Irwin held his breath as he saw the hammer slowly descend and tap the cards. A vibration rippled out, visible in the heat as any edges became wavy lines, then a new cardslot appeared in the air above Crithann's hands.
"The slot looks empty; however, don't be tricked," Lord Urdwellan spoke, his voice so loud it almost hurt Irwin's ears. "The cards have already influenced it, limiting the slot to the maximum resonance of these combined cards."
Irwin nodded, then realized Lord Urdwellan couldn't see. He kept quiet, though, worried that anything he said might interfere with and jeopardize the heartcard forging.
A crackle of energy came from the card, drawing his attention. His own cards were trying to resonate along with whatever Lord Urdwellan was doing, and as he focused on the sensation, he realized energy was pouring into the empty cardslot.
"The first step is to fill the card. The energy it requires depends on a great many things, ranging from the quality and height of the cards to the desired outcome. However, it's a safe bet that if you use brute force, like me, you will need roughly the same amount of energy as all the cards hold together."
Irwin grimaced. That means if you want to help someone else, you need to have more energy than them, he thought.
"The more skilled you are, the more finesse you have, the less energy you need," Ambraz whispered in his ears. "You are not on a path that requires mere brute force."
Irwin nodded as he watched the cardslot crackle with green bolts of energy. The sensation was both intoxicating and scary, as the sea of energy pushed inside felt already far more than he had. The process lasted for a long time, but he barely noticed.
"Now, with the cardslot supplied with energy, we begin the difficult task," Lord Urdwellan said, and Irwin felt a deep vibration coming from the smith. "From this moment, I won't be able to speak, so watch and learn!"
Crithann's cards began vibrating, and two sets of melodies, multifaceted hums, echoed out. Irwin instantly recognized them to be the resonance of Crithann's cards, and as he listened and felt, he noticed that both sets were similar, but not quite. The tune of the left fullhand gave off a happy, joyful exuberance, while the other felt more melancholic. There was also a tiny bit of dissonance in the right hand, as if one of the cards wasn't perfectly in line with the others.
For a second, Irwin feared it was the ruby card he'd reforged, that it was his incompetence. Then the resonance became clearer, and he realized it was the middle, second card.
"There's something wrong with that second card," he whispered.
"Yes," Ambraz rumbled. "It's intentional. The difference between the first and the third is too vast. I think he used the second to bridge the gap so he could still combine it. Still, it must have been hell to manage."
The resonance surged up, and Irwin saw Lord Urdwellan's shoulder shudder with tension. The hammer, however, remained in place. A new melody, clearer and louder, joined the hum, and Irwin gasped as he realized what was happening.
He is recreating the resonance of one of those first cards… but not exactly!
Watching in stunned awe, he listened as the tune changed slightly before a ripple went through the new heartcard slot. A faint outline became apparent, more a cloud than anything he could make out.
As the new melody became louder, parts of the original song seemed to dull and quiet. It wasn't from either one but seemed to be taken from all.
Instinctively, Irwin closed his eyes and focused on the sounds. A tiny resonance came from his hammer card, and the sounds, vibrations, and tiny hums became clearer.
He is taking parts of the… songs and combining them to form a new song, he thought as he listened in rapture.
Another part of the original song dimed as a second, happy humm joined the new song. As it did, Irwin sensed the original song turned darker, grim, and dangerous. It felt like, with parts of the resonance gone, the song seemed ready to crumple in upon itself.
"He is ripping the song apart, meaning he needs to reinforce what remains with his own energy and the resonance of his own cards," Ambraz whispered. "I have never seen someone use this method, and if he didn't have the insane energy he does, I would call it suicide."
Irwin didn't respond, but even without more in-depth knowledge, he understood Ambraz's reasoning. He agreed with it, too. The energy required to keep the original full hands, if you could even call them that, balanced would be far beyond what he was currently capable of. He also didn't need anyone to point out what would happen if Lord Urdwellan lost his focus. The rippling energy -on the verge of becoming out of control- made his skin crawl. If that song collapsed in upon itself, he wasn't sure if even the depth of the tree would save those outside from the explosion that would follow.
