Irwin reacted on instinct, unsummoning the hammer and using the little kinetic energy he had left to jump back. A blurred motion, too fast to see clearly, flashed past his face, air pulling along with it.
He landed on his heels, stumbling back and trying to keep his balance while focusing on the blur before him. The Niox moved almost as fast as it had struck, and Irwin barely had time to raise his hands in defense, only for two large white, calloused fists to wrap around his wrists.
Instantly, he was locked into place, his body shivering with tension as he felt something press down on him.
The eyes behind the mask were like icy marbles.
"Impressive for a handcarded," the voice said as the Niox cocked his head. "Sadly, I can't play with you now, and blocking teleportation won't help you."
Blocking- Irwin's thoughts were interrupted as something struck him on the chin. His head rocked back, and he felt his mind sink into unconsciousness.
No!
Screaming at himself, he forced his mind to remain awake, barely succeeding. Without hesitation, he toggled his flame skill, and the world turned crimson as a raging fire erupted from him.
A startled grunt came, and the pressure around his wrists intensified as the Niox squeezed.
Vision blurry, Irwin saw the head flicker, and he triggered his Vealite at the same moment as a more powerful blow rocked his face. He felt his nose flatten, something creaking then snapping, while absorbing a massive surge of kinetic energy, as much as jumping from the wall in Grianfál gave.
Black spots swirled across his vision, and his legs buckled. Knowing he had no more than a split second before a third blow would knock him out, he let all of the kinetic energy flow to his legs. It was a trick he'd learned over the months to use the energy where he needed it, and after the split second it took to reach his feet, he had it explode out.
There was a muffled boom, and he was flung up and forward as if he had been hurled by a giant. There was a surprised roar, and then he felt himself sail through the air, dragging something along for a few moments. He slammed into the ground, on his back, the air knocked out of him.
His vision now a small patch of blurriness surrounded by darkness, he turned his head back. The Niox was lying behind him, fists still around his wrists, its eyes now burning with a cold blue fire. Behind the angry, masked giant, he saw blurry movements.
A distant, furious roar exploded out over the city, and he jerked, but his arms didn't move. Then there was a second, even more furious one.
Irwin instantly recognized the voice. He'd heard it only a short while ago. Then he was rotated against his will, landing with his face in the dirt, before he felt himself be pulled up to dangle from the other's grip inches from the mask and the burning blue eyes.
"You are lucky they want you alive," the Niox growled. "I'll see you soon."
Something slammed into Irwin's face, and he was hurled back as the grip on his arms was gone. His vision threatened to go dark, and as much as he struggled, he couldn't stop his mind from slipping into unconsciousness.
--
Irwin felt like groaning as he woke, his wrist hurting and a thudding headache making his head feel like an anvil. There was a distant thunder, and he tried to recall what was wrong. Was it storming? Where-
"He's waking up!"
Greldo's worried voice caused the image of the Niox to flash in his head.
Eyes snapping open, he bolted upright, looking around as he subconsciously triggered Coperion Body and formed a hammer in his hand.
"Calm down!"
Irwin blinked as he saw Greldo and Scintilla look down on him, both with weapons drawn. The fur across Greldo's face was burned on one side, blood and bruises showing, while Scintilla's left arm dangled down uselessly.
The distant thunder came again, and he looked around to notice the street they had been in was partially destroyed. The buildings had been scorched while two massive pits sat in the center.
"What is going on? Where are those Mercenaries?" Irwin grunted as he rose. As his increased endurance kicked in, he felt his weariness recede, though his headache remained. It took him a moment to realize it was because his Flame, Coperion Body, and Vealite cards were so drained that they barely had any energy left.
"You alright?" Scintilla asked, and Irwin looked up to see her eyes focused on his face.
Somehow, her looking made him realize how much his nose hurt, and he gently touched it only to yank his hand back. His nose was cracked to the side and thick.
"You need to gently pull it and move the bones back in place," Greldo said. "Or it will remain like that."
Irwin blinked, seeing Greldo making a pulling gesture with one hand.
"How do you know?" he asked, noting how odd his voice sounded, almost like he had a cold.
