Three days went by in the blink of an eye, and to Irwin, they were some of the happiest he had ever had. With only five people, Trimdir's smithy should feel empty, but the loud, happy shouts as Lamia or the others as they managed to reforge a card successfully, or the angry curses if they failed, made it feel cozy.

"Not bad, Dalrindir. That is your fourth successful reforging of a card? Two in a row now?" Trimdir grunted as he stomped over to the other smith.

Irwin grinned as he looked up from Ambraz. There was another card on the surface, waiting for him to reforge it. It would be the last he did. Tomorrow morning they would be setting out to Esterdon.

Dalrindir grunted and wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Well, it's about time, isn't it? I don't like being behind the curve. But I suppose I should thank you for bringing me," the much smaller smith grunted while smiling at the other. "Don't get too comfortable in that lead, though. I'll be catching up soon enough."

"I don't doubt it!" Trimdir snorted.

Irwin absently listened to their banter as he reforged the card before him. When he finished, he stared at the new uncommon and put it on the stack of others. Trimdir had asked him to do all the cards that had any combat potential himself, just to be safe, and this was the last one.

Tomorrow we leave… he thought as he looked around the smithy.

He noticed Dalrindir staring intently at the projected image of the card as he hammered on it, trying to reforge. Something about the way the card-image wobbled made him think the smith wasn't hitting it right, but before he could help, Dalrindir stepped away and cursed. Then he grabbed the card, opened the heavy metal barrel next to him, and threw it inside. Nothing happened for a few moments, then there was a loud explosion.

Dalrindir angrily struck the anvil, causing a few tools to clatter to the ground. Then he looked at Trimdir with a mixture of embarrassment and frustration. "I got too impatient and didn't hit it right. It won't happen again."

It probably will, Irwin thought as he recalled the smith's last half dozen attempts. He felt his mind slowly move to what lay ahead, and after a few moments, he brought his stack of uncommon cards to Trimdir, who shot him a glance and raised an eyebrow.

"Going to take a walk before we eat," Irwin said as he forced a smile.

"Alright, take Daubutim along and be careful. There's still sightings of that Slaughter Demon, and those Galubs keep sending new assassins."

Irwin nodded as he headed to the door, followed by Daubutim. A thick carpet of crispy new snow almost made him turn back, but he gritted his teeth and stepped outside.

"What's wrong?" Daubutim asked.

Irwin shrugged as he stomped towards the square. There were no youths there now, but he heard noises from the different workshops along it, showing there were people hard at work. Not sure what to say, he quietly walked through the city with Daubutim, who seemed to realize he needed to think.

As he thought about many things, something popped into his mind, and he realized one of the reasons he was so on edge.

"Do you think the sorcerers and Twintin are at Esterdon?"

"Yes, and not just them," Daubutim said with a nod. "I've heard some rumors from the few merchants that managed to reach us, and apparently, a lot of towns surrounding Esterdon were attacked and unable to defend against the demon surges."

"Do you think they will cause trouble for us?" barely hearing what Daubutim said.

Daubutim didn't respond, and Irwin saw him frown in the distance. He quickly thought back to what Daubutim had said and grimaced.

"Not those villagers. Say Twintin told them about… things. Do you think the sorcerers will try and…" he didn't continue.

"They might try," Daubutim said with a nod. "But you are a full-hand and one, and Lord Bron is sending Hutch and others with us. Besides, we are going to be able to head to my father's tower and get help if need be."

"Is that smart? What if he won't let you go with me?"

Daubutim sighed, then muttered something. "My father isn't there. And if he was, he wouldn't care. As long as I don't bring shame to the Coulwater name."

They continued on through the narrow paths, and as much as Irwin was annoyed, he noticed he kept scanning the roofs and the alleys they passed. A quick look showed Daubutim was doing the same, with a sad look on his face.

"Is your father a nice guy?" Irwin asked suddenly.

Daubutim's foot stopped midair, and Irwin stopped as he noticed his friend had stopped walking. There was a dull look in the young noble's eyes, then he shivered as if cold.

