Luath watched as the wounded podmembers surrounded the younger Chaos Whale, rubbing its flanks as they softly sang a song to her.
I wonder if it's smart for her to want to stay by herself, he pondered, feeling a slight confusion from Irwin, who stood beside them.
“Don’t worry,” Sarha sang, while her flipper slid along his.
His attention was drawn away from the small pod of Chaos Whales that Irwin had saved from the midst of Primordial Space, as she sent him images of safety within Irwin’s soulscape, even though she’d only been there a few times when she was very young.
“Why would she want to go with us?” he sang back, confused.
“Because she is curious and doesn’t want to be locked out of the portal gallery because she becomes bound to a world yet,” Sarha replied in a short burst of imagery and meaning conveyed by song. “This reminds me of a young calf long ago.”
Luath laughed softly, and he instantly felt her confusion.
“You have learned that from him, haven’t you? The short repetitive sounds?” Sarha asked, before trying to mimic it.
“It means-” Luath crafted a quick song that was filled with a slightly teasing joy as it pictured a young Chaos Whale eating a bug that tickled her mouth and made her spit it back out to the great hilarity of her three friends.
Luath knew she understood the concept of laughter, but Chaos Whales conveyed it differently. She was, however, correct that he’d learned it through Irwin and the others he had been with.
“She is ready,” Sarha sang softly, and Luath hummed softly as the two of them watched the young Chaos Whale approach them.
Luath knew her, as she was the one who had constantly tried exploring Irwin’s soulscape, going as far as she was allowed on her own. Her name meant something like the way a specific tint of yellow golden soulforce scattered across the edge of a distant soulforce barrier, which in the flat language of the small ones, Luath knew, was something like Mikilishira. He knew Irwin would likely shorten it to Mikili or even Miki. She wasn’t an adult yet, and had barely come out of her first growth spurt, but she had more scars than both him and Sarha combined. A scratching tear moved from the back of her left tail across her entire back, while a chunk had been torn out of the bottom of her dorsal fin.
“Curious, happy! Together? Allowed?” Mikili sang in the unfinished songs of a Chaos Whale, too young to create the proper flow and cadence of a complete song.
“Allowed,” Luath sang back, knowing she was asking him specifically. “Are you sure? We won’t return here soon…”
“Sure!” the young Chaos Whale sang back, almost shivering in anticipation. “Explore with Luath!”
Sarha let out a happy hummed response at the descriptive way she’d painted the many things she wanted to see. Luath felt his own desire to see Eluather fully grow, and he hummed happily, circling her with Sarha in a show of acceptance.
A song of loss, joy, and future came from her old pod, echoing out for a few moments before they began flying away into the distance and the start of their own new lives.
“Ready?”
Luath looked up to see Irwin watching him. The Ignitzian, Lejingi, stood beside him, and Luath could sense that she was amused by something. He didn’t know what, but he guessed he’d find out eventually. The two-legged fire beings were highly erratic, he had found, and she might not even know it herself yet, just like Irwin’s children kept acting like instinctive calves.
“Ready,” he hummed.
Before we leave, I have to warn you, Exarg rumbled as he flew forward.
His enormous shape dwarfed that of every other Chaos Whale there, including Luath as he hovered above them.
Luath focused on him, sensing Irwin doing the same.
The time dilation is weakening fast. Every month in the Portal Gallery, it goes down to a tenth of what it was a month before, but the weakening is speeding up ever more. This is much faster than I had expected, and faster than even the presence of a great number of Oculithar can explain,” the ancient being rumbled. Right now, we are flowing at a few thousand times the outside, but every day this drops. Soon, it will have gone down to only a few hundred. Although I don’t know how much it will weaken, I will expect the worst. So, from now on, I will remain awake. Irwin, return here every month and call me so we can speak.~
“I’ll make sure we do,” Irwin said, walking forward, before turning to the crowded city’s edge. Thousands of Crathans had gathered there to watch what was happening or to say goodbye to those now in Irwin’s soulscape.
“The Chaos Whales will sing stories of what lies beyond,” he said, his voice almost as loud as Exarg’s.
‘How…?” Mikili sang in awed curiosity.
‘Irwin can make his voice louder with his skills,’ Luath replied softly enough for his voice not to echo out. He used images of stories Irwin had shared with him, on how he had used the same skill to sing with the first Chaos Whales he had ever encountered.
Sarha also moved closer, humming curiously and appreciatively.
“Share these stories, ask questions,” Irwin continued, his voice rippling across the silvery sea and likely audible in almost every corner of the city.
