/Alpha Team: Semmi: So... That''s a dark creepy staircase that descends into some seriously bad stench.


    /Alpha Team: Nix: Sure, what could possibly go wrong?


    /Alpha Team: Pon: We could get turned into vampires.


    /Alpha Team: Wind: We could get eaten.


    /Alpha Team: Semmi: Or step into whatever that smell is.


    /Alpha Team: Fajii: Maybe all of those things.


    /Alpha Team: Nix: That was a rhetorical question guys, we are totally going in.


    Nix paused and addressed his spiritpanions. Stay stealthed and trail behind us, once the fighting starts you may join in."


    Tor nodded, "understood Nix."


    Ducky smiled pleasantly. "I will wait behind you."


    [Aura Ignition: Emerald me]


    Nix''s led the group down the stone staircase into the darkness. The emerald mes of his aura lit the way for the entire group as they followed in a single file. He scanned the surrounding areas as he walked, there were no signs of thermal signatures. Alpha Team walked for nearly a minute beforeing to a set of double doors.


    Semmy studied the doors, "this is a copper door. See the green patina? The jade-colored oxide corrosion is exclusive to copper."


    Therge doors were covered in intricate engravings, the damp conditions of the underground staircase caused many of the marks to be unrecognizable. There was the slightest bit of dampness around the door handles. Nix grabbed Semmi''s wrist when she grabbed for them.


    /Alpha Team: Nix: It''s a trap, probably ice spikes or something worse. It''s set on the other side, so impossible to disarm without opening the door.


    When Nix originally became a Tailor for the dis Hub, they used their influence to max out hunting and leather making, both prerequisites for his craft. Trap making in Colonial fell under two different disciplines, Hunting and Thievery. During the weeks when he''d been harassing Mid-tier Smander, Nix had utilized and developed his trapping skills.


    /Alpha Team: Pon: How do we get in then?


    /Alpha Team: Semmi: Our Gemini Thief ss has a trap disarm skill, but nothing on this side of the door is activating it.


    /Alpha Team: Nix: Move away, I''m going to st it down.


    Nix moved up the stairs a few steps and then waited until his group retreated out of sight.


    Nix targeted the door.


    [Balefire Burst: Advanced: Gemini me]


    The entire middle part of the door melted onto the floor like water, a momentter a hundreds of ice shards sted through the hole and impaled the wall behind it. Nix advanced slowly, running a finger over one of the shards. "ck ice, hard as steel and immune to just about everything."


    /Alpha Team: Semmi: This trap had to have been set up a while ago, there''s no way Morana did it while fleeing.


    /Alpha Team: Nix: Notice the brackets bolted into the stone around the door? This door was barred from the outside.


    /Alpha Team: Pon: Right to lock out intruders.


    /Alpha Team: Semmi: Positioning of the brackets indicate ''locked in'' not ''locked out.''


    /Alpha Team: Nix: We won''t figure it out by standing around. Let''s go.


    Nