Gloom kept his presence as minute as he could, stressing his ability to the absolute max. He'd had to hide for years, but it had never been like this. No, the last few weeks had been far more difficult as the young shadewalker explored the city, his passing like an enormous sea monster that caused the entire shadowrealm around him to swell and flow.

How did he get this much stronger? he thought as he watched the group of five slowly wander through the district, heading to the Old District.

It was the question that had been keeping him awake ever since he'd seen Greldo fight all of Lasther's minions.

It has been no more than ten years, he thought, watching the tiny undulations of the shadowrealm as the young shadewalker moved through it.

Just watching it brought back memories that had been hounding him. Memories of the true shadowrealm before most of it was shattered across all of the Portal Gallery when his world had shattered. He had seen it, the last vestiges of that half of his world, a place he'd never heard or seen about in the vastness of the Portal Gallery… and not for lack of trying. It had been dark, cool, and glorious, and inside, there had been beings more powerful than any he'd seen since. Naturally gifted beings born in the shadowrealm, with soulskills that allowed them to manipulate the shadows, create things in it and off it, and who had been able to bring entire buildings and whole tribes with them.

No… he'd not seen them until this one showed up.

He remembered them, young and scared, as they walked through the ruined shard of his world. Back then, he'd almost killed them; that's how close he had been to turning into an Addled. It had taken years for him to thoroughly return to his cool self, to regain his pupils…

I wonder if he came because I told him about it, Gloom thought as he stepped out of the shadows and sprinted across the roof, making no sound. He kept an eye on the Shadowhound that prowled around. It was incredibly sensitive, but he'd dealt with their kind many times in the past- even trained them. However, he'd only seen a few with the ability to create shadowclones, an ability as rare as they got back when Yzir'a had still been whole.

A wave of sorrow threatened to drown him as he recalled the last time he and his brothers had hunted the perpetual shadows, reveling in their powers. Back when he'd been able to woo the Maidens of the Dark.

With cold, steely willpower, he crushed the emotion, crushing it and ignoring the crumbling screams of that part of him.

He reached the edge of a roof and, focusing his full ability, stretched for the shadows on the other side, reappearing there before quickly stepping back out. He noticed the Shadowhound flitting closer, and he quickly rushed away.

It took him only a short time to hide his shadowy trails before moving into a dark alleyway. He glared at the people walking about, knowing that if he showed himself, they would hunt him. How his lesser brethren had complicated his life… Still, he had to follow the young shadewalker. It didn't matter that he'd stolen his powers from the souls of the dead. He was one of those the Guidar searched, the Galadin, or close to it, and from all he'd found out about them, the only way he had to keep a fraction of his ancient race alive- even if they would be but half-bloods.

Now, to hope these two aren't the only ones that survived, he thought.

There had to be a female Galadin alive. He zipped through a blip of shadows to another alleyway as he grimaced. Galaladin… How he wished he could have been around for those wars! He thought about the story in the books he'd found in the library while trying to forget the horror of searching through that abominable place. A race that had changed themselves interbred with a species that allowed them to slot soulshards into their hands before interbreeding with nearly all of the known Portal Gallery.

He'd barely believed it when he'd read it, but there was no denying it. It made too much sense and explained why most of those soul thieves could interbreed and all had the same soulskill.

Climbing back on the roof, he felt the old, poorly healed wound on his back hurt. He wished he could have killed Lasther himself, but atleast he'd helped by killing the stronger of his shadewalkers.

Now I just need a reason to show up… and hope they will allow me to tag along, he thought, watching the towering giant plow his way through the crowd.

--

The streets in the Old District were cramped compared to those of most of the other districts, and as Irwin followed Greldo, he constantly brushed against others. Most jumped to the side or were pressed against walls, but every Niox they passed just glared up at him, a challenge in their eyes as they allowed him to bump them to the side.

It's actually impressive, Irwin thought, as he stared down at a Niox that was atleast two heads shorter than him but seemed to be debating attacking him. Perhaps it was some kind of inborn aggression towards anyone taller? Or some kind of desire to prove themselves against anyone they deemed worthy to fight?

The Niox growled something as Irwin pushed forward, his armored shoulder shoving the bare-chested, muscled figure away as if he weighed nothing. Which, to Irwin, they didn't. Although he was shrinking, one thing he had found was that his weight didn't actually reduce. It was as if he was turning more compact, and as he brushed through the crowd, it felt like anything touching him was like leaves.

Another thing to practice, he thought, knowing he had to be careful of breaking people on accident again, not unlike when he'd gained his first soulcard.

Greldo and Nisziz chatted softly with Fuchsia, who was leading them through the districts. She'd seen only a few of them during her stay here, but like most people, she'd taken the time to check out the Old District. As the district that housed the Exit Portal to the world of Dismartinsia, it was the most central district, sitting smack in the middle of the enormous city. It was also the easiest way to reach the higher districts, those that housed the richest merchants and the nobles.

