Irwin's Journey 498: A sharp gift

"I don't like it," Zan said, hiding her face in Irwin's shoulder.

The Wyrm being held by Irwin's giantself let out a screech, as if in a dismayed answer. Pale and longer than all the others had been, it was one of the three original ones he'd brought that were still alive. The others had all been killed and consumed by the soulforce construct, the Red Wyrm, which was even now chasing after one of the other remaining ones, its smaller size making it too slow to catch up. It would be only a matter of time, though, as it was growing rapidly from both the still-digesting Wyrm flesh and the abundant soulforce in Irwin's soulscape.

"If it dies, does it drop a card?" Glow asked?

Irwin chuckled as he put his arm closer around Zan, before glancing at his other children. Glow, Flux, and Mia were practically leaning forward with excitement as they examined the Wyrm.

"No," Irwin answered his son. He was about to speak when Ti sniffed.

"You know they don't, Glow," Ti said. "We learned that in school! Cards only drop from creatures from worlds or worldshards that are out of balance. The closer they are to being Addled, the greater the chance.

"But isn't Scour really unbalanced?" Glow shot back, frowning at Ti. 

The calm girl stood beside Soot, both hovering a few steps behind the three most fearless of his children, seeming interested but still afraid.

Ti frowned, glancing at Irwin. "I think it is, but wasn't it being stabilized by dad's presence?"

"And that big tree guardian thing," Soot reminded her, also turning to Irwin. "Dad, when do you think we will be strong enough to hunt something like this?"

Irwin's eyebrows shot up at that, but all of his children suddenly seemed more interested in his answer than the Wyrm.

"Well, it's only a small one," Irwin said, pondering his children's power compared to the Wyrm. "It's technically still a small one, but I think you would need at least a heartcard for it. If you want to hunt it alone, I think a soulcard and probably one that allows you to either dodge it or have a high resistance against its bites."

"Can it bite through your skin?" Mia asked, leaning forward with glistening eyes. "The skin of your giant body, I mean!"

"No," Irwin said with a grin. "It might not break its teeth, but it wouldn't be able to dig in. It might hurt a bit, though," he quickly added as he saw Flux, Glow, and Mia's mouths open up with a question he could guess from their excitement.

"Now," he said, as his giantself shot up in the air and disappeared towards the more distant foothills. "The reason I showed you this was….?" he asked leadingly.

"To explain to us that if we are in your soulscape, we have to be careful," Ti said instantly. 

"Does that mean you are going to let us play in here when we want?" Soot asked, eyes widening.

Irwin grinned. "Probably, when I am here, but your mother and I have been talking. I will probably have more creatures in here eventually, and we think it will be a good place for you to practice."

"Our heartcards?" Mia asked.

"Which will we get really soon now?" Glow added hopefully.

"Yes and no," Irwin said, as he glanced at their hands. All six of them still only had one card, all nearly identical. "However, next week you will be getting your next card."

A round of excited cheering followed, and even Zan struggled free, joining the others in running around excitedly, talking about how much stronger they would be.

"Only one more after that and we can make our first fullhand," Mia shouted excitedly.

"First, we need to get used to the cards," Flux said, looking at his hand with glittering eyes. He seemed about to ask something when Glow beat him to it.

"Did you bring them?" Glow asked, leaning forward. "What cards did you make for us?"

Irwin grinned as he tapped his chin. "Yes, I brought them, and are you sure you already want to know? You still have to wait a week."

"Want to know!" his six children shouted as one.

"Fine," Irwin said, laughing as he raised his hands in surrender. "As we told you, the second card will be based on your weapon training with your heatmother and Nisziz. It's why you had to learn fighting with all those bladed weapons."

"And spears," Glow said, eyes narrowing as if in slight worry.

"And spears," Irwin said, remembering Nisziz's reaction to Glow's interest in the long weapon. She'd been almost personally offended that any Ignitzian would want to learn anything but a sword.

"For you," he continued, looking at Glow. "I have a card that allows you to summon a spear. It is a ruby-rank growth card, as are all the cards I made for you," he added, glancing at his other children. "This means that you will need to practice with it a lot so it increases to ammolite before I will make you a heartcard."

"What does it look like?" Glow asked excitedly.

"It's a firesteel spear," Irwin replied with a smile. "And it will focus on your agility and speed. According to Nisziz, you favor that."

Glow's fists shot up in the air, while Mia almost jumped up and down.

"And mine?"