"It happened to me twice," Greldo said with a shrug. "First time a ranger in Estordon fixed it. The one after that, I had to do it myself. It hurts, but with how fast we heal…"
Irwin grimaced, then touched his nose again. The pain shot through his head like a lance. Pull it? He wasn't sure if that was a good idea. What if he made it worse?
"He is right," Scintilla said. "It's broken, and the bone is stuck sideways. With your healing, if you leave it like this, you'd have to break it again to fix it."
Irwin gritted his teeth, grabbed his nose, and pulled the tip. Even his greatly enhanced endurance did little to ease the excruciating pain, and he stumbled as he felt the bones crack and screech oddly. At the same time, he knew they were right because a few of the pieces had already started regrowing. Using two hands, he closed his eyes and pushed the bits of bone back into what he hoped was their normal place.
When he finished, tears were streaming across his face, and he shuddered.
"Yeah, I had that too," Greldo said with a grimace. "Something about your nose…"
Irwin nodded, causing his head to hurt even more. Still, he faintly felt the pain receding. Trying to distract himself, he looked around. There was no sign of bodies.
"So… what happened?" he asked.
"There were five, one for you and two for each of us. They tried to capture me, but I managed to shadowstep away. Tried to help you, but they moved so fast. Bloody silver-eyed-" Greldo ground his teeth.
"Same here," Scintilla said, stepping forward and pressing her shoulder against his for a moment before moving back. "Either they didn't know our cards, or they did and thought they could grab us easily."
As the pain rapidly receded, Irwin felt his mind clear up more. "That Niox said something about being unable to teleport?"
"Yeah, I heard that," Greldo said. "No idea what he was talking about. I could move around without issue."
“And Lord Urdwellan?”
"He is damn powerful," Greldo said with a snort. "From what I could hear, I think he literally tore a hole through his own building to get out. I have no idea how he even knew what was going on, but he flew over here! Moved really fast and slammed into the ground over there." Greldo pointed at one of the large indentations in the road.
"The four we were fighting left before he arrived, while the other one headbutted you away before turning and jumping away, creating that other pit."
Irwin looked at the indentation and shivered. He could jump pretty far with his Kinetic energy, but leaving such a hole in the stone and root-riddled ground was beyond him.
A dull explosion boomed from far away, and looking up, he saw distant trees shake and shudder.
"Let's go to the Greenbark Mission Center," he said.
The others nodded, and this time, they sprinted towards the vinebasket leading up.
As he spun around the corner leading to the square, Irwin nearly tripped. A group of guards surrounded the basket area, weapons brandished. For only a moment, he feared they were mercenaries, then he saw they were all Viridians.
"Smith Irwin, we are ready to escort you to safety!"
Irwin blinked as he saw one of the guards run towards him.
The woman had nearly yellow leaf hair, indicating her age, though her voice sounded young. She had a long-handled ax in one hand and a shield on her arm.
"How did you know I was coming?" Irwin asked, examining her.
"I'm Esetta," she said, beckoning him to hurry. "And to answer your question, Lord Urdwellan told me."
Irwin did as asked, slightly confused.
"I'm from his personal guard," Esetta said as she grinned and tapped a tiny translucent, golden jewel that pierced a few leaves near her ear.
Irwin nodded, staring at the jewel, wondering what those were.
"Bloody happy you are here," Greldo muttered. "But what does that thing do?"
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
"Communication gem, created by one of the crafters," Esetta replied. "It's incredibly rare, requires soulforce to run, and binds to the first wearer."
Irwin eyed it, deciding that he'd try and get one of those if he ever got the chance. As he stepped into the basket, he saw an older man huddled in the corner. Each explosion caused him to shake violently.
"Get us up to Greenbark Mission Center," Esetta said. "And don't worry, we won't let anything happen to you."
The man scrambled up but didn't respond as he grabbed the side of the basket. Instantly, it jolted up, moving much faster than it usually did.
"Any idea what is going on?" Irwin asked as he looked at Esetta.
"No. I just got a warning to meet you here and bring you to Greenbark Mission Center for a rapid extraction teleport," Esetta said. "I was actually hoping you could tell me."
