Irwin's Journey 449: The Empress

Irwin watched intently as Siela worked on the soulforce resonance. The card was slowly changing as she sang and struck. Each hammer blow was nearly the same, creating a steady rhythm around which her high, reed-like voice sang her song.

She improved again, Irwin thought.

Ambraz's tiny spark was flying around the otherwise empty classroom, circling the girl. Irwin could sense the joy from his friend, knowing he approved greatly of the younger batch of cardsmiths in their class. 

I wonder what the children would say if they ever learned that they actually had two teachers this whole time, Irwin thought with a grin.

He kept his eyes on Siela. The young Oxarite girl's hammer strikes were steady compared to many in her class, with only three others beyond her. Surprisingly, one of those was the young Rorin, another Oxarite. In a class of just over fifty now, the maximum that would fit, it had come as a surprise to him that the small number of Oxarite did this well. Even the other three were in or near the top ten.

'She's going to make it,' Ambraz exclaimed.

Irwin didn't respond, watching with a rapidly widening grin as Siela Twae finished the final few strikes. She was going to prove her brother wrong, something Irwin already knew would cause the calm boy to try even harder in the future.

The final strike on the card had barely finished when Siela let out an explosive scream of joy.

She grabbed the card, which now had a purple border showing it had successfully been reforged to amethyst.

"I did it, I did it," she shouted, dancing around the room and seemingly lost in her own world.

Watching her antics reminded Irwin of his own children, especially Zan, who would more often than not dance and sing after she'd finished reforging a card.

Thinking about his family instinctively caused his otherself to focus its attention on the single body he had left on Eluathar.

Still, nobody, Irwin thought as he saw the empty room. 

Since he'd arrived on Scour, over a year had passed, and that meant, even with Scour's time dilation, hours had passed on Eluathar. Scintilla and Zan had left, eventually closing the door, leaving his body alone. To them, it was probably for only a few hours, and he fully expected one or more of his children to sneak in… but to him, the room had been empty for months now. 

"Tutor Irwin, Tutor Irwin! I did it!"

Siela's excited cries made Irwin realise that both his selves had drifted off, and he quickly pulled himself back to reality.

"Yes, you did," he said, as he accepted the card handed to him.

"How is it? Is it better than Beithe's?" she asked hopefully.

Irwin held back a snort, knowing full well the rivalry between Siela and the young Viridian, Beithe. Ever since he'd taken over the class, a sort of hierarchy had stabilized within the class. Beithe and Siela were usually fighting for the number three spot, though her brother Teregal and a few others weren't too far behind them.

Irwin held the card up, inspecting it while trying to recall how Beithe had done a few weeks ago.

"I'd say they are roughly on par," Irwin said.

Siela's face dropped, and she let out a soft groan.

"Really? Mine isn't, say, a few percentage points better?" she asked.

Irwin raised an eyebrow, and Siela sighed. 

"Sorry, Tutor Irwin. She was just so insufferable after her second attempt succeeded."

"It's alright," Irwin said. "Now, why don't you go and celebrate. You are now one of six that successfully reforged your first card!"

Siela's annoyance at her rival vanished, and she bowed, piped another thank you, before racing to the door. As she pulled it open, Irwin saw the excited faces of her brother and Rorin. 

"You did it!" Teregal shouted.

Irwin didn't hear the response as Siela slammed the door shut, but he did hear them excitedly talking as they ran away.

Glancing at the card, he smiled. It was eighty-three percent. Not bad for a first success. 

'You know full well that Beithe's card was eighty-five,' Ambraz said.

'I do, but Siela doesn't need to know that,' Irwin said as he put the card in his soulscape.

It appeared on a table that stood in the corner of his giant shelf. He'd created it months ago, and it was dedicated to his current class. Over the months, he had to enlarge it a few times, as more and more papers, cards, and notes had begun to fill it up.

'The first year is going to finish in a week,' Ambraz said, sounding happy. 'It's about time you remind Flowrishin that you are going to be off for a while.'

'I know,' Irwin said as he closed the classroom and walked through the bustling halls of the Cardschool.

