Irwin's Journey - The Cardsmith

Irwin leaned against the railing, quietly listening to Rindiri. He was still shocked by what she'd told him and unsure how to react.

"How do you know they died?" he asked softly.

Rindiri didn't answer right away but continued looking ahead. Irwin was about to leave, guessing she wanted to be alone, when she began talking.

"Every Yuurindi woman can have two, three, or sometimes four clutches of eggs. Each time we lay a clutch, we are bound to all of our children for a few years. It depends on how strong their genetic link is with us. When one dies, we feel it, similar to how you can feel your cards."

Irwin watched her, and as he did, he saw her hair turn slightly more gray. This time, he was sure it wasn't his imagination.

"Your hair…" he whispered.

Rindiri pulled some of her shoulder-length hair closer to her face to inspect it, and her face fell.

"The Soulforce I imbued my children… it should return, but… but it seems someone is absorbing it," she whispered.

She let the hair fall and put both hands back on the wheel.

Irwin felt himself grow more and more conflicted. Should he tell her they could go back? He really didn't want to, and-

No, he snapped to himself, smothering the tiny voice that demanded he help her.

As bad as things were, if he headed back now, the consequences for Giard would be disastrous.

The desire to help faded slightly to be replaced with sympathy for Rindiri. At the same time, he had no idea what to tell her or say. He had known that an attack was imminent, and he had mentioned it, but perhaps he should have been more clear? Ask if she wanted to bring more of her children?

And then what? Bring them all along and feed them and protect them? he thought.

"When you said you were bringing Zender, Trinn, and Brinni, I almost told you not to," Rindiri suddenly said. "They are young and have only such a short lifespan. Each time they headed out, I was afraid another of them wouldn't return. I am so glad I didn't do that. Although they will never grow old enough to have their own children, they deserve at least as much life as they can have."

Short lifetime? Irwin thought.

"I'm glad they are here too," he said, hesitating a moment before continuing. "And I'm sorry we didn't bring more of your children to be safe."

Rindiri looked at him, then shook her head. "That is the life of Yuurindi. I'm already incredibly glad you brought us along."

There was another long quiet before Irwin moved forward. It was time he spoke to those below. Still, he had one question he wanted to ask, something he'd thought off as he stood there, pondering what Rindiri had told him.

"What did you mean with the lifetime of your species?" he asked.

Rindiri smiled sadly, and this time, she wiped some tears off her face.

"Ask Zender. The boy has a good head on his shoulders and is better at explaining all these things. Also, if you don't mind, I would like some time by myself. I'll come and get you when you need to take over."

"Of course," Irwin said as he nodded and walked away. "Shout if you need anything."

As he walked back into the ship, he saw Zender and Greldo sitting near the hatch that led down. The room around them was nearly empty, besides some supply crates.

We really need to get some stuff in here to make it useful, Irwin thought.

As he walked towards them, he saw both Zender and Greldo look at him.

"Is she alright?" Zender whispered.

Irwin thought for a moment, then lowered himself until he sat beside the other two. He was about to explain what was going on when he heard a soft rustle near the hatch. Looking up, he saw Ib's head poking through.

"Alright, let's head back to the galley," Irwin said with a weary smile.

Ib disappeared back down, and a short while later, they were all sitting in the galley again. Irwin thought about how he should tell what he'd learned before realizing there was nothing he could say or do to make it better or easier.

"Sesnanser port is being attacked," he said quietly, keeping an eye on Zender. "And at least seven of your brothers and sisters have died."

There was a short moment of hushed silence before Zender rose and sprinted for the door.

Irwin moved to stop the boy, then hesitated and let him leave. He listened to Zender run through the hallway to his own room, enter it, and slam the door shut.

"I'll talk with him," Greldo muttered as he rose.

Irwin saw a grim look in Greldo's eyes, and he nodded before turning his attention to Trinn and Brinni. Both had turned pale, and Brinni was holding Trinn's hand, her eyes closed.

Ib was quietly staring at the table before getting up and moving into the kitchen.

"Did Rindiri sense anything else?" Daubutim asked softly. "Anything about what is going on?"

Irwin shook his head. "No, only that they…" he fell quiet as Brinni began weeping softly, and he watched as Trinn pulled her up and away.

"Thanks for telling us," Trinn whispered before they ran to their rooms.

