Irwin's Journey 478: Another Volcano Titan

Rubini groaned and dropped the hammer on the nearby table. Feeling disgusted, she picked up the chunk of metal. She could sense the tiny inconsistencies still lingering in it, like small irregularities mocking her. Compared to when she'd started, she'd improved immensely, but she just couldn't get it perfect.

"You look like you swallowed a Cinder Bug."

Rubini turned to the side to find Flowrishin standing nearby, looking at her calmly. Rubini had no idea when she had arrived, and a quick look around showed she wasn't the only one.

The others were still hard at work, purifying their metal. Their group had grown to over thirty now, and she felt like new prospective smiths were joining every day. Due to that, and the Guildmaster still away doing whatever he was doing, it had created a sort of competitiveness. Now, everyone was fully focused, only paying attention to their own practice work.

The glance told her that she definitely hadn't missed the impressive smith's entrance, and she felt a bit better as she met eyes. Still, she hesitated. From her previous interactions, she knew Flowrishin expected an answer, but she still found it odd that she didn't have to call her by any title.

"I've been trying to improve, but I can still sense the imperfections," she said slowly, raising the chunk of flattened ore. "But no matter how hard I try, I can't seem to remove the last parts."

Flowrishin nodded as she walked forward and took the chunk from her.

"It's not bad. A little over eighty percent," the elder Viridian said, handing it back. "One of the reasons you can't complete it is because you are trying to go too fast and focusing on the end result instead of the process. Didn't the Guildmaster tell you to try and enjoy it?"

Rubini sniffed, glaring at the ore. "He did, but what's there to enjoy about not progressing for over a week? I've been at the same level ever since he left, and I had hoped to show him a fully purified chunk when he returned."

Flowrishin let out a peal of laughter that almost made Rubini drop the ore and finally drew the attention of the other wannabe cardsmiths.

"A week? Ah, you youngsters and your short time spans. If you continue like this, it will take you at least another year before you can purify Degnin Iron to a hundred percent. Which is actually really good. Most take years," she said, shaking her head. "Just because some… Oh, never mind. Be happy! Most people take between three and ten years."

A year? Rubini thought, barely registering the offhanded compliment she was getting, or the worried looks of the other smiths that had been quietly observing.

The thought of having to hammer metal for another year made her a little worried. She raised her arm, the muscles already protruding slightly in a way that made her feel highly uneasy. It wasn't that she didn't know that most of the smiths were heavily muscled, but she had hoped-

"You worry you will become like the Guildmaster?" Flowrishin asked, interrupting her line of thought just because the face of a young man could pop into it.

Rubini licked her lips, which had suddenly gone dry. She knew the Guildmaster rarely cared for people's opinion, but what if he heard she didn't want to look like him or Brecka?

"Oh, calm down, young sapling," Flowrishin said with a sigh. "You have only two cards, yes? I will get you a muscle condensing card that will make it so your physique doesn't change as much. They aren't all that rare, even here, and they are one of the first cards most Viridian smiths slot. I had wondered about this, but thought Irwin had offered them to you all and you had rejected them."

"What?" Rubini asked, confused. She'd never heard of anything like that before, let alone that someone would ever reject a card. In the worst case, one could simply unslot it when they found something better!

"Rubini, is it, right?"

Rubini nodded.

"Viridians have the tendency to grow larger than most others, and just like you-" she smiled. "Not all of us like the idea of being unable to fit through doors. Well, there's also the fact that we need exponentially more water the bigger we get."

Rubini blinked, cocking her head as she examined the old Virdian, suddenly noticing something that she should have noticed before. She wasn't really all that big. Not in height, like most of the other elders, nor in stature, like most of the Smiths she had seen.

"My third card was a bit more special. It didn't just condense my muscles," Flowrishin said with a smile. "It also made it so I wouldn't grow to such preposterous heights as some. If I had, I'd have long since needed to remain close to one of the larger Groves. There's not enough water anywhere else. Now, I take it you would like a card like that?"

Rubini was nodding before she could think about it, and Flowrishin smiled, looking around.

"If any of you feel the same, please follow me," she said, raising her voice slightly.

Rubini watched quietly as about a third of the other Smiths Guild apprentices walked over. Most were young, and nearly all Viridians, with only a few Oxarites.

"Good, now follow me," Flowrishin said as she turned and walked out of the training hall. "I will see if the Guild has any in stock; otherwise, I'll provide you with some from my personal collection. Don't get used to it, alright?"

Rubini shook her head before noticing that Flowrishin wasn't even looking at her.

I will finally get another card, she thought, wondering what Julla would think about it.

Flowrishin led them to the private area of the Smiths, empty, safe for two teachers sitting at a corner table.

"Sit, and wait, I'll be-"

She stopped talking mid-sentence, her head snapping to the hallway that led to the teachers' private chambers.

