"If we leave, there will be a surge, and lots of people will die," Daubutim said, turning to look at them one at a time.

Irwin wanted to say he was wrong, even wished for it, but the faces of his mother and brother appeared in his mind's eye. If portals like this remained open, they would also die eventually. Maybe not from this surge, as it was too far away, but… if they closed it, they might find a card or likely get at least one card, maybe more from the sorcerers.

He recalled Tanya's words and sighed, knowing what they had to do.

"I don't want to stay here," Twintin whispered.

Irwin didn't respond to her and looked at Greldo. The same resolve he felt was in his friend's eyes. To his surprise, Rachel moved to Twintin, putting an arm around the smaller girl.

"With your power, we have a chance. We can't leave this portal to surge… it might overflow Wignut. You remember what Sorceress Tanya said, right?"

Twintin hesitated, staring at her hand, then at the now wilted section of plants. "I remember," she whispered.

"So we all agree?" Irwin said, swallowing. "We have enough rations for a few days and, with Twintin, enough water for a long time. We are going to try to find the Linchpin... Well, unless this world evolves."

"Yes," Daubutum rumbled, an uncommon smile on his face.

"Definitely," Greldo said with an almost believable grin on his face. "We need to get more cards."

Rachel and Twintin nodded, though the latter reluctantly.

"Then I think we should head back to the original building we came from," Irwin said.

"What? Why?" Rachel asked, confused.

"Because Olban had more rations, and the more we have, the safer it is. Twintin and I can remove the plants and clear the building."

"Brats, you are forgetting one thing," Ambraz said while a distant rumble was followed by a snapping crack as the wall to the side split slightly. "This portal will become much more dangerous, and it won't take a long time."

"After this shardworld evolves to uncommon... Amethyst... how long will we have till the stronger demons start appearing?" Irwin asked.

"Amethyst is uncommon, yes," Ambraz said. "It's hard to say, but more than an hour and less than a day."

"Our day, or this world's day?" Gerldo muttered as he finished his waterskin before handing it to Twintin for a refill.

Ambraz didn't answer.

"Why don't we wait till the dogs leave, or they leave during the evening?" Rachel said hesitantly. "Then we can search our building and the others nearby for clues."

"Right, and if we don't find any, and it gets too dangerous, we will leave," Greldo grunted.

Irwin saw both of them looking at him, and he shrugged. "Unless there's a better shardworld?"

Daubutim was quiet, his eyes seeming glazed over, and Irwin would just take that as an agreement.

"Then let's rest and stay ready to run to the portal if we have to," Greldo said.

The others agreed, and slowly, everyone calmed down. Twintin continued filling bags for a while until she finally ran out of energy.

Ambraz had returned back to Irwin's pocket but heard him whisper something about too much water a few times.

Finally, a long time later, the light outside began to dim. The invisible sun seemed to sink below the horizon faster than normal. They were all standing ready near the entrance, watching the hounds very slowly and hesitatingly retreat. A soft tremor made them all stop, but when vines began ripping out of the ground, they finally dashed away.

"I'll go in the front with my flame. Twintin, you remain at the back," Irwin said as he stepped out of the building, his hand and flame raised.

It was dark, but he could see well enough. The pale sand and gray buildings had turned to a slightly creepy red-hued.

I wish I could increase its size and power," Irwin thought as he watched more vines slowly appear. One hovered nearby, seeming to observe his flame.

"Let's hurry while there are only a few," Irwin said.

"Okay, stay close," Greldo muttered, stepping up beside him.

A few moments later, they jogged towards their original building. Three vines were nearly in their way, but as Irwin closed in, they shot down into the ground.

Irwin moved forward slower, keeping an eye on the muddled sand. He held his flame close to the collapsed hole, and the sand rustled as it appeared that something burrowed deeper into the ground.

His heartbeat ran a mile a minute. Irwin waved Greldo forward and only ran after him when Twintin passed the area.

A few moments later, they reached their original entrance, and as Irwin stepped inside, he saw dozens of vines rush back into the vegetation.

When everyone joined him, he shared a relieved look with Greldo before turning to Twintin.

"Good, then let's see if we can find Olban's backpack behind those plants."

With a vicious, vindictive smile, Twintin raised her hand, and a section of plants began shriveling.

"I'll stay at the back now. You take the lead," Irwin said as he motioned to Greldo. "You guys stay in the middle."

Twintin shivered, but she walked forward, pale and with large, wide eyes. Ahead of her, the plants began flopping to the ground like empty sacks, those behind them also starting to turn brown.

