Irwin's Journey - The Cardsmith

"If we can sneak up close enough, Coal can distract him, and I can unsummon him as we jump through," Greldo whispered as they sat huddled together.

Irwin nodded, staring helplessly at Lamia. Her breathing had become more laborious, and she was shaking and shivering uncontrollably.

"Let's go," he whispered.

"Alright," Greldo whispered as he turned to Coal.

After a few moments, the massive hound snuck away.

"Be quiet, don't kick against any loose rock or something," Greldo whispered.

Irwin rose and quickly followed the other two.

Calm down! he ordered himself. If he made a mistake that drew that demon, whatever it was, its attention, they might all die.

Taking a deep breath, he took a look at Lamia and nodded. He was doing the best he could.

--

She probably won't make it, Daubutim thought as he took a quick look at Lamia.

She was draped across Irwin's arms like a rag, and from the way she was twitching, he was sure her body was in shock. He quickly went through the things he knew on how to handle these things, but like the first time he did, he couldn't find anything they could do right now: putting her down, letting her rest, and raising her arm, none were something they could do at this moment.

He gazed at Irwin's face, noticing that the tension and quick eye movements had slowed again.

He is overcoming his panic, Daubutim thought as he focused on the way down. He'd feared that Irwin would actually break down just now. There still was a risk of him making mistakes, but with some luck, that wouldn't happen until they were in a more calm situation.

Staring at the corridor ahead, he was pretty sure they would be going right. A map was slowly growing in his mind, and they seemed to be heading down and further into the city. Then they would find the portal, and he'd have to make a choice. He still wasn't fully sure what he would do.

If I leave, Indoutor will probably become the family head… and he won't spend any time or effort in finding or helping father.

Feeling a tiny bit of anger grow, he squashed it. There was no time for anger, not yet. He needed to… come up with a plan. But what? He quickly went over the books he had read and the things he had been taught, but none helped with any of what was happening, and he felt his mind slowly slip into lethargy. For a moment, he contemplated simply letting it happen.

No!

With a shake of his head, he managed to stop himself from falling into his reactionary mode.

Focusing on Greldo's back, he tried to stay in the here and now. He'd managed to stave off the troublesome occurrences for longer than ever. Ever since he'd gone to the sorcerer's tower and met Irwin, things had been slowly going better. If he let himself fall back into dully following, when would he be able to clear his mind again?

Besides, I finally have a mental improvement summoning card, he thought as he glimpsed at the back of his hand. The third card, the one he hadn't dared to use yet, glittered enticingly.

If what he'd read in the books was true, there was a chance that the card could fix his mental ailment. But it might also cause him to become completely lethargic for a while. He couldn't risk that. Not yet.

Go with them or sneak back out, he thought. He still didn't know for sure.

--

As they moved down a flight of stairs, they reached the same level as the portal, and from down here, the massive size of the pale snake became even more apparent.

It's almost as tall as Greldo, Irwin thought as he swallowed. He tried to find the head, but there was no sight of either end. The portal was only fifty feet away, but it felt much further.

A soft tap on his arm made him look at Greldo, who pointed at the far end of the room. Coal's eyes burned there, and Greldo raised his fist, raising a finger then a second as he counted down.

At five, they moved while Coal let out an ear-piercing howl.

The snake reacted immediately as a shiver ran through it. At the far end of the hall, debris slid away as something massive rose up from it. Then, a pale snakehead with gleaming blue eyes appeared. They gazed hatefully at Coal.

Stones and large sections of the building began sliding and moving around as the entire body slid forward.

Why isn't Coal running? Irwin thought as he saw the hound stand frozen in the spot.

He scrambled after Daubutim. Greldo was moving much faster, jumping and sliding over things, any sounds he made masked by the movement of the snake.

As he reached the portal, a few steps ahead of the others, he turned to Coal, and Irwin saw his eyes widen in panic.

"Coal!" Greldo's scream of panic caused the snake's movement to stop. Then it turned its head around so fast stones flew across the room.

"Get inside," Daubutim roared.

"I can't unsummon Coal! That thing did something," Greldo shouted.

Irwin gritted his teeth as he reached the portal and focused on his Eyes of Blaze. There was enough energy for a blast, and light filled the room as he fired on the snake. The fire shot the back of the head, licking around it, and there was a moment of stillness. Then the snake's head angled towards him, the blue eyes gleaming and seeming completely unaffected by the fire.

