Irwin's Journey - The Cardsmith-Chapter 304: Berries and seas

"Welcome to the real burrows," Tang said, leveling out the large ore transporter. "The previous layer was more like an introduction."

Irwin kept looking around from his spot beside Tang.

The cave around them was like the many others he had seen by now: large and filled with a mist of yellowish gas to the point of being unable to see the other side. He didn't see any difference from the dozens of other caves they had passed through the last hour. The only difference was a soft howling that came from somewhere further in.

Ten minutes later, Tang slowed the ship next to a gaping hole in the side and bottom of the cavern. The howling had increased to a high-pitched roar that came from within while a strong wind blew out of the hole. Debris, rock, parts of ships, and broken sections of wood created a dense layer to the side of the hole. Irwin even saw some pale bone stick out from the rubble.

Tang lowered the ship more, and Irwin saw a turbulent cyclone with streaks of dark dust.

"This is one of the stopgaps, a place where things caught in the ashwinds sometimes end up," Tang shouted, his rumbling voice easily overpowering the howling of the storm. "Everything that got caught around Barrenrock Outpost should have ended up here."

Irwin looked around, staring at the rubble and searching for any sign of Scintilla. There was some newer-looking debris, but as they slowly flew across the dense carpet, he saw nothing that drew his eye.

"It was unlikely we found something here, but as the stopgap is here, we had to pass through anyway," Tang rumbled. "If your friend is still alive, she likely managed to make it out before ending up here."

Irwin looked into the howling storm.

"And that means?" he asked.

Tang fiddled with some of the runes, then put his hand on two protrusions that Irwin had thought were just there for comfort. A dense stream of soulforce poured out of Tang, and a moment later, a gleaming barrier like those around the Concerta hissed to life around them. It blocked out most of the howling wind, reducing it to a muted whistling.

"That means that we are going to do what Helm asked me to," Tang said as he guided the rugged ship inside.

The ship began shuddering as it crept forward, and Irwin saw that the wind came from holes and fissures in the topside of the wall. It streamed inside, then, finding no exit on the opposite side or anywhere but where it came from, it began swirling down, spewing out anything it was carrying through the large hole and vanishing into narrow cracks in the bottom or out of the exit.

Irwin could sense the wind trying to blow the ship away, and he was impressed by how easily Tang kept it slowly flying up. At the same time, the temperature was going up.

"This is like the storms outside!" Zender said, sounding excited.

"Is it now?" Tang said, sounding surprised. "I had thought it was worse?"

"Well, there's no lightning, thunder, hail, or ice," Zender said. But the wind is about the same."

"Ice…" Tang said, and Irwin saw the massive Fiz'rin shudder.

He tried to gauge the wind power as they continued up and decided Zender wasn't wrong. Looking up, he saw a swirling mass of yellowish fumes at the top.

"This is the one she would have been blown out of," Tang said as they reached a jagged fissure. "As we are at the end, most of the superheated ash has already been spent, so we are going to check if she managed to jump out near this part. Let's hope we find something."

"And if we don't?" Irwin asked.

Tang looked at him with no emotion in his eyes. "If we don't, we are going to have to assume she didn't make it. Nobody, not even Fiz'rin, survives prolonged exposure in the depths of the ashwinds."

Irwin clamped his fingers around the edges of his old, worn seat.

Their ship moved forward, fighting against the storm at a snail's pace, finally moving across the threshold and into a long, jagged cavern, much higher than it was wide.

"Keep an eye out," Tang rumbled. "From here on, we are going to check a few of the vents. If you see anything odd, let me know."

"Like what?" Boohm asked.

"Anything not rock, debris, lava, or ash," Tang said.

They continued further, their speed low. What felt like hours, but was likely barely one, later Tang maneuvered the ship through a narrow corridor and into a cave. The wind blew into it but with far less force than out of the stopgap.

Irwin looked around, but it seemed like a dead-end, and there was no sign of life.