With the harvest festivals closing in and everyone returning home for the month, to either celebrate being allowed to stay another year or having to explain that they didn't make the cut, the mood in the school was split. Some people were happily chatting, making plans for their next year, while others were by themselves, or in small groups, looking either sad or upset.

I guess the final exams have finished, Irwin thought. 

Usually, the first years didn't get exams, but he'd made a change to that. He'd come up with a few tests of his own, both written and some singing and with instruments, gifting the best of each with a card and a private lesson. That meant he'd be busy for the next few days still. 

"Uhm… I… Tutor… Tutor Irwin?"

Irwin slowed down and looked to the side where a small Ignitzian stood. She was the only one in his class, with most other Igntitzians being in the fire and heat classes. 

"Yes, Shashelin?" Irwin asked, looking at the most nervous girl in his class.

"I… Are you remaining behind during Harvest Festival?" she asked, her face turning a rosy red.

"Only for a few days," Irwin said. "I'll be off for most of the rest. Why?"

Shashelin's shoulders slumped, and she sighed.

"No… no reason," she muttered, looking at her feet.

"Shashelin, what did we talk about?" Irwin said, frowning at her. 

The girl quickly straightened her shoulders, minutely lifting her chin but still not meeting her eyes.

"Now, why did you ask?"

"My… mother will be arriving, and she wanted to invite you over for the celebrations on the Ignitzian Level," Shashelin said, before quickly shaking her head. "But it's alright if you can't. I'm sure she will understand."

I'm sure she will, Irwin thought. He did his best to hold back a grimace. No matter the things that had changed on Scour, he'd found that his draw on the Ignitizians remained. They had tried to invite him to many parties over the last few months.

"I'm afraid I'll have to decline," Irwin said softly, causing Shashelin's shoulders to slump slightly again. 

Feeling slightly bad for having to disappoint the girl, who had likely needed to gather her courage for a while to ask him, he hummed. Glancing around to find that most people had left by now, leaving the hallway almost deserted, he lowered his voice. It wouldn't prevent some people from overhearing, but that didn't actually matter. 

Shashelin didn't have to know that, however.

"Can you keep a little secret?"

Shashelin blinked, then nodded quickly.

Irwin smiled. 'You see, I already have a heatbond with an Ignitzian," he said softly. "And six children."

Shashelin's eyes widened as she looked at him, seemingly shocked.

"Really?" she asked.

"Really," Irwin said. "So, I'm afraid I can't go to the Harvest Festival, as it will create the wrong image."

Shashelin began nodding fervently. "Yes, yes! Those old hags will try to get you cornered, and-"

The girl stopped talking, her face turning pale, then fiery red as she seemed to realize what she'd said. 

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'll explain to Mother, she will understand."

"Thank you," Irwin said. "Perhaps we can have dinner together when the new year begins?"

Shashelin looked pensive for a while before shaking her head. "Better not. Mother has been looking for a new partner for a while, and she might see it as a challenge."

Irwin blinked in surprise, feeling his hair rise up.

"Right, perhaps not then," he agreed.

Shashelin smiled as she looked at him. "Is that where you are going? To see your family?"

Irwin sighed, smiling sadly. "I wish I could," he said. "But they are too far for me to reach in only a month. I will have to wait for a while till I can see them again. A long while, I'm afraid."

Shashelin's face fell. "I'm sorry, I didn't- Didn't mean to."

"It's alright," Irwin said. "Now, why don't you go and head home?"

Shashelin nodded, and after a few more apologies, left.

'Let's go and find Flowrishin,' Ambraz said.

Irwin sighed, trying to push away the thoughts of his own family.

I really hope that creating that heartcard will help, he thought, not even sure how it would.

He luckily wasn't stopped again as he navigated the corridors until he reached Flowrishin's private quarters. A quick knock later, he was walking inside.

The headteacher stood at the back of the large room, putting a book back. She turned to him, moving smoothly, and her now silvery eyes met his with an energy that hadn't been there months ago. The horrible dissonance from her soulcard was still there, but it was now balanced by the intricate song from her new heartcard. Even though he was the one who made it, and having seen it many times over the last few months, Irwin was still impressed with how well it worked. 

