Lord Harborth Serin Ungaryt paced through the small room, his long silver hair flicking sideways on every turn. Each time he turned, his bloodred pupils took in the shimmering crystalline shape. As tall as he was and twice as wide, it was hard to say what it truly was.

Not that he cared. To him, all that mattered was the person in the crystalline form.

A young boy, barely eight, stood inside, his eyes wide in surprise as he stared at his left hand, which had two cards. He didn't move, didn't blink, didn't seem to breathe, and he hadn't for a little over twenty years.

"I am not yet spent, my Lord. Even if the Cardsmith is not the one, we have time," a cracked, old voice said.

Harborth sighed as he looked at the sole other person in the room. With short, graying hair and wrinkles, his oldest and most trusted retainer had aged considerably longer than he should have in twenty years. It showed the stress his two weak soulcards had been under from holding up his temporal status skill. Even the best soulforce food Harborth could buy, the most powerful healers he could employ, weren't enough to do more than hold back the inevitable death of the man whom he, in secret, thought of more as a father or older brother than a retainer.

"I know, Slaztragh, but from all I have been able to gather, this Cardsmith is as skilled as Bennili was," Harborth said, crossing his arms as he stared wistfully at his grandson, Firgus.

"Perhaps, my Lord, but this Irwin Roddington is still very young. Are you sure it is worth the risk? He might just be after the reward."

Harborth sighed as he quickly went over the information he'd been able to glean from the salvaged records of the now-defunct and destroyed local Cardsmith Guild Charter. He'd not yet found the time to share it with Slaztragh, but now he was as good as any.

"According to the information they had on him, he started as a mere Quartz rank Cardsmith and managed to become Emerald rank within only a few years," he said thoughtfully. "There was a record that stated he was likely to have become a Ruby rank Cardsmith within four years after that when he was at the Granvox Academy. Besides, he has bound one of those Ganvil Princes."

"That is… impressive, my Lord," Slaztragh said.

Harborth could hear the but coming, and he smiled wearily.

"Yes?"

"But, my Lord, a mere Ruby rank Cardsmith… You have two of those here already, and neither was capable of helping. Even Master Cardsmith Bennili said he wasn't sure if he could create the card… he said the interference from my skill was too high."

Harborth felt a twinge of annoyance as he recalled the meeting with the self-proclaimed Master Cardsmith. As the local head of the Cardsmith charter, he was the sole diamond rank Cardsmith, even if only a rank-one, and their meeting had been a frustrating challenge.

"Bennili merely wanted a larger reward," he grumbled, voicing his grievances at the slimy cardsmith. "He asked for ten years on my family's homeworld…"

A gasp came from Slaztragh. "The gall!"

"It is fine, Slaztragh. Bennili got what he had coming, and I'm sure wished he'd taken my generous offers when Lasther captured him."

Harborth shook his head as he thought about the powerful being that had been hidden right under his nose. He was going to have to explain to his uncle how he'd never known about the man's power or how he'd not managed to prevent him from gathering thousands of Cardsmiths and slaughtering them.

His thoughts drifted off to the pieces of information he'd been able to find about Lasther. The Cardsmith and his friend, the shadewalker, had been reportedly calling the man's species Guidar, but no matter how much he searched, he was unable to find anything about it. Even asking the librarians had brought up nothing but frustration.

They would have never dared ignore my mother like this.

Harborth shook his head at the intrusive thought. He forcefully suppressed the old feelings of grandiose superiority that had gotten him into trouble in the first place. It was easier now than a few hundred years ago, but his mother's words still rang true.

You can't change who you are, but only cover it up.

He smirked as he heard the voice of his mother ring out in the hollow throneroom the last evening before he'd been sent to this horrible, backwater branch. Even now, so many years later, the memory was engraved in his mind, as was his own debaucherous behavior that had led to his expulsion.

He laughed silently, but his smile wilted as he looked back at his grandson. He was one of the few of his surviving offspring. A bright-eyed young boy who had brought joy to the house with his antics.

A knock on the door behind him stopped his reminiscences, and he turned.

"What?"

"My Lord, Mallada has arrived with the Cardsmith. They are walking through the entry garden now and should reach the audience chamber shortly."

"Good," Harborth said as he nodded at Slaztragh. "Let us hope that soon we can all dine together."

"Yes, my lord." The old man's smile didn't reach his eyes.

