Irwin's Journey - The Cardsmith

Irwin cracked his neck as he walked out of the room. The bed had been reasonable. A bit too short, and it had hung down due to his weight, but he knew it was going to be hard for him to find anything that really fit him.

Rindiri and Earila stood in the hallway.

"You slept in again," Earila hissed as she walked to her brother and prodded him. "It's hot here. I want to leave."

Irwin held back a laugh. It wasn't as if Zender could have gotten them to leave faster, but he knew Earila wasn't going to tell him that he had to hurry. Even if she dared talk to a captain like that, he was pretty sure Rindiri was going to stop being overly careful with her and give her a scolding.

As they walked down into the inn, they found it nearly empty. Only a single groaning and snoring shape lay in a heap across a table. A single look was enough for Irwin to recognize the charcoal-skinned man.

Boohm really continued late, he thought.

Before he could think of what to say, Linaida came walking towards them.

"Captain Irwin," she said, smiling at him as she stuck out a small card and a paper. "This will tell you how to get to the place. Show the card to the clerk at the desk, and he will treat you like a local."

Irwin accepted the paper and card, noticing Rindiri was looking at what was happening in surprise. A quick look told him that someone probably made the card with an extraordinary carded skill because although it looked like a card, he sensed no resonance from it. The image showed a symbol that didn't seem to mean anything.

"This is the cost of the rooms and the food," Linaida continued, holding out a small note. "I gave you a discount."

Irwin looked at the price, barely able to keep his eyebrows from shooting up.

Hundred and ninety soulshards? If this is with a discount…

He took out his purse, counted the soulshards, and handed them to Linaida, who quickly deposited them in her skirt.

"Thank you. I'll wake Boohm," she said as she walked away.

"Captain?" Rindiri whispered. "What happened last night after we left?"

Irwin shrugged as he saw Linaida prod Boohm, waking him up.

"It seems we might have some living cargo," he said. "I'll explain when we find somewhere to get breakfast."

"Wuh, who- AH! Linaida, I told you only to wake me when-" Boohm's voice silenced any others as he rolled over, only stopping when he saw Irwin and the others.

"Ah! Captain!" Boohm said as he rolled from the table, landing on the ground with a thud and causing a minute tremor to run through the floor. He was wearing a thick coat that hung down to his knees and had pale fur around the neck and wrists.

He is heavy, Irwin thought in surprise.

Boohm stomped towards them, looking at Rindiri in surprise, then focusing on Irwin.

"Have you thought about it? Do you think I could hitch a ride? I'll take anything, even if it's no further than the first central world," Boohm said. Although he was grinning and seemed fine with any answer, Irwin had the feeling his shoulders were slightly tense and his eyes duller than the day before.

"We will take you to at least the next central world," Irwin said.

"Fantastic!' Boohm shouted, glasses all throughout the inn rattling, while Earila covered her ears

"Boohm, you had better be very quiet while you travel with Captain Irwin," Linaida said, poking Boohm in his side. "I expect you to come and say goodbye before you leave, or my sisters are going to be very upset with you if you ever come back here."

Boohm rubbed his chin. "If I have the time, I will," he said. "But I'm not risking being stuck here if the Captain decides to leave."

Linaida hummed, then nodded. "I'll tell them. Now, I have to clean up! Come and say goodbye,"

Irwin knew a dismissal when he saw one, and he shared a look with Rindiri, who was grimacing.

"Alright, let's head out," he said, handing her the paper. "Do you know this place?"

Rindiri blinked in surprise, then shook her head. "No… but I can find it."

A short while later, they were walking away from the Orange Hearthe, Rindiri, and Irwin ahead. Boohm was walking between Zender and Earila.

"Is it true that your people can eat charcoal?" Zender asked excitedly.

"Definitely," Boohm said, patting his stomach happily. "Sadly, there aren't many trees in our worlds, so it's considered a delicacy."

Irwin focused on Rindiri as Zender continued asking questions of Boohm.

