Irwin's Journey - The Cardsmith

As Irwin and Greldo walked through the district, Daubutim mutely stomped after them. They came across only a handful of people and not a single smith. A sense of fear hung over the entire area that Irwin hadn't noticed when he'd arrived the day before.

When they reached the gate that led to the general district, he saw Ichela leaning against the wall. She said something to the guards, who all stepped aside, and as Irwin passed them, Ichela fell in line with him.

"Good cover," she muttered as she looked at him. "But this might help improve it."

She raised her hand, and with a flash of light, a massive two-handed sword appeared in her hands. She seemed to struggle to hold it as she handed it to Irwin, who quickly accepted it.

"What-"

"Smiths don't usually wield swords, so this might help with your disguise," she whispered. "It's made of Farlin Wood, almost as dense as metal, so that it can pass through the portals. The only problem is that it's more brittle, so it will probably shatter after a few hits, but at least you can bring it through a portal."

Irwin examined the sword. He would have sworn it was metal, and as he tapped it, he still didn't recognize it as wood.

"Thank you," he said.

"No problem, just make sure you stay safe. It's a shame that you have to leave just after returning..."

Irwin agreed with her but kept quiet as they crossed the final areas. When they reached the start of the stairs leading up to the Central Registry, he turned to Ichela. As he looked at her, he remembered the first time he'd seen her standing behind the desk and accepting finished cards from smiths. It was years ago, but it seemed even longer.

"Take care of Lamia," Irwin said.

"Gawarn will take care of that," Ichela said with a smirk before turning serious again. "You three, be careful out there."

"We will," Irwin said. He waved at Ichela before turning and walking up the stairs between the grassy fields.

"Balarn's a good guy," Greldo whispered as they walked up.

"He is," Irwin agreed. "I hope they don't have too much trouble here."

"Yeah, about those smiths going missing here. Do you think the Imps have something to do with it? Or those mercenaries?"

"I don't know, but..." Irwin frowned as he tried to collect his thoughts. "I don't think it's the Imps. Somehow, I have the feeling they were more like hired help."

"Opposed to real mercenaries?" Greldo asked, looking at him with a raised eyebrow.

Irwin sighed, trying to find the words to express something he had thought about a few times but couldn't seem to wrap his hands around.

"Yeah. You are right. It's just that there was something that felt more serious about those mercenaries, if that makes sense?"

Greldo sniffed. "Not really, but I hope that they will leave us alone."

Yeah, I hope so too… but I doubt it, Irwin thought.

They entered one of the hallways that led into the main chamber and saw a robed person standing near the wall. He had his arms crossed and a look of confused annoyance as he was inspecting the entrance with bright silver eyes. As soon as they stepped through, Irwin saw his focus land on Daubutim and remain there for just a moment. Then he looked at Irwin and began walking towards them.

"Get ready," Irwin whispered.

Their movements didn't seem to bother the robed man, and he stopped only a few feet from them. As he did, the distant chattering of the main hall vanished.

"No need for that now," he said calmly. "My name is Purntou Lesseron, third-rank Librarian and master of Daubutim. I see that Master Gelwin was right in his assumption that Daubutim's odd affliction has affected him again. You may speak freely as I have covered his hallway so no sound will leave it, and anyone trying to read our lips will find they can't."

Irwin relaxed slightly as he inspected the man. Daubutim had mentioned him, though not in detail. Still, he didn't seem dangerous, and knowing about Gelwin made him more trustworthy.

Purntou slowly removed something from his baggy robes before holding out a stack of pale purple disks toward Irwin.

"These are the owner and member plates for Giard's Rangers. Take the top one for yourself and hand one to each of your companions."

Irwin took the offered thin crystal disks, noting they were light and smooth. The top one had an odd set of engravings on it, and as he inspected the thin lines, a soft voice came from it.

"Irwin, Giard's Rangers leader plate can be bound to you. Do you accept?"

Surprised, Irwin hesitated for only a moment. "I accept," he whispered.

There was a tiny flash from the top disc, and then it began shivering and shaking.

"Place it on a spot you prefer, and it will attach to you for as long as you are the Giard Rangers leader," the Librarian explained patiently. "Most put it on their wrist so they can both show it and hide it easily."

