"They are leaving," Rachel whispered from her position next to the door.

A dull red glow poured from the entrance, bathing the room in an eerie crimson. Their small backpacks lay to the side, in a stack, with Twintin and Daubutim beside it.

Finally, Irwin thought, his gritty eyes staring at the wall of plants. He had been standing there for hours, his feet hurting and his mind a weary mess. Still, each time he would sit down, vines would poke out of the bush, ready to attack.

Glad it seemed over, he looked at Greldo standing beside him. He was the only one who wanted to remain anywhere near him while his flame was up, as the heat just added to their already horrible discomfort. Greldo was just taking a sip from his waterskin, then looked up and nodded.

"I'll check," he whispered after another drink.

As he moved away, Irwin glared at the green plants, wondering how they would react when the sun was completely gone. Hopefully, not at all. Or perhaps they would freeze.

A soft howling came from outside, and Twintin audibly gulped.

"They are almost all gone, and the shadow will be at the portal soon," Greldo said from the door. "Get ready to leave."

"What- what's that?"

Irwin felt his hair stand on end at the fear in Rachel's voice. He was already moving before Greldo's strangled yelp came. At the door, Greldo was pulling Rachel back, who was raising her hands in defense. One hand glowed, and her shield appeared. Daubutim was up and moving, his club out. Twintin sat to the side, startled like a scared rabbit.

"Twintin, warn us for the vines!" Irwin snapped as he reached the others, stepping past Greldo and looking through the door.

The sun was almost gone now, and a cold wind blew over him, causing him to shiver. Shadowy movements came from between the cracks in the stone plates. It took a moment for his dark vision to adjust, but when it did, he clamped his teeth in anger. Vines, long and nimble, were slowly ripping through the dusty ground, rising into the air everywhere.

Should have tried to kill a dog, he thought, even though he knew how unlikely that would have been.

He took a step back and saw that two vines were slithering across the ceiling. They froze when he moved, and as he raised his flame, they pulled back in a blur.

"They are too smart," Daubutim said, and Irwin looked at him, hoping the odd boy would follow up on the statement.

"And?" he asked after a few seconds.

"The Botany book at school says that plants attack without care for themselves," Daubutim added.

"Did you read anything about things that look like plants and act like this?" Greldo asked, sounding rushed.

They had gathered at the wall near the entrance, Greldo looking outside and Irwin at the plants.

"No," Daubutim said as his eyes focused on the door.

"Great, now what?" Greldo whispered, looking around. "Please tell me that somebody has a great idea?"

It was quiet, and Irwin saw everyone slowly turn to him. What did they expect him to do? It wasn't like he could pull a miracle out of his-

Ambraz...

He clenched his teeth, looking at the others before turning back to the plants. If only it had been only Greldo here, he could have told him. But the others? How much could he trust them with this?

"Irwin?" Greldo asked softly.

"I'm thinking," Irwin whispered, glaring at the plants.

Time slowly passed, the temperature dropping ever lower, but where the plants kept the room cool during the day, they seemed to warm it during the night. At some point, Irwin heard snoring from behind him, and he turned to look at the others. Everyone was sleeping except for Greldo, who was sitting near the door, looking outside. He took the occasional sip of his waterskin.

"Those plants outside at least can't seem to move here," Greldo whispered, looking up. "Got a plan going yet?"

Irwin hesitated, looking at the sleeping trio.

"Not yet," he said.

"Well, if you've got something that might work, I suggest you don't wait too long," Greldo said.

Irwin looked back, wondering if Greldo knew something or had somehow found out about Ambraz.

A rustle made him look up, and he was just in time to see the tip of a vine shoot back in the bushes.

"This is going to be a long night," he whispered.

Luckily for him, it wasn't that long.

"That's weird," Greldo whispered a few hours later. "There's a glow in the distance... it can't become day yet.. right?"

"I hope it will be," Irwin said. "I need to sleep, and perhaps we can go outside and find a building without plants tomorrow."

He knew it was very unlikely, but he needed a moment to talk with Ambraz. Perhaps the Anvil knew a way to get out of here.

Ten minutes later, a dim glow came from outside, slowly lighting up the room. A rectangular shape slowly moved towards the plant, stopping exactly at its edge.

