Irwin followed Basil into Trimdir's office. There was a look of reluctant acceptance on the muscled smith's face.

As soon as the door closed, Basil turned to Irwin.

"You are coming with me. I need you to join the group that will close one of the uncommon portals," he said. "Too many died, and I need everyone!"

He raised his hand as if expecting them to reject, then looked confused when Trimdir and Irwin remained quiet.

"What?" he snapped. "We have only nine combat-ready uncommon warriors ready to close portals right now!"

"We know," Irwin said, suddenly even happier that his cards had gotten the property to act as uncommon. Otherwise, he'd have had to explain how he had suddenly gained two rares.

"You- What? Right, good," Basil said before nodding in obvious relief.

He turned to Trimdir. "I'll try to keep him alive, though he will have to survive the portal himself. Can you use what you have ready to outfit him? I don't have the time to go back and take care of that."

Trimdir didn't say anything, and as he remained quiet, Irwin felt the tension slowly rise.

He can't be thinking about telling him about the reforging, he thought suddenly. It made sense. He was the only one who could reforge, and if he died in a portal…

"I'll be fine," he said, staring at Trimdir, who turned to him with a blank look. "With my full-hand," he raised his hand for both of them to see, "I should be fine."

There was a snap, and Irwin looked up to see Basil's mouth had snapped shut as he stared dumbly at Irwin's hand.

"You what?" he shouted. "How?"

"Are you sure you will be alright? The portals could lead to the frozen wastelands of the Frozir," Trimdir said, seemingly ignoring Basil.

Irwin nodded. "When I combined the cards into my full-hand my cold weakness became slightly less. It will still be far from optimal, but with proper clothing, I should be fine. Besides, my flame seems to hurt them a lot."

Trimdir nodded, then sighed as he leaned back and closed his eyes.

"What are you acting all protective for," Basil snapped, still eyeing Irwin's hand. "We were younger than him when we entered our first uncommon portal! Don't you remember?"

Trimdir didn't respond, and Irwin wondered what was going through his mind. Just when Basil seemed ready to explode, he leaned forward, and his eyes snapped open.

"You owe him a rare card, Basil."

"Ugh… you remembered that did you?" Basil muttered.

How could anybody forget that? Irwin thought in disbelief.

"Basil…"

Irwin's mind went into overdrive as he thought of Daubutim and his missing card.

"Fine, fine! After he comes back from closing that portal, I'll-"

"Wait," Irwin said, interrupting Basil.

Both men turned to him, Trimdir calm and Basil confused and slightly annoyed.

"Daubutim will come with me. Right?" Irwin said, trying to make it more of a giving fact than a question.

Basil frowned, then shook his head. "He has a rare card now- he will be helping to close the rare portal."

The sword is rare, Irwin thought as he felt like slapping himself. How could he have forgotten about that? At the same time, he shivered at the thought of having to enter a rare portal, and his fear for his friend rapidly increased. Daubutim had barely any time to practice with his new card, and with only the sword and the armor, he would be in great danger inside a rare portal!

"He has to go in?" he asked.

"Yes," Basil said. "He will join my old group. You don't have to worry. They will keep him safe, and-"

"Let him pick a card," Irwin said, interrupting the head guard for a second time. A tiny part of him wondered why Basil said old party. Did that mean he wasn't entering the rare portal?

The massive man slowly closed his mouth, blinking, then frowned. "You mean, instead of you picking a rare?"

Irwin nodded. "Yes. Daubutim has a free socket. It would be best if he could get a good third card before he enters!"

"You realize I won't give both of you a rare?" Basil said, cocking his head. "I'll still let you pick something to offset your cold weakness but- wait, do you still need that?"

Irwin almost said he had it solved, then realized the opportunity. "Yes," he said. "As I said, it became slightly better with becoming a full-hand, but it's still bad."

"Fine, fine," Basil said, slightly disgruntled. "I've already gone to those leeches and gotten all the useful cards yesterday. They didn't like it and will probably complain, but they can come and whine about it later. If we all die in surges because we can't close those bloody portals, what's the use!" He seemed to remember something uncomfortable, his eyes drifting off for a bit, then his gaze refocused on Irwin.

