Irwin's Journey 519: Can't wait!

Irwin sighed as he stepped away from Ambraz, watching the card slowly settle. It was a diamond-rank, shadow-typed teleport card, and it wasn’t a hundred percent.

‘Not bad, kid! Ninety-four percent,’ Ambraz said, sounding happier than Irwin felt.

‘There’s no way I can make this diamond rank and a hundred percent,’ he said, crossing his arms.

‘So? You knew that before we started. With this, Greldo will have three teleport cards for his left hand. Three non-perfect diamond-rank teleport cards will compensate for the power difference. Together with one of those two growth cards, that leaves him two more for soulscape size and soulforce stability.’

Irwin sighed, knowing Ambraz was right. Still, he had hoped he could make at least one hundred-percent card.

“Did you fail? Why are you so quiet?” Greldo asked.

Irwin snorted, looking back at where Gerldo and Dahlia stood.

Both had asked to watch, though for different reasons. Dahlia was staring at the wall, eyes unfocused, seemingly still absorbed in how he’d reforged the card. He knew she was trying to see if she could somehow use how he worked with her own smithing style, and he knew she’d fail. He had taught hundreds of smiths on Scour in the previous decades, many of whom had different smithing styles. From that, he’d learned two things.

Smithing styles only rarely overlapped, and beyond the emerald rank, a smith needed to either find a teacher of the same path or forge their own path.

“Of course I didn’t fail,” he said, shaking his head. “I was just annoyed it wasn’t a hundred percent.”

Greldo barked a laugh. “You are really the only one I know that could be bothered by that! So, which one do I slot first?”

He was holding the first two attempts Irwin had made in the morning, both showing a variation of a cloudy patch of shadows swirling around what looked like a gem-like portal.

Irwin glanced at the card he was holding.

“Ambraz?”

“This one in the middle,” the Ganvil said. “It’s the highest quality, and will help stabilize the others.”

Irwin nodded, staring at the card. He hesitated, then looked at his friend.

“We could try a few more copies and see if one gets the growth element,” he said. “We have the template cards.”

“No way,” Greldo grunted, walking forward and taking the card. “It’s a waste. Besides, that’s only useful until I get my heartcard. Right?”

Irwin nodded reluctantly. From all he’d seen so far, it seemed that as long as there was one perfect handcard, it would result in a perfect heartcard. Yet, he couldn’t help but worry.

“If you do this,” he said, pointing at the three cards. “That leaves one slot for a growth card, and only two for soulscape and soulforce growth. You won’t have enough soulforce for a worldcard. At least, not for a worldcard at the universe stage.”

Greldo sighed, lowered the cards, and looked at him. “I’m not going to slot two soulscape cards,” he said calmly. “I’m going to slot these three, then a growth card, one of those body clone cards you promised me, and one soulscape growth card. Though I’m hoping before that last one, we find a card that can link my shadowrealm pocket and my soulscape somehow.”

“Dream on,” Ambraz said, landing on Irwin’s shoulder.

“He’s right,” Juul’rish piped in from Dahlia’s shoulder. “Cards that do anything with soulscapes are rare, and one that does something like that? Unheard of.”

“Unless,” Dahlia muttered, her hands clenching. “I can figure out how to make that shadow cardseed!”

Irwin and Greldo shared a quick look, knowing it was starting to eat at her that she’d kept failing.

“I think before that, we need to finish your soullake,” Irwin said. “Having more shadow-typed cards will help with what you are trying, and a soulcard is far more stable and far more powerful than a heartcard. Especially for this.”

Dahlia nodded, glanced at the cards in Greldo’s hand, then back at Irwin.

“So, you are going to bring us to Eluathar?”

“Yes. Basil and Scariander are in the harbor right now, together with some of the younger Chaos Whales,” Irwin said. “I will reforge some cards while I am there, which should hopefully be enough to fill your soullakes.”

