Irwin's Journey - The Cardsmith

Are they asleep? Irwin thought as he gazed at the mass of small emberions around him. Most hadn't moved at all, and many had stopped ingesting fire. Instead, they just seemed to laze about while fire licked out from their closed eyelids rippling around before seemingly being absorbed by his flame.

Irwin sighed, long since having stopped being too worried. How long had he been sitting here? An hour? It felt like a long time.

A tiny flicker of movement came from the final few still drawing in fire, then they stopped, hovering in his flame. The constant resonating of his first card stopped with jarring rudeness, and instantly, all of the tiny white eyes shot open. Irwin sucked in a breath as all of the emberions stared at him. For a moment, they seemed to drift closer, and he wanted to back up, but there was no place to go.

A soft resonance came from all his cards, giving off a sense of… joy and then kinship.

"Can you hear me?" Irwin whispered.

A high-pitched, happy humming sound from all around him, and his first card virtually vibrated as the sense of joy turned to happiness.

Do they have a soul skill that is like my fire-sensitive body card? Irwin thought as he stared at the tiny creatures looking at him, the happiness they felt coming off in warm waves.

He was about to try to talk to them again when the emberions moved up and away. Within a few moments, he was standing in the wide open desert, the cloud whisking away in the distance.

A ring of people stood around him, many with scorchers. Seeing no more danger, he dropped his flame, the fire that had been writing around him finally stopping. A wave of weariness passed over him, and the area around him turned darker as if his fiery night vision turned off slightly. Drawing in a few breaths, he rubbed his head, feeling a headache grow.

I guess I overused my card, he thought.

"Irwin!"

He looked up to see Greldo rush towards him, Coal next to him, and a look of intense relief on his face.

"Hey," Irwin said as he pushed himself up, glad to finally be able to stretch his legs. His headache grew to a throbbing pain, and he felt his lips were dry.

"Are you alright?"

Irwin nodded, noting the burned marks and scorched on his friend's face.

"Perhaps I should ask you that?"

"I am fine," Greldo said as he shook his head.

"Smith Irwin."

Irwin looked up to see the towering Tragt stomp towering over him. Little was left of his leaf hair, and one side of his bark-covered face was blackened, moving stiffly compared to the rest.

"Are you able to do what you just did again if need be?" he asked, staring at Irwin.

Not even asking if I'm alright? Irwin thought.

"I think so," he said, rubbing his face and feeling his dry throat complain about being used. "But I need water."

Tragt stared at him for a moment, then nodded. "I'll make sure you get some. Now let's get out of here."

The Viridian turned around and stomped back to the wagons, which were in a line again. The last one was heavily damaged, and to the side lay the destroyed, dismantled remains of another.

"Everyone back on the wagons! We are leaving!"

"Let's go up," Greldo said, pulling his arm.

Irwin let himself be drawn along toward the other smiths who were staring at him.

"That's some nifty card you've got there," Yogog said as he made as if to thump him on the shoulder, only for Balarn to grab his arm.

"Don't. He might fall. Irwin, are you alright?"

Irwin forced a smirk. "Just thirsty. Really thirsty."

"Here," Yogog said.

Irwin gratefully took the flagon and began drinking from the narrow opening. The water tasted divine, and he almost felt his body suck it in greedily.

I really need to figure out a way to fix this, he thought as he almost sucked the water out of the flagon. If he had to use this repeatedly, and with water this scarce? Perhaps I should get a water-type card instead of movement.

The water was gone too soon, and as he handed the empty flagon back to Yogog, he saw a stunned look on the other's face.

"That was a lot of water," the burly smith muttered, shaking the flagon by his ear.

"Sorry," Irwin said lamely, not really sorry at all. His headache was a lot less now, and he wasn't going to just sit around with one if he could fix it by drinking water.

"All aboard!"

Everyone started from the deafening shout, then they began moving to their wagon. Two wounded guards already lay in it, and they had to sit close together. Still, as Irwin looked around, he was almost glad to see the tiny early flickers of the sunrise. He couldn't wait to sleep.

They traveled for another few hours, and Irwin began questioning Balarn and Yogog about anything else that could possibly happen in the desert. Most of what they told him he'd already found out by now, but his eyes widened when they began telling him about the windstream and what to expect. The others didn't seem to care much. Besides Greldo, they weren't really paying much attention until they heard the temperature in the grove would be substantially lower, after which they couldn't wait to finish the journey.

