Irwin's Journey - The Cardsmith

Irwin stumbled forward across a smooth tile floor that gleamed as it reflected the warm light of candles and torches. Looking around, Irwin saw bookshelves lining walls made of a neatly lined stone with dark wooden beams. Torches were slotted in dull metal brackets sporadically mounted in between.

A wide, three-step staircase led down to a lower area with a central fireplace, while a slab of dull black rock hung above it. The smoke drifting up from the fireplace seemed to be drawn to it, disappearing as soon as it touched the stone. Around the open area surrounding the fireplace stood low tables, some with books on them, others with candles and glass jars with colorful liquids, some of which seemed to bubble.

Three wide, comfortable-looking stools, padded with cloth and pillows, stood roughly opposite each other.

"Done staring around?" Uxin'tar asked.

Irwin looked up to see the sorcerer stare at him from one of the stools.

"Sit down. We need to talk."

Although he seemed grumpy, Irwin didn't hear any hostility in the other's voice. He nodded as he slowly moved forward. As he did, he readied himself to trigger Coperion Body, followed by an Eyes of Blaze attack if he had to. Even if he didn't feel like Uxin'tar was going to do him harm, how sure could he be?

The soft crackling of the fire was the only sound, except for the occasional cracking of the chair as Uxin'tar moved slightly.

Irwin walked down the stairs, all the while looking around. Halfway to the fireplace, his eyes fell on one of the books, a thick black leatherbound thing. He could only see the spine, which was as wide as his hand, but there was an image of a silvery anvil on it that reminded him of Ambraz.

"And they call me slow," Uxin'tar rumbled goodnaturedly.

Irwin noticed a gleam in the sorcerer's eyes and shrugged as he looked at the massive chair. He'd heard about things like this, but it was the first time he saw one, and as he sat down and felt the soft pillow structure fold below him, forming around his body he couldn't stop a sigh of comfort.

"Better than hard-wooden chairs, right?" Uxin'tar said.

"Much better," Irwin said as he leaned into the soft back and looked at the sorcerer. The brown eyes twinkled, but the sorcerer didn't say anything and just stared at Irwin.

After over a minute, Irwin was getting more and more uncomfortable, and he finally couldn't take it anymore.

"So… what did you want to talk about?" he asked.

Uxin'tar tapped the arm of the chair with his finger as he grinned.

"Well, let's start by asking how you got that thing," the sorcerer asked as he pointed at Irwin's pocket.

Irwin swallowed, unsure what to say. Asking what the other was talking about seemed stupid, as he seemed to already know. He had to be talking about Ambraz.

"You're afraid I'm going to try and take it from you," Uxin'tar muttered as he shook his head. "Bah, that explains a few things. Little Anvil, are you afraid too?"

Irwin's jaw dropped, and he felt something fidget in his pocket before Ambraz flew out, mouth in a tight line.

"Who are you calling little, you old beardy face?"

There was a moment of silence, and Irwin saw the sorcerer's eyes widen a sliver before he barked a laugh.

"Bah. That fool," he hissed. "This is what he risked their anger for?"

"What are you whispering about, you old coot," Ambraz growled, and Irwin felt his skin crawl. Was Ambraz crazy? What if he made the sorcerer angry?

Uxin'tar sniffed as he raised his hand. Irwin held his breath, ready to move if needed, not even sure what he'd do. Then he saw the gnarly finger point at the Anvil, no glow of cards being used appearing.

"Are you the thing Gelwin stole from those hubworlders?"

Irwin leaned back, staring at the sorcerer and shaking his head in disbelief. Did everyone know about that? Or just nobles and sorcerers? And if they did, why wasn't anyone doing something to stop... well, everything?

"Gelwin? You mean that other old beardy-face?" Ambraz snorted. "He didn't steal me. It was an abduction!"

"So, this is why they went all angry a hundred years ago," Uxin'tar grunted in annoyed disbelief. "A talking Anvil. Ridiculous."

Ambraz began spluttering, but the sorcerer turned to Irwin.