"Anyone see anything?" Tang rumbled.

When the answers were negative, they went back inside, and for the next few hours, they continued going in and out of the ashwinds. Slowly, the mood of everyone grew weary, as there was no sight of the one they were looking for.

Irwin had lost count of the number of caverns they had checked when they exited through a crack barely large enough for their ship and into another one.

His mood was dark as he looked around the barren, rocky wasteland. He was about to call all clear when an odd spark of soulforce caught his eye. Unlike the burning red and golden swirls he'd been seeing since arriving on Igniz, a tiny streak of blue seemed stuck to the side of a cavern wall. Anywhere else, he'd likely have missed it, but in a world of red, orange, yellow, and golden soulforce, it glistened like a diamond in the mud.

"Over there," he said, pointing at the far side of the cavern.

Tang moved the ship further into the cave.

"I don't see anything… what are we looking at?" he rumbled, glancing at Irwin.

"There's a different sort of soulforce over there," Irwin said as he kept his gaze on the tiny sliver.

As they closed in, he saw a web of cracks in the wall where it was. A small opening, far too small for their ship, sat next to it, while a perfectly round and many times larger one sat next to it. Both had been hidden from view by the rocky outcrops that covered the ground. They had come across so many wyrm tunnels that it didn't stand out to Irwin, but Tang hummed softly.

"That's a very recent one. The cracks are, too."

The Fiz'rin rose from his seat, scanning the entrance, then the cracks, and he nodded.

"Something managed to escape through that hole, was carried by the winds, and slammed into the wall here. Then, a short while later, a wyrm came to check the disturbance, returning back. If we go inside, we will see two paths, and one of them will intersect with that small opening."

"Not to spoil the hope, Captain, but… this could be anything," Boohm said. "How do we know this is what we are looking for?"

Irwin was still staring at the ambient soulforce. He saw that it was very slowly dissipating, worn down by the other soulforce around it, but at the speed it was going, it would take years before it was completely gone.

Is it being destroyed, absorbed, or changed, he wondered, before turning to Boohm.

"Scintilla managed to get a cold-type card that she was able to slot so she could go and find me," he said, recalling what Gi, Tiscian's granddaughter, had told him. "With what I've heard so far, it seems highly unlikely that there is anyone here that can use cold except for either the invaders or Scintilla."

Tang nodded as he sat back down and began maneuvering the ship into the wyrm-created tunnel.

"You are right. I've never seen or heard about anything with a hellish cold card," he said.

The round tunnel split into two a few dozen feet down, one path leading straight down, the other branching off to the side. Tang moved through that, and they saw a tiny crack in the top where it crossed the other, small entrance.

"I'm going to remove the barrier," Tang said, doing just that right after.

A distant howling of the storm was fading as they continued down the tunnel.

"Keep your ears open. Earth titans love snacking on wyrms, and although this one would be a bit small if the one that was seen above is anywhere near, it might just chase it."

"What are we listening for?" Zender asked, sounding curious and worried at the same time.

"A gnawing, cracking sound," Boohm and Tang said at the same time.

The two shared a look, and Boohm shrugged. "We have these on Charxian. They barely ever reach the surface, but sometimes a bigger one chases a smaller one."

"Rare, but it happens," Tang rumbled after a moment, turning his attention back in the direction they were going.

The tunnel continued for a long while, winding around as it seemed to swallow the original crack.

Finally, they shot out of the tunnel into a large cavern. Lava dripped down from a set of stalagmites that hung from the ceiling like a row of teeth. The drops splashed into a lake of Pyroflux that covered a vast region, and far beyond it, pale vegetation covered the distant wall. It seemed to grow from or to the Pyroflux lake, then going all the way up to the jagged ceiling. Small areas of a purplish light glowed throughout it.

"A hidden oasis," Tang said, standing up again and looking around. "If your friend reaches this, she could have-"

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Irwin saw a flash of blue among the distant vegetation, and then a thin beam of light slammed into their ship, passing a hand width from Tang's chest.

