It took them a while to locate the Cracked Leaf Inn. It was nestled in the busiest part of town, oddly hidden between two three-story buildings that dominated the town's central area. Wooden boards hung from the dozens of shops, and rickety stairs led to those on the second and third stories.
Though Irwin felt his heart race at the prospect of walking up the exposed ladders and stairs, many didn't seem to care. A hubbub of people walked and climbed from shop to shop, and all looked perfectly at ease. An old lady, gray and wrinkly, walked a narrow ladder next to a twenty-foot drop as if it were nothing.
Still, as odd as everything looked, the thing that dominated the area was a wooden building that partially hung from the sides of the others, bulging outward. It had a massive sign on the wall with worn red letters.
"Wignut's trader's society," Greldo said as he gaped at the building.
Irwin wasn't doing any better, his eyes drifting to the Cracked Leaf, which sat in the gap between the buildings, almost as if everything had been built around it to accommodate its existence. A sign above its center window showed a leaf cracked in half as if made of stone, with letters below. The building and those around it almost seemed a whole thing, and he let his gaze wander around for a while. They didn't have anything remotely as big or odd in Malorin.
"Let's find the others, then see if we can get some boots," he finally said, causing Greldo to shake out of his stupor.
"Okay," his friend muttered, and they wound their way through the increasingly dense mass of people.
"Watch out for pickpockets," Ambraz whispered from Irwin's chest pocket.
He blinked, then quickly put a hand over his coin while looking around fearfully. There were many people walking around, but he didn't spot someone who seemed ready to steal the little coin he had.
A short area before the oddly small door that led into the Inn was cleared of people, and a guard stood leaning against the wall, his eyes darting from left to right. When he saw Irwin and Greldo approach, he raised an eyebrow.
"With the sorceress, I take it? She be in the leftmost rentable group room. Get there right quick, and no dilly-dallying," the guard grunted in heavily accented common.
Irwin and Greldo nodded but remained in place as the guard gave them a death stare. After a few more seconds, the guard turned his attention back to the mass of people.
Creepy, Irwin thought as he headed to the indicated room.
The door was heavier than it looked, and it took some effort to open it enough for them to sneak through. It slammed back shut behind them, surprising Irwin. He looked up and saw a rope attached to the door's corner. It looped around on the opposite side and down with a heavy-looking bag attached.
"Smart," Irwin muttered.
They stood in a wide corridor with a register in front and a door on each end.
"Ah, more young ones," a happy voice called out.
An elderly woman with more wrinkles than Irwin had ever seen smiled at them. Her blue eyes seemed too large for her face, and she was leafing in a book on the counter before her.
"Now, don't block the door! If you are with Tanya, you can go through the left door, walk through the restaurant, and take the leftmost door again," she said with another broad smile.
"Thank you," Irwin and Greldo said, almost at the same time, garnering them another smile.
The left door didn't have the auto-closing mechanism and opened as a door should, leading them into a large, busy room. Twice as high as an average room, wooden poles elevated platforms ten feet up, with ladders leading to them. People sat there, perched like birds, eating, laughing, and chatting, while others sat at the tables below.
"Incredible," Greldo muttered, and Irwin agreed.
They wound their way along the paths between the tables.
A half dozen doors sat in the far wall, and going through the most left one, they entered into a hallway with more doors, ending in an open area. People that Irwin recognized stood there, looking at someone, and he heard Tanya's voice. They walked forward, picking up halfway through her speech.
"-back in two hours. The guide will be ready then, and we will head to the first of the portals! Don't make me find any of you. Got it?" Tanya said, grinning to show it wasn't a threat.
"Yes, Sorceress Tanya," a few of the younger-looking girls chimed before half of the group turned, walking around Irwin and Greldo.
Irwin ignored the pointed glares and whispered insults that he got from two large, burly guys. They reminded him of Bast and the other bullies, and he made a mental note to stay away from them.
Old, worn-looking benches stood in the room, many covered in intricate crafting that might one day have been beautiful. Now, they just looked like they had been found in a ruin. Those youths that weren't leaving stood grouped together, and Daubutim towered over everyone. A quick look showed the rest of their group surrounding him.
"Irwin! Glad you made it," Sorcerer Tanya called out.
She was walking towards them with a slightly apologetic look.
"I'm sorry we couldn't wait for you, but I needed to get this room, and if we were too late, it might have been unavailable," she continued. "Did you catch what I just told everyone?"
Irwin nodded. "Two hours to find boots, then back here," he said.
