Ambraz zipped through the night, unrestrained by worry- well, almost.
I get back only to find the jackals found a way in, he thought as he flew through the tunnels at a speed he couldn't have the last time he was here.
He knew it shouldn't surprise him as much as it did. Fleshies had been trying to take advantage of Ganvils for as long as he knew, and with no true place of their own, they were relegated to a world sandwiched between those filled with people who mostly saw them as a commodity good.
Glad I found that kid, he thought as he flew around a corner into a busier area. Besides him being lucky, at least he doesn't see me as some extension of his cards.
Ambraz's dark mood that had been with him almost ever since he woke in that tiny prison world lifted as he saw Ganvils everywhere, talking, laughing, and interacting. Between that and the chatter from the fleshies from the smiths' districts below, old and happy memories surfaced. Swirling around the corner of the most prominent building in the district, he stopped.
Words were chiseled into the side: 'Cardara- the best cards there are!'.
If Irwin had been here, he'd probably been majorly confused by the low, wide building carved out of the side of the mountain. Windows flanked the many entrances, and hundreds of Ganvils of all ranks flew in and out of what looked like a mix between a restaurant and a bulk card-shop.
Looking at the familiar building that didn't seem to have changed in all the years he was gone, Ambraz felt his hunger increase. Although Irwin had bought him more cards to snack on ever since they returned, the kid wasn't as rich as he thought yet and the prospect of being able to eat as much as he desired made Ambraz shoot for the nearest entrance.
He held back, and looked around, quickly spotting his target. A large copper Ganvil that hung near the entrance, bobbing up and down restlessly.
Ambraz flew towards him, not surprised the higher-rank Ganvil detected him and turned before he was halfway.
"Am'braz, I still can't believe you're back," Hou'dor shouted happily in his deep voice. In the dim light, the long scars Ambraz knew were across his form were hard to see.
"Hou'dor," Ambraz. "Let's see if they still recognize me and get a private booth. I need to check my vault first, though! Unless you want to pay?"
"Hah! I might have become a lot stronger, but there are not that much soulshards to be earned by just guard duty," Hou'dor said. "If you want me to pay its going to have to stop at a few cards each, and just some non-typed uncommons."
"That's not much for a welcome home party," Ambraz snorted. "Let's hope they didn't close it down."
He flew into the entrance, through the short corridor, and then into a spacious chamber. Carvings the size of small houses hung from long metal cables while platforms jutted out of the walls. Unlike the places he'd been with Irwin, Ganvils didn't care for floors, and the entire building had many vertical rooms.
"Am'braz," a soft voice came from above and a blueish Ganvil was down in front of them. "We heard rumors that you had been seen, and it is good to see that your demise was greatly exaggerated!"
"Za'gul, have you still not taken the step to rank six?" Ambraz said, examining the other Ganvil.
Although rank five, his soulforce was so powerful and compressed, it was almost blinding. Even compared to the rank six Ganvil's they had seen near the exit portal, Za'gul was something different.
"I have told you many times that if I can't reach rank seven, there is no use limiting myself, "Za'gul said. "Now, unless you found me an artifact from our homeworld to help with that…?"
A memory of when he'd only just met Irwin bubbled up from the recesses of Ambraz's mind, from when he had gone with Irwin and Daubutim into the portal world with the now-dead Bablibon.
"No, and I probably would have kept it for myself," Ambraz said. "Anyway, Is my vault still… well, mine?" he asked.
"It is," Za'gul said. "Though, it is good you returned. Another few decades and it would have been handed back to Brazardian."
"I'll be heading there with Hou'dor. Can you bring us to a private booth after?"
"Of course, and let me say once more that I'm happy to see you again," Za'gul said. "Des'braz has been hanging out here, incredibly glum ever since the horrible thing that happened to Hal'braz."
Ambraz felt a stab of pain and anger but didn't let it show.
"Don't worry, those things will change from now on," he said.
