that kid is back? Fantastic. I''m sure he has some pretty stories about that other world, just like Hutch, but this is more important! How long is this going to take? I found portal clusters only three days from here, and there''s a massive surge occurring around it! The amount of Imps pouring out is already as large as what we saw half a year ago. If those come here¡­" she fell quiet as Basil began grinning.


    "What? Is this something to laugh about? Did the stress finally catch up to you and crack what remains of your dull mind?"


    Basil''s laughter increased, and he wiped his eyes.


    "It''s been almost two hours now, so I have no idea how long it will be," he said. "But, you did miss a few things. Perhaps I should inform you."


    He was about to continue when the door was shoved open, and Lord Bron looked at both of them. His face was so pale it was nearly white, but his single good eye gleamed, and he seemed exuberant.


    "Would you two please stop fighting outside my chambers? Come inside," he said energeticly.


    Basil blinked, sharing a look with Myda before following his young friend, comrade, and leader inside.


    --


    Irwin leaned back in his chair as he watched Myda walk inside. She was one of the people he knew from when he''d first been here. The lithe, long-haired ranger had mud stains everywhere, including her face and twigs and leaves in her hair, but unlike Bron and Basil, she wasn''t as gaunt. She also had an odd armor covering her legs, more dress than pants, and not something he''d ever seen a ranger use before.


    As she saw him, he saw her eyes widen.


    "Alright, so I guess I can''t call you a kid anymore," she said, shaking her head. "You look like someone took three smiths and compressed them into one! By Yilda, what have you been eating?"


    "A lot," Irwin said as he grinned back. "You look like you wrestled with a tree and lost!"


    Myda''s eyes widened, then she grinned. "Lost? Bah! If I decided to wrestle with a tree, I''d definitely win. Now, as much as I enjoy this- My Lord, there are clusters of portals three days from here, and there are already thousands of Imps destroying the lands around it."


    "Yes, I heard you," Lord Bron said calmly.


    Irwin was impressed with how fast the man shrugged off the intense, bone-curdling pain that he''d been subjected to only minutes before.


    "How long would it take them to reach us?"


    Myda cocked her head. "Okay¡­ something definitely happened while I was gone. What is going on?"


    "Ranger Myda," Lord Bron said.


    "Right, sorry. If they behave like the other ones, they will slowly spread out, and they should start scouting for things to attack and eat in a few days. I''d say we have four weeks or more, but it depends..."


    Basil''s booming laughter caused her to glare at him.


    "Alright, you overgrown tin can! Tell me what is going on already!"


    Irwin leaned back as Lord Bron, and Basil began filling her in, his mind drifting back to the reforging he had just done.


    With Ambraz''s help, Lord Bron''s barrier card had been reforged sideways to focus solely on the barrier, dropping any other things it did, like the minor physical aspect and the ability to detect what was a few feet around it. Ambraz had said that it would be best to replace the fifth card, but Lord Bron had been adamant. Of any card he had, that was the one he wanted above all. So, Irwin and Ambraz had reforged it up to Emerald.


    That still left a gaping hole of a card that needed to bridge three unrelated types and the knowledge that when the Heartcard was to be made, it would be a horrendous affair. Even then, Ambraz had come up with a way.


    I still can''t believe how Ambraz found that tiny path, Irwin thought as he replayed the reforging of Lord Bron''s sixth card. Ambraz had managed to turn a simple poison vine card into a poison barrier card, using Irwin''s own initial idea to infect the other two cards with a poison type.


    Even then, Lord Bron''s combinations were still barely viable, but Ambraz had seemed certain that Irwin could reforge it into a functional heartcard.


    I can''t wait to try that, Irwint thought, hoping Lord Bron would be able to combine it soon.


    Looking up, he found that Lord Bron was finishing up the story.


    "So, we are going to make sure not to be here when those Imps arrive," he said.


    Myda''s eyes were sparkling, and she was nodding fervently. "That''s fantastic! I''ll head there now and start scouting the-"


    Lord Bron shook his head. "No. I need you to do something else first."


    "What? Come on, I''m your best ranger! If anyone should be there to find the spot to build New Degonda, it should be me!"


    "Perhaps, but I have something more important for you first," Lord Bron said. "And we are not calling it New Degonda."


    "What could possibly be more important?" Myda asked.


    "I want you to safely guide Irwin to Malorin so he can see if any of his family survived," Lord Bron said. "From what I''ve heard, you are the only one able to keep up with his speed."


    Myda blinked, and she glanced Irwin.


    "The last we heard of Malorin was months ago," she said softly. "The chances that they managed to survive¡­ Irwin, I''m sorry, but it''s not looking good. Shouldn''t we... I don''t know? Focus on more important things?"


    Irwin grimaced, knowing part of what she said was right but not willing to give up on the chance to see his mother and brother.


    "We know," Lord Bron said calmly. "However, be that as it may, I order you to bring Irwin there. He has done too much for us not to give him this chance, and he will likely go on his own otherwise. With you along, he will be there faster. If I had a teleporter here that could go that far without having been there before, I''d have used those. But we don''t, and although your help in the new world is useful, we can do without."


    Irwin saw Myda hesitate before she nodded.


    "As you say, My Lord," she said. "But can I at least wash up, get some clean clothes, and eat before we leave?"


    Lord Bron looked at Irwin, who was surprised that he was the one to decide this. Still, as he thought about waiting, he realized his gut churned, and he wanted to run to Malorin immediately. He pushed it down.


    "I need to talk with Trimdir after we are done here, then after that, I''ll be heading out," he said.


    "Very well," Lord Bron said as he turned to Myda. "You have two hours."


    "Ugh!" Myda exclaimed as she got up and walked to the door. Just as she was about to leave, she turned and grinned at Irwin and Daubutim. "Great to see you again!" Then she turned and rushed out of the door.


    "Right," Basil said. "Bron, do you need me for anything?"


    "No, just see how she''s been doing," Lord Bron said with a smile. "I expect you back here when she heads to Trimdir."


    Basil rose and left, waving at Irwin as he did. When the door was closed again, a barrier appeared, and Lord Bron looked at Irwin.


    "There is one thing I''d like to ask. Are you sure you will be safe? I understand that you are more powerful than any of us, but what if you get cornered by a horde of demons?"


    Irwin wanted to laugh it off and say he''d be fine when he remembered something. The Bablibon. What if another of those demons found him? Would he be alright? He wasn''t sure.


    But would he let that stop him?


    No, he thought as he shook his head.


    Besides, he had skills that should allow him to get away from nearly anything or anyone¡­ even if he had to burn down everything around him and cover in it a thick layer of steam as he did.


    "I''m not sure I can take on everything that I might encounter," he said. "But I think I can get away if something proves too dangerous."


    Lord Bron scrutinized him, then nodded. "Very well. I''ll continue the evacuation with Daubutim. If you find Malorin still standing, Myda can return and warn us. Then your friend can move the portal to that waypoint, and we will come and help! The more people we can save from Giard, the better."


    Irwin felt gratefulness bubble up, and he rose, nodding at Lord Bron.


    "Thank you. I''ll head to Trimdir now, and I''ll leave as soon as Myda finds me," he said before turning to Daubutim.


    He was about to wish him luck when Twyl appeared on Daubutim''s shoulder in a flash of light. She looked around curiously, then hopped from Daubutim''s shoulder and flew to his.


    Irwin watched her in surprise before turning to Daubutim.


    "I will leave Twyl with you," Daubutim said calmly. "If you need to tell me anything, just speak to her, and she will relay it to me. I am not sure if she can go all the way, but this should help."


    "Interesting," Lord Bron said. "So you have a weapon card, something that makes your eye go red, and a summon? Why are you not having any issues with merging your cards?"


    Daubutim looked at Irwin. "Go. I will explain this to him."


    "I will see you again soon, hopefully, to introduce my family," Irwin said as he turned and headed out of the room.

 Chapter 194: A foul stench

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    Irwin stepped out of the tower, exchanging a quick greeting with the guards beside the door. Twyl was quietly sitting on his shoulder, and he barely noticed she was there.


    As he walked towards the alleyway leading to Trimdir''s smithy, someone came walking out, staring at him intently, almost as if he''d waited for him.


    "Orwin!"


    Irwin watched the short bald man pace towards him. Two piercing blue eyes locked onto his from above an impressive but poorly maintained mustache.


    It took Irwin a few moments to remember who the man was, but when he did, he felt a sudden unease. This man was Burt, Lamia''s uncle and the inn''s proprietor.


    "Burt," he said, having a good idea why the man was here. "It''s good that you are alive."


    The man snorted so hard his mustache fluttered forward.


    "Orwin, where is Lamia? I heard you returned but that she isn''t with you!" Burt asked, his voice filled with worry and hope.


    Still, Irwin heard an undercurrent of anger. He sighed as he looked at the man half his size, glaring at him as if he''d done something horrible.


    "Do you know where we went?" he asked as he gestured forward.


    Burt held his place for a few moments before stepping aside and walking along with him deeper into the city. Irwin made sure to shorten his steps so Burt didn''t have to run.


    "She was vague when you left, saying something about becoming stronger because of what happened to my brother and the rest of her family," Burt said. "She wanted to find powerful cards around Esterdon, but¡­ I''ve heard some rumors."


    "She''s alive, though I haven''t seen her in a while," Irwin said. "Tell me the rumors."


    "Is she alright?" Burt blurted.


    Irwin thought about the things that Daubutim had told him about Uxin''tar and Lamia.


    "She is now," he said, deciding that was as true as anything he could say that wouldn''t make the man worried out of his mind. "Can you tell me what the rumors are?" he asked quickly, hoping they were what he thought.


    Burt let out a loud harrumph before nodding. "Some people say she followed you to another world and that Hutch was there. I asked him, but he only told me Lamia was fine and with you. No matter what, he didn''t want to tell me more, saying Lord Bron had told him not to." At the mention of Lord Bron, Burt''s eyes gleamed.


    Irwin stared at the muddy cobblestones for only a moment before making up his mind. They would be leaving here soon, and Bron was going to tell people soon enough.


    "The rumors are correct, and Lamia is still in the other world," he said. "She is working to become a better smith at an incredible place."


    "Seriously?" Burt snapped, looking up as if he expected Irwin to joke with him.


    "Yes," Irwin said calmly.


    "So, when is she coming back? Why didn''t she come with you? Also... if it is so incredible, why aren''t you there?"


    Irwin grimaced at the deluge of questions.


    "I was there at first, but I needed to do an important mission, which is how I managed to return. The way I came back isn''t the same we left by," Irwin said.


    "Why isn''t she with you? She and you¡­" Burt asked, looking at Irwin challengingly.


    Irwin remembered his time with Lamia in Degonda. For him, it was years ago, but it would have been only some months to Burt. He and Lamia had been bonding back then, but as he thought about it and his time with Scintilla on Scour, he could only smile sadly.


    "I had to go away to another world," Irwin said. "You know that some portals have different times inside, right?"


    "Yes, I''ve heard the rangers talk of it when they eat," Burt said, seeming worried. "Is that why you are so big and different?"


    "Somewhat," Irwin said. "I went to a world where I lived for close to a year and a half while Lamia remained behind. She wasn''t allowed to go there, and I had to-" Irwin waved around as he looked at the dilapidated buildings. "Well, to become strong enough to help, I guess."


    Burt looked at him, seeming to search for something in his eyes. Irwin wasn''t sure what to do, so he calmly looked back, wishing he had better news.


    Burt didn''t seem to find what he was looking for, and his shoulders lowered slightly. "And Lamia?" he asked softly.


    "She remained behind on the first world," Irwin said.


    Burt seemed to become even smaller. "So, she won''t ever return?" he asked.


    Irwin frowned as he thought about that. "I''ll try and send a message to her if I can," he said, thinking about Gelwin. If the old sorcerer could send a message to Lamia to go back through the Esterdon portal, they could pick her up there.


    "There might be a way," he said, slightly more confident this time. "If I can get a message to her, she might be able to return here before¡­" he stopped.


    "Before what?" Burt asked, looking at him both sad and with a fearful premonition.


    "Lord Bron will begin spreading some news soon," Irwin said. "Either today or tomorrow. It''s best we let him do that, but you will understand what I mean after you hear it. Before that happens, I''ll get her a message so she can come."


    Burt began pulling on his mustache. "Alright," he said, seeming to try and convince himself before looking up at Irwin. "I''m glad you came back safely and that Lamia is alright. I had hoped the two of you would hook up, but sometimes, what old people want doesn''t happen. I''ve been patient for a long time. I can add another few days."


    Irwin felt slightly conflicted as he imagined being with Lamia, then shook it off. Bron seemed so brittle, and something about the pained, lonely look made him think of his mother. Before he could stop himself, he placed a hand on the small shoulder as he scanned the man''s hand. He had two cards on his left, both likely no higher than amethyst.


    "Things are going to change," he said. "And there''s going to be a need for strong people to help with what we are going to do. Lamia will need strong people to help."


    Burt looked up, and slowly, his jaw clenched as he pulled his mustache so hard Irwin feared he was going to yank it off.


    "You are right," he said before glaring at the cobblestones as they continued forward.


    When they reached Trimdir''s smithy, Burt looked up.


    "Thank you for telling me Lamia is alright," he said, seeming ready to leave. "I''ll be waiting for that news from Lord Bron."


    "Wait a moment," Irwin said as he knocked on the door. Trimdir was the one to open him, and he was about to start talking when he saw Burt.


    "Burt, how have you been?" Trimdir asked, stepping forward worriedly. "I haven''t spoken to you in weeks!"


    "I''ll be right back," Irwin said, turning to Burt. "Don''t leave, I need to give you something."


    He walked into the smithy, waving absently at the smiths, and as soon as he was out of sight of the door, he took out his pack of cards.


    "You are going to give him a card?" Ambraz whispered from his pocket.


    Irwin looked up and around in fear someone would overhear them, but the smiths were pounding away on their anvils, and even then, none were nearby enough to hear him.


    "Ideas?" he whispered as he quickly flicked through his deck of cards.


    "Ugh, you bleeding heart. Fine! Keeping flipping. Four, more¡­ yes, that one," Ambraz whispered.


    Irwin looked at the card, a topaz-rank utility card meant to purify water and other drinks while giving moderate control over water. He didn''t bother asking Ambraz why but stuffed the rest of the cards back in his pocket and headed back outside.


    Burt was whispering with Trimdir but looked up when Irwin returned. His gaze landed on the card Irwin was holding, and his mouth fell open.


    "Take this and slot it," Irwin said. "You will need it for what is to come."


    Burt stared at the card, then at Irwin, and finally, hesitantly took it.


    "I want to ask why, but you won''t tell me. So... thank you," he muttered, staring stupidly at the card. "Normally, I''d never accept this as a gift, but if you are right, I need it."


    Irwin nodded, then turned to Trimdir, who was looking at him appreciatively.


    "We need to do some more practicing because I have to leave soon."


    "You only just returned," Trimdir said.


    Irwin shrugged, and he waved at Burt, but the mustached-man was already slotting the card in his hand and barely noticed them before heading inside. He heard a few confused mutterings from Burt, which he ignored.


    I''ll talk with Gelwin before we head to Indoutor, he decided.


    --


    Nearly two hours later, Irwin stood before Trimdir''s smithy together with Myda.


    The door was closed, and the smiths inside were busy reforging the cards he''d given them. He had left them with another stack of quartz cards that could be wasted if needed. He had brought them to feed to Ambraz in case he had to create another heartcard. This, however, seemed more important. Besides, he could use other cards if it came to it. Even though he''d been handing out many, he still had an entire stack left.


    "Is that your bird?" Myda asked.


    "No. It''s Daubutim''s summon, and it''s coming so I can warn them if needed," Irwin said as he jostled the pack on his back slightly.


    Trimdir had handed it to him, and it held enough rations for a week: mostly stale bread, old dried meat, and even some dried vegetables. As poor as it was after weeks of Ib''s cooking, Irwin knew from what he had seen in the city that this amount of food would be a luxury to many.


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    "I wonder if it will be able to stay that long," Myda muttered. "We''ve tried things like that, and usually, the summon vanishes after a while."


    Let''s hope Twyl can stay longer, Irwin thought as he glanced at the raven before focusing on Myda.


    Myda had a small traveling bag and was chewing on what looked like dried rations that had been heated up and covered in something greasy. Her face was clean, her hair still slightly wet, and she was wearing a clean, though worn armor. The bottom half was again a seemingly overly long leather, metal-covered skirt, barely allowing the tips of her boots to poke through.


    I wonder why she''s wearing that, Irwin thought.


    "So, Bron said you are able to move really fast?" Myda said as they walked through the city. "Do you have some short-range teleport, shadow step, lightning, or dash movement?"


    "No," Irwin said. "I don''t really know how to explain it, but you will see when we are out of the city. There''s one thing, though: I''m not very quiet when I move."


    "I can''t wait to see what that means," Myda said with raised eyebrows.


    They continued their chitchat until they reached the gate where a group of rangers stood.


    "Lady Myda, are you heading out again?" one of them asked as he walked forward, glancing at Irwin.


    "I told you not to call me that," Myda said. "But yes, I''ll be gone for at least a week or two, so make sure to keep everything safe here."


    The ranger frowned, obviously not happy about something, but all he did was bow his head and let them pass through the small door that sat beside the massive gate.


    They walked away from the city towards the distant plains bordering the hills. After crossing through some of those, they would reach the forest separating them from Malorin.


    "So¡­ Lady Myda?" Irwin asked. "I didn''t know you were a noble?"


    Myda snorted, shaking her head and glaring over her shoulder.


    "I''m not, but Bron thought it was a good way to thank me for my services, so he elevated me to nobility or something," she said. "With the king likely dead, he is one of the few people who could be the new king, and I guess he decided this was within what he could do."


    "Is there any more information about the king?" Irwin asked.


    "None. Kasadiron was turned to ruins by some massive fiery explosion. There are not even rumors that the king or anyone else managed to get out before that, let alone news. It''s best to assume they are all gone," Myda said, sounding like she cared very little.


    Irwin couldn''t blame her. Most common people barely knew or cared about the king or the circle of nobles around him.


    They continued walking until they were far enough from the city that only the guards could still see them, and Irwin looked at Myda. "Bron said you can keep up, so¡­ what kind of ability do you have?"


    Myda grinned. "A right! You''ve never seen it before, have you? Alright, well, don''t be scared, okay? I have a card that allows me to change a bit, just like your old ability, but more."


    She stepped forward, and her hand flashed.


    Irwin stared in awe as her legs began growing, turning longer until her eyes were nearly level with his own. Hand-long claws poked out of pre-made holes in her boots while her now mostly bare knees bent the wrong way.


    "So, what do you think?" Myda asked, her voice different. It was smooth and soothing, almost as if she was partially singing. As Irwin looked up from her legs, he saw that her eyes had grown, and her pupils were a bright, glowing yellow. Tiny feathers covered the sides of her face, and more seemed to sit nestled between her hair.


    "Those look able to tear things apart," Irwin said as he inspected her clawed feet.


    "Definitely," Myda said. "Ever since I got this card, I''ve only had to use my daggers on very few occasions. Now! Let''s go, smith. It''s your turn. Show me what you can do!"


    She ran forward, her claws leaving behind deep gauges, and within moments, she was moving as fast as Daubutim could.


    Irwin leaned forward and kicked off, shooting forward and leaving behind a deep impression and spraying sand. He began swirling his internal flame, building up Kinetic energy as he landed, kicking off even stronger.


    Ahead of him, he saw Myda look back with a frown, but her eyes widened as he began picking up speed.


    Within a few moments, he was barreling forward and gaining on Myda. After a few moments, Twyl jumped off his shoulder and followed him a few feet up in the air.


    Eventually, they were running beside each other, Myda taking long, agile strides, her legs moving like a blur, while Irwin covered twice the ground she did per stride, leaving behind clouds of debris.


    "Alright, I see what you mean about being unable to sneak around," Myda shouted as Irwin sailed through the air a few paces. "How much faster can you go?"


    Irwin glanced at her, feeling the still overflowing kinetic energy, and he couldn''t hold back a wolfish grin.


    "Keep up," he shouted, using as much Kinetic energy as he dared and propelling himself forward with a whoosh. Within ten steps, he doubled his speed, but to his surprise, Myda managed to keep up. Still, her jaw was locked tight as she bent forward, breathing heavily.


    They continued increasing speed, and soon, they were dashing across the muddy plains towards the distant hills.


    Focusing on his balance more now than his speed, Irwin was finding it harder and harder to keep it. Finally, just as he landed, his foot slid sideways, and before he could stop himself, he fell. He hit the ground, rolling and sliding forward. When he finally lay still, covered in mud, he couldn''t hold back an annoyed grunt.


    Desert sand is definitely easier, he thought, slapping at the mud.


    Myda stopped beside him, her breathing so haggardly that she seemed incapable of making the funny remark Irwin knew she probably had.


    He rose and began wiping away the mud while she slowly caught her breath.


    "Alright¡­ I guess you are faster," she eventually managed. "But you definitely need more practice."


    Just because of this stupid mud, Irwin thought as he remembered the long hours of practice he''d done on Scour.


    When she finally caught her breath, and Irwin was done wiping mud from his face, they continued forward at a fast but manageable pace.


    At this pace, it should take us less than a week to reach Malorin, Irwin estimated.


    The day continued without incident, and as he recalled the drops of soulforce, Irwin was almost disappointed that they didn''t come across any more Imps. Late in the evening, hours after it had become dark, they stopped atop a hill with a good spot to camp.


    "So¡­ you have very rare or even better cards or something?" Myda asked as she tossed her back down, slightly out of breath.


    Irwin sat down with his back against a rocky wall below a ridge.


    "Why do you ask?" he asked innocently.


    "Oh, no reason," Myda snorted. "Just curious to know if you ever get tired."


    "Not before you," Irwin said, grinning as he watched her lie down, arms behind her head. They had little time to chat while running, mostly because it would have been a constant shouting match.


    "So, what kind of cards do you have?" he asked.


    Myda turned her head to look at him in surprise. "Usually, people aren''t that direct," she said.


    "I''m not asking for details," Irwin said. "Just curious. You have that shape change card and four more. Anything useful for our trip?"


    It was quiet for a bit, then Myda sighed. "I''m pretty sure you weren''t this weird before. But sure... I''ll tell you a bit! I was lucky when I was young. Lord Bron was looking for young people with potential, and although I only had a simple uncommon card, he saw potential in it and me. So, he had me trained by Hutch, together with some others. When we finished, we all got cards. Mine was a rare bow summon. It creates arrows from out of thin air and allows me to shoot them further and straighter than normal."


    Irwin whistled. "That''s a great second card."


    Myda laughed. "Yeah. I meant it when I said I''m the best ranger Lord Bron has, you know? I''ve been trying to train others, but between a lack of cards and people with potential, none have yet managed to catch up. Annoying because now I have to scout most of the distant areas on my own. What about you? I recall that you used to have to use a skill to change into this big metal shape, but you''ve been in it ever since you returned. Did you improve it by merging it?"


    "Something like that. I combined all my cards into one," Irwin said. "They call it a heartcard, and it''s why I look like this now."


    "Heartbound¡­ I''ve heard stories about it from Hutch, but he wasn''t willing or allowed to go into details," Myda said, staring at him intently. "Is that why your eyes are silver?"


    "Yes," Irwin said.


    They continued chatting until Myda couldn''t stop yawning.


    "How are we going to divide the evening watch?" Irwin asked.


    Myda closed her eyes and yawned. "Come on, you''re the one with all the impressive cards. If you get tired, wake me up."


    Irwin stared at her, wondering if she was being serious. Seeing her curled up, he snorted. "Sure. I''ll wake you up an hour or two before dawn," he said.


    Myda didn''t respond, and within moments, her breathing slowed and softened.


    That''s an impressively fast way to fall asleep, Irwin thought as he glanced at Twyl, wishing he could talk with Daubutim through her. At least she was still there.


    He got up and moved to a position that would give him a good overview of their surroundings and glanced at her again. He might have more stamina than her, but if she thought he would take every watch without sleep, she had another thing coming.


    In the end, he woke her an hour before dawn, and they left an hour later. Still, when they began running again, it almost looked like it had been the other way around.


    Halfway through the morning, they slowed their pace slightly, and during midday, they had a short break, during which Myda kept looking at him in annoyance.


    "What?" Irwin finally asked, raising his eyebrow.


    "Has anyone ever told you it''s really annoying that you don''t get tired?"


    Yeah, Greldo''s going to like her, Irwin thought, unable to prevent himself from smiling widely as he remembered running across Clour with Greldo and Scintilla.


    "Yes," he said. "Multiple times."


    "Oh," Myda muttered. "Well¡­ great."


    That evening, Irwin let her sleep again, and he didn''t have the heart to wake her. She''d struggled the last few miles, and Irwin was starting to realize she was very competitive. The fact that Lord Bron had said he was the only one who could keep up with her obviously wasn''t helping.


    After she woke, he took a short sleep before they continued on their journey. When Irwin slowed the pace even more, Myda didn''t complain, but he heard her mutter something about his cards.


    Late in the afternoon, they reached the edge of the hills that bordered the forest they would need to cross. The lower pace had given Myda enough time to regain some energy, and as they slowed down for the last stretch, she hummed thoughtfully.


    "What''s wrong?" Irwin asked as he scanned the forest sprawling before them.


    He saw no heat signatures, not even the small ones of birds or wildlife around the edge. If that meant they were none or just further in and blocked by the trees, he didn''t know.


    "I haven''t been here for half a year, so some changes are understandable, but this? "Myda said thoughtfully. "There''s no sign of life anywhere."


    "You can see that from here?" Irwin asked.


    As he looked around for heat signatures, he wondered if this ability came from one of the cards she hadn''t given any information on or from the shape change, just like with Greldo.


    Myda tapped the side of her head beside her eyes. "These aren''t just pretty. I can see further than anyone else I''ve met in great detail."


    Then I''m sure you and Greldo will have a blast, Irwin thought.


    "Usually, I can see insects flying a mile away, but here? There''s nothing," Myda said, causing Irwin to frown.


    "Alright, let''s go forward slowly," he said, summoning a massive hammer.


    "That''s a bit too big, maybe?" Myda asked.


    Irwin just shrugged as he continued, knowing that he could enlarge the hammer twice before it would be too big for him to use effectively. But he preferred this. The hammerhead was half as wide as Myda''s upper body and just heavy enough to allow him to reposition himself while swinging it by using the momentum. Crithann and he had practiced with it for many months. If there was anything in those forests he couldn''t blast with his fire or suffocate with steam, he was going to smash it apart.


    As he walked down towards the forest, the muddy hills with patches of yellow grass made way for a mossy, grassy slope with the occasional low bushes.


    The closer they came to the forest, the more apparent it became that Myda was right. There wasn''t a single bird cry, and although it was early summer, there weren''t any mosquitoes or flies anywhere.


    "Have you ever seen anything like this?" Irwin whispered.


    "No, but I have heard some nasty rumors," Myda said. "One of the scouts that headed north to the coast said he encountered an entire area that was devoid of life. I know him, and I had thought he was being overly dramatic. Now though¡­" she sighed. "If we need to, we can go around this area and see if it''s different a few days north or south, but that would add a lot of time to this trip."


    "Not yet. Let''s see what''s inside first," Irwin said. "You wouldn''t happen to have a stealth card to scout ahead?"


    "No, but I can move soundlessly and see most and hear a lot. Can''t you just ask the bird to do it?"


    Irwin looked at Twyl, then shook his head. "I''m not sure that would work. It can''t actually tell us what it sees..."


    "Right. A shame," Myda said.


    "Well, I can see body heat," Irwin said. "But my hearing isn''t that good, so I think you should take the lead. If anything happens, jump back and hold your breath."


    "Hold my breath?" Myda asked, looking at him in confusion.


    "I''ve got a card that allows me to create dense steam," Irwin said as he looked around. "If we get into trouble, I''ll cover us, so stay close to me when that happens."


    "..." Myda stared at him before shaking her head and continuing forward.


    Irwin heard her whisper something about Hutch and miracle worlds under her breath.


    Ten steps into the forest, Irwin smelled a nasty scent of decay carried on the warm breeze moving in from under the trees. Myda was a few steps ahead of him, and she kept moving her head around, sniffing softly.


    As ominous as the silent forest and the damnable stink were, they saw nothing as they continued deeper inside.


    A good while later, when the light filtering in from above was turning faint to indicate evening, Myda suddenly stopped moving. She raised her hand, making a gesture Irwin had learned long ago from Hutch, which meant stop and be silent.


    Irwin''s fingers tightened around his hammer''s handle while he instinctively readied his heart card.


    Seconds ticked by, and then Myda beckoned him forward.


    Irwin moved beside her, trying to see or hear anything, but all he saw were trees, branches, and bushes tinted red by his darkvision.


    "There''s something ahead. It''s hard to see, but I think it''s a body," Myda whispered as she began stepping forward, pointing out branches and anything else while she moved across.


    Irwin nodded and snuck after her.


    At first, he saw nothing, though he did notice the pungent stench was becoming stronger. Then, as he ducked below a branch, he suddenly saw what Myda had seen. A furry brown limb sticking out from behind a tree and the edge of a larger shape.


    A Shadedeer? he thought as he recognized the dark and clawed hooves. He hadn''t seen one since leaving Malorin, and they usually never left the Gloomforest.


    Myda snuck further, around the tree and the bushes, then froze. Irwin saw her hand tremble, and he quickly took another step to come beside her.


    Hundreds of animals, birds, and even a few Galubs lay on a big pile, old, congealed blood covering the ground and most of the pile.


    "By Yilda¡­" Myda whispered. "What did this?"

 Chapter 195: Full circle

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    Irwin instinctively searched for heat signatures as he scanned the pile of massacred creatures, finding none. Each body, no matter its size, was cold and dead.


    "What does something like this?" Myda whispered again. They aren''t even eaten!"


    Irwin looked at the bodies, absently knowing that if he''d come here before having been to Scour and seeing what he had there, he''d likely be vomiting. Now, he was just disgusted and worried.


    He was about to say something when Twyl poked his cheek.


    Irwin looked at her in surprise, only to see the raven''s piercing blue eyes staring at something further away. He couldn''t determine what it was, and he hesitated to go closer.


    "Can you see what that is?" he whispered, pointing at what looked like an indent or smudge in the ground beside a tree.


    Myda looked up from inspecting some of the bodies.


    "Oh¡­" she hissed, standing up and taking two steps back. "That''s the biggest footprint I''ve ever seen! Bird, I think, or some giant reptile."


    Bird¡­ bird¡­ Irwin thought as he felt a distant memory slowly bubble up and, with it, a trickle of fear.


    "Bablibon," he whispered, horrified. It couldn''t be, could it? That thing had died back in the portal at the hand of that four-horned Galub!


    There was a shiver from his pocket, and he turned to Twyl.


    "Tell Daubutim that there is a small chance that the Bablibon might be here," he whispered.


    The raven''s eyes blinked, then, to Irwin''s surprise, it nodded.


    "What is a Bablibon, and why would it do this?" Myda whispered.


    "It''s a demon from a shardworld," Irwin said as he thought about the time he and Daubutim had been up against it. Although he didn''t have Daubutim''s memory, these memories were edged into his mind.


    "It''s as tall as a small building, strong and fast, and with a horrifying ability to make it seem weak to draw things in to attack it. As to why it would do this?" He shook his head. "I don''t know. I''ve only ever seen one, and that one ate things instead of killing them and leaving them behind. Let''s hope I''m wrong and it''s something else."


    "Fantastic," Myda hissed, her face slightly pale. "Say that it is a Bablibon. Can we kill it?"


    Irwin hesitated as he recalled what Ambraz had told him about it having a soulskill.


    "I don''t know. But it would be difficult," he said, frowning as he tried to recall what he knew about the Bablibon.


    Myda stared at him, the fine wrinkles around her eyes deepening slightly. Then she sighed and resumed investigating the bodies while Irwin looked around.


    "Alright, there''s something weird about some of these bodies," Myda muttered. "I didn''t notice it before, but many of these creatures aren''t wounded. Look here," she pointed at a rat lying beside a larger animal. "It has no marks, no wounds. It just looks like it rolled over and died."


    Irwin frowned as he looked around, seeing that she was right. Some bodies, especially those of larger animals, were covered with gruesome wounds, while others were merely covered in mud and blood.


    "Can you determine when this happened?" he asked. The blood was all dried up, so he knew it couldn''t have been recent.


    "Weeks ago," Myda said. "Normally, these corpses would have been eaten by animals and insects, but¡­" she waved at hundreds of tiny insects that lay scattered around one of the corpses.


    "Poison?" Irwin asked hesitantly.


    "It''s the first thing I checked," Myda said, shaking her head. "There''s none of the signs, but I''m not an expert."


    "Alright, let''s get out of here," he said, realizing they could have used Bron. "I don''t know who did this, but it''s still three days to Malorin."


    "Good idea," Myda muttered as she turned and headed away from the open-air butchery.


    As they continued through the deadly quiet forest, the stench weakened, but even then, they never saw a living thing. Finally, in the dead of night, Myda led them to a large tree with a thick canopy.


    "We are going to sleep up there," Myda whispered. "Think you can climb up without an issue?"


    Irwin looked at the thicker branches. Climbing isn''t the issue, he thought. The issue would be if the branches would hold his weight.


    He grabbed hold of a wrist-thick branch and pulled himself up carefully. The branch immediately began bending under his massive weight, and he quickly pulled up and grabbed a thicker one. As he put his weight on it, he found it didn''t flex as much. Feeling somewhat secure, he continued up, and although the entire tree creaked slightly, he managed to reach a branch the size of his waist without falling or snapping anything.


    Myda sat down on a nearby branch, looking at him in disbelief. "Are you really made of metal?"


    "Partially," Irwin said.


    She looked back slightly stunned, and he shrugged.


    "It''s useful as long as I don''t have to sneak or climb," he said defensively.


    "Alright, well, you can take the first rest," Myda said as she looked around. "Just try not to fall out of the tree."


    Irwin took a look around the forest and nodded. He could fully understand her unwillingness to sleep in this place. Still, he had slept in horrible places before, and he did need some rest. Between Myda, Ambraz, and Twyl, nothing should be able to sneak up on them.


    It took him a long time, but eventually, he managed to fall into a restless slumber. It felt like he kept waking up every few moments, clutching the branch. Halfway through the night, Myda woke him, and he took over. Although she closed her eyes, he wondered if she even managed to sleep.


    They left early, when it was still dark, Myda in the lead, both quiet.


    Halfway through the morning, the stench they had smelled came back with a vengeance, and not much later, Myda led them to another area covered in bloody bodies.


    "This is starting to creep me out," Myda whispered.


    Irwin completely agreed. "There are more Galubs this time," he whispered, pointing at a few of the one-horned bodies mixed in with the pile.


    "Yeah, I wish I could say that was a good thing," Myda muttered. "But at least with Galubs, I know how to kill them."


    They inspected the second site for a while before continuing on. Close to evening, Irwin was getting sick and tired of the silence and blocked vision. He missed the sprawling sands of Scour and the long, winding Portal Galery, not in the least because he''d be able to see things coming from far away. In this forest, he felt cramped and constantly stressed that something was looking at them, ready to pounce.


    They spent another long and restless night in a tree only to find a third location of death and carnage shortly after setting out again.


    "Are these things in a line in the same direction that we need to go?" Irwin asked softly, glaring at the area filled with blood and gore. Why were they constantly finding these places? Were there lots, or was something else going on?


    "No, we are moving along one of a few game trails I know through these woods," Myda whispered. "It''s too easy to get lost in these forests without following those. I think whoever is doing this just followed the same game trail."


    Let''s hope it''s long gone then, Irwin thought.


    Two hours later, there was a flash of light, and a tiny bit of weight vanished from his shoulder.


    Myda spun around, eyes wide, and Irwin quickly waved at her calmingly.


    "It''s fine," he whispered, staring at his shoulder sadly. "Twyl was unsummoned, so I guess we reached as far as she could go."


    Myda grimaced. "Too bad. Still, it''s still impressive," she said before continuing.


    Irwin nodded, but as he followed her, he wished he''d had the chance to improve Daubutim''s summon card to emerald. Perhaps that would have allowed Twyl to remain with them.


    Due to their constant fear of danger, it took them longer than they had anticipated to reach the end of the forest. After another two nights, Irwin felt utter relief when he stepped out from under the dreary canopy and looked up at the steel gray sky.


    The plains of yellow grass that bordered Malorin lay before them, a nearly flat stretch of desolate land. A good distance away, there was a brown, muddy trail leading off into the distance.


    The main road to Malorin¡­ Irwin thought.


    Nothing but a muddy track barely wide enough for a single wagon that showed significant underuse. Even from this far, he saw that the grass was encroaching from the sides. The entire road would be overgrown if nobody started using it regularly again.


    "I wonder if there''s anything left alive in that forest," he said as he looked back.


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    They had found another two killing grounds, each the same as the other. One had more Galubs, though, most one-horned but with a few two-horned, which they hadn''t noticed anywhere else.


    "I don''t know, but let''s get out of here," Myda said, turning away from the forest and going off in a fast jog.


    A while later, they were racing across the grass beside the muddy path. Both Myda''s clawed feet and Irwin''s explosive movements worked better on the grass than the trail.


    So close, Irwin thought as he stared ahead.


    They couldn''t see Malorin yet, but soon they would see the sides of Gloomforest and, hopefully not too long later, the guard towers of Malorin.


    Irwin knew from the maps and Daubutim and Bron''s directions that the distance between the forest of death and Malorin was roughly the same as the distance through the forest. That meant, with their much-increased traveling speed, that they were now half a day or less away from Malorin.


    A few hours later, he saw a distant and familiar hill with a small crop of trees to the left of it.


    Pulvir''s grave!


    He felt a deep nostalgia as he saw the landmark. Many summer days had passed, with him staring at it from high up on the walls, wishing he could explore it. The hill was named after an old hero who singlehandedly held off a surge. The trees were said to have been planted there by some of the nobles in his honor. He remembered sitting on the wall, staring at it for long hours, and imagining going there to find a legendary card hidden by Pulvir.


    After staring at the sight for a while, he hesitated and then began slowing down until he was jogging at a speed at which they could speak. Myda followed suit quickly.


    "What''s wrong?" she asked.


    "We are pretty close to Malorin, and it might be better if we don''t use the main road," Irwin said as he changed his course towards the single hill with the trees.


    "That might be a good idea," Myda said, seeming fine with letting him take the lead.


    Although not yet visible due to the flowing land, Irwin knew there was a small river near Pulvir''s grave and a small ranger outpost. Long ago, Bronwyn had told him that the rangers used it as their first stop when traveling from Malorin. The river led deep into Gloomforest, and if they followed it and then moved along the forest''s edge, they could reach Malorin without being spotted. Hopefully.


    Time seemed to slow down as they ran to Pulvir, as Irwin recognized more tiny landmarks. Many brought back memories from a time that seemed a lifetime ago.


    Eventually, they reached the top of the slight hill, and the edge of the Gloomforest appeared in the distance. A smudge along its edge, barely visible, was all he could see of Malorin. If they were to walk at the speed of an uncarded it would take half a day. Luckily, they didn''t have to.


    When they reached the edge of Pulvir''s Grave, Irwin stopped beside the narrow river. It was barely twenty feet across and sprang from within the hills to his right. A small wooden cabin with a crumbled watchtower stood beside it in such a way that nobody would spot it from the plains.


    Bronwyn made it sound a lot bigger, he thought as he inspected the small building. It was obvious from the dust, mold, and rotting planks that nobody had been here in a long time. He examined the hill, wondering if there really was a buried hero of old here or if it was just an old tale. There were no caves or structures that he could see. Perhaps they were at the top?


    Well, if there''s really a body here, it will just have to remain behind when we leave, he thought.


    He turned to Myda, who was staring at Malorin, no more than a distant irregularity on the border of Gloomforest.


    And?" Irwin asked, barely able to hold back his curiosity.


    "The walls look whole, and the gate is closed," Myda said. "I see movement, but we are too far away for me to make out if they are people or demons. But, wasn''t Malorin a small city?"


    Irwin frowned. "It is. I think there were roughly three thousand people when I was young. Why?"


    "It looks bigger than that... Perhaps it''s just me. Let''s get a bit closer," Myda said as she began jogging along the river down the slight slope.


    Irwin followed her, staring at the distant Gloomforest.


    I''m almost back, he thought as he pictured his mother and brother as best he could. Their images were slightly fuzzy in his head, but he knew he''d recognize them if he saw them.


    It took them over half an hour of fast running to reach the edge of the Gloomforest, and as they did, Irwin knew right away that something was different. Although it wasn''t as horribly quiet as the forest they had passed through on their way, there was no sign of any life either. The many Shadedeer and other creatures that should be roaming around were nowhere to be seen, which worried him. They should have been around the outer edges of Gloomforest as more dangerous things and demons dominated the deeper areas, pushing them out.


    "So I hear birds, and there are-" Myda slapped a mosquito that landed on her arm. "-bugs, so whatever was in the other forest didn''t come here."


    Irwin frowned. "I hope you are right. Let''s head to the city."


    They continued along the edge of the forest, the trees in the distance obscuring the city from view.


    Irwin began increasing his pace the closer they came to the point from where they could see the city. Between the abandoned ranger outpost, the missing creatures near the edge of Gloomforest, and what Myda had said, his worry was growing.


    When they finally moved past the last outcrop of trees, Irwin was feeling jumpy as he looked ahead. There, still far away, lay Malorin, the place where he was born and had grown up.


    "It''s bigger," he whispered, not sure if he should be happy or sad. Who had enlarged it? The people of Malorin or some Galub or Imp horde that had taken over? He saw new towers beyond where the old walls had been, and the main gate looked taller.


    He turned to Myda, seeing relief flood her face.


    "There''s rangers on the walls," she said. "The gate is closed, and there are guards behind the windows. By Yilda, they made it somehow!"


    Irwin let out a massive sigh, and he was about to say something when there was a vibration in his pocket. Ambraz seemed to be going crazy, and as it continued, Irwin''s skin began to crawl as he looked around. His hammer appeared in his hand, tiny flames licking around its edges.


    "Irwin? What''s wrong?"


    "I don''t know, but-"


    "Incoming," Myda shouted as she spun to the side.


    A long, curved bow appeared in her hands, and she jumped back behind him as an arrow appeared. Nothing seemed to happen for a few short moments; then, a distant thudding came me from the forest, followed by the cracking of branches and powerful, ragged breathing.


    Irwin took a few steps back as it came closer, growing his hammer until he needed two hands to hold it and readying his flame.


    The bushes deeper in the forest began shaking, and amidst a cloud of leaves and shattered branches, a charbull came crashing through.


    The sides of the massive beast''s head were covered in long, thin wounds, and its burning eyes were spinning around crazily while steam came from its nostrils.


    As he saw the bull, Irwin''s heartcard suddenly seemed to boil over with a sense of wrongness. It wasn''t directed at the bull but at something inside of it. At the same time, his flame began burning and rippling as if it wanted to flare up and out, hungry or angry. He couldn''t tell.


    He acted before he fully knew what he was doing. His hammer vanished, and he raised his hands. Things he had learned years ago from his brother and the merchants resurfaced in a flash.


    They need fire and heat. It heals and calms them.


    "Whoa! Calm down," he shouted, deepening his voice and spreading his arms to himself large. His flame rippled out of him almost violently, seeming to wish to rush at the bull.


    The charbull shook its head, either confused or in pain, seeming not to hear him. It thundered forward only a dozen feet from him.


    Irwin didn''t hesitate but unleashed his flame. A long collum of fire shot out from him and towards the Charbull, striking it and surging around the massive black bull.


    "Calm down! Come! It''s warm and safe here," Irwin said, trying to sound calm.


    As soon as the fire touched the bull, its eyes stopped rolling, and the fiery orbs focused on Irwin, which was exactly what he''d hoped would happen.


    "That''s good. Calm down," he said soothingly.


    His flame continued to feel agitated, almost seeming angry at something it felt within the bull. He allowed it to increase in strength, quickly covering the area around the bull while he hoped he wasn''t about to burn the whole forest down.


    Not that that would necessarily be such a bad thing, a tiny part of him thought.


    The bull''s charge slowed, and it continued to run towards him, though without the anger and confusion of before. Irwin frowned, then dug his heels in the ground. As the bull reached him, looking only mildly afraid instead of panicked now, he placed his hands on its horns, grabbing them. A powerful shock ran through his arms, comparable to some of the shoves Crithann gave when they sparred, almost taking him by surprise. Still, he remained standing, though he slid a foot back before managing to stop the bull''s forward momentum.


    It snorted, confused, and Irwin felt it tense up. He quickly put a hand on the charbull''s jaw, padding it like he knew the merchant wagoneers did while pulling the fire around them. The flame seemed to almost search for something, and he allowed more of it out, surrounding the charbull.


    "It''s alright. Calm down," he said softly.


    His flame suddenly burst out, rippling around the wounds in the charbull''s jaws and flanks, and trickles of purple smoke rose up from the deep gouges.


    What''s that? Irwin thought as he stared at the pale smoke, seemingly able to withstand the heat of his flame.


    Just looking at it made him feel disgusted, and as if sensing this, his flame''s heat suddenly increased exponentially. There was a startled shout, but he couldn''t do anything as he watched the purple smoke shiver until the edges finally began burning away. At the same time, he felt a massive energy drain seemingly intent on draining his cards, his soullake, everything dry.


    Within a few seconds, half of his energy was gone, and Irwin was about to stop the flame from doing whatever it was doing when the purple smoke shook, shivered, and finally burned away. Only a trickle of intense purple remained behind, creating an oddly perfect circle before vanishing, leaving him with a lingering sense of dread.


    What was that? he thought, shivering as he realized the final jolt had drained even more energy, leaving him with barely a quarter.


    A snort came from before him, and he focused on the bull that he was still holding. Its eyes were staring up at him, and it was breathing deeply, staring at him with now tranquil, burning eyes.


    "Yeah, that''s better, isn''t it?" Irwin muttered absently, patting the bull as he tried to figure out what had just happened.


    "So¡­ you used to deal with charbulls before you came to us?" Myda asked.


    "Not a lot," Irwin said as he took a quick look at her.


    She had lowered her bow but was still eyeing the charbull wearily. "Then don''t you think that was a bit reckless?"


    "Yeah," Irwin muttered before frowning. "Did you see that purple mist that came from its wounds?"


    Myda sighed wearily. "Purple mist? No, I couldn''t even look at you. That''s how bright it was. Which is probably why they are coming to check," she said, looking at the distant city of Malorin.


    Irwin saw a group of Cindermares riding toward them with figures on their backs.


    "They are rangers from what I can tell," Myda said. "We might be able to outrun them¡­"


    The charbull snorted, and he patted it as he reduced the flame to a mere trickle to keep the large beast calm.


    "I''m here to find my family, not to run," Irwin said calmly. "Let''s just see who they are then."


    He didn''t expect any trouble, and if there was, he was pretty sure he and Myda could handle it, though he''d prefer to return without causing a scene.


    As they headed forward, the charbull calmly stomped alongside him, and a quick look showed that the fire that still surrounded it was speeding up the healing of its wounds.


    Soon, the thundering hooves of the Cindermares reached them, and Irwin stopped, raising his hand in greeting as the riders slowed their mounts. They all had bows ready but not raised.


    "Ho there, travelers! What brings you to Malorin?" one of the riders shouted as he forced his Cindermare a few steps before the others. His brown eyes were staring at the Charbull.


    Irwin blinked at the oddly familiar voice. He tried recalling who it was, but the best he could come up with was that he''d spoken to them before.


    "We are here to find lost family," he said honestly. "I used to live here, and I came from Degonda."


    There was a startled whispering and muttering from the riders.


    "You managed to make it through the Forest of Death?" the lead rider asked in disbelief. "How?"


    Irwin was surprised he didn''t ask him who he was, but then again, perhaps that didn''t matter. Many people had left Malorin over the years.


    "You mean the one behind the yellow plains?" he asked, wishing he actually knew what the forest was called.


    "Yes."


    "We went through there. Found many areas filled with piled-up corpses," Irwin said.


    This time, the riders all looked at him, most with the brown eyes native to the people here.


    "The only way you can move through there is if you have very rare or better cards," the lead rangers said softly. "And if that''s the case, we are more than happy that you made it. Still, we are going to have to ask you to follow us to the city. Lord Rhym will want to see you, especially if you have news from Degonda. We''ve not had any news for over half a year!"


    Irwin nodded, still getting the feeling he knew the lead rider.


    "Then lead on," he said.


    The riders turned and began heading forward, flanking them but showing no signs of aggression.


    Staring at the distant city, Irwin felt his stomach clench with expectation. Would his mother and brother still be there? Were they even still alive?

 Chapter 196: Irwin?

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    "What''s your name?" the lead ranger asked, riding beside Irwin.


    Irwin hesitated for only a moment before responding. "Irwin."


    There was a moment of silence. Then the rangers began talking all at once.


    "You''re Bronwyn''s brother?"


    "That''s impossible! Look at him! Bronwyn''s brother was a runt!"


    "Bronwyn''s almost as big¡­ Perhaps he needed some time to grow?"


    "Where have you been?"


    "Did you escape the sorcerers?"


    "Where are the others?"


    Irwin''s mind froze as he heard his brother''s name amidst the sudden cacophony of voices.


    "Bronwyn is alive?" he asked, nearly shouting.


    "Yes, he is," one of the riders said, while the others nodded.


    Irwin let out a whoosh of air as a tense, coiled-up fear unwound from his stomach.


    "My mother?" he asked.


    The ranger shook his head. "Sorry, I''ve got no idea. I don''t know Bronwyn that well."


    Irwin looked around, but the others just shook their heads.


    "Alright, I''ll find out when I arrive," he said as he noticed that the lead ranger was staring at him intently, scanning his face as if trying to find something.


    "I think I can see it," the man said, frowning. "The shape of the eyes and the chin, but how did you change this much? What kind of card does this?"


    Irwin tried to suppress his worry about his mother''s well-being. "Do I know you?" he asked.


    The ranger laughed sadly, shaking his head. "Yeah, I guess I changed even more. Well, this is going to be awkward. I''m Bast," he said, giving Irwin a sad grin.


    Irwin stared back in stunned silence. Bast? The brawny kid with the squeaky voice that had bullied him back in school? That made him, what, sixteen, seventeen? Why did he look like he was in his thirties?


    "Yeah¡­" Bast said, rubbing his beard. "I guess that look makes sense. "It''s a long story, but¡­ well, not too long after you left, the portals began popping up around here. Dad had given me another card, and I had to join the Rangers. For a while, things went alright, but after a few months, some of the others and I got trapped in a portal."


    "Come on, do you have to tell this? I hate being reminded of it," one of the riders grunted.


    Bast ignored him and sighed. "Do you know how some portals have time dilation?"


    "Yes," Irwin said.


    "I guess you would," Bast muttered, and Irwin saw his eyes land on his hands before he shook his head and looked ahead at Malorin. "Well, we were stuck there for close to twenty years, trying to find the linchpin."


    Irwin saw the pain in the other''s eyes as he looked up at the city, seemingly lost in thought.


    "It''s just him and me that managed to get out," the other ranger muttered.


    Irwin tried to picture being locked in a shardworld for that long and shivered.


    "Imps or Galubs?" he asked. There was no way they would have survived the Nyzir.


    "Galubs," Bast said. "It was an uncommon portal, so the worst were two-horned ones. When we finally found the linchpin, we were down to four."


    Irwin looked at Bast, unable to picture him as the young bully.


    "Did anyone else in our class survive?" Irwin asked as he recalled the different people.


    Bast sighed, shaking his head. "Only a few. Clarissa and Endil were the only ones who returned from those who left with you to the sorcerer towers. Her uncle, Sorcerer Doukyser Uldrot, brought her back a month or so later, and she said everyone else had died."


    Irwin continued ahead, absently rubbing the side of the Charbull as he remembered things from long ago.


    "So, did anyone else from your group make it?" Bast asked after a while.


    "Greldo''s alive," Irwin said as he continued ahead.


    "He is?" Bast nearly shouted in surprise. "How come you two survived? You both only had one card, and yours was bad, wasn''t it?"


    Something about the last bit caused something to click in Irwin''s mind, and he suddenly saw the shadow of Bast, the bratty bully. He grinned.


    "Yeah, and we were both small and weak," he added.


    Some of the surrounding rangers began laughing, and one beside Bast prodded him with his bow. Irwin saw it was all good-natured.


    Bast grimaced and looked down. "Sorry, I didn''t mean it like that."


    "It''s fine," Irwin said.


    Bast turned to Myda. "Are you also from Malorin?" he asked.


    "No, I''m from Degonda," she said. "Just acting as a guide, nothing more."


    "You look familiar," one of the rangers said. "Is it possible that I''ve seen you before?


    Myda looked over at him and shrugged. "Perhaps. Have you ever been to-"


    Irwin tuned them out as he stared at Malorin. At their current pace, reaching it would take a while, and he checked out the new walls and the larger gate.


    They continued walking for a while, and eventually, the rangers got tired of asking Myda about Degonda and fell quiet.


    As things quieted down, Irwin inspected the rangers. Many of them were thin, their eyes heavily lidded from too little sleep. They looked almost as bad as some of the people he''d seen in Degonda.


    "So, Irwin¡­ what''s with the charbull?" a ranger asked.


    Irwin looked up, noticing many of the riders were staring at him.


    "It came running out of Gloomforrest," Irwin said.


    "It''s gotta be one of Bjurn''s," another of the riders said, getting a round of agreed mutterings.


    "Are you alright with Bjurn taking a look when we return to see if it''s one of his? I''m sure he''d be grateful if you could return it if it were," the leader said.


    Irwin looked at the charbull, calm and trudging beside him, and nodded. Although he''d saved the bull, he had no intention of keeping it.


    "That''s fine, he said. "So, what happened to the Shadedeers?"


    There was a round of grunts and pained laughter from the riders while Bast sighed and shook his head.


    "We don''t know. A few months ago, the creatures in the forest started acting weird, and a whole group of Shadedeers fled in the middle of the night. Your brother followed them, but they continued beyond what was safe to follow," Bast said.


    I guess we found some of those then, Irwin thought as he glanced at the forest to their left.


    A good while later, they finally reached the hardened path that led up to Malorin''s gate, and Irwin saw dozens of rangers on the walls and towers staring at them. Bast and the riders dismounted, walking the last distance on foot.


    Irwin still had questions, but he found all he really wanted now was to see his family. One side of the gate slowly swung open, and four armed guards stepped forward. Their sharp eyes flitted from Irwin to Myda.


    "Bast, who do you have here?" one of them asked.


    "A ranger from Degonda and Bronwyn''s brother," Bast said.


    The guards froze and shared quick looks before turning to Myda.


    "You are from Degonda?" the one who spoke before asked, ignoring Irwin.


    "I am," Myda said.


    "Then you are going to have to come with us. Lord Rhym will need to speak to you!" the guard said as he walked forward, followed by the other three.


    Wait, Lord Rhym? Irwin thought, suddenly realizing Bast had said the same. Bryn wasn''t a lord¡­ he was his old teacher and the father of the current smith. How could he be the Lord?


    "We haven''t had any news from anywhere in ages."


    "Is Degonda still doing alright?"


    " Do you have any news on the other cities?"


    Myda held up her hands, quieting the guards. "I''ll answer your questions while we walk, alright? In exchange, can someone bring Irwin to his brother?"


    The lead guard looked at Irwin before turning to the rangers. "Bast, can you take care of this?"


    ¡°Yes Lordling Rolkur,¡± Bast said, sounding slightly annoyed.


    There was a muffled grin from the surrounding rangers while Irwin wondered who Rolkur was. The name seemed familiar, but he couldn''t remember who it was.


    Lord Rhym and Lordling Rolkur? What is going on here, he thought as he looked closer at what he guessed was the leader of this squad of guards. There was nothing familiar about the man, but more importantly, he didn''t have any of the family symbols of the lords of Malorin on his leather jerkin.


    I''ll ask Bronwyn, he thought, and that simple thought made him feel incredible.


    "Come find me when you''re done talking with Lord Rhym," he said as he nodded at Myda.


    "I will," Myda said as she followed the guards.


    They were barely twenty feet away before they began asking her a barrage of questions.


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    "I guess a lot is different now, isn''t it?" Bast asked as he handed his Cindermare''s reigns to another ranger.


    "More walls, new squares," Irwin said before turning to the Charbull. "Take care and stay out of Gloomforrest," he said, rubbing the massive neck.


    The Charbull snorted out a plume of superheated smoke. There was a worried hiss, but Irwin ignored it as the smoke trickled around Irwin''s chest and neck pleasantly.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll get him safely to the merchant''s quarters," one of the rangers said quickly, looking at Irwin''s chest and neck.


    "Thanks," Irwin said.


    Bast and he walked away, heading across the main road which wound through the new buildings.


    Bast didn''t say much, which Irwin was fine with. The first part of the city was completely new, with buildings looking surprisingly clean and well-made.


    "Sorcerer Uldrot brought a few uncommon and one rare building card," Bast said as he waved at the buildings. "It''s incredible what you can do with those."


    Irwin nodded, and they continued quietly across a square until they reached the old wall. The gates were wide open, and there were no guards, but it looked well-maintained. Irwin examined the familiar cobblestone streets and familiar sandy paths on the other side. A long burn mark across one of the buildings drew his eye, and he frowned.


    "They came through?" he asked.


    "Yeah," Bast said. "It was pretty bad. We lost over a hundred people that evening, and if Sorcerer Uldrot hadn''t brought those cards so we could expand and improve the wall, we might never have held on this long."


    Irwin nodded as he walked towards Ratdistrict.


    "Where are you going?" Bast asked in surprise.


    Irwin stopped and looked back. "Bronwyn isn''t home?"


    Bast grimaced and shrugged. "Right, I forgot you used to live in the Ratdistrict. No, he has a place behind the old crafters square now."


    I guess that makes sense, Irwin thought as he turned and headed in that direction.


    It didn''t take long for them to reach it, and with Bast''s directions, they eventually reached a small, two-story home snugly nestled between two others. Waste and debris lay stacked high between them, flies moving about, while the narrow alleyway ended in a dead-end a few houses further.


    "I''m not sure he''s home," Bast said. "If he''s not, I''ll take you to the Rangers Tower."


    Irwin nodded as he walked up to the door, staring at the dark, smooth wood. As he raised his hand to knock, he felt a knot in his stomach. Would his mother be here, or would only Bronwyn have survived?


    There was a hollow knock as he hit the door.


    "Coming!"


    Irwin had no difficulty recognizing Bronwyn''s voice, and he took a slight step back. He felt a sudden calm come over him. Whatever had happened, his brother was alive. Part of him wondered if Bronwyn would even recognize him or if he''d be surprised by some towering metal stranger before his door.


    The door was forced open, creaking and protesting by a young, curly-haired woman.


    "Hi," she said hesitatingly before turning to Bast. "Bast?"


    For one moment, Irwin thought they had the wrong house and that he''d imagined his brother''s voice. Then, a hulking man with brown hair and massive shoulders walked up behind the young woman. He was almost as tall as Irwin was, and he looked at Irwin in surprise.


    As soon as Irwin met the other man''s brown eyes, he recognized him. Although he was older, had a well-trimmed brown beard, and was almost twice as thick and wide as the last time he saw him, he realized he would recognize his brother anywhere.


    "Hey, Bronwyn," Irwin said, grinning wider. "Don''t tell me, you-"


    Bronwyn surged past the young woman, and suddenly Irwin was wrapped in strong arms, and then he was hugging his brother.


    "Irwin¡­ you''re alive," Bronwyn whispered. "We thought you were lost. Killed for the benefit of those bastards in the towers."


    Irwin hugged his brother back, a sense of incredible relief and joy filling him. He noticed the young woman stood behind them, smiling at him and rubbing at her eyes.


    "Irwin?" a familiar, older voice came down the hallway. Irwin''s head came up with a snap as he looked behind the younger woman to see his mother limping forward, leaning heavily on a wooden cane. She was carrying a softly struggling baby.


    "Mom¡­" Irwin whispered, barely noticing how Bronwyn stepped aside. "Mom!" he said again.


    His mother expertly hobbled further, barely seeming to notice how the young woman took the gurgling and squealing baby. Irwin stepped into the hallway, amazed at how tiny his mother looked. The last he''d seen of her, she had been almost as tall as Bronwyn. Now, she was over two heads shorter than him.


    "I made it back," he said, noting the tears that were slowly streaming across his mother''s face. She reached out an arm, making a grabbing motion, and Irwin walked forward, leaning down. His mother wrapped an arm around his neck and put her head in his chest, and Irwin heard her softly cry.


    "Where were you, foolish boy?" she whispered. "I almost died of worry."


    Irwin shook his head, holding his mother. Suddenly, he realized that, for now, everything was alright. His mother was alive, his brother was alive, and he was alive.


    Bast cleared his throat. "Enjoy your reunion. I think Lord Rhym will probably want to see you soon, but for now, he should be busy with your ranger friend. I''ll try and keep them away for a while."


    Irwin didn''t hear Bronwyn''s reply, but a few moments later, his brother closed the door.


    "Mom, Carla, let''s go to the kitchen so we can sit," Bronwyn said softly.


    Irwin nodded, but as he released his mother, she gripped his hand, not letting him move away. She stared at him with red, tear-filled eyes set in her familiar stern face, scanning his face almost as if she wanted to engrave it in her mind. Then she nodded.


    "Yes. I need to sit down before I fall over."


    Irwin smiled as she turned and hobbled down the hall to an open door, showing no sign of falling over.


    "She''s fine," Bronwyn whispered as he walked beside him and put an arm around his shoulders. "Come, let''s sit."


    They walked into a kitchen at least five times as large as the one in their old house. There was a heavy and probably expensive table on one side and a long beam near the ceiling. A five-foot-tall Owl was perched there, staring at Irwin intently.


    Glint, Irwin thought, staring at his brother''s summon. It had grown!


    After a few moments, he looked around the kitchen, noting all the unfamiliar things and a door leading to another room.


    Still, although much was different, within moments, Irwin recognized his mother''s touch. A bowl of water for cleaning stood on one side, and a corner was dedicated to taking off and cleaning boots. Without even thinking about it, he walked there, put his backpack on the ground, and took off his boots. Then he dumbly stared at his incredibly filthy bare feet, unwashed in weeks, and hesitated.


    "It''s fine," his mother exclaimed. "I''ll worry about filthy feet later. For now, sit down! I¡­ I¡­ ¡°


    Irwin saw how she sat in her chair, staring at him and barely seeing him. He walked forward and carefully sat down on one of the large, heavy chairs.


    "Don''t worry. If they can hold me, they should be able to hold you," Bronwyn said as he crossed his arms and looked at him.


    Irwin looked at Bronwyn''s massive arms, the backside covered in thick, coarse hair.


    "Yeah¡­ you''re a bit bigger than I remember," he said.


    Bronwyn''s eyes widened as he looked back, and there was a moment of silence. Then his brother burst out in a booming laughter. Irwin saw his mother shake her head, smiling brightly.


    After a short while, Bronwyn regained his calm.


    "How did you survive? What happened?" Bronwyn asked.


    "Where were you?" his mother whispered.


    Irwin cringed at the hurt in her voice, especially because he knew his priority had not been coming back. At least, not at first.


    "That''s going to be a long story," he said softly. "Before we do, I need to ask a few questions. I need to do that before Lord Rhym comes to ask his questions."


    "Don''t you cause trouble," his mother said. "Without Rhym, we would not have been here, and he paid¡­ well, more than most- more than us for it."


    Irwin saw his mother''s eyes turn wet again, and he quickly nodded. "Of course. I didn''t mean anything with it."


    His mother''s snort showed she didn''t believe him, but it made the next onset of crying disappear.


    "How come he is the Lord now? What happened since I was gone?" Irwin asked.


    Bronwyn hummed as he put his arms on the table. "Lots of bad things," he said. "A few weeks after you were taken, portals appeared on the edge of Gloomforest. Before we could close them all, a surge of Nyzir came out. We were, let''s call it lucky, that there were only a few dozen. Had there been more, that would have been the end of us. As it was, those shadow buggers made their way across the walls as if they weren''t there and into the old inner castle."


    Irwin grimaced. That couldn''t have ended well.


    "The nobles, to their credit, gave as good as they got," Bronwyn said. "When the other rangers and I arrived, only three Nyzir remained, but all the nobles were dead. Even then, those three Nyzir managed to take out a lot of rangers before we killed them."


    Irwin sighed as he saw the sad looks of the people around the table. The young woman, Carla, his brother had called her, was staring at him curiously, gently jostling the quiet baby. Irwin blinked, then looked at her, the baby, then back at Bronwyn.


    His brother''s frown vanished, replaced by a grin so wide Irwin thought he could hear his cheeks crack.


    "Irwin, meet my soulmate, Carla, and our son¡­" his brother blinked, then hesitated as he rubbed his chin. "Well¡­ Uhm¡­¡±


    "Ah, don''t make such a problem of it," his mother said. "They called the child Irwin in honor of you, but he''s only a month old, so there''s no reason not to change that!"


    Irwin leaned back, staring at the baby, then back at his brother in disbelief.


    "You named your son after me?" he whispered.


    "It was her idea," Bronwyn said, smiling at Carla.


    "Not a difficult one, with how much you talked about him," the young woman said. "It''s a good thing you are this big because with how highly he spoke of you, I''d expected as much. Besides, he''s called Irwin Drum Roddington. We can just call him Drum from now on."


    Irwin stared at Carla, noticing she was pretty, with very light brown eyes and darker brown hair and eyebrows. He was impressed at how in-stride she took everything.


    "Thank you," he said, feeling both uncomfortable, happy, and honored all at the same time at having someone named after him. Besides, he knew it had been because they had believed him dead, and that saddened him.


    "Alright, I need to know a few things quickly," he said. "Besides Rhym, are there any other people in charge?"


    "Why would you need to-" his mother began.


    "Everyone listens to Lord Rhym except for Sorcerer Uldrot, who is somewhat of an advisor to Rhym," Bronwyn said. "You will probably remember his cousin, Clarissa?"


    Irwin nodded, thinking quickly. Depending on what Myda was telling him, Lord Rhym would hopefully be ready and willing to prepare for an evacuation. Hopefully.


    "I have no idea why all these things are important," his mother said as she restlessly tapped the ground with her cane. "But I want to know what happened! I can barely believe I''m seeing you here, alive and¡­ What happened to your eyes? Why do you gleam like one of Endil''s chest plates?"


    "And how did you get this big?" Bronwyn added, grinning widely before turning to Carla. "You have any questions for him?"


    Carla smiled, but before she could say something, little Drum decided he''d been nice and quiet long enough. A soft crying came from the waddled-up baby, and Carla''s smile faded as she looked down. "I''ll go and feed him," she said hesitantly.


    Bronwyn nodded as he got up, staring at one of the cupboards. "I think there''s still some dried meat from yesterday. Eat it, or-"


    "No, Bron, you need that. There could be a portal again at any moment, and you will need your strength," Carla said.


    Irwin saw them stare at each other, and he quickly rose and walked to his backpack. Although he''d needed some of the rations he''d brought, Trimdir had given him more than enough to get here and back.


    "Here," he said, taking out the rations he had left and putting them on the table one at a time, quickly creating a small pile.


    "Thank Yilda," his mother whispered. "Look, Carla, fruit! It will help your milk production!"


    Irwin blinked, then quickly picked out the dried fruit and some meat and handed it to Carla, who was looking at the food as if she''d never seen any before. Drum''s crying intensified, almost as if he realized something was happening, and Carla snapped out of it.


    "Thank you," she whispered, nodding as she turned and disappeared through the other door.


    Irwin took another bit of meat and handed it to his mother.


    "No, I''m fine," she said, shaking her head. "It''s better we save it for Bronwyn and Carla and you now!"


    "Eat," Irwin said as he held the meat before her. "I need to tell you something, and you''re going to need your strength."


    His mother stared at him, then at the meet, and finally, hesitantly accepted it.


    Irwin sat back down, took a piece of dried meat, and pushed another to Bronwyn, who took it without comment.


    "Should we wait for Carla?" he asked.


    "No, it will take her a while to feed Ir-... Drum, and she will need to rest after that," Bronwyn said.


    "Alright, then I''ll explain a bit about what happened to me, but because I don''t know how much time we have, I''ll not go into too many details, and I''ll need to skip much. I promise, when we have more time, I''ll tell you whatever you wish to know, but for now-"


    Irwin tried to imagine how Daubutim would tell the story, leaving out anything useless and just focusing on the facts.


    It took longer than he''d expected, either because he wasn''t as good or because of the questions his mother and brother kept asking, especially at the start. He was glad he left out some things, like Ambraz and Scintilla. Still, as he skipped certain parts, he saw his mother''s eyebrows furrow as she stared at him.


    When he finally finished, flickering candles provided the only light in the room, and his mother seemed to be fighting her sleep.


    "So¡­ we are going to leave? To another world?" she whispered.


    "Yes," Irwin said calmly, staring at her. "One without demons and portals."


    His mother nodded before stifling a yawn.


    "So¡­ you can make cards stronger?" Bronwyn asked, frowning. "Can you do that for any cards, or are there limitations?"


    Irwin was about to answer when their mother rose.


    "I need to sleep, or I''ll not be able to help Carla in the morning," she said before hobbling to Irwin and hugging him. "I''m so glad you are back," she whispered before moving out of the room, muttering something about Frozir''s that helped instead of killed, giant desert worlds, and cardsmiths.


    Irwin smiled and turned back to Bronwyn.


    He was about to answer his question about smithing when his brother raised his hand. He was looking at the door, listening to something. Irwin heard his mother walk up a staircase, and the ticking of her cane faded as she headed further into the building. Only when it was completely gone did Bronwyn lower his hand.


    "Tell me about the cards later," Bronwyn said as he leaned forward, serious. "You said your friend will be able to create that portal somewhere close? Do you know where?"


    "No idea," Irwin said. "The other one ended up near Hangman''s hilltop, well hidden."


    "Yeah, that''s what I gathered," Bronwyn said as he frowned. "You know, there''s not many places here where things could be well hidden."


    "I know," Irwin said, sighing wearily. "It''s very likely that it will be inside Gloomforest."


    "Yes, and that''s going to be a problem," Bronwyn said, lowering his voice to a whisper. "Only some people know this, so don''t tell anyone, but there''s a powerful demon hiding inside the Gloomforest. It''s been killing or chasing away everything inside."


    "I was afraid of that," Irwin whispered. "Has anyone seen it?"


    Bronwyn flinched and nodded. "I have," he whispered. "It''s a monstrously big bird that seems hellbent on eating everything it comes across."

 Chapter 197: Family time

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    "Don''t worry, I''ve had my fair share of pain," Bronwyn said calmly. "If there''s anything you can do to make me stronger so I can protect Carla, Drum, and Mom, I''ll do it. Even if those silver eyes aren''t really my thing."


    "Don''t worry," Irwin said as he grinned. "I''m sure Carla won''t mind."


    Bronwyn snorted before shaking his head. "Since when were you this comfortable around girls?"


    "I''ll tell you about that when we have more time," Irwin said quickly, ignoring his brother''s raised eyebrow and sudden grin. "Now that the rest are asleep, there''s another thing I need to tell you."


    Bronwyn frowned as he looked around. "Why couldn''t they hear it?"


    "Because it would take way too much time to explain. However, if I am to reforge your cards and make you heartcarded, you will need to know," Irwin said before tapping his pocket. "Ambraz, is everything clear?"


    "If by clear you mean, is anyone hiding around listening to you two talk? Then no," Ambraz snorted as he struggled out of Irwin''s pocket and flitted on his shoulder. "At least nothing besides that big bird."


    "You have a talking summon?" Bronwyn asked with raised eyebrows.


    "What? Who are you calling a summon, you big hairy lump?" Ambraz said. "I''m a¡­ well, just call me a Ganvil, I guess."


    Irwin was surprised that Ambraz didn''t make Bronwyn call him an Anvil of the gods.


    "You''re¡­ a demon?" Bronwyn asked carefully.


    ¡°No, no,¡± Ambraz snapped. "I''m not addled!"


    "Ambraz is a talking anvil," Irwin said with a grin. "He''s my smithing partner, and together, we''ve managed to do some very interesting things."


    Bronwyn nodded, leaning forward as he examined Ambraz. "Why do you have a mouth? Can you eat?"


    Irwin held back a grin and slowly removed his remaining stack of cards, easily three fingers thick, from his pocket. Bronwyn''s eyes widened as he saw them.


    "You could create ten whole new squads of rangers with those," he whispered.


    Irwin didn''t answer but picked a utility card from the top and flicked it to Ambraz. Ambraz''s body instantly grew to the size of a kettle, and he snagged the card out of the air before crunching on it.


    "No¡­" Bronwyn hissed. "He eats cards? That''s¡­ that''s¡­¡±


    "Delicious," Ambraz said as he licked his gray lips. "Don''t worry so much. It''s just one card."


    Irwin was happy and surprised when Bronwyn''s shock quickly turned to a thoughtful look.


    "So, you eat cards. Why? Does that do anything?" he asked.


    "If you want better cards or heartcards, that''s how it works," Ambraz said, sounding far too proud of himself.


    Irwin just grinned at Bronwyn''s raised eyebrow.


    "That''s about right. So, how about you tell me what cards you have," Irwin said.


    He knew he didn''t have to ask because he doubted they were high enough to block whatever ability Ambraz was using to scan them, but at least this would show which parts of his cards Bronwyn valued most.


    "You know about my bow and Glint," Bronwyn said, staring at his left hand and tapping the first and second slot. Due to his hand being combined, both slots were wrapped in thin lines and imagery that connected them to the other card slots. "During the first time, the creatures in Gloomforest went crazy, I managed to get the killing shot of some enormous bear. It dropped a rare card." He patted the third card with a happy smile.


    Irwin whistled, knowing full well what a rare card meant in Malorin.


    "Nobody tried to take it?" he asked.


    Bronwyn let out a weary sigh as he rubbed his arm. "Yeah, some of the older guards saw, and they tried to take it away. Luckily, Glint grabbed it, and I managed to slot it before they could cause more trouble."


    "They must have been furious," Irwin whispered.


    Bronwyn''s eyes narrowed. "They actually tried to have Lord Rhym judge me, but too bad for them that old man''s way too crafty to be tricked by that."


    Irwin hesitated as he recalled when Rhym was his teacher, and he shook his head. "I don''t recall Rhym as being all that crafty¡­ Just old and tired."


    "Yeah, just don''t let anyone else hear you," Bronwyn said. "Lord Rhym¡­ well, I guess you don''t know this, but his son was killed by those Nyzir. You should have seen him, I mean- we all heard the rumors and stories growing up, but I didn''t really believe them until I saw him fight. He just went crazy, and it was only because of him that we managed to deal with those three Nyzir. He killed one and held the other two at bay. After that¡­ well, one of them dropped an odd card, and he took it and slotted it in his final slot, making him the only two-handed here."


    "Say, Bronwyn? How many cards have been dropping?" Ambraz asked in a seemingly calm voice.


    Irwin''s hair stood on end instantly. He recognized the tone Ambraz was using, one he only used when something bad was happening.


    Bronwyn quietly looked at Ambraz for a few moments, seeming to hesitate.


    "What? I''m not asking because I want to eat them," Ambraz snapped. "Who would want those crummy things!"


    "Bron, how many are dropping?" Irwin asked.


    "A lot. Probably one per ten kills. It''s the only reason we are still able to resist. We''ve been prioritizing getting everyone in the city at least one or two cards. That was Rhym''s idea. He said that if we are going to get overrun either way, having everyone able to fight would be more useful than having a small group of powerful two-handed."


    "That sounds like a good idea," Irwin said absently, keeping an eye on Ambraz.


    Bronwyn seemed to realize something was up and looked at the anvil curiously.


    "Ambraz?" Irwin asked.


    "Yeah, yeah. One moment," Ambraz muttered. "I''m checking your brother''s recent cards for¡­ well, that''s not good."


    Irwin felt his skin crawl. "What do you mean?"


    "They are way too high quality," Ambraz muttered. "Between that and the increase in drops, it means Giard is rapidly becoming more unstable. What is that stupid beardy face doing?!"


    "Beardy face?" Bronwyn asked, confused.


    "I''ll explain later," Irwin said. "Bron, tell me about the rest of your cards, and then we can see to getting you a sixth."


    "That sounds like a great plan," Bronwyn said with a sudden grin.


    I hope you''re hurrying, Daubutim, he thought as he absently listened to his brother talk about his other two cards.


    --


    "Snap out of it! I asked if there are more on the way or if this is it?" Greldo said as he looked at the group of bedraggled crafters standing in the open area before the portal.


    "There are a dozen more coming," the lone guard among them said. He was looking around wide-eyed. "Are we really in another world?"


    "You went through the portal, didn''t you?" Greldo said with a grin.


    "Now, listen up! Follow that path until you reach the others, and don''t go wandering off. There might be no demons and portals here, but there are dangerous beasts. If you see a flying frog, run to the camp, don''t fight. There''s a large hound in the camp, who is my summon. He''ll take care of it."


    There was a silence as the craftsmen and guard stared at him.


    "Move, I''ll wait here for the others," Greldo snapped.


    The craftsman hauled up their backpacks and began walking along what was slowly becoming a well-trodden path.


    "I wonder who he is?"


    "How can he have a summon? He has no cards!"


    "He didn''t? All I saw was that he had some weird eyes."


    "I wonder if it''s summer here¡­"


    Greldo waited till the group was out of hearing range before snorting.


    "That''s a good question," he muttered as he looked at the sky.


    Let''s just hope it''s not fall, he thought. They were going to need time to build houses for everyone, and if the winters here were harsh, that would not be a good thing.


    --


    Daubutim inspected the map, as Lord Bron traced a path.


    "The rangers have managed to clear the areas around the shortest path up to this point, and the first wagon will reach the portal in two days," Lord Bron said, looking up at Daubutim. "Have you decided on the optimal second group?"


    "I have," Daubutim said calmly, and he began slowly calling out names while Lord Bron wrote them down.


    They were barely halfway through when there was a loud knock on the door. Lord Bron looked up in surprise.


    "I didn''t expect anyone yet, or is it night already?"


    The knock came again, louder this time.


    "Enter!" Lord Bron said as he focused on the door.


    It swung open, and a tall, old Frozir stomped inside.


    Elder Gum''dil''ran, Daubutim thought, recognizing the leader of the Frozir.


    A smaller, smiling Frozir woman followed the Elder, and Daubutim nodded. Satiya, she was called. Back when Irwin and he had left, she had been the last female Frozir able to give birth.


    The Elder''s eyes were like ice as he looked around. "When will my people be allowed to that world?"


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    "What Elder Gum''dil''ran means is, thank you for seeing us on such short notice," Satiya said. "We have heard rumors that you have found a safe world and are relocating?"


    "Satiya, it is good to see you," Lord Bron said as he waved. "Gum''dil''ran. Still as cold as ever, I see."


    "Spare me your semantics," Gum''dil''ran said.


    Daubutim frowned as he watched the odd interaction, noticing that Lord Bron seemed to ignore the Elder and focus on Satiya.


    "I wondered when you would come," Lord Bron said. "Sit, and let''s talk."


    They have some sort of connection, Daubutim thought as he followed them to the chairs.


    --


    Irwin lay on his back on the hard wooden floor, staring at the old, gnarly beams that held up the ceiling.


    He''d been trying to fall asleep but couldn''t, finding himself unable to stop thinking about where he was and what his brother had told him.


    The Babliblon, which it had to be from the description Bronwyn had given him, had arrived a few months ago and seemed to be roaming the deepest parts of Gloomforest, killing and eating anything it came across.


    So, if that thing is still like that, what killed all of those animals in Death Forest? Irwin thought. Just like the previous times, there was a lingering memory that kept trying to crop up.


    He shoved the feeling and the question away. He''d tried to recall for a long time before and just couldn''t come up with anything. Hopefully, it would come to him after he woke. If he ever managed to fall asleep, that was.


    Besides, there were more important things to worry about, he knew, as he absently put his hand on the pocket holding his cards.


    An aura card, he thought as he recalled what Ambraz had suggested: one that would influence anyone within fifty feet of his brother. Aggressive thoughts towards him would be lessened, and positive ones would be improved. He had no idea why Ambraz seemed to think it was the perfect match, but Bronwyn had been more than happy with having another rare card.


    I''ll reforge it to Emerald tomorrow, then do his two already slotted cards, he thought. After that, Bronwyn would need to familiarize himself with his new cards for a while, then make his second full-hand, and only after that could he create the heartcard. With some luck, it could be done in a few days, depending on how compatible they were.


    His mind kept spinning as he went through the cards in his stack, imagining which would fit his mother or Carla. At some point, soft footsteps and a hard ticking came from above, then down the stairs.


    Irwin leaned on his elbow to see his mother enter the room. Her eyes were red, and her face sagged with relief as she looked at him.


    "Sorry. Did I wake you?" she whispered.


    "No, I couldn''t sleep," Irwin said as he pushed himself up and sat down at the table. His mother moved to sit down opposite him.


    "I had a nightmare that your return had been nothing but a dream," she said. "I had to check."


    "It''s fine," Irwin said as he smiled at her.


    "I should let you sleep. You will need rest for tomorrow," his mother said, smiling and seeming ready to get up.


    "No need," Irwin said as he shook his head. "Sleep isn''t coming, and my card will keep me going for days if need be."


    His mother didn''t need any convincing as she relaxed and looked at his hands, then his eyes.


    "Did it hurt?" she asked as she gestured at his eyes.


    "Getting a heartcard?"


    Irwin hesitated. He wanted to tell her it hadn''t and that it was all fine, but he would reforge people''s cards in the future so she would learn the truth. Besides- as he stared into her calm eyes, seeing the familiar stern look, he knew it would be best not to sugarcoat it. He''d always been awful at lying to her.


    "Yes," he said with a sigh, leaning back. "It hurt enough to make me cry and scream, just like when I was a little boy."


    His mother blinked, then frowned. Irwin saw her mind spin with questions that answered themselves, and slowly, she relaxed and nodded


    "I''m proud of you," she said, and Irwin felt a wave of joy. It lasted for only a few moments as she spoke again. "You will need to reforge my cards for me."


    Irwin stared at her, opening his mouth, then closing it, and picturing him hammering his mother''s cards as she was wracked by pain. "I¡­"


    His mother raised an eyebrow. "Irwin, do you think I can''t handle a little bit of pain?"


    Irwin licked his lips and shook his head. "No," he said. "But the idea of me inflicting it on you¡­"


    A suddenly fiery annoyance flushed across his mother''s face, and for a few moments, Irwin thought he was a boy again, and he''d done something foolish.


    "You would do it to help me. I''d rather you do it than someone else!" she said, obviously doing her best to refrain from talking too loud but still unable to keep the sternness from her voice.


    Irwin felt the worry about hurting his mother vanish as he pictured another smith reforging his mother''s cards, and he gripped the table, causing it to crack.


    "No," he said. "If someone has to do it, I''ll do it. At least then, I know it will be done well."


    A tiny shock ran across his mother''s face, followed by pride. "Good. Now, how about you tell me about the girl you met, which you kept excluded from the story?"


    Irwin felt his mind jolt from the constant barrage of different emotions, this time surprise.


    "How¡­?"


    "Do you think I wouldn''t know if my own son was holding things from me?" his mother snorted. "You couldn''t lie to me when you were ten, not when you were sixteen, and not now that you are¡­"


    Her face fell slightly. "Irwin, how old are you?"


    "I don''t know for sure," Irwin said, happy to talk about something else then Scintilla for a little longer. "I spent a lot of time in different portals with lots of time-dilation. Especially the time on Scour added up. I think I''m nineteen, but¡­ I could be a bit younger or older."


    "Not over twenty-four?" she asked, leaning forward and looking at him intently.


    Not sure why that mattered, Irwin thought hard, then shook his head. "No, I could be twenty, but definitely not twenty-four."


    "Good. Otherwise, it would be confusing because that would make you older than your older brother," his mother said with a sigh. "He also became older due to those horrid portals."


    Irwin nodded as he realized why she''d asked. Bronwyn had already told him he''d been stuck a few times, though luckily, never longer than half a year.


    Odd, he thought. Weren''t time dilations supposed to become less pronounced if a world became more unstable? Or was that more...


    "Now, who is she?" his mother asked, staring at him.


    Irwin sighed as he thought about Scintilla before slowly telling his mother about her.


    --


    A loud knock came from the door leading outside, and Irwin looked up. Everyone was sitting at the table, Carla holding the baby close while they all ate small bites of his rations. It was so early that the sun wasn''t even high enough to hit the tiny windows. However, his mother''s exclamations and louder questions had eventually woken the rest and brought them down.


    "I''ll check," Bronwyn said as he got up and walked into the hallway.


    The outside door was opened, and Irwin heard Myda''s familiar voice, followed by some man''s voice. They began talking with Bronwyn, and Irwin looked at his mother. He knew he would probably need to leave in a minute. Luckily, she seemed to have calmed down considerably since a few hours earlier when he''d told her she was technically grandmother a few times over.


    "I think I''m going to need to have a chat with Lord Rhym," he said.


    "Don''t worry. Rhym is a good man, and he will listen," his mother said, looking up.


    Irwin nodded just as Bronwyn called him from the door.


    "I''ll be back soon," he said, smiling at his mother, then nodding at Carla and walking out.


    Bronwyn stood at the door, arms crossed, looking more like a bear than a man. Myda stood a few steps away with a guard. She looked dead-tired, but her smile and sparkling eyes told Irwin enough.


    "Lord Rhym wants to meet you," she said. "There''s also a sorcerer here that can teleport! She can''t reach Degonda in a single teleport and doesn''t know the way, but with me along she-"


    Irwin walked outside, surprised when Myda continued rattling. Listening with half an ear, he turned and nodded at Bronwyn.


    "I''ll be back as soon as this is ready, and you can show me the ranger''s tower."


    "We will be here," Bronwyn said.


    Irwin followed Myda and the Guard through the city, which was still gloomy and mostly empty. Only a few rangers and guards and the occasional commoner walked around. All of them, but especially the commoners, were visibly underfed, with gaunt faces and sunken cheeks.


    We need to get out of here, Irwin thought.


    As they closed in on the old castle, walking across a square, he realized that where he was now had been off-limits to him for most of his life in Malorin. He remembered a moment, long ago when the young lordlings had gotten their cards in a ceremony on this square. Picturing it now, after everything he had seen about cards, it seemed somewhat laughable.


    They walked up the wide, square staircase to the main gate and into the column-filled hallway of the castle. The central area was cold, empty, and dusty, but Irwin looked around curiously as they walked further into the castle. He''d never been in here, but had thought and even dreamed about it many times when he was young.


    They walked through hallways and corridors, then up a stone staircase. It ended in a large room with dozens of bookcases and guards near the windows. A massive table that reminded him of the one in Lord Bron''s room stood in the center, and at the head sat a familiar old man in a thick, dark chestplate. The minute vibrations from it told him it was a carded skill.


    Teacher Rhym, Irwin thought, startled by the changes wrought on his old teacher.


    Rhym''s face was clean-shaven and etched by a grief Irwin didn''t remember. Gone was the long mass of white hair, replaced by a short-cropped stubble, making the man before him look younger than he remembered. There was a burning willpower and hope in his eyes as they locked onto his.


    "If I hadn''t been told, I''d never have recognized you," Rhym said in a rough but familiar voice. "From the smallest to the tallest. Well done in surviving."


    Irwin stopped before the table, noting two more people sitting there. One was an older man with a brown beard, and sparkling brown eyes, while the other was Clarish. Staring at the girl he''d had a crush on for most of his time in school, Irwin realized she was beautiful, even when compared to the many women he had seen on Fiverion. She could stand with the best of them, and her eyes, similar to her uncle''s, sparkled with a curious interest.


    "Lord Rhym," he said, focusing on his old teacher.


    Somehow, it didn''t feel odd to call him that, and as he thought about what his mother and brother had told him, he felt a sudden gratitude towards the man.


    "Thank you for keeping my family safe, for keeping everyone in Malorin safe," he said, lowering his head slightly.


    Rhym''s face showed a tiny bit of surprise, and then Irwin saw something he''d not seen directed at him by the man¡ªat least never when he was his student. Rhym smiled. It was weak, but even then, it was more than Irwin had seen on his face before.


    "You are welcome," Lord Rhym said, slowly rising from his chair. "But I think I should be the one thanking you if all that Myda told us is true."


    Irwin smiled, hearing the unvoiced question.


    "There is a portal near Degonda that will bring us to a new, safe world," he said. "One far enough from trouble so we can rebuild before any more find us."


    "Sit down, please," Lord Rhym said as he returned to his chair. Irwin noticed that his movements were slightly stiff as if he was in pain. "We have some questions."


    Irwin sat down opposite the sorcerer, Myda taking the chair beside him. For the next half an hour, he answered a lot of questions he was sure Myda had already answered. Still, even knowing this, he calmly continued. If this was what Rhym needed to believe them, he was fine with providing more answers. When the questions finally stopped, Irwin watched his old teacher stare at the table silently, seeming lost in thought.


    "I have one more thing to tell you," Irwin said, causing Lord Rhym to look at him with weary resignation.


    "Bronwyn told me about the thing in the forest, and I''m afraid I have a very good idea what it is," he said.


    "But you have only just returned?" Clarissa asked in surprise.


    Irwin nodded. "It''s called a Bablibon, and it used to be in a portal world I went to. It had been trapped there and was feeding on the Galubs," he said as he quickly explained what he knew about the demonic terror bird.


    "If you could wound it when you only had a few cards, wouldn''t it be easy to kill it with enough people?" Lord Rhym asked, tapping his finger on the table. "Or is there more?"


    "More, I''m afraid," Irwin said. "While trapped, the Bablibon was starving and much weaker than it should be. Still, even that weak, it was able to survive a fight with a four-horned Galub which is roughly on par with most weaker heartcarded. Now, after it''s been feasting on the creatures of Gloomforest, I fear it will be much more powerful."


    "How strong are we talking?" Sorcerer Uldrot asked calmly.


    "I honestly don''t know," Irwin said. "I hadn''t expected to find it here, but I know it has a soulskill that can influence those around it to think it is easy prey. That means it will likely easily overpower anyone without a heartcard, causing them to behave recklessly."


    There was a moment of quiet, and then Lord Rhym nodded slowly. "I see. Do you think you can defeat it?"


    "I don''t know," Irwin said. "I''ll need to find out more about it and its abilities."


    They continued talking about the Bablibon for a few more minutes till sorcerer Uldrot turned to his niece.


    "I think it is time for the two of you to go to Degonda," he said. "Remember what I told you. Don''t go as far as you can with any single jump, but leave some energy to make a short-range escape teleport if you appear somewhere dangerous."


    "Yes, Uncle Doukyser," Clarish said, sounding only minutely annoyed.


    As she rose, Irwin couldn''t help but be amazed that even after all he''d gone through, he still enjoyed watching her supple movements. However, unlike before, there was no burning juvenile interest like he''d had what seemed like ages ago. Now, he just looked at her with genuine appreciation and not a single desire to act on it.


    Time is weird, he thought, watching Myda and Clarish move to the center of the room.


    "Tell Daubutim I''ll be searching for any potential places the portal could open up at but for him to ready an army on the other side. If the Bablibon finds the entrance, it might go through without me being able to stop it."


    "Will he be able to kill it?" Lord Rhym asked, sounding hopefull.


    Irwin thought about Greldo on the other side, together with Coal. They might be able to, but¡­ He hesitated. There was one force powerful enough to stop the Bablibon there, but was he willing to let them on the planet while he and Daubutim were gone?


    He thought for a few moments, then made up his mind. He trusted Xi''kroak, besides, if the Da''xi wanted to, he could probably storm the portal and take the world by force.


    He turned to Myda, who had been watching him intently. "Tell Daubutim to send Greldo a message. He is to explain the situation to Captain Xi''kroak and let him and his people on the planet."


    Myda looked slightly confused, but she nodded. "Alright."


    Irwin saw that Lord Rhym and the sorcerer were frowning, but neither asked anything, which surprised him somewhat.


    "Hold on to my arm," Clarissa said. "It''s easier to bring people like that."


    Myda did as asked, and a soft, bubbling sound came from the air around them a moment later. Watery droplets appeared, first only a few but quickly more, and within moments, they were surrounded by what looked like rain hovering midair. Then, with a sudden plop, they vanished. The water cascaded down, causing small rivulets and streams across the stone floor.


    I hope things are going quickly on Daubutim''s end, Irwin thought.


    "I will begin preparing the guards and the rangers," Lord Rhym said. "What will you be doing?"


    "I need to talk with my brother," Irwin said as he rose. "If you need me, I''ll be at the ranger tower."

 Chapter 198: Emergency smithing

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    Irwin watched his brother groan as he lay on his back on the tower''s basement floor.


    "And you did this to yourself?" Bronwyn finally asked, pushing himself up on his elbows and staring at Irwin.


    "I wouldn''t have been able to do it without Ambraz," Irwin said honestly.


    The Anvil, which was standing in the center of the locked-down room, hummed, smiling widely.


    Bronwyn grunted, then scrambled up and looked at his right hand. "I feel like it should be a shattered, mangled mess," he said, slowly making a fist.


    "It''s not true physical pain," Irwin said.


    "I wonder if my cards felt that, and that''s why it hurt so much," Bronwyn said before raising his hand. "You''re sure I can''t just slot my final card now?" he asked.


    "I see why you are brothers," Ambraz snapped. "So impatient! No, wait till tomorrow at a minimum. The resonance of your cards is out of balance because they didn''t match as nicely as they should. If you had just done as I said and removed those two cards to slot new ones, it wouldn''t have been this hard."


    "Probably," Bronwyn said as he grinned at the Anvil. "But I like my cards. They are a part of me!"


    Then it''s going to be a shock when you get your heartcard, Irwin thought. Unlike him, he couldn''t get his brother an Ammolite or Diamond rank card, and as much as he wanted to wait a few years till he could, he knew they couldn''t wait for that. As much as he was impressed by Lord Rhym and Sorcerer Uldrot if he had to trust someone with the power of a heartcard it would be his brother. He might need help killing the Bablibon, or worse, if he failed and died, his family would need someone powerful to protect them.


    "Do you think you can share some of those cards so we can boost more rangers?" Bronwyn asked.


    Irwin hesitated. He only had enough cards left to feed Ambraz to reforge two or three heartcards, depending on how hard it would become, and he needed one of those for Daubutim.


    "Maybe a few, but I need most to make heartcards," he said. "If you have rangers that you trust I can reforge their handcards?"


    Bronwyn hummed as he cracked his neck. "Yeah, that would help a lot. Most rangers are trustworthy, but some are only playing nice right now. That''s because of everything that''s been going on. I know some that we better not make any more powerful so it doesn''t bite us in the ass later."


    Irwin nodded as he thought for a bit. "Alright, I can do those. Just make sure not to mention Ambraz. All they will see is a simple anvil."


    "Pfah! Simple Anvil? Ambraz snorted. "Even without talking, I''m far from simple!"


    "Alright, I''ll go round up my team," Bronwyn said as he looked at his left hand. "It''s a shame you can''t reforge my other cards."


    "I know," Irwin said. "But remember, after you turn a heartcard into a soulcard you can start creating a new card."


    "Yeah," Bronwyn said with a grin. "Let''s talk about that in a few years when it actually happens?"


    He walked to the door, then stopped. "Mother really said you should do her cards?"


    Irwin shivered, then nodded. "Yes, and if I don''t do it, she is going to try and find someone else to."


    Bronwyn grimaced. "I don''t envy you."


    Irwin nodded as his brother left the cellar.


    "So, you''re really going to reforge the cards of all these punks?" Ambraz asked.


    "We need them to get everyone to the portal location safely," Irwin said. "Besides, it will be good practice."


    "Fine, but you should pick out the cards you want to feed me when we make your brother''s card."


    Irwin nodded as he thought about Bronwyn''s Emerald sixth card. "Are you finally telling me what that sixth card we gave Bronwyn does?" he asked.


    "Yeah! It will increase his mental resistance by a whole lot, almost to the same level as you have," Ambraz said, sounding content. "It''s also able to blend together the rest of his cards."


    That will be useful against the Bablibon, Irwin thought.


    Happy, he took out his stack of cards and slowly began rearranging them as he waited for Bronwyn.


    The day passed like a blur, and when he finally walked back to Bronwyn''s house, his card was close to empty. He had reforged cards for eleven rangers, which took most of the day, then discussed with Bronwyn and the rest of ranger leaders how to get information on the Bablibon.


    "You think they can do it without getting caught?" he asked as he examined the familiar sights around him, soaking in the nostalgic feeling. He knew he would soon be leaving again, and the planet would likely shatter after.


    "I don''t know," Bronwyn said calmly. "But we need the information. All three rangers that will go tonight have perfect night vision and better hearing and senses than me. They also have summons to scout ahead. If they can''t find and track that monster, there''s nobody here that can. "


    "And in that case, we are going to have to go in full-force," Irwin muttered.


    "I''ve sent the rest of my squad to Pulvir''s Grave to investigate it thoroughly," Bronwyn said. "If we have any sort of luck, perhaps that''s where the portal opening is hidden."


    "That would be fantastic," Irwin agreed, but he had a strong feeling it was also unlikely to happen.


    "Ambraz, how are my cards doing? Can I slot the sixth tomorrow?" Bronwyn whispered.


    Irwin frowned, but to his surprise, Ambraz replied in a soft affirmative whisper.


    "They seem to be adjusting much faster than I had thought, so it should be fine. Let me look again tomorrow morning, alright?"


    "Sure!" Bronwyn said, grinning brightly.


    The rest of the evening was filled with talking, laughing, and joy and Irwin was surprised to find a rudimentary bed in the large kitchen. If it was the bed or the busy day, he didn''t know, but he slept well that night.


    After a short breakfast and a chat, he and Bronwyn returned to the tower basement, which Irwin had now more or less claimed for himself.


    "So, can I slot it?" Bronwyn asked excitedly.


    "Ugh, so impatient," Ambraz said. "But, to my surprise, yes. It should be fine now."


    Brownyn whooped, pulling out the card and holding it above his right hand in a single fluid motion.


    Irwin sighed and crossed his hands as he watched the card sink into Bronwyn''s hand.


    A few moments later, Bronwyn laughed. "It works like you said! I can sense Irwin."


    "Of course I''m right," Ambraz muttered.


    "So, what do you feel?" Irwin asked curiously as he watched his brother walk around, looking up at the ceiling.


    "I''d say emotions, but that''s not entirely correct," Bronwyn said. "It''s more that I sense the general idea of emotions. I can''t exactly sense if you are happy or angry, at least not yet."


    "No, no. You won''t," Ambraz said. "This is just a byproduct of the card''s real skill."


    "Well, it''s great," Bronwyn said with a grin. "It will allow me to detect things way before I see them!"


    "How wide is the range?" Irwin asked, happy at seeing Bronwyn this enthusiastic.


    "I don''t know, but I can feel the people moving about above us, so at least twenty feet."


    They continued for a short while before Bronwyn turned to Ambraz. "So, how long till I can safely form my next fullhand?"


    "Tomorrow should be fine," Ambraz said, and Bronwyn''s grin widened. "Alright, I''ll send you the next group of rangers!"


    Irwin nodded wearily but laughed as Bronwyn nearly skipped up the staircase, which looked odd for such a massive man.


    The day passed like the first, though Irwin was wondering if Myda and Clarish had safely arrived at Degonda. It should take them a day, with Clarish needing to rest in between teleports.


    The next day started the same, with Bronwyn forming his second full-hand without a hitch. Like with his reforging, Irwin was impressed at how little Bronwyn showed of the intense pain that came with the difficult act.


    "Finally," Bronwyn muttered.


    He visibly struggled to stand, swaying slightly in the center of the cellar.


    "I''m going to catch up to you soon," he said, smiling at Irwin.


    "Are you alright?" Irwin asked, feeling slightly sick at the pain Bronwyn had gone through. He was starting to realize that with people you love, it was better to feel the pain yourself instead of seeing them have it.


    Bronwyn grinned, his face slowly regaining some color. "I''m so happy you are back!"


    "You had better," Irwin said, forcing the sick feeling away as he clapped his brother''s shoulder. "Otherwise, I''d be sad!"


    The two brothers laughed and chatted as Bronwyn recovered from the ordeal of forming his second fullhand. As he did, Irwin also slowly regained his clarity. When Bronwyn finally walked to the exit, he turned to Irwin and focused on Ambraz, nestled on Irwin''s shoulder.


    "So¡­ how long till a heartcard?"


    "Two or three days would be best," Ambraz said. "You are going pretty fast."


    "Two it is," Bronwyn said before turning and running out of the room.


    "I take back what I said," Ambraz hissed. "He has even less patience than you!"


    Irwin could only smile as he waited for the first ranger to arrive.


    Midway through the next day, just after he had finished reforging another ranger''s cards, Bronwyn came running into the room. The young female ranger was still lying in a crumpled heap on the ground but quickly struggled to her feet, wiping her face.


    Bronwyn didn''t even look at her, and Irwin saw from his face that something bad had happened.


    "One of the scouts finally returned," Bronwyn said, gritting his teeth. Then he turned to the female ranger. "Melli, head back up and get yourself together. We are expecting trouble!"


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Melli shakily ran to the door, still wiping her face as she did. "I will, Bronwyn," she croaked, and Irwin wondered if she would even reach the top of the stairs without falling unconscious.


    Bronwyn had his head cocked, listening until Melli was gone.


    "The other two scouts were killed," Bronwyn hissed as he slammed his fist into the wall beside the door, causing a soft rumbling and cracks to appear. "Slither barely managed to return, but his summon was destroyed. He''s unconscious now, but he managed to tell us a bit before. He found the Bablibon digging into the northern part of Sultur Crevice!"


    Irwin frowned. He knew little about the details of the Gloomforest, but everyone, including he, knew about Sultur Crevice! It was a long gorge that ran from the center of the Gloomforest up to the north and was filled with a whole host of dangerous monsters. There was a standing order that no ranger was to go within any distance of it out of fear that they might draw those demons to Malorin.


    Bronwyn sighed, turning to Irwin and shaking his head. "He said that the monster was talking to itself as it was digging, seemingly completely insane. It kept mumbling and singing about finding ''it'' before going to take revenge."


    "Finding what?" Irwin asked.


    ¡°No idea,¡± Bronwyn said. "Slither began convulsing after he spoke, then fell unconscious. You should have seen him. He looked completely out of it, almost attacking some of the guards. He''s got a nasty cut on his chest. It should be healing, but-"


    Irwin jumped forward. "Was there purple fog leaking out of it?"


    Bronwyn''s face paled, and he nodded.


    "Quick, bring me there!"


    To his brother''s credit, he didn''t bother asking what was going on but just turned and sprinted out of the basement, up the tower, Irwin close behind.


    They ran up out of the cellar, past the entrance, and then up another staircase to a room filled with beds. A few rangers were fussing around a one on which a still, moaning figure lay.


    "Get away from him!" Irwin shouted as he saw thin tendrils of a familiar purple mist drift up and congregate around the ceiling.


    The rangers stepped back, looking at him in confusion and surprise.


    "Do as he says, out of the way!" Bronwyn roared, causing all of the rangers to jolt and scramble to get away from the body on the bed.


    Irwin jumped forward, his flame surging around him with the same angry hunger it had shown before. As soon as it appeared, the purple mist reacted, drifting away as if sentient and afraid. Irwin focused his control, and his flame flared outward in bowl shape. Within a moment, it had created a container around him, the bed and mist, blocking off its path to escape.


    The stone ceiling turned black as the fire pressed against it, but Irwin ignored that. His eyes were on Slither''s body lying on the bed. A long wound moved from his cheek down his neck to his chest, and more of the purple mist was slowly flowing out of it.


    There''s so much more than before, he thought, compressing his flame. As soon it touched the purple mist, he felt the same draining sensation he''d noticed when dealing with the charbull while his flame seemed to want to explode with all of the intensity it had.


    If I need more energy because there''s more mist, I''ll run out before I finish, Irwin thought, paling as he increased the heat of his flame and shrunk it until it hung above the bed, containing the purple gas. He kept a little barrier around the bed, but only tiny bits of purple mist were still leaking from the body.


    "What are you going? You are doing to kill him!"


    Irwin ignored the shouts as he heard his brother intervene. Instead, he focused fully on thinking of a way to clear out the purple gas. With the Charbull, it had been easy as it had been fine with his flame, but if he used it on Slither, the ranger''s body would turn to ash. Besides, he might not have enough energy by a long shot.


    "Irwin, what are you doing?"


    "That charbull I found had the same stuff, and it was killing it," Irwin shouted, and as he did, he finally connected the dots. This is what''s killing everything in Death Forest!


    Did that mean it was contagious? Only some of the creatures had been visibly wounded. Most had seemed unharmed!


    He spun around, noticing the rangers were staring at him, some with worry, others seemingly angry. For a moment, he didn''t see anything odd, but then he saw one of the angry-looking rangers shake her head, rubbing her neck.


    "You, are you feeling sick?" Irwin snapped, pointing at her.


    His question caused the rangers to focus on the woman, who seemed stunned at the sudden attention.


    "No, I¡­ Just a bit of a headache," she said. "But you-" she shook her head, her voice turning angry. "You should leave him alone! You are hurting him!"


    Something about the way she said it seemed off, and Irwin flicked his eyes to Bronwyn before focusing on the ranger.


    "Why do you say that?" he asked.


    From his peripheral vision, he saw that his brother was slowly stepping in between the rangers and the exit, frowning worriedly as he blocked any potential escape.


    ¡°Because¡­ because¡­¡±


    The woman shook her head, frowning as she suddenly rubbed her nose. Her hand came back, streaked red, and Irwin felt his hair stand on end.


    "What is- Is going¡­" the woman muttered before shaking her head and staring at Slither, her eyes rolling oddly in her head. "Leave. Him. Alone," she suddenly barked, taking a shaky step forward. "You are hurting him!"


    Everyone in the room could immediately see something was completely wrong now, and the other rangers began backing up. Within moments, they had spread around the large room, staring at the woman, some with bows in hand.


    "It''s contagious," one of the rangers with a raised bow whispered.


    There was a soft giggle came from the bed behind Irwin.


    His heart skipped a beat, and Irwin spun around to see Slither slowly push himself up on his elbows. The purple cloud above him was forcing its way back through the fire and into his body, pouring in through his nose.


    A high-pitched, crackling whisper came from the lips as they slowly pulled into a grin that began splitting the corners of Slither''s mouth. "Found you! I found you! Master will be soOooOoo glad!"


    Irwin grimaced at the horrid dissonance in the drawn-out word, and he took another step back as he watched the body of Slither spasm while the head remained motionless except for the abhorrently wide grin on its face.


    "Don''t hurt him. Don''t hurt him. Don''t-" A dull smack came from behind, and Irwin took a quick look to see Bronwyn standing beside the female ranger, who was now on the ground.


    A trickle of purple smoke circled up from her, and Irwin moved his flame before even thinking, splitting a portion of it, which flashed through the air and blocked the stuff from reaching Bronwyn, who jumped back in shock. The tiny bit of purple mist began flitting about in the fire, searching for a way out.


    "Fire, fire, burn so bright, sadly it''s worth all but shite," the voice behind him sang in its horrid voice, and the tiny purple offshoot ripped through his flame, shot passed his head and back into the body of Slither.


    Many thin arrows of purple smoke slowly formed in front of the wide, open mouth aimed at everyone in the room. Irwin flared his flame, increasing the heat of the barrier just as they shot forward. When they hit his fire, the tips turned dull, but he felt his energy reserves begin bleeding rapidly.


    "Useless fire," the thing inhabiting Slither''s body snarled.


    Its body jerked and spasmed in a sitting position, arms too far behind its back for any normal person to be able to achieve.


    "Bronwyn, we need to get-" Irwin began, only for a deafening scream to drown out his words.


    His mind shook, and his vision warped and rippled. The scream lasted for only a moment, but during it, for a fraction of that moment, he lost control over his flame, and the scream turned to laughter as the purple mist arrows shot out of the cylinder of fire.


    "No!" Irwin shouted. He wanted to turn and help Bronwyn, but he knew that what he really needed to do was end the root of the problem.


    Angrily, he flared his fire as hot as he could, no longer caring if Slither was still alive somewhere. He couldn''t let this continue! Clenching his fists, he let his flame erupt with the heat and rage as had been trying to break free. The air in the room instantly felt like the inside of a furnace. In the center of it, the body of Slither began jerking around, arms flailing at the fire with a look of hatred pointed at Irwin.


    "No, no! Bad fire! Bad!"


    Irwin kept the fire as hot as he could before quickly turning to see if Bronwyn was alright. His eyes widened as he saw that all of the rangers were shaking their heads, looking pained and confused, while behind them, in the door opening. Bronwyn stood with both hands on his head, grimacing.


    ¡°Ir¡­ win¡­ it¡¯s¡­ in¡­ my¡­ mind¡­.¡± Bronwyn said, exhaling furiously between his utterings. His beard and hair curled from the heat while sweat oozed across his face.


    Irwin wanted to run forward when he felt Ambraz struggle out of his pocket and flit towards Bronwyn.


    "Kid, you need to burn it all! It''s some sort of mind virus," Ambraz screamed as he slammed into Bronwyn, turning into his large form and knocking the bearlike man out of the room before landing atop him and pinning him down. "Do it!"


    Irwin spun back around, noticing the rangers were bleeding from their noses, ears, and eyes. Worse, they were slowly turning their gazes on him, and he saw a purple hue in all their eyes.


    "Kill the fire!" the thing inside Irwin howled from where it was still rocking and convulsing in the midst of the fire.


    Irwin saw the rangers, as weird as they were, were still breathing, and without holding back, he drew on his Sweltering skill. Within moments, a clean white mist formed around him and in the room, and he shoved it outward, hoping it would hold back the rangers so he could focus on the main problem.


    The rangers struck out against the mist in a seemingly unconscious rage, but as soon as it covered their heads, they began clawing at their necks. Irwin hesitated for only a moment before leaving them inside and turning to Slither.


    The ranger''s body had warped into a mangled mass of burned leather armor and charred flesh with pale bones sticking out. Only his face was the same as before, the horrid smile still there as it screamed at Irwin.


    "Fire bad, mist bad! Bad. Bad. Bad! BA-" it screamed, the last word so loud that it cut off midway as the thing controlling Slither ripped the man''s vocal cords. Even then, the final cry hurt Irwin''s ears, and he knew it might have been audible all throughout the city.


    Please don''t come up here, he thought, afraid of what might happen if more rangers came only to be infected.


    Slither''s body collapsed, the body suddenly burning up rapidly as a cloud of purple gas formed above it. It was a hundred times as much as from the Charbull, and Irwin knew he was never going to be able to burn it. His card was already a third-way drained, and although it seemed willing and hungry to attempt the task, Irwin knew better.


    "Ambraz, I need help," he shouted, trying to intensify the flame as the cloud began pushing against its prison as if trying to test it.


    "What do you expect me to do?" Ambraz shouted back, panic in his voice.


    "I don''t know! I don''t have enough energy to burn this much!" Irwin shouted.


    The thing that was the cloud either heard him or picked that moment to attack as it blasted straight at him, struggling violently against the flame. Irwin hissed as he felt another large chunk of his card''s energy drain away.


    He didn''t know what to do, feeling the fire''s desire to rage grow almost exponentially with his loss of energy. Seconds turned by as the purple cloud billowed out, struggling against the ever-increasing heat of his flame. The wooden beds caught flame, and he knew the rangers wouldn''t be able to survive either. A part of him hoped they would have suffocated, just so they wouldn''t have to be burned alive. The purple cloud had shrunk by a third, far more than he had expected, but his energy was down to his last dregs. There was no way that he was going to make it.


    "Ambraz, I''m almost out of energy! I need something, a plan, energy, anything!" Irwin shouted.


    "Dammit, I''m not some-" Ambraz shouted before suddenly falling silent. "Wait! Try hitting the ground and using your kinetic energy to feed the flame!"


    Irwin had no idea how that would work, though he had seen that he could increase his kinetic energy by using his flame. Could that work the other way around? He dropped to his knees and slammed his fist against the floor. Splinters of stone were ripped from the block while kinetic energy surged into him. He cinched as he felt the tiny cost to his overall energy, but the kinetic energy it gave seemed far more. If he could feed that into his flame, he would at least last longer!


    The kinetic energy was a volatile, energetic thing that wanted to be released, and he sensed that it did seem to resemble his flame, if only due to its volatility, but how was he going to use it? He tried to move it, but it only flowed through his body, searching for an out.


    As seconds ticked by, so did his energy, and he was about to turn and flee, hoping he could lure the thing away from Malorin and save his mother and Carla, when an idea came to him. His hammer! When he''d needed to release his kinetic energy buildup, he''d found that his hammer could take it, and he could also coat it in flame!


    As he thought about it, he summoned his smithing hammer, coating it in the tiny bit of flame he could squeeze out while holding back the purple fog. The kinetic energy flowed towards the hammer as if having found a release valve, and as he sensed both the flame and the kinetic energy, Irwin tried to combine them in his hammer.


    A dull thrum came while his fingers vibrated, and the flame seemed to squeal in delight as new energy was fed into it.


    It works! Irwin thought as he took a step sideways and slammed his hammer into the wall. It cracked, splinters shooting out, but he didn''t care as he felt the kinetic energy flow into his hammer and increase the flame''s heat. If he had to, he''d bring the entire wall down!


    As he struck the wall, eventually knocking out whole head-sized blocks of stone, the purple cloud began going ballistic. With the still increasing heat, it was actually visibly melting away, and although using his kinetic skill did cost him a little energy, it granted him far more for his flame. He wouldn''t be able to keep it up forever, but it would extend what he could do by a factor of ten!


    Burn, you stupid cloud! Irwin thought as he glared at the purple cloud.


    When only a sliver remained, it reshaped into an image that faintly resembled a skull with a third eye socket. The mouth area was pulled in an absurd grin that was shouting at him.


    "I can''t hear you," Irwin hissed, and the skull snarled at him.


    He continued striking, and suddenly, the purple cloud smiled viciously at him. A moment later, it dissipated rapidly, the remaining parts of it finally burning away. Irwin kept the flame up, and only when he felt the flame''s anger slowly weaken did he let it flow away.


    "Irwin, quick!"


    Irwin blinked, feeling incredibly drained as he looked around. Five charred bodies lay around the edges of the room, while the beds were nothing but charred remains. Large black streaks of soot covered everything, and as he turned, he saw Ambraz.


    Bronwyn!


    Irwin ran forward, kneeling down beside his brother. His face was warped in a snarl, and a sheen of purple covered his eyes.


    "That thing did something to him," Ambraz hissed.


    "We have to help him," Irwin said, shaking his weary head. He only had a tiny bit of energy left, and he knew that if he had to fight now, he''d be done for. Staring at his brother''s warped face, he wanted to hit something. "What can we do?" he asked.


    Ambraz grunted. "There''s only one thing I can think of, and it''s risky. We reforge his cards to a heartcard. The increase in power, especially if I boost his last card, should help."


    Irwin grunted as he heard a shout. Looking up, he saw a ranger peak around the corner of the staircase to his side.


    "Don''t come up!" Irwin bellowed. "There''s something here that infects people! It came from the Shadeforest!"


    The ranger paled, then nodded and ran back down.


    Irwin turned back to his brother, then to Ambraz. "How are we going to do this if you''re on top of him?"


    "What does it matter?" Ambraz snapped. "All I need is for him to touch me! Get out your cards and get ready!"


    Irwin rose on shaky legs, staring down at his brother, then realized what he would have to do. Reforge a heartcard, something he''d only done once, and this time with barely any energy left.


    Don''t worry, I''ll get you that card, he thought as he clenched his jaw and summoned his hammer.

 Chapter 199: Disbelief

    Irwin took a deep breath, looking at Bronwyn, pinned by Ambraz, arms gripped around the Anvil''s sides, and face stretched in a snarl as he tried to free himself.


    "Is that even doable?" Irwin asked.


    "Not if he had been conscious," Ambraz said. "But I''ve been checking, and he is only physically resisting. Whatever that thing is doing to him, it seems unable to use his cards."


    "Alright, I''m ready," Irwin said as he took a deep breath, wishing he wasn''t so close to being out of energy.


    "Good, feed me a few cards because I''ll be the one handling the energy this time," Ambraz said.


    Irwin took out his cards, taking the top ten, then hesitated. It would hurt having to feed all these, but there was no other option. He did a quick split, returning all cards above Topaz to his pocket while keeping the rest at hand, over half of his remaining stack. If need be, he''d feed them all to Ambraz.


    Tossing six cards at Ambraz, the Anvil quickly chewed them away before letting out an energetic hiss.


    "Alright, follow my hum, and as soon as the first card appears, we are going to start," Ambraz said before starting a hum.


    Irwin followed along, quickly recognizing familiar patterns and melodies.


    --


    "What do you mean that you were sent back down?" Lord Rhym said as he stared at the rangers blocking the staircase up. "There was fighting and screaming while the whole building shook as if someone was trying to bring it down. Now there''s some odd singing and thudding, and you haven''t checked again?"


    "Lord Rhym, I have checked, and Smith Irwin said there was something infectious happening," a ranger said, seeming worried but not moving from blocking the staircase up. "He told me not to go up."


    "Did he say I wasn''t allowed up?" Rhym asked as he walked up to the group of rangers.


    The rangers shared, worried, glancing. Some seemed slightly ashamed, but none showed a sign of moving out of the way.


    "Lord Rhym, I think he is upgrading his brother''s cards," Melli said. She was leaning against the wall, looking pale and weary, and barely reacted when Lord Rhym focused his attention on her.


    Rhym''s eyebrows shot up. "He is doing what?" he asked.


    Melli''s eyes widened in shock, her face paling. "I¡­ I¡­" she began before looking around at the other rangers for help.


    "Lord Rhym, Irwin, and Bronwyn request we keep this a secret for now, and I''m sure they will be able to explain this later," an older ranger said as she glared at Melli.


    "I know Irwin can reforge cards," Rhym snapped, his previous stoic calm evaporated. "He told me. What I don''t understand is why he''s doing it now. Explain what is going on."


    The rangers hesitated again, and finally, the older ranger, who had been glaring at Melli, answered.


    "One of the scouts returned, heavily wounded. He was being tended, but Irwin and Bronwyn ran up, looking panicked. One of the rangers here followed them shortly up, and shortly after, sounds of battle came from above.


    Rhym sighed and shook his head, glaring at the roof before turning to the others. "They better have a good explanation for this later. And you are sure he is doing this right now? After some major battle in the middle of Malorin?"


    "When he did my card, he was also humming," Melli said softly. "I''m sure."


    "It''s his brother, sir. I''m sure he''d not be doing anything to risk Bronwyn''s life," another ranger added. "It has to be important."


    Lord Rhym looked at the rangers, then up, and finally nodded.


    "Very well, we will wait for a while," he said before turning to the guards. "Warn the guards on the wall of potential trouble and keep a cordon around the ranger tower."


    One of the guards that had followed him nodded and ran towards the exit.


    "Tell me everything that happened up to this point," Lord Rhym said. "Did the scout say anything about the Bablibon when he returned?"


    The rangers, seemingly eager now, began explaining what had happened while the humming continued, increasing in tempo and volume.


    --


    Irwin struck the card on the last beat of the crescendo, his vision blurry and a headache pounding away at his concentration. It was a good thing this hadn''t been a Ruby card and that Ambraz had taken care of nearly every detail, or he''d never have made it. Even now, he felt like he''d gone through a week of sparring with Crithann with no rest.


    He mechanically raised his hammer, only to realize the card was burning in a deep amber light before sinking down and into Bronwyn''s chest. Although it didn''t happen fast, he was so weary that he barely saw the image of a bear on its hind paws, a third eye seemingly glowing in its forehead. Immediately, his brother''s warped face froze, then slowly smoothed into a more relaxed look. He blinked, and a burst of silvery light shot out of them, burning away the purple haze.


    Irwin thought he heard a barely audible scream of pain and anger, but that could just be his weariness.


    "It''s done," Ambraz whispered. "Just in time, too. The people downstairs are losing their patience."


    Irwin barely registered words as he dropped to his knees beside his brother, who was blinking stupidly, slowly looking around. His armor was slowly pulling tighter around his body, the folds disappearing, and Irwin saw the hairs on the back of his hands become coarser.


    "Irwin?" he asked, his voice holding a low growl, which couldn''t hide his weariness. "What happened? Why do I feel¡­ weird? Strong and weak."


    "You were infected, and we had to make your heartcard. Can you sense it? Is it gone?" Irwin asked, staring at his brother. He heard a muted conversation from below, and he knew they had to hurry.


    Bronwyn frowned, his mouth opening and closing. Then he sighed. "Yeah. I felt it being burned away from within me when I woke. It''s gone, I''m sure."


    Irwin stared into his brother''s now silver eyes for a few moments, but he saw nothing of the purple hue left. He exhaled loudly. "Good. Ambraz, you had better-" The Anvil shrunk in a flash of light and, a moment later, hid back in his pocket while Bronwyn pushed himself up.


    Bronwyn pushed himself up and looked around before staring at the room a few steps away. The charred destruction was clearly visible. "What happened after¡­ that mist crawled into my nose?"


    "I managed to kill it," Irwin said, looking into the room. "However, I didn''t manage to save the others."


    Bronwyn flinched and slowly pushed himself up before stumbling into the room. Irwin followed him, and they stood side by side, quietly staring at the five bodies. After a few moments, Bronwyn wiped his face.


    "We need to get off this world," he whispered. "Before we all end up like this. Let''s go. The others are waiting below, and I''m sure they are worried."


    Irwin took a final look at the bed where Slither had been before following his brother.


    "Only one came up, and that was after the battle was finished," he muttered. "It''s a good thing they didn''t come, but¡­ why didn''t they come?"


    Bronwyn sighed. "It''s a standing rule we have. If the tower is infiltrated, which has happened before, the rangers are to group together and lay an ambush. None are allowed to engage until the guards arrive."


    "Right," Irwin said, wondering why they had created such a rule.


    "Do you feel your soulforce?" he asked softly.


    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Bronwyn grimaced. "Yes. It feels great, and I wish I could have enjoyed it more. But, Lord Rhym is below, and he seems upset," he said, stopping at the top of the stairs leading down.


    "You can feel emotions now?" Irwin asked curiously.


    "It''s almost like I have a second sense of smell," Bronwyn muttered. "I can feel people below and outside the tower, but I can''t sense their emotions. But¡­ at the same time, I can smell them." He shook his head angrily. "Like I said, it''s hard to explain."


    "I wonder if you could sense that purple mist now," Irwin said.


    "He senses soulforce," Ambraz whispered from his pocket. "I''ll show you two of his cards later- it''s pretty impressive for an Emerald rank card."


    "Emerald?" Bronwyn muttered, confused.


    "Very rare rank," Irwin said as he gently prodded his heartcard.


    It was nearly entirely drained, and although he felt a constant stream of soulforce from his lake leak into it, he knew it would take hours before it was anywhere near filled enough for him to do any serious battle.


    They looked at each other, both seeming to realize they were procrastinating the confrontation below, then grinned at each other. Bronwyn raised his head, stretching to his full length, and stared into Irwin''s eyes.


    "Same height," he said.


    Irwin blinked, then stretched out before sniffing. "Nope, I''m still an inch taller."


    Bronwyn''s grin remained for a few moments before faltering. He took a look across his shoulder and sighed.


    "Let''s go," he said, and they slowly stumbled down the staircase.


    As they turned around the small platform halfway, the room below appeared. Dozens of armed rangers stood in the room with a line of guards behind them while the tables and chairs were shoved against the walls. Lord Rhym stood in the middle, arms crossed, and with a look in his eyes that Irwin recalled from his time in school. Rhym was annoyed.


    Still, to his surprise, his old teacher and the current Lord of Malorin started with something else.


    "Are you alright?"


    Irwin felt slightly surprised, then nodded. "We will live," he said before realizing what he had said. "But I''m afraid the others were not so fortunate," he added sadly.


    Rhym sighed. "Is it safe to clear it?" he asked Bronwyn.


    Bronwyn turned to Irwin. "What do you think?"


    Irwin wanted to say it was, but he hesitated. If the purple mist entity had any bits of itself left, it might be hiding, waiting for a moment to go with someone. He felt like he''d cleared it, but could he be sure?


    "I don''t know," he finally said, looking back and realizing that meant he had to go back up and inspect the entire area. "I need to rest, then I''ll go and make sure."


    "Alright," Lord Rhym said. "Then could you tell me what happened and why, in the name of Gelwin, you decided to reforge a card at such a time?"


    Bronwyn placed a hand on Irwin''s shoulder, shoving him to the side. "Go, sit and rest. I''ll fill Lord Rhym in," he said, smiling. "It''s the least I can do."


    Irwin snorted, then smiled and walked past the rangers to a chair and sat down.


    He closed his eyes as he leaned back, wishing there was a way to refill his heartcard faster. He quietly tried to recover as he listened to Bronwyn explain all he could. He only added a few things when Bronwyn reached the part where he had gone unconscious. When they finished, Rhym was looking worried.


    "We need to figure out if there are more of these things. It mentioned its master, and we need to find out if that''s the Bablibon or something else," Lord Rhym said. "How long will it be until you can reforge another heartcard?"


    Irwin shook his head appologeticaly. "I can''t. It costs cards, and lots of them, for me to do that. I''ve used what I could on Bronwyn, so unless you have twenty to thirty cards that can be destroyed¡­?"


    "You destroyed thirty cards to create one heartcard?" a ranger snapped from the side, staring at him incredulously.


    "Can they be utility cards?" Lord Rhym asked, ignoring the muttering rangers and guards.


    "Any card will do," Irwin said, wondering if Rhym wanted a heartcard.


    "Can heartcarded resist the purple fog demon?" Lord Rhym asked.


    Irwin was about to say they wouldn''t when he felt a tiny shiver from Ambraz.


    Wait, they do? he thought, frowning. He had thought it was his brother''s sixth card, now part of his heartcard, that had removed the purple fog. Then again, maybe if he''d been a heartcarded he wouldn''t have been infected in the first place?"


    "I don''t know for sure," he said after a few moments, deciding not to commit until he had a moment to discuss this with Ambraz. "But it seems likely."


    "In that case, we will need to get at least two more," Lord Rhym said, seeming dissuaded by his uncertainty.


    "Any utility card found from now on is to be brought to Irwin," Rhym ordered, looking at Bronwyn, the rangers, and finally, the guards.


    There was a stunned silence, then a few visibly reluctant nods.


    Lord Rhym turned back to Irwin. "As soon as you have enough cards to create another heartcard, I''ll send you my two strongest guards, and-" Rhym caught himself, looked at Irwin, and sighed. "Please change their cards to a heartcard."


    Irwin glimpsed at his brother as he remembered what he''d said before looking back at Rhym.


    "Will they be trustworthy? People with heartcards are much more powerful than those with only handcards."


    Rhym showed him a crooked smile, and he nodded. "I''d trust them with my life," he said before turning and slowly walking away, favoring his left leg. "Everyone remain here until Irwin says it''s safe on the next floor. Then recover the bodies and find their families. Also, spread the word that if anyone sees any purple smoke or gas anywhere, they are to sound the alarm immediately!"


    He really knows what he''s doing, Irwin thought as he watched his old teacher leave the exit, followed by two guards.


    He was starting to recognize parts of Rhym''s old dominating schoolteacher personality now; then again, he knew a leader would need to be sure of himself as he ordered people around.


    As long as he remembers I''m not his to blindly order around, Irwin thought, guessing that Rhym did, and that was why he had added the please.


    Bronwyn walked to the chair beside Irwin''s and slumped down in it. The heavy wooden chair creaked dangerously as he did.


    "Why is there such a large difference in cards you need for a heartcard," he asked.


    Irwin had expected him to warn him about the guard''s cards, and he was surprised by Bronwyn''s question.


    "It depends on the highest handcard someone has," he said. "Yours was very rare, meaning it was more expensive to reforge."


    Bronwyn''s eyebrows shot up. "What''s the disadvantage of just reforging someone who has only a common card?"


    "They will be much weaker and have less growth potential," Irwin said before humming. "Though there''s a step beyond heart card, and to get there, it''s quicker if your heart card is weaker."


    As he spoke, the rangers slowly drifted towards him.


    "How many cards do you need if someone has only uncommon cards?" an older ranger asked as he stepped forward.


    Irwin noticed that he was a full-hand and one, something that would have been very impressive in Malorin a few years ago. He frowned, trying to recall the difference between his own heartcard and the one he had just done. Before he could answer, he felt four very quick vibrations in his pockets.


    Only four? he thought, rubbing his chin and feeling the thick stubble on it.


    "Four or five," he said, deciding to make sure he wouldn''t get into trouble. "But it only works if you have two fullhands."


    "Only five?" Bronwyn hissed before leaning back.


    Irwin saw his eyes narrow and knew he was probably thinking about the thirty-plus cards he''d used on his heartcard. "And how many for a rare card?" Bronwyn asked.


    Irwin waited as he felt a host of shivers in his pocket. He lost count at some point, but he knew it had to have been twelve or thirteen. Still, to be safe, he added a bit.


    "Fifteen."


    Bronwyn nodded and turned to one of the guards. "Run after Lord Rhym and tell him about this. Also, tell him that the rangers will take the first ten cards they find to create two uncommon heartcarded."


    The guard nodded before sprinting out of the building.


    "If I bring you someone with two fullhands and five cards, can you please create a heartcard for them?" the older ranger asked, staring at Irwin.


    Bronwyn jerked up, glaring at the ranger. "Sebas, are you implying you would withhold the cards from the rangers?"


    The older ranger looked at Bronwyn with a glint. "Bronwyn, you know I have lost all my children except for one! I''ll be damned if I let him succumb to some purple fog!"


    Bronwyn rose, looking at the ranger, then the others.


    "You''ve all heard the rumors that we are preparing to leave?" Bronwyn asked, turning back to Sebas.


    "We have," Sebas said, sounding unconvinced.


    "Your son is a good crafter, and a great one, but to get where we have to go-"


    "Which is where?" Sebas snapped. "We have yet to hear more than rumors. You and the other captains haven''t deemed us worthy to share anything."


    "Dammit, Sebas," Bronwyn said, glaring at the much smaller man. "I''ve told you before, we don''t know the exact location! That''s why-"


    "Why our three best scouts went into the Gloomforest, and all ended up dead," Sebas interrupted him. "To go to some mystical portal that nobody has heard about based on what your brother has told us?"


    Irwin looked around, and he saw that the rangers were all paying close attention, some seeming to agree with Sebas.


    "The fact that I know how to upgrade cards doesn''t give enough credibility to my words?" Irwin said calmly, remaining seated.


    Sebas snorted, then held back some angry retort. "I only asked if you would be willing to create a heartcard for my son if I bring you those five cards."


    "Because you believe the portal I spoke about isn''t there," Irwin said, partially ignoring his words.


    A bulging vein appeared on Sebas''s head. "And you blame me for this?" he asked. "You just show up out of the blue and tell us there''s some safe place for us to go to."


    Irwin sighed, then shook his head. "Not really, no. I''d probably have a hard time believing it myself. However, just because you don''t believe it doesn''t make it not true, and Bronwyn is right. If we need to move everyone in Malorin through the Gloomforest, we need every powerful fighter we can."


    Sebas gazed at him, then sighed. "It''s always the same with you people," he muttered as he turned around. "You can never just help."


    Irwin frowned as the man stalked away, and he was relieved when none of the other rangers followed him out.


    "Remember when I told you there were a few rangers that we shouldn''t make more powerful?" Bronwyn said as he sagged back in his chair. "Well, Sebas would be one of them. He''s always been a cancerous old man, and although I feel for him for losing three of his children, he''s always been like this."


    "There''s a bit of truth in what he said," one of the rangers said as he moved towards them and sat down in another chair. He looked at Irwin and sighed. "No offense, but what if you are wrong?"


    "I think it''s easier if I just tell them," Irwin said as he looked at Bronwyn.


    "I guess you''re right. Lord Rhym had wanted to prevent people from rushing into the Gloomforest to find the entrance, but perhaps we''ll just have to accept that there are always idiots around."


    There was a soft chuckle from the rangers, and even some of the guards grinned.


    "Fine. I still need some more rest anyway," Irwin said as he looked around. "Keep an eye on the exit, and I''ll share what happened to me."


    A few more rangers turned so they could stare at both entrances.


    "After I was brought to the sorcerers, escaped, went through a few portals, and reached Degonda over half a year ago-" Irwin began, deciding to keep it as short as he could.

 Chapter 200: Stubborn

    Irwin walked back through the narrow streets, his card back to a quarter full, but his head still pounding. He wished his healing and endurance would work against the overuse of soul power.


    He had taken over an hour to scour the entire second floor, but no sign of the purple mist remained. That didn''t mean there wasn''t any, he knew, just that he couldn''t find it.


    "We''ve decided on two of our other scouts," Brownyn said, walking beside him.


    He looked as bad as Irwin felt, and he guessed talking with the other captains had been tiring.


    "I presume there aren''t five or more cards with them right now?" Irwin asked.


    "No," Bronwyn muttered, turning to him." You had a lot of cards¡­ please tell me you didn''t need all of them for my heartcard?"


    "No," Irwin said. "But what I have left is either needed for something else or very rare."


    Bronwyn grimaced." So you can''t spare five or more cards?"


    Irwin thought for a bit, then shrugged. "I''ll check when we get back, but I''m not sure."


    He knew he had around forty cards left, which seemed like barely any to him. He''d brought so many when he left Fiverion and had imagined it would be more than enough.


    We need more cards, he thought.


    "You said the demons drop more cards," he said. "Did you mean from portals or also from surges?"


    "Surges mostly," Bronwyn said as he stopped walking. Irwin wasn''t surprised that he immediately caught up. "Shit, I''m going to have to go back and send out scouts to find the nearest surge."


    Irwin nodded as he tried to force his bedraggled mind to think. "If they can find an Imp surge, that would be for the best."


    "Right, because of that flamecard," Bronwyn said before grinning. "Who could have known that simple fire utility card I got you was anything but."


    "The ranger you got it from, is he still alive?" Irwin asked, suddenly curious. He had never figured out exactly where the card came from.


    "No," Bronwyn said as his smile faltered. "His entire team went into a portal months ago. They closed it but didn''t manage to get out."


    Irwin grimaced at his brother before looking around. They were discussing things in the middle of a shadowy alleyway, probably not the best place. His head was throbbing, and he wanted to return. Then, he looked at Bronwyn. He could head back and rest while Bronwyn sent out scouts, but¡­


    "Alright, let''s head back," he said as he turned the way they had come.


    "I can do this by myself," Bronwyn said. "Just go and rest."


    "Nope," Irwin said. "If anything were to jump either of us now, when we are at our weakest, that''d be stupid."


    Bronwyn stared at him, his face pale, and then they walked back to the path they had just come from.


    "You think there''s something else in the city that might be dangerous?" he asked. "I don''t sense anything."


    "Me neither," Ambraz''s muffled whisper came from Irwin''s pocket.


    "I don''t know," Irwin said. "But it''s not worth the risk."


    It took them longer than Irwin had thought to walk back, convince a group of rangers to search for the nearest Imp surge, and finally return home. It was dark outside when they finally reached Bronwyn''s house, and a worried-looking Carla opened the door. When she noticed Bronwyn, however, her mouth fell open.


    "Bron, your eyes!" she whispered before quickly beckoning them in and closing the door behind them.


    Bronwyn grinned as he winked at her. "It''s not just my eyes," he said, standing up straight and looking at her.


    Carla sighed and shook her head, pulling him to a chair as she began fussing over the cuts and holes in his armor. Irwin sat down, noticing his mother''s worried look. She was holding Drum, who seemed to be asleep.


    "I''m fine," he said. "Just overused my card a bit."


    "We heard there was fighting and explosions at the ranger tower," his mother muttered. "What happened?"


    Irwin slowly explained what had happened.


    "Do you think there''s more of the mist demon?" Carla asked softly, her face nearly white as she held onto Bronwyn''s arm.


    Irwin shrugged. "I don''t know, but let''s assume there is and act accordingly."


    He took a deep breath and took out his remaining cards, ignoring his mother''s gasp. The lowest cards he had left now were topaz, with many emerald cards remaining on the stack. He guessed neither his mother nor Carla had ever seen this many rare and very rare cards in their life. A quick count showed he had fifty-two cards left, more than he had expected.


    He would need many for Daubutim''s card, and unless he could get more, that left very few for what he wanted to do now.


    Still, two wouldn''t matter too much, he thought.


    He glanced at their hands. His mother still only had the three cards she had from before, a full-hand, but all utility. The resonance from them told him that two were common and one uncommon. Carla had only two cards, and he hummed. That meant if need be, she could take out one and have five of her six cards custom-tailored.


    "Alright, I''m going to tell you all a bit more about what happened when I was gone," he said. "Because I need to decide on something."


    His mother and Carla looked at him with a mixture of curiosity and worry that he had noticed many times over the last few days on many people.


    "Ambraz?" he asked softly.


    "About time!" Ambraz snorted as he struggled from his pocket and flew to his shoulder.


    "You have a summoned tiny anvil?" his mother asked, her eyes widening. "That can talk?"


    Irwin expected an angry retort from Ambraz, but to his surprise, the anvil merely sniffed.


    "I''m not a summon," Ambraz said as he flew to the table and landed before his mother. "I''m a Ganvil and your son''s smithing partner. Nice to meet you."


    Irwin stupidly stared at Ambraz, barely believing what he''d heard.


    "I¡­ Nice to meet you too," his mother said, sounding slightly confused. "Are you from that portal world Irwin told us about?"


    "No, sadly, my world was shattered," Ambraz said.


    "I see," his mother muttered, glancing at Irwin. "So, what do you do?"


    Irwin dumbly listened to Ambraz explaining what he did, barely believing his own ears. Ambraz had never acted this nicely to anyone- not even to Lord Gebladir Urdwellan back on Scour, who had been a Ruby rank smith.


    When he finally came back to his senses, Ambraz was asking his mother about her cards.


    "I don''t want them. It''s better to give those cards to someone who can fight," his mother said, shaking her head.


    Irwin shared a quick, worried look with Bronwyn.


    "Mom, it''s best if you take one," Bronwyn said quickly. "One card wouldn''t change much, but it can keep you alive!"


    "Don''t give me that," their mother snapped, and Irwin saw a glimmer of the stern woman who had raised him appear. "That one card could save many lives, and you know it!"


    "We are going to get more cards," Irwin said.


    "Then give me one when you do," his mother said, crossing her arms. "Those should go to the rangers and guards that need them. Not some old woman who can barely walk."


    Irwin felt annoyed as he tried to come up with a way for his mother to change her mind.


    An hour later, he was lying on the ground with a pounding headache, not sure if he should laugh or cry. In the end, his mother didn''t want a single card! Only if he could show her a hundred cards she''d accept one.


    Stubborn, Irwin thought as he sighed.


    Carla, luckily, hadn''t been as unwilling and had accepted one card in trade for her second one, which she had unslotted without seeming to care. It had been a common one that allowed someone to use needle and thread with increased speed and precision. She had gotten a very rare full-body enhancement card that would eventually make her stronger and more agile while giving her increased arm speed.


    Glad at least someone had accepted a card, Irwin thought back to when Ambraz had explained why it didn''t matter much if he ate higher or lower rank cards.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    So, cards are empty when they aren''t slotted, Irwin thought. He''d never really thought about that part much, but it made sense that they were. Apparently, the maximum energy they could hold, or the quality, didn''t matter much if all Ambraz would do was break them and use the energy that was generated.


    He fell asleep, pondering the differences between cards.


    --


    "Half of the people have arrived on Ealuathar, the caravan is halfway with another group, and the first two towns have enough housing," the guard reported calmly. "The rangers have managed to scout a large area around our first settlements. Greldo and Captain¡­ Xi''kroak-" the ranger tried, butchering the name. "- have created a defense perimeter around the portal. Greldo said to tell you they were ready and that you should¡­"


    The guard licked his lips as he looked at Daubutim.


    "Just tell me," Daubutim said calmly.


    "Yes, Lordling," the guard said, looking at the ground. "He said you should hurry the fuck up and get back here. "


    "Return and tell him that we are going to need four more days," Lord Bron said as he began pacing around the table, poking at miniatures that represented the wagons and groups of people.


    The guard nodded and quickly left the room.


    "Lord Bron, can I return to my uncle now?" Clarish asked. "I am sure he is worried about me."


    Lord Bron looked up at her, then shook his head. "Not yet. As soon as the last caravan leaves, Daubutim will head to Ealuathar, and Greldo will come here. I want you to take him with you."


    "But that would take four days," Clarish muttered.


    "Yes," Lord Bron said absently, not looking at her but at the table.


    "If Irwin has to battle the Bablibon, the best help he can get would be Greldo," Daubutim said calmly. "His abilities make him exceptionally suited for battling a stronger and faster opponent."


    "I see," Clarish muttered, though Daubutim could see she didn''t. "Then I''ll do as you order."


    Lord Bron either didn''t hear her or didn''t care as he turned to Daubutim.


    "How are the Frozir''s doing?" he asked.


    Daubutim nodded at Clarish, who bowed and quickly left the room.


    "Elder Gum''dil''ran has sent word that they have come across two surges and sustained some losses. They will arrive at the portal in three days," Daubutim said as he moved to the table and slowly pushed a group of white pawns across the map. "I have sent a warning about them to Greldo, and he will make sure they don''t try and go their own path when they reach Ealuathar."


    "Good," Lord Bron said, looking up. "You are sure there will be portals there to other, safe worlds?"


    "Definitely," Daubutim said calmly. "Worlds connected to any world at or above rank four are called adjacent worlds and are always kept as stable as possible."


    "A bit like we were before the portals came," Lord Bron said before letting out a weary, drawn-out sigh. "Let''s hope the mysterious enemy won''t locate us too fast."


    "Indeed," Daubutim said as he stared at the map.


    --


    "There are two new surges up north," a tall ranger with short brown hair and piercing eyes said.


    Bronwyn had introduced her as Hester, another ranger captain of a scouts group and one of the fastest non-teleporter rangers in the tower.


    They were standing before the ranger tower as Hester continued reporting. A group of four rangers stood behind her, staring at Irwin curiously.


    "One of them is Galub, the other Imp," Hester said before shaking her head. "But I definitely wouldn''t go to the Imp one. I know you said you needed one of those, but it has to be an epic rank portal because there are some of those massive Imps that go berserk as they fight there."


    "Brutal Imps," Irwin said as he nodded, not worried yet. "Did you see any of those pale imps?"


    "You mean the taller, spindly ones with the daggers?" the ranger captain asked.


    Irwin nodded.


    "No, just sixty or seventy of those smaller ones. But they might have been hiding," Hester said, seeming uncertain.


    "Maybe," Irwin said as he rubbed his chin. The stubble was slowly turning into a short beard, and he still wasn''t sure if he should remove it. "So, we do what we planned?" he said as he turned to Bronwyn.


    "Although I''d prefer to come with you, this is the safest thing to do," he said. "You create another heartcarded ranger to bring with you, and I''ll stay here in case another of those purple mist demons comes."


    Irwin nodded. "Alright, then tell the one you chose to meet me in the cellar. I''ll do it right now, and after that, we are leaving."


    "No need," Bronwyn said as he beckoned one of Hester''s rangers, a short dextrous man. To Irwin''s surprise, he had two full-hands, which was more than any of the other assembled rangers, including Hester herself.


    "Bronwyn, Irwin," the ranger said, nodding shortly.


    "Jort, how does it feel to be a two-hand?" Bronwyn asked.


    "Great, but I''d have preferred it if I didn''t have to go on a suicide mission right away," the ranger said. "Still, it''s for a good cause."


    Irwin couldn''t help but grin at the calmness the ranger exuded.


    "Don''t worry," he said. "You''re only coming along in case some of those pale imps are trying to sneak up at me."


    "If you say so," the ranger said with a nod.


    "I''m going to talk with the ranger captains that are here now," Bronwyn said. "We''ve been sending out messengers to get as many back as we can, and over half of the groups are here now."


    Which is a good thing, Irwin thought as he thought about the three common and one uncommon card in his pocket.


    Those had been brought back by the rangers, which meant he didn''t have to use as many of his more powerful cards. A single look at the four cards had reminded him again about the poor quality of most cards. The commons were all utility, and the uncommon card increased the damage dealt with an axe to a tree, something so specific the card''s only saving grace was the small increase in strength and constitution.


    "I''ll come with you," Hester said.


    "Be careful," Bronwyn said.


    Irwin nodded, seeing the poorly contained worry in his brother''s eyes. Then he turned and headed towards the tower entrance.


    It took far less effort and far less energy than he had anticipated or than Ambraz had to create Jort''s heartcard. When they were done, Irwin just stared at Ambraz''s nondescript body for a bit while Jort, now with pale silver eyes, looked around in wonder.


    "Go to the square and wait for me. I''ll be right there," Irwin said absently.


    "Yes, Lord Irwin," Jort said before turning around and walking away.


    Irwin blinked in surprise. "Lord Irwin?" he muttered.


    "Maybe it''s because you ordered him around?" Ambraz said.


    Irwin flinched as he realized that he had done that.


    "Why did it only take us two cards?" he asked. "Didn''t you say it would cost five?"


    "Bah, I didn''t say anything. I tried to signal you that it did, and that''s because you supplied more of the energy than I expected," Ambraz said.


    Irwin frowned as he scanned the energy he had left in his card. "My card is still over three-quarters full and filling pretty quickly. Are you saying I could do another three amethyst rank heartcards?"


    "I don''t know," Ambraz said. "Maybe, I''m not sure. Even then, do you think it''s a good idea to experiment with that now?"


    "No, but it would be good to know for when we return because if I can make that many low-rank heartcards, we can make everyone a lot more powerful," he said.


    "You do realize that means you would have to find a lot of people willing to limit their potential growth¡­"


    Irwin grimaced, realizing he hadn''t thought of that part. Then he hummed as he thought about what he knew from Fiverio.


    "Didn''t lots of people in Fiverio stick to low-rank cards so they can quickly get a soulcard?" he asked.


    "They have," Ambraz said thoughtfully. "You have a point¡­ there''s no soulcarded yet, and if you want any chance to defend that world, you would need those."


    "Well, let''s discuss it with Bronwyn after we come back," he said as he walked out of the cellar. "Try and figure out why it cost so little and determine how many heartcards I could make like that."


    "Sure," Ambraz muttered as he flew back to his pocket and hid inside.


    Jort stood amidst a small group of rangers who were asking him questions, but as soon as he arrived, the ranger came jogging forward.


    "Are you ready to head out?" Irwin asked, causing Jort''s eyes to flicker around worriedly.


    "Are you sure we shouldn''t bring more rangers?"


    Irwin had thought about that a few times and finally decided against it. So, he shook his head.


    "If there''s something I can''t fight out there, then they wouldn''t be able to help much, and I''d rather have the option to run. I can carry you, but any more would be dangerous."


    "Carry me?" Jort asked softly.


    "Let''s go," Irwin said as they headed towards the old gate, holding in a slight grin.


    --


    "Isn''t that Jort?" one of the rangers on the new gate muttered. "Who''s that with him?"


    "Have you been living under a rock?" the other ranger said with a snort. "That''s Irwin, Bronwyn''s brother! He''s the one that upgraded my card."


    "That''s him? I guess that makes sense, he''s as big as Bronwyn¡­ but- wasn''t Irwin that sickly kid?"


    "Yeah, I guess if you get the right¡­ cards¡­ What the hell are they doing?"


    "He''s picking up Jort!"


    The rangers leaned forward, staring at the massive coppery-skinned giant cradle the much smaller ranger against his chest before leaning forward. There was a dull boom as he jumped six feet forward, then another as he jumped even further, and within moments, he was sprinted away towards the north, a frightened cry from Jort lingering behind.


    "What card does something like that?" one of the rangers whispered.


    "Dunno, but remind me never to travel with him. That looked far from comfortable."


    --


    A good while after they left Malorin, Irwin slowed down to a normal jog and then to a walk before stopping. They were within a low point of the flowing plains north of Malorin, the Gloomforest no more than a thin line to the west and only visible because the plains became lower that way. Although hidden from view, Irwin knew that the plains continued north and east into the mainland of the peninsula for another day or longer.


    "Are you alright?" he asked, looking at the ranger pressed against his chest.


    The man looked at him in disbelief, then struggled to be let go, and Irwin gently put him on the ground.


    "I thought you would only carry me if we had to flee?" Jort said, rubbing his shoulders and legs.


    "This was faster," Irwin said before looking around. "So, you said we are close to the portal?"


    Jort stared at him for a bit longer, then shook his head and muttered something that Irwin didn''t catch.


    "It''s this way, in the lowlands behind this elevation," Jort said.


    Irwin nodded, staring up at the slight slope.


    As they walked forward and up, Jort kept stopping, raising his head and sniffing. From reforging his cards into a heartcard, Irwin had a general idea of what he could do. He had enhanced senses, though nowhere near what Bronwyn had, and incredible reflexes. Sadly, because an amethyst rank hearcard allowed only two abilities, he had lost many of his skills and abilities. Though the strength of his two remaining passives was far greater than they had been, and his physical strength was at least double what it had been, Irwin felt bad for him.


    Still, he said nothing. Jort could use many cards to fill up his small soullake, and as soon as his soulcard formed, increasing the power of his heartcards abilities, he''d regain his handcards and the ability to regain his lost skills. Besides, if their assessment were right, he would be unable to be influenced by the purple fog.


    "They are definitely still here," Jort said. "I can smell their filthy, sulfurous scent and hear their giggles."


    "When we reach the top, stay there," Irwin said.


    "Sure¡­ care to tell me what you are going to do?" Jort asked. "You did hear what we said, right? There are not just a few of them over there. It''s like a small army!"


    "I know," Irwin said as he scanned his heartcard. It was fuller than it had been after he''d finished creating the heartcard. Besides that, he was nearly overflowing with kinetic energy he''d built up during the trip here.


    "Let''s just say that I''m very well suited to fight Imps," he said. "You just have to make sure I don''t get blindsided by something."


    Jort nodded as he pulled two short swords from their scabbards. "I''m not sure if I''ll be much help¡­ I don''t want to sound ungrateful, but I''d expected to feel a lot stronger now that I''m a silvereye like you and Bronwyn. Is this due to the difference in the quality of cards that Hester warned me about?"


    Irwin nodded as he eyed Jort. "Yes, though from what I recall of creating it, your senses should have improved a lot, as well as your reflexes."


    "I know," Jort nodded. "I just wished I could have kept my sword¡­ I''d had that card for over ten years."


    Irwin didn''t respond,  not sure what to say, and Jort remained quiet until they nearly reached the top of the slope.


    "There''s more than I remember. The top is barely a foot wide before going down again, so we better keep low," he muttered as he went on hands and knees and began crawling the last distance up.


    Irwin followed him, almost belly on the ground until they reached the top of the slope. Jort hadn''t been lying, as the top of the slope was so short Irwin''s legs couldn''t even fit unless he went sideways. Below them, the slope was a bit steeper, leading towards a wide, very shallow valley filled with what had to be hundreds of Imps. A massive hole was dug out in the side of the slope, and two Brutal Imps sat beside it, seemingly talking with each other.


    That''s a lot more than Hester said, Irwin thought as he looked around. I wonder how much my soullake will fill from this!

 Chapter 201: A game of questions

    "Alright, warn me if you see any Nyzir or Pale Imps," Irwin said as he gazed at the mass of Imps below them.


    If it had been any other kind of enemy, he''d never have considered what he was about to do. Now, all he could think about was how much his flame had strengthened since he''d last used it on large numbers of Imps.


    "What are you going to do?" Jort asked as his face turned pale. "Look how many there are!"


    "Don''t worry, my cards are practically made for fighting these guys," Irwin said as he snuck forward. "Make sure you keep hidden in case some flee past me."


    "Flee¡­?" Jort whispered in disbelief.


    Irwin ignored the rest of his muttered worrying as he continued forward. His aim was to get as close as possible, then rush forward and flame as many of the small Imps as he could. Then he''d go for the Brutal Imps and hammer them using the Kinetic energy. Taking a look at the two massive Brutal Imps, both so big, fat, and muscular that they made the other imps look like children, he was surprised to see that they were wearing a skirt, the bigger one even having a harness of leather.


    Weren''t the other ones without armor and garments? he thought.


    He inspected them for a few moments as he continued, but there was nothing else odd about them that he could find, and he turned his attention back to the masses of Imps.


    The constant giggling and shouting from below reminded him of the first-ever portal he''d gone in, and he grinned evilly. Even back then, most imps had feared him after one encounter. Now? Now, they wouldn''t know what hit them.


    He reached halfway down the slope, much farther than he''d expected to come when he was spotted.


    One of the Imps looked up from where he''d been tossed by a larger one in what was either relentless bullying or training. As its eyes widened, Irwin rose and, at the same time, exploded forward by using a part of his kinetic energy.


    He shot through the air, away from the slope, then down, drawing on his flame. A rippling mass of fire covered him, expanding rapidly, and only then did the imp manage a startled warning scream.


    It was hardly needed, as the Imps had seen the blooming of fire and light and turned towards him.


    Irwin didn''t care, as he focused on spreading the fire as much to the sides as possible. He wanted to make sure the Imps only found out about his devouring flame when he was on them and not start screaming and fleeing too soon.


    "Slaughter him!" a deep voice boomed.


    Irwin knew it had to have been one of the Brutal Imps. He glanced at them to see both Brutal Imps had gotten up and were staring at him. The biggest one was frowning, then pushed the smaller Brutal Imp forward, turned, and fled.


    I''ll get to you later, Irwin thought, and he focused on the mass of Imps below him.


    He saw two reach up as if they were going to grab his feet, and he almost felt pity for them as his heels hit, then crushed their hands and arms before he landed fully on one of them, flattening it into the ground.


    The screaming around him fell silent as his billowing flames rippled out, engulfing what had to be a hundred or more of the Imps trying to swarm him. All of them stood frozen, eyes wide, mouths gaping as their red bodies turned black like coal. Tiny drips of soulforce trickled into Irwin, and he could almost feel them raining down on his soullake.


    A hushed quiet fell over the mass of Imps just beyond his flames.


    "Devouring flame," the remaining Brutal Imp said, his stunned-sounding voice loud in the momentary silence. Then, a cacophony of screams of fear came from the surrounding imps.


    "Flee!" the Brutal Imp roared.


    Irwin exploded forward, shooting towards the densest mass of Imps that were pushing over each other to try and get away. He summoned a massive hammer and, as he landed, rammed it onto the ground. All of the kinetic energy it generated that he already had flooded into the hammer, then from the hammer into his flame. The fire surrounding him billowed out hundreds of feet around him before slowly pulling back in.


    Irwin felt a deluge of soulforce rain down on his soullake, and he looked around, almost hungrily. He was amazed to see dozens of shimmering cards appear above the blackened husks that now surrounded him, but there was no time to get them now. He ran after the Brutal Imp, which, to his surprise, hadn''t gone into the dugout hole but was running in a straight line to the forest. He shrank his hammer, then focused on the retreating back and hurled the hammer after it. Coated in fire, it shot across the grassy planes, leaving behind a scorched path before missing the Brutal Imp by a foot.


    It jerked to the side and looked back, showing an uncharacterized fear.


    Irwin watched it run again and hesitated. It was moving fast, but not nearly as fast as he could, which meant he would be able to overtake it even if he took care of what remained here-


    Something slammed into the back of his head, causing his eyes to flicker. Taking two steps forward, he turned and snarled at the smaller Brutal Imp, which had snuck around. It was ripping another chunk of stone from the entrance before turning and seeing Irwin''s silvery glare.


    Irwin growled, taking a few steps toward the imp.


    "The small ones first!" Ambraz shouted from his pocket.


    Irwin sniffed, then ignored the Brutal Imp and ran up the hill. Within a few paces, he began using his Kinetic energy to leap after the Imps that were heading toward Jort.


    In record time, he began clearing out hundreds of small imps, running around, flaming them while hurling his hammer.


    Only when a few remained, no more than shrinking figures in the distance, did he turn back to the cave entrance. He knew the largest Brutal Imp wouldn''t reach the forest anytime soon, which left the one that had hidden within.


    "Let''s go see what''s there," he muttered, not at all out of breath. A quick check showed that his card''s energy was below half, but he could feel from his soullake that it had filled up a lot. He couldn''t wait to take a peak.


    The entrance of the dugout tunnel was brittle, but as he walked inside, he saw that it widened enough for him. It was obvious the Brutal Imps had gone in and out from the size and tracks on the ground.


    Irwin followed the tunnel, which had a gentle downward slope.


    "Damn¡­ There''s a topaz rank portal down there," Ambraz said, his voice still muted inside Irwin''s pockets. "That''s no good. Between this and the other things we saw before, it''s worse than I had thought. That Beardy Face is fucking up!"


    Irwin grunted as he noticed a gleam below. A few steps later, he reached a small dugout cave in the soft bedrock with a portal hovering there. There was no sight of the Brutal Imp.


    "Great¡­ It ran," he muttered before frowning. "I wonder why that bigger one didn''t move here?"


    "Well, if you hurry and catch up to it, you can try and ask it," Ambraz said with a snort.


    Irwin blinked as he realized that was true. Perhaps he could scare it with his fire enough to make it talk? He looked around, then hummed. "What if I just collapse this place?"


    "Yeah, that''s fine. It would take them weeks to get out," Ambraz said.


    Irwin took one last look at the portal then took a few steps back before throwing a hammer at the ceiling. There was an explosive crash as debris began raining down and the tunnels shuddered. Taking a look at the long cracks appearing in the walls, Irwin summoned another hammer, then hurled it at the ceiling again while jumping back. He didn''t watch it hit but rushed up the tunnel as a second boom resounded out behind him. When he reached the outside, he was surrounded by a billowing cloud of dust and sand.


    Jort stood a few steps away, looking at him in awe and fear. He held a finger-thick stack of cards in his hands.


    "You alright?" Irwin asked as he took a quick look around, finding no more Imps.


    Jort just nodded, before stepping forward and holding out the cards. "There are twenty-seven cards," he said. "Two-" he licked his lips nervously. "Two very rare."


    Irwin took the cards, not sure if he was more surprised about the quantity or the fact that there were two Emerald rank cards. "That has to be a droprate of one in twenty," he said, shaking his head. "I heard that more cards were dropping, but this is insane."


    "What''s insane is one person slaughtering over five hundred imps," Jort whispered.


    Irwin didn''t respond, knowing perfectly well he''d never have been able to deal with as many of any other type of demon. With a shrug, he pocketed the cards, knowing that twenty-seven cards meant at least three more heartcarded. More if they were alright with being no higher than uncommon.


    "Lots of Imps fled north and east," Jort said. "Do we¡­ do something about those?"


    Irwin thought for a moment, then shook his head. "No. My hope is that we won''t be here much longer. It would take too long to run around getting them all. However, we are going to catch that Brutal Imp," he said before turning and hammering the sides of the tunnel until the entrance collapsed.


    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    When he was sure it wasn''t going to be broken open easily, he turned to Jort, who was pale and staring at the entrance.


    "Do you have a legendary heartcard?" Jort asked softly.


    Irwin sighed. Technically, he had a card above legendary, but he wasn''t going to share that.


    "Yes," he said.


    Jort sighed, staring at the backs of his hands. "I''m starting to think I made the wrong choice," he muttered.


    Irwin noticed the sadness in Jort''s eyes. "Why did you accept the offer?" he asked as he walked forward and made a gesture that he wanted to pick Jort up.


    Jort looked back and grimaced. "All but one of my children and grandchildren died. I want to keep her safe¡­ I thought that with a heartcard, even at this rank, I''d be powerful enough for that."


    Irwin picked him up, turning to where he knew the Gloomforest would be. With Jort quiet, he looked at the man, for the first time really seeing the wrinkles, the gray hairs, and the tiredness of the man.


    "You will become much stronger when you get your soulcard," he said. "Which you will reach much, much, faster than me. You will also be able to slot new cards after that."


    Jort''s blinked, the dullness in his gaze lifting slightly. "Will I be able to slot rare or better cards if I find them?"


    Irwin blinked, then frowned as he realized he didn''t really know if that would be the case.


    "I think so¡­" he said hesitantly, feeling a surge of relief when there was a slight shiver in his pocket.


    Thanks, Ambraz, he thought before smiling as he quickly thought about the potential issues with having a tiny soullake.


    "Yeah," he said, sounding more sure of himself as he thought about the likely implications. "You will just have a smaller soullake, which means you can''t use your skills as often or with as much force as someone with a higher heartcard."


    Jort sighed, and Irwin saw him clench his fists.


    "Ready?" Irwin asked.


    Jort nodded, and Irwin began running forward. As they sped up, he felt the kinetic energy flow more smoothly than on the trip there.


    I can''t wait to see how much soulforce I''ve gained, he thought.


    It took longer than he''d expected before they saw the Brutal Imp''s figure in the distance, and he continued until he was so close he could hear it grunt as it ran. Irwin slowed and put Jort on the ground.


    "Stay here, and only come closer when it''s dead."


    "Be careful," Jort said before grimacing. "Well¡­"


    "I will be," Irwin said.


    It took him a short while to catch up to the Brutal Imp this time, and as he saw the massive thing trudge forward, he remembered the last time he''d seen one before or fought one.


    I wonder if this one is from the same shardworld, he thought as he ran beside the Brutal Imp, which looked up in shock.


    "Stop running, or I''ll burn you," Irwin said as he caused his fire to sprawl around him, tendrils of flame stretching out to block the Brutal Imp.


    The Brutal Imp''s dangerously sharp red eyes focused on him, and he saw a snarl appear on the face.


    "Don''t," Irwin snapped, just as the Brutal Imp turned toward him, jumping with his arms outstretched.


    Irwin''s mind spun a thousand miles an hour as he released his flame, summoned a hammer, and lashed out, fully catching the incoming Brutal Imp on the side of his head. The massive imp, easily three times his girth and three heads taller, was smacked to the side, skidding across the ground before rolling over and struggling back to its feet.


    The Brutal Imp rubbed its head, its eyes swirling in their sockets.


    "There are two ways this can go," Irwin snapped as he walked forward, enlarging his hammer and readying his Sweltering skill. If he had to, he could try and suffocate the imp, then tie it up...


    If I actually had ropes or cables, he thought.


    "Either you answer my questions, and I''ll think about letting you go," Irwin lied. "Or I''ll burn you to a crisp with my devouring flame."


    The Brutal Imp was shaking its head, seemingly trying to clear it, but as soon as Irwin mentioned his devouring flame the imp''s eyes focused on Irwin, and he stopped moving.


    "How did you get that vile, evil skill," the Brutal Imp growled.


    "I''m the one who is going to be asking the questions," Irwin said as he flared his flame up, causing it to tower a dozen feet above them like a flaming pillar. The Brutal Imp''s eyes widened as he gazed at the column of heat, before slowly focusing back on Irwin.


    "Fine," it snarled. "What do you want to know?"


    "Why didn''t you just flee through the portal?" Irwin asked, deciding to start with the immediate things first before branching off.


    The Brutal Imp barked a laugh, rising out of the halfcrouch it had been in for a while. It glowered down at Irwin. "Because I''d have been punished for failure."


    "Failure to do what?" Irwin asked, raising an eyebrow and putting the hammer on the ground, lengthening the handle to a length that allowed him to fake leaning on it.


    "To contact that nasty monster hiding in the forest," the Brutal Imp grunted as it jutted a massive finger at the Gloomforest.


    "The Bablibon?" Irwin asked, his curiosity peaked.


    The Brutal Imp lowered its head, its eyes glinting. "How do you know that name?"


    "I ask the questions," Irwin said calmly as he looked at the Brutal Imp.


    "Yes," the Brutal Imp said slowly.


    Irwin saw the burning red gaze pass over his hammer before the Brutal Imp glanced at his flame. Then the Brutal Imp focused back on him, and Irwin saw a calculating look in its red eyes.


    "Why are you trying to contact the Bablibon?" he asked.


    "To have it tell us where the card smith went," the Brutal Imp said, as a slow grin spread across its face. "That''s you¡­ isn''t it?"


    Irwin felt his skin crawl. "There are many smiths. Which one are you looking for?" he asked, readying his flame in case the Brutal Imp made any wrong move. Although he was positive, he could easily beat it now. Something about the situation was starting to worry him.


    "The smith that has been spreading information on this world about how to reforge cards," the Brutal Imp said as he leaned forward, leering at Irwin. "It''s you. So, the rumors were true!"


    "Why would the Bablibon know where the smith is?" Irwin said, ignoring the Brutal Imp.


    "Rumor has it that it''s been searching for you for a long time," the Brutal Imp said with a nasty grin.


    "Rumor?" Irwin snapped. "Explain!"


    The Brutal Imp didn''t respond, and Irwin glared at it. A single look told him he wasn''t going to get an answer to that question unless he was going to force it, and he had other questions first. Hopefully, ones that would be answered.


    "Who is looking for this smith?" he asked.


    "Someone very important," the Brutal Imp said, its grin widening. "Someone able to hand out worlds like lavagrapes!"


    Irwin saw that any fear it had shown before was gone, and the Brutal Imp was looking far too sure of itself. Still, this was the first time he''d gotten anywhere close to more information on what was going on.


    "And you want a world?" Irwin asked, trying to act like he wasn''t noticing something odd was happening. He focused on his Sweltering card and began dispersing a thin mount of steam around, keeping it low to the ground and ready for anything.


    "Ohhh, yes," the Brutal Imp said, taking a slow, almost threatening step forward. "I''ll get a world and create a powerful family which I''ll rule for a long, long time!"


    "Do you think you can capture me?" Irwin asked, lifting his hammer back up and cocking his head. He had the feeling something was going to happen, and he readied himself.


    "Me? No," the Brutal Imp said with a deep snarl. "But-" his hand shot up to his harness.


    Irwin moved without thinking, using his remaining Kinetic energy to blast himself forward, shrinking his hammer so it would not be in the way while all of his steam moved forward. As fast as he was, he just barely managed to grab the Brutal Imp''s wrist as it tried to remove something from the harness. Flames licked around his fingers, and the Brutal Imp gasped as it froze momentarily.


    Irwin yanked the arm back and down before hitting the imp in its abdomen as hard as he could. With flames rippling across his knuckles, the imp gasped and collapsed to its knees. The burning eyes were now an arm''s length away from Irwin''s, spread wide in pain and surprise. Irwin clenched his fingers tight around the thick wrist, feeling the bones compress, while he reached up and took a slip of paper that was now partially pulled out from behind the edge of the harness.


    The Brutal Imp glared at him and the paper. It started grunting and resisting harder, his arm shivering and shaking.


    Irwin clenched the wrist tighter, causing his flames to lick around the arm, which made the Brutal Imp freeze again. He took a quick look at the perfectly square, card-sized piece of paper, and his eyes widened as he noticed a circle of runes on it. His finger was touching one, which was now lit up, glowing a dull blue. Those beside it began glowing softly.


    "Throw it!"


    Irwin jerked his hand back, throwing the paper away at Ambraz''s muted warning. The runes on the paper quickly darkened. Watching it carefully for a few moments, Irwin turned his attention back to the shivering Brutal Imp. Its jaw was clenched tight, eyes wide, and everything except for the arm Irwin was holding, shivering uncontrollably. His wrist was slowly turning black.


    "What is that?" Irwin snarled, pointing at the card-sized paper. He weakened his flame slightly, just enough for the Brutal Imp to respond, but it didn''t. It just gnashed its teeth, glaring at him.


    "Either you answer me, or I''ll drain your soulpower," Irwin snapped. "It will be slow and painful!"


    The Brutal Imp glared at him, but behind the deep hate, Irwin saw an underlying fear.


    "Soulskill-created signaling paper," the Brutal Imp snarled through his clenched teeth.


    "Who would it signal?" Irwin snapped.


    "Don''t know."


    Irwin increased his flame momentarily, letting it lick across the Brutal Imp''s arm and torso before letting off again.


    "Who?!" he asked.


    "I don''t know!" the Brutal Imp shouted, the fear slowly outgrowing the hate. "It came with the mission and the order to use it only when we found the smith and couldn''t bring him in."


    Irwin frowned. "Why didn''t you use it earlier?"


    The Brutal Imp shook his head minutely. "Because I don''t trust them," it hissed. "Many of my kind never returned from their missions!"


    "Then why do you work for them?" Irwin asked, hoping the Brutal Imp would continue talking.


    "Because our world is gone, the few remaining shardworlds are going to break apart soon, and my kind will perish," the Brutal Imp snarled.


    Irwin frowned, wondering why so many worlds and so many different people, demon or otherwise, were undergoing the same problems. As he wondered what to ask next, a sudden thought occurred to him.


    "Who shattered your world?" he asked.


    "I don''t know," the Brutal Imp snarled. "I was just a lowly imp when that happened."


    "Tell me what you remember," Irwin hissed.


    The Brutal Imp looked back, seeming more confused than angry.


    "All I remember is the stories of portals suddenly appearing and Fiends like you appearing and slaughtering everyone they came across," the Brutal Imp said.


    Just like on Giard, Irwin thought with a frown. Had the same thing happened to the Frozir world?


    He focused on the Brutal Imp, who was glaring back, its gleaming red eyes narrow and full of hate.


    "How many more of you are on Giard?" he asked.


    The Brutal Imp snorted. "I have no clue. Lots!"


    "Only to find the smith?" Irwin asked.


    "No, to kill as many of you as we can," the Brutal Imp hissed. "You and the other smiths are just a side mission."


    Irwin felt his skin grow cold as he looked into the hatred-filled eyes. He realized that although the Brutal Imps hadn''t lost their intellect, they were still becoming addled. Either that, or they had always been this hateful. Then he remembered some of the stories Scintilla had told him about the imps she recalled.


    "Why are you not with the others of your kind on the Ignitzion worlds?" he asked.


    "We are not slaves or pets!" the Brutal Imp roared. "Those weaklings are no longer Imprish! They have lost everything that makes us who we are!"


    Irwin sighed. "Tell me everything you know about those who gave you this mission."


    The Brutal Imp sniffed. "I know nothing about them. Brigtha gives us the missions."


    "Brigtha?" Irwin asked.


    "He is our leader, the strongest of us," The Brutal Imp snapped before shaking his head. "Enough! I have told you everything you wanted to know! You said you would release me. Now do so!"


    Irwin looked at him and, for a moment, wondered what would happen if he did release the imp. Then, the intense hate in the Brutal Imp''s eyes told him all he needed to know, and he flared his flame. Before the Brutal Imp could react, shout in indignation or hurl insults at him, its entire body was engulfed in flames.


    Irwin watched as the Brutal Imp began shaking, his skin slowly turning black. It took over a minute before the hateful life fled its eyes. His fingers closed together, the wrist he was holding turning to dust while the body slumped down into the chunks of black chunks. A slight drizzle of soulforce rained on his soullake before everything turned quiet.


    He took a few steps back, wiping his hands and staring at the remains of the Brutal Imp.


    Would we turn to murder crazies if we remained? he wondered. Getting no answer, he turned to the paper still lying on the ground and crouched beside it.


    "Great. Now, what am I supposed to do with you," he muttered.

 Chapter 202: Searching and finding

    Irwin lowered Jort to the ground in front of the gate. The guards and rangers on the walls were calmly looking down.


    "By Yilda I''m glad we are back," Jort whispered.


    "Yes," Irwin said as he watched the door open up.


    A familiar guard walked out, nodding at him.


    "Irwin," he said before looking at Jort. "Jort, report."


    "I''ll be reporting to the rangers in a moment," Jort said. "Just come along, and you will get the same information."


    Irwin saw the guard''s eyes narrow, then the man glanced at him and nodded. "Fine."


    Jort said his goodbyes, and a few moments later, Irwin stood alone before the gate, trying to ignore the curious eyes of guards and rangers.


    He was about to head back home to see his mother when a ranger in dark leather armor came running through the alleyway that led to the castle. When she noticed Irwin, she ran forward, stopping a few feet away.


    "Irwin! Lord Rhym asks for your presence. The Sorceress Clarish has returned," he said.


    "Lead the way," Irwin said, hoping Clarish had good news.


    The city was slightly more busy than the previous times he had walked through it, and as they rushed towards the castle, Irwin saw that many people were talking animatedly¡ªan almost palpable excitement hung in the air.


    Did Rhym tell them we are leaving? Irwin wondered.


    "What''s going on?" he asked.


    The ranger turned to him, grinning widely, her eyes sparkling. "Lord Rhym told us you are going to bring us to a safe new world."


    Irwin blinked, then smiled. "So Clarish brought good news?"


    "News and a really interesting fellow by the name of Greldo!"


    Irwin''s eyes widened, and he increased his pace. If Greldo was here, that meant Daubutim was ready to change the portal''s location!


    Wait¡­ what does he mean by very interesting?


    Before he knew it, he was sprinting through the narrow corridors, the ranger barely able to keep up.


    He ignored the guards at the castle''s main gate, who quickly got out of his way and barreled through the castle until he reached the room where he''d last seen Lord Rhym. He ran up the stairs into the room and saw Lord Rhym looking up from where he had been talking with a guard.


    "Damn, but you make a ruckus when you run," a familiar voice said from the table to the side. Irwin looked up to see Greldo sitting beside Clarish.


    "Greldo!" Irwin shouted as he walked forward, clasping hands with his friend. "How are things on-"


    "Eluathar," Greldo said, interrupting him.


    Irwin stared back in surprise, opening and closing his mouth a few times. "What?" he finally muttered.


    "That''s the name of the world," Greldo said with a shrug. "I''m not sure who first called it that, but before I knew it, everyone was calling it that."


    Irwin thought about the word before slowly repeating it. "Eluathar¡­ It sounds good."


    "I hope so because I don''t think we are going to change it anytime soon," Greldo said with a grin. "So! I just talked with our old Teacher. Can you believe how much has changed in this shithole?"


    Irwin saw Lord Rhym glare at Greldo, and he sighed. "It''s not that bad," he said, ignoring Greldo''s glittering eyes. "So, is Daubutim ready?"


    "Yes, finally! The last Degonda group will arrive at the portal in three days," Greldo said.


    Irwin sighed in relief. That meant that even if all else failed, all of the people of Degonda would at least be safe.


    Greldo grinned. "More importantly, I hear you''re having some trouble finding where the portal might open here?"


    Irwin sat down beside him. "The Bablibon is inside the forest, searching for something," he said.


    Greldo nodded. "So I heard," he said. "Any idea what it''s looking for?"


    "None," Irwin said." But whatever it is, it''s probably best for us if it doesn''t find it."


    "Irwin, could you tell me if your trip was successful!?" Lord Rhym asked loudly.


    Irwin looked up and found that the guard had left, and sorcerer Uldrot was standing beside Lord Rhym.


    "We managed to clear out a few hundred Imps, and I collapsed a cave with a portal," Irwin said.


    Lord Rhym''s eyes widened while Sorcerer Uldrot frowned in disbelief. Irwin ignored it, knowing they would hear from Jort soon enough.


    "I''ve also managed to gain a bit more information on the Bablibon. It has been searching for me and somehow managed to find its way here. I have no idea how it managed that, but it seems to be out for vengeance."


    "Vengeance for you hurting it?" Lord Rhym asked.


    Irwin shrugged. "Probably. There is nothing else that makes sense," he said, recalling what Gelwin had told him about Bablibons being incredibly spiteful.


    Lord Rhym quietly watched them for a bit before turning to Greldo.


    "Are you able to scout Gloomforest and find out where it is and where the portal could potentially be?"


    "Sure I can," Greldo said, leaning back and glancing at Clarish. "You said something about a map of the forest?"


    Clarish nodded before looking at her uncle. "Uncle, can I get the map?"


    Sorcerer Uldrot looked at Greldo for a moment before nodding.


    "No need. I''ll get it," the older sorcerer said before vanishing, leaving behind a momentary shadowy version of himself that faded within moments.


    "Look at that, another shadow teleporter," Greldo said, crossing his arms with a grin. "I''m going to have to ask him for some tricks if he has any."


    "Will you be using some of those cards to upgrade my guards to heartcarded?" Lord Rhym asked, clearly ignoring Greldo.


    "Two," Irwin said with a nod.


    "Rare?" Lord Rhym asked hopefully.


    Irwin thought for a moment, then shook his head. "Two at uncommon or one at rare."


    "You have only gotten ten cards, then?" Lord Rhym asked.


    Knowing the old man was fishing, Irwin shook his head but didn''t answer. He wanted to use at least fifteen of the cards to create one, or hopefully two, rare heartcarded rangers. With his brother being one of the captains, he''d prefer them to have more power, and he was going to ask his brother which of his own squad should be elevated to heartcarded.


    "I see," Lord Rhym said.


    A few moments later, Sorcerer Uldrot returned with a soft crackle of black swirling shadows. He was carrying a rolled-up scroll, which he placed on the table, unfolding it.


    Irwin leaned back, watching Greldo inspect it and ask questions. When his friend finished, Lord Rhym was humming softly.


    "Will you be leaving right away?" he asked.


    "No," Greldo said as he got to his feet, grinning at Irwin. "I''m going to be looking around a bit first. I''ll leave later today and let you know when I''m back."


    Irwin held back a grin as he saw Greldo pull a face while walking away. His friend had never liked Rhym, not even back when they went to school.


    Neither did I, he suddenly thought.


    He recalled how Rhym had favored the young nobles on many occasions. Greldo and he had both been on the receiving end of what he had then thought were unjust punishments on more than one occasion. Still, his mother seemed certain about Rhym, and she wasn''t one to trust easily.


    Behind Greldo, Lord Rhym shook his head before turning to Irwin.


    "Irwin, please let me know when I can send the first guard."


    "Tomorrow morning I''ll be inside the Ranger Tower''s cellar," Irwin said.


    Lord Rhym sat down with a weary sigh. "They will be there."


    Irwin nodded, then waved to Sorcerer Urdoth and Clarish before quickly following Greldo.


    His friend stood below the stairs, his head tilted and clearly listening to something. Irwin walked up to him, but Greldo shook his head, raising a finger for silence.


    Curious, Irwin remained where he was. A short minute later, Greldo grinned as he began walking.


    "What was it?" Irwin asked.


    "Oh, nothing. I was just listening to see how Teacher Rhym would react to our little interaction," Greldo said, his grin widening.


    "And?"


    "He was mightily annoyed by my behavior and is talking with that sorcerer to come up with an alternative for when I fail," Greldo said, then laughed softly. "I can''t wait to rub his face in the fact that I won''t."


    Irwin sighed, shaking his head. "You do remember we are here to save people?" he asked.


    "I do," Greldo said, scratching his chin. "But that doesn''t mean I can''t have some payback while doing it. Anyway, how about a tour of this place? I''ve always wanted to see how those noble brats lived."


    Irwin was about to say they didn''t have time for it, then held back. This might be the last chance they ever had¡­ and he remembered many times that he and Greldo had discussed, in all seriousness, what this place would look like inside. Was he really willing to surrender this last opportunity?


    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    "Alright¡­ let''s take a quick look," he said, grinning as he looked around.


    "Hidden dungeon first!" Greldo shouted as he sprinted towards a corridor leading down.


    --


    After running around the castle for a while, Irwin and Greldo made their way outside and began wandering the familiar streets of the inner city.


    "You remember how we hid there so Bast and his cronies wouldn''t find us?" Greldo said softly, pointing at a low building with a ledge.


    Irwin knew there was a small alcove above due to how the roof of the nearby building angled over it.


    "I do," he said, raising his eyebrow as he softly elbowed his friend. "Wanna know who was one of the first people I met here?"


    Greldo looked back, eyes widening. "You didn''t! Did you kick his ass?"


    Irwin snorted. "No, and you shouldn''t either. Bast isn''t like what we remember," he said before slowly explaining what had happened.


    "Hah, so that fool is an old wrinkly bastard now," Greldo said. "That makes me very happy!"


    Irwin didn''t respond, but he looked at Greldo. There was only one reason he could come up with why he was acting as aggressively as he had been, and he licked his lips nervously.


    "Do you want to see if your mother survived?" he asked softly.


    Greldo didn''t respond for a while, and they continued through a narrow street they had moved through many times in the past.


    "I already asked," Greldo finally said, his voice cracking. "She was one of those killed when the Nyzir swarmed the city."


    Irwin felt his skin grow cold. He knew his friend had little love for his mother, but even then, this had to hurt. "I''m sorry to hear that," he whispered.


    "Yeah," Greldo said. "It gets worse¡­ Remember she was seeing that abusive old bastard, Tyson Bas?"


    Irwin nodded slowly, remembering the nasty piece of work.


    "Well, apparently, he died trying to protect her and managed to save some of the other people. They say he''s a hero¡­ Can you believe that?"


    Irwin grimaced at the deep pain in his friend''s voice, and he sighed. "No, not really," he said truthfully.


    "Me neither," Greldo snapped. "But they swear it''s true."


    They continued walking through town for a while longer, and slowly Irwin began guiding them to his brother''s house. "Do you want to see my mother?" he asked.


    "Yeah, I could do with some happy news right about now," Greldo said before glancing at Irwin. "I''m really happy your brother and mother are still alive."


    "Me too," Irwin said, gripping his friend''s shoulder and squeezing it before they continued walking.


    It took them only a short while to reach Bronwyn''s house, but by the time they did, Greldo seemed back to his old, happy self. Irwin knew it was a facade and suddenly couldn''t wait to be away from Giard. After everyone was safe on Eluathar, they could leave this place behind where it belonged: in their memories.


    Carla was the one to open the door, smiling when she saw him. She was holding Drum in one arm, and the baby was gurgling happily, trying to reach one of his mother''s stray locks of hair.


    "Irwin, it''s good you are back," she said before turning to Greldo. "You are¡­?"


    "This is Greldo, who I told you about," Irwin said.


    "Oh! Welcome," Carla said as she beckoned them both in.


    A few moments later, they were sitting at the kitchen table, Irwin''s mother tutting as she brought both of them some water.


    "Greldo Domnyr! I didn''t expect to see you again until Irwin told me you had survived," she said as she sat down, examining Greldo. "You did well," she said with a firm nod.


    "Thank you," Greldo said, smiling.


    Irwin saw him sit a little straighter and remained quiet as his mother began asking Greldo questions about what he''d been up to and how he had survived. After a while, the discussion went to what they would have to do now, and his mother frowned.


    "So you are going into Gloomforest on your own? Will you be alright?"


    Greldo grinned as he got up. "Definitely," he said, stepping to the side and appearing on the other side of the small kitchen. "I''d love to see anything try and catch up to me."


    Irwin saw his mother frown worriedly.


    "Don''t underestimate demons," she said. "Many good people got killed due to their hubris."


    "We won''t," Greldo said as he looked at Irwin. "I''m going to set out and see what I can find. I''ll probably be back tomorrow morning."


    Irwin got up, slightly worried suddenly. "Alright. Make sure you do, or I''ll have to come and get you," he said.


    Greldo grinned, shaking his head. "What, and burn down the forest?"


    Irwin raised an eyebrow. "That might not be such a bad idea."


    "Well, don''t do anything like that while I''m inside," Greldo said. He grinned, then vanished into the shadow.


    Irwin watched at the empty corner worriedly.


    "He will be fine," his mother muttered, but Irwin could hear the worry in her voice.


    --


    Greldo looked around his old street, then glanced at the house he''d grown up in. A small family was living there now, and he sighed. Stepping back into the shadows, he used his heartcard''s skill and reappeared outside of Malorin in the shadow of the wall.


    He looked at the rangers atop the wall and snorted. They hadn''t even looked down yet, their eyes only trailing on the distant forest.


    They need to learn to look everywhere, he thought as he summoned Coal.


    The massive hound appeared beside him, and he felt a sense of worry from his companion.


    I''m fine, Greldo sent back as he looked at the distant Gloomforest. "Ready to do some hunting?"


    Coal stepped up to him, rubbing its massive shoulder against his chest.


    "Fine, fine. We won''t be doing anything foolish," Greldo said, rubbing his friend below the chin. "Let''s go and see if we can find that ugly chicken."


    He focused on the distant forest, sensing the shadows almost like a distant wind that played across his face. A small focus later, he appeared a great distance from Malorin below a gnarly old tree. Coal stepped out of the shadows beside him. The scent of rotting leaves, musty moss, and¡­ something odd permeated the air.


    Focusing around, he frowned. There was a sense of wrongness over the forest that he wasn''t sure had been there before. He''d never actually been in Gloomforest when he was young, and it might just have always been like this, but somehow, he doubted it.


    Let''s stick to the shadows and see what we can find, he sent to Coal, stepping back into the shadowy realm.


    They moved through the Gloomforest, everything dark and quiet, and the further they went, the more worried Greldo became. There were no signs of life anywhere, and as he went deeper, the sense of wrongness increased.


    As the last rays of sunlight vanished, they reached the southern edge of Sultur Crevice. Even the start was so deep he couldn''t see the depths of it, and it was already forty feet across on its narrowest point. He knew it would continue widening until it was hundreds of feet wide, and he wondered how the ranger had even found that Bablibon.


    Be alert, Greldo sent to Coal. This is where the ranger said the demon chicken was.


    They continued gliding through the shadows, and a mile from the start, Greldo was starting to wonder if the other ranger had been lying. Then Coal signaled him that he was hearing something. Greldo didn''t hear anything, but he knew Coal''s ears were even better than his.


    So it''s down? he thought, staring into the shadows below. Fine, let''s have a look.


    They drifted down into the omnipresent shadows and darkness, Coal leading, and within a few moments, Greldo began hearing scratching sounds. It reminded him of someone drawing their nails across a whetstone, and Greldo shivered. After a while, he heard a soft voice cursing, laughing, and singing. As they closed in, the words became audible.


    "Close, close, so close!" A short burst of laughter followed the creaky voice.


    Greldo stopped within the shadows, looking at a dugout tunnel in the wall. Splinters, stone, and dust were billowing and rattling out of it while a large shadow stood deep inside. It was attacking the stonewall with its massive hindlegs, digging down into the rock.


    It''s bigger than Coal! Didn''t Irwin say it was smaller? Greldo thought as he felt a shiver run through him.


    He was suddenly far less confident in his and Coal''s odds against the thing as he saw it easily drill into the stone wall. As he watched the menacing bird, he remembered something that Irwin had told him about it. If the Bablibon found out that they were there, it would lure them in with the fake idea that they could take it on.


    Those claws would rake us open from top to bottom, he thought.


    "It''s here. It has to be," the Bablibon whispered before letting a loud cackle as it increased its digging speed.


    What is it looking for?


    Greldo frowned as he looked around. There was no way the portal entrance would be here, he didn''t believe it one bit. Irwin and Daubutim said that Gelwin had put them in locations that were at least accessible, and this definitely wasn''t that.


    He waited, somehow afraid to come to a close as the Bablibon continued digging. Sometimes, it would slow down, muttering to itself before it continued with a burst of speed. Finally, after what had to be hours, it stopped, backing up with a loud screech.


    "Wrong, wrong! It''s not here¡­ close but still not right," it howled, turning around so fast that Greldo started and dashed back through the shadows in fear. He knew there was no way for it to see him, but something about the yellow eyes with red slits made him wary.


    The Bablibon ran through the tunnel and jumped out, catching the edge of the rock with its massive clawed feet before standing on the wall and looking around. It frowned, its eyelids lowering across its bulbous yellow eyes as if it were searching for something. After a few moments, its eyes gleamed with a dangerous intellect, then it shivered and looked around.


    Did it notice I''m here somehow? Greldo thought, floating further back and getting ready to teleport away.


    The Bablibon scanned the wall, suddenly focusing on something.


    "There! Of course, so close!" it shouted as it dashed across the wall as if it was a flat surface and reached a spot Greldo saw nothing odd about. There, it began slashing and hitting the wall again, only two dozen feet below the tunnel it had just made.


    It knows something is here, but not exactly? Or is it just insane?


    Greldo frowned as he looked around. The darkness of the crevice down below was so deep even he could barely see through it, and he hesitated for only a moment before telling Coal to keep an eye on the Bablibon. Then he began zipping through the shadows and, within moments, found more dead-end tunnels dug by the Bablibon. He didn''t see any indication why the tunnels were dug there, and after searching further around, even going a good distance deeper, he returned, more confused than before. Each tunnel was almost the same depth, which told him that there was some plan for the madness he was seeing.


    Perhaps it only knows something has to be here? he pondered, calmly watching the Bablibon, already a few feet inside the wall, chips of stone scattering behind it.


    Deciding to see why the Bablibon was picking the locations, he waited till the Bablibon dug roughly the same distance, listening to its constant laughing and rambling. Most dealt with finding it, but sometimes it said different things.


    "I''ll find you, little painbringer. You and everyone that smells like you. Revenge will be sweet as I drink your blood and rip your tendons from your screaming husk!"


    Painbringer? Does it mean Irwin? Greldo thought, feeling an intense fear that the Bablibon could somehow smell Irwin''s presence on someone.


    The Bablibon snarled, dashing out of the tunnel again. Greldo moved closer, following its gaze. As soon as it landed on something, he zipped through the shadows, hovering above the spot just before the Bablibon reached it. For one moment, he saw nothing, and then his keen eyes noticed something¡ªa seemingly fresh crack in the otherwise old, dusty, and stone-riddled wall of the crevice. The Bablibon''s claw jutted into it and began pulling and cracking as it tore open the wall.


    Odd, why was there a new crack there, Greldo thought, hovering back a bit in the endless shadows of the chasm.


    Curious, he began scanning the wall, and he quickly found that there were dozens more of the fresh tears in the wall. They almost looked like something had sliced into it.


    All but one.


    As he went lower and to the side, he noticed another crack, larger than the others, and as he hovered beside it, he saw the edges were blasted outward. Almost as if something inside had pushed itself out. Hovering before it, he peered deep into the hand-sized crack. Far in the distance, he saw a dim gleam. Blueish and pale.


    A portal?


    Greldo frowned when he suddenly realized something had changed. It was quiet. Wait, why did it-


    Coal''s warning made him dash to the side, only just in time to dodge a blur of nails that clashed with the wall he had been hovering before.


    "Found something? You found something little shadow! Good shadow, nice pet! I''ll allow you to feed on the crumbs of these weaklings after the dust settles," the Bablibon screeched while looking around.


    Its eyes passed over Greldo before snapping back, the red slits narrowing as it focused. "Nyzir? No¡­ something similar! Curious. I smell a card?"


    Greldo backed up further while the Bablibon''s eyes narrowed further.


    A soft humm permeated the air, and Greldo didn''t hesitate but teleported to the edge of the crevice far above. As he appeared inside the dark, moonlit forest, he instantly knew something was wrong, as he felt a combative feeling projected from Coal.


    No! Don''t attack, he sent back, just as laughter rang up.


    "Just a shadow hound?" the Bablibon screeched from below, followed by Coal''s roar.


    Greldo unsummoned Coal. He was only barely in time as he felt a shock of pain from his friend, signaling at least something had wounded it. Then he was at the place he had gone when he was not with Greldo, sending a feeling of sorrow and fear.


    It''s fine, it''s not your fault, Greldo thought as he hovered back from the edge.


    Loud scratching was rushing up from below, and without another thought, he teleported a few hundred feet back into the treeline, high up near the top branches. Hiding below and behind the branch, he watched the Bablibon run up the rocky crevice side, then jump up and land on the edge, glaring around.


    "My price," it roared, looking around. "Don''t come back here, inbred mut! I''ll eat you! No matter how many cards you''ve eaten, you won''t be able to beat me!"


    Greldo shivered inside the shadowy realm, watching as the Bablibon began walking around the edge, tearing into the ground for a while before jumping back in the crevice, leaving behind deep claw marks like a sign of its dominance.


    Greldo looked at the crevice, hesitating before mentally shaking his head. He wanted to see what the Bablibon was going to do, but there was no need. It had been looking for the portal, somehow knowing it was there, and probably was planning to either go inside or let something come here. Looking around so he would be able to return here in a single teleport, he focused on his heartcard, feeling it shiver as he felt its energy drain as he triggered his teleport.


    He vanished in a deeper layer of the shadows and reappeared a moment later below the wall of Malorin. A sense of weariness and weakness ran through him, but he ignored it. He floated up the wall along the shadows, and after a few moments, he entered through the window of Bronwyn''s house.


    Irwin was lying on a makeshift bed in the corner.


    Sorry, but I''m going to have to cut your rest short, Greldo thought.

 Chapter 203: A battle of shadows

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    Irwin jolted upright, a hammer appearing in his hand as he tried to figure out what had awoken him. Had something just poked him?


    A soft laughter made him look up, and he saw Greldo standing a few steps away. He blinked away the sleep from his eyes. It wasn''t Greldo who was laughing, though he was grinning. The laughter came from Ambraz, who was sitting on Greldo''s shoulder.


    "Seriously? Couldn''t you wait till morning?" Irwin snorted as he shook himself awake and rose on his elbows.


    Greldo''s grin faded, replaced by worry. "I found the Bablibon. It was looking for a portal which was hidden in the Sultur Crevice and-"


    Irwin listened quietly as Greldo explained what had happened. Halfway through, he got up while Ambraz flew to his shoulder, metal lips pursed tight.


    "Dammit," Ambraz snorted. "I have no idea what that Bablibon thinks the portal can do, but it''s definitely not going to be good."


    Irwin grunted in agreement as he looked up at Glint. "Glint, tell Bronwyn what you just heard if you haven''t already," he said. "I''m heading to Lord Rhym to warn him."


    The massive owl nestled near the ceiling gazed at him before it lowered its head.


    Irwin looked at Greldo, who looked weary.


    "Are you alright?"


    "Yeah, yeah," Greldo said with a sigh. "It''s just that teleporting that much, especially that last jump, takes a large chunk out of me."


    There was a moment of silence as Irwin looked at his friend, then he nodded. "Take it easy, and try to regain some energy. There''s no way of knowing what might happen, but as Ambraz said, it''s probably not going to be good."


    "Don''t worry about me. Go and see Rhym. I''ll head to the wall and warn the rangers," Greldo said, grinning wearily before vanishing into the shadows.


    Irwin heard a rustle from above, likely Bronwyn, who was getting out of bed. He hesitated if he should wait, then shook his head and headed for the door. Bronwyn could warn the rangers, and he could head to Rhym.


    He ran through the dark and empty city, wondering what would be coming from the portal.


    I''m glad I went to those imps first, he thought as he thought about his significantly fuller soullake.


    It had gone from under one percent filled to a knee-deep layer that covered the entire width and breadth of the lakebed. Almost ten percent filled, according to Ambraz, who''d been more than a little stunned and told him it meant he could use his abilities twice as long and with twice as much force.


    I wonder if I can keep consuming imps to fill my soullake, Irwin thought. If he could, that meant he might be able to create his soulcard much faster than he''d ever thought possible.


    He reached the castle''s closed gates in record time, and his loud footsteps caused a group of guards to come walking out of the small door to the side.


    "Irwin?" one of them asked as he looked confused.


    "The scout that headed into Gloomforest returned with bad news," Irwin said. "I need to talk with Lord Rhym immediately. A portal appeared inside Sultur Crevice, and there''s a chance we get a surge!"


    The guards stared at him for a mere moment, then the one who''d spoken to him spun around.


    "Wake the others, send extra men to the walls," he snapped orders before turning to Irwin.


    "Follow me. I''m pretty sure Lord Rhym is still awake," he said before walking through the smaller door.


    Irwin followed the guard inside a smaller hallway and through the winding paths of the castle.


    When they reached the staircase that led to Lord Rhym''s planning room, Irwin saw a soft glow of light from above. The guard stopped at the bottom, looking up.


    "Jeffron! It''s me, I''m bringing Irwin. There''s news from the scout!"


    "Let him up," Lord Rhym''s voice boomed from above.


    "I''ll go back and prepare with the others," the guard said as he bowed his head before turning and heading back the way they came.


    Irwin walked up the stairs, and as he reached the top, he saw six guards with weapons drawn near the entrance. Lord Rhym stood near the table that held the map of the region.


    "I presume there is bad news, seeing as you made your way here in the dead of night?" Lord Rhym asked.


    "The Bablibon found a portal inside Sultur Crevice," Irwin said, quickly sharing what Greldo had told him.


    He was almost finished when a startling loud horn blew from the walls.


    "Enemies," Lord Rhym said, turning to the guards. "Jeffron remain here. The rest of you, head to the nearest shelter and protect the people!"


    All but a single guard bowed and ran down the stairs while Lord Rhym put his hands on the table.


    "So, no idea what type of surge?"


    "None," Irwin said as he looked out a nearby window. "I''m going to head to the wall."


    "Go, I''ll join you soon," Lord Rhym said as he looked at the back of his hands with a weary resignation.


    Irwin nodded and ran back out.


    When he returned to the square beyond the castle, the horn was still blowing, and he heard shouts of worry and panic from inside the city. The pale light from the moons and stars was partially obscured by thin clouds that drifted through the sky, and he knew that anyone without night vision would have a hard time if it came to a clash now.


    Mom, he thought, looking in the direction of their house.


    "Irwin!"


    Irwin jumped to the side as Greldo appeared a few steps beside him.


    "What?" he snapped, lowering his hammer.


    "There are Nyzir pouring out of the forest," Greldo said as he looked around. "They aren''t as fast as me, but they will be here within minutes."


    Nyzir, why does it have to be Nyzir, Irwin thought as he clenched his teeth.


    "You can see them when they move through the shadows?" he asked.


    "Yes, but they can see me through it, too," Greldo hissed. "I hate those slimy bastards!"


    "Any sign of the Bablibon?" Irwin asked.


    "None yet."


    Irwin looked around, his mind running a million miles as he tried to determine what to do. The Nyzir would likely spread out, meaning he couldn''t just-


    A second horn joined the first, booming in a rapid warning pattern.


    "What-" Irwin began, only to see Greldo vanish.


    "-now¡­" he finished lamely. "Ambraz, any ideas on how to deal with all those Nyzir?"


    "Kid, I''m not good with war," Ambraz muttered from his pocket. "But if they are going spread out because they are trying to kill people, perhaps bring everyone together so the Nyzir are bunched together?"


    Irwin blinked as he spun to the castle. Although it had windows aplenty, the massive cavernous dungeons below had only a few access points! He''d run around them with Greldo the previous day, and perhaps he could fit everyone in there?


    "There''s something massive moving through the forest towards us," Greldo said, appearing beside him.


    Irwin startled only slightly this time, and he spun to his friend. "What is it?"


    "I don''t know," Greldo said as he looked around wide-eyed. "But it was way bigger than the Bablibon."


    Irwin stomped the ground in anger before looking at his friend. "There''s nothing I can do against spread-out enemies. Ambraz suggested we bring everyone to one spot. What about the castle''s dungeons?"


    Greldo frowned, then looked around. "How do you suggest we get everyone there in time?"


    Irwin licked his lips nervously before stopping, wondering when he''d started doing that again.


    "I don''t know. Perhaps you and Clarish can teleport them there?" he said. Then he shook his head, knowing how unlikely that was to work. "Go and tell Lord Rhym what is happening and find my brother and warn him too," he said. "Tell them of my idea. Perhaps they know of a way. I''ll head to the gate."


    Greldo took a deep breath, then nodded. Coal appeared beside him, looking at Greldo with narrow eyes before turning to Irwin.


    "Coal will go with you," Greldo said through gnashed teeth. "If anything happens, I''ll come and teleport to him and help."


    They locked eyes for a moment, and Irwin forced a grin. "See you soon."


    Greldo nodded and vanished.


    Irwin turned to Coal, the hound''s massive head roughly at chest level with him. "Let''s go."


    The hound nodded its massive head, then vanished.


    Irwin looked around and then realized Coal was likely following him from the shadows.


    "Alright, let''s go," he muttered.


    He turned and sprinted across the square, using Kinetic energy to propel himself forward. As he rushed through the city, he came across groups of people fleeing toward guard towers and larger buildings, carrying children and bags.


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    When he reached the gate, he saw a line of guards behind it, weapons raised, and he stared at the gate as if expecting something to burst through at any moment. Seeing rangers at the top, Irwin ran to the nearest staircase and up. Dozens of rangers stood around, far fewer than he had expected.


    "Irwin, glad you are here!"


    Jort, silvery eyes radiating worry, came walking towards him.


    Irwin headed to the edge, staring at the distant forest. The tips of the trees were shaking around, and he felt his skin crawl as he saw seven heat signatures lumbering toward them, moving in and out of view as they walked through the thinning tree line. Although they were far away, the way the trees swayed, he knew they had to be massive.


    It will take them a few minutes to reach the open area, Irwin thought.


    "There''s something heading our way," Jort said.


    "Seven things," Irwin said as he looked around. The rangers and everything else stood out like beacons as he searched for Nyzir heat signatures, finding none.


    "Seven?" Jort muttered. "Can you see what they are?"


    "No, but I think they walk on four legs," Irwin said, glad he wasn''t seeing any Nyzir yet.


    I wonder if they are Charbulls, he thought, recalling the one he''d encountered at the start. Then he shoved the idea away. These things were way more massive than charbulls.


    Some of the rangers began walking to him and Jort.


    "Any sign of the Nyzir?" he asked.


    Jort grunted and shook his head.


    "No. They are probably close, but until they attack, nobody can see, smell or hear them."


    "Great," Irwin said, turning back to the forest. "Does anyone know what those things could be?"


    The rangers around him remained quiet.


    "At least they are slow," Jort finally said.


    Irwin grimaced. They might be slow, but that usually meant they were brutally strong, and he hadn''t even seen the Bablibon yet!


    "Irwin!"


    He spun around to see Greldo stand behind him.


    "Lord Rhym says he can''t get everyone to the dungeons in time, but he is moving those he can there now," Greldo said as he joined him at the wall, nodding at Jort as he did. "The guards are going to block the three entrances, and Rhym will stay there to guard it. Bronwyn and the rangers are positioned around the safehouses holding most of the citizens."


    "Did he say what we should do?" Jort asked, looking around at the other rangers.


    Greldo nodded, staring at the distant tree line. "He said we are to wait here until we can see what is heading our way. If we can, we are to hold the gate."


    "Great," one of the rangers muttered softly.


    "I''m going to see what those things are," Greldo whispered, and before Irwin could even think of stopping him, he vanished.


    Irwin glared at the empty spot, then spun to the forest.


    What if that bloody Bablibon is there?! he thought angrily.


    "He''s a teleporter?" Jort asked.


    "That too," Irwin said absently.


    They waited silently, the air tense with anticipation.


    A soft breeze was all the warning any of them got before all hell broke loose. Coal burst out of the shadows beside Irwin, biting at the air beside him, causing a sleek, serpentine shape to appear out of nowhere. It screeched in pain as startled screams came from all around and from the guards below.


    One Nyzir appeared inches before Irwin''s face, a dagger slashing at his eyes. Irwin jerked his head back, instinctively using some Kinetic energy, causing his movement to be so explosively fast that it started the Nyzir and propelled him two staggering steps back.


    "Nyzir! Fight!" someone screamed from the wall.


    Irwin reached out, grabbing at the Nyzir, but it vanished before his fingers could reach it. Spinning around, he saw Coal appear ten feet to the side, a flailing Nyzir in its jaws, which it hurled across the edge of the wall before vanishing. All across the wall, Rangers were dodging and slashing out with swords and daggers as Nyzir appeared in front and behind them. A few unmoving shapes were already on the ground.


    Knowing he wasn''t going to be fast enough, Irwin triggered his sweltering skill, pouring energy into it as tendrils of steam began appearing across the wall around him. Thinning it to a slight mist, he sensed the rangers move within. The Nyzir kept appearing and disappearing, jarring his senses.


    Stepping forward, some appeared behind him, and he grabbed without looking, his fingers touching something leathery. Scrambling for a hold, he dug his fingers in while pouring his flame inside just as something stabbed at his back. A startled scream, loud enough to make his ears ring, came from behind him while he felt something pierce through his jerkin and an inch into his back before stopping.


    He had no time even to turn as another Nyzir appeared to his side, and he jerked left, Kinetic energy causing him to stumble three steps sideways.


    Stupid, annoying- Irwin thought, as a Nyzir appeared before him.


    He reached out, but Greldo appeared behind the Nyzir, stabbing it through the neck in a single motion before disappearing. Irwin blinked as another Nyzir appeared a few feet away, followed by Greldo, who slashed at its throat, vanishing while his blade was still causing pale white blood to squirt out.


    "You need-"


    "-to stop-"


    "-them-"


    "-before they-"


    "-exit the forest!"


    Greldo shouted, a few jarring words at a time, as he appeared all across the wall, slashing through necks and jabbing his blade into eyes.


    Irwin watched in awe as Nyzir after Nyzir slumped and thudded to the ground, Greldo seeming to be everywhere and nowhere as he dashed around the battle.


    A dagger appeared inches from his face, and he jerked it to the side, feeling his neck crack from the effort only to see the Nyzir freeze, a dagger blooming into its eye as Greldo stood beside Irwin.


    "They are some sort of big Nyzir, Charbull hybrid, and they are bleeding that purple mist you talked about!" Greldo shouted before disappearing and reappearing next to cut down a Nyzir about to backstab a ranger who was stumbling forward. "They look fast, and the trees are slowing them, but not for long!"


    The purple mist? Irwin thought, drawing in a startled breath as he pictured seven infected monstrous running rampant in the city. They could infect everyone!


    He spun to the forest, staring at the seven heat signatures, now mere dozens of feet away from the edge of the forest. With how sparse the trees were, their bulky bodies glistened in the distance, almost as if they were wet.


    "They seem to be breathing," Greldo shouted. "Go, I''ll send Coal with you in case that bird shows up!"


    Irwin nodded and swallowed as he looked at the ground below. This was the highest he''d ever jumped from, but if he hit the ground with that much force, he''d generate a lot of Kinetic energy, and he knew his legs would be fine.


    "Jort, listen to Greldo!" he shouted as he climbed up the wall, staring down. "If one gets past me, you have to kill it, or it will infect everyone without a heartcard!"


    "Got it!" Jort shouted, and Irwin took a quick glance at him.


    The ranger was dodging around more nimble than the others and fighting off two of the Nyzir with surprising skill. Sadly, the same couldn''t be said for the others, and Irwin felt his heart clench at the sight of a third of the rangers, unmoving shapes on the ground.


    Can''t help, he thought as he turned. Greldo was more useful here, and if those things came here.


    He gritted his teeth, then jumped before he could think about it. His stomach lurched as he fell down, and for a few moments, he wondered if he shouldn''t have just used the stairs. Then he slammed into the ground with a dull boom, a massive amount of Kinetic energy flooding his body. Cobblestones cracked and splintered below his feet, and he felt his legs buckle and hold.


    Feeling no pain, he stepped out of the cracked ground and began running forward, using Kinetic energy to increase his speed.


    No longer on the wall, the heat signatures were harder to see in the distance. Irwin probed his heartcard, but the energy was full.


    "Do you have any idea what those things Greldo said can be?" Irwin shouted.


    "Kid, you still think I know everything! It''s flattering, really, but come on!"


    Ambraz''s muffled shout from his pocket made Irwin grunt.


    Fantastic, then let''s hope I can generate enough flames and fire to wipe out the purple grass, he thought as he continued running forward.


    At full speed, he thundered across the compressed sandy ground and was two-thirds to the forest when one of the heat signatures burst out of a bush. A massive Charbull-like shape with hulking shoulders and legs ending in talons snorted as it looked around. Its flanks were covered in the same deep red scratch marks as Irwin had seen on the Charbull, and although he couldn''t see it from here, he feared purple mist was leaking up from it. The thing lowered its head, four curved dark horns half as long as Irwin''s arms sticking out as its gleaming blood-red red eyes glared at Irwin.


    Irwin instinctively slowed as he stared at he saw the triangular pupils narrow as they focused on him. They radiated a malevolent hatred. Its mouth split open sideways and down, its jaw split across its length, revealing teeth around all the edges, and a thick split tongue.


    A piercing screech came out, more befitting a bird than something of its size, and it held a tinge of rage. Then it began barrelling forward, rapidly picking up speed.


    Why do I get the feeling that thing hates me? Irwin thought as he swallowed back a slight building fear. Was it somehow the same thing as the one he''d killed before?


    The nyzir-bull, or whatever it was, was now running as fast as a Cindermare, and Irwin cursed.


    I''ve got to lure it back into the forest, or one of them will reach the city in a few minutes!


    Irwin increased his own speed again, turning in such a way that he''d not cross the thing''s path.


    As he closed in, he saw that the demon''s skin was covered in the same dark scales as the Nyzir''s, but that was the only similarity. Where the Nyzir were shadow-stalking, agile, and dextrous creatures of death, this thing was a lumbering hulk of muscle.


    Sixty feet away from the first, the other behemoths had barrelled out of the forest, and all of them were staring straight at him.


    Well, at least I don''t need to draw their attention, Irwin thought, swallowing as he finally saw the ominous purple mist leak out of the still-bleeding wounds.


    He passed the nearest nyzir-bull barely twenty feet, and this close, he could hear its ragged, wet breath. Then he was past it, and he slowed a bit, taking a look over its shoulder. Four of the things were following him, but three had merely slowed before continuing toward the city.


    Seriously? Irwin thought. He very much didn''t want to fight these things on the open plains. Looking ahead, then back, he knew it would take him longer to lure them to the forest, find a way to kill them, and run back than it would take the nazir-bulls to reach the city.


    "Coal, can you lure them after me?" he shouted, hoping the hound was nearby.


    There was no response, and he kept looking back worriedly, trying to ignore the four monstrous things, snarling as they chased him. A sudden, startling screech made him turn back around to see Coal snap at the back of one of the nyzir-bulls not chasing him.


    "Great!" Irwin shouted.


    He continued running, and soon Coal had annoyed the three remaining nyzir-bulls to follow him.


    Irwin returned his focus to the forest, which was closing in rapidly, searching for any signs of the Bablibon.


    "Ambraz, I''m starting to think that thing is luring us forward! Can you sense it if it gets close?" he shouted.


    "Only when it''s very close! It doesn''t bleed a lot of soulforce," Ambraz shouted back.


    Irwin grunted as he gazed at the dark treeline, and slowly, an idea began forming in his mind.


    "Ambraz, can you become big enough to pin that thing?"


    "If you want me to do it fast, I''ll need a card for energy!"


    Irwin began fumbling in his pocket until he got one card out, which he slipped into the pocket with Ambraz.


    "Get ready!"


    "What are you planning to do? It''s not like that bloody bird will remain still," Ambraz shouted.


    "You will see," Irwin shouted as he focused on his flame.


    Let''s see how much fire I can make this time, he thought.


    --


    Greldo shot through the shadows, chasing the odd trail that signaled a Nyzir until it appeared beside a guard. Before it could stab the unsuspecting man, Greldo slid out behind the Nyzir and slashed it through its throat.