Harborth turned and stomped out of the room, closing the thick metallic door behind him before stalking through the hallway. Guards stood at the ready against the wall, as they had and would remain for as long as Firgus was here.

A well-dressed, gangly man stood waiting at the end, near the staircase that led up to the guard's training quarters.

"My Lord, the Cardsmith has come with the shadewalker, two Ignitzians, and a young human woman. The Cardsmith has shrunk since our last information. However, he is still nine feet tall. There might be some trouble getting him inside."

"It is fine. I will meet them in the garden," Harborth said. "Have a silencer meet us at Pavilion One and prepare a meal. Include some Ignitzian food, and make sure you bring enough. According to what I have found, the Cardsmith enjoys spicy food."

"Yes, my lord," the gangly man said. "Also, that information broker… Terlo has returned. He said the Cardsmith was able to detect his presence."

Harborth felt like gagging as he thought of Terlo. Although pleasing to the eye and always well-dressed, the man had the disgusting habit of picking his nose in public and spoke as if they were equals. If not for his frankly ridiculous set of cards, Harborth wouldn't have offered him sanctuary when the storm hit.

"Very well. I take it he is hanging out in the garden, preparing some mischief?"

"I fear so, my Lord."

"Great," Harborth grumbled. "Get everything ready."

"Yes, my lord," the gangly retainer said before bowing and vanishing in a blur.

Harborth could have seen him move away, but he wasn't willing to waste any soulforce. Although he doubted it would be needed, he wanted to be at his full strength if the Cardsmith tried to steal his prize. He didn't think he would, but he'd been wrong before.

Fine, let's see what this Irwin can do, he thought as he lengthened his stride.

--

Irwin looked around, glad he had his helmet on as it hid the awed look he knew he probably had. They were walking through a forested garden, everything planted and maintained to perfection. In the distance, a beautiful building of pale white stone infused with bluish lines rose in the center of the estate. A look to the side saw just how vast the area was. The distant walls behind which the rest of this district was hiding were miles away, and the ceiling high above was covered in fake clouds. He could see the faintly glowing runes on the ceiling above them, showing how they even got here.

Just looking around at the garden and the tiny birds hunting the insects that crawled around, it was easy to imagine they were in a world and not inside a city.

"This is pretty impressive," Greldo said.

"Lord Harborth takes great pride in his estate, and his garden is the envy of even the Viridians," Mallada said. "It also provides most of the food for the three surrounding districts."

Which are probably only noble districts, Irwin thought, looking around and wondering how many people in Dismarintsia were starving while the nobles still ate well.

They continued walking along the stone-paved path until they reached a pavilion bordering a massive flowerbed filled with blue flowers of every shade, a few clusters of brilliant purple ones nestled amidst them. With the slightly elevated pavilion, it almost felt like the flowerbed was a lake flowing in the gentle breeze.

Two oval tables surrounded by chairs, one massive and seemingly made for a giant, stood on the pavilion, and a silver-haired man with bloodred eyes sat beside the large one. A woman in a beautiful silver and blue robe and brown curls running down her shoulders stood beside him.

One look told Irwin he had to be Lord Harborth. He had five ruby-rank soulcards, two of which felt a hundred percent, while the others were in the high nineties. With two handcards and four empty slots, Irwin wondered what he was preparing for his last heartcard. Even though it could not become a soulcard, it was still an important choice.

The woman beside him had two soulcards, and something about her first one felt oddly familiar to Irwin.

Before he could wonder about it, Lord Harborth rose, looking straight at him.

"Smith Rodd, I am glad you accepted my invitation," he said. "I hope you had a pleasant trip. Food will arrive in a moment, and perhaps I can offer you a drink?"

Lord Harborth's voice was sharp and clear, with a harsh accent that favored the R, causing them to roll longer than Irwin felt they should.

"Thank you for your hospitality, Lord Harborth," he said, keeping to what Nisziz had explained about proper conduct. "Some food and drink would be very welcome."

The Lord smiled ever so slightly as he inclined his head to the immense chair beside him.

Irwin moved forward and sat down carefully. The chair didn't even budge as his weight settled in it. Greldo and the others sat down around the table, Greldo taking the chair opposite Lord Harborth while Nisziz sat on his right.

"Welcome to my estate," Lord Harborth said as he sat down and looked at his guests. "I am familiar with Lord Domnir, but perhaps you can introduce your companions?"