Rubini froze, barely holding back a desire to flee. A few of the others began whispering, but she ignored them. Only when she saw Flowrishin smile did she draw another breath.

"Let's wait for a moment," Flowrishin said, crossing her arms. "It seems the Guildmaster is back."

Rubini and the others hesitated, but a look and a raised eyebrow from Flowrishin made them rush to the closest tables and sit down quickly.

They didn't have to wait long.

Heavy footsteps thudded from the hallway, while Rubini heard a muted conversation.

Four or five, and they are excited about something, she thought. Had the Guildmaster brought more people?

A moment later, the Guildmaster's familiar, massive shape became visible around a corner. Beside him walked a woman Rubini had never seen before, but who answered at least one of her questions.

I guess there are more like the Guildmaster and Brecka, she thought, examining the newcomer.

With a slightly paler skin and a head shorter, she looked like a sleeker version of Brecka, who was walking behind her, talking to two other women. All three had silvery eyes, showing they had a heartcard, though there was something… odd about their eyes. She couldn't put her finger on it until they were much closer.

Are their pupils square?

It was hard to be sure, but as they closed in, she also had the feeling that the fiery hair they had had strings of purple through it.

I… guess there are really different types of Oxarites, she thought, wondering where they really came from. Perhaps from beyond one of the deserts?

"Flowrishin!"

The Guildmaster's voice boomed through the hall, silencing the soft chatter their arrival had caused.

"Guildmaster. I see you brought some friends?"

So, even Flowrishin didn't expect this? Rubini thought curiously.

"Yes," Irwin said with a smile. "This is Rindiri, I've told you about her before, and she is here to help me with one of those side projects. The others are Dezri and Mazalin, both rank-zero smiths. They will be joining the others starting tomorrow, so perhaps you can send someone along to help them where things are?"

Rank zero? So they already reforge cards? Rubini thought, her eyes locking on the two younger odd Oxarites. They were staring around in awe, though something about the way they kept rubbing their own arms confused Rubini.

"Of course, Guildmaster. I take it your trip went well?"

"It did, but we will talk about it later," the Guildmaster said as he turned to the others. "Brecka, get Dezri and Mazalin a room with the other apprentices. Rindiri will be staying in one of the teachers' rooms for now."

Rubini watched as Flowrishin turned to the table she sat on, gaze flicking across the smiths there.

If they already reforge cards, that means they know how to purify metal!

"I can show them around," Rubini said quickly, drawing Flowrishin's gaze.

The Viridian nodded. "Alright. After you get your card, you can go and find them and show them around for the rest of the day."

Rubini leaned back in her chair, noticing the two rank-zero smiths look at her.

Maybe they can tell me a bit more about where they are from, and how many of them there are, Rubini thought.

--

"If you need anything, I'm in the room at the end of the hall," Irwin said, looking around the room that would be Rindiri's for now.

"Thank you, Captain, but I'm going to mostly need some time to adapt," the old Yuurindi said, her hand inadvertently raising to her face, touching it as if surprised by what she found.

"I can imagine," Irwin said, as he thought back to his own times of transforming. Each had been a far smaller step, more incremental, compared to the massive change in being that Rindiri had gone through.

He looked at her, taking in the changes again. She had grown, as he'd expected, though not as much as he or Brecka, her skin had chained to be almost a copy of his, as had her hair. The slight purplish metallic strings that were slightly hidden within barely made a change. But beyond all that, he felt a sense of... connection to her. It wasn't as strong as what he felt for Brecka, but it was strong enough to make him feel kinship to her. According to Rindiri she felt the same, as did the other two.

With a smile he closed the door. "Rest," he said just before it shut.

Back in his own room, he walked to the massive wooden chair and slumped down in it. His headache was gone, and his otherself was awake and drifting through his soulscape. Ambraz was grumbling about having to wait for a few days until his soulforce had refilled enough to bring him out.

That meant he finally had time to go over what had happened. He raised his hand, and the tiny booklet with card information appeared in it. He sighed as he flipped to one of the last pages, the one that held Rindiri's new heartcard.

Card: Essence of the Purphai'Crathanathair

Type: Diamond, Crathanathair, Forged by Irwin Roddington

Owner: -

Formed by a part of the first of the Crathanathair himself, the being known as Rindiri is changing into the first of a new subspecies. The wielder of this heartcard gains the species' immense physical prowess, soulforce fortitude, and control over the rare Violet Fire.

Passive: Greatly increased strength, constitution, and endurance

Passive: Minor constant growth. [The wielder will grow as they age]

Passive: All physical attributes increase with size

Passive: Soulscape size and stability increase exponentially with physical size

Active: Kinetic Energy can generate intense flames

Active: Minor control Violet Fire

"So… she's a bit like me now," he said after a while.

