Rindiri followed Dagger through the narrow alleyways of Urlar's inner districts. She moved the heavy bag from her left shoulder to the other, wishing her soulscape was more stable so she could keep things inside.

  The only light came from the occasional set of runes that were engraved in the ceiling of the cavernous building complex, a dozen feet above their heads.

  It feels like we're in some ancient ruins, she thought, looking at a nearby building.

  It had likely been a shop hundreds of years ago, but now the entrances were blocked with stone blocks, the windows shuttered. Like most of the other buildings, some of its shutters had been broken away at some point in the past, and she could hear people chatting inside.

  As she followed Dagger to the meeting point, Rindiri wondered about the oddities of the Shipwright City of Urlar.

  Unlike most harbor and portal cities she'd been to, Urlar's rich lived on the outskirts instead of in private districts near the exit portal. That meant that, except for the small exit-portal district in the heart of the city and the roads that led to the different outer districts, everything in between was a chaotic mess of intertwined buildings.

  Rindiri was sure that, when these buildings were created, they must have been on the outskirts of the city, only to be abandoned by their owners as the ever-expanding edges of the city moved further away, leaving the buildings in the dark. Now, most were dilapidated messes; their only redeeming feature was their incredibly sturdy frames- made in such a way that they could carry their part of the weight of the rest of the city.

  "Alright, they are in that building," Dagger whispered.

  Rindiri studied the three-story building, the individual parts seemingly molded together in a beautiful blend of stone and wood. It must have been the house of some rich merchants long ago, but now the door was blocked by two tall, cloaked men, their bare, muscular arms covered in narrow scars while their eyes gleamed into the darkness.

  Even without the square pupils, Rindiri would have recognized them as Yuurindi.

  "As I said, there are at least two hundred of our people in the city," Dagger whispered, slightly nervously. "And most are led by a couple called Dinehr and Undiri. Over a quarter of the others are either their children or grandchildren…"

  Rindiri grimaced.

  "Please tell me they didn't-"

  "No, no," Dagger hissed. "They are holding to the old ways pretty strictly, from what I have heard. No inbreeding, or… experimenting."

  “Thank Yilda,” Rindiri muttered. "Alright, let’s go see if they want to chat."

  She walked towards the gate, Dagger with her, wishing Greldo had returned already. Still, knowing that Gloom was moving through the shadows nearby to assist if needed would have to do.

  I can't believe things have become so bad that I need to have protection while talking with other Yuurindi, she thought as she saw the two hooded men notice their approach.

  "That is close enough," one of them said, his arms lowering to his sides as he stepped forward. "Who are you, and why are you here?"

  "I am Rindiri, Navigator of the Bigbelly and Confidant of Captain Irwin," Rindiri said, feeling her gut twist at the last part. It was true, but she hated using things like that to show her own importance. Sadly, she also knew that if Dinehr and Undiri had grandchildren, it meant they were old… and if she'd learned one thing about those of her mother's generation, it was that they held to the old ways with fervor.

  Her words caused a short intake from the guard, and he turned to the other one. His hands flashed in a simple gesture, using a variation of the sign language Rindiri knew. She didn't catch all of it, but if she had to guess, he had said to ask for orders. Either that, or he'd asked for the others to come outside.

  "Please hold here, venerable elder," the guard said.

  Rindiri held back a weary sigh and just nodded as the other guard pulled open the door and vanished inside.

  They didn't have to wait long, as barely a minute later, the door was opened again, and two people walked out. One was the previous guard, while the second was a young man. He wore thin, sleeveless leather armor, which showed off the thin, blue-edged scales covering the outside of his arms. Probably no more than twelve years old, he exuded confidence as he stepped forward.

  "Greetings, elder. My name is Dowa, grandson of Dinehr and Undiri. Grandmother ordered me to lead you inside. If you would please follow me?"

  I'll never get used to this, Rindiri thought, glad she'd been spared the old-world mannerisms.

  "I am honored and pleased by the welcome," she said, digging deep for the knowledge her mother had imparted to her decades ago. "Please lead on."

  Dowa smiled widely, his blue eyes lighting up, and Rindiri almost rolled her eyes as she heard Dagger's breath hitch.

  Don't let yourself be taken in by some pretty eyes, she thought, holding back from elbowing the younger Yuurindi beside her. She'd have to warn Dagger after they left to stay away from the boy. She could sense his genes, and although they weren't too bad, he was clearly-

  No. That's my mother's thinking, she thought, clamping down on her old mindset.