With a final goodbye, he flew down into the bowels of the almost cavernous room. A winding tunnel eventually led them to a crossroads and a warning sign. Ambraz didn't read it, knowing it by heart. It was a warning not to continue unless you had a vault. Those who ignored it would get lost in the chaotic labyrinth that lay beyond.
"You sure you remember the way?" Hou'dor asked.
Ambraz snorted at the jab, then shot left. They eventually reached another intersection, where he took the third corridor. Runes were carved along the walls, all meant to disorient those who didn't know exactly where they were going or what they were doing. It required both skill, practice and explanation to find your way to one of the many vaults.
It took a longer time than Ambraz recalled to reach the dead-end wall with the familiar round hatch. Circles of tiny, unreadable runes sat around it.
"Had me worried a bit there," Hou'dor said.
"I wasn't gone that long," Ambraz said.
"Nearly a hundred years, and most of that time, nobody knew where you were," Hou'dor said.
"Exactly," Ambraz said, laughing as he swirled around the runic circles, touching some of the runes with his soulforce and causing them to gleam.
It took him a minute to cause the hatch to clank open, and then the two of them flew into the tiny, unassuming chamber beyond. Shelves covered every visible wall, most empty, with only a few items lying around the others.
Ambraz glanced at them, things he'd brought with him from other places, worthless to anyone but him. Now that he looked at them again, he realized that compared to what had happened, none of them really mattered.
Well, none except for the stack of papers that cluttered one of the shelves, almost as if they were worthless.
I really need to reach rank four so I can start bringing stuff, Ambraz thought.
"Bring me those papers," he said as he indicated them with his soulforce.
Then he flew to another shelf and looked at the tiny square crystal. It was a Portal Gallery Credit Crystal, a chip from a soulcrystal but too small to hold any consciousness, but very useful because information could be stored on it that was only manipulable by a world hub. Irwin had one which he'd gotten back on Scour, but that was a simple one.
This was one of a few he'd had and the only one left. The others had been lost during his last journey.
With a flex of his soulforce, Ambraz yanked it towards him, holding it against the side of his body.
"Alright, now, before we leave, we need to talk, and this is about the only place we can do so," he said, looking at one of his few true friends.
"I thought as much when you didn't just ask Za'gul to retrieve these things," Hou'dor said with a mocking grin.
"Yeah, well, don't look so smug," Ambraz said. "Let's see if you can still laugh after you hear what I have to say!"
--
Irwin cracked his neck and shoulders pleasantly as he walked through the city. Ambraz was sitting on his shoulder, perhaps even more quiet than usual. His stomach was filled with something called Charred Redhirin, a Onyxian food that Boohm had told him he should try and which was effective meat charred to coal on the outside but still red and juicy inside, filled with some hot and burning herb.
Greldo was walking beside him while the others hung behind, chatting and looking around.
"So, what do we do now?" Irwin asked, looking at Ambraz.
He'd said barely anything during their dinner, just mentioning offhandedly that Irwin would need to be somewhere in a few days.
"We should get our invite to the Smith's Academy in a day or two," Ambraz said. "Brazardian said that we will be getting a private tutor to get us up to speed."
"So, any idea how long all of this will take?" Greldo asked.
"Months," Ambraz said. "It depends on a few things, but more than two months and less than a year."
"Then I'm going to need something to do!" Greldo said, looking around. "As interesting as it is, I'm not heading back to school, and this place is a bit too timid for my tastes."
"Timid… right. Well, there are three portals to adjacent worlds, all filled with portals to shardworlds," Ambraz said. "You should be able to find one with active ruby-rank portals."
"Great!" Greldo said before focusing on Irwin. "I think I should bring the others with me. Rindiri can take Boohm and the kids into a portal, and it would be good for them to do some training."
Irwin blinked, then looked over his shoulder at the others. They were all chatting, Zender seemingly pointing something out to Boohm, who was laughing uproariously and drawing way too much attention. Only Rindiri seemed to have been paying attention to him and Greldo, and she nodded.
"Are they going to be allowed to do that?" Irwin asked.