"Good. There are doors back there leading to a room for each of your groups. Good luck finding some boots," Tanya said before turning and walking to the only door leading away from the larger open area.
"Thank you, Sorceress Tanya," Irwin whispered after her retreating form, and she waved, showing she'd heard. He wasn't surprised.
"Are you going to the shops?" Rachel asked as she came towards them, Twintin next to her.
"Yes. I need some boots, so I'm going to see if I can find some that are a silver or less," Irwin said with a shrug.
"You should not skimp on good boots," Daubutim said with a deep frown. "They are the things that carry you where you need to go."
Irwin blinked, wondering who had told Daubutim this so many times that he'd managed to say it in such a way that it channeled another person's voice. He heard him do that on occasion, but this was the clearest it had been.
"I know," he said. "But I don't have more coin than this. So unless you want to lend me more…" he said with a grin that showed he was kidding.
"Alright," Daubutim said with a short nod and glassy eyes. "I'll come."
Irwin blinked at him stupidly. Seriously?
Someone kicked his chin, and he looked at Greldo in annoyance, but the other boy just raised an eyebrow.
"You need boots," he said before turning to Daubutim.
"Thanks, Daub," he said.
Daubutim frowned and looked at him. "Only my mother calls me Daub," he said. "Please don't do that."
There was an awkward silence as Greldo flushed, then he nodded quickly. "Sure! Daubutim it is. Didn't know."
Daubutim's frown disappeared as fast as it had come. "Thank you," he said with a dull smile.
"Right… interesting and all that. But I need to take care of something. I'll see you back here before two hours have passed," Olban said before he turned and almost ran toward the door.
The others looked after him, and Irwin shared a confused look with Greldo.
"That was weird?" Rachel muttered, matching what Irwin had been thinking.
Greldo frowned, and as he stared after Olban, Irwin saw his eyes narrow as if he had realized something. It lasted for only a moment, then vanished.
"Well, he's not wrong! Let's go and get you some boots," Greldo said, gesturing towards the door through which Olban had vanished.
Irwin nodded, wondering what Greldo had noticed that he had missed. Still, there were more important things now. Like boots! With Daubutim behind them, they headed out.
Fifteen minutes later, he stood in an old but well-maintained store with various leather boots, shoes, belts, pants, and even simple armor on display. He was looking at a set of boots his size yet way more expensive than he'd ever seen. The dark leather gleamed, and the pair of hard-wooden buckles that held the sides together were simple but high quality.
"These should be fine," Daubutim said, sounding disinterested.
He's definitely a noble, Irwin thought.
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He felt his heart rate rise as he looked at the price below the boots that said they were one gold and three silver. He wanted to ask Daubutim if he was sure, then thought better of it. He needed boots, and if his question somehow made the other second guess his reasoning, he'd have to go into their first real Portal with the ones he had now.
Feeling odd, he picked them up and carried them to the front desk, inspecting the belts that looped around and wondering how to even put them on. A tiny, eagle-nosed man was frowning at him, his eyes darting to Irwin's shoes and then back up. "I hope you don't make a habit of mutilating your footwear, young man."
Irwin's face turned red, and he quickly shook his head. "No, sir crafter," he said, which got him a raised eyebrow.
"Well… good. Now, I don't do haggling, but from your apparel, I can see you are not flush with cash. So if you buy these, I'll help you buckle it properly so you will have no shaving," the man said, and Irwin got the feeling he brooked no argument.
"Please don't take us for fools," Daubutim said before he could say yes.
The taller boy's voice was suddenly razor sharp, and both Irwin and Greldo turned to him with surprised, confused looks.
"Though well crafted, these boots have wear on the heel, and the belt buckle was added later. These have obviously been repaired and should not be the same price as new ones. I think nine silver would be more than a fair price."
The old man's eyes had focused on Daubutim, widening slightly as the tall boy spoke.
"You are right, but you will not find any cheaper boots in Wignut," the man said with a slight frown, not denying what Daubutim had said.
"Perhaps. But I think it would pay not to overcharge potential sorcerers," Daubutim said, causing the man to freeze for a moment. "We might otherwise not return for more equipment."
Has he been playing us all this time? Irwin thought as he stared stupidly at the boy, barely recognizing him.
"Sorcerers," the man said, drawing out the word as if tasting it. "I see. And you think I should believe you on your word?"
"You can verify it easily enough. If we are lying, you can find us without issue. Wignut is not large, and we are new and easily located," Daubutim said, seeming undeterred.
"One gold," the man said.