'Just a bit weaker, and slightly diluted,' Ambraz grunted. 'I still think it was a good idea to let her Yuurindi essence mix with it.'

Irwin nodded, taking a deep breath as he thought about the card and its oddities. First of all, it was typed as Crathanathair. He had expected that if it were a new subspecies, it would be typed like that. Then again, it was clear from a single look that she resembled him even more than Brecka did, only the purplish highlights in her hair were different. Although he couldn't be sure, he fully expected that when her soullake filled and her eyes reverted to their normal color, they would be purple. Beyond that, the fact that it called her out by name, just like he had… Would this happen again? What if he made a card for Brecka? Would she become a subspecies of Crathanathair with Onyxian elements? It wouldn't surprise him, but it meant he would need to be more careful with the first one he made for every other species. Finally, though it didn't surprise him as much, the pressure it exerted was far stronger than that of the other two he'd made. Part of that was because it was the first one; he knew that, but there was something else - something specific to Rindiri that had happened during its creation, and he still couldn't fully put his finger on it.

'Do you think the difference is because Rindiri has better genes?' he asked after a while.

'It could be, but I think it's something else,' Ambraz hummed. 'Cards build upon what is already there, like I told you long ago. So your own Crathanathair may have a similar stat to her card, but because you had two other cards that increased your physique and strength already, the effects were much greater.'

Irwin instantly understood what Ambraz was implying.

'You think that the changes of her old soulcard lingered long enough to influence the effect of her new one.'

'It wouldn't surprise,' Ambraz agreed. 'We would have to experiment a bit, but I have always wondered why some of the people for whom you reforge the heartcard or soulcard show different results.'

Irwin nodded, flipping to the next pages and glancing over the heartcards that he'd made for Dezri and Mazalin before unsummoning the book. He closed his eyes, thinking back to the reforging, especially the shattering of Rindiri's soulcard. It had almost gone wrong, the handcards he'd diligently prepared to destabilize it, almost bringing her entire being along with it. He'd wanted, even prepared to do Dezri's card first, but Rindiri had wanted to hear nothing of it. She would be first, and nothing he'd said had been able to change her opinion.

Perhaps I should have just ordered her, he thought, knowing she probably would have followed that. Then again, it might have shattered the trust between them…

Feeling himself slowly drift off to sleep, he pondered for a moment whether he should go to his bed or remain in the chair. In the end, he chose the chair. The last thing that passed through his mind before he fell asleep was that he wondered how long he would truly have to stay this time.

--

"Come onnnn, you can't be serious," Rubini groaned, glaring at the card on the anvil that was flickering to purple, but shaking and trembling as it did.

"Move, kid, or it's going to blow up in your face!"

Rubini wanted to say Ambraz was wrong, but she knew from the telltale shivering and shaking that he was right. The card was nearly good enough. Almost stable. But only almost.

She snatched it from the anvil and tossed it at the Ganvil, which was sitting in the center of the room, devouring all of the failed attempts of those in the final class.

Rubini took a deep breath before forcing herself to calm down. She knew she was close to being allowed to be called a Quartz-rank smith, the first of those who started together with her four years ago. She should be happy; it meant she would probably be allowed to join the Guildmaster when he headed to start the second charter: a new city with new people. She wouldn't have to see him again.

There was a muted explosion from Ambraz's insides, and a tiny trickle of smoke leaked from his lip.

"Not bad. I'd say it's about fifty-nine percent. A bit more and it would have at least remained stable. Unslottable, yes, but stable."

Unslottable, Rubini thought, starting to hate the word. The four times she'd succeeded, she'd been so happy, only for the single word to tell her just how messed-up the card she'd reforged was.

"How can they make it look so easy?" she grunted, staring at the other side of the room where the seven copper-colored Oxarites were working on their step to becoming amethyst-rank. Dezri stood to the side, watching the others, already done with her card. The big smile on her face told Rubini that her friend had managed what she'd wanted. Mazalin was still busy, though she was pretty sure the other Oxarite would probably fail. She was pushing at a topaz-reforge that she wasn't ready for, according to everyone.

Crathans, she reminded herself, something she still had trouble understanding.

The Guildmaster had left a few times over the last few years, each time returning with one or two more of his own people, who were calling themselves that. Technically, they had a longer name, but nobody used that.

"You have time to try one more time."

Rubini shook herself back to reality, staring at the anvil and knowing Ambraz was right.

"I don't think it will change anything," she said. "Not today."

"Probably not," the obnoxious Ganvil agreed with a smile. "But you could just look at it as practice."

Practice, Rubini thought, holding back a groan. It was something she'd been doing for four years, and she really wanted a break. One that lasted longer than a day… perhaps a week? A month would be nice.

