"I don't get it," Ambraz said, letting out a dull grunt.
Irwin just sighed as he stared at the musical notes as recorded by his tablatures over the last few days.
"It is exactly as it should be," Ambraz continued, flying up and around.
The agitation pulsing through their connection grew stronger, and Irwin unsummoned his tablatures.
A week. That was how long the two of them had tried to figure out why the card carried a warning and precisely what about it was in flux.
And we aren't a step closer to figuring it out, Irwin thought.
Which meant he was going to have to try one of the other things he'd thought up.
"I am going to head to Mouxirvin and talk with Exarg," he said, his otherself already moving into the giant body still lingering on Mudball. "Can you go and ask Brazardian if he knows anything?"
"Kid… if we ask him, he will know something is wrong, and... well…"
Irwin glanced at Ambraz, surprised to feel that the agitation changed into worry suddenly.
"Ambraz?"
The Ganvil sighed, flying around before landing on the table.
"You know how he still hasn't found a cardsmith to bond with, even with the ridiculous rewards he has given for the tournaments?"
Irwin vaguely knew, but he'd been mostly working on his worldcard requirements over the last few years, or dealing with problems.
"Yes…?"
"Well, he has started showing an interest in Glow…"
Irwin blinked, not sure if he'd heard that right, then narrowed his eyes.
"He wants to bond with Glow?"
"He's been looking at all of the cardsmiths, and the only two he found so far that he says would match are already bonded, namely you and Trimdir," Ambraz said. "A few months ago, he asked me if he could talk with Glow, and I told him that wasn't going to happen. He's among the most ancient living beings in our branch, and Glow is just a kid, and-"
Ambraz continued rattling on, while Irwin crossed his arms.
"Why didn't you tell me about this earlier?" he asked, summoning an Aura Clone near his body on Eluathar and spreading his senses to find that Glow was running around the woods beyond New Mallorin together with Mia and Flux, while two of Bronwyn's soulcarded rangers were nearby, keeping an eye on them.
"You are doing way too many things, and from what I just sensed, you agree with me that Brazardian isn't the right bond with Glow," Ambraz said. "The only reason I am telling you now is because I know him. He will want to talk to you before he helps with anything now. Stubborn, rusty, old-"
"Fine," Irwin said as he cracked his neck. "Let's go talk with him. Even if he doesn't know anything about what the warning is about, I need to make clear to him that Glow isn't going to bond with him."
"I… fine," Ambraz said. "But please don't let him get under your skin."
Irwin snorted as he moved back into his body on Eluathar, spreading his senses outward before he fully felt the kitchen's stone tiles beneath his feet and the chair behind his back. The city around him was calm as always, and it took him only a moment to locate the soulforce signature of a Teleporter Guild member. As he did, he sensed his family spread out across the city. Scintilla and Flagrian were with Ti and Zan at the Ignitzian training grounds, while Soot was at the Shadewalkers Guild again, as he had been for the last few weeks.
"Irwin, is everything alright?"
Irwin looked up to see his mother standing in front of the furnace, stirring in her favorite pan, from which a spicy scent wafted. A certain worry was in her eyes, one he'd noticed over the last few days.
She knows something is going on, he thought. His mother had always been perceptive. He scanned the kitchen again, but found no little eavesdroppers.
"I am going to have a chat with Brazardian," Irwin said. "It seems he has got it into his head to potentially bond with Glow."
His mother's hand froze mid-stir, her eyes narrowing. "I take it that you are going to tell him Glow is just a boy?"
"Among other things," Irwin said as he got up.
"Good. That Ganvil is way too old. He should find someone Flowrishin's age to bond with. Can't you bring him to that world you told me about? With that ancient titan whale?"
"I might just bring him there," Irwin said, as he sensed his otherself rushing towards the gas giant, likely arriving in a few hours. "But you don't have to worry. I am sure it's just because he's been having such a hard time finding the right cardsmith to bond with. Coming here meant giving up being the most powerful being on a world, and the only reason he did that was that he wanted to rebond and try growing again."