Would it ever fix her first soulcard? No. But when her second soulcard formed, it would likely be strong enough to balance the first, allowing her to slot more handcards. All would have to be custom reforged to deal with the odd tension, but it could be done.

"Irwin," Flowrishin said, her smile widening. 

The rugged bark skin of her had become more youthful, while her previously black and red leafy hair had returned to a slightly more vibrant yellow and orange. She was still old, but without her soulcard draining most of her lifeforce away, she'd gone from looking ancient to looking merely old.

"Headteacher," Irwin said as he closed the door. "I am here to remind you that I will be setting out for the town of Flamerock in two weeks."

Flowrishin nodded as she walked to her desk, sitting down and motioning for him to take the opposite chair.

"I remember, and I still think it would be better if you remained," she said. "However, I understand that you can't. Either way, I am glad you came to tell me, because I have news."

Irwin sat down, ignoring her complaints of his leaving out of fear of what the Grovelords might try, and instead, feeling his curiosity grow. There were only a few things she could want to tell him, and all were of great interest to him.

"Two things, actually," Flowrishin said, her silver eyes sparkling as Irwin's curiosity grew even more. 

"Fireza has finally reached out again."

Finally!

"She asked me to join her in the Dwaelen Elder Grove," Flowrishin said. "Apparently, Frisyuustis is willing to work with us."

"That's great news," Irwins exclaimed, ignoring Ambraz's groan of annoyance. If Frissyuustis was willing to create more Ganvils, something Ambraz couldn't do right now, they could finally get some headway again.

'Great, now we are going to have Yuustis's offspring roaming around,' Ambraz muttered.

'Still not calling him Frisyuustis?' Irwin asked, smiling at the great news.

'No. I refuse,' Ambraz grumbled. 'He needs to prove he is a real worldanvil first.'

Irwin didn't respond, but focused on Flowrishin.

"With some luck, he will be willing to create many young Ganvils for us to bond with," Flowrishin continued, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "It should help us cross the bottlenecks we have reached."

"I am sure it will," Irwin said.

The four teachers had been stalling, all at different points, with none able to even reach the final stages of creating a card from an existing cardseed. Even with Flowrishin's new heartcard-granted balance, she couldn't reach the final ten percent. That said, she had now outdone all of the others again.

"And the other thing?" he asked.

"I have been able to convince the Elder Council. Somewhere next year, the Card School will be regaining ownership of the Desolate Stretch. As soon as we do, we can reinstate the Smith's Guild with you as its leader. That last part might take a while, months at least, but likely years, and we will need to reclaim Desolate Stretch from the Burrows as well, but once we do…"

Flowrishin's smile widened.

"Once we do, you can start teaching everyone what you want, without risking the Grovelords from trying to lay claim to you or anyone else."

'I'd like to see them try,' Ambraz said angrily.

Irwin still felt uncomfortable becoming the leader when he'd only been here for such a short time. 

That is a problem that will solve itself with time, a little voice said in his head. With it came the knowledge that he would be here for many years if this succeeded, training cardsmiths, gaining influence, and hopefully preparing Scour to rejoin the Portal Gallery, providing an army that would grow at unprecedented speeds. It might not be enough to rival all of what the Guidar would send their way, but even a single Bastian of stability would be enough to help draw attention from Eluathar.

And that's without bringing some of the Yuurindi here.

"Will we need to relocate?" he asked, trying to push away the images of growing armies.

"Not right away," Flowrishin said. "The Deslote Stretch is uninhabitable right now, and even after we remove the Burrows, it will take many years to undo the damage done to the root network. Trees will have to regrow first, and that takes many years."

"But eventually?" he asked, curious.

"Yes, eventually the Card School will need to relocate," she said. "But I will likely not be alive when that finally happens."

Irwin could almost hear the unspoken 'but you will be' at the end of that, and he hoped she was wrong. He hoped that he could get what he needed before that time, the ability to freely create cardseeds. If he got those and reintroduced Scour to the concept of the Portal Gallery, explained to them the issue of the Guidar, he'd be free to leave. 