Irwin thought for a moment, then pulled up his sleeve and placed the thumb-sized disc atop his wrist. It vibrated for a moment, then sank into his skin. A moment later, a simple purple tattoo with the symbol of an eye sat on his wrist.

I wonder why it has an eye, Irwin thought as he handed Greldo one of the plates. He did the same with Daubutim, and his friend just accepted it and stared at it dumbly.

"Daubutim, place it on your wrist," he whispered.

Daubutim mechanically did as asked, and Irwin was surprised to see the disk sink into Daubutim's wrist. Shouldn't he have given verbal acceptance?

"Now, for some more details," Librarian Purntou said. "Master Gelwin has removed your connection to the Tensor Smithy. Although there is still an Irwin on their roster, none of the Central Registrars you may pass in the future will connect you to him. You can keep using your own name, as there are plenty of worlds where Irwin or similar names are common. Master Gelwin has given all three of you some background. It states that all three of you are from a tiny world called Balazin, which shattered roughly fifteen years ago. Only a few hundred people managed to make it off, many of them young. They were all taken in by small and far-off guilds or mercenary groups. This is a real-world that used to exist, but the chances of you encountering someone from it are very slim, and even if you do, you can simply say you recall nothing of your homeworld."

He planned everything, Irwin thought as he absently put the remaining discs in his inner pocket while staring at Purntou.

"He also gave you more discs to expand Giard's Rangers, which he suggested you do. It will increase the validity of your disguise."

Irwin was surprised as the Librarian removed a book from his robe, handing it to him.

"Give this to Daubutim as soon as he is back to normal. It holds the final knowledge he needs, and Master Gelwin was adamant that he take it with him," Librarian Purntou said.

Irwin didn't need to know him to see the man wasn't happy with it, so he simply accepted it with a nod.

"Thank you, and thank Master Gelwin," he said.

Librarian Purntou merely nodded as he turned to Daubutim.

"You have been granted leave of the Librarians for the duration of your quest, young Daubutim. However, you are to continue your training. Read what you can find, categorize it, and if you come across a central library entrance, enter it. You are to add new knowledge," the Librarian said calmly. Then he turned and walked away while the sound of the main hall returned in all its loudness.

Irwin watched him move before staring at the book. He couldn't read the words on it, and he slowly placed it in his vest.

"Let's get out of here," Greldo said.

"Yeah," Irwin said.

The three of them walked into the main hallway, and Irwin saw that it was busy, but not as much as a few days ago when they had returned. A trio of guards stood before the staircase that led up to the exit portal, chatting with a well-dressed man before letting him pass.

As they approached, Irwin was glad to see he didn't recognize any of the guards. The new mark on his wrist vibrated softly, and he saw the lead guard frown before nodding.

"Giard's Rangers," the guard said softly. "It says you are heading to the outer branches?"

Irwin hid his surprise and nodded. "Yeah. Got a mission to find another world for one of those nobles," he said, faking a tired sigh.

The guard gave him a weary grin. "Yeah, even with all the shit that's going on, they still find ways to increase their wealth. Well, good luck out there!"

"Thanks. You keep things safe back here," Irwin said.

The guards rumbled in agreement as they let him pass. Halfway to the exit portal floor, Greldo moved closer to him.

"A mission for the nobles?" he whispered.

Irwin shrugged. "It's the truth, so if someone with a detection card is around, it won't trigger."

Greldo laughed. "Since when did you get this smart?"

"I always was," Irwin responded with a snort.

The exit portal room was nearly empty, with only two pale-masked guards standing beside it.

Irwin and the others were just in time to see the well-dressed man step through the portal and disappear.

Halfway across the room stood a group of five merchants with large bags beside them, obviously waiting for someone. As Irwin and the others appeared, one of the merchants, a pale-faced, red-haired man with silvery eyes, quickly walked toward them.

"Hello there," the man said with a warm smile. "You three wouldn't happen to be looking for work?"

Irwin was about to shake his head, then stopped as his mind spun rapidly.

