Irwin's Journey - The Cardsmith

The four figures landed on the deck while he walked forward. They looked like him, and he saw that the Loydin towered over even the Kraniox, one of the two at least a head taller than him and probably twice as heavy. He immediately saw the differences beyond their bulk. The Loydin didn't have the thin, red lines that crossed his own skin like a faint, barely visible tattoo network. Those had luckily faded so much that they were hard to see on his skin, but if one looked closely or knew what to look for…

"Stop staring," the tall Loydin growled. His voice was a deep, toneless base, close to an angry growl.

Irwin's eyes narrowed as he felt a sudden annoyance. The Loydin had been doing nothing but look at him since they arrived, and now he had the gall to tell him to stop staring? Something about the Loydin was making his blood boil, and it took him a moment to sense that even his soulcard was resonating oddly.

"Now, now. Don't go and aggravate Captain Irwin," Zirt said happily, looking to the side. "Perhaps he's not seen another Loydin in a very long time?"

"He's not a Loydin," the Loydin snapped.

"I'm not a Loydin," Irwin said at the same time.

He and the Loydin looked at each other for a few more moments, and it took Irwin a lot of effort not to scowl. Finally, he ripped his gaze away and focused on Zirt, who was quietly watching, seemingly interested in how things would play out.

"Why didn't you destroy that blockade earlier?" Irwin asked, staring at the First Mate, raising an eyebrow.

Zirt's red eyes flashed, and his teeth blinked dangerously.

"Usually, I would answer this with a 'that's none of your damn business', but seeing as you seem to have at least someone that knows what's happening-" he glanced pointedly at Rindir. "-I'll humor you. We arrived a few weeks ago and have been trying to figure out what is beyond the blockade. There were rumors of five-horned Galubs, and I hope I don't have to tell you that dealing with a few of those is a pain in the ass."

Irwin was about to ask why they hadn't arrived sooner when Zirt shook his head.

"Enough. I'm not here to answer your questions. I'm here so you can answer ours," he said, placing a hand on the long, dark sword resting on his leg. "Who are you, and what is happening on the other side of that blockade."

Irwin frowned, not sure what he should say. Luckily, before he could even worry about an answer, Rindiri spoke up.

"He is Captain Irwin of The Sonata," she said calmly.

Zirt looked at her, raising an immaculate black eyebrow. "And you are….?"

"Rindiri, The Sonata's first mate," Rindiri responded curtly.

Zirt was quiet, then laughed softly. "The day I'd meet a Yuurindi first mate. The Captain is never going to believe this… Here we went and believed that little weasel Scander was the only one who managed to weasel his way into a position above his stature!"

Zirt's eyes gleamed as he stared at Rindiri, and Irwin noticed her face turn rigid. It only lasted for a moment before she smiled at Zirt. There was no joy in it, however.

As he watched the strained interaction, Irwin felt his simmering anger fade rapidly, and as it did, he knew nothing of what was happening was normal. Zirt, or one of the others, had to have some weird card, and it must be almost as powerful as his if it was able to influence him.

Probably Zirt because it weakened as his attention was on Rindiri, he thought.

"Captain, I can provide the First Mate here with the information he needs," Rindiri said. "That way, you can focus on that elusive Nyzir."

There was a surprised grunt from the Kraniox, and he stepped back, two long, curved blades appearing in his hands.

Irwin barely resisted summoning his hammer and instead turned to Greldo, who had been standing to the side, showing no emotion.

"It's been hiding near the top of the mast," Greldo said, pointing up. "Coal is hovering close by, so if it tries anything, it will chase him again."

"You have left a living Nyzir?" Zirt asked, his voice filled with venom as he glared up.

"It's one of those tall ones with longer blades," Greldo said. "Fast demons."

Zirt snorted, and his eyes burned a bright red. "I see him. One of those mutations that sometimes show up."

Then he looked at Greldo. "That hound is your summon?"

"Yes," Greldo said.

"Fine. I'm not interested in sitting here with some annoying little menace above us. Chase it over here, and I'll take care of it."

Irwin felt a tiny tension build in his gut, and it took him all his effort to squash it.

He's doing something, he thought as he looked away from Zirt, though keeping an eye on the three hulking brutes. Greldo was looking at him with a raised eyebrow, waiting for his call.