  She followed Dowa inside a clean but somewhat empty hallway. Everything exuded a sense of age, but there was no dusty smell as she'd had to endure outside, and the furnishings they passed were new or well-maintained.

  "My grandparents hadn't expected you this fast, so you will have to forgive us for not giving you the proper welcoming feast," Dowa said as he looked back at her.

  "I knew my sudden arrival might have caused some issues," Rindiri said as she patted the bag she was still carrying. "So I took the liberty of making the customary gift, one that we can all enjoy together."

  Dowa's eyes widened, and Rindiri held back a grin as she saw his eyes lock onto the bag with a sudden desire. He swallowed before forcing a smile on his face.

  "I am sure that grandfather will approve," he said, turning around and increasing his pace slightly.

  Rindiri followed him through another hallway and into a large chamber with two square tables set to the side. Surrounded by chairs, they showed clear signs of daily wear, and a few stray plates and cups were being hastily removed by two young Yuurindi.

  A wooden-paneled path led to the other side of the room, where a pair of large, padded chairs stood beside a massive rune-powered fireplace. The runes were glowing brightly, causing a warmth to creep through the room.

  Two Yuurindi sat in the chairs, watching her approach, and Rindiri almost stopped in shock.

  She'd seen old Yuurindi before, but those were usually comparable to seventy-year-old humans, and most of the time, they were close to death.

  Dinehr and Undiri, however, looked like the wrinkled Fire Plums Irwin and the Ignitzians loved so much, that’s how much their pale skin was sagging. Their bodies seemed unable to hold them fully upright as they sagged into the chairs, their shoulders slumped forward.

  For a moment, Rindiri thought she was looking at two corpses, then she saw two pairs of gleaming silver eyes stare at her.

  They have a heartcard!

  "Welcome to our humble hideout," the ancient woman said, her voice having a soft lilt to it.

  It took Rindiri two seconds to realize she'd spoken in the old language. How old were these two? Even her mother never spoke the old tongue, and if she did, it wouldn't be half as smooth as this. This sounded almost… fluent.

  "I am Undiri, and this is my mate, Dinehr," the woman continued.

  Rindiri bowed her head, not too far as it would suggest servitude, but deep enough to show she honored their advanced age- something rarely seen. As she looked up, she saw the man laughing softly, his wrinkled face moving like a pond in which stones were thrown.

  "It has been a long time since I've seen a young one with such high genetic markers," he said, his voice raspy and wheezy. His eyes burned even brighter as he leaned forward a few inches. "You have a good set of cards to have gotten this far. Tell me, did you succeed in producing the future of our race?"

  Rindiri felt her skin crawl as she heard the ancient question. She knew from her mother that her mother had told her it was the natural greeting among her people after their world was shattered and they were turned into outcasts. Still, she'd never been asked it before, and if she hadn't gone through as much as she had in the past decade, she might have been lost for words. As it was, she just smiled cordially as all of this flashed through her mind.

  "I have produced three who are better than I am, one of whom is a full three percent better," she said, thinking of Ibiri, Zender, and Earilla before her thoughts went to the other few who were still alive.

  Trinn, Brinni… would they still be alive if she returned? They were still alive now, as she'd have sensed their passing. But they were so weak, even with Irwin's gift of a heartcard. Their normal lifespan would have been under twenty.

  "Impressive," Dinehr rasped while Undiri smiled. "If your daughter can follow in your footsteps, perhaps it won't be thousands of years before we reach our former glory."

  Rindiri smiled back, and she tried to get a read on the genes the two before her had. What she saw caused her eyes to widen. She'd expected at least a reasonable level of perfection, but instead, she sensed the markers of a horrible set of genes. Her smile must have turned ugly as the two elderly Yuurindi sighed, sharing a look.

  "You are surprised…" Undiri said while Dinehr leaned back, his eyes closing halfway as if he was about to sleep. "You are wondering why we are still alive… How did we even manage to complete a single heartcard, let alone a soulcard and a heartcard?"

  Rindiri almost choked as she heard they had a soulcard, and she licked her lips.

  "I… must admit, I don't understand exactly what I am seeing," she said.

  "Understandable," Undiri said, smiling. "Now, I see you have held to the old ways and brought us something. Am I mistaken in detecting edibles?"

  Rindiri slung the bag from her shoulder for the first time since they arrived, noticing Dagger. Her former second-in-command was staring with unabashed confusion and interest at the two ancient Yuurindi.