"Nine silver and three copper," Daubutim said. "And when I need my new boots and am able, I'll come here to have them made."
The man seemed ready to snap something when he stopped and examined Daubutim from head to toe. His eyebrows shot up when his gaze reached the other's muddy but obviously high-quality black-leather boots. He swallowed audibly before nodding.
"Fine, young lord. You drive a hard bargain, and I hope you don't prove a trickster."
"You have my word," Daubutim said while he took a purse from his belt and put one gold coin on the table before turning to Irwin, who was staring at the thumb-sized gleaming golden coin. "I don't have or want copper coins. With three copper, he can return me a silver."
Irwin looked at him as if he was joking, then quickly scrambled for his copper and put three on the table.
"An odd group you are," the man said as he swiped up the coin before handing Daubutim one silver back. "Now, follow me."
Ten minutes later, Irwin and the rest left the store. He was now six copper poorer, but the new socks another three had bought him were thick and warm. His boots fit snugly but had a reasonable amount of room in the toes for growth, and the craftsman had shown him how to change the belts and buckle if needed.
As happy as he was, the first thing he did after they moved away from the entrance was turn to Daubutim.
"Have you been tricking us?" he asked.
The boy looked at him for a moment, his eyes dull and no sight of the sharp gleam from before.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"Just now, what was that?" Irwin asked, noting that Greldo was standing quietly beside them, not interrupting.
"Haggling," Daubutim said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "My father taught my brothers and me. I'm not as good as them."
Irwin grunted. Was he joking? How could he act like this when he'd obviously-
"Daubutim, did your father tell you to look and talk like that when haggling?" Greldo asked, interrupting him.
Daubutim nodded slowly. "Yes. He made me look in mirrors for long times and said my eyes had to look like ice. It was boring and hard."
"Incredible," Greldo muttered before turning to Irwin. "Let's go. Daubutim is just good at this. I'll explain it later."
Irwin nodded, but Greldo's question had made something click, and he realized what the other meant. Daubutim could act in a certain way with incredible confidence, but it was no more than that—an act.
It made sense as he recalled the boy's previous actions. Still, he decided to keep an eye on the dull boy and discuss it with Greldo later.
They climbed back down the ladder, making their way towards the road below, when they passed a larger wooden platform with a small group of people. They stood in a circle and talked loud enough for Irwin to overhear as he passed.
"I'm telling you, my cousin is a guard on the peninsula wall, and he wouldn't lie! High-rank cards, some of epic rank, have been dropping, and he says the last time that happened was during the great dying a hundred years ago!" a stubble-faced man snapped angrily.
"And I just told you to stop spreading lies, Jeffrey. You will get people scared for nothing," another man said, raising his voice. "There've not been any large overflows from portals in decades, and the last one was a far cry from that horrible time! Just because a few more portals appear doesn't mean overflows will!"
Irwin slowed, pulling Greldo and Daubutim to this floor's shop, which sold an assortment of cloth, towels, bed linen, and soap. A look at his friend showed he was staring through the window without really seeing anything, obviously listening as intently as he was.
Daubutim was frowning at a bar of soap. "Why are we here? Do you also need soap?" he asked.
"No, I want to listen to what they are talking about," Irwin whispered, getting a nonplussed look and a shrug from Daubutim. Irwin ignored him and focused on the heated discussion behind him.
"So? Because people might become afraid, we should ignore the warnings?" the man called Jeffrey retorted. "You've heard it! Half a dozen or more portals are in the hills, plains, and woods around us. That's just here! We normally get none, and you know that. Then there's this rumor that something happened with the sorcerer's towers. It took two days before they came to close the portals. Normally, they are here within a few hours."
"Normally? You make it sound like it happens all the time," another man snorted.
"It never did," Jeffrey snapped. "Which is exactly my point! Something is happening!"
"So," the first man said. "What do you suppose we do? Go to the wall, risk our lives against those demons in the idle hope that we find what? Uncommon cards? Rare cards? They're not like nuts that grow in trees!"
"We could enter the Sleepers Forest and find some there," the man said, though his voice was softer now, as if he was afraid of who might hear.
"Suicidal fool," the second man barked. "Those are rumors! Besides, the monsters there are as strong as those in portals! Just because they never leave, you think you can just wander in and kill them in the hope that some tavern talk is actually true? Bah!"
The conversation quickly dissolved in a heated argument about the nature of the rumors, and Irwin and Greldo moved away, back towards the Inn.
So… that's how Bronwyn got his hands on an epic card, Irwin thought.