"You, kid, how did you manage to even find it? I have searched for decades after Gelwin vanished to see what he took, hoping it would help with this mess."

Irwin stared back, his mind still slightly in shock.

"I found him in one of the training portals in the apprentice tower," he muttered.

Uxin'tar blinked, then closed his eyes as he groaned. "That's where he hid it? In a spot where hundreds, if not thousands, of foolish brats would enter time and time again? I should have… gah! That scoundrel!"

Ambraz barked a laugh as if he'd somehow won something. "Wait, are you one of those he kept cursing about? Tarman?"

"Don't call me that," Uxin'tar shouted, his voice cracking halfway as his eyes gleamed crazily. He fell back and began coughing wetly, the gleam quickly fading. After a few moments, he glared at Ambraz.

"Hah! Tarman, Tarman," Ambraz snorted, sounding smug. "Calling me a little Anvil! Suits you right, you expired geezer!"

Irwin felt his heart skip a beat as Uxin'tar's face darkened, and he quickly leaned forward.

"Uhm… could you tell me what's going on?" he asked.

Uxin'tar turned to him, his eyes still radiating a wave of dangerous anger, and Irwin shivered. Why couldn't Ambraz stay quiet?

"What's going on is that I'd hoped Gelwin had stolen something actually useful from those hubworlders," Uxin'tar said.

Ambraz snorted, but Irwin was glad to see the sorcerer ignored it.

"Sadly, when I sensed that thing's presence on you, I already knew it would be useless."

Irwin shook his head. "Err… what did you expect there to be? … Wait, you knew Gelwin?"

"What I expected? A legendary card of course, or… something even better," Uxin'tar said as he raised his right hand.

Even better? Irwin thought. Was he talking about heart-cards? That made no sense... those couldn't drop... right? He quickly squashed his inquisitive mind before he could ask something stupid and focused back on the sorcerer.

Uxin'tar's wrinkled hand rose, and Irwin saw there were two cards on it, with only a single slot left free.

"And Gelwin? Yes, I knew him. We grew up together. Long, long ago."

Grew up? Wait.. how old is he?

Irwin swallowed as he realized how old that must make the sorcerer. He had to be lying.

"So… if you knew Ambraz wouldn't be of help, why did you bring me here?" he asked, deciding not to risk asking.

"Curiosity, of course. If you get as old as I am, most things are bothersome and boring," Uxin'tar said, a twinkle in his eyes.

Not sure what to say, Irwin looked around the tower.

"Where are we exactly?" he asked, noticing Ambraz had begun flitting around, looking at books and other things. Uxin'tar seemed uninterested and ignored the Anvil's antics.

"Gelwin's tower," Uxin'tar snapped, sounding amused. "He actually thought he could keep it closed from me. As if!"

"Wait… we are near the sorcerer's towers?" Irwin asked as he felt the blood drain from his face.

"Afraid of them?" Uxin'tar asked, raising an eyebrow. "If you were in the apprentice tower, you were to be one. What happened? Did you run away?"

"..."

Irwin kept quiet, afraid that anything he said could antagonize the unstable old man.

"Bah thought as much," Uxin'tar said, coughing a few times.

He took a deep breath, then pointed at a nearby table. There were a few glasses and a bottle with a golden liquid with dark spots on it. "Bring me a glass, will you? I haven't spoken this much in years."

Irwin nodded as he got up, moved to the table, and quietly poured the man's glass. As he did, he noticed that the black spots seemed like tiny crystals of some sort, glittering in the torchlight. When he headed back and handed the glass to Uxin'tar, he saw the sorcerer's hand was shaking.

"Are you alright?"

"Define alright," Uxin'tar snapped before taking a large drink. "I'm over three hundred years old and have been like this for the last hundred. I'm alive. It will have to do."

"How?" Irwin asked wide-eyed.

Uxin'tar sniffed as he looked around. "This place helps. The drink does too. But most of it is having a legendary card."

Irwin gasped as he looked at the other's hands, trying to determine which one it was.