"Sure, though they might be asked not to clear the Linchpin. Some of those portals are actively used for training purposes," Ambraz said.
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I wonder if they use high-rank Ganvils to keep it from shattering, Irwin thought.
It would make sense, and if that worked, he wondered if there were Ganvils in other worlds doing this. Ambraz had told him not all Ganvils remained on Granvox.
"Then I guess it's fine," Irwin said. "If I get the time, I'll come and check them out myself."
Ambraz laughed softly. "I don't think we will have any time for that, but who knows!"
They continued chatting as they headed back to Ambraz's servant's quarters. Irwin had decided to stay there with his friends, at least until they left, and Ambraz had grudgingly agreed.
Another day passed in relative quiet as they explored the Fleshy Districts, as the Ganvils called them.
Irwin and the others had quickly learned that nearly all of those present on Granvox were in some way connected to smithing, either by being smiths or apprentice smiths or family of those. The only exceptions were carded with the ability to form runes, something Irwin had only had passing knowledge of.
On the third day they were there, a familiar smith found them as they were inside a card shop dedicated to short-range movement and teleportation cards.
Singara walked into the shop, Gla'ring on her shoulder.
"Lord Am'braz," the other Ganvil shouted as he flew towards Ambraz, who was roaming the back of the large shop.
Irwin watched him fly off, wondering what the other Ganvil was there for when he saw Singara walking towards him. She looked as serious as ever, though her eyes did narrow when she saw Boohm stare at her with large eyes.
"Smith Irwin," she said. "We came to tell you that your entry into the Academy has been successfully finished, and you are expected tomorrow morning for your first class. I've been sent here to take you there and get you situated."
"Do we have to leave right away, or…?" Irwin asked, looking down at the crystal sheet-covered table that held the cards he'd been inspecting.
All ten cards were short-range, semi-teleport cards like what Scintilla had, though like her's they all came with some heavy caveats. That was why he'd been examining them, trying to discern their paths so he could figure out how to make his own if he could find the proper base card.
"No, but it would be best if we leave before evening falls tonight," Singara said.
"Can I come? I can help him… clean his room, get his food?" Boohm asked as he stomped forward.
Singara looked up, and Irwin saw a tiny vein below her eye pulse.
"I'm afraid there are only smiths there, and things like cleaning and preparing food are handled by the academy," she said. "Why don't you go and let off some steam in the card-harvesting shard worlds?"
"Ah… such a shame," Boohm said, his shoulders sagging slightly. "Well, how about you and me have a drink?"
Irwin grimaced as he saw Singara's eyes narrow.
"No," she said, shaking her head. "I'm not interested."
Boohm took a deep breath and let it out like a bellows. "Ah… such a shame," he repeated himself, shrugging. "Well, if you change your mind, I'll be here for a while!"
Then he turned and stalked away, reminded Irwin like a little child that hadn't gotten what they wanted.
Singara frowned, then shook her head as she turned to Irwin.
"Uh… sorry?" Irwin said, not sure what to say.
"No need to apologize for your crew members," Singara said. "He's just… somewhat blunt."
Irwin nodded, quickly looking for a way to change the conversation and focused on the table before him.
"Do you know anything about these types of cards?" he asked, pointing at one in particular.
It allowed someone to change into a cloud of fog and rapidly move forward. It wasn't the fastest one, but it did have a synergy with his Sweltering skill.
"A fogbased short-ranged burst movement," Singara said, looking at the card. "This one has the water and the ripple type, which is probably why it's so expensive."
Irwin frowned, looking at the price, then flinched. Almost nine thousand soulshards way more than was normal for a topaz card. He'd seen more expensive ones before, with the prices going up the further they moved into the central region.
"Ripple type?" he asked absently.
"It means that slotting it will cause a ripple of its typing to move to any card you slot till you lock both hands," Singara said. "It's pretty uncommon, but having its water and ripple means all other cards will gain the water type, and that's most likely a problem for most cards. Unless you build an entire heartcard around it, it's not that great… which is why it isn't more expensive."