"So…" his first mate asked him, her eyebrows raised. "You got tricked into bringing this loudmouth?"

Irwin grimaced, but a quick look showed that Boohm hadn't heard anything over his own loud voice.

"A little," he agreed. He held out the card. "But she offered this, and he seemed nice enough."

Rindiri glanced at the card, and her eyes widened as she focused on it. She tapped it with her nails as if testing something, then looked over her shoulder.

"If she was willing to hand out this just for us to take him, she either really liked him or really hated him."

"What is it?" Irwin asked.

"It's what she said," Rindiri said, handing the card back. "If you give this to any shop here, the owners will give us the prices the locals pay, or in this case, the non-nobles. It will save you a lot."

"Can we keep using it?" Irwin asked, thinking about the extra supplies they still had to get.

"No. It will be taken by the first shopkeeper, and Linaida won't get another until the mercantile year passes."

"Mercantile year?" Irwin asked.

"Because the worlds all have different days in a year, and due to the time dilations, the Merchant's Guild decided on a day and night cycle and a year of three-hundred and fifty days for all their dealings. Most harbor cities use those now," Rindiri explained as she led them toward the shopping district.

It took them only ten minutes to reach it, and then they were weaving through alleyways with shops on each side. A thin strip sat between the two walkways, each barely wide enough for two people to walk side by side.

Rindiri was in the lead, Irwin at the back, so he could keep an eye on the kids. His height allowed him to look over nearly everyone, though he did share a surprised look with the occasional Kraniox. The towering, barechested beings were mostly following well-dressed men and women who were casually chatting as they perused the clear crystal shopping windows.

They passed by dozens of shops, none of which drew Irwin's attention until he noticed a pair of scissors above a barber's shop. As soon as he saw it, he raised his hand and rubbed through his course, metal-wire beard.

Finally!

"Rindiri," he called, drawing her and the other's attention. "I want to check here."

Rindiri looked at where he was pointing, then nodded and stepped inside the barber. A moment later, they had all crowded inside, looking at the single wall of mirrors with chairs of different sizes and shapes, some occupied by people.

A long-haired woman walked towards them, smiling widely.

"Hello there! How may I help you?"

Irwin pulled on his beard, grinning. "Do you think you can shave this off?"

The woman focused on his beard and stepped closer. She reached up, then stopped.

"May I?"

"Sure," Irwin said.

A moment later, he felt a slight pulling on his beard while the woman's eyebrows shot up.

"I've never seen a Loydin with a beard," she said. "I thought elementals didn't grow any facial hair?"

Irwin blinked, trying to recall what he knew of the Loydin.

"Well, I'm not a Loydin," he said after a few fruitless moments. "I'm more like a Fiz'rin."

The woman cocked her head curiously. "Really? I've never heard of those! Well, tell me all about them while I get you comfortable," she said as she beckoned him.

As she did, she turned to one of the other barbers, a young man with bright yellow hair and orange eyes.

"Take over the main desk. I'll have to do this myself," she ordered before leading Irwin to one of the largest, empty chairs.

"Do your friends need any help?" she asked as Irwin sat down.

"I don't think so," Irwin said, turning to look at the others. Zender was looking around with his usual curious enthusiasm while Boohm was staring out of the window at the people passing by.

"Well then, how about you tell me something about your people," the woman said as she raised her hand. A small, gleaming scissors appeared, and with no apparent effort, she began cutting through his beard.

--

"First, we went to that horribly hot Inn, and now this," Earila whispered as she looked at Rindiri. "Shouldn't we be getting supplies and other important things?"

Rindiri smiled at her, arms crossed as she watched the barber use her carded scissors to rapidly trim down the Captain's beard. She'd never seen him clean-shaven before, and she was curious what he looked like without the massive tangle of metal wire.

"Captain Irwin hasn't been to these places before," she whispered, smiling at Earila, deciding not to say that her daughter hadn't either. "Lord Daubutim ordered me to make sure the Captain doesn't just work all the time. He seems to have a tendency to forget rest and relaxation. Besides, we are going to be traveling towards the central planets, and it's a good thing for all of you to get familiar with these places as they will only become bigger and busier the further we go."

