Irwin watched Lajija quietly, listening to her speak more about the other species.

He had learned a great deal about her people and The Zaidol Branch, which was the one she came from. Her people, the Acenti, had once had a flourishing civilization spanning multiple worlds and smaller branches until the Guidar came and crushed it all. Now, they lived almost like nomads, moving from harbor to harbor, holding a few low-rank worlds but lacking any control over them, just like the innumerable other people of the different species that weren't among The Shackled.

A picture had formed in Irwin's head of worlds without hope, where everything was done to get the goodwill of the Guidar- be it by searching for new prime branches or by searching for that ever elusive soulskill which the Guidar seemed desperate for, one that could allow them to move through a world-portal.

"So that is what they want?" he asked, looking at her. "They can't enter through a world portal, but they want to?"

"It is the sole thing they seem haunted by," Lajija said.

She looked weary, and it seemed to Irwin that she was now only on her feet because Greldo still had his hand around her neck. If he hadn't seen what he had, he might have told his friend to let go. As it was, he didn't know if he could trust Lajija. Not yet. Words were easy… it was actions that mattered.

"And nobody knows why?"

"Most people in The Zaidol Branch don't even know that is what they are looking for," Lajija said with some distaste. "They are only told to bring every new type of soulskill to one of the Guidar's main bases."

"Wouldn't that put you in big trouble?" Greldo asked. "Seeing as you can form your soulskills by consuming cards?"

Lajija seemed to slump even more. "We aren't the only ones. The Guidar have an incredible interest in any species that can consume Crystalized Soulskils."

Likely due to the ancient war with the Galadin, Irwin thought, sharing a look with Greldo.

"It is why many of my people are held captive for testing purposes. Only the weakest are left to roam around. The Chain? If one of us gains too much strength, it will start causing excruciating pain, forcing us to return to a guidar," Lajija continued.

Irwin watched her quietly. He knew she was likely putting it on as strongly as possible to gain their sympathy, but even knowing that, he couldn't help but feel pity for any species locked away with the Guidar.

"Lovely…" Greldo said sarcastically. "So, how come you know what they are looking for?"

Irwin focused on Lajija, curious as to what her answer would be.

"Back when my people were still struggling in our desperate fight to keep the Guidar at bay, they came across this answer when one of our mindreaders-"

Greldo groaned while Irwin narrowed his eyes.

Lajija paled, licking her lip. "Please don't worry. There are no mindreaders here. The Guidar took all of my people with that skill, just like they take any species with similar skill."

Irwin stared at her, wondering for a moment if that was why she was talking. Perhaps she had the ability to read minds, and she had been saying exactly what she wanted. Then recalled his second soulcard and its ability to protect his mindscape.

"Tell me again why your people, or any for that matter, didn't just close their worldportals and remain on your worlds?" Greldo asked.

"Most worlds had nobody with a worldskill or the ability to do that," Lajija said. "And even those that did… the Guidar have the ability to create portals to worlds, even stable ones. Nobody knows how they do it, but it is one of the biggest issues in defending against them. They just send their Shackled through them and into a world to take it over. By now, they have so many Shackled that there is little a single species or world can do to resist- even one as powerful as my own."

Irwin listened as Greldo asked a few more questions, but as those too dried up, he realized they had a choice.

He could just kick Lajija and her people off their ship and leave with it, but that would most likely get them killed. Besides, although having the ship would be useful, they couldn't take it with them. He still wasn't powerful enough to just bring one into his soulscape, nor could Greldo bring it along in the shadowrealm. They could change their plans and fly to Dismarintsia on the ship, but it would take longer. Greldo was much faster… besides, they wouldn't have Nim'dor along to improve the shield.

Another option was to kill them, but Irwin didn't think that was the right thing to do. Although Lajija was likely playing on their heartstrings, he didn't think she was outright lying.

The problem then was how to get them to stop killing the Chaos Whales. Irwin had an idea, but it could pose its own problems, which was what his otherself and Ambraz were discussing now.

-- Irwin's mindscape --

"You want to break her chain," Ambraz said, looking at Irwin.

Irwin looked at the Ganvil while sensing Nisziz and Klatzi stalking around outside. They were giving him and Ambraz privacy, which he appreciated a lot. He'd warned them about what was happening outside, adding that he and Greldo had it under control for now.

"It seems like the easiest way to get them to stop killing Chaos Whales and get into their goodwill," he said.

"Yes, and it might alert the Guidar if they have some way of detecting this," Ambraz said.