"A Silfzeron Hand-and-a-half Sword," Irwin said, causing the girl to shout with excitement. "Based on what Nisziz said, it has a secondary passive that increases your ability to dodge."

The other children were crowding around him now, and Irwin laughed as he began quickly explaining the cards they had gotten.

"Two curved swords," he said, pointing at Soot. "They are a single card, and you can summon one bigger one or two smaller ones."

"Longsword," he said, pointing at Flux, his smile widening. "It's made of Earthshade Iron, and it will increase your swinging speed the longer you fight."

"Also a longsword," he said, pointing at Ti, who didn't seem surprised. "Made from Silverzon and with the ability to resize the length of the blade while summoned."

Finally, he turned to Zan, who seemed to be vibrating. Irwin smiled, though he felt a tiny sadness as he recalled what Nisziz had told him about her. 'She seems to hate fighting, and although she's not bad at it, she has the tendency to be too defensive.' 

It had been their teacher's only negative remark among all of his children. At least when it came to their fighting skill. Flux and Mia had been praised for their skill, Glow for his unwavering willpower, and both Soot and Ti for their unorthodox fighting styles. Scintilla herself had trained with her, and, although it had pained her, had agreed. The two of them had pondered long about what that meant, and eventually Irwin had opted for something that had left the Ignitzians conflicted.

"You have something different," he said, smiling at his daughter, who looked slightly worried suddenly. "Zan, you don't like fighting… do you?"

Zan seemed to deflate, shaking her head as she looked at the ground. "No, but Nisziz says everyone needs to be able to defend themselves. She says there are too many situations possible where other abilities don't work, and you need a weapon."

"She is right," Irwin said, as he knelt in front of his daughter, lifting her chin. "It took a while to figure out what to make for you, but I think you will like it. It's based on a weapon the Parealions on Scour use. Do you remember them?"

"The bird people that like singing?" Zan asked, looking up, slightly more hopeful now.

"Yes," Irwin said. "They use a weapon called Resonant Chakram, which looks like rings with a really sharp edge. They use their soulskill to move it around without touching it, and they use it to defend and attack. To use it, you need really sensitive soulforce control, and the stronger your soulforce is, the faster you can move it. The best thing? They make a really beautiful sound when they move through the air. The Parealions use it to disorient their opponents."

Irwin saw Zan's eyebrows lower in a frown, her lips shivering slightly.

"So I can't use it like the others?" she muttered.

"As a bladed weapon?" Irwin asked, raising his eyebrow. "You can. The Resonant Chakrams have a handle on two sides, which allows you to hold them. Wielding a small one is a bit like holding a dagger."

Zan seemed relieved at that, but a moment later, she frowned again. "But how am I going to learn how to use them?" 

"If you think it's a good idea," Irwin said. "I will find a teacher for you next time, and bring that person with me next week."

"Dad, you said rings," Ti asked as she stepped beside Zan, grabbing and holding her sister's hand. "Do you mean there's more than one?"

"Yes," Irwin said, smiling. "It's a bit like Soot's blades. You can make four smaller ones that you can move with your mind, two bigger ones, one in each hand, or a large one that needs two hands."

Ti turned to Zan, who seemed to still be hesitating. 

"It's a really great idea," Ti said. "You can have those Resonant Chakrams attack at a range first, then, when whatever you are fighting gets closer, you can use either two small ones or a big one to fight it. Dad, the big one, can she use it as a shield?"

Irwin nodded, smiling at Ti. "Yes."

"So, you could-" Ti began, quickly laying out a host of tactics the Chakrams would be useful for.

Slowly, Zan seemed to get used to the idea, and when Ti finally fell quiet, she nodded.

"Can I see one of them… in use?" she asked quietly.

"You can. I'll find a teacher for you and bring them next week," Irwin said as he got back up.

"Now, I'm moving you all back out so you can head to Nisziz. She will have weapons for all of you to practice with," he looked at Zan, who suddenly looked worried again. "Even for you. I brought a set of Resonant Chakrams a few weeks ago, so she could practice with them herself. She will be able to show you the basics."

Zan's eyes instantly lit up, and she nodded. 

A few moments later, Irwin's soulforce was empty again, save for himself, the three pale Wyrms, and the single soulforce construct Wyrm. His otherself was talking with both Scintillas, explaining the things that had happened, and how his children had reacted. 

'Kid, don't feel bad,' Ambraz grunted. 'Those Chakrams are the best option for her. She will be able to use their resonance while smithing as one of her instruments. Remember?'