Right… More expensive, Irwin thought. At the same time, he wondered about the ripple type. He knew some types could only be gained on the base card, or at least he hadn't heard about anyone able to add it, while others seemed easily addable.
"What movement-type card would you think works well for someone with fire and steam," Irwin asked.
Singara tapped her lip thoughtfully before pointing at a card called Inferno Flicker.
"Something like that, probably, though its range is highly limited," she said.
"That's not the only issue with it," he said. "It only works in areas that are already hot."
"Finding a combat-viable, short-range teleport that is not either spacial or shadow-typed is nearly impossible," Singara said. "I'd suggest making it yourself, but these are some of the hardest types to work with. The diagrams for them are so difficult to understand…"
She shook her head, letting out a weary sigh. "I've yet to crack it myself. The best I can do is topaz, but I've got the feeling you aren't looking for that?"
Irwin hesitated, looking across her but unable to locate any Smith's Guild ranking plate. Singara must have noticed what he was doing, and she pulled back her sleeve, revealing a set of four tattoos going from dull gray at the bottom, near her hand, to a bright green tattoo at the top.
"Emerald rank," Irwin said, nodding.
He wasn't sure if he should tell his rank just yet and hadn't spoken about it with Ambraz yet.
"I haven't seen tattoos used for ranks yet," he said. "Most of the people I met had crystals in their hair or embedded in their skin."
"This is powdered crystal," Singara said. "I don't like having things attached to me, and some of the teachers use this."
"I don't think I'd like a tattoo," Irwin said, rubbing the thick, gleaming skin of his arm.
"It's not for everyone," Singara said.
They continued walking through the shop for a while before leaving.
Irwin ended up buying the two quartz-ranked cards, which he thought might have potential. One was called Trickle Of Steam, a simple card that allowed control over steam and which he thought he might able to reforge into something that allowed teleportation, and the other was Skintight Temperature, an odd card that even at quartz rank allowed one to change the temperature of the air directly around them by a few degrees. He was pretty sure he could get that one up to something that Boohm could use.
They decided to go for a quick meal before heading back to their rooms.
When Irwin had packed the few things he needed to bring, he, Greldo, and Rindiri were standing outside the hallway. Boohm and the children were inside, all three having promised to listen to Rindiri.
"I'll come and find you if I get the time," Irwin said. "Try to keep all the cards you find and just use the soulshards I gave you."
"Don't worry," Greldo said with a grin. "I'll make sure to use it all."
"Captain, I'd tell you to be careful, but I think we will be taking more risks than you," Rindiri said.
"Which means I get to tell it to you," Irwin said. "We will leave as soon as Brazardian contacts us that he is ready. Hopefully, that won't be more than two or three months, but just incase- make sure to return every month!"
"Don't worry, we will," Greldo said as he rubbed his hands. "You make sure you get us all some great cards for when we do! We'll try them out for you!"
Irwin grinned. "Sure, I will. You still sure about the direction you want to go in?"
Greldo gave a sharp nod, his eyes narrowing. "With what we might be getting into, I need more control over shadows, more energy, and some ability to deal with large amounts of enemies."
"I'll do my best," Irwin said, grimacing at the difficulty of the cards Greldo would be needing.
He nodded at Rindiri, who was absently rubbing her right hand, which had only two slots left, the final ones she would ever have. Irwin had talked with her many nights on the ship and knew exactly what she wanted, and he had no idea if he could ever make a card like the one she requested. Changing someone's biology and how they reproduce wasn't something he thought cards could ever do.
"Then I'll see you soon," Irwin said as he took a step back.
"Go and show them what we are made of," Greldo said.
"Don't worry, brat! We are going to make them fall on their asses in awe at our awesomeness," Ambraz said, causing everyone to laugh.
With a final wave, Irwin left, heading out of the Monarch's palace as the building he was in was called.
Singara was waiting for him outside, carrying a large bag while Gla'ring sat on her shoulder.
"Are you ready?" Gla'ring asked.
"We are," Ambraz said. "Are we going through the City Teleportation Array, or?"
