Irwin turned and ran further into the building, pulling Greldo with him. The growling and padding grew louder.

Greldo cursed, pulled free, and ran with him.

Ahead, Daubutim was up, club and shield in hand, as he stared at the door. His jaw was clenched, and his eyes wide. Irwin saw a glimpse of fear in them, the first he'd seen. Twintin stood two steps away, shuddering as she pushed herself against the wall as if trying to go through.

Before he reached them, the building shook as something slammed into it. Twintin screeched, and Irwin turned to see a massive head poking into the building, glaring at them. The stone around the entrance was cracking and crumbling from the impact. The hound's red irises were glowing and pulsing while thin red tendrils leaked into the white eyeballs.

As the eyes focused on him, Irwin felt himself freeze.

The hound backed up, then slammed its shoulders into the building again, causing a violently cracking sound as a tear ripped through the left wall, bits of debris raining down.

"What now?" Daubutim asked, his voice stable but a pitch higher than usual.

Irwin stared at the hound. Was it his imagination, or did it look hungry?

"Twintin, try your skill!" Greldo shouted.

The girl didn't respond, staring wide-eyed and pale-faced at the hound.

Irwin stepped forward, grabbed and shook her, causing her teeth to rattle together.

"Try your card," he shouted, his own panic growing.

"It won't work," Twintin cried, but she turned, raised her hand, and the blue glow appeared.

Irwin watched, hoping she was wrong, then felt his hope shatter as the hound showed no reaction. It pulled back and slammed its shoulders into the doorframe again. A large chunk broke off and crashed into the ground.

"Your flame?" Greldo asked, his eyes reflecting the panic Irwin felt.

He gulped as he saw the dozens of white teeth glittering in the hound's mouth.

"It'll bite me if I get too close," he said.

"I'll block it," Daubutim said, a slight tremor in his voice.

Irwin stared at the hound, and the prospect of going up to it and using his flame terrified him. The problem was that he had no other choice. If he waited too long, it would be inside and any chance would be lost. He took a deep, shuddering breath as he looked around.

"He's right. If that thing gets in here, it's going to be even worse for us."

"This is all your fault! We should have left when I asked you to," Twintin cried as she glared at them.

She was breathing hard, tears running down her face. Her card flashed for a moment, then she turned and ran to the nearby stairs.

Irwin watched her leave and, for a moment, thought about following her. Then he recalled how the other building had come down, and he looked at the new set of cracks in the walls.

"I'll head in first, and as soon as it bites at me, you flame it," Daubutim ordered as he stepped forward.

Irwin turned to Greldo, who was as white as a sheet. He was about to say something when Greldo focused on him.

"There's nothing I can do, but I'll try and distract it if it turns to you."

Irwin nodded, and they walked after Daubutim.

The hound had stopped, its pupils narrowing as it gazed at Daubutim. As the boy came closer, Irwin suddenly saw a slight confusion in the hound's eyes. He'd seen it when he was handling Bullwinkel's hounds. It happened sometimes when they were growling and acting up.

Perhaps it'll leave? he thought as he watched Daubutim raise his shield, now a mere ten feet from the entrance.

The hound opened its maw and let out a blood-curdling roar.

"Get ready," Daubutim shouted, and Irwin ran to the side wall.

With his shoulder against the stone, he felt the tremors from the hounds' pressure. A thick sulfuric smell wafted towards him as he moved within jumping distance. He readied himself, about to attack, when the hound turned its gaze on him.

Irwin froze as he saw the hunger in the blood-red eyes.

The hound growled, then turned towards Daubutim, who raised his shield. It moved so fast that Irwin had barely any time to blink as the head blurred forward. A loud thud came as Daubutim was knocked back, his shield ripped from his arm. The dog was chewing on it as it glared at Daubutim, who was lying stunned on the ground.

Too fast! Irwin looked at Daubutim, who scrambled back to his feet. Thick streams of blood ran down his arm, and he raised his hand. A glow came, and a startled grunt from the dog came as the shield vanished from its mouth and reappeared, unscathed, on Daubutim's arm.

"Again," the burly youth said, his voice sharp and clear, just like it sometimes was.

