Irwin's Journey - The Cardsmith

"It's fine. We tried everywhere we could go right now. They will just have to find them themselves.

Irwin nodded slowly, still examining distant swamplands.

"Yeah," he said absently, his gaze drifting back to a very distant pulse of soulforce moving through the swamp. It overlapped with a heat signature that he recognized as one of the large bullfrogs.

After a few moments, it vanished around a bend, and Irwin sighed as he stopped using his new ability. The card barely felt drained from using it for an hour, and he knew he could probably use it for at least as long again.

Turning to Greldo and Clarish, he gazed at the small walled town that was Cesterdon. Built on the edge of the swampy area, parts of the town's wooden walls were covered in muddy clay, and only a few building roofs peaked out across. It was the smallest of the cities, though this could hardly be called it.

"You're not thinking about checking up on Daubutim's relatives, right?" Greldo asked.

"No thanks," Irwin said. "He doesn't even check on them himself."

Greldo nodded while Clarish frowned.

"Does he hate his relatives?" she asked.

Irwin shook his head as he remembered when Daubutim and Dianor had met. It had been a cool, incredibly businesslike conversation. Even Daubutim's mother, a stern, tall woman with short hair and piercing eyes, had only said some pleasantries.

"No, but there's also not a great deal of love between them," he said.

Taking a final look around, he wondered why Dianor had chosen these swampy reaches for his city. It wasn't the furthest from Daubutim nor the richest. All it had going for it was being reasonably close to all other major places.

"Right, let's go to Portal Keep," he said.

Clarish nodded, and after a trip through a swirling mass of soulforce, the three of them arrived on the square within Portal Keep's walls. Standing close to the wall, they saw guards walking around in the distance, many carrying arms full of spears.

"I'll find Lord Bron and Basil," Greldo said before vanishing.

Irwin looked at Clarish. "Thank you again for teleporting us everywhere. You can leave to rest if you want now. I can imagine you must be weary."

Clarish looked at him, and he saw her gaze linger on his eyes for a moment. Then she shook her head. "I'm fine. These were all short teleports, and we had enough rest in between. Besides… I wanted to talk to you."

Irwin turned away from the square, staring at the woman. She was almost two heads shorter than him but didn't show any discomfort. It didn't surprise him much. She'd been working with Bronwyn and Basil a lot, and those both towered over her in a similar matter.

"Lamia asked me to talk to you," she said.

Lamia? He hadn't thought about her for a long time, not since... Well, not since he'd brought her and Gawarn here. After that, so many things had happened that he hadn't even gotten into contact with them.

"Alright?" he said.

A frown flickered across Clarish's face for a moment before vanishing.

"Gawarn is worried about everything that is happening with the smiths and with how safe this world seems to be right now... Well, according to Gawarn, you would need to pass along Fiverion when you head to the populated areas of the Langost Branch, and they ask if you can bring Balarn and any other smith who wants here."

Irwin stared at her in surprise, thinking about Balarn and the others. This wasn't exactly what he'd expected Lamia to ask, but seeing as she and Gawarn were together now, it did make sense.

"I'm not sure we will move that close to Fiverion," he said slowly. "We've had some issues with the rulers there, and the risk of being caught is high. Besides, it's possible that Balarn doesn't even want to leave."

Clarish seemed ready to speak, and Irwin quickly raised his hand.

"However, we will be going to a place from where we should be able to contact them," he said slowly.

He was thinking of both Granvox and Igniz. Either with Ambraz's help or with Scintilla's, they should be able to relay a message to Balarn.

"I will tell Balarn that he should bring everyone who can and wants to a world further away from Fiverion. Perhaps Granvox… Ambraz, do you think-"

"Sure! Kid, if they want to head to Granvox, I'm sure I can get them a place to stay until we can pick them up!"

Clarish sighed, then smiled at him. "Thanks. I'm sure Lamia and Gawarn will also be very grateful."

Irwin nodded, still very surprised. "Since when have you been friends with them?" he asked.

