Irwin's Journey - The Cardsmith

"Are you serious?" Hutch's voice rippled across the square, causing even the tiniest whisper that had been there previous to silence.

"Hutch," Basil said softly. "We don't have time for this…"

"Time? Time! You're asking us to head in there with them!" Hutch snapped as he pointed at two Frozir, each taller and burlier than the others surrounding them.

"Yes," Basil said softly. "And I'm not going to tell you again. Or are you going to disobey my direct order?"

Irwin stood next to Daubutim, staring at the struggle on Hutch's face. Five rare-carded stood behind him, his friend the only rare-carded remaining. Irwin hoped they wouldn't ask Daubutim to join. What if they did? He could enter too… but if he even suggested it, he would need to prove it, and that would mean giving away his secrets. Was he ready to do that? Besides, there were two things troubling him.

Firstly, he might not be strong enough to help that much. Worse, what if the presence of his special card made the things in the portal world stronger? So far, each portal he'd entered had been weird, from one that evolved while he was inside to another where one of those Galubs actually evolved to a four-horn.

"Hutch, I'll tell you what happened later," Basil said. "But I need you to close that portal now."

Hutch took a deep breath, then nodded. "Fine. But you better have a fantastic explanation for working together with the demons that killed hundreds of our people, or I'm pretty sure Bron's going to have your hide."

Irwin heard nearby guards muttering their agreement. As Basil had been gone, he had overheard them talking, and many had been angry that they weren't just taking care of the Frozir for what they had done.

Basil looked at the Frozir Elder standing next to him, then nodded wearily.

"I do. Now, while in there, don't do anything stupid. Find the Linchpin, destroy it, and come out. Don't bother with the cards if there is even a slight risk of losses."

Hutch grunted as he nodded. "Fine," the bare-armed guard snapped before turning around. “Daubutim, you’re coming.”

Irwin sighed, feeling miserable as he stared at his friend. Daubutim nodded at Hutch, then turned to Irwin.

"I'll be back soon. Don't worry, and be careful," Daubutim said.

"You too," Irwin replied.

Daubutim nodded again, then turned and headed to Hutch, who turned away and began talking with the others.

Basil turned to Desmir, who was standing not too far away.

"Desmir, get your party ready. There are three uncommon portals locked below the castle, and we are going to close all of them."

"What about that one?" Desmir asked, looking at the uncommon portal that stood beside the rare one.

"We are going to leave it for now," Basil said. "As soon as I've had time to speak with Lord Bron, we will decide on it."

Irwin saw the Frozir Elder's face warp slightly, but the white-haired demon remained quiet.

Desmir nodded, then turned to Irwin and the rest.

"Let's go," he said.

"Desmir, the Elder is going with you to open the door and make sure there are no demons inside the containment rooms," Basil said.

"Alright," Desmir said.

Irwin followed the others, taking a final look at Daubutim.

Make sure you get out alive, he thought, before focusing ahead.

As they moved towards the central building, Desmir walked beside the Elder, and Irwin could hear them talk.

"Do you know what types of demons are in the portals?" Desmir asked in a cold tone.

"Two are filled with those horrible horned monstrosities," the Elder hissed. "The last one has Nyzir."

Irwin, who was walking behind them, couldn't hold back his own curiosity.

"Why didn't you close them?" he asked.

The Elder looked over his shoulder, and Irwin swallowed as he saw the cold hatred in the blue eyes.

"I remember you."

Irwin didn't know how to respond, and he focused on his cards, readying them to defend himself if needed.

"We were planning on closing them after we had taken care of any nearby threats to our new city," the Elder said.

"You mean us," Lous snapped, moving next to Irwin.

"Yes," the Elder replied coldly before turning back forward.

"Lovely… And why are we helping them again?" Yerich whispered from the back.

"Your kind has been wiping out the few of us that remain as we scramble to live on the remnants of our world," the Frozir snarled, glaring at Yerich. "You harvest us for our soulskills like animals! Don't expect any sympathy from me."

Yerich sniffed as he looked away, and they quietly followed the Elder into the building.

Is this what is going to happen to us? Irwin thought. Would their world shatter, and other beings rampage across it to take what was left? He shivered as he focused on the room they moved in.

Doors led away from a large, spacious oval chamber while a gleaming white door stood on the far end. The Elder moved up to it, stopping as he put his hand on the side.

After a minute, he stepped forward and pulled the door open, stepping inside a room lit by a massive blue crystal that sat nestled in the ceiling. Three uncommon portals stood close to each other, and Irwin shivered.

So many portals, he thought.

He thought back to only a year ago when his brother had become a ranger. Only five or six common portals were deemed many around Malorin, and uncommon only seldomly appeared. Now, how many had he seen?

"We will clear the left portal first," Desmir said, turning to the Elder. "There are no Frozir that can help us?"

