Irwin's Journey chapter 20: Rumors and reality (Patreon)

It took them a while to locate the Cracked Leaf Inn, as it was nestled in the busiest part of town, oddly hidden between two three-story buildings that dominated the town's central area. Wooden boards hung from the dozens of entrances, outside stairs leading to the other stories, those to the third frighteningly exposed. Still, it was busy, and the people walking and climbing from shop to shop seemed perfectly at ease, walking a narrow ladder side by side with a twenty feet drop if they misstepped. The buildings were connected with an odd wooden contraption, and in the center of those was another building with a massive sign on the wall.

"Wignut's trader's society," Greldo said as he gaped around the buildings.

Irwin wasn't doing any better, his eyes drifting to the Cracked Leaf, which sat in the gap between the buildings, almost as if everything had been as it was to accommodate its existence. A sign above one of the windows showed a leaf cracked in half, as if made of stone, with a name below it. It and the buildings around it almost seemed a whole thing, and he let his gaze wander it for a while. They didn't have anything remotely as big or odd in Malorin.

"Let's find the others, then see if we can get some boots," he finally said, causing Greldo to shake.

"Okay," his friend muttered, and they wound their way through the increasingly dense mass of people.

"Care for pickpockets." A soft whisper from his chest pocket caused Irwin to put a hand over his coin.

A short area before the oddly small door that led into the Inn was cleared of people, and a guard stood leaning against the wall, his eyes darting from left to right. When he saw Irwin and Greldo approach, he raised an eyebrow.

"With the sorceress, I take it? She be in the left-most rentable group room- get there, and no dilly-dallying," the guard grunted in a heavily accented common.

Irwin and Greldo nodded, and the guard stared at them for a moment longer before focusing back on the mass of people.

The door was heavier than it looked, and it took some effort to get it open enough for them to sneak through. It fell back as soon as they were through, and looking up, Irwin saw a rope attached to the door corner looping around on the opposite side and down with a heavy looking back attached.

They stood in a wide corridor with a register in front and a door on each end.

"Ah, more children," a happy voice called out, and they saw an elderly woman with more wrinkles than Irwin had ever seen smile at them. Her blue eyes seemed too large for her face, and she was leafing through a book that was on the counter before her. "Now, don't block the door! If you are with Tanya, you can go through the left door, walk through the restaurant and take the leftmost door again," she said with another wide smile.

"Thank you," Irwin and Greldo said, almost at the same time, garnering them another smile.

The left door didn't have the auto-closing mechanism and opened as a door should, leading them into a large, busy room. Twice as high as a normal room, wooden poles elevated platforms ten feet high, with ladders leading to them. People were sitting on many, eating, laughing, and chatting, while below were other tables with more people.

"Incredible," Greldo muttered, and Irwin agreed. They wound their way along the paths between the tables, and as they passed one of the ladders, he saw a number on the side. Probably the table number? he thought.

A half dozen doors sat in the far wall, and going through the most left one, they entered into a hallway with more doors, ending in an open area. Children Irwin recognized stood there, looking at someone, and he heard Tanya's voice. They walked forward, picking up halfway through her speech.

"-back in two hours. The guide will be ready then, and we will head to the first of the portals! Don't make me find any of you. Got it?" Tanya said, grinning to show it wasn't a threat.

"Yes, Sorceress Tanya," a few of the children chimed before half of the group turned, walking around Irwin and Greldo.

The room was filled with old, worn-looking benches, with intricate crafting that might one day have been beautiful. Now everything looked like it had been found in a ruin. Those children that weren't leaving stood grouped together, and Daubutim towered over everyone. A quick look showed the rest of their group surrounding him.

"Irwin, glad you made it," Tanya called out, and Irwin saw her move towards them. "I'm sorry we couldn't wait for you, but I wanted this room, and if we were too late, it might have been unavailable," she continued. "Now, you heard what I said just now?"

Irwin nodded. "Two hours to find boots, then back here," he said.

"Good. There are doors back there leading to a room for each of your groups. Good luck finding some boots," Tanya said before turning and walking to the only door leading away from the larger open area.

"Thank you, Sorceress Tanya," Irwin said after her retreating form, and she waved, showing she'd heard. He wasn't surprised.

"Irwin, are you going to the shops," Rachel asked as she came towards them, Twintin next to her.