"Gawarn and Lamia followed Daubutim to Treanba, which is where I usually am," Clarish said.

"Why there? Why not New Malorin?" Irwin asked, somewhat surprised.

"We've all lived in forests long enough," Clarish said as she looked at foliage that poked out over the distant wall. "Treanba is the largest and fastest growing city here, and it's next to a river. Besides, with Trimdir being in New Degonda and you and Endil in New Malorin, there was a need for a cardsmith there. So Gawarn and Lamia made a smithy."

"And you?" Irwin asked, feeling a tiny bit of curiosity to see what Lamia and Gawarn had made. He'd only seen Treanba from the side when they teleporter there to search for portals. He suddenly felt a slight sadness that he'd never gone to check it.

"Daubutim needed a teleporter, so…" Clarish shrugged and looked away, but as she did, Irwin saw her cheeks slightly color.

Are you kidding me? He held back a grin, wondering if Daubutim knew.

He began asking Clarish about Treanba, and she was more than happy to answer all his questions.

After what felt like a long time, Greldo and Lord Bron finally came walking towards them.

"Sorry for keeping you waiting," Lord Bron said, nodding at Irwin and Clarish. "I was in the midst of something. So, I take it you are ready to set out to bring our troublemaker as far from us as you can?"

"We are," Irwin said as he followed beside Lord Bron toward the Portal Keep's central building.

"Basil is out there, making sure he doesn't do anything stupid," Lord Bron said. "Rindiri and her kids have been notified, and they will meet us at the portal."

"Thanks," Irwin said. "Are they all coming?"

Lord Bron looked up in surprise. "They are your crew, are they not?"

"They are," Irwin said, hesitating. "What do you know of Yuurindi?"

Lord Bron hummed thoughtfully. "That we will want to find them an adjacent world as fast as we can before they overpopulate this one. But I take it you mean to say that Rindiri might want to stay here to ensure her people's survival?"

"Maybe. I don't really know," Irwin said before grimacing. "The thing is, all that are here are her children, so I don't think…"

Greldo laughed from behind him, but Irwin ignored his friend.

"Right," Lord Bron said. "Well, we will see what she has to say. You are able to sail alone?"

Irwin nodded slowly. "Yes, but it won't be as efficient. I was hoping to ask Xi'kroak for one of his men."

"Well, he is on his ship, so you can ask him when you get there," Lord Bron said with a smile.

The central building was as empty as it had been the first time, but a well-made wooden desk circled the central pillar.

"What did you do with Greeny?" Irwin asked.

"We are preparing everything we need to create a Central Register here," Lord Bron said, waving over his shoulder. "We won't finish it until we have to, preferably after we create a high-defense fortification on the other side of the portal and find as many Adjacent World portals as we can."

Irwin hummed thoughtfully, absently noticing that it created very faint ripples in the surrounding soulforce. "Didn't she have to see us put Doomblade on the ship?"

"Yes, don't worry about that. There's a tiny fragment of her on the other side of the portal. It won't last very long and weaken her, but it was a loss we had to take. We weren't going to let Doomblade on here, and we needed Greeny to start building the Central Register."

So they can split up even more? Interesting, Irwin thought.

They walked into the portal room to find it filled with training rangers and guards. On the other side, Rindiri stood with Zender, chatting calmly. There was no sign of any of her other children.

As they closed in, Irwin was surprised to see Zender's purple hair had grown slightly, as had the boy, and tiny braids on the sides were covered with small stone jewelry.

"Captain Irwin!" Zender shouted as he jumped forward, grinning up widely. "We are finally heading out again! I'm so happy!"

Irwin grinned while Greldo stepped towards the kid, shaking his head.

"What, you didn't enjoy hunting in the forests with me?" he asked with mock sadness.

"It was awesome," Zender said, "But nothing beats sailing the Portal Galery!"

Irwin grinned, turning to Rindiri.

"Captain, it is good to see you again," Rindiri said, bowing her head slightly, causing her long purple ponytail to fall across her shoulders. The crowfeet around her eyes had deepened slightly, but beyond that, she seemed energetic and happy.