"We got ambushed by Niox who wanted to bring me somewhere," Irwin answered, feeling sick as he recalled. First, the imps, now these things. What was going on?
"I was afraid of that," Esetta muttered, gritting his teeth. "We should have looked harder, but those one-horned rotbranches must have been hiding in some pocket shardrealm."
"Did any other smiths get taken?" Scintilla asked.
Irwin felt his blood run cold as he stared at Esetta hard.
"We don't know yet, but there are multiple areas with fighting," she said, glancing at the dense forest behind them.
This is getting ridiculous, Irwin thought.
The basket came to a shuddering stop, and Esetta jumped out, her hands flicking out in non-verbal orders. The guards around her arrayed themselves to the sides, and Esetta beckoned him forward.
A few moments later, they were running through the empty level.
Everyone is probably hiding, Irwin thought as he looked at the closed doors and shutters.
They reached the mission center square without any issue, and Irwin was surprised to see Driseog stand before the door of the Greenwood Mission Center. Gadorley stood beside him, as did two hooded, dagger-wielding figures.
Irwin saw a look of relief on Driseog's face.
"Smith Irwin, I'm glad you are alright," he said as he moved forward, the others shadowing him.
"So am I, Driseog," Irwin said, not sure what to add.
"Gadorley, get us all back," Driseog said.
Irwin was about to ask where they were going but stopped when he saw Driseog shake his head. A green glow, a wrap-up in leaves and vines, and a jolt later, the distant explosions and rumbles vanished as they landed on a quiet, sandy square. Irwin blinked in surprise at the familiar sight of his Grianfál smithy.
A look around showed that besides him, Greldo, and Scintilla, there were half a dozen guards with Esetta and the two dagger-wielding bodyguards and Driseog surrounding him.
The guards instantly spread out, and he saw a few of them turn into green, leafy hurricanes flickering.
"What's going on?" he asked, searching for anything dangerous.
"Lord Urdwellan asked us to make sure you remained safe here," Driseog said, slowly turning around with his eyes closed, one hand raised.
After a few moments, he stopped and sighed. "There are only Viridians and Ignitzions here," he said. "Well, and our young friends. Now, let's head inside and wait till Lord Urdwellan joins us. I'm sure he can explain what is happening."
Irwin nodded and, after a moment's hesitation, led the others into the smithy. Esetta and her guards spread out, some even walking up the staircase, while the two bodyguards remained with Driseog.
"So… you wanted to talk to me?" Irwin asked after they had all sat down.
"Yes, though not exactly under these circumstances," Dirseog said with a weary smile. "I had been investigating the rumors of some of those Dead Pact Mercenaries remaining behind after the auctions and wanted to warn you personally while giving you this."
Irwin watched him draw a stack of cards from his inner pocket, handing them over.
"Oh! That's great," Ambraz crooned as he flitted from Irwin's shoulder and flew around the cards.
"These are all cards that should roughly match the cards you have now," Driseog said. "There aren't that many because the combination you have isn't very common, but they should help you after you form your heartcard."
Irwin blinked as he examined one of the cards, then another. Both were simple cards, one a self-heating pan, the other a flaming dagger.
"Thank you," Irwin said, nodding at Driseog before pocketing the cards. He already had a few, but there were probably ten or more in this stack.
"No problem," Driseog said with a smile. "This should be enough to pay you for your help in reforging my daughter's card."
"Definitely," Irwin said, actually feeling slightly bad. It had only taken him a little bit of effort, and he'd gained over a hundred simple cards for practice and now these twelve cards for his future heartcard. It felt too much, but he wasn't going to complain.
They continued talking for a while until a crackling came from outside.
Irwin jumped to his feet, glancing at the door where the guards arrayed themself, weapons ready.
"It's Lord Urdwellan," Driseog said calmly, causing Irwin to sign in relief. The guards, however, remained where they were until the door opened, and the towering figure of Lord Urdwellan appeared. His head only fit below the door as he walked inside, and when he did, Irwin hissed in surprise.
