Irwin's Journey - The Cardsmith

Greldo closed the door as fast but quietly as he could before leaning with his back against the wall, trying to regulate his breathing. A trickle of blood ran down his cheek, but he barely noticed as he gazed at the closed door of the small storage room he was in. The stuffy smell around him overwhelmed his sensitive nose, and he felt another worried prod from Coal.

I'm fine, he replied. Stay with Irwin unless I call you.

There was a sense of annoyance from Coal, then it faded as the hound continued with whatever Irwin was having it do.

His sensitive ears picked up the sound of feet, and he held his breath. A group was running through the hallway a distance from the narrow one in the room he was in. They slowed at the tiny intersection he'd encountered.

"Where did that bastard go?" a growling voice whispered.

You're the bloody bastard, Greldo thought as he ground his teeth.

"I don't know. He isn't in the shadows anymore, so I can't pinpoint him," an oily voice replied.

Ugh, so that's how it works, Greldo thought as he shivered. He'd not been sure and had almost gone into the shadows again, but now he was glad he hadn't.

"Either he will do it again to try and flee, or he's hiding here," a familiar, calm, and authoritative voice said. "Also, don't bother whispering. He can probably hear you."

Indoubtor, you piece of Charbull shit, Greldo thought as he recalled the noble from their time in Fiverion. He'd always thought that Indoubtor had been just following along because he had no other choice, but now he was sure.

"Greldo, if you can hear me, I suggest you calmly surrender," Indoubtor said. "No matter if you managed to get a heartcard, you won't be able to get out of here. If you come now, I promise I won't harm you, Lamia, or any of the others."

Sure you won't, Greldo thought.

A burst of fury almost made him shout obscenities as he recalled Lamia and Gawarn locked in the cages with a metal band around their wrist. Card-nullifiers. He'd only seen the horrid things when they were on Scour, used by those Imps that kept capturing smiths.

He kept his teeth clenched and said nothing. Time ticked by, and finally, there was an annoyed snort from Indoubtor.

"Perhaps he's not here anymore, my lord?" the first gruff voice asked.

"Perhaps," Indboutor said. "You?! How did you even lose track of him?"

"He must have found out what I was doing and snuck away without using his shadow ability," the oily voice said. "Don't lay the blame of this on me. I warned you it would be better if-"

"Silence. He might be listening," Indoubtor snapped. The voices began fading as they walked away, and the final thing Greldo heard was a soft whisper. "He is either here or will use his card. Find him and capture him. Don't let him return to Irwin."

Greldo frowned as he quickly thought about what he'd just heard. He hadn't run away but done a short-range teleport, barely a hundred feet, but enough to get him away. So, Slimy Voice couldn't detect him if he did that?

They are heading back, but it will take them five minutes, he thought as he slowly grinned.

Closing his eyes, he pictured the room he'd just fled from, the cells with Lamia and Gawarn, the single window that had been closed as he entered. As the image became clear in his mind, he filled in the shadows, and immediately, his shadow teleport skill took over. Releasing his own control over the mental image, he watched as the shadows in the otherwise vague room became clear as he recalled them.

That one, he thought as he saw a shadow beside the two cages. It wasn't connected to the others, and he'd not have been able to move into it with his regular skill, but his teleport was less strict. As long as there was a shadow large enough for him to fit, he could teleport from it.

One look at his card showed it was over half full, meaning that he could take both of the others and teleport there and back here without going unconscious. He'd need to rest after that, but that should be fine. From what he'd seen, these hallways hadn't been used in a while.

Let's see if you can still laugh in a moment, Indoubtor, he thought.

Triggering his skill without going into the shadow realm wasn't smooth, but he ignored the jarring sensation as he was yanked through space. A split second later, he appeared in the room he'd just fled from, empty save for Lamia and Gawarn. As he appeared, they looked up, their angry looks turning to one of surprise.

Greldo raised his finger to his lips and then looked around. The room was empty, and the window closed. A chain with manacle-like bracelets hung from one nook in the wall, and he recognized a dozen card-nullifiers. Soft walking came from far beyond the door, and he made a snap decision, rushing through the room, snatching the chain before running back to the cages.

Lamia was looking at him with burning hope, and he quickly stuck his hands through the bars of both cages. Gawarn and Lamia grabbed them, and he closed his eyes, focusing on the image of the small room he'd just been in. The image came much faster, and with the entire room being a shadow, his card cleared it up in a split second.

This is going to hurt, he thought as he triggered his teleport.