Lord Urdwellan continued, and as time crawled by, the new song became louder and more complex than the original had been. Tiny changes and larger ones had been made to the parts of the previous whole, creating something new.
How does he even know what to pick and choose? Irwin thought as he felt a slight sense of doom at the thought he might have to do this.
Finally, when the original song was no more than disjointed pangs of vibrations, any beauty long since gone, Irwin opened his eyes.
Lord Urdwellan was shaking, his arms and face tense. But his hammer remained motionless, and below it was a beautiful card. Bright with a pale green light, it showed a budding tree, vines rippling around it, and a single fruit, startling and red, on one side.
"Now, pay attention. This part is the last, but not less dangerous," Ambraz whispered.
Irwin didn't need the warning. He knew there was something very important left. As bright as it gleamed, the energy that had been poured into the new heartcard was nearly gone. At the same time, the energy in what remained of the now dull and listless handcards seemed ready to burst. It needs a place to go, an outlet.
"He's going to feed the energy into the new card," Irwin whispered.
"Failure on this step is what causes the target to die," Ambraz responded.
Irwin gritted his teeth, taking a quick look at Crithann. The Viridian had his eyes closed, head angled back, and jaw set. The shaking in his legs showed how much effort he was giving to remain standing.
By Gelwin's beard, how did they ever figure this out the first time? Irwin thought as he pictured the first smiths to practice this craft. How many had exploded, and how many had killed their charge?
The hammer moved, and Irwin's eyes widened as it swung to the side before slamming into the right fullhand, shattering it into gleaming specs. A boom resonated out, and he felt the energy explode outward in a frenzy, only to be blocked by a new, powerful song. It was deep and calm, like the depths of a sea.
"The smith's cards need to resonate in such a way to contain the energy and funnel it down," Ambraz said.
Irwin didn't respond, watching as the hammer swung around and struck the left fullhand, and it shattered, the specs joining the first to form a cloud of rippling chaotic energy.
A barrier seemed to form around it, with a single opening, and with a sudden surge, the specs of energy burst through it into the new heartcard. The song, which had become weak to the point of barely audible, surged up rapidly, growing into a crescendo.
Crithann lowered his hands, the cardslots on his hands empty once again while the heartslot was singing its birth song, loud and exuberant. It lasted for a short while before the card lowered to Crithann's chest.
"Success," Lord Urdwellan grunted, his voice strained.
He almost hastily picked up Crithann, placing him on the ground, before stepping back. His body shrunk rapidly before returning to its initial size while the hammer vanished as if it never was.
Irwin watched the smith as he leaned against the Anvil.
How am I supposed to do this? he thought, imagining himself keeping control over the energy, creating the cards into something new and still making sure nothing exploded.
"That rustbucket didn't help him," Ambraz whispered, so soft Irwin could barely hear it. Still, the barely controlled anger came through nonetheless. "I'd never let you do everything like that."
Irwin looked up in surprise, noticing Ambraz's lips were curved down.
"To become the best requires both of us to do our best," Ambraz whispered.
"Thanks," Irwin whispered, feeling a sudden comradery and connection with Ambraz that he hadn't had before. He could hear how upset the other was, even though he wasn't completely sure why.
Heavy footsteps made him look up, and he saw Lord Urdwellan and Crithann moving toward him. It was surprising to see Crithann's now silvery eyes.
"I will need a short while to recover," Lord Urdwellan said as he smiled at Irwin with weary tiredness. "You can join me in my working quarters."
Irwin nodded, not sure what to say. He wanted to thank the other smith for letting him see what this meant, but he could see Lord Urdwellan had no energy for a chat. So he simply smiled and followed the two Viridians up the nearest stairs. The room above was filled with bookcases, tables, and a single massive bed far to the side. It was filled with leaves that somehow seemed linked together.
