Irwin's Journey 508: [Sidestory: 4] Bonding

"Alright, all of you, quiet down," Klei'am snapped. "I know you are excited to go to the portal that guards the Exit Portal-"

"No, we aren't!"

"You said we'd go somewhere important!"

"I told you, we are never going to find Smiths to bond with."

"We will, but I bet they will be quarts-ranked."

"He doesn't even know the place's name?"

Klei'am ignored the complaints of the small group of Rank Zeros that flew around him like a cloud of angry Rustbees, increasing the volume of his voice. "- but if you don't quiet down, I'll bring you back to Yuur and tell Yuuristis you aren't interested in bonding anymore."

As one of the surrounding Rank Zeros fell quiet, Klei'am felt their annoyance and ignored it as he headed to the teleporter. A trio of rune crafters stood beside her, the main reason someone had even been available to teleport them across a quarter of the world.

"Now, gather around so this nice teleporter can take us to-" he had to think fast, then recalled the name. "-Virbrack's Stand."

The teleporter, a short, wide-shouldered Oxarite who looked more like a bruiser than the teleporter she was, smiled. 

“Ganvil Klei’am. If you are ready?"

Why don't these people understand that Am is already enough of a compliment, Klei'am thought. He didn't bother trying to recall her name, knowing after the quick back and forth to Virbrack, he'd likely never see her again.

"I am," he said, landing on her shoulder and ignoring her raised eyebrow.

"Closer, please," she said, beckoning the flying Rank Zeroes. 

The Rank Zeroes flew closer, their wings making a loud buzzing noise. Most landed on the shoulders and heads of Crathan rune crafters, while two perched on the opposite shoulder from Klei'am. Both were made from soulforce collected in lakes of Ancestral Copperion, their resonances not as clean as his, or any of Ambraz's Rank Zeroes. He had no idea how old they were, because without proper bonding, it was hard for a Ganvil to rank up. Seeing as they weren't from the same pools, it wouldn't surprise him if some of them were a hundred years or older.

I wonder why he didn't send one of his progenies, Klei'am thought, as he pondered about the other reason he was going here.

He absently watched a haze start to form around them. Soon they stood in a sphere of rippling air, the temperature rising rapidly when a crack sounded. The next thing he knew, the world beyond the haze turned black, with the only light coming from the haze itself. 

Klei'am knew from what he'd been told by the Teleporter Guild that it would take a few seconds before they arrived. He also recalled the warning he'd gotten. Curious, he spread his senses around.

I wonder what they meant by odd phenomena, he pondered.

He sensed the primordial chaos around them. From his ancestral memories, he knew that it was a place that surrounded and even suffused everything.

Oh? He thought, sensing movement far beyond their hazy bubble. Focusing on it, he sensed something large, at least the size of a small house, move towards them. As he sensed tentacles and a wave of angry, mindless pressure, his curiosity turned to worry.

Rusting ore veins, he cursed.

Why was there an Oculithar here?

Before he could worry more, the teleport wound down, and the primordial chaos just vanished. His senses jolted as he suddenly felt a mass of people, and the haze began to fade.

Great… so there's Oculithar when she teleports? They didn't tell me that! Klei'am thought, knowing he had to tell Flowrishin about it as soon as he returned. Even if there was nothing they could do about it, Ambraz had warned him to always take note of the tentacles, many-eyed monstrosities.

"Here we are," the teleporter said as the haze faded, showing they had arrived on a rather modest square. The familiar anvil and card symbol of the cardsmiths' guild logo was etched in the door of a nearby building, equally modest. "I think that's the Charterhead."

Klei'am shoved his worries away, flying up from her shoulder and focusing on his surroundings. He sensed about ten to twenty thousand people in the area, some ranging far beyond the walls, while the strongest were a few three-soulcarded. Two of those stood before the charter building, and he recognized one.

"Berjin," he said, flying towards the Charterhead. "It's been a while. How is being a Charterhead agreeing with you?"

He sensed some hilarity from Berjin, while the gathered youths, whom he guessed were the apprentices, seemed curious and excited.

They really project their emotions outward too much, he thought.

