Hey guys and girls!
So, got a bit more feedback on the last four chapters than I usually get, and after reading some of the chapters again, I see where its coming from. I've descided to change some things around for this, and that will cost time.
So, I'll be editing some chapters today and tomorrow, meaning there will probably be ...
Author note: For current readers: I've edited this chapter a lot, changing some of the things, and making it so Irwin is leaving room for what will be his next heartcard. If you don't feel like re-reading it, the short of it is that I've weaved in more of the plague bits, while changing some of the card stuff. I have also cut off the last bit, d...
2025-03-28 17:44:41 +0000 UTC View PostIrwin took a step back, staring excitedly at the card that slowly crystallized on Ambraz's back. The quartz border shimmered before setting, and he knew it was a success.
"It worked," he said, grabbing the card and letting out a soft laugh. "Two cards from one!"
"One, and more of your own soulforce than most people will ever ha...
2025-03-23 18:58:53 +0000 UTC View Post"Heatmom!"
Scintilla groaned as she rolled over, almost wanting to push some sand in her ears. Couldn't they just let her sleep for-
"Mom, heatmom! You have to see what Mia and Flux did!"
Of course I do, Scintilla thought as the door to her private room was shoved open.
A pitter-patter of feet raced to her stone ...
2025-03-22 21:04:05 +0000 UTC View Post"So… what does that mean?" Greldo asked, staring at the page, then back at Irwin. "Are you telling me I'm becoming some blasted noble?"
"I have no idea," Irwin replied, turning to Ambraz.
The Ganvil was hovering over Su, who was still knocked out on the couch, shuddering as her body went through more changes.
"...
Irwin almost absently slammed his hammer on the card, barely noticing how he perfectly struck another patch of dark blotches. The soulforce in the card swelled as its resonance became more refined, and with barely any effort, he resonated his own cards to compensate.
Part of him scanned the card, sensing the potential in the still only ame...
2025-03-16 20:00:06 +0000 UTC View Post"..."
Irwin was stunned as he looked at Rindiri before taking a deep breath.
"She can talk with all of her descendants? No matter how far?"
"I think that's what she implied," Rindiri said.
"Did you ask if they can speak to her at any time, or does she have to ask them a question first?" Ambraz asked. <...
2025-03-15 14:21:52 +0000 UTC View PostRindiri followed Dagger through the narrow alleyways of Urlar's inner districts. She moved the heavy bag from her left shoulder to the other
Rindiri followed Dagger through the narrow alleyways of Urlar's inner districts. She moved the heavy bag from her left shoulder to the other, wishing her soulscape was more stable so she could keep th...
2025-03-14 18:23:33 +0000 UTC View PostNorrington hummed thoughtfully as he stared at the short video. Although not a paper report, he still enjoyed seeing the enormous ship moving out from behind the moon.
Malcolm stood beside him, grinning like a madman. "She's something, isn't she? Able to house a hundred and forty thousand cryopods and over forty thousand waking crewmembers...
2025-03-11 21:15:50 +0000 UTC View PostIrwin sat down with a thud, drained and tired but incredibly content. Ambraz stood beside him, letting out a soft sigh.
"Kid… whatever you do, don't take that card out of your soulscape. Or any others in the future, for that matter."
Irwin sighed as he held the card he'd just taken from Ambraz's back and looked at it. Just a ...
2025-03-09 19:57:11 +0000 UTC View PostTerlo yawned and stretched himself. Should he go out and have some fun, or was it about time to head back to Suderfuix? That old root, Seizer, was sure to value all the information he'd been able to unearth about the upcoming trade war.
Besides, that smith, Irwin is going to remain here-
Terlo shot up, triggering his soulcar...
2025-03-08 18:12:16 +0000 UTC View PostIrwin stared at the card, using his soulforce to power the temporary barrier Zir'dor had wrapped around it.
"So," Klatzi asked, holding an arm in front of her nose. "Think it's useful?"
The cloud of superheated steam that Irwin had used to clear her was slowly fading away, leaving her glistening and clean. She looked incredibly comfo...
2025-03-07 17:58:11 +0000 UTC View PostIf you're supposed to help me, why are you even saying this? Irwin thought as he glared at Bleak.
"Meh, don't look that upset," Bleak said. "If someone bothers you, I'll get them out of your hair. Like I said, everyone already knew!"
"I didn't know," Suein whispered.
Irwin glanced at the Snaketribe leader and saw...
2025-03-02 18:52:13 +0000 UTC View PostIrwin was sitting in the large captain's quarters, dully staring at the wall. His giantself was asleep in his soulscape while images of what he'd seen played through his mind. Ambraz sat beside him, waiting patiently.
"The last ones I saw were images of the Titans," Irwin said, reliving the moment as best he could. "They were definitely mo...
2025-03-01 21:31:03 +0000 UTC View PostCaptain Hyrmine felt her soulcards shudder as a wave of soulforce rippled out. The Atriguul's barriers were rippling like a pond during a hailstorm. On one side, the shape of the giant stood, holding something that was causing a screaming sound. It had to be an instrument, though she'd never seen one that looked like a piece of sharp metal. The ...
2025-02-28 17:28:26 +0000 UTC View Post"So you remember nothing…" Garrick said, looking at Hilbert.
