Irwin looked at Bendi, unsure what to say. He knew that the world he was supposed to be from was far from where they were now, but he had no idea on which side of Dimarintsia it even was! He quickly decided that the best thing would be to say he didn't know. Besides, he was supposed to have been very young when he left, right?

"I was very young when I was brought to this area," he said with a shrug. "I don't recall exactly what happened after the world shattered or what happened after we were taken away."

Bendi quietly looked back, and for a moment, Irwin thought he was going to ask more, then he just whistled in wonder.

"You must have been unconscious if you don't recall going through Dimarintsia. It's a city that spans the width of that part of the Portal Gallery, and the tallest of its towers brush the barrier."

"It sounds like an amazing place to visit," Irwin said, not sure if Bendi believed him or not.

"Oh, it is. I was inside twice," Bendi said. "Sadly, you need a visit crystal, and it costs over a thousand soulcrystals per week."

"It what?" Irwin blurted, staring at Bendi. "That's-"

"Insane? Impossible? Yes, well, what we call wealth on this side of the Portal Gallery is nothing compared to even a moderately well-off person in Dimarintsia," Bendi said. "So, to answer your question again. No, I've never been to the true main branches."

"Why don't they just allow people through?" Greldo asked as he walked to the railing near them and continued scanning the horizon.

"Power and soulshards, of course," Bendi said, raising his head slightly.

Irwin had the feeling Bendi was happy to be in the center of attention, and as the ex-raider continued talking, his voice became louder as if he wanted more people to listen.

"I spoke to an older explorer when I was there, and he said that all of the named branches have a chokepoint city, as he called them. He said he was from one near a distant branch but lacked the soulshards to return home. Either way, he told me that the chokepoint cities are run by either a powerful family, merchant group, or one of the guilds. According to him, those that are run by the guilds are less strict, but sadly for us, Dimarintsia is run by a coalition of families that all want more than the others want to give, meaning they are squeezing dry anyone who wants to pass through."

"Lovely," Greldo muttered. "Glad we don't have to pass through then."

Irwin agreed wholeheartedly, but Bendi merely shrugged.

"Dimarintsia is a fantastic place to be if you have the soulshards for it. Everything you could imagine is there, and rumor has it that rare and powerful cards are easy to get if you are rich enough to afford to move through to the other side," he said as he walked away.

I wonder about that, Irwin thought as he watched Bendi move to the mast and climb up nimbly.

"I wonder what would happen if someone finds a rank four or five world here and creates one of those cities," he said as he joined Greldo at the railing.

"Those noble families would probably just send armies to take it," Greldo said with a shrug.

Irwin was about to point out that they weren't nobles, just wealthy families, when Greldo suddenly pointed ahead.

"There's something over there," he shouted.

Irwin followed his finger but wasn't surprised when he saw nothing.

"Is it the beacon?" he asked.

"Don't know what those look like," Greldo said. "But this looks more like some enormous boulder."

Irwin frowned as he looked across the Portal Gallery world below him. There wasn't a boulder, hill, or even slight elevation in sight.

Perhaps something fell from above?

Rindiri took them lower so they could see better, and after a while, Irwin began making out the rough shape of something massive on the horizon.

"Can you see what it is?" he whispered.

"No… but it almost looks manmade," Greldo replied, sounding worried.

Irwin tried to make out anything, but all he saw was a rough shape. Still, if Greldo said it looked manmade, he believed him. Which meant there might be trouble up ahead.

"I'm going to drop the steam," he shouted. "Everyone back inside! Rindiri, get us up high enough that we can flee if needed!"

"Yes, Captain!"

There were some sad shouts from above, but within moments, everyone besides Irwin, Greldo, and Rindiri had returned below deck.

As soon as he was sure the door was closed, Irwin dropped the steam. He quickly looked at his energy and was relieved that it had only drained about a tenth of the energy in his card. Not enough to pose any problem except in the worst cases, and if things became that bad, he preferred fleeing even if he had full energy.

Still, let's hope it's just a boulder, he thought.

"I… don't know what that is," Greldo muttered.

Irwin felt his worry grow slightly, and he looked at Rindiri, who looked hyper-focused on the steering wheel.

"Rindiri, can you circle around it a bit?" he shouted.

Rindiri nodded without looking up, and the ship changed course.

As they closed in and circled around the massive boulder, Irwin finally began making out some details. The side they had been moving towards resembled a rough boulder, but as they began getting a glimpse of the other sides, he noticed straight lines and a flat, smooth surface.

"It looks like a part of a building," Greldo muttered.