He'd thought it was insane luck, but perhaps if those rumors were right, he wasn't that special. That meant there might be more like him out there, people with cards that seemed to be common but were actually much higher. Perhaps even… he thought about Daubutim's club and Rachel's shield. He'd thought perhaps their cards were deemed utility for some reason, but that was on the assumption they were common rank. What if they were special, like his?
But what are the chances for the three of us being in the same group?
They reached street level again, and as they stepped onto the street, he saw Olban hurry towards the Inn. The side of his face was bruised, his coat had a large tear, and he kept looking over his shoulder.
"Now what?" Greldo whispered before stepping forward. "Olban!" he shouted.
The zit-covered boy spun around with eyes wide with fear. As he saw Greldo, evident relief wiped the fear from his face, and he ran towards them.
"What happened?" Irwin asked, noting the bloody smear running from the boy's nose across his cheek.
"I... I…” Olban stuttered before taking a deep breath and seeming to steel himself. "I can't tell you here. We'll talk in the Portal, alright?"
The others looked at him with different levels of surprise, then Irwin nodded awkwardly. "Sure, let's head back in."
Olban nodded, and they followed him, almost running to the Inn while he kept looking at the crowd behind them. Irwin looked but didn't see anyone suspicious. Just a mass of people moving to and fro.
The Inn was the same as before, the lady at the entry nodding at them kindly, while the main room was slightly busier. Olban moved as if someone was after him, only stopping when they finally entered the room appointed to their party. Rachel and Twintin were sitting on the bed, and they fell quiet, looking at Olban.
Olban moved to the furthest bed without talking and lay down on his side with his back towards them, getting surprised looks from the girls.
"What happened?" Rachel asked, looking at Irwin.
"I don't know," Irwin said, moving to one of the other beds. "We came across him like this outside. He didn't want to tell us and said we'd have to wait till we were inside the Portal."
As soon as the word came out of his mouth, he knew he had made a mistake because Rachel's upbeat smile faltered, and Twintin stared at him with a look of pure fear.
"How long do we have?" Rachel asked.
"Almost an hour," Daubutim said from his own bed.
He'd barely finished when they heard someone run through the hallway. A moment later, there was a knock followed by Tanya's voice.
"Come to the main room. There is news!"
Irwin had just laid down on the soft bed, and it took him a great deal of effort to roll back off.
Great. Why do I feel like I won't like this, he thought.
As he and the others exited their room and moved toward the larger room at the back, he saw a lot of their big group had also returned. Tanya stood in the center, her usual smile gone and her face unreadable. Beside her stood a tall man in leather armor with a bow in hand and a quiver peaking over his shoulder.
"Good, the rest aren't nearby, so we won't wait for them," Tanya said as her eyes darted across the children. "Alright, I see three of the five groups are complete. Good. You are going to go with Delwood toward the nearest set of portals. I know I said you had another hour, but we've just had word that one of the portals has changed from common to uncommon. We can't wait another second. Delwood and I will have to try and close that one by ourselves, and if another one changes..."
Her gaze passed over the children, looking them all in the eye. She must have seen something because she took a deep breath, and a forced smile came to her as she spoke again.
"I know many of you, if not all, don't want to be here, and I can relate. But know that if we don't close these portals immediately, this town and a few nearby will be overrun. There are not enough uncommon sorcerers to close this many portals. So, as before, I want to ask you to do your best. Don't attempt to flee. Find a way to close those portals! Lives depend on it!"
A worried whispering came from the surrounding youths, and Irwin heard the growing fear.
Tanya did too, as she seemed to hesitate, looked at Delwood, then continued.
"I'll share something that's not yet been made public, which I hope will help you understand. Puulwind, which was a town on the northern side of the peninsula home to over nine thousand people, was wiped from the map yesterday. Three portals changed from common to uncommon to rare in the span of two days, after which there was a surge. One of them spit forth a horde of Landsharks that wiped out almost every living thing in a hundred-mile radius around the Portal. We have no information about what came out of the others, as only a single sorcerer stationed there managed to return alive."
A hushed silence hung over the children, and Tanya smiled weakly.
"This is why we have to hurry. Now, the three complete groups, follow Delwood and close those portals!"
There was another outburst of whispers, but as Delwood strode to the door, those of the groups fell in line behind him. Irwin and the others joined at the back, moving in a line through the Inn, which fell quiet.
As he stepped back outside, Irwin wondered if this would be the last time he saw the town. Either because he was going to die or because another group would fail and a surge would trigger.