Irwin's Journey - The Cardsmith

Irwin focused on the chaotic jumble of activity in the courtyard. Ignitzian Blademaidens and other soldiers were running around, some heading to the walls, others slogging away from them. More were heading into the tower, carrying backpacks. Helm was keeping the airship a few hundred feet up as they searched for a spot to land.

"Irwin, can you take Zender and Boohm into your soulscape?" Scintilla asked, drawing everyone's attention.

She looked down at the tower, a deep frown on her face, telling Irwin something was wrong.

"I can," he said, looking down to see what might have spooked her. "Why? What's wrong?"

Scintilla glanced up before focusing on the milling mass of Ignitzians.

"We need to move fast and draw little attention," she said, glancing at Hind, Boohm, and Zender. "No offense, but if you three come, it's going to be even harder to do that."

"She's right," Helm said, before anyone could react. "With Irwin and me here, it's going to be hard enough to find Tiscian without drawing too much attention."

Irwin nodded, looking at his friends and crew.

"Ahh, fine," Boohm rumbled, grabbing Irwin's outstretched hand. "It's not like there's going to be any time for fun stuff anyway."

Irwin had no idea what he meant by that, but a few moments later, he'd drawn everyone in his soulscape. Zender and Hind didn't comment, though the latter had seemed somewhat sad. Ambraz had barely cared, rushing inside to play with Mia and the others.

Irwin flinched as he felt the weight of the other's combined soulforce resonance push on his soulscape. He knew it should be fine for a short while, but he wondered how much stronger his soulforce would be when his heartcard turned into a soulcard. Hopefully, it would make it easier for him to bring his crew for extended periods of time in case of an emergency.

"You are worried we are going to get into trouble?" he asked, turning his attention back on Scintilla.

Scintilla hesitated, and Irwin saw her gaze focus on one side of the courtyard. A single, large airship lay there, its flag showing a pale orange field with two crossed silvery swords. Scintilla's hand lowered to where Leafbrand lay. She'd started keeping the blade out at all times, seeming to take a lot of joy in having it there. It also caused her skin to have a constant metallic gleam.

"That's the ship of the Crossblades Matriarch," she said. "Her family is one of the strongest contenders to deliver the new Bladematriarch now that Mother isn't an option. She and mother… didn't see eye to eye."

Irwin looked at the ship, noticing a few Ignitzian soldiers walking around it, all with two blades on their hips. "Trouble?" he asked.

"Probably," she said.

Irwin took a deep breath before focusing on Helm, who had been waiting quietly.

"Let's see if we can get through the exit portal or to Tiscian without issue," he said.

Helm grimaced, then began their descent.

They weren't stopped or even asked questions as they landed on one of the sides of the walls with a bit of space. Cables had been drilled into it, holding dozens of airships, while two Ignitzians were working a few feet away, creating more anchor points.

An older Ignitzian with more white than fiery red in her hair stood to the side, looking worriedly at a book. As Irwin and the others disembarked, she looked up and rushed toward them.

"Are you from Lavarious?" she asked, focusing on Scintilla.

It took Irwin a moment to remember that Lavarious was one of the other tri-capital cities surrounding the exit-portal tower.

"No, we came from Smelter," Scintilla said, slowing down a little as she headed to the nearest tower entrance.

"Smelter?! Are the Fiz'rin going to send support?" the older soldier asked hopefully while turning to stare at Helm.

"That depends on how our upcoming talks go," Helm said without missing a beat. "Now, if you don't mind…?"

"I… right, of course," the soldier muttered, focusing on her book. "Can I get your names?"

"Dolhelmat," Helm said, jutting a finger at Irwin. "This is my cousin, Armet."

Irwin glanced at Helm, wondering how he'd thought that up so quickly. Scintilla told the women she was called Tilla, and with a nod and a scribble, they were waved to keep going.

Scintilla walked ahead, showing she knew exactly where to go, while Irwin and Helm walked side-by-side behind her.