  "Stop staring," Rindiri hissed under her breath, so soft even she could barely hear it.

  Dagger jolted and looked at the ground, turning red.

  Rindiri sighed as she walked to a nearby table and began putting the different types of food she'd brought, explaining what they were as she did. The reaction remained calm until she brought out some liquor and sweets, at which point both elderly people began grinning.

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  "Very good," Undiri said. "Take a chair and join us up here. We will enjoy what you brought and tell you what you wish to know."

  Rindiri quickly grabbed the nearest chair, doing as instructed, placing the meal on small tables where the two ancient-looking Yuurindi could reach it easily.

  "Now, let me start, as Dinehr's voice won't allow him to speak too much," Undiri said after a small sip of the liquor.

  "Dinehr and I were born on the homeworld many years ago," she said.

  Rindiri almost choked again, barely managing to take a drink and stare at the two Yuurindi.

  "Back then, we were deemed broken due to our very poor genetic makeup. However, after the great culling, the Corpus had us and many others like us gifted cards that would keep us alive as long as possible to teach the others. Back then, they were afraid everyone above a one percent makeup would be killed," Undiri said, sighing sadly before taking a sip.

  Rindiri was having a hard time keeping calm. She'd never heard of this before.

  "After we managed to flee into the portal gallery, we-"

  Undiri slowly told the story of how she and Dinehr survived many hardships, finding the hatred and fear of their people hard to navigate.

  Rindiri listened, slowly calming down as she heard a story that matched what her mother had told her of her grandmother.

  Does that mean she was one of those chosen? she thought.

  As time passed, Dinehr spoke a few times, but it was mostly Undiri who painted the picture of how they had eventually reached Urlar and made a deal with some of the local merchant guilds. Rindiri was stunned by what they had offered to be left alone, and when the story finally wound to where they were, she leaned back, not sure how to react.

  "Speak your mind, young one," Dinehr said, his voice soft and harsh.

  "I… if I understand everything correctly, you have… sent your offspring and theirs to work on the merchant vessels that went to the outer leaves of the Langost branch, where they would work on small outposts for a minimum of half their lives," she said slowly, trying to keep her judgment to herself.

  "Yes," Undiri said, smiling ruefully. "And you don't agree with our choices. That is fine, young one. If someone had told us this when we were your age, we would have been suitably annoyed. Sadly, there was no other way for us to get what we needed- a safe place for our people where we could slowly increase our gene perfection. You have seen Dowa, who calls us grandparents, though we are dozens of generations apart, and you must have noticed he is still far from perfect. Our genetics were so bad that even after all these generations, having those females we sent out return with their best offspring so we could continue, even our best can barely compare to you."

  Rindiri grimaced, wondering why they had not just moved to a more distant world.

  Again, Undiri seemed to read her mind.

  "This world is more of a hub than any other, with ships coming and going nonstop. There is no way we, or our descendants, would be stuck here for longer than a few days. We have tried the other approach before, but it didn't work."

  "I didn't want to suggest anything, elders," Rindiri said slowly.

  "It is fine, young one," Dinehr said. "However… we have heard rumors. Rumors about a young Yuurindi who has been going around gathering our people to take them to a safe haven."

  Rindiri felt the blood drain from her face. She had been moving around since the storm hit! How had this news spread all the way here?

  Unlike before, the two old Yuurindi said nothing and calmly waited.

  "May I ask how you have learned of this?" Rindiri finally asked.

  "The card Undiri was gifted long ago allows her to communicate with all her offspring, no matter the distance," Dinehr said.

  Rindiri couldn't help herself. She rose from her seat, staring at the ancient woman in utter disbelief. She'd heard legends of cards that could do that, but they were that- legends. Even in all her travels, she'd never heard of cards that could do this, and some casual questions to Irwin had taught her that any card that allowed mental communication was rare, and those only worked short distances. Something like this?

  They can't be lying… Can they?

  "Watch," Undiri said, smiling at her.

  A minute went by before Dowa ran into the room, looking confused. "You are sure I can take the leftovers for the young ones, Grandmother?"

  "Yes, Dowa. Be a dear and share it with the youngest. They have never had the chance to try sweets," Undiri said.

  Dowa looked at her, glanced at Rindiri, then moved to what remained of the meal and began packing it up quickly and efficiently. A minute later, he was gone.