"Yes. Find some new boots if I can find some that are a silver or less," Irwin said with a shrug.

"You should not skimp on good boots," Daubutim said with a deep frown. "They are the things that carry you where you need to go."

Irwin blinked, wondering who had told Daubutim this so many times that he'd managed to say it in such a way that it channeled another person's voice.

"I know," he said. "But I don't have more coin than this. So unless you want to lend me more…" he said with a grin that showed he was kidding.

"Alright," Daubutim said with a short nod and glassy eyes. "I'll come."

Irwin blinked at him stupidly. Seriously? Someone kicked his chin, and he looked at Greldo in annoyance, but the other boy just nodded, raising an eyebrow. "You need boots," he said before turning to Daubutim.

"Thanks, Daub," he said.

Daubutim frowned and looked at him. "Only my family calls me Daub," he said. "Please don't do that."

There was an awkward silence as Greldo flushed, then he nodded quickly. "Sure. Daubutim it is. Didn't know."

Daubutim's frown disappeared. "Thank you."

"Right… interesting and all that," Olban said. "But I need to take care of something. I'll see you back here before two hours have passed." Then he turned and almost ran towards the door.

The others looked after him, and Irwin shared a confused look with Greldo.

"That was weird?" Rachel muttered, matching what Irwin had been thinking.

Greldo, however, frowned, and as he stared after Olban, Irwin saw his eyes narrow as if he had realized something. It lasted for only a moment, then vanished. As he turned to Irwin, he shrugged.

"Well, he's not wrong. Let's go and get you some boots," he said and gestured towards the door through which Olban had vanished.

Irwin nodded, wondering what Greldo had noticed that he had missed, and with Daubutim behind them, they headed out.

Fifteen minutes later, he stood in an old but well-maintained store with various leather boots, shoes, belts, pants, and even simple armor on display. He was looking at a set of boots that were his size and way more expensive than he'd ever seen. The dark leather gleamed, and the pair of metal buckles holding the sides together were simple but high quality.

"These should be fine," Daubutim said, sounding disinterested.

He's definitely a noble, Irwin thought as he looked at the price below the boots that said they were one gold and three silvers. He wanted to ask Daubutim if he was sure, then thought better of it. He needed boots, and if his question somehow made the other second guess his reasoning, he'd have to go in with the ones he had now.

Feeling odd, he picked them up and carried them to the front desk, inspecting the belts that looped around and wondering how to even put them on. A tiny, eagle-nosed man was frowning at him, his eyes darting to Irwin's shoes and then back up. "I hope you don't make a habit of mutilating your footwear, young man."

Irwin's face turned red, and he quickly shook his head. "No, sir crafter," he said, which got him a raised eyebrow.

"Well… good. Now, I don't do haggling, but from your apparel, I can see you are not flush with cash. So if you buy these, I'll help you buckle it properly so you will have no shaving," the man said, and Irwin got the feeling he brooked no argument.

"Please don't take us for fools," Daubutim said before he could say yes.

The taller boy's voice was suddenly razor sharp, and both Irwin and Greldo turned to him with surprised, confused looks.

"Though well crafted, these boots have wear on the heel, and the belt buckle was added later. These have obviously been repaired and should not be the same price as new ones. I think nine silver would be a more fair price."

The old man's eyes had focused on Daubutim, widening slightly as the tall boy spoke.

"You are right, but you will not find any cheaper boots in Wingnut," the man said with a slight frown, not denying any of what Daubutim had said.

"Perhaps. But I think it would pay not to overcharge potential sorcerers," Daubutim said, causing the man to freeze for a moment. "We might otherwise not return for more equipment when we so need it."

Has he been playing us all this time? Irwin thought as he stared stupidly at the boy, barely recognizing him.

"Sorcerers," the man said, drawing out the word as if tasting it. "I see. And you think I should believe you on your word?"

"You can verify it easily enough, and if we are lying, you can also find us. Wignut is not large, and we are new and easily located," Daubutim said, seeming undeterred.

"One gold," the man said.

"Nine silver and three copper," Daubutim said. "And when I need my new boots and am able, I'll come here to have them made."