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Lord Urdwellan sank down in a large chair, leaned back, and closed his eyes.
Irwin looked at Crithann, who motioned to a table at the other side of the large area, and Irwin followed him there. When they were sitting opposite each other, he noticed Crithann's eyes were less bright and silvery than before. The other must have seen him look because he laughed softly.
"After you gain your first soulcard, you learn to control the soulforce enough to stop it from leaking out. But, the short while after forming a new one, it always takes a bit."
Irwin nodded, watching his friend before looking at his empty hands. The sockets were still faintly noticeable but fading rapidly. He knew they would eventually dissipate, only to return after the heartcard had turned into a soulcard. Or, if there weren't any more empty slots for a soulcard, never.
"So… what are you going to do now?"
Crithann leaned back, smiling sadly. "I will slowly fill this card while finding my replacement to lead Grianfál."
Irwin blinked, cocking his head at that. "Why? Are you leaving?"
Crithann watched him quietly, then sighed. "In a manner of speaking. This heartcard is special and something unique to my people. When I fill it up, and the soulcard appears, I will change into a soultree."
Irwin blinked. "What does that mean?" he asked, getting a bad feeling.
"It means that I will stop being myself and change into something different. Soultrees make up the soulgrove, a place spread across the many worlds my people inhabit. Those of us that join it become part of the leadership of my people."
"So you will not be able to walk around? Like, an actual tree?"
"Yes. I will become a tree as large as the heartree, turning Scour into the next true Viridian world."
Irwin sat back, staring at the calm Viridian and imagining him changed into a massive tree. He didn't have to ask if the other was sure. He'd been planning this for Gelwin knew how long. Still, it felt... weird.
"What will happen to you?" Irwin asked, trying to articulate what he felt.
Crithann sighed and leaned back, the chair creaking slightly.
"My body will become like a sapling, my feet and legs digging into the ground, and I'll become rigid in mind. At the same time, my mind will expand, and as my new body grows more and more, my mind will grow exponentially. Eventually, my soul will absorb my soulskills, and I will connect to a special soulroot network. As soon as I do, my mind will become able to host other minds, and I'll become a funnel for the young Viridians to grow and learn."
Irwin gazed at his mentor and friend as he spoke, his expression becoming more and more happy, his voice rising.
"Eventually, I'll join the soulgrove as an elder!"
"Why…?" Irwin asked, and when he saw Crithann frown. "Why do you want to be an elder?"
Crithann gazed at him, then took a deep breath, exhaling it slowly as he stared off into the distance.
"Currently, those on the main worlds of my kind, Viridas especially, believe that might makes right," Crithann said, his voice becoming deep and sad. "Those of us you see here, those that followed Gebladir here, are the exceptions. The others believe all worlds are sacred, and harvesting even the readily available resources is an affront to nature. As calm as things seem here, far away, wars are fought. Minor in the grand scheme of things, but… my people are ostracizing themselves. If they continue like this, eventually, we will not be welcome in other places."
Irwin frowned, trying to follow what the other meant. Crithann didn't seem to see his confusion, continuing while staring off into the distance.
"It wasn't always like this, but a thousand years ago, the balance in the soulgrove was shattered. Four elders fell into their final slumber, their trees slowly withering. Three of them believed, like me, that nature is strong and tenacious! As long as we keep a balance, as long as we are there to keep the balance on other worlds, things will remain alright," Crithann said before turning to Irwin. "My great-great-grandmother was one of the elders that perished, as was another elder in my family. For many years, my mother tried to become strong enough to join the soulgrove, but…"
Irwin watched as Crithann seemed to drift into memories. Curious but not wanting to disturb the other, he held back his questions, waiting until he saw Crithann's eyes focused on him.