Irwin agreed with him, and as he inspected the block, he realized it reminded him of a part of a defense tower.

The ship began slowing down as they closed in on the odd debris, and Rindiri joined them.

"That is definitely not a beacon," she said.

"Could there have been a portal here at some point?" Irwin asked, looking around the empty wasteland. "A very long time ago?"

"It would have to be thousands of years if none of the vegetation remains," Rindiri said. "But it's not unheard of. Sometimes, remnants of ancient portal ports are found. That usually means that the portal that was there is gone because the world beyond shattered."

"That's nice and all, but why would there only be one piece?" Greldo asked.

"Depending on what happened to the portal, it could have exploded and blasted everything away," Rindiri said slowly. "But I have to say I'm no specialist in these things. I've never come across anything similar, I just heard some stories."

They quietly observed the debris for a bit until Greldo broke the silence.

"Do you sense a portal anywhere?"

Greldo was looking at Rindiri, but Irwin knew the question was as much directed at him.

"I'll check," Rindiri said as she headed back to the steering wheel.

Irwin nodded at Greldo and closed his eyes as he focused on his heartcard. He'd been practicing the odd scanning sense on and off, and it took him only a few moments to calm his card until it seemed almost tranquil.

For a few moments, he didn't sense anything, and he was about to stop when his card tugged to one side softly. He barely sensed it, but it felt like it wanted to go further to the barrier and up.

So that's what it does, he thought as he focused on the feeling.

He wondered if this was how everyone felt it or if it was because of his increased resonance sensitivity.

After a few moments of making sure he had a general sense of direction, he released his focus. Greldo was still beside him, looking at him with interest and raising an eyebrow.

Irwin nodded as he stared in the direction he'd sensed his card wanted to go.

Rindiri was still busy at the wheel, and Irwin frowned.

"What if she doesn't notice it," he whispered softly.

Greldo blinked, then grinned and turned to the steering wheel.

"Rindiri, I think I see more debris in that direction," Greldo shouted, pointing straight at where Irwin had felt the tug.

"Alright, let's go and see," she shouted. "Because I don't sense anything here."

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

So, Ambraz was right, Irwin thought as he recalled the Anvil telling him that he would be able to sense portals from much further away than others.

He was curious to see how long it would take for Rindiri to sense the portal, and after some hesitation, he focused on his card again. This time, the tugging came faster, almost as if his card already knew what to look for, and Irwin alternated by looking ahead and sensing the tugging.

They continued flying for what Irwin guessed had to have been an hour, and the tugging was now so powerful that he was afraid he was going to get pulled up into the sky toward it.

How can she not be sensing this? he thought as a tiny trickle of worry wormed its way into his mind. What if she wasn't going to feel it all?

It still took another half an hour before Rindiri finally looked up with glistening eyes, taking away his growing fear.

"I can sense something," she shouted. "It's weak and far, but I think it's above us!"

You don't say, Irwin thought as he shared a grin with Greldo.

Rindiri made the ship go almost straight up, and Irwin heard shouts of anger from below deck, but the gray and purple-haired navigator ignored it all. With a wicked grin, she continued to bring them up high in the sky, beyond their usual cruising speed, before she leveled the ship out.

Irwin looked around, but he saw nothing but an empty sky.

"So… where is it?" he asked Rindiri, who walked up beside him.

"What? Did you think we could just see it?" she asked in surprise. "If that would have worked, people like Greldo would have been the best to locate them instead of cardsmiths."

She moved to the center of the deck, and as she did, Irwin quickly closed his eyes and focused on the location of the portal. His card jolted, and he almost felt his entire being pulled towards the location Rindiri was walking to. He quickly released his focus, and as he did, he saw Rindiri stand before a location on the deck.

"Portals are like pure Soulforce holes that, without external influence, are imperceptible with just your eyes. However, you should be able to sense it now if you focus on your cards. It's like a strange wobbling feeling, almost like your cards want to move somewhere."

Irwin watched Greldo close his eyes and, after a few moments, open them again as his mouth fell open in surprise.

"I felt it! It's really weird, almost as if my heartcard wants to pull out of my chest towards where you are standing," he shouted excitedly.

Rindiri's eyes widened in surprise. "You can feel it that clearly? That's fantastic! Then you can help me locate more portals in the future! Now, let's open this portal."

"How are we going to do that, and will there be any trouble if we are this close?" Irwin asked as he walked towards her. As he neared the location of the portal, he felt his card act up even without him focusing on it.

"After we agitate the portal, we have a few hours before the dissonance builds up enough for it to open," Rindiri said as she raised her hand. "To agitate a portal, you have to sense the resonance of the portal and make your card or cards resonate in the opposite way," she said before standing completely still, hand raised.