'I do,' Irwin said. 'I just worry she might feel different from the others because of it.'

'Bah! The third set of cards you made for them will make them different,' his bond snorted. 'Let alone when the first of them asks you for a Crathan card.'

Irwin sighed, knowing Ambraz was right. The main part of Scintilla, which had been here, had told him they had been discussing that among themselves when they thought Scintilla couldn't hear it. Apparently, only Ti and Soot were unsure if they would want to, with the other four seemingly planning to get a card as soon as they could. Irwin wasn't surprised about Flux, Mia, and Glow's desires, but he had been when he heard that Zan had been the most vocal one among them.

'They will have to wait until after their first soulcard,' Irwin said, as he moved to a nearby rock and sat down. 'Now, let's see if we can create another of those red wyrms.'

Ambraz didn't respond, probably sensing his conflicted emotions.

First, they will need the body-splitting card, Irwin thought, recalling the cards he'd made for them.

--

The few days on Eluathar passed in the blink of an eye, but it felt longer when Irwin, Ambraz, and Scintilla reappeared in his private chambers in the Guild. The large board was still white, showing nothing had happened to require his immediate return, but a faint layer of dust covered everything.

"How long were we gone?" Scintillia asked, walking forward.

"Over eleven years," Irwin said, looking at the eleven lines drawn on the board. It wasn't as long as they would do next time, but with Umbral's sudden arrival, they had decided to slowly build up the duration of their absence.

"So, it seems everything went fine?" Scintilla said as she stood before the board, hands on her hips.

Irwin hummed in agreement when his soulforce senses picked up someone familiar rushing towards their room.

"Let's see how things went," he said, right as the door was pushed open.

"Brother!" Brecka shouted as she grinned at them. "We missed you! Almost thought you were going to make it a longer one after all."

"Sister, how are things?" Irwin asked, walking towards Brecka. 

"Things are going great! Rindiri says she's got the first ships ready to be moved to Eluathar for testing, and I think we've had close to ten thousand newborn Crathans running around since you left."

Irwin whistled at that. Like most extremely long-lived species, the Crathans weren't able to reproduce all that fast. Ten thousand newborns in twelve years was more than he'd expected. Scintilla moved beside him, a wide grin on her face.

"Let me guess, some of those are Nimlarel's?" she asked.

Brecka barked a laugh, nodding along. "She managed to talk Rinbus into another two a few years ago."

Irwin shook his head, wondering if Nimlarel was trying to become the matron of all Oxarite-turned-Crathans.

"Anything else?" he asked. "The Exit Portal was quiet?"

"It was," Brecka said, following them out into the corridor. "A lot of portals were closed, some new ones. The Smithsguild main charters are stable and growing, and besides a few border disputes among Grove Lords, things were quiet."

A few hours and an impromptu class for some first years later, Irwin and Scintilla stood in the depths below Blackglass in front of their smithy.

"Thank you for the teleport," he said, nodding at the young, excited-looking Viridian. 

"The honor was mine, Guildmaster," she exclaimed, before disappearing in a cloud of fluttering leaves that fell to the ground a moment later.

"I'm going to check on the others," Scintilla said, giving him a quick kiss. "Don't get so lost in reforging or creating constructs that you forget dinner!"

Irwin snorted, watching her run away, enjoying the sight until she vanished between the town's buildings.

"Remind me to ask Nimlarel to bring us to the Parealion enclave tomorrow," he said, rolling his shoulders and causing Ambraz to bob up and down.

"What am I, your helper?" the Ganvil grunted.

Irwin grinned as he thought of something. "Perhaps. What about two cards a week?"

Ambraz's mouth snapped shut, then he let out a barked laugh. "I'll think about it. So, what now? Cardseeds or Constructs?"

Irwin entered the smithy as he pondered the question.

"I think we need to clean up a bit first," he said, as he saw the faint layer of black dust that covered everything. "After that, we are going to try our hand at creating a second construct again."

--

Another year passed quickly, most of it blurring together in seemingly endless practice at creating constructs and cardseeds. 

When it was time to leave again, Irwin had three additional people in his soulscape, one of whom would be away from her world for the first time in her life. 

"You should bring more birds in here," a small female Parealion said in a song-like, high-pitched voice. 

She had been saying the same thing all day as she wandered the forest of songs, which sprawled across the region of Irwin's second soulcard. 

