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Irwin's Journey 213: New Degonda

Irwin and Daubutim were staring out across the bustling area around the town wall. The buildings inside the wall could barely be called done, with no second stories or door and window frames anywhere. Even then, the area beyond the wall was already being divided up into what one day would become the city. That would be long from now, though, as right now it was nothing but bustling emptiness of lines and tents in the mud.

Lines of stones created sections that were dividing the area up.<...

Irwin's Journey 212: Soulclone

"You are sure this will work?" Irwin asked as he looked at Dianor.

"Not sure, but it has a high likelihood of getting most people there in time and alive," Dianor said.

They were standing on the massive wall beside the gate, looking down at the people streaming out of Coulwater Tower. They were all carrying as much as they could while guards flanked them on each side. Greldo, Twintin, and the others stood with them while Lamia and Gawarn stood a short distance away. Seeing her loo...

Irwin's Journey 211: Final hurdle

"They are still in the closet, but they are hungry and thirsty and need to get out soon," Greldo said as soon as he reappeared.

Irwin nodded, thinking for a moment.

They were huddled in a narrow room below the castle with an opening down into the sewer through which they had entered and another door leading up.

Including him and Greldo, there were seven ready to sneak up the tower and take out Indoubtor. Although all looked ready, he knew that besides Tanya and Greldo, the o...

Irwin's Journey 210: Furious frost

Irwin gazed in disbelief at the Slaughter Demon. It took him only a moment to recall who Tomeron was. The head of the Grinwron Merchant's group, which were the owners and controllers of Fiverion.  How had Tomeron Grinwron found out that he was an Emerald Smith? Or that he was here!?

No, wait. Why is he even trying to capture me? Irwin thought, questions bubbling up.

"Tomeron Grinwron?" he asked, wanting to make sure.

"Yes, an interesting fellow," the Slaughter ...

Irwin's Journey 209: Switching sides

Greldo closed the door as fast but quietly as he could before leaning with his back against the wall, trying to regulate his breathing. A trickle of blood ran down his cheek, but he barely noticed as he gazed at the closed door of the small storage room he was in. The stuffy smell around him overwhelmed his sensitive nose, and he felt another worried prod from Coal.

I'm fine, he replied. Stay with Irwin unless I call you.

There was a sense of annoyance from Coal,...

Irwin's Journey 208: Clearing the plains

"Do you think he was lying?" Moira asked as she looked from the wall across the plains to the distant hills. "It has to have been nearly an hour!"

She narrowed her eyes, trying to see anything in the hills. Her card gave her slightly enhanced eyesight, which was the reason she was usually atop here to scout for trouble and was granted one of the few function bows. Over the years, she'd learned to trust it, but now she hoped it was wrong and that she just couldn't see the help as it came...

Irwin's Journey 207: Starving people

Irwin took a deep breath, then rose. "Then what are we still doing here? Let's go to Esterdon!”

Daubutim showed no intention of getting up but sighed.

"I know my cousin," he said calmly. "He will not accept our current leadership structure. He also very likely has more carded warriors than we do by now. If we go there, he will not agree to anything but him being in charge. So, unless we let it come to a conflict, we need a plan."

"It's best if you remain here," Bron imm...

Irwin's Journey 206: Death or safety?

Irwin stood next to Sultur Crevice, examining the stone staircase leading down into its depths. It was partially buried into the stonewall and had a high railing to prevent anyone from falling.

Hundreds of people were walking down it, a fearful quiet hanging over the group as they followed the rangers.

Greldo stood to the side, digging into the soil, his arms up the elbows blackened by the sooth.

"There we go," he said as he pulled his arms out, grinning at Irwin. He held up...

Info: Minglings 2 release!

Hey everyone!

So, most of you are here for Irwin's Journey. However, I have a few more stories that I wrote! One of those, Minglings can be read here up to book three.   Now, finally, book 2 is edited and ready to be released on Amazon! (Which took way longer than I'd planned)

So, for the 19e, I'll be putting up some promotions on Facebook, Twitter, and anywhere else I can find, while the book should be uploaded earlier.

If any of you have KDP or are interested in ...

Irwin's Journey 205: Death and new beginnings

Irwin slowly woke to pain: a dull, throbbing anguish that filled all of him. Some came from his body, but most originated from his heartcard and soullake. He wasn't sure what woke him, but whatever it was had stopped now.

The softness below his back told him he wasn't where he'd fallen but in a bed, and feeling no restraints or cuffs, he guessed he was safe. His mind was fuzzy, and it took him a few moments to sort through what had happened. A twinge of worry for Ambraz filled him.

