"Wait… so the Linchpin is a skill?" Irwin asked, shaking his head. "How is that possible?"

"No idea. But there are two of these hoops, both with cards, and that big monster above seems to power it all. They keep feeding it Imps to keep it quiet."

Irwin frowned as he recalled the massive Addled Imp.

"They are feeding Imps to an addled Imp chained to the Linchpin?" he asked, trying to make sure he understood.

Greldo grimaced. "Yeah. Balarn thinks they are somehow using it to power this weird shardworld. I mean, it's way bigger than it should be, and they can somehow create portals."

Irwin frowned, then gazed at Ambraz, who was quietly watching everything from his shoulder.

"Is this possible?" he asked.

"Which part?" the Anvil retorted, letting out a strangled sigh and continuing before Irwin could respond. "To keep a shardworld stable, you need a powerful thing or entity. You know that already, so I guess it's possible to use an Addled, though… that means the chain skill is definitely something special. I've never heard of something being able to drain anything from Addled."

"Balarn said the same thing," Greldo said.

"It didn't seem that big," Irwin said as he recalled the volcanic area he'd seen. "I've been to a few that seem bi-" he stopped as Greldo snickered.

"What?"

His friend shrugged. "This volcano is just the center of this shardworld. We searched for a way out for a long time, and the area beyond it is immense. Besides, did you see that forest?"

Recalling the dark mass of trees, Irwin nodded.

"Well, we scouted that, and besides a ton of creepy insects the size of Coal, it also seems to go on for a really long time."

Ambraz let out a low hum, drawing both their attention, and Irwin saw his lips puckered.

"You're bloody sure about what you just said?" the Anvil asked.

"Definitely," Greldo said.

"Interesting. I need to think about this," Ambraz muttered before falling quiet.

Irwin looked at him, wondering what he was thinking about now but not even bothering to ask. If Ambraz acted like this, it usually meant he wasn't going to answer any more questions.

Instead, he turned his attention back to the smiths. They had begun using Carded weapons, hammers, and other things to pull the chain down while one summoned a massive anvil on which they put the hoop. As they did, they showed incredible care not to touch the chain or the hoop with anything but their tools.

When the hoop was put on the Anvil, they began fastening the chain with long metallic spikes handed to them by a carded. Intrigued, Irwin saw him raise a hand and grab an arm-long stake out of the air with a flash of the cards in his hand.

When the last spike was done, the smiths arranged themselves around the Anvil while Relinda turned to Greldo.

"Ready."

Greldo nodded, letting out a weary sigh.

"Then we wait. Let's hope Balarn and the others make it without issue and before the door fails."

Irwin frowned.

"They are still trying to break in?" he asked.

Greldo tapped his ears with a smirk. "Yeah. Haven't stopped for a moment. But don't worry. That door is way more sturdy than it seems. I'm not sure who created this place, but they were a damn deal stronger than the Imps. Or us, for that matter. It won't be easy for those Brutal Imps to bash it open."

Irwin hoped he was right as he recalled the army that stood beyond the door. At the same time, he shivered as he recalled the back entrance. He quickly warned Greldo, but his friend just shook his head.

"I didn't even know that was there, and I thought I'd scouted this entire place top to bottom. I followed those Pale ones around, and there wasn't a single one that ever got anywhere near there."

"Are you sure? There were some Addled Imps locked up there," Irwin said. "So someone must have known."

Greldo's smile faded, and he suddenly looked worried. After hesitating for a bit, he turned to Coal. Something seemed to pass between them before he turned to Irwin.

"Tell me again where that one is?"

Irwin did as asked, and a moment later, Coal ran away, quickly vanishing through the corridors.

"Will he be alright?" Irwin asked.

"It's too late to block that entrance, so he will warn me if something comes through," Greldo said. "I'll unsummon him when he does, and we can prepare."

Irwin nodded, hoping that would be enough.

"What else did you find in this world-shard?" he asked after a few moments.

"Mostly volcanoes, distant mountains, and more of those ugly black forests. Besides this building, there's a destroyed tower behind where the chained monster is. That's where the other hoop is. I'm pretty sure that's why that thing keeps striking the wall when he's… hungry, I guess? To reach it."

Irwin watched the assembled smiths step up to the Anvil, all with a variety of hammers in their hands. He saw they were nervous, some whispering with others beside them.

"What are they going to do?" he asked.