"It has its ups and downs," the calm Crathan said. "Now, let's show the rune crafters to the teleportation room, then we can see if any of the Rank Zeroes and our young apprentices have an instant click."

Highly unlikely, Klei'am thought as he let his senses spread across the young group of Crathans and Oxarites. 

Not a single one jumped out to him, with only two seemingly having a decent soulforce sensitivity. It didn't surprise him, as it was a small place. What also didn't surprise him was that there weren't any Viridians. Those still preferred all of their smiths to be trained in the ancient Cardsmiths Guild in Cindergrove.

All that said, he knew the Rank Zeroes would likely be annoyed that there wasn't some grand talent to bind themselves to. Like most rank zeros, they thought they were the best there was, destined to become a world anvil. 

Keeping his thoughts to himself, he just hummed in agreement. "Let's."

Besides, some of the older ones might have mellowed out, he thought, noticing a sense of curiosity from a few of the rank zeros around him.

Berjin led the group into the small charterhouse.

"Alright, all of you, head into the classroom. We will be there soon," the Charterhead said.

The apprentices hesitated, then quickly moved away, whispering excitedly among themselves.

Klei'am hesitated, then sniffed.

"You lot go with them and have a chat. Be nice, and if you think you have found a smith to bond with, wait until I'm back."

The Rank Zeroes showed more interest than he had thought, as they were flying after the apprentices before he could fully finish.

"Am I right when I sense that some of those are older than the others?" Berjin asked softly.

"They are," Klei'am agreed. "Fristyuustis kept many back over the years, only really agreeing to send some out after Ambraz spoke with him."

Speaking his progenitor's name always brought him a sense of pride, knowing that he'd managed to become a progeny after he'd been made. Something Ambraz said wasn't without precedent, but something he couldn't find in any of his ancestral memories.

"Why? Are you finally looking to bond?" he asked slyly, remembering what Flowrishin had asked of him.

"Perhaps after I integrated what the Guildmaster taught me," Berjin said.

Irwin was right! Klei'am thought, as he recalled what Flowrishin had shared about her discussions with Irwin. According to the Guildmaster, Berjin might be able to reach diamond rank and, if he did, might also be able to make a cardseed. All it would require was mastery of the smithing style that best fit him. That meant he was a prime candidate to bond to a Ganvil.

I still don't understand why Fristyuustis didn't just send one of his progeny, Klei'am thought. Even if they weren't as good as those Ambraz made, it would be better than pool-born. 

As he pondered these things, Berjin led the group of rune crafters to an empty room with a raised pedestal. After a short conversation, which Klei'am tuned out, they headed back alone, leaving the others there.

"You should bond a ganvil," Klei'am said. "It will increase how fast you learn your new style."

"It will also be another thing I need to focus on," Berjin said quietly. "Why don't you have one bond with Uvra? She is hovering just below ruby-rank, and with her cards and a bond, I'm sure she can push beyond emerald rank."

"Ugh. You know she's annoying," Klei'am grunted, recalling his few interactions with the emerald-ranked cardsmith over the years. "Besides, she doesn't want the bond. Whatever. Let's go and see how the kiddies are doing."

--

Yagrav stood at the side, trying to ignore the constant chatter all around him. They were in the classroom they used for theory studies, with a few shelves of books on one wall, a large wooden desk on one side, and long sturdy benches on the other. Currently, the apprentices were all scattered around in groups, while the rank ones flew in between them. 

It took so long, but we will finally have the teleportation setup, he thought. 

He couldn't wait to tell his mother, knowing she'd become increasingly worried as the weeks and then months passed. If it wasn't for his rapid success in learning cardforging, she probably would have already tried getting him moved to another charter.

I don't wanna leave here, he thought, not for the first time in the last few months. 

He enjoyed being taught by Uvra, and the occasional private lessons with the Charterhead were amazing. He still dreamt about the emerald-reforge Berjin had shown him. Beyond that, remaining at home would eventually allow him to grow his influence here, even if it took years or decades. 

"Some will want to bind with us, right?" a whisper came from his side, barely audible over the chatter.

