Irwin's Journey - The Cardsmith

Irwin stared in disbelief at Ambraz, both surprised by the odd word, which he knew he couldn't reproduce even if he wanted to, and by what Ambraz just said.

"You… can't move?"

"Are you deaf? No! I can't, and Greldo ran out before I could tell him to remove this stupid thing!"

Irwin stared at the metal, then at Ambraz. After a moment, he picked up the metal, sensing nothing odd about it. But as soon as it was gone, Ambraz changed into his tiny shape and flickered about.

"Finally! That was horrible!"

After looking at the remainder of the hoop, Irwin noticed something. The amount had decreased, while the purple veins seemed slightly more prominent.

Interesting. I wonder why Ambraz couldn't move, he thought. It had to have something to do with the Purperion, but why? He tried to recall if this had been happening before, but he had usually removed the metal or been back soon enough.

"Didn't you notice this before?" he asked, thinking about the few times he had left Ambraz like this.

"Well, I didn't have any reason to move before this time," Ambraz grunted. "Besides-" he continued before muttering something unintelligible.

Irwin blinked. "Come again?"

"Having Purperion on me slowly makes me stronger," Ambraz said, sounding annoyed.

"... why didn't you just tell me?" Irwin asked.

"Because I didn't think about it," Ambraz said.

Irwin looked at him for a bit before sighing and shaking his head in annoyance.

"So… any idea why I just slept for three days?" he asked as he put it down on the nearby workbench.

"It has to be because of you purifying the Purperion," Ambraz said as he zipped around the room, seeming happy to be able to move again.

Yeah, I got that much, Irwin thought as he shook his head at the obvious remark.

"What I need to know is if this is because I drained the energy out of all my cards or because of something else."

"How should I know? This is the first time I've ever done this," Ambraz said before sighing. "Let's just assume it's because you drained them, and next time, you use one strike less with each of your cards.

"Yeah.. next time," Irwin muttered.

"What? You aren't afraid to try again, are you?" Ambraz asked worriedly.

Irwin thought about it, then realized he wasn't. The intense energy he was feeling told him that whatever had happened had been beneficial to him.

"I'll try again, but not today," he said.

"That's good," Ambraz said with relief as he landed on Irwin's shoulder.

Irwin nodded, then hesitated. "I'm going out. Can we leave this here?"

"Can't you just take it along?" Ambraz asked, sounding annoyed.

After thinking about it for a few moments, Irwin sighed and grabbed the arm-length of metal. Examining it a bit, he tried using it as a walking stick and found it would work, although it might look a bit weird.

"Fine, let's just go then," he said.

A short while later, he reached Scintilla's house, a small two-story place inside a larger building occupied by more Ignitzions. It had a basement that Irwin knew well, as it was where he created a steambath every so often.

Knocking on the door, he entered when Scintilla shouted for him to come in. As he crossed the threshold, he noticed the table was laden with food, and Scintilla was walking out of the tiny kitchen at the back. She was wearing a leather bodice that showed her toned arms and abdomen.

Irwin stared at the smooth curves of her waist, noting that she didn't have a belly button.

I wonder if she has nipples, he thought.

A soft cough made him look up to see Scintilla grin at him. Irwin felt his face turn red, and although he knew the passive effect of the Coperion body would cover a lot of it, he could see from the twinkle in her eyes that it hadn't done all.

"Sit, I'm just adding a few more things," she said, placing some more food on the table before walking back into the kitchen.

Irwin felt his face stay hot, and he quickly looked around to distract himself. He put the fake walking cane to the side as he stepped before one of the walls.

Dozens of swords hung from it, gifts from Smiths she had saved. There was an empty spot to the side, which Irwin knew was kept for a sword she wanted him to make, but he hadn't gotten around to that yet. He did notice there was a new sword. Black with red streaks across the blade and a hilt meant for two hands, it was a massive two-hander that he wondered if she could even use.

"I got that from Balarn," Scintilla said as she entered and put a bottle and two glasses on the table. "It's made of a pretty pure form of Firesteel, over twenty percent!"

Irwin nodded.

"Come, sit and eat! I've got lots of new things for you to taste," Scintilla said as she sat down at the small table.

Irwin sat down on the other chair, looking at the abundance of dishes. There were a few plates with slices of red meat, a bowl with two chunks of dark gray meat that still had a few purple scales, and many clearly charred dishes. One caught his attention, and he shivered at the sight of the insects on tiny stakes.

"These are different," Scintilla said as she leaned forward.