"It could, but how likely is that?" Irwin asked, leaning back on the couch. "If there are that many Shackled, how would they even start keeping track of all of them? You heard her. She said that if they got too strong, there would be pain to force them to return."

"There's another problem," Ambraz grumbled. "If you do this, you are going to have to do the entire ship and potentially all of her tribal… oh, and that's if you can even do it."

Irwin thought about the chain he'd seen, then shook his head. "I can do it," he said. "But you think I shouldn't?"

Ambraz was quiet for almost a minute before sighing. "I'm not saying that. There's a risk to both options, and even if you just killed them all, there are undoubtedly more Acenti. Those would just continue killing Chaos Whales."

Irwin heard the unasked question in Ambraz's voice.

"I am not leaving them to kill the Chaos Whales," he snapped, feeling his anger grow. As it did, he glared at his left hand.

"Then your plan is probably the only viable one right now," Ambraz said. "I'd tell Lajija that she is to remain hidden in a world so she doesn't draw attention."

"And the rest of her tribe?" Irwin asked.

"Hell no. Just tell her to keep them with her and get her to tell you where it is," Ambraz said. "If you go there or have them brought here, there might be enough to overpower you. I don't have to explain to you what might happen if she finds out that you can break her chain and aren't going to do all her people, right?"

Irwin ground his teeth, feeling his anger bubble up before he clamped down on it again.

I need to get a grip on this, he thought.

"We need to find a way for me not to grow into a giant soon," he said, looking at Ambraz.

They had talked about his uncontrolled anger shortly after he snapped out of it, but only momentarily.

"This card? It makes it stronger," he continued. "It wants me to become large and keep growing, and when I hold it back? My anger just…"

"Goes out of control," Ambraz added. "Yes, I've noticed."

"So, how likely is it that we can find a shrinking card or something else to fix this in Dismarintsia?"

"Very," Ambraz said. "Shrinking cards are far less rare or wanted compared to growing cards. Most high-rank cards that deal with physical size aren't like the ones you have. You can just stop using their ability, and you will return to your regular self."

"Most?" Irwin asked curiously.

"Well, there are cards that give passive growth," Ambraz hummed. "I can imagine someone having one of those wouldn't mind having an active ability to shrink them back down."

Irwin was about to react when he heard the conversation outside halt, Greldo and his otherself having asked all the questions they could think of.

"They need to make a choice now. Any final good idea?" he asked.

"No," Ambraz said. "We could kill them, then hunt all her people and anyone else, but the Graboul's Teeth are large, and I agree with you… They don't seem bad enough to warrant that."

Irwin grinned, focusing back on the outside.

-- Realworld --

"Lajija, can you show me your skill and that chain again?" Irwin asked.

Lajija looked at him, then grimaced. "It's hard to do it twice on such short notice, but could anyone on my crew show you?"

Irwin hesitated before turning to the other Acenti. A younger man with incredibly bright, short-cropped purple hair stepped forward immediately. He had a scar running across his cheek to his ear, which missed a bit, and calm blue eyes.

"I am Ninji. I can show you," he said, seeming to ignore Coal's growling shadow clones.

"Coal, can you let him through?" Irwin asked.

One of the shadow clones stepped aside, and Ninji walked towards them.

Irwin readied himself just in case the Acenti would attempt something, but as the much smaller man approached him, he simply looked up and raised his hand.

"Keep the ability there for as long as you can," Irwin said.

Ninji nodded and closed his eyes. A moment later, an image eerily similar to a low-rank heartcard appeared above his hand. It was a mess of inconsistencies, as if dozens of bits of cards had been smashed together to try to create a single whole. It was also wrapped tight by a dull gray chain or soulforce, which resonated painfully in Irwin's ears.

"Alright, just keep it there," he said, focusing on the skill.

He examined it a bit closer, noticing that as much as it was a mismatch, there seemed to be some form of logic behind it. He could almost extrapolate the cards from which the skills had come and blinked as another realization set in. It wasn't a bit like a heartcard… it was almost exactly like a heartcard. But then a heartcard at the moment all six handcards were ready to be formed, and some crazy smith had taken every bit of them that caught his fancy before using incredible skill to forge them together in something that didn't shatter. The different resonances created an odd mix of sounds that was more like the background muttering in an Inn than a real song… but as he listened to it more closely, he realized it wasn't that bad.

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There was just too much variety.

I could take a bit of that and remove it, using the soulforce to strengthen this, he thought as he moved closer and felt a pattern arrive. Almost without thinking, he glared at the offending chain that was holding back the reshaping of something interesting.