"Do you need anything from me?" Irwin asked, leaning back in the chair, which didn't as much as creak under his immense weight.

"Yes. In a few months, I need you to introduce yourself to Cindergrove's Council of Elders. At that, it would be best if you show off both your reforging skill and your strength. The Grovelords should have spies there, which will mean they will learn of you."

"Should I expect trouble from them?" Irwin asked, more curious than worried.

"Unlikely," Flowrishin said. "If you can demonstrate your abilities, they will not think it's worth it."

Irwin hummed, pondering the new information and coming up with some questions. Like, where and when, and who will be there? For the next hour, they discussed the details, and when he was finally walking back to the Audumn Estate, his mind was buzzing. He was happy with getting the knowledge, but he was already worrying about how things would change after he became the leader of the local Smith's Guild. It would likely require tons of talking and diplomacy, things he would much rather have others do.

Well, atleast Flowrishin can take care of that initially!

--

A week and a few final chores at the school later, Irwin stood in the courtyard with Teacher Lejingi, Brecka, Baytim, and Grove Guardian Stehlla. 

"I wish you a safe journey," the Grove Guardian said. "We will keep an eye on your estate."

"Thank you," Irwin said, nodding at her. "It's also good to hear that Zou is still safe and secure."

Stehlla sniffed dismisively. 

"That annoying one tried escaping four times now. Failures every time," she said. "For some reason, she has become more and more agitated as time passes. She has, of course, refused to comment on why."

"Let her rescape," Brecka said. "I'll show her what happens if she shows her ugly face again!"

Irwin grinned before turning to Teacher Lejingi. She'd asked to join them as it was her hometown they were heading to. 

"Ready?" 

"Yes," Lejingi said.

"I still don't understand why I can't come along," Brecka muttered.

Irwin didn't bother explaining that he couldn't bring more than one person along. He had done so multiple times over the last few weeks, and Brecka didn't really care. Instead, he looked at his not-a-sister and smiled.

"Make sure to keep the estate safe, and keep a lookout for a cook."

Brecka's eyes widened at that, and her annoyance faded slightly. "So you finally agree?"

"I do," Irwin lied. "Go and find us a cook, preferably an Ignitzian one."

Brecka began rubbing her hands as she looked around. "What about other help?"

"For now, a cook should be enough," Irwin said quickly. He'd held agreeing with Brecka back so he could use it in this exact situation. "Also, when Rinbus returns, ask him to meet me at Flamerock as soon as he can."

Brecka rolled her eyes, muttering something Irwin ignored.

"I will," she said after a few moments. 

Irwin turned to Baytim. The short Oxarite with the dark hair had been quietly observing what was happening.

"Still no response from the Empress?" Irwin asked.

"None," Baytim said, looking worried. "If I don't get an answer when you return, I'll have to go there personally to find out what is going on. The last message I had was that there is a three-way battle near the capital."

Irwin felt his mood dampen, and not for the first time, he played with the idea of just setting out to Teinnoran after he was done at Flamerock.

"Don't leave till I return," he said.

"I won't," Baytim said, perking up hopefully.

Irwin turned to Lejingi and put a hand on her shoulder.

"It's time to leave," he said. 

Lejingi grimaced, but nodded. They had experimented with traveling a few times, and they would have to move in bursts of an hour or risk Lejingi getting violently sick. 

"Be careful, brother," Brecka said, looking worried.

"Don't worry," Irwin said. "I'll be back in two weeks."

Before anyone else could speak up, he clacked his tongue and vanished across the sound waves.

--

"I still think he should have brought me," Brecka muttered.

"He left you here to guard his home," Grove Guardian Stehlla said as she turned around and walked away. "I suggest you do so."

And that wasn't a smart thing to say, Baytim thought as he took a step back, then turned and quickly walked away. Behind him, he could hear Brecka let out an annoyed harrumph as she followed Stehlla.

Baytim ignored it, rushing to his room as fast as he could. As soon as he entered, he grabbed the communication tablet and vanished into the shadows. 