    Ignoring the body as it slumped down, he returned to the shadows, moving sideways as fast as he could. Dozens of ripples were moving towards and around him, chasing him.


    Ain''t catching me this time, Greldo thought as he felt enormous gratitude for his increased abilities. Without his heartcard the Nyzir would have easily caught him by now.


    A ripple to the side made him teleport a few feet sideways, out of the path of a Nyzir.


    Nice try, he thought as he shot up into the air, swirling high up in the air above the city, thankful that there was no moonlight to shatter the shadows for a moment. As he glanced at the city below him, he saw Guards and Rangers standing in front of certain towers, buildings, and the square before the castle. Bonfires were lit up everywhere, and Greldo shook his head.


    I hope none went into the castle, he suddenly thought, recalling Irwin''s plan to draw the Nyzir to the dungeons.


    With a sickening sensation, he reappeared in the real world as the moon slid out from behind the clouds. Startled screams of panic made him look around while falling, seeing a dozen Nyzir flailing about.


    "Yeah, sucks, doesn''t it," he shouted as he spun around, noting a band of shadow just before he hit the ground.


    Stepping inside the shadowy world, he rushed sideways, positioning himself below where one of the Nyzir was toppling down. Just before it reached the shadows, he jabbed up and stepped out of the shadows, his shortsword piercing the Nyzir''s falling shape. Before the blood could pour over him, he stepped back into the shadows and dashed towards the city.


    He was about to help a group of rangers that were running through the city, besieged by Nyzir, when he sensed Coal''s surprise.


    What? he sent back.


    Getting a jumbled response about fire and chasing things, Greldo teleported back to the wall, which was now empty except for the dozens of corpses, human and Nyzir alike.


    Far off in the distance, smoke was rising from the forest while a red glow was growing.


    Greldo felt a slight grin come to his face as he stepped back into the shadows, teleporting a few steps to the side while a half dozen Nyzir dashed through the space he''d just been at.


    "He seriously did it," he muttered, looking at the Nyzir just as they vanished into the shadows. "You know what? Why don''t you guys come along and play a bit? I think Irwin got the fire going, so it will be nice and warm!"


    He stepped into the shadows and raced forward, down the wall, then low across the ground, moving from shadow to shadow. Flames were licking up from the forest in the distance, and a sudden column of flames ripped through the canopy, the distant roaring like a monster.


    Sure, why don''t we just burn the whole thing down, he thought. It would make moving through much easier!

 Chapter 204: Hangover

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    Irwin roared as he struck the tree, feeding every ounce of kinetic energy into his ever-growing fire. He barely heard himself amidst the popping and cracking of wood and wood sap. He''d long since lost control of the fire, and the trees in all directions were ablaze, lighting up the world in a grand inferno.


    "Left!"


    He jumped sideways, trusting completely in Ambraz''s warning. A massive nyzir-bull, its skin covered in gruesome blisters, purple smoke leaking out of it in tiny trickles, barged past him. It hit a tree headfirst, causing the charred outer wood to splinter apart, revealing the pale wood inside moments before the raging inferno licked it, turning it darker.


    Hurry, hurry, Irwin thought as he jumped after the bull.


    Irwin aimed for a hind-leg, striking it as hard as he could using the constant influx of kinetic energy the surrounding inferno was providing him. A deafening screech came from the demon as its leg was clipped away from under it, cracking like the burning trees. More purple mist oozed out of it, and Irwin jumped forward, striking the other leg. The nyzir-bull slumped to the ground, and Irwin focused his flame atop it.


    He felt elated as he readied to finish one of the demons, only for another warning to ruin it.


    "Incoming!'' Ambraz shouted.


    "Dammit!" Irwin roared as he jumped a dozen feet back.


    Another nyzir-bull ran past him, angling its head to try and catch him on its horns, and Irwin slammed his hammer down, enlarging it. The dark horn creaked but didn''t snap as it struck his hammer, bending dangerously before the demon shot past.


    "That bloody chicken is still circling the fire!'' Ambraz shouted. "You need to finish these things before the fire dies out!"


    Irwin wished he could say Ambraz was wrong, but the fire born of his devouring flame seemed to hunger to grow, and over a dozen trees had already crumbled.


    "How do I do that?" he shouted back.


    He glared at the nyzir-bull with the broken legs as it slowly rose, its legs healing amidst a torrent of purple gas. Each time he tried to focus one down, the others came crashing in!


    Noticing another bull heading towards him, he ran straight at it, and at the last moment, he created the most massive hammer he could straight in its path. There was a boom that was audible above the constant burning, and Irwin shrank the hammer. His kinetic energy was nearly full, and he used it to boost his flame, covering his hammer and striking the stunned, slit-eyed demon between its cracked horns. The eyes bulged out, and purple gas swirled from its ears and mouth.


    "Again!''


    I know, Irwin thought as he began pummeling the demon.


    "There''s one behind you," Ambraz roared.


    Irwin was about to flee when he had an idea. He struck the stumbling nyzir-bull again, forcing it on its knees before jumping up and on its back. Turning around, he saw two more, one only a dozen feet behind him. They showed no sign of stopping, instead increasing their speed.


    Irwin waited till the last moment before jumping up, right when the two nyzir-bulls slammed into their dazed sibling. At his highest point, he enlarged his hammer to the size of a door, coated it in fire, and dropped down like a meteor atop the three entangled nyzir-bulls. Feet first, he slammed into one of the three bulls, bringing his hammer down with two hands.


    The nyzir-bull''s legs gave out, and it smacked into the ground. Finally seeing a chance to rid himself of a few of them, Irwin let his flame burst out, catching all three of the demons while looking around.


    "Where are the other four?" he shouted.


    "Two are closing in from the left, but-"


    "Hey, Irwin! You having fun here?" a familiar voice interrupted Ambraz.


    Irwin turned to see Greldo and Coal standing a dozen feet away, next to a heap of ash and coal that had been a tree only minutes before. Now, it was one of the few places without raging fires.


    "Greldo! I need you to distract the other-" Irwin began, just as two bulls burst through the raging fire, ripping half of the burning young tree out of the ground.


    "Finish those. I''ll take care of these," Greldo roared, any sign of hilarity gone as he ran towards the incoming nyzir-bulls. Coal sprinted past him, straight at one of the bulls.


    He can''t teleport without shadows, Irwin thought worriedly.


    There was a shove against his hammer, and he quickly focused back on the three nyzir-bulls. The one he''d struck was flat on the grounds, its horns still lodged into its kind, while that one was bleeding pale white blood. The third one was pulling its horns free while purple mist leaked out of its wounds, circling around it and the other three.


    They are healing each other, Irwin thought as he saw holes slowly close.


    He gritted his teeth. "I''ve had just about enough of you," he roared as he funneled all of his energy into his flame and struck the one below the hammer twice before focusing on the only one still able to cause him direct issues. Three strikes made it sway, and a fourth snapped its left horn off.


    Irwin alternated striking them, keeping them down while his flame rippled around them. A quick check showed him he was only halfway through his energy, as he barely needed any energy to create kinetic energy.


    I need to figure out why heat and kinetic energy work so well together.


    The lingering thought vanished as one, then two of the demons slumped on the ground, heads down and blood pouring freely while the purple gas burst out and surrounded the third one.


    "Not happening," Irwin snarled as he continued pounding, but this time adding every ounce of kinetic energy into his flame, which became a swirling mass of yellow and orange with a core that was almost solid white.


    The purple gas held out for a few moments, and then it erupted from the charring bodies, forming a larger skull-like shape.


    "Master! Don''t let me die! I''m useful," a high-pitched voice screamed.


    Is it calling for the Bablibon? Irwin thought as he continued pounding away, his flame so hot all vegetation below them had burned away, and the sand was slowly liquefying.


    "Master! Please!" the skull screamed again as its edges rapidly burned away.


    Then there was a soft crack, and the skull shattered, the purple gas burning away in a final whoosh.


    Irwin stopped, hammer raised, his breath slowing already as he quickly inspected the bodies that were rapidly turning to coal. As soon as he was sure there was no more gas or movement, he turned around, searching for Greldo.


    He didn''t have to look far.


    Greldo was dashing through the blackened trees in an area the fire had left, easily evading two of the nyzir-bull demons that were trying to catch him. Coal kept dashing in, biting and ripping into them, but the purple gas kept healing them.


    "Greldo, over here!" he shouted.


    Greldo turned and sprinted his way, looking annoyed. "These just don''t want to die!"


    "As soon as they are down, move away so I can flame them," Irwin shouted.


    Greldo ran beside him, closely followed by the nyzir-bulls.


    I wonder why those purple things don''t just run or warn each other, Irwin thought as he summoned a hammer, tripping the bull. He smirked nastily as they slammed into each other before crashing into the ground.


    A short while later, he stepped away, barely out of breath, and dropped his flame. The intense heat had turned everything around him to cinder, and with the fires spreading further away, he was standing in a small, blackened clearing with only a few of the hardier stumps remaining.


    "You know, I thought you were joking about burning the forest," Greldo said as he walked over with Coal beside him.


    With the fire gone, neither showed any issue with the dry heat, which wasn''t a surprise. As hot as it was here, it was nothing compared to what they had encountered before.


    "Well, it''s not like we need it anymore," Irwin said as he scratched his short beard. "When Giard shatters, Gloomforest will be gone."


    "Yeah, and the fact that it''s a horrible place that got thousands of people killed doesn''t hurt either," Greldo said, grinning.


    "Not to rain on your parade," Ambraz hissed. "But that Bablibon is moving around the edge of the fire."


    "That''s the thing I can barely hear above the fire? Gelwin''s nuts," Greldo cursed as he looked around. "I''d rather not fight it until there''s some more shadows, if you don''t mind."


    Irwin nodded as he looked around. "How is Malorin doing?"


    "No idea. I can''t teleport too many more times," Greldo said. "Besides¡­" he moved closer to Irwin, lowering his voice until it was barely audible above the crackling and raging a few dozen feet away from them. "My energy is getting dangerously low. You?"


    Irwin focused on his card, noticing it was just below a third, very slowly filling back up. He frowned, not sure if that would be enough.


    "It''s coming," Ambraz shouted while Greldo spun around.


    Irwin felt his skin crawl as he turned to see a familiar, horrifying demonic bird burst through the flames, its eyes locked onto him.


    "Low on energy! Low, low," the Bablibon screeched, sounding more insane than Irwin remembered. "Your smell is tantalizing! Feeding on your heartcard will be all that I need to recover!"


    It burst forward so fast it turned into a blur, the charred ground spraying behind it in a cone.


    Irwin barely had time to raise his hammer and enlarge it before the bird slammed into him. His hammer shook from the force while he was forced a dozen steps back as the Bablibon rushed across the top and bit down with its curved beak. Irwin released his hammer, unsummoning it as he jumped back. Strengthened by his Kinetic energy, he flew dozens of feet back while the Bablibon lightly landed on its feet.


    "Teleporter! You''re the thing I smelled," the Bablibon hissed as it dashed towards Greldo.


    Irwin felt his heart skip a beat. There were barely any shadows! If Greldo had to dodge far away, the shadows needed had to be connec-


    Greldo vanished into the Bablibon''s shadow, appearing behind it together with Coal. The massive hound jumped forward, landing on the Bablibon''s back. It bit down into the bird''s neck while the Bablibon began jumping and shaking to get him off.


    "Let go, nasty bound-hound," it screamed as it flung itself on its back, causing Coal to vanish and reappear a foot away.


    Irwin was running forward already, focusing on his Sweltering ability. As dry as the air was, he''d learned back on Scour that there was always some water in the air, and he wasn''t disappointed. Steam swirled around him as he rammed his shoulder into the Bablibon''s body, shoving it away. Then he focused the steam around its head, turning it as dense as he could.


    "Mind the steam," he shouted as he struck at the Bablibon''s leg with a flame-engulfed hammer. Before it could connect, the Bablibon jumped to the side, its head jerking out of the cloud.


    "Annoying," it screamed, dashing a few steps back. It easily dodged Greldo and Coal before attacking them, aiming at Greldo. "I''ll get you first!"


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    Irwin shot after the Bablibon with a kinetic-energy-enhanced jump while the bird began humming and singing.


    "Careful, it''s using its soul skill," Ambraz shouted.


    Irwin felt something pressed hard against his mind. Tendrils of thoughts and emotions seemed to try and wriggle their way into his mind. Just as he felt the barrier his heartcard had created begin to shatter, the foreign tendrils were violently shoved away by another force.


    "Bloody hells, it has an empowered, active ability!" Ambraz shouted from his pocket. "Hurry, I''ll keep it out of your mind for as long as I can!"


    Irwin felt his skin crawl as he saw Greldo standing still, zoned out. His silvery eyes were blinking stupidly at the incoming Bablibon. Irwin hurled his hammer at the bird, using enough kinetic energy to cause a loud boom as it shot out. Just before the Bablibon could bite Greldo''s head off, the hammer struck it in the side of the head, causing the bite to miss and the bird to flip over mid-air, colliding with his friend.


    Greldo was thrown back, shaking his head, while Coal stood a few steps away, shivering and shaking.


    Irwin reached the Bablibon just as it scrambled back to its taloned feet, and he grabbed its head, wrapping his arms around the beak to keep it closed. Then he burst out in flames, causing a throaty screech that was muffled by the closed beak.


    "Don''t let go," Ambraz grunted, strain evident in his muted voice. "Kill it!"


    The Bablibon began shaking its head around, but although Irwin was dragged left and right, his immense weight wasn''t something easily flung about. He almost stumbled as the Bablibon tried to drop itself to the ground, but unlike Coal, Irwin held his footing, suddenly carrying the entire bird. The Bablibon''s massive talons slammed into his legs and back, the razor-sharp tips destroying the leather and cloth before scratching across his skin.


    Irwin struggled to keep his grip as he felt immense pain begin to well up from his back as the claws pulled gouges through the top layer of his skin. As the pain increased, the world around him began getting a purple hue while a soft giggle sounded out.


    "Master, master! I''ll kill him! Don''t toss me aside like the others; I''ll be useful!"


    Dammit, I''m being infected, Irwin thought as he used a burst of Kinetic energy to keep hold of the bird.


    His flame, burning brightly around him, was draining his energy faster than it should, and he knew he wouldn''t be able to keep this up for too long. He looked up at the distant fire that led deeper into the forest.


    If I can reach that, he thought.


    He took a step forward, then another, struggling to keep the Bablibon under control.


    "Where are you going? To the fire? No, no!"


    Irwin ignored the insane laughter, and all he could do was pray Ambraz could keep up whatever he was doing. For a moment, he thought about using his Kinetic energy to jump toward the fire, then he pushed it away. If the Bablibon escaped his grasp due to the jump or the landing, he''d be back to square one.


    So, step after step, he walked towards the fire. As he did, the world slowly turned more purple while his card''s energy dropped from a third to a quarter full.


    When he finally reached the edge of the flame, he had barely a sixth left and was having difficulty seeing. The Bablibon had stopped struggling, and he was now dragging its limp body forward.


    "Stop moving! Stop moving! Master will discard me if you don''t stop moving!" the voice screamed.


    A burst of purple surged around Irwin, and he suddenly realized that what was blocking his view was the purple gas that was surrounding him. He''d feared for a moment it was due to his eyes.


    His energy dipped down again and praying that Ambraz could hold it, Irwin finally stepped into the edge of the roaring sea of flame. A panicky scream came from the gas, which wavered slightly.


    The Bablibon jerked as he pulled it into the fire, and Irwin felt his kinetic energy refill rapidly. Using the newly found energy to feed his flame, the drain on his card lessened, but only slightly, showing his assumption was right. It wasn''t just his use of his flame draining his energy, but either his healing factor or something else that was blocking whatever the purple-mist demon was doing.


    A stupid thought came to him as he trudged deeper into the burning forest.


    I wonder what those purple-mist things are called.


    Shoving it away, he kept walking until he was in the center of a raging fire. Then he stopped, focusing all his energy on trying to crush the Bablibon''s skull.


    --


    Greldo shivered as the foreign entity was finally forced out of his mind under the combined assault of him and Coal.


    "You blood nasty bird," he roared, shaking his head and looking around.


    Coal stood a few steps away, looking at him worriedly.


    "Thanks, Coal," Greldo said as he sent a wave of gratitude to his friend. Without the hound, he knew he''d have been in far greater trouble, either falling into some slumber or worse.


    "Now, where is Irwin," he muttered as he looked around.


    There was no sight of his friend or the Bablibon, but as his worry grew, he heard the high-pitched screams of rage far off into the flaming inferno that was Gloomforrest.


    Well, what remained of it, he thought as he ran forward.


    Closer to the edge, the roaring of the fire was drowning out nearly every other sound, and all he saw was a distant shape, warped by the heat.


    "Irwin!" he shouted. There was no response, and he growled, taking a deep breath and roaring his friend''s name at the top of his lungs. "IRWIN!"


    "I''m here!''


    Hearing the response, Greldo let out a sigh of relief.


    "Head to Malorin and help! There''s nothing you can do!"


    Yeah, I know, Greldo thought as he glared at the flames. He hesitated. Irwin''s shouts sounded weary and strained, and he wished he could go and help.


    Finally, after staring at the fire for another moment, he turned to Coal, patting him as he told him what he wanted him to do. Coal reluctantly agreed.


    "Coal will stay here in case you need help!" he roared. And so I can come if needed, he thought.


    "Alright!" came the weary response.


    Taking a final look, Greldo turned and ran away from the flames. I''ve gotta get a card that allows me to move through fire after my handslots open up again, he thought.


    As soon as the blazing flames were far enough for shadows to be everywhere, he shot forward. A bunch of un-moving Nyzir demon shapes lay beyond the open area of the forest where he''d killed them, but he ignored them. Taking a deep breath, he teleported back to Malorin, draining his card even more.


    --


    Time ticked by slowly as Irwin held onto the Bablibon. Only its occasional shudders told him it hadn''t died yet, while the howling and giggling around him was slowly weakening.


    Just as he was feeling his relief grow, the purple mist flared up.


    "No! Master, please! I can still do this!''


    Irwin frowned as the Bablibon''s legs began jerking and jolting. He clenched the bird tight, but it suddenly crumbled into black chunks of soot.


    "Nooooooo-"


    The long, high, pierced wail was cut off, and Irwin''s hair stood on end. What was going on?


    "Such a good vessel," a deep voice drawled. "It took me hundreds of years to find and grow it, and you''ve just ruined it!"


    As the voice continued, the body in Irwin''s grip was burned to dust while a mass of purple gas began spinning around him. Two purple eyes appeared, glaring at him. The flames beyond the mass of gas were shoved back violently, the temperature lowering.


    "How are you going to pay for this, vile little Galadin?"


    Irwin felt something push against his mind while a moan came from his pocket.


    It''s not a Bablibon, he thought, panicking.


    His mind spun as he tried to figure out what was going on and what to do. His hammer appeared in his hand, and he was about to strike the ground to feed his flame when something caused his hand to stop. His body shook violently as he felt a foreign entity''s grip on his mind, freezing his movements.


    "Silly low-rank Ganvil. Do you think you can block me? Return when you are a Worldanvil, then try again," the voice said.


    Irwin tried to hit the ground, forcing his energy into his flame, but slowly, the control over his body was being wrested away. A mutter came from his pocket, but he couldn''t hear it.


    "What?" he croaked.


    Ambraz tried again, louder and barely intelligible. "-rds."


    Cards!


    Irwin stopped trying to hit the ground and quickly moved his other hand to his pocket. The movement seemed to catch the entity he was fighting with off-guard, and his fingers reached his pocket before they froze.


    "No. I don''t think so," the drawling voice said. "I''m going to have to take over your body for now. It''s nowhere near as useful as the Bablibon''s, but using it to kill all of the Galadins here should make me feel much better!"


    The entity''s words made Irwin''s anger flare up, and he drew deep from his heartcard. The energy was getting dangerously low, but he instinctively knew he''d lose if he gave up now.


    His fingers moved into his pocket as slow as if he were pushing through tar, but he managed to grab the entire stack of cards.


    "Strong will, strong card," the voice muttered. "But not-"


    Irwin roared as he pulled the stack out, forcing every bit of energy he had into his flame to try and shove the thing away. The hold on his mind snapped for a moment as Ambraz joined his effort. It was all he needed, and he shoved the cards into the pocket with Ambraz. As he did, his pocket ripped open, a weight falling along his leg as Ambraz grew to his working shape. The foreign entity reasserted its hold on him, though, wrapping around his mind.


    "No, no!" the voice said again, a tiny bit of worry evident now. "Some young soulstealer will not¡­ not¡­ stop it! How are you resisting me?"


    Irwin growled, unable to move and not sure what the thing was talking about. Then he felt something hot wrap around the hand with the cards, dragging them from his hold, and a moment later, a familiar crunching came.


    "You stupid Ganvil, I''ll-"


    Whatever the entity was about to say was lost in a deafening shout.


    "Shut up, bodyless scum!" Ambraz roared, the anger in his voice so strong it was close to hate. "Think you can just try and take over my mind? I''ll show you who is weak!''


    Irwin stumbled forward as the hold on his mind vanished.


    "Kid! Use this and burn this pile of shit gas!''


    A torrential wave of energy surged into Irwin, flooding his card. He could almost feel it strain and buckle under the energy, and without holding back, he fed it to his flame. Even then, the purple cloud that surrounded him held out.


    "You can''t keep this up!'' the voice shouted before it began cursing at Ambraz.


    Irwin ignored it as he felt his heartcard strain under the burden of energy. He summoned his hammer and began pounding on the ground while steam began forming high above the sea of flames as he tried to find an outlet for the energy and prevent his heartcard from shattering.


    Dammit, Ambraz, how much energy did those cards give you? Irwin thought as he felt his flame spread wider and wider, far beyond his senses.


    --


    Greldo looked up from the dead Nyzir. He was standing in a narrow alleyway as a distant roar rose in intensity. His card was so low on energy that he only had a single teleport remaining. He was saving that in case he needed to go to Irwin.


    Irwin, what are you doing? he thought.


    He took a quick look around before he moved through the shadows and straight up while asking Coal what was going on. He got a jumbled message about running away from a sea of flame.


    Up in the sky, he saw a towering inferno cover the forest. A single rotating column of flame sat in the middle, and even from this far, he saw all the nearby trees had turned to blackened stumps.


    What are you doing? Greldo thought, unable to comprehend the energy needed for what he was seeing. Irwin had been almost out of energy before!


    Should he go there now? He hesitated, then shook his head, telling Coal to tell him if anything changed. Then he turned to the city and moved toward another Nyzir trail in the shadows.


    Don''t die, Irwin!


    --


    "Stop it! If you stop, I''ll tell you something useful," the purple being that looked vaguely like a tall Imp pleaded. It had congealed out of the mist mere moments before.


    "Do you think we are crazy?" Ambraz roared back. "You are just saying that to make us stop!"


    "Of course I am!" the being howled.


    Irwin ignored them as he continued feeding his flame. It had long since stopped growing hotter or denser, but keeping it at this level was costing every ounce of energy Ambraz was providing, and he feared what would happen if the flame turned any weaker.


    A soft crack came, and the purple being''s left arm crumbled as it yelped.


    "Don''t be hasty! You want to keep the remnants of these scummy Galadins alive, right?" the being shouted.


    Irwin almost stopped to listen. This being seemed to know things about Galadins and Ambraz. Then he shoved the thoughts away, continuing to strike the ground. Still, something must have shown.


    "Yes, yes! I can tell you what''s hunting you! I''ve been looking around, and nobody remembers. If you let me go, I''ll just take over some nobody in the city and leave! You''ll get information, and- Will you stop already?!"


    Irwin didn''t. Instead, he continued pounding away. There was no part of him that believed anything the thing was telling him wouldn''t cause him far too much trouble. It would probably try and kill him if he gave it a single chance.


    "Tell us first, and we will consider it," Ambraz shouted.


    Irwin didn''t believe Ambraz was serious, but he hoped the entity did.


    "Are you crazy? If they find out, I tattled¡­"


    Then why are you suggesting it? Irwin thought as he struck the ground, sand, and pebbles flying away.


    "Well, then you will just have to die!" Ambraz shouted.


    "Come on, don''t- No, wait! I''ll tell you if you stop!" the entity screamed as both his legs vanished in a mass of rapidly burning gas. As it did, the column of purple gas that had been there shrunk until it was only a few feet in diameter.


    "Tell us now, or just go and die, you ugly purple fart!" Ambraz roared.


    As he did, Irwin sensed the energy coming from the Anvil lessen minutely. It was barely noticeable, but compared to the continued deluge of seemingly bottomless energy from before, he still noticed.


    He struck as hard as he had before, hoping the being wouldn''t.


    "Stop! I''ll speak. Just stop!" the thing screamed as its torso vaporized, leaving behind only a head inside a rapidly shrinking ball of purple gas.


    "Bah, you''re just lying," Ambraz shouted. "Do it, kid! Finish this fart!"


    Irwin could sense the underlying message: hurry up. We are losing momentum.


    Without conversing anything, he continued striking the ground, the flame melting away the soil of the pit he was standing in.


    "You will all die," the entity suddenly screamed, its voice filled with rage. "Evil soul stealers, you will be killed, your souls used for sustenance, and-" With a final, ear-rattling scream, the skull burst apart, leaving behind a few motes of gas that were rapidly burned away by the flames.


    Irwin struck a few more times while he felt the energy rapidly dwindle. Five strikes in, a tiny seed of purple gas ripped out of the ground and rushed up, only to be caught in the flame and burned away.


    "That''s the final piece of it," Ambraz said, his voice suddenly so weary Irwin could barely hear him. "I''m going to stop now¡­ prepare for a very painful time."


    Irwin unsummoned his hammer and flame just as Ambraz flashed and turned to his tiny form. The tiny anvil didn''t move as it lay on the bottom of the blackened pit of partially molten glass. Worried, Irwin took a few steps forward.


    Then, the energy stopped.


    It was as if he''d gone from being able to breathe to suffocating. His heartcard shuddered, seemingly close to collapsing. The mass of energy it had been guiding had strained it to bursting. Panicking, Irwin quickly grabbed Ambraz and stuffed him in his pockets before he collapsed to his knees. A dull pain grew from every inch of his body, mind, heartcard, and soullake.


    Gripping the sides of his head, he felt his consciousness flag as he held back a scream of pain.


    There was a soft voice from beside him, inaudible through the growing pain. Then, there was blissful unawareness.


    --


    "Dammit, Irwin¡­" Greldo muttered as he hopped from one foot to the other, the still-glowing ground burning through his soles. His friend was lying there, his armor almost completely gone, blessedly his smithing trousers having somehow withstood the onslaught of fire. He''d been screaming in pain for a while before going unconscious, but now he seemed alright. Just... asleep? Hopefully?


    For a moment, he thought about trying to teleport them back, and then he shook his head. His card was close to drained, and if he did that, he''d be in the same state as Irwin while there were still enemies in the city. No, this place was safer.


    "Go to Malorin and hunt and kill all the Nyzir you can," he said, looking up at Coal, who was standing in the ten-foot-deep pit. "Yes, I''m sure. I''m pretty sure there''s nothing here, and I don''t think the Nyzir will want to come here."


    The hound snorted, then howled softly before vanishing.


    Greldo continued hopping until finally finding that Irwin was less hot than the ground.


    "Sorry about this," he muttered as he sat down on Irwin''s wide back.


    I wonder how you managed this, he thought as he looked up, picturing the scorched wasteland all around.

 Chapter 205: Death and new beginnings

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    Irwin slowly woke to pain: a dull, throbbing anguish that filled all of him. Some came from his body, but most originated from his heartcard and soullake. He wasn''t sure what woke him, but whatever it was had stopped now.


    The softness below his back told him he wasn''t where he''d fallen but in a bed, and feeling no restraints or cuffs, he guessed he was safe. His mind was fuzzy, and it took him a few moments to sort through what had happened. A twinge of worry for Ambraz filled him.


    We both keep falling asleep after we use too much energy, he thought.


    A slow, mental examination of his body told him he wasn''t seriously wounded, though there was a dull pain in his back, which was mostly hidden below the pain of his heartcard. Knowing that he couldn''t do much if he got up, he remained where he was.


    Feeling the change in his soullake, he focused on it, and his consciousness reappeared above the massive lake in his mind. As soon as he saw it, he froze. The edges of his lake had crumbled outward, the potential size of his lake growing by a bit. What surprised him even more was that the lake''s soulforce was half-full, the silvery liquid having crawled up the steep slope surrounding it.


    Why did that happen? he thought, trying to remember if he''d felt any soulforce feed into him. Was it from burning the purple gas or because of the energy from Ambraz?


    Above the center of the lake, his heartcard hung, and Irwin grimaced as he saw tiny cracks running across it. Moving closer, he hung before the massive card. Tiny drops of soulforce were oozing from the unmarred areas, leaking into the cracks, and as he watched, a tiny one shrank and closed.


    Thank Gelwin they are healing, Irwin thought before gently floating around his soulscape.


    He''d never really taken the time to look around, so while trying to ignore the pain, he floated towards the edges. The area beyond the lake was a rocky plane that ended like portal corridors did, with an energy barrier. This one, however, was so dense that he couldn''t look through it at all. The barrier led up in an inverted bowl that mirrored the lake below, with his heartcard hovering high above.


    Part of him knew he was procrastinating and that he should wake up, accept the pain, and check on the situation. But he felt a deep fear of what he''d find: people dead, his family lost, and-


    Irwin shuddered, his fear growing so fast that he couldn''t stop it anymore.


    Fine, let''s see what this world took from me in the end, he thought as he stepped out of his soulscape.


    The pain in his body was no less, but he forced his eyes open. He gazed up at an unfamiliar stony ceiling and froze. He''d expected to be in his brother''s house! Moving his head around, he was annoyed to feel that his body was sore, something he''d not felt in a long time.


    I guess my card needs to repair itself before my regeneration will work again, he thought.


    The room he was in was a small chamber with an old wooden table and a closet, and for two seconds, he thought he was inside one of the sorcerer''s towers. Then he recognized the stones and knew he was inside the castle. Pushing himself up, he saw what remained of his clothes hanging over a chair. A look down showed that he was only wearing some clean underwear, and pale bandages were wrapped around his torso.


    "Bout time you woke up," a cracked, weary voice snapped from the side.


    Startled, Irwin looked up to see Ambraz lying on the edge of the bed.


    "You''re awake," Irwin said, surprised.


    "That''s my line," Ambraz said as his wings wiggled softly.


    Irwin looked around, then let himself fall back on the bed, deciding there was no reason to get out yet. Ambraz should be able to fill him in.


    "So," he muttered. "What happened after I went out?"


    "How should I know?" Ambraz snorted. "We were here when I woke."


    "Right," Irwin said. "So, did anything happen while we were here?"


    "Your mother, brother, and Greldo came to check on you a few times, but that''s about it."


    "They are still alive," Irwin exclaimed in relief.


    "Yes, though your brother looks worse than you do," Ambraz said. "From what I heard, he brought a lot of people to the ranger tower cellar you used and physically blocked the door."


    Irwin grimaced as he pictured Bronwyn blocking a door and getting slashed apart by Nyzir.


    "At least they are alive," he said as he closed and rubbed his eyes.


    "So¡­ how''s your heartcard doing?" Ambraz asked.


    "There are little cracks on it, but they seem to be healing," Irwin said as he turned and grinned at Ambraz. "There''s something else though¡­"


    Ambraz''s mouth opened, then closed. "Those cracks¡­ listen, Irwin, you have to be really careful for a while. Don''t overuse your abilities," he said, appearing to ignore Irwin''s last words.


    Irwin took a deep breath, then exhaled. "As long as it will repair, it''s all fine, right?"


    "Yes, definitely!" Ambraz said before snorting. "You might actually gain a slight benefit from it, but that depends on how lucky we are."


    Irwin hummed. "Does that have to do with why my soullake is half full?" he asked innocently.


    "Half¡­ what- You are kidding, right?" Ambraz nearly shouted.


    Irwin shook his head, grinning widely. "Nope, and it''s bigger too. The edges-"


    "Shit! Did they crumble?" Ambraz asked, his voice fearful.


    Feeling his good mood evaporate, Irwin swallowed. "Yeah¡­ it grew at least a few feet all around," he said. "Why?"


    "How bad are the edges?" Ambraz asked.


    Irwin quickly described them, getting worried when Ambraz remained quiet.


    "Ambraz?" he finally asked, starting to get more and more worried. He forced himself on his elbow, staring at Ambraz only to see a wide metal smirk. Slowly, his worry changed to annoyance.


    "Ambraz?" he grunted.


    "Sorry, sorry! You should have seen your face," Ambraz said, barely containing his laughter.


    "So there''s nothing wrong with my lake?" Irwin asked.


    "Nope, it just grew a bit too fast; the edges will smooth over with time," Ambraz said, grinning widely.


    "Annoying hunk of metal," Irwin snorted as he lay back down, his pounding heart quickly slowing to normal. "Whatever. How long was I unconscious?"


    "Two days," Ambraz said, humming happily.


    Irwin shot up, causing the pounding in his head to double, and he flinched as his eyes watered from the pain. "Two days? That means Daubutim probably opened the portal!"


    "Maybe," Ambraz said. "There was some commotion just before you woke, with those horns blowing from the gate."


    So that''s what woke me, Irwin thought.


    He gently got out of bed and looked around. His armor was in tatters, but his pants looked alright. One look at his boots told him he''d prefer going barefoot.


    A minute later, wearing nothing but his leather pants and the bloodstained, slashed-apart ruins of his shirt, he pulled open the door. He was at the dead end of a hallway, and as he looked left, he saw three guards and four rangers guarding the only entrance. As soon as he saw them, one of the rangers turned, and he stared at Jort''s bruised face.


    "Irwin!" the ranger shouted with a look of relief and joy.


    The other guards turned around with similar looks of relief.


    "I''ll warn Bronwyn!" one of the rangers shouted as he turned and sprinted away.


    Irwin slowly walked towards the others, noting a few worried glances.


    "Are you alright now?" Jort asked as he examined Irwin.


    "I''ll live," Irwin said as he gestured at Jort''s face. "You look like you tried to stop a gate with your face."


    Jort blinked while the remaining rangers laughed softly. The three guards were quietly looking at him.


    "I had some problems with a few Nyzir," Jort said.


    Irwin nodded as he gestured. "Let''s go and see Bronwyn and the others," they said. "Tell me what happened while we walk."


    The guards moved ahead while the other two rangers followed behind.


    "Are there still Nyzir around?" he asked Jort.


    "We don''t know," Jort said, looking gloomy. "We killed many, but Greldo is still hunting throughout the city and found two more just this morning."


    Irwin nodded, cracking his neck. His head was still pounding, and the joy at hearing his family was still alive was fading, replaced by worry.


    "Any news of the portal?" he asked.


    "Not that I know of, but there was a warning from the gate fifteen or so minutes ago," Jort said.


    They continued down the hall, and Irwin quickly recognized the area they were in. It was close to where Rhym''s gathering room was. Thinking about Rhym, he frowned.


    "What happened here?" he asked, waving around. "Is Lord Rhym¡­" he fell quiet as he saw the surrounding guards stare at the ground while Jort softly shook his head.


    "Lord Rhym blocked one of the entrances into the dungeons and held back a lot of those bloody demons for Gelwin know''s how long," Jort said. "He is¡­ well, you will see in a moment. He told us to bring you to see him as soon as you woke."


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    Nobody spoke after that, and Irwin quietly followed them as they led him to another area of the castle. It led to a door with four guards before it that looked up when they arrived. One of them, an older graybearded guard, immediately turned to the door and moved inside.


    "Irwin," one of the guards said, nodding. "Lord Rhym will see you in a moment, please-"


    "Let him in," a weak, tired voice shouted from inside.


    The guard grimaced and stepped aside, waving Irwin through. As he walked inside, only Jort joined him.


    The room was a luxurious bedroom, large and with a massive bed on one side. Rhym lay inside, his face narrow and pale, eyes sunken, and his hair matted with sweat. However, as soon they focused on Irwin, a smoldering fire returned to Rhyme''s eyes.


    "Irwin, you woke in time," he croaked. "Barely, though."


    Irwin nodded as he walked closer, noticing that Rhym wasn''t moving anything but his head, the rest of his body seeming inert. Not sure what to say, Irwin quietly watched the older man.


    "I guess saying I''ll be fine won''t fool you?" Rhym muttered, raising an eyebrow.


    "Will you be?" Irwin asked softly.


    "No. I''m surprised I''m not dead yet," Lord Rhym said. "I never did fully heal from the previous battle, and these old bones of mine finally decided they had enough."


    Irwin sighed. "Any idea what the disturbance at the gate was about?" he asked.


    "We spotted a group moving through the blackened wasteland that used to be the Howling Forest," Lord Rhym said. "I presume that they are your friends."


    Irwin couldn''t help himself from smiling at the idea of seeing Daubutim.


    "Irwin, I want to thank you for everything you did," Lord Rhym said. "I know I already said this, but I''ll be frank with you. I''ll be dead within the day."


    Irwin looked into the old man''s eyes, believing every word he said. If he had to guess, Rhym could die at any moment. He''d never seen someone this pale and sickly.


    "We lost a lot of people, mostly guards and rangers, but your plan was sound," Rhym said as he looked at the gray-bearded guard hovering beside him.


    "We lost only forty-one commoners from one of the safe-houses that failed," the guard grunted. "And although we lost nearly half of the guards, we also gathered nearly a hundred cards."


    Irwin''s eyebrows raised at that, and he thought about the last stack of cards he''d fed to Ambraz. He would need to get his hands on some cards so he could make Daubutim''s heartcard!


    "Irwin, I have a favor to ask," Rhym said, his voice even weaker than before.


    Irwin saw his eyes were drifting away, the fire in them weakening.


    "Save our people¡­ make heartcarded out of as many as you can, guards, rangers, crafters, I don''t care. But please, save them," Lord Rhym said, his voice weakening with every word. Then his eyes closed.


    For a moment, Irwin thought he had died right there until he heard a soft breathing coming from the bed.


    "I''ll guard him. Go and get us out of here," the guard grunted as he moved towards Lord Rhym, wiping the sweat from his head with a small cloth.


    Irwin nodded, staring at Rhym for a few moments.


    I''ll save as many as I can, he thought. Then he turned and walked out of the room, followed by Jort.


    "Let''s go to the gate," he muttered.


    --


    Basil looked around the blackened wasteland with a frown. Far in the distance, he saw there were still trees, but in a huge area around them, all that remained were a few sad, blackened trees and stumps. They had passed a giant crater just now, and from what he could see, it looked pretty recent.


    "It looks like they had some trouble since our last contact," he grunted as he glanced at the group around him. "At least the portal is much closer to Malorin than back in Degonda."


    The guards that were with him didn''t respond, but holding their weapons, they seemed on edge.


    When they reached the edge of the burned-down forest, a loud trumpet came from the distant walls of Malorin.


    "Not bad! They survived and are still paying attention," Basil said. "It seems there''s a reason both Irwin and Greldo became the way they are. Let''s go!"


    He began jogging forward, and the guards followed after him.


    A good while later, when they had crossed half of the muddy terrain that separated them from Malorin, one of the guards stopped, spinning to the side.


    "Incoming!"


    Basil spun around, his body glowing as his armor wrapped around him, a helmet covering his head and his massive sword appearing in his hand.


    He was about to attack when he saw a familiar woman standing a few dozen feet away.


    "Don''t attack, it''s me!"


    It took Basil a few moments before he recalled she was the sorceress that had come from Malorin before.


    "Clarish?" he asked, unsummoning his sword and helmet.


    "Yes," the girl said, sounding marginally less worried.


    "Weapons down," Basil snapped as he walked forward.


    "So, what happened here?" he asked, waving behind him. "Did you guys anger an army of fire Imps?"


    "No¡­ that was Irwin," Clarish said, glancing at the charred landscape.


    Basil''s grin froze as he looked at her, almost hoping she was going to laugh. When she didn''t, Basil looked at the burned forest again, reappraising what he saw.


    "You''re being serious?" he asked quietly.


    "Yes," Clarish said softly.


    "Well, let''s go to Malorin then," Basil said, starting to run again.


    And ask how the kid managed to burn down the better part of one of the largest forests we have, he thought.


    --


    Irwin sat between Bronwyn and Greldo, his headache perhaps marginally better as he looked at Basil.


    Ranger captains, guards, and Clarish and her uncle sat around Lord Rhym''s massive table.


    "So we will need to create a staircase up from Sultur Crevice to the edge," the towering, armored Basil said. "But the carded crafters should be able to create it before the first people reach it."


    Bronwyn leaned forward. "Can you send teleporters to get the weakest people over?"


    "We only have a few, but I''ll ask Lord Daubutim," Basil said. "Right now, we don''t really need them back on Eluathar, though this will change when we start spreading out more."


    Irwin grinned. Lord Daubutim, he thought. He knew it was expected to call lords by their family name, but he had the feeling Daubutim had ordered them not to do so.


    He tried to listen to the rest of the conversation, but his mind kept getting distracted due to his pain and weariness, and when everyone began rising, he realized he had missed the entire latter part.


    "Don''t worry," Greldo whispered, leaning to him. "It wasn''t all that interesting. Just some debating on who would do what and whom to bring through the portal first. You should sleep."


    "We all should," Bronwyn said as he leaned back in his chair, which creaked dangerously. His entire face was covered in narrow wounds, some dangerously close to his eyes, but they were healing rapidly.


    "Irwin, one more thing," Basil said, walking around the table.


    Many of the ranger captains who had been close to leaving stopped, and suddenly, Irwin found himself the center of attention.


    "Lord Daubutim asked if you could return as soon as possible," Basil said.


    Irwin blinked, then looked at Bronwyn while thinking of his mother, Carla, and Drum.


    "Tell him I''ll be back as soon as I can," he said, looking at Basil. "I''m not feeling all that great, and a day of rest will do me good."


    He didn''t add that if he had to use any of his skills or had to fight, he''d be more of a liability than a help.


    However, he quickly realized he didn''t have to as Basil examined him. The grizzled guard''s face softened. "I''ll tell him."


    Irwin had the feeling Basil had picked up enough, and he nodded before leaning back. Damn, he was tired.


    He faintly heard the rangers and the guards leave, and after Greldo asked a few questions about the current state of the new world, Basil left to go back to the portal. The guards he had brought would remain to help with the moving.


    The rest of the evening passed in a blur, and the only thing he fully recalled was telling his mother he''d be fine. He fell asleep as soon as he touched his bed, and when he woke the next day, he only felt marginally better.


    A quick, worried inspection of his heartcard showed that half of the cracks were gone, with only some of the deeper ones looking like they would need at least another day''s rest.


    Irwin spent the day with his mother, Jort, and two rangers who had been stationed with them for protection in case a Nyzir showed up. The rangers had brought a little food and drink, and although it was barely noteworthy as far as substance went, it somehow felt slightly festive... as long as they forgot about the many guards and rangers who had died protecting everyone.


    Greldo kept teleporting in and out to keep them posted, and Irwin was surprised at how fast everything was happening. The first group reached Sultur Crevice mid-morning, and half of the people of Malorin had reached the portal by the end of the day. Some rangers came to ask if they wanted to come, but they declined. Greldo had said that Bronwyn would be escorting the last groups the following morning, and they decided they would go then.


    Little happened beyond then until just after dark. Irwin was sitting with his mother and Carla while Jort and the two rangers had stepped outside to give them some privacy.


    "Do you think we can get a better house on Eluathar?" his mother asked.


    Irwin was about to tell her that they would, though perhaps it would be on one of the adjacent worlds, when the outside door opened, and Jort walked into the room. As soon as Irwin saw him, he knew something bad had happened.


    "A guard just arrived," Jort said softly. "Lord Rhym passed away just now."


    Carla gasped, putting a hand before her mouth while she looked shocked, while Irwin''s mother sniffed, then cursed under her breath.


    Irwin sighed, sharing a weary look with Jort. He''d thought Rhym would have died the previous day, but the persistent old man had held out far longer than he''d expected.


    "Why didn''t the stubborn fool just let himself be teleported to the portal," his mother whispered.


    "Because he wouldn''t have survived that nor the trip through the portal," Irwin said softly.


    It was partially a guess, but it wasn''t a stretch from what he knew of both things.


    His mother looked at him, then nodded reluctantly.


    The rest of the evening passed quietly, with a weary Bronwyn returning just before they went to bed, telling them they would leave early the next morning. According to him, a few of the rangers that had strong nightvision would continue escorting people to the portal during the night. Irwin didn''t envy them.


    When he was finally lying in his bed, he scanned his heartcard. He was pleased to see that it was almost completely healed. The remnants of a few deeper cracks remained, but he knew they would likely be fully repaired tomorrow. After staring around for a bit, he stepped out of his soulscape.


    "Ambraz," he whispered. "Do you think that purple mist thing actually knew something? He mentioned Galadins and even about Ganvils and World Anvils."


    It was quiet for a while, and just when Irwin thought Ambraz had fallen asleep, the anvil replied.


    "I don''t know¡­ It''s possible, but somehow I doubt it. If it did, why didn''t it just tell us part of what it knew so we would stop?" Ambraz said. Then he snorted. "No, I don''t think it knew anything useful. Either it heard things by listening in on us or found out some other way."


    Irwin frowned. He hoped it was the latter because if someone had been listening to them without their knowledge, what else had that person learned?


    He tried to relax and put his arms behind his head. "I wonder what that purple gas thing was called."


    "Purple fart," Ambraz grunted. "That''s what I''m calling it from now on unless we find something better."


    Irwin laughed. He was tired, but not as much as the days before, and his thoughts drifted to Malorin and Giard. Soon, everyone still alive in this world would be gone, but there was only one thing left to do.


    "I wonder how Indoubtor is doing," he said. "Or how he will react when he hears Daubutim is going to be the leader of Eluathar."


    "Does it matter? He''s weak, and as soon as you forge Daubutim''s heartcard there''s nothing he can do. You''re the only one that can forge heartcards, at least for the foreseeable future, and unless you lose your mind and forge one for him, he''s out of luck," Ambraz said.


    Irwin grinned. "No, I don''t think I''ll do that," he said.


    They continued chatting for a short while until Irwin fell into a deep sleep.


    When he woke, he immediately knew his heartcard was back to normal. There was no pain from either his heartcard, soullake, or body. Instead, as he pushed himself up, he felt incredibly energetic. Standing didn''t cost energy, and as he flexed his shoulders, he knew the Bablibon''s wounds had healed.


    Probably happened while I was sleeping, he thought.


    Looking around, he began packing some of the things he knew they could bring, adding them to his rapidly filling pack. At some point, his mother came down to join him.


    "Well, someone slept well," she said, giving him a hug. "Now, let me see what you packed!"


    Irwin grinned as he put his backpack on the table, and watched her rummage through, removing a few items while shaking her head. Then she began rushing through the kitchen, her bad leg barely noticeable.


    Less than an hour later, a small group stood before the house, staring at the door. Carla was wiping her eyes as she held Drum, while Bronwyn had his arm around her. Irwin stood with his mother, while Greldo stood beside them.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll get us a fantastic home," Bronwyn said.


    Carla just sniffled something, and after a few more moments, they turned and walked away.


    As Irwin moved through Malorin''s empty streets, he saw that the doors had been closed and everything looked neat. Almost as if the people expected to return someday.


    We''ll never return, he thought as he walked through the final gate towards a waiting line of wagons and people. Rangers stood beside the wagons, pale and weary from constantly accompanying the wagons. Even then, there was a gleam in their eyes that Irwin hadn''t seen in a long time.


    They followed Bronwyn to the lead wagon, and as they approached, a dead-tired-looking wagoneer looked up. His eyes widened, and he walked towards Irwin with glistening eyes.


    "Lad, you''re Irwin, right?" the man asked in a gruff voice as he grabbed Irwin''s hand with two of his and started pumping it up and down. "The name''s Bjurn! Thank you for finding and saving Chonk! He''s mah best bull, and I''d hate to have had to leave him behind!"


    Irwin looked at the short man in confusion before he finally realized what the man was talking about.


    "You''re the owner of the charbull I found," he said, his eyebrows raising.


    "Darn right I am," Bjurn said with a weary grin. "Now get on! Getting you out of this shithole will be the least I can do."


    Irwin grinned as the man headed back to the wagon, patting the dark charbull on its flanks.


    "Savior of charbulls," Greldo said as he stood beside him. "Has a nice ring to it!"


    Irwin laughed as he walked to the wagon. As it began rolling forward, he jogged beside it.


    When they were a good distance away, he took a look back, staring at the walled city, quiet and abandoned.


    Perhaps I''ll name one of the adjacent worlds Malorin, he thought with a sudden grin. And another Giard!

 Chapter 206: Death or safety?

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    Irwin stood next to Sultur Crevice, examining the stone staircase leading down into its depths. It was partially buried into the stonewall and had a high railing to prevent anyone from falling.


    Hundreds of people were walking down it, a fearful quiet hanging over the group as they followed the rangers.


    Greldo stood to the side, digging into the soil, his arms up the elbows blackened by the soot.


    "There we go," he said as he pulled his arms out, grinning at Irwin. He held up a tiny nut before pocketing it with the others he''d dug out.


    "Tell me again why you are bringing that?" Irwin asked.


    "I''m sure we will find a world, either adjacent to Eluathar or somewhere else on the Portal Galery, that has a shortage of trees," Geldo said as he joined him. "I''ll plant these there so we have a place with a tiny bit of Giard left."


    Irwin watched Greldo curiously, wondering why he cared about trees.


    "Don''t give me that look," Greldo said, raising an eyebrow. "It just feels like a shame to take nothing meaningful!"


    "Irwin, Greldo!"


    They looked up to see that only Bronwyn remained at the top of the stairs, waving them over.


    "Well, let''s get out of here," Greldo said as he headed towards the staircase.


    Irwin nodded and took a final look around the blackened wasteland before following his friend down.


    The staircase was long, at least three hundred feet, and led close to the bottom of the crevice. Down there, in the torchlit darkness, a massive section of the wall had been ripped open, revealing a chamber with a portal. People were streaming in one at a time, whispering fearfully, holding hands with loved ones.


    Irwin''s family was standing nearby, Bronwyn''s deep voice constantly telling the people to hurry and continue.


    Irwin smiled at his mother, who seemed only mildly impressed by the whole ordeal. He turned to the entrance, examining the walls.


    "Was there a door like the one we found near Degonda?" he asked Greldo.


    "Apparently, it was buried by a landslide, and Basil had to break them out," Greldo said. "It''s a good thing that chicken was dead by then."


    Yeah, Irwin thought as he thought about the purple gas thing. He''d told Greldo and his brother about what had happened but couldn''t wait to discuss it with Daubutim.


    "I''ll head to the other side to help with getting people situated," Greldo said.


    "Alright, I''ll see you in a moment," Irwin said.


    Greldo nodded, then moved to the head of the line. Nobody seemed to mind at all as he cut in and stepped into the portal.


    It took a while before the last people stepped into the portal. Bronwyn had to tell their mother things would be fine and that, yes, they would come right after her before she would finally go, leaving the brothers alone in the torchlit darkness.


    Bronwyn sighed as he cracked his neck, and Irwin stepped up beside him.


    "You know something?" Bronwyn said, gazing deep into the portal.


    "What?" Irwin asked curiously, looking at his brother, who seemed deep in thought.


    "I''d always imagined going to Kasadiron and finding out what happened to father," Bronwyn said softly.


    "Kasadiron?" Irwin said, looking at his brother in surprise. "That''s where we came from?"


    "Mom never wanted to tell us, but what use is there in hiding it now," Bronwyn said. "I was young, and she thinks I didn''t remember, but I do."


    Irwin didn''t speak, quietly watching his brother.


    "Back when we still guarded the wall, I asked around, but nobody knew anything about it. Kasadiron is just too far away," he said. "I''d thought if I went there, perhaps I could figure out something, maybe find father''s family?"


    "Is there any?" Irwin asked, feeling his curiosity grow.


    "I don''t know, but there should be, right?" Bronwyn said, looking up. "I mean, unless they were all killed, which sounds weird."


    "Did you try¡­"


    "Talking with mum about it?" Bronwyn laughed. "Yeah, twice. The first time, I was told not to ask things I didn''t want the answers to, and the second time, she nearly had a breakdown."


    Irwin flinched. "Perhaps some people from Kasadiron made it to Degonda. I''ll ask around in a few weeks."


    "Yes¡­ but I think it''s more likely that they went to Esterdon," Bronwyn said. "Are we still going to get the people from there?"


    "Definitely," Irwin said. "Just because Indoubtor is a power-hungry noble doesn''t mean all those people deserve to be left behind. Besides, I''m hoping to find a few friends of mine there."


    Bronwyn raised an eyebrow, then he looked at the portal.


    "Well, enough chitchat. Let''s go through it before the people on the other side, mostly Mom, freak out!''


    He took a deep breath, waved at Irwin, and jumped through the portal.


    Irwin took one look around, then followed him.


    --


    "Do you think the captain will return soon?"


    Zender looked at Brinni, who was sitting on the lower branches of the tree. Trinn sat protectively beside her, and the three of them were looking at the portal. The area had significantly changed over the last weeks; the ground flattened and was then covered with stone by carded stone shapers. Pathways led away from the wide square before it, with stone pillars beside the path. Each had the names of the towns in that direction on them, with some information.


    "He''ll be back soon," Zender said. "He''s probably waiting till all of his people are here before coming!"


    "Okay," Brinni said, turning back to look at the square and the mass of people moving away from it and towards the end of the square.


    I need to learn how to read that language, Zender thought as he watched the stone pillars again. He knew they were an idea of Daubutim, and there was an explanation on them that said what village did what, who had gone where, and what people could expect if they went to one.


    Time passed, and after a while, the square was empty, safe for a small group of people watching the portal intently. The familiar and tall shape of Daubutim had joined them, and he was quietly talking with an old woman. Greldo stood a bit to the side, patting his massive hound''s neck. A dozen silver-eyed guards, rangers, and two Daxi crewmembers stood nearby, talking softly.


    "Perhaps he had to do something else?" Brinni asked.


    Zender ignored her and waited calmly. Finally, after another few minutes, a burly, hairy shape, more bear than man, stepped through the portal.


    "Bronwyn, why did it take so long? Is everything alright?"


    Zender watched the older woman limp forward and berate the bear.


    That has to be his mother, he decided, only to see Captain Irwin step out of the portal. His previous leather armor was gone, and all he was wearing were the odd leather trousers Zender had seen before and a simple pale shirt that loosely hung around his massive frame. No boots, no bag, no armor.


    Something definitely happened, Zender thought, wondering if he could ask Irwin to tell him what.


    "There he is," Brinni said, sounding incredibly happy and excited.


    As much as he''d expected the captain to return safely, Zender also felt a slight relief.


    Now, let''s hope that means we can leave here soon, he thought, taking a look around.


    As much as he enjoyed being in such a world, there was barely anything to do. The towns were no more than collections of rapidly built houses with walls surrounded by flattened areas, and the tiny harbor town beside the river didn''t even have ships yet. No, he wouldn''t mind going out exploring, but for that, they would need the captain!


    "Let''s go and say hi," he said as he climbed down the tree.


    --


    Irwin stepped out of the portal, and the first thing he saw was his family. His mother was talking with Bronwyn, and the others were smiling at him. Then he saw Daubutim, his single eye swirling with red lightning and an uncharacteristic grin on his face.


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    His noble friend immediately walked forward.


    "Alright, step out of the way. I''ll move the portal to the final waypoint right away."


    Irwin did as asked, surprised at Daubutim''s apparent rush. He moved a few steps away from the portal and waved at his mother. "Go with Bronwyn and Greldo to one of the towns," he said. "I don''t expect anything bad to come through, but it''s best to be safe."


    His mother frowned, then looked at Carla and Drum before nodding. "I expect you to come and see me before you go running around again!" she said.


    Irwin smiled and nodded, sharing a look with Greldo. His friend nodded, and Irwin knew he''d make sure his family would find a safe house close to others of Malorin.


    As they walked away, he heard a soft cough, and he saw Zender walk towards him. The boy''s eyes were filled with curious excitement, and Trinn and Brinni were a few steps behind him.


    "Welcome back, captain," Zender said.


    "Zender," Irwin said, examining the boy. He looked good, well-fed, clean, and energetic. It seemed being in a real world was good for him. Still, it was evident from his fidgeting that he wanted to ask things, and Irwin grinned.


    "Stay back a bit. We can talk later," Irwin said, turning to where Daubutim was walking around the portal, changing the runes that surrounded it.


    When Daubutim finished, the portal flashed brightly before returning to normal.


    Irwin summoned his hammer and was surprised to see that the purple runes that covered it were a bit brighter than they had been.


    Must be due to the increased soullake, he thought as he walked over to his friend.


    Daubutim looked slightly worn out as he stepped back beside Irwin, his massive icy blue, two-handed sword appearing in his hands.


    "Are you alright?" Irwin asked softly, watching the portal closely in case something came through.


    "Yes. Lord Bron has been a great help, although I was surprised at how easily he accepted me taking the leadership," Daubutim replied before glancing at him. "I had hoped that you could return faster, but Basil said you were heavily injured?"


    Irwin grimaced. "I vastly overloaded my heartcard, cracking its foundation."


    "I''ve never read anything about that," Daubutim'' said worriedly. "Is it alright now?"


    "It''s perfect again," he said, deciding to tell Daubutim the details when there weren''t people listening. Some things were best kept a secret. "What happened that I needed to return so fast?"


    Daubutim''s eye narrowed, the swirling red lightning becoming blinding for a moment. He turned to the guards that stood at the edge of the forest.


    Irwin had noticed them, slightly surprised at how easy the Giardians and the Daxi seemed at each other''s presence.


    "Send for Basil," Daubutim ordered.


    One of the rangers bowed, turned, and dashed across one of the pathways.


    "We need to talk in private," Daubutim said before calmly focusing his full attention back on the portal.


    Irwin nodded, wondering what was going on. He wasn''t too worried, though. If something terrible were happening, Daubutim would have planned things differently.


    A short while later, Basil arrived. He was fully armored up, and as soon as he arrived at the gate, he summoned his massive greatsword. It was similar to Daubutim''s, though dark instead of blue and even bigger.


    "Welcome back! You look much better than the last time I saw you!"


    "I feel much better too," Irwin said.


    "Basil, protect this place and make sure nothing comes through. It is connected to the waypoint portal near Esterdon," Daubutim said. "I need to talk with Irwin and bring him up to speed. We will return before dark."


    We will? Irwin thought.


    Basil just nodded. "Of course, Lord Daubutim! Lord Bron asked if you could see him before you left."


    "We will head there now," Daubutim said before turning and walking towards the same path Basil had come from before. It was a dusty, rocky path, wide enough for a cart, and some had already gone over it from the trails he saw.


    I wonder how they got carts here, Irwin thought. They must have taken them apart and reassembled them here¡­


    He nodded at Basil before following along with his friend. Zender and the others were following from a good distance but decided it was alright for now. There were things he wanted to ask them, and he probably would have to do that soon. If Daubutim was leaving before dark, he had a strong feeling he''d probably be joining him.


    The road they were taking led up north, towards the edge of the forest, and as they reached the end, he saw a distant wall. It wasn''t anywhere near as high or wide as the one around Malorin, but for something that hadn''t been there only a few weeks ago, it was incredible. The road widened as it closed in on it, leading to a surprisingly well-made, sturdy-looking gate.


    "Impressive," he said, meaning it.


    "The cards you left are being used very well," Daubutim said. "We have some six-carded builders that are able to change both stone and wood very easily. The only bottleneck now is that they run out of energy too fast for what we need. Do you have any more cards left?"


    Irwin thought about the last stack that he''d fed Ambraz and sighed ruefully. "No. But Bronwyn should have a lot of cards from the final battle we had near Malorin."


    Daubutim looked at him, his eyes flashing red. "Tell me what happened while we walk?"


    "Sure," Irwin said.


    He quietly told Daubutim what had happened from the moment he arrived at Malorin to the battle with the Bablibon. Zender and the others snuck closer as they listened in, and Irwin smiled as they gasped and awed as he described the battle.


    "You are sure it''s dead?" Daubutim asked when he finished.


    Irwin hesitated, then nodded. "Yes, but I presume there''s always a chance that some part of it hid somewhere."


    Daubutim hummed before nodding. "I''ll ask La''suna to move around the Malorin town. If anyone can pick up on it, she can."


    Irwin nodded. "So is that what we are calling the town? Malorin Town?"


    "For now," Daubutim said. "Both the people from Malorin and Degonda seemed happy with it for now. Those who came from other places and fled there are talking about creating new towns away from the larger places, but they will have to wait. We are still finding new and dangerous animals, and until we are sure the rangers can clear out anything too dangerous, we will stop at four cities."


    "Four?" Irwin asked in surprise.


    "New Malorin," Daubutim said, waving back in the direction of the forest. "I''ll have them focus on woodworking and training rangers. I''m planning to ask your brother to take charge, at least for now."


    Irwin grinned. "I''m pretty sure they will create a council with the ranger captains, but most of those seem to listen to him."


    Daubutim nodded. "Good. Now, New Degonda," he pointed ahead, "is where we currently have the most people, and it''s where Lord Bron and I will be staying. Portal Keep, which is more of an enormous castle that we are building- or going to build, around the exit portal. Basil is in charge of keeping it safe, though currently, he''s getting a lot of help from Captain Xi''kroak."


    Irwin hummed thoughtfully. "Are the Daxi creating a settlement anywhere?"


    "No," Daubutim said, shaking his head. "I''ve asked them to wait till we find the first adjacent worlds and then will get one of those. For now, they are located near Portal Keep, and I''ll give them a small district when that finally grows to city size."


    Irwin looked at Daubutim, unable to keep from smiling. "You really are made for this, aren''t you?" he asked.


    Daubutim looked back, frowning. "Perhaps, though sometimes I envy you."


    Irwin''s eyebrows shot up. "Why?"


    "After everything is settled here, you will be heading out, exploring the rest of the Portal Gallery around us while I''ll be here, dealing with our new world."


    Irwin watched Daubutim, unable to see any resentment, anger, or sadness. Still, he sighed. "If you want, we could ask Lord Bron to-"


    "No," Daubutim said. "Gelwin, and you are right. I don''t hate this work, and with my abilities, I''ll be able to do a better job than anyone else we have. At least at the start."


    They quietly walked for a while before Daubutim continued.


    "The final town, hopefully soon to be a city, is Tr¨¦anb¨¢," Daubutim said, causing Irwin to look up in surprise. Daubutim pointed to the left. "It''s North, built near the river we found, and after everything is going alright, I''ll be going there, leaving Lord Bron to guide and lead New Degonda."


    Irwin thought for a while as they walked. "What about the Frozir?" he asked when they were only a few hundred feet from the gate.


    "They are here, in new Degonda, and will stay here until we find them a proper adjacent world," Daubutim said. "Lord Bron and Satiya work well together, and¡­"


    Irwin heard Daubutim hesitate, a confused look on his face.


    "What?"


    "Well, she and Lord Bron seem to be bonding," he said.


    Irwin blinked, and then his mouth fell open. "You mean¡­"


    "Yes. Elder Gum''dil''ran is incredibly annoyed by it, but there''s little that he can do."


    Irwin stared stupidly at the gate ahead of them. "Is that even possible?" he muttered.


    "Oh, definitely," Daubutim said. "What''s more interesting is that from what I know, that probably means that if they have any¡­ offspring, those will have the soulcarded skill."


    Irwin whistled, shaking his head in disbelief. "What about the other Frozir?"


    "There are a few younger females that will eventually be of egglaying age," Daubutim said. "So they will be fine, I presume."


    Irwin quietly continued ahead, slightly lost in his thoughts. When they reached the gate, he noticed it was modeled after the ones in the previous Degonda, with a small door inside the gate that was opened to let them in.


    He saw two serious-looking guards step aside and bow at Daubutim.


    "Lord Daubutim, welcome back," one of them said.


    Daubutim nodded, looking around. "Thank you, Guard Sanders. Did anything happen while I was gone?"


    "Nothing, my lord," the guard said, seeming not in the least bit surprised that Daubutim knew his name. "The crafters returned from Tr¨¦anb¨¢ and have started building up the crafters square and the central keep again. At their current speed, they will finish in a month."


    "Good," Daubutim said, nodding as he walked through the door and inside the walls.


    Irwin followed him, looking around curiously. The wall was the most finished of all things, with small houses, all with a single story but seeming made to have more. Everything looked only half finished, but it was bustling. People were walking around, carrying wood and stone, while children were playing nearby. Everyone he saw seemed happy, and although many were still showing the long malnourishment they had suffered, the energy they used showed they were eating properly now.


    As they walked through the city, many people greeted Daubutim, who greeted them back, all by their names. The central castle was different from what Irwin had seen before and far from finished. Gaping open walls, unfinished towers barely twenty feet tall, and a semi-finished central area were being worked on by a group of handcarded workers.


    Still, it was clear that the final castle would be more open than the one he knew from the old versions of Malorin and Degonda. It would have multiple entrances, which all seemed to border the large square in the center of the town. Crafters were everywhere, wood splinters and dust all around as they worked the massive trunks and branches that lay in great heaps. A familiar clanging made Irwin look up to see a smithy.


    Trimdir''s Smithy, it read on a sign above the door.


    "You can speak to him later," Daubutim said. "Let''s go to Lord Bron first."


    Irwin nodded, and he followed Daubutim into the unfinished castle. They passed workers expanding the walls and placing doors until they reached a more finished area. An open chamber with a balcony, most of which seemed finished, sat in the center of the unfinished castle, and Lord Bron was walking around a large, rough table. There were none of the high-quality carvings that Irwin remembered, but Lord Bron was smiling, his eyes gleaming as he prodded pieces and wrote on a book beside him.


    He looked up as they walked towards him and smiled. "Smith Irwin," he said, smiling broadly. "What do you think of what we have done since you were gone?"


    "Very impressive," Irwin said, smiling back.


    "Lord Bron, can you raise your barrier? We need to speak," Daubutim said, causing both Bron and Irwin to turn serious again.


    A barrier appeared around the room as Lord Bron beckoned them to the nearby table. When they all sat, Irwin looked at Daubutim.


    "I went to talk with Gelwin," Daubutim said.


    Irwin looked up in surprise. How had Daubutim done that? Didn''t he need to move through the portal for that?


    Daubutim looked at him and nodded. "Yes. I redirected the portal for a short while before moving it to Malorin. Things on Giard are becoming worse rapidly, and I needed to ask him questions."


    "What did he say? Is he coming here?" Lord Bron asked.


    "Gelwin told me that Lamia and a few others went through the portal to Esterdon," Daubutim said calmly.


    Irwin''s eyes widened, and he leaned forward as Daubutim continued.


    "He had no knowledge of what happened to them after, but he warned me," Daubutim said, his eye swirling with red lightning. "Our usage of the portals is destabilizing Giard at a rapid pace, much faster than he had anticipated. We currently have just a bit over sixteen hours to get the people from Esterdon through the portal and here."


    "What? That''s impossible!" Bron exploded.


    "We have no choice in the matter," Daubutim said calmly. "Gelwin''s body was breaking down as I spoke with him. I had the feeling it was out of his hands."

 Chapter 207: Starving people

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    Irwin took a deep breath, then rose. "Then what are we still doing here? Let''s go to Esterdon!¡±


    Daubutim showed no intention of getting up but sighed.


    "I know my cousin," he said calmly. "He will not accept our current leadership structure. He also very likely has more carded warriors than we do by now. If we go there, he will not agree to anything but him being in charge. So, unless we let it come to a conflict, we need a plan."


    "It''s best if you remain here," Bron immediately said, looking at Daubutim. "You''ve proven exactly how effective you are in the last few weeks. We can''t risk him killing you."


    Irwin hummed as he sat back down. "What if I go there and use my steam to knock him out and take over?"


    "Indoubtor will be on guard against you. Most likely, he will have plans to deal with you, although he likely won''t know that you are now much more powerful," Daubutim said.


    The three of them were quiet for a while before Lord Bron sighed. "We could just leave them."


    "Gelwin said that there are over a hundred and sixty thousand people gathered in or near Esterdon," Daubutim said calmly. "I don''t feel comfortable letting those die if we don''t at least do everything we can."


    "Hmm¡­" a soft voice said, and all three of them jerked upright, staring at the corner.


    Greldo slowly walked from behind a cabinet, scratching his chin. "Sorry bout that," he said.


    "How did you get in here without me noticing!" Lord Bron exclaimed, his face pale.


    "I was here the whole time," Greldo said. "I teleported after Irwin and Daubutim but decided to just remain in the shadows because I didn''t think I''d be able to contribute to this high and mighty conversation."


    Irwin grinned, shaking his head. "Sure," he said. "You mean, you were hoping to get the jump on us and see our reaction?"


    "That too," Greldo said as he sat down. "So, I''d suggest the following. Irwin goes through to blast apart anything that might be around the portal. After that, I come and scout Esterdon for whoever is opposing your cousin. There should be some, or perhaps you are wrong, and he''s been really nice and will be cooperative?"


    Irwin grinned as another idea came to him. "What if we offer him an adjacent world?" he asked Daubutim, who seemed unconcerned with Greldo''s presence.


    Daubutim hummed, then nodded. "If we can properly show he has no chance against us by force, that would be a way to do it. However, we would set him up as a potential problem in the future."


    "Can''t we just close the portal to his world?" Greldo asked, ignoring Lord Bron, who gave him an annoyed glare.


    The others were quiet, thinking about Greldo''s suggestion, and after a few moments, Lord Bron''s annoyance made way for a thoughtful look.


    "Although I''d prefer not putting you at risk," he said, looking at Irwin. "I know you will be leaving anyway and won''t even listen to me, so Greldo''s idea has merit. Though giving an entire world to Indoubtor, knowing he might try and forcefully take control in the future is not something I''d entertain."


    Greldo grinned as he prodded Irwin. "That means you are expendable, like me! Feels great, doesn''t it?"


    Irwin laughed, then shook his head. "Nobody here is expendable," he said before getting up. "If we have only hours left, and nobody else has a better plan, I am going with what Greldo suggests."


    "Greldo, can you teleport more than just yourself out of somewhere if needed?" Daubutim asked, looking at Greldo.


    "Sure, as long as I don''t have to do anything after," Greldo said.


    "Indoubtor might have locked Lamia and the other smiths away. If you can find those and bring them here, it will make his position weaker."


    "If I can, I will," Greldo said as he got up and stood beside Irwin. "Anything else?"


    Daubutim took a deep breath, and his face turned serious. "If you can find my mother, brothers, and¡­. father, please get them here safely."


    Irwin jolted, realizing he''d completely forgotten about Daubutim''s family situation. A quick look at Greldo''s stunned face showed he wasn''t the only one.


    "We will find them if they are there," Irwin said.


    "Yes!" Greldo said while nodding. "I''ll get them out if I can!"


    "If my father causes trouble, you have my permission to knock him unconscious," Daubutim said as his lips curved ever so slightly.


    "With pleasure," Irwin said, grinning back.


    Greldo just smiled dangerously.


    A few minutes later, they were walking away from the still-under-construction castle.


    "Do you think it''s likely that his father and brothers got out of that portal world?" Greldo whispered.


    "From everything I''ve heard of his father, it wouldn''t surprise me," Irwin said. "He seems like a capable, emotionless person."


    "Well, let''s see what we can do then," Greldo said, holding out a hand. "Let''s go- I''ll regain any energy spent teleporting this short distance during our trip in the portal."


    Irwin took his hand, and the world immediately turned into a shadowy version of reality. The sounds were muted, and he was about to ask something as everything turned black. The next thing he knew, he was standing before the portal, and color and sound became normal again.


    Greldo grunted and shook his head.


    Irwin looked at him worriedly. "Are you alright?"


    "Don''t worry, the heartcard helped me more than I''d expected," Greldo said as he waved at a group of rangers and guards looking at the portal. Basil was walking towards them.


    "You two just popping up out of nowhere probably means you are going back through again?" Basil asked in his booming voice.


    "Yes," Irwin said as he thought of something. "Can you send someone to my mother and tell her I''ll be back within a day?"


    Basil raised his eyebrows. "Seeing as you aren''t doing it yourself, you are in a hurry?"


    Irwin nodded, looking around. "Make sure to keep a close look around. I don''t expect anything to come through except for civilians, but you never know."


    "Any idea when I can expect the first arrivals then?" Basil asked.


    Irwin shrugged. "I hope within a few hours, but we will see."


    Basil gazed at him for a bit, then nodded slowly. "Fine, don''t let me hold you then. I''ll make sure things are ready here for when the first people arrive!"


    Irwin and Greldo walked towards the portal.


    "Alright, give me thirty minutes," Irwin said as he grinned at his friend. "If I don''t return by then, either it''s safe, or you need to come save me."


    Greldo grinned back, but Irwin saw a tiny bit of worry.


    "I''ll be fine, " he said as he walked forward and entered the portal.


    A flash of light later, he was hurtling down the familiar long energy-surrounded tunnel. There was nothing moving around, which he was very happy about.


    "So, any good ideas?" he asked, tapping his pocket.


    "If Indoubtor proves dangerous, kill him," Ambraz said with a snort. "There''s too much at stake, and no longer just for your people. Which reminds me¡­ we need to figure out a way past that blockade so I can contact the world Anvils on Granvox."


    Irwin sighed, and he thought back to what he knew of Indoubtor. Time slowly trickled as he finally came to a conclusion.


    Ambraz is right. There''s too much at stake. As soon as he thought it, he felt a shiver run through him.


    Did that mean he''d have to kill Indoubtor? He shoved the thought to the back of his mind. If Indoubtor had been a great leader, better suited than Daubutim, he''d be okay with him taking over, but from all he knew, it seemed unlikely. So either he would accept Daubutim''s rule wholeheartedly, or Ambraz''s option might be the only one. Either that or leave him behind.


    I hope we are worrying over nothing yet, he thought, ignoring the nagging suspicion that Daubutim knew Indoubtor far better than he did and that he didn''t know if he was ready to go in there with the goal of killing another human.


    The end eventually came in sight, and Irwin summoned his hammer.


    "Ready?" he asked.


    "To do what?" Ambraz blurted.


    "To sit on someone," Irwin said, forcing a grin on his face just as he reached the exit.


    He stumbled out of the portal into a small, squarish chamber made of rock. A stone hallway, similar to what he''d seen the first time, led away, and the air was stuffy and sharp to his throat.


    Okay, this air is way worse than the first time, he thought as he rushed forward.


    A look around showed nothing but walls, and he hurried into the corridor that led to what looked like a dead-end. Slamming his hands against the smooth rock, he instantly felt it slide back a few inches. He put more strength into it, and a stone slab slid back with a loud grinding noise.


    As soon as he could, he peeked through the opening. Like with Gelwin''s first waypoint portal, he saw he was in a spacious cavern with a wide open side. He stepped around the slab, and immediately, his nose told him the air around him was far clearer than that within the chamber.


    I wonder if Gelwin did this on purpose as some extra form of safety, Irwin thought as he shoved the slab further from the entrance to let fresh air inside.


    If Greldo came, he didn''t want his friend to suffocate.


    Wait, does he even need to breathe inside those shadows? he thought as he began looking around.


    A cursory glance showed there was nothing inside the empty cavern, and he walked to the open side. Unlike with the portal near Degonda, there was no wide vista. Instead, he saw a rocky cliff less than forty feet away and a narrow one-foot ledge leading left and up the side.


    Should he go up? He hesitated, then decided to wait for Greldo. There was nothing here, but who knew what he''d find up there?


    Back at the portal, he noticed that the air had cleared up a little but was still dangerously sharp to breathe.


    He waited calmly until the portal flashed up, and Greldo stepped out.


    "Shadow out of the room! The air is bad," he snapped just as Greldo''s eyes widened.


    He prepared to grab his friend and drag him to safety, but it wasn''t needed. Greldo responded instantly, vanishing from where he stood, and Irwin turned and jogged to the cavern. Before he reached it, Greldo appeared and began coughing and cursing.


    "You alright?" Irwin asked.


    "How come you can breath that crap?" Greldo asked in between coughing.


    Irwin shrugged, not bothering to answer, and pretty sure Greldo didn''t expect one.


    After a few minutes, Greldo rose from where he had been kneeling near the entrance.


    "So¡­ besides the air, nothing dangerous?" he asked.


    "No," Irwin said, leaning onto the ledge and looking up. The star-filled sky sat above him.


    "Alright, I''ll go see where we are and what''s going on around here," Greldo muttered before vanishing.


    Let''s hope it closes because getting over a hundred thousand people down here in under a day is going to be one hell of a chore, Irwin thought.


    He decided that if things were safe, he''d head back and get stone shapers to create stairs up while Greldo kept scouting.


    Greldo reappeared only a few minutes later, and from his frown, Irwin knew things weren''t looking good.


    "Remember those mountains you passed through when you came here from Degonda?" Greldo asked.


    Irwin nodded.


    "Well, we are inside those and at least a few miles from Esterdon. If we need to get people here, we will need to start right away, and it''s still going to be dangerous at best. I saw dozens of Nyzir trails in the mountains and dozens of other things moving around," Greldo said.


    "And the ruins?"


    "Most of it is destroyed, and there''s some building on top with a camp around it. There were only three Esterdon towers remaining. The Coulwater one has expanded and looks more like a stronghold or small city now, while there are dozens of camps around it. The plains that lead here are filled with roaming groups of demons, and then there''s the rough terrain here."


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    The more he heard, the worse Irwin realized it was. Even if they started moving people here now, it was going to be impossible to guarantee everyone reached here safely.


    Still, between many dying or remaining here, which would be worse? he thought, gritting his teeth.


    "Great," he muttered. "Can you scout around and see what''s going on? I''ll head back and get carded stone shapers here to build staircases up and guards to protect the portal."


    "Yeah, better get Basil here," Greldo said. "I saw some of those Brutal Imps."


    Irwin''s eyebrows shot up. "Where did you see those?" he asked, thinking about his half-full soullake.


    "Moving around the lower parts of the hills," Greldo said. "You remember those Tardels?"


    Irwin nodded as he recalled the demons that looked like a cross between a giant lizard and a hound. He''d killed a group of those who were chasing Greldo the first time he''d seen his friend again.


    "Well, there''s a lot of those roaming around the bottom of the hills, and I saw a group of them tear apart one of those Brutal Imps."


    Irwin hissed. "So, I guess they don''t like Imps either," he said. "Well, I''ll go and clear out the imps from the hills after Basil gets here."


    "Okay, be careful," Greldo said. "I''ll see if any of the rangers I used to work with survived up till now!"


    He vanished, and Irwin looked around for a moment before turning back to the opening.


    "Let''s hope we can get all of this done in time," he muttered.


    --


    Greldo rushed through the shadows, checking for trails of Nyzir. There were some, but none seemed to go out onto the planes.


    Looking at the distant tower, he held back on teleporting towards the tower. He might need all his card''s energy to get the smiths away.


    Well, smith, he thought to himself. Although the distance wasn''t too far, he knew that if he took more than one other person along, his energy would drop exponentially. That would leave him too weak to help or do much else.


    A roar from below made him look down to see three Tardels sprinting after a pale form that raced across the planes.


    A pale Imp? What''s that doing here?


    He didn''t hesitate but angled down until he floated above the pale, nimble form, sprinting toward the distant towers. Its eyes were sharp, showing it wasn''t turning Addled, and it seemed unafraid.


    Now, why are you heading to the tower? Greldo thought as he continued to follow the Imp. It wouldn''t slow him down much to just take a quick look, and Pale Imps never meant anything good.


    It didn''t take long before the Tradels stopped their chase, the lizards lumbering back, away from the camps they were nearing. The Pale Imp, however, didn''t slow down but continued racing ahead, and by now, Greldo could see it wasn''t heading to the towers at all but to the camp nearest to the hills.


    Surrounded by rough stone walls that were probably raised by carded stoneshapers, thousands of people were milling about the tents and three crude stone buildings. Figures walked the walls, but one look told Greldo they weren''t rangers or guards. They stumbled along, and there was no sight of carded weaponry, or if any of it was, it was the worst he''d ever seen.


    The Pale Imp made a beeline for a small, one-foot-wide door in the wall, and Greldo was shocked as it knocked.


    Either that Imp is suicidal to a fault, or¡­


    The door swung open, and a shifty-eyed man waved the Pale Imp inside. Greldo hovered down until he was a few feet above them, following them inside the wall. A dozen armed men and women with skeletal-thin features, sunken eyes, and crudely made spears stood in a semi-circle. They looked at the Imp with equal measures of distrust and hope. Torches on the walls and campfires between the tents lit up the area, and Greldo saw a mass of people between the tents. Those few that were paying attention had a dull-eyed listlessness in their eyes that made him shiver.


    It''s like they are already dead, he thought.


    "And? What did he say?" the man asked hurriedly as he closed the door.


    "Brughus will support your assault on the central camp," the Imp said.


    There was an outburst of shouts and whispers from the surrounding people, with some spear-wielding ones looking around excitedly.


    "However," the Pale Imp said, smiling nastily. "Brughus will only move if you guarantee all of the camps will join!"


    The shifty-eyed man shook his head and snarled. "We told you we can''t guarantee that! Everyone is done with the nobles hoarding all the food and cards, but they are also afraid!"


    The Imp shrugged as he stepped back to the door. "That''s not our problem! If you want help taking over the central camp so you can escape from this world, you will have to bleed for it! Find a way."


    Angry shouts came from the group of armed guards while Greldo frowned.


    So, they are making deals with the Imps now? he thought, looking at the Pale Imp, noting a nasty gleam in its eyes. It''s tricking them somehow.


    "I''ll return in half a day. If you haven''t gotten a consensus, we will simply wait for you all to starve," the Pale Imp said as he unlocked the door and stepped back outside.


    Greldo watched as it turned and sprinted back to the hills. For one moment, he considered following it, then he shook his head. He had no time to spend on these things.


    Watching the shifty-eyed man close the door, furiously slamming it shut and muttering something, he sighed.


    It''s not like they will really help you, he thought.


    He was about to leave the camp and head to Coldwater Tower when he stopped and looked around.


    There were easily five to six thousand people here, and this was the nearest place from the hills¡­ They also obviously didn''t listen to Indoubtor and were willing to do anything to get out of there. If they needed to get people out, why not start here? He had no idea what they had planned with the Imp, but he didn''t care or blame them. Hunger was an old friend to him, and he knew what it could do.


    Searching for the best spot, he moved to an area near the wall far enough from the armed men so they couldn''t reach him in time. Not that it would really matter if they did. None of them had more than a single card.


    I hope they don''t scream, he thought as he stepped out of the shadows.


    There was no immediate response as he leaned against the wall. Most of the people were dully staring at the ground while the shifty-eyed man was stomping on the ground, cursing.


    Then one of the spearwielder''s eyes passed over him and suddenly focused.


    "Who are you!" the man shouted, raising his spear, his eyes widening in fear and surprise.


    Greldo grinned as he saw the others turn and raise their spears. Their movements were slow and halting, and he was sure he could just knock their spears from their hands without even using his card.


    "I''m Greldo," he said, waving at them. "And I''ve heard that you people would like to leave this world?"


    There was a stunned silence. The make-shift guards looked at each other, seeming stunned, while the crowd among the tents was stirring, rising to their feet and staring at him. However, none of them moved his way, and Greldo felt a pang of sorrow and sympathy. These people were so far to the edge that they would literally take any help, no matter the cost.


    "How did you get in here?" the shifty-eyed man asked, licking his chapped lips.


    Greldo moved a few steps through the shadow, and as he did, there was a gasp.


    "You are one of Undoubtors fully handed!" the man shouted, stepping back in fear. "What do you want? We have no food left to steal!"


    Greldo sighed, shaking his head. "I know Indoubtor, but he could only wish that I was one of his men. I''m with his cousin, Daubutim, and I''ve come from another world to save as many people as I can."


    There was a stunned silence, and Greldo saw the people around the tents push forward, eyes gleaning hungrily in the torchlight.


    "Daubutim? Isn''t he the current lord of Coulwater? I heard he was killed! Why- why should we believe you?" the shifty-eyed man exclaimed.


    Greldo could see it was more form than anything else. He was so hopeless the only reason he didn''t shout yes to anything was because of the people around him, looking at him for leadership.


    "Well, you don''t have to," Greldo said as he pushed himself from the wall and looked around. "But there''s another portal that leads to a world where all the people from Malorin and Degonda are currently building new towns and places to live. They are working the land, safe from constant portals, protected by Lord Daubutim and Lord Bron, and many guards. We came here to find more people, but we have less than a day to get as many people to safety as possible. So, if you''re not interested-"


    "Please, take us away!"


    "I''ll do anything, but we need help!"


    "Food, please!"


    "Feed us!"


    Shouts came from the camp, quickly increasing to a frenzy, and Greldo saw the people push forward.


    "We will come," the shifty-eyed man shouted.


    He began waving the people back, and he managed only because of how weak they were. In any other case, he''d have been trampled by a mob.


    "What do we do? Where do we go?"


    Greldo forced a smile on his face, feeling sickened by what was happening here. Seeing the hopeful faces, he knew he could do more than just mobilize these people.


    "There are too many demons on the plains and in the hills right now, but more help is coming. Go to the other camps and spread the news. As soon as you see explosions coming from the hills, get ready. Soon after, you will see a very big, fiery man run from those hills and start decimating the demons. When he reaches this camp, run past him and head for the hills. There will be guards and rangers waiting near the foothills to lead you to the portals."


    "One man?" the shifty-eyed man muttered. "What can one man do against all those demons?"


    Greldo laughed. "You will see."


    Sorry, Irwin, he thought, wondering if Irwin would be okay with as many Tardels as he had seen. He could take out the Nyzir, but those Tardels were too large. Coal could help a bit, though.


    Still, he remembered clearly what his friend had done to one Tardel before he had even filled his handslots, and the scene at the forest, he didn''t think any number of Tardels could cause him any issues.


    "We will do it," one of the spear-wielders shouted as she looked at the others. "Right? What does it even matter? How many more must die? If we help those Imps, we will likely still end up dead, and-"


    "Quiet, Moira!" the shifty-eyed man snarled.


    The woman''s face paled, but there was a wave of shouted agreement from the people in the camp, quickly drowning out anything the shifty-eyed man might have added.


    Greldo saw a momentary annoyance run across his face. Then it was gone, and he nodded rapidly.


    "Yes! Please, we will do what you ask," he shouted. He turned around and began shouting orders for people to go to the other camps and warn them.


    Greldo saw people begin moving towards him, likely with hundreds of questions, and he quickly shifted through the shadows to stand on the wall in the shadow of a surprised man.


    "I''m going to warn the others, then I''ll be back. When I do, I need you to tell me everything you can about what''s been going on here, what Indoubtor is up to, and what you know of the smiths," he said.


    The man nodded dumbly, and Greldo jumped away into the shadows.


    Okay, let''s see if Irwin is back already, he thought as he moved as fast as he could through the shadows. I''ll search for the smiths and Daubutim''s family afterward.

 Chapter 208: Clearing the plains

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    "Do you think he was lying?" Moira asked as she looked from the wall across the plains to the distant hills. "It has to have been nearly an hour!"


    She narrowed her eyes, trying to see anything in the hills. Her card gave her slightly enhanced eyesight, which was the reason she was usually atop here to scout for trouble and was granted one of the few functional bows. Over the years, she''d learned to trust it, but now she hoped it was wrong and that she just couldn''t see the help as it came.


    "How should I know," a dull voice muttered from the ground beside her, where Eemlin sat with his legs dangling down the wall. He was old, probably over fifty, but his yellow eyes allowed him to see even better in the dark than her. "Shouldn''t you be laying low? You''ve already pissed off Crais a lot¡­"


    Moira took a quick look at the tent area, noticing Crais stomp around, glaring and cursing. She quickly sank to her haunches and grimaced as her vision turned blurry from the sudden movement.


    A quick look showed the hills were still quiet.


    Come on, please don''t be some liar, she thought as she pictured the bearded man with the haunting silver eyes.


    --


    "It''s about time we go," Irwin said.


    He, Greldo, and Basil stood on the top of the ridge. From where they stood, they couldn''t see the plains as it was blocked by a large, jagged peak the size of a castle. A good thing because that meant nobody could see them either. Dozens of carded stoneshapers, looking weary from the insane amount of work they had been asked to do over the last few weeks, were working on widening the staircase that led down.


    "We''ve got this, but are you sure you two will be alright out there?" Basil asked as he gazed at the rough landscape around them.


    "Don''t worry about us," Greldo said as he looked at the rangers that stood on the edge.


    "Alright, I''ll stay," Basil said. "As soon as you clear this area, we will head to the foothills."


    Irwin nodded and summoned his hammer as he walked along the ridge. Greldo followed close behind, and they were quiet until they were out of sight.


    "You sure you want me to head out right away?" Greldo asked.


    Irwin sighed, looking around the bleak landscape. "Yes. If we start this, we are going to draw massive attention. It''s the perfect distraction. Go and see what Indoubtor is up to, and if you can, get everyone-"


    "Into an inconspicuous cellar, warehouse, or something similar," Greldo said hurriedly. "I know, I''ll be fine. I''m more worried about you. There''s a lot of Nyzir here."


    "I know," Irwin said. "But even if they hit me, they can''t hurt me badly. Besides, I''ll spread my flame wide, so if they try and come too close, they will regret it."


    "Yeah¡­ but you do realize there''s a chance of there being stronger Nyzir here?"


    Irwin nodded. "I know, but what else can we do?"


    They walked for a little more before Greldo grunted. "I''m going to annoy the shit out of those Nyzir, then draw them to Coulwater Tower. If we are going for a distraction, we might as well go big."


    "Be care-" Irwin said to find Greldo had finished into the shadows.


    "-full," he ended, shaking his head. Besides, who was he to tell someone to be careful? He was going to do something dangerous for the second time in a few days.


    Let''s hope it''s going to be mostly Imps, he thought as he looked around the hills.


    --


    Greldo grinned evilly as he looked behind him at the cluster of Nyzir chasing after himself. He was keeping his speed just low enough for them to keep up, sometimes letting them close the distance slightly to make sure they didn''t figure out he was doing it on purpose.


    A single, large trail was off the side of the main group, and he knew it, too, was holding back.


    I wonder what that is, he thought as his grin faded. He knew that there were more dangerous things in the Nyzir portals, and it was probably too much to ask that only common and uncommon portals had opened.


    So nice thinking about those things by their old names, he thought absently.


    The massive Coulwater Tower, or perhaps castle was a better name, was closing in rapidly, and he was surprised to notice a few Nyzir trails around the peak of the central tower.


    Good. Let''s have those follow along and then see if we can cause some disturbance!


    He was barely a hundred feet from the wall when there was a muted, distant boom. Looking back, he saw a shadowy cloud erupt from the hills.


    Nice, Irwin, he thought as he grinned wider.


    He shot across the wall through the shadow of the main gate and took a quick glance at the hands of the rangers. He almost stopped in surprise as he saw multiple full-hand rangers staring at the distant hills, carded bows and crossbows partially raised.


    Daubutim wasn''t kidding, he thought as he suddenly felt some of his confidence fade. Some of these guys could have a way to spot him or the Nyzir! Besides, although he had a heartcard now, he wasn''t sure how many normal carded rangers he could fight. Five? More if they didn''t know he was there, but if they were ready and grouped together.


    Dammit, Gelwin could have given us more time, he thought, thinking back to what Daubutim had spoken about.


    Rough stone houses stood within the walls, some a few stories high, and people were walking around slowly. One look at their gaunt appearances told him that they weren''t doing much better than the ones in the camp he''d been to.


    So, either only the nobles have food, or there''s none to go around, he thought.


    A look at the central castle showed a large cluster of rangers and guards practicing, something that surprised him. Perhaps they had new cards?


    Well, whatever it was, he was going to give them something else to practice with!


    Grinning nastily, he picked out one of the nobles, a young, brown-haired man who was glaring at his opponent.


    Follow me now, he thought as he shot towards the large group of trainees. They all had a single fullhand and the noble even another, and as he closed in, he looked around to see if anyone was noticing them. There was no reaction or shouting, and he stopped in the shadows cast by two burly figures trading blows with spears.


    The Nyzir were shooting towards him, but it took him a few moments to find the larger one. Then he spotted it near a building, far away, seeming to observe what was going on.


    Alright, I definitely have to deal with you eventually, Greldo thought.


    A startled shout made him look up to see two Nyzir slash at an unsuspecting guard. Greldo grimaced as their daggers pulled a long wound across his shoulder and back, feeling slightly guilty. Then he shoved it away. It was either this or Irwin would have to deal with them. Besides, this was what they were training for, right?


    Still¡­ He zipped from shadow to shadow, keeping a close look to see if the guards would manage. If they wouldn''t, he might have to step in and get rid of a few.


    A beam of silvery blue ice shot through the air so fast he dashed back in surprise as it struck one of the Nyzir. It didn''t even manage a scream as its body froze solid before crumbling to tiny shards.


    That''s like Irwin''s flame, Greldo thought as he looked around.


    He froze, his face going slack as he saw a small, young woman stride forward with two fully armored guards beside her.


    Twintin!


    Geldo stupidly looked at the girl that he''d not seen since the time he''d gotten Coal. Irwin had told him that she was on Fiverio, but he''d never thought about looking her up. What was the use? The last time he''d seen her, she''d left screaming at Irwin that he''d killed her friend whose name he couldn''t even recall. Still, he was surprised she was here and seemed to be doing well. He was even more surprised when he saw that she had two fullhands.


    And they weren''t just utility cards either.


    In the few moments that he was looking at her stupidly, she took down two more Nyzir with well-placed waves and beams of ice.


    Greldo slowly hovered up in the shadow of the tower before closing in slightly. Twintin had a nasty scar across her throat that led down her tunic, and from how much older she looked, he knew she must have been inside portals for a long time.


    "Keep your cool," Twintin shouted as she strode towards the chaotic training field.


    Greldo saw the shadowy trail of a Nyzir rush towards her, heading to her back, and hesitated. Should he help? He didn''t owe her anything, and although they would need every strong carded on the new world, who was to say she was even going to play nice?


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    Before he could act, one of the two guards spun on his heel, and a thin, silvery sword appeared in his hand, which jabbed straight at the approaching, invisible Nyzir. There was a startling scream that rang through the shadowy world, taking Greldo by surprise. He''d never heard a sound that only resonated here! The Nyzir seemed to be ripped out of the shadowy world, while silvery cracks ran from where it had been outwards for a few feet before thinning and slowly disappearing.


    Alright, I definitely don''t want to get anywhere near him, Greldo thought as he saw the Nyzir flop on the ground without moving.


    Guards and rangers came running from within the castle, and a hectic minute later, the Nyzir were gone. Greldo barely noticed because as soon as the guards came running, he shot up the castle and towards an open window. A quick look showed an empty room with beds and closets and a closed door. Before he headed inside, he searched for the larger Nyzir, but there was no sign of it.


    I''ll go find you later, he thought as he entered the room and floated to the door. He listened for a few moments, then nodded. Now, let''s go and find out where Lamia and Daubutim''s family is.


    --


    Irwin jumped from the hill, sailing through the air as he glared at the running Brutal Imp. It was one of the largest he''d seen, and like all the others in the hills, it had turned and run as soon as it saw him.


    It''s like they know me, he thought as he hurled his hammer after the running figure. As it left his fingers, he increased its size to that of a barn door, but he withheld adding fire. Instead, he watched it slam into the Brutal Imp''s back, knocking it flat on the ground. The hammer was partially across his back and legs, half-pinning it.


    "Now," he shouted.


    There was a small blur as Ambraz shot at the Brutal Imp, struggling to push the massive hammer from his back. With a flash of light, Ambraz turned to his working form and thudded on the back of the Brutal Imp, flattening him to the ground.


    "Agh, get off, you vile, little-" the Brutal Imp roared as he pushed himself up and began toppling the hammer and Ambraz from his back.


    Irwin slammed into the ground a short distance from the Imp and quickly ran forward before the Imp could free itself. He grabbed the handle and righted it back on the Brutal Imp''s back before jumping on the wide back. The combined weight of his hammer, he and Ambraz proved enough, and the Brutal Imp finally slammed face-first into the ground.


    "Let go," the Imp grunted.


    Irwin ignored him and stomped his feet down hard, causing a grunt of pain.


    "Why are you running from me?" he snapped.


    The Imp didn''t speak, and Irwin kicked down again. "Talk!"


    It took a few more kicks before the Brutal Imp finally relented.


    "There''s rumors about you," he growled. "The smith that wields those vile devouring flames!"


    "What? Who spread those rumors?" Irwin snapped, frowning at the massive shape below him.


    The idea that rumors about him were spreading wasn''t good. If he drew too much attention, that meant they would come looking for him. Gelwin''s portals already proved that it might be possible for someone to come and find him. But who had started the rumors? He''d thought about the other Brutal Imp that had fled when he was near Malorin hunting Imps. Had that one warned the others? It made sense¡­


    He had to kick the Brutal Imp for a while before it finally began talking again.


    "How should I know, soul stealer!" the Brutal Imp snapped. "Now let me go or drain me of my being! I hope you choke on it!"


    Irwin felt like whistling at the Brutal Imp''s bravado, but instead, he stomped down again.


    "Where did you learn those rumors?" he roared.


    "In the final shard of our world that remains, and that''s all I''ll tell you," the Brutal Imp growled.


    Irwin wondered if he''d be able to keep that up if he started burning him, but that might take time, and time was the only thing he didn''t have. Besides, he was starting to feel sick from having to beat up the Brutal Imp.


    He focused on his card, and his flame erupted out from him, covering the Brutal Imp, which let out a strangled scream. It lasted for five seconds before ending in a wet gurgle. The body below Irwin''s feet turned to chunks of soot while he felt drips of soulforce rain down on his soullake.


    Kicking his feet clean, he looked around.


    "Only one world shard left," he muttered, wondering if that was true.


    He knew it would be good news if it were because perhaps then, at least, the Imps would stop. Yet, at the same time, he couldn''t help wanting more of them. If he could fill up his soullake he could create his first soulcard!


    Looking around and pondering, searching a bit further, he shook his head. He had no idea how much time they had left, but he still needed to clear the plains. He''d been running around, killing all the Imps he came across for over an hour now. Those that hadn''t fled, that was. Still, he was glad that he''d not come across any Nyzir. Whatever Greldo had done had definitely helped. Otherwise, things would have taken way more time.


    Turning towards the foothills, he began running forward.


    "Soooo, is it nearly full?" Ambraz asked as he landed on his shoulder.


    "Not yet," Irwin said. "There weren''t as many Imps here, and many fled."


    "Then why are we not searching for more?" Ambraz shouted.


    "Because I need to clear those plains so the people can start fleeing," Irwin said. "After that, if there''s time, we can see if there''s any left."


    Ambraz snorted. "Fine."


    Irwin ran and jumped through the foothills until he got his first clear view of the valley. The ruins that he recalled from the first time were almost entirely gone, just piles of rubble remaining, while a new tower stood in the center.


    That''s probably where the exit portal is, Irwin thought as he looked at the three towers of those that at one time circled the ruins.


    Coulwater Tower was massive now, while the other two seemed reinforced. Camps were everywhere, some small, others larger than towns.


    Seeing no more heat signatures around him, he turned back to where he''d come and drew a deep breath.


    "Basil! It''s clear!" he roared twice, his voice echoing around the hills.


    "You... could have gone back and just tell him," Ambraz snapped. "I don''t have ears, and I think I ruptured an eardrum!"


    "Takes too much time," Irwin said as he turned back to the plains with a wide grin.


    Dozens of Tardels were moving around far below, and he wondered if those would also give soulforce if he flamed them.


    Let''s find out, he thought as he gauged the distance down and nodded. It would probably hurt a bit and might bury him to the knees in the ground, but it would be much faster than walking down. He took a short run before exploding forward with Kinetic Energy.


    He sailed through the air, staring at his intended target: a large Tardel that lay against the side of the hill, glaring across the open plains. His heart rate shot up a few moments before he hit the ground as he realized he was going to overshoot by a bit. Summoning his hammer, he swung it down and, as it was at the lowest point, enlarged it. The extra weight made him shoot almost straight down, and he grinned as the Tardel looked up just as the enormous hammer crushed its head.


    Blood splattered across the area as Irwin slammed into the Tardel. He felt the body squish below his feet, and a few moments later, he was partially buried in flesh, tendons, and other things he didn''t want to think about. Still, the Tardel had managed to slow his descent enough that he only had to rip himself free from its twitching remains.


    Angry roars came from all around, and Irwin used the massive influx of Kinetic energy and fed it into his flame, which roared to life around him.


    --


    Moira dumbly stared at the building-sized torrent of fire rippling near the bottom of the hills.


    "Do you see anything moving?" Crais shouted from below.


    "Someone is fighting the Tardels," Moira shouted back without taking her eyes off the distant fire. Its brightness actually made it harder for her to see than easier, and she squinted, trying to follow the figure as it ran towards an incoming group of Tardels.


    "There''s definitely something going on at Coulwater Tower," Eemlin said from beside her.


    Moira quickly turned to look at what he meant, but all she saw were the distant walls of Coulwater Tower. She stared for a few moments, ignoring Crais''s shouts for more information when a pale burst of light exploded from the central tower.


    "They are fighting," she hissed before she turned to stare at the square below. "There''s fighting going on at Coulwater Tower," she shouted.


    "I don''t care what those nasty Noble''s are doing," Crais screamed. "Tell me what is happening towards the hills!"


    Moira wanted to curse at the man but instead spun and did as asked. The raging mass of fire had shrunk to wrap around a figure that seemed made of fire. It was racing across the barren plains towards them, catching up to one of the Tardels. She saw something shoot away from the figure, knocking the Tardel to the side.


    Barely believing what she saw, she watched as the figure seemed to rip the Tardel apart before continuing ahead. Groups of Tardels, alerted by the fighting, were running towards the commotion.


    "There''s dozens of them," she whispered. "Even Indoubtor can only kill two by himself! How¡­ can anyone¡­¡±


    She fell quiet and watched in slowly growing awe as the figure trampled across the Tardels, fire sometimes flaring out in huge swaths.


    When the figure was halfway towards them, horns began trumpeting from the other camps, and she jolted back to reality.


    "- Beard, what is going on!" a panicked scream came from below.


    Moira turned to look down, realizing Crais had been screaming at her for a good while already.


    "Someone is running towards us clearing out the Tardels," she shouted, trying to sound calm and collected. "He''s halfway from the hills."


    The mass of people around the tents were staring up at her, and she could almost see the disbelief in their eyes.


    "Are you saying that there''s someone more powerful than Indoubtor out there?" Crais shouted, his voice skipping a beat.


    Moira shrugged and turned back to the plains; her hope suddenly kindled as high as the fire that rippled through the air.


    --


    "These things are annoying," Irwin roared as he kicked the Tardel he''d just caught up and killed.


    "What did you expect? That they would just line up for you to kill them?" Ambraz snorted. "Are you going to be able to keep this up?"


    Irwin grunted as he probed his card. "Only a quarter down."


    As he said it, he thought about what he''d just been doing and frowned. "It''s almost as if my card''s energy is growing faster than the soul power level in my lake."


    Ambraz laughed as Irwin began speeding up towards the camp. He didn''t see any more Tardel heat signatures anywhere and hoped that he''d finally gotten them all, or at least most.


    "It just takes a while for your card to catch up," the Anvil shouted from his shoulder.


    Irwin hummed, then shrugged. "Say, what will happen if the lake is filled anyway?" He''d never thought he''d need to know that anytime soon, but with how things were progressing, he was getting curious.


    "The soulforce will fill your heartcard like a mold. Then it will crystalize into a soulcard which will hover above your soullake, generating small amounts of soulforce," Ambraz said.


    Irwin blinked. "Wait¡­ you mean the soullake will be empty again?"


    "Kid, what did you expect? That you could just fill it, pick another six cards, make a heartcard, and instantly turn that into another soulcard?" Ambraz shouted before he began laughing. "Ah, sometimes I still forget how little you learned when growing up!"


    Irwin let out a heavy sigh before shaking his head. Well, at least I''ll have a soulcard then, he thought.


    As he closed in on the camp, he saw three heat signatures on the wall. There was a small door in the side, and he slowed down when we were a hundred feet or so away.


    "Are you the one the silver-eyed man that moved through shadows spoke about?" a female voice shouted down at him.


    "Yes, I''m Irwin," Irwin shouted back. "Are you people ready to head to the hills?"


    The door was opened, and he saw a few people walk out carrying spears. Behind them came a small, scrawny man whose eyes kept moving about, never staying on one thing for longer than a moment.


    "I''m Crais," the man said as he walked forward. "I¡­ are you here to save us?"


    Something about Crais made Irwin feel annoyed, but he shoved it down for now.


    "Yes and no," he said. "I''m going to be clearing out more of the plains so the other camps can move. There are rangers and guards waiting for you near the hills. Just head for the campfires."


    He was about to turn and leave when the man walked forward.


    "Wait, please! We have many weak, wounded, and malnourished people. We need help to get there! If you leave and even one of those Tardels shows up, we will get wiped out!"


    Irwin saw more people walk out through the door, their faces so thin they almost looked like skeletons. He knew the man wasn''t lying, and he grimaced. He looked back in the direction of the hills, then to the left and the right, and saw no heat signatures. Besides, if he brought them back, he would have to move at their speed, which might take the whole night.


    "There are none there right now," he said as he looked around. "You will have to make the attempt."


    As he said that, he frowned. They should have gotten more people here to clear the way. But besides him and Greldo, who could easily dispatch the Tardels without any danger?


    Coal!


    He hissed as he looked around. "Coal, are you here?"


    The massive hound appeared beside him out of nowhere, looking at him with its bright silver eyes. There was a gasp from the wall, which Irwin ignored. Instead, he gazed at the hound, his mind spinning as he thought about what they had to do. Finally, an idea began to crystallize, and he turned to the people at the wall.


    "Alright, this is what we will do," he said.

 Chapter 209: Switching sides

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    Greldo closed the door as fast but quietly as he could before leaning with his back against the wall, trying to regulate his breathing. A trickle of blood ran down his cheek, but he barely noticed as he gazed at the closed door of the small storage room he was in. The stuffy smell around him overwhelmed his sensitive nose, and he felt another worried prod from Coal.


    I''m fine, he replied. Stay with Irwin unless I call you.


    There was a sense of annoyance from Coal, then it faded as the hound continued with whatever Irwin was having it do.


    His sensitive ears picked up the sound of feet, and he held his breath. A group was running through the hallway a distance from the narrow one in the room he was in. They slowed at the tiny intersection he''d encountered.


    "Where did that bastard go?" a growling voice whispered.


    You''re the bloody bastard, Greldo thought as he ground his teeth.


    "I don''t know. He isn''t in the shadows anymore, so I can''t pinpoint him," an oily voice replied.


    Ugh, so that''s how it works, Greldo thought as he shivered. He''d not been sure and had almost gone into the shadows again, but now he was glad he hadn''t.


    "Either he will do it again to try and flee, or he''s hiding here," a familiar, calm, and authoritative voice said. "Also, don''t bother whispering. He can probably hear you."


    Indoubtor, you piece of Charbull shit, Greldo thought as he recalled the noble from their time in Fiverion. He''d always thought that Indoubtor had been just following along because he had no other choice, but now he was sure.


    "Greldo, if you can hear me, I suggest you calmly surrender," Indoubtor said. "No matter if you managed to get a heartcard, you won''t be able to get out of here. If you come now, I promise I won''t harm you, Lamia, or any of the others."


    Sure you won''t, Greldo thought.


    A burst of fury almost made him shout obscenities as he recalled Lamia and Gawarn locked in the cages with a metal band around their wrist. Card-nullifiers. He''d only seen the horrid things when they were on Scour, used by those Imps that kept capturing smiths.


    He kept his teeth clenched and said nothing. Time ticked by, and finally, there was an annoyed snort from Indoubtor.


    "Perhaps he''s not here anymore, my lord?" the first gruff voice asked.


    "Perhaps," Indboutor said. "You?! How did you even lose track of him?"


    "He must have found out what I was doing and snuck away without using his shadow ability," the oily voice said. "Don''t lay the blame of this on me. I warned you it would be better if-"


    "Silence. He might be listening," Indoubtor snapped. The voices began fading as they walked away, and the final thing Greldo heard was a soft whisper. "He is either here or will use his card. Find him and capture him. Don''t let him return to Irwin."


    Greldo frowned as he quickly thought about what he''d just heard. He hadn''t run away but done a short-range teleport, barely a hundred feet, but enough to get him away. So, Slimy Voice couldn''t detect him if he did that?


    They are heading back, but it will take them five minutes, he thought as he slowly grinned.


    Closing his eyes, he pictured the room he''d just fled from, the cells with Lamia and Gawarn, the single window that had been closed as he entered. As the image became clear in his mind, he filled in the shadows, and immediately, his shadow teleport skill took over. Releasing his own control over the mental image, he watched as the shadows in the otherwise vague room became clear as he recalled them.


    That one, he thought as he saw a shadow beside the two cages. It wasn''t connected to the others, and he''d not have been able to move into it with his regular skill, but his teleport was less strict. As long as there was a shadow large enough for him to fit, he could teleport from it.


    One look at his card showed it was over half full, meaning that he could take both of the others and teleport there and back here without going unconscious. He''d need to rest after that, but that should be fine. From what he''d seen, these hallways hadn''t been used in a while.


    Let''s see if you can still laugh in a moment, Indoubtor, he thought.


    Triggering his skill without going into the shadow realm wasn''t smooth, but he ignored the jarring sensation as he was yanked through space. A split second later, he appeared in the room he''d just fled from, empty save for Lamia and Gawarn. As he appeared, they looked up, their angry looks turning to one of surprise.


    Greldo raised his finger to his lips and then looked around. The room was empty, and the window closed. A chain with manacle-like bracelets hung from one nook in the wall, and he recognized a dozen card-nullifiers. Soft walking came from far beyond the door, and he made a snap decision, rushing through the room, snatching the chain before running back to the cages.


    Lamia was looking at him with burning hope, and he quickly stuck his hands through the bars of both cages. Gawarn and Lamia grabbed them, and he closed his eyes, focusing on the image of the small room he''d just been in. The image came much faster, and with the entire room being a shadow, his card cleared it up in a split second.


    This is going to hurt, he thought as he triggered his teleport.


    There was another jarring sensation as they were yanked through the shadows, and although it only lasted a fraction of a second, Greldo felt his card drain in a single woosh. As the sounds returned and he smelled the dankness of the unused storage room, he barely stopped from crashing into the ground.


    Lamia and Gawarn were stuffed against the side of the room, the three of them barely fitting.


    The two smiths were looking around in confusion, and Greldo wondered if he should be surprised that both seemed able to see anything in the darkness of the room.


    "Where-" Gawarn whispered, stopping as Greldo looked up with a snap, glaring at him and shaking his head.


    They stood together, their combined body heat rapidly warming the previously cool room, when an angry roar came from far away.


    "Find them!"


    Greldo closed his eyes, the throbbing headache from overusing his card, a price he didn''t mind paying. It would have been even better if he could have seen Indoubtor''s face.


    As he sighed, he felt a hand on his face, and he looked up to see Lamia look at him with a frown. Her eyes were still as brown as ever, showing she hadn''t managed to get a heartcard yet, but there was a darkness hidden in them that Greldo knew very well.


    She pointed at the bracelet on her wrist and then at the chain he was holding.


    Greldo looked at it and noticed a thumb-sized instrument at the top. He took it from the chain and held it out for Lamia to take. She pressed it against the bracelet and moved it around. There was a soft click, and the bracelet snapped open, falling on Gawarn''s wide palm. A moment later, his bracelet was removed too, and Greldo hung them on the chain while replacing the removal stick, or whatever it was called.


    Lamia pointed at her ear and beckoned him closer.


    Greldo shook his head. Finger on his lips again. As soft as she would talk, there was always some chance that some carded had better ears than him.


    A flicker of annoyance ran across Lamia''s face, then she closed her eyes and placed her hand on his face again.


    What are you doing? Greldo thought. He was about to push it away when he felt something gently trickle into his body, flowing through him and into his card. Instantly, his headache lessened, and moments later, it was gone.


    She can heal card-exhaustion? he thought, his eyebrows rising. Gawarn was nodding, a knowing grin on his face.


    The flow lasted for a long time, and when it stopped, his card was over a third full again.


    Lamia''s eyes opened, and she looked worn and haggard. Greldo watched her lean against Gawarn, who gently wrapped an arm around her, smiling at her.


    Greldo looked at her, wishing she could have given him more energy. This wouldn''t be enough for him to teleport the three of them any significant distance. The best he could do was teleport himself back to the portal.


    Great, now I have some energy, but nothing to do with it, he thought as he looked around.


    He saw Gawarn look at him expectantly, and he shook his head, raising his arms in annoyance.


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    ''Not enough'', he mouthed.


    Realization appeared on Gawarn''s face, and his shoulders sagged.


    They remained in the room, quiet as the temperature rose, and Greldo tried to come up with a plan.


    There''s only one thing I can do, he finally decided. I need to warn Irwin that Indoubtor is trying to lure us into a trap.


    That meant he would have to leave Lamia and Gawarn here. Not that that was a bad thing, because if he teleported away and and fled through the shadows, he could give them the idea he was not here anywhere, and they might not search for them. That just meant he now had to tell Gawarn and Lamia what he was planning.


    He looked around, searching for something, when he noticed the thick layer of dust on the shelves behind them. Some had been pushed away, but there was enough. Turning to it, he beckoned Gawarn, and the massive smith repositioned himself till he could see the shelves. Lamia was still leaning against him, and with how he held her, she seemed to be either sleeping or unconscious.


    ''I''ll teleport outside the tower and draw their attention so they don''t search,'' Greldo quickly scribbled in the dust. Gwararn stared at it, then nodded slowly. ''I''ll get help. The other''s are here,'' Greldo added.


    Gawarn nodded again, then waved him away.


    Greldo took one final look at Lamia before readying himself. Let''s hope there''s something we can do besides just forcing ourselves in here, he thought, clutching the chain and focusing on the image of the wall beyond the tower.


    It took him a few moments, but when he was ready, he opened his eyes, waved at them, hoping they would remain quiet, and triggered his teleport.


    The motion was smoother than even the previous one, and he appeared midair beyond the wall. His stomach purged as he fell, and he stepped into the shadow, immediately flying forward. He went slower than he could, waiting for that slimy-voiced one to notice him. Over a hundred feet from the wall, he was starting to worry. Perhaps he had to go back? Maybe nobody was watching?


    Looking across his shoulder, he saw a large nyzir-like streak chase him through the shadows from the wall.


    That''s the bigger Nyzir, he thought, as his eyes widened and he connected the dots. Is he working together with the Nyzir? That must have been how Indoubtor knew he was coming. The large Nyzir had been following him!


    He felt his anger flare up higher as he turned and focused on the distant camps, increasing his speed slightly.


    You just come and follow me, he thought. I want to have a word with you!


    --


    Irwin took a glance at the tower, wondering what Greldo was up to. Seeing the heat-signatures on the wall, he frowned.


    "I wonder why nobody has come to check what we are doing," he muttered as he looked at the long line of people slowly trudging towards the first camp.


    This was the fourth camp that had started heading towards the first camp, and with no more sign of Tardels anywhere, he was going to head to the other camps to tell them to start moving.


    Coal appeared out of the shadows before him, and he raised his eyebrows at it. The massive hound merely shook its head.


    So, no more Tardels anywhere nearby, Irwin thought.


    "Alright, head back to the first group and make sure they see you so they think you are still around," Irwin said.


    Coal nodded, then vanished in the shadows.


    "Perhaps I should get a summon card with my next handcards," Irwin said.


    "Sure, and a teleport card, and a movement card, and one to increase your soullake size, and one to improve the energy efficiency, and what else?" Ambraz said with a snort.


    "Okay, okay," Irwin said. "It''s just¡­ there''s a lot of things I could use!''


    "You can''t have it all. Hasn''t that become obvious yet? Your first heartcard determines the direction you will have to go from now on. Trust me, if you create soulcards that aren''t compatible, you''re going to be in for a rough time!"


    Irwin sighed. "I know, but it''s still too bad. Still, I really need to start thinking about my next set of handcards."


    "Damn right you should," Ambraz said." I''d start with learning everything you can about what your current card does. Your flame and heat have way more overlap than I had initially thought, and without your metal body, you would have ripped yourself apart on numerous occasions."


    "Perhaps something that focuses on the Sweltering part?" Irwin thought out loud as he began heading toward the next camp.


    Greldo appeared twenty feet ahead of him, going from an odd floating movement to a sprint. As he did, he dropped something long and metallic on the ground.


    What is-?


    "I''ve brought some company! Don''t let it get away!" Greldo shouted before he could even finish his thought.


    "Where is it?" Irwin shouted, but Greldo had vanished again, and he cursed. "Add a card to let me detect things I can''t see or hear to that list," he shouted.


    Steam!


    "Steam!" Ambraz shouted at the same time.


    Irwin didn''t respond as he triggered his Sweltering ability and began spreading steam all around.


    It didn''t have time to expand when a familiar, shadowy shape appeared midair, slamming into the ground while Greldo rushed after it.


    Slaughter Demon, Irwin thought as he felt the hairs on his arms stand upright. He''d not seen the thing since they fled to Fiverion!


    "Grab it!" Greldo shouted.


    Irwin jumped forward, his steam rippling outward, only for the Slaughter Demon to vanish, followed by Greldo. A moment later, Irwin sensed something appear in his steam a dozen feet away, but as he turned, he only saw two figures in a flash before they vanished.


    How did this survive up till now? he thought as he poured more energy into his Sweltering skill, pushing it out while creating more boiling hot water drops.


    Within the span of a few moments, he felt the two fighting shadows appear and disappear in half a dozen spots within his clouds, making him spin around, trying to keep up.


    "Get ready," Greldo suddenly roared as he appeared slightly longer.


    For what? Irwin thought.


    He detected another movement six paces to the left, and as he turned, he saw Greldo, arms wrapped around the Slaughter Demon, rolling across the ground. Irwin jumped forward, using every bit of Kinetic energy to propel himself forward. Arms stretched out, he grabbed the figure''s arm and shoulder and immediately clamped his fingers tight, squeezing the thin leather and flesh between his fingers.


    There was a soft scream, which he ignored as he struck the pale head with the completely black eyes. It snapped back with a crack.


    Finally!


    "Don''t kill it!'' Greldo shouted just as Irwin raised his hand to finish the Slaughter Demon.


    "What? Why? It''s a Slaughter Demon!" Irwin shouted.


    Still, he held back and clamped his hand around the pale head, ready to squish it if it tried anything.


    Greldo took a few steps back, breathing heavily, and Irwin saw a long, thin wound across his cheek, down towards his jaw.


    "It''s a Slaughter Demon?" Greldo exclaimed in between his breath. "Never mind! It''s working with Indoubtor, and they almost captured me! They have Lamia and Gawarn!"


    "Gawarn? Irwin asked in surprise as he rose, pulling the Slaughter Demon up with him. It had snapped out of its daze and was clutching his wrist, its dark eyes glaring death at him.


    He had expected Lamia, but why was Gawarn here?


    "Tell me what happened," he said.


    ¡°Later,¡± Greldo said. "Can you grab it around the neck so it can talk? We need to- Wait! I wonder¡­"


    Irwin blinked at Greldo''s quick change, and he was surprised when Greldo looked around before vanishing and reappearing a short distance away. His friend bent down to pick up the thing he''d dropped. As he got a clear sight, Irwin noticed familiar bracelets, ones he''d not seen since the Imps attacked on Scour.


    Greldo shadow jumped back to them, looking at the Slaughter Demon as he removed a bracelet.


    "I wonder if this works on him as well as it does on us," he said as he grabbed one of the Slaughter Demon''s arms and, in a single fluid motion, snapped the bracelet around it.


    There was a strangled gasp, and then the dark, shadowy cloak that had been billowing around vanished, and the Slaughter Demon almost seemed to become more solid. Below dark, heavily damaged leather armor, it had a sleek body with long limbs.


    "So, I guess that answers that," Greldo said. "Better keep a hold of him, though. He might just be trying to trick us."


    Irwin nodded as he grabbed the Slaughter Demon around its throat before letting go with his other hand.


    The Slaughter Demon''s lips were curved down as it glared at him.


    "What do you want?" it asked in an oily, smooth voice that made Irwin think of slippery fish.


    "What were you doing with Indoubtor?" Greldo asked.


    "What you suspected," the Slaughter Demon hissed. "He wanted my help to waylay you, and in return, he would allow me safe passage through the exit portal."


    "The one that leads to Fiverion?" Irwin said before snorting. "What good would that do? You''d just be trapped by the guards."


    The Slaughter Demon let out a derisive snort, which clearly mimicked Irwin''s. "They wouldn''t have even known I was there," it said sarcastically.


    Irwin was about to say it was wrong when he recalled how Uxin''tar had managed to get past the guards easily.


    But he had a soulcard, he thought. This Slaughter Demon couldn''t have a soulskill of that power, could it?


    "Now, tell me what you want of me to let me go," the Slaughter Demon said, sounding almost bored.


    Greldo leaned forward, grinning dangerously. "What makes you think we will let you go?"


    "You want information, and I''m the only one who can give it," the Slaughter Demon said. "Also, the only reason I''m helping Indoubtor in the first place is to get out of this world. If you kill him and let me leave, I''ll be fine with it."


    Irwin frowned as he gazed at the Slaughter Demon.


    "Are you the same Slaughter Demon that came from that desert temple?" he asked.


    The Slaughter Demon''s eyes narrowed, and he hissed. "Slaughter Demon? Bah! I''d almost be impressed with that name if it didn''t make me look like the evil one here," it said before laughing. "You soulstealers are all the same."


    "Then what are you?"


    "Nyzir," the Slaughter Demon hissed. "But don''t you dare compare me with those degenerate weaklings that are tarnishing the holy shadow with their vile presence!"


    Irwin shared a surprised look with Greldo. "You aren''t addled, but you were on a shardworld for a long time," he said. "How is that possible?"


    The Slaughter Demon, or Nyzir, shook its head. "I was close to being gone," it said. "If you hadn''t led me to this world, my mind would have been lost in the mists of time."


    "So you got better?" Irwin asked incredulously, as he recalled the insanity the Slaughter Demon had shown previously.


    "The Holy Shadow heals its children," the Slaughter Demon said, raising its chin before looking at Greldo. "Even those that stole their way into its embrace!"


    Does it actually think the shadows are a conscious entity? Irwin thought.


    "Yes, so this is nice and all," Greldo snapped. "But we need to know what Indoubtor is up to!"


    "And I''ll gladly tell you¡­ If you promise to let me leave this world," the Slaughter Demon said calmly.


    Irwin shared a quick look with Greldo and shrugged.


    "We will leave this world, so I don''t care what you do. Tell us what you know, and we will let you leave through the exit portal," he said, pointing at the tower that stood where the ruins of Estordon had once been.


    The Slaughter Demon''s eyes narrowed, and Irwin had the feeling it would have cocked its head if it could.


    "Very well," it said. "Just so you know, I''ll keep the most crucial bit of information to myself until you actually let me go. Wouldn''t want you to go back on your word, now would we?"


    Irwin frowned but said nothing.


    "Indoubtor seems rather afraid of someone that looks a lot like you," the Slaughter Demon said. "Big, metallic, and wielding hammers and fire. He''s got a few interesting tricks ready to deal with you when you show up, though from what I have seen, he gravely underestimates your strength. If he hadn''t been, I might not have even entertained switching sides."


    The way the slimy voice spoke almost made Irwin gag, but he just clenched his teeth and waited. So far, nothing he''d heard surprised him. It just saddened him. A tiny part of him had hoped Indoubtor could be made to see reason.


    "Useless so far," Greldo snapped. "Let''s hope you actually have something else."


    The Slaughter Demon seemed uncaring about Greldo''s implied threats and hummed softly.


    "Lord Indoubtor has made a deal with an odd little man called Tomeron to capture a certain Emerald Rank Smith."

 Chapter 210 Furious frost

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    Irwin gazed in disbelief at the Slaughter Demon. It took him only a moment to recall who Tomeron was. The head of the Grinwron Merchant''s group, which were the owners and controllers of Fiverion. How had Tomeron Grinwron found out that he was an Emerald Smith? Or that he was here!?


    No, wait. Why is he even trying to capture me? Irwin thought, questions bubbling up.


    "Tomeron Grinwron?" he asked, wanting to make sure.


    "Yes, an interesting fellow," the Slaughter Demon crooned. "For the price of all of the remaining people on Giard, he will grant Indoubtor citizen status, a large piece of land that recently became ownerless, and the ability to hold and maintain a thousand serfs."


    Irwin almost clenched his fist in anger. That bastard didn''t just want to capture him, but he was willing to do what?!


    "He''s selling our people into slavery?" he snarled.


    "And you know this because¡­" Greldo asked calmly.


    Irwin looked at his friend in surprise and then noticed that he was too calm. Greldo''s silvery eyes held a dangerous promise of violence as he gazed at the Slaughter demon, and even the murderous monster hesitated before continuing.


    "I spied on him," the Slaughter Demon said, grinning far too wide for any human mouth.


    "Of course," Greldo said, not blinking.


    "Yes, of course," the Slaughter Demon said, laughing softly. "Now, if you would kindly let me go, I''ll tell you the final important bit, and after that, I''ll answer what questions you have."


    As the Slaughter Demon spoke, Irwin saw that its eyes had a tiny bit of awe as it looked at Greldo.


    "Let him go," Greldo said, staring at the Slaughter Demon as an emotionless, predatory smile slowly turned his lips up. They weren''t as wide as the Slaughter Demon''s, but even Irwin shuddered as he saw it.


    "I''m faster and stronger than him. If he leaves I''m sure he knows what will happen."


    Irwin saw a flicker of fear in the Slaughter Demon''s eyes before vanishing again.


    "Fine," Irwin said, drawing the Slaughter Demon a bit closer. "One more thing. Don''t go around killing our people," he whispered, tightening his grip a bit more and feeling the strong flesh compress while the Slaughter Demon''s eyes bulged out.


    "I won''t!" it croaked, its oily voice ragged.


    Irwin released his grip, noting Greldo standing upright, arms slightly to the side and seemingly ready to move if anything happened.


    The Slaughter Demon stumbled a few steps away, rubbing his neck, which showed massive bruises from where Irwin had gripped him.


    "Good, good," it said as it took a few more steps away. Then it blinked and looked at its arm. "Ah, before I forget¡­" he walked back and raised his arm to Greldo.


    Greldo grabbed a device from the chain and held it against the bracelet, causing it to snap open.


    Immediately, a hooded cloak reappeared around the Slaughter Demon, and Irwin readied himself to grab it if needed. But the Slaughter Demon didn''t move; instead, it stretched a bit and then rubbed its neck again. Then, it stared at Greldo for a few moments.


    "If you ever get tired of playing the hero, go to Dimarintsia and find the Holy Shadow Inn. I''m sure you will enjoy it," the Slaughter Demon said, staring at Greldo for a few moments. Then it laughed. "Now, the final bit of information! Indoubtor has planted assassins among the camps in case you managed to return somehow. They are outfitted with cards that will allow them to bypass your metallic and fiery defenses."


    Irwin stared at the Slaughter Demon, and for a few moments, he wanted to deny what the thing had said. Then he shook his head.


    "Why doesn''t this surprise me," he muttered.


    "I can''t answer that," the Slaughter Demon said as he took a few steps back. "Now. Any questions? Otherwise, I''ll be going into hiding until you are all gone, and then I''ll go through the portal. I presume you will be taking everyone with you?"


    "Everyone that''s alive," Greldo said.


    "Are there more prisoners?" Irwin asked.


    "There are a dozen or so people locked away in the dungeons below the tower," the Slaughter Demon said. "I didn''t bother looking, but I think they are his relatives?"


    Irwin jolted. "Did you get any names?" he asked, taking a step forward.


    The Slaughter Demon cocked its head as its eyes narrowed. "No. I didn''t know there might have been interesting people in his family. Seems I missed something."


    They were quiet as Irwin thought about what he''d said. He cast a quick glance at Greldo. "Any ideas?"


    "Only one thing," Greldo said quietly. "Can you take other beings along through the shadows?"


    The Slaughter Demon''s eyes widened, and he looked at Greldo in surprise. "Of course not! Why would you¡­ Oooooh! Can you take others along?"


    Greldo didn''t answer, and for a few more moments, the trio looked at each other.


    "So¡­ if you don''t have any more questions?" the Slaughter Demon said.


    "What''s your name," Irwin asked.


    For the second time, the Slaughter Demon looked surprised, then he smiled. "My name has no meaning anymore. I''ll accept Slaughter as a name. It holds truth to it."


    Greldo snorted. "That''s not the proper name for something like you. I''ll call you Gloom. Nice, short, and it doesn''t make you seem like you''re powerful."


    The Slaughter Demon froze, looking at Greldo with wide eyes. Then he slowly nodded. "Gloom," he just whispered. "Yes."


    Irwin had the feeling something had just happened, but he had no idea what it was.


    Greldo just glared at the newly named Gloom and waved around. "Whatever. If you want to do something useful, go and take care of the Nyzir and Tardels that roam these plains."


    "Why would I-"


    Gloom fell quiet as Greldo took a step forward, a dangerous smile crossing his face. "Right. Yes, I guess that is a good thing to spend my time on," Gloom said as he backed up.


    Something about the odd conversation managed to jog Irwin out of his angry state and clear his mind.


    "Alright, some questions. How many full-hands does Indoubtor have? Where are they? Do you know if he has any enemies in the tower or people that don''t agree with him?"


    Gloom hummed and shook his head. "I did not pay attention to those weaklings. Perhaps ten? Who knows. There''s someone called Sorceress Tanya who keeps arguing with him, but that''s about all."


    Tanya made it here to? Irwin thought. Then he shook his head. Why was he surprised? Twintin had been with Tanya back on Fiverion. It made sense that they were still alive.


    He looked at Greldo. "Anything else?"


    "Nothing I can think of," Greldo said coldly as he kept staring at Gloom. "That means you''re off the hook. Get lost and make sure you don''t do anything that upsets me."


    Gloom looked at him for a few moments before smiling thinly and vanishing.


    Irwin saw Greldo''s gaze follow something to the right for a while before he looked at Irwin.


    "He''s gone," he said, taking a deep breath. "I hope that doesn''t come and bite us in the ass later."


    "You could go after him and kill him?" Irwin said.


    Greldo shook his head. "Not sure I could catch him."


    Irwin opened his mouth, about to say that Greldo had said that he was faster. Then he closed with a snap. Greldo had been exaggerating?


    "I can kill him, but he''s really fast," Greldo said as he looked around. "Listen, I managed to get Lamia and Gawarn out of their prison. They are hiding in the tower, but I''m not sure for how long. We need to get them out."


    Irwin took a deep breath, then exhaled explosively. He''d think about Gloom later.


    "Any idea?" he asked.


    "We need to figure out what exactly Indoubtor has planned for you and if you can overpower it," Greldo said. "With gloom gone, he won''t be able to see me, so I think we should go and find out what Sorceress Tanya knows."


    "We?" Irwin asked. "I thought you were out of energy to teleport."


    "Who said anything about teleporting all the way? Just run to the nearest camp, and I''ll find you a way through without getting seen."


    Irwin thought about it for a few moments before looking around. "Go and find her. I''ll kill more Tardels and try to get more camps moving. I''ll make my way to that camp-" he pointed at the camp closest to Coulwater Tower. "Get me when you find her."


    Greldo snorted as he looked around. "Sure. I''ll leave Coal around here and have him keep an eye on Gloom. I''ll see you soon."


    Irwin saw him vanish, and after staring at the distant Coulwater tower for a few moments, he turned and headed to the next camp.


    "Greldo has an odd sense of naming things," he muttered as he thought about Coal and Gloom.


    For the next hour, he continued running across the plains, keeping an eye on the tower and going from camp to camp. At first, he came across a few more Tardels, but after half an hour, all he found were unmoving bodies with slash marks across their neck.


    He was waiting at the final camp for over ten minutes, staring at the tower, when there was a soft rustle from his side, and Greldo appeared.


    "I found her," Greldo hissed without any greeting. "We need to hurry. Indoubtor has sent people through the portal to tell Tomeron Grinwron that you are here."


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    "Alright, where to?" Irwin asked as he looked at the Coulwater tower. It was still at least half a mile away, and he saw over a hundred heat signatures patrolling just the wall facing them.


    "Just follow me," Greldo said as he began jogging back to the tower. "Tanya has planted one of her people on the section of the wall we are moving towards. As soon as she sees us, she will cover for us, telling them we are returning spies. Apparently, that happens every few days, and it isn''t anything weird."


    Not weird at all, Irwin thought with a frown.


    "So you spoke with her," he said as he fell in line with Greldo, slowly picking up speed.


    "Yeah," Greldo said with a snort. "She nearly took my head off when I appeared. I''ve never seen anyone move as fast as her. If she''d had a heartcard I''m pretty sure she would have killed me."


    "She''s only handcarded, right?" Irwin said.


    "Definitely, but I think she has at least two cards that increase her movement speed and reflexes," Greldo said. "Anyway, that''s not the point. She told me that Indoubtor has a trapcard with him, a one-time use card that Tomeron gave him. It is able to hold up to one soulcarded person in status for a day."


    "You trust her?" Irwin asked, wondering if they weren''t heading into a trap.


    "Yes," Greldo said with a weary sigh. "I watched her for half an hour in her hideout, and she was discussing things ranging from trying to assassinate Indoubtor to coming up with a way to get the food he has been stashing divided across the camps."


    Irwin was quiet for a bit before sighing. "Tanya was a bit like that when we first met her."


    "Yeah, if all the sorcerers were like her -well, and Gelwin- I guess they wouldn''t have been so hated," Greldo said with a sigh.


    "Most people didn''t hate them," Irwin said. "They feared them and wanted them to let them be."


    "Same thing," Greldo said. "Most aren''t any better than Indboutor."


    "I wonder why Tomeron is trying to capture me?" Irwin asked. "He''s the leader of a whole world!"


    ¡°No idea,¡± Greldo said. "Now, let''s be quiet. I don''t know if there''s anyone on that wall with better ears than mine, but it wouldn''t surprise me. I''ve already met one this night!"


    Irwin grunted, and they continued, closing in on the wall without raising any alarms. Greldo led him to a section of wall far from the gate, and Irwin frowned as he looked at the towering dark gray stone. What were they doing here? Shouldn''t they head to the gate?


    Greldo stopped running and continued forward, staring at the wall. He stopped before a section that looked the same as the rest, scratched and dark. After examining it for a moment, he turned and raised a finger while mouthing - One moment.


    Irwin nodded, and Greldo vanished, leaving Irwin to look around with a frown. Greldo was gone for almost five minutes before reappearing in the same space. He nodded at Irwin, giving him a thumbs up.


    What is going on? Irwin thought.


    His eyebrows rose as Greldo knocked on the wall, waited for a moment, then knocked again twice, but faster.


    Lines appeared on the wall, and a slab the size of a small door slid forward and to the side, revealing an opening that led into an unlit room. A woman with a dark brown robe and a dark gray, almost black leather armored top stood behind it. She looked at Greldo, then Irwin before turning around and beckoning for them to follow her.


    Greldo shrugged and walked inside, with Irwin readying his Sweltering skill. As soon as he was inside, the slab behind him slid back into place nearly soundlessly, and they stood in a stone room with a closed door. The woman was watching them, scanning Greldo for a few moments before inspecting Irwin.


    He saw how she glanced across him, lingering on his hands, then his eyes, and finally shaking his head.


    "So you''re the one Indoubtor is so afraid of¡­ You must have one hell of a heartcard," she said, looking at him expectantly.


    Irwin shrugged. "It''s not bad. Now, how about we go to Tanya? We are on somewhat of a time constraint."


    The woman nodded before turning around. "Follow me," she whispered. "Indoubtor has extra patrols walking around, so we need to be extra careful."


    Irwin followed her to the door, Greldo a step behind. The door opened into a dark alleyway, and the woman looked around before turning to them. "Keep close, and if someone sees us, split up and run."


    Irwin nodded, but Greldo just raised an eyebrow.


    They followed after the woman, moving through a dozen different alleyways nestled between buildings Irwin didn''t recall from the time he''d been here before. They only heard other people, never seeing anyone, while Greldo''s ears made it so they had ample time to react if someone came towards them.


    As Irwin trudged through a wider road, well wide compared to the shoulder-scraping ones they had just gone through, he kept looking around.


    If Indoubtor managed to build all these in such a short time he must have many carded builders and crafters, he thought. He hoped those weren''t loyal to him and would be willing to work for Daubutim.


    The woman stopped at a door that was so small and narrow that he knew he''d have to squeeze himself through. She knocked a few times. When the door opened, she whispered a few words with a figure Irwin couldn''t see, then waved them over.


    "I''ve got to head back to my post," she whispered, giving them a short nod before turning and walking away.


    Right¡­ goodbye to you too, Irwin thought as he looked at Greldo only to find his friend was gone.


    Greldo? Irwin thought, spinning around but seeing nothing but the narrow opening. He felt a slight twitch of worry when Greldo reappeared beside the door.


    "It''s safe. Let''s go inside," his friend whispered before moving through the narrow door by angling his body.


    Irwin sighed as he walked forward, bent down, and angled his body to force the upper part through the door. His simple tunic caught on the doorframe, but he just shoved forward, feeling the entire construction bend and squeak. For a moment, he feared he''d get stuck inside, then he shoved himself through, inside a room with stairs going down and a wide-eyed woman with a long, needle-thin sword in her hand. She looked at him, then the door, and swallowed.


    "Go down, I''ll close it," she whispered.


    Irwin walked to the stairs, hearing her mutter something about the door never going to fit normally again.


    As he walked down the stairs that seemed to lead far down, he frowned.


    "How did you ever find this place?" he whispered.


    "I followed some shady people," Greldo replied before looking up. "I just checked, but Twintin is here with Tanya and a few others."


    Irwin frowned, then nodded. "Thanks for the warning."


    A few hundred steps down, they arrived at a short hallway with a single, massive door. It opened as they appeared, and Irwin was surprised to see Tanya smiling at them and waving them in.


    Beyond the door was a surprisingly cozy-looking room with a few beds on one side, a long, crude table on the other, and a map of the surrounding area on the wall, filled with pins and markings. Circles that Irwin assumed were the camps were drawn around the central castle, and a question mark stood out in the hills.


    Twintin stood behind the table, arms folded across her chest and a stern look on her face as she stared at him. A man with greying hair, sharp eyes, and a corded, muscular neck sat on the other side, calmly observing him. The man''s face was incredibly familiar, and he frowned as he tried to recall where he''d seen him. Or someone that looked like him? Then he realized what the man looked like, and his eyes widened as he took a step forward.


    "I am Dianor Coulwater," the man said calmly. "As you have been together with my brother, Daubutim, for a while, I presume your current anger might be because you think I am our father. Let me assure you, I am not."


    Irwin stopped walking forward. Angry, what did he mean¡­ then he realized he was holding his hammer, and his jaw was hurting from how hard his teeth were clenching together. A pale light came from the side, and he looked up to see Twintin stare at him, eyes narrowed and two lances of ice hovering above her hands.


    Irwin looked around to see Greldo lowered in a crouch, seeming ready to move at a moment''s notice, while Tanya was looking from him to Dianor in surprise.


    "Sorry, I thought he looked familiar, but I hadn''t made the link," Greldo grunted.


    Irwin took a deep breath, then unsummoned his hammer as he looked at the man who looked so much like one of his best friends.


    "So, you are Daubutim''s eldest brother," he said.


    The man nodded. "It is good to see that Daubutim managed to find comrades like yourself."


    Irwin nodded, frowning as he moved to a chair and dropped down, ignoring the creaks of complaint of the wood or that the back bent dangerously far back.


    "Your father?" he asked.


    "Lord Doldingen Coulwater is no more," Dianor said, showing not the slightest bit of sadness. "He managed to get Darsach and me out of the portal we were trapped in and paid for it with his life."


    Irwin looked at Dianor and finally managed to relax. "I''m not sure if I''m happy or sad about that," he finally said.


    Dianor raised an eyebrow.


    "I promised Daubutim I''d knock your father out if he tried to resist, and I was looking forward to that," Irwin said. He was surprised to see a slight gleam in Dianor''s eyes while his lips curved in a smile.


    "I''d have enjoyed watching that," Dianor said. "Is my brother safe?"


    Irwin nodded slowly. "Lord Daubutim is doing very well indeed," he said. He couldn''t hold back, smiling as he continued. "Managing an entire world seems to be very well suited to him."


    There was a gasp from the others, but Irwin ignored them, staring at Dianor, watching for any sort of poor reaction. None came. Dianor''s smile even widened as he nodded.


    "So he healed himself?"


    "Enough," a high-pitched voice snapped from the side.


    Irwin looked up to see Twintin glower at him. Her two ice lances were gone, but her hands were planted on the table as she leaned forward. She had become older, much older than she should have, and Irwin guessed she''d been into a lot of portals. Still, a bit of the little girl remained, with her size being half or less of his.


    Tanya stood a few steps to the side, smiling ruefully as she shook her head.


    "We are not here to discuss family issues," Twintin said. "We-"


    "We are here to learn how we can get our people safely away from this world," Tanya said softly but sternly as she interrupted Twintin.


    As he looked at her, Irwin realized her upbeat nature seemed subdued, and sadness lingered in her eyes as she looked at him.


    "Greldo told me that you have been evacuating the people from the camps to another world, but he forgot to mention how or where this world is," she said.


    "I didn''t forget that," Greldo said with a grin as he walked around the table and sat down opposite Irwin. "I didn''t tell you because you don''t need to know to help, and if Indoubtor finds out, we are in trouble."


    "We are here to get Lamia and Gawarn out of here," Irwin said. "And for that, the easiest way is to take out Indoubtor."


    "Easiest?" Twintin muttered. "You might have a heartcard, but that doesn''t make you invincible! Indoubtor sent for help from that vile little man, Tomeron Grinwron, who might just send soulcarded here. Then what will you do?"


    Irwin hummed as he looked at Tayna. "When did they leave through the portal to Fiverion?" he asked.


    "Just over two hours ago," Tanya said, glancing at Twiting occasionally.


    Irwin hummed, doing some quick calculations. He''d only gone through the Fiverion exit portal a single time, but he''d gone through many portals since. Even the shortest one took hours, and the Fiverion one lasted for a pretty long time, if he recalled.


    "We should have time before the warning even arrives," he said. "Then they need to send someone back, and then that person has to make their way here. I''d say we have two hours at least."


    "And? You suppose we just go and-"


    "Kick Indoubtor''s ass in half that? Why yes, he does," Greldo said as he put his hands behind his head, grinning at Irwin.


    "Are you two insane?" Twintin snapped as she pounded the table. "He has a dozen two-full-handed guards around him at all times. Even I can''t take out more than two of those, and that''s if I get the jump on them!"


    "Do you know if any of them can hold their breath for a very long time?" Irwin asked Tanya as he ignored Twintin.


    The last remnants of anger and surprise he''d felt at seeing Dianor were rapidly fading, and he wondered where Darsach and Daubutim''s mother were.


    "I don''t know for sure, but from what I''ve seen, he has picked the guards with strong close combat cards, weapons, armor, strength, and speed. Those types. Why?"


    "Then I think we are going to need a plan to get them all together in a closed room," Irwin said with a grin.


    "And after that, you are going to explain what is going on?" Twintin asked, glaring at him. "Or are you still keeping secrets that will cause others to die?"


    Irwin looked at her, remembering what had happened to Rachel what seemed like a lifetime ago.


    "I have secrets, and many of them are not yours to know," he said calmly.


    "Who decides that?" Twintin snapped.


    Irwin rose forward, the chair creaking dangerously as he leaned forward on the tip.


    "I do," he said.


    Twintin seemed ready to explode, but before she could say anything, a calm voice cut her off.


    "Twintin, we all have secrets. Some of us more than others, and many of us with secrets that could cause deaths," Dianor said. "We know of your resentments. You''ve told us before, but you also agreed that it wasn''t Irwin''s fault. So, why are you trying to antagonize him?"


    Twintin was breathing heavily as she glared at Dianor, then back at Irwin.


    "Seeing him just makes me angry," she snapped before sinking into her chair.


    Irwin stared back at her, not sure what he should be doing about this. Weren''t ice-carded supposed to be calm?


    Twintin held his gaze for a while before letting out a sigh. "If you had shared that stupid Anvil, many people could have been saved, and we would have been able to resist Indoubtor!"


    "Hey, you brat! Who are you calling stupid?" Ambraz shouted, his voice muted by Irwin''s pocket.


    Twintin''s eyes widened while Irwin saw Dianor look at him with interest. While Ambraz crawled out of his pocket, he prepared his heartcard, readying his Sweltering skill in case of need. He didn''t think any of those here could actually defeat him, but he also didn''t know what Twintin''s ice would do if it hit him.


    Ambraz flew up, rushing around his head before landing on his shoulder. Even without eyes, the narrow, pursed metal lips gave him the idea that Ambraz was glaring at Twintin.


    "I''m not something to share, like some inanimate object," he snapped angrily. "Why don''t you just share yourself around!"


    Twintin''s eyes widened, and she seemed ready to explode when Tanya slammed her hand on the table.


    "Enough, Twintin! I hoped letting you rant a bit would be enough, but you just won''t stop," Tanya said, her voice raised. "I know how you feel, but without Irwin and the others, we would still be locked in a cell!"


    Twintin clamped her arms across her chest again, glaring at the table and muttering something about Irwin being the only reason they were locked up in the first place.


    Irwin didn''t respond, and Tanya looked at her for a while longer before looking at Irwin. "What plan do you suggest, and how can we help?"


    Irwin watched her slowly, then leaned back.


    "Greldo said you are really fast. Are you fast enough to get to Indoubtor and grab something from him if needed?"

 Chapter 211: Final hurdle

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    "They are still in the closet, but they are hungry and thirsty and need to get out soon," Greldo said as soon as he reappeared.


    Irwin nodded, thinking for a moment.


    They were huddled in a narrow room below the castle with an opening down into the sewer through which they had entered and another door leading up.


    Including him and Greldo, there were seven ready to sneak up the tower and take out Indoubtor. Although all looked ready, he knew that besides Tanya and Greldo, the others would have to be very careful.


    Dianor had a long dark blade with a bronze gleam, which would be bad for fighting in narrow hallways, but he''d said he would be fine. Remembering how efficient Daubutim had been right from the start, Irwin was inclined to believe him.


    Twintin had cooled down again, though he noticed she kept glancing at him on occasion.


    Glad Greldo is here in case she does something stupid, Irwin thought.


    There were two more, and he''d never seen either. Both belonged to Tanya''s old friend group, and she vouched for them, saying they had both been with her for a long time. The woman was called Izebret, and she had a soft, round face and eyes that felt like they could drill a hole in the wall. The other was Eergrim, an older man. His skin was far darker than that of any others, closing in on charcoal, bald, and he moved his agile body with a grace Irwin found astounding. If he had to guess, he''d say that the man had multiple agility body improvement cards.


    "The tower up?" he asked, looking at the closed door.


    "The ladder room is clear; go up, down the hall, then up the stairs. There''s another empty room to the left," Greldo said.


    "Alright, we''ll move there. Stay around and keep an eye out," Irwin said as he motioned at the door.


    Tanya was the fastest of them, so she would take the lead in case someone came from the front. Eergrim took the back, and Irwin saw him glance uncomfortably up at the ceiling. He didn''t bother to look but kept tight control of the few-foot-wide, thick layer of thick steam that followed him. He had it prepared to launch around a room and suffocate all present.


    Tanya opened the door, revealing an old ladder, and with incredible speed, she shot up, disappearing from view. Twintin went after her, followed by Dianor. When Irwin grabbed the thick wooden bar, he felt it bend slightly, and as he slowly climbed up, he heard Eergrim whisper worriedly from behind.


    "How much do you weigh?"


    Irwin didn''t bother to respond, gingerly feeling every bar before he put his weight on it. Halfway, he had to skip three that nearly snapped from half of it, but his length made it just a little hassle.


    Still, when he climbed out into the small room, he was happy to feel solid ground again. Twintin was standing near a shuttered window while Tanya stood near the door. Both were looking at him, but Irwin ignored them and made it to the door.


    "Greldo?" he whispered.


    "Clear," a voice seemed to come out of nowhere.


    Irwin nodded at Tanya, and they entered the castle on the bottom floor. The alley was dark, dusty, and obviously barely ever checked, and it took them only a short while to get up to the second floor. Moving from room to room, Greldo was able to keep them from being spotted.


    Finally, they reached the final stop. They stood huddled in a narrow room, their backs against the walls, all looking at Greldo, who had just returned.


    "Alright, he is discussing something with that tall, gangly man," Greldo whispered. "There are twelve guards around the room, the windows are all closed, and I see no sign of Nyzir."


    "Any reason to think there''s a trap?" Dianor asked softly.


    Greldo frowned. "I didn''t see anyone hidden, ready to jump us," he whispered.


    Dianor just shook his head, and as he did, he reminded Irwin of Daubutim. Calm, collected, and likely with his father''s voice telling him the things to ask and know.


    "Was he talking nonsense, things that made no logical sense? Or did he say the same things over and over?"


    Greldo blinked, then shook his head. "No. They were talking about finding a replacement for Gloom, and Indoubtor was getting a status update on the situation at the exit portal. Indoubtor was angry, and he seemed to be under the assumption that Gloom got killed."


    "I would have preferred if we had a few days to follow him and plan this properly, but I just don''t have the time," Dianor muttered as he looked at the ground.


    Irwin hesitated a moment if he should start, then decided to wait. Although he was pretty sure Dianor wasn''t Daubutim, if he had any good ideas, it would pay to hear them now.


    After a few moments, Dianor looked up. "I think it''s best if we expect at least a few things to happen that we don''t expect," he whispered, turning to Irwin. "You are sure he has no knowledge of your new abilities?"


    "He shouldn''t," Irwin whispered before hesitating. How sure could he be of any of this? Gawarn had been captured, and his brother Balarn knew many things about his cards. "There''s always a chance."


    "There always is," Tanya whispered as she looked at him, then at Dianor, then back. "You said we had little time?"


    Irwin nodded, suddenly worried. "Yes, and right now, I don''t even know exactly how much there is left. As I said, we have until mid-morning," he said, wishing he could see what time it was.


    "That gives us slightly under five hours left," Eergrim whispered.


    Irwin looked up, surprised at how specific the man''s time was, but Dianor just nodded.


    "He is right," he whispered.


    "Then what are we waiting for?" Greldo hissed. "I''ll go check again. After that, we move!"


    He vanished from the dark room, and Irwin waited, preparing himself as the moments ticked by. Then Greldo reappeared.


    "We have to move now. They are planning on leaving!"


    Irwin stepped to the door. "Lead on," he whispered.


    Greldo grinned maniacally as he pulled open the door. It led to a long corridor, and this time, Irwin was the first to follow. The rest filed out after him. The hallway led to a cross, with the entire right side a stairway wide enough for two people that led up to a closed door. Irwin faintly remembered having been here before the first time he was in Coulwater Tower.


    Greldo pointed at the door, held up two fingers, and then vanished.


    Irwin looked at the others and mouthed. Stay here. They all nodded, and he did his best to sneak up the stairs. Greldo appeared at the top, eyes wide and pointing at the door!


    NOW! he mouthed.


    Irwin stopped sneaking and pulled the cloud of steam down from the roof as he sprinted forward. He didn''t bother trying to see if the door was open, but as he reached the final step, he just exploded with Kinetic energy, shot forward, and kicked it just beside the handle.


    There was a boom as the door shot open, slamming against the wall while Irwin burst into the room. It was a wide, square room like Greldo had said, with a table spacious enough for a dozen people. The windows were all barricaded, and wide-eyed guards were scrambling forward, swords and spears appearing in their hands.


    Indoubtor stood at the table, his eyes wide, while a lanky, tall man stood at the other side.


    Irwin saw all of it in a flash as he shoved his steam inside, aiming it for Indoubtor while running further into the room. He knew Greldo was hovering nearby, ready to move if something unforeseen happened, while the others were standing, ready to rush in. He hoped none of it would be necessary.


    "There you are," Indoubtor snapped as he backed up. His eyes were wide, and his face pale, showing he''d definitely not been expecting anything right now. Still, before Irwin''s steam could reach him, a blue sphere appeared around him, and Irwin felt the steam roil around it.


    "Grab him!" Indoubtor''s voice roared from the now highly obscured section of the room.


    All around, more steam surged everywhere, the vision of everyone rapidly dwindling to faint silhouettes. The guards had been running towards him, but a few were grabbing at their throats while others stumbled back.


    One arrow screeched past Irwin while another thudded against his arm. The diamond-shaped tip barely managed to penetrate his skin, and Irwin wiped it away as he looked up. A guard had remained behind the others, back almost against the far side, and was holding a dark, bow-type carded weapon. He was looking around in fear before his eyes suddenly and inexplicably snapped on Irwin. Steam swirled around his bow and arrows as he raised it up and fired an arrow in a single fluid motion.


    The arrows immediately split in two as they vanished in the thick steam, moving even faster than Irwin''s steam senses could pick up. Irwin raised his hand, and his hammer enlarged to cover most of his front. Two soft plings came as the arrows bounced off while a soft crack from that side of the room.


    How does he know where I am? he thought as he prepared to rush the ranger and take him out. If he got an arrow in his eye, it was probably not going to go well.


    "Clear!''


    Irwin looked around the hammer just in time to see Greldo wave and vanish, the archer guard lying on the ground.


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    By now, the other guards were huddled on the ground, crawling forward to where they probably knew the stairs down were. A few were already on their back, clawing at their throats.


    Irwin looked around, slowly feeling his adrenaline drop. Things seemed to have gone exactly as planned! He felt Indoubtor in whatever card or skill he was using near the table, still blocking his steam. He was about to lower his hammer when a sudden movement came from the table. Something massive shoved through the steam, and he barely was in time to angle his hammer in front of it. Then massive, shovel-sized fingers wrapped around it, and he felt something try and yank it out of his grip. He held tight, leaning back.


    "Oh-ho-ho, look at that!" a laugh rang from the table.


    It''s the lanky one that was talking with Indoubtor, Irwin thought as he unsummoned his hammer and jumped back.


    The outlinings of a massive hand, large enough to wrap all around him, floated in the steam. Irwin barely had a moment to see it float forward when two more massive movements rippled from the table, angling along the walls, and shot at his location. He jumped back and barely saw the outlines of two more hands slam together before a boom and airflow blew his steam away from the impact, creating a bubble of clear air in the middle of a sphere of steam. The lanky man was standing behind the table with his hands at his size, eyebrows up.


    "Indoubtor, you lied," the man snapped, glaring at Indoubtor, who was still encased in the protective barrier. "He can''t just be a mere heartcarded. At a minimum, he has a soulcard! Look at the amount of abilities he has or is said to have. Hammer, fire, metal skin, resistance to mind control and suggestion, explosive strength, and this¡­ steam or mist or whatever it is? No heartcarded can have this many effects!"


    Irwin didn''t react but focused on the steam. It began filling back in, but the man showed no reaction. This time, Irwin saw a thin, shimmering film nestled close against his skin. Sensing that the guards were all unconscious or worse, he released his control over his steam so his allies could help if needed.


    "He was a handcarded when he left, and according to all the information you gave me, he was there for no longer than two and half a years," Indoubtor snapped. "Don''t blame your lack of information on me!''


    Irwin saw Indoubtor stare at him as he spoke, his eyes narrow.


    "How did you become so strong?" the noble shouted.


    "Stop wasting time! Ask him after I''ve captured him," the lanky man barked as he walked forward, raising his hands. Four massive floating hands appeared in the room beside him, each looking like they were made of molten silver.


    At the same time, sounds of shouting and fighting came from below, and Irwin saw Indoubtor marginally relax.


    "Smith!" the lanky man snapped, drawing his attention. "Tomeron Grinwron offers you the use of his personal forge to become one of his smiths! He can guarantee your safety and every pleasure you could dream of! You won''t have to worry about getting abducted or being locked up in some Smithing Guild hideout!"


    Irwin looked at the man, barely believing what he heard. He didn''t even know what to say, but he didn''t have to think about it. One of the hands moved so fast he barely had time to raise his hammer in its path, but while the hand slammed into it, gripping it, two more rushed at him.


    "Indoubtor, prepare the card," the lanky-man snapped while the hands moved.


    Irwin jumped back, but both hands moved as fast as him, rushing to intercept. Irwin raised his hand to guard, readying his fire when something touched his back, and the world turned shadowy for one moment. Then he stood a dozen feet away from the stairs, Greldo beside him.


    "Remember what we practiced on the ship?" Greldo shouted.


    "Do it," Irwin snapped while two of the hands flew towards them.


    Greldo moved them a dozen steps to the side while Irwin snapped his hand forward, hurling his hammer at the lanky man. His hammer was covered in fire and flew like an orange and yellow bolt. The man hissed in annoyance, and one of the hands moved in front of him. It grabbed the hammer, but the impact shoved it back.


    Irwin saw the carded man''s eyes widen as he stepped back. The second hand swatted the first, and the hammer went to the side, barely missing the man and streaking a foot past Indoubtor. Daubutim''s cousin was holding a card in his hands, staring at it intently. A mistlike light was glowing from the back of his hands, pouring into the card he was holding.


    Irwin glared at Indoubtor just as Greldo teleported him again. As he appeared again, Irwin hurled a new hammer, this time aiming for Indoubtor''s protective barrier. No hands came to intercept them, but the world changed to black before he could see the result. They appeared on the opposite side of the room, two hands at the location they were just at while his hammer slid down the barrier, which now had a few hairline cracks in it.


    "He is breaking the barrier," Indoubtor said, his calm voice tinged with fear.


    "It doesn''t matter," the lanky-man snapped. "There is no way they can use their abilities as many times as I can! As soon as I get my hands on one of them, it will be over!''


    "Annoying," Greldo hissed.


    "Get that guy?" Irwin whispered.


    "He keeps two hands close," Greldo shot back while the man looked at them.


    Irwin gritted his teeth as he focused back on Indoubtor. The card in his hand was now glowing a brightly silvery light while his own handcards had dimmed. His face was slightly wan, and his eyes dull. Still, he showed no intent of stopping.


    "He is feeding it energy," he whispered. "We need to get that card gone."


    The shouting and fighting from below was intensifying, and he heard Twintin''s shouts of anger. How long did they have? His thoughts were cut short as Greldo pulled them to another corner of the room.


    "Just give up," the man snapped. "You will just waste your energy, and I''ll grab you-"


    Irwin flared his flame forward in an arm-thick line of roaring fire that covered the distance in a moment. As fast as it went, the man''s hand still managed to dash before it, and the fire burst onto the silvery palm, licking around. Irwin grinned as he let the fire grow and flare around it just for Greldo to yank him away. The connection with his fire was gone for a moment, and as he reappeared, Greldo drew in deep, laborious breaths.


    He just nodded, and Irwin focused on his flame. It was gone, but the silver hand had a black scorch mark while trails of damage leaked around its edge.


    The lanky man had taken some steps back, eyes wide with fear, and now standing away from the table and Indoubtor.


    "How can you possibly control it like that!" he shouted while a second of his hands pulled back to him.


    Irwin didn''t answer, but he pulled on his flame, this time letting four streaks of thinner fire shoot at the man. They didn''t hold as much punch as the single one, and they were faster, but as the hands blocked them, he let it leak through the fingers and along the palms and the fingers. The silvery material began blackening and bubbling while the man''s eyes widened in pain.


    "Stop him!" he shouted.


    One of the hands shot for Irwin, but Greldo just teleported him away. As they landed, Greldo was breathing raggedly, and Irwin risked a quick glance.


    "You okay?"


    "I can keep this up longer than him," Greldo snapped. Just-


    They teleported again as two hands flashed at them.


    "I won''t let you have another chance," the man shouted.


    They teleported again, and Greldo stumbled.


    Irwin gritted his teeth. The hands didn''t like the fire, and Greldo was going to be out of energy soon. As the hands flashed towards them again, he stepped forward.


    "Get out," he snapped, fire rippling out around him like a dense coat.


    "Do it!'' Greldo shouted, though his voice sounded weak.


    Irwin flared his fire outward, but instead of just creating a massive layer around himself, he made dozens of thin tendrils that he shot out towards the lanky-man. He had only slight control over them, just enough to keep them moving forward and make a token effort at dodging the hands. Still, it was enough.


    The lanky-man panicked as he backed up. Three of his hands were busy swatting away the fire, and each time they hit flame, Irwin let the flame burn as it wanted, using his freed focus to better control the rest of his flames. The fourth hand was moving towards him. It was obvious the man was hoping to protect himself with three and grab Irwin with the other, but as the hand came closer, Irwin had no intent of stopping.


    He could see his flames close in, so he waited for the hand. Dropping a few tendrils of flame so he could focus on his kinetic energy. At the last moment, he jumped forward out of the path of the grasping hand, exploding towards the lanky-man, causing his tendrils of flame to suddenly surge forward. Many were swatted away or blocked by the hands, but three reached the lanky-man. As they wrapped around him, the thin film of blue energy turned into a brighter blue barrier, blocking his orange and yellow fire.


    "No! Indoubtor, stop him!" the lanky-man screamed as the hands vanished and the blue barrier thickened, pushing away his flames until they were a foot away.


    Irwin dropped all other flames and focused all of his flames into those wrapping around the man. Within a moment, the entire blue barrier around the lanky-man was surrounded in a raging inferno.


    "Ready!''


    Irwin cursed as he heard Indoubtor''s voice, and he looked up to see the bubble around Daubutim''s cousin vanish.


    Come on Tanya, he thought, praying she wouldn''t be too held back down there.


    Not sure what to expect, he summoned his hammer and threw it across the room at Indoubtor. Pale-faced and gasping, Indoubtor still managed to dodge it while clutching the brightly glowing card. His eyes were focused on Irwin.


    Irwin glanced at the entrance, the lanky-man, and then back at Indoubtor stumbling towards him. He had no idea what the card could exactly do, but he definitely wasn''t interested in finding out. For all he knew, getting anywhere near it would be enough to lock him down.


    "Stay there, or I''ll torch this entire room," he shouted.


    Either Indoubtor didn''t hear him, or he didn''t believe him because he stumbled forward, eyes gleaming, his breathing more ragged than moments before.


    Irwin focused on his flame, getting ready to torch everything, when something flashed in his peripheral vision. He jumped back, but something wrapped around his arm, jerking him back while a sense of dullness rippled through his body. It almost felt as if his heartcard was being covered up by a blanket.


    Looking down in surprise, Irwin saw that a smaller silvery hand was holding onto his arm. Further behind it, the lanky-man was down on one knee in the middle of the flames, his blue barrier slightly thinner.


    "Hurry, get him!" he shouted.


    Irwin tried to stoke his flame up, but it barely responded. The most he could do was keep the flames he had going, but even controlling those proved impossible. He grabbed at the hand, trying to pry the fingers off, but as strong as he was, it felt like he was struggling against something immovable. Stepping aside, he tried to pull free, but the hand seemed locked in place. Indoubtor stumbled closer, and there was no sign of Tanya. The sounds of battle from below the staircase had increased to a cacophony of metal on metal and explosions.


    "Greldo!" Irwin shouted, ripping at the hand, his muscles bulging.


    "Not happening, smith," the lanky-man shouted. He was down on both knees, hands outstretched and touching his own barrier as if to keep it up against the fiery inferno raging around him.


    He barely finished when a blur of movement shot up the staircase. Relief filled Irwin as he saw Tanya while the lanky-man screamed in rage. His barrier shrank as a small hand appeared, dashing for Tanya in an attempt to intercept her.


    It almost reached her, and then Tanya reached Indoubtor. A long, thin lance appeared in her hand, and she jabbed it forward. Indoubtor''s eyes widened, and he angled to card toward her.


    "Noooo you fool!''


    The card flashed with a bright burst as tendrils of light appeared in a cage form around Tanya''s rapidly moving form. She froze midair, hovering in a cage of light, even her eyes unmoving.


    A snarl of anger came from the lanky-man as the hand holding Irwin vanished, as did the smaller one. His barrier thickened, but he remained crumbled on the ground, glaring at Irwin.


    Irwin ignored him and walked towards Indoubtor, who was also glaring at him but seemed unable to even get up.


    No risk, Irwin thought as he took one of the card-dampening bracelets from his pockets and clamped it around Indoubtor''s wrist. The noble said nothing, and Irwin looked at Tanya. She seemed alright, which left only one problem. He walked towards the lanky-man.


    "Don''t even think about doing anything stupid," the man snapped. "I belong to the Grinwron family, and if you harm me in any way-"


    Closer than before, Irwin increased the heat of his flame, condensing it closer around the barrier. He''d had a lot of practice with the purple mist monsters recently.


    "Stop! I wasn''t trying to kill you," the man shouted, panic growing in his eyes.


    Irwin stared at him for a few moments, hesitating. Then he stuck his hand in his pocket, removing another card-damping bracelet, which he tossed on the ground beside the man.


    "Put that on," he said, pulling his fire back into a sphere with a clear area in the center.


    "What? So you can kill me?" the man snapped back.


    "I''ll think about letting you go back to Fiverion," Irwin said before leaning forward. "But I''ll be fine with burning you to a crisp if you don''t do as I say. Now put on the bracelet!"


    The man glared at him, then took the bracelet and hesitantly put it around his wrist. As soon as he did, his bubble disappeared.


    Irwin lowered his fire, staring at the man, ready for any sudden movements.


    When none came, he grabbed his arm and yanked him to his feet before walking to Indoubtor and doing the same.


    "How do I get Tanya out of there?" he snapped, pointing at the prison of light.


    "It lasts for a day," the lanky-man said, sounding annoyed. "What are you going to do with me?"


    Irwin looked at him, noticing the fighting was still going on downstairs. He pulled them towards the stairs and grinned.


    "As soon as I''ve decided, I''ll let you know!''

 Chapter 212: Soulclone

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    "You are sure this will work?" Irwin asked as he looked at Dianor.


    "Not sure, but it has a high likelihood of getting most people there in time and alive," Dianor said.


    They were standing on the massive wall beside the gate, looking down at the people streaming out of Coulwater Tower. They were all carrying as much as they could while guards flanked them on each side. Greldo, Twintin, and the others stood with them while Lamia and Gawarn stood a short distance away. Seeing her look his way, Irwin forced a smile. Lamia just nodded before looking back at the throng of people.


    She looks old, Irwin thought as he watched her for a short moment before focusing back on the people below.


    They had only shared a few words after Greldo had gotten them, but even from those, he could sense she was very different from what he recalled. The happy, always smiling girl was gone, replaced by a calm young woman with a slight sadness in her eyes. Still, the way she kept leaning into Gawarn and the way they shared looks told him everything he needed to know.


    I''m happy for you, Irwin thought as he watched Lamia stare at the long line of malnourished people fleeing the tower. With a sigh he focused on his surroundings.


    Besides them, the rest of the walls and gatehouse were abandoned. All of the guards were below to keep the long stream of people moving and help carry children and supplies.


    "Thousands will die," Indoubtor said from the side.


    Irwin flinched, knowing Indoubtor was right. There were too many weak and old people who wouldn''t survive a forced march across the plains, even with the few wagons helping those who needed it most. Worse, the slowest ones might not even make the trek. Although it was faster than he had even thought possible, it had still cost nearly an hour to get the first stream of people moving.


    "Shut up," Greldo snapped, and Irwin looked up to see his friend glare at Indoubtor. "You would have sacrificed all but a handful for your own gains!''


    "It was the best way to guarantee our survival," Indoubtor said. "What else was I to do? Runoff on some idiot mission to find a world? And now what? You are just bringing them to some other unstable world! Fools!"


    Irwin didn''t react, nor did any of the others. The lanky-man, who he now knew was called Semeus, stood beside Indoubtor, arms crossed and a disgusted look on his face.


    Irwin inspected him a bit, wondering why Dianor had been so adamant about letting him go. He was nothing but a low-rank helper of the Grinwron Trade Federation with barely any future potential. He had a single amethyst soulcard and was still working on his second one. The one he had was what allowed him to create the spectral hands that he could control with his thoughts, with a second part that allowed him to lock the use of anything below soulcards.


    Useless, Irwin thought as he shook his head.


    As dangerous as they had seemed at first, Ambraz didn''t have a single good word to say about the cards. The range was limited to under a hundred feet, and they became weaker as they got further away. Worse, Semeus could only use the card for a short time. His current heartcard, which provided his barrier, was probably more useful!


    "Now that you have your people moving, can I finally be released?" Semeus asked, glaring at him.


    Irwin didn''t answer but turned to Dianor, raising an eyebrow.


    "As I told you before. If you want to be released, you will need to make yourself useful to us," Dianor said calmly. "You came here with nefarious purposes, and you will need to make up for that."


    "In the few hours you will remain here?" Semeus snapped angrily. "How do you-


    Irwin turned away, blocking the next rant from the soulcarded man. It was time to leave. Dianor would remain behind for a while, at least until he could return. He picked up Tanya''s prison and began carrying her down the staircase. Greldo and the others followed him, with Eergrim and Izebret guiding and guarding Indoubtor.


    "Pretty surprising how fast Dianor and Twintin got all the guards to do what we wanted," Greldo said as he grinned.


    "Except for those that we had to lock up," Irwin replied as he thought about the dozens of guards that they couldn''t trust.


    "Yeah," Greldo said with a shrug.


    "Are you really alright with staying here to keep things moving?" Irwin asked as they reached the muddy cobblestone below. A constant chatter and clatter of people moving came from the wide-open main gate.


    "I''ll be fine. Go and bring Tanya and the others to Basil, then start moving people," Greldo said with a grin. "Now, I''m going to keep an eye up top. Just to make sure our new friend doesn''t make any deals that he shouldn''t."


    Irwin nodded, and with a final goodbye, Greldo disappeared into the shadows.


    Irwin nodded as he looked at Lamia, Gawarn, Izebret, Eergrim, and Indoubtor. "Let''s go."


    Indoubtor gritted his teeth. "Why am I to come? Just kill me if you are bringing me to some shard-damned world!"


    Irwin grinned, wondering how Indoubtor was going to think about the world when he finally saw it.


    Let''s just hope Daubutim can handle him, he thought.


    It took them a short while to move out of the gate, but the throng of people were more than willing to make way for them. Outside, Irwin began jogging, then running, increasing his pace until the others shouted they couldn''t keep up.


    At this speed, they were nearly flying along the column of people, and it took them only a few minutes to pass the lead and sprint towards the hills. Long streams of people were still moving from the camps, but the first had reached the hills.


    A good while later, they reached the hills, and everyone besides Gawarn, Izebret, and him was out of breath.


    Slowing to a walk, Irwin walked past the line, looking ahead for where Basil came walking towards them.


    Dozens of carded-workers were working on a rough slope into the mountains while thin, malnourished, and stumbling people made their way up. Some seemed barely able to keep their eyes open, keeping each other on their feet with sheer will and determination.


    Basil reached them, staring wide-eyed at Tanya''s glowing cage. "What is that?" he asked.


    Irwin grinned as he put Tanya down. "That''s the trick they had planned to capture me with. Luckily, Tanya here managed to block it for me. She is going to need to be carried through the portal because it will be almost a day before the cage dissipates.


    "Is it some sort of carded skill?" Basil asked as he prodded the cage of light.


    "Yes," Irwin said as he cracked his shoulders. It wasn''t really needed, as he barely noticed anything from the trip, but it still felt good. "Can you carry her?"


    Basil turned to Tanya. He frowned, wrapped his arms around the cage, and lifted it with a grunt. As he did, his eyebrows shot up, and after a few moments, he put her back down.


    "I can get her there," he said. "But how, by Gelwin''s beard, did you carry her all the way here while running?"


    Irwin grinned as he tapped the side of his head beside his silvery eyes.


    Basil stared at him before turning to the others. He visibly ignored Indoubtor, focusing on Lamia. "Lamia, how have you been?"


    "Hello, Basil," Lamia said calmly. "It''s good seeing you again. I''m alright¡­ glad to be back."


    "Yeah¡­ it''s been a while," Basil said, smiling sadly.


    "Basil, I need to head back and start bringing people back and forth," Irwin said quickly as he took a step back. "Can you take care of all this?"


    "Sure, but listen," Basil said, glancing at Indoubtor before ignoring him again. "You need to hurry. Daubutim sent a message while you were gone, and I''ve been keeping track. We have less than three hours left."


    "I''ll do my best," Irwin said as he looked at the others. "I''ll be back before the time is up. Keep an eye out for Nyzir and other nasties?"


    "Just go, we will be fine," Basil said.


    Irwin nodded, then turned and jogged away. It took him a few moments to get clear of the mass of people crowding around him, and then he started sprinting.


    "You wouldn''t happen to have a trick to get these people all here in two hours or faster?" he shouted as he padded his pocket.


    "No. Your plan is also the best I could come up with," Ambraz shouted from his pocket.


    Irwin sighed as he headed back to the distant Coulwater tower.


    Fine, let''s hope the wagon can take that speed, he thought.


    It took him only a short while to reach the tower, leaving a trail of dust and cracks in his wake. A lot of people stared at him in passing, but he ignored them. There was little he could do, and he had something more important to do. As he reached the gate, there was a single large wagon with four charbulls standing ready. The wagon was loaded with people, and an older man with stringy hair was looking at him with distrust.


    "You took your time!"


    Irwin grinned as he walked beside the wagon, padding the massive charbulls as he passed them. Their smell of burned wood overpowered the stink of the stream of people.


    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    "Are you ready?" he said.


    "I am, but are you sure you can do it?" the older man grunted.


    Irwin summoned his flame, covering the four bulls in a thick coat of it. The massive black beasts let out grunts of pleasure, and one turned its head around, staring at him with sparkling eyes.


    The old man grunted, shaking his head. "Never seen anything like it," he muttered before snapping his rains. The massive charbulls began moving, slowly at first, but within moments, they sped up to a speed nearly on par with a hand-carded''s sprint. The wagon was thudding and bouncing on the ground behind it.


    Irwin was about to ask if everything would be fine, worried the wagon would shake to pieces, when he saw the wide, crooked-teethed grin on the old man.


    "I hope you can keep this up for a while!"


    Irwin looked at the massive line they were passing and sighed. He was never going to be able to get everyone away, but he was going to try his very best.


    --


    "How many are through?" Greldo asked.


    "Two-thirds," Basil replied. "The youngest, fastest, and strongest are all through. What''s left are the oldest ones. Many gave their food to their children and grandchildren, and¡­ well¡­"


    Greldo sighed as he watched the third wagon bounce across the plains towards them. It would reach them in ten minutes, and that would be the final one.


    "I''ll get the rest in," Basil said. "Then we will all go and start guarding the other side."


    "Alright, I''ll go and release the chain on Semeus," Greldo said.


    "I still wonder about that," Basil muttered.


    "Me too," Greldo said.


    He vanished, and Basil looked at Irwin, running towards them along the wagon for a few moments. Then he walked back to the portal. The area was now a spacious, torch-lit chamber with a straight path leading to the staircase, and people were constantly streaming in. Dozens of guards stood near the sides.


    Basil looked at the people staggering on beside him, eyes gleaming as they stared at the portal.


    "Captain?" one of the guards said as he reached them.


    "It''s time to go to the other side," Basil said. "I''ll wait till Irwin and the others return.


    One of the guards looked at him before looking at the staircase on the far side. "What about¡­" he whispered.


    "We did what we could," Basil said, burying his own weary sadness. "Never think we didn''t. Now get back and warn the others."


    The guards nodded and walked to the head of the column, jumping the line and vanishing in the portal ahead of the weary-looking people.


    A short while later, Irwin came stumbling towards him, looking like he was going to fall over at any moment.


    "I never thought I''d see you tired," Basil said.


    "I''ll be fine in a short bit," the hulking smith said, looking up at him. His silvery eyes were dull and empty, and Basil saw a glimmer of the small, scrawny kid in the way he looked at the people walking past them.


    "There''s nothing you could have done," Basil said as he stepped beside him.


    Irwin didn''t respond but leaned against the wall as they waited. It didn''t take too long before Greldo appeared in the shadowy entrance. His silver eyes were nearly as dull as Irwin''s.


    "So¡­" he said as he stopped before them.


    "Now we leave," Basil said, taking a deep breath as he looked at the line of people. "We will wait on the other side."


    "I wish we knew what he''s got planned," Greldo muttered.


    They stood there for a few more minutes before Basil clapped his hands, causing the two young men to start and look at him. He could see their hesitation, more so with Irwin than with Greldo. He knew the feeling from personal experience many, many times in the past. Now, it was nothing but a faint pain that he knew how to handle.


    "Move," he said, waving at the portal.


    Irwin stared at him for a moment, then nodded and wearily walked towards the portal. As they passed the people, Basil saw a few furtive, worried glances. They had been quietly walking up until now, but those who came from the back were seeing the final guards leave. He knew what they must think, and he wasn''t surprised at the first shout from behind.


    "Are you leaving us behind?"


    There was a hushed silence, and Basil pushed the two hesitating young men forward. He was glad they didn''t resist, as he was pretty sure that he''d not be able to shove Irwin anywhere.


    "I''ll take care of this," he said. He waited beside the portal, seeing Greldo disappear and Irwin take one final look before sighing and vanishing. Then Basil turned to the people behind him. He knew what he was about to do might cause panic and chaos, but according to his estimate, there were less than ten minutes left.


    Everyone that makes it through after me is one more, he thought.


    "The portal will remain open for another ten minutes," he shouted, knowing full well what his words would do. "Get through as fast as you can!"


    He saw a stunned shock run through the mass of people, then he turned and jumped through the portal.


    Good luck.


    --


    Irwin stood at the edge of the square, the clear cool air of Eluathar a stark difference from the musky scent of the hills around Esterdon.


    "Are you sure?" he whispered, looking at Daubutim.


    "He said I had to close the portal," Daubutim said.


    As calm as he looked, Irwin heard the slight tremor in his friend''s voice, and he couldn''t blame him. Panicked-looking people were pouring out of the portal, running from it as if Nyzir were on their heels.


    What did Basil tell them? Irwin thought.


    He focused on Daubutim. "And he''s really not coming?" he asked, shaking his head in disbelief.


    "He said he couldn''t," Daubutim whispered. "Three minutes and twenty-one seconds left. I have to start now."


    Irwin took a deep breath, then followed him to the portal. They circled around it, and Daubutim stared at the scribbles on the side.


    "What will happen to the people inside the portal?" Gredo asked, standing with them.


    Daubutim looked up. "The portal will close from the other side, and this side will remain open until everyone is through."


    "I guess that''s something," Greldo said.


    Daubutim knelt, starting to change the symbols. "Two minutes, fifty-four, fifty-three, fifty-two," he whispered.


    Irwin listened to him slowly count down as he continued changing the symbols. He saw the guards on the other side ready themselves while Basil was covered in full golden armor.


    "Twelve," Daubutim said as he rose, staring at the final symbol, then he shoved his foot through it.


    The entire array he''d changed glowed brightly for a split second, then the symbols began fading as if someone was wiping them away. Within a few seconds, they were gone. There was no sign of anything happening to the portal, but Irwin knew what this meant.


    He looked around at the towering trees and the roads leading away to the different cities and towns to be.


    "I wonder what Gelwin is doing," he whispered.


    --


    A tremor ran through the mountains, and the sorcerer''s towers shook and trembled while the side of one of the mountains crumbled. It slid down amidst a deafening racket, taking with it landmarks that had dotted the mountainside for hundreds of years and longer.


    The highest tower, standing in the center of a pattern unfamiliar to all but the lone inhabitant of that tower, glowed. A chair stood in the center of the highest room, filled with bookshelves that were swaying, books thudding in the ground. Two glowing cards hung before it, one projecting a map in the air before where it hung. Tiny white dots were scattered across the four continents, while a large cluster of white was centered on the map on a small peninsula.


    Although Irwin and the others thought the Peninsula was the only place with survivors, there were more than enough people for the normal contingency plan.


    "I wish there was more time," Gelwin muttered as he looked at the map.


    His voice cracked, nearly breaking from age, while his skin was slowly turning gray and mottled. The only thing remaining as it had been was his eyes, brown and deep and sharp.


    A shadowy figure stood beside him, and he looked up.


    "The towers are ready," a dull, emotionless voice said.


    "Good. Give me the card," Gelwin said as he looked at the second card hovering before him. It was the last one of its kind that he knew of, and he''d saved it for this final occasion.


    The shadowy figure bowed, walked to the card, and took it without hesitation. Instantly, the shadowy hand began glowing, and tiny motes began drifting away. The figure gave no complaints as it walked back to Gelwin, who raised a shaky hand. The back of it was yellowish like old parchment, with gray and greenish mold slowly growing up from below the sleeve. Gelwin took the card, which seemed almost too heavy, as his hand instantly lowered back to his lap.


    The tiny card began glowing brightly, and Gelwin sighed as he raised the card above his right hand. A soft shimmer of light glowed from below his skin, and then three card slots, one empty, appeared. Gelwin lowered the card to the third slot, and as it snapped above it, he sighed and looked around.


    "I hope they will find an entrance to the library fast," he muttered.


    The card disappeared in his hand, and a pulse of white energy exploded from within the ancient sorcerer as his head snapped back with a crack. His eyes began glowing as he slowly rose up from his chair, his body pulled up as if by invisible threads.


    Glowing white symbols appeared on the walls, and where they appeared, bookshelves were blasted away.


    If anyone had been outside, they would have seen white symbols covering the other towers, glowing brightly.


    A soft, pulsing whine began as the symbols began pulsing, and inside the central tower, Gelwin''s body hung in the air above what remained of his chair. His robes were tatters, and symbols like those on the walls covered his body, which pulsed in unison with those on the walls.


    Only a few splinters remained on the bookshelves, and the only thing that hadn''t changed was the map that hung in the center of the cards. With each pulse, some of the white dots vanished from the map, while a rumbling came from the surrounding mountains. Cracks appeared all over as if the world itself disagreed with whatever was happening.


    The entire process lasted for only a minute, but when the pulsing finally stopped, a distant rumbling and roaring sounded around the mountains. A glowing orange covered the distant horizon, and a plume of dark soot rippled into the air, slowly spreading out.


    A thin, skeletal body lay in the central tower. Unmoving, its naked, mottled skin showed none of the pale symbols remaining while cracks appeared on the walls. Within moments, they branched and spread out, and with a dull, hollow rumbling, the tower crumbled into a heap.


    --


    A strangled gasp rang through the library, followed by ragged breathing.


    "Even once per millennia is still too much," Gelwin whispered as he lay back in his chair.


    His entire body was shivering, but as he lay there, his previously thin gray hair began slowly growing thick. A thin sheen of brown appeared, while his parchment-like skin became slightly younger.


    "I wonder how many survived this time," he whispered before gasping for breath.


    It took a long while before he sighed and looked at his hand. It looked far younger than he could recall having seen it in a long, long time. It was a shame he couldn''t enjoy it for a bit.


    "The price we pay," he whispered as he raised his hand.


    There was a burst of light from the air before him, then a ball of colors appeared, spinning around for a few moments before stretching out and changing into the figure of a brown-bearded, much younger version of Gelwin. Its eyes were muddled and uncertain, and it was looking around.


    Gelwin sighed, and a brown robe appeared around the younger version of him.


    "Your confusion will clear up soon, and the memories you need will come," Gelwin said as he looked at his younger version with an appraising glance. His own body was still shivering, but he knew that would stop in a few hours, after which the aging would begin again.


    His younger version nodded slowly, clarity starting to appear in its eyes.


    "Which one am I?"


    The voice was smoother, less cracked than Gelwin''s.


    "Number twelve," Gelwin said as he stared at the soulclone, the pinnacle of his combined soulcards.


    It had been so long since he''d last seen one that he could barely remember the last time, and he examined the body. It was a real body, with one soulcard and room for six more handcards. Weak in a fight, but not for what he had made it for. His soulcards gave him only a few abilities, but what they did was near the pinnacle of what he knew could be done with body doubles. It was the only reason he was still alive, and likely the last one at that.


    His clone shook his head as if he didn''t understand what he''d just heard. It took a few moments before its eyes cleared up even more, and it gasped.


    "That means tens of thousands of years have passed! And they are still hunting us?"


    "Far more, and they are," Gelwin said, smiling as he remembered how he''d felt when he created the final soulcard, so long ago. How young he had been!


    "Now, get out of the library before issues arise. You will find all you need to know in my- ¡­ in your room."


    The younger version looked at him, seeming ready to ask more questions. Then it shook its head and sighed.


    "Did eleven find a world, or did he scatter them?" he asked.


    "He scattered them," Gelwin said before pointing at the door. "Leave, twelve."


    The younger version of him looked at him for a moment, then turned and left.


    Gelwin followed him...or it? He had never managed to completely get to grips with that until twelve left the library. As soon as he did, Gelwin felt the momentary rejuvenation of his body halt. Taking a look at his hand, he guessed it was roughly sixty. A bit too close for comfort, but with some tricks, he could conceal the change.


    As the lingering pain left him, he pictured the faces of Daubutim, Irwin, and the other young ones who had managed to leave.


    He wished he could go there and help them, but he had long ago decided that the reason their hunters always found them might be because he and the others had been tagged somehow. It was why he wouldn''t tell his younger self what was going on and leave him to find the largest group of the survivors of Giard. No, number twelve would be gone within a month, and there was no way Irwin and the others would return before then.


    Good luck, young Daubutim, he thought.

 Chapter 213: New Degonda

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    Irwin and Daubutim were staring out across the bustling area around the town wall. The buildings inside the wall could barely be called done, with no second stories or door and window frames anywhere. Even then, the area beyond the wall was already being divided up into what one day would become the city. That would be long from now, though, as right now it was nothing but bustling emptiness of lines and tents in the mud.


    Lines of stones created sections that were dividing the area up.


    "How much are you going to let them decide?" Irwin asked as he looked at his friend.


    "Most of it. I''ve only outlined the main roads and districts directly around us and all important trade routes and important buildings." Daubutim said before pointing towards the distant forest. "The further away from the center, the less outlining there is, and only the guard buildings and some squares around the edges are there."


    Irwin nodded as he looked at the edges Daubutim was talking about.


    Far in the distance, another wall was being erected around what would be the city''s eventual outer perimeter. Parts were ready, but most here were just a foot-high rough stone ledge.


    Irwin watched the gravely overworked stoneshapers walking around, and he felt sympathy for them. They had been working nonstop ever since they came here and wouldn''t have much rest for at least another few years. The only benefit they got was that they didn''t need to worry about food. The little there was would go to them. Well, and the card-smiths, guards, and rangers.


    "Wouldn''t it be better if you outline the entire city?" he asked absently.


    "If I tell everyone exactly where they are to build and limit what they can build too much, it will take away their sense of belonging. Father always said that the most important thing for a leader to do was to give their people the idea that they had a say in matters and that they belonged. It''s the best way to create a sense of unity."


    Daubutim fell quiet as he looked around before continuing. "But don''t worry. As I said, the crafters'' and workers'' squares have been well designated, as are the inns and other places of importance."


    Irwin took a quick look at his calm friend. Ever since Daubutim had heard that his father was truly dead, he seemed to refer to his father differently than before, with less bottled-up anger.


    Perhaps knowing someone is truly gone does that, Irwin thought as he faintly thought about his father. He''d never met him, but he''d always imagined finding the place he''d been born. Now, that was impossible, as was finding out if his father had any family.


    He fell quiet, continuing to look at the bustling city. It had been almost a week since the Portal to Giard had been closed, and time had flown by. Most of that had been spent categorizing and reforging the cards they had gathered. Some were from when he had wiped out the Imps near Malorin and the Nyzir around Esterdon, but he''d also gotten all the cards Daubutim was able to get from the guards, rangers, as well as a massive amount stockpiled by Indoubtor.


    I wonder how being locked in jail works for him, Irwin thought. A tiny part of him wondered if Daubutim was actually going to publicly execute him as he''d said.


    He shoved the worrisome thought away and focused back on the cards. He''d reforged more than he had in a very long time, focusing only on the crafting, shaping, or farming cards, which he had sideways reforged and upgraded to emerald rank. Those had been divided amongst the most suited people, which luckily hadn''t been something he''d had to decide. Daubutim and Bron had somehow managed that, and the only benefit of having starving and tired people was that there had been very few with the strength to complain about it.


    Any cards that dealt with water management had been sent to Tr¨¦anb¨¢, while those that dealt with woodworking mostly went to New Malorin.


    I wonder what New Malorin looks like, he thought.


    It probably had way more wooden buildings, as it was closer to the denser forest area to the south. He hoped the rangers there were having more success with finding food. Bronwyn and his mother were there.


    "The biggest problem now is to have as many people survive starvation as we can," Daubutim said as if he read his mind.


    Irwin grunted, his own stomach clenching as it thought about food. He got far more than the average person, but he''d found out that it didn''t help much if you also needed five times as much.


    Ignoring his growling stomach, he looked at the tents and campfires in the middle of the designated housing lines. People were lying and sitting around, most barely able to move.


    Daubutim''s eye began pulsing with red lightning, causing a gleam of red on the wall.


    "The rangers are doing their best, but we can''t overhunt this area, or we will get far more trouble later down the line. Besides, there wouldn''t be enough food even if we did that. Most of those Bullfrogs fled towards the western marshlands, and there are not enough Sixtusks here," Daubutim said.


    "No, we need a way to increase the speed at which the crops will grow. Without a first harvest within a month, we will start losing people."


    Irwin grimaced. He''d gone through every card they had searching for something like that, and he''d found nothing.


    "There''s none," he said.


    "I know," Daubutim said, turning to him with a stoic look. "So we are going to do something else."


    Irwin raised his eyebrow, pretty sure he knew what Daubutim was going to say.


    "Find someone with a card that can be reforged to do what we need," Daubutim said. "I''ve sent messengers to every camp and town to find us anyone with a card that deals with plants, growth, or anything like that."


    Irwin sighed. He''d considered the same thing, but there was a major problem with the idea.


    "If the person we find isn''t a ranger or guard, he is probably too weak to survive the reforging," he said. "Reforging a card takes an immense toll on someone, and if they are starving..."


    "Which is why I have gathered a small amount of food and recalled all carded healers in New Degonda. The first batch of people who say they have cards dealing with plants and farming will arrive in a few hours, and I need you to inspect their cards. Pray we find one that will work. After that, we will feed them and heal them for a few days."


    Irwin nodded. That would probably work if they got a week to recuperate by eating enough.


    "Also, pick the best two and give those the two energy increase cards we have," Daubutim said before looking at him. His eye began swirling red, and he frowned.


    "What?" Irwin asked.


    "If you find one that is very good, reforge their card up to heartcarded," Daubutim said.


    "That will cost a lot of cards that could strengthen people so they can survive," Irwin said.


    "We need food, and we need it fast," Daubutim said. "We have three hundred and forty-eight thousand people spread out across five cities, seventeen towns, and more hamlets than I have managed to keep track of. The supplies we brought from Degonda and Malorin will last less than a month. That''s including the food the rangers are bringing in."


    Irwin took a deep breath, looking up at the sky. He''d expected everything to go so much better after they reached the new world.


    They quietly looked at the bustling people below, both lost in their own thoughts.


    Irwin''s thoughts drifted to the last week at Trimdir''s. The older Smith and the others were hard at work reforging the weaker utility cards, but unlike Irwin, they could only successfully reforge a few cards per day. If they did more, they risked overexerting themselves. Besides, he was the only one who could reforge above Amethyst and be sure to succeed. So, he''d been reforging nonstop, and although he enjoyed most of it, he could do with a break.


    Not that he was going to stop. The only reason they didn''t have a wave of death yet was due to the slowly increased number of carded people. Even a single uncommon Amethyst card would help people survive for longer, increasing their resilience to hunger. Besides, many were able to help the rangers by hunting further out and harvesting the plants, roots, nuts, and carrots so the carded healers could determine if they were edible.


    "I found a carded healer that can fix my eye," Daubutim said.


    Irwin blinked, stunned by the sudden revelation. He completely forgot about that, and he was about to congratulate his friend when he saw Daubutim''s dubious look.


    "What?" he asked.


    "The eye will need to regrow from scratch," Daubutim said with a sigh. "It will take nearly eight years before it will work as it should."


    Irwin grimaced, unsure if he should say what he was thinking: that it was better than having no eye at all.


    "Perhaps I can reforge the healer''s card?" he said.


    "She''s got an emerald card already," Daubutim said.


    "What? Who is she?" Irwin asked, astonished. A non-reforged emerald rank healer card was rare, even on Fiverion!


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "A sorceress that was hiding from Indoubtor in Esterdon," Daubutim said calmly.


    Irwin whistled, then sighed. "Well, I can reforge it, but that would cost too many cards, and I still need to forge your heartcard."


    "It''s fine," Daubutim said. "It can wait. Besides, I don''t know what the effect would be if my eye is healed after I get a heartcard."


    Irwin slowly nodded as he thought about that.


    "Don''t worry, we will eventually find more cards. Let''s wait till Xi''kroak returns," Daubutim said calmly. "If he found another portal to a less stable world, you and Greldo can go there to get cards."


    "You do know how unlikely that is, right?" Irwin said.


    "I know."


    Irwin sourly thought about the massive stack of cards he had brought from Scour. None were left, and although he knew he''d not used any wrongly, he just wished he still had some left. He glared at the ground. How many more problems did they have to solve?


    "Perhaps we can use the first adjacent world we find and have it grow unstable so we can farm the portals," he said.


    "Perhaps," Daubutim said calmly. "If it''s a bad one, we could, but if it''s a verdant, safe world, we will likely give it to either the Yuurindi or the Da''xi."


    "Kid, the chances of it being a world you don''t want to keep stable are just as small as Xi''kroak finding another portal nearby," Ambraz suddenly interjected from Irwin''s shoulder.


    Irwin looked at the Anvil in surprise. Ambraz had barely spoken over the last week, and all of his prodding hadn''t gotten the reason.


    "I suggest you take the first adjacent world and keep it stable, but don''t give it away," Ambraz said, his lips pressed in a thin line. "Keep it and have someone you trust create scouting towns. Although I''d love to have the first world for my people, what we need is stability¡ªsend rangers and others there to search for portals to worlds beyond it. Although rare, there should be at least a few. In that world, search again until you find a leaf. Those are the ones you want to turn unstable."


    "Are there always portals to other adjacent worlds?" Irwin asked as he thought back to Giard. From what he knew, the portals only began showing up when Fiverion started farming them, and none had ever been found, not exit portals or to adjacent worlds.


    "What? Of course not," Ambraz said with a snort. "The higher the rank of the world, the stronger the adjacent worlds, and the more likely you will find one with adjacent worlds of its own. This keeps going for a while, but eventually, they will end up with a leaf: a dead-end world like Giard. Those have only portals to their main world, and the only other portals that can appear are those that come when it turns unstable."


    "Any idea how many steps we can take from here?" Daubutim asked, looking at the Anvil.


    "What do I look like, a fortune teller?" Ambraz exclaimed before snorting. "At least one more, that''s a guarantee. But after that? It depends on the adjacent world. You will definitely find adjacent worlds that are stable, large, and powerful enough to have their own adjacent worlds. If it''s the first one, it is going to be anybody''s guess. Ugh! Has it still not sunken into those dense heads of yours how lucky you are with this rank-six world!?"


    Irwin grinned as he shook his head, and even Daubutim''s usual stoic expression couldn''t cover up his amusement.


    Ambraz began muttering softly, and Irwin laughed.


    "You keep saying stronger worlds," he said as he prodded the Anvil. "What do you mean by that?"


    "Hey, no poking!" Ambraz snapped as he flew up and around.


    After a few moments, he landed atop Daubutim''s head, though the noble showed no reaction.


    "It''s the amount of ambient soulforce that determines how strong a world is," Ambraz said. "It''s also what causes a world to be more stable and why having powerful soulcarded will slow the shattering of a world."


    Irwin hummed as he thought about something else. "So, why do cards only drop from unstable worlds? Shouldn''t having more soulforce increase those odds?"


    "Ugh, Daubutim, you really need to create schools here so people aren''t so uneducated!" Ambraz snapped before taking a deep, theatrical breath. "The more stable the world is, the easier the soulforce of a soulskilled being flows back into the ambient soulforce. If it flows back, that means there''s no crystalized soulskill. Understand?"


    Irwin nodded as he scratched his thick beard, causing a sound of plinking metal wires. An idea poked into his head, and seeing as Ambraz was talkative, he decided to just continue asking questions.


    "Is there any way to create cards from ambient soulforce?"


    Ambraz barked a laugh. "And that''s the million soulshard question right there," he said. "It''s what cardsmiths have been trying to discover for thousands upon thousands of years. There have been rumors and legends but never any proof, and if anyone actually managed to figure it out, they either took it to their grave or are hiding it really well!"


    "It would be incredibly useful if we had that ability," Daubutim said thoughtfully.


    Irwin nodded while he began zoning out, imagining how he could use ambient Soulforce like that. It would mean he''d need to be able to sense it first, something he couldn''t right now.


    "You don''t say," Ambraz said. "Well, if we ever find out, Eluathar is going to be the new center of this part of the Portal Gallery, and we are going to be richer than anyone ever!"


    Irwin leaned on the edge of the wall, staring in the distance as he imagined creating cards out soulforce. Besides sensing and harnassing it, what else would that require? Some way to shape it and then turn the resonating soulforce into a crystalized form?


    As ideas became cropping up, he didn''t listen to Ambraz and Daubutim''s continued conversation.


    Irwin snapped out of it when a soft crying rang up from below. He looked down and saw a woman hugging a small child. It was crying and shouting about being hungry.


    There are more important things to fix first, Irwin thought as the thought of a potentially horrible hunger winter made his desire to go and experiment fade away.


    They needed food.


    He stayed with Daubutim on the wall until a guard came to tell them that the first group had arrived.


    "I need to discuss things with Bron," Daubutim said calmly. "I''ll leave for Tr¨¦anb¨¢ tomorrow. There is news that the fishermen have found edible fish, and I need to start creating the harbor."


    Irwin looked at his friend, realizing what that meant. After Daubutim left and he would go to New Malorin, it might be a long time till they saw each other again.


    "Come and say before you leave," he said. "I''ll see what cards these people have."


    "Of course," Daubutim said.


    They walked down, then split up when they reached the castle, which was still far from finished.


    Irwin spent the rest of the day checking and reforging people''s cards. None were exactly what they needed, but he reforged every willing person''s handcard as long as they would add to their farming endeavor. Some dealt with removing weeds and insects, while others could preserve seeds and plants.


    The next day saw more small groups, but none were what they needed. When he finally fell on his temporary bed in Trimdir''s new smithy, weary to the bone, he still hadn''t found a person with a card that could potentially fix their food shortage. Besides that, Daubutim had left, and as he gazed at the rough, unfinished wooden ceiling, Irwin hoped things were better in New Malorin.


    As the days passed, his worry grew.


    Finally, a week after he''d started, he found two people with cards that had enough potential. Both were from the same group, and he could barely believe they had both come from a tiny nearby tent town that was barely scraping by.


    Grun was an old, nearly bald farmer with a weathered face who, surprisingly, originally came from Malorin. His uncommon farming card allowed him to sprout seeds, which was the reason he''d been one of the best farmers back in Malorin. His main issue was that he could only use his skill one time per day, on a handful of seeds. Irwin hoped that if his card went from amethyst two steps up to emerald, the amount would increase, and adding four extra cards, one of which increased the energy, would allow him to use it multiple times.


    The other was Susin, a fourteen-year-old girl who had been an apprentice gardener for the nobles in Caldangen. Her card allowed the growth of plants to speed up exponentially, though, like Grun, she could only do small amounts per day. The trouble was that although her card was at amethyst rank, unlike Grun, she had already combined her''s into a full hand, meaning Irwin couldn''t reforge it.


    After discussing things with Lord Bron, they decided to reforge her card up to heartcard.


    It didn''t take any convincing for Grun or Susin to accept the deal of food and cards in return for the promise to remain at New Degonda for the next few years, overseeing the start of the surrounding fields.


    Nearly a week after he''d found them, Irwin stood in the bustling smithy, helping Susin back to her feet. She was breathing heavily, leaning on him.


    Whispers filled the room, but Irwin ignored them. He was slightly winded and had a faint headache. Even though Susin''s heartcard was only at emerald rank, the limited food, busy days, and short nights were taking their toll even on him.


    "Did it work? Do I have silver eyes now?" Susin whispered as she dully stared at the empty backs of her hands.


    "Yes," Irwin said as he nearly carried her to a small chair.


    Why do the eyes matter, he thought as he stretched his back, looking around for a flagon of water.


    All around, the smiths were staring at him wide-eyed, and he knew that without Trimdir''s presence, they might have started asking questions.


    The older smith walked forward, handing him a flagon, which Irwin quickly drained.


    "You will need to take it easy for the rest of the day," he said as he smiled at Susin.


    "Yeah," she muttered before looking up, eyes wide. "It''s like you said! The cards are all gone, but¡­ there''s something here," she said as she tapped her chest.


    "You are sure it is very rare?" she added, her pale silver eyes wide with wonder and disbelief even after all she''d seen.


    "Yes, it''s an emerald-bordered heartcard and nearly ninety percent perfect," Irwin said with a smile, adding the last bit mostly for the benefit of the smiths.


    As he said it, he felt slightly bad for Susin. If things had been different, he might have been able to forge her a ruby heartcard, but as things were, it was impossible. He''d discussed it with Ambraz, but in the end, they decided to go for the most efficient way instead of the best. It was both to save his energy and to save the card energy he needed. This was one of the reasons it had taken them six cards. Still, it was more than he liked but better than the fifteen more that Ambraz had said would be likely if they went for the best they could do.


    "Right," Susin whispered. "Emerald, not very rare¡­."


    "Don''t worry," Irwin said as he grinned at her. "It takes a bit getting used to, and you aren''t the only one. Look-" he pointed at the wall at the back of the smithy where a board hung that showed the names. "That''s so the smiths don''t forget!"


    There was a round of laughter, and he saw Trimdir snort and shake his head. He had been the only one to easily memorize the different names.


    "Quartz is common. Amethyst is uncommon-" Susin muttered as she read the board before looking at him. "Do you... you have a ruby or higher card?" she asked wide-eyed.


    Irwin nodded, deciding that was close enough.


    After answering a few more questions, he looked at the entrance where Grun and Lord Bron stood. To Irwin''s surprise, the two men from very different backgrounds had taken one look at each other and bonded immediately. The first time, they had spoken for hours on end, and after that, Bron had begun inviting the old, gnarly farmer to any discussion that involved farming.


    "It''s best if she rests a bit before starting to practice her new card skills," Irwin said, getting a nod from Lord Bron.


    The lord of New Degonda gestured, and one of the healers ran forward, helping Susin up and out of the room while constantly asking her questions. Irwin wasn''t surprised at the care Bron and the healers were taking with Susin. She was the third heartcarded human here and the only one that was likely going to stay. Not that it was needed. With an emerald rank heartcard, Susin was stronger, healthier, and would live longer than anyone besides him in the smithy.


    "Thank you, Smith Irwin," Lord Bron said as he nodded at Trimdir. "Are you still leaving for New Malorin in two days?"


    Irwin nodded as he felt a wave of joy at the prospect of seeing his family. "Yes. I''ll wait to see how everything goes, then set out. There are barely any cards left, and Trimdir and the others can take care of those."


    Lord Bron nodded, then left with the others, leaving only Irwin and the smiths. A quick look showed that they were rearing at the bit to ask him questions. Turning to Trimdir, who was grinning at him, eyes gleaming, Irwin knew there was no way he was going to get out without answering at least some questions.


    "Alright," he said as he moved back to where Ambraz was still standing in his large working form. Leaning against the Anvil, he looked at Trimdir and the others. "What do you want to know first?"


    "Why did you sing," one of the smiths shouted, and before Irwin could even think of answering, dozens of questions followed it.


    "What song was that?"


    "Why did you not reforge all the cards up to very rare?"


    "Why not go beyond very rare?"


    "What does her card do now?"


    This is going to be a long day, Irwin thought as he crossed his arms and began answering those questions he could.

 Chapter 214: Portal Keep City

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    Two days later, Irwin was walking across the hardened road away from New Degonda, looking at the cultivated fields around him. In the distance, some farmers still working on the unfinished fields waved at him.


    "Who would have thought," Greldo said, barking a laugh.


    "Thought what?" Irwin asked as he waved back the farmers.


    "That there would be a time when the farmers would have the strongest cards!"


    Irwin grinned as he looked around. The rangers and guards were technically stronger, but he knew what Greldo meant. Right now, nearly every farmer had six cards, and although most had no combat cards, just the fact they had that many cards alone was incredible. Besides, he''d found that most cards that could be seen as farming and physical work cards increased endurance, strength, and constitution. He''d seen two farmers as burly as the smiths, could easily wrestle with any guard besides Basil, and had a high likelihood of winning.


    Irwin''s eyes drifted to the fields furthest east, which, according to one of the farmers who determined the soil fertility level, was the best one they had in the area. A mass of knee-high green plants stood there, resulting in the Cartofs planted and grown by the farmers.


    Although it took all of them, including Susin, from dusk till dawn, and they nearly fell unconscious when the sun sank, the first fields would be harvestable in another two weeks. It was a speed unheard of, combined with the first fish arriving from Tr¨¦anb¨¢ and the wagons filled with nuts from New Malorin. It would be just enough to save everyone from starvation.


    Well, not everyone, Irwin thought sadly, remembering the slowly growing graveyard north of the city.


    They walked silently for a while, the cool breeze blowing around them as they reached the end of the hardened road and stepped onto the wide sandy path leading to Central Crossing. It was what people had called the empty space where the Portal to Giard had been weeks ago, and from there, the road split up to the other cities and towns. South led to Portal Keep and beyond that to New Malorin.


    "So, you are sure you want to have a look at Portal Keep instead of just passing it and heading straight to New Malorin?" Greldo asked as he patted Coal, who was walking beside him.


    "Yes, we need to check how the crew is doing," Irwin said. "I wonder if they are alright."


    He''d not spoken to Rindiri, Zender, or the others since he returned from Giard, and all he knew was from Greldo.


    "Bah, they are fine," Greldo said. "I told you, the kids are having fun in the forest, and Xi''kroak and his people are building their own district and helping out with the rest of the city. "


    "Any news from La''suna?" Irwin asked.


    "Nah. The last thing I heard was that she''s been scouting south below Portal Keep. There''s no news about any portals to adjacent worlds, then again-"


    "They aren''t ever going to find them," Ambraz snorted, flying from Irwin''s shoulder and chasing after a large pale green insect, causing it to rush back into a bush. "The only ones here that are sensitive enough to the soulforce distanced to find those portals are Irwin and the other smiths."


    Irwin shared a grin with Greldo before turning to Ambraz. "What about you?" he asked.


    "What? Helping you with everything else isn''t enough?" Ambraz asked.


    "Well, it would be handy if you could detect them as far as you can detect soulforce," Irwin said.


    Ambraz snorted as he flew around before landing back on his shoulder.


    "That''s not how my skills work," he muttered before keeping quiet.


    Irwin didn''t continue pestering him. He''d finally found out what Ambraz''s problem had been, and that was his fear that Irwin would remain here for many years. When Irwin had told him they would leave after the first winter, he''d relaxed slightly, though he gave off the feeling he wasn''t completely happy.


    Time flew by, and although they could have reached their goal faster if they had run, Irwin and Greldo took it slow, enjoying the beauty of the world around them.


    When they finally saw distant square shapes begin to appear, it was late in the morning, and Irwin''s stomach was rumbling.


    "By the Flames of Aghos, how far along are they?" Irwin asked as he saw the distant walls, easily half as high as the tallest trees of the still sparse forest. Behind them, a single tower rose, partially unfinished.


    "Xi''kroak had two heartcarded wood-shapers in his crew and something they call chitin-shapers. Those helped, and the fact that Daubutim, Bron, and the others prioritized Portal Keep over everything else and sent far more stoneshapers there."


    I guess that makes sense, Irwin thought.


    Although none of the distant scouts had seen any indication of intelligent species, they could still be there, and the Exit Portal was the most important thing they had right now. Besides, if someone attacked them from the outside, they would need to guard the world.


    As he thought about the large keep, there was a loud cracking sound.


    Irwin jolted, lowering himself in a ready stance and turning in the direction of the sound. His hammer rested in his hand, and his heart rate spiked, and he was ready to burn whatever was rushing them.


    Far away, a distant tree crashed into the ground, flattening bushes and causing dozens of birds and clouds of insects to flee.


    "Eej, calm down! It''s just the lumberjacks," Greldo exclaimed, putting a hand on his shoulder.


    Irwin blinked, slowly rising and lowering his hammer.


    "Sorry," he muttered as he looked at his friend, who was examining him, before shrugging and continuing ahead.


    "It''s¡­ it''s alright. I should have warned you. I''ve been hearing the chopping for hours," Greldo said with a weary sigh. "I guess with all that''s happened, it makes sense that you''re wound so tight. Let''s go and have a chat with the others before we go to New Malorin. It''s about time you see your family and take some rest."


    Irwin looked at the tree before taking a deep breath and nodding at Greldo.


    I definitely need some rest, he thought.


    It took another half an hour before they reached the road that led up to the massive gate of Portal Keep. It was hard to say if it was meant to keep things in or out, but from the way the towers were being made, Irwin guessed it was both. Hundreds of people were moving around the walls, and as they reached the gate, a dozen guards ran up to meet them.


    "Smith Irwin, Lord Greldo," one of them said as he stopped, bowing to them.


    "Lord¡­.?" Greldo whispered.


    Irwin saw his friend gape at the guard, who didn''t seem to notice as his eyes were on Irwin.


    "Smith Irwin, Basil has asked if we can bring you to him if you show up! Would you mind following me?"


    Irwin and Greldo shared a look, and then Irwin shrugged. "Sure. Lead on."


    The guard grinned, and he gestured at the others as he walked through the gate into the city.


    A slight distance away, a long building was growing up like a very slow mushroom, and three carded people stood next to it with their hands on the wall. All around them, more buildings stood in different stages of readiness.


    "Why don''t they just finish them?" Irwin asked as he sped up and walked beside the guard.


    "The buildings?" the guard asked, looking around. "Those builders need way more energy to create anything that doesn''t go straight up, so when they found out they could do four buildings with just walls and no roofs for everyone with it, they stopped. That''s why they are all building wooden roofs!"


    Irwin hummed as he noticed the guard was right. Some of the buildings that seemed roughly finished did have wooden roofs.