"Destroy the linchpin so we can leave this place," Greldo said.

Irwin wanted to ask more, but his friend continued, probably knowing that didn't mean much.

"The emerald portals we entered through have been locked by this chain. Another one of those things nobody seems to know how they did it, but after we entered, we began scouting the place. It seemed safe at first, the building seeming abandoned, but after we began moving towards it, those Imps jumped out from everywhere. It almost seemed like they knew we'd be coming. They captured and killed a lot of us, and me and a few others barely managed to escape. When we headed back to the portals to get help, this chain was wrapped around them, and we couldn't enter no matter what we tried."

"By Gelwin's beard," Irwin whispered. "How did you manage to free them then?"

"I went and scouted this place until I found most of them, then opened up a ton of cages filled with Imps that had turned into Addled. While the normal Imps were dealing with those, I managed to free the others, and we escaped back into the caves. The Imps have been hunting us ever since," Greldo said as he stared at the ground. "Balarn had gotten some information while he'd been forced into working for the Imps, and he found out about the Linchpin and how it worked."

Irwin listened quietly as Greldo continued talking about the things that had happened, and as they did, people began arriving at the room. Most of them were those who had been out to search for people to save, but only a few actually found any. Still, as time crawled by and the tension increased, the room began filling up until everyone and a few dozen more had joined them.

After a while, Irwin followed Greldo to stand back at the top of what looked like a balcony, facing the corridor that led to the main entrance. He sat down, trying to rest as much as he could and regain some energy in his Sweltering Heart card. If he had to fight a lot of Imps, he'd need it, at least in some capacity.

"Come on, come on," Greldo muttered.

He'd been muttering the same words for a while now, but this time, he suddenly froze, and a wide smile came to his face. Irwin was about to ask what was wrong when a blur of red flashed through the hallway too fast to keep track of before stopping before them.

"Hotstuff!"

Irwin blinked in surprise as Scintilla appeared before walking forward and wrapping him in a sudden hug.

"I'm so glad you're here!" Scintilla said as she grinned at him and stepped back. "You have no idea how I've missed your steam baths!"

If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

"Glad to see you are alright too," Irwin said as he inspected her, noticing a long, thin wound across her left eye that had even scraped across her eyelid. He couldn't help but shudder. If that had been a fraction deeper, she'd have lost her eye.

"Pretty Eyes, the others are ready," Scintilla said as she turned to Greldo. "Unless I lost my count, which I didn't, they will begin in seventy-eight seconds!"

"Fantastic," Greldo hissed as he turned to the ledge and looked down. "Seventy-five, seventy-four," he called down, continuing to count until someone from below took it over. Then he turned to Scintilla.

"Did everything go alright?"

Scintilla shrugged a sudden look of sadness on her face.

"We lost another seven. There were a few of those Pale bastards there, and one tried to run. I managed to catch it, but that meant I couldn't help the others."

“Balarn?” Greldo asked.

"Nah, he is fine. Brained one of them with his hammer," Scintilla said with a mocking grin. "It tried to stab one of those daggers in his feet and got killed for its effort."

"Alright, let's go down and hope this all works," Greldo said.

Scintilla nodded before turning and grinning at Irwin. "I need to head back to tell them everything is alright! Don't get yourself killed, Hotstuff!"

"Same to you! Make sure you come back in one piece, and we can have a nice steam bath when we return," Irwin replied.

Scintilla smiled, her eyes glittering before she turned, visibly clenched her jaw, and vanished in a red streak. Irwin felt a slight shiver as he saw her disappear. It took him a moment to realize what it was. He was slightly worried.

"How does she even go through that door?" Irwin muttered.

"She can move through nearly any opening like that," Greldo replied before he turned and walked back down.

Irwin gazed into the empty corridor for a few moments before following him.

A short while later, a few hundred Viridians and a handful of others stood around the smiths while the countdown reached fifteen.

"Are you sure I don't have to help?" Irwin whispered to Greldo.

Greldo shook his head. "That door up there. I'm not sure how long it will hold, and if we have to fight, we need you."

Irwin nodded before focusing his full attention on the smiths. They had begun humming softly, their voices joining into a many-voiced drone that almost seemed to make Irwin's bones vibrate in response.

"Three, two, one, go!" Relinda shouted.

As the smiths brought their hammers down, the hum increased in intensity.