"So, why don't more Viridians just join the soulgrove?" Irwin asked. "As rare as that Dryadic seedling card was, there should be plenty more, especially on more vegetation-filled worlds.."
A look of sadness came to Crithann, and he shook his head.
"My people search far and wide for these cards, and the only place they would have gone for as little as this was one as far from where we are as this one. Besides, the card needs to be reforged in one of the ancient ways, and someone would need to choose all of their cards in such a way as to make it doable. Very few wish to sacrifice that much."
Irwin frowned, getting the feeling that as much as that made it more difficult, he felt like many more than just a few should be able to join it over the course of the time periods Crithann was talking about.
"Crithann, it would probably be best to explain it to your young apprentice a bit more," Lord Urdwellan said as he moved to their table and sat down.
Apprentice?
Irwin looked up in surprise, as much by the name as the fact that he'd not heard the not exactly nimble Viridian approach.
"Cousin, is that wise?" Crithann asked, looking up.
"Not too much, but let me," Lord Urdwellan said as he focused on Irwin.
"Elders come and go, not very fast, but every few years, some die, and some new ones come. However, those like me and Crithann, who favor balance and an active role, remain in the minority. There is another problem, however, and one Crithann seems to want to remain obscured."
Crithann grunted. "He does not need to know."
Irwin frowned, looking between the two stoic tree men. Time ticked by, and he realized Crithann actually didn't want to continue.
"Well, you can't very well leave us hanging like that, can you!" Ambraz suddenly blurted. "Fess up! What's going on!"
Irwin felt a sudden wave of gratitude for Ambraz's brash personality. He had no idea if he would have just asked like that.
Crithann focused on Ambraz, then on Irwin, and sighed.
"Moving from Viridian to Virtree is not without risk," he grunted. "There is no need for you to worry, so I'd rather you didn't know, but fine. It is possible that I'll lose my mind, turning into nothing but a simple tree during the process."
Irwin grimaced. "How big is that chance?" he asked.
"One in ten succeed," Lord Urdwellan said.
Yeah, that would explain why there aren't many, Irwin thought, staring at his friend and mentor sadly.
The idea of sacrifice wasn't foreign to him, but he tried to imagine having to turn into a tree… never walking or holding Scintilla ever again. Could he do it for something like this? It took him only a moment to realize he couldn't, not now. He'd do his best, his utmost best, to save the people in his world, somehow, but if some, or even most of them, did something foolish? No… he wouldn't be able to sacrifice that much for it.
Still… as he watched Crithann, he couldn't help but admire his willpower. He'd planned for this for an incredibly long time and sacrificed much.
"You told me that others didn't approve of your card choices?" Irwin asked as he recalled what Crithann had told him long ago.
"They thought it was a fool's errand, selecting cards better suited to heal, nourish, and recover," Crithann snorted. "But it was the only way. My mother told me that to become a soultree, a Viridian must only have soulcards that he feels are right. He must never select something that compromises their integrity."
Irwin saw Crithann drift off again, leaning deeper into the chair.
A tiny tap made him look up, and he saw Lord Urdwellan had risen and was beckoning him. He rose and followed the other smith, taking a final look at Crithann before walking down the stairs.
"He will need time," Lord Urdwellan said. "But don't worry. It will take many years before he will be able to commence the process, and-"
The Viridian blinked, then let out a brusk laugh. "Well… I say that, but after you leave, I guess everything will have happened before you return."
Irwin didn't respond, following along the other back out of the room. The hallway and staircase felt cold compared to the cindering heat of the room, and when he finally reached the top, he realized he'd not asked about the odd hot wood.
"What was that wood you used below Yuustis," Irwin asked.
"That was one of the hearts of the heart tree," Lord Urdwellan said with a smile. "It's one of the reasons I came here because it empowers me to be able to wield the energy you saw. However, as Crithann told you, the opinions on me using it like that back on the main worlds are… let's just say, divided."