Only one ship should be leaving the Portal Gallery harbor now, so these merchants were probably going with it. If they were looking for mercenaries, that meant they wanted guards for the trip there. Unlike the previous ships Irwin had been on, Daubutim had warned them that the one they were going with now was a smaller craft. There would be a risk of being attacked by raiders and fringe demons, monsters like Bablibon's that could survive on the Portal Gallery and the space beyond.

It took only a moment for this to spin through his mind, and he inspected the merchant for a moment before answering.

"You have a job?" he asked, wondering if he could use this as another way to increase their cover.

The man's smile widened, and Irwin saw a slightly relieved look in his eyes.

"We are heading to Sesnanser's outpost and need guards for the trip."

From what Daubutim had told him, Irwin knew the port he was talking about, as it was the stop before their own goal, which was the ship's final stop—a tiny harbor with a portal that led to Sesnanser, a small, hazardous mining world.

Irwin looked at the other merchants, noting the heavy bags, probably laden with goods to sell at Sesnanser. Beyond the one talking with him, two more had silver eyes, showing they were heartcarded, while the other two had full hands and looked rugged enough.

Still, they couldn't have just come here hoping to find guards and just go on their own otherwise... right?

"Where are your usual guards?" Irwin asked, poking in the dark.

The man's smile slipped slightly. "They should have been here hours ago, but over the last few months, I'm sad to say they have been late many times. They enjoy indulging themselves on the worlds we need to wait at, and I fear they may still be sleeping off their stupor. "

Irwin tried to see if the other was lying, but all he got was a somewhat sad smile.

"You only need guards till we reach Sesnanser?" he asked.

"Yes! We have a tiny outpost there and will remain for a few years to build it into a profitable place," the man said.

Irwin took a quick look at Greldo, who didn't show any reaction, nor did Daubutim.

Ordinary mercenaries would do this, Irwin thought. It effectively meant double dipping a mission.

"Alright," Irwin said. "What are you offering?"

The man sighed in relief, nodding fervently.

"We can pay you six hundred soulshards for the protection!"

Irwin almost barked a laugh at the small amount before recalling that six-hundred soulshards was a lot too many people. For most that weren't smiths, six hundred would let them live in a world like Fiverio for half a year, probably longer on a smaller world. Still…

"Eight hundred," he said.

The merchant's eyes gleamed, and Irwin almost wished he hadn't made a counteroffer.

Five minutes later, they settled on six hundred and eighty, and the other four merchants joined them.

“The name is Dondast Clarioron! I'm the owner of The Sisnour Merchant's Group," the merchant said as he offered his fist in greeting.

Irwin tapped it, careful not to add too much power.

"Irwin, leader of Giard's Rangers."

Dondast was quiet, then his eyes widened, and he smiled. "Ah! Good to see more people starting out," he said.

Before Irwin could ask how he knew that, Dondast removed a teal crystal plate the size of his hand from his pocket and placed his hand on it.

"I will hire the Giard Rangers to guard us till we reach Sesnanser," he spoke calmly.

A ping sounded out, followed by a cool feminine voice.

"Contract created. Irwin of the Giard Rangers, do you accept?"

"We accept," Irwin said, and he felt his wrist tingle.

"Contract established," the voice said.

Dondast pocketed the plate. "Now, let's quickly get a cabin on the ship before all good spots are taken. We can do introductions later."

"Very well. Lead on," Irwin said.

The merchants quickly picked up their bags with far more joy than Irwin had initially seen them.

As they walked past the guards, Irwin ignored the two masked, bare-chested guards as he stepped into the portal.

I wonder when I'll return, he thought, before wondering if he even would.

--

Librarian Purntou calmly stood before Gelwin, staring at the ancient Librarian and trying hard to keep his opinions from his face.

"They left and took a mission to guard a small merchant group before they did," he said. "The Library spirit got some requests for information on them and gave the manufactured history you provided. One of the requests came from the merchant group and seems harmless. The others were impossible to determine the origin."

Gelwin leaned back in his wide chair, nodded calmly, and showed no worry about what he said.

"Good job Librarian Purntou. I have added permission for you to enter the initial room that holds fourth-rank history. Take your time, as it is a one-time benefit, and it should help you immensely with your eventual exam."

Librarian Purntou bowed, unable to keep the joy from his face.

