Irwin's Journey 416: With regrets

Rindiri walked through the small town, smiling at the things she saw.

A dozen of her people stood on the edge of the town, discussing the proper alignment of their three homes so they would fit on the parcel of land they had gotten from the mayor.

Two of her people were chatting happily with three rangers, another, thanking them for taking care of the group of three Flyingrazorteeth that had nestled in a crook of their roof.

And the children.

Seventeen Yuurindi children were laughing as they ran through town, playing a game that involved a pair of wooden balls and who could throw it the farthest while still catching it? Had this been a decade ago, before she met Irwin, Rindiri would have frowned at the sight. Wondering why the two genetically more perfect ones were playing around instead of learning their people's customs and how to survive in a world out to get them.

Now, all she could think about was that even the three weak ones she saw would have a good thirty years of life, and maybe, just maybe, one of the smiths would have time to forge them custom cards. 

You could ask the Captain, she thought to herself.

She stared at the children playing for a short while, wondering if her own children could have played like this. An image of Zender and Earilla running through the town, their young voices high-pitched with joy. A part of her knew it was odd for her to think about two of her least gifted children instead of Ibiri. Ibiri, who was her most perfect child, a step up in gene quality. But her eldest daughter had long since gone out on her own and was now living in New Mallorin, though rarely at home. She spent most of her time with the rangers, exploring the main continent.

Rindiri's mind drifted to the conversation she'd had with Ibiri a few days after she'd returned. She'd been happy to see her daughter, but Ibiri had been distant. Rindiri knew it shouldn't have surprised her. Her daughter had been only ten when she left, a young adult by then courtesy of her high gene perfection, but that also meant that the twelve years that Rindiri had been gone had felt like an entire lifetime to Ib.  

"Look out!"

Rindiri automatically dodged to the side, the wooden ball landing on the ground she'd just stood on. She looked up to see three of the children walk forward, looking horrified.

"Sorry, elder! Are you alright?"

Rindiri smirked. Were these four-month-old punks actually worried about her?

"I'm fine," she said, raising an eyebrow as one of the young ones grabbed the wooden ball, and the entire group dashed away.

Atleast a few percent better than Ibiri, she thought, still feeling slightly in awe as she watched them run off.

Forty-one children, and the only ones they would have in this town. They were from two mothers, both with a gene perfection higher than Ibiri had and as soon as the best were ten years old and fully matured, they would be spread across the other towns while others came here to find the best possible next set of matches.

Rindiri sighed as she continued to the central building, the only two-story building. It had a lower half of stone that seemed to almost change to wood halfway up. It doubled as both the town hall and an inn for those traveling across the Verdant Isle, a practice that had become more common as her people realized they were allowed to travel around freely.

"Rindiri."

Rindiri looked up to find Dinehr and Undiri sitting at a table nearby. 

A few of the children who were lower in gene perfection and still looked to be only just two were babbling softly as they played with wooden blocks.

They look like they are enjoying themselves, Rindiri thought as she watched the two ancient Yuurindi telling one of the youngest-looking children they couldn't throw blocks at their brother's head.

"How have you been doing, Savior?" 

Rindiri grimaced and glared at Dinehr, who merely smiled back.

"Don't give me that look," the elderly man said. "Without you, our people might still have been spread out across that horrible Portal Gallery, searching for a place to belong. What else should the others call you?"

"By my name," Rindiri said as she sat opposite the elders. "Irwin is-"

"Irwin is being lauded enough for his actions by his own people, us, and most of those on Eluathar," Dinehr snapped. "You, however, have somehow managed to marginalize your own actions. Who was the one who bartered for a world and got it? Who is the one who set out on her own to find our people to bring them here?"

Rindiri crossed her arms before her chest, glaring at the old man.

"Don't look at me like that," Dinehr snapped. "Or I'm going to make that title official! Maybe spice it up a bit… Savior of All Yuurindi has a nice ring to it, don't you think, love?"

He glanced at Undiri, who had been smiling as she observed their banter.

Rindiri shivered, forcing herself to turn her attention to Undiri.

"Elder, how are you feeling?" she asked, ignoring Dinehr's snort.

"I am fine, Rindiri," Undiri said with a smile. "Old and slowly reaching the end, but not too old to uphold my end of our bargain. Is it time again?"

"It is. Irwin and the others would like you to come to the Volcano Academy again," Rindiri said.

