"..."

  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.

  "I… did not," Rindiri said, leaning back.

  "Well, I'm mostly done here," Irwin said. "Nisziz and the others are, too, so they can take care of the ship."

  "Did Greldo return yet?" Rindiri asked.

  "He appeared, explained he'd found and dealt with our pursuer, wouldn't give me any details, asked for some cards to trade with, and left again," Irwin said with a grin. "He's going to have to tell us how he managed that. Oh, he did confirm it was Terlo."

  "That's good," Rindiri said, but Irwin saw her hesitate slightly.

  "What?"

  "Undiri also gave me a list of worlds that have more of my people. I've been mulling it over, and the routes we prepared won't get us anywhere near them," Rindiri said, her frown deepening. "I know we need to get more cards and metals, but I was wondering-"

  "Just change the route," Irwin said, raising his hand when she wanted to say something.

  As her mouth snapped shut, he smiled.

  "Who knows, someone else might still be tracking us, so changing the route was already something I wanted to discuss with you. I'm sure we can find one that reaches some of your worlds and gets us more of what we need. That said, can you go over those ships we got to make sure none of them have any tracking on them?"

  Rindiri was quiet as she looked at him, then a rare full-faced smile spread on her face. It instantly took a decade off her age, and Irwin couldn't help but grin back.

  "Don't tell me you thought I wouldn't let you pick up more of your people?" he asked, raising an eyebrow in mock shock.

  "I wouldn't dare," Rindiri said, her smile fading, but the twinkling in her eyes showing how happy she was. "I'll send Dagger to ask if we can see Undiri in a few hours and examine the ships until then."

  Irwin watched her get up and walk to the door of his captain's quarters, her face back to her usual serious one. But at the door, she turned and looked at him.

  "Captain. Irwin… I appreciate your help. I will never forget it, and I'll make sure none of my people who come with us do either."

  Then she walked out the door, closing it behind her.

  I wonder what she means by that, Irwin thought.

  "Kid… we need to discuss something, and you aren't going to like it," Ambraz said, instantly yanking his thoughts back to reality.

  "Now what?" he asked.

  "That card she described… if it really does what Undiri says, we need to get our hands on it or a copy."

  Irwin frowned. Somehow, he didn't like what Ambraz was implying.

  "Ugh, don't look so upset, brat," Ambraz snapped, flying around before landing in a free space and enlarging to his working shape. "The card she describes is incredible, but it also has to be built on top of some handcard that has a typing we don't know. I've been going over it, but there's nothing I can think of that we could reforge to allow conversation over those distances. That means, and I'd bet my soulshards on it, that she has a card of a new type, or she has one that can boost a card with a known type to such ridiculous heights that it would be even more unbelievable."

  Irwin blinked at the deluge of words, then again as their meaning hit him.

  "You think she has some type of mental communication card of an unknown type?"

  "That would be my guess, yes," Ambraz agreed. "And I don't think I have to tell you that if either you or another smith back home can learn how to forge those by slotting cards, we will have an incredible advantage in nearly everything we want to do."

  Irwin was about to say that it would still mean they would need to have their descendants spread out when an idea hit him, and his eyes shot wide.

  "You mean-"

  "Give them to the Yuurindi that can be trusted," Ambraz said. "Yes, though I wouldn't discount the usefulness of Ignitzian or on anyone. If it can be added to a heartcard without too many issues, anyone with enough soulcards who will be old enough would likely want one."

  "You want to sell them," Irwin said, and as he said that, his eyes shot wide.

  If they could get the card and either reliably add it to an adjacently-typed card, as Bleak had done with that Oculithar card, or if he could get one and create them from shattered card soulforce as he had been doing the last few weeks, they would have a commodity that many would want. Probably enough to get those shipwright secrets and perhaps a whole lot of cards with types they didn't have access to right now.

  He got up and began pacing around. Did he even have the space for a card of that type? It probably wouldn't match any of the ones he had.

  But if I can teach others back home how to do this, there has to be someone who can slot it and turn it into a soulcard.

  He stopped mid-step and shook his head.

  "Okay, fine. If we can get one, that would be more than amazing. The problem is, it's part of her soulcard, so how do you suggest we get it?"

  "There are two ways we can try, and neither is fun," Ambraz said. "The worst is to ask how long till she dies and remain here and see if we can somehow capture the essence of her soulcards and find the part, or perhaps we-"

  "No, no," Irwin said, shaking his head, interrupting his bond. "Rindiri didn't say she was close to dying, and we are not asking if we can kill her."

  As he spoke, Irwin realized he knew the second way.