Irwin looked up from the food and stared straight into her cleavage. He quickly looked up, the idea of eating insects enough to distract him from the beautiful view.

"They don't have the shells you didn't like on the other ones, but are more rubbery, and the insides aren't gooey, though I still don't understand who wouldn't like that!"

Irwin wanted to grimace as he remembered that, but he held back. Seeing the happy face before him, he decided he'd just try it. He'd eaten worse things back home when he hadn't had any food for a day or two.

Well… perhaps not worse than gooey, crunchy insects, he thought.

Taking one of the stakes, he gazed at the black and orange striped insects that reminded him of the black beetles back home. Trying to shove that idea away, he steeled himself and ripped one off, biting it down.

A mildly spicy taste filled his mouth as his teeth bit through a leathery shell into a tough, meat-like interior. There was a bit of cracking but not a lot, and after some pondering, he slowly finished the stake.

"Not bad, right?" Scintilla said as she smiled at him happily.

"Not bad," Irwin replied, returning the smile.

They continued chatting and eating from the many dishes until most of it had disappeared. Irwin had long found that he wasn't the only one that could eat a lot, as all of the Ignitzions seemed to have a bottomless stomach.

"Alright, now let's see what you think of this," Scintilla said as she carefully took the bottle that had been standing there for a while. She removed the cap, and an intense spicy scent burst out that filled the room, overpowering the other scents.

Irwin watched in awe as a ruby red, syrupy liquor was poured into two wide glasses before Scintilla quickly closed the bottle again. Then she looked at the glass intently.

"There's something you should know about Kindled Liquor," she said, her voice slightly more serious. "We only share it with someone we want to… share heat with."

Irwin felt his breath catch in his throat as he saw her carefully pick both glasses up and smile at him.

"I'd planned to wait a while longer, but when you didn't wake up…"

There was a sadness in her eyes, and Irwin didn't hesitate as he accepted the glass. As he did, Scintilla's normal grin returned, and she took a small sip. Barely focusing on the glass, his mind awash with what would happen after, Irwin took a drink and felt liquid metal course through his throat. He started, automatically casting Coperion Body as a painful burning surged through his throat and into his stomach. He nearly kicked the table over.

Scintilla burst out in laughter. "Not that much! It's strong," she called.

Irwin drew in a deep breath as he felt the heat spread from his stomach through his body. His cards reacted as if they had been prodded by fiery pokers, resonating happily as energy seemed to fill them in waves.

It took over a minute for the sensation to die down enough for Irwin to even contemplate another sip, a tiny one this time. As he did, he noticed that his cards weren't the only thing reacting to it, as his pants were suddenly far too tight in the crotch area.

"Not bad, huh?" Scintilla whispered, her voice hazy and deep, and as Irwin looked up, he saw her breathing had become ragged.

All he could do was nod as she rose, stepped around the table, and sat on his lap. Her eyes widened slightly; then she gazed deep into his eyes. Almost absently, she tossed the remainder of her drink down, and Irwin did the same. As the heat in his body seemed to explode, he vaguely noticed that his flame erupted around him, causing the chair to creak as it caught fire.

Neither he nor Scintilla cared, and Scintilla's lips pressed to his, and everything turned into a hazy, fiery inferno.

--

Gelwin was slowly walking through the hallways of the Library when he looked to the side. Without a sound, his shadowy helper moved out of the shadows beside him.

"Daubutim fell asleep and is safely in his room. Two Shades are guarding him."

"Good, then it's time to see our… guest," Gelwin said as he turned around a corner and headed to a corridor with a single book.

The book rustled as soon as he stepped inside, and a soft laughter followed, rising and falling in pitch oddly. A moment later, a pained howl of anguish echoed from the book, but Gelwin ignored both. As powerful as he was, even he had to abide by the ancient Library's oddities, especially the room he was in now. Still, his time here had given him a certain bit of leeway, which he intended to use.

"Old One, I want to use one of the favors," he whispered.

The laughter stopped, though the occasional agonizing scream continued to emanate from the book.

"A debt made, in-depth... Paid in full it shall be," a soft, purring voice sang before the voice lowered to an angry snarl. "Ask!"

"You have a new playtoy, and I would ask that you give me the knowledge in his head as you did once before," Gelwin said. He almost felt a twinge of sympathy for Uxin'tar. Almost. But not quite. He knew too well what the young upstart would have done just for the sake of more power.

A sad sigh was followed by a morose laughter. "Poor toy…"

There was a moment of silence before a deafening scream echoed through the hallway, though Gelwin knew that none beyond the two entrances would hear a thing. The scream lasted far longer than any normal being's lungs could take. Then again, it wasn't a scream of the body but one of the mind and soul.