"The plants not in the shadow are leaving back underground," Greldo whispered. "Sadly, the ones around the portal are still there. It's in the shadow of some building and will be there for way too long. We... we need to check the other building."

Irwin nodded as he walked backward, keeping his burning eyes on the wall of vegetation before kicking Rachel's foot.

"Wu- what?" she muttered, looking around blurrily. "It's daytime already? What happened?"

It took her a few moments to fully wake up, but as she did, Daubutim and Twintin woke as well.

"We need to check the other building before the hounds return," Irwin said. "We need one without plants."

"But what if whoever checks gets stuck?" Twintin whispered, shivering. She was hugging her waterskin, drinking every few moments.

Irwin had been worried about the same thing, but before they could decide who would go, Daubutim stood up.

"I'll go," he said dully. "I'm the fastest in a straight line."

"Are you-" Irwin bit his tongue and grimaced. "Good luck."

Daubutim nodded, walking to the door and looking outside. "I'll go left," he said. Then he stepped out of the building, and they heard heavy footsteps run away. The others headed to the door, all of them looking outside, leaving only Irwin to wonder what was going on.

"He's reached the door," Greldo said, then he grunted. "He's heading to the one on the other side."

Time ticked by slowly, then Greldo rose. "He's beckoning us to come towards him!"

Irwin hesitated for only a moment, then backed up to the door. He was dead tired, his eyes were burning, and he needed sleep. As he reached the door, he gazed at the others.

"Run."

"But..." Twintin whispered, her voice close to crying.

"We have to," Rachel said, pulling her along as they ran.

Irwin jumped back and ran after Greldo. Daubutim stood beside a door opening with a tiny bit of shadow, looking at them. It was only a hundred feet away, but halfway there, Irwin's lungs were burning, and his heart was thudding. The slight heat from the first light was making him feel somewhat better.

"Hurry!"

Greldo's panicky shout made his adrenaline spike, giving him the final burst to reach them. As he did, he turned around just in time to see two hounds sprint after him. They only stopped when they saw he had reached the door.

"Let's get inside," Greldo said.

Irwin took one last look at the hounds before stepping inside.

The first thing he realized was that it wasn't as cool inside as the other building. Then he saw the light on the left side, where a large hole in the ceiling and wall allowed light to beam in, creating a beam of light through the center of the room. A part of a staircase leading up into the building was also illuminated. Only the right side of the room was covered in plants, but due to the light, it was hard to say if there were any vines.

"It's much hotter here," Rachel muttered. "Why did you make us come here?"

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Daubutim frowned, seemingly confused for a moment.

"The plants can’t reach us, and Irwin can sleep there," he said, pointing at the patch of bright sun.

Irwin looked at it, then at the plants, and his weariness slammed home so hard that he took a stumbling step forward.

"Yeah," he said before anyone could complain. "I'm going to sleep before the sun turns away."

He looked at Greldo, who was lying down beside the door, yawning.

"Wake us if anything happens!"

"But... what are we supposed to do here in the meantime?" Twintin called out, her voice trembling.

Irwin didn't even bother responding but lay down on the sand-covered ground, closed his eyes, and fell asleep.

--

"What... how are we going to get out of here?"

Greldo sighed, trying to ignore Twintin's whiney voice. He knew she was right to worry, but he wanted to sleep. His tiny water flask was empty, his lips drying, and he needed the reprieve.

Maybe Irwin has some water left, he thought.

"We need to run to the portal after the plants leave and before the hounds come," Rachel muttered.

Right, and how are you going to do that? Greldo thought.

He slept in tiny bursts, waking up every now and again to make sure Irwin was still in the sunny part. The temperature increased until it was steaming, and soon, he couldn't sleep anymore. All he could do was lie against the wall, feeling his lips become drier and drier.

"How come he can just sleep there?" Rachel snapped, glaring at Irwin.

Either the timing was impeccable, or he had heard her because, right at that moment, Irwin turned over.

About time, Greldo thought, groaning as he pushed himself up.

---

Irwin woke feeling much better than before. Much better than in weeks, even. Slightly hungry, very thirsty, but not tired or weak. Instinctively, he kept his eyes closed and refrained from moving, enjoying the heat of the sun on his face and shoulder.

I wish there were no plants and hounds here, he thought. This place wouldn't be so bad. Sadly, they were here and were blocking the portal.

