Two weeks after they returned to the new Grianfál, Irwin was lying on his bed, staring up at the pale stone ceiling. It was quiet outside but busy in his mind. He had just returned from a meeting with Crithann and a messenger from Lord Urdwellan.
The portals had definitely all been closed, which was good news, but sadly, there was no clear reason for what had happened.. The many documents that had been found had been investigated, and all that had been found was something they had already roughly known. Some unknown entity had been paying the Imps for capturing and delivering them Card Smiths. Lord Urdwellan had sent a messenger to the Portal Gallery to inform the Smiths Guild, but with how enormous the time dilation was, no response was expected this decade.
So weird… It's almost like everyone outside is just frozen, Irwin thought.
He tried to picture his mother and brother and all of Malorin frozen in mid-motion. Portals, perhaps with Imps or other demons exiting. Would battles be happening? How would Esterdon be? Had the demons overrun the towers and the ruins? What did that mean for when he returned?
Taking a deep breath, he exhaled. It didn't matter just yet. He had a long time to think about it, and before that, he had other things happening. Purifying the metal of the hoop, which Ambraz had told him would be immensely beneficial for them, was the first, but Numilli had also come and told him she still expected his help with finding another Earth Titan. Then there was the auction and his sixth and final card.
And I need to get Crithann to keep helping me train my hammer skills, he thought as he closed his eyes with a smile.
--
Irwin stretched as he walked back to his smithy through new Grianfál, a town that could hardly be called that anymore.
Four months and some days had passed since the Imp Shardworld had been shattered, taking all of the portals with it. In that time, Viridians and Ignitzions had flocked to the sunny place, enjoying the abundance of fire elemental energy and the occasional shade from the towering but still-growing Heart tree. By now, the golden and red-leafed behemoth was visible as far as a day's travel from Grianfál, and the town had expanded to circle what had been a crevice. Now, it was a rapidly increasing beautiful piece of architecture, with circular staircases crisscrossing down the stonewall. Carded that could manipulate stone were constantly busy expanding the sprawling underwater area for the still flowing water to fill.
As they reached the main street, which ran from the first gate to the massive square that had his smithy, Crithann's towering abode, and the inn, they passed dozens of Viridians and sometimes a few Ignitzions. Sometimes, one of them called out in greeting, while others merely waved, and Irwin smiled or waved back.
"So, you're sure Numilli isn't mistaken again?" he said as he looked at Scintilla, who was walking beside him.
The Ignitzion grinned and shook her head. "By the infernal crevice, no. After you threatened her with no more steam baths, she wouldn't dare waste our time again."
Irwin grinned, thinking back to that occasion Scintilla meant a few months ago. Numilli had said she'd found another Earth Titan, but when they arrived, it had been nothing but a winding, cavernous pit. Worse, they had been lost in it for days while constantly fighting off the Fleshgorgers before they finally found the exit. During one harrowing encounter, Numilli had admitted that it had only been a guess, much to Irwin, Greldo and the other's annoyance.
"Are you going to hammer that hoop the rest of the day?" Scintilla asked.
Irwin nodded and ignored her slight annoyance. "Yes. But it's hardly a hoop anymore," he added, which only got him a snort.
"Well, come and find me when you are ready. I had enough fun watching you jump around with Crithan, and I don't feel like spending time watching you hammer that stupid metal."
Irwin held back his laughter, though, from Scintilla's sniff, she must have noticed something.
"Sure, just you laugh! I'll grill Numilli a bit more. Also, I've got a bunch of new ingredients from a new group, so… do you want to come and eat with me tonight or do you prefer laughing?"
Irwin blinked, then quickly schooled his face as he thought about the many delicious, spicy, and charred dishes Scintilla was able to make. Ever since they had returned, she'd been inviting him more and more, much to Yogog's hilarity.
"No, no! I'm not laughing! Did you get any more of that orange meat?"
"Ugh, how you can enjoy that so much but dislike Blackened Insects is beyond me, but yes, I've got some," Scintilla said before her fake annoyance changed to a wide smile. "I also managed to trade for a flask of Kindled Liquor!"
Not sure what that was, Irwin still smiled. He had found that he and Scintilla had many overlapping tastes in food, with only his love for water something she couldn't understand.
"Alright! I'll find you tonight!" he said.