"So, I presume you are coming along then?" Irwin asked.

"Yes, and Zender will be coming too," Rindiri said calmly. "I'm afraid I'll have to leave the others here. Trin and Brinni have fallen in love with the forests and skies, and Ib will stay here to teach them everything they need to know."

Irwin looked at her calmly, wondering if he should ask about her plans.

We can do that when we are on the ship, he decided as he nodded.

"Very well, then let's go and see how The Sonata is doing," he said.

"Lord Bron, keep this place safe and hidden for as long as you can," he said, looking at the noble.

"Don't worry," Lord Bron said, clasping his hand. "With everything Daubutim has told me, we need to hide for as long as we can while building up our strength. With the help of Trimdir and the others and the cards you've brought back, when you return you will be surprised!"

Irwin grinned before turning to Greldo. "I take it Bendi isn't coming?"

Greldo shook his head. "No, but I've got some rangers keeping an eye on him."

"And I'll keep an eye on Monique," Clarish said, nearly hissing that name.

Irwin barely managed to stop smiling. He stepped to the portal, then hesitated. The last time he'd gone through one, he'd encountered the Oculithar.

This world isn't shattering! He told himself before waving at Lord Bron and jumping inside.

Still, when he reappeared on the other side, he quickly looked around. When he saw the thick, faintly translucent barriers of energy with nothing behind them, he let out a relieved sigh.

"Don't worry," Ambraz said from his pocket. "Barely anyone ever encounters an Oculithar. The fact that you saw two is already a miracle."

Irwin sighed. Way to jinx it, he thought.

Still, halfway through the trip, his fear turned to boredom, and when he finally reached the exit, he was looking forward to setting out.

The world turned black, and a moment later, he stepped out onto a surprisingly wide, wooden platform. There was a single, tall pillar in front of him, and on the top flickered a tiny green gem.

Greenie, Irwin thought. He wondered if the soul-crystal entity or whatever it was could talk this small. Deciding it didn't matter, he looked around.

Dark purple and green waves of soulforce originating from the portal rippled outward, some even billowing up against the distant energy barrier.

He had landed on a wooden platform that wasn't the deck of a ship. He'd heard that the top of the trees had grown in range, but he hadn't realized they were big enough to put a forty-foot square platform on it. The start of the first tower stood on the other side, a few dozen feet away. Left of that were two narrow docks, one straight across from the building, the other angling away. There was a ship on each of them, one being his own Sonata, the other one of those they had taken from the Galubs. Da'xi crewmen were working on it, stripping parts and repairing others.

"Irwin! Finally!"

Irwin looked up to see Basil walk out of the building. He looked harried, with baggie eyes and slightly pale.

"Basil, are you alright?" Irwin asked as he walked forward.

"No. That bloody horned monster has made my life miserable for the last few weeks," he said. "He's worse than a child!"

Irwin raised his eyebrows, and even more so when he saw Doomblade stomp out of the house behind Basil. He was still wearing soulskill-dampening chains, but other than that, he seemed fine.

"Bah! Stop calling me a child, you overgrown copperbucket!" Doomblade shouted.

Two Frozir and Jort came after him, all keeping an eye on him. Even then, Irwin felt they seemed more relaxed than he'd have imagined.

"You are a child!" Basil boomed, turning a glare on the five-horned Galub. "I am hungry, I am bored. Wrestle with me. Wrestle with me! WRESTLE WITH ME!"

Irwin gaped at Basil, who was spitting as he shouted at Doomblade.

Doomblade just crossed his thick arms and smirked. "Stop complaining! You're the only one who can actually give me some fun! I didn't break anything after that first time!"

Basil turned back to Irwin, gnashing his teeth. "Please get this monster-sized child away from me!"

Irwin nodded, turning to Rindiri and Greldo, who had appeared behind him. Zender was hiding behind Greldo, peaking at Doomblade.

"Ready the ship. I'll finish up and then bring Doomblade."