"Thank you, Master Gelwin," he said before turning and walking away.

When his footsteps had faded in the distance, Gelwin remained unmoving for a long time. Only when he sensed that the shadow he had sent to Giard had finally returned and lingered nearby did he seem to wake.

"Tens of thousands of years have passed, and now it starts again," he whispered. He felt an uncharacteristic fear at the prospect of hearing the shadow's rapport. "Even now, I fear the plan will fail…"

With a deep sigh, he closed his eyes for a few moments, enjoying the last few moments of his long wait. Sending the shadow to Giard was a considerable risk, but with everything that had been going on, he didn't have the option to wait any longer.

He had no wish to use any of his contingency plans, but he would if he had to, and that meant he now needed to know, even if it cost him a permanent clone card.

Eons of experience calmed him, and he opened his eyes to look at the shadow that had glided out of the shadows.

"Report," he said.

"It is estimated that Giard's population is stable at over a million," the shadow said. "Most of those that survived still inhabit Clour peninsula. The portal situation has stabilized, largely due to Indoutor Coulwater's return. He has managed to close most of the highest-rank portals. Due to roaming bands of demons, all of the smaller towns have been destroyed."

Gelwin tapped the armrest but held back his questions. The shadow was barely sentient, and interrupting it sometimes caused information to be lost.

"The former merchant outpost Degonda has increased in size to become one of the largest remaining cities, with refugees pouring in from everywhere. Part of this is due to spreading rumors that Lord Bron has access to card skills that can increase the power of other cards. There are no rumors about the smiths to whom Irwin taught the rudimentary card-reforging skills. However, it is likely that they are responsible for this. Based on some specific rumors on the cards that were supposed to have been changed, these largely untrained smiths' innate skills seem enough for them to have reached an estimate of topaz rank. Little is known about the other cities."

Gelwin waited patiently as more information came, all disjointed and mixed up in such a way that it was hard to follow. When the flow of information finally stopped, he quickly ordered his thoughts. He had only a short while to ask some questions before the shadow would dissipate.

"Was your appearance detected?" he asked.

"Unlikely. The sorcerer towers have been nearly abandoned. Only a few dozen sorcerers still inhabit the first, second, and third towers."

"Where did the rest go?" Gelwin asked with a frown.

"They have fled to Lord Bron and Lord Indoutor due to powerful demons roaming the mountains."

"Are the towers still stable?" Gelwin asked, slightly worried.

"Yes. The locking portals are still in place, and none of the towers were compromised."

The shadow was fading, and Gelwin could vaguely see the bookcases behind it. He hadn't used a shadow like this in eons, and he'd forgotten how fast they dissipated. He had two questions left, but the shadow probably only had energy left for one. He quickly decided on the most important one.

"Estimated time till the current defenses will break, causing the final survivors to be overrun?"

"Based on the little information that was gained, this can be anywhere from five years to twenty," the shadow said, turning nearly fully translucent.

Gelwin was about to ask his last question when the shadow vanished with a tiny plop. The ancient sorcerer stared at the wall behind it before letting out a tired sigh. That had been his final shadowcard...

He continued looking at it for a long time before his eyes focused again.

"Let's hope Daubutim and his friends find a world soon," he muttered. "But the window is too small."

His eyes turned steely, and he snapped his fingers.

After a few moments, a cloaked and hooded figure appeared.

"Prepare everything for plan B," he said.

The figure nodded, turned, and walked away, and Gelwin remained behind, staring at the wall.

--

"That's not what I expected," Greldo whispered.

"A bit smaller," Irwin agreed as he examined the ship at the dock.

Where the ships he'd been on before were the size of a town, this one was barely larger than a big house. It had a massive black sail on the center mast and a small triangle one connecting a much lower mast to the prow. Both pulsed every few moments with a dim blue glow.

It does look fast, he thought.

On the back of the ship was an elevated area where a man stood before a crystal pillar. His hands were playing across it, and Irwin wondered what it was for. Some control crystal? A door in the area below seemed to lead to the insides of the shield.

Dondast was walking ahead of him, and he turned around, looking at Irwin. "Do you already have a cabin?"

Irwin nodded.

Dondast grinned. "Great, let me do the talking."