Irwin kept his eyes on the door behind them, but there was no sight of the vines trying to circle around them.

Why don't they enter from the outside, he thought suddenly. They hadn't done so the first night either. Were they too short to reach it?

As he gazed outside, he saw that a glistening white frost had begun covering the sections of the ground that he could see.

"There's ice forming," he said. "Did that happen the first night?"

"No," Greldo said, sounding as worried as Irwin felt.

Even if we had wanted to, we might not have even reached the portal, he thought.

Some time later, a large section of plants had died, turning to brown sludge, which they moved through. A square staircase similar to the one he'd gone up in the other building had become visible.

"Should I keep clearing this room?" Twintin asked as she looked hesitantly at the staircase.

Irwin looked at her carefully, trying to see if she was getting tired or out of energy. There was no sign of either, and after hesitating for a moment, he nodded.

"Yes. It's best to create at least one safe area before going up," he said.

"Yes, and we might find the root of these plants so we can destroy them from there," Greldo added.

Twintin continued clearing the room and eventually found a deep hole along one wall, with dark gray roots crawling out. Twintin began draining them of water, but it seemed the roots went deep because their decay was a lot slower. Only a few bushes, covered in the luminous mushrooms, now remained, and they had left those so it wouldn't become completely dark. Still, with only a handful of mushrooms remaining, everyone but Irwin was looking around worriedly, jumping at shadows.

It took at least an hour before the massive root finally sagged into a soft, pudgy mass. The ground was muddy with water, and a lot was running down the hole, creating a small waterfall. Irwin had filled his waterskin, as had the others, and he had drunk his fill. A couple of bites of his rations had helped with the hunger, and now he was just tired. Not that he or anyone else even suggested sleeping. The rumbling had become less pronounced but more frequent, and somehow, that made it way more ominous.

As he turned to the door, he realized that Twintin was frowning at the hole.

"What's wrong?"

"I thought I saw something glow down there," she whispered, causing everyone to turn back to the hole in alarm.

Twintin seemed unconcerned as she stepped forward, sloshing through the muddy water, and looked into the hole. Her eyes widened, and she gasped.

"There's a card in there!"

"Hah! Prophetic," Ambraz shouted.

Not possible! Irwin thought, but he was moving before he realized it.

Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

Stepping next to Twintin, he looked down. It was dark and shadowy, but deep down, nestled amidst the sludge, he saw the edge of what looked like a card. It was the dull grayish white of a common, but even that was enough to make his heart beat faster.

Ambraz whizzed in front of him, a wide smile on his Anvil face. Then, his lips turned into a flat line.

"That's not a card," he said, sounding almost cheated.

"What do you mean?" Irwin asked.

Everyone was standing around the hole now, and he took a quick look around. There were no vines left. He focused on the card's edge, but from what he could see, it looked like any other card he'd seen. It even glowed slightly.

"Watch," Ambraz said.

He whisked into the hole, down past the sagged roots. Almost at the card, he suddenly reversed directions, rushing back up.

"Whoops!"

A shudder came from the bottom of the hole, then the ground burst apart as a dull gray vine shot after Ambraz, a glowing card lodged into its tip.

"Look out!" Rachel shouted as she pulled Twintin away while the others stumbled back.

"Incoming," Ambraz shouted as he shot out of the hole. "Burn it!"

Irwin balked, then jumped back to the hole, holding his flame above. He had hoped it would scorch the vine and scare it off.

Sadly, the arm-thick, gray, and slightly silvery vine didn't seem to care for what he wished. It burst through the flame with black char marks across its top. The tip split apart four ways, opening into a gaping maw lined with razor-sharp teeth and a wet red tongue.

A deafening, high-pitched screech made Irwin stumble as his ears suddenly rang. White spots danced before his eyes, but he still saw the shadowy thing rush him. He jumped back with his flame and jutted out forward.

Although he managed to dodge the teeth, the side of the vine struck him like a door, flinging him to the side. Feeling something crack in his ribs, he crashed into the ground and rolled over twice. Somehow, he managed to keep his wits, and he crouched up just as the teeth-lined maw snapped at him. He flung himself to the side while blindly striking out with his flame.

A tiny part of him knew that only a few days before, the speedy movements would have been far beyond him. Something soft and wet clenched around his hand and wrist, followed by piercing stabs of pain from his lower arm.

Shocked, Irwin stared at the vine that had swallowed his hand, wrist, and lower arm. Its teeth had partially dug into his thin upper arm, and he felt a scream of pain and fear bubble up.