"Don't bother. You won't be able to tell which one," Uxin'tar said. "Nor will I tell you."

Is it like my special card? Irwin thought, wondering if there were Legendary cards that had some hidden type.

"Why are you telling us all this," Ambraz suddenly asked as he hovered beside Irwin before landing on his shoulder. As he did, a whisper came in the inside of Irwin's other ear.

"Careful. Except for being dangerously unstable, this geezer has books on things he shouldn't have."

Irwin managed to keep his face calm while Uxin'tar snorted.

You tell me to be careful after you keep antagonizing him? Irwin thought angrily.

"What? Afraid I'll kill you to cover it up? Bah.. as if that would matter. We have less than two years left. Perhaps even less. Then this entire place goes kaboom," he spread out his hand, making a throwing gesture while the dangerous gleam returned to his eyes.

"How do you know all of this?" Irwin asked, hoping he could get Uxin'tar to keep talking. He needed time to think. What did Ambraz mean, books he shouldn't have? Books from a hubworld? Or books with something in it that was bad?

Wrong questions, wrong questions! How do I get out of here? Irwin thought.

"If you live as long as I have and have entered as many portals, you learn a thing or two," Uxin'tar said, either not noticing or caring about his shock. "I presume Ambraz told you?"

Irwin nodded slowly, worried he had made a mistake by telling Uxin'tar the Anvil's name.

"I see. And why are you here?"

"We were on our way to go to Daubutim's father," Irwin said quickly before sighing. "I guess that won't happen anymore."

Uxin'tar stared at him for a while as if he was trying to look into his mind. Then he nodded.

"Alright. How about you tell me what else the Anvil told you?" the old sorcerer said, his voice almost a hiss as his eyes narrowed.

Irwin barely managed to stop himself from licking his lips. What was wrong with Uxin'tar? No, that wasn't important. What should he tell? Should he lie?

"Why don't you just ask me what I told him?" Ambraz grunted, remaining on Irwin's shoulder.

"Because you're from a hubworld, and I don't trust anything from there," Uxin'tar snapped, his voice dangerously low.

Any possible idea that he might have had that things were going in a good way evaporated, and Irwin swallowed.

"Tell him everything except that you want to go through the portal," Ambraz whispered inside his ear. "And nothing about anything above legendary cards!"

Irwin quickly sorted his mind, then nodded as he began.

"He told me that the worlds beyond portals are world-shards of shattered worlds that became instable."

Uxin'tar drank a sip but said nothing.

Irwin continued, trying to recall anything he knew that might appease the man. As he continued speaking about what he knew about the hubworlds and that the Merchant's guild might contain hubworlders, he expected some reaction but got none. Uxin'tar quietly continued sipping, his eyes glittering as he gazed at him.

Why do I get the feeling he knows all of this, Irwin thought, starting to get even more worried. Would it be good or bad if he didn't tell the sorcerer something he didn't know? Or something that shocked him even?

"Tell him about reforging, but no more than uncommon," Ambraz suddenly whispered again.

Irwin looked around, then shrugged. "He also showed me it's possible to reforge common cards to uncommon," Irwin said slowly.

Uxin'tar lowered his glass as his eyes narrowed. "Showed you? How?"

Irwin swallowed, suddenly wishing he could just fight with some Galubs. At least he knew how to do that! Or purify met-

Right!

"It's like purifying metal," he said slowly, trying to think how he should explain. Then he saw Uxin'tar's frown deepen, and he continued quickly. "Any smith who is capable of doing that fast and has plenty of experience can learn to do it."

"Interesting," Uxin'tar muttered. "Explain how it's done."

Irwin nodded, quickly talking about what he knew about the process. When he finished, Uxin'tar looked down, his gaze focused on his hand.

"You. How do you reforge a card up to legendary," Uxin'tar said, staring at Ambraz. "And don't try to tell me it's not possible."

Ambraz let out a soft laugh. "It's possible, but you need a lot of knowledge and training, which can only be found in the Smith's guild."