Scintilla raised her hand, tapping her finger and thumb twice before turning and walking away. Irwin watched her curvaceous figure as she walked away. Then he shook his head and quickly turned around to the smithy.
As he did, he saw Yogog lean against the smithy wall, staring at him with twinkling eyes. The expanded open forge area sprawled behind him, and a half dozen Viridian junior smiths, apprentices of his, were hard at work, purifying enormous stacks of metal.
"When are you two finally-" Yogog said with a wide grin while making an obscene hand gesture.
"It's not like that," Irwin said, before frowning. "Besides, that's not how it works with Ignitzions, and you know that better than most!"
"I do, and you have no idea what it feels like," Yogog said as he sighed. "Just thinking about it makes me wanna see what Hotzli is doing tonight. You wouldn't happen to do another steam bath for them, would you? She's always so-"
Irwin tuned him out and walked to the smaller, enclosed smithy that was his and his alone. His ears turned red as he heard some of the things Yogog was saying.
I wonder if Scintilla would-
He quickly cut off that train of thought before he would be lost in his imagination. It had been something that had been happening more as of late, and he wondered what he should do about it. He enjoyed being around Scintilla and definitely felt attracted to her, but what if she didn't feel like that?
Ugh, whatever! There's more important things to do, he thought as he shut the door in Yogog's face.
"Are you finally back? What took you and Crithann so long? Hasn't he taught you everything about swinging hammers by now?" Ambraz snapped. "I've been standing here for hours!"
He was standing in the back of the private forge area, an arm-length chunk of flattened metal on the top of his large working shape.
"We had a few younger guards there this time, and Crithann asked me to show them a few things," Irwin said.
He walked forward and looked at the dark copper metal. Tiny flakes of intense purple metal streaks were visible.
"So, talk me through it again," he said as he took off his thin shirt and put it somewhere safe. Covering his pants and legs with the thick Wyrm leather apron, he summoned a hammer.
"Again? Fine!" Ambraz snapped.
He sounded angry, and Irwin detected the hidden joy in his voice. He'd long since found that as angry as the Anvil sometimes seemed, he loved explaining things. Even if it was for the tenth time, he'd grunt and bitch but explain.
"So, this thing is half of a crystalized growth item. It's either a gift from a Derlin, just like your hammer, or the remnants of a powerful being's soulskill. Whatever it is, it's more a card skill item than anything else. What's more important, however, is that there are trace amounts of Purperite in it, an incredibly rare metal that has the growth element," Ambraz said, sounding more and more excited. "For you, it's useful because using any of your cards to work on it will increase it, while I… I really like it!"
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Yeah, you said that before, Irwin thought with a grin. "Better than eating Emerald cards?" he asked.
"Much! I've only had a tiny bit just before leaving on my mission," Ambraz said.
Irwin knew he was referring to when he'd left one of his race's worlds long ago to search for portals that might lead to world shards of his homeworld. However, he'd had an idea a few nights before.
"Will it rank you up again?"
"What? One bit of… No! Well… I don't think so. Hmm."
Ambraz was quiet, his metal lips pursed. "Well… It is more than I've ever heard of before, so I don't know. If you refine it properly, as much as it can be… maybe?"
Irwin nodded.
"And what will happen after you rank up?" Irwin asked a question the Anvil had never really answered.
Ambraz was quiet, and Irwin wondered if he was going to give the same half-answer as before. Then the Anvil let out a long sigh.
"Before my previous rank up, I wouldn't have been able to help you reforge Sweltering Heart up to ruby. Even Emerald was straining it. I'm… I'm not a very high rank yet."
Irwin nodded. He'd imagined that much.
"What rank are you now?" he asked.
Ambraz grumbled something, and Irwin blinked. He'd expected a lot, but now he must have misheard.
"Say what?" he asked.
"Rank two," Ambraz snapped. "Happy now?"
Irwin blinked, then shook his head. "But… why did you tell me to keep quiet about the runes I saw when you ranked up? You even said I had to tell them you were rank two. I had thought you were much higher!'
"I would have been if that old beardy face hadn't caught me and locked me up for so long," Ambraz said.
"So… why did you tell me not to say what runes-"
Ambraz let out a massive snort, which interrupted him.
"I can tell you many things. I have shared more than I'd thought I would when we first met, but don't ask me this, kid. I can't share it for your safety and my own."