    "Did they send a message with this to the other cities?" he asked.


    The guard shrugged. "I don''t know, really. I''ve only been building or guarding for the last weeks."


    They continued walking through the city, and as they closed in on the center, it became obvious that besides the central keep that surrounded the exit portal, most of the rest of the city was barely more than tents and rough building outlines. The keep, however, looked far more finished than Irwin had imagined before coming here, and he looked up at the tower that was still being built higher.


    "They have been building ever since they came here," Greldo said, seeming to see his surprise.


    Yeah, Daubutim did say they only focused on this before splitting the stoneshapers up, Irwin thought as he realized he''d underestimated just what that meant.


    "Still, it''s insane to imagine they built this in under a month," he said.


    "Can you imagine if we had a hundred soulcarded builders?" Greldo asked as he let out a whistle. "Perhaps they could create an entire city in a week!"


    Irwin hummed in agreement as they continued to the keep, walking through the open gate that sat in the forty-foot wall. Shouts of encouragement and dull thwacking sounds came from ahead, and they stepped into an open courtyard. A dozen guards stood on the left side of the courtyard, shooting arrows at targets.


    "I didn''t expect that," Irwin muttered as he stared at the practicing guards.


    Greldo didn''t respond.


    "What? Did you expect I let them just slouch and do nothing while the rest work in the city or hunt for food?" a familiar voice boomed from above them.


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Irwin turned around, staring up to see Basil look at them from a window sitting at the top of the wall.


    "Wait, I''ll come get you," Basil shouted as he disappeared back inside.


    Irwin looked around, seeing a few doors that led into the wall or the building built against the wall- he wasn''t sure which it was.


    "The walls have defenses on each side," Greldo said as he pointed at some narrow shoot holes and slits before turning around and pointing at the main building behind them. "The exit portal is inside there, and there are only a few ways inside. Daubutim used some of the tricks we saw in Fiverion, and now Basil is preparing the prison system below."


    "Not preparing, Greldo," Basil said as he came walking up to them. "It''s already being built. I''ve got one of the groundshapers working on it every morning, just in case we need it."


    Then, the towering captain of Bron''s guards looked at Irwin. "So, Irwin, what do you think?"


    "It''s really impressive," Irwin said. "I never thought something like this could be built on such short notice."


    "Hah, me neither, but it''s still an empty shell. We focused on the walls and the central keep first, using all of the carded shapers we had, but finishing it would take a very long time. Most of the shapers are out near the villages, helping to create houses and stuff."


    "I heard that not everyone is in the cities, but some actually spread out to create towns," Irwin said. "Is that really safe?"


    "A lot safer than Giard was," Basil said. "I''ve been recruiting large numbers of people to the guards and rangers. I sent them out with properly trained men and women to scout and patrol the towns where help was needed."


    "What about the creatures of this world?"


    "Most aren''t that dangerous. The bullfrogs went to the western marshes, which only leaves those razorteeth as the top predators and of any danger. But even those have been rapidly migrating to the southern forests."


    Irwin shivered as he thought about the flying squirrels that hunted in small packs like wolves.


    "Near New Malorin?" he asked worriedly.


    "Don''t worry. I''ve been in close contact with your brother, and they are doing fine," Basil said, giving his shoulder a quick, reassuring squeeze. "Now, let''s go and find Rindiri and her kids! They''ve been asking about you every day for ages."


    Irwin followed him back towards the gate tunnel.


    "What about Xi''kroak?" he asked.


    "Armorface? He hasn''t returned from his last scouting mission," Basil said.


    Armorface? Irwin thought, wondering what Xi''kroak would have to say about that nickname.


    "He left again two days ago, and I don''t expect him back in another few days. He headed out north from the entrance portal- ah, just so you know, we''ve decided to just call the hills you all came from the south. Just to make it easier! So, he''s scouted both east and west for two days but found nothing," Basil said, his wide grin turning a slight bit worried. "The north is the final chance we have. Otherwise, there''s not going to be any portal we could go through and reach a world to farm for cards."


    "We will find a way," Irwin said as he thought about the blockade beyond Sesnanser. "It would be great if we could create more ships."


    "That''s exactly what I said, but Xi''kroak said we''d need to get the sails and proper wood from a proper craftsman. According to him, it''s nearly impossible to create those things without the proper tools and knowledge."


    That didn''t surprise in the least as he recalled the sails he''d bought in Sesnanser.


    They continued talking as they slowly made their way towards one of the more finished buildings. It stood inside an otherwise mostly empty area, with lines of stones and branches showing buildings and streets that were probably supposed to come eventually.


    "So, this is the Yuurindi district. Or it will be when we ever get around to creating all of the buildings and streets and other stuff," Basil said.


    Irwin looked around, and after a few moments, he made out what the district edges were. They were surprisingly small, and not just the Yuurindi one.


    "Why aren''t they bigger?" he asked as he looked around the entirety of what eventually would be Portal Keep City.


    "Ah, that''s Daubutim again," Basil said with a frown. "He said that if we let the district become too big, there will be too much of a separation, which will result in a¡­ how did he call it again? A, them against us mentality, or something."


    Irwin hummed. "So why make districts at all, then?"


    Basil shrugged. "He tried explaining it to me, something about that it''s good for people to have their own space but that it would be best if it''s not too big, but I didn''t really get it all. You''ll have to ask Daubutim or Bron if you want to know more."


    Irwin nodded, deciding he should try to remember asking Daubutim when he saw him next.


    Whenever that is, he thought.


    The door of the building was shoved open, and three purple-haired figures dashed out.


    "Captain!"


    "Irwin, Captain Irwin!"


    Irwin stopped as Zender, Trinn, and Brinni rushed towards him.


    "Told you they missed you," Basil said with a laugh.


    A moment later, the three young Yuurindi stood around him, asking questions and talking through each other as they all tried to tell what they had been doing and how awesome the world was.


    Irwin just listened as he walked with them to the building where Rindiri was standing at the door opening. She was frowning at her children, and when they reached the door, she snorted.


    "Enough! I told you to remain calm! Now, let''s go inside. You can show the Captain everything later!"


    Irwin grinned. "Rindiri, how are things?" he asked.


    "It''s fine," she said with a sigh as she led him into a nearly empty room. "I never thought I''d say this, but I miss the ship and traveling. There are so many people here, little food, and no-" she waved around. "Things! Not even normal chairs!"


    Irwin saw that makeshift wooden benches had been placed around a rough-looking table. It was clear that it wasn''t made by a woodshaper but had been created the old-fashioned way and not by someone who knew what they were doing. Ib sat on one of them, looking at them quietly.


    "Well, let''s sit down," Greldo shouted as he picked up Zender, who had been asking him questions nonstop and placed him on the bench beside Ib.


    For the next few hours, Irwin listened to the stories of the kids while Rindiri explained that she''d trained Basil''s guards so they could at least fly the ship around slightly, though most of the time, it remained near the entrance portal.


    Halfway through, they showed Irwin the building while Basil left to get some food, which was nothing but some dried meat, a basket filled with nuts and roots, and one fruit that looked way too ripe. Irwin knew he could have easily eaten the entire amount, but he held back, noticing that Greldo did the same. Basil didn''t eat anything at all, saying he''d eat with the guards.


    Finally, at the start of the afternoon, Irwin rose.


    "Alright, it''s time for Greldo and me to go to New Malorin," he said.


    There was a moment of silence, and then Zender stood, looking at him hesitantly.


    "Captain, can we go with you? I really want to see the other cities and-"


    "Zender, what did I tell you?" Rindiri said softly, frowning at her son. "The captain needs to see his family, and he doesn''t need all of us there with him."


    Zender ignored his mother, staring at Irwin wide-eyed and hopeful.


    Irwin shared a quick look with Greldo, who rolled his eyes and shrugged.


    "It''s fine," he said as he looked at Rindiri. "But I will be staying there for a while, perhaps until after winter."


    "Are you sure?" Rindiri asked. Her words were interrupted by Zender, who let out a whoop and ran away, shouting something about getting his stuff.


    "Yes, but you might have to head back on your own," Irwin said.


    Rindiri held his eyes for a bit, then nodded and smiled. "Alright, you heard the captain. Get some stuff and get ready to leave!"


    Irwin and Greldo watched as everyone ran around, gathering their small number of belongings.


    A short while later, they were all gathered outside.


    "I''ll keep an eye out for this place," Basil said. "Just to make sure nobody thinks of taking the building as their own."


    Rindiri nodded gratefully while Irwin looked at Basil.


    "Let me know how things go with Xi''kroak," he said. "If you need help-"


    "I''ll send a teleporter to get you," Basil said, grinning widely. "If they weren''t as busy right now, I''d offer for one to bring you, but¡­"


    "It''s fine," Irwin said. "I want to see more of our new world!"


    As he said that, he realized how true that was, and he wasn''t just thinking about the area close to them. He wanted to travel all around and see what else there was in this world. Besides, Ambraz was right; if there was anyone who could find the adjacent world portals, it was him.


    After a short goodbye, they headed out, Zender rushing ahead with Coal, seeming incredibly excited to leave on an adventure.


    --


    "It''s all made of wood!" Zender shouted as he climbed down from the tree he used to scout ahead.


    "Not all of it," Greldo said.


    Irwin and Rindiri walked a few dozen feet behind them while Ib, Trinn, and Brinni were running after Zender toward the distant city.


    "There are so many more trees here," Rindiri said as she looked around. "You are sure there are even more ahead?"


    Irwin stared at the trees around them, much denser than a few hours back to Portal Keep City, but nowhere near as dense as the Gloomforest had been or any of the other real forests he knew from Giard.


    Still, he could understand. Rindiri had told him that she''d never been to a real forest, which made sense as she''d never been allowed on a world.


    "A real forest is so dense you can barely move through it," Irwin said as he pointed at a spot where three trees stood close, with bushes between them growing up to twenty feet along the trunks. "Like that, but then everywhere."


    "Hmm¡­" Rindiri said, and Irwin saw her look worriedly at her children.


    It surprised him, seeing as that she''d never shown any overt care for any but Ib before. According to a whispered conversation with Greldo, she''d begun changing ever since Basil''s guards took over the guarding of the ship and the entrance portal, and she and the kids were allowed on Eluathar.


    "Stop! Who goes there?!"


    A sudden shout caused Irwin to look up just in time to see the kids sprint back to hide behind Coal. He was about to summon his hammer when he saw Greldo''s calm demeanor.


    Rangers? he thought just as Greldo stepped to the side, staring at the trees.


    "Smith Irwin and group returning home," Greldo roared.


    Irwin flinched. Seriously? And Group?


    There was a rustling from the trees Greldo was staring at, and two rangers appeared in a tree, lowering themselves from ropes. Irwin and Rindiri walked to Greldo, stopping beside him.


    "You''re Smith Irwin, the brother of Master Ranger Bronwyn?" one of them asked as he stopped before him, examining him.


    "Dammit, Sieck, you can see it''s him," the other ranger snapped, shouldering his bow. "Do you know of anyone else that''s the size of Bronwyn, made of metal, and has those eyes?"


    Greldo grinned while the first ranger rubbed his nose and shrugged.


    "Yeah, well, we can''t be too careful!"


    The other ranger shook his head, glancing at Coal and whistling.


    "Damn, your summon has gigantism?" he asked as he turned to Greldo.


    "Nope, this is their regular size," Greldo said as he put his hand on Coal''s shoulder.


    "Damn¡­ can you imagine what size that thing would be if it got gigantism?" the first ranger whispered.


    "You guys know the way to town?" the second ranger asked.


    "Yeah, I''ve been there before," Greldo said. "Though there weren''t any rangers on the road back then. What''s going on?"


    The rangers shared a quick look before the second one sighed. "There''s been weird things happening. Food going missing, people falling asleep midwatch. We hope it''s just some hungry carded starting up some shit, but¡­ well."


    Irwin frowned as he shared a look with Greldo before turning to Rangers.


    "Thanks for the warning. Is my brother in town?"


    "Yeah, he doesn''t leave much," the second ranger said. He was ready to say something else when he frowned and turned to look deeper into the forest. The other ranger and Greldo did the same thing.


    "Looks like there''s something happening back there, probably a pack of Sixtusks duking it out," the second ranger said. "Those things are way too territorial. You''re okay, right?"


    "We are fine," Irwin said as he waved him off. "Go and see what is up, and if you need help, come and get us."


    The first ranger began jogging away while the second smiled. "No worries. So far, we''ve not encountered anything even half as dangerous as the things back on Giard. We''ll be fine!"


    He nodded, then turned and ran after the other ranger.


    Irwin and the others watched them until they disappeared between the trees, then continued on ahead.


    "What do you think of the missing food?" Irwin asked as he looked at his friend.


    "Probably just someone with an interesting card getting hungry. But still, I''ll look around tonight and see what I can find."


    Irwin nodded, and they continued chatting as they walked further towards the squarish shapes. The sounds of voices and grinding slowly got closer, and a few hundred feet further, a wide open area became visible. Shortly later, they stepped out from the treeline into the open.


    On the opposite side of an area dotted with tree stumps was a walled town, the top of the stone bottom covered in wood with guard towers on every corner. A massive gate was swung open, and a muddy road led out, spreading out to all directions of the surrounding forest. Everything felt much more unfinished, yet at the same time, older than both New Degonda and Portal Keep City. The wooden buildings seemed to blend in way more with the surroundings.


    Irwin looked around, noticing people moving along the largest road that came from the town. It led to a wide, low building far to the left. Dozens of people were walking around it, and plumes of sawdust billowed out from the building''s openings.


    Far more people were moving along the distant forest edges, some chopping trees, others dragging them toward the building. Interestingly, not all trees were being chopped down, and Irwin saw two types of trees, one with large round yellow leaves and another, tall, narrow, and with blueish pines, where left. Around those, women and children were moving about, picking things from the low-hanging branches, while some climbed the trees.


    "They are picking out nuts," Greldo said. "Those tall ones have long brownish stalks that have dozens of berries inside, while the yellow ones have nuts the size of your fist."


    Irwin blinked, then looked around and saw hundreds of trees everywhere.


    "So, this is where those nuts we had came from," he muttered. "Alright, let''s go and see where Bronwyn is!"


    Feeling his excitement grow, Irwin strode towards New Malorin.

 Chapter 215: What do words do?

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    Irwin moaned contently as he woke, stretching his arms up and then out, causing them to plop and crack.


    Ugh, slept on my chest again, he thought as he pushed himself up, then flipped over on his back.


    A quick inspection showed that he was still wearing his clothes, meaning he fell asleep as soon as he reached his room again.


    I really need to go to bed earlier, he thought.


    He lay back, staring at the wooden ceiling above him. There were no visible lines or places where they had been nailed together. Instead, everything looked to be made of a single massive sheet of wood. Even after over a month, he still enjoyed looking at it. He rose up on an elbow and examined the rest of his small room, the walls seemingly connecting without even the slightest crevice. Only the door and the window were open, and both the door itself and the shutters fit so perfectly in their frames that when closed, there was nothing but a thin line.


    "Irwin, breakfast is ready!''


    Irwin grinned as he pushed himself from his bed.


    "Coming!"


    He rubbed his beard, now a finger long and finally no longer itching. Even then, he wished he could get rid of it. The problem was that the few scissors they had would break if he used them on the metal-like hairs.


    I need metal, he thought as he washed his face and hands with the bowl of somewhat clean water.


    There was a rumor that metal had been found near Tr¨¦anb¨¢, and Greldo had gone to take a look, but he wasn''t back yet. Hopefully, it wasn''t fake news like the metal that had supposedly been found near Cesterdon.


    Cesterdon City, he thought, shaking his head.


    He wondered how Daubutim must feel about his mother and brothers not wanting to live in Tr¨¦anb¨¢ with him and starting their own city. If it could even be called that. It was barely larger than a town right now, and although Dianor had managed to get a handful of stoneshapers and some woodshapers to follow him, it would probably take years before it grew beyond a town.


    He walked down the stairs that were as well made as all the other things in the house and into the spacious kitchen and living room.


    His mother was walking around, placing a plate with crushed and boiled nuts and another with half of a fish ready. Seeing her fluid motions and the lack of a cane caused another smile to cover his face. She''d finally accepted a card after he''d shown her the hundreds they''d had at the start, and with the emerald body improvement card that focused on constitution and regeneration, she''d healed almost overnight. Now, she was able to move and even run, unlike anything she''d ever been able to do when she was as old as he was.


    "Irwin, you really shouldn''t sleep in so long," his mother said as she gestured at the table. "Everyone is already busy!"


    Irwin grinned as she sat down on the chair, a luxury still as the woodshapers were still mostly preoccupied with making houses, walls, and scout towers.


    "It would probably help if you don''t come home in the middle of the night!"


    "I just work better after dark," he said, knowing it wasn''t at all true. He just enjoyed reforging too much. Not that he''d be able to continue that much longer. There were barely any cards left in New Malorin that hadn''t been reforged and slotted. The few that remained were mostly useless.


    "Bah, kid! You just can''t stop that foolishness," Ambraz snorted as he flew down from a small nook in the wall. There were multiple in the house, all made with Ambraz in mind.


    Irwin didn''t bother replying but instead mindlessly ate the bland mix of nuts, adding the occasional bite of fish. Ambraz''s remark wasn''t untrue. Irwin had been trying to figure out a way to detect ambient soulforce so he could then try and crystalize it in a card. Sadly, no matter what he did, he could only sense the soulforce running through his own body, heartcard, and soullake.


    "I wish there were spices and herbs," he said, trying to focus on his food.


    "So do we all," his mother said as she sat down opposite him, sipping from a small wooden cup filled with water. "Still, I think there''s some good news! Bronwyn said that one of the scouts finally found a path through the Southern Forest! There are grassy plains with hills beyond them."


    "Hills!" Irwin said as he wiped his mouth, annoyed as some nuts got stuck in his beard. "That means there might be metal in there!"


    "We can hope," his mother said, smirking at him. "Bronwyn asked if you could come and see him when you woke. He wants to send you and Greldo out to inspect the hills."


    Irwin hummed, then nodded. "Sure. I''ll go to Endil and tell him I''ll be gone for the day."


    "Probably two," his mother said, unable to hide her worry. "Bronwyn said the path through the forest takes half a day, and even if the two of you are much faster, you will need him to lead you the first time."


    Irwin nodded, smiling at his mother. "Don''t worry, there''s nothing in that forest that we can''t handle."


    "Perhaps, but who knows what''s beyond? You know how little we know of this world, even with Greldo and La''suna scouting day in and day out."


    A rustle came from the stairs, and a moment later, Carla walked inside with Drum. The baby was gurgling happily, and Irwin smiled as Carla handed him his tiny nephew. The little hands rose and grabbed his beard, pulling on it slightly while the light brown eyes stared into his.


    He played with Drum for a little while Carla helped his mother clean the table before handing the baby back.


    "Alright, I''ll head to Endil, then go to Bronwyn," he said.


    "Be sure to say bye before you head out," his mother said, looking at him and raising her eyebrows. "For real this time! No sending someone else!"


    Irwin grinned as he nodded. "I promise!"


    He walked through the hallway, still pleased with how high and wide it was. With both him and Bronwyn the size they were, they had made everything in the house just a bit bigger, and he enjoyed not having to duck below the doors. As he stepped out of the house and into the wide street, the sounds of laughter greeted him.


    A group of six children were racing after a dirty brown ball, probably made by the butcher, shouting excitedly. People were walking around, faces still thin and hollow, but many smiling or looking around with purpose. Some carried wood, packages, or bags, while many were heading towards the gates, likely to continue harvesting nuts or helping the woodsmen and lumberjacks.


    Irwin stepped outside and closed the door, walking across the hard stone paths beside the wider, sandy road in the middle. Trenches were partially filled from the heavy rainfall of the previous day, and tiny clouds of insects roamed around. Their house stood in Flowstreet, part of the road that ran from the main gate to the central square.


    Walking through the city-to-be, Irwin couldn''t help but feel proud of his brother and everyone else''s work. Only two months had passed since the portal had closed, but New Malorin was already rapidly becoming a bustling place, and it wasn''t the only thing in the southern part of the region. Dozens of tiny villages and some larger towns were being made within a few hours in all directions.


    Irwin reached the crafter''s square, a large oval square that Bronwyn had designated to also hold the market ones, which was actually something they could do. The buildings around it were some of the most completed in the entire city, many having a second story, unlike those further on the outside. In the middle of the square''s northern part was a spacious stone-and-wooden building with an open smithing area to the side and a large board above the main entrance that read: Volcano Smithy.


    People had wanted the smithy to be named after him, but Irwin was glad he''d put a stop to that. He wasn''t going to stay here forever, which meant Endil would be the one who did most of the smithing. Even if he eventually returned for longer than a visit, he still didn''t find it appropriate to call the smithy after himself.


    The loud thudding of a hammer on an anvil rang from the distant building, blending with the sounds from the city.


    Looks like Endil is early again, he thought as he walked across the square, waving at a few of the other crafters.


    As he passed Heanson''s Woodworking, he looked through the open windows, almost stopping in surprise. There were actually a few chairs, small tables, and wooden spoons, bowls, and cups displayed on the large wooden tables. There hadn''t been anything lying there since the place had been finished, as anything ready had been sold before it was even made.


    I guess nobody has checked yet, he thought as he hesitated.


    Should he spend a few of the coppers he had on some spoons and bowls? Then he thought about the hills and the rumor of metal veins near Tr¨¦anb¨¢ and continued walking. If he could find metal, he could just make his own things. With how few coppers there were in the entire city, any spent would be hard to replace. There were so few brought from Giard that it was a good thing that most people didn''t work for coin but for food and other resources.


    As he continued across the square, Irwin pondered on the coin issue. Daubutim had created a set of initial rules that stated that most of the food that the rangers and guards harvested was to be divided among the populace. However, a small portion was to be kept by the city councils of the different cities, including The Ranger Council. The food could be bought by those with copper, though only small amounts due to the paltry stock the council had.


    According to Bronwyn, Daubutim had said it would eventually kickstart the beginning of an economy, although Irwin had only a rough idea of what he meant by that. Still, he was already seeing the effects, as the little coin that New Malorin''s Ranger council was gathering was immediately spent again on furniture and other things, which caused the woodworkers to start creating things, who then managed to pay others to gather their raw resources and so on.


    I guess when I find metal, I''ll need to create coins too, Irwin thought, combing his beard.


    He pulled open the door and saw Endil in the back of the smithy. He was using his carded hammer on a massive stone that they had dug up. It was serving as a makeshift anvil for him to practice reforging cards. Although they only had a limited supply, those left were so useless that even Irwin didn''t think he could make something with them.


    They were the epitome of useless utility cards.


    Which matched with what he saw above the makeshift Anvil now: a card that he recognized as one that would allow someone to change the color of their eyes.


    According to Ambraz, the best it could become if he reforged it was either changing the color of other body parts or causing light to shine from the eyes as a weak torch. There might be some use for the latter, but it would be better if Endil learned how to reforge cards. He was the only other smith here, and Trimdir and the others were going to stay with Lord Bron. If they found more cards, it would be best if New Malorin had a true smith of their own. Besides, if metal was found, many things would need to be made, and it would be years before everything had calmed enough for true trade to start.


    Irwin stopped halfway in the mostly empty smithy, not wanting to interrupt Endil''s focus. The smith was humming softly, something that pleased Irwin more than he let on, as none of the other smiths, including Trimdir, seemed fond of it. They used it sometimes, but Endil was the only one so far that actually used it when things became hard instead of dropping it when that happened.


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Irwin nodded, listening to the tune and sensing the resonance of the eye card with his own heartcard. There was a lot to improve, but Endil had purified metal for the first ten years of his life, and it showed. His strikes were well timed, not too hard or soft, and he was clearly sensing the direction the card wished to go.


    When the card''s resonance grew to the crescendo, Endil''s hum had turned into a song without words. Irwin couldn''t stop smiling when the shorthaired, bearded smith struck the last blow.


    "Great job!" he said as soon as Endil stepped back with a smile.


    Endil looked up in surprise, then grinned wearily as he picked the card from the stone makeshift anvil. His movements showed just how much it had cost him to reforge just this card, and Irwin guessed he could perhaps do one more later in the day, and that was it. Still, the quartz-colored border had turned purple, showing he''d succeeded again!


    Ambraz flew from Irwin''s shoulder and hovered before the card, which Endil held out for him to inspect.


    "That''s almost eighty percent," the Anvil said, incredulously. "Ridiculous! You are increasing at nearly the same breakneck speed as Irwin was!"


    He turned and flew to Irwin. "We need to get to my world! This kid needs to bond with a Ganvil!"


    Irwin''s eyes widened as he looked at Ambraz while Endil was gaping at Ambraz in silent shock.


    "Bond?" Endil whispered.


    Irwin ignored him, not interested in explaining that which he only partially understood himself.


    "I¡­ think that''s a great idea," he said. "But you know it''s not going to happen anytime soon. We need to get through the upcoming winter-"


    "Which we don''t know even happens here," Ambraz snorted.


    "-and then we need to explore further. There''s a chance that the Galubs came from somewhere nearby, and if they find us-"


    "We could do with more Galubs!" Ambraz said, cursing in his own language before continuing. "Remember that they dropped cards! That means they are one of the few ways to gather those without us finding another¡­"


    "Shard¡­"


    "World¡­"


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    "Oh!"


    Irwin blinked as he looked at Ambraz, who had begun rambling haltingly and now had his metal lips in a surprised gape.


    "Ambraz?" he asked after a few moments.


    "Wait! Let me think!" Ambraz snapped as he flew up and began circling the room on his tiny wings.


    Irwin shared a confused look with Endil, after which they waited as the Anvil flitted around, muttering and mumbling.


    "Yes. That would work, wouldn''t it?" Ambraz suddenly shouted excitedly.


    He landed on the rock, his mouth-side facing Irwin.


    "Irwin, we need to find where those Galubs are coming from! They are obviously from another portal, and although it could be that they managed to flee their own world before it shattered, it is also possible they found another portal world and came through the exit portal! If it''s the latter, that means there is a world with portals and a place to find and farm cards!"


    Irwin blinked, feeling slightly uncomfortable. It took him a few moments to realize what it was, and when he did, he felt somewhat odd. He somehow felt bad about seeing soulskilled beings like nothing but cattle for their cards. He crossed his arms, trying to figure out why he even worried about that. The Galubs had come to Giard together with the other demons and nearly eradicated his people.


    It''s the Imps, he suddenly thought.


    He remembered what Scintilla had told him about the Imps and how they had been normal, peaceful beings before their world shattered. But it wasn''t just that. Before, it had been others who came to them to try and kill them, and they had been defending themselves, either by closing the portals or by wiping out hordes of demons that attacked them. Now they would be the ones invading¡­


    His mind hovered on hesitation for only a moment, then the truth of the situation returned to him.


    The problem is that they are insane and dangerous.


    Even if he wanted to leave them be, they would never leave him or his family alone. As soon as the Galubs found out about this world, they would attack them and simply try to kill everyone. Worse, the people from Giard needed cards because they needed the strength to defend themselves. Otherwise, when the other people of the Portal Gallery found them, they would simply take their world.


    And it was when, not if, he knew. They were too close to the Sesnanser, and eventually, the merchant alliances would send a fleet to recover it. They couldn''t just leave a dangerous entity ready to attack them or pilage their ships and portal hubs.


    As his mind came to grips with going Galub hunting just for their cards, he looked up to see Ambraz hovering before him and Endil standing nearby, staring at him.


    "You okay, Irwin?" Endil asked.


    "Yes," Irwin said as he took a deep breath. "It''s just that I never thought we''d go to another world and kill things for our own gain."


    "They are crazed, close to becoming Addled," Ambraz said, sounding short and cold.


    "I know," Irwin said. "You are right. We need to talk with my brother. He can send a message to Daubutim, though I''m pretty sure that he already thought about this."


    "Seriously? I come up with a great idea, and you just¡­ just¡­ bah!"


    Irwin laughed as he gently poked Ambraz. "Your idea is great. Just because someone else had the same idea doesn''t suddenly diminish the fact that you had it, too!"


    "Right. Right!'' Ambraz said as he began flying around rapidly, laughing. "Hah! So, send him a message that we are going to head out soon!''


    "Not yet," Irwin said. "First, we are going to check for metal, after which we need to continue training Endil so he can at least reforge up to Topaz."


    "But we need to hurry! What if they find us first?" Ambraz said.


    "We have only two ships," Irwin said. "Before we can go too far, we need to have a stable pillar below the exit portal. Do you have any idea how long it will take for those trees to grow?"


    "No idea. Probably years, but I''m sure Daubutim knows."


    Irwin blinked, then nodded, and he turned to Endil, who had been calmly watching and waiting.


    "Endil, I''m going to go with Greldo to the hills on the other side of the Southern Forest and try and search for metal," Irwin said. "If you have any more questions about reforging, ask them now. Otherwise, I''ll probably be gone for two or three days."


    Endil nodded, then looked at the card and frowned. "You told me that cards can be forged against the path they want to take. When I was reforging this one, I sensed a split¡­ was that natural path?"


    "Very likely," Irwin said as he thought back to the reforging he''d watched before. There hadn''t been a moment of a split, so it likely occurred right at the start. "Cards don''t have just one path they can take, and in some cases, the paths that are open are evenly matched."


    "So, how can I force it into one of them?" Endil asked.


    Irwin hummed, then held out his hand for the eye-color card.


    "Ambraz, if you could?" Irwin asked as he took the card.


    "Definitely," Ambraz said, sounding eager. "The better he is, the more likely he''ll get lots of interested Ganvils!"


    Irwin hummed, then grinned. Somehow Ambraz''s remark made him think of young men vying for the hand of a beautiful girl.


    "Alright," he said as he placed the card on Ambraz''s working form while summoning a hammer. "I''m going to slowly start reforging this, and if there''s a split or two good options, you are going to feel me change the melody while my heartcard is going to resonate differently."


    Endil nodded eagerly.


    Irwin brought his hammer down, and as the card resonance began, he felt the same joy he did whenever he was forging. He also immediately sensed the slight wrongness in the card''s melody and resonance due to the slight mistakes Endil had made. A few strikes in, and he was humming deeply, taking his time.


    For weeks, he''d been reforging cards as fast as he could, but now he needed to do it slowly so Endil could sense it. The problem was that he was used to a high tempo, and he noticed that it was taking him a slight effort to go at half pace. Still, as he struck and hummed, he slowly began noticing that he could very clearly detect the tiny inconsistencies in the resonance. At one high peak, the tip was just too flat, and almost without thinking, he forced his heartcards resonance to shove it up, just a twitch.


    The next strike, the tiny inconsistency was far less, and he forced a slight change in tempo.


    Before he knew it, he was nearly lost in his own joy. Only when he felt the card humm contentedly while his own Heartcard was almost singing did he realize he had been holding off even starting the reforging process. All he''d been doing was¡­


    Wait. What was I doing? he thought as he frowned.


    The card''s resonance flickered at his hesitation, and he quickly continued. He struck again, this time forcing the card, which had somehow been hovering in equilibrium towards its next stage, and within another strike, a split so clear it felt like a T in the road appeared. Endil had evidently changed the card along a certain part, likely the one of color if he had to guess, and now there were two options.


    Before he could think, Ambraz hummed a tune, one of the two directions, and Irwin immediately went with that. As he struck, he hummed and sang. "Here!"


    As soon as the word left his mouth, he felt the vibrations, barely perceivable even to his increased sensitivity, minutely influencing the card''s resonance. It didn''t seem to do anything, but as Irwin continued, his curiosity was piqued.


    "Can."


    "You."


    "Sense."


    "It?" he sang, one word on each strike.


    It was partially for Endil but mostly to see what would happen.


    To his surprise, the words seemed to do something with the card''s resonance. It was hard to detect exactly what, but he did know the words hadn''t been what the card had... needed wasn''t the right word, but he didn''t know what it had been. It wasn''t good though.


    Barely noticing what he was doing, he continued reforging the card, humming on occasion to find it didn''t do the same as the words had. When he struck the last blow, he barely looked at the card, not interested in it at all.


    "Ambraz, what was that?" he asked, putting his hands in his side.


    "You ask me?" Ambraz snorted. "You''re the one that reforged away most of the errors in that card! I never taught you that!"


    Irwin was about to answer when he saw Endil staring at the card, then at him in awe.


    "So? Did you sense what I meant?" Irwin asked.


    Endil grimaced. "Sorry. I only felt it when you said now and forced the soft humming to change slightly. It was hard to determine what exactly, as it was the edge of what I could ¡­ hear? Especially with the humming of your heartcard loud enough to make the dust shake on the ground."


    Irwin blinked, then recalled he''d always been sensitive, and with the increase that he got from his Heartcard to him, the song had sounded as loud as they were talking now. After a few moments, he decided to discuss what had happened with the words with Ambraz later.


    "Alright, I''ll reforge it once more," he said as he picked up the card again. The yellow borders were clear and bright, indicating the card was definitely higher than the below eighty percent it had been.


    Another thing to discuss with Ambraz later, he decided.

 Chapter 216: Pots and pans!

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    "Damned demons, how did you find this path again?" Greldo asked.


    Irwin pushed himself further through the thick, bramble-like undergrowth, just as impressed and confused as Greldo.


    Abie looked over her shoulder, her face flat and nearly emotionless but her eyes glittering. She was young, barely twenty, with long light-brown hair braided tight and a thin, lithe body covered in leather that seemed just a bit too big.


    "Well, I moved through the trees when I came through here," she said as she gestured up at the nearly interlocking tree branches that covered the canopy above them. "But I don''t think Irwin can do that?"


    "What climb in trees? We are going to have to find one that can carry his weight first," Greldo said with a loud grin.


    Irwin snorted as he continued pushing forward while the others followed close behind him.


    "Well, at least we aren''t moving that much slower than I was," Abie said from behind them. "A bit more left!"


    Sure, because I''m doing the heavy lifting, Irwin thought as he put his hands below a fallen tree and toppled it to the side, causing it to crash through the undergrowth. A few surprised and startled shouts came from behind when branches whipped about.


    "How can you even know where to go?" he asked.


    "My card grants me the ability to create paths. I can walk them blindfolded if need be," Abi said. "It''s only uncommon, though, so I can only memorize two."


    "That''s still pretty useful," Irwin said.


    "It is, and perhaps you can reforge her card for her?" Greldo shouted from the back of their small three-people line.


    "If Abi is up for it," Irwin said. "It''s going to hurt."


    "Definitely!" Abi shouted, sounding incredibly excited. "Can we do it right now?"


    Irwin blinked while Greldo began laughing from behind.


    "No, I''ll need space and time, and you are going to need a day or two to recover," he said, shaking his head. As he pictured trying to reforge a card in the middle of a thick undergrowth, branches poking in his face and leaves getting stuck in his beard, he laughed.


    "Alright, perhaps we can do it before we set up camp tonight?" Abi asked, not seeming at all deterred.


    "I''ll think about it," Irwin said.


    He could understand her desire to improve her cards, and if need be, Greldo could safely bring her back. After they arrived, all his friend had to do was focus on some of the more permanent shadows, and he''d be able to return here in the blink of an eye.


    A few boring hours later, he was sick and tired of the blocked field of view and constant rustling. When he finally pushed through the canopy and into the open, the gloomy daylight that fell through the sparse forest ahead of him felt like a prize.


    "Finally," he said, walking forward.


    Greldo and Abi followed after him, and as they headed towards the not-so-distant forest edge, flowing dark-green hills began appearing between the distant trees. A few hundred feet later, Irwin whistled as he gazed at the lush green hills with the occasional pockets of trees on their tops and along the sides.


    "Perhaps we should tell your brother to move New Malorin to this side of the forest," Greldo said from the side. "This looks¡­ fantastic!"


    "Unless you can teleport the whole place, I don''t think that''s going to happen," Irwin said, though he did agree with Greldo. Compared to the flat, densely forested land New Malorin was created on now, this might have been a better place to start.


    "Well, the current location is closer to the other cities, meaning that if something bad happens, at least we can get help," he said after a bit. "Still, I think we need to convince Bronwyn to create a road through the forest and a town, or maybe even a second city here."


    They continued enjoying the distant vista for a while, then began walking towards the nearest hill.


    "So, how are we going to find out if there''s any metal here anyway?" Abi asked.


    Irwin was about to answer when Ambraz beat him to it.


    "Don''t worry, kid, I''ll be able to sense if there''s any useful metal if we get close enough," the Anvil said.


    Abi looked at the tiny Anvil wide-eyed for a while before seeming to gather the courage to speak again.


    "Are you really not a summon?" she asked.


    Irwin held back a grin while Ambraz snorted. "You people! Bah! When is Daubutim going to start creating those schools already!"


    "We kinda need more houses, food, and other things first," Greldo said. There was an odd shimmering in the air beside him, and Coal stepped out. The charbull-sized hound looked around, sniffed a bit, and then began slowly cantering away, sniffing at certain spots.


    Irwin looked at Greldo, who had begun raising his head and sniffing softly.


    "What''s wrong?" Irwin asked.


    "Coal smells something, but it''s so old and faint that I can''t even pick it up," Greldo said.


    "Something dangerous?" Irwin asked as he began looking around.


    "Hard to say," Greldo said. "Let''s just check the nearest hill first. Maybe there''s more there."


    Irwin hesitated for only a moment before he nodded. If Greldo couldn''t even smell it, that meant the scents had to be so old that whatever had made them was long gone.


    It took them a while to reach the foot of the first hill, which looked a whole lot higher when they stood below. A small trail of trees led up to the top, which seemed completely covered in them. By now, Abi was showing the first signs of becoming weary.


    "You two stay here for a bit," Irwin said as he looked up. "I''ll go check if Ambraz can detect any metal up there, then I''ll get back."


    "Sure, but you going to have to wait till I''m back, checking for any danger," Greldo said happily just as he walked into the shadow of a tree and disappeared.


    Irwin and Abi waited, Abi leaning against a tree.


    After a minute or two, she suddenly looked up.


    "Say¡­ did they ever discover what those green birds were?" she asked,


    "No, there were only a few, to begin with, and those all disappeared shortly after we began building cities," Irwin said.


    "Well¡­" Abi whispered, still looking down.


    Irwin quickly walked beside her and followed her gaze. Four differently tinted green birds sat hidden close to the tree trunk, staring at them quietly. Irwin stared back, not sure what to do. The birds had shown no sign of hostility, and a few of the rangers had reported that they had been warned of incoming packs of razorteeth and wandering sixhorns.


    "Hey guys," Irwin said as he waved at the birds. One of them blinked, then flew away in a rustle of feathers and leaves while the other three continued staring at him.


    Not sure what to do, Irwin smiled faintly. "Say, you wouldn''t happen to know of any metal in the ground nearby, right?" he asked, feeling stupid for even talking to the birds.


    To his surprise, the three birds began chattering, two looking at each other almost as if they were discussing something while the third cocked its head and looked around.


    "What the¡­" Irwin began, just as the birds all looked beside him as one. Irwin turned around in surprise just as Greldo appeared out of the shadows. His eyes widened as he saw Irwin stare at him.


    "How¡­"


    The Irwin looked back at the birds. "The birds can see you¡­ I think," he said.


    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    Greldo moved beside him, and the three birds looked at him. Irwin could almost swear they seemed smug.


    "Ah, those things," Greldo muttered. "Yeah, they sometimes appear just before I step out of the shadows. Even had one fly overhead when I was moving on one of my scouting missions a while ago. He actually managed to keep up with me for a short while. Anyway, there''s nothing dangerous up there. There was a group of four adult sixhorns and a few smaller ones, but they ran when I showed myself and hit one in the head."


    Irwin looked at him, then grinned. "You just appeared next to it and kicked it?"


    "Pretty much," Greldo replied. "They ran down the other side of the hill, and I watched them head into a small patch of trees before disappearing."


    "Alright, then stay here with Abi while Ambraz and I go and see what''s going on," Irwin said.


    He cast one more glance at the birds before walking up the hill.


    "Still nothing?" he asked after they were halfway up.


    "No metal yet," Ambraz grunted. "But that makes sense. It''s not like there''s metal in every hill! Besides, I can''t really sense any simple, mundane metals unless there''s a massive vein."


    They continued up until they reached the edge of the small forest that covered the top of the hill, and then Irwin walked around it. When they came full circle, Ambraz had detected nothing, and somewhat disheartened, he walked back down.


    "So, nothing," Greldo said when they reached the base of the hill again.


    "No," Irwin said as he looked back up and then to the side. The day was rapidly ending, with the sun on its last hour before it would be setting.


    "While you were gone, I had a better idea," Greldo said as he walked towards him.


    Irwin raised an eyebrow.


    "How about Ambraz come with me, and I just go through the shadows after it''s dark? I can move much faster, and we can check a much larger area that way!"


    Irwin blinked, then felt like hitting himself. How could he not have thought of that?


    "Ambraz, what do you think?" he asked.


    "Sure, although I''m not sure if I can sense the metal while we are in the shadows," he said, sounding uncertain.


    "No problem, I''ll just dash in and out a bit while we move. How high can we go?" Greldo asked.


    "The lower, the better," Ambraz said.


    "Alright, that''s too bad."


    "It''s still going to be fast," Irwin said as he looked around. "How about we just make camp on this hill?"


    As none of the others had a better idea, they headed back up the hill, stopping when they reached a large, uneven ridge covered in moss and with some trees at the top.


    "This will do," Greldo said as he looked around. "I''ll be right back."


    As he disappeared, Irwin looked around, noting a lot of wood everywhere. "I''ll get some dry wood and make a fire," he said. "You just rest a bit."


    Abi looked at him with wide eyes, nodding quickly. "Sure. Can we do my card after that?"


    Irwin hesitated, feeling slightly bad to dash her hopes. "It''s best we wait till Greldo and Ambraz return," he said. "Otherwise, if we need to move quickly or fight, you wouln''td be unable to."


    "You''re right," Abi said before quickly turning and moving away some branches and debris from the spot they had picked.


    When Greldo returned, Irwin had created a fire on the open area beside the ridge, and they had flattened the soil. A few large rocks he''d found stood near the fire as makeshift chairs, and the two small tents they had brought were set up a safe distance from the fire. It was the only thing they had enough of nowadays, with everyone having brought their simple tents with them to Eluathar.


    "Alright, there''s no sign of anything anywhere nearby," Greldo said as he sat down on the rock.


    "Good, then let''s eat some nuts," Irwin said, removing a package of food.


    "Urgh! I seriously can''t stand these things," Greldo muttered. "I can''t wait till the first caravan comes with bread."


    "You are going to have to wait a few more weeks then," Irwin said. "The first fields are only being used for Cartofs."


    "Whatever. Anything is better than these things," Greldo muttered as he held up part of a hand-sized nut.


    "They aren''t that bad," Abi said as she took a small bite. "Compared to starving."


    Irwin looked at her, then at Greldo, who sighed and nodded. "Most things are better than starving," he said as he slowly chewed on his own bland nuts.


    After they finished eating, they continued chatting about things, with Abi telling them about how she''d reached Malorin. Eventually, the sun sank below the distant forest line, and Greldo and Ambraz took off.


    "Do you think there''s metal here?" Abi asked from the other side of the small fire.


    "Probably," Irwin said as Abi stifled a yawn. "The thing now is if we can find it. Now, go and sleep. I''ll stay awake until they return."


    Abi stiffened as she looked at him. "Are you sure? What if something happens?"


    "You went here, then back, and without more than a few hours rest, you came here again," Irwin said, waving at the tent. "Don''t worry. If something happens, I''ll wake you up."


    He didn''t add that if anything happened that he couldn''t deal with, the chances of her being able to help were probably non-existent.


    Abi nodded and, after a short while, moved into her tent.


    It didn''t take too long before Irwin could hear a soft snoring from her tent, and he got up, beginning to pace in front of the fire. He hoped Ambraz could find some metal somewhere because it would increase their productivity immensely.


    Though we will still have to dig it up, he thought.


    As he moved back and forth in front of the softly popping fire, he thought about the things they would be doing after. His brother had sent a message to Lord Bron, asking him to discuss sending Susin to the other side of the exit portal and have her work on growing the trees below the portal. That would give them a place to build a harbor on the other side, which would improve their safety.


    Nuts, fish, and soon Cartofs would mean they had enough food to last the winter. If it came and if it was as long as the ones they were used to, of course.


    A long time later, when the large moon was nearly straight above his head, Greldo appeared near the stones. His massive grin and Ambraz''s instant flying around excitedly told Irwin all he needed to know.


    "So, you found some?" he asked.


    "Some? Some!?" Ambraz snapped, far too loud. "There''s a massive vein of what you call Degnin Iron with large amounts of Lurast Iron a few hills west of here!"


    Irwin couldn''t stop smiling widely. This was about the best news they could have, besides the same metal being found closer to the city. But even then¡­


    "Is it deep?" he asked.


    "No¡­ well, yes, but not compared to what it could be," Ambraz said as he landed on his shoulder.


    "Tell him about the other thing," Greldo said as he sat down on one of the rocks, grinning at Irwin.


    "Ugh, I''m getting to that," Ambraz said. "There are traces of raw Paldyrin Iron ore in the same hill. It''s really deep, near the edge of what I can sense, but it''s definitely there!"


    This time, Irwin nearly stood up. "You''re sure?" he asked, licking his lips.


    "Yes," Ambraz said, his metal lips angled up widely.


    Irwin jolted back up and began pacing around again. Paldyrin Iron was the strongest, most durable metal he knew that wasn''t special. Swords and shields made of it were as strong as the simplest of uncommon and rare swords, and it was the perfect metal for large structures, gates, and hinges for doors. It didn''t rust, and its only real downside was that it was slightly heavier than the other options. Even then, it could be mixed with the other ores to create stronger and tougher alloys.


    "This is fantastic," he said as he looked at Greldo.


    "You don''t have to tell me," his friend said. "With some luck, that means we can get frying pans and pots so people can actually cook stuff again!"


    "That too," Irwin said as he nodded. "We can also get weapons for the guards and rangers without soulcarded versions."


    "Saws and axes for the woodsmen, which will come in handy because we are going to need to make a path towards New Malorin," Greldo said.


    Irwin nodded, and they continued chatting for a while before Greldo went to sleep. Only Irwin remained awake, unable to sleep as he kept thinking about items they could finally make when they had metal, from anvils for Endil to tongs, locks, door handles, and so much more.


    When the others woke, he was sitting in front of the fire, which he''d kept going, staring into the flickering flames.


    "Don''t you need sleep?" Abi asked, snapping Irwin out of daydream of creating a massive metal structure below the portal.


    "He''s fine," Greldo snapped as he got out of his tent. "His card sleeps for him!"


    Irwin grinned as he rose and looked at the others. He''d thought up a plan to speed up the path from the hill to New Malorin, and he wanted to start right away.


    "Let''s pack up. You need to show me which hill it is," he said.


    His enthusiasm proved infectious, and soon, they had everything packed and were munching on some more nuts as they walked down the hill toward the west.


    "It''s the second one that passed that one. You can just see the tip there," Greldo said, pointing in the distance.


    Irwin saw a slightly sharper hilltop sticking out from behind the next hill, trees on one side.


    "Good, good," he said, ignoring the curious glances he got from the others.


    It took them a while to cross the hill and reach the one Greldo meant. Besides the sharper side tip, there was nothing different about it that would have told it had metal, but according to Ambraz, none of the surrounding hills had any.


    "So, the vein seems to start here," Ambraz said, hovering above a grassy area just to the side of a steep slope that ended at an area with trees sixty or more feet above them.


    Irwin nodded as he looked at the spot and then around.


    "Alright, I''m going to make a bit of a hole here so other people can easily find it," he said. "Back up."


    The others did as asked, and when they were clear, Irwin summoned his hammer. Raising it high above his head, he swung it down, enlarging it just before it hit the ground with a deafening boom. Sand, grass, soil, and rock flew everywhere as he created a shallow pit. Staring at it, Irwin suddenly thought of something.


    "How much deeper?" he asked.


    "If you''re asking if you can hammer your way to it, it''s still twelve feet down," Ambraz said with a snort.


    Twelve feet, huh, Irwin thought as he looked at the ground below his feet. Then he grinned.


    "Stay back," he roared as he grabbed his hammer with two hands.


    --


    "You really could have waited," Greldo said.


    Irwin grunted, moving the massive chunk of Degnin Iron to a better spot on his shoulders. He''d managed to find a chunk three times the size of his own upper body, which he could carry. That didn''t mean he was having fun. Each step pushed his feet deep into the soft soil, and only halfway through, he was already weary.


    Even then, he wasn''t planning on leaving the thing behind.


    "Well, at least this is going to make creating a road easier," Greldo said with a laugh. "And you already created such a huge pit, so getting the first metal ore will be easier."


    Irwin snorted as he shoved the massive block further through the jungle.


    When they finally stepped out of the Southern Forest and saw New Malorin''s southern gate, Abi stopped being shocked. Instead, she walked past Irwin and glanced at him.


    "Any chance you could reforge my card tonight?" she asked. "I''ve got two days rest now¡­"


    "Sure¡­ come¡­ find¡­ me¡­ tonight," Irwin managed in between gasps, somehow managing a grin.


    Besides, he knew that after putting the metal in the smithy, it wouldn''t take all that long for his absurd endurance to help him recover.


    "At the Volcano Smithy?" Abi asked.


    Is there another smithy? Irwin thought, but he just nodded.


    "Alright, I''ll go and tell Bronwyn what we found," she said enthusiastically before running off.


    Irwin continued walking after her while Greldo hummed a song. After half a minute, Greldo sighed.


    "Man, you are so slow," he said with mock sadness. "Well, I''ll just go and tell your mom we are back¡­ and tell the guards to open the door. Oh! And warn Endil what you are bringing!"


    Irwin saw him sprint off, Coal following close behind him.


    Sure, I''ll just continue ahead, Irwin thought, but as weary as he was, he couldn''t stop thinking about his mother''s happy face when he gave her a pan and some other utensils.

 Chapter 217: Frying pan

    Irwin hummed happily as he struck down on the large chunk of deformed dark red and orange metal. It was flattening rapidly, but he had to make sure not to use too much force because he didn''t want to puncture it. Instead, he needed to make it into a large, flat sheet.


    Two days had passed since he''d returned, and a group of woodsmen were working hard at chopping a path through the forest. It would take weeks, even with their carded abilities, making Irwin even more happy that he''d brought the massive chunk of ore.


    Even if it was a pain, he thought, remembering carrying the ridiculously heavy object through the forest and into the smithy. He''d had to split it apart by heating it with his flame and then ripping it into chunks before he could even get it inside.


    "I can''t wait to see the first pots, pans, and utensils," Endil shouted happily from the other side of the smithy.


    Irwin looked back, grinning at the other smith. Endil was puffing loudly as he worked the smelter''s bellows. Even then, he was grinning happily. The chunks of metal lay beside him, ready to be tossed into the smelter.


    "We have to make sure we don''t forget some butcher knives," Irwin shouted back over the constant bubbling and hissing of the smelter and the whooshing of the bellows. "I''ll also need to make myself a proper shaving knife!"


    The idea of finally removing the thick, metal-wire beard made him happy, though he worried if the Degnin wouldn''t be too soft.


    He shoved the needless worry away and looked at the mass of contained fire rippling around the metal he was hitting. A part of it was licking the sides of Ambraz, but the Anvil wasn''t bothered. He could have used his flame to melt the rest of the iron ore, but Endil had said they couldn''t only rely on his card. If he wasn''t there, Endil would need to be able to melt things, and he didn''t have a fire card.


    I really need to get some proper smithing cards for him when I can, Irwin thought as he looked over his shoulder. Endil had one full-hand of cards that mostly dealt with body-improvement. His first card, an uncommon hammer card, was the only true smithing card he had; it was a gift from his grandfather, Rhym.


    Irwin thought about Rhym for a bit while he kept the flame at the exact heat the Anvil had instructed him to. As he kept hitting the now uneven, squarish metal sheet, traces of grimy stone and other impurities were slowly oozing down. He absently wondered why they had remained in the metal even after Endil had melted it. According to Ambraz, his strikes pushed out the remaining impurities due to the soulforce infused blows.


    I still wonder why purifying works if you don''t have your own soulforce, Irwin thought.


    He''d asked Ambraz, who had actually been stumped, and eventually muttered something about the ambient Soulforce.


    Irwin continued hitting it, pondering the many oddities. He was wearing nothing but his rough leather smithing pants and tiny sparks and metal globs pelted his chest and arms harmlessly as he worked. It didn''t take long for the metal to be changed into a large, roughly one-inch thick sheet, slightly bent and still uneven on some parts. Examining it, he nodded. He was pretty sure it would be enough for their eventual goal. Besides, they would cut it up before creating anything out of it anyway.


    Ambraz seemed to agree.


    "Alright, that''s enough for now," the Anvil shouted. "And make sure to wipe some of that grime off me! It''s disgusting!"


    Irwin grabbed the glowing hot metal sheet, only slightly painful to his fingers, and quickly placed it against the temporary stone anvil. Three others stood on the other sides, now effectively hiding the stone from sight. He clapped his hands a few times before wiping off most of the gunk from Ambraz. When the Anvil seemed content, he walked towards Endil.


    "How much metal do you think is in here?" he asked, patting the remaining chunks of metal that lay on the ground. He knew that Endil had far more knowledge about the more archaic form of smithing they were doing now.


    Although Endil was slightly younger than he was, he had learned smithing from his father, who himself was the son of a blacksmith. This meant that Endil had a wealth of knowledge that spanned generations.


    "Hard to say. Some parts of it have far more impurities than others," Endil said in between ragged breathing.


    Irwin grinned as he waved him from the bellows. Endil didn''t seem to mind at all, quickly stepping away. Irwin grabbed the handles of wooden makeshift bellows, forcing them open and closed with ease. He was still surprised at how fast they had made them. Endil and one of the carpenters had cooperated on it, and although it was obviously not perfect, it would do for a while.


    "Let''s just say that it''s a good thing that we don''t need to make any weapons or armor," Endil said as he looked at the stone pot into which the slag was pouring. "There will be enough to make tools for the butcher, the carpenters, and the inn, who will need more pots and pans. Still, there should be enough if you want to put some things for sale?"


    Irwin thought about it for a bit, then nodded. "That might be for the best," he said. "If we just give away everything, people will get the wrong idea."


    "Alright, then, we will need someone to furnish and man the shopfront unless you want us to do it?"


    Irwin hummed, then shrugged. "How about you decide on this? I''m not sure how long I''ll be here, and eventually, you are going to have to do most of the work. It''s best if you find someone you can trust."


    As he spoke, Irwin saw Endil''s eyes gleam happily.


    "Sure! My wife''s younger brother needs something to do."


    Irwin just nodded, not really caring that much. Although he was enjoying working with the metal, he quickly found that it wasn''t what he really wanted to do. His true passion had become reforging cards. Even if he had stayed here, that was what he''d want to spend most of his time on, and for that, they needed cards.


    "Can you decide on what to make with this?" he said.


    Endil''s smile faded, replaced by a thoughtful look as he gazed at the metal ore and then at the sheets they already had.


    "Sure. I''ll go and find some paper and a pen. It''s best that we start keeping a ledger," Endil said as he turned and walked out of the smithy.


    Irwin took a deep breath and looked around happily. The smithy was an empty mess with just some makeshift tools, missing all of the more luxurious things he''d had back on Scour. Even then, it felt his, even more so than his smithy back in Grianf¨¢l. Part of him felt odd about that, knowing he''d just asked Endil to take care of so much.


    He remained dazed off, enjoying the view for a short while before focusing back on the bellows.


    The rest of the day passed rapidly, and they stopped when the sun ducked below the buildings around the square.


    As Irwin walked back home, he was carrying a simple but effective frying pan. He''d made it himself under the guidance of Endil and an incredibly annoyed Ambraz.


    "Stop looking so content with that! You need to practice smithing more," Ambraz said, not for the first time.


    "We will," Irwin said. "But only for a bit. I prefer working with cards."


    "Ugh! Of course you do," Ambraz snorted. "Everyone would! But what kind of smith can''t even make a proper pan?"


    Irwin grinned as he looked at the slightly uneven, wooden-handled dark gray pan. "It''s not that bad."


    Ambraz snorted, then muttered something in his own language that Irwin didn''t catch. Probably for the better, he thought.


    As he passed through the streets, many people eyed him and his pan. One older woman, thin but with almost burning eyes, stepped forward.


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    "Smith Irwin, are you going to have some useful things on sale soon?" she asked, her gaze not leaving the pan in his hand.


    "There should be some things starting in a few days," Irwin said.


    "Will you accept cloth or leather worked products instead of copper?" the woman asked.


    Irwin blinked, then inspected her, noticing that her clothes were simple but of good quality, as were her belt and boots.


    "Probably," he said. "We will need smithing skirts, pants, and some other things for the smithy. You can see Endil for the details tomorrow before we close up."


    "Perfect," the woman said as he stared at the pan before looking up at him. "I''ll make sure to start on some things I used to make for the smiths in Degonda!"


    Irwin nodded, and with a final look at the pan, the woman turned and walked away.


    "See?" Irwin said as he looked at Ambraz. "It''s not that bad."


    Ambraz let out a long, weary sigh. "Kid, that''s because beggars can''t be choosers! You better practice before you actually sell a pan with the smithies symbol on it!"


    Irwin nodded, but the woman''s interest had increased his mood even more.


    He reached their house without any more interruptions, knocking on the door. After a few moments, it was opened, and he was surprised to see Bronwyn.


    "You''re early," he said, happy to see his brother would join them for dinner.


    Bronwyn didn''t react, and seeing his tight face, Irwin immediately knew something was up.


    "What?" he asked.


    "Let''s sit down first. I''ll tell everyone at the same time," Bronwyn muttered before looking at the pan Irwin was holding. "What do you have¡­ oh! Mom''s going to love that."


    Irwin nodded, but his previous joy was dampened. He didn''t say anything but followed Bronwyn to the kitchen where his mother and Carla were sitting. Both looked slightly worried, but as his mother''s eye fell on the pan, she almost jumped to her feet.


    "Where did you get that?!"


    Irwin forced himself to smile as he walked to the table and handed the pan to his mother.


    "I made it, of course," he said.


    "Of course? I thought you only did cards?" his mother asked as she examined the pan, nodding thoughtfully.


    "I can make other things, too," Irwin said as he sat down, turning to Bronwyn.


    "Good," his mother said as she rubbed her hands across the pan. "Good, now if we could get some eggs¡­" she muttered.


    Irwin nodded absently. "So¡­ what''s wrong?" he asked.


    Bronwyn sat down beside Calra, seemingly collecting his thoughts. After a few moments, he began talking, quickly making everyone focus fully on him.


    "Clarish just arrived with a message from Daubutim. Xi''kroak returned from his scouting mission early. He spotted three Galub ships¡­ or ships that the Galubs raided more like. They were roughly a day''s travel west of the exit portal and disappeared through a narrow strip of the Portal Gallery. Apparently, it was a similar passage leading away from the mounts as the one you said you used. Xi''kroak said that the path likely leads back to the branch that Sesnanser is on."


    So, there are more ways to get here? Irwin thought, annoyed. He and Daubutim had hoped that there was only a single path to this branch, which they would have been able to block and guard. Now, they would have to find out how many paths led back. Hopefully, it would be only this other one, but somehow, he doubted it.


    "Dammit," he exclaimed, rubbing his forehead.


    "Irwin Roddington, no cursing in my house," his mother said, but there was little fire in it. She was looking at him, then Bronwyn. "Does that mean we are going to get attacked"? she asked with a deep, profound sadness in her voice.


    "No," Irwin said before blinking and turning to Bronwyn. "They didn''t see or follow Xi''kroak?"


    "He says they didn''t," Bronwyn said. "Daubutim and Lord Bron have sent every carded that can help to the exit portal to speed up the growth of the trees below the portal even more. They didn''t expect any trouble but asked if you can go there just in case¡­"


    Irwin had guessed at much. "I''ll go and talk with Greldo in the morning," he said.


    "No need," Bronwyn said with a half-grin. "He''s sleeping in the guestroom."


    Irwin immediately felt better. His mother and Carla began asking questions while his mind began wandering off. If there were Galubs nearby, that meant the portal Ambraz had suggested was there could be closer than they had thought. That, or the Galubs, were scouting far from home.


    If we can grab those ships, he thought.


    They continued talking and eating, but Irwin''s mind wasn''t in it. When he finally lay in his bed, the door closed, he was wondering about some things.


    "Ambraz, what if we close the portal temporarily?" he asked. "You said we can open it from the inside again, and that way we could just-"


    "It''s not going to work," Ambraz said. "It''s going to take a long time for the temperature around the portal to drop to any normal levels again. Even those Galubs will know that something is up, and they will likely start searching. Because the portal was open, it will be much easier to find for a long while."


    Irwin grunted, placing his hands behind his head and glaring at the ceiling. Why couldn''t they just be left alone? First, it was those things chasing them because they were Galadin, then whoever was kidnapping the smiths, and now-


    Irwin''s mind locked up for a moment as a bunch of thoughts suddenly connected. Then he pushed himself up, staring at Ambraz, who was lying in a nook in the wall.


    "You said you were surprised by how fast me, Endil, Trimdir, and the others learned card reforging, right?" he asked slowly.


    "Yeah. It''s ridiculous, really," Ambraz said. "I''ve only heard rumors about anyone becoming topaz in under a year from the mainbranch."


    "I''d say it''s pretty likely because we are Galadin?"


    "Yeah, that makes sense," Ambraz snorted. "What are you getting at?"


    "What if that''s why someone is searching for cardsmiths?" Irwin said. "To find the Galadin?"


    Ambraz was quiet, then flew out of his nook and began flying around.


    "That¡­ makes sense. Perhaps after Fiverion opened the portal to Giard, they somehow detected Galadin''s but couldn''t find them?"


    "And they are trying to find smiths to determine what is going on¡­." Irwin agreed, becoming slightly worried. "Who is even doing this so that they can search and kidnap smiths all across the Portal Galery?"


    "Who says it''s everywhere?" Ambraz snorted. "If this is true, I''d say it''s probably only the Langost branch, which would explain why the Smith''s Guild is pulling everyone away from it."


    "How can they even detect us across such distances?" Irwin muttered.


    "No idea, but that''s probably the question the Galadin of old have tried to figure out for¡­. Well, forever, probably," Ambraz said.


    Irwin kept thinking, but eventually, his mind drifted off, and he fell into a deep, restless sleep.


    --


    "Alright, you boys, be safe," Irwin''s mother said as she looked at Irwin and Greldo. She had her arms crossed before her chest and looked calm, but Irwin could see the worry in her eyes.


    "Don''t worry, we will be fine," Irwin said, smiling at his mother. "I''ll send a message if anything happens, but we will probably stay in Portal Keep or on the ships for a while."


    His mother nodded, then gave him a quick hug.


    Irwin looked at Greldo, who grabbed his hand and took a deep breath.


    "We could ask Clarish to-" Irwin began, only for the shadows around them to wrap around them like a blanket, muting his words.


    The next thing he knew, he was standing in a small room with a single bed and some clothes and other things lying around. Greldo stumbled forward, breathing raggedly.


    "You alright?" Irwin asked as he looked at this friend worriedly.


    Greldo swallowed a few times, his face pale. Finally, after a minute, he stood up straight and exhaled.


    "Ambraz, if my second heartcard is fully focused on teleporting, will this stop happening?" he asked with a rough voice.


    "Yes, but you will get better results if you focus on increasing your soullake and soulstability," Ambraz said. "Getting more teleportation cards won''t help with this one unless you plan on taking a second, different teleportation skill."


    Greldo shook his head. "No way. One is plenty; I just want to be able to use it without nearly vomiting if I take anyone along beyond a short distance."


    "Don''t worry, Hairy, I''ll keep an eye out for the cards to help with that," Ambraz said with a laugh.


    "So¡­ this is your room?" Irwin asked as he looked around, noticing the tightly closed, shuttered windows on one side.


    "Yeah. Basil got all of us one. Yours is beside mine," Greldo muttered as he waved to the side. "Then there''s a few for Rindiri and her kids, Bendi and Monique."


    Irwin looked up in surprise. He''d not seen either Bendi or Monique since a few days after they found Eluathar and had almost forgotten about them.


    "What have those two been up to?" he asked.


    "Bendi has been going out with the rangers, and if you ask me, he will probably hide if you ask him to come along. I hang out around him for a few days to make sure he wasn''t up to anything, but all he''s been doing is scouting, hunting and¡­ well he just looks like he is very happy with where he is."


    "Really?" Irwin asked, feeling surprised by this. Bendi had been to other worlds from what he knew.


    "I think it''s because of the exploring," Greldo said. "Some of the rangers he goes out with asked him about it, and his answer mostly coincides with this."


    Irwin hummed thoughtfully, then nodded. "Good, then it''s best we leave him here for the foreseeable future," he said. "He''s too much of a troublemaker. We can pick him back up if we ever head out to Dimarintsia or one of the other large worlds."


    "Yeah, that''s probably the best," Greldo said with a grin.


    "And Monique?" Irwin asked, raising an eyebrow.


    Greldo grinned. "She''s been trying very hard to be helpful and ingrain herself with Basil, but to her utter annoyance, her very subtle attempts have been met with a total shutdown."


    It took a few moments before Irwin realized what Greldo meant, then his eyes widened, and his mouth fell open. "She was trying to seduce Basil?"


    "Yeah, it was really fun to watch," Greldo said. "I''m pretty sure it started out as a way to get a form of power for herself, but as Basil stonewalled her again and again, it seems she''s actually interested in him now."


    Irwin barked a laugh, then shook his head. "Well, I''m glad to hear that she''s going to be leaving me alone from now on."


    "Oh, don''t worry about that. From what I''ve seen, she''s afraid you are going to take away her chance of staying here and creating a future for her family," Greldo said with a grin. "I think she should have been a merchant instead of a smith!"


    Irwin nodded. "Did she do any smithing?" he asked thoughtfully.


    "Only the bare minimum," Greldo said. "She reforged a couple of cards, but mostly to get in a few of the guard and ranger''s good books."


    "Do we need to be worried about her?" Irwin asked with a frown.


    "Nah! I had a chat with Basil and some of the others, and they all know exactly what type she is. It¡¯ll be fine," Greldo said. "Besides, Clarish seems not to like her, and she''s keeping an eye out, too."


    Irwin thought about that and couldn''t help but smile as he recalled when Clarish and Endil were chatting. He faintly recalled the smith having an eye on her long ago, but it seemed it might be more mutual now.


    "Well, you feel better now?" he asked.


    "Course I do," Greldo said as he walked to the door. "Let''s go and tell Basil we are here and head out to the ships."

 Chapter 218: Shadowwalker

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    Irwin and Greldo walked through the outer wall of Portal Keep until they found Basil and Xi''kroak. Seeing the Da''xi leader, Irwin noticed a gleam on the other''s face plates and a glitter in his eyes.


    "Smith Irwin," Xi''kroak boomed, causing Basil to look up. "It is good to see you again."


    "Captain Xi''kroak, how are you?" Irwin asked.


    "Fine. The building of the Da''xi district is going well, though I would have liked more space," Xi''kroak said.


    Irwin wasn''t surprised as he recalled how much space the different species'' distract had been back in Fiverio. "Daubutim has good reasons to limit the area given to any single district."


    "I know, and although his reasoning is sound, it will take some getting used to," Xi''kroak said. "Especially with the Frozir district nearby."


    Irwin raised an eyebrow, then noticed Basil shaking his head, mouthing no.


    Okay, let''s just leave that for now, Irwin thought. He turned to the central court and the heavily fortified tower that housed the exit portal. "How are things on the other side?"


    "Good so far. I take it Lord Bron told you about what Xi''kroak saw?" Basil asked.


    "Yes, that''s why I''m here," Irwin said. "How is the growth of the trees going?"


    Xi''kroak hummed, answering before Basil could. "The temperature has increased and stabilized. Between this and the carded, the vegetation is flourishing. Still, it will take at least a month or two before the trees grow up to the exit portal and at least another month before the branches are thick enough to hold any type of structure."


    "Then we need to make sure no Galub ships find us, or if they do, that we take care of them before they can flee," Irwin said.


    "Which is why I have a suggestion," Xi''kroak said. "You and The Sonata stay behind at the portal, and I''ll go with The Zura''ix and Greldo and hunt for Galub raiders. Each additional ship we can get will increase our safety and ability to protect ourselves."


    Irwin felt a twinge of worry and looked at Greldo, who was nodding slowly.


    "That''s a good idea," Greldo said. "Will La''suna be joining us?"


    Xi''kroak grimaced as he shook his head. "I''m afraid my mate will be remaining here for the foreseeable future. We are expecting our first brood."


    There was a moment of silence before Basil grinned and slapped the surprised Da''xi on his shoulder. "That''s fantastic! Congratulations!"


    Irwin and Greldo added their own well wishes while Xi''kroak looked at them quietly, his face plates opening and closing slightly. From his time with the captain, Irwin knew it meant the Da''xi was slightly uncomfortable.


    "Thank you, though it would have been better if it had happened in a few years," Xi''kroak said with a dismissive gesture.


    Irwin shared a quick look with Geldo, wondering why Xi''kroak seemed surprised that it had happened. It wasn''t like he hadn''t had a hand in it¡­ Irwin suddenly wondered how Da''xi mating even went, but he quickly shelved the idea of asking Xi''kroak. From all he''d learned about Da''xi, being open to personal questions wasn''t one of them.


    "Then let''s go and head through the exit portal," Irwin said.


    "One thing," Basil said quickly, turning to Xi''kroak. "Daubutm and Lord Bron have decreed that any cards found are to be handed to Irwin and the smiths for reforging."


    Xi''kroak''s face plates rattled softly, and although he nodded, Irwin knew the captain wasn''t all that happy with the message. Still, he gave no complaints.


    "I will tell my crew," the Da''xi simply said.


    "Thank you, Captain Xi''kroak," Basil said, suddenly far more formal. "I''m sure you can understand why we must do this. We have very few carded and too many needs, so all cards will be divided to those who will be able to help us all the most."


    "I understand," Xi''kroak said. "There will be no issue."


    Irwin hummed as he thought about going to the ship and what would happen if Galub raiders found them.


    "Basil, can you send a message to Rindiri and ask her to come? If we need to do any ship-to-ship combat, I''d prefer having her with me," he said after a while.


    Basil nodded. "I already sent her a message, and she should arrive in a few hours."


    "I''ll also send four of my men your way," Xi''kroak said.


    Irwin nodded, and they discussed a few details before Basil led them through the building, across the open square, and into the tower.


    Irwin hadn''t been to the exit portal since the building had been built, and as he walked inside, he was surprised by the sheer thickness of the walls. After walking up a wide, high staircase, they entered a spacious hall, empty but very obviously inspired by Fiverion''s. A pillar with door-sized openings and a circular desk stood in the middle, and he couldn''t help but wonder how it might look in a dozen or two dozen years from now. Would it be filled with people going on and off the world?


    Unlike the building on Fiverion, which had a staircase up, their staircase led down a single story to a room with a massive stone door, which was partially open. Guards and rangers were training in the room, some shooting at distant targets with bows and spells while others were having mock battles. A few stood near the back, guarding the portal that hovered a few inches above the ground.


    "They practice here?" Irwin asked as he looked around.


    "Yeah, that was Daubutim''s idea," Basil said. "He thought that until we get far more powerful, it would be best to keep a lot of guards here in case of an emergency."


    Irwin stopped before the portal and looked at the swirling mass. He''d not been through a portal since returning, and he felt a slight regret that he had to go. Even if it was for only a short while, he had hoped that when he left, it would be to go exploring, not just for guard duty.


    "See you on the other side," he said as he grinned at Greldo. Then he jumped in.


    A moment later, he was dropping down the familiar corridor. Instinctively, he looked around, but there was no movement behind the energy barrier.


    The trip was long and boring, and when he finally reached the end, he was glad for it. As he slammed into the ending, the world turned black, then he stood on the deck of a ship. Looking around, he saw dozens of guards and rangers, most with bows or other ranged weapons out. A short distance away, the Zura''ix hung in the air, Da''xi moving around, cleaning the sails and seeming busy.


    Irwin quickly walked away from the portal so nobody would bump into him, just as someone called out his name.


    "Smith Irwin!"


    Irwin turned to see Jort walk his way, silvery eyes gleaming.


    "Jort, how have you been?" Irwin said as he walked towards the ranger from Malorin.


    "Fine, though I''d have preferred if things remained boring instead of interesting," the short, dexterous man said as he accepted Irwin''s handshake.


    "I didn''t know Bronwyn sent you here," Irwin said just as Greldo appeared from the portal.


    "Daubutim said that all heartcarded rangers and guards were to assist with protecting the exit portal," Jort said as he shrugged.


    Irwin could see the slight humor in his eyes, and he couldn''t blame him.


    "All of them, huh?" he said with a grin. "So you and all your friends?"


    Jort grinned, shaking his head as he looked at Greldo, who joined them.


    "So, you are here because of those Galub raiders that were spotted?"


    Irwin nodded and quickly explained to Jort what their plan was going to be. The ranger nodded, and Irwin could see his relief when he heard that Irwin was going to be staying with the portal.


    Xi''kroak joined them a minute later. After a short discussion, the Da''xi captain floated back to his own ship to send back four of his crewmen.


    We need to practice way more, Irwin thought as he looked around. Basil had said that with only two ships, they had done what they could, but they really needed more ships.


    A short while later, he was standing beside Greldo as Xi''kroak was sailing forward.


    "Make sure you don''t get killed," Irwin said as he looked at his friend, who just snorted. "Don''t worry, I''ll be fine. You better guard this portal!"


    Irwin grinned, and Greldo waved before vanishing. Irwin looked at the quickly distancing ship before sighing.


    You better be careful.


    --


    Greldo was standing on the prow of the ship, his eyes scanning the mountain range to their right that continued seemingly without end. They were nearly a day from the exit portal, closing in on where Xi''kroak had previously seen the Galub Raiders.


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    The temperature was surprisingly high, which, in hindsight, was probably a major problem. The only reason for that would be if a portal had opened, and the Galub would know this. The only good thing was that due to the height of the portalworld, it was probably much farther away than the Galubs would believe.


    "Incoming ships," a soft shout came from the top of the sail.


    Greldo looked up to see one of the sailors point slightly to the back.


    Dammit, did we pass them? he thought as he headed to the side of the ship. Three tiny specs closely cropped together were flying down the mountain towards them.


    "Gelwin''s balls," Greldo hissed.


    With them behind them, they couldn''t even head back if they wanted to.


    Xi''kroak came running towards him, faceplates closed tight, only his bright eyes gleaming from within the natural armor.


    "They haven''t overloaded their sails yet," the captain said.


    "Good, so what now?" Greldo asked.


    "Now we need to hope they don''t have five-horns," Xi''kroak said. "If they only have four-horns, how many can you handle on your own?"


    Greldo snorted. "Without shadows, one. With? Five, maybe six?"


    He saw Xi''kroak''s eyes widen slightly, and he couldn''t help but grimace.


    "That''s with shadows¡­" he said again, looking around.


    Xi''kroak nodded before turning around. "Head into the mountain range and aim for the shadow side," he roared, pointing at a distant mountain. It was high, and part of the peak was angled to the side, creating a comparatively small pocket of shadows. Still, as soon as he saw them, Greldo felt a grin creep up on his face.


    They continued ahead, and it quickly became clear that the raiders were closing in on them.


    "Are they faster?" Greldo asked.


    Xi''kroak grunted. "Yes, and that''s not a good sign because that shouldn''t be possible."


    "Think there''s a five-horn?" Greldo asked, leaning forward and squinting. It barely helped. Even his card-enhanced vision could not make out anything on the small ships yet.


    "We will have to wait and see," Xi''kroak said.


    They remained standing there while Xi''kroak''s crew had begun preparing for a battle. When they were halfway to the distant pocket of shadow, the three galub-raiders had closed in enough that Greldo could make out individual Galubs.


    Three, three, four, three, he thought as he scanned the deck.


    "I see no five-horns, you?" he said after a while.


    Xi''kroak was leaning on the railing beside him, his bright silver eyes scanning the ships.


    "None, but they could be hiding within the hold or the cabin."


    Greldo hummed as he scanned the three ships. The center ship was closing in fastest, and he counted two four-horns and a bunch of three-horns. The left one had three four-horns, and he grimaced. Then he saw the right one and hummed. It was holding back behind the others, and he could only find a single four-horn.


    It could be a trick, he thought as he narrowed his eyes, trying to find hints of a trap or a five-horn. When he didn''t see anything, he decided what to do.


    "I''m going to teleport to the right one first," he said softly. "I only see one four-horn there."


    "Alright. Just take out the four-horn, then move to the next ship. As long as we can take those out, we will at least have a chance," Xi''kroak said. "I can hold out against a four-horn, but beyond me, the others can only deal with the three-horns."


    Greldo nodded, and they quietly waited as the distant shadows closed in. When their ship glided into the shadowy region, the raiders were less than a mile away, and Xi''kroak was worriedly tapping the railing.


    "There''s a lot of them," the Da''xi said, his voice muffled behind his completely closed faceplates.


    "I''m going to attack the first one," Greldo muttered as he connected to Coal, letting him know what they were going to do. He grinned as Coal seemed more than eager, as it meant he could finally be out and about again.


    He heard part of a be careful, just as he focused on the shadows and teleported to the furthest ship, which was just gliding into the shadows.


    Sounds dampened, and warm and cold vanished as he appeared within the shadows of the ship. A mass of three-horns stood on the railing, happily talking and laughing.


    "We will have a fourth ship!"


    "Who cares about that! They must know where that other portal is!"


    "I''m going to enjoy pealing those plates of¡­"


    "Bah! Don''t you will cover the ship in blueblood again!"


    Bunch of monsters, Greldo thought as he quickly focused on the four-horn. It was a heavily scarred one, with one of its horns cracked and broken off. Still, its hungry eyes told him it was probably not to be trifled with in any normal combat.


    Too bad this isn''t going to be any normal combat, Greldo thought as he released Coal into the shadows.


    Neither of them was visible, and they moved behind the four-horn. Greldo told Coal to hold as he took a final look around before moving through the open door and into the ship. Although he had little time, he had no interest in being backstabbed by something. Luckily, he quickly found that the ship was empty except for filth, half-eaten food, and barrels with supplies.


    Returning to the deck, he hovered right above the four-horn. He relaxed, gripped his daggers, then surged at the exposed back, stepping out of the shadows at the last moment. The galub showed its experience and somehow managed to move forward and to the side without even seeing anything, but it wasn''t fast enough. Plunging his daggers into the thing''s neck, Greldo slashed outward before returning to the shadows as blood sprayed out.


    Screams of panic came from the three-horns, while the four-horn lay gurling on the deck.


    Best clean out a few more, Greldo thought as he signaled Coal.


    The hound didn''t even hesitate as he appeared amidst the three-horns, ripping into them, disappearing and reappearing as he ripped heads off and hurled them from the ship.


    Greldo nodded, about to leave for the next ship, when he saw a green-bordered card plop down from the four-horn.


    An emerald card? Seriously? he thought, barely believing his luck.


    He dashed forward, appeared, grabbed the card, then returned to the shadows. He scanned the other bodies with a sudden interest. Within seconds, Coal had decimated ten of the Galubs, and he saw another card, purple-bordered this time.


    He was about to continue wiping out the ship when he thought about the others, and he flew up, looking around. The other two ships seemed to ignore what was happening and were rapidly closing in on Xi''kroak.


    Come on Coal, Greldo sent to his friend and summon.


    A response filled with a bloodthirsty desire for battle came, and he unsummoned his friend before teleporting to the ship closest to Xi''kroak. He appeared amidst a bustling of bodies, Galubs looking around while the two four-horns stood at the back, shoulder to shoulder, their backs against the wall.


    Ah, they are expecting me, Greldo thought with a grin before floating through the shadows to hover above their heads. Too bad that''s not going to help.


    --


    Xi''kroak clenched his hands around the railing, glaring at the two ships.


    "Captain, perhaps we should flee? If they catch up-" one of his crewmen asked.


    "No," Xi''kroak snapped curtly. "We need to show Daubutim and the others that we are contributing. Greldo should appear in any¡­ moment¡­"


    Xi''kroak couldn''t stop his cheek-plates from slowly rattling as he watched the tall bearded shadowwalker appear above the two four-horns, puncturing the eyes of one of them while the hound appeared in front of the other, mauling it.


    "By the plated mother, it''s a good thing he is on our side!" the crewmen whispered. "How does one defend against that?"


    Xi''kroak didn''t respond but watched as Greldo dashed across the ship, disappearing and reappearing as he slashed apart the panicking Galubs. He knew how to fight shadowalkers, had done so during the Reptilian wars twenty years ago, but even he shivered. The normal way was to wait till the shadowwalkers had arrived, then cause a massive amount of light to remove the shadows and take care of them.


    However, with Greldo''s ability to teleport in an emergency, his summon, and his power, Xi''kroak knew they would have had a hard time catching and killing him.


    As he thought back to the wars and the horrors he had gone through, Xi''kroak absently watched Greldo decimate the Galubs on the ship.


    "Captain, the other ship is turning to flee!"


    Xi''kroak jolted, then focused on the second ship, which was turning away from the mountains.


    "Turn and chase!" he roared, his voice booming across the shop as he ran to the helm. Before he reached it, The Zura''ix was angling around so sharply the deck turned diagonal. Decades of experience let him ignore it as he reached the helm, taking over from his helmsman.


    "Prepare for battle! If Greldo can''t reach the ship, it will be up to us!"


    Though I hope Greldo does it, he thought.


    --


    Greldo''s sensitive ears picked up Xi''kroak''s roar, and he rose up along the shadowy sail, looking around. The Zura''ix was turning sharply, while the only ship he hadn''t been at yet was rapidly fleeing. The first ship was also turning, but it was slower.


    Clear this ship, he sent to Coal.


    He stared at the second ship, then shook his head and teleported to the first one he''d been at. It would be best to capture two ships, and they had no idea what would be on the final ship. He''d been lucky so far, but if there was a powerful Galub on the final one, that''d just be his luck.


    A panicky, fearful atmosphere hung over the Galub ship, and it only took him a few moments to find that many had barricaded themselves in the cabins. Only a handful remained on deck, all around the steering wheel.


    Well, that''s not too bad, Greldo thought as he assessed the few Galubs that remained. They needed answers, and if they could capture a group of Galubs, the chances of getting one would grow.


    He appeared behind one of the three-horns, easily slicing its throat before disappearing. Screams of panic came from all around, quickly cut short as he flitted about. Within moments, only the one behind the steering wheel remained.


    With only a slight hesitation, Greldo reappeared, gently placing his dagger against the neck of the final Galub.


    "Hold still," he hissed.


    The Galub froze, and he could see his hands shaking on the wheel.


    "Please¡­ don''t kill me," the Galub whispered, his voice cracking.


    Greldo sighed. If he didn''t know just how many innocent people the Galubs had killed, likely including these raiders, he might have felt something. Now, all he could wonder was how many merchants had asked for the same, only for the Galub to laughingly kill them. Still, he hadn''t killed him for a reason.


    "If you want a chance to live, follow after our ship," he hissed. "If I see you flee, I''ll return and slice you apart."


    "Yes, I can do that," the Galub cried. "Please, I''ll do anything, just don''t kill me."


    Greldo wasn''t sure if he should laugh or cry at the horror the Galub was presenting.


    "I''ll not kill you if you do as I say," he said, suddenly wondering why he felt like the bad guy. Then he thought of something else.


    "Are there any five-horns on the ship that is fleeing?"


    "What? No! We only have a few five-horns left," the Galub squealed.


    "And those are?" Greldo asked, deciding on the spot to keep asking questions of the talkative Galub.


    "They are with Doomblade, back on the Tringular. After the loss of Sharpspear, the boss said none of the five-horns were allowed away," the Galub said, his voice calming slightly.


    Doomblade¡­ why does that name seem so familiar, Greldo thought.


    "Where is Tringular?" he asked.


    The Galub swallowed and didn''t immediately respond, causing Greldo to increase the pressure with the dagger.


    "He¡­ he will kill me," the Galub cried.


    "Only if he finds you," Greldo growled. "I''ll kill you right now if you don''t tell me!"


    The Galub let out a high-pitched cross between a cry and a giggle before swallowing.


    "It''s¡­ it''s a day in the direction you were going initially," he whispered. "Hidden in the Darkring Mountains."


    Greldo frowned. "It''s a portal world?"


    "Yes¡­ but it''s going to shatter in a few years, there''s no reason for you to-" the Galub began, silencing when Greldo pressed down with his dagger enough to draw a tiny bit of blood.


    "How many ships are defending it?" Greldo asked calmly. As he did, Coal sent him a message that he''d finished on the other ship.


    The Galub swallowed. "Twenty¡­ sometimes a few more."


    Greldo''s eyes narrowed as he looked at the back of the four-horn. Twenty?


    Then I guess we are going to have to return with Irwin, he thought as he grunted.


    "Follow us, or I''ll slit your throat," he growled.


    Without waiting, he looked up and teleported to the next ship.


    --


    "How long do you think they will be out for?" Irwin asked, weary, bored, and trying to suppress his worry.


    Jort stood on the deck beside him, and the two of them were looking out across the sprawling swamplands and the mountains to the side.


    "Xi''kroak usually sailed a day away before turning back," Jort said quietly. "If they did the same now, they should be back today.


    Irwin nodded, placing his elbows on the railing and staring out into the distance.


    Being here for two days means I''ve been gone for eight on the world¡­ mom''s going to be worried.


    The day continued seemingly endlessly when he was finally jolted awake.


    "Ships incoming!"


    Ships? Irwin thought, pushing himself upright and looking around. He didn''t see anything, but looking up showed one of Xi''kroak''s sailors pointing in the direction Greldo and the others had gone.


    It took way too long before he finally saw a tiny smudge come towards them and even longer before he could make out two ships, each towing another one.


    "It''s The Zura''ix," the sailor shouted before a minute later he continued with: "I can see the captain!"


    Irwin let out a relieved sigh before a wide grin surfaced on his face.


    From two ships to five!


    He couldn''t wait to hear what Greldo had seen.

 Chapter 219: Bluehair

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    Irwin stood beside Rindiri as she navigated The Sonata through the mountains. The ship was eerily silent as everyone stood on the prow and sides, staring ahead. They were closing in on the location where the Galub had said the portal would be, and Irwin had told everyone to be still. Who knew if there was any Galub that could hear as well as Greldo?


    He glanced at his friend, who was standing a few steps away, eyes closed and hands behind his ears. Either he was glimpsing between his eyelids, or he noticed it some other way, but Greldo opened his eyes with a frown.


    "I still only hear the distant shouts. But there''s a lot of them. I''ll go and scout along the shadows and see if I can get any closer this time."


    Irwin nodded, but Greldo was already gone. Taking a deep sigh, he looked at the back of the ship where Clarish was standing, looking slightly nervous. Her body was tense, and a blue glow hovered around her feet, showing she could teleport in the blink of an eye. If anything went wrong, she would teleport to the three ships that were following ten minutes behind them to warn them. Seeing him looking at her, she nodded, and Irwin smiled reassuringly before he turned back to stare at his surroundings.


    The mountains all around were gloomy and covered in shadows, while deep straight gouges, like sword cuts, covered some parts. According to Rindiri, those weren''t uncommon on the Portal Gallery, though nobody had any idea what created them.


    They were gliding past a steep cliff, the railing so close that he could probably have touched the dusty gray rocks if he leaned out over the railing. One of the deep gashes, a dozen-foot-long diagonal cut, sat nearly at eyesight, and he wondered if they weren''t just made by something moving too close to the mountainside. He was pretty sure he would have hit the wall if he''d been the one behind the helm.


    I''m glad she''s behind the helm, he thought, shaking his head at Rindiri''s impressive steering.


    "Perhaps we should just lure them into the mountains and let them smash against the rocks," he whispered.


    Rindiri didn''t look up, but the corners of her lips curved up ever so slightly.


    "I''ll try and lure a few here while you are running rampant," she whispered.


    Irwin grinned, noticing a few of the rangers had turned to look at them. He pointed at his ears, raising an eyebrow, and the rangers shook their head.


    I hate sneaking around, Irwin thought as he crossed his eyes and shared an annoyed look with Rindiri. She just smiled before focusing on a narrow gorge ahead of them.


    Minutes slowly ticked by, and Irwin was starting to wonder if Greldo had managed to reach the Galubs when a scream tore through the silence, only to be cut off abruptly. It had come from ahead and above, but Irwin saw nothing. He cast a quick glance at Clarish, who had her hand raised, cards glowing, ready to teleport her away if need be.


    "Stay calm," Irwin whispered, and she nodded.


    A few moments later, there was another shout, this time sounding like a cut-off warning, followed by what sounded like a warning horn.


    "Looks like they know we are here," Irwin whispered. "I guess Greldo decided to start without us."


    He looked up and around, trying to find any sign of his friend while the Sonata slowly glided through the narrow gorge. As soon as the prow exited it, the rangers ahead began raising bows, and then the rest of the ship sailed out into a massive ravine. An enormous ball of light hung on the far side. The blazing white light was cut off a hundred feet beyond what looked like a wooden shanty town built around a single crooked stone tower. Wooden piers hung precariously from the sides of the tower, and dozens of ships were moored against them. Two had their sails out, and he saw heat signatures all around them.


    It took Irwin less than a second to realize what was going on.


    "They are using the light to remove the shadows," he hissed. Lord Bron had warned him and Greldo about those tactics, but he''d hoped the Galubs weren''t smart enough for those things.


    One of the rangers on the prow turned and sprinted to the ladder that led to the upper deck, climbing up in two jumps before looking at him. It was an older man with a short, well-trimmed beard and narrowed eyes, and Irwin knew him. He was Sandoar, a Ranger Captain of New Malorin and the leader of the rangers guarding the exit portal on both sides.


    He also had eyes nearly as good as Greldo''s, which were now glowing a dim green as he stared at Irwin.


    "I saw Greldo and Coal in the left part of that town," he said calmly. "Most of the ships appear crewless, but there are Galubs heading there now. It looks like this wasn''t a planned ambush, but they had definitely prepared for Greldo or someone like him."


    Let''s hope it wasn''t specifically for Greldo, Irwin thought as he looked for a sign of his friend. All he saw was a milling mass of heat signatures.


    "There are hundreds," he said as he walked towards the railing and looked down.


    The bottom of the ravine was a strip of jagged rocky land a hundred feet down with steep slopes on both sides. He hesitated, then turned to Rindiri, who seemed as calm as ever.


    "I''m going down to attack. If ships try to leave, I''ll try to knock them out before they reach you. If I fail, lead them around this area. If you have to leave, send me a warning."


    "Don''t worry, Captain," Rindiri said. "Unless they have way better helmsman than we have seen so far, they are going to regret chasing after The Sonata."


    "Great," Irwin said, not doubting her one bit. "Get me a bit closer to the side?"


    "On it," she said, immediately turning the wheel and angling towards the nearest slope.


    Irwin grinned tightly before looking at Clarish. "Can you teleport to Xi''kroak and the others and let them know what is happening? Tell them to close in but remain out of sight. If possible, return here¡­"


    Clarish nodded, looking at Rindiri. "I''ll need to know where you are to be able to teleport back. She pointed at a tall outcrop not too far from where they were. "I''ll go there when I return. Can you make sure you stay within viewing distance of that?"


    "I can try, just make sure that-"


    Irwin turned to Sandoar while Rindiri and Clarish began discussing things.


    "I''ll head in there and try to take out that light," he said.


    "Be careful, Captain Irwin," Sandoar said. "I''ll get everyone ready in case a ship gets too close."


    Irwin nodded as he saw the steep, rock-covered slope twenty feet below him.


    I really need better boots, Irwin thought, knowing what he was about to do.


    Then he hopped over the railing.


    His stomach lurched as he plummeted down, but the drop lasted for only a moment before he crashed into the slope. He immediately started an uncontrolled glide down, feeling his kinetic energy spike. From high up, the slope had looked reasonably flat, but now that he was gliding down, he saw the dozens of ridges, rocks, and outcrops. He tried to keep from stumbling and going head over heels, and the world around him whirled past as he focused completely on staying on his feet.


    For ten long seconds, everything looked fine, but then he failed to raise his left foot in time. His toes hit a ledge, and he shot forward, away from the wall. Arms flailing, his heartbeat skyrocketed as he saw the rocky ground below rush at him. Two moments later, he slammed into the ground on his hands, knees, and feet, his kinetic energy overflowing. He instinctively summoned his flame, which rippled out around him, ballooning out as it was fed by the kinetic energy.


    "We need better movement," he grunted as he pushed himself up. "Are you sure we can''t manage flying?"


    Ambraz''s muffled response came from his pocket. "Are you crazy? You weigh as much as a house."


    "So? You''re a flying anvil!" Irwin shot back as he ran towards the distant shanty town. Two of the ships had begun moving away from the wooden docks, while another few were showing signs that they would follow soon after.


    Ambraz just rumbled something in his pocket, but Irwin ignored it as he focused on his kinetic energy to increase his speed. Soon, he was leaping forward, most of his attention on not tripping. The distant ships were speeding up towards him, or at least in his general direction.


    Too bad we won''t be able to keep all ships in one piece, he thought.


    Focusing on the lead ship, he put his right hand behind his back, then took a single massive leap while hurling his hand forward, summoning his hammer at the last moment and making it as large as possible.


    Like a meteor wrapped in fire, it streaked toward the ship. Shouts of surprise and panic came as the ship tried to turn, but it was too late. Irwin felt a sense of satisfaction as he saw his hammer crash through the side of the ship, wood exploding everywhere. He waited for another second, letting the fire burn the insides before unsummoning the hammer.


    He watched the ship thoughtfully, readying another hammer but waiting. As soon as he saw the first ship begin to spin down, Galubs running around in panic while flames leaked from the massive gaping hole he knew the ship was done for.


    That''s one, a dozen more to go, he thought as he focused on the second ship.


    --


    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    ¡°Doomblade, Doomblade! We are under attack by the soul stealers!" a three-horned galub shouted as he raced into the central tower. As he appeared into the throneroom, he dodged as something was flung at his head, followed by an angry roar.


    "Do you think I''m deaf or stupid?" a booming roar called out. "Have you found that shadow walker yet?"


    The three-horn swallowed at the intense glare cast at him, and he quickly shook his head.


    Doomblade Hardswing, a five-horned Galub, a full head taller than the three four-horns that were standing beside his stone throne, glared even harder at the three-horn.


    "Useless! Fine! They must be together with the shadow walker. How many are there?"


    The three-horn swallowed again, gripping its hands as it seemed very unhappy suddenly.


    "Well?" Doomblade snapped.


    "One ship."


    "..."


    The three-horn swallowed again as the burning red eyes stared at him unblinking, then took a slow step back.


    "One ship¡­ you come screaming for one ship?" Doomblade whispered dangerously.


    "B- b.. Boss, someone jumped from the ship and charged us," the three-horn squealed. "He uses hammers and fire and-"


    "What!" a wave of pressure emanated from the five-horn, causing his token guards to sway on their feet before taking a few steps from the throne. The three-horned Galub wasn''t as lucky, his eyes rolling up in his sockets as he slumped to the ground. Trickles of blood ran from his nose.


    Doomblade growled as he stomped forward, kicking the three-horn to the side.


    "You, get those ice fools ready," he roared, pointing at one of his guards. "It''s time they show their worth! After that, go to Tringular and close the home portal! We can''t risk anything!"


    The four-horn''s eyes widened, and he seemed close to saying something, then visibly gritted his teeth and nodded. Seeming slightly less affected than the others, he began stumbling to a side door of the throne room.


    "The rest of you come with me," Doomblade snarled. "This Smith Irwin or Orwin, or whatever he is called, has gotten away too many times. If he is willing to offer himself up like this, we should gracefully accept the offer!"


    As he stomped out of the throneroom, his insane and dangerous laughter caused dust to shake from the walls.


    --


    Okay, that guy is definitely not the same as the other five-horn we fought, Greldo thought, feeling a cold shiver as he hovered after Doomblade.


    Just his mere presence was doing something odd to the shadows near him, and Greldo instinctively felt that he shouldn''t go inside or even near any of them. He wanted to take a deep breath, barely holding back as he felt the tightness around his chest where the three wounds sat. A sad worry came from Coal, and he quickly let him know he was fine.


    Well, fine is an overstatement, he thought as he recalled the moment he''d arrived near the tower.


    The moment that the massive light appeared and wiped away any shadows would probably haunt his nightmares for a while, but the moment after had been worse. Being stormed by all of the three and four-horns that had been hanging out and wandering the area still made him shiver. The dozens of cuts and bruises he had to sustain to get into a small house with shadows hurt as he floated after Doomblade.


    He stopped when they reached the open exit, the pale white light that was beyond still burning away all of the shadows in a far-from-normal way.


    Now what, he thought as he hovered as close as he could and looked outside. Doomblade had said something about ice fools, which he guessed were other demons, and had seemed to think they could do something to Irwin. Staring ahead, he tried to make out anything suspicious.


    He could barely make out a ship with a massive hole and fire leaking out from everywhere, streaking toward the wooden building on the other side. A few moments later, it vanished behind the rows of crappy buildings, followed by another explosion as it probably crashed into them.


    "Keep the ships away from him, you bloody fools," Doomblade roared as he ran away, quickly vanishing from view.


    Greldo looked at the square. Should he go out and make a run for the nearest row of buildings? It was how he''d gotten here in the first place¡­


    A massive boom came from the distant outskirts of the town, and wood and debris were flung up while a raging fire appeared in the distance. Greldo blinked, then grinned as he floated back into the room.


    Something tells me that''s Irwin heading here, he thought.


    He was slightly worried about Doomblade, but as he recalled how easily Irwin had taken care of the other five-horn he turned and headed to the staircase he''d examined before. No, Doomblade might not be the big problem, but whatever those ice things were could be.


    The staircase led to the top of the tower, which was where the portal was, and it had some windows that would give him a view of the city. Although he was low on energy, he could still teleport, and as long as he didn''t have to take anyone along, it''d be fine.


    Before he reached the top floor, half a dozen chained explosions rocked the tower, and he saw the walls sway slightly.


    Don''t collapse this thing, please, he thought, trying to decide where to teleport if that happened.


    As he reached the top floor, he saw that the massive door beyond the corridor had been closed shut, leaving a corridor with a few windows to one side.


    I guess they closed the door after they headed back, Greldo thought, taking one look as he quickly flew to the window.


    His eyes widened as he saw the stretch of town below him. A massive path of destruction, starting at the square below him and widening slightly until it reached the edge of the town, had flattened every building in its cone, leaving behind only rubble, wood splinters, and a few unmoving shapes.


    Doomblade, dragging a massive squarish sword behind him, was trudging through the disaster area while a familiar figure coated in fire was walking towards him from the other side. If he''d been closer, Greldo might have thought an incredible showdown would be happening between Irwin and someone who might actually be able to fight him. That was if he hadn''t seen the horde of four-horns sneaking around the edges of the rubble-strewn area.


    He''s trying to surround Irwin, he thought, snorting. Doomblade had no idea what he was trying. If he wanted any chance against Irwin, he''d need to get teleporters or shadow walkers or a barrage of-


    Ranged, Greldo thought as he felt his skin crawl, an odd sensation inside the shadows. He leaned as close to the window as he could, staring at the four-horns that were sneaking through the buildings. There was no sign of any bows or other ranged weapons, but that mattered very little. Who knew what kind of soulskill those things had? Although most Galubs had clubs or swords, that didn''t mean all of them did.


    A dull clunk came from behind, causing him to swirl around. The massive double door slowly opened, and five pale, blue-eyed, blue-haired female humanoids walked out. They were thin and seemed malnourished, but even then, Greldo instantly recognized them. They were Frozir women.


    Oh no, Irwin said he couldn''t see their heat signature!


    The four-horn he''d seen before walked out behind them, snarling at them. "Keep moving, you bunch of icicles."


    The five Frozir glared at him, but the Galub just grunted a laugh as he walked towards them.


    "If you do as ordered and capture that smith, Doomblade will allow you to leave with a ship! If you fail, you will be thrown into that imp-invested volcano!"


    Wait, they aren''t working with the Galubs? Greldo thought as he frowned. Why aren''t they just killing him if¡­ then he noticed the ugly and familiar metal bracelets the frozir women had around their wrists. He hadn''t noticed them before due to the pale metal and their pale skin.


    "We will need our abilities," one of the Frozir hissed, raising her wrists and shaking the bracelet.


    A massive boom resounded from outside, followed by a roar of anger. Then, the entire ambient temperature seemed to rise by a few degrees.


    The four-horn laughed softly, and he stalked forward. "The boss is already fighting. Let''s get this over with!"


    As he stopped before the Frozir, Greldo slowly headed beside him. He had no idea what Irwin was doing, but he did know that he had to make sure these Frozir wouldn''t join the fight.


    The enemy of my enemy, he thought. If all they wanted was a ship¡­ besides, there were Frozir back in their new world.


    "Don''t even dare and try anything funny," the four-horn hissed. "At least, if you want a chance to see your eggs again in one piece!"


    All five frozir women turned to him, hissing like snakes, but the four-horn just laughed.


    "So?"


    A deafening clang of metal on metal happened from outside, followed by roaring and another increase in the temperature.


    "We will do as you ask," the Forzir said, gnashing her pale, silvery, razor-sharp teeth.


    The four-horn laughed and grabbed her wrist, removing the bracelet before stepping back.


    "I''ll be off now, make sure you don''t-"


    The tip of Greldo''s dagger came through the four-horn''s neck, cutting off his words and causing him to gurgle and flail around.


    The five Frozir jumped back, eyes wide.


    "So¡­" Greldo said as he kicked the spasming four-horn away. "How about we have a little chat?"


    "Who are you?" the Frozir that had no more bracelet asked as he spread her arms. Twin clouds of snowflakes began swirling around her hands, rapidly forming into four daggers of compressed eyes that were pointed at Greldo.


    "I''m here to give you an alternative offer," Greldo said, grinning at her while being ready to step back into the shadows at a moment''s notice.


    More clanging came from outside while a sudden shudder ran through the tower, causing the doors to sway.


    "You''re a shadow walker?" another Frozir whispered, seeming uninterested in what was happening outside.


    "Why are you doing what those Galubs want?" Greldo asked, ignoring her question. He needed to hurry and check how Irwin was doing.


    The Frozir shared a look, and then the first one that spoke snarled at him. "You must have heard if you were watching from the shadows. They have our eggs, and without them, our race is doomed!"


    Greldo nodded thoughtfully, thinking about how to bring the next part. After a second, he just shrugged and went with the easy way.


    "Well¡­ I presume you do know there are still almost a hundred of your race not that far away?" he asked.


    "Lies," two of the Frozir women shouted. "We are the only ones that managed to flee before the world shattered!"


    Greldo hummed, and it took him a few moments to recall the names of the Frozir leaders.


    "Have you ever heard of Elder Gum¡­.'' il''ram or something?" he asked, knowing that he was butchering the name.


    The five Frozir stopped moving, staring at him in stunned silence. Then, one of them took a slow step forward. As she did, Greldo suddenly realized none of them had their bracelets on anymore. When had they done that?


    "Gum''dil''ran?" she whispered.


    "Yeah, that''s it!" Greldo said, rubbing his head. "He was together with some woman called Statina?"


    "Satiya," the Frozir woman said, taking another step forward, her eyes gleaming as she looked at him. "Where are they? How do you know them?"


    "Well, where they are is a bit difficult, but let''s just say they came with us from our world," Greldo said, ready to jump into the shadows. It was a good thing because the only warning he had was a slight drop in temperature. He faded away, gliding back to the stairs in a single move just as a mass of snow rippled through the air he had just been. One look told him it wasn''t a killing blow.


    "Hindil, what did you do?" one of the Frozir screamed. "If he was telling the truth-"


    "How is that worth the risk?" the other snapped. "If he is lying, we will lose our eggs and any chance for our people!''


    Okay, you get one more chance, Greldo thought as he looked around. There was nothing anywhere, and he stepped back into reality.


    "Don''t do that again," he snapped as the five Frozir turned to him. "Either you will join us, or you are going to be a problem."


    As he spoke, he snarled, bearing his teeth and trying to look as menacing as possible.


    The Frozir shared a look, then began hissing amongst each other.


    "If you help us, I''m sure we can try to get your eggs back," Greldo said, just as a roar of pain came from outside. His face paled as he recognized Irwin''s voice, and ignoring the Frozir, he stepped through the shadows to hover before the window.


    More of the town had been destroyed, dust clouds drifting around, while large swathes were burning.


    Irwin was climbing up from a crater, his large hammer in his hand, while Doomblade was standing twenty or so feet away, drawing ragged breaths while his blade was starting to glow dangerously.


    Greldo hissed, then turned to see the five Frozir women a few steps behind him, staring out of the window.


    "He might lose," one of them hissed.


    "So what? If he loses, how does that help us regain our eggs?"


    "If Satiya and elder-"


    "What if he lies?"


    Greldo glided back into the room, grinding his teeth as he reappeared. He had to decide now. Either he attacked, or they might attack Irwin, who seemed to be having more trouble than he''d thought.


    "Last chance," he said. "Either you gamble that those Galubs even give you back your eggs and let you free, or you come with me. I promise we will do what we can to return your eggs."


    Four of the five Frozir turned to the only one that had yet to speak.


    "Senira?"


    "He is speaking the truth, or at least believes these words," the shorter Frozir said as she stared deep into Greldo''s eyes.


    She can detect lies? Greldo thought, suddenly feeling annoyed. Why hadn''t they just¡­


    "We work together with Frozir on my world," he snapped, staring into the Frozir''s eyes. "They have an area to themselves and are free."


    There was a moment of silence, ripped apart as another explosion shook the tower.


    "I believe you," the Frozir called Senira said, turning to the others.

 Chapter 220: Immovable sword

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    "Die!"


    Irwin jerked his head back while kinetic energy exploded from his feet to propel him out of the massive energy blast as Doomblade''s namesake slammed into the ground, leaving behind ripples.


    Stumbling back, he increased the size of his hammer to regain his balance. Fire was raging all around him, keeping at bay the mass of roaring Galubs. A quick look showed none dared approach the searing heat he was projecting outward.


    Too bad Doomblade doesn''t care, Irwin thought as he focused back on the hardest fight he''d had in a long time.


    The five-horned Galub glared at him, seeming unaffected by the bruises covering his face. A pale blue barrier sat all around him with a whitish aura a few feet beyond it. Irwin''s flames were unable to pierce the barrier, while  Irwin had found out what the aura did.


    He took a step to the side, shrinking his hammer before quickly circling towards Doomblade.


    Twenty counts between his big attacks, he thought as he watched the sword very faintly pulse as Doomblade ripped it from the ground it had been stuck into.


    "You won''t survive," the Galub snarled.


    Irwin didn''t bother reacting. Doomblade had been snarling obscenities and threats all during the fight, and he''d found they were nothing but attempts at distracting him.


    No. What he needed to do was find a gap in the insane defense.


    Taking a deep breath, he readied himself, then dashed forward, exploding with kinetic speed and swinging his hammer around. Doomblade''s sword whipped up with speed nothing that large should be capable of, and Irwin shrunk his hammer to evade the block before enlarging it. Doomblade''s eyes widened, but he nearly folded back on himself, the hammer swooshing through the air above him.


    How can he move like that, Irwin thought as he stepped forward and kicked the Galub.


    Doomblade''s sword almost snaked back around between his foot and the Galub''s body, and Irwin gritted his teeth as he kicked the blade. It didn''t budge in the slightest, while Irwin felt a dull pain from his heel. He shrank his hammer, spun around, enlarging it to its max, and walked through Crithann''s hammer stances.


    As fast as his hammer flitted through the air, Doomblade was always just in time to block it, while none of Irwin''s flames managed to move through the barrier.


    He''s using that bloody aura to detect my movements, Irwin thought as he counted to fifteen and took a big jump back. The massive sword was pulsing with a bright blue light, and he barely managed to hurl his hammer forward as Doomblade brought it down toward him. The sword elongated as it descended, a blueish version of itself slashing into Irwin''s hammer.


    Irwin felt more of his energy drain away in a large woosh, but at the same time, his kinetic energy increased, and he jumped forward, swatting his hammer at Doomblade. Like the previous times, right after his big attack, Doomblade wasn''t able to react in time and was swatted sideways, skidding across the ground. Even then, he scrambled up, wiped his cheek, and glared at Irwin. A moment later, his eyes darted to the tower behind them.


    Why does he keep looking at the tower? Irwin thought as he ran forward, moving into another set of Crithan''s moves, loud clanking sounds filling the fire-engulphed area.


    "You won''t win! Just surrender, and at least you won''t die," Doomblade roared.


    "Growing low on soulforce?" Irwin snapped back, striking down with a twohanded downward hit that slammed into the massive sword, which didn''t move an inch.


    A terrified scream almost made him look away from his enemy.


    ¡°Doomblade, the Frozir are-¡±


    The scream ended in a wet gurgle while Doomblade looked to the side. The massive five-horned Galub let out a roar of anger. "You pathetic blue-hairs! You are going to pay for this betrayal!"


    Irwin had no idea what was going on, but whatever it was, Doomblade didn''t like it, which meant it was a good thing for him. He was about to attack when a blur moved from the building behind Doomblade. He recognized it and dispelled his flame with a nasty grin. Doomblade''s eyes widened, and with a bone-bending move, he somehow brought his sword behind him faster than Irwin could blink, blocking Greldo''s daggers from slicing through his spine.


    "The shadowstalker!" Doomblade roared, slicing forward.


    Greldo jumped back, easily dodging the hit. His entire frame was covered in thick fur. He grinned at Irwin as he began circling Doomblade.


    "Let''s kill this thing!"


    Irwin didn''t need to be told twice, and he ran forward. Within moments, Doomblade was covered in thin slices, his massive blade swirling around, barely able to block Irwin''s bone-shattering blows but failing against most of Greldo''s deadly slices.


    "Help me, you weaklings!" Doomblade screamed, panic in his voice as he began backing up towards the tower, only for Irwin to block his path.


    Doomblade glared at him, his breathing ragged, blood streaming from innumerable cuts. He looked around rapidly, eyes widening. Then he took a deep breath and cursed.


    "Fine. I surrender!"


    Irwin blinked as Doomblade carefully lowered his blade, his eyes darting from between Irwin and Greldo.


    "You what?" Irwin asked.


    "Don''t look so surprised! You let Ulrop live instead of killing him," Doomblade snapped. "He was just a stupid two-horn!"


    It took Irwin a few moments to remember Ulrop, the Galub that Daubutim and he had met back in the portal where they had first found Doomblade and the Bablibon. The last time he''d thought about the missing Galub was when Daubutim had told him that Gelwin had been more than a little curious about him.


    What does he mean that we let Ulrop go? he thought, more than a little confused.


    Noticing Doomblade''s increased worry, he knew he''d have to ask about that later. First, he needed to decide what to do about the proposed surrender. He shared a quick look with Greldo, and his friend frowned and then shrugged, gesturing with his blade that he was ready in case it was needed. Irwin stared at Doomblade, then took a careful step forward.


    "Unsummon your sword," he said.


    Doomblade looked at him, eyes narrow. Irwin thought he was going to reject the command, but then the Galub snorted. The annoying blade, that had blocked so many hits that Irwin had lost count, vanished. Doomblade crossed his arms and sniffed. As he did, Irwin noticed a trickle of blood slowly leaking from his nose while the Galub swayed on his feet.


    Was he already this wounded, or did unsummoning his sword do something? Irwin wondered.


    "He''s not trustworthy," an icy voice snapped from the side.


    Slightly surprised, Irwin took a quick glance to see five blue-haired Frozir women move towards him, daggers out and glaring at Doomblade. Coal was prowling behind them, his fur covered in blood. Somehow, Irwin wasn''t even that surprised to see the Frozir. Between the shouted warning, the fighting around him, which he only now realized had stopped, and everything else, he could just sigh at their appearance.


    I guess that''s why Doomblade surrendered, he decided.


    "We should just kill him and be done with it!'' one of the Frozir said, glaring at the Galub.


    "Shut up. Without me, you will never see your eggs again," Doomblade snapped.


    Eggs?


    Irwin noticed Greldo seemed unsurprised.


    A quick look around showed bodies littering the edge of the burned-out area, lying in pools of blood. The angular shapes of a few cards lay in between them. He was going to have to pick those up in a moment!


    "What is going on?" Irwin asked, slowly lowering his hammer.


    "It seems like we have found Elder Gum''dil''ran a few new allies," Greldo said. Coal walked up beside him, the hound''s silver eyes never leaving Doomblade. "This one has their eggs hostage back through that portal."


    The five Frozir were encircling Doomblade, who had put his hands beside his body, looking around worriedly. Irwin wasn''t sure if he should stop them, and Doomblade seemed to realize that.


    "If you let them kill me, you won''t find out where the other smiths are," he said quickly.


    Again, someone threatening us with withholding information, Irwin thought as he scowled at Doomblade. This was starting to get old. Still, he really wanted to know, and it wasn''t like they could still deal with the Galub afterward.


    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    He took a deep breath, trying to dispel his anger and tension before turning to the Frozir. "Let him be for now," he said, wondering if they would even do as he said.


    The Frozir kept looking at Doomblade, faces cold but eyes burning with a desire to charge. The tension began increasing, and Irwin saw the Galub''s fingers clench to fists.


    "Senira, can you get those nullifier bracelets?" Greldo suddenly said.


    The Frozir jolted, then all looked at one of their own, though to Irwin, they all looked nearly the same: long blue hair, blue eyes, and pale white skin. Perhaps the one they were all looking at was smaller, but he wouldn''t bet his life on it.


    The Frozir, who was the center of attention, looked at Greldo.


    "We need the information he has," Greldo said. "It will help keep everyone safe."


    The Frozir female frowned, nodded, turned, and ran back to the tower without a word.


    Everybody silently waited until she returned, carrying five bracelets, which she tossed to Doomblade.


    "Put those on," Irwin said as he stared at Doomblade.


    Doomblade looked at the bracelets in distaste but didn''t complain as he snapped one around each of his wrists. Almost immediately, the Frozir seemed to relax, taking some steps back.


    "So, now what?" Irwin asked, looking at his friend.


    "Now we need to lock this guy up on the ship, preferably in chains, and have a look at the world beyond the portal."


    Irwin blinked as he thought about their ship and looked around until he found the Sonata. It was hovering near the edge of the town, and there was no sign of any Galub ships.


    "Things could have gone worse," he muttered, looking at the nearly a dozen undamaged ships on the docks of the tower behind them.


    "I''ll go and tell Rindiri to close up," Greldo said.


    Irwin nodded, thinking quickly. "Alright, tell Clarish to teleport back and warn Daubutim and the others about what has happened."


    Greldo nodded, looking at Doomblade. "You going to be alright here?"


    Irwin quickly looked around, noting Frozir hovering near the Galub, seeming ready to attack if he made any wrong move. "I''ll be fine."


    Greldo nodded and vanished while Coal walked beside Irwin.


    "Thanks," Irwin said, smiling and patting the hound''s shoulder.


    He was about to ask Doomblade who was ordering the capture of the smiths when one of the Frozir spoke up.


    "Are you the leader?"


    It took Irwin a moment to recognize her as Senira, the one who had gotten the bracelets.


    "I''m the captain of that ship," he replied absently.


    He scanned the surrounding bodies, drawn by the cards littered about. He saw five already, which meant there had to be more around.


    Why did so many cards drop, he thought. From what he recalled, soulskilled barely dropped cards on the Portal Galery.


    "Collect the cards and give them to Captain Irwin," Senira ordered.


    Two of the Frozir moved right away while Doomblade let out a disgusted snort.


    Irwin ignored the Galub and looked at Senira, both surprised and grateful.


    "Can you tell me why my people are cooperating with sou- ¡­ your people?" Senira asked.


    Irwin was pretty sure she had been about to say soulstealers but decided to let that slide. They would have to work that out in the future. Well, Daubutim would have to. He wasn''t planning on helping with the interspecies politics unless it concerned the Ignitzions.


    Or those metal elementals.


    "How much did Greldo tell you?" he asked.


    "Just that you were working together with one of our people''s elders," she said.


    And that was enough for you to help? Irwin thought, slightly confused.


    "They came to our world amidst chaos," he said. "Portals had started appearing to Imp, Galub, Nyzir, and Frozir shardworlds, and my people were in trouble. At some point, we came into conflict with a group of Frozir that had begun building a city of ice near one of our own, and¡­ well, one thing led to another?"


    Senira blinked and looked at him, evidently wanting him to continue.


    Irwin tried to recall the details, wishing Daubutim had been here. Very slowly, he began talking as he remembered bits and pieces. He spoke about how they had fought the Frozir initially, how one of the female Frozir had died, and how they had gotten to talking when the Frozir had been fighting the Galubs from the portal. When he finished, The Sonata was docking on the lowest of the empty wooden docks of the tower.


    "You are sure he isn''t just lying?" one of the Frozir asked, her eyes narrow as she looked at Senira.


    Senira shook her head. "I''m as surprised as you are," she said, her eyes still drilling into Irwin''s.


    He had the feeling she was trying to read his mind.


    "Alright, let''s head to the ship," he said as he saw Greldo waving from the prow. He walked to Doomblade and placed a hand on the Galub''s shoulder, guiding him forward.


    A while later, they were standing on the deck of The Sonata, a group of worried-looking rangers standing around Doomblade. Although the Frozir was also garnering some confused and surprised glances, most of the rangers had worked with the Frozir before, and Irwin didn''t notice much if any, hostility.


    Greldo reappeared on the deck, his face drawn and weary, shoulders slumped. Irwin quickly walked to his friend, who had gone to warn the other ships.


    "Xi''kroak and the others are almost here," Greldo said, rubbing his eyes. "What do we do?"


    Irwin looked at his friend, then at the Frozir, and finally at the town around them.


    "We wait here, keep the tower clear of any Galubs still hiding in the remnants of that ruin, and rest. When the others arrive, we can decide on what to do."


    "Rest seems like a great idea," Greldo said as he cracked his neck before walking towards the door leading into the ship''s innards. "I''ll go and do that now. Wake me when something happens."


    Watching his friend move into the cabin, Irwin turned to Senira, who had walked towards him. The rest of the Frozir stood at the ship''s side, observing what was happening.


    "When will you help us regain our eggs?" Senira asked.


    "I don''t know," Irwin said honestly. "Greldo needs to rest, and he is the best at moving around without being seen. Are you worried the Galubs will harm your eggs?"


    Senira nodded, crossing her arms. "They have them locked near a volcano, and I fear if Doomblade doesn''t return soon, they might dispose of them."


    Irwin nodded, then walked to Doomblade. The rangers were muting amongst themselves, some watching curiously what he was doing.


    "Alright, start talking," Irwin said, staring at Doomblade. "Who is after the abduction of the smiths? What''s inside that portal, and where are those eggs?"


    Doomblade''s thick eyebrows rose, and he shook his head. "I''m not answering any questions unless I get some guarantees that I''ll be allowed to leave after I answer your questions."


    "I don''t think you have much say in that," Irwin snapped. "The only reason you are still alive is because you know things. If you don''t tell us those, what use are you?"


    There was a sudden hushed silence, and the Galub froze, mouth slowly opening in surprise. Then he let out a snorted laugh, shaking his head hard enough for his horns to make swishing sounds.


    "So you''re one of those types," he said, grinning dangerously. "Fine, let me explain something to you. Your threats might have worked if I''d still been a four-horn, but when I joined the upper echelons of my kind, tactical warfare and mind games of many generations became mine to wield! You need my information, and that''s not even including the eggs of these blue-haired fools."


    Irwin glared back, wishing he could just tell the Galub he was wrong. The problem was, he wasn''t. He hesitated, wondering if he should wait for Daubutim and what his friend would have done when an idea came to him. He hummed as he thought about it, then looked at the Galub.


    Let''s see if this works, he thought, his anger fading as fast as it had come.


    "You might be right, but I need to know how trustworthy you are then," he said slowly. "Tell us how we can get those eggs back safely. If that works out, I''ll make a deal with you for the rest of the information."


    Doomblade looked back at him, eyes glinting. Then he turned to Senira. "Your eggs are in the guard tower beside the lava pit¡­ you might want to hurry. Tringular is becoming more and more unstable."


    Senira hissed, then turned to Irwin. "He''s not lying," she said, turning to the tower entrance behind the rickety wooden dock.


    "How long till it shatters?" Irwin asked.


    "Days," Doomblade said with a shrug. "Why do you think I''m here and not there?"


    "Are there more five-horns there?"


    Doomblade blinked in surprise before he started laughing. "Of course not! Do you know how hard it is for us to grow our fourth horn?"


    Irwin stared at him, recalling the other five-horn they had encountered.


    "Why are you so much stronger than the other five-horn I encountered?"


    Doomblade''s laughter turned to a cough before he glared at Irwin. "You''re the one who killed Razorcloud?"


    Irwin didn''t answer, unsure if that had been the name of the other five-horn, though the name did correspond with the ability.


    "A five-horn, this high with the ability to slice anything that came near him?" Doomblade snapped, holding his hand slightly lower than he was.


    "He was on some ship that attacked us," Irwin said.


    Doomblade''s fist cracked as he glared at Irwin, who was starting to become worried the Galub would try and attack even without the ability to wield his sword.


    "He was your friend?" he asked.


    "Razorcloud was my nestmate," Doomblade snapped, taking a few deep breaths, his eyes blazing with a desire to fight. "He had only just gained his fifth horn, and his skill was with agility and a cutting aura. How did you kill him?"


    Irwin shrugged. "I grabbed him and squeezed him," he said, not feeling at all bad about what he''d done. These Galubs killed whoever they saw fit. They shouldn''t be surprised if someone killed them in response.


    Doomblade didn''t look like he believed, but with a few more deep breaths, the Galub seemed to regain his usual angry calm. "My skills deal with defense barriers and strength," he said. "Besides, I''ve had my horn for much longer."


    So no five-horns, Irwin thought as he scratched through his beard, ignoring the metallic screeching sound it made.


    "I heard something about Imps in a volcano?" he asked.


    Doomblade glared at him a bit longer before answering. "I told you, the world is so unstable it might shatter any day. All of my one-horns, two-horns, and all of the Imps became Addled."


    "So?" Irwin asked, wondering what that had to do with a volcano.


    "We tossed them into the nearest volcano, but half of those blasted imps survived," Doomblade said.


    "How many?" Irwin asked.


    "I don''t know," Doomblade growled, seeming done answering questions. "Thousands?"


    Irwin blinked, then nodded at the guards and rangers as he turned and walked away. Senira followed him as he headed to Rindiri, who had been carefully observing everything.


    "Are imps a problem?" Senira asked, staring at him.


    "What?" No," Irwin said absently as he gazed at the entrance to the tower behind which the portal would be.


    If I can kill all those Imps, I can probably fill up my soullake, he thought. The only problem was that he had no idea how safe the entrance to that portal would be. Even if there were only four-horns, who knew what defenses they could have ready? Then again, the chances of finding a lot of cards would go up as well.


    Time passed as he tried to come up with a way that didn''t involve him going through and hoping it would be fine. He snapped out of it when there was a flash of light.


    He turned around, afraid that something was attacking them, only to find that Clarish had returned. He''d hoped and half expected Daubutim to be there, but to his surprise, there was someone he''d not expected.


    Elder Gum''dil''ran looked around with wide eyes until he saw the female Frozir, then almost ran forward. Only after the tall Frozir was gone did Irwin realize Lord Bron and Satiya stood behind him. Lord Bron was looking around with wide-eyed curiosity until he saw Irwin. Then he grinned and walked towards Irwin, Satiya following him, though she constantly glanced at Elder Gum''dil''ran and the other frozir, who were whispering excitedly.


    "I presume you didn''t expect me here?" the gnarly old Lord asked as his gaze moved to Doomblade. His eyes widened before he looked back at Irwin.


    Irwin wearily shook his head, unsure how to respond.


    "Well, when I heard you had found Frozir females, captured a five-horned Galub with knowledge about what was going on, and found another portal, it was either me or Daubutim," Lord Bron said before grinning wickedly. "And right now, I''m way more expendable than our red-eyed friend!"


    Irwin wasn''t sure if he should laugh at that, but he was very happy to see Lord Bron.


    "So, you are here to help me figure out what to do?" Irwin asked.


    Lord Bron barked a laugh as he turned to the Galub. "Yes, that, and figure out what this Galub knows."


    Irwin sorted his thoughts and then began bringing Lord Bron up to speed.

 Chapter 221: The Shadows of Dimarintsia

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    "One ship, no more," Lord Bron said calmly.


    Doomblade stared at him, and Irwin could see the calculative intelligence behind his dark red eyes spinning, trying to come up with a way to gain more. Irwin almost pitied him. There was no way he would beat Lord Bron at negotiations; that much was clear from his position on the sidelines.


    "Fine. But you will let me gather any others that are hiding in the ruins," Doomblade said. He''d tried to get them to let him back through the portal, but there was no way either of them would allow that.


    Lord Bron cocked his head. "Very well."


    Irwin gritted his teeth. Were they seriously letting Doomblade go? They needed his information, yes, but he knew they were here somewhere and that they had a portal. Even if he didn''t know exactly what, this was going to get them into trouble. Besides, why did Doomblade even trust them? Something about the whole thing made him worried.


    I hope he knows what he is doing, Irwin thought as he looked at Lord Bron.


    The noble oozed calm, and Irwin was glad he could trust Lord Bron.


    Perhaps he is lying, he thought. There were no tablets here that could register the deal, so there was no real reason for Lord Bron to keep his end of the deal.


    "In exchange for one ship, all of the remaining surviving Galubs, and a clear path out of here, you will tell us who is behind the abduction of the smiths and everything else related," Lord Bron summarized, raising an eyebrow.


    "Ugh, fine!'' Doomblade said, leaning back against the wall of the cabin they were currently in.


    Lord Bron had insisted that they not do this on deck and with only Irwin here. Even Greldo, who had woken up from the commotion, had been asked to remain outside.


    The Galub sniffed. "Have you heard of Dimarintsia?"


    Irwin blinked. "That''s that massive city on the edge of the Langost branch?" he said slowly, trying to remember what he knew of it. What had some distant mega city have to do with all of this?"


    "Yeah, something like that," Doomblade said, sniffing in disgust. "There''s a group there that calls themselves the Shadows who contacted our leader, the blood emperor, and made a deal with him. If we captured as many smiths as we could, especially those that seemed to be improving faster than any others-" he grinned at Irwin. "-then they would give us our own world on one of the larger branches beyond Dimarintsia."


    Irwin shared a confused look with Lord Bron.


    "Are you telling me there is some weird group that is paying a world to capture smiths?"


    Doomblade snorted as he looked at his hands. "Yeah. From what I heard, they are part of the Thieves or Assassin''s Guild. "


    "And where are they bringing the smiths?" Lord Bron asked slowly.


    "To one of the harbors in Dimarintisa," Doomblade said. "I don''t know which one. They change it every few weeks."


    Irwin shook his head. "And why are you here?" he asked.


    Doomblade looked up, lips pursed. "I left as soon as I gained my fifth horn and managed to break free from that bastard Emperor. There''s something brewing, and whatever it is, I want nothing to do with it. So, I brought those I''d managed to bind to me and ran at the first chance."


    Irwin looked at the five-horn, his mind spinning as he tried to make sense of what he''d heard.


    "What do the Imps and the Nyzir have to do with this?" he asked.


    "Those nasty shadowy serpents work for one of the Assassin''s guilds," Doomblade snorted. "You could ask them, but my bet is that they are doing the same thing we are."


    "And the Imps?"


    "Bah, those little weaklings are still hellbent on finding a way to find all of the worldshards of their old homeworld and somehow repair it. If you promise them the location of one, they will do anything to learn it."


    Lord Bron hummed softly. "Tell me about this Emperor. Who is he, why are you not obeying him, and how does he contact these¡­ Shadows."


    Doomblade let out an exasperated sigh. "The deal was that I told you about the smiths! Not my life story!"


    "The deal was that you would tell me anything that had to do with the abduction of the smiths," Lord Bron said calmly. "That includes information on the people responsible, which would be this Emperor and yourself."


    Doomblade glared at Lord Bron, then snorted. "You humans always like talking so much. It''s no wonder nearly every information broker is one! Fine!"


    He cracked his fists as he smirked.


    "The Bloody Emperor or The Sixhorned Emperor, he calls himself. We just call him The Emperor. He is the only remaining six-horn, and he has bound every four-horn and below to his will. If he even suspects a four-horn has a soul strong enough to gain a fifth horn, he locks them up until they grow it, then hands them to the Spawning Pool. See why I didn''t want to stay?"


    "How did you manage to flee this far?" Lord Bron said, showing no reaction to what he''d heard.


    Irwin saw Doomblade''s eyes narrow as he shuddered.


    "When I gained my four-horn, I figured out I''d be doomed if I didn''t get out from under his hold," Doomblade grunted as he slowly tapped one of his horns. "So, I managed to gain a mission that would send me as far from him as possible. Normally, four-horns don''t get those, but because I''d only recently gained mine, nobody believed I''d be strong enough to resist The Emperor''s compulsion. Luckily for me, I was already halfway to five because of the energy I gained."


    Irwin frowned. "That was when you fought that Bablibon, right?"


    Doomblade blinked, then laughed. "I almost forgot you were there back then! Yes, I managed to drain that stupid bird of a large amount of its soulpower. If it hadn''t gotten away, I might have gone from three to five horns."


    "You are here now because¡­.?" Lord Bron asked.


    "I''m going to find a world and create my own empire," Doomblade snorted. "I''ll gain a sixth horn eventually, and when that happens, I''ll unlock my compulsion."


    Irwin held back a worried frown, sharing a quick look with Lord Bron. Whatever happened, they couldn''t let Doomblade create his empire.


    "Alright, how does that Emperor contact the shadows?" Lord Bron asked.


    Irwin leaned back as he quietly listened to Doomblade talk about the details. He was observing the Galub, trying to match the dangerously sharp-minded being with the dull, angry, battle-hungry monsters he recalled from the shardworld. He hadn''t seen how smart Doomblade had become after he gained his fourth-horn, but from what he''d seen of the others, he would have likely been able to hold back his constant battle lust. Now, he was able to bargain with Lord Bron, and although he wasn''t doing nearly as well as he seemed to think he was, the sharp intelligence in his eyes made Irwin worried. He could only guess how dangerously devious a six-horn would be. Add to that Doomblade''s strength, which had been enough to rival Irwin''s own¡­


    We need to be very careful of those six-horns, Irwin decided.


    Lord Bron continued drilling Doomblade, writing down anything and everything he told for the next hour, and by the end, Doomblade was snarling the replies.


    "Alright," Lord Bron finally said as he closed his small notebook and put it into his pocket. "I need to discuss something with Irwin, so we are going to bring you back on deck."


    "After which you will let me go," Doomblade said, suddenly grinning dangerously.


    Irwin frowned and saw a tiny bit of surprise in Lord Bron''s eyes.


    "Yes," Lord Bron said.


    "Just to remind you," Doomblade said, his grin widening, showing his razor-sharp canines." Greeny, please reiterate our deal!"


    Irwin felt his heartbeat increase as an emotionless feminine voice began speaking from within Doomblade''s armor.


    "The person Doomblade will be released from captivity by Lord Bron and Smith Irwin, given one ship and the ability to gather all his remaining subordinates. Then Doomblade will be allowed to leave," the voice said.


    Irwin saw Lord Bron frown while Doomblade''s grin faded. The Galub stared at Lord Bron with glittering eyes.


    "Or?" he said.


    "Or the information about Smith Irwin''s current location, as well as everything else, will be sent to the Smiths Guild, Thieves Guild, Assassins'' Guild."


    Irwin clenched his fists. He felt his worry and anger grow, but a look at Lord Bron showed him still calm and merely nodding slowly as if nothing was wrong.


    Did he expect something like this? Irwin thought, calmly back down rapidly.


    "Interesting. What is that?" Lord Bron asked.


    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    Doomblade blinked, and Irwin saw his sudden surety seemed to evaporate.


    "It''s a tablet that links to the nearest Soulgem Register," Doomblade said. "If you don''t hold up to your end of the deal¡­" he let his words linger.


    Lord Bron nodded slowly. "Show it to me."


    Doomblade''s eyes narrowed. "It''s mine."


    "Yes," Lord Bron said. "But I want to see it."


    A dangerous pressure began to form in the room until Doomblade snorted and pulled his scuffed and damaged chest armor open. After some rustling, he removed a palm-sized green slab of crystal that Irwin recognized as the one he''d seen on Fiverion.


    Lord Bron stuck out his hand.


    "You can''t destroy it if that''s what you are hoping for," Doomblade hissed.


    Lord Bron raised his eyebrow, and Doomblade reluctantly handed over the tablet. A moment later, a blue barrier appeared around Lord Bron, encapsulating only him and his chair.


    "What is he doing?" Doomblade snarled, glaring at Irwin.


    Irwin shook his head. "I have no idea."


    "Don''t lie to me!" Doomblade roared. "If he thinks he can block the-"


    "Shut up," Irwin snarled, finally unable to hold his annoyance. "I don''t know what he is doing. So just shut up and wait."


    Doomblade growled but, to Irwin''s surprise, held his tongue. The both of them watched as Lord Bron nodded and began talking. There was no sound, however."


    Time passed slowly, and as it did, Bron kept nodding and talking. Finally, after what felt like hours, but was probably on half of one, the barrier vanished around Lord Bron.


    "What did you do?" Doomblade snarled.


    Lord Bron didn''t answer but turned to Irwin. "We are going to have to ensure that Doomblade''s information is correct. I''m afraid we will need someone to go with him for a while. I''ll contact Daubutim later, but for now, I''d like to ask you and The Sonata to do that. I''ll leave Clarish with you so you can contact us when needed."


    Irwin blinked while Doomblade made choking sounds.


    "You can''t- this is against our agreement!" Doomblade roared.


    Lord Bron raised his eyebrow. "Greeny," he said. "Does this go against our agreement?"


    "No, Lord Bron," the emotionless female voice said. "The only requirement was that Doomblade is allowed to leave with the ship and his people."


    Irwin grinned, unable to help himself. Although he had no interest in following some Galub, especially if he had no idea how long that would take, the look on Doomblade''s face was too great.


    "Exactly," Lord Bron said, turning to Doomblade. "Now, there''s another little titbit. If you in any way spill to anyone any of the information in our deal, we are going to have to do something about you."


    Doomblade was breathing heavily, then stretched out his hand. "Whatever. Give Greeny back."


    Lord Bron''s eyes widened. "Oh? Why?"


    Doomblade began spluttering while Lord Bron focused on the green crystal tablet. "Greeny, please explain to Doomblade what you did to me just now."


    "Yes, Lord Bron. The rank of someone determines their ability to hold any still-powered shard of the Soulcrystal," Greeny said. "As you are one the leaders of an as-of-yet unknown new world, it is in the best interest of the Great Portal Faction that you have the ability to create a Central Register."


    "NO!" Doomblade snapped. "That''s what I need you for!"


    Irwin began laughing, holding his stomach as he shook himself. Lord Bron looked at him in surprise while Doomblade''s eyes were almost popping out of his head, but Irwin couldn''t help it. It took him a few moments to regain control.


    "Is it wise to keep that?" he asked, pointing at Greeny.


    "Don''t worry," Lord Bron said. "Greeny, which isn''t its official name, just to be clear, has been very clear. Creating a Central Register will not create a two-way connection to the main system until we actively enable that. Apparently, over the millennia, there have been too many wars about this, and any shard of the Central Souldcrystal isn''t allowed to disclose any information until the leaders of a world agree."


    Irwin nodded, keeping an eye on Doomblade, who was still fuming.


    "So¡­ what do you want me to do?" he asked.


    Lord Bron hummed softly. He put Greeny on the table beside him, and then his barrier reappeared, covering both him and Irwin. As soon as it did, the noises of the ship vanished, as did Doomblade''s grunts and muttered curses. Greeny and Doomblade were conveniently locked out.


    "I''m sorry about this, Irwin," Lord Bron said with a sigh. "I figured there was some reason Doomblade was willing to believe us just on our word, but it had never occurred to me that it would be anything like this. The only thing I could come up with, for now, was that you follow him, and if he heads anywhere suspicious, kill him. Without Greeny, he won''t be able to create any trouble."


    "Can''t you just take Greeny away, and we can take care of him then?" Irwin asked.


    "I wish we could, but Greeny requires to be here to witness us releasing Doomblade on his own ship," Lord Bron said.


    Irwin snorted, then glared at Doomblade, who was still visibly cursing and shouting.


    "Great. So, what do I do? Do you have any idea how hard it was to fight him? I''m not sure I could capture him or kill him again," Irwin muttered. "Besides, I need to get something from the portal world in this tower."


    Lord Bron nodded. "That''s fine. We don''t have to release him right away. But what you should do¡­"


    "Bah, why don''t you punks just ask me already!" Ambraz snorted from within Irwin''s pocket.


    "You''ve got a good idea?" Irwin asked, ignoring Ambraz''s choice of words.


    "Of course I do," Ambraz said. "Besides, we are supposed to head to Granvox soon. I can''t have you follow some stupid Galub for who knows how long!"


    Lord Bron curiously looked at Irwin, who just shrugged.


    "Alright, so what''s the plan?" Irwin asked.


    "He wants a world of his own, right?" Ambraz said. "Just help him further away from us, past another freezing area. I''m sure they won''t be able to survive the true cold, and he probably can''t detect portals like you can."


    Irwin blinked, then looked at Lord Bron. "He is right. If we go further away from the known areas, we are bound to find nothing but deadly cold. Even if we don''t find a world for him, he couldn''t return."


    "Then we only have to get him to agree," Lord Bron said.


    "So? Just have that Soulcrystal shard oversee another deal," Ambraz said. "Just make sure you don''t get the short end of the stick."


    Irwin and Lord Bron began working out another deal, and when they finally felt safe and removed the sound barrier, Doomblade had stopped cursing and was glaring at them.


    "Finally done?" he snapped.


    Irwin grinned evilly but kept his mouth closed. Lord Bron was way better at these things, so he just watched as Doomblade''s mouth fell open in disbelief.


    Another ten minutes of haggling later, Irwin escorted the Galub back to the deck. Greldo was leaning against the cabin wall beside the door and fell in line as soon as he appeared.


    "Let me guess. I''m going to have to come along for this cold expedition?" his friend asked with a snort.


    Irwin knew Greldo would have heard everything except for when he and Lord Bron were talking within the barrier, so he wasn''t at all surprised by the question. He kept quiet until he had returned Doomblade to the watchful eyes of the rangers. Then he beckoned Greldo to a clear spot on the small ship.


    "I was hoping you would come," he said. "But first, we need to scout that portal and see if the entrance is clear of traps and five-horns."


    Greldo looked at him with a frown. "What if there are a hundred four-horns?"


    Irwin blinked, then grimaced. He was certain he could handle a hundred or more Imps, but that was because of his flame. A hundred four-horned Galubs?


    "I can handle a few dozen," he said slowly. "But if there''s too many at once, I''m not sure. If they have ranged attacks, they might bring me down."


    Greldo stared at him, then took a step closer, looking around before whispering, "Are you sure it''s worth the risk just to get those eggs?"


    "It''s not just that," Irwin whispered back, shaking his head. Greldo was right, of course. If it were just those eggs, he wasn''t sure he''d dare risk that. "There are large amounts of Imps there."


    It took a few moments before what he meant seemed to register to Greldo as anything but more trouble. Then, his friend''s eyes widened. "You think it will be enough?" Greldo whispered.


    "If there are as many as they say? Definitely," Irwin said.


    Greldo hummed before he began nodding. "Okay. I''ve got an idea. How about we both jump in at the same time, and when we reach the other side, I just bring both of us into the shadowrealm? If there''s no shadow nearby, we just jump back in."


    "Good idea. Let''s go see how the Frozir are doing," he said.


    They moved to the back of the ship, where Elder Gum''dil''ran was still talking with the five female Frozir. One look showed that whatever they were discussing wasn''t enjoyable.


    Well, I still need to know what those eggs look like and if we can just move them, Irwin thought as he walked towards them. They fell quiet when he was almost there, and Elder Gum''dil''ran nodded at him before turning to Greldo.


    "Greldo, thank you for saving Senira and the others," he said, surprising everyone as he bowed his head low, hands tight against his sides.


    "No problem," Greldo said quickly. "You okay?"


    "No," Senira snapped. "We want to get our Eggs, but-"


    "You are more important than your eggs," Elder Gum''dil''ran said, turning to her with freezing eyes. "We only have a few very young females, and without you, we might never recover!"


    Irwin saw the five Frozir women turn their freezing glares on the Elder, none of their initial joy visible. Deciding he had no interest in standing here as they shouted at each other, he quickly intervened.


    "Greldo and I will be heading into that portal to get something. Tell us how to handle your eggs?"


    There was a stunned silence before Elder Gum''dil''ran shook his head.


    "That is far too dangerous," he said. "What if the world shatters while you are inside?"


    Irwin felt an odd sense of joy seeing the Frozirs'' genuine concern for their wellbeing. They had not seen eye to eye for a long time, and he was personally responsible for part of their reproductive plight.


    "It won''t shatter for a few more days, and that means we have time," he said, turning to Senira. "So, how do I bring those Eggs without hurting them?"


    "You can''t," Senira said, sounding absolutely sure of herself. Irwin was about to respond when he held his tongue. The Frozir was still looking at him intently as if she had more to say. After a few moments, she turned to the others. "You four will stay here. I''m going with them to handle the eggs."


    All four other Frozir women and Elder Gum''dil''ran seemed to be jolted.


    "No, you are-" Elder Gum''dil''ran said, the tiny bit of worry he''d shown for Irwin and Greldo replaced by an intense one as he looked at Senira.


    "I am the only one who can handle all of the eggs by myself," Senira said as she looked at the others. "None of your two lives is worth mine. Leave with the Elder."


    There was no hiding that her words weren''t a request, and Irwin was surprised to see that even Elder Gum''dil''ran visibly held his complaints back. They all stared at Senira briefly before bowing as one and walking away.


    "Can you even bring both of us into the shadows?" Irwin whisper-asked Greldo.


    "Yes¡­ probably?" Greldo muttered.


    Senira turned to them, her icy-blue eyes wide. "Do we leave right away?"


    Irwin frowned. "We need to try something out first," he said. "We were planning to have Greldo move him and me through the shadows, and he doesn''t know if we can move another person."


    "Then try now," Senira said. "I''m not afraid."


    Irwin blinked, not sure what that had to do with anything.


    "Okay, follow me," Greldo said as he walked to the nearest shadowy spot. When they stood there, he took both of their hands and frowned. "This might be a little¡­ uncomfortable."


    The next thing Irwin knew, he was in the shadowy world he''d been before, but everything was moving, and soft, dull, rushing, and rustling sounds, like blankets, came from all around. Greldo managed to drag them to the other side of the deck before dropping back to the real world and breathing raggedly, hands on his knees.


    "Yeah¡­ I¡­ can¡­¡± Greldo grunted in between breaths. It took a few moments before he caught his breath and stood back up. "But we had better not have to move too far. Maybe a hundred feet. Anything more, and it''s best we jump back in!"


    Irwin nodded reluctantly, turning to Senira. Only then did he see she was shivering, arms clasped around her upper body, and her face slightly bluish.


    "Are you okay?"


    "Fine, don''t mind me," Senira said, turning away with a shiver.


    I guess she doesn''t like the shadows? Irwin thought. Seeing Greldo still recovering, he sighed.


    "I''ll go and talk to my crew, then warn Lord Bron. After that, we can leave."


    "Okay," Greldo said, waving him away.


    A short while later, Irwin, Greldo, and Senira stood before the portal. Rindiri and the others had been informed, and Clarish had gone to return Lord Bron and the rest of the Frozir,


    Irwin held out his hands, and both gripped his. He was surprised at how cold Senria''s hand was.


    "Be ready for anything," he said before jumping in, pulling the other two after him.


    A short moment of darkness later, they were rushing through the tunnel. There was little conversation during their trip, with Senira''s description of the eggs the only interesting thing. Apparently, they were smaller than her fist, bright blue, and clumped together in what she called sibling sacks. Due to the lack of ice and snow, handling the clumped goo poorly would result in the eggs becoming infected. Senira would use her own body''s ability to cool them as she carried them.


    When the end came in sight, Irwin looked at the others.


    "Alright, if anything dangerous happens, don''t hesitate but jump back through," he shouted over the rushing air. "If not, run to the nearest shadows!"


    He got two nods, with Greldo adding a grin just as they hit the end of the tunnel.

 Chapter 222: Arrows in the back

    Irwin stumbled out of the portal onto a muddy square. A warm breeze carrying the stink of sulfur rippled around him as he looked around.


    They were on a square littered with rotting wood and square gray stone, beside a crude tower with a base of stone and a top of rotten wood. The door was partially open, and there was a dozing four-horn lying beside it. All around the square was a decrepit old town not unlike the one on the other side of the portal, with poorly crafted wooden buildings. There was one difference, though. Many of the wooden buildings were partially built around and on top of stone ruins. Those he could see clearly were covered in a familiar script.


    Terullian script!


    An enormous dark volcano loomed behind the ruins, glowing red fissures spread out across its base, widening as they reached its tip. Irwin searched for any dangers, but seeing no traps or five-horns, he felt a tiny bit of relief. It seemed Doomblade had been telling the truth, at least so far.


    Dozens of three-horned and four-horned Galubs were moving around the buildings, and most hadn''t noticed them yet. For one moment, he hoped they could move without being spotted. Then, there was a surprised shout.


    "Let''s go," Greldo hissed, and the world turned shadowy.


    Irwin saw Greldo''s face pulled in a grimace as he pulled both him and Senira through the narrow stretch of shadows that was cast by the wooden guard tower beside the portal. A couple of four-horns were sprinting out of the door, glaring around angrily.


    "Shadow walkers!"


    " Warn the others!"


    Irwin was pulled through the shadows, around the building, and the world reasserted itself with screams and shouts of anger as he reappeared behind the building amidst a clutter of debris of what might have been an adjacent building to the tower.


    He quickly ducked behind cover, Senira and Greldo doing the same as the Galubs on the other side continued shouting. A quick look around the rubble saw Galubs stormed towards them, weapons raised.


    Greldo was sitting against one of the blocks, drawing in deep breaths.


    "So, how do you want to do this?" he whispered in between gulping in air.


    Irwin thought for a moment, recalling how many Galubs he''d seen.


    "Do you think you and Coal can keep all the ranged ones off my back?"


    "Probably," Greldo thought. "There were only what, fifty?"


    Irwin frowned, not sure exactly how many he''d seen. More than fifty, though.


    "More like a hundred," he whispered.


    "Then we will be fine," Greldo said with a predatory grin, eyes gleaming.


    Irwin nodded just as he saw Senira scan around the debris before jerking back.


    "What?"


    "There''s more coming," she whispered with a worried frown. "Are you sure you can do this?"


    Irwin thought for a bit, then nodded. "Yes. Even if we can''t clear them all out, only one and two-horned Galubs fight to the death. They will probably flee."


    Serina didn''t seem wholly convinced, but she just nodded. "Alright. What about me?"


    "Can you stay out of sight?" Irwin asked.


    "If needed, I can hide here," Serina said, motioning at the debris. "But if the Galubs flee, they might hide here too. I can take care of seven or eight, but if there''s more, I''ll be swarmed."


    Irwin frowned, recalling how she and the other four Frozir had managed to slaughter and disperse the four-horns during and after his fight with Doomblade.


    "That was mostly the others," Serina said. "I''m not focused on combat."


    Irwin nodded while the Frozir looked around, then at the tower beside them. "Perhaps there is a place to hide in there?"


    "One moment," Greldo said, looking a lot better than before.


    He frowned before vanishing.


    Irwin listened to the Galubs, who were talking on the other side of the portal.


    We need to hurry, he thought. If those Galubs moved through the portal, the others would be in trouble!


    Greldo returned. "There are rooms that can be locked, though I wouldn''t trust the door to stop an angry neighbor knocking on it."


    "Bring her there," Irwin said as he rose. "We need to stop them before they decide to check the other side of the portal!"


    Greldo moved to Serina before looking up.


    "Give me ten seconds, then start. Me and Coal will be ready!"


    "Alright," Irwin said.


    Greldo and Serina vanished, and Irwin summoned his hammer.


    "This world is seriously unstable," Ambraz hissed from his pocket. "I can''t guarantee that it won''t shatter tomorrow!"


    Irwin frowned, wondering if they should just leave after fetching the eggs. He really wanted to get the energy to fill his soullake, but it wasn''t worth dying for.


    "Alright, let''s clear these Galubs out first," he grunted, knowing ten seconds had passed.


    He rose to his full height and slowly walked around the tower. A quick glance showed a large group of three and four-horns, holding a shouting match.


    "No! You go," one of the four-horns roared as he jabbed a finger at a Galub with slightly longer horns.


    The other one growled in response.


    Irwin closed his eyes for a moment, focusing on the skill he hadn''t used in a while. Even then, it obeyed his wishes instantly as his heartcard thrummed. Trickles of steam appeared around him, and he was about to rush forward when a memory came to him. With some focus, the steam moved behind him, and slowly, a cloud began to form, hidden from view of the Galubs.


    "Greldo, wait a bit," Irwin whispered, his voice so soft he knew nobody but his friend would be able to hear it.


    Seconds ticked by as he made sure to listen to the fighting Galubs. When a cloud of steam as high as the tower, just as wide and sprawling behind it, had gathered, he knew he couldn''t wait anymore.


    "Yes, throw him in!" the other four-horn that seemed to be in charge shouted in agreement.


    Irwin pulled on the steam, causing it to stream ahead of him, out across the area beyond his vision. Immediately, a sense of the ground, the debris, and some Galubs came.


    There was a terrified scream just as he ran out through the mist. Although he saw little but shadows in the distance as his steam lowered, spread, and continued to expand, the heat signatures were more than obvious.


    "Hold your breath," a surprisingly clear voice screamed just beyond his reach.


    "Don''t touch that!" another screamed at the same time.


    Irwin felt the Galubs near him struggle, some gasping for breath as they began searching for a way out. Those near the edge were rushing out while he sped toward the nearest Galubs. All were three-horns, and he struck the first one, a scrambling figure, with his hammer, slamming it into the ground. Another strike shattered its skull.


    "Together! Focus. Focus, I said!" a voice roared from beyond the still-spreading steam.


    What are they doing? Irwin ran through the Galubs as they moved through the steam. To his surprise, most seemed able to breathe the superheated steam, though their contorted faces showed it wasn''t without pain.


    Has to be because they are three-horns. Those are much stron-


    "NOW!"


    Irwin felt his steam forced away as a cold wind blew from where the voice had been. He instinctively tried to keep it where it was, but when he did, he felt his energy plummet sharply.


    Dammit, he thought as he released his control over the steam.


    It was ripped away from around him as even his metal hair and beard rustled in the sudden gale. Stunned, he watched as a small group of four-horns stood slightly away from the others, arms stretched towards him. As the steam was gone, they lowered their hands, gasping for breath.


    The center one growled. "Kill him!"


    Irwin moved by instinct, the many months of training and practice from Crithann making him jump forward, exploding with kinetic energy. He shot forward like a meteor, summoning his hammer and wrapping it in flames before hurling the hammer towards the four-horns. Before the Galubs really knew what had happened, a barn-sized hammer powered by Irwin''s kinetic energy exploded in their midst. Sand, debris, and Galubs were blasted apart, the one that had seemed like a leader ripped to pieces.


    Irwin grunted as he looked around, finding a depressingly small number of Galubs down and what had to be a hundred or more up and around him. A few stood close to the portal, and he moved before he fully had a plan.


    He was going to have to make sure none fled through the portal.


    Three steps in, arrows thudded against his upper body and arms, scratching his hardened, metallic flesh as they ricocheted away, causing his kinetic energy to grow with each hit. Although none really pierced in, he knew those shooting them had to be four-horns, as he felt the arrow tips gouge trails into his body. One arrow thudded against his cheek, and Irwin looked angrily, searching for the culprit.


    A few four-horns, mixed in with the others, were drawing back on their bows. The other Galubs had backed up a step, grinning while holding a myriad of weapons at the ready.


    "Shoot him!" one of the four-horns roared, and Irwin saw more Galubs materialize bows.


    Annoying, he thought, about to hurl a fire-infused hammer at one of the archers when Greldo and Coal appeared a short distance away in the nearest shadow and sprinted at the Galubs. Before they saw him, he was dancing in between them, daggers slashing around, while Coal ripped apart anything that he saw.


    Irwin grinned and redirected his hammer to the four-horn that shouted orders, hurling it with full force. The four-horn yelped and jumped away, only for the explosion behind him to carry him up and away, bowling over another group.


    "There are only three! Swarm them," another four-horn shouted from the other side.


    Irwin looked around, then froze for a moment. The Galub was holding a long sword that glowed dully green as it ran towards him.


    That better not be another of those immovable swords, Irwin thought as he unsummoned and re-summoned his hammer.


    A half-dozen arrows plinked against his back, some managing to stay stuck half an inch inside his skin. They hurt, but nothing more, but he flared his flame up around him as hot as he could, causing them to burn away.


    Still, his flame didn''t seem to frighten the Galubs. Like a river dam breaking, a mass of Galubs ran towards him, brandishing swords, axes, clubs, and daggers.


    Irwin had just one moment to curse before he began swirling, dodging, blocking, and striking out in a frenzy. Within moments, his kinetic energy surged up as he failed to block many of the faster hits, but he used it to strike back without restraint. Each of his hits caused shattered and broken Galubs to be flung away while he saw Grelo and Coal dash around the outskirts, killing archers and dodging the arrows now sent their way.


    It''s a good thing there''s no five-horn here, Irwin thought, gritting his teeth.


    Time seemed to slow to a crawl as Irwin used all of the skills he had. Even then, he soon realized that being near impervious to most physical attacks didn''t mean he couldn''t get hurt. Something slashed across his leg, leaving a burning pain, while another thing collided with his shoulder. Spinning around as he used the force and enlarging his hammer to use the centrifugal power, he blasted fire in a wave all around him.


    "I''ll guard the portal," Greldo suddenly shouted.


    Irwin looked around to see a few Galubs had backed up towards it, only for his friend to intercept them.


    Something struck his back, and he roared in anger, striking the ground below him and causing mud, sand, and stone to explode outwards, shoving the nearest Galubs away.


    Unwittingly he began humming a song as he struck out, dodged, accepted dozens of hits and shattered bones, and then his conscious thought faded as battle fever took over.


    --


    He must have at least one soulskill, Senira thought as she glanced out of the crack in the wall of the wooden tower.


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Below her, a battle unlike any she''d seen before raged, with the metallic giant raging in the midst of a seemingly unending wave of those foul Galubs. As their blood sprayed around, pooling on the ground, she couldn''t help but shiver in joy. Memories of her hatch-brother and sisters came to her, ripped apart by these vile horned monsters just for sport! Finally, they got what they deserved!


    A tiny part of her wished she hadn''t focused on the part of her soulskill that she had. Wished she had forced it along a more combat-oriented path, as her sisters had. It would have helped her gain Mental Freeze, which would have lessened the pain, even though she knew full well it would have resulted in her death. The only reason she was still alive, even though she hadn''t been with egg, was because of her ability to keep the eggs safe.


    A deafening boom made her focus back on the battle, and she saw sand and debris blast apart as the absurdly sized hammer created another crater in the ground.


    They are going to flee soon, she knew as she saw the four-horns on the outskirts begin to back away from the battle. The three-horns would likely fight till the death, unable to overcome their inborn desire for combat, but not the four-horns. They had gained enough calm to know when to run.


    She''d barely thought it when she saw four of them turn and dash towards the pathetic wood constructs they called homes.


    A hairy blur, black and silver-eyed and the size of one of the Great Frosterpents, rushed after them, catching up to one of them before it reached the safety of the buildings. As it ripped its throat apart before vanishing into the shadows, she shuddered.


    Shadow beasts, she thought, feeling the lingering fear she''d felt when they had traveled through that unholy place of darkness. How anything that was cold could be evil was beyond her.


    At first, she''d feared the silver-eyed human had been with the Nyzir, and even now, she hoped it wasn''t all some elaborate trick by those conniving demons.


    Her mind drifted off as she absently watched the monstrous metal being tear apart the much weaker beings. Only when the final one had either run or disappeared did she snap back out of it and stand.


    I hope Elder Gum''dil''ran is correct that these warmbloods are trustworthy, she thought.


    Then she walked out of the despicable house, wishing for the cold touch of ice and snow.


    --


    Irwin took a deep breath as he rolled his arms. His entire body was covered in wounds, none deadly, but all burning and painful. He glanced at a cut nearly an inch deep in his arm, which was very, very, slowly closing.


    "You okay?"


    He looked up to see Greldo stagger towards him, blood running from across his arm, his sleeve ripped free.


    Irwin stomped forward, eyes wide. "Are you alright?"


    "Fine, fine! I should be the one asking that of you," Greldo snapped angrily. "Also, remind me never to fight this many things without solid shadows again."


    Irwin grimaced as he looked at his friend. Patches of fur were ripped free, showing deep wounds, one dangerously close to his throat and jugular.


    "Stop looking like I''m about to keel over," Greldo snapped just as a soft padding came from the distance. They both looked up to see Coal approach, his entire body covered in blood too dark to be his own.


    "Dammit, some got away," Greldo hissed. "We need to find those eggs before those nasty things reach them."


    "I''ll bring us there!"


    Irwin and Greldo turned to Senira, who was walking out of the tower.


    "Alright, but we need to pick up the cards," Irwin said as he looked around. Dozens of squarish shapes were littered between the bodies and blood, their verdant colors sticking out.


    "I''ll do that," Greldo muttered as he walked forward. "I''ll catch up."


    Irwin was about to say it was too dangerous when Coal sniffed. The massive hound stared at him, almost seeming to dare him.


    "Alright," Irwin said as he turned, only for an arrow still lodged below his shoulder to pull.


    Looking at Senira, he pointed at his back. "Could you pull these out as we walk?"


    The Frozir looked at him quietly. "It might hurt¡­" she said.


    Irwin shrugged, grimacing at the pain it brought. "It''s fine," he said. "My heartcard helps me endure."


    Senira''s eyes narrowed, but she only pointed to the right. "That way," she said.


    Irwin began walking forward, slower than he normally would, as he felt her grab an arrow. A moment later, she ripped it out, and he only just clenched his teeth to stifle a groan of pain.


    By the time they reached the edge of the town, Senira had removed over a dozen arrows.


    "That should be it," she said as she came walking beside him, glancing at him sideways with her pale blue eyes. "How many soulcards do you have?"


    Irwin snorted, then laughed, but didn''t answer. It wasn''t the first time someone had asked him about that, and he was pretty sure it was because his hearcard was Ammolite. It seemed to increase not only the amount of passives and actives he had but also the power they could exert.


    I wonder what will happen after it becomes a soulskill, he thought.


    Senira stared at him until she seemed to realize he wasn''t going to answer.


    "Are you the most powerful of your people?" she asked.


    Irwin thought for a moment, thinking about Daubutim. "It depends if we are talking about fighting or something else," he said.


    "Fighting," Senira said calmly.


    "Probably," Irwin said, thinking about his brother. "Though not by a lot."


    Senira continued ahead, leading them through the narrow, litter-filled streets. A dull, musky stink hung everywhere that reminded Irwin of the portal he and Daubutim had been in, the one they had stumbled across Doomblade the first time.


    They continued through the town, then out towards the distant volcano. Thin plumes of darkness trickled from the top and the sides, and Irwin sighed as he felt the temperature rapidly increase.


    "What?"


    "I just realized that this isn''t the first planet I''ve found that is cracking, and I''m starting to be done with looking at volcanos," Irwin said as he gestured at the dark, mud-covered peak in the distance.


    Senira didn''t respond, and they continued for a while. Eventually, Irwin saw an old, partially destroyed tower standing near a crevice. A familiar red glow came from its depths, coloring the distant jagged wall.


    Irwin looked for any heat signatures, and either there were none, or the rapidly increasing temperature was camouflaging any Galubs still around.


    "Do you have a soulcard that gives you infinite endurance?" Senira asked.


    Irwin looked at her, wondering why she was so curious about his skills. When he was young, it had been more than a little impolite to ask about someone else''s cards. Although he''d long since dealt with more open people, being asked so often, especially when he felt he''d been more than clear that he didn''t want to talk about it, made him annoyed.


    "I prefer not talking about my cards," he said.


    "Soul stolen skills," Senira said.


    Irwin frowned at her, but she was looking at him with what he felt was a sincere interest. He focused back ahead.


    "Do you think the eggs are alright?" he asked, deciding to change the subject.


    "I hope so," Serina said, her eyes narrowing as she sped up.


    Irwin noticed tiny trickles of sweat running down the side of her face as the temperature continued to increase.


    "Are you going to be alright?" he asked.


    "I''ll live."


    They continued on in silence until they reached the tower. Irwin had expected some guards, but to his surprise, the tower was just locked with a rusty dark chain, which took him all of one second to rip apart. As he opened the door, a wave of cold air rippled out from it, causing him to involuntarily shiver.


    Serina rushed into the tower.


    As Irwin stepped into the tower he saw the entire inside was covered in a thick, gleaming layer of ice. There was barely any sign of it melting either, though a slight indent had filled with water, showing that some of that was occurring. A layer of ice on the side was filled with shadowy oval objects clustered together.


    "They are fine," Serina exhaled and looked at Irwin with a sudden smile that made him blink in surprise. "Thank you!"


    Irwin nodded, but Serina had already turned around, starting to move her hands across the ice.


    "Ohhhh, that''s much better!"


    Irwin jolted, then turned a glare on Greldo standing next to him.


    "What?"


    "Can you please warn us before you just pop up?!" Irwin said. "I could have hit you!"


    "No, you couldn''t have," Greldo said with a weary smile, vanishing and reappearing a step away so fast Irwin barely missed it.


    Irwin snorted, and they waited as Senira removed the clusters of eggs, leaving a thick layer of ice around them. When she was done, she could barely stand.


    "Do you want me to hold some?" Irwin asked as he saw her sway dangerously.


    "No," Senira snapped before taking a deep breath and smiling half-heartedly. "If you touch them, the ice will melt, and they will be wounded by the warmth."


    Irwin nodded, taking a step back, only to see Senira stumble as she walked forward. Irwin moved, holding her up.


    "This isn''t going to work," he said, ignoring Senira''s sudden worried look. "How did you even expect to carry these?"


    "I can do it," Senira said, squaring her shoulders and seeming ready to try again.


    Irwin snorted, then lifted her up, holding her as best he could so as not to touch the eggs. Then he turned and stomped out of the tower, ignoring Greldo''s laughter.


    Senira didn''t say a single word as they moved down, but when he put her on the ground before the portal, she stared at him intently. Clouds of snowy white seemed to swirl in her eyes before she lowered them.


    "Thank you," she said before turning and stepping into the portal.


    Irwin blinked while Greldo burst out laughing. Coal had been standing beside the portal and let out a snort.


    "What?" Irwin asked, annoyed.


    "Oh, nothing," Greldo said as he turned around. "So, how about we find those Imps? Coal will stay behind to guard the portal."


    Irwin nodded and followed his friend.


    "You might want to talk with Lord Bron, by the way," Greldo muttered.


    Irwin glanced at his friend, who was studiously staring at the distant volcano with a mocking grin.


    I don''t even want to know, Irwin thought.


    It took them far less time to reach the tower, and when they reached the largest of the fissures in the ground, Irwin immediately knew he''d made the right call. Hundreds of Imps were running around the edges, far below, jumping across dark patches in the lava and screaming with insane laughter. Every so often, he saw one topple into the lava, screaming in pain as it was burned alive, only for the others to laugh even louder.


    "They are completely insane now," Greldo muttered.


    "They are one step away from becoming Addled," Ambraz snorted as he rustled out of Irwin''s pocket. "Ugh! Remember that I told you how stuffy it is in there?"


    Irwin nodded absently, staring at the Imps. "I''m going go and clear those things out," he said, feeling nothing as he looked at the insane and dangerous demons. From what he saw, there were only unevolved Imps.


    "Be careful," Greldo said. "I''ll hang out around you, and if needed, I''ll grab you and get you back up."


    Irwin nodded, then looked up. "Can you try to snatch any cards before they drop into the lava?"


    "Oh, definitely!" Greldo said as his eyes widened. "Do you know how many we got from those Galubs?"


    Irwin raised an eyebrow. "No?"


    "Forty-seven!"


    Irwin blinked, then grinned as he looked down. "Let''s hope we get as many from these!"


    "Want me to bring you?" Greldo asked.


    "No, save your energy," Irwin said.


    Taking a deep breath, he aimed for a ledge a short distance down and hopped down.


    Let''s see how many it takes to fill my soullake!

 Chapter 223: First Soulcard

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    Just a bit more, Irwin thought, feeling sick to his stomach.


    Imps were screaming with laughter, some rolling down into the lava without a care as he slaughtered their kin.


    I¡¯m going to have nightmares for a long time, Irwin thought as he sent a spear of flames roaring across the lava. Four Imps slumped down, turning into black blocks of soot. He watched as one of the Imps, a few feet to the side that had escaped his flame, pointed a finger at the soot, crying with laughter, its eyes wide with insanity.


    Nothing deserves to become this insane, he thought.


    Hoping he was almost done, he took a quick glance at his soullake. Even the odd wind causing lapping waves and a thin mist of soulpower joining the feeling of almost being full couldn¡¯t help him feel better.


    ¡°Kid, I know this is horrible, but believe me when I say you are saving them from a worse fate!¡± Ambraz shouted to become audible over the bubbling of the lava, the hysterical laughter, and the occasional eruptions of yellow gas.


    ¡°I know,¡± Irwin shouted back as he thought about the mindless horror that were the Addled. He had only seen a few, but the one that had chased him into the portal corridor from the ruined world would remain with him forever.


    He¡¯s right. It''s better that they don¡¯t become like that, he thought, gritting his teeth as he saw his next target. As the image of the massive thing replayed in his mind, another group of Imps was reduced to ash and chunks of soot.


    Trickles of soulforce continued to drip and stream into his soullake, then a shudder ran through his heartcard. It began humming with a powerful melody, and within moments, it seemed to cause his entire body to vibrate along with it.


    ¡°Alright, that''s enough!¡± Ambraz shouted.


    ¡°Greldo!¡± Irwin roared. He wanted nothing but to get out of this lava-filled insane world.


    Greldo appeared and disappeared along the edges, grabbing two cards. A moment later, his friend reappeared, grabbed him, and then the world changed to one of shadows and darkness. Irwin barely looked, both happy to be out and feeling a rapid bubbling desire to see what was happening in his mindscape.


    The world flashed by, and when they reappeared, they were on the edge of the shadows, closing in on the town.


    ¡°That was horrible,¡± Greldo grunted, stumbling a few steps and shaking his head. ¡°Can you imagine if we had been too late and all the people on Giard had been turned crazy like that?¡±


    Irwin nodded, but he barely listened. Out of the shadow world, whatever dampening it had done to his heartcard was gone, and an orchestra of sound was ripping around and through him. He faintly saw that Greldo was looking at him from the side, but his vision was starting to turn blurry. It almost felt as if the world was minutely shaking but incredibly fast.


    ¡°Kid, are you ready?¡± Ambraz asked, the anvil¡¯s voice somehow somewhat clear throughout the almost deafening sound only he could hear. ¡°Remember, don¡¯t leave your mindspace, and don¡¯t lose your consciousness!¡±


    ¡°Y¡­ es,¡± Irwin roared, barely hearing his own words.


    The sound of the world was changing, and he only heard that Greldo said something, not understanding what.


    Let''s do this, Irwin thought, then hesitating for a moment.


    He knew what to expect from Ambraz¡¯s stories, but the Anvil had also told him that knowing and experiencing were two different things. Supposedly, he didn¡¯t have to do much himself. All he had to do was remain calm and make sure he wasn¡¯t blown out of his mindscape. The stronger the card, the worse the soulstorm, Ambraz had said.


    Irwin gritted his teeth, hearing nothing, seeing nothing, and pulled himself into his mindscape.


    The deafening song and sound immediately changed, and he appeared in what looked like a storm-filled sphere with a bottom of water that was overflowing its edges, waves crashing into the side. Billowing clouds of soulforce-vapor hung above the lake, swirling around his heartcard, which was thrumming with power, bursts of fiery light rippling around. The song around him was still there, but inside, it was inexplicably less loud than it had been outside of his mind.


    The soulstorm¡¯s buffeting wind shoved Irwin to the side, and it took him all his willpower to remain in roughly the same spot.


    Gelwin¡¯s balls, this is way more than Ambraz said, Irwin thought.


    He was about to move inward when another gust caught him off guard and dragged him away, careening to the barrier around his mindscape. There was no time to wonder why he felt like he was tumbling through the air. Instead, he focused his entire will on slowing down. What felt like a dozen feet from the barrier, he finally stopped, staring at the rippling sheet of energy, lightning, and what almost felt like physical thunder before him. It was shaking, shivering, and rippling under the pressure of the storm, and if he touched them, he¡¯d be ejected back out of his mindspace.


    Feeling like he was wrestling with Crithann, he struggled away, back towards his card, fighting against the expanding ripples of power.


    He said it wouldn¡¯t be too hard!


    Irwin barely finished his thought as a sideways ripple of power picked him up and launched him, hurtling across his mindspace like a leaf toward the barrier on the other side. He managed to stop himself again, turning back to the lake.


    Focusing on remaining in one spot, he slowly moved from the wall, trying to close in on his card.


    Time seemed to have no meaning as the raging storm continued, and slowly, he felt his worry grow. Ambraz had told him it wouldn¡¯t take too long, and he just had to weather some rough weather. This wasn¡¯t rough weather!


    Minutes or hours passed as Irwin struggled against the ever-increasing power of the mental winds.


    At some point, he wondered if he¡¯d have to remain here forever. What if the world around him shattered? Was time passing for Greldo like it was for him?


    No answers came, and so he relentlessly continued fighting against the soulstorm.


    Finally, after what felt like days, the uncontrolled euphoria of sound silenced, and a softer song of vibration and humming took its place.


    Irwin looked up, overjoyed that it was hopefully finally over.


    His heartcard was covered in a shimmering layer of soulforce, the light that glowed from within refracted in a kaleidoscope of colors. A sense of hunger was erupting from it while Irwin¡¯s connection to it, which he had thought had been strong before, began deepening. As the storm slowed, the mental soulforce-induced winds reduced to a howling gale, he felt the lines of where his mind ended, and his card began start to blur.


    The storm clouds froze, and a pulse came from his card, strong and filled with a sense of incredible hunger.


    Then the mass of clouds moved again, but instead of around, they were pulled towards the card. Within a moment, a maelstrom appeared with his heartcard as the heart while the clouds were pulled towards it. As soon as they touched it, they were absorbed inside at a speed Irwin could barely fathom.


    An odd movement below the card made him look down. The water-like soulforce below the card was rising up, bubling as if something was pressing it from below. It slowly turned into a swirling pillar of illuminated fluid, rising till the tip touched the card.


    Instead of the hunger reducing, his card¡¯s song increased as if some part of it needed, no craved sustenance!


    Drops of soulforce rained up against whatever counted as gravity in his mindspace, while Irwin watched in awe as the soulforce he¡¯d collected over the last year vanished at a breakneck speed.


    No longer having to fight against the storm, he quickly looked around. The barriers were much further away than they had been before and seemed to distance themselves from the thrumming power of his heartcard.


    Grinning madly, Irwin looked back at his heartcard, its edges so bright it felt like he was staring at the sun. The soulforce in the lake didn¡¯t take long to be drained, and as the last of it was greedily sucked up by his heartcard, Irwin inched closer, eyes wide.


    It took two whole seconds for him to realize the music, thrumming, humming, and vibrations of his heartcard had stopped, and then the card exploded. Shards vanished as they whisked past him, and Irwin¡¯s mind froze in fear as the bright light of his card vanished, his dry soullake bed shadowy and gloomy.


    No! Had he failed? That couldn¡¯t¡­


    A sense of warmth spread from his mind as something that had not been there before appeared within it. At the same time, his own presence in his mindscape deepened, going from something that had been almost unsubstantial and like a dream, to more like it was being in the real world.


    Joy and energy made Irwin grin as he closed his eyes, not even bothering to care how odd such a thing was within his mind. He felt his card. It was now a part of him much more than it had ever been. Not like his hand or fingers, but more like an emotion! With the joy came a sense of being able to summon it.


    Curious, he opened his eyes and pulled on the sensation.


    A tiny, slightly translucent card appeared before him. He felt like he was looking at himself or part of him, but he also knew the card wasn¡¯t really that. It was just a reflection of it. He couldn¡¯t pinpoint where the real card had gone, though if it felt¡­ spread out.


    With a grin, he moved the translucent image around, causing it to fly around him in a few circles. As he did, he knew there was something else he could do. Knowledge about his cards that almost felt like it was leaking into his mind.


    Eyes wide in wonder, he drew the card towards him and focused on it. Within a moment, it grew to the size of a page, and words appeared on its side.


    Soulskill: Firesteel Elemental Vaelite Heart


    Type: Soulcard, Ammolite, Unique Mutation, Forged by Irwin Roddington


    Compatibility type-restrictions: Fire, Devouring Flame, Steam, Metal [Firesteel], Physical Improvements [Strength, Endurance, Constitution]


    Owner: Irwin Roddington


    This soulcard has changed your heart to one that constantly creates and stores kinetic energy. This has influenced your body, imbuing it with the power of a Firesteel Elemental. Due to this, you can harness and wield kinetic energy without having to worry that your body is damaged or ripped apart.


    Passive: Greatly increased strength, endurance, constitution, and fire control [Devouring Flame]


    Passive: Near-immunity to fire, pressure, poison, and toxin


    Passive: Resonating heat vision


    Passive: Greatly increased resonance sensitivity and control


    Active: Allows the drawing and manipulation of water in the air [Mutation]


    Active: Summon a firesteel hammer of any size or shape. Lasts until dismissed or destroyed. [Soulforce]


    [Soulcard-passive]: Immunity to Devouring Flame


    Irwin blinked, reading over the text. He wondered why the text so much resembled the way Ambraz showed him the card¡¯s information. Was it based on his previous experiences?


    ¡°So many changes,¡± he whispered as he read across the card again, frowning.


    The largest difference was in the card¡¯s description. He recalled the original text nearly word for word, and like all the other card descriptions he had seen, it spoke about the ¡®wielder¡¯ of the card. None of that remained, and instead, it spoke about him and the soulcard.


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.Must be because it''s possible to remove heartcards but not soulcards, he thought as he recalled the heartcard they had found in the wyrms.


    Still, as interesting as those changes were, what really drew his eye was the added items. The resistance didn¡¯t surprise him, but the compatibility-type restrictions did. Even back in the Ratsdistrict long ago, he¡¯d known that slotting one card meant he couldn¡¯t slot some others. However, he had never seen a list of exactly what those would be before.


    So, does that mean all of my other handcards need to correspond with these? he thought, reading the short list. It made sense from what he¡¯d already discussed with Ambraz. But¡­ why did it specifically say Firesteel?


    No reference to my hammer, he mused.


    After looking at his card for a short while longer, he relaxed his control over it, and it began slowly drifting along on a slight wind. It took Irwin a few moments before he realized what was happening, and the text on the card faded as his eyes widened.


    Wind?


    Stunned, he looked around to see where the wind was coming from, barely noticing that the card faded away again.


    He could understand the soulstorm winds back when his card was becoming a soulcard, but now? There was nothing happening¡­ was there?


    As he scanned his mindscape, the first thing he noted was that it had grown exponentially. His soullake had grown with it, but most of the area around was some sort of muddy terrain. The barrier beyond it had stopped looking like a lightning-riddled energy shield and turned into an almost opaque sheet of glass. There was no clear origin for the wind that he could see, but it seemed to be coming from the barrier.


    Curious, he flew towards it, and as he closed in, he found that he could faintly see through. He moved as close to the surface as he dared, not yet ready to be ejected out, and hummed. There was only muddled darkness with some faint shapes. It vaguely reminded him of the areas beyond the portal corridors, but he wasn¡¯t too sure.


    A soft cracking sound made him spin around in startled shock.


    Around the left side of the dry lake, the ground was breaking open, and amidst a slowly increasing rumble a rugged edge began rising up. The ground around it slowly crumbled away as it continued to expand until the entire left side around his lake was rising up.


    Irwin looked on in stunned wonder as a small, somewhat jagged hill grew up, one lone peak stopping only when it nearly reached the top of the barrier. As the rumbling stopped, what looked like a miniature mountain steadied. Although most of it seemed covered in rough soil, just like the bottom of the lakebed, streaks of gleaming metal sat around the edges and gleamed within the cracks along its surface.


    Irwin slowly glided forward, but before he could reach the tiny mountain, a thunder cracking came from one of the lower hills, and he froze midair as a fissure appeared. Amidst billowing clouds of steam, a stream of what he could only describe as liquid fire streamed out from the crack. Beautiful golden red, with highlights of bright yellow, it flowed down along the cracks, weaving a path down the rugged hill until it pooled into a shallow basin.


    When the rumbling and cracking stopped, Irwin stared in wonder at the beautiful scene before him: a small mountain with a stream of liquid fire flowing into a river that slowly spread out sideways along its foot and steam flowing up to drift around its lone peak.


    He didn¡¯t need to be brilliant to know what was going on. His card¡¯s types were somehow changing and integrating with his mindscape.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t they warn me of this?¡± he muttered as he headed towards the mountain to inspect it. ¡°I¡¯m so going to have words with Ambraz and Daubutim!¡±


    He flew around the mountain, inspecting the fiery river and the steam for a while before hovering back to the lake. He knew he was procrastinating going back out, partially because he was afraid of what he would find. Daubutim had told him stories about soulcarded being locked in their mindscape after their world shattered, never able to leave.


    Time to go outside, he told himself, taking one last look around.


    Steeling himself, he closed his eyes, and for a moment, he felt a slight resistance. Then he was wisked away, back into his own body. He immediately felt a sense of discomfort and pressure on his mind, and the entire world around him seemed to hum in a dissonant wrongness. Tiny rocks prodded in his back, and a soft whispering came from somewhere to the side. Looking up, he saw the black, billowing clouds he recalled from the world.


    At least the world hasn¡¯t shattered, he thought with a frown.


    A distant rumbling came through the ground, distracting him. Somehow, he could roughly estimate the distance and direction it came from.


    As odd as that was, there was something else that distracted him, and he quickly raised his hands. Six card slots sat on their back, just as they had for the longest part of his life.


    ¡°He¡¯s awake!¡±


    ¡°Kid, dammit, are you trying to scare me to death!¡¯


    Irwin lowered his hands and rose on his elbows. Greldo was running toward him, Ambraz flying ahead of him. In the distance, the massive volcano was nearly split apart at the top, billowing plumes of ash spewing into the air.


    ¡°How long was I gone?¡± Irwin asked as he pushed himself up.


    ¡°Oh¡­ right, that¡¯s going to take some getting used to,¡± Greldo said, staring at him, eyes slightly wide.


    ¡°What?¡± Irwin asked, raising his hands to scan his face. His beard was still there, and there was no sign of any oddities that he could feel.


    ¡°Your eyes are¡­ different,¡± Greldo said, waving at his face.


    ¡°Right, no longer silver,¡± Irwin said, recalling that only heartcarded had the silvereyes.


    ¡°Well, that too,¡± Greldo said with a laugh. ¡°But they aren¡¯t what they used to be either. Just take a look when we get back.¡±


    Irwin was about to ask what he meant when he felt the pressure of the world around him increase. Looking around, he couldn¡¯t see anything. Focusing on the world and using his resonance sense, which now seemed to be inherent instead of from a card, he immediately felt a songlike resonance all around him. For a moment, he was confused as to what it was, then his eyes widened.


    It''s the ambient soulforce!


    Focusing on what he guessed was the song of the world''s soulforce he felt its unsteadiness and fragility. It was almost like a card that had been badly reforged, strained against its will in the completely wrong direction.


    ¡°What''s wrong?¡± Greldo asked, stepping forward.


    ¡°I think we should leave,¡± Irwin said. ¡°This world feels wrong.¡±


    ¡°Finally, you can sense what I can,¡± Ambraz shouted, landing on Irwin¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You should try to stabilize it, at least for a while!¡±


    ¡°What? How?¡± Irwin asked, looking around in confusion.


    Ambraz laughed, and then he began humming and singing a wordless song that Irwin immediately recognized. It matched the resonance of this world¡¯s soulforce. However, unlike the unsteady, dissonant, out-of-tune song of the world, this was fluid and without fault.


    ¡°This is what it should be, or close to,¡± Ambraz shouted. ¡°


    Irwin nodded, ready to try. Then he stopped, looking at the distant mountain stupidly. How was he going to do this? Before he got a soulcard he could make his cards and later his heartcard resonate simply by willing it, but now? He couldn¡¯t even feel his soulcard. All he could do was summon a fake representation of it, which made him wonder if he could do that in the real world. But that was a test for another time.


    Feeling around, he did sense his skills now a part of him.


    ¡°Kid?¡±


    ¡°How do I resonate my soulcard?¡± Irwin asked. ¡°I can¡¯t even feel it!¡±


    Ambraz snorted, then laughed. ¡°Right¡­ I should have prepared you better. Whatever. Kid, your soul, and your first soulcard are now one and the same. Do you feel your empty soullake?¡±


    Irwin nodded as he realized he did, and not just that. He could feel that it was empty. No more going into his mindscape to check its status!


    ¡°Try and resonate it,¡± Ambraz said.


    Irwin focused on the empty soullake, and he immediately knew what Ambraz meant. His entire soullake thrummed just like his heartcard had once done, and it wasn¡¯t just that. He felt like he could¡­ expand his view? Fly back? He had no idea how to formulate what he was doing, but his overview of his soullake seemed to shrink until it was replaced by a massive card. A tiny image of a mountain with a fiery river running down and steam above it was depicted on a part of it.


    ¡°Did I become a soulcard?¡± he hissed, shaking his head in surprise.


    ¡°What? Of course not,¡± Ambraz snapped. ¡°But let''s talk about this with Daubutim. I¡¯m not a hundred percent sure, but after everything we learned over the last few years, I do have an idea. Now, resonate it like this-¡± Ambraz said before he hummed the same tune again.


    Irwin nodded, surprising his growing curiosity. Then he resonated his¡­ soullake? Soulcard? He shoved his confusion down, and only just in time.


    His entire mindscape began resonating, and the pressure he¡¯d been feeling was shoved away from him as easily as he could throw a rock across a city.


    ¡°What the-?¡± Greldo shouted, and Irwin turned to his friend only to see him stumble back.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    Greldo shook his head as he looked around, then shook his head again as if to clear it.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ but warn me before you do something like that again?¡±


    A soft groan came from Irwin¡¯s shoulder, and he was just in time to catch Ambraz as the Anvil slid from his shoulder.


    ¡°Ambraz?¡±


    ¡°...Kid¡­ how¡­? Never¡­ mind¡­. sleep!¡± Ambraz whispered, only the last word loud. Then he went inert.


    Irwin swallowed, looking at Greldo, who was looking back just as confused.


    ¡°You know what? I think we should head back,¡± Greldo muttered. ¡°I¡¯d planned to stay and grab some more cards, but we already have nearly a hundred.¡±


    Irwin sighed as he looked around. The resonation of the world¡¯s soulforce was following along with that of his mindscape, and he could almost feel it very slowly becoming less fractured. Part of him knew that Greldo¡¯s words made sense. The problem was¡­ they would need so many more cards than just a hundred.


    ¡°No,¡± he said with a weary sigh, turning to the distant volcano. ¡°Whatever I just did- am doing, is stabilizing this world. Can you go back and tell Clarish to tell Lord Bron and Daubutim about this? Who knows when we get another chance to grab this many cards?¡±


    Greldo looked at him quietly, then sighed. ¡°You sure?¡±


    Irwin nodded as he looked around. ¡°Yeah, go and get back as fast as you can. Oh, and hand me those cards. Hopefully, Ambraz will wake up to tell me what they do. There might be one that you can use to fill your soullake a bit more or that I can slot!¡±


    Greldo laughed and handed him the thick stack of cards.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do anything stupid,¡± he said with a grin before turning and jumping into the portal.


    Irwin snorted before focusing on the cards.

 Chapter 224: Guest

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    Irwin groaned as he leaned against the building, ignoring the dangerous moaning of the ruined stone. Excited shouts came from far away, and he guessed the rangers had found another group of imps. Either that or the people Daubutim sent to investigate the Terullian glyphs had discovered something new again.


    "You should take a rest," Greldo muttered from where he lay against Coal''s side.


    "You know I can''t. There''s no way to know if what I''m doing to the world to stabilize it will stop if I fall asleep," Irwin grunted, rubbing his eyes. He was annoyed that Greldo kept asking, though he knew his friend was just worried. Either that, or he hoped it would fail, and they would be forced to leave.


    "... You''ve been awake for over a week," Greldo muttered. "You can''t be planning to stay awake until we leave here?"


    "Just until Ambraz wakes up again," Irwin said, stretching his arms as he looked around.


    Dozens of rangers were standing around them, ready to rush to any area that needed help. A movement from the side made him look up, and he saw Jort walk towards him, looking worried.


    "Here we go again," Greldo muttered as he struggled up.


    "Jort?" Irwin asked.


    "Smith Irwin, sorry for disturbing you again, but the rangers south of the volcano found another nearly insane Brutal Imp," Jort said while he handed a thick stack of cards to Irwin.


    Irwin barely looked at them before stuffing them in his dirty, smelly, and ripped jacket.


    "Alright, lead me there."


    A long time later, with another rip in his jacket, he sat back down beside Greldo. His friend was scratching Coal.


    "Everything okay?" Greldo asked as his eyes traced him, lingering on the rip and some scuff marks on his arm.


    "Yeah, there were two brutes," Irwin said as he showed two new Topaz-ranked cards. "It''s a good thing that being a soulcarded gives such a large added amount of energy."


    Greldo nodded, raising an eyebrow. "Still no soulforce added to your lake?"


    Irwin shook his head. "It''s either because I need a heartcard for that or because I can''t use the imps anymore."


    "Let''s hope it''s the heartcard," Greldo said. "If you need to use cards from now on, it''s going to take you ages to fill another."


    "Yeah," Irwin said, sitting down and rubbing his neck and the back of his head. He really wanted to sleep.


    "Well, those people Daubutim sent left while you were away. They said they had copied every bit of those glyphs they could find. Jort also sent part of the rangers back, and as soon as those are settled on the new ships, they will be bringing them back to the homeportal."


    "Homeportal?" Irwin asked with a raised eyebrow.


    "That''s what the Rangers are calling it now," Greldo said with a shrug.


    "Well, I guess that makes sense."


    They remained lounging near the portal, Irwin jealous as his friend kept taking naps.


    Half a day passed until Jort returned with another group of rangers.


    "So, time to leave?" Irwin asked hopefully as he looked at the ranger who had become the de facto leader of the rangers on this side of the portal.


    "Well¡­"


    Irwin groaned as he Jort shrugged. "We found another infestation with at least two hundred Imps¡­"


    Irwin wished he could say he didn''t care, but instead, he got up.


    "Fine, show me where it is."


    Three hours later, and even more tired than before, Irwin walked back to the portal and slumped on the ground beside Greldo.


    "Over four hundred," he muttered, padding his bulging pockets.


    "Imps or cards?" Greldo asked with a raised eyebrow.


    "Both," Irwin said. "I haven''t counted yet, but I''d say we are nearing six hundred cards."


    Greldo nodded, hands behind his head. "It sounds like so much until you remember how many we really need."


    "Well, I''m going to take a dozen to make Daubutim''s heartcard and perhaps another dozen for Lord Bron," Irwin said.


    "Don''t forget to take those that deal with shadow for me and six new ones for yourself," Greldo said with a grin.


    Irwin nodded.


    Time passed as he tried to stay awake when a sudden rustle came from his pocket, followed by a groan.


    "Wu- what?"


    "Ambraz?" Irwin asked as he quickly removed the Anvil from his pocket.


    "What happened? Are you alright?"


    Ambraz snorted, his lips pressed together. "I don''t know what a headache feels like, but I''m pretty sure I have one. I told you to harmonize the world, not attempt to reset the entire ambient soulforce in the entire continent!"


    Irwin blinked as Ambraz''s wings appeared, stretching out in a way that reminded him of someone stretching their arms.


    "You did something I didn''t expect anyone but a Worldanvil or someone with five soulcards would be able to do¡­ you knocked me out," Ambraz said. "Kid, I need you to tell me exactly what happened when you formed your soulcard. Don''t leave anything out, no matter how tiny."


    Irwin stared at Ambraz, surprised at how serious he sounded. Somehow, it even managed to reduce his incredibly weariness, and after a few moments, he began talking about the storm and its magnitude.


    "Please tell me you are exaggerating¡­!" Ambraz hissed as he spoke about how he was yanked through his soulscape.


    "No. It felt like I was being ripped all across-"


    "Not that! How big is your soulscape now?" Ambraz nearly shouted.


    Irwin frowned, then looked around. "It feels like it''s about from there-" he pointed at the distant buildings, then to a tube-like pillar of rock that had been forced out of the ground towards the foot of the volcano. "-to that thing."


    "..."


    "..."


    Ambraz was staring at him with his mouth wide open, revealing his slablike teeth, while Greldo had pushed up, looking nearly as stunned.


    "Mine is barely large enough to hold that building," Greldo muttered, pointing at a large building to the side of the square.


    Irwin looked at his friend in surprise. His soulscape had been bigger than that, even when he''d only just gotten his heartcard. Much bigger even. Just his soullake had been at least the size of the entire square if he had to guess.


    Ambraz took a deep breath before exhaling explosively. "Tell me what happened, step by step," he muttered.


    Wondering why his soulscape was so different, Irwin continued telling Ambraz everything that happened. When he spoke of how his card had exploded, Greldo let out a gasp.


    "That''s normal," Ambraz said, sounding distracted. "The crystalized soulforce in the card is why the barrier around your soulscape looked like glass, and the stronger it is, the more difficult it will become to look through it. It''s also a way to guard your mind against mental attacks."


    Irwin shivered as he thought about people attacking his mind. He knew of those cards, some of which could force someone to do things against their wishes, and he was glad they were usually removed from circulation by the Mission Centers.


    He continued talking, describing how the mountain had appeared. When he was done, Ambraz was quietly watching him. As time ticked by, Irwin wondered if he''d broken the Anvil.


    "Ambraz?"


    "I need to see this for myself," Ambraz said with a deep sigh. "I need you to bring me into your soulscape."


    Irwin shared a stunned look with Greldo.


    "I can do that?"


    "Normally, you would need more soulcards for this," Ambraz muttered. "But it''s a power and control thing. You''ve always had good control, and if everything you just told me- You didn''t lie, right?"


    "What? No," Irwin said. "How do I even-"


    A sensation as if someone was knocking on his mind made him look around in surprise. It took him a second to realize it had to have been Ambraz, but even he could barely believe the oddity of the sensation.


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    "What did you just do?"


    Another knocking sensation came, though Irwin knew it wasn''t exactly the right way to describe it.


    "Something difficult, strenuous, and normally only done by Ganvils of rank five or higher," Ambraz muttered, sounding strained. "Go into your soulscape and see if you can feel where I''m at. When you find me, knock back, and I''ll start humming. Try to follow along, and we should be able to make this work."


    Irwin looked at the Anvil for a short while before turning to Greldo.


    "Try it. I''ll keep you safe," his friend said.


    Irwin nodded and, with zero effort, stepped into his mindspace. Surprised by the ease of it, he hovered there, wondering what he should do now.


    A soft pounding came from the furthest side from where he was.


    It''s almost like someone is knocking on a door, he thought as he sped toward the source of the sound.


    A small shape hung behind the glass, and he faintly recognized Ambraz. There was another knock, and he was about to knock back when he stopped.


    How do I even knock without arms¡­


    Besides, before gaining his soulcard, touching the barrier meant being kicked out of his soulscape. Had that been changed?


    Well, let''s just try. If I get kicked out, I''ll just ask Ambraz.


    Hesitating only for a moment, he rushed forward, knocking into the barrier with his mental¡­ body? He didn''t know what to call what he was now, but that didn''t stop him from slamming into the barrier. It felt as if he''d slammed headfirst into a wall, and he tumbled back amidst a deep boom that resounded throughout his soulscape. Even though it took him a few moments to regain his bearing, the glass was still shivering.


    "A bit too much, maybe," he muttered.


    After a few moments, a soft hum came from the other side of the glass, and he felt the glass barrier in front of him softly resonate along. It was the same hum Ambraz had shown, and wondering what would happen, he began humming the same tune. A painful disharmony came from his soulscape as the tiny inconsistencies in the hum seemed to cause the barrier to shiver.


    He quickly corrected it, but it took him a few tries before he had it as even the loudness had to be identical.


    As he hummed along, the glassy area before him became translucent, and he saw Ambraz there, lips pursed in a tight line. Dark shadows moved far in the background of what looked almost like the chaotic starry sky beyond the Portal Gallery barrier.


    Ten seconds later, the completely translucent circle of glass began shivering, followed by a tiny sense of unease and pain as something struck it. Then Ambraz hovered before him, shaking and shivering.


    "Damnit, kid! How strong is your¡­ barrier¡­"


    "..."


    Ambraz fell quiet as he hovered past Irwin. "You weren''t kidding," he whispered.


    Irwin didn''t respond, incredulous that someone else was in his mind. How did that even work?


    "Kid?"


    "How is this possible?" Irwin blurted.


    "I don''t know! You did it," Ambraz snapped as he flew forward towards the mountain.


    "No! How are you actually in my mind?" Irwin asked as he sped after Ambraz.


    "What? Oh, that! I told you, didn''t I? After you gain a soulcard, you can bring other people into your soulscape. Normally, that takes years of strengthening your soulscape, but well¡­"


    Ambraz hovered above the mountain.


    "Your soulscape is the size of that of¡­ well of a Worldanvil, at the minimum. Maybe larger. I''ve only heard stories about things like this, and usually, those carded had specific cards to expand their mindspace."


    Irwin hummed as he followed Ambraz, who was counting as he sped from one side to the other.


    "Okay, so it''s roughly half a mile in diameter¡­ which is¡­ absurd? Stupid? Incredible?"


    "Is it a problem?" Irwin asked, noting that Ambraz didn''t sound all that happy.


    "What? No! It''s just that I don''t like not knowing why it''s like this."


    Irwin shrugged, or at least tried to perform the mental disembodied version of a shrug.


    "Perhaps it''s because of the Purperion or my growth cards?" he asked. "Or is it normal for people with Ammolite soulcards?"


    "Your growth cards could help, but not this much. Still, I guess that''s possible¡­ either that or the other things you mentioned," Ambraz muttered. "Sadly, these are things that I don''t know much about."


    "What about the way I expanded it by consuming the Imp''s soulforce?"


    Ambraz didn''t respond, muttering to himself as he sped around the soulscape for a bit.


    "Well, I don''t know! But I think we should figure it out," he said.


    Irwin nodded, staring at his own soulscape. He noticed that the mountain seemed more sturdy than the previous time he''d been there, while the fire had filled some more cracks, filling tiny crevices at the base of the mountain.


    "So now what do we do?" he asked.


    Ambraz snorted and turned to him. "Now we go back out and leave this blasted world. You''ve got plenty of cards to help your friends. After that, we need to head to Granvox. You soulscape is going to make it a whole lot easier to get some rank zero Ganvils safely here!"


    "I don''t know how I feel about just letting anyone in here," Irwin said, feeling worried.


    "What? Why not! There''s nothing they can do to you in here. It''s more the other way around. If you wanted to, you could squash anyone that came in here unless they were far more powerful than you!"


    Ambraz''s words made Irwin feel a lot better, though he also wondered if that meant that he could do the same to the Anvil.


    "Can I force someone out?" he asked.


    "What? Wanna try it on me, do you?" Ambraz shouted.


    Irwin grinned.


    "I''d prefer it if you let me stay in here," Ambraz said, landing on the top of the mountain and staring around.


    "What? Why?" Irwin said.


    "Because when you get even stronger, you can pull me physically in here," Ambraz said. "Normally, soulscapes are much smaller, making that very uncomfortable, but this looks nice. Reminds me a bit of Granvox."


    "Okay, but why do you want to stay in here now?"


    "Because from here, we can protect each other. Besides, Ganvil''s don''t get soulscapes until they reach rank five. There''s also some other benefits that you will find out about later."


    Irwin hummed, wondering what Ambraz meant with that, before deciding that it didn''t matter.


    "Alright. But I think we should leave now," Irwin said.


    "You can¡­" he stopped talking as he saw Ambraz turn translucent and unmoving.


    Get out yourself¡­ Right, let''s just leave. I want sleep.


    As he closed his eyes, his return to his body felt slightly more difficult than the step into his soulscape. He could feel the chaos of the ambient soulforce all around him, but with a slight push, he returned.


    Opening his eyes, he saw Greldo look at him worriedly.


    "We should leave," Greldo said.


    The worry in his voice made Irwin push himself up and look around. He saw nothing, but Greldo was moving to the portal already.


    "What''s going on?"


    "I think some of those Imps turned into Addled," Greldo said. "I''ve been hearing-"


    A piercing scream ripped through the silent ruins, and Irwin jolted as he spun around to find the source. There was no sign of anything, but he knew Greldo was right.


    "Right, let''s leave before we get attacked inside the portal corridor," he said, stepping back towards the portal. "Ambraz, you ready?"


    "Yes! Quick, leave!"


    Irwin didn''t need another hint, and he jumped after Greldo and into the portal.


    The world turned black for a moment, then he was careening through the corridor. His eyes widened in surprise as he saw Greldo ahead of him. He was about to shout to his friend when he froze. He felt something. Something horrible and familiar¡­


    There''s something out there, he thought as he slowly looked to the side.


    Far away in the depths of space, a massive dark¡­ thing was lurking, and as he looked at it, horribly familiar eyes opened.


    Oculithar!


    Irwin shivered. He should have remembered that they hung out around worlds close to shattering! As he watched, the massive thing unwound and began closing in.


    "A bloody Advent of Cataclysm! You are joking with me," Ambraz shouted. "The world''s song! Do it like you did to stabilize the world!"


    Ambraz''s scream drew Greldo''s attention, and Irwin saw his friend jolt and spin midair ahead of him, but he had no time for that.


    An oppressive pressure pushed down on them, and he could almost feel the barrier around his mindspace creak. Ambraz was humming the song, and he quickly resonated his soulscape with the same melody and tune.


    He didn''t know what he''d expected, but not that a pale, barely visible fiery red and golden spherical field surged out of him in all directions. It buffeted the corridor''s walls, and as it did, the lightning and energy rippled before hardening. All around him and far in the distance, a thin mist hung.


    "What is going on?" Greldo shouted.


    Irwin didn''t react, watching in horror as the massive tentacles surged forward and around the corridor. The previous time, he''d managed to speed his way to the end before it got him, but they had only just entered. It would be way too long before they reached the other way!


    "Louder!" Ambraz shouted.


    Irwin cursed and increased the power with which he was resonating his soulscape. The golden mist that suffused the corridor became denser just as the tentacles wrapped around the corridor.


    "By Gelwin''s balls, what is that?!" Greldo screamed.


    Irwin barely heard him as he watched the tentacles squeeze the energy barrier. A sense of being crushed caused him to gasp, but the barrier held.


    "Don''t slow down and don''t stop, or we''re worse than dead!" Ambraz screamed.


    Irwin wanted to respond but couldn''t, his throat squeezed shut by the horrible sense of pressure. All he could do was keep his soulscape resonating.


    More and more tendrils wrapped around the corridor until all he could see was a dark mass of overlapping flesh.


    The pressure continued as they hurtled towards the end, and time began to have little meaning to him. At some point, Irwin realized this was the second time in a short while that his sense of time was gone as he was battling something.


    Then the pain came. It was a dull throbbing in his mind at first but quickly increased until it was a blinding sense of agony. Part of him knew he was screaming, but he couldn''t stop it.


    --


    "What is happening to him?!" Greldo roared, trying to make himself audible about Irwin''s almost nonstop booming howl. He was clasping his sensitive ears to prevent his eardrums from bursting.


    "He is stopping that thing from crushing this portal corridor," Ambraz shouted.


    "Can''t you help him?"


    "NO!" Ambraz roared back with such anger and pain that it shocked Greldo. "Neither of us has enough soulforce to help him!"


    "What about the cards?" Greldo screamed.


    "Useless now!"


    Greldo gritted his teeth, staring up as his friend, his face contorted in agony, mouth open so far he feared the corners of his mouth might split.


    "Will he survive?" he shouted, feeling his stomach clench.


    "He will if he can hold out! And so will we!"


    Greldo gritted his teeth until his canines hurt, but there was nothing that he could do but wait and endure.


    He didn''t think he had ever been in a corridor that seemed to last this long. When he finally saw the end coming, he wanted to shout at Irwin that they were almost there.


    "We need to flee as soon as we are there," Ambraz shouted. "Get everyone on the ship and get as far from the portal as we can!"


    Greldo shouted an agreement, then struck the end of the portal, eyes closed. A moment later, he opened them as he stumbled into the room. Dozens of rangers were moving about, some looking at him in surprise, but he didn''t care. He turned, and a moment later, Irwin stepped out of the portal only to immediately slump down into a heap.


    Greldo jumped forward, ignoring the surprised and worried shouts as he grabbed Irwin and pulled him away.


    "We need to leave," he shouted. "Come help me carry him to the ship! Hurry!"


    The rangers moved almost immediately, many jumping forward and helping him as they dragged Irwin back out of the room.


    "What is going on?"


    "He weighs more than a charbull!"


    "Why are we fleeing?"


    Greldo shook his head. "There''s some kind of monster attacking the barrier!" he shouted.


    Ambraz flew past them, and Greldo heard him shout as he flew towards the ship.


    "Rindiri, get ready! An Advent of Cataclysm is crushing the portal corridor!"


    There was a sudden silence, followed by panicked shoutings.


    A horrible minute later, they finally managed to pull Irwin aboard The Sonata, and as soon as the last ranger jumped on deck, the ship ripped itself free of the ropes binding it. It surged up and away while a dull rumbling came from behind them.


    Greldo took a quick look at Irwin, but he was lying motionlessly on the deck.


    "What happened?"


    Greldo looked at the upper deck where Rindiri was looking at him.


    "One of those things Irwin saw before attacked the corridor portal," he shouted.


    Rindiri stared back in disbelief, then shook her head and focused on the ship.


    They were barely at the mountains when a whine came from behind. Staring at the distant shanty town and lone tower, Greldo saw the tower''s top crumble inward. He quickly turned his face away, eyes closed, but even then, he saw the blinding light. A thunderous explosion followed, and then something shoved The Sonata forward.


    Greldo slowly opened his eyes, blinking away the whiteness as he stared back. The town, the tower, and a large section of the mountain below were gone, while dark dust hung high in the air, spreading outward.


    Well, I guess we won''t get to go there for more cards, he thought.


    <div>

 Chapter 225: The next step

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    Irwin groaned as he woke up.


    Seriously¡­ this has got to stop, he thought as he felt a dull throbbing pain in his head that seemed to originate from his soulscape. His lips were dry, and his stomach so empty it felt like he would need to finish an entire charbull to not feel hungry.


    How many times was he going to wake up after being knocked out by something?


    Well, I guess we made it unless the inside of a chaosspace monster feels like a soft bed.


    Taking a deep breath, he forced his eyes open. He was looking at a familiar wooden ceiling, and it took him a few moments before he remembered where he knew it from.


    I''m home!


    He was about to move when a soft voice whispered beside him.


    "Kid. Don''t make too much noise unless you want shouting people in your room!"


    Something about it was odd, but Irwin ignored that in favor of turning his head sideways to find Ambraz on the pillow.


    "You''ve been out cold for two weeks, so if you make a peep, your mom and the others are going to burst in, shouting questions," Ambraz said.


    This time, Irwin realized what was weird. Ambraz''s words had been said straight into his mind.


    How, he thought, frowning confused.


    "Why do you look like you just swallowed a burning coal? Ah, right! Listen, come meet me in your soulscape!"


    Irwin felt something settle in his soulscape, and he knew it was Ambraz who had returned fully there. Curious, he stepped into his soulscape.


    A soft breeze blew around him, and he looked around in wonder. The steam clouds around the peak of the mountain had spread puffy clouds throughout his soulscape. The breeze was causing them to drift around slowly.


    Ambraz hovered before him, a wide grin on his metallic lips.


    "You know, you really need to stop falling unconscious!"


    Irwin snorted. "Says you! So, how were you talking to me before?"


    Ambraz laughed. "I''m in your soulscape! How do you think?"


    "Ah¡­ so if you talk in here, I hear it?" Irwin asked, guessing that made sense.


    "Yes, and because I''m me and awesome, I can project my voice in here while remaining outside," Ambraz said, sounding smug.


    Irwin laughed while he thought about the things that had happened.


    "How come that giant thing couldn''t break through the barrier?" he asked. "It felt¡­ incredibly powerful."


    "Oh, it is," Ambraz said. "If you''re implying you stopped it, let me help you out of that dream. What you did was pull the power from the world, which incidentally caused it to shatter before the portal corridor closed."


    Irwin grimaced as he thought of all of the things that might still have been alive in that world. He knew it would have shattered even without his interference, but even then¡­


    "How come you didn''t fall unconscious the second time?" he asked, changing the subject.


    "I was caught by surprise the first time," Ambraz said. "Unless you get a whole lot more powerful, the chance of you knocking me out again is low."


    Irwin hummed. "So what happened?"


    "The portal exploded, and everyone headed back to the homeportal," Ambraz said, flying around.


    Irwin followed him, surprised at how fun it was to rush along the mountain''s rugged side.


    "After we arrived, you were brought back to New Malorin, and people fussed over you all the time, even though I told them you were fine!"


    "Mom must have been worried," Irwin said with a sad sigh.


    "Yeah, and then they tried to take all the cards, and I had to sit on them," Ambraz snorted.


    "They what? Who?" Irwin asked, somewhat surprised.


    "Lord Bron and Daubutim, they found other people who can examine the cards, and they wanted all of them except for the plant ones," Ambraz snapped angrily. "They left those with the request that you reforge them. It took me threatening them to eat them all before they let me pick a hundred for us."


    "A hundred?" Irwin asked in surprise, ignoring the other parts. He didn''t believe that Daubutim or Lord Bron had needed any threatening at all.


    "What? Do you have any idea what you are going to need to do to pick your next cards?" Ambraz shouted as he spun around the mountain''s tip before diving back down.


    "We also have twenty really bad utility cards to forge Daubutim''s heartcard, though we probably don''t need that many or any at all with how large your soulscape is."


    Irwin continued flying after Ambraz with a sudden desire to check out the cards and find his next handcard.


    "Did anything else happen?" he asked. "What about the ships and the trees?"


    "No idea! After they got the cards, Daubutim and Lord Bron were apparently too busy to return and tell me everything," Ambraz snorted. "Daubutim returned every few days with carded healers who all told him the same thing I did. He is physically fine but seems to be in some resting sleep."


    Irwin laughed at Ambraz''s attempt to imitate a soft, high-pitched voice.


    "Then I think it''s time to leave, so everyone stops worrying," he said.


    "Probably a good thing," Ambraz said as he stopped and landed on the mountain. "But we need to talk a bit more soon. Especially about getting more Ganvils here."


    Ambraz turned translucent, and Irwin sighed and took one more look around before returning to his body.


    As soon as he did, his headache returned with a vengeance, while his stomach rumbled loudly. Taking a deep breath, he slowly got up.


    He didn''t think he made a lot of noise, but there was a shout from below.


    "He''s awake!"


    Irwin stood beside the bed, finding out he only had underwear on. With people storming up the stairs, he only had a second to grab pants that hung from a chair and stuff his legs in it before the door slammed open. It was his mother who burst in first, eyes wide, face pale and frightened.


    "Irwin, are you alright?" she shouted, causing his headache to throb more intensely.


    "Yes, but I have a massive headache, so please, please keep your voice down," Irwin said as he looked around for a shirt. A fat stack of cards lay on the table, and next to it was a new shirt. Clean and pale yellow, it looked well made, and he quickly put it on while his stomach growled again. Looking up, he saw his mother wipe away tears, a look of intense relief on her face. Greldo, Bronwyn, and Carla were crowding in the door opening, all looking relieved and happy.


    "Your eyes¡­" his mother said, closing in and gently pulling him closer. "They are¡­ different."


    Irwin grinned, realizing he still hadn''t even seen them himself.


    "Yeah, it''s because I got my first soulcard," he said.


    "I told them already," Greldo said. "Sorry to steal your thunder."


    Irwin grinned at his friend, noting a tiny bit of worry in the other''s eyes.


    "Don''t worry! Also, I''m very hungry and thirsty! I feel like I haven''t eaten in weeks!"


    Another loud rumble punctuated his words.


    There was a moment of stunned silence before Bronwyn and Greldo burst out laughing.


    It took a short while to get everyone down and at the kitchen table, and then Irwin was gobbling up every nut on a bowl that stood there, followed by everything and anything his mother put before him. Initially, everyone had just been talking and asking him questions, but as time progressed, everyone began falling quiet.


    "I¡­ we might not have enough food," Carla whispered.


    "I''ll be right back," Bronwyn said as he got up and rushed out of the door.


    By the time Irwin had finished every morsel of food in the house, his mother was looking worried again. Just then, Bronwyn came running back while carrying a massive package. He didn''t bother explaining, but as he dropped it on the table, Irwin smelled more food. A moment later, his plate was being filled with a large slice of meat.


    "Thanks," he said before digging in.


    He had no idea why he still felt hungry or why his stomach wasn''t exploding, but he finished nearly half of the meat before he slowed down. When he finally felt his hunger dwindle, he let out a happy sigh.


    "You ate enough for twenty or more people," his mother muttered, shaking her head. "How?"


    Irwin had no idea, but he could garner a guess. "I think it''s because my body is like that of some sort of a firesteel elemental. Perhaps I can store it somehow?"


    "Well, I hope we don''t have to feed too many of those in the future," his mother muttered as she sat down. "Now. What happened?"


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Irwin looked over to see everyone stare at him curiously. Carla was holding Drum, who had grown again, and pulling on her hair while gurgling and letting out the occasional shout.


    "You told them about that thing?" he asked Greldo.


    "Yeah, the Oculithar. Rindiri told me some more about them, and I shared it here," Greldo said. "But they are right. What did you do to keep that massive thing from killing us?"


    Irwin quickly shared what Ambraz had told him, but all that did was create more confusion. Surprisingly, the question that made everyone blink came from Carla.