Irwin nodded. That made a lot of sense with all he'd learned. As he quietly watched Rindiri, he wondered if that was also the reason the portal began appearing between shardworlds and normal worlds after the first portal appeared. Perhaps the world's frequency became unstable due to a portal being created, and that made it possible for portals to connect it to other worlds? He frowned, not sure if that made complete sense, but he was pretty sure he was on to something.

I'm going to have to talk with Ambraz and Daubutim about this when we enter it, Irwin thought.

Rindiri remained at the portal unmoving for a long time, and when she did move, she stumbled back, slumping to the ground. Irwin walked forward and helped her up.

"That was… harder than I remember," Rindiri said, swaying on her feet.

"What was different?" Greldo asked as he stood beside them.

There was no sign of anything where the portal was, but Irwin did feel his card's resonate change slightly. It felt off, for lack of a better word.

"It felt like it was more stable as if someone closed it on purpose, maybe?" Rindiri said as she walked to the ladder and sat down. "Can you get us moving away from here? Just turn the wheel so nobody moves through the portal. It shouldn't do anything yet, but... well, it's best to be safe with these things."

Irwin nodded as he climbed around her and to the steering wheel. As soon as he put his hands on the wheel, he began turning it to the left, and as the ship began moving, it turned away from where the portal was supposed to be. He glided a few hundred yards away before slowing to a stop and walking back to Greldo and Rindiri.

"So, now we wait?" he asked.

"Yes," Rindiri said as she got up and headed to the door. "It will take a while before it opens up, and we will hear that. After it's open, we need to wait for it to stabilize to a normal shape and energy signature before we can see what's on the other side."

She went into the cabin, closing the door behind her.

"So, what do you think?" Irwin asked as he looked at where the portal was going to hopefully appear soon.

"I think this thing is way too close to other things for our plan," Greldo whispered. "But perhaps it's a good world for Rindiri and her people?"

"Maybe… but that would mean they would stay behind, and we'd have to go on without them," Irwin said as he pictured having to take each shift on the helm. "Still, you are right. I guess we better get used to that idea and figure out how to do it all by ourselves."

"Well, I'm not going to do the sail cleaning," Greldo whispered.

"No, you will have to help me on the helm," Irwin said, grinning when he saw Greldo rub his arms to warm them. "But seriously, Bendi would still be there, and he can do the cleaning unless you trust him with cooking?"

"No… I think Daubutim should cook," Greldo grunted. "Anyway, let's see what's behind the portal first. Perhaps someone closed it because it's a dangerous place?"

Irwin nodded when he had a sudden idea. What if this was another one of the worlds the Galadin people took refuge in?

It's close to things like Fiverio now, but it must have been incredibly far from any known place back then, he thought as he pictured going through the portal and finding people like him. Well, like what he used to look like before he got his cards.

"I'm going down for some food," Greldo said. "See you in a bit."

Irwin waved as he remained on the deck, pondering what could be behind the portal.

After a long time, he went down to join the others for a meal, but time seemed to pass slowly.

Finally, as he was pacing across the deck, humming part of the Chaos Whale song, a crackling came from the side of the ship.

Irwin ran to the railing, noticing an orb of crackling blackness suffused with red lightnings building up rapidly.

Behind him, the door was opened, and Rindiri ran outside, followed by Greldo.

"Don't look straight into it when it explodes."

Irwin frowned for a moment, wondering if he should ignore her. He could watch straight into the sun and hadn't been blinded by bright lights ever since he had gotten his first card. Then he turned away. Who knew what could happen? Besides, it wasn't worth the risk.

A few moments later, a loud crackling explosion was followed by a massive surge of heat that burst out from behind him. Within moments, the temperature on the ship surged, and the ice that had formed on every surface melted, water dripping down.

"Okay, it should be safe now," Rindiri said, standing next to him.

Irwin turned around and smiled as he saw the familiar sight of an exit portal hovering before him. Large enough to fit a cart or more, its edges were covered in tiny bolts of red lightning that crackled around it in slow patterns.

"It's exactly like the other ones," he said.

"What else did you expect," Rindiri asked as he glanced at him.

"Maybe something smaller?" Irwin asked. "It's the first new exit portal I've seen. Well, as far as I can remember, at least."

"So… how are we going to go inside?" Greldo asked as he leaned forward. "All that lightning can't be good for the Sonata hull or sails."

"We are going to have to jump inside," Rindiri said. "We will go alongside and use one of the gangplanks. It's why they can be attached to the deck in the first place, although people hardly use them for that due to how rarely portals are found."