"Attack!' Boohm roared, and Irwin more felt than saw him use his carded skill. A pressure wave rushed from them, slamming into the wall of vegetation, dozens of feet beside where the attack had come from.

The enormous Fiz'rin acted at the same time and with a surprising speed. He dropped to his seat, placed his hands on the protrusions, and caused a shield to appear around them.

He was only just in time, as another beam struck the shield in front of his head, causing the shield to go from a bright silver to a dull gray.

Irwin saw the flash of blue again, close to where it had been the first time.

"Powerful attack. Get ready," Tang rumbled as his hands flew across the rune controls.

The ship moved up and forward while the shield slowly regained its glow. Another blue beam struck it, and this time, there was a shattering sound as the barrier cracked apart.

"Keep dodging," Irwin shouted before vanishing from his place and rushing along the soundwaves.

He reappeared near the wall, dropping down as he looked around. The blueish soulforce appeared to the side, rushing along the dozens of feet wide branch-like protrusions.

"Got ya," Irwin snapped, following the soundwaves of his own words and reappearing right in front of a pale, blue-haired being. It had slightly too long arms, one of which held a slender, curved blade while the other had an oddly flowing ball of bluish light that seemed like liquid that had almost turned into ice.

"Filthy Disjointed," the thing hissed before vanishing.

The only warning Irwin had was a screech that rippled through the soft background noise of the soulforce, and he used some of the weaker soundwaves to move a dozen steps back.

He reappeared as an explosion of icy crystals ruptured the pale trunk, causing it to shatter, and a blueish ball of frosty air rippled outward. As it engulfed him, Irwin felt his flame ignite inside of him, heating up his body. Instinctively, he summoned his hammer and slapped it sideways, causing a blueish streak to vanish just before he hit it, only to reappear a few steps away, transformed back into the shape of the pale, blue-haired man.

"How are you this powerful!" the invader snarled, another swirling orb of icy liquid forming in his hand. "You have only-"

Irwin shot forward along the soundwaves, not intent on letting the invader finish the attack. He appeared behind him, hammer already swinging. It struck the invader just as it turned into a blueish haze, and although it moved through it, there was a scream of pain that came from the blueish soulforce. The invader reappeared, dropping to his knees.

Irwin struck again, but this time, he wasn't fast enough. The invader physically jumped just out of reach before changing into a streak of blue light that shot forward a hundred feet before reforming into the man who stumbled forward and turned.

"Honorless curr," the invader growled, raising his thin, rapier-like sword.

Irwin barely managed to move his hammer before his face as a lance of pure white shot from the sword. It bounced from his hammer, and as Irwin looked around it, he saw the invader holding another of the blue icy balls.

The wall beside them and the pale branches they stood on vibrated while a scratching, chewing sound came from the narrow cracks in the wall.

"No!"

The invader turned incorporeal, and the blue streak flashed back as the wall next to it cracked open, stone flung everywhere. A fifteen-foot-wide maw shot out, snapping closed where it had just stood.

Irwin stared at the wyrm hanging partially out of the rocky wall.

It swayed to the side the invader had been, thudded on the branch, and moved forward, its hundred or more foot long, round body shooting forward before slamming back into the rock and drilling into it.

"-win!"

"Ca-n!"

Irwin turned to the side, seeing Tang and the ship shooting toward him, Hind and Zender waving and pointing.

What?

Irwin stepped to the edge and looked down.

The ground next to the lake of Pyroflux was rippling, stones jumping up and down as long cracks shot left and right.

Irwin's eyes shot wide, and he let out a bellow, vanishing along the soundwaves to reappear atop the boat. He grabbed the railing as the rapidly moving object almost threw him off.

"Earth titan!" Boohm shouted. "We need to get out of here!"