Irwin sighed as he looked at Daubutim. His friend's sole good eye was slightly unfocused, and he decided to let him work through whatever he was trying to think.

"It must be nice not having to deal with the Geneculling," Ib said from the kitchen area.

Irwin saw she was furiously scrubbing something, probably the pot she'd used to make the stew.

"What is the Geneculling," he asked softly.

Ib glared at whatever was the target of her furious scrubbing before looking up.

"Only the genetically best of us survive to become ten years and adults," she said. "Normally, only the genetic defects die within one or two years, while only a few survive to reach ten."

Irwin leaned back. He'd wanted to ask Zender about this, but it would probably be better to ask Ib as she seemed willing to explain.

"You're the genetically best of your mother's children?" he asked, already knowing the answer but hoping she'd elaborate on it a bit.

Ib rose and looked at him before nodding. "Yes. Of the others, Zender isn't half bad, but the rest are like Brinni. Too small, with minds that are too weak to handle the truths of the world."

Irwin frowned at that but decided to keep his opinions to himself.

"My people use cards to extend our life," he said. "Does that work for yours?"

"Yes and no," Ib said with a weary sigh. "The trouble is that those with weaker genes can't handle the pressure of strong cards. I can wield up to diamond rank, though only one. If I would slot a second card of that rank, I'd wither and die. Zender can probably wield up to emerald, though I'm not really sure, but most? Most are like Brinni and can only wield quartz or sometimes amethyst. If they slot something too strong, the card will drain them until they are dead."

Irwin looked at Ib as he tried to wrap his head around what she'd just told him.

"Why are so many people afraid of your species?" he asked. "I mean… What is there to fear if most of you don't grow beyond ten years, never become an adult, and only use weak cards?" he asked.

Ib let out a short laugh before she shook her head.

"When they found our world and opened it up, there were far more genetically perfect people, and although they had weaker cards, they almost fought their way into the hubworld. When they were beaten back, and many died, the Egrabodu family sent some high-carded after us to… cull… our population," Ib said, glaring at whatever she was cleaning now. "Can you imagine their surprise when a year later there was another attack, and a year later another? It took them a while to find out what was going on… and…"

Ib stopped cleaning. "Mom wasn't there, but her mother was… she said it was horrible. The Egrabodu families' mercenaries went in, found the best of my people, and killed them. They only stopped when they had killed so many that the best of those left were those that were so weak they couldn't live beyond thirty," she said, staring off into the distance. "Those like my mother's mother. When they say that I'm perfect, that's only based on what remains. It will take thousands of generations to return to where we were if we can even reach it," she said.

With a sigh, she continued cleaning while Irwin looked at Daubutim, feeling slightly sick in his stomach.

"There are worse stories than what happened to the Yuurindi," Daubutim said. "But not any as recent."

"You knew about this?" Irwin asked, wondering why he was even surprised.

"Yes. I talked with Rindiri a week ago," Daubutim said.

Irwin sighed.

"Well, tell me everything you have learned about them that I haven't just heard," he said.

Daubutim nodded, and as he began talking, Irwin leaned back.

She's right, he thought as he absently stared at Ib. He was happy that he didn't have to deal with any Geneculling.

--

"This is bloody insane," Greldo shouted.

Clenching the steering wheel, Irwin could only barely hear his voice above the roaring storm, but he agreed. The swirling clouds and cracks of lightning almost made him want to suggest landing the ship on the ground.

"Rindiri says that if you can, you have to keep the ship dead center. If you see any of the edges appear, turn away, even if it's potentially the way back!"

"How long will this last?" Irwin roared back.

He clenched the steering wheel tight. He was too heavy to be blown away yet, though as the storm kept increasing in power, he wondered how long it would be before more than just his leather armor would be flopping around. He didn't bother looking at the arrow that was pointing to the side because any calibration that Rindiri had done was wiped away when the storm hit them.

"Four hours at least, maybe six," Greldo shouted before closing the door.

Irwin saw him struggle against the storm, and when the door finally shut completely, a thin white layer of snow and ice immediately formed on it.

Great, he thought as he prepared himself for a few hours of cold loneliness.

He stared ahead at the roiling purple-black clouds that moved from the chaotic space above the Portal Gallery barrier straight down, seeming uncaring about the gleaming blue barrier.