There was another jarring sensation as they were yanked through the shadows, and although it only lasted a fraction of a second, Greldo felt his card drain in a single woosh. As the sounds returned and he smelled the dankness of the unused storage room, he barely stopped from crashing into the ground.

Lamia and Gawarn were stuffed against the side of the room, the three of them barely fitting.

The two smiths were looking around in confusion, and Greldo wondered if he should be surprised that both seemed able to see anything in the darkness of the room.

"Where-" Gawarn whispered, stopping as Greldo looked up with a snap, glaring at him and shaking his head.

They stood together, their combined body heat rapidly warming the previously cool room, when an angry roar came from far away.

"Find them!"

Greldo closed his eyes, the throbbing headache from overusing his card, a price he didn't mind paying. It would have been even better if he could have seen Indoubtor's face.

As he sighed, he felt a hand on his face, and he looked up to see Lamia look at him with a frown. Her eyes were still as brown as ever, showing she hadn't managed to get a heartcard yet, but there was a darkness hidden in them that Greldo knew very well.

She pointed at the bracelet on her wrist and then at the chain he was holding.

Greldo looked at it and noticed a thumb-sized instrument at the top. He took it from the chain and held it out for Lamia to take. She pressed it against the bracelet and moved it around. There was a soft click, and the bracelet snapped open, falling on Gawarn's wide palm. A moment later, his bracelet was removed too, and Greldo hung them on the chain while replacing the removal stick, or whatever it was called.

Lamia pointed at her ear and beckoned him closer.

Greldo shook his head. Finger on his lips again. As soft as she would talk, there was always some chance that some carded had better ears than him.

A flicker of annoyance ran across Lamia's face, then she closed her eyes and placed her hand on his face again.

What are you doing? Greldo thought. He was about to push it away when he felt something gently trickle into his body, flowing through him and into his card. Instantly, his headache lessened, and moments later, it was gone.

She can heal card-exhaustion? he thought, his eyebrows rising. Gawarn was nodding, a knowing grin on his face.

The flow lasted for a long time, and when it stopped, his card was over a third full again.

Lamia's eyes opened, and she looked worn and haggard. Greldo watched her lean against Gawarn, who gently wrapped an arm around her, smiling at her.

Greldo looked at her, wishing she could have given him more energy. This wouldn't be enough for him to teleport the three of them any significant distance. The best he could do was teleport himself back to the portal.

Great, now I have some energy, but nothing to do with it, he thought as he looked around.

He saw Gawarn look at him expectantly, and he shook his head, raising his arms in annoyance.

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'Not enough', he mouthed.

Realization appeared on Gawarn's face, and his shoulders sagged.

They remained in the room, quiet as the temperature rose, and Greldo tried to come up with a plan.

There's only one thing I can do, he finally decided. I need to warn Irwin that Indoubtor is trying to lure us into a trap.

That meant he would have to leave Lamia and Gawarn here. Not that that was a bad thing, because if he teleported away and and fled through the shadows, he could give them the idea he was not here anywhere, and they might not search for them. That just meant he now had to tell Gawarn and Lamia what he was planning.

He looked around, searching for something, when he noticed the thick layer of dust on the shelves behind them. Some had been pushed away, but there was enough. Turning to it, he beckoned Gawarn, and the massive smith repositioned himself till he could see the shelves. Lamia was still leaning against him, and with how he held her, she seemed to be either sleeping or unconscious.

'I'll teleport outside the tower and draw their attention so they don't search,' Greldo quickly scribbled in the dust. Gwararn stared at it, then nodded slowly. 'I'll get help. The other's are here,' Greldo added.

Gawarn nodded again, then waved him away.

Greldo took one final look at Lamia before readying himself. Let's hope there's something we can do besides just forcing ourselves in here, he thought, clutching the chain and focusing on the image of the wall beyond the tower.

It took him a few moments, but when he was ready, he opened his eyes, waved at them, hoping they would remain quiet, and triggered his teleport.

The motion was smoother than even the previous one, and he appeared midair beyond the wall. His stomach purged as he fell, and he stepped into the shadow, immediately flying forward. He went slower than he could, waiting for that slimy-voiced one to notice him. Over a hundred feet from the wall, he was starting to worry. Perhaps he had to go back? Maybe nobody was watching?

Looking across his shoulder, he saw a large nyzir-like streak chase him through the shadows from the wall.

That's the bigger Nyzir, he thought, as his eyes widened and he connected the dots. Is he working together with the Nyzir? That must have been how Indoubtor knew he was coming. The large Nyzir had been following him!

He felt his anger flare up higher as he turned and focused on the distant camps, increasing his speed slightly.

You just come and follow me, he thought. I want to have a word with you!