The winding paths of the old district continued until they walked into a large square. A bustling market covered nearly every square inch. Colorful cloth roofs with names in different scripts stood above the stalls, while many had squarish tents standing behind them. All market plots were roughly the same size, and people walked between them, talking softly.

"Oh, look! Puari," Klatzi said.

Irwin looked up to see a small bright red stand with beautiful curling pale yellow symbols. An older Ignitzian stood behind it, looking around, bored and out of place. A quick scan showed Irwin she was the only Ignitzian in sight, which made sense. Dismartinsia had an average temperature, and only those Ignitzians who had cards to resist the cold could simply walk around.

"Klatzi, we don't have-" Nisziz began as Irwin leaned forward.

"Just let her get a bag full," Irwin said. "I could do with some variety in my meals."

Nisziz looked up at him and hesitated before shrugging.

"Fine, but Fuchsi told us we still have an hour to go before we even reach the stairs leading up."

Klatzi dashed forward, and Irwin watched as she talked with a startled but happy Ignitzian stall keeper.

A few minutes later, she came walking back with a big backpack in her arms and a grin on her face.

"She told me that, although there's no official Ignitzian district, they have gathered in one of the richer merchant districts not too far from here," she said. "Also, these were really expensive."

Irwin grinned behind his helmet and accepted a few of the fruit. They looked small in his hand, almost like oversized nuts. It took him a few moments to screw the tops off, and then he used a finger to scoop out the soft, squishy fruit flesh inside.

As he finished, he saw Klatzi stare at him.

"Maybe I should have bought more," she muttered, looking at her own fruit, which was barely half-finished.

"It's fine," Irwin said.

They waited for a bit for Nisziz and Klatzi to finish a fruit before Irwin took the bag, and they walked around the market. Irwin had to skirt the edges, as most of the paths inside wouldn't allow him to walk through, and when he reached the other end, he waited for the others, who were moving through the market, buying the occasional thing.

"You! Big man."

Irwin blinked as he looked to the side, where an exceptionally large Niox stalked toward him. He was overly muscled even by Niox standards, and his entire torso was covered in long, thin scars as if he'd been sliced apart repeatedly. Even with his senses suppressed, he could sense the powerful soulforce rippling within him. He wished he could try and see what he could learn from the Niox, but he'd not yet practiced it enough and didn't want to end up getting a massive migraine or, worse, fainting from overload.

"Will you participate in the hand-to-hand underground arena tournament next week?"

The Niox stopped before him, looking up with his hands pressed in his sides. Irwin had the feeling he was scowling behind his mask, though, remembering what their faces looked like, he wondered if they could do anything but scowl.

"I have other business," he rumbled.

The Niox's eyes narrowed behind the mask, and Irwin saw his muscles tense and bunch up.

"Why? Think you are too good for us?"

Irwin noticed another three Nioxes approach from the market, seemingly drawn by the conversation… or was it a confrontation? He didn't know, but he didn't feel like he could take the much smaller man seriously. Besides the size difference, he only had two soulcards.

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He had no idea how, but the Niox seemed to sense his dismissal, and he took another step forward, now within arm's reach. He jabbed a finger against Irwin's chest.

"Size isn't everything," the Niox growled. "I've wrestled with the Slarthian Giants of Asorth and the Bowahla Snakits! Neither was able to beat me soundly."

Irwin blinked, having never heard of either of the worlds or the people the Niox spoke about. Still, what did he mean… soundly? So they had beaten him? Then what was he proud of?

The other three Nioxes moved to stand with the larger one, all three glaring at him.

"Rodd, are you drawing attention again?"

Irwin looked up to see Greldo and the others walk up to them. His friend had a smirk on his face, and he didn't blame him. After what they had gone through the last few months, having a few overconfident fools seemed somewhat hilarious.

"No, Domnir. This one wanted to challenge me to join some underground tournament," he said.

"Are you his boss?" the Niox snarled, stepping up to Greldo and glaring down at him. "He needs to-"

"He doesn't need to do anything," Greldo said, a wide smile on his face as he interrupted the Niox. "Now, we have very important stuff to take care of."

He turned to Irwin, beckoning him. "Let's go, Rodd. Just ignore them."

The Niox growled while the other three moved forward.

Irwin focused on them in case they did anything dumb, but walked forward. The Niox didn't give him an inch, but he didn't care and simply slammed his shoulder into the pale, muscled chest. The Niox was shoved a few steps back, his eyes widening.

The other three moved as one, and Irwin prepared to knock them out when a soft voice from above them caused everyone to stop.

"Now, now. You aren't actually planning on causing any trouble, are you?"