Earila sniffed, looking around. "It's not that difficult, right? It's like Sesnanser but cleaner and bigger?"

Rindiri looked at her daughter, noticing the recalcitrant gleam in her eyes, and sighed. She'd tried to do what she could for them, but back on Sesnasner, she'd only had time and soulshards to take care of Ibiri. Although she'd done exactly what her mother had and what she knew the others of her race did while raising their children, she wondered if what they were doing was wrong. They just focused on the children with the best and strongest genes, but after having traveled with Zender for such a long time, she was starting to think perhaps they should change things.

If you're alive, it's never too late for anything, she thought, recalling a favorite saying of her mother.

She focused on her young, estranged daughter.

"There are large differences with each harbor you will find," she whispered. "Some species will refuse you access, and in some cases, you will need to contact the local thieves guild. If you think you know everything, you will die a quick, sudden death."

Earila was staring at her wide-eyed, and Rindiri held in a grimace. Had she overdone it? A look showed that Zender was paying close attention while the Onyxan pretended to be staring out of the window.

"I'll teach you when we are back on the ship," she said, focusing on Irwin.

The barber was telling him about the enormous lack of cards due to the Smith Guild having recalled nearly every smith. Apparently, the few amethyst-ranked smiths that remained were now on Tulpil and no longer allowed offworld.

We have to make sure nobody figures out the Captain is an Emerald Rank smith, she thought.

If they didn't, who knew what bounty might be put on his head, either by the smith's guild for not obeying their rules or some noble who wanted his own private smith.

--

Irwin rose from the chair, wiping his smooth cheek and grinning in the mirror. Although he now looked a lot younger and less intimidating, he preferred this.

Besides, it's not like I'll have any chance to wear my smith's ranking plate, he thought, thinking about what he'd just heard.

"How much do I owe you?" he asked, looking at the barber.

"Seven soulshards," she said, smiling awkwardly as she wiped some remnant metal hairs off her hands. "Normally, it'd be only four, but I'm afraid cutting your beard has emptied out all my energy."

Irwin nodded, staring down at the gleaming hairs that covered the ground.

"Okay," he said, faking a sigh as he took the requested soulshards. "Say… you wouldn't have a knife I can buy that will allow me to shave?"

"Afraid not," she said as she pocketed the handful of soulshards. "You could try the smithy. They might have something."

Irwin looked up in surprise. "I thought you said there weren't any smiths left?"

"No cardsmiths," she said. "Doumlin couldn't be happier now that he's the only one left that does metal smithing."

Irwin hummed as he looked in the mirror a final time. "Where can I find him?"

--

An hour later, they were standing before a small building with a thick crystal showroom behind which dozens of cards were stalled out. The worst was a topaz one, with Irwin being stunned to see a single Diamond rank card on a beautiful ornate wooden stand.

He tried to sense the card, but the thick crystal was interfering with him, and the best he could say was that it had something to do with sand or dust.

"I wonder what that costs," Zender whispered, staring at the card.

"Probably tens of thousands or more soulshards!" Boohm said. "Useless junk! I've seen these before. Cards that deal with tiny particles are useless in combat and in most places in the portal gallery!"

Irwin knew Boohm was right, though he also knew that on the right planet, for instance, Scour, they could be immensely powerful.

He shoved the door open and walked inside a small entry hall with a short staircase that led into a wide room with display cases everywhere. A soft melody played throughout, as the songs of hundreds if not more cards mixed together in a whispered cacophony.

The most expensive cards were immediately recognizable as they stood beside a dark, sturdy-looking counter, and powerful waves of soulforce rippled from them, mixing with the smaller ones from the other side. Irwin was stunned at how much soulforce was here. Usually, he didn't even actively notice it anymore, but the number of colors and clashing colors here made it hard to ignore.

A weasel-looking man with glowing silver eyes stood behind the counter, looking at them with what had to be the most fake smile Irwin had ever seen.