Luath continued to listen as his friend, and summoner, told the Crathans about Mudball and how he would bring some people there to help build a city for them. How those who were adventurous enough should head out there, and what to expect.
It took longer than Luath had expected, but when Irwin finished, he could hear a lot of excited murmuring.
Now, bring the young ones into your soulscape, Exarg rumbled. I will bring you up myself, and I need to speak to you.
Luath narrowed all of his eyes at that. Did that mean Exarg wanted to talk to Irwin without him hearing it? Why?
‘Don’t worry. I’m sure I’ll be able to share it with you soon,’ Irwin said, likely having sensed his annoyance.
Luath let out a soft hum in response before focusing on Sarha and Mikili.
“It is time to leave. This is your last chance to change your minds…”
Sarha just stared at him, while Mikili was vibrating with excitement.
Luath felt his own joy and excitement grow as he pulled on them. He felt a slight resistance from Sarha that vanished a moment later, and both of the other Chaos Whales were moved into Irwin’s soulscape, and he moved after them.
--
Irwin felt Luath and the others appear in his soulscape and turned to Lejingi.
“I’ll move you to the others. Are you ready?”
“Ready and curious to see your soulscape,” the Ignitzian said. “I still remember that it was enormous, but the details are faint.”
Irwin grinned at her. “Well, don’t be too disappointed then.”
Lejingi frowned as he moved her to the small town where all of the Crathan smiths and the few Ignitzians had been moved. Sensing her look around before moving out, he turned his attention to Exarg.
“Good, move on my back. We will head out,” Exarg rumbled.
Irwin glanced back at the city, which he’d had no chance to move around in. Technically, he could, as the time outside was still nearly frozen, but he just didn’t want to. Even if he familiarized himself with the city and remained for a while, when he returned again, it would be entirely different. Part of him was almost glad that the Oculithar had returned to cause the Time Dilations to vanish. That was, if they didn’t cause so much suffering… and didn’t hunt Chaos Whales.
No, I guess I’m not happy they are here, he thought, clicking his tongue and landing on Exarg's back.
The Titan Whale immediately shot up, moving at such a speed that the city shrank below them rapidly. Irwin felt a slight pressure from the movement, but not enough to be troublesome.
As soon as they shot into the thick, stormy, and incredibly loud storm clouds that surrounded the silvery-sea layer, he felt Exarg’s mind connect slightly to his.
“I have found two potential worldcarded,” the Titan Whale said, his voice carrying a weariness. ‘One, however, died during my last slumber, while the other is… problematic. I will keep her here for now.’
Irwin was about to open his mouth, thought better of it as the storm pelted him, and frowned.
‘Only two?’ he asked, feeling slightly worried.
‘Two potential free-roaming worldcarded in a mere fifty thousand years with such a small population is incredible,’ Exarg said, sounding amused. ‘You should know just how difficult it is, even with the advantage of having cards. Let’s assume someone finds the correct cards and fills their soullake, however long that normally takes…’
Irwin frowned. It was so easy to forget how nearly everyone had to get their cards the hard way, with filling a soulscape of even just an amethyst card taking decades at best.
‘After that,’ Exarg said, his voice soft within Irwin’s mind. ‘They still need to create their worldcard. As hard as getting the cards and filling the soullakes is, creating a worldcard is exponentially more difficult. Even you aren’t completely ready yet. If even someone like you still needs to find cards to finish the song…’
I guess two isn’t that bad if you look at it like this, Irwin thought.
‘So, who is the one still alive, and what is the problem?’ he asked, now even more curious.
‘The one still alive is old… she was close to dying when I awoke because of your presence, and I’m trying to find ways to prolong her life. She still has cardslots available, so I’m sure I can find a way,’ Exarg rumbled. ‘And before you ask, there is no need for you to get involved. Her cards are all based on clouds and storms and pressure.’
Irwin held onto Exarg’s dorsal fin as he thought about what that meant. On the one hand, it meant that he couldn’t help… unless he had cards of those types she needed. On the other hand, it meant that if she did become a free-roaming worldcarded, she would be far different from him.
‘Is she a cardsmith?’
‘No, she is a runeshaper,’ Exarg said. ‘Which is likely why she never managed to go beyond two ruby-ranked cards. Still, she is close to ten thousand years old.’
The two continued onward as Irwin thought about what he’d just heard. Trying to ignore the howling storm, he thought about the natural lifespan of a Crathan. It was close to a thousand years, and that was without any cards. If this person had two ruby-ranked soulcards, it made sense she had reached ten thousand years, but there were two things bothering him.
