Irwin's Journey - The Cardsmith

"Do you think he was lying?" Moira asked as she looked from the wall across the plains to the distant hills. "It has to have been nearly an hour!"

She narrowed her eyes, trying to see anything in the hills. Her card gave her slightly enhanced eyesight, which was the reason she was usually atop here to scout for trouble and was granted one of the few functional bows. Over the years, she'd learned to trust it, but now she hoped it was wrong and that she just couldn't see the help as it came.

"How should I know," a dull voice muttered from the ground beside her, where Eemlin sat with his legs dangling down the wall. He was old, probably over fifty, but his yellow eyes allowed him to see even better in the dark than her. "Shouldn't you be laying low? You've already pissed off Crais a lot…"

Moira took a quick look at the tent area, noticing Crais stomp around, glaring and cursing. She quickly sank to her haunches and grimaced as her vision turned blurry from the sudden movement.

A quick look showed the hills were still quiet.

Come on, please don't be some liar, she thought as she pictured the bearded man with the haunting silver eyes.

--

"It's about time we go," Irwin said.

He, Greldo, and Basil stood on the top of the ridge. From where they stood, they couldn't see the plains as it was blocked by a large, jagged peak the size of a castle. A good thing because that meant nobody could see them either. Dozens of carded stoneshapers, looking weary from the insane amount of work they had been asked to do over the last few weeks, were working on widening the staircase that led down.

"We've got this, but are you sure you two will be alright out there?" Basil asked as he gazed at the rough landscape around them.

"Don't worry about us," Greldo said as he looked at the rangers that stood on the edge.

"Alright, I'll stay," Basil said. "As soon as you clear this area, we will head to the foothills."

Irwin nodded and summoned his hammer as he walked along the ridge. Greldo followed close behind, and they were quiet until they were out of sight.

"You sure you want me to head out right away?" Greldo asked.

Irwin sighed, looking around the bleak landscape. "Yes. If we start this, we are going to draw massive attention. It's the perfect distraction. Go and see what Indoubtor is up to, and if you can, get everyone-"

"Into an inconspicuous cellar, warehouse, or something similar," Greldo said hurriedly. "I know, I'll be fine. I'm more worried about you. There's a lot of Nyzir here."

"I know," Irwin said. "But even if they hit me, they can't hurt me badly. Besides, I'll spread my flame wide, so if they try and come too close, they will regret it."

"Yeah… but you do realize there's a chance of there being stronger Nyzir here?"

Irwin nodded. "I know, but what else can we do?"

They walked for a little more before Greldo grunted. "I'm going to annoy the shit out of those Nyzir, then draw them to Coulwater Tower. If we are going for a distraction, we might as well go big."

"Be care-" Irwin said to find Greldo had finished into the shadows.

"-full," he ended, shaking his head. Besides, who was he to tell someone to be careful? He was going to do something dangerous for the second time in a few days.

Let's hope it's going to be mostly Imps, he thought as he looked around the hills.

--

Greldo grinned evilly as he looked behind him at the cluster of Nyzir chasing after himself. He was keeping his speed just low enough for them to keep up, sometimes letting them close the distance slightly to make sure they didn't figure out he was doing it on purpose.

A single, large trail was off the side of the main group, and he knew it, too, was holding back.

I wonder what that is, he thought as his grin faded. He knew that there were more dangerous things in the Nyzir portals, and it was probably too much to ask that only common and uncommon portals had opened.

So nice thinking about those things by their old names, he thought absently.

The massive Coulwater Tower, or perhaps castle was a better name, was closing in rapidly, and he was surprised to notice a few Nyzir trails around the peak of the central tower.

Good. Let's have those follow along and then see if we can cause some disturbance!

He was barely a hundred feet from the wall when there was a muted, distant boom. Looking back, he saw a shadowy cloud erupt from the hills.

Nice, Irwin, he thought as he grinned wider.

He shot across the wall through the shadow of the main gate and took a quick glance at the hands of the rangers. He almost stopped in surprise as he saw multiple full-hand rangers staring at the distant hills, carded bows and crossbows partially raised.

Daubutim wasn't kidding, he thought as he suddenly felt some of his confidence fade. Some of these guys could have a way to spot him or the Nyzir! Besides, although he had a heartcard now, he wasn't sure how many normal carded rangers he could fight. Five? More if they didn't know he was there, but if they were ready and grouped together.

Dammit, Gelwin could have given us more time, he thought, thinking back to what Daubutim had spoken about.

Rough stone houses stood within the walls, some a few stories high, and people were walking around slowly. One look at their gaunt appearances told him that they weren't doing much better than the ones in the camp he'd been to.

So, either only the nobles have food, or there's none to go around, he thought.

A look at the central castle showed a large cluster of rangers and guards practicing, something that surprised him. Perhaps they had new cards?