The Elder's eye narrowed. "Had your leader not waited so long to assist us, we could have helped. Now, there are but a few that can help with the Topaz portal. There are none left at the amethyst level to help you."

There was a stunned silence, then Lous let out a confused grunt. "By Gelwin's bears, what are you muttering about? Topaz, amethyst?"

Irwin almost spoke up, barely keeping quiet at the last moment.

The Elder pointed at the portals. "Those are Amethyst rank portals, second after Quartz. The one above is Topaz."

"So… what we call common, uncommon, and rare?" Desmir said slowly.

The Elder stared at him, cooly. "Yes. Now, I will head outside to care for what remains of my people." He turned and moved away, closing the door behind him.

"I hope we can still get out?" Yerich asked helplessly.

Gwalina ran forward and pulled the door open with little trouble. There was a collected sigh of relief, then Desmir walked to the first portal. Irwin saw a look of weary resolve on the guard's face as he stared at the portal.

"No rest, and back at it," the guard whispered. "Alright! We are going to enter the portal. Remember what Basil said, if we can close it without getting even a single card, it's fine. So, nobody get greedy. Got that?" At the last part, he looked at Yerich, who guiltily shook his head.

"Check your packs, check your weapons, prepare your skills. We enter in two."

Irwin looked at the others, wishing Daubutim was here. My next card has to be rare, he thought, before he realized the stupidity of it. He needed more than rare cards. Even a very-rare, something he still didn't even have, wouldn't be enough to make it through the troubles that were happening. What he needed was a legendary card… which meant that if he wanted to have Daubutim with him, he needed more than just one.

And the only reliable way to get that is by reforging them, he thought as he stared at the portal, thinking about Ambraz, the Derlin Rabbit card, and hammers. What he needed was time, something he could only get in one place. Slowly, an idea began to form in his mind as Irwin gazed at the portal.

"Alright, I'm going in first. Irwin, you are second," Desmir said.

Irwin moved next to him. Knowing he might not have the time for it after exiting the portal, he turned on Coperion Body. A soft groan came from his armor as it stretched to encompass his new size, and he shook his head to remove the slight dizziness from his point of view moving up.

"Ready," he said as he spread his hands out before flexing his already equipped Grappling Gauntlets.

Desmir jumped in, and Irwin waited for a few seconds. Then he stared at the swirling portal, an anxious sensation coming in as he wondered which of the portals it would be.

I hope it's the Galubs, he thought as he stepped forward.

--

"Daubutim, are you alright?"

Daubutim raised his head, quickly wiping some blood from his lips.

"I will live," he answered Hutch, who was leaning against the nearby wall. The guard's arms were covered in thin slice marks, but none seemed to go more than skin deep.

"Alright, everyone else, alright?" Hutch asked as he looked around at the strange group.

The two Frozir were standing to the side, both covered in pale scars but seeming fine, while the rangers and guards were only slightly winded.

All around them, dozens of Galub bodies littered the dusty room. Most had two horns, while two three-horns lay sprawled next to Hutch. Blood sprayed as high as the ceiling, but not a single guard or ranger had died.

"All fine, Hutch. Based on my previous checks, there should be one more three-horn Galub somewhere," a small, skinny guard with two daggers nodded. He had a thick, heavily dented breastplate on while his bare arms shimmered softly.

"And you are sure it's not a four-horn?" Hutch asked.

"Of course I'm not sure," the dagger-wielding guard said. "But most of the linchpins of these Galub portal-worlds are the strongest demons."

As the others continued to debate, Daubutim inspected himself, glad to find no more than superficial wounds.

I miss my shield, he thought as he suppressed the still lingering pain of the missing card. It wasn't as strong as that of his club, which was like a constant stabbing sensation in his mind. Still, both had weakened.

"Right, let's find that thing," Hutch said. "We've been here for weeks now, and I'm getting sick and tired of these bloody ruins! I want a normal bed and warm food!"

There was a round of agreements before they moved deeper into the ruins. The two Frozir followed quietly, barely having said anything except answering some questions, while Daubutim followed at the back, his greatsword out and resting on his shoulder.

Three weeks, four days, and seven hours, he thought. Though he knew there was no relation to the times spent in different portal worlds, he wondered how Orwin, Irwin, he corrected himself, was doing. Between all of his cards and the knowledge of Ambraz, he should be fine.

Two days of searching later, they finally found the final three-horn, a fat maul-wielding demon that had been hiding in the deepest part of the ruined city. Daubutim was surprised at how easily they dispatched it, Hutch almost single-handedly ending the Galub, strangling the massive demon. As soon as it died, a rumbling came from all around.

So, it was the Linchpin, Daubutim thought as he stared at the bleeding corpse.

"Strong one," Hutch said as he kicked the body before them, turning it over. The shimmering purple border of an uncommon card appeared.