"Bah! It's been close to half a year," Dinehr snapped. "They have tried making another card like Undiri's a dozen times and always fail. When are they going to accept that it's not going to happen?"

"Never," Rindiri said calmly as she looked at the elderly man, knowing he was worried about the burden it would put on Undiri. "Having more cards like the one Elder Urndiri has will change many things, but it will be invaluable during the upcoming war."

"Upcoming war," Dinehr grunted, shaking his head in dismissal. "Half a year, and we have yet to see any of those mysterious attackers."

"That's for us," Rindiri said, sharing a quick, worried look with Undiri. She'd explained this to Dinehr the previous time she was here. "In the Portal Gallery, only five weeks have passed…"

Dinehr frowned at that, his eyes growing dull as if he was struggling to remember something. It lasted for a few moments, then he snorted again.

"Whatever. I'm going to get some tea."

He got up and very carefully hobbled away from their table towards the distant bar, where a young Yuurindi man was watching him approach, already pouring something into a large clay mug.

"He is slowly losing himself," Undiri whispered without looking at Rindiri. "The healers examined him again yesterday, but there is nothing more they can do. His soulforce is becoming unstable, and his cards won't be able to help him much longer."

"There is no carded healer that can help him?" Rindiri asked, feeling a weary sadness grow as she watched the elderly man navigate the room as if it were a dangerous area with traps and sharp objects.

"He is old, and he has been keeping both of us stable for so long," Undiri said. "There is nothing more that can be done for him."

They watched quietly until the old man reached the other side of the common room, climbing up the chair and seeming tired afterward.

"We will go to Irwin as soon as one of the teleporters arrives," Undiri said softly. "I presume that they will bring us again?"

Rindiri nodded, glancing at the old woman who was still staring at Dinehr with a look of deep love in her eyes.

"If he dies…" Rindiri whispered.

"I'll die with him," Undiri said, nodding softly. "I fear Irwin and the others will not get another chance after this one. If this fails, they will need to stay with me until I die so they can try and get the card that way."

Rindiri wasn't sure what to say, so she just remained quiet, looking at the small children playing.

After a minute, she looked up. "Have you heard anything new from the rest of the Portal Gallery?" she asked.

Undiri shook her head with a weary smile. "No. If I use my card now, it will aggravate Dinehr's situation."

Rindiri sighed, thinking back to what Undiri had told her the last time she was here, a month ago. The storm was almost entirely gone now, and the first, most powerful parts of the portal gallery corridors, like Dismartinsia River, were slowly starting to recover. It would be years before even the thickest of these branches would return to any semblance of what they had been before, but atleast the start had been made. 

"Did you hear that they have found the first offshoot portal on that insect world?" Undiri said softly.

Rindiri blinked, then looked up in surprise. She hadn't! Though, to be fair she'd been mostly busy setting up a new Yuurindi council, navigating the horrible politics.

"The portal opened up on a plain that was surrounded by a massive forrest of trees with leaves so dark they were almost black," Undiri said, staring off into the distance. "The shadewalkers haven't found any dangerous wildlife yet, and I hear Lord Bron and Lord Daubutim are likely going to allow our people to claim it."

Rindiri stared at the older Yuurindi in stunned surprise. How had Undiri gotten such detailed information? She herself hadn't even heard about it yet!

"Your daughter came to talk to us a few days ago," Undiri said with a smile.

"Ibiri?" Rindiri asked, feeling a pang that her daughter hadn't thought to find her first.

"No, the other one," Undiri said. "Earilla. She said she'd tried to speak with you, but you had been too busy. Asked me to tell you when you showed up here."

Rindiri closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. She faintly recalled Earilla showing up three days ago, right when she was in the middle of something. She'd asked her to wait for that night, but when she'd returned home, her daughter hadn't been there, and she'd forgotten. 

"It is fine, you one," Undiri whispered with a smile. "You are busy, and your children understand. Soon, things will start slowing down even more, and you will have time to spend with them."

Rindiri didn't bother correcting the elder. She knew that if they had really found their new homeworld, things would only become worse for a while.

"You should close the exit portal after you arrive there," Undiri suddenly said, looking up.

Rindiri blinked, then frowned. "What? Why?"

"Because you know how people are. They will want to expand rapidly; it is our nature. They will start populating that entire world, spreading far and wide in mere decades, and soon, they will start coming into conflict with themselves. It will take a dozen or more generations before we reach genetic stability, and the number of children per clutch will start dropping."