  "You want to shatter her soulcard…" he said, shuddering at the prospect.

  His initial reaction was to say no, but he hesitated as he thought about what the card could mean to them- better communication during this war, now and in the future, a way to remain in contact with distant worlds that didn't require the soulforce-hungry soulcrystal shards, and potentially a bargaining chip that would get them things they might never get otherwise.

  "She could very well die," he said. "She's old and implied her soulscape is under massive strain. Worse, she's Yuurindi, and from what Rindiri said, very weak. Having a soulcard and a heartcard like that…"

  "I'm not saying we have to do this," Ambraz said.

  That was exactly what you said, Irwin thought, but he didn't interrupt this time.

  "But getting our hands on a card like this? It almost makes me wish Ganvils had cardslots so we could get it. Imagine if I were to create thousands of low-rank Ganvils and I could communicate with all of them?!"

  Irwin began pacing again, pondering what to do.

  He was still at it when there was a knock on the door.

  "Captain, they will see us now," Rindiri said.

  Irwin blinked, wondering how long he'd been walking through his room.

  Not important, he pushed the thoughts away and focused on Rindiri.

  His old second-in-command and navigator blinked at his stare.

  "Captain?"

  "We need to discuss something," Irwin said, and without waiting, he told her about what he and Ambraz had discussed.

  Halfway through, Rindiri closed the door and leaned against it, frowning deeply.

  "I… You are right," she said, not looking at Irwin but at Ambraz.

  About what? Irwin thought.

  "We need that card," Rindiri said, her face growing a bit harder.

  Irwin watched her, wondering exactly what she was thinking about.

  "Let's go and see them," she said. "I'll explain what is going on."

  Irwin blinked, but Rindiri was already out of the door, so he bolted after her, feeling Ambraz jumping into his soulscape.

  "You just want to tell them… like that?" he asked as he walked after her through the spacious corridors that led from his chambers up to the deck.

  "Yes. You will understand when we reach them," she said.

  Irwin hummed curiously, but Rindiri was quiet as they walked through the ship. On the deck, Dagger was chatting with some other Yuurindi, but as soon as they appeared, she dashed to their side.

  "You going back again?" she asked, her eyes flicking from Rindiri to Irwin and back.

  "Yes," Irwin said, curious what had gotten into her.

  "Can I come?"

  Rindiri didn't react, and Irwin shrugged.

  "Sure," he said.

  Dagger grinned widely as she walked with them. Rindiri moved ahead of them, seemingly lost in her own thoughts as they walked across the dock and into the immense, cube-like city building.

  It was Irwin's first time going out into Urlar, and as he walked deeper in, he was stunned by how they had made it. The outer sides were all either shipyards, docks, or very opulent-looking buildings. The shipyards were incredibly busy while the docks were almost deserted, and he couldn't see much from what he guessed were the rich merchants' homes. Then, further in, he recognized the remnants of more docks, now rebuilt into buildings, and as they continued, it became evident that the same had been going on for hundreds, if not thousands, of years.

  Initially, everything was brightly lit by runes and crystals, but as they moved deeper, it grew gloomy, and he recognized it as the entire world turning dull red.

  It took them a while to reach their destination, and Dagger was either smiling or frowning, lost in her own world, while Rindiri just walked forward stoically.

  "Alright, I'll go and tell him we are here," Dagger exclaimed, dashing forward.

  Him? Irwin thought, raising an eyebrow.

  "What's up with her?" he asked.

  "She's found someone she might want to mate with," Rindiri said absently.

  Irwin gaped at her, then shook his head and followed her into the building. It was rundown but well-maintained, and he was surprised at how clean it was. No littering, no dust, just well-maintained oldness.

  "This way," Dagger shouted, standing beside a male Yuurindi who had to be a few years younger than her and barely an adult. His squarish pupils sat in deep, shimmering blue eyes, and Irwin almost rolled his eyes as he saw Dagger moon over him.

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  A minute later, they stood in a spacious dining room with two tables on either side of him and a path leading up to a couple of thickly padded chairs.

  Two wrinkled Yuurindi sat in it, staring at him curiously.

  "Welcome, Captain Irwin," the man said, his soft, soft, wheezy voice.

  "Before we start, we would like to thank you, in the name of all Yuurindi, for your treatment of Rindiri and the others of our people," the woman said, her voice much louder but somewhat hazy.

  Not sure what to say, Irwin shrugged.

  "Rindiri has proven herself many times," he said. "Besides, I don't agree with how your people have been dealt with."

  Undiri's eyebrow rose, and he realized how that might have sounded.

  "I mean-"

  The man barked a throaty laugh. "We know what you mean," he wheezed. "And we agree. Don't mince words. It's easier that way."

  Irwin felt a grin crawl on his face as he met the old Yuurindi's eyes.

  "Elders, I need to tell you something," Rindiri said, her voice colder and harder than the others.

  Everyone focused on her, and the levity vanished.

  "There is a way for Smith Irwin to get a copy of the card you have, elder Undiri," Rindiri said. "However, to do so might be fatal."

  Undiri's eyes widened while Dinehr leaned forward, his saggy shape seemingly filling out slowly.

  "I don't-" he began, his voice still wheezy but louder than it had been until then.

  "No, my love," Undiri whispered. "Let her speak."

  Rindiri calmly explained how Irwin could potentially shatter her soulcard, but that it might kill her.

  "No."

  Dinehr's voice carried an anger and finality that made Irwin grimace. The old man rose from the chair, his entire body vibrating, and Irwin sensed his lone soulcard churn as if agitated. He glared at Rindiri, then at Irwin, as if angry that they even suggested it, before turning to Undiri.

  "Don't even think about it. Imagine our roles reversed, and then try me," he said before turning and haltingly walking to a door to the side, disappearing.

  Irwin sighed, turning to Undiri. "Can you use your soulcard a bit so I can see if I recognize the type?"

  "Of course, young Smith," Undiri said, still looking at the door her soulmate had left through.

  Irwin felt her soulcard start to resonate, beginning simply but quickly growing into a complex concert that seemed to be composed of dozens of instruments weaving an intricate pattern. There wasn't as much soulforce within as he'd expected, but that hardly mattered as he started to lose track of the dozens of different melodies and beats in the resonance. Besides all that, there was something odd about it. Something almost familiar.

  He tried to put his finger on it, but failed to find what was odd about it. As the resonances continued to divide, he shuddered.

  How can one card resonate like this?!

  'Her… her card is an Ammolite,' Ambraz shouted in his mind, and Irwin finally realized what was so familiar about it. It was like his cards!

  How can she hold that without her soulscape shattering? he thought, recalling just how weak Brinni had been. From what Rindiri had said, Undiri's genetics were almost as flawed as her daughter's, and Brinni had been barely able to hold a quartz card.

  'There's something connected to her, keeping her from shattering,' Ambraz continued, drawing Irwin's attention to a soft resonance that seemed to suffuse all of Undiri.

  'That has to be what Rindiri said - Dinehr is somehow keeping her soulscape from shattering,' Irwin replied.

  After a few moments, he pulled his Tablatures into his hand.

  "Could you do it again from the start?" he asked.

  Undiri nodded, and the resonance that had surrounded her, coming from her soulcard, faded until it was gone.

  A moment later, it began again, building up as slowly as it had the first time, and this time, Irwin let his Tablatures record it all.

  It lasted for almost ten minutes, and when the build-up finally ended in a crescendo, he had no idea what was happening. Even to him, it was more complex than anything he'd heard, and as he quickly opened his Tablatures and began reading through the notes, his eyes widened.

  It's as if there are dozens of resonances at the same time instead of just one… If I'd seen this without having been there, I'd have said it was multiple high-soulcarded people!

  As he flipped through the pages, he slowly realized something.

  'Complexity over power,' he sent to Ambraz. 'There is no combat potential, body improvement, or anything. It's a wonder she is even still alive.'

  'It's her heartcard that should have kept her young and vital for a few hundred years,' Ambraz said. 'But due to the constant strain on her soulscape, she'd still have died within a year without whatever Dinehr is doing.'

  "You are preventing your heartcard from becoming a soulcard," Irwin said, looking at Undiri.

  "I have stopped absorbing soulforce," the elderly Yuurindi said with a soft sigh. "If I absorb any more, my soulscape will become even less stable."

  Irwin rubbed his chin, listening to how her soulcard and heartcard resonated when not fully used.

  Perhaps I can create a soulcard to balance this out, he thought as ideas began bubbling up in his mind.

  'Ask her to come with us,' Ambraz said. 'Worst thing, we can get the card when she dies of natural causes. The best option would be to find a way to let it shatter without her soulscape shattering with it. Then we recreate her soulcard so it doesn't shatter. Also… ask her if the card she was gifted was of Derlin-make."

  Right, a Derlin card, Irwin thought as he nodded. That would make sense, as those things never really followed any of the existing rules that he knew of.

  "Elder, your card. Is it a Derlin card, or did you get it from a Derlin?" Irwin asked.

  Undiri stared at him, her face momentarily frozen, and Irwin already knew Ambraz had been right before she nodded.

