It's looking for us, Irwin thought as he kept still. How can it even fit in here? Shouldn't it be too large to enter these corridors?

The steps moved further away, slowly turning soft. Daubutim moved his head close to Irwin's, who looked up in worry. If he made any noise…

"That's a dead-end," Daubutim whispered so softly Irwin could barely hear it. "It will return this way, so stay quiet."

Irwin nodded, and they waited. A few minutes later, the thudding returned, stopping a few feet beyond their door.

"I will find you…" the voice came again, intense hatred and anger seemingly echoing through the walls and door.

Irwin remained quiet, holding his breath, relieved when the footsteps moved away.

A few minutes later, they were gone, but Irwin didn't dare move. He looked at Daubutim, who had a hand up, and shook his head. They waited for a long time, longer than Irwin thought they had, before the thing showed up. Finally, Daubutim nodded.

"That was over an hour. It should be gone by now. Let's get out of here."

Irwin nodded, and they got up. A quick listening later, he opened the door, afraid of seeing a massive bird-head. There was none, and as he looked through the hall, he saw none there either. Deep gauges sat in the stone floor tiles, and scrapes around the walls ran all the way to the top as if something too large had forced its weight through.

If it shows up, I'll blast it, Irwin thought as he swallowed at the thought.

They snuck to the corridor, only a few steps away, when a soft sound came from the path that led back to the larger area. Irwin froze, staring at the end of the corridor, his heartbeat skyrocketing. A shove in his back sent him stumbling into the corridor, but not before he saw the Bablibon's horrible head poke across the balcony edge.

"The fat-one was correct… so sneaky. Perhaps I'll let him live till last," the demon bird's voice sang behind him, followed by a burst of soft laughter. "Now! Either show me where the portal is, or I'll eat you alive, starting at your feet!"

Irwin shivered, then ran forward. Cracking and breaking sounds came from behind as something rushed through the corridor.

"Summon your flame," Daubutim whispered, and Irwin didn't second guess him but complied immediately.

A loud scream came from behind, and Irwin spun around to see the Bablibon yank its head back, eyes closed. It had already turned around the corner, its body filling the entire hallway.

"Vile tricks," it screamed. "Hurting my eyes? I'll take one of yours for that!"

Irwin and Daubutim rushed through the hallway, Daubutim in the lead, and the boy pulled open the door to the right, slightly opposite the portal. Irwin wanted to scream at him that it was the wrong door, and ask what he was doing. They had to get out of here! Daubutim pulled him inside but left it open,

"Get ready to blast him," he hissed as he rushed back into the room.

Irwin remained behind the door just as something massive shoved it open, snapping it clear out of its frame. The Bablibon poked its head into the room, but its shoulders wouldn't fit. Still, with the door gone, Irwin was only a foot away, and he shivered as he stared at the massive eye.

"There you-" the Bablibon began.

Irwin didn't think but used his Eyes of Blaze. The fire rippled into the bird, whose beak snapped open. There was a soft tick, and the next thing Irwin knew was that there was a ringing in his ears, and all sound was gone. He felt something drip on his lip, and a look showed Daubutim had collapsed on the floor.

The Bablibon's beak was still open, and its right eye had turned blood-red with blisters all over.

Somehow, without any sounds, Irwin felt calm. Daubutim was down, and whatever the noble had planned was over. That meant he had to do something. He almost felt like dreaming as he jumped forward and onto the long neck just behind the Bablibon's head. His flame acted instantly as he willed it to angle down, into the monstrous bird's skin, below his hand. Then the world blurred as he felt himself move. He barely managed to hold on as the room flicked around him, then something heavy struck his back.

Feeling more hot liquid drip on his lip, he absently wondered if it was blood.

Another blow, and he felt something snap in his side. Then the room made way for the corridor, and he was flung left and right against the walls and ceiling.

It's a good thing there's not enough room, a small part of him thought. The stunned muddledness was quickly vanishing as fear resurfaced. At the same time, he felt the remaining energy in Eyes of the Blaze. Not even questioning if it was a good idea, he blasted straight at the back of the Bablibon's neck.

The world blurred again as he felt his jacket rip as he was scraped across the ceiling. Pain blossomed, then the corridor made way for a spacious area. The Bablibon had dragged him back into the room with the staircase and the balcony. Part of him screamed in fear. The shaking intensified as the demon bird had more room to move. Irwin felt his fingers lose their grip, and he didn't hear his own startled cry as he was flung clear.

Flying through the room, he slammed into a table that snapped below him, and suddenly he was on the ground, stunned. His entire body was a mass of pain, and his vision was slowly turning dark. He saw Ambraz hover in his corner, his mouth open as if he was screaming, but he didn't hear him.