"He is old enough to know better," his mother said. "Now, make sure you are on time tonight. Bronwyn and Carla are also coming to eat, and Drum will be back for a few days."
"I will be here," Irwin said as he gave his mother a quick hug, got a taste of the stew she was making, then walked out into the courtyard.
He clicked his tongue and shot up and away through the soundwaves, towards where one of the teleporters was.
A short conversation, and a flash of ruddy light later, Irwin and the gray-haired teleporter reappeared at the edge of a square made of dark stone. Crathans moved around the buildings, many carrying materials, while smooth walls were being shaped from them. Soulforce hummed everywhere, mingling with the builders' chatter.
"The Crathans really are fast," the man said, humming appreciatively. "I was here a few weeks ago, and that whole section-" he waved toward one side of the square, where a row of buildings stood, some still unfinished but already showing the promise of what they would become. "-wasn't built yet."
"They are," Irwin said, already sensing Brazardian's presence near the center, in a large building that had become the hub for the Ganvils on Eluathar. "Thank you for getting me here on such short notice, Katrion. I should be done in an hour or so."
"No hurry," Katrion said, his face wrinkling even more than before as he smiled. He showed zero issue with the hot sulfuric wind blowing across the square. "It isn't every day that you get to teleport the Savior of Giard around!"
Irwin snorted at the title he'd so far managed to dodge whenever he could.
"I'm going to have a bite at the new restaurant over there," Katrion said.
"Tell them it's on me," Irwin said as he nodded and turned towards the city center.
He clicked his tongue and shot across the soundwaves, arriving at a mostly completed section of the city at an entrance into what he knew the people had begun calling the Ganvil District. Before he could move again, his eyes locked onto a statue to the side, and he groaned.
"Dammit…"
Ambraz appeared on his shoulder, and the annoyance he'd been radiating made way for a wave of hilarity.
"Well… at least they got your hair right this time," he rumbled. "And I look mighty fine!"
Irwin didn't respond, glaring at the ten-foot statue of himself, Ambraz on his shoulder.
I'm glad I managed to stop this in New Mallorin, he thought, turning his attention to the entrance.
He hesitated, then decided to just walk, as the last time he'd been here, this area had been a barren volcanic wasteland.
The left side of the massive road was dominated by a Smiths Guild building, and he sensed the dozens of Crathan smiths moving around. Many were those who were in his own Soulscape City before, now here to wait till it was safe to return.
He continued until he reached the central crossing of the district, where he walked towards Brazardian's home, a towering four-story building that was big enough to house a thousand people, exactly like back on Granvox. A path led into the building and down, ending almost inside a volcano. It took almost ten minutes to walk down the dark, spacious path and reach a familiar room with a massive stone balcony hanging above a chamber filled with lava. In the center stood a large stone plateau with on it a giant Ganvil.
"Irwin, I expected you earlier," Brazardian rumbled. "Seeing as your heartcard is still there, I take it you are not yet worldcarded and not here to return me to your soulscape?"
"You are way too old to bond to Glow," Irwin said, crossing his arms as he stared at the giant Ganvil.
Long ago, the first time he saw him, he remembered he was impressed by Brazardian's soulforce signature and pressure. Now, after the previous rank seven Ganvil had to shatter his rank back to rank zero, the pressure was far less than his own. That said, his soulforce signature remained highly complex, though he could roughly understand it. He'd noticed the same when he had carried Brazardian here, and he'd expected it to slowly turn simpler. He wondered why he hadn't, or why the Ganvil was still as huge as he was.
"I… know," Brazardian said, his voice suddenly tired and weary. "But I have been searching for months now, and the only one who seems to match me is your son."
Irwin frowned at that.
"And you know he matches you… How?"
"You are not the only one who can reach with their soulforce senses across vast regions, but unlike you, my soulforce does so by resonance with the ambient soulforce," Brazardian said, causing Irwin's eyebrows to shoot up.