The others nodded and quickly ran to the ship while Irwin turned to Basil.

"There's a ship ready with the other Galubs?" he asked.

Basil jabbed a finger at a ship hovering not too far away. A few Da'xi were on it, together with Xi'kroak.

"Xi'kroak will be there to keep them in line while The Zura'ix follows the both of you to bring everyone that has to back," Basil said, still glaring at Doomblade. "Now, take this menace away, please!"

Irwin nodded, walking toward Doomblade. Looking at the five-horn, who was only a tiny bit smaller than him, he raised an eyebrow.

"You are coming, or do I have to carry you?"

Basil laughed behind him while Doomblade just snorted.

"Soulstealers are such annoying creatures," he grunted. "I will go. I've waited here longer than I wanted to!"

Irwin motioned him over to The Sonata, and as he walked there, Basil followed beside.

"Keep an eye on him. He has a tendency to break stuff," Basil whispered, still glaring at the Galub.

"Don't worry. As long as he can't use his skills, we will be fine," Irwin said.

Basil didn't respond, just staring at him as Irwin walked onto the gangplank. It was much thicker and sturdier than the one he was used to, and it barely bent.

On his own deck, Doomblade moved to the side, staring at the mountains intently.

Is he trying to remember where we are? Irwin thought.

He hesitated, then turned to Greldo.

"Bring him below deck. I'll join you in a moment."

Greldo raised an eyebrow, then nodded.

"Come along, big child," he said. "Time for bedtime."

Doomblade's eyes turned burning as he glared at Greldo, who didn't seem to care in the least, beckoning him over.

Irwin waited till they were gone before looking at the tiny shard of Greeny.

"I hope this will work, but we can't have him remember the trip back," he said.

There was no answer, but the green shard flashed brightly.

I'll just take that as a yes, Irwin thought.

He looked around, then in the direction they would be going. It was even further away from Fiverion, along the new large branch they were on, and they only had a map for under three days.

I wonder what we are going to find out there, he thought.

Taking a deep breath, he focused on Basil.

"Keep this place safe, will you? I left some… gifts for you at Endil. Use them to strengthen yourself and any guards."

Basil's eyebrows raised as he tapped the back of his hand, and when Irwin nodded, he managed a weary smile.

"Thanks, I will. Take care, and make sure you come back safely!"

"I will!" Irwin said before turning to the raised deck where Rindiri stood. "Get us away, then wait for The Zura'ix and that galub ship to follow us. I'm going to keep Doomblade below deck until we are very far away!"

"Will do. I'll send Zender if there's anything," Rindiri shouted before looking at two rangers who stood beside the ropes holding the Sonata to the narrow dock. "Release us!"

Irwin grinned, waved at Basil one more time, then headed to the cabin door.

Bah, I would have liked seeing the portal vanish in the distance, he thought as he walked inside.

--

The day, and the one after, passed slowly. Irwin kept Doomblade below deck for the entire time, and he figured out that Basil had been right. The five-horn acted like a giant, badmouthed child, constantly complaining. Luckily, he'd quickly stopped asking to wrestle when Irwin wrapped him up and squeezed until his eyes almost popped out.

He had only taken a few looks outside.

One to see the trees growing up from below the portal, which had been incredible. The trees were already thicker than most of those he'd seen on Scour, only dwarfed by the heart trees and the massive trees below Fiverion. Tiny green figures had been roaming around them, probably plant-carded to help it grow even faster.

Another few to stretch his eyes, as Greldo called it. Just stare off into the distance instead of into the tiny cabin, glaring at an annoyed Galub. Each time he did, he felt something odd was going on, but no matter how much he looked, he couldn't put his finger on it.

At the end of the second day, he finally decided that it was time to head out. A tiny voice in his head kept trying to tell him he was missing something, but he just couldn't figure it out.

"Finally, air!" Doomblade howled as he pounced on the deck and headed to the side to look around.

Irwin thought he saw the Galub's eyes narrow as he didn't see any sign of the mountains anywhere. Was that what he had been worrying about? No… He grunted, wondering if he should chalk it up to two days of barely any sleeping.