"Do it," Irwin said.

Greldo vanished, and Irwin saw Zirt's eyes narrow as he followed something up so fast his head looked like a blur. Two seconds later, his eyes shot open, and he raised his hands as a dull red glow came from his hands. Soulforce rippled from his hands, dense and powerful.

He has at least one soulcard, probably more!'

Irwin almost jolted as Ambraz's voice came from his soulscape. The Anvil hadn't used the ability since they had first discovered it, and he had almost forgotten it was there.

'His cards are partially hidden, which is never a good sign. I only managed a tiny look because he used a lot of power just now. It's either due to a mutation or a type, but I can guarantee they are blood and perhaps… emotion-related. Be really careful with your emotions, and don't do anything excessive!'

Irwin narrowed his eyes as he looked at Zirt. So he was right. Zirt was doing something before.

Zirt's hands began glowing brighter as his eyes followed something that moved around the sail before suddenly dropping into a lower stance.

"There," he said, his grin turning oily.

A tall Nyzir stumbled out of the shadows, face filled with surprise, followed by Greldo, who tripped and slammed into the Nyzir. They both fell over, slamming on the deck.

As surprised as he was, Irwin jumped forward and grabbed the Nyzir before Zirt or anyone else could. Wrapping his hand around its neck, he grabbed the wrist that held the sword and squeezed explosively.

There was a cracking and crumbling sound, followed instantly by a tormented scream. Irwin struck the Nyzir on the jaw. The scream stopped while the jaw shattered with a crack, and the Nyzir crumbled in his hands.

"Right, so that shows what you focused on," Zirt said with a derisive snort. "Just another brute."

Irwin didn't bother complaining. Instead, he snapped the Nyzir's neck, waited a few moments to see if a card would drop, which it didn't, then hurled the body thirty-plus feet over the deck, over the railing, and away from the ship.

Zirt was shaking his head, then crossed his arms.

"So, now that this is done. Who are you, and how…"

Irwin ignored Zirt and turned to Rindiri with a forced smile. "Can you take care of this? I still need to talk with Greldo about a few things."

Rindiri's eyes gleamed, and she nodded, both of them ignoring Zirt's sudden sharp intake of air.

Irwin headed towards the cabin door, beckoning Greldo with him.

"Just because you are a Captain doesn't mean you are-" Zirt began from behind him.

Irwin felt a massive anger bubble in his gut, and he quickly closed the door behind him, shutting out Zirt's words. Almost immediately, the anger in his stomach unwound, leaving him feeling sickened.

"Are you sure that was smart?" Greldo whispered, his voice so soft Irwin barely caught it.

"No," Irwin whispered, even softer. "But Rindiri looks like she knows what she is doing, and he was doing something with my emotions."

"He what!?" Greldo asked, eyebrows shooting up.

"You didn't feel anything?" Irwin asked, slightly surprised.

Greldo seemed to think, then he shook his head. "No more than normal."

'Perhaps he can only use it on one person at a time. Still, be careful. Either your emotional resistance is low, or his card is very powerful. Either way, I can sense him. If they do anything dangerous, I'll warn you right away,' Ambraz said.

Irwin thankfully patted his pocket, focusing on Greldo.

"I'll tell you after. What happened with the shadows?" he asked.

Greldo looked at him for a few moments before turning the door with a sour look on his face. "It felt like all of the shadows were suddenly gone, and I just reappeared. It was similar to flying into the light, but there wasn't really any light… It was really uncomfortable."

Irwin was about to respond when Greldo cocked his head, still staring at the door.

"What…" Irwin asked, falling quiet as Greldo put a finger on his lips.

"He's asking who did the steam," Greldo whispered after a few moments. "Rindiri said that wasn't any of his business."

Irwin looked at his friend, then at the door, suddenly worried. What if Rindiri was pushing things too far? If Zirt was willing to try to anger him, he had to be sure of his ability to take care of whatever happened after. It was still possible Zirt was underestimating him, but as Irwin recalled the massive beam of solid light, he knew he didn't want to gamble on that.

"She's explaining what happened to Sesnanser," Greldo said, humming softly.

They continued waiting, and slowly, Greldo's frown turned to a mocking grin. Finally, after what had to be barely five minutes, he looked at Irwin.

