Irwin's Journey - The Cardsmith

"I don't see anything," Irwin said, his eyes roaming the rocky passage. "Unless they remained motionless for ten minutes, it should be clear."

"Alright," Basil said, standing up and stretching.

Irwin followed his example, shivering from the cold. They had been sitting here for a while, long enough for his legs to start cramping and his body to cool down. Seeing as he wasn't able to summon his flame of fear of drawing attention, he couldn't wait for them to find a spot to rest.

The female ranger, who was able to see things almost as fast as him, rose from behind a nearby rock, and Basil turned to her.

"Sairadi, go inside the hideouts and scout for any dangers. If you see anything, rush back," Basil said, and she nodded before rushing away.

"Alright. Head back to Hutch and the others. We will stay there for at least an hour as I send out new scouts," Basil said.

Irwin nodded and headed back towards the main force.

A short while later, Sairadi returned, and Basil signaled everyone onward.

In a surprisingly short time, the entire army was gone from sight. The narrow passage had a set of well-hidden tunnels that led into a cavern system, and except for some guards, everyone was hidden inside. A set of well-crafted doors that looked like rocky surfaces from the outside were replaced. Finally, out of the open, a soft chatter had begun as everyone spread across the cavern system.

Irwin and Daubutim had gone to the backside of the quiet cave that Hutch and Gallom's blazers had taken as theirs. He sat with his back against a wall, flame out to warm himself while the others held whispered conversations. Daubutim sat beside him.

He glanced at the noble youth's hand, noticing the third card slotted in it, and suppressed a sigh. When he'd first met Daubutim, he had only one card, and it was considered useless yet still dear to him. Then he'd gained the shield and, finally the armor in two of the portals they had gone to. And now? It wasn't even that long since then, and only the armor card remained, while his original two cards were replaced with completely different ones.

I should really ask him how he is doing, Irwin thought. As soon as they were back in Degonda, or at least somewhere safe, that was. But first, they needed to help Basil and the others close portals. And for that, they might have to get stronger. His hand drifted to his pocket, and he was both relieved and sad as he felt the cards. Daubutim had gathered four common cards and just given them to him. As soon as he saw them, he felt stupid. How could he have forgotten to look for those himself? If Daubutim hadn't snuck them along, he wouldn't have had any cards to feed Ambraz if they needed to reforge something.

"Now will be fine," Daubutim whispered, interrupting his busy mind. "Keep your voice low."

Irwin grunted in relief. He'd wanted to find a more secluded spot to talk with Ambraz, but all of the caves were filled by now, and nobody was allowed outside. Now they had been waiting for the others to become busy enough not to notice if they acted oddly.

Barely able to hold his curiosity, he softly patted his pocket. He wanted to ask many things, but he started with something he knew the Anvil could check.

"Are we safe here? Nobody is listening in?" he whispered.

"I don't detect anything except for the ones you can see," Ambraz replied in a muffled whisper. "About time you find a moment to talk to me! I tried to draw your attention while you were fighting, but you ignored me!"

Irwin blinked, then reminded himself that he was supposed to look inconspicuous. He nodded at Daubutim as if the other had said something.

"Sorry. I was a bit preoccupied."

"Yes, yes," Ambraz whispered. "Make sure you don't get anywhere near that topaz-rank Frozir again. His skill is bothersome, as it holds, drains, and freezes the one he wraps up in it. If you get caught, you will probably die within minutes."

Irwin's hair stood on end as he thought to the white-haired Frozir. So that had been a rare-rank demon? He'd feared as much but hadn't been sure. A question suddenly popped into his mind, and he recalled the other strong demon's he'd faced over the months.

Why did demons with rare skills seem so much stronger than a carded with one rare card slotted? Was it just the difference between the cards, or did it have something to do with that whole soul-skill stuff?

He almost asked, then held back. There was no saying how much time he had, and as curious as he was, there were more important things to ask first. He had his right hand empty and cards to slot in them. Though he had always thought full-hands were incredibly powerful, he had seen many things more powerful. If he was to protect himself, his friends, and his family, he had to continue to become stronger. That meant figuring out what direction he should take. And for that, he needed answers…

"What is up with that rabbit card?" he whispered. "It has question marks on the type and the passive."