Looking up, he saw the Bablibon stalk towards him. One of its eyes was a mangled mess, and purplish blood dripped along its neck, but it didn't even falter. Irwin saw the hate in its single good eye as it lowered its head to within a few feet from him.

I wonder if mum will be okay, Irwin thought as he felt his fear fade.

A second ticked by, then another, and the Bablibon was still glaring at him.

Why isn't it killing me? Irwin thought.

A movement came from the side, and he saw a two-horned Galub pop into view. He was confused as he felt arms lift him, and his vision shifted. Doomblade stood near the staircase. With a hungry look on his face, his blade was raised at the bird, purple clouds shifting around while blood-red lightning flashed inside.

Then Irwin saw the stair, and the wall, and more wall as the Galub, Ulrop, carried him up and away.

A few minutes later he was inside the room with Daubutim who was still lying in a crumpled heap on the ground. Ulrop put him beside the noble then began shaking him, a look of fear on his face. Irwin had no idea how much time had passed, but when Daubutim finally moved he could only see a small patch. The rest around him was turning black. Was his night vision not working properly? He wanted to warn Ulrop to get back from Daubutim before the boy strangled him, then Daubutim shot up, arms outstretched. Irwin couldn't see what happened after, but a moment later, he was picked up again.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

This is nice, he thought as he felt himself go warm and fuzzy. The last thing he knew was that he thought he saw the portal. Then everything went dark.

--

"Irwin! Don't fall asleep!" Daubutim snapped as he looked worriedly at the other boy.

Wounds covered every inch of him, and his blackened clothes were torn apart, revealing more of his seemingly sunburned skin. Worse than most, a worrisome deep gouge sat in his back, blood flowing from it. The skin on its edges was puffy and dark.

Daubutim wished he had the healing card he wanted for his second hand already.

A shuffle from the side made him look over at the Galub hovering nearby and staring at the portal with apparent fear.

"Shouldn't you go through?" Ulrop whispered as he kept looking at the door.

He is up to something, Daubutim thought as he frowned. Everything he knew was telling him to kill the Galub, but for the fact that it had saved Irwin and probably him.

"Why did you save him?" he asked coldly.

"Because I need help when I get to your world," Ulrop whispered as he looked back at the door.

"What do you mean? You can't go through the portal!"

"I couldn't before, but if Doomblade kills the Bablibon he will grow his fourth horn," Ulrop grunted as he glared at the portal.

"And what does that do?" Daubutim asked while staring at Irwin. Would he even survive going through the portal? And what would be waiting for them on the other side?

"He will become way more powerful, being a single level below evolving," Ulrop said. "More importantly, he will be teleported back to what remains of our ancestral world."

"You said that it shattered," Daubutim said with a frown.

"Yes, but large sections are being held together by the most powerful of my race," Ulrop said. "We normally aren't allowed there, but if Doomblade-"

A loud howling came from the room, followed by a sudden shaking. A rumble came from far below the ground while the temperature suddenly plummeted.

"He did it," Ulrop whispered, sounding almost afraid. He raised his hands and tapped both his horns in an odd pattern before whispering something.

A deafening roar came from somewhere far away, muted but easily understandable. "I'll find you for what you did, Ulrop!"

Daubutim saw the demon shiver before looking at the portal.

"You should go through now! I'll come in a moment," Ulrop said. "This world-shard is going to break apart any moment."

Such a waste of all those cards, Daubutim thought as he picked up a now shivering Irwin.

Right, he needs warmth, he thought as he recalled everything he knew about the other's cards. He'd have to get him into a warm cave with fire as soon as he returned. Hopefully, Greldo was still around and had found a good place. If not… his mind fogged as he tried to come up with an idea, but none came.

"Damnit," he whispered.

Taking one look at the demon, he jumped into the portal.

The world swirled in patterns of black and red energy as it always did and then the temperature dropped even more as he stumbled out of the portal onto the muddy ground. The air was incredibly clear compared to what they had breathed, and a look around showed it was the dead of night. The three portals still hovered there, though he saw an odd swirl around the one he had exited. It shook and shivered as if unstable.

There was no sight of Greldo, but also, luckily, no sounds of battle or shouting. Everything was calm and tranquil.

And he had no idea what to do. He quickly shuffled through the plans his father had let him read, and the only one that came up again was -find a safe place to hide-. He took one look at the portal and wondered if he should wait for the Galub.

Ten seconds, he decided.

He waited for ten seconds, the time ticking away in his head. He felt Irwin shiver in his arms, and he backed up before turning to the forest. It was dark and brooding, but at least the moonlight lit more than back in the darkness of that blasted city. He jogged forward, reaching the treeline without any issue. A quick look back showed that the Galub was nowhere to be seen.

Good. It's not worth the risk, Daubutim thought as he quickly moved further into the forest.