The man seemed ready to snap something when he stopped and examined Daubutim from head to toe. When his gaze reached the other's muddy but obviously high-quality black-leather boots, his eyebrows shot up. He swallowed audibly before nodding. "Fine, young man. You drive a hard bargain, and I hope you don't prove a trickster."

"You have my word," Daubutim said while he took a purse from his belt and put one gold coin on the table before turning to Irwin, who was staring at the thumb-sized gleaming golden coin. "I don't have copper coins."

Irwin looked at him as if he was joking, then quickly scrambled for his copper and put three on the table.

"An odd group you are," the man said as he swiped up the coin. "Now, follow me."

Another ten minutes later, Irwin and the rest walked out of the store. He was another three copper poorer but with new, thick, and warm socks and warm feet. His boots fit snugly but had a reasonable amount of room in the toes for growth, and the craftsman had shown him how to change the belts and buckle if needed.

As happy as he was about it, the first thing he did after they moved away from the entrance was turn to Daubutim. "Have you been tricking us?" he asked.

The boy looked at him for a moment, his eyes dull and no sight of the sharp gleam from before, and frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Just now, what was that?" Irwin asked, noting that Greldo was standing quietly beside them, not interrupting.

"Haggling," Daubutim said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "My father taught my brothers and me. I'm not as good as them."

Irwin grunted. Was he joking? How could he act like this when he'd obviously-

"Daubutim, did your father tell you to look and talk like that when haggling?" Greldo asked, interrupting him.

Daubutim nodded slowly. "Yes. He made me look in mirrors for long times and said my eyes had to look like ice. It was boring and hard."

"Incredible," Greldo muttered before turning to Irwin. "Let's go. Daubutim is just good at this. I'll explain it later."

Irwin nodded, but Greldo's question had made something click, and he realized what the other meant. He seemed to think Daubutim could act in a certain way with incredible skill, but it was no more than that. An act. As he thought about the boy's previous acts, it made some sense, he thought. Still, he decided to keep an eye on the dull boy and discuss it with Greldo later.

They climbed back down the ladder, making their way towards the road below when they passed a larger wooden platform with a small group of people on it. They stood in a circle and were talking loud enough for Irwin to overhear as he passed.

"I'm telling you, my cousin is a guard on the peninsula wall, and he wouldn't lie! Special cards have been popping up more and more lately, and he says the last time that happened was during the great dying a hundred years ago!" a stubble-faced man snapped as if someone had said he was lying.

"And I just told you to stop spreading lies, Jeffrey. You will get people scared for nothing," another man said, raising his voice. "There've not been any large overflows from portals in decades, and the last one was a far cry from that horrible time!"

Irwin slowed, pulling Greldo and Daubutim to this floor's shop, which sold an assortment of cloth, towels, bed linen, and soap. A look at his friend showed he was staring through the window without really seeing anything, obviously listening as intently as he was.

Daubutim was frowning at a bar of soap. "Why are we here? Do you also need soap?" he asked.

"No, I want to listen to what they are talking about," Irwin whispered, getting a nonplussed look and a shrug from Daubutim. Irwin ignored him and focused on the heated discussion behind him.

"So? Because people might become afraid we should ignore the warnings?" the man called Jeffrey retorted angrily. "You've heard it! There are half a dozen or more portals in the hills, plains, and woods around us! That's just here! We normally get none! And then there's this rumor that something happened with the sorcerers. It took two days before they came to close the portals. Normally they are here within a few hours."

"Normally? You make it sound like it happens all the time," another man snorted.

"It never did," Jeffrey snapped. "Which is exactly my point! Something is happening!"

"So," the first man said. "What do you suppose we do? Go to the wall, risk our lives against those Diflor in the idle hope that we find special cards? They're not like nuts that grow in trees!"

"We could enter the Sleepers Forest and find some there," the man said, though his voice was softer now as if he was afraid who might hear.

"Suicidal fool," the second man said angrily. "Those are rumors! Besides, the monsters there are as strong as those in portals! Just because they never leave, you think you can just wander in and kill them in the hope that some tavern-talk is actually right? Bah!"

The conversation quickly dissolved in a heated argument about the nature of the rumors, and Irwin and Greldo moved further down, back towards the Inn.