Rindiri's frown deepened. What was the elder talking about? Her people would be fine… She and the others had discussed this! They would repopulate slowly, keeping in check who could lay clutches and when. Things would be fine…

Undiri smiled at her sadly. "You will learn soon. But heed my warning. I have already spoken with Daubutim and Irwin about this, which is why Lord Daubutim refused to give us a direct adjacent world."

Rindiri felt her mind lock up as she watched the ancient Yuurindi. What had she been missing? What did all this mean… what was she implying?

"What-"

"Don't worry," Undiri said. "Things will be fine. Eventually. But before it is, our people will need to weather the storm of evolution once more."

Rindiri swallowed as she felt a sense of horrid foreboding grow in the pit of her stomach. She was about to ask if there was nothing they could do when a soft jolt of lightning came from their side. Looking up, she saw a man step out of a small greenish rip in reality.

"Hello," he said, looking around. "Clarish told me to come here? I am supposed to bring two people to the Volcano Academy?"

Rindiri quickly got up, trying to shake the bad feeling away. She turned to Undiri to help her up and found the elderly Yuurindi looking at her with a smile.

"Don't worry, Rindiri. You are fearing something that won't happen. This is not the first nor the last time our people need to recreate themselves."

Rindiri swallowed, suddenly feeling incredibly young. She helped Undiri to her feet and then towards the teleporter, who was watching with a somewhat confused curiosity.

"Be careful!" Dinehr's voice rang out.

"I'll be back before you know it," Undiri said. "Make sure not to do anything foolish."

The two shared a look that seemed to hold something Rindiri couldn't pinpoint. Somewhere between resignation mixed with love and… hope.

Dinehr snorted, looked at Rindiri, nodded, and turned back to his steaming cup of tea.

"Are you two ready?"

"Yes," Rindiri said slowly, focusing on the young teleporter.

"Good. My name is Berlim," the man said, putting his hand on their shoulders. "My teleportation works a bit differently from that of Clarish. I move between different pockets of gas that we have in our atmosphere. This means you will have a somewhat odd sensation, but it won't harm you."

Rindiri frowned, wondering why Clarish wasn't here.

"Clarish is currently moving people to the Frostir's Icy Lands up north," Berlim said, seemingly understanding what she was curious about. "She will be back later. Now, please remain calm. Here we go!"

Rindiri felt a swirl of power around her, and the next moment, she felt herself grow light and… unreal. Before she could fully understand what was happening, the world around her turned into a glowing cloud, and she had a sense of being the wind. 

Flowing forward at a breathtaking speed.  

This is incredible!

--

Irwin tapped his massive desk, glaring at the stack of paperwork on top. 

Seriously… as soon as I can, I'm going to have someone else take over this part, he thought.

Half a year had passed since he had returned, and things were only now starting to slow down. It had taken him this long to get the teacher's cards to increase their soulscape size and power. None were anywhere remotely close to his in scope, but a few, like Trimdir, now had the raw power to at least create Quartz cards from a seed. 

Sadly, only those with a bonded Ganvil could actually practice on their own. Worse, there were only a few Ganvils strong enough to create the contaminants. That meant only a few cardsmith and Ganvil duos had been able to start practicing—namely, Trimdir and Hou'dor, Dahlia and Juul'rish, Montain and Dar'malder, and Esther and Nava'malder. 

The younger Ganvils were either still rank zero or rank one and nowhere near strong enough to hold the barrier needed. Worse, because the resonance needed between the one holding the barrier and the cardsmith was so paramount, it wasn't possible for others to assist with this process.

Still, with four others actively practicing and Dahlia and Trimdir already showing their first improvements, Irwin knew they were on the path to something new.

Now, if only I could figure out how to create a card seed… a resonance on my own, he thought, picking the top paper of the stack and glancing it over.

"Request for ten new bow cards for the rangers," he muttered, noting the specifics of the existing card.

He muttered a thanks to Yilda that it wasn't something menial, like allowing or disallowing some student to advance to reforging cards, or worse, deciding if someone had to be sent home.

Half of the stack would be those things, mixed with requests for specific card reforges. Those all came from either his brother, Daubutim, or a few others. Initially, everyone had started sending requests for cards from him, but Daubutim had quickly put a stop to that. Now, only a handful of people could request him to do cards. Still, he greatly preferred those requests, as it atleast meant he could reforge some cards.