A soft clacking made him stop, ready to drop Irwin and battle whatever was making it. Then he realized it came from the boy, whose teeth were clicking together.

Don't die, Daubutim thought as he headed onward while looking around. His best bet would be to find another of those large clusters of undergrowth to hide in. With a few stones, he should be able to make a fire. As he began methodically planning, he kept an eye on everything.

--

Warm… Irwin thought as he slowly woke. His whole body felt soothed and hot. And sharp? He tried to move, and something hot stabbed into his back. Then he realized it wasn't hot. It was… pain! He wanted to bolt upright, but a heavy weight pressed his shoulder back.

"Don't move. You will open the wounds."

"Daubutim," Irwin whispered, his throat dry and sore. He tried licking his lips, but he barely felt either, and he couldn't seem to open his eyes. There was another option which he quickly shoved away.

"Water," he muttered.

It was quiet for a moment. Then he felt something roughly pressed against his lips. Muddy, cold water flowed into his mouth, and it felt divine. Without even worrying about what the gritty parts were he swallowed it.

"More," he whispered.

He continued drinking until he finally felt his thirst quenched, and almost immediately after fell asleep again.

He had no idea how long he slept, but when he woke up again he felt a little better. Or worse, depending on how he looked at it. It was cold outside, and his entire body was screaming at him in agony, especially his back and arms. At the same time, he was thirsty again.

He opened his eyes and saw a tiny glimmer of light peer through a dense cover of yellow and orange leaves.

Winter has arrived, he thought dumbly.

He barely managed to raise his head, and he saw that Daubutim sat beside him with his head drooped on his chest and a little drool leaking from his mouth onto his metal breastplate. Irwin wanted to ask for more water but decided to leave the other asleep. He had no memory of how he'd gotten here, but he was pretty sure Daubutim must have saved his life somehow. The last thing he recalled was riding the Bablibon then…

Right, it was going to eat me, he thought as the image of the massive beak lowering toward him popped into his mind. He felt a shiver of fear, but it was muted by his pain, weariness, thirst, and hunger.

Returning to look at the leaves, he wondered if he was going to have another thing to haunt his nightmares. Probably. It would have to compete with burning alive and the other gruesome things that had happened since he left home. He wondered why his mind felt so at ease, almost as if the pain and stress were balancing out with something else.

Tranquil, he continued to look at the leaves above him, and a random memory popped up from when he was younger and had been in school. Rhym had been talking about the time before the portals appeared in relation to the world, and Clarish, always thinking she knew it all, had interrupted him.

"Master Rhym! That can't be right! Everyone knows that winter follows summer, and-"

"Miss Uldrot! Stop interrupting me! And I guarantee you that I'm not mistaken. There are highly detailed paintings of those days that remain as well as countless books, stories, and anecdotes! Before the portals came, there were four seasons on Giard. Spring, summer, fall, and winter! However, after the Diflor came and almost destroyed our world, portals ran rampant. Things changed, and now winter follows the summer and lasts for six months. Long ago, the coloring of the leaves took weeks or longer, and usually, no snow fell in the first three months of winter. Which they called fall."

It's probably the other way around, he thought, knowing he'd get into major trouble if he said any of this out loud. No. It was more probable that the portals came and the Diflor through them. The missing season, as weird as he found it, was likely due to the portals destabilizing their world.

He sighed as he looked at the colorful leaves. They would be like this for only two days, after which the first snow wouldn't be long behind.

Perhaps it's all because the world is becoming unstable, he thought. A stab of pain lanced through his back, and he groaned.

A shocked gasp came from Daubutim, and he saw the boy shoot up, arms outstretched and eyes clouded as his shield and morningstar appeared in his hands.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," Irwin groaned.

Daubutim blinked, then looked around fearfully. Slowly he calmed, and his stoic look returned, eyes dull as he frowned at Irwin.

"You are awake. Don't move. Your wounds are bad, and if you hadn't slotted that final card, you would have surely died," he whispered.

"As I told you," Ambraz's voice said as the Anvil flitted through the bushes to land on Irwin's chest. "There is no movement outside, nor has there been all night."

"Good. I'll go outside to search for edible roots and berries or perhaps some small game. Stay here," Daubutim said as he moved to leave.

"Wait, can you give me some more water first?" Irwin asked.

Daubutim stopped, looked at him oddly, then nodded. He went to the side and a moment later came back with his hands full of brownish water. Irwin saw tiny bits of sand drift inside, and he realized this was what he'd been drinking before. Closing his eyes, he drank it, trying to ignore what might be in it.

"Thanks."

Daubutim looked at him again. "How you can drink this much without urinating is baffling," he said. "I'll be back as soon as I can. Stay quiet."

Irwin nodded and watched the noble boy sneak out.