Lord Urdwellan's clothes and armor were ruined, and where his left arm should be, an empty sleeve was dangling down. Crithann followed behind him, followed by Balarn, Monique, and Nimdal. As happy as he was to see the other smiths, Irwin couldn't tear his gaze from Lord Urdwellan's missing arm.
"Don't worry," Lord Urdwellan said as he moved to the table. "It will regrow in a few months."
"It what?" Greldo muttered, echoing Irwin's own thoughts.
"For us, losing a limb isn't what it is for you," Crithann said as he slumped in a chair, smiling wearily at Irwin. "Like the branches of a tree, missing extremities can grow back, though how fast depends on the individual."
"Even the head?" Greldo asked, causing a soft laughter from a few of the guards.
"No, not the head," Crithann said.
"That used to be a punishment," Lord Urdwellan said as he tapped the table with a finger. "Traitors would be slowly cut down, starting at the top of the head, then given a short time to regenerate. They would continue until-"
"Cousin!"
Irwin swallowed as he watched Lord Urdwellan, who blinked at Crithann's loud interruption. Then he let out a soft laugh as he shook his head.
"My apologies. I'm somewhat out of it," Lord Urdwellan said as he stopped tapping. "I didn't expect to have to fight three-souls in a battle right after reforging a heartcard."
"If it had been any other moment, they wouldn't have had a chance," Crithann snapped angrily.
"Yes, they knew exactly what they were doing," Lord Urdwellan agreed, frowning. "The implications of which worry me greatly…"
Irwin looked at Balarn, who grimaced, then shrugged.
"So… did they get any other smiths?" Irwin asked.
A dull growl came, followed by a momentary increase in pressure that made Irwin want to get up and flee. Luckily, it disappeared as fast as it came, though Lord Urdwellan's tapping had become louder than before.
"They took the three Emerald Rank smiths that arrived here to learn from me," Lord Urdwellan said, his voice cold and dangerous. "I managed to stop one kidnapping, while your charter-" he glanced at Balarn, "-managed to stop another. However…”
Irwin swallowed as he felt the powerful pressure increase again. This time, it lingered before vanishing.
"Junior."
Irwin looked at Lord Urdwellan, and he swallowed.
"I've sent a group to the exit portal. They will validate that it is safe, and then one will return. Moving as fast as they could, it will still take weeks, perhaps a month. But as soon as they return, you are to head outside. I thought I had my world safe and in order, but it seems I was wrong."
The entire room seemed to shake softly as the pressure increased even more, and Irwin felt his body locked into place. The people opposite him that he could see, including Crithann, were as motionless as he was, though he saw Crithann's jaw was clenching and unclenching..
"You are welcome to return after one year in the Portal Gallery has gone by," Lord Urdwellan said. "Until then, you and those who will leave with you will remain in Grianfál. No missions. No exploring. Esetta and her guards will remain to protect you."
Irwin felt his hair stand on edge, and he wanted to protest, but one look at Lord Urdwellan made him keep his lips together. Something in the other's eyes almost seemed… unhinged, and the difference from only hours ago made him shiver. What had happened during that battle? Who were those smiths that their capture made Lord Urdwellan look like he was ready to explode?
"I know there are reasons you are here, but none can be worth your life," Lord Urdwellan said as he rose and looked around.
His soft words were dismissive, but Irwin still didn't dare speak.
"Esetta, if anything happens, contact me immediately. I'll either send help or come myself."
"Yes, Lord," Esetta said, her voice barely more than a croak.
Lord Urdwellan blinked, seeming surprised as he looked back, and then the massive pressure vanished.
"I… sorry," he muttered as he turned and headed to the door. Then he left, and a moment later, there was a crackling of lightning.
Everyone around the table looked at each other until Crithann finally sighed.
"Master Driseog, I am sorry you had to see that," he said.
Irwin looked up to see Driseog, who had been quiet and seemed largely unfazed.
"It is alright," Driseog said as he looked around. "I hadn't heard that there were more Emerald rank smiths here, but I can fully imagine what losing them means. Were they family?"
Crithann visibly hesitated, then nodded. "Extended, but yes. The only three that were willing to come here."