--

Irwin took a glance at the tower, wondering what Greldo was up to. Seeing the heat-signatures on the wall, he frowned.

"I wonder why nobody has come to check what we are doing," he muttered as he looked at the long line of people slowly trudging towards the first camp.

This was the fourth camp that had started heading towards the first camp, and with no more sign of Tardels anywhere, he was going to head to the other camps to tell them to start moving.

Coal appeared out of the shadows before him, and he raised his eyebrows at it. The massive hound merely shook its head.

So, no more Tardels anywhere nearby, Irwin thought.

"Alright, head back to the first group and make sure they see you so they think you are still around," Irwin said.

Coal nodded, then vanished in the shadows.

"Perhaps I should get a summon card with my next handcards," Irwin said.

"Sure, and a teleport card, and a movement card, and one to increase your soullake size, and one to improve the energy efficiency, and what else?" Ambraz said with a snort.

"Okay, okay," Irwin said. "It's just… there's a lot of things I could use!'

"You can't have it all. Hasn't that become obvious yet? Your first heartcard determines the direction you will have to go from now on. Trust me, if you create soulcards that aren't compatible, you're going to be in for a rough time!"

Irwin sighed. "I know, but it's still too bad. Still, I really need to start thinking about my next set of handcards."

"Damn right you should," Ambraz said." I'd start with learning everything you can about what your current card does. Your flame and heat have way more overlap than I had initially thought, and without your metal body, you would have ripped yourself apart on numerous occasions."

"Perhaps something that focuses on the Sweltering part?" Irwin thought out loud as he began heading toward the next camp.

Greldo appeared twenty feet ahead of him, going from an odd floating movement to a sprint. As he did, he dropped something long and metallic on the ground.

What is-?

"I've brought some company! Don't let it get away!" Greldo shouted before he could even finish his thought.

"Where is it?" Irwin shouted, but Greldo had vanished again, and he cursed. "Add a card to let me detect things I can't see or hear to that list," he shouted.

Steam!

"Steam!" Ambraz shouted at the same time.

Irwin didn't respond as he triggered his Sweltering ability and began spreading steam all around.

It didn't have time to expand when a familiar, shadowy shape appeared midair, slamming into the ground while Greldo rushed after it.

Slaughter Demon, Irwin thought as he felt the hairs on his arms stand upright. He'd not seen the thing since they fled to Fiverion!

"Grab it!" Greldo shouted.

Irwin jumped forward, his steam rippling outward, only for the Slaughter Demon to vanish, followed by Greldo. A moment later, Irwin sensed something appear in his steam a dozen feet away, but as he turned, he only saw two figures in a flash before they vanished.

How did this survive up till now? he thought as he poured more energy into his Sweltering skill, pushing it out while creating more boiling hot water drops.

Within the span of a few moments, he felt the two fighting shadows appear and disappear in half a dozen spots within his clouds, making him spin around, trying to keep up.

"Get ready," Greldo suddenly roared as he appeared slightly longer.

For what? Irwin thought.

He detected another movement six paces to the left, and as he turned, he saw Greldo, arms wrapped around the Slaughter Demon, rolling across the ground. Irwin jumped forward, using every bit of Kinetic energy to propel himself forward. Arms stretched out, he grabbed the figure's arm and shoulder and immediately clamped his fingers tight, squeezing the thin leather and flesh between his fingers.

There was a soft scream, which he ignored as he struck the pale head with the completely black eyes. It snapped back with a crack.

Finally!

"Don't kill it!' Greldo shouted just as Irwin raised his hand to finish the Slaughter Demon.

"What? Why? It's a Slaughter Demon!" Irwin shouted.

Still, he held back and clamped his hand around the pale head, ready to squish it if it tried anything.

Greldo took a few steps back, breathing heavily, and Irwin saw a long, thin wound across his cheek, down towards his jaw.

"It's a Slaughter Demon?" Greldo exclaimed in between his breath. "Never mind! It's working with Indoubtor, and they almost captured me! They have Lamia and Gawarn!"

"Gawarn? Irwin asked in surprise as he rose, pulling the Slaughter Demon up with him. It had snapped out of its daze and was clutching his wrist, its dark eyes glaring death at him.

He had expected Lamia, but why was Gawarn here?

"Tell me what happened," he said.

“Later,” Greldo said. "Can you grab it around the neck so it can talk? We need to- Wait! I wonder…"

Irwin blinked at Greldo's quick change, and he was surprised when Greldo looked around before vanishing and reappearing a short distance away. His friend bent down to pick up the thing he'd dropped. As he got a clear sight, Irwin noticed familiar bracelets, ones he'd not seen since the Imps attacked on Scour.