Tragt finally called a stop when the early morning sun began peeking across the distant hills. When the tents were finally put down, Irwin wasn't surprised when he saw multiple people double-check the cables.

The evening luckily passed uneventfully, and he slept like a log, only waking once from a nightmare he couldn't recall.

Halfway through the morning of the next day, as they were hovering about across the seemingly endless red desert, a happy shout came from the lead wagon.

"Windstream up ahead!"

About time, Irwin thought as he rose to his feet and looked into the distance, trying to see something that matched what Yogog had described.

It took a few moments before they were close enough for him to see their destination–an over forty feet wide stream of rapidly blowing air that rushed a few feet above the ground. It pulled along a massive amount of the ruddy sand that sparkled and glittered in the moonlight.

"That's incredible," he whispered as he looked along the river of wind and sand. He couldn't see a beginning or an end, but as they closed in, he could sense the anticipation of everyone around him.

"Can't wait to be out of here," Greldo muttered as he wiped the sweat off his forehead.

"Alright! Everyone strap into their seats," Tragt roared from ahead.

The Teinefola riders in front of the different gliders copied it, turning around to instruct their passengers.

"Alright, we should be into the woods now," one of the Viridians muttered, causing an agreeable muttering from the others.

Let's hope so, Irwin thought as he pulled the flat rope tight across his upper legs.

The stream of sand made a low roaring sound as they closed in, and the wagons began spreading out. The Teinefola began moving their wings, letting out dull grunts as if in expectation. A strong pull began yanking Irwin's long hair to the side, and he felt the wooden wagon below him start to pick up speed.

A sense of excitement came, tinged with a tiny bit of fear, as they closed in. The wagon shot forward with a jolt, his hair whipping back as the Teinefola's wings caught the wind. A happy droning sound came from the one pulling their wagon as they shot forward, being pulled along by the powerful current. For a few moments, Irwin worried they were going to dive into the glittering sand, then the Teinefola shot up, a deep burgundy glow coming from the bottom of its wings. Within moments they shot up along the side of the river until they rose to the top, rushing along at breakneck speed.

"This is bloody awesome!" Yogog shouting, raising his hands in the air and letting out a happy roar.

Irwin couldn't help but agree, and he took a look at Greldo to see his friend's eyes sparkling, a big smile on his face.

The speed increased rapidly, and within minutes they began covering miles of red desert.

"Enjoy this while it lasts," Yogog shouted from his seat. "We should arrive in an hour or two!"

Irwin just nodded as he kept looking around. The powerful windstream carried them along, and time flew by rapidly. Irwin didn't know when, but at some point, he saw a dull line in the distance. It started as a dark line, but as they closed in, he could make out what looked like a line of orange and red-leafed trees.

Half an hour later, he was staring at the towering trees. If he was back home, he would have thought they were ready to drop their leaves. The river of wind and sand curved towards them before scattering against the massive trunks. Sand piled up everywhere at some places, nearly halfway up the towering tree trunks.

"Those have to be four hundred feet tall," Greldo shouted.

"Five hundred," Yogog roared back, a big grin on his face. "And this ain't nothing yet! They become taller as we reach the city!"

Irwin felt his stomach lurch as the wagon tilted to the side before hanging over slightly. Then it rushed down towards the desert below, after the other wagons. Irwin couldn't help but grin at the immense sense of speed as they rushed down. When Yogog whooped loudly, he couldn't help but join, roaring happily as the speed increased even more. After a short dash, they slowed again as the Teinefola shot along the side of the river and finally pushed off, straightened, then glided away.

They struck the ground with a thud that caused Irwin's teeth to rattle, after which they shot across the desert toward the trees in the distance.

"That was awesome," Yogog shouted.

Irwin turned to him, his adrenaline still spiked and his blood pumping. "Now I see why you want to get a personal one. Can you ride those rivers on your own?" he asked.

"Damn straight," Yogog shouted happily. "It's a local sport!"

Irwin turned to Greldo, seeing his friend look at him seemingly helplessly.

"What?" he asked. "Don't tell me you don't want to try it out?"

Greldo hesitated, then shook his head. "I'll take another ride in a wagon, but on my own on the back of those things, in the air? Pass."