  "Yes," she said. "It was one of the most valuable cards we had in our world."

  Irwin sighed, cracked his neck, and looked at Rindiri for a moment before turning to the elderly Yuurindi.

  "I would like to request that you and your soulmate come with us," he said, quickly continuing. "There's a chance I can find a way to repair your soulcard; make it so it isn't slowly killing you."

  "By shattering it?" Undiri asked, raising an eyebrow.

  "Probably," Irwin said, deciding honesty would go the furthest. "I've already reforged one person's soulcard after letting it shatter, though in all honesty, she didn't have your special set of problems."

  "My poor genetic makeup, you mean," Undiri said.

  "Yes," Irwin said. There was no sense beating around the bush. "Still, I think there's already a good chance for me to keep you alive, and this will only get better in the future."

  "But you are asking me to come along because then if I do die, you can attempt to copy the card somehow," Undiri said calmly.

  "Yes."

  It was quiet in the room, and then the elderly Yuurindi sighed.

  "I can't promise this," she said. "But I will talk with Dinehr. Thank you for all you have done for us… If I manage to persuade him, we will come to your ship with the young ones."

  Irwin stared at her, wondering if there was something else he could say or do to get her to come with him. Should he tell them that they would get their own world if they followed him?

  If I do and they decide not to, she would be able to spread this information, he thought before frowning. If they brought her along, she could still do this… was the card worth the risk?

  Irwin hesitated, then decided that it probably was. Besides the communication aspect, just having the card would let him copy it in the future, even if he couldn't create it himself.

  "Captain, please head back. I'd like to have a word with the elders in private," Rindiri said.

  Irwin looked at her and noticed the stubborn set of her jaw.

  "Alright," he said.

  A few words of thanks and farewells later, he was using the sounds all around him to rush back through the city.

  Another thing to add to the things to find out, he thought - a way to copy a card.

  --

  Irwin landed on the deck of the Bigbelly to find Greldo standing there with a young snake-tribe girl beside him. She was looking around anxiously, and as Irwin appeared, her eyes locked onto him and widened.

  "So, you are finally back?" Irwin asked, looking at his friend with raised eyebrows.

  "Yes. I had to finish up some things," Greldo said, walking forward. "So. Remember how I told you I took care of Terlo?"

  Irwin nodded, raising an eyebrow.

  "Well, Su over here was instrumental in that, and for her help, I promised that you would reforge her six cards and help her and her father with their heartcards."

  Irwin hummed thoughtfully, examining the girl. She had three handcards that were very roughly made, the best being perhaps ninety percent, the others barely over eighty. The best one was a topaz-ranked card that, from what he could tell, was one of the snake tribes' favorites.

  The teenage girl -what could she be, fourteen?- looked at him nervously, her hands grabbing the sides of her loose, worn pants.

  "She's also going to hitch a ride to another harbor," Greldo continued, stretching his arms and shuddering contentedly. "Now, I've been running around for hours, and I need a good night's rest, so unless you need me for something…?"

  Irwin barked a laugh. "No, go and get your beauty sleep."

  Greldo smiled and vanished, leaving Irwin with Su, who was looking at him expectantly.

  "Alright, follow me, and as we walk, tell me what kind of cards you are looking for," Irwin said, turning around and heading to his captain's chambers. "Also, is your father here yet?"

  "No, honorable Smith," Su said as she ran after him. "I'll be getting him after… Uh… after you, after I…"

  She stuttered a bit longer, and Irwin hummed.

  "So, after I get you three cards and a heartcard you will show him, and then he will arrive?" he asked. "Does he know you are here?"

  "He knows!" she said.

  But if he approves… Irwin thought before shrugging. He'd get her a good heartcard, which should alleviate any issues. Still, I'll have to talk with Greldo about the rewards he promised I need to abide by.

  --

  I hope he's not a fraud, Suein thought as she followed the towering smith.

  Just looking at him made her wonder if he wasn't really a warrior. What if he couldn't really smith, and she'd be left with some horrible card?

  There's no other way, she told herself. If they couldn't get out of here soon, her father's debtors would come to collect, and that might mean he'd be turned into an indentured slave. What they would do with her… She shivered as she followed the smith into an opulent room.

  Only a year ago, she and her father lived in something of similar wealth. How things had changed…

  "Alright. So, I can tell you have at least one of the snake-typed cards, and I think the other two are body improvement cards?"

  "Yes, honorable Smith," Su said. "Two amethyst and one topaz-ranked cards made by one of the venerable smiths back on Urlar. My father-" she held her tongue and tried to smile sweetly. It wouldn't help telling him that her father had commissioned them. He might think they had deep pockets and ask for something she couldn't offer.