  "Now, I know you must think - but how can this work at any distance?" Undiri said calmly. "I can't tell you. The card I have almost shattered me, and without the effort of many of those now dead, I would not have been here. It also means I can never slot another card, as I'm already overdrawing my life force. It is why, even with a soulcard and a heartcard, I am this old. My life expectancy was cut short, and I would have been dead even then if not for Dinehr."

  Rindiri watched the two Yuurindi share a look that seemed to share something so private it made Rindiri look away for a moment.

  "Sorry to make you uncomfortable, young one," Undiri said.

  Rindiri looked back, and she shook her head.

  "Why are you telling me all of this?" she asked.

  "Because we would like you to take the younger generation with you," Undiri said. "Not all of them, but enough that if what you are planning works, some of our line may be there to help rebuild our people."

  "But you don't even know where we are going?!" a half-angry, half-surprised voice snapped.

  Rindiri turned a glare at Dagger, only for her anger to fizzle out as she saw the pained, horror-filled look on the younger Yuurindi's face. Undiri let out a weary sigh.

  "You are right. However, sometimes we need to take chances, and from what I have been able to find, you two are with a very interesting young smith, one who may hold the future of our people in his hands."

  I need to let Irwin know about this, Rindiri thought. If these two knew, who was to say others didn't? Before she could react, however, someone else stepped in.

  "And you are willing to let young Yuurindi risk their lives for this chance?" Dagger asked, though her anger had waned slightly.

  "Yes," Dinehr grunted, his voice growing slightly louder. "If I could do it myself, I would, but we are living on borrowed time as it is. If we die, Undiri's gift will be lost, and those who remain will need to save themselves. Even if this is only in a few decades, eventually, they will need to leave."

  Dagger seemed ready to say something, but this time, Rindiri stepped in.

  "Dagger, enough," she said.

  The younger Yuurindi looked at her, eyes wide. "But-"

  "I know how you feel about this, but not everyone agrees. Besides, in this case, what they are asking will be beneficial for everyone," Rindiri said.

  Dagger gritted her teeth and crossed her arms. She nodded.

  "So, that means you will accept our proposal?" Undiri asked.

  "I am here to bring as many of my people with me," Rindiri said, raising a hand to forestall any joy. "However, I will only bring those who are of mind and are not bearing hatred."

  Dinehr and Undiri did not immediately respond, though the corners of Dinehr's mouth curled up.

  "I see," Undiri said. "And who determines this?"

  Rindiri felt herself calm; she was finally on the territory she had expected.

  "That would be me and the others," she said calmly. "Between us, there are a few that can sense intent."

  "Love, don't pester her," Dinehr hissed, his voice cracking slightly before he turned his attention to Rindiri. "We will agree to this, and I'll make sure those we sent to your ship will be those I expect will work well with others. From what I was told, you have found people who don't look at us like a potential scourge. We cannot have those of us who would ruin this be sent your way."

  Rindiri felt some relief at that, though she could sense there was something more coming.

  "That said… our people are not perfect. I hope they understand that if one of ours makes some horrible mistake, this should not reflect poorly on our entire species?"

  "They know," Rindiri said, knowing that Irwin and the others would not act like that. Besides, she'd had discussions about this with Daubutim and Bron, who had been slightly worried that her people would fill their world really fast, which would include a large number of troublemakers. They had concluded that the Yuurindi would form a council to deal with these people, or if needed, hand them over to Daubutim's people to prosecute.

  As all of this flashed through her mind, she decided it was time to ask some questions of her own.

  "Elders, if you don't mind. I have been looking for our people on each planet so far and have found only a handful. Although I am incredibly happy to have found as many here, I need to know where more can be found. With your ability…" she glanced at Undiri, leaving the question in the open.

  "I will tell you the planets that have more of us, but don't expect any until you get at least a year or more beyond the central worlds," Undiri said.

  A year at normal speeds, Rindiri thought, but she held her tongue.

  "Thank you, elder," she said.

  She didn't bother asking if the two ancient Yuurindi wanted to come. If they did, they would be there, but she had little hope for it. There was one thing she did need to ask.

  "Do you know of any card that does what yours does?" she asked, looking at Undiri.

  "No, young one. We have been searching for almost as long as we have been alive and have not managed. It might be that there is none," Undiri said with a slightly sad sigh.

  "I see… would you be alright with Irwin coming here to inspect your card?" Rindiri asked, not really having expected anything else.