"They don't seem to enjoy talking with Rindiri, and they are leaving. Let's go and see them off before they decide to break something on their way out."

Irwin hesitated, somewhat worried that Zirt would play with his emotions again. Then he steeled himself as he opened the door and walked outside. Zirt was standing with Rindiri, arms crossed, an annoyed look on his face. When he saw Irwin walk over, he snorted. Rindiri's eyes narrowed, and Irwin was sure she was not happy he had returned.

Too late now, he thought.

"Captain Irwin, we will be breaking the rest of that barricade later tomorrow when our reinforcements arrive. I take it you will stay here to help?"

Irwin felt a clenching sensation rapidly growing in his stomach. It was building into a mixture of fear and anger so fast he was not sure he could hold out. Scrambling for something, he reached for his soulcard and resonated. The sinking sensation in his stomach weakened slightly, enough for him to take a breath of relief.

Zirt was staring at him, obviously expecting an answer.

What had he asked? Something about staying to help? Looking at Rindiri, he caught her minutely shaking her head.

"I'm afraid we can't," Irwin managed to say. "We have been here long enough, and we have business to take care of. However, I'm sure Currant Hunter doesn't need any help from a mere Brute."

Zirt looked at him, then snorted. "Indeed, we do not, but I had thought you would be interested in some of the reward for reopening this trading route."

"With you having done most of the work, we don't really deserve anything," Irwin said, forcing a smile on his face. The reward was unlikely to be something he couldn't get as a Card Smith. Although he was short on soulshards right now, he still had some cards, and he could easily reforge one to earn more.

Zirt stared at him, and Irwin felt his roiling emotions increase. He focused on his soulcard, resonating it into a soft song but keeping it contained to his own soulscape. The pressure on his emotions lasted for a few moments, then Zirt's smile turned ugly.

"Very well. I'll tell Captain Nralt. Let's go!"

Zirt turned and jumped into the air, rushing away from the ship without another word.

The Loydin followed him without a word, but the Kraniox stayed. His masked face scanned the ship for a few moments, then he jumped up with such force that Irwin felt the wooden deck bend slightly.

As soon as they were gone, he turned to Rindiri, but she was already heading to the helm. Deciding she knew what she was doing, Irwin followed the four shapes fly back to the Currant Hunter. They barely landed when the dark red ship turned away and flew up and closer to the barricade.

Irwin felt The Sonata move below his feet.

"I'll keep an eye out," Greldo said as he walked to the prow.

Irwin hummed as he walked to Rindiri, who was calmly staring ahead.

"Zirt is one of the more notorious members of the Currant Hunters," she said before he could even speak. "It's a good thing you managed to resist his ability."

Irwin blinked in surprise. "You know of his cards?"

"Everyone does," Rindiri said with a grimace. "He uses it to pull people into battles, then forces them to join their crew to repay the damages. I have no idea why he started with that right away, but it's a good thing he targeted you instead of the rest of us. From what I know, he can only use it one time per day on a single person."

Irwin hissed, shaking his head. "It was really close. If Ambraz hadn't warned me, and you hadn't taken over…"

"Yeah, the rumors are that he escaped from one of the Emnonriz's distant worlds because he stole a powerful diamond ranked card. He managed to join the Currant Hunters, quickly rising up in the ranks. He is currently tipped as the next Captain of Ruby's Revenge."

"How come you know so much about the Currant Hunters?" Irwin asked, looking over his shoulder at the rapidly diminishing dot that was The Ruby's Revenge.

Rindiri looked at him, then around. It took Irwin a moment to realize she was checking to see if Zender and Earila were there. Neither was, as they were still hiding below deck.

"Their father is a Currant Hunter," she whispered softly.

Irwin's eyes widened as he thought about the way she had looked when Zirt had mentioned another Yuurindi.

"Is it…" he asked, trying to recall the name. Scander?

"There is only one Yuurindi with the Currant Hunters," Rindiri said as she gazed off in the distance. "I met him ten years ago, and our genes seemed reasonably compatible. We stayed together for a few months, and I learned a lot about the Currant Hunters. Back then, he was only one of the guards, so when they headed out on a mission to a distant branch, we bid each other farewell."

Irwin managed to hold back a shudder at the coldness of Rindiri's voice.