"Why?" Irwin asked softly, guessing Helm would understand what he meant.

"They never ask names unless they are searching for someone," Helm whispered. "If they are asking now, there is only a small group of people they could be looking for."

I get the feeling it's time we get out of here, Irwin thought as he followed Scintilla, who moved with a stream of soldiers, most looking dead tired.

He recognized their path as heading to the exit portal, but when they reached the main hall, Scintilla followed a few of the soldiers to the left. Irwin didn't bother to ask why as he glanced at a large group of soldiers that blocked the door leading to the exit portal room.

Scintilla followed the soldiers until they reached what looked like storage areas repurposed as dorms.

As more and more soldiers moved into those dorms, they went from walking amidst others to following a few to walking on their own. Still, nobody spoke as Scintilla led them deeper into the building, down large winding staircases, and further away from the busier areas. After ten or so minutes, they were walking through narrow corridors that looked like they had been undisturbed for weeks, with a film of dust covering everything but a central path. By now, they had long since walked further than should be possible in the tower, and Irwin wondered just how large the area below it was and why it looked abandoned.

"Where are we heading?" he whispered, his voice the only sound aside from their footsteps.

"My family has a hidden base below the exit portal," Scintilla whispered without looking back. "Most of the other old families have them too, and they are remnants from the last great war, though they are spread out across these catacombs. They are also somewhat of a secret."

"And you think your mother is here?" Irwin asked as they reached a short, narrow corridor that led to a thick door. Two Igntizian soldiers stood before it, swords drawn, answering part of his question. Atleast someone was here.

Scintilla stopped, causing Irwin and Helm to do the same while the soldiers glared at them.

"Scintilla," one of them said. "The Blademother said you would likely show up. Head inside, and I'll go warn her of your arrival."

Scintilla nodded, and the soldier walked past them, though Irwin and Helm needed to press themselves against the wall for her to fit.

Irwin kept an eye on her, ready to act if needed, but except for a final glare at Scintilla, the soldier disappeared up the path they had just come from.

They really don't like her, Irwin thought, looking at Scintilla, whose only reaction was a frown. Although he'd never agree with her decision, he had forgiven her, and seeing how she was being glared at saddened him.

The other soldier opened the door, revealing a large, high-ceilinged room. Dim red light poured from metal braziers attached to chains dangling from the ceiling, tinting everything in the color of a sunset. At the same time, a soft mutter came from a group of Ignitzians around a table at the back of the room. They seemed engaged in a muted but heated debate. One of them turned around as the door opened, locked eyes with Scintilla, and sighed.

"Bladesister," she said. "Come in."

Irwin saw Scintilla hesitate before clenching her jaw and walking into the room. He and Helm followed her, with the latter closing the door behind them.

"Nisziz, you must be happy about how things worked out," Scintilla said.

The other Ignitzian's eyes narrowed, and Irwin saw her eyes focus on Helm and him for a moment before she answered.

"No. I wanted to beat you in a fair fight, not for you to commit political suicide," Nisziz said, sounding angry. "I always told you that your desires would get the best of you."

Behind her, the other Ignizians had fallen quiet, watching the confrontation unfold.

"No, you didn't," Scintilla snapped as she stopped before Nisziz, shaking her head. "You love seeing others make a fool of themselves."

Nisziz's eyes gleamed, and slowly, a wide grin appeared on her face.

"Well, you do make it overly easy, Scint," she said, holding out her hand.

Scintilla grabbed her hand, and Irwin was surprised when the two hugged. A soft laughter came from the others, and slowly they all came forward, clapping Scintilla on her back and shaking her hand.

"That's not what I thought would happen," Helm muttered.

"Yeah," Irwin agreed, not sure what was going on.

After a few minutes, Scintilla turned back to them, her wide smile gleaming with joy.

"Irwin, these are my Bladesisters. We were in training together and survived our first real combat situations," she said.

