Irwin's Journey - The Cardsmith

Daubutim took calm, soft steps forward. He knew he wasn't allowed to stand still here for any long periods, nor could he look back.

There wasn't a single sound from the hallway behind him, and he shivered again.

What had that voice been? Before he could stop it, his mind tried connecting the dots, and he felt the stress and weariness catch up to him. Like a blanket, the dullness enveloped his mind as he struggled against it. This couldn't happen now! Because if it did, he'd be dead!

A soft shuffle ahead almost made him look up as a wave of adrenaline swamped his system. Barely truly conscious, he gritted his teeth, holding on to the tethering strands of himself. The adrenaline and the fuzziness were in a precarious balance that could shatter at any moment.

"Follow me."

The voice from ahead was familiar, but he couldn't place it. He only knew it belonged to… someone… who didn't… want… harm…

"Help," Daubutim managed to croak as he extended his hands.

It was the last thing he was consciously aware of.

--

Gelwin looked up as the tome shade silently walked towards him, guiding the young oddity along.

"Daubutim, please sit down over there," he said as he pointed at another chair.

"Alright." With dull eyes but a smooth gate, the tall youth moved through the room before sitting down and staring at nothing.

"Keep a watch out for Uxin'tar. I don't believe he will have survived that thing's attention, but we can't be too sure," Gelwin said.

The tome shade turned and left without a word, leaving the ancient sorcerer with the young man.

"You've surprised me again. I don't know how Uxin'tar managed to weasel his way into the outer library, but the way you tricked him… You remind me of someone of my youth, tenacious no matter the personal setbacks. Fine… as a reward, I'll be telling you a small story, which you may think about after you awaken," Gelwin said as he leaned back in his chair.

"Long ago, a single kingdom ruled a large area of the Portal Gallery, extending from the main branch all the way to this very distant offshoot. The Galadin kingdom's influence can still be felt in many aspects of the worlds it once ruled, from the language to the knowledge it possessed. Sadly, many things have also gone into disuse. The entire Kingdom lived by a set of tenets, which can be summed up as 'Freedom above all, and harm to none'. There was far more to it, but as the Kingdom grew older, this mentality remained."

Gelwin fell quiet, staring at his hands before sighing.

"If you search hard, you will still find some legends about them, and many say they were wiped out a few thousand years ago. They are wrong, it was far longer. Almost a hundred thousand years have passed since, and different kingdoms and powerful species have come and gone, all leaving their mark," he said with a small smile before looking back up at Daubutim.

"The Portal Gallery is so immense that some think it has no end or beginning. I don't fully agree because, from what I have seen, everything needs a beginning. Also, with what I know of entropy, even if something does not have an end yet, it will, with absolute certainty, reach it at one point in time. But I digress. Back then, the still young Kingdom expanded as it took in worlds with different people, caring little for the differences they found as long as the others abided by their core principles. Most did, and the few that didn't were… dealt with. This continued for thousands of years, and the future seemed filled with endless possibilities."

"Then a branch was found that led to what looked like a wider one. Perhaps another main branch, nobody ever found out. What we do know is that a powerful race of beings was there, also expanding and growing their power. Sadly, they used a different way entirely. Enslaving and subjugating any they came across, they increased their power at any cost. The Guidar, they were called, though some called them the eternal seekers. Why? Because they were always searching for something, though nobody but them ever found out what. Anytime one of them was captured and put to the exam, they would commit instant suicide."

Gelwin looked at the youth, then continued.

"From the first moment these two powerful groups encountered each other, it was apparent that they would not be able to coexist. War came quickly, and with the Guidar's greater experience with this, they quickly began pushing forward. The accounts of genocide and planetary destruction committed during those wartorn times would leave you shaken, so I'll leave them for now. Suffice it to say, with the threat of death looming over them, the Galadin learned quickly. However, as much as they resisted, there was a singular problem."

Gelwin raised his hand, staring at the back of it.