Something moved in the corner of his eye, and Greldo, pale and with fear-filled eyes, grabbed the vine a foot from Irwin's fist and clenched it while pulling it back. The teeth scraped across his skin, but Irwin didn't complain as he tried to pull his hand back.

"Wait!" Daubutim stepped forward, calm and steady, as he put a hand over Greldo. "Look!" He pointed at the head of the vine.

The skin all along it and further back was rapidly turning dark, bubbling as steam rose from it. An orange flame erupted from the side, then another, and as the three looked, the head began sagging in as it melted. Irwin's flame was rapidly dissolving the plant from the inside out.

Greldo let go and stepped back as the vine split apart at the spot Irwin's flame hovered above his fist.

Irwin sat down with a thud, staring at the remainder of the head, lips, and teeth still around his wrist. With a sinking feeling in his stomach, he tried to pry it open. The jaw was like a solid metal clamp, and he couldn't use much force with one hand. His effort only seemed to cause the teeth to scratch deeper into his already profusely bleeding flesh. Greldo ran next to him, grabbed the jaw, and pulled it open with a rip.

Irwin jerked his hand back, unsummoning his flame as he cradled the hand against his chest.

"Argh," he grunted, looking at Ambraz.

"Don't whine like a little brat," Ambraz snorted as he flew to inspect the gray vine.

Irwin was about to mutter something when cold air from the doorway and the cracks in the wall seemed to close in around him. No longer held at bay by his flame, he shivered, his mind instantly clear.

For a moment, he wondered if whatever was happening was causing the temperature to drop more than before. Then he shook his head. No, that wasn't it. He'd held his flame up throughout the previous night.

He clenched his good hand as he prepared for the pain as he held out his hand. Seeing the bloody gashes, it took him a moment to summon the flame. As soon as it appeared, the cold almost seemed to flee, and he held the flame closer as he warmed again.

"Are you alright?"

Irwin looked up at Greldo, who was sitting next to him with worry on his face. Somehow, the other's instant reaction to help him instead of running warmed him as much as his flame did, even letting him ignore some of the pain.

"I'll live," he said, trying to sound tough.

Greldo let out a relieved hiss and sat down, staring at the blood running down Irwin's hand.

"We need to wash and bind that," Daubutim said as he looked at Irwin's arm. "If it gets infected, you will die."

Irwin shivered even with his flame, and Greldo let out a snorted laugh.

"No mercy," he muttered, staring at Daubutim with a smirk.

"What?" Daubutim asked, confused.

Greldo looked at Irwin and shook his head wistfully.

Irwin couldn't help it, but he grinned, then laughed. The pain was nauseating. Its combination with the stress was toying with his mind, but he held his head back and laughed louder.

He felt someone bend something around his arm, and when the thing was pulled tight, the burst of pain stopped his bout of insane hilarity. Wiping his eyes from both the pain and the laughter, he looked up to see Greldo, Rachel, and Twintin staring at him worriedly. Daubutim was quietly binding his wound, seemingly unperturbed by his seeming insanity.

"Sorry," Irwin said as he waited for Daubutim to finish.

As soon as he was done, Iriwn got up and saw Ambraz hover around the remains of the vine.

"No card?" he asked.

"No, it was just a fake thing to lure in unsuspecting brats. But this thing is interesting! Its skin has metal particles inside," the Anvil said.

"Shouldn't you be worried about him?" Rachel snapped, pointing at Irwin. "Aren't you his summon?"

"What? Worried?" Ambraz stammered, sounding surprised. "What are you muttering about? He'll be fine when the sun comes out again."

Irwin blinked, his mind stilling for a moment before he realized what Ambraz meant.

Right! Rapid regeneration!

How had he forgotten about that?

"Anyway, from what I can sense, we still have some time before this place evolves. But, instead of telling me what to do, shouldn't you be searching for the linchpin?" Ambraz continued.

"Right, let's go up," Irwin agreed, trying to ignore the constant throbbing pain in his arm."

He walked towards the stairs, his flame in front of him, and stopped as he rounded the corner. A massive amount of rubble and debris blocked the path forward.

Greldo stepped up beside him, moved a bit closer to the top, then shook his head.

"This happened recently, perhaps even today. It's unstable and dangerous."

He walked back, and a few moments later, they stood in the room, looking around. "So... do we go to the nearest other building?" he asked, swaying on his feet.

"I think we should stay here for now," Greldo said. "It's not too hot, we have plenty of water, and there are no plants. Your arm is looking really bad, and we need you up and running with your flame."