    "So you can play your soulscape like an instrument?" she asked, eyes wide. "What kind of sound does it make?"


    Irwin hesitated, then very gently caused a simple humming vibration from his soulscape.


    "Can you hear that?" he asked.


    "Definitely," Greldo grunted while Bronwyn nodded.


    "Can you please make it a bit less loud?" Ambraz asked from the small alcove he was sitting in.


    Irwin did that, but a single look around showed that only Greldo and Bronwyn seemed able to hear it.


    "Come on! It''s because they don''t have soulforce yet," Ambraz said. "You don''t actually hear it with your ears."


    Carla looked sad, and Irwin smiled at her. "Sorry. I''m sure we can get you enough cards to gain a heartcard soon."


    "No, not until the people that actually do useful things get one," Carla said, shaking her head. "There are too many crafters, farmers, and rangers that don''t even have a fullhand yet!"


    Irwin nodded, and she smiled reassuringly. He was about to talk about something else when an idea popped into his head. He only hesitated for a moment before deciding it wasn''t such a crazy idea.


    "Ambraz, can you come here for a second and turn in your working form?" he said as he got up. "I''ll be right back!"


    There was a surprised shout from behind, but he ignored it as he quickly rushed up the stairs, which creaked dangerously from his weight. A warning shout from his mother made him slow down, but even then, he hurried as he grabbed the stack of cards before going back down.


    Ambraz was beside the table while Irwin was rifling through the stack of cards. He was surprised to find that many cards were only quartz rank.


    "Ambraz, anything here I can just reforge up from quartz?"


    "You wanna go reforge now?" Ambraz said, while the rest just looked confused and interested.


    "Just to let Carla hear the song," Irwin said.


    "Oh, you don''t have to-"


    "I''d like to see i-"


    Bronwyn and Carla shared a grin as they both talked, then stopped at the same time.


    "I never got to see him reforge a card, just those on people''s hands," Bronwyn said, looking at Irwin. "But can you really just do it here? Don''t you need a smithy?"


    Irwin smiled as he continued leafing through the cards. "No, I''ll just do a simple one, so it won''t take too long."


    "That one," Ambraz said.


    Irwin stopped flipping through the cards and looked at an amethyst card that depicted a simple hammer.


    "This?" he asked as he raised the card in surprise. "It''s a smith''s hammer?"


    "Yes, there are two more! Just reforge it along the path it wants, and we can give it to some of your apprentices!"


    Apprentices? Irwin thought.


    "Irwin, you are not going to break my kitchen, are you?" his mother said, raising an eyebrow as she looked at him intently.


    "No, nothing like that," Irwin said as he put the card on Ambraz''s surface and summoned his hammer.


    "Alright, so to me, all of the cards resonate," he said as he softly tapped the card, causing an image of a small hammer to appear.


    From his many reforgings, he could immediately feel the card was some form of metal and body improvement type, probably strength. The card was resonating softly, and he immediately knew the direction in which it wanted to go.


    "Do you hear it?" he asked as he looked at the others.


    Greldo nodded, but the rest just looked confused.


    Irwin nodded, then took a deep breath and struck the card again. As he did, he used his own soulcard to increase the resonance of the card, and the sound increased from soft to loud.


    "I can hear something!" Carla whispered excitedly. "It''s very soft, but it''s like someone is humming a song! It''s beautiful!"


    Irwin grinned, and focusing on the card, he reforged it as slowly as he could, lingering on each moment as long as he dared. When he finished, the purple border of the amethyst card had changed to a clear yellow.


    "Just like that?" his mother asked, coming forward and staring at the card. "It''s really a rare card now?"


    Irwin nodded as he handed her the card.


    "It looked so easy," she said with a frown.


    "That''s because Irwin is very good at it," Ambraz said, sounding very smug. "He had a great teacher!''


    Multiple, and not just you, Irwin thought, but he kept that to himself.


    The others began asking questions, and for at least half an hour, he explained some of how the reforging worked.


    "Did you find any instrument cards?" Carla asked when everyone had quieted down.


    Irwin shrugged, turning to Ambraz.


    "There were a few, but Daubutim took those," Ambraz said.


    "You want one?" Irwin asked, looking at her.


    She shook her head, but it didn''t take a genius to see she did.


    "I''ll talk to Daubutim when I see him," Irwin said with a smile. Then rose and looked around. "I''m going to have a chat with Endil, then see if I can find Clarish."


    "But you only just got back," his mother said, getting up and looking at him worriedly.


    "Don''t worry, I won''t leave yet," Irwin said. "I''ll be reforging cards and teaching Endil for a while."


    "Thank Gelwin," she said, walking towards him and tugging his shirt. "You had better stay here for a long time!"


    Irwin smiled sadly, but he didn''t say what he was thinking.


    "I''ll be back for dinner tonight," he said.


    "Dinner? After¡­" his mother''s words trailed off, and she sighed. "Fine. I''ll start making more food!"


    As annoyed as she sounded, Irwin saw the smile as she turned and strode towards the kitchen, pulling up her sleeves.


    "I''ll come with you for a bit," Greldo said as he got up while Bronwyn followed suit.


    As they walked out of the house, Ambraz landed on Irwin''s shoulder. "Damn, Kid. Your beard is long enough to put one of those ranking symbols in now."


    Irwin snorted as he pulled on his beard, the hair sounding like metal wire scratching against metal.


    They walked through the town, and as they did, Irwin realized that far more buildings were nearing completion.


    "How¡­?" he asked.


    "There were over twenty earth and ground shape cards," Bronwyn said as he waved at two people busy atop a roof. "I managed to persuade Daubutim to leave five here because of the prospective mine."


    Irwin perked up. "Right! How is the road coming along?"


    "A narrow path is done, enough for a small cart, and we are still widening it now," Bronwyn said.


    They reached the crafter''s square, and Irwin noticed even more differences there. Nearly every building now had wooden doors and shutters, with the square made up of a patterned stone. The crafters'' buildings were open, and he noticed that the woodworker had a dozen young people working for him now, all using metal saws. A central dais seemed ready for some ornament, and the roads leading away looked like smooth cobblestone.


    "I''ll see you tonight," Bronwyn said as he walked away. "It''d be great if you could check if any of those cards deal with plant growing! We really need more of those."


    Irwin nodded as he watched his brother stride away. Then he turned to Greldo, noticing his friend''s smile had slipped.


    "Are you sure you are okay?"


    "Yes," Irwin said, cocking his head. "Why?"


    "Do you¡­ remember anything that happened?"


    Irwin thought back to when he was in the corridor. Ambraz had shouted at him to resonate with the pattern of the world they never got the name of, and then¡­ his headache returned like an axe in his brain, and he groaned, raising a hand.


    Greldo jumped forward, grabbing his arm and shoulder. "Are you-"


    "I''m fine, I''m fine," Irwin said, taking a few breaths.


    Faint memories of pain and streaming lingered in the back of his mind, and he quickly ignored them, afraid they might come forward.


    "It was horrible," Greldo muttered, staring through him. "I couldn''t help. My shadow ability just didn''t work! I tried, but¡­"


    "It''s fine," Irwin said, forcing a grin on his face. "It''s not your fault."


    Greldo nodded glumly. "Well, I think we should leave shattering worlds alone from now on."


    "Yeah, that might be for the best," Irwin agreed. "So¡­ what are you going to do now?"


    "I''ll go and find Clarish for you, then perhaps do some hunting. Coal has been complaining that he hasn''t gotten to do anything the last few weeks."


    "Did you¡­"


    Irwin wasn''t sure what to say, and Greldo just burst out laughing.


    "Remain nearby my best friend to make sure nothing could come and kill him? Why yes, I did! Why? Are you going to complain?"


    Irwin grinned though he felt himself grow warm. "Nah. Just go and hunt. Your best friend is going to be very hungry tonight!"


    Greldo laughed, then walked away. "Don''t do anything stupid!"


    "That''s my line!"


    He waited till Greldo disappeared before turning to the smithy. The door had opened, and Endil was looking at him with a wide grin. He was wearing a proper smithing apron already scorched from use, while his hands and lower arms were dark and grimy.


    "I''m back," Irwin said as he walked forward. The smell of the smithy of molten metal, charcoal, and soot seemed to unwind a knot in his stomach he hadn''t noticed before.


    "I''m glad you are alright," Endil said before his eyes narrowed worriedly. "You are, right? Alright, I mean?"


    "Yes, I''m fine now," Irwin said as he followed the other into the smithy.


    Much had changed in the weeks he''d been gone, with a massive stone table covering the far right of the smithy and a few smaller wooden ones on the left. Metal objects, pans, pots, knives, and dozens of unfinished things lay everywhere. The forge had been expanded, going from a single size to a triple one with tongs standing against the bottom wall and enormous bellows on each side.


    Irwin stood still, staring around in shocked wonder.


    "How¡­?"


    "Trimdir came while you were unconscious," Endil said, smiling so wide it must have hurt. "He and the others said that we deserved a well-equipped forge."


    Irwin stared around, noting that the door to the shop area had opened. A teenager with curious brown eyes, a strong jawline, and short curly hair stood there, looking inside. As soon as Irwin looked at him, he smiled and waved.


    "Hi, I''m Carlif!"


    "He''s my wife''s brother," Endil said as he came forward. "He''s been manning the storefront for the last week."


    Irwin held out his hand, and as he shook Carlif''s hand, he noticed the other look at him in some sort of awe.


    "You really are big!" Carlif said excitedly. "They warned me, but-"


    Endil flicked him on his cheek, causing Carlif to yelp. "Carlif, I told you not to say everything that comes to you! It works for customers, but that''s not how you speak to Smith Irwin! This is his smithy, remember?"


    "Sorry, Endil! I won''t do it again!"


    Irwin blinked, looking from an annoyed-looking Endil to a very much not remorseful-looking Carlif.


    "Smith Irwin, it''s really great to meet you!" Carlif said, grinning. "Do you think you could reforge one of my cards up to Diamond?"


    Irwin gawked at the excited teenager, not sure how to even respond. He was saved when Endil shoved him towards the door.


    "Enough, you annoying brat! Get to the shop and make sure it''s dust-free!"


    "Sure, Brother Endil!" Carlif shouted as he ran away with a wide grin.


    Endil groaned as he looked at Irwin. "Sorry about that. I guarantee that he is very good with customers. It''s just that he doesn''t know when to quit."


    "It''s fine," Irwin said as they heard Carlif whistling happily from the other room.


    "So, is there any metal left?" he asked.


    "Nothing useful," Endil said, sounding annoyed. "I''ve asked for someone to be sent there to bring some back, but the first cart is only expected in a few days."


    Irwin hummed. "Well, then, I guess we are going to have to just do something else."


    As he spoke, he removed the massive stack of cards from his pocket and walked to one of the emptier tables.


    "Let''s begin by sorting these!"


    --


    Hours later, Irwin was smiling as he removed an Emerald rank card from Ambraz''s back. It was one of the few that dealt with growing plants, and the final one, he had to get to that rank.


    There''s nothing like smithing, he thought happily.


    "I hope I can do it that easily one day," Endil said, stepping forward and carefully picking up the card.


    "As soon as we get you a young Ganvil to bond, things will be great," Ambraz said.


    Endil smiled, looking at Irwin, who just shrugged.


    "Ganvils have an incredible ability to sense the cards and their songs," Irwin said. "Without Ambraz, I wouldn''t have been able to get this far, and even now, there are many things I couldn''t do without his help."


    Endil nodded, thoughtfully eyeing the card. "Could you do an emerald rank card?" he asked.


    Irwin hummed, then shrugged. "Yes, but not as fast or good as this. I can do nearly perfect Quartz, Amethyst, and Topaz, but beyond that? Emerald is really difficult in comparison."


    "And beyond that?" Endil asked.


    "I might be able to do a Ruby," Irwin said hesitantly. "But I would start failing."


    Endil nodded. "But with Ambraz''s help?"


    "I can do it," Irwin said with a definite nod.


    "Now, it''s time to head out! You go, I''ll clean up," he said. "But be here early tomorrow. You need to practice more."


    "Are you sure?" Endil asked worriedly. "We can''t waste any."


    "There are still a few nearly useless ones," Irwin said.


    Endil hummed, then shook his head. "You said that before, but¡­ is it really like that? If we forge a card sideways and up, wouldn''t any card eventually be useful in one way or another?"


    Irwin couldn''t help but agree with him, but he wasn''t surprised when Ambraz let out a soft laugh.


    "Kid, you aren''t wrong, but teaching more smiths is just more important than some cards!" the Anvil said.


    With a bright flash, he returned to his small form, quickly flying to Irwin''s shoulder.


    "Right, I''ll be back tomorrow then," Endil said as he began wiping away the worst of the soot.


    A short while later, he waved and left, leaving Irwin alone in the smithy.


    "So¡­ what did you want to talk about?" Ambraz asked. "You know we can just talk like this?"


    Irwin nodded as he walked to the wooden table they had cleared out to sort the cards. He sat down on the extra sturdy stool and looked over the many thin stacks.


    "Yes, but I want you to tell me what these cards do," he said, raising his left hand. "I think it''s about time I started looking for my first new cards!"

 Chapter 226: One more day

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    Irwin tapped the table slowly as he gazed at the dozens of differently-sized stacks of cards without really looking at them.


    There was one stack for each of his types, a thin stack with generic cards and a thick stack with cards he couldn''t use but were meant for practice and forging Daubutim''s heartcard. To the side lay three other stacks, which he''d already sorted out of the others.


    "This is going to be a bit more difficult than I had thought, isn''t it?" he finally said, leaning back.


    "Kid¡­ I told you it would be," Ambraz snorted as he landed on a stack. "Every card makes it harder to slot the next one! Be happy you have so many types to choose from already. There are many carded that get stuck with two or three."


    Irwin took a deep breath, then nodded. He knew Ambraz was right. Someone with a topaz or emerald soulcard would be limited to only a few types. He had Fire, Devouring Flame, Steam, Metal, and Physical Improvements.


    "Is it normal that I''m limited to Firesteel for the metals and Strength, Endurance, and Constituation for the body improvements¡­?"


    "Yes," Ambraz said. "The more specific a card''s ability is, the more powerful. If you had some general metal type, you could have used all metals, but it would have been far less powerful."


    Irwin hummed as he gazed at one stack of fire cards. It was one of the thicker ones, with over twenty cards and a few he even recognized. Many either had no type or a very generic one. To his surprise, there had been a few growth-type cards spread out amongst them, and even two impersonate and a hidden card.


    The last one had made his eyebrows raise when Ambraz told him about it. A Topaz rank summon called Verdant Snake, with Grass and Hidden type. He''d put it on one of the thinnest stacks with cards to give to Drum. He was going to reforge those up to Emerald, then ask Bronwyn what he thought before either leaving them like that or reforging them to Ruby¡­ if he could.


    "You do know you don''t have to pick all of your cards now¡­ right? You can''t slot them anyway. Just like with your first card, it will take you between hours and weeks after slotting a card before you can reliably slot the next one."


    "I know," Irwin said as he picked up one of the stacks. It only had three cards. The only three Ambraz had said he had to look at. He''d left them for last after sorting through the others and getting a general feel of what Ambraz had decided to keep.


    "This one looks similar to Eyes of Blaze," he said, tapping the first card, a Quartz card that showed an eye with a tiny flame in its pupil.


    "Yes, it''s called Hazy Eyes. Right now, it only lets you dimly see in the dark. You could reforge it in something similar to Eyes of Blaze," Ambraz said. "But that''s not why I added it to the stack. We might be able to reforge it to help you see the resonance you sense."


    Irwin frowned. "That''s nice, but I can already feel it?"


    "I know that! But it''s hard for you to direct, and it''s all around you," Ambraz said. "If you can use it with vision, you can see much further by focusing the sense."


    "That would be useful on the ship," Irwin said hesitantly. "So I can see the portals from far away?"


    "Exactly, and you might be able to find the adjacent world portals on Eluathar! That way, you can find those things, and we can leave sooner!"


    Irwin grinned, putting the card to the side. "Or we could reforge it to that and give it someone else to do that," he said. "We would just need another card that enhances resonance senses, like this."


    Irwin poked at the second card in the stack. It depicted a simple musical note.


    "We only have one of those, and they are very rare," Ambraz snorted. "My idea was that you slot that one, too. It will boost your senses even more, which should help you with card smithing¡­ including that silly dream of yours. But if you want to give them away, by all means!"


    "You think I can use it to forge cards from ambient soulforce?" Irwin asked, his interest rising.


    "You can sense the ambient Soulforce better than most Ganvils," Ambraz said. "If you can find a card to improve on that, when we try to combine it as we make your next heartcard, who knows? Maybe nobody has tried that before. Well, I guess that''s unlikely, but it would still help you with forging!"


    Irwin nodded and, after some hesitation, took both cards and put them to the side. He wasn''t completely sure about it yet, but his desire to forge cards from nothing, which had started as a simple idea, had grown even more since they returned.


    If I can just forge cards¡­ we wouldn''t have to go out and hunt things, he thought as the faint, insane giggles of the Imps and their deaths passed through his mind.


    "There''s something I wanted to ask," he said. "Why don''t we find any utility cards with musical instruments? I know there were some people with them back on Giard¡­"


    He blinked as he said his old homeworld''s name. Images of old Malorin, the haunted landscape, and the forests played through his mind. He''d not thought about it for a while, but somehow, he felt a lingering, melancholic sadness.


    "It''s hard, isn''t it," Ambraz said softly.


    Irwin blinked, realizing his eyes were wet. Confused, he wiped them clean and frowned.


    "It will go away eventually. I had thought you would have noticed by now, but I guess with all you''ve been through¡­ Giard shattered. Probably a few hours after we left."


    "There was only pain and suffering there," Irwin muttered as he focused on the cards again. "Why should I-"


    "It''s because you were born there, and the ambient soulforce''s song is what your body was grown in," Ambraz said softly. "Most people here won''t sense it, but you were stronger and more sensitive even before you left for Fiverio. Then you returned after, and your soulforce resonated with the Giard''s ambient soulforce again."


    Irwin didn''t respond, quietly listening to crackling fire and the soft wind outside the smithy.


    "It''s why beings go insane and become Addled. Do you remember the horrible sound of that world''s soulforce?"


    "I do¡­ So the beings from that world became crazy because their own soulforce was resonating with the broken ambient soulforce?"


    "Yes¡­"


    "But I thought you only got soulforce when you got a soulcard?" Irwin said, slightly confused.


    "Kid, every living thing that''s not Addled has a bit of soulforce, and it''s debatable if those things count as alive," Ambraz said. "But without a soulcard it''s so little that what you have is needed to keep you alive."


    Something about what he said made Irwin frown. He had the feeling he was missing something, but he couldn''t put his finger on it.


    "Well, now that we are talking about these things anyway, there''s something else you need to know," Ambraz muttered.


    Hearing the desire in his voice, Irwin looked up curiously.


    "What''s that?"


    "Knowing you, you are either going to slot those two cards yourself or give them away," Ambraz said. "After that, I take it we are going to head to Granvox?"


    Irwin put his elbows on the table as he thought about the question. He''d kept pushing the design on what to do after away. First, because they needed to find a world for their people, then because of all the issues after. Now, however, the excuses were fading rapidly. It was time he did decide what to do.


    However, as soon as he thought about leaving, he thought of something else.


    "Do you know how far away Igniz is?" he asked.


    "The Ignitzion homeworld?" Ambraz asked. "It was found pretty soon after the discovery of the Dimarintsia portal at the founding of the Langost branch. I don''t recall exactly where it is, but from what I recall, it should be only a few weeks from Dimarintsia. You''re thinking about going to see Scintilla?"


    "Maybe," Irwin said as he thought about Scintilla. All the happy times he''d had with her played through his mind, but her final act slightly weighed them down emotionless.


    I wonder if any of my children left those lava rivers, he thought, picturing tiny red Igntizions streaking and swimming through lava. Wait, were they even red?


    "Well, Granvox is younger¡­ we only got the world a few thousand years ago," Ambraz said, pulling him out of his distracting thoughts.


    "It''s much further from Dimarintsia, so we can go there first, and you can just think about what you want to do later."


    "So Granvox is on the Langost branch? How far is it from here?" Irwin asked curiously. He''d somehow always pictured it incredibly far away, potentially on another branch.


    "Of course, it''s on the Langost branch," Ambraz said with a short laugh. "From here? If we go with The Sonata, it will probably take us a year, maybe more."


    Irwin stared at Ambraz in stunned silence, not sure if he''d heard him right.


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    "A year?" he finally blurted.


    "What? Yes! The Sonata isn''t meant for long-distance traveling, and it''s got a pretty crappy sail!"


    Irwin took a deep breath. "Is there a way to get there faster?"


    "Kid, you need to learn patience! You''d have to know of a soulcarded teleporter that can move between worlds. Well¡­ perhaps we can find some merchant selling better sails when we get to a more civilized area."


    "Do you think they have better sails on Fiverion?"


    "Probably, but I''m not sure it''s a smart thing going there," Ambraz said hesitantly.


    Irwin quietly stared at the cards for a bit longer, then shrugged.


    "Let''s continue with the cards first. I''m not sure what to do¡­ There isn''t some type of fire or metal version of the shadow cards Greldo is using, is there?"


    Ambraz snorted, then began laughing.


    "What?" Irwin said, annoyed.


    "I can just picture it now," Ambraz said, giggling. "Teleporting through the veins of metal in the ground- but then only the Firesteel."


    "Well, there''s fire everywhere, right?" Irwin muttered, slightly annoyed as Ambraz kept grinning.


    "Yes, yes. But you are in such a rush! You do realize that after you get your next heartcard it''s going to take way longer to fill up your soullake again, right?"


    Irwin nodded, grimacing. "Because there''s no Imps anymore?"


    As he said it, the images of the crazy, laughing, insane Imps played through his mind, and he shivered.


    "Worse. That won''t work the next time," Ambraz said. "Well, unless you find another card with Devouring Flame, which might be a problem because I didn''t even know that existed."


    "What? Why not?"


    "The heartcard you fill is the one that determines the filling of the soullake," Ambraz said quietly. "It''s not that weird, right? Think about it: if you do it the regular way, which you haven''t done much, you need to absorb cards that are similar to the one you are growing. The only reason you could do what you did is because¡­"


    Irwin stared at Ambraz, then at the cards, and finally at his empty handslots. "Because I had the Devouring Flame card. You said you''ve never seen that type before?"


    "No, and I''ve been wondering where that card came from for a long time, and I think I''ve got an idea. The Imps knew it and feared it, so I think it dropped from a creature from one of their worldshards. Probably some type of predator from their home world."


    Yeah, that makes some sense, Irwin thought. He''d have to ask Bronwyn if he remembered stories about some big, fire-draining monster. As he absently looked at the stacks of cards, he was surprised he felt a tiny bit of relief. It took him a while to latch on to it and realize what it was for, and then he smiled ruefully.


    He was happy he didn''t have to drain Imps anymore¡­ The business back in the nameless world had left a bad taste in his mouth.


    Besides, I have a soulcard now, he thought. It would be fine if the next one took a bit longer.


    After a few moments, he realized Ambraz hadn''t answered his first question.


    "So¡­ utility cards with musical instruments?"


    "Those don''t actually drop a lot," Ambraz said. "I think there was one in the batch Daubutim and Lord Bron took. A flute, if I recall."


    "They are rare?" Irwin asked, surprised.


    "No, they just don''t drop from Imps and the sort a lot," Ambraz said. "We can probably find one in the next large port we reach¡­ why? I know you like singing, but I hadn''t thought you were the type to slot a musical instrument. Although¡­¡± Ambraz began humming as he flee around. "You know, with your resonance cards, it might not be a weird idea! I''ll think about it!"


    Irwin grinned, shaking his head. "I wasn''t asking for myself, but for Carla! Remember how she liked the sound of the reforging? I was thinking of getting her a card like that before I leave."


    "Yes, yes," Ambraz muttered absently. "I''m sure if we get you the right instrument, something you only need one hand to play, you could use it to supplement your humming and singing. Now, which instrument needs only one hand¡­"


    Irwin followed Ambraz as he continued flying around, then focused back on the cards.


    I think I''d like a card that allows me to see these cards myself, he thought. Although Ambraz could tell him, it was convenient to be able to do it himself. Focusing on the Hazy Eye card, he wondered if he could do both things. Give it the resonance view Ambraz had spoken about and the ability to read other cards.


    For a while, he kept thinking about the cards he wanted to slot. In the months before, he''d pictured getting cards to let him fly or teleport, but which one?


    Scintilla''s fire dash!


    He perked up as he recalled how Scintilla had dashed around. That would be perfect for him! It would mesh well with his current combat abilities, and he could use it to supplement his movement. Would his forward motion carry over as he used¡­ what was it called again? Inferno Blink?


    "Was there a card like Scintilla''s Inferno Blink here?" he asked.


    Ambraz let out a surprised snort as he landed. "What?"


    "Inferno Blink, that dash movement Scintilla used," Irwin said.


    "Oh, right! No, there''s none, but you should be able to find something similar in any major port. There''s not many non-fire elemental beings that use fire skills all that much."


    "What? Why not?" Irwin asked.


    "Because full-body fire skills like yours are rare," Ambraz said. "So unless you are nearly immune to fire damage, you could harm yourself. There''s some, of course, and those usually all live around the fire and lava worlds."


    Right, that makes sense.


    "Alright, talk me through these cards again," Irwin said. "Let''s see if we can find some for Mom, Carla, Endil, and the others."


    --


    "Irwin Roddington!"


    Irwin jerked up from where he was lying over the smithing table, staring at the open door of the smithy. His mother was glaring at him angrily while Bronwyn stood behind her, grinning ruefully.


    "Wha-?" Irwin asked as he got up. "What''s wrong?"


    "What do you mean, what''s wrong!? You didn''t come home yesterday!''


    Irwin looked around stupidly, realizing he had fallen asleep in the smithy while thinking about cards. Most of the stacks were gone in his pocket, with only one remaining, having been spread out across the table during his sleep. He quickly swiped them together, and as he shoved them into his pocket, his hand touched Ambraz, who must have gone there after he fell asleep.


    "Sorry, I forgot the time," he said, cracking his neck and grinning at his mother. "I was picking out presents for you and the others!"


    His mother blinked, then tapped her foot. "You said you would be back, and you didn''t. Don''t think you are going to just get out of trouble that easy," she said. "Besides, there are important people waiting for you!"


    Important people? Irwin thought as he watched his mother walk inside, followed by Bronwyn.


    A moment later, he was surprised to see Lord Bron, Daubutim, and Clarish follow her. Lord Bron was grinning at him while Clarish''s eyes were gleaming in humor. Only Daubutim was looking at his usually stoic self. Irwin looked at his friends, then stepped forward as he thought of something.


    "Your eye is back!" he shouted, staring into his friend''s red, lightning-filled eyes.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Daubutim said. "Which is why I''m here."


    "Should we go somewhere else to talk?" Irwin''s mother asked as she looked around.


    "No, no, there''s no need, miss Roddington, this is fine," Lord Bron said.


    Irwin raised an eyebrow, nodding at Bronwyn as his brother moved beside him. Daubutim stood beside Lord Bron, and Irwin grinned as he saw both healthy eyes.


    "I thought it would take longer?" he said.


    "One of the healers got another healing card from those you brought back," Daubutim said. "With it, she got two full-hands, and her power grew."


    "That''s great," Irwin said. "So I take it you are here for your heartcard then?"


    Daubutim''s eyes flickered with red lightning, but Irwin noticed a slight reluctance. Before he could ask, Lord Bron stepped forward.


    "Irwin, I''m really happy that you are awake and healthy, but I''m afraid there''s little time for you to rest and relax. Greeny said that with you awake, we can''t keep waiting anymore. We need to finish the deal with Doomblade."


    I totally forgot about him, Irwin thought, feeling a weary resignation grow. He could always say he didn''t want to go, but that meant that the odd sentient Soulcrystal shard would probably tell everyone about where they were. There was no way he was going to risk the safety he had finally gotten for his family.


    If we go away, it might be time to continue on ahead to Granvox, then Igniz, and finally Dimarintsia, he thought before frowning. Ambraz had said he could bring the other Ganvils with him, but that would require him to return here, which meant he''d lose three years? One to Granvox, then another returning here, and finally a third to reach Igniz. Unless¡­


    He focused on Clarish, who had been quietly watching everything.


    "How far can you teleport across the Portal Galery?"


    Clarish eyes widened. "I¡­ I don''t know. Going from the Imp portal here was easy, so probably further than that?"


    A soft grunt came from his pocket as Ambraz wiggled out and flew to his shoulder. "Ugh! If you are asking if she can teleport between Granvox and here, you can forget about it. If we reforge her a heartcard, the best she could do is a tenth of the distance."


    "Granvox?" Lord Bron asked curiously.


    "The Ganvil world," Daubutim said as he focused on Ambraz. "We can send another ship along, and that one can return with your people?"


    "That''s way too dangerous! If we just bring a few hundred Ganvils, someone is going to notice," Ambraz said. "Even if they are only rank zero."


    "A few hundred?" Irwin asked, looking at Ambraz in disbelief.


    "What? Did you think we''d just bring a handful?" Ambraz shot back. "You probably have more potential smiths in this world than in any single branch that I know of, and to create a proper enclave, we need at least three or four hundred!"


    Everyone was staring at Ambraz with different levels of shock.


    "How many Ganvils are there?" Lord Bron asked softly.


    "How many? How should I know? Hundreds of thousands at least," Ambraz said. Then he sniffed. "It takes a long time to split off another Ganvil and-"


    "Split off?" Daubutim asked curiously.


    "Ugh. No! We are not going to do a: how are Ganvils born story!" Ambraz said loudly. "Suffice it to say, it takes time, it''s difficult, and we lost over ninety percent of our population when our world shattered."


    "So, how are we going to get them here then?" Irwin asked.


    Ambraz was quiet, his lips pursed. When he kept quiet, Irwin was about to say they could figure something out when Ambraz sighed.


    "I can ask my progenitor to upgrade The Sonata so it''s fast enough to make the return trip in a month," he said.


    His progenitor? Irwin thought. He was very curious to ask more, but they had already been getting sidelined enough. Besides, one look at Daubutim told him that if he went down this path, his friend would stop being as quiet and start asking a barrage of questions.


    "And you are sure he will be able to do that?" he asked instead.


    "Yes¡­" Ambraz said. "I''d have preferred doing this without letting him know, but I don''t think it can be helped."


    Irwin looked at the others, noticing Clarish was looking conflicted, his mother worried, and both Lord Bron and Daubutim incredibly curious. Only Bronwyn was hard to read, though Irwin was pretty sure he wasn''t too happy to see him go.


    "I think we should finish Daubutim''s heartcard first," he said.


    "That might be for the best," Lord Bron said, his eyes suddenly gleaming with interest. "Can we stay?"


    Irwin hesitated, then shook his head. "It''s best you didn''t. Ruby is the highest I can confidently reforge with Ambraz''s help, and we are going to need our full focus."


    Lord Bron smiled ruefully but nodded. "Then I''ll go with Bronwyn to talk with the Ranger''s Council. We need to figure out a good way to get more metal from those mines."


    As he spoke, he turned, and Bronwyn and Clarish followed him out.


    "Irwin, be careful, alright?" Irwin''s mother said.


    "We will be fine," Irwin said with a wide grin.


    He waited till she closed the door behind her before turning to Daubutim.


    "Where''s Greldo?"


    "I have warned him beforehand, and he is wrapping up some things," Daubutim said calmly. "He will be ready to leave as soon as you are."


    Irwin nodded before turning to Daubutim, who had one hand raised. It took a few moments before he saw what was going on. A simple outline of two crossed arms sat in Daubutim''s sixth cardslot, something that hadn''t been there the last time he''d seen his friend.


    "You slotted a sixth card!"


    "Yes, based on what Ambraz explained when we arrived here, I have a simple body improvement card," Daubutim said. "It''s only Topaz rank, and it''s called flexible hands. It has no types, so it should be easy to mesh with the others."


    Irwin nodded as he began recalling the complex problem creating Daubutim''s heartcard would be. With as many types as he had and a heartcard that would only become ruby rank, he only had room for five active or passive abilities. Having a simple, almost ignorable card in the sixth slot would make things a lot easier.


    "How many cards do you think we will need?" Irwin asked as he headed towards the forge area. Technically, it wasn''t needed, but he''d found his mindset was better when he was in an environment like this.


    "Ten will be too many, but you can never know," Ambraz said as he flew forward and changed to his working size.


    Irwin removed his jacket before putting ten nearly useless utility cards on the table. Then, he focused on Daubutim.


    "Alright, you are going to have to put your hand on Ambraz. After that-"


    He quickly explained every step they were going to take before summoning his hammer. "Ready?"


    Daubutim looked up, his eyes flashing a stormy red. "Yes."

 Chapter 227: Silvery Lightning

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    Greldo leaned against the wall of the smithy as the beautiful, deep song continued to resonate throughout all the surrounding buildings. He felt the soft vibration in his shoulder.


    "Do you think I will ever be able to do this?" Endil whispered.


    Greldo looked at the young smith, wondering when he''d started thinking of Endil as young.


    "I''m sure if you can bind to one of those Ganvils and practice long enough, you can do this."


    Endil nodded, swaying along with the melody. "It''s so much louder than anything else he did."


    Greldo listened, then laughed. "You should have been there when he was doing his own card. Some of the surrounding buildings actually cracked and broke down!"


    "Really?!"


    "Yes. I wasn''t there, but I did hear the stories and saw the after-effects."


    Gredo smirked as he saw the deep desire in Endil''s eyes.


    Well, I guess there''s definitely going to be a smith here after we left, he thought.


    He looked around, staring at the young, burgeoning city around him. Although it definitely reminded him of Malorin, having much of the same architecture, the quality of the buildings was much better, and the streets wider. Everything felt safe, light, and happy, and he wouldn''t have minded staying for a while longer.


    A foreign feeling grew in his chest, one he''d not felt before, and he smiled ruefully. After only being here for a year, he was already starting to feel more at home in New Malorin than he had ever been in any place on Giard. Part of it was because he could come and go as he pleased and hunt in the forests with Coal without any issues, but there was something else, a feeling he couldn''t put his finger on no matter how hard he tried. It was as if¡­ he just fit here. As if something that had been bothering him forever wasn''t here.


    The sound built into a crescendo, and he looked up. Red light was leaking through the creaks of the shuddering doors and shutters. A deafening thud punctuated one last high note, then everything was quiet.


    "He finished," Endil whispered excitedly.


    "Yes, but we should probably wait before going in," Greldo said as he watched the smith inch towards the door.


    "Right, right," Endil said, biting his lip and wringing his hands.


    --


    "It looks incredible," Irwin said as he looked at Daubutim moving around the smithy.


    He was wielding a black bastard sword with an odd red gleam on the edge, swinging it around so fast Irwin only saw a blur. Then he zipped through the smithy to the other side, leaving a trail of red lightning behind. A foot-tall raven sat on a nearby table, examining everything calmly. His eyes were silver, while a few bright red feathers sat in haphazard places around it''s body.


    I really want that fire dash now, he thought as he crossed his arms. That, or perhaps one that worked with fog? At the same time, the two cards Ambraz had said he should take were burning a hole in his pocket. He wanted to reforge both up to Ruby and slot them, then start searching for the best growthcard. Perhaps he could find one that he could upgrade to Ammolite.


    "It feels incredible," Daubutim said, ripping out of his daydream.


    Irwin looked up to see Daubutim staring at him. His friend''s eyes were swirls of silvery lightning with occasional red bolts rippling through.


    "Alright, I''d like to see the complete card now."


    "It''s in the book," Ambraz said before yawning. "Also, I''d like to point out that it''s amazing!"


    Irwin quickly grabbed it, tossing it open on the newest page for both him and Daubutim to take a look.


    Card: Twyll the Blood Lightning Raven


    Type: Heartcard, Ruby, Forged by Irwin Roddington


    Owner: Daubutim Coulwater


    The wielder of this card has bonded with Twyll the Blood Lightning raven and has his body changed inadvertently. With increased speed and agility, the wielder of this card has speed that defies reason.


    Passive: Increased dexterity, strength, and constitution


    Passive: Increased movement, thought and reflex-speed


    Active: Blood Lightning Dash


    Active: Summon Bloody Bastard Sword


    Active: Freeze a target''s blood, slowing its movements and thoughts


    "It''s a named card," Irwin nearly shouted as he stared at the name in disbelief.


    "Like I said, amazing!" Ambraz said, flitting to Irwin''s shoulder. "Do you have any idea how rare those are? You can''t just try to make those, it involves the right type of summon, the right type of owner, and insane luck!"


    Irwin nodded, slowly reading the card. As he counted the passive and active effects, he sighed wearily. He had felt annoyed when he made his own first heartcard and was able to get seven options. Some were even multi-layered.


    "Sorry I couldn''t fit your armor in," he said.


    "Don''t be," Daubutim said. "I would have been alright with everything gone as long as I could think clearly."


    Irwin nodded, inspecting the card a bit before sighing. "It still lost nearly all of its water and ice typings."


    "Not all," Ambraz muttered, yawning again. "The water turned to blood, which made everything a lot easier to combine, and it still has the ice typing. You will see when it becomes a soulcard that it''s pretty useful."


    "The card is perfect," Daubutim said, staring at Irwin. "Thank you."


    "It''s fine, don''t thank me," Irwin said quickly, turning to the massive and very quiet raven. "How is¡­"


    "Twyll thanks you for not reforging her away in favor of the chestplate," Daubutim said before frowning. "She says that she could feel how difficult it was at some point¡­"


    "She could feel that?" Irwin said in surprise.


    The door behind them was opened, and Greldo looked in. "Sorry, but someone is almost dying with curiosity out here."


    Greldo barely finished when Endil slipped in.


    Irwin quickly closed and pocketed the book before turning to Daubutim.


    "I''m going to explain some things to Endil. I''ll return home when we are done."


    "Alright, make sure not to forget the time again," Daubutim said as he walked to the door.


    Irwin saw Endil approach, eyes wide with curiosity.


    This is going to take a while, he thought.


    --


    Irwin quietly opened the door, the dark city behind him illuminated by some torches. The house seemed quiet, and he snuck forward only to stop at the entrance to the large kitchen. His mother sat at the table, looking at the door with a weary sigh.


    "You are very late," she said, sounding annoyed and weary. "Daubutim had to leave, and he said you and Greldo should meet Lord Bron at Portal Keep early tomorrow."


    Irwin sighed as he sat down opposite her. He leaned forward and summoned a tiny flame to light up the candle on the table. Candles were still a luxury, but at least he was going to leave his mother with a lot of them.


    "I needed to give Endil enough cards and explanation to reforge them," he said.


    He didn''t mention the two Ruby cards he had in his pocket, seeing as those had cost most of the time.


    "Will you be careful out there?" his mother whispered.


    "Of course I will be," Irwin said, giving her a reassuring smile. "I''ve got a soulcard, and Ambraz and Greldo will be with me."


    "Don''t let yourself get a bighead! That''s how people get killed," his mother said with a frown.


    Irwin smiled as he leaned back in his chair. Although he was tired, his endurance could stand another long night, and his mother was right. Who knew when he would see her again?


    "What are you going to do while I''m gone?" he asked.


    His mother seemed stunned, looking at him in surprise before sniffing.


    "I''ll make sure Bronwyn, Drum, and Carla are alright and hopefully take care of their other children," she said. "Maybe I''ll let Bronwyn give me some of the cards you have given him for us."


    "You knew?" Irwin muttered in surprise. He''d only give them to Bronwyn that afternoon when his brother came with some questions.


    "You boys still think you can hide stuff from me," his mother said. "You may be twice as big as me, but I''m still your mother, and I know exactly when you are skulking about."


    "Skulking¡­" Irwin grinned, laughing softly.


    He remained talking with his mother for a long time, and only when he saw her start to doze off where she sat did he end up with the excuse that he was tired. It worked like a charm as she hustled him to bed. When he was finally lying on his bed, he was staring at the two cards in his hands. Their description was in his book, beyond the ripped-out page that had been Daubutim''s heartcard. That had been safely burned just in case, which was what would happen to these two after he slotted them.


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    If he slotted them.


    He took out his book and gazed at the two side-by-side pages.


    Card: Incandescent Eyes [bound sense]


    Type: Ruby, Reforged by Irwin Roddington


    Owner: -


    A powerful utility card that allows the wielder to see one [bound] sense. While active, the normal sense is disabled.


    Passive: Increases the [bound sense] when not using active ability


    Passive: Visualizes one [bound sense]


    Active: Focus the bound sense to as far as the wielder can see.


    Single Use Active: Choose one sense and bind the card to this.


    Card: Soulforce Hearing


    Type: Ruby, Reforged by Irwin Roddington


    Owner: -


    A card desired by all musicians and singers. Allows the owner to hear nearly every tiny wrongness in any tune, melody, or harmony.


    Passive: Small increase in constitution


    Passive: Increase the ability to hear soulforce resonance


    Active: Temporary boost sensitivity to soul resonance fluctuations. Greatly decreases resistance to soulforce resonance attacks while used.


    "Are you sure it''s a good idea?" he whispered so he wouldn''t wake anyone.


    "Kid, what is holding you back? Both of these cards will greatly increase your smithing abilities¡­" Ambras replied as he flew down to land on Irwin''s chest.


    "Neither will help if I need to fight," he said.


    "So? I don''t know if you have noticed, but most of your first soulcard is very suited for combat already!"


    Irwin hummed, thinking back to his fight with Doomblade. The five-horned Galub wasn''t even the strongest one, and he''d had enough trouble with him already. What if he had to fight someone like Greldo?


    "Ugh, why will I remember how little you know," Ambraz muttered. "Let me teach you of something or remind you of it if you have forgotten. You can never be strong enough to beat everything. There will always be someone with the skills to beat you. Even if you only focus on combat skills from now on, any sufficiently fast semi-teleporter with enough piercing skills will kill you in close range."


    Irwin dumbly gazed at the tiny Anvil, who continued talking with surprisingly soft, genuine care.


    " Any enemy with really strong ranged attacks will kill you from range, and in your case, anyone that has enough cold to overpower your heat will be the end of you. Now, even if you somehow manage to become so strong that none of that would work, which I can tell you right now is impossible, what if there are two of those? Or ten? Or a hundred? Do you know why the Smithing Guild is deemed as one of the, if not the most powerful group in the known Portal Galery?"


    It took a few moments for Irwin to realize he was actually supposed to answer that. He thought about it for a bit.


    "Because they have the most powerful cards?" he asked.


    "No," Ambraz whispered. "Because they have the most cards."


    Irwin stared at Ambraz as he slowly understood what the Anvil was telling him.


    "You mean to say that I should focus on making more cards," Irwin said. "I thought you told me it was impossible?"


    Ambraz snorted. "Who knows what is impossible? I know nobody managed to do it before."


    Irwin hummed as he stared at the ceiling, staring at his left hand. "So, what about a flame dash card?"


    "There''s nothing stopping you from finding one and slotting it after," Ambraz said. "Now go and sleep on it."


    Irwin nodded, then pocketed the two cards.


    It took him a long time before he finally fell into a restless, shallow sleep filled with horrible dreams. Most were vague and kept changing until he suddenly realized he was running across a dark, flat sheet with odd cracks from which yellowish fumes rose. Far ahead, his mother, who was fleeing from a horde of giggling Imps and he was running after them, rapidly catching up. A pained shout from behind made him look behind in the midst of running.


    The world behind him showed a dark, windy forest with trees covered in nasty green and orange fungus.


    Bronwyn and Greldo were dodging around the trees, trying to stay away from a mass of faint shapes that could be Nyzir.


    Irwin''s heart was thudding insane, and he wanted to call out to them when more shouts came from the side. Without really wanting to, he spun around to see Scintilla running across an ice sheet, being harassed by a dozen laughing Frozir. Before he could even react, another scream from behind me made him turn around to see Daubutim fighting with what looked like three versions of Doomblade. More screams came, and he was spinning around as more people he knew were running around, too far for him to help all of them. A piercing scream made him turn back to where he was running, only to see the Imps catch up to his mother, topping her over.


    Irwin jolted upright in bed, looking around to see the simple, nearly empty wooden bedroom. It took him a few moments to understand it had been a nightmare.


    Mere seconds later, most of the dream had faded away, leaving him nothing but a beating heart and a sense of palpating fear. Blowing out his breath angrily, he lay back down. There were no sounds from below and only very few from outside.


    Great. Barely any sleep and all of it filled with nightmares..


    It took him a short while to calm down. He barely recalled the nightmares, which surprised him. It had been ages since he''d last had one, and usually, he could remember them.


    Still, without recalling what they were about, his thoughts drifted to the two cards.


    He pushed himself up, sat on the edge of the bed, and took the two red-bordered, ruby cards out. With a little thinking, he took the Incandescent Eyes card and put the other back in his pocket. Part of him wanted to ask Ambraz one final time, but he shook his head. It was his choice...


    I have more soulcards I can make, he thought, making his choice.


    Staring at his left hand, he slowly put the card above the slot. For a short moment, he worried his soulcard would reject it for not being compatible, then a shiver ran through him as the card shrank and sunk down into his hand slowly. When it was gone, his cardslot flashed red twice, and he slowly felt something appear in the periphery of his mind.


    "You won''t regret it," Ambraz said.


    Irwin looked up and saw the Anvil sitting in one of the smooth nooks made for him.


    "I can always create more soulcards later," Irwin said with a grin.


    "That''s the spirit!"


    Irwin snorted, then gently prodded his new card. The connection was incredibly faint compared to his soulcard, but even then, he did remember when he''d slotted his first few cards. Back then, it had taken him far longer to sense them anywhere near as good as he did now. Most likely, the benefit of having a soulcard and one that dealt with sensing soulforce. Still, his new card felt like a foreign thing, more like a glove or a shoe than something part of him.


    "So¡­ how do I bind my resonance sense?"


    "Focus on the card, but very gently. You should feel a certain desire to connect to something. Most likely, the first thing that pops up will be your hearing. Make sure not to focus on that. Although it would help you, as soulforce resonance sense is a distant relative to hearing, it''s too general. Instead, just use your resonance, focus on the song I''m humming, and let it connect to that."


    Irwin heard Ambraz very faintly resonate in a song that reminded him of one of the cards he''d reforged the day before.


    Closing his eyes, he focused on Incandescent Eyes, and almost immediately, he felt the card''s desire. It was as faint as his connection was, and he didn''t understand what it wanted, but he suddenly noticed the soft sounds of shuffling downstairs. Immediately, the card targeted it, seeming to want to do¡­ something.


    No, Irwin thought, quickly focusing on Ambraz''s humming.


    As soon as he did, the card slowed whatever it was doing and turned its focus away from his hearing and to something else. It closed in or focused on what Irwin was doing, though he had trouble understanding exactly what was going on. He knew cards weren''t conscious or sentient, but they did have elements that made it almost seem like they did. Right now, Incandescent Eyes was focusing more and more on whatever it was that allowed him to sense the resonance of the soulforce.


    It focused and seemed to close in on his sense. Then, with a jolting shock, he felt the card connect to his resonance sense. Immediately, Ambraz''s hum seemed to become slightly louder. Not massively so, but enough that Irwin was surprised by how many tiny fluctuations there were in it that he''d not heard before.


    Curious, he opened his eyes.


    The room was filled with very gentle pulsing waves of pale, purplish light that originated from Ambraz. They seemed to ripple through something he couldn''t see but which he instinctively knew had to be the ambient soulforce. He also knew it wasn''t really light, but the way Incandescent Eyes made it appear to be.


    The gentle pulses of soulforce touched the wooden walls, flattening out before fading away.


    It didn''t move through the wall? Irwin thought, not fully understanding what he was seeing.


    "Can you see this?" he whispered.


    "What? Of course not. I can sense the soulforce, probably better than you can, but I can''t see it," Ambraz said, landing on his shoulder. "... What does it look like?"


    Irwin looked around, then focused on his soulcard and very softly hummed a tune. Waves of fiery red spread out from him, much more powerful than those Ambraz had done.


    "It looks like waves on a river, but then as if it is made from light," Irwin said, using his hands to trace the waves as they moved around him. "But it isn''t actually light, but soulforce¡­ I think. It''s hard to explain?"


    Ambraz sighed. "I''m actually jealous now. Next time I rank up, I''m going to choose something that allows me to see it!"


    "You can do that?" Irwin asked, looking up in surprise.


    "Yes," Ambraz said, flying towards him. As he did, Irwin saw tiny ripples of soulforce around him that disappeared as he landed on his shoulder.


    So he does use soulforce to fly, he thought.


    "Okay, let''s go and see how the active ability works," Ambraz said.


    Irwin nodded. He cleaned up as fast as he could, then put on his shirt and headed downstairs.


    His mother was sitting on the table, holding Drum. A large plate filled with nuts, dried meat, and what looked like carrots lay on a plate.


    "Eat," she said, waving at the plate.


    Irwin quickly washed his hands, then sat down and gratefully smiled at his mother.


    "Did you sleep well?"


    Irwin hummed as he began stuffing food in his mouth. There was no use worrying his mother about these things, especially if they were going to leave soon. He saw her eyes narrow as she stared at him, but she remained quiet.


    A few minutes later, Greldo, Bronwyn, and Carla joined them. After handing Drum to Carla, his mother gave everyone food, and they quietly finished their breakfast.


    When Irwin was done, he leaned back and looked at his family. He knew they were all worried about him leaving, but nobody said anything about it. Drum was chewing on mushed vegetables, making a mess, while Bronwyn finished the last of his food. He waited till everyone was done before rising.


    "I''m going to check one thing, then I''ll be leaving," he said, looking at his mother.


    "I expect you to return back here when you can," she said.


    "I will, but¡­ I could be gone for a year or longer," Irwin said.


    Everyone was quiet, and then Greldo rose and stepped up beside him.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll take good care of him!"


    Irwin''s mother frowned, then shook her head. "You two need to take good care of each other!" she said. Then she rose, gave Irwin a strong hug, and turned to clean the table.


    "Bye," Irwin said, waving at Carla before rubbing Drum''s head. The little boy looked up, staring at him and spluttering something, causing bits of food to spray out.


    Irwin grinned before beckoning his brother. Bronwyn nodded, and a minute later, Irwin, Bronwyn, and Greldo stood outside.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll take care of Mother," Bronwyn said.


    "I know you will," Irwin said before turning to Greldo. "Can you get Clarish here?"


    Greldo frowned, then nodded and vanished in the shadows.


    Irwin turned to his brother and quickly told him about his new card.


    "That''s great!" Bronwyn said.


    "I''m going to ask Clarish to teleport us around a bit so I can check if there are any adjacent world portals anywhere nearby," Irwin said.


    "That''s good. Just make sure not to be too late. If that soulshard thing, tablet, or whatever it is loses her patience, we are going to be in trouble."


    "We will go to the Portal Keep soon," Irwin said.


    They continued chatting for a few minutes when a swirling mass of dark green soulforce waves appeared a few feet away, causing Irwin to stop mid-sentence.


    "Irwin?" Bronwyn asked, stepping forward.


    "Nothing, I think it-"


    Clarish and Greldo appeared in a mass of swirling green and silver soulforce. Irwin saw a look of surprise in Clarish''s eyes when she saw him looking at her.


    "Are you ready to leave?"


    Irwin nodded and quickly explained what he wanted to do.


    "We can do that," Clarish said. "I''ve only teleported here so far, so my energy is nearly full. I can take us to some of the places with the furthest view."


    "Thanks," Irwin said before turning and hugging his brother.


    "I''ll be back," he said softly.


    "You had better!"


    Irwin took a final look around. He was sad at having to leave, but not as much as he had expected. Although he would miss his mother and brother, they were safe, and he really wanted to see more worlds.


    Grinning at his brother, he stepped up to Clarish. "Let''s go."


    Clarish nodded, and the world turned into a swirling mass of green soulforce. They reappeared on a high hill bordering the forest a moment later.


    "I''ll need five minutes, then I can teleport to the next spot," Clarish said.


    Irwin nodded, but he was already walking around the ledge. He heard Greldo follow him, but he ignored him, focusing on his new card. The card resonated softly, and focusing on the distant planes beyond the hills and beside the forest, Irwin triggered the active ability.


    It felt like the constant, soft resonance of the world''s ambient soulforce vanished, pulled into his eyes. He felt a tingling sensation, then faint ripples of soulforce appeared all around him. There were so many that it almost felt like waves of translucent fog were swirling wherever he looked. Most were green, pale to dark, with white and brown mixed in. None of the ripples and flowing waves were as strong as even those Ambraz''s soft hum had produced, but these were everywhere!


    Irwin almost held his breath as he looked at the beautiful, thin, swirling waves taring around.


    "Do you see a portal?" Greldo whispered.


    Irwin shook his head, slowly waking up out of the trancelike state he''d been in. He looked around, examining the incredible amount of soulforce, searching for something that could be an adjacent portal.


    "Nothing," he said after a while. "And¡­ I''m not sure I can actually find one. There''s so much, and I have no idea what to search for."

 Chapter 228: Into the unknown

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    "It''s fine. We tried everywhere we could go right now. They will just have to find them themselves.


    Irwin nodded slowly, still examining distant swamplands.


    "Yeah," he said absently, his gaze drifting back to a very distant pulse of soulforce moving through the swamp. It overlapped with a heat signature that he recognized as one of the large bullfrogs.


    After a few moments, it vanished around a bend, and Irwin sighed as he stopped using his new ability. The card barely felt drained from using it for an hour, and he knew he could probably use it for at least as long again.


    Turning to Greldo and Clarish, he gazed at the small walled town that was Cesterdon. Built on the edge of the swampy area, parts of the town''s wooden walls were covered in muddy clay, and only a few building roofs peaked out across. It was the smallest of the cities, though this could hardly be called it.


    "You''re not thinking about checking up on Daubutim''s relatives, right?" Greldo asked.


    "No thanks," Irwin said. "He doesn''t even check on them himself."


    Greldo nodded while Clarish frowned.


    "Does he hate his relatives?" she asked.


    Irwin shook his head as he remembered when Daubutim and Dianor had met. It had been a cool, incredibly businesslike conversation. Even Daubutim''s mother, a stern, tall woman with short hair and piercing eyes, had only said some pleasantries.


    "No, but there''s also not a great deal of love between them," he said.


    Taking a final look around, he wondered why Dianor had chosen these swampy reaches for his city. It wasn''t the furthest from Daubutim nor the richest. All it had going for it was being reasonably close to all other major places.


    "Right, let''s go to Portal Keep," he said.


    Clarish nodded, and after a trip through a swirling mass of soulforce, the three of them arrived on the square within Portal Keep''s walls. Standing close to the wall, they saw guards walking around in the distance, many carrying arms full of spears.


    "I''ll find Lord Bron and Basil," Greldo said before vanishing.


    Irwin looked at Clarish. "Thank you again for teleporting us everywhere. You can leave to rest if you want now. I can imagine you must be weary."


    Clarish looked at him, and he saw her gaze linger on his eyes for a moment. Then she shook her head. "I''m fine. These were all short teleports, and we had enough rest in between. Besides¡­ I wanted to talk to you."


    Irwin turned away from the square, staring at the woman. She was almost two heads shorter than him but didn''t show any discomfort. It didn''t surprise him much. She''d been working with Bronwyn and Basil a lot, and those both towered over her in a similar matter.


    "Lamia asked me to talk to you," she said.


    Lamia? He hadn''t thought about her for a long time, not since... Well, not since he''d brought her and Gawarn here. After that, so many things had happened that he hadn''t even gotten into contact with them.


    "Alright?" he said.


    A frown flickered across Clarish''s face for a moment before vanishing.


    "Gawarn is worried about everything that is happening with the smiths and with how safe this world seems to be right now... Well, according to Gawarn, you would need to pass along Fiverion when you head to the populated areas of the Langost Branch, and they ask if you can bring Balarn and any other smith who wants here."


    Irwin stared at her in surprise, thinking about Balarn and the others. This wasn''t exactly what he''d expected Lamia to ask, but seeing as she and Gawarn were together now, it did make sense.


    "I''m not sure we will move that close to Fiverion," he said slowly. "We''ve had some issues with the rulers there, and the risk of being caught is high. Besides, it''s possible that Balarn doesn''t even want to leave."


    Clarish seemed ready to speak, and Irwin quickly raised his hand.


    "However, we will be going to a place from where we should be able to contact them," he said slowly.


    He was thinking of both Granvox and Igniz. Either with Ambraz''s help or with Scintilla''s, they should be able to relay a message to Balarn.


    "I will tell Balarn that he should bring everyone who can and wants to a world further away from Fiverion. Perhaps Granvox¡­ Ambraz, do you think-"


    "Sure! Kid, if they want to head to Granvox, I''m sure I can get them a place to stay until we can pick them up!"


    Clarish sighed, then smiled at him. "Thanks. I''m sure Lamia and Gawarn will also be very grateful."


    Irwin nodded, still very surprised. "Since when have you been friends with them?" he asked.


    "Gawarn and Lamia followed Daubutim to Treanba, which is where I usually am," Clarish said.


    "Why there? Why not New Malorin?" Irwin asked, somewhat surprised.


    "We''ve all lived in forests long enough," Clarish said as she looked at foliage that poked out over the distant wall. "Treanba is the largest and fastest growing city here, and it''s next to a river. Besides, with Trimdir being in New Degonda and you and Endil in New Malorin, there was a need for a cardsmith there. So Gawarn and Lamia made a smithy."


    "And you?" Irwin asked, feeling a tiny bit of curiosity to see what Lamia and Gawarn had made. He''d only seen Treanba from the side when they teleporter there to search for portals. He suddenly felt a slight sadness that he''d never gone to check it.


    "Daubutim needed a teleporter, so¡­" Clarish shrugged and looked away, but as she did, Irwin saw her cheeks slightly color.


    Are you kidding me? He held back a grin, wondering if Daubutim knew.


    He began asking Clarish about Treanba, and she was more than happy to answer all his questions.


    After what felt like a long time, Greldo and Lord Bron finally came walking towards them.


    "Sorry for keeping you waiting," Lord Bron said, nodding at Irwin and Clarish. "I was in the midst of something. So, I take it you are ready to set out to bring our troublemaker as far from us as you can?"


    "We are," Irwin said as he followed beside Lord Bron toward the Portal Keep''s central building.


    "Basil is out there, making sure he doesn''t do anything stupid," Lord Bron said. "Rindiri and her kids have been notified, and they will meet us at the portal."


    "Thanks," Irwin said. "Are they all coming?"


    Lord Bron looked up in surprise. "They are your crew, are they not?"


    "They are," Irwin said, hesitating. "What do you know of Yuurindi?"


    Lord Bron hummed thoughtfully. "That we will want to find them an adjacent world as fast as we can before they overpopulate this one. But I take it you mean to say that Rindiri might want to stay here to ensure her people''s survival?"


    "Maybe. I don''t really know," Irwin said before grimacing. "The thing is, all that are here are her children, so I don''t think¡­"


    Greldo laughed from behind him, but Irwin ignored his friend.


    "Right," Lord Bron said. "Well, we will see what she has to say. You are able to sail alone?"


    Irwin nodded slowly. "Yes, but it won''t be as efficient. I was hoping to ask Xi''kroak for one of his men."


    "Well, he is on his ship, so you can ask him when you get there," Lord Bron said with a smile.


    The central building was as empty as it had been the first time, but a well-made wooden desk circled the central pillar.


    "What did you do with Greeny?" Irwin asked.


    "We are preparing everything we need to create a Central Register here," Lord Bron said, waving over his shoulder. "We won''t finish it until we have to, preferably after we create a high-defense fortification on the other side of the portal and find as many Adjacent World portals as we can."


    Irwin hummed thoughtfully, absently noticing that it created very faint ripples in the surrounding soulforce. "Didn''t she have to see us put Doomblade on the ship?"


    "Yes, don''t worry about that. There''s a tiny fragment of her on the other side of the portal. It won''t last very long and weaken her, but it was a loss we had to take. We weren''t going to let Doomblade on here, and we needed Greeny to start building the Central Register."


    So they can split up even more? Interesting, Irwin thought.


    They walked into the portal room to find it filled with training rangers and guards. On the other side, Rindiri stood with Zender, chatting calmly. There was no sign of any of her other children.


    As they closed in, Irwin was surprised to see Zender''s purple hair had grown slightly, as had the boy, and tiny braids on the sides were covered with small stone jewelry.


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    "Captain Irwin!" Zender shouted as he jumped forward, grinning up widely. "We are finally heading out again! I''m so happy!"


    Irwin grinned while Greldo stepped towards the kid, shaking his head.


    "What, you didn''t enjoy hunting in the forests with me?" he asked with mock sadness.


    "It was awesome," Zender said, "But nothing beats sailing the Portal Galery!"


    Irwin grinned, turning to Rindiri.


    "Captain, it is good to see you again," Rindiri said, bowing her head slightly, causing her long purple ponytail to fall across her shoulders. The crowfeet around her eyes had deepened slightly, but beyond that, she seemed energetic and happy.


    "So, I presume you are coming along then?" Irwin asked.


    "Yes, and Zender will be coming too," Rindiri said calmly. "I''m afraid I''ll have to leave the others here. Trin and Brinni have fallen in love with the forests and skies, and Ib will stay here to teach them everything they need to know."


    Irwin looked at her calmly, wondering if he should ask about her plans.


    We can do that when we are on the ship, he decided as he nodded.


    "Very well, then let''s go and see how The Sonata is doing," he said.


    "Lord Bron, keep this place safe and hidden for as long as you can," he said, looking at the noble.


    "Don''t worry," Lord Bron said, clasping his hand. "With everything Daubutim has told me, we need to hide for as long as we can while building up our strength. With the help of Trimdir and the others and the cards you''ve brought back, when you return you will be surprised!"


    Irwin grinned before turning to Greldo. "I take it Bendi isn''t coming?"


    Greldo shook his head. "No, but I''ve got some rangers keeping an eye on him."


    "And I''ll keep an eye on Monique," Clarish said, nearly hissing that name.


    Irwin barely managed to stop smiling. He stepped to the portal, then hesitated. The last time he''d gone through one, he''d encountered the Oculithar.


    This world isn''t shattering! He told himself before waving at Lord Bron and jumping inside.


    Still, when he reappeared on the other side, he quickly looked around. When he saw the thick, faintly translucent barriers of energy with nothing behind them, he let out a relieved sigh.


    "Don''t worry," Ambraz said from his pocket. "Barely anyone ever encounters an Oculithar. The fact that you saw two is already a miracle."


    Irwin sighed. Way to jinx it, he thought.


    Still, halfway through the trip, his fear turned to boredom, and when he finally reached the exit, he was looking forward to setting out.


    The world turned black, and a moment later, he stepped out onto a surprisingly wide, wooden platform. There was a single, tall pillar in front of him, and on the top flickered a tiny green gem.


    Greenie, Irwin thought. He wondered if the soul-crystal entity or whatever it was could talk this small. Deciding it didn''t matter, he looked around.


    Dark purple and green waves of soulforce originating from the portal rippled outward, some even billowing up against the distant energy barrier.


    He had landed on a wooden platform that wasn''t the deck of a ship. He''d heard that the top of the trees had grown in range, but he hadn''t realized they were big enough to put a forty-foot square platform on it. The start of the first tower stood on the other side, a few dozen feet away. Left of that were two narrow docks, one straight across from the building, the other angling away. There was a ship on each of them, one being his own Sonata, the other one of those they had taken from the Galubs. Da''xi crewmen were working on it, stripping parts and repairing others.


    "Irwin! Finally!"


    Irwin looked up to see Basil walk out of the building. He looked harried, with baggie eyes and slightly pale.


    "Basil, are you alright?" Irwin asked as he walked forward.


    "No. That bloody horned monster has made my life miserable for the last few weeks," he said. "He''s worse than a child!"


    Irwin raised his eyebrows, and even more so when he saw Doomblade stomp out of the house behind Basil. He was still wearing soulskill-dampening chains, but other than that, he seemed fine.


    "Bah! Stop calling me a child, you overgrown copperbucket!" Doomblade shouted.


    Two Frozir and Jort came after him, all keeping an eye on him. Even then, Irwin felt they seemed more relaxed than he''d have imagined.


    "You are a child!" Basil boomed, turning a glare on the five-horned Galub. "I am hungry, I am bored. Wrestle with me. Wrestle with me! WRESTLE WITH ME!"


    Irwin gaped at Basil, who was spitting as he shouted at Doomblade.


    Doomblade just crossed his thick arms and smirked. "Stop complaining! You''re the only one who can actually give me some fun! I didn''t break anything after that first time!"


    Basil turned back to Irwin, gnashing his teeth. "Please get this monster-sized child away from me!"


    Irwin nodded, turning to Rindiri and Greldo, who had appeared behind him. Zender was hiding behind Greldo, peaking at Doomblade.


    "Ready the ship. I''ll finish up and then bring Doomblade."


    The others nodded and quickly ran to the ship while Irwin turned to Basil.


    "There''s a ship ready with the other Galubs?" he asked.


    Basil jabbed a finger at a ship hovering not too far away. A few Da''xi were on it, together with Xi''kroak.


    "Xi''kroak will be there to keep them in line while The Zura''ix follows the both of you to bring everyone that has to back," Basil said, still glaring at Doomblade. "Now, take this menace away, please!"


    Irwin nodded, walking toward Doomblade. Looking at the five-horn, who was only a tiny bit smaller than him, he raised an eyebrow.


    "You are coming, or do I have to carry you?"


    Basil laughed behind him while Doomblade just snorted.


    "Soulstealers are such annoying creatures," he grunted. "I will go. I''ve waited here longer than I wanted to!"


    Irwin motioned him over to The Sonata, and as he walked there, Basil followed beside.


    "Keep an eye on him. He has a tendency to break stuff," Basil whispered, still glaring at the Galub.


    "Don''t worry. As long as he can''t use his skills, we will be fine," Irwin said.


    Basil didn''t respond, just staring at him as Irwin walked onto the gangplank. It was much thicker and sturdier than the one he was used to, and it barely bent.


    On his own deck, Doomblade moved to the side, staring at the mountains intently.


    Is he trying to remember where we are? Irwin thought.


    He hesitated, then turned to Greldo.


    "Bring him below deck. I''ll join you in a moment."


    Greldo raised an eyebrow, then nodded.


    "Come along, big child," he said. "Time for bedtime."


    Doomblade''s eyes turned burning as he glared at Greldo, who didn''t seem to care in the least, beckoning him over.


    Irwin waited till they were gone before looking at the tiny shard of Greeny.


    "I hope this will work, but we can''t have him remember the trip back," he said.


    There was no answer, but the green shard flashed brightly.


    I''ll just take that as a yes, Irwin thought.


    He looked around, then in the direction they would be going. It was even further away from Fiverion, along the new large branch they were on, and they only had a map for under three days.


    I wonder what we are going to find out there, he thought.


    Taking a deep breath, he focused on Basil.


    "Keep this place safe, will you? I left some¡­ gifts for you at Endil. Use them to strengthen yourself and any guards."


    Basil''s eyebrows raised as he tapped the back of his hand, and when Irwin nodded, he managed a weary smile.


    "Thanks, I will. Take care, and make sure you come back safely!"


    "I will!" Irwin said before turning to the raised deck where Rindiri stood. "Get us away, then wait for The Zura''ix and that galub ship to follow us. I''m going to keep Doomblade below deck until we are very far away!"


    "Will do. I''ll send Zender if there''s anything," Rindiri shouted before looking at two rangers who stood beside the ropes holding the Sonata to the narrow dock. "Release us!"


    Irwin grinned, waved at Basil one more time, then headed to the cabin door.


    Bah, I would have liked seeing the portal vanish in the distance, he thought as he walked inside.


    --


    The day, and the one after, passed slowly. Irwin kept Doomblade below deck for the entire time, and he figured out that Basil had been right. The five-horn acted like a giant, badmouthed child, constantly complaining. Luckily, he''d quickly stopped asking to wrestle when Irwin wrapped him up and squeezed until his eyes almost popped out.


    He had only taken a few looks outside.


    One to see the trees growing up from below the portal, which had been incredible. The trees were already thicker than most of those he''d seen on Scour, only dwarfed by the heart trees and the massive trees below Fiverion. Tiny green figures had been roaming around them, probably plant-carded to help it grow even faster.


    Another few to stretch his eyes, as Greldo called it. Just stare off into the distance instead of into the tiny cabin, glaring at an annoyed Galub. Each time he did, he felt something odd was going on, but no matter how much he looked, he couldn''t put his finger on it.


    At the end of the second day, he finally decided that it was time to head out. A tiny voice in his head kept trying to tell him he was missing something, but he just couldn''t figure it out.


    "Finally, air!" Doomblade howled as he pounced on the deck and headed to the side to look around.


    Irwin thought he saw the Galub''s eyes narrow as he didn''t see any sign of the mountains anywhere. Was that what he had been worrying about? No¡­ He grunted, wondering if he should chalk it up to two days of barely any sleeping.


    Talking about no rest.


    He waved at Greldo to take over as he moved to Rindiri.


    As he climbed up the stairs, he took a good look around.


    They were close to the barrier, and the ground below was a pale, rock-riddled wasteland. The temperature had gone down significantly since two days before, but it wasn''t very cold yet. Two ships sailed through the empty skies behind them, just close enough to act if needed.


    "So, where are we?" he asked.


    "We did as Lord Bron asked," Rindiri said. "It took two days to reach the bend that the scouts told us about, and we have been moving the entire day along the side of the barrier. We are roughly heading away from Sesnanser and will reach the furthest spot the scoutship reached by early tomorrow. There aren''t any side-branches until then, so we will have to hope that we can find one."


    Irwin nodded as he stared into the distance ahead.


    "How long till it gets cold?" he asked.


    "The scoutship stopped when they couldn''t stay on the deck anymore," Rindiri said. "So, it should rapidly begin to grow cold in the next few hours."


    Irwin nodded. "Already, go and rest. You''ve been here for over two days. I''ll stay on the helm while Greldo keeps an eye on Doomblade. If he acts up, we can just toss him overboard."


    Rindiri smiled but didn''t complain when he took over the wheel.


    "I''ll return early in the morning," she said.


    I''m missing mornings already, Irwin thought as he wrapped his fingers around the strong wooden steering wheel.


    Feeling the power of the ship moving at even his slightest twitch, he gazed off into the distance.


    It took an hour before he figured out what had been bothering him, and it happened while he was simply zoning out.


    There is no ambient soulforce!


    He hadn''t noticed because he''d not been able to see the stuff for nearly all of his life, but now that he realized it, he knew it was true. There were the occasional tiny plumes released from people using skills, but as he looked around in wonder, he saw none of the ambient stuff anywhere!


    "There''s no ambient soulforce here," he whispered, prodding his pocket.


    "What?" came a sleepy voice.


    Irwin repeated himself, still whispering.


    "Ugh! Is that what you wake me for? Kid, everyone knows that! It''s why it gets cold beyond the portals."


    Irwin frowned. That made sense¡­


    "So, all the soulforce in here has to come from the portals?"


    Ambraz groaned, then slowly wriggled out of Irwin''s pocket before flying to his shoulder.


    "Look up."


    Irwin did as asked, staring at the barrier high above, with chaotic storms raging behind it.


    "There are incredible amounts of soulforce there. I don''t know that much about these things, but remember when we went through that chaos storm?"


    "With the Neamhnathair?" Irwin asked, thinking back to the immense whale beings.


    "Chaos Whales, but yes. There are more types of beings that live in the chaos beyond the barriers, and all of them are made up of vast amounts of soulforce. Some people believe they sometimes die on the portal barrier, leaving behind a pocket of immense soulforce."


    Irwin eyes widened as he thought back to that moment and the roiling clouds and the massive flying beings. A memory of that time jolted into his mind, and he stood up straight, nearly tossing Ambraz away.


    "What?"


    "They were eating tiny purple and blue specs each time lighting hit," Irwin said. "That had to have been soulforce!"


    Ambraz landed back on his shoulder, humming for a moment. "That¡­ could be," he finally said. "You have been sensitive to soulforce for a long time. Perhaps the quantity back then was just so great that it was visible."


    "What if we could absorb it, just like with the Imps," Irwin whispered, looking up at the barrier.


    Ambraz let out a giggle, then another, before finally managing to calm himself. "Nice try! If you get hit by one of those bolts, you will probably evaporate! Besides, those storms don''t happen that often. How are you even going to find one?"


    Irwin sighed, realizing Ambraz was right. Besides, he had enough things to do before going out searching for Chaos Whales.


    "I forgot something else," he said with a sigh. "I had planned to let my mother and Bronwyn and the others hear the song of the Whale¡­"


    Ambraz didn''t respond immediately, and they continued ahead for a bit till the Anvil spoke.


    "Well, that''s just a great reason to get back and let them hear it, right?" he said.


    "Yeah," Irwin said.


    He continued focusing on keeping the ship moving in a straight line.


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 Chapter 229: Glacial Area

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    Irwin''s mind was blank as he steered the ship forward. He was staring into the distance, enjoying the ability to gaze as far as he wanted without obstructions. The temperature sank with every passing hour, pale frost appearing on the sail and the railings, then spreading to every other surface. By morning, Zender had gone down, the cold too much for him, leaving Greldo and Doomblade above deck. The massive Galub was shivering constantly.


    "Can we go back down already?" Doomblade grunted, not for the first time.


    "When Rindiri comes to take the wheel," Irwin said.


    "If this is your way of getting rid of me, I''d prefer you just make it quick," Doomblade said through clacking teeth. His eyes were burning with anger as he glared at Irwin. "You''re too afraid to let me fight back!"


    Irwin didn''t even bother responding. It wasn''t like he hadn''t thought about tossing Doomblade overboard, but Daubutim had said to let him be. Having the Galubs on one side, separated by an area of frost, would be better than having nothing there. It meant that anyone or anything moving from this side had to pass through them.


    "Can he not hear me?" Doomblade rumbled angrily at Greldo.


    "He can," Greldo said. "He just doesn''t want to reply to your whining."


    Exactly, Irwin thought, trying to tune out Doomblade''s angry retort.


    It was getting more difficult, though. He''d been trying to ignore the Galub''s incessant complaining for the better part of an hour. He pondered warming the area with his steam, then thought better of it. It wasn''t bad for Doomblade to realize just how cold it was and would become.


    Half an hour and a dozen more complaints later, the door opened, and Rindiri stepped out. Her breath came out in plumes, and her brow lowered in a frown as she slammed the door shut.


    "Right, finally inside," Doomblade shouted.


    "Wait till I''m ready," Irwin snapped.


    The five-horn looked over his shoulder with an exasperated glare before stopping two steps from the door, stomping on the ground, arms wrapped around himself.


    Rindiri took over from him, and Irwin saw she was looking worried, her frown deepening.


    "What''s wrong?" he asked.


    "It''s colder than it should be," she said, scratching a layer of ice from the top of the steering wheel. "Those scouts would never have survived this, and from what they said, they turned back long before it got anywhere near this cold."


    Irwin looked ahead, then at the barrier. There was nothing weird, although he could see the thick layer of frost in the distance. It covered the scraggy land, which showed no signs of ever having been anything but a layer of rock.


    "Could you be mistaken?" he asked.


    "No," Rindiri said. "Even if they hadn''t told me this, the speed at which the temperature lowered from when I left to rest to now is too fast."


    "Any idea what could cause this?"


    "If a nearby portal that had previously been raising the ambient temperature has been closed, that would do it."


    Irwin hesitated before turning to Greldo.


    "Can you stay on the prow for a while longer?"


    "Sure! It''s not like I need sleep," Greldo snorted.


    "Ah, good to know," Irwin shot back with a wide grin. "Then you can stay there until I get back!"


    Greldo made a rude gesture, then grinned and headed to the prow of the ship.


    "Call me if anything happens," Irwin said before he headed to the cabin door.


    "Finally," Doomblade hissed.


    The Galub was shaking and shivering, and he rushed through the door and to the back of the cabin.


    Closing the door, Irwin felt the cabin''s warmth on his skin, and he walked to the staircase, sitting down to block Doomblade from going down. Zender and their supplies were down there, and he didn''t want the Galub anywhere near either. Even without his cards, he could easily rip apart either. It meant he couldn''t go into his own room, but it wasn''t worth the risk.


    Doomblade continued shivering for at least another hour before he finally seemed to warm up enough to start complaining again.


    "Do I have to go back out again later?"


    "Yes," Irwin said.


    "Can''t you just tie me up inside a cabin?" Doomblade snapped. "I''ll even promise I won''t do anything!"


    Irwin looked at him, then snorted. "I don''t think I have anything that could tie you up."


    Doomblade jabbed his fingers at the soulskill, dampening chains around his arms. "Didn''t you bring more of these things? Just use those. They are nearly unbreakable!"


    Is he fishing for information? Irwin wondered as he looked back without responding.


    After a few moments, Doomblade snorted and laid his head back.


    "Whatever. I''ll go and sleep. How long till we reach warmer areas?"


    "Don''t know," Irwin said, which was the truth.


    Doomblade let out an angry snort and closed his eyes.


    Keeping an eye on him, Irwin set himself to another long, sleepless¡­ night?


    I really miss day and night, he thought.


    As interesting as traveling over the portal gallery was, the lack of proper separation was annoying. Xi''kroak and Rindiri had told him that some ships installed lamps on their masts, pointed down, which they used to mimic sunlight while having others in their cabins. They would rotate those at regular intervals, mimicking day and night cycles. If he could, he wanted to get those runes installed eventually.


    The thought about runes made him think back to the Terullian runes they had found on two separate worlds. He''d barely thought about the Terullians and only knew that Daubutim, Lord Bron, and a dozen scholars who had survived from Giard were attempting to translate them. Apparently, that was more difficult than they had expected. Daubutim had told him to keep an eye out for any more Terullian worlds and bring back any information he could.


    I wonder what happened to those Terullians, Irwin thought. He remembered the Addled he had seen in the first world and the odd room filled with tablets filled with runes. Were those the Terullians? Had they turned to Addled at some point? But if so, why? That world hadn''t been shattered yet.


    He continued pondering the Terullians, sitting upright so he wouldn''t fall asleep accidentally.


    Time passed slowly, and he was startled out of a daydream about the ancient Galadin empire when Greldo slipped inside and slammed the door shut. His friend''s breath was coming out in plumes, and he was covered in fur, meaning he''d triggered his stronger form.


    "We''ve got trouble," Greldo said, his teeth chattering. "I''ll keep an eye on him. Go outside."


    "What is it?" Irwin asked as he rose. He saw that Doomblade''s eyes had opened, and the five-horn was looking at Greldo.


    "I¡­ you better see for yourself," Greldo replied with a grimace.


    Irwin frowned as he rose, glad that Doomblade showed no interest in joining him. Even then, he pinned the Galub with a stare. "Don''t do anything stupid."


    "Are you crazy?" Doomblade snorted. "I''m not going to risk having to go outside!"


    Irwin shared a look with Greldo before he opened the door and stepped outside. The cold air hit him like a fist to the chin, and his eyes widened in shock. Everything was covered in a thin layer of frost and ice, more so than he''d seen during any of their previous journeys. He walked away from the cabin, the layer of ice on the deck cracked below his weight, while a soft squeaking hiss came from somewhere ahead.


    He took a quick look at the wheel to see that Rindiri was staring ahead and to the side, away from the barrier they were still flying along. The other two ships hung behind them, and Irwin saw those few of Xi''kroak''s sailers able to withstand the intense cold standing on the prow.


    Turning to the prow, he saw that icy mountains sprawled forward across the landmass. Where it touched the barrier, a cloud of steam rose up, and the squealing hiss came from there. The steam rose up along the barrier, touching the top and turning to a drizzle that fell down. A few feet down, the intense cold turned it to snow and hail, which pelted and covered the icy mountains.


    What the hell is that? Irwin thought, walking to Rindiri.


    "Have you ever seen anything like this?" he asked.


    "No, but I know of it," Rindiri said. "It''s called a Glacial Area, and I had never thought I would ever see it. They are usually far from any world, and I''ve not heard of any being anywhere bordering the Langost Branch. There are supposedly many on the other side of the main branches."


    Irwin frowned as he looked around. Although he couldn''t see it, the steam coming from the distance told him the ice probably touched the other side of the massive branch as it did here, meaning there was likely no path through.


    "How far through is this?" he asked, waving ahead.


    "I have no idea. By my knowledge, I''ve not heard of anybody ever managing to find a way through."


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Irwin stared at the ice, thinking about his own abilities. As powerful as he was, he didn''t believe for one second there weren''t other carded better suited for such a region.


    "Do you think nobody ever managed to find the other side?"


    Rindiri was quiet, then shrugged. "It''s possible. The nobles, merchants, and other large guilds and groups probably don''t share everything they know. But if it has happened, I have never heard of it. Not that I really know that much. The only things I really know about it are from one of the captains I sailed with twenty years ago."


    Irwin frowned as he looked at the ice.


    "I wonder if the Frozir would be able to live there," he muttered.


    "Not likely," Rindiri said. "This isn''t normal ice. It''s cold due to the total lack of soulforce. Although the Frozir can stand nearly any cold, they do need soulforce. They could probably survive for a long time here, but actually creating cities? I don''t think so."


    "Course not," Ambraz grunted from within Irwin''s pocket. "They would turn into Addled!"


    "That too," Rindiri muttered.


    They continued looking ahead quietly before Irwin asked the question that he knew had to be asked.


    "So, what do we do now? Can we go through? Should we even try?"


    Rindiri stared ahead, then frowned. "If you had asked me this a few years ago, I would have laughed at you. But¡­" she turned to him. "It depends if you can navigate us through. You have one of the highest tolerances for cold I''ve seen, and your ability to manipulate steam means you should be able to use that. So, the question would be, how long can you withstand the cold? I''m close to my limit already, and I don''t think Greldo can stand a lot more. So, unless you increase the temperature, you would have to sail by yourself."


    "Perhaps we can go back and find a sidebranch on the other side?" Irwin asked thoughtfully.


    "We could try," Rindiri said. "But it would take weeks to cross to the other side, and there''s no guarantee we''ll find something. Also, there''s a chance we connect back to the branch that leads to Sesnanser."


    "Well¡­ at least the chance of something coming from this side is very small," Irwin said as he wondered what they should do.


    He didn''t really want to head back, and going to the other side and sailing around for another month would stretch their supplies.


    "You could just go inside for a day, see what''s there, and dump those Galubs there," Ambraz grunted from his pocket.


    Irwin grimaced, sharing a look with Rindiri. The idea had occurred to him, but somehow, just leaving those Galubs there to die felt worse than killing them during a fight. That would be self-defense, this would be murder. Still, a tiny part of him knew that if it came down to it, he would do it. There was no denying that Doomblade was a danger to everyone around him.


    "Say we go inside," he said slowly. "What about the other ships?"


    Rindiri shrugged. "We could tow the Galub ship, and with the cold, they would need to stay inside the cabin, meaning there is no risk of them trying to board us. Then Xi''kroak could return by himself."


    Irwin thought about it for a bit longer, then nodded. "Let''s see what Xi''kroak thinks of this."


    He walked to the side of the ship and raised his hand. A flame appeared above it, and he flickered it three times before holding it there and doing it again. It was their predetermined signal that he needed to talk to Xi''kroak.


    It didn''t take long for a figure to fly away from one of the ships, and a few minutes later, Xi''kroak landed on the deck beside him. The Da''xi''s faceplates were tucked closed, but trickles of steam were rising from between.


    "Captain Irwin."


    "Captain Xi''kroak," Irwin said, raising his hand in greeting. "Can you tell me anything about this?"


    The Da''xi shook his head. "No more than Rindiri will have likely shared with you. I did not know of a Glacial Area bordering the Langost Branch, and I have never been to another main branch. All I know is that which the Admiralty has taught us in school. Don''t ever enter unless your life depends on it, and go no further than half a day because Da''xi can not survive longer than one."


    Irwin wondered what the Admiralty was, and hearing the reference to school again, he sighed. It was just like what Ambraz always pestered him with. The lack of proper schooling.


    "You are thinking about using the steam?" Xi''kroak asked.


    "Yes. We were talking about towing the Galub ship inside and seeing how far I can make it."


    "I would normally advise against it, but the alternative would be to kill the Galubs here and now and return," Xi''kroak said.


    Irwin wasn''t surprised at how cold Xi''kroak was. He''d learned a bit more about the Da''xi, and they were willing to cooperate with anyone, but as soon as you attacked their ships or people, all bets were off.


    "If you decide to do this, I''ll have half of our supplies brought here, and then we will return to Eluathar harbor," Xi''kroak said.


    Irwin turned back to the ice, staring across from it.


    I wish I could just focus on smithing and exploring, he thought. He was getting tired of having to make choices that could get others killed.


    Staring at the distant steam, he stretched out his soulcard''s power. The massive amount of steam felt like a mass of foreign power to his senses, and as he tried to control it, he immediately knew he was too far. Just touching it drained a chunk of his power.


    Pulling back, he focused on his Incandescent Eyes, which, after touching his soulcard, felt oddly cumbersome and unwieldy. Even then, it activated all the same, and he felt the familiar burning sensation in his eyes. It lasted a moment before the empty feeling that showed there was no ambient soulforce vanished.


    Thin, translucent waves of soulforce wafted from the sail above him while more came from the ships behind him. Looking up and around, Irwin blinked in surprise. Those sails focused on the ambient soulforce¡­ that''s how they worked! So how were they able to work now, with no ambient soulforce? He turned to Xi''kroak and Rindiri, about to ask how that worked and if they could even safely go into the Glacial Area when his breath caught in his throat.


    A barely visible, vaporlike soulforce was wafting away from both of them, drifting up and into the sails.


    "The sails use our soulforce to work?" he said in surprise. He knew the sails could be overloaded with soulforce somehow, which was what the Galubs had done, but he''d never thought they used his soulforce.


    "Only if there''s not enough ambient soulforce," Xi''kroak said. "It''s why Da''xi can''t stay out here too long. Our soulforce is more sensitive than that of Humans and Yuurindi. If we lose too much, we will fall unconscious and eventually turn into Addled."


    Irwin frowned. "So, how much soulforce does it cost? How long could I sustain the ship?"


    "I-"


    A burst of laughter came from Irwin''s pocket, silencing Xi''kroak.


    "Kid, you could probably sail from one end of the Langost branch to the other with how much you have! The problem isn''t the sail. It''s that without ambient soulforce, just living here will slowly drain your own soulforce."


    "He is right," Xi''kroak said, while Rindiri nodded.


    "Of course I am," Ambraz said. "If you don''t use your soulcard to manipulate the steam too much, you should be able to remain there for over a week or two at most. If you have to use the steam, it will rapidly drain your soulcard, and with no way of refilling it, you would have one day at the most."


    Irwin frowned as he thought of the chunk of soulforce he had just lost. Prodding his soulcard, he realized it wasn''t refilling anywhere near as fast as it normally did. Instead, at the speed it was going now, it would take weeks to refill that which he had already used.


    He continued staring at the ice as a plan slowly began to form. The only part of it he didn''t really like was that it would mean leaving the Galubs deep inside the Glacial Area to die if he didn''t find the other side or a place to rest and recover soulforce.


    When he was done, he turned to Xi''kroak and Rindiri, who had been waiting calmly. He knew Greldo could hear him, too, which meant everyone who needed to would know the plan.


    "I am going inside there and see if we can find the other side or perhaps an unopened portal," he said. "We will put Doomblade on the Galub ship, and you and Greldo need to make sure he doesn''t have the other Galubs remove his Dampening Bracelets. We will go inside for a few hours, then you and The Zura''ix leave while I tow the Galub ship inside. Even with his dampening bracelets removed, Doomblade can''t stand the cold, so he will be locked in the cabin, unable to do anything," Irwin said slowly, looking at the others to see if they had anything to comment on yet.


    Xi''kroak just nodded calmly, so Irwin continued.


    "I will sail inside for four days. If we find a portal, we will open it, explore it, and put the Galub inside, taking the ship back with us. That means that until the temperature warms, if it''s even possible, and trees grow up to the portal, they will be locked inside with no way to get out. If we reach the other side, we will search for a portal for a week and do the same. If we find the other side but no portal, we will just leave the Galubs there and return here."


    Irwin sighed as he reached the worst outcome for the Galubs. "If we don''t find either, we will unhook the Galub ship and leave," he said, knowing exactly what that implied.


    "Good," Xi''kroak said. "You should not feel bad about this, Captain Irwin. Doomblade is dangerous and would, without hesitation, kill anyone. Leaving him here as a barrier for anyone else is already giving him far more of a chance than he would get from us."


    Irwin didn''t respond but instead looked at the distant ice.


    "Can you prepare the Galub''s ship and warn me when you are ready?" he asked.


    "I will go right away. My crew is very ready to leave," Xi''kroak said as he walked to the railing.


    Irwin watched him fly back.


    "What do you think?" he asked.


    Rindiri sighed. "There is never a way to deal with enemies that are dangerous that doesn''t involve someone getting hurt. Doomblade can''t be trusted, and I have heard nothing good about Galubs in general. Unlike the history of Imps and Frozir, Galubs are warlike, power-hungry, and without any remorse."


    Irwin nodded.


    ¡°Greldo, can you prepare Doomblade? We need to get him to the Galub ship as soon as Xi''kroak is ready."


    "Got it," a dull, muted shout came from the cabin.


    It took longer than Irwin had imagined before Xi''kroak''s crew was back on their own ship, and the Galub ship was tied to them. When he finally got the signal from Xi''kroak, he was very much ready to move.


    "Greldo, it''s time," he said.


    A few moments later, the door opened, and Doomblade was shoved outside, growling angrily.


    "Come on! It''s cold here, and-" Doomblade growled, only to fall quiet as he saw the frozen mountains in the distance. "What is that!''


    Irwin didn''t answer but walked towards the Galub.


    "You are going to be brought to your own ship, where Greldo and Xi''kroak will make sure you don''t do anything stupid. Then we are going to search for the other side and for portals," he said. "You will be allowed inside the cabin."


    Doomblade''s eyes widened, and he turned to Irwin with a frown.


    "Are you going to tow me inside and leave me there to die?"


    "No. We are going to find you a world like we said or leave you on the opposite side to do so on your own," Irwin said.


    Doomblade looked at him, eyes narrow. Irwin could see the disbelief, but the Galub didn''t say anything.


    "Greldo?" he asked.


    "I''ll teleport him there. It''s just a short distance," Greldo said, grabbing Doomblade''s arm. He nodded at Irwin before vanishing.


    Irwin turned to the ship, which was now close enough behind them to see the details, and saw Greldo and Doomblade appear on the deck. Xi''kroak was already in the cabin, and Irwin waited till Greldo and Doomblade entered before turning to Rindiri.


    "Alright, go inside. I''ll take the wheel. If I need any help, I''ll create warm steam from the door here."


    "Be careful of the tips of the mountains," Rindiri said before walking away and disappearing inside the cabin.


    Alone, Irwin took a final look at the other ship before putting his hands on the steering wheel and placing his hand on the center. The ship shuddered before moving forward toward the icy mountains.


    The temperature continued plummeting, and when Irwin finally reached the rough line where the frozen wasteland began rising up to icy hills, his skin was slightly taut from the cold. Even his internal flame wasn''t able to keep the cold from becoming painful.


    The twitch of pain caused a distant memory to surface with a surprising clarity. This was cold as when he''d run from the cold when Numilli had begun draining all of the surrounding soulforce to force her heartcard up to a soulcard.


    He hadn''t thought of Numilli or what she''d done in a long time.


    How did she do that, he thought as he hesitated if he should pull some hot steam around him to resist the cold.


    In the end, he didn''t, afraid he''d use soulforce he couldn''t recover. He was still using his Incandescent Eyes to try to find any sign of an unopened portal, which meant his soulforce was already draining slowly. Luckily, his handcard didn''t require much energy.


    He focused on navigating forward, sometimes having to fly around a massive mountain whose tip disappeared into steam that hung above. Snow, then hail, clattered on the deck constantly, and within moments, a thin layer covered his head and shoulders. A thicker layer covered the deck, and he wondered if he would have to clear that off every so often.


    Hours passed, and when he guessed they had traveled into the over half a day, he looked over his shoulder. The Galub ship was hard to see through the curtain of snow and hail, while Xi''kroak''s ship was no more than a distant shadow.


    "Greldo, it''s time," he shouted over the constant ticking, knowing his friend would easily hear him.


    Nothing happened on the Galub ship, but a short while later, Greldo appeared in the shadow of the sail. He sucked in a deep breath while Irwin saw the hairs on his face and hands rapidly turn frosty white and ice.


    "Go inside!"


    "I''m fine," Greldo stuttered, but he slowly headed towards the ladder. "I brought Xi''kroak back, and they are leaving now. Doomblade was very annoying."


    "Tell me later," Irwin said as he waved him away.


    Greldo seemed more than happy with that as he turned and ran towards the cabin. He waved before vanishing inside, leaving Irwin alone again. Behind him, The Zura''ix was turning around, rising above a few icy mountain tips before speeding away. It didn''t take long before it vanished from view.


    Now, let''s hope we find a portal, Irwin thought as he squared his shoulders and focused on navigating through the icy mountains.


    <div>

 Chapter 230: No baggage

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    Three days into the Glacial Area, Irwin was weary to the bone, his skin constantly tingling, and he was sick and tired of ice and icy mountains.


    There was no sign of the Glacial Area ending anytime soon; instead, the mountains had grown taller and jagged. It was taking ever more time to navigate between the valleys between them while the clouds of gas above seemed an endless pale mass. If it hadn''t been for the electric barrier and the constant hissing from one side, he''d have long since gotten hopelessly lost.


    Every few hours, he had to shove masses of ice and snow from the deck to stop the ship from becoming overburdened. If he hadn''t started taking short rests every few hours, lying in the cabin, and having a worried Greldo taking short looks outside to make sure the ship remained where it was, he''d have long since given up and turned back.


    As it was, he was standing behind the snow and ice-covered wheel, hands gripping tight, grinding his teeth, and wishing for nothing else but a volcano. The only thing keeping him even mildly distracted was Ambraz, who was the only one besides him able to stand the cold.


    "So World Anvil''s can''t leave the world they are on?"


    "No. At rank six, when a Ganvil becomes a World Anvil, it becomes very difficult," Ambraz said. "Then, at rank seven and beyond, it''s completely impossible. We are so in sync with the world''s soulforce resonance that leaving through a portal would rip the portal corridor apart."


    "So, that''s why you are searching for your homeworld shards? To find the World Anvils?"


    Ambraz snorted. "Some are. I was doing it because my Progenitor told me to."


    Irwin hummed. Ambraz had mentioned the word progenitor before, but he''d never gone into details.


    "Is that like your father or mother?" he asked.


    "Something like that," Ambraz said. "Anyway, that''s why there will be a time when I need to remain on Eluathar."


    Irwin knew Ambraz was changing the subject, but that was fine with him.


    "Eluathar and not one of the adjacent worlds?" he asked, wiping fresh hail and snow from his face.


    "Kid, do you think I''m crazy? As stable as those adjacent worlds will be, Eluathar is a rank-six world! The ambient soulforce and its resonance are way more powerful than that of any of its adjacent worlds. Besides, if I go to an adjacent world and Eluathar becomes unstable, I could get imprisoned there!"


    "What about the other Ganvils? I thought you wanted an adjacent world for them?"


    "Definitely," Ambraz snorted. "And with me stabilizing and eventually defending Eluathar, they are going to have a great world to finally rebuild what we have lost. Someone else can become a worldanvil there."


    Irwin hummed as he wondered what that would mean for him. Would he have to remain with Ambraz?


    "How long will it take for you to become rank six?" he asked.


    "I''m going to be the youngest rank-six in the history of my people," Ambraz said, sounding incredibly smug and sure of himself. "I''m already rank three, and I''ll become rank four within another ten years! It shouldn''t take me more than two or three hundred years to become rank six! ¡­ what? Why are you laughing?"


    Irwin grinned, shaking his head. "Nothing. I was just worried I''d have to go around without you, but it''s good to hear that won''t be anytime soon."


    Ambraz grunted and rumbled a bit while Irwin looked into the distance. They were gliding around a mountain, and as the next ice-covered valley appeared, a twinkling purple area hovered just at the center of a cliff. The hail and snow caused the glowing soulforce to create diffuse and sparkling aureolas. It would have been hard to see in any normal area, but in the middle of the heavy snowing, hailing, and icy nothingness, it stood out like an amethyst blaze.


    "There''s a portal there," Irwin said, unable to hold back his incredible relief.


    "What? Where?"


    Irwin pointed to the side as he slowed the ship''s forward motion. "Beside that cliff, twenty feet below the clouds."


    "I don''t feel it, move closer!"


    Irwin hadn''t been planning anything else, so he remained quiet as he moved closer. Only when they were a few hundred feet from the unopened portal did Ambraz exclaim: "I feel it. It''s really weak. It has to be a rank one or two portal."


    Irwin didn''t care if it had been a rank zero portal, and he continued until the deck of the ship stopped right below the portal. Then he pressed some of the glyphs on the center of the steering wheel, which would keep the ship from drifting off too much.


    Walking to the portal, he sensed the gentle resonance, and he knew it wouldn''t be too hard to tear the portal open. The reaction most likely wouldn''t be anywhere near as harsh as that of the Eluathar portal. After a few moments, he headed to the cabin, and opening the door, he looked right at Greldo, Rindiri, and Zender.


    "You found a portal!" Zender shouted excitedly. "Is it rank six again?"


    "Of course not," Greldo said with a snort. "I''d have told you that, remember?"


    "It''s rank one or two," Irwin said. He noticed scuff marks on Zender''s face and a new belt with a short sword resting on his leg. He faintly recalled that Greldo had said he was practicing with Zender and that Zender had been practicing with the guards back in Portal Keep.


    "Yes, and I''m going to open it," he said, turning to Rindiri. "I''ll warm up a small pocket around me and bring you to the steering wheel. Then I''ll open the portal. Can you get ready to move the ship a safe distance away, just in case?"


    "Of course, Captain."


    "Can we come too?" Zender asked excitedly.


    "Zender, stop bothering the captain," Rindiri said, frowning at her son. "You know he needs to conserve his energy!"


    Zender sighed with a deep sadness but nodded.


    Greldo laughed, padding Zender on the shoulder before turning to Irwin.


    "How are we going to do this after you open the portal?"


    "I''m going to check the portal and see what it''s like, then we are going to make the Galubs enter. After that, we will leave," Irwin said.


    "Sounds great," Greldo said. "And are you going to refill your soulforce and continue to search for the other side?"


    Irwin hesitated for only a moment before shaking his head. "No. It''s time we head to Granvox. If we go further, who knows when we will return?"


    "About time!" Ambraz said from his pocket. "Let''s get this over with!"


    Irwin grinned, and he walked back outside. A few minutes later, Rindiri was behind the wheel inside a small pocket of slightly hot steam while Irwin stood before the closed portal. He dropped the usage of Incandescent Eyes, and immediately, the soulforce of the portal rift disappeared from his view while his regular senses returned. The soft resonance of the portal was so weak that he wondered if he''d have felt it from all that far away.


    Probably not, he thought as he began softly resonating his soulcard in the opposite of the portal.


    There was a slight resistance, then the portal''s soulforce followed his soulcard''s resonance, and before he could even warn the others, it went from stable to unstable to a bright flash of light.


    A surprised shout came from behind him while Irwin stared at the simple dark portal that hung before him. Pale silvery lighting rippled along the edges, slowly fading away.


    "Rindiri, you okay?" he shouted.


    There was a soft groan from behind, and Irwin turned to the wheel, suddenly worried. Rindiri stood there, blinking and staring into the distance.


    "Rindiri?"


    "I''m alright," she shouted, shaking her head. "Just¡­ blinded."


    "Gelwins balls," Irwin grunted as he ran to the wheel. Absently, he noticed that the temperature was rising very slightly, and a sense of warmth came from the portal behind him.


    Rindiri was blinking, but he saw her eyes follow him, showing she wasn''t completely blind.


    "I''m sorry, I didn''t know it would just open like that," he said.


    "It''s alright. I shouldn''t have looked," Rindiri muttered, still blinking.


    Irwin took over the wheel while she began gently rubbing her eyes.


    "It will take a few hours before I can really see again. It''s a good thing it was only a rank one portal," Rindiri said after a few moments.


    "Take your time," Irwin said. "I''ll stay at the wheel until you can take over."


    Rindiri nodded, and Irwin kept an area of hot steam around her as she slowly found her way to the cabin door. When she was gone, he sighed, staring at the portal hovering at the deck. The ice and snow that billowed around it were sizzling, and drops of water rained down on the deck, melting tiny holes and rivulets into the ice. A quick look at his soulforce showed it was very slowly refilling.


    "What can we expect from a rank one portal?" Irwin asked.


    "It''s hard to say without going inside, but most aren''t all that different from the larger worldshards you have been on," Ambraz said. "They are regular worlds, and they sometimes have a few adjacent worlds, but most of the time, they are barely stable enough for themselves."


    "Are they more dangerous than higher rank worlds?" Irwin asked, thinking back to when they had found Eluathar. Back then, Zender had said that rank six worlds had very few dangers and usually none around the portal entrances, and Rindiri and Daubutim had said he was right.


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    "Much," Ambraz said with a snort. "They were stable enough to form, but sometimes only barely. That means the unstable ambient soulforce will cause a lot of odd mutations in the beings that live on it."


    Irwin almost asked if the Ganvil homeworld had been a rank one but barely held back. He was pretty sure Ambraz wouldn''t have been able to laugh at the joke.


    "Is that why Galubs are the way they are?" Irwin asked.


    "Hell no! The Galub homeworld was likely a rank two or three," Ambraz said. "You would have to ask Doomblade if you want to be sure. There will be constant predation and fighting in this world."


    "The things on it will be weaker then?" Irwin asked.


    "What? No!" Ambraz said, rustling in Irwin''s pocket. "Don''t go in there carelessly! Just because the ambient soulforce isn''t as stable doesn''t mean there is none. That is, there will be chaos, and there will be weird mutations everywhere."


    Irwin frowned. He''d somehow expected the world to be less dangerous, not more, when they became lowrank.


    "How long will the world remain stable now that a portal is open?" he asked.


    "It depends," Ambraz said. "Doomblade is comparable in strength to a single soulcarded, so his presence will likely balance out the presence of the portal. If he survives or becomes stronger, the world might even eventually become rank two."


    "Wait, worlds can become higher rank?" Irwin asked, startled.


    "Worlds can drop a rank. Why wouldn''t they be able to grow if their ambient soulforce becomes more stable? Though, it only ever occurs to rank one or two worlds," Ambraz said with a snort. "To make a world go from rank three to four would require there to be thousands of soulcarded beings, and that usually doesn''t happen."


    Irwin frowned as he looked at the portal. His mind instantly went back to creating cards from the ambient soulforce¡­ what if he could do that? Wouldn''t it be just a matter of time to make that many soulcarded?


    "Hypothetically," he said slowly. "What would happen if everyone in the world was soulcarded?"


    Ambraz made a choking sound before laughing.


    "I have no idea! I guess it would become a rank-ten world? But it''s nonsense to even ponder it! There are only three known rank seven worlds, and two of them are among the most ancient worlds around. Rank eight¡­ I haven''t even read about those."


    "So why do you think rank ten is the highest?" Irwin asked, slightly confused.


    "Because it''s based on a familiar ranking system, the same as my race," Ambraz said. "And it is a ranked one-to-ten system. Then again¡­ I don''t really know if rank ten is even possible."


    "Are there any rank ten Ganvils?" Irwin asked.


    "No," Ambraz said before continuing almost sadly. "There is one rank eight, and only barely."


    Irwin remained quiet for a bit, feeling that Ambraz wasn''t really present. Finally, he hummed.


    "So, what else has ten ranks?"


    "Most crafted things," Ambraz said. "Though, like with worlds, there''s barely anything ever made above rank six."


    "Weapons and armor?" Irwin asked, interested.


    "Yes, but don''t bother. Even a regular topaz weapon card is more powerful than a rank five weapon," Ambraz said with distaste. "I read that the ten-step ranking system is a remnant of long ago before people had cards. I didn''t believe it back then, but after all we have learned about the Galadin, I guess it''s probably true."


    I wonder what a rank ten crafted weapon would look like, Irwin thought as he watched more and more water flow from the top layer of ice that had covered the ship deck.


    Eventually, the door reopened, and Rindiri stepped out. Irwin quickly pulled a pocket of steam around her and waited till she reached him. She was still blinking, but when she met his eyes, she nodded.


    "Can you take the cold?" Irwin asked, looking at the melting ice. Near the portal, the temperature was a lot higher, but it didn''t emanate nearly as far as the other portals he''d seen.


    "I''ll be fine. I might have to go inside for a few times, but I''ll live."


    "Good. Don''t take any risk," Irwin said as he stepped aside, letting her take the wheel. "I''ll check the portal quickly."


    "Are you sure you should? Perhaps it''s better just to throw the Galubs in," Rindiri said.


    "Yes, but there''s a very small chance that there are more Terullian runes there," Irwin said.


    "I still wonder if those are worth the risk, but fine. Be careful," Rindiri said.


    "I will be," Irwin said, raising his voice enough for Greldo to hear him. "I''ll go in now and return as fast as I can."


    "Don''t do anything too stupid," Greldo shouted from the cabin.


    "Be careful, captain!" Zender shouted after him.


    Irwin grinned as he walked to the portal and, with a quick wave, hopped in.


    The world turned black, and then Irwin was rushing through a portal corridor that was narrower than any he''d been through. It was also incredibly transparent, and he looked around at the chaotic space around it in surprised awe and shock. There was barely any visible energy, and he could see the details of the distant nebula.


    "If we ever come across one of those Oculithar in here, we''d be dead," he muttered.


    "Don''t jinx us," Ambraz whispered. "Just keep your soulcard as calm as possible."


    Irwin nodded, and he kept looking around, keeping quiet and still as he shot through the corridor. When they finally reached the end, he was glad to see it.


    Slamming into the end felt worse than what he was used to, and as he stumbled out of the portal, he felt a painful jab in his head. He ignored it, looking around a yellow and orange, cracked plain. Far to one side were mountains, probably a few day''s travel away, and billowing clouds of gray covered the distant horizon. Orange bolts of lightning slammed into the ground, and he felt the shivers when they hit.


    Turning around, he saw a massive forest of what he could only describe as mushrooms and fungi stretching out as far as he could see. Some purple and black-capped specimens were easily as tall as some of the trees on Scour, while what looked like blankets of pale teal moss hung from others, creating tentlike areas.


    The world''s soulforce resonance was weak and slightly chaotic, though he did feel that it was better near him. The further away he sensed, the worse it became. At the same time, his soulforce was refilling faster than it had done outside the portal.


    "Okay¡­" he muttered, looking around. "Any sign of Terullian buildings?"


    "I don''t sense anything," Ambraz muttered. "There''s something moving in that mushroom forest, though."


    Irwin frowned, watching the distant skyline. At first, he saw nothing but the swaying fungi sheets and thin mushroom stalks, then a very faint dark-red outline flitted through the shadowy undergrowth. The heat signature was so weak that Irwin almost thought he saw something rustle in the wind. Only when it moved to the side of a mushroom, no longer obscured by other things, did he see it for what it was. Some type of low-to-the-ground creature, likely staring at him or the portal.


    "What do you think¡­ leave or wait and see?" he whispered.


    A dull roar came from the forest, and he watched as a dark gray and brown being rushed towards him. Teal lines covered a triangular head with similar frills on the back points and a lower jaw that seemed far too wide and toothy. Two hand-length, curved teeth jabbed from the bottom of the jaw. The wide, flat body zoomed across the ground, ending in a pointy tail.


    "There''s other things looking at us from the forest," Ambraz said.


    Irwin hummed, wondering what made the thing believe it could get to him when it was at least ten seconds out. With the portal at his back, even in the worst case, he could just jump back through that. His hammer appeared in his hand, and he focused on the monstrous thing before hurling it forward. The hammer left his hand with a boom of kinetic energy. At the last moment, he decided against coating it in fire, instead relying on the hammer''s brute force.


    The hammer was like a streak of dark copper, surprising even himself with how fast it went and leaving a tingling in his palm. Even then, the monstrous thing managed to dodge to the side in the last instant, causing the hammer to hit the ground, then skid across the stonelike surface, leaving a foot-wide furrow behind.


    Irwin unsummoned, then resummoned his hammer and hurled it at the much closer demon. By now, he had a much clearer view of its wide, vertically slit pale orange eyes and the thick fungus-like growths covering its leathery skin.


    He hesitated for a moment, then hurled his hammer again. The hammer almost teleported into the monster''s head, knocking it flat into the ground, green goo splurting everywhere. Irwin jumped sideways just in time to evade it.


    "The others are still looking from the forest," Ambraz called from his pocket. "I think it''s time to leave."


    Irwin couldn''t agree more. He took a quick look at the body, but there was no sign of a card. With a last look around, he turned to the portal and jumped inside. Moments later, he was hurtling back through the portal corridor.


    "Are all rank one worlds this¡­ horrible?" Irwin asked.


    "I don''t know," Ambraz responded with a weary grunt. "I know they aren''t the best of worlds, but I''ve never seen one until now."


    Irwin, arms crossed as he looked out into the darkness of the chaotic space beyond, wondered if they would have been happy with a world like this when they were searching for one of their own.


    Probably not.


    A long time later, he stepped out of the other side of the portal, landing on a slick, wet deck with chunks of ice all around. It was still incredibly cold, but a quick look showed that Rindiri and Greldo were on the deck, looking at him.


    "That wasn''t too long," Greldo said, raising an eyebrow. "I''d expected you to be away longer."


    "Low-rank worlds take a shorter time to reach," Ambraz shouted from Irwin''s pocket. "We even fought something!"


    We? Irwin thought, but he just grinned as he walked up to Greldo.


    "Let''s go and get Doomblade."


    "Sure, sure. Use me as your personal teleporter," Greldo said, grabbing his shoulder.


    A dark, shadowy rush later, Irwin stood on the other ship. There was nobody on deck, and the door was closed.


    "Doomblade, get out here," Irwin shouted.


    There was a moment of silence before an angry snort came from inside the cabin. "Is the temperature better?"


    "A bit, and we have found you a portal," Irwin responded.


    The door was shoved open instantly, and Doomblade stomped outside. As soon as he appeared, he hissed and clasped his arms around his shoulders. Irwin wasn''t at all surprised that his chains were gone.


    Greldo moved to the prow, removing the ropes binding the ship to The Sonata, while Irwin took position at the steering wheel.


    "That''s a weak portal!" Doomblade shouted as he stood, shivering near the railing. He turned to Irwin, angrily glaring at him. "Couldn''t you find me something better?"


    Irwin didn''t even bother responding, instead slowly sailing the ship forward. It took him a while to position the portal above the deck, and by that time, Doomblade had returned back to the cabin.


    "Get out here," Irwin shouted.


    "Is the portal ready?" Doomblade snapped.


    "Yes, now get out here," Irwin said angrily.


    The cabin door opened again, and this time, Doomblade came out, carrying a three-horned Galub by the neck. The smaller Galub was struggling, trying to rip the larger, stronger hand free, and as soon as the cold hit it, it began shivering.


    "What are-" Irwin began, only to quiet when Doomblade hurled the Galub through the portal.


    "I''m not going in there without knowing if it''s safe," the five-horn growled, turning to Irwin with dark eyes.


    Irwin thought about the demons that were waiting within the mushroom forest.


    "You might want to throw a few more in then," he said. "There are some other demons in there. You can probably kill them easily, but I don''t think one of them can."


    Doomblade''s eyes narrowed, and for a moment, Irwin thought he was going to complain. Then the five-horn turned and almost ran back into the cabin. He returned with two more struggling three-horns and hurled them into the portal before looking at Irwin with a raised eyebrow.


    "Two more should do it," Irwin said. He wasn''t exactly sure, but he was sure it wouldn''t hurt either.


    A few moments later, Doomblade flung another three-horn and one four-horn into the portal.


    "There. If none of those return, I''ll prefer staying out here," he snarled.


    Irwin expected him to return back inside, but the five-horn began pacing before the portal.


    Time passed slowly, and after an hour, Irwin began worrying. Doomblade was giving him more and more angry glances and seemed ready to become angry when the four-horn appeared back on the deck. He immediately began shaking and shivering, but Doomblade grabbed him.


    "And?"


    "There are some four-legged flat Gwaggir out there, but they are weaker and smaller," the four-horn croaked.


    "How many?"


    "I killed four, and no more came."


    "What does the world look like?" Doomblade snapped.


    The Galub began rattling in their own language, something Irwin hadn''t heard many times yet, and when he finished, Doomblade nodded.


    "Keep them alive," he snapped, hurling the four-horn back and turning to Irwin.


    "I''ll leave," he said. "I''m sure that should make you happy. I know it makes me happy!"


    Irwin blinked, then shook his head with a dull grin. "Yeah, it won''t make me sad."


    Doomblade snorted, then headed back into the cabin. A moment later, Galubs began running from the door, jumping into the portal. Most were three-horns, but as ten, then fifty, ran through, Irwin was surprised to see a few more four-horns. Doomblade stomped out after the final one, moving to the portal.


    He stared at Irwin, and he sniffed.


    "You could have killed me at any time¡­ but you didn''t. Don''t come bothering me too soon, but if you need mercenaries in the future, come and find me," he growled. Then, without another word, he jumped into the portal, vanishing.


    Irwin stared at the portal, then at Greldo.


    "I wouldn''t do that unless there was no other choice," Greldo said in distaste.


    "I wasn''t planning on it," Irwin said. "Did any remain on the ship?"


    "I don''t hear anyone," Greldo said just as Ambraz spoke. "There''s nobody here."


    Irwin grinned and slowly sailed the ship away from the portal until the prow sat close enough from the back of The Sonata for Greldo and Rindiri to rebind the other ship.


    A few moments later, Irwin was back on the deck of his own ship, taking a deep breath.


    "Alright, let''s wait until our soulforce is refilled. After that, we head back!"


    "Granvox, here we come!" Ambraz shouted.


    Irwin grinned, feeling a load lift from his shoulders. Finally, they could sail without any baggage!

 Chapter 231: A soulforce tune

    "Finally," Irwin muttered as he saw the regular, long, and flat portal gallery appear behind another ice mountain.


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    He wiped the ice and snow from his face and grinned at the prospect of sleeping for a whole night. Although he had nearly bottomless endurance, no sleep was draining it.


    "The end is in sight?" Greldo shouted from the cabin.


    "Yeah," Irwin said.


    "Alright, I''ll warn Rindiri!"


    Irwin sighed happily.


    After another hour, he raised his head as they flew across the final stretch and finally out of the icy, cloud-covered, hailing hell he had been in for weeks. The temperature was rising rapidly, although he knew that was only compared to what they had been to. It would be days before Zender could stand the cold.


    The door was shoved open, and he watched as Rindiri and then Greldo came out.


    "No more constant hail!" Greldo shouted.


    Rindiri took over the wheel, smiling at Irwin. "Go and rest, Captain."


    "Thanks," Irwin said.


    He headed toward the cabin, waved at Greldo, then went inside. Zender was waiting for him.


    "Captain, are we heading towards Sesnanser now?"


    Irwin looked at the young, purple-haired Yuurindi before realizing he was right. The only way to get to the other side of the Langost branch was bypassing the Sesnanser corridor or finding another way. If they had to try that, it might be years before they find it.


    "We will see if we can, but there might be a lot of Galub raiders there," he said as he walked down the staircase.


    He''d not gone down here, except for a few quick visits to the toilet, and knowing he would finally be able to eat in the kitchen instead of behind the wheel made him almost as happy as what he was going to now.


    Stopping before his own room, he turned to Zender, who seemed intent on following him to ask more questions.


    "I''m going to sleep now. We can talk after I wake up."


    Zender grinned. "I''ll make your food when you wake!" he said before running towards the kitchen.


    "I might sleep for a while," Irwin said, but Zender was already gone.


    Shaking his head, Irwin walked into his room, closed the door, and a moment later dropped down on his bed.


    He didn''t even notice when he fell asleep.


    --


    Irwin spent the following days mostly sleeping, eating, and enjoying the rest. Finally, five days after they had left the ice, he was sitting in his room, staring at a ruby card.


    "You are sure I should slot this now?" Irwin asked as he looked at Soulforce Hearing.


    "Yes, definitely," Ambraz said.


    The anvil sat on the table before him beside his thin book that held the information on the thin stack of cards he had with him. The thin stack in question stood beside it while the book was opened on the page that described Soulforce Hearing. If he ended up slotting it, which seemed likely, he''d rip out and burn the page.


    "Your first card should have integrated with your soulforce by now, so there''s no reason to wait," Ambraz said.


    Irwin nodded, staring at the back of his hand for a bit. Ambraz had explained to him that the first handcard always needed enough time to mesh with his soul, the time increasing with each soulcard he would finish. Even then, he could have slotted it a week ago, but there was a benefit to letting it integrate as much as it could. Every card after the first needed less time, but even then, he couldn''t just slot five more cards in a day. It would unbalance them, and his soulcard might reject them even if they should normally be compatible.


    He pulled the book close, examining the page another time. It was hardly needed as he knew it by memory, but he had found that he enjoyed reading the card''s details from paper.


    Card: Soulforce Hearing


    Type: Ruby, Reforged by Irwin Roddington


    Owner: -


    A card desired by all musicians and singers. Allows the owner to hear nearly every tiny wrongness in any tune, melody, or harmony.


    Passive: Small increase in constitution


    Passive: Increase the ability to hear soulforce resonance


    Active: Temporary boost sensitivity to soul resonance fluctuations. Greatly decreases resistance to soulforce resonance attacks while used.


    Still feels weird not slotting something that has more combat potential, he thought.


    Memories of when he''d been traveling through portals and across Giard with Daubutim played through his mind. His main goal had always been cards to help him stay alive, and now¡­


    The better I can hear the ambient soulforce, the more likely I''ll be able to create cards from scratch.


    With a sigh, he took Soulforce Hearing and held it above his hand. The card jolted, then stood straight above his second cardslot without him holding it. Thin swirls of purple soulforce rippled away from it, mixing with those that always came from Ambraz.


    Irwin''s worry about whether it was the right choice vanished as he watched the card slowly sink into his hand. Even after all these times, he still felt a sense of awe. A few moments later, the card was gone, and a second tattoo, clear and simple, sat on his hand: a double music note, somewhat familiar.


    As the card''s presence very faintly let itself be known in his mind, a soft sound appeared on the edge of what he could hear.


    Blinking in surprise, Irwin turned to the stack of cards as the sound turned to a mixture of barely audible, whispered songs before remaining stable.


    "I can hear the cards," Irwin whispered.


    "About time," Ambraz snorted. "Welcome to the club."


    Irwin ignored the anvil and picked up the top card, holding it closer to his ear. The card''s resonance was simple, and even if he hadn''t seen that it was quartz, he would have known by its song. If he were to reforge it, the first strike would have caused the same song to appear.


    "Before I forget, don''t use the active ability just yet," Ambraz said.


    Irwin looked up in surprise. "Why not?"


    "You need to get used to hearing this much first and do some reforging. If you activate it right now¡­ let''s just say it''s not going to be enjoyable," Ambraz said with a soft sigh. "Trust me, I remember."


    Irwin cocked his head, staring at Ambraz. "You have this ability?" he asked.


    "When I became rank one, this was my first one," Ambraz said. "I was warned not to use it but didn''t listen. I was knocked out for seven days."


    "Do you think my ability is the same as yours?" Irwin asked.


    "It''s close," Ambraz said. "When we reforged the card, I used my own skill''s resonance as a guide. The only difference is that yours makes it seem like a song while mine is a pattern without much melody."


    Irwin could only agree with that as he listened to the card''s resonance. It did seem like a simple song, and after a few moments, he put it down, listening to the cards one at a time. The emerald rank cards had the most complex songs, and he was very interested in hearing what ruby or diamond would sound like. Let alone Ammolite- would he ever find one of those?


    "What will it be like when I go to a world?"


    "Don''t worry too much, kid. All you will hear is the song you heard before, just slightly louder," Ambraz replied. "In a few weeks, you won''t actively hear it anymore. It''s going to be like the wind and light. There, and if it''s extreme, you will notice, but at a certain point, it will become background noise."


    For the rest of the day, Irwin just walked around the ship, slowly integrating the soft sounds that now resonated from people, the sails, and the cards around him. Combined with the constant visual cues of his other hand card, he slowly realized just how much the soulforce was doing everywhere.


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    That evening, or what counted as evening, they were eating in the galley. Zender had created a simple meal, and although it was a far cry from what his sister Ib could do, Irwin enjoyed it nonetheless.


    "So, now that you have started working with cards again," Greldo said, raising an eyebrow. "Don''t you think it''s about time you got Zender some more cards?"


    Zender''s head snapped up from his own plate, staring at Irwin with wide, almost hungry eyes.


    Irwin looked at the back of the boy''s hand. Two faint card outlines sat there, the second clearer than the first. He knew that it was the topaz whip card that he had given Zender shortly after they had met the chaos whales.


    He didn''t get a third card? he thought with a frown. Then he chastised himself. Of course, Zender hadn''t. They needed all cards to be spread out across the people of Giard. As he thought about that, he realized that meant that his sisters, Trinn and Brinni, wouldn''t have any cards either.


    I''ll need to return and give them new ones within ten years, or they will die, he thought.


    "Captain?"


    Irwin blinked and looked up, realizing he''d been zoning out. Zender was looking at him worriedly.


    "I don''t really need one, it''s-"


    "You do," Irwin said, interrupting him before looking at Rindiri, who had been looking at him calmly. "If I recall correctly, Zender can have one Emerald card, right?"


    "Yes," Rindiri said. "But it can''t be too powerful."


    Irwin nodded, taking the stack of cards he had out of his pocket. He had left most with either Endil or Bronwyn, only taking twenty-one with him. He had nineteen left of those, and they were all either metal, fire, or utility typed.


    "You have two utility-type cards," he muttered, staring at Zender''s hand. As he did, he thought of something and looked at the young boy. "Come here for a moment."


    Zender blinked, then rose and stepped around the table. Irwin took his hand and, ignoring everyone''s confused look held the back of it close to his ear. As soon as he did, he heard the soft singing of the cards. It wasn''t too hard to separate, which was because the topaz card was louder and more complex.


    "Ambraz, these tunes, and songs¡­ the whip is some sort of metal type?"


    "Yes, the adhesion one is utility and has no types. The whip has the Silfzeron type."


    Irwin nodded, releasing Zender''s hand. He knew of Silfzeron, a rare alloy of a Frostiron and a common silvery metal. Due to the Frostiron, it was more flexible than most types of metal.


    Zender swallowed audibly, looking at him with wide-open eyes.


    "Captain, can you hear slotted cards?" Zender whispered in awe.


    "Bah, brat! Don''t make it sound so special," Ambraz said. "Nearly every Ganvil and most of the promising emerald-rank smiths can do that!"


    They can? Irwin thought, looking at Ambraz in surprise.


    "Ugh! Kid, not you too," Ambraz exclaimed as he flew up and circled the mess. "Just because there''s barely any proper cardsmith in this backwater place doesn''t mean there aren''t any on the Langost branch!"


    "Okay, tell me what cards the high-ranked smiths have later," Irwin said, focusing back on the cards. "First, we need to see what kind of card we should get for Zender."


    "Captain¡­" Zender began before holding his tongue.


    "Yes?" Irwin asked, giving him a reassuring smile. "Do you have something you would like?"


    Zender cast a quick glance at his mother, but Rindiri didn''t react.


    "I would like a card that allows me to shape change, like you and Greldo," Zender said, his eyes glimmering. "One that meshes with the Silfzeron?"


    Irwin shared a grin with Greldo. He couldn''t blame Zender in the least, as both he and Greldo had mostly survived all they had because of their body-morphing cards. As he thought about that, he suddenly wondered if that was something he should focus on for another soulcard. What if he could make a better version of his first Coperion Body card? One that could allow him to become even bigger and stronger.


    Pushing his own ideas away, he took a few cards from the stack. Three cards had the potential to do what Zender wanted. Two were quartz rank right now, one coating someone''s fingernails in a thin layer of metal, the other allowing someone to make a bundle of hair into a metal spike that could be thrown. The other was an amethyst card that allowed someone to make the metal they were holding more pliable. As with the other cards, they were all the best of what they had found, and cards he''d brought because he might want to do something for himself.


    "Ambraz, what do you think?" he said as he raised the first card. "We could reforge it to cover more than the nails from quartz to amethyst, then strengthen it and change the metal from amethyst to topaz. After that, make it a full body morph from topaz to emerald?"


    Ambraz was quiet for a bit, then hummed. "It might work, but it''s pretty far from its desired direction. The card wants to become some form of nail or claw combat card."


    "And these?" Irwin asked, raising the other two.


    "The third one won''t work," Ambraz said immediately. "It might allow him to create armor around his body, but it wouldn''t actually be part of his body, and if he lost it? No. The hair one has the same problem as the other, but¡­ I think we could try. It would be a great practice for you."


    Irwin couldn''t hold back a wide grin of expectation. He hadn''t really forced any card along anything but their predetermined path or something close to that for a while, not willing to risk shattering it. Although it had been good, solid work, it hadn''t been very challenging. The idea of doing something difficult really piqued his interest.


    "Alright," he said, looking at Zender, who was looking conflicted. "Are you sure you want a card like that?" he asked.


    "Yes¡­ but what if you shatter one?" Zender said with a worried frown.


    "Bah! Brat, don''t worry so much," Ambraz shouted before Irwin could even answer. "Irwin needs to do way more practicing. He''s been doing easy things for way too long. If he is to practice on the Granvox academy and learn¡­ from¡­ err¡­"


    Irwin raised an eyebrow as he looked at Ambraz.


    "Academy?" he asked curiously.


    "Well, let''s see when we get there," Ambraz said before quickly continuing. "Anyway! It''s fine if he shatters them! There are more Metal cards where we are going than anything else! If we fail now, you just have to wait a few months!"


    "Half a year," Greldo said, shaking his head wearily.


    "Yes, yes. A few months, half a year. What does it matter?" Ambraz said.


    Irwin looked at Ambraz, wondering what he was planning to do when they reached his homeworld.


    "How about you tell me later," he said, getting up and focusing on Rindiri and Greldo. "Can you two handle the ship? I''ll go and reforge these cards."


    "I am not sure I can ever pay back an emerald card," Rindiri said calmly. "But seeing as you don''t seem to care about that, taking a few of your turns on the helm is the least I can do."


    "Glad you understand," Irwin said. He smiled, turned around, and headed to his room.


    As he walked away, he heard Zender and Rindiri start talking about cards and why he hadn''t asked for something that would make him a better crew member.


    When he entered his room, Ambraz flew to the empty area and changed into his working shape.


    "Alright, before you start, you need to understand something," Ambraz said. "When you hit that card, the sound is going to amplify beyond what you''re used to hearing. You need to realize that this doesn''t mean it''s actually louder. You just hear it better."


    Irwin hummed as he removed his jacket, putting everything else on the table except for the metal nail card.


    "I understand," he said, summoning his hammer.


    "I don''t think you do," Ambraz said. "Take another card first, one that you don''t mind shattering."


    "Are you hungry?" Irwin asked.


    "No, that''s not it," Ambraz said with an annoyed snort. "Just do it. Just reforge it and remember one thing. The card isn''t louder. So don''t resonate your own soulcard too loud. If you do, you are going to cause the card to shatter and perhaps even damage the ship."


    Irwin blinked, staring at Ambraz. "Damage the ship?" he asked, suddenly worried.


    "Don''t you remember what happened when you made your heartcard?" Ambraz asked.


    "I do," Irwin said as he thought about the destruction he had wrought on Grianf¨¢l.


    "Well, the reason for that is because you were resonating your card and, with it, the ambient soulforce," Ambraz said. "Now, there is no ambient soulforce here, but the sails have soulforce, and there''s soulforce all around."


    "From all of our cards and skills," Irwin said, slowly understanding what Ambraz was getting at. "If I resonate my soulcard too hard, I could damage the sails?"


    "Yes," Ambraz said. "It''s why cardsmiths still work in forges. Metal, especially molten metal, is one of the best ways of stopping the resonance of soulforce from destroying everything."


    "And because the ship is of wood¡­ Wait, could I use the resonance of my soulcard as an attack?" Irwin asked, thinking out loud.


    "Against very weak beings, yes, or in certain circumstances. If you jump to another ship rip it apart by resonating your soulcard very strongly that would work. It''s why you will find that the public buildings on the truly populated areas of this branch, and any beyond, are made of metal or card-improved stone," Ambraz said, slowly falling back into what Irwin thought of as his teacher mode.


    "The largest families don''t allow other powerful soulcarded, and definitely no cardsmiths or musicians on their private worlds."


    Irwin blinked his mouth opening, then closing.


    "Wait¡­ what? Musicians?" he asked.


    Ambraz snorted as he landed on the table. "Imagine having four or five cards that allow you to resonate the ambient soulforce."


    Irwin licked his suddenly dry lips. "So¡­ does that mean musicians are dangerous?"


    "Only if you can keep the shadewalkers, teleporters, or ranged manipulators from destroying them," Ambraz said. "It takes a while to resonate the ambient soulforce strongly enough to cause massive destruction."


    Irwin stared at the cards on his hand, then at Ambraz. He knew he was going to have to rethink a few things. He put the cards back on the table and, after a few moments, picked a simple quartz-ranked fire card that allowed condensing fire by flicking one''s fingers to create a small spark and a boom.


    "Alright. I''ll try and reforge this," he muttered.


    He put the card on Ambraz''s surface, then very carefully struck it.


    A cacophony of sound, vibrations, and light erupted from the card, shocking him so much that he almost dropped his hammer. He barely managed to pay attention to the familiar resonances and only just found the desired direction of the card. Having no time even to ponder forcing it along another part, he struck again, much softer this time.


    The music softened, and fainter waves of soulforce thrummed out, some from the card, the rest from Ambraz.


    Ambraz loses soulforce when I strike him?


    Irwin ignored his own thoughts, focusing on the card. He barely shrank his hammer before hitting it again, even softer than before, and as he did, he sensed the dozens of minute differences in the resonance while tremors of soulforce rippled around the card. The card''s tune, a rhythmic tapping that surprised him with its simplicity, felt slightly off. As he struck the card again, barely paying attention to anything else, he tried copying the soft rhythm with his own soulcard, but without the part that sounded wrong.


    The soulforce ripples seemed to harmonize together with the rhythm, and he grinned as he sensed the ''rightness'' of the card.


    Fully focused, he continued tapping on the card, sometimes needing to remedy a tiny bit of dissonance. As he worked, he felt the difference with his usual reforging. Even though it was a mere quartz card, the number of tiny fluctuations was incredible, and hearing and seeing the soulforce showed him just how much he had been missing.


    It took him much longer to reforge the topaz card, but when he finished, he instantly knew it was a hundred percent card. Although there were still some mistakes in the process, the final product had none of them.


    Lowering his hammer, he smiled at the card, feeling a sense of wholeness. The card almost felt happy, even though he knew that wasn''t really true, as cards had no mind or consciousness.


    After a few moments, he realized Ambraz was still quiet.


    "Ambraz?"


    There was a soft, annoyed snort.


    "Let me be for a bit," Ambraz muttered.


    "Are you alright?" Irwin asked, suddenly slightly worried.


    "No. I''m trying to remember why I thought you might blow this after all I''ve seen you do," Ambraz said, sounding both weary and annoyed at the same time.


    It took Irwin a few moments to realize Ambraz was actually annoyed that he hadn''t caused the card to shatter.


    "You wanted me to fail?" he said in surprise.


    "Wanted? No! I thought you would, but I guess you bloody Galadins don''t work like the rest of us," Ambraz grunted. "Whatever! Go and reforge one of the other cards!"


    Irwin sighed, shaking his head before ignoring Ambraz''s annoyed rumblings. He picked up the nail card and put it on Ambraz.


    Let''s see if I can do this!

 Chapter 232: The Roaming Shipyard

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    Greldo lay on one of the benches against the galley, watching Zender pace through the room.


    "Don''t worry, he''ll get you a card," he said with a wide grin.


    Zender nodded and sat on a chair, but only a moment later, he was back up and pacing again.


    Greldo sighed and closed his eyes. He smiled as he listened to the soft hammering and singing.


    He''s improved again, he thought, listening to Irwin''s deep bass humming and singing some seemingly nonsensical song about metal shining in the moonlight. Had he used words before? He couldn''t tell, but definitely not this many.


    When Irwin finally ended, Greldo listened to his muted conversation with Ambraz. When Ambraz complained about Irwin''s quick progress, he couldn''t resist a grin.


    Trimdir was complaining about that too, he thought as he got up.


    Zender turned to him, eyes wide.


    "Is he done?"


    "Calm down, he is coming," Greldo said as he stretched his arms. The slight muscle ache from his constant sword practice was almost gone, meaning he could start again soon.


    Zender was almost jumping up and down, staring at the entrance to the kitchen.


    Can''t really blame him for being this excited, Greldo thought. He recalled how happy he had been with his first card, a simple gripping strength common. Nothing but a tiny bit of its strength remained in his heartcard, but he sometimes still thought about it.


    A few moments later, Irwin walked into the mess, grinning widely and holding a single green card.


    "Captain? Did you succeed?" Zender asked, jumping up and down.


    Irwin pulled his thick beard, causing a soft rasping. "Perhaps¡­"


    Zender''s eyes were wide, focused completely on the card.


    Greldo snorted. "Don''t bully the kid, Irwin! Just tell us what it does?"


    Irwin laughed as he handed the card to Zender.


    "He will find out soon enough," he said. "Let''s let him show us?"


    Zender didn''t even bother waiting. With a thank you that was so fast it seemed a single sound, he put the card above the final empty socket of his left hand.


    Greldo rose from his seat, watching him quietly. A tiny bit of worry grew, and he hoped the card wouldn''t be rejected. Or worse, have too much energy. He recalled that Rindiri had said Zender''s card shouldn''t be too powerful, and Irwin had a habit of overdoing things.


    "Don''t worry, I made sure to go for control and stability over power," Irwin whispered. "Although it''s a very good card, its energy is below average."


    Greldo nodded gratefully, but he kept his gaze on Zender.


    The card sank into Zender''s hand, and for a moment, nothing happened. Then Zender jolted upright, his eyes widening before he crumpled to the ground.


    "Zender!"


    Greldo rushed forward, catching him before he could hit the ground.


    "Don''t worry," Irwin said as he walked forward, arms crossed. "It''s normal for a card with such a large physical change. Better put him down!"


    Greldo hesitated, then lowered Zender. As he did, he felt the boy''s shoulders and arms ripple oddly while his pale skin was changing.


    "Will he change like you?" Greldo asked as he watched muscles ripple and skin begin to gleam silvery.


    "Not as much as I have," Irwin said. "More like when I got coperion body. He will gain a similar active ability, though it won''t be as powerful due to the lower energy."


    "I thought these elemental body-type cards were very rare?" Greldo said with a frown.


    "They are," Ambraz grunted. "And forcing one along a path that goes from being focused on hair to affecting the entire body is ridiculous!''


    "It''s because I could use part of my own card during the resonance," Irwin said.


    "Bah, that''s only half of it," Ambraz muttered.


    Greldo grinned. "So you are going to make more and become filthy rich?"


    "Not a bad idea," Irwin said, but Greldo heard a slight hesitation.


    "What?" he asked. He''d noticed that Irwin had been preoccupied with something but hadn''t shared anything yet. "Is it the music sheets again?"


    Irwin froze, and Greldo sighed. "Did you forget about them?"


    "No¡­ well. Perhaps?" Irwin muttered.


    "It''s fine. He practiced them enough at the start," Ambraz said. "We will have plenty of time the coming half year for him to learn the rest."


    A soft groan came from the ground, followed by a snore. Greldo stared at Zender in wonder. The boy''s purple hair had lengthened by a hand and turned slightly darker. His skin gleamed very faintly and had a dark silver hue to it from certain angles.


    "He really does look like you," Greldo muttered, shaking his head. "Is he going to grow as much?"


    "No, he doesn''t have the energy, and he lacks my first card," Irwin said. "Can you bring him to his room? He will be sleeping for a few hours now."


    Greldo looked at his friend. "What are you going to do?"


    "I''m going to get Rindiri so she can look after Zender. Besides, it''s my time to steer."


    --


    Four days after Zender had gained his new card, Irwin was standing on the deck. Greldo and Zender were practicing below, their racket having chased him up. Well, that and something he''d wanted to talk to Rindiri about. He had been shoving it away for a while now, but he couldn''t do that much longer.


    He looked at his first mate, her hair purple with pale-gray, almost white stripes.


    "I wanted to ask you something," Irwin said, still not sure how to begin.


    Rindiri looked at him with a raised eyebrow.


    "I saw that more of your hair became gray¡­ are- Are any of your other children still alive?" he asked.


    Although he was very uncomfortable, he knew it was best just to get it over with.


    Rindiri''s eyes stilled, staring off into the distance. It lasted for a few moments before she focused on the narrow horizon again, her eyes moving sideways.


    "Four are still alive somewhere," she whispered before waving forward with her hand. "Out there somewhere."


    "Can you sense where they are?"


    "Very faintly," she said. "It''s easy when I''m far away, but the closer I get, the more muddled it comes."


    "Shouldn''t it be easier when you are closer?" Irwin asked, surprised.


    Rindiri shrugged. "They aren''t strong enough," she said softly. "I can sense Ibiri''s general location until I get within a city''s distance. Zender¡­ well, with his new card, he is almost as easy to find, really. Thank you again."


    Irwin shook his head. "It''s fine. Please don''t thank me every time it comes up."


    "You have no idea how much it means to my people to get help like that," Rindiri said with a weary smile. "But fine, I''ll leave it at that."


    Irwin nodded gratefully. He''d had about enough of the vocal gratitude.


    "And your own soulforce?" he asked, pointing at her hair. "Did any return?"


    "No," Rindiri said. "Whoever killed my children drained them of all the energy."


    Irwin waited for a bit before continuing. "Do you know of anything that could do this?"


    "None that made it off our world before it shattered. There used to be some horrible monsters, but we had mostly wiped those out before¡­" Rindiri sighed, shaking her head. "Well, before we were wiped out."


    Irwin grimaced, but Rindiri shook her head again, more violently this time.


    "Don''t worry. I wasn''t there and only know the pain through my mother. Anyway, when we get anywhere near my children, I''ll warn you."


    "Do that. We will try and save them," Irwin said, crossing his arms before his chest.


    Rindiri smiled gratefully before looking away into the distance.


    "There might be one in or very close to Sesnanser. The others are¡­ very far away."


    "Far enough to be past the blockade?" Irwin asked.


    "Maybe. It''s hard to say," Rindiri said.


    Irwin stayed with Rinridir until Greldo and Zender were done practicing before heading back into the cabin and then his room. He had managed to dodge the sweaty boy''s questions and sat down on his bed.


    Technically, he should be sleeping now, but besides not being tired, he also felt agitated. He wanted to do something. After hesitating for a bit, he got back up and sat at the table, pulling out his cards and booklet.


    He opened it on the last page, which showed a short list of ideas for cards he thought might work well with those he had now.


    > Anything that increases sensitivity or sensitivity control


    > Something that lets me condense soulforce


    > Perhaps something to increase my soullake or its regeneration


    > At least one dash ability like Scintila''s


    > ... something to regain an active metal shape change ability?


    Staring at the page, he hummed, rustling with his pen through his beard.


    "Do you think I could change or increase my Firesteel Elemental Vaelite Heart?" he asked, thinking about his current soulskill. "Maybe turn it into something better than Firesteel?"


    Ambraz rustled out of his pocket and landed on the table.


    "No. As far as I know, it''s impossible to change a soulcard," Ambraz said. "But you could think about making a card that adds to it. Perhaps a full armor summon. You have your hammer, which means you already have an affinity with it."


    Irwin thought about it for a bit, then sighed and wrote ''second soulcard'' above the current page, flipped to the next page, and wrote ''third soulcard'' on it. Then he added a short bit about a potential full armor summon by adding different summons together. After a second, he flipped back to the other page.


    "We don''t have any card that we could reforge to do anything like what I have here, right?" he asked, tapping the page with his pencil.


    "No," Ambraz said. "Kid¡­ you are trying to go too fast!"


    Irwin sighed, closed the book, and closed his eyes.


    "I am going to try again," he said.


    "I gathered," Ambraz snorted. "Fine, I''ll go and help. Again!"


    Irwin ignored Ambraz''s complaint and focused on the soft, barely audible sound of the ambient soulforce. Besides the sound, as he focused on it, he felt the resonance increase in clarity. Of all the places on the ship, none had as much soulforce as his room, and as he breathed in through his nose, exhaled from his mouth, he felt Ambraz start to resonate. A moment later, the Anvil began humming.


    Irwin continued breathing calmly, then opened his eyes. Pale purple ripples of soulforce expanded from Ambraz, flowing across the table in tandem with the soft tune and the humming.


    Being able to not just sense but also hear and see the soulforce had greatly improved his sensitivity to, and his understanding of it.


    He raised his hand and began humming the song of the Chaos Whales.


    Ever since he''d come up with the idea to create cards from ambient soulforce he had attempted touching the soulforce somehow. Gathering it without drawing it into his soulcard. Holding it in one place. Trying to manipulate it.


    Raising his voice into a soft, low song, he felt his soulcard begin to resonate. A moment later, he used his Kinetic energy to slowly vibrate his chest and throat, and his voice deepened even more.


    Loose objects in his room began rattling softly, but he barely noticed it as he focused on the soulforce.


    Move to my hand, he thought, trying to somehow exert his will on the soulforce.


    As every other time he''d attempted it, he felt the soulforce, but just like those times, nothing happened. It was as if he had put his finger on water. He could feel it was there, but moving it to the side just didn''t work as his hand passed through.


    It was so confusing! Added to his ability to see it, sense it with his soulcard, and hear it, it made the soulforce as real as anything physical. But no matter what he did, it wouldn''t move. It was as if it was completely immobile.


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    Even then, it was the only progress he had made. During his first attempts without singing or with random songs, he hadn''t even been able to touch it. Using the Chaos Whale song, he could touch the soulforce.


    If only I could understand the meaning of the song, he thought, not for the first time. Perhaps then he could break it up in parts and figure out if there was some way of manipulating the sounds to do what he had to.


    He continued for a good while, enjoying the simple sensation. Only when Ambraz stopped did Irwin know it was time to sleep. He let out a deep sigh and released his hold on his soulcard.


    "Do I even need to ask if there was progress?" Ambraz asked before yawning.


    "I need to figure out how to move it," Irwin said softly. "Touching it is step one. I just know it. Moving it is two and manipulating it three. Perhaps I can find more information on the Chaos Whales. Some way to find them again."


    "Good luck with that," Ambraz said as he flew to the bed and lay down beside the pillow.


    Irwin grinned and lay down on the bed. As unsuccessful as his attempt had been, he felt calm and happy.


    Closing his eyes, he decided he was going to try again tomorrow.


    Perhaps I should try with the Galadin music from those sheets, he thought as he drifted into sleep.


    --


    Three weeks later, and far beyond the narrow gap that had once led them to the massive landmass with Eluathar''s portal, they were finally closing in on the temperature increase that surrounded Sesnanser.


    The ship they had been towing was gone, left back at the Eluathar portal during a short stop to replenish their supplies and let everyone know they were alright.


    "The Roaming Shipyard, or what''s left of it, should be an hour from here," Rindiri said.


    She was looking out across the distant rocky wasteland, seeming calm and collected. Irwin knew better, though, as he saw her clenched fingers seeming to almost strangle the steering wheel.


    "One is either there or in Sesnanser," Rindiri said. "The others are still so far away that I can sense their general direction."


    "Alright, let''s go and see what''s left of that place," Irwin said. "Xi''kroak said it was crawling with Galubs when they were there."


    "That was over a year ago," Greldo called from the prow, where he was keeping an eye out for Galub raiders.


    Yeah¡­ which makes me wonder how anyone could still be alive there, Irwin thought.


    A short while later, he saw a distant shadow appear on the horizon.


    "Greldo?" he called.


    "It''s a mountain-range that goes along the right side of the gallery. I don''t see any movement, but there''s something on one of the mountains."


    They continued forward, and eventually, Irwin began making out the individual mountains.


    "I can see it now. Still no movement," Greldo called.


    "I''ll get ready, just in case," Irwin said, walking towards the prow. He summoned his hammer and began hopping on his toes, building up his internal Kinetic Energy.


    "If you get any heavier, you are going to bounce the ship up and down," Greldo said without looking.


    Irwin laughed softly, then focused on a smudge he saw on the side of one of the mountains. As they closed in, he began making out squashed-together ships. There was no sign of their sails, and many had massive holes in their sides. Some had dropped from the side of the mountain, and wood debris covered the foot. That which was left was easily the size of a town, and hundreds of things could be hiding within.


    After a moment''s hesitation, he triggered Incandescent Eyes. Tiny swirls of soulforce moved throughout the ruins, but nothing powerful.


    "There''s something there," Greldo said, leaning forward with narrow eyes.


    "What do you see?" Irwin asked, searching for any heat signatures or soulforce signatures but seeing nothing.


    "I saw a flickering movement near the top ship. It was there for only a moment, but¡­"


    They continued closer, slowing down as they did. Soon, Irwin could see the details of the ships, tied together with ragged-looking ropes and rusty chains. There was little that gave the idea of a habitable place, with what must have been the docks, a long stretch of wood between two of the larger ships, now covered in ship debris.


    "There''s definitely someone or something there," Greldo said. "I''m going to scout around."


    Irwin nodded, raising his hand. ¡°Rindiri, stop here.¡±


    The ship stopped, and Greldo moved into the nearest shadow before disappearing.


    Irwin put his hand on the railing, scanning the chaotic town-sized collection of crushed ships. He saw no sign of movement. Behind him, the Cabin door opened up, and a moment later, Zender stepped up beside him. Irwin took a quick look at the taller boy. His face had filled out, his skin a dark silver hue, and his hair was so dark purple from a distance it looked black. All in all, he looked both a few years older and healthier than he had before.


    He was also holding a long, rolled-up silver whip in one hand and a simple shortsword in the other.


    "Do you think there''s one of my siblings here, captain?" he whispered, wistfully looking at the ships.


    "I don''t know if there''s one here or-"


    A high-pitched scream came from the top area of the ruined Roaming Shipyard.


    For a moment, Irwin saw nothing as he searched for the origin of the sound, then a part of a ship''s wall burst outward. A familiar, pale shape crashed through the splinters and debris, then slammed into the roof of another ship''s cabin.


    "Nyzir," Irwin shouted as he readied himself. ¡°Zender, stay with Rindiri. Keep an eye on the shadows!"


    He focused on his soulcard, drawing in all the water he could and creating a thin cloud of steam all across the deck. It took only a few seconds before a sense of movement came from the entire cloud. He also saw a faint gleaming soulforce all throughout the steam but shoved his surprise at that away.


    He could feel Zender running to his mother, then turned back to the ruined ships. There was no sign of any other movement, but he knew that didn''t mean there weren''t dozens of Nyzir around.


    A second boom rattled the ruined ships, and he was just in time to see Coal hurl another Nyzir away before vanishing into the shadows.


    "Rindiri, I need a hand!"


    Irwin turned to the side, where Greldo stood in the shadow of a ship struggling with a purple-haired girl. A dozen small blueish-white shapes were climbing across him, biting into any exposed skin while the girl was scratching at Greldo''s face with long, razor-sharp pale-blue nails.


    What are those? Irwin thought, eyes wide.


    "Earila, stop attacking him!''


    Zender''s scream caused the struggling girl to freeze. Irwin saw her look up, purple eyes wide in panic as they searched and found Zender.


    "Zender?"


    "Let him help! He''s a friend!'' Zender shouted.


    "Earila, everything is fine now!" Rindiri shouted.


    Irwin saw the small creatures retreat from Greldo, who had dozens of bloody wounds across his hands, arms, and face. Irwin was about to sigh in relief when a shadowy moment appeared behind Greldo.


    "Look out!''


    Greldo and the girl vanished as a tall Nyzir slashed a gleaming blade through where they had stood. Irwin gripped his hammer, wanting to help but knowing throwing his hammer would never hit the thing.


    Coal appeared and bit at the shadowy Nyzir just as it vanished.


    "Irwin!"


    At the moment of the scream, Irwin sensed three beings appear inside his steam. He turned and ran before he even saw the three Nyzir attacking Zender. Rindiri had her hand raised, seeming ready to act.


    Knowing Greldo would have to help himself, he sprinted for the ladder, clambering up. Zender nimbly dashed to the side, then used his whip on one of the Nyzir. A startled scream came from the pale shadow walker as it ripped at the cord around its neck.


    Irwin reached the upper deck, and two of the Nyzir spotted him. They jumped back into the shadows and vanished from both his vision and his steamcloud senses. The remaining Nyzir ignored the whip and rushed at Zender, blade raised and ready to disembowel him.


    Zender''s eyes widened, but he moved fluidly, blocking the blade with his own, displaying a speed and agility that surprised Irwin.


    Then Irwin reached the Nyzir, and he grabbed the shoulder and the arm. Before the Nyzir could react, Irwin''s flame rippled out of his hands, engulfing the Nyzir. Zender gasped, and Irwin saw the whip release and pull back out of the flame.


    Right, the whip, he thought, grimacing and hoping Zender would be alright.


    The Nyzir let out a high-pitched scream that lasted only a few seconds before Irwin felt it go limp. He held it for a second longer before hurling it overboard. He stepped beside Zender, who was rubbing his left hand. Rindiri was still at the steering wheel,


    "Are you alright?"


    "I''m fine, just a bit of a sting in my hand," Zender said. "I think the tip of my whip got burned."


    "Sorry," Irwin said as he looked around.


    Something appeared on the lower deck, and Irwin spun around, his hammer appearing in his hand.


    Greldo and Coal stood there, looking around. A short, purple-haired girl stood beside them, wearing a thick, formless coat that was three sizes too large. Small mammals with blue fur and silver highlights sat on her shoulders or hung from the side of the coat, looking around with gleaming blue eyes. When she saw Zender and Rindiri, she ran forward.


    "Zender!''


    "There''s a dozen of those things in the shadows," Greldo shouted before vanishing. Coal looked around, then disappeared into the shadows after Greldo.


    Irwin gritted his teeth. "Rindiri, get us out of here," he said." Zender and¡­ Earila? Stay close to me!"


    The young girl looked at him with haunted eyes before turning back to Zender. The small creatures on her shoulders were looking around, as were those dangling from her coat.


    "Zender, how did you survive? What happened to your skin?" she whispered, only for Zender to completely ignore her questions.


    "Earila, how did you survive there? How did you even get to this place?" Zender asked, examining her, going as far as gently stroking her cheek, which caused Earila to take a step back and frown. She glanced behind him at where Rindiri was standing behind the wheel.


    Irwin felt something appear on the prow, and a moment later, a massive boom came as Greldo appeared, holding a Nyzir before slashing his shortsword straight through its chest. Greldo vanished, and the taller Nyzir appeared where he was, a gleaming blade slashing through the air, only for Coal to appear and barely miss the Nyzir who vanished.


    Then flashes and appearances came in rapid succession as Greldo and Coal fought to catch the tall Nyzir, only to keep ending up short. Finally, after a minute, it stopped.


    Irwin watched with bated breath only to see Greldo reappear at the back of the ship, followed by Coal. They were staring at the quickly distancing Roaming Shipyard.


    "He ran," Greldo said, sounding annoyed. "That one was¡­ dangerous. He was faster than we were."


    Irwin frowned, feeling a slight worry at that. "Alright, keep an eye out. Have Coal check the ship to make sure none are hiding somewhere."


    Greldo nodded while Coal vanished. Irwin moved to Rindiri, who was constantly throwing glances at Earila.


    "I''ll take the wheel. Go and see if she is alright!"


    Rindiri didn''t hesitate and rushed to Zender and Earila.


    Irwin calmly watched while keeping an eye on the front. They were heading towards Sesnanser, but it would be hours before they reached it.


    "Earila, are you alright?" Rindiri asked, reaching out to touch Earila.


    "You left us," the girl said, taking a step back. "Why did you leave us?"

 Chapter 233: Blockade

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    Irwin and Greldo shared a pained look as they saw Earila glare at Rindiri. Her words hung in the air like an attack.


    Rindiri had frozen, then took a step back and watched her quietly. She was clearly thinking about how to respond, and when she began talking, it was slow.


    "There was no time to get anyone else," she said calmly. "If I had remained behind, I would have been killed with the others. But¡­ I am very sad about what happened."


    Earila''s sniffed. "Then why did you bring Zender?!"


    Rindiri smiled sadly. "Zender, Ibiri, Trin, and Brinni were already with me. I would have brought every one of you if I could have, but¡­"


    Earila took a step forward, eyes wide as she turned to Zender. "Trin and Brinni are alive?"


    Irwin saw Rindiri flinch, and he wondered if it was because Earila asked Zender instead of her or because she didn''t mention Ibiri.


    "They are," Zender said with a wide grin. "The Captain even gave them cards to extend their life! Even Brinni got an amethyst one with low energy! They won''t die in ten years but will have at least another ten. So, I''m going to find them more cards!"


    Irwin looked at Zender in surprise. He should have realized this was one of the boy''s goals. A quick look at Greldo showed no surprise.


    Earila''s eyes widened, and she looked at Irwin and then at Greldo.


    "Irwin is the Captain," Zender said, pointing at Irwin behind the wheel.


    Earila nodded slowly, examining Irwin, her gaze lingering on his hands and then going back to his eyes.


    "Soulcarded," she said, nodding slowly.


    "Earila, how did you get here?" Rindiri asked.


    Earila looked at her mother, her mouth opening. No words came out, and she looked at Zender, who nodded at her with a reassuring grin.


    "When the attack came, I was at Mission Square, trying to get a job," she said, looking at the deck. "Three Shipless ran to the harbor past me, and one called out for any sail cleaners that wanted to live to follow them. I moved without thinking, running after them together with¡­ together with¡­." tears fell from Earila''s eyes, slowly rolling down her cheeks as she looked at Zender.


    "Brais and Limor are dead," she whispered. "We followed the Shipless up, and together with a handful of others, we reached the harbor. The acting captain, some burly woman with short orange hair called Zira, had a change places skill and used it to move the remaining Galub on one of the raider''s ships to the middle of us. While the Shipless took care of it, Zira sailed the ship towards us and released ropes. Half of us managed to climb aboard before another Galub ship saw what we were doing and attacked us."


    Irwin saw that Earila''s eyes had zoned out, and she seemed to relive the moment.


    "Zira got us out of there, though we took a few heavy hits. Some black ball-lightning struck the front sail and ripped it apart. With half a ship, there was no way we could get past the blockade, so the Shipless decided to head for The Roaming Shipyard. We¡­ we managed to get there, but when we landed, we were swarmed by Nyzir."


    Earila fell quiet, more tears running down her face. Zender stepped closer, putting a hand on her shoulder and looking at her worriedly.


    "It''s fine. We''ve found you," he whispered.


    Earila wiped her face clean, then looked at him in a mixture of anger and pain. "I ran. Because of how small I was, I managed to squeeze through a tiny hole and hide in a small enough area that the Nyzir wouldn''t be able to appear. But¡­ Brais and Limor, they couldn''t fit¡­"


    Irwin grimaced, wondering how it must have been to see and hear all that happened.


    "The Nyzir killed everyone except for Zira. Then they were arguing and shouting. Finally, two tall Nyzir fought, and the one that won took twenty others and Zira and left on the ship. I¡­ waited for hours, then climbed back out. There was no sign of the Nyzir, but among the dozens of Nyzir and Shipless bodies¡­" she raised her left hand, staring at the three cards in it. "I found an emerald card! I don''t know if it was from a Nyzir or a Shipless but¡­"


    Earila shivered before glaring defensively at her mother.


    "I slotted it. I had to. I needed a way to survive!"


    "You did great, Earila," Rindiri said, smiling proudly. "You survived!"


    Earila blinked a look of surprise on her face. She turned to Zender, then back to Rindiri.


    "They helped me survive," she said, raising a hand and softly petting one of the tiny animals on her shoulders. "I didn''t think anyone would come¡­"


    Irwin sighed as he watched her wipe her face, tears streaming down again. Zender wrapped an arm around her, showing a surprising level of understanding as he just smiled and hugged his sister.


    "Zender," Irwin said, drawing the boy''s attention. "Bring your sister downstairs and get her some food. She can take the room beside yours or any other that is free."


    "I will, Captain!" Zender said, immediately starting to pull Earila away.


    Irwin saw Rindiri hesitate, then cross her arms and stay where she was. Nobody spoke until Zender and Earila disappeared down, then Rindiri took a deep, shuddering breath and turned to Irwin.


    "I don''t blame her for being angry¡­ I did what I could, but it was impossible to take care of them all," she said softly. "I managed to get most of them at least one card, which took all I had saved up, but I needed to focus on Ibiri. I had to! Our people have no world, and with most of the other species hating or fearing us, we needed to focus on the strongest to slowly rebuild what we''ve lost."


    Irwin didn''t say anything. He had no idea what to say and instead looked at her quietly. He felt a wave of relief that he''d never had to deal with anything like that.


    "Zender is a good boy. He was one of the few who kept in touch, found me for the odd jobs, and tried to create a bond."


    Rindiri shivered, then walked back to Irwin. "Captain, can I take the helm? I need to clear my head."


    "Of course," Irwin said as he stepped away.


    "I''ll never be able to have children again," Rindiri said as she gripped the helm. "If¡­ you could check Earila''s cards? See if they aren''t too powerful for her, and don''t eat away her life¡­"


    "I''ll check them," Irwin said.


    After some hesitation he put a hand on Rindiri''s shoulder. She jolted but didn''t draw back. "From all I have seen you do, you have taken better care of your children than some of the people of my world did with just a single one."


    Rindiri looked up, her wrinkles smoothing over softly as some stress seemed to fade from her.


    "Thank you."


    Irwin nodded, softly squeezed her shoulder, then turned and walked towards the cabin.


    "Greldo, can you keep an eye out just in case?"


    "You know I will," Greldo said.


    Irwin entered the cabin, closed the door, and slowly walked down the narrow staircase.


    I''ll need to gather cards for Scintilla and my kids.


    --


    A few hours later, Irwin was back on deck, staring into the distance. He saw nothing yet, but Greldo had, and he was now gone to scout Sesnanser.


    Zender came walking to him, his face tight.


    "How is she doing?" Irwin asked as the boy stood beside him, gripping the ship''s railing.


    "She''s sleeping in the cabin beside mine, her Faerit keeping watch on the door," Zender said, looking up in dismay. "She actually told me that nobody was to enter without knocking, or they might attack! Even me!"


    Irwin held back a grimace. "She''s young and needs time to work through what happened," he said. "Give her a few months to get used to us, to the ship."


    Zender didn''t respond.


    "At least her cards are good," Irwin said with a smile. "You''re going to have to keep training with Greldo if you want to keep ahead."


    A tight grin came to the boy''s face as he looked up. "Her third card is really incredible. She can switch places with any of her Faerit as long as she''s not pinned down."


    "Her third card isn''t bad," Irwin agreed. "But her second card, the emerald one is even better. According to Ambraz swarm summons are among the rarest of summons, which makes sense. I''ve never even seen one before."


    "It can become even better," Ambraz rumbled from his pocket. "There are cards to increase the number of summons or give them abilities to make them larger. Hers are special even without that as they are elementally attuned. Frozen Faerits has to be up there with your own first card."


    Irwin looked at his pocket in surprise. He''d known the card was good, but that good? "Really?"


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    "Definitely," Ambraz said. "It''s a shame she can''t handle more energy or reforging it to ruby would make it among the best of its type."


    "Can''t you make a card to allow her to use more energy?" Zender asked, sounding excited.


    I can''t make cards, Irwin thought. At least not yet. But he knew what Zender meant.


    "I don''t know," he said. "I don''t have any right now that could be reforged to do that, but we will see after we reach Granvox."


    "Don''t get your hopes up," Ambraz said. "There''s mostly metal, fire, and summon cards there. It''s the only ones my people really want."


    "What do they want them for?" Zender asked, sounding intrigued. "You can''t use cards, right?"


    "We can eat them," Ambraz said with a snort. "Those cards taste best to us."


    Irwin saw Zender''s horrified look, and he couldn''t hold back a soft laugh.


    "But that''s not why we have most of them," Ambraz continued. "They are for the prospective smiths that manage to reach our world."


    "They get free cards?" Zender asked, eyes glittering suddenly. "Do you think I can become a smith?"


    Irwin pursed his lips, already knowing what the answer would be.


    "Sorry kid, one of the things a cardsmith needs is a surplus of energy. You might be able to learn a bit, but even if you continue diligently, you would only become a quartz-rank smith in twenty or thirty years."


    Zender''s smile turned ugly, and he sighed, muttering something.


    "Don''t worry," Irwin said. "I''ll help you with cards in the future. What kind of captain would I be if I didn''t supply my crew with those?"


    Zender''s eyes snapped on him, and Irwin froze.


    "For all of your crew?" Zender asked, unblinking.


    "Err¡­. yes?" Irwin asked, not sure what Zender was aiming at.


    The boy looked at him for a long time before nodding and turning around.


    "Gotta check something," he shouted, running to the top deck where his mother was behind the helm.


    "What was that about?" Irwin whispered.


    "I could tell you, but it would just scare you," Ambraz said with a grin. "That being said, you did the right thing. Even if that kid wasn''t as useful as he was, he''s nice!"


    Irwin looked at his pocket in surprise. Ambraz never said anyone was nice.


    Then again, I never asked him, he thought.


    Almost an hour later, Greldo appeared in the shadow of the mast. His face was pale, and he had a long scratch on his cheek, blood slowly dribbling down.


    "What happened?" Irwin hissed as he stepped forward.


    His friend waved him away, wiping the blood from his cheek.


    "The entire place is a warzone. The Galubs and Nyzir have taken over most of the town, but the portal area is being fought over. I have no idea if this is just now or if it''s always like this, but while I was watching, a group of people swarmed out of the portal, and they managed to reach a large, heavily fortified building. The Nyzir tried to swarm in after them, but there were weird red lanterns around the door, and as soon as they came to close, they dropped out of the shadow world."


    "So they are still resisting the Galubs?" Irwin said, surprised.


    "Yeah, from what I could see, the people that came from the portal brought bags filled with food and supplies. A few got taken out by Galubs, but they gave as good as they got."


    "They must be trying to take the town back," Irwin muttered. "Did they look malnourished?"


    "The ones that came from the portal looked okay," Greldo said.


    "And that?" Irwin asked, pointing at his wound.


    "I was looking at the battle and didn''t notice one of those taller Nyzir sneak up on me," Greldo snorted. "Should have paid way more attention. If Coal hadn''t warned me, it might have taken my head off."


    As much as Greldo tried to make light of it, Irwin couldn''t help but feel worried.


    "Great, so now what do we do," he said, pressing his hands in his sides. "If they are there, the blockade must still be there too. Besides, do we try to help the people from Sesnanser?"


    "I wouldn''t know how," Greldo said. "I could probably get both of us over there, but this isn''t like those low-ranked Galubs and Imps we have been fighting against. There were dozens of four-horned Galubs everywhere and at least a few of the advanced Nyzir. Perhaps there are even more things that I haven''t seen¡­"


    "Do you think you could reach the barricade and scout it?" Irwin asked.


    Greldo shook his head. "I haven''t been there yet, so I''d need to see it. That''s why I can teleport over there," he said, waving forward. "I can barely see a few buildings, which is just enough to teleport to their shadows."


    "You can just blow through," Ambraz said as he rustled out of Irwin''s pocket and flew up his shoulder.


    "Say what now?" Greldo said. "What if there are dozens of ships, and who knows what''s there? We might get our sails ripped!"


    Irwin agreed with each of those words, but he knew Ambraz wasn''t one to take risks. If he thought there was a way¡­


    "What are you thinking about?" he asked.


    Ambraz grinned. "What would you two do without me?"


    "No idea," Greldo said, shaking his head with a big grin. "Now stop dangling your magic solution before us!"


    Ambraz''s metal lips cured up far wider than Irwin''s could. "What do you think would happen if Irwin here creates a massive cloud of steam around the ship? As dense and hot as he can. Now that he can see through it with his new cards-"


    "I can?" Irwin muttered though he was already getting where Ambraz was going with this.


    "-everyone can hide in the rooms while you remain in the shadows, which are now everywhere. If a ship enters the steam cloud, you can move through the shadows and slice their navigator in two!"


    Irwin shook his head, grinning madly as he looked at Greldo.


    "That''s not a bad plan," he said. "We would have to go fast, or I''ll lose too much energy, but even then, it''s a good plan."


    Greldo snorted. "It is, although you are forgetting one thing."


    Ambraz''s smile faltered while Irwin raised an eyebrow. "Which is?"


    "If you make that steam as hot as you can, what will happen to me if I appear to slice that navigator?"


    "Bah! What are some burns?" Ambraz said.


    "It''s even better," Irwin said. "I can sense them come into the steam, and when they are within range, I can just remove some of the steam from the navigator. As soon as you see him appear, strike."


    "There! That''s using your head," Ambraz said, flying around them actively. "Now, let''s go and get this plan started!"


    "Wait," Greldo said. "What about the people in Sesnanser?"


    Irwin and Ambraz turned quiet, and the three of them looked at each other.


    "After we crash through the barricade, the merchants that have a claim on Sesnanser will be able to send help," a voice called out from the helm.


    Irwin looked up to see Rindiri smirk at them. "Also. I think that''s a great idea as long as the captain is sure he can get enough steam and keep it around us long enough?"


    Irwin felt a lot better knowing that their crashing through would still help the people on Sesnanser. Although he didn''t really know them, he did know Galubs and Nyzir, and he didn''t like the idea of them hurting people.


    "As long as it doesn''t take hours, we will be fine," he said. "But I will need a place to restore my energy after that."


    "Then I''ll move to the furthest side of the Gallery, and we need to prepare," Rindiri said. "The distance from there to Sesnanser is big enough that none of their ships will be able to catch up even if they are already ready."


    Irwin took a deep breath, then looked at Greldo, noting the excitement that was building up in him was shared by his friend. They were finally going towards the populated area!


    They remained on deck as The Sonata flew along the side of the Gallery.


    Ten minutes later, Irwin and the others were staring at the distant port town, buildings destroyed and ransacked. There was movement everywhere, as Galubs seemed to be walking around, dragging stuff and tossing it over the edge to a growing pile far below the scorched trees. The left side of the town looked to be in a better state.


    "They are rebuilding it," Greldo muttered.


    Irwin nodded, but he focused on the seven ships he saw at the side of the town. The docks were mostly destroyed, with a single pier still viable for docking. Three ships were moored there while four hovered to the side.


    "How many do you see?" he asked, staring at the ships. He counted only one heat signature, but with his Incandescent Eyes active, he saw a few ripples from behind one of the sails.


    "I only see two on each ship," Greldo replied. "The others could be inside¡­"


    A loud trumpet blared from the town, and Irwin saw distant specks stop what they were doing.


    They were moving fast, and as they closed in, he began picking up more and more heat signatures running for the docks. One of the ships was turning slowly, and a dozen figures ran up the deck. The others moved towards the dock.


    "Only one with a crew," Greldo said. "I almost want to take them out!"


    "Let''s just get past them first," Irwin said. "If they get close enough, I''ll hammer them."


    They continued forward, the barrier only thirty feet to their side. Zender was rushing across the sails, wiping them as fast as he could to get every tiny bit of speed out of them.


    It quickly became clear that Rindiri had been right. When they were alongside the distant town, the nearest ship was still so far Irwin could perhaps throw a hammer at it, but the chances of hitting it would be small.


    Perhaps I need to find out if there are cards that let me automatically hit things I can see, Irwin thought.


    Half an hour later, they were speeding away from Sesnanser, chased closely by a ship and with a half dozen tiny specks far in the distance.


    "They are likely going to chase us till the blockade," Rindiri said.


    Irwin, who stood at the back railing, grinned. "Well, too bad for them. How long till we reach the blockade?"


    "If they picked the narrowest spot, which is what I would have done, it would be another few hours," Rindiri said.


    Irwin took a final look at the ship chasing them before looking up at the sail. With his new, slightly larger posture, the ease with which Zender clung to the flat surface was made even more impressive.


    "If you see them close-in, shout a warning!"


    "Yes, Captain!''


    As Irwin headed to the front of the ship, he saw Earila standing near the door. She was wearing a smaller coat, one that Irwin had seen Zender wear. It made her look even smaller than she already was. Two of her Faerit sat on her shoulders while the other five were sitting or standing nearby, looking around constantly.


    "Captain¡­"


    Irwin looked at her and raised his eyebrows. "Yes, Earila?" he asked.


    "Can I help?"


    Irwin was about to say it was fine when he saw her fidget nervously. Suddenly, he recalled the previous conversation with Zender and the boy''s quick departure. Was she there because she wanted to join The Sonata? It made sense¡­ besides, what else could they do? He wasn''t going to drop her in some random world all alone.


    "Can you clean sails?" he asked, looking at her expectantly.


    Earila shook her head. "I used to climb below the ship to clean away funghi and other dangerous things," she said, raising her hands and causing pale blue claws to appear on her fingers.


    Irwin raised his eyebrows, trying to come up with an idea. Then he thought of something else. He turned to Rindiri, who he saw was observing them closely.


    "Can you put her to work?"


    "Definitely!" Rindiri said, nodding at him gratefully.


    Irwin looked at Earila, who was frowning.


    "Go to Rindiri. She will have something for you to do," he said.


    From her slight glare, he almost expected her to reject, but she took a slight breath and nodded.


    "Yes, Captain," she said.


    Then she walked past him, the tiny Faerit following close behind.


    Irwin followed her with a raised eyebrow before walking to the prow, where Greldo said.


    "So¡­ we picked up another one?" his friend whispered with a wide grin. "We are going to need to get a bigger ship if you are also planning to pick up your own kids."


    Irwin snorted and elbowed Greldo, who let out a fake cry of pain.


    "Instead of making fun of me, why don''t you tell me what your plans for the future are?" Irwin asked. "Get rich, return to New Malorin, and build a castle?"


    "No way," Greldo said. "I have no idea what I''ll do. Stay with you while you craft your way through the Portal Gallery and reap juicy rewards. Help figure out who is hunting us and kill them. After that? Well, with the cards I have now, and hopefully my future soulcards, I''ll live for centuries. I think I''ll focus on cards to resist the cold and continue exploring the Portal Gallery."


    Irwin had meant it as a joke, but Greldo''s quick response showed that his friend had thought about it. Besides the fact that he wondered how easy it would be to actually find those hunting the Galadins, he couldn''t imagine sailing the Portal Gallery for centuries. He looked at Greldo, wondering if he really would do that.


    He leaned on the railing, pondering what he would do. After a minute, he shoved the thoughts away. It was too far in the future to worry about it now. First, he had to get them past that blockade. After that, they had a half-year journey to reach Granvox.


    They stood side by side for what felt like only a short time when Greldo hissed.


    "Okay¡­ that''s a pretty big blockade!"


    Irwin didn''t even bother trying to see anything.


    "What''s there?"


    "Over fifty ships and what looks like a tiny fort being built in the gap. I think most of those ships are just hanging there, but they are effectively blocking the entire passage!"


    Irwin felt his mood dampen when an idea came to him.


    "Well, that''s too bad for them," he said, his smile widening evilly.


    "And why is that?" Greldo asked.


    "Because that means this hairy guy I know can teleport over there and set them all on course to ram that fort," Irwin said, glancing at Greldo.


    "Really? That must be some awesome guy," Greldo said as he cracked his neck.


    "Definitely! The best," Irwin said.


    Greldo laughed softly. "Start gathering that steam. I''m going to have some fun!"

 Chapter 234: The Rubys Revenge

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    Irwin stood at the prow, steam roiling behind him and fanning out. It was already covering the back of the ship, and with every second, it spread out further and further.


    Ahead of him, a wall of ships was closing in. Some were leaning against each other, looking more like flying wrecks than ships capable of crossing the Portal Gallery. Others stood a few dozen feet apart. They were aligned bow to stern, three or four enough to block the corridor in the width, depending on the ship''s size. Eight uneven rows stacked together left only a few small openings, none large enough for a ship to pass through.


    Although many of the sails were broken, enough remained workable to create a constant thin ripple of soulforce to expand from them.


    A hundred feet before the makeshift flying wall stood a small fort of wood made from broken ships. Hundreds of tiny heat signatures were milling about while ripples of soulforce told Irwin they were actively using skills. A single, sturdy-looking tower was built in the center, reminding him of the town Doomblade had built. Four ships hung near it while a few more hovered a few feet above the ground.


    "If a surge of Addled makes their way here, they are going to get wiped out," Rindiri shouted.


    In the center of the blockade, one of the ships suddenly jerked forward, picking up a little speed and angling sideways. It made a sharp turn, and Irwin saw a familiar figure stand on the upper deck. Although he couldn''t see it, he figured Greldo was laughing as he pointed the ship toward the wooden fort below. As soon as the ship was heading almost straight down, Greldo''s figure vanished, and Irwin quickly found him on another ship.


    Time to get going, he thought as he turned and ran up the ladder to the upper deck.


    "Hide inside," he said as he took over the wheel. "Stay together with Zender and Earila. I don''t think any Nyzir are going to make it inside, but you never know."


    "I''ll be fine," Rindiri said, running to the ladder. When she reached the end, she looked back at Irwin. "Be careful out here, Captain."


    "I will," Irwin said.


    Rindiri nodded, then dropped along the ladder and sprinted to the cabin, disappearing inside.


    Alone on the deck, Irwin forced his soulcard to work overtime. A faint mist spread out ahead and around him while the thicker steam was trailing behind them like a massive plume. It cost a lot of energy to move it forward and around the ship, but he had plenty. Within ten seconds, the ship was surrounded by a thick steam that felt pleasantly warm against his skin. The mist further out was rapidly compressing together, turning into more steam, and the sounds that had been coming from the fort turned muted.


    A loud crash came from the fort, followed by muted screams of anger and panic.


    That''s the one, Irwin thought as he stared ahead.


    The world had turned into a deep white, with a swarm of tiny heat signatures where the fort was and faint waves of soulforce from the barrier. The hole where Greldo had moved three ships out of the center was like a target in the middle, while a fourth ship was moving away. A second crash came as another ship slammed into the fort.


    Seconds turned to a minute, then two, as he closed in on the barrier and another ship crashed down. When the steam covered over half of the width and height of the corridor, he stopped pulling in more, focusing only on increasing its density and heat. A quick check of his soulforce told him he could keep this up for half an hour, longer if he didn''t have to move.


    His sight of the wooden fort was blocked as he flew over it.


    So, if any are going to try and move, they will do it now, he thought.


    He had barely thought of it as he sensed a ship sail into the steam from below. A split second later, muffled screams of pain came from below. The ship instantly angled to the side and back down, and moments later, it vanished from his vision.


    "Guess they didn''t like the heat," Irwin said, grinning at the hole in the barrier.


    Another ship was moving away, but unlike the others, it was just going straight, crashing into the one beside it, shoving it away. Greldo''s heat signatures vanished, then reappeared on another ship, but before he could move it, Irwin saw two more heat signatures appear next to him.


    The Nyzir had arrived.


    Heat signatures began appearing and disappearing, Coal''s much larger and hotter one standing out among the others, and it took a while before Greldo managed to get the ship moving. As it slowly flew forward, shoving against another and pushing it sideways, enlarging the hole, Irwin knew what he would have to do. He was now only a hundred feet from the barrier and closing in fast. The steam wrapped around the ships, and he sensed their slight movements.


    "It''s wide enough, but we might clip the top," Irwin shouted.


    "Captain, use the keel," Rindiri shouted from the cabin. "We can repair that and the hull later, but if we damage the sails or the mast, we are in trouble."


    Irwin knew she was right and angled the ship down. He stopped moving the steam, causing The Sonata, which had previously been moving along with it, nearly invisible, to pop up clear as day. Now, with a near-perfect sense of The Sonata and the hole, he knew they were going to smash into the mast of one of the other ships. Still, it would give him plenty of room above.


    "Hold on!" he shouted. "Greldo, get over here!''


    Something appeared in the steam next to him, followed by a scream of pain that rattled his eardrums as something thudded on the deck behind him. It vanished a moment later.


    "Greldo, there''s Nyzir on the deck," Irwin shouted just as the keel of The Sonata struck the mast. A tremor ran through the ship, and he heard dangerous cracking and snapping noises.


    Irwin clenched his teeth, hoping they wouldn''t get any large holes. If they did, the ship''s ability to hold heat inside would be crippled, to the point that they might have to repair it before they could even cross any of the cold areas between portals.


    The Sonata began jerking sideways as it seemed to get snagged on something, and Irwin struggled with the helm to keep it going straight. For a second, he feared they were going to be stuck, then a ripping sound came, and they shot forward through the hole.


    With a massive grin, Irwin pulled on the steam to keep them covered in it as they shot out into the wider corridor that would lead them to head to the main branches, Granvox and Igniz.


    He continued sailing away from the barricade for ten minutes, spreading a thin layer of steam outwards to make sure they wouldn''t crash into the ground or barriers. When they were far enough, he began pulling in the steam, releasing most of it until only the ship was covered.


    "Greldo, get ready," he said. Then he spread the steam outward, reading himself to pull it back in if Nyzir began popping up everywhere.


    The whiteness around him disappeared, and the deck of The Sonata reappeared, glistening wet with trickles of steam rising up.


    Greldo appeared beside him.


    "We did it!" he shouted, grinning at Irwin. "You should have seen those ships crash into that fort!"


    "No Nyzir?" Irwin said, unable to hold back his own smile.


    "It''s clear. You can drop the steam," Greldo said as he looked around at the walls of pale steam that surrounded the deck.


    Irwin relaxed, releasing his control of the stream, which immediately stopped following them while starting to thin rapidly. They shot out of the steam into the bright world of the Portal Gallery. The energy barriers were angling away from them towards the mile-wide stretch, which would lead to a few branches that spread out in different directions from the main branch. The rightmost one would lead to Fiverion, but they weren''t going to be heading in that direction.


    Far in the distance, a single, sleek, dark-red ship hung in the center of the corridor. With gleaming black sails, it looked fast, deadly, and unlike any of the ships Irwin had seen so far.


    "Damn," he hissed, causing Greldo to turn and look in the direction he was.


    "Okay¡­ that ship is twice as long as ours, and I can see a dozen silver-eyed people on deck, well-armed and staring right at us," Greldo said. "Oh¡­ and two of them are looking straight at me, so they can see us as well as we can see them."


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    "Rindiri!" Irwin shouted.


    There was a rustle from the cabin as the doors were shoved open, and the older Yuurindi sprinted out. She looked up, then turned towards Irwin''s pointed finger.


    "Currant Hunters¡­" Rindiri hissed, turning around and sprinting to the ladder, then to Irwin. "Let me take the helm!"


    Irwin jumped sideways, looking back. The steam had vanished, and the breached barricade in the distance stood out like a mess of tangled wood. Four ships were speeding after them, while another was flying through the hole. A few more were visible behind the hole, seeming ready to come as soon as they could.


    "Are they enemies?" he asked, turning back to see that the ship had begun moving, turning its side towards them.


    "They are mercenaries that work for the highest bidder," Rindiri said as she began moving the ship to the side and up, then back forward. A few seconds later, she did the same thing. It didn''t seem like any sort of evasive maneuver.


    "What are you doing?" Irwin asked.


    "I used to sail with a captain that had served aboard a Currant Hunter, and he shared a few things," she said.


    "One of those guys that can see me is making weird gestures with his hands," Greldo shouted.


    "Describe them!'' Rindiri said.


    "Hand up with the palm up, then on its flat. Now he''s waving it like the tail of a fish?"


    Irwin saw Rindiri''s eyes narrow.


    "Raise your hand, palm up, then flip it with the palm down and lower it a hand length!"


    Greldo did as she said, though Irwin could see the confusion in his friend''s eyes.


    "They did the same symbol, and¡­ he is making two fists and knocking them together! That looked pretty aggressive."


    "Sacumira''s Verdict. They are ordering us to turn around behind them and join in destroying the incoming Galubs," Rindiri hissed, turning to Irwin. "Captain¡­ if we don''t do as they say, they can destroy us before we can get a hundred feet further."


    Irwin clenched his fists, looking back at the seven Galub ships chasing after them. "There are seven of them! If we do this we are going to take a lot of damage," he grunted. "Are you sure we can''t evade them?"


    "Impossible," Rindiri said, looking at him. "Worse, if we did succeed, they would put out a bounty on us, and all of the Currant Hunters we cross paths with will attack."


    "And fight them?" Irwin asked quietly. He didn''t really want to, but perhaps he wasn''t going to have a choice.


    "Every Currant Hunter has a three soulcarded or higher captain and a one or higher soulcarded First Mate," Rindiri said with a grimace. "As strong as you are, your specialty isn''t ship battle. Theirs is. They would destroy us."


    Irwin took a deep breath, then released it explosive. "Fine! Do as they say."


    "Greldo, copy his movement. Both fists together and look him in the eye. If he nods, nod back!" Rindiri quickly ordered.


    Irwin watched Greldo do as she said. A moment later, Greldo looked back at them.


    "That red-eyed one nodded, and now the crew is running around¡­ raising two more sails!"


    Irwin saw what he meant, surprised to see two long, narrow sails be pulled from the prow along the side of the ship. Two horizontal masts jutted out of the sides of the ships, then angled up. A moment later, the ship began speeding up.


    "Hold on!'' Rindiri shouted.


    The Sonata turned left while, at the same time, it began rolling to the right until the deck was almost vertical. Irwin was holding the railing, barely able to hold his feet on the deck as Rindiri pulled The Sonata in a tight curve. As fast as they were moving, the Currant Hunter shot forward, closing in so fast that it passed them before The Sonata managed to complete the turn. When Rindiri finally turned the deck back as it should be, the Currant Hunter was moving to the left of the barrier, already two hundred feet ahead of them.


    "How fast are they?" Irwin muttered.


    "Currant Hunters are among the fastest privately-owned ships on the Langost Branch," Rindiri said. "Anything faster belongs to one of the City Enforcer squadrons."


    Irwin looked at her in surprise. He''d never heard of any of the things she was talking about.


    "So, what exactly do they want us to do?" Greldo asked as he walked up beside them.


    "They are going to hit them first, from the left, and they want us to come in and intercept any of the ships trying to get them from above," Rindiri said before turning to Irwin. "Do you have enough energy to cover us with steam, leaving a pocket for me and still throwing your hammer?"


    Irwin sensed his remaining soulforce and nodded. He had only used a fifth at most, and although the ambient soulforce here was barely existent, it was there, so he was very slowly recovering energy.


    He focused on the water vapor in the air and began drawing in the mist around the ship.


    "Greldo, don''t go anywhere near their ship, and only attack the Galub ships we are engaging," Rindiri said as she looked ahead. "Otherwise, you might get caught up in-"


    Her words were cut off by a dull-red beam of solid light that burst from the Currant Hunter with a deafening boom. The Currant Hunter was pushed a few feet back right as the beam struck one of the incoming Galubs vessels. It snapped the mast in half, causing the sail to fold and tumble to the deck. The ship immediately began sinking down, while Irwin saw heat signatures vanish from the deck.


    "What was that," Greldo whispered.


    "A combined soulcarded beam attack," Ambraz hissed from Irwin''s pocket. "These guys can''t be messed with! If that hits us, even Irwin is going to be in trouble!"


    Irwin swallowed, very relieved they hadn''t tried to do something like attack or run.


    The six remaining Galub ships were spreading out, two continuing towards The Sonata, while the others began spreading out, trying to enclose the Currant Hunter.


    Irwin noticed six heat signatures surrounded by dense soulforce shooting from the Currant Hunter towards the nearest Galub vessel.


    "They are attacking them," he said.


    "Two of those guys look like you," Greldo said, wide-eyed. "They are wider and thicker, almost like metal elementals wrapped in armor. There''s also a Kraniox among them."


    Irwin felt his mood take a nosedive as he recalled the bare-chested, horned beings with white facemasks. The last time he''d seen them was when some had come to try and abduct him back on Scour.


    The Deadpact Mercenaries, he thought, hoping those had nothing to do with this.


    The two Galub ships were almost on them, and he angrily forced the steam around them to ripple into a dense cloud, compressing it so thick that a shadow covered the deck.


    "Greldo, tell the others to make no reference that I''m a smith," he said, turning to Rindiri. "That goes for all of us. I''m back to being Captain Irwin. Ambraz, stay hidden until these guys are gone."


    Greldo nodded and vanished while Irwin turned and ran to the front of the ship.


    He knew that holding the steam and throwing his hammer with kinetic energy while rippled in flame would cost him far more energy, meaning he didn''t have a lot of attacks.


    "Greldo, as soon as you are back, prepare to take care of any Nyzir that show up," he shouted.


    Then, he made a throwing motion aimed at the incoming cluster of heat signatures and soulforce ripples. At the last moment, he summoned his hammer, propelling it forward with kinetic energy while wrapping it in fire. The pale steam was suddenly illuminated in bright orange as a mass of fire hurled away from the ship through the steam, leaving a narrow corridor behind that rapidly closed.


    Irwin felt a massive dip in his energy from using all of his soulcards abilities together, but when a dull boom came from ahead, and he saw multiple heat signatures hurled away, he knew it had been worth it.


    As he readied another hammer for the second ship, something appeared in the thin steam around him, and he jumped sideways. A gleaming blade flashed past him while a tall Nyzir dropped to the deck. It was only briefly surprised, then dropped down and slashed out so fast Irwin barely managed to summon a hammer, blocking the strike. A dull clang came, and then Coal jumped out of the shadows, biting at the Nyzir, only just missing it.


    As they both vanished, Greldo reappeared. "Deal with the ships. I''ll handle the Nyzir!" he shouted before vanishing again.


    Irwin took a quick look around, then forced himself to focus on the ships. From the remaining heat signatures and the soulforce ripples, he saw that the one he''d hit was drifting off to the side. The other one was angling around them.


    "Captain, what are the other ships doing? Do we need to intercept anything?"


    Irwin cursed. He''d forgotten that Rindiri couldn''t see anything, and holding back on throwing his hammer, he looked around.


    Two Nyzir appeared a few feet from him, dashing across the deck, while Coal appeared behind them, snapping at them with his massive jaws. Before the Nyzir could dodge, Greldo appeared from the side and decapitated one before the remaining Nyzir disappeared. Greldo and Coal vanished after it, leaving a twitching Nyzir body a few feet from Irwin.


    Irwin looked back up and searched for The Currant Hunter. He saw it immediately, a blazing mass of heat and soulforce, sailing between two of the Galub ships. Of the five, two were already gone, and a third was sinking rapidly.


    "I''m not sure they really need our help," Irwin shouted with a frown. "They have taken out three and are about to get rid of another one."


    Why did they require our help if they can just clear out ships like rats? he thought. Was it just so that they wouldn''t leave? And why, if they were this strong, hadn''t they just blasted the barricade?


    Questions for later, Irwin knew, as he focused on the ship nearby. He hurled his hammer, and just like the first time, there was a loud, rattling boom followed by heat signatures tossed away. As the ship began sinking rapidly, Irwin looked around to see that the Currant Hunter had dispatched one more ship while the final one was making a run for the barricade.


    "I''m dropping the mist," he shouted.


    Greldo appeared mid-air a dozen feet away. "Alright!" he shouted, vanishing before he hit the ground again.


    Irwin released his control over the steam, and a moment later, and for the second time that day, they flew back into the bright light of the corridor.


    Far ahead and to the side, the Currant Hunter was following the final Galub ship while the others either crashed into the ground below or were in the process of it. Small shapes were running towards the barricade, showing at least some of the Galubs had survived.


    A beam of red lit up the corridor as the final Galub ship was destroyed before even getting close to returning to the barricade. Before the debris could even fall, the Currant Hunter took a sharp turn back to them.


    Irwin walked towards Rindiri, wondering what Greldo was doing.


    "It didn''t look like they needed our help," Irwin said softly.


    Rindiri shook her head slowly. "I don''t believe they did¡­ You should prepare for a lot of questions. Also¡­ its possible they are going to offer you to join the Currant Hunter initiation class. If they do, make sure to decline them as nicely as you can."


    Irwin grimaced as he saw four figures fly ahead of the Currant Hunter, moving at three or four times the ship''s speed.


    "Greldo," he whispered.


    A thud came from beside him as his friend appeared. "That tall Nyzir is being annoying and flitting around the ship. We are trying to capture it, but-"


    "Later," Irwin hissed just as four figures appeared above their deck, staring down.


    He immediately saw what Greldo had said before. Two of them were hulking, coppery-colored elementals with dark, nearly black metallic hair and silver eyes. It wouldn''t surprise him if people thought he and they were of the same species.


    A Kraniox hung beside them, while in their center stood a humanoid of a species Irwin hadn''t seen before. With ears that ended in sharp-looking edges and a smiling, tooth-filled mouth, it gazed at Irwin with bloodred eyes.


    "Two Loydin and a Kraniox. The leader is an Emnonriz," Rindiri whispered.


    "Indeed I am," the red-eyed humanoid said in a loud, boisterous voice. "I''m first-mate Zirt of The Ruby''s Revenge, requesting permission to come aboard, Captain¡­"


    Odd name for a ship, Irwin thought.


    "Irwin. Permission granted," he said while trying to ignore the elemental''s piercing gazes. He had the strong feeling this was going to be a bad talk.

 Chapter 235: Emotional damage

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    The four figures landed on the deck while he walked forward. They looked like him, and he saw that the Loydin towered over even the Kraniox, one of the two at least a head taller than him and probably twice as heavy. He immediately saw the differences beyond their bulk. The Loydin didn''t have the thin, red lines that crossed his own skin like a faint, barely visible tattoo network. Those had luckily faded so much that they were hard to see on his skin, but if one looked closely or knew what to look for¡­


    "Stop staring," the tall Loydin growled. His voice was a deep, toneless base, close to an angry growl.


    Irwin''s eyes narrowed as he felt a sudden annoyance. The Loydin had been doing nothing but look at him since they arrived, and now he had the gall to tell him to stop staring? Something about the Loydin was making his blood boil, and it took him a moment to sense that even his soulcard was resonating oddly.


    "Now, now. Don''t go and aggravate Captain Irwin," Zirt said happily, looking to the side. "Perhaps he''s not seen another Loydin in a very long time?"


    "He''s not a Loydin," the Loydin snapped.


    "I''m not a Loydin," Irwin said at the same time.


    He and the Loydin looked at each other for a few more moments, and it took Irwin a lot of effort not to scowl. Finally, he ripped his gaze away and focused on Zirt, who was quietly watching, seemingly interested in how things would play out.


    "Why didn''t you destroy that blockade earlier?" Irwin asked, staring at the First Mate, raising an eyebrow.


    Zirt''s red eyes flashed, and his teeth blinked dangerously.


    "Usually, I would answer this with a ''that''s none of your damn business'', but seeing as you seem to have at least someone that knows what''s happening-" he glanced pointedly at Rindir. "-I''ll humor you. We arrived a few weeks ago and have been trying to figure out what is beyond the blockade. There were rumors of five-horned Galubs, and I hope I don''t have to tell you that dealing with a few of those is a pain in the ass."


    Irwin was about to ask why they hadn''t arrived sooner when Zirt shook his head.


    "Enough. I''m not here to answer your questions. I''m here so you can answer ours," he said, placing a hand on the long, dark sword resting on his leg. "Who are you, and what is happening on the other side of that blockade."


    Irwin frowned, not sure what he should say. Luckily, before he could even worry about an answer, Rindiri spoke up.


    "He is Captain Irwin of The Sonata," she said calmly.


    Zirt looked at her, raising an immaculate black eyebrow. "And you are¡­.?"


    "Rindiri, The Sonata''s first mate," Rindiri responded curtly.


    Zirt was quiet, then laughed softly. "The day I''d meet a Yuurindi first mate. The Captain is never going to believe this¡­ Here we went and believed that little weasel Scander was the only one who managed to weasel his way into a position above his stature!"


    Zirt''s eyes gleamed as he stared at Rindiri, and Irwin noticed her face turn rigid. It only lasted for a moment before she smiled at Zirt. There was no joy in it, however.


    As he watched the strained interaction, Irwin felt his simmering anger fade rapidly, and as it did, he knew nothing of what was happening was normal. Zirt, or one of the others, had to have some weird card, and it must be almost as powerful as his if it was able to influence him.


    Probably Zirt because it weakened as his attention was on Rindiri, he thought.


    "Captain, I can provide the First Mate here with the information he needs," Rindiri said. "That way, you can focus on that elusive Nyzir."


    There was a surprised grunt from the Kraniox, and he stepped back, two long, curved blades appearing in his hands.


    Irwin barely resisted summoning his hammer and instead turned to Greldo, who had been standing to the side, showing no emotion.


    "It''s been hiding near the top of the mast," Greldo said, pointing up. "Coal is hovering close by, so if it tries anything, it will chase him again."


    "You have left a living Nyzir?" Zirt asked, his voice filled with venom as he glared up.


    "It''s one of those tall ones with longer blades," Greldo said. "Fast demons."


    Zirt snorted, and his eyes burned a bright red. "I see him. One of those mutations that sometimes show up."


    Then he looked at Greldo. "That hound is your summon?"


    "Yes," Greldo said.


    "Fine. I''m not interested in sitting here with some annoying little menace above us. Chase it over here, and I''ll take care of it."


    Irwin felt a tiny tension build in his gut, and it took him all his effort to squash it.


    He''s doing something, he thought as he looked away from Zirt, though keeping an eye on the three hulking brutes. Greldo was looking at him with a raised eyebrow, waiting for his call.


    "Do it," Irwin said.


    Greldo vanished, and Irwin saw Zirt''s eyes narrow as he followed something up so fast his head looked like a blur. Two seconds later, his eyes shot open, and he raised his hands as a dull red glow came from his hands. Soulforce rippled from his hands, dense and powerful.


    He has at least one soulcard, probably more!''


    Irwin almost jolted as Ambraz''s voice came from his soulscape. The Anvil hadn''t used the ability since they had first discovered it, and he had almost forgotten it was there.


    ''His cards are partially hidden, which is never a good sign. I only managed a tiny look because he used a lot of power just now. It''s either due to a mutation or a type, but I can guarantee they are blood and perhaps¡­ emotion-related. Be really careful with your emotions, and don''t do anything excessive!''


    Irwin narrowed his eyes as he looked at Zirt. So he was right. Zirt was doing something before.


    Zirt''s hands began glowing brighter as his eyes followed something that moved around the sail before suddenly dropping into a lower stance.


    "There," he said, his grin turning oily.


    A tall Nyzir stumbled out of the shadows, face filled with surprise, followed by Greldo, who tripped and slammed into the Nyzir. They both fell over, slamming on the deck.


    As surprised as he was, Irwin jumped forward and grabbed the Nyzir before Zirt or anyone else could. Wrapping his hand around its neck, he grabbed the wrist that held the sword and squeezed explosively.


    There was a cracking and crumbling sound, followed instantly by a tormented scream. Irwin struck the Nyzir on the jaw. The scream stopped while the jaw shattered with a crack, and the Nyzir crumbled in his hands.


    "Right, so that shows what you focused on," Zirt said with a derisive snort. "Just another brute."


    Irwin didn''t bother complaining. Instead, he snapped the Nyzir''s neck, waited a few moments to see if a card would drop, which it didn''t, then hurled the body thirty-plus feet over the deck, over the railing, and away from the ship.


    Zirt was shaking his head, then crossed his arms.


    "So, now that this is done. Who are you, and how¡­"


    Irwin ignored Zirt and turned to Rindiri with a forced smile. "Can you take care of this? I still need to talk with Greldo about a few things."


    Rindiri''s eyes gleamed, and she nodded, both of them ignoring Zirt''s sudden sharp intake of air.


    Irwin headed towards the cabin door, beckoning Greldo with him.


    "Just because you are a Captain doesn''t mean you are-" Zirt began from behind him.


    Irwin felt a massive anger bubble in his gut, and he quickly closed the door behind him, shutting out Zirt''s words. Almost immediately, the anger in his stomach unwound, leaving him feeling sickened.


    "Are you sure that was smart?" Greldo whispered, his voice so soft Irwin barely caught it.


    "No," Irwin whispered, even softer. "But Rindiri looks like she knows what she is doing, and he was doing something with my emotions."


    "He what!?" Greldo asked, eyebrows shooting up.


    "You didn''t feel anything?" Irwin asked, slightly surprised.


    Greldo seemed to think, then he shook his head. "No more than normal."


    ''Perhaps he can only use it on one person at a time. Still, be careful. Either your emotional resistance is low, or his card is very powerful. Either way, I can sense him. If they do anything dangerous, I''ll warn you right away,'' Ambraz said.


    Irwin thankfully patted his pocket, focusing on Greldo.


    "I''ll tell you after. What happened with the shadows?" he asked.


    Greldo looked at him for a few moments before turning the door with a sour look on his face. "It felt like all of the shadows were suddenly gone, and I just reappeared. It was similar to flying into the light, but there wasn''t really any light¡­ It was really uncomfortable."


    Irwin was about to respond when Greldo cocked his head, still staring at the door.


    "What¡­" Irwin asked, falling quiet as Greldo put a finger on his lips.


    "He''s asking who did the steam," Greldo whispered after a few moments. "Rindiri said that wasn''t any of his business."


    Irwin looked at his friend, then at the door, suddenly worried. What if Rindiri was pushing things too far? If Zirt was willing to try to anger him, he had to be sure of his ability to take care of whatever happened after. It was still possible Zirt was underestimating him, but as Irwin recalled the massive beam of solid light, he knew he didn''t want to gamble on that.


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    "She''s explaining what happened to Sesnanser," Greldo said, humming softly.


    They continued waiting, and slowly, Greldo''s frown turned to a mocking grin. Finally, after what had to be barely five minutes, he looked at Irwin.


    "They don''t seem to enjoy talking with Rindiri, and they are leaving. Let''s go and see them off before they decide to break something on their way out."


    Irwin hesitated, somewhat worried that Zirt would play with his emotions again. Then he steeled himself as he opened the door and walked outside. Zirt was standing with Rindiri, arms crossed, an annoyed look on his face. When he saw Irwin walk over, he snorted. Rindiri''s eyes narrowed, and Irwin was sure she was not happy he had returned.


    Too late now, he thought.


    "Captain Irwin, we will be breaking the rest of that barricade later tomorrow when our reinforcements arrive. I take it you will stay here to help?"


    Irwin felt a clenching sensation rapidly growing in his stomach. It was building into a mixture of fear and anger so fast he was not sure he could hold out. Scrambling for something, he reached for his soulcard and resonated. The sinking sensation in his stomach weakened slightly, enough for him to take a breath of relief.


    Zirt was staring at him, obviously expecting an answer.


    What had he asked? Something about staying to help? Looking at Rindiri, he caught her minutely shaking her head.


    "I''m afraid we can''t," Irwin managed to say. "We have been here long enough, and we have business to take care of. However, I''m sure Currant Hunter doesn''t need any help from a mere Brute."


    Zirt looked at him, then snorted. "Indeed, we do not, but I had thought you would be interested in some of the reward for reopening this trading route."


    "With you having done most of the work, we don''t really deserve anything," Irwin said, forcing a smile on his face. The reward was unlikely to be something he couldn''t get as a Card Smith. Although he was short on soulshards right now, he still had some cards, and he could easily reforge one to earn more.


    Zirt stared at him, and Irwin felt his roiling emotions increase. He focused on his soulcard, resonating it into a soft song but keeping it contained to his own soulscape. The pressure on his emotions lasted for a few moments, then Zirt''s smile turned ugly.


    "Very well. I''ll tell Captain Nralt. Let''s go!"


    Zirt turned and jumped into the air, rushing away from the ship without another word.


    The Loydin followed him without a word, but the Kraniox stayed. His masked face scanned the ship for a few moments, then he jumped up with such force that Irwin felt the wooden deck bend slightly.


    As soon as they were gone, he turned to Rindiri, but she was already heading to the helm. Deciding she knew what she was doing, Irwin followed the four shapes fly back to the Currant Hunter. They barely landed when the dark red ship turned away and flew up and closer to the barricade.


    Irwin felt The Sonata move below his feet.


    "I''ll keep an eye out," Greldo said as he walked to the prow.


    Irwin hummed as he walked to Rindiri, who was calmly staring ahead.


    "Zirt is one of the more notorious members of the Currant Hunters," she said before he could even speak. "It''s a good thing you managed to resist his ability."


    Irwin blinked in surprise. "You know of his cards?"


    "Everyone does," Rindiri said with a grimace. "He uses it to pull people into battles, then forces them to join their crew to repay the damages. I have no idea why he started with that right away, but it''s a good thing he targeted you instead of the rest of us. From what I know, he can only use it one time per day on a single person."


    Irwin hissed, shaking his head. "It was really close. If Ambraz hadn''t warned me, and you hadn''t taken over¡­"


    "Yeah, the rumors are that he escaped from one of the Emnonriz''s distant worlds because he stole a powerful diamond ranked card. He managed to join the Currant Hunters, quickly rising up in the ranks. He is currently tipped as the next Captain of Ruby''s Revenge."


    "How come you know so much about the Currant Hunters?" Irwin asked, looking over his shoulder at the rapidly diminishing dot that was The Ruby''s Revenge.


    Rindiri looked at him, then around. It took Irwin a moment to realize she was checking to see if Zender and Earila were there. Neither was, as they were still hiding below deck.


    "Their father is a Currant Hunter," she whispered softly.


    Irwin''s eyes widened as he thought about the way she had looked when Zirt had mentioned another Yuurindi.


    "Is it¡­" he asked, trying to recall the name. Scander?


    "There is only one Yuurindi with the Currant Hunters," Rindiri said as she gazed off in the distance. "I met him ten years ago, and our genes seemed reasonably compatible. We stayed together for a few months, and I learned a lot about the Currant Hunters. Back then, he was only one of the guards, so when they headed out on a mission to a distant branch, we bid each other farewell."


    Irwin managed to hold back a shudder at the coldness of Rindiri''s voice.


    "Did you like him?" he asked before wanting to kick himself for the stupid question.


    "Yes. He was a bit younger than I was, of the generation between me and my mother, and his genes sang with a sweet sound," Rindiri said. "He was cunning, powerful, and on a course to becoming the Boatswain of one of the Currant Hunters'' enforcer vessels."


    "Boatswain?" Irwin asked asked curiously.


    "There''s none on small ships like these," Rindiri said, waving at the deck of The Sonata. "Captain, can you ask Zender to explain this? He''s better at it, and I need to focus on finding the best route. It''s been a while since I was here."


    Irwin nodded. "Are you going to be alright?"


    "Don''t worry, I have sailed these regions for decades," Rindiri said, giving him a self-assured smile. "We will be moving through one of the routes that will lead us to Granvox before you know it."


    Irwin hesitated, and he looked around.


    "It will take us three weeks to reach the nearest world," Rindiri said. "I don''t expect any trouble on the route there, not with the blockade having been there for so long and the Currant Hunters around."


    "Alright," Irwin said as he headed to the cabin. "Let me know when you need me to take over."


    "Of course."


    Let''s go and see what Zender can tell me about ships and crews, Irwin thought as he pulled open the door. They were going to be traveling for half a year, and it would be best if he knew his stuff.


    --


    Zirt walked through the simple but wide corridor that led to the Captain''s quarters. The door was closed as it always was, but he didn''t have to knock as the door swung open before he reached it. He steeled himself while projecting a cool emotion of certainty and strength before stepping inside.


    An extravagant cabin with an aquarium that covered one entire side drew the attention. Mostly dark and shadowy, the only light came from two pale blue Anmon plants that radiated a pale light. Dozens of fish he knew came from his species'' homeworld swum everywhere. He didn''t know any of their names and hadn''t seen them in the wild.


    A lean, dark-haired figure stood looking at the aquarium.


    "Captain Nralt," Zirt said.


    He hated the fact that the Captain forced him to keep to the old conduct, even when nobody else had to.


    "Seeing as you are alone, you failed," a calm voice said in a cultured accent.


    "The Captain had a soulcard that was at least Ruby rank, and he was able to resist me," Zirt said, careful to show no sign of emotion at the rebuttal. His soulcard was drawing them all in, making sure he could act as he wanted it.


    "Which you knew from the size of that cloud," Nralt said, turning around.


    His silver eyes dug into Zirt''s, the barely concealed burning anger a stark contrast with his elegant posture and calm voice. Zirt knew that most other people wouldn''t be able to see the anger; his own card was the reason he could. It was also the only reason he was still alive.


    "I did as you commanded," he said calmly as his soulcard struggled to drain his own fear and anxiety away. "I focused all of it on him, giving him no warning. He had a Yuurindi first mate that must have warned him."


    "A Yuurindi?" Nralt said, the anger in his eyes fading, replaced by a slight confusion.


    "She was older, probably one of the first generations," Zirt said. "At least one soulcard, perhaps two, and currently with a heartcard that''s perhaps half-done."


    "The other crew?"


    "The Captain isn''t a Loydin, but something called a Fiz''rin," Zirt said, waiting till his Captain nodded for him to continue. "There was a shadowwalker with an extensive body-altering card. He either has a soulcard or is working on his first. It was hard to say."


    "Species?"


    "Looked human, but it could be one of those hound-like races from the western branches."


    "Nothing else?"


    Zirt felt his card suck in his annoyance and just shook his head. "There were at least two weak lifeforms below, probably sailcleaners."


    Nralt was quiet for a while, then turned back to the aquarium.


    Zirt bowed, then turned and left. As he closed the door, Nralt spoke up.


    "If you want to take over my role, you will need to replace those that leave with me. If you fail, the ship will return to the headquarters and be reassigned a new captain by them."


    Zirt held the door for a moment, his nearly drained card struggling to contain his own emotions. Then he nodded. "Yes, elder," he said. He knew that Nralt shared his final words from his self-taken role as Zirt''s mentor, and as much as he despised it, he would rather die than show it. He was about to leave when Nralt looked across his shoulder, his eyes showing an emotion Zirt hadn''t seen there before.


    "There are signs of trouble from beyond Dimarintsia. We will be heading back to the headquarters after this mission."


    Zirt nodded dumbly before closing the door.


    What kind of trouble can cause Nralt to be afraid? he thought.


    --


    "Scouting vessels and small merchant vessels are built for speed and the ability to move through narrow branches. They only have a small crew, usually with just a captain, a navigator, one or two ranged attackers, a cook, and a few sail cleaners," Zender said as he waited for Irwin to write in his small book.


    "Does that mean we need to get some ranged attackers?" Irwin asked, looking up.


    Zender shrugged. "You''d have to ask mother, but it depends on if we have to cross dangerous branches."


    Irwin nodded, deciding he''d do just that later. He was having a hard time getting the beam attack out of his mind. Either they would need something like that themselves or a shield to block it while Greldo teleported him aboard to burn the ship.


    If I can get a card to increase my ability to hit things with my hammer, I might count as a ranged attacker, he thought.


    "So, there are a lot of different ship types, but they roughly fall in five categories," Zender said. "The smallest ones are in the scouting class, which is what The Sonata falls into. Some are twice or three times as big, but not much more. After that, there are the Escort Vessels, which have twenty to thirty-person crews and travel with merchant fleets. They have people called Quartermasters who are usually the first mates and Boathswains who-"


    Irwin quietly listened to Zender explain the ins and outs of the Escort Vessels and their crews, writing down some of the names and the things they did.


    I don''t think I want to ever be on one of those, he decided as he looked at the page filled out with information.


    Irwin sighed as he wrote down the information on the other ship types: the Hunter class, which was bigger than the Escort vessel but smaller than the Portalguardians and the Merchant ships, and finally shoved the book away.


    "So, let me get this right," he said, staring at the book. "This far away from the more populated areas, we only have to worry about the larger Scouting vessels and perhaps some pirated Escort vessels. Nothing else will come here, either because they can''t navigate all of the narrow paths or because this is too much of a backwater."


    "That''s about right," Zender said as his eyes began glittering. "We are at the most distant part of the Langost branch, and we are heading to one of the more populated areas! It''s going to be incredible to see the real harbors!"


    "Well, you had better keep practicing with your cards," Irwin said as he got up. "I''m going to rest a bit."


    Zender got up, nodding fervently. "Don''t worry, Captain! I''ll go and clean the sails so we get there as fast as possible!"


    He ran away, calling for Earila.


    "He isn''t the only one that needs to practice," Ambraz snorted from his pocket. "It''s about time you continued learning the Galadin music sheets."


    "You are right," Irwin said. "Let''s start with that."


    --


    With no more danger, the days passed slowly, with Irwin, Rindiri, and even Greldo taking turns at the helm. Irwin spent most of his days reading and learning the notes of the Galadin music sheets while Zender began training with his sister. Earila very slowly seemed to unwind, though Greldo told Irwin that she cried most nights before falling to sleep.


    Two days after they broke the barricade, they moved through the first cold region, though it was nothing compared to what they had already encountered. Even Greldo could stand it for an entire shift.


    "There are many older portals in this direction," Rindiri said during a quiet moment as they sailed through a corridor barely ten times as wide as The Sonata. "The longer a portal remains, the further the warmth spreads. Although there are limits, at some point, they usually connect with the other portals, and when that happens, everything spreads even further. In a month or three, we won''t have any cold regions anymore."


    Days turned to weeks, and finally, close to three weeks after they had set out beyond the barricade, the temperature began rising rapidly. Vegetation, spread out and low to the ground, appeared, becoming denser and taller with each passing hour.


    The entire crew stood on deck, with Irwin behind the helm.


    "We will arrive at Tulpil tomorrow," Rindiri said. "It''s a rank two world which was thought to be the start of a new branch roughly a hundred years ago. Because of this, many merchants and crafters headed there, and when it finally became clear all paths except this one were a dead-end, so much time had passed that many decided to remain. Although all its adjacent worlds have been closed, Tulpil itself is a surprisingly habitable place, and due to a moderate climate and few predators, many people that don''t have enough money for a better place in the central regions go there to retire."


    "You have been there before?" Irwin asked.


    "Three times," Rindiri said with a nod. "I even stayed there for a month when the ship I was on replaced me with another navigator."


    "The Yuurindi thing again?" Irwin asked, raising an eyebrow.


    "Yes, the Yuurindi thing," Rindiri said with a grin. "I take it, captain, that I don''t have to fear for that again?"


    Irwin laughed and shook his head. "What? And risk getting lost? No thanks. You''ll have to flee to get rid of us that easy."

 Chapter 236: Boohm

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    "It''s as big as the harbor at Fiverion," Greldo said, whistling appreciatively.