Irwin looked at the anvil, wondering if he should press on. Still, something about the way Ambraz had just told him to back off told him he wouldn't answer. Though, what could possibly be up with that for it to be a danger to them both?
"Fine," Irwin said with a sigh. "Let's focus on the task at hand. You said I needed to purify this metal, and yesterday, you told me I needed to take a rest. What was that about?"
"We are at the point where purifying will start draining the energy from your cards," Ambraz said.
Irwin gaped in surprise, recalling the constant drain on his cards he'd felt for weeks now. "But that was already happening," he said
"Bah! That little bit? Yeah, well, that's nothing compared to what you will feel when we start today. Besides, there's another slight catch. This time, you can only use the energy in your hammer and the flame card. As soon as those are drained, stop. I'll count the blows, and this will tell us how much you can do each day."
Irwin gazed at the purple-veined metal as he thought about what Ambraz had just told him. He'd been dividing the drain over all his cards before, with his flame card and Sweltering Heart providing most of the energy. If he couldn't use one of those… Another idea came to him, and he suddenly felt excited.
"If I use Devouring Flame, is it possible that it will grow to Ammolite rank?" he asked.
"How should I know? I told you before that I have no idea about that," Ambraz said. "Is it possible? Purperite is nearly impossible to get, so I guess it would make sense."
Irwin grinned, feeling his excitement grow. He had selected four of the cards from Lord Urdwellan as potential sixth and final cards but had yet to reforge them because he wasn't yet sure what he wanted from them. Besides, there was also the upcoming auction, and who knew what he might find there.
"Alright, let's get started," he said. "Do I need to do anything besides focusing on my two growth cards?"
"No, that should be it," Ambraz said, sounding excited.
Then let's do this, Irwin thought.
He triggered his Coperion Body and grabbed a hold of the piece of metal. Raising the hammer, he calmed his breathing and began humming a song he'd learned from Crithann. It was a simple melody that he'd found made his mind calm faster than most others. When he was fully focused, he concentrated on his Devouring Flame card, instantly noticing how difficult it was to single that out. With it being part of his full hand, and the little distance there was between them shrunk after it had grown to Diamond rank, it was hard to focus just on it.
When he finally managed to tap into it, he looked down on the metal and struck it with as much force as he could muster, gripping the end he was holding as tightly.
A clear crackling sound, almost like lightning striking a tree, came, and the metal vibrated far more than it had done the previous days. At the same time, his flame erupted from his hand, rippling around. The energy inside it flooded through his body, into the hammer, then into the metal. He thought he saw it shrink ever so slightly, but he wasn't sure. What he did know was that barely two-thirds of the energy in his card remained, and he felt the start of a headache.
"Fantastic! Keep going!"
Irwin ignored Ambraz, refocused, and struck the metal again. Now that he was prepared for it, he wasn't as startled when another third of the energy in his card rushed out. He had a softly pounding headache, and as he looked down on the barely smaller piece of metal, he grimaced. At the third strike, he felt his card almost fully drain, and his flame whisked away.
"That's one card empty," he grunted, his head pounding and throbbing, a dull pain burning behind his eyelids.
"Seriously? Three strikes?" Ambraz said, sounding surprised and annoyed. "That means, even if you get three more strikes with the energy from your Firesteel hammer, it will take weeks!"
Irwin didn't even answer, and it took him a lot longer to focus on the energy of his fourth card, even with it not being part of a full-hand. When he managed his fourth strike, he felt half of the energy drain away, and his vision swam. Shaking his head, the pain intensified, and he groaned.
"Is it supposed to hurt this much?"
"Hurt? It feels pretty good to me," Ambraz said.
Irwin glared at him and, deciding to get it over with, focused on his card, trying to ignore the pain. This time, it took longer than all his previous attempts combined, and when the hammer struck the metal, he barely believed that he'd managed it. A pulsing and burning pain flared in his head while his eyes watered. Taking deep breaths, he leaned against Ambraz.
"Empty?" the Anvil asked.
"Yeah," Irwin grunted as he felt his hammer unsummon itself due to lack of energy.
"Well, I guess it will take a while," Ambraz said. "Still, it felt amazing! Each time you hit it, it felt like I was eating a card!"
Irwin blinked away the tears, somewhat startled by those words. "This isn't going to damage my cards, is it?" he asked worriedly.