It ended abruptly, and a swirl of blackness appeared on a shelf near Gelwin. It slowly faded to leave behind a thin black book with a face on its cover. If Daubutim had been here, he'd recognize Uxin'tar. His face was warped in a motionless look of excruciating torment.

"Thank you, Old one," Gelwin said as he grabbed the book and lengthened his stride. It didn't pay to remain here.

He was three steps from the exit when the soft laughter returned.

"Two more… only two!"

Gelwin didn't respond but stepped out of the hallway. A shadow appeared at his side.

"See young Daubutim and tell him Uxin'tar is no more," Gelwin said as he looked at the book before moving toward his private chambers. "Don't bother me for the foreseeable future."

--

"I understand. Thank the master librarian for me," Daubutim said as he nodded at the shadowy, robed figure.

The figure didn't respond but turned and walked off.

Daubutim watched him leave as he wrestled his mind to stop attempting to find a reason for what was happening. When it finally did, he walked out and noticed that Purntou was standing near one of the exits, watching him quietly. Not sure what the other had heard, Daubutim walked toward the Librarian.

"Good day, Master Purntou," he said.

The Librarian's face twitched, but then he smiled.

"I have gotten news from the head librarian that you are to be allowed one day off to look after a friend. After that, I am to help you gather knowledge about the most ancient civilization we have information about. I have gathered some books on it and have devised some tests for you after you have read it. Now, before this, go and tend to your friend. I hope he or she will be alright."

"Thank you. I will do my best," Daubutim said before nodding politely, ignoring the Librarian's obvious curiosity.

Purntou watched him for a few moments before his smile turned slightly sour. He merely nodded and left.

I will need to make sure he is pleased with my progress, Daubutim thought.

A short while later, he was walking through the busy city, noting a lot of rapidly chatting people the closer he got to the Smiths district. When he reached it, he found a dozen guards blocking the streets.

Raising himself up and projecting as much authority as he could, Daubutim walked to the nearest group.

"I have been busy for a while in the Library, commander. Can you tell me what is happening?" he asked, looking at the one he recognized as the most senior guard, both in bearing and weaponry. Gray-haired and with dark armor that Daubutim was sure had to be carded. He was as tall as him.

"The smiths have ordered their district closed until further notice," the guard said. "I am sorry to say that unless you have clearance from a Librarian, I can't let you in."

Daubutim nodded. "I understand. You may send someone to check with Master Librarian Gelwin if I am allowed entry, as he explicitly sent me here."

The guard's eyes widened, but Daubutim was impressed to see he merely swallowed and nodded.

"I will send someone right away. My apologies that you have to wait, but you know how the smiths can be," the guard said before hastily motioning to one of the younger guards, who immediately sprinted away.

Daubutim stood to the side and crossed his arms, calmly waiting.

As he stood there, he got the occasional glance, and at one point, a conversation rose enough for him to overhear a few of the guards.

"-larger than most of us! How can he be a-"

Daubutim didn't show any reaction and waited for half an hour when the younger guard came sprinting back. Slightly out of breath and looking pale and shivering, he was already nodding and waving before he was within speaking distance.

The lead guard didn't seem to need any more incentive.

"Again, my apologies," he said. "You may pass."

"No problem, commander. I am impressed with your professionalism," Daubutim said as he nodded and walked away. He knew his father would have approved of the man and likely increased his station.

The smith's district was nearly deserted, with only a few rapidly moving smiths walking about. Daubutim reached Tensor's smithy without incident and was surprised to see the gate was closed. Standing before the massive steel gate, he frowned and then knocked on it as loud as he could.

It took only moments for a voice to shout at him to stop and feet moving towards him. He was slightly surprised to see Galarn appear, while the other seemed more surprised than happy to see him.

"Daubutim, it's great you arrived! Quick, come in," Galarn said as he pulled Daubutim inside and slammed the door shut. The smithy was busy, with dozens of smiths walking around and many working in the open smithing area.

"The guards have blocked off the entire quarter. What is going on?" Daubutim asked.

Galarn snorted angrily. "You hear about the rumors of smiths disappearing?"

Daubutim nodded.

"Well, multiple smiths from quarters here have gone missing, while reports from the main guild charters have reported hundreds of smiths vanishing. The smiths guild has ordered all charters to take extreme measures as they try and figure out what is happening," Galarn said. "It's horrible, and there's no way of knowing if Balarn and the others are alright."