Greldo quickly introduced them, and when he reached Fuchsia, Irwin noticed Lord Harborth look at her for a few moments longer. His eyes narrowed, and he cocked his head.

"Miss Fuchsia… am I correct in saying that you are currently not in your natural form?"

Irwin looked at Fuchsia, sensing nothing about her, before turning to Lord Harborth. How had the man detected this?

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

Fuchsia looked startled, her face turning pale. "I…"

"She is currently hiding her true self to prevent issues," Greldo said, smiling. "However, I am incredibly curious how your Lordship managed to detect this?"

Lord Harborth nodded slowly, smiling at Fuchsia, who looked terrified.

"I am sorry for startling you, young one," he said. "I am sure most people would never even realize, however-" Lord Harborth tapped his nose. "I have rather keen senses, and your blood does not smell like that of any human I have ever met."

He can smell blood? Irwin thought as he glanced at Greldo, the two of them sharing a surprised look.

"Do not worry," he said as he raised his hand at the woman to his side. "I can fully understand some things that need to stay a secret from those who would snoop."

As he said that, he looked straight up, raising an eyebrow.

Irwin followed his look, but there was nobody above them. He relaxed his hold on his Solcruthaithe card, and his perception began to grow sharper, with the soulforce previously spiraling around turning into beautiful combinations of different types of soulforce. Finally, just as he was reaching the point where he had to stop, he saw, sensed, and heard a tiny inconsistency. It was hovering within the fake clouds, in front of a dense amount of runes, which was likely why he hadn't noticed it before. As soon as he saw it, he recognized the type of soulforce resonance. Someone with the ability to change into a cloud of air vapor was hanging above them.

"Interesting," he muttered, barely able to sense more than the general type of the card used. "Some sort of cloud-shape."

"Ah, you can actually spot her too?" Lord Harborth said, eyebrows raised. "That would make you the only one besides me."

Greldo sniffed, grinning softly. "Would you like me to chase her away?"

Lord Harborth turned to Greldo, his eyebrows remaining high as a dangerous smile colored his lips.

"You are capable of this? I'd owe you a small favor if you could be so kind."

Greldo's grin turned absolutely feral, and a startled cry came from above. They all looked up to see a tiny figure made up of gray and black clouds shoot away from the cloud cover, chased by a dozen black hounds.

Lord Harborth let out a hearty laugh, shaking his head.

"Ahhhh, I've been wanting to get rid of her ever since she arrived. She's one of the information brokers in the city, and I've been unable to stop her from constantly snooping around."

Irwin doubted that very much, but he decided not to say so out loud.

A hustle came from the path leading to the main building, and three people carrying plates walked over.

"Ah! How about we enjoy our meal before we discuss serious things?"

It wasn't a question, and Irwin hesitated before removing his helmet and putting it on the ground below his chair. Lord Harborth showed no reaction to his appearance, showing he likely already knew what Irwin looked like.

I guess it makes sense after running around naked for all of that battle, Irwin thought.

For the next half an hour, he and the others enjoyed the best meal they had had since leaving Igniz. Lord Harborth regaled them with stories about how he'd arrived at the city close to a thousand years ago and how he'd taken over from the previous Lord, who had been a great uncle of his and also a member of the Ungaryt family. Back then, the estate had been more of a castle, with thick walls and training grounds where they now stood.

When they finally finished their meal, and the table had been cleaned, Lord Harborth leaned back.

"Now, although I don't notice anyone else here, I am afraid it's impossible to know if someone isn't watching or listening. So, if you don't mind, Cardsmith Rodd, I will guarantee our conversation remains confidential."

Irwin nodded. "That would likely be for the best."

Lord Harborth waved at the women who had calmly remained beside him, not talking or partaking in the meal.

A swirl of soulforce expanded from her, and Irwin sensed her soulcard rippling out. A moment later, a barrier almost identical to the one that Lord Bron had surrounded them. The sounds from outside were gone, and it was so opaque that it was hard to see more than simple shapes and smudges of color on the other side.

"I don't know if you have ever been inside a confidentiality bubble, but nothing we say can be heard by anyone outside," Lord Harborth said.

"I am familiar with the ability," Irwin agreed.

"Good. Then I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but do you mind if I call you by your proper name, Cardsmith Irwin Roddington?"

Irwin started, instinctively reaching out and reading his abilities. There was no reaction from the others, though he noticed that Nisziz remained as calm as before, gently sipping from her steaming glass of bright orange Scorchi juice.