"Rabbit card… ah, sometimes it's so refreshing to hear how little you know," Ambraz whispered, hilarity in his voice. "Derlin cards, no matter the creature, monster, or demon that they summon, are all rare cards, even by the standards of where I'm from."

"Rare?" Daubutim muttered, looking confused.

"No, he means rare, as in scarce," Irwin replied, ignoring the annoyed sniff from his pocket as he quickly looked around to see if nobody was watching them. The group was still chatting on the other side of the cavern, and he didn't see anyone even glimpse at them.

"Alright? But why? A summon doesn't really seem like a good fit for me," he replied, keeping his eyes moving around.

Ambraz laughed softly. "It's not a summon… or at least, not like you think. I'll tell you about the world-shards of Derlin another time, but suffice it to say, all cards that originate there are precious. They belong to a type of one-time use card that allows the wielder to summon a creature from Derlin. All of them are relatively intelligent and, depending on their nature, will give you something."

Irwin leaned back, trying to wrap his head around that. "I've never heard of one-time use cards, have you?" he asked Daubutim.

The noble didn't instantly respond, then slowly nodded. "I've read about them," he whispered. "Though none that summon a creature. There is a lesser known story about Gelwin saving someone by using a single-use card that was able to heal someone from the cusp of death, even regrowing a leg."

Irwin sighed, shaking his head. "There's still so much I don't know," he whispered.

There was a strangled laugh from his pocket. "What? You only realize this now? Of course there is! Even I, who have lived for far longer than the two of you, only know a tiny sliver of only the things I could. Let alone the things that… never mind," Ambraz said, his voice trailing away.

He still has so many things he is hiding, Irwin thought as he shared a look with Daubutim. His friend seemed slightly confused, then continued keeping an eye on the others.

Ambraz continued to whisper, and Irwin focused on him.

"Now, that card, as soon as you get a moment, summon it. There are a few things it might give you, but the best would be- well, the truly best won't happen, but the most likely beneficial things would be an added effect to a card, a card-combination holder, or a card of choice from the Derlin list."

"A card-combination holder?" Irwin gasped.

"Yes, that would be a good one for you," Ambraz whispered. "With it, you can combine two cards, picking and choosing active and passive elements and create a new, custom card. Those are traded for up to diamond or higher rank cards… Finally understand why I wanted you to take it?"

"Yes! And… there are bad things the card could give?" Irwin asked as he tried to hold back his enthusiasm.

"Well… sometimes all you get is a carrot," Ambraz grunted. "Or a lucky rabbit's foot. As far as I know, new options still appear, though usually, it's amongst what I told you."

Irwin sighed as he began thinking about the options Ambraz had said and looking around. Daubutim's eyes had glazed over while the others had moved into small groups, chatting softly. He couldn't hear what they were saying, meaning they shouldn't be able to hear what he was saying either.

"So… if it's that card-combination thing, does that mean I have to have cards ready?" he asked.

"No, it's an item you can carry around, though I wouldn't ever show it," Ambraz whispered.

"What if Orwin can choose a card?" Daubutim whispered.

Irwin saw him look around again, a frown on his face.

"Then he needs to choose a hammer," Ambraz said shortly.

Irwin frowned. "Why? Using my fist works fine?"

"If you are content with only reforging uncommon and sometimes rare with my help," Ambraz whispered. "And if you are, let me know so I can find another smith!"

Irwin blinked, then blinked again, and he imagined Ambraz actually leaving him. If that happened, any chance he had of saving his world or even his family would be gone. He suddenly realized how dependent he really was on Ambraz.

I need to learn how to reforge by myself, he thought as he stared into the distance. Ambraz had said it was possible, and though he guessed it would be hard to learn the hardest things, even just reforging up to uncommon would help out immensely.

"What hammer would be best?" he whispered.

"It depends on the list of options you get," Ambraz replied. "The most likely is the common list, though it is possible to get a higher list."

"Even legendary?" Irwin whispered, his mouth going dry.