    "Bigger," Rindiri said.


    "It''s weird," Irwin said, staring at the distant harbor. The three of them were standing on the hind deck while Zender was working to clean the sails, and Earila was standing on the prow, gaping at the distant harbor.


    Like Fiverion''s, it was built atop a large cluster of trees that had wrapped up and around it. Buildings were spread out throughout, creating a small city with a slightly chaotic, almost grown feeling to it.


    I wonder how long it will take for Eluathar to look like that, Irwin thought.


    "You said they have no adjacent worlds and barely any mining," he said. "I still don''t understand how it can be this rich if there''s just some old people coming here to spend the final days of their lives."


    "It''s not just some kind of old people," Rindiri said, making some minor adjustments to their course. "They are either the poorer sons and daughters of nobles or small-time merchants. In the central regions, they would be seen as barely middle-class, but here they are big-spenders."


    They were sailing towards multi-layered docks, with clear signs on which ships were allowed. The largest portion was for the merchants, and a few dozen big-bellied merchant ships were being emptied and or loaded. One massive ship, easily ten times the girth of The Sonata, was docking far ahead of them.


    The top docks, narrow and with nice carvings, were private. Family symbols were etched in the sides, and relaxed-looking guards walked across. Escort vessels seemed ready to prevent anyone from trying to claim a spot where they weren''t allowed while beautiful ships lay moored everywhere.


    A smaller area to the side had a large sign that read ''Public Docks'', and that was where they were heading right now. Dozens of small ships, nearly all scouting class, were there.


    "Where Fiverion is still reliant on its adjacent worlds and the mining and harvesting those bring, Tulpil has none of that. It''s like a retreat, and most of the soulshards come from external sources. Because of this, there is no single owning factor. Instead, it''s run by a council of representatives of the different bigger parties, the merchants, nobles, cardsmiths, and crafters," Rindiri said as she maneuvered them towards a free dock area.


    A potbellied man with a gleaming thin sheet came walking from a building at the end of the docks. Two young men followed after him, looking bored and tired.


    "Do we have to pay right away?" Irwin asked, slightly worried.


    He only had a few thousand soulshards left, and he''d been hoping to use those to buy some simple quartz cards.


    "Don''t worry, it shouldn''t be more than ten soulshards per day," Rindiri said. "I still have enough if you''re out."


    Irwin breathed a sigh of relief and shook his head. "No, then we are fine."


    I guess that''s why she didn''t tell me before, he thought.


    It took only a minute for Rindiri to properly align The Sonata.


    "Zender, the ropes," Rindiri shouted.


    "On it!"


    Irwin watched as Zender tossed two ropes to the young men, who wound them around thick wooden poles before starting to pull the ship closer. Heads turning red from exertion and muscles bulging, it still took them only a minute to anchor The Sonata to the dock.


    "Alright, let''s go and pay the dock warden," Rindiri said. She turned to Greldo. "You are sure you want to stay here and watch the ship? We will be gone until tomorrow, and Zender can do it."


    Irwin saw Zender grimace, but the boy nodded at Greldo, seeming ready to remain if he had to.


    "No, it''s fine," Greldo said with a yawn. "I''ll remain here and rest a bit while Coal keeps an eye out."


    "Alright, I''ll bring you something to eat," Irwin said.


    "You better! I''m about sick of nuts and dried vegetables and meat!"


    Irwin readied the gangplank and then walked across, followed by two excitedly looking children and Rindiri.


    The potbellied dock warden was looking at Rindiri with a frown before turning to Irwin.


    "Name of the ship and the captain?"


    "The Sonata and Captain Irwin."


    The man looked at the thin crystal he was carrying and seemed happy with what he saw.


    "It''s twelve soulshards per cycle," he said, jabbing a thumb across his shoulder. "Three for the remainder, so fifteen upfront."


    Irwin noticed a large hourglass that was mostly empty as he took out the required shards, handing them to the man.


    The man nodded as he stuffed the small shards into the large pouch on his hip. Then he put the crystal tablet below his arm and looked at Irwin with a frown.


    "Do remember that we don''t allow Yuurindi on the planet. This counts for the older one and the children."


    Irwin was surprised by the slight hostility in the man''s voice, but he merely nodded. Rindiri had warned him about these things, and as odd as it seemed to him, he saw no reaction from her or her kids.


    "Good. Make sure to remember it. Now, what is the purpose of your visit?"


    Irwin indicated Rindiri, who stood beside him.


    "Supplies and other necessities," she said. "We so want to take a look at some cards, see if we can get lucky. Can you suggest an inn close to the merchant''s district?"


    If the dock warden was surprised that she spoke up, he showed none of it.


    "With the increase in traffic, many inns are full, but the Orange Hearth should have some space. It''s close to Endahl''s Card Emporium, though don''t let that name trick you. It''s not even half as grandiose as that blasted man wants you to believe. Still, he buys cards in bulk, so who knows."


    The man made no attempt to even hide what he thought their chances were.


    "If that was all, I need to return to more important things," he said, not even waiting for a response. He turned and walked away, followed by the two young men who were yawning.


    Irwin was about to follow him to the distant harbor district when Rindiri beckoned him.


    "Wait a moment," she said, turning to the others, pinning her children with a sudden cool look. "I''ve warned you already, but let me do it again. Whatever you do, don''t pickpocket anyone here! If they catch you, you are going to be sold to a Forced Labor Merchant and brought to a mining world."


    Forced Labor Merchant? Irwin thought, his eyebrows raising. Did she mean slavers?


    "I won''t," Zender said, sounding annoyed.


    Earilia crossed her arms, sniffing loudly. "Do you think I don''t know that?" she said, giving her mother a cool look.


    "Some warnings can''t be given enough," Rindiri said. "That being said. Captain, keep a hand on your purse. Those that do risk it here are usually very good and will have ways of finding out who has the most soulshards."


    Irwin raised an eyebrow, then put the small leather sack from his pocket into the front of his vest, nestled against his stomach. Rindiri nodded appreciatively.


    With a final wave at Greldo, who had been observing the happenings, they walked towards the harbor district.


    "It has barely changed," Rindiri said, walking beside Irwin. "I know the inn he spoke about. It''s run by an Ignitzion, and based on what you told me, you should enjoy it. She has two bar areas. One stoked hot enough to cause anyone not an Ignitzion to be unable to enter."


    Irwin felt an immediate interest, and he wondered if they served any of the spicy drinks and food that Scintilla had given him back on Scour.


    "Right, let''s get rooms," he said with a grin.


    It took them almost an hour to make their way from the docks, through and up the busy harbor district, along large warehouses, and finally to the district that had inns and restaurants.


    Large numbers of people walked around the small stalls or sat outside the restaurants, creating a bustle of sounds, smells, and movement. Most were Humans or Da''xi, but there were a lot of other species Irwin remembered from Fiverion.


    Zender and Earila were looking around, even Earila''s seemingly perpetual frown replaced by wide-eyed wonder.


    It took them a while longer to finally arrive at the square where Rindiri said the Orange Hearth would be. It was a small oval area nestled between larger buildings that gave it a cozy, hidden feel. A well-maintained wooden inn covered the entire back of the square, with tinted orange windows and an orange sign that read ''Hearth'' showing they had found where they wanted to go.


    To the left and right were a couple of small restaurants with empty terraces that stood around a twenty-foot-wide stone pot in the center of the square. It held a red-leafed tree, roughly twenty feet high, with branches that spread out across the nearest tables. Irwin was surprised to see it and even more so when he felt the temperature rapidly increase as they walked towards it.


    "This reminds me of the trees from Scour," Irwin said.


    "It''s a Volcano tree. Those are pretty hard to keep alive out here," Rindiri said. "They absorb heat or, if there''s none, ambient soulforce that then generates heat. With how little soulforce there is in the Portal Gallery, they need to be manually fed."


    Irwin nodded slowly, and as they walked past the tree towards the Orange Hearth, he pulled in a slight amount of steam that he moved towards the tree. The thin fog hung below the leaves, and the orange leaves began glowing softly, illuminating the entire terrace in a soft light.


    Zender and Earila were whispering in awe as they looked at the tree while Irwin wondered if he made a mistake.


    Rindiri looked at him, eyebrows raised. "You did that?"


    Irwin shrugged, then nodded. "I thought that I''d give it a bit of soulforce," he said.


    "Which is greatly appreciated!" a voice called out from the other side of the terrace.


    A young Ignitzion wearing an orange and black dress stood there, smiling and waving at them. She had a pale skirt with a few stains on it, with a pouch at the front from which a few folded-up papers stuck out.


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    "Come in quick! It''s warm inside," she said before turning and disappearing into the inn.


    Irwin felt a strange sense of joy as he saw the Ignitzion, and he walked out ahead of the others, holding open the door. Warmth roiled out, rippling around him, and as he stepped inside, he saw a few dozen patrons look at them.


    "Hurry up and close the door!" someone shouted.


    Irwin beckoned the others inside. Zender took a deep breath and looked around happily.


    "It''s nice in here!"


    Irwin couldn''t help but agree, though Earila and Rindiri were already taking off their coats. The young Ignitzion they had seen came walking towards them, wiping her hands on her pale skirt.


    "So, how can I help you?" she asked, smiling at Irwin.


    "We need two rooms for a night. We could also do with a bit of food," Irwin said, looking around the main inn room.


    There was a large wooden shutter to one side with double sliding doors. Behind it, he saw a few faint shapes sitting at tables while two more volcano trees stood in the center.


    "We can help you with both! Follow me, and I''ll get you to a table!"


    Irwin grinned at Rindiri, who was wiping a bit of sweat from her head, then followed the young waitress.


    A short while later, they were sitting at a table, Irwin and Zender looking through the folded papers they had gotten. Some showed food meant for most species, others for Ignitzions.


    "You are sure you want to try?" Irwin asked, looking at Zender.


    "Yes!" Zender said. Although he had far less trouble with the heat than his mother and sister, he had finally removed his coat, showing he wasn''t as impervious to it as Irwin.


    Earila was doing the worst, puffing and waving air at herself. She had unsummoned all her Faerit as they had been making pained noises. "Why do we have to stay here?" she muttered, looking at Irwin. "Captain, can''t we rest in a place that doesn''t feel like its set on fire?"


    "You heard what the waitress said," Zender said. "You two will get a room that''s normal temperature."


    "Then I think I''d rather go there. I''m not that hungry," Earila said, turning to Rindiri.


    Rindiri shared a look with Irwin before nodding as she rose. "We can have a big breakfast somewhere else tomorrow," she said. "We will see you tomorrow, captain. And Zender? Behave."


    Zender nodded, seeming absorbed by the menu.


    Irwin waved as Rindiri and Earila left, getting directions from one of the waitresses.


    A few minutes later, the young Ignitzion returned. "So, have you been able to choose something?"


    Irwin nodded, pointing at a few dishes. He wasn''t even going to attempt saying them out loud, his vocal cords not made for the sounds the Ignitions could make.


    "And some Volcanic Honey," he said.


    "Uh¡­ you do know this is from the Ignition restaurant?" the waitress said, looking somewhat worried. "Also, that drink is very hot, even for us."


    "I know," Irwin said. "I''ve had it before. Can you help my friend pick out the least spicy things?"


    The waitress''s eyes glittered like burning coals as she looked at him. After a few moments, she turned to Zender.


    "Do you prefer meat or vegetables?"


    Zender shrugged.


    "Alright, I''ll be right back."


    Irwin saw the waitress look at him as she walked away, her eyes still glittering oddly.


    "Captain, what cards are you going to look for?" Zender asked, leaning forward curiously.


    Irwin turned to the young Yuurindi.


    "I need shadow cards," he said. "Greldo needs a bit over half of his soulforce, so if we don''t start now, it''s going to take forever."


    "Are we going to get some for me too?" Zender asked, eyes gleaming.


    Irwin grinned. "Shouldn''t you worry about your next three cards first?"


    Zender nodded and seemed ready to say something when the waitress returned. She balanced four plates with ease, one of which had a small carafe and two glasses.


    "Here you go!" she said, happy as she put two plates before Irwin, one before Zender then gave them both a glass.


    Irwin picked up the carafe and sniffed the spicy liquor he hadn''t had in a long time. The carafe only had a very small amount of liquid, far less than he had hoped for. Even then, the heat it caused in his throat told him it was the same.


    "I''m not sure he can drink Volcanic Honey," he said.


    "It''s fine," the waitress said. "That''s not for hi-"


    She was interrupted as another slightly older Ignitzion waitress arrived with a large flask.


    "Water," she said.


    "Thank you," Irwin said. He was about to focus on the food when he noticed the two Ignitzions were still there, looking at him with gleaming eyes. "Can I help you?" he asked, surprised.


    "Yes! We don''t believe you can drink Volcanic Honey," the younger Ignitzion said with a wide grin.


    Irwin looked at her, then the other Ignitzion. He suddenly noticed that there were a few more waitresses hovering in the distance, trying to be inconspicuous as they gazed at him and failed.


    Irwin saw Zender look at him with gleaming eyes, seeming ready to watch him drink.


    Fine...


    With a sigh, Irwin filled his cup, emptying the entire carafe as he did. Not sure what to think of what was happening, he took a sip of the glass. Even with everyone watching him, when the hot, syrupy liquid wetted his tongue, his mind was suddenly drawn back to the time he had spent on Scour with Scintilla and the food and other things they had shared.


    Smiling absently, Irwin barely realized he continued sipping the drink, enjoying the burning sensation as it trickled down his throat, creating a sensation as if he''d swallowed a hot coal in the pit of his stomach.


    As he finished the last bit, he stared at the empty glass wistfully.


    "You¡­ you could have just taken one sip, and we would have believed you."


    Irwin blinked as he looked up, realizing the two Ignitzions were still standing there. The young one was staring at him wide-eyed while the older one smiled.


    "Sorry for the disturbance," she said. "We just don''t get many other species here that can actually eat and drink our dishes. I''ll bring you another flask of Volcanic Honey on the house. Full this time."


    She smiled before walking away, pulling the other Ignitzion with her.


    "This is incredible," Zender said.


    Irwin saw that Zender was slowly tasting the different dishes, and although he had a bit of sweat on his forehead, he seemed perfectly able to eat it.


    They continued for a while, and when most of the food was done, Zender was staring at a few scraps Irwin had left.


    "Do you think I can try that?" he asked.


    Irwin shook his head immediately. "No. What you just ate is considered mild and for children," he said. "This is hot," he said, quickly finishing up the remainder of what was on his plates.


    Zender looked somewhat sad, but he nodded slowly. It didn''t pass Irwin''s notice that Zender''s gaze locked onto his hand.


    Why do I get the feeling he is going to ask for a firecard, Irwin thought. He was going to have to chat with Rindiri about this later.


    They continued chatting for a bit before Zender couldn''t stop yawning and went to their room.


    Irwin remained behind as he wanted to check the hot area of the inn. After Zender was gone, he got up and walked to the dividing area. He barely reached it when the older waitress walked forward.


    "I had guessed you were going to check this out," she said. "Don''t take this the wrong way, but¡­ are you sure you can handle it? It''s not just the heat inside that''s very high, but the air is also something that many other species consider toxic... This includes Loydin," she added belatedly.


    Irwin hesitated, then shoved his worry away. Scintilla had told him he would be fine, and besides, he wasn''t a Loydin. "I''ve been told that I should be able to handle it," he said.


    The Ignitzion nodded, then beckoned him to follow her. She opened one part of the door, and Irwin was surprised to see that there was a small room followed by another door. There was glass on both sides and as they stepped inside, he felt the temperature rise again.


    Still not as hot as Scour''s desert, he thought.


    Then, the other door opened up, and the temperature skyrocketed. The sound of laughter and hissing came as clouds of gas billowed across the ground and into the in-between room. Irwin quickly followed the Ignitzion waitress, who was looking at him closely. When he took a deep breath and smiled at her, she looked relieved and quickly closed the door.


    Irwin looked around the room, which was smaller and filled with tables. Ignitzions sat everywhere, and besides the two larger Lavatrees, there were dozens of two-foot ones decorating the dark wooden area. A beautiful bar sat on one end, and two Ignitzion musicians were getting ready to start playing.


    "Just take any free spot, and I''ll get you something to drink," the waitress said as she walked towards the bar.


    Irwin walked forward, noting a slight hush coming across the room as he entered it. Feeling slightly awkward, he searched for the nearest empty table when a loud voice called out.


    "Finally! I was starting to think there were no real men in this obnoxious place!" a booming voice rattled the room.


    Irwin looked to the side, where a massively wide, short, and charcoal-skinned man stood, leaning over his table. Two massive flagons of drink stood there together with a single cup.


    "Come here, yah big lug of metal!"


    He''s like Yogog, Irwin thought, not sure how to react. He faintly knew Yogog was an Onyxian, a race whose world wasn''t too far from Igniz.


    He took a quick look around and noticed that the Igntizions had returned to their own conversations, with only a few staring at the Onyxian before walking towards the table. The man was beckoning Irwin, who sighed and headed towards the table.


    "Good, good!" the man boomed as he sat back down. Linaida, bring us another cup and a flask of Burnem Wine!"


    Irwin sat down on the heavy stone bench, which was only slightly bent under his weight.


    "You have no idea how happy I am to see you," the man said, his voice loud enough to be heard throughout the inn. Even then, none of the Ignitzions seemed bothered, likely used to it by now.


    "I''m Boohm, mercenary and merchant extraordinaire!"


    Boohm? Irwin thought, unable to hold back a grin. Was that his real name or something people had given him due to his overbearing voice?


    "Irwin, Captain of The Sonata," he said.


    "Ohhhh, a captain, you say?" Boohm said just as the older waitress came and put two flasks and a new glass on the table.


    "Where have you been hiding this one, Linaida?" Boohm asked, pointing at the Ignitzion. "He''s going to be perfect to keep those sisters of yours at bay!"


    Linaida shook her head, sighing audibly. "Boohm, I have told you before. If you stop feeding them, they will stop bothering you."


    "Bah! Who can resist their sad eyes?" Boohm said, shaking his head as his monstrous hand wrapped around the flask, pouring his and then Irwin''s glass full to the brim.


    Irwin had the feeling they weren''t talking about food.


    "Now then, captain, let''s have a drink to these beautiful lasses!" Boohm shouted, waving one hand around and taking a gulp from his glass, draining a fourth in one go.


    Irwin laughed and took a small sip. Tasting the slightly spicy and bitter clear liquid, he took a larger drink.


    "Good, I was about to wonder if you had no stomach," Boohm said. "Now, tell me! What brings you to this by Yilda forsaken place?"


    Irwin nearly choked, barely able to stop from spraying the mouthful of wine across the table.


    Yilda again, he thought. It had been a while since he''d last heard the name, and even now, it disturbed him that he didn''t know why it kept popping up.


    "What? Are you alright?" Boohm asked, looking surprised.


    "Fine, fine," Irwin said as he wiped his lips before taking another sip. "Just surprised, that''s all. We are just passing by on our way to the central region. You?"


    Perhaps I can figure out something more about Yilda from Bhoom, Irwin thought.


    Boohm rubbed his smooth chin while staring at Irwin''s thick beard.


    "I''m slowly working my way back home! Done with the cold and emptiness of these backwaters."


    "Where is home?" Irwin asked.


    "Charxian, of course," Boohm said, smiling so wide his white teeth seemed to separate his entire face in half. "I''ve been gone for nearly sixty years¡­ I can''t wait to swim in the Charred Guhl rivers and walk through the Blasted Woods."


    "I''ve never heard of Charxian," Irwin said as he put his elbows on the table, sipping from his drink. "What''s it like?"


    --


    An hour went by as Boohm spoke about his homeworld, his travels across the Portal Galery, and how he''d left his mercenary group a bit over a year ago. Irwin''s questions about Yilda were met with shrugged surprise.


    "Everyone says it out here," Boohm said. "I have no idea why, now that you mention it. Where do you know the name from?"


    "The same," Irwin said, trying to wave it off. He drained the last of his whine and put his glass down. "Anyway, it''s time for me to go. We''re going to have a busy day tomorrow."


    "Ah, right," Boohm said as he quickly drained the rest of his glass. "Say, I''d been wanting to ask, but you wouldn''t happen to have room aboard, would you? I can pay, of course! Both in soulshards, stories, bargaining, and in case we encounter any, helping to fight off raiders!"


    Irwin looked at the Onyxian, hesitating. If he brought someone else, that meant he''d have to be much more careful with his smithing and the other things he did, like taking out Ambraz. They also didn''t really need it for the money, not yet anyway.


    "I hadn''t planned on bringing anyone else," he finally said, deciding to be honest.


    "I can understand," Boohm said, rubbing his chin again. "Listen, think about it, and I''ll ask again tomorrow, alright? I can help with many things!"


    Irwin nodded as he got up. "I''ll think about it," he promised.


    Boohm nodded happily, refilling his glass and seeming intent on continuing his bender.


    Irwin headed back to the large separation area, but Linaida intercepted him before he could leave.


    "Let me help you with this," she said, pulling open the door and heading into the in-between room before him. She closed the door behind him, then turned to look at him.


    "Thank you for keeping Boohm company," she said seriously. "He''s been having a bad time recently, and he looked happier than he has in weeks."


    "It''s fine," Irwin said, watching as the steam in the narrow room was being sucked away into vents in the ground.


    "Filtration moss," Linaida said, waving it away as if it were nothing. "Listen, I didn''t mean to listen in, but¡­"


    Irwin grimaced. "But Boohm makes it hard not to," he said.


    Linaida smiled. "Right. I heard you are a captain, and¡­ well, if you could take Boohm with you, that would be really great. If no Onyxian merchant vessel arrives, he is going to be stuck here for a really long time."


    "Why is that?" Irwin asked, surprised.


    "The same reason why my own people have a hard time finding work on anything but volcano or desert worlds," Linaida said. "He can''t exit the cabin unless the ship is very close to a portal, meaning he is seen as useless out here. He has been trying to find a ship back to Charxian for over half a year, but none will take him, and he doesn''t have the soulshards to pay for it."


    Irwin looked at her, wondering why she thought that meant he would take the Onyxian.


    "I heard you are looking for shadow cards, right?" Linaida said. "Are they for use or to fill a soullake?"


    "Soullake," Irwin said, raising an eyebrow. He had the idea that he knew what she was going to say next.


    "I know of a place where you can get those reasonably cheap," Linaida said, just as he had expected. "If you can take Boohm, even if it is only to a more central world so he has a chance for a merchant ship, I''ll tell you where it is and even add a discount card I still have. You won''t find it any other way, and even if you did, you would still have to pay a premium!"


    Irwin only needed a moment to decide. "Alright, but I might have to let him off at the next large port," he said.


    "That''s fine," Linaida said quickly. "Alright, I''ll get you that discount card tomorrow before you leave!"


    Irwin followed her into the regular inn area, suppressing a shiver at the drop in temperature. A few moments later, he was walking to his room, pondering what had happened.


    Why do I have the feeling they are trying to get rid of Boohm? he thought.

 Chapter 237: Haggling Hurts

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    Irwin cracked his neck as he walked out of the room. The bed had been reasonable. A bit too short, and it had hung down due to his weight, but he knew it was going to be hard for him to find anything that really fit him.


    Rindiri and Earila stood in the hallway.


    "You slept in again," Earila hissed as she walked to her brother and prodded him. "It''s hot here. I want to leave."


    Irwin held back a laugh. It wasn''t as if Zender could have gotten them to leave faster, but he knew Earila wasn''t going to tell him that he had to hurry. Even if she dared talk to a captain like that, he was pretty sure Rindiri was going to stop being overly careful with her and give her a scolding.


    As they walked down into the inn, they found it nearly empty. Only a single groaning and snoring shape lay in a heap across a table. A single look was enough for Irwin to recognize the charcoal-skinned man.


    Boohm really continued late, he thought.


    Before he could think of what to say, Linaida came walking towards them.


    "Captain Irwin," she said, smiling at him as she stuck out a small card and a paper. "This will tell you how to get to the place. Show the card to the clerk at the desk, and he will treat you like a local."


    Irwin accepted the paper and card, noticing Rindiri was looking at what was happening in surprise. A quick look told him that someone probably made the card with an extraordinary carded skill because although it looked like a card, he sensed no resonance from it. The image showed a symbol that didn''t seem to mean anything.


    "This is the cost of the rooms and the food," Linaida continued, holding out a small note. "I gave you a discount."


    Irwin looked at the price, barely able to keep his eyebrows from shooting up.


    Hundred and ninety soulshards? If this is with a discount¡­


    He took out his purse, counted the soulshards, and handed them to Linaida, who quickly deposited them in her skirt.


    "Thank you. I''ll wake Boohm," she said as she walked away.


    "Captain?" Rindiri whispered. "What happened last night after we left?"


    Irwin shrugged as he saw Linaida prod Boohm, waking him up.


    "It seems we might have some living cargo," he said. "I''ll explain when we find somewhere to get breakfast."


    "Wuh, who- AH! Linaida, I told you only to wake me when-" Boohm''s voice silenced any others as he rolled over, only stopping when he saw Irwin and the others.


    "Ah! Captain!" Boohm said as he rolled from the table, landing on the ground with a thud and causing a minute tremor to run through the floor. He was wearing a thick coat that hung down to his knees and had pale fur around the neck and wrists.


    He is heavy, Irwin thought in surprise.


    Boohm stomped towards them, looking at Rindiri in surprise, then focusing on Irwin.


    "Have you thought about it? Do you think I could hitch a ride? I''ll take anything, even if it''s no further than the first central world," Boohm said. Although he was grinning and seemed fine with any answer, Irwin had the feeling his shoulders were slightly tense and his eyes duller than the day before.


    "We will take you to at least the next central world," Irwin said.


    "Fantastic!'' Boohm shouted, glasses all throughout the inn rattling, while Earila covered her ears


    "Boohm, you had better be very quiet while you travel with Captain Irwin," Linaida said, poking Boohm in his side. "I expect you to come and say goodbye before you leave, or my sisters are going to be very upset with you if you ever come back here."


    Boohm rubbed his chin. "If I have the time, I will," he said. "But I''m not risking being stuck here if the Captain decides to leave."


    Linaida hummed, then nodded. "I''ll tell them. Now, I have to clean up! Come and say goodbye,"


    Irwin knew a dismissal when he saw one, and he shared a look with Rindiri, who was grimacing.


    "Alright, let''s head out," he said, handing her the paper. "Do you know this place?"


    Rindiri blinked in surprise, then shook her head. "No¡­ but I can find it."


    A short while later, they were walking away from the Orange Hearthe, Rindiri, and Irwin ahead. Boohm was walking between Zender and Earila.


    "Is it true that your people can eat charcoal?" Zender asked excitedly.


    "Definitely," Boohm said, patting his stomach happily. "Sadly, there aren''t many trees in our worlds, so it''s considered a delicacy."


    Irwin focused on Rindiri as Zender continued asking questions of Boohm.


    "So¡­" his first mate asked him, her eyebrows raised. "You got tricked into bringing this loudmouth?"


    Irwin grimaced, but a quick look showed that Boohm hadn''t heard anything over his own loud voice.


    "A little," he agreed. He held out the card. "But she offered this, and he seemed nice enough."


    Rindiri glanced at the card, and her eyes widened as she focused on it. She tapped it with her nails as if testing something, then looked over her shoulder.


    "If she was willing to hand out this just for us to take him, she either really liked him or really hated him."


    "What is it?" Irwin asked.


    "It''s what she said," Rindiri said, handing the card back. "If you give this to any shop here, the owners will give us the prices the locals pay, or in this case, the non-nobles. It will save you a lot."


    "Can we keep using it?" Irwin asked, thinking about the extra supplies they still had to get.


    "No. It will be taken by the first shopkeeper, and Linaida won''t get another until the mercantile year passes."


    "Mercantile year?" Irwin asked.


    "Because the worlds all have different days in a year, and due to the time dilations, the Merchant''s Guild decided on a day and night cycle and a year of three-hundred and fifty days for all their dealings. Most harbor cities use those now," Rindiri explained as she led them toward the shopping district.


    It took them only ten minutes to reach it, and then they were weaving through alleyways with shops on each side. A thin strip sat between the two walkways, each barely wide enough for two people to walk side by side.


    Rindiri was in the lead, Irwin at the back, so he could keep an eye on the kids. His height allowed him to look over nearly everyone, though he did share a surprised look with the occasional Kraniox. The towering, barechested beings were mostly following well-dressed men and women who were casually chatting as they perused the clear crystal shopping windows.


    They passed by dozens of shops, none of which drew Irwin''s attention until he noticed a pair of scissors above a barber''s shop. As soon as he saw it, he raised his hand and rubbed through his course, metal-wire beard.


    Finally!


    "Rindiri," he called, drawing her and the other''s attention. "I want to check here."


    Rindiri looked at where he was pointing, then nodded and stepped inside the barber. A moment later, they had all crowded inside, looking at the single wall of mirrors with chairs of different sizes and shapes, some occupied by people.


    A long-haired woman walked towards them, smiling widely.


    "Hello there! How may I help you?"


    Irwin pulled on his beard, grinning. "Do you think you can shave this off?"


    The woman focused on his beard and stepped closer. She reached up, then stopped.


    "May I?"


    "Sure," Irwin said.


    A moment later, he felt a slight pulling on his beard while the woman''s eyebrows shot up.


    "I''ve never seen a Loydin with a beard," she said. "I thought elementals didn''t grow any facial hair?"


    Irwin blinked, trying to recall what he knew of the Loydin.


    "Well, I''m not a Loydin," he said after a few fruitless moments. "I''m more like a Fiz''rin."


    The woman cocked her head curiously. "Really? I''ve never heard of those! Well, tell me all about them while I get you comfortable," she said as she beckoned him.


    As she did, she turned to one of the other barbers, a young man with bright yellow hair and orange eyes.


    "Take over the main desk. I''ll have to do this myself," she ordered before leading Irwin to one of the largest, empty chairs.


    "Do your friends need any help?" she asked as Irwin sat down.


    "I don''t think so," Irwin said, turning to look at the others. Zender was looking around with his usual curious enthusiasm while Boohm was staring out of the window at the people passing by.


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    "Well then, how about you tell me something about your people," the woman said as she raised her hand. A small, gleaming scissors appeared, and with no apparent effort, she began cutting through his beard.


    --


    "First, we went to that horribly hot Inn, and now this," Earila whispered as she looked at Rindiri. "Shouldn''t we be getting supplies and other important things?"


    Rindiri smiled at her, arms crossed as she watched the barber use her carded scissors to rapidly trim down the Captain''s beard. She''d never seen him clean-shaven before, and she was curious what he looked like without the massive tangle of metal wire.


    "Captain Irwin hasn''t been to these places before," she whispered, smiling at Earila, deciding not to say that her daughter hadn''t either. "Lord Daubutim ordered me to make sure the Captain doesn''t just work all the time. He seems to have a tendency to forget rest and relaxation. Besides, we are going to be traveling towards the central planets, and it''s a good thing for all of you to get familiar with these places as they will only become bigger and busier the further we go."


    Earila sniffed, looking around. "It''s not that difficult, right? It''s like Sesnanser but cleaner and bigger?"


    Rindiri looked at her daughter, noticing the recalcitrant gleam in her eyes, and sighed. She''d tried to do what she could for them, but back on Sesnasner, she''d only had time and soulshards to take care of Ibiri. Although she''d done exactly what her mother had and what she knew the others of her race did while raising their children, she wondered if what they were doing was wrong. They just focused on the children with the best and strongest genes, but after having traveled with Zender for such a long time, she was starting to think perhaps they should change things.


    If you''re alive, it''s never too late for anything, she thought, recalling a favorite saying of her mother.


    She focused on her young, estranged daughter.


    "There are large differences with each harbor you will find," she whispered. "Some species will refuse you access, and in some cases, you will need to contact the local thieves guild. If you think you know everything, you will die a quick, sudden death."


    Earila was staring at her wide-eyed, and Rindiri held in a grimace. Had she overdone it? A look showed that Zender was paying close attention while the Onyxan pretended to be staring out of the window.


    "I''ll teach you when we are back on the ship," she said, focusing on Irwin.


    The barber was telling him about the enormous lack of cards due to the Smith Guild having recalled nearly every smith. Apparently, the few amethyst-ranked smiths that remained were now on Tulpil and no longer allowed offworld.


    We have to make sure nobody figures out the Captain is an Emerald Rank smith, she thought.


    If they didn''t, who knew what bounty might be put on his head, either by the smith''s guild for not obeying their rules or some noble who wanted his own private smith.


    --


    Irwin rose from the chair, wiping his smooth cheek and grinning in the mirror. Although he now looked a lot younger and less intimidating, he preferred this.


    Besides, it''s not like I''ll have any chance to wear my smith''s ranking plate, he thought, thinking about what he''d just heard.


    "How much do I owe you?" he asked, looking at the barber.


    "Seven soulshards," she said, smiling awkwardly as she wiped some remnant metal hairs off her hands. "Normally, it''d be only four, but I''m afraid cutting your beard has emptied out all my energy."


    Irwin nodded, staring down at the gleaming hairs that covered the ground.


    "Okay," he said, faking a sigh as he took the requested soulshards. "Say¡­ you wouldn''t have a knife I can buy that will allow me to shave?"


    "Afraid not," she said as she pocketed the handful of soulshards. "You could try the smithy. They might have something."


    Irwin looked up in surprise. "I thought you said there weren''t any smiths left?"


    "No cardsmiths," she said. "Doumlin couldn''t be happier now that he''s the only one left that does metal smithing."


    Irwin hummed as he looked in the mirror a final time. "Where can I find him?"


    --


    An hour later, they were standing before a small building with a thick crystal showroom behind which dozens of cards were stalled out. The worst was a topaz one, with Irwin being stunned to see a single Diamond rank card on a beautiful ornate wooden stand.


    He tried to sense the card, but the thick crystal was interfering with him, and the best he could say was that it had something to do with sand or dust.


    "I wonder what that costs," Zender whispered, staring at the card.


    "Probably tens of thousands or more soulshards!" Boohm said. "Useless junk! I''ve seen these before. Cards that deal with tiny particles are useless in combat and in most places in the portal gallery!"


    Irwin knew Boohm was right, though he also knew that on the right planet, for instance, Scour, they could be immensely powerful.


    He shoved the door open and walked inside a small entry hall with a short staircase that led into a wide room with display cases everywhere. A soft melody played throughout, as the songs of hundreds if not more cards mixed together in a whispered cacophony.


    The most expensive cards were immediately recognizable as they stood beside a dark, sturdy-looking counter, and powerful waves of soulforce rippled from them, mixing with the smaller ones from the other side. Irwin was stunned at how much soulforce was here. Usually, he didn''t even actively notice it anymore, but the number of colors and clashing colors here made it hard to ignore.


    A weasel-looking man with glowing silver eyes stood behind the counter, looking at them with what had to be the most fake smile Irwin had ever seen.


    "Welcome customers, welcome! I am so glad you have finally found your way to Card Countours, the best card shop in the surrounding area! How can this humble merchant assist you?"


    Irwin took a single look around, then walked towards the counter and put the card he''d gotten on top.


    "I''m here to look for low-rank shadow cards to fill a soullake," he said.


    The man''s lips curled down, and he almost hesitantly took the card.


    "Bah. I told them handing out these things would be a mistake," he muttered, any sign of joy at them being there gone. "Fine. I''ve got a bit over thirty useless soullake fodder that should work. A hundred soulshards each."


    Irwin blinked in surprise. That sounded like a very extravagant price.


    "A hundred? A hundred?!" Boohm shouted as he stomped forward. "Are you trying to con us even with that card? That''s the same price you would ask any random passerby!"


    Irwin''s mouth fell open as he looked at Boohm. The Onyxian was glaring at the merchant angrily.


    "What are you talking about?!" the weasily man shouted. "Normally, I''d ask five hundred for-"


    "Bolox!" Boohm shouted. "Everyone knows that shadow soullake fodder is nearly useless this far from the central worlds! Without a high-ranked card, who in their right mind would ever get heartcard like that?" Boohm continued, shaking his finger angrily. "Oh, you could send them to another world¡­ but no, you can''t! Do you know why? Because it would cost more than it would make! You probably have that many because you''ve been saving them for a hundred years. Ten soulshards each, and that''s us being generous."


    Irwin saw the merchant''s eyes widen, sputtering as he leaned across the counter. "That''s plain robbery!" he shouted. "I might, due to my generosity, lower the price to ninety, but-"


    Boohm burst out laughing, placing his hands on the counter, causing it to dip slightly.


    Irwin shook his head and took a step back, waving at Boohm to continue. Looking around, he saw that Zender was watching Boohm with awe while Rindiri was walking around the displays, ignoring the antics. Earila stood before one specific display, seeming to whisper to one of her summoned Faerit.


    Noticing that Boohm had brought the price down to seventy-four already, Irwin decided that there was little he could do to help. Instead, he walked to Earila, looking at a purple-bordered amethyst card. It lay beside a few dozen others, giving a cheap vibe.


    Interesting, Irwin thought as he scanned the cards.


    They were all meant as utility cards that improved summons, and the one Earila was focused on seemed to give them a temporary strengthening ability. He didn''t know exactly what it did, but it felt like the card was more refined than most amethyst ones he''d seen.


    "Do you like this one?" he asked, looking at Earila.


    Earila looked up at him in surprise, then frowned. "My friends say they will be much better able to protect me with that," she said. "But it''s too expensive."


    Irwin followed her finger to a price tag at the bottom of the displays.


    Three thousand nine hundred, he thought, raising an eyebrow. There had been a time when he''d have been able to buy that easily, but now?


    "It''s way too expensive for an amethyst card," Earila muttered.


    Irwin didn''t reply, knowing that it actually wasn''t that bad. He''d sold and bought amethyst cards for more than this.


    I could see if he is interested in buying a Topaz card, he thought as he glanced at the merchant. His head was red, and steam seemed to come from his nose as he was still holding a shouting match with Boohm.


    Let''s see how much topaz cards cost here, Irwin thought as he made his way to the other displays.


    A few minutes later, he walked back to the counter. He put a hand in his thin jacket''s inner pocket and glanced inside in such a way nobody could see what he was doing to quickly pick out the card he wanted.


    "Fifty? Fifty?! You-"


    Boohm stopped as Irwin put a hand on his shoulder.


    "Captain?" he asked, not missing a beat.


    "While you are doing such a good job, sell this one," Irwin said, handing him the topaz card. "It''s a summon called Elarian Steel Gauntlets, and it has an active ability that allows the wielder to create small forcefields. It''s ninety-five percent perfect."


    Boohm''s eyes widened, and he reached for the card, but Irwin held on to it for a second longer.


    "Use it to get the shadow cards, that Semi-Etherial Summon card back there, and as many soulshards as you can. You can keep ten percent of what you earn."


    Boohm''s eyes widened even further while a dangerous gleam appeared in them. At the same time, an almost pained groan came from the merchant.


    Irwin ignored both, let go of the card, and headed to Rindiri. Earila stood beside her mother, staring at him in disbelief. Irwin ignored her and gave Rindiri his purse, which held at least four thousand soulshards.


    "I''ll stay here with Boohm. You go and get us the supplies we talked about and see if you can get us some clothes and other things we need aboard," he said, trusting she knew better what else they needed than he did. "Just come and pick me up after you get everything. I have the idea this might take a while."


    "Are you going to sell more cards?" Rindiri asked in a whisper.


    "Depends on how much we get for this one," Irwin said, looking at the shouting match that had begun heating up even more.


    "Have fun, captain," Rindiri said as she beckoned the others over.


    As Zender walked past Irwin, he hesitated.


    "Captain¡­ if you''re splurging anyway, there''s a really awesome card back there called Glowing Veins."


    Irwin raised an eyebrow, then grinned. "I''ll think about it. Now go with Rindiri.


    Zender nodded, then sprinted to the door and out of the shop, leaving Irwin to listen to the loud ''negotiations''.


    --


    Irwin quickly closed the door so he didn''t have to listen to the crying merchant.


    "Are you sure he is going to be alright?" he whispered, looking at a broadly grinning Boohm.


    "No idea," Boohm said, patting his chest pocket contently. "I''m sure he''ll get over it. Besides, it''s not like he didn''t earn something!"


    A pained howl came from inside, and Irwin grimaced. Rindiri stood to the side, both her children looking at the door in wide-eyed confusion.


    "What happened?" Zender asked.


    "Let''s talk about that later," Irwin said as he looked at Rindiri. "Did we get everything?"


    "Yes, but we need some help to carry a few of the things to the ship," she said.


    "Alright, let''s get there," Irwin said, waving her forward, away from the shop.


    Rindir smiled ruefully, and as Irwin walked beside her, she handed him his purse back.


    "I bought almost six hundred soulshards worth of food supplies and some spices. Ten barrels of water will be delivered to The Sonata by the second bell, as will a few bags filled with clothes, materials, and a set of needles and thread."


    Irwin was impressed as she continued listing out the things she had gotten, especially when she said she''d gotten him two razors and a sharpening stone.


    It took them a while to gather the different supplies that couldn''t be delivered, and when they finally reached the harbor, Irwin was stomping along, burdened down by bags and crates. Boohm walked beside him, carrying nearly as much, puffing and groaning but smiling amidst it all.


    "Greldo seems happy to see us," Rindiri said softly.


    Irwin looked up to see his friend standing near the prow, watching them. Coal stood beside him, his silver eyes scanning the surroundings.


    "Is everything alright?" Irwin said, staring straight at Greldo. As far away as they were, he knew his friend could hear him perfectly.


    Greldo shook his head quickly, and Irwin frowned.


    Great, now what?


    "Let''s hurry up," he said, increasing the length of his strides.


    A minute later, they reached the gangplank, and Irwin put down most of what he was carrying. If he walked over with all that, it might shatter. Instead, he handed some things to the others, then tossed everything non-breakable to Greldo.


    When he walked up the deck, Greldo was eyeing Boohm. "Did you pick up another stray?"


    Boohm looked up with a wide grin. "I''m pretty heavy, but you can try, captain!"


    Greldo grimaced, then rubbed one of his ears. "Okay, turn it down a bit. I''ve got sensitive ears!"


    Boohm grinned and shrugged. "I''ll try," he said, his voice softer but still loud enough to make Greldo groan.


    "I take it he is coming with us then?"


    "We are taking him along for a while, potentially dropping him off at the first central world we reach," Irwin said.


    Greldo inspected Boohm for a moment, then motioned for Irwin and Rindiri to follow him to the prow.


    "Do we have everything we need?" he asked.


    Irwin shared a look with Rindiri, who nodded.


    "We do¡­"


    "Good, then I think it''s time to leave," Greldo said in a low whisper, turning to Irwin. "Last night, a Dead Pact Mercenary ship arrived at one of the top noble''s docks."

 Chapter 238: Traveling across the Portal Gallery

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    Come on, hurry up already, Irwin thought as he watched the three men push the barrel-laden cart across the dock.


    He glanced up at the Dead Pact Mercenary ship, a pale-hulled, sleek vessel. Everything about it oozed speed and danger, perhaps even more than the red Currant Hunter vessel they had encountered. Rindiri said it was an altered, small Escort Vessel. Due to its build, it could chase anything through nearly any Portal Gallery passage, except for the very smallest ones.


    "The Sonata?" a voice called out.


    Irwin looked at the cargo hauler, a silver-eyed, broad-shouldered man.


    "That''s us," he said. "That''s my water and supplies?"


    "It is. You don''t have a cargo lift or cargo plank I take it?"


    Irwin shook his head as he walked to the edge of the gangplank.


    "Just roll them over," he said.


    The lead hauler nodded, and a moment later, a barrel roughly the size of Irwin''s chest was rolling across the gangplank. He picked it up and put it to the side. Boohm picked it up.


    "Just put it down anywhere?" he asked it, seeming unburdened by the heavy barrel.


    "Zender, show him where to put it," Irwin shouted before turning back to the lead hauler, who had been quietly observing what was happening.


    "You are planning a long trip?" the man asked conversationally.


    Behind him, Irwin saw one of the other haulers look at him with sharp, emotionless eyes as he carried a barrel over. As soon as their eyes met, the hauler looked away.


    That wasn''t normal, Irwin thought, focusing on the leadhauler.


    He wasn''t sure if he was paranoid because of the Dead Pact Mercenaries arriving, but he couldn''t resist the idea that the haulers were up to something.


    "Yeah," Irwin said, deciding not to give away anything. "How are things further ahead?"


    The hauler rolled the single last barrel over, then cracked his shoulders. "It depends where you are heading," he said. "Some places are better than others."


    Irwin felt his skin crawl, but he just smiled as he put the barrel down.


    Okay, they are definitely trying to figure out where we are going.


    "From here, what would you say the safest route and place would be?" he asked, trying to resist looking at the other haulers.


    The lead hauler hummed thoughtfully before answering. "I''d say any of the eastward corridors towards Baufinon should be safe, with Baufinon probably being the safest of the worlds. But don''t pin me on that!"


    "Right, then we might just head there," Irwin said. "Any central world is about as good as another."


    The lead-hauler laughed as he rolled the final barrel over. It wobbled oddly, and when Irwin picked it up, he knew it wasn''t filled with water. He seriously hoped that meant that it was filled with the other supplies, but a soft sound of soulforce sounded from inside.


    What is inside here?


    "Thanks," he said, forcing himself to wave at the lead-hauler as friendly as he could. "Good day!"


    "Same to you! Safe journey!" the lead-hauler said as he waved, turned, and walked away. As he did, Irwin saw the same hauler that had stared at him before examining their ship, then turned and walked away.


    "We need to leave. Now."


    Irwin looked to the side where Greldo stood looking at him.


    "That guy at the back wasn''t a hauler."


    "Kid, it''s worse. There''s a weird runic pattern inside that last barrel.


    Irwin turned to Rindiri, who was lounging near the helm, seemingly resting. As soon as he looked at her, she got up and walked to the helm.


    "Get us clear," Irwin said as he picked up two of the massive barrels with ease and began carrying them to the cabin. "Then meet me in the cabin."


    Greldo looked at him for a moment, then ran front to the dock.


    A minute later, The Sonata was drifting away from the dock. Irwin stood in the upper part of the cabin, prying open the final barrel. Greldo appeared beside him.


    "What''s wrong?"


    "Ambraz says there''s something inside here," Irwin said as he began removing folded-up clothes, bags filled with dry rations, and tools he didn''t know the name of. It took him a minute or two to clear out the entire barrel, finding nothing.


    "It''s on the bottom lid," Ambraz said as he zipped from Irwin''s pocket, flying around the barrel.


    Irwin looked inside, and he saw very tiny soulforce ripples, pale green, nearly white. The bottom seemed the same wood as the rest, but the soulforce seemed to trickle in front of the lid''s center.


    He hesitated, then grabbed the edges of the barrel and ripped sideways. The wood shattered with a loud crack, splinters spraying everywhere, but Irwin ignored it. He snapped and broke off enough until the bottom lid became clear.


    Surprised shouts came from below, and a moment later, Zender and Earila stormed up the stairs while Boohm shouted from below, asking what was going on.


    "What happened? What are you?" Zender began, only to fall quiet when Greldo shook his head and put a finger to his lips. He walked to the staircase, looking down.


    "Dropped a barrel, Boohm," he shouted down.


    "Do you need a hand?"


    "Not yet! The kids should be able to clear it up!"


    There was an annoyed hiss from Earila while Zender snorted.


    "Alright!" Boohm shouted, and a moment later, they heard him stomp back to his cabin.


    "Don''t tell him about this," Irwin said as he looked at the two Yuurindi.


    "We won''t, captain," Zender said, and Earila nodded immediately.


    Irwin focused back on the uncovered lid. The soulforce ripples seemed to come from the middle portion, but he didn''t see anything.


    "There''s something covering the bottom," Ambraz hissed, landing on his hand. "Don''t touch it. Break it clear, but don''t touch the center."


    Irwin pulled his hand back. He''d been about to wipe whatever was on it away to see what was there but instead began ripping away the wood until he had the lid clear.


    "What''s below?" he asked.


    Ambraz muttered something unintelligible, hovering around it for a bit.


    "Some sort of tracking rune¡­ I''ve heard about them, but the cards required to make something like this."


    "Who would want to track us?" Zender asked quietly.


    "I can think of a few people," Irwin said darkly while Greldo laughed, glaring at the lid.


    "Should we destroy it?" Greldo asked.


    "No¡­" Ambraz said slowly. "It would be best if we put it on some other ship¡­"


    It took Irwin a few moments to realize what he was implying. He stared at Greldo with wide eyes, not surprised by the nasty grin on his friend''s face.


    "I can do that," Greldo said, picking up the bottom of the barrel. "Keep sailing away. I''ll put this on a merchant vessel heading in the direction of Baufinon. Preferably one with a lot of escorts."


    "Be careful," Irwin said before sighing as he looked at the empty spot Greldo had been at.


    He took a look at the debris on the deck before turning to the staircase. "Zender, Earila, put everything where it needs to go, then sweep the wood into a corner. We will toss it overboard later."


    "Yes, Captain," Zender said, walking forward and picking up the nearest bag of supplies.


    Earila hesitated for a moment before following his lead.


    I wonder who it was, Irwin thought as he walked outside.


    He explained what had happened to Rindiri, and with every word, her expression turned more sour. When he finished, she was slowly increasing the speed at which they were sailing. Her face was tight, and she seemed ready to shout at someone.


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    "It''s the nobles," she said before Irwin could even ask if she knew who would do it. "It got nothing to do with you, or at least probably not."


    Irwin felt some of his worries slide away, only to be replaced by confusion.


    "The nobles track any ship that has Yuurindi on them," Rindiri said, her anger fading to a sad sigh.


    Irwin looked at her, then back at the Tulpil Harbor. He tried to imagine how it must be if people feared your species so much that they went to such expensive measures.


    "Will we get into trouble for removing the tracking rune?" he asked.


    "No. Unless they sent a faster ship ahead of us, which would mean they need to know where we are going, they won''t know it should be on The Sonata," Rindiri said.


    Greldo returned a short while later, and Irwin explained to him what had likely happened.


    "After Eluathar is connected to the soulcrystal network, do you think we are going to get in trouble?" Greldo asked, looking at Rindiri.


    "Not if we are strong enough. Between my people, the Giardian Smiths, the Da''xi, and soon the Ganvils, all that matters is that we get enough time to increase our strength and the strength of the portal harbor city around Eluathar," Rindiri said. "As much trouble as the Yuurindi could draw is nothing compared to what Eluathar would create just by existing."


    The Giardian Smiths, Irwin thought, surprised at the name. It hadn''t really occurred to him that they might be named that, but with how few people knew about the Galadin, it was logical. Besides, it would be better if nobody associated them with that.


    They talked for a short while longer before Irwin headed down to check if everything was settled. Greldo remained above to make sure nothing snuck up on them.


    The rest of the day passed quietly, and to everyone''s relief, no ships followed them. Finally, when it was late, and everyone but Rindiri was sitting in the galley, Irwin was drifting off, staring at his boring meal.


    "Captain?"


    Irwin looked up, seeing Earila and Zender look at him nervously.


    Right, the cards, Irwin thought, as he grinned and reached up to pull his beard only to feel his nearly smooth chin. Rubbing it, his grin widened.


    "Yes?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.


    "Well, we were wondering if you and Boohm managed to get those cards..?" Zender asked.


    Earila nodded while two of her Faerit that had been resting on her shoulders opened their intense blue eyes and gazed at Irwin.


    "Oh, right! I almost forgot," Irwin said, patting his pocket. "Well, I do have them¡­" he said, humming softly. "But are you sure you don''t want me to look for a smith in the next world? The closer we get to the center, the larger the chance is that we find one that isn''t locked away in the Smiths guild."


    Earila''s eyes widened, and she swallowed. "You would be willing to have it reforged for us?" she asked.


    Irwin saw Zender''s face remain passive, though his eyes glittered. The boy knew exactly what Irwin meant and also that with Boohm here, Irwin wasn''t going to showcase his abilities. Out here it was best to keep that hidden from everyone.


    Though we should tell Earila soon, Irwin thought.


    Boohm himself had been eating quietly and now looked up with raised eyebrows.


    "Yes, but that does mean you are going to have to wait a bit," Irwin said, focusing on Zender.


    "That''s alright," the boy said immediately. "We don''t need it yet!"


    Earila was biting her lips and seemed ready to ask for it now when one of her Faerit nuzzled her cheek. She looked at it, and Irwin knew they were communicating just like Greldo and Coal did. After a few moments, she sighed.


    "I can wait," she said before focusing on him. "I might never be able to pay you back for it¡­ Captain."


    Irwin wiped the smile from his face and looked at her seriously.


    "Earila, I won''t ask you to," he said, staring at her. "Having trustworthy people around me is worth more than a card and some soulshards."


    Earila blinked and then looked at Zender as if to ask if he was serious. Her brother just grinned and nodded.


    "I¡­ I''ll still try and pay it back," she finally said.


    "That''s your own choice," Irwin said.


    "Say¡­ you wouldn''t happen to be looking for more permanent crewmembers, would you?" Boohm said.


    Irwin looked up to see the Onixian stare at him intently.


    Irwin hesitated. A day ago, he would have said no, but the way Boohm had handled the merchant had changed his opinion of the loud, boisterous man. Even then, he didn''t want him to just do that because he was hoping to get cards for free.


    "Maybe," he finally said. "But just so you know, I don''t just hand out cards all the time!"


    Boohm shook his head, tapping his finger on the table. "That''s definitely not why I asked," he said before looking up at the ceiling thoughtfully. "Though if you give me a commission for everything I sell, that would be very useful! Do you have more cards to sell¡­?"


    Irwin''s mind spun rapidly. "A few, but not enough to make it a business."


    "Well, I''ll do my best to show just how useful I can be," Boohm said loudly, looking up at the kitchen thoughtfully. "I''m a man of many talents, after all."


    --


    Very little happened for the next few days, with the only thing everyone had to get used to was Boohm''s voice, audible from anywhere on the ship.


    Irwin had been slightly worried they might see someone chasing them, but as the first week passed, so did those worries. There was no sign of anyone chasing them, and if removing the tracking rune had been noticed, it hadn''t caused them any trouble yet.


    Instead, with their hull filled with enough food- most of which had arrived before the water and anything needed, a calmness came across the ship.


    Greldo kept training with Zender, while Earila joined them only when she wasn''t learning how to helm the ship.


    The coldness beyond the portal-heated area forced Boohm below deck almost immediately, but he proved he wasn''t just all talk and did have many talents.


    --


    "How can you make dry rations this juicy and tender?" Greldo shouted, swallowing his mouthful with a look of bliss.


    Boohm looked up from the kitchen, which had slowly been taken over by him. "You lot have such low standards that even my barely adequate skills make you surprised," he said, his voice causing some of the kitchen appliances to rattle.


    "Hey!" Zender snapped, glaring at the Onyxian.


    Boohm let out a barked laughter, shaking his head. "Sorry, Zender! I meant nothing by it. It''s just that¡­ you haven''t had any real training or practice, have you?"


    Zender sniffed, looking at his own plate filled with a glistening dark stew, meat that seemed ready to fall apart, and sweet carrots poking out.


    "Fine," he finally said. "But you had better teach me!''


    Boohm laughed again, nodding vigorously. "I told you a week ago, just come here an hour before dinner! And not just one time! You can''t learn what I know in a single hour!"


    Irwin grinned as Zender scowled at the short but massive man.


    He knew the boy had come to the kitchen one time, and all Boohm had done was have him cut things. There had been no explanation of the skills needed to make dry rations magically better.


    Ignoring the constant banter, he finished his own food and rose from the table.


    "Captain, are you going to be singing again?" Boohm asked. "The Neamhnathair song?"


    Irwin saw the eagerness in the Onixian''s eyes, and he hesitated before nodding. "Yes, but remember what I said?" he said.


    "Course, captain! I won''t try and sing along again. You have my word!" Boohm said.


    Let''s see if you manage this time, Irwin thought with a sigh. He had been trying to interact with the ambient soulforce a few days ago, and within a few minutes, Boohm had tried to join in. Sadly, although his deep, resonating voice had been able to easily reach the depths Irwin could, he sang so out of tune that it had shattered concentration and caused loud shouts of anger from everyone else on the ship. Greldo had been especially vocal in his request that Boohm never do it again or learn how to do it properly.


    He ignored Greldo''s grimace and headed back to his cabin. Sitting down at his desk, he pulled the Galadin music sheets forward. Before he focused on the Whale song, he was going to continue this first. Some pages took weeks to learn, and there were dozens of pages to learn.


    I wonder how long it''ll take me to learn all of it, he thought.


    --


    More weeks went by, with Irwin slowly working through the Galadin music sheets.


    Eventually, nearly seven weeks after leaving Tulpil, they reached a small Portal Port called Kuntris Three.


    It was the first of a set of worlds that belonged to the Kuntris Merchant Group.


    More than done with being cooped up on the ship, Greldo left no doubt that he was not the one to guard the ship this time. So, after a bit of discussion, he took everyone into the port town while Irwin remained on the ship the first day.


    With Ambraz on the lookout for anyone moving on the ship, Irwin used the day to reforge the cards he was going to give to Zender and Earila and a few that he decided would be good for selling. Happy with the time he''d gotten, the next day, Irwin headed into town with Boohm while the rest remained behind. They had to make quite the sight, with Boohm being half as tall as Irwin but just as wide, if not more so.


    "So, I''ve found two weak-willed merchants that should have some interesting cards," Boohm said, ignoring the shocked glances of passersby. "Do you want to go there first or just wander?"


    "Will they cry when we leave?" Irwin asked, raising an eyebrow at Boohm.


    "Definitely," Boohm said, shaking his head. "It''s such a shame to see how little spine the merchants in these outer branches have. I think they probably fled here because they couldn''t take the heat on the central worlds."


    "Then let''s go and eat something first," Irwin said.


    "Good plan!"


    The rest of the morning saw them wandering the tiny Port Town, eating at a few places while gathering ingredients Boohm said would make his cooking even better.


    Finally, late in the afternoon, they headed to the first merchant. It was in a tiny street with three card merchants close together, and as they walked past one, Irwin saw a young woman dust the tiny wooden shop front.


    "Why not that one?" he asked.


    Boohm snorted, shaking his head as he pointed at a larger one ahead. "I hate making women cry. Besides, they only have very specific cards, making it far more difficult to force a good deal."


    Irwin watched Boohm stomp inside the larger shop, wondering if he should remain outside. In the end, he entered only to leave ten minutes later when the shouting threatened to deafen him.


    He was surprised that it still took half an hour, though when Boohm came outside, his smug smile said everything. Luckily, there was no crying from the shop, though the curses made Irwin wonder exactly how much Boohm had managed to reduce the prices.


    "So, he didn''t have any of the cards you were looking for, sadly, but he bled nicely to get the one you wanted to sell," Boohm said as he handed Irwin a purse. "I''ve taken my cut already, so that''s all yours, captain!"


    Irwin grinned as he looked in the purse. His guess would say there were close to twenty thousand soulshards inside, way more than he ever thought the topaz card would be worth. With the other four cards he had ready, they wouldn''t be troubled for soulshards for a long time.


    The second merchant proved no more resilient to Boohm''s shouting and tactics, and a few hours later, they walked back on the ship. A happy Boohm instantly headed towards the cabin with his bags of spices and ingredients.


    "So, are we leaving now?" Greldo asked, stepping up beside Irwin. "Or do you want to find a smith?"


    Irwin thought for a second, then shook his head, turning to Rindiri.


    "Let''s head out!"


    Rindiri nodded while Greldo and Irwin removed the ropes holding The Sonata down.


    "So, are we rich again?" Greldo asked, throwing a rope on board.


    "Not yet, but we should be fine for a while," Irwin said as he followed his friend on board.


    "Good, then we should start thinking about some luxuries on board," Greldo said. "I''ve heard you can get warm water shower cabins! Just over ten thousand soulshards for each."


    Irwin grimaced and shook his head. "We will see when we reach the first central world," he said.


    --


    Time flowed by again, and soon, two months had passed. They had stopped at two more Portal Harbors, and Irwin had used one as an excuse to ''find'' a smith. Zender and Earila had been thrilled with their new cards, and from that moment on, translucent Faerit had been flying around the cabins and deck while Earila kept appearing in their place, laughing like crazy.


    Zender''s fourth card, Glowing Flesh, had given him the ability to withstand both heat and cold and increase the temperature of his body up to the point that it would burn a hole in the wood of the ship. Combined with his active Silfzeron Growth ability, which worked like a weaker version of Irwin''s Coperion Body, it had greatly increased his dexterity, agility, and speed while his strength and constitution had been improved to a lesser degree.


    Now, Irwin and Rindiri stood at the deck, staring at the oddly split corridor ahead of them. Two went left, one up, and another right and down. Irwin''s gaze was focused on the path leading down as he recalled the things Rindiri had told him about it and the large maps that hung in the empty sleeping cabin they had dubbed the ''general room''.


    "Captain, are you still still sure you want to take the quickest passage to Granvrox?" Rindiri asked. "There will be more cold areas, up to places only you, me, and Earila can stay outside."


    "The alternatives are months longer," Irwin said as he looked at the distant corridors. "The chances we come across raiders is still small, right?"


    "It might be smaller if we take the cold spikes areas," Rindiri said.


    "And you are absolutely sure you can navigate them?"


    "Yes," Rindiri said resolutely.


    "Then I''ll stick with my decision," Irwin said. "Take us into the Chaotic Corridors."

 Chapter 239: The Boring Corridors

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    "Good job! Now, pour the red and yellow spices in and keep stirring," Boohm ordered.


    Zender was looking at the massive, new cauldron, stirring with the ladle, also new. Both were bought by Boohm himself during their last stop. Zender was pressing his left hand against the cauldron''s bottom, his silver hand and lower arm seeming to glow from within like molten metal.


    Irwin was leaning against the entrance of the kitchen, watching as Boohm tutored Zender on the details of creating some spicy meat stew based on a recipe Boohm knew. They had entered the Chaotic Corridors three weeks ago, and by now, Boohm was happy enough with Zender''s progress to allow him to prepare their evening meal.


    "Good, good," Boohm hummed. "Wait till the bubbles appear in the center, even when you stir slowly. That''s when you know it''s done!"


    Zender nodded, and a few moments later, he removed his hand, which rapidly cooled, the red turning to its usual silvery pale flesh.


    Maybe I should start collecting metallic cards to bring back home, Irwin thought as he rubbed his shaven chin. He''d broken three knives already and, in the end, had to buy a much more expensive one created by a carded-crafter. It had a few miniature runes on the blade that pulled in minute bits of ambient soulforce to keep its edge. Not that it would remain perfect forever, but it should last for a few years. At the steep price of nearly a thousand soulshards, it had better.


    "Alright, now keep stirring it till it stops bubbling, then place the lid on, and we can eat in twenty minutes," Boohm said, padding Zender on his back. "You did great, boy!"


    Zender was staring anxiously at the pot, still stirring, and only when he finally placed the lid as instructed did he seem to lose some of his stress.


    "I''ll get the rest," Irwin said.


    An hour later, they were all leaning back, the pot nearly half empty due to a heroic effort of Irwin and Boohm, who had both eaten as much as three normal grown men.


    "Greldo, can we play hide and seek again?" Earila asked, eyes glittering.


    Irwin shared a smile with Rindiri. She had left the ship hovering in a narrow strip with Coal guarding from the shadows in case anything happened so they could eat together.


    Over the last few weeks, and ever since she''d gotten her fourth card, she''d slowly gone from a quiet, somewhat fearful girl into what Irwin thought was more normal for her age. Although she still seemed somewhat cool around her mother, she''d finally begun accepting her guidance, and the atmosphere on the ship was calm and homey.


    Boohm, unable to go outside, had begun cooking more elaborate creations while trying to practice his singing. The first was far more appreciated by the others than the latter, as he somehow seemed physically incapable of holding a tune.


    Greldo hummed, his burning silver eyes, an indication his soullake, were close to full narrowing.


    "We can¡­ but only if you promise not to go above deck again!"


    Earila snorted, crossing her arms and faking a scowl. "Bah, that was only one time, and you didn''t stipulate I couldn''t go up the deck!"


    Irwin held back a snort at the girl''s use of words she''d started picking up from her mother.


    "Well¡­" Greldo said before vanishing from his chair and reappearing in the door opening. "Let''s see how much you''ve improved then!"


    Earila vanished from her spot, replaced by a small translucent blue Fearit. She reappeared at the door opening only to find Greldo already gone.


    "I''ll find you!" she shouted while six Fearits shot away from her, running through the ship. A moment later, she and the Fearits were gone.


    "I''ll go back up," Rindiri said, getting up and smiling at Zender. "Zender, you did great. Thank you for the meal."


    Zender''s eyes gleamed.


    Rindiri left, while Zender almost skipped after her, heading to the empty hull to practice his sword and whip fighting.


    Irwin looked at Boohm, who began cleaning up the dishes without as much as a complaint. He could go back to practicing, but he was starting to get more than a little bored of it. Without an instrument, all he could do was sing, and he''d found out that a lot of the music on the Galadin music sheets was meant for some string-based instrument. He was able to fake or mimic it somewhat, but the end result wasn''t going to be exactly right, and that meant he couldn''t really use them for card reforging yet. Although most card reforging could do with rough hums because they required being forced along paths, the Galadin songs seemed more based on finesse.


    Deciding he hadn''t really talked with Boohm after they began their journey, he leaned back.


    "I''ve wanted to ask you something for a while. Why didn''t you slot cards to help you resist the cold? I know another Onyxian who seems pretty alright in resisting the cold."


    Boohm looked up, eyebrow raised above his silver eyes. "You know another Onyxian? You''ll have to tell me that story sometime! But for me, I got an interesting card when I was younger. It was the basis of full body armor, so during my young years, I just focused on that. When I finally finished it and created my heartcard, I found out just how hard it was to fill my soullake."


    "You don''t have a soulcard?" Irwin asked, surprised. He''d expected Boohm to be building his second or third soulcard by now.


    "I do!" Boohm said, stepping aside and into the clear area between the kitchen and the tables. With a flash of silvery light, his entire body was suddenly covered in an angular armor. Two round metal clubs sat in his hands, short, dangerous spikes on the ends.


    Boohm turned around before pulling his soulcarded armor back and continuing cleaning the dishes.


    "The thing is, after I got this, I realized there wasn''t actually that much use for it in my own world. Or any of the central worlds, really. So, I decided to become a mercenary, but I soon found that I had no useful skills."


    Irwin hummed, starting to realize where this was going.


    "Because of the temperature in the central area, I focused on getting six cards that would make me useful aboard a ship! I can create a concussive blast a few hundred feet away to take down enemy sails and-" he raised a hand, and a dome-sized barrier appeared above his hand. "- create a barrier to block most normal attacks."


    Boohm sighed, rubbing his bald head and spreading bubbly, soapy water across it without seeming to care.


    "It was easy enough to join a merchant vessel as a guard¡­ but when we exited the central region, the temperature plummeted. Well, I don''t think I''ve got to explain that they weren''t happy to find their hired mercenary couldn''t stay on the deck to actually defend them!"


    Irwin grimaced.


    "No. Did they-"


    "Dump me on the nearest planet? Definitely. That was-" Boohm counted his fingers. "- almost ten years ago. I tried staying on a world for a bit, but that was as boring as back home. Then I tried having a shop, but I got into trouble with the local merchants. After that, I joined a mercenary crew that investigated portals in case they were desert, volcano, or anything else hot. Finally, a few years ago, I realized things were going nowhere, and I decided to get the cards to fill this." He thudded his chest. "I''d need to return home."


    "After you succeed, will you return back out again?" Irwin asked, curious.


    "If I can get cards to finally get rid of this stupid weakness, probably," Boohm said, looking up with sparkling eyes. "So, if you feel generous and want to gift me a load of cards just like you did Greldo, that would save me a trip back home!"


    Irwin blinked at the incredible audacity of Boohm to just ask someone to gift them enough cards to fill their soullake. Noticing the gleam of humor in Boohm''s eyes, he knew the other was just toying with him.


    "Well¡­" Irwin said as he tapped the table and raised an eyebrow. "How about this? I''ll think on it!"


    Boohm laughed uproariously before focusing back on the dishes. "That''d be awesome!" he said.


    Irwin grinned as he got up and walked towards his own cabin. As he did, he realized he was actually seriously thinking about it.


    Let''s see what types of cards he has first, he thought.


    Weeks continued to pass by as the crew of The Sonata lived in relative calm. The temperature dropped from cold to freezing, and by then, they had started calling The Chaotic Corridors the Boring Corridors.


    Finally, almost five weeks after they had gone in, Rindiri said they were closing in on the exit.


    Irwin and Greldo began switching places on the prow, more than ready to see something else than energy barriers with darkness and massive nebulae behind them.


    --


    You''gyn looked at the young Ignitzion walking across a massive stone dock.


    One soulcard, emerald rank, he thought absently. Fire¡­ who would have guessed? No metal, too many weaknesses.


    Bored out of his metal mind, You''gyn moved away from one of the small windows. He strained his metal wings and flew his reasonable bulk through the top floor of the main guard tower. Tiny streams of lava leaked from a beautifully crafted bubble basin down the side of an onyx sheet and into a small lake. Hanging in the yellow gas collecting on the ceiling, he took a deep, unnecessary ''breath'', feeling the toxic gas harmlessly fill his mouth.


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    His eyeless gaze focused on the massive, custom-made stone pedestal.


    "Damn rustbuckets," he muttered. "I''ll find a prospective smith to bind to! Send me all the way to this stupid guardpost, will you? One day, I''ll bond and break the rank three barrier!"


    If the stone pedestal could have heard or talked, it would have probably told him to shut up already, as he''d muttered the same sentences thousands, if not tens of thousands of times already.


    You''gyn wouldn''t have cared if it did and continued mumbling some more curses directed at his cousins.


    A few moments later, his boredom caught up with him again, and he rushed to another of the lookout windows. He landed on the edge, staring down at the towering stone town below.


    Softfleshed humans, rock-skinned Onyxians, and fiery Ignitzians moved about their daily business, probably as bored as he was. Why wouldn''t they be? There was nothing to do but wait for someone to move out of the narrow corridor. Many were covered in a layer of flame or some form of gas to protect themselves from the cold, but he knew all of them and their cards, and there wasn''t a single one with the potential to be a cardsmith.


    Well, not with the potential to be a good enough one that he would bond with one.


    You''gyn hesitated, then flew down into the coldness of Portal Corridor, circled around the outside wall, and landed on the edge of the roof. Three hundred and fifty-one feet away -he knew, as he''d counted it multiple times- was the only narrow corridor leading out of this otherwise boring sidebranch. Behind it was the Chaotic Corridor, an aptly named web of narrow corridors set in the near-perpetual cold with occasional deep frost regions.


    It''s been a month. There should be something arriving soon, he thought.


    He ignored the fact that he had thought the same thing the previous day, and the day before, and many before that. Instead, he gazed at the opening, willing a ship to appear. One with someone that either still had some free slots or had a heartcard suitable to become a cardsmith.


    He hummed softly as he sat there, glaring at the energy barrier surrounding the hole, barely large enough for a good escort vessel.


    I wonder if Father still hasn''t forgiven me, he thought angrily. He knew he''d made some mistakes, but he still felt it wasn''t all his fault. Glau''hest had been the one to suggest the contest! Besides, those stupid Hestolgron brats had way less potential than he had!


    His angry, swirling thoughts were interrupted as he saw movement in the exit.


    "Finally!" You''gyn shouted just as a soft gong rang out from below.


    He flew back into his room, then down the tube and towards the tower''s central guardroom. Four people surrounded a large crystal slab in the center, while two others stood at the large window overseeing the portal corridor. One of them turned around as You''gyn flew down in a rustle of metal wings fluttering.


    "Honorable You''gyn! A small scout vessel has exited the Corridor, and-"


    "I saw," You''gyn said, interrupting Bernwald, the captain of his guard.


    The grizzled, middle-aged human that had tried many times to sway him to teach him smithing, even suggesting he would focus his second heartcard and soulcard fully on card forging if You''gyn would be willing to bond with him. The fool didn''t seem to understand that it was the first soulcard that determined the final skill of a cardsmith. Even if that hadn''t been the case, Bernwald''s ability to sense the ambient soulforce and the resonance of cards was so poor even the best soulcards wouldn''t have helped him become more than an average cardsmith, if even that.


    "Do we have a record of the vessel?"


    "Yes, my lord. It''s called The Surtin and was last reported as stolen during an excursion to the outer leaves."


    One of Bernwald''s men turned around. "The Razor is heading there to intercept and guide them to the dock."


    You''gyn couldn''t stop a grin from appearing on his flat metal face.


    "I''m heading to The Razor to personally take over," You''gyn said as he flew forward, out of the window and into the cold. Someone shouted something behind him, but he ignored that.


    Maybe there''s someone useful on the ship, and otherwise, it might just be interesting!


    --


    Irwin stood on the prow as Rindiri maneuvered The Sonata through the sharp turn, hoping to finally see the exit from the frozen mazelike area that they had moved through for the last.


    "Finally," he said, letting out a relieved sigh as he saw the massive stone tower, surrounded by a town atop a forty-foot rocky outcrop. It signaled the end of their five-week journey through the Chaotic Corridors.


    "I suggest we take another route if we head back," Greldo said. "As fun as this was, I hope to never see those boring, narrow corridors ever again."


    "Definitely," Irwin said, slightly distracted as he looked at a large vessel flying towards them.


    Its steel gray sails were like sharp triangles. Large swirls of soulforce rippled away from them while he saw a few dozen people moving about on the deck.


    "Rindiri, any idea what they want?" he shouted.


    "No. Usually, we just go and dock to report who we are and where we are going," she shouted.


    "Great. Get ready," Irwin said, looking at Greldo, who was examining the ship.


    The ship, easily three times as long and twice as wide as The Sonta, approached them head-on before slowing. A booming voice came from the prow, where Irwin saw a large person in full armor.


    "To The Surtin, slow down and be ready to be boarded!"


    Irwin sighed. "I hope this doesn''t have anything to do with that tracking rune we removed."


    "Rindiri, do as they say!" he shouted before realizing they were already slowing down.


    When they stopped, the large ship stopped slightly beside and above them, and four figures jumped down. One of them glowed a soft blue, and the group slowly levitated down. A fist-sized and very familiar-looking thing flew beside them.


    Is that-


    ''Damnit, what is that little brat doing here?! Whatever, Irwin, don''t tell them I''m here for any reason!''


    "Why?" Irwin whispered, ignoring Greldo''s surprised look.


    ''That''s You''gyn, an annoying little punk that knows who I am. I''d rather arrive on Granvox without anyone knowing I''m arriving so I can talk with my Progenitor,'' Ambraz hissed while Irwin felt him appear in his soulscape.


    Irwin didn''t have time to respond as the group of four heavily armored figures landed on the deck while a silvery gray Granvil hovered before them. He had a wide grin on his face.


    "Look at that!" he shouted, flying forward and circling around Irwin, then around Greldo, who had been standing in the doorway of the cabin. "Two! For fifty years, nothing, and then two on one ship! Finally!"


    ''Damnit, he is still not bound? We are in trouble!''


    The Granvil shot towards Irwin and stopped two feet from his face. The four armored figures remained quiet.


    "I am commander You''gyn of the Chaotic Corridor outpost! Tell me, who is the captain of this stolen vessel?"


    Irwin was momentarily stunned, and then his mind started racing.


    The original owner of The Sonata registered it as stolen?


    He took a deep breath, then crossed his arms. "This ship, The Sonata, was taken by us from a group of Galub Raiders that captured it near Sesnanser. I am Irwin, the current captain."


    As he spoke, Rindiri made her way to them, a stoic look on her face.


    "That''s what you say," the Ganvil said, making a tsking sound that Irwin had never heard Ambraz do. "For all I know, you are the raider. Whether or not this is the case, this ship is registered as The Surtin by the Casnar Merchant group, thus it is their property, and we are hereby taking it-"


    "By the Merchant and Mercenary agreement signed on Dimarintsia by both guilds, a ship retrieved by an official mercenary group is to be returned by them to the Merchant group. No third party is allowed to interfere," Rindiri stated, interrupting the Ganvil as she stepped forward. "We are the Giards Rangers, and we will be returning this ship for payment or keeping it. We are well within the allotted one-year period."


    Irwin felt a massive surge or relief.


    You''gyn flew towards Rindiri, his metal lips compressed in a scowl.


    "And you are?" he snapped.


    "The second in command of this vessel," Rindiri said cooly.


    You''gyn hissed, then flew back a bit. "We will need to validate this information," he said.


    "Lord You''gyn, what they say is-" one of the men behind him began.


    "We will validate it!" You''gyn shouted angrily, interrupting the man. "Until we do, you are to follow us to dock where this vessel will be bound until¡­ well until I say otherwise!"


    Irwin shared a look with Rindiri, who frowned and then shook her head as if saying she had no idea what was happening.


    ''This annoying punk hasn''t changed one bit! He sees something he wants and will do anything to get it!'' Ambraz hissed inside Irwin''s soulscape. ''He is probably stuck at rank three and still has not bound to any smith, meaning he is looking at you and¡­ Zender for that!''


    As Irwin was listening to Ambraz, one of the three men walked up to their helm. Irwin didn''t know what to do, but one look at the ship above them told him that resisting was probably going to be troublesome.


    Maybe Ambraz can talk some sense into him, he thought. Sadly, that meant going along with You''gyn. It was too dangerous to show him here because there would be too many people making the link with him being a smith. Although he definitely wanted to head to the Smith Guild at some point in the future, he wanted it to be on his own volition, not because he was captured and brought there.


    "Fine. We need to figure out where the Cesnar Merchant group is, and perhaps we can locate them here," he said.


    Another idea poked its head up, but he held it back for now. If need be, we can say we are heading to Granvox, he thought. But he''d have to discuss that with Ambraz first.


    "Good," You''gyn said as he hovered closer to him. "So, why don''t you tell me a bit about yourself? Is that silver guy over there your son or something?"


    Irwin''s mouth fell open as he stared at the Ganvil, barely believing what he had said.


    "No¡­ he is a Yuurindi," he said slowly. "And I''m like the Fiz''rin."


    "Really? I''ve never met a real-life Yuurindi before," You''gyn said, flying over to Zender, then to Rindiri. "Are you one too?"


    ''Don''t let him trick you. His Progenitor will have told him all about the different races,'' Ambraz shouted in his mind. ''He''s trying to make you drop your guard!"


    "I am," Rindiri said slowly.


    "Really! Well, that means we are going to have to get that sorted. Can''t just have you roaming around the central worlds unsupervised," You''gyn said, sounding far too happy.


    The trip to the tower''s large dock took only a short while, but when they finally arrived, Irwin was more than a little done with You''gyn. He kept asking him questions about his cards. At some point, he flew to Zender and began grilling the boy on what he had planned for his final two slots and if he''d ever thought about hammers or resonance-enhancing cards.


    "Now! You''ll be brought to our inn, where you will remain while we try to verify your claims," You''gyn shouted as he swirled around. "I''ll be finding you later today to ask a few more questions."


    Seeming almost singing for joy, the Ganvil flew up along the tower, vanishing within moments.


    Irwin sighed, then looked at one of the guards. He was human and had dropped his full armor when it became clear Irwin and the others weren''t going to resist or cause trouble.


    "Don''t ask," he said with a grunt. "I have never seen him like this. Anyway, let''s go. I''ll get you settled in the inn."


    "Alright, but our cook will have to stay here," Irwin said.


    Boohm had not shown himself, mostly because he couldn''t stand the chill that was still in the air.


    "All of you will have to come along," the guard said.


    "He''s an Onyxian and can''t stand this temperature," Irwin said. "So, unless you have some way to get him there?"


    The guard seemed ready to disagree, then stopped. He looked up at the tower with a frown, then sighed and turned to one of the others. "Jaalk, you will stay here to make sure nothing funny happens."


    The other guard nodded and then headed to the helm.


    "Captain, if you could tell your cook what is going on and that he is to stay inside at all times, that would make life a lot easier for all of us."


    "I''ll be right back," Irwin said as he walked to the cabin.


    He was slightly surprised that the guard just let him go alone. Boohm stood before the stairs, looking at him worriedly.


    "Now what?" he asked in a surprising whisper.


    Irwin stared at him for a moment, shocked that he was even capable of it.


    "What?" Boohm hissed. "I can whisper, it''s just¡­ annoying!"


    Irwin shook the surprise away and walked down the stairs.


    "We are going to have to see if we can fix this," he said. "I''ve got a few ideas, and if we have to, there''s a final resort we can take."


    He walked to his cabin and quickly gathered the few things he didn''t care to leave lying around. Stuffing them in his coat, he looked around, then turned, closed the door, and looked at Boohm.


    "I don''t think we are going to be in trouble, but just in case¡­ can you stand the temperature outside if needed?"


    Boohm looked at him, seemingly trying to figure out what he was going to say after. Then he nodded. "I can for a short while."


    "Good," Irwin said. "Then, if you hear any trouble outside, go up and clear the deck if you can. Until then, remain below deck."


    Boohm quietly looked at him, then slowly smiled. "Sure. You can count on me, captain!"


    Irwin smirked, then walked back up. Everyone was waiting for him, seemingly ready to head out.


    "He won''t cause any trouble," Irwin said.


    "I''d hope not," the guard muttered. "Follow me!"

 Chapter 240: Grab and hold!

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    Irwin was surprised by how empty and desolate the town felt. There were some people wandering around, but they all looked like guards that were off-duty.


    "Does nobody live here?" he asked, looking at the guard beside him.


    The man looked up with a raised eyebrow. "Never been to a central world''s guard station?"


    Irwin frowned. "I''m pretty sure there were merchants there. And some shops?"


    The guard snorted. "Lucky guards. Well, not here. We are at the proper edge of civilization here, and with so few merchants daring to cross the Chaotic Corridors, there are only guards or guards in training here."


    The deadly tone of the guard made Irwin keep any potential questions he had to himself as they were led to a large, quiet building. A sign read ''The Inn'', and they walked inside the desolate large first room. Tables with chairs upside down on top of it made the place feel abandoned. If not for the lack of dust, Irwin would have assumed it was.


    "Coming!" a dry voice shouted from the back. A moment later, one of the oldest Ignitzions Irwin had seen walked towards them, her entire body and oddly shimmering robe covered in tiny flames.


    "Sebahl? Did a merchant ship arrive!?" the woman asked, eyes bright, and her smile caused her face to turn into a wrinkle of valleys where flames trickled along.


    "No, Zarina. Lord Ganvil is acting up again like he did a few years ago. Making their lives more difficult than it has to be," Sebahl said as he waved Irwin and the others forward. "I''ll leave you here. Don''t attempt to go back to your ship and fly off until you get permission."


    The guard smiled at the Ignitzion before turning and walking back out of the Inn, closing the door behind him.


    "Ah, well, I guess that means you are going to be my guests for a few days to a week," Zaria said with a smile. "I can understand it''s not what you had planned, but I''ll do my very best to make your stay as pleasant as possible!"


    "Thank you," Irwin said as he looked around. "Perhaps we can have something to eat and drink?"


    "Of course! You would be the Captain? Or¡­¡± Zarina looked at Rindiri, then at her kids.


    "Captain Irwin," Irwin said with a smile. "She is my second in command, Rindiri."


    "Good, good! Let me clear the table for you," Zarina said, and she moved easily to the table nearest the bar.


    Irwin was about to move to help her when he heard Rindiri mutter something. A moment later, Zender and Earila moved forward, quickly helping Zarina to put the tables down.


    "Such nice children," Zarina said with a smile. "I''ve got nearly a hundred living children and grandchildren, you know? They never really come visit, but sometimes I get news from them."


    Irwin blinked as Zarina began wiping the table with a clean towel while talking about her children. Before Zarina left to bring them some food, he had heard and forgotten dozens of Ignitzion names.


    "She talks a lot," Zender muttered. "Are we supposed to remember all those names?"


    "No," Rindiri said calmly, looking at her son. "Zarina might be a bit lonely, and it seems she hasn''t talked with other people than the guards in a long time."


    "Right," Zender muttered. "She seemed really proud of how many children she had¡­ I thought other species didn''t want to have too many children?"


    "It''s not want, it''s cant," Rindiri said. "From what I know, the only other species that regularly have more than between ten and twenty offspring are the Ignitzions. There probably are more, but they probably don''t live very long."


    "Like us," Earila said softly, looking at the table.


    Irwin grimaced as both young Yuurindi looked at each other.


    Rindiri sighed. "Don''t worry. With the cards you have now, both of you will live at least to a hundred, and if things continue like this, you will likely get a high-rank heartcard. That should increase it to close to two hundred. That''s older than the large majority of our species will ever become."


    Zender''s somber mood was wiped away instantly, and he grinned at his sister. "Can you imagine? What will we even look like in a hundred years? Perhaps we can have children of our own?"


    "I don''t want children," Earila muttered. "My genes would set them back behind the others so far they would only be barely better than me. Besides, who would want to have children with me?"


    Irwin felt massively uncomfortable, but Rindiri just snorted and then laughed, causing Earila to glare at her.


    "You are so young! Don''t worry about these things yet," she said, looking at her daughter with bright eyes. "You have cards that will allow you to slowly become an adult now and enjoy life. Besides, who knows? You might return home and think differently!"


    At the mention of home -the way they had started referring to Eluathar- Rindiri smiled. The warmth removed some of her usually stoic outlook, making her seem younger even with her partially gray hair.


    Irwin leaned forward curiously about something. "What happens if one of them gets a soulcard?" he asked. "Will they be able to become even older?"


    Rindiri smiled sadly while Zender and Earila shook their heads.


    "They aren''t strong enough to hold a soulcard," Rindiri said. "Only Ibiri would be able to."


    Is that why she only had Ibiri with her when we found them? Irwin thought.


    It surprised him how they hadn''t spoken about these things over the last few months and only did so now.


    He leaned back, ignoring the dangerous groaning of the chair, and gazed at Zender and Earila. Now that he focused on it, he saw the weak soulforce ripples and waves around them and the soft humming of their cards mixed together.


    Why would they be able to hold a heartcard, but not a soulcard, he thought, pursing his lips. The only real difference was that the card was moved from their bodies into their souls, though he had no idea what that really meant. Ambraz had said it was the seed in all of them that bound their minds and bodies together and allowed all life to generate a tiny amount of soulforce.


    Did that mean their weakness was more than just physical?


    I wish I could see what their soulscapes look like, Irwin thought. Perhaps there was something wrong with it? Thin barriers, perhaps? He decided to ask Rindiri about it.


    Zarina returned with plates filled with food, most generic. There was one tiny plate with a few Ignitzion dishes, and without paying a lot of attention, engrossed in thoughts, Irwin took a thin slice of heavily spiced meat chewing on it.


    "Oh, dear, how did that remain there?! I''ll get the water," Zarina said, sounding worried and ripping Irwin out of his thoughts.


    The old Ignitzion was looking at him worriedly, and Irwin looked around to see the others smile or grin.


    "Don''t worry, Zarina. Our Captain doesn''t just look like metal. His mouth is actually made of it!"


    Irwin looked at the tiny plate, suddenly realizing what it was.


    "Ah, don''t worry! I love these," he said, taking another piece of meat. "Perhaps I can have some more?"


    Zarina''s eyebrows had risen almost to her hairline, but she nodded. "Of course, Captain!" she rushed away, and the others grinned.


    "I wonder if there''s anything you can''t eat," Greldo asked.


    "I don''t like cold things," Irwin said as he began mixing different dishes.


    The rest of their meal went by without any interruptions, and when they finished, Zarina brought them to a hallway with three rooms. Irwin got his own, while Zender and Greldo shared the one on his left, and Rindiri and Earila the one on his right.


    Irwin would have been fine to share a room with Greldo and Zender, but his friend had said it would be best if they kept up appearances. With Rindiri agreeing, Irwin had just accepted the arrangement.


    "Thank you for the meal. Do you know how long all of this will take? I heard that the Ganvil has done this before?" he said.


    He was looking at Zarina, who had brought them to their rooms. The others had already left, but he wanted to try and glean some more information from the old Ignitzion.


    "Yes, it means that one of you has the potential to become a cardsmith," Zarina said excitedly. "Lord You''gyn has been searching for a smith for as long as he was here. Sadly, with the Smiths guild pulling all their smiths back, the chances are even smaller now."


    ''Ask her how long he''s been here!'' Ambraz said.


    "I see," Irwin said thoughtfully. "How long ago did You''gyn come here then?"


    "Oh, that has to be almost fifty years ago now? Merchant Timescale, mind you," Zarina said. "Rumor has it that he was sent here as punishment for some transgression, but nobody really knows for sure. Lord You''gyn doesn''t really come here and talk with us."


    "What happened the previous time?" Irwin asked.


    "There was a young girl with a heartcard that interested Lord You''gyn, but in the end, she ended up being the daughter of a wealthy merchant. Her ship was allowed to continue on a week later. It happened a few more times, though, and one time, we all thought Lord You''gyn was going to keep a young sail-scrubber here. He had an open cardslot if you can believe that, and his other cards seemed compatible. Only due to a lack of a propper sixth card did You''gyn finally let them leave."


    Zarina leaned forward with wide eyes. "One of the guards once told me that he heard lord You''gyn mutter something about the boy needing Purperion!"


    Irwin raised an eyebrow; his curiosity peaked. "What''s that?" he asked, deciding to act as if he didn''t know what Purperion was.


    "A not very well-known metal that is said to be able to help smiths become really powerful, though I have no idea how," Zarina said. "Back when I was a little girl on Igniz, there were legends about it. It''s said that eons ago, shortly after our people found the Exit Portal and the Portal Gallery, it was used in the most special jewelry."


    ''Interesting,'' Ambraz muttered. ''See if she knows more about that! If we can find more purperion, that would be fantastic!''


    "How do you know about it if it''s that long ago?" Irwin asked.


    "I''ve always had an interest in history," Zarina said with a sad grin. "It''s why I''m here and not back home."


    Irwin waited for her to continue, but Zarina just smiled and turned back to the stairs.


    "Now, have a good rest! I''m sure Lord You''gyn will come and see you soon!"


    "Rest well," Irwin replied as he moved into his room and closed the door.


    ''Meet me in your soulscape,'' Ambraz said as soon as the door was closed.


    Irwin took a quick look around the sparsely furnished room. It had a bed, a closet, and a single shuttered window. Moving to the bed, he lay down, and a few moments later, he appeared inside his soulscape.


    He was momentarily taken aback by just how large it was. The steamy clouds moved around up high while the mountain towered before him. The lava lake had increased in size, covering one section of the foot of the mountain, and the energy barriers that surrounded him were dark but slightly opaque.


    "Alright, we need to figure out what to do!" Ambraz said, flying up from below. "You''gyn is going to try and persuade you to bond with him, which can''t happen because we are already bonded."


    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    "What does it mean that we are bonded," Irwin asked, flying along with Ambraz across the landscape of his


    Ambraz was quiet for a while, then snorted. "I guess it''s about time we had this conversation," he said. "Remember when I explained to you how Ganvils require energy? Well, what we really need is the changed and purified soulforce that is created when cardsmiths reforge cards, either by upgrading them or changing them sideways. Unlike people that have cards, we Ganvils can''t just harvest the Ambient Soulforce of a world until we are rank six."


    Irwin nodded, recalling what Ambraz had told him before.


    "So, to actually be able to use the purified soulforce the cardsmith creates, we need to match our soul''s resonation to theirs," Ambraz said with a weary hum. "It''s a one-time thing, so if we bind to the wrong smith, we could be locked from becoming the higher ranks."


    "Wait, so your soul is resonating with mine?" Irwin said in surprise.


    "Well, with your soulforce, but yes, I guess it''s roughly the same," Ambraz muttered. "The thing is, I don''t know all of the details because I hadn''t planned to bind with anyone until returning home."


    Irwin watched the tiny anvil quietly. "So why did you bond with me then?"


    Ambraz''s lips quirked up in a massive grin. "What do you think? Because you are almost as talented as I am! It''s guaranteed that I''ll be able to reach rank seven, and it wouldn''t really surprise me if we manage to reach rank eight! I''d love to see that old iron monstrosity''s reaction when another rank eight world anvil appears!"


    "Who?" Irwin asked.


    "Gynerigon, the only known rank eight world anvil," Ambraz said with distaste. "A self-righteous, annoying old bastard and the Progenitor of You''gyn."


    Irwin frowned as he thought about the two names, and then an idea cropped in his mind.


    "So that''s why he''s called You''gyn? The last bit of his name is the first of Gynerigon?"


    "Yeah," Ambraz said with a snort. "And before you ask, yes, my real name is Am''braz, after Brazardian."


    "So he''s your father or Progenitor," Irwin said, hesitating before asking something he''d been wondering about for a long time. "How do new Ganvils get created or born then?"


    "Progenitor, we don''t have fathers or mothers like you fleshies do," Ambraz said before sighing wearily. "Kid, you and your questions are going to be the death of me someday! Anyway, I''m not sure why anybody would be interested in this, but fine!"


    Irwin held back a grin, knowing full well that Ambraz was fully enjoying himself.


    "Ganvils can take the excess soulforce we have accumulated towards our next rank up and use it to create new Ganvils. Because of how much-refined soulforce is needed, every Ganvil above rank four donates half their gained refined soulforce each month to the collective, and we create rank zero Ganvils from that. It takes a lot to create a new Ganvil, so it''s going to be many years before we ever reach the same numbers as we did before our world was shattered," Ambraz said, sounding sad.


    "I wasn''t created back then, but the stories I''ve heard indicate there were millions of us! Anyway¡­ most Ganvils are limited in their growth because of this. Being created from so many different resonating soul energies isn''t optimal, and they are usually limited to rank four, sometimes five if they find an exceedingly powerful smith. Technically, one could grow to rank six and beyond, but the chances are too small to count. Luckily, after rank seven, a World Anvil has so much energy that he can split off enough to create an entire Ganvil. As you can probably guess, that''s what I am! My Progenitor is one of the Monarchs, the third by age and power, and that means my entire being was formed from a single intake of purified soulforce, all resonating at the exact right and perfect frequency!"


    Irwin grinned at the smugness in Ambraz''s voice, though he did understand why the Ganvil felt superior to others. He''d probably grown up being told he was better.


    "Does this benefit the cardsmith?" Irwin asked, guessing it probably would.


    "Of course! Because I have only a single, pure resonation, I can far better help you reforge the most difficult of cards. It''s the only reason you ever managed to create your own heartcard! If I''d been just any regular Ganvil, it would have been impossible, and it would have shattered."


    They continued flying around for a bit, Irwin mulling over what he''d heard.


    "So, what do we do now?" he finally asked. "I don''t know about you, but I don''t very much feel like giving away The Sonata. It might not be the best ship, but it''s grown on me."


    "You should learn not to care for objects too much," Ambraz snorted. "Anyway, there are two things I can think of. We can grab him when he arrives, force him into your soulscape, and scare him until he does what we want¡­"


    "We can do that?" Irwin asked in surprise before thinking about the other part. "What do you mean, scare him? Wouldn''t he just detain us after he gets back out?"


    "Dammit, I had thought you had stopped asking so many questions for a while," Ambraz said. "Yes, we can do that, though without my help, it would be impossible. Also, You''gyn is super annoying! He was like that when he was just rank zero, always flying around, telling others he was the best and would become a World Anvil before even his elder siblings! Scaring him a bit will be good for him!"


    "Right," Irwin said. "What''s the other idea you had?"


    ¡°We offer him Zender,¡± Ambraz said. "The kid has potential, though not nearly as much as any of those smiths from your world."


    Irwin thought for a bit, then shook his head. "No. Zender should be allowed to decide for himself. Besides, that would mean You''gyn would be coming along with us for the foreseeable future."


    "UGH! Right, I hadn''t thought of that. Forget I said anything," Ambraz exclaimed.


    They continued flying around when Irwin thought of something else.


    "What if we just tell You''gyn you are here and that we are on the way to Granvox," he said. "Would he rat us out with the Smiths Guild or do something else bad?"


    Ambraz''s mouth opened, then closed, and he was quiet for a bit.


    "I don''t know¡­ You''gyn is annoying, headstrong, and feels too good about himself¡­ but he wasn''t ever a bully or nasty," he finally said. "The problem is, I haven''t seen him in a very long time. He could have changed. Become bitter from being sent here. Besides, we don''t know what he did to be sent here."


    "Do you think he will give up if Zender and me aren''t interested?" Irwin asked.


    "Not quickly," Ambraz said. "If he has reached rank three, he will have been held back from improving for a very long time and probably won''t be easy to dissuade."


    Irwin was about to say something when Ambraz grunted.


    "Dammit, head back out! He''s heading to your room- the window!"


    Irwin closed his eyes, and a moment later, he was back in his body, looking around the still-empty room. He barely managed to get up when a rustling sound came from behind the shutter.


    "Captain Irwin, open this shutter, please!" You''gyn''s voice came from behind the shutter.


    Irwin sighed, wondering what he should do as he opened the shutter. The silver Ganvil shot inside, hovering around.


    "Thank you! I decided to check if you were comfortable and needed something," You''gyn said as he landed on the table.


    As he sat there quietly, Irwin noticed a few differences with Ambraz. Besides the color, You''gyn was slightly larger, and his etched lips were a bit thinner. His wings had another pattern, and there were some barely visible, tiny symbols etched around the bottom side.


    "I''m pretty comfortable," Irwin said, honestly. "Zarina has been incredibly nice."


    "Good, good," You''gyn said, his lips curving in a happy smile. "Say, I was wondering, have you ever thought about becoming a cardsmith?"


    Wow, he really doesn''t waste any time, Irwin thought, staring at the Ganvil in surprise. He hesitated about how to respond, then decided to start with a question of his own.


    "Am I understanding it right that you are looking for someone to bond to?" he asked.


    "Yes, yes!" You''gyn said, flying back up and circling the room. "I''ve been here for a while, and I''ve decided that it''s about time to take the next step! You''ve got a lot of potential, though you will have to show your exact soulcard for me to make my final decision, but I''d love to!"


    ''This little punk,'' Ambraz growled in his mind. ''Did he forget the proper ways already!?''


    "I see," Irwin said, trying to ignore Ambraz''s angry rattling. "I''m afraid there''s a misunderstanding here. I''m not looking to become a smith," he said. Because I already am one.


    "Ah, because of the current trouble with the Smith''s Guild, I take it!" You''gyn said. "Don''t worry! If we bond, we can just go to Granvox, and we will be fine. Nobody would dare abduct smiths from there, and the Smith''s Guild has brought a lot of smiths so you won''t be alone!"


    Irwin grimaced at You''gyn''s tenacity. "That is only part of it," he said. "The thing is that I have a mission to finish, and we need to return the ship to the Casnar Merchant Group. I''m also not sure smithing is the thing for me."


    The last was an outright lie, but he hoped he could somehow talk You''gyn out of it.


    "Well, I wouldn''t mind coming along on a mission! I''ve been cooped up for so long; anywhere is better than here, really," You''gyn said. "So, how about you show me your soulcard so we can wrap this up?"


    ''This, rusty little-'' Ambraz shouted.


    Irwin winced, almost expecting Ambraz''s voice to be audible beyond his mind. When he didn''t respond, You''gyn''s lips turned into a straight line.


    "Do you know the benefits of being a cardsmith?" You''gyn said. "You will become insanely rich, be able to make all your future cards much better, and¡­ if we are bonded, I can change some things and easily let you and your crew leave."


    There was no denying the slight threat in You''gyn''s words.


    "I went to check on the kid, but his potential is hampered by what those Yuurindi call poor genes. As good as his cards fit, he can''t even slot a ruby rank card," You''gyn continued, landing on the table. "And I''ve been here for long enough. I''m not staying here any longer if I don''t have to! Now, show me your soulcard!"


    ''Enough!'' Ambraz snapped. ''This punk has annoyed me too much. Get ready to grab him!''


    Before Irwin could even react, he felt Ambraz exit his soulscape, and a moment later, he struggled out of Irwin''s pocket.


    "You''gyn, you annoying rusty tool," Ambraz snapped as he flew up in the air.


    You''gyn''s mouth fell open, and his wings fluttered.


    "Who¡­. Am''braz? What¡­ You''re dead! What are you doing here?"


    Irwin had moved forward, but he didn''t know what Ambraz expected of him. Luckily, it became clear almost immediately. Ambraz rushed forward and collided with You''gyn.


    "Now!"

 Chapter 241: A deal

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    Irwin rushed forward, using kinetic energy to speed himself up before grabbing the connected anvils. He barely wrapped his hands around them when he felt You''gyn resist.


    "What is going on? Let go of me, you-"


    Both Anvils vanished from Irwin''s grip, and his hand slammed together with a hollow clang. A horrible sensation in his soulscape stopped any confused questions he might have.


    ''Get in here and let us in!'' Ambraz shouted in his soulscape.


    Irwin groaned as he sat down where he stood, closed his eyes, and jumped inside his soulscape. As soon as he appeared, he felt and heard a rumbling from a small point of the barrier. He flew towards it as fast as he could, almost sensing the struggle of the two Ganvils near the edge of his soulscape. When he reached the border, he felt both a familiar and a very unfamiliar resonance tangled together.


    ''Synchronize with his resonance! Then force him in! As soon as you do, keep focusing on his resonance, and you should feel how you can lock him inside here!''


    "How are you even talking to me," Irwin muttered, focusing on the two struggling resonances.


    It was far clearer than when Ambraz had been there alone. If that was due to the addition of his two new cards or because Ambraz had been quiet, he didn''t know. Whatever it was, it made the resonating soulforces sound like two combating songs. Focusing on the unfamiliar one, he began humming, resonating his soulscape gently.


    The first attempt failed, as did the second, the resonance both unfamiliar and¡­ odd. The third time, he finally picked up on the oddities, some weird underlying harmonic. He hummed, then sang a wordless song of meaningless sounds, and a bulge appeared on the barrier before him.


    Irwin flew to the side as two Ganvils surged inside, both appearing inside his soulscape like foreign entities, even if one was familiar and welcome. He struggled to keep a focus on the foreign entities'' resonance, and as he did, he felt his mindscape seem to want to wrap around it, the barriers ready to block the thing from moving away again. Irwin allowed his mindscape to act, and it felt like it clamped around You''gyn like a vice.


    Alright, I definitely have to be careful with going into any other person''s soulscape, Irwin thought as he shivered at the thought of being locked inside with no way out.


    Ambraz shot away from You''gyn and hovered beside Irwin.


    "Am''braz, how dare you! Where did¡­ you¡­¡± You''gyn''s voice petered off.


    Irwin could almost imagine him looking around, trying to understand what had happened. It didn''t take You''gyn long.


    "You brought me to his soulscape! That- Why- You- ARGH! Why is it¡­ how is it this big?"


    "You''gyn, you little punk! What happened in the time I was gone that gave you the idea you could act like you''re already a Monarch?" Ambraz snapped angrily. He remained close to Irwin, though if that was to guard him or to be guarded, Irwin didn''t know.


    "Am''braz! They said you were dead! We had a Dirge for you!"


    "I''m touched, but as you can see, I''m far from dead," Ambraz snorted. "Now, you rusty brat, how long have I been gone?"


    You''gyn''s lips drew in a thin, straight line. "I''m not a brat anymore¡­ stop calling me that!"


    "How long?" Ambraz snapped.


    "Over eighty years! Brazardian actually tried to blame it on Syn''gyn and Gynerigon had to step in and calm him down. There was a big commotion and Brazardian sent out dozens of rank three''s to try and find you. They all eventually came back empty handed."


    Ambraz was quiet for a few moments, then let out a soft sigh. "So, he sent Ganvils to check on me. That''s good."


    He seemed lost in thought for a few moments while Irwin watched You''gyn closely to make sure he wasn''t going to do anything stupid.


    "Well, whatever," Ambraz suddenly grunted. "And for the record, there''s no way weak Syn''gyn would be able to do that!"


    "I wouldn''t call him weak anymore," You''gyn said. "Lots has changed since you were gone, Am''braz. Syn''gyn is now rank five, and many believe that he will reach rank six soon. When he does¡­ Well, Gynerigon has been looking around the outer leaves and is preparing to buy him a world. That should tell you enough."


    Buy him a world? Irwin thought, blinking. How much soulshards would that even cost?


    "So, he found a smith that was willing to be bound to that metal whiner?" Ambraz said in disdain. "I pity him."


    "He bonded to the winner of the Smith''s Guild Tournament a few years after you left," You''gyn said, sounding both impressed and annoyed at the same time.


    "How did he get the Smith''s Guild to agree to that?" Ambraz exclaimed.


    "Nobody knows," You''gyn replied. "But Des''braz tried it twice until Brazardian ordered him to stop it and find a smith to bind to. It still took him a few years, but he eventually bonded with some random human."


    "Is he still on Granvox?"


    "Last I heard, he, Yirta''braz, Glau''hest and Syd''hest are still there," You''gyn said.


    "Good," Ambraz said.


    Irwin, who had been quietly waiting and wondering who everyone was they were talking about, heard the relief in Ambraz''s voice.


    "So¡­ who are all these Ganvils you are talking about?" he asked.


    "My siblings and You''gyn''s siblings mostly," Ambraz said. "Glau''hest and Syd''hest are the progeny of Hestolgro, the third worldanvil on Granvox."


    " About that¡­" You''gyn said.


    "What?" Ambraz asked. "Did another worldanvil appear on Granvox? How did they allow that to happen?"


    "No, no¡­ it''s just. Hestolgron is now seen as the second worldanvil."


    Ambraz hovered forward, his lips in a snarl. "What? Did Gynerigon elevate him above Brazardian?"


    You''gyn hovered back a bit. "Calm down! It happened about twenty years after you left, partially because you couldn''t be found."


    "That¡­. That old rust bucket of a Progenitor of yours used the fact that I went missing to hold another progeny contest?!" Ambraz shouted.


    "He did," You''gyn said, sounding uncomfortable. "Listen, I hate to be the one to tell you this¡­ but it gets worse."


    "Worse?" Ambraz snorted. "How can it possibly get even worse?"


    "Hal''braz¡­ he mysteriously died midway into the contest."


    Ambraz froze, his wings still for a few moments, causing him to plummet a few feet.


    "WHAT?!" his voice boomed through Irwin''s soulscape, while his resonance erupted out almost visibly. A moment later, he shot back up. "Explain!"


    Irwin had never seen Ambraz angry before. He''d seen him annoyed and weary, but he could almost feel the roiling emotions from how his soulforce resonated.


    Hal''braz¡­ So, does that mean it was his sibling? Irwin wondered why Ambraz had never spoken about his siblings. From how upset he was, it seemed they had at least a reasonably good bond. For a moment, he thought about how he would react if he returned home and found that Bronwyn had died. Feeling an intense fury bubble up, he quickly stopped thinking about it.


    You''gyn had been gaping at Ambraz, making tiny stuttering sounds.


    "You''gyn! How did Hal''braz die?" Ambraz snapped, his soulforce still bubbling around angrily.


    "We don''t know!" You''gyn squealed. "But after he was gone, your other siblings lost badly, and Brazardian was relegated to the third spot."


    Ambraz growled. "Glau''hest¡­ did he do it?"


    "I don''t know! He was investigated thoroughly due to their previous entanglements, but¡­"


    "They couldn''t find anything on him. That oily, little Rondin! He was rusted to the core from the day he formed," Ambraz said.


    A gloomy silence hung over Irwin''s soulscape for a while when You''gyn finally seemed unable to stop his curiosity.


    "Where have you been? What happened?" he asked.


    "I was grabbed by some aberrant soulcarded with the ability to create tiny pocket planes and locked up!" Ambraz snapped. "If I''d known the consequences of that Beardyface''s actions, I would have¡­ ARGH!"


    "You¡­ got caught?" You''gyn whispered before letting out a dry cackle. "How?"


    "He said he had information on a shardworld of Ganvil," Ambraz said, sounding disgusted.


    So that''s what happened, Irwin thought. He''d never talked about those times with Ambraz, mostly because they didn''t come up but also because Ambraz always got annoyed when he tried.


    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    "And you believed him?" You''gyn muttered.


    "Let''s just say that he knew of some other things that made it more likely than the usual liars that show up," Ambraz said.


    You''gyn didn''t say anything, but Irwin had the feeling he didn''t think it was likely.


    "Well¡­ I''d love to say it''s good to see you again, but I take it this one is already bonded to you then?" You''gyn said.


    Even without eyes, Irwin had the feeling You''gyn was observing him.


    "Yes," Ambraz said. "This is Irwin Roddington, my bonded smith."


    "I''m jealous," You''gyn said, annoyed. "Especially after what you just did. When did your resonance become this pure and powerful? If what I felt just now was any indication you are on par with Syn''gyn when he was rank three!"


    "Not in a million years," Ambraz snorted. "That obnoxious sibling of yours would wish his soul resonance was as pure as mine!"


    "I did just tell you that he bonded with the winner of the Smith''s Guild Tournament, right?" You''gyn said, and if he had one, Irwin had the feeling he would have raised an eyebrow.


    "So?" Ambraz snorted. "I''m sure Irwin would have beaten him if he had been there."


    "Right," You''gyn said. "Well, your fantasies notwithstanding, what are we going to do now?"


    "We are going to keep you in here until we can come to an agreement," Ambaz said. "I need to get to Granvox without the Smiths Guild knowing we are here."


    "Because your bonded smith is going to get dragged away to one of the central worlds, or worse, one of their hidden training worlds?" You''gyn said. "Sure¡­ and what is in it for me? I am sick and tired of being in this little corner of nothing! It is horrible! Even staying in here might be better!"


    Irwin grimaced at the idea of having You''gyn remain in his soulscape.


    Ambraz was quiet for a moment, then hummed. "What if we brought you with us to Granvox? You could tell that old bossy rustbucket that you were just tagging along to make sure I got home safely."


    "After which, he will send me back to this place," You''gyn said.


    Irwin frowned as he thought about the problem. You''gyn was far less annoying then he had imagined, and didn''t actually seem to have a bad relationship with Ambraz. Not compared to some of the other siblings whom he had already forgotten the names of.


    What if we just bring him to Eluathar? It''s not like he will be able to leave, and if he binds to someone like Trimdir? I''m sure Trimdir can keep him in check. Then the two of them can tutor the rank zero''s Ambraz wanted to bring¡­


    The longer he thought about it, the more enthusiastic Irwin became. Not in the least because it would mean they had a way out of their current predicament.


    "Ambraz¡­ how likely is it that we can bring him along after we do what we had planned?" he said slowly.


    "Ambraz?" You''gyn muttered, confused.


    Ambraz and Irwin ignored him.


    "You mean to keep those rank zeros in line," Ambraz said. "Are you sure you want him there?"


    "Well¡­ I don''t know him well enough, but I think we are going to need someone there to teach them. Trimdir could really benefit from bonding with a Ganvil, but a rank zero might be too weak."


    You''gyn inched forward. "What are you two talking about?" he asked, sounding incredibly curious.


    Ambraz ignored him, instead humming softly.


    "Well¡­ he would have to remain in your soulscape after we leave here."


    Irwin could hear from Ambraz''s tone that he was warming up to the idea, and that he had started working on You''gyn. The fact that he had to keep You''gyn in his soulscape bothered him slightly, but not as much as it had only minutes before.


    "Do you think he is capable enough to teach those rank zeros?" Irwin asked. "Or to keep up with Trimdir or one of the others?"


    "Well¡­" Ambraz said, sounding dubious. "He''s not as good as I am, so-"


    "What are you two talking about? Who is Trimdir!? What do you mean, bring rank zeros somewhere?" You''gyn shouted.


    "Trimdir is my teacher," Irwin said. "He taught me how to purify metal and many other things."


    "What? You were already a smith before Ambraz found you?" You''gyn said, sounding even more confused.


    "No, you curious brat, but this is a story for another time," Ambraz snapped, interrupting more questions. "If you promise to let us leave here with provisions, we can bring you along to a very good place. There will be smiths to bond there that are better than many you have ever seen."


    "You found a new world? Is that where Irwin is from?" You''gyn asked, sounding almost hungry. "One that already knows about cardsmithing?!"


    "Something like that," Ambraz said mysteriously.


    "I need some proof! Show me that he''s not just potential, but actually is something," You''gyn said.


    Irwin looked at Ambraz.


    "Resonate a bit of your favorite song," Ambraz said.


    "The Whale one?"


    "Yes."


    "Won''t everyone outside hear?" he asked just as he was about to start.


    "I''ll keep it contained," Ambraz said, focusing on You''gyn. "Be good. I''ll be outside!"


    "Are you telling me that his song can be heard outside his soulscape?" You''gyn asked in disbelief. "What is he, a Ruby rank smith?"


    Ambraz just laughed and disappeared, leaving a faint outline of his shape behind. His voice came from the shape a moment later.


    ''You can begin!''


    Irwin relaxed. The prospect of playing the Chaos Whale song always made him happy, no matter the reason. He focused on his soulcard and very slowly began the song, trying even more than normally to make it start like a storm slowly building up and brewing.


    A beautiful chime began, already deep but nothing near what it would be, and the clouds of steam seemed to stir while the golden lava from the mountain seemed to speed up slightly.


    Irwin barely noticed any of it. Eyes closed, he pictured the time he''d been in the storm, the massive whales around him. As the deep song began growing louder and more pronounced, he felt himself be swept away by it and his memories.


    --


    You''gyn was staring in stunned disbelief at the tiny soulmarker that was Irwin. The soulshape around him was glowing as the clouds churned and roiled in tandem with the melody, and the golden lava spurted out of the mountain with the beat.


    The pure power of it made him forget all about his idea of looking around while Ambraz was gone. Instead, he hung there, listening to the smith sing along with his resonating soulcard and soulscape, creating a song of storm and beauty.


    As it continued, and the first climax seemed to appear, You''gyn could barely hold himself.


    What kind of ridiculousness is this? He has to be Ruby smith, or higher! How did Ambraz find one that wasn''t bonded or locked down by the Smith''s Guild or some noble or merchant family?


    When the climax was reached, the steam clouds turning to long cloudy lines that rushed across the sky on a soul powered wind, Ambraz''s voice shouted from his outline.


    "Enough, kid! This is enough!"


    What? Do you mean there is more? You''gyn thought.


    --


    Irwin heard Ambraz''s voice but didn''t really want to stop. He felt how the song; the resonance of his soulcard, was making his soulscape more sturdy - more real. Never had he sung the song on his own and come so close as when he had sung with the Chaos Whales.


    A part of him wished he could reforge cards inside his soulscape, and another part wondered if he could move his own soulforce.


    The final thought was what snapped him out of it. What if he did that? Try and move his own soulforce as if he were the ambient soulforce? Could he create a card like that and if he could, what would it cost?


    He exhaled as he stopped singing. The memories of the climax faded away while the low rumbling that had begun and seemed to promise more stopped.


    Irwin let out a content sigh as he opened his eyes, noticing the way his soulscape was slowly calming.


    This was the first time I sang inside here, he thought. I need to talk with Ambraz about this and try again.


    Well, he would have to when he didn''t have someone else in his soulscape.


    Ambraz reappeared.


    "Kid, you could have gone a little easier! Do you have any idea how hard it was to contain that?" Ambraz snapped.


    "Sorry," Irwin said with a grin, not meaning it.


    "I''m in! Deal! I''ll do whatever you want," You''gyn shouted. "You just have to promise me that this Trimdir is at least half as good as Irwin!"


    Ambraz let out a soft snort. "He is very good. Not as good as Irwin, but few on the Langost branch are."


    "He is definitely half as good as I am," Irwin said, recalling how fast Trimdir had learned how to reforge cards. "He learned how to successfully reforge his first quartz card in a few days without the help of a Ganvil."


    You''gyn''s mouth opened, then closed, and finally, he let out a scream, surprising Irwin.


    "You aren''t getting rid of me, even if you wanted to," he shouted. "Tell me what you need me to do."


    Irwin sighed in relief, focusing on Ambraz. "Can you handle this? I''ll go and tell Greldo and the others."


    "Sure," Ambraz said.


    Irwin took a final look at You''gyn.


    I hope Trimdir will even want to¡­ otherwise maybe Endil?


    Whatever would happen, he was going to need way more cards for future Smiths.


    He closed his eyes and stepped out of his soulscape. He was sitting in the middle of the room and somehow hadn''t fallen over.


    As he got up, he couldn''t help smiling as he recalled the joy of the Whale song.


    Walking to his door, he exited into the empty hallway. There was no sign of anyone around, so he closed his door and knocked on Greldo''s.


    "About time," his friend''s voice came from inside. "Get in here and tell us what just happened!"


    Surprised, Irwin pulled open the door to see Zender and Earila sit on one bed, Rindiri on another, and Greldo lean against Coal who was lying against the wall.


    "You heard that?" Irwin asked, suddenly worried who else might have.


    "Don''t worry," Greldo said. "I could barely hear it from this room. The chances of someone else hearing it are small, and I didn''t spot any shadow walkers."


    "Alright," Irwin said, closing the door and remaining before the door. "You''gyn, that other Ganvil came to my room just now, and-"


    Everyone listened quietly as he explained what had happened. When he finished, Greldo was shaking his head with a weary grin.


    "And here I was worrying I would have to sneak around and find out his weakness or something."


    "Are you sure we can trust him?" Rindiri asked.


    Irwin thought for a bit, then nodded. "Yes, from what I have seen, he is very interested."


    "He isn''t just playing you and when you let him out of your soulscape -a trick you are going to have to show me soon- he isn''t going to sick all the guards on us?" Greldo added, raising an eyebrow.


    "It''s always possible," Irwin said. "But-" he stopped talking as Ambraz''s voice rang out in his soulscape.


    "Kid, I''m coming out. Let You''gyn out."


    "Well, we are going to find out now," he said.


    I wonder why I didn''t hear them talk, but I could hear Ambraz just now, he thought as he felt Ambraz leave his soulscape. He focused on the resonance of his soulscape, much harder now that he wasn''t inside, and relaxed his hold on You''gyn. As soon as he did, he felt the foreign entity rush out.


    Ambraz appeared first, hovering before Irwin, and a moment later, You''gyn appeared.


    "Bah, I prefer the temperature in your soulscape," You''gyn snorted before looking around. "Ah, you all gathered to hear the fantastic news?"


    Irwin looked at him quietly, wondering if he would change his mind. He saw Greldo and Rindiri seemingly ready to act if You''gyn tried to flee toward the window.


    "Stop looking so worried," You''gyn said happily, flying around Irwin. "We are going to be the best of allies, you will see! Even without a smith, I''m very useful!"


    Irwin had no idea what to think of that, but Ambraz just snorted.


    "Stop trying to show off," Ambraz said. "Go and take care of the things we discussed."


    "No worries! I''ll not let you down," You''gyn said. "Just enjoy your stay here for the next two days. Then we can head out to Granvox!"


    He flew toward the window, and although Greldo hesitated, he let him pass. A moment later, the Ganvil was gone.


    "Ambraz, are you sure he will not trick us?" Greldo asked.


    "Kid, there are no guarantees in life, but I''d bet a ruby card on him wanting to leave here more than us," Ambraz said. "Like he said, let''s just relax for a few days."


    "Can we walk around the base?" Zender asked, eyes wide and glistening.


    Irwin looked at Ambraz, who snorted.


    "Sure, just don''t cause any trouble," the Ganvil said.


    "Yes!" Zender shouted before shaking his head and grinning. "I mean, I won''t cause any trouble!"


    Irwin saw Rindiri dubiously stare at her son, but he wasn''t worried too much. Zender didn''t seem the one to cause trouble.


    After a few minutes of discussing what they would do, everyone headed back to their own room.


    When Irwin lay down on his bed, Ambraz quietly landed on his chest.


    "Are you alright?" Irwin asked.


    "I''m fine," Ambraz muttered absently. "I¡­ It bothers me that I didn''t see Hal before he died."


    "Did you know him well?" Irwin asked after a few moments.


    "Yes, Brazardian created him, Des, and me within a year. For Ganvils, that is almost unheard of. There are only a few known occurrences since Ganvil shattered. Brazardian found a piece of Gneisian Ore, something as rare as Purperion, and absorbed it," Ambraz said. He was talking absently, almost as if he wasn''t really paying attention to what he was saying. "It wasn''t enough to push him to rank eight, so he instead purified it and used it to create the three of us. It means we were closer... More related, you could say, than most Ganvils. I guess you could see us as true siblings?"


    "Was he a lot like you then?" Irwin asked.


    "Not as talented, but close," Ambraz said sadly. "He was quiet and prone to being tricked by others. Me and Des always had to look after him. Although there were only weeks or months between us, he was the youngest."


    Irwin quietly listened as Ambraz continued talking about his lost sibling.

 Chapter 242: Proadon

    Daubutim crossed his arms as he gazed out across the small city that was starting to take shape along the river Treb. He had started to get in the habit of taking the first of every ten-day to watch what was being built.


    Tr¨¦anb¨¢ had been growing rapidly before, but things had sped up immensely in the last few ten-days. Two weeks ago, Portal Keep had been deemed finished and the stoneshapers redirected equally across the cities. Due to the lack of wood around Tr¨¦anb¨¢, he and Bronwyn had decided to send most stoneshapers allotted to their cities to Tr¨¦anb¨¢ and all woodshapers to New Malorin.


    Now, a massive stone harbor was being erected to the side of the city. It wasn''t really needed yet, but he knew that if he didn''t have it built now, it would become more difficult in decades to come. A soft plop came from beside him and a woman dressed as a guard appeared. She was the only other besides Greldo that had a shadowwalker card and she was both his bodyguard and messenger.


    "Lisbeth?" he asked, focusing his eyes on her. He could feel the red lightning ripple across as he unconsciously wove around a moment of dullness that threatened to engulf him. Even now that he had mostly managed to work around his childhood issue, it still sometimes cropped up at the oddest of times.


    "Lord Daubutim, the scouting ships returned tonight," she said, showing no reaction as she looked into what had to look like swirling balls of red lightning instead of eyes.


    "Did they find the other end?" he asked.


    He automatically held back his desire to rush back to the central hall of Tr¨¦anb¨¢ to get every bit of information he could. Besides, from the gleam in her eyes, he knew there was something else.


    "Yes, my lord. Captain Jort''s ship rounded the north coast, reaching the eastern shore already mapped. The mapmaker has already added everything to the central map. With Lord Bronwyn''s last additions, we now have the entire coastline."


    "A full coast?" Daubutim asked.


    "Yes. Your assumption was correct. We are either on a very large island or a small continent," Lisbeth said.


    "And what else?" Daubutim asked after a few moments.


    "A large protrusion of land sits at the northeast corner, covered in a dense forest. It houses an enormous colony of Green Birds, and¡­"


    Lisbeth hesitated, something Daubutim knew she didn''t do unless worried.


    "According to Jort''s soulforce sensitive card, there is most likely a portal to an adjacent world there."


    Daubutim felt his dullness threaten to wash over him as a mass of implications tried to connect. He used every bit of power from his card, causing a red hue to cover the surrounding, muddy land. Forcing his mind out of a potential bog, he hid a deep breath using the techniques his late father had taught him.


    "You are implying it is open," he said, his voice cold and sharp.


    Lisbeth barely reacted, having already been subject to his peculiarities before. He had explained it to her, as he needed her to work with him properly and not be either afraid of him or for him.


    "Jort says they skirted the coast as close as they dared, and he sensed a faint oddity. So¡­ if he can¡­¡±


    Daubutim nodded as he uncrossed his arms and began walking towards Tr¨¦anb¨¢.


    "If Jort can sense it, that means there is no way the portal is only closed," he agreed. "Have you sent messages to the others?"


    "Not yet, my lord," she said.


    "Send word to everyone and convene a meeting of the council. Are you able to move me to New Degonda?"


    "Yes, as long as we don''t need to return the same day?"


    "I don''t know yet," Daubutim said. "Let''s hurry."


    He triggered his Blood Lightning dash, sprinting forward in a crackling burst of red lightning.


    --


    Irwin sighed contently as he put the empty mug on the table. The meal that Zarina had made had been outstanding, and he really enjoyed eating more Ignitzion food.


    I need to see if I can get Boohm some cookbooks, he thought before rubbing his chin. Maybe Zarina could write down a few recipes?


    Greldo burped as he chowed down the last of his almost raw meat, a preference he had gained from Coal.


    They were sitting in the otherwise empty inn, Rindiri having taken Zender and Earila for a final exploration. Even Ambraz was gone, though Irwin sensed him and You''gyn in his soulscape. Over the last three days they had started using it as a place to talk, as it was the only place that was guaranteed to be safe from people finding out about Ambraz.


    "I''m almost sad we will have to leave," Greldo said, leaning back and rubbing his bulging stomach. "I''m going to miss Zarina''s cooking!"


    "Don''t let Boohm hear that," Irwin said with a grin.


    "Bah, it would be good for him," Greldo said with a gleam in his eyes. "That guy thinks too highly of himself!"


    "But¡­" Irwin asked leadingly.


    "But you are right," Greldo said with a fake sigh. "He will be a good addition, especially if you can get him the cards he needs to finish that heartcard. Speaking of which, I need another twenty or twenty-five cards¡­"


    "What do you think I have? Some bag with infinite cards? Besides¡­. that many?" Irwin asked, actually surprised. He''d expected Greldo to be done with another handful.


    "What? It''s your fault for getting me a Ruby rank heartcard," Greldo said. "Now, you need to take responsibility and get me the cards to fill this stupidly large soulforce lake!"


    Irwin barked a laugh. "Fine! I''m sure we can get them before we reach Granvox."


    "I''m really curious what that world is going to look like," Greldo said, tapping the table thoughtfully. "I mean, most of it is inhabited by flying anvils! Do they even have houses? And what food do they eat? I never saw¡­ one of them eat."


    "I''ve been wondering about that myself," Irwin said. "I know that the Portal Harbor and the Exit Portal City are mostly geared towards humanoids, so those should be pretty normal. But beyond that?"


    "Maybe there are jackets and pants hanging everywhere," Greldo said with a grin. "For the Ganvils to rest in!"


    Irwin laughed at the idea, and they continued chatting merrily.


    A few hours later, after You''gyn had left to take care of the final things, they were walking towards the docks. In the distance, The Sonata stood, and Irwin immediately knew something was different.


    "The sails aren''t the same," he said, turning to Rindiri. She was staring at them, wide-eyed and curious.


    "Those are much higher quality than what we had before," she said. "Definitely grade two."


    ''They are grade three! You''gyn still had them lying around in the vaults. They belonged to a group of smugglers they caught a decade or two ago.''


    Irwin whistled, and as they closed in, he saw more differences. The damage on the hull, which they had repaired as best they could, was gone, and although some scratches and wear showed the hull''s age, it still looked much better than before. A wider, sturdier gangplank seemed attached to a mechanism that allowed it to be automatically pulled in and then stashed to the side along the railing.


    "I guess You''gyn went all out," he said.


    "These are rank three sails," Rindiri hissed as she stared up at the larger sails.


    They were still a dull black, but the edges were rune covered, and they were wider and with sharper angles. A quick look showed that the mainsail had been lengthened to accommodate it all.


    A soft whirr came as You''gyn flew towards them.


    "So, Captain Irwin," he said, grinning widely as he landed on the railing. "What do you think of the new modifications? It''s not as good as upgrading this old piece of junk to a Hunter-type Escort vessel, but until you can do that, it should get us to our destination in almost half the time!"


    "It''s great," Irwin said, nodding appreciatively. So far, it looked like You''gyn wasn''t going to stab them in the back, and Ambraz said it was very unlikely he would." Do we have enough supplies?"


    "We''ve got enough for ten years," You''gyn said, his grin widening so far that his etched lips became lines. "The hull had to be reinforced with carded runes to hold that much. It means the ship won''t last as long, but we need a better one soon anyway!"


    We do? Irwin wondered as Greldo stepped beside him, prodding him in the sight. He was looking down the docks, and as Irwin looked up, he saw a group of ten guards approach.


    "Trouble?"


    Irwin suddenly had a gruesome thought that You''gyn had stolen everything, and they were going to have to now flee amidst a hail of beams or concussive blasts, which Boohm had told him about.


    "Ah, Captain Bernwald," You''gyn shouted as he flew up. "Here to see me off?"


    The lead guard, a grizzled old human, grimaced. "Yes, My Lord, and request again to allow me to come along! You need a proper guard. Although the central area is generally safe, bandits, smugglers, and pirates still manage to snatch the unaware!"


    "Ah, don''t worry! Captain Irwin has a powerful soulcard and should be strong enough to keep me safe. Besides, with the new sail, this ship is able to keep ahead of most pirates!"


    Irwin was surprised when Bernwald cast him a look with nearly unhidden contempt and anger before focusing on You''gyn. "I see. Even then, perhaps you would allow me to-"


    "Now, now, Captain Bernwald," You''gyn said, cutting him off. Although he was smiling, there was a sudden dangerous vibe in the air. "We can''t just leave this outpost without a commander, can we? You will remain here as interim commander until I, or my replacement, return."


    Captain Bernwald was quiet for a bit before bowing and turning around without another word. The guards with him followed him.


    "The red-haired one was examining you way more than normal," Greldo whispered, stepping closer. "Either he liked what he saw, or he was scanning you."


    Irwin frowned, following the group and noticing a red-haired human guard, slightly shorter than the others, smoothly following the others as they headed back to the central tower.


    ''I didn''t sense anything scanning you,'' Ambraz said. ''But there are cards that can do that in such a way that even I can''t sense it. It''s not impossible that there are spies for noble families or guilds here.''


    "Great," Irwin muttered, shaking his head when Greldo looked at him curiously. "Later. Rindir, get us out of here!"


    "Yes, Captain!"


    Irwin, Greldo, and Zender quickly removed the chains binding The Sonata, and a moment later, the ship sailed up and away. Standing on the upper deck, Irwin immediately knew that the speed with which they ascended was higher than before. The turns also seemed smoother, and he was suddenly eager to be behind the helm. That would have to wait, however, till they were further away. If anything happened now, Rindiri would be their best bet.


    When the outpost faded into the background, Irwin finally relaxed a bit, turning to Rindiri.


    "I''m going to talk with Boohm and see what happened in the days we weren''t here. Set a course to the nearest merchant world on our path to Granvox. It would be best to get Greldo his first soulcard and perhaps even some more, as getting those Zender and Earila need."


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    "Will do, captain!" Rindiri said, seeming very content with the changes to The Sonata.


    Irwin grinned as he walked to the cabin, wondering what Boohm had been up to.


    --


    Captain Bernwald glared at the ship as it disappeared into the distant, central regions. He''d been left to rot in different shit positions for over a hundred years, ever since his minor transgression, and his best path out was now gone.


    Well, at least I''ll get some soulshards out of it, he thought as he turned to the red-haired man beside him.


    "Take the Nail and head to Proadon Three. I''ll bet another decade on this rotten outpost that they will head there first. That Irwin was way too interested in cards, probably for those disgusting Yuurindi brats. See your contact and make sure to get as much for the information as you can¡­ Also, do I need to remind you of what will happen if you double-cross me?"


    The red-haired man, whose real name Bernwald didn''t know but who everyone called Scrim, showed zero reaction to his threat.


    "I will return in three weeks," he said.


    "You better," Bernwald snapped before turning to the door that led to his private chambers. "Now get out of here."


    As he walked away, he didn''t notice the cold stare of Scrim.


    Hope it gets you into a ton of trouble, you thieving metal abomination, Bernwald thought as he recalled Irwin''s face.


    --


    Three weeks after they left the outpost, The Sonata was slowing down as it approached a place Irwin could only describe as a city. With multiple docks and green parks across the dozens of levels of the massive city, houses hid any trunk from sight. Only some branches stuck out, seemingly spared by the hunger of the buildings.


    "This is way bigger than Fiverio City!" Greldo stated.


    Irwin nodded, looking at the enormous dock for merchant vessels. There was a constant coming and going of vessels of sizes that he knew would never be able to pass through some of the narrow corridors he had seen. What surprised him almost as much was that some looked old and close to the breaking part.


    I guess not everyone is doing well here, he thought, somehow glad that it wasn''t just their old world that had people who had it rough.


    His eyes fell on tiny boats, some barely able to fit more than four or five people, flying across the city like a cloud of mosquitoes during summer.


    Greldo whistled, pointing at a large building that covered three levels and seemed built out of a single piece of wood. "Either that was done by the most powerful woodshaper around or many of them. I guess it was worth it, passing that other city to head straight here!"


    You''gyn flew down and landed on Coal, who was lying on the deck, enjoying the warmth radiating toward them.


    "Still, adding a week to our trip feels bad," Irwin said.


    "Don''t worry!" You''gyn shouted happily. "Proadon Three is just a fringe world with barely any useful cards. I know you said you needed a lot and are in a hurry, but Proadon One is a different beast! You might be able to get everything you need here without having to stop by any other world on our trip. The Proadon Merchant Guild is known for having large numbers of nearly anything and being on the edge of the central region. They see more trade than any other young city!"


    Irwin hummed, hoping You''gyn was right. They still had many things to do, and even if they weren''t in nearly as much of a rush as earlier, it felt bad wasting too much time.


    Then again, I''m sure they have Ignitzion cookbooks here!


    The thought of getting Boohm some of those and more raw ingredients made him grin.


    As if called by the thoughts of him, Boohm strode out on deck, slamming the cabin door shut behind him.


    "Ahhh, a real city! It''s been too long!"


    He moved to stand beside Irwin and Greldo, hands on his hips and chest forward as he laughed uproariously, radiating joy.


    "This place has grown since I last saw it! I think they added another stack of docks and merchants quarters on the east side," he said, pointing at a section that seemed made of warehouses and docks.


    "Yes! The Greenbark Merchant''s group has been expanding rapidly over the last few years. I''ve heard that one of the Matron''s eldest sons is doing well for himself," You''gyn said. "Rumor has it that he had a windfall on one of the fringe worlds."


    "Are they related to the Greenbark Mission Center?" Irwin asked, curious, thinking back to Driseog and his time at Scour and Cindergrove City.


    "Yes! They have many ventures, and their Mission Centers are one of them. Nowadays, you can find them on many fringe branches," You''gyn said. "If they keep this up, they might eventually be allowed a location on Suderfuix."


    ''It seems that unassuming Driseog was more than he let on,'' Ambraz said, sounding interested. ''When we head to Suderfuix, you should try to get in touch!''


    "Yeah," Irwin said as Rindiri guided The Sonata to a distant dock with anchor places meant for small ships like theirs.


    "You know this place well?" he asked, looking at Boohm.


    "Definitely! You said you had more cards to trade, right?" Boohm said. "Well, if You''gyn comes along, I''m sure we can make even these know-it-all uppity punks cry!"


    Irwin grimaced at the idea, wondering if there was any punishment for that.


    Like the previous time, a dock manager came to see them, a middle-aged woman with hair in a tight bun and sleek, well-made clothes in a style Irwin hadn''t seen before. A semi-armored skirt with a tight blouse with bare arms. Two tattoos ran across her arms, one of a serpent-like thing and another of something he could only describe as a howling demon face.


    "Hi there! Your vessel is registered as the stolen Surtin. Please give me the name of your mercenary or merchant group."


    As she spoke, the woman raised her green tablet, which glowed softly.


    "We are the Giard''s Rangers," Rindiri said as she stepped forward. "This vessel was reclaimed by us, and-"


    Irwin quietly listened as she regaled what had happened and what they were up to. The tattooed dock manager nodded, her eyes moving to You''gyn a few times before staring at the tablet.


    "Giard''s Rangers currently has a pristine reputation with no known felonies," an emotionless voice rang out. "They were last known to head to the outer fringes beyond Sesnanser and were reported missing when a blockade was raised by a fringe group of Galubs. A message has been sent to The Casnar Merchant group. The Surtin was reclaimed under the Mercenary Rule, and the allotted time for return is eight months, two weeks, and four days, merchant timescale."


    How come they know all that, Irwin thought.


    He knew that Gelwin had registered them and pulled some strings, but who had added where they would go?


    "Giard''s Rangers are being led by Captain Irwin. No Yuurindi are registered to the group. Please advise¡­"


    Irwin stepped forward, Rindiri having warned him about this forehand.


    "I''m Captain Irwin," he said, staring intently at the green slab. "I want to register one temporary and three new members of Giard''s Rangers."


    "Soulresonance matches with Captain Irwin. All new members, please place your hand on the tablet and state your name and if you are willing to join Giard''s Rangers."


    Rindiri immediately stepped forward, placing her hand on the slab.


    "Rindiri," she said.


    So, no last name? Irwin thought. Somehow, he''d expected one.


    Zender and Earila went after her.


    "Will the temporary member please place their hand on the slab?"


    Boohm stepped forward with a wide grin. "Only temporarily temporary," he said in his booming voice.


    "Raboohmin Xindar!"


    Greldo snorted, and Irwin had to hold himself back from joining.


    Raboohmin? So it was his real name or at least part of it, he thought.


    "New members added to your roster. The two Yuurindi females have been registered. Please do not attempt to enter any portal to a world. Transgressions are punishable by death. Have a nice day."


    Irwin swallowed as he looked at the tablet, and a quick look showed the shock on Greldo''s face. None of the three Yuurindi seemed even remotely surprised, however, with Earila going so far as to yawn.


    In front of them, dockmanager nodded and smiled as a tension Irwin hadn''t noticed before slowly left her.


    "Very good! I''ve never heard of Sesnanser, but it has to be far on the outskirts! You must be so happy to have made it back safely. Docking fees will be twenty soulshards per day, and payment of two days is required in advance."


    Irwin swallowed at the surprising amount, but Rindiri paid without blinking an eye, and he was glad he''d given her more soulshards.


    "Thank you, and enjoy your stay on Proadon One!" the woman said as she walked away.


    When she was out of earshot, You''gyn hummed as he landed on Boohms shoulder.


    "She was powerful¡­ at least two soulcards, and from their pressure, I''d say Ruby Rank."


    ''Three soulcards,'' Ambraz said. ''But he is right. She was sent in case you caused trouble¡­''


    Irwin frowned, looking up at You''gyn. "Would that have helped if we had multiple soulcarded?"


    "No, but they checked that when we drew near," You''gyn said. "They probably sensed you, Boohm, and Rindiri but decided she would be enough."


    "Ah¡­" Irwin said, not sure how to feel about that. "Well, you are sure we don''t need to leave someone on the ship?"


    "No, there are guards watching it as we speak," Rindiri said.


    "You shouldn''t be so worried about someone stealing that old thing," You''gyn said with a laugh. "If they do, we just buy something better!"


    Sure, and who will pay for that? Irwin thought, shaking his head and smirking at Greldo.


    They followed Boohm into the city, and unlike at Tulpil, they had to take one of the small, open boats they had seen when arriving.


    Boohm took care of all the talking, and eventually, a silver-eyed youth with a wide smile was transporting them to the Eastern Trading hub.


    Sitting in the back and watching the city below pass by, Irwin wondered if Eluathar would someday have cities like this. He could barely believe it.


    "Pretty incredible, isn''t it," Greldo said from beside him. "There have to be hundreds of thousands of people here."


    "Nine million and a bit since last year''s census, good sir!" the young man at the back shouted as he guided their small boat forward. Hundreds of others covered the sky, but the man dodged everything effortlessly.


    So many people in one city, Irwin thought as he looked at the city below with renewed awe.


    They were dropped off on the edge of a massive square, people milling about and a towering fountain in the center splurting out water into the basin around it.


    "Alright! Let''s go and make some merchants cry," Boohm said, causing some of the surrounding people to look up in confusion.

 Chapter 243: Pirates

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    Irwin walked through the massive shop, scanning for useful cards. Far behind him, Boohm was holding a shouting match with the shop owner while the sales personnel were hovering around wide-eyed.


    He''d watched it for only a minute before quickly setting out in search of cards.


    His head was almost brushing against the low ceiling as he looked around the shelves, bookcases, and crystal-covered tables. The entire room was filled with powerful soulforce ripples, and a chaotic soft cacophony of sounds rang out from everywhere, almost like a busy square with thousands of whispered conversations.


    Greldo was moving around nearby, humming happily. He already had a dozen cards in his hand, all shadow oriented and priced around a thousand soulshards.


    Far away, Rindiri was talking to her kids sternly, shaking her head.


    Irwin picked up something about no more than five thousand each, and he grinned. He had told them they could pick out something, but Rindiri seemed intent on curbing their enthusiasm.


    Let''s see if I can find some cards for beginning smiths, he thought.


    He wanted to have enough for Trimdir to start a proper Smith''s Guild at Eluathar, one that wouldn''t be dependent on anyone else. At least not until they were strong enough to guard their world.


    "Make sure you don''t buy too much in one spot," You''gyn whispered. "It''s going to draw attention."


    Irwin''s hand stopped before he could take another two amethyst hammer-summoning cards.


    "Take those and stop," You''gyn said, seeming to feel his hesitation.


    Irwin did as asked before looking around. Greldo was looking at him with one raised eyebrow.


    "Get the rest. We are leaving as soon as Boohm is done," Irwin whispered, getting a quick nod.


    A short while later, they were back in the crowded streets, Boohm grunted unhappily.


    "Captain, why did we have to leave already? I could have knocked off another thousand soulshards!"


    "I believe you," Irwin said. "But there''s far more places to visit!"


    Rindiri was holding both her kids close to her, though, with Zender already as tall as her, it looked slightly odd. Still, they both didn''t seem to mind, sharing happy grins as both had found another card.


    "Okay, let''s continue till afternoon, then find a place to eat," Irwin said as looked over the mass of people. He was usually the tallest around, but in this place, there were plenty of people his height and a few Viridians that towered over all.


    --


    "Are you sure it''s them?" a man whispered softly at a hooded figure beside him.


    He had long brown hair tied into a ponytail and wore simple clothes that led him to blend in with the surrounding crowd without drawing attention. Nothing about him seemed out of the ordinary except for when he bit into an oddly gleaming red fruit. Then, a set of razor-sharp, completely black teeth appeared, slicing through the metallic fruit''s skin as if it were no more than an apple.


    They were staring at the odd group moving into another card store. It was the sixth one, and they didn''t show any sign of stopping.


    "Yes, the warning we got from Proadon Three said it was a Loydin, or something like them, and three Yuurindi. How likely is it that another group like that is around?" a soft female voice replied icily.


    The man didn''t seem to care about her tone and just snorted.


    "With how hateful most Loydin are, not. Besides, I''ve never seen Yuurindi just walk around like this," the man said. "And the information was sure the tall one was a smith?"


    "If not yet, he will be soon. The information says that the Ganvil was searching for someone to bond with¡­"


    "Alright, then, keep an eye on them. If he shows any indication of being a smith, we take him now. Otherwise, get a ship ready to trail them. I''ll make sure they have a tracking rune on them."


    "What about the Ganvil?" the woman hissed.


    "I''ve got a rune that even it won''t be able to sense," the man said with a snort. Besides, it''s great that it''s there. I know of a procurer who loves oddities. I''m sure he would be interested in another dead Ganvil."


    "He pays well?" the woman asked curiously.


    "Yes, but nothing compared to what another smith will fetch. Now go. I need to contact my contacts in the Dead Pact Mercenaries."


    The hooded woman was quiet, seeming to examine the man. "Are you sure it''s wise for you to be out here doing this?"


    "Why? Do you think there''s someone here that could hurt me?" the man asked, turning his startling brown eyes on her.


    The hooded woman let out a cold grunt. "Whatever. Just be careful," she said before turning and vanishing into the throng.


    The man snickered but kept his eyes on the door, leaning against the wall and taking another bite from his glistening red fruit.


    "You take a little break of a few decades, and suddenly, even young pups worry about you," he muttered in disgust.


    --


    Irwin and the others walked back to The Sonata, their stomachs, and backpacks full. Greldo was walking beside Irwin, humming softly. The soft chattering of the crowded street wasn''t as interesting as it had been initially. All of them were smiling, which he guessed was normal as they all had gained cards from their trip. Most had gone to him and Greldo, though many of those were meant for other people or Greldo''s soullake.


    Not that Irwin had gotten nothing for himself. He wished he was somewhere to reforge the two short-range burst teleports he''d gotten. Neither was as flexible as Greldo''s shadowstep, but both had the potential to change his movement potential more than even his Kinetic Energy had.


    "That guy is still following us," Greldo whispered softly, ripping him out of his daydreams of reforging both Topaz cards up to Ruby.


    ''He''s right. I can sense his soulforce lingering behind us, just out of reach of the usual scanning cards,'' Ambraz agreed in Irwin''s soulspace.


    "Then this will be a shorter stop than we had planned," Irwin said.


    "What does it matter," Greldo said. "We have everything we need, and soon I''ll be a lot stronger."


    Irwin shared a happy look with his friend. "You are sure you have enough?"


    "Definitely. I actually bought too many, just in case. Those we have left will be a good gift for Daubutim. I''m sure he''d love to create some group of shadowwalkers," Greldo said, a dangerous smile on his face.


    They continued towards the edge of the shopping district, where they would find sloops to bring them back to the docks.


    When they reached the final square, they saw a group of people standing together, talking loudly.


    "Oh, interesting," You''gyn said, flying forward so fast Irwin only saw a blur.


    "What is he doing," he muttered.


    Turning to Greldo, he saw his friend looking at the group of people, seemingly confused.


    "What are they talking about?"


    Greldo shook his head. "Not sure. They are talking about rumors of a war on the outskirts of the central branches. Apparently, some long-distance merchant came from beyond Dimarintsia with some vague set of rumors, and now they are all gossiping about it."


    He barely finished when You''gyn returned.


    "Well, that was a waste of my time," the Ganvil muttered as he landed on Greldo''s shoulder. "Who would believe those shoddy lies? As if there''s any race that finds their own Exit Portal that can put up any sort of resistance against the combined, even the weakest of the Hegliron Armadas. Even those upstart Kraniox and the Terullians of legend failed."


    Irwin hummed in agreement, recalling what he knew from both of them. Just as they were walking away from the square, Greldo looked over his shoulder in surprise.


    "What?" Irwin whispered.


    Greldo shook his head, his gaze flicking to You''gyn before turning back ahead.


    "Let''s head back and get out of here," he said. "That person following us is still there, and his constant chewing is getting on my nerves."


    "Good idea," Irwin said, knowing that Greldo would tell him what was up later.


    Still, as they found another small sloop to bring them back, he couldn''t help but wonder what it could be. There were only a few things You''gyn didn''t know, meaning it probably had something to do with either their new homeworld or the Galadin empire.


    When they reached the harbor, the many lights in the city began dimming, signaling that night was coming.


    The Sonata looked untouched, but as they boarded her, Irwin looked at You''gyn.


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    "Can you see if anyone added anything new to the cargo?" he asked.


    "Afraid someone put some trackers on you?" the Ganvil said with a grin. "Sure, if there are any here, I''ll find them."


    He shot away while Boohm happily stomped to the cabin.


    "I''ll get some food ready! We eating before or after departure?" he asked.


    "After," Irwin said as he turned to Rindiri. "Get us on course."


    "Yes, captain," she said, handing some bags to Zender. "Please put that in my cabin, and no snooping."


    Zender laughed as he headed inside, followed closely by Earila.


    A moment later, Irwin and Greldo were alone on the lower deck.


    "So, what was wrong?" Irwin whispered as he removed the chains that bound them to the dock.


    "That merchant wasn''t just spreading rumors of war," Greldo whispered. "Apparently, Oculithar have been attacking exit portals of fringeworlds."


    Irwin couldn''t suppress a shiver as he recalled the massive monstrosity that had attacked the corridor when he had been inside.


    "Let''s be careful for a while," Irwin muttered. "Stick to exploring portals we open ourselves or that others are actively going through."


    --


    As the small, banged-up scout-class merchant ship flew away from the dock, a pair of cold eyes stared after them.


    "Send word that they bought a massive amount of cards, most smithing oriented," the man hissed at a figure crouching on the roof above him. "Also, a surprising amount of shadow-typed cards. They might have a shadowwalker among them, so tell Vibru to be extra careful. I want the smith alive and the Ganvil in one piece. They can keep the cards they find and do whatever they want with the rest of the crew as long as none stay alive to tell about it."


    "I''ll let Vibru know," a whisper came from the hood.


    There was a soft rustling, then the cloaked figure vanished, leaving behind a gleaming section of air that rapidly returned to normal.


    "One more smith and I''ll have enough soulshards to get back home," the man muttered. "I''ve had about enough of the Langost branch."


    --


    Two days after they left Proadon One, Irwin was intently watching Greldo. They were sitting in one of the few cabins that remained unoccupied.


    "Alright, the last one should do it," Greldo whispered as he held an amethyst card in front of his chest.


    Irwin watched as it turned to flickering lights before a dense wave of dark soulforce vanished inside Greldo''s chest.


    "Remember, stay-"


    "In my soulscape, and don''t touch the borders!" Greldo said. "Yes, Dad, I know. You have- Ah! It''s happening! Time to catch up to you!"


    "Good luck," Irwin muttered as Greldo''s eyes snapped closed.


    ''Look closely, most people never see someone change to soulcarded like this as it''s a vulnerable moment. Sense the resonations and try to feel what is happening,'' Ambraz whispered in his own soulscape.


    Irwin took a deep breath, then closed his own eyes, focusing fully on his senses and ears. He''d found that although seeing the soulforce was useful for reforging and other things when it came to sensing the minute fluctuations, he preferred his ears and soulsense.


    At first, Greldo''s resonance was a jumbled mess, but as he focused on it, he began making out the underlying hearcard''s song. It was oddly somber, with more depth than Irwin would have expected, and the vibrations sometimes seemed to almost make his own chest resonate with their power. Greldo''s own soul resonated in a slightly different timbre, creating a song that was similar but just out of line with the heartcard.


    As seconds, then minutes ticked by, the heartcard''s song and Greldo''s soulresonance began changing. The song became clearer as ever more clashing harmonies seemed to change to resonate in line with each other.


    It''s not just the heartcard that changes, Irwin thought, somewhat surprised.


    He had somehow thought that the heartcard would be perfectly formed by someone''s soulscape and could just be absorbed, but nothing seemed further from the truth. At least not if Greldo''s heartcard was a normal occurrence.


    Irwin didn''t know exactly how long it took, but eventually, a beautiful, deep, and soulful song emanated from Greldo. A last cacophony of thrumming bases seemed to call out in defiance of some unknown slight, then the resonance faded until it was barely perceivable.


    Irwin opened his eyes and saw Greldo take a deep breath before blowing it out through his nose. At some moment, Coal had appeared, now lying beside Greldo.


    Both of them opened their eyes as one, and then Irwin was looked at by two pairs of burning red eyes, glimmering with joy.


    "This is amazing," Greldo whispered. "My soullake is¡­ beautiful. Empty, which sucks, but so beautiful! I think I need to get some vegetation cards, and then I can just rest inside."


    Irwin grinned, noticing tiny changes besides Greldo''s eyes. The facial features he''d always had since gaining Coal were slightly more visible: the prominent jawline, sharp canines, wide, gleaming eyes, and long pitch-black sideburns that seemed just a bit thicker and denser than normal for a human. Beside him, Coal''s change was far more pronounced, as he had grown from the size of a pony to that of a charbull.


    "Well, perhaps you can show me sometime soon," Irwin said. "Ambraz told me it''s possible to bring people into your soulscape."


    ''Of course it is! How do you think You''gyn came there? He''s about as strong as a one soulcarded,'' Ambraz said with a snort.


    Irwin cocked his head. "Does it work like that for him?"


    Greldo raised an eyebrow but didn''t say anything.


    ''Not exactly. It would be easiest if I bring him, and the other way around, but let''s wait till his soulcard has stabilized. Remind him not to slot new cards until that happens!''


    "Ambraz says you can show me your soulscape after your card has stabilized," Irwin said. "Also, don''t slot any cards until then because they might be forcefully rejected by your heartcard and explode in the process. Trust me¡­ you don''t want to be around when that happens, and we don''t need holes in The Sonata."


    Greldo grinned, shaking his head. "Don''t worry. I can feel it pretty well. I''ll just get used to it for now, because-"


    He vanished from his spot and reappeared on the other side of the room.


    "-moving through the shadows is-"


    "-so much-"


    "-easier!"


    He ended up next to Irwin, grinning as he grabbed Irwin''s shoulder.


    "Let''s see how much better this works!"


    Irwin rolled his eyes, regretting it as he was yanked into the shadowy realm, his senses roiling at the sudden change. A moment later, he appeared in the overfull cargo hold, Greldo looking elated.


    "This is fantastic!"


    Before Irwin could stop him, they reappeared in the shadowy realm and, the next moment, appeared above deck, next to a surprised Rindiri.


    "Okay, enough," Irwin said, stepping away.


    Greldo looked at him as if he was a spoilsport before snorting.


    "Suit yourself! I''ll see what Zender is doing!" the next moment, he was gone.


    "Don''t worry. It''s normal for most people to become exuberant after gaining their first soulcard," Rindiri said, smiling knowingly. "Just let him shadowstep around for a while. I''m sure he will be-"


    Zender and Greldo appeared mid-air, close to the tip of the mainsail, and dropped out of the air with a loud whoop. Before they could hit the ground, they vanished again, only to reappear back at the mast just to drop down again amidst bursts of laughter.


    Rindiri''s eyes were twitching, and Irwin sighed.


    "It''s good you think that. I''ll leave them to you then while I practice some more," Irwin said as he quickly walked away, ignoring Rindiri''s softly growled curses.


    --


    Days passed as they continued further into the central region. Corridors became wider, with some looking nearly endless. They began encountering other ships, mostly large merchant vessels, some with squadrons of escorts, though, on occasion, they were passed by sleek, deadly warships.


    Just over two weeks after they had left, Irwin turned The Sonata into another seemingly endless area. Green and purple jungle covered nearly every inch of land, and those near the Gallery Barrier sometimes touched it, causing the occasional sizzling and snapping.


    The barrier reached so high that even a hundred feet above the ground, he could barely see it. Pale clouds, tinted blue, green, and purple by the barrier above, hovered high in the sky, while the temperature was comparable to an early spring day.


    As incredible as that all was the thing that surprised Irwin was a long, winding river that continued into the distance.


    "A river! I didn''t think those would be here," he said.


    "The Dimarintsia River," Rindiri said. "I''ve only been here one time, long ago when I was young and sailed with my mother. Technically, if you follow it for a few years at this speed, you will reach Dimarintsia Port. Legend says that the first people to come here found a portal from which a seemingly infinite stream of water poured. There are supposedly stories about the time when the portal finally exploded, causing a massive tsunami that continued on for thousands of miles in both directions, destroying multiple port cities."


    "Incredible," Irwin muttered.


    After looking at the river for a while, he looked down at the mass of vegetation below. Tiny ripples of soulforce, oddly pale, moved through the top of the canopy.


    "From here on, we have to be extra careful not to go down," Rindiri said, walking to the side. "Bellow is one of the largest known jungles on the Langost Branch, and it''s filled with Addled."


    Irwin frowned as he gazed down, but he didn''t spot any movement.


    "How long till we reach the next world?" he asked.


    "A week at this speed," Rindiri said. "We will need to get a better map when we get there because the one we have now might be outdated. Many of the worlds along the The Dimarintsia River are only rank one, and it''s always possible that portals have blown up. We don''t want to waste time going down a side branch only to find it''s gone."


    "Definitely not," Irwin said.


    He enjoyed sailing for the rest of the day, and to his surprise they even overtook many ships. Especially the slower large merchant ships, and many other small scouting vessels. When he asked Rindiri about it, she laughed and said he was underestimating what rank three sails meant.


    Moving further to the center of the massive branch, soon the edges were so far they looked like distant blue and purple lines and the smell of water and leaves permeated the air.


    Weeks passed, only the occasional detour to small harbors for maps, the occasional supply and cards breaking the daily routine.


    --


    "Vibru, we''ve caught up!"


    A tall, sharp-faced man looked up from a plate filled with squirming squid. The skin around his silver eyes was covered in narrow, crisscross scarring that expanded across his forehead, pulling through the side and turning into a massive scar that covered the left side of his head. A short crop of black hair covered the rest.


    "You better be sure this time," he snarled, tiny morsels of dark purple flesh spraying from between his razor-sharp, triangular teeth.


    The man in the door opening swallowed, then nodded.


    "I am. And I''ve figured out why we couldn''t catch up. For some insane reason, they have a rank three sail!"


    The Emnonriz''s extra eyelids closed in an odd form of blinking. Then he rose.


    "Do they now? Well, that''s nice of them¡­ That means we will be back much faster than planned. Where are they going?"


    "They took the corridor to Haum Three. Do you want us to go after them?"


    "No, are you crazy?" Vibru snarled. "You can''t possibly be suggesting that we try and attack them here?"


    The man hurriedly shook his head.


    "Keep going forward and bring us to the side branch that leads to Granvox. The first part is a five-week straight, and they will have to go through to reach Granvox. Get us there before them¡­ or else¡­"


    The man''s eyes widened, but he merely nodded and closed the door.


    Vibru listened to him run away and up the stairs to the deck. He turned to look out of the crystal port, one of the few luxuries in his otherwise sparse cabin, and laughed softly.


    "My, my. A smith, a Ganvil, and a rank three sail?"


    He laughed before focusing back on his still-living meal, ripping into it mercilessly.


    --


    Irwin looked at the sixty-foot wide corridor leading away from the main branch they had been sailing across for almost two months. They had managed to gather hundreds of cards, mostly low rank, that Irwin and Ambraz thought had potential, either for the crew or for back home. The rumors of war had been growing louder, and many voices had begun wondering if it had something to do with the still-absent cardsmiths.


    Zender and Earila sat high in the sails, talking excitedly. Both were now a card away from their first heartcard, something Irwin had promised to help them with when they reached Granvox.


    Boohm and Greldo stood on the prow. Greldo was still undecided on what he wanted, and with how powerful he was right now, Irwin couldn''t blame him. Boohm, like the kids, was ready to get his next heartcard while also having a nice amount of cards already on hand to start filling it. It was far from enough, but ever since he''d begun buying them from the profits he got from the deals he did, his mood had been beyond good.


    Only Rindiri had wanted no cards. After long prodding, Irwin had found that she only had room for six more, which would only become a heartcard. Her topaz-ranked soul was below deck, sleeping after her long shift.


    "Six more weeks, and you will be home," he whispered, knowing Ambraz was listening.


    Over half a year had passed since they had left Eluathar, and they were finally on the last stretch to Granvox.


    ''Don''t make it sound so sappy,'' Ambras said. ''The only reason we are going there is for as many rank zeros as we can convince Brazardian to let us bring. I''d rather continue to Dimarintsia or Suderfuix. Those are the true cities on the Langost branch, and I''ve never been to either! Or beyond!''


    Irwin nodded, but he didn''t believe Ambraz. They had been together for a long time now, and he could hear the hidden longing.


    "Well, you better introduce me to Des''braz," he said.


    Ambraz didn''t answer as they sailed away from the bright Dimarintsia River and into the darker, familiar corridors of the Portal Gallery.


    Let''s hope we get there without any more trouble, Irwin thought.

 Chapter 244: Sword blows

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    A swirl of lights rushed towards the heavily modified scout ship. It hung just behind the bend of a very narrow stretch of Portal Gallery, barely wide enough for a single large merchant ship to slip through.


    This was known for being a dangerous area, far enough away from Dimarintsia River that none of the regular guard ships patrolled it, and with four paths leading away into a chaotic area perfect for a getaway.


    It was also the only way to get from the Dimarintsia River to the larger side branch that held the Granvox world and a few others.


    The swirl of lights moved to the center of the ship, turning into a blond-haired man with glowing golden eyes. He landed on the deck amidst a dozen rugged, cold-eyed men and women. Most were wearing some form of slim leather armor and holding weapons. Short swords, daggers, and hand crossbows were the most present. Only two people held nothing: a short man with feathers instead of hair and a sharp face that was nearly a beak, and Vibru, though the latter had a long sword on his hip in a beautiful scabbard.


    "Report," Vibru said, his voice cold and annoyed.


    "They are almost there, and will reach the bend in twenty minutes," the blond haired man said, showing no fear as Vibru glared at him.


    Vibru''s eyes narrowed. "And?"


    The blond-haired man picked his nose, showing no shame as he flicked something from his finger onto the deck.


    "As you said, not a lot to worry about. One or two Ganvils, a Yuurindi with two non-combat soulcards, two younger Yuurindi without even a heartcard, a mediocre Onyxian with full defense, and some handcards: a low-ranked shield and some form of blast card. The most trouble could come from that single soulcarded shadowwalker. His card is¡­ hard to read. The best I can tell you is that he has a summon that can also walk through the shadows. I''d say it''s Ruby rank, just because of how hard it is to read, but it can also be some type, perhaps hidden or obscured."


    It was quiet as Vibru looked at the man, seemingly waiting for more. When nothing came, he glared hard. "Terlo, stop fucking around. You are missing one. What about the captain?"


    "Ah, right! Totally forgot," Terlo said with a wide and mocking smile. "Couldn''t read his card at all! It''s a soulcard, and he has only one. From how he moved and the way the deck bent below him, I''d say he is fully focused on strength and weight. Very likely it has the hidden feature, because even if it was Diamond, I should be able to get something from it. His two handcards are useless utility cards."


    "One soulcard? Impossible," Vibru snapped. "My contacts tell me he is able to create a massive amount of steam, and he was able to hurl something at ships. Either a ball or a weapon. Now you are telling me he also has increased strength and weight?"


    "Well, then, I guess maybe he does have a Diamond rank soulcard," Terlo said with a shrug. "I''d say you should probably not attack him because anyone with one of those isn''t just some nobody. But hey, from your angry scowl, I can see you won''t listen to me!"


    Vibru glared at the other, but Terlo just looked at the bird-like man.


    "Right, Pieplionyr, it''s been lovely working with you again, but you know my motto! Thanks for the job, and if you need someone to investigate something again, you know where to find me!"


    With a soft laugh, a swirl of light appeared around Terlo. It instantly turned blinding, and when it faded, there was no sign of the blond-haired man.


    Vibru took a deep breath, then cursed in a guttural, wet language.


    "Why do you still employ that weak, pathetic human?" he hissed. "He is taciturn, doesn''t obey orders, and is insufferable!"


    Pieplionyr looked up with gleaming eyes, blinking slowly. "Yes, all of that is true. However, he is also perfectly able to investigate anyone''s cards as long as they are below diamond-rank, and is able to teleport across whole sub-branches. Unless you know someone else who we can hire with those skills, that wouldn''t instantly report us to the guilds, I''d love to hear about it."


    As Pieplionyr spoke, Vibru''s eyes narrowed until they were thin slits, the pupils within radiating malice.


    "You might be right, but if we ever find someone else, I''m going to gut Terlo and feed his intestines to my fish!"


    "Be my guest. Now, with all we just heard, I''d say I just lock the area down. We need to stop that shadowwalker, and if that captain has some steam skill, it could get annoying. Unless you feel like there''s any chance he is stronger than you, and you will finally be forced to pull that darling blade of yours?"


    Vibru took a deep sigh, then seemed to shake his anger away. His lips widened in a teeth-baring grin that caused a few of the surrounding men and women to turn pale.


    "Even if he has a Diamond-rank soulcard that only increases his strength, there is no way he can beat me," he snapped, his fingers squeezing tight around the dark wooden railing. Cracks came from between his fingers as a few splinters shot up.


    "Hey! Don''t damage my ship!" Pieplionyr shouted, taking a step forward. "I''m allowing you and those hooligans of yours here as payback, but don''t think that I won''t toss you overboard if you break her!"


    Vibru held Pieplionyr''s gaze for a moment before finally relaxing his grip.


    "Get ready to dampen all active abilities," he ordered, turning away from Pieplionyr to look at the only four of his own crew he had brought.


    There was one bare chested Kraniox, two nimble looking humans with an array of daggers across their chest, and a nervous looking man with a simple, nondescript tunic and pants that seemed incredibly out of place on the ship of pirates. Still, it was him Vibru pinned with a hard stare.


    "Lock yourself down and focus on us. If anything goes wrong, or I give the order, teleport us all back to The Sharakion," he said.


    The man nodded and sat down where he stood. A glow burst out of his hand, and he levitated a foot above the deck while pale green light rippled around his body. A moment later, a crystal barrier surrounded him, and his nervousness vanished, replaced by a relieved look. He raised his hand, pointing at Vibru, who didn''t move, as a tiny rune appeared on his forehead. A moment later, the same thing happened to the other three crew members.


    Pieplionyr had been following everything closely and was staring at Vibru.


    "Just precautions," Vibru said with a nasty grin. "I''m sure with your dampening skill, it won''t be needed."


    The bird-man kept glaring at Vibru for another few minutes before turning to his crew. "Get ready, we are going physical. All active-ability users get down below deck. Slion, focus on hiding our presence from that Ganvil! I want them unprepared! The rest of you prepare. There''s only one potential threat, that''s the metallic captain. Vibru is going to take care of him, the rest of you get ready to dispatch all the others. Try and get your hands on that Ganvil."


    A hustle happened on deck as just over half of the pirates ran and vanished in the cabin leading down, leaving a dozen people on deck. Most had some physical traits that showed just what their cards did.


    Vibru walked to the prow, a nasty grin on his face.


    I''m going to take this for myself, Bernwald, and just see how you do anything about it, he thought, his sharklike grin widening.


    --


    Irwin hummed as he stood behind the helm. The corridor around them was narrowing more and more, the Gallery barrier''s crackling energy causing the wood and sails to gleam. The air had turned stale and dusty, something Irwin hadn''t even noticed until they had sailed into these narrow, winding corridors.


    Irwin missed the vast openness and clean air of the Dimarintsia River, but there was one benefit.


    "I can''t wait till we reach Granvox," he said, taking a look at Ambraz, who was sitting on the steering wheel. "You are sure I''ll be able to start smithing there without having to worry about the Smiths Guild trying to weasel me away to some supposed safe place?"


    "Definitely, Kid," Ambraz said. "You aren''t the only one who is done with these piecemeal moments of crafting we''ve been having. I need to catch up to all these punks. Besides, now that I''m bound, Brazardion will allow me access to better techniques! I''ve never really focused on the musical way to calibrate the resonances in cards, but with how much of a natural you are, I''ll need them."


    Irwin felt his interest piqued at that. "So, what are the other ways that high rank cardsmiths force the cards along other paths?" he asked. He couldn''t really imagine any other way, and could barely remember how he''d been doing it when he was still with Trimdir.


    "Well, some do just that. Force them, "Ambraz said. "Unlike how you guide the resonances by first synchronizing with the existing, slowly bending them, there are smiths that just grab the card''s resonances and force them into stillness. Then, they brute force them into the paths they want. It''s easier to learn and has a reasonably high potential, but some cards, like teleportation cards or anything dealing with emotions or light, require such a fine touch that it''s barely possible for them."


    "But there are others?" Irwin asked.


    "Definitely. There are those that don''t even use the resonances directly but use skills to change it to a physical medium, like metal, and then shape the metal and indirectly change the resonance. I don''t know much more than what I''ve seen on occasion, but it seems to require talent and special cards. Anyway, remember that most of these are what the high-rank smiths or wanna-be high-rank smiths use. Most others just do it like Gawarn and the others you''ve seen. A combination of experience, knowledge, and luck."


    Irwin nodded, wondering how it would look if someone was reforging a card through some medium. Looking ahead, he let his curiosity rest for now.


    A few minutes ahead of them was another rounded corner, sharp enough to obstruct what was beyond and requiring them to slow down. It wasn''t the first, nor the last.


    "Greldo, we are closing in on that place Rindiri warned us about," he said, knowing his friend would hear him. "Can you get everyone on deck and ready?"


    "On our way," a shout came from below.


    Irwin focused ahead, wondering if Rindiri''s worry was grounded. "Do you think we will have trouble ahead?" he asked.


    "Dunno Kid," Ambraz said as he suddenly vanished. Irwin felt Ambraz''s presence appear in his soulscape.


    ''But if it happens, it will be here!''


    Irwin hummed as he saw Greldo, Boohm, Rindiri and Zender appear. Earila would be remaining below deck, though one of her Faerit was sitting on Zender''s shoulder showing she could help if needed.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    We need to get her a card that allows her Faerit to change places with each other and take someone along, Irwin thought.


    You''gyn was nowhere to be seen, probably somewhere below and annoyed by the whole endeavor, which he saw as unnecessary.


    Let''s hope he is right, Irwin thought.


    Rindiri moved up and took over the helm from him.


    "Don''t worry too much," she said. "It''s just a precaution. Things rarely happen here."


    Irwin nodded but walked up to the prow where Greldo was waiting for him.


    "Think we are going to see some action?" Greldo asked with a grin. "I know it''s stupid, but I''d love to try out my new power."


    "Let''s hope we can do that in a bit more controlled circumstances," Irwin said with a smile.


    They continued ahead, and as they reached the bend, The Sonata began slowing down.


    ''Hmm¡­. that''s weird,'' Ambraz muttered in Irwin''s mind. ''I¡­''


    Irwin cocked his head, frowning at Ambraz''s incoherent mutterings.


    "What''s wrong," he whispered, causing Greldo to look at him worriedly.


    ''I thought I sensed something ahead, but it was gone a moment later¡­ but¡­''


    Irwin didn''t bother waiting for Ambraz, and he looked at Greldo.


    "Get ready! There might be something ahead! Warn the others, and keep it quiet."


    Greldo vanished from beside him, and Irwin focused on the bend. The Sonata slowed even more, far more than he knew was needed, and as they angled around the bend, he leaned forward.


    The Sonata began angling around the bend, and the area beyond appeared. A small ship was hovering there, effectively blocking the narrow corridor. A dozen heat signatures stood on the deck, but there was no sign of any soulforce resonances. Instead, it almost looked like a bubble was surrounding the ship, and the few ambient soulforce ripples vanished as soon as they hit it.


    "Get ready!" Irwin shouted.


    ''A presence dampening carded! They are Pirates!'' Ambraz shouted in his mind.


    Irwin didn''t need the warning, but took a step forward and hurled a hammer forward. It enlarged to the size of a barn door as it left his fingertips, propelled with exploding speed by a burst of kinetic energy.


    A shout roared across the hundred foot distance between the ships, and Irwin saw a bird-like man step forward, shouting ''Attack'' just as his hammer reached the bubble. Irwin''s eyes widened in shock as he felt his connection to the hammer disappear while a tall, sharp-faced man with scarring across his eyes, leaned down with abnormal speed and seemingly effortlessly slapped the hammer away.


    "Active ability dampening field," Rindiri shouted. "Zender, get below deck!"


    Her words barely rang out as the bubble shot outward, almost instantly covering an area that touched the corridor barriers and engulfed The Sonata.


    Irwin hissed as he felt his connection to his soulcard become muted. He could still feel it, but it was as if it had been pulled away a thousand miles; the connection stretched. His soulcard abilities seemed gone, and for the first time since he''d gotten it, he couldn''t sense his flame.


    The ship ahead of them was rushing forward, bridging the distance rapidly.


    ''They are blocking all active abilities! Find the one who is doing it and kill him,'' Ambraz shouted in his mind, his voice seemingly coming from far away.


    The ship reached The Sonata, and a split second before it slammed prow-first into them, Irwin saw that they had a thick metal beam attached to the front. Then, The Sonata shook and was shoved backward. Irwin barely managed to keep his footing as he heard Greldo curse behind him. He looked back to see Coal had appeared, looking confused.


    What the hell do they want? he thought, gritting his teeth. Were they here for the ship or for him?


    Just at that moment, something zipped out of the cabin door, and You''gyn landed on his shoulder.


    "Kill them!" a loud roar came from the pirates, rattling Irwin''s eardrums.


    "We''ll try and reduce his influence," You''gyn hissed in his ear, before Irwin faintly felt him appear inside his soulscape. As soon as he was there, Irwin felt him and Ambraz start resonating their own soulforce in tune with his own, and the distance between him and his skills seemed to marginally shrink.


    He risked a glance back to see that everyone had gathered behind him, then focused on the pirate.


    They jumped across the railing, landing heavily on the deck of the The Sonata. The one that had knocked his hammer away was in the lead, walking towards him with a grin that revealed way too many teeth. He was the only one who hadn''t drawn a weapon, his sword still in the scabbard on his hip. Behind him was a ragtag band of human''s and a pale-masked Kraniox.


    "What do you want?" Irwin snapped, hoping to give Ambraz and You''gyn enough time to do whatever they were trying.


    "The bounty on your head, Smith," the scarred man said with a laugh. "And we''ll take the Ganvil you are hiding and the sails to boot! Who knows, perhaps we will be lucky, and one of you drops a card!"


    "No talk! Kill them," a man with a bird-like face and feathers for hairs snapped angrily. "Someone focus on that bloody summon!"


    ''Careful of that bloody Emnonriz! He has at least three focused soulcards!''


    Ambraz''s warning came just as the scarred man dashed across the remaining distance.


    Irwin instinctively wanted to summon his hammer, but it didn''t respond, and he barely managed to throw up a hand to block a seemingly casual slap on his face. The force that hit his arm snapped it against his face while his internal kinetic ballooned, barely overflowing his capacity. The sharklike man''s grin dropped as he gaped in surprise.


    Kinetic energy still works, Irwin thought as he struck back, using all of it to propel his gleaming fist forward like a blur he couldn''t even see himself.


    His enemy''s eyes widened in shock, and his own arms blurred up faster than Irwin could register. Then, there was a dull boom as his fist connected with one of them.


    --


    Vibru felt a bone in his left arm shatter as he was knocked off his feet by a force he couldn''t believe. He felt like he was back at home, and his old teacher had struck him for something he''d done.


    That guy doesn''t have only one soulcard, he thought as he slammed into the cabin of the stupid bird''s ship. The rune-enhanced wall meant to withstand the Guard''s concussion blasts cracked but held as his back cracked and his head snapped back.


    Vibru growled as he shoved himself back up, his enhanced regeneration already at work, knitting his bones and torn muscles and the tiny tear in the back of his head. He glared at the fight happening, trying to plan ahead.


    Across the ships, he saw the smith, if he even was one, punch one of Pieplionyr''s men, knocking him to the side.


    What the-? That wasn''t a tenth as strong as what he hit me with! Vibru thought.


    The smith moved slowly, and he knew that although he had some combat training, it was barely enough not to look like a first-year gladiator trainee.


    Can he use some active skills? he thought, cursing the stupid bird as he quickly scanned the other fights,


    The others were fighting with the tall and hairy shadowwalker and the massive hound. He didn''t understand how that was even still out, as it should count as an active ability. Both, however, were moving with power and agility, and although they were getting cornered, they weren''t making it easy. A bigger surprise was the Yuurindi, who was moving with a grace almost like the Liquid Dansers of his homeworld, easily dodging any blow while striking back with surprising viciousness. She obviously didn''t have much strength, but he knew that hitting someone in the eyes always hurt.


    The heavy set Onyxian was blocking the door, and seemed barely able to hold his own against Pieplionyr. His face was bleeding from where the dumb bird''s claws had scratched him, but he seemed unwilling to make it easy.


    Damn, Terlo! This is not a proper reading, Vibru thought.


    Surrendering his instinct to move slowly and seemingly casually, he rushed forward, his feet ripping narrow holes in the hull as he went from standing still to blurringly fast in an instant. He knew the stupid bird would complain about it, but he didn''t care. He left his sword on his hip, not yet willing to use it. Besides it potentially dulling or breaking on that stupid metal head, the smith wasn''t worthy of that.


    Not yet.


    "Leave him to me, "he roared as he reached the Loydin-like man''s back and kicked him as hard as he could.


    Although it felt like kicking a thousand pound boulder, the smith was shoved forward, colliding with one of Pieplionyr''s men. Vibru was surprised when he didn''t shout in surprise or flail about, but grabbed the pirate, managed to keep his footing, then turned and flung the man towards him.


    Good instincts, he thought, begrudgingly as he swatted the insect out of his path. The soft plop of the man''s head and the blood that sprayed across him reduced his annoyance slightly, as did the surprised and horrified look in the smith''s eyes.


    Let''s see you do that again, he thought, zipping forward, dodging a slow haymaker, and ramming his fist in the other''s side. Again, it felt like hitting the side of a mountain, and the smith only took a slight step sideways. Vibru was about to hit him again when there was another dull boom together with the smith''s other hand almost seeming to teleport in front of his face. He barely managed to sidestep, but the grazing knuckle dug a bleeding gouge into his cheek, and the accompanying force spun him around.


    What the..!


    Vibru''s training took over as he sidestepped another punch, drew his sword, and slashed down on the arm. The Paldyrin steel blade hit the flesh with a dull thud, knocking it down, almost towards the deck, but as he raised it, there was only a thin layer of blood on it.


    Fine! You definitely haven''t gotten only one card, Vibru thought as he shoved all his preconceptions away and readied himself to unleash the full power of his cards.


    --


    Irwin hissed as he pulled back his arm. There was a burning pain where the blade had hit him, but his kinetic energy was almost full again. Each hit of the fast and deceptively powerful man seemed to carry enough to almost top it off each time.


    Still, that had to be one hell of a metal if it could puncture his skin like this! He struck out, using the built-up kinetic energy, but this time, his enemy dodged it, striking at his face.


    Irwin closed his eyes and raised his hand, but the blade struck across his eyes, clinking as it hit his nose bone and only pushed against his eyelids. He jumped back with kinetic energy, opened his eyes, and scanned around for the swordsman. There was no sight of him, then something jabbed into his back, and an inch of the sword pierced his lower back.


    Growling in pain, Irwin swung without looking, feeling something brush against his knuckles, followed by a snapping sound. Turning around, he saw his enemy stare in disbelief at his sword, now ten inches shorter, the tip nowhere to be seen.


    ''We can''t nullify this barrier! You have to find the one holding it up,'' Ambraz shouted.


    Irwin hissed as he looked around, then jumped back, using more of his kinetic energy and barely dodging a stab at his eyes.


    "Nasty piece of," he hissed, glaring at the scarred swordsman.


    There was only a smirk in response as the man moved forward like a blur, leaving shallow holes in the deck behind him.


    Back again, Irwin thought as he jumped forward, spun around, and struck out. There was nobody there, but the remains of the sword appeared before his eyes. He snapped his head sideways, the kinetic energy helping him to move fast enough for the jab to strike his cheek. Irwin reached out, grabbing for the sword and missing as the swordsmen jumped back.


    "Greldo, find the one who is keeping this bloody nullifying field up!" he shouted.


    "Don''t bother, you lumbering fool," the swordsman snapped. "Even if you find him, you can''t do anything!"


    Irwin didn''t bother responding.


    ''Just keep dodging him and kill the other ones,'' Ambraz shouted in his mind.


    Irwin grunted as he jumped back and looked for the nearest fighting. He was happy to see that of the pirates, four were already lying motionless on the deck, two near Rindari, one near Greldo, and the other near Coal. What wasn''t as good was that Greldo was sporting multiple bleeding wounds, as was Coal, who was now struggling with the Kraniox, dodging the spikes of mace while biting back. Boohm stood near the cabin, being pounded and sliced at by the bird-like pirate. Each part of his exposed skin was covered with shallow cuts, but he was still resisting.


    As short as his glance had been, he barely raised his arms up to block a fist strike to his arms. Before he could retaliate, the shattered blade point slammed into his stomach, piercing an inch inside and creating another spot of burning pain.


    He jumped forward, both arms spread to try and grab the frustrating swordsman.


    The swordsman dashed back so fast it almost looked like a teleport, and Irwin turned and ran for the Kraniox. If he could hurl it from the ship, Coal would be freed to help Greldo, and then the tides could turn.


    "Now where are you going?" the swordsman shouted, appearing in his path, sword jabbing forward.


    Seeing the sword move for his chest, time seemed to slow down as an idea flashed through Irwin''s mind. Instead of dodging, he used the remaining kinetic energy to explode forward, slamming into the sword. The point jabbed into his chest, sinking further than the previous attacks, but Irwin didn''t care as he grabbed the blade, squeezing close. At the last moment, just before he would slam bodily into the swordsman, his opponent let go of the blade and blurred out of the way.


    Irwin clenched his teeth as he ripped the blade out, then hurled it away as high and far as he could, the sword turning to a tiny spec as it was flung towards the barrier. There was a soft crackling as it hit it, then it was gone.


    The swordsman was gaping at where his blade had been destroyed, but Irwin ignored him, closing the final gap between him and the Kraniox. With the final hit having nearly refilled his kinetic energy, he exploded forward, not caring about the destruction to The Sonata''s deck. The Kraniox managed to only turn halfway when he reached it, and Irwin''s fist exploded on his mask. The towering, bare-chested man was hurled sideways off the deck, and Irwin only caught a fleeting glimpse of the bleeding face: mouth a lipless slit, four snake-like eyes glaring at him before the Kraniox was gone.


    "Sloudiner, now!"


    Irwin spun around to see the swordless swordsman had backed up to the other deck.


    "Sorry, Pieplionyr," he shouted as the odd rune on his head glowed bright, and a crystal cocoon wrapped around him. "I told you that Terlo was a foo-"


    His last word was cut off as he vanished from the deck, and a quick look around showed that one of the fighters around Greldo had vanished. The remaining three pirates were slowly pulling back towards the cabin, where the bird-like man had Boohm in a chokehold, looking around with eyes filled with hate.


    "If you want your friend to remain alive, stay back," he screeched, his voice rising painfully.


    Boohm''s eyes were bulging out, his mouth opening and closing, as the Onyxian fought for air.


    Irwin growled as he stalked forward, the others following his lead and a moment later they were standing in front of each other.


    "Let go of him, or you''ll be dead," Irwin snapped.

 Chapter 245: Resolve

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    The tension on The Sonata''s deck was palpable. Each person still standing was bleeding from multiple wounds, while Greldo and Rindiri stood a few steps beside Irwin. Greldo''s eyes were gleaming dangerously, and his lips curled up a snarl. Rindiri''s face was completely emotionless, but her eyes burned with a cold fire as she glared at the pirates.


    Pieplionyr was holding Irwin''s gaze, his eyes filled with hatred. He was holding Boohm in a death choke.


    "Last warning," Irwin said as he raised his head to his full height, glaring down at Pieplionyr and the pirates. "Let him go and take your chances with the guard, or I''m coming."


    He took a step forward, his fists clenching and unclenching. As nervous as he was for Boohm, he knew that there was only one way out of this. If he gave even a tiny bit of evidence he would not act, Pieplionyr would either leave with Boohm as collateral, or worse.


    "If I let him go, you will let us go," Pieplionyr shrieked.


    Irwin took a step forward, preparing himself to cross the final distance with all the kinetic energy raging through his body. If he struck Pieplionyr with all his strength, he might be able to stop him from snapping-


    The Cabin door was shoved open, slamming into Pieplionyr and Boohm, causing them to stumble forward. Irwin moved, exploding across the small distance and raising his knee against Pieplionyr''s face. There was a snapping sound as the bird-like man''s head changed angle, his entire body shooting a few feet in the air. Boohm slumped to the ground, but Irwin barely noticed.


    His soulcard seemed to snap back into focus, all his skills with them. There was a startled shout that was cut short, replaced by a crunching sound. Irwin looked to the side to see Coal dropping a pirate from between his jaws, the man''s face mauled by his massive razor-sharp teeth.


    The other two pirates were backing up, weapons on the grounds and arms raised.


    "We surrender!" one of the said, hate-filled eyes flicking about.


    Irwin took a deep breath as he turned to Boohm, who was lying on the ground, drawing in ragged breaths.


    "Just¡­ because¡­ we don''t¡­ need¡­ a lot of¡­ air," Boohm grunted between his breathing, his voice oddly hoarse and lacking its normal explosive quality. "Doesn''t¡­ mean we don''t¡­ need¡­ any!"


    Irwin let out a shuddering breath as he held out his hand and pulled the Onyxian to his feet. His leather chest armor was cut apart, and like his face and arms, bleeding slashes showed below.


    His blood is red, Irwin thought, looking at the very dark red liquid dribbling out, thick and syrupy.


    "Are you alright?" he asked.


    "Yes, but I''ve figured something out," Boohm said, his voice still hoarse. "My next cards need to have more passive effects!"


    Irwin barked a laugh as he turned away from Boohm, glad he was alright. Greldo stood before the two remaining pirates while Rindiri was walking away.


    "Captain, we need to get the ships under control so they don''t collide against the barrier," she shouted.


    Irwin nodded, only then noticing that someone was shoving against the cabin door, which was blocked by Pieplionyr''s body. As his eyes focused on the unmoving figure, Irwin blinked. There was no doubt of the man''s state, his head in an unnatural angle, and no visible movement or breathing.


    He replayed his action, realizing just how close things had come. If Pieplionyr had acted differently, he might have snapped Boohm''s neck when Irwin kicked him.


    "You okay?"


    Irwin blinked, jerking his head around to see Boohm looking at him. How long had he been standing here?


    "Yeah," he said, grabbing Pieplionyr''s ankle and dragging him away from the door.


    Zender pushed it open and looked outside. He was taller than he usually was, his body a dull silver color, a brighter colored silver whip in one hand and a sword in the other.


    "Is everyone alright?" he asked as he stepped out, looking around hurriedly.


    His eyes widened as they fell on the different bodies, but as soon as he saw his mother at the railing, a look of tremendous relief flooded his face. Earila stepped out after him, arms clutched to her chest as she looked at the blood-spattered, hole-filled deck covered in bodies.


    "Captain, there are still pirates inside the ship!"


    Irwin cursed as he rushed towards Rindiri just as he saw the other ship''s cabin open. A single pirate stepped out, arms up. His face had three long scars that barely missed his eye, and he was looking up at Irwin.


    "Don''t attack," he shouted. "Let''s talk!"


    Irwin''s eyes narrowed as he glared at the pirate.


    "Speak fast," he said as a massive hammer appeared in his hand.


    "Right, right! Listen, there''s more of us, and if we start fighting with active abilities, the chances are neither of the ships will survive," the scarred pirate said quickly. "You killed the captain?"


    Irwin blinked, then nodded. He was surprised to see no sadness or worry in the man''s eyes. Instead, he grinned nastily.


    "Right, well, that makes me the captain. How about this? You let me disengage our ship, and we will leave through the first exit we find. You won''t see us again in this region?"


    Irwin hesitated. He didn''t want to fight again, but what if they disengaged and then began shooting them from range? Rindiri leaned forward.


    "Tell him that nobody else can come on deck until they are out of our sight, or we will start firing at them," she whispered. "Between your hammer and Boohm''s concussive blasts, we could take out their sails and mast before they can do much."


    Irwin kept his eyes on the pirate, nodding slowly.


    "The rest stays inside, and if you make any odd moves, I''m going to obliterate your ship," he said, enlarging his hammer and casually leaning the head on the railing, making sure to keep most of the weight himself so he wouldn''t shatter it.


    The pirate smiled. "Deal!"


    He turned and ran to the upper deck, heading behind the wheel.


    "Tell them to take the other two," Greldo snapped. "Unless you want me to toss them overboard?"


    Irwin blinked, then looked at the two pirates who were staring at the ship with a mix of hope and anger.


    "I''ve got two of your pirates here," he shouted at the new captain. "I''m going to give them back."


    The new captain nodded, but there was an obvious reluctance in his eyes. Irwin didn''t care as he walked to the two pirates.


    "I''ll bring-" Greldo began, but Irwin shook his head.


    "Not worth the risk, he said as he put his massive hands on the two pirates'' shoulders. "Keep still."


    The two looked confused. There was a startled yelp as Irwin hoisted them up, turned, and, in one motion, threw them to the pirate ship. One flailed in the air before slamming into the deck, but the other one righted mid-air and landed on his feet. He turned, glaring at Irwin.


    "Are you sure they won''t try anything?" Irwin asked, glaring back.


    "They won''t risk it," Rindiri whispered. "Besides, with their captain dead, they are going to be having different problems."


    "I think we should just blow them up," Greldo muttered, arms crossed as he looked hatefully at the pirates. "What if they do the same to someone else?"


    "It''s too big of a risk," Rindiri said. "All of their strongest ranged cards were below deck. If even one manages to attack us before we fully destroy them, he could take out our sails and mast or blow a hole in our hull that is too big to fix. If we are dead in the air here, we might have to wait for months before a ship comes by. This isn''t a main route as it''s too narrow for merchant ships, and very few people actually go to Granvox."


    Greldo muttered, and although Irwin agreed with his sentiment, Rindiri''s logic was sound.


    They quietly watched as the pirate ship slowly pulled away from them, wood tearing and cracking as the metal beam pulled out of their side. Then it began sailing back slowly, the distance widening at a snake''s pace.


    "Maybe we should push them," Greldo snorted.


    "They will turn in a moment," Rindiri said.


    Irwin frowned, wondering how they were going to do that when the pirate ship began angling on its end in a way he''d not seen before. After only a few moments, the entire ship stood on its prow, and then it rotated and sank back to a normal horizontal position.


    ¡°Gelwins nutsack,¡± Greldo snapped. ¡°What was that?¡±


    Rindiri glared at him, then sighed. "It''s a tail-end maneuver, one of the more difficult ones."


    "Can you do it?" Irwin asked, watching as the pirate ship began speeding away from them.


    "Of course," Rindiri said softly as they all looked at the ship. "But we would need stabilizing runes, and everything in the hold would have to be tied down. That, or we need someone with a card that allows them to keep everything from sliding and falling."


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    Irwin nodded but didn''t answer, his eyes on the pirate ship.


    "We could knock them out now," Greldo said.


    As if someone heard him, Irwin saw pirates walk on deck, and two raised their glowing hands. He jolted, about to throw the hammer, but all that happened was a shimmering forcefield appearing behind the pirate ship. Then, the ship sped up even more, and within half a minute, it reached the widening corridor in the distance.


    "We need to get better at these ship battles," Irwin said before focusing on Rindiri. "How bad is the damage?"


    "We can reach Granvox, but we are going to need a lot of repairs."


    Irwin sensed a ripple in his soulscape, and You''gyn appeared on his shoulder.


    "Don''t worry," the Ganvil said happily. "I''m sure Ambraz can get you a better ship than this old piece of junk! Just pay another mercenary group to bring the remnants back to the previous owner."


    Irwin grimaced as he looked around the deck, feeling a slight sting as he saw the massive damage. He knew that many of the holes were his own doing. Even then, he would miss the wooden ship that had served as their home for more than a year.


    "Well, we''ll see when we get there," he said as he turned to Greldo. "Keep an eye out, alright?"


    "Don''t worry, I will," his friend said. "Also, you should look into a way to prevent some cards from dampening our active skills if you can."


    "Good luck with that," You''gyn said. "We''ve been searching for a way for centuries, and the best we could come up with was to have some pure physical assassins running around. Dampening cards also dampen the user''s own cards, usually resulting in physically weak carded."


    "That guy wasn''t weak at all," Boohm said as he pointed at Pieplionyr. Then he turned to Irwin, scratching his head. "So¡­ captain, you''re a smith? I guess that explains all those cards."


    Irwin looked at Boohm, feeling a headache appear. He''d planned to tell the other he was a smith after he''d officially taken him aboard, but somehow, the moment had never appeared.


    "AH, don''t worry, captain," Boohm said, raising his hands. "I won''t tell anyone!"


    Irwin sighed before grinning at the Onyxian. "You better not. If the guild takes me away to some ''safe'' world for Yilda knows how long, you can kiss your cards goodbye."


    Boohm shook his head, before sticking out his hand. "Not going to happen! Even if I wasn''t getting so many soulshards- I''m having way too much fun with you all."


    Irwin grinned, grasping the Onyxian''s hand. As he squeezed a bit, he was surprised at the powerful response.


    "You are right," he said, glancing at Pieplionyr''s body. "He was pretty strong for someone supposedly weak."


    "He probably had three soulcards, and for someone with three soulcards, he was weak," Rindiri said. "Look at how strong you are with just one. The right cards, in the right circumstances, can work wonders."


    "Four," You''gyn said in distaste. "The only reason he was this strong is because he had four, and from what I could tell, his soulscape was emerald rank."


    Another surge in Irwin''s soulshape preceded Ambraz''s appearance.


    "A crappy one though. I could sense it cracking on the edges," Ambraz snapped, glaring at You''gyn on Irwin''s other shoulder. "I''m not sure who made his heartcards, but those were as bad as they can get."


    "Ah¡­ so you also have a Ganvil," Boohm said, his voice slowly returning to his usual vigor. "Any more secrets you want to share?"


    Irwin laughed though he saw Greldo''s narrowed eyes.


    "No, I think this will be enough for now," Irwin said.


    Ambraz and You''gyn flitted from his shoulder as one, hovering before Boohm.


    "What do you mean, have a Ganvil?" You''gyn snapped!


    "Nobody has a Ganvil," Ambraz shouted at the same time.


    Boohm looked at the two flying metal anvils, eyes wide. His gaze flicked to Irwin before he swallowed.


    "Sorry, I didn''t mean it like that," he said, his careful words clashing with the volume of his voice.


    "You had better not," Ambraz snapped with a snort before returning to Irwin''s shoulder.


    Irwin''s smile faded as he looked at the bodies strewn about.


    "Alright, help me clear this out. Make sure to check them for cards and soulshards," he said. "Rindiri, get us back on course, please!"


    There were a few sighs, but a short while later, the bodies had all been hoisted over the railing, and Irwin had been surprised to find four cards. Three had been within the purses of the dead pirates, while one of them had actually dropped a card. They were all topaz, and none were worthy of any interest, but Irwin could still reforge them and sell them.


    Except for the kids, everyone was hurt, cut up, and bruised, and Boohm and Greldo were the first to retire. Irwin only found out later that his friend had been stabbed multiple times, his back sliced open, and only his own prodigious constitution had dragged him through. Zender and Earila had taken care of cleaning and binding his and Boohm''s wounds. Irwin just summoned his flame, and his wounds healed rapidly.


    He remained on the deck until Rindiri needed to rest, the few wounds she''d picked up needing to be cleaned and taken care of. Irwin told her to take a longer rest, and her lack of complaints showed just how beaten up she was. When he was finally alone on the bridge, they were in a reasonably wide corridor, and where everyone else was wiped out, his greatly enhanced endurance still kept him going strong.


    After the battle, a question had set in, one he''d not wondered about for a while. He glanced at Ambraz, who was sitting on his shoulder.


    "How strong are Greldo and me compared to the other people on this branch and compared to the people on the main branch?" he asked.


    "Heh, what''s the matter, kid? Finally realized there''s more out there than some Galubs, Imps, and low-rank carded?" Ambraz said with a laugh. "Don''t worry. Greldo is in the upper midrange, even compared to the one soulcarded ruby-ranked elite Brazardian has told me about. The fact that we reforged his card, and it''s actually pretty well suited for combat, helps a lot, and although he''d struggle against the true top, it''s unlikely we will encounter those any time soon."


    Irwin let out a soft sigh, wondering if Greldo was listening. If he was, he hoped his friend would feel good about it. He did, though¡­ there was a tiny part of him worrying. What would happen if they went out into the mainbranch? Would Greldo slowly begin lagging behind?


    "And you? Well¡­ let''s just say that your card is special, as you know. Because of this, even though your card isn''t really focused on combat but more on endurance, defense, and regeneration, your Kinetic energy will help you dominate anyone below your rank. However, if you go up against a similarly carded fighter, you will likely get your ass handed to you. It would just take a very long time."


    Irwin nodded. "This is on the mainbranch?"


    "Yes. Unless we head more towards Suderfuix or Dimarintsia, I don''t think we will encounter anyone with a single card, which will cause you much trouble."


    Irwin hesitated, realizing what Ambraz was implying.


    "And with multiple cards?"


    Ambraz sighed. "That toothy Emnonriz you were fighting against had three fighting-focused soulcards. The only reason you managed to survive was that he lost his sword and seemed troubled because of it. If he''d had a soulcarded sword, you would have been cut apart."


    "What rank was he?" Irwin asked as he absently stared into the empty distance.


    "Emerald," Ambraz said, sounding very sure of himself. "He has room for one more soulcard, and if he picks up a heartcarded sword, bah, perhaps even a handcard? Well, you don''t want to encounter him again until you get at least one more soulcard¡­"


    Irwin quietly stared forward, wondering what he should do. His main goal hadn''t been fighting, but with how things were going, he knew there was no way that he could stay away from the battles. Even if he didn''t count the portals, pirates, and raiders he might encounter, what about when he headed toward Dimarintsia? They still needed to figure out who was behind the abductions of the Smiths. They had been focusing on him, and the chances of that having something to do with the Galadin Empire were far too big. That meant he had no idea who they would have to go up against.


    "Someone with five combat-focused, ruby-rank soulcards," he said slowly, thinking about Gelwin. "How would he fair against someone with six at a diamond?"


    "Well, that''s not such an easy question to answer," Ambraz said, humming softly. "First of all, are we talking of the same quality? Right now, you are already amongst the best cardsmiths I know at quartz, amethyst, and topaz rank reforging, and probably close to if you had to create a heartcard. With my help, you can get away with doing that at emerald rank, but you can''t really reforge properly at ruby yet. If I help, we can make do, but there are many smiths that are better ruby. Beyond that, there''s a massive gap going to diamond, and¡­ well, let''s just say it''s a good thing we had that purperion when we created your heartcard. That was a mix of timing, luck, and skill. And even then, to get the truly perfect things, you would need to be able to do far more without my help."


    Irwin pondered what Ambraz said for a bit before nodding. "So, how good is Greldo''s ruby soulcard?"


    "Very good," Ambraz said. "Perhaps not perfect, but definitely in the ninety percent range."


    "What would happen if his next card is a perfect, one hundred percent ruby heartcard?"


    "It would increase the overall capability of his soulscape by averaging out the percentages," Ambraz said. "If his current is ninety-two percent, his soulscape would go to ninety-six percent."


    Neither spoke for a while. Irwin was lost in thoughts when Ambraz sighed.


    "Listen, Irwin, if Greldo focuses on his strengths and specializes in what he can already do, by the time we get that far, which isn''t for a long time yet, he will be one of the most powerful shadowwalkers I know. But there will always be someone stronger than him or someone who perfectly countered his abilities. Even if you go and only focus on fighting cards from now on and get only cards like your first one, there will still be people that counter you."


    Irwin nodded. "I thought as much," he said slowly.


    A resolve that had grown very slowly, the seed lain long ago when he found out about card reforging, turned to steel as he knew what he had to do.


    "So the only way for me to guarantee anything is to become the best cardsmith ever and make the people around me into powerhouses," he said.


    "Pretty much," Ambraz said, his grin growing. "Though, you might want to make sure to keep making cards that keep you ahead of the power curve as long as you can."


    Irwin grinned back, his fingers tightly wrapped around the helm.


    "Oh, I was planning on that," he said, feeling a worry slide from his shoulders as the steely resolve grew.


    I was planning on it!


    --


    Zy''ring, a rank-four Ganvil, was flying through the beautifully crafted, ornate stone tunnel as fast as his dull copper wings could carry him. The golden glowing card-crafted torches were zipping past him as he headed towards the massive room beyond.


    I hope he doesn''t snap at me, he thought, jealous about the fleshies and their ability to swallow when afraid.


    When he reached the end of the tunnel, he slowed as he saw the two rank-five Ganvils nestled on their large pedestals. Behind them, the large throne room loomed.


    "What do you want, Zy''ring," one of the guards snapped, his dull, silvery lips pressed in a glare. "You know nobody is allowed here without a summons!"


    "I need to speak to the Lord! A ship is passing through the checkpoints, and¡­ Lord Am''braz has been seen aboard!"


    The guard''s mouth fell open, and before either of them could say anything, a deafening voice came from the room.


    "Let him pass!"


    Zy''ring would have paled if he had the anatomy for it and rushed forward past the stunned guards. He had been inside the throneroom before, but each time he entered it, he was again stunned by its grandiose magnificence.


    An enormous smithing fireplace stood on the far end, the ever-burning furnace fires lighting up the entire room while intricately crafted chandeliers hung from the ceiling. Rows of perches decorated the walls on each side, meant for a host of Ganvils when the Lord wished to speak to them.


    A wide, short pillar made of precious metal, with a single winding staircase, stood in the center of the room. It was meant only for the most illustrious cardsmiths to reach the one that rested atop. Large even by worldanvil standards, the Ganvil that rested atop it was one of the most powerful of their race¡ªone of the Monarchs and one of the strongest below the eldest.


    Made of a silver metal so dark it was nearly black and with a surface covered in tiny runes and soulscape-induced scripts, it made the young low-rank Ganvil feel incredibly intimidated. The etched lips were pursed together, giving a sense of being highly impatient.


    "Lord Brazardian," Zy''ring quickly splurted, knowing how little Brazardian liked delays of any kind. "The second and third checkpoints have confirmed that there is a Ganvil aboard that is one of your prodigies, and the description fits only one. Am''braz!"


    "What ship is he on?"


    The deep baritone of Brazardian echoed throughout the room, holding a tinge of a songlike quality.


    "A tiny retrofitted scout. It is reported to have been taken by raiders and is being returned by a mercenary group called Giard''s Rangers. They are led by Captain Irwin Roddington, a Fiz''rin. There are currently three Yuurindi aboard: two youths and an older woman who is the second in command. A human shadowalker and an Onyxian.¡±


    Zy''ring bit his teeth, hoping he''d been fast and concise enough.


    It was quiet for a moment before the voice rang out again.


    "Is there any indication that he has bonded with one of them?"


    "No guarantees, my lord," Zy''ring said hesitantly. He didn''t dare add that one of the checkpoints had given their own idea, as Brazardian only liked facts.


    "Give me the conjectures then," the enormous Monarch said, sounding weary.


    "Checkpoint two says it''s likely that Am''braz has bound to the Fiz''rin called Irwin."


    "I see¡­ Head back and prepare Am''braz his chambers. Have the servant''s rooms below cleaned, as well as the smith''s quarters. Alert Des''braz and Yirta''braz. Tell them I expect them here with the hour!"


    Zy''ring rose. "Yes, my lord!" he said before rushing back.


    When he was too far away to hear it, a dull whisper came from the throne room.


    ¡°Finaly back¡­ and only just in time¡­"

 Chapter 246: Prodigy Am鈥檅raz

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    Irwin stood with the others on the prow, Ambraz on his shoulder.


    They were flying between two lines of stone pillars carved out of the mountains. At the top of each was a semblance of a Ganvil, seemingly a natural continuation of the rocky pillar. Far at the end was a massive stone city carved out of a mountain, with a tower on each side that held two docks. Hundreds of ships were anchored along them, ranging from large merchant vessels to sleek escorts. Still, even with the chaotic hubbub of ships, the docks and city looked symmetrical and ordered.


    Patrol ships were flying along outside the pillars, while the massive land around stretched for at least half a mile before reaching the Portal Gallery Barriers on each side. According to Ambraz and You''gyn, there were multiple exits to other, more distant parts of the central area.


    "You could have told us what to expect," Irwin muttered.


    "What? And lose the chance to see your stunned faces?" Ambraz said, snorting loudly. "You didn''t think a Ganvil world would look anything like those puny harbors, did you?"


    "Proadon One wasn''t exactly small," Greldo muttered.


    "Size isn''t everything," Ambraz said. "Now, Kid, close your soulscape like I told you. Brazardan will likely want to see us, and You''gyn isn''t allowed to be there."


    ''Bah, as if he has anything I haven''t seen before,'' You''gyn said.


    Still, Irwin could sense his annoyance as he focused on his soulscape and changed the resonance as Ambraz had taught him. It cost him a tiny bit of his soulpower, but it was less than he was gaining. He just had to make sure to put it back after he woke each morning.


    You''gyn let out a weary sigh. ''Fine, I''ll just go and rest for¡­ the next few weeks!''


    Irwin blinked. He sensed a slight disturbance in his soulscape as You''gyn''s presence warped, enlarged, and then seemed to go dormant.


    "Give me a moment," he whispered before closing his eyes and stepping into his soulscape.


    The sweltering breeze that circled around him was refreshing after the relatively cool one in the Portal Gallery. He sighed happily before looking at the mountain and focusing on the empty areas. He''d slowly started to realize just how barren those parts were, with the empty soullake not helping either.


    I wonder if that''s why the final card is a heartcard, he thought, recalling the beauty of the lake when it had been filled.


    Scanning around, he didn''t see You''gyn and had to use his soulscape senses to pinpoint him in a valley on the other side of the mountains. He had turned into a massive Anvil, easily the size Ambraz had been when he first saw him. There was barely a fluctuation of soulforce around him.


    So he wasn''t kidding when he said he was going to rest, Irwin thought.


    He looked at him for a moment before stepping back out of his soulscape.


    "What was wrong? Was that punk acting up?" Ambraz asked.


    "No, he went to sleep or something," Irwin said.


    "Seriously? Instead of taking this time to practice his own resonance, such a lazy brat," Ambraz muttered. "Whatever."


    They were only a few hundred feet from the docks when a small shape flew towards them. It moved so fast it arrived within moments.


    Irwin could finally see that it was a Ganvil as it stopped a short distance in front of him. The Ganvil was at least four times as large as Ambraz and made of gleaming pale copper that wasn''t very unlike Irwin''s own coloration.


    "Welcome to Granvox Harbor. I am Gla''ring, the current Head of Harbor Management. Am I correct in my belief that you are Prodigy Am''braz?" the Ganvil asked.


    "I''d say that much is evident," Ambraz said. "Are you implying you forgot about me, Gla''ring?"


    "No, Prodigy Am''braz! However, it has been so long, and we had thought you long since dead," Gla''ring said. His lips still retained their upward curve, but they seemed strained now.


    "Bah! I am Am''braz, Prodigy of Brazardian, second born of the triplets," Ambraz snapped.


    As angry as he sounded, Irwin knew that if he''d been a human, Ambraz would have puffed out his chest. He quickly hid his grin with his hand, mimicking rubbing his slight stubble.


    "Am''braz, please let me be the first to welcome you back! Monarch Brazardian has had your chambers readied, as well as a space for your servants," Gla''ring said. "Is this your smith?"


    "I need to speak with Brazardian," Ambraz said, ignoring the question.


    "Of course, Am''braz! Please take the left dock''s closest anchor point!" Gla''ring said quickly.


    Ambraz acts like one of those nobles back home, Irwin thought.


    It shouldn''t have surprised him with how arrogant Ambraz could be, but with how happy Ambraz had seemed to return, he''d not expected it. He looked at Greldo, who raised an eyebrow, probably thinking the same as he was.


    "If you have any questions, please feel free to ask," Gla''ring said hurriedly. "With how long it has been since you were last here, I''m sure you wish to know many things!"


    Ambraz snorted.


    Gla''ring hovered nearby, seemingly ready to answer a myriad of questions, but as none came, his lips slowly became a flat line. His wings began flapping faster, though he remained hovering where he had been.


    Irwin turned back to the incoming city. Ambraz really didn''t like this Ganvil, and it seemed somewhat mutual. It was wondrous how he had learned to read Ganvil emotions from just their etched lips and slight bodily clues.


    An uneasy quiet hung on the ship, even Zender seeming to catch on to the slightly awkward vibe.


    Rindiri guided them towards the left dock, and Irwin glanced at Gla''ring before turning to Ambraz.


    "Are we going to remain in the harbor or head to the planet?" he asked. He already knew the answer, seeing as that Brazardan was unable to leave, but Gla''ring''s uncomfortable silence annoyed him.


    "To Granvox," Ambraz said. "Gla''ring, you can head out before us. I know the way. Make sure to have the gates opened as we arrive!"


    "Yes, Am''braz!" Gla''ring said before rushing forward.


    "Ugh¡­ that punk actually became rank five," Ambraz growled, making a choking sound. "He''s going to be spreading a whole bunch of lies that I''m a failure! I''ll show him!"


    "He''s rank five?" Irwin asked curiously. "So that means one more rank before he becomes a world anvil?"


    "Bah! He''s never going to get there, or if he does, it will take a thousand years!" Ambraz snorted.


    "You don''t like him?" Greldo asked, leaning on the railing and grinning up at Ambraz.


    "Like him? He always was an annoying brat who thought he was better than the rest of us just because he managed to become rank three first!"


    Irwin thought about the name, wondering which Monarch he could belong to. Ambraz had told him the names, but he was pretty sure none of them started with Ring.


    "He isn''t a Monarch''s Prodigy?" he asked.


    "Gla''ring? No! He was created during the ''ring'' year from the collective soulforce," Ambraz said.


    "How old is he?" Greldo asked.


    "In merchant years? Nearly two hundred," Ambraz said.


    "Doesn''t that make him older than you?" Irwin asked in surprise.


    "What is up with these questions?" Ambraz grumbled. "No, I''m at least a year and some months older than him."


    "You are two hundred old?" Zender asked, moving beside Greldo, eyes wide in shock.


    "Yes," Ambraz said. "But we don''t age like you do. I''ll explain some other time. Now, we need to focus!"


    Irwin saw that he wasn''t wrong as they had almost reached the dock. Lots of tiny soulforce ripples came from all across, so small that he hadn''t noticed them before, while a soft hum seemed to emulate from all around. It was almost as if the entire metal and stone dock was humming and resonating.


    Two heavyset dockworkers, both wearing identical leather tunics, were waiting for them.


    Irwin''s eyes widened in shock at the sight of a tall woman with pale copper skin and short hair that stood up like metal wire. She was half a head taller than the human beside her, and everything about her seemed familiar. As their eyes met, she blinked in surprise, then a look of intense hope flashed across her face. It lasted for only a fraction of a second, and Irwin almost thought he''d dreamed it as she made an odd double-handed gesture, looking calm again.


    A Fiz''rin, Irwin thought as he looked at her in stunned wonder.


    He immediately realized why Daubutim had said he should pretend to be one of them because she looked far more like him than the Loydin he had encountered. Less bulky and brutish, with a more refined face. Her hands and arms weren''t as thick as those of Loydin, and something told him it wasn''t just because she was a female. It felt more like they were both statues made by a more refined craftsman than the Loydin were. Even then, he did instantly notice a few tiny differences. The thin symbols on her exposed metallic flesh were of different patterns than the ones on his and more clearly visible, while her eyes were like orbs of molten metal, red with a white glowing pupil instead of a black one.


    Having no idea how to respond, he tried to imitate her with a smile.


    The Fiz''rin blinked in surprise, lowering her hands and narrowing her eyes.


    Right, I guess that wasn''t the proper response, Irwin thought.


    "She looks a lot like you, and although I don''t know anything about it," Greldo whispered. "I think that if you keep looking at her, she might think you are trying to charm her."


    Irwin blinked and held the Fiz''rin gaze for a final moment before focusing on Ambraz.


    "I didn''t know there were Fiz''rin here," he whispered.


    "Neither did I," Ambraz muttered. "It''s either new or I just never saw them¡­ which I find hard to believe."


    Greldo and Zender threw the chains to the dockworkers, and a moment later, they were reeled in. When The Sonata lay snug against the dock, Irwin and the others lowered the plank. It had sustained slight damage during their fight, but as Irwin walked across it, it showed little trouble with his wait.