Well, whatever it was, he was going to give them something else to practice with!

Grinning nastily, he picked out one of the nobles, a young, brown-haired man who was glaring at his opponent.

Follow me now, he thought as he shot towards the large group of trainees. They all had a single fullhand and the noble even another, and as he closed in, he looked around to see if anyone was noticing them. There was no reaction or shouting, and he stopped in the shadows cast by two burly figures trading blows with spears.

The Nyzir were shooting towards him, but it took him a few moments to find the larger one. Then he spotted it near a building, far away, seeming to observe what was going on.

Alright, I definitely have to deal with you eventually, Greldo thought.

A startled shout made him look up to see two Nyzir slash at an unsuspecting guard. Greldo grimaced as their daggers pulled a long wound across his shoulder and back, feeling slightly guilty. Then he shoved it away. It was either this or Irwin would have to deal with them. Besides, this was what they were training for, right?

Still… He zipped from shadow to shadow, keeping a close look to see if the guards would manage. If they wouldn't, he might have to step in and get rid of a few.

A beam of silvery blue ice shot through the air so fast he dashed back in surprise as it struck one of the Nyzir. It didn't even manage a scream as its body froze solid before crumbling to tiny shards.

That's like Irwin's flame, Greldo thought as he looked around.

He froze, his face going slack as he saw a small, young woman stride forward with two fully armored guards beside her.

Twintin!

Geldo stupidly looked at the girl that he'd not seen since the time he'd gotten Coal. Irwin had told him that she was on Fiverio, but he'd never thought about looking her up. What was the use? The last time he'd seen her, she'd left screaming at Irwin that he'd killed her friend whose name he couldn't even recall. Still, he was surprised she was here and seemed to be doing well. He was even more surprised when he saw that she had two fullhands.

And they weren't just utility cards either.

In the few moments that he was looking at her stupidly, she took down two more Nyzir with well-placed waves and beams of ice.

Greldo slowly hovered up in the shadow of the tower before closing in slightly. Twintin had a nasty scar across her throat that led down her tunic, and from how much older she looked, he knew she must have been inside portals for a long time.

"Keep your cool," Twintin shouted as she strode towards the chaotic training field.

Greldo saw the shadowy trail of a Nyzir rush towards her, heading to her back, and hesitated. Should he help? He didn't owe her anything, and although they would need every strong carded on the new world, who was to say she was even going to play nice?

Before he could act, one of the two guards spun on his heel, and a thin, silvery sword appeared in his hand, which jabbed straight at the approaching, invisible Nyzir. There was a startling scream that rang through the shadowy world, taking Greldo by surprise. He'd never heard a sound that only resonated here! The Nyzir seemed to be ripped out of the shadowy world, while silvery cracks ran from where it had been outwards for a few feet before thinning and slowly disappearing.

Alright, I definitely don't want to get anywhere near him, Greldo thought as he saw the Nyzir flop on the ground without moving.

Guards and rangers came running from within the castle, and a hectic minute later, the Nyzir were gone. Greldo barely noticed because as soon as the guards came running, he shot up the castle and towards an open window. A quick look showed an empty room with beds and closets and a closed door. Before he headed inside, he searched for the larger Nyzir, but there was no sign of it.

I'll go find you later, he thought as he entered the room and floated to the door. He listened for a few moments, then nodded. Now, let's go and find out where Lamia and Daubutim's family is.

--

Irwin jumped from the hill, sailing through the air as he glared at the running Brutal Imp. It was one of the largest he'd seen, and like all the others in the hills, it had turned and run as soon as it saw him.

It's like they know me, he thought as he hurled his hammer after the running figure. As it left his fingers, he increased its size to that of a barn door, but he withheld adding fire. Instead, he watched it slam into the Brutal Imp's back, knocking it flat on the ground. The hammer was partially across his back and legs, half-pinning it.

"Now," he shouted.

There was a small blur as Ambraz shot at the Brutal Imp, struggling to push the massive hammer from his back. With a flash of light, Ambraz turned to his working form and thudded on the back of the Brutal Imp, flattening him to the ground.

"Agh, get off, you vile, little-" the Brutal Imp roared as he pushed himself up and began toppling the hammer and Ambraz from his back.

Irwin slammed into the ground a short distance from the Imp and quickly ran forward before the Imp could free itself. He grabbed the handle and righted it back on the Brutal Imp's back before jumping on the wide back. The combined weight of his hammer, he and Ambraz proved enough, and the Brutal Imp finally slammed face-first into the ground.

"Let go," the Imp grunted.

Irwin ignored him and stomped his feet down hard, causing a grunt of pain.

"Why are you running from me?" he snapped.

The Imp didn't speak, and Irwin kicked down again. "Talk!"

It took a few more kicks before the Brutal Imp finally relented.