It wasn't really a question, and the man who he wanted to be his security officer shrugged. "Sorry, Captain. The best I can tell you is that I remember how we moved through that hallway. You said I looked at Captain Braddock, but I can't really remember that."
Garrick nod...
2025-02-26 19:06:39 +0000 UTC View PostRindiri watched Irwin talk with the three shadewalkers, and slowly, the worry that they would need to make a quick getaway faded.
It's a good thing the Captain is so delicate with his pressure, she thought, shivering at what he'd done.
Ever since he'd begun practicing with Gloom, she'd noticed that he had become ...
2025-02-23 18:58:23 +0000 UTC View PostDaakr walked through the room, watching Smildigan inspect the card. She'd been too busy and unwilling to inspect it in the last few days, and it had taken a ton of promises to finally get her to examine it.
He knew it did what Irwin had told him, but that was about it. Like any decent merchant, he was able to get a card read pretty e...
2025-02-22 20:44:47 +0000 UTC View PostIrwin and his crew turned to Daakr, the Granitian merchant.
"That was weird," Dagger snapped, shaking her head. "Since when are you waylaying merchants just as we arrive?"
Irwin was surprised at her outburst, but she'd said exactly what he was thinking.
The merchant turned to Dagger, looking her up and down before frowning.&nbs...
2025-02-21 18:06:08 +0000 UTC View Post"You are telling me that the two of you broke and then reforged heartcards without the help of the Chaoswhales!?" Zi'dor exclaimed.
Ambraz grinned widely as he stared at the other two Ganvils. The three of them sat on the front deck of the Nocturna, exchanging stories. Ambraz had gone last, and although hearing Kesdor retell the h...
2025-02-16 18:30:26 +0000 UTC View Post"Alright, it looks good," Irwin said as he nodded to Parka.
It was over a day ago since he'd spoken with the guild master in his soulscape, and they were sitting in the common room of a small Inn. As soon as they had entered, the guildmaster had asked the proprietor to send the other people away, promising to reimburse him.
Now...
2025-02-15 19:32:18 +0000 UTC View PostIrwin quietly looked at the Guildmaster, trying to figure out what she was saying. There was no way she could know about The Galladin or Eluathar, so what did she mean your people? Even the talk about the worldcard was suddenly forgotten. He tried to come up with a proper answer, failed, and eventually settled for the only thing that came to him...
2025-02-14 18:21:52 +0000 UTC View PostGarrick stretched as he unlocked himself from the chair of shuttle seven. As he gently drifted up, he looked out of the window at the business occurring outside. A dozen engineers were hard at work, connecting and welding what would be the first section of their eventual space station. Currently, it looked like nothing more than a simple scaffol...
2025-02-12 19:11:41 +0000 UTC View PostIrwin stared thoughtfully at the second card he'd gotten. It showed a small bush with tiny berries of some sort and had started out as a simple twig with one berry on it. It was ruby-rank by now, though at ninety-five percent, it wasn't perfect. Still, for a card none of his own had any affinity with, it wasn't that bad. Besides, he'd mostly bee...
2025-02-09 18:11:51 +0000 UTC View PostIrwin took a step back from the ruby-bordered card, feeling elated. He'd managed it! At two points, he'd felt the card rebel, but his own words to Tindria and Mia, that brilliant little daughter of his, her words said what felt like ages ago on Mudball, had made him choose finesse over force, increasing the complexity of his song to make the car...
2025-02-08 18:19:06 +0000 UTC View PostIrwin hummed thoughtfully as he looked around, examining the other smiths, all hard at work and completely focused.
Roughly twenty minutes had passed since they began, and he'd calmly reforged two of his cards from quartz to amethyst, each at a hundred percent. He'd made sure not to move too fast, as he didn't want to disturb the oth...
2025-02-07 18:06:45 +0000 UTC View Post"Ugh…"
Garrick looked at Macdewil, who'd been blinking and shaking his head for a few minutes. He'd even gone as far as to remove his helmet, rubbing his head and neck.
"You have a few more minutes," Garrick said. "Better have Turing reduce the pain and put your helmet back on."
"Yes, Captain," Macdewil grunted as he lo...
2025-02-04 19:48:15 +0000 UTC View PostGuildmaster Joulihn quietly watched the old Viridian walk out of her office. That annoying Shadowleaf Jablin glanced inside, nodding at her before closing the door, and she sat back down.
Well, that's just great, she thought, rubbing her head.
The door almost immediately opened back up, and Mazzareth glanced inside, looking ...
2025-02-02 18:29:28 +0000 UTC View Post"I'll see you in a few hours, Captain," Rindiri said.
"No rush," Irwin said. "You know where you can find us, just find us enough supplies to last for the trip."
Rindiri nodded at him, and Irwin saw her eyes flicker to Greldo before she turned and walked away. The other two Yuurindi; Youritz, and Dagger, followed after her quickly. 2025-02-01 20:50:11 +0000 UTC View Post
Greldo floated through the enormous city, zipping from shadow to shadow. He hummed as he absently caused some of the surrounding shadows to stretch just enough to overlap, giving him the bridge he needed.
When he finally reached his goal, he hovered in quiet admiration. It was an enormous square, the center of which held a beautiful bed of...
2025-01-31 19:13:33 +0000 UTC View Post