    The Fiz''rin was waiting with the other dockworker, staring at him intently.


    Might as well get this over with now, Irwin thought.


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation."Give me a moment," he said, waving Greldo to the other side of the dock where a few other people seemed to be waiting for them. Then he walked towards the Fiz''rin.


    "Hello," he said, stopping before them.


    The other dockworker, a rugged human with brilliant green eyes and dark brown stubble, quickly bowed.


    "Welcome, my lord!"


    The Fiz''rin just frowned, ignoring her companion.


    "You are a Fiz''rin?" Irwin said, causing her frown to deepen.


    "Yes¡­ and you look like you are one. Are you not?" she asked in a pleasant husky voice.


    "I don''t know," Irwin said, realizing that was probably the truth. He was a Galadin, or at least born as one. But what was he now? Should he lie? He could, but that might make things difficult in the future.


    "My first soulcard¡­ changed me," he finally said, deciding to leave the fact that it was his only soulcard up to interpretation.


    The Fiz''rin looked at him, her eyes widening slightly. "That is¡­ hard to believe," she finally said. "But I can''t deny what I''m seeing."


    "We have some differences, don''t we?" Irwin asked, tapping beside his eyes, which were closer to burning orbs of flame.


    "We don''t all have lava eyes," she said. "I have a brother with eyes like yours."


    "Okay¡­" Irwin said, not sure what he was even doing here. Perhaps he should have just ignored her?


    "Are there more Fiz''rin here?" he asked, trying to gather his thoughts.


    The Fiz''rin let out a sad laugh, shaking her head. "Alright, that proves it. You are definitely not a Fiz''rin, or at least not one from Igniz! No, and the only reason I am here is as an Ambassador. Not that the Ganvils see it that way."


    "No offense," she added quickly as she glanced up at Ambraz, who had been quietly observing.


    "None taken. You''re pretty young for an Ambassador¡­" Ambraz said, sounding curious. "And your soulcard has an odd and slightly uncomfortable resonance."


    The Fiz''rin sighed, nodding. "So I''ve been told. Apparently, that''s the reason I''m not allowed in the world."


    Curious, Irwin focused on the sounds around him, and suddenly, he heard the out-of-tune melody coming from the Fiz''rin. He had no idea how he''d missed it before, but now that he''d heard it, he almost wanted to walk away, out of range.


    "Is there something wrong with your soulcard?" he asked, barely able to hold back a grimace as the melody seemed to become even more clear.


    The Fiz''rin frowned. "That''s not really something people ask each other."


    "Right¡­" Irwin said, slightly uncomfortable. "Well, I''ve got to go. Perhaps we can talk again sometime."


    He was about to turn away to leave when the Fiz''rin stepped forward.


    "Wait¡­ I didn''t- Are you a smith?" she asked, looking at him with eyes filled with a sudden hope.


    Irwin didn''t respond, but he quickly glanced at the other dockworker who had been curiously watching the interaction.


    "Right! Sorry for asking," the Fiz''rin suddenly said. "Listen, I''m Hind. Can you come and talk with me again sometime soon?"


    "Irwin, we need to leave," Ambraz said, and Irwin nodded.


    Hind glanced at Ambraz, then back at him. "Irwin? If you come and find me, I can tell you more about the Fiz''rin. Perhaps we can figure out what you are?"


    "Sure," Irwin said hesitantly. He had the distinct idea that she wanted more than just tell him about the Fiz''rin.


    "I need to head to the world first, and I''m not sure how long that will take," he said.


    Hind nodded, her eyes narrowing as she seemed to try and come up with something to say.


    "I think those people behind you are getting restless," the other dockworker said, looking behind Irwin.


    He turned to see Greldo beckon him.


    "Right. I''ll see you again," Irwin said as he waved at them before turning and walking away.


    When he was halfway to Greldo and the others, Ambraz sighed.


    "Her heartcard was partially shattered during forging," the Ganvil whispered. "She must have hoped it would be fixed when she made it into a soulcard, but that''s not how things work. Now, her soulscape is heavily damaged and flawed, and she is unable to slot any card. They would shatter if she tried to slot them."


    Irwin felt a wave of sympathy, even though he didn''t know her. The idea of having a shattered soulscape sounded painful.


    "Do you think she came here to get it fixed?" he whispered.


    "Probably. It''s not unheard of," Ambraz said, sounding sad. "People hear legends about the World anvils, and they come here in hopes of many things. Fixing shattered heartcards, removing a heartcard or soulcard, and many other impossible things."


    "So it''s impossible to fix a soulcard?" Irwin asked as he slowed down a bit.


    Ambraz was quiet.


    "Ambraz?"


    "There are legends that it used to be possible," Ambraz said softly. "Kid, if you had asked me before I met¡­ all of you, I would have thought it impossible. Now? I don''t know. Maybe?"


    Irwin hummed as he continued ahead, walking up to the others. There were two humans and a female Onxyxian, as wide as Boohm, with long, black hair that looked like carved stone. They were all dressed in smithing attire while Gla''ring sat on the Onyxian''s shoulder.


    Boohm was eyeing her in what counted for him as a casual look. Irwin wondered if she was going to knock him in the head if he didn''t stop.


    "Have a nice chat?" Greldo asked, his eyes gleaming slightly.


    "Something like that," Irwin said, looking at his friend.


    "Alright, let''s go," Ambraz grunted. "I thought I told you I knew the way?"


    "Lord Brazardian told me to bring you to him immediately," Gla''ring said. "Also, this is-"


    "Fine. Let''s get going then!" Ambraz grunted, interrupting him. "I''m sure my progenitor hasn''t gotten any more tolerant to waiting in the time I was gone."


    Gla''ring made a strangled sound before snorting. "As you say. Let''s go!"


    The Onyxian looked at Irwin and rolled her eyes, causing Irwin to stifle a grin. She turned and began walking across the stone dock towards a massive door that led into the city. Tiny holes sat high in the wall, reminding Irwin of the ones Ambraz had asked him to make in Bronwyn''s new house. As he looked around, he saw a few tiny soulforce ripples in some.


    The large gate led them into a small square, surrounded by windowless buildings with large doors.


    The Onyxian led them to a large road lined with more buildings. Tracks on the ground showed it was probably frequented by cards or wagons.


    "This is the main storage area for the docks, "Ambraz said. "Anything not valuable, like food and clothes, are stored here. Metals, cards, crystals, runes, and card-crafted goods are brought straight to the world."


    "Brazardian had this area cleared out so you would be able to hurry along unobstructed," Gla''ring said.


    "Usually, this is a busy place?" Irwin asked, surprised at the lack of dust and debris. Had they cleaned before Ambraz got here?


    "One of the busiest," Ambraz said. "Reforged cards are brought to their new owners, sometimes escorted by a squadron of guard class ships."


    "That has been happening more recently," Gla''ring said, sounding weary. "With the Smith Guild having pulled nearly all smiths to their hidden worlds, we have become one of the few places people can still get their reforging done."


    "I heard that the Smiths Guild has created a large presence here?" Ambraz said.


    "They did," Gla''ring said, sounding even more annoyed now. "Act like they own the place! Just because they gave us this world doesn''t mean they can come along and just¡­ just¡­ Bah!"


    As they headed deeper into the city, Gla''ring continued complaining about the Smiths Guild representatives and their seemingly endless demands. When they finally arrived at a central building, Irwin guessed they had reached the world portal.


    "Alright, you two head back to your posts," Gla''ring said.


    Before Irwin could wonder who he meant, the two humans turned and walked away, seeming happy to leave.


    "There should be a barge waiting for us on the other side," Gla''ring said as they headed into the building.


    Inside, dozens of guards stood everywhere, and a few Ganvils in their large form stood on short pillars beside two metal-reinforced doors. Their sides were covered in unreadable runes, some glowing oddly, but as they approached, they opened immediately, leading to a room with a portal on a pedestal.


    "At least he got that right," Ambraz said in a low whisper.


    There were more guards inside the room and another two Ganvils beside the portal, and as they approached, Gla''ring flew forward.


    ¡°Gla¡¯ring and smith Singara. We are here with Prodigy Am''braz, who-"


    Ambraz flitted forward rapidly, hovering before the left Ganvil, which looked made out of steel with a blueish gleam.


    "Hou''dor! Is that you? So you returned alive?!" Ambraz shouted happily.


    The previously pursed lips of the Ganvil lowered into a surprised gape.


    "Am''braz? Am! You are back! What happened? Also, what do you mean by coming back alive? How was there ever any doubt?!"


    The massive Ganvil turned into a smaller shape, though still far larger than even Gla''ring. With wings that made sounds like hammers hitting metal so fast it was barely distinguishable, he circled Am''braz.


    "You look great! Rank three? I''d expected more, but¡­"


    "Bah! You would be stunned if you knew what happened," Ambraz said, flying forward and knocking into the other Ganvil, blowing him off course. "Meet me in my place after your shift!"


    "I will!"


    The Ganvil laughed happily before landing on the ground where he''d been, reverting to his massive shape.


    Ambraz landed on Irwin''s shoulder.


    "Kid, that''s a real Ganvil," he said, his lips curved up in a massive grin. "I''ll be sure to introduce you later."


    "Sounds good," Irwin said with a dry chuckle.


    "Alright! Let''s go!" Ambraz said, sounding far more excited than before.


    Irwin walked forward, hearing a chuckle from the other large Ganvil.


    "Welcome to Granvox," it said in a low, crackling voice. "The world of smithing!"


    Irwin faintly heard Greldo suppress a laugh, but he didn''t respond. Ambraz''s sudden enthusiasm was rubbing off on him, and as he stepped into the portal, he wondered what the world beyond would be like.

 Chapter 247: Brazardian

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    Irwin had expected to step out into a confined room with guards. Instead, as he stumbled out of the portal, he looked across a massive square bordering a rugged mountain landscape.


    Snow-covered trees dotted its glittering white sides and the valleys between. From between the mountains, massive dark red gas plumes wafted up out of what had to be volcanoes. Pillars, statues, and an entire city had been carved out of the nearest mountain straight across while small boats moved along.


    The lower levels of the city looked like any other he''d seen, with houses, streets, and more heat signatures and soul resonance waves than he had seen in a single spot. Above it, the city changed, with the buildings turning into something more reminiscent of birdhouses, with small circular openings and lacking roads or paths leading between them. Tiny specs flickered around there, only visible due to the tiny trails of soulforce resonance they left behind.


    The top area has to be for the Ganvils, Irwin thought, as he suddenly noticed something else.


    A soft tune emanated from the air around him while dim clouds of soulforce drifted everywhere. Some were like cotton clouds, others like thin tendrils of mist. They were mostly pale, steely gray, or dark green, though tendrils of brown hues connected everything.


    The entire atmosphere was so overwhelming that Irwin just stood there, staring out. It had been a long time since he''d been on a world, and he had almost forgotten about their resonances. The difference between the Portal Gallery''s almost non-existent ambient soulforce and this was staggering. It seemed overwhelming, and he wondered how nobody else could hear this.


    Granvox''s melody was a deep, almost somber one, heavy in the lower tones with the occasional elated outcry. It matched perfectly with the cold, stoic mountains, and the occasional volcanic eruptions that he knew had to occur.


    He barely noticed when Greldo pushed him to the side and away from the portal or when his friend stepped up beside him, looking at the distant city.


    "No guards?" Greldo asked as he looked around.


    "Look behind you," Ambraz said.


    Irwin finally snapped out of it and turned around. The portal was placed against a wall of solid granite with dozens of recesses twenty feet up. Massive Ganvils made up of different types of metals were nestled inside, some without lips and wings.


    Are they resting, or¡­ Irwin thought, wondering if this was how dead Ganvils were treated.


    "Those are all rank six," Ambraz said, sounding incredibly proud. "If anything enters through there, the last thing they will see is the beauty of Forgelight City before they are turned to dust."


    Irwin blinked, noticing that a few of the Ganvils high up had begun smiling. He couldn''t help but shudder at the pure malice radiating from some of them.


    "Don''t worry, they won''t harm us," Ambraz said.


    A few moments later, everyone had come through the portal, Zender running forward with wide eyes. As he did, Irwin suddenly realized something. Shocked, he turned to Ambraz.


    "I thought Yuurindi weren''t welcome on worlds?" he hissed.


    "Bah! Don''t compare us with those superstitious fools," Ambraz snorted. "Besides, unlike the other worlds, there''s no way for anyone to hide on Granvox. There are two seventh-rank and an eighth-rank World Anvil here! They can detect anyone coming inside, and as soon as someone tries to move out of their range, they will notice. Moreover, Gynerigon is blocking teleportation, so¡­"


    Irwin noticed Rindiri looking at them in wonder.


    "Does that mean-" she began.


    "No," Ambraz said, interrupting her. "There''s no way Gynerigon will allow your people a safe haven here. Then again¡­ do we need one?"


    Rindiri sighed. "I guess not," she said. "But I hope that someday in the future, my people can be seen as something other than some existential threat."


    Earila had remained close to her and was looking at her mother quietly. Then she walked forward and surprised Irwin by grabbing her hand and pulling her after Zender. Rindiri''s eyes widened slightly, but she let her daughter pull her along.


    "Alright, let''s get a ride to the city," Ambraz said, sounding excited again.


    "We have one arranged," Gla''ring said.


    He was perched on Singara''s shoulder, the Onyxian standing a short distance away.


    Boohm was still eyeing her, seemingly not caring about the beauty of the world around them.


    "Good, let''s go," Ambraz said.


    The group continued to the edge of the balcony to find a staircase leading down. Along the side of the steep drop, they saw another dock, along its width, small barges being loaded.


    As Gla''ring and Singara led them down and to the side, Irwin noticed many small Ganvils flying about or riding on shoulders.


    "Those are rank-zero''s," Ambraz whispered in his ear. "Many won''t ever get beyond rank two, and they usually bond with crafters or smiths with no chance of progressing past amethyst rank."


    Irwin nodded as he saw a long, metallic boat waiting for them. A head-sized Ganvil was perched on a platform at the back where Irwin would have expected the helm to be.


    I wonder what Brazardian will be like, Irwin thought as he walked aboard and sat on one of the benches.


    ---


    "Alright, I''m glad you are all here," Lord Bron said, smiling wearily.


    His face was covered in a stubble, and his hair unkempt as he stood before the large square table. Each side had four seats, with only seven filled. Most seats were empty, and would remain like that until they found more people for their council.


    Those present were Bronwyn, Daubutim, and Dianor for the different cities and towns; Basil for the guards; Tanya, who had taken up the role of sorcerer and was working on creating a new tower; and Lamia and Trimdir for the smiths. Clarish, who was in charge of the teleporters, stood on the other side of the table.


    "Clarish, can you give us some news on how things are going with the scouts?"


    The young woman smiled tiredly. She''d been teleporting between the different scout outposts for weeks, gathering information, and it showed.


    "The northern portal is stable, but the birds still won''t allow us near it. There has been increased activity and one of the scouts says he saw a bird as large as a horse. It was flying over the land, seemingly keeping an eye on the scouts and rangers," she said.


    "They didn''t show any signs of aggression?" Basil asked.


    "Not from what I''ve heard or seen," Clarish said as she shook her head. "It feels almost¡­" She hesitated.


    "Share your mind," Lord Bron said. "Even slight insights can prove useful."


    Clarish pulled her braided hair, then nodded. "I''d say it feels like they are exploring, just like we are. It almost feels like they haven''t been here for a long time. Also, they are definitely intelligent, though they don''t seem able to talk."


    "Both things make sense," Daubutim said in his deep, dull voice. His eyes rippled with red lightning as he focused on Trimdir. "How are the translation cards coming along?"


    "Difficult," Trimdir said, crossing his heavily muscular and scarred arms in front of his chest. "Even with Gawarn and Lamia''s help, we are having a hard time guaranteeing forceful reforges of potential cards. Topaz rank is still the limit, and even then, we waste too many cards."


    "Any idea when one could be ready?" Daubutim asked.


    "No. Months at best, years at worst. We need more training and information on smithing. Gawarn never got beyond this point, and his training is-" he hesitated, looking at Lamia, who shrugged.


    "It is true. Gawarn wasn''t as dedicated as his brother," she said, her voice slightly hoarse. "He only did the bare minimum, and we barely had any cards at the end. We need Irwin to return with more Ganvils, training manuals, or something else."


    "She is right," Trimdir said. "We could probably figure all of this out with enough cards and time, but¡­"


    "We don''t have either," Lord Bron said as he put his hands on the table. "Basil, how is Greeny doing?"


    The towering guard snorted while a soft round of laughter came from the table. Even after they had all met the shard of the Soulgem, most found it hard to call her Greeny just because she was green, especially because the Soulgem wasn''t actually male or female. Still, Doomblade''s name had managed to stick, and the Soulgem seemed fine with it.


    "The Central Registrar is completed, but it will take a long time before she has gathered enough energy to provide the basic facilities she told us about. For that, she will need to start growing because taking chips from her now would be detrimental."


    "She hasn''t shown any indication that she will contact that Soulgem network and accidentally get everyone on our necks?" Bronwyn asked.


    Basil snorted. "No. It''s more the opposite. She''s told me that if we don''t get more defenses ready, heartcarded, and preferably soulcarded, she doesn''t think it wise to contact them."


    "Good," Lord Bron muttered before turning back to Clarish.


    The teleporter had been quietly waiting and continued when he nodded.


    "The scouts have managed to cover most of the northern island group, and it proves your initial findings," she said, glancing at Daubutim. "We are near the cold region which you called the north pole, and the islands above us are mostly uninhabitable for anyone not suited for it. Elder Gum''dil''ran has been inspecting them and has requested the entire island chain for his people."


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Lord Bron laughed softly, shaking his head.


    "Tell him nothing has changed. He can create a settlement there, but we are not letting anyone officially claim land on Eluahtar until we have found more of the adjacent worlds."


    "I thought you would say that, but he didn''t seem pleased," Clarish said.


    "I''ll ask Satiya to talk with him," Lord Bron said. "She should be able to keep him in line."


    "Just like she is keeping you in line?" Bronwyn said with a wide grin.


    The old noble''s face turned slightly red, but he shrugged. "I have no idea what you are talking about."


    Another round of laughter rang through the room, and this time, it was more genuine.


    "The continent to the east is massive, but still no signs of native populations," Clarish said after a bit.


    She slowly continued, giving the entire information she had gathered over the weeks before finally falling quiet, her throat dry.


    "Alright," Lord Bron said as he sat back down. "It seems we will need to wait for Jort to return with new cards or Irwin. Basil, what was Jort''s last status?"


    "He has been slowly exploring that Terullian world. There were no signs of anything as powerful as what Irwin and the others encountered, just thousands of Addled making it hard to find safe portals to shardworlds."


    "But?" Trimdir asked, leaning forward with narrow eyes.


    "But he has been able to gather another few cards," Basil said, taking a stack of cards from his inner pocket and sliding them across the table to Trimdir.


    Trimdir and Lamia''s faces instantly lit up as they began rifling through the cards. Within moments, they began whispering excitedly. Everyone waited for a while, and finally, Trimdir sighed as he looked up.


    "Alright, no odd things. A few good combat cards, some for crafting, and many utility cards. There are another three that could be sideways reforged into translation cards¡­ maybe."


    "Good, let''s hope you get a lucky break," Lord Bron said.


    "Now then¡­ Daubutim, you wanted to speak to us?"


    Daubutim nodded as he leaned forward, glancing at his brother, who hadn''t spoken a single word yet.


    "Based on my calculations, Irwin will have reached Granvox either this week at the latest or in the month before. That means that we have, at best, another year left before he returns. When he does, there is a tiny chance he will either be followed or tracked, meaning we have one year left to shore up our defenses. We have all been able to freely use the time and skills of the stoneshapers, woodshapers, and other carded shapers for over half a year, but¡­ I think it is time to send them back to the Portal Gallery and focus on the other side''s defense."


    There was a moment of silence, followed by a deep sigh from Lord Bron before he started talking again. "As much as I''d prefer to keep our current growth up, I think you are right."


    "I want to request that I be allowed to keep three stone shapers for another month," Dianor said, the first words since he arrived. "Our growth hasn''t been comparable to the others, and-"


    "If you hadn''t focused on that massive castle, you wouldn''t be so far behind," Bronwyn said with a snort.


    Only his grin showed he wasn''t trying to pick a fight. Ever since they had found metal, he had been in contact with Dianor, creating a caravan to move metal to Cesterdon. The swamps were rich in gasses and burnable materials, making smelting easier. Especially with Bronwyn unwilling to whittle down the forests around New Malorin. He and Dianor had been in contact a lot over the recent months, and slowly began forming a bond.


    Dianor grimaced. "Easy for you to say. Those Bullfrogs have all but left your pleasant woods, and instead moved to the swamps! Without cover we would be losing people daily."


    "I might be willing to make one exception, but not more," Lord Bron said. "So, as long as nobody else needs them¡­"


    The others shook their heads, and he nodded. "Fine. Cesterdon gets to keep three stoneshapers, but make sure to send them to Basil as soon as you are ready."


    Their conversation lasted for at least another hour as they talked about less important things, ranging from their stocks, the upcoming winter, and the growth of the smaller towns within their jurisdiction. When they finally stopped and left, Bronwyn and Daubutim walked out into the open, staring across the green flowing hills north of New Degonda.


    "Do you think Irwin has arrived yet?" Bronwyn asked, a bit louder this time.


    "Yes, earliest a month ago, but definitely now," Daubutim said.


    "Sometimes I wish I went with him," Bronwyn said with a grunt. "I''m not cut out for all this talking and arranging. I''d always thought nobles had it easy, but if this is what it''s like to be one I''d prefer being a ranger."


    "You need to delegate more," Daubutim said, looking up.


    His eyes simmered down, the constant lightning rippling inside, slowly vanishing, showing his internal struggles were leaving- for now.


    "How''s Lisbeth doing?" Bronwyn asked.


    Daubutim''s face turned slack, his eyes dull for a fraction before the lightning surged back up. He scowled at Bronwyn, who just laughed.


    "Sorry, couldn''t resist," the burly bearded ranger said. "But seriously, have you asked her yet?"


    Daubutim sighed, then nodded. "Three weeks and four days ago," he said.


    "Seriously!? Why didn''t you send a message!? How did she react?" Bronwyn shouted, his grin changing to a wide, happy smile.


    "She was willing," Daubutim said, a wide smile covering his face. "We will wait till Irwin returns, then share our emotions."


    Bronwyn sighed as he leaned his elbows on the wall and glanced out.


    "I''m happy for you," he said with a grin. "I wonder how she will react when she feels those stubborn emotions of yours."


    "I hope she will react well," Daubutim said before sighing. "And how''s Celeste doing? Growing well?"


    "Like the fields," Bronwyn said proudly. "Only Drum says it''s too slow because he wants to play with his sister."


    They chatted until Clarish appeared.


    "I''m going to have to bring you back now," she said, looking at Bronwyn.


    "Alright," the ranger said as he clasped hands with Daubutim.


    A few moments later, he and Clarish vanished, leaving Daubutim alone on the wall. Slowly the joy and the smile faded from Daubutim''s face as he gazed out across the growing city and the well maintained fields beyond.


    The distant troubles of a hidden enemy hunting the Galadin and Smith hunters played through his mind.


    "You better bring us the tools to grow stronger, Irwin," he muttered. "Or the years ahead will be hard and painful."


    ---


    "This is one hell of a place," Greldo said, nudging Irwin and pointing out an Ignitzion restaurant on the corner of a street.


    "Of course it is," Ambraz said. "The best defense, best cards and the best smiths in the entire Langost branch!"


    "Hear, hear," a passing Ganvil shouted, flickering its wings at Ambraz before continuing on its way.


    Irwin ignored the antics and looked around as they walked through the city. Compared to the other cities they had been to, the soulforce resonances from the people and items were blinding. Part of this could be due to the fact that they were on a planet, but he wondered. Especially the smiths he saw, and he saw many, all with a Ganvil on their shoulder, seemed to be beacons of soulforce ripples.


    Curiously, most of them had ripples with colors matching the Ganvil on their shoulders.


    I wonder what my own looks like, he thought.


    So far, he hadn''t met anyone who could see them as he could, but Ambraz had said that Brazardian would be able to.


    High above them, a second city seemed to be just as busy as the one below, with Ganvils flying around. Part of their city seemed to be built atop the buildings of the lower city, but most were carved out of the towering columns and sides of the uneven mountain. Where the other mountainside cities Irwin had seen, the unevenness had been cleared away. Here, it had been left, and instead, the city had been built inside and around it.


    They continued through the city until they reached the mountainside and a large staircase leading inside. A large Ganvil sat on each side of the entrance, but unlike those near the exit portal, these seemed far less powerful.


    The staircase wasn''t nearly as steep as the mountain, but even then, the others began grunting as they began scaling it. Only Irwin, Greldo, and Singara had little trouble. They walked up into the mountain, and as they did, the temperature began growing. They passed platforms with other stairs leading away, but none as wide as this one.


    Finally, they reached a spacious chamber lit by glowing braziers whose smoke trickled up through a tapered hole in the ceiling thirty feet above them.


    "Alright, all of you follow Singara. She will bring you to Ambraz''s servant quarters," Gla''ring said before turning to Irwin. "You can follow us for now, but Brazardian wants to speak to his Progeny alone."


    Irwin hesitated, but Greldo waved him on.


    "Just go on, mister important. We will make do with what we get!"


    Irwin snorted, then shared a look with Rindiri and Greldo, which he hoped would tell them to keep the kids and Boohm from doing anything stupid.


    Ten minutes later, they reached a beautifully decorated chamber with statues and stone benches, all engraved with patterns that reminded him of music sheets. The temperature had risen another good bit, and Irwin knew that even Greldo would have been uncomfortable. There were hallways leading away in many directions, each with an odd symbol above the entrance. One of them faintly reminded Irwin of something.


    Gla''ring flew towards exactly that one, hovering to a still.


    "Alright, just follow this hallway, and you will reach your private quarters," he said. "It has been readied for you, so you should find anything. There will be a rank zero Ganvil waiting for you in case you need anything."


    "Thanks," Irwin said, turning to Ambraz, not sure what to say. He finally opted for ''good luck''.


    "Don''t worry. Better prepare yourself," Ambraz snorted as he flew up, hovering beside Gla''ring. "I am pretty sure Brazardian will want to see you soon."


    Irwin nodded, then watched as Ambraz and Gla''ring rushed away up the stairs.


    "Well, let''s go and see what my private chambers are," Irwin muttered as he turned and walked into the corridor.


    The ceiling was pretty high and led into a small area that almost looked like a courtyard. The metal door was flung open, and there were three entrances leading into other rooms.


    Stone carvings of trees, plants and other things stood everywhere, or so he thought. As he walked towards the left most entrance to examine it, he led his finger to trace one of the leaves to find it was soft and warm. Stopping to examine them quickly revealed that both the trees as the vines were dull gray, living plants, seemingly rooted into the stone ground.


    "Honorable Smith, can I help you?"


    Irwin looked up in surprise to see a tiny Ganvil with a seemingly permanent smile sit in a smooth indent high in the wall. His body was made up of a dull gray, slightly darker metal.


    "I was just curious about these plants," he said. "Who are you?"


    The Ganvil''s lips remained curved up. "I am Los''malder," he said, seeming incredibly excited. "Gla''ring told me to assist you with anything you might need. The plants you are looking at are Gneis Trees. They start as small vines and eventually burrow through the rock, finding chambers with¡­ well, finding chambers and then creating these treelike structures."


    Irwin nodded. Although he hadn''t seen a young Ganvil before, he was pretty sure that Los''malder was one. He leaned forward, looking at the vines that didn''t seem to have any start or end but began and ended in the walls.


    "They were brought from our homeworld, and are one of the few things we managed to preserve," Los''malder said. "Or so I''m told. I was, ofcourse, not alive at that time."


    "I see," Irwin said as he looked around. "So what else is here?"


    "A smithy, a bedroom, and a training room," Los''malder said as he flew down. "Let me show you."


    The tiny Ganvil flashed forward to the room Irwin had wanted to enter, and wondering what Ambraz was up to, Irwin followed him.


    --


    "I''ll wait for you here," Gla''ring whispered.


    Ambraz didn''t answer, his full focus on the distant entrance to Brazardian''s chambers. He scanned the walls, but even with his greatly increased powers and awareness, he wasn''t able to sense the sentries he knew were hiding.


    "Am''braz! Stop making me wait," a dull voice boomed from the room ahead of them.


    Ambraz focused on Gla''ring. "Wait for me in my chambers. I''ve got something to discuss with you later."


    He could sense from Gla''ring''s bubbling soulforce and faltering resonance that he was highly uncomfortable. He couldn''t blame him. Being in the presence of any of the Monarchs wasn''t always a pleasant thing.


    "I''ll see you there," Gla''ring said, turning around and rushing away.


    Ambraz snorted at the other''s fear, then turned and flew into the chamber he knew so well.


    Brazardian, his massive progenitor, sat on the central pillar, the resonance of his soulforce like a thick cloud around him, expanding to fill the room and oppressing everyone that entered.


    "What happened?" Brazardian boomed.


    "It''s good to see you too, Zar''dian," Ambraz said, annoyed. He knew how much the ancient, powerful Ganvil hated being reminded of his creation name, which was a good reason to use it.


    "I see that whatever happened that kept you from returning for all those years didn''t mellow that disagreeable personality of yours," Brazardian rumbled.


    The tension began building for a few more moments, and Ambraz suddenly worried if he''d gone too far. Then the pressure of Brazardian''s rank seven worldanvil soulforce pulled back, and the Monarch rumbled with laughter.


    "For someone only at rank three, you talk big," Brazardian rumbled.


    There was a flash of light, and the massive Ganvil turned into a large flying anvil. Its wings made a thundering sound as they kept him in the air.


    "Let''s go. A few of your siblings are here."


    Ambraz didn''t respond, hovering where he was.


    "What happened to Hal?" he asked.


    There was doubt in his mind that his younger sibling had been killed.


    "Des and Yirta are in my private chambers. We will speak when we get there," Brazardian said.


    Hearing the bubbling anger in his usually calm progenitor''s voice, Ambraz stuffed his own anger down and flew forward.


    "Fine."

 Chapter 248: Failing the questions

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    As soon as Ambraz entered Brazardian''s private chambers a bolt of dark metal shot towards him. It was so fast that the shouted ''AM!'' almost seemed to be left behind. Then a Ganvil that was the same coloration, and dimensions slammed into him, knocking both of them back out of the chambers and into the wall.


    "You piece of rusted cutlery, I''ve missed you so much!" a slightly larger copy of Ambraz shouted as he pressed the flat side of his anvil body against Ambraz.


    "Des, stop pressing me into the wall," Ambraz snapped, but there was little of his usually cool annoyance in his voice. "I''ve missed you too, but-"


    "When Hal died, I thought¡­ I thought¡­"


    Ambraz didn''t say anything as he felt his younger sibling shudder. His resonance was fluctuating all over the place, and he was barely attempting to hide his soulforce.


    With only a moment''s hesitation, Ambraz relaxed his hold on his own, letting it softly echo out around him. He knew that if the kid had been here, he would have asked questions about the sudden song and soulforce ripples.


    There was a sense of shocked silence from where Brazardian hung in the room, but he ignored it, save for a slight sense of success. Hanging around Irwin and keeping his own soulforce resonances as calm and quiet as possible had become harder than he''d anticipated when he''d helped the kid choose his new set of cards. The benefit seemed to have been that he''d grown proficient enough in it that even his own Progenitor, who prided himself on his sensitivity, hadn''t sensed all of it.


    Des didn''t show any reaction and still seemed unwilling to let him go. With a grin, Ambraz began softly humming the Neamhnathair Song, or the Chaos Whale Song as Irwin called it. He resonated his soulforce with it and tried to soothe his sibling''s emotions.


    He wasn''t surprised that it only took a short while for Des to back up, his resonance rapidly being reeled back in.


    "I''m sorry, Am," he said, his lips curved in a sad smile. "After Hal died, I thought I''d gone from being one of the three to being alone. It¡­ was difficult."


    "You''ve grown," Ambraz said as he hovered forward and slowly stopped humming. "Let''s go inside. I think Yirta has been chewing on his tongue to stop from talking."


    "No, I haven''t!" a slightly deeper, annoyed voice rang from inside the chambers.


    Ambraz flew inside, Des close behind him, to find Brazardian perched on his favorite spot at the top back of the room. Books bound in metal hung from hooks on thin threads, dangling from the ceiling. Most were opened, and a single glance told Ambraz they all dealt with war and holding down the inside of a portal world while resisting attempts to close it from the outside.


    What¡­


    "Later, Am," Brazardian said, shocking Ambraz slightly.


    How did he¡­ never mind, he must be in his stronger period again, Ambraz thought.


    Another, slightly ruddy Ganvil was perched on the edge of one of the nearby resting nooks, a half grin on his face.


    "So, you decided you''d come back again?" Yirta said.


    "I heard you''d been slacking off again," Ambraz replied, moving towards what had always been his preferred resting nook. It was close to the door and nearly opposite Brazardian''s.


    As soon as he perched down, a ripple of immense power radiated from Brazardian, the soulforce so thick, Ambraz wondered if it would have blinded the kid. The soulforce seemed to hover around them, before creating a barrier around the room that would keep out all potential snoopers- other monarchs included.


    "Now, Am, how about you explain what has happened?" Brazardian said.


    "Still don''t like small talk, do you?" Ambraz said with a snicker. "Fine. I got caught by a diamond-carded old bastard, and I don''t mean that lightly. Have you ever heard of Gelwin?"


    Ambraz expected a no, but when Brazardian''s lips turned into a single thin line, he felt his interest grow.


    He waited for a bit, but the infuriating Monarch didn''t say anything.


    "You have?" he said with a hum. "Well, he was able to lock me in a tiny carded soulrealm which he set up as a training ground for the people of his world."


    "Is that so¡­" Brazardian rumbled, suddenly in a dangerous voice. "I only heard rumors about him, a mysterious Master Librarian that is said to have been around as long as the Library itself."


    The lingering fury beneath his metal exterior was strong enough to cause a soulforce ripple, and Ambraz stared at him for a moment. He knew his Progenitor cared for him, as he did for all his offspring, but he wasn''t one to say it out loud. Feeling the boiling anger made Ambraz feel even happier for being back, even if it was only for a relatively short time.


    "Well, not that old I think," Ambraz snorted. "But from what I''ve heard, he is definitely older than Gynerigon."


    "So, how did you escape?" Des asked, perched nearby and leaning out to watch him. "And why does your soulforce feel so weird!?"


    Ambraz couldn''t hold back a grin as he remembered. The fact that he was in a place with only Ganvils he trusted made it even better.


    "Well, perhaps it''s time for a story!"


    A pained moan came from Brazardian, making him only more happy to draw everything out, adding as much detail as he could possibly come up with.


    Though he would leave out a few bits¡­ he knew what would come later, and he couldn''t help but want to see Brazardian''s face when he found out.


    --


    It took longer than Ambraz had expected, but when he finished with ''And so, we sailed back to Granvox, leaving behind the cold bodies of the pirates,'' even Brazardian had stopped letting out annoyed hums at the drawn-out story.


    "A rank six world," he said thoughtfully. "You are certain that nobody managed to find it after you left?"


    "Certainty is hard in the Portal Gallery," Ambraz said with a snort. "But with Daubutim there, I find it hard to believe they won''t be able to take care of anything below a full-scale assault."


    "You seem really impressed by this Daubutim," Brazardian said. "With what you told us, would he not make for a good smith? I know his first card will hold him back somewhat, but if he focuses on it from now on¡­"


    "Probably," Ambraz said. "But he never showed an interest."


    "A shame," Brazardian said. "Still¡­ it is good you came when you did."


    Ambraz felt his good mood dampen as he heard the deep worry and noticed all three Ganvil''s soulforce resonances dampen.


    "What has happened?" he asked. "More smiths being abducted?"


    "That hasn''t stopped yet. No, there is something brewing on the far ends of the main branches," Brazardian said. "The Ganvils that I send there to keep us informed have been dying. One of them managed to relay a soul resonance message hidden on a card and sent through the merchant network."


    "Great, that couldn''t have been very informative," Ambraz grunted. "What did it say?"


    "Prepare for war," Brazardian said, sounding weary.


    "Dammit," Ambraz said.


    "It''s too coincidental for it not to have anything to do with the Smiths Guild''s problems," Brazardian said. "Gynerigon and the rest of us have been buying small worlds, mostly rank one and two, as far along the outer branches as we could. So far, nobody else seems to know what is going on, and none of our allies have even heard a rumor about it."


    "Let me guess, they don''t believe it?" Ambraz snorted.


    "Even Gynerigon doesn''t believe that what is happening on the outer edges of branches decades or more from us could affect us," Des snapped angrily.


    "He is right," Brazardian said. "The only reason the others are even acting is because of the rules we set after Dr¨¦imire shattered. If it was up to the others, we would merely continue all our efforts into growing."


    Ambraz knew he meant the other Monarchs, and he snorted, not surprised. "Great. So what is your plan?"


    Brazardian was quiet for a while. When he finally spoke, his voice was thick with anger.


    "The Smiths Guild or one of the other Monarchs know more than they are letting on. Des can fill you in later, but I fear there is no way I can gather a large group of rank zeros to go with you without drawing far too much attention. The best I can do is get you those rank zeros and ones that were planning on setting out, but that won''t be more than a hundred."


    Ambraz barely held back an angry shout. Instead, he grunted, glaring at the ground.


    "We need way more! We can get our own world!"


    "I know, and I trust you. That''s why I will make them myself," Brazardian said, his voice calm.


    Ambraz was stunned, and he knew his soulforce was swirling around like mad, but he couldn''t help it.


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "What would two or three Ganvils do?"


    "If I don''t focus on quality but quantity, I can create close to a hundred rank zeros," Brazardian said calmly. "Most of those will never get to rank four, but a few might. They will be able to create more pure ones when they all reach high enough rank, especially in the world you are talking about, and with enough time, high ranks will appear."


    Ambaz felt the same stunned fluctuations from his siblings as he felt, as they all stared at the rank seven World Anvil.


    "I didn''t¡­ know you could do that," Des said. "Why don''t you and the others ever do that?"


    "Because we are creating enough rank zero as we are now," Brazardian said. "What our people need are potential rank sevens and eights. In a thousand years, only two of the hundreds of rank sixes reached rank seven. It''s a cut-off point that is nearly impossible to pass, let alone rank eight, but we need more! If we ever want to reach the peak of our people, having a mere three above rank six will not do. That is why we have been working tirelessly to perfect our resonances in the hopes that one of our Progenies manages to break through to rank seven."


    The younger Ganvils were quiet. Each knew that Hestolgron and Brazardian had been the last two to manage, and both of them were anomalies created from the collective purified soulforce. So far, none had managed after them, and the fear was that the bottleneck wasn''t the Ganvils but their smiths.


    Ambraz felt a tiny bit of hope in the back of his mind as he thought about Irwin and how he''d surprised him time and again. He was the first one to speak.


    "Although that will be a great boost, I think we need to find a way to get more rank zeros or ones," he said. "Perhaps by claiming that we will bring them to one of our other worlds? Or¡­ Wait. Wasn''t Gynerigon going to purchase a world for Syn''gen?"


    ¡°Yes,¡± Brazardian said. "Like I said, we have been searching for worlds, but it''s hard to find one."


    "I know of another," Ambraz said, and he quickly told the story of the overrun Terullian world they had found. "We could explain that you sent me out to find and purchase a world and that I returned because I did. Then, we would be able to bring a great many rank zeroes away from here and take them to our real goal?"


    "Yes. That might work," Brazardian said. "But you are wrong too, we wouldn''t just say we would. There are a few rank fives, close to ranking up. Even a world like that, as dangerous and unstable as you describe, will stabilize with one or two world anvils. If whatever is happening does come here, having another world far away will be of great benefit."


    Brazardian''s voice petered off before booming out with pressure.


    "Leave. Go and talk. Introduce your bonded smith to your siblings. I need to plan and think."


    Ambraz and the others flew up, knowing the World Anvil well enough that it wasn''t a request but an order.


    Just as they flew out, Brazardian spoke up again.


    "Am''braz, return in an hour with Irwin. I will test him."


    Ambraz''s flight turned slightly chaotic, then he rushed after the others.


    I''d hoped he had forgotten, he thought. You can do it, kid. I believe in you.


    --


    Irwin lay on the low, hard bed, staring up at the ceiling. He''d finished the food that Los''malder had brought him and had enjoyed the silent quiet. As he lay there, he felt the stable and strong resonance of the world around him. He knew this was only a rank three world, but even then, it felt far more stable than the others he''d been to. Well, from what he could recall.


    I really wish I''d had these cards back on Fiverio, he thought. That was the only other rank three world he had been to, and back then he hadn''t even known about the ambient soulforce of the world or its resonance.


    A soft flutter was all the warning he got when a Ganvil flew into the room to hover above him. For one moment, he thought it was Ambraz, then he felt the difference in its soulforce and noticed that the coloration of its soulforce was duller than Ambraz''s sharp purple-tinted black.


    "Hey! I''m Des! So you''re Am''braz''s bond? You look really different from what I''d thought! Aren''t you supposed to be-"


    Another Ganvil, Ambraz this time, shot into the room, collided with Des, and knocked him into a wall, cutting his words off.


    "Des, you rust-for-brain. No talking," Ambraz snapped. "I told you this is something we will discuss with Brazardian!"


    "Right, right. Sorry," the nearly identical Ganvil said before flying back.


    Irwin had gotten up and was watching a third Ganvil shoot inside.


    "You two can''t just go that fast!" he snapped, sounding angry.


    "Enough," Ambraz hissed. "You two are making me look bad!"


    Before Irwin could even say anything, Ambraz flew up, hovering before Los''malder.


    "Good job, you can go now! We have things to discuss," Ambraz said.


    Los''malder seemed stunned for a bit, then flew up to the exit. "If you need me again, Lord Am''braz, I''ll be waiting in the servants'' chambers," he said before rushing off.


    The short distraction had helped Irwin regain his composure, and he was now looking at the three Ganvils hovering before him.


    "Kid, these are Des''braz, and Yirta''braz, who I told you about," Ambraz said. "You can just call them Des and Yirta."


    "Hey!" Yirta said, sounding annoyed. "That''s only for siblings and bonded smiths!"


    "He is my bonded smith," Ambraz snapped.


    "Only if he finished Brazardian''s test," Yirta said, sulky.


    "Nice to meet you," Irwin said before focusing on Ambraz. "What test?"


    "Nothing you have to worry about," Ambraz said quickly. "Just some annoying thing Brazardian has come up with."


    Right, Irwin thought as he glanced at the other Ganvils. Ambraz hadn''t mentioned anything about a test, and that either meant it was nothing, or it was and there was little he could do right now. In any case, he trusted him enough to decide to just see what would happen.


    "It''s not annoying," Yirta said, while Irwin saw Des grin and land in a small alcove. "It''s horrible! Just because the smith I found wasn''t able to create a hundred percent card on demand, Brazardian said he wasn''t good enough!"


    "Well¡­ the fact that he actually managed to destabilize the card and have it blow up might have had something to do with that," Des said.


    "He was asked to reforge an elemental multiple-typed topaz card towards its least favored path! That''s something used in the Guild''s high-grade exams!"


    "Yes¡­" Des said slowly. "But you knew it would be something like that."


    "Can you two stop it?" Ambraz snapped before landing on Irwin''s shoulder. "Besides, Irwin will be fine. He''s almost as good as I am, so there''s nothing to worry about."


    There was a moment''s silence, then Des and Yirta burst out laughing. Des actually fell out of the alcove causing a crack to appear in the stone table he hit.


    "You still dare say that out loud?" Yirta said in between bursts of laughter. "Where''s your shame?"


    "Shame is for those who took a year to resonate their soul in a way to assist a smith," Ambraz said, sounding aloof. "Or for those who couldn''t memorize the basic set of card types!"


    The other two Ganvils fell quiet, and Des snorted.


    "You were only a bit faster than me," he said.


    "Yes," Ambraz said before his fake mockery left his voice, and he continued in a more serious tone. "Des, why have you not found a smith yet?"


    "Brazardian stopped allowing us off-world after what happened to Hal," Des said sadly. "He did try to attract a few high-profile, young smiths in training with a tournament, and then that whole smith abduction thing started. Now there''s only some mediocre smiths here and no chance for more to come."


    Ambraz was quiet for a bit before Irwin felt his attention focus on him.


    "What do you think about Endil?"


    Irwin blinked, then focused on Des. He could feel that Ambraz was serious, so he scanned the Ganvil, looking and listening to his soul-resonance. It was instantly clear that his resonance was stronger and much clearer than that of Yirta beside him, but there was a slight discrepancy with Ambraz.


    "I think they would match nicely," he said after a while. "But that means we are going to need to make some better cards for Endil."


    "Who''s Endil?" Des and Yirta asked at the same time.


    "Someone you will meet in the near future," Ambraz said, sounding smug again. "He''s probably almost as good as Irwin."


    Irwin grinned as he saw Des ready a rebuttal.


    For the next while, he sat on the bed, listening and talking with Ambraz''s siblings, learning that there were far more, but those were all off-world. Those who were rank six were stabilizing rank three and four worlds, while the others were searching for opportunities to grow to rank six.


    Finally, a soft flutter came, followed by Los''malder reappearing.


    "Sorry for bothering you," he said, sounding slightly nervous. "But Brazardian has requested Am''braz and Irwin''s presence."


    Irwin felt a slight bit of worry grow. Although he didn''t think anything bad could happen, he still wondered what a rank seven world anvil would even look like. Ambraz had said that it would take hundreds of years to reach that level, so it had to be something.


    "Alright, the two of you go and meet the other people of our crew," Ambraz told his siblings. "Tell them we should be back later tonight so we can go out in the city and eat."


    "You are¡­ sure he will be fine?" Yirta asked, sounding slightly worried.


    "Yes. There is no way Brazardian would not approve of him," Ambraz said, not a hint of his usual arrogance.


    "I can''t wait to meet Endil," Des muttered as he and Yirta flew after Los''malder.


    "Alright, let''s go," Ambraz said, landing on Irwin''s shoulder. "And don''t worry. Just do what you always do, and there''s only one person going to be shocked, and it won''t be either of us."


    Irwin nodded as he let Ambraz guide him out of his new quarters and back to the long staircase leading up.


    As they continued, he quickly found that between the length of the stairs and the increasing heat, it wasn''t a place anyone could just go. When he saw the ending in the distance, he also started feeling an oppressive soulforce, and the closer he got, the more he felt it wrap around him.


    It started as a nuisance, but as he closed the final distance, it felt like he was carrying a massive load of unpurified metal.


    "Is this part of the test?" he asked, grunting with effort.


    "Yeah, though he is being way harsher than he should," Ambraz hissed.


    Irwin felt Ambraz trying to help him push against the pressure, but even together, they could barely keep the foreign resonance from nearly flattening his soulcard.


    Either he doesn''t like me, or Ambraz told way too grand stories, Irwin thought, fists clenched and pushing against his knee as he pushed himself further up.


    The last ten steps felt like he was being squished by the whole mountain, and when he finally took the final step onto a long, spacious platform, he was breathing like a bellow. The pressure disappeared immediately, but it didn''t help much. It had been a long time since he''d last felt this weary, almost as if he''d been running nonstop for a week. Hands on his knees, he took a few deep breaths before looking up and freezing.


    A Ganvil the size of a house sat atop a pillar across from the platform. Even though the pillar was lower than the platform, the pursed, etched lips were above him. Irwin barely noticed the beautifully decorated artwork on the walls and the carvings on the ceiling and ground.


    "So, Irwin. Let''s see if you are actually worthy of bonding with one of my Progyny," a voice boomed out around him. At the same time, a deep and beautiful song resonated from Brazardian as his soulforce washed across the grand chamber. Powerful waves of soulforce surged from him chaoticly, and Irwin swallowed.


    How many soulcards would I need to be that powerful? he thought.


    "Move closer, and we will see how well you were trained," Brazardian said.


    A wave of soulforce burst from him, encompassing the room and reminding him of Lord Bron''s ability.


    "How many card types are able to hide a card''s true rank?" Brazardian asked.


    Irwin blinked, staring stupidly at the massive Ganvil.


    "What?" he muttered.


    "How many card types are able to hide a card''s true rank?"


    Irwin grimaced as his eardrums shuddered from the shout. Was the test supposed to be questions? He''d expected some form of smithing or perhaps a check of his personality. But this? He quickly dug through his mind, trying to recall all the different ones he''d seen. There was hidden, mimic, and set, but he knew he was missing some.


    "Four," he said hesitantly.


    "Wrong. How many basic elemental types are there?"


    What the¡­


    Irwin was about to ask what this test was supposed to be when he noticed Ambraz quietly sitting on his shoulder, seemingly completely unconcerned.


    Fine, let''s play along then, he thought, wondering what was going on.


    "Eight," he said, pretty sure he remembered that from the many shops he''d been in.


    "Wrong!" Brazardian snapped, sounding slightly angry. "What is the best metal to refine to improve a smith''s progress?"


    "Purperion," Irwin said instinctively.


    There was a moment of silence, and then Brazardian snorted angrily. "If you could find it. Am, you said he was trained!"


    "I said he was trained on his own world and a little bit on Fiverion," Ambraz said, still showing no sign of worry.


    Brazardian let out a dangerous growl before continuing to ask Irwin questions, which he all failed.


    As he shrugged at the last question, he was starting to get worried again. Ambraz seemed calm, but Brazardian felt like he was going to explode at any moment.


    "Am¡­ this is not being trained! These questions are supposed to be EASY!"


    "So?" Ambraz snapped. "Who cares about these stupid things? Would you rather have a smith who knows all those tedious things, or one who can actually smith?"


    Brazardian''s oppressive soulforce retreated slightly.


    "Fine. Bring him here."

 Chapter 249: Dropping some jaws

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    "Okay, kid, now let''s show him what you can do," Ambraz said. "Just ignore those stupid stairs and jump to the platform he''s on."


    Irwin hesitated, but Brazardian remained quiet. Hoping he wasn''t going to get problems, Irwin ran forward, building kinetic energy, before releasing it at the last jump. With a dull explosion, he shot forward, rapidly bridging the thirty or forty-foot gap. He managed to remain on his feet as he stood before the enormous World Anvil.


    Before he could wonder what he should do, Brazardian''s shape rippled, and he shrunk down to something roughly the size Ambraz was when he worked on him.


    "I can tell that you brought cards," Brazardian grunted. "Place a quartz one on my back, and I''ll tell you how I want you to reforge it."


    Irwin quickly took out his stack, most meant for either himself or his friends and family, and riffled through it. When he reached the Quartz ones, Brazardion made a clicking sound.


    "That one, the waterdrop," he said.


    Irwin stared at the card, then put the rest back. He''d bought it because it reminded him of his first real portal experience and because it had a lot of potential. From a powerful utility card for fresh water to one that could be turned into a blood card to take control over weaker cards, it was useful.


    "Reforge it along the third-paths lateral-" Brazardion began.


    "Hum it for him," Ambraz said. "He''s like Nor."


    Third-paths what? Irwin thought. At the same time he tried to recall who Nor was. Most likely one of Ambraz''s siblings.


    There was a moment of silence, and then Brazardian began humming a simple tune.


    "Put the card on his back. He''ll do what I normally do if needed," Ambraz said.


    Why can''t I just do this with Ambraz, Irwin thought, but he didn''t say anything. It was clear that Brazardian wanted to test him, and Ambraz didn''t seem worried. Besides, what he was hearing wasn''t that difficult yet. He put the card on Brazardian before summoning a hammer.


    Without hesitation, he struck the card, staring at the simple image that appeared above it. The card showed two water drops, and its resonance was simple, but the direction Brazardian wanted it reforged in was one in which the card didn''t even register as an option. Not that Irwin cared. He''d done similar things hundreds of times, if not more, with Ambraz. That being said, he felt that Brazardian was only guiding the resonance song and not actively helping him guide the card.


    In other words, I''ve gotta do it myself, Irwin thought.


    He hummed along with Brazardian, striking where he had to. A short while later, the card flared up, the borders turning a deep purple. It had taken only a little of his focus, and he wondered what the end goal would be.


    "Now like this," Brazardian said, showing no sign of approval.


    Irwin shrugged as he listened to Brazardian''s hum. It was more complex, as was normal for amethyst cards, but not anything special. The direction would reforge it towards a more spread out form, more mist than water. He struck the card that had barely settled into its new rank. Again, Brazardian wanted him to go far off the beaten path, and this time, it was slightly more difficult.


    A slightly longer period of reforging later, Irwin stepped away as the card flashed, its borders turning a crisp yellow. The card now resembled a cloud, and Irwin had a good idea where Brazardion was going with it.


    I think he''s making a raincloud card, he thought.


    "Good, continue like this," Brazardian rumbled.


    This time, there was a tiny hint of approval in his voice, but Irwin didn''t care. It had been ages since he''d last really pushed himself, and based on the previous reforges, Brazardian would likely make it hard. He should probably be worried about that, but all he felt was the desire to continue.


    He struck the topaz card, listened to its paths, and immediately knew his guess had been right. The next step would change the card to a cloud form while keeping some of the water. Interesting to attempt, but also along the edge of what he could do. Copying the hum, which was more complex and had a stronger melody, he focused fully on the card. Halfway through the reforging, he felt a tiny inconsistency in the hummed melody. It was barely noticeable, but if he continued as he was, the card would not become perfect but merely ninety-eight percent.


    For a moment, Irwin hesitated, wondering if it was part of the test or if the massive World Anvil actually made a mistake. Then he decided it was probably another test, and he began humming louder, drowning out Brazardian''s soft hum and correcting the tiny rhythm error. It took his full focus, but the simple joy of reforging the card towards a set goal was invigorating. When he finished, he smiled as the card flared up, the yellow turning into a deep, brilliant green.


    "It is a hundred percent," Brazardian said.


    Irwin thought he detected a tiny bit of surprise in the World Anvil''s voice, but he could be mistaken.


    "You are at Emerald rank then," Brazardian asked. "Can you go further?"


    Irwin hesitated. He wanted to go further, but he knew if the goal was another hundred percent, he wasn''t there yet. He could sometimes get it to ninety percent, but the chances were almost as large that the card would explode. Only with Ambraz''s help was he certain of success and high quality, but besides the hum, Brazardian wasn''t helping with the reforging process at all.


    "I can probably complete it, but not at a hundred percent," he said.


    Ambraz still didn''t say anything, but a quick look showed he had a small, almost knowing smile on his face.


    We''re going to talk about you not warning me properly after this, Irwin thought.


    Brazardian was quiet for a while longer before finally speaking again.


    "Show me."


    Then, the World Anvil began humming a far more complex tune.


    Unlike the previous times, Irwin waited until he was sure he had memorized the tune, then he began humming it along, trying to find the tiny details and getting them right. Only when he was sure of the direction, did he take the first strike.


    It was instantly clear that the indicated direction was on the edge of where the card could go. Its resonance rebelled even with the implication of following in the indicated direction. Normally, Ambraz would step in to help him, but there was still no indication of Brazardian doing the same.


    Fine, let''s see how far I can go, Irwin thought as he closed his eyes.


    Focusing fully on his soulforce sense and hearing, Irwin struck the card. It rebelled slightly, but the resonance of his soulcard managed to keep it in line, and he hit it again. The card buckled, and it took all of Irwin''s concentration and skills to keep it in line.


    A few strikes in, the only thing he knew was the reforging. With his eyes closed, the combination of his soulforce senses and hearing created a canvas of ripples and sounds where every tiny detail seemed to matter. The card''s physical shape was like a gleaming spot of light lying atop a dark mass of stability.


    Time seemed to stretch out, and at some point, he didn''t hear Brazardian''s hum anymore. If it was really gone, or because he was too focused on the resonating card, he didn''t know, but slowly, a problem became apparent. The initial hummed song was just ever so slightly off, both in rhythm and melody, and the card''s path would lead it into a chaotic explosion.


    Lost in the process, Irwin tried to change the hum to get the card back towards the correct path. It resisted instantly, its direction seemingly set, and the song began turning more out of tune. Another hit, and Irwin knew it was going to be lost if he didn''t do something. Holding the following hit as long as he could, stretching the moment, he focused on the card''s resonance, sensing the borders and trying to find how he could nudge it just a little back on the right path.


    As time seemed to stop, he suddenly noticed a familiar pattern. Something about the tune''s ''wrongness'' and rhythm created an odd harmony that he recognized. But where had he seen it before?


    The Galadin music sheets!


    A single sheet popped up in his mind, and the music written on it seemed to overlap with the cracking sound he heard now. It wasn''t the same, not in any regard of melody, beat, or rhythm, but the ''wrongness'' in the harmony was. The next line on the sheet fixed it by playing into it, letting the song head in the wrong direction before changing and using the oddity to almost pivot the song back to where it should go.


    Purely on instinct, Irwin struck the card, no longer stopping it from its desired path of destruction. Unbeknownst to him, his already loud hum turned into a wordless song as he struck again without wait, yanking the melody back in another direction. The card hesitated, jolted, stumbled, then pivoted in a rhythm Irwin didn''t think he could reproduce, but while shuddering and shaking and close to shattering, it stepped back on the path he wanted it to.


    Irwin continued striking, a stupidly wide smile on his face. He knew he''d done something odd, but he couldn''t focus on it. Instead, he continued onward, following the guide of the Galadin music sheet and the existing patterns until he finally felt the card slide into its new reality. He knew it wasn''t a high-quality card, perhaps only just eighty percent, and reforging it further would be nearly impossible. But none of that mattered as he opened his eyes and watched the card flash and its border turn into a scarlet red.


    The room was quiet, and Brazardian''s mouth hung open. The World Anvil''s soulforce, oppressive but stable before, was fluctuating oddly, seemingly barely able to keep Brazardian''s emotions in check.


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    Did I fuck up? Irwin thought, his previous joy melting away.


    He quickly turned to the side, only to find Ambraz with a stupidly wide grin on his anvil face.


    "How¡­" Brazardian rumbled. "It was bound to fail! How did you¡­"


    Irwin wasn''t sure what to say as he felt World Anvil''s seemingly boundless soulforce ripple out like a hurricane.


    "NO! I''m locked in here while a complete world of ancient smiths is out there," Brazardian roared, disbelief and anger mixed with deep pain.


    Ambraz grinned, flying around Irwin''s head.


    "I knew he''d react like that," he shouted above Brazardian''s rumbling. "Better back up. I think he might go big."


    Irwin didn''t hesitate but snatched the card, turned, and jumped with a boom of kinetic energy. He landed on the platform with a stumbled slide before turning just in time to see Brazardian turn into his house-sized form. His roiling soulforce was gone, seemingly held back by pure willpower, and instead, the World Anvil was calm like a deep lake.


    "So, still think those questions are important?" Ambraz said, sounding as smug as Irwin had ever heard him.


    "Ambraz said there were more like you in that world," Brazardian said, ignoring Ambraz''s question. "Is this true?"


    "There are," Irwin said, thinking of Trimdir, Lamia, Endil and the others. "I know a few of them personally."


    "What did they think of Ambraz when he was there? Did he behave?"


    Irwin stared at the World Anvil stupidly, not sure what to say.


    "I always behave!" Ambraz muttered angrily, but he didn''t raise his voice this time.


    "Will they think poorly of Ganvils because of him?" Brazardian asked.


    "No," Irwin said, quickly shaking his head. "Many of the smiths there have said they would want to bond with a Ganvil if they could."


    He knew he was stretching the truth slightly, as some of them had merely implied, but he also knew there would be many smiths and people not yet reforging cards who would be willing to bond. It was one of the reasons he was gathering as many cards as he could.


    "See?" Ambraz said. "I''ve learned a lot since I was gone!"


    Irwin looked at Ambraz in surprise, wondering what he had done before.


    "Good, good," Brazardian rumbled, a wide grin spreading on his metallic face. "I should have known not to doubt your choice, Ambraz. No matter your other failings, you always had a great sense of potential."


    "What failings?" Ambraz snapped. "I''ve got less than you do."


    Irwin swallowed as he stared at the massive Ganvil, feeling highly uncomfortable.


    "Perhaps," Brazardian said. "But I''ll talk to you again after you''ve been responsible for the survival of our race for a thousand years."


    "Sure, get back to me in a few hundred years¡­ oh no, wait! You can''t because you will be stuck on this rank four world while I''ll be on a rank six one," Ambraz said.


    "Not if I keep you here for disrespecting your Progenitor," Brazardian said innocently.


    "As if you would do that," Ambraz said. "Don''t make threats you won''t uphold, you old grouch!"


    "So, what are we going to do now?" Irwin asked quickly, worried Ambraz was going to antagonize the older Ganvil too much.


    To his surprise, Brazardian began laughing softly.


    "Don''t worry, Irwin. Ambraz knows me well. I wouldn''t hold him here, especially not in these times," the World Anvil said, sounding surprisingly happy. "But, to answer your question, you and Ambraz are going to have to wait here for a while. There is something I need to do that will take at least half a year and, at most, a year. With your lack of knowledge, perhaps it would be a good idea for you to join The Academy during that time. Ambraz is closing in on his fourth rank up, and you might actually be able to become a Ruby Rank smith in that time."


    Irwin nodded, though the idea of staying here for a year didn''t sound great at all. He wanted to bring the low-rank Ganvils and the cards he''d gained back to the others and see how they were doing. Besides, what was Brazardian going to do that required him and Ambraz to remain here?


    "As long as you don''t require me to learn the Lists of Lesser Known Tracks," Ambraz snorted. "I''ve told you before, I''ll leave if you try!"


    "You will find out when it is too late how useful those are," Brazardian said with a sniff. "However, fill in your bonded smith with the things you''ve discussed. Your chambers are safe to speak."


    "Just so you know, I''ll probably bring the others too," Ambraz said.


    "If you can trust them, that is fine," Brazardian said.


    Irwin didn''t need a warning to know that was their cue to leave.


    "Nice meeting you," he said awkwardly, turning around.


    "And you," Brazardian said, sounding amused.


    Just as they began down, a soft sigh came from behind.


    "Ambraz, you did well."


    Irwin looked to the side to see a massive grin on Ambraz''s face.


    There was no pressure as they headed down, and when they reached the chamber with the hallways, Irwin was surprised by how little time it took. Going up had felt like hours.


    "Alright, let''s go and get the others first," Ambraz muttered. "I don''t feel like telling the same story twice."


    Irwin followed his directions back down.


    "What was that test about?" he asked after a while. "Do all smiths need to do that before bonding?"


    "No," Ambraz said, letting out a weary sigh. "It''s the fate of the Prodigies. The only truly powerful of our race are all locked here, in the same place. If we lost control of the exit portal, or worse, it would be closed, there would be nothing we could do. The Monarchs have been attempting to recreate the lost techniques of our homeworld with little success."


    Irwin quietly continued down, listening to Ambraz talk. He could sense a slight annoyance in the Ganvil''s voice.


    "Of the previous groups of Prodigies, only half reached rank five, and of those, just a few dozen became rank six. The Monarchs have come to the conclusion that it''s because of the smiths their Prodigies bond with. So the last few batches, mine included, have been told that we need to find the very best we can."


    "How can they see if someone has the potential to go from six to seven?" Irwin asked curiously.


    "The time they take from four to five and five to six," Ambraz said. "If you can do both in under five-hundred years you will be guaranteed to become a rank seven, which is what I''m going to reach."


    "And rank eight?"


    "Gynerigon is the oldest of us and was already rank seven when Brazardian was created," Ambraz muttered. "Nobody really knows, but Brazardian told me once that when he was still a rank two, the rumors were that Gynerigon did rank seven in under two hundred years."


    Irwin whistled, shaking his head. "If that trend continues, you would need to reach rank seven in under a hundred years to go beyond eight."


    "Yeah," Ambraz said with a snort. "As good as I am, I don''t think I''ll reach rank six in a hundred."


    "Is Brazardian one of Gynerigon''s progeny?" Irwin asked curiously.


    "No, and neither is Hestolgron, the other Monarch," Ambraz said. "Both are created from the Collective Pool."


    "So¡­ If none of the Progeny ever reached rank seven, why keep trying?" Irwin asked.


    "Because most of the rank sixes are, and we need those too," Ambraz said.


    Irwin nodded, but he wondered what made the three Monarchs different. Seeing that they weren''t at the servant''s quarters yet, he hummed.


    "So, what kind of smiths did the Monarchs bond with?" he asked.


    "No idea," Ambraz said. "All three are either dead or gone, and even Brazardian refuses to speak about it. Nor told me that he met her once, and according to him, she was an Ignitzion with cards that made her skin look like molten metal."


    An Ignitzion with metal skin, Irwin thought, wondering what that would look like.


    "Who is Nor?" he asked, recalling the name had come up before.


    "The eldest and only living prodigy from Brazardian''s first batch," Ambraz said. "He is locked inside one of the Smith Guild''s hidden worlds, rank six and probably the closest any of us ever got to rank seven. He was bound to a diamond rank smithing master who died of old age, cutting off his chances forward."


    Died of old age? Irwin shook his head, confused.


    "But with the right cards, shouldn''t he have easily been able to become a thousand years old?"


    Ambraz snorted. "Being around Gelwin has muddied your idea of normal, kid! A single body-improving diamond rank soulcard will get you to a thousand years, yes, and filling your entire soulscape would boost that to two or three thousand. However, most Smiths don''t have cards like yours. They prefer cards like the two you have now and specialized hammer cards. Master smiths get close to a thousand years of age, even with that, but in the final few hundred years...? They are usually too old to really continue reforging at any useful level."


    Irwin sighed, wondering what that meant for him. He knew his card was beyond Diamond, but he also knew there were more people out there who had them. He didn''t believe one bit that there weren''t smiths with Ammolite soulcards.


    "Don''t worry," Ambraz said with a grin. "You will definitely become older than that. That first card you have is a beast and should get you way past a thousand."


    Irwin nodded, though the concept of getting that old seemed foreign. Besides, what did that mean for the people he loved?


    "Why don''t Ganvils tell their smiths to get more cards to increase longevity," he asked as he turned around a corner towards the servant''s quarters. "If living longer could increase the chances of getting to rank seven?"


    "Without the other cards, they might not even generate enough purified soulforce for a Ganvil to reach rank five," Ambraz said. "It''s this chicken and egg situation, really. The first card influences longevity the most, but it also determines a smith''s ability beyond the others. Pick one, and the smith might live to be two thousand years old but never become strong enough to turn the Ganvil into rank five. Pick the other, and they barely reach rank six before the smith becomes too old to properly reforge the things needed to generate the required purified soulforce. Well, that or they die before that."


    "There should be cards to do things like Gelwin did, right?" Irwin asked, not willing to give up this fast.


    "Yes, but they require absolute dedication to the one idea, leaving no room for smithing," Ambraz said. "Besides making cards out of nothing, the second big thing everyone and their progenitor have been trying to figure out for hundreds of years is how to make cards that keep you fleshies alive longer."


    Irwin clasped his hands behind his back as he headed towards a massive chamber with stone tables all around. Familiar voices came echoing out of one of the hallways, the top decorated with the same symbol he''d seen that led to Ambraz''s quarters.


    "I think we should try and get more metallic body morphing cards before we return," he said.


    "If we can find or craft them, definitely," Ambraz rumbled.


    They stopped talking as Irwin walked towards a brightly lit room. As he entered, he saw that everyone was sitting on large couches. Although they appeared to be made of rock, Zender was bouncing on one, a big grin on his face.


    "Captain! You have to try these. They are so soft!"


    Irwin laughed at the youth''s joy, then walked over to Greldo and sat down beside him. He sank down slightly into a soft, slightly warm cushion, and he enjoyed how it wrapped around his lower back when he leaned back.


    "Awesome, isn''t it?" Greldo said. "Now, how about you tell us what that rumbling and dangerous feeling I got was a few hours ago?"


    Irwin looked at his friend in surprise, cocking his head. How could he have sensed any of that if Brazardian had blocked all sounds?


    "The shadows were shaking so badly I was afraid they were going to explode," Greldo said. "I had never seen anything like it."


    "Okay, but we are going to check out Ambraz''s smithing quarters first," Irwin said as he reluctantly pushed himself back up.


    "Do we get to see the World Anvil?" Zender asked.


    "No," Irwin said as he looked around. "Where did Gla''ring go?"


    "He said he had to take care of some things, and we could just stay here," Rindiri said as she got up. "Is everything alright?"


    "It is," Irwin said as he looked around the servant''s quarters. They were bigger than his but far less luxurious and appeared to be meant for dozens of people.


    I wonder how many servants Ambraz had when he lived here and what they even did, he thought.


    "Alright, let''s go," he said, walking back out.


    --


    "So, that means we are going to be staying here until Brazardian can make a hundred little baby Ganvils?" Greldo asked, raising a bushy eyebrow.


    "They aren''t babies, you brat," Ambraz snorted." Ganvils are fully formed and only need a few months to a year to become more or less mature."


    "Right, babies," Greldo said.


    "Can we see them?" Earila asked, eyes wide as she was stroking one of her Faerit.


    "No," Ambraz hissed. "Now, can we get back to the important things?"


    Irwin agreed, and he leaned forward, looking at the Ganvil.


    "So, either the Smiths Guild or one of the other two Monarchs knows more about what is going on," he said. "What did he mean with that?"


    Ambraz flew around, seemingly agitated.


    "Des told me that none of the smiths from Granvox were captured. It was as if someone knew exactly what routes to take and avoid," he said. "Or as if the people who were doing this were actively avoiding them."


    "So no Ganvils were caught?" Boohm asked, sounding surprised. "That''s fishy!"


    "Some were," Ambraz said, landing on a table for a moment before flying up and around again. "But none that still called Granvox home."


    They continued chatting for a bit until Ambraz said he needed to talk with Ganvils, whom he hadn''t seen in a long time. Irwin was pretty sure that meant Hou¡¯dor, the Ganvil they had met who was guarding the exit portal.


    As Ambraz shot away, he shouted that he''d be back before it was time to eat and to not go into the city before that.


    "So¡­ what do you think? Are you going back to school?" Greldo asked, looking at Irwin.


    "If it was the same as back in Malorin, no," Irwin said. "But somehow, I have the feeling a smith''s academy isn''t quite the same."

 Chapter 250: Golden Friction Academy

    Ambraz zipped through the night, unrestrained by worry- well, almost.


    I get back only to find the jackals found a way in, he thought as he flew through the tunnels at a speed he couldn''t have the last time he was here.


    He knew it shouldn''t surprise him as much as it did. Fleshies had been trying to take advantage of Ganvils for as long as he knew, and with no true place of their own, they were relegated to a world sandwiched between those filled with people who mostly saw them as a commodity good.


    Glad I found that kid, he thought as he flew around a corner into a busier area. Besides him being lucky, at least he doesn''t see me as some extension of his cards.


    Ambraz''s dark mood that had been with him almost ever since he woke in that tiny prison world lifted as he saw Ganvils everywhere, talking, laughing, and interacting. Between that and the chatter from the fleshies from the smiths'' districts below, old and happy memories surfaced. Swirling around the corner of the most prominent building in the district, he stopped.


    Words were chiseled into the side: ''Cardara- the best cards there are!''.


    If Irwin had been here, he''d probably been majorly confused by the low, wide building carved out of the side of the mountain. Windows flanked the many entrances, and hundreds of Ganvils of all ranks flew in and out of what looked like a mix between a restaurant and a bulk card-shop.


    Looking at the familiar building that didn''t seem to have changed in all the years he was gone, Ambraz felt his hunger increase. Although Irwin had bought him more cards to snack on ever since they returned, the kid wasn''t as rich as he thought yet and the prospect of being able to eat as much as he desired made Ambraz shoot for the nearest entrance.


    He held back, and looked around, quickly spotting his target. A large copper Ganvil that hung near the entrance, bobbing up and down restlessly.


    Ambraz flew towards him, not surprised the higher-rank Ganvil detected him and turned before he was halfway.


    "Am''braz, I still can''t believe you''re back," Hou''dor shouted happily in his deep voice. In the dim light, the long scars Ambraz knew were across his form were hard to see.


    "Hou''dor," Ambraz. "Let''s see if they still recognize me and get a private booth. I need to check my vault first, though! Unless you want to pay?"


    "Hah! I might have become a lot stronger, but there are not that much soulshards to be earned by just guard duty," Hou''dor said. "If you want me to pay its going to have to stop at a few cards each, and just some non-typed uncommons."


    "That''s not much for a welcome home party," Ambraz snorted. "Let''s hope they didn''t close it down."


    He flew into the entrance, through the short corridor, and then into a spacious chamber. Carvings the size of small houses hung from long metal cables while platforms jutted out of the walls. Unlike the places he''d been with Irwin, Ganvils didn''t care for floors, and the entire building had many vertical rooms.


    "Am''braz," a soft voice came from above and a blueish Ganvil was down in front of them. "We heard rumors that you had been seen, and it is good to see that your demise was greatly exaggerated!"


    "Za''gul, have you still not taken the step to rank six?" Ambraz said, examining the other Ganvil.


    Although rank five, his soulforce was so powerful and compressed, it was almost blinding. Even compared to the rank six Ganvil''s they had seen near the exit portal, Za''gul was something different.


    "I have told you many times that if I can''t reach rank seven, there is no use limiting myself, "Za''gul said. "Now, unless you found me an artifact from our homeworld to help with that¡­?"


    A memory of when he''d only just met Irwin bubbled up from the recesses of Ambraz''s mind, from when he had gone with Irwin and Daubutim into the portal world with the now-dead Bablibon.


    "No, and I probably would have kept it for myself," Ambraz said. "Anyway, Is my vault still¡­ well, mine?" he asked.


    "It is," Za''gul said. "Though, it is good you returned. Another few decades and it would have been handed back to Brazardian."


    "I''ll be heading there with Hou''dor. Can you bring us to a private booth after?"


    "Of course, and let me say once more that I''m happy to see you again," Za''gul said. "Des''braz has been hanging out here, incredibly glum ever since the horrible thing that happened to Hal''braz."


    Ambraz felt a stab of pain and anger but didn''t let it show.


    "Don''t worry, those things will change from now on," he said.


    With a final goodbye, he flew down into the bowels of the almost cavernous room. A winding tunnel eventually led them to a crossroads and a warning sign. Ambraz didn''t read it, knowing it by heart. It was a warning not to continue unless you had a vault. Those who ignored it would get lost in the chaotic labyrinth that lay beyond.


    "You sure you remember the way?" Hou''dor asked.


    Ambraz snorted at the jab, then shot left. They eventually reached another intersection, where he took the third corridor. Runes were carved along the walls, all meant to disorient those who didn''t know exactly where they were going or what they were doing. It required both skill, practice and explanation to find your way to one of the many vaults.


    It took a longer time than Ambraz recalled to reach the dead-end wall with the familiar round hatch. Circles of tiny, unreadable runes sat around it.


    "Had me worried a bit there," Hou''dor said.


    "I wasn''t gone that long," Ambraz said.


    "Nearly a hundred years, and most of that time, nobody knew where you were," Hou''dor said.


    "Exactly," Ambraz said, laughing as he swirled around the runic circles, touching some of the runes with his soulforce and causing them to gleam.


    It took him a minute to cause the hatch to clank open, and then the two of them flew into the tiny, unassuming chamber beyond. Shelves covered every visible wall, most empty, with only a few items lying around the others.


    Ambraz glanced at them, things he''d brought with him from other places, worthless to anyone but him. Now that he looked at them again, he realized that compared to what had happened, none of them really mattered.


    Well, none except for the stack of papers that cluttered one of the shelves, almost as if they were worthless.


    I really need to reach rank four so I can start bringing stuff, Ambraz thought.


    "Bring me those papers," he said as he indicated them with his soulforce.


    Then he flew to another shelf and looked at the tiny square crystal. It was a Portal Gallery Credit Crystal, a chip from a soulcrystal but too small to hold any consciousness, but very useful because information could be stored on it that was only manipulable by a world hub. Irwin had one which he''d gotten back on Scour, but that was a simple one.


    This was one of a few he''d had and the only one left. The others had been lost during his last journey.


    With a flex of his soulforce, Ambraz yanked it towards him, holding it against the side of his body.


    "Alright, now, before we leave, we need to talk, and this is about the only place we can do so," he said, looking at one of his few true friends.


    "I thought as much when you didn''t just ask Za''gul to retrieve these things," Hou''dor said with a mocking grin.


    "Yeah, well, don''t look so smug," Ambraz said. "Let''s see if you can still laugh after you hear what I have to say!"


    --


    Irwin cracked his neck and shoulders pleasantly as he walked through the city. Ambraz was sitting on his shoulder, perhaps even more quiet than usual. His stomach was filled with something called Charred Redhirin, a Onyxian food that Boohm had told him he should try and which was effective meat charred to coal on the outside but still red and juicy inside, filled with some hot and burning herb.


    Greldo was walking beside him while the others hung behind, chatting and looking around.


    "So, what do we do now?" Irwin asked, looking at Ambraz.


    He''d said barely anything during their dinner, just mentioning offhandedly that Irwin would need to be somewhere in a few days.


    "We should get our invite to the Smith''s Academy in a day or two," Ambraz said. "Brazardian said that we will be getting a private tutor to get us up to speed."


    "So, any idea how long all of this will take?" Greldo asked.


    "Months," Ambraz said. "It depends on a few things, but more than two months and less than a year."


    "Then I''m going to need something to do!" Greldo said, looking around. "As interesting as it is, I''m not heading back to school, and this place is a bit too timid for my tastes."


    "Timid¡­ right. Well, there are three portals to adjacent worlds, all filled with portals to shardworlds," Ambraz said. "You should be able to find one with active ruby-rank portals."


    "Great!" Greldo said before focusing on Irwin. "I think I should bring the others with me. Rindiri can take Boohm and the kids into a portal, and it would be good for them to do some training."


    Irwin blinked, then looked over his shoulder at the others. They were all chatting, Zender seemingly pointing something out to Boohm, who was laughing uproariously and drawing way too much attention. Only Rindiri seemed to have been paying attention to him and Greldo, and she nodded.


    "Are they going to be allowed to do that?" Irwin asked.


    "Sure, though they might be asked not to clear the Linchpin. Some of those portals are actively used for training purposes," Ambraz said.


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    I wonder if they use high-rank Ganvils to keep it from shattering, Irwin thought.


    It would make sense, and if that worked, he wondered if there were Ganvils in other worlds doing this. Ambraz had told him not all Ganvils remained on Granvox.


    "Then I guess it''s fine," Irwin said. "If I get the time, I''ll come and check them out myself."


    Ambraz laughed softly. "I don''t think we will have any time for that, but who knows!"


    They continued chatting as they headed back to Ambraz''s servant''s quarters. Irwin had decided to stay there with his friends, at least until they left, and Ambraz had grudgingly agreed.


    Another day passed in relative quiet as they explored the Fleshy Districts, as the Ganvils called them.


    Irwin and the others had quickly learned that nearly all of those present on Granvox were in some way connected to smithing, either by being smiths or apprentice smiths or family of those. The only exceptions were carded with the ability to form runes, something Irwin had only had passing knowledge of.


    On the third day they were there, a familiar smith found them as they were inside a card shop dedicated to short-range movement and teleportation cards.


    Singara walked into the shop, Gla''ring on her shoulder.


    "Lord Am''braz," the other Ganvil shouted as he flew towards Ambraz, who was roaming the back of the large shop.


    Irwin watched him fly off, wondering what the other Ganvil was there for when he saw Singara walking towards him. She looked as serious as ever, though her eyes did narrow when she saw Boohm stare at her with large eyes.


    "Smith Irwin," she said. "We came to tell you that your entry into the Academy has been successfully finished, and you are expected tomorrow morning for your first class. I''ve been sent here to take you there and get you situated."


    "Do we have to leave right away, or¡­?" Irwin asked, looking down at the crystal sheet-covered table that held the cards he''d been inspecting.


    All ten cards were short-range, semi-teleport cards like what Scintilla had, though like her''s they all came with some heavy caveats. That was why he''d been examining them, trying to discern their paths so he could figure out how to make his own if he could find the proper base card.


    "No, but it would be best if we leave before evening falls tonight," Singara said.


    "Can I come? I can help him¡­ clean his room, get his food?" Boohm asked as he stomped forward.


    Singara looked up, and Irwin saw a tiny vein below her eye pulse.


    "I''m afraid there are only smiths there, and things like cleaning and preparing food are handled by the academy," she said. "Why don''t you go and let off some steam in the card-harvesting shard worlds?"


    "Ah¡­ such a shame," Boohm said, his shoulders sagging slightly. "Well, how about you and me have a drink?"


    Irwin grimaced as he saw Singara''s eyes narrow.


    "No," she said, shaking her head. "I''m not interested."


    Boohm took a deep breath and let it out like a bellows. "Ah¡­ such a shame," he repeated himself, shrugging. "Well, if you change your mind, I''ll be here for a while!"


    Then he turned and stalked away, reminded Irwin like a little child that hadn''t gotten what they wanted.


    Singara frowned, then shook her head as she turned to Irwin.


    "Uh¡­ sorry?" Irwin said, not sure what to say.


    "No need to apologize for your crew members," Singara said. "He''s just¡­ somewhat blunt."


    Irwin nodded, quickly looking for a way to change the conversation and focused on the table before him.


    "Do you know anything about these types of cards?" he asked, pointing at one in particular.


    It allowed someone to change into a cloud of fog and rapidly move forward. It wasn''t the fastest one, but it did have a synergy with his Sweltering skill.


    "A fogbased short-ranged burst movement," Singara said, looking at the card. "This one has the water and the ripple type, which is probably why it''s so expensive."


    Irwin frowned, looking at the price, then flinched. Almost nine thousand soulshards way more than was normal for a topaz card. He''d seen more expensive ones before, with the prices going up the further they moved into the central region.


    "Ripple type?" he asked absently.


    "It means that slotting it will cause a ripple of its typing to move to any card you slot till you lock both hands," Singara said. "It''s pretty uncommon, but having its water and ripple means all other cards will gain the water type, and that''s most likely a problem for most cards. Unless you build an entire heartcard around it, it''s not that great¡­ which is why it isn''t more expensive."


    Right¡­ More expensive, Irwin thought. At the same time, he wondered about the ripple type. He knew some types could only be gained on the base card, or at least he hadn''t heard about anyone able to add it, while others seemed easily addable.


    "What movement-type card would you think works well for someone with fire and steam," Irwin asked.


    Singara tapped her lip thoughtfully before pointing at a card called Inferno Flicker.


    "Something like that, probably, though its range is highly limited," she said.


    "That''s not the only issue with it," he said. "It only works in areas that are already hot."


    "Finding a combat-viable, short-range teleport that is not either spacial or shadow-typed is nearly impossible," Singara said. "I''d suggest making it yourself, but these are some of the hardest types to work with. The diagrams for them are so difficult to understand¡­"


    She shook her head, letting out a weary sigh. "I''ve yet to crack it myself. The best I can do is topaz, but I''ve got the feeling you aren''t looking for that?"


    Irwin hesitated, looking across her but unable to locate any Smith''s Guild ranking plate. Singara must have noticed what he was doing, and she pulled back her sleeve, revealing a set of four tattoos going from dull gray at the bottom, near her hand, to a bright green tattoo at the top.


    "Emerald rank," Irwin said, nodding.


    He wasn''t sure if he should tell his rank just yet and hadn''t spoken about it with Ambraz yet.


    "I haven''t seen tattoos used for ranks yet," he said. "Most of the people I met had crystals in their hair or embedded in their skin."


    "This is powdered crystal," Singara said. "I don''t like having things attached to me, and some of the teachers use this."


    "I don''t think I''d like a tattoo," Irwin said, rubbing the thick, gleaming skin of his arm.


    "It''s not for everyone," Singara said.


    They continued walking through the shop for a while before leaving.


    Irwin ended up buying the two quartz-ranked cards, which he thought might have potential. One was called Trickle Of Steam, a simple card that allowed control over steam and which he thought he might able to reforge into something that allowed teleportation, and the other was Skintight Temperature, an odd card that even at quartz rank allowed one to change the temperature of the air directly around them by a few degrees. He was pretty sure he could get that one up to something that Boohm could use.


    They decided to go for a quick meal before heading back to their rooms.


    When Irwin had packed the few things he needed to bring, he, Greldo, and Rindiri were standing outside the hallway. Boohm and the children were inside, all three having promised to listen to Rindiri.


    "I''ll come and find you if I get the time," Irwin said. "Try to keep all the cards you find and just use the soulshards I gave you."


    "Don''t worry," Greldo said with a grin. "I''ll make sure to use it all."


    "Captain, I''d tell you to be careful, but I think we will be taking more risks than you," Rindiri said.


    "Which means I get to tell it to you," Irwin said. "We will leave as soon as Brazardian contacts us that he is ready. Hopefully, that won''t be more than two or three months, but just incase- make sure to return every month!"


    "Don''t worry, we will," Greldo said as he rubbed his hands. "You make sure you get us all some great cards for when we do! We''ll try them out for you!"


    Irwin grinned. "Sure, I will. You still sure about the direction you want to go in?"


    Greldo gave a sharp nod, his eyes narrowing. "With what we might be getting into, I need more control over shadows, more energy, and some ability to deal with large amounts of enemies."


    "I''ll do my best," Irwin said, grimacing at the difficulty of the cards Greldo would be needing.


    He nodded at Rindiri, who was absently rubbing her right hand, which had only two slots left, the final ones she would ever have. Irwin had talked with her many nights on the ship and knew exactly what she wanted, and he had no idea if he could ever make a card like the one she requested. Changing someone''s biology and how they reproduce wasn''t something he thought cards could ever do.


    "Then I''ll see you soon," Irwin said as he took a step back.


    "Go and show them what we are made of," Greldo said.


    "Don''t worry, brat! We are going to make them fall on their asses in awe at our awesomeness," Ambraz said, causing everyone to laugh.


    With a final wave, Irwin left, heading out of the Monarch''s palace as the building he was in was called.


    Singara was waiting for him outside, carrying a large bag while Gla''ring sat on her shoulder.


    "Are you ready?" Gla''ring asked.


    "We are," Ambraz said. "Are we going through the City Teleportation Array, or?"


    "No, our teleporter should be here-"


    Something stepped out of the shadows beside them and looking up, Irwin looked into a pale face with pitch-black eyes below a robe.


    Nyzir!


    His hammer was in his hand, and he was halfway, propelled by kinetic energy, before he saw it wasn''t a Nyzir but a skinny, pale woman with nearly black eyes. She vanished instantly, eyes wide with fear, just as Irwin unsummoned his hammer. The sudden loss of momentum and weight made him take an odd, jittery step to the side while Singara jumped back two dozen feet.


    "No! She''s our teleporter!" Singara shouted, her eyes wide.


    Irwin grimaced, looking around. "Sorry! Sorry, we''ve had some trouble with Nyzir," he said,


    Two dozen feet away, the hooded, pale woman appeared again, eyes wide and with two daggers in her hands.


    "What the hell is wrong with you?" she shouted. "Since when do I look like a Nyzir?!"


    "Sorry," Irwin said, taking a deep sigh as he walked towards Singara.


    The Onyxian smith looked at him, then at the women.


    "I think you can come now," she finally said, causing Irwin to cringe.


    Ambraz grunted, then began laughing softly, quickly followed by Gla''ring.


    "It''s not funny," Irwin snapped, walking very slowly towards the woman who was still eying him warily.


    "Sorry, it''s the hood," he said.


    The woman glanced at him for a few more moments before her daggers vanished, and she walked forward. Even then, she remained at a few feet from Irwin.


    "I''m not sure if I should be insulted by you attacking me or saying I look like a Nyzir," she muttered. "Do you think we can get going now, or do you feel ready to hit something else?"


    "No, we can leave," Irwin said, trying to ignore Ambraz and Gla''ring''s snickering.


    A shadowy cloud erupted from the woman, and as it wrapped around Irwin, he wondered if she was going to do something to him.


    He felt a jolt of movement somewhat similar to when Greldo teleported them but less smoothly, and then they arrived in the shadow of a towering fountain.


    A dry heat, carrying the smell of sulfur, suddenly surrounded him. Ahead, an arm-thick stream of molten metal dribbled out of the gaping mouth of a stone fish, clattering into a pond of more bubbling metal. Behind the fountain, a wide staircase led up to a towering building with many balconies jutting out in a chaotic pattern.


    That''s one big building, Irwin thought as he looked up to find an oval golden dome atop.


    The buildings surrounding them were dark gray, nearly black, with corridors leading away from the massive square. Their roofs were covered in pale white, gleaming shingles, creating an odd sense only strengthened by the bright decorations, mostly red, orange, and yellow hues, that hung from most of the buildings. They were all covered with a symbol that showed two hands rubbing together with the edge of a card peeking out from between them.


    Everything was tinted by the soft red and orange light of the setting sun.


    "Right, try not to hit anyone," the woman snapped before she vanished again.


    Irwin barely noticed, looking around to see smiths in leather aprons walking around, most with Ganvils on their shoulders. Some were carrying metal objects, and others chatting loudly. Others that looked more like workers were carrying caskets or other things, creating a busy hubbub.


    "Welcome to Golden Friction Academy," Singara said. "Let''s go and get you signed up properly!"


    Irwin nodded as he followed her towards the staircase.


    The rest of the evening passed in a flurry of questions, chatter, and busy rooms. At some point, Irwin was stunned to see two ruby-ranked smiths, both women with graying ponytails, their ranking plates attached at the bottom, and dozens of emerald ones.


    When they finally walked away from the main building, all he knew was that nobody had bothered to ask him for his rank; they seemed more interested in how he smithed.


    Outside, the sun had set, and warm, fiery lanterns attached to the sides of buildings bathed everything in a cozy light.


    "Alright, you are placed into the Hymn District," Singara said. "I''ll bring you there, then head back to my own room. I''ll have someone come get you for your first class tomorrow morning."


    "Thanks," Irwin said. "What about food?"


    "Ah, don''t worry, I''ll show you your district''s Inn. Everything inside is free, so don''t worry about it. Now let''s go, I need to do some things before bedtime," Singara said.


    Irwin nodded as he followed her into the city.

 Chapter 251: Meeting new people

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    "Have you actually been here before?" Irwin asked Ambraz as he stood in the center of a spacious room. "In this academy, I mean."


    "Never needed to," Ambraz said.


    They were standing in their new quarters, the second in a week. Irwin wondered if he would be going to another just as quickly. Probably not, but who knew? Singara had left as soon as she''d dropped them off, saying she would find them tomorrow after classes.


    "You can only go here if you are bonded, and though I might have been able to circumvent it, why bother?" Ambraz said.


    He began flying around the room, examining the dozens of small alcoves meant for Ganvils before seemingly picking the one closest to the open bedroom.


    Irwin joined him in looking around, but the place wasn''t all that big. The central room was by far the largest and obviously meant for studying. There was a large oval area, slightly sunken into the ground, seemingly meant for smithing practice, an empty bookshelf above a large desk, and hooks on the walls.


    A doorless entrance led to a small bedroom with a sturdy stone bed that reminded Irwin of the one he''d shared with Scintilla.


    I wonder how she''s doing, Irwin thought, looking at the bed for a few moments, thinking about her. Or the kids¡­


    He let his curiosity grow for a few moments before squashing it like he usually did. It wasn''t the time to go there yet, and he needed to focus on something else first.


    A quick look revealed a small closet, also empty, save for some bedding that gleamed like burnished metal. Poking it curiously, he realized it didn''t just look like metal; it felt like it too.


    Guess it''s to prevent the smiths from ripping it in their sleep, he thought.


    He left it, the temperature in the room high enough that he wasn''t going to use it. After looking at the bed, he shrugged and walked back into the main chamber, sitting down at the table. For some reason, he felt tired, but he wasn''t sleepy yet. Besides, if he went to bed now, he''d wake way too early.


    "So, what do you think?" he asked, looking up at Ambraz. "Have a look around the area, eat a bit, or get an early rest?"


    "After the yapping we had to go through just now, I''m almost inclined to rest, but I think you should check that inn. Getting to know some others of your class before tomorrow should make things a lot more smooth," Ambraz said. "Because, no offense, kid, but you aren''t really a smooth talker."


    And you are? Irwin thought, slightly annoyed.


    Still, Ambraz was right, and he nodded.


    He knew where the inn was, as Singara had pointed it out, but it hadn''t really been necessary. The music and laughter had been loud enough that he''d been able to find it with his eyes closed. There would probably be people from his classes there, and besides what Ambraz said, he could do with a snack.


    He looked around the room, hesitated, and then decided to take his cards and the Galarian music sheets with him.


    A few moments later, they were walking along a balcony lined with doors, one of which was his. The open area looked out across the district, the lanterns illuminating everything in a soft, ruddy hue. Irwin had no idea which parts he saw because of his night vision or due to their light, but between it and the swirls of soulforce everywhere, the place seemed like a dormant volcano, slowly waking up.


    As he made his way down, a distant, deep thudding sound became louder as he walked toward the central area of the district. Pale golden sheets hung from some of the buildings, decorated with musical instruments, some of which he''d never seen before.


    A short walk through the quiet streets brought him to the district''s central square. Music, singing and laughter came from the inn nestled smack in the middle of the square. It was a squarish building with a few lower roofs filled with people sitting at tables and balconies all around its five story or more central area. People stood all around it, chatting and drinking.


    The Tappestery, Irwin read, trying to understand what that meant.


    He was happy that he drew little attention as he walked towards the wide-open entrance. Only two bulky Loydin were examining him, but unlike the others of their race, these seemed just curious. Both had a Ganvil on their shoulders.


    Irwin nodded at them in greeting, then walked inside. If he couldn''t find anyone else to talk to, he might just chat them up later, but for now, he wanted to sit, eat and look around a bit.


    The loud, joyful music mixed with the chatter created a constant sound, and Irwin looked around. The inside of the inn looked like a cross between a renovated smithy, with the bar nestled in what looked like a massive forge area and the tables styled like crates.


    "Welcome, welcome! Don''t think I''ve seen you before," a short, smiling woman with flaming hair said as she wiped her hands on her shirt. She had run up to him and shoved a small wooden token in his hand. "Here''s your tab, on which you need to put your room number! Just go and find yourself a spot, and one of me will get to you soon!"


    One of me?


    Before Irwin could even ask what she meant, she dashed off towards a distant table where someone was waving at her.


    All around, dozens of other women with the same flaming hair were dashing through the inn, carrying platters of food and drink, either filled or emptied. They were all identical.


    It''s like the barber on Fiverion, Irwin thought as he began walking towards one of the empty tables.


    As he sat down, the music slowly faded, and he looked at the back of the inn where three musicians stood. A flustered-looking man with a wide grin and hair that stood out in all directions was holding an instrument that looked like a mandolin with tiny sticks attached to the end of the snares. One quick flick across the strings created a sound like a hundred fingers tapping on a table.


    "Everyone, I''m super happy you asked us to perform again," the man said, his voice easily traveling all throughout the room. "We will play our final song now. Then the stage will be free for someone else! If you want to see us again, tell Teacher Narios how much you enjoyed it, and I''m sure we can come again!"


    There was a loud cheering, with many of those present either stomping the ground or hitting the table.


    Irwin leaned back, feeling an odd sense of relaxation settle on him. He was going to be here for a few months¡­ that meant not being worried about potential pirates or other dangers. It had been over a year since he''d left Eluathar and had that luxury.


    "Hey there, big man," a happy voice called out from beside him.


    Irwin looked up to see the same woman who had welcomed him or one of those identical standing there.


    "Did you add your room number?"


    Irwin took out the token he''d been given and, without thinking about it, scratched the number seventy-three with his nail in the soft wood. Then he handed it back.


    "Ah¡­ usually we use markers for that," the woman said with a crooked smile. "I guess this will be yours from now on then! Now then, our name is Moira Multitude - which isn''t real, but that''s how we like it!"


    Irwin blinked, but the woman -Moira- didn''t seem to care.


    "Now then, what can I serve you? A late meal? Some drinks? Both?"


    "Both," Irwin said, looking for a menu cart and finding nothing. "Do you have any Ignitzion dishes?"


    "Sure, we have Hotpot Meatstew with Torrential Peppers today! You sure though? It''s pretty hot!"


    Irwin grinned as he heard the familiar name. Scintilla had made it for him once, but the Torrential Peppers were pretty rare on Scour. Even then, he recalled it was both filling and delicious.


    "I''d like a big bowl and the largest jar of water you have," Irwin said.


    "The water won''t help you with the heat, deary!"


    "It''s not for that, don''t worry," Irwin said just as a low rattling drumbeat came from the stage.


    "Right, I''ll get it for you then!" Moira said, grinning as she turned and strode away into the mess.


    People had begun winding their way to the area before the stage to dance, and Irwin looked at the mishmash of metal, fire, and coal-attuned beings bob and weave around each other. He knew by now that the Langost branch was mostly home to humans -or those that looked like them- and a wide array of elemental-attuned races. Of those, he wasn''t surprised to see that all those present were radiating heat-based soulforce ripples.


    Above them, a chaotic cloud of rapidly flying Ganvils were performing some sort of dance of their own, though it looked more like they were racing each other between the heavy rafters in some dangerous game of tag. Each time one of them slammed into another, it would rush away, chased after by others, only to be dogpiled a moment later.


    Irwin focused on the soulforce vibrations, which he usually ignored unless needed, and was happy to find that it seemed to be influenced by the drums, creating a beautiful kaleidoscope of background sounds that seemed to follow along with the drum like an echo.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    The song had begun energetic enough, but as the singer added his voice to the mix, screeching like a sharp nail across an anvil, though remaining in tune, it slowly began building up to a thunderous crescendo.


    A plate twice the size he had expected and a massive metal jar with water appeared before Irwin, but he barely noticed as he listened to the music, almost enthralled.


    At some point, he felt his own soulcard thrum and vibrate along with the song while he noticed Ambraz amidst the other Ganvils, grinning madly as he managed to dodge dozens of his fellows until finally overrun by their sheer numbers.


    The song finally ended with a drum solo performance by the female drummer. Her arms moved so fast that Irwin could only see streams of movement from and to the different drums. Some of the beats seemed to overlap, boosting their sounds instead of being individual beats.


    Then the song stopped, replaced by a deafening cheer.


    Leaning back, Irwin slowly began eating from the massive bowl of stew, enjoying the way it traveled down his throat like lava, creating a burning hotness in his stomach. He continued eating even when he''d had enough, only stopping when he''d cleaned out the entire bowl. Then he grabbed the massive jug, only to notice two wide-eyed Ignitzions sitting on the opposite of the table, staring at him. They both had their elbows on the table, hands under their chins as they leaned forward. Yellow smiths'' ranking plates were tied around their wrists with black-metal chains.


    "Are you for real?" one of them asked, her burning purple eyes twinkling. "That''s enough for a whole family and hot enough to burn a hole through my stomach!"


    "I like my food hot," Irwin said before he raised the mug and began draining it. When he finished, he saw the two were still there.


    "So, where did you come from?" the second one asked.


    Her hair was tied in a knot at the back of her head, which flared out widely, almost making it look like her head was surrounded by a halo of burning red and orange hair.


    "Hey, that''s not nice," the purple-eyed one said, elbowing her. "Remember last time?"


    "Right, right. Sorry! You only just arrived? Are you going to be joining the first years tomorrow?"


    Irwin leaned back, the sturdy chair cared nothing for his weight.


    "I think so," he said. "I only just arrived a few hours ago."


    "Whoa! You really did get ported in just now! Where you-" the one with the odd hair grunted as she got jabbed in the side again.


    "Excuse my friend, she''s got problems," the purple-eyed one said with a wide grin. "I''m Pasilha, and this is Roubi. We are second-years, so if we can help you¡­"


    Irwin looked at her, about to respond that he''d love help when he held back. He suddenly recalled the warnings Scintilla had given him back on Scour about his look, likely drawing a lot of attention from Ignitzions. Were these two flirting with him? He suddenly felt slightly uncomfortable.


    Whatever, they can still help, he decided.


    "Can you point out some of the other first years?" he asked. "It''d be helpful to get to know some people before tomorrow."


    "Sure! I know a lot of younger sisters here," Pasilha said, her grin widening.


    Right¡­ Irwin thought, suddenly feeling a shudder as he thought about being surrounded by Ignitzions.


    Before he could even voice a worry, Pasilha was up and moving.


    "So¡­ do you have a special friend?" Roubi asked.


    --


    Irwin woke to a splitting headache. Blinking blearily, he tried to recall what had happened, and then slowly, the memories returned.


    Pasilha had found half of the class of first years for him, most of which were humans with cards that changed their physique to mimic elemental fire or metal. One of them, Skylar, had seemed to think of it as his mission to see exactly how much he could drink, which started with water and ended with things he never had before. Memories of drinking ever increasingly odd and spicy beverages from the Ignitzian and, later, even Onyxian homeworlds while dancing to music replayed in his mind.


    He faintly recalled that he managed to keep away from a few of the clingier Ignitzions, partially with help from Skylar.


    His head thudded in the beat of his heart, and he groaned. Why didn''t I just leave?


    "Finally awake? Good, I was about to land on you!" Ambraz snapped. "Get up and get clean. We need to get to the first class in half an hour!"


    Irwin pushed himself up on his elbow and looked around. His mouth was dry, not something that happened as much anymore, but the water jug lay on its side on the table, empty. Staring at it for a bit, he sighed and got up to righten it. Then he focused on his soulcard, creating a cloud of steam, which he maneuvered above the opening before forcing it inside. Then he withdrew the energy from the steam inside, and he felt it slowly turn to liquid. It wasn''t fast, but it beat going to find water.


    He continued until the jug was full, then drained it, filled it again, and drained it again.


    When he finally finished, his headache was mostly over, and he sighed.


    "Remind me not to drink that much again," he said.


    "That wasn''t the problem," Ambraz said, sounding like he was enjoying himself far too much. "Things went bad when you tried to keep up with that Simlari. You do know they are as close to air elementals as any carded being can get?"


    Irwin knew he was referring to Skylar, but he shook his head. "What does that matter?"


    "It matters because the drinks never really reach their systems. Didn''t you notice the steam blowing from his nose? That wasn''t just him heating up! It was the alcohol being shoved back out."


    Irwin blinked, then barked a laugh. "That''s why he was walking straight at the end."


    "Exactly," Ambraz said. "Though you did really well. Except for the cheater, the others all had to sleep at the inn, so you should have some fun in class today."


    Irwin frowned, trying to recall the state of the people after he''d left.


    "I don''t recall much of what happened," he muttered as he filled a large bowl with water and began cleaning himself.


    "Nothing too bad," Ambraz said, though Irwin wondered.


    A short while later, he was walking through the streets, heading for the main building. All of the districts were split up in a circle around the academy building, which was the main building he''d entered the day before. For some reason, the districts were split up based on the technique the people in them used to craft.


    There was a mass of young people walking up the stairs, and Irwin joined in with the soft chattering. He was almost at the top when he heard someone call his name.


    Turning around, he saw a tall man with stormy white hair that floated around his head and a wide grin on his pale blue face as he ran up the stairs towards him. A moment later, Irwin stared into two eyes that looked like thunderclouds and reminded him of the blue versions of what Daubutim had.


    "Hey! Good to see you made it. I was starting to feel a bit worried when I woke up this morning," Skylar said, his voice airy.


    Although he wasn''t that good at detecting it, Irwin didn''t see any hidden duplicity in the other''s eyes. Instead, he looked honestly worried and relieved.


    "No worries," Irwin said with a laugh. "I''m fine! Now, how about you make up for cheating by showing me where to go?"


    "Hey! I wasn''t cheating," Skylar said, but he had the good graces to blush, which in his case meant his face became bluer.


    They walked up the stairs and then into the crowded building. Although he and Skylar could look across the sea of heads, there were still a lot of others looking back at them.


    Lots of tall people among smiths, Irwin thought as he watched a girl that seemed made up from raw metal ore, her face angular and sharp, stomp down the hallway, creating a small ripple of people stepping out of the way.


    "That''s Bekylina," Skylar muttered softly. "Better not stare at her too much. She''s got a bit of a temper. She''s human, if you want to believe it, but something odd happened when her first heartcard was formed."


    Irwin looked away, wondering what she''d gotten for a card that had this effect. He knew his own card had already changed him on the more extreme scale of things, but that?


    The hallways were wide, with doors everywhere. Irwin snuck a few glances inside to see surprisingly large rooms. Most looked like they could hold over a hundred people.


    When they reached their own classroom, he saw a sign on the side. It read Theoretical Smithing, and an unsteady hand had added ''Card Categories'' below.


    As they entered, Irwin saw the left side held rows of benches on what looked like massive staircase steps. Each was high enough for the people sitting behind it to look out across the others, while a single desk stood opposite them. A young-looking woman with pale, gleaming skin and unkempt blond hair tied in a hasty bow sat behind it, flipping through a book without seeming to notice the people walking inside.


    Irwin saw a tiny placard on her desk that said ''Christal vin as Varandi''.


    "She''s the local librarian and probably the smartest person you''ve ever met," Skylar whispered, moving up the stairs. "She''s got some sick memory too, able to remember all our names and how we did in the different classes, and-"


    "She also has great hearing," a youthful voice called out.


    Skylar flinched, then looked back.


    Irwin saw that the teacher was staring at Skylar with a raised eyebrow. "I can introduce myself and will do so later, Skylar. Now go bring your new friend to sit down."


    "Yes, Teacher Verandi," Skylar said, turning and pulling Irwin along with him.


    Why does this feel like back in school, Irwin thought, feeling a massive sense of discomfort? He didn''t know what he''d been expecting, but he wasn''t sure if he was going to enjoy sitting here and being lectured.


    He followed Skylar up to a row at the back, where he saw a few faces he had recognized from the night before. He tried hard to recall their names, but he was only partially successful. Not that it likely mattered. Most of them were lying with their head on their arm, staring out into nothing like Addled.


    Only Pasilha looked up and waved in greeting. There was no sign of her chatter mouth friend, which Irwin didn''t mind.


    "How can you look that¡­ good," Pasilha muttered before putting her head back on the desk. "You drank more than any of us!"


    "Greater Endurance," Irwin said, sitting down beside Skylar.


    "Oh? Good to know," Pasilha said, visibly forcing herself to smile at him before grimacing and resting her head on her arms again.


    The classroom steadily filled up with people ranging from those barely adult to a few with graying hair and beards. All of them had a Ganvil on their shoulders, most the same size- but with a few seeming slightly larger.


    "I had expected there would only be young people here," Irwin asked.


    Skylar snorted, shaking his head. "How old are you anyway?"


    Irwin frowned, trying to recall how much time had passed. How old was he now? Twenty-one? Twenty-two?


    "You don''t know?" Skylar asked, surprised and curious.


    "Twenty-one," Irwin decided, knowing it didn''t really matter that much as he would probably not visibly grow any older for a long time.


    "Right¡­ well-"


    "Alright, everyone, it''s time to start today''s course! You''ve all probably heard that we had another midterm addition to our group," Teacher Verandi said, her voice seemingly coming from every corner of the room.


    "Now, I''ve been told that you haven''t had any official training, so I''ll be handing you out some light reading to get you up to speed," Teacher Verandi said as she stared straight at Irwin. "Make sure you do your best!"


    Irwin just nodded, not sure if he was supposed to reply.


    "Very well, as I warned the rest of you, today will be about Card Categories! Now, I know many of you think they know everything about it, but I''m going to remind you that even the Librarians still don''t know everything! Even now, cards are being discovered or crafted that nobody has seen before. So, I''ll be naming the most common categories, not in any order, and after that, I''m going to be asking you all at random to add one!"


    She turned to the blank wall behind her, raised her hand in which a golden quill appeared, and began writing. Beautiful golden letters flowed from her pen.


    "Abrasive, all cards in this category are able to slowly wear down something. This could be rock, metal, or flesh. Closely related to this is Acidic, with cards in this category able to eat away some types of matter-"


    Irwin listened closely as Teacher Verandi continued writing down categories, many of which he''d heard of because they were also types, but some, like Coupling and Elasticity, he had never heard of before nor had any idea what they were supposed to do. Even then, as time continued and many people proved unable to add to the slowly growing list, Irwin felt his interest piqued. There was no bogus information like when he''d been in school back in Malorin. Instead, everything seemed useful and interesting. Some of the categories, although unfamiliar to him, really piqued his curiosity, like Soundwave.


    The hours went by, and he paid close attention, writing down all the categories in his small booklet. He ignored Skylar''s odd glances.


    When the class was done, Teacher Verandi handed him a stack of four books before sending him out with the order to read them before the end of the month.


    "So¡­ you really like this theoretical stuff, don''t you?" Skylar said as he walked beside him. The others were stumbling behind them, still looking barely able to stand.


    "It''s interesting," Irwin agreed.


    "Well, then, I hope you enjoy getting your hands dirty because the other course today is on sideways reforging," Skylar said, rubbing his hand as if he was already looking forward to it.


    Oh, I definitely like that, Irwin thought, wondering what they were supposed to do.

 Chapter 252: Diagram Smithing

    Irwin felt a wave of awe as he walked into the massive, multi-layered smithy.


    "Stop gawking. You''re making me look bad," Ambraz hissed in his ear.


    "What kind of smith needs a workplace that big?" Irwin muttered.


    A few of the nearby students snickered while Skylar grinned.


    "You will see in a moment," he said. "Let''s go grab some good spots!"


    Irwin followed Skylar to a metal staircase leading up to the first floor before quickly claiming two workbenches with adjacent forges and an area for an anvil.


    Ambraz flew from Irwin''s shoulder, landing in the center and turning into his working size.


    "Wow, he''s almost black- what kind of metal did they use for his batch? I don''t recall¡­" Skylar began just as a pale, silvery Anvil appeared before him.


    "Skylar, stop acting like an airhead," a light, feminine voice said. "He''s obviously one of the Monarch''s Progeny!"


    Girl Ganvil? Irwin thought, eyes wide in surprise.


    He knew Ganvils had no gender, but so far, all of them had sounded like men, which was what he thought of them.


    "Really?" Skylar blurted, looking at Irwin with wide eyes. "You''re bonded to a Progeny? Why didn''t you-"


    "Alright, you brats, quiet down!" a voice that would make Boohm jealous silenced the chattering smithy.


    Another set of doors at the lowest levels opened up, and a woman who seemed to have just stepped out of a smelter walked in. Her hair was as black as an Onyxian, while her skin was a rippling, moving mass of fiery red and black with all the colors of molten metal in between. The doors and the wall around her were bathed in the light, while Irwin felt the temperature go up from the normal warmth to a comfortable scorching that reminded him of volcanoes.


    "For those new here, I''m Delavera Salvios, but you can all call me Vera or Teacher Vera if you insist," she said, her voice creating ripples as she spoke.


    "Now, I''ve heard there are three new ones. Go and stand where I can see you and introduce yourselves!"


    Irwin blinked in surprise, then saw Skylar wave him forward with a grin.


    Right¡­ somehow, I get the feeling he would get along well with Greldo, he thought with a snort.


    As he took the two steps to the balcony, he saw a pair of middle-aged men do the same on the opposite balcony, a hundred feet away.


    "Honorable Master Smith-" one of them began, bowing his head.


    "Ugh¡­ spare me," Vera snapped as she spun on her heel, her body moving oddly smooth. "Teacher Vera, for the two of you!"


    The man who had spoken, a bald, blue-bearded, and blue-eyed man with skin that resembled oxidized copper, gaped at her while the other one, who looked like his brother, smiled weakly.


    "Sorry, Teacher Vera, it is considered rude to¡­ well," he waved his hand awkwardly as Vera glared at him. "We are Unzir and Jerrid, smiths from the outer branches beyond Granvox. The Smiths Guild brought us here due to the troubles, and we were allowed to join the practical class of the Academy due to our hard work."


    Vera nodded. "Good. I like hard-working people. After I give today''s assignment, I''ll come and see what you can do. Now- number three?"


    Irwin felt slightly uncomfortable as he saw the over a hundred smiths look around, but he knew there was no other way about it.


    "That would be me," he said, causing Vera to turn to him and stare at him with eyes like smoldering coals.


    "Another Loydin¡­. No, there''s something different about you," she said, cocking her head, her eyes seeming to try and pierce through him to reveal any secrets he might have.


    "More like a Fiz''rin," Irwin said before shrugging. "I''m from one of the most distant branch worlds and was found to have some talent with smithing. Because I haven''t had any formal instructions, I was told to attend here."


    Vera''s bushy eyebrows shot up, and she hummed. "No formal instructions¡­ do you mean from books or in practice?"


    Irwin shrugged. "I know how to reforge cards, but I don''t have a lot of knowledge about things like Categories or Types."


    Vera barked a laugh, a predatory grin on her face. "Good! Too much knowledge dulls the strikes! I''ll be curious to see what someone like you can do!"


    Then she turned to the rest, putting her hands on her hips. "Alright, as always, I''m going to only show this one time, after which you are going to try your hand at it! I don''t care which technique you use today. Just get the required result."


    A dark red, almost rusty-looking Ganvil flew from her shoulder and landed in the center of the massive smithy. Teacher Vera walked forward, and with each step, she grew a foot.


    When she finally stood before the Ganvil, Irwin''s mouth fell open in disbelief as he gazed at the twenty-plus-foot giant that stood behind the anvil. Vera''s clothes had grown along with her transformation, meaning they were either part of her own cards and some type of armor or card-crafted.


    "Alright," Vera said, her voice even louder than before. She removed a stack of cards from her pocket and placed one on the Ganvil.


    Irwin tried to ignore the giant woman and focused on the purple-bordered card, an amethyst rank one with¡­ a pebble on it? He frowned. Had they started at Quartz rank and were slowly making their way up, or were they going to do something very difficult?


    "So, these cards are all called Gneizian Gravel and are roughly identical. I''ve reforged them all from Quartz to have the potential to have a single type, Momentum. However, it doesn''t actually have it yet. It will be your job to sideways reforge it until it does. I don''t care what else it gets, but as always, the one who makes the highest percentage one will get an hour of personal training as a reward. You are not allowed to accept help from your Ganvils, though they are allowed to tell you if you are going wrong."


    ''Win! She''s one of the most famous smiths here, and her Ganvil is going to become rank six soon! With how relatively young she is, that means she is one of the few potential rank sevens that are currently alive!'' Ambraz shouted within Irwin''s soulscape, his voice laden with excitement.


    Right, as if I can just win from all these smiths that have had proper training, Irwin thought.


    Still, as he looked around, he couldn''t help but feel his excitement grow.


    "Alright, I''m going to show you all how I would do this, using the brute force approach," Vera said, raising her hand.


    She slammed it down onto the card, causing the entire room to reverberate from the impact. An image depicting the small round pebble appeared above the anvil. It was the size of a door, while ripples of gray soulforce bounced all around.


    Irwin quickly focused on the crafting, allowing himself to hear the soulforce singing loudly. The card''s resonance was so loud it drowned out nearly anything else, and his own soulcard slightly resonated with it against his will.


    How strong is she? Irwin thought, gripping his soulcard and forcing it to ignore the outside interference.


    It took him a few moments, and by then, Vera had struck another time.


    She''s forcing its way out of its comfort zone, Irwin thought as he heard the card''s soulforce almost squeal.


    However, no matter how much the card resisted, it was locked down tight by Vera''s overpowering soulforce, and Irwin could almost sense her four soulcards reverberate. Unlike his own, or any he''d seen so far, he couldn''t call it resonating anymore, as it felt more like a dull thudding- not unlike the drums of the evening before. Though impressive, there was one problem he instantly detected.


    There''s no way I can reforge it the way she is, and the way she forces it is¡­ wrong.


    Irwin knew that if he''d said the last part out loud, many people would likely become upset, but there was no other way for him to describe it. There was no grace or finesse in any of her hits or the way she reverberated her soulcards. Or if it was pure force, just like she''d said, and if not for her overpowering hold, the card would have long since shattered.


    There''s no way this would work on a card that is at the edge of her ability, Irwin thought.


    Worse, there was little he was learning from it. How was he supposed to do something similar?


    He frowned, focusing on the card and trying to determine what was actually changing in it. It had been a rather simple, although already overly reforged, card before. Now, however, it was as if a part of it had been hidden before was being pulled out forcefully. The song was a horrible mess of screeching and howling, but even then, he heard the underlying melody. A faint rhythm, a beat almost like a heart, was being unearthed as the rest of the card''s resonance was forcefully shoved to the side.


    A mere fifteen strikes later, the card shuddered, the border flashed a bright yellow, and Vera stopped striking.


    Ridiculous, even with all that, it''s almost ninety-five percent, Irwin thought as he felt the card''s resonance settle.


    He could almost feel the relief of the card as its tune smoothed out, and he would have understood it if it had been real. There was a slight beauty to it after the chaotic and painful mess of before.


    "She''s impressive, isn''t she," Skylar whispered, shaking his head.


    Irwin saw the blueish wind giant stare in awe at the card and Vera.


    "Alright, I''m going to give you all two cards, and I expect you to give it your best. Those who successfully manage two will be allowed to use next week''s class to train on their own. The others will get¡­ homework."


    From the way Vera said it, it was clear she saw the latter as some type of horrible punishment.


    She began walking along the edges of the balcony, and soon, everyone had their cards.


    How did she get so many identical cards, Irwin thought, trying to detect the minute differences between the two he had. There were a few, but he didn''t think he''d ever seen two cards nearly as similar. Let alone over two hundred.


    "Are you going to be alright?"


    He looked up to see Skylar looking at him. He''d already put his first card on the back of the pale silver Ganvil in his working area.


    "Sure, just curious," Irwin said.


    Skylar nodded but looked a little worried anyway.


    Irwin ignored him and put one of the cards in his pocket and the other on his anvil. This would be the first time he''d reforged a card while many smiths were doing the same thing all around him. He could already feel the soulforce fluctuations and heard the cacophony of songs.


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    He summoned his hammer and took a deep breath while trying to tune out all the other''s sounds, focusing fully on his own soulcard. Then he struck the card and listened to the soft, rhythmic tune.


    Like with Vera''s card, there was nothing weird about it, just a simple stone-type card, but as he felt the directions it wanted to go, Irwin knew the one it should be in was far away.


    Something like this, he thought as he began softly humming.


    As he did, he let his soulcard resonate, and as he dug the final melody Vera''s card had from his mind, he began plotting the course for the resonance to take to get there that made sense.


    This should do it, he finally decided, and feeling reasonably sure of himself, he struck the card again, starting the sideways reforging.


    --


    Vera kept her arms across her chest as she leaned against the doors leading to her private chambers. All around her, the students were hammering away, some with fists, many with hammers, and two with what looked like sticks. Her second soulcard helped her to create simple diagrams for each of them. As she looked around, she inspected them for faults in the direction.


    Absently, she wondered how many of this year would think her main style was brute force just because she used it in class so often. In reality, it was one of her worst styles, and she preferred nearly anything else besides it. Which was exactly why she used it. Focusing on what she could already do wouldn''t help her improve and pass the hurdle into Diamond Rank.


    Her eyes passed across the two new smiths, and her card, not just able to present her with a diagram of the soulforce ripples, showed two name tags over their heads.


    Not too bad, she thought, inspecting the patterns.


    One of them was actually roughly heading in the right direction and, surprisingly, was using the Diagram Style just as she prefered. There were dozens of flaws, of course, but that didn''t surprise her. If he continued, he''d succeed, though probably with only barely over eighty percent. Still, a quick scan around showed that at least half were already on the way to failure.


    Then her eyes passed over the other new one, Irwin, noticing he wasn''t as far along as the rest. Just a few hits in, but¡­ there was something about the diagram growing before him.


    She''d been warned about him beforehand. He was supposedly bonded to one of Brazardian''s Progeny. Not as if that mattered much. She had dealt with dozens of those over the years, and most of those Smiths weren''t any better than the others. Just because they were bound to a supposedly more purely made Ganvil meant nothing to her. Only results mattered.


    He uses one of the music styles, she thought, frowning as he hit again. Between that and his single soulcard, she was surprised he had room for a hammer. It was obvious he had a high-rank soulcard, definitely ruby, but perhaps diamond. However, there was something odd about it, making it difficult for her to determine its rank. Perhaps one of the hidden or cloaking types? It wasn''t normally used on soulcards due to costing a complete slot, but still¡­ on a diamond card- maybe?


    Ignoring the questions for later, she focused on his work. It was immediately clear to her that he was aiming to duplicate a similar end result as her, but instead of forcing the card, he was creating some incredibly smooth transitions. The lines of the diagram almost flowed like water, something she knew she''d never be able to produce. Only the Music and Art types could do it. They had different issues, though, like losing concentration once and causing the entire card to shatter.


    Three hits in, she realized she was ignoring the others and quickly scanned the rest. Most were roughly halfway through, though many had failed already. She even saw a couple that had started with their second attempt.


    Far too rushed, she thought.


    Her card showed her that only thirty smiths were still working on their first card, and humming, she moved her attention back to Irwin.


    By now, the diagram hovering before him had increased in stability, growing to block out any interference from the other smith''s work. It wasn''t just that. There was a sense of¡­ depth¡­ to the diagram, as if it was more than the sum of its parts. She''d seen many of those before, mostly from her own hand, and it was usually an indication of an imminent perfect craft.


    So, you''re going to start with a bang? she thought, walking a few steps forward and focusing fully on the new addition to her class. His strikes were smooth and powerful, his face calm, and his eyes so focused that she knew he wasn''t seeing or hearing anything else. A soft song, wordless, deep, and soothing, came from him, and he began speeding up. Where he''d been lagging behind the others initially, the diagram seemed to be connecting to itself in some predetermined plan, causing the latter-middle and top half to build up at triple the speed. At the same time, his song sped up.


    The surrounding smiths had slowed, some waiting with their second attempt, and she knew they wanted to ask her questions, but they would just have to wait.


    Stepping forward, she put her arms across the balcony, staring from a mere twenty feet away at Irwin as his strikes began increasing in speed. He''d already used twice as many hits as she had, but that hardly mattered. It wasn''t the speed of the forging that counted, although it helped¡ªall that mattered was finishing and the end result.


    A soft rustle came from all around her, and she saw that only three other smiths were still working. The others had either failed their second or were waiting for her feedback. She had already seen the diagrams from a few in the corner of her eye, but nothing was interesting enough to stop watching.


    Four more strikes and Irwin finished. The pattern shimmered, and soulforce seemed to flow through the lines before lighting up, telling her all she needed to know.


    My my, a one hundred percent first showing? You are really trying to get my attention here, she thought, looking at the young man as he blinked at the card, smiling happily.


    --


    ''Awesome! You did great,'' Ambraz shouted. ''Now, make sure you don''t get startled. Vera is hovering next to you like some harpy, and I think everyone in the class is watching us. Play it cool!''


    Irwin held back from looking to the side, instead focusing on Skylar who was looking back at him with raised eyebrows. He seemed to want to say something, but his gaze kept flicking to the side.


    "What rank did you say you were again?" a loud voice came from where Skylar was looking. "I can''t seem to find your ranking plate."


    Even with the warning, Irwin needed every ounce of willpower to keep his composure as he looked to the side and saw a head the size of his torso with eyes like dining plates.


    ''Don''t tell her here. She doesn''t need to know yet, and it''s better if the rest of these punks don''t learn that you''re already at the rank of a third year,'' Ambraz said.


    Irwin looked around at the smiths staring at them, some hanging down from the balconies to get a view. He saw looks of surprise, wonder, and curiosity, as well as a few looks of burning desire and jealousy. Those latter ones he memorized the faces of just in case.


    "I didn''t," Irwin said, smiling at Vera''s massive face before looking around and shrugging.


    An absent thought came to him, and he wondered if this was what he should do for his third card. If he had a card like that and could learn how to teleport short distances¡­


    Vera''s eyes rose slightly, then she nodded. "Well, don''t keep me waiting! Do the other one so I can officially declare you the winner of today." She turned around, glancing at a few, before setting on a few others. "Unless you all want to surprise me?"


    There was just silence, and she grinned. "Now, get a move on! I''ll give you all feedback after we are done!"


    Irwin nodded, took one look at the completed card then hesitated.


    "Nah, you can keep that. Usually, they aren''t very good, and you keep them to remind yourself of points to progress in," Vera said.


    Irwin shoved it in his pocket, took out the other, and looked around. There were still a lot of people looking at him, and he wondered if those all had tried and failed both cards. Not sure what to think of it, he put the next card on Ambraz.


    About twenty minutes later, he had learned something new about himself.


    Apparently, even with dozens of people staring at him intently, including Vera, he was still able to ignore it all and fully immerse himself in forging.


    "..."


    He looked up to see Vera stare at the card, then at him, then grinned hungrily.


    "Well, that clears up that then. The rest of you all take a good look at him because, after tomorrow, you won''t see him again. Irwin here is going to the second years."


    "I am?" Irwin said stupidly.


    Vera laughed, then looked around. "Yes. Now, go and see if you can figure out what Skylar did wrong. The cards didn''t shatter and have the Moment typing, but both have some serious errors."


    Irwin watched her stomp away and, as she did, shrink to her regular size.


    "So¡­" Skylar whispered as he walked closer. "What rank are you? Topaz¡­ or?"


    Irwin looked around, noting that way too many people were still looking at him interestedly.


    "Right, right," Skylar muttered, holding his own cards thoughtfully before handing them to Irwin.


    Irwin tried to ignore the prying eyes, and to his surprise, it wasn''t all that hard. Focusing on the cards, he sensed their soft song and hummed. They were both probably just over eighty percent, and both had roughly the same problem. The beat was solid, the rhythm good, but the melody was offkey in nearly every part. Without the other parts of the resonance being nearly spot on, they would have shattered.


    "They don''t flow well," Skylar said unworriedly before Irwin could say anything. "You don''t have to worry. It''s been my main problem ever since I began smithing. My teacher said that I should pick up a Violin to learn, and I might¡­ it''s just¡­"


    "You''re lazy and don''t like the Violin," the pale, almost white Ganvil chimed in as she landed on his shoulder.


    Ambraz turned small and, a moment later, landed perched on Irwin''s shoulder. "You are from the Rish birthline, aren''t you?" he said, sounding curious. "My siblings told me that you were an experiment made with Whispersteel?"


    "Yes, a very successful experiment! I''m Za''rish," the Ganvil said, sounding easily as cocky as Ambraz did. "And you are a Progeny, right? What''s your name?"


    Ambraz snorted. "I''m Am''braz, oldest of Brazardian''s on-world Progeny."


    "You''re the sibling of Des''braz that was said to have been lost?" Za''rish said, sounding surprised. "You have to tell me the story behind that!"


    Ambraz seemed almost to preen as he flew up to the nearest perch, quickly followed by Za''rish. A moment later, Ambraz was whispering, seemingly perfectly fine with talking to the Ganvil he''d only just met.


    Irwin shared a look with Skylar, who shrugged.


    "She''s always been like that. All of her generation have some weird effect on the other Ganvils. From what I''ve heard, they are going to make another one of them as soon as they can find a large enough vein of Whispersteel."


    "So¡­ they are girls?" Irwin whispered, taking a step back and looking up to make sure the Ganvils didn''t hear him.


    Skylar grinned. "I don''t know if they think so, but that''s what the rest of us call them. According to Pasilha, their voices are just higher due to the effects of Whispersteel, but¡­ Anyway, anything you can tell me about the cards that doesn''t mean I have to learn to play the violin?"


    "Well, it would definitely help you a lot," Irwin said, grimacing at the visible distaste on Skylar''s face. "What do you hear when you listen to the resonance?" he held out one of Skylar''s cards, putting the other to his ear.


    "Hmm, a very soft song," Skylar said.


    "How soft?" Irwin said before humming a whisper. "Like this?"


    "No, softer," Skylar said.


    He hesitated, then began softly singing a beautiful song, so incredibly soft that Irwin barely heard it.


    Irwin instinctively took a step closer, leaning forward to hear it better.


    Skylar stopped and grinned. "Yeah, that''s what I wish I could do. It''s way too soft."


    Irwin took a step back and looked at his hand, noting he had a full left hand and one card in his right. From the resonance he was emitting, Irwin was sure he already had a soulcard, at least Emerald, maybe higher.


    "Do you have any cards to increase your resonance sensitivity?" he asked.


    Skylar laughed, shaking his head. "I wish! My first soulcard has a hammer, and this-" he raised his hand, creating a pale white cloud of gas that gave off heat to rival Irwin''s flame. "-my old teacher told me to find those, but they are pretty hard to come by. The few that are around are either incredibly expensive or flawed."


    "Yeah, they aren''t easy to get," Irwin said. "But I think you really need one. The issue is that you can''t hear the nuances enough, so the details of the song are off."


    He didn''t mention that he had over a dozen cards that could increase both resonance and soulforce sensitivity. Those were all ready for Eluathar, and although he liked Skylar well enough, he''d only just met him. Each of these cards would be able to improve Trimdir, Endil, and the other''s abilities.


    "Yeah, my teacher told me the same," Skylar said. "Well, perhaps I should go and check out the optional instrument classes after all."


    Irwin cocked his head. "Optional?"


    "Each specialization class has regular courses you have to follow if you don''t want to be kicked out, as well as a few optional ones. For us, that''s singing or instruments."


    Why would you not go to all classes, Irwin thought for a split second. Then he recalled his own disinterest back in Malorin and knew why. You did that if you weren''t fully invested in something.


    He looked around, noticing that a lot of smiths had actually left already.


    "Don''t they have to stay?"


    "What? No, if Vera told them what they did wrong, class is over for them," Skylar said.


    Irwin looked down to see Vera talking with the two other new smiths.


    They were bobbing their head up and down constantly, and he could see her glare at them.


    Skylar remained with him for another bit, but when Vera came over, he excused himself.


    "I''ll be in The Tappestery if you are looking for me," he said, waving as he walked away.


    "So! What was your conclusion of the Simlari''s attempts?" Vera asked as she stepped up beside Irwin.


    Even in her regular form, Vera was tall, and he was able to look her straight in the eye.


    "The beat was alright, but the underlying song was out of tune," he said.


    "Exactly," Vera said, crossing her arms. "I wouldn''t have phrased it like that, but all the thin lines on his diagram were uneven and wobbly, causing the soulforce to jitter as it passed through."


    "So you really aren''t a Brute Force smith," Irwin said, nodding. That made a lot of sense, as he''d wondered about the mistakes he''d seen.


    "No, the reason I became big is because it increases the size of the diagrams, giving me more details to work with," Vera said. "For each hand length I grow, the diagrams grow just as much, so the bigger I am, the easier smithing is."


    "I''d love to see those diagrams," Irwin said curiously.


    "Well, one of the things you learn in the third year is using other types of smithing that are not inherent to you," Vera said. "If you try hard and are willing to surrender a few card slots¡­"


    There was a dull thud, and Irwin looked up to see that the doors had all closed. None of the other smiths remained, and looking back, he saw Vera stare at him, arms crossed and eyebrow raised.


    "So! Now that we don''t have anyone snooping around- what''s so special about your rank that you didn''t want the others to know?"


    Irwin hesitated, but Ambraz, who had returned to Irwin''s shoulder, seemed to have no qualms this time.


    "The Kid''s been at Emerald for a while now, and he''s closing in on being able to do ninety percent with a reasonable amount of certainly!" he said.


    "Without any official theoretical training?" Vera asked, taking a step forward with glittering eyes.


    "Only the regular basic things I learned and a few tidbits from some ruby ranks," Ambraz agreed.


    Vera''s eyes began to positively glow as she looked at Irwin.


    Had this been years ago, Irwin might have felt incredibly uncomfortable. Now, he just stared back, slightly annoyed that he had no idea what they were talking about. Ambraz seemed to have an idea but kept quiet.


    "What exactly does all this mean?" he asked.


    "It means you have potential, and I''m going to have a lot of fun pulling all of it out of you!"

 Chapter 253: Instrumentalization

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    "Seriously?" Skylar hissed as he leaned across the table, staring at Irwin, who was chewing on a large mouthful of some burned root-like thing that crunched loudly.


    They were sitting inside The Tappestery, a few simple dishes between them, while gentle lyre music played from a solo player on the stage.


    Two days had passed since Irwin''s first day, and both had been spent nearly the same. The first course of each day was theoretical, card categories, typings, or even history. The afternoon was spent cardsmithing or smelting.


    None of the others were there, some in bed with a headache from the previous night''s bender, which Irwin had found was a pretty normal occurrence for half of Skylar''s group. Beyond the first night, he''d not joined them but spent his evenings learning from the books he''d been given.


    "Yes," Irwin said, answering Skylar''s question.


    He took a long drink from his water. "Vera said I need to find her on eight-day, which should be in two days."


    "It is," Skylar said, leaning back and shaking his head in wonder. "Usually, her rewards are given right after class. This is the first time I''ve heard her calling someone in on our off day."


    Irwin shrugged. He had gone to Vera after a course on metal purifying that was almost as easy as the cardsmithing one and was immediately told he was to report with the second year the next eight days.


    "She said something had come up," he said.


    Besides, she wants me to show her how far I am in reforging up to Ruby. I''m pretty sure that will take longer than an hour, Irwin thought.


    They quietly ate for a while until Skylar sighed.


    "Well, seeing as you seem roughly on par with second years with anything practical, how about you come along to that optional instrument class tomorrow morning?" he said. "I asked the others, but none of them were interested, though Pasilha and Roubi would probably come if they knew you were coming."


    Not sure what that has to do with smithing yet, but I was already planning on it, Irwin thought.


    "I''ll come, but don''t tell them," he said, grimacing. "Instead, explain something else. They are second years, so why are they in all our theoretical classes?"


    He''d asked Pasilha the day before, but she''d just grunted something about a headache.


    Skylar shook his head in mock sadness. "Because they both failed last year and have to redo all Category and Typing courses again."


    "Right¡­" Irwin said. "Well, don''t tell them, and I''ll come with you."


    "I''d been wanting to ask you, but¡­ don''t you like Ignitzions?" Skylar asked, raising an eyebrow.


    "I do," Irwin answered.


    He thought about Scintilla, suddenly unable to keep himself from grinning. "I like them a lot, actually, but I already have someone. Even if I hadn''t, I''m not here for that. I''ve got only a short amount of time to learn as much as I can, then I''ll be off again."


    "Yeah, you said that before," Skylar said. "Usually, people aren''t allowed here unless they stay for the full five years. How did you¡­" his gaze flickered to Ambraz, who was chatting with Za''rish high in the rafters. "Right. Must be nice, having friends in high places."


    "Yeah," Irwin said. "It''s a nice change."


    "Life wasn''t always as easy for you either?" Skylar asked.


    "I think most people don''t have easy lives. What about you?" Irwin said he was not interested in talking about his own past. Although he''d spoken with Skylar a lot in the past few days, he somehow didn''t feel like talking about those things with the other- mostly because he''d have to lie about some things.


    "Do you know anything about Clearsky?" Skylar asked.


    "That''s your people''s homeworld, right?" Irwin asked, getting a nod. "Nothing besides the name and that there''s supposedly only life on the mountain peaks and something about floating islands?"


    Skylar barked a laugh, then shook his head. "Ugh, these rumors¡­ Sometimes, I wonder if the elders did it on purpose to keep the others from swamping our world. Clearsky''s Eternal Gorges are filled with poisonous gasses, making them pretty much uninhabitable to anyone who needs to breathe. The thing is, most of our people live there because we don''t technically breathe like you do. I mean, we still breathe- he sucked in a large mouthful of air to demonstrate, "-but our lungs don''t care what we get. Our bodies can deal with nearly any type of atmosphere, even with the lack of one, if it doesn''t last too long."


    Irwin hummed. "Is that how you cheated to beat me the first day?"


    "Heh, yeah. Alcohol in drinks evaporates when it enters our digestive system, as does nearly anything we eat, and we can choose just to blow it back out," Skylar said, showing not a single bit of remorse.


    "Anyway, in our world, the higher up a mountain you live, the more important you are. My parents live in a small valley called Twilkin Gas Crevice, which is about as low as you can go. Besides having barely any access to cards, it''s almost perpetually gloomy and well¡­ I wanted out."


    For the next good while, Irwin listened to Skylar talk about his youth, living with the others, learning about the outside world, and learning about the Portal Gallery. From what he gleaned, he had nice parents, two sisters, and an easy childhood. Even then, young Skylar wanted more, and when a cardsmith came looking for apprentices, he was first in line to try.


    "Smiths, go around looking for apprentices in your world?" Irwin said in disbelief.


    "They don''t really have another choice. Simlari aren''t naturally gifted as smiths," Skylar said, raising his arm and flexing his massive biceps. "Me, I''m a bit different, mostly due to the cards my teacher gave me, but also due to one of my maternal grandfathers. Normally, we are tall and skinny, except for the Storm Kin, which is what I look like, but that''s another story. Anyway, we only have a dozen Simlari smiths at Emerald rank and only three at Ruby. Somehow, none of our people have the knack to sense ambient soulforce."


    That didn''t seem too surprising to Irwin, as most people didn''t.


    "But you do," Irwin said. He could understand why the Simlari wanted to have their own cardsmiths- and now, with cardsmiths being abducted and a potential war brewing?


    "Yes," Skylar said with a grin. "Aurella made me sense what she was doing, and I was the first one since she started that could actually do it."


    Skylar''s grin faded. "She pulled a lot of strings to get me here, and I''m the only one of my kind since she was here. Sadly, it seems I''m not as naturally gifted as she is¡­"


    "Does she play the violin or some other instrument?" Irwin asked.


    "No, there''s barely any instruments in my world. We mostly sing," Skylar said before humming softly and suddenly bursting out in a soft, beautiful song that seemed to perfectly match the simple string song currently playing.


    Irwin had heard him sing before, and just like that time, he could sense the near perfection of Skylar''s voice. Some of the sounds he made were beyond anything Irwin knew he could make himself. He was sad when the other stopped after a few minutes.


    "I''m pretty good at singing, but instruments¡­?" Skylar sighed. "Aurella can somehow do it with that, but she said I wasn''t good enough."


    Not good enough¡­? What does that make the rest of us? Irwin thought.


    "Why does it bother you so much?" he said, grabbing one of the final snacks. "Just learn it and become better?"


    "It''s going to take even more time out of my day," Skylar said, looking around. "On Clearsky, we live in tight-knit groups, and half of the day, we are together, working, singing¡­ I feel lonely if I''m not here." He waved around at the Inn.


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    Irwin was surprised at the other''s openness. "Just join one of those groups and play together?"


    "Do you have any idea how long it takes to become good with one of those violins?" Skylar asked, laughing disparagingly.


    Irwin didn''t, but he had very little experience with instruments.


    "Well, let''s see what they can teach us tomorrow," he said.


    Skylar grinned, then looked at the bar. "Great, now, how about a drink?"


    Irwin shook his head, grimacing. "I had enough that first day, but knock yourself out."


    They remained there for a while, Skylar drinking enough for two but showing zero after-effects. According to him, the taste was just pleasant, and he had no idea how it would be to get drunk.


    When Irwin finally returned to his room, he sat down at the table, looking at the books. He hesitated, then decided he''d read enough. Instead, he closed his eyes and began softly singing, attempting to move the soulforce.


    Like every time, he didn''t manage as much as a tremor, and after an hour, he stopped. He had the feeling he was getting closer, but that could also just be wishful thinking.


    "Are you sure you should be spending so much time on that?" Ambraz asked from one of the nooks.


    "Even if it never works, I enjoy the singing," Irwin said. Then he thought about the singers he''d heard and seen in The Tappestry, and quickly added- "not that I''m all that good."


    "It feels like a waste of time, but who knows? You might be the one to finally find a way," Ambraz said, very obviously not believing any of that. "Are you seriously going to attempt an instrument?"


    "No idea yet," Irwin said. "Some of the sheet music we have needs it, though I''m not sure what type of instrument. I can only use part of it now, and I wonder what would happen if I used an instrument with it while crafting."


    "Well, you do know you only have two hands, right? It''s not like you can just play the instrument while forging¡­ most require two hands."


    Irwin nodded, glancing up at Ambraz. "I know, but I''ve already seen something that might work."


    He thought about the drummer using two long sticks. Perhaps he could do it with one? Or use his hammer and use Ambraz as a drum? He grinned at the thought.


    "What? And you didn''t tell me, you brat? Which was it?"


    Irwin laughed, then headed to his bedroom. "You will see tomorrow."


    Ambraz continued pestering him for a while before finally relenting with an annoyed grunt.


    Before going to sleep, Irwin quickly checked on You''gyn, something he''d started doing nightly, but the Ganvil was still fast asleep in his soulscape.


    I wonder what musical instruments there are and if you really need to play them while smithing, Irwin thought.


    --


    It was quiet on the square before the academy building, and besides Irwin and Skylar, only a handful of people were there.


    "Roubi just wouldn''t stop pestering me this morning," Skylar said, laughing. "She kept asking what we had been talking about and if you had mentioned her."


    Irwin groaned, then shook his head. "I seriously don''t get those Ignitzions sometimes."


    Skylar''s grin widened. "Well, it''s your fault for ticking exactly every box they have. You are impervious to their ridiculous foods or temperature, tall, muscular, and have those weird eyes," he said, raising his fingers as he counted four times. "If you had gone to Clearskies, you would have found exactly zero interest."


    "Great, well, thanks for letting me know," Irwin said, shaking his head.


    A sharp, pleasant sound came from ahead of them. Playful and somewhat ragged, it reminded Irwin of someone humming with their mouth open but then louder and far sharper than anyone could possibly do.


    "What''s that?" Skylar whispered, his eyes wide and a trickle of steam coming from his nose.


    "No idea, but it sounds awesome," Irwin muttered.


    They both sped up their pace, approaching an area Irwin hadn''t been to yet, which meant little as he had barely seen anything from the academy yet. They were far at the back and bottom of the building.


    Ahead of them, a small door stood half open, and a sign hung crooked from the wall.


    "Specialization class: Music"


    Irwin stopped at the door, listening to the song that was being played inside. It had gone from an almost melancholy melody to one that was slowly picking up speed and becoming slightly more happy.


    Skylar pulled open the door.


    Irwin looked inside a room filled with ragtag chairs, couches, and a low podium at the back. A few people lay sprawling across the couches in front of the podium, where a man was blowing into a gleaming metallic instrument that looked like a long, curved tube with a flared ending. He was pressing tiny plates along the neck of the instrument. His sun-colored eyes narrowed, and the crinkles of a half smile played over his face. His red and orange hair wrapped around his face, gleaming like burnished metal.


    Smooth, golden, and red ambient soulforce rippled all around him, moving along with the tune of the song. Unlike what Irwin had seen before, the ripples didn''t move around from the man but remained near him, almost swaying like the ebb and tides of the sea.


    He is manipulating the ambient soulforce! Irwin thought.


    He barely noticed how he followed Skylar, sitting down on a couch, his gaze moving from the soulforce ripples to the man and back.


    The soulforce is resonating in the same frequency as the song, Irwin thought, trying to figure out what was happening. He didn''t sense the man''s own cards resonate, nor saw any non-ambient soulforce coming from him. How was he doing that? Irwin had tried so many things to get the soulforce to move, even singing! Was it the instrument? Perhaps it was a soulcarded instrument?


    When the song finally ended, Irwin was having a hard time not shouting questions. He wasn''t the only one.


    "That was beautiful! What instrument is that? Why haven''t I heard it in The Tappestery?" Skylar asked, standing up. His eyes were crackling with pale blue energy, his hair swirling around his head as if there was a storm inside the building, and steam was swirling from his nose.


    "Well, hello to you too," the man said, lowering the instrument and grinning happily. His eyes glowed so brightly that they caused the podium before him to light up.


    There was a round of soft laughter from the others in the classroom, but a quick look showed that everyone was smiling.


    "I''m Narios Litvech, but you can call me Teacher Narios-" the teacher said, raising his instrument. "-and this is a saxhorn. It has different names, but somehow this one stuck."


    Irwin blinked, not sure what to think of that.


    "As to why you haven''t heard it before? Well, the saxhorn is somewhat hard to learn, and I''m currently the only one able to play it proficiently enough. Also, I don''t enjoy The Tappestry all that much. Now, who are you two then?"


    Skylar was staring at the saxhorn, seeming almost obsessed, and Irwin wondered if he had even heard the question.


    "I''m Irwin, and this is Skylar," he said.


    Teacher Narios nodded as he jumped off the stage and put the saxhorn on a nearby table.


    "Well, Irwin and Skylar, it''s nice to meet you! I just demonstrated a specific pattern for the others, and the idea is that they reproduce a part of it with their own instrument," he said before waving around. "On that note, all of you have a short time to practice while I talk with our new students."


    Irwin wondered what to say about that, but he did know he was definitely interested. If he could find out how Narios had been manipulating the ambient soulforce, that meant he was perhaps finally a step closer to his attempt at creating cards with it!


    Teacher Narios walked up to them, and Irwin was glad to see that Skylar had finally snapped out of it. Even then, he was still casting glances at the saxhorn.


    "So, you be Irwin then?" Narios asked.


    Irwin nodded, and the man smiled, his eyes glowing brightly.


    "You have an interesting card. It''s hard to tell, but it''s¡­ special."


    Irwin blinked in surprise, wondering what he meant. Was he talking about his soulcard being Ammolite, which is the rank above Diamond rank? He frowned. Besides Ambraz and Greldo, nobody else knew it.


    Well, You''gyn might, he thought. Or the Ganvil would probably be able to deduce it.


    "Sorry, I didn''t mean anything by it," Narios said, his eyebrows raising. "It''s just that it has such a deep, pleasant, and harmonious resonance. I''ve only heard a few like that before, and those were all in Dimarintsia."


    Okay, that seems a lot like-


    ''He can detect your soulcard grade,'' Ambraz said, interrupting his own thought patterns. ''I''ll talk with Brazardian later, see if he is dangerous.''


    Irwin hummed, realizing he was making things worse without answering. Narios was looking at him curiously, while Skylar seemed somewhat uncomfortable.


    "It''s fine," he said quickly. "I''m just very surprised that you can sense that. My card has a rather rare type."


    Narios nodded, smiling widely. "Better not let Teacher Verandi know. She will start asking nonstop questions until she finds every little detail about it! Now, how about we figure out what you are here for¡­?"


    "I want to learn that saxhorn!" Skylar said, pointing at it with his finger.


    Teacher Narios didn''t seem surprised, and his smile widened. "Well, then, we better get started." He turned to Irwin. "You too?"


    Irwin shook his head. Although the sound had been beautiful to the point of haunting, he didn''t see himself playing it.


    "I was wondering¡­ how does playing music work with reforging cards? Do you need to play the instrument while reforging?"


    Narios''s eyebrows shot up, and then he cocked his head. "I never thought about that¡­ Perhaps I should try sometimes¡­." he hummed, bobbing his head up, before shaking his head. "But to answer your question. No, you learn an instrument to better understand and learn how to manipulate the soulforce in the cards you reforge. It increases your control over your own soulforce and your sensitivity."


    Irwin let out a sigh of relief. He''d actually been wondering how to do that, and the idea of doing two things at once had seemed like it would make things only more difficult.


    "Now, let''s start with Skylar then," Narios said as he walked away to the rightmost side of the room. A vast array of instruments hung from the wall or lay on shelves. He walked to an older but well-maintained saxhorn and took up a cloth, quickly removing some dust. Then he handed it to Skylar, who was staring at it with bated breath. As soon as he took the saxhorn, he put the bit in his mouth and blew.


    A soft squeak came from the end, and his eyebrows rose as he looked at the instrument.


    Narios laughed, then held out a long, thin strip of something that looked like a long leaf.


    "Before you can play, you need to put in a reed. Here, let me show you," Narios said.


    Irwin watched quietly as Narios helped Skylar ready the saxhorn, before telling him how to start. A few moments later, Skylar tried again. This time, a slightly clear sound, somewhat reminiscent of what Narios had created, came out.


    "Good, much better," Narios said. "Now, go over there and practice for a while. Just see what happens if you blow on the horns and press some of the valves. Don''t press too hard. I''ll come and check on you soon."


    Skylar just nodded, barely seeming to listen as he walked to a quiet spot and began producing soft, rapidly clearing tones.


    Narios nodded, and Irwin saw his eyebrows rise as he muttered something. Then he turned to Irwin, his golden eyes glistening happily.


    "So, what instrument would you like to learn?"


    "I¡­ have no idea," Irwin said, shrugging. "Could you play a few things for me so I can hear them?"


    "I''d love to," Teacher Narios said as he turned to the wall.

 Chapter 254: Toward the next heartcard!

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    Irwin hummed along as he listened to Teacher Narios play a slew of instruments. Some he began shaking his head almost as fast as it started, and as time progressed, Teacher Narios began nodding along, a knowing smile appearing on his face. He stopped after a while, putting back the instrument that he had placed against his shoulder to draw a stick with hair across. The sound had reminded Irwin faintly of the whales but then very high. Even then, it had the haunting quality they had.


    "Alright, I think I''ve got an idea of what you like," Narios said.


    "Well, I enjoyed that one," Irwin said hesitantly as he pointed at a larger version of the saxhorn, which had produced a way deeper sound. "It''s just¡­ not exactly right."


    "That''s because you seem to enjoy percussion and low tones," Narios said as he walked to the other side of the wall. I think you would do well with those-" he waved at multiple sets of drums, "-but just in case, let''s try a few others."


    Curious, Irwin followed him, noticing that there was slightly more dust in this area.


    Narios removed a long-necked string instrument from the wall, humming softly. Irwin had seen similar ones before, though all with a much shorter neck. Lutes, if he recalled.


    "So, let''s try this one," he said.


    Irwin''s eyes widened as he heard a deep, thrumming sound, not dissimilar to what the rangers could make with their bow. It began to go even lower, and he nodded along. It was nice, just¡­


    ''How are you going to use that while you smith those Galadin notes?" Ambraz whispered in his soulscape.


    I have no idea, Irwin thought, even though he knew Ambraz couldn''t hear it.


    "So, this is a bass lute, "Narios said as he put it down, then walked to another table.


    Irwin expected him to grab a long metal instrument from it, but instead, he removed a small stool from below the table and flipped open the front to reveal a set of gleaming, silvery metal keys.


    "Right, let''s see if I still know how to do this," Narios said absently as he placed his fingers on the keys.


    Irwin was about to ask what would happen when a set of notes, some sharp and clear, others deep and brooding, came from the table. He had no idea what was making it, but each time Narios pressed the keys, another note seemed to come out.


    As Irwin watched, Narios seemed to become absorbed, his fingers dancing across the keys as a beautifully haunting song came from the table, no instrument. Soulforce ripples and eddies began flowing along around Narios and the instrument, few at first but rapidly increasing in number. A richness began coming to the tones, and Irwin realized his soulcard had very softly begun resonating with the song.


    Irwin gazed in rapt attention, his mind following along with the song, and as it did, he recognized pieces, keys, notes, until-


    This is it! This is like those sheets!


    ''This is from the Galadin sheets! Or close!'' Ambraz shouted excitedly in his soulscape at the same time.


    Time seemed to pass both too fast and too slow, and when Narios stopped, Irwin almost didn''t notice. It was as if the music continued on in his head, slowly changing to match the music he''d learned but had been unable to sing.


    "So¡­ this one then?" Narios asked, jolting him awake.


    Irwin looked back and was about to agree when he stopped. Besides the beautify of the song, it fit the music sheets he had, but¡­ how was he ever going to-


    ''Choose it. I''ve got an idea on how to use it while smithing,'' Ambraz said, sounding incredibly excited.


    "Yes, this one! What is it called?" Irwin asked.


    "A piano. It''s really old, just like many of these instruments, and if you want to practice this, you are going to need to find a carded version, or better yet, make your own," Narios said. "There''s only three in this entire world, and except for this one, the others are privately owned."


    How do you even start making one of these? Irwin thought, but he held back his question. Ambraz seemed to have an idea.


    Narios had gotten up, waving him closer, and Irwin hesitated before sitting on the small chair. It creaked dangerously, and he frowned. He would have to get something better if he had to sit on this all the time.


    "Alright, this works by hitting metal strings of different types with tiny hammers," Narios said, causing Irwin to raise an eyebrow. "I''ll show you later. Now, just put your index fingers on the keys with the marks, and then the other ones follow naturally."


    Irwin did as the other said, then pressed one of the notes. A clear sound came, which he had to agree, sounded like something hitting something else.


    "Now, the thing I started with when learning this-"


    Irwin quietly listened to Narios explain, and soon, he was pressing notes in certain orders, trying to find them on touch, as Narios said.


    Time seemed to rush past, and just as Irwin felt like he was getting the hang of it, Narios shouted from the podium.


    "Alright, that''s the end of this course day! Thank you all for coming. Now, why don''t you go and welcome our new two friends?"


    Irwin was standing beside the Piano, feeling annoyed that he had to stop. Between his massive endurance, his desire to learn how to manipulate the ambient soulforce like Narios was, and his desire to play the Galadin music sheets, he thought about asking Narios if he could remain here.


    "This was so awesome," Skylar whispered excitedly. "Why didn''t I just come here earlier? I should have known there were other instruments!"


    Irwin looked up, noting -somewhat jealously- that Skylar was cradling the saxhorn.


    "Narios said I could take this to my room to practice every night," Skylar said.


    Irwin hummed, then glanced at the piano. It wasn''t that big, and he could probably just carry it¡­ but could it fit the door? Wait, would Narios even let him-


    "So, you two are first years?" a young woman asked. She had shoulder-length, silvery hair and a bright smile.


    "Yes," Skylar replied.


    Irwin saw that most of the other students had gathered around them. There were a few Ignitzions, a Viridian with pale green leaves showing how young he was, and half a dozen humans.


    "Everybody tries that at the start," one of the humans -a youthful man with a nearly bald head- said, looking at the saxhorn in Skylar''s grip. "Sadly, so far, none of us had the knack for it."


    "Well, I heard him play, Edward, and he was better at the end of this lesson than you were after a month," one of the Ignitzions said with a grin.


    Edward sighed, nodding wistfully. "Yes, let''s hope he can learn it. It would be great if we have someone to play with the rest of us!"


    "Yeah, but¡­ tall and hot, are you sure you want to play that piano?" the Ignitizion said, turning her gaze to Irwin. "I know it sounds awesome, but you can''t even practice at home."


    Irwin couldn''t hold back a half grin as her words reminded him of Scintilla.


    "I was just thinking about that," he said. As he responded, he absently thought that he''d been thinking about her a lot lately. After they were done here, he should really see if he could find her. Perhaps create a card that would allow her to withstand the cold better.


    Narios had come down to them and was nodding thoughtfully.


    "You can come here and practice whenever you want," he said. "I''m nearly always here."


    "Thanks, I will," Irwin said.


    But I''d rather practice where you can''t see me, he thought.


    ''Make him show you how the Piano works,'' Ambraz said. ''Open it up or something!''


    Does he want to make one himself? Irwin wondered, suddenly getting excited. Was that an option? He glanced at the wooden piano, wondering if he couldn''t just make one out of metal.


    "Could you show me how it works?" he asked, looking up at Narios.


    "Sure, I did say I would, didn''t I?" Narios said.


    Irwin nodded, turning to Skylar. "Just head back. I''ll probably return to my room after this," he said, knowing that Skylar would likely want to head to The Tappestery.


    "We will come along," the young Viridian said, nodding at Skylar. "It''s good to have new people here!"


    The others quickly agreed, and soon, only Irwin and Narios were left in the classroom.


    "Now, let''s show you how this beauty works," Narios said as he walked away.


    Irwin followed him curiously.


    --


    The day was almost over when Irwin finally returned to his own quarters.


    He sat down at the table, tapping the top absently. "So¡­ now what?" he said.


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    "Now, come join me in your soulscape," Ambraz said, sounding extremely smug.


    Irwin frowned as he walked to his bed, lay down, and closed his eyes. A moment later, he hung in his soulscape, the soothing hot wind rippling around his soulforce shape while the clouds of steam drifted lazily across.


    "Over here," Ambraz shouted from a part of the mountain as far from where You''gyn was asleep as could be.


    Irwin zipped down, and as he did, he noticed something: a square, familiar object.


    His speed increased, and then he appeared beside a piano. It was made from a dark metal somewhat similar to Ambraz''s, and although there were some differences between the one he''d played and this one, it looked roughly identical.


    "You¡­ you built one!" he shouted in utter disbelief.


    "Well, yes," Ambraz said, hovering nearby with a massive grin. "This is going to be great practice, you know!"


    Irwin barely listened, hovering before the black metal piano and sitting his soulforce shape down. He''d never really paid much attention to what he looked like inside his soulscape, but he knew that ever since he became a soulcarded, he looked roughly as he did in the real world. Just¡­ slightly transparent and floaty?


    There was no chair, but he didn''t need one, hovering at the right height as he looked at the keys. They were made of a pale metal, and he pressed one.


    The sound that came was almost identical to what he had just played, and eyes growing wide, he let his finger run along the length of the keys. Then he looked up at Ambraz.


    "How?"


    "You think I''m just some handsome Ganvil or something?" Ambraz said with a snort. "While you were practicing, I was scanning it, finding out how it worked. That''s why I had you play it while that hood was open. The sound might have been different, but it gave me a chance to check the thickness, make, and resonance of those wires inside."


    Irwin nodded, then frowned.


    "So, you said you had an idea for playing the piano while smithing. What did you mean?"


    Ambraz landed atop the piano, grinning widely.


    "So glad you asked! First, you need to make a carded version of one, which will probably cost a month of trial and error, that is, if you can even find enough cards that could potentially become one. Then we will reforge it as high as it will go, and you will slot it. Then you use it as the basis of your next heartcard, which means you can summon it in here and play it without anyone hearing!"


    Irwin cocked his head. Although all of that sounded good, how was that supposed to help him?


    "Slotting that will leave you with three more cards," Ambraz continued, becoming excited again. "Seeing as you already have two cards that deal with soulforce resonance, and hopefully soon a piano that can deal with resonance, I know the perfect three to fill that up! It will be pretty expensive to get one, but I''m sure Brazardian will be able to help, and if not, you will just have to make one."


    "One what?" Irwin asked.


    "A mental cloning card," Ambraz said. "It will allow you to split your focus across two things as long as one of the things is one of your other cards. It''s mostly used by fighters who use two weapons at the same time or increase their reaction speed, but there''s no reason you can''t use one for the piano."


    "So I could use the mental cloning card to play the piano in here while reforging outside," Irwin said thoughtfully. "Are you sure I can be in here and outside at the same time?"


    "Yes," Ambraz said before snorting. "One of my elder siblings who doesn''t live here anymore has a smith who does that. He uses the diagram way of smithing, using a mental cloning card to check what he is doing in real-time from his soulscape, to change course as he works."


    Irwin couldn''t stop grinning as he imagined playing the piano in his soulscape while smithing.


    "Alright, so that leaves me two more cards," he said. "I still want that short-range teleport."


    "Yes, which means you need to make another rare and difficult card," Ambraz said, flying up and around. "There''s a way to teleport along soundwaves. Those are actually nothing but resonances or vibrations, and they would match very well with your card."


    Irwin hummed as he began counting in his mind.


    "You do know that we will need at least another diamond rank soulcard, right?" he said.


    "Of course," Ambraz said. "What you need to do is get a quartz ranked string instrument card with growth. You will probably be practicing with it non-stop, so that means it''s going to become better just like your hammer did."


    "Well¡­ we had purperion to help with that," Irwin said, though even as he said it, he couldn''t hold back his growing enthusiasm. If he could get the cards, Ambraz said, his new heartcard could be ready before he left!


    "Yes, which is the hardest part," Ambraz said. "Luckily, you don''t have to reforge the cards into a heartcard after slotting them all. It would be suboptimal having to use the card in the real world, but it just means you can''t play the Galadin music there."


    "Do you think there''s anyone that would recognize it? That sounds¡­ unlikely?"


    "Just as unlikely as everything else with Beardyface, some ancient enemy that is chasing your people, and smiths that go missing all the time?" Ambraz said with a scowl.


    Irwin hesitated, then nodded. Ambraz was right.


    I wonder what happened to Gelwin? he thought before focusing on the piano.


    "I''m going to practice a bit," he said.


    "I thought as much," Ambraz said. "I''ll go and have a chat with some card merchants I know and see if I can find us any cards that we can use."


    "Alright," Irwin said, grinning widely as he pressed the keys, listening to the sound.


    He didn''t notice when Ambraz left, nor when You''gyn woke and perched on a nearby rock, watching him. Making full use of his greatly increased endurance, he simply played until-


    "KID! Snap out of it!"


    Irwin jerked away from the keys in surprise, Ambraz a few inches from his face.


    "What?" he said, looking around, almost confused to see he was still in his soulscape.


    "It''s time for class! You only have a few minutes!" Ambraz shouted. "Don''t tell me you have been in here all night?"


    Irwin moved away from the piano, noticing You''gyn grinning at him.


    "What? What time is it?" he said.


    "Morning! You need to get up and head to your next course!"


    Irwin nodded, trying to clear his head. The piano''s sound seemed to linger in his mind as he stepped back into his body, just as Ambraz scolded You''gyn to go back to slumbering.


    Irwin jumped out of bed, his stomach rumbling angrily.


    "You will have to eat after," Ambraz said. "Also, I''ve got a few cards that you need to pick up after classes!"


    "Great, what did you find?! Music ones?" Irwin asked, running out of his room.


    "You will find out later," Ambraz shouted as he flew after him.


    The rest of the day passed in a blur of learning, another theory class on Types causing him to scribble dozens of names in his small book. Skylar was there but absent of mind, constantly staring out into the distance.


    When they walked out of the class, Skylar waved as he walked away. "Will see you tonight," he shouted before vanishing into the throng.


    "Is he in love or something?"


    Irwin started, seeing Roubi look at where Skylar had vanished.


    "No, he started playing a musical instrument," Irwin said.


    "Really? I thought he didn''t want to play the Violin!" Roubi shouted in surprise.


    "Well, it''s not really a violin," Irwin said.


    "Tell us all about it during our walk to your first second-year metal purifying class," Pasilha said, grabbing his arm and pulling him along.


    "Yeah! Me too!" Roubi shouted, grabbing his other arm.


    Irwin blinked, hesitating if he should free himself. Then he sighed, shook his head, and stomped forward.


    I need to get to Scintilla. Perhaps with her around the others will leave me alone, Irwin thought.


    --


    "Alright," the bald, red-bearded man shouted. "I want you all to start by grabbing a crate of Luras Iron and finding a free spot. Seeing as the principal decided to annoy me today by sending me one of the first years, I won''t have the time to check you all. So, get ready, and I''ll check when I have time. And remember! No Ganvil help."


    Irwin stood to the side, getting a supportive thumbs up from Roube before she ran to a large warehouse. A hustle happened as the others followed along.


    "Alright, you''re Irwin?" the bald teacher asked, grinning widely and holding out his hand.


    "Yes," Irwin said, grabbing the teacher''s surprisingly large hand.


    "I''m Larambi Xrous, but just call me Teacher Larambi," the man said, squeezing his grip.


    Irwin squeezed back, and Larambi''s eyes widened minutely.


    "Good, at least you have a strong grip," he said. "One soulcard, something with metal and strength. I approve."


    He released Irwin''s hand, crossing his arms before his ripped chest.


    "Now, follow me. I heard that you purified a whole crate of Rincian Iron on your first day, and that''s why you are now here. Impressive, but I wanna see your skill for myself."


    Irwin walked along with Larambi, who was heading towards an anvil that stood apart from the others. A large open crate stood beside it.


    "Most cardsmiths think metal purifying is but a curiosity, needed at the start to be forgotten after. They are wrong. Purifying is the best way to improve your control over external soulforce, no matter what others say. You just have to keep increasing the difficulty of what you purify!"


    Irwin nodded along, knowing that Trimdir would definitely approve of Larambi''s word.


    "The problem is to get enough of the difficult metals," Larambi said as he stopped before the anvil. "That''s why from the second to the third year, there is a difficult trial and another, worse one from third to fourth. Only the very best can join the final group, as there''s just not enough raw materials for them to practice. My current group consists of a few fourth years and one-fifth year, which is more than I had last year! I might actually have two fourth years next year, which would be a record!"


    "So metal purifying doesn''t belong to the mandatory courses after the second year?" Irwin asked, curious.


    "No. I wish it could be, but, well," Larambi shrugged.


    As he spoke, the burly smith grabbed a chunk of metal from the crate, examined it, then nodded and handed it to Irwin.


    "Alright! Purify this for me. You may use your own hammer or fist if you are strong enough."


    Irwin took the metal and inspected it. Just like Trimdir had taught him, he didn''t start right away but tapped it a bit, trying to figure out if there was something wrong with it. It wasn''t anything odd, and he''d purified similar metals hundreds if not more times. Larambi merely watched him, and when Irwin put the metal on the old and worn but massively sturdy anvil, he stepped aside.


    Irwin put the metal down and summoned his hammer while holding the chunk on one side. Then he began tapping and hitting the metal. Long ago, when he''d first started purifying, he''d wondered why it worked the way it did and what was actually purified. Now, he could sense how his soulforce and the ambient soulforce did something with the metal, causing the weaker elements to be forcefully pushed to the outsides of the metal. The impurities had created a thin layer on the outside, cracking, shattering, and scattering out like speckles and clouds of filthy dust as he continued hitting.


    Without really paying attention, he got into the flow, summoning his flame around his hammer and heating it and the ore up to expedite the process. Humming happily, he worked the metal until it was barely half the size it had been before, flat and dully glowing. He grabbed it and was about to chuck it to the side to grab the next one when a soft laugh came from the side.


    "They said you weren''t trained," Larambi said, arms crossed and raising his red eyebrows. "Either they are ill-informed, or you lied¡­?"


    Irwin shook his head. "I am untrained in most things dealing with cards," he said. "But I''ve had some training and lots of practice with purifying metal. I told that to the first-year purifying teacher."


    Larambi grinned and nodded. "Good, good. Alright, just purify the rest of that while I get you something else to work on."


    Irwin watched him walk away, somewhat surprised, then shrugged. It had been a while since he''d purified metal, and he still enjoyed the simple practice. Tossing the done piece to the side, he grabbed another and continued working, humming as he did.


    It didn''t take him too long to finish a large portion of the ore, and as he looked up, he found Larambi standing there, holding three large chunks of different colored material.


    "Alright, let''s see just what you can do. These are the second-year final tests. If you can do them, you can attend the third-year class next week, which is already much smaller.


    Irwin accepted the first of the pieces, and he grinned. "Firesteel," he said, humming contently as he inspected it before placing it on the anvil.


    Half an hour later, he handed it to a grinning Larambi.


    "I''d love to meet your teacher sometime," he said. "He did a good job."


    "I will tell him next time I see him," Irwin said.


    He knew it wasn''t just Trimdir''s teaching that was showing. Part of it was his long time purifying the purperion, which was a material so much more difficult that it made most of the other things easy.


    "Alright, now this one," Larambi said.


    Irwin accepted the Frostiron. He had very little experience with the metal, making the process less fluid and longer, but when he finished, Larambi was nodding.


    "Good enough. Now this."


    As he handed Irwin the next chunk, Ambraz, who had been quiet all the time, flew forward.


    "Are you crazy? Don''t let him purify Gneisian Ore without me! That''s a waste! Where did you even get that?"


    Larambi hummed, then nodded.


    "You can be the anvil; just don''t help him. Simply absorb the soulforce that comes free. Nothing else."


    Ambraz didn''t hesitate, and a moment later, he stood beside the normal anvil, slightly bigger and shining black.


    Irwin had been slowly examining the dense and heavy chunk of ore. It was half the size of the previous one but ten times as heavy.


    "I''ve never handled this before," he said, looking up.


    "Neither have any of the others that want to go to the third year," Larambi said. "It''s the first real obstacle to being able to join the third years."


    Irwin nodded, examining the metal before placing it on Ambraz.


    ''Take it slow and steady! Even if you fail, this will have so much energy it will push me towards rank four! I bet Brazardian has something to do with this¡­"

 Chapter 255: We need more coals?

    Irwin struck the Gneisian Ore and instantly felt the massive resistance contained in the tiny chunk of ore. His hammer skidded off it with a screech while thin, sharp waves of soulforce zipped out of it. They moved faster than most other soulforce waves he had seen, and as they hit things, they rebounded back off.


    Those that hit him felt like tiny jabs, almost as if someone was poking his own soulforce.


    "There''s soulforce in there," he said, eyebrows raised.


    The last time he''d struck anything with soulforce had been the Purperion, and now he understood Ambraz. The thin lines held a surprisingly high and condensed amount of soulforce, and if the Ganvil could absorb that¡­


    "Definitely, it has incredible tensile strength and naturally draws ambient soulforce inside," Larambi said.


    Irwin hummed and struck the Gneisian ore again. This time, his hammer didn''t skid off, and he even saw some of the soulforce lines strike his hammer before rebounding off.


    I wonder if I could use this to make a growth-type card increase in power fast, he thought as he frowned.


    "Isn''t it a waste to use something so valuable for something like this?" he asked, glancing at Larambi.


    The man pulled on his beard. "Valuable, yes, but not exactly rare. Well, it is rare, but the Monarchs accumulated a nice supply and have designed that this is how we spent a portion of it. If you really want to use it properly, you need to be able to stop the soulforce from just randomly shooting out. However, don''t even bother with that now. It''s something we teach in fourth year class to those we think have the ability to do so."


    Irwin looked at him for a few moments longer, then nodded as he refocused on the curious piece of ore.


    Purperion, Gneisian ore¡­ I wonder how many more super rare metals there are, he thought.


    For the next ten minutes, he continued striking the ore, trying to see if he could somehow contain the soulforce while searching for what he was actually purifying. He had flattened it somewhat now, but none of the familiar crust had formed. Was he doing something wrong?


    He began putting the ore on its side, slowly flattening it into a squarish block while increasing the power of his strikes. Oddly, even if he struck it harder, it didn''t flatten much faster. The only noticeable change was that more soulforce rippled out at a more explosive speed. At some point he thought it might only move from the flat areas, but a moment later rippled ejected from the corners.


    Still, as he saw that, he hesitated.


    If I could flatten it with a single hit, the soulforce could only go in the hammer and the anvil, he thought.


    Looking at the block, he lay it down on its widest side, raised his hammer and focused on the kinetic energy that had been building in his body. As an experiment he struck it with only a part, and as his hammer rammed the ore, it did flatten slightly faster.


    Humming thoughtfully, he increased his power, striking the squared ore almost as hard as he could. This time it did squish down by a significant amount, screeching as it did. Irwin was paying close attention to the soulforce ripples, and although many came from the slightly thinner edges, he had the idea it wasn''t as much as before.


    ''Do that again,'' Ambraz said, sounding almost ecstatic.


    Irwin nodded, then struck down again. Before his hammer could reach the anvil, a massive hand grabbed his wrist, stopping his downward motion so abruptly he stumbled.


    "What?" he said, looking to the side.


    Larambi stood there, a grin on his face.


    "So, the way most people start eventually leads them to conclude that hitting harder is the way to go. The problem is that if you flatten it too much and the soulforce can''t find a way out, the ore will explode," Larambi said, releasing his grip on Irwin''s wrist.


    "Normally, I don''t have to tell any first or second-years this because very few have the physical strength to actually attempt it, but I have to say that you really did pick some lovely cards. It''s also been a while since I''ve seen someone with a card like the Dean."


    Irwin blinked, wondering with how much soulforce the tiny chunk contained, what would happen if it did explode. He shivered, then focused on the teacher''s words.


    "You mean the Dean has a kinetic card?" he asked, pretty sure Larambi was implying something else.


    Larambi smirked, then shook his head. "No. It''s not my place, but you should have a chat with him sometime soon. Now, continue, but make sure to use no more than half the force you just showed me and keep flipping it over. Don''t let it get this thin again."


    Irwin stared into the teacher''s blue eyes for a while. So, another one that seemed to be able to detect his Ammolite soulcard...


    That would make him the second, Irwin thought. Was it because these teachers saw so many carded smiths that they could recognize it? Or was it because they had diamond-rank soulcards and still sensed a power discrepancy somehow?


    Deciding he was going to have to talk with Ambraz about it, he looked at his wrist. There were slowly fading indents from where Larambi had grabbed him.


    That''s some grip¡­


    "Alright," he said, grabbing the ore and putting it on its edge. It was a good thing Larambi had stopped him now, as it wasn''t too flat yet. Had it been, he would have had to fold it, and he wondered what that would have done. Probably caused it to explode.


    For a good while longer, he continued striking it, and after what had to be two hours, he finally started noticing a very thin layer of grit on the metal. It had barely shrunk, but there was a soft laugh from the side.


    Irwin looked up to see Larambi standing there. The class was empty besides the two of them, and Irwin wondered when the others had left.


    "You have succeeded," Larambi said. "Leave the ore there, I''ll put it away so you can practice when you come here next week. Third year metal refining classes are on each second and fifth day in the afternoon. Part of each day, you will be allowed to continue purifying this chunk of Gneisian ore, and if you can purify it to fifty percent within a year you qualify to join the fourth years."


    Irwin nodded, looking at the ore as the teacher grabbed it in his massive hand. He guessed that was why they allowed the second-years to work with something so rare. The chances of one of them actually making a dent in the contained soulforce was non-existent.


    Too bad I won''t be here that long, he thought.


    "Now, those two Ignitzion friends of yours asked me to tell you they would be waiting in The Tappestery for you," Larambi said as he waved at the door. "So, go and celebrate! It''s not that often we get first years that steam through to second or third years within days of arriving."


    "Not often? So it does happen?" Irwin asked.


    "Definitely," Larambi said with a booming laugh. "Sometimes the lesser nobles from Dimarintsia and Suderfuix send their lesser talented members here instead of the Smithing Guild''s core worlds within the central portal gallery world. Those usually start in the second or third year classes across the board, though my lone fourth-year class member this year started in the fourth-year class in all theoretical courses. Hah, and if you believe Christal and Auntie, he could be teaching those classes! Probably there out of boredom."


    Irwin nodded, wondering how good the best upcoming cardsmiths were if the nobles thought the Ganvil Academy was only good enough for their less talented people.


    "Now, don''t worry about this too much," Larambi said, reaching up and squeezing Irwin''s shoulder with his massive hand. "For someone who hasn''t been prepared for our profession their entire life, you are doing incredible!"


    "Thanks," Irwin said, wondering if Larambi thought he was feeling jealous. He wasn''t. Just curious. How much could he still learn and improve?


    "Now, go- git! I''ve got to prepare for tomorrow''s class!"


    "See you on second-day," Irwin said as he turned and walked towards the exit.


    --


    Larambi waited until the young smith was gone before releasing his neutral posture. He grunted as he waved his hand and cracked his shoulder.


    "Damn brat nearly took my arm off," he muttered, looking to the back of the classroom.


    "Dean, what do you think? Was Narios right?"


    An old and wrinkled man with thinning hair and eyes like silvered steel came walking out of the shadows, humming a soft, upbeat tune.


    "Yes," he said as he walked towards the other. "Irwin seems to have an Ammolite soulcard."


    He spoke with an odd accent, each vowel at the start of a word sharp and punctuated.


    "Great. Do you think the smiths'' guild knows?" Larambi asked as he continued rubbing his shoulder.


    "If they had, they would have already come to me to complain we are hiding a potential Pinnacle smith from them," the Dean said, shaking his head slowly. "No, unless you are close it is very hard to sense it''s not just a regular Diamond card. My guess is that it has the Impersonation or Mimicry type. Do you think you would have noticed if you hadn''t touched him?"


    "Bah! Even with touching him, I had to double-check," Larambi said. "Without Narios''s heads-up, I might have missed it."


    "Indeed. Which means we have to make sure the Smiths Guild stays far away from him. With how closed and afraid they have grown, they would likely make him go with the escorted frigate that is going to get Montain and the sisters back to Dimarintsia."


    Larambi grimaced, then shook his head. "We should find a way to keep Montain here... They are ruining that poor kid!"


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    The Dean looked at him quietly before answering.


    "I know you see a lot of yourself in him, but there''s little we can do. If we draw his grandfather''s ire, there''s no way of saying what will happen. Montain will either need to find his own way out or request help from the Smiths Guild."


    A creaking sound came from Larambi''s fists as he clenched them tight. "I told him, but he says he needs to keep an eye on his cousins."


    "Then, right now, there is little we can do for him. Now, I need to check with Gynerigon. I will be back in a few days."


    The old man walked to the nearest walk, then vanished.


    Larambi let out a long, deep sigh, then stared at the flattened Gneisian Ore.


    "I should have just gone to some distant world and lived a quiet life like Father said," he muttered.


    --


    Irwin closed the books about card categories and rubbed his head.


    "How can there be this many categories?" he muttered, staring at the books in disgust.


    The top one dealt with elemental categories, ranging from simple things like Fire, Heat, Frost, and Cold to combined things like Chill Flame and Solidified Heat, the latter he barely understood after reading it a few times.


    "Don''t let it get to you," Ambraz said from his perch near the ceiling. "These are mostly useful for very specific cards. The difference between the overarching category Flame and the specific category Flame Bolt is only interesting if you are aiming for a specific card that only allows you to hurl fire at something. It might end up having a larger range and some increased damage, but you will lose a lot of generic usage due to this."


    "I get that," Irwin said, leaning back in the creaking chair. "So why do we learn this?"


    "Because a lot of people aren''t able to pick and choose the cards they get. Either they get the leftovers that Smiths sell after they complete a mission, or they take something that has dropped from a monster. Also, many nobles, merchants, and richer guilds sometimes have very specific wishes. Let''s take one of the most difficult and specific card sorts: the one that allows teleporting groups across large sections of the portal gallery. There is the category Teleporting, but also the more specific category Teleporting Together, Long Range Teleporting, and a whole slew of others. To get one that will allow you to teleport from one world to the other with a group of five or more people, it only works if you have at least four soulcards specifically selected for that. It''s why there''s only so few people that can do that."


    Irwin nodded thoughtfully. He knew most of this, but he hadn''t really thought about it too much.


    "So, if my soulcard only did Kinetic things, it would be better at that?" he asked.


    "If your kinetic card was specifically kinetic left-handed punch, it would be far stronger in that specific goal than your current card," Ambraz said. "If you also had other cards that would improve your left hand and the kinetic potential of your left hand, this would increase this even more. That''s why Larambi''s hands are so strong. He has at least one specialized card that deals with his hands. So, even if his soulcard is technically weaker than yours, I wouldn''t try to squeeze his hands too hard."


    Irwin recalled the teacher''s grip and grimaced. He didn''t doubt that one bit.


    "That means it would be best to make my next soulcard more specific?"


    "No," Ambraz said. "Specific is only good if you aren''t a cardsmith. Very specific cards are harder to resonate outside of their desired normal. You need to be as flexible as you can be, unless you only want to reforge cards similar to those you have."


    Irwin thought about it for a bit, wondering if that was the trick to shaping Ambient Soulforce into a new card. Focus on some very specific card and doubling down on it.


    "Enough for today," he decided, getting up. "Where are those cards you managed to get?"


    Ambraz flew down, landing on his shoulder.


    "Just head into the card district. I''ll point you in the right direction!"


    A short while later, they were walking through the only district that resembled a normal town. Merchants had small storefronts along the dark paved streets, colorful decorations trying to beckon the smiths that walked around to buy from them.


    "So, how close are you to rank four now?" Irwin asked softly.


    "If you keep working on that ore, I''ll reach it before we leave. I''d expected more of the soulforce I sensed to be released per hit, but it''s a tough metal," Ambraz said before continuing in Irwin''s soulscape. ''Not unlike that purperion. Though, I suggest we don''t talk about Gneisian ore too much. It still surprises me they have it there. I''ll have to ask Brazardian about it later.''


    "Alright, so with some luck, we will both be better when we leave," Irwin said, his thoughts drifting to his other friends. "So, how are we going to head back to the city to see Greldo and the others?"


    "Tomorrow is eight-day, meaning we have a day off," Ambraz said. "I''ll have someone send a message to Greldo and tell him we will be in my place. Then we can head there right after we are done."


    "It''s not a problem that we teleport back?" Irwin asked.


    "Normally, it''s a problem, but Brazardian made sure we can move freely when we please," Ambraz said.


    Skylar is right, Irwin thought, shaking his head. It''s good to have friends in high places.


    A short while later, they were walking towards a small shop that stood out because its front was painted to look like the bark of a tree with green highlights.


    "Greenbark Card Center," Irwin said, his eyebrows shooting up. "You are kidding me? Is that-"


    "Another one of Driseog''s places?" Ambraz said. "Yes. It was the only place that was willing to send out their own employees to the surrounding places to buy me the cards those had so I didn''t have to fly around all day."


    Irwin grinned as he stepped inside the shop, which had a small but clean and well-maintained storefront. A Viridian with dark green, yellowing leaves flowing down her pale bark-like face looked up from a book that was on the counter and smiled.


    "Ah! It is good to see you, Am''braz. This must be Irwin?"


    Irwin nodded as he stepped up to the small counter.


    "Yes. Am''braz said you have collected some cards for us?" Irwin said with a friendly smile.


    "Yes, we did!" the lady said. "The Greenbark Card Center is always happy to oblige!"


    She smiled, then moved to the side, removing a small package from below the counter.


    "I''m afraid we could only find seven, but I''ve sent word out to the other cities, and I''m sure we can find you a few dozen more," she said.


    Irwin nodded, taking out his Portal Gallery Credit Crystal, only for the women to smile and wave him away.


    "No, no. Am''braz has already paid, and we will need to find a lot of cards before we come close to his advance," she said.


    Irwin''s eyebrows shot up, but he nodded.


    "Then I hope to see you again soon," he said, nodding and walking away.


    As he closed the shop door, he looked at Ambraz. "So, since when did you become so wealthy?"


    "I was always wealthy. I just couldn''t reach it," Ambraz snorted. "Now, stop holding back and check what she found. I told her to search for a range of cards that we should all be able to reforge roughly in the direction you are looking for."


    Irwin grinned as he looked around to make sure there wasn''t anyone odd lurking nearby. He didn''t expect any as he hadn''t seen anything so far, and none had appeared. Just the usual students, recognizable by their smith ranking plates and general burly, powerfully built physiques, and a few merchants or helpers walking around.


    He opened the package and quickly looked at the cards, which were all quartz except for a single amethyst. The amethyst showed a lute with smoke curling up from the top.


    Is it even possible to change this into a piano? he thought, with a frown.


    A quick scan of the others showed three more string-like instruments, one odd symbol that reminded him of a music note like those on Galadin music sheets, and two wavy ripples.


    "Alright, they actually managed to get some good starting points," Ambraz hummed. "Those two represent soundwaves, and right now, they both increase the power of your voice. As difficult as it is, we might be able to try and reforge them sideways into some teleportation thing¡­"


    Irwin eyed Ambraz, wondering how he imagined that to go. Still, so far Ambraz hadn''t been wrong all that often, so he decided to give him the benefit of the doubt.


    "And these things?" he asked, holding up one of the simple string instruments that looked like a wooden plank with some pegs and thin metal wires.


    "Kid, remember when I told you that the things you want are going to be difficult?" Ambraz said with a grin. "Well, this needs to become a piano."


    Irwin wasn''t sure if he should laugh or cry and opted for neither as he pocketed the cards.


    "Great job," he said, meaning it. "I''m glad you asked for more because I''ve got the feeling we might need a few attempts at this. Now, let''s go and see the others."


    "Definitely," Ambraz said.


    --


    "Stop looking that worried. It''s nothing," Greldo said as he waved his single good hand at Irwin. His other was in a sling, while two narrow scabs ran down his jaw line, across his ear, which now had two indented notches.


    "Sure, explain to me again which part of going solo into a ruby rank portal sounded like a good idea?" Irwin said sarcastically, trying to hide his worry.


    The fact that he was tapping his chair''s armrest probably wasn''t helping with that, but he didn''t care. He examined his friend, glad he didn''t have anything more serious than a fractured and skinned arm.


    Greldo smirked, though it was somewhat pained. "Well, the reward, of course!"


    Irwin looked at the stack of a few dozen cards that lay on the table. He wanted to say something, then held back. Greldo wasn''t a child. Besides, he was one the most dangerous fighters he knew. If he''d gone in a portal that dangerous, there had to be a better reason.


    The others were quietly sitting nearby, Rindiri with her arms crossed, while Boohm continued yawning. Zender lay curled up on a couch, already asleep, while Earila sat opposite Rindiri, trying to look like she wasn''t tired but constantly stifling yawns. Two of her Faeret''s were hanging on her shoulders, both sleeping.


    "So, what happened?" he asked.


    "So we went to an adjacent world with a small walled town. There are a few dozen mission centers there that put up missions for people to clear, close, or scout portal worlds - besides the regular card missions. I chose a scouting mission for a portal I recently found. It said they had only found some Nyzir and only needed to get a general idea of the world." Greldo¡¯s eyes hardened. "The initial scouts had either messed up or lied because the portal led to a world with snakes that could move through the shadows. They were almost as fast as I was and twice as long as an arm."


    Irwin felt his anger bubble up, but he clamped down on it, forcing himself to remain calm.


    "What did they say when you returned?" he said.


    Greldo blinked lazily, a dangerous grin surfacing on his face. "The reward of five cards was multiplied by five due to excessive danger and grievous misinformation."


    "He summoned Coal and threatened to tear the place apart," Boohm said, yawning and grinning at the same time. "It was a sight to behold!"


    "And a bad example," Rindiri said, frowning as she looked at Earila. The girl was looking at Greldo with gleaming eyes.


    "Well, I presume you are going to take it easy for a while now?" Irwin asked.


    "Definitely," Greldo said, pointing at the cards. "Can you check which of those you think we need for anything, then Boohm can help me sell the rest."


    "Sure," Irwin said, leaning forward and grabbing the cards. It didn''t take him too long to pick out four of them, moving the rest back.


    "If you come across any quartz cards that deal with sound, can you buy them?" he asked, turning to Rindiri. "Just use the soulshards I gave you. If you need more, come and find me."


    "Of course," Rindiri said.


    They remained up for a while, chatting softly before they all went to bed.


    As he fell asleep, Irwin''s final thoughts were about getting Greldo and his friend''s new cards.


    --


    "Alright, make sure to be safe this time," Irwin said, clasping Greldo''s good hand.


    The other arm was healing rapidly, but even someone with his friend''s rapid regeneration, flayed skin took a while to heal.


    "I will be," Greldo said. "Also, I need you to check something for me¡­ see if I can get a second hound, like Coal, preferably one that will increase my speed and agility. Well, mine and Coal''s."


    Irwin''s eyebrows shot up. "Weren''t you going to"


    "Yes," Greldo said quickly. "I still want better control over the shadows, but I can''t rely on that for everything I do. If there are no shadows, or there are, but I''m fighting stronger enemies¡­ The only reason I got out of there was because of Coal. If I had two of him¡­" he shrugged.


    Irwin looked at his friend, then nodded.


    "I''ll try and get one that''s the same type as Coal," he said. "That will make it easier to mesh with your current cards and increase the likelihood of any increases going to him too."


    "Thanks," Greldo said. "Now, go have fun with your music."


    Irwin barked a laugh as his friend turned and headed to the teleportation array. He waved at the others, getting a thumbs up from Boohm before they all vanished. Then his smile vanished, and he looked at Ambraz.


    "Can you add a hound card to the cards we are looking for?" he asked.


    "Definitely. Let''s head back, and I''ll get right on it," Ambraz said.

 Chapter 256: Temper

    When the first day of the second eight-day at the Golden Friction Academy arrived, Irwin was leaning against a wall. A few steps away was the closed door of the card reforging course. Pasilha and Roubi stood nearby. Eyes closed and face sunken. There had been two parties the day before, the last ending only hours ago, and they attended both.


    I wonder why they go to parties so much, Irwin thought.


    He''d left early during the first one when the two Ingitzions, drunk, had come on a bit stronger. He glanced at them, catching Pasilha''s looking back.


    She grimaced, then forced a smile on her face as she scooted closer.


    "I''m really sorry about yesterday evening," she said.


    Irwin nodded. He''d wanted to talk with them about it, and now was as good a time as any.


    "It''s okay. Listen, I''ve already got someone I like. I probably should have told you, but I had kind of expected you to..."


    He held back from saying that he''d expected them to take the hint and leave him alone.


    Pasilha nodded, looking at her feet. "Yeah, Skylar told us. But¡­ when we get a bit drunk, it''s sometimes hard to keep a hold of ourselves. Is it true that she''s an Ignitzion?"


    Irwin nodded. "Yes. She had to leave because of the cold world I had to go to, and I''m hoping to head to Igniz."


    He left out that they also had children, as that was something the Ignitzions though about way differently than humans did.


    Roubi had moved closer, looking at him with hollowed eyes in a weary face.


    "She''s lucky," she muttered. "Why don''t I ever find a smith that''s tall, fiery, and metallic?"


    Irwin grinned at her fake self-pity. "I''m sure there''s some Loydin around somewhere?"


    Roubi snorted, rolling her eyes. "Bah, you know those battle-hungry brutes want nothing to do with us. No, I guess I''ll just have to keep searching¡­ Unless you have a brother that looks like you?"


    Irwin barked a laugh as he imagined Bronwyn fending off the two Ignitzions.


    "No, I have a brother, but he has a bonded mate and a child¡­" he stopped as he cocked his head. "Well, perhaps more than one by now."


    "The good ones are always taken," Roubi grunted as she closed her eyes and rubbed her head.


    Pasilha smiled and looked at Irwin. "I''m sorry. I should have asked if you were even interested."


    "And I should have just said I wasn''t right away," Irwin said. "It wasn''t like you weren''t obvious."


    Pasilha flinched.


    "Uh, I didn''t mean it like that," Irwin said quickly, but she already waved it away.


    "It''s alright. We will just swoon over you when you aren''t watching."


    Now it was Irwin''s turn to grimace, causing Pasilha to laugh. Then she groaned, rubbing her head.


    Irwin was about to comment on her drinking habits when a quickly loudening disagreement made him look up. A group of unfamiliar second-year students had gathered before the door, standing in a small circle.


    "I''m telling you, Vera was called away for a few days. That''s why there was no course on seven-day! We should just head back!"


    "Sure, you always say these things, but where''s the proof?"


    "Bah, if you don''t believe me, just ask her?"


    "You ask her! Are you crazy, you-"


    Two large men were squaring off, eyes gleaming as they seemed ready to butt heads when the door was pulled open.


    "What are you punks doing out here?" Vera snapped, eyes gleaming. "Get inside!"


    Everyone darted past her, and she shook her head, grinning at them before focusing on Irwin.


    "Right, Irwin! I''m sorry I haven''t gotten to your promised private lesson yet, but things have gotten away from me for a few days. I hope you have nothing after this course."


    Irwin shook his head, wondering what a private lesson would even entail.


    The rest of the day went surprisingly easy. All they had to do was reforge four cards in the allotted time, all up to Topaz and as far sideways as possible without shattering it. They were allowed help from their Ganvils this time, and Ambraz and Irwin were in the top three.


    ''The competition here isn''t as high as I had expected,'' Ambraz snorted as they waited for Vera to finish pointing out the flaws of the others. ''I''ll have to talk with Brazardian later. From what I heard about the two largest Smiths Guild academies, this is the level they reach within a half year of attending. It is not done for Granvox to be this far behind.''


    "Alright," Vera said as she walked towards Irwin.


    Behind her, the final students left the smithy.


    "Now, let''s start with what you did today."


    She pointed at the cards Irwin had lying on Ambraz.


    "All of them are good, smooth, well made, and also with very little risk. Now, I know it''s hard for you to see, so let''s make things a bit clearer."


    She waved her hand, and four diagrams the size of book covers hung side-by-side above Ambraz.


    Irwin''s eyebrows shot up as he focused on the lines and shapes that followed an orderly image. They faintly reminded him of the runes he''d seen, but they were very different¡ªin terms of their lines, thickness, shades of gray, and the final image they presented.


    "So, this here is nearly perfect," Vera said, pointing at a section of smooth lines with a finger-width of space around them. "However, if you had gone with something like this-"


    She drew with the tip of her finger, tracing a ruddy line across the diagram as if she were using a pencil. She quickly created an alternative route, slightly more chaotic, but as Irwin inspected it, he agreed that it made the entire thing look more¡­ balanced and powerful.


    "This card is already a hundred percent, but that doesn''t mean it can''t be better. The version you made of this scraping utensil will allow a woodcarver to create smooth surfaces and rounded angles on many types of wood. However, it won''t work on anything stronger than normal wood. If you had done this, creating the same smoothness would have required more skill from the crafter, but the scraping utensil would have been able to work on much tougher and denser wood with far less effort."


    Irwin nodded as he wondered what change would have been required in the card''s song.


    "Now, although I don''t have a lot of skill in the musical specialization of crafting, I do know that it usually pays to have more explosive, aggressive songs. For most people, skill is easier to gain than more power.


    That sounds wrong, Irwin thought.


    Vera must have seen his doubt as she laughed and continued.


    "I know that feels counterintuitive to you, but imagine having a quartz or amethyst heartcard and knowing you will need a decade or more to get your, perhaps only, soulcard ever. Most people choose their cards based on things they need for their profession and livelihood, which means they will be far less powerful than you. However, they will practice their crafts for a long time. With time, their skill will increase."


    Irwin hummed. "But that counts for those people. Most people that will hire us will have enough soulshards and power to have high rank, powerful cards."


    "That''s true, and in those cases, it''s best to make what they require," Vera said, her grin turning wider. "However, they usually want either more efficient soulforce usage, ease of merging with existing cards, or a focus on some other aspect. The chances of creating a card along its easiest line, even if you are forcing it already, are slim to none."


    Irwin could see where she was coming from, especially as he thought about the cards he wanted to make for himself and his friends.


    "Alright, so what are we going to do now?" he asked, curious.


    "Simple, I am going to have you work at the edge of what you can until you shatter four cards in a row. That will give me a benchmark, and I''ll explain what you did wrong," Vera said, grabbing a card and tossing it to him.


    "Start with this. Go as high as you can, but keep the percentage. No sideways reforging that will come after."


    Irwin took the card, feeling his excitement grow. It had been a while since he''d gone all out!


    I wonder how high I can go now, he thought.


    --


    Irwin sat at the table, his soulcard and energy reserves almost empty, even after he had rested for a while. Reforging on the edge of his ability for that long had left him close to fainting.


    Still, it had been worth it.


    He gazed at the cards on the table. Four ruby rank cards, a few steps from the absolute max, all barely over eighty percent and dangerous to socket, yet all made by him.


    "If you had managed just a bit more, you would have been able to do it without help," Ambraz said happily. "You really got a lot better with these new cards."


    "Yes, but if I''d wanted to reforge one sideways, it would blow it up," Irwin said, trying to stifle his own excitement.


    "So? Kid! You''re growing at a speed similar to the best of this academy, and that''s without focusing just on smithing! That said, you should take it easy for a bit. Your soulforce will take a bit to return, and your soulcard was pushed very hard."


    "I will," Irwin said as he focused on the cards on the other side of the table. They were the ones Ambraz had arranged for them, and he had a slight hope that one of them would become his third card.


    "So, what do we do with these? Start tomorrow?"


    "Yes, but don''t get your hopes up," Ambraz said with a snort. "Even if you successfully reforge one to your specifications, without the growth type on at least one, I''d advise against slotting them just yet."


    "Alright," Irwin said as he glanced at the cards, then pulled them close to sort them.


    I can''t wait to get started!


    --


    "Alright, is everyone ready?" Bronwyn asked as he looked around his rangers.


    There were seven of them, all with at least one topaz-ranked card that dealt with stealth and hidden movement¡ªwell, all but Jort. The heartcarded ranger''s card allowed him only a few things, but Bronwyn knew he compensated for the lack of a stealth card with his skill and experience. Besides, being able to hear and smell better then the others would allow him to stop moving much faster.


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    There was a round of nods, and Bronwyn took a deep breath as he looked at Clarish.


    "I know you want to go with them, but you need to leave," she said. Daubutim was clear: you are too important, and although they seem friendly, it''s too dangerous.


    "Fine," Bronwyn grumbled. He turned to Jort. "You are a hundred percent sure of this?"


    "Yes, Lord Bronwyn," Jort said with a curt nod. "I''m sure of what I saw. There was a human-like being with those birds."


    Bronwyn grunted, wishing he didn''t have to send someone into the northern forests.


    "Alright, be careful. We probably won''t be able to help¡­"


    The older ranger nodded, his lips curled up. "Those birds didn''t do anything during the months we were observing them, not even those massive ones."


    Bronwyn nodded again, then turned to Clarish.


    "Fine, get us back to the others."


    Jort watched as his new Lord vanished, then turned to the others.


    "Make sure you don''t do anything aggressive and follow me," he said.


    The small squadron of rangers nodded and spread out, moving into the thick undergrowth around him. Although they were hiding to the best of their abilities, Jort could still pick out a few of them moving around.


    Well, let''s see if these old eyes weren''t deceiving me, he thought as he walked forward into the beautiful but dark woods that made up the northwestern part of the island.


    He had been observing the green birds ever since he''d finished following the large island''s coastline. They had never shown any sign of malice or aggression, seeming to eat small insects and fruit¡ªwell, the small ones at least. The few massive ones that he had spotted flying high in the clouds had snatched up the occasional Bullfrog and were even spotted pulling people-sized fish from the water.


    Then, a week ago, while standing on the watchtower bordering the woods, he''d seen her. A green-skinned woman with vine-like hair and a bird on her shoulder had been staring at him from within the woods. His first reaction had been to shout, but he''d managed to stifle it, and they had gazed at each other for a good ten minutes before she just¡­ vanished.


    Nobody else had seen her, but when he alerted Lord Daubutim and the others, they hadn''t doubted him, or at least hadn''t said they did. Instead, they had sent more rangers to help. It was something that made him feel a slight warmth even now, days later. How much had changed: from a lowly ranger, close to retirement, to one of the first heartcarded on Giard, to the Scout Leader of the rangers.


    It was one of the reasons he was now here. He had seen her, and Lord Daubutim had said that with so many people on the tower that hadn''t seen her, there might be a reason for that oddity. Either because he was the only heartcarded at the tower or because of his heightened senses.


    Then, yesterday, she appeared again, staring at him before vanishing after another short time staring at him. Daubutim had immediately decided that it was time to check.


    A soft sound that even Jort almost missed caused him to stop and look around. His entire focus returned to the here and now as he looked straight up.


    Dozens of the green birds sat there, staring down at him with their black beady eyes.


    "Hi," he said softly. "I''m here to talk¡­?"


    One of the birds let out a soft cry, almost like laughter. It pushed off and dropped down, looking straight at him.


    "Don''t act," Jort ordered the rangers, remaining perfectly still as the bird landed on his shoulder.


    It was surprisingly heavy, and as the strong talons closed around his shoulder, he felt the tips pierce through his leather jerkin, his shirt, and into his skin, drawing blood.


    ''Walk forward- they are waiting!''


    Jort jolted, causing the bird''s talons to dig deeper into his flesh to prevent itself from falling off.


    "Was¡­ was that you?" Jort asked, swallowing.


    ''Yes. Now, walk. They don''t like to wait.''


    Jort nodded as he continued ahead. He heard the other rangers move around softly.


    ''Tell the others to hold at the stream.''


    Jort looked at the bird, wondering if he should act as if he didn''t know what it was talking about. Then he sighed. There was no way that would work or help.


    "Don''t cross the stream. I''ll be back as soon as I can," he said.


    A minute later, he reached a small creek, barely two feet wide. Wondering what would happen, he jumped across, hearing the others remain behind.


    He had expected to have to walk for a long while, perhaps all the way to the distant portal, but barely five minutes later, he heard something ahead.


    A few steps later, he walked out into a small clearing and froze.


    In the center stood a massive bird, wings close to its body, its head lowered, and its head-sized eyes staring unblinkingly at him. Beside it stood a willowy woman with leaf-covered vines wrapped around her body and more hanging down from her head like thickly woven hair. Her face was beautiful in an odd, inhuman way, and her brown eyes twinkled. Faint lines of empty card slots were visible on her hand- odd, as those should be invisible unless recently used.


    ''Walk closer so she can touch you,'' the voice in his mind said.


    Jort walked forward slowly, eying the bird''s talons. They were massive, digging deep into the ground below. Was it her guard?


    A few steps from the women, the giant bird''s head lowered, and the threat in its eyes was enough to make Jort stop in its tracks. A soft rustle made him look up to see one of the vines from the woman''s arm unwrap and slowly hover towards him. It stopped within arms reach of him, and the woman gestured at it, smiling.


    Well, let''s see what this does, Jort thought.


    He gently wrapped his gnarly old fingers around the vine, and instantly, he felt something tug on his heartcard. For one heart-beat-skipping moment, he feared he''d made a horrible mistake. Then a sense of warmth and curiosity filled his mind.


    ''Hello, combined-one! I am Lashara, rider of Zegritar.''


    Combined one? Jort guessed she meant his heartcard.


    "Hello, I am Jort," he said before hesitantly adding- "Scout leader of the rangers."


    The woman -Lashara- frowned, and her eyes widened in confusion.


    ''Can you not use soulspeak?''


    Jort shook his head, not sure what she meant. Was that what she was doing?


    ''I see. Then, please talk slower. It is hard to understand your spoken words.''


    Not sure how she was talking to him if she couldn''t understand his words, Jort repeated himself, slower this time.


    ''We are pleased to meet you,'' Lashara said. ''Zegritar has observed you and your people and he was impressed with your astute observation skills. According to our information, we seem to share this new-world island, and it would be good to know more about each other. The elders have sent me here to learn your language so we can share knowledge about this new world. Could you tell us what chased your people of your world?''


    Jort thought for a bit, glad Daubutim had told him this could happen and gave instructions on what to share.


    "I can, but we are also very curious about you and your people."


    ''Good,'' Lashara said, smiling warmly. Beside her, the massive bird leaned back slightly.


    Jort took a deep breath and then began sharing the things Daubutim had told him he should.


    --


    Irwin grunted in anger as he tossed a card at Ambraz. The Ganvil snatched it out of the air, quickly closing his lips to contain the loud explosion.


    Another failure, Irwin thought, annoyed.


    Two full weeks had passed in the blink of an eye, and he''d blasted through all of the cards he had with nothing useful to show for it. Even the few extra cards they had gotten were gone.


    "That was the last one," he said.


    He glowered at the two cards lying on the table. The only ones that hadn''t shattered had ended up completely different from what he''d wanted. One looked like a long-handled violin, the other like an odd table with snares. Both were barely over eighty percent.


    Failures, just like all the others.


    "I warned you," Ambraz said with a grin.


    "I know," Irwin said, taking a deep breath before exhaling explosively. "I had just thought there would at least be something useful!"


    "Kid, you are working with some of the most difficult types, and you want to push them far away from their desired path," Ambraz said, changing back to his small form. "Be happy you got as far as you wanted! Besides, each time you got closer."


    Irwin thought about his first attempt, and he knew Ambraz was right. He was just being impatient.


    "Well, let''s go and see if they got new cards then," he said, picking a shirt from the table.


    Irwin was pondering about what he should try the next time as he walked through the merchant''s district. It was busier than usual, and groups of people that seemed new were wandering about.


    He picked up a few stray conversations, and he was surprised that nearly all of the had to do with the rumors of the war.


    Odd, how unconfirmed troubles can already cause such an uproar, he thought.


    As he reached The Greenbark Card Center, he saw a group of people inside. He pulled open the door and stepped inside, noticing how crowded the small storefront felt.


    A quick look over the four people inside told me they were all smiths. With how many people were in the academy, he wasn''t surprised that he''d never seen them before. What was curious was that none of them had a Ganvil with them.


    Three of them, two women and one man, were quietly waiting to the side. They looked at him as he entered while the fourth was talking with Ester, the proprietor. He saw Amethyst ranking plates on their wrists, gleaming as if new or recently polished.


    Ester glanced at him quickly before focusing on the man again. Although her face was placid and calm, Irwin could see a barely hidden annoyance in her eyes. The man had a Topaz rank plate on a thick bracelet.


    "-from the Smith''s guild," the burly man said, annoyed. "I can sense you have more cards, so let me ask you again- why will you not show them to me?"


    He can sense them? Irwint thought, marginally impressed. He focused on his hearing, and he quickly picked up the soft chimes of a few dozen cards in the shop, some in the man''s pocket, most behind Ester''s desk.


    "There is no use showing you these. They are commissions from other customers and have already been paid for," Ester said calmly. As she did, her gaze flicked to Irwin.


    "So?" the man said. "We can pay more!"


    A soft sight came from one of the other three smiths, and Irwin saw a young smith look at another, mouthing not again. Her blue eyes radiated with a blue, icy light.


    "Besides," the smith continued angrily. "What use is it to sell cards to the half-baked smiths of this academy? Even here, the supply is running short, so cards should go to those who can use them best!"


    Right, Irwin thought, pretty sure he knew what that meant. For a moment, he hesitated. Perhaps he should just wait until they left. Then he saw Ester''s annoyance.


    He ignored a surprised whisper from the three Guild Smiths as he walked past them and moved to stand beside the Topaz rank smith.


    "Hi, Ester! I''m here for the rest of my cards," he said.


    "Smith Irwin," she said with a smile. "A slightly larger batch came in yesterday. You are just in time."


    Irwin smiled back, the prospect of more attempts almost enough to make him forget about the annoyed-looking smith. Ester took a small wrapped-up package from below the counter.


    The Topaz rank smith turned and glared at Irwin. "What''s the meaning of this? Can''t you see I was here first?"


    Irwin raised an eyebrow. "I think she just told you there are no more cards here for you?"


    "There are cards here," the man said, pointing at the cards Ester was holding without even looking at her.


    Irwin saw the smith''s gaze crawl across him, probably searching for the smithing rank plate. When he found none, he snorted in disdain.


    "What use does someone that''s not even a quartz rank have for those cards? This is ridiculous!"


    "Who are you calling a quartz rank, you punk?" Ambraz snapped from Irwin''s shoulder. "Just because the Smiths Guild is here, hiding, doesn''t mean you get to try and bully people!"


    The smith''s eyes widened, his head turning red.


    "Senior Donreld, perhaps it''s best if we just head back?" the young, blue-eyed smith whispered. "The teacher said we shouldn''t be causing any trouble, remember?"


    The topaz smith glared at the other smith, how cringed.


    "Don''t bud in, low-rank!" he snapped before turning to Irwin. "There''s some horrible organization hunting smiths, probably trying to stop us from improving and growing! Now you think you can waste a bunch of cards just because you have bound to a Ganvil?! Those are better used by real smiths!"


    Irwin saw the barely contained fury in Donreld''s eyes, and he crossed his arms, raising himself to his full height, preparing himself for if the other was going to act. Donreld had one soulcard, like him, but it was only at Topaz rank.


    "What? Think I''m afraid of you," the smith snarled as he took a step froward, fists balled.


    "ENOUGH!"


    A deafening shout rattled the windows, and Irwin was almost as surprised as the others when he realized he''d been the one to shout. His anger was bubbling up. He knew that most of it came from his annoyance at failing to reforge the cards he''d wanted over the week, seemingly ignited by the man''s annoying behavior. There was also something else... deeper, but he couldn''t put his finger on it. Nor did he have the time for that now. Instead, he struggled to get a grip.


    His hands had curled up into fists while his soulforce seemed to be boiling, agitated by his sudden rage.


    Donreld took a step back, then another. His eyes were wide, and Irwin sensed how his own soulcard''s resonance was suppressing that of the smith.


    "I..."


    The sudden fear in the others eyes doused Irwin''s sudden rage, but he didn''t let it show. Instead, he pinned Donreld with a glare.


    "These are my cards. I paid for them," he said as he accepted the package from Ester. "If you want your own cards, put out a commission."


    Donreld''s mouth opened and closed, but Irwin didn''t bother waiting for him to regain himself. Instead, he nodded at a stunned-looking Ester, turned, and stomped to the door.


    The three younger smiths had been standing behind him, wide-eyed, and quickly jumped out of the way. All seemed stunned, but the blue-eyed one managed to regain herself.


    "Sorry about that," she whispered.


    Irwin nodded, forcing a smile on his face, before walking outside.


    "Hah, good job," Ambraz cackled. "That brat needed someone to put him in his place! It would have been more fun to just do a reforging competition, but this was nearly as good!"


    Irwin snorted, then laughed.


    "I think I need to take a break for a bit," he said.


    "What? You think?" Ambraz said sarcastically. "You''ve been working non-stop for three weeks, barely sleeping because you keep practicing on that piano! Why don''t you go and see what Skylar is doing? Unwind a bit!"


    "Good idea," Irwin said, pocketing the cards and walking into the city.

 Chapter 257: Risks

    Vibru grabbed the table, his sharp claws drilling into the precious wood as he held back his desire to rage at the towering Loydin standing in front of him. It was holding a small crystal covered in tiny runes with an image hovering above it that showed the metallic, gleaming face of a young man with long hair. An emerald crystal dangling from his hair showed he was a cardsmith.


    "You are a hundred percent sure this is the target?" Vibru hissed, jabbing his finger into the far too-familiar visage. Just looking at it caused his anger to grow.


    That Fiz''rin scum, he thought, recalling how the hammer-wielding brute had destroyed his precious sword by tossing it into the barrier.


    "Yes," the Loydin said, showing no reaction to his anger. "Zirt expects him captured within the month."


    Zirt expects? Zirt isn''t even a captain yet, Vibru thought, picturing the smug face of the first mate of The Ruby''s Revenge.


    Taking a deep breath, he continued through clenched teeth. "This smith''s on Granvox! How-"


    "I don''t care," the Loydin said. "You have your orders. I still need to meet with the others."


    "The others?" Vibru growled. "I thought I was supposed to capture this smith! If the others-"


    "The others are going to have their own targets," the Loydin said. He hesitated for a moment, then the first sign of any emotion came to his face in the form of a denigrating smile. "Their targets won''t be as easy."


    Vibru''s desire to rip the metal abomination apart was growing by the second, but he said nothing.


    The Loydin gazed at him, seemingly expecting him to react. When nothing happened, the over seven-foot metallic being snorted, turned, and left.


    For a moment, the only sound in the room came from Vibru''s teeth as he gnashed them together. Then he forced himself to relax his hands from the table. After a few moments, the rage left his eyes, and he began thinking.


    "So¡­ there''s other targets," he whispered to himself.


    Very slowly, his face was split by a toothy, evil smile.


    --


    Irwin yawned as he woke, stretching himself. It was eight-day again, meaning he had no courses, no metal to purify. Greldo and the others wouldn''t return to the city either, as his friend was exploring a large shardworld and wouldn''t be back for at least another week.


    Which meant it was time to focus on the cards lying on the table. Twelve cards that he''d saved over the last few weeks. The best and those he hadn''t dared attempt yet. Not with all his failures up to this point.


    It''s been over a month since we arrived here, he thought.