"That's us," Nisziz said, stepping up beside Scintilla and examining Irwin before a nasty grin came to her face. "You do remember what we promised each other before we split ways, right?"

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Scintilla's face turned red, and she glared at her. "That was a joke, and you know it!"

"Are you sure? I wouldn't mind sharing him with you for an evening," Nisziz said before her eyes moved to Helm. "Then again, that older one isn't too shabby either."

Irwin blinked, then let out a weary sigh.

Helm, however, stepped forward. "You Blademaidens should be old enough to be done with your overheating phase by now. It doesn't befit you to act like three-sworded graduates!"

Nisziz's eyes widened, and the fake interest changed to one of genuine curiosity. Before she could say something, Scintilla put an arm around her and dragged her toward Irwin.

"Stop it. You are going to embarrass us all," she said, though Irwin could see from her grin that she didn't agree.

"Irwin, this is Nisziz. She and I shared a bunk bed during training, and she is like me, solidified a great deal after the rest of her siblings."

Irwin clasped the outstretched hand, surprised by the soft but powerful grip. A moment later, he was introduced to the other few dozen Ignizians, and he quickly lost track of the litany of names. When they were done, the others returned to the table, and their discussions, albeit softer, remained with Nisziz beside Scintilla.

"You looked troubled when you saw us just now," Nisziz said.

Scintilla looked at her, and Irwin saw a glimmer of sadness before it faded.

"I thought you had heard what had happened, and…"

"What? Held it against you? As if I care what you and the others of the old families do! Stupid ideas on how to do things and how to punish people. Bah," Nisziz snapped, shaking her head. "You never cared much about these things! What happened?"

Scintilla snorted. "I caused my entire family line to lose their eligibility to become matriarch."

“Jups, good on you,” Nisziz said. "Now they can focus on more important things instead of internal politics."

Scintilla shook her head, grinning widely.

"Besides, look what you got in return," Nisziz said, jabbing a finger in Irwin's waist.

Scintilla slapped her hand away. "Mine!"

They glared at each other for a few moments before bursting out in laughter.

"So, why are you here?" Scintilla finally asked.

"Oh, she didn't tell you?"

The door was shoved open, and Tiscian walked in with the young Gi and Bri close behind, the latter of whom closed the door behind them.

"It's a good thing you came earlier than I expected," she said, without greeting. "Sadly, I haven't been able to get the rest of your squad here yet."

"You got them here?" Scintilla asked, looking at her mother in surprise.

"What? Did you think I was going to let you leave on your own?" Tiscian snorted. "The ones here all agreed to go with you, even knowing they might not return. You have good Bladesisters."

Irwin saw Scintilla freeze as she looked around at the group of Ignitzians looking at her with wide grins.

"But…" she began.

"No buts," Nisziz said, poking Scintilla as she had Irwin. "You are going to leave into the storm to find great battles and riches. You wanna leave us behind or something?"

"It's going to be incredibly dangerous," Scintilla muttered, but she didn't sound at all like she cared.

"Enough. You two will need to catch up later," Tiscian said as she turned to Irwin.

"Smith Irwin. The matriarchs have heard of your presence and of your ship and, in all their retarded wisdom, have decided that you are to remain here and your ship is to be taken into custody."

Irwin felt his anger flare up.

"Greldo and the others?"

"No worries. Your crew showed great foresight, as they left as soon as a group of a hundred-plus soldiers headed to their ship…" Tiscian said, shaking her head wryly. "It's almost as if they were warned beforehand."

Irwin stared at her, and a slight warmth towards -what he guessed was- his mother-in-law replaced the growing anger. Though not completely, and part of him wondered if trying to take control was an issue for all those who got into power.

"Thank you," he said.

"You are welcome. Now, I have made it so all the guards at the exit portal will be changed to those loyal to me in the next shift, which means we will be leaving in a few minutes," Tiscian said as she turned to her daughter. "Did you get all your embers?"