Irwin nodded, took a deep breath, and focused on the hound that was growling at Daubutim. As he saw Daubutim step forward from the corner of his eye, he moved. The hound's head blurred as his hand reached for it. His flame touched the hound's neck at the same time as it collided with Daubutim, and the hound froze with its teeth around the edge of the shield as Daubutim thudded on the ground again.

Irwin pressed his fingers against the side of the hound. The rough hairs almost punctured his skin as his flame grew wider. For a moment, he thought it had worked. Then the hound slowly turned towards him, the shield between its teeth. The hair where Irwin's flame touched was turning gray as if the color was draining from it.

"Don't let go!" Greldo shouted as Irwin was about to back up.

"It's not working," he shouted back, then realized he was wrong.

The hound's slowness wasn't deliberate! Every motion it made seemed slow and forced. The hound let out an angry whine.

Irwin nearly jumped back as a cacophony of howls came from outside, followed by grunts of pain. With the large hound blocking the way, it was impossible to see what was happening, but he heard yelps, snarls, and panting moving closer.

"They are coming to help it," he shouted, keeping his attention on the hound.

Its nose was nearly pointed at him, and the shield dropped with a clatter. The hate in the red eyes was burning, and as the mouth inched closer, razor-sharp teeth bared, Irwin felt his fear grow. Although the hair was turning white in a larger patch, it didn't seem to do anything but slow the hound.

"It's not fast enough," he shouted.

He'd barely said something when Greldo appeared next to him and gripped the lower jaw. A hissing sound came, and a moment later, the stench of burning flesh wafted up.

Greldo let out a whimper but didn't let go. The back of his hand glowed blue, meaning he had activated his card, and he struggled to push back the jaw. It barely helped, and Irwin was about to tell him to let go and run when Daubutim appeared next to Greldo. He grabbed Greldo's shoulders and yanked him back, causing the boy to hang taut between the hound and Daubutim. A strangled growl came from the hound as his head was slowly pulled away from Irwin.

"Keep going," Greldo screamed, his face pale and sweaty.

Irwin focused on his flame, wishing he could somehow make it stronger. The gray color was spreading further away from his hand, now crawling up the hound's jaw. Angry and pained growls came from behind it, but its massive body was preventing the others from entering.

Seconds passed by, Daubutim's arms shaking as he continued to hold the hound at bay with his shield. A panicky keenness came from the hound's throat as the grayness inched closer towards its eyes. An alien panic was settling in them; then its left eye turned gray.

The hound let out a whimpered sigh, and its head snapped back, its constant resistance gone as it slumped down. Irwin sank to the ground with it, keeping his hand on the now mostly gray neck.

Daubutim let go, causing Greldo to thud onto the ground with a pained grunt. His hands ripped free of the hound's jaw, and Irwin saw the blackened palms, slivers of flesh dangling free.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

An area behind the now sprawling dog became visible, and a smaller version jumped on its bigger brethren. It was moving stiffly and slowly.

"The shadows," Irwin whispered.

"I'll keep them away until it's dead," Daubutim shouted as his club and shield appeared in his hands.

Seemingly without fear, he stepped on top of the large hound's head, striking at the one moving towards them. Irwin expected it to dodge, and it tried, but the shadows seemed to weaken it so much that Daubutim's hit struck it square on the side of its head. It was knocked away, sliding back out of sight, only to be replaced by another.

Four hounds later, Irwin felt his hand suddenly push forward. The hairs and hide that had turned completely gray crumbled under his touch, and a wheezing sigh came from the hound. Its now gray pupils dulled, and the tiny red embers that had managed to remain inside were whisked out of existence.

Daubutim let out a strangled shout as the head of the hound suddenly collapsed in a cloud of gray particles.

Where's the Linchpin? Irwin thought as he searched around, wiping the thick dust away.

Suddenly, his hands touched something hard and square, and he pulled them back to reveal another card with a pale gray border and a tiny hound on the cover.

A summon! He almost placed it on his hand, then held back.

"Ambraz, where is the Linchpin?" he shouted, looking at the Anvil.

The ground shuddered, cracks ripping through the surrounding walls. Startled cries from outside, and he heard the hounds run away.