Irwin looked up to see a long, black-haired woman hovering above them. Her eyes gleamed and sparkled like cut emeralds while her vertical pupils widened slightly. Her long, green-tinted legs were complemented by a tight blue dress that clung to her body. As she lowered herself, she remained hovering above the ground high enough for her head to be even with Irwin's. He noticed that she had five cards slotted, one free, and from the pressure, he sensed she had three soulcards. There was also a dense cloud of greenish soulforce flowing and swirling around her. He didn't know exactly what type it was, but it gave him an odd feeling- as if he was being watched by a large predator.

"My apologies for the disturbance," she said, staring at Irwin. "Lord Ungaryt has left an escort for you at the Burgeon stairs. I will discuss proper etiquette with these gentlemen."

As she spoke, she turned her attention to the Niox, who had taken three steps back. The larger one seemed to hesitate, but Irwin sensed that any combativeness had left him.

"Lady Seldi'nir, I was just-"

"So you know my name? And still you felt it necessary to cause a commotion here? Shame on you."

Irwin noticed Greldo beckon him, and as he walked after his friend, he saw that Fuchsia's face had paled.

As they walked away, he heard Lady Seldi'nir continue to calmly berate the massive Niox.

As soon as they were out of earshot, Greldo slowed down to walk beside Irwin.

"Fuchsia says it's best to stay far away from Layd Seldi'nir. She's apparently the last of her family, and the rumor is that anyone who gets close to her ends up getting killed."

Irwin held back a snort. He believed many things, but someone who got people killed by her mere presence seemed unlikely. No, what was more likely was that the odd soulforce he'd seen around her was the cause of any of these rumors. He wished he had the time to practice his new card's sensitivity. He'd probably have been able to gain some insight into it if only to satisfy his curiosity.

His mind wandered off as he very carefully released some of his sixth card's senses. It took all of his willpower to keep the sensations from overwhelming him. For a few beautiful seconds, he experienced the world as it was with the card fully active.

The soulforce he saw drifting around seemed to become sharper and clearer; tiny swirls that had been nothing but faint lines turned crisp and almost glowing, while he was easily able to discern the different types- even those he didn't recognize. At the same time, the many different resonances of ambient soulforce, people's cards, and even a few soulskills created a cacophony of sounds. It was as if he'd been partially blind and deaf, and someone had healed him.

Everything was clearer, sharper.

Still, as much of a change as that was, it was nothing compared to the clarity of his non-physical senses. He could feel the resonance around him, able to focus on the tiniest nuance as his awareness spread out across the area around him.

What's that?

An odd, purplish, and pink type of soulforce on a distant roof drew his attention. He saw a handsome man with shoulder-length blond hair in colorful clothing stare at him in surprise before vanishing in a swirl of light.

Irwin felt his control over his sixth card shatter, the senses rapidly overwhelming him, and he clamped down on the card, shutting it off. Instantly, the world looked dull and drab. The soulforce that had been clear and colorful looked like a mist that moved throughout the dirty streets and alleyways, while the sounds had turned muted and less vibrant.

He looked around and saw Greldo and the others calmly walking in front. Nisziz was softly chatting with Fuchsia.

"Domnir," Irwin whispered, his voice so soft it was likely inaudible to someone even a step beside him.

Greldo laughed and said something to Klatzi before lowering his pace until he fell in line beside Irwin.

"What's wrong?"

Irwin quickly explained what he'd seen in a whisper.

Greldo didn't visibly react, and they continued walking after the others.

"Coal's searching now, but he can't find anything. None of his clones saw anything either," Greldo whispered after a few minutes. "He will keep an eye out."

Irwin nodded, and they continued their journey through the district until they reached the stony wall where the district bordered the mountainside. An enormous, winding staircase had been cut out into the side, and hundreds of people were walking up or down. The square before it was a place where dozens of roads intersected, creating a rowdy mass of people trying to shove their way toward whatever road they had to get to.

The only clear area was in front of a large building that was carved into the side of the mountain, below the staircase. A group of guards in matching dark gray plated armor with faint red swirling lines stood before it, inspecting the people walking forward. They had blue ribbons around their wrists and a blueish symbol in the shape of two intersected U's on their chest.

Elarian Insulated Steel, Irwin thought as he inspected the armor, surprised to see one of the metals from Giard. He knew the metals were present in the Portal Gallery, but he'd not encountered one yet, and seeing it made him think of his time in Trimdir's forge, learning how to purify metal.

As he towered out of the mass of people like a mountain peak, he wasn't surprised when an older, bearded man spotted him almost instantly. The man turned to a woman beside him, and she looked up with pupilless white eyes. Her forehead was a mass of scar tissue partially hidden by her brilliant red hair, and some of the scars ran across her eyes, touching her cheeks. It looked as if she'd been shot in the head by an energy ball that had taken out both her eyes, but as she looked at Irwin, he had the distinct feeling she was seeing everything perfectly.