Yagrav looked to the side, where Lasada stood, her hands nervously clutching the side of her leather apron. A year younger than him, she was also one of the few Crathans he knew who was short, even compared to his below-average height. She was also the twitchiest person he'd ever met. 

How she is as good as she is in cardsmithing while always being this nervous is beyond me, Yagrav thought, forcing himself to focus on the here and now.

"Probably," he agreed. "We are the only ruby-rank potentials. Still, remember what the Charterhead told us. Potential means nothing if you can't reach it, and Ganvils are very interested in speed. One of the emerald ranks might reach higher if they work harder and find the reforging style that matches them first."

Lasada nodded nervously. Her silver eyes flicked around the room, where the rank zero Ganvils were flying around, sometimes asking rapid questions of those with emerald and topaz potential. So far, none had moved towards them, which made him wonder exactly why.

The answer came as soon as the Charterhead and Klei'am returned.

"Alright, did you behave?" Klei'am shouted, his voice instantly shutting down the racket.

Berjin showed no reaction, his burning lava eyes quietly observing them.   

"Remember what I told you?" Klei'am continued, sounding annoyed.

The rank zeros flew towards him, nestling on the desk, some muttering softly.

"Right," Berjin said. "Before we continue, I am going to explain this one more time. Just to be sure you haven't forgotten."

No, not again, Yagrav thought in dismay. They had been told the same thing a dozen times now, and he could dream the rules.

"Binding to a Ganvil is a lifelong thing," Berjin said. "If you aren't sure, don't accept an offer. After you accept an offer, remember that your bond can move into your soulscape when you eventually get one. That means you will have less privacy. Some also get the ability to talk to you through it, but they can all sense your emotions, as you can theirs."

Yagrav focused on the Ganvils that had sat down on the desk, noticing many of the differences in them now that they finally sat still. Some were a dark gray, almost black, while others were a dark copper color, showing they had been made with the help of Ancestral Copperion. Two were silvery, and a single one was a dull, almost rust-colored red. They were roughly the same size, the differences so small he didn't think it mattered. 

"-So, that means that if two Ganvils both offer to bond with you, it is up to you to decide," Berjin ended. "Do you all understand?"

Yagrav added his voice to the resounding yes that rang through the classroom.

"Good. Klei'am?"

Yagrav focused on the larger ganvil, which he knew was a rank six world anvil. If what he'd learned in the last few weeks was true, he was also the most likely to become a Monarch, but had been holding back. Nobody knew why, though Yagrav wondered if it had to do with the limit it would put on him to ever leave Scour.

"Like the Charterhead just told the kids, you are to go around and chat with everyone here. I know you all feel like you want to head to those two at the back who have the potential to become ruby-ranked smiths, but there are only two of them, and they might not even want to bond with you," Klei'am said.

Yagrav felt the worldanvil's focus on him.

"I take it they left you alone for now?"

He nodded quickly, sensing Lasada do the same.

"Good, at least they listened that much," Klei'am said. "Now, did anyone already find someone to bond with?"

Yagrav didn't expect anything from that, but one of the silvery Ganvils flew up slightly.

"I did," she said, flying towards one of the younger Crathan girls who had an emerald potential. 

Yagrav knew who she was, Maila, the daughter of a merchant family. From what he knew, Louka used to play with her elder sister. She was quiet, hardworking, with a high-pitched laugh that sometimes resonated throughout the class.

"Oh! That was fast," Klei'am said, flying forward. "What about you?"

Maila nodded quickly. "I want to bond with Vel'peri."

How did they even decide this fast, Yagrav thought.

"Well, that's great! The two of you head out and wait in the main hall for now," Klei'am said. "So, the rest of you, go and talk with the apprentices and see if there's someone you want to bond with!"

The rank zero Ganvils shot up, and Yagrav could see them hesitate and vibrate while sensing them focused on him and Lasada. For a moment, he worried they would all rush towards them, then he was surprised to see that most of the Ganvils flew towards the others. Only three headed towards him and Lasada, amongst which were both the red and the other silver ones.

As they floated towards them, the silver one moved towards Lasada, hovering before her.

"I'm Lan'peri," a bright, happy voice called out. "And I think we should bond! I'm sure we will become best friends. I can sense it, our soulforce signatures are already resonating."