"Did you like him?" he asked before wanting to kick himself for the stupid question.

"Yes. He was a bit younger than I was, of the generation between me and my mother, and his genes sang with a sweet sound," Rindiri said. "He was cunning, powerful, and on a course to becoming the Boatswain of one of the Currant Hunters' enforcer vessels."

"Boatswain?" Irwin asked asked curiously.

"There's none on small ships like these," Rindiri said, waving at the deck of The Sonata. "Captain, can you ask Zender to explain this? He's better at it, and I need to focus on finding the best route. It's been a while since I was here."

Irwin nodded. "Are you going to be alright?"

"Don't worry, I have sailed these regions for decades," Rindiri said, giving him a self-assured smile. "We will be moving through one of the routes that will lead us to Granvox before you know it."

Irwin hesitated, and he looked around.

"It will take us three weeks to reach the nearest world," Rindiri said. "I don't expect any trouble on the route there, not with the blockade having been there for so long and the Currant Hunters around."

"Alright," Irwin said as he headed to the cabin. "Let me know when you need me to take over."

"Of course."

Let's go and see what Zender can tell me about ships and crews, Irwin thought as he pulled open the door. They were going to be traveling for half a year, and it would be best if he knew his stuff.

--

Zirt walked through the simple but wide corridor that led to the Captain's quarters. The door was closed as it always was, but he didn't have to knock as the door swung open before he reached it. He steeled himself while projecting a cool emotion of certainty and strength before stepping inside.

An extravagant cabin with an aquarium that covered one entire side drew the attention. Mostly dark and shadowy, the only light came from two pale blue Anmon plants that radiated a pale light. Dozens of fish he knew came from his species' homeworld swum everywhere. He didn't know any of their names and hadn't seen them in the wild.

A lean, dark-haired figure stood looking at the aquarium.

"Captain Nralt," Zirt said.

He hated the fact that the Captain forced him to keep to the old conduct, even when nobody else had to.

"Seeing as you are alone, you failed," a calm voice said in a cultured accent.

"The Captain had a soulcard that was at least Ruby rank, and he was able to resist me," Zirt said, careful to show no sign of emotion at the rebuttal. His soulcard was drawing them all in, making sure he could act as he wanted it.

"Which you knew from the size of that cloud," Nralt said, turning around.

His silver eyes dug into Zirt's, the barely concealed burning anger a stark contrast with his elegant posture and calm voice. Zirt knew that most other people wouldn't be able to see the anger; his own card was the reason he could. It was also the only reason he was still alive.

"I did as you commanded," he said calmly as his soulcard struggled to drain his own fear and anxiety away. "I focused all of it on him, giving him no warning. He had a Yuurindi first mate that must have warned him."

"A Yuurindi?" Nralt said, the anger in his eyes fading, replaced by a slight confusion.

"She was older, probably one of the first generations," Zirt said. "At least one soulcard, perhaps two, and currently with a heartcard that's perhaps half-done."

"The other crew?"

"The Captain isn't a Loydin, but something called a Fiz'rin," Zirt said, waiting till his Captain nodded for him to continue. "There was a shadowwalker with an extensive body-altering card. He either has a soulcard or is working on his first. It was hard to say."

"Species?"

"Looked human, but it could be one of those hound-like races from the western branches."

"Nothing else?"

Zirt felt his card suck in his annoyance and just shook his head. "There were at least two weak lifeforms below, probably sailcleaners."

Nralt was quiet for a while, then turned back to the aquarium.

Zirt bowed, then turned and left. As he closed the door, Nralt spoke up.

"If you want to take over my role, you will need to replace those that leave with me. If you fail, the ship will return to the headquarters and be reassigned a new captain by them."

Zirt held the door for a moment, his nearly drained card struggling to contain his own emotions. Then he nodded. "Yes, elder," he said. He knew that Nralt shared his final words from his self-taken role as Zirt's mentor, and as much as he despised it, he would rather die than show it. He was about to leave when Nralt looked across his shoulder, his eyes showing an emotion Zirt hadn't seen there before.

"There are signs of trouble from beyond Dimarintsia. We will be heading back to the headquarters after this mission."

Zirt nodded dumbly before closing the door.

What kind of trouble can cause Nralt to be afraid? he thought.

