Irwin's Journey chapter 8: The first practice room (Patreon)

Unlike during the teleportation moment, there were no odd tentacles or other scary things as Irwin whisked through the darkness for a split second. Then he stumbled out, and instantly a dull, comforting heat washed over him. Deep orange light came from cracks in the walls, and a smell of sulfur filled the air. Distant chittering laughter made Irwin jerk around to find its source, but all he saw was a door leading out of the small stone chamber they were in. Dust wafted in the air from the movement of the air he produced.

"Quiet, there's something here," Greldo whispered, pulling him to the side.

Before they had a chance to talk, Daubutim and Twintin appeared in the middle of the room. The big boy looked around with a frown, but Twintin seemed absolutely terrified.

"Where-" Daubutim rumbled just as Greldo jumped forward and put a hand over his mount.

The chittering laughter instantly stopped, and Irwin shivered as his hair stood on end.

Olban appeared behind the others, looking around, his eyes widening quickly. Before he could speak, Greldo moved next to him, holding a hand over his mouth and a finger to his own lips. Olban nodded quickly.

"Block the door and get ready for anything," Greldo whispered, surprising Irwin with his quick thinking.

Daubutim stepped into the door opening, which, although he was the tallest of them, still made him look small by comparison. Beyond it was a long corridor with uneven rocky walls with more of the glowing orange cracks. The ceiling was low with odd protrusions, easy to bump your head against.

Irwin looked into the tunnel, noticing that there were shadowy side entrances at odd places in the wall. Some seemed too high to enter comfortably, and it all looked more like a giant version of the ant hills he investigated during the summer.

"What's going on?" Olban whispered.

"There's something ahead, and they know we are here," Irwin replied as he swallowed back his rising fear of what was heading toward them. Olban's eyes narrowed, but he nodded and stepped up next to Daubutim, who made a little room for him.

Footsteps came from somewhere beyond the tunnel, and before they could come to grips with what was happening, three figures, roughly the same size as Irwin, leaped from one of the side paths. They had belts looped around their waist, with a black leathery dress that covered their lower half up to their knees.

"What are those," Twintin squealed, causing the figures to turn to them.

Irwin gasped as he saw the wrinkly, burning red skin, glowing yellow eyes, and crooked bony horn on the center of their head.

"Diflor Imps," Olban said, his voice rising in pitch to match Twintin's. "What do we do?" He stepped back, the white of his eyes large as he looked back.

"Coldblooooooods," one of the Diflor Imps crooned, and all three rushed forward. Two drew a dagger from their waist, while the middle one, slightly taller and with black hair falling down the side of its head, unwound something that looked like a chain.

We need to get out of here! Irwin turned around, but there was no other way out. Greldo stood in the center of the room, mouth open as he gaped at the incoming demons.

"We need to fight." Daubutim's deep voice was calm and collected, and it pulled Irwin out of his increasing panic. As he looked up, he saw the Diflor Imps were halfway toward them.

"Flame them," Oblan screamed as his hand began glowing. A thick layer of gray ooze covered his fist, enlarging it threefold before hardening into a dull gleaming mass.

Irwin scrambled forward, raising his hand and focusing on his skill. As afraid and fearful as he was, the flame erupted from his finger without fail.

"Ohhhh, burn me!" one of the imps howled before laughing in a way that made Irwin sick in his stomach.

How the hell do I do this, Irwin thought as he tried to fling the tiny flame from his finger towards them. It wobbled slightly but didn't move, and then the Imps were on them. They could all fit through the door opening at the same time, and the two with daggers rushed at Daubutim with nasty smirks. This close, their pointy faces and wide, lipless mouths were horrifyingly clear, while their yellow-white teeth glistened in the light from Irwin's flame.

"Nooo," Oblan screamed, stepping forward and striking out at the one with the chain.

Daubutim's hand glowed as he struck with it towards the nearest Imp, and a large wooden club appeared, surprising Irwin, who was scrambling back and watching in awe as it impacted the side of the surprised Imp's head. A dull crack came, and the Imp spun a half circle. The other one hissed, moved like a blur, and slashed at Daubutim with the dagger. A long red slash appeared on the boy's quickly raised arm, and Irwin could hear him suck in a breath as a black mist wafted up from the wound.

As he stepped back, the sounds of Oblan's and Twintin's screams and the Imp's laughter echoing around, he saw something glint to the side. The Imp's dagger! He jumped forward, but a red foot flashed towards his face, and he barely moved to the side, slamming into the wall next to the door, now cornered.

"Mine," the other hissed, backing up.

Daubutim, who was holding his wounded side with pain-filled eyes, was waving his club up at the Imp in a threatening gesture. Irwin pressed his back against the wall as the Imp closed in. A blur came from the side and slammed into him, and Irwin's eyes widened in disbelief as he saw Greldo grapple with the Imp. His hand was flashing brightly, showing he, too, was using his new card, and a yelp of pain came from the Imp. It was unsuccessfully trying to rip its hands free from Greldo's grasp.