"Smiths guild… and let me guess. Those are only in hubworlds?" Uxin'tar said, his voice cracking a few times. A dangerous gleam came in his eyes as he glared at the Anvil.

"Yes," Ambraz said, and Irwin thought he felt a slight tremor on his shoulder.

"Tell me, how do I get to a hubworld unnoticed," Uxin'tar asked, suddenly very still as he focused on Ambraz.

"Unnoticed? Impossible. Any portals into hubworlds are carefully curated and guarded by guards with strong combat cards."

Uxin'tar frowned, then focused on Irwin. "Do you know anything more about this?"

Irwin quickly shook his head.

"Alright," Uxin'tar said as he swallowed the last bit of his drink. "You can go back."

Irwin blinked, stunned, silent.

"Move, fool," Ambraz whispered in his ear, and he jolted.

"Alright," he said as he rose and looked around. As curious as he was, he was more inclined to leave and talk with Daubutim about Uxin'tar.

"Also, you are not to tell anyone about what we discussed here or that you came here," Uxin'tar said, his voice turning less annoyed. "Not that anyone would believe you. When you exit, you will be in my room in the Coulwater Tower. Don't linger. Leave and head to your friends."

Irwin nodded, briskly walking back to where the portal still hung.

"And Orwin," Uxin'tar called. "Be careful what you believe."

Irwin looked over his shoulder and saw the old sorcerer's brown eyes look at Ambraz.

"I will," Irwin muttered.

Two steps from the portal, Ambraz flew back into his pocket, and then he stepped through the portal.

--

Uxin'tar gazed at the swirling pseudo-portal, waiting for a thin silvery sheen to cover it.

"He is gone. Come out."

One of the bookshelves slid to the side, revealing a narrow passage, and Jondir walked out, a worried look on his face.

"And?"

The guard and second in command of Coulwater snorted. "He was lying. Not about everything, but definitely about why he was here. He was also holding back things."

"And going to a hubworld unnoticed?"

"No, that was the truth," Jondir said. "Though it was hard to read the Anvil. Only when you started grilling him harder did I catch something."

"I thought as much," Uxin'tar said, motioning to the table with his glass.

Jondir took it without complaints and moved to refill it.

"What do you think they are here for?" Jondir asked as he handed the full glass back.

"Can't you tell? Haven't you been paying attention when I taught you things?" Uxin'tar grumbled.

Jondir didn't respond but simply took a few steps back and gazed at the sorcerer.

"They are here to go through the legendary," Uxin'tar finally said.

"Why would they go through that portal?" Jondir grunted. "No, wait. How even? The kid doesn't have a legendary card, does he?"

Uxin'tar quietly watched the guard and, when he finally quieted down, shook his head. "Brat, you haven't been reading the books I told you to… You don't need a legendary card to enter a portal. You don't need a card to go through any portal."

Jondir blinked, then shook his head. "That can't be right."

"The cards aren't there to let you in. They are to make sure you survive until you get to the other side," Uxin'tar croaked, taking a few sips. "And to make sure you survive on the other side."

Jondir stared at the sorcerer in disbelief. "If that's true, why have I never heard of it? That would be common knowledge!"

"If you enter an uncommon portal with a common card, your body will disintegrate as you touch it… this is common knowledge," Uxin'tar said as he took another sip. "Go back and make sure Orwin doesn't leave that tower. Also, keep an eye on our new lord Coulwater and the Tower Lord."

"I will master," Jondir said as he turned and headed for the tower.

Uxin'tar didn't look up until the portal jolted a few times. When it was gone, he raised his hand, and the card on its back flashed twice, causing the portal to vanish.

Then the ancient sorcerer leaned back and stared into the flames as he drank. Occasionally, his wrinkles deepened as warped looks of pain and anger fled across his face, and his eyes seemed to glow almost from within. When the glass was empty, he took a deep sigh and glared at one of the bookshelves.

"I will find a way out of here," he grunted. "I'll have my vengeance, Gelwin, even if I have to bring this whole world down to get it."