"Yes," Scintilla said, her eyes gleaming with pride." Irwin even found another one."

"I- What?" Tiscian asked, looking between Irwin and Scintilla in confusion.

Scintilla quickly explained what had happened, and when she finished, Tiscian was staring at the ground, seemingly lost in thought. When she finally snapped out of it, she looked at Helm.

"Do you think this Tang and the other Fiz'rin would be willing to help me do the same thing again?" she asked. "So we can save whatever more embers are caught like this?"

Helm shrugged. "Perhaps. But shouldn't you be focusing on fixing your current issue?"

Tiscian glanced at Scintilla, then shook her head. "Let's assume that an out-of-grace Blademother might be placed far from the current center of attention soon due to her actions and might be interested in pursuing another path."

"In that case, I'm sure we can work something out," Helm said.

"Mother… if you do this-" Scintilla began, only to be cut off by Tiscian's glare.

"You are the last of my blade-daughters still here, and with any chances of becoming a Matrarich gone, I see little use in remaining here," she said. "There are plenty of others to take our place, and I think it's time for our family to return to a less prominent place."

Irwin saw Trin and Brinni shuffle their feet, looking around anxiously.

Tiscian must have seen his look as she turned to the two young ones.

"Captain Irwin, I wonder if you would be willing to do me a favor," she said. "I have an inkling of where you are heading, and that means you will pass by Yuclan, an out-of-the-way Igniz-controlled world. Could you bring my two granddaughters there? I have maps for you, of course."

"But Blademother," Trin began, her eyes wide with worry.

"No buts," Tiscian said, echoing what Nisziz had told Scintilla only a short while ago.

Irwin quickly listened as she explained to the two little Ignizians that they would be going to their mother, as Igniz would be unsafe for the foreseeable future. Although she didn't say it with as many words, Irwin understood that she expected civil war to ravage the world.

A few minutes later, Tiscian finally put an end to their spluttered disagreement by turning to Irwin.

"Could you bring both of them into your soulscape for a short while?"

Irwin nodded, kneeling beside the two Ignizian girls.

"Do you think you two could see how Mia, Flux, and Glow are doing?" he asked softly.

"Who?" Trin asked, confused.

"Three embers close to becoming stable," he said. "Probably today or tomorrow."

"Yes!" the girls shouted as one, and Irwin quickly pulled them into his soulscape before they could have second thoughts.

As their weight added to the rest, he grimaced.

"Can you hold them long enough?" Tiscian asked.

"Perhaps a few hours," Irwin said honestly.

"Then let us head out," Tiscian said, turning to Scintilla and handing her a small round disc. "Hand this to Biasila, their mother, and your sister.

"I… okay," Scintilla said.

Tiscian shared a long look with Scintilla before turning to Nisziz and the others.

"If any of you have second thoughts, now is the time. Nobody will blame you if you decide to stay behind."

Irwin listened quietly, and he hadn't expected any of the present Ignizians to take the offer seriously, as they had already been here, but to his surprise, three of them stepped forward.

"We… had not realized the seriousness of what would happen here," one of them said, looking at Scintilla. "Sorry, Bladesister, but we can't go with you when we might be needed here."

"It's fine," Scintilla said quickly.

"Any more?" Tiscian asked, seemingly uncaring.

When there was no other reaction, she turned and headed to the door. "Then follow me. I don't expect any resistance, but… be ready for anything."

"You expect us to have to fight?" Irwin asked.

"No, but it's best to always be prepared," Tiscian said.

Irwin shared a look with Helm, who showed no indication of leaving yet, and they followed Tiscian and Scintilla.

Let's hope we get through here without any more issues, Irwin thought.

--

"You think the captain will be back today?" Earilla asked.

"I don't know, but from what Tiscian's messenger said, it shouldn't be much longer," Greldo replied as she stared at the distant portal city.

The large frigate that had tried to intercept them twice had long since given up and returned, leaving them alone as they floated near the edge of the barrier.