"Greldo?" Irwin shouted, standing next to the portal.

"Got him! Go, go, go!"

Irwin didn't wait for a second but side-stepped into the enormous portal. His final thought was that he wondered what the other side would look like.

With a jolt, the dust-filled chamber vanished, and then he was in a dark crystalline corridor. Chaotic swirling masses of light and what resembled liquid moved around outside while a sense of something pressing down on his mind began increasing rapidly. A tiny flicker of movement from the corner of his eye made him look up in time to see an enormous black cloud with dozens of eyes looking at him. As the pressure increased, a wave of heat surged up from his cards as if to combat it. The world around him vanished, and he felt like he was falling.

--

Jaokli stared dully at the wall behind the portal.

"They keep tricking me… Why can't I just keep my stupid mouth shut," he uttered as he tossed the simple marble ball up in his hand again and again.

As he heard the happy shouting from the Founding Festivities outside increase, probably from a stream of people passing by the castle, he grabbed the ball and squeezed it until it made a cracking noise. Staring at it stupidly, he tossed the remnants at the portal, watching them vanish with a few flickering flashes.

"I hate guard duty here. Nothing ever happens! Stupid nearly dead farming plain… even if there are people left alive as if they would-"

A bright flash followed as a tall youth with long, unkempt brown hair and metallic coppery skin stumbled outside. He was carrying a woman and looked around in surprise before stepping aside.

"What the… someone came!' Jaokli shouted as he grabbed the long crystalline slab and raised it. As it began glowing a dull green, he kept his eyes focused on the two, his eyes widening as another tall youth came through, followed by a shorter one.

"This is Jaokli in corridor C portal room twelve. People just exited the portal. Send backup," he rattled, speaking into the glowing tablet.

"Jaokli? Are you pulling my leg? Nobody ever comes from-" a voice began, echoing out from the same tablet.

"There's four! Three young men and a woman that seems injured or something," Jaokli interrupted them.

"Do they look aggressive?" a surprised voice asked from the tablet. "I'm sending a dozen heart-guards over."

"They are just standing there."

"Alright, no worries! We will be there in a minute to capture them! Keep the gates shut, and hold tight."

Jaokli leaned forward, gazing at the three men who seemed to be looking around in wonder.

"Hah! No worries. There's only three, and not a single one has a heart-card!"

"What? Just hand-carded?" the voice asked. "Well, wait for us either way. Maybe they are just scouts."

Jaokli snorted as he gazed at the three, then shrugged. "Fine, fine."

He watched as one of the three men began scanning the walls, tapping them.

"Search what you want. There's no way a few hand-carded like you will detect the hidden doors, and even then, you wouldn't be able to open it," Jaokli said with a snort.

The metallic reinforced door behind him was opened, and he turned to look at the six armored warriors moving inside. The leader, a man with gleaming silver eyes, grinned.

"Jaokli, I guess your day wasn't that boring now!" the man said.

"Come on, Uncle Kloyn," Jaokli said as he shook his head. "Don't add insult to injury. I've already lost to my cousin and have to do this boring thing for the next month!"

Kloyn laughed as he moved beside him, staring through the thick, unidirectional crystal wall.

"By the ancients, look at the rags they are wearing… is that supposed to be armor?" Kloyn said in disgust. "It's all made of regular leather, no craftsmanship or color." He shook his head, glancing down at his own well-tailored armor.

"Well, let's get this over with," he said as he moved to the door, beckoning the others with him.

"I wonder if there are any useful ones amongst them. We could do with a few new serfs," he muttered.

--

"There's no exit…? What is this, a trap?" Greldo shouted, looking around wide-eyed.

"This… this can't be," Irwin muttered as he looked down at Lamia. "We need a carded healer!"

He was about to call out to Ambraz when a section of the dark, gleaming wall of the room they were in suddenly cracked open. A group of tall men with curly black hair, gleaming silvery eyes, and beautiful red and black armor moved inside.

"Don't make any movements, and keep your hands forward. If we see any card glow, we will end you instantly," the lead man snapped.

Irwin stared at him in surprise. He had understood the words even though they were heavily accented.