"I think I've spotted our escort," Irwin said as they walked through the mass.

"Alright, let's see what they want," Greldo said.

It still took a while to move through the mass of people, and when they reached the cleared area in front of the building, the group of six fully plated warriors was already walking towards them.

The woman with the scarred face was walking in the lead, her body moving with incredible ease and fluidity for what Irwin knew had to be a very heavy armor.

"Lord Domnir. Lord Rodd. I am Mallada Dirquas, captain of Lord Haborth Serin Ungaryt, and I am here to guide you to my Lord's estate."

Irwin looked at her, sensing her two topaz cards and topaz heartcard. All were expertly crafted, either ninety-seven or ninety-eight percent, showing that whoever had made her heartcards had been an expert cardsmith.

"Lady Mallada," Greldo said as he stepped forward. "Thank you for the welcome. These are our friends, Lady Nisziz Einblath and her bladesister Klatzi Smokewielder. This-" he pointed at Fuchsi. "Is our guest, Fuchsi."

Irwin was more than a little impressed by how smoothly Greldo said all of the things, but he guessed that, after having practiced them with Nisziz, it made sense.

"Pleasure to meet you," Mallada said.

Irwin found it mildly disconcerting that her completely alabaster eyes seemed to be staring at everything and nothing at the same time.

"If you would follow me to the private staircase?"

She turned and headed back to the building, the other guards waiting for Irwin and the others to move first.

Greldo walked forward without any apparent hesitation, but Irwin knew his friend. He saw the slight tightness in his shoulders and the overly quick way in which he looked around. He was prepared for anything, including them being backstabbed.

Although he didn't think they would, Irwin turned to the guards, glaring at them through his helmet before motioning them forward.

"I'm always in the back," he rumbled. A lie, but they wouldn't know that, as from the moment he'd arrived here, it was what he'd been doing.

The guards shared a look, and then all but one turned and walked forward, leaving the last one to walk in lockstep with Irwin.

The guard said nothing, which suited Irwin perfectly.

The entrance to the building led into a room that had no visible ceiling. It seemed to just go on and on, ending in a greyish blur. Two large spiraling staircases led up, and Irwin saw a platform roughly a hundred feet up, then another double that, and so on.

Greldo and Mallada were walking together, chatting softly, while the rest followed them.

Irwin stared at the staircase. It spun around and around, and it was far too low for him to walk comfortably.

"I'm going to have to move up on my own," he said, glancing at the guard.

"Yes, Lord Rodd," the guard said, his voice a cool, smooth baritone.

Irwin still hated being called Lord. He wondered if Greldo disliked it as much as he did. Probably, as it had to remind him about the old Lords and Lordlings from when they were young.

With a sigh, he clicked his tongue and zipped across the soundwaves, reaching the first platform. He barely stood there when the guard appeared beside him. The plates of his armor were glowing dully red while waves of comforting warmth pulsed from him. A few cracks and smudge marks sat on the edge of the stone platform.

How… what?

Irwin's eyes widened as he had an idea, and he took a step forward to look straight down. The previously pristine dark gray stone wall that led down to the next floor had a line of indents and cracks on it, leading straight to where he stood.

"Did you just run up the wall?" he asked, turning to the guard, whose armor had turned dark again. He scanned the man's resonance, feeling a single emerald soulcard and an emerald heartcard. The soulcard gave him a familiar sense of belonging.

"Yes, Lord Rodd."

I wonder what Daubutim would think of this, Irwin thought.

"Which floor do we need to get to?" he asked.

"Two higher, Lord Rodd," the guard said calmly.

"Alright, see you there," Irwin said, clicking his tongue and zipping across the soundwaves.

He appeared two floors higher on the platform, and a split second later, he only just saw a red blur move across the edge before the guard stood beside him, his armor glowing almost orange.

"Your first soulcard is a flaming dash ability?" Irwin asked.

"Yes, Lord Rodd."

Irwin held back a groan. Couldn't this guy say anything except 'Yes, lord Rodd'?

He sighed and crossed his arms, waiting for the others to move up.

It took them over ten minutes, after which they walked across the platform to the other side, where they entered a vast square of polished pale blue stone with dark blue pillars covered in vines. Dark blue flowers grew from the vines, while tall, beautiful buildings with doors and rooms with oval tops surrounded the square. The ceiling above them was atleast a hundred feet high, and dozens of ships flew around leisurely. Very few people walked around, and those whom Irwin saw wore colorful clothing and had at least one guard with them.

"Welcome to The Ungaryt District," Malada said as a small flying ship, sleek and twenty feet long, landed beside them.

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