A few of the others laughed, and as Irwin looked up, he could see Monyque look ahead in relief.

It still took a while before they finally reached the treeline, at which point they had to make their way up the massive pile-up of desert sand. Still, when they finally reached the top and slid down, Irwin could hear sighs of relief as the temperature dropped from what he imagined had to be stifling hot for most of them to merely very warm.

They moved further below the canopy that was so high it looked almost like a cloudy green sky, the light of the moon and stars disappeared. Within another short while, his vision turned fully red, and he looked around to find that the others were looking around with worried frowns.

"Are we really going to continue in the dark?" Monyque asked finally.

"Don't worry. Viridians can see in forests, the lights work like lanterns for them," Balarn said calmly as he leaned back. "Just take a nap. We still need a few more days of travel before we reach the city."

They can see in the dark? Irwin thought, and as he watched the others begin to set in for a rest, he got up.

"Irwin?" Balarn asked worriedly.

"Don't worry. I'm going to have a chat with the driver," Irwin said as he moved forward.

"He can see in the dark," Greldo muttered behind him, getting a slightly surprised response from Balarn.

Irwin ignored it and made his way to the front until he leaned on the edge of the wagon. The Viridian driver was a short distance away, looking around with a happy, content smile.

"How long till we reach the city?" Irwin asked, causing him to turn around and look at him in surprise.

"Tomorrow evening, close to dawn," the man said. "Please go back to your seat before you fall out."

Irwin grinned back, raising an eyebrow as he gazed right into the man's glimmering green eyes.

"Don't worry," he said.

The man's leafy eyebrows rose, then he grinned and looked back in front. "You're that offworlder that saved the tent and the wagons," he said. "Although there are some dangers in the grove, none will get anywhere near Tragt!"

Irwin remained for a few more moments, then headed back to his seat. A soft snoring came from the others, and he leaned back.

Finally, some peace and quiet, he thought as he closed his eyes.

They continued forward even when thin rays of light began pouring through the few little cracks in the dense canopy above.

"We aren't stopping for the day?" Greldo asked.

"No. They will continue on until we reach the city now," Balarn replied with a yawn. "I think Tragt has had enough of this trip and wants to see his family."

Soon the people on the wagon began chatting, though Irwin noticed that the Viridians kept stifling yawns, seeming tired. All around them, the tree trunks had gotten even thicker and wider, some roots now the size of a tree in the Gloomforest. The wagons were flying a dozen feet in the air, and Irwin had seen the occasional scurrying motion below in what appeared to be a thick layer of old leaves.

The scenery around them was that of a nearly barren leaf-covered wasteland filled with towering trunks. Only the occasional tiny sprout seemed to grow, while green and yellow moss grew upon some fallen logs that lay within the ocean of leaves.

As they continued throughout the day, the temperature continued to drop until it was no hotter than a hot summer day back home. There was even the smidgen of a cool breeze blowing around, carrying a fresh scent.

Finally, far into the night, with only the guards, Irwin and Greldo still awake, a happy shout came from ahead. Getting up, Irwin saw a glimmering green light far in the distance.

Soon they saw that the trunks in the distance began growing increasingly sparse, though those that remained began to become more and more massive. A dull blueish-green light came from ahead.

"Look, it's like a tree house," Greldo whispered.

Irwin stopped looking at the distance light and followed Greldo's pointed finger.

High up was a smooth, rounded wooden house nestled between some of the massive branches. Distant specs moved across.

"Watchtowers," Balarn said from behind them.

Watching for what? Irwin thought, looking around. There was no movement…

After a few moments, he shook his head. He'd seen enough odd things to know that no movement didn't mean there wasn't anything dangerous. He decided to keep an eye out, just in case.

As they continued on, more and more houses appeared, and suddenly their caravan moved around the most massive tree they had seen so far and into a clearing. Trees the size of mountains circled it, their enormous canopies sprawling across the center and connecting in the middle. Buildings hung all across their sides, some carved out in the light brown bark.

As amazing as all that was, the thing that blew Irwin's mind away was the glittering and glowing azure lake that sat in the middle of the circle of trees. Roots from the trees grew along its edges, some even seeming to dip inside. The light from the water caused everything to take a bit of an azure green tint, making it look cool and calm.