She pushed the desire away, picked a card from her pocket, and without looking at it, put it on the anvil.

"That's the spirit!"

--

Irwin watched from the back of the training room, humming to himself. He was impressed with Rubini's growth, almost as much as he was with Julla's rapidly growing proficiency as a healer.

Thinking about the young Oxarite, he couldn't help but smirk. Between her and Hyroot, there were barely any serious injuries or lost limbs left in Silverleaf City. The Wyrm Hunters now brought every wounded they got to the Smiths Guild, and over the last year, it had been called the Smiths and Healers Guild more than once.

Rorin is going to have to decide how to deal with that, he thought, his smirk growing into a full-blown smile.

It had taken five years to change an empty building in Silverleaf City into a smoothly running Smiths Guild charter, with its own Guildmaster. Five years of hard work, slowly inching closer to being able to increase the amount of cardseeds he could make. Only two now, though he was closing in on a third. The highlights of the last four years had been the days he spent with his family. Two days every six months. That was all he could allow himself, and it meant that only eight days had passed on Eluathar because of it. Eight days there meant two days in the real world.

Rorin had been surprised, but happy when Irwin had told him that he would be the one to lead the first in a few months. He had been less happy when Irwin had explained he would be leaving in a few months, which was tomorrow.

Rinbus and Nimlarel should be back soon, he thought, glancing at two of the young Crathans.

He still didn't know how that name had gotten around, but by now it was hard for him to change it. Everyone, including those who had been Yuurindi before, were calling themselves that now. Besides, they all seemed happy with the name, so what did it matter? What did matter was that they would be staying here, at least until the second charter in Trunkle City was ready.

Irwin didn't expect it to take another five years, mostly because Rindiri had been there for over two years now, preparing both the building and many other things as she had started up her small Airship creation workshop. Beyond that, he had a dozen teachers now, as only five would be staying here with Rorin, and close to a hundred Accenti, Centi, he corrected himself. Then there was the even larger group of Ignitzians, a third of whom were with Rindiri already, with another third following with him.

And let's not forget the top students, he thought, looking back at Rubini. She and a few others would come along and assist with teaching metal purifying to any new prospects.

No, things were going great compared to how he had started here, in Silverleaf.

Which means something is bound to go wrong, he thought, crossing his arms and staring at the ground.

Ever since he'd left Giard, every time he'd had the feeling things were going well, something had happened. Sometimes immediately, sometimes a few years later. All in all, he'd learned that things always seemed to balance out.

It wasn't just that, however.

For the last few weeks, he'd had the growing feeling of being watched.

The unofficial ranking session ended a short while later, and Irwin absently congratulated the two who had managed to go from rank zero to quartz rank smith. When they were all gone, he sensed a tiny soulforce disturbance in the shadows nearby.

"Rinbus," he said as the Centi stepped out of the shadows.

"Guildmaster," Rinbus said. "You asked to see me when we returned?"

Irwin hesitated. "Yes, but first tell me how things are in Rootknot Grove."

"The grove is calm, and I couldn't detect any issues," the shadewalker said. "The only real change is that Trunkle City has been showing explosive growth due to the influx of cards Rindiri uses to pay for things. I guess it's not a surprise that some shadewalkers from Eleafrin Cities' lord have been sneaking around. I snuck around his place for a while, but from what I can tell, he isn't planning anything, and even if he is, he is only a one-soulcarded."

Irwin wondered how the noble would feel if he knew that Rinbus had been sneaking around without any of his own shadewalkers noticing.

Probably the same as I would, he thought, wondering if that was what was triggering his worry.

"That's good," he said, slightly distracted as he wondered how even to formulate it.

"For the next few days, I want you to stay nearby and look out for anything odd," he said slowly. "I have the feeling something is watching me, but I can't sense anything."

"Of course, Guildmaster, but… Well, if you can't sense anything," Rinbus said, shrugging.

"I know," Irwin said, fully understanding the other's complaint. He didn't want Rinbus to use his own soulforce senses, though. "There are cards to circumvent soulforce senses. I need you to use your regular senses. Look, listen, and check. I don't know what is giving me this feeling, and perhaps it's nothing, but…"

Irwin shrugged, while Rinbus just nodded, seemingly deep in thought.

"There are cards that can make it so that even you can't sense them?" he finally asked, seemingly not believing it.

Irwin snorted, shaking his head. "Don't make it sound like I am some omnipotent person that can sense everything and everyone. We are heading out tomorrow. If you need to do anything, do it now."

"Alright, Guildmaster. Nimlarel wanted to have a quiet meal later, so I think I'll see if I can find her," Rinbus said, before vanishing.

Irwin sensed him slip through the shadows and away, staring stupidly at the spot he'd been. Since when had those two hooked up?