"My apologies for startling you," Lord Harborth said. "However, I find that speaking candidly expedites any conversation. I have taken the liberty to examine a bit about you after you took care of Lasther- my thanks for that, by the way. Good riddance to him. I take it that you have learned some things about me as well, and you are here for the second life card?"

Irwin slowly relaxed as he saw Lord Harborth remain calmly seated.

"How did you find out about me?" Irwin asked, adding a belated 'Lord Harborth'.

"After the local Cardsmith Guild charter was destroyed, I managed to get most of their records," Lord Harborth said. "Also, I am still able to reach out to other worlds, although only infrequently, and I gained some more information about you from my contacts on Granvox."

Irwin was surprised at how open the Lord was and decided to see how far this transparency would go. A look around showed that Greldo and the others were perfectly fine with having him continue the conversation.

"And why, if I might ask, did you look into my past to this extent?" he asked.

"Let's not play around," Lord Harborth said with a smile. "You have heard about my grandson's predicament and the reward I have posted for this. From all I have been able to gather, you are a young but incredibly accomplished Ruby rank Cardsmith. My hope is that you can save my grandson."

Irwin tapped a simple beat with his finger on the armrest as he looked at the Lord.

"I would need to know what is wrong with him first," he said. "I heard he has slotted a cursed card?"

Lord Harborth sighed, taking another sip of his drink.

"He didn't slot it. I did. But let me explain," he said with a sad look. "Twenty years ago, Oiler Seldi'nir, the previous head of the old Seldi'nir family, decided he would be a better fit as the nominal ruler of Dismarintsia, and he staged an attack. Before I was able to defeat the assassins sent my way, the others had found their way to my family's compound and slaughtered them all."

Irwin blinked at the calm way Lord Harborth spoke. If this had happened to him, he didn't think he'd be able to talk about it so calmly, not even twenty years later.

"After disposing of all the assassins, I found that all but two of my grandchildren had died. Both had grievous wounds, but the younger of the two could be healed, and he was sent away to somewhere safe. Sadly, the older one, Firgus, was not so lucky. He'd been attacked by a horrendous poison that attacked his burgeoning soulforce, and as he was too young to slot many cards, those he had weren't strong enough to protect him."

"That is horrible," Fuchsia whispered.

Lord Harborth nodded at her. "It was. There was nothing the healers could do, but during my travels, I'd gathered some interesting cards. One of them, a cursed one, could heal nearly any soulforce damage. Sadly, the downside was that, except for being unremovable like most cursed cards, it also put a constant drain on someone's soulforce. For one such as us-" he motioned at Irwin and Greldo. "-such a drain would be merely annoying and not lethal, but with as little soulforce as Firgus had, it meant his life was down to weeks. Luckily, one of my retainers has a card that allows him to create a very small, localized time-freeze area. It isn't a viable combat skill, but it proved the perfect way to keep Firgus alive."

Irwin crossed his arms, relaying everything that was being told to Ambraz, who was still in his soulscape.

"A shame," Ambraz said. "That card would have been great for you. Even if it was cursed, your soulforce generation is so high it would probably barely register to you."

Back at the table, Irwin hummed thoughtfully.

"So, you are looking for a card that can increase his soulforce generation to offset the card?"

"That, or a way to unslot it. The card has served its purpose, and if it can be removed, that would be for the best," Lord Harborth said. "That said, and to be as transparent as possible, I have had multiple ruby-rank cardsmiths examine Firgus. They all agreed that the cursed card, in combination with his first card, created a troublesome combination. One of them showed me a diagram that represented the two cards and explained that the details of the card that would be needed were so incredibly precise and minute that he suggested only a third-rank diamond Cardsmith could create one."

Irwin rubbed his chin, humming softly as he imagined that. Handcards were rarely that complex unless they were ruby-rank or higher.

"What rank is his first and second card?" he asked.

Lord Harborth looked at him, a flicker running through his eyes.

"This proves the other major issue," he said. "Firgus's first card was… very special."

Irwin blinked, suddenly having a sense of where things were going. Lord Harborth had seemed open and easy ever since they arrived, but he could think of one reason for his reluctance to answer.

"Normally, I wouldn't tell you this, but…" he glanced at the woman beside him, and his retainer nodded.

Irwin was stunned when a second, smaller bubble surrounded him and Lord Harborth.

"I hope I can trust you to keep this information to yourself…?"