Irwin nodded. With all he'd just heard, he could imagine that.
"I'll make sure not to mention it off-world," he said.
"That's much appreciated, though I don't expect you to run into many Viridians," Lord Urdwellan said. "My people usually prefer cold and wet worlds with abundant natural vegetation."
Irwin grimaced at the thought of that. Cold would probably not be to-
A sudden memory of running away from the cold after Numilli had begun absorbing the heart came to him. The cold had rippled around him, and though he'd needed to use his first card, before that, the more normal cold hadn't bothered him in the slightest.
Walking back into the main room, the party had stopped, though a few of the musicians were still playing a soft, soothing tune. Greldo and Scintilla were sitting at the lone table still there.
"I'll leave you to your friends," Lord Urdwellan said. "Now, I hope you will remember what I told you and what you saw. Don't attempt to forge someone's heartcard until you have far more experience!"
Irwin nodded quickly.
"Don't worry, I'll be very careful," he said.
"Good," Lord Urdwellan said with a wide smile. "Now, I'll send you a message when I need to reforge another card. Until then, you are free to go as you will."
The Viridian ruler of the world nodded, then turned, walking back through the door, which closed after him.
"So! That took like waaaaay longer than I had thought," Greldo said, waking up beside him.
"Yes! I wanted another dance," Scintilla said, giving him a mock frown.
Irwin grinned, and they walked back through the now somewhat familiar hallways. Outside, a guard moved to greet them before they could leave out into the city.
"Smith Irwin, Gadorley asked me to inform you that he has returned to Greenbark Mission Center. Master Driseog wishes to speak to you."
Irwin nodded, not surprised in the slightest.
"Thank you. I'll head there," he said before walking out into the dark city.
"It's quiet compared to the last few months," Greldo muttered. "I like it better like this."
"Perhaps we should buy you something to plug your ears with," Scintilla said, grinning at him.
They walked deeper into the city, nearing the massive trunk of the tree.
They walked through a road that would lead them to the vine basket when Greldo slowed down.
Irwin looked up and saw Greldo's eyes flash to a narrow alleyway, his jaw clenched and his hand lowering to his weapons. Immediately he was fully awake.
"Two figures just appeared there, and another behind you," Ambraz whispered in Irwin's ear.
"Another up front," Greldo hissed.
Irwin looked in the direction they were moving to see a figure stride towards them. His hair stood up straight as he saw the pale white mask and the dark robe barely able to hide the imposing figure.
Niox… Mercenaries?
As he saw them, Irwin triggered Coperion Body, Sweltering Heart, and his Vealite kinetic card while stepping forward. If there had been any Viridians around, or if the whole thing with the imps hadn't happened, he might have acted differently, but now?
The Niox ahead of him showed no response, and a quick look to the sides showed that none of the others had left their spots of hiding.
Scintilla moved to the side, hand on her sword, while a soft flash came from behind, followed by Coal's imposing presence blocking the narrow alleyway.
Feeling only marginally better, Irwin walked another two steps forward, stomping harder than necessary to harness more kinetic energy. He was ready to summon his hammer as the one-horned, masked figure stopped before him.
"What do you want," Irwin asked.
"Come with us peacefully, or we will be required to use force," a dull, growly voice said from behind the mask. At the same time, the telltale sign of soulcard pressure caused the hairs on Irwin's arm to stand on end.
Irwin frowned.
"Where to?"
"Not your concern," the masked being grunted. "Follow along. Final warning."
Irwin only hesitated for a second, then he summoned his hammer, stepped forward, and struck at the person before him in a single fluid motion. The hammer moved almost too fast for him to follow, and he prepared to release the pent-up kinetic energy.
There was a dull thud, and he gazed in dismay at a pale white, heavily veined hand clasped around the head of his hammer. Ripples and thuds came as the kinetic energy seemed to shake his head, but nothing else.
"Wrong choice."