Irwin was surprised at how much this reminded him of the first time he'd gone with a ship.

"Alright," he said.

Dondast turned back around and began waving at the ship.

Irwin nudged the massive sword on his shoulder to ensure he didn't accidentally hit anyone behind him with its tip.

Irwin held back a grimace when they reached the long stretch of wood connecting the ship and the pier. Everything felt half-baked. Even the board's connection to the pier looked like it might slip at any moment.

If we fall from here, it's a long drop, he thought with a shiver.

"Hey there, ship! I'm Dondast Clarioron, Leader of the Sisnour Merchant Group!"

There was a moment of silence, and then a short, wide-shouldered person dressed in dark gray leather armor came out of the cabin. Irwin felt his hair stand on end as he saw the pale blue, plated face. It almost looked like a bald human with blue metal plates covering each part of exposed skin with smaller ones around the edges of a wide mouth and eye sockets.

"Well, well! So the first group has finally arrived to board?" the being said with a high-pitched voice.

Dondast moved to the edge of the plank and bowed. "Honorable captain, may we board your vessel?"

"Xi'kroak bids you welcome on his ship," the being said, and Irwin thought he saw a smile on the face, though he could fairly well be mistaken due to how alien it looked.

As he followed Dondast aboard the ship, the board below him bent down so far he almost feared it would crack. He quickly jumped the last four feet. He landed on the ship and felt it rock below him. There was a startled cry from above. Looking up, he saw another being like the captain hanging from the top of the main mast, glaring down at him.

"Are you trying to sink my ship?" a high-pitched shout came from below.

Irwin looked down to see the captain standing before him, glaring up at him.

Not sure what to say, Irwin raised an eyebrow.

Dondast stepped forward, making tutting sounds.

"Now, now! I am sure Irwin is sorry for his heavy physique, but you will be happy he is here if we come across any problems," the Leader of the Sisnour merchants said.

Irwin was surprised at how oily his voice sounded, and seeing him bow again, he wondered what kind of weird customs these blue-plated people had. The captain glared at him for a few more moments before turning to Dondast.

"Very well! Names, and I'll bring you to your cabins if you paid for them!"

Didn't he just tell you? Irwin thought. He didn't say anything, though, and merely waited while Greldo and Daubutim joined him.

"Dondast Clarioron, Leader of the Sisnour Merchant Group, and the rest of my group," Dondast said again. "These are my guards, Irwin and his Giard Rangers."

"Very well. Both of you have a room, so I'll-"

"Dear Captain Xi'kroak! Would it be possible for us to get adjacent rooms, or perhaps a single, large one?"

The captain looked back, and Irwin saw the tiny plates around his eyes narrow. Was that a bad thing like humans?

"This would cause me some effort," Xi'kroak said.

"I am sure we can reimburse this effort," Dondast said quickly, though Irwin saw his smile slip.

"Good. I will increase your prices by ten percent," Xi'kroak said as he turned around.

It was obvious that this hadn't been a question, and Irwin saw Dondast look like he'd just swallowed a bug. Still, he didn't say anything and simply followed Xi'kroak.

Curious about what kind of people these blue-plated beings were, Irwin followed him into the area at the back of the ship.

It was a small room filled with tables and a narrow staircase leading down. Xi'kroak headed down, leading them into the bowels of the ship, which was no more than a narrow hallway with doors on both sides. Each led into a room barely large enough for the two or four beds they housed. Irwin wondered how anyone could have brought anything if they hadn't been waist-high, leaving room for baggage below.

At the back was a larger room with ten beds, though with barely any room to move between them.

"This room will be yours," Xi'kroak said as he waved them inside. "We will leave in four hours."

Dondast bowed again, and he and the other merchants quickly moved inside. When Irwin was inside with the others, Dondast scooched past him and closed the door.

"I'm sorry for the trouble, but I'll pay the extra fee," he said quickly, seeming afraid of Irwin's reaction.

Didn't expect anything else, Irwin thought, but all he did was nod.

"Now, let us pack away our belongings and get to know each other," Dondast continued. "This is going to be a long, cold, and dangerous trip. It's best we learn to trust each other."

Cold? Irwin thought with a frown. He didn't like the sound of that.