"Back in those days, everyone had only a single soulskill. One that grew with them over the ages. Soulcards back then were called Crystalized souls, and they were used differently compared to now. So everyone had only one skill…. Everyone except for the Guidar. Using devilish methods, they learned how to steal the soulskills of others. Although the process was difficult and did not always work, it worked enough for many of their ranks to be far more powerful than most of the Galadin. As time progressed, they began using this advantage to assassinate those few Galadin able to resist. After a war that lasted a thousand years, the Galadin were pushed back, and slowly, it became apparent they would lose."

"However… During this war, a few powerful soulcarded with rare abilities had been searching for a way to fight back. They went from shardworld to shardworld, planet to planet, racing across the Portal Gallery to find something to combat the Guidar. Finally, nearly when it was too late, they discovered something. Hidden away in a world with a time dilation so intense that a mere moment here was a thousand years there, they found a race of beings unlike any other. Mostly humanoid, they all had only a single soulskill, and it was the same for all of them. It allowed them to take the crystalized soulskill of their killed enemies and put it in their hands. Cardslots. Back then, all that was done with the remnants of soulskills was to imbue books or other items with them, which sometimes granted a tiny fraction of their ability. Not so these card slots. They granted nearly the entire power of the skill. Knowing what they had found, the Galadin immediately brought some of them to the Gallery, to the Council of Truth, the body of government of the entire Galdin kingdom. It was headed by a king appointed from amidst their ranks for as long as he or she lived. And…”

Gelwin sighed, then laughed. "I keep getting sidetracked, but it isn't often that I get to tell this tale."

"Now, where was I? Right, the race of beings with handslots was given crystalized soulskills as powerful as could be found, then joined the war. Their appearance instantly stopped the Guidar's uncontested winning streak, and as more were brought from their world, the war changed. Slowly, the Galadin kingdom managed to create a front and hold it."

It was quiet for a while as Gelwin stared into the distance. Then he shuddered.

"Time passed, and slowly, the Galadin began experimenting. They found that the handcarded could breed with many of the other races, and when they did, the offspring would always have the handcard slots soulskill. The use of cards and how to improve them began to spread, giving rise to the first Cardsmiths, and the Galadin kingdom saw an unprecedented increase in power and prosperity. The war turned as more carded came to their power, and slowly, the Guidar were pushed back."

Gelwin looked at Daubutim, then sighed. "Still not awake? Then let's continue…"

"A few thousand years after the start of the war, the Galadin empire pushed the Guidar back to the thin branch where they first encountered them. By now, the Guidar was in full retreat, and all seemed well. That was until the front reached the narrowest part of the Portal Gallery. There, the Guidar had created a powerful barrier. No matter what was tried, nobody was able to go through from either side as the barrier blocked the Galadin Kingdom's armies, and for the second time, a long standoff ensued. Technically, this standoff is still happening… However, as the years turned to centuries and to millennia, nothing was seen from the Guidar. The barrier lay dormant, and slowly, people began to believe that the Guidar had left. A powerful force was left there to guard the barrier in case it opened or disappeared. However, as time crawled by, nothing happened. Another few thousand years passed, and the different worlds and races began searching the Portal Gallery. As is wont with kingdoms, the power and influence of the Galadin Kingdom finally began to wane. Complacency, internal struggle, and… entropy… ended it instead of a mighty war. New groups, the Smiths guild being one of them, began growing strong while powerful families and worlds appeared. Eventually, the Galadin empire was reduced to nothing more than a handful of worlds."

Gelwin was quiet again, then took a deep breath.

"Then portals to shardworlds started appearing on one of their worlds… it was something that normally only happened to worlds designated to be farming or smithing worlds, and it had been deemed impossible. No reason was found, but waves of demons, beings close to becoming Addled, started appearing from them. As fast as they tried to close the portals, it didn't matter. Within a short year, the planet was overrun, and although the existence of Soulcarded kept it from shattering, it mattered little. The people were moved to the other worlds, but before they could even try to find out what was going on, portals began appearing on another world. Then another. Within a year, the remaining worlds under the control of the Galadin Kingdom were being overrun. The portals appeared on no other world, so the Galadin Council of Truth could only come to one conclusion. They were being targeted. At first, they looked at the new powers, but finding no rhyme or reason to it, someone finally remembered the Guidar. Messages were sent to Barrier City, but they were answered with confusion. The barrier stood, and it showed no signs of someone or something having passed through. Requests for help were mostly ignored, and the little that was sent was far from enough."