Irwin nodded. "I have an idea what you are going to say, and I'll not share it with anyone," he said.

Lord Harborth froze, staring at him for a while. "Have you… heard about Ammolite cards?"

Irwin held back a sigh and nodded. "I have. I think it might be best if I see your grandson for myself before I can say anything more."

A flash of relief passed through the Lord's eyes while his pupils brightened considerably.

"That would be great," he said.

With a flick of his fingers, the smaller bubble vanished, and Lord Harborth looked at the others.

"My apologies for my rude behavior. However, I had something to discuss with Cardsmith Irwin. If you would all be so kind as to stay here?"

Greldo turned to Irwin. They didn't need any words to share a quick set of messages, and Irwin was glad to see his friend nod. He was sure he'd have either Coal or his shadow clones with him.

"If you need any more food or drinks, my retainers will provide everything," Lord Harborth said, glancing at the woman who had created the barrier.

Irwin wondered why he had not introduced her. Was it because she was a servant?

"If you would kindly follow me, Cardsmith Rodd."

Irwin rose from his chair, nodded at Greldo and the others before following the Lord.

As they reached the building, Lord Harborth suddenly stopped and looked at Irwin, then back, frowning.

"Your size might be a problem…"

"I can ask Greldo to bring me through the shadowrealm," Irwin suggested.

"No, I'd prefer as few people to know where my grandson is," Lord Harborth said as he sighed. "I… really didn't want to do this, but I guess I'll have no choice."

Irwin frowned at the odd sense of annoyance the Lord suddenly projected as he turned to the side.

"Terlo, I know you are listening in. Would you-"

There was a flash of bright light, and a tall, blond-haired man with a smooth, sharp face and clear eyes appeared to the side. He wore a long, red, and golden jacket that was part armor, part decoration, and black, metal-padded leather trousers with sleek, matching boots.

"Ah! Lord Harborth, such a surprise to see you here!" he said in a somewhat song-like voice.

Irwin stared at him in disbelief, recognizing him instantly.

"You are the one who was observing us before," he said, taking a step forward.

"Ah, right! I'm always curious about giants," the man said, a wide smile on his face. "You're the smith, right?"

Irwin blinked, turning to Lord Harborth, who had a hand on his face and looked pained.

"My apologies, Cardsmith Rodd. I hope his presence didn't offend you…"

Irwin didn't know how to react, but Terlo didn't seem to care.

"So, you need to get your towering behind to that well-hidden, highly-guarded lower section, right?" he asked with a wide grin.

Lord Harborth made a choking sound before sighing.

"Yes, please bring him there. I'll increase your reward somewhat."

"Great!" Terlo said loudly as he jumped forward, put his hand on Irwin's upper leg, and winked. "Don't resist now!"

Irwin held back the desire to kick and felt the surrounding soulforce wrap around them in the familiar torrent and resonance that any teleportation seemed to hold, no matter the specific type. He could prevent it if he wanted to, but let himself be whisked away.

It took less than a fraction of a second. Then he stood in a high-ceilinged, spacious room with guards on the sides and a metal door on the end. Dozens of eyes locked onto them, but the guards didn't make any odd moves.

"Well, now we wait for that old blood wielder to reach us," Terlo said, putting his hands behind his head and grinning. "So, how about you tell me how you saw me? Also, why can't I read any of your cards?!"

Irwin looked at Terlo, feeling a great need to strangle him. Something must have shown on his face as the other man's eyes widened, and he took a step back.

"Hey now! No need to get violent!"

"Let's just wait till Lord Harborth is here," Irwin said.

Terlo nodded, his eyes widening as he seemed ready to say something.

"Quietly."

There was a soft snicker from one of the guards, and Terlo shrugged.

"Fine, fine."

He moved to the side and leaned against the wall next to a guard, humming a soft tune.

"Think they would appreciate a song?" he asked, pulling out a long fiddle-like instrument from thin air and tuning it quickly.

Irwin wanted to say no, but he was also suddenly curious. He hadn't seen many people play instruments, or music for that matter, since he'd left the academy.

Terlo seemed to take the silence as they agreed, and he began playing a quick and upbeat song. A few moments later, he began singing about the daughter of a local lord who'd fallen for one of his guards and ran away, and Irwin wasn't sure he should be more surprised at how good it sounded or at the balls on the man.

I hope Lord Harborth is here fast, he thought.

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