"That's a big lake," Greldo hissed.

"A big glowing lake," Irwin agreed before turning. "Wasn't there a water shortage here?" he asked as he looked at Yogog accusingly.

"There is," Yogog said. "Just not here! But how do you think they are going to bring enough water to the villages and towns without it evaporating?"

Irwin snorted as he looked back at the lake. The glittering water made him remember how thirsty he was.

"Where is the water coming from?" he asked. "Some soulcarded?"

Balarn moved to stand beside them. "No, the roots of the central nine trees drill down towards the core of this world where they wrap around Frostiron veins. They somehow use the cold from that and the heat from the sun to generate water which bubbles up from the top parts of their roots."

"Incredible," Greldo muttered.

They continued ahead towards a bustling town at the foot of one of the largest trees. Every building was made of wood, though Irwin didn't see any individual boards or parts. The pale wood turned dark red at the top, and as they closed in, he saw there was a thick covering of leaves atop the buildings.

"Are those trees?" he asked, pointing at the buildings.

"Treehouses," Balarn said with a nod. "I hope you like them because we are going to be spending a lot of time in one!"

A wide open square bordered the town, with shops and a lot of people. To the side stood dozens of other wagons, their Teinefola nowhere to be seen.

"Alright, everyone, take your luggage and disembark," Tragt boomed.

All too happy to walk around again, Irwin grabbed his bag, walked to the edge, and jumped over to land on the soft covering of moss. It was yellowish green, and he'd barely noticed due to the eye-catching sights around him.

It didn't take long for the rest to group around him while Balarn was out talking with Tragt. When he finally left, he had a wide grin. Irwin noticed a few of the guards waving at them, and he waved back.

"Good news?" Yogog asked.

Balarn grinned wider and tossed him a tiny bag.

"Tragt said that because of both of your help with the Screequanoxes, then the tent and then those Emberions, he said we had saved him so much that he couldn't do anything but give us most of our fee back," he said as he turned to Irwin tossing him another one.

Catching it, Irwin was surprised to feel it was heavier than what he expected.

"There's a bit more in yours," Balarn said. "Now, let's go and head to our smithy!"

He walked forward, and Irwin saw he had a slight spring in his step.

The square was bustling with Viridians, and as they passed, Irwin was surprised at the large difference in size between them. The younger ones had pale green shades of leaves and bark so smooth it almost looked like skin and barely reached his elbow. The older ones looked like ancient trees with brown leaves dropping to their backs, and some were even a head taller than Tragt, towering over everyone else.

Going up the different levels required walking up a circular staircase that was drilled into the outside of the tree and connected the different levels. Each level was almost like a large section of a town with one side open, giving a clear view of the lake.

The first levels were all covered with shops and workshops, while a few levels higher, all he saw were living quarters. With tiny expanses of greenery on the edge to prevent people from falling over and beautiful vines and flowers from hanging pots, he could barely believe most of this had been a desert less than a thousand years ago.

"So… how high do we have to go exactly?" Greldo grunted after they had climbed up twelve levels.

"Those bottom levels are the priciest," Balarn said. "Perhaps, now that we aren't just with Yogog and me, we can earn enough to buy a better place in the middle region, but for now, we are on the eighty-first level."

"Eighty-first?" Greldo shouted. "You mean we have to move up seventy more levels?"

"There's this nifty vine you can use to get up to the different levels, but it's pretty pricey! But don't worry, you'll get used to it," Yogog said merely. "Going down is much faster, though!"

They continued walking, and slowly the temperature began climbing again. They had to stop every ten or so floors, but eventually, they reached the floor they had to be on. By that time, everyone, Irwin included, was grumbling angrily.

"I remember this being less high," Yogog growled.

Not even Balarn seemed interested in talking, though, as he led them between the single-story buildings. It was quiet, barely any Viridians moving about, though Irwin did notice a few curious eyes from windows.

A short while, especially compared to the hour of stair climbing, later, they reached a taller building that was on the edge of a platform, connected to another one a bit further away by means of bridges Irwin found incredibly dangerous looking. A semi-open smithing area sat to the side, and Balarn moved to the door, pushing it open and walking inside.

"Home sweet home," he said as he turned to the others. "Get in here, and let's get you all situated. After that, we need to discuss how we are going to start!"