"There's rumors about you," he growled. "The smith that wields those vile devouring flames!"

"What? Who spread those rumors?" Irwin snapped, frowning at the massive shape below him.

The idea that rumors about him were spreading wasn't good. If he drew too much attention, that meant they would come looking for him. Gelwin's portals already proved that it might be possible for someone to come and find him. But who had started the rumors? He'd thought about the other Brutal Imp that had fled when he was near Malorin hunting Imps. Had that one warned the others? It made sense…

He had to kick the Brutal Imp for a while before it finally began talking again.

"How should I know, soul stealer!" the Brutal Imp snapped. "Now let me go or drain me of my being! I hope you choke on it!"

Irwin felt like whistling at the Brutal Imp's bravado, but instead, he stomped down again.

"Where did you learn those rumors?" he roared.

"In the final shard of our world that remains, and that's all I'll tell you," the Brutal Imp growled.

Irwin wondered if he'd be able to keep that up if he started burning him, but that might take time, and time was the only thing he didn't have. Besides, he was starting to feel sick from having to beat up the Brutal Imp.

He focused on his card, and his flame erupted out from him, covering the Brutal Imp, which let out a strangled scream. It lasted for five seconds before ending in a wet gurgle. The body below Irwin's feet turned to chunks of soot while he felt drips of soulforce rain down on his soullake.

Kicking his feet clean, he looked around.

"Only one world shard left," he muttered, wondering if that was true.

He knew it would be good news if it were because perhaps then, at least, the Imps would stop. Yet, at the same time, he couldn't help wanting more of them. If he could fill up his soullake he could create his first soulcard!

Looking around and pondering, searching a bit further, he shook his head. He had no idea how much time they had left, but he still needed to clear the plains. He'd been running around, killing all the Imps he came across for over an hour now. Those that hadn't fled, that was. Still, he was glad that he'd not come across any Nyzir. Whatever Greldo had done had definitely helped. Otherwise, things would have taken way more time.

Turning towards the foothills, he began running forward.

"Soooo, is it nearly full?" Ambraz asked as he landed on his shoulder.

"Not yet," Irwin said. "There weren't as many Imps here, and many fled."

"Then why are we not searching for more?" Ambraz shouted.

"Because I need to clear those plains so the people can start fleeing," Irwin said. "After that, if there's time, we can see if there's any left."

Ambraz snorted. "Fine."

Irwin ran and jumped through the foothills until he got his first clear view of the valley. The ruins that he recalled from the first time were almost entirely gone, just piles of rubble remaining, while a new tower stood in the center.

That's probably where the exit portal is, Irwin thought as he looked at the three towers of those that at one time circled the ruins.

Coulwater Tower was massive now, while the other two seemed reinforced. Camps were everywhere, some small, others larger than towns.

Seeing no more heat signatures around him, he turned back to where he'd come and drew a deep breath.

"Basil! It's clear!" he roared twice, his voice echoing around the hills.

"You... could have gone back and just tell him," Ambraz snapped. "I don't have ears, and I think I ruptured an eardrum!"

"Takes too much time," Irwin said as he turned back to the plains with a wide grin.

Dozens of Tardels were moving around far below, and he wondered if those would also give soulforce if he flamed them.

Let's find out, he thought as he gauged the distance down and nodded. It would probably hurt a bit and might bury him to the knees in the ground, but it would be much faster than walking down. He took a short run before exploding forward with Kinetic Energy.

He sailed through the air, staring at his intended target: a large Tardel that lay against the side of the hill, glaring across the open plains. His heart rate shot up a few moments before he hit the ground as he realized he was going to overshoot by a bit. Summoning his hammer, he swung it down and, as it was at the lowest point, enlarged it. The extra weight made him shoot almost straight down, and he grinned as the Tardel looked up just as the enormous hammer crushed its head.

Blood splattered across the area as Irwin slammed into the Tardel. He felt the body squish below his feet, and a few moments later, he was partially buried in flesh, tendons, and other things he didn't want to think about. Still, the Tardel had managed to slow his descent enough that he only had to rip himself free from its twitching remains.

Angry roars came from all around, and Irwin used the massive influx of Kinetic energy and fed it into his flame, which roared to life around him.

--

Moira dumbly stared at the building-sized torrent of fire rippling near the bottom of the hills.

"Do you see anything moving?" Crais shouted from below.

"Someone is fighting the Tardels," Moira shouted back without taking her eyes off the distant fire. Its brightness actually made it harder for her to see than easier, and she squinted, trying to follow the figure as it ran towards an incoming group of Tardels.

"There's definitely something going on at Coulwater Tower," Eemlin said from beside her.

Moira quickly turned to look at what he meant, but all she saw were the distant walls of Coulwater Tower. She stared for a few moments, ignoring Crais's shouts for more information when a pale burst of light exploded from the central tower.