The two of them continued chatting softly, mostly about Earilla's continued improvements at fighting with her daggers and pets, when a distant explosion came from the harbor. Light gleamed brightly, followed by another explosion and a thick burst of smoke rippling up in the air.

Greldo leaned forward, then took a deep breath and snorted. He glanced at Earilla, who was looking at him worriedly.

"Wanna make a bet?" he said, grinning.

Earilla's worry slowly faded, replaced by a look of resignation.

"No," she said. "It's the captain?"

"I'd bet my next dessert on it," Greldo said, looking at her hopefully, but Earilla shook her head.

Greldo snorted, focusing on the distant harbor. "Guess you are starting to get to know me."

A few smaller explosions came, and as he and Earilla stared at the distant harbor, Greldo saw a group of specs run from the harbor city across one of the docks. He couldn't be absolutely sure, but he thought he saw Irwin's towering figure among them. Two minutes later, one of the smaller frigates sped away from the docks, dodging the other ships and objects, rapidly descending to escape the structure. A thin shield rippled to life, holding back a barrage of fiery balls.

"Yeah, that looks like Irwin," Greldo said, turning around." Dahlia, we got incoming!"

He heard the constant hammering that sounded from below deck falter, and a moment later, she cursed under her breath. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

"Nim'ron, you ready?" he asked, staring at the prow of the ship where the massive Ganvil was perched.

"Always!"

Greldo walked midship just as Dahlia came from below.

"What is wrong?" she asked.

Greldo pointed at the incoming ship. "Irwin's returning."

"I… if you say so. But why are they under attack?" Dahlia asked.

"No idea, but you remain here and be ready for some trouble. Earilla, get ready to fly out into the storm," Greldo said. "I'm going to check what's going on."

He stepped into the shadows, hearing Dahlia mutter a curse, which he ignored.

I hope he found Scintilla, Greldo thought, shooting across the relatively short distance.

Barely a minute later, he hovered above a deck crowded by a few dozen Ignizians and two Fiz'rin. One was Irwin, an arm wrapped around Scintilla, though it took Greldo a moment to recognize her, and one older-looking Fiz'rin.

Making sure not to appear too close to one of the blade-wielding Ignitzians, Greldo stepped out of the shadows.

"So, you bringing trouble again?"

--

Irwin held back a jolt at the sudden voice, then looked to the side, ignoring the rapidly drawn blades all around him.

"I decided, with how much trouble you always bring, it was my turn now," he said, feeling both relief and joy as he saw his friend. Letting go of Scintilla, he stepped forward, clasping hands with Greldo. His friend grinned back, then looked around, his bushy eyebrows narrowed with worry.

"So, what's going on? Where are Zender and the others?"

"They are in my soulscape, and what is going on is… complicated," Irwin said, looking back at the harbor city where three frigates were floating away from the docks. "I'll explain later, but for now, we need to get everyone aboard The Concerto and attach this thing-"

"The Basalim is not a thing!" the Ignitzian who was behind the helm snapped angrily.

"- get The Basalim roped up so we can tow it along," Ambraz said without missing a beat.

"Wait, everyone here is coming along?" Greldo asked, looking around.

Irwin noticed his friend's eyes roam over some of the Ignitzians, and he held back a barked laugh.

"Like I said, let's get everyone over there first!"

"And with that, you mean me?" Greldo asked, raising an eyebrow.

Irwin grinned, shaking his head. "No, that means the three of us," he said, pushing Scintilla away.

"Oh, I'm going to enjoy hearing the stories then," Greldo said, turning and walking to a lean, orange, fiery-haired Igntizan. "I'm going to bring you to the other ship, alright?"

"I thought you'd never ask," the Igntizan said, stepping forward and putting an arm around Greldo's waist.

Irwin had a hard time holding in his laughter as he saw his friend's stunned look. Then he turned around.

"Everyone, get ready. I'm going to pull ten of you into my soulscape and move you to my ship."