“Well, let’s get this over with,” Greldo said, walking forward. “Koudi is aware that we will be gone for a day or so. Besides, with all the cards and food you have given her, she will remain busy for a week.”

“I promised Scintilla, Rindiri, and some of the others that they could come,” Irwin said as he walked towards the exit of the small smithy.

Greldo moved to walk beside him, while Dahlia trailed behind, still seeming preoccupied.

“I’ve been away from Eluathar for years. I can’t wait to see how much it has changed!” Greldo exclaimed.

“Not that much,” Irwin said. “For them, it’s only been a year or two.”

“I’m sure things will have changed,” Greldo said. “Besides, that means your kids grew!”

Irwin’s lips quirked up at that. The memories from his otherself’s constant exposure to his children were a constant solace to all he did.

A few minutes later, the three of them found Scintilla, sparring with Brecka in a central square. Dozens of children sat or stood along the edge, watching and cheering as they dashed across the smooth, card-shaped stone of the square.

“You can do it!”

“Move faster!”

“Oh, I really like her sword!”

Irwin and Greldo stopped at the edge, watching the sparring match slowly wind down. Ever since Scintilla’s other self had become a Crathan, her speed had dropped considerably, and she’d started using a different sword fighting style. Gone were the fast movements and the one-handed Leafbrand. Instead, she wielded a two-handed wooden practice sword with a wide blade, which barely shuddered as it met Brecka’s massive club.

Irwin watched them exchange a few more strikes, likely both having noticed their arrival. As he did, he could sense Scintilla’s soulforce. It had grown fuller again, but it was far from being complete. He had a feeling he knew why she wanted to come to Eluathar. To play with their children, let them get more used to her form and shape, for when she would eventually always look like that.

“You’ve gotten better with those treelogs,” Scintilla shouted, stepping back and smiling at Brecka.

“They are called clubs,” Brecka snapped, lowering said weapons.

“Big sisters, are you going to fight again soon?” a small boy with tousled dark hair called out from amidst the crowd.

“Sure! And when we return, perhaps we can teach you all a bit?” Scintilla asked, hands on her hips as she stared at the surrounding children.

There was a round of cheers, and some of the children rushed up, asking questions. It lasted for a few minutes, then Scintilla and Brecka walked up to Irwin.

“So, done smithing for now?” Scintilla asked, reaching up and pulling him down for a quick kiss.

“For now,” Irwin replied with a smirk. She knew full well he would have to reforge more cards in a short while, after they arrived back on Eluathar. “Are you two ready?”

“I’m ready,” Brecka said, wiping some sweat from her brow. “I’ll clean up on Eluathar, after having an actual meal!”

The idea of food made Irwin’s stomach rumble.

“That sounds like a great idea,” he agreed.

They headed back to Greldo and Dahlia’s house, surprised to find someone waiting for them in the kitchen area.

Tall, dark, and pale, Gloom got up from a chair as they entered.

Irwin hadn’t seen him a lot since arriving, with the powerful shadewalker mostly scouting the exit portal beyond Mudball for potential Shadow Oculithar.

“Master Greldo,” he said, lowering his head. “I’ve found no signs of any Shadow Oculithar around.”

Greldo let out a weary sigh, but didn’t correct the Elder Nyzir. From what Irwin knew, Gloom was having even more issues than usual.

“Gloom,” Greldo said. “We are heading to Eluathar for a while. Can you stay here and guard Irwin’s body? He might need his full focus for what he is going to do.”

“Yes, Ma… Greldo,” Gloom said.

“It was a request, not an order,” Greldo said lamely. “Also, if something goes wrong, just shout at Irwin. He will hear and get us back here.”

“Yes,” Gloom said, almost visibly biting his tongue to refrain from adding master.

I really wonder what is making it worse lately, Irwin thought.

He watched as Greldo and Gloom discussed a few more things, and shortly after, he brought everyone into his soulscape. As he walked to the door, Gloom sat back down, eyes distant. Irwin watched him for a moment before closing the door and moving into his bedroom.