"The hound was the linchpin," Ambraz shouted. "We need to get out of here before this shard world completely disintegrates!"

"It what?" Irwin shouted, but he was already up and beside Greldo.

The boy was shivering, his hands cusped before his chest and his eyes dull.

"Daubutim, help me carry him!"

Something ran past him, and as he looked up, he saw Twintin rush through what remained of the cloud of gray dust, pulling a trail behind her. Before he could call out to her, Daubutim arrived, grabbing Greldo around the waist and lifting him.

"Run!"

Irwin scrambled forward, running after Twintin as fast as he could.

Outside, the buildings were swaying, and he saw no dogs anywhere. He hoped they hadn't run through the portal, but there was nothing to be done if they had. Silvery vines were hovering near some entrances, but the path to the portal seemed clear. Twintin was already halfway to it, her arm above her head trying to give her some protection from the slowly dimming light.

The ground continued to rumble, and when he reached the corner of the street, he saw the black portal flickering ominously.

"We have to hurry," Ambraz shouted, and Irwin turned to find Daubutim struggling after him. He hesitated, then waited for the other boy.

"Heavy," Daubutim gasped as Irwin put an arm below Greldo, trying to take some of the weight.

It made running awkward, but Daubutim did move faster. Halfway across the square, Irwin saw Twintin disappearing inside.

"Have to be careful of her," Greldo muttered, his voice slurred.

"Later," Irwin said as they reached the portal. It was shivering, the edges flickering with bursts of red light.

"Wait for it to stabilize, then jump inside," Ambraz said, landing on his shoulder. "If you jump in now, you might not arrive where you want."

Irwin gritted his teeth and waited. The world shook again, and in the distance, he heard a building collapse. Then the portal stilled for a moment.

"Now!" Ambraz snapped, and Irwin jumped forward, pulling the other two along.

The cold of the in-between hit him like a hammer, and he had a moment to look around the darkness. There was no sight of the tendrils or anything else, and then they were through.

A fresh, musky scent wafted over him as the cold receded slightly. Rain dripped on his head as he stumbled forward, almost falling as his foot slipped over the mud. There was no sight of Twintin, but small footsteps led away from the open area back to where he thought they had come from.

He spun around, searching for hounds or tendrils, but there were none of those either.

A high-pitched scream pierced the forest. For a second, he thought it was Twintin. Then he realized it came from behind them. He turned around, but besides the incredibly vibrant green colors of the forest, he saw nothing.

Daubutim stumbled to a patch of grass, gently putting Greldo down. Cradling his hands, Greldo had gone limp, his soft breathing the only indication he was still alive.

Come on Greldo, you have to survive, Irwin thought. He shivered again and summoned his flame, both for warmth and the sense of security it offered.

Daubutim quickly unwrapped his jacket from his waist and pulled it on. Then he stepped towards Irwin, his normal dull gaze replaced by one of resolve.

"Decide," he said, looking intently at Irwin. "Are you coming with me to my father?"

Irwin blinked, hesitating.

The screams in the distance went up to a crescendo, then fell quiet. A thunderous roar of victory came, and Irwin paled.

"One of the other portals spit out a surge," Daubutim said, then swallowed. "We don't have much time."

"How are we even getting to your father?" Irwin asked, looking around.

Greldo had thought it was a good idea, and as he heard a distant scream, he made up his mind. Going back to the sorcerers meant trouble now that Twintin was out there. If she told them about Ambraz…

"So you are coming?" Daubutim said, suddenly smiling.

"Yes," Irwin nodded, and the tall boy grinned wide before turning to Greldo. "And him?"

"Greldo wanted to come too," Irwin said quickly.

"Good, then let's hope he survives the journey," Daubutim said as he walked back to the other boy. "Help me get him up."

Irwin wished he was strong enough to carry him, as Daubutim had both his club and the shield. If they got jumped, he'd be better able to defend them. Sadly, even if he could lift the other boy, there was no way he could carry him further than a few dozen feet.

A few moments later, Daubutim was straining with Greldo in his arms, and they walked towards the forest edge. They had carefully put Greldo's jacket back on, though the boy's head was burning hot.

"How are we going to reach your father?" Irwin asked.