As if a foggy blanket was ripped from his mind, he saw himself chase away the vines with his flame. He could just head to the portal at night! None of those plants would get near him...

For a moment, he wanted to jump up and tell the others. Then he realized the problem.

How am I going to protect everyone?

Mind blank, he remained on the ground, futilely attempting to come up with a plan. Finally, after ten minutes, he knew that if there were no other way, he would have to make a run for it. With some luck, he could guard Greldo and himself.

Most of the joy of a good rest was wiped away and he rose and stretched as he looked at the door. Greldo and the others stood there, a sheen of sweat on their heads and dry and cracked lips.

"I hope you slept well," Rachel muttered, turning her angry stare at the wall of vegetation.

Irwin didn't bother to reply.

"We need to get out of here," Greldo said. "If we don't leave before tomorrow evening, we are going to die without water."

Irwin felt his heart skip a beat as he remembered what Bronwyn had told him about water. They could go without it for two or three days, and then they would die. How long had they been here? He looked up and saw that the sun wasn't at its peak yet.

Strange, it felt like I slept much longer, he thought. So, not two days yet.

"Do you have a plan?" he asked, hoping Greldo had thought of something.

"We wait till the hounds leave, then make a run for the portal, hoping to be faster than the vines," Rachel said, sounding uncertain.

Irwin tried to remember how fast things had gone the previous night. Was there actually a window of opportunity they could use? Then he saw Greldo shake his head minutely.

"Didn't they come almost right after the hounds left?" he said softly.

"Yes, but what else can we do?" Twintin shouted in panic.

Nobody answered, and they all looked at each other in consternation. After a few moments, everyone was looking at him, and Irwin gritted his teeth. If he told them his plan, there would definitely be trouble, so that could wait. It wouldn't work until nighttime anyway. No, what he really needed was a place to talk with Ambraz without-

The staircase!

He turned to the staircase, still fully covered in the scorching sunlight.

"I'm going to go up and see if the next floor is clear," he said, heading towards the door. "Maybe I can reach the roof and find out where the linchpin is."

There was a stunned silence from behind that lasted until he put his first foot on the strangely perfect, angular stair.

"Wait, what if there are vines or worse monsters up there?" Rachel shouted. "Without-"

Irwin tuned her out as he snuck up the stairs. They led to a small square midway point. The stair above that was partially broken, but there was enough room to walk up. Above it, the second story started with a massive hole, which he knew had to mean there was light enough.

As he walked up, he looked back through the massive rupture. Hounds walked to sunny areas on the sandy streets, some even looking up at him with burning red and hungry eyes.

Irwin swallowed as he saw one that was much larger than the others disappear around a corner.

A quick walk-up showed that the back of the other room was partially filled with plants, with long stretches of emptiness where the sun poured in through the windows. The stair continued to the side. Although it wasn't as full of light, long cracks had enough light pouring in that only a few hand-sized plants had managed to grow roots.

Irwin continued up, and after another tiny square stop, he saw the next floor bathed in sunlight. The entire top section, with the exception of a small ridge, was ripped away. Sand-covered debris had created slopes, covering the windows.

He took a quick look around, then sighed in relief.

"Ambraz?" he whispered.

There was a slight rustle in his pocket.

"About time you remembered me, brat! Do you have any idea how dusty and smelly it is in this pocket?"

Irwin sighed in relief at the Anvil's voice. Between everything that had happened, he had the idea that Ambraz might have a way out.

"We are stuck here! How do we get out?" he whispered.

"Unless you are really stupid, you already know how you can get out," Ambraz muttered.

"At night with the flame," Irwin hissed. "Yes, but how do I get the others out?"

Ambraz was quiet for a bit, then sighed.

"I don't know, but I do know you have to hurry."

The Anvil let out another weary sigh before continuing.

"This isn't a typical quartz -or common as you call it- portal. Somehow, the connection to your world is quickly increasing its stability, much faster than normal. From what I can tell, it's only hours from causing other surrounding shardworlds to connect to it. If that happens, more dangerous and numerous monsters will come here. Whatever happens, you can't remain here."

Irwin swallowed as he tried to follow what the Anvil was saying.

Shardworld?

When had he heard that term before...? Right. When he had found Ambraz in training portal eighteen! He wanted to ask what it was but held back. There were more important questions first.

"What do you mean, increasing its stability?"