"Finally! And a combat one, too," Hutch said as he grabbed the card.

Daubutim saw a glimpse of a maul similar to the one the Galub had been wielding before Hutch put the card in his pocket.

"Now let's run. This place is breaking down rapidly," Hutch shouted. "Daub, take the lead."

Daubutim cinged at the use of the short part of his name. Why couldn't they just use his full name? Irwin never minded. As he sprinted forward, navigating through the maze that felt like he'd been there for years, he couldn't wait to see his friend again.

When they reached the portal, the entire building had started shaking, while long and jagged tears appeared in the buildings.

"Right, that's one rare portal down," Hutch said as he ushered them all through. "Barely any trouble either!"

"Says you," the thin, dual-wielding guard said.

"Ahhh, stop complaining, Juttin! You only lost two daggers and a finger," Hutch said as he ushered them through, even waiting for the Frozir to go first.

Daubutim stepped through as the last one before Hutch, happy to finally be rid of the dusty place.

As he moved out of the portal, he stopped in surprise. A large number of tents covered the square, and he saw guards moving around together with Frozir.

"By Gelwin's beard!! Hutch. I was starting to worry!"

Basil came running from the central building, and Daubutim's eyes widened as he saw the tall figure of Lord Bron follow him.

How long were we in that portal? No… that makes no sense… Daubutim stared at the others, feeling his mind slowly shut down as it tried to wrestle with the things he deemed impossible. As the sounds dulled and his eyesight seemed to go foggy, he tried to picture his father's face. Ruthless in his pursuit of safety for his family. As the clear, blue eyes pierced at him, he shuddered, and the sounds returned.

"Daub? You alright?"

Daubutim grunted as he looked to the side. "Yes. And its Daubutim, Juttin.”

The small, agile dagger-wielding warrior grinned. "Sure, sure. So stuck-up. Anyway, let's go. Basil said we need to come along for debriefing!"

Daubutim jolted as he noticed that the others had crossed the square already and quickly paced after them. A turn around saw that the portal was shaking and shivering. It would likely vanish any minute now.

"So weird," Juttin said, looking around with a sad grin. "Never had a portal with a slower timescale before… have you ever encountered this?"

Daubutim shook his head. "No. But I've heard of it," he said. The small lie annoyed him. He hadn't heard it but read it. Still, he knew the other wouldn't mind or care if he mentioned that.

As he stepped inside the building, he saw rugs, a wooden table, and chairs. The Elder sat on one, looking uncomfortable, while the female Frozir, Satiya, sat beside him, staring at a map on the table.

The region of the hills, Daubutim noticed quickly before searching the present faces.

His worry grew when he didn't see Irwin or the leader of his squad, Desmir. Still, with neither being near the top of the chain of command, it wasn't completely unreasonable.

"Alright. All of you, sit. I know you are hungry and tired, but I need to know what happened," Lord Bron said as he sat down at the head of the table.

Daubutim joined the others and quietly listened as Hutch detailed their endeavors in the portal, ending with the killing of the Linchpin.

"And you are sure you were there for a few weeks?" Lord Bron asked.

Daubutim wanted to speak, barely holding his tongue. His father would have lashed out at him if he'd seen he had even thought about it.

"Lordling Coulwater. You wanted to add something?" Lord Bron said.

Daubutim hid a grimace. So the lord had seen. Well, there was nothing for it now.

"Yes, Lord Bron. We were in the portal for three weeks, six days, and eleven hours," he said. He wasn't surprised when a dozen pairs of eyes stared at him stupidly. All but Lord Bron, whose eyes had widened as he leaned forward.

"Indeed! Just like the reports! Highly interesting… Well, thank you for the detailed time frame, Lordling. Basil, find out exactly how long they were inside, so we can determine the time-dilation inside the portals. Perhaps the others are similar."

It took a few seconds for Daubutim to realize the implications of the remark, and then he felt his mouth go dry. He was incredibly glad when Hutch spoke the question now pressing on his own mind.

"Wait… are you saying the other portals are like this?"

"We don't know," Basil grunted before Lord Bron could speak. "But none of the other groups are back yet."

"Groups?"

"Yes. When Desmir's group didn't return, we feared the worst and sent for the only other group of uncommon-carded we have. However, they entered a week ago and have yet to return. I ordered them to enter and return within a day… In hindsight, this was foolishness on my side. I should have sent in one and told him to come back after a count of three. But at that point, we hadn't yet realized the severity of the problems."

Daubutim felt his hands clench the table, and it took all his willpower to relax them. He should never have let Irwin set out on his own. If he and Ambraz were lost, what would he tell his father after he reported back? The world might be lost without them! His mind began shutting down again, unable to handle both the worry and his weariness from little sleep for two weeks.