"What? Of course not! You should feel much better tomorrow," Ambraz said, sounding sure of himself.
Irwin hoped he was right as he walked back out. As he did, he saw Yogog look up from his own anvil, a wide grin on his face and seeming ready to pester him, only for the grin to fade. With a look of worry, he dropped his hammer.
"You alright, Irwin? You look like you just fought with Crithann for two days straight!"
"Attempting something new," Irwin said, forcing a grin on his face and knowing it was probably no better than a grimace. Thinking about the fact that he'd have to do it again the day after, his grimace turned to a true shit-eating grin, and he sighed. "I'll probably look like this again tomorrow."
"And.. you are sure you shouldn't just not be trying something new?" Yogog asked.
"I'll be fine," Irwin said as he waved the other off and walked towards the door that led to the living room.
At least, I hope so, he thought.
His head still pounding and swaying on his feet, he decided to lie down for a bit and instantly fell asleep.
--
Irwin woke slowly, and the first thing he noticed as he did was that his cards were humming happily. Well, two of them were, but his Flame card's humming seemed to cause the other two to join in. At the same time, he felt brimming with energy, more so than he had ever felt before.
Pushing himself up, he looked around, noticing the light creeping through the eastern window. Staring at it, he blinked.
Wait… it's morning?
Looking around, he was surprised to see Scintilla sit on the floor beside his door, head against the wall, and her eyes closed. Her soft breathing showed she was sleeping tightly.
Why is she here?
It took him a few moments to figure out that he had said he'd find her the previous evening. Had she come to make sure he was alright? Then why had she stayed behind?
Rising up, he flexed his arms. He felt like he could wrestle with Crithann -well, at least Yogog- and win!
Watching the sleeping Ignitzion, he hesitated, then gently nudged her with his foot. He'd have preferred to be nicer, but anybody with powerful cards made for poor people to wake lightly. Daubutim had taught him that.
"We- what? Irw- Irwin! Are you alright?" Scintilla shouted as she scrambled up.
Grabbing his arms, she turned him left and right, inspecting him. Surprised by her reaction, he let her before forcing himself straight again and ignoring her antics.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"You wouldn't wake up! It was like you had been knocked unconscious, and you slept for so long! I was starting to worry," Scintilla shouted, stomping his shoulder.
"Come on, it's only ten hours," Irwin said.
"You were sleeping for three days!" she shouted.
Someone ran up the stairs, and a moment later, the door was shoved open as Greldo burst in.
"You bloody fool! Do you have any idea how worried we were? Crithann even sent a teleporter to Cinder Grove!"
Irwin blinked, scratching his chin and noting that there was a slight stubble growing there. How could he have been sleeping for three days? Was this all because of what he'd done with the purifying? It had to be, but why?
Seeing Greldo glare at him, he shrugged. He could see the deep worry in his friend's eyes and the fact that Scintilla had even slept in his room- Wait… had she slept here every night? He blinked.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know this would happen," he said.
Greldo snorted, then shook his head. "Well, I'll go tell Crithann that you woke up. You might want to go see Ambraz. He's been almost as worried as we were." He cocked his head, and Irwin saw his eyes flicker to Scintilla. "Well, almost as worried as most of us."
Irwin frowned as Greldo rushed back out of the room as fast as he'd run in before turning back to Scintilla.
"So…" he said lamely. "I guess you already ate all the food?"
Scintilla gazed at him, then shook her head as she let out a barked laugh.
"I'll go make some for you," she said, staring at him for a few moments. Then she turned and walked to the door. "But no more sleeping!"
"Wouldn't dream of it," Irwin said, causing Scintilla to glare at him, though the twinkle in her eye showed him she wasn't all that angry.
When she left, Irwin walked down and into his private smithy.
"Thank the Ancestral Anvil, you are alright!" Ambraz shouted. "I thought you were captured, and the Imps had returned! If Greldo hadn't come to ask me what was wrong with you… I don't know what I would have done!"
Irwin blinked, staring at the Anvil, who was still in his working size.
"Why didn't you just come to check?" he asked, wondering if Ambraz was really that worried someone would take the remains of the hoop.
"Don't you think I would have if I could?" Ambraz shouted. "But… well, you left this piece of *&&$% on me, and now I can't move!"