"No, our teleporter should be here-"
Something stepped out of the shadows beside them and looking up, Irwin looked into a pale face with pitch-black eyes below a robe.
Nyzir!
His hammer was in his hand, and he was halfway, propelled by kinetic energy, before he saw it wasn't a Nyzir but a skinny, pale woman with nearly black eyes. She vanished instantly, eyes wide with fear, just as Irwin unsummoned his hammer. The sudden loss of momentum and weight made him take an odd, jittery step to the side while Singara jumped back two dozen feet.
"No! She's our teleporter!" Singara shouted, her eyes wide.
Irwin grimaced, looking around. "Sorry! Sorry, we've had some trouble with Nyzir," he said,
Two dozen feet away, the hooded, pale woman appeared again, eyes wide and with two daggers in her hands.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" she shouted. "Since when do I look like a Nyzir?!"
"Sorry," Irwin said, taking a deep sigh as he walked towards Singara.
The Onyxian smith looked at him, then at the women.
"I think you can come now," she finally said, causing Irwin to cringe.
Ambraz grunted, then began laughing softly, quickly followed by Gla'ring.
"It's not funny," Irwin snapped, walking very slowly towards the woman who was still eying him warily.
"Sorry, it's the hood," he said.
The woman glanced at him for a few more moments before her daggers vanished, and she walked forward. Even then, she remained at a few feet from Irwin.
"I'm not sure if I should be insulted by you attacking me or saying I look like a Nyzir," she muttered. "Do you think we can get going now, or do you feel ready to hit something else?"
"No, we can leave," Irwin said, trying to ignore Ambraz and Gla'ring's snickering.
A shadowy cloud erupted from the woman, and as it wrapped around Irwin, he wondered if she was going to do something to him.
He felt a jolt of movement somewhat similar to when Greldo teleported them but less smoothly, and then they arrived in the shadow of a towering fountain.
A dry heat, carrying the smell of sulfur, suddenly surrounded him. Ahead, an arm-thick stream of molten metal dribbled out of the gaping mouth of a stone fish, clattering into a pond of more bubbling metal. Behind the fountain, a wide staircase led up to a towering building with many balconies jutting out in a chaotic pattern.
That's one big building, Irwin thought as he looked up to find an oval golden dome atop.
The buildings surrounding them were dark gray, nearly black, with corridors leading away from the massive square. Their roofs were covered in pale white, gleaming shingles, creating an odd sense only strengthened by the bright decorations, mostly red, orange, and yellow hues, that hung from most of the buildings. They were all covered with a symbol that showed two hands rubbing together with the edge of a card peeking out from between them.
Everything was tinted by the soft red and orange light of the setting sun.
"Right, try not to hit anyone," the woman snapped before she vanished again.
Irwin barely noticed, looking around to see smiths in leather aprons walking around, most with Ganvils on their shoulders. Some were carrying metal objects, and others chatting loudly. Others that looked more like workers were carrying caskets or other things, creating a busy hubbub.
"Welcome to Golden Friction Academy," Singara said. "Let's go and get you signed up properly!"
Irwin nodded as he followed her towards the staircase.
The rest of the evening passed in a flurry of questions, chatter, and busy rooms. At some point, Irwin was stunned to see two ruby-ranked smiths, both women with graying ponytails, their ranking plates attached at the bottom, and dozens of emerald ones.
When they finally walked away from the main building, all he knew was that nobody had bothered to ask him for his rank; they seemed more interested in how he smithed.
Outside, the sun had set, and warm, fiery lanterns attached to the sides of buildings bathed everything in a cozy light.
"Alright, you are placed into the Hymn District," Singara said. "I'll bring you there, then head back to my own room. I'll have someone come get you for your first class tomorrow morning."
"Thanks," Irwin said. "What about food?"
"Ah, don't worry, I'll show you your district's Inn. Everything inside is free, so don't worry about it. Now let's go, I need to do some things before bedtime," Singara said.
Irwin nodded as he followed her into the city.