The chatter was muted as he drifted off, staring dully forward. Then a cold, calculating voice snapped him out of it.

"I've told you the reason. You just refuse to believe me!"

Daubutim looked at the Elder, who was glaring at lord Bron.

"Elder Gum'dil'ran, I know what you have told us. However, until I have any sort of confirmation, I find it highly unlikely that the entirety of Giard is going to explode!" Lord Bron said, stumbling over the foreign name.

The Frozir coldly corrected the pronunciation of his name.

Daubutim froze, feeling the blood drain from his face. So, the Frozir knew? And they had told Lord Bron.

"You don't believe me, but perhaps you will believe one of your own?" Gum'dil'ran spoke, and Daubutim saw the Frozir was staring intently at him.

He couldn't have-

"He knows," Gum'dil'ran said, pointing at Daubutim.

Everyone turned their eyes to Daubutim, who felt his mind slowly fuzz over. No. As father showed us- speak only what is needed, don't think of anything but that! As he heard his father's voice echo through his mind, he calmed instantly.

"Lordling Coulwater?" Lord Bron asked softly, a look of confusion on his face. "Do you have something you would like to share?"

Daubutim swallowed, trying hard to keep a straight face while attempting to come up with a reason to say the other was lying. However, as hard as he tried, all he could hear were his father's commands to not lie but hold his tongue, conflicting with the other orders to always answer a superior officer.

"It is possible… highly likely that what Gum'dil'ran said is accurate," he finally said, trying to come up with a way to keep any more information to himself.

There was a shuffle as Hutch stared at him, shaking his head. Basil seemed ready to speak, but everyone was silenced when Lord Brond raised his hand.

"And how do you know this?"

"I am unable to share this information with you right now," Daubutim said, scrambling for a way out. How had that Frozir Elder known he'd known this? Just from his shocked reaction?

"The one who has shared this with me has indicated this is not to be shared."

Daubutim instantly knew from the frowns and narrowed eyes that nobody was willing to accept his words.

"Lordling Coulwater. Should I remind you that I outrank you? I will pretend you aren't holding back information that might be vital to your and everyone's survival, and I will ask again. Who told you about this, and what exactly were you told?"

Daubutim felt his resolve quickly weaken, but he steeled himself as his mind tried to come up with proper reasoning. As the seconds ticked by, a single solution kept cropping up.

I am sorry, Irwin, he thought.

"My Lord… if you insist. But in this case, I can only share it with you," Daubutim said, coming to a compromise. He remembered what Irwin had told him about Trimdir and Bron and how Trimdir had said Lord Bron was trustworthy.

Lord Bron gazed at him for a few moments, then nodded. "Everyone, leave us."

There was a grumble of annoyance from Basil, but the others just stood and left. He did notice Hutch staring at him with annoyance. When everyone left, Lord Bron looked at him before raising his hand. Daubutim's breath caught in his throat as a card burned on his hand, and he saw trace amounts of a greenish color.

A very rare card, he thought.

A shimmering barrier appeared around them, large enough to encompass the table and a part of the room. At the same time, all sounds from outside dissipated while the barrier turned opaque, hiding everything outside except for vague shapes.

"Alright, Lordling Coulwater. Nobody will be able to hear or see us now. Now, explain to me what is going on!"

Daubutim gritted his teeth as he prepared to do something he normally refused to do. Withhold the truth.

"The one who told me this was my cousin Orwin," he said, quickly continuing. "He learned about this in one of the portal worlds he visited." An itch to spill everything about Ambraz made him look down before snapping his head back up. His father always said that looking away when speaking made people think you were lying.

Lord Bron was calm for a while, then nodded gently.

"Orwin? I see. So that's what Trimdir couldn't tell me," he said. "Your friend… he trusts Trimdir?"

Daubutim nodded resolutely.

"I see. But he doesn't trust me?"

Daubutim swallowed, then shrugged. "He has never spoken about it, but I feel that Orwin somehow doesn't trust nobility."

Lord Bron sighed as he leaned back. "Yes… well. Who can blame him?" he muttered as if to himself. He seemed to be thinking about things for a bit before staring back at Daubutim.

"There are more things you are not telling me," he said sternly.

Daubutim clenched his jaw and calmly looked back. He'd spoken enough. Not even his father would blame him for withholding the rest. He hoped.

"Fine… I will speak with Trimdir about this when I return. I've heard rumors about things I didn't believe at first, but now… Fine. I will trust that you've told me all I need to know. If not, I'll have words with your father when I see him in the future. Let's hope Orwin returns so he can share what you won't."

Daubutim barely held back a shiver, then nodded as calmly as he could.

"You may leave. Send the others back when you return to your group," Lord Brond said softly.

Daubutim pushed his chair away and got up, noting his legs felt weak. He forced himself to walk through the door with a straight back and held up high.

Irwin, please return safely, he thought.