"No," Ambraz snapped softly, dashing his hopes. "The highest I've ever heard of is very-rare, and that was heralded on Igirian Prime as the occurrence of the century."

Igirian Prime? Irwin thought, wondering if that was the world Ambraz was from.

"The best common from the Derlin list would be the Solidstrike Hammer," Ambraz continued softly. "But, there is little sense in thinking about all of this now! You still have no idea what you will get. It might just be a strand of Tangerine Hair."

Irwin sighed, then nodded. Still, this did mean he would have to wait with slotting another card for now.

I still need to reforge Burning hands, he decided. After he got that up to rare, it might become Burning Body or something, and though it didn't have any passive, he might be able to combine it with another card in the future.

As he continued thinking about what to do, he lost track of time.

"Orwin!"

Irwin snapped out of a daydream of him having a full right hand with legendary cards that allowed him to fly around and close every portal he could find, stabilizing his world.

Desmir stood before him, a worried look on his face.

"Are you alright?"

Irwin nodded quickly as he scrambled to his feet. Wondering why Daubutim hadn't warned him, he saw his friend had fallen asleep, snoring softly.

Right, he didn't get any sleep after waiting before the door all night, Irwin thought.

"What is going on?" he asked, noting the others of Gallom's Blazers were moving around actively. Hutch was nowhere to be seen.

"The scouts returned. We are moving out, and together with Hutch's group, we are going to move another way while Basil and the main force attack the Frozir stronghold," the guard said softly. "Wake your friend. Hutch is getting the others, and they will join us."

"What did the scouts see?" Irwin asked as he stepped forward and kicked Daubutim's leg, causing Desmir to frown at him.

When Daubutim's eyes snapped open, and his hands shot forward as if to strangle something, the guard's eyes widened, and he stepped back.

"Desmir, what did the scouts find out?" Irwin asked again, beckoning Daubutim up.

"I- yes, the scouts," Desmir muttered, taking one more look at Daubutim before focusing on Irwin.

"The Frozir castle is growing rapidly, made from ice they seem to conjure out of thin air. There are two portals in a central area, guarded by the walls, one uncommon and one rare. One of the scouts managed to sneak inside the castle, and he says there is a well-guarded door leading down."

"How many defenders," Daubutim asked as he rose.

"Hundreds," Desmir said. "But far less now that we wiped out their advance force. More Frozir are still coming from the uncommon portal, so Basil has decided we move now before they can recuperate the losses they have sustained."

Irwin nodded, following Desmir as he moved away. "So we will close the uncommon portal and Hutch the rare?" he asked.

"Perhaps," Desmir said, sounding uncertain. He hesitated, then continued. "The scouts said that the Frozir were sending groups into the rare portal, and before he pulled back, he witnessed one of them return, heavily injured."

"They are trying to close it?" Irwin asked, startled at the idea.

"We don't know," Desmir replied as they joined the others.

Lous snorted. "It's not like they come out to tell us!"

"Pipe down, Lous," Desmir snapped. "Right, everyone, pack up, and let's go!"

Irwin ignored the grumpy ranger, waiting for the others to finish grabbing their weapons and backpacks. Then he followed them through the narrow tunnels. The fake doors were open, and as he walked out, he saw Hutch and his group standing there together with Basil. Sairadi was standing to the side, calmly looking through the narrow gorge.

As they approached, Irwin saw Basil examine him before focusing on Desmir.

"Alright. We are moving out in a short while, but I want you to sneak around the back. As soon as we attack and draw their attention, I want you to enter those portals and close them," Basil said. "Sairadi will be going with you to make sure you aren't ambushed. If anything jumps you before you reach the edge of the Grinning Man's hilltop, I want you to flee and try to join up with us. No heroics! If we lose you, we have only one more group to close uncommon portals!"

"Don't worry so much," Hutch said with a wide grin. "We will be fine!"

Irwin swallowed as he thought about Ambraz's ability to reforge cards. When he saw Basil stare at him, he quickly nodded.

The others muttered consent while Desmir promised he'd be careful.

