Irwin lay on his back, breathing raggedly.

"Has anyone ever told you, you have cinderblock-sized balls, hot stuff?"

He didn't bother to reply, nor was he surprised someone had entered his room. Instead, he tried to focus on pushing away the painful memories, knowing he had to go through the next step. Would he even be able to? He knew he had lost control at least once. Was his card even at a hundred percent? A tiny part of him almost hoped it wasn't, so he could use that as an excuse to skip the next step for a while longer.

"I've heard about some archaic warrior tribes that reforge their cards like this, saying the pain tempers them. Is that it?"

Irwin shoved himself into an upright position, deciding getting up and talking might help him forget the pain sooner.

The door to his room was closed, and Scintilla and Balarn were sitting at the table, staring at him. A large jug of water stood in the center of the table, and the mere sight of it made Irwin thirsty.

He walked to the table, his gaze locked on the jug. Somehow, he felt like he should be stumbling, barely able to stand, but like the previous times, his body functioned as it should. He didn't bother speaking until he finished the entire jug, not bothering with the cup that had been standing beside it. Only then did he sit down, feeling marginally better?

"You could have warned us," Balarn said, looking at him worriedly.

Irwin noticed that the other smith's gaze kept moving toward his hand. Looking down at it, he saw the only card on his right hand was slightly clearer than it had been before. Should he summon it?

"Well, at least those two wannabe smiths got scared off," Scintilla said.

Irwin took a deep breath, then looked at the other two, wondering when they had even come in. Seeing their questioning eyes, he shrugged.

"I have to do another one," he said, his voice slightly hoarse.

Balarn's mouth fell open while Scintilla merely blinked and nodded.

"Sure, why torture yourself only once when you can do it twice?"

Balarn's reaction was completely different. He leaned forward, his eyes suddenly gleaming with excitement.

"That means you are reforging it to Emerald?" he asked.

An annoyed sniff came, and a moment later, Ambraz flitted to the table. "Not on his own, he won't! Kid, I might have gotten a bit carried away… We need more practice together before we try the next rank. That, or you need to find a way to work through the pain better."

Irwin stifled a sigh of relief.

"You could try to find an Isirow," Scintilla said, causing Irwin to look up at her in surprise.

"A what?"

"They are these legendary people who have the ability to feed on the pain of others," she said. "From what I remember from the stories, they take your pain, making it more bearable."

"Those are nothing more than fairy tales," Ambraz snorted.

"Maybe," Scintilla said with a wide grin, showing she didn't agree. "So! Now you are done playing with yourself. Are we going to head out?"

"Yeah," Irwin said before looking around as he suddenly realized something. "Where's Greldo?"

"He went out to get some supplies and should be back soon," Balarn said as he rose from his stool. "I suggest you set out just before morning and travel during the day. All three of you should be fine in the heat, and it will greatly reduce the chances of coming across someone of Haudur's charter."

He walked out, followed by Scintilla, who turned just before closing the door. "I'll look around to see if there is any teleporter going in the direction we have to go. There aren't many, and it might be pricey, but it would save us weeks of traveling." Her gaze ran across him before she grinned and left, leaving Irwin wondering if he should worry about his chastity.

Not that I'd mind.

He blinked in surprise, feeling his face heat up. Where had that thought come from?

"Let's check out the hammer," he said, deciding to see what Eyes of Blaze could tell him before looking at the hammer itself.

Pulling up the card to have it hover before him was effortless. A wicked-looking hammer appeared, the image clearer than most Topaz cards he'd seen.

"Only ninety-eight percent," Ambraz snorted. "Well, I guess you will have to use it for a while before we can try again."

Irwin felt a wave of joy at that when something else occurred to him.

"Did my first card reach a hundred percent before I combined my hands?"

"Definitely," Ambraz said. "And now that it's bound to the others, their percentages are slowly rising too."

"What? But didn't you say I couldn't change the cards after they were combined into a full hand?"

"You aren't changing them," Ambraz said, sounding annoyed. "They are doing it on their own."

Irwin nodded before focusing on his card.

Card: Firesteel Hammer of Intent

Type: Topaz, Growth, Reforged by Irwin Roddington

Owner: Irwin Roddington

A multipurpose card that allows the wielder to summon a hammer made of firesteel. The hammer has multiple forms, all able to withstand great amounts of heat and punishment. Depending on the wielder's intent, the hammer that appears can be as small as a smith's forming hammer or as large as a battle hammer.