"A shame," Driseog said with a weary smile. "We could have used some more high-rank smiths, especially with Smith Irwin soon to be leaving us. Now… I'll be heading out, but I'll leave my friends here."
He watched the two quiet, hooded bodyguards.
"They will remain here, out of sight, and make sure no oddities occur," he said before turning to Irwin.
"Young friend, I'll probably be leaving here in a few years. This mission center is almost up and running, and I have a few promising people to run it. If you end up closer to the main branch, anywhere near Suderfuix, come and find me."
Irwin nodded, surprised. "I will if I get the chance. Thank you, Driseog," he said.
Driseog nodded, then rose and walked to the exit. Gadorley had been standing near the door and followed him outside. The two hooded and cloaked figures followed him, then turned and bowed to Crithann before leaving.
"Suderfuix?" Irwin whispered, looking at Balarn.
"It's one of the larger Viridian-run cities in the Portal Gallery," Balarn said, sounding almost as tired as Crithann did. "I've never been there, and I've heard that traveling there takes months."
"Almost a year," Crithann rumbled. "But Master Driseog will likely teleport, a luxury not even awarded to most of my family."
"That's nice and all," Greldo said, leaning forward. "But what's all this about us leaving?"
Crithann smiled ruefully. "There is nothing to do about it. My cousin is the lord of his world, and he has decided it is no longer safe. He has only allowed for a handful of smiths to remain here, most of those still being taught."
Irwin blinked, then looked around as he noticed there was someone missing.
"Yogog?" he asked.
Balarn snorted. "Who would have guessed that grumpy man would be such a gifted teacher?"
There was a bit of forced laughter from Monique and Nimdal, and Irwin frowned.
"So he is staying?"
"For a while longer, until there is one Topaz-ranked smith among those he is training."
A while, Irwin thought as he grimaced. Although he had learned at a comparative breakneck speed, he knew full well how long it took most smiths to get that far.
“Big sisters Hotzli and Ignalia?” Scintilla asked.
"They are going to remain with Yogog," Balarn said as he rubbed his face.
Irwin forced himself to get up. "There are some free rooms," he said.
"Not the same as before, right?" Balarn asked with a rueful laugh.
Irwin remembered the previous time Balarn had been here when he'd been captured upon his first night.
"No," he said as he waved upstairs. "We expanded a while ago. You might have to share, but…"
Balarn just snorted, and a short while later, Irwin sank down on the couch beside Scintilla. The room was empty, though Greldo had told him that the guards were stationed outside while Driseog's bodyguards were moving around on the roof.
He quietly enjoyed Scintilla's body warmth, staring around the room.
"What will you do?" Scintilla asked as she leaned into him, scratching his chin.
"Sleep soon," Irwin muttered, distracted.
"No, you cinderblock," Scintilla said with a snort. "What will you do before you have to leave."
Irwin sighed, then shrugged. "Try to get my heartcard. Ask Lord Urdwellan if he can do the same for Greldo because I won't be able to for a while."
Scintilla nodded. "You are heading back to Fiverrio and your own world?"
Hearing the tiny hesitation in her voice, Irwin focused on her, seeing her burning eyes stare into his.
"Yes. I need to save my people if I can," he said. Should he ask her to come with him? He shook himself. That wouldn't happen. She couldn't survive in the cold places he'd have to go to.
Scintilla held his gaze for a bit, then sighed and looked away. "You will find a way," she said, sounding far more sure than Irwin did.
"I have to hope I'm strong enough," he muttered, feeling a tiny twitch of hopelessness.
"You are an Emerald rank smith," Scintilla said as she snorted. "You even managed to make a ruby rank card. If you have to, you could bring thousands over and create some type of colony there, paying for them by smithing."
Irwin nodded, closing his eyes as he thought about the people back home.
"That would be a last resort," he muttered, leaning back and closing his eyes. Between the stress of the day, the warmth of Scintilla, and the suppressed worry, he felt his mind drift off.
"If you can get them fire cards like yours, you could bring them to one of the Ignitzion worlds," Scintilla whispered.
There was no response, and as she looked down, she saw Irwin breathing calmly, deep asleep.