Irwin's Journey 204: Hangover

Irwin roared as he struck the tree, feeding every ounce of kinetic energy into his ever-growing fire. He barely heard himself amidst the popping and cracking of wood and wood sap. He'd long since lost control of the fire, and the trees in all directions were ablaze, lighting up the world in a grand inferno.

"Left!"

He jumped sideways, trusting completely in Ambraz's warning. A massive nyzir-bull, its skin covered in gruesome blisters, purple smoke leaking out of it in tiny trickle...

Irwin's Journey 203: A battle of shadows

Irwin jolted upright, a hammer appearing in his hand as he tried to figure out what had awoken him. Had something just poked him?

A soft laughter made him look up, and he saw Greldo standing a few steps away. He blinked away the sleep from his eyes. It wasn't Greldo who was laughing, though he was grinning. The laughter came from Ambraz, who was sitting on Greldo's shoulder.

"Seriously? Couldn't you wait till morning?" Irwin snorted as he shook himself awake and rose on his elbows...

Irwin's Journey 202: Searching and finding

Irwin lowered Jort to the ground in front of the gate. The guards and rangers on the walls were calmly looking down.

"By Yilda I'm glad we are back," Jort whispered.

"Yes," Irwin said as he watched the door open up.

A familiar guard walked out, nodding at him.

"Irwin," he said before looking at Jort. "Jort, report."

"I'll be reporting to the rangers in a moment," Jort said. "Just come along, and you will get the same information."

Irwin saw the guard's eyes...

Irwin's Journey 201: A game of questions

"Alright, warn me if you see any Nyzir or Pale Imps," Irwin said as he gazed at the mass of Imps below them.

If it had been any other kind of enemy, he'd never have considered what he was about to do. Now, all he could think about was how much his flame had strengthened since he'd last used it on large numbers of Imps.

"What are you going to do?" Jort asked as his face turned pale. "Look how many there are!"

"Don't worry, my cards are practically made for fighting these guys...

Irwin's Journey 200: Stubborn

Irwin walked back through the narrow streets, his card back to a quarter full, but his head still pounding. He wished his healing and endurance would work against the overuse of soul power.

He had taken over an hour to scour the entire second floor, but no sign of the purple mist remained. That didn't mean there wasn't any, he knew, just that he couldn't find it.

"We've decided on two of our other scouts," Brownyn said, walking beside him.

He looked as bad as Irwin felt, and...

Irwin's Journey 199: Disbelief

Irwin took a deep breath, looking at Bronwyn, pinned by Ambraz, arms gripped around the Anvil's sides, and face stretched in a snarl as he tried to free himself.

"Is that even doable?" Irwin asked.

"Not if he had been conscious," Ambraz said. "But I've been checking, and he is only physically resisting. Whatever that thing is doing to him, it seems unable to use his cards."

"Alright, I'm ready," Irwin said as he took a deep breath, wishing he wasn't so close to being out of ...

Irwin's Journey 198: Emergency smithing

Irwin watched his brother groan as he lay on his back on the tower's basement floor.

"And you did this to yourself?" Bronwyn finally asked, pushing himself up on his elbows and staring at Irwin.

"I wouldn't have been able to do it without Ambraz," Irwin said honestly.

The Anvil, which was standing in the center of the locked-down room, hummed, smiling widely.

Bronwyn grunted, then scrambled up and looked at his right hand. "I feel like it should be a shattered, mangled...

Irwin's Journey 197: Family time

"Don't worry, I've had my fair share of pain," Bronwyn said calmly. "If there's anything you can do to make me stronger so I can protect Carla, Drum, and Mom, I'll do it. Even if those silver eyes aren't really my thing."

"Don't worry," Irwin said as he grinned. "I'm sure Carla won't mind."

Bronwyn snorted before shaking his head. "Since when were you this comfortable around girls?"

"I'll tell you about that when we have more time," Irwin said quickly, ignoring his brother's...

Irwin's Journey 196: Irwin?

"What's your name?" the lead ranger asked, riding beside Irwin.

Irwin hesitated for only a moment before responding. "Irwin."

There was a moment of silence. Then the rangers began talking all at once.

"You're Bronwyn's brother?"

"That's impossible! Look at him! Bronwyn's brother was a runt!"

"Bronwyn's almost as big… Perhaps he needed some time to grow?"

"Where have you been?"

"Did you escape the sorcerers?"

"Where are the others?"

Irwin...

Irwin's Journey 195: Full circle

Irwin instinctively searched for heat signatures as he scanned the pile of massacred creatures, finding none. Each body, no matter its size, was cold and dead.

"What does something like this?" Myda whispered again. They aren't even eaten!"

Irwin looked at the bodies, absently knowing that if he'd come here before having been to Scour and seeing what he had there, he'd likely be vomiting. Now, he was just disgusted and worried.

He was about to say something when Twyl poked hi...