"We need help," he said, looking down at Lamia. "My friend is injured, and she will die if-"

"Quiet," the man said as he moved towards them.

Irwin swallowed as he saw the gleaming silvery eyes scan him.

"You have a combat card active. Cancel it immediately!"

Irwin hesitated as he looked at the man. If he did that, he wouldn't be able to activate it again rapidly, but he could see from the cold gleam and the tight face that the other wasn't going to ask again. Licking his lips, Irwin disabled his skill. As he shrank slightly, he felt the weight of Lamia double instantly, pushing him down more than before.

"My friend," he said.

"Yes, yes," the man said as he looked at Daubutim and Greldo. "Are there any more out there ready to come through?"

Irwin shook his head as he felt his anger grow. What was going on? Couldn't these guards just ask questions after they had saved Lamia?

"No, just us," he said.

"Alright, follow me, and don't do anything stupid," the man said before turning around.

"All of them are just hand-carded, not even a diamond amongst them. Jakaiam, with me. We will bring them to the central registry. The rest of you remain here just in case," the man said, and Irwin heard a slight joy in his voice.

He followed the man, wanting to ask for help again when Daubutim tapped his arm and shook his head.

Looking at Lamia, Irwin clenched his jaw as he followed what had to be the guard captain.

Why isn't Ambraz doing or saying anything? Didn't he say we would be fine?!

The room beyond the one he had been in was lit by a blueish-white crystal set high in the wall, and as he looked back, he saw he could see through the wall in which the door had been set. A young guard with black hair and brown eyes was staring at him.

"Jaokli, I'll leave the rest of the squad here while I bring these to the registry."

"Alright Uncle Kloyn!"

Irwin noticed that the young man had two odd symbols on his hand but no card slots.

Are they like the Frozir and have soul skills?

"Follow me, and don't even try to run," Kloyn snapped.

Irwin followed him, hoping that wherever the man was taking them, there would be carded healers… or soul-skill healers, at least.

They walked through a narrow corridor, stepped through a massive door, and into a wide and spacious room. Dozens of corridors, black floored with pale walls, led away while dozens of guards moved around. On one side were a few benches, and he saw dozens of odd people sitting there. Some had hair that seemed made of fire and smoke, while others had skin covered in fish scales.

Are those portal demons? Irwin wondered. If so, why were they just sitting there? They didn't look like they were going to attack anyone. Were they like the Frozir?

Kloyn led them across the square toward the widest path leading away, and as they followed him, they stepped into a bright corridor. Light streamed in from the sides, and as they walked through, Irwin gaped out of the crystal sides at the massive city that lay beyond. Colorful red, yellow, and orange roofs topped white and cream-colored buildings, while beautiful spiral towers sat in small groups.

They continued through the corridor that led into another spacious room. This one had a cluttered, centered area with what looked like a bar in the middle with people behind it. A column of white stone rose in the center amidst the clutter, probably a hundred feet across. Irwin looked up and saw tiny windows in an odd spiral pattern.

Guards walked everywhere, some escorting people who were tied up.

Kloyn led them to the central pillar, which was divided into sections. Two women with the same black hair and silvery eyes stood behind it, seemingly busy with papers and other things. As they moved closer, one looked up, and her eyes narrowed.

"Kloyn? Didn't you guard farming-world three-five-eight's portals? What are you doing here?" she asked, her eyes scanning over Irwin. She spoke in the same drawling accent as the man.

"Glessile, these three just came through that dormant portal number twelve," Kloyn said.

"The one Jaokli was guarding?" the woman said as her eyes widened, and the other woman beside her also turned her attention to them. Both looked at Irwin and the others.

"One of them is injured. Can you take a look? They haven't shown any signs of aggression, so I guess the shattering hasn't occurred yet."

Irwin frowned. What does our becoming aggressive have to do with our world-shattering?

Glessile nodded, and Irwin's eyes widened even more as she hopped over the bar with so much ease that he wondered how many body-improvement cards she had. She walked towards him, and when she reached him, she barely looked at him, her full attention on Lamia.

"Alright, that's not good," she whispered. "You, boy, can you understand me?" she asked, talking overtly slow.

"Yes," Irwin said, which caused her to stare at him in surprise.