"Welcome customers, welcome! I am so glad you have finally found your way to Card Countours, the best card shop in the surrounding area! How can this humble merchant assist you?"

Irwin took a single look around, then walked towards the counter and put the card he'd gotten on top.

"I'm here to look for low-rank shadow cards to fill a soullake," he said.

The man's lips curled down, and he almost hesitantly took the card.

"Bah. I told them handing out these things would be a mistake," he muttered, any sign of joy at them being there gone. "Fine. I've got a bit over thirty useless soullake fodder that should work. A hundred soulshards each."

Irwin blinked in surprise. That sounded like a very extravagant price.

"A hundred? A hundred?!" Boohm shouted as he stomped forward. "Are you trying to con us even with that card? That's the same price you would ask any random passerby!"

Irwin's mouth fell open as he looked at Boohm. The Onyxian was glaring at the merchant angrily.

"What are you talking about?!" the weasily man shouted. "Normally, I'd ask five hundred for-"

"Bolox!" Boohm shouted. "Everyone knows that shadow soullake fodder is nearly useless this far from the central worlds! Without a high-ranked card, who in their right mind would ever get heartcard like that?" Boohm continued, shaking his finger angrily. "Oh, you could send them to another world… but no, you can't! Do you know why? Because it would cost more than it would make! You probably have that many because you've been saving them for a hundred years. Ten soulshards each, and that's us being generous."

Irwin saw the merchant's eyes widen, sputtering as he leaned across the counter. "That's plain robbery!" he shouted. "I might, due to my generosity, lower the price to ninety, but-"

Boohm burst out laughing, placing his hands on the counter, causing it to dip slightly.

Irwin shook his head and took a step back, waving at Boohm to continue. Looking around, he saw that Zender was watching Boohm with awe while Rindiri was walking around the displays, ignoring the antics. Earila stood before one specific display, seeming to whisper to one of her summoned Faerit.

Noticing that Boohm had brought the price down to seventy-four already, Irwin decided that there was little he could do to help. Instead, he walked to Earila, looking at a purple-bordered amethyst card. It lay beside a few dozen others, giving a cheap vibe.

Interesting, Irwin thought as he scanned the cards.

They were all meant as utility cards that improved summons, and the one Earila was focused on seemed to give them a temporary strengthening ability. He didn't know exactly what it did, but it felt like the card was more refined than most amethyst ones he'd seen.

"Do you like this one?" he asked, looking at Earila.

Earila looked up at him in surprise, then frowned. "My friends say they will be much better able to protect me with that," she said. "But it's too expensive."

Irwin followed her finger to a price tag at the bottom of the displays.

Three thousand nine hundred, he thought, raising an eyebrow. There had been a time when he'd have been able to buy that easily, but now?

"It's way too expensive for an amethyst card," Earila muttered.

Irwin didn't reply, knowing that it actually wasn't that bad. He'd sold and bought amethyst cards for more than this.

I could see if he is interested in buying a Topaz card, he thought as he glanced at the merchant. His head was red, and steam seemed to come from his nose as he was still holding a shouting match with Boohm.

Let's see how much topaz cards cost here, Irwin thought as he made his way to the other displays.

A few minutes later, he walked back to the counter. He put a hand in his thin jacket's inner pocket and glanced inside in such a way nobody could see what he was doing to quickly pick out the card he wanted.

"Fifty? Fifty?! You-"

Boohm stopped as Irwin put a hand on his shoulder.

"Captain?" he asked, not missing a beat.

"While you are doing such a good job, sell this one," Irwin said, handing him the topaz card. "It's a summon called Elarian Steel Gauntlets, and it has an active ability that allows the wielder to create small forcefields. It's ninety-five percent perfect."

Boohm's eyes widened, and he reached for the card, but Irwin held on to it for a second longer.

"Use it to get the shadow cards, that Semi-Etherial Summon card back there, and as many soulshards as you can. You can keep ten percent of what you earn."