"Okay… and what about when we return?" Irwin asked as he shared a worried look with Greldo.

Rindiri grinned as she waved below the portal. "We are going to hover below the portal so anyone that exits will fall on the deck."

Irwin swallowed as he imagined exiting a portal only to start a freefall. Looking down, he was pretty sure he'd survive a fall from that distance, and Greldo could probably teleport to safety, but what about the others?"

"Serious?" Greldo muttered. "So that makes the group we can take inside smaller."

Irwin nodded as he looked at the portal. "You and me," he said, turning to Greldo. "And if it's safe, you can go outside, shadowport to the deck, and bring Daubutim over."

"I don't think that's wise," Rindiri said, causing the other two to look at her. "The opening of the portal could potentially draw troublesome things here, and if the strongest fighters are inside the portal…" she trailed off while Irwin sighed.

"How do you usually do this?" he asked.

"Usually?" Rindiri snorted. "I have never even found a portal before. Usually, there are dozens of explorer ships nearby, and everyone comes storming over when the portal explodes open. It's kind of easy to sense because everyone that's searching will sense the opening. I have sensed a portal just as another group claimed it years ago, and I was around for two more openings."

Irwin was surprised that she'd only been around for three portals. Somehow, he'd expected her to have seen more.

Rindiri seemed to guess his thoughts as she burst out laughing.

"Captain, being around for three portal openings in thirty years is seen as an immense accomplishment! There are a lot of explorers that never even see the lights that indicate a portal opening in their entire lives."

Right, she is only a bit over forty, Irwin thought as he tried not to stare at her gray hair too much. If she'd been a human, he would have guessed she was uncarded and probably sixty or close to.

"Well, four now," Greldo said with a grin before turning to Irwin. "I'd suggest letting me go inside first. I can shadowport to safety if something weird happens."

"Well…." Rindiri said softly, smiling apologetically when Irwin and Greldo looked at her. "I would suggest the captain go inside. Many portal worlds aren't habitable, and the one going in first needs to be able to deal with… well… about everything imaginable, from lava-worlds to ice-worlds, and extreme elevation. There's even a slight chance that there is no air."

"Okay… on second thought, I think you should go," Greldo said, looking at the portal wide-eyed.

Irwin nodded slowly. Rindiri was right. If any of the things she just mentioned happened, he would have at least the time to return alive.

"There's only one situation which will prove difficult," he said. "If there are hostile people on the other side."

“Correct,” Rindiri said. "Which is why we need to wait here for at least a day. The general consensus is that there is almost always someone on the other side who will either go or throw someone through the portal to see what happens within a day. If nothing happens within a day, the chances of there being no living people on the other side drop to such low numbers that it's usually seen as a reasonable risk to take."

"Then I think I'm going to have a chat with Daubutim to see what he knows about these things," Irwin said as he took a final look at the portal before walking to the cabin.

"I'll remain to monitor the portal," Rindiri said.

"I'll keep an eye out," Greldo said.

Irwin grinned over his shoulder at Greldo and Rindiri, who were looking at each other in surprise.

"Alright. Call me when anything happens or you need a break," he said before entering the cabin to find everyone else standing there and looking at him.

"Captain, is Brinni telling the truth? Did the portal successfully open?" Zender asked excitedly.

"Brinni doesn't lie!" Trinn said angrily.

Ib sighed, and before she could join in, Irwin quickly spoke up.

"Yes," he said, ignoring Trinn's scowl, instead focusing on Zender, who was hopping on his feet excitedly.

"What did you mean, successfully?" he asked. "Is it possible for the portal to open unsuccessfully?"

Everyone looked at Zender curiously except for Bendi and Daubutim, the latter of whom began nodding.

Zender shrugged. "Yes. Portals can shatter when they open, which they say is a sign of a world that has shattered."

"Nobody has ever been able to confidently validate that claim," Daubutim said. "But Zender is right. Occasionally, Portals shatter as they open. I take it we are now going to wait to see if anyone comes through?"

"We are," Irwin said. "After that, I'll probably be going in, but before that, I need to talk with you a bit."

"Very well," Daubutim said as he turned and headed down.

The others looked after him curiously, except for Zender.

"Captain, can you heat up the outside so we can see it?" Zender asked.

"I'll do so before I leave," Irwin said.

He headed down after Daubutim, hearing Zender talk excitedly with the others.

I wonder what the world beyond that portal is like, he thought.

He was slightly worried about what it would be but mostly felt his excitement grow as he realized he was going to go through a portal again.