    Most of those days had been spent memorizing new categories and types, purifying the Gneisian ore, and working on reforging. The evenings, many without rest, he spent practicing piano in his soulscape. In between, he''d been trying to forge his new cards.


    First, a bit of music, he thought, closing his eyes again.


    A moment later, he reappeared in his soulscape and made his way to the piano. It was slightly different from when he''d started, as Ambraz had kept tweaking the soulforce construct to make the sound as close to the real one as he could. It also wasn''t the only one there. A smattering of string instruments lay on flat rock. Some looked like lutes, others like violins, and there were even instruments Irwin had only seen on the cards after he''d reforged them.


    Irwin placed his fingers on the keys and slowly played the first part of the Galadin music sheet song. It was a comparatively simple piece, but even then, he still couldn''t play all of it perfectly. Part of it was his skill, another part a lack of an example, but it was also the instrument. Although most of the notes he could play, he had found that there were points where he had to curb the tones in a way he wasn''t able to on the piano.


    When he finished, he frowned, staring at the beautiful instrument, annoyed at constantly running into things that prevented him from playing the music exactly as written.


    According to Narios, what he was trying to do was bend the note, and it wasn''t really possible on the piano. He''d said he could try to play two notes at the same time, but even then it wasn''t the same. Narios had shown how to do it by playing a lute and pulling on the string, causing the sound to wobble.


    After a few moments, Irwin got up and picked up one of the lutes Ambraz had made. It was based on one of his failed reforges, with a longer-than-normal handle and seven strings, which was one more than it should have. He plucked the strings a bit, struggling through a short piece of the same song he''d just played.


    "It''s not completely right," he muttered before looking around the other instruments.


    Wondering what he was truly looking for, he stepped out of his soulscape and got up from the bed.


    "So, kid! Are you ready to do this?" Ambraz said as he flew in from the main area.


    Irwin grinned at his friend''s enthusiasm. Ever since they had arrived on Granvox, Ambraz had been slowly changing, mellowing out a bit, and at one point, Irwin realized just how much he enjoyed being around the Ganvil.


    "Yeah, let''s get a bite to eat, then start!"


    A short while later, Irwin stood before Ambraz. He was fed, rested, and mostly stress-free, and hoped that meant he''d succeed on at least one of the cards he wanted.


    He looked at the twelve cards he was holding. He''d sorted them, and the top one showed an amethyst card with two rough outlines of a four-eyed humanoid head. They faintly overlapped, making it almost seem like a broken card. Ambraz had told him what it could be, and he still wondered. He''d attempted similar cards twice before, but they all shattered when he went beyond Topaz.


    "Alright, let''s try the split mind one first," he said, pocketing the rest and placing the card on Ambraz.


    "Sure, why don''t you start with the most difficult one? Well, at least you have two tries on that today," Ambraz said with a snort.


    Irwin couldn''t blame him. Of all the cards, the mental splitting ones had been the ones they had been having the most trouble with. Still, this was the amethyst one, meaning it was the least likely to succeed as it was already partially set in what it wanted to become. However, if, by some miracle, he managed to succeed, this card would allow him to improve as fast as possible.


    He focused on the card as he summoned his hammer, then waited. It took a while before Ambraz began humming, slow and hesitantly. Irwin knew that even the Ganvil wasn''t completely sure if they were heading in the right direction, which made sense as nearly every card that dealt with mind cloning or mental splitting was found and not reforged. Even Brazardian hadn''t been able to tell Ambraz much besides it being something he preferred not doing due to the high failure rate.


    "Okay, let''s go and show this Blurred Head card what we can do," Ambraz muttered.


    He began humming again, and Irwin struck the card, causing the shimmering image to appear.


    Alright, let''s see how far we get this time, Irwin thought as he followed Ambraz''s hum and began resonating his soulcard.


    Immediately he felt the strong resistance from the card as the direction they were heading in was far from what it desired. From something physical, to something more intangible.


    Just go, little card, Irwin thought as he struck again. I''m sure you will enjoy it!


    With each hit, he tried to move it only a tiny bit. Over the weeks, he''d learned that large changes would cause the cards to gain a dissonant resonation almost instantly, which would result in them exploding.


    A dozen strikes in, Irwin''s mind was fully focused on the card, any lingering stray thoughts gone in favor of pure focus. The card was shivering softly, but it was still moving along with his soulcard''s resonance. Ambraz''s humming had become more confident, and Irwin tried to follow along with the minute changes.


    As the Topaz rank closed in, Irwin slowly felt himself grow excited. The card was still holding strong, even though it was under stress. As the final strike went down, he almost shouted in joy, staring at the card as it glowed with a bright light, shivered, and then settled. A Topaz-bordered card lay there.


    "Finally!" Ambraz shouted. "It only took us a month and ten failures, but hey, now we have it at Topaz! Just one more step to go!"


    Irwin grinned, staring at the card, before hesitating.


    "I think we should do a few others, then come back to this later," he said.


    "I agree. That thing was horrible to keep in tune," Ambraz snorted. "But something easier this time, alright? A musical instrument?"


    Irwin grinned as he took out the stack and put the next card on Ambraz. It was another amethyst, and it showed an oddly large lute with only four strings.


    "Alright, let''s do this!" he said.


    --


    Half a day later, Irwin cracked his neck and frowned at the five cards that lay on the table. Three were Topaz, the only ones that hadn''t shattered of the ten they had done, while the two remaining were Quartz and the rarest they had managed to get ovet the month of searching. So far, he''d been too worried to try one, as both were instruments with the growth type and had cost more than any other ten cards combined.


    "I think I want to try this one," he finally said, tapping one of the two growth cards. It showed a long lute-like instrument.


    "About time," Ambraz said from the side.


    "And¡­" Irwin continued as he licked his lips. "I think we should not force it beyond what we can. Keep it on the edge of perfection even if that means it won''t become a piano."


    "What? Are you sure? I thought you were hellbent on that?"


    "We have been here for a month and only found these two," Irwin said. "I want to have at least one of them in a state that we can use, just in case we get all the other pieces. Even if that means I''ll need to switch to a lute or whatever this is."


    "Alright, let''s do this!" Ambraz shouted.


    Irwin grinned and grabbed the quartz card.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Ambraz started humming almost as soon as the card touched his back, and Irwin''s eyebrows shot up as he heard the explosive, energetic melody.


    "What? I''ve been examining this thing for weeks now, wondering when we were going to do it," Ambraz said, sounding smug. "Remember what Vera said: to get the best outcome, a song needs to be expressive! So, if we are going to go for the best outcome with this one, why not use an old Ganvil song from the homeworld?! Now, get to it!"


    He began humming again, his deep voice following a powerful rhythm that rapidly built up into an energetic song. Irwin grinned and shook his head, then quickly joined him. When he was sure he had at least the start right, he struck down.


    --


    Skylar yawned as he rushed towards the squarish building that housed a dozen other smiths. He was holding his saxhorn below his arm, grinning widely.


    "I can''t wait to let him hear the entire song!"


    As he entered the building and ran up the stairs, he stopped in the hallway leading to Irwin''s apartment. Pasilha and Roubi were standing on the opposite end, staring at the door.


    Now what? Skylar thought as he shook his head.


    "Hey, what are-"


    Pasilha turned, eyes wide, as she waved at him agitatedly.


    "Quiet!"


    Skylar walked toward them, unsure what was happening. As he closed in on the door, he began hearing a soft, deep song, the words inaudible, but the melody and the beat clear. His soulcard jolted and began resonating along with it, something that barely ever happened.


    Is Irwin singing?


    When he reached Pasilha, he stared at the door, barely believing what was happening. "Are we hearing him through the apartments dampening runes?" he whispered.


    "It''s been getting louder for a while now," Pasilha whispered back, staring at the door in a seeming trance. "We think he''s reforging something¡­ either that or he and Am''braz are practicing a song. If that''s the case, I can''t wait to hear it!"


    Skylar watched the vibrating door for a while, before shaking himself out of the stupor.


    "What are you two even doing here?" he asked, turning to Pasilha.


    "We were going to ask him to check out a concert in the city," Pasihla said.


    Skylar looked up in surprise, wondering which concert they meant, when the resonance and humming increased again. He stared at the door, wondering how loud it had to be inside the apartment.


    Perhaps I should explain to him that being louder doesn''t mean the cards become better, he thought.


    Still, he didn''t move, staring at the door, wondering what card Irwin was making.


    --


    Irwin was grinning like a madman as he struck the card. The border was already gleaming yellow, but he didn''t care. All he cared for was following the resonance of his soulcard and humming along with the energetic song. He wasn''t the only one either; the card they were reforging seemed more than willing to follow along.


    Ambraz went from humming back to singing, his deep voice booming out, causing loose things to rattle on the shelves as he bellowed as if angry at someone, using the his native tongue.


    Irwin wished he knew the words, but all he could do was hum along with the song, which began increasing in tempo beyond even its initial speed.


    The card, which had already been allowing itself to be molded far beyond its boundaries, seemed to shiver, and Irwin sensed how it almost willingly followed the resonance of his soulcard. A dozen strikes later, the song wasn''t done, but the card flashed, its border turning emerald.


    We did it, Irwin thought.


    He was about to shout for joy when he realized Ambraz wasn''t stopping. Instead, his voice seemed to grow even louder.


    Irwin''s mind jolted as he stared at the card, noticing it seemed almost hungry to continue. He''d never seen anything like it, and he really wanted to stop and talk with Ambraz. This was a growth card! If they continued, they might fail-


    The main beat came, and Irwin struck down without even realizing what he was doing, his body following Ambraz''s raw song.


    As the card''s resonance became malleable again, following the song, Irwin knew there was no way back now. If he didn''t continue, the card would be ruined either way. Realizing Ambraz wasn''t paying attention, he focused back on the song, deciding to just let it happen. He did hope Ambraz would stop at the next rank because even with whatever state he was in, Irwin didn''t believe the two of them could reforge up to Diamond.


    --


    Skylar bobbed his head to the beat of the hammer, swaying along with the intense melody resonating through the hallway. Dozens of people were around him, some humming along, others dancing in a frenzy, but most shouting the single word that kept resonating through the hallway. None of them knew what it meant, though the Ganvils were flying around the ceiling in a frenzy as they slammed into each other and the walls. Nearly all of them were singing along with the song, but none seemed capable of explaining what was happening.


    "He blew up the dampening runes!" Roubi shouted, jumping up and down with gleaming eyes. "He blew them up!"


    "We know already," Skylar shouted back.


    He grinned as the song reached its pinnacle and¡­ stopped. With a final screamed word, the following silence caused everyone to stop what they were doing, staring around in stunned realization that the song was done. Then, a roaring cheer ran through the crowded hallway as people began shouting and stomping their feet.


    Skylar waited, watching the door. After a few moments, it was pulled open, and Skylar couldn''t hold back a loud laugh at Irwin''s surprised and confused look.


    --


    "So¡­ everyone heard?" Irwin asked, leaning back in his chair as he gazed across the table at the others.


    "The last five minutes could probably be heard throughout the academy," Skylar said with a grin. "And with thirty-plus Ganvils bellowing along- well, let''s just say I''m pretty sure everyone heard!"


    "Good," Ambraz said, flying around the ceiling, seeming unable to sit still.


    Loud chatting could still be heard from outside the apartment while other songs were crackling through the hallway. Apparently, the students had decided that an impromptu hallway party was in order.


    Skylar''s bonded Ganvil, Za''rish, was moving from one nook to another, her lips curved in a wide grin.


    "That song was amazing! Why haven''t I ever heard this!?"


    "Most of the others prefer the older songs," Ambraz grunted. "If you like this, we can see if The Rusted Hatchet is still open. I used to go there with Hou''dor, and they played these songs."


    "Can we come?" Roubi asked.


    "You wouldn''t fit," Ambraz said with a grin. "It''s made for a hundred Ganvils max."


    "So, what were you reforging that needed this?" Pasilha asked.


    Irwin hummed, unable to keep the smile from his lips.


    "You will find out eventually," he said as he got up. "Anyway. I still have some time left, and I still want to reforge some other cards."


    Skylar rose with a snort. "Right, right. We are leaving already! Though, you might want to find another place because I think without those dampening runes, it might become hard to concentrate soon!"


    Irwin hesitated as he listened to the volume of the party outside.


    "I''ll just go to Vera''s classroom," he said. "I''m sure those dampening runes should hold out."


    "Wait, are you going to sing something like that again?" Za''rish asked.


    "No," Ambraz said. "The kid''s other cards require another type of song. But I''m sure we can do something like that again soon!"


    From her sigh and grimace, Irwin knew that if Za''rish had been human, she''d have deflated and looked sad.


    When he closed the door after Skylar, Pasilha, and Roubi, Irwin took the red-bordered card from his pocket, staring at the instrument.


    His smile was gone, and he frowned. "It looks like some sort of lute with a really long neck," he muttered.


    "More like one of those other instruments Narios showed us," Ambraz said. "But I don''t think any of those were made of metal."


    Irwin nodded. "So, now what¡­"


    "Simple, there are two things you can do," Ambraz said. "Either we sell it and hope we find more growth cards because I don''t see us making a piano from that single one we have left¡­ or you slot this."


    Irwin stared at the card, not sure what to think. Although he liked the look of the sleek metal instrument, he hadn''t really heard a string instrument he liked as much as a Piano. He was trying to come up with a reason not to when Ambraz continued.


    "Listen, we don''t really need the cash, and you can just unslot it if we do manage a better one. In the meantime, you can practice with it, and who knows, it might grow on you?"


    "Right, I can just take it out again," Irwin said, feeling like he could kick himself.


    "What do you think this would get us if we sold it?" he asked.


    "Not that much," Ambraz said instantly. "There are very few people looking for anything like this, not like weapon cards or anything that deals with combat, really."


    "Then let''s just do that," Irwin said, grinning. Even if he had to take it out later, he was very curious to see what the ruby rank instrument card would sound and be like.


    "What does the card do besides being an instrument?"


    Ambraz was quiet for a long time before swallowing.


    "Dammit, that explains something, alright," he muttered.


    "What?" Irwin asked, suddenly worried.


    "It''s¡­ whatever, you will see in a moment."


    As he spoke, Ambraz flew to Irwin''s book, which lay on the table and landed on it.


    "There- look for yourself."


    Irwin almost ran to the table, opening the little book.


    Card: Ethereal Strings


    Type: Ruby, Growth, Inspired, Reforged by Irwin Roddington


    Owner: -


    A rare instrument that has no physical strings but creates them by using the wielder''s soulforce. Depending on the wielder''s soulforce capacity, a louder sound can be created.


    Passive: Greatly increased resistance to soundwave damage


    Passive: Increases the ability of adjacent sound-based cards


    Active: Summons a Soulstrum Guitar capable of creating up to a hundred decibels of sound


    A Soulstrum guitar?


    Then he saw the odd types and frowned. "What does the Inspired type do? I''m pretty sure we haven''t covered that one yet."


    "Yeah, because it''s one of the rarer types. It only appears on some cards and only after it has been reforged. I might have seen it if I hadn''t been so absorbed by the song¡­ Anyway, it''s the reason that the card was so willing to follow the resonance. Technically, if we had wanted to, we could have forced it way harder than we did."


    Irwin grunted. "Hard enough to become a piano?"


    "Maybe," Ambraz said. "I don''t know much more about the type than that some of the best cards Brazardian made had it, and all of them became Diamond."


    Irwin stared at the card, then at the text. "So. What do we do? Wait and try to craft it up to Diamond later?"


    "That would be useless," Ambraz said. "First, you don''t know if you want to keep it. Second, it''s a growth type, so there''s no need to risk it. You realize it''s a hundred percent, right?"


    "I might have missed that," Irwin said as he hummed. "So, slot it?"


    "Yeah. Let''s see what a soulstrum guitar even is."


    Irwin hesitated for a moment, then held the card above the final slot of his left hand. By now, he had enough experience with it that he wasn''t at all surprised when it simply slid into his hand. There was a bright, blood-red glow from his hand as a third tattoo appeared beside the others.


    For a moment, nothing happened, and then Irwin sensed a presence appear in his mind. It wasn''t like the other cards, not even like his soulcard. Instead, it was accompanied by a solid sensation, and instinctively, he raised his hand, pulling it to him.


    A heavy coper-colored instrument appeared in his hands, the weight trying to drag them down.


    "Heavy," Irwin hissed as he put it on the table, which creaked dangerously.


    The soulstrum guitar was longer than he had expected, though not unwieldy, and every part of it was simple yet beautiful, from its sleek neck to its rounded body. The hole across which the strings should go was a bit bigger than what Irwin had seen before, and dense ripples of soulforce were visible inside. At the same time, a soft, happy resonance came from the instrument.


    "Damn¡­ you could brain someone with that," Ambraz said. "Alright, let''s see what it does!"


    Irwin nodded, picking the guitar back up and putting it on his knee. He had only very little experience with the lutes, just enough to test them out, but he did know all of them had little knobs on the neck. This one didn''t. All there was was the neck, slightly curved at the end, and the body. No strings, no knobs. Nothing.


    So, now how do I get you to work, Irwin thought as he focused on the instrument.


    A sense of something drawing on his soulforce came from the soulstrum guitar, and he allowed it to pull in a bit. Bright fiery light that looked like molten metal rushed from the neck to the body as six strings softly hummed to life.


    "Nice, I can see it definitely took after your current soulcard," Ambraz said. "That matches with what I know of the Inspired type."


    Irwin barely heard him, feeling the incredible urge to strum the strings. Putting his thumb there, he could feel the intense heat radiating from the strings, and he immediately knew that he had to keep it away from anyone who couldn''t handle the heat. Just touching the top string caused an odd humming thrum, and experimentally, he pulled it down slightly before releasing it.


    A howling whine, like a massive demon screeching in the night, erupted from the guitar as Irwin''s soulforce resonated all at once, guided by the soulstrum guitar.


    Irwin clapped his hand on the snares, causing them to quiet.


    Soft cracking sounds came from all around, and he looked up. Faint crack lines ran across the surrounding walls while startled screeches came from the hall, followed by people shouting questions.


    "Shit," he whispered.

 Chapter 258: Barging in

    Narios blew through his saxhorn, enjoying the beautiful sound that rang from it as he stood on the tiny podium by himself. It was his favorite spot to play nowadays¡ªeven better than his own room, which was adjacent to the classroom, making it all the more perfect.


    He was about to focus on the piece''s best part when he heard someone heavy running through the nearby halls. That by itself wasn''t that odd. Students ran around the building at all times, even during eight-day. However, when the footsteps came closer and stopped at his door, he frowned. Lowering his saxhorn, he looked at the door at the back of the small and cluttered classroom. He recognized the specific cadence and thud of the person who had come.


    He was about to ask what was wrong when there was a loud knock on the door, causing it to shudder in its frame.


    "Irwin, you can-" he shouted quickly, worried the overgrown smith would just burst in.


    The door was shoved open before he finished, and the towering metal smith ran inside, his face a mixture of wonder, awe, and confused uncertainty.


    Well, that is new, Narios thought, suddenly worried.


    He put his saxhorn on the nearby chair and quickly walked down the small, three-step staircase. Irwin hadn''t been here for a while, at least not like Skylar had. Even then, each time Irwin did come, he showed that he''d been practicing a lot. Where and when Narios still didn''t know, and he had thought the academy''s piano was the only one around, and Irwin had just shrugged when asked.


    "What''s wrong?" he asked, not sure what to make of any of it.


    Irwin stopped before him, then looked around as if to make sure there wasn''t anyone else around.


    This is getting more and more curious, Narios thought, his worry slipping when he saw the young Smith wasn''t wounded.


    "Teacher Narios, do you know what this is?"


    Narios was about to ask what he meant when an absurdly large guitar made of gleaming metal appeared in Irwin''s hands.


    "Soulstrum guitar!" Narios said as he recognized the obscure instrument.


    His mind jolted as he inadvertently recalled what he knew of the guitar. It was one of many instruments that were very rarely used, partially because it required an absurdly high soulforce control, but more so because unless it was a carded summon, the instrument required someone to have an absolutely massive soulscape. Something on the order of two diamond soulcards, which only a handful of people on most worlds had.


    Narios instantly knew that this one wasn''t any regular soulstrum either, as those were not made of metal. He stepped forward, eyes wide, and raised his hand before hesitating.


    "Can I¡­"


    Irwin nodded, holding out the guitar. Narios took it, and immediately, his eyes widened. Veins popped up along his neck and head as he felt the absolutely massive weight of the guitar try to drag his body to the ground.


    "By Yilda, how heavy is this!"


    Irwin quickly took it back, putting it on a nearby table, and Narios rubbed his arms, hoping he hadn''t strained anything. But as he began inspecting the instrument, he forgot about that, whistling in appreciation.


    "Entirely out of metal, no strings. I presume those are created from your soulforce?"


    "Yes."


    "Good, good- okay, whatever you do, don''t use too much power when you play this! If you do, you might blow out someone''s eardrums!"


    When there was no reply, Narios looked up to see Irwin grimace.


    "Wait¡­ you tried it already? What happened?! Did anyone get hurt?"


    "No, no! Nothing like that," Irwin said quickly. "I just¡­ scared some people."


    "I can imagine," Narios muttered. "Alright. I take it you are here to learn how to play it?"


    "I am¡­"


    Hearing the uncertainty, Narios looked back. "You don''t know? Why would you slot something like this if you weren''t sure?"


    Had the boy just willy-nilly slotted such a rare, beautiful instrument? It might have a ton of weaknesses, its weight not the least of it, but he knew a handful of people who would have loved to have it and slotted it in one of their few remaining slots. If Irwin were to remove it now, the card would be nearly ruined.


    "It didn''t sound very nice," Irwin said, sounding confused and worried.


    Narios blinked, then burst out laughing. "Right, well, if you don''t know how to play it, that''s a guarantee. A friend of mine in the city has one. Do you have anything to do? Otherwise, we can go and see her. I''m sure she''ll be able to tell you how to play it and share what it sounds like."


    Besides, if she heard I found someone else with a soulstrum guitar, let alone a card, and not immediately brought him over, she would never talk to me again, Narios thought.


    "That would be great!"


    Seeing the honest joy in the young Smith''s eyes, Narios grinned. "Right, let me get my saxhorn, then we can go. By the way, where did you even find this thing?"


    "I didn''t. We reforged it."


    Narios hand froze halfway to his saxhorn, and he looked back. There was no sign of trickery in the Smith''s blazing eyes and slowly nodded.


    "That''s very impressive¡­ it''s Ruby rank?"


    Narios quickly turned to his own instrument when Irwin nodded again, and he swallowed. It took him a moment to school his impression before cradling his saxhorn.


    "Well, then, I''ve got a few questions for you as we walk," he said, grabbing his traveling case. "One thing. Don''t tell anyone who we went to see, alright? She''s a bit of an eccentric."


    --


    Irwin lay with his head on his arms, staring at the still-empty front of the classroom without really seeing it. His mind was still in a bit of a daze, as he''d only just returned to the academy without as much as a minute of sleep.


    Narios had brought him to a house in the city that belonged to a wealthy merchant family where they had met his friend, a tall woman with glittering eyes called Rosetta. Everything after that was a blur of questions, music, and practice. If it hadn''t been for his enhanced endurance he would be out cold, but even that only barely helped. He felt drained, tired and happy.


    "You look more tired than they do," Skylar whispered, poking him in the shoulder.


    I should have stayed in bed, Irwin thought as he raised his head from his arms and sniffed.


    He''d not even noticed when Skylar had sat down beside him. Pasilha and Roubi lay nearby in roughly the same state, though their reason had been the set of hall parties that had raged through a few of the academy''s buildings the day before.


    "I got an impromptu lesson from Narios and¡­ a friend of his yesterday," he said, wondering if Rosetta was really just a friend of Narios. The way they had been arguing while glaring at each other reminded him more of how siblings argued, though they didn''t look a bit alike.


    "So?" Skylar asked, confused. "You barely sleep as it is¡­"


    "Yeah, well, this drained my soulcard," Irwin said.


    He grimaced as he recalled the feeling of nearly emptying his energy to do the things Narios and Rosetta had asked him to do. He''d gotten a lot of practice with Vera, draining himself of energy, but yesterday had been way worse. Just thinking about it made him shiver. Still, every time he drained it completely, it seemed like the refill time became marginally faster. According to Ambraz, there was a limit to that, but he wasn''t there yet.


    "So you showed him your screaming guitar!? What did he say?" Skylar asked excitedly, causing even the two almost comatose Ignitzions to look up.


    "It''s called a soulstrum guitar," Irwin said. "And it doesn''t scream... well, not all the time."


    He couldn''t stop a grin from popping up as he recalled the clear, haunting tones and wild, electrifying sound that Rosetta had managed to draw from her soulstrum guitar. Even now, the powerful melodies played through the back of his mind, causing him to tap along.


    Skylar muttered something about wanting to hear it, but Irwin just put his head back down.


    He only managed to catch part of the lesson that day, and he was incredibly glad the second lesson was metal refining. Mind on zero as he felt his soulcard fill back up, Irwin hammered the Gneisian Ore with only the power of his body.


    Finally, when the day was over, and he was planning to head back home for an early rest, Skylar found him.


    "So, are you going to show us what it can do!?" he asked.


    Irwin hesitated, caught between his desire to sleep and to show off his new card.


    "Fine, but only a little," he finally said.


    Skylar gave him a double thumbs up while Pasilha and Roubi nodded excitedly.


    They made their way to Skylar''s chambers as Irwin''s dampening runes were still busted. The room was surprisingly empty and ordered, with just a few random books lying around the otherwise austere and bare room.


    "Do you even live here?" Roubi asked, dropping down on a couch and looking around in surprise.


    "As little as possible," Skylar said, turning to Irwin. "Alright, let''s hear it!"This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    "Wait, wait! It''s not going to be as loud as the first time, right?" Pasilha asked.


    Irwin laughed. "No, that was my mistake. I didn''t know I had to limit the energy in the snares and body, so I had too much in there."


    He sat down and summoned his guitar, an act that was both new and familiar at the same time.


    "Wow! It''s so pretty," Roubi squealed, her eyes gleaming. "I never saw a full-metal string instrument!"


    "Fitting for smiths," Pasilha agreed.


    "Yes, very," Skylar said, leaning forward. "Now, let me hear it!"


    Irwin calmed himself, thinking for a second before settling on a very simple song. Not that he had much choice as he only knew a handful, and most were meant for a lute. As he began plucking the snares, smooth and clear tones came out.


    "That sounds almost like a lute¡­" Skylar said, sounding let down.


    "Because I''ve only put enough soulforce in the strings to have them resonate," Irwin said as he stopped.


    "So, put some more in!"


    "I''m getting to that! I only have it for a day," Irwin said.


    He plucked a string, slowly increasing the amount of soulforce until the resonance began louder and seemed more like a whine. When he knew it was at the power he needed, he took a deep breath, focusing on the only song Rosetta had taught him meant for the soulstrum. He barely knew the first part, and even that was difficult.


    A soft, beautiful whine came as he started playing, and as focused as he could be, he played through the first part of the song. It was difficult and cumbersome, yet he couldn''t stop grinning as he played. Something about the sound, like metal wires pulled taut, sounded right to him. The fact that he''d already found that he could now play even the odd chords and bending notes on the Galadin music sheets helped.


    "I like it," Skylar said, nodding. "It''s not as good as saxhorn, but you need to get better quickly! I want to play some songs together!"


    "That''s going to take a while," Irwin said as he unsummoned Ethereal Strings.


    Roubi had been listening quietly until now, but as the soulstrum disappeared, she shot up. "Awe! Can''t you play a bit more?"


    "Sorry, it''s really time to sleep," Irwin said. "I haven''t slept in two days."


    He rose, ignoring Roubi''s fake pout, and walked to the door.


    "I''ll see you tomorrow!" he said with a quick wave.


    "You are going to sleep, right?" Ambraz asked as he walked through the hallway.


    "Definitely," Irwin said, though as he said it, he felt a bubbling desire to practice just a bit more.


    --


    Vibru''s hand rested on the pommel of his new sword, a razor-thin, hand-width beauty made of Breezium with a Frostiron edge. It had cost him half of his savings, but he wasn''t willing to wield anything that wasn''t up to his standards.


    "Tell me that again," he said, doing his best to hold back a glare, barely believing what he''d heard.


    Terlo looked back while unceremoniously picking his nose and flicking something on the deck.


    "Sure. Losing your hearing? It happens to the best of us," the long-haired, handsome man said, shaking his head. So, the Currant Hunters have been gathering in or near Dimarintsia. What for, I have nooooo idea. They have tasked every small mercenary that is in any way bound to them with snatching up a whole bunch of cardsmiths¡ªa bit like you! Again, I couldn''t figure out what for, but I do know they are largely responsible for the missing smiths, which is information I''m going to be able to get a lot of money for!"


    Vibru held back from dashing forward in an attempt to cut Terlo''s head off. He knew he''d never make it in time, no matter how much he wanted to kill the disrespectful fool. Besides, he might need his information again if he was going to ignore the stupid order he''d gotten.


    "So! Thanks for the payment, and I''d say till we meet again, but I''ve got a little message for you, too," Terlo said happily. "Zirt says that he''ll be seeing you soon! I''m pretty sure it''s not to have a drink. Now, bye-bye!"


    A blinding swirl of light appeared around Terlo, and when it faded, there was no sign of him.


    "Damn slippery little eel," Vibru hissed.


    "Captain, this whole thing stinks," someone muttered.


    Vibru turned to his waiting crew, not sure who had spoken. Not that it mattered. He could see the dubious looks in many eyes, and he wasn''t surprised. Unlike most, he preferred somewhat intelligent crewmembers, even if that sometimes meant they were annoying to deal with.


    "It does," Vibru said, knowing it was time for change. It took him only a moment to decide where to go, something he''d been worried about for a while.


    "Which is why we are going to ignore Zirt''s orders for now," he said, scanning his crew. He knew there likely was at least one among them that was selling information to Zirt, but until he could figure out which one, there was an easy way to solve it.


    "Set course to the Chaos Corridors. We have provisions for a year, and we are going to use all we need," he ordered before turning to Sloudiner. The wiry, easily frightened man stood to the side, wringing his hands.


    "Sloudiner, prepare to create your long-term barrier. As soon as we reach a suitable location, put it up."


    Sloudiner nodded, a look of relief on his face. The rest of the crew began spreading out while Vibru walked to his barrier specialist. When he was close enough, he lowered his voice to a whisper.


    "Put it on full power and block, and detect modus. As soon as you notice anyone trying to send a message, come warn me."


    Sloudiner''s worry returned with a vengeance, but he still nodded.


    It was one of the reasons Vibru kept him around. Although he was scared and weak, he never let either of those stop him, and he had a card that most of the nobles and merchant families would kill for.


    "Yes, captain."


    "Good. Now, get to it!"


    Vibru watched Sloudiner run away, heading below deck. Then, alone, he walked to the prow and glared at the distant harbor of Granvox. They had been observing it for a week, hidden by Sloudiner''s barriers, until he''d finally managed to get into contact with his contact. Now, he was glad he hadn''t contacted his informant a second time. The chances of that bastard Zirt finding out were too big. Besides, he''d already ordered tracking runes to be hidden on that Smith''s ship.


    I''ll have some words with you about destroying my sword, Smith, he thought as a nasty grin spread on his face. I''m sure delivering you to Dimarintsia will net me enough for a true replacement.


    --


    Days then weeks flew by, and Irwin''s skills improved rapidly, powered by his near-endless endurance. He spent nearly every waking moment practicing and reforging. The most notable growth was with his instrument skills, both on his soulstrum and on the piano¡ªwhich he''d continued practicing on¡ªthough his metal purifying wasn''t too far behind.


    Underlying all of this was his greatly increasing control over his own soulforce.


    By now, his ability to sideways reforge emerald-rank cards had improved to the point that he succeeded on half of all his attempts, which made the ever-growing lack of cards even more annoying.


    Now, almost three months after they arrived, he was sitting in Ambraz''s servant chambers together with Greldo and the others. Only Boohm wasn''t here, still fruitlessly trying to pursue and woo Singara.


    Well¡­ she did allow him to take her out for dinner, Irwin thought. If that was to just get it over with because she had come around, or if she was going to have the relentless Onyxan bound and beaten until he promised to leave her be, he didn''t know.


    "-was incredible," Zender exclaimed, waving his hands around.


    Irwin held back a grin, nodding seriously, looking at what had been only a boy a few years ago. Now, courtesy of his cards, he was growing at an absolutely incredible rate. Not seeing him every day made it even more visible. What pleased Irwin even more was that Zender''s boundless enthusiasm had grown just as much. He was currently in the midst of telling of their latest shardworld exploration.


    His eyes were gleaming, and Irwin knew he wanted to show him something as he kept reaching for his pocket before holding back.


    "Earila had scouted the whole place, so we had found the perfect place for an ambush atop this old tower," Zender continued. "So, when they passed below, I struck with my whip and caught that four-horn''s neck, pulling him up before he even knew what hit him! Before the others could act, Earila and her Faerit ripped into them. It only took us a few minutes to clear them all! Then we found the linchpin, which was this really weird spiral rune that was carved into a giant boulder. We actually had to roll them over until we found the right one, which took forever!"


    "Everything went incredibly smooth, Captain," Earila said, smiling proudly as she fidgeted with her hair.


    Irwin grinned while Rindiri was sitting at the table, arms crossed.


    "And at which part did that flying snake try to eat Earila?" she asked, her voice showing she wasn''t pleased by that part.


    "That wasn''t Zender''s fault!" Earila said hurriedly. "It had been hiding in those stupid gasses that covered the sky and-"


    "And the two of you were so busy congratulating yourselves that you found the linchpin that you didn''t see it until it was almost too late," Rindiri said, shaking her head. "If I hadn''t been there, one of you would have lost a limb. Or worse!"


    Zender looked at Earila and rolled his eyes so that their mother couldn''t see before focusing back on Irwin.


    Irwin felt his face hurt slightly from holding back the grin he felt. He never had younger siblings, but he could almost imagine one acting like Zender and Earila were.


    "Anyway, Captain, I managed to kill that flying serpent, and it dropped something really awesome!" Zender said.


    "Which you haven''t been willing to show me but keep implying I''ll like," Greldo said, leaning forward. "So, are we finally going to see this mysterious card, or do I have to come get it?"


    Zender laughed as he very slowly pulled out a card before presenting it to Irwin.


    "Boohm knew what it was, and he almost went ballistic and said we had to sell it," Zender said quickly. "But when he told me what it did¡­" he looked at Earila, who nodded with a grin. "We decided it would be perfect for Greldo!"


    "Let me see it then," Irwin said, his excitement starting to grow.


    He''d tried finding hound summons for Greldo, but to his surprise, there had been none. The best he''d been able to find were two amethyst-rank snakes, a weird-looking little fish, and a frog. He''d kept them all for the people back home, but it had surprised both him and Ambraz that there were no more.


    Examining the card, he saw a nondescript animal that could be a dog, cat, or rat, surrounded by innumerable shadowy copies.


    "Oh, ho ho!" Ambraz said as he flew nearly on top of the card. "And this is why so many people still hunt for their own cards, kid! If this were even to reach a market, it would be sold somewhere not even Brazardian could enter to buy it. If he even had the soulshards for it. No, these are the cards that make it worthwhile to spend the time and effort!"


    Irwin blinked, stunned by Ambraz''s excitement. He tried to determine what the card could do, but from all he could see, it was just a card modification utility type. It seemed specific to summons and probably shadow-related, which was good, but this good?


    "It''s that good?" Zender whispered, echoing his own thoughts.


    The young Yuurindi''s eyes gleamed a purplish silver as he quickly turned to Greldo. "That means you are going to have to keep training me for a long time!"


    Greldo had leaned forward, staring intently at the card, and sniffed. "Let''s see what it does first," he said before grinning at Zender. "And what makes you think you are getting rid of me that easy anyway? Until you can make me go serious, there''s no way you are good enough yet!"


    Irwin felt a wave of happiness as he saw the honest joy in Zender''s eyes.


    "Now then, how about you tell me exactly what this thing does or should do to have you so excited?" he said, looking at Ambraz.


    "Oh, nothing much. Do you remember that bar with the lady with the clone technique, or the barber back on Fiverio?"


    Irwin''s eyebrows shot up as he stared at the card. "This is a clone card?"


    "Yes, one that only works on a carded summons and is shadow-typed, not that the latter is surprising as most clone techniques are either shadow or elemental," Ambraz said, grinning. "Still, every Assassins Guild, Merchants Guild, or Noble House would kill for this if they knew we had it."


    Irwin whistled, then examined the card a bit more. "How rare are they exactly?"


    "Well, not as rare as mind or mental cloning cards or actual cloning cards, but beyond those? This is a great find, and Boohm is right. If you would sell this, you could probably buy all of the cards in any average merchant shop and have soulshards left over."


    "Then we should do that," Greldo said, though his eyes seemed locked to the card. "If we can buy that many cards, we can bring them back home."


    Irwin felt his excitement drop like a brick, but Ambraz just snorted.


    "Not in a thousand years, brat. This card will make you way more useful in nearly any situation, and with everything that''s going on¡­ well, let''s just say it might not be as easy to return home as you seem to think right now."


    Irwin looked at Ambraz. They had been together for such a long time now that he instantly recognized the worry in the Ganvil''s voice.


    "What''s wrong?" he said.


    "Brazardian called me over a few days ago to warn me," Ambraz said. "Apparently, a few of the Smiths Guild worlds have been attacked, and hundreds of smiths were abducted. It''s unclear who was responsible, but a few smaller mercenary ships were found crashed. Nobody was found alive in the worlds, even the non-combatants having been wiped out or taken. This includes Vor''hest, one of Hestolgron''s Proginy."


    "Gelwins balls," Greldo grunted as he looked at Irwin. "Fine¡­ reforge it. Sideways upwards, I don''t care. I''ll take it."

 Chapter 259: Package delivery?

    "Music sheets!" Irwin shouted as he sat upright in bed, eyes wide.


    "Wu- what??" Ambraz grunted from his perch, yawning. "What are you shouting for!?"


    Irwin slung his legs out of bed, sprinting into the main room. Grabbing his booklet, he flipped to the page with the cards he''d decided he wanted for his final three slots. The first two, the teleportation and a mental cloning card, were underlined, but without hesitation, he scratched the two options he''d narrowed it down, either to increase his soulforce or his soulforce sensitivity.


    "A card that works like Vera''s diagrams but shows the music notes of the card as we reforge it," he said as he jotted it down. Then he looked up at Ambraz.


    "Oh¡­ that''s not a bad idea!" Ambraz said, landing on the table.


    "Perhaps it''s easier to get, and it would help us find out why I keep failing with these two," Irwin said, jabbing his finger at the two elusive cards. "Someone must have tried this, right?"


    "I''ve never heard of one, but that doesn''t mean it''s not possible¡­ I''m sure I can find something about it! Go and practice. I''ll ask around!"


    Irwin grinned as Ambraz rushed out through the small tube that allowed the Ganvil easy access to his room.


    "That way, I can play the sheets and see how my play is wrong," he thought.


    A quick look outside told him it would be hours till he needed to reach class, and deciding he could just spend his time wisely, he pulled out his soulstrum guitar.


    Ambraz didn''t return when he started hearing people walk and chat in the hallway.


    Irwin finished a simple set of chords that Rosetta had told him. It was roughly the equivalent of putting his finger on the piano on the far left and just moving it along to the other side. Simple, but he still couldn''t do it as quickly and smoothly as he wanted, especially when he started changing the power in the soulstrings. Still, he was rapidly increasing his ability to find the chords he needed without looking, and he couldn''t wait till he got even more time.


    When we are on the way back, I''ll have all the time I need, he thought.


    As the sounds died down, he let out a content sigh, unsummoned his soulstrum guitar, and headed to the first class.


    --


    Irwin was distracted as he struck the piece of Gneisian Ore. His thoughts moved from cards Ambraz would hopefully find to their imminent departure.


    It felt like he''d only been here for such a short time, even though he knew it had been months. His knowledge about card categories and typings had greatly expanded, and he learned a lot of reforging tricks, but there was still so much more to learn! He had barely learned the basic categories.


    Perhaps I can get some of those books along, he thought.


    Although he''d skipped a year on all card-reforging, he was only average with any of the theoretical classes, and he really wished he could stay for another year or more.


    Then again, he missed his family, and the longer he was around Inigtzions, the more he wanted to see Scintilla again.


    I just hope I''ll have enough time to reforge the final cards and slot them, he thought, thinking about the handful of cards left in his room.


    He still hadn''t managed to reforge either a short-range teleport or the mental cloning skill- though reforging Greldo''s new shadow clone utility card had given him a few ideas.


    As he struck the Gneisian Ore, then flipped it over sideways again, he hummed.


    Greldo''s new card had extra layers in the music that he hadn''t seen in others yet, and he and Ambraz had concluded that it had to be the way cloning cards worked. There was a certain logic to the cards that he was slowly starting to recognize, with fire and metal cards being the easiest to grasp. He had been able to add fire to cards that had a category close enough that it made sense. Now, if only he could figure out how to give some card the cloning-


    "Irwin, hang back after class!"


    He blinked, startled by the sudden voice. Still, his hammer struck as true as ever, and only after that did he look up. Vera stood to the side, raising an eyebrow. When he nodded, she turned and walked.


    I''m pretty sure I don''t have another lesson, Irwin thought, wondering what she wanted.


    Then he stilled. Should he ask her about his idea for a card that created music sheets? Perhaps she would have an idea. He hesitated, then decided to first see what Ambraz could come up with.


    A short while later, the lesson ended, and he waved at Pasilha, mouthing ''later''. When everyone was away, Irwin walked up to Vera, who was tapping an anvil, seeming distracted.


    "Brazardian summoned me. He said you are going to leave soon and to give you the Gneisian Ore when you do," she said, looking at him quietly. When he didn''t say anything, she sniffed. "He didn''t say where you were going, but he did say there was no other way."


    Irwin nodded but remained quiet. As much as he liked Vera and valued her teachings, there was no reason to tell her any more if even Brazardian hadn''t. Still, his mood was boosted by the prospect of being allowed to take the Gneisian Ore along. He would need months more to finish purifying it, and although Ambraz was close to his fourth rank, he still needed a bit of a push.


    "Right, well, then don''t tell me!" Vera said, unable to hide her annoyance. "You haven''t gone to see the Dean yet, have you?"


    "No, I was really busy, and¡­ well, he probably has a lot to do," Irwin said with a shrug.


    He knew it wasn''t the real reason¡ªwell, not completely. He had been busy to the point that he''d completely forgotten about the Dean.


    "Well, go and see him today so you don''t forget," Vera said, crossing her arms. "He specifically asked for you to see him."


    Irwin nodded. "I will."


    "Good, and make sure you come to tell me before you leave," Vera said.


    Irwin agreed and quickly said his goodbyes, then left the classroom. He was halfway down the hall when Ambraz zipped toward him, landing on his shoulder with a wide, content smile.


    Irwin stopped and looked at his companion. Ambraz remained quiet, though his smile widened even more, the corners of his metallic lips almost touching the sides of his anvil body.


    "So, you found something," Irwin said, raising an eyebrow.


    "Oh yes!"


    Irwin tapped his foot. "So¡­ are you going to share?"


    Ambraz burst out laughing, then began talking excitedly.


    "Apparently, it''s not as unheard of as we thought. The thing is that very few people are interested in them, which is great for us! I''ve managed to get us seven cards that have potential just by flying around all morning. Ester at the Greenbark Card Center will be picking them up, and we can go grab them in a few hours!"


    Irwin knew he was grinning almost as maniacally as Ambraz by now.


    "What rank are the cards, and how big do you think the chances are we can make one with the seven cards?"


    "Kid, unless you deliberately fail, you might have to choose which one it''s going to be."


    "Alright, lets go and see the Dean, then we can go and pick up our cards," Irwin said.


    "The Dean? What for?"


    Irwin quickly told Ambraz what had happened.


    As they reached the central hallway, Irwin was surprised to find Narios pacing around the main corridor. As soon as he saw Irwin, he strode forward.


    "Is it true that you are leaving soon?" he asked, eyes wide.


    "News really travels fast here," Irwin muttered.


    "Yeah, the teachers were talking about it earlier," Narios said, crossing his arms. "Can''t you stay? You still have a long way to go with your soulstrum guitar, and Rosetta really enjoys having someone else play the same instrument."


    "I can''t," Irwin said, feeling a tiny pang.


    He''d only seen Rosetta twice, and both had been short encounters, but he''d learned a lot. The calm, quiet woman had shown him how to properly form the soulstrings and explain how to best strum them. If he had to do all that by himself, it would be a lot slower.


    Wait¡­ if I can get that card, perhaps I can put the music she plays onto a paper, Irwin thought.


    "Ugh, well, that''s a real shame," Narios said, his shoulder slumping slightly. "She''s going to be annoyed for months."


    Irwin looked at him, wondering which part bothered Narios more: Irwin leaving or Rosetta''s reaction to that. Then again, he hadn''t told Skylar and the girls yet, and he wasn''t looking forward to that either. He had only known them for a few months, but he''d been with them for a lot of that time.


    "Anyway, how long do we have? We should go and see her at least once more," Narios said.


    "Days or weeks," Irwin said, knowing it was far more likely the former.


    Narios looked at him and grimaced. "That fast, huh? Fine. We should go and see her tonight. Are you free?"


    "I need to meet with the Dean first," Irwin said. Then, I need to pick up some cards in the merchant district."


    "Alright, we can do that as we move to Rosetta. Were you going to see the Dean right now?"


    "I was planning on it. Well, if I can find him."


    "Alright, let''s go. I know where he is," Narios said, turning and walking deeper into the building.


    Irwin quickly caught up, having to take small steps not to outpace the much shorter teacher.


    They continued deeper into the building to an area Irwin hadn''t been to before the central teacher''s rooms. It was a large lounge area, currently empty, with a staircase leading up.


    "He''s still up there," Narios said, pointing at the stairs. "If he is expecting you, just go there. I''ll hang back here, and we can see Rosetta afterward!"


    How does he know? Irwin wondered.


    "Alright. I''ll be right back."


    As he climbed the solid metal stairs, he felt a tiny bit worried and looked at Ambraz, who was sitting on his shoulder.


    "Don''t worry," Ambraz said, sounding as calm as ever. Even if he knows about your ammolite soulcard, there''s not going to be any problems¡ªnot with Brazardian here. Besides, from what I heard about Salwek den Valarn, he is as loyal to this academy as any Ganvil."If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    "You know of him?" Irwin.


    "Yeah. He used to be a powerful warrior, and he''s one of a few carded that became a smith later in life. According to the rumors, he has six soulcards, at least half of which are meant for fighting. That makes him easily one of the most dangerous men in this part of the Langost Branch."


    Irwin swallowed as he imagined having six soulcards. With just the one he had, he was already able to fight evenly with lower-ranked combat carded that had two or three. Part of that was due to his ability to take his opponents by surprise with the versatility and raw physical power his soulcard gave him and a healthy helping of luck, but even then... What if he had six soulcards, or better yet, what if he had them all?


    Even if I live that long, who knows what else roams the Portal Gallery, he thought, tempering his own desire.


    He remembered his battle with Doomblade fervently. That had been very difficult, and there were bound to be many carded around far more powerful or those that would counter him. He wondered what would happen if he''d come across a diamond carded focusing on ice and teleportation.


    As he thought about that, he felt his annoyance grow at his inability to find a proper teleport card. Perhaps he should just pick a fire one, after all? Those were reasonably easy to find.


    No. First, let''s check those cards Ambraz has found us and see if that won''t help.


    With what he had learned over the last few months, he knew that his first card had been dangerously spread out across different categories and types. If he hadn''t had Ambraz''s help, and if the base card, his hammer, hadn''t been Ammolite, things might have gone differently. No, for his next card, he wanted to focus solely on things dealing with soulforce and sound.


    A desire to turn and run to the city to get the cards to see what he''d get almost made him stop, but he powered on.


    When he reached the top of the stairs, he arrived at a short corridor ending with a door that was partially open.


    "Come on in, Irwin."


    The old, cracked voice momentarily reminded Irwin of Gelwin, but when he entered, he saw that the Dean looked nothing like the ancient sorcerer. Though old, wrinkled, and with patchy hair, the man didn''t look like the sitting corpse that Gelwin had resembled. He wasn''t sitting either but stood in the center of the room with his arms clasped behind his back, radiating power. A muted gray Ganvil sat on his shoulder. Its lips curved in a tiny smile as if he knew something nobody else did.


    "So, I almost thought you were ignoring me," the Dean said as his steely gray eyes sparkled with humor. "Did you really need to be reminded to come see me?"


    Irwin kept quiet, not sure how to respond to that.


    "Well, I guess you have been kept fairly busy," the Dean said as he walked forward. "Let''s start by getting something out of the way."


    He stepped forward with his hand held out. At the same time, the door behind Irwin closed with a soft thud.


    Now what? Irwin thought.


    He hesitated, then grabbed the Dean''s hand, and the power contained in the smaller, wrinkled hand caused his eyes to widen. It was as if he had grabbed metal wrapped in old leather.


    The Dean smiled at him for a moment, then squeezed.


    Irwin quickly returned the strong grip, initially matching it. But the squeeze continued to increase in power, and soon, he felt a growing awe as he looked at the old man. Within a moment, his kinetic energy shot up, and he didn''t hesitate to pump it into his hand.


    A dull boom came from their clenched hands, and Irwin felt a tiny stinging in his hand palm.


    Dean just raised an eyebrow, still increasing the pressure.


    Irwin''s hand, which had been able to slam through rock walls and knock out four-horned Galubs, slowly felt like it was about to shatter.


    "Hey, he needs that hand!" Ambraz snapped.


    The Dean blinked. "Ah, right! Sorry, it''s just been a while since someone was able to hold on so long. I had hoped it would continue for a bit.


    Irwin wanted to curse, but he held back, afraid the man would start increasing the strain again. As it was, his hand felt like it was caught in some massive vice.


    The Dean relaxed his grip but didn''t release Irwin''s hand.


    "Not bad. I''d advise you to not get complacent about your physical strength. It might be enough to beat around most regular carded, even those with a few soulcards, but if you come across some of those that really know how to build their soulcards, you are going to come up short."


    Irwin nodded. He hadn''t expected this one bit.


    "How strong are you?" he blurted, hoping the man was going to release his hand soon.


    "Hard to say. I could shatter even those Copperion bones in your hand," the Dean said with a calm grin. "But don''t worry¡ªI won''t. Now, let''s go somewhere we can talk freely."


    Irwin was about to ask what that meant when he sensed a gentle grip wrap all around him, squeezing slightly around his soulcard. It resonated subtly and softly.


    ''He wants to draw you into his soulscape!'' Ambraz snapped. ''I¡­ I think you should just go.''


    "How?" Irwin asked, not caring who answered.


    ''Here, like this,'' Ambraz said, and Irwin felt a resonance from the Ganvil. It matched the one Irwin felt squeezing him, and Ambraz vanished from his shoulder.


    ''Wow! Come in here, kid! You''ve gotta see this!''


    Irwin focused on his soulcard, letting it resonate ever so slowly with the grip. There was a moment of blackness, and then he appeared in midair, feeling a gentle, warm breeze wrap around him.


    "Welcome, Irwin!"


    Irwin looked up, then around, barely believing what he saw. He''d always heard that his own soulscape was big, but he had a hard time fathoming his surroundings.


    A soulscape barrier hung hundreds of feet above him, and he could only see the edges all around. A lake, half as large as his own but nearly filled, sparkled in the middle. Metallic and stone-like trees stood and grew around it, most seeming to originate from a section with a single massive tree. Its canopy almost reached the soulscape barrier, the leaves gleaming like greenish metal. Dozens of odd pillars stood on one side, and what looked like a sleeping giant of metal lay far in the distance.


    "What do you think? Pretty decent for someone whose first card wasn''t Ammolite, right?"


    Irwin looked at the Dean who was hovering beside him. He looked younger than he had before, perhaps mid-forties and his heavily muscled hands and arms were clasped before his chest.


    "It''s incredible!" Irwin said honestly. "I thought soulscapes weren''t supposed to be this big?"


    "Nonsense. My old teachers would say I was slacking if they saw this," the Dean said, shaking his head. "No, this is pretty good for someone with a diamond-rank starting card, but I''m sure yours will be twice as large when you get six soulcards."


    Irwin nodded, glancing at the soullake thoughtfully.


    "Yeah, that''s the price of having a lower starting card," the Dean said, sounding uncaring. "Even if I''d get only ammolite cards after that one, my soullake won''t ever grow again."


    "There are ways to grow it, right?" Irwin said.


    He thought back to when he sang with the chaos whales, and he''d been purifying the purperion. On both occasions, his soullake had grown.


    "Sure, if I can find some mythical metal or card from stories," the Dean said with a grin. "Now, tell me, did you find your first card? Was it a growth-type card?"


    "Growth," Irwin said, hesitating only a moment.


    "Just like mine, then," the Dean said. "Well, from what I can sense it''s a very good card! Metal, fire, steam and¡­ kinetic energy?"


    Irwin stared at the Dean stupidly. How did he know all that?


    "Ah, right- you never came across another at our rank," the Dean said with a grin. "Well, you know how you can sense the general things of other people''s cards, right?"


    "Yes, I can sense their resonance," Irwin said.


    "Right, well, that only works with cards at or below your own rank. Seeing as I have more cards than you, I can roughly sense what you have."


    "Why isn''t it general knowledge that there is another rank above diamond?" Irwin asked.


    "Well, mostly because it''s useless, as even diamond cards are usually unobtainable for most people," the Dean said. "But there''s also the little trouble that the Noble Families, the Guilds, and the Underworld don''t want it to be common knowledge."


    Irwin frowned. He''d not heard the term, The Underworld before, though he had an inkling what those were.


    "Why not?"


    "Because as it is, they have people with ammolite cards, and this makes them able to hold on to their power," the Dean said with an ugly grin. "Never underestimate the desire for people with power to keep it."


    "So¡­ how did you get yours?" Irwin asked.


    "Simple. I was a rather successful Portal Gallery explorer in my younger years and actually found a few ranks two and three worlds. On one, I encountered a rather annoying demon that killed half of my crew. When I finally killed it, it was kind enough to drop a diamond rank growth card with an active skill. Those are the rarest growth cards, well, those and weapon summons."


    They are? Irwin thought, picturing his hammer and his soulstrum guitar.


    "Well, I guess you have seen more than one? Then count yourself lucky," the Dean said with a laugh. "It''s the reason so many people still move to the fringe branches in the hope of hitting gold. In reality, only a few people ever find one. Perhaps one every few years? When they do, they still need to slot the card. The thing is, the Guilds pay a premium for any combat viable cards with growth on it."


    "Why just combat?" Irwin asked, surprised. "Wouldn''t having a utility card with an active ability or a summon as your first card be fine if it ends up at ammolite rank?"


    "Sure, but if they do that, people will probably start connecting the dots," the Dean said with a grin. They still buy those, of course, and as most people never want them, some circulate. Just like the instrument you purchased not too long ago."


    Irwin''s eyes narrowed as he looked at the Dean. "Have you been spying on me?"


    "Of course! I spy on every smith that has bonded with one of the Progenies! Do you have any idea how powerful those can become?" the Dean said, laughing softly. "Don''t be angry, young friend. I only kept track of your purchases, which is why I know you have been looking for some very, very rare cards."


    Almost unwilling, Irwin felt his curiosity pique at that.


    "You know where I can find a card with mental cloning?" he asked.


    The Dean looked at him for a bit, then began lowering himself to the ground.


    "Before we get to that, let''s discuss why I called you here first," he said.


    Irwin followed after him, and as he landed, he saw that the stone ground was rising and reshaping into a table with two chairs. The Dean sat down and waved him to the other chair.


    "So, in addition to answering any questions you have on your ammolite card," the Dean said, "I also have a request for you."


    Irwin sat down, curious what he could do for someone like the Dean, who was stronger, a better smith, and had more knowledge than him.


    "I had a chat with Gynerigon a while ago, and I heard that you are going to be leaving to your own world," the Dean said.


    Did Brazardian tell the other Monarchs about us? Irwin thought, gritting his teeth.


    "Brazardian didn''t rattle on us! There''s no way," Ambraz snapped at the same time.


    "Now, I don''t know much about your world, but Gynergion said it is very far away and heavily defended. Is that true?"


    The Dean looked at him calmly, and when Irwin didn''t respond, he laughed.


    "You don''t have to be afraid. I am not asking with bad intentions. I ask because I need you to take four people with you and offer them sanctuary in your world for a few decades to a century."


    A century? Irwin thought, shaking his head in wonder.


    "Who?"


    "A very promising young smith and his sisters and my grandson," the Dean said. His seemingly permanent smile faltered, and he sighed as he leaned back in the chair. "Gynerigon told me that the rumors of a war raging on the other outskirts of the Portal Galery are true, and both of us worry that the odd things that have been happening on our own outer fringes might indicate something similar happening here."


    Irwin felt a tiny twinge of worry as he thought about Eluathar. "If that''s the case, why would you want anyone to go to the outer fringes?" he asked.


    "Because there is no information or knowledge anywhere of a new world found beyond Fiverion," the Dean said, smiling innocently. "If it isn''t, that means it''s not connected yet, and any chances of it being found are suddenly far smaller."


    "Even if that were all true," Irwin said slowly. "We have no idea what is even happening beyond the central branches. Whatever it is, it could just find worlds even if they aren''t connected to the network."


    "That''s true," the Dean said. "But if that''s the case, we might all be doomed."


    "Ugh! Aren''t you being just a bit too doom and gloom there, you old fogey?" Ambraz snapped. "Even if there is a war somewhere, they will just send in the Heglirons fleets to take care of it!"


    "Old¡­ fogey¡­" the Dean said in surprise. "I don''t think I''ve ever been called that, but I guess I do qualify by now."


    "Yes, yes. Now, how about you tell us why you really want us to take those brats?" Ambraz snapped. "And don''t go on about some war that might happen here."


    Dean was quiet for a long time, then snorted. "Gynerigon warned me about you. I guess he was right. Well, first off, I do think that war is dangerous. Underestimate it at your own risk. But you are right. There''s a second reason."


    "You dooooon''t say," Ambraz said mockingly.


    Irwin barely managed to hold back his grin.


    The Dean ignored the Ganvil, focusing on Irwin. "You have heard about those Smiths Guild worlds being attacked?"


    "We have," Irwin said, suddenly feeling no desire to laugh anymore.


    "Well, more attacks have happened, and the Smiths Guild is moving all of its most promising smiths to their most highly defended worlds. As well-defended as Granvox is, they have demanded these four to be moved¡­ and both Gynerigon and I fear they will be captured en route."


    Irwin slowly started to get what was going on. They couldn''t stay here, not with such a strong force of Smiths Guild people already here, and the paths leading further to the central worlds were likely dangerous. Still, if he brought four smiths to Eluathar, that meant they wouldn''t be allowed to leave. And what if they had single-use message cards?


    "I can see you are hesitating," the Dean said. "I don''t know exactly where your world is, but I can assume there is good reason for you to hesitate, so let me offer this. I have in my own collection a few cards that you should be able to reforge into a mental cloning or similar card. If you help me, I''ll let you have them."


    Irwin almost said yes, but then he held back. If the Dean had those, wouldn''t Brazardian have them? Perhaps he could just ask the Monarch.


    "I''ll need to think about it," he said slowly.


    "Understandable," the Dean said. "Though I ask that you tell me if you agree in two days from now. If you don''t, I''ll need to make alternative plans."


    "Of course," Irwin said.


    "Good. Then, if you have any questions, ask!"

 Chapter 260: Short notice

    Narios calmly walked next to the towering smith, taking the occasional glance. For a young man, he had a rather intimidating aura around him, and right now, he seemed deep in thought. He''d barely said a word as he returned from the Dean''s office.


    When they walked out of the academy and toward the merchant district, he decided it might be prudent to ask. If Irwin wasn''t in his right mind, it would be better not to see Rosetta.


    "So¡­ did everything go alright?" he asked, looking at Irwin.


    "Huh? Yeah¡­ just a lot on my mind!"


    "If you want to, we can see Rosetta tomorrow..." Narios said slowly.


    The obvious hesitation on Irwin''s face told him enough, and Narios forced himself to smile. As much as he preferred it to be otherwise, he was a teacher.


    "It''s alright! Just go and take care of the things you need to do, and we can go see her tomorrow!"


    Irwin looked at him, the volcanic red eyes swirling and hard to read, and Narios barely repressed a shudder. It was one of the reasons he never took body improvement cards. So many had these gruesome physical changes forced upon their wielder.


    "Alright, thank you. I do want to see her, but I want to attempt something first. Depending on how it goes¡­"


    Narios smirked as he saw Irwin''s eyes drift off. He''d noticed that, as soon as Irwin got an idea, he seemed fully focused on that.


    "I''ll come and find you tomorrow after your reforging class," Narios said. "Do you need me to stay¡­ or?"


    "No, it''s fine! Thanks, and I''ll see you tomorrow!"


    Narios nodded and smiled, then turned and walked back to the academy. If he was fast, he''d have time to play the larger part of his third attempt at creating a real opus.


    --


    Irwin continued walking, waiting until Narios was far away. Then he looked at Ambraz.


    "So¡­ what do we do?"


    "First focus on those cards and see if you can get your fourth one. After that we go and talk with Brazardian to see what he thinks. He has requested we both go and see him."


    "When?" Irwin asked in surprise.


    "Just after we left the Dean''s soulscape. It just said -come and bring your bond-."


    "Then we better hurry," Irwin muttered.


    He increased his pace as he headed straight for the Greenbark Card Center. He was more than a little excited at the prospect of seeing his idea come to fruition, not in the least because he hoped it would help him with the other cards.


    We could accept the Dean''s request and fix that really fast, he thought.


    Half an hour later, he was on the way back, seven new cards in his pocket, when he moved onto the final merchant square. A group of merchants, shopkeepers, and some customers were gathered on one side, listening to a merchant who was talking animatedly, making wide gestures with his arms. He looked well dressed, but his jerkin was slightly damaged, and he had a long scratch across his forehead.


    Irwin angled so he could listen in without it being too obvious.


    "-storm! I''m telling you, it was incredible. The barrier above the back of our fleet ruptured, and this massive storm covered us before we could leave," the haggard merchant said, shaking his head in dismay.


    "Where was it?" someone shouted from the crowd.


    Irwin slowed. As much as he wanted to rush to his room to start reforging, the mention of a chaos storm drew his attention.


    "The most eastern leaf branch is near Marobin. We were returning from a trip -a rather successful one, I might add- and it just¡­ happened! Massive, billowing clouds, black and filled with this purple soulforce. I''d heard about ambient soulforce, of course, but I''ve never seen it! It was incredible, and it felt like every bolt could cleave a ship in half! Some ripple struck the ship I was on, and our small mast was ripped to shreds, giving me this-" he touched the wound on his forehead.


    There was a muttered round of awe, and the merchant smiled around ruefully.


    Another merchant stepped forward, old and graying, arms crossed, and a worried look on his face. "Any losses?"


    The haggard merchant, who had seemed happy with the attention, wilted. With a look of weary resignation, he nodded. "We lost our scouting ship, two ore transporters, each with a dozen crewmen, and an escort."


    A collective moan came from the merchants, and the older merchant walked forward placing a hand on the other. "It will take Ms Jacob a decade to recoup the losses, but she will be fine. She didn''t place all her eggs in one basket."


    "Easy for you to say," someone else in the crowd bit angrily. "Not everyone has decades to spare!"


    The older merchant''s eyes narrowed, but before he could react, a young, longhaired shopkeeper spoke up.


    "This is the third chaos storm in a few months, Bertrand. Do you think it has something to do with those rumors?" she asked, looking at the older merchant.


    Irwin inched a bit closer, wondering if there had been chaos whales spotted during.


    "Of course not. Almost two hundred years ago, when I only had two shops, there was a month where we had over twenty! Sometimes it just happens," the old merchant said.


    "You aren''t the only one old enough to remember that," a wiry old shopkeeper said. Her voice was cracked and worn from age, but she glared at Bertrand. "That time was because two massive chaos monsters were fighting! Permanently destroyed two whole side corridors and a small branch! Are you suggesting that''s happening again, old man?"


    "Who knows! If it does, we will hear about it soon enough," Bertrand said before focusing on the merchant that had caused the commotion. "Come, junior, let''s take this to my shop. I''ve got some questions, and we are drawing a crowd."


    "Just curious to see which ore they lost, and where it was heading," the female shopkeeper snapped.


    Irwin listened for a few more moments, but all that happened was a shouting match between the two old people. He turned away, leaving the ragged merchant who seemed like he''d prefer to just leave himself, and walked towards the song and music district.


    "Think there were any chaos whales?" he asked softly.


    "Why? Thinking about the Dean''s soullake and hoping to increase your own even more?" Ambraz asked. "Even if there are, let''s try and not move through any more shadow storms, alright? Once was enough for a lifetime, if you ask me."


    Irwin didn''t respond, and the rest of their trip back was quick and without incident.


    Back in his own quarters, he closed the door and quickly pulled out the seven cards. He quickly scanned them, surprised to find that he''d actually never seen similar ones before. They were all utility cards that allowed different types of information to be made visible. He guessed scribes, artists, or merchants might find them useful, but how the first smiths had ever come up with the idea to use them to create diagrams of the soulforce within cards was beyond him.


    "Alright, how should we start?" he asked, spreading the cards out by rank. Four were Quartz rank the other three Amethyst.


    Ambraz flew down and, with a flash, grew to his large, working form. "From what I could find, it''s not that easy. Let''s just try one," he said, sounding excited.


    Irwin nodded and picked up the weakest of the quartz cards. As he placed it on Ambraz, the Ganvil began humming a soft tune. It was simple to the extreme, almost like some of the practice songs Irwin had played on the piano during his first few weeks.


    Let''s see what this does!


    Twenty minutes later, he stepped back from Ambraz, looking curiously at the Topaz ranked card. It showed an image that faintly resembled a music sheet with unreadable notes.


    "Alright, kid, we are going to go about this a bit different from normal," Ambraz said.


    Curious about what Ambraz had in mind, Irwin waited.


    "Just slot it and see what it does. If it sucks, take it out, and I''ll just eat it."


    Irwin stared at Ambraz, wondering if he was making a joke. Besides permanently damaging a rune, removing one also hurt like hell. He had initially planned for his soulstrum guitar to be only temporary and known what that would likely entail. But this?


    "Bah, don''t give me that look! You''ve been having it too easy for way too long. What if you become soft? Just slot the thing and see how it works. We can decide how to reforge the others based on that."


    "Fine," Irwin muttered as he picked up the card. Somehow, holding the Topaz card above his hand felt wrong. It had been ages since he''d slotted anything below ruby.


    "I wonder if there are cards like this that have growth," he said as he watched the card sink into his right hand.


    "There''s no reason to have two growth cards in one heartcard," Ambraz muttered. "If you want to think about that, I''d go and think about some card for your next one."


    A growth one like Vera has, Irwin thought.


    He focused on the card, and he wasn''t surprised when a connection formed almost instantly. The card was weak compared to all his others, and it almost stuck out in its simplicity. As he activated the ability he felt, he realized he hadn''t even looked at the card''s specifics.


    A simple piece of empty music paper appeared a few feet away.


    "Alright, I can see the paper," Irwin said as he summoned his soulstrum guitar. "Let''s see what it does."


    He began slowly playing one of his practice songs, and instantly, notes started to appear on the paper. Even though he''d known what to expect, Irwin was surprised and impressed as he continued playing.


    "This is actually really awesome," Irwin said when he finished.


    One look showed him he had made a dozen mistakes. Notes and chords that were not like he knew they should be. He almost wanted to try again right away.


    "Alright, so the first addition we should make is making it visible to others," Ambraz said. "Anything else?"


    Irwin scanned the paper, then focused on the card. Curious, he unsummoned the sheet, then summoned it again. It was completely blank.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    "Yes. I think we should find a way to either put them on paper or in my book, or to remember them somehow. What if we come across a song or a card resonance we want to keep?"


    "Yes, good point. Also, we should aim to be able to have multiple active and visible at the same time," Ambraz said. "When we return, you might need to help some of the others, and although the idea of being a teacher sounds horrible, we might have to!"


    Irwin pursed his lips, holding back a grin. Ambraz''s words and his barely hidden enthusiasm didn''t match, and he knew Ambraz wouldn''t mind one bit.


    They continued brainstorming for a bit and ended up with a final feature. The ability to replay the song.


    With his temporary card activated, Irwin began reforging the next card.


    --


    Irwin shuddered as he removed the second attempt from his hand. A dull pain, as if he''d carved out a part of his soulscape, made him almost angrily toss the card into Ambraz''s gaping mouth. Then he clenched his fists together, waiting for the pain to subside. From having never removed a card to twice in a day, he hoped it would be a while before he had to do it again.


    I wonder how Daubutim managed to resist screaming, he thought, as he recalled his friend removing two cards in quick succession long ago.


    The tearing sensation dulled rapidly, turning to a painful throbbing in his soulscape that pulsed in time with a headache that felt like someone using his head as an anvil.


    His gaze kept moving back to the three emerald cards that lay on the table before him. The book lay beside it, open and showing the details of each of the three cards, but he already knew which one they were going with. It was the only one that ticked almost all the boxes they had wanted. All it still needed was to be reforged to Ruby, which would have to wait for the pain to subside.


    "Alright, you are sure you don''t want to try reforging one of them up to Ruby and see if we can change it more?" Ambraz asked.


    "There''s no use," Irwin responded, feeling the pain slowly retreat. "This one is almost perfect, and we should keep the others for Trimdir and Endil."


    "Good. With how much that topaz one was already helping, I can''t wait to see what this will do!"


    Irwin completely agreed, and as soon as the pain was gone, he resummoned his hammer.


    The reforging process went smoothly, and as Irwin struck the final blow, he wondered if he could reliably reforge ruby cards now. If he could, that would make him a ruby-ranked smith...


    "All right, let''s see what was added!" Ambraz said as he changed to his small form and landed on the book.


    There was a flash of light, and as soon as Ambraz moved away, Irwin opened the book, flipping to the newly filled page.


    "It''s missing the ability to show dozens of people what they did, but beyond that, it''s great," he said as he examined the book''s text.


    Card: Tablatures of Soul and Song


    Type: Ruby, Reforged by Irwin Roddington


    Owner: -


    A rare utility card that can visualize any form of resonance or music on a music sheet. Depending on the wielder''s soulforce, it can save up to a certain number of sheets in a book.


    Passive: Small increase in memory


    Passive: Greatly increased ability to memorize musical patterns


    Active: Summons a music sheet that will record or playback a soul resonance or song


    Active: Summons a book that holds recorded music and resonances (12)


    Ambraz didn''t respond, and it took Irwin a moment to realize that the Ganvil''s mouth was pursed in a tight line.


    "Ambraz?"


    "Slot it. We need to leave," Ambraz said, his previous enthusiasm gone.


    "Go? Where?" Irwin asked, picking up the card.


    "Brazardian just told us to come see him right away."


    Irwin looked at the new card, then slipped it into the first slot of his right hand. As it sank down, then settled, he felt the lingering soreness in his soulscape vanish. Grabbing the book and tearing at the page with the card, he burned it with a quick flame.


    "No time to test it?" he asked.


    "No. I just got another shout that I need to hurry."


    "Then let''s go and see what''s going on," Irwin said, grabbing his vest and stuffing the book inside.


    Where the academy was alight with carded torches and the sounds of distant parties echoed out from everywhere, the city was dark and quiet.


    Irwin strode towards the central building that was dug into the volcano, surprised at how still it all felt- almost tranquil.


    "The others are there too," Ambraz muttered.


    "Others?" Irwin asked.


    "Des, Yirta, and Ourelini, Yirta''s bonded smith."


    The long, straight corridor that led to Brazardian''s place was empty, and as they passed the path that led to Ambraz''s servant quarters, Irwin decided he''d go and see them after.


    When they reached the entrance doors, Irwin saw two large Ganvil guards on each side. Neither spoke, but as soon as they entered Brazardian''s main chamber, the doors shut behind them.


    Brazardian''s massive shape was gone, and instead, an anvil the size of a small building flew into the center of the room. Two smaller ones hung to the side, while a young, slender woman with hair bound in a long braid of orange and yellow metallic hair stood alone on the visitor''s platform. Her body showed she was strong, but she had far less muscles than Irwin had become accustomed to. That still made her bigger than most normal fighters, but it did stand out compared to the heavily muscled smiths he''d been around.


    As he examined her, Ourelini looked back with dark gray eyes before nodding.


    "Finally," Brazardian snapped. "Why are you always so late when I call you?"


    "We were doing important things," Ambraz said. "Now, what''s with all the shouting?"


    There was a soft gasp from Ourelini, but Desbraz just snorted.


    "If you''d been here faster, we would have known!"


    "Yeah, yeah. We are here now, right?"


    "Alright, enough," Brazardian boomed. "There''s trouble near some of the side branches of The Dimarintsia River. A chaos storm that started on the most eastern fringes is moving closer to the central worlds. Gynerigon, Hestolgron, and I have discussed and analyzed the data, and there is a large chance that it will block our access to Suiderfuix, Tulpil, and Fiverio."


    Irwin felt his mood sour instantly at the mention of Fiverio. There was, by all accounts, only one path there, and if that was blocked¡­


    "Thus, we have decided to speed up our plans."


    Our plans? Irwin saw Ourelini''s eyes widen while she turned pale.


    "What plans?" Ambraz snapped.


    Irwin winced at Ambraz'' ¡¯s undiplomatic shout, but Brazardian didn''t seem to care.


    "You and your bonded haven''t been privy to this, as it wasn''t needed. Now, however, things are going to change. Yirta, you, and Ourelini are going to be joining Glau''hest and Ulan''gyn towards Suiderfuix. From there, we have arranged transport to a new rank three world that we have purchased a continent on. You will travel through the central worlds together with an escort of rank fives, two of which are capable of becoming World Anvils."


    "I thought we were to remain here?" Yirta said, sounding worried.


    "That was the initial plan, but things are changing too rapidly. We cannot risk another near extinction of our people, so we are starting Project Scatter," Brazardian said. "Leave for the Harbor to meet with the others. Glau''hest will be the leader of your party until you reach your destination¡­"


    Yirta''braz was flitting around nervously before landing on Ourelini''s shoulder.


    The massive Ganvil''s voice softened. "Yirta, make sure you train properly. No more slacking off. All of my offspring should be able to become rank six, and perhaps seven, even if none have yet. I ask that you try¡­"


    "Yes, Brazardian," Yirta muttered, sounding sad.


    "Good. Now, say goodbye to your siblings. I know this is short timing, but we need to move fast."


    Irwin crossed his arms, his heartrate increasing and his skin growing cold. Were they also going to be asked to leave? He still had things to do!


    Ambraz left his shoulder, flying towards Yirta, while Des joined them in midair.


    "Kid¡­ Yirta, make sure you train hard! I want to see you at rank five the next time I see you," Ambraz said.


    Des exhaled before agreeing. "Exactly! Don''t disappoint us!"


    The three Ganvils slammed into each other a few times- an oddity that Irwin knew resembled a hug.


    After a few minutes, Brazardian grunted, and Yirta moved back to Ourelini.


    "I''ll make you all proud," he said, sounding far younger than Irwin thought a hundred-year-old being should.


    Then he flew away.


    "Des, you are going to Dimarintsia with Syn''gyn and Syd¡¯hest You are going to meet with our scouting fleet and split up. We have bought three small rank two portal worlds as far as we can. It will take you ten years to reach them, but once there, you are to take one of those worlds and hide. It is a small one with a small footprint and no connection to the Soulcrystal network. You are to keep it like that for at least a hundred years or till I send a message."


    "What about Am?" Des asked anxiously.


    "He will be going somewhere else," Brazardian said.


    "Can''t I go with him?!"


    "Yes! He would be-"


    "Enough!" Brazardian snapped, his voice causing a rumbling in the walls.


    There was a deadly silence for a moment, and then Ambraz snorted.


    "No need to get angry," he said. "Why not?"


    "Because there''s too many things happening that don''t add up," Brazardian said. "Between what you told us, the distant troubles on the farthest edges, Smiths Guild worlds being attacked, and now the storms? This hasn''t happened in written history. I checked with the Librarians."


    "Fair enough. But why can''t Des come with me?" Ambraz said stubbornly.


    "Because I can''t guarantee any place is safe, and this way, I have a small chance one of my offspring survives," Brazardian said calmly. "Your elder siblings have all been notified, and they will be going into hiding."


    This feels a bit like what the Galadins did, Irwin thought as he was quietly listening.


    He could see from the pursed, angry scowls on the smooth faces of Ambraz and Des that neither liked this plan. It didn''t surprise him. If someone had told him to leave Bronwyn, even for something like this, he wouldn''t agree. Not easily. Especially not if he knew about their own world that might actually be safer. Just thinking about that scenario made Irwin''s fingers curl around his arms, clenching until it almost hurt.


    "There are dozens," Ambraz said, seemingly still unwilling to give up. "Why not let Des come with us? You know-"


    "I know," Brazardian said, his voice hollow. "Which is why you need to say your goodbyes to Des. Perhaps we are overreacting, and in a few decades, you two can see each other again. Now, until when either of you reaches rank seven, you will follow my orders!"


    An angry growl came from Ambraz that caused even Irwin to look at him surprised.


    "I have been gone for ages! Hal is DEAD! Now you are asking me to be separated from Des for potentially ever?!"


    The last of Ambraz''s words roared through the chamber with a power that belied his tiny size, and Irwin was looking at him shocked. He sensed the roiling power of Ambraz''s soulforce as he seemingly lost control.


    It was quiet in the room, and then Brazardian sighed.


    "Des, leave us for a while. Return in an hour so you and Am can have a proper goodbye."


    "Yes, Brazardian," Des said mutely. He flew to Ambraz, slamming into him, and for a moment, they remained pressed together. Then he shot away at breakneck speed.


    Irwin swallowed as he felt Brazardian''s focus shift to Ambraz.


    "I have created one hundred and nineteen rank zeros," Brazardian said. "They and seven rank fives, one of which is Hou''dor, will be joining you on a new ship I commissioned for you. It is a custom ship, twice the size of what remained of your Sonata, and as close to a central world military Escort as I could get it."


    Irwin almost hummed as he heard that. Although he would sincerely miss the Sonata, from everything he had heard, having a better and hopefully faster ship would be sorely needed. A look at Ambraz''s pursed lips and the roiling, chaotic sounds from his soulforce made him scramble for something to say.


    "Aren''t there more rank zeros or rank ones we can bring?" he said quickly. "There are a lot of people in my world and many potential smiths."


    "Irwin, I can''t risk anyone knowing where you are going. Gynerigon and Hestolgron have both created their own rank zero''s to go with the others. All others will remain here to keep whoever here is in league with those attacking the smiths in the dark."


    "What about those that are going to leave on other ships in the next few days?" Ambraz asked, his voice still tense.


    Brazardian was quiet for a bit. "A good idea. I will see what I can do. Now, I have split a large portion of my private card collection into three, and I will send one part to you. It should contain enough cards to allow you to create a Cardsmith school or academy in your world. Is there anything else you need?"


    Irwin swallowed as he heard that. "Do you have any mental cloning cards?" he asked.


    "I do not¡­ Most go to the central worlds," Brazardian said softly. "I''ll ask around, but-"


    "Never mind, we will do it ourselves," Ambraz said, then he let out a shuddering breath. "Irwin, can you head back? I want to talk with Brazardian for a while."


    "Are you sure?" Irwin asked, suddenly not sure he should leave Ambraz alone.


    "Yes. Don''t worry, kid, I''ll stay civil. Just go play with that new card."


    Irwin looked at Brazardian, then Ambraz.


    "Alright. But before I go, I presume you want us to leave soon?" Irwin asked, looking at Brazardian.


    "Correct. The ship is being finished now, and I expect you to leave tomorrow evening at the latest."


    "Tomorrow," Irwin said, shaking his head in surprise. He''d expected two or three days, but this was hours from now!


    "I need to go and talk with Skylar and the others," he said, looking at Ambraz. "I''ll be in The Tappestery or with Greldo and the others."


    "I''ll find you," Ambraz stated, turning to Brazardian.


    Irwin hesitated again as he felt Ambraz''s soulforce turn to steel.


    "Don''t forget to ask him about what the Dean said!" he suddenly remembered.


    Ambraz didn''t respond, and Irwin sighed as he ran out.


    Great! A few hours to say goodbye, get as many cards as I can, and reforge what I need for everyone, he thought!


    Still, as upset as he was, a growing joy also filled him. He was going back and might see his family again soon!

 Chapter 261: Roaring Metal

    "Just like that?" Skylar asked, staring at Irwin in confusion.


    Irwin sighed. He''d had worried Skylar might have taken this badly, but seeing the hurt look, he wished things had been indifferent. He''d come to see the stormy man as his friend, enjoying the other''s boundless enthusiasm.


    Looking around the cozy Tappestery, he wished he had more time for a proper goodbye, but he just didn''t.


    "Are you going to see your Igntizion girlfriend?" Pasilha asked.


    Irwin focused on her, noticing Skylar tapping his finger on the table and staring at his mug.


    "I wish I had the time for that, but I need to go on the mission," he said.


    It didn''t take him too much difficulty to look properly annoyed- because he was. He''d planned a few things the day before, one of which was a proper goodbye.


    At least it''s better than what Ambraz got, he suddenly thought. The memory of Ambraz roaring in anger and pain would stay with him for a long time.


    "Sorry, I didn''t mean to remind you of that."


    Irwin looked up to see her stare at him with a look of sympathy, while Roubi looked like she was ready to cry- odd as she didn''t even have tears as far as Irwin knew.


    "So romantic," she whispered.


    "Do you really have to leave now? Can''t we just¡­ play one song or something?" Skylar asked.


    He looked at Irwin hopefully. "We practiced for it so much and still never got to play here!" he said, waving around.


    Irwin hesitated for only a moment. "Okay, but only Roaring Metal. I don''t have time for the rest."


    Skylar was running for the tiny podium before he finished his sentence. There was a small group sitting beside it, waiting their turn- and Irwin was pretty sure Skylar would be able to get them to let them go first.


    "Are you sure you are up to playing?" Pasilha asked.


    Irwin nodded.


    Let''s do two things at the same time then.


    He focused on his newest card. It felt far better among his others than the two topaz cards he''d temporarily slotted- and its resonance was a barely noticeable sweet hum.


    With a small flex of will, a translucent square appeared before him. Thin, glowing lines covered its main surface, with what seemed to be decorative swirls accenting the sides. Nobody reacted, which he hadn''t expected. It was the only ability they hadn''t been able to manifest, though Ambraz had been sure it could be added later.


    For now, this will do, Irwin thought. Besides, the music book was a summon, and he could just show people that if he had to.


    "Alright, I think we are up," Pasilha said.


    Irwin saw Skylar beckon them from the side of the podium and got up. Pasilha looked nervous as she followed him, but Roubi was grinning like mad as she ran ahead.


    "She really isn''t afraid of anything¡­ what if people don''t like it? Perhaps we should wait a bit longer?" Pasilha whispered, seeming to have momentarily forgotten about Irwin''s situation.


    Irwin looked around the room at the hundreds of people eating, drinking, dancing, and having a good time.


    "Don''t worry- we have heard things go poorly here many times, and nobody ever made a problem of it!"


    Pasilha nodded, but she was obviously nervous, which was odd as she was the only one who wouldn''t perform.


    They reached the podium, and Roubi was practically jumping up and down in excitement. Skylar had his saxhorn ready and stared at Irwin.


    "I know you need to leave- I can feel the urgency in everything you told us, but¡­ I need memories. It''s how my people live and are!"


    "Then let''s get you some," Irwin said as he summoned his soulstrum guitar.


    The currently playing group, one drummer and a singer with a voice like a bird, finished up, and Roubi bounded up the podium before they were completely gone.


    "Alright, let''s do this," Skylar said, eyes gleaming as he followed her.


    Irwin followed him, and as he turned to the people on the other side, he noticed a tiny seed of worry in his stomach. Somehow, standing here felt different.


    "Hey, people! It''s our first time here, and we are going to try something different," Roubi shouted, her card-enhanced voice carrying throughout the room and causing nearly everyone to look at her in surprise.


    "I think some of you might have heard a bit before when Irwin here blew up his sound-dampening runes!"


    Irwin wanted to shake his head, but instead, he shared a look with Skylar while Pasilha was shaking her head, glaring at her friend.


    However, the people in The Tappestery were all eagerly looking at the podium.


    "Alright! Let''s do this," Roubi shouted.


    Irwin took a deep breath, exhaled, clamped down on the soulforce in his strings, and struck down, causing the starting chord of their song. The sound of a hundred high-strung strings of metal pulled taut blared through the room.


    --


    Ambraz flew through the hallway, his mind numb. No matter what he''d tried, Brazardian had been unwilling to change his plans, and Des had been unwilling to go against their progenitor''s wishes.


    As if it matters, he thought angrily.


    If things went to shit as bad as Brazardian feared, which he had very little evidence for, having two of them in one world would barely make a difference.


    He was suddenly happy that You''gyn would be coming with them. Brazardian could only send a handful of rank fives with him, and although he was happy that Hou''dor was coming, they would need all the help they could get to teach those rank zeros, especially if they were to bring Montain and the other three brats along.


    Seriously, he won''t let me bring Des, but I do have to smuggle a set of high-potential smiths away?!


    He almost shouted in anger.


    He hesitated as he reached the path to his own chambers, then flew past them. Part of him wanted to be alone and rage a bit, but he was too old for that. What kind of example would he be if he did that?


    Grinding his metal molars, he increased his speed towards his servants'' quarters. His attempts and final goodbyes had taken far longer than he''d wanted, and the subsequent demands for more cards nearly as much.


    A nasty grin came to his face as he remembered Brazardian''s reaction when he demanded all of them. That had been fun, and on any other day, he would have savored it, especially as he''d managed to get the kid a whole slew of extra things to work with. Probably not for now or any time soon, but it was definitely useful for his third card.


    As he closed in, he saw the swirling ambient soulforce move in odd waves while he began hearing the familiar whine of the kid''s instrument.


    He''s playing?


    He increased his speed, wondering what was going on. Halfway there, he could hear the voice of that Ignitzion brat, Roubi, and as he shot through the cylinder and into the room, he stopped dead. Irwin, Skylar and Roubi where playing at the back of the room, while Greldo, Rindiri and the others where standing in the center swaying, laughing and singing along with Roubi''s rough, screechy voice.


    The song was just winding down, and as Irwin and Skylar stopped playing, Roubi let out a final happy scream.


    Ambraz flew towards the kid, landing on his shoulder, just as Skylar and Roubi ran over.


    "Was it better this time?" Skylar asked.


    "I''ll check, then I need to talk with Ambraz," Irwin said.


    Oh! He''s been using the new card? Ambraz thought as felt Irwin''s soulforce move as he summoned something.


    A large, thin book appeared in his hands, and as he opened it, Ambraz saw that the first two pages were filled with music. There were different lines for the two instruments, while the words together with the notes were on their own lines. Both pages showed the same song. Well, almost the same. Although he wasn''t that good with music, he recognized the flaws in the resonances immediately. Wrong notes, wrong timing, and sounds drawn out too long or played too short.


    Oh, this is going to be perfect! Ambraz thought as he flew closer.


    Skylar hovered over the book, nodding. "Right, right!" he said, jotting his finger on one of his lines. "This time, I didn''t make the same mistake! This is so useful!"


    "Pasilha, I want one of these cards!" Roubi shouted as she turned to her friend.


    Ambraz hummed, then focused on Irwin. "Kid, we need to take care of some things."


    Irwin turned to Skylar and the others, his smile vanishing.


    "I''ll try and get them on paper before I leave."


    Skylar nodded while Roubi jumped forward and wrapped him in a hug before jumping back, almost bouncing where she stood.


    ¡°Bring Greldo and Rindiri,¡± Ambraz said.


    Irwin looked up in surprise but nodded without asking a question.


    At least he listens and doesn''t just see me as a tool, Ambraz thought happily. I''m going to try one more time with Des tomorrow. Perhaps I can get him to join us if I tell him about the other potential smiths again.


    --


    Irwin walked to his private chambers with Greldo and Rindiri, and as soon as they entered, he looked at Ambraz.


    "Are you alright?"If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    The tiny Ganvil''s mouth -the only true way of expression he had- pursed tightly.


    "Des won''t be coming. I tried, but that old fool wouldn''t change his mind."


    Irwin heard the anger and pain, and he sighed.


    "Perhaps if I ask?" he said, knowing it would probably do nothing.


    "Don''t bother, kid," Ambraz snorted. "Des is a big Ganvil, and he can make his own decisions. If he wanted to, he could ignore Brazardian''s orders, but he doesn''t."


    There was a slightly uncomfortable silence before Ambraz flew to the table.


    "Alright, we need to talk. Did you fill them in yet?"


    "No, I brought Skylar and the girls here because they didn''t want to say goodbye yet."


    "It''s fine, then let''s get this out of the way," Ambraz snorted.


    Irwin leaned back as he listened to Ambraz quickly explain why they had to leave. When he finished, Greldo let out a short laugh, shaking his head.


    "So, back to flying across the Portal Gallery! I take it that things like food have been taken care of?"


    "We should have enough to last everyone for over a year," Ambraz said.


    "Alright, I''ll go and take a look then," Greldo said as he got up. "Make sure everything is really okay and get a feel for that new ship. Perhaps come up with a name!"


    "Okay, make sure you return before morning. I''m going to reforge your card, and you need to slot it," Irwin said.


    Greldo¡¯s grin widened. "About time," he said before vanishing into the shadows.


    "Can you prepare the others?" Irwin asked, looking at Rindiri.


    She had been quietly watching and waiting and nodded. "Yes, captain," she said before frowning.


    "Is something wrong?" Irwin asked, focusing on his first mate.


    "Captain¡­ Ambraz, what will happen to the Sonata?"


    "It has been repaired as best as possible and will be returned to the merchant group if possible," Ambraz said. "Though, honestly, I think it will probably remain here in the dock for a very long time."


    Rindiri was quiet again, and as much as Irwin wanted to get to reforging, he could see something still bothering her.


    After a few minutes, she looked at him, a look of resolve in her eyes.


    "Captain, I would like to request that the Sonata be placed under my command."


    Irwin''s mind halted for a second as he tried to understand why she would want that. Did she want to follow behind them, not lose the ship? He could understand, as he had lots of fond memories of it, but it would slow them down far too much.


    "I would like to ask for permission to set out to find as many of my people as I can and bring them back," Rindiri said, her eyes locked on his. "I agree with Brazardian''s conclusion. There are too many things happening, too many changes. I fear that we are in a great upheaval, and my people are currently spread out and ostracized. If anything happens, they will likely be wiped out."


    Irwin quietly looked back at Rindiri, noticing the steel in her gaze. She was asking, but he had the feeling that if he didn''t agree, that she would still go- just without any help.


    "What about Zender and Earila?"


    "I hope they can stay with you," Rindiri said. "Although they have become much stronger, as it stands, neither can gain a soulcard, and it''s too dangerous for them to come with me."


    "You would go alone?" Irwin asked hesitantly. He knew just how much the Portal Gallery at large feared the Yuurindi and their potential for overpopulation.


    "I¡­ would like to ask Ambraz to send one of his rank fives with me," Rindiri said, focusing on the Ganvil. "That would prevent any issues I might have until I reach the nearest harbor with my people on it."


    "I could do that," Ambraz said slowly. "But how are you going to make sure you don''t bring any troublemakers? No race is perfect, and I''m sure there will be some Yuurindi we don''t want anywhere near where we are going."


    Rindiri''s look turned even more steely. "I know, which is why I''ll be testing them as we move. If I find they are trouble, I''ll leave them. Or¡­¡±


    The deadly viciousness in Rindiri''s eyes caught Irwin by surprise, and he swallowed.


    "My people need a way out," she said, her voice low. "I won''t have any of them mess it up."


    "Good," Ambraz said, showing zero reaction to Rindiri''s sudden viciousness. "Then I know exactly who to send with you. Zir''dor is from the same generation as my friend Hou''dor, and he can tell you if someone is lying."


    "So you will help?" Rindiri asked, looking at Irwin and then Ambraz.


    Irwin nodded. Although he''d have preferred to take Rindiri along with him, there was no way he could go looking for her people.


    Rindiri held his gaze. "I promise I won''t tell anyone. If necessary, I''ll take my own life."


    Irwin wanted to say that wouldn''t be needed, but he didn''t. He took a deep breath, then nodded. Rindiri was right. With everything happening, the one thing they couldn''t allow was public knowledge of Eluathar.


    "I''ll go and tell Zender and Earila," Rindiri said as she got up. "I''ll talk to you tomorrow morning."


    Irwin watched her walk away and close the door, wondering if she would succeed. Would they see each other in a few years, Rindiri with a mass of her people in tow?


    "Alright, kid, we don''t have a lot of time left. How about you show me what this new card of yours can do," Ambraz said.


    Irwin got up, taking out the cards he knew he would need to work through. Those that succeeded would have to become Ruby rank, and he wondered if even he had a large enough soulforce for that.


    If need be, Ambraz can feed on whatever we have to get us there, he thought.


    The rest of the evening passed in a blur of reforging, humming, checking music sheets, and angry cursing.


    Finally, a few hours till dawn, a booming shout of joy rattled the room.


    "Finally!" Irwin shouted, lowering his hammer, his heart thudding like crazy.


    The glow of the card on the anvil slowly weakened, and he gazed at the deceptively simple-looking emerald card there. It showed two faint figures, backs together, eyes glowing. It was the single last card that could have become what they wanted, and it almost failed twice. It was only just over eighty percent, but he didn''t care.


    "It will have a negative side to it," Ambraz said slowly. It''s too close to breaking for it not to."


    "It''s fine," Irwin said as he picked up the card. "I''ll slot it, then we can test it and use it to try the last one. We need a ruby rank anyway. Can you-"


    "Yeah, let me see what we have here," Ambraz said.


    He was quiet for a bit before sighing. "Alright, we can work with this."


    A burst of light later, Irwin quickly flipped open the book and read the card. He grimaced.


    "Split Soul¡ªeach part is half of the whole and can think independently. Half the power and control¡­ that''s going to be difficult."


    "Just slot it and try. Practice with it for a bit, and we can do some practice runs. Then, you can attempt to use it on the last one. If that fails¡­ well, Brazardian is going to make sure we get a whole boatload of cards so we can try on the ship. You will have a proper room there, with noise-canceling runes, so we can still try."


    Irwin looked at the card, somewhat annoyed. After all their attempts, it still wasn''t what he really wanted.


    "Fine, let''s see what this does," he muttered.


    He held the card above the middle slot of his second hand and watched it sink in. A few moments passed, and then he sensed the card settle among the others. Part of him knew that most people couldn''t so easily use a new card, but the effects of all his soulforce sensitivity paid dividends even here.


    "Go to your mindscape before you try," Ambraz said.


    Irwin nodded as he prodded the card, hearing and feeling the almost cracked presence of the card. He sat down, closed his eyes, and a moment later reappeared in his soulscape.


    Five cards hovered above the lake, the first three bound tightly. His Incandescent Eyes, Soulforce Hearing, and Ethereal Strings all had something to do with either sound or soulforce visualization or both, and they were far more compatible than the first three cards of his first soulcard.


    A bit to the side of them, Tablatures of Soul and Song was a beacon of near-perfection, making the Split Soul one look even worse. Dim and with cracks along its surface, Irwin frowned as he looked at it.


    "Don''t worry. Even if we have to use this, it will become much better when we create the heartcard," Ambraz. "Now, go and try it!"


    Irwin stared at the card.


    We are definitely making a better one, he decided.


    Then he focused on the card, sensing the single active. With some trepidation, he triggered it, and for a single moment, he felt something rip him in two. Then he stood, staring at himself, staring at himself, staring at himself-


    Irwin jerked his heads to the side, shivering and close to vomiting.


    "What-" he began, two sets of voices coming from him.


    "Calm down, kid¡­ kids¡­ whatever! This one-" Irwin felt Ambraz sit down on one of his left shoulders, and his nausea increased. "Move out of the soulscape!"


    Irwin acted immediately, and the next thing he knew, he was staring at the room- and his soulscape.


    "Just keep looking at one spot and try to imagine you are looking at a separate thing with one eye," Ambraz said. "The nausea will pass!"


    Irwin didn''t react, staring at the table and his soullake, trying to make sense of having two sets of perspectives at the same time.


    Seconds turned to minutes, and slowly, the nausea left, replaced by a splitting double headache. Looking at Ambraz while forcing the other part of him to stay still, Irwin slowly managed to make sense of his own senses. He took a deep breath, the last of the nausea leaving.


    "Better?" Ambraz asked softly. "I should have thought about this- the name gave it away, sorry."


    "What?" Irwin muttered both in his soulscape and in the real world.


    "The card creates a soul clone, not a mental clone," Ambraz said. "It means you have two soulforce presences but still only one mind. Because you don''t get two thought processes, it is very difficult to use."


    "So it''s useless?" Irwin muttered. He held back the desire to stop the active ability and remove the card, though he wondered why he hadn''t stopped it before. He felt weak¡­ No, that wasn''t exactly right. It felt as if he had to do two things to use his full power.


    "No, not for what we are going to try," Ambraz said. "Listen, if we had more time, I''d say just leave it like this and try a bit longer, but we have no idea what we are going to get into soon. So, I''d say, try and reforge a card. See how it feels. As soon as you can, summon your soulstrum guitar in your mindscape and try and play it a bit."


    Irwin got up and flew forward, then shook his head and only walked to the center of the room. Trying to split his attention two ways was annoying, to say the least. He hesitated, then summoned his soulstrum guitar, stared at it stupidly in the real world, unsummoned it, and resummoned it in his soulscape.


    It took him a few tries to get his hammer in the right hand, then he picked out a card and placed it on Ambraz.


    "Alright, I''ll take control over most of the smithing. Just focus on hitting and perhaps playing the tune I hum on your soulstrum guitar."


    Irwin focused hard, making sure he was raising his hammer and not his guitar. It already came easier than a few minutes ago, and he knew that if he took enough time, he could probably learn how to use this.


    Inside his soulscape, he gently created some soulforce snares, then he strummed them. A strong sense of dissonance came, but at the same time, he listened in awe as his entire being resonated with the¡­ soulforce sound? He didn''t know how else to name it.


    "Yeah, this one is too flawed, but the concept is right," Ambraz muttered. "If only it also had the mental cloning part¡­"


    Irwin didn''t answer. Instead, he sensed the oddity of being in two places at the same time, holding a hammer ready to smith and playing his soulstrum. He also felt something familiar to it, and he frowned before muttering in two places at the same time.


    "I think we can do this," he said slowly. "It feels similar to what Greldo''s card does."


    As he spoke, he removed said card from his pocket, where it was resting till he was ready to reforge it. He''d been holding on to it to do it when he was at his best. The card''s song, its resonance, had always had echoes as if it was bouncing away from numerous sides. Now, feeling his own perception split, he tried focusing on two different ones at the same time, and he realized they were different. They weren''t really echoes or copies. They were like other versions of the same sound.


    With intense focus, he struck the card, and a simple dagger appeared on it.


    "Let''s try like this-"


    He began humming along with the card''s preferred path while at the same time playing the song on his guitar. It took him a few attempts to get it right, but luckily, the song was very simple. He could feel Ambraz help keep the card balanced, and as soon as he felt he had it where he wanted it, he took two paths the card wanted to go and began playing one on his guitar while humming the other.


    Yes, like this!


    Irwin felt himself get lost in the process of reforging, barely noticing what he was doing.


    --


    Ambraz strained as he kept the card from shattering all over the place. He had no time to call the kid to stop and try something else. All he could do was hold the soulforce together as the little bloody monster pulled it in two different directions simultaneously.


    What is he trying? There''s no way to reforge one card into two!


    Still, he didn''t stop helping, and as the card''s song progressed, the resonance seemed to gain a counter melody. The image hovering above him that had shown a single dagger began shimmering, and tentatively, a second image appeared beside it.


    He''s doing it, he''s-


    Ambraz sensed the kid pluck the wrong string and instantly the card rebelled, ripping itself from his control. A blinding light gleamed from it, and he didn''t wait but stuck out his tongue, barely grabbing the card, yanking it in his mouth, and closing his lips before it exploded with far more power than a quartz card should hold.


    "I failed¡­" Irwin muttered, sounding sad.


    "Failed!? Failed! Bah," Ambraz exclaimed furiously. "You almost had it! Do it again, and keep that guitar in line!"


    Irwin''s eyes widened, and then an almost hungry look came to his face as he grabbed another card, slammed it on top of Ambraz, and struck it.


    "That''s the spirit," Ambraz shouted before he focused his full attention on holding the card in one piece.


    You just wait, Brazardian- you said I should come and complain when I got to rank seven? Well, you just wait!

 Chapter 262: Loaded up and ready to go

    "It''s almost light. Do you think they are going to stay reforging without sleep?" Greldo asked, looking at the Ganvil sitting on the table.


    Coal had alerted him to the other''s arrival, and he''d been having a soft conversation ever since.


    "Probably," Des said. "Am was pretty upset."


    "He didn''t seem like someone to get upset easily," Greldo said, thinking back to his interactions with the grumpy Ganvil. He was surprised at how easy it was to talk to Des. Apparently, they were brothers or something similar, but besides the coloration and looks, he didn''t see the resemblance.


    "Am has always seen himself as the oldest and the one to look after us," Des said, sighing. "Brazardian used that to have him practice and work twice as hard as the rest of us, and I''m sad to say Hal and I were perfectly fine letting him."


    "Couldn''t you just come with us?" Greldo asked.


    Des was quiet for a bit, then sighed again. He''d been doing it a lot since he arrived.


    "No. Besides the fact that Brazardian would have a fit, he''s not wrong. Our species was nearly wiped out. We need to take any and every precaution to prevent that from happening again."


    Greldo wondered what the Ganvil knew about Eluathar and if that colored his opinion. Perhaps he didn''t think they had a chance to survive out there?


    He might be right, he thought, picturing the massive ports and worlds they had been to. Even if Eluathar was special and had immense potential, it was just one world right now.


    One world hidden away, Greldo thought. With dozens or more adjacent worlds to reach.


    His keen ears picked up distant footsteps moving towards them. It took him only a moment to recognize Irwin''s heavy thud, almost like someone hitting the ground with a mallet.


    "They are coming," he said.


    Des didn''t respond, and the two of them silently waited as the footsteps became louder. Soon, they both heard someone enter the hallway, and Irwin walked into the room, Ambraz sitting on his shoulder. Both looked weary, but neither seemed surprised at seeing Des and Geldo up.


    "So, decided to come back for a little sleep?" Greldo said.


    His friend didn''t respond but walked forward, slumped on the chair, which creaked dangerously under his absurd weight.


    "Something like that," Irwin grunted before removing something from his pocket. "You might want to slot this and practice a bit. Cloning cards are really something."


    Greldo looked at the red-bordered ruby card that was held out to him. Even after all this time, he was still surprised at having a card handed to him that was probably worth enough to live a hundred comfortable lives, as if it were nothing. From two poor-ass kids in the slums of Malorin to giving each other gifts fit for kings¡­


    "Why do you sound like you have experience with this?" he asked, reaching out and taking the ruby card.


    Irwin sighed, leaning back. "Because I do," he muttered, placing his right hand on the table. It had two cards, both clear enough that Greldo knew they were emerald or higher. Knowing Irwin, probably higher.


    Greldo looked at his friend, surprised at how tired he looked. His absurd endurance usually made it look like he never got tired.


    "How many cards did you reforge?" he asked softly, staring at the card in his hand. It shimmered softly, and the countless shadows around the central canine-like image appeared to be moving.


    "I¡­ don''t know," Irwin said, shaking his head. "Fourteen?"


    "Twenty-three," Ambraz muttered. "Twenty of which shattered."


    "That''s absurd! No smith with only a single soulcard has enough soulforce for that," Des exclaimed.


    Neither Irwin nor Ambraz responded, and Greldo hesitated before getting up.


    "Alright, I''ll go and slot it and practice. Anything I need to know before I do?"


    Irwin looked at him and winced. "Yeah. Tell Coal to start with one shadow-clone."


    Greldo nodded, glancing at his friend''s fifth card.


    "You going to get a sixth before we leave?"


    Irwin grimaced, then shrugged. "It depends on how I feel tomorrow."


    "Well, go and sleep!"


    Greldo grinned, then vanished into the shadows.


    --


    Irwin was drained. He wanted to sleep if he could, but he also didn''t want to leave Ambraz with Des¡ªnot yet. He could almost feel his companion''s annoyance as both Ganvils remained quiet.


    Irwin''s gaze drifted to his right hand and the fifth card slotted in it. A victorious grin came to his face as he looked at his new card. Although he''d worked around the first iteration of his mental cloning card, it had been too troublesome, and when he and Ambraz had managed to create this¡­ well, the choice had been quickly made.


    Card: Dual Soul Fragment


    Type: Ruby, Reforged by Irwin Roddington


    Owner: Irwin Roddington


    A unique card created in a flash of weary enlightenment. Splits off a small bit of the soul and mind, which can both think and act at the same time while remaining the same person. The small soulseed ages and grows over time, increasing in ability and power.


    Passive: A tiny portion of someone''s soul and being is split off, allowing the person to use each to think and act independently.


    Passive: Increased soullake capacity based on the soulseed''s age. Current capacity (10%)


    The description floated into his mind while he sensed the tiny second part of him resting inside his mind. Both of his selves were weary from the exertion, but the small piece was still too young and small to handle its own creation. It was an odd thing to feel part of you asleep. Ambraz said the card was something he''d never seen or heard of before, and his assumption was that its creation was likely only possible due to Irwin''s own existing soulcard and abilities.


    "So¡­ wanna come along anyway?" Ambraz said.


    Irwin jolted and blinked, realizing he''d almost fallen asleep in the chair.


    "I can''t," Des said, sounding annoyed. "You know I can''t, so stop asking! No, I''m here because Brazardian wants you both to come and see him."


    "What¡­ now?" Irwin grunted, feeling his weariness seemingly worsen.


    The Ganvil, who looked so much like Ambraz, sighed as he rose in the air. "Yes. You need to move all of the rank zeros and some others into your soulscape."


    Irwin closed his eyes, feeling his mind teeter. Then he forced himself to his feet. It wasn''t any physical weariness that he felt. It was his soul and mind that could barely take anymore.


    "Fine, let''s get it over with. I need to sleep," he said.


    There was no talking as they headed to Brazardian''s chambers, but as they entered, Irwin stopped in stunned surprise. Dozens of small Ganvils were flying around, whispering excitedly, while others were perched everywhere, including atop Brazardian''s massive form. Their voices were slightly more high-pitched than that of Ambraz and Des but not at all childlike, while the soft soulforce resonance that came from them sounded weaker than that of any other Ganvil he''d met.


    The rank zeros!


    As he looked around, he saw a small group of other Ganvils on the side. Both from their demeanor and the ripples of soulforce leaking from them, Irwin knew that they were not rank zero but likely rank one.


    "It took you long enough," Brazardian said. He sounded drained but content. "Seeing as that we can all do with some rest, I''ll keep this short."


    Is there ever a time when you don''t? Irwin thought.


    "Irwin, I need you to take all the rank zeros in your soulscape. They will go into hibernation as soon as they arrive, so the drain on your energy should be negligible."


    "And them?" Ambraz asked as he indicated at the small group of rank ones. "I thought you said that we-"


    "We will get to that later," Brazardian said, cutting him off.


    "Fine," Ambraz muttered, turning to Irwin. "Kid, I''ll go into your mindscape and help."


    He blurred, then vanished, and a moment later, Irwin felt him resonate softly.


    ''All of them are rank zero, so they are still roughly resonating in the same way. Sadly we will have account for the minute differences. Let''s get this over with.''


    "Little ones," Brazardian boomed. "Do as we discussed, line up before Irwin, and wait your turn quietly."


    It took a while before the young Ganvils did as asked, but eventually, Irwin looked at the first one.


    "Hello," he said.


    "Hi! Can I start now?" the Ganvil asked enthusiastically.


    Irwin nodded, and the Ganvil began resonating his soulforce much louder. It took Irwin a few moments to follow, then he sensed the familiar push against his soulscape wall. With Ambraz''s help, he ''allowed'' the Ganvil inside, and it vanished from before him.


    He absently listened to Ambraz tell it to come to where he was, and a short while later, the Ganvil''s presence turned weak and faint.


    ''Next,'' Ambraz said.


    This is going to be a long night, Irwin thought, pleasant images of his bed drifting further out of reach.


    Almost two hours later, he leaned back against the wall as the final rank zero vanished.


    "Finally," he muttered.


    "Good job," Brazardian boomed. "Let''s wrap this up so we can rest for a few hours."


    That''d be great, Irwin thought as he pushed himself up.


    For a moment, the world seemed to spin, then it reasserted itself as Ambraz appeared on his shoulder.


    "Almost done, Kid," he whispered.


    Irwin nodded as he walked to the group of eleven rank-one Ganvils.


    "These are all Ganvils that either should have been on a ship in the last few days or tomorrow. I plucked them away and explained that they will be going with you," Brazardian said. "All of them were bound for adventure or their own things, but none had someone waiting for them. So, their absence won''t be missed- at least not for a long time."


    A soft snort came from one of the Ganvils, but none of them seemed willing to speak their mind around the Monarch. Irwin didn''t blame them.


    "Between them, they should have enough knowledge to help train the rank zeros," Brazardian said. "Take them into your soulscape."Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Irwin nodded, repressing a weary groan.


    It took a bit longer to take the rank ones in, as each had a very unique resonance, but he did have a lot of practice by now. When the final one vanished, Irwin realized that there was a slight strain on him. One that was beyond his weariness from reforging too many cards at the edge of his ability.


    "So, that''s it?" he asked hopefully.


    "Almost. There''s one more thing," Brazardian said with a hum. "You can come in now."


    Irwin looked in surprise as four young people entered the room. They were led by a young man with dark gray skin and spikey hair that looked like jagged stone, who was at least as big as he was. Two girls, probably no older than sixteen, followed him. The three looked a lot alike, and Irwin guessed they were likely related.


    All four had a Ganvil on their shoulder, and Irwin instantly knew they were, at best, rank two or three.


    Montain and his sisters, Irwin guessed.


    A slightly older woman, closing in on twenty, with the gleaming silver eyes of someone who was working on their heartcard, followed them. She was staring at him, her dark golden, metallic eyebrows lowered. A silver-colored anvil sat on her shoulder, lips in a quirky smile.


    "Irwin, these are Montain, Esther, and Seleen. They are among the most promising smiths of their generation, and I''ll need you to take them into your soulscape until you are a few days away from Granvox," Brazardian said. "They are going to be coming along with you, and if possible, hide away."


    Irwin watched the three, noticing a look of interest in Montain.


    "They know that might mean for a good while?" he said after a moment''s hesitation.


    "We are aware," Montain said with a voice like gravel rolling down a hill. "The alternatives are worse. The Dean told us what those were-" he shuddered. "-and I prefer this."


    "You will have to find something to do while inside," Irwin said. "There''s not a lot there, though."


    "It''s fine," Montain said. "We have had very little rest, and a few days of doing nothing sounds fine. I heard your soulscape is large, so perhaps I can use it for some practice."


    Practice what? Irwin thought.


    Still, he nodded, then steeled himself for more tiresome activities. "Ambraz?"


    "On it."


    It took far more effort to get all three of them in, and eventually, only the final woman remained.


    ¡°I¡¯m Dahlia den Valarn,¡± she said. "My grandfather asked you to take me along¡­"


    "The Dean," Irwin said.


    "I''m not sure yet if I''ll come along with you all the way or if I will make my own way, but I''ll need to get out of here. If it''s not too much bother, I''d request you allow me entrance into your soulscape."


    Irwin blinked as he looked at the young woman, surprised by the gentle and courteous words. After the entire day, he''d not expected it.


    "Dahlia, you know what your grandfather said," Brazardian rumbled, a slight warning in his voice.


    "Yes, and like I told him, I''m old enough to decide my own path," Dahlia said.


    Irwin wanted to say something, but a yawn was all that came. With a sigh, he nodded.


    "Fine, let''s get this finished so I can rest," he said.


    Another weary bit of work later, the final person but him, Ambraz, Des, and Brazardian, was gone.


    He could hear them whispering in his mindscape, and he hoped he wouldn''t be held awake by it.


    If I have to, I''ll just tell them to be quiet and sleep, he thought.


    "Irwin."


    Irwin looked up, realizing his head had fallen on his chest again. He really was too tired.


    "You can go and rest in a moment. I have one more thing for you," Brazardian said. "Ambraz has told me the directions for your final card and your troubles with it. Besides the cards you are all taking-" the Monarch sighed, seeming annoyed about something. "-I also have some from my own collection for you. One of these should be reforgeable to what you want."


    Even the weariness couldn''t stop Irwin from looking up with growing interest.


    A small spectral hand, gleaming metallic and translucent, appeared from beside Brazardian, moving towards him. Irwin stared at it in curious wonder.


    How¡­ is this something Ambraz will be able to do? he thought. Then his eyes fell on the stack of cards it was clasping.


    "I would suggest you use those you manage to keep for one of the people back home," Brazardian said. "These cards are¡­ hard to come by. Most here use fire-based short-range teleports."


    Irwin nodded as he accepted the cards. The top one was topaz, higher than his usual base materials, and it showed an odd ripple effect with a figure.


    "Thank you."


    "You are welcome. Now, leave. I need to speak with my two offspring before they leave."


    Irwin glanced at Ambraz.


    "Go, I''ll be there when you wake."


    Taking a deep sigh, Irwin turned, noticing how the entire room seemed to spin. It took all his power to remain standing, then headed forward. As he forced himself to keep walking, weakness threatening him, a sudden nostalgia hit him.


    This is how things used to be, he thought, as he recalled his childhood.


    --


    Irwin woke feeling odd and incredibly refreshed. He looked up to see the roof of one of Ambraz''s servant quarter rooms. He''d taken the first empty one he came across and slammed into the bed, and by now, he felt a lot better.


    A soft chatter came from somewhere nearby, almost like a whisper, and it took him a moment to remember the smiths he had in his soulscape.


    As he thought of them, his mind split in two. Unlike his first attempt, he felt no nausea or oddity. Instead, the larger part of him was in bed while the other part hovered in his soulscape. It was as if he was juggling with two hands, feeling both parts of him. Though not completely equally.


    I wonder how it will grow, Irwin thought as he flexed the smaller part of himself.


    It held an exact copy of his soulforce, but it was tiny, while his main soulforce was slightly less than it had been a whole day ago.


    "Awake?"


    Irwin looked up in the room while he had his other part move around his soulscape, taking a look at what the smiths were doing. Oddly, if he focused on one, the other still acted, and he could sense a second part of him controlling it.


    Okay, this might be better, but it''s still going to take some getting used to, Irwin thought.


    "Yes," he said as he got up. "How long did I sleep?"


    "It''s a few hours past the light, so I couldn''t let you sleep any longer," Ambraz said, landing on the bed next to him.


    Had he only been with him shortly, Irwin wouldn''t have noticed, but he heard the weariness in Ambraz''s voice. His friend and companion''s soulforce was also jittery.


    "How are you doing?" he asked.


    "He wouldn''t budge," Ambraz said.


    "Yeah, I didn''t think he would," Irwin said.


    He rose and headed to the small dish of water and the metal mirror. It was quiet as he shaved, washed his face, and, with a second of hesitation, most of his upper body. A few moments later, he walked out of his room to freeze at the door opening.


    Three Coals, all shadowy as if not well illuminated, stood in the room. One was looking at the door that led outside. The other two looked at him, heads cocked slightly.


    "Hi¡­" Irwin said as he walked inside and looked around.


    There was no sight of the others, but he heard a soft groan followed by a thud. A few moments later, Greldo walked out of his room, rubbing his head. When he saw Irwin, he smiled.


    "So you did come back."


    "Of course. So, it worked?" Irwin asked.


    Greldo looked at the three shadowy Coals and grinned. A moment later, the shadow hounds vanished, replaced by the real Coal.


    "We are going to need some practice with this," he said. "But let''s just say that if we encounter another group of pirates, they are going to be in for a surprise."


    "I don''t doubt it," Irwin said with a grin.


    "So, tell me how it works. How many can Coal¡­ summon? Make?" Irwin asked, not a hundred percent sure if he had made the card.


    "Six or seven now," Greldo said. "It depends on my soulforce, so I was going to ask you for some cards to increase that."


    "We will have to see later," Irwin said with a nod. "I have some left, and they usually merge well with nearly anything."


    They continued chatting until the others began waking up and joining them. Zender was the last one, and the boy, who was rapidly turning too large to be called that, looked around with bleary eyes and a yawn. He looked around until he saw his mother, then sat down beside her.


    "So everyone knows?" Irwin asked.


    "Mom told us," Zender said, looking to the side. "I want to go with her, but she won''t let me."


    "You''re too young and have no soulcard," Rindiri said, staring at Zender, who looked at the table with a mix between anger and hopelessness. Rindiri''s face softened, and she put a hand on Zender''s.


    "Zender. I need to get our people, and I can do that best if I can move as fast as I can. Don''t worry. I''ve been roaming the Portal Gallery for a very long time. Nothing will happen to me."


    "There''s Smith worlds being attacked and raging storms," Zender said, looking up. "I can help!"


    "I''m sure you can," Rindiri said, but her face turned stern again. "But you will go with the Captain."


    Zender looked at her for a bit, then nodded.


    During their exchange, Earila had been looking from her brother to her mother and back. When they stopped, her shoulders sagged.


    "Alright," Irwin said, getting to his feet. "Let''s grab our stuff and get ready. Does anyone know where Boohm is?"


    "He didn''t sleep here," Greldo said, his grin widening. "I''m sure he will meet us at the harbor."


    Irwin matched his grin, and he knew they were going to have fun pulling some details from the Onyxian.


    As they gathered their belongings, Irwin''s attention moved to his other, as-of-yet smaller self. He had been talking with Montain and his sisters. They had been asking nonstop questions about how he managed to get his soulscape and soullake as big as they were.


    He told them they were heading to the harbor and asked some things about where they were from.


    An hour later, they reached the exit portal, and this time, there was nobody to lead them back. The wall with guardian Ganvil''s was quiet, and only a few had visible lips, showing they were awake.


    Irwin looked at the portal. It felt like it had been only days since they arrived, and now they would be leaving already. A look back at the city, made him wonder if he''d ever see Skylar and the others again. He hoped so.


    Still, it''s not like we are leaving with empty hands, he thought.


    They now had hundreds of cards, Ganvils, and a handful of smiths. All they had to do was safely return them home.


    "Let''s go," he said, stepping into the portal.


    The trip lasted as long as it always did, and when they arrived in the room, a few Ganvils were sitting nearby. Large and quiet, Irwin nodded at them as he and the others walked out.


    Little happened during their trip until they finally reached the harbor. Irwin was walking ahead, following Ambraz''s directions, when Greldo tsssked.


    "Company."


    Irwin looked to where Greldo was looking and saw a familiar figure walk towards them, eyes locked with his. It was the Fiz''rin Hind whom he''d met when they arrived. Irwin knew he hadn''t really thought about her after they had met, somehow the meeting with Brazardian and everything after having wiped her from his mind. Now that he saw her, he recalled Ambraz had told her that her soulcard was broken - created from a misformed heartcard.


    Hind''s eyes were filled with barely hidden hope, and she stopped in front of them.


    The resonance of her soulcard hit Irwin like a wave of out-of-tune music, with the ripples chaotic and jagged lines.


    Did it become worse, or did I become more sensitive? Irwin thought, holding back a grimace.


    "Hi," she said. "I hope you remember me?"


    "Hind," Irwin said with a nod. "We met when we arrived."


    She nodded, her eyes widening. "Do you have some time to talk?"


    Irwin hesitated, then nodded. "I need to head to the dock, but we can chat as we move."


    Hind nodded, stepped aside, and then fell in stride with him.


    "How did you find us?" Irwin asked, looking at her.


    "I.. I¡­ Listen, you wouldn''t happen to know how to fix soulcards, would you?" Hind asked, staring at him, not answering his question.


    "Her soulcard is way worse," Ambraz said in his soulscape. "It might actually shatter, causing her to become addled if this continues."


    "I don''t know if anyone can repair your soulcard," Irwin said honestly. "It''s not something I''ve learned."


    Hind''s shoulders sank, the hope in her eyes dulling.


    "Then I''m doomed," she said, her pace slowing down until she stood still.


    Irwin stopped, the others following his lead.


    "They won''t let me on the planet, and none of the smiths here can help," Hind said absently. Then she looked up, pain and resignation in her eyes. "I won''t even have the time left to return home."


    Although he barely knew her, Irwin felt a stab of sympathy for her. She was the only Fiz''rin he''d met and looked more like him than anyone else he''d seen in a long time. He glanced at Ambraz.


    "Is there anything we could do?"


    "I¡­ don''t know," the Ganvil said hesitantly. "I don''t think even the Monarchs could fix this."


    Hind looked up, a tiny sliver of hope in her eyes as she stared at Ambraz. "If you know anything, anyway, please let me know. I''ll do whatever you want."


    Irwin focused on her, for the first time really looking at her soulcard, listening to the malformed song and watching the ripples of soulforce that sometimes moved from her. It felt like a song played on a broken instrument, an instrument so out of tune that no matter the skill of the one wielding it, it would never be as beautiful as it should be.


    "There might be a way we could hold her soulcard together long enough for her to head home," Ambraz said. "But¡­ she''d have to come with us, and we''d have to go to Igniz. Which, I might remind you, would be a detour of at least a few weeks."


    Irwin nodded. "Listen, tell me where you are staying. I''m going to see if I can think of something, and if I can, I''ll come find you," he said.


    Hind nodded, but her eyes were hollow. "Sure¡­ I''m staying in the Crumpled Tankart, a small inn. If you ask anyone, they can point you to it."


    Irwin could see she didn''t expect him to return. Sadly, there was little he could do about that. He was about to walk away when she looked up.


    "Right, I¡­ I had someone look out for any smith that came out of the portal," she muttered. "That''s how I knew you were here. You might want to be careful, though. I wasn''t the only one paying for that information."


    Irwin glanced at Greldo, then back at Hind.


    "Thank you for warning us," he said. "I hope to see you again."


    "Me too," Hind said as she began walking away, her feet dragging.


    "I''ll move into the shadows in a moment and see what''s going on," Greldo said, stepping close to Irwin. "Also¡­ she looks like a good sort. You sure you can''t help her?"


    Irwin shook his head, not knowing how he would even go about it. He only knew how to reforge cards.


    I wonder what Ambraz''s idea is, he thought as he continued head. But first, I''ll need to see the cards Brazardian gave us and pick my final one.

 Chapter 263: Sonic Shift

    ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s ours?¡± Irwin asked.


    He and the others were staring in awe at the ship. Easily double the length of The Sonata, its smooth hull was dark with a slight metallic gleam to the gray wood. With a single main mast, angled back with a massive sail, Irwin wondered if Zender and Earila could even keep it clean with the two of them. The smaller front sail looked similar to the one on The Sonata.


    ¡°Aye, that¡¯s your ship!¡±


    He glanced at the young man who had led them along Brazardian¡¯s private dock. Burly, though nothing compared to the smiths, and with intense blue eyes that gazed lovingly at the ship before them.


    The others stood nearby, staring in awe at their new vessel. Rindiri had a look of conflicted desire, but she said nothing. A dark, nearly black metal Ganvil sat on her shoulder. Zir¡¯dor, a friend of Ambraz, who was over four hundred years old and without a smith. He¡¯d been more than happy to leave Granvrox for a mission, having been excused from his guard duties because of it.


    ¡°Number three! The smallest of the four Lord Brazardian commissioned for his Prodigies and my favorite of the batch,¡± the young man said.


    Irwin saw his eyes gleaming as his gaze raked across the ship''s sleek and deadly form.


    ¡°The Shipwright had to drain himself dry each day to get these done in time, but they are worth it. This one is as fast as a Scout class, half the size of an Escort, and able to house forty crew with ease!¡±


    ¡°Must you bellow so loud?¡±


    A familiar, deafening voice made them all turn to a line of crates on the other side of the docks adjacent to the buildings. Boohm got up, rubbing at his face, looking at them.


    ¡°Ah, captain! It was late the day before, so I decided to find this place and just sleep here,¡± Boohm said, wandering over. He had a small bag in one hand, and a larger one lay behind him.


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you with-¡±


    ¡°No, no! Boohm said, interrupting Greldo with a shake of his head. He looked around before lowering his voice to what had to be a whisper in his eyes. ¡°I was by myself. Just got my stuff and am ready to leave. Which we are, right? Leaving?¡±


    Irwin looked at Boohm, wondering what had happened. He didn¡¯t believe the loud man had done something bad, so what did that leave? He frowned and noticed a tiny flicker of worry in Boohm¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Yes, we are going to leave¡­ why are you so-¡±


    ¡°Good, good! I¡¯ll go and find the galley then,¡± Boohm said with a nod as he walked towards the wide gangplank.


    Irwin watched him walk away, then turned to Greldo, who had a big grin.


    ¡°What''s going on?¡±


    ¡°I think Boohm might have bit off more than he can chew,¡± Greldo said as his grin widened to a predatory one. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°Okay, Irwin nodded before walking to Rindiri.


    She stood a few steps away with her children, both looking at her, seeming ready to argue again.


    ¡°Captain, please take good care of them,¡± Rindiri said. She glanced at the ship, then hummed. ¡°Before I leave, I think you should name your new vessel. That way I know what to look for.¡±


    Irwin¡¯s mouth opened and closed as he was caught off guard by the request. Part of him wished he could call it The Sonata again, but he knew that wouldn¡¯t work. Still, as he looked at the ship, he knew he wanted to stick with his theme¡ªsomething that made sense for the deadly, sleek vessel.


    ¡°Concerto,¡± he muttered, recalling a word he¡¯d learned from Skylar. ¡°Yes¡­ that will do.¡±


    ¡°The Concerto?¡± Rindiri asked, seeming somewhat surprised. ¡°I don¡¯t think I know what that word means¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s when dozens or more musicians play a single song together,¡± Irwin said, nodding, knowing it would be a good name.


    ¡°The Concerto,¡± he said, with more certainty this time.


    ¡°I like it,¡± Rindiri said with a nod. Then she turned to Earila, staring at her. ¡°Remember what I taught you. Besides Irwin, you have the highest tolerance for cold, so I expect you to work hard,¡±


    Rindiri turned to Irwin, removed a small booklet from her pocket, and handed it to him.


    ¡°Captain, I¡¯ve had her memorize most of the area between us and where we need to go, including a few extra paths. Those and a lot more are here.¡°


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Irwin said as he accepted the book, looking at it as realization set in that he would need to navigate without Rindiri¡¯s going forward. Although he was sure of himself, he did know he¡¯d probably miss her on many occasions.


    Zender had been fidgeting, and as Rindiri turned to him, he visibly steeled himself.


    ¡°You have grown a lot since we left Sesnanser,¡± she said, stepping forward and putting a hand on his shoulder. Zender was almost as tall as her now, and he grabbed her hand, eyes going misty.


    ¡°Take care of our sister and The Captain while I¡¯m gone. If Ib asks¡­. Tell her I¡¯ll try to remember what requirements she gave me for a future partner.¡±


    Zender snorted while Irwin grinned as he imagined that conversation.


    ¡°Do you want me to look for a partner for you?¡± Rindiri asked, a gleam in her eyes.


    ¡°No, no!¡± Zender said, shaking his head quickly. ¡°I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be able to find someone.¡±


    ¡°Then, be good, and until I see you again!¡± Rindiri said.


    ¡°Captain. Permission to leave for an extended time?¡±


    ¡°Granted,¡± Irwin said, feeling a pang in his chest.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll see you in the future,¡± Rindiri said, waving at her children before turning and walking back to the regular dock.


    ¡°Take care, Lord Ambraz,¡± Zir¡¯dor said before he shot after her and landed on her shoulder.


    ¡°Do you¡­ do you think she will be alright?¡± Zender whispered, looking after Rindiri.


    ¡°If anyone can get your people to safety, it''s her,¡± Irwin said. ¡°Besides, I gave her a few presents before she left.¡±


    Zender looked at him in surprise. ¡°Cards?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± Irwin said.


    He put a hand on Greldo¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Now, let''s go and see what The Concerto looks like inside.¡±


    ¡°So, that¡¯s the name you have gone with?¡± the young man asked. ¡°Would you like me to register it for you?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Irwin said. ¡°Do you have all the information?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it''s all done. The only thing left was the name,¡± the young shipwright said. ¡°I¡¯ll show you around the ship, then get right on it.¡±


    He ran forward across the gangplank.


    ¡°How long till we leave, you think?¡± Greldo whispered beside Irwin.


    ¡°Half a day,¡± Irwin said, faintly recalling what Brazardian had shared with him. ¡°We are leaving together with two fleets- one filled with smiths heading to some secret world, the other a merchant¡¯s fleet going to Suiderfuix.¡±


    ¡°Alright, then I¡¯m going to sleep for a part of that,¡± Greldo muttered. ¡°Using those shadows is pretty draining. You said something about cards that increase my soulforce lake?¡±


    ¡°Yes, let''s see the ship, and then we can take care of it. I need to do some smithing.¡±


    ¡°You going to get your heartcard then?¡± Greldo said as they walked onto the deck.


    Irwin was about to say he was when he stopped.


    Ethereal Strings isn¡¯t even diamond yet, he thought while looking around the much larger, smooth deck.


    It was close, with most of the growth having come from the cards he¡¯d reforged while playing on his soulstrum guitar, but he wanted to get it to Ammolite rank.


    ¡°Not yet,¡± he said. ¡°I need to do a few things before I can. But it shouldn¡¯t be too long.¡±


    ¡°Good, then I¡¯ll beat you to it, and you won¡¯t ever catch up,¡± Greldo said with a grin. ¡°Now, lets go and see what the rooms look like!¡¯


    A short while later, everyone was gathered in the much larger galley. With three long tables, each with a single large chair at the head and benches along the sides, it had room for over thirty people in a single go, and the kitchen area was meant for more than a single cook. Boohm had already stoked up the oven and had started making things that smelled incredible.


    ¡°My room is almost the size of what we had in Ambraz¡¯s servant quarters,¡± Zender said, grinning stupidly. ¡°And there¡¯s a shower area!¡±


    ¡°Which you need to make sure you don¡¯t overuse,¡± Earila said, frowning at him. ¡°That man said it takes a while for the water to be filtered-¡± she stumbled over the unfamiliar word. ¡°-and we can¡¯t get new water unless we reach a harbor.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes,¡± Zender said with a grin. ¡°But, still! A shower!¡±


    ¡°Imagine if they saw your room,¡± Greldo said with a snort.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    Irwin grinned as he saw the slight jealousy. He couldn¡¯t blame Greldo, as his own room was fit for a king. Large enough to have a private sitting area, a place to forge, and a massive bed, he even had two large portholes so he could look outside.


    ¡°Well, at least you got the second in command¡¯s room,¡± he said, accepting the plate with steaming food Boohm handed to him.


    For the next good while, they ate and chatted, but no matter what Irwin tried, he couldn¡¯t get Boohm to tell him what had happened. Greldo just kept grinning, and when they finished, Irwin snorted.


    ¡°Alright, let''s go and get you a card,¡± he said to Greldo.


    The kids perked up at that, looking incredibly curious.


    ¡°Greldo, what are you going to get?¡± Zender asked, leaning forward.


    ¡°I¡¯ll show you later,¡± Greldo said. ¡°Now, go and help Boohm clean up, then explore the ship until you know any nook and cranny. Make sure there¡¯s no tracking runes, then check the sails.¡±


    As they walked away, Irwin looked at Greldo with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°What? With Rindiri gone, someone is going to have to keep them in line,¡± Greldo said. ¡°Unless you want to tell me that you aren¡¯t going to be reforging or practicing most of the trip?¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t hear me complaining,¡± Irwin said as they reached his new quarters. The light that streamed in through the large portholes and from the runic lights in the ceiling made it light and roomy, and he liked it already.


    A few moments later, they were sitting at the low table, three cards spread out on the table.


    ¡°Each of these will increase your available soulforce,¡± Irwin said. He pointed at one of the cards, which looked like an odd symbol, a cross between art and rune.


    ¡°But they don¡¯t work the same. This one increases your soulscape size, which will increase the speed at which your soulforce regenerates, which in turn is what will allow you to use your soulcard abilities.¡±


    He moved to the next, which showed a similar thing.


    ¡°This one will increase the density of your soulforce, which is the only way to increase your available soulforce without increasing your soullake. It will give you more useages of your skills, but it also means it will take longer to refill. The final option is increasing your soullake size, which is probably the rarest out of the options but not necessarily the best. It will also increase your available soulforce, and the power behind your moves, but less so than the second option.¡±


    Greldo looked at him, nodding slowly. ¡°I see that academy did teach you something. Okay, so why did you even show me the last option?¡±


    ¡°Because it will increase in effectiveness with each next soulcard you get. When you get four soulcards, it will be twice as useful as the other two cards.¡±


    ¡°So a quick boost now, or a slower one with better potential,¡± Greldo said. ¡°Which one would you take?¡±


    Irwin pointed at the last card. ¡°This one. I only have a couple, and they are hard to get and hard to reforge. They will also increase your sensitivity to soulforce, letting you get a better read on enemies¡¯ cards.¡±


    Greldo hesitated, then took the third card. ¡°Can I take two?¡±


    ¡°Of course, but it will mean your next heartcard will be focused a lot on soulforce improvement,¡± Irwin said.


    Greldo took the first card and nodded. ¡°That¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll need to practice with them for a while anyway. What about you? Shouldn¡¯t you get a last card?¡±


    Irwin laughed as he picked out another stack and placed them on the table. ¡°Oh, I will, but I need to reforge one first.¡±


    ¡°Going for another Ruby?¡± Greldo said. ¡°Since when did the two of us become so rich that we slight the lower things.¡±


    ¡°Since I can make them,¡± Irwin said as he rose and flexed his shoulders. ¡°You leaving or staying?¡±


    ¡°What, and lose the chance to hear you sing?¡± Greldo said, leaning back and crossing his arms.


    Irwin nodded as he focused both of himself on the same task. He¡¯d warned the smiths inside of what might come, and they had been very interested to hear him play while reforging.


    One of him positioned himself in the center of his cabin and summoned his hammer, while the other moved to the area in front of his empty soullake and summoned his soulstrum guitar. Ambraz changed to his working shape.


    Irwin -both of him- felt a slight tension as his parts weren¡¯t exactly equal, but he¡¯d practiced the night before and knew it wouldn¡¯t matter for what he was planning. When he was to create a heartcard, things would be different, though.


    ¡°Let''s start with this one,¡± he said, putting one of the soundbased short-range teleport cards atop Ambraz. It was amethyst and one of the lowest he had. It was also one of the three that Ambraz had the highest hopes for.


    ¡°Remember what we said, kid,¡± Ambraz said. ¡°I¡¯ll hum the start. You follow along when you can. Then I¡¯ll do the beat, you the melody, as we start forcing it. We are aiming for tiny steps, or it will just shatter again.


    Irwin didn¡¯t answer, and he waited till Ambraz began humming. As soon as the Anvil did, one of him put his fingers on the snares, and hesitantly first, then faster as the simple song repeated itself a few times, he began to follow along.


    Unlike the previous night, when he¡¯d been weary to the bone, both of him were fresh, and the resonance of his soulcard was smooth and strong. With a wide smile, Irwin struck the card, causing the image of what he hoped would be his final card for this heartcard to appear.


    --


    Greldo leaned back, listening quietly to the soft song that resonated through the large cabin. Almost hauntingly, the metallic humming was accompanied by a steady beat. Irwin¡¯s song, deep and vibrant, sang a worldless song, while Ambraz¡¯s hum created a deep beat.


    If he keeps this up, he can just charge people to watch him reforge and earn more than with the cards, Greldo thought.


    He looked at the two cards in his hands, both of topaz rank, and wondered if Irwin was going to make them Ruby. He hoped so, as he¡¯d begun noticing just how powerful of a difference higher rank cards were. Not just because their abilities were more potent or stronger when used but also because of the number of times they could be used.


    Perhaps he can help me get a Diamond one later, Greldo thought as he leaned back, enjoying the song.


    --


    Irwin stared at the card on Ambraz¡¯s smooth surface, a brilliant ruby edge showing his success, and he shook his head.


    ¡°You look almost sad you succeeded,¡± Greldo said.


    ¡°We wasted dozens of cards,¡± Irwin said. ¡°Trying and trying¡­ and now I just succeeded. I should have waited!¡±


    ¡°Bah! Kid, you needed the practice! Without it, who is to say you would have succeeded?¡± Ambraz snorted. ¡°Now stop admiring it. Slot it and go work on the other two. You still have to talk with Hind.¡±


    ¡°What plan do you even have?¡± Irwin asked.


    ¡°Simple, we are going to forge a card that will patch up that broken song of hers. If we can make something like¡­ a plug, it will hopefully stabilize the song.¡±


    Irwin hummed thoughtfully as he realized what Ambraz was getting at.


    ¡°But she said she couldn¡¯t slot anything,¡± Greldo said.


    ¡°That¡¯s because her soulcard is resonating in a way that nothing can match,¡± Irwin said. ¡°Anything that could would also need to be fractured¡­ or-¡± he raised his hands, fingers spread. ¡°Imagine this her soulcard, with holes where the notes should be rounded and in tune. Now, imagine a card that could fit the holes perfectly. Her soulcard wouldn¡¯t just accept it, but probably not even allow it to be unsloted again.¡±


    ¡°That sounds difficult and pretty much like a permanent solution?¡± Greldo said, turning to Ambraz. ¡°Didn¡¯t you call it a way to keep it stable?¡±


    Irwin had no answer to that and looked at Ambraz.


    ¡°First off, I don¡¯t know anyone that can reforge a card to perfectly ¡®fit¡¯ the problem. But say we manage. The real problem isn¡¯t her soulcard anymore. It¡¯s her soulscape. It has been damaged so heavily that its barrier is leaking.¡°


    Irwin winced while Greldo cursed under his breath. ¡°How come she is even alive?¡±


    ¡°Dunny, Kid. Perhaps her soulcard has a high regeneration,¡± Ambraz said.


    ¡°So¡­ how are we even going to make that card?¡± Irwin asked.


    ¡°Simple, I memorized that horrid song - not like I could forget it if I wanted to, and I¡¯m going to resonate it while you create a music sheet for it. Then we are going to see if we can figure out how to fill in the blanks.¡±


    Irwin¡¯s eyebrows shot up. ¡°That¡¯s a great idea.¡±


    ¡°Of course it is,¡± Ambraz said, sounding incredibly smug. ¡°Now, let¡¯s see your last card. Then you can slot it, and after that, we will reforge those two cards.¡±


    Ambraz flashed, and a moment later, his small form flew to the table just as Irwin put his book down. A second flash and Irwin quickly grabbed it, flipping it to the last page.


    Card: Sonic Shift


    Type: Soundwave, Ruby, Reforged by Irwin Roddington


    Owner: Irwin Roddington


    A specialized card that allows the wielder to move along sound waves as long as they are strong enough. If the waves are interrupted or diffused too much, the wielder is deposited at the spot of the interruption.


    Passive: Increased movement speed in places with lots of audio waves


    Active: Teleport across soundwaves up to a hundred feet


    ¡°Gelwin¡¯s balls,¡± Greldo muttered, looking at Irwin. ¡°So, what? Are you going to be singing in battle now?¡±


    Irwin nodded absently as an idea bubbled up. It took a few moments for it to crystalize, then his eyebrows shot up.


    ¡°Ambraz, do you think we could augment this to work with soul resonances when we create my next heartcard?¡±


    It was quiet as Ambraz¡¯s lips turned into a surprised O, then into a grin.


    ¡°Well, we are definitely going to try, that is for sure,¡± he said. ¡°If we can make soundwaves and soulforce resonances the cornerstone of that next card, things are going to get interesting.¡±


    Irwin grinned as he got up and stuck out his hand. ¡°Right, hand me those so we can get them up and running.¡±


    --


    Hind gazed at her full glass, deaf to the chatter around her. The Crumpled Tankart was filled to the brim with small-time traders, merchants, and what had to be crooks. Usually, that would have bothered her, but now her mind was empty. Even the ever-increasing pain that caused her nights to be short and horrible seemed distant. Images of Igniz, the ever-burning birthplace of her people, played through her mind.


    A dull shout and a shattered glass on the wall a few feet away finally made her snap out of it. She looked up, but the rowdy men were already being tossed out by the massive Onyxian barman.


    I¡¯m going to die here, all alone. Father was right. I should have stayed home and made the best of my final years, she thought.


    A weary sadness settled around her, and she looked at her glass. She hesitated, then downed it in one go. The burning liquor from her homeworld, so expensive it had cost a month of wages, felt like a trickle of nostalgia as it flowed down her throat. The pain from her soulscape increased- not because of the drink, she knew, just a coincidence.


    I think it is time to find the guards and tell them I¡¯m about to turn into an Addled.


    She pushed herself up just as a familiar shape thudded through the door of The Crumpled Tankart.


    The Smith, she thought, as she watched the man who looked so much like her Uncle Lava look around.


    A tiny tinkling of hope came, and she wished it hadn¡¯t. Why couldn¡¯t she just accept it? It wasn¡¯t like there was some mysterious way to fix what was wrong with her.


    But perhaps he knows a way to get you home, even if it is to die, a tiny voice whispered.


    Irwin, that was his name, spotted her and came walking her way. There was a conflicted look in his eyes, and she sat down, the hope dying as fast as it had come.


    ¡°Hind¡­ you don¡¯t look too good.¡±


    Hind felt a jolt of hilarity at that, gallows humor making her speak before she could catch herself. ¡°Yeah, you try having your soulscape turned to molten slag and see how you look.¡±


    The Smith¡¯s eyebrows shot up, and Hind wanted to kick herself. Then she decided it didn¡¯t matter anyway.


    ¡°Listen¡­ you-¡± the Smith¡¯s eyes narrowed, and he sat down. ¡°Never mind, there¡¯s no time.¡±


    He took a card from his pocket and placed it near her hand. As soon as it appeared, Hind heard and saw nothing else. It was as if the entire inn went silent; she didn¡¯t see anything but a fuzzy wave from the card as he grabbed it with his hand. A sense of intense desire she had never felt from her broken soulcard came, and before she even knew what she was doing, she shoved the card into her hand.


    It hovered above it, then vanished inside. A soft shiver ran through her body. Then, her mind went blank.


    --


    Irwin stared stupidly at Hind, who had slotted the card with a frenzy, only to go unconscious, her heavy body thudding into the table loud enough to be heard over the constant chatter.


    He looked around quickly, but nobody was looking their way.


    ¡°Is she okay?¡± he whispered to Ambraz, who was sitting on his shoulder.


    ¡°She better be. She just took a card that required a whole lot of effort without even a thank you!¡±


    Irwin didn¡¯t respond as he focused on the knocked-out Fiz¡¯rin.


    ¡°Now what?¡± he muttered, more to himself than to actually expect an answer.


    ¡°Grab her and get her to the ship. She wanted away, and we can leave her at the nearest port with ships heading for Igniz,¡± Ambraz said. ¡°I¡¯m too curious to see if my plan worked!¡±


    Irwin sighed as he looked around.


    Right, and nobody is going to look at us oddly if I pick up and carry her away, he thought.

 Chapter 264: Vibrating ship

    Hind woke slowly, and for the first time in over a year, there was barely any pain- just a dull, distant thrumming. There was none of the old sharpness that felt like daggers being thrust into her head and soul before being rotated constantly.


    I¡­ What happened?


    The bed below her seemed to tilt ever so slightly, then swayed somewhat.


    I''m on a ship!


    She opened her eyes, looking at the smooth ceiling of a ship''s cabin, then raised her left hand up. A single card sat there, the sharpness of its lines showing it was at least topaz. She faintly recalled grabbing it, then everything had gone dark.


    Why could I slot it? Am I fixed now?


    She probed her soulscape, but a burst of pain made her quickly withdraw. She had never been able to enter it after forming it and had no idea of its state. Still, nightmares of broken barriers and chaos soulforce drifting through it had plagued her ever since it had happened.


    "Are you feeling alright?"


    A young voice caused her to blink, and she looked to the side where a small woman, no a girl still, sat. She had purple-blue hair, a sharp, curious face, and icy blue eyes that still managed to radiate warmth.


    "You''re a Yuurindi," Hind said, blinking stupidly.


    The girl''s eyes narrowed, a look of hostility replacing her curiosity.


    "No, wait, I didn''t- I mean, there''s only a few here! Does that mean I''m at Smith Irwin''s ship?" she asked quickly, shaking her head to try and clear it off the thick fog of sleep.


    The eyes widened slightly, but a bit of hostility remained.


    "I''m Earila," the girl said. "The Captain said to bring you to him when you woke."


    "The Captain?" Hind asked.


    "Captain Irwin?" Earila said, raising an eyebrow.


    Right, I knew that Hind thought. The Eternal Ice, take this fogginess!


    As annoyed as she was, she was also grateful. She hadn''t slept this deep in so long. A stray thought made her look at the bed, wondering if she could get away with sleeping some more. She quickly pushed it away as she looked around. The room she was in wasn''t very big, but well made, and when she realized there was only one bed, her eyes widened.


    Do they have private chambers on this ship?


    That had to mean it wasn''t just some merchant vessel because those used every inch they had to stow either supplies or goods.


    "Okay, let''s see Irwin," she said.


    "Captain Irwin," Earila said, turning and opening the door. "This way."


    Hind followed her, and like the room, she saw that the hallway was spacious, clean, and appeared new. A slight suspicion came to her, but only when they reached the cabin at the end of the hall was she sure.


    "This is one of those new ships the Monarchs were building," she hissed, eyes wide as she looked around the opulent room.


    "It is," a deep voice that reminded her of home if not for the odd accent.


    Hind looked at Irwin, the massive Smith wearing a sleeveless tunic covered in smudges. An anvil stood behind him, but as she watched, it flashed, and a Ganvil shot through the air to land on the Smith''s shoulder.


    "How are you feeling?"


    "I feel great," Hind said, then blinked. "Well, much better than before. How¡­ I thought you said there was no helping?"


    She saw a look of sympathy run through the Smith''s eyes.


    "We did what we could, and you will be able to reach home now. But¡­ there''s little I can do about your soulscape. Also, you slept for nearly two days¡­ I didn''t know what to do, and how you would be when you woke so we brought you along."


    Hind''s eyes widened, and she looked at the portholes and the landscape of the Portal Gallery passing by.


    "How¡­ where are we heading?" she asked.


    "Not for Igniz," Irwin said. "Sorry, but we need to do something else first. We will be stopping at the first harbor we pass so you can find passage to Igniz."


    Hind nodded as she looked at the man who resembled her uncle.


    "Thank you. I don''t know what I owe you for the card, but-"


    "Nothing. Though, I''d appreciate it if you could take a message from me to someone on Igniz?"


    Hind felt a slight annoyance at the thought of taking a card without pay. Her father would have scolded her if he''d known. Then she looked around, and the feeling faded. What could she even offer?


    "I''ll bring a message for you," she said.


    Irwin smiled. "Good, then I''m going to need to practice a bit more. Earila can bring you to get some food and introduce the others. We are going to be a few weeks before we reach the next harbor."


    Hind stared at him, wondering where he was really from. He''d said he had turned the way he was from a card, but she''d never heard of a card that made anyone look like a Fiz''rin.


    "Thanks again," she said, turning to follow the small Yuurindi out.


    --


    Irwin watched Hind walk away, again surprised at how much they were alike. He wanted to ask about her health, but another question came.


    "Ambraz, why do I look so much like a Fiz''rin?" he asked as soon as the door closed. "I mean, I understand some resemblance because of our shared Copperion element, but this? From how she acts and talks, I could be one of them."


    "No idea, kid. Perhaps long ago there were others that had the same cards as you? Who knows, your children might look like this."


    Irwin frowned, then shook his head. "I''ve never heard of body changing cards, changing the way the children look. I would have heard bout that, right?"


    "That''s based on the low-rank, weak cards from Giard. I do know there are many worlds and species out there that prohibit anyone changing cards. Perhaps this is one of the reasons?"


    Irwin thought about it, then shrugged.


    "Let''s continue purifying the Gneisian ore. We need to relieve Greldo soon."


    For the rest of the morning, he focused on flattening the ore, one part of him humming and the other part playing the soulstrum guitar. He''d found that caused his Ethereal Strings card to improve, and Ambraz said if they continued, it should reach diamond rank within a week. Then, if his hammer card had been a good example, it would take between one and two months to reach Ammolite. A speed Ambraz said was probably unheard of- at least the move from Ruby to Diamond was.


    I really need to teach Trimdir and the others how to play and Smith, Irwin thought.


    After he finished and locked the metal away in his Captain''s safe, next to most of the cards they had, Irwin quickly cleaned his sweat and then dressed in a thin jerkin. The soft chattering of Montain and the other smiths echoed in his mind, and the part of him that was there was listening and sometimes chatting back.


    "One more day, then we should be able to get them out, right?" Irwin asked as he walked up the deck.


    A quick look around showed the narrow corridor of the Portal Galery they were flying through, an alternative route to the Chaos Maze. You''gyn had said it would be best not to go there, as they might be asked about him.


    Hou''dor sat at the prow of the ship, his massive form nestled on a slight elevation meant specifically for the purpose. The other three rank five Ganvils that were with them sat on similar perches, one on each side, and the final one high at the back of the ship on a spot that would allow it to oversee all.


    "I''d say two," Ambraz muttered. "We are making good speed, but we are passing too many ships still. It''s¡­ busier then usual."


    Irwin agreed as he walked along the long deck towards the double stairs leading to the upper deck. The Concerto was over twice as long as The Sonata had been, and the upper deck had a small, semi-open room with a table with a crystal covering it from the weather. Below is one of the most precious things on the ship: a map of this part of the Langost branch provided with Brazardian.


    Greldo stood in front of the steering wheel, still looking slightly worried as he kept glancing at the barriers.


    "Took you long enough!"


    Irwin grinned and faked, wiping something from his arm before he took over. "You did great."


    "Whatever," Greldo muttered, cracking his neck. "So, she finally woke up. She''s been chatting with Earila and Boohm for a while, mostly questions about how you made that card. Which reminds me. How did you make that card?"


    Irwin shrugged. "It was mostly Ambraz. He was able to pinpoint the mistakes in the music sheet and find out how to fix them. I just-"


    "Played a very difficult song while reforging it," Ambraz snorted. "I know I''m great, but cut yourself some slack. That was something none of those supposedly ''promising'' smiths in your soulscape could have done."


    "True, I''m awesome," Irwin said, nodding lazily.


    There was a moment of silence, and then Greldo laughed while Ambraz grumbled something.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    "So, on to more important things? How are the cards? Did you get used to them enough?"


    Greldo sniffed, and a moment later, twelve Coals popped up all across the upper deck, looming in the shadows. As large as the deck was, that many charbull-sized hounds made it feel crowded.


    "They are amazing- and focusing on their passives to increase my soulforce, even more was a good idea," Greldo said. "I''ll be combining them into my second full hand later today."


    "Good, then we are going to reforge it into a heartcard tomorrow when Earila is on the helm," Irwin said.


    "I can''t wait," Gerldo said as he walked away, all of the Coals vanishing. "Now I need to eat. I''m famished!"


    Irwin laughed as he watched his friend strut away. When he was gone and the deck still, Irwin looked around, then up at the massive sail. Unlike those on a sea vessel, it would remain stretched until it needed repair or they needed to slow to a halt. And even then, it would only tilt. Zender and Earila had cleaned it twice already and would need to continue each morning. The only reason they even managed to do so was Earila''s ability to teleport and Zender''s greatly increased physical abilities.


    We will need to find some more people to clean the sails, Irwin thought.


    "The return trip to The Dimarintsia River will take way shorter, even with this slight detour," Ambraz said. "Even better, as long as we don''t get any trouble there, we can go full speed once we reach it."


    "I''m looking forward to that," Irwin said as he took a look at the barriers zipping along the sides. "Do you think we can outrun one of those Currant Hunters if we met one?"


    "We should be the same speed," Ambraz said. "So, unless they want to burn their tens of thousands of soulshard sails, I''d say they won''t bother."


    Irwin nodded happily, but Ambraz wasn''t done yet.


    "However, they will have a few dozen ranged carded on their ships," Ambraz said. "So, I''d suggest to use our speed to rush them instead."


    "Attack?" Irwin asked, looking at his shoulder in surprise.


    "If they are anywhere within five hundred feet, yes, "Ambraz said. "Otherwise, the chances of them just following us with a constant barrage will be too large."


    "Won''t they just turn and flee?" Irwin asked.


    "They can try, young smith, they can try," a loud voice boomed from the front of the ship.


    Irwin looked at Hou''dor, who had shrunk to a chest-sized anvil that flew towards them like an oversized bumblebee. He landed beside Irwin, returning to a larger shape, which Irwin now knew was more comfortable for Ganvils beyond rank five.


    A massive hand appeared above him, which shot to the side of the ship, slamming into the barrier as a fist and causing a dull boom to echo out.


    There were surprised shouts from below while Ambraz snorted.


    "I didn''t ask you along to show off, Hou!"


    Hou''dor didn''t answer, but instead, the wagon-sized hand appeared again. This time, it made a grasping motion.


    "If they try to flee, I''ll grab them and hold them in place long enough for you to board them," Hou''dor said. "The others will provide shielding for any ranged barrage- up to a certain level."


    "Show off," Ambraz grumbled.


    "No worries, Am, I''ll teach you when you get to rank four!"


    Irwin didn''t say anything, but from Ambraz''s sudden grin, he was probably thinking the same as Irwin.


    That will be soon, then!


    The rest of the day was spent quietly as Irwin felt himself slowly start to enjoy controlling the ship. The Corridors were long and winding, but he knew where he had to go.


    Earila took over while Hou''dor kept their silent watch.


    Another day passed, and everyone slowly got used to being on the ship again. Zender and Earila were a bit quieter than normal, but when Irwin called them all to the large mess, they seemed as curious as Boohm. Earila didn''t look surprised when he asked her to fly the ship while he was gone.


    Irwin watched them sit down at one table, looking at him. Hind was sitting alone, quietly observing.


    "When we left, I was asked to bring a few people along," he said as he looked around. "So far, they have been inside my soulscape, but it''s about time they get some fresh air. Besides, this is a big ship, and we could use some more help."


    As he spoke, his other self hung in his soulscape, looking at Montain.


    "No offense to your incredible soulscape, but I''m really glad we can leave now," Montain said.


    "You''ve only been here for a few days. Try being here for half a year," You''gyn said.


    "Alright, here you go," Irwin said, just as he said, "Here they come."


    He stepped to the side as Montain and his sisters Esther and Seleen appeared. A moment later, Dahlia appeared. All had their Ganvils on their shoulder. You''gyn appeared with them, but he flew to a perch near the roof, joining Ambraz.


    They were looking around curiously, just as the others were inspecting them.


    "So," Irwin said. "Some quick introductions!"


    "You''re Granitians!" Boohm said, eyebrows raised. "I thought you never left your worlds?!"


    The three Granitians looked at him in surprise, then recognition.


    "The Smiths Guild moved us to Granvox when the smiths began disappearing," Montain said. "If it was up to us, we''d have remained home. It''s good to see an Onyxian, though! We have a lot on our worlds!"


    Boohm laughed, nodding. "Aye, your worlds agree with us!"


    Irwin waited, but Boohm didn''t continue, so he quickly pointed at his friends and crewmen one at a time, calling out their names. He included Hind, who didn''t respond. When he finished, he turned to Montain.


    "This is Montain. He was one of the more talented smiths of the second years, and these are his sisters, Esther and Seleen. They will be coming with us."


    "Hiding from the evil people after us," Seleen said. She looked almost identical to her sister, except for her hair, which was short and hung loose around her shoulders. "Also, all three of us were among the most talented smiths!"


    "We are here to help," Esther said, glancing at her sister in reproach before smiling at everyone. "Pleased to meet you."


    There were some muttered greetings, and then Irwin pointed at Dahlia. "And this is Dahlia. She''s the granddaughter of the Deen."


    Dahlia frowned, her silver eyes gleaming, but she said nothing, seemingly waiting for something.


    Irwin gave her a moment to say something, but when she didn''t, he shrugged and focused on the Ganvil on her shoulder.


    "I don''t know the names of the Ganvils," he said. "Perhaps you can introduce yourselves?"


    "Juul''rish," the silvery Ganvil on Dahlia''s shoulder said in a high, feminine voice.


    She''s like Skylar''s Ganvil, Irwin thought. He saw looks of surprise among the others, but nobody said anything, though from how Zender was fidgeting, he probably would soon enough.


    The frown on Dahlia''s face had disappeared.


    "Dar, Nava, and Sand''malder," the Ganvil on Montain''s shoulder grunted in a grumpy tone. "And yes, we are all of the same batch¡­. Nice to meet you."


    "Okay, I''m going to need some time to remember all your names," Greldo said. "But, you are all smiths?"


    "We are," Seleen and Montain said at the same time.


    They glared at each other before Montain waved his sister to speak.


    Esther sighed, shaking her head.


    "We are officially second years, though we''ve been taking third years classes," she said, looking at her sister. "Well, me and Montain were still in second-year theory classes."


    "Nice," Greldo said, though his voice showed he had no idea what they were talking about. "Does that mean you are also just going to be hammering away all day¡­?"


    "Instead of?" Seleen asked, raising an eyebrow and looking back as if challenging him.


    Irwin laughed when Greldo''s eyebrows shot up. He''d already told Greldo that he was going to put the smiths to work, and he''d warned them to, but it seemed Seleen felt like having a go at Greldo.


    "Everyone on The Concerto will need to help out," he said, deciding to just go with it. "We have a small crew, and this trip is going to take close to two months."


    "Like we said, we will help," Esther said, silencing her two siblings with a wave. "However, you forgot to mention what you want us to do. We aren''t very good with ships¡­"


    "That''s okay," Irwin said. "None of you would happen to have a flying skill?"


    Esther blinked, then turned to Seleen.


    "I can fly¡­" Seleen said slowly.


    Somehow, Irwin had the idea she wasn''t really interested in helping; then again, she seemed to do what Esther told her¡­ mostly.


    "Good," he said. "Then Zender and Earila can show you how to help clean the sails."


    "Oh, that doesn''t sound too bad," Seleen said, suddenly looking a lot more enthusiastic. "Does that mean Montain has to help cook?"


    There was a stunned surprise as Montain groaned.


    "I''ll help with that," Esther said, sighing as she looked at Irwin.


    Irwin nodded, then looked at Montain and Dahlia.


    "I can help defend the ship," Dahlia said. "And I can help navigate. Grandfather told me to learn most of the Langost branch''s main routes."


    Which we won''t be using, Irwin thought, but he kept quiet.


    "Alright, that''s good to know," he said, looking at Montain.


    "I can help with the defending," Montain said. "I''ve been trained for battle, and all of my cards are both smithing and battle-related."


    Irwin looked at him in curious surprise. The towering young man hadn''t talked much about his own cards when he was inside his soulscape, and he wondered what those were now.


    "How about you help me train the others?" Greldo said.


    Montain looked at Greldo, his eyes passing over him before he nodded.


    "Right, let''s eat!" Boohm said, stomping to the kitchen area. "No better way to get to know each other than over a good meal!''


    After a round of agreements, the smiths sat down at the table. Boohm brought in the food, and soon, everyone was chatting. Montain seemed to be getting along with Greldo, while Esther was curious about Zender.


    Eventually, Irwin showed them to their rooms, which were next to each other. When he returned to his own quarters, Greldo was waiting for him.


    "So, did you want to do my next Heartcard now, or¡­?"


    Irwin hesitated. It would take a while, and he wouldn''t be able to stop midway¡­ Still, the next sidebranch wouldn''t be for half a day, and they had the rank five Ganvils.


    "Yes," he said, nodding slowly. "Have you thought about what it should look like?"


    "A full focus on the shadow clones and soulforce enhancements," Greldo said immediately. "I can have five active or passive effects, right?"


    Irwin nodded, taking up his book and a clean page.


    "Yes, at ruby rank, it''s five," he said, writing down the shadow clones and two of the passives of Greldo''s final two cards.


    Greldo hesitated.


    "What?" Irwin asked.


    "After I get this, which cards do I need to fill my lake?" Greldo asked.


    "The same as with the heartcard," Ambraz said. "So, anything shadow related. If you want another option, you would need to pick another card as the core of the heartcard."


    "Is there a benefit except the ability to get a wider range of cards?" Greldo asked.


    This time it was Irwin who answered, and as he did he realized just how much he had learned at the academy.


    "If you keep focusing on shadow, your soulcards will become more efficient, allowing you to use the abilities more," he said. "Also, it will allow you more options to slot cards for your next hand. Each soulcard will limit the handcard categories and types you can still slot. Right now, you have shadow and summoning, and those synchronize well with a lot of things. But if you add another category of soulcard or one with types, your soulscape will be far more set and rigid."


    Greldo nodded slowly. "Which types and categories would work well with shadow and summon?"


    Irwin wasn''t surprised by the question, and he''d spent a good bit of time finding out.


    "Body enhancement, but that''s a given, as are any summon enhancements like the shadow clone," he said before naming a list of types and categories.


    "What is the difference between types and categories?" Greldo asked as he leaned back, seeming deep in thought.


    "A category can be summon weapons, or fire, things like that. They aren''t usually on the descriptions of the cards when those who are able to interpret them. Types are more specific, and there are potentially an infinite number of them. At least, new ones are still found regularly," Irwin said. "They also designate special things about individual cards, like Growth or Hidden. Some don''t limit the compatibility of cards at all, while others, like Sanguine Flesh, will require all following cards to deal with organic matter or have the blood typing."


    "Sanguine Flesh¡­ that sounds horrifying," Greldo muttered.


    "It''s a type of regeneration card that will allow you to regrow an arm or a limb within moments," Ambraz said with a laugh. "The only problem is that the arm might not look exactly like the one you lost. It''s one of those that is banned on many worlds."


    Greldo was quiet for a bit, then nodded. "Let''s go with the shadow clone. I''ll think about my next heartcard after that."


    Irwin nodded as he got up and moved to the center of the room. "Then let''s get you your silver eyes back!''


    Greldo snorted as he followed him. "And just when I was used to my red ones again."

 Chapter 265: A childrens rhyme

    Irwin hummed happily along with his own soulstrum guitar, his hammer striking in a slow cadence before speeding up again. The Gneisian ore was way smaller than it had been when he''d started and gleamed with an internal light. Ethereal Strings felt like it would overflow at any moment, and he continued hammering the ore.


    It had been four days since he''d reforged Greldo''s heartcard, but it had shaved days off Ambraz''s estimate for when his soulstrum guitar would grow to diamond.


    As the sense of buildup in the card grew, Irwin felt his anticipation grow with it.


    Finally, a dozen strikes later, the guitar''s sound gained a momentary howling quality, and Irwin stopped hammering as he felt the card''s soulforce capacity expand. The power he''d put in his strings had been close to the limit just a moment before, but now they began hungrily sucking in soulforce at a breakneck speed. Before he knew it, the power in them had doubled, and the part of him that was in his soulscape gawked as the volume increased with an explosive bang.


    Waves of soulforce rippled from it, bouncing from the nearby mountain, the waves scattered by its jagged surface.


    Irwin stopped playing, looking at the guitar and noting some minor changes. The neck had lengthened, and the strings burned even brighter than before.


    He felt a shift in his soulscape, and then Ambraz appeared beside him.


    "Damn¡­ Kid, this was way faster than even I had thought! I think we should find more people that need a heartcard," he said.


    Irwin nodded, looking at his soulstrum guitar and then at Ambraz.


    "How long do you think it would take if we could have some more heartcards to reforge?"


    "It depends on their difficulty and whether there are diminishing returns, but I''d say weeks instead of months," Ambraz said.


    Irwin nodded, letting his daydreams of growing that fast and getting a second ammolite card play for a moment. Then he sighed.


    "Sadly, there''s nobody who needs a heartcard on the ship."


    "Wrong," Ambraz said, his metallic lips curved in a grin.


    "What do you mean?" Irwin said, quickly going over everyone on the ship. "Unless you mean me¡­?"


    "Well, we could gamble with that if you are very close," Ambraz said. "If we have to. But, no¡­ try again."


    Irwin was quiet before shaking his head. "Those smiths all still need some cards, and Boohm still needs a bit to go before his soulcard is finished. Greldo already has one, as do Zender and Earila. So¡­" his eyebrows shot up. "Hind?!"


    "Exactly! I''ve been thinking about it, and although the card we gave her helped, why don''t we just make another one? Her resonance is already much better, but there is room for improvement. Why don''t we just give her another five? If we use cards that strengthen her soulscape, and we reforge all of them into a heartcard to perfectly balance out her soulcard, it might not fix her, but it should give her even more time. Who knows, perhaps if she can fill it up to a soulcard, those two can balance each other out?"


    Irwin nodded slowly. Ambraz was right, or at least, it was a good idea to try. There was only one little problem with it.


    "Do we even have cards to strengthen a soulscape?" he asked, trying to recall what he knew of those.


    Like most cards dealing with soulscapes, they were rare, and they were on of the few categories of cards that needed to be above ninety percent after reforging, or they would shatter.


    "Nope," Ambraz said. "You are going to have to make some."


    Of course.


    Still, he felt anticipation as he moved to the small vault where his cards were.


    --


    Another few days passed, most of which Irwin spent purifying, practicing, and attempting to reforge cards. After a half dozen failures, cards that didn''t break but did things other than strengthen the soulscape, he managed a single success. He didn''t hand it to Hind yet, as he wanted to get all five of them ready.


    Nearly two weeks after they had left, early in Irwin''s shift at the helm, the distant Dimarintsia River came into view. He still only had four, but his mind wasn''t on it. Instead, he and everyone else was looking at the scene unfurling before him.


    Even Dahlia, usually quiet and reserved, was leaning forward with glittering eyes, barely able to hold back her excitement.


    Ships, almost too many to count, floated or flew above the wide Dimarintsia River. There were hundreds of large merchant vessels surrounded by their escorts, hovering near them in tight clusters, small scout ships either alone or in large groups, and even two distant military vessels, so large they made The Concerto look like a rowboat.


    The number of them was unusual, but something else made Irwin''s skin crawl. They were all moving in one direction¡ªand it wasn''t the way he wanted to go.


    "This isn''t good," he whispered, looking at Greldo all the way at the front of the deck.


    His friend vanished from within the shadow of the sails to appear beside him.


    "There''s a flying market over there," Greldo said, pointing at something Irwin couldn''t see. "I''m going to head there and see what''s going on."


    Irwin thought for a moment, then steered The Concerto away from the side entrance from which they came.


    "Alright. I''ll move this way slowly, but we need to know what''s going on first," he said.


    "Okay, I''ll find you," Geldo said.


    One of Coal''s shadow clones appeared beside Irwin, lying down on the ground and seemingly asleep.


    Irwin looked at it, then at Greldo.


    "Coal can locate all of his clones," Greldo said, his silver eyes glittering with humor. "Now, don''t do anything stupid, and I''ll be back as soon as I can."


    Irwin snorted, but before he could say anything, Greldo vanished.


    "That''s my line!" he muttered.


    He looked up and saw Hind walk towards him.


    "This isn''t normal," she said. "I''d heard there was some trouble with a chaos storm, but this-" she waved her hands. "I''ve never heard of anything like this!"


    "Greldo is going to check if he can find information," Irwin said. "Can you ask Earila if she can take over? I want to be ready in case I need to act."


    Hind looked at him and then around as if wanting to ask what he expected to do.


    "Sure," she said before belatedly adding a "Captain".


    Irwin watched her walk away, then scanned one of the side entrances far away. A steady stream of ships came from it.


    It''s like rats being flushed from a basement.


    --


    Greldo jumped from shadow to shadow, never lingering on a single ship. He had no idea if there were any other shadow walkers or if some ship had a way to nullify his ability, and he wasn''t interested in finding out.


    His sharp vision was locked onto the small flotilla that hovered high above the water, dozens of merchant vessels connected together with cables, and a large wooden scaffolding built between them. Smaller vessels hung nearby while a milling mass of people walked across the makeshift square, which was filled with stalls and small tents.


    Merchants will be merchants, Greldo thought, getting a humorous response from Coal.


    His greatly increased soulforce capacity allowed his friend and summon to move along easily with him, and as he reached his target, he had barely used a tenth of his energy.


    Can''t wait to get this thing to a soulcard, he thought as he mentally prodded his second heartcard.


    It felt like a wellspring of power, far more so than his first card, and it felt slightly intoxicating. Part of him almost wanted to make his third card another one, even though Ambraz had said it would be best to focus on one of his other strengths.


    Hovering in the shadows of a large tent, he looked around. As soon as he was sure nobody was looking, he stepped into reality, and the deluge of sound, chatter, and shouts increased in volume. He hesitated when Coal prodded him, then shook his head.


    ''No, remain nearby, but stay out of sight. It''s too crowded,'' he said.


    Coal snorted in his mind, indicating a towering Niox walking along with an enormous serpent wrapped around his arms. The head, easily the size of Greldo''s torso, was hanging to the side, forcing people to walk around it.


    ''True, but we are trying not to draw attention, remember?''


    Sensing Coal''s reluctant agreement, Greldo headed into the stream of people. For a while, he just followed the flow, listening to the chatter and scanning the merchant stalls. He picked up titbits, and as he did, his worry grew. When he decided he''d learned all he could from just wandering about, he headed towards a small tent.


    He had seen it a few times and paid attention as certain people went in, chatted with the man inside, and paid him, but never seemed to take any of the cards he had stalled in the few crystal stalls. The few people who actually looked at the cards as they browsed continued on their way as if they saw nothing interesting.


    The tent was open on one side, and an older merchant with silvery eyes and two full hands leaned back in a low chair. He was scanning the people walking by, and as soon as he and Greldo locked eyes, he leaned forward but said nothing. Greldo sensed a familiarity coming from the man, one he''d started noticing as he grew stronger. It meant the man had shadow-typed cards and strong ones.


    Greldo did as he''d seen the others do and as he had done on a few occasions. He sat down in the opposite chair and eyed the man for another few moments.


    "Tell me everything you know about the current troubles and why people are fleeing," he said.


    The man''s eyes widened as he leaned back again. "That will be expensive¡­ How many details do you need?"


    "Everything on the bullshit with the smiths and on the fleeing part," Greldo said, not hesitating. "And give me the overlay of the rest. I''ll decide if I need more after."


    "I have only titbits on the smiths, but it will cost you two thousand soulshards," the man said calmly. "The rest together will be one thousand or more if you hear something you need more information on."


    Greldo nodded, no longer surprised by the exorbitant prices people asked in the central regions. The price he was about to pay could let a whole family live in luxury on Fiverio for months. Out here, it was only enough for a single person a few days.


    "Half up front."


    Greldo blinked, then raised an eyebrow as he gazed at the man.


    "No need to worry, I won''t flee," the man said, turning his gaze to a shadow at the back of the tent where Coal was hiding. "Besides, from what I can sense, I think I''d hardly get far either."


    Greldo hesitated for only a moment, then removed a card from his inner pocket. Boohm had told him what it was worth, and it should cover this and more. He tossed it on the table, and the man raised an eyebrow before picking up the topaz card. As he touched it, his eyes widened.


    "I hope you have more questions because I don''t like having to hand something back."


    "I''ll pick out some cards," Greldo said, not bothering to care. Irwin had given him both cards and soulshards, and he still had his own if need be.


    "Fine. I''ll start with the current troubles, though if you walk around, you would hear a lot already," the man said. "There is a chaos storm moving this way from outer branches, and it crossed two exit portals. After it passed, the exit portals were gone and the temperature had dropped so low the merchant that reached it lost two crewmen before the rest managed to get below deck."This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    Greldo thought for a bit, then nodded. "Tell me which branches, preferably with a map, and draw out all the info on the storm and where it goes."


    The man snapped his fingers, and Greldo heard something rustle behind a shelf. Looking at it closely, he noticed it was standing just a bit too far from the back of the tent.


    "You will have it before we are done. There are rumors that the storm also leaves behind shattered barriers, though this information hasn''t been fully validated yet. If this is true, we will likely lose some of the paths we have. Also-"


    Greldo quietly listened as the man continued giving him information until he reached hearsay.


    "So, the rumors on the Smiths Guild are true; their worlds are being attacked. It is unclear who is up to it, but I have it on good authority that Currant Hunters have been spotted near at least one world before it was attacked. At least twelve worlds have been attacked, and from what I hear, most were left lifeless after. There are some unsubstantiated rumors that the smiths that are being abducted are being moved to the central worlds through Dimarintsia, but¡­" the merchant shrugged. "It would be impossible to validate those without going there. Beyond that-"


    He continued relaying a ton of unlikely facts and rumors, one of which almost made Greldo curse.


    "-Sesnanser. Also, there''s a short list of smiths floating around. Apparently, whoever brings one in will be helped to a soulcard. I don''t know many details, but from what I hear, there are only emerald and ruby rank smiths on it, and all have been training for less than a few years."


    Greldo frowned, then shook his head. "We are in the territory of unlikely stories now?"


    The information broker didn''t seem bothered by his remark and just shrugged.


    "You paid for everything, and this is still in the realm of possibilities," he said. "I got it from some reasonable sources, so I''d give it a one in three chance of being real. Besides, a friend of mine is from the Central Worlds, and he told me stories about how most worlds there have multiple diamond-rank smiths."


    Greldo didn''t respond, and after a short while, the man continued feeding him information on what had been going on. When he finished, Greldo waited for a moment, then shook his head.


    "That''s not worth the card. Let me pick four cards from the junk you have here, and I''ll call it even."


    "One, and I''ll give you five hundred soulshards."


    "Three and two hundred soulshards."


    They continued haggling until settling on two cards and fifty soulshards, which Greldo pretended to be happy with. In reality, he couldn''t have cared, but he knew if he didn''t try his best, he might have a shadowy tail he''d have to get rid of as he headed back.


    Just as he headed out, a young man with blue hair and green skin rushed in, coming to a halt as he saw Greldo. His eyes went from Greldo to the information broker and back.


    "Sansian¡­ why the rush?" the information broker asked as he beckoned him over.


    The boy leaned over, whispering in the information broker''s ear.


    Greldo faked interest, but his heart started beating faster. "New news?" he asked.


    "Nothing I can sell yet. Unless you want to hand me a card back?" the man asked, looking slightly hopeful.


    Greldo pretended to be thinking, then shook his head. "No, this will do."


    "Then I hope to do business with you again soon," the man said with a shrug. "We will remain here for another day, then the flotilla will move a week further."


    "I''ll come find you in a week or so," Greldo said before calmly walking away.


    As soon as he reached the edge of the square, he ducked around a tent, listening for anything following him. Coal told him nothing was around, and he stepped into the shadows, rapidly teleporting to the nearest ship and then onward.


    He rushed forward, only taking enough time to make sure he wasn''t being tailed, and when he finally landed on The Concerto in the shadows of the sail, he was glad to see Irwin near the railing.


    "I''m back," he said as he stepped out beside his friend. "And I''ve got some bad news."


    Irwin looked up, eyes narrow, the burning orbs growing bright.


    "What?"


    "There''s information coming in from Fiverio. Another Chaos Storm has hit the harbor, destroying it and closing the exit portal. Two merchants managed to flee as it approached, and they said they saw massive bolts of chaos soulforce lay the entire place to waste."


    --


    Irwin stared at his friend, thinking about his time in Fiverio and the people he knew there. Balarn and the other low-rank smiths had remained behind¡­


    "Did they see where the storm came from?" he asked.


    "From the outer branches in the directions of Sesnanser."


    Irwin took a deep breath, then walked to Earila. She had been watching them with a quiet look of worry.


    "Take a rest. We are going to head home, and we''re going as fast as we can," he said, taking the steering wheel.


    "Captain, do you think Mom will be alright?" Earila whispered. She was petting one of her Fearits, which hung from her shoulder.


    "Rindiri is a great navigator, and The Sonata is a good ship. She will be fine," Irwin said, hoping he wasn''t lying. "Now, go and warn the others. Tell them we will take the shortest route, which means we might be coming across some raiders- if they haven''t fled."


    Earila hesitated, then nodded and ran away. When she reached Zender, the two of them whispered before leaving below deck. The others remained to watch the ships for a while longer before all headed below.


    Irwin had quietly listened to Greldo, who had told him about everything that he''d heard, including about the list of cardsmiths.


    "Great. Why do I have the bad feeling that I''m on there?" Irwin muttered before he looked around. "We need to tell Daubutim about what''s happened. Let''s see if we can get home before getting caught in a storm."


    He vividly recalled the storm that they had moved through before they found Eluathar. Back then the Chaos Whales had saved them, he didn''t expect something similar to happen again.


    A soft flash came from one of the Ganvils, and a moment later, Hou''dor appeared beside Irwin.


    "If we need to, we can move through a storm, but only if they aren''t too large," the Ganvil said. He landed beside Irwin, returning to a larger shape. "Between the four of us, we can create a barrier to keep out the lightning and keep the ship stable."


    "That, or raider attacks," Irwin said.


    "Or that," Hou''dor replied, showing little worry.


    "Good," Irwin said. "Let''s hope we don''t need it."


    "Hope for the best, prepare for the worst," Hou''dor said.


    "Spouting random wisdom, you big lug of ore?" Ambraz snapped.


    "Weren''t you the one that told me that?" Hou''dor retorted, his metal lips in a sarcastic grin.


    Ambraz let out a laugh. "I called it wisdom, didn''t I? Anyway, on to more important things. Kid, even with our increased speed, it will take almost a month to reach the sidebranch we need. As soon as we get past this area, you need to increase your practice so you can finish your heartcard."


    Irwin was about to ask why when Ambraz continued in his mind.


    ''Just in case we encounter more of those Chaos Whales. Remember how that filled your soullake?''


    Irwin had no effort to recall the massive increase in his soullake after he''d sung in the storm. If he could get his heartcard ready, just in case, that would give him a running start.


    I wonder what would happen if I used my guitar, he thought before shaking his head.


    What use was there to keep his hopes up if hoping for a storm large enough to have Chaos Whales was as dangerous as it was? Still¡­


    "I''ll ask Earila and Greldo to take more watches," Irwin said.


    "Don''t forget about Dahlia," Hou''dor said. "That girl''s had the training, so she should be fine on such a long straight stretch."


    Irwin didn''t respond, pondering Hou''dor''s words. He''d spent less time with the other smiths than he''d expected. Greldo''s words had proven true. Each of them had been mostly helping on the ship or practicing just like he had, all but Dahlia. He couldn''t say if it was his own desire to pilot the new ship or because he didn''t fully trust her, but he somehow hadn''t asked her yet.


    "You are right. Could you ask her to meet me here?"


    "Sure, I''ll get her," Hou''dor said with a laugh as he turned into his smaller shape.


    Irwin waited till he was gone before using his smaller self inside his soulscape.


    ''You think we can trust her?'' he asked.


    ''I''d trust Hou''dor with my life, and he told me she can be trusted¡­'' Ambraz said.


    Irwin could feel the but coming, and he was right.


    ''But I''d still tell Greldo, Earila, and Zender to keep an eye on her."


    Irwin''s main self, as he was starting to see it, didn''t hesitate.


    "Grell, warn Zender and Earila that Dahlia will join us in sailing," he whispered, so soft he knew nobody other than his friend -who was standing on the stern- would hear. "I don''t expect trouble, but just in case, keep an eye on the course."


    A shadowy version of Coal appeared beside him, nodding at him before vanishing again.


    That''s one way of sending a message, Irwin thought.


    Hou''dor returned soon, and a few moments later, Dahlia walked out of the main cabin toward the helm.


    "So, finally decided I''m allowed behind the helm? Afraid I might have rammed it into the walls earlier?" she asked after she''d climbed the ladder.


    Irwin wasn''t sure if she was joking until he saw the corner of her lips tremble as she held back a smile. He immediately felt better but showed none of it. Instead, he stared at her and raised an eyebrow.


    "So you have sailed one of these before?" he asked.


    "I''ve sailed a military frigate once or twice," Dahlia said, her grin growing.


    Irwin couldn''t stop his eyes from widening at that, which only improved Dahlia''s mood. He wondered if she''d been bored or was just happy to be included. She seemed a quiet girl, but perhaps he''d misread her?


    "Good. I need to finish something, which means that, for as long as you are with us, you will take one of the shifts."


    Dahlia stepped forward, taking the helm and showing zero effort, manipulating the runes in the center to change the speed slightly before turning the wheel to keep them on course. Her actions were more fluid than Irwin had expected, and he was impressed.


    "Have you decided what you will do yet?" he asked, holding back on leaving until Zender or Earila came up.


    Dahlia''s grin faded, and she sighed. "I wondered when you would ask¡­ I''ve thought about it for a while and initially planned to leave at the first stop, but I''ve reconsidered. I''ll come with you. I had really hoped to go my own way, but with storms everywhere, everyone heading to the most central worlds, and smiths still being abducted, being a lone cardsmith is simply too dangerous. Just don''t expect me to stay there forever or to be a teacher. That''s grandfather''s thing. I prefer exploring and adventures."


    "Alright, then we are going to skip any detour and stop," Irwin said, not responding to her implied questions. He had no idea how long things would take to get Eluathar ready to defend itself, but he wasn''t going to just let anyone go there and then leave.


    "Are you sure? That''s a very long trip without any shore leave," Dahlia asked in surprise.


    Shore leave? Irwin thought as he looked at her. He''d heard the term before, but only by a few of the Interconnected Portal Galery sailors he''d spoken to during their trip to Granvox.


    "You need to tell me about your time with those frigates during dinner sometimes," he said before he turned to the numerous ships that were sailing by every moment. "But yes, I''m sure. We need to hurry. There are too many troubles, and after I bring everyone home, I have to go to Igniz."


    "Igniz? For Hind?" Dahlia asked. "Wouldn''t it be better to go there first?"


    Earila and Zender walked up from the cabin, chatting as they moved towards the sail.


    "No, not with all of you here," Irwin said, though internally, he felt a tiny part of him rebel.


    Seeing that Dahlia was about to ask for details, he turned to the staircase. "Now, I need to hurry with my practice. I have something that needs finishing before we reach the narrow corridors again."


    "Sure, I''ll be sure to keep us away from the barriers," Dahlia said.


    Irwin waved over his shoulder, sharing a quick look with Zender before he headed down to his cabin. With Greldo looking out for troubles from the ships and the two kids making sure Dahlia would keep the course, he needed to continue practicing. If he wanted to finish within a month, he''d need every moment he could get.


    ---


    Jort leaned back in his chair, sipping from the water as he watched Daubutim, Lord Bron, and the others go over the things he had just told them. His head was hurting from the constant soul talk, and he somewhat hoped Lashara would learn to speak soon. A soft clench in his shoulder made him look at Verd, the green bird that sat there. Its black eyes held a slight hilarity¡­ either that, or he was staring to imagine things.


    Weeks had passed since he''d first spoken to Lashara and Zegritar, and they still preferred speaking to or through him. Luckily, progress had been made, which was why he was now here.


    "Jort?"


    Jort looked up to see Daubutim look at him, his lightning-filled eyes causing his entire face to light up. The young noble glanced at Verd before focusing on Jort again.


    "You said that Lashara had cardslots but didn''t have any cards? Can you be sure they were real?"


    "No, but they looked like them," Jort said with a shrug, which caused Verd to bob up and down.


    ''Yes, yes, they are real,'' the bird said. ''Now stop jolting me, or I''ll peck you!''


    Jort grinned. "I''ll stop jolting if you tell me why Lashara has no cards."


    ''I told you before, they are far more precious in our world! Perhaps one in every thousand Sylvaneth has one, and enough to combine them like half of you all seem to have? Nearly unheard of.''


    Nearly, Jort thought, wondering again if Verd was insinuating there were powerful beings in his homeworld or just saying he wasn''t sure.


    "Verd says the same thing. They are very precious, and very few people have them."


    Daubutim nodded as he leaned back. "They have no portals besides this one, so it''s normal. How did they open it?"


    ''He has a hard time memorizing things? It was open when we found it,'' Verd said, sounding aggravated.


    "He said the same thing again," Jort said, leaning back and rubbing his head. "Can we stop? My head is killing me."


    "Sorry, Jort," Lord Bron said as he sighed. "A final question."


    Jort nodded, hoping it was really the last one or just the last one Lord Bron would ask.


    "Have Sylvaneth always had cardslots?"


    ''Of course¡­? What a weird question!''


    "Apparently, they have," Jort said with a nod.


    He saw Lord Daubutim share a look with Lord Bron before they looked back at him.


    "Interesting. That means the Galadin have been to their world before¡­"


    ''Oh, you also have those old songs?'' Verd said, surprised.


    "What old songs?" Jort asked as he turned to the green bird.


    ''The songs about the ancients, how they scattered across the worlds?''


    Before Jort could say he hadn''t, Verd began singing softly in his mind.


    ''From the shadows, they emerged,


    Hiding, running,


    By fear urged,


    Like fleeting shadows,


    A few of many,


    Through the portals,


    They all surged.


    Chased by fears unknown, unnamed,


    Monsters lurking, dread untamed,


    Death''s presence is constant, a future unclaimed.


    So the Galadin, they withdrew,


    Transformed to groves and trees of new,


    Hiding always,


    From that which hunted, that which grew.


    Now they wait and bide their time,


    For those they fear?


    Will return in time.''


    Jort looked at Verd in stunned surprise before turning to the others, who had been watching curiously.


    "I don''t think the Galadin just came here. I don''t think they ever left," he said.

 Chapter 266: Unexpected growth

    Irwin let out a weary sigh as he lowered his hammer. The table beside was covered in loose papers with music sheets. With his Tablatures of Soul and Song card having a limit of twelve songs that it could store,  a few of which he had filled with things from Granvox, he''d copied the attempts on paper so they could see what was causing the issues.


    If I don''t have to create another card like this, I wouldn''t mind, Irwin thought.


    Still, it had paid off.


    Before him, on Ambraz, lay the final, fifth card for Hind. It had taken him longer than he''d expected. Three full days to get the final one, mostly because Ambraz had tuned them to accommodate the changes he expected.


    "Kid, don''t look so relieved! That was very good practice," Ambraz said. "Now, go and see Hind! I''m curious to see what will happen!"


    Irwin felt his own curiosity grow, and he wondered if things would go as they hoped. The longer he and Ambraz had thought about it, the more they wondered if, with six cards fully focused on someone''s soulforce and soulscape, it wouldn''t do more than just stabilize it. As far as Ambraz knew, it wasn''t something he''d heard been done before, especially not with three of the cards being topaz, one being emerald, and the final actually being ruby. It was, for all intents and purposes, an experiment very few could or would be willing to attempt.


    Perhaps, depending on what it does, I might do something similar for my third card, Irwin thought, not for the first time.


    He grabbed the card, then his vest from the chair, pulling it over his head.


    Ambraz landed on his shoulder as he left the cabin, wondering if an active body transformation -like the one Vera had- then combined with only cards to couple it to his soulscape wouldn''t be a great option.


    "How far along is Ethereal Strings?" he asked.


    As his main-self said that, his soulscape self, as he had begun thinking of the other half of him, continued playing on the soulstrum guitar. He had begun doing so nearly nonstop, his main -self practicing with the cards and still purifying the Gneisian ore and his soulscape-self playing on the soulstrum guitar.


    Well, that and-


    Irwin focused on the soundwaves that were moving all around him and, without much effort, picked the ones leading through the corridor and bounced up the ladder. Focusing on his Sonic Shift, he vanished from his spot, and with a fraction of intense speed, he reappeared atop the ladder, causing Zender to leap back.


    "Kid, you''re going to cause someone to have a heart attack," Ambraz said with a laugh.


    "It''s okay, captain," Zender said with a laugh. "We are getting used to it, and at least you aren''t slamming into walls anymore!"


    Irwin grinned evilly as he put his hand on Zender''s shoulder. "Good, so does that mean you want to try moving along with me again?"


    Zender shook his head, his silvery skin paling ever so slightly. "No, no- I, I have to go! Boohm needs me in the kitchen."


    Irwin laughed as Zender rushed down the ladder.


    "Just joking," he shouted after the young Yuurindi.


    "You say that now, but he was sick for a day," Ambraz said, sounding more amused than reproachful. "If you plan to use it on others, you might want to focus on it more when we create your heartcard."


    Irwin sighed, knowing there wouldn''t be space. Even with his second heartcard becoming Ammolite, they would only have seven spots for active and passive effects, and they would need every single one of them.


    He walked out of the cabin and onto the spacious deck, immediately spotting Hind. She stood with Greldo at the stern, chatting softly. As soon as Irwin walked towards them, Greldo said something, and they turned to watch him approach. As he did, he grinned at Greldo, who rolled his eyes. Greldo and Hind had been chatting a lot since they set out, and although there was nothing else, Irwin thoroughly enjoyed implicating there was.


    Behind them, the constant stream of ships continued, and from what Greldo told him, it would continue for a long time as even his insanely sharp eyes couldn''t see an end to it yet. What had changed was the large number of damaged vessels among them, especially the merchant ones.


    "Finally finished?" Greldo asked as he reached them.


    Irwin forced a grin as the horribly out-of-tune sound of Hind''s soulcard caused his hair to stand on end.


    "Finally, you brat?" Ambraz snapped in mock anger. "Do you have any idea how few cardsmiths could have done what we did?"


    Irwin noticed Hind staring at him wide-eyed.


    "I have," he said, patting his vest pocket. "Hind, you ready to-"


    "Yes!" she shouted, her voice like a metallic gong.


    Irwin wasn''t surprised by the desire in her eyes, but he didn''t give the cards straight away.


    "You have to understand that there is a small possibility that it won''t help," he said. "It might hurt."


    "It doesn''t matter," Hind said, straightening up to nearly his size and staring him in the eye.


    Her pale copper skin gleamed, and although she wasn''t as muscular or heavyset as he was, her squarish physique made Greldo look slim. Irwin absently wondered if anyone looked at them if they thought they were siblings. Technically, she looked more like him now than Bronwyn did.


    "Alright, let''s head inside," Irwin said.


    "Good luck," Greldo said from behind them.


    They headed to the large galley and sat down at the center table, where Irwin spread five cards out in front of him.


    "Alright, each one of these will augment your soulshape or soullake in one form or another," he said before pushing one card forward.


    Ambraz landed on the card before Hind could take it.


    "Okay, listen up. As soon as you slot it, don''t wait but slot the next," the Ganvil said. "The slotting process will make your soulscape more malleable, and hopefully, each time you slot a card, it will compound. That means you will need to create your full-hands as fast as you can while you are here. Irwin will use his abilities to keep your resonance from ripping the cards apart."


    Irwin saw Hind hesitate slightly. "Won''t that cause the handcards to integrate poorly and make it more difficult to form into a heartcard?"


    "Definitely," Ambraz snorted. "Which is perfect because the Kid needs a challenge to improve. Making your heartcard as difficult as it can be will probably get him there or close."


    Irwin knew that was a slight exaggeration, as even with that, he''d still need a week or two to get there. And that was only if he managed to succeed in making Hind''s heartcard.


    "I will do it," Hind said, her jaw set and her eyes gleaming with determination. If there is even a tiny possibility that I can fix myself and not be a total failure, honor Father''s legacy, I will take it!"


    Ambraz hummed contently as he flew away while Irwin wondered about what Hind had said. He hadn''t had time to speak with her a lot, but Greldo had told him that her father had gone to try and find a piece of metal called Ancestral Coperion in the hopes of saving her. The mythical metal, which was supposedly hidden deep below the ground, near the mantle of Igniz, was said to heal any ailment a Fiz''rin could have. Sadly, he had never returned and was presumed dead and lost to the depths.


    Taking a deep breath, he summoned his soulstrum guitar, creating thin but powerful strings of soulforce on it. He made them taut enough that as he began thrumming them softly, the sound was high like the tweets of a bird. It took him only a moment to get it in tune with the song as Hind''s soulcard should have been. His soulscape-self was as focused as he was, humming along now it didn''t have the soulstrum guitar in hand.


    I need to continue practicing the piano, his smaller self-thought, while his main-self fully agreed.


    "Ready," Irwin said, nodding at Hind.


    She stared at the topaz-ranked card for a moment before placing it against the second slot of her next hand.


    "Remember, focus on the soulscape aspects of each card when you combine them!" Ambraz said.


    "I will," Hind said as the card sank into her hand.


    For a moment, nothing happened, then she gasped, and her hands clenched around the edge of the table, causing the reinforced wood to groan.


    Irwin sensed her soulcards horrible song change and straightened out just ever so slightly. At the same time, it became a bit stronger. He played the song, the resonance that he knew should be there, feeling his own soulcard and soulforce resonate powerfully and nudging the fluctuating resonance of Hind''s soulcard. For a moment, he felt her resist, and then Hind let her control slip enough. Although only minutely, Irwin forced the resonance along, helping her integrate the new handcard in more ways than one, shortening the time from what would have been hours or days to minutes.


    As Irwin''s main-self was fully engrossed, his soulscape-self had slightly more freedom, and as the sounds, senses, and ripples of soulforce began resonating slightly more in tune, he noticed something.


    The ambient soulforce is resonating, he thought as he gazed at the thin ambient soulforce faintly resonating and fluctuating in the melodie of the soulstrum guitar.


    "Good, now the next one!" Ambraz snapped.


    Hind''s hand trembled as she took the following card, an emerald one that would serve as the backbone of her first fullhand. She placed it there, and this time, her eyes widened, filled with pain.


    Irwin''s main-self continued playing, knowing of but ignoring everything, leaving that to his soulscape self.


    This time, it took longer, and although the resulting song was even less gruesome,  Hind was breathing rapidly, her nostrils flaring while thin plumes of smoke leaked out along them.


    ¡°Now, combine it!¡± Ambraz said.


    Hind didn''t respond, but the swirling soulforce that came from her hand jolted up, and her breathing became laborious.


    Why do these things always hurt, Irwin thought, not even knowing which part of him did so.


    By now, most of all of his attention was focused on forcing the soulforce to continue as it should, curtailing the explosive peaks as the cards integrated, and Hind''s soulcard tried to latch on to a semblance of normalcy.


    Minutes passed, the song rebelling every few moments, but finally, a flash came, and lines crawled across her left hand, combining the cardslots and their images in a beautiful pattern.


    "Alright, the next card," Ambraz shouted.


    Irwin gritted his teeth as he saw Hind''s trembling hand take the final topaz card. After that, there would be one more emerald and then the sole ruby one they had made. It would be the cornerstone of the heartcard, and it was called  Everbending Veil, which would allow someone''s soulscape walls to stretch and bend slightly.


    As the fourth card was slotted, a grinding sound came from Hind as her jaw clenched and unclenched as if she were chewing rocks. By now, her eyes were rolling around windy in their sockets, almost like metallic marbles.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Immediately Hind''s existing, broken soulcard seemed to rebel- trying to pull the card''s resonance into itself, something Irwin had never seen before. The tune stuttered, and he could sense his minute control slipping.


    Instinctively, he switched the song he was playing on his soulstrum guitar, playing the majorly out-of-tune song Hind''s soulcard had been resonating with moments before. He had to keep it from going too fast, or the result could be disastrous. At the same time, his soulscape-self began singing, and for the first time since he''d gotten it, Irwin fully realized the potential of having a Dual Soul. With his main-self using his soulstrum guitar and all his handcards to create one resonance for Hind''s soulcard, his soulscape-self took control of his own soulcard and resonated it to force Hind''s handcards to follow suit.


    A dull throbbing headache popped up, but he ignored it as he did the strain and stress on his own cards. Some small part of him could feel his soulstrum guitar pulsing and growing.


    He barely heard it when Ambraz shouted at Hind to slot the fifth card, but when the sixth was slotted, he knew, as did everyone on the deck.


    A pulse of soulforce exploded out from Hind as her soulcard struggled to grab the lifeline laid out for it. Irwin forced more and more power into his Soulstrum snares, no longer caring how loud the song became. By now, it was only partially out of tune, and the resonance soulforce was humming and vibrating in a way that, if he had the time for it, he would have known everyone in the vicinity would be able to hear. His Ethereal Strings card was rapidly draining his soulforce, and his headache was increasing as he felt it start to stretch and groan under his hands.


    Accompanied by all of this, there was a roar of pain, but he had no idea who it came from him or Hind. Slowly, he felt his control slip as Hind''s soulcard bucked and heaved like a charbull.


    "Kid, hold it!"


    Irwin heard Ambraz''s voice roar in his soulscape, and he felt an influx of soulforce.


    Time seemed to stretch out into infinity as all he knew was the song, his fingers flickering across the snares with as much skill as his few months of practice could muster.


    For a long time, there was a precarious balance, then finally, Hind''s soulcard relaxed, the song now just slightly out of tune.


    The resonating soulforce, both his, Hind''s, and the ambient, stilled, the deafening chaos petering off in an almost anti-climatic finish. Irwin felt his soulscape-self immediately go unconscious, drained and tired but also far stronger than it had been before. Even without checking, he knew it was at least twice as strong, now at probably twenty-two percent, the short time of incredible pressure, causing a growth far larger than the many weeks before. His main-self had grown less, but that hardly mattered as it was closing in back to the hundred percent it had been before. But as happy as he was with that growth, it was nothing compared to the thrumming power he sensed from his third card.


    Ethereal Strings, his soulstrum guitar, felt as powerful as he recalled his hammer to have been, and he knew it was closer to the final rank than he had ever imagined it would be. A single little push would nudge it over, and he didn''t think it would take longer than a few days- a week at most.


    ¡°That¡­ hurt¡­.¡±


    Irwin blinked, looking at Hind, who lay sprawled across the table. Deep gauges had been dug in the previously pristine wood, but Irwin barely noticed, his entire focus on Hind. Her face was pale and thick, gleaming copper blood slowly dribbling down from her lips, eyes, and ears, but none of that seemed to matter to her. She was smiling, her eyes gleaming with joy.


    "Even if it is never fixed, I''ll be able to live a long time now," she said, her voice showing no hoarseness from the screaming.


    "Just wait till we make your heartcard," Ambraz grunted where he sat on the table. His wings were draped across his form, and his lips were drawn in a grimace. "But not now, alright? Now I need to-"


    His words halted as a purple gleam rippled across his surface, followed by thin lines that curved around him in beautiful patterns. A purple rune resembling a crown with four spikes appeared above his mouth, flashing with a blinding light before vanishing.


    "-now I need to rest," Ambraz groaned, and, with what seemed a massive effort, he flew in the air and landed on Irwin''s shoulder, where he promptly vanished.


    "Is he going to be alright?" Hind asked worriedly.


    Irwin didn''t immediately respond as he grew slightly worried. The last time Ambraz had ranked up, he''d gone to sleep for a long time, weeks if he recalled. If that happened again?


    He noticed Hind''s worried look and forced a smile. He leaned back in the chair that didn''t even creek under his massive weight.


    "Sure, he might be obnoxiously proud of himself for a while," he said. "But he will be fine."


    "More than fine," a deep voice said as Hou''dor flew into the galley.


    He was followed by You''gyn and the three Ganvils of the smiths. Only the other three rank fives weren''t there.


    "That''s insane! He went from rank three to rank four in such a short time?" You''gyn snapped, landing on the table.


    "It''s not that special, right? All the other Ganvils from his generation are already rank four," Juul''rish, the silvery Ganvil, said in her feminine voice.


    "He was only barely rank three when I met him half a year ago," You''gyn snapped. "Do you have any idea of the amount of purified soulforce that would require?"


    "Am''braz has always been a fast learner," Hou''dor said, turning to Irwin, grinning widely. "With a good smith by his side, it is only natural."


    "Natural? What, to condense five to twenty years of growth in a bit over a year?" You''gyn snapped before flying around agitatedly. "I can''t wait for us to arrive."


    As he chattered, the other smiths arrived, all of them looking slightly pale.


    "By the Titan''s Curse, what was that sound?" Seleen asked, staring at Irwin. Her gaze moved to the soulstrum guitar still in his arms, and she cursed in a gravelly language that sounded too coarse to be real.


    "I''m really starting to wonder if I shouldn''t have tried my hand at the musical style," Montain muttered.


    "You and what miracle?" Seleen snapped.


    "Enough," Esther stopped them before they could argue. "Why don''t the two of you go and practice? The Captain looks like he could do with some rest."


    Irwin looked at her gratefully, glad she''d said so and prevented him from having to silence them. Loudly.


    "Ah, come on," Seleen whined. "I want to ask him what he was doing and why every bit of soulforce was resonating like crazy! If those four stoic Ganvils hadn''t put up that shield, every ship in a thousand miles would have noticed!"


    Irwin flinched, deciding that he''d have to thank Hou''dor and the others for that.


    "Stoic?" the aforementioned Ganvil muttered.


    "Out," Esther snapped, pointing at the door.


    Grumbling softly, Seleen moved out while Montain followed her with a hurt look as if he was wondering what he''d done to be lumped in with her. Their Ganvils seemed fine with ignoring them, now silently perched in some of the nooks and holds, looking quietly.


    "Sorry about that, Captain," Esther said, sighing and shaking her head. "They take after mother and seem born with endless enthusiasm."


    "Thanks," Irwin said. "I''m going to need to talk with Hind a bit, and-"


    He looked up to see that Hind was lying across the table, sleeping like a babe with a content smile on her face. A massive, gleaming metallic near seven feet tall babe.


    "..."


    "I''ll get her to her room," Irwin said as he pushed himself up.


    His headache was slowly retreating as his stores of soulforce refilled.


    "I am curious about something, though," Esther said hesitantly. "Perhaps in a few days, you could share a bit about how you managed to create two alternating resonances?"


    Irwin nodded as he grabbed Hind, easily putting her massive weight across his shoulder.


    "Sure, we can talk about it over dinner tomorrow," he said. "But for now, I need to rest."


    As he walked, he thought about something and looked back. "Hou''dor, could you join us for a moment?"


    "Of course, captain," the Ganvil said.


    He returned to his small shape and flew after Irwin, who made his way, first to Hind''s room to drop her off and then to his own. As he lay on the couch, Hou''dor returned to his large form in the center of the forging area, which was about the only place he''d fit.


    "The last time Ambraz increased his rank, he was unconscious for a long time," he said. "Do you have any idea how long Ambraz will be slumbering this time?"


    "Ah, don''t worry about that," Hou''dor said. "With me and the others here, we can wake him up in a day. He is just out of purified energy. On its own, it would definitely take a while to refill, but it''s fine- we can share some of ours."


    Irwin let out a relieved sigh. "That''s good. Then I''m going to rest now."


    "No worries, we will protect everyone while you sleep," Hou''dor said with a deep rumbled laughter.


    He flashed into his small shape and headed out of the room. Irwin debated for a moment whether to remain on the couch and sleep there, then forced himself up, closed the door, and dropped onto his bed.


    He was asleep before his head touched down.


    --


    Irwin woke twice the next morning, first in his mindscape, with his smaller self and a few moments later with his main-self.


    He felt great; both of him did. More importantly, a single glance at his Ethereal Strings told him he''d underestimated its growth. He leaned back in his bed and grinned. If he made Hind''s heartcard, he''d definitely push his soulstrum guitar to Ammolite.


    I''ll need to get Ambraz awake as fast as I can, he thought as he pushed himself up.


    He couldn''t wait to share what he''d learn back home, and they have to start searching for growth-type cards. Either that, or he had to figure out how to add the type.


    As his minds pondered the future, the one in his soulscape looked at the soullake and froze. By now, he knew the size and dimension of everything in his mindscape by heart, and he instantly saw that it had grown, and not just a little.


    At least as much as I have grown, he knew instinctively as he prodded both of his selves.


    He stared at the soullake and frowned. This didn''t make sense¡­ his soullake was only a representation of his first card''s ability, and except for very special cards or means -like the Chaos Whales- it was very hard to increase its size. More so, the increases would usually be small, in the few percentile range.


    The card said it would increase my soulforce, Irwin thought as he looked around.


    That meant the soulforce that was held inside his soulscape. Didn''t it? He did a quick check and quickly found that, yes, his soulscape''s soulforce had increased with a similar amount. He really wanted Ambraz to wake up now.


    As part of him contemplated what had happened, he forced himself to shave and wash up before heading out to search for Hind.


    It ended up being a short search as her joyful voice echoed from the galley.


    "-amazing! I slept without any nightmares or pain, and I even dreamt of home!"


    "You do know that''s pretty normal for most people?" Greldo replied.


    Irwin walked into the galley to find Hind, Greldo, and Zender there while Boohm was humming to himself over a hot stove.


    "Captain!" Hind said as she pushed herself up, towering over the table. "It''s incredible! I tried entering my soulscape, and I actually managed it for a few moments! It didn''t even hurt that much!"


    "Good, but you might want to be careful until we finish making your heartcard," Irwin said as he sat down. He could sense the melody from her soulcard, still slightly off but no longer so bad that it scared him away.


    "Now, how about you tell me how the cards are holding up?"


    Hind raised both her hands, the lines from the previous day barely visible now, as were the cards. Even then, the last card on her right hand stood out as being far clearer and with tighter lines.


    "They are amazing! My soulforce is actually useable now, and after I drained it, it was restored within half an hour!"


    Though he''d expected an increase, even Irwin was surprised at that. For people who had lower than ruby rank soulcards, especially those who didn''t deal with soulforce restoration of any kind, full restoration of the spent soulforce could take hours or even up to a day or more.


    After listening to Hind talk excitedly about her soulcard and the heartcards, Irwin left for the deck and took a shift at the helm. As he did, his soulshape-self continued practicing with the soulstrum guitar. As it did, he noticed something interesting. Although both of him were individually thinking minds with their own soulforce, they were both still him, and that seemed to mean neither of them got bored. As long as one of him was doing something different, the other could easily do the same repetitive thing without issue.


    So, the day passed easily. Part of him looked at the ships passing by and guided The Concerto, while the other part played the soulstrum guitar. Even then, both of his minds sometimes meandered off, musing about why his soullake had increased in size.


    At the end of his shift, as soon as Earila took over, he headed to Hou''dor.


    "Can you wake Ambraz?" he asked.


    "Sure, bring him out," Hou''dor said as he changed to his flying shape, flying towards the leftmost rank five Ganvil.


    Irwin focused on Ambraz''s presence in his soulscape and, as gently as he could, ejected him. Ambraz appeared on his shoulder, immediately sliding down, and Irwin quickly caught him.


    He became heavier, he thought as he walked towards Hou''dor, who was softly discussing something with the other Ganvil.


    "Alright, just place him on my back, then on Nim''dor''s, and that should do it."


    "Sure, sure. Let''s help the one that barely needs any help grow even faster," the other Ganvil said.


    Though his words were blunt, Irwin heard the good-natured banter in them. It didn''t surprise him as Nim''dor was from the same batch as Hou''dor, and they all seemed calm and stable.


    He did as asked, curious to see what would happen.


    A rush of soulforce, a pure transparent crystalline white, rushed out of Hou''dor''s shape and into Ambraz. It lasted for almost a minute, and when it was done, Hou''dor yawned mightily.


    "Showoff," Nim''dor said. "Alright, put him on me; I''ll do the final bit. After that, just wait, and he should wake up by tomorrow."


    Irwin did as asked and watched as the same thing happened again. He didn''t see or hear any difference to the clear soulforce, which made sense. If it was purified, it would all look the same, wouldn''t it? He knew from the classes that purified soulforce actually just meant soulforce of high density without any typings.


    When the glow faded, he picked Ambraz up and slid him in his pocket.


    "Alright, I''m going to take a nap," Hou''dor said. "The rest will keep an eye out!''


    "Sure, sure, you lazy lump," a voice came from one of the other Ganvils.


    There was a round of laughter, and Irwin decided he liked the Ganvils that had been sent with Ambraz. Again, not something that surprised him as Ambraz had apparently picked them himself.


    He spent the rest of the day practicing his Galadin music, using his Tablatures of Soul and Song to record what he did and find the tiny flaws. During dinner, he shared some of what he''d done during the reforging and how his split soul card worked with Esther while the other smiths -Dahlia included- listened with great interest.


    When it was finally time, he was almost too excited to sleep.


    When he wakes up, I''ll ask him about my soullake size, and then we can reforge Hind''s heartcard, he thought.


    Content that he was closing in on his next heartcard, he sang and played himself to sleep.

 Chapter 267: Risks

    "Everything worked out perfectly," Ambraz said, landing back on Irwin''s shoulder.


    "So¡­ you are going to make my heartcard now?" Hind asked.


    Irwin looked at her for a moment before answering. She was sitting in his cabin, leaning forward from her spot on the couch, her eyes wide and filled with excitement. Two days had passed since he had helped her slot the cards, and with Ambraz awake in a great mood and Hind returned to full energy, he knew it was the best thing to do.


    "You are sure you don''t care what''s on it?" Irwin asked.


    "As long as it fixes my soulcard and helps with my soulscape, I will be happy with anything," Hind said, nodding firmly. "Even if it did nothing but that, I''d be good."


    "Then let''s make your heartcard," Irwin said, looking at the closed door. "Grel, please warn Hou''dor and the others that we are going to start in a minute."


    There was no response, but he didn''t need it to know his friend had heard it.


    Still, having a card to talk with others like I can with Ambraz would be useful, he thought.


    "Listen up, Hind," Ambraz said as he landed in the middle of the forging area.


    Irwin already knew what was coming, but he saw Hind look at the Ganvil with a slight worry.


    "As much as I think things will be okay, there is a tiny chance that we will fail to reforge your heartcard. If we do¡­ you will most likely not survive. Your soulcard wouldn''t be able to take the strain," Ambraz said. "If we don''t try, you will probably be able to live for a very long time as is- I think we can do this, but, well¡­ It is your call."


    Hind rose, her jaw set and her eyes stern.


    Irwin already knew what she would say, as he had when Ambraz had told him of the possibility. It was the choice he would have made himself.


    "Thank you so much for all you have done," Hind said. "But if there is even a tiny chance for my soulscape to somehow be repaired, I want to take it."


    "Good! Just checking," Ambraz said. "Then let''s stop wasting time and get to it!"


    Irwin felt a tension set in his shoulders as he rose. This would be the first time he would reforge a heartcard that could result in someone''s death. One of the lessons he''d had back in the academy had spoken about these situations, but back then, he''d expected it would be a very long time before he was in such a situation.


    I wonder if that means if some of the other things they taught me are going to crop up sooner instead of later, he thought as he rose and removed his jerkin.


    "What¡­.?"


    He looked up to see Hind stare at him with a frown.