With a grimace, Gelwin shook his head, again quiet for a while.

"Whatever was responsible, it only took a few years before the Galadin worlds were all overrun. By then, new worlds had been found -at great cost- and the people were relocated. Things settled down, and for a few hundred years, everything was fine…. Then portals appeared on the new worlds… stunned and weary, the Galadin council of truth again tried to find out what was happening, with no result. The demons from the portals knew nothing, no information was found inside the portals, and the barrier was still up. Worried now, they searched for another world, one further away from the main branch. Nearly a thousand years passed by when portals appeared again. It was clear to anyone now that something was trying to eradicate the remnants of the Galadin kingdom. Many people of the Kingdom left, spreading across other worlds, leaving the Kingdom with even fewer people. This time, the council took more precautions, and they searched for a dozen worlds, far from the larger branches, some even beyond the influence of the current main powers. Time flowed, but again, portals appeared. Now whittled down to only a fraction of their previous numbers, the Galadin had an emergency meeting. Unsure of what was happening, they split their people into groups and found the most distant worlds they could find, sending one of their own members along to guard them. Allowing no more communication between these worlds, each of their offshoots was on their own, and they hoped this would let them hide…"

Gelwin leaned back, quietly watching Daubutim. Time passed in the room, but the ancient sorcerer seemed done talking.

Finally, a soft sigh came as Daubutim's eyes cleared up.

--

Daubutim gazed at the dusty ground below the table, absently wondering if anybody ever cleaned here. His father would have had something to say about the amount of dust in such an important place.

Most of his mind, however, was working through the things Gelwin had told him. The sorcerer had said it was a story… but was it? The way he had told it almost seemed like he had been there and that it was real. More importantly-

Giard is one of those planets?

Daubutim took a deep breath, then focused on Gelwin. As much as he wanted to ask questions about the story, there was one thing more important at this immediate moment.

"Is Uxin'tar dead?" he asked.

Gelwin watched him quietly, his eyes gleaming with mirth before he shrugged.

"We don't know. The thing is, anyone that gets caught by the Soulghyst of the black-book corridor is never seen again, and from what I have found, this includes incredibly powerful soulcarded."

Soulghyst?

Daubutim cocked his head, and he shelved the term for later study while a warning from his father came to his mind.

"So we have no way of knowing if he might be roaming around here now?" he asked.

"No, which is why I'm having my tome shades keep a close eye on that hallway. Both entrances are carefully monitored, and I've sent out a warning to the others to not approach anywhere near it. This counts for you as well. From now on, take one of the other routes from here to my office and back."

Daubutim nodded, not feeling too happy about this. He'd hoped that his trick would deal with Uxin'tar, not leave some potential future issue.

Gelwin laughed softly.

"Don't worry, young one. Even if Uxin'tar somehow managed to get away from the Soulghyst, he is now locked inside this library. There are a few people who are able to allow others to pass through the portal, and I am one of them. Uxin'tar will be stuck here… though the chances of him being alive are nearly zero.

Nearly zero is not zero, Daubutim thought as he could picture his father's angry scowl. He wondered how his old man would have dealt with the likes of Gelwin. He hoped he could one day see such a confrontation.

Carefully shelving his worries for later, he focused on Gelwin.

"The story that you told me… is it history, legend or fiction?" he asked. His intuition told him it was, but he wanted facts.

Gelwin gazed at him for a long time, and slowly, Daubutim began feeling uncomfortable.

"Is something wrong with my question?" he finally asked.

Gelwin raised an eyebrow and laughed. "Think on it all some more, do some research. You have access to many historical entries which most deem unimportant. See what you can find, and return to me in a week."