"They are fighting," she hissed before she turned to stare at the square below. "There's fighting going on at Coulwater Tower," she shouted.

"I don't care what those nasty Noble's are doing," Crais screamed. "Tell me what is happening towards the hills!"

Moira wanted to curse at the man but instead spun and did as asked. The raging mass of fire had shrunk to wrap around a figure that seemed made of fire. It was racing across the barren plains towards them, catching up to one of the Tardels. She saw something shoot away from the figure, knocking the Tardel to the side.

Barely believing what she saw, she watched as the figure seemed to rip the Tardel apart before continuing ahead. Groups of Tardels, alerted by the fighting, were running towards the commotion.

"There's dozens of them," she whispered. "Even Indoubtor can only kill two by himself! How… can anyone…”

She fell quiet and watched in slowly growing awe as the figure trampled across the Tardels, fire sometimes flaring out in huge swaths.

When the figure was halfway towards them, horns began trumpeting from the other camps, and she jolted back to reality.

"- Beard, what is going on!" a panicked scream came from below.

Moira turned to look down, realizing Crais had been screaming at her for a good while already.

"Someone is running towards us clearing out the Tardels," she shouted, trying to sound calm and collected. "He's halfway from the hills."

The mass of people around the tents were staring up at her, and she could almost see the disbelief in their eyes.

"Are you saying that there's someone more powerful than Indoubtor out there?" Crais shouted, his voice skipping a beat.

Moira shrugged and turned back to the plains; her hope suddenly kindled as high as the fire that rippled through the air.

--

"These things are annoying," Irwin roared as he kicked the Tardel he'd just caught up and killed.

"What did you expect? That they would just line up for you to kill them?" Ambraz snorted. "Are you going to be able to keep this up?"

Irwin grunted as he probed his card. "Only a quarter down."

As he said it, he thought about what he'd just been doing and frowned. "It's almost as if my card's energy is growing faster than the soul power level in my lake."

Ambraz laughed as Irwin began speeding up towards the camp. He didn't see any more Tardel heat signatures anywhere and hoped that he'd finally gotten them all, or at least most.

"It just takes a while for your card to catch up," the Anvil shouted from his shoulder.

Irwin hummed, then shrugged. "Say, what will happen if the lake is filled anyway?" He'd never thought he'd need to know that anytime soon, but with how things were progressing, he was getting curious.

"The soulforce will fill your heartcard like a mold. Then it will crystalize into a soulcard which will hover above your soullake, generating small amounts of soulforce," Ambraz said.

Irwin blinked. "Wait… you mean the soullake will be empty again?"

"Kid, what did you expect? That you could just fill it, pick another six cards, make a heartcard, and instantly turn that into another soulcard?" Ambraz shouted before he began laughing. "Ah, sometimes I still forget how little you learned when growing up!"

Irwin let out a heavy sigh before shaking his head. Well, at least I'll have a soulcard then, he thought.

As he closed in on the camp, he saw three heat signatures on the wall. There was a small door in the side, and he slowed down when we were a hundred feet or so away.

"Are you the one the silver-eyed man that moved through shadows spoke about?" a female voice shouted down at him.

"Yes, I'm Irwin," Irwin shouted back. "Are you people ready to head to the hills?"

The door was opened, and he saw a few people walk out carrying spears. Behind them came a small, scrawny man whose eyes kept moving about, never staying on one thing for longer than a moment.

"I'm Crais," the man said as he walked forward. "I… are you here to save us?"

Something about Crais made Irwin feel annoyed, but he shoved it down for now.

"Yes and no," he said. "I'm going to be clearing out more of the plains so the other camps can move. There are rangers and guards waiting for you near the hills. Just head for the campfires."

He was about to turn and leave when the man walked forward.

"Wait, please! We have many weak, wounded, and malnourished people. We need help to get there! If you leave and even one of those Tardels shows up, we will get wiped out!"

Irwin saw more people walk out through the door, their faces so thin they almost looked like skeletons. He knew the man wasn't lying, and he grimaced. He looked back in the direction of the hills, then to the left and the right, and saw no heat signatures. Besides, if he brought them back, he would have to move at their speed, which might take the whole night.

"There are none there right now," he said as he looked around. "You will have to make the attempt."

As he said that, he frowned. They should have gotten more people here to clear the way. But besides him and Greldo, who could easily dispatch the Tardels without any danger?

Coal!

He hissed as he looked around. "Coal, are you here?"

The massive hound appeared beside him out of nowhere, looking at him with its bright silver eyes. There was a gasp from the wall, which Irwin ignored. Instead, he gazed at the hound, his mind spinning as he thought about what they had to do. Finally, an idea began to crystallize, and he turned to the people at the wall.

"Alright, this is what we will do," he said.