"Grab the dagger," Greldo screamed, his voice filled with panic.

Dagger, Irwin thought, looking around and seeing the Imp had kicked it aside a bit. He crawled to it and cringed as he got a kick in the ribs halfway. When his hand wrapped around the dagger, he turned in time to see the Imp bite Greldo in the shoulder.

"Let gooooo," his friend screamed, his voice rising another notch.

Irwin had never held a dagger this heavy, but he'd helped his mother in the kitchen many times and had mock-fought against shadows with her kitchen knife when she wasn't there. Not even thinking about it, he slashed at the Imp's back, splitting the skin and gasping as a thick, yellow liquid squirted over his hand. It was warm, and a thin trickle of smoke came from it, but he didn't stop. Instead, he slashed again while the Imp finally let go, howling with its head up. Seeing its thin neck, and veins bulging visibly, Irwin struck, but the heavy, unwieldy dagger caused him to miss, instead slashing at the back of the Imp's head. The howl increased in intensity as the Imp bucked and heaved to get its hand free, tossing Greldo around like a rag. Still, the body didn't let go.

Irwin, in blind panic, rammed the dagger in the Imp's back with two hands, and the scream turned shrill before falling quiet. The Imp made some odd choking sounds before blood gurgled from its lips. It coughed, and a spray of yellow blood spread forward all over the unfortunate Greldo.

Greldo's eyes widened, and his mouth went open in a surprised O as the spots the blood hit began bubbling, blisters appearing within moments. He muttered something, then his eyes rolled up, and he slumped down, his hands finally releasing the wrists of the Imp, who rolled over.

Irwin was sucking in the air, staring at Greldo, not knowing what to do or why his friend was unconscious. Was there something in the Imp's spit or saliva that burned?

"Irwin, help!" Olban screamed, and Irwin looked up.

The fat, zit-covered boy was standing against the wall, a chain wrapped around his oversized, gray hand, and the Imp was pulling on it, causing the chain to screech across with an odd motion. It was staring around, glaring at Irwin, who swallowed when the venomous eyes focused on him.

"Irwin!" Olban screamed again, and Irwin cursed as he ran towards the Imp. He had no idea what to do, deciding to try and stab it with the dagger. Two steps away, the Imp backhanded him so fast he stumbled back while seeing stars. Feeling blood drip from his lips, he saw the Imp laugh, yanking at the chain again. This time it got free, and as it pulled back, it leaped an insane distance back, almost reaching the door. As it landed, it struck its chain, this time at Irwin.

Irwin raised his dagger as he jumped, and the chain wrapped around his arm. A joyful giggle came, and then his arm felt like it was being ripped apart as the chain was pulled back, tiny edges carved into it, slicing his skin from his forearm. Screaming in pain, Irwin clutched the chain, trying to rip it free, only for him to slash apart his hand palm.

"Rahhh, die!" Oblan screamed as he charged forward, hand-stretched forward like a lance.

The Imp laughed, released the chain, and dodged below the blow, slashing with its claws at the boy. Oblan's scream continued as he clasped his hands across his stomach, and Irwin felt his stomach heave as he saw intestines spill out. Tears streaming down his face, he grabbed the chain, ignoring the pain, and pulled it back, out of reach of the Imp. He had no plan, but as pain filled his being, all he knew was that he wanted to kill the reason for it. That Imp! With a strangled cry, he tried to swing the chain at the Imp. The Imp jumped back, possibly expecting him to succeed, but the chain was far too heavy, and it barely moved.

"Weeeeeak," the Imp shouted as he jumped forward and stepped on the chain.

Irwin felt more of his flesh ripped apart, and crying and shouting, he ran forward, no longer caring but just wanting the pain to stop. The Imp laughed, lowering its stance. One step away, Irwin had a single moment of clarity, and as he lunged, he stabbed out a single finger at the Imp's face at the same time as the Imp slashed at his chest. His flame appeared as a burning hot pain ignited from his chest, and then his finger, flame, and all poked into the Imp's cheek.

It blinked in surprise, then its eyes widened, and where Irwin's finger touched its skin, the redness turned black and crispy, flakes falling off.

"How-" it whispered, then from the spot, its flesh rippled upon itself like burning paper wilting away. At the same time, Irwin's flame grew, and when the Imp was no more than dark flakes wafting down, it was twice the size it had been before, flickering as if agitated.

Irwin fell back, his arm a burning mass of fire, his chest in pain, and tears and snot running over his face. As he realized the Imps were gone, he looked around and stopped as he stared at the door. A dozen imps were coming from the end of the corridor, laughing and giggling loudly.