Passive: Increases the wielder's speed and ability to strike

Active: Summon a firesteel hammer. It lasts until dismissed or destroyed.

"Intent?" Irwin muttered with a frown.

"Just picture what you need in your mind as you summon the hammer," Ambraz said.

Irwin frowned, trying to recall the different types of hammers he'd seen in Tensor's smithy. The image of a massive war maul popped up. Raising his hand, he summoned his hammer, and instantly he felt an enormous weight pull his hand down. It took all his strength to keep it from thudding onto the ground. A long-handled, nearly head-sized maul lay in his hand, obviously meant to be wielded with two hands. It wasn't as large as the one he'd pictured, but it was far, far heavier.

Getting to his feet, he raised the hammer with two hands.

"It's as heavy as a cart of metal ore," he gasped, barely able to raise it before him.

"Kid… you really need to read that book on metal again," Ambraz said. "Firesteel is really dense."

He added something, which Irwin pointedly ignored. Looking at the hammer a bit longer, he dismissed it. Recalling a smaller Warhammer, he pictured that and resummoned the hammer again. This time an arm-length haft of ruddy metal with a head as large as two fists and adorned with spikes appeared. Although it was still somewhat heavy, he took a few experimental swings and grinned.

He continued playing with his card for the better part of an hour, quickly finding the limits. Anything smaller than his fist was out of the question, and the first mallet he had made seemed the upper end of the size.

In the end, he practiced with summoning a few different ones until he was pretty sure he could make the exact one even in moments of stress.

"I wonder what will happen if we reforge it higher," he muttered as he gazed at the smooth-surfaced, sharp-edged Warhammer he was wielding. He'd even been able to add some elaborate patterns to it.

"Well… there are a few paths we can take," Ambraz said. "As with most metal-type cards, we can change the metal for a superior one. We could also increase the size it could become, but I guess for that, you'd need to become stronger first."

Imagining creating a hammer ten times as large and hiding behind it if he had to, Irwin grinned.

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"There's a small chance we can get it to the path where you can reshape it while holding it, but that one is troublesome."

They continued discussing the hammer card for a while longer, and when he finally headed down, Irwin decided he was very happy with his new card.

Half a dozen people were sitting in the main room while the sound of hammering came from outside.

"Finally stopped playing with your new card?" Greldo asked, leaning back in his chair. Unlike before, he was wearing a leather jerkin with a pale white shirt below it and showed no sign of being bothered by the heat.

Irwin grinned, and for a moment, he thought about summoning the largest maul and putting it in his friend's hand. Then he saw Scintilla's annoyed look and sat down.

"So. No teleporter?" he asked.

"That's not it," she said with a sigh. "I found one, but she requires us to help her with something in exchange for taking us along. Also, she's really annoying."

"Help doing what?" Irwin asked.

"Guard her as she examines some weird buried mountain," Scintilla said, shaking her head. "It's not really dangerous, but anything that deep in the Bloodstained Desert might still attract some unwanted attention."

"Bloodstained Desert?" Irwin asked, cocking his head.

"It's beyond Sparkle Sands, which is the one you traveled through, and pretty far from any large grove. There are a few smaller settlements, and our mission is near one of those on the edge of the Bloodstained Desert. We have to clear out some demonic beasts and guard it for a while."

"Lovely name," Greldo muttered.

"You will know why it has it when you see it," Scintilla said with a wide grin before turning to Irwin. "I bought a lot of supplies, including this." She took out a small pouch, sliding it across the table.

Irwin had been about to ask if there was any chance that the one teleporting them had any dealings with Relinda, but instead, he caught the pouch in surprise. Inside, he found a tiny blue crystal with silvery lines. A thin film of fluid covered it while the inside of the pouch was wet.

"What's this?"

"Something that you need to pay me back for," Scintilla said. "Either in soulshards or some other way."

Irwin blinked at her gleaming eyes and quickly focused back on the crystal.

"And what is it?"

"A tiny bit of Frostiron-infused crystal," Scintilla said. "If you place it in your mouth, it will produce a small amount of water. This one should last you for a few weeks to a month before being drained."

Irwin looked at the crystal, then back at Scintilla, gratitude bubbling up at how she had thought about his water issue without him having to tell her.

"Thanks a lot," he said, smiling. "How many soulshards was it?"

Scintilla blinked, then leaned back, arms behind her head as she looked at the roof, suddenly seeming unable to meet his gaze.