"It is an ability I gained during my final rank-up, and like my others, it remained. However, unlike my others, it doesn't require as much of my own soulforce to work, which means I can still use it," Brazardian said quickly. "Now, before you worry… I understand you find me too old, and even if I don't agree, there is another issue. Even shattering myself and returning my rank to rank zero, my soulforce resonance has settled too much. I have been examining how Hou'dor, Trimdir, and some of the others manage to return Hou'dor's soulforce resonance to a more malleable state. For me, that won't work… not as I am now."
Irwin kept his mouth closed as he stared at the ancient Ganvil. It was clear he had something to say, though what, Irwin wasn't sure about yet. He sensed curiosity from Ambraz, who had yet to say anything.
Brazardian's lips pursed for a moment, then he sighed.
"For as long as I was rank seven, I had retained one open skill choice-"
"What? Are you crazy?! You kept one for that long?" Ambraz exclaimed, a wave of awe moving through the connection to Irwin.
"From six to seven, you will find that you gain many slots," Brazardian said, sounding amused. "I had saved half and given myself the ability to choose one every so often. At first, this was every hundred or so years. Then it became a thousand, and by the time I had a few left, I rarely needed anything. Having no bonded smith means there is far less use for most of them. So, in the end, I kept two. One I used before shattering myself, which is why I am still able to do more than all other rank zeros, or even ones. The other…"
A deep sigh echoed from Brazardian.
"At rank seven, there is a skill one can choose that, for the longest time, seemed useless to me. Gynerigon and I talked about it many times in the past, and even at his greater age, he had never once thought about using it. Now, however… I think I understand why it exists."
"What are you talking about?" Ambraz snapped.
"At rank seven, we get to choose the ability to permanently engrave our memories into a soulforce crystal. When done, the memories are gone, and our entire being resets, leaving only our personality and a single ability."
Irwin stared at the giant Ganvil, already understanding why he was talking about it.
"You… want to do that and bond to Glow," he said slowly.
"If he will have me, and if, after I do this, I still want to," Brazardian said softly. "I am old, and my mind is full. Most of my time, back on Granvox, was spent sleeping or talking with the others. Now, I had hoped that I could grow as I am now, but as much as I would love that, the possibility is not there."
"What ability do you retain?" Ambraz asked, voice low.
"The ability to, when I reach rank seven again and pick the skill again, to reintegrate my memories, if I so please," Brazardian said.
"Convenient," Ambraz said, while Irwin hummed.
Brazardian let out a soft sigh, then laughed.
"It shouldn't be too hard to validate my claim because my soulforce signature will change greatly after I use the skill," Brazardian said with a weary sigh. "Also, no matter your choice, I will use the skill somewhere next week. I am currently working on preparing everything, including a way for my younger self to understand what happened."
Irwin stared at him, not sure what to think of what he was hearing. It came out of the blue, and beyond all he was dealing with…
Still, I wonder what it takes to decide to give up all your memories like that, he thought.
"Well, seeing as you will do that, we have some questions before you leave," Ambraz said. "What do you know of cards with warnings about them being in flux?"
Brazardian's mouth turned into a long line, and Irwin sensed the Ganvil's soulforce flow around him, prodding slightly but unable to get anywhere close to sensing his soulcards or anything else of import.
"Can you bring me into your soulscape and let me scan your heartcard?"
Irwin hesitated.
"Bring him in. If we want to, we can even keep him there for a while," Ambraz said before snorting. "Also, I'll ask one of the rank ones to head to Scour and ask Frisyuustis. If that skill exists, he will know of it."
As he spoke, Irwin sensed Ambraz jump into his soulscape.
"Move me to Zarkon."
Irwin grunted before sending Ambraz to his currently least-used body. Then he turned to Brazardian and pulled the ancient Ganvil into his soulscape near his heartcard, hovering him there.
Brazardian immediately stretched out his senses, and Irwin felt the foreign soulforce flow around his heartcard. Seconds passed, then minutes, and soon he was wondering what the Ganvil was even doing. He was about to ask when Brazardian let out a weary sigh.
"Your heartcard is astounding and very well made. Better than any I have seen… but it's incredibly sensitive to the ambient soulforce within your soulscape. You are going to need to figure out the exact state of your soulscape's soulforce resonance it needs before turning it into a soulcard. Normally, this would be a massive issue because of how much time it takes to fill it. However, because you can fill it when you need to, you just need to figure out what the ambient resonance is."