‘If she has only two soulcards, it should be easy enough to increase her lifespan by giving her better cards,’ he said. ‘Also, how can she become a free-roaming world carded with only a ruby-ranked first card?’
Exarg let out a rumbling laugh. ‘Let's answer the second one first. Her first card is only Ruby-rank, but very special. It allows her to increase her soulscape size and stability by using runes. It’s a shame that the card wasn’t made to the ammolite rank you had, or she would be incredible. But even so, as long as she can get cards that will boost this increase, just like you do, she can reach a size comparable to what you have now. That is enough for a free roaming worldcarded, even if the chances of failure are much greater than with you.’
‘Which is why she can’t just slot any card,’ Irwin immediately thought. ‘Because then she won’t get the soulscape size she needs.’
“Indeed,’ Exarg said, letting out a weary sigh. ‘She also can’t use soulforce stability cards, because she needs to use her runes for that. The best would be something that allows her soulscape to compress with some form of pressure, but even long ago, those skills were incredibly rare.’
‘Which is why you are telling me this,’ Irwin realized, letting out a sigh that was lost in the storm. ‘You need me to find cards for her.’
‘Yes. If she agrees, I will let her sleep until you return while I search for other ways to extend her life. There are a great number of competent cardsmiths here now, even if none can compare with you just yet.’
Irwin didn’t respond, as he thought about what he’d just heard. There had been only two potentially free-roaming world-carded over such a long time, and as much as he hated time dilation, their main advantage was fading rapidly. Worse, of the two, one was already gone, and the other might die of old age.
Slowly, a plan formed on what to do to help.
‘As soon as I am back, I’ll ask Brazardian and the others if they have cards that might help. If anyone does, they will… and if not? I’ll head to Igniz after, and then to Suderfuix.’
‘Good,’ Exarg said. ‘When the time dilation reaches less than a hundred, I will start sending out Crathan’s and Chaos Whales to explore the area around my world, including the moons. I can sense them better now that the time dilation is weakening. Warn the people on Mudball for me.’
‘I will,’ Irwin said.
The two were quiet for the remainder of the trip, Irwin lost in thought. When they burst out of the clouds, he was actually startled by the sudden light and silence. He looked around, spreading his soulforce senses by instinct, sensing the distant flocks of Flowlies and Mudball even further away.
“Young one, if I find another potential, I’ll send a Chaos Whale to Mudball to warn you,” Exarg rumbled. “Now, I need to return. Don’t forget to keep Sarha out of the Portal Gallery. She might survive for a little while, but even the faintest of primordial soulforce that permeates it will greatly harm her.”
“I will be careful,” Irwin said, as he summoned an already ready and waiting Luath out of his soulscape.
The smaller Chaos Whale had barely appeared when Irwin clicked his tongue and moved onto its back.
Exarg let out a deep hummed bellow as he shot back down into the depths of the gas giant.
“He feels far more energetic than before,” Luath rumbled. “So… what happened?”
The overly curious tone in his question made Irwin grin and point at Mudball.
“If you can get us there, I’ll start explaining what happened, though it's not all that interesting for you, which is likely why Exarg didn’t tell you.”
Luath didn’t need to be asked twice, as he began flying towards Mudball, quickly picking up speed as his powerful tails propelled them through the dense air.
‘So, the most important thing is that we need to warn the people on Mudball that more Chaos Whales and Crathans might appear,’ Irwin said, before he began explaining what Exarg had told him.
The rest of the day went by both slow and sluggish as he had to talk with dozens of people, and so fast that when he finally switched his bodies around to get a giant one on Mudball, slumbering in an enormous single-roomed house near the city, he barely understood what had happened.
Opening his eyes on Granvox and staring at the ceiling of Ambraz’s rooms, he felt weary. Luath was still showing the others around his soulscape, while the Crathan smiths were listening to Lejingi, who was slowly regaling them with the things she did remember. Irwin had reminded her of some of the things, but even then, they would need more information.
I’ll need to see what Brecka is up to, he thought, knowing she was somewhere on Granvox with Blade.
“Finally back, kid?” Ambraz grunted, yawning as he flew down from one of his luxurious and spacious ledges.
Irwin grunted in agreement, pondering for a moment before deciding what to do. His mind was too fuzzy, and it was time to rest.
“Yes, but I’m going to sleep for a while. Can you see where Brecka is and ask her to come here tomorrow?”