Greldo shadow jumped back to them, looking at the Slaughter Demon as he removed a bracelet.

"I wonder if this works on him as well as it does on us," he said as he grabbed one of the Slaughter Demon's arms and, in a single fluid motion, snapped the bracelet around it.

There was a strangled gasp, and then the dark, shadowy cloak that had been billowing around vanished, and the Slaughter Demon almost seemed to become more solid. Below dark, heavily damaged leather armor, it had a sleek body with long limbs.

"So, I guess that answers that," Greldo said. "Better keep a hold of him, though. He might just be trying to trick us."

Irwin nodded as he grabbed the Slaughter Demon around its throat before letting go with his other hand.

The Slaughter Demon's lips were curved down as it glared at him.

"What do you want?" it asked in an oily, smooth voice that made Irwin think of slippery fish.

"What were you doing with Indoubtor?" Greldo asked.

"What you suspected," the Slaughter Demon hissed. "He wanted my help to waylay you, and in return, he would allow me safe passage through the exit portal."

"The one that leads to Fiverion?" Irwin said before snorting. "What good would that do? You'd just be trapped by the guards."

The Slaughter Demon let out a derisive snort, which clearly mimicked Irwin's. "They wouldn't have even known I was there," it said sarcastically.

Irwin was about to say it was wrong when he recalled how Uxin'tar had managed to get past the guards easily.

But he had a soulcard, he thought. This Slaughter Demon couldn't have a soulskill of that power, could it?

"Now, tell me what you want of me to let me go," the Slaughter Demon said, sounding almost bored.

Greldo leaned forward, grinning dangerously. "What makes you think we will let you go?"

"You want information, and I'm the only one who can give it," the Slaughter Demon said. "Also, the only reason I'm helping Indoubtor in the first place is to get out of this world. If you kill him and let me leave, I'll be fine with it."

Irwin frowned as he gazed at the Slaughter Demon.

"Are you the same Slaughter Demon that came from that desert temple?" he asked.

The Slaughter Demon's eyes narrowed, and he hissed. "Slaughter Demon? Bah! I'd almost be impressed with that name if it didn't make me look like the evil one here," it said before laughing. "You soulstealers are all the same."

"Then what are you?"

"Nyzir," the Slaughter Demon hissed. "But don't you dare compare me with those degenerate weaklings that are tarnishing the holy shadow with their vile presence!"

Irwin shared a surprised look with Greldo. "You aren't addled, but you were on a shardworld for a long time," he said. "How is that possible?"

The Slaughter Demon, or Nyzir, shook its head. "I was close to being gone," it said. "If you hadn't led me to this world, my mind would have been lost in the mists of time."

"So you got better?" Irwin asked incredulously, as he recalled the insanity the Slaughter Demon had shown previously.

"The Holy Shadow heals its children," the Slaughter Demon said, raising its chin before looking at Greldo. "Even those that stole their way into its embrace!"

Does it actually think the shadows are a conscious entity? Irwin thought.

"Yes, so this is nice and all," Greldo snapped. "But we need to know what Indoubtor is up to!"

"And I'll gladly tell you… If you promise to let me leave this world," the Slaughter Demon said calmly.

Irwin shared a quick look with Greldo and shrugged.

"We will leave this world, so I don't care what you do. Tell us what you know, and we will let you leave through the exit portal," he said, pointing at the tower that stood where the ruins of Estordon had once been.

The Slaughter Demon's eyes narrowed, and Irwin had the feeling it would have cocked its head if it could.

"Very well," it said. "Just so you know, I'll keep the most crucial bit of information to myself until you actually let me go. Wouldn't want you to go back on your word, now would we?"

Irwin frowned but said nothing.

"Indoubtor seems rather afraid of someone that looks a lot like you," the Slaughter Demon said. "Big, metallic, and wielding hammers and fire. He's got a few interesting tricks ready to deal with you when you show up, though from what I have seen, he gravely underestimates your strength. If he hadn't been, I might not have even entertained switching sides."

The way the slimy voice spoke almost made Irwin gag, but he just clenched his teeth and waited. So far, nothing he'd heard surprised him. It just saddened him. A tiny part of him had hoped Indoubtor could be made to see reason.

"Useless so far," Greldo snapped. "Let's hope you actually have something else."

The Slaughter Demon seemed uncaring about Greldo's implied threats and hummed softly.

"Lord Indoubtor has made a deal with an odd little man called Tomeron to capture a certain Emerald Rank Smith."