With another soft laugh, Gelwin rose and beckoned Daubutim to do the same.

"Now, I'll guide you back to your room. With Uxin'tar gone, you have time to wind down and do some proper research. In a month, there will be an exam to determine which of the apprentice librarians are ready to become senior apprentices. Normally, this takes years, but with your specific advantage, you should be able to move through it mostly effortlessly as it is one based on knowledge and not understanding."

Daubutim frowned as a sudden worry grew in him.

"Yes, young one. After becoming a senior apprentice, you will need to work towards becoming a first-rank librarian. For this, understanding of knowledge and reflection is key," Gelwin said as he walked out of the room.

Daubutim didn't respond but hurried after the ancient sorcerer. How was he supposed to do that?

"For now, don't worry about it too much," Gelwin said with a laugh, moving through a hallway with candle-lit chandeliers that were moving in a non-existent wind.

Daubutim quietly listened.

"I will contact the Grinwron Trade Federation and let them know Uxin'tar has been dealt with by the library, with a great amount of effort from one of our apprentices. You should be rewarded with a large amount of soul shards as payment, enough to look around for a soulcard that might fix your problem. If you want my opinion, I would go for one that increases your mental fortitude. There are some around, and although they are highly desired, you might be able to find an Amethyst-ranked one."

"Thank you," Daubutim said.

"No need to thank me, young one. Remember your mission. Read the books, study, and see me again in a week."

Daubutim nodded.

They continued quietly, and Daubutim returned to the central room of Purntou's area. It was empty, and he stared at his door. Frowning, he summoned his sword, then slowly moved to it and pulled it open. As he did, he stepped back, waiting. There was no reaction, which he hadn't really expected, but he still stepped in with his sword raised and looking up and around.

There was no fog or any sign it had been there. Only a table with a stack of books, one still open, and a disheveled bed.

Rest, Daubutim thought as he closed the door. Lying down in bed, he kept his sword close.

--

"It looks the same as before," Irwin muttered as he gazed at the massive forest ahead of them. It sprawled on each side as far as he could see while the trees towered above him.

"What did you expect?" Ignalia asked, in between labored breathing. She was standing with her hands on her knees, glaring up at him.

"Are you alright?" Irwin asked, looking behind her to see the other two struggling up the hill.

"Am I alright? … Am I?" Ignalia grunted. "Whatever card you have that allows you to run like that is monstrous!"

Definitely, Irwin thought as he felt warm feelings towards his Sweltering Heart card. As tired as the others were, he was merely out of breath, and although he was slightly thirsty, he wasn't parched by a long shot.

"Ambraz, did I ever thank you for helping with that card?" Irwin asked as he looked at the tiny anvil on his shoulder.

"Not enough," Ambraz snorted.

Irwin let out a laugh before gazing back at the forest. As much as he was worried for Greldo, running for nearly two weeks had given him time to calm down. What had also helped were the evenings, and as he recalled the previous one, he began humming a song Ignalia had taught him.

They waited until the Ignitzions had recovered enough before heading toward the forest, this time at a measured pace. As soon as they stepped into the forest, a cool wind blew around them.

"Ugh," one of the Ignitzions said.

Irwin nodded in agreement. Although it was still hot, he had gotten so used to the insane temperatures of the desert beyond that he wondered how he'd ever deal with living in another world again.

I'll just make a bigger smithy and create a massive forge, he thought as he continued forward. He was pretty sure Scintilla would like that a lot, too.

As he walked across the dense mossy undergrowth, he noticed a massive change. Gone was the quiet, open windiness of the desert, replaced by the sounds of branches creaking, leaves rustling, and distant animals.

"You are sure you can find him again?" Irwin whispered.

Ignalia nodded, making no comment at how he had lowered his voice. Instead, he saw her and the others looking around, far more alert than they had been in the open desert.

"It's at least another two days," she replied in a muted voice.

Irwin didn't respond but looked ahead, hoping she was right. He didn't feel like traveling on foot through the forest.