Can’t be easy, he thought, as he lay down on his bed.

Not taking into account how long Gloom had been slumbering on the worldshard, he was still over twelvehundred years old. Worse, in the years that he slumbered, he had become the last of his kind. All others they knew about had regressed into a lesser form, going almost feral. That left only Gloom, for as far as they knew, now bound to a young human, Greldo. A human who had inherited a form of royalty from the ancient, splintered shadowrealm, through the cards he had gathered, which caused Gloom to feel indentured to him.

All in all, Irwin didn’t envy the Elder Nyzir.

He closed his eyes and moved most of both of his selves into the body that was sitting in a large room near the docks outside of Eluathar’s harbor. He knew that for what was to come, he would need it.

-- Eluathar --

“We are ready,” Irwin said, looking at Basil and Trimdir.

Hou’dor, Trimdir’s bonded Ganvil, sat on the older smith’s shoulder, lips quirked up.

Basil stretched as he got up. “Good. I’ll see if Scariander got the young ones ready.”

When the door closed behind him, Trimdir let out a long sigh.

“It’s still hard to believe how you can just move between two places on the near opposite ends of our entire branch,” Irwin’s old mentor said.

“Just wait until Greldo and some of the other shadewalkers get their teleports,” Irwin said. “Things will become even easier. Besides that, why have you still not slotted the body double card?”

Trimdir snorted, raising his left hand, which had only two cards.

“Because the idea of having to argue with myself scares me,” he grunted.

Irwin laughed, using his soulforce senses to scan Trimdir. The current master of the Vocano Academy had one ruby-rank soulcard and two handcards, the latter made by himself.

Long ago, a soulcard would have made him one of the most powerful beings on their old world. Now, on Eluathar, he was only above average.  Worse, when the war reached their sidebranch, his single soulcard, meant for cardsmithing, would not be enough to protect him. Something Irwin wanted to do something about, and fast.

“You say this body double card won’t change who I am?” Trimdir asked, as a card appeared in his hand.

“It won’t,” Irwin said.

He tried to keep his annoyance at bay, though he wished his old mentor had already slotted it. If he had, and had formed both his fullhands, he could have taken advantage of what Irwin was about to do. As it was, it just meant he would have to do it again in a few months to a year.

“That specific one,” Irwin said, pointing at the card that he’d made for Trimdir months ago. “Will just give you a second body and mind.”

“But I won’t be able to slot handcards in the body double?”

“You can,” Irwin said, wondering if Trimdir had even listened to the last time he’d explained it.

“Stop messing with Irwin,” Hou’dor snorted from Trimdir’s shoulder. “He knows what it does, he’s just being a difficult old man.”

Trimdir laughed. “Fine. Yes, I know that if I slot the card in one, it will be represented in the other. I just don’t like that part. It’s like the card gets doubled.”

“You are complaining too much, old man,” Hou’dor rumbled.

“Old? You are ten times as old as I,” Trimdir snorted.

Irwin sighed, having had the same discussion with Trimdir a few times now.

“Remember, I also have this one,” he said, making another body double card appear in his hand. “It will give you one similar to Scintilla, and allow you to slot cards in it.”

“But I’ll still have to choose which of the two I’ll use to create my heartcard,” Trimdir muttered, staring at the card, then at the one in his hand.

A few months ago, he’d chosen the one he was now holding from the few different types Irwin had. Now, to Irwin’s surprise, the older cardsmith put the body double card on the table and reached out.

He changed his mind? Irwin thought, handing the other card to Trimdir.

“Don’t look that surprised,” Trimdir grunted, looking at the hand before raising his hand.

“Finally,” Hou’dor muttered, causing Trimdir to let out a deep rumbling laugh.

Before Irwin could say anything, the older cardsmith held the body double card above his third, empty socket and let it slide in.

“Go out and do your thing,” Trimdir said, as his hand glowed for a moment. “This old man will just take a nap.”