"I would need to find some that can live on only heat or soulforce," Irwin said. "Unless you know of any, Vilabrix?"

"Never heard of any," Vilabrix said, as she closed in on a tree from which a loud, explosive song could be heard. All of the leaves were from the time Irwin had been on Granvox, and as the Parealion leaned towards it, she began whistling along appreciatively. She seemed perfectly fine with the songs being interwoven chaotically.

"We are leaving in a few minutes," Irwin said. "You are still sure about this?"

"Definitely!" Vilabrix said, her big yellow eyes burning with curiosity. "I want to see the Leafrit world! Can you imagine an entire world with giant green birds and plants? It has to be amazing! With some luck, they will allow my people to create an enclave there."

"People who will all be different from those you know now," Irwin gently reminded her.

"Ah, it's fine," Vilabrix said, putting a hand on her left side, which seemed slightly bulged. "I have all that reminds me of my Lost Song right here. They will be the firstborn on another world in many, many generations! Oh, the songs that will be sung about them!"

Irwin saw the steel in her eyes, the lack of any form of hesitation, and he sighed.

"Alright, then we are heading out now," he said, which technically wasn't needed as he was already back on Eluathar. He'd just been waiting to speed the time-dilation back up until he was sure the Parealion had another chance to think about her choice.

As he spoke, he pulled everyone in his soulscape out and into the small private courtyard of his home on Eluathar. A small crowd was waiting for them, all of his children together with Scintilla's otherself, his mother, and Zender, who had been called over a few minutes ago. Sting, his Leafarit bond, and the one that made him far more stable than someone with his gene-purity could be, was the size of a large hunting bird perched on the tall silver man's shoulder. It had been bigger than Earilla's bond, Sprig, for a long time, but that had been before Earilla had left for Scour.

Now, she was over a hundred years old, and Sprig was large enough to carry her. Irwin sometimes wondered what Zender would think if he saw his 'younger' sister again. The last time he had seen her, she'd still been a Yuurindi, and now she had been a Crathan for longer than she had ever been a Yuurindi.

As one part of him was pondering all this, the other was introducing Vilabrix to the others.

"You are going to show me how to use those?" Zan asked quietly, hiding partially behind Scintilla as she watched the bird-like being. With a head covered in beautiful pink and white feathers, a beak instead of a mouth, and eyes far larger than most other species, Vilabrix looked different from anything Irwin knew his daughter had ever seen. 

"Yes," Vilabrix said, lowering herself on her haunches, which caused her puffy, feathery body to expand. She spread her arms, remarkably human, save for the long feathers that almost overlapped behind her back, holding three Resonant Chakrams in each of her hands. "Your father told me that you are uncertain if they will be able to serve you in combat?"

Zan swallowed, then nodded.

Vilabrix let out a twittering laugh, rising to her feet and looking around. 

"No time like the present," she almost sang, walking to the empty area beside them.

Irwin crossed his arms, feeling a smile creep up on his face as he knew what was about to happen. The first time he'd seen Vilabrix dance, as she called it, he'd been instantly hopeful he never had to fight someone like her with the same strength as him. He wasn't sure he'd enjoy the exercise a lot.

Standing in an open spot, Vilabrix let out a soft singing chirp, and a moment later, over a dozen hand-sized circles with razor-sharp edges floated away from the hooks on her armor. At the same time, she removed two much larger ones from her hips and lowered herself smoothly in a stance that seemed to scream ready.

"This is called the Dannsa Mu Dheireadh, and loosely translated in your language, it is The Last Dance. It is not the first thing I will teach you, or the second, but it might serve to prove a point."

As she spoke, the Chakrams around her began spinning, causing a soft but beautiful whine to echo through the air. A moment later, they began zipping through the air, the hum changing into an instant melody as Vilabrix began moving smoothly, striking out with the two Chakrams in her hands while those around her moved in ever-increasing erratic patterns.

It started slow, but as the volume increased, the Chakrams spun faster, and so did Vilabrix, until the entire courtyard was filled with a sound like a dozen hurricanes whistling a combat tune. Vilabrix's eyes had turned into small slits, the pupils dilated as if she was seeing something they couldn't, fighting a foe nobody else could see. Her arms blurred, her stances changing so fast, Irwin again wondered how someone with the strength of a single soulcarded could move this fast.

The dance lasted for close to five minutes, but Irwin felt it had lasted far longer, and when Vilabrix slowed down, he noticed the innumerable thin gashes that had been sliced into the ground all around her.