"Good, then follow me and put your friend on the table," she said as she turned and moved to a table not too far to the side. There were papers on it, which she carefully moved to the side to create room.

The other guard followed Irwin, while Kloyn stayed with Greldo and Daubutim, not even looking at them.

As soon as there was enough space, Irwin put Lamia on the table, and as he did, he felt his heart clench at how horrible she looked.

"Dear ancients, what happened to her arm?" Glessile muttered as she moved closer, shoving Irwin to the side.

"Can you help her?" Irwin asked.

Glessile looked up with raised eyebrows, then turned her full focus back to Lamia.

"Yes, but she won't be able to use her arm for much after. The best I can do is save it so she can at least slot her cards, but she will have to find a soul-carded healer to fix this damage."

Soul-carded? Irwin thought, shaking his head in disbelief. So, no soul-skilled but soul-carded?

The woman closed her eyes, and as she put her hands on Lamia's arm, a bright glow came from the backs of both her hands. An odd rune that Irwin didn't recognize was glowing on them as the white light spread across Lamia. It lasted for a dozen counts, and as it retreated, Irwin saw that Lamia's breathing had become a lot better.

"She will be fine now," the woman said as she waved at Irwin. "You can pick her up again. Can't have her bleeding on the table."

Mechanically, Irwin did as asked, and as he picked Lamia up, he felt her skin had become less cold while the sheen of sweat on her face seemed mostly gone. Her breathing was a lot better, though her arm was still black and gruesome to look at.

"Alright," Kloyn said. "Stand with the others and don't speak."

Irwin did as asked, noting a relieved look on Greldo's face. Daubutim was looking around with a frown.

"So, as your family has this month's guard duty, and none of them have diamond cards, you can decide what to do with them," the woman said, drawing Irwin's attention back to them.

"Can you check what cards they have?" Kloyn said as he crossed his arms. "We could use a few more serfs, but if they are useless... We can't risk the extra taxes. You know how it is."

Serfs? Irwin thought, vaguely recalling the term. Did it mean something like slaves? He felt his heartbeat rise as he saw the women nod in agreement. Were they going to become slaves now?

A soft snort from his pocket instantly made a growing fear lower.

"I don't think that will be needed."

Ambraz's voice came from his pocket, causing an instant reaction from the guards. Both raised their hands at Irwin, and a shimmering barrier appeared around the two women.

"Bah, calm down," Ambraz said while Irwin felt him struggling to leave his pocket. As soon as he flickered out, there was a collective gasp.

"Anvil of the gods!" one of the guards whispered.

"Good, at least you have eyes," Ambraz said as he flickered around before landing on the table.

"The tall guy is my future Smith, and he and the girl he is carrying are prospects for the Smiths guild and under my custody! The other two are their guards."

Guards? Custody? Irwin had no idea what was going on but kept his face as placid as he could.

"Our luck is horrendous," Kloyn whispered, barely loud enough for Irwin to catch.

In front of them, the women behind the desk had lowered the barrier again, and when Ambraz mentioned the Smith's guild, their eyes widened.

"Anvil, could we ask for your name?" Kloyn asked.

Irwin saw he had an annoyed, disgruntled look on his face.

"I am Ambraz," Ambraz said.

Kloyn looked at Glessile, who shrugged.

"It doesn't matter... he is obviously an Anvil of the Gods," she said. "Sorry, Kloyn."

Ambraz's lips, which had been in a smile, turned into a line, and he snorted.

"It doesn't matter if you know me or not. Contact the nearest Smiths-guild charter and have some come to pick us up!"

Irwin saw Kloyn's face fall, then the guard sighed.

"Fine. We will head back. This is your trouble now. Sorry, Glessile," he said as he smiled halfheartedly at the woman.

"It's fine, Kloyn. If there is any reward for finding the Anvil, I'll make sure your family is mentioned," Glessile said.

As Irwin shared a relieved look with Greldo, Glessile and the other woman stared at them, then back at Ambraz.

"If you would be so kind as to wait here, I'll contact the Smith's guild. You may sit on the benches."

Irwin didn't wait for Ambraz but moved to the nearby bench and sat down, feeling an immense relief flood over him. They had made it... but nothing here was what he had expected. Looking around the massive room filled with people and things that looked like demons, he sighed.

I wonder what the city looks like, he thought as he looked around.