A bolt of purple lightning rippled down from the clouds and struck the ground with such force that the booming explosion caused Irwin's ears to hurt and ring. A cloud of purple and blue glowing particles expanded from where it had passed, like steam from a kettle.

Irwin watched them in awe just as the soundwave made the ship slide sideways, the bow turning in another direction. He pulled on the steering wheel to tighten the ship, but it felt like he was trying to turn an anvil around with two fingers. Finally, after what felt like an hour of struggling, he managed to keep the nose going in the same direction, meaning straight at the storm. There was no other option besides turning back, and as he looked over his shoulder, he saw more roiling clouds there.

So, forward is a storm, backward is a storm, and the edge of the Portal Gallery is to the sides. Lovely, Irwin thought.

Another surge of wind pulled the boat sideways, and he quickly corrected the course.

Minutes passed by excruciatingly slowly, and Irwin was immensely grateful that his card gave him near-unlimited endurance. Without it, he would probably have gone unconscious an hour ago.

A crackling bolt of lightning rippled horizontally through the stormy air, making everything turn inverse in color for a split second. Dozens of pale blue shapes were dashing around in the wake of the bolt.

What are those?

When the light dimmed, the shapes vanished, but Irwin kept looking in the direction he'd seen them while constantly correcting the ship's erratic movements.

Worried they were going to run into some Chaos Space Demons, he wondered if he should try to move closer to the sides…

A few minutes later, there was still no sign of any movement, but a deep, low sound echoed from ahead.

Now what? Irwin thought as the icy wind slammed into his face as it turned again.

As he blinked to get the snow out of his eyes, another lightning bolt rippled through the air. This time, he clearly saw the dozens of figures that had closed in, and his breath faltered.

Enormous shapes that reminded him of fish, but with smooth skin instead of scales and two tails, where… flying? Swimming? He couldn't make sense of what he was seeing, but the enormous things were moving through the storm, gulping up the tiny blue and purple lights that remained in the wake of the lightning bolt. One of them had been moving almost straight for the Sonata but turned and began flying, he decided, beside the ship.

As the thing closed in, he really appreciated just how large it was, the Sonata's being both shorter and slimmer. Only the mast and sail gave it the impression that the ship was larger.

Irwin saw one massive eye, with four smaller ones in a semi-arch above that one, all staring at him before the smaller ones began looking around in different directions. The large one blinked slowly, and another deep sound, almost like a melodic moan, came from the being.

Similar sounds came from the others in the distance, and Irwin looked to the other side to find another giant fish swimming on that side. It let out a deep rumbling hum, and as it did, Irwin felt his card resonate.

Are they… singing? he thought, his worry growing as he pictured what would happen to the ship if the giant singing fish decided to ram it.

Seconds slowly passed, and nothing of the sort happened, with the enormous fish remaining beside the ship, their hums and groans sounding like a back-and-forth conversation or a part of a song.

As they sailed further into the thunderous cloud, smaller lightning bolts crackled around the ship, but none came close enough to hit it.

A sudden cacophony of deep groans and hums came from above, and Irwin looked up in surprise.

A dozen of the giant fish were floating above him, some so close to each other that they were fin-to-fin. Their deep sounds slowly mixed with those of the ones beside him, and suddenly, everything seemed to click. The humming and groaning aligned, turning into a deep song.

Irwin gaped as he looked up and then around. He had been right. They were singing!

As the song deepened, softer voices joined it, and he saw the distant fish had started flying in the same direction as he was. With the icy wind blasting his face, the howling wind, and the occasional crackling lightning, the song of the behemoths was beautiful and melancholy, and Irwin smiled as he looked ahead.

He was almost a hundred percent sure that whatever these things were, they weren't going to hurt him or the ship. If they had wanted to, they could have easily rammed The Sonata. Instead, they seemed almost careful not to come too close. More so, he realized that since the two fish had begun flanking him, the buffeting winds were having less of an impact on The Sonata, and it was easier to navigate.

The heart of the storm was ahead of them, and as they headed towards it, Irwin saw that it was a large, calm region, with rain falling in a calm drizzle. Beyond it was another mass of swirling clouds.

The prow of the Sonata broke through a thin blue barrier that seemed to surround the eye of the storm. As the ship sailed further into the calm area, Irwin passed through the thin barrier. He felt nothing but a mild tingle. Then, the howling storm muted as if he was in a building. The deep and resonant sounds of the fish became more beautiful and clear as they followed him.