Irwin frowned as he stared at the Ganvil.
"Can you explain this a bit more? From what I can sense, the card is fine, and I don't sense anything… odd."
"No, you can't sense it in a moment," Brazardian said before sighing. "Focus on the heartcard's resonance and wait for an hour. You will understand what I mean."
Irwin frowned as he crossed his legs midair and unleashed his soulforce senses. He focused on the resonance of his heartcard, something he'd done many times before, but what he hadn't done was hold the focus at least, not for as long as Brazardian had suggested.
Half an hour later, he felt his heart sink as he felt what Brazardian had meant, when his heartcard's resonance jittered for a moment, changing very subtly. Ten minutes later, it did again, returning to what it was before.
How didn't I notice this before? he thought as he explained what he'd just seen to Ambraz.
"Rustburned! I'll check when I am back. I'm going to head to Fristyuustis now."
Irwin felt his bond stretch, and a moment later, dull, and he turned to Brazardian.
"I see what you mean, but why haven't I ever heard of this?"
Brazardian laughed, and for a moment Irwin saw the old him.
"Because very few people ever create a heartcard that is supposed to bridge gaps in their other soulcards," the Ganvil said. "People rarely get more than one soulcard, and those that do take a lot of time deciding what they want. Even then, to have this problem, you will require more than five soulcards. How many people like that do you know? And then, how many do you know that don't need decades or even hundreds of years to gather the soulforce they require?"
"Right," Irwin muttered as he realized again just how fast his growth was.
"Not that you have to worry too much. Just remain in your soulscape for a long time, don't change it too much, and sense what it's like and when your heartcard's resonance spikes. You need to make sure that the spike doesn't occur while you let it become a soulcard, because if you do…"
Irwin didn't need Brazardian to complete the sentence, and he hesitated. His otherself was a few hours from Exarg. Should he just head back?
No. Who knows what Exarg knows about this, he decided.
"Now, can we talk about Glow?" Brazardian asked, his voice quiet.
Irwin turned to the ancient Ganvil and hesitated.
"Do you understand why I don't want my son to bond with someone as old as you?" he asked.
"You are afraid I will force him in a direction that he wouldn't without me," Brazardian said without hesitation. "I fully understand this, but I ask you… How old were you compared to Ambraz when you two bonded?"
Irwin blinked, then cocked his head.
Ambraz had been hundreds of years old, while he had been only a child, not much older than Glow was now.
"Besides.. I won't be like that," Brazardian said with a weary sigh. "I'll just be like I was eons ago. A brash, hungry to grow rank zero with nothing but the belief that I could become better than all others of my generation. Back then, I didn't know I was right. Now I do, but it won't change much."
"What if Glow doesn't want to bond with you?" Irwin said.
"I am currently organizing it so that if that happens, I'll be moved into a just-born group of rank zeros without any knowledge of who I am. I will just have to see how far I get."
Irwin just stared at him, not sure he believed what he was hearing.
"You will lose who you are now," he said slowly.
"Who I am now?" Brazardian said, his voice suddenly rising. "And who is that? I have always known I was lucky to find- No, never mind. I am currently a rank seven locked in the body of a rank zero. I have been trying to find a cardsmith to bond with and have failed for years. You all think I am only interested in the best, but that's not it. I just can't find someone besides Glow. It's possible this is because I need to use this ability and truly begin anew, or because I was born in an era where the ambient soulforce was different."
The longer he spoke, the weaker Brazardian's voice became, and when he finished, he just sighed.
"It is fine. I have had a great life, and perhaps I will return in the far future. If not, at least part of me will survive. For now, can you move me back? I need to do some more preparations."
Irwin didn't know what to say and moved the ancient being back to the lava cavern.
"I will think about it and talk with Scintilla," he said.
"Thank you," Brazardian said before snorting. "I am sure Ambraz is trying to figure out what he can about the skill. He will find it is like I said. Tell him to come and find me in a few days. The others will also arrive, as I have something to tell and give them."