Any response was lost in an explosion from below as rocks and debris were flung in the air like a geyser. Irwin stared down as the surrounding ambient soulforce began churning down into the hole, right as an enormous maw rose up. Centered in a fish-like head, with fins tipped with tentacles, a fish-like thing shot into the air. It hovered just above the ground, part of its hind body still inside the ground. A large, burning red eye below three small ones scanned the surroundings while the ambient soulforce was sucked into it.

Within moments, Irwin sensed the temperature plummet while the Pyroflux lost its golden glow.

"Not good! It's a young one, barely out of infancy," Tang shouted as the ship rushed toward the nearest wall and a hole inside it.

Irwin stared in awe at the earth titan, noticing its resemblance to the Chaos Whales. It had the same type of eyes but red and with dark, ruddy skin. The biggest differences were its vicious maw and the trio of flat tentacles tipping its fins.

"How is that a bad thing?" Zender asked, arms wrapped around him as he was shuddering.

Irwin cursed as he saw Boohm and Zender shiver while the Onyxian's face was turning a pale gray. He put a hand on both of them, causing them to look up at him, Zender slightly afraid.

"I'm pulling you in my soulscape," Irwin snapped. "Don't resist!"

An instant later, both were gone, and he felt their weight in his soulscape. The ship was still shooting forward, and Irwin focused on the earth titan, which was still searching as they shot into a tunnel.

"Thank the Eternal Flame," Tang rumbled. "It didn't see us."

"Captain, what was that thing you fought?" Hind asked.

Irwin sat down in his chair and turned around to watch the tunnel opening shrink behind them.

"One of those invaders. He used some ice-like ability, a sword, a movement skill, and a beam," Irwin said, glancing at Hind. "And he definitely didn't have any cardslots."

"That's impossible," Tang rumbled. "No soulskilled has that many abilities."

No normal ones, that is for sure, Irwin thought.

"Any idea what to do now?" he asked, looking at Tang.

"Maybe, but let's get away from here first," the hulking Fiz'rin rumbled.

--

Scintilla shot upright as the ground shook and rumbled. The Pyroflux basin beside her was a mess as dirt, pebbles, and rocks dropped from the ceiling, splashing inside it.

"Don't worry, it's all fine," Scintilla shouted, rushing forward and diving into the lake. As the hot liquid surrounded her, she expanded her fiery aura and extended her arms. All the embers surrounded her, hugging her close as more rocks fell down.

"It's going to be fine, don't worry," Scintilla said, partially for the embers and partially for herself. "That big bully is just hunting that purple, cold-blooded bastard. It will be over soon."

A few minutes later, the rumbling stopped, and Scintilla straightened herself.

"See? Everything is fine…" she stared at the embers, counting them quickly, then counting them again. "Oh no… another ten… little ones, you need to listen! Don't head out! That big one is out there and he will eat you and keep you inside his body to feed him."

The embers send her a wave of confused, fearful, and reluctant emotions. Sifting through them quickly, Scintilla sighed as she climbed out of the Pyroflux, sitting with her legs inside and feeling her stomach gnaw in hunger.

"I need to go and find more food soon," she said.

The embers seemed to perk up from that, and Scintilla forced a smile.

"Little gluttons," she muttered, getting up and walking to the exit.

It took her an hour to reach the entrance to the big cave. Halfway there, she had passed a tunnel leading to a smaller one, and dust and cold air were swirling out from it. She'd taken one look before hurrying along.

Now, she stood in a corner of one of the largest caverns she'd been in.

I wish I knew just how far down we got dragged, she thought as she looked around. At the far back of the cave, near the large sea of Pyroflux, large clusters of Scorchi bushes grew. Their pale white branches grew in chaotic clusters that could reach a hundred feet where they climbed up the stalagmites.

Scintilla kept an eye out for any sign of the blue-haired invader, using her fifth card as she did. It still felt oddly unfamiliar to see the heat all around her like gradients, but it had saved her life twice when the bastard had tried to ambush her. Finding no sign of him, she started sprinting forward. Her energy was too low to use her Inferno Blink card.