  A moment of heavy silence hung in the room as the two elderly Yuurindi looked at her before Undiri sighed.

  "Usually, we don't accept anyone here, but seeing as you have already brought that odd shadewalker here…"

  Rindiri made sure not to show any reaction. How had they found Gloom? She'd not noticed any runes to detect shadewalkers, and Gloom was nothing if not very careful.

  Dinehr snorted, the loudest sound he'd made as of yet.

  "Do you think so lowly of our people?" he asked, shaking his head. "We have our own shadewalkers, and some are very skilled."

  Rindiri shrugged. "I didn't know what to expect, and not all of our people are as kind as you."

  "We know," Undiri said. "And we don't blame you. Irwin may come here to inspect my card, though I don't see how it will help. Although they are rare, there are two of our people who have managed to become cardsmiths, and they have inspected me at length for many years to no avail."

  "Let's just say that the Captain is somewhat special," Rindiri said, only belatedly noting she'd said Captain instead of Irwin.

  "Very well. Then, I think it would be best that you bring him when you can. We will start preparing those of our young ones who will join you."

  Rindiri rose, knowing she was being dismissed and bowing again, slightly deeper this time.

  "Thank you, elders," she said before turning around and finding Dowa had returned at the door.

  "I'll guide you back," he said, grinning.

  Rindiri nodded as she watched Dagger still look at the ground. She knew the younger Yuurindi's issue with how Yuurindi children were treated, and although, since Zender and Earilla, she had come to agree with her, she knew she would have to learn that most of their people would not.

  At least, not yet.

  --

  The two elderly Yuurindi watched as the room emptied before glancing at a mostly hidden ledge on the roof. A hand was raised in a gesture that meant that the room was clear.

  "So… what do you think of her?" Dinehr muttered.

  "So much like her grandmother," Undiri said with a dry smile. "Are you sure we shouldn't have told her?"

  "What would be the use?" Dinehr muttered. "She is already too old to have more children, so she can't cause issues that way, and she seems happy. Leave it."

  "And…" Undiri began before sighing. "No. It's too big a risk to send them all. We need to spread out."

  Dinehr didn't answer, and the two continued to sit in quiet contemplation, occasionally sipping from the remaining liquor they had been gifted.

  --

  Irwin rolled his shoulders as he looked at the nine ships hovering beside theirs. Small by comparison, most were either old or seemed unfinished.

  "Will these do?" Suien asked, her eyes gleaming brightly as she constantly rubbed the side of her leg where the new card was.

  Irwin glanced at it, holding back a grimace. It was one of the worst diamond cards he'd made, at barely ninety percent, mostly due to having Bleak take it from amethyst to topaz. They had planned for Bleak to reforge from quartz, but when he'd stabilized the card, Irwin had found himself with no other option but to reforge it up to amethyst.

  "They will do," he said, though he wondered how useful the ships would be.

  Most weren't combat ships but were either meant for ferrying people around a large city or for mercantile missions. Only two of the unfinished ones could be said to be combat ships, and although they were as large as the Sonata, both would need substantial work before they were ready.

  Suien seemed to sense he wasn't that impressed, and she grimaced, looking around as if searching for something.

  "He should be here soon," she said, not for the first time.

  Irwin was about to mention that when a serpentine man appeared from the shadows, quickly walking to Suien. He was carrying a leather-wrapped package under his arm.

  "My lady, I'm sorry-" he began, only for Suien to rush him, grab the package, and let out a relieved sigh.

  "Smith Irwin, here are the other things I owe you for your time and hard work," she said, handing Irwin the package. "Three hundred cards, most quartz, the remainder amethyst."

  Irwin accepted it, still not as happy as he could have been. He'd hoped for either more or better ships. When Bleak had helped him with the deal, and he'd heard he'd get seven ships to make up for her lack of cards, he'd hoped for more.

  "Also, I have added forty sets of sails," Suien said, causing him to look up.

  That wasn't part of the deal, Irwin thought, but as he saw her smile widen, he realized what she was doing.

  Currying favor.

  "Thank you," he said. "Those will be very helpful."

  "I hope when you return here, you will grace us with your presence," Suien said.

  Irwin nodded when he saw Rindiri and Dagger walk across the dock towards the ship.

  Good, I hope she found more of her people, Irwin thought.

  Common = Quartz, Uncommon = Amethyst, Rare = Topaz, Very Rare = Emerald, Epic = Ruby, Legendary = Diamond, Mythical = Ammolite