--

"Scouting vessels and small merchant vessels are built for speed and the ability to move through narrow branches. They only have a small crew, usually with just a captain, a navigator, one or two ranged attackers, a cook, and a few sail cleaners," Zender said as he waited for Irwin to write in his small book.

"Does that mean we need to get some ranged attackers?" Irwin asked, looking up.

Zender shrugged. "You'd have to ask mother, but it depends on if we have to cross dangerous branches."

Irwin nodded, deciding he'd do just that later. He was having a hard time getting the beam attack out of his mind. Either they would need something like that themselves or a shield to block it while Greldo teleported him aboard to burn the ship.

If I can get a card to increase my ability to hit things with my hammer, I might count as a ranged attacker, he thought.

"So, there are a lot of different ship types, but they roughly fall in five categories," Zender said. "The smallest ones are in the scouting class, which is what The Sonata falls into. Some are twice or three times as big, but not much more. After that, there are the Escort Vessels, which have twenty to thirty-person crews and travel with merchant fleets. They have people called Quartermasters who are usually the first mates and Boathswains who-"

Irwin quietly listened to Zender explain the ins and outs of the Escort Vessels and their crews, writing down some of the names and the things they did.

I don't think I want to ever be on one of those, he decided as he looked at the page filled out with information.

Irwin sighed as he wrote down the information on the other ship types: the Hunter class, which was bigger than the Escort vessel but smaller than the Portalguardians and the Merchant ships, and finally shoved the book away.

"So, let me get this right," he said, staring at the book. "This far away from the more populated areas, we only have to worry about the larger Scouting vessels and perhaps some pirated Escort vessels. Nothing else will come here, either because they can't navigate all of the narrow paths or because this is too much of a backwater."

"That's about right," Zender said as his eyes began glittering. "We are at the most distant part of the Langost branch, and we are heading to one of the more populated areas! It's going to be incredible to see the real harbors!"

"Well, you had better keep practicing with your cards," Irwin said as he got up. "I'm going to rest a bit."

Zender got up, nodding fervently. "Don't worry, Captain! I'll go and clean the sails so we get there as fast as possible!"

He ran away, calling for Earila.

"He isn't the only one that needs to practice," Ambraz snorted from his pocket. "It's about time you continued learning the Galadin music sheets."

"You are right," Irwin said. "Let's start with that."

--

With no more danger, the days passed slowly, with Irwin, Rindiri, and even Greldo taking turns at the helm. Irwin spent most of his days reading and learning the notes of the Galadin music sheets while Zender began training with his sister. Earila very slowly seemed to unwind, though Greldo told Irwin that she cried most nights before falling to sleep.

Two days after they broke the barricade, they moved through the first cold region, though it was nothing compared to what they had already encountered. Even Greldo could stand it for an entire shift.

"There are many older portals in this direction," Rindiri said during a quiet moment as they sailed through a corridor barely ten times as wide as The Sonata. "The longer a portal remains, the further the warmth spreads. Although there are limits, at some point, they usually connect with the other portals, and when that happens, everything spreads even further. In a month or three, we won't have any cold regions anymore."

Days turned to weeks, and finally, close to three weeks after they had set out beyond the barricade, the temperature began rising rapidly. Vegetation, spread out and low to the ground, appeared, becoming denser and taller with each passing hour.

The entire crew stood on deck, with Irwin behind the helm.

"We will arrive at Tulpil tomorrow," Rindiri said. "It's a rank two world which was thought to be the start of a new branch roughly a hundred years ago. Because of this, many merchants and crafters headed there, and when it finally became clear all paths except this one were a dead-end, so much time had passed that many decided to remain. Although all its adjacent worlds have been closed, Tulpil itself is a surprisingly habitable place, and due to a moderate climate and few predators, many people that don't have enough money for a better place in the central regions go there to retire."

"You have been there before?" Irwin asked.

"Three times," Rindiri said with a nod. "I even stayed there for a month when the ship I was on replaced me with another navigator."

"The Yuurindi thing again?" Irwin asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, the Yuurindi thing," Rindiri said with a grin. "I take it, captain, that I don't have to fear for that again?"

Irwin laughed and shook his head. "What? And risk getting lost? No thanks. You'll have to flee to get rid of us that easy."