As he listened to the song, almost wholly immersed, he felt Ambraz struggle out of his pocket.

"Chaos Whales…" the Anvil whispered as he landed on Irwin's shoulder. "I never thought I'd see those."

"What are they?" Irwin whispered back after a while, reluctant to speak and break the spell of the beautiful song.

"Benign beings that live in the Chaos Space beyond the Portal Gallery," Ambraz whispered. "They are barely ever seen, but when they are, it is far beyond the known portals. Many explorer groups swear that they have been saved by groups of Chaos Whales, but it's hard to be sure. Their song and presence influence all cards, and no cards that can record images, sounds, or anything like that work in their presence…. I guess many people don't believe they even exist because of this."

Irwin could imagine that as he stared at the massive Chaos Wales. Quietly, he listened as the song deepened, the melody turning more dramatic as if something sad was happening.

As they floated further into the eye, reaching the center, he looked around to find that he was now surrounded by Chaos Whales. The temperature was falling even more, ice appearing on the wooden deck and cabin walls, but he barely felt it. His card was vibrating and humming in tandem with the Whale song, and as they headed towards the other side of the eye, lightning rippled through the sky before him, and rain was flung sideways through the air, slamming into the barrier.

I wish I could let the others hear this, he thought as he thought of Scintilla.

It was too cold for her, but what would she have thought if she could have heard this? He knew she loved to hear him sing while smithing...

Irwin closed his eyes and took a deep breath. If he could learn this song, he could at least let her hear a part of it... Her, and his mother, and Bronwyn.

Opening his eyes, he began softly humming along with the Whales, trying to find a rhythm or melody to follow.

His voice, as deep and booming as it was compared to most people he had met, was like a high-pitched squeal compared to those of the whales. As he heard the difference between it and the beautiful, deep song, he almost stopped.

With an almost happy jolt, his heartcard's resonance increased and began vibrating along with his hum. As if triggered by this, his flame roared to life more intensely than ever before, causing his Kinetic energy to surge.

Irwin felt his chest and throat begin vibrating, and as they did, his voice dropped, deepened, and became louder, causing his hum to match and intermingle with the softest of those of the whales.

Shocked by what happened, he failed to anticipate a change in the melody, and his, and then the entire song, faltered.

Oh no!

Irwin looked around, afraid he'd made a horrible mistake, to find all of the whales watching him. As his worry grew, the song suddenly exploded forth with renewed vigor; the slight falter gone as if it had never happened while more and more voices joined.

Irwin, emboldened, rejoined, trying to follow in the song as much as he could, sometimes faltering as new parts began, only to rejoin when he learned them.

When the ship passed through the other edge of the eye, the storm erupted around them with a vengeance, but the sound of the song continued, only changing to seemingly incorporate the howling of the wind and the crackling of the lightning.

Irwin barely noticed as the temperature rose slightly, now humming and sometimes singing along as loud as he could. His heartcard was vibrating so powerfully that it felt like his body had turned into a tuning fork, and as he held the steering wheel, staring ahead, intense joy filled him.

At some point, he felt an odd sensation in his heartcard, but as it didn't seem threatening, he ignored it in favor of the song.

He had no idea how long the song lasted, but at some moment, he realized that the whales, his deep-voiced friends, were fading, and Irwin jolted awake.

He was staring straight ahead, the sky ahead as clear as the odd sky above the Portal Gallery could be, and the temperature back to something he knew at least Greldo and Rindiri could withstand.

Turning around, he saw the dark storm spanning the horizon from left to right, a mass of the Chaos Whales flying back into it. A single whale hovered around the edge, and although Irwin couldn't see them, he was sure the Chaos Whale's eyes were focused on him.

"Thank you," he said, smiling.

Although the distance should have been far too great, a deep sound, similar to a warhorn, echoed out from the Chaos Whale, then it turned and followed the others.

Irwin watched the storm for a few more moments before turning back to the steering wheel.

He relished in the memories of the song for a few moments before focusing on the way ahead. There was no sign of the Portal Gallery walls, which meant he was either still in the middle or they had reached the widening part. The ground below was covered in a thin layer of white and brown fungus.

I hope I can experience that again sometime, he thought.