Irwin's Journey 194: A foul stench

Irwin stepped out of the tower, exchanging a quick greeting with the guards beside the door. Twyl was quietly sitting on his shoulder, and he barely noticed she was there.

As he walked towards the alleyway leading to Trimdir's smithy, someone came walking out, staring at him intently, almost as if he'd waited for him.

"Orwin!"

Irwin watched the short bald man pace towards him. Two piercing blue eyes locked onto his from above an impressive but poorly maintained mustache.

Irwin's Journey 193: Card trouble

Irwin watched the three figures clad in robes sitting beside Lord Bron. One was an older man with a brown and white beard and kind eyes. The other two, young men and women, almost looked like siblings with light brown hair and eyes. Something about their faces gave Irwin the idea that they might be related to the older man.

Their brown robes reminded him of the sorcerers he'd seen long ago, but he felt none of the fear he used to. Even without Daubutim here, if they had wanted to try an...

Irwin's Journey 192: Certain or uncertain future

Irwin and Trimdir walked through the narrow paths of what had once been the outer area of Degonda and was now almost the center.

Although narrower, Irwin recognized the path they were moving along. It was the one he'd taken many times when he was learning smithing at Trimdir's smithy, and it should lead to the crafter's square.

"How are you feeling?" Trimdir asked, looking up. "Things can't have been easy,  no matter how much like a minstrel's tale your friend made it out to ...

Irwin's Journey 191: Planning a large-scale evacuation

Deep in the forest, Sairadi slowed down, her cloud form returning to her physical form. They were surrounded by dense undergrowth and trees with vines climbing up along their trunks, many winding around branches to connect the trees, causing barely any sunlight to filter through.

To Irwin, everything looked ruddy, but he knew it would likely be dim and dark to the others. Still, Sairadi had continued ahead effortlessly, so perhaps she had some form of night vision?

Irwin slowed do...

Irwin's Journey 190: Scorched by the waves

Daubutim followed a few minutes later, and Irwin was surprised at the light his eye provided in the previously dark room. He'd been seeing everything in the usual red and yellow dark vision he had, but as soon as Daubutim came, a pale red light flooded the room, causing shadows and darker patches.

Daubum's face warped to one of disgust as he sniffed.

"The air is bad," he whispered before Irwin could react. "We need to get out of here."

It's not that bad, is it? Irwi...

Irwin's Journey 189: The secret room

"Done."

Irwin blinked as the single word ripped him awake from the daydreaming semi-sleep he'd drifted off in. Daubutim sat at the table, head in his hands, elbows on the table, and the book shoved to the side.

"Are you alright?" Irwin asked.

"Fine," Daubutim muttered. As he looked up, face pale and drawn, Iwin saw that his eye was a dull amber with no red bolt of lightning remaining. It almost looked like when he'd have one of his episodes.

Irwin rose and walked over ...

Irwin's Journey 188: Back on Giard

With a familiar jarring sensation, the world was ripped away, replaced by a wide, purple corridor and the sense of falling. Irwin looked around, noting the tube-like barriers around him were so dense that he couldn't see anything behind it. He guessed there was space, but who knew for sure? This portal was connecting two worlds that, if he would have to guess, were much further apart than anything he had moved between yet.

"I wonder how long this will take…" Irwin muttered before cont...

Irwin's Journey chapter 187: Preparations

Irwin stood in his cabin, looking at Xi'kroak and his mate, wishing the cabin was larger and that he had a desk like he'd seen in Xi'kroak's cabin. It felt crowded with just four people: Xi'kroak, his La'suna, and Greldo.

"Captain Irwin, let me start by saying your fear is ungrounded," Xi'kroak began as soon as the door closed. "We are not here to lay claim to this world you have found. Now that we can speak more freely, let me say that I have a little more knowledge about how other spe...

Irwin's Journey chapter 186: Blood and gore

Irwin barely noticed the stench coming from him and the dangling bodies; all his attention focused on Daubutim.

His friend had slid the ruby card in and was now sitting there with his eye closed, his hands jerking and vibrating occasionally.

"I wonder what it will do with him," Irwin whispered softly.

"It's going to allow him to circumvent whatever is bogging his mind down," Ambraz whispered. "But it might take him some getting used to."

Irwin hummed every few moments,...

Irwin's Journey 185: Emerald and Ruby

Irwin sighed happily as he lowered his hammer and stared at the green-bordered Emerald card.

"That went better than I had hoped," he said, picking it up and examining the card's simple image. It displayed a shovel standing upright on the ground.

If any of the smiths back on Scour knew he'd spent so much effort taking a simple utility card from quartz to amethyst to topaz and finally emerald, they would likely call him crazy.

"Of course it did," Ambraz said, his gray metallic...