He focused on his soulcards, his otherself summoning his soulstrum guitar as he began resonating his own soulforce. He, for lack of a better term, wrapped the entire heartskill, for that was what it had to be, with his own soulforce resonance. Instantly, the chain seemed to react, its resonance growing stronger and seeming intent on shattering the skill it was wrapped around. Irwin didn't even notice the pained groan of the young man as he interjected his own resonance between the chain and the skill, his entire focus on what he was doing.

As his own resonance touched the chain, his new card tried to ignite his anger, but Irwin squashed it with barely any effort. The growing idea of how he could take this skill and fix it was so strong that he didn't notice how he did it.

Some type of enforced dissonance, like a single melody that is meant to keep an entire song from growing, he thought, feeling disgusted at what he saw.

Wrapping more and more of his soulforce resonance around the chain, Irwin began increasing the resonance, almost as if he was squeezing something. Spikes of powerful resonance rippled from the chain, but focused as it was, the non-intelligent thing had no chance, and within a few moments, cracks began appearing across its surface.

Time flowed slowly, and at some point, Irwin sensed the soulskill becoming unstable, the soulforce keeping it there weakening. Without knowing exactly what he did, he supported the soulskill, keeping it where it was. There was an outburst of chattering from around him, and he thought he heard some growling, but none of that mattered.

One of the chains failed with a sound like glass shattering, and instantly, the entire chain began to unwind and unravel. Irwin sensed a final nasty thing as the loosening chains seemed to explode with a massive amount of resonance, ready to wipe out the soulskill. It took more of his effort to keep the entire chain wrapped, and he felt a slight headache as it exploded.

Still, when the chain shattered, he only felt a slight sense of satisfaction as he focused on the mess of a heartskill. The mass of soulforce resonance that had come from the chain was rippling around, and as Irwin focused on the mismatched heartcard, he began snipping away at it like a gardener. Taking tiny bits and removing them while growing others to make them stronger, he began pulling the heartskill apart until it hung in front of him just like six handcards would have.

As the heartskill's murmur began turning into a soft melody, Irwin began humming along, the song of his soulstrum guitar winding along as it helped guide the different parts together.

Time lost its meaning as a melody was born, a beat was added, and more pieces fit the whole. A soothing song was born, one that was sadder than most he'd ever made but with a powerful tenacity to never give up and a build-up towards something more.

As the final piece, a high-pitched chord that weaved through the song, was added, Irwin felt a sense of utter calm as he watched the heartskill slowly settle. It hovered before him as any proper, well-made heartcard should, and smiling, he released his hold on it, letting it sink into its owner.

That's when he realized that said owner was lying on the ground, eyes closed and seemingly unconscious.

"Irwin… you about done, I hope?"

Irwin blinked and looked at Greldo, who was staring at him intently with a crooked grin on his face. Lajija stood, almost on her toes, as her gaze flickered from Ninji to him and back, her eyes wide. A deathly silence hung over the ship, and looking at the other crew, Irwin realized he might have gone a bit overboard.

"You… unchained him," Lajija said, her blue eyes locking onto Irwin, a burning desire and hope in them that was so strong Irwin almost wanted to take a step back. "You unchained him and did… something to his soulskill!"

"Heartskill," Irwin said mechanically, causing Lajija to look confused.

"That skill wasn't a soulskill yet," Irwin said. "Do your people have a soullake in your soulscape?"

Lajija nodded quickly. "The soulforce lake," she said. "Yes, it grows as we grow stronger, and filling it is one of the requirements to gain a worldcard."

"Do you get it right when the soullake fills?" Irwin asked curiously. Perhaps they just had heartcards and soulcards mixed up?

"No! That's just one of the steps. After that, the filled soulskill needs to do the final steps to resonate with the world."

Irwin nodded. That meant they could only have a single soulskill, but he also recalled just how strong those of her people who had invaded Igniz had been. Perhaps their single soulskill was more powerful than a single soulcard?

Also more versatile, he thought, as he recalled the soulskill he had just made. Even after pruning it, it must have atleast three actives and two passive effects ,while it wasn't anywhere close to being finished. He looked at Ninji, humming thoughtfully. If he continued absorbing cards as he had, the song might not return to its previous chaotic state, but it would definitely lose some of its cohesion.

"What can we do for you?" Lajija asked, causing Irwin to focus on her again.

"I- We will do anything you want," she said. "Please, unchain my people!"

Irwin saw Greldo shake his head with a weary grin, and Irwin glared at him.