    "Reforging can get messy," he said, walking forward and summoning his hammer. "I don''t want my clothes to be destroyed."


    "Right, of course!" Hind said, walking forward. She was already summoning her handcards when she reached Ambraz, obviously knowing what was expected of her.


    Irwin took a deep breath while his soulscape-self summoned his soulstrum guitar and prepared.


    "Alright, let''s begin," Ambraz said. "Kid, as soon as the card appears I''ll figure out what we need and I''ll start humming. You make sure you record the song."


    Irwin nodded, readying an empty page on his Tablatures of Soul and Song.


    I wonder what this song will look like when it''s done, he thought.


    --


    It''s better¡­ again. I wonder if Trimdir and the others will improve this fast after they bond with those Ganvils, Greldo thought.


    He stood in the hallways as a thrum ran through the entire ship. Things loose were jittering, while above deck, the sails shook softly. Behind him stood everyone who wasn''t essential to keep the ship moving in a straight line and safe.


    Boohm had his eyes closed, swaying to the thrumming sound of the soulstrum guitar, the wordless song, and the loud thudding that seemed to create the beat for the entire song. Zender stood next to him, grinning widely while five Ganvils hovered in the air above them, moving from perch to perch, seeming unable to sit still.


    "I don''t believe it," Selene said, arms crossed, as she glowered at the door to the Captain''s cabin. "Even if he was bound to a world anvil, this isn''t anything a topaz or even an emerald smith should be capable of! Let''s not talk about the nonsense he did when helping Hind slot those cards. This? The sheer amount of soulforce resonance is so much that even non-smiths can sense it! A smith with three soulcards would find it difficult to reproduce this!"


    "I''m telling you, he was only there for half a year," Montain said, looking to the side with raised eyebrows. "You think I would lie about that? Why?"


    "He isn''t lying," Greldo said, interrupting Selene, who seemed ready to argue. "We were only there for half a year."


    "Then how is this possible? He had a diamond-ranked master? Before he came to the academy? Someone really famous?" Selene asked, staring at him with eyes hungry for an answer.


    Greldo didn''t say anything, but his grin widened.


    Trimdir is going to have a laugh when he hears that!


    "He''s a natural," Esther suddenly said.


    She had been quiet ever since Irwin had started, and they had run out of their room, but when she spoke, Selene and Montain shut up and looked at her.


    "The smoothness of the resonance is not something you can just be taught, even if he uses the Musical smithing style. Some things can be learned, some things trained¡­ but this?"


    She turned to Montain. "He''s like you."


    Montain blinked, then grimaced. "There''s no way I can do this!"


    "Not yet," Esther said. "Which is why I told you that you should practice more! You are more talented than anyone I know, but you keep wasting time on unimportant things!"


    Montain didn''t respond as the song began climbing into a crescendo echoing from the walls. Still, Greldo saw the stone-like man''s fingers squeeze his own biceps in a death grip. As the song continued to grow in power, a look of growing desire filled Montain''s eyes.


    "Blasted Stone Teeth," Selene hissed, putting a hand on the wall. "It''s getting louder, and there''s¡­ something extra to it? It''s like the air itself is humming!"


    "I sense it," Montain said.


    Esther didn''t answer but looked to the side where Dahlia stood. She was the only one yet to speak.


    "I''ve seen this before," Dahlia said, her eyes narrowing. "He is causing the ambient soulforce to resonate. I thought I sensed it when he was doing her handcards, but I hadn''t been sure. Now, though¡ª" she shook her head.


    Greldo continued to grin as he saw the four smiths stare at the door in disbelief.


    As he stood there, listening to the song, which he knew he could only hear the surface parts of, Greldo hesitated again. He was also Galadin¡­ perhaps he should try? It wouldn''t be too bad to use his next soulcard for some smithing-related cards¡­


    Who am I kidding, he thought, shaking his head. As much as he enjoyed listening to the music, he just couldn''t see himself doing all the things he''d seen Irwin do. It would bore him within a few months.


    Feeling the tiny annoyance fade again, he leaned against the wall, listening to the song rise to a crescendo. He knew what that meant. He''d been around a few heartcard reforges now, both his own, a few back on Giard, and some on Eluathar. The card forging would be done soon.


    "I don''t think I can do this," Selene said, seeming angry as she glared at the door. ¡°Its¡­ its¡­¡±


    "I want to try," Montain said, turning to Esther. "I don''t know if I can, and probably not like this, but I want to try."


    "Good. I''m sure Grandmother will be very pleased if you manage even half of this," Esther said.


    Selene seemed ready to speak, but they all fell quiet and turned to the door as the sound reached a peak. A soft, dangerous cracking came from the hull below their feet as it began shaking.


    "He can''t blow up the ship¡­ right?" Greldo asked, looking at Esther.


    "No," she said before seeming to hesitate. "Probably not?"


    "I don''t think so," Dahlia said. "Unless he can make the resonance even stronger?"


    Both looked at Greldo, who rolled his eyes.


    Now you are asking me? he thought, staring at the door.


    The crescendo hung at its peak for a short while, and then it stopped, leaving just a soft song and two more hits before it was quiet.


    Greldo readied as Selene stepped forward, but Esther grabbed her before she could move another step.


    "Let''s all head to our rooms. I''m pretty sure the Captain will need to rest after that," she said.


    "What? No! We should-" Selene fell quiet as Montain turned and began dragging her along.


    "Brother?"


    "Let''s go. You are helping me practice today," he said, his voice filled with something Greldo hadn''t heard before.


    Selene seemed so surprised that a moment later, only Greldo and Dahlia remained. Boohm was wandering to the kitchen, humming slightly and looking at his own hands every so often.


    "Grampa told me a bit about where you are from, but he kept holding back on some details," Dahlia said as she looked at Greldo.


    Her silver eyes were slightly brighter than Greldo''s own, telling him she was much further along on the path of filling her soullake. She looked mostly human, with only her golden hair and eyebrows gleaming like metal wire, showing that she was definitely more than just that. Like all smiths, she was powerfully built, though compared to the three Granitians, and let alone Irwin and Hind, she almost looked like a slender woman.


    I wonder how many soulcards she has, Greldo thought while raising an eyebrow.


    "I don''t understand what you have found that makes you all so incredibly hesitant to share information," Dahlia said, shaking her head. "Well, if it was your intention to get me curious enough to do what Grandpa wanted, you have succeeded."


    "You are coming with us then?" Greldo said, deciding he wasn''t at all averse to that idea.


    Glancing at her long, shapely legs, he smiled to himself. Not averse at all.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    Dahlia looked at him, then snorted softly as she walked away. "Yes," she said. "So, are you going to tell me a bit more now?"


    Greldo gazed at Irwin''s door, then followed after Dahlia.


    "No, but I can tell you about the time we saw the Chaos Whales," he said.


    "You what?!"


    --


    Irwin lay on the couch, his mind numb, his soulscape-self unconscious again, and his soulforce completely spent. Hind lay on the other couch, eyes closed. Her handslots were gone, and if she opened her eyes, Irwin knew they would be silver. He heard Greldo and the others leave and wondered if he wanted to sleep.


    ''It''s really insane, you know?'' Ambraz said.


    Irwin closed his eyes and stepped into his soulscape, something he''d not done with his main-self in a while. As he appeared, the warm wind flowed around him, and he smiled at the beautiful sight of the steam clouds roiling along the mountain-like volcano. He was surprised to see his soulscape-self, hovering near the small lava lake at the base of the volcano, a blurry shape that looked like a copy of him.


    Ambraz was darting along his soullake, which had grown again- roughly another ten percent, just as much as Irwin''s soulscape-self had.


    "Do you think we should try and get another mental clone card?" he asked.


    "The chances of us making another similar one are almost zero," Ambraz retorted. "Besides, I had a talk with Hou''dor and the others, and none of them ever heard of a mental cloning card increasing the size of the soullake. By all means, it shouldn''t work like this."


    "Well, it is a soulclone, right?" Irwin said as he flew to his soullake, staring at the dry lake bed and wondering how long it would take him to fill it the next time.


    "Yes, which has to be part of the reason. But Kid, Brazardian told me that soul clone cards are things he has only heard rumors about."


    "So¡­ what do we do? Change the plan for the next heartcard to have that one at its core?" Irwin asked.


    "What, instead of an ammolite card? No!" Ambraz said. "But¡­ perhaps we should use it as the main modifier. I know you wanted to use Sonic Shift for that in the hopes of making you able to shift to ambient soulforce, but if you can increase your soullake even more?"


    Irwin stared at his soullake and hesitated. Having the largest soullake he could get sounded great, but he knew he was going to be going into combat again- and probably sooner than he''d like. His second heartcard would already do very little to boost his strength, and before he could get to his third card, years might pass.


    "Irwin, listen," Ambraz said.


    Irwin looked up at the Ganvil using his actual name. He only did so if he was about to say something important.


    "Soullakes normally don''t increase in size after the first soulcard unless people use specific cards for it. Yours is already much bigger than the largest one I know of, probably twice as big as any regular Ammolite soulcard¡­. Gah, I can''t believe I just said that. Regular Ammolite card, as if they aren''t already ridiculous," Ambraz grumbled. "If we change the heartcard to have your Ethereal Strings as the backbone and take as much from Dual Soul Fragment as we can, it will, at a minimum, increase your soullake to bigger again. A bigger soullake will increase your soulforce regeneration, which will increase all your current combat abilities!"


    Irwin knew Ambraz was right, but he also knew there was one other problem if they did that.


    "If I make it even larger, won''t it take even longer to fill?" he asked.


    "Yes, but it will also make the resulting soulcard more powerful," Ambraz said. "Besides, to fill it out, you can use cards of the instrument type, and those aren''t in big demand. It should be much simpler to get them."


    "Except that we want to bring those to Eluathar," Irwin said.


    "The ones you have now, yes. But you want to head to Igniz after that, right? You can just collect all those cards, anything that deals with soulforce and sound."


    Irwin hesitated a while longer, but eventually, it was the knowledge that he might not find other ways to increase his soullake again that tipped his decision.


    "Alright, let''s go out and change the plans," he said.


    "Great!" Ambraz said. "That will also increase the speed with which I grow!"


    Before Irwin could respond, the Ganvil stepped out of his soulscape.


    I should have thought about that, Irwin thought. The faster Ambraz grew, the better it would be for him too, as he''d never be able to do the things he was doing without the Ganvil''s help. Not at the same level, at least. Just thinking about how difficult creating Hind''s heartcard had been caused him to shudder.


    Let''s hope my own won''t be as difficult, he thought as he stepped out of his soulscape.


    As he looked up, he saw Hind sitting there, staring at him with a stupidly large grin.


    "I can enter it for a few minutes at a time! And it''s healing!" she shouted, her voice almost as loud as Boohm''s. "The holes are covered by a really thin membrane, and the edges are shrinking! It might take years, but-"


    Suddenly, Hind put her arm across her face, and she began sobbing softly.


    Irwin didn''t say anything and silently waited for her to let go of years of worry and pain.


    It barely lasted for a minute when Hind rubbed her face, then looked at him with red eyes.


    "I''ll pay you back, somehow," she said, almost aggressively. "You saved my life! I''ll come with you and help with whatever you need until I repay this!"


    "I¡­ Listen, I wanted to help you, but I also benefitted," Irwin said slowly, feeling slightly uncomfortable.


    "Doesn''t matter," Hind said. "And you don''t have to worry that I''ll be doing something stupid!"


    She rose and made an odd bow, with a single fist on the front of her head and the other holding the elbow.


    "I, Hindrica Oredelver, pledge to repay Irwin Roddington for saving my life!" she stated before crossing her arms and grinning. "Just so we are clear, that doesn''t mean I''ll do anything you want! Got it?!"


    Irwin, who had been feeling even more uncomfortable by the bow, blinked, then let out a sigh of relief.


    "Good, and please don''t act like that, okay? It makes me feel like I''m a noble."


    Hind hummed, then nodded. "Sure. Now, I''ve gotta go and figure out what all this means for my soulcard and its abilities. I''ve never really been able to use them until now, but I feel like I could do so now."


    "Make sure you are careful," Ambraz said.


    The Ganvil had been quietly observing everything but now flew from his perch to Irwin''s shoulder.


    "We can''t go and fix anything you break this time until your soullake is full!"


    Irwin nodded when he thought of something.


    "What rank was your soulcard anyway?" he asked.


    "Topaz," Hind said before frowning. "Though¡­ it feels stronger than it did before."


    Irwin saw Ambraz''s mouth slowly fall open as he gasped, but it was too soft for Hind to notice.


    "Thanks again, and I promise I''ll be careful," she said.


    She walked out, closing the door behind her and leaving Irwin alone with Ambraz, who still looked dumbstruck. Before Irwin could ask what was wrong, he vanished to reappear in his soulscape.


    ''Kid, she is right! Her soulcard wasn''t Topaz anymore, but it was Emerald! I didn''t notice at first, but- This is incredible!'' Ambraz shouted. ''Kid, if we can figure out how to crack soulcards, we might be able to reforge them into higher grades! That''s¡­ that''s¡­ unheard of!''


    Irwin lay back, and the face of an older ranger popped into his head.


    That would mean there might be a way to upgrade Jort''s card!


    He closed his eyes and popped into his soulscape.


    "How do we even break a soulcard? And wouldn''t that kill someone?" he asked.


    "Not if we do it in the same way we did with Hind! If they still have a handcard slot open, we can create one or more cards on the border of shattering to imbalance them! Then we wait for it to create cracks in the soulcard, and we fix it back up with another card or two!"


    Irwin felt himself nod, his own enthusiasm growing. It sounded almost impossible, and he had no idea how he would even experiment on something like that, but that hadn''t stopped him before. He was still trying to move the ambient soulforce every morning, with the hopes of eventually using it to create handcards from it. This seemed a whole lot less impossible!


    Ambraz had continued rambling, and he quickly focused.


    "Wait, you mean someone would still need to be able to get another heartcard?" he said, feeling the hope that he could help Jort die again.


    "Yes, so people with an Ammolite card are out," Ambraz said, not seeming to notice his slight sadness.


    "And those with Quartz soulcards," Irwin added with a weary sigh.


    "What? Why not?" Ambraz said, turning to him.


    "Well, they can''t form another heartcard, right?" Irwin said.


    "What? No, but that doesn''t matter?! They would actually be the perfect targets to practice on because their cards are probably way easier to destabilize. Then, when it cracks, and their soulscape is damaged enough, we rebalance it and just forge another heartcard. It should work, and it would be way easier to go from topaz to emerald!"


    Ambraz began flying around. His lips curved in a large, hungry smile.


    "Kid¡­ do you know what would happen if we can prove this? We would be the first in thousands of years to improve upon the basics of smithing! Forget your pipedream of creating cards from ambient soulforce. If we can reforge even quartz soulcards up to amethyst, we will become the most wealthy people in the entire Langost branch!"


    Ambraz continued flying around, laughing like crazy.


    Irwin let him continue for a while as he thought about everything, and slowly, a problem kept popping up.


    "Okay, but how are we going to practice this?" he asked. "One mistake and someone will die before we can restablize their soulscape¡­"


    Ambraz froze midair, then fell a few feet before he resumed flying, much slower now.


    "Right¡­ that is a problem. It''s not like people like Hind are that easily found. They usually die fast, and most people with normal soulcards wouldn''t want to offer themselves up for testing."


    As Ambraz continued muttering, Irwin felt his weariness catch up to him. He yawned and returned to the real world.


    "I''m going to sleep," he said. "Greldo, can you ask the others to take over my shift on the helm? I''ll make it up to them tomorrow."


    There was no reply, and he lay back on the couch, slowly drifting off.


    --


    Daubutim walked away from the portal, ignoring the worried looks of the people around him.


    Lord Bron stood together with Susin Teblin and Grun Darlton, the gardener and farmer who had gotten the first cards from Irwin. Susin was hopping from one foot to the other while Grun stared at him with a resigned look. Susin was now the head of the Green Fingers, the association Lord Bron had created that dealt with anything plant and growth-related, including the crops that kept them alive.


    "Lord Daubutim, is it as bad as they said?" Susin asked, wringing her hands.


    "Let us talk in Basil''s office. He will need to hear this," Daubutim said.


    He saw Bron''s eyes narrow, and he knew the astute older man had already drawn his conclusions. Most likely the correct ones, too. He looked to the side to see Lisbeth appear out of the shadows and move to stand beside him. They locked eyes for a moment, and when she smiled, Daubutim felt a surge of joy. He glanced at her stomach faster than he knew anyone would be able to pick up, noticing that her armor was still covering her growing stomach.


    I wonder what Irwin will think, he thought as he walked forward.


    The Portal Keep was bustling with people, mostly guards, rangers, and others in training- but there were a few merchants. None bothered approaching them.


    When they reached Basil''s office, Daubutim took a quick look around the large room. There were weapons on walls, training dummies, and a squarish table shoved against a wall that had a map of the island drawn on it with what he knew to be eighty-three percent filled in. Not that they had true knowledge of all parts, but at least they roughly knew what was where.


    "So, believe me now?" Basil asked.


    He was sitting on one side of the table, his massive shape easily fitting in the oversized chair. Jort and Verd, the young Leafarit, were also there, as was Satiya, the Frozir woman who had remained with Lord Bron after the rest of her people had moved to create a small outpost to the far west.


    "I believed you," Daubutim said as he sat down.


    His mind was zipping along as he did, still not sure what the optimal solution would be.


    "So?" Jort asked, showing very little of the deference he had once done.


    "Basil''s information was right. There''s a massive storm that shows little sign of simmering down, and it has cut us off from The Terullian Ruins and anything beyond."


    "Shit," Bron said as he sat down.


    "Are the trees holding out?" Susin asked, fidgeting on her chair and sharing worried glances with the stoic Grun.


    "The storm has reached the sides of Harbor Grove," Daubutim said. "Some trees have gone white from ice and snow, and a few¡­ well, the smaller ones seem to be dying."


    "No! That''s horrible. Is there something we can do?" Susin asked.


    "No. Xi''kroak and La''suna are keeping an eye on things, and if it gets worse, we will have to create a barrier around the portal tree," Daubutim said.


    "Can we?" Basil asked, leaning forward. "I mean, we have some people with barrier cards, but I thought Trimdir said nobody is ready for anything on that scale?"


    "After you warned me, I told Trimdir to prioritize the cards we have that could get reforged to something with barriers," Daubutim said before he looked at Jort- or, more aptly, at the green bird on his shoulder.


    His mind rushed by so fast that everyone seemed to be standing still as he contemplated his options.


    Even after having been in contact with them for the last few months, exchanging information and knowledge with the Leafarit and the Sylvaneth had been slow. They were reluctant to speak with anyone but Jort, who said it had something to do with bonding and the Leafarit working on much longer timescales. From what Daubutim had been able to deduce, it was likely that they wanted Jort and Verd to bond in the same way they did, as it seemed to create a bond of trust. The only problem with that was that Verd was young, and it would take nearly a year, according to the bird.


    All that said, he knew it wasn''t a bad thing to ask.


    "Verd, can you contact Zegritar and Lashara and ask if they can help?"


    The bird cocked its head, and after a moment, Jort sighed.


    "He says we can ask, but don''t expect too much," Jort said. "The Leafarit Elders would probably see it as a good thing if the exit portal was closed."


    "If it closes, that means we would lose control of it if anyone ever finds it," Daubtim said. "That would put us at someone else''s mercy."


    "We will ask," Jort said, shrugging.


    Daubutim was quiet, then turned to Lord Bron. "Can you contact the others and find everyone that can make a barrier against the storm?"


    "We will," Lord Bron said, turning to. "What are you going to do?"


    "Talk with Bronwyn and tell him it might be difficult for Irwin to return," Daubutim said


    He sensed his own worry grow at the thought of his friend on the other side of a storm that he had no control over and might last a long time.


    I hope he doesn''t try to just cross it, he thought as he began hashing out the details of different plans.

 Chapter 268: Purified Soulforce

    Irwin tapped the page of his book, staring at his proposed next heartcard.


    "This is going to remove the ability to zoom in to see distant soulforce resonances," he said.


    "Probably, though I''m not sure," Ambraz said. "This card will be focused on only soulforce and sound, wrapped around your soulstrum guitar, and its way more specialized then your other heartcard was. It is possible that you will always see the ambient soulforce ripples instead of needing to use the card actively."


    That''s not necessarily better, Irwin thought as he pictured always seeing soulforce everywhere.


    He guessed he would get used to it.


    "There''s one thing you need to do before this," Ambraz said, seeming not to notice his worries.


    "Which is?"


    "You need to write down all the things your recording card recorded that you want to save. I''m not sure if anything will remain¡­"


    Irwin sighed as he focused on his Tablatures of Soul and Song. A moment later, the thin book appeared in his hand, and he flipped through it. The first two pages were filled with songs he had practiced with Skylar and the others, and he dragged his regular book towards him and started copying it.


    He also copied the final song they had used for Hind''s heartcard, then decided to discard the rest. They were mostly just experiments and other things.


    I do hope I get some more pages to work with after this, he thought. Having just a dozen meant he couldn''t really use it as a library of songs and card resonances.


    When he was done he put the book on a shelf and looked at the page, then scanned himself. Both his main-self, and his now nearly half as big soulscape-self were awake and full of energy. Still, he had the idea he was forgetting something.


    "Alright, what else?" he muttered.


    "Nothing! I''ll get Hou''dor to put up a shield in here so we don''t destroy the ship in the process," Ambraz said as he flew up, then away.


    He moved so fast that Irwin only saw a blur, one of the benefits Ambraz had gotten from his rank-up¡ªthat and even more refined control over soulforce. There was more, but he''d not wanted to share them, instead grinning mysteriously and telling Irwin he''d know when the time came.


    Irwin looked at his hands, realizing he''d be creating another heartcard, which would mean silver eyes and no handslots for a potentially long time again.


    And losing out a few things from the cards, he thought, before shrugging. Not that it mattered. He''d only miss out on a few things this time around, not like with his first heartcard. Back then, he''d had way more unrelated cards.


    I guess if I can do that again, it would ease my life a lot, Irwin thought.


    He continued pondering about the future when Ambraz returned with How''dor in tow.


    "Alright, you two lunatics," Hou''dor said. "The others are ready to put up an outer shield, just in case, and I''ll try and make sure you don''t blow us all up!"


    "Better try hard then," Ambraz said before landing on the ground and turning to his working shape. "We are not going to hold back! I''m a rank four now, so if you think that last heartcard was something, just wait for this one!"


    The two Ganvils began laughing while Hou''dor landed before the door. A pulse erupted, wrapping around the walls, ceiling, and floor, not unlike how Lord Bron''s card worked.


    Irwin took a deep breath, then walked to Ambraz and summoned his hammer. As he looked at the massive shape, the core of his first heartcard and later soulcard, he felt the thrumming power within it, and by extent, him. It felt both a long and short time ago since he''d started reforging it, back on Scour. Back then, he''d needed the tiny Purperion anvil that Ambraz had made to have the energy for what he was going to do. Now? Now, his mindscape held enough energy on its own, and his soulstrum guitar was already ammolite rank. All of the risks were smaller, while the cards were all far closer together.


    As he thought about the first time, he realized just how much of a risk it had been. Then again, it wasn''t like this was going to be a complete walk in the park. Part of him looked at his hammer, while the other part looked at the soulstrum guitar. Using even a single card while reforging his heartcard was difficult, and he was planning to use two.


    Three, if you count that, I''ll be trying to record the song while I''m reforging the cards, he thought.


    He hoped the song would actually register in the new heartcard. Ambraz said it was a fifty-fifty chance, as it might get reset.


    "Okay, remember the start of the song, kid! It''s the most important thing to get right," Ambraz said, interrupting his introspection.


    The Ganvil began humming, a soft, multi-layered sound that almost seemed like a dozen people instead of one. Some were deep, others more high-pitched, and they blended into a beautiful song that Irwin knew would be the basis of his new heartcard. His soulscape-self began gently playing along, the soulstrum guitar''s sounds starting to resonate with his soulcard and soulscape.


    "Holy¡­ what things did you select when you ranked up?!" Hou''dor asked in surprise.


    Irwin couldn''t blame him. He''d had roughly the same reaction when Ambraz had done it the first time.


    "What are you so surprised about?!" Ambraz snorted as the humming stopped. "My bonded smith uses music and song. Did you expect me not to take anything I could find to support him?"


    "Course I didn''t, but where did you even find this ability?! Or¡­¡± Hou''dor barked a sad laugh. "This is what you got from being a Prodigy? Brazardian somehow gave the lot of you abilities to better bond with your smiths! I thought that was just a rumor?"


    "It is a rumor, and it needs to stay that way," Ambraz said. "Mostly because he has only succeeded twice so far and isn''t sure exactly what caused either."


    Hou''dor grunted, then let out a weary sigh. "Great, some just get all the luck."


    "Exactly, and don''t you forget it," Ambraz replied with a mock laugh. "Now be quiet. We need to focus!"


    Irwin stood before Ambraz as his companion began humming again. He wrapped his mind around the two bundles of cards he felt in his hands, surprised again by just how well they meshed.  With a tiny jerk, they appeared above Ambraz''s flowing shape, one of them glowing brighter than all the others combined.


    "Ready," he whispered.


    There was no response, which he didn''t expect. Instead, he waited as Ambraz finished the start of the song, then fell quiet. A long second passed, and then, as Ambraz began again, Irwin brought his hammer down, causing a surprisingly melodic booming sound to ripple around the room.


    Energy flowed from his soulscape as if he''d gained a hole, rushing into the cards before him, some spilling over into Ambraz.


    At least I don''t have to waste so many cards again, Irwin thought.


    It was his final thought before he turned his full focus and attention on reforging.


    --


    Hou''dor was quiet as he looked at the tall, burly smith striking Am''braz. Soulforce flowed and rippled against his barrier, which was already showing signs of cracking.


    Bloody insane bastards, he thought as he forced more energy into it, stabilizing it.


    Ambraz hum, which had been the loudest sound so far, was slowly drowned out by the crazy sound of the young smith''s weird instrument. There was no sight of it, but Hou''dor wasn''t surprised. Am had told him of Irwin''s ability to do two things at the same time- including using his cards.


    The pressure on his barrier kept increasing until it finally stabilized.


    That''s about the amount of energy a four-soulcarded ruby ran smith could push out, Hou''dor thought.


    He was about to sigh when a deep voice began singing a wordless, energetic song. He stared at Ambraz, barely believing what he was hearing as his friend sang along with the music.


    I thought he''d taken some multiple-voiced hum, but-


    A second voice, deeper and with a rough edge, joined the first, and Hou''dor felt his mind go blank as the soulforce pressure began growing again. As he continued pumping in more energy, he looked in silent disbelief at the smith, who had a crazed smile and sparkling eyes, and Ambraz, glowing a soft purple as an unheard-of amount of purified soulforce spilled out from the point where their resonances overlapped and flowed into him.


    As he watched the purple mist, Hou''dor felt a small bit of sadness. He was one of the few below rank six that could see purified soulforce, an ability that was normally reserved for rank six and above. Long ago, he''d thought that this meant he''d be meant to grow beyond the shackles of rank six, but it had never happened.


    I wish Symor could have seen this. He thought about his long-dead bonded smith, Symor.


    His friend had never managed to get beyond ruby rank, Symor unable to keep even the most simple of resonances on that level together. A deep sense of loss filled him at the memory of the enthusiastic young smith, so happy when Hou''dor had chosen him and so sad when it eventually showed he wasn''t up to the task.


    I wouldn''t have chosen anyone else, Hou''dor thought, though a tiny part of him wondered what could have been had he still been fluid and unbonded- able to bond with a smith like Irwin.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    He lost any sense of time as he listened and watched as the cards began swirling around each other, parts of them bright, others dulling.


    At some point, the brightest drifted to the center, and as it did, the song began building up again, a deafening sound that he knew would cause trouble for any fleshy that was close. A swirling mass of purplish purified soulforce surrounded the Smith and Ganvil as if they were standing in the eye of a hurricane.


    They are going to reach rank six easily, Hou''dor thought as he stared with a sad kind of longing at his friend, knowing he was growing more in a few minutes than he had in dozens of years.


    A tearing sensation came from the barrier, and he ground his teeth. How was this energy still increasing?! This was ridiculous! As he strengthened the barrier again, something touched him, and his thoughts froze. A moment later, it came again, and a tiny trickle of purified soulforce flowed into him like water on a dry sand bed.


    What?!


    Hou''dor watched tiny whisps of purified soulforce drift around the room as the central hurricane of energy began increasing in brightness, slowly blinding him. Time seemed to slow as he felt another trickle, then another, and slowly, he felt his growth, which had stagnated for longer than he cared to remember, increase.


    This is NOT possible, he thought, but as he did, all he could do was increase the barrier again, as he felt it try to expand like a balloon.


    This¡­ is¡­ not¡­


    The barrier trembled, and Hou''dor''s mind went blank, as all he could do was focus on holding the barrier together while the entire room slowly filled with purified soulforce.


    --


    Irwin struck again and again, feeling the energy in his soulscape drain more and more. Pain, blinding and horrible, was somehow spread across both selves, making it manageable - if only just.


    He continued singing, his voice and Ambraz''s creating a loud, energetic song. The connection to his soulstrum guitar had already vanished, and he knew that meant the cards were combining, but they had been so long.


    How- much- longer? he thought, even his thoughts feeling halting. If not for Ambraz''s lead, he''d have long since lost where he had to go and how the song had to flow. Instead, he held onto Ambraz''s voice like a lifeline, following it, building upon it.


    Finally, he felt the end close in, the song''s crescendo, long and seemingly desiring to go on into infinity, petering off almost anticlimacticly.


    All he saw was a purplish fog and the gleaming card hovering above Ambraz- then, as his hammer dropped for the final hit, the card trembled, and it shot towards, then into him. The pain vanished as he sensed the spot in his chest where a heartcard could sit was filled gain. A tiny buildup of soulforce began flowing through his body, and he felt his eyes burn for a moment before the sensation vanished.


    Suddenly, a wave of weakness caused him to fall to his knees, his hammer unsummoning as he realized how little soulforce he had left. If it had continued for only a bit longer, he might have actually knocked himself out again. A quick check showed that his soulscape-self was even worse, barely clinging to consciousness.


    He was about to let it rest when he felt the new card appear in his soulscape. Both his main and very tired soulscape-self''s full attention focused inside, and he watched in awe as a glowing card appeared above his soullake. As it fully materialized, it began gleaming as if wet, and a single drop fell from its tip, landing on the bottom and remaining there like a crystal clear bead.


    "Great job! That was so much easier than the first one!"


    Irwin glanced at Ambraz, who had appeared beside him.


    "How long do you think it will take for my soullake to fill," he asked as he watched a second drop start to form on the bottom of the card.


    "Without absorbing cards or finding more Neamhnathair?" Ambraz asked, his lips curling up in a grimace. "A hundred years? More? No idea really, but you would still be alive if that''s what you are asking."


    Irwin nodded. "How old do you think I can become now?"


    "No idea¡­ If you were a real Fiz''rin I''d say over two thousand. But now? Your cards should keep you stable for at least a thousand years, so I''d not worry too much!"


    Irwin stared at his new heartcard, sensing the powerful resonance that came from it. All around, soft wafts of soulforce moved around like thin fog while bright ripples moved around, some pulling swaths of the soulforce with him.


    I can see way more soulforce now, Irwin thought as he looked around.


    Before, he''d only been able to see the more condensed areas, but now even the fainter concentrations were visible. At the same time, he heard the soft, constant ambient tune, slightly chaotic but beautiful nonetheless. He wondered what it would be like to be in a world again- would he be constantly bothered by the visual and audio cues?


    "So? Summon it!" Ambraz said.


    Irwin jolted back awake and focused on his heartcard.


    "It feels more powerful than my first one did," he said.


    "Of course it does! You are more powerful, and your soullake was bigger, so it''s already stronger than your first one, which was a year after you got it," Ambraz replied, seeming barely impressed. "Now, let''s see it!"


    Irwin held out his hand, and his soulstrum guitar appeared in his hand. It had changed from its previous look and was now such a dark copper that only the gleam showed it wasn''t truly black. The neck had straightened slightly but remained curved, almost like a blade. Focusing on his soulforce, Irwin fed it into the heartcard, and six snares appeared, glowing bright. Feeling barely any effort, he increased the soulforce he fed into it, and within moments, he surpassed what he could before.


    Feeling slightly worried, he continued until over three times as much was inside, and only then did he sense it was full. He gazed in awe at the strings, which were humming and flickering as if ready to explode.


    "Kid¡­ you might want to be careful when you do this in the outside world," Ambraz whispered.


    Irwin didn''t react, very gently putting a finger on the top string.


    A dull thrum burst from the guitar, rippling outward and blowing all the ambient soulforce of his soulscape to the edges in a single woosh. The steam clouds rippled, and only the strength of his first soulcard kept them roughly in place.


    "If you strike a single chord like that, you are probably going to deafen all weaker heartcarded, shatter every window in a large area, and might shake apart some buildings," Ambraz muttered. "Perhaps a little less soulforce?"


    Irwin fully agreed, letting the soulforce slowly leak back out until a tenth remained. Then he struck a chord, and a blast of loud, clear sound boomed through his soulscape. Curious, he played a part of one of the songs he, Skylar, and the others had come up with. It was loud enough that his nearly impervious ears began humming and complaining, and he tuned it down even more. Only when he had one-fortieth of the maximum power did he think it was a level that he could play it around others.


    "So, final question before we get out," Ambraz said,  humming happily. "Did you manage to record the song?"


    Irwin unsummoned his stoulstrum guitar, and a moment later, a finger-thick book appeared in his hands. A beautifully curved representation of his soulstrum guitar depicted the front surrounded by musical notes, and as he opened it, he saw that the first page was covered in tiny print.


    "That''s great! You even got some more pages," Ambraz shouted as he hovered in front of the book filled with music sheets. "I want to examine it later, but for now, let''s head outside. I have the feeling Hou''dor wants to talk to us."


    Ambraz spoke with a barely contained hilarity, and Irwin wondered what he''d done this time.


    Irwin''s main-self looked up, leaving his soulscape-self to examine the music sheet.


    The first thing Irwin saw was that everything that had not been nailed down was hurled about. Papers were strewn across the ground and against walls, and his vest was shoved below a table. A puddle of water lay on the ground while the carafe it had come from had rolled into a corner.


    Hou''dor stood in front of the door, glowing dimly while his lips were pursed in a thin line. Irwin had the feeling he was either angry or upset, but Ambraz didn''t appear to care.


    "Hey, you old rustbucket! How do you-"


    "YOU COULD HAVE BLOODY WARNED ME!"


    Irwin clasped his hands over his ears in shock as Hou''dor''s voice erupted like a volcano. He took a step back, somewhat surprised, but Ambraz didn''t show a care in the world.


    "Bah! And where would be the fun in that? Also, STOP SHOUTING YOU BIG LUG!"


    Irwin grimaced, surprised at the level of volume both Ganvils were able to produce.


    "You¡­ you¡ªWhat just happened?!" Hou''dor snapped, changing to his flying shape. He barreled towards Ambraz with what Irwin had the feeling was intent on ramming.


    Ambraz dodged, laughing happily. "Whatever are you talking about?"


    "Am, there was more purified soulforce in here than I have ever seen in one place except during A Birth of Creation. I had wondered how you grew so fast, after all you told me but this? I actually grew again! For the first time in¡­ decades!"


    "I''d hoped that would happen," Ambraz said, and his grin fell away as he landed on the table.


    Irwin sat down on the couch when he saw that Hou''dor had calmed and landed beside the table, returning to his larger shape.


    "Brazardian gave us some Gneisian Ore to take with us," Ambraz said calmly. "We have been purifying it for months, and I''ve let it create a tiny layer atop my-"


    "Are you suicidal?!" Hou''dor hissed.


    "-my back, which works pretty well with the ability I gained when I became rank three," Ambraz continued, ignoring Hou''dor. "So, when Irwin began reforging the card, I used it to purify the overspilling soulforce from his soulscape and saturated the room. I went from just becoming rank four to closing in on ten percent."


    Hou''dor''s mouth was opening and closing, while Irwin couldn''t hold back a grin.


    "How does that even work if you resize yourself?" he asked.


    "It only works with certain rare grades of metal," Ambraz said. "I took the skill because of the purperion we found¡­ I mean, you neve know right?"


    "You took¡­ a skill that you might never use as  one of your three rank-up skills¡­?" Hou''dor whispered.


    "I was planning to head back to Granvox," Ambraz said. "I knew Brazardian had Gneissian Ore and some other things. It wasn''t that much of a gamble."


    Hou''dor was quiet while Irwin hummed.


    "So, we need to get you more ore to increase your growth," he said softly.


    "You two¡­ are really crazy," Hou''dor whispered. "Purperion, Gneisian Ore, next thing you tell me, you are going to search for Anamalliage?!"


    Irwin had no idea what that was, but from Ambraz''s snorted reaction, he guessed his companion did.


    Still, neither said anything while Hou''dor continued muttering about insanity.


    "What''s Ana¡­ Anamalliage?" Irwin asked.


    "Don''t bother, kid. The other things we have found so far are all known to exist. But Hou''dor is just telling fairy tales now. Nobody has ever seen that, and all we know are rumors from the homeworld. No, we should try to find more Purperion, or perhaps we can locate some Aurorium or some Ancestral Coperion."


    "You think Hind''s father might have been on to something?" Irwin asked, thinking back to her story.


    "No idea, but if we do find some, it should be able to do the same as Gneisian Ore, and that will allow this old rusty chunk of ore here to perhaps reset his resonance and rebind," Ambraz said.


    Hou''dor let out a long, weary sigh, and Irwin had the feeling he would have shaken his head if he had one.


    "You say I''m talking about fairy tales, and you say that?" he said. "I''d need¡­ eleven or twelve more of these sessions to even attempt that? And you know what happens if I fail!"


    "Are you you seriously happy to wallow away until you fall aslumber to never wake again?" Ambraz snapped.


    "Did you hear what I''m saying? You two have found two rare metals- that''s more than most people even hear about!"


    "Yes¡­ you said twelve more, right?" Ambraz said, suddenly very quiet.


    Irwin was the one to shake his head now. He had a pretty good idea of what Ambraz was going to say, and he decided to keep quiet. At least, he''d planned to¡­


    "Kid, how much longer would you say till the Gneisian Ore is purified?"


    Irwin looked at Hou''dor. "Probably a few more months."


    "Great, that means I can create another layer, and I''m sure we can find someone back home who needs a heartcard!"


    "You are crazy," Hou''dor said, but his voice had lost some of its previous power. "But¡­"


    "Don''t worry, you old lug. I''ll keep an eye out for useful stuff. You just keep that bloody world safe while we are gone, and eventually, we will get you bound to another smith!"


    Irwin leaned back, weary from reforging the whole conversation and wondering why Ambraz was still so energetic. When the two finally left, after a lengthy debate about the likelihood of the endeavor- or lack thereof, he closed the door and fell asleep.

 Chapter 269: Unexpected Advantages

    Irwin woke to a soft ambient song, and it took him a moment to figure out what he was hearing.


    Right, my new heartcard!


    He sat upright, swinging his legs from the couch and looking around. Ambraz stood on the table before him, yawning widely.


    "Fina... ly... woke up?" the Ganvil asked, yawing and fluttering his wings before flying to Irwin''s shoulder.


    Irwin nodded, quietly listening to the beautiful sounds all around him. He faintly recalled hearing them before he fell asleep, but he''d been too distracted then. It somehow reminded him of the forest around New Malorin, the rustling of the leaves, the chirping of the birds, and the movement of branches¡­ but at the same time, not at all like that. Instead, he heard faint chimes, a soft howling like the violin Skylar hadn''t wanted to play, and what reminded him of bells- all of it soft and intermingled to create a beautiful background sound. Even the soft groaning of the ship seemed to perfectly fit it.


    "It''s beautiful," Irwin said, sighing as he looked around at the thin mist that hung in places of the room and tiny ripples of soulforce everywhere. He couldn''t believe he hadn''t seen all of it before.


    "Yeah, it''s not bad," Ambraz said. "You will get used to it, though, but it can still surprise you. Now¡­ how about we look at how well we succeeded?"


    Irwin grunted in agreement as he rose and found his booklet stuffed below one of his closets. He placed it on the table, and Ambraz landed on it, causing the familiar flash.


    Still, it''s a shame I can''t get the card details just like the songs, Irwin thought as he opened the booklet to the newly filled-in page.


    Card: Ethereal Nascent Soul Clone


    Type: Heartcard, Ammolite, Sound, Soulforce, Forged by Irwin Roddington


    Owner: Irwin Roddington


    A unique heartcard that causes the soul of the wielder of this card to split off a tiny fragment that grows independently. It will increase the power and regeneration of the soulforce and the size of the soulscape of the person. This soul has both its own mind and thoughts while still being the same as the wielder''s. If one of the souls is destroyed but the other remains, a new soul will eventually reform.


    Passive: Gains a secondary nascent soul [67% complete]


    Passive: Greatly increased resistance to sound-based attacks


    Passive: Gains the ability to see and hear soulforce concentrations, resonances, and fluctuations


    Passive: Greatly increased ability to sense and manipulate soulforce


    Active: Summon a unique soulstrum guitar with strings that can be formed from soulforce. Lasts until dismissed or destroyed. [Soulforce]


    Active: Summon a booklet that can record resonances in soulforce and sound, recording them in music sheet form [Soulforce]


    Active: Teleport along soundwaves or toward sufficiently large soulforce resonances up to a thousand feet away


    Irwin scanned his new card, and his eyes widened. "That''s¡­ the teleport changed!"


    "We knew it was possible," Ambraz said, but the Ganvil''s voice was nearly as excited as he was.


    Irwin looked around, found a large soulforce resonance on the opposite side of the room, and triggered his card. For a split second, he felt like he was in two places at the same time, then he stood on the opposite side of the room. A sense of weakness came over him as he felt the energy in his heartcard drain rapidly, and he stumbled before he managed to regain himself.


    "Okay¡­ I don''t think I can do that too many times," he grunted.


    "Of course not," Ambraz snapped as he flew towards him. "It''s not the main concept of this card!"


    Irwin didn''t react, quickly checking his new heartcard, which had thrummed with overflowing power only moments before. Now, he was pretty sure it was only just over half-full. He was about to focus back on Ambraz when he noticed just how fast it was refilling.


    "I¡­I think it can regenerate half its energy in under ten minutes," Irwin said as he finally released his focus from the card.


    "For any other card, I would have said that''s insane, but it''s close to what I had expected," Ambraz said. "How often can you use the sound-based movement?"


    Irwin hummed and instantly followed the soundwaves that moved away from him, reappearing near the couch. The amount of soulforce it cost was so low that it barely registered.


    "If I don''t use it in too quick a succession, the regeneration might be higher than the cost," he said with a happy grin as he sat down and took the booklet. He absently glanced across the card again, happy with what he read, when he noticed something that he had missed before.


    "It has the soulforce typing," he said, focusing on the single word that stood out to him amidst all the others.


    The sound typing wasn''t too odd, but the soulforce typing was one of the rarer types a card could get, and his soulscape would now gain that type which had a big benefit. When his heartcard turned into a soulcard, it would slightly increase all matching cards of that type both now and in the future.


    "Great, but nothing but an added bonus compared to the power you already have. There is, however, something else," Ambraz said, landing on the page. "It now says you can see soulforce concentrations¡­ I wonder what that does. Resonances and fluctuations, I know, but what is that?"


    "It''s probably just a place where¡­" Irwin held back. He was about to say a place with unmoving soulforce, but that didn''t make sense. From his classes, he knew soulforce didn''t work like that. Soulforce was always moving in some way or another.


    "I wonder," Ambraz muttered, then a slow grin came to his face. "Well, there is one thing I could think of what it means, and it would make sense. Let''s go and get breakfast!"


    Irwin stared at him stupidly, hesitated, then ripped out the page and torched it with a quick flame jolt. As soon as he used his soulcard, he felt incredible clarity in his control of it. Surprised, he summoned his hammer, noticing that he could change its shape in far more minute details than he ever had before. Eyes wide, he changed the hammer''s shape, making it larger- lengthening its handle, adding a horn-like protrusion on one side, and finally changing the shape of the head into nearly every type of hammer shape he''d ever seen. The amount of control his new soulcard allowed him was insane, and as he was busy, his second self woke. Due to how it worked, it instantly knew exactly what he did, and a sudden idea formed between his two selves.


    Could I-


    His other self joined him in the realworld and a moment of odd duality caused him to feel somewhat lightheaded before clearing up. Irwin took a deep breath, his mind clearer than ever as he raised both is hands, moving them independently, each controlled by one half of himself.


    "Incredible," he said as he began snapping his fingers in two different, unrelated melodies.


    Had he been able to do this before, or was this a new addition due to him making his heartcard? He didn''t know, but he moved his fists around, blocking and attacking some imaginary enemies, and instantly understood why warriors desired mental cloning cards. As he thought about fighting, another idea bubbled up from one of his two halves, and his eyebrows shot up.


    Holding up one hand, he summoned a hammer, then barely daring to breathe, he tried to summon another in his second hand. It appeared as easy as the first, and he couldn''t stop a burst of laughter as he began striking with them, walking through one of Crithann''s hammer stances that allowed for two weapons.


    "Interesting," Ambraz said, flying around, examining him from seemingly all angles. "That''s¡­ very interesting! Can you resize both?"


    Irwin stopped and focused on the hammers, one part of him on each, reshaping them and then shrinking and growing them. He instantly found a limitation, though he didn''t really mind too much.


    "I can only grow them to half the size I could grow one," he said as he struggled to hold two massive hammers, each with a head the size of a large person. He could grow them a bit more, but he was afraid he might damage the ship.


    "Try your other cards," Ambraz said excitedly.


    Irwin quickly unsummoned his hammers, and a moment later, he held two guitars, staring at them stupidly.


    "Well¡­ unless I let someone else play one, this doesn''t seem very useful," he said.


    "Oh, I wouldn''t say that," Ambraz said, sounding incredibly excited. "I wouldn''t say that at all! What this means is I know exactly what your third card will be."


    It took Irwin only a split second to understand what he was getting at. "A body cloning one?" he asked.


    "Definitely! If we can get you that card with Giantism, Exponential Growth, or, and this would be the best but also the most unlikely one, a card that allows physical growth based on soulscape size, and we couple that with Dual Body, your combat potential would more than double!"


    Ambraz was almost out of breath by the end of his excited monologue¡ªpretty impressive for a being that didn''t require air¡ªbut Irwin couldn''t blame him.


    "Why only a dual body?" he asked, recalling the dozens of bodies the barbers had back on Fiverion and the serving women in the bar.


    "It will split your power over those bodies," Ambraz said. "Besides, those are as hard to get as the mental cloning ones. Remember how long it took before we got one of those?"


    Irwin grimaced, and then one of him had another idea. He unsummoned the guitars, and suddenly, two booklets appeared in his hand. Sadly, as he opened them, he saw the same song on the first page.


    "Nice try," Ambraz said, grinning. "You can manipulate them both, but the songs will appear on each as it''s actually the same summon."


    Irwin shrugged and continued experimenting with his other abilities. He quickly found that none of his other abilities worked as well as his hammer, though his ability to control both his fire and his steam was now far greater, not to mention that he could use them at the same time.


    "Okay, enough playing with yourself! Let''s go get breakfast," Ambraz snapped eventually.


    Irwin grinned. He walked to the door while his soulscape-self, which he guessed was now the wrong name as it wasn''t limited to that place, returned to his soulscape to continue practicing with some things.


    I wonder why Ambraz wants me to go and eat, he thought as he absently hummed one of the songs he knew.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    A few moments later, as he walked into the galley, he found out. He stared at Boohm, who was glowing dimly, not unlike what he''d seen with Hou''dor.


    "Captain?! You alright?" Boohm asked loudly, walking over with worry on his face. "Did your heartcard turn out okay?"


    Irwin swallowed, then nodded. "Yeah, it''s fine," he said. "Just a bit hungry. Could you-"


    "Hah! I''ve been trying out a new stew recipe with Everburning Peppers that you will love! Let me get you a double portion!" Boohm shouted as he walked back into the kitchen area.


    "He''s glowing like Hou''dor was! So¡­ I can see the soulforce inside people now?" Irwin whispered.


    "It''s not that surprising, is it?" Ambraz said, sounding smug. "You have focused more on cards that allow the detection, visualization, and hearing of soulforce than anyone I know about. Why wouldn''t you be able to see the pent-up soulforce of people''s soulscape?"


    Irwin glanced at Boohm, then hummed.


    "Grel, can you come here for a moment? I want to see how-"


    "Much I glow?" Greldo asked as he appeared a few steps away, a big grin on his face.


    Irwin blinked in surprise, then nodded as he saw that Greldo was glowing more than Boohm had. It wasn''t a lot more, but that made sense, as Boohm also had a soulcard and a heartcard, though of lesser power.


    "And?" Greldo asked as he sat down, eyebrows raised.


    "More than Boohm, but I''ll need to experiment to see how it works," Irwin said.


    "What, I''m not some massively glowing orb?" Greldo asked, sounding not at all worried.


    "If that were the fact, what would a six-diamond-ranked soulcarded be like? The sun?" Ambraz snorted.


    "Could be," Greldo said with a grin before looking at Irwin. "I''m heading back up, but let me know how I compare to the others, alright?"


    Irwin nodded, but Greldo had vanished already. He left behind a shimmering area of dark shadow-typed soulforce that slowly dispersed. As he was still staring, Boohm put a bowl of steaming meat and vegetables in front of him, the scent of which caused his mouth to water.


    "Talk later! Eat now!" Boohm said. "I''ll get you some water!"


    Irwin nodded, then pushed the questions he was thinking of to his soulscape-self¡­ second self? Cloned self? He began trying to come up with a good name, but when he took a bite, all his thoughts vanished. A hot and spicy flavor filled his mouth, causing his tongue and the insides of his cheeks to tingle as he chewed on the stringy, juicy meat. When he swallowed, it burned down his throat like powerful liquor.


    "This is amazing!" he said, stuffing another spoonful in his mouth.


    "Course it is," Boohm said as he sat down with an almost as big bowl for himself. "And the best part is, only you, me, and the Granitians can eat it! So more for us!"


    Irwin grinned as he fully focused on his meal, barely noticing how his second self joined him at some point.


    --


    Days, then weeks, passed as they sped along above the massive river, and slowly, the number of ships began going down. Irwin spent most of his time as he had before, purifying, reforging, and preparing cards for when he got back home. There was one thing that he added though.


    "Get him! He''s on the-"


    Irwin laughed as he used the soundwaves to move to the far end of the hull that they used for practicing. Not that it was that far at all. Although The Concerto was much larger than The Sonata, it didn''t have the large cargo hold, and both of him were looking around, each using one eye, which he''d been told was more than a little disconcerting.


    Irwin didn''t care, watching Selene and Montain sprint towards him, their feet thudding heavily on the floor.


    Where did you-


    His small-self heard something and used the abundance of sound in the hull to move two steps to the side while he kicked out. Greldo, just appearing behind him, yelped and barely managed to vanish as Irwin''s foot passed through where he''d just been. Irwin didn''t bother looking where the other two were but teleported to the other end of the hull again before looking.


    "Dammit, Captain, that''s just not fair!" Montain roared as he spread his arms.


    Pebbles began forming around him, and Irwin raised his hand. "Montain! Nothing that can damage the hull!"


    The massive, stone-like humanoid cursed as he lowered his arms while Selene tried to use the distraction to reach Irwin. Sadly for her, she was all but stealthy, and Irwin moved along the hull halfway to the end. He looked around just as something patted him on the head.


    "Got ya!"


    Irwin grunted as he lowered his arms.


    Greldo appeared beside him, grinning widely.


    "Not bad! You actually managed to dodge me for five minutes."


    A clear bell-like laughter came from the side, and Earila jogged over, three of her Faerit hanging from the side. Irwin could swear they were laughing at him, but he ignored them.


    "Greldo, are we going to go now?!'' she asked, eyes gleaming.


    "Sure, kiddo! But, like I said, no ice projectiles!" Greldo said as he crossed his arms, trying to look stern.


    "But how am I going to hit you if you keep disappearing otherwise!" Earila cried, raising her arms in consternation.


    "It''s called tag, so you touch me, or one of your friends does," Greldo said. "Otherwise, we would have called it Shoot Ice or something."


    "Can''t we do that instead?" Earila asked hopefully.


    "No, because the previous time, the two of you damaged three walls and part of the galley ceiling," Irwin said when he saw Greldo hesitate.


    Earila grumbled something while Montain and Selene walked towards Irwin. Both looked heavily annoyed, though Irwin knew that part of it was because of Esther''s training. They had been doing nothing but practicing, and even though Montain''s resolve had grown, Irwin could see it crumbling under what he seemed to think was too much work.


    "Captain, how come you can use that teleport for so long?" Selene asked while Montain clapped Irwin on the shoulder hard enough to make his body sway.


    "Great job, captain!''


    "My soulscape generates a lot of soulforce," Irwin said, looking at Selene. "It''s why I told you, if you want to be more efficient, you should-"


    "Yes, yes, yes," Selene said, shaking her head. "Never mind that I asked! I think Esther is calling!"


    She turned and ran away, her massive shape causing the floorboards to flex. Greldo vanished, quickly followed by Earila.


    "Have you decided on your next heartcard?" Irwin asked Montain.


    The massive Granitian took a deep breath before exhaling like a bellow. "I''ll do as you and Ambraz suggested," he said, not sounding too happy about it.


    Irwin didn''t respond except for nodding, knowing how sensitive Montain was about keeping up his combat abilities. It had taken a bit of time for Irwin to get some history out of him, and he''d have much rather become what his people called a Boulder Roller, some type of fighter that went into dangerous portals to clear them out. It was his high-level potential and his grandmother''s wishes that had gotten him to start smithing.


    "Don''t be so down," Ambraz said, flying down from the rafters and landing on Irwin''s shoulder.


    Montain''s own bonded Ganvil, Dar''malder landed on Montain''s shoulder.


    "I''ve been telling him this all night, but he won''t listen," he rumbled. "He just can''t get hurling massive boulders at unsuspecting demons out of his mind."


    "Which I can fully understand," Irwin said, raising an eyebrow at Montain. "But if you focus on a card just like Teacher Vera has you will be done much sooner. Besides, if you can reforge your own cards, you can improve your strength much faster."


    Montain''s mouth turned into a scowl, but he nodded. "I know. I''ll start working on the cards. Is Greldo going to stop at another of those drifting markets?"


    "I don''t-"


    Greldo appeared mid-air, flipping as he did.


    "I''ll head to one tomorrow. If the-" he vanished just as one of Earila''s summons appeared, reappearing a few feet away.


    "-rumors are true then-"


    "-it might be the last-"


    "one!"


    Irwin shook his head as he saw his friend disappear and reappear throughout the hull before vanishing, leaving angry-looking Faerits behind.


    Montain shook his head. "Did you know many people can''t even slot shadow-walker cards?" he muttered.


    Irwin looked up in surprise. "What? Why wouldn''t they?"


    "Nobody knows, but apparently, it takes a special type of crazy!"


    It took Irwin two seconds to realize Montain was messing with him, then he burst out laughing. He followed the Granitian out of the hull, feeling very pleased with himself. Although he couldn''t catch up to Greldo, if he had to, he could move so fast the other couldn''t catch him either, meaning that in many cases, he shouldn''t be outrun anymore.


    Part of him almost hoped they''d get into trouble soon.


    He probably should have specified to himself what kind of trouble.


    --


    A few days before they reached the end of the river, only the occasional ship passed them, and a few came alongside to ask where they were going.


    Irwin always gave the same answer.


    "Slip into a side entrance that will lead to our rank two merchant guild''s base before the storm hits it!" he shouted, his voice so loud it caused the hull to shiver below him.


    "You might wanna hurry then, metalman!" a blueish, bird-like woman shouted back, smiling sickly. Her smile didn''t reach her large, birdlike eyes. "The storm crushed two entire side-branches already, and it isn''t showing any signs of slowing down! There are only a few people behind us, and they might not even make it!"


    She reminded Irwin of Pieplionyr, the pirate he''d killed en route to Granvox.


    "Any news from the path towards Fiverion?" Irwin roared back.


    "It''s gone, metalman! The portal, the branch there, everything is completely engulfed in the storm."


    Irwin''s hands clenched tight around the steering wheel, causing the metal-like wood to groan in protest.


    "Thanks for the news!" he shouted as they passed along, and all he got was a wave as the ship continued to speed by.


    "Are we sure we can even reach home?" Greldo muttered.


    Irwin wasn''t sure how to answer that and looked at Hou''dor at the front of the ship.


    "How long could you keep us in one piece if we move through the storm?" he asked loudly.


    "Months, as long as someone can weather the cold and keep the ship on course," was the immediate reply.


    Irwin grimaced at the word cold. He knew what that meant. It meant that he would need to do most of the work because Earila, as much as she had improved, still couldn''t stand the most intense of colds. Which was exactly what the center of a storm was like.


    "We are going to try," Irwin said. "As much as I want to head to Igniz, we need to get those slumbering rank zeros home."


    Greldo nodded. "I''ll be able to stay around you a bit more this time," he said.


    Irwin raised an eyebrow.


    "From the shadows," Greldo said, grinning. "If you can create a pocket of steam every once in a while, we can even talk."


    "That might be for the best," Irwin said as he stared at the still seemingly endless river. "Can you go and inform the others?"


    "Sure," Greldo said as he walked away. "I''ll come back later."


    The day continued quietly, and by the time Irwin returned for his next shift, not a single ship could be seen. They were, for all intents and purposes, alone as they flew across the quiet and beautiful river. Another two days later, as the tension began growing, the narrow corridor they should go to came into sight.


    Irwin was standing beside Earila, staring into the distance. Zender and Greldo had their arms on the railing nearby, staring into the distance.


    "I''ll take over as soon as we reach the bend," he said. "You make sure you rest and prepare your little friends, just in case."


    "I''m sure I can help, Captain," Earila said, nodding fervently. "Mother said I can stand as much cold as she can!"


    "That''s great, and I''ll be sure to call you when I need your help," Irwin said with a smile. "Now, go with the others. If there''s any trouble, Greldo will warn you."


    Earila walked away, looking slightly worried. Zender joined her, towering over his smaller sibling. He waved at Irwin before the two of them vanished below deck.


    "I still don''t get how you managed to become so good against the cold," Hind said, standing nearby, arms crossed. "It''s not natural."


    Irwin felt his building worry fade for a moment as he grinned. "We have a flame inside. What''s not to understand?"


    "It shrinks if it''s too cold," Hind said, frowning.


    Greldo, who had been standing nearby, began laughing uproariously, trying to say something but unable to get the words out. Hind looked at him, then shook her head.


    "Don''t bother," Irwin said, his smile fading. "Head down for now. If there''s any real trouble, Montain and his sisters can help."


    Hind hesitated for a bit, then walked away, and soon only Irwin, Greldo, and the rank five Ganvils remained on the deck. They remained quiet as Irwin turned The Concerto around the bend, slowing the sleek ship down for the next part of the trip.


    "At least we don''t have to worry about raiders this time," Greldo muttered.


    "Ugh! Way to jinx it," Ambraz snapped.


    Greldo snickered, but Irwin could hear there was little true humor in it. His friend fell quiet as they continued down the rapidly narrowing branch until they were in a corridor barely a hundred feet wide.


    Time slowly passed by, but Irwin wasn''t inclined to increase their speed, and half a day later, he was happy he hadn''t. They turned around a bend, and as their view returned, Greldo cursed.


    Irwin squeezed the helm, staring at the roiling blackness ahead of them. Swirls of chaotic soulforce, some dark red, others in endless shades of purple, rippled through it like lightning, occasionally accompanied by actual lightning that slammed into the ground at the bottom of the corridor. A distant rumbling came from the distant storm, and Irwin shared a worried look with Greldo.


    ¡°That''s¡­ a big storm¡­¡± Hou''dor said from his position at the front of the ship. "Get ready to put up the barrier! It seems we are going to earn our keep!"

 Chapter 270: Into the storm

    Irwin''s growl was drowned out by the howling winds and crackling lighting as he struggled with the helm. With a powerful pull, he turned the helm further to the left, straining against the winds. The Concerto leaned against the wind, a bubble of pale energy around it battered by torrents of rain and the occasional burst of lightning. Massive waves of chaotic soulforce rippled around, pouring in from the split-apart barrier, their screeching dissonant songs of frenzy like a cacophony of crazed screaming and out-of-tune music.


    Come on, come on! Irwin thought, trying to will the ship to move.


    Both of his selves were there, one part paying attention to the small pushes and signs of the ship, the other focusing fully on steering. Without this, he knew he''d never have been able to guide the ship that was being shoved and pulled in all directions all the time.


    The deck below his feet finally turned, and with too little distance to spare, it began moving away from the rippling, barely functioning barrier it had been careening towards.


    Irwin''s knuckles were white from tension as he steered the ship back to the center of the corridor. Taking a deep breath, he looked around. Greldo stood at the front of the deck, holding on to Hou''dor''s massive shape as he scanned the distance. None of the others were on deck, though one of Earila''s Faerits sat in Irwin''s pocket. If needed, she could teleport in to help him.


    "How much further?" Irwin shouted.


    "I can see the bend," Greldo roared without looking. "Ten more minutes at this speed!"


    Please don''t be another dead end, Irwin thought.


    A heavy shove came as the wind pushed them to the side, and his worries disappeared in the background as he resumed his fight for control.


    After what felt like forever, he saw the bend in the distance, the hole in the top of the barrier turning to a thin tear. Just before he reached the bend, the storm slowed slightly. Still loud and dangerous, it was now within the ability of Hou''dor and the others to withstand. The constant pulling and pushing slowly stopped, and the constant deafening roar faded to a more manageable howling, like the storms back in Malorin when he''d been in his bedroom.


    Irwin''s smaller-self took a moment and wallowed in the flash of childhood memory while his main-self kept his focus on the ship.


    He guided The Concerto along the slight bent and into the, by comparison, calm branch. As he did, he looked to the side where the remnants of a torn-apart branch were no more than some remnant barriers that led off into the depths of the pitch-black storm. Both the top, bottom and left sides were already mostly destroyed, with a section of the right wall showing that a long branch leading to a rank two world had been there at one time.


    The Concerto glided forward, the deafening racket finally calming as they distanced themselves from the massive destruction. A crack line moved along the top of the corridor''s barrier, lowering to the side and bottom far in the distance. Beyond it, the roiling chaos soulforce storm hung,


    Greldo was still at the bow, staring into the distance and showing no sign of imminent trouble. That meant that, at the least, they had a breather.


    "Earila, you can come up and take over for a while," Irwin said.


    The Faerit, pale blue and translucent, zipped out of his pocket and onto the deck to his side. There was a crackling of energy, and then it was gone, and Earila stood there, pale and wide-eyed. The door of the cabin opened on the main deck, and Irwin heard the others walk out. He stepped away, letting Earila take the helm, then cracked his neck, feeling some of the tension leave him.


    "Do you think we can go this way?" Earila asked, looking at him hopefully. "No more of these horrible storms?"


    "I don''t know, but I wouldn''t bet on it," Irwin said with a weary sigh. "We are still at least a month from home."


    Earila nodded while two of her Faerit appeared, one on each shoulder. They began rubbing against her cheeks in an attempt to calm her.


    "Captain!''


    Irwin turned to Hou''dor, noticing the Ganvil''s mouth was turned into a scowl. Greldo wasn''t looking at him, but from his tense posture, Irwin knew it couldn''t be good.


    "Call me if anything is wrong," he said, forcing himself to smile at Earila.


    She nodded, and Irwin turned and looked at Hou''dor. Then he shot along the abundant soundwaves that he felt all around, reappearing beside the Ganvil. Greldo still stood there, now clutching the railing as he examined the distance. His face was pale, and there was little to be seen from his usual optimism.


    "And¡­?" Irwin asked worriedly.


    "No good. A few miles away, the barrier is almost gone," Greldo said, squinting as he somehow looked through the dark, chaotic storm ahead of them. "There''s no sign of how far that is yet, but there''s only a single sliver of barrier left."


    "Dammit," Irwin hissed angrily.


    Another dead end. They had been running into more and more of those as they closed in on the outer reaches of the branch. This one would have led to Tulpil, the Harbor where they had found Boohm, and it was the last of the larger harbors till they would head to the backwater branch that led to Sesnanser. It was also the place they had hoped to find information or an up-to-date map with the corridors and branches that were still traversable.


    "We are only days from Tulpil," Irwin said as he put a hand on Hou''dor''s edge. "Could you keep us in one piece if we had to move through that?"


    "We can keep the ship in one piece, but it''s going to be hell keeping it in one place," Hou''dor said. "If you thought that just now was bad, in there, we could be blown hundreds of feet away from the corridor at any moment."


    Irwin crossed his arms, glaring at the storm and trying to decide what to do. There was one option, but he''d prefer not to take it.


    "That''s too dangerous," he said after a few minutes. "We will have to head back and take one of the other routes."


    "There''s no guarantee that any of those are better," Greldo said.


    "I know," Irwin said, knowing what would come after and wishing he could come up with a better alternative.


    "You should let me go¡­" Greldo said, looking at him. "This place is reasonably safe, and the head of the storm is far away, so it probably won''t get worse."


    Irwin was about to say something, but Greldo interrupted him.


    "Even if you have to leave this place, there will be one of Coal''s shadow clones here, so I''ll be able to find you again."


    "There is no guarantee that Tulpil''s Harbor is still there. It could have been blown away¡­" Irwin said, knowing it was a weak argument.


    "Yes, but if it''s there, we can get valuable information on which of the corridors and small branches managed to hold up against the storm," Greldo said. "Without that, we could turn around and run into another broken corridor."


    Irwin wished his friend wasn''t making so much, sense, but he was. Taking a deep breath, he exhaled explosively.


    "Ambraz, how long would it take Greldo to reach Tulpil?" he asked,


    "I''d say one day, maybe two, if he has to move around stuff," a muffled response came from his chest pocket.


    Ambraz slowly slid out, then flew to his shoulder.


    "If you are going to do this, you can''t go alone," the Ganvil said, turning to Greldo. "You practiced what I told you- right?"


    Greldo snorted. "Yes, though I still don''t like having that pratler in my soulscape."


    Irwin grinned. "He''s not that bad," he said, looking at the Cabin door.


    "You''gyn!" he shouted.


    There was a moment''s silence; then the other Ganvil flitted out of the door and across the deck towards them.


    "Captain?" he asked.


    "Greldo is going to go to Tulpil and try to get information on the surrounding area," Irwin said. "You ready?"


    You''gyn''s lips pressed together. "I¡­ yes. You are sure we can''t send one of the others?" he muttered.


    "Who do you suggest?" Ambraz replied in mock curiosity laced with sarcasm. "Me or one of the other bonded smiths? You know very well that wouldn''t work- or do you mean one of the rank zeros who wouldn''t be able to do anything useful? You can''t be talking about Hou''dor and the others, as with even one gone, this ship is going to be gone before they return¡­"


    "Fine! I know already," You''gyn replied. "You don''t have to rub it in!''


    "Then stop asking stupid things," Ambraz snorted. "Now go and enter Greldo''s soulscape. Remember what I said: go hibernate until he wakes you! Don''t you dare-"


    "Yes, yes! I know it costs him soulforce, which he needs if I''m awake," You''gyn exclaimed, flying to Greldo and landing on his shoulder.


    Irwin watched curiously as Greldo closed his eyes, and the soulforce that hung around him fluctuated oddly for a bit. Then You''gyn vanished, and Greldo shivered before looking up at Irwin.


    "Feels so horrible. I don''t understand how you can just have all those Ganvils and people in there for so long."


    "That''s because his soulscape is larger and far more stable than that of yours and of anyone else," Ambraz stated.


    Greldo didn''t respond but turned to Irwin.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    "I''ll head down, eat and drink my fill, then head out. If I don''t return in a week, go and find another route."


    Irwin clenched his fists, trying to come up with a better way. The last month of traveling through the exceedingly more broken down and dangerous Langost branch and its innumerable side branches and corridors played through his mind, and he knew there was none. Not if they wanted to reach Eluathar. They had run into dead-ends and had to sidetrack too many times already.


    "Alright," he said." You had better return, though!"


    "I wasn''t planning on letting you have all the fun by yourself!" Greldo replied.


    They looked at each other for a moment, then clasped hands.


    "Be bloody careful out there," Irwin hissed.


    Greldo nodded, then vanished.


    Irwin stared at the empty spot, then turned to Earila. "We are going to remain here for a while! Put the ship on anchor as far from the barriers as possible!"


    Seeing the nod, he looked around again before focusing on the storm in the distance.


    --


    Greldo was rushing through the now persistent shadows in the corridor; the only benefit the storm was granting them- well, him, really. The Ganvil in his soulscape felt like a splinter in his eye, a constant annoyance even while he was in hibernation, but compared to the heavily muted roaring of the storm, it wasn''t too bad.


    The broken part of the branch was rapidly closing in, and as it did, he slowed down. As he''d seen before, only a sliver of the barrier remained, and he still didn''t see the end. Only when he reached the border of the true chaos storm did he see a part of the corridor far in the distance that still gleamed with all its barriers. It was at least a few miles away, and the only reason he could see it was because his vision wasn''t hampered by the shadows. Even then, it was hard with the flashes of light from the lightning and the odd glowing areas and ripples, which Irwin had told him were the strongest of the soulforce occurrences.


    As much as the storm was raging around and in front of him, he sensed nothing but the occasional shivering in the shadow realm.


    I wonder if it''s possible to become so strong that you can take a ship along in the shadow realm, he thought.


    He flowed forward, crossing the threshold where the barriers still protected the corridor into what was essentially chaos-space. The drain he felt increased, almost doubling. He went further in, staying close to the barrier, then experimentally moved a bit further from it. Instantly, the drain on his card increased exponentially, and he rushed back.


    Coal sent him an annoyed message, and he agreed with him. No moving away from the barriers, no matter how small and weak they appeared to be.


    He shot forward, moving further into the center of the storm. The drain increased slightly but never increased beyond three times his usual, meaning he knew he would be safe to go forward for at least two days before he had to turn back.


    Time lost its meaning as he crossed the first divide, and when he finally reached the the small patch of intact corridor, he saw it was barely a few hundred feet long before being reduced back to no more than a narrow section. In the distance, he saw another section of the corridor, which was also small.


    I wonder why parts remain, he thought.


    They had passed sections that had been completely obliterated before, so why did some parts remain as they did here? Was it because of the size of the corridors or the size of the branches they connected? Maybe the power of the nearby exit portals?


    Half a day passed when he slowed down across a nearly complete section of the corridor that was almost a mile long. The barriers were completely whole, the only ones he''d seen in a day, but it didn''t take a genius to figure out why. A deep singing came from three massive beings as they slowly flew around a spot that seemed as unremarkable as anything- with the exclusion of it being in the exact center of the one-mile strip of the corridor.


    So¡­ that''s what Chaos Whales look like, Greldo thought as he stared at the three ship-sized creatures.


    With multiple eyes on each side, they seemed focused on the spot they circled, showing no sign they had spotted him. He hoped it remained that way. As much as Irwin had told him how benevolent they seemed to be, they were also big enough to swallow him whole.


    ''Yeah, I know,'' he said, grinning at Coal''s remark. ''They do look like very big fishes.''


    He glided closer to the furthest barrier wall before slowly closing in on the Chaos Whales.


    Now, what are you three up to here, he thought.


    Looking up and around, he saw no sign of any more of the beings, and as he closed in even more, there was nothing on the ground below where they circled.


    I wonder if there''s a portal over here, Greldo suddenly thought, staring at the air.


    He tried sensing the odd fluctuations he knew had to be there, but the muffling of the shadow realm and the still-present roaring storm made it impossible to hear anything. For a moment, he thought about waking You''gyn to ask him; then, he shoved the idea away. Doing that would cost him energy that he needed for other things.


    Keeping a close eye on the Chaos Whales, he moved past them, and when he was on the section beyond them, he felt a slight relief. Still, as he took a look back, he wondered if the Chaos Whales were the reason for the fully stable section of the portal gallery or if it was the thing they were circling.


    I''ll have to see what Irwin and Ambraz think, he thought as he focused on the remaining trip and shot forward as fast as he could.


    Another half a day passed, and as the corridor remained its broken self, he started getting worried he''d have to head back with nothing to show for it. Then, far in the distance, he saw another whole piece of the corridor.


    The closer he got, the more hopeful he became, and as he crossed the threshold into the whole corridor, he saw there was no seeming end to it yet. Even better, the barriers seemed more powerful the further it went.


    Hours later, he let out a mental shout of joy as he saw a distant harbor perched atop massive trees. Although it was partially destroyed, as if a massive giant had torn parts of it and hurled it around, it was very evidently not abandoned. The barriers were gleaming with more power than he''d seen in any section so far. Hundreds of ships hovered around the Harbor, many lashed together, while some had even landed on the towering trees. Beyond that, the docks were all filled to the brim.


    Greldo felt an odd sense of joy at seeing Tupil''s Harbor. It had been the second one he''d seen after Fiverion, and back then, he''d thought it was so massive. Now he saw it for it was: a small city harbor, barely large enough to have every necessity.


    Scanning the ships, he felt a tiny bit of worry grow as he noticed two familiar ships.


    Currant Hunters, he cursed.


    As if to mock him, a shadowy trail distanced from one of the two ships, and another shadowwalker headed toward him. From the trail it pulled through the shadowrealm he knew it wasn''t as powerful as he was, but that also meant the other knew he was stronger.


    Greldo slowed down, as did the other, and then they hung before each other.


    Now what¡­ you do know we can''t-


    He fell quiet as Coal exclaimed in surprise that something was sending him a message. Greldo quietly listened as his friend regaled him with it, and then he frowned.


    Come with you to the ship and talk with your captain? Yeah¡­ I don''t know about that.


    ''Reply that I''m not heading to any ship but that I''m willing to share news in a neutral spot,'' Greldo said.


    Then he flexed his card and dashed around the other, shooting toward the Harbor. A quick look showed it was hurtling after him, but within moments, he''d created a sizable gap. Coal sent him a sense of hilarity before telling him the other would follow him to talk.


    ''Great, let''s see what has been going on here,'' he thought as he shot toward the city.


    He was surprised to see a few more shadowy trails, though none anywhere close to his in power. Then he reached the docks, and he saw people walk around, many with hopeless and weary resignation on their faces. Crewmen of ships on crates, playing cards while a row of tables stood beside a building, surrounded by others seemingly attempting to drink away their time.


    Now, where is that Inn, Greldo thought.


    It took him a bit of time to find the Orange Hearth, and the first thing he saw was that the area seemed almost the same as before. The Volcano Tree still stood in the middle, producing wafts of heat, while a lot of Ignitzians and Viridians sat at the tables, chatting mutedly.


    A tall, burly Viridian stood before the door that led into the inn, leaning against the wall and seeming tired.


    Greldo looked around and saw a nice shadowy corner. As he reached it, he noticed that the trail was still with him, and he warned Coal to be ready as he stepped out of the shadows. As the warmth surrounded him and he breathed the clear air, he felt a trickle of joy¡ªhe''d been in the shadow realm for almost two days, and he was glad to feel his own feet again.


    His eyes were focused on the other shadowy trail, and a moment later, a slim woman appeared before him, glaring at him with the silvery eyes of a heartcarded. Her hair was a tangled mess of dark curls, and she wore a tight-fitting dark leather armor.


    "Do you have any idea how much energy it costs to chase after your insufferable ass?" she snapped, taking a step forward.


    Greldo raised an eyebrow and cocked his head. "Nobody asked you to chase me."


    "What, and get chewed out by the captain? No, thank you!" she snapped.


    Greldo couldn''t hold back a snorted laugh. "Well, sucks to be you. Now, what do you want?"


    "You came here through the shadows, without a ship, from a direction where nothing has been found for months! What do you think I want?" the woman growled. "When that bloody first-mate saw you, I thought he was going crazy! Where did you come from? Did the gallery regenerate? Is it possible to reach safety?!''


    Greldo looked at her for a moment, noticing they had begun drawing attention from the nearby tables. Most had fallen quiet, staring at them, and more followed.


    "No, it''s not safe. We were caught by the storm and have been trying to find a way to safety," he said, telling the story they had agreed on. "The path to the central worlds is completely gone, the part leading to The Dimarintsia River ripped apart. So with no other choice, we are trying to reach another place."


    The woman''s eyes narrowed as she glared at him, seeming to try to figure out if he was telling the truth.


    "Well, if you do reach here, you aren''t in for a better time," a rumbling voice said.


    Greldo looked up to see the Viridian bouncer had moved towards them and now stood with his arms crossed, looking at them.


    "We barely have enough food, and the only reason the barriers here are as strong as they are is that the soulcarded are pumping soulforce into this section. It won''t last. If you can find another place to be, I''d suggest that."


    Greldo looked at him, wondering if he was being helpful or just didn''t want more mouths to feed.


    "Whatever," the woman snapped. "You need to come to the captain, he will want to ask you questions."


    "Yeah, I don''t think so," Greldo said. "I''m only here to find maps or information on the corridors that are still whole to see if we can get here."


    "Do you have any idea who the captain is?" the woman hissed. "If you want any help, you had better-"


    "Sibil, shut up," a new voice snapped, causing the shadow-walking woman to snap her mouth shut and look up.


    Greldo did the same, and he saw an Ignitzion waitress standing there, glaring at the woman.


    "I''ve told Zirt to keep away from my inn," the Ignitzion said angrily. "Don''t think I will just accept his meddling lying down!"


    Zirt? Greldo thought as he tried to keep himself from showing a reaction.


    He recalled that name. It belonged to the first-mate from the first ship they had come across when breaking through the barricade. He could vividly remember the way the soulcarded on board had blown apart the ships chasing them. What were they doing here? Had they remained here to clear that barricade and the Nyzir?


    "Vrishia, I am not here for you or to meddle," Sibil said. "He came from-"


    "I heard you the first time," Vrishia snapped. "Now, get out of here before I get angry!"


    A soft swirling haze began hovering around her while her yellow-orange shoulder-long hair began swaying, fiery sparks erupting all across its length.


    "I¡­ fine. Just don''t come crying to me if Zirt comes!" Sibil snapped before vanishing in the shadows.


    Greldo followed her as she hovered away, hung near the entrance, then probably saw him watching and dashed away.


    "Is she gone?" Vrishia asked as she moved beside Greldo.


    "Yes," Greldo said, looking at her. "Thanks for that."


    "No problem. Why don''t you come inside and repay me by telling me what''s going on out there?" Vrishia said as she walked away.


    Greldo followed her, noticing the silent mass of people watching them. As he stepped into the inn, the temperature rose, and he saw a lot of Ignitzions sitting around, looking at them with evident curiosity.


    I see why Irwin enjoyed it here, Greldo thought.


    He was led to a free table, and Vrishia sat down in front of him while a waitress put a large flagon and a few glasses down.


    "Now then, how are things out there?" Vrishia asked as she poured them both a glass.


    "Crap," Greldo said as he began telling what he could about the situation beyond The Dimarintsia River.

 Chapter 271: Mind poison

    ¡°That much is broken¡­¡± Vrishia said, her previous calm gone.


    Greldo didn¡¯t reply but waited as she let the reality that they were at a minimum cut of from the central words sink in. The other people in the inn were looking at him quietly, and he wondered if they all believed him or not.


    After a few moments, Vrishia put her elbows on the table and sighed.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid you are going to have a problem,¡± she said, causing Greldo to fully focus on her. ¡°The only ones who have any information on the state of the corridors and branches are the captains of the Currant Hunters. Theirs are the only ships equipped to travel through the storm, and rumor has it they are able to move to some of the other worlds that are still holding on. They have taken command of the docks district, and there¡¯s a rumor floating about them making a new map to navigate the gallery. The thing is, that¡¯s all they are. Rumors. Ever since the battle, they have been unwilling to share any information.¡±


    Greldo rolled his eyes. ¡°Of course they are,¡± he muttered.¡±Let me guess, that ship Zirt is one has something to do with that?¡±


    ¡°The Ruby¡¯s Revenge is the most powerful ship in dock, and Captain Nralt is the most senior of the captains. He is in command,¡± Vrishia said with a frown. ¡°Though ever since the storm came, he has been acting erratic- going as far as to attack his own crew. He was the main reason for the battle between the captains and people on Tulpil.¡±


    Greldo leaned back, thinking. He had no interest in knowing what kind of battle had happened. Probably some struggle for control of the exit portal. What was more interesting and worrisome was that the Currant Hunters were able to navigate the storm-riddled Portal Gallery. That meant that they might run into them, and although he knew that they would be way better equipped to handle them with The Concerto, they couldn¡¯t risk being followed.


    Though¡­ I wonder what would happen if Irwin teleported aboard and went nuts, he thought. From what he knew, teleporting to soulforce concentration was something that was almost impossible to block or nullify.


    He grinned as Coal suggested a way to get the map.


    We could just attack them, but remember those nullifiers? They are bound to have those, he replied.


    ¡°Is there any way you could help me get that map?¡± he asked.


    Vrishia frowned, shaking he head, and Greldo quickly added: ¡°My Captain will definitely repay the favor.¡±


    He didn¡¯t like promising something in Irwin¡¯s name, but he knew his friend well enough to say that he¡¯d agree with this decision.


    ¡°Even if I knew who your captain was and would want to take the risk of angering The Currant Hunters, there¡¯s nothing I can do,¡± Vrishia said, shaking her head. ¡°There is a tentative peace right now, with everyone afraid that the people on world might stop sending supplies if we cause trouble. Still, it''s a fragile thing.¡±


    Greldo ignored the implicit question about Irwin. There were still people hunting him. He wasn¡¯t surprised that the people in the port town were doing their best to keep on Tulpil¡¯s good side. The only steady supply of food would be from the world, though it did make him wonder.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you all on Tulpil? Wouldn¡¯t that be safer?¡±


    Vrishia¡¯s face turned sour, and a mutter of annoyance ran through the Inn.


    ¡°They stopped allowing people through the exit portal shortly after the storm began encircling us and ripping apart the corridors,¡± Vrishia said. ¡°The entire harbor is stuffed to the brim with more people than it can handle. It¡¯s why many have stayed on their ships, and it is the reason why so many followed Nralt when he tried to take the Exit Portal.¡±


    Greldo nodded, wondering if it was time for him to get You¡¯gyn awake. The Ganvil was supposed to be with him to help in these situations, though he wondered now exactly how he was going to do that.


    ¡°Did you hear anything about Fiverio?¡± someone shouted, breaking the silence.


    Greldo looked up, but before he could even answer, the people in the Inn, who had been quiet before, started baraging him with questions. Most were about worlds that he¡¯d never heard about or calls if he¡¯d seen this or that ship. Still mixed in, there was one other question that kept coming up.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about any of those worlds,¡± Greldo said as he got up and looked around. ¡°But the last thing I heard about the rumored war was that it was still years away from us and that they send the Hegliron¡¯s fleets there.¡±


    There was a shocked silence.


    ¡°All of them?¡± someone whispered in awe.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about all of them,¡± Greldo said, trying to recall what he did. ¡°But at least more than one.¡±


    A chatter filled the large inn room as people started talking excitedly.


    Greldo focused on Vrishia. ¡°Do you know if there are any other ships that might know about the situation beyond where we are?¡±


    ¡°There might be, and I can start asking around,¡± Vrishia said. ¡°But I wouldn¡¯t get my hopes up. Sorry.¡±


    Greldo thought for a bit, then made up his mind. He knew who had the information he needed. Now he just needed a way to get it.


    ¡°It''s fine. I¡¯ll go and look around a bit,¡± he said, nodding at Vrishia. ¡°Thanks for the information.¡±


    Before Vrishia could respond, he stepped into the shadowrealm. Shock ran across Vrishia¡¯s as she looked around, and then she mouthed something.


    ¡®Wake up You¡¯gyn, it¡¯s time to see if he has any useful help to offer,¡¯ Greldo sent to Coal.


    With a final look around, he moved through a small crack between two shutters and back out into the city. There was no sight of any other shadow walkers, and he moved along the perpetual shadows that were cast by the buildings.


    The itching annoyance that was You¡¯gyn in his soulscape suddenly strengthened. Then he sensed it move around a bit.


    ¡®So, we made it here alive?¡± You¡¯gyn said.


    Greldo frowned, wondering if the Ganvil expected him to answer the rhetorical question, which he didn¡¯t even know how to. Then he sensed Coal¡¯s annoyance and a nasty grin came as he felt what his friend was doing.


    ¡®Hey, no biting!¡¯


    Let¡¯s find a place where I can get him out of my soulscape.


    Greldo flew through the shadowy harbor city, peeking into the buildings to find an empty room or cranny and quickly finding that everything was either populated or in use. After almost an hour, he hung before a small building wedged between two larger ones, watching two young women walk away after closing a door that led to a room barely the size of a bedroom.


    Coal appeared in the shadows beside him to keep watch and warn him if they returned. When the women were out of sight, he entered their room, feeling somewhat awkward as he looked around. Seeing nothing, he stepped out of the shadows.


    You¡¯gyn appeared almost immediately, and Greldo held back a happy moan when the constant painful itch left his soulscape.


    ¡°Quiet,¡± Greldo whispered before the Ganvil could speak. Then he quickly explained what had happened.


    ¡°It''s always those bloody Currant Hunters,¡± You¡¯gyn said, flying around, seemingly looking for a perch. Finding none, he landed on Greldo¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Well, all of their ships are equipped with nullifiers, so you can forget sneaking in through the shadows.¡±


    ¡°I thought as much,¡± Greldo grunted. ¡°So, you wouldn¡¯t happen to know this Nralt really well?¡±


    ¡°Please¡­ I know off Nralt, and he¡¯s one of the nastiest pieces of work among those filthy warmongering mercenaries,¡± You¡¯gyn muttered. ¡°They passed by us a few times, and each time, they acted like they owned the place. Even had the gall to order me around! That Zirt is even worse¡­¡±


    Greldo grunted. ¡°Alright, so any good ideas?¡±


    ¡°We need to figure out if they have a map and where it is,¡± You¡¯gyn hummed softly. ¡°If we can find its location, I might be able to sneak in and bring it out.¡±


    Greldo looked at the Ganvil in surprise. He¡¯d expected him to want to stay back and not do anything dangerous. He had very little interaction with You¡¯gyn, mostly ignoring the Ganvil during the journey so far.


    ¡°What? Don¡¯t act all surprised! I have good ideas,¡± You¡¯gyn hissed.


    ¡°Sure, now we just need to figure out where that map is,¡± Greldo said.


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re a shadow walker, right? Go and walk around! There have to be crewmen of those Currant Hunters that are out drinking and eating. Just grab one and force them to tell us?¡±


    Greldo stared at the Ganvil, and slowly, a grin spread on his face. ¡°I think the two of us might just get along really well.¡±


    ¡°We will? Wait, you agree with me?¡± You¡¯gyn whispered, then his lips curved up. ¡°Of course you do! It''s a great plan!¡±


    Greldo snorted as he stepped into the shadowrealm, bringing the Ganvil along. It would cost way more energy than when the other was in his soulscape, but for what they had to do now, it was the better option.


    Now, let''s go and find some of those crewmen, he thought.


    --


    Sibil sat in the corner of the Bleeding Compass Inn, glaring at the watered-down drink before her.


    How dare he hit me, she thought, picturing Nralt¡¯s angry face.


    The Captain had gone ballistics when she told him about that stupid hairy punk, and only Zirt had been able to calm him enough to prevent him from doing something rash. Not that Zirt was any better, that low-life scum. If she¡¯d known this was how it would be, she¡¯d never have agreed to join them.


    And now I¡¯m stuck, she thought, raising her drink and sipping from it.


    The thin ale barely had a punch, closer to water than what it should be. Still, it had cost two of her remaining soulshards.


    ¡°Look at that, if it isn¡¯t our resident shadow rat?¡±


    Sibil jolted as she heard the familiar voice. She looked up, annoyed at how she¡¯d let someone get this close to her without noticing.


    A massive Loydin was smiling at her smugly while a few others hung behind him.


    ¡°Milzer, what do you want?¡±


    ¡°I heard you got the captain angry?¡± the Loydin said, his shit-eating smile widening. ¡°Zirt had to help you out? You do know that means you owe him now¡­ right?¡±


    Sibil¡¯s eyes narrowed. She hadn¡¯t known Milzer was one of Zirt¡¯s. When had that happened?


    ¡°Perhaps you should evaluate Zirt¡¯s offer,¡± Milzer rumbled as he leaned closer, very slowly reaching out and grabbing Sibil¡¯s drink, pulling it from her grip. ¡°With how insane Nralt is becoming, you are going to need friends!¡±


    Milzer rose to his full size, his head almost brushing the ceiling, then downed her drink in a single gulp before putting the mug back down.


    ¡°You have one day.¡±


    Sibil swallowed as she watched him stalk away, quickly followed by three others.


    I should have just stayed home and joined the Portal Miners¡­ Why did I ever think joining the Currant Hunters was a good idea?


    As she leaned back, she wondered what she should do now. Perhaps she could just hide like some of the other shadowwalkers were doing? It meant she¡¯d be constantly on the run, hiding and stealing food, but at least she wouldn¡¯t have to head back to her tiny room on a ship filled with lunatics.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Who am I kidding? If I do that, and the Portal Galeries finally recover, how am I going to get home?


    She remained seated in the corner, staring at the table without seeing it and trying to think of a solution until a waiter came telling her to get a drink or leave.


    Sibil rose, wondering what she should do, then froze. A shadowy blotch moved from where it had hidden just out of her sight, hovering before her. The way the shadows warped and bent around it, more powerful than any she¡¯d seen since leaving home, told her exactly who it was.


    Why is he here? What does he want?


    She glared at the shadow trail as it floated away before stopping. If that punk had just come and seen Nralt, she wouldn¡¯t have been the one to be punished and pushed into a corner. Now he wanted her to come and talk? Sibil hesitated, then pushed her anger down. It wasn¡¯t like she¡¯d have done anything different had she been in his shoes. Besides, if he had come, the chances were big that Nralt would have just gutted him.


    Fine, it''s not like it can get any worse.


    She stepped into the shadows, following the reason for h


    --


    Greldo floated into a small room. The inhabitants were currently in the process of getting blindingly drunk and wouldn¡¯t return for at least a few hours. Stopping before the tiny, cluttered table, he stepped out of the shadows and watched the shadowy trail hover behind him.


    ¡°Let''s have a chat,¡± he said as he sat down.


    Coal was hovering nearby, as were a dozen of his shadow clones, ready to pounce if they had to.


    The shadowy trail vanished as Sibil appeared. Her eyes darted from Geldo, to where Coal was, then back while Greldo examined her. The left side of her face was a mass of bruised red and small cuts, swollen enough for her eye to be almost completely closed.


    She got hit pretty hard for something this minor, he thought.


    He¡¯d found her while following a few drunk crewmen and had learned a few things about her. For one, she belonged to a small group of new crewmen that had joined only a few months before the storm cut them off. Second, she and the other new crewmen hadn¡¯t been able to earn their spurs and were now seen as second-rate members, being forced to do all of the nasty, unwanted jobs. And thirdly, where the other new crewmen had bonded together over their shared misery, Sibil was alone.


    As he watched her interaction with the big Loydin called Milzer, a plan had begun growing. He was going to bribe some of the unhappy crewmen to have them get the map, and his first choice was going to be Sibil. If he was going to hang around that ship, the best thing would be if the other shadowwalker wasn¡¯t going to rat him out.


    As the silence stretched on, Sibil¡¯s eyes narrowed angrily, and finally, she seemed unable to hold back.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± she snapped angrily, her hand hovering near a dagger that was strapped to her upper leg.


    ¡°I want to offer you a deal,¡± Greldo said as he calmly looked at the other shadowwalker. ¡°Nralt has something I want, and if you help me get it, I¡¯ll give you a thousand soulshards and an amethyst card.¡±


    Sibil¡¯s eyes widened, and her mouth fell open.


    ¡°Are you crazy? The Ruby¡¯s Revenge has dampening field runes, and Zirt can see shadowwalkers!¡±


    Can he now¡­ Greldo thought.


    ¡°I know,¡± he lied. ¡°Which is why I¡¯m not asking you to steal anything. I just need you to tell me where they keep the updated maps and any other information they have about the state of the surrounding Portal Gallery.¡±


    Sibil stared at him quietly, then sat down opposite him.


    ¡°That''s all you need¡­?¡± she said, eyes narrow.


    ¡°Well,¡± Greldo said. ¡°I also need to make sure you don¡¯t tell anyone when I¡¯m hanging around that ship and create a distraction.¡±


    ¡°If they catch me helping you, I¡¯ll be dead,¡± Sibil hissed.


    ¡°Which is why I¡¯m paying you well,¡± Greldo said, staring at her.


    He didn¡¯t add that even if she agreed, he¡¯d still sick one of Coal¡¯s shadow clones on her, but she would find out soon enough.


    ¡°Are you stupid? If you do this and then show up, Nralt will know it''s you and slaughter your entire ship,¡± Sibil said.


    ¡°Well, unless he has four soulcards or more, I¡¯d like to see him try that,¡± Greldo said. The words barely left his mouth when he knew he might have underestimated Nralt.


    ¡°He has four and is working toward his fifth,¡± Sibil said, getting up and seeming ready to leave.


    ¡°Okay, well then, it''s a good thing we won¡¯t be coming here,¡± Greldo said quickly.


    Sibil hesitated, then seemed to make up her mind as she stared at him.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± she asked.


    Greldo saw a tiny sliver of hope in her eyes, telling him exactly what she really wanted. She wanted to get out of here, just like over half of the people here. He wasn¡¯t really planning on taking her along, though, but if he had to¡­?


    Well, it''s only fair that someone besides Irwin drags someone aboard, he thought.


    ¡°Somewhere safe,¡± he said.


    Sibil swallowed, staring at him as if trying to read the contents of his mind. Greldo projected his best ¡®I¡¯m a hundred percent sure of myself¡¯ face.


    ¡°I¡¯ll help if you bring me along,¡± she blurted, to no surprise of Greldo.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t planning on bringing any strays,¡± Greldo said. ¡°With a card and enough soulshards you should be able to buy yourself a ticket on-world.¡±


    Sibil snorted, shaking her head. ¡°Not happening. Some of the captains tried, and even they didn¡¯t have enough wealth for that.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡± Greldo asked, somewhat surprised by that.


    ¡°A short while after this whole mess started, a few of the captains tried to take control of the exit portal¡­ it didn¡¯t go too well,¡± Sibil said. ¡°It''s why most of the crew stays inside the dock-district.¡±


    ¡°Well, how about I give you two thousand soulshards¡­?¡± Greldo said, deciding to try a bit more.


    Sibil shook her head. ¡°Either you take me along, or I won¡¯t help you!¡±


    Greldo stared at her, trying and failing to come up with another way to get her help. He could try to force her, but that might make things worse¡­ and if he tried to get the other shadowwalkers he¡¯d seen to help, there was no guarantee it wouldn¡¯t have the same result. Besides, Sibil knew the Ruby¡¯s Revenge.


    Wait, she doesn¡¯t just know the ship. She was also sent out to find me! he thought.


    Slowly, an idea formed, and he absently hummed one of the songs Irwin liked to play as he thought for a while. He ignored Sibil, who was staring at him intently.


    ¡°Fine¡­ but I¡¯ll need more than just the information and a distraction then,¡± he finally said as he leaned back. ¡°If I take you along, you are going to help me get those maps.¡±


    ¡°Are you crazy? I just told you neither of us can get anywhere close there,¡± she said. ¡°They will find us and enable the nullifying runes.¡±


    ¡°Who said we need to get close,¡± Greldo said. ¡°Here¡¯s what we are going to do-¡±


    --


    Irwin stood at the prow of the ship, staring at the distant chaos storm. Three days had passed since Greldo had gone, and his worry grew with each passing hour.


    ¡°He will return,¡± Hou¡¯dor said.


    Irwin hummed, hoping that Hou¡¯dor was right but not responding as he continued to stare out into the distance.


    Part of him was practicing the Galadin music on his guitar. He had finally managed to adapt the easiest of the songs to play on his guitar, changing the few parts he, for some reason, couldn¡¯t get exactly right. The plan had been to use the song to forcefully reforge a card, but he had a hard time focusing. If he hadn¡¯t had his Soul Clone, he¡¯d have barely managed to get anything done.


    Which was why he was on the prow - just as he had been for the last few days.


    ¡°Speak of the devil, there he is,¡± Hou¡¯dor said, just as something thudded on the deck beside them.


    Irwin spun around to see Greldo drop to his knees, breathing raggedly. His armor was torn in the front and on the sides, and blood dripped from thin lacerations that covered his face, arms, and hand. He rushed to his friend.


    ¡°Grel! What-¡±


    ¡°No time to chat. Get us out of here,¡± Greldo grunted. ¡°Just go back and take the other route. Use these maps-¡± he struggled to pull a thick wadd of paper from within his vest and drop it on the ground. ¡°Now¡­ I¡¯m going to take a rest. Oh, right- this is Sibil. She¡¯s going to come with us for a bit. Keep an eye on her.¡±


    Irwin caught him just as he slumped down while a young woman with as many wounds as Greldo thudded on the ground next to him, eyes closed, breathing raggedly. Before he could react, You¡¯gyn appeared on the ground, his wings fluttering listlessly and his lips pursed.


    ¡°What the¡­- You¡¯gyn, what happened?¡± Irwin shouted.


    ¡°This crazy brat stole maps from a four-time soulcarded, who might just be crazy enough to come after us,¡± You¡¯gyn said, his voice weak. ¡°I don¡¯t think¡­ I can- Ugh, no¡­ energy¡­ Watch out for¡­ the Chaos Wha-¡±


    You¡¯gyn¡¯s lips vanished, and he went inert.


    Chaos Whales? Irwin thought, wondering what those had to do with all this.


    ¡°You¡¯gyn?¡± he snapped, worried and angry at the same time.


    He looked from Greldo to You¡¯gyn, then at the young woman.


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother. I don¡¯t know what You¡¯gyn did, but he has no soulforce left. It''s going to take a week or more before he wakes back up,¡± Ambraz said.


    Irwin held back a shouted curse, his mind spinning as he gazed at the chaotic storm that raged before them. Would someone seriously attempt to reach them through that? And what did You¡¯gyn mean, look out for the Chaos Whales?!


    Better not risk it, he thought.


    ¡°Boohm, get up here,¡± he roared before looking up at the sail where Zender said. ¡°Get these maps to your sister and tell her to find us a path home. Then, turn this ship around and get ready to go back in the storm. I¡¯ll be up here before we go in!¡±


    Zender had been staring at Greldo worriedly, but as Irwin spoke, his worry faded, and he nodded.


    ¡°On it, captain!¡± he shouted just as Boohm ran up on deck.


    Montain, Selene, and Esther were one step behind him. All of them looked at Greldo and the new women with equal measures of surprise and worry.


    ¡°What in the blazes happened to him?¡± Boohm shouted. ¡°And who¡¯se this?!¡±


    ¡°I have no idea,¡± Irwin said as he picked Greldo up and turned to him. ¡°Grab her and put her in an empty room! Don¡¯t let her out of your sight!¡±


    ¡°On it, captain!¡± Boohm said, cradling the young woman and heading back to the cabin.


    Irwin walked after him, feeling blood from Greldo¡¯s wounds dribble on his arms.


    ¡°Esther! Get clean water, bandages, and medical supplies,¡± he said, getting a nod from the Granitian as she turned and ran ahead of him.


    ¡°Are we going to be under attack soon?¡± Montain asked, following Irwin.


    ¡°Maybe. You and Selene stay here and prepare for the worst. Hou¡¯dor, you and the others also prepare. We will be heading into the storm again!¡±


    There was a round of yes, captain, as Irwin stepped inside the cabin, walking down the stairs.


    Now, what did you do this time? He wondered as he looked at Greldo.


    Ten minutes later, Irwin was back on deck, standing in the small map room beside the helm.


    ¡°Barely one in ten of the corridors is still traversable,¡± Earilla said. ¡°See here? This is the storm behind us, where Greldo moved through. It is deemed gone, and from what I understand from those notes, it''s unlikely it will ever recover. It''s likely it will disintegrate soon.¡±


    They stood before a set of roughly drawn maps that now decorated one of the walls. The paper was crumpled and covered with bloodstains and scribbles, but they also showed a large section of the surrounding Portal Galery. A tiny ship representing The Concerto was pinned in the bottom left. The position it was in was designated as unpassable, but there were three corridors they should be able to reach.


    ¡°So, at least they don¡¯t think they can come here,¡± Irwin said. ¡°Good. Still, we can¡¯t ignore Greldo¡¯s warning. It might be a while before he wakes, and we can¡¯t waste the energy to wake You¡¯gyn.¡±


    He followed the three corridors, nodding as he saw that two might get them on the route beyond Sesnanser. Sadly, neither showed anything beyond. There was also one path that led almost to Fiverio, with a section of a few miles being unpassable. A note on the side read: Visible confirmation that Fiverio is not completely gone. Signs of life seen.


    ¡°I think we should take this route, Captain,¡± Earila said


    She pointed at the furthest one. It led along a wider sidebranch, and it was likely better able to survive the strong due to its size.


    ¡°I agree,¡± Irwin said as he examined the route.


    It meant they would need to go back through the storm and then on through a sidebranch they had passed inside. Then, another few hours till they came to the section that would lead further to the outer branches.


    ¡°Alright. Go back inside and make sure you are ready if I need help.¡±


    Earila nodded, and she took one of her Fearits, petted it, whispered something, and then handed it to Irwin.


    ¡°Be careful, Captain,¡± she said, then she vanished from where she stood, and another Fearit appeared.


    It looked around, seemed to nod at the one Irwin was holding, and then vanished.


    I need to get Daubutim as many teleport cards as I can, Irwin thought.


    He imagined ships like The Conerto filled with teleporters to defend their new homeworld as he moved behind the helm. Ahead of him the deep chaos storm beckoned, and with it hard winds that would try to slam them into the barriers again.


    ¡°Hou¡¯dor! You ready?¡± he shouted.


    ¡°Go for it, captain!¡±


    Irwin pressed the runes in the center of the helm, and the ship shot forward.


    Here we go again, he thought.


    --


    Zirt stood motionless in Captain Nralt¡¯s cabin, watching the older Emnonriz jabbing a curved dagger into the unmoving body of the crewmen.


    ¡°Failures, fools, all of them,¡± Nralt hissed.


    Zirt didn¡¯t move, trying to ignore the gnashing of Nralt¡¯s teeth or the pressure emanating from the four-soulcarded monster before him. As the blood pooled onto the priceless deck, he wondered how he was going to clean it in the future- after he¡¯d done away with the old bastard.


    ¡°Zirt¡­ I want them found!¡± Nralt snapped, turning to Zirt.


    ¡°Captain, you heard him,¡± Zirt said, gesturing faintly at the body still bleeding out. ¡°That shadowwalker left from where he came, and even The Ruby can¡¯t follow them there.¡±


    ¡°They stole our maps!¡± Nralt roared as if that was a counterargument while stalking forward until he was standing an armlength from Zirt.


    ¡°Only the first drafts,¡± Zirt said carefully, praying to the gods of the depths that the old shark wasn¡¯t going to attack him. ¡°We have the real ones, so they won¡¯t have all the details we do. If we assume they are on the other end of that dead-corridor, we know where they are, so-¡±


    ¡°Then get me a path that will intercept them! If that shadowwalker is from that Smith¡¯s crew, I want them!¡±


    Zirt winced, wishing he could find a way to dissuade Nralt, but one look told him it would result badly if he tried.


    ¡°Yes, Captain,¡± he said.


    ¡°Good! Now move! I expect us to be heading out within the hour,¡± Nralt snapped, glaring at Zirt. ¡°And remove this Cachi¡¯ik from my quarters!¡±


    Zirt hesitated, but one look in Nralt¡¯s eyes showed he didn¡¯t mean for Zirt to call someone to do it. So he nodded, stepped around Nralt, and grabbed what remained of the man, lifting it in his arms. Trying to ignore the blood and gore, they turned and walked away.


    Perhaps I put too much poison in his drink, he thought as the door was slammed closed behind him.


    No. He shook his head. Any less and Nralt would have shrugged it off or, worse, detected it. He just had to hang on until it was to the point where the old fool couldn''t think anymore, and then the others would help him get rid of him.


    A small voice cried that he had made a mistake, but he crushed it with ruthless efficiency. There was no mistake. He had to take the chance this storm gave him.


    Taking a quick breath, he steeled himself, trying to project a strong sense of order. When he felt ready, he walked up the deck to the edge and hurled the remains overboard, ignoring the looks he got.


    ¡°Get ready! We are leaving on an intercept course within fifty minutes!¡±

 Chapter 272: Choices

    The Concerto slowly struggled its way through the raging storm and into the corridor that was partially destroyed.


    As soon as the whipping winds stopped yanking the ship left and right, Irwin let out a sigh of relief.


    "Great job," he grunted, getting a round of weary thanks from the Ganvils.


    "Captain, we should rest here for a day," Hou''dor said before yawning. "We need to regain some energy before we do something like that again."


    "You and me both," Irwin said as he looked over his shoulder at the roiling storm.


    It had taken them two days of non-stop flying to reach the first part of the map without a single place to rest. He shivered as he recalled the ten-foot section that had nearly completely been blasted away.


    He removed the Fearit from his pocket and put it on the deck.


    "Earilla, you can come and take over," he said.


    Only a few moments later, there was a flash of blueish light, and the Fearit vanished to be replaced with Earila. The young Yuurindi looked around, pale and wide-eyed.


    "That was a bad one¡­" she whispered, taking the helm.


    "Yeah," Irwin said as he stretched.


    His entire body plopped before his massive endurance kicked in, causing a sense of relief to wash over him. Still, it did little for the bone weariness he felt. His other-self was already slumbering, and he couldn''t wait to join it.


    "Greldo asked that you come to see him right away," Earila asked as she looked ahead.


    The cabin door opened, and Zender and Esthter walked out.


    "Alright," Irwin said. "If you reach a storm, stop way before."


    Earila nodded, and Irwin walked for the cabin.


    "Captain, Greldo is alright," Zender said. "I''ll go and clean the sails!"


    Irwin nodded before turning to the door.


    "Selene, come help Zender with the sails," he shouted. "Boohm, go and stand on the prow and check for trouble!"


    "On it, captain!" Boohm''s voice erupted from below.


    There was a softer, muffled response from Selene, which Irwin hoped was agreement, and he turned to Esther.


    "How is our guest?" he asked.


    "Malnourished, mentally spent, and agitated," Esther said with a frown. "She woke up a few times, and the first time she saw me, she vanished only to reappear a step away, unconscious."


    "Teleportation?" Irwin asked as he walked into the cabin with Esther in tow.


    "No, she is a shadowwalker called Sibil. Greldo woke before her, and he put one of Coal''s shadow clones there. The second time she woke, she remained in bed, though she seemed anxious."


    Who did you bring here, Grel, Irwin thought with a frown.


    "I talked with her a bit and found out a bit more," Esther said.


    They reached Greldo''s door, and Irwin pulled it open to see his friend lie propped up in bed, slightly pale but otherwise in seemingly good health.


    "So, are we safe?" Greldo asked, raising a hand in greeting.


    "Glad you are still alive," Irwin snorted. "And I think so. We should be in a half-a-day-long section leading toward Sesnanser. There''s a small storm overrun part left, and then we have reached the end of the map you brought.


    "Already?" Greldo grunted, putting his head back. "I thought I was only out for a day?"


    "Two, almost," Esther said.


    "So, how about you tell me what the hell happened and why You''gyn muttered something about Chaos Whales?" Irwin asked.


    Greldo''s room was smaller than his but still big enough to have some luxury, and he dropped down on the couch, which groaned in protest at his weight.


    "Oh, right, those things," Greldo said, scratching his cheek. "We passed a group of three of those Whales circling some random spot in a corridor on the way there. When we returned, an entire section of the corridor was gone, not even a single bit of the barriers remaining¡­ except for where they were. They were singing, but it didn''t sound happy like with you. It sounded¡­ sad and scared?"


    "Did you see why?" Irwin asked, wishing he could have seen them. The Chaos Whale song was one of his favorite songs, and many parts of it had found their way into his card reforging.


    Greldo sighed. "If I had to guess, It felt like they were stuck there¡­ Coal said he saw something in the storm, but when I looked, there was nothing."


    "What did he see?" Irwin thought as he thought of the enormous monsters he''d seen when crossing the exit portals.


    "Movement," Grelo said, shrugging helplessly.


    Irwin frowned, then looked at Ambraz, who had been silently sitting on his shoulder.


    "Can you warn Hou''dor and the others to keep an eye out for Chaos Whales and other things? Tell them to warn me if they see anything, no matter how small," he said.


    "Sure, kid," Ambraz said, flying away.


    Irwin was surprised his companion made no remark or complaint, then waved it away and focused on Greldo.


    "So, what happened?"


    Greldo grinned as he put his hand in his vest and removed a stack of cards.


    "I stole some stuff from the Currant Hunters."


    Irwin took the cards, looked at them, and noted the powerful soulforce fluctuations. Flipping through, he saw that all of them were topaz, and one was emerald.


    "Is this why you looked like shit?"


    "Nah, thats because when You''gyn returned with the map some crazy monster chased him and tried to destroy a whole district to kill me," Greldo said, shaking his head. "Let me start at the start."


    Irwin and Esther listened quietly as Greldo told them how he had reached Tulpil, found Sibil, and planned his theft of the map.


    "So you used yourself as bait, and while they were chasing you, You''gyn got the map," Irwin said, shaking his head. "You couldn''t come up with anything else?"


    "We can''t all just go in hammers swinging," Greldo snorted. "It was a perfectly fine plan all the way up to when Captain Nralt came and began slicing apart the entire building we were in."


    "Well, at least you got what you came for," Irwin said. "Now, what do we do with Sibil?"


    Greldo shrugged. "No idea. With a little luck, we can leave her at Sesnanser."


    Irwin frowned, then turned to Esther. "You talked with her? Did you find anything useful?"


    "Not a lot," Esther said. "She is from a small world that has near-perpetual night and specializes in shadowwalkers. They have a big Nyzir problem, and most of her people are either at constant war or leave. She said she was tricked by some empty promises from Zirt and then got stuck when the storms happened."


    "Zirt," Irwin said as he recalled the nasty Emnonriz. He glanced at Greldo. "You said they might be chasing you?"


    "It wouldn''t surprise me," Greldo said. "That Nralt is insane, and his ship is able to move through the storm. Even if he isn''t chasing us, he might be trying to get to us some other way."


    "Great," Irwin muttered.


    He was about to ask something else when Boohm''s roar echoed through the entire ship. "Captain, trouble!"


    Irwin was teleporting along the hallway before he fully knew it, reappearing at the staircase.


    "Stay there," he said, knowing Greldo could hear him. "If I need you, I''ll say."


    He teleported up the staircase and, a moment later, reappeared on the deck. Boohm stood at the prow, and Irwin hummed, then shot along the soundwaves to reappear beside his cook.


    Three small, battered ships covered in greenish barriers were moving through the storm toward them. Dozens of heat signatures stood on deck. Soulforce rippled from their sails.


    "They appeared just now and are heading straight for us," Boohm said. "Look like raiders to me!"


    "Why would they be here?" Irwin asked as Ambraz landed on his shoulder.


    "Perhaps they are stuck between the storms?" the Ganvil said. "Their sails look barely able to hold in this relatively calm part. If they went into the broken sections, they will probably be destroyed within moments."


    "Captain, we are still pretty low on energy," Hou''dor rumbled. "It would be best if it didn''t come to us having to block any attacks."


    Irwin wished Greldo wasn''t still out of commission, though if he had to, he''d call his friend on deck. For now, though, he would try something else. Esther and Montain came running up to him, and he turned to Esther.


    "Is Sibil able to move?"


    "She is in better condition than Greldo because he brought her along in his soulscape," Esther said, looking at the incoming ships. "You are thinking of having her scout?"


    "Yes. Go and get her on deck," Irwin said.


    Esther didn''t question him but turned and ran away while Irwin looked at Montain.


    "Get everyone ready for a potential battle."


    Montain''s pale gray face wrinkled as he grinned hungrily. "On it!"


    Irwin turned back to the incoming ships. They were being shoved around, their pale green shields barely able to cope with the muted storm within the corridor.


    "You are right. If they tried to cross the bit behind us, they would be swept away," he said.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    "Don''t sound so surprised," Ambraz replied, but with no heat. "I wonder if they are stuck here¡­ they don''t look like merchants."


    A soft thud came from the side, and Irwin turned to find Sibil standing there. Now that she was awake, her silver eyes gleamed dully as she eyed with weary expectations. She was human, or close enough, and of average height- which meant she barely came halfway to his chest. Her hair was a mess of black knots and curls, and Irwin had no sign of any large body improvement cards. The soulforce she was emanating wasn''t too strong, weaker than any of the other soulcarded on board, which meant she was probably amethyst or topaz ranked.


    "Captain?" she asked hesitantly, staring up at him.


    "Captain or Captain Irwin is fine for now," Irwin said as he noticed her glance at Ambraz. "I don''t know what to think of you being aboard my ship, but as you are here, you will have to pull your weight. Greldo is still out of energy, and we have potential trouble incoming."


    He pointed at the ships.


    There was a look of surprise, then relief in Sibil''s eyes. "You want me to scout them?" she asked quickly.


    "Yes. Find out who they are and, if possible, what they want. Be careful for nullifiers."


    "Those are old type C class merchant vessels meant for narrow corridors," Sibil said quickly. "There''s no way they have nullifier runes." Then she blinked and turned pale. "Sorry, I mean, I''m sure you know this, but-"


    "It''s fine," Irwin said. "It''s possible they have a soulcarded that can nullify."


    "I''ll be right back," Sibil said, seeming to swallow an objection before vanishing from where she stood.


    "At least she is quick on the uptake," Ambraz said with a snort.


    "She has a topaz-rank soulcard, which is pretty impressive for a shadowwalker that''s not part of a big family or guild," Hou''dor rumbled. "She also has a summon card, a weapon, or an armor, from what I could tell."


    "A weapon," Ambraz said. "Probably a dagger or something."


    Irwin listened with half an ear, wondering if he should wake his other half.


    Time slowly passed while everyone but Greldo arrived on the deck. Irwin ordered Zender, Montain, and Esther to guard Earila while Boohm and Selene stood with him. Both had proper ranged attacks.


    The ships kept closing in, and soon Irwin was able to make out individual people on deck. Just when he was starting to worry if Sibil had left or gotten caught, she returned.


    "Captain, they are raiders, and they all look like they haven''t had anything to eat in weeks," she said quickly. "They are arguing if they should surrender or attack."


    "Any powerful soulcarded?" Irwin asked.


    "I''m not sensitive enough to detect those¡­," Sibil said, looking worried. "I didn''t hear anything about any nullifiers, and nobody saw me, so there shouldn''t be any shadow walkers."


    Irwin frowned. Great, so they might attack or might not.


    "Anyone have a brilliant idea? If not, let''s wait till they are close enough and see what they want. If they start blasting, I''ll teleport on board and destroy their ships. If not¡­ well, we could share some food."


    "It would just be prolonging their death," Hou''dor said. "If this ends in a massive storm area like behind us, they will be stuck, and I don''t know a way to get them out."


    ''Don''t even dare opt to bring them in your soulscape,'' Ambraz snapped.


    Irwin grunted, waking his other-self.


    ''I wasn''t planning on it,'' he said, yawning.


    ''Good, because it''s a bad idea!''


    "Two are slowing down," Hou''dor said.


    Irwin quickly focused back on the ships, noticing that two were stopping, and then bolts of green fire launched from the ships that were stopping. He nearly teleported forward, only to stop when he saw them striking the third ship.


    "What the hell are they doing?" Ambraz snapped.


    "Sibil, go and check what is going on," Irwin said


    Sibil vanished, and everyone stared stupidly at how the ship that had gone their way began turning, and bolts of blueish fire began hurling toward the ships behind it.


    "Do you think the lack of food made them go crazy?" Boohm asked, surprisingly quiet. "Starvation is horrible¡­"


    Nobody replied as the single ship''s barriers began weakening, pelted as it was by the lances of green energy.


    For a moment it looked like it was doomed, then the blue fire that was shot from it ripped through the barier of one of the other two ships, causing an explosion middeck.


    "Should we help them?" Boohm asked.


    "Which ones?" Selene replied in disbelief.


    Boohm shrugged.


    The battle lasted for barely a minute, then one of the ships lost its greenish barrier, and instantly, the raging storm ripped its sail apart. Irwin saw heat signatures blow from the ship, falling to the icy soil below.


    Sibil appeared beside him, eyes wide. "Captain, the one that was coming toward us wanted to attack us; the other two wanted to request aid. When it attacked, the other two decided to backstab them in the hopes of garnering goodwill with us! Now they are panicking! There''s a two-soulcarded fire blaster on that one."


    Irwin frowned, not sure what to do, when Sibil seemed to hesitate before she continued.


    "There are also captive smiths inside those ships. I think these are some of the raiders that-"


    "What?!'' Irwin and Selene shouted at the same time.


    Sibil''s mouth snapped shut, and she took a surprised step back, turning pale.


    Irwin growled as he turned to the ships, seeing that the final of the two ships that had turned on their leader was being destroyed rapidly. Its barrier wouldn''t hold on much longer. He felt Ambraz move into his soulscape, but he ignored it as he turned to the others.


    "Dammit! I''ll take care of that lead ship! Earila, move towards where the other ship dropped! Sibil, get over there and see if there are smiths in that one, and if so, get them out of there!"


    "I can''t take anyone-"


    Sibil''s voice was cut short as Irwin teleported across the nearly unending soundwaves. Halfway to the ship, the wave he was dashing along was interrupted, and he appeared amidst the storm for a split second before finding another one.


    Two seconds later, he felt a slight tremor as he pierced the green barrier before appearing on the deck.


    A dozen screaming raiders stood around him, the raging storm so loud it was hard to understand what they said.


    Irwin spun around, his hammer appearing in his hand. He instantly found the leader, a short, bearded man with burning blue eyes and blue fire wrapped around his hands and lower arms. The man was forming a massive ball that cast a blinding light on everything.


    There was a warning shout that was cut off as Irwin flowed along a soundwave, reappearing beside the leader, putting his hammer on the side of the man''s head.


    "Move, and you''re dead," he roared, focusing soulforce on his voice.


    The man froze, staring at Irwin with a look of disbelief. For a moment, Irwin thought he would make it easy, but then the man''s eyes blazed with fire, which engulfed him, Irwin, and a large section of the deck. Irwin felt his own flame ripple out before the blue fire could even touch his skin, and then he was blazing with a golden-red fire that shoved the blue fire away.


    "Wrong choice," he growled, grabbing the shocked man and teleporting beyond the bounds of the barrier.


    He reappeared, released the man who was making strangling gagging noises, and teleported back down. The crew had taken a collective step back, and as he glared at them, a few raised their hands. A barely audible cry came from beyond the barrier, but Irwin ignored it.


    "Drop your weapons, unsummon whatever you have, and sit down," he shouted.


    A few of the crew looked at each other, then at Irwin, and then the first dropped a long, narrow shortsword. Immediately, the others followed suit. The ship was creaking dangerously, and even though the other ship had stopped attacking, the shield was still failing rapidly.


    We gotta get out of here, he thought.


    "Alright, get the smiths you have below deck up here!" he shouted, pointing at one of the crewmen, a skinny slit-eyed Emnonriz.


    The man nodded as he got up and rushed toward the cabin. Irwin looked around and saw The Concerto fly down to the wreckage. Boohm stood on the prow, and Irwin didn''t hesitate.


    "Boohm, tell Sibil to come and bring the smiths over to our ship!" he roared as loud as he could.


    Terrified screams came from the crewman beside him, and he saw all of them clutch their ears.


    "Yes, captain!" Boohm''s voice came, muted by the storm but still somehow managing to reach them.


    Now I just need to figure out what to do with these guys, Irwin thought as he looked at the raiders.


    --


    Sibil felt like vomiting as she reached the deck of The Concerto. Another smith, the last she had found, stumbled away from her, landed on his knees, and began throwing up. Thick slime splattered on the deck.


    Sibil turned away, trying to speak. "That is-" The sour scent filled her nostrils, and she stepped to the side of the ship before vomiting over the edge.


    It took her a few moments to get a grip, then she wiped her mouth on her tunic and turned to where the Captain stood. Just looking at him made her shiver. The intensity with which he was staring at the raider before him reminded her of Nralt before he had gone insane. Even the pressure coming from him was enough to make her want to run and hide. She wasn''t sure if he was a Loydin because she''d never seen one with eyes like his, but he was definitely brutal enough. He''d just teleported to a ship on his own and terrified the entire crew into surrendering. The fact that he had a Ganvil on his shoulder, showing he was probably a smith made it even more terrifying in her eyes.


    As she watched him, he looked up, raising an eyebrow.


    "That was all of them," she said, grimacing at how her voice came out like a terrified squeal. She couldn''t recall ever taking so many people along through the shadows in such a short time. Seeing no surprise in anyone''s eyes, she wondered how strong Greldo really was that they thought this was normal. She barely knew anyone back who could have done what she did.


    "Good job. Go and rest."


    Sibil nodded, quickly walking to the Onyxians -Boohm?- was standing.


    She nearly took a step back when the dark-skinned Onyxian looked at her and shouted- "You okay?"


    "Yes¡­ I- I¡¯l be fine," she managed, almost stepping away. Why was he shouting? The Onyxian smiled, then focused back on the deck.


    Why do I feel like I made a horrible mistake, Sibil thought, turning to where her new Captain was interrogating the raider.


    To the side, one of the Graninations, she had no idea who led the final smith down. The smaller Viridian with pale green hair stumbled as he walked, leaning heavily on the other.


    She licked her lips, wondering who the raiders were. With all those smiths they had to be-


    "What are you going to do with that filth?"


    Sibil shivered as she looked at the Viridian, who was glaring at the raiders. Irwin turned to him.


    "Why?"


    "They raided our world! Killed everyone but those they could get their hands on. They didn''t even spare the saplings!" the Viridian shouted, trembling and only seeming to remain standing out of pure hatred.


    "We didn''t have a choice," the raider shouted, his narrow, triangular shark head. "The captain made a deal; if we didn''t, we''d be killed!"


    Sibil felt anger bubble up as she glared at the raider. She only noticed she''d taken a step forward when a strong hand grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back. Looking back in surprise, she saw the Onyxian shake his head.


    "Don''t worry, the captain will take care of it."


    Sibil swallowed, wondering what would happen. Irwin had taken a step forward, and she felt her skin crawl as he began humming a low, frightening tune. She saw the raider try to back up, to be stopped by one of the other Graniations.


    "So, because you feared death you were fine with butchering children?"


    "We¡­ we¡­" the raider muttered. "It was the captain!"


    "You all did it," the Viridian shouted, pale tears running down his bark skin. "Don''t think I don''t remember what you did! You deserve to be debarked for your crimes!"


    Debarked? Sibil thought, her heart skipping a beat as she realized what that meant.


    "Hou''dor, what is the usual punishment for raiding a planet or harbor and slaughtering people?"


    Sibil froze as he heard the barely contained fury in the Captain''s voice.


    "If proven, they are subjected to a mindscan then either hung, or if the crimes are very severe, ejected out of the barrier and into chaos space," a rumbling voice came from one of the massive Ganvil''s nestled near the prow.


    "How do we prove this?" the Captain asked.


    "The Viridian wasn''t lying, and this raider''s own words are enough to sentence him."


    Sibil watched as the Captain grabbed the raider around the neck, hoisting him up.


    "I can help you- tell you where the others are, where they are gathering the smiths!" the raider screamed, grabbing the metal-like arm. "I even know they were planning another attack but were stopped by the storm!"


    "Speak fast before I throw you overboard!''


    "We have to bring them to Dimarintsia, to The Holy Shadow Inn! Please, don''t kill me!"


    "What attack are they planning¡­"


    "There are rumors that a bunch of smiths were moved from all over the Langost Branch to a hidden portal near Igirian Prime! It''s on the Captain''s maps!"


    Sibil swallowed as the Captain turned to stare at her.


    "Go on the ships and bring me all the maps you can find!"


    Sibil''s stomach clenched at the mere thought of having to use her card again, but she didn''t dare speak up.


    "On it, captain," she croaked.


    As she stepped into the shadowrealm, she saw the Captain walk to the edge of the ship with the dangling raider in his hand. Then she turned and shot back into the storm towards the nearest ship.


    --


    Irwin stared at the raider, his weary, overstrained mind conflicted. Part of him wanted to toss the man overboard for what he''d done, but another part blanched at the idea of killing someone in cold blood. His emotions roiled below the surface, barely contained below his stoic look of rage. What should he do? Not just with this one, but with the two dozen other raiders. He glanced at their ships and hesitated. He could do the easy thing, just leave them here. They would be killed by the storm. Probably.


    ''You can''t let them go,'' Ambraz said in his mind. ''Kid¡­ I know this isn''t what you want, but if they can do this once, they will do so again. If you let them go now, any future horrors they inflict are partially on you.''


    Irwin shivered and turned to look at Boohm, who shrugged and made a tossing gesture. Esther stood with the Viridian, who was still staring daggers at the raider.


    I wish I could talk with Greldo, Irwin thought.


    Then he looked at the raider a final time, knowing he''d never forget the man''s terrified face, and hurled him into the storm, feeling a tiny, innocent part of himself die as he did.

 Chapter 273: Going wild

    ¡°You did the right thing,¡± Greldo said, in between devouring enough food that even Irwin was wondering where exactly he was leaving.


    ¡°So you¡¯ve told me,¡± he said, leaning back with a weary sigh. ¡°It still feels¡­ wrong.¡±


    Greldo wiped his mouth, then looked up, raising an eyebrow.


    ¡°If you¡¯d come across these nasty fools in the midst of attacking a low-rank world, doing what they were, what would you have done?¡±


    Irwin sighed. ¡°Killed them all.¡±


    Greldo spread his hands in an exactly what I mean gesture before reaching out and squeezing his shoulder.


    ¡°I know it''s different if they can¡¯t fight back, but you are growing pretty strong. You will have to deal with the fact that, at some point, a lot of the bad guys can¡¯t properly fight back. Anyway, how are the smiths doing?¡±


    Irwin grimaced as he thought of the smiths that were spread out across the rooms. There were fourteen of them, twelve of which were Viridian, the last two being human-like, and all were underfed and covered in old wounds. Worse was the mental damage they had, knowing their small outpost world had been destroyed, barely anyone left alive. The fact that they were now en route to some mysterious place they weren¡¯t allowed to know, with the only option staying on Sesnanser if that place was even back up and running, didn¡¯t help in the least.


    ¡°They are resting, and their wounds are slowly healing. I¡¯m pretty sure that most of them will come with us,¡± he said.


    ¡°Good,¡± Greldo said. ¡°We can use all the smiths we can get back home.¡±


    Irwin nodded, feeling slightly better. Even then, the memory of destroying the ship filled with raiders would probably stay with him for a long time.


    ¡°Anyway, you are back to normal again?¡± he asked, forcing both selves on something else.


    Greldo nodded as he swallowed a mouthful of stew that Boohm had whipped up.


    ¡°Yes, which reminds me- exactly how are you able to bring that many beings along in your soulscape without any negative effects?¡±


    ¡°Because his soulscape is way bigger and has far denser soulforce than yours does,¡± Ambraz said, landing on the table. ¡°Also, he has half a heartcard dedicated to soulforce that keeps it stable.¡±


    Irwin saw Greldo quietly ponder what he¡¯d heard before turning to Irwin.


    ¡°I was wondering. My first soulcard is ruby-ranked, and I know the limits of my soulscape, but yours is still growing, and from what I hear, I can still slot higher than ruby-rank handcards and get a higher-than-ruby heartcard after. So, what exactly does it matter if a soulcard is lower than another?¡±


    Irwin grimaced. ¡°So, the biggest difference is the number of soulcards your soulscape can house. This is partially dependent on the size, but the difference in size from, say, amethyst to topaz is enormous. It¡¯s not just adding a bit, but the sizes get multiplied by the rank, though there¡¯s the base size you have to account for and-¡±


    Irwin stopped as he saw Greldo blink at him stupidly.


    ¡°Alright, look at it like this,¡± he said. ¡°Let''s say a quartz-ranked heartcard will give a soulscape of a hundred feet, which is tiny. An amethyst soulscape will be about four times the size of that, at roughly four hundred feet, which is the biggest comparative jump. Still following?¡±


    Greldo nodded, grabbing a second bowl and continuing to eat.


    ¡°So, topaz is a bit more than twice the size of an amethyst one, at nine hundred feet, and then you get emerald at sixteen hundred. Each size step up isn¡¯t as much, but as you continue, you get very far.¡±


    Greldo swallowed, eyes narrow. ¡°Okay, so although the difference between each rank grows smaller, the absolute size increase is enormous.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Irwin said, happy to be able to talk about the intricacies of smithing. He hadn¡¯t had a lot of time since leaving the academy, and although he could talk with the other smiths, they had all been busy.


    ¡°Now, if you add a card that adds to the size, it is always a percentage based on what you have,¡± he continued. ¡°So if you would add the exact same card as someone with an emerald rank soulcard, your soulscape would grow more than theirs would.¡±


    ¡°Right, but wouldn¡¯t the soulscape grow with a second soulcard?¡± Greldo asked, spraying a bit of food across the table.


    Irwin ignored it as he shook his head. ¡°No. Unless you have effects on the heartcard that will increase your soulforce or soulscape, it won''t matter. Your soulscape is unlocked with the first card. The only thing it would do would be to increase the time between uses of the higher card because it will take your soulscape longer to refill it.¡±


    ¡°And the size determines the amount of soulcards you can have?¡± Greldo said, finishing the final bowl and pushing it away. ¡°So, what if someone with a topaz ranked soulcard focused on only getting more cards that boost their soulscape? Would there be a point where it would increase in size enough to hold more soulcards?¡±


    Irwin leaned back, mouth open, as he realized what Greldo was talking about.


    ¡°Ambraz?¡± he asked.


    The Ganvil let out a weary chuckle. ¡°Yes, it''s possible to increase the capacity for soulcards by doing this,¡± he said. ¡°But before you two brats go all stary-eyed, imagining having a hundred soulcards, it won¡¯t increase your soulscape rank. Except for that crazy idea Irwin has, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any way to do that.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what crazy idea?¡± Greldo asked, sounding interested.


    ¡°He wants to destabilize or shatter someone¡¯s soulcard, then repair and reshape it,¡± Ambraz said.


    Irwin had the feeling that if Ambraz had a head, he¡¯d be shaking it ruefully. At the same time, he wondered why Greldo was so curious about this. Was he unhappy being at ruby rank and looking for a way to increase?¡±


    ¡°That sounds stupid and dangerous,¡± Greldo exclaimed. ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s something you should even be thinking about?¡±


    Irwin shrugged. ¡°It would probably only work with people that have only one soulcard, and they would still need to have a lot of handslots open.¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily,¡± a voice said from near the door.


    Irwin blinked as he looked back to see Esther standing there, her large frame blocking half of the massive doorway.


    ¡°Sorry, captain, I didn¡¯t mean to eavesdrop,¡± she said. ¡°But I think I see what you are thinking about. It''s just like how you helped Hind, right?¡±


    Irwin looked at her in surprise.


    ¡°I was curious, so Dahlia and I spoke with her a few times, trying to figure out how you had done what you did,¡± Esther said as she walked inside and sat down at the table. ¡°Although I won¡¯t pretend to even know how you managed to control all of that, I think if you can destabilize just the first soulcard enough for it to be close to shattering, you might be able to reform it by reforging the heartcard, dropping the things that cause the imbalance, and merging it into the other soulcard.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t merge a heartcard into a soulcard,¡± Irwin said, shaking his head with a frown.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Ambraz agreed.


    ¡°I think you could if you intentionally fail while forging it,¡± Esther said.


    Irwin opened his mouth, then closed it again.


    ¡°That¡­ that¡­.¡± Ambraz said before he flew up and began blurring through the galley. ¡°That''s brilliant! If you stop halfway and the soulcard has enough cracks, you could force the heartcards burgeoning soulforce into it and start reforging it¡­ as a soulcard no less!¡±


    Ambraz¡¯s last words were so loud everything in the galley rattled. The Ganvil didn¡¯t seem to notice as he rushed to Irwin.


    ¡°Kid, we should find a way to attempt this!¡±


    ¡°On who?¡± Irwin asked, waving around. ¡°First of all, we don¡¯t have anyone here that qualifies, and second, if we fail, we could blow them up.¡±


    Ambraz seemed to deflate.


    ¡°When we return home, we might be able to find some people who would be willing,¡± Greldo said. ¡°Not that I really understand all of that besides the fact that it could potentially make people more powerful and is very dangerous.¡±


    Irwin nodded while a quick thought flitted through his mind. He could have used those raiders if he hadn¡¯t- He shoved the idea away with a shiver.


    I¡¯m not experimenting with others like that; he decided for himself.


    Still, as his mainself chatted with Greldo about some of the details of what had happened, with Esther occasionally asking a question, his otherself couldn¡¯t help but wonder how he could test this. His mind zoned out as the idea kept playing through it when an idea came to him.


    ¡°Ambraz, could I use my own soulforce in my soulscape to create a card?¡± he asked.


    ¡°You can¡¯t, but I might be able to,¡± Ambraz responded.


    Irwin hesitated, then switched his selves, letting his otherself handle the chat with Greldo and Esther while his mainself moved into his soulscape.


    ¡°Could we create a card here?¡± he asked, staring at Ambraz.


    ¡°A fake card? No, those are way too difficult. Reforging a card, even a quartz one, means changing what''s already there. It would be like you trying to imagine your soulstrum guitar, then at the same playing on it and having to take into account every little thing the imaginary guitar would need to do.¡±


    Irwin frowned, then pointed at the distant flattened area beside the mountain and lake where the piano was standing. ¡°But you made that?¡±


    ¡°I did, but it''s not fake. It¡¯s real inside your soulscape,¡± Ambraz said.


    ¡°So, could we make a card inside here?¡± Irwin asked, very excited suddenly.


    ¡°The difference in difficulty is staggering, and I¡¯m not able to do that,¡± Ambraz said, somewhat apologeticly. ¡°Perhaps after I become a world anvil?¡±


    Irwin sighed, prodding at his soulforce as it flowed around him. He could move it and reshape it with ease, but he instinctively knew he couldn¡¯t reshape it anything else than something resembling one of his own cards. He¡¯d tried shortly after he¡¯d come up with the idea to create handcards from ambient soulforce.


    I wonder if I could recreate one of my original cards, he thought as he absently fiddled with the soulforce, forming it into the shape of a card that resembled his Coperion Body card.


    ¡°Do you remember the exact resonance of my original cards?¡± he asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Ambraz said, humming thoroughly.  ¡°Though I see what you are getting at. If you could have recorded it, perhaps you could have remade it here. It wouldn¡¯t be a real card, but perhaps it would allow you to practice with it.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps I could try it with my heartcard?¡± Irwin said, looking at where it was hovering above his soullake.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even bother. It would require almost as much soulforce as your soulscape currently has, and that could cause it to become imbalanced,¡± Ambraz said.


    ¡°I can imbalance a soulscape in that way?¡± Irwin asked, surprised. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Yes, but not like what you are thinking now. Imbalancing a soulcard isn¡¯t the same as imbalancing your soulscape. If you do the latter, you could potentially rupture your soulscape barriers and cause it to implode, killing you and everyone inside instantly.¡±


    Irwin grimaced, quickly dropping the idea.


    ¡°Alright, as soon as we finish this soulcard and start collecting the next cards, we need to record their resonances,¡± he said. ¡°Then, after I slot them, we can try to recreate them here and experiment.¡±


    Ambraz flitted around excitedly. ¡°We should go and locate a library entrance sometime soon and find out if anyone else ever attempted this.¡±


    Irwin froze, then cursed.


    ¡°What?¡± Greldo asked.


    Irwin looked up, realizing both of his selves had cursed at the same time, and he shrugged as he looked at Greldo and Esther.


    ¡°I just remembered that Daubutim had asked me to get him books and information on some subjects,¡± he said. ¡°I totally forgot about it, and the chances of it are now zero, as the nearest one would be on Fiverio.¡±


    ¡°Hah, I¡¯m sure he will forgive you for everything you are bringing already,¡± Greldo said. ¡°Now, I¡¯m going to go outside while I still can. When are we moving through the next storm?¡±


    ¡°As soon as we reach it, which should be soon,¡± Irwin said. ¡°Maybe an hour?¡±


    Greldo rose, bringing his bowls into the kitchen area.


    Irwin hesitated, then followed his friend on deck, where he found Hind talking with Boohm, both waving their hands around. Their voices were loud enough for even him to hear something about homeworlds, though he wasn¡¯t too sure about the details.


    ¡°What are they on about?¡± he asked Greldo as he followed him to the railing.


    ¡°Apparently, Hind¡¯s homeworld used to be connected to Igniz, but it became unstable, and they had to close the portal. After that, many of her people moved to Ingiz and to Boohm¡¯s homeworld,¡± Greldo said as he leaned on the railing. ¡°Hind is asking him questions about his world and how many of her people are there, but Boohm says they disappeared into the planet¡¯s core and nobody-¡±


    Irwin quietly listened as Greldo listened to the others and told him the short of it.


    He saw the distant dark storm closing in, and he knew that meant they were going to have to get ready.


    Alright, I¡¯ll get Sibil so we can start scouting,¡± Greldo said.


    Before Irwin could respond, his friend vanished. With a snort, he walked to Earila and took over from her.


    ¡°Go and get some rest,¡± he said. ¡°You did great.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, captain,¡± Earila said, yawning and smiling at the same time.


    Irwin waited till she was in the room before he looked around the deck. Boohm and Hind were still chatting while Seleen had joined them. Zender was still in the sails, scrubbing away, while Montain was probably below deck with the wounded smiths. He¡¯d shown a surprising level of care and empathy for them, talking with them softly to help them work through the horrors they had been subject to. As the thought of that, Irwin felt the lingering doubt about what he¡¯d done to the remaining raiders vanish.


    They would have done the same to Giard if they had found it, he thought.


    Sibil returned soon, shaking her head.


    ¡°It¡¯s too far for me. Greldo continued on ahead,¡± she said worriedly.


    ¡°Okay, then we wait,¡± Irwin said, noticing that she wanted to say or ask something. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ How strong is Greldo?¡± Sibil asked. ¡°I¡¯ve only seen Nyzir Dark Princes move through the shadows that fast and with such a massive trail.¡±


    Nyzir Dark Princes? Irwin thought, wondering if those were as bad as they sounded.


    ¡°You will have to ask him yourself someday,¡± he said.


    ¡°Yes, Captain,¡± Sibil whispered.


    They waited for a long time until Greldo finally returned, and from his frown, Irwin knew he was going to get some bad news.


    ¡°The cracked corridor goes on for a very long time, and at our speed, it will take days,¡± Greldo said. ¡°Worse, there are a few parts which are worse than what we have seen. Nothing big enough to get blown out, but it''s going to be harsh.¡±


    Irwin sighed. ¡°But there¡¯s a safe area beyond?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it looks like the corridor beyond is completely intact. Coal did see movement in the darkness beyond.¡±


    Irwin hesitated, then focused on Hou¡¯dor.


    ¡°Are you ready again?¡±


    ¡°We are ready, but if it''s as long as he said, we are going to need to conserve more energy,¡± Hou¡¯dor rumbled. That means you will have it worse.¡± Of course I will, Irwin thought. Everyone below deck, I¡¯m taking us back into the storm!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Captain,¡± came a chorus, and a moment later, the deck was empty, safe for Irwin and the rank five Ganvils.


    Irwin stared at the incoming storm, a dark swirling mass of clouds, energy bolts, and crackling lightning that ravaged the corridor.


    ¡°Hou¡¯dor, if you find a place that is relatively calm and where you can rest, let me know, and I¡¯ll try to keep the ship hanging there,¡± Irwin said.


    ¡°Will do, but even if it''s a week, we can hold out. You just need to mind yourself.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Irwin said as he cracked his neck. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Working the runes, he made the ship continue ahead and into the massive storm.


    --


    Sibil held the table as she felt the ship rock and sway, sometimes dipping a foot down or to the left. Her stomach was a roiling mess, and she wondered how the others could just sit and eat.


    Are they not worried? She thought. It''s been four days!


    Focusing on her plate and trying to keep in the food, she knew she¡¯d have to go back out into the shadows soon. She and Greldo were alternating being there and keeping an eye on the Captain, though multiple of Greldo¡¯s massive shadow summons were there all the time.


    ¡°-of the Viridians are going to need a mental healer when we return,¡± Montain said, looking at Esther and Dahlia. ¡°Three of them have still not come out of their catatonic state.¡±


    ¡°There are enough of those back home,¡± Zender said from where he was softly chatting with his sister.


    Sibil glanced at the two Yuurindi, still finding it difficult to believe there were two on the ship. Although she didn¡¯t mind as much as many others, due to how many thought badly of shadowwalkers, she couldn¡¯t ignore the fact that Yuurindi were a rarity on the more central worlds of the Langost branch. Especially such young ones.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait till we get there,¡± Boohm said from the kitchen.


    ¡°I still can¡¯t believe none of you have been there,¡± Hind said, echoing Sibil¡¯s thoughts. ¡°You¡¯ve been with the captain for over a year now?¡±


    ¡°Longer,¡± Boohm said. ¡°But we joined at the start of his journey, so it makes sense, right?¡±


    What, that they still haven¡¯t even told you what this mystery place is they keep gushing about? Sibil thought.


    Greldo appeared in the middle of the galley, causing everyone to fall quiet.


    ¡°How is he doing?¡± Hind asked.


    ¡°Him? Better than most of us,¡± Greldo said, yawning. ¡°I told you, right? His first card boosted his endurance to absurd levels. He might need a long nap when we are finally out, and he could probably use another of those meat skewers, Boohm!¡±


    ¡°I''ve got three ready here,¡± the Onyxian said as he walked from the kitchen, carrying three arm-length skewers of gleaming metal, steaming meat dripping from them.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll get those to him, then you¡¯re up,¡± Greldo said, turning to Sibil.


    She nodded, and when Greldo vanished, she sighed.


    ¡°You okay, kiddo?¡± Boohm asked as he walked to her, holding a plate filled with snacks which he held out.


    Sibil grabbed something she recognized.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, just a bit sick and tired of the ship moving around as if someone is shaking it,¡± she muttered before quickly finishing the snack.


    ¡°You¡¯ll get used to it,¡± Boohm shouted as he walked to the others.


    Greldo reappeared a few minutes later, waving at her. Sibil took a deep breath, then stepped into the shadows. It took her only a few moments to reappear back on deck and then another few to move towards the captain.


    Irwin was covered in a thin sheet of golden-red fire, taking bites out of the skewers that he¡¯d somehow lodged into the center of the steering wheel. The rain constantly pelting him was probably hissing, but she couldn¡¯t hear it over the constant howling and roaring of the storm. One look told her she wouldn¡¯t have trusted herself to helm the ship- the corridor¡¯s walls were covered in holes, and she could barely see anything further than a few hundred feet, even while in the shadows. She had no idea how the Captain could see anything at all, but as she watched, his hands smoothly and almost mechanically kept adjusting the course of the ship.


    A large shape hung in the shadows to the side, Coal or one of his clones she knew.


    Seeing nothing wrong, she looked around, knowing it was going to be a long, tiresome watch.


    --


    Irwin felt The Concerto¡¯s deck dip and roll left and acted before he could even think about it, turning the wheel, changing the speed, and quickly bringing the ship back on course.


    Days had passed, six, though he wasn¡¯t sure. He¡¯d lost track of time long ago. The only holdout he had was when Greldo brought him food- twice a day, and if he had counted properly, that had happened eleven times?


    He was nearly deafened from the storm, his head pounding from the constant thunder and flashing light and his body aching from nonstop usage.


    All that said, he was happy.


    They were heading home, and in a month at most, he would see his family again!


    I wonder how big Drum is now, he thought.


    The ship fell a few feet while a crackling bolt of red energy painted the storm on the left in a gray, black, and red hue, and Irwin changed course and speed as he saw something move. A massive shape illuminated by the bolt¡¯s light that seemed to be moving alongside them.


    A flash came from the side, and he turned to see Greldo appear beside Coal. He held on to the massive hound while pointing in the direction Irwin had been looking. Greldo''s eyes were wide, his face pale, and his muted scream was barely audible.


    ¡°Incoming!¡±


    Greldo vanished while Irwin felt his heartbeat skyrocket. Adrenaline burned away his fear as he flared his fire hotter and wider, trying to see into the pitch-black storm. Moments ticked by as his hands meticulously kept the ship on course, then another crackling red energy caused the entire left of the corridor to gleam.


    An eye the size of The Concerto¡¯s sail, gleaming black even against the surrounding darkness, stared at him. Three white pupils shrank as they focused on him, and the barrier suddenly shuddered and glowed a bright blue light as something struck it. A tapered shape with six long tentacles became visible, each as long as The Concerto.


    It''s like a tiny version of an Oculithar, Irwin thought as he looked around, his mind trying to come up with a solution.


    ¡°We are twenty minutes from the calm area!¡± Greldo screamed as he appeared a few steps away, eyes locked on the monster that was relentlessly bashing on the shuddering barrier.


    ¡°Dammit,¡± Irwin roared. ¡°Hou¡¯dor, how much stronger can you make the barrier?¡±


    ¡°Not that strong,¡± Hou¡¯dor roared back.


    Still, Irwin felt the ship stabilize enormously, the wind and rain suddenly dying down as the barrier around The Concerto turned a shimmering silver. Within moments, the temperature rocketed due to Irwin¡¯s roaring flame, and he quickly dismissed it.


    ¡°We can hold it like this for about half an hour, but we will need to rest for a week after we are out,¡± Hou¡¯dor rumbled.


    Irwin gazed at the monster, then at the wheel, sensing the way the ship was jolting about and made a decision.


    ¡°Earila, come take the helm!¡± he shouted, knowing his voice would be audible below deck.


    The door opened faster than he expected, and Earila, Boohm, Ester, and the others stormed on deck. As soon as they caught sight of the massive monster, they stopped. Hind was the first to snap out of it, grabbing Earila and dragging her to Irwin.


    ¡°Take the helm! It''s still somewhat shaky, but you should be fine,¡± Irwin said.


    ¡°Yes, Captain,¡± Earila croaked as half a dozen of her Faerit appeared around her, floating while looking at the massive monster with glinting eyes.


    Irwin ran to the others just as one of the tentacles struck the barrier and shattered parts of it. It began struggling through, held back by what remained.


    Boohm let out a muttered curse, stepped forward, and raised his hands; palms pointed at each other. A ball of shimmering black and silver between them, and his muscles bulged as he began pressing his hands together, causing ripples of silvery energy to arc out like tiny lightning. Within moments, a crackling sound came from the energy ball, then Boohm clasped the backs of his hands together, causing the ball to turn into a long beam of silvery black light that rippled through their barrier, the air, and collided with the incoming tentacle.


    A small hole appeared on it, barely more than a pockmark on the massive thing, and the monster didn¡¯t react, still struggling to get the tentacle through.


    Irwin hesitated,  then stepped back and clapped his hands, the kinetic energy in his bodybuilding rapidly. As soon as he had enough, he summoned a hammer and aimed it at the tentacle. As he let go, he focused both his minds on propelling it forward with the buildup of kinetic energy, wrapping it in fire, and resizing it to its maximum size. As he felt it leave his fingertips, he was stunned at how much bigger it was than he remembered.


    A hammer the size of a small cabin, coated in a swirling mass of golden-red fire, exploded from his hand with the sound of a thunderclap. It pierced the barrier and the storm beyond before striking the tentacle. The impact of the comparatively small object seemed to only dent the flesh, which also bounced back instantly, but the fire burned a small crater before extinguishing.


    There was no response from the monster as the tip of the tentacle pieced into the corridor, the rest slowly coming in after.


    ¡°Any ideas?¡± Irwin asked, looking around hopefully.


    ¡°If that doesn¡¯t work¡­¡± Montain muttered.


    ¡°Can we go faster?¡± Hind snapped, causing everyone to look at Irwin, hopefully.


    ¡°This is the fastest we can go unless we want to blow up the sails,¡± Irwin said, talking fast. ¡°And if we do that, we will be left stranded.¡±


    ¡°Not completely-¡± Ambraz said, sounding distracted. ¡°Not that it''s a good idea, as we can¡¯t replace the sails even in the light storm beyond this part. But¡­perhaps¡­¡±


    Irwin focused on the tiny Ganvil that had returned to his shoulder, knowing his companion had an idea.


    ¡°Ambraz?¡± he said, pointing at the tentacle, which would probably rip the remaining barrier apart and start attacking them at any moment. ¡°If you have an idea-¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Ambraz snapped as he flew away, then landed in his working shape. ¡±We need to reforge cards! Nava¡¯malder, get the others up here and start reforging!¡±


    Irwin¡¯s mind stalled for a moment, wondering if Ambraz had gone insane. It took a moment before he caught up and realized what the Ganvil wanted.


    ¡°That might work! Hou¡¯dor keep that barrier as strong as you can. If it hits us, just use whatever power you have, but block it!¡± Irwin rattled as he ripped cards from his pocket, noting they were those Greldo had handed to him. Taking the top topaz one, he put it on Ambraz, ignoring the rushed shouting and muffled thuds at multiple other Ganvils that began appearing all over the deck.


    His smallself moved to his soulscape and began thrumming the soulstrum guitar while his mainself got his hammer out.


    ¡°What are we doing?¡± he asked Ambraz.


    ¡°As difficult as you can, just don¡¯t fail! Go wild!¡±


    Irwin blinked and took a look over his shoulder to see the tentacle force its way through the barrier, ripping whole chunks of it apart.


    Go wild?  he thought, focusing on the card and sensing the detailed hum. I can do that.


    Without holding back, he slammed his hammer into the card as his other self began playing the loudest, wildest song he knew.

 Chapter 274: Intercept course

    Varidia shivered as her mind kept wandering back to the moment the raider had reached her house. She tried to push the memory away, but it wouldn''t let her, and she saw how the carded sword slashed through her dau-


    A wave of soulforce rammed into her mind, the music sad, deep, and melancholic. It forced all thoughts from her as she bolted upright in the bed, staring at the ship''s wall before her. She heard the others exclaim and mutter things, but she couldn''t catch anything they said. All she could do was listen and feel as the soulforce in the small room flowed in tandem with the beautiful sound that was starting to become clear to her ears.


    What¡­ who¡­.


    Her mind kept trying to conjure haunting images, but the song''s haunting sound seemed to wash them before they could take hold, and for the first time since they were saved, she got out of bed. Swaying on her feet, she felt the bark on her back taut from where the wounds were still healing, but she ignored it as she stumbled to the door.


    There was a cry from one of the others, but she ignored it as she opened the door- the soulforce all around, normally faint and softy humming, was surging like the sea during a storm.


    Who can do this? she thought as she stumbled through the ship''s hallway, barely noticing the doors that opened as the other smiths came out.


    The sound of an instrument began joining the voices; two, deep and rumbling as they intertwined in a wordless song, and a half dozen others creating higher notes. A part of her recognized those- Ganvil voices, the metallic twang in them something she had heard before, but the other two she couldn''t pinpoint. One could be a Ganvil, but if it was, there was something different to his voice.


    She barely noticed as she reached the top of the stairs, and as she opened the door, her mouth fell open as the concentration of soulforce seemed to skyrocket to an amount she''d never heard of before. She could sense it all around her and hear it as it seemed to boost the song''s haunting melody. How long she stood there, gaping and seeing nothing as she felt the soulforce ripple and humm.


    Then, the song gained a hopeful, empowering quality, and the two singing voices increased in power. The shipdeck below her bare feet trembled, and she looked around as she felt someone gently push her out onto the deck.


    Four Ganvils stood in the center of the deck, smiths behind them. Waves of soulforce rippled from all of them, and the density of soulforce in their direct surrounding was so dense that she couldn''t sense their presence. It took her a moment to move her attention away from the soulforce and to the smiths.


    She recognized three Granitians, tall and powerfully built, and one¡­ Loydin? No, that wasn''t right.


    A Fiz''rin, she thought, recognizing the rare species.


    He was the one singing, his deep voice having a slight metallic quality, though not as much as the voice that came from the Ganvil before him. It was instantly obvious that he was like her and used the musical style of smithing but at a way higher level.


    But where''s the instrument player? she thought, looking around.


    She could hear it, as well as sense the influence on the surrounding soulforce, but-


    She froze as she finally registered the surroundings beyond the ship. A barrier sat around them, gleaming so bright it looked like a shell of metal, so dense it looked physical. Beyond it was a enormous monstrosity with tentacles that constantly struck down on the barrier. Every few moments a crack would appear, to be closed instants later.


    "What¡­ is that?" she shouted in fear, snapping out of the referie the music had pulled her into. Part of her realized it was also the first time since being saved that she wasn''t wallowing, but she had no time to think about it.


    "An Oculithar," a coarse feminine voice replied.


    Varidia looked up in surprise to see another Fiz''rin smiling at her. She realized she''d seen her before, walking through the room she''d been in and even handing her food. She should know her name, but trying to think back caused pain to bubble up, and she quickly stopped.


    "That''s impossible," she heard herself say, shaking her head. "Oculithar should be much larger, and we would be dead even if it wasn''t. They are incredibly powerful!"


    "Then it''s a good thing we have a bunch of high-rank Ganvils here to create that barrier," the Fiz''rin said, smiling, comforting. "Don''t worry. We should reach the intact corridor soon."


    Both their voices were barely audible over the loud music, and it took Varidia a moment to understand what the other had said. She shook her head, not sure how to respond, as her gaze drifted back to the four smiths, and she focused on the other Fiz''rin.


    "Is he a ruby rank smith?" she asked. "I''ve never heard of a Fiz''rin high-ranked smith."


    There was no reply, but she didn''t mind as she moved to the cabin wall and slid down, staring at the smith at work. His movements were smooth and practiced, and the delicate way he manipulated the soulforce around him- the insane detail he managed to craft in the song caused her to sigh in awe.


    I hope I can do it like that one day, she thought before she felt her mind go blank as she simply sat and enjoyed the song and music.


    --


    Irwin struck the card before him, almost in a trance from the half-a-dozen cards he''d reforged. A shimmering image of a rope attached to a metal spear showed while the card''s resonance told him it was a Topaz summon-utility card.


    "We will reach the stable corridor soon! Finish this card and we should be fine!" Ambraz said in his soulscape, his companions voice weary.


    Irwin grunted in acknowledgment as he focused on the new card, realizing he was going to need another song. He''d gone through a few, changing them slightly while forcing the cards along, sometimes so far beyond their initial desire that he''d ended up with two that would never be able to be increased ever again, and if he''d try, they would likely explode.


    Risking a quick look around, he saw that Hou''dor and the other rank fives were gleaming with soulforce. Hou''dor''s lips were pressed tight, showing just how taxing keeping up the portal was, even with the dense soulforce that surrounded them.


    It''s not as dense as when we did the heartcard, though, he thought. Part of that was because of the much larger size, but it was also because he couldn''t put his all into these cards. The only reason Hou''dor and the others were even managing was because of the other three''s contributions.


    He glanced at Esther, Selene, and Montain, who seemed completely engrossed in their reforging. All three of them wouldn''t be able to continue much longer. Their soulforce was becoming dangerously low, and the fluctuations coming from them were getting weaker.


    They aren''t the only ones, he thought, feeling his own soulscape rapidly draining. He could still continue for a while, if he had to, at least a few cards, but he''d be out for a while after if he did.


    His gaze flickered to the barrier. It was able to resist the whip cracks of the massive tentacles for now, but with each hit, some cracks appeared, which were closing ever slower.


    Even with all their focus, the barrier can barely handle that thing, he thought, glaring at the monstrous Oculithar.


    He grimaced as he imagined what would happen if he failed.


    Knowing he had no more time, his other-self began playing a tune before Ambraz could even suggest anything, and both of him grinned as he started singing the last song he''d sung with Skylar and the girls. It had been Roubi who''d done the singing that time, but he knew the words by heart.


    --


    Greldo could help grinning as he heard Irwin''s deep bass rumble the almost angry song, Ambraz joining in like a screaming banshee as the soulstrum guitar echoed from the barrier, creating a haunting sound.


    It''s better with the saxophone, but it''s still a fun song, he thought.


    He noticed that Sibil''s head kept turning around, her eyes roaming across the storm, sometimes moving to Irwin and the other smiths. Although he knew there was little they could do, he couldn''t blame her.


    Zender stood near his sister at the helm while the others were spread out across the deck. Only Hind had moved to stand with the smiths which they had saved. Just seeing their malnourished bandages or wounded bodies made him angry.


    If I figure out who is doing this, I''m going to see how they enjoy being dragged through the shadows and dropped beyond the barrier, he thought. His eyes focused on the tentacled monster beating at them behind the barrier. It was odd how distant and unreal it all seemed now that he couldn''t hear the storm howling and see raging beyond the barrier and the impacts of its strikes.


    It''s a shame Hou''dor and the other can''t always keep it up like this, Greldo thought as he saw the relative safety of the intact corridor close in.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    "Get everyone below deck," he said as he turned to Sibil. "The smiths will likely stop soon, and I have no idea what that will do to the barrier."


    "What? Why would they stop?" she asked, the sudden fear evident in her tone.


    "Because even Irwin won''t be able to keep this up for much longer," Greldo said. "I''ve seen smiths reforge many times, and it drains them. Why do you think there''s not more high-rank, specialized cards around?"


    Sibil looked at the monster and then at the smiths, her face turning even paler.


    "What if it follows us inside?"


    Greldo didn''t respond because he had no answer to it. After a few moments, he shrugged.


    "Get them below deck."


    Sibil swallowed, then vanished into the shadowrealm. He saw her trail rush to the middle of the deck while Coal sent him a message.


    ''Yeah, she isn''t that bad,'' he agreed.


    --


    "We are inside!"


    Irwin continued with the final card, feeling a sense of intense relief at Greldo''s shout. He wished he could look up to see what would happen, but if he did, he''d ruin the card.


    "It''s unable to enter!"


    A cheer rose from the deck, and a few moments later, Irwin sensed someone beside him finish forging.


    "Thank the Elder Core," Montain rumbled, and something thudded onto the deck.


    "Should we continue?" Esther asked from the side.


    "It should be fine," Greldo replied.


    Irwin continued for two more hits, slightly rushing his work even though he knew it wouldn''t make the card as good as it could be. As he struck the final blow, he didn''t bother looking at the card as it moved to Emerald rank, instead taking a step back and looking around.


    The Oculithar was far behind them, its tentacles wrapped around the cracked parts of the corridor, seemingly trying to pierce it.


    "Hey. You alright?"


    He looked up to see Greldo beside him.


    "I''m fine, just tired," Irwin replied, rolling his head and cracking his shoulders to get the tension out. "I''ll be fine after some rest."


    Greldo''s eyes flicked behind him, and he grimaced.


    "Think you could do with just some food and light sailing?" he asked.


    Irwin followed his look to where Earila was clutching the helm in a death grip, her face pale and Zender hovering beside her, looking worried.


    "She did great, but she isn''t as strong," Greldo said.


    Irwin was already nodding, trying to force his greater endurance to kick in. His soulforce was low, barely ten percent remaining, but he knew it was still more than many on deck even had. Not that it was that simple, but it would have to do.


    "Boohm, can you get everyone some food?" Irwin shouted, getting everyone on deck''s attention. Seeing the eyes focus on him, part of him sighed as he knew he''d probably have to say something. Boohm was hovering near the door, seemingly having realized the same, and Irwin grunted at the Onyxian''s grin. After a quick thought, he decided to just keep it simple.


    "Great job," he said, looking at Hou''dor and the other rank-five Ganvils. "Hou''dor, how long do you all need to rest?"


    "At least a week," the Ganvil said. "Longer would be better."


    Irwin gave the Ganvil a quick nod. As much as he''d prefer to keep going, he knew it would be stupid to head into the storm without their barrier at full strength.


    "Esther, Selene, Montain, thanks for your help. You did great," he said.


    Montain and Selene were sitting on the deck, their backs against their Ganvils, both looking like they were ready to sleep in a moment. Only Esther was still standing, though from how she was swaying, it was based on pure willpower.


    "Try and get some rest. The rest of you, head downstairs and get something to eat," Irwin said, smiling at the Viridian smiths sitting and standing near the door. Two older humans with their topaz ranking stones embedded in their foreheads stood a bit to the side, and Irwin could see that they wanted to talk to him.


    They will have to wait, Irwin thought as he turned to the helm and forced himself to walk towards it without stumbling. As he approached, he saw Earila stifle a yawn.


    "You did great," he said, unable to stop himself from rubbing her purple hair, which was now touching her shoulders, almost as long as Zender''s. "Go eat and rest. You can come take over when you wake."


    "But Captain," Earila muttered, stifling another yawn. "You were here before, then the smithing! You need to-"


    Irwin slowly pulled her away from the helm, gripping it with one hand to keep it on course.


    "Go and rest. I''ll be fine," he said. "Zender, get some food, then check the sails."


    "Yes, Captain," Zender said, his grin wide as he pulled Earila away.


    Irwin could only just hear a whispered ''I told you so'' before they were out of earshot.


    "You going to be alright?" Greldo asked.


    "Sure, just get me something to eat that''s not a skewer! I hope I never have soaking wet and cold meat again."


    "I''ll get Boohm to make you some Ignitzian thing," Greldo said with a grin.


    Coal appeared beside him, lying down on the deck as he walked away.


    Irwin sighed as he gripped the steering wheel.


    "Kid, I have an idea," Ambraz said from his shoulder.


    "Tell me," Irwin said.


    "After we return, we stay there for a while longer and take some rest."


    "Great idea," Irwin said.


    "Yeah. I''ll go and sleep now. Wake me if there''s something wrong."


    Irwin was jealous as he felt Ambraz move into his soulscape before focusing on the corridor in front of him. It was wide enough to be called a sidebranch, and as he looked in the distance, he realized he''d been here before.


    This is close to where we breached that barricade, he thought as he slowed the ship down to the slowest speed.


    "Hou''dor, you can lower the barrier as much as needed," he said, glancing at the storm still raging around outside. Still, compared to what they had just been through, it seemed barely worse than a spring storm in Malorin. "Just get it back up when food arrives, please?"


    "Yes, captain."


    Irwin slowly felt the temperature drop, and he couldn''t wait to be in his bed.


    --


    "Do you think we could become like that if we could bond with a Ganvil?"


    "No. I''ve seen bonded smiths before, and none of them were anywhere this good."


    "The captain¡­"


    Sibil tried to ignore the chattering smiths that filled the galley or the happily singing Boohm. She was surprised at how much better they all looked, even the three that had seemed catatonic.


    Perhaps it''s because of the smithing? she thought, recalling the scene of the four smiths reforging on the middle of the deck.


    She''d never seen one reforge a card before, and now that she had, she realized just how difficult it was. She could faintly sense soulforce, better than most people on her homeworld, and the things she''d felt while they were working- she shook her head.


    As impressive as that all was, the thing that really kept playing through her mind were the Captain''s songs. Especially the one that had sounded sad and lonely before ending in a thunderous frenzy that still made her blood boil.


    Someone stopped beside her, and she looked up to see Greldo, a massive bowl of something that was steaming and smelled spicy in his hands.


    "Come and find me when you are done. We need to scout ahead soon, and I need to know how long till you are up for something."


    She nodded, trying to chew, swallow, and answer, and almost smoking.


    "Calm down, no rush! Enjoy your meal," Greldo said, his silvery eyes shining as he grinned.


    Sibil watched him leave before sighing and focusing on the rest of her meal. Her stomach had mostly calmed, but she knew if she did anything strenuous, she''d be right back to feeling sick. Her soulcard needed time to recover. Not that she''d tell Greldo that. Although he seemed reasonable enough, she still had no idea what to expect. After the Ruby''s Revenge, she wasn''t going to take any chances.


    At least the food is much better, she thought as she wondered where The Ruby''s Revenge was. Had Nralt really gone crazy and chased after them? If it had, she hoped they came across that tentacled monster.


    --


    Zirt gritted his teeth as he heard the raging coming from below the deck. Occasionally, things shattered, and he hoped it wasn''t the windows or the aquarium. Replacing those would be impossible until the storm stopped.


    He glared around at the barrier, which was recovering from their trip through the nearly destroyed corridor behind them. The storm still roared behind it, but little of the sound could come through.


    If that old bastard damages my ship-


    Soft footsteps made him look up to see a Kraniox walk towards him.


    Darkix, Nralt''s most loyal supporter. His mask was split in the middle, showing a tiny bit of the gruesome face he knew hid behind it. It was a wound the Kraniox bodyguard had gotten while defending Nralt from a shadowwalker. The crack was his badge of honor, and when drunk, he couldn''t stop bragging about it. They all knew the story and its dozens of versions by heart, but nobody dared complain... Darkix''s temper was too volatile, and being a three-soulcarded who was fully focused on close combat, he was the second strongest person on the ship.


    All around, the other crewmembers were working, but he could see they were faking it. They were watching to see what would happen.


    "Darkix?"


    "He''s getting worse¡­" the Kraniox said in his raspy, cracked voice. "Are you certain you will get permission from the Captains and the Admiral?"


    Zirt hid his surprise. He''d expected something, but this was more than just something. This was the final opening he''d been waiting for as he sensed the anger oozing from Darkrix. He''d never been able to influence him, not like he could the others. Just like the Captain, he had at least one soulcard that was emerald, which blocked his own and was the reason he''d had to do this the slow and tedious way.


    "Yes. I was officially named to replace him after he quit next time we came back," he said. "Only that disgusting Scander didn''t like it, but who cares about him. Besides, do you think I''d lie about this? My fate would be the worst imaginable."


    "Don''t make it seem our fate would be much better if we do this," Darkix hissed, leaning forward and causing a foul stench of rotting meat to waft into Zirt''s face.


    Zirt didn''t react but stared into the slits of the mask.


    "You would get off with a warning and a few extra years," he said. "I''d be ripped apart."


    Darkix stared at him, and Zirt began worrying.


    A scream of rage came from below as the entire ship shook from a blow against the hull.


    Darkix let out a weary sigh. "Fine. I''d have followed you after Nralt left, so why not start early."


    Zirt didn''t believe the other one bit, but he smiled sadly.


    "Aye. It''s a shame it has to go this way," he said.


    "So then.  How do you want to do this, Captain?" Darkix asked, taking a step back and putting a hand on the ax handle sticking from his belt.


    "We are going to use someone to give us a hand," Zirt said as he couldn''t stop smiling. Perhaps coming here prematurely wasn''t such a horrible thing after all.


    Darkix''s eyes narrowed. "What? I thought we couldn''t track them?"


    "And we can''t," Zirt said, turning to the helm and nodding at the Loydin. "But there''s no need to track someone if you know where they are going."


    He turned to the cabin leading down.


    "I''ll warn the captain that we have a lead on the map thief," he said. "Get everyone ready. We are heading to Sesnanser. Either we will catch them before they reach it or grab them when they are there."

 Chapter 275: Insanity

    Irwin hummed as he lay in bed, content to remain there for a while as he enjoyed the calm. A week had passed since their encounter with the Oculithar, and Earila was at the helm, with Greldo and a few others keeping an eye out. He''d spent most of that time unwinding, eating double portions of anything Boohm made, and talking with the smiths they had rescued.


    I wonder if Sesnanser is anything like what I remember, he thought.


    Greldo and Sibil would be heading forward when they reached the stable corridor end in a few days. As he thought of the slight, pale-skinned, dark-haired woman, he grinned. Greldo had been spending more and more time with her, and he was wondering if it was about time for him to start teasing his friend with it.


    A rustle came from the narrow Ganvil passage, and Ambraz flew in, hovering around before rushing toward him.


    "Finally awake, kid!? Hou''dor says they could do with a few more days, but overall, they are feeling much better," Ambraz said, landing on his chest.


    "Good," Irwin said as he swung his legs out of bed and headed to his small bathroom area to clean up.


    "I was thinking that we could try reforging another card to Ruby today," he said as he was shaving the metallic stubble from his chin.


    "About time," Ambraz said, landing on the top of the mirror. "You do mean without my help, don''t you?"


    "Yes," Irwin said, cleaning up and checking to see if he''d missed anything.


    Looking at himself, he realized just how much he''d changed.


    "I wonder how old I am now," he muttered as he examined himself, trying to gauge his own age.


    "It''s been almost six years since you found me," Ambraz said. "Based on your Giard''s time, that is."


    "So, almost twenty-two," Irwin said, turning away and walking to the crafting area. "How old do you think I will become?"


    "If you don''t get any more cards, probably close to a thousand years," Ambraz said offhandedly.


    Irwin stumbled, staring at his friend and companion, not sure he''d heard that right.


    "You- what?" he asked.


    Ambraz''s lips curved in a smile. "Kid, why are you surprised? You have the body of a Firesteel Elemental, who are known to live for thousands of years, and soon, two-"


    ''Ammolite-rank soulcards!''  Ambraz''s voice moved to his soulscape before switching back quickly.


    "What did you expect?"


    "So¡­ how old could I get if I fill up on soulcards?" Irwin asked, staring at the table, while thoughts about his family and friends, then of Gelwin, ancient beyond words, passed through his head.


    "There''s a bit of a diminished return with that, but I''d say anywhere between two and four thousand. Which, before you start going all starry-eyed, isn''t all that long in the grand scheme of things!"


    Irwin shook his head, the numbers slightly dizzying. "It sounds long to me," he said.


    "Kid¡­ when I reach my sixth rank, I''ll be technically immortal," Ambraz said.


    Irwin blinked, his thoughts moving to Gelwin again. "I thought it was incredibly hard to live that long?" he said.


    "Oh, it is, and I''m not saying I''ll be around forever," Ambraz said with a snort. "Besides the fact that living that long might get boring, though I''m still on the fence on that one, there''s still-"


    "No, I mean, Gelwin," Irwin said as he interrupted Ambraz. "Didn''t Daubutim tell us that he needed to use all his cards to find a way to live that long?"


    "That''s because you fleshies aren''t meant for it," Ambraz said with a snort. "Even if you could make your body into a full elemental type, it''s your soulscapes that give out at some point. Old Beardyface used some clever tricks to clone all of him, including his soulscape."


    Irwin felt his mouth fall open as he looked at Ambraz.


    "That''s possible?" he exclaimed.


    "Yes, but Gelwin had to use each of his soulcards to focus specifically on it, and it resulted in his soulscape and power being lower than what you have even just now. Then again, he didn''t have your special soulcards, so¡­ who knows what could happen!"


    Irwin shook his head, walking to the table and sitting down.


    A soft thud came from the side as Greldo appeared. He sat down, his face pale, and looked at a suddenly worried Irwin. We have another problem."


    "Sesnanser?" Irwin asked.


    Greldo sighed, shaking his head. "It''s a mess. There are dozens of ships and way more people than when we were there. Tens of thousands, and they are in deep shit. The Galubs and Nyzir managed to invade the world. From what I''ve heard, they have either killed or chased away everyone near the exit portal and claimed the world as their own. The people in what''s left of the town are out of food, and they have been attempting to raid the world, but they keep failing. From the general feeling I get, they are close to giving up."


    Irwin grimaced, but seeing Greldo look at the wall, he knew there was more.


    "It gets worse¡­ there''s a half dozen Chaos Whales circling what''s left of the barriers, and a few of the ships have been trying to kill them for food. I don''t think it''s any surprise that they aren''t having a lot of success, but¡­"


    Irwin''s mind was reeling, and he couldn''t believe there was something else.


    Greldo was staring at the table.


    "But what?" he asked.


    "Coal saw something that looked an awful lot like that bloody tentacled menace. It looks like it''s hunting those whales, who seem to be trying to reach the portal.. for safety, maybe?"


    Irwin looked at Greldo, seeing the same look he knew he had. Weary disbelief.


    "How damaged is the barrier around the harbor?" he asked.


    "It''s pretty bad. If that thing causes those Chaos Whales to panic, they might crash through," Greldo said.


    "Or those ships hunting them draws its attention¡­" Ambraz muttered. "That means we can''t wait as long as we wanted to. If we reach it only to find the barriers destroyed and a small Oculithar there, we will have to head back."


    Irwin''s hands clenched the edge of the table.


    "No other route we can take?" he asked.


    "None that I could see," Greldo said. "Worse, the corridor beyond Sesnanser is close to being destroyed. It wouldn''t surprise me if that tentacled monster did that while chasing some ships."


    "How broken?" Irwin asked, wondering if they shouldn''t just turn back right away.


    "I think you can navigate us through, but it won''t be easy."


    Irwin didn''t add that even if they managed to get to Eluathar, they might not be able to return along the same way.


    "I''ll go and warn Hou''dor that his relaxing week is going to get cut short. We might have to get all the smiths up the deck to copy what we did before," Ambraz grunted.


    "What if we start doing that now and slowly build the ambient soulforce?" Irwin thought out loud.


    "You would have to keep switching out so there''s always someone working, but perhaps it''s doable," Ambraz said.


    "What about getting some of those rank zeros out and having them bound to the Viridians?" Greldo asked.


    Ambraz hovered in the air for a bit, then sighed. "Not bad, kid. I''ll think about it. It would hamper their potential right out of the gate, but if we can''t get back¡­ I''ll think about it."


    Ambraz flew up and out of the narrow pathway meant for the Ganvils to navigate the ship, leaving Irwin and Greldo behind.


    Irwin looked at his friend, who was tapping the table, pain and weariness in his eyes.


    "Are you alright?" he asked.


    Greldo shook his head, leaning back and rubbing his eyes.


    "These people were looking as bad as the worst we saw on Giard, Irwin. Starving, hopeless, and some-" he stopped talking, shaking his head. "It brought back some memories I''d rather keep buried."


    Irwin wanted to say they would stay and help, but he knew there was little they could do that wasn''t too dangerous. They could try to assault the exit portal with all the potential dangers that it brought. Worse, if they headed there, the people might try and steal all their food.


    Greldo must have picked up on his worry as he shook his head quickly.


    "I''m not saying that we have to do something. I just wish we could."


    Irwin sighed, leaning his head back as he tried to come up with an idea. Time flowed as he came up with and rejected dozens of ideas to retake the world or take the people along. Just as he decided to do something else, he blinked and turned to Greldo, who''d been zoning out in front of him.


    "How was the temperature there? And the trees?"


    "Those were still there," Greldo said, shrugging. "Why?"


    Irwin got up and ran to his closet, drawing out the massive stacks of sorted cards that dealt with growing plants. He quickly flipped through, humming as he did. When he was ready, he returned everything but the ten cards he had taken with him and placed them on the table.


    "Alright, these ten we can miss back home, and if I reforge them as I did with the others, I should be able to force them into some very abnormal paths," he said.


    Greldo raised an eyebrow, but Irwin barely noticed.


    "It would mean they can''t be reforged higher than emerald ever again and might cause some issues for when whoever gets them needs to get their heartcard, but¡­" Irwin looked up. "I can make these so the wielder can manipulate vegetation to bear fruits and nuts. Can you head back there and see if you can figure out who would be the best to hand them to?"


    Greldo looked at the cards, then whistled.


    "Sure, but seriously¡­ do you remember when we were impressed with a simple common card?"


    Irwin barked a laugh, his mood growing now that he knew he could at least do something for the people stuck in Sesnanser. He didn''t know if there were any of those who had been there when Zender and his siblings were there, as most had fled or been killed before, but perhaps- his train of thought stopped, and he looked at Greldo, whose smile slipped away.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    "What?"


    "You need to check if there aren''t any raiders there or captured cardsmiths."


    Greldo blinked, then shook his head, seeming ready to say something. Then he stopped and sighed. "I want to say there''s no chance¡­ but you are right. I''ll do it right now. You want to wait for that, or¡­?"


    "No. I''ll start now," Irwin said. "Even if there are some raiders, there is no way that all of those people are."


    "Alright, I''ll be back as fast as I can," Greldo said. "I''m going to have to leave Sibil here. She is drained and needs rest. I''ll leave one of Coal''s clones to keep an eye on here, though I don''t think there''s much to worry about."


    "Be careful," Irwin said, getting a wave as his friend vanished.


    Fine, let''s do two things at once, he thought as he walked out of his room and headed to Esther''s.


    A short while later, he was on deck with Esther, Selene, Montain, and their Ganvils. They stood around Hou''dor, Ambraz sitting on his friend.


    "I might have a few cards like these," Montain said as he stared at the card Irwin had given him. "Though I''m not sure I can reforge them to what you have in mind."


    "That''s fine, just bring them here," Irwin said.


    Montain turned, running for the cabin.


    "It feels like a bit of a waste to give so many cards to people we don''t know," Selene said, arms crossed. "I can understand wanting to save them, but who says it''s even going to be enough?"


    "You are right, and I''m sure it isn''t enough," Irwin said. "But I don''t need them, and it''s at least something. Now, let''s get the ambient soulforce up. We need to rotate in shifts. I will do two. Selene, you go after me, then Montain, and finally Esther. If you regain your soulforce earlier and are sure you will have enough for your shift, do what you can."


    Ambraz flitted forward and landed on the ground in his working form.


    "Listen up, kids. We will do this for one day, and if we can''t get the soulforce up high enough to help Hou''dor and the others before we reach the broken section, we will awaken some of the rank zeros and bind them to the best of the Viridians," Ambraz said.


    "Esther, can you figure out who the best are?" Irwin asked, looking at Esther.


    "Yes, I have some idea already," she said.


    "Alright, let''s start," Irwin said as he focused on the card.


    --


    Greldo hovered a good distance from Sesnanser, not liking what he was seeing.


    So they did follow us after all, he thought as he glared at The Ruby''s Revenge.


    Coal sent him a wave of angry desires.


    ''We can''t attack them. Zirt can see us through the shadows, and Sibil told us they have skill dampeners.''


    He kept looking at the ship for a while. It was docked at what remained of the Sesnanser docks, and to his surprise, the locals hadn''t attacked it for their supplies. Instead, the overfull port looked quiet as it had when he first came.


    How long have they been here, he thought as he quickly glanced around.


    There was no sight of the ships hunting the Whales, although those were still circling the corridor, their shapes large even this far away.


    Coal sent him a message, and he quickly looked up and to the side, but besides the raging storm, purple lightning rippling around, and lighting up areas, he saw nothing.


    Keep an eye on it, he said, hoping the Oculithar would remain there and not become another problem.


    He continued watching The Ruby''s Revenge, but nothing happened. They had either been here for a while or had just arrived and were still in the process of talking with the local leaders.


    Hesitating for a few moments, he flew around the town so nobody from the ship could spot him. Then, he carefully flew towards the town. He slowed down, and he and Coal looked around for anything dangerous as he moved to the nearest building. Only when he was hidden within the shadows of the ransacked town did he feel somewhat safe.


    Floating along the debris and garbage lying everywhere, there were signs of the Galub and Nyzir attacks everywhere. Some buildings had been patched up, while others were still little more than ruins. Among them all were the people. Some lay on the ground while others stumbled along, all with sunken cheeks and dirt-stained faces.


    I''m glad I can''t smell from inside the shadows, Greldo thought as he headed to the most populated area.


    It didn''t take him too long, as the town was tiny compared to the number of people seeking refuge in it. Hovering through the shadowy alleyway, he reached what had once been the town''s inn. It bordered the central square and the exit portal building, which was surrounded by badly constructed fortifications.


    The people hanging around them, glaring at the building, looked marginally better off, probably because they had more powerful cards or needed less food.


    So, if there were raiders here, where would they be, and where would they keep their prisoners? Greldo thought, examining the inn.


    ''Go and see if there''s any nullifiers there,'' he told Coal.


    He sensed the agreement, and a moment later, he saw one of Coal''s clones create a weak trail as it moved toward the inn.


    Greldo waited patiently, constantly keeping an eye on his surroundings until Coal told him it was safe.


    He moved low across the ground, dodging anyone lying or standing around just in case they were more sensitive than they seemed. When he reached the backside of the inn, he entered through a narrow crack into a backroom. Crates were pushed together to create makeshift beds, and dozens of people lay on them.


    Hearing no shouts, Greldo quickly moved through the entire building, finding no smiths or signs of prisoners anywhere. Only when he reached the top floor did he find something of interest. A pale man with matted blond hair sat at a table, glaring at the paper in front of him. There was nobody else in the room, which told Greldo that whoever it was, he was definitely one of those in control.


    He hung near the side, curious to see what was on the paper. He flew behind the man and gazed over his shoulder. Greldo felt his heart skip a beat as he read the short message. Dictated to Merchant Ulaan, it had orders to have all of its ships ready to attack a ship by a description Greldo instantly recognized. The Sonata.


    They don''t know we aren''t on there anymore, Greldo thought.


    He hovered back just as a muffled curse came from the man.


    "These bastards¡­ filthy, little worms," the man Greldo presumed was Merchant Ulaan growled. "We are starving, and what do they do? Help us? Bring us food? No¡­ no! They¡­ THey!"


    The man grabbed the paper, crumpled it, and hurled it to the side.


    "Do their bidding. Again! These¡­¡±


    Greldo was hiding in the shadow below the table as the man got up and hobbled to the side, his leg dragging after him. He moved to the only window in his room, staring out at the town. His shoulders shook, and a soft moaning came from him.


    "First, those demons, "he spat. "Then this storm, and now this¡­ do the gods want us dead that much? What did we do to anger anyone?!"


    "Ulaan, there''s nothing we can do but agree," a soft voice came from a corner of the room.


    Greldo froze, his heartbeat speeding up while he felt Coal ready to act. He watched as a spindly man with long purple hair bound in a knot walked toward the table.


    How did I not see him? Greldo thought as he replayed when he entered the room. There wasn''t anyone here!


    He watched as the man, who he recognized as a Yuurindi, sat down at the table.


    "If we do what they say, we will lose more men," Ulaan whispered. "How are we going to get onto Sesnanser? If only they would help us break through the exit portal."


    "You know they won''t," the other man said, his voice empty. "But perhaps we can get some supplies from that ship they want."


    "This? How? The biggest ship we could hope for would be a large merchant vessel, and they wouldn''t need our help with that. This is either another Currant Hunter or some other combat vessel."


    "What other choice do we have? They will make us if we don''t," the Yuurindi said.


    I wonder who he is, Greldo thought. From what he knew, there weren''t any other adult Yuurindi here when Rindiri and her kids had been here. Had this guy appeared after that?


    "We can try to ambush them," Ulaan said, turning around and staring at the Yuurindi. "Hadirun¡­ even the strongest of us are weakening too fast. If we don''t act now, we will be doomed. If we can capture that ship, we will get their supplies, and perhaps then we can take down one of those Storm Feeders. It''s our only chance."


    "You would risk their anger?" Hadirun hissed. "I know that ship, that captain. Nralt is a monster, cold and calculating. He has four soulcards! Even if the two of us were at our best, how do you suppose we deal with him?"


    "Overwhelming numbers," Ulaan said. "Even if half of us die, at least the others can live."


    There was a silence in the room, and Greldo stared at the two men. What should he do? If these people attacked the Currant Hunter, they would fail. He had seen the power of those aboard, and the people here were too weak now. They could help them, but what if this was a trap?


    He started talking after I just entered, and I didn''t notice that other one¡­ were they waiting for me?


    He hesitated, then asked Coal to scout the rest of the building and the surrounding ones as he waited.


    "Go and tell the others to get ready," Ulaan said.


    Greldo saw Hadirun grimace.


    "I will, but Ulaan¡­ if this fails-"


    "We will be dead, as we will be, if we don''t do anything soon," Ulaan said, still looking out of the window. "What do we have to lose."


    Hadirun sighed, then walked to the corner, and Greldo watched carefully, not daring to move out of fear the other could be a shadowwalker.


    As Hadirun reached the wall, he seemed to meld into it, vanishing from sight.


    Okay, not a shadowwalker, Greldo thought. But then what? Some way to move through stone or wood? He knew there were cards like that.


    There was a message from Coal that there were no oddities, and he gritted his teeth.


    I can''t head back to talk with Irwin, so either I do something now, or this chance is gone.


    He waited for Ulaan to turn back to his desk and sit down. His face was listless, eyes red from crying.


    Dammit, Greldo thought, ordering Coal to stand by. Then he moved to the far wall, away from where Haduran had vanished and next to a place that would allow him to vanish into the shadows. Then he stepped out of the shadows.


    "Perhaps I can help," he said.


    Ulaan gasped, rose, and turned in one move, a small black crossbow in his hand.


    Greldo stepped into the shadows, moved a few feet to the side, and waited.


    "Wait, I¡­" Ulaan shook his head, and the crossbow vanished as he raised his hands. "Please, you startled me, come-"


    Greldo reappeared, ready to move at the drop of a hat.


    "Hi."


    Ulaan swallowed as he sat down, carefully lowering his hands and putting them on the table.


    "I don''t know who you are¡­ but you can''t be from the ship. Haduran said there weren''t any shadowwalkers there. Are you-"


    "I''m someone that might be able to help," Greldo said. "But for that, I need you to not attack the Ruby''s Revenge until we are ready."


    "We? Is relief coming, finally? Did the merchant guild finally come?" Ulaan whispered, leaning forward, hope blazing in his eyes.


    "Not exactly," Greldo said. "But we might be able to help. But not if you get yourself killed."


    Ulaan''s hope faded, and Greldo saw retaliation dawn.


    "You are from the other ship- The Sonata¡­"


    ¡°Also no,¡± Greldo said. "But we do have issues with The Ruby''s Revenge. How about you take a deep breath, and we see if we can help each other."


    --


    "Zirt, that stupid Merchant wants to speak with you!"


    Zirt looked up at Darkix, who was still as annoying as ever.


    "What for?"


    "How should I know? Probably to agree to the captain''s orders?"


    My orders, Zirt thought, but he held back his anger as he got up and looked around.


    "Fine. Let''s see what he has to say then," he grumbled as he walked towards the gangplank.


    "Zirt¡­ where are you going?" a dangerous snarl came from the door.


    Zirt froze, his two hearts slowing to a crawl as if he were being watched by a predator from the depths. Turning, he saw Nralt standing at the cabin door, glaring at him.


    "I am sorry, captain," he said. "The merchant has requested my presence, and-"


    Nralt''s head spun to Darkix. "What was his exact message?!"


    Darkix took a step back. "He said he wanted to speak to the captai-"


    "AND WHOSE THE CAPTAIN?!" Nralt roared as he dashed out of the door and closed the distance between him and Darkrix faster than Zirt could follow.


    The next thing he saw was Darkrix lying on the deck, his neck a bleeding mess, while Nralt stood above him, both his hands now sporting elongated talons that were dripping with blood.


    "I. Am. The. Captain!" he bellowed, glaring at Darkrix, who was clutching his throat. "I am the one you report to! Me!"


    Zirt remained frozen, knowing the worst he could do now was to draw attention to him. His hopes to finish this fast had died with Darkrix, but that didn''t mean all was lost.


    A creak came as one of the crewmembers took a step back, and Nralt blurred through the air, reaching him and grabbing the smaller man by the neck. Raising him up, he looked at him with his triangular, silver eyes.


    "Who is the captain?" he hissed.


    The man was clutching his hands, trying to pry the taloned fingers away while croaking to get an answer out. Nralt''s head blurred forward, and he bit out the crewman''s throat before dropping him to the ground. Chewing twice, he swallowed before looking around with eyes swirling in their sockets.


    "I will go the merchant. You all will ready the ship for a battle! As soon as those map thieves come, I''ll show them who the captain is!"


    Zirt watched as Nralt turned and stalked toward the gangplank. Was he really just going to leave? That would be-


    Nralt stopped and turned, his crazed eyes locking onto his.


    "Zirt. With me!"


    "Yes, captain," Zirt said, hiding his disappointment and anger.


    He walked forward, sharing a quick glance with the others.


    Now you all better not just leave us here, he thought as he followed his completely insane captain.

 Chapter 276 Plans, plans, plans

    Greldo looked at Ulaan, who was wringing his hands and staring at the table.


    "You know it''s the best for you and your people," he said, leaning against the wall and trying to project an outward calm.


    Ulaan let out a long sigh. "I know, but it''s going to get a lot of people killed."


    "There''s little else I can think of," Greldo said. "If we do it right, you will get their ship, which should give you the ability to get more food here."


    If you actually mean what you are saying and projecting, he thought.


    He was pretty sure Ulaan wanted to help the other merchants and people stranded here, but who knew what the man would do if he got The Ruby''s Revenge.


    Ulaan looked up, then out of the window, and was quiet for a while. Then he nodded.


    "I''ll do it. We will create a distraction," he said before staring at Greldo.


    His eyes narrowed slightly. "You are sure that your captain will help?"


    Greldo nodded, hoping he wasn''t putting a bit too much on his friend''s shoulders.


    "Between him and me, we should be fine," he said. "You just make sure The Ruby''s Revenge doesn''t manage to get out of the harbor when we appear."


    "I''ll do my best," Ulaan said.


    "Then I''ll head back now, and we will return as we can," Greldo said.


    He stepped into the shadows but remained where he was, watching Ulaan. He wanted to see what the other would do.


    Ulaan remained sitting for almost ten minutes before he got up and began pacing the room. It took another while til Hadirun returned, facing through the wall.


    Greldo stared at the thin Yuurindi as he hid behind a closet.


    "It took a while, but the others agree," Hadirun said as he slumped down on the chair and rubbed his eyes.


    "A shadowwalker was just here," Ulaan said without any preamble.


    Hadirun jumped up and began looking around. Greldo hid deeper into the shadows, and he was ready to act when Hadirun''s gaze moved over him. There was no reaction, no widening of the pupils or tensing.


    Either he can''t see me, or he isn''t someone to gamble with, Greldo thought.


    "He might still be here," Hadirun hissed. "How are you still alive? What did he say Zirt wanted?"


    Ulaan shook his head. "He wasn''t from that ship."


    Then he quickly told Hadirun what had happened, including everything Greldo had said.


    "So. What do you think?" he finally said.


    Hadirun had his head in his hands and then snorted.


    "I think we are being used," he said. "But I also think you made the right call. What else can we do?"


    "We could sell them out to Zirt," Ulaan said, causing Greldo to tense.


    "Bah, we both know what that would lead to," Hadirun hissed. "Even if we''d survive, we''d be worse off than we are now. No, this is the best we can hope for. If we can get their ship, we can go to one of the other exit-portals, perhaps even find one that will allow us on the world. Then we can bring everyone over slowly while returning with food."


    Ulaan snorted. "That is if we survive this."


    Hadirun leaned back. "They have Nralt, but from what I''ve heard, he is insane now. Still, he is said to have four soulcards, one speed-based and with increased agility and strength. They also have one, three soul-carded, and a few two. If you and I can keep Nralt busy, the others should be able to hold up the rest. Worst case scenario, we flee and hope the shadowwalker and the Captain of that ship come to help us. They didn''t give a name?"


    "None," Ulaan said.


    Greldo remained for another bit until the two started talking tactics. Then he slowly passed through a shadowy creak and out of the building to vanish in the perpetual shadows of the town.


    --


    Irwin hummed as he struck the final blow to the card. Looking around, he saw Montain stand to the side, ready to take a shift.


    I''ll do one more card, he thought.


    He took the card from Ambraz''s back and inspected it. The soulforce resonance from the card was strong, but it also felt on the edge of- as if it could snap or break at any moment. Another card reforged so far beyond what it should do that he knew there was no way he could change it any further.


    Still, it should allow someone to graft branches of one tree to another.  He hoped someone could use it to take fruit-bearing branches and put them all across the large flora around the portal.


    He pocketed the card and was about to put another on when Hou''dor spoke.


    "Shadowwalker through the barrier!"


    Irwin looked up and around, ready to act if he had to. Then he saw Greldo appear on the deck beside him and let out a slow sigh of relief.


    "Why do you look surprised I made it back?" Greldo said as he stifled a yawn.


    Irwin grinned as he walked over to his friend.


    "Good to see you made it back safely," he said, unable to keep the relief he felt from his voice. "So, how was it?"


    Before his friend could even respond, Zender came rushing up the stairs.


    "Greldo, you''re back!" he shouted as he burst out of the cabin door and ran towards them.


    Greldo grunted, shaking his head in disbelief. "It''s like you all thought something would happen to me!"


    Irwin didn''t respond, seeing the joy in Greldo''s eyes as he greeted the young Yuurindi.


    "What did you see? Can we go this way?" Zender asked excitedly.


    Greldo''s face fell. "Yes, but how about you get the others while I talk with the captain quickly?"


    More troubles, Irwin thought, recognizing the look in his friend''s eyes.


    Zender looked at him, and he nodded and watched Zender run away.


    "The Ruby''s Revenge made it to Sesnanser," Greldo said.


    Irwin hissed, then quietly listened as his friend told him everything that had happened. Halfway through, Ambraz changed out of his working shape and landed on his shoulder while Montain joined them.


    "So¡­ what will we do?" Montain asked, eyes gleaming.


    Irwin thought for a moment before making up his mind. Boohm, Hind, and the others were walking out on deck.


    "We will talk with the others, then prepare to head for Sesnanser," he said, turning to Greldo. "Grab some food, try and rest, and get ready to head back."


    Greldo nodded, yawned, then vanished into the shadows.


    "So, how is it?" Esther asked, stepping forward.


    "It seems we are going to have to fight with a Currant Hunter," Irwin said as he focused on Sibil.


    The shadowwalker''s eyes widened as she looked at him with a sudden worry.


    "The Ruby''s Revenge reached Sesnanser," Irwin said. "They are waiting for us and trying to get the people that are there to join in attacking us."


    "We should take another route," Sibil said quickly.


    Irwin shook his head. "Greldo spoke with the one in charge of Sesnanser, a merchant called Ulaan. They came to a deal. Ulaan and his men will create a diversion so we can move in on the harbor without The Ruby''s Revenge attacking us. That should give us the time to reach it, at which point we will attack the ship."


    As he spoke, Irwin kept an eye on Sibil. He needed to know how she would react. Greldo had said that she had no lingering sympathies for her old crew, but he couldn''t risk her warning them.


    "Will you have any trouble with that?" he asked.


    The others turned to Sibil, who smiled ruefully.


    "No. But¡­ not all on that ship are murderers like Nralt and Zirt. There are a few that joined when I did, so¡­"


    "We aren''t just going to kill them all," Irwin said, feeling a headache crop up. Was this because of how he had handled those raiders? Did she think he was just going to kill anyone like that?


    "So, what are we going to do?" Esther asked.


    "Kick their ass and take their ship," Boohm shouted, grinning widely.


    Irwin snorted, then turned to the others, looking at Esther, Montain, Seleen, Dahlia, and Sibil. "I think it''s time we have a serious conversation about what our cards can do."


    "It''s not normal to share too much-" Seleen began.


    Esther rolled her eyes and interrupted her. "All three of us only have one soulcard, and none are fully combat-related. The only thing I can bring to a fight is above-average strength."


    Montain shrugged at Seleen and raised his hand, creating a floating orb of stone crackling with blueish lightning. "I can throw these things and cause some damage, and I''ve been trained in hand-to-hand combat," he said.


    He seemed to want to continue, then hesitated before looking at Irwin and Hind with a grin.


    "I''m also pretty strong, and before I met you and Hind, I hadn''t met anyone with less than four cards that were as strong as I was."


    Seleen snorted, thudding her brother''s shoulder hard enough to cause him to take a step to the side.


    "Show of¡­ Anyway, I''m able to fly," she said as she began hovering a foot in the air.


    Irwin still found it odd to see a brawny rock-like being floating, but he didn''t say anything.


    "Beyond this, I''m pretty fast," she continued, moving across the ship like a blur before coming back.


    When she didn''t continue, Esther sniffed. "She can also block out any attempts to manipulate her mind."


    Seleen crossed her arms, glaring at her sister. "That''s supposed to be my secret!"


    "And he needs to know if we encounter someone that attacks like that so he knows who to send in," Esther replied.


    "Thanks," Irwin said before looking around. "I''m sure nobody here will share your secret."


    I hope, he added.


    Seleen pursed her lips but didn''t react, and everyone turned to Dahlia, who was quiet, before walking a few steps away. Although still almost as tall and muscular as Greldo, she looked small compared to her present company.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    With a flash, her entire body was coated in a thick but formfitting layer of armor while she grew a foot in height. A smooth helm covered her head, the faceplate a flat black sheet that gleamed slightly.


    Boohm whistled appreciatively, but Dahlia didn''t react. Instead, she raised her hands, and dark energy emanated from them slowly began pulsing with a purplish hue.


    "My armor will keep me safe in most situations, including inside the storm," she said, her voice muffled. "My cards allow me to draw energy from others, and I''m good with most weaponry."


    "Any limits to that?" Irwin asked, surprised by the reveal. He wasn''t sure what he''d expected, but not something like that.


    "If someone has a card above ruby rank, it will be less effective," Dahlia said as the armor vanished. "Also, if someone has more soulcards than me, the effect will be slow."


    Irwin nodded before he stepped back and raised his hand, summoning a massive hammer coated in flame.


    "Well, you have all seen what I can do," he said. "I can create this and resize it as I need, and I''m able to use kinetic energy."


    He didn''t tell them about his steam or the fact that his fire wasn''t a normal fire. He didn''t expect either to be of any use, and he preferred keeping some tricks to himself.


    Which the others probably did as well, he thought, looking at his crew.


    Boohm, Earila, and Sender showed their abilities, followed by Hind.


    The others seemed suitable surprised, and impressed, but Irwin knew that with many of them having emerald or ruby soulcards, they likely had also had some abilities they kept to themselves.


    When everyone had shared as much as they wanted, he turned to Montain.


    "Can you start? We need to get the ambient soulforce up as high as we can."


    "Sure! Just let me know what you expect of me later," Montain said as he walked away a bit. His Ganvil, Dar''malder, which had been quietly watching, dropped on the deck, and a moment later, the slow pounding of Montain''s hammer echoed across the deck.


    "Alright, let''s plan out how we do this then," Irwin said. "We will be setting out as soon as we can."


    As soon as we could, it ended up being almost an hour later, with Earila behind the wheel and Irwin and Montain reforging cards at a slow pace.


    Hou''dor and the other rank-five''s kept the barrier strong enough for the wind to have only a little effect on the ship, making it easy for Earila to keep it on course.


    Soon after they left, Greldo headed back out to Sesnaner to prepare Ulaan.


    As he saw his friend vanish, Irwin hoped they wouldn''t be running into any other unexpected surprises.


    --


    Pain¡­ Why wouldn''t it stop? Flashes of anger constantly raged through his mind- even the usual solace of his soulscape was nothing but a constant reminder of everything he hated.


    Perhaps I waited too long.


    The thought slithered up through the mire of muck and bubbling anger that had a stranglehold on his thoughts.


    An image of Darkrix''s bloody body overlaid the rubble-filled street he walked through. His anger roared a furious approval, but deep within his haunted mind, Nralt felt a shiver of discomfort.


    Why¡­


    He couldn''t finish the thought as he picked up Zirt''s shuffles behind him. Just thinking about the other Emnonriz made him furious. They were all against him, trying to kill him, and Zirt was the worst. If he wasn''t so weak, he''d have killed him. His anger soared, begging him to give in, and Nralt stopped, frowning.


    Yes. Why would he let the dangerous kin live?


    He glanced over his shoulder, and he saw Zirt freeze- a look of pure terror in his eyes.


    No. He is weak.


    He turned around and continued walking to see the merchant, that thought himself the ruler of this shithole. What was his name again?


    Ulaan.


    Nralt held back a roar of rage. It wouldn''t do to scare the man away. No, he needed to force him to give his supplies. There was no way he hadn''t hidden enough for himself, and those would do nicely. After that, he''d help them set up an ambush for-


    "Thievery," he hissed as he recalled the shadowwalker. First, he''d distracted them, got him to destroy some buildings so his accomplices could steal the maps, and after that, as he pursued that one, that damnable shadowwalker had returned to steal his cards. HIS, cards.


    "Kill them, kill them all," Nralt muttered as he the world turned a shade of red.


    --


    "They are coming!" Hadirun said, rushing into Ulaan''s room.


    Ulaan looked up, face growing pale.


    "Already?" he whispered, looking at Hadirun in horrified disbelief. "How many?"


    "Just Nralt and Zirt," Hadirun said, shaking his head. "But Nralt, he¡­ he''s even more insane than we heard. He actually killed someone on his ship, the second strongest from what I could tell."


    "That''s good, right?" Ulaan asked.


    Hadirun took a deep breath, then shook his head. "I''m not sure. He was fast, Ulaan. Faster than he should be. I think he has a ruby rank soulcard dedicated solely to movement speed¡­"


    "By Yilda, if that''s true," he whispered. "We won''t stand a chance!"


    "Maybe, but we have to try. Even if we would want to do as he says, it''s not going to work. He is coming here for blood," Hadirun hissed. "I''ve got the others ready downstairs. Get ready. I need you to hold him long enough for me to try and blend with his flesh and hope I can keep him pinned down. The others will deal with Zirt."


    Ulaan got up, glared at his leg, then nodded.


    "Alright, let''s hope that shadowwalker and his ship arrive soon. Otherwise, there won''t be anything left when he does."


    --


    Greldo shot forward through the storm, then crossed the barrier. As soon as he entered the reasonably calm area around Sesnanser, he knew things weren''t going as he''d planned.


    Raging flames covered parts of the town, while dull explosions shattered a roof near where he''d spoken with Ulaan. The Ruby''s Revenge was still anchored, which was at least something.


    Dammit! he cursed, speeding up. He contemplated teleporting to the shadows, then held back. He would probably need the energy later.


    It took him only moments to reach the town, where he found people running everywhere, heading for the edges and away from the center of destruction.


    Did they attack early? he thought, moving through the shadows toward the center of the destruction.


    When he reached the location where the inn had been, all he found was a mass of stone and wooden debris littering an area with nothing of the previous building left standing. Bodies lay strewn everywhere, and only two people still stood upright.


    Ulaan stood, leaning on a bit of rubble, his face pale and one dimly glowing hand raised and pointed at Nralt. He was shaking, his face pale, and blood was dripping from his nose. Still, his jaw was set as the glow around his hand continued to increase slowly, seeming to build up to something.


    Nralt stood a few dozen steps away, his arms stretched, and his to-wide mouth stretched into a snarl. His eyes were glowing as he shivered, and as Greldo watched, he took a shaky step forward.


    Greldo almost moved right then and there, and only Coal''s warning made him stop. He focused on a nearby building, finding Zirt hidden within and peeking around the doorframe.


    Why isn''t he helping? Greldo thought, backing up a bit more.


    Perhaps he was hiding from someone else? He looked around in search of Hadirun, finding no sign of the pale Yuurind. Still, that didn''t mean he wasn''t around.


    Perhaps he''s hiding from Hadirun?


    A soft humming began, and he focused back on Nralt, who had moved one arm down, now holding a long, deadly-looking sword. A slimy, orange liquid began leaking from it as the Captain continued to force it to point at Ulaan. The merchant leader didn''t react, still keeping his shaky hand pointed at the other, the torch-like glow still increasing.


    Need to figure out what they are doing, Greldo thought. If he moved and got in the way of either of their attack, he probably wouldn''t enjoy himself.


    He glanced at Zirt, but the other Emnonriz was still hiding in the house. A nasty grin was on his face, his eyes gleaming as he seemed unable to keep his eyes from the scene. Greldo almost got the feeling he was waiting for something.


    He hesitated, then began circling the area, heading towards Zirt. If he could take the first mate out quickly, that would save him some trouble. As he moved, he kept an eye on Nralt.


    The Captain had managed to almost get the sword to point at Ulaan, but something seemed to be holding him from the last bit. He let out a snarl and finally jerked to point at Ulaan, and a gurgle came from his throat, like someone being strangled trying to laugh.


    The orange liquid flowed up to the point in the blink of an eye, creating a fist-sized sphere. As it launched forward, the muscles on Nralt''s arm rippled horrifyingly, and his arm jerked sideways just as the orange blob shot through the air, missing Ulaan and instead striking a building to the side. The building blasted apart amidst a massive explosion that hurled debris through the air, which pelted the nearby roofs and the rubble-filled square.


    Greldo felt his skin shiver as he thought about what he''d seen, replying the way Nralt''s muscles and skin had moved. I had looked like fingers poking them from the inside.


    Is Hadirun inside him?


    An angry roar came from Nralt, and he stopped moving forward, moving his hands together instead. All of his movements were slow and jerky, and now that he knew what to look for, Greldo saw the muscles in his neck and jawline rippling oddly.


    A sense of unease came from Coal, which he completely agreed with. He asked his friend to surround the back of the building with a few clones, getting a confused question.


    This is a great opportunity, he thought to his friend as he moved through the shadows and appeared inside the building Zirt was hiding in. The first-mate was still staring at the scene, an odd hope in his eyes.


    Coal moved slowly to the shadow behind and left while Greldo did the same to the right. He stared at the first-mate, feeling no issue with what he was about to do.


    Kill him, he hissed, moving as one with Coal.


    --


    Zirt couldn''t believe his luck. Who could have known there was someone with skincrawler-card here!?


    Come on, kill him already! he thought, staring at the merchant.


    He had no idea what kind of cards he had, but his senses told him the silvery light was powerful, already at a level that he''d have to dodge it himself.


    If he kills him here, I can just leave before-


    A desire to kill appeared behind him, and only his well-honed instincts saved him as he dodged forward, crashing through the door and onto the ground before it while snaps came from behind. He didn''t need to see to know what had happened, and he ran, ignoring the two -or technically three- people standing on the rubble.


    I hate shadowwalkers, he thought, trying to sense the emotions that would tell him the next attack was imme-


    He forced himself to drop down just as something slashed across his back, ripping through his armor''s top layer, only to be stopped by the thin metal shirt below.


    "Fucking, little-" he began as he tried to roll to the side when a massive weight thudded onto his back, pinning him to the ground.


    A sickening and slimy sensation came as something wrapped around his neck. His mind moved as fast as it ever had, coming up with a plan.


    "Don''t kill me," he shouted as he felt the pressure increase. "I can tell you who is behind abducting the smiths!"


    For a moment, the pressure continued, then it stopped.


    "Tell me," a cold, growly voice said behind him.


    "You have to let me leave first," Zirt hissed. "Then I''ll tell you!"


    The pressure increased again, and the voice came closer to Zirt''s head.


    "I''m pretty sure I can find someone else to tell us."


    Zirt felt his heart skip a beat. He was so close, was this seriously how he was going to end!


    "No, wait! I''ll tell you, just don''t kill-"


    The presure vanished while his back heated up a something bright flashed over his head. A dull boom rattled his teeth and he looked up to see the building behind them had been turned to rubble. Not hesitating one bit, he got up and began running again.


    I''ll get you for this, he thought, burning the voice in his mind.


    Dashing through a half-collapsed building, he jumped out the other end, freezing in his tracks. A dozen black shadowy hounds, each large enough to look him in the eye, stood before him. He sensed zero emotions from them, and he backed up a step only to bump into something soft and cold.


    He barely managed a scream as massive maws tore him to pieces.


    --


    Greldo thanked Coal as he rushed towards Ulaan. The small merchant had crumpled to the ground, his arm a mess of flesh and bone, while Nralt was standing a few steps away, shivering and shuddering.


    Greldo appeared beside Ulaan and instantly knew whatever the merchant had wanted to do wasn''t going to happen. Blood was flowing from his nose and mouth, and his eyes were fluttering open and closed.


    "Kill¡­. Killl¡­¡±


    Greldo froze, looking up to see Nralt breathing raggedy. He was moving in bursts of rapid movement while scratching at his chest, the jerkin covering it reduced to strips of thick cloth and leather. With a starling screech, he suddenly punctured his own chest before ripping something from it and tossing it aside.


    Greldo felt his stomach clench as he watched a bit of flesh squirming on the ground while Nralt doubled over and made a gagging sound. Then he vomited up a pile of goo, which splashed on the ground before him like thick ooze in a swamp. It lay there for only a few moments before quickly reshaping itself into Hadirun. The Yuurindi was covered in deep wounds, not unlike those on Nralt.


    A peel of ragged laughter rose from Nralt as they moved forward like a blur.


    Damnit, he''s turning into an Addled! How, why-


    Greldo shoved his confused worries away and stepped out of the shadows, grabbed Ulaan, and yanked him back inside with him. There was no way of telling if the man would survive it, but he was definitely not going to survive here.


    "Shadowwalker! Vile! Repulsive! I''ll rip your throat out!" Nralt screamed as he dashed around, moving around almost as if he were teleporting.


    Not right now, at least, Greldo thought.


    Not sure what to do, he rose and looked around for the most distant building he could find while ignoring Nralt rampaging around. He spotted one not too far away and zipped through the shadows, away from the rampaging crazed monster.


    You better get here fast, Irwin!


    --


    Irwin moved to the prow as he saw the distant whole corridor approach. The chaotic soulforce was running rampage around, making it hard for him to see anything other than the faint outlines of the town.


    "Get ready!" he shouted, turning to Hou''dor. "Ready?"


    "As ready as can be," Hou''dor grunted. "Just try and get them before they start beating the shield like a drum."


    Drum¡­ the image of his tiny nephew played through Irwin''s mind, but he quickly pushed it away as he focused on the incoming barrier.


    "If I have to, I''ll teleport aboard and blow up the ship," he said.


    Or try to.


    As they passed through the barrier, the black, billowing storm- laced with multi-colored, but pre-dominantly purple soulforce- the ragged harbor of Sensanser appeared. Fires ran rampant all across its central area while a building exploded in a purplish ball of energy. A raging ball of soulforce was rushing through that area of town, moving so fast it seemed like it was teleporting.


    "What¡­" Irwin muttered, and then his eye fell on The Ruby''s Revenge, which was still there. "What is going on?"


    As they closed in on the town, he saw hasty movements aboard the Ruby''s Revenge. He was about to call out that they would move when Hou''dor and Sibil shouted ''shadowwalker'' at the same time.


    Greldo thudded on the deck together with a bleeding figure.


    "Boohm, he needs healing!" Greldo shouted before anyone could speak. Then he turned to Irwin. "Zirt is dead, Nralt is becoming an Addled, and he''s raging through town, killing everyone! We need to take over the ship and then get rid of him!"


    Irwin blinked, then took a deep breath.


    "Sibil, get ready to bring Montain to that ship. Greldo, follow me, but stay in the shadows unless I need help!!"


    Then he jumped up with a burst of kinetic energy, rocking the ship before teleporting along a soundwave heading towards the Ruby''s Revenge.