"Alright. Sairadi knows the way. Be careful. Hopefully, I'll see you soon," Basil said as he turned to the entrance of the rocky gorge. A group of rangers was standing there, bows drawn, and he made a hand gesture at them.

Sairadi stepped forward, staring at Daubutim, then Irwin. "The others already know what I can do, so I'll keep this short. One of my cards lets me blend myself and a small group of others into the background. It doesn't work with noise and lights, though, so keep your flame in your pocket and don't talk."

"Will do," Daubutim said as he nodded so deep it almost looked like he bowed.

Sairadi's eyes widened, but she didn't give any other reactions.

"Alright, let's go," she said, turning and walking away.

Hutch moved after her, and the others followed, Irwin walking next to Daubutim. Rocks slid below his feet as he moved to the exit, and when they reached it, he got his first good view of the hills of which Grinning Man's hilltop was one.

A high and rugged hill, nearly a mountain, sat in the center of a group of others that stuck out of the white snow-covered flowing landscape. The central hill's top was oddly flat, and atop it was a tiny shimmering white construction. Two pale shapes flew above it like tiny birds, but Irwin knew he didn't have to tell anyone else that those were Frostwyrms.

A cold wind blew around them, and he pulled the coated part of his armor closer.

"That's one big building," Lous hissed in surprise.

"Follow me and make sure you keep your big yap shut," Sairadi said, grinning at Lous.

"Of course," the ranger retorted before snorting.

Irwin looked between them in surprise, noting the glitter in Sairadi's eyes. Did these two know each other?

"Orwin, keep those eyes of yours open, and let me know if you see anything," Hutch said. Then he turned to Sairadi. "Lead the way, lass."

Sairadi didn't respond but turned and began jogging across the sandy path that led to the hills. Her left hand glowed a dim, green light, and then it was as if a mist spread from her to cover a large area around her. The others seemed to expect it and ran after her and inside the mist. Irwin frowned, staring at them through the mist, wondering how this was supposed to keep them out of sight.

"Where…" Daubutim muttered.

Irwin looked up to see his friend's eyes scan the area before them, twice passing the mist without seeming to react.

"This way," Irwin said as he ran after the others. He heard Daubutim follow him, and a moment later, they caught up to the others. Sairadi looked back, staring at him before shaking her head and muttering something he didn't catch.

"Alright, stay close," Hutch whispered.

The group continued jogging, all of them staying inside the mist.

As they traveled, Irwin quickly fell to the back. He was again the slowest, least nimble, and it annoyed him greatly. First, it was his weak constitution. Now, it was his heavy body. Even Hutch, the bulky guard, moved more agile than him, jumping across crevices and large rocks alike.

Twice Frostwyrms flew overhead, but Sairadi showed no sign of stopping, and they easily reached the foot of the hill. The snow made everything slippery while crunching loudly below their feet. Sairadi continued around, then up without any apparent trouble, but Irwin was glad to see some of the guards start slowing down and slipping like him.

At least I'm not the only one, he thought as the group slowed their pace to a normal walk.

He guessed half an hour had passed when they stopped behind a large stone outcrop. Noises and chatter came from behind it, and Irwin wondered why it felt like he was near a town instead of a place filled with demons. Sairadi moved ahead before kneeling at the edge of the outcrop, staring beyond it.

"Alright. We will wait here until Basil charges," Hutch whispered, drawing everyone's attention. "Keep quiet, and don't go wandering about." Then he turned to Irwin. "Orwin, join Sairadi at the front and keep an eye out."

"Alright."

Irwin nodded at Daubutim, then headed to were the quiet ranger had gone. Kneeling next to Sairadi, he looked up to see a path leading up to the back of a steep outcrop. A narrow staircase, barely visible, led up.

"You can see through my skill, can't you?" Sairadi whispered, not looking at him.

"Yes," Irwin said after a while. "It looks like… fog."

Sairadi nodded but didn't say anything. Wondering if she was annoyed, Irwin remained beside her, silently waiting.

Another half an hour passed when the chatter above rapidly dissipated. Then a loud horn blared, and a deafening roar followed.

"Time to move," Sairadi said as she turned away.

Irwin swallowed, then followed her.