"We will have to walk to Esterdon Tower," Daubutim said. "Father has a contingent of carded there with at least one teleporter."

Irwin stumbled as he recalled the map they were made to learn back in school. He didn't know exactly where Wignut was, but Esterdon was an old ruined city near the Swamps of Suffocation. If that tower was near the ruins…

"How long will that take?" he asked.

"I don't know," Daubutim said. "From there to Wignut is four days on horseback or carriage. I've never traveled on foot."

"Four days… we will never get there alive," Irwin whispered, looking at Greldo's unmoving form. "Do you even know how to get there?"

"Yes. Father made me memorize all the routes."

Irwin wondered what Daubutim meant with all routes when a dull roar sounded from ahead. They both froze midstep.

The raindrops that hit his flame sizzled loudly in the silence that lingered after.

"They are ahead of us," Irwin whispered. He turned to Daubutim. "Do you know another route?"

"Through the forest? No," the boy said, and he shook as another roar came from ahead.

He turned pale, looking around with a frown as if trying to decide what to do.

Irwin looked at him, then shook his head in consternation. He didn't know much about Daubutim yet, but he did know that he was lost when he had to think for himself. With Greldo out, that meant he had to decide.

"Let's go see what is going on," he said. "Staying here is no option."

As they continued, he realized Ambraz was still on his shoulder, and he carefully grabbed the Anvil and placed it in his pocket. As he did, his fingers touched the edge of the card the hound had dropped, and he blinked.

Should I slot it or not? he thought, thinking of his other two cards.

A few weeks ago, it would have been a no-brainer, but now? It took a while for the summons to grow, and they had little combat utility early on. Also, if it didn't get the gigantism skill, it would be nearly useless until a year had passed. After a second, he pulled his hand back, leaving the card. He wasn't sure if he would use it yet, but he was definitely keeping it for now.

They continued through the forest, jumping at every sound while the pelting rain increased to a torrent. Irwin could barely see the tree ahead of him, and the loud rainfall drowned out even the screams.

What had been a ten-minute walk when they arrived took them twice as long through the mud. The only upside for Irwin was that Daubutim wasn't any faster than he was now that he had to carry Greldo.

They didn't even notice when they reached the edge of the woods until they stepped from between the last trees. Streams of rainwater ran down into the lower regions, puddles filling up rapidly. The glow from his flame shone on the surrounding water, and Irwin suddenly worried about who might see it. He hesitated for a moment, then turned it off, the cold, wet rain instantly chilling him like icy water, causing him to shiver.

He had lost any sense of direction as he looked around. "Do you know where to go?" he asked, his teeth chattering slightly.

"Yes," Daubutim grunted. "We have to travel along the right edge of the forest until we reach the Trevinour River, cross it, and continue across the Denlavi plains."

Irwin had no idea where the Denlavi plains were, but the Trevinour River ran from the north to the south part of the peninsula. It was said to be wide enough for ships.

Perhaps this is a mistake, he thought as he looked at the other boy.

How were they supposed to cross that? And even if they could, until recently, he had never been out of Malorin. Now, he was going to travel across the peninsula?

A high-pitched scream came from somewhere down the slope before quickly being drowned out by the rain. As if that wasn't enough, everything suddenly lit up, and a few moments later, the ominous thunder of a fall storm vibrated his bones.

"We have no food, dry clothes, or camping equipment," he said, staring at Daubutim. "And Greldo needs medical help…"

"I can hunt for food until we reach the river, where we can fish," Daubutim stated with a shake of his head. "We won't die from the rain or the cold as long as your flame is around, and Greldo has a card now. He won't die that easily."

Irwin stared down the hill, and Daubutim stepped closer to him.

"If we stay here, we are going to get killed by whatever came from those portals. We can't help because we lack strength. The sorcerers are in Wignut," he shook his head as if it was all as clear as day.

"You're right," Irwin finally muttered, hating it as it meant he'd be going even further away from home.

Taking a deep sigh, he began walking along the forest.

I hope I'll see you again, Mom, he thought, picturing his mother and brother back in their tiny little house.

He'd always wished they had a bigger, more luxurious place, but right now, he wished he could just be there. Shaking it off, he squared his shoulders as much as he could.