Yagrav opened his mouth, then closed it, as he saw Lasada stare at the silver Ganvil, seeming petrified.

"Stop scaring her, Lan'peri," the dark gray one muttered, his voice almost as deep as Klei'am's. "Can't you see she's a quiet one?"

"I see, but what of it? Should I talk to her as if she's some fragile piece of Degnin Iron that will break with the least bit of effort?"

Lasada shook her head quickly. "It's fine, I was just… surprised. That's all."

"See? So, let's go and talk! I'm sure we will be perfect for each other," Lan'peri said, sounding as if the choice had already been made.

"Let her decide for herself, perhaps?" the dark gray one said, turning to Lasada. "I am Ter'dorn, and I sense a resonance between our soulforces. Would you like to talk with me for a bit?"

Lasada was wringing her hands, and Yagrav knew she had no idea what to do. He hesitated, glanced at the red Ganvil, then back at the younger girl.

"Lasada," he said softly, causing her to almost jolt as she looked up. "Why don't you talk with both of them? See if you like either. You don't have to make a choice right away."

"Ughhhh," Lan'peri said, sounding exasperated. "Why does everything have to be this difficult? Her soulforce resonates most with mine, and I know fleshy girls are more drawn to Silverzon-made Ganvils. That's me!"

The other Ganvil, Ter'dorn, let out a soft laugh. "Perhaps if you live for a few more years, you will learn some patience."

Lasada bit her lip, glanced at Yagrav before motioning to the back of the class. "Let's… talk a bit?"

"I like talking," Lan'peri exclaimed, flying away.

"Don't mind her too much. She's a bit flustered," Ter'dorn rumbled, his wide lips quirking in a smile. "It's her first time. Go, talk with her a bit. I'll be there in a few minutes."

Yagrav's eyebrows shot up, while Lasada blinked before quickly following Lan'peri.

"Do you not want to bond with her?" Yagrav asked, highly confused.

"He does, but Ter'dorn was born calmer than all others," a soft but energetic voice answered him.

Yagrav turned to the ruddy Ganvil, who had landed on the desk.

"I'm Bas'car, one of the older ones here," he said, before adding, "Though not as old as Ter'dorn."

Yagrav saw that the Ter'dorn floated away to the ceiling.

"Are you wondering why I'm the only one who came to talk with you?" Bas'car asked.

"Yes," Yagrav said, looking at the other Ganvils, flying around, chatting with the young apprentices.

"Well, there are a few reasons, but like with those two and your friend, there's a strong resonance between our soulforces. Stronger than I ever felt before with anyone," Bas'car said, drawing Yagrav's attention. 

"You have been in a situation like this before? Were you supposed to see if you could find a bond?" Yagrav asked.

"Yes. This is my fourth time, though the first one barely counts," Bas'car said. "It's also why I didn't bother with the others. It has nothing to do with their eventual growth limit. Crathans have a lifespan that, by default, is long enough that I don't have to worry that you will die before I reach my own limit. Had your potential been topaz-ranked, I'd still have sought you out."

Yagrav nodded slowly, wondering if the Ganvil was lying or not. He didn't think so, because after they began bonding, he would be able to find out about it soon enough. From what he knew, it was worse for a Ganvil than the smith if they broke the bond. 

Not that it's really anything to break. I could just leave, he thought. He had heard stories of cardsmiths that did that. 

"You said you are older than the others?" he asked.

"I am. Only Ter'dorn is older, while Vel'peri is fifty, almost as old as I am."

Yagrav blinked, staring at the Ganvil. He was over fifty? He didn't talk like someone that old… then again, he wasn't a Crathan. Perhaps Ganvils aged differently?"

"If you worry about the age gap, don't. Ganvils are all created like what you think of as an adult, and due to our ancestral memories, we already have a lot of knowledge and experience. Between that and having to learn a lot before we can even opt to bond, there's no cardsmith and Ganvil pair that doesn't start with the smith older. Well… Except for with Guildmistress Flowrishin and Klei'am, I guess. But those two don't count."