"But I mean it. You can not have two rares…. Are you sure?"

Irwin faked a sad look. He hadn't really expected to get an uncommon card after his offer, but he definitely didn't mind.

It's perhaps even better than a rare, he thought before quickly calming himself.

He had to make sure Basil didn't realize this. Very few people, if any at all, would have done what he was doing now. Rare cards, especially battle ones, were far too valuable. The thing was… he was starting to think that it would be better for him to have a common card with potential and reforge it slowly. That way, he got to decide every part of it.

"What use is that rare if Daubutim or I die in a portal trying to close it?" he finally said.

"So… you would give up a rare card to help your friend's survivability?" Basil said, stepping closer and staring at Irwin intently, seeming to want to be absolutely sure.

Trimdir seemed ready to speak, so Irwin quickly answered.

"Yes."

Basil clapped his hand together, grinning at him widely. "I like you! Fine! It's a good thing, too, because I wouldn't have let you slot the rare card until after we closed the portal!"

Irwin choked as he stared at the massive guard. What the- and how should he have gone in with his cold weakness?

"Hah, don't worry," Basil snorted. "I would have just given you an uncommon as a loan!"

Right, Irwin thought as he recalled what Daubutim had said about unslotting a card. As if it is that easy.

"Well, let's go find him and help him get his third card. We are leaving for Grinning Man's hilltop as soon as the army is ready," Basil said.

"I'll go get him," Irwin said quickly, turning and exiting the office.

--

Basil quietly stared at the door until it slammed shut, then he turned to Trimdir. His smile had faded, replaced by a frown.

"How?" he asked, staring at the smith that he had known since he was a young boy with big dreams. He didn't have to explain to Trimdir what he was talking about. His friend would know he had heard about mysterious cards appearing.

"A card and experimentation," Trimdir said, calmly staring at him.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"That is not an answer," Basil said quietly. "What card is it? We need to find more! If we can turn common cards into uncommon, we can-"

"There are no more from what I know," Trimdir said. "And the requirements are stringent. One card per day, no more."

"But it doesn't matter what kind of card? Utility, body enhancement?"

"Anything goes," Trimdir said slowly.

"Did you tell the kid?"

Trimdir blinked, then shook his head. "I did not tell the kid," he said softly.

Basil stared at him quietly. There was something about the way Trimdir had said that that felt off, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Before he could drill Trimdir further, there was a knock.

“Enter,” Trimdir said.

Irwin and Daubutim walked into the room, and Basil sighed as he saw the dim-eyed noble look at him. He still couldn't get a grasp on the boy. Sometimes he seemed positively brilliant, yet in other moments he seemed too stupid to figure out something simple. Then again, he made a good pairing with Orwin, or whatever his name was.

Little punks think they can hoodwink me, Basil thought as he gave Trimdir a nod and headed out. He'd noticed there was something fishy going on right away, and he'd heard from his informants that Orwin had acted way too odd when he had just got here.

"Daubutim with me. Orwin, meet us at the tower as soon as you have your gear sorted. Prepare to move out as soon as you are there!"

He frowned when he saw the two share a quick worried look.

"Can you wait for a minute so I can come along? I want to check the cards too," Irwin said quickly.

"We don't have-" Basil began.

"I have what he needs ready," Trimdir interrupted him, getting up. "Just wait a minute."

Basil clenched his fists, thinking about all the things he still had to do, then took a deep breath and nodded.

"Fine. Hurry up!"

He sniffed, as Trimdir pulled Irwin out, leaving him with the quiet one.

"Got any idea what card you want?" he asked.

The lad just shrugged, staring at him dully.

Ugh… how he can be so effective at killing is beyond me, Basil thought as he decided to wait quietly.

--

Irwin pulled the straps of the thickly padded armor until it was tight, then tapped the dull gray chestplate.

"Good, it still fits. I had this made for you a while back and hadn't expected you to decide to grow this much," Trimdir said as he nodded. "It should keep you warm."

"Thank you, Trimdir," Irwin said, moving his arms around to get a feel for the new armor.