Irwin cursed and jumped forward just in time to stop Trimdir’s head from slamming into the table. Hou’dor had flown up and now landed on the table.

“So stubborn,” the Ganvil growled. “He’s been complaining about this for months now, you know?”

“What is his problem with it anyway?” Irwin asked.

“Your mother,” Hou’dor replied, his lips curling up in a grin. “This old fool is afraid she will prefer one of his body doubles over the other.”

Irwin’s mouth fell open as he stared at the unconscious old man.

“Both will still be him, though,” he said.

“That’s what I told him,” Hou’dor said, sounding amused. “But he kept pointing out how the two Scintillas aren’t exactly the same.”

Irwin blinked at that, cocking his head.

“But they are. As soon as one of their sets of handcards forms another heartcard, they will merge before splitting again,” he said.

“Well, let's just be happy that he finally slotted it,” Hou’dor rumbled. “It will hopefully mean that he can split some of his tasks up.”

Irwin nodded, staring at his old mentor and the man who had somehow made his mother start smiling in a way he’d never seen before.

I guess I can just give her a body double card, he thought.

He’d never considered it because she had no combat cards and didn’t want any. Still, now that he thought about it some more, he realised it would also make things a whole lot safer.

“Go outside,” Hou’dor rumbled. “I’ll stay with Trimdir until he wakes. There are a lot of people waiting for you.”

Irwin sighed, reminded of just what was waiting outside.

“Fine. I guess it's about time to get started.”

Hou’dor laughed. “Go and fill up a few hundred soullakes. I’m sure if anyone beyond Eluathar would ever hear of it, they would only be slightly awed.”

Irwin snorted as he walked to the door, only for Hou’dor to call out one more time.

“Also, you might want to talk with Lunira. I think she had a few questions.”

Irwin blinked, thinking about the older woman who had become responsible for creating most of the buildings in the harbor around the Exit Portal. She was by far one of the strongest stoneshapers they had, even if her soulcard was only topaz-ranked.

I wonder what she wants, Irwin thought as he walked through the guard building.

Stepping out onto the square beside the harbor, he almost stumbled.

The sound-dampening runes in the building had kept out the racket outside. A crowd of people had gathered, sprawling across the docks attached to the branches of the enormous trees. Some interlocked with those beside them, creating complex webs of wide pathways, all with railings to prevent people from falling off.

‘That’s a lot of people,’ Irwin muttered as he checked with Scintilla and the others.

A moment later, seven people appeared beside him. Greldo, Dahlia, Scintilla, Brecka, Rindiri, Blade, and Hilbarin.

“Damn… so many,” Blade whispered, while the others seemed as stunned as Irwin had felt.

Brecka walked forward until she reached the railing at the edge of the square, looking around.

“I am really glad you left Pur’am in your soulscape,” she called back.

You and me both, Irwin thought.

He looked around, but there were too many people to get any idea of who was where, so he unleashed his soulforce senses. He was almost overwhelmed by the sheer volume of impressions, and it took him a moment to locate Basil.

“We need to go one layer up,” Irwin said, looking up through the thinning branches.

“Could have done that before moving us out,” Hilbarin grunted.

“It’s fine, I’ve got us,” Greldo said, and Irwin felt a wave of shadows flow from him and over everyone.

Irwin held back his resistance, and a moment later, he was dragged through the shadows to reappear a layer of branches higher. Far fewer people were here, and those who were, he recognized.

“The cardsmiths,” Dahlia said, turning to him. “I’ll go and say hi. Goodluck!”

Irwin nodded back

“Look, there’s everyone!” Scintilla cried.

Irwin looked to the front, near where the branch ended, to see a group of familiar people. His mother, Scintilla’s mainself, all of their children, Bronyn, and Carla. Beyond them, dozens of enormous Chaos Whales bobbed midair, with the enormous Scariander behind them.