The hoop rang like a gong under the barrage of strikes, then a loud rinkling sound came from the chain. It began moving, shaking, and vibrating, seeming intent on ripping free from the stakes that held it.

The smiths struck again, causing another deep ringing, while the chain seemed to become manic, rattling, and shaking as if it tried to get away.

Luckily, the stakes seemed to hold, and the Smiths continued beating the hoop. Slowly, a nasty pale green glow, suffused with brownish streaks, began coming from the chain, lighting up the entire room.

"They are going ballistic out there," Greldo whispered as he turned to Irwin. "I don't think that door's going to hold long enough."

Irwin took one more look at the Smiths before nodding.

"I'll hold them there for a while," he said. "Between my steam and flame, I should be fine.

Greldo hesitated, then nodded and pointed at a few groups of Viridians that seemed less wounded and better armed than the others.

"Go with Irwin and help where you can. Do as he says, and we might all get out of here alive."

Irwin was slightly surprised that the Viridians just nodded and moved forward, seeming perfectly willing to follow his friend's orders.

I wonder what Greldo's father would say if he saw his son now, he suddenly thought as he recalled the nasty, aggressive old man. He'd probably demand that Greldo hand him his cards.

"Alright, make sure to keep them from spreading out of the main room," Greldo said. "I'll stay here with the rest to guard the smiths in case some slip by."

Ignalia moved beside him, casting him a -I'm going with you- look.

As if I'd ask you to stay here, Irwin thought as he grinned back.

As they ran through the hallway, the sound of the hoop being struck stayed with them, only slightly muffled by the walls. The sound seemed to vibrate through the entire building, as did the rattling of the chain.

I wonder if it moves through the walls, Irwin thought.

As they ran back into the room with the entrance, Irwin immediately stopped and triggered Sweltering Heart. Cracks and small holes had appeared on the door, while a constant heavy pounding came from the other side. The stonewalls around the door's hinges were also creaking dangerously, and dust kept trickling down.

"Everyone spread out across the hallways," Irwin whispered as he turned to the others. "Whatever you do, don't move into the steam."

He saw the Viridians look at him in surprise, then nod as he pointed at the other exits out of the room.

Within a minute, it was just him and Ignalia who were standing in the room while the steam began rippling around.

"My card doesn't have a lot of energy left," Irwin whispered.

"Then why don't you just move the steam outside, beyond the door," Ignalia replied. "That should force them away."

Blinking at his own stupidity, Irwin ran closer to the shaking and slowly splintering door. The steam went with him, and with some focus, he directed it forward where it spread out and beyond the door. As soon as the first trickled through, there was a surprised shout. A moment later, the pounding stopped, and he heard a scramble as things ran from the door.

Moving closer, he peeked through the door, just able to see a mass of Imps with two towering Brutal Imps in front of them standing beyond the rapidly increasing steam. He moved back when he couldn't see anything but pale steam, focusing on the sense of the Imps just beyond its perimeter.

There are thousands, he thought. Sending the remaining energy in his card, he knew he could probably keep it up for half an hour. He hoped that would be enough.

Time ticked by slowly, and a few of the Imps had tried to move through the steam, getting themselves killed.

Finally, when Sweltering Heart was working on nothing but fumes, there was a sound of something shattering far in the distance. Walls began shaking, and explosions rocked the building. Cracks appeared in the ceiling and the walls, and he sensed the Imps mill about in panic just beyond the steam.

One of the Brutal Imps roared something he couldn't understand, and they turned and began running away, quickly moving out of the range of his steam.

"They are leaving," he said, turning to Ignalia.

"I'll go and see what Greldo is doing," she replied, turning and sprinting away.

I hope this was a signal that all went well, Irwin thought as the building shook again while a distant rumbling increased in power.

Irwin remained at the door and stopped using his Sweltering Heart. He had perhaps a minute or two of usage left, and he decided to use that if he needed to heal Scintilla or Ignalia.

The Viridians had slowly moved back into the room while the sound of many running feet came towards them. A moment later, Greldo, Coal, and the others ran into the room.

"It's done. We need to leave," Greldo shouted as he closed in. "Open the door!"

Irwin nodded, trying the door but finding it had been wedged by the attempt to open it. He took a step back and summoned his hammer, swinging it forward and enlarging it to its maximum size. As it struck the center of the door, the door exploded outward in a hail of splinters, revealing the empty, muddy path beyond. In the distance, he saw the Imps run up the volcano's towering crater wall.