"Forty-seven," she said, the corners of her mouth upturned.

For a moment, Irwin wondered if she was pulling his leg and if the way she was acting was because of that. Then he saw Balarn nod at him, and he guessed the price was about right.

"But don't worry- you can pay me back later," she said hastily, pushing herself up and walking to the door. "I'll get the rest of my things packed and settled! We need to leave when the sun rises."

Watching her almost run out of the room, Irwin shook his head in wonder.

Balarn leaned forward, beckoning him, and with a frown, Irwin leaned closer.

"Ignitzions are always on the lookout for someone to mingle their heat with," Balarn whispered so softly Irwin could barely hear him. "Until you repay her, taking that crystal is like accepting a gift in her culture. She's probably hoping you will pay her back in another way."

Irwin could see from the way Balarn grinned that mingling of heat was a euphemism, and he swallowed as his face turned red. Greldo laughed from the other side of the table.

"Soooooo," he said.

"It thought you knew, but there's only one type of Ignitzion," Balarn whispered, his eyes sparkling. "They look like women to us, but technically they aren't, although, for all intents and purposes, it's the same. They… procreate in a very interesting way with anything that has sufficient heat."

Irwin felt his mouth go dry. "I'm not sure…"

Balarn burst out laughing. "Ah, it would have been more fun if Yogog had been here," he said as he pushed himself up. "Get your stuff together. I've got to pick something up, and I'll meet you here."

Irwin glared at his retreating form, then turned to Greldo. "Was that some bad joke, or?"

Greldo shrugged as he got up. "No idea, but if it was, it was hilarious. Now let's get our stuff!"

A short while later, all of them except for Balarn were back in the room.

"We will meet her near the top level," Scintilla said. She was carrying a large backpack with an odd clasp on the front and a curved longsword dangled in a rather loose scabbard on her hip.

Irwin nodded, readjusting the strips so they sat better. Greldo had a massive pack beside him, which Irwin knew would fit on Coal.

Between them, they had enough food and water for a few weeks, with water making up the bulk of what they carried.

"Irwin," Balarn said as he walked inside, carrying something. "Greldo told me that you are used to fighting with something called a Grappling Gauntlet. They are similar to something we have on Fiverion. Can you see if this fits?"

Irwin accepted the black leather gauntlet with dark red, nearly brown metal bands and strips. It was meant to go on his left hand, and as he put it on and adjusted the bands, he immediately noticed the difference from those he had used before. This one was lighter but still felt far more sturdy. The hooks on the inside looked menacing, and he knew if he used it to grab something, he'd either flay them alive or dig into their skin to get a good hold.

"Thank you," he said, squeezing his hand.

"Don't worry about it. Just want to make sure you come back safely," Balarn said. "Now, good luck, and make sure you stay gone for a few weeks. With some luck, Yogog is back by then, and he can deal with Relinda. If not, I'll try and find a way to get her off our back."

"Still hard to believe that there's someone that would cause Irwin trouble just because he is a better smith," Greldo said.

"Lady Relinda is a very problematic person," Balarn said. "She has somehow gotten the idea that she will be the next Diamond rank smith and that anyone doing better than her just means they are cheating her. She acts accordingly…"

Greldo sniffed. "Well, perhaps we should just-" he made a gesture as if slitting someone's throat.

Scintilla laughed. "Only if she follows us outside, but I'm pretty sure she won't. Worst case is, she sends some bounty hunters or mercenaries after us, but I don't think she will. Too expensive."

"Don't even joke about this," Balarn said as he shook his head. "Lord Urdwellan has a very low tolerance for smiths killing each other, which is why Relinda hasn't taken any action."

He grimaced.

"Yet, that is. However, Scintilla is right. There is a tiny chance that she might send bounty hunters after you. If it wasn't for my fear that she might find a way to take her spite out on you, it would be safer to stay here."

"Based on all that, wouldn't it be safer here?" Irwin asked, leaning back in surprise.

Balarn shook his head. "With smiths disappearing, she is more than capable of making you disappear and blaming it on some unknown agency."

"What about you and the others? Won't she try and take it out on you?" Irwin asked.

"She might, which is why the others are heading out tomorrow evening," Balarn said. "I'll remain here to make sure nothing weird happens and work on some more missions for the upcoming auctions."

"Without a guard?" Greldo asked.

"A friend of mine is coming to help me with that part," Balarn said. "She will be here before the others leave. Now, enough stalling! It's about time you three set out!"