"I don't have the time to unchain all your people," Irwin said.

He tried to sense how much time the single one had cost. Most of the time had been spent remaking the heartskill, but even then, it had been atleast an hour, he guessed.

"We need to go somewhere," he continued, as he saw Lajija seemed ready to make her case. "I can unchain those of your people aboard this ship, but there is a price."

"Anything!"

"You need to stop killing Chaos Whales and stop others from doing so," Irwin said as he thought of something else. "Instead, let them go to the portals they find and help them open them if they can't on their own."

"A small price to pay," Lajija said as a sad smile covered her face. "It sickened me to have to use my mother's skill as I have. But…"

She hesitated, and Irwin knew why. That would be alright for the few of her people on the ship, but what would it mean for the others of her species?

Irwin hummed as he looked around the mountains. He'd planned to go to Dismarintisa, take care of the Guidar there, grab the cards he needed, and head back home on the shortest route. If he had to return here…

An idea sparked in his mind, and his otherself quickly asked Ambraz. As he heard the result, Irwin nodded.

"Do you have a map of this part of the Portal Galery?" he asked.

Lajija nodded quickly, turning to one of her people. "Tyki can get it if you allow him to move down below," she said, causing an older crewmember to step forward."

"Coal, can you let him pass and send a shadowclone with him?" Irwin asked.

A minute later, the older Acenti male returned with a massive, rolled-up map.

"We took cards from the ships we encountered," Lajija said excitedly. "It should have a large section of this part of this prime-branch on it."

Irwin hesitated as he heard that, wondering just what ships she'd taken them from and what had happened to the crew of said ships. Then he pushed it aside. He didn't have time to deal with that now, and very few were able to move through the storm as it was. Many of those would likely be like the Deadpact Mercenaries, and those didn't need his worries.

He unwrapped the map, quickly finding the section he was looking for. He put a circle around Marbelea, a small world run by Ganvils that was rather far from other worlds and that had an outpost of the Smiths Guild. According to Ambraz, they were also the base of operations of an Enforcement Garrison Fleets - namely, the Sarudock's First fleet. Although the Sarudock's fleet wasn't nearly as powerful as the Hegliron fleets, Ambraz told him it would be able to resist dozen'sdozens, if not a hundred, ships like the one Lajija had.

"Alright, this is Marbelea," he said. "It's a world with strong defenses that has people like me there. Cardsmiths. You should be able to find help to unchain the rest of your people. Just explain who you are and why you are there. If you are willing to give them information on the Guidar, you should be able to bargain for their help."

Lajija, still being held by Greldo, looked at him, then at the map, and frowned.

"What if they refuse to help us?" she asked.

"I don't think they will," Irwin said, honestly. "The Great Portal Faction Alliance, as they call themselves, will have probably found out about some of the things that have been happening. If you are willing to help, I don't see how they would reject you."

Although he believed that, Irwin knew it wasn't set in stone.

Lajija seemed to feel the same as she looked at him for a while before sighing. She probably realized there was little she could offer him that would help.

"Thank you for your help," she said.

"We aren't done yet," Irwin said as he stared at her. "I will be taking all of the cards you took from the Chaos Whales. It is the price for helping everyone present become unchained."

Lajija was quiet, then nodded, thought clearly, reluctantly. After a moment, she looked up, eyes widening.

"What if we give you all the cards we have gathered… would you be willing to come to the world my tribe has claimed and unchain them all?"

Irwin's first reaction was to say no. As much as he could use more cards, he didn't feel like taking any more detours. Then he thought about his own current card and Greldo, who was closing in on his next heartcard. What if the cards he needed were there?

"How many cards are we talking about?" he asked hesitantly.

"We have atleast fourteen Neamhnathair cards and seventy or more regular cards," Lajija said.

They killed fourteen Chaos Whales, Irwin thought, glad the previous cardsmithing had calmed him down. He feared he might have had an anger surge otherwise.

He shared a look with Greldo while his otherself and Ambraz began discussing the potential of having that many Chaos Whale cards.

-- Irwin's Soulscape --

"I'm not sure fourteen Chaos Whale cards are worth the risk…" Ambraz muttered.

Irwin hummed, leaning back. "What if we do it like this? We go there and remain in control of this ship. They have a shadowalker, and she can head back to the world. They can explain our deal, and we let them bring a few at a time for me to work on. If we see more than that, Greldo and I just get into the shadowrealm and leave."

"It's not a bad idea," Ambraz said. "And perhaps there's a card that helps with your current problem."