Irwin wanted to tell him he would be fine, but the pain was growing worse, and the thought of going outside made him more than a little afraid.

"He's right," Rachel said, staring at Irwin for a bit before moving to a corner with Twintin, huddling close together.

"Can you make more cards better?" Daubutim asked, looking at Ambraz.

Irwin held back a curse.

"Only in very special shardworlds," Ambraz said smoothly.

Daubutim's eyes went dull, but just as Irwin thought he was going to go silent again, the burly youth shook his head forcefully.

"Is there a limit?" he asked, his voice cracking as if he was forcing himself.

"Yes. Only from common to uncommon," Ambraz said.

Daubutim nodded just as his eyes turned glassy. Then he sat down beside the door, staring outside.

I hope they stop asking about this, Irwin thought, knowing how unlikely it was.

"Let's check that vine," Greldo muttered.

Irwin nodded and forced himself up to follow him, trying to ignore his arm.

They quickly found out that Ambraz had been right. There was no card. The thing that looked like one was nothing more than a fleshy growth, greatly damaged by his fire.

With nothing else to do, they sat down with their backs against a wall without cracks.

As the night continued and the cold increased, they all began gravitating closer and closer to Irwin until they sat in a circle, huddled around him, shivering even with the warmth of his flame.

"I think the plants somehow kept it warm in here," Greldo whispered.

Irwin only nodded, too preoccupied with the growing pain in his arm.

Time passed slowly, and as it worsened, he had little trouble staying awake. When he finally saw a dim glow from outside, only Daubutim was still awake. Somewhere during the night, his eyes had cleared up again, but he'd remained on the lookout while the rest huddled around Irwin, snoring softly.

"After we are done here, you should come with me to my father," Daubutim said. There was a deep crease on his forehead, and he seemed to struggle with his words.

Irwin shivered and wrapped his right hand closer around him. "Why? And when do you mean?"

"We close this portal, then go to my father's estate," Daubutim said. "News of him," he pointed at Ambraz, "will somehow get out. People will try to steal him."

"Hah, let them try," Ambraz snapped from his perch on Irwin's thin shoulder.

"And your father won't?" Irwin asked, ignoring the Anvil.

Daubutim's eyes widened, and he almost got up. "Never! My father… my father would give up anything to do what he thinks is right…" he looked down at that and sighed. "No. My father and mother would protect you, if…"

"If Ambraz and I improve cards for them," Irwin said slowly, realizing what Daubutim wanted.

He expected he would become angry, but to his surprise, he only felt weary resignation.

"Yes," Daubutim said shortly. "Even if it's difficult, every strong card will help close portals and prevent great suffering."

"What about the others and the sorcerers?" Irwin asked as he looked at the red glow creeping up from outside.

"The others are welcome," Daubutim stated as if there could be no doubt. "The sorcerers… We need to flee from them?" he sounded confused as he looked at his hands. When he continued, his words came out haltingly. "I don't know. I am not good with these things, not like my brothers. If Dianor were here, he'd know what to say."

Irwin looked at the large youth, shoulders slightly drooping, and suddenly felt incredibly sorry for him. Not something he'd ever thought he would feel for a noble-born. He could almost see Daubutim struggle with his own mind.

Horrible, Irwin thought, trying to imagine it. Of all the weaknesses he had, at least his mind had been keen. A sudden sense of kinship for the other stopped him from just telling him a hard no.

"Let's talk about this after we manage to find the Linchpin," he said. "I want to talk with Greldo about it."

Daubutim nodded and returned his gaze outside.

Together, they silently waited until the red almost reached where they were sitting. Then Irwin poked Greldo, who woke with a sucked-in breath and a strangled cry.

"What?"

"Calm down, everything is fine," Irwin said as he struggled to get up.

His shivering had stopped, but he felt a cold sweat on his forehead, and the skin around the mottled, red-stained bandage was dark and puffy. It reminded him of the inflammation his mother had in her foot a year earlier. Not a good sign as it had cost her toe.

"I need to go outside for a bit," he whispered.

"Alright, I'll come with you," Greldo said, yawning as he got up. "Did you sleep?"

"No," Irwin said as he moved towards the entrance.

The vines had left somewhere when the sun came, but shadows covered most of the area beyond the building and around the others he saw. There was no sign of the hounds yet, and the portal quietly hovered there, a way out and to safety. He suddenly felt a strong urge to run in and through. Then he shook it off.

First, let's see how well this greater rapid regeneration works, he thought as he stepped out of the building, feeling the temperature rising slightly.