“Sure, I’ll send someone to ask,” Ambraz said, but Irwin didn’t hear it, his mind falling into a deep sleep.
-
Scintilla woke with a start, and for a moment she felt as if she were in two places at the same time. Part of her was in her soulscape, a fiery mountainous area exactly half empty and unfinished, while the other part was in a familiar place, lying down. Then the sensation faded as both of them began thinking their own thoughts.
The part of her in her soulscape was surprised by the changes and began exploring, while the other part pushed herself up on her elbow.
It’s done, she thought, feeling the dense sense of realism that showed she was a Crathan.
There was something that surprised her greatly, however, which was that her mind was the one that had been in her ignitzion body. She’d feared that she would have lost herself, the other part of her becoming the real Scintilla and a new body double being created. Instead, she was still herself, just different, and she could faintly sense that her otherself was also still the same.
She couldn’t stop a wide smile from growing on her face as she raised her hand and looked at her skin. It was a bit different from how her Crathan body had looked before, with a slight golden orange glow. Tiny, fiery sparkles moved across the hairs on her lower arm, and as she pulled her tied-up hair forward, she saw it seemed to be almost burning, not unlike her Ignitzian hair had.
She stared at it stupidly, stunned, and somehow, incredibly happy.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?”
She looked up to find that Irwin had been sitting in a chair on the other side of their room. He’d been either asleep or very still because she’d not even sensed him there.
“I knew you liked them bigger, Hotstuff,” she said, getting up and wiggling at him, knowing full well he didn’t care much about that.
Irwin just stared at her, grinning slightly before getting up.
“You do know the kids can hear you?” he said, pointing behind her.
Scintilla felt her heart skip a beat, and she spun around, only to find the other side of the room empty.
Why you- she thought, as she turned around, only to be wrapped in massive arms that coiled around her and pulled her close.
“No fair,” she snapped, struggling to turn herself face-first.
“How do you feel? How is your otherself?”
Scintilla grumbled before hugging him back.
“Fine. Our minds stayed the same, which is really good,” she said. “She’s exploring the new area of my soulscape, though you don’t have to worry. That won’t take too long. Mine isn’t as ridiculously big as yours.”
“Now who is fixated on size?” Irwin grinned and kissed her neck.
She snorted, about to say something, when there was a knock-scratch on the door.
“Is heatmother awake?!”
Scintilla smiled as she heard Mia’s soft voice, sensing the other of her children behind the door with her.
“Later,” she whispered, kissing Irwin before pulling free.
“I’m awake!” she shouted, and the door was open before she finished, six small children rushing in and at her.
Within moments, the room was filled with chatter that moved into the kitchen as it became clear Irwin had brought enough food for a week.
Hours later, with the children finally in bed, she sat at the table, listening to Irwin explain all the things that had happened.
“So, that means there are now two worlds, each with millions of a species that didn’t exist until a few years ago,” she said, taking a sip of her steaming drink. “A species you are the first of, and that I belong to now. One that is going to have an entire island… to the north?”
“North-west,” Irwin corrected her. “Daubutim says it should be fine, though he would prefer it if the two of us move there eventually to make sure nothing troublesome happens. I told him we wouldn’t be moving there until the children are older, and he was fine with that.”
She nodded, crossing her arms as she felt her other part complete her investigation of the new part of her soulscape.
“So, what are you going to do now… the part that’s not here, I mean? Just asking for a friend…”
Irwin barked a laugh, and the way his eyes sparked like a volcano ready to erupt made her almost decide to go to bed early. Instead, she waited, and he sighed.
“Heading for Igniz.”
She had expected that, and still she felt a bit of sadness burst up from deep within.
Should I go with him…?
Her first instinct was to say no, as she already knew how her mother would react. Then she shoved that away.
Even if I stay in his soulscape until he goes towards the Fiz’rin, I would hate having missed the opportunity.
“Good,” she said, as her otherself appeared beside her.
Scintilla examined herself for a moment, seeing a near-identical copy, with only the clothing and hair different.
“Then I’m coming with you,” she said in two identically, much deeper voices than she had before.
“Are you sure?”
“Definitely,” she said. “Also, I’d like you to help me fill up my soullake as soon as my soulscape has stabilized.”
Irwin looked at her for only a moment, then just nodded.
Scintilla’s second part, the one that had just appeared, walked forward and sat in his lap, giving him a quick kiss.
“Move me into your soulscape?”
Irwin rolled his eyes, and she vanished a moment later.
“Good, now how about we go to bed?” Scintilla said as she got up. “Have to make sure everything works!”