"I will," Irwin said as he turned around. This time, he clicked his tongue to shoot up and out instead of the slow walk, and he continued in bursts until he reached the square he had arrived at.
Well, at least I know what is wrong with the card now, he thought, as he walked towards where he sensed the teleporter was.
--
"It's exactly as he said it," Ambraz said again, flying around the kitchen where Irwin and Scintilla were. The latter had promised to keep an eye on the stew while his mother was out getting a few final things.
"Wouldn't it be good for him?" Scintilla said, staring at Irwin while she stirred absently in the stew. "Brazardian has proved he can become a rank seven, and Glow is probably going to be a great cardsmith. Especially if he is going to be nothing but a new rank zero."
Ambraz muttered as he flew around. "What would that even mean for me? I'd have to act around him like he is just some young rank zero? I wouldn't even enjoy gloating! Besides, how do we even call him? Zar'dion? That makes no sense!"
Scintilla grinned while Irwin tapped his finger on the table in a soft rhythm. He felt his otherself shoot down into the depths of the gas giant.
"The time dilation is nearly completely gone," he said absently. "It's somewhere between two and three."
"Hotstuff, what do you think?" Scintilla asked. "Also, why do you think Exarg knows anything about this?"
"I am not sure what I think," Irwin said. "Also, I am heading to Exarg to ask him about something else."
"About what is wrong with your heartcard?"
Irwin blinked as he stared up in surprise.
Scintilla raised her eyebrow, then snorted. "Seriously, hotstuff. Did you think I didn't notice? Your mother and I have been debating confronting you for a few days now."
Right…
"There's not really something wrong with it," he said. "It's just… unstable."
He quickly explained what was wrong, including why he hadn't told anyone, at which point Scintilla shook her head and laughed.
"Next time, just tell me," she said. "So, you are sure it will be fine?"
"Yes, it will just take me some time to find the right moment to act," Irwin said.
He sensed his mother and Trimdir approach the gate.
"But let's not talk about that now. The others are arriving."
"Just make sure you tell your mother," Scintilla said.
"I will," Irwin said, wondering what she would say about it.
--
Glow yawned as he lay in the chair, listening to the adults chat. He glanced at Drum, the cousin he rarely saw but knew had been named after his father at first.
It has to be nice to be able to travel the world without someone constantly telling you what you can do, he thought.
Yawning again, he noticed that his father was glancing at him, eyes narrow as he sometimes had when he was thinking about something.
He's been watching me most of the night. I wonder if I did something wrong, he pondered.
He was about to go over and ask when his father got up and clapped his hands.
"Right. Time for you yawning kids to head to bed."
Soot let out a complaint, but Glow could see that even he seemed tired, which didn't surprise him. His brother had been practicing with the shadewalkers all day, and he could barely walk when he returned home.
He joined the others in hugging his grandmother before following his father, while Heatmother brought Mia, Ti, and Zan to bed.
"Glow, wait a moment."
Glow blinked as his father beckoned him, causing Flux and Soot to stare back curiously.
"You two head to bed," their father said, waving them off. "We will be there in a minute."
Soot's eyes began gleaming, but before he could ask anything, Flux drew him along. As soon as they were in the room, Glow turned to his father, slightly worried. He was pretty sure he'd not done anything wrong… was it because he'd joined Flux and Mia in the jungle?
"You said you wanted to keep smithing," his father said, staring at him calmly. "What about a Ganvil bond?"
"Yes!" Glow said immediately, feeling his weariness and worry fade. "Definitely!"
His father's lips quivered, and he hummed. "I see." Glow saw his father hesitate, then the world swirled as he reappeared in the living room of his father's smithy in his soulscape.
Oh… am I getting a bond now?!
"So, I wasn't sure about this, so I decided to ask you," his father said. "You know Brazardian, right?"
Glow nodded with a frown, now confused, but as his father continued talking, his eyebrows kept raising.
"So, think about it for a while," his father said as they reappeared in the hallway.
"I… will," Glow said as he walked towards the bedroom.
He barely noticed his father hugging him goodbye, his mind ablaze with thoughts of the future.