  "They were very expensive, and I'm not expecting anything of similar grade…" she said quickly. "We have no more soulshards."

  That much was true, at least. She watched the smith intently and saw a thought pass over his face, followed by a faint smile.

  "Well, that's good because I wasn't planning on it. Now, let me ask you again: what type of cards do you want, and what rank?"

  Su felt her cheeks heat up as she realized she'd not told him what she wanted as they walked.

  "I'm sorry," she said quickly. "I don't really have any requirements, and…"

  She thought about the rank, not sure what he meant by that. Did he mean she could ask for something above Topaz? Did she even want a high-ranking card? Her father had a single soulcard at Topaz, so he was set already.

  Perhaps I can gamble that I'll be able to fill an emerald-rank soullake? she thought, feeling an old, deep-seated desire grow. When she was younger, she'd dreamed of becoming a ruby-rank soulcarded and learning her father's trade. However, it had taken her father forty years of hard work to get enough cards to fill his topaz-ranked soullake. Now, their situation had changed, and she could only hope he could get a card to repair the damage done to his hands.

  As the picture of his mangled hands came to her mind, she felt a wave of anger. How could those vile monsters just do that!? Just because her father had been better at rune forging than that old fogy!

  "Su?"

  Su blinked, realizing she'd drifted off, and she cursed herself for being stupid. It was a combination of lack of sleep and the stress of the last few days, not in the least when Greldo hadn't even used the rune she'd brought from her father.

  Seeing the smith's eyebrow raise, she began talking before she could properly think of a response.

  "I… don't know what is wise," she rattled. "I'd wish for nothing more than to get an emerald or ruby rank heartcard, but I might not be able to ever fill it up, and-"

  She caught herself as she saw both his eyebrows raise. How could she just ask for a ruby-rank card?! What was wrong with her today?

  "I mean, a Topaz or even Amethyst rank would be great," she managed to squawk out.

  The smith smiled and shook his head, and she almost felt her heart sink.

  "Well, in that case, I would suggest an Emerald card. If I make sure it has a strong amount of body improvement and is focused on the constitution, you should live long enough to fill it up. And who knows, you might get lucky and find yourself in good fortune in the future!"

  Su felt her mouth fall open, and she quickly shut it, nodding vigorously.

  "That would be fantastic," she whispered.

  "Very well, then let's get you three nice emerald cards," the smith said as he turned around.

  Su's eyes went wide as she realized what he meant, but before she could even say anything, a small fluttering anvil appeared in midair. It flew around twice before landing on the ground and turning into a massive anvil.

  "Yo, brat. Want my opinion? Ask Irwin for at least one card with either a metal, fire, utility, or sound typing! He's pretty good at those."

  Su just stared at the Ganvil, her voice caught in her throat. Seeing the mouth curve down slightly, she forced herself to nod.

  “Yes,” she stammered. "Any of those are fine."

  The Ganvil snorted, and she felt its attention go from her to the smith.

  "Irwin, I'd suggest a slight metal body improvement to go with that snake part of her and at least one plain body enhancement so we can wash away those two trash cards she has. That leaves the final one to do something fun with, though at Emerald, we are severely limited. Are you sure we can't just get her a Ruby rank one? It would give us more playing space."

  Su felt her legs start to shake as she watched the smith summon a massive hammer and walk to the anvil.

  "Come on, Ambraz. You know, most people can't afford to fill a lake that big. Emerald should be fine. Besides, it will give us an opportunity to see what we can stuff inside an Emerald heartcard!"

  "Fine, but you had better make sure it's awesome! Oh, right. Hey, girl-brat. Do you play any instruments?"

  Su nodded dumbly. "I can play the lute," she said.

  "AH! Great," the Ganvil roared. "Kid, let's make her something nice!"

  The smith grinned and turned to her, smiling widely as he waved at the nice couches to the side.

  "Take a seat. This shouldn't take too long."

  Su mechanically moved to the seat, wondering what he meant by that it wouldn't take too long. She'd expected to be handed a map with some cards to pick, but by now, she knew that wasn't what was happening. They were talking about reforging cards just for her. That had to take a long time!

  Sitting down like a sack of rocks, she watched as the smith riffled through a stack of cards that would elevate a normal family into riches overnight.

  Dad… I think perhaps we finally got a break, she thought.

  Common = Quartz, Uncommon = Amethyst, Rare = Topaz, Very Rare = Emerald, Epic = Ruby, Legendary = Diamond, Mythical = Ammolite