Daubutim frowned. "Is there any information on what is happening?"

"None. Most have disappeared when they were in shard-worlds or farming-worlds, but there are reports of multiple smiths vanishing while inside some of the other districts. I actually wanted to ask you… Do you think it could be that Uxin'tar guy?" Galarn asked, looking worried as he headed towards the main building.

"He is dead," Daubutim said.

"What? Really? That's fantastic news! I'm sure Lamia will be happy to hear that. Perhaps it will help her a bit," Galarn said. "You know, it's good that you came here. She's not doing too well."

Daubutim didn't respond, as it didn't surprise him in the slightest. Instead, he quietly followed Galarn through the smith's main hall, noting there was nobody behind the desk. They moved up and reached the room that had been his and the others for what seemed like only such a short time.

Galarn hesitated, and looked up. "Listen… she's not always in her right mind, alright?"

Daubutim sighed, stepped forward, and opened the door. The room had changed massively in only a few days, with only two beds remaining, pushed together, and a table with chairs on the side. Lamia was sitting upright in bed, staring at her hands and blinking oddly. Then she looked up at him, and a wide smile appeared.

"You did it!"

Daubutim had expected a few things, but not this, and he felt his mind bog down. Before it could, he stepped to the side to let Galarn in.

"Lamia? What happened?" Galarn asked as he walked forward, a look of incredulous surprise on his face.

"The voice! The screaming! He's gone, finally! I thought I was going insane… but…" she shook her head, and tears ran down her face. "I woke up just now, and it was quiet- the nightmare, it's finally over!"

She shouted the last part as she leaned to the side and began sobbing on the pillow.

Daubutim looked at Galarn, who shrugged and walked forward to sit on the edge of the bed. Lamia looked up, red-eyed and smiling, while she cried before hugging him and muttering unintelligible nonsense.

I guess that means he's really dead, Daubutim thought as he moved to sit at the table.

--

"So… how did all that just work," Irwin asked hazily as he lay in the smoldering remnants of what had been Scintilla's dining table and chairs.

Scintilla laughed as she hung against him limply.

"Which part?" she whispered.

Irwin blinked, then shook his head. "All of it? The fire, the images… the- How come you could do that? You aren't human, right?"

Scintilla giggled, shaking her head as she leaned in closer to him.

"Yogog didn't explain anything?" she asked.

Irwin shook his head, suddenly wondering if he should use the other smith for hammer practice later.

"We are somewhat anamorphic," Scintilla said. "Although we only really need other being's heat to create offspring, we evolved to be able to make sure other species would actually be… willing to do that. You were willing, weren't you?" she asked, a wide, predatory grin on her face.

"Willing," Irwin croaked. "Very willing!"

Scintilla laughed as she crawled even more up against him. Feeling her soft breasts, which he'd been surprised to find did have nipples, Irwin felt his heat rise again.

"Do you think they will miss us if we stay for a bit more?" he asked, turning his head to her, unable to keep his eyes solely on her face.

Scintilla smiled as she pushed herself up. "What? Think you are up for another-"

Her voice ended in a surprised laugh as Irwin pulled her atop him.

--

A long time later, as the very early morning sun was starting to paint the sky red, Irwin was walking back through town. His clothes, even his fire-resistant pants, had been damaged beyond repair, and he guessed he'd need to get something fireproof soon. Because he definitely wanted to do that again.

He couldn't help himself from grinning as he swung the length of metal around.

I wonder what Bronwyn would say if I told him this, he thought as he pictured his brother's disbelieving face.

As he continued through the town, he thought about the things he had to do. Scintilla had told him that Numilli had gone out to investigate the location of the Earth Titan herself and should be back in a few weeks. That meant he would have to help her when she returned. He also needed to continue purifying the Purperion, reforge more cards for the auction, and continue searching for the optimal final card.

When he reached his smithy, which was quiet, he shoved open the door to see Yogog blearily look up from the couch, wiping a bit of drool from his face. As his silver eyes focused on Irwin, a wide grin covered his face.

"There we go," he said as he swung his legs off and pointed at the couch opposite his. "Sit, drink, and tell me everything!'

Irwin blinked as he saw the bottle and cups on the table. For a moment, he wanted to tell Yogog to get lost, then he sighed and said down.

"Not happening," he said as he accepted a cup.

"Come now! Did you manage? More than once? Any burn marks? How did you handle the"

Irwin shook his head as he listened to the onyx-skinned smith talk about things he hadn't even noticed.

This is going to be a long day, he thought as he drained his cup.