"Please let this stop, please let this stop," a soft voice whimpered from the side. Irwin saw Twintin sit there, huddled in the corner, arms around herself, pale as a sheet, and shaking her head.

All he could do was agree with her as he heard the dozens of feet close in. He tried to get up, but he was spent, and although the flame flickered brightly, he couldn't even raise his hand. The only benefit was that he didn't see the daggers as they plunged into him.

The world turned into a swirling darkness, and a second later, he landed on his feet on cold gray tiles.

"So, you two held out the longest? Impressive!"

There was no pain, and raising his arm, Irwin saw his old cloth shirt across his unharmed flesh. Touching his chest, he felt nothing, no pain, just the distant memory of it.

"Don't worry. I said you couldn't get injured here-"

"They killed us!" Twintin howled, huddled on the ground beside Irwin. She began crying, her sobbing cries were so full of fear that Irwin felt sorry for her even through his own fear and despair.

"Yes? Of course, they did." Jonathan said. "Like I said. What did you expect? You need to learn how to close these portals… do you not understand what will happen if things like those are allowed to roam free? Don't you know the stories about the months of the Long Pain?" Jonathan sighed as he shook his head. "I know this is hard. But there is no use sugarcoating it. You are here to close portals or die trying."

"Why us," Greldo said, sounding tired as he sat nearby with his back against the wall.

"What do you mean?" Jonathan asked, sounding annoyed. "If not you, who else?"

"Adults?" Greldo snapped. "Why-"

"Right, you didn't get any of the basics," Jonathan said, sounding annoyed.

"Because you didn't tell us," Olban shouted, hugging himself.

"Watch your mouth, boy," Jonathan said in a dangerous whisper. "I've done all you have and more for seven long years. Lost all my friends and more… I have no interest in your self-pity."

"Why not the adults?" Irwin asked softly.

Jonathan gave Olban another glare before turning to Irwin. "Because the older you are, the less chance of cards dropping, and we need every high-level card we can get. Within the next twelve years, another surge is expected, and we need strong carded, or we will all die…"

There was a quiet silence as the children gazed at him, and Irwin sighed.

"So, can we go back and sleep now?" he asked softly.

"Sleep? You have seven hours left to go in there again and again until you learn how to defend. Use this chance! Now you can experiment, as painful as it may be, and come out alive. If you don't learn, you won't survive tomorrow," Jonathan said. "You may rest for five minutes. Then you will enter again."

Irwin felt like crying, but even that seemed like too much of a hassle. Instead, he moved beside Greldo and slumped on the ground.

A minute or two later, sharp footsteps came from the route they had arrived from, and Irwin looked up, praying for a sorcerer to come and tell them there had been a mistake and they were actually not supposed to be there.

Two tall guards, each with brandished swords, were escorting the teal-haired, scar-faced girl Taselina forward. She was glaring at them every few steps, but they just prodded her with their swords.

"Well, I see the lost sixth has been found?" Jonathan said as he stepped forward.

"I don't belong to any group," the girl snapped as she glared at Jonathan.

"You do now," Jonathan growled as he raised his hand. "And if you don't shut up and do as I say, I'll throw you in here on your own for two hours straight!" he jerked his thumb at the swirling red portal.

"You be okay with this one, Johno?" one of the guards said, sounding slightly amused.

"I'll be fine," Jonathan snapped back, glaring at the guard, who just grinned, waved at Taselina, and turned back around.

"Don't you think-" Taselina began, and Jonathan spun around, raised his hand, which glowed, and dozens of ropes appeared out of nowhere, binding Taselina up, one wrapping around her face and gagging her. Her eyes widened, bulging, and she fell forward with a thud.

Irwin saw Jonathan lick his lips as a dangerous glint came to his eyes. As the man bent forward and grabbed the bundled-up girl, he already knew what was going to happen before Jonathan dragged her to the portal. He wished he could just do nothing, as he wanted anything but go in the portal, but it was more than obvious that Jonathan wasn't going to let them just leave. Besides, Bronwyn had always told him to help those he could, no matter how weak he was.

Dammit, he cursed as the memory of the pain in his arm flitted through his mind.

"Please don't," Greldo whispered from the side.

Irwin turned and looked at him until Greldo wilted under his stare and nodded reluctantly.

"Now or in five minutes, what's the difference," his friend whispered.

They both got up just as Jonathan was about to toss Taselina through the portal.

"There's no need, Jonathan," Irwin said softly. "We need to work with her, and this won't help. Please unbind her, and we will go together."

Jonathan looked at him, and a knowing look made his face look menacing. "Alright, if that's what you want," he said, sounding slimy. "Go in then, little hero."

Irwin sighed, not looking at the girl he didn't know or care about but instead at the portal.

Stupid, stupid, stupid, he thought as he jumped back in.