Boohm's eyes widened even further while a dangerous gleam appeared in them. At the same time, an almost pained groan came from the merchant.

Irwin ignored both, let go of the card, and headed to Rindiri. Earila stood beside her mother, staring at him in disbelief. Irwin ignored her and gave Rindiri his purse, which held at least four thousand soulshards.

"I'll stay here with Boohm. You go and get us the supplies we talked about and see if you can get us some clothes and other things we need aboard," he said, trusting she knew better what else they needed than he did. "Just come and pick me up after you get everything. I have the idea this might take a while."

"Are you going to sell more cards?" Rindiri asked in a whisper.

"Depends on how much we get for this one," Irwin said, looking at the shouting match that had begun heating up even more.

"Have fun, captain," Rindiri said as she beckoned the others over.

As Zender walked past Irwin, he hesitated.

"Captain… if you're splurging anyway, there's a really awesome card back there called Glowing Veins."

Irwin raised an eyebrow, then grinned. "I'll think about it. Now go with Rindiri.

Zender nodded, then sprinted to the door and out of the shop, leaving Irwin to listen to the loud 'negotiations'.

--

Irwin quickly closed the door so he didn't have to listen to the crying merchant.

"Are you sure he is going to be alright?" he whispered, looking at a broadly grinning Boohm.

"No idea," Boohm said, patting his chest pocket contently. "I'm sure he'll get over it. Besides, it's not like he didn't earn something!"

A pained howl came from inside, and Irwin grimaced. Rindiri stood to the side, both her children looking at the door in wide-eyed confusion.

"What happened?" Zender asked.

"Let's talk about that later," Irwin said as he looked at Rindiri. "Did we get everything?"

"Yes, but we need some help to carry a few of the things to the ship," she said.

"Alright, let's get there," Irwin said, waving her forward, away from the shop.

Rindir smiled ruefully, and as Irwin walked beside her, she handed him his purse back.

"I bought almost six hundred soulshards worth of food supplies and some spices. Ten barrels of water will be delivered to The Sonata by the second bell, as will a few bags filled with clothes, materials, and a set of needles and thread."

Irwin was impressed as she continued listing out the things she had gotten, especially when she said she'd gotten him two razors and a sharpening stone.

It took them a while to gather the different supplies that couldn't be delivered, and when they finally reached the harbor, Irwin was stomping along, burdened down by bags and crates. Boohm walked beside him, carrying nearly as much, puffing and groaning but smiling amidst it all.

"Greldo seems happy to see us," Rindiri said softly.

Irwin looked up to see his friend standing near the prow, watching them. Coal stood beside him, his silver eyes scanning the surroundings.

"Is everything alright?" Irwin said, staring straight at Greldo. As far away as they were, he knew his friend could hear him perfectly.

Greldo shook his head quickly, and Irwin frowned.

Great, now what?

"Let's hurry up," he said, increasing the length of his strides.

A minute later, they reached the gangplank, and Irwin put down most of what he was carrying. If he walked over with all that, it might shatter. Instead, he handed some things to the others, then tossed everything non-breakable to Greldo.

When he walked up the deck, Greldo was eyeing Boohm. "Did you pick up another stray?"

Boohm looked up with a wide grin. "I'm pretty heavy, but you can try, captain!"

Greldo grimaced, then rubbed one of his ears. "Okay, turn it down a bit. I've got sensitive ears!"

Boohm grinned and shrugged. "I'll try," he said, his voice softer but still loud enough to make Greldo groan.

"I take it he is coming with us then?"

"We are taking him along for a while, potentially dropping him off at the first central world we reach," Irwin said.

Greldo inspected Boohm for a moment, then motioned for Irwin and Rindiri to follow him to the prow.

"Do we have everything we need?" he asked.

Irwin shared a look with Rindiri, who nodded.

"We do…"

"Good, then I think it's time to leave," Greldo said in a low whisper, turning to Irwin. "Last night, a Dead Pact Mercenary ship arrived at one of the top noble's docks."