So… that's how Bronwyn got his hands on a special card, Irwin thought. He'd thought it was insane luck, but perhaps if those rumors were right, he wasn't even that special? That meant there might be more like him out there, who seemed to have a common but actually had a special? Perhaps even… he thought about Daubutim's club and Rachel's shield. He'd thought perhaps their cards were deemed utility for some reason, but that was on the assumption they were common. What if they were special, like his?

But what are the chances for the three of us to be in the same group?

They reached street level again, and as they stepped onto the street, he saw Olban hurry towards the inn. The side of his face was bruised, his coat had a large tear, and he kept looking over his shoulder.

"Now what?" Greldo whispered before stepping forward. "Olban!" he shouted, and the fat boy spun towards them with eyes wide with fear. As he saw them, evident relief wiped the fear from his face, and he ran towards them.

"What happened?" Irwin asked, noting the bloody smear running from the boy's nose across his cheek.

"I... I…” Olban stuttered before taking a deep breath and seeming to steel himself. "I can't tell you here. We'll talk in the portal, alright?"

The others looked at him with different levels of surprise, then Irwin nodded awkwardly. "Sure, let's head back in."

Olban nodded, and they followed him, almost running to the Inn while he kept looking at the crowd behind them. Irwin looked but didn't see anyone suspicious. Just a mass of people moving to and fro.

The Inn was the same as before, the lady at the entry nodding at them kindly, while the main room was slightly busier. Olban moved as if someone was after him, only stopping when they finally entered the room for their party and saw Rachel and Twintin sitting on the bed, seemingly interrupted mid-chat.

Olban moved to the furthest bed without talking and lay down on his side with his back towards them, getting surprised looks from the girls.

"What happened?" Rachel asked, looking at Irwin.

"I don't know," Irwin replied, moving to one of the other beds. "We came across him like this outside… didn't want to tell us but said we'd have to wait till we are inside the portal."

As soon as the word came out of his mouth, he knew he had made a mistake because Rachel's upbeat smile faltered, and Twintin stared at him with a look of pure fear.

"How long do we have left?" Rachel asked.

"Almost an hour," Daubutim said from his own bed.

He'd barely finished when they hurt something run through the door of the main Inn. Then a knock came from the door, followed by the voice of Tanya.

"Come to the main room. There is news!"

Irwin had just laid down on the soft bed, and it took him a great deal of effort to roll back off. Great. Why do I feel like I won't like this, he thought.

As he and the others exited their room and moved towards the larger room at the back, he saw a lot of the other children were there. Tanya stood in the center, her usual smile gone and her face unreadable. Beside her stood a tall man in leather armor with a bow in his hand and a quiver peaking over his shoulder.

"Good, the rest aren't nearby, so we won't wait for them," she said as her eyes darted across the children. "Alright, I see three of the five groups are complete. Good. You are going to go with Delwood toward the nearest set of portals. I know I said you had another hour, but we've just had word that one of the portals has changed from common to uncommon. We can't wait another second."

Her gaze passed over the children, looking them all in the eye. She must have seen something because she took a deep breath and a forced smile came to her as she spoke again.

"I know many, if not all of you, don't want to be here, and I can relate. But know that if we don't close those portals immediately, this town and a few nearby will be overrun. There are not enough uncommon sorcerers to close this many portals. So, as before, I want to ask you… do your best. Don't attempt to flee. Find a way to close those portals! Lives depend on it!"

A worried whispering came from the children, and Irwin heard the growing fear.

Tanya did too, as she seemed to hesitate, looked at Delwood, then continued.

"I'll share something that's not yet been made public, which I hope will help you understand. Puulwind, which was a town on the northern side of the peninsula home to over nine thousand people, was wiped from the map yesterday. Three portals changed from common to uncommon to rare in the span of two days, after which there was a surge. One of them spit forth a horde of Landsharks that wiped out almost every living thing in a hundred-mile radius around the portal. We have no information about what came out of the others, as only a single sorcerer stationed there managed to return alive."

A hushed silence hung over the children, and Tanya smiled weakly.

"This is why we have to do this. Now, the three complete groups, follow Delwood and do your best!"

There was another outburst of whispers, but as Delwood marched through them, children fell in line behind him. Irwin and the others joined at the back, moving in a line through the Inn, which fell quiet.

As he stepped through the heavy door into Wignut, Irwin wondered if this would be the last time he saw the town. Either because he was going to die or because another group would fail and a surge would trigger.