As Irwin saw the oldest of the Chaos Whales, he thought back to the ancestral memories he’d had recently.

Even Scariander feels small compared to that one, he thought.

He followed Scintilla, with the rest trailing after him. He saw his mother and Scintilla’s mainself chastise his children, likely for having wanted to run over.

When he finally reached his family, Zan broke free and raced up to him, eyes wide and gleaming.

“I want to help too! Can I sing with the whales, please?”

Irwin grinned as he picked her up and hugged her before putting her on his arm.

“We spoke about this,” he said. “I need to reforge a lot of cards to help many people fill their soullakes.”

He glanced around, his soulforce senses still active and telling him that there had to be over forty thousand people here.

If I didn’t know any better, they are expecting me to fill all of them, he thought.

“It’s good to see you,” he heard his mother say, hugging an awkwardly squirming Greldo.

When she looked around, Irwin knew she was looking for Dahlia, and he stepped forward.

“She is with the cardsmiths,” he said, smiling at his mother.

“Good,” his mother said. “Perhaps she can make it so they don’t overwork that old man.”

Irwin grinned, barely holding back a remark that she was as old as he was. Then again, she didn’t look it. The card he’d gifted her had slowly regenerated her body, and she now looked no more than late thirties. Decades younger than she was, and a vast improvement over how she’d looked even from as young as he could recall. No bags under her eyes, constant stress, or a face that is narrow from hunger.

A crackling lightning caused everyone to jump and look up, only to see Daubutim appear.

Irwin’s eyes widened as he sensed the pulsing power rolling from his friend, while his silver eyes seemed almost like beacons.

“You are very close to filling your soullake,” he said, clasping hands with the de facto leader of their new world. “Also, I thought we said a few people?”

Daubutim’s stoic face barely changed, though Irwin recognized the slight humor hidden behind the surface.

“Most are not here to have their soullakes filled,” the calm noble said. “They are here to watch Master Cardsmith Roddington reforge cards.”

Irwin blinked. “Master Cardsmith Roddington?” he said slowly, trying to recall what he’d missed over the last few months since he was back. He’d mostly been with his family and enjoyed his time, leaving the reforging for teaching moments and his otherself. Still, he had been paying some attention, and this was definitely new. He wasn’t sure what annoyed him more. Being called a Master, or having it be added to his lastname.

“There’s a growing number of people with cards that allow them to see the details of cards and thus find out who made them,” Daubutim said calmly. “Over the last few months, the title has begun spreading across Eluathar. It started in Treanba, then merchants brought it to New Degonda, and I’m sure it is already being whispered about in New Malorin.”

Irwin frowned. “But they already know me as Irwin,” he said, looking down at the chattering crowds that milled across the harbor.

“Yes, but it took a while for them to link the two,” Daubutim said, as a slight grin formed on his face. “You see, the name Irwin isn’t as uncommon as it was anymore. I know of at least six kids called just in Treanba, and I’m sure there’s more across the many towns and hamlets.”

They are calling kids Irwin? he thought, feeling odd. His name had always been somewhat uncommon back on Giard, with it being an older name from long ago. Not unused, just old.

“Just like a few other names have been popping up more and more,” Daubutim said, his grin fading. “Like Daub.”

Irwin snorted, the barked a laugh.

“Yes,” Daubutim said. “It was somewhat odd, walking through Treanba two months and a day ago, when a mother kept calling for Daubt to come home for supper.”

Irwin’s laugh continued, and he shook for a while before calming.

“Fair enough,” he said, before waving at the people on the higher branches behind them. There were hundreds of smiths, and multiple squads of guards. His keen soulforce senses showed him dozens of shadewalkers, though he also noticed they stayed far from Greldo’s location. “And all these?”

“Cardsmiths, we need to have their first soulcard, so they have any chance at making cardseeds,” Daubutim said, raising a finger. “All the guards that are anywhere close to filling their soullakes, so we have more combatants. The most promising rangers, shadewalkers, and shapers. The top of all guilds.”