It was very similar to what Hutch was wearing, except that he luckily had sleeves. Then he focused on his new grappling gauntlets. Unlike the normal, bulky things, these had barely any material on the palm area, while the top material and knuckles were made of gleaming orange metal.

"Those are custom-made for you," Trimdir said. "Your hands, even without you using that skill, are far stronger than those of others. You would rip normal gauntlets apart, so I strengthened the insides with thinner, heavier metal. How do they feel?"

"Light," Irwin said, pulling one on and flexing his hand. "What kind of metal is this?"

"Elarian Insulated Steel. The color comes from the small amount of Firesteel it contains," Trimdir said.

Irwin looked up in surprise. "I didn't read about those in the books!"

"That is because those only deal with the mundane metals, not those found in portals," Trimdir said. "Keep yourself safe, don't do anything stupid, and I'll teach you about them when you return."

Irwin wanted to ask what Firesteel did, but a loud thud stopped him as the door to Trimdir's office was kicked open.

"Are you two bloody well done yet?" Basil shouted.

The few smiths working fell quiet, staring at the giant guard before quickly returning to work.

"Be careful," Trimdir said as he turned and walked towards his office.

"I will," Irwin replied.

Basil stomped towards the exit, Daubutim behind him.

"Let's head out," he snapped.

Irwin took a quick look around, and as he did, he suddenly wondered if this was the last time he'd be here. With one special and two rare cards, he didn't worry about entering an uncommon portal, but… he couldn't be sure either. He took a final look at the anvil and forge he'd begun to see as his own before walking towards the door.

When he stepped out of the smithy, he felt the cold wind blow around him, tugging at the folds of his armor. Snow trickled down slowly and steadily from the dark gray sky.

It's a lot less cold than before, he thought as he focused on the sensation of the cold on his face. It was still uncomfortable, but he didn't feel the massive drain that he had only days prior.

He quietly followed Basil, in step with Daubutim.

As he walked, he remembered when he'd told Daubutim that he should pick the rare. He looked to the noble youth, that was now only slightly taller than him. Daubutim's gaze was locked on his feet, eyes fuzzy.

It's just a rare, he thought with a grin. How times had changed!

Daubutim had been stunned, staring at him dumbly when he told him he was to choose the rare. Something in his stance had warned Irwin that he wanted to reject. So, he had spoken out before the noble could beat himself up about it.

"Without that card, you could die. Who is going to have my back then? I can get more rares, but friends are hard to find!"

Daubutim had blinked, then nodded slowly before following Irwin.

It wasn't a bad speech, Irwin thought as he remembered the stories Bronwyn had told him about the heroes of old.

As they passed through the normally busy, tent and hut-filled streets, he looked around, shocked by the damage. Not a single tent remained, and most of the wooden constructions had been reduced to splintered heaps of wood. At Least a dozen of the stone buildings were reduced to rubble, and the soft sound of crying came from multiple buildings.

"We will survive," Basil said softly.

Irwin looked up and saw the guard leader look at him over his shoulder with a look of resolve.

Unsure what to say, Irwin nodded. Basil seemed to expect nothing else and looked away again.

But how many will die? Irwin thought as he clenched his hands.

They continued to the central tower, the square crowded with huts. People walked around or sat in front of large bonfires, and the only clear path was up to the tower entrance.

"Let's make this fast," Basil said as he led them inside and down. They reached a hallway with a guarded door, and after Basil shooed the guard away, he opened it with a thick key.

"Right. Don't take anything without asking," Basil snapped as he stepped inside and to the side.

Irwin followed him, then stopped in surprise. He had expected to be brought to a large room with cards, like those he'd seen in the tower of sorcerers. Instead, they stood in a room barely large enough for the three of them, with a single large cabinet. More a closet than a room, really. Behind its glass-filled doors lay a few dozen cards. Most had the purple borders of uncommon cards, but he spotted three rare yellow-bordered ones.

"Right, there are notes below that explain what they do but don't trust them all. The one who wrote it down has a card that allows him to inspect them, but it's all based on feelings," Basil said, sounding annoyed.

Irwin hesitated for only a moment, then stepped forward.

"Let me," he said as he activated Eyes of Blaze. Though it technically had another name, he found he still thought of it as the original name he'd gotten the card with.