Yagrav blinked, staring at Klei'am with the sudden realisation that he was the bond to Flowrishin, making him the second most powerful Ganvil he had ever met. After Ambraz, that was.

"Do you think you can become that powerful?" he asked, curious.

"Like Klei'am? Unlikely, but I guess it is possible. Nobody really knows what Flowrishin's base sensitivity was because they never measured it back in those times. With all the cards she has, it's completely possible that her baseline was Ruby, or even Emerald. If your soulforce becomes that strong, it means I'll become that strong. Is that what you want? To get a powerful soulforce presence?"

Yagrav instantly shook his head, thinking about what he really wanted. Most people of his age knew he was more invested in what the Guildmaster had told them than they were, but they had no idea what he really wanted. Should he tell Bas'car? Someone he barely knew?

He hesitated, then shrugged. If he could get a Ganvil bond, that meant he would grow much faster as a cardsmith, and that meant he would sooner accomplish his goals. Besides, if Bas'car had different desires for the future, it was best to figure it out now. 

"No," he said, walking to another corner of the classroom, before sitting down. Bas'car flew after him, landing on the table.

Yagrav thought about how to explain what he wondered, realizing he'd never really talked about it. 

Let's keep my wishes to become influential among the nobles to myself for now, he decided.

"What I want is to be able to spread the things Irwin told me, make people realize how dangerous the world beyond the Exit Portal is, and that the Guidar could show up," he said slowly. "I want to become strong and important enough not to be dismissed, but not for the power itself. I'd also like to increase the defence around the exit portal eventually, but those are long-term goals."

As he said them, Yagrav realized just how odd it must sound to the Ganvil, hearing a barely sixteen-year-old Crathan talk about things like this.

"What about cardsmithing?" Bas'car asked. "Do you only see it as a means to an end? Will you eventually stop wanting to improve?"

Fair questions, Yagrav thought as he leaned back, glad he knew how to answer that.

"I will continue cardsmithing no matter what," he said, honestly. 

It had surprised him that even after only a month, he'd already enjoyed it as much as he had. He knew he wasn't the best natural talent in the world, but even then, he'd learned how to purify metal within a few weeks, something he'd enjoyed already, but when he'd tried his hand at a few card reforges, he'd been sold. 

"I don't know how high I will become, but right now, I don't see myself quitting even if I stop progressing. It's just too much… fun?" he said, not sure the word conveyed what he wanted to say.

Bas'car was quiet for a while before the corner of his lip curled up. "I think you mean intoxicating?"

Yagrav held back a snorted laugh. "I guess that's one way of putting it," he said. "What about you?"

"I want to reach rank six at least," Bas'car said, calmly as if he'd thought about it many times. "After that, I want to see the world Ambraz and Frisyuustis came from. Granvox. I also want to visit the Crathan home world."

Yagrav whistled, imagining what it would be like to go there.

"But I'm more than happy to help you with your goals first, seeing as those shouldn't take that long."

Yagrav almost fell backwards. "Not long? They might take hundreds of years!"

"Like I said, not long," Bas'car replied, his lips curved up in a wide grin now. "I'm fifty now, and I'll probably be able to consciously live for at least another five thousand years even if we only reach rank four. Who cares about a few hundred years on that timescale?"

Five thousand years? Yagrav thought, feeling a tremor run through him. He never really thought about things like that, probably because he had no reason. Still, he knew that with the right soulcards, a Crathan could live for virtually ever. Rurmos had it that some of the first Crathans still lived, and they barely showed any signs of aging. Even without any cards, they could live for hundreds of years.

"Wait, what do you mean, consciously live?" he said, realizing what Bas'car had said.

"Ganvils don't die as fleshies do," Bas'car said. "Our bodies don't really age, but our minds do become unstable. If we don't rank up to six or higher, our minds eventually just stop working."

Bas'car whistled softly, then looked around. Behind him, Lasada was still talking with Ter'dorn and Lan'peri, while other apprentices were talking with Ganvils everywhere. It almost sounded like the time after class, when everyone was just chatting.

"How long will this take?" he suddenly asked.