Irwin looked across the smaller crowd.

“How many?” he asked.

“Seven thousand, three hundred and four,” Daubutim said. “I have a list of their cards, and based on what you explained last time, it would take you reforging either a few cards up to diamond, or a few dozen ruby-rank cards.”

Irwin nodded, rubbing his chin.

“You?” he asked.

“I’m very close and hoping for the final push,” Daubutim said. “It will allow me to slot that card you gave me.”

Irwin nodded.

“Well, let's get started then,” he muttered, staring at the empty, central square.

‘Ready for more cardsmithing?’ he asked, walking forward.

‘From the day I was formed,’ Ambraz said, appearing on his shoulder.

--

Waves of soulforce rippled through the air, invisible to nearly all but a few of the most sensitive cardsmiths.

Cardsmiths like Zan, who was sitting on her mother’s shoulder.

“It’s so amazing,” she said, swaying her legs and causing her heels to tap against her mother’s arm.

“It is,” Silf’am piped from her shoulder.

“Yes,” her mother’s Crathan body agreed. “But we have been watching for hours now. Aren’t you tired?

Zan barely noticed, fully absorbed in the beautiful song, the way the soulforce flowed around them.

I can’t wait till I’m as sensitive as Dad, she thought, hoping she could find cards so she could clearly hear and see the ambient soulforce as he did.

A deep, rumbling hum came from Scariander as he led the other chaos whales into another song. She could sense their joy, the exuberance of finally letting loose for longer than a short while.

Time almost lost its meaning, and she barely saw how many people were leaving. Only when her father finally stepped away from Ambraz, and Silf’am let out a contented sigh, did she snap out of her trance.

“Is it over?” she asked, looking around to find that everyone had left. Only she and heatmom were still there, while on a distant part of the large branch, she saw the remaining cardsmiths begin to leave.

“It is, little flame,” Scintilla said, picking her up and putting her on the ground. “Why don’t you go and say…”

Zan didn’t listen, already sprinting across the square towards where Dad was.

“Dad! That was amazing,” she cried out, jumping up into his outstretched arms.

As she hugged him, she crinkled her nose at his smell.

“Ew. You stink!”

“That I do,” her father said, smiling at her. “Did you enjoy it?”

“Yes,” she said, noticing a weary undertone in her father's voice. “Are you tired?”

“A little,” he said, while Ambraz let out a deep groan that caused Silv’am to giggle.

“Let’s go home, alright?”

“Yes, but tell me what you made! Where are any of the cards for me and the others?” Zan asked, almost bouncing up and down. “I sensed some that had to do with shadows. Are those for Uncle Greldo?”

“You could sense that?”

Zan didn’t hear the surprise in her father's voice, nodding vividly.

“Yes! They were very different!”

“I see. No, I didn’t make any for you or your brothers and sisters. But don’t worry, you will get more cards soon enough. Also… I have a little secret!”

Zan’s head spun around, and she stared at her father, noticing the glitter in his eyes.

“Secret?” she asked breathlessly. “Tell me?”

“Only if you promise not to tell anyone else,” Irwin whispered.

“I won’t,” Zan squealed, nodding so hard her hair flicked into her father's face. “Sorry.”

“It’s fine. The secret is that we have found cards that let us summon Chaos Whales,” he whispered.

Zan stilled, her eyes widening as she felt her world turn upside down.

“I… I…. want one!” she squealed.

“Your first card of your second heartcard will be one.”

Zan swallowed, her mind awash with what that meant. Would it be a baby? Surely it would be! She could hug it, and when it grew up, it could fly her around Eluathar! She could see the northern islands she’d heard stories about! Or explore the distant lands nobody had been to yet! Or better, go into the Portal Gallery and find new branches!”

Eyes wide and gleaming, she was lost in her own world as her father carried her back to the exit portal.

I can’t wait, she thought, wishing she could tell the others.