Talking about no rest.

He waved at Greldo to take over as he moved to Rindiri.

As he climbed up the stairs, he took a good look around.

They were close to the barrier, and the ground below was a pale, rock-riddled wasteland. The temperature had gone down significantly since two days before, but it wasn't very cold yet. Two ships sailed through the empty skies behind them, just close enough to act if needed.

"So, where are we?" he asked.

"We did as Lord Bron asked," Rindiri said. "It took two days to reach the bend that the scouts told us about, and we have been moving the entire day along the side of the barrier. We are roughly heading away from Sesnanser and will reach the furthest spot the scoutship reached by early tomorrow. There aren't any side-branches until then, so we will have to hope that we can find one."

Irwin nodded as he stared into the distance ahead.

"How long till it gets cold?" he asked.

"The scoutship stopped when they couldn't stay on the deck anymore," Rindiri said. "So, it should rapidly begin to grow cold in the next few hours."

Irwin nodded. "Already, go and rest. You've been here for over two days. I'll stay on the helm while Greldo keeps an eye on Doomblade. If he acts up, we can just toss him overboard."

Rindiri smiled but didn't complain when he took over the wheel.

"I'll return early in the morning," she said.

I'm missing mornings already, Irwin thought as he wrapped his fingers around the strong wooden steering wheel.

Feeling the power of the ship moving at even his slightest twitch, he gazed off into the distance.

It took an hour before he figured out what had been bothering him, and it happened while he was simply zoning out.

There is no ambient soulforce!

He hadn't noticed because he'd not been able to see the stuff for nearly all of his life, but now that he realized it, he knew it was true. There were the occasional tiny plumes released from people using skills, but as he looked around in wonder, he saw none of the ambient stuff anywhere!

"There's no ambient soulforce here," he whispered, prodding his pocket.

"What?" came a sleepy voice.

Irwin repeated himself, still whispering.

"Ugh! Is that what you wake me for? Kid, everyone knows that! It's why it gets cold beyond the portals."

Irwin frowned. That made sense…

"So, all the soulforce in here has to come from the portals?"

Ambraz groaned, then slowly wriggled out of Irwin's pocket before flying to his shoulder.

"Look up."

Irwin did as asked, staring at the barrier high above, with chaotic storms raging behind it.

"There are incredible amounts of soulforce there. I don't know that much about these things, but remember when we went through that chaos storm?"

"With the Neamhnathair?" Irwin asked, thinking back to the immense whale beings.

"Chaos Whales, but yes. There are more types of beings that live in the chaos beyond the barriers, and all of them are made up of vast amounts of soulforce. Some people believe they sometimes die on the portal barrier, leaving behind a pocket of immense soulforce."

Irwin eyes widened as he thought back to that moment and the roiling clouds and the massive flying beings. A memory of that time jolted into his mind, and he stood up straight, nearly tossing Ambraz away.

"What?"

"They were eating tiny purple and blue specs each time lighting hit," Irwin said. "That had to have been soulforce!"

Ambraz landed back on his shoulder, humming for a moment. "That… could be," he finally said. "You have been sensitive to soulforce for a long time. Perhaps the quantity back then was just so great that it was visible."

"What if we could absorb it, just like with the Imps," Irwin whispered, looking up at the barrier.

Ambraz let out a giggle, then another, before finally managing to calm himself. "Nice try! If you get hit by one of those bolts, you will probably evaporate! Besides, those storms don't happen that often. How are you even going to find one?"

Irwin sighed, realizing Ambraz was right. Besides, he had enough things to do before going out searching for Chaos Whales.

"I forgot something else," he said with a sigh. "I had planned to let my mother and Bronwyn and the others hear the song of the Whale…"

Ambraz didn't respond immediately, and they continued ahead for a bit till the Anvil spoke.

"Well, that's just a great reason to get back and let them hear it, right?" he said.

"Yeah," Irwin said.

He continued focusing on keeping the ship moving in a straight line.