I fully understand why Trimdir would want to have someone else take over so he can return full-time to his smithy, Irwin thought with a sigh.

He got up, cracking his neck. He could probably do these cards before his next appointment with Undiri.

"Do you think our next idea will work?" he said, looking at Ambraz, who'd been nestled in a wooden alcove.

"No," Ambraz said. "I think nothing either of us will do will work. Someone who has the right types would have to copy it, and we don't even know what types those are until we get the card."

Irwin sighed, then shrugged.

"Well, let's try anyway," he muttered. "But first, let's reforge some ranger bow cards."

"Oh! Do you want to try and combine them with fire or sound?" Ambraz crooned.

Irwin blinked, then couldn't help but grin as he nodded. "Definitely!"

--

Rindiri appeared back in reality, feeling… strange. Her body was heavy as if she were weighted down, and she was barely in time to catch Undiri.

"Elder, are you alright?" she whispered, her voice sounding as odd as her body felt.

"Yes… that was… entertaining."

Berlim smiled ruefully at them. "My apologies; I am still learning a lot about my card's ability."

"It is fine," Rindiri said, looking around to find herself in the entrance hall to the teachers' area of the Volcano Academy.

"I have to leave now," Berlim said. "Clarish should be able to bring you back in half a day."

Before Rindiri could even comment on that, the young man vanished.

"Well, let's go and find Irwin," Undiri said with a weary smile. 

Rindiri nodded, though she was surprised when Undiri took her arm and leaned on her as they walked.

She is weakening really fast; she thought as she glanced at the elderly Yuurindi.

"Young one, Dinehr and I spoke with the others over the last few weeks," Undiri said softly. Seriously.

Rindiri frowned, surprised by the sudden change of tone.

"We have decided that Dowa will be the one to replace us as the head of the family," Undiri said softly as they walked through the open doors that led into the main hall of the academy. 

What? Rindiri had a slight feeling she knew what was coming, and she looked away as if trying to find a reason not to discuss it.

A spacious, open amphitheater-like area sat to one side while corridors snaked away from the other side. Two were carved in one of the stone sides, leading up to the balcony above. 

Rindiri began moving in that direction, as they would need to go up to reach Irwin's room.

"Rindiri… Dinehr and I have reached the ends of our lives," Undiri said. 

Rindiri felt the same horrible sensation that she'd felt before returning, but now the fear of what the future would bring was mixed with sadness.

"We knew it would happen soon, but moving through the portal corridor here… did something to us," Undiri said. "The stability that Dinehr's card brought me was interrupted, and when we arrived, it wasn't the same."

"I see," Rindiri said, staring at the ancient Yuurindi. 

She and Dinehr were the only ones Rindiri knew of who remembered their old world, who knew the details of who they were and how they had lived back then. If they died, something would be lost that could never be found again.

"Dowa and some of our family will remain here," Undiri continued. "Lord Daubutim has granted us permission, however, with a caveat. Cardsmith Irwin will create a set of cards for those that remain, which will change them."

"Change them how?" Rindiri asked, her eyes widening.

"Somewhat like your son, Zender," Undiri said. "It will make them… not Yuurindi anymore, remove what makes us special… but. But it will also give them another option. Just in case."

In case of what? Of-

"I thought you said everything would be fine?" Rindiri whispered as they reached the stairs and began slowly scaling them.

"Everything will be, but there is a war to be fought in the not-too-distant future," Undiri said. "And I am not sure if our people will be ready for that when it arrives. We can't, however, leave the others to do the fighting for us. If we do, who knows what world our descendants will eventually appear in? No… After the gate is closed, those of our people who remain will help with the war."

Rindiri felt her mind go numb. She had long thought she knew what the future would bring, that she understood what her mother had told her and what to do and expect. By Yuurindi standards, she was old, and worse, she was closing in on her own allotted time. She'd decided to spend her last decade or two here, helping her people. Now? What should she do now?

"..."

"You should stay here with your family," Undiri said, smiling at her.

"Who will lead our people?" Rindiri asked.

"One of the others. Initially, things will be fine, but eventually, it won't matter," Undiri said. "Within a decade, our people will break away from our old traditions and return to the ancient ways… for a while."