Half an hour later, far away from the city, within the dense canopy of a tree. 

I'm sorry, but I have no choice, Baytim thought.

He stared at the communication tablet for a moment before pressing the runes in the right order. A few moments later, those along the edge burned a bright green.

"Baytim?"

Baytim shivered at the sound of the Empress, still not used to being able to talk to her directly.

"It's me, my Lady," Baytim said. "The Tutor is on his way and should arrive in under two days."

"Good. Thank you, Baytim, you have done an immense service to the empire," the Empress said, her voice soft as it echoed out of the tablet.

"My lady, please remember what I told you," Baytim said, barely believing he was actually talking to the Empress as he was. "Don't force him, don't threaten him, don't… don't do anything to antagonate him. It will not end well."

There was a moment of silence, followed by a giggle that made Baytim stare at the tablet in stunned silence. 

The Empress… giggled?

"Do not worry, Baytim. You are not the only one we have who has been keeping an eye on The Tutor. It has been made more than clear that none of those ways will result in anything but my likely imminent demise. We will follow your and the others' suggestions, and appeal to his conscience."

Baytim let out a sigh of relief that he knew would likely be audible to the Empress. 

"I… I hope I'm not asking too much, my lady, but what will you do if the Tutor refuses to help?" he asked.

The silence was far longer this time, and as it lasted, Baytim felt his fear grow.

"If he also refuses to help the others, I will do nothing," she finally said. "But if he, for some reason, sides with one of my enemies, I will be left with no choice."

Baytim swallowed. "I don't believe he would do so, my lady. If he doesn't help you,u he likely won't help anyone."

"I hope so, Baytim… I really do," the Empress said, sounding incredibly weary. 

The connection was cut off a moment later, and Baytim stared quietly at the tablet. Then he shuddered, looking up at the canopy.

I hope Irwin isn't going to kill me for this.

--

Deep within the winding, gray walls of Teinnoran's central castle, an enormous hubbub was underway. Three heartcarded, minor Mountain Lords and Ladies, and all on their way to becoming soulcarded somewhere in the distant future, were staring at each other in absolute shock. The short message they had just received from their glorious leader had shattered their previous plans.

"Why is she suddenly leaving?" an older Oxarite asked, his hands on his head in dismay.

"Stop asking me that! Now, try to get in contact with Zou Steelshaper again," a younger one snapped, her eyes flaring brightly as she glared at him.

"She hasn't answered for months, I've told you this!" the man replied, sounding horrified.

"We need her."

"Quiet, you two. We will have to make do with what we have," a stately woman of undetermined age said. "Have you signaled the Magnetizion Shadowguard?"

"I have. They are gathering all their members who were on leave within the city as we speak. They should be done within-"

A stone door with metallic runes slowly swung open, cutting off the leading member of the Conclave of Ore. The trio slowly turned around to watch a slim, silvery Oxaxrite woman walk out. She was wearing a dark blue, almost black armor with silvery highlights and had her dark silver hair in a tight ponytail. 

"Stop causing yourself stress," she said with a smile, her silvery eyes sparkling. "I'll be leaving in five minutes. Get the Magnetizion Shadowguards that are here ready."

"But my lady," the stately woman whispered. "You can't go there without a proper guard! If any of our enemies find out you are… going… there…" she faltered under the calm stare of the Empress.

"We have lost nearly all the frontlines. If we don't find a way to turn this around, Lord Sachindiran will move his armies through the valleys, causing untold death and destruction," The Empress said softly. "I would rather die and have him take the Purperion Throne than let my people suffer through that."

The three ex-members of the Council of Steel shared a sad look, but none said anything.

"Vaidara?" the Empress called out.

A soft crackle was followed by a woman appearing in a cloud of tiny blue lightning sparks. She wore a long silver robe with blue highlights that caused her silvery hair to stand out. Every part of her oozed a calm that clashed with the others present in the room.

"My Lady," she said. "I am ready."

"Good, then let's gather the others and head to our elusive Tutor," the Empress said with a smile. "And hope he will see reason in helping us."