Irwin grinned, clasping hands with the smith and thanking him again before heading out.

It was quiet outside, and as they stepped into the early light of the sun, Irwin sighed. It had been a while since he'd seen actual sunlight, and as he saw thin distant rays pierce the thick canopy, he realized he'd missed it.

"I'll stay inside," Balarn said from the door opening. "It's way too hot."

Waving in greeting, the three set out, Irwin and Scintilla in front and Greldo behind them with Coal. He'd taken out the hound as soon as they were outside, and Irwin had been surprised to see it had grown slightly. If that was due to normal growth or Greldo's new card, he didn't know.

"So, who is teleporting us, and are you sure she isn't working for Relinda?" Irwin asked as they headed towards the nearest staircase.

"What? Numili working for that evil ice cube? Not in a thousand years," Scintilla retorted, nudging him with her shoulder. "She's a cousin of mine and the reason I chose this world! She's been living here for… I don't know, a hundred years?"

Irwin looked at her in surprise. "Didn't you say she was annoying?"

"Incredibly annoying! She's always picking on me, telling me that I need-" Scintilla sucked in her breath. "You will see soon!"

Irwin nodded, feeling slightly relieved. He'd forgotten to ask before, but at least now he didn't have to worry about it.

As they walked, he summoned a hammer, tossed it up, unsummoned it, and summoned it again.

"That's a nice trick," Greldo said from behind. "Just throw one in someone's face, then resummon it to do it again!"

"That's the plan," Irwin said as he took a quick look across his shoulder, grinning at his friend.

That way, the next time someone is all jumpy, I'll still be able to do something, he thought as he summoned a smaller hammer and threw it as high up as he could.

It took them a long time to walk all the way up, but at least none of them had any trouble with the heat. More the opposite. As they continued up, Irwin felt his mood increase. When they finally reached the top level and stepped into the open, he was sweaty but happy.

"I can't wait to be out in the sun again," Greldo said as he followed him up. He had to unsummon Coal again because the massive hound hadn't been able to walk through the stairs house.

"You only say that because you have that new card," Irwin said with a grin.

"Damn straight," Greldo retorted as he walked after Scintilla.

The top level was wider than Irwin had thought it would be, and what surprised him even more, were the large numbers of Ignizions sitting around on pale wooden benches. Low vegetation grew everywhere, with some vines covering wooden archways. He even saw a handful of very large, completely red-leafed Viridians that were standing around, arms outstretched and face up.

"What are they doing? Catching sun?" Greldo asked.

"Yes," Scintilla said, and Irwin grinned at his friend.

Scintilla seemed distracted and led them past a few single-story buildings. They continued until they reached a small square with two buildings covering one side. A short Ignizion woman pacing in front of them, hands clasped behind her back, and a pack on her back. As soon as they walked towards her, she stopped and looked up.

"Scintilla, what took you! I've been waiting here for ages!"

With a youthful voice and face, she nearly skipped toward them, and as she came closer, her pink eyes focused on Irwin.

"Ooooh! You brought something nice!"

"Numili cut it out," Scintilla shouted as she stepped before her, waving her off.

"Why? Oh! Wait! You like him! About time… I can't wait to tell Auntie!"

How is she over a hundred years old? Irwin thought as he shared a look of surprise with Greldo.

Scintilla made a slapping motion, causing the other woman to jump back.

"Hey! No hitting! We aren't all fighters," Numili said as she pouted.

"Enough playing around," Scintilla said. "Get us out of here! I told you we might have some issues."

"Boohoo! You make me wait so long, we can wait a few moments while you introduce me to your friends," Numili said, stamping her foot.

Scintilla exhaled before turning and motioning at Irwin and Greldo.

"Hotstuff over there is my contractor. He's called Irwin, and the one with the nice eyes is Greldo."

Numili darted forward, dodged Scintilla, and stopped before Irwin.

She was almost two heads shorter than him and was smiling broadly.

"You actually took this good-for-nothing sword-for-brains as your guard?"

"Hey!"

Irwin laughed and shook his head. "She has been a great help already," he said. "Now, I think we should be off. Could you get us to where we have to go?"

Numili blinked, then pouted. "Fine. See if I'll talk with you again later!"

Then she turned and raised her hand. The back glowed in a flash, and a tiny ember appeared in mid-air. It began growing, a dense smoke billowing out. Numili walked inside, and with a shrug, Irwin followed after her.