"Not sure if this is the time for all these questions, but fine," Ambraz said, sounding exasperated. "This is a remnant of a world that shattered. Normally, these things degrade before returning to the-" Ambraz stopped mid sentence before grunting and continuing. "No, let's not go there. Too many potential questions. Anyway, because of the portal to your world, it's stabilizing itself, but it's happening way faster than it should."

"What could be doing that?" Irwin asked worriedly, looking up at the sky. Would it happen before it turned dark? There was no way he could reach the portal with all those hounds here.

"No idea. It could be that there's a very powerful linchpin here, or your world resembles this shard's original form and is highly compatible. I don't know. I'm no expert on shardworld specifics."

Irwin leaned against the wall, staring into the bright sky, noticing that there was no sun for the first time.

“Can you reforge cards so we become stronger?” he muttered.

“Sure, but that takes energy,” Ambraz said with a snort. “I can do one per day, roughly, and only up to uncommon. Well, unless you have cards for me to eat. I can reforge another card if I consume one.

"You eat cards?" Irwin hissed in surprise.

"Of course? Where I'm from, there are so many commons. Why wouldn't I? Eating one common means I can reforge another into uncommon—a great deal!"

Irwin frowned.

"So, say we find a common card," he asked, barely believing what he was asking. "You could reforge a card after eating it?"

"Yes," Ambraz said enthusiastically.

Not that I'd let you eat one, Irwin thought in slight distress. The entire concept made him shiver.

“Well, the chances of finding one are minimal,” he said before sighing.

“So… what do we do?" he muttered, more to himself than as a question to Ambraz.

"I don't know, kid. But... I just thought of something else. Worse, perhaps. Or a chance. Those hounds might be gathering here because they can sense what is happening and are preparing to go out."

"A surge?" Irwin whispered. Horror images of the hounds running out of the portal and into their world, ripping everything apart, made him shiver.

"How is that better?" Irwin asked.

Ambraz hummed softly, then his lips pursed.

"Well, if those hounds surge out, it will give you the chance to go out after them. You would have to wait for an hour or two, but those hounds will want to get away from the portal as fast as possible. So, if there is a surge, all we have to do is remain here while you fend off those plants. From the number of creatures, it would likely happen soon. Perhaps next -"

"What is that?"

Irwin turned to the door, his hair standing on end. Twintin was standing there, her eyes wide and afraid as she gazed at Ambraz.

"How did you sneak up on me?" Ambraz snapped, hovering towards Irwin and landing on his shoulder. "That's... You're too weak! I was too focused on strong things. Dammed rusty-"

Irwin watched Twintin, then took a slow step forward. "This is Ambraz," he said slowly, ready to run and catch her if he had to. "He is my friend."

"Is it a demon?" Twintin asked, taking another small step back.

"No," Irwin said, though as he said it, he wondered if that was even true. "He is a... like a carded summon."

"You have a carded summon?" Twintin asked, suddenly seeming angry. "Those are uncommon or up! Is that why this portal is so... so...horrible!?"

She almost screamed the final bit, and Irwin grimaced.

"No, no. It's got nothing to do with this-" he began.

"Bah, you whiny little brat. This portal is perfectly normal for a quartz… common portal! There's much more dangerous ones."

Didn't you say this thing was becoming uncommon soon? Irwin thought, but he kept his mouth shut.

"Twintin, why did you come here?" he asked, wondering why Greldo hadn't warned him or stopped her.

"Greldo fainted! Daubutim said it was due to the heat!" Twintin said, her face going pale.

Irwin's heart skipped a beat, and he stared at her. He had to help Greldo, but how?

"You have to tell them!" Twintin shouted. "Perhaps it can help!"

She turned and ran, and Irwin jumped after her. He had expected he could catch her, but he'd forgotten just how fast and nimble Twintin was.

Before he reached the final stairs, he heard her sprint below. As he reached the bottom, Twintin stood beside Rachel, talking rapidly to the confused girl.

"What do you mean Irwin has a summon?" Rachel shouted before looking up. Her eyes widened as she saw Ambraz.

Irwin barely noticed it. Greldo was lying on the ground with Daubutim sitting beside him, waving cool air at him. Like Rachel, he was staring at Ambraz in surprise.

"Well, I guess the cat's out of the bag," Ambraz whispered.