"Even if there's not," Irwin said. "That many unfinished heartcards are bound to have a few that will help back home."

They discussed it quickly for a moment, while Irwin's otherself on the outside began asking more questions.

-- Realworld --

"Where is this world?" Irwin asked, beckoning Tyki.

The older man waited for Lajija to nod before walking to the map and pointing at a location in the massive mountain range.

"We can return in seven days," Lajija said.

Irwin hummed, then sighed.

"I need to discuss this with my friends," he said. "Until then, I need a way to make sure you don't try anything."

"I can give you my word, but I fully understand that wouldn't be enough," Lajija said, smiling sadly.

"Exactly," Irwin said. "So, here's what we are going to do. I'm going to pull you into my soulscape, and you are not going to resist. In there, I can kill you at any moment if I want to, and I'll keep you there to make sure everyone behaves."

Lajija remained quiet, something flashing through her eyes. After a moment, she licked her lips.

"You can bring others into your soulscape? Are you willing to teach us how to keep your soulscape balanced during this?" she asked.

Irwin shook his head. "Not right now. One deal at a time, alright?"

Lajija grimaced, then turned to her crew.

"You will do as Captain Roddington says. Please don't do anything that might ruin this chance the elders have gifted us," she ordered, her voice cool. Then she turned to Irwin and hesitated before continuing. "If one of them does something stupid, I would prefer you kill them as long as the deal can remain."

Irwin's eyebrows shot up, then he walked forward and put his hand on her shoulder. His otherself and Ambraz had created a new basement that would not give her any idea of exactly how large his soulscape was.

"Don't resist," he said.

Lajija nodded, and as Irwin pulled her into his soulscape, pushing her into the new, empty basement, he felt barely any resistance. No more than the normal bit.

-- Irwin's Soulscape --

As soon as she appeared, Irwin's otherself stood before her, ready to act if she did anything odd.

Lajija looked around, her eyebrows rising at the sight of the couch and the table.

"Impressive," she said, looking at Irwin. "I will remain here until you are ready. Tyki will do as you ask. If there is any problem, let me know, and…" she looked around. "Well, I'd do something about it if I weren't here."

"Things will be fine," Irwin said as he moved to the table and sat down. "Why don't you tell me a bit more about the branch you are from?"

Lajija shook her head in confusion. "Shouldn't you be unchaining my crew?" She suddenly went pale. "Not that I would dare order you around, it's just-"

"Don't worry. I can do both things at the same time," Irwin said as he waved her to sit down.

-- Realworld --

"So, what do you think?" Irwin whispered as he and Greldo stood on the far side of the foreign ship. He knew there was a chance that someone could hear them, but with Lajija in his soulscape, he was pretty sure they wouldn't do anything stupid.

"We can go there, which will cost somewhere between ten and fourteen days," Greldo whispered. "And that's not taking into account how long it will take you to unchain all those people. This one took over an hour…"

"I won't reforge all their heartskills," Irwin said. "Just unchaining them should be pretty fast. With some practice, I can probably do them in rapid succession."

"Sure, but what if there are twenty thousand people?"

Irwin nodded, then looked up at Tyki.

"Tyki, how many people are in your tribe. How many would need to be unchained?"

"We have a little over sixteen-hundred," the older man said, exuding a sense of pride.

Irwin nodded, turning back to Greldo.

"I'd say four or five days," Irwin said. "Maybe a bit more."

"So, the question is then, are those fourteen Chaos Whale cards worth losing up to twenty days?" Greldo said, looking at Irwin. "Perhaps we can ask if they know what the cards do…"

Irwin rolled his eyes and beckoned Tyki over. The man had been watching quietly and now moved towards them, still flanked by one of Coal's shadowclones.

"Can you tell me what the Chaos Whale cards that you found do?" Irwin asked.

Tyki shook his head. "I am sorry, I don't know. Lajija might."

"Alright," Irwin said, and he was glad to see Tyki turn and walk back without having to be ordered.

He waited as his otherself began asking Lajija, and as he listened, his eyebrows shot up. After a few moments, he turned to Greldo.

"There is atleast one that deals with shadows," he said.

"Well, that settles it then," Greldo said with a grin. "Now we just need to come up with a plan that will ensure our safety while you unchain these people."

Irwin snorted, but he did agree with his friend. If they could finish Greldo's current soulcard, fill his soullake, and then start his next heartcard with a Chaos Whale card… that would be one hell of a good start.

He hummed before turning to Tyki.

"Get us moving towards your world portal. Also, get your shadowwalkers here. I need to talk with them."

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