It took her a while to reach the edge of the beach, and her stomach growled as she saw the Scorchi berries dangling from the bushes. She wanted nothing but to run to them, but she couldn't. The last time she'd done so, the tricky bastard had been lying in ambush.

I'll just wait for a while, she thought, keeping her eyes peeled for anything.

--

"Those who come here call this place the Great Wide Below," Tang rumbled as the ship shot out of the tunnel and into the open.

Irwin didn't need an explanation for the name as he gazed around the cavern in awe. By now, he'd been in caves so large he couldn't see the opposite side before, but as he looked up and around, he couldn't see anything but yellowish fumes high in the sky and the edge of what looked to be a sea of Pyroflux in the distance. Forests of white trees with yellowish leaves grew in the distance, while pale bushes dotted with golden sparkles grew around the edge of the sea.

"A group of Viridians lives in those forests," Tang said, pointing at the forest in the distance. "Officially, they aren't allowed to be here, but the Matriarchs aren't even able to get here, so..." he shrugged.

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Irwin nodded, recalling what Tang had told him about them during the trip here.

They flew towards the forest, and as they closed in, the size of the trees became clear to him. They weren't as towering as those on Scour, but as they flew across the yellow and orange canopy, he could see many that were two hundred and more feet tall.

They were moving toward what looked like a bump in the canopy, and at first, he'd thought it was because there were taller threes there. But as they came closer, he saw a small clearing around a hill. The bump came from a cluster of trees growing on the top while windows, doorways, and balconies covered the side of the black stone hill. Familiar figures moved around there, and as Tang landed the airship in a small open area before a larger opening, many began gathering around them.

Irwin saw that a few warriors were spreading out among the group, and a quick glance showed more in the trees behind. They looked weary and weaponed, and Irwin noticed what looked like a few fresh wounds: bark ripped apart and leaf hair torn away.

A dark red and brown-haired Viridian, very tall and spindly, walked in front of the group. His bark-skinned face was dark and rugged, and everything about him oozed age.

"Tang! You didn't warn us you were coming or bringing friends…?"

Irwin followed Tang, climbing out of the boat and raising his hand in greeting.

"Sahroot," Tang said. "These are friends. Can we talk?"

Sahroot was quiet, and Irwin saw the pale golden eyes examine him, then Hind. The other Viridians were quiet as they looked at what was happening, but Irwin saw a few of the smaller ones with their bright green hair be pulled back by worried-looking parents.

"Alright," the Viridian finally said.

Tang walked forward, towering over the Viridian as he clasped arms with him. "Thanks."

"That's Hind, daughter to Helm," he continued, turning and pointing at Hind. "The other one is Irwin, captain, and Smith. We are here because he is searching for someone who might be lost in the depths."

"Good meeting the daughter of Helm," Sahroot said. "We are glad that his sorrow has ended!"

"Thank you, and good to meet you," Hind replied.

Sahroot stared at her for a bit longer before turning to Irwin. "We have not seen a smith in many years. Normally, this would be a time to rejoice, as it would allow us to trade for your services. We'd have a feast."

The Viridian didn't continue, turning to Tang. "But sadly, we have troubles of our own. Some of our Grovekeepers have gone missing, and our rangers say there are strangers roaming the tunnels and the beaches. So, tell us who you are looking for, though I fear we likely haven't seen them."

"Unless you are looking for a blue-haired demon," someone from the forest snorted.

Irwin turned to see who said it, but he couldn't pinpoint the one who spoke.

"I think we need to talk," he said, turning back to Sahroot. "There's been invaders that managed to break through the exit portal."

There was a sharp intake of breath, and a moment later, a host of questions were called out.

Sahroot raised his arms, and a sound like the rustling of leaves of a million trees spread out, silencing the others.

"Follow me," he said, turning back to the large spacious door.