As the world turned orange, he leaned forward and stared at the first card. It showed a creature that he'd not seen before, rat-like, but with larger ears.

"Typhoon rat, an uncommon summon best used for stealth and recon. It has weak air magic that allows it increased movement," he said, shaking his head. "No extra types. Doesn't sound very useful."

"I can't use that," Daubutim said in agreement. "Tell me about the rares."

"Wait a blasted moment," Basil snapped. "Are you telling me you can read these bloody cards?"

Irwin looked at the guard who was staring at him.

"Yes," he said, turning his attention back to the shelf.

Behind him, Basil rummaged through a drawer, pulling out a quill, ink, and paper.

"Read them out loud," he said, dripping too much ink on the sheet.

It took him longer than Basil liked to read through them all, though that was in large Basil's fault. He wanted to write down each little detail in his gruesomely slow handwriting.

In the end, Irwin found only a single card of interest while Daubutim was looking dumbly at the three rares. Surprisingly, each was good, but they were very different.

"By Gelgwin's beard, pick one already," Basil snapped, glaring at Daubutim. "You can't even slot more than one! Just pick that full-body one! You know it's the best for you!"

Irwin ignored Basil, staring at Daubutim and the three cards in front of him. One showed a figure, heavily muscled and somehow giving off the sense it was larger than life. It was called Lineage of Giants and would grant Daubutim a significant boost in strength, together with an increase in height and reach.

He's right, Irwin thought, agreeing with Basil.

"I will take this one," Daubutim suddenly said, picking another card and shoving the Lineage of Giants and another card away.

"The Aquatic Raven summon?" Irwin said, looking at the stats again.

It was the only card with one passive, and two active abilities and the only summon amongst the rares. It granted Water Affinity for the one who slotted it, while it would let Daubutim summon a Raven that could both fly and swim. He could also grant himself the ability to breath underwater for an hour. Not bad, but...

It doesn't really synergize with his others, does it? Irwin thought. Was he missing something?

"Why?" he asked, at the same time as Basil snapped, "Seriously?"

"Yes," Daubutim said, and without giving either of them a chance, he pressed the card against the empty slot on his left hand. A blue glow followed a soft cry as the card sank into his hand.

"Well… suit yourself," Basil snapped. "And you're sure you want that one?"

Irwin grimaced as he held up the card in his hand.

"Yes, this will be fine," he said.

I hope.

"Bah… if we were not in such a hurry, I'd have taken the time to make you change your mind. Whatever, let's head out."

Basil turned and practically yanked them out of the room before closing it back.

"Alright, now that this is settled, let's go to the others. Then I can finally wrap up the last part, and we can be on our way," Basil said as he rushed them through the tower.

Irwin barely noticed where they were going as he followed along dutifully. Most of his attention was on the card in his hand. Ambraz couldn't talk, but when Irwin had inspected it, the Anvil had begun vibrating and humming so hard that he worried Basil would notice.

Now why would you want me to bring this one, he thought as he recalled the card's status.

Card: Derlin Rabbit

Type: Uncommon, ???

Owner: -

The owner of this card can summon a Derlin Rabbit.

Passive: ???

The text was short, shorter than even most of the commons he knew, and he had no idea why there were question marks. Whatever it was, it must have something to do with reforging it… but what?

I'll not slot it until he tells me, that's for sure, Irwin thought.

"Alright, listen up," Basil snapped as he turned abruptly.

Irwin looked up to see the massive wall beyond. He knew where they were, a single turn from the main gate.

"You are going to be the youngest on your team," Basil said as he looked Irwin straight in the eye. "I don't expect any trouble while I'm here, but they might question my decision. If you've got anything fun to show them in a minute, that might be for the best."

Seriously? Irwin thought, then he just nodded.

If he had to, he could simply turn full coperion. He hadn't tried that yet, so it would be a good test. He was pretty sure he could do something impressive then.

"Alright. Great! And you-" he turned to Daubutim. "Hutch knows you are joining him, and he seemed happy enough."

"I'm going with Hutch?" Daubutim said, his normally stoic demeanor shattered.

"Yah! Fun times!"