"Alright, we will head to the portals," Greldo said as he turned to Irwin. "You go back through the Ruby Portal!"

Irwin cursed. He'd planned to help his friends, completely forgetting he wouldn't be able to leave through the Emerald Portals. He hesitated, but as the world shook again, cracks of glowing red appeared across an entire side of the distant mountain. It almost looked like the volcano was about to erupt.

"Be careful, and you better make sure you return safely," he said as he looked at Greldo, who was waving the others forward.

"I'll be fine! Just make sure you come to the nearest Emerald Portal after you exit! The Imps will be there, and I'm pretty sure they won't be happy to see us!"

Irwin nodded as Greldo turned and sprinted after the others, Coal beside him. Left with only Ignalia, Irwin turned and ran back to the room with the chain. As he reached it, he saw the chain's links had shattered while the loop lay abandoned on the ground. He was about to run past it when Ambraz suddenly flew from his shoulder to the hoop. He landed on it and began suddenly pulsing with a dull orange light.

"This… this is-" the Anvil croaked before flickering up. "You need to bring this along!"

A massive shake caused more tears to appear in the walls, and with a sudden loud cracking noise, a section of the ceiling fell down. Irwin jumped to the side, dodging the debris.

Irwin stared at the hoop, wondering what was going on now, but this -as usual- wasn't the time, so he ran forward and grabbed it. Trying to raise it, he realized it was heavier than he'd imagined, so he triggered Coperion Body, which allowed him to lift it.

Turning to the door, he ran for it, Ambraz landing on his shoulder.

"Can this thing even go through the portal?" he asked as he moved into the room, noting that the Ruby Portal's pedestal was cracking as well, bits of stone crumbling from the edges.

"It's a skill item. It should be fine!" Ambraz said.

Should be? Irwin thought as he reached the portal. He turned to Ignalia.

"See you on the other side!" she said, turning and jumping through.

Irwin clasped the hoop close before jumping forward. The world was chained into the familiar blackness, and as he entered it, he suddenly wondered if the massive thing he'd seen before would still be there. Looking around, he didn't see anything, and a moment later, he stumbled out of the portal into the gloomy forest.

"It's Smith Irwin!"

A loud shout came, and he looked around to see hundreds of Viridian soldiers around him, all with raised weapons or hands. Ignalia stood beside him, hands up but lowering as she saw the soldiers lowering their weapons.

Irwin quickly spotted a familiar figure with a tiny gray anvil on his shoulder standing behind them, and as soon as he saw him, Irwin felt better. He'd seen the man with the Ruby Rank gem in his forehead only once when Ambraz had evolved, but he'd recognized him immediately.

"Lord Urdwellan," he shouted. "The shard-world's Linchpin has been broken! The others are exiting the Emerald portal closest to here, but the Imps will have fled out, too! We need to help them!"

The bare-chested Viridian stared at him with his intense green eyes before looking around.

"Squad three, remain here and guard this portal! The rest of you, with me!"

There was a rustling as the Viridian army moved, a large group remaining around the portal while the others ran out. Although those that remained reminded Irwin vaguely of the soldiers back home, he saw many of those moving with barely any armor on and looked worried. It was obvious many weren't real soldiers. However, among them were Viridians that moved with practiced ease, shouting orders and easily keeping control.

"Young one. It is good to see you managed to return alive," Gebladir Urdwellan said as he moved beside Irwin.

He towered over him, exerting a powerful pressure that Irwin knew he had a hard time controlling his Soulforce. Irwin saw him stare at the massive hoop in Irwin's hands with curiosity, but he didn't ask about it.

"Let's go and help our friends," he said instead as he turned and stomped after the soldiers who were leaving rapidly. As he did, Irwin saw the Anvil on his shoulder turning around, its mouth a thin line.

"Leave the hoop here. I'll guard it," Ambraz whispered so softly in his ear that he barely heard it.

Irwin looked at him in surprise, wondering what the hell was up with that hoop.

"Don't ask, but make sure you come pick it up after we are done," Ambraz whispered. "Now hurry, leave before that piece of rusted crap sees what this is."

Irwin nodded as he put the hoop on the ground and moved away after Gelbadir. Ambraz flitted away from his shoulder, hovering around. Ignalia shared a confused look with Irwin, who just shrugged.

Then, they sprinted after the others.