"Oh, for some it will take days," Bas'car said. "Others have already decided they just don't know it yet. The younger ones are more impulsive, though I guess Vel'peri was even faster, so that barely counts. Don't worry, even if a bond is chosen, it doesn't really mean much until we start to really reforge cards. It doesn't happen a lot, but if a mismatch happens, a Ganvil or smith can still change their mind."

Yagrav nodded, focusing on Bas'car. He felt more comfortable talking to him than he'd expected after having only just met him. 

I wonder…

"What does it mean that our soulforces resonate?" he asked.

"Besides that, we will be able to start our growth from a much higher baseline? For one, our natural personalities match more, and it's easier to bond."

Yagrav turned back to where Lasada was still talking with the two nearly opposite Ganvils.

Bas'car laughed softly. "Your friend has some hidden depths she doesn't show, if she and Lan'peri resonate this much. Either that, or Ter'dorn has something to confess next time I talk with him."

"Is that why I feel so at ease talking with you?" Yagrav asked.

"That, and your experience with Scarlet Steel," Bas'car said with a nod.

"Scarl… what does that have to do with it?" Yagrav asked curiously.

"You noticed I look nothing like the others?" Bas'car asked.

"You are a bit red?"

Bas'car let out another laugh, then flew up and hovered beside a nearby runic light. As he did, the rusty-red sparkled slightly, while barely visible veins of blood-red metal appeared like thin waves on his surface.

"You were made from Scarlet Steel?" Yagrav asked, eyes widening.

"Yes, as one of the few batches," Bas'car said as he landed back. "It makes bonding a bit more difficult, because there aren't that many Crathans or Oxarites that resonate with that. Then, if you have to find a smith among those? I know of a few older generations that are still rank zero, and probably will die that way."

Yagrav wondered why they didn't just bond with someone else. Even if you started at a lower point, you could still reach a good end; it would just take longer. 

"So, how come you have that Scarlet Steel bracelet? It's not exactly a common metal," Bas'car asked.

Yagrav put his hands behind his head and slowly began explaining about his mother. 

--

Klei'am watched as the younglings, both Ganvil and cardsmith, chatted along. It had started as a messy back and forth, but to his surprise, the three older rank-zeroes had managed to assert their will quite effectively. The only youngling hovering around the two Ruby ranks was there because of a high soulforce resonance, while Vel'peri had actually opted for an Emerald rank within minutes. Not unheard of, but uncommon.

"It looks like it's going pretty well," the Charterhead whispered.

"Definitely," Klei'am agreed. "Better than I had expected, even. If I had to guess, I think we will have a near full match this time. It makes me even sadder that I couldn't find one that resonates with you."

"Maybe next time," Berjin said, sounding amused. "What do you think of our two scarlet potentials?"

"The boy is set," Klei'am said immediately. "I think both him and Bas'car are just going through the motions. Their resonance is so strong I can sense it from here. Just talking is already influencing Bas'car, which is… rare to say the least. Do you know if the kid has a card that deals with Scarlet Steel?"

"No, but he does have metal manipulation as one of the stronger parts of his heartcard. It was also made by the Guildmaster himself, so…"

"Yeah, that would help, but I feel there's more," Klei'am said. 

He focused on the boy for a bit longer, then moved to the girl, who was still talking with the two Ganvils.

"The other one…"

"Lasada."

"Right, her. Well, I think she is conflicted. If I'd had to choose, I think she would do best with Ter'dorn, but I know how odd those young Girls get around Silverzeron and Whispersteel Ganvils."

"You think she wouldn't fit with Lan'peri?"

"Oh, she'd fit all right. It's just that you would get two highly neurotic beings in a bond. I've seen that before, and it doesn't always end well."

Klei'am sensed Berjin's focus on him, and he knew what the Crathan was thinking, so he just answered before he could ask.

"No, I can't tell them. It's been tried. Many times. It never ends well if others mess with the choice of a Ganvil bond. Ambraz told me how that worked during a rather bleak period of our species, and trust me, it's not a good idea."

Berjin just hummed softly, giving no response but also not asking anything.

"You wanted to talk about buildings?"

Klei'am felt a surge of interest, and he turned to the Charterhead.

"Yes! How many buildings around the central tower are for sale, or do you think I could buy some?"