A dumbfounded silence filled the courtyard for a few moments. Then it was shattered by the excited outcries of six children.

"That was amazing!"

"Can you I learn how to do that?"

"I want to have a cloud of daggers!"

As the other five continued crying out, Irwin saw Zan stare in awe at Vilabrix, her lips curved in a wide smile.

"So, what do you think?" Vilabrix asked as she walked back to where Zan stood, not even slightly out of breath.

"It was beautiful," Zan whispered. "Can you use them to create songs?"

"Of course! It's their best use," Vilabrix exclaimed, and Irwin could sense she was pleased with the question.

Zan's smile widened, and she looked up at him. "I would really like that card!"

Irwin smiled back at her, seeing Scintilla's main self whisper rapidly with her Crathan self. Whatever they were discussing, it was clear to Irwin that it was all positive.

"Then I think it's time for the six of you to get your second card," Irwin said, waving his children over. 

--

Zan stared at the card, feeling a sense of immense joy. 

He picked this for me, she knew, glancing at where her father stood to the side like an immovable mountain. She knew she was different from the others, even Ti, liking the challenge of a fight. It had bothered her for a long time, but now? 

She slowly placed the card above the second slot in her hand, and watched in awe as it slid into the cardslot.

A moment later, a swirl of sensations came from the new card as it integrated with her soulforce. She knew it was odd that she could sense the change this strongly, as none of the others did, but she was glad for it. Without much effort, she connected to the card, sensing the options it brought her, like a kaleidoscope of melodies. She picked one, and a moment later, two plate-sized discs appeared in her hands. Each had two smooth, rounded handholds on opposite sides, but all the rest was razor sharp. Something she'd have to get used to, as even yesterday she'd cut her finger on the practice weapon. 

Seeing what she could do with them, she focused on her soulforce and hummed as she caused both Resonant Chakrams to float out of her hands. They began slowly spinning in front of her before floating around her in a circle. A soft, beautiful sound, like the whistling of the wind through the leaves, came from them, and she couldn't wait until she could make the melodic symphony her future teacher had made.

Thinking of the odd bird lady, she looked up and froze. Vilabrix was staring at her, beak slightly ajar, eyes wide, and her feathered and winged arms frozen amidst some elaborate movement.

Zan felt her skin crawl, and she quickly unsummoned her new weapons. Had she made a mistake? Should she have waited or asked for permission?

"No, no! Summon them again! Do that again, please!" Vilabrix shouted as she walked towards her.

Zan stumbled back, surprised by the sudden excitement. Then she noticed how her dad was walking after Vilabrix, eyes bright. He nodded at her, and she held back from fleeing. As the bird lady moved into her personal space, she swallowed.

"Did I make a mistake?" she whispered.

"No, no! Girl, little songbird, you did brilliantly! Please, show me again?" Vilabrix said, calmer now, as if she realized her excitement had startled Zan.

Zan licked her lips, then summoned the two Chakrams again, holding them in front of her. 

"Can you move them again? Like you just did?" 

Zan nodded, wondering what she'd done to cause such excitement. Perhaps she should have waited until she was alone to practice?

As the two circles flowed into the air again, Vilabrix watched them like a hawk for a few moments. Then she let out a little thrill.

"Incredible… You move them this smoothly after a few seconds… right from the start."

"Vilabrix, is everything alright?"

Zan moved around the bird lady, quickly grasping her father's hand. She felt him squeeze her softly, and she sighed in relief.

"Normally, anyone, including the few carded I know with Resonant Chakram, requires an entire day to even lift it into the air… and that is shakily at best. This? Your daughter is showcasing an ability that usually takes close to a year to gain!"

Zan felt a slight sense of pride at that, which grew as she saw the smile on her father's face. 

"I'm not surprised," he said, his voice warm. "She's always been good with soulforce control. I take it this means you think she can learn?"

Zan could hear her father was joking, and from the little laugh, she decided so did Vilabrix.

"Oh, don't worry. She will be the master of the first three Balads faster than anyone I know," Vilabrix said. 

Zan felt her smile widen, and as she looked at her siblings, she saw five pairs of grins look back at her. 

"Told you," Soot mouthed at her, holding a pair of curved swords in his hands. 

"Now, let's go and have some dinner," her father called out, and, ignoring the annoyed shouts, he walked towards the kitchen door.

Zan followed him, holding on to his hand while feeling warm inside.