"No. He is… hard. Hard to mother, hard to my brothers, and... hard to me. But he is much harder on himself," Daubutim said as he began walking again. "The Coulwater family was nearly wiped out forty years ago. My father was one of the few that survived, and at twelve years old, he had to take control over what was left."

"Were there no adults left?" Irwin asked in surprise.

"Yes. My uncle. But even then, he was more interested in other things," Daubutim said. "My father pulled our family from certain doom, and it made him into an unyielding person."

Irwin shivered at the coldness in Daubutim's voice, then followed quietly as they continued. He noticed Daubutim was taking a path that would lead back to the smithy and didn't say anything else.

"Sorry," Irwin said, berating himself for just blurting out his questions.

"It is fine," Daubutim said, his voice calm. "But, I don't enjoy talking about this. Still, I can understand you wanting to know before we move closer toward my father. I will… tell you more about him as we travel."

"Alright," Irwin said.

They continued on in silence, Irwin angry at himself for having brought it up. It had been so obvious that Daubutim had issues, but he'd been so worried about tomorrow that he'd just blurted it out.

I wonder if that Slaughter Demon will follow us when we leave, he thought, looking around.

--

"Hutch, you are to take no risks. Any portal you come across, you mark on the map. If there are large clusters, send one of the rangers back with the map."

"Yes, Lord Bron."

Irwin stood to the side, trying to reposition his large backpack. Next to him, Lamia was staring at her uncle, arms crossed and a stern look on her face. The thick coat she had looked new, as did the other gear.

"Lamia… are you really sure about this?" Burt asked.

"Yes. I am going to get strong and make sure nobody gets hurt again," she said sternly.

Irwin saw Burt's face fall. Then the small man stared at him, his piercing blue eyes slightly ruddy.

"Orwin, promise you'll take care of her," he said, his mustache jutting up and down.

"Uncle-" Lamia began, sounding annoyed.

"I'll do my best," Irwin said, looking at Burt before nodding.

The small man looked at Lamia, then back at Irwin, and finally at the small gathering. "I guess that's all I can ask for these days," he said. He gave the much taller Lamia a tight hug, causing her face to turn red, then he turned and strode off.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

Irwin watched him leave, then smiled at Lamia. "Your uncle is a good man," he said.

Lamia's face fell slightly, but she nodded. "Yes, he looks like my father," she muttered.

Irwin flinched, then was distracted by Lord Bron calling his name. He stepped toward the Lord, noting that the rangers and guards that would accompany them were ready. He only recognized Hutch, who gave him a gruff nod.

"Alright. Trimdir and Dalrindir have started teaching the others, but from what I've heard, not a single one has even managed yet."

Irwin nodded. Dalrindir had still only managed two, and he wondered how much the smith could really teach, but then again, what had he really done? He'd explained a bit, tried to interpret what the smiths had told him about the resonance, and that's it. Most came down to years of metal purification practice. Recalling what Ambraz had told him about that, he shrugged apologetically.

"It is normal for this to take a long time. Most people need years," he said. "It's just because Trimdir and Dalrindir have so much experience that they can even pick it up."

Lord Bron frowned. "We don't have years. Young Lordling, I hope you succeed and come back safely," he said, his voice slightly louder as if for all to hear. Then he handed Irwin a scroll and a ring. "This is a missive by me, telling all guards to assist you if need be. The ring will designate you as one of my heirs.. Use it if you have to."

There was a stunned silence as the guard's conversations stopped. Then an excited mutter came from all around.

Irwin's mouth fell open as he stared at the tiny dull metal ring. There was a signet in it with a symbol he didn't recognize.

"Use it well. It's all the help I can give where you are going," Lord Bron said. Then he turned to Hutch, nodded, and left.

Irwin dumbly stared at the missive before putting it inside his coat. All around him were sounds of guards and rangers getting ready and the gate opening, but all his attention was on the ring. He'd never had one, the use of metal on something like this seeming extravagant. Then again, he couldn't think of anything useful to make from such a tiny bit. Perhaps one arrowhead? He was pretty sure the metal was Rincian Steel, but there was something different about it. With a little experimenting, he put it on his thumb, then thought better of it and put it in a pocket for now. If he had to use Coperion Body, the ring might constrict his finger.