Rindiri gritted her teeth, glaring at the stairs they were scaling. She'd heard vague stories about the ancient ways from her mother, and even some from Undiri and Dinehr. She had to be wrong... Why would her people return to something that brutal? Small groups in constant conflict or even war as they tried to create what? A new hierarchy? Determine who had the best genes?

"Can we not do something? To change this?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

"No, nor do we want to," Undiri said softly. "It is our peoples builtin way of dealing with overpopulation and reaching gene-perfect."

They continued up half the flight of stairs before Rindiri spoke again, her mind in disarray.

"What of Youritz and Dagger?" she muttered, partially to herself. "What about-"

"Youritz will stay with you," Undiri said. "I hope you won't hold it against me, but I have taken the liberty to do what mothers usually do and spoke with him. He will not leave you becuase he sees you as something special. Dagger? Dagger has set her eyes on my youngest grandson. She will accept the change Irwin's cards will bring."

Rindiri shivered, a sudden worry growing.

"Ibiri?!"

Undiri sighed, and Rindiri felt her stomach clench.

"Your oldest has spoken to me and some of the others, and from what I know, she will likely leave for this new world…"

Rindiri closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then continued on.

"I see."

They continued until they reached the top of the staircase and walked into the large, wide corridor that led to different head teachers' rooms. Irwin's was the one furthest to the left, and they began walking there. 

Rindiri was lost in thought. What should she do? Part of her wanted to leave with Ibiri, but she instantly knew she wouldn't. Zender would stay here, meaning Earilla would too, because she'd never leave her brother. Trinn and Brinni had already created a life for themselves in Malorin and would stay without a shadow of a doubt… besides…

Rindiri stopped and closed her eyes. Before she could stop herself, she did something she'd not done in a very long time. Something she had promised herself she wouldn't do again. 

She searched for the final four of her children, whom she knew were still out there… somewhere. 

As her genetic lifeforce rippled and her soulforce bucked, she tried to sense them, knowing full well that within a world beyond the portal gallery, the best she would get was the knowledge they were alive.

Five mental pings came instantly from nearby, then time passed… ten heartbeats, twenty. Three more, eventually followed by a fourth, came. They were weaker but definitely there.

So they live, she thought, feeling a slight joy.

"Young one… You know it is unwise to do that. Leaving the bonds to ooze away as your children mature means that you will not get hurt after they die anymore," Undiri said, sounding slightly aggravated. "Now, if they die, you will again feel the drain. More so than before! It might kill-

"I only have four beyond those in this world," Rindiri said, cutting off the elderly Yuurindi. She shivered as she felt her mind lighten. "And I will likely not leave this world again. This will give me some rest."

"Only four on the outside?" Undiri whispered.

Rindiri looked away, not interested in the sympathetic look. Many of their people had gone through the same. She was no different than them.

The rest of the trip was quiet until they reached the door to Irwin's teacher's room. Rindiri turned to Undiri.

"I am sorry, elder, for angering you," she said.

Undiri snorted. "I am not angry, young one. I feel sorry for your losses, as I do for all those of our people. I have a suggestion."

Rindiri blinked, then cocked a head.

"You still have a slot free, and your two other cards could be removed," Undiri said, gesturing at her hand. "Allow Irwin to create three new cards for you, followed by a heartcard. He can reduce the burden on your body and grant you a new lease of life. Perhaps it will even grant you the ability to have more children with Youritz."

Rindiri blinked. Her first reaction was to laugh or deny what she felt. She'd thought about it again when Undiri had told her the others would stay and change. 

She thought about Zender and his silvery skin. Would it be so bad to change what she was? Live longer? She was tired now… weary, and ready for the last part of her life. But what if she changed? Perhaps she wouldn't feel like that anymore?

"I'll think about it," she said, smiling at Undiri.

"You do that, young one. But know that if Dinehr and I had this option, we would take it- rip it from death's grasp if we had to!"

Rindiri felt taken aback by the raw desire in Undiri's voice, the moment of burning desire in her eyes. Then they both faded, and the elderly women slumped.

"Sadly, there is no option like that for us," she said. 

The door was pulled open, and they both looked up at a surprised Irwin towering over them.

"I thought I heard something here," he rumbled. "Are you two ready to come in?"

"We are," Undiri said. "Also, I have some news for you."

Irwin held open the door, looking at her with a raised eyebrow.

"I'll be dying today. So I would suggest you prepare to capture the card lest it shatter with me."