"Alright, let's head out," Hutch shouted.

Irwin followed Daubutim and Lamia outside, shivering as the full blast of the cold wind struck them. The temperature had dropped again, and he wondered how much colder it was going to become this winter.

"Lord Orwin!"

A soft shout drew his attention, and he turned in surprise to see an old lady stand to the side. He recognized her as the one he'd saved during the first Frozir attack. A young boy ran towards him with a tiny packet in his hands.

"This is for you! Stay safe," the little boy said, probably trying to talk like an adult.

Irwin grinned, accepted the package, and felt it was warm. Raising it, he smelled warm bread.

"Thank you," he said, ruffling the boy's hair. "Take good care of your grandma, alright?"

"I will! I'll kill all those stupid frogs if they show up!" the boy said, raising his little fist.

"Good," Irwin said, his smile wide as he watched the boy run back to the old woman.

Nodding at him, she turned and moved off.

"Orwin!"

Irwin grunted and turned, running after the others who had stopped and had been watching. Seeing Hutch's wide grin, he sniffed.

"Got presents from your admirers?" the guard asked. "Take good care of it! It might be the last hot meal we have until we reach Esterdon."

The guard turned, moved to the head of the column, and began jogging forward. Within moments the row of a dozen guards and half a dozen rangers followed Irwin, Daubutim, and Lamia in their midst.

"Are we really going to run all the way?" Lamia asked, looking slightly panicky.

"Not all the way, kiddo," one of the rangers said. "Just until we reach the old kingdom road."

"How far is that?" Lamia asked softly.

"At this speed, three hours and fifteen minutes," Daubutim said, causing Lamia to blanch.

Irwin grinned, as did the rangers, and they continued on.

Two hours later, Lamia was still running but breathing raggedly. The rangers and guards had spread out slightly as they ran down a hill.

"Portal east!"

The cry made everyone slow down, and Irwin saw the shimmering form hang to the side of a ledge. Luckily there was no sight of demons of any kind.

"Mark it, and we continue," Hutch shouted as he moved into a slower pace, barely faster than walking.

"Thank Yilda," Lamia gasped as she began walking beside Irwin. "How can you just keep going like this?" she grumbled.

Irwin felt slightly bad for her as he raised his full-hand.

"Right," she said with a weary sigh. "I knew I should have searched harder for another body improvement card."

A short while later, they almost reached a connection between two hills, a narrow ledge the only path to the cross, when there was a dull cry that ended abruptly. Staring at the head of their group, Irwin saw a ranger rush back from the ledge, sword in hand. He began talking with Hutch, and Irwin saw the bare-armed guard look up worried.

"Scouts," Daubutim said.

Irwin frowned as he looked up. "I think he encountered a Galub scout."

A loud drumming echoed from the surrounding hills as if to punctuate his words.

"Continue, and hurry," Hutch shouted.

Irwin followed the others as they rushed towards the ledge, pacing one at a time. As he reached the other side and turned the rocky corner, he saw a familiar body bleeding on the ground. Two-horned, dressed in a loincloth and wielding a short sword, the Galub had been stabbed through the throat, blood pooling across the white snow.

"We are going to try to outrun them," Hutch ordered. "There are only a few routes to Estordon from here, and we should be able to reach the nearest one, Crumble Ridge Pass, before them if we hurry. That will bring us to the Burned Pillars, and they won't know the route through there! It means we can't use the old road, but at least we should be safe from these vile demons. Now let's go, and don't stop until I tell you to!"

Worried, Irwin turned to Lamia and saw her eyes were wide.

"You can do it," he said.

"Of course, I can," she retorted before following the others as they ran forward.

Within moments they were moving down the hillside at a breakneck speed, jumping across narrow gullies and scaling ledges. The thudding of the drums continued as if to spur them on to greater speeds.

Irwin quickly noticed he was having trouble keeping up. It wasn't that he couldn't keep running, but the speed, a hard run for others, felt like a sprint to him. He tried to keep an eye on Lamia and Daubutim, but they seemed to be able to keep up, although Lamia's face was as red as fire.

He had no idea how long they ran, but at some point, all he could do was look where he was going and continue following the others.

Finally, when his lungs were starting to burn, and he could feel his heart thudding in his chest, Hutch shouted something from the front.

"What?" he croaked in between ragged gasps.

"We reached Crumble Ridge Pass," Daubutim grunted, and Irwin saw he wasn't doing much better than him.

As he followed the others across a series of large boulders, he saw a rise in the distance. Like more he had seen, it seemed split through the middle, almost as if by a blade. Hutch and two of the rangers were the first to reach it, then the rest began arriving. Irwin noticed that most of the guards and even some of the rangers were out of breath, some pale and seeming close to vomiting; somehow, that made him feel a little better for coming in with the last few.

Turning around, trying to get air in his lungs, he didn't notice any galubs chasing them. The drums were still going but seemed to be further away than before.

"Follow me," Hutch shouted, barely seeming out of breath as he walked into the gorge.

“I… hope… we… are done… running…” Lamia gasped as she stumbled next to him.

"It beats fighting those demons," a ranger said, and everyone fell quiet.

It depends on the demons, Irwin thought as he spat out some slime. Still, he kept the thoughts to himself.

The travel through the narrow passage took half an hour, and they had to climb across a few partial collapses before reaching the other side. Walking out after the others, Irwin saw a wider landscape, the hills in the distance seeming to slowly turn into mountains. A long section of the hill far below was covered with what looked like burned tree trunks, standing in neat lines. They started small, but as Irwin followed them further, he saw they seemed to grow, looking like towering things in the distance.

"Two portals," Daubutim said.

Irwin looked up in surprise, then saw his friend point towards the side. Following his direction, he saw the telltale glow of portals at the side of the Burned Pillars.

"Girt, mark those two portals," Hutch ordered. A few minutes later, he turned to Irwin, examined him, then Daubutim, and finally Lamia before nodding as if happy with what he saw.

"Alright, we are going to run to the first Burned Pillar, then we can continue walking," Hutch snapped, instantly jogging forward again.

"Not again," Lamia groaned.

Irwin agreed with her sentiment but just took a deep breath and began running.

When they finally reached the first of the pillars, Irwin was stunned to see those that seemed small were taller than him.

"Alright! Nobody wanders inside, or you might get lost!" Hutch shouted. "Wait until I can explain how this goes and what to do!"

Lost? Irwin thought before looking around. In the distance, he saw some of the burned tree trunks tower dozens of meters above them.

"Impressive," he muttered.

"Creepy, you mean," Lamia retorted.

Confused, Irwin looked at her and saw she was fearfully staring at the pillars. Before he could ask anything, Daubutim grunted, staring at him.

"Can you see through?"

"Through what?" Irwin asked.

"The dark fog?" Daubutim asked.

Irwin blinked, turning to the pillars, then back. Were they seeing something he couldn't? He knew his Eyes of Blaze gave him some interesting things, and his first card gave him the ability to look through the dark, but usually, he at least knew he was doing something.

"Orwin, you can see me?"

Irwin turned to see Hutch waving while staring at the spot next to him.

Well, that settles it. They see something I can't, he thought as he walked next to Hutch, whose eyes widened as he appeared.

"I don't see what you guys do. To me, there are just these odd burned tree stumps," he said.

Hutch's grin widened as he shook his head.

"That eye-card of yours is the most useful thing I've seen in a while," he said. "Alright! Everyone forms up and grabs the one in front of you by the hand." Then he turned to Irwin. "You take the lead and keep an eye out that everyone stays together. Normally I know the route by memory, but if you can actually see through it, that's even better. I'll tell you when to turn."

"Why would you need a route?" Irwin asked. "You can just walk in a straight line?"

Hutch bent over, picked up a rock, and tossed it forward. As it passed a few trees harmlessly, it suddenly stopped as a thin line of gray seemed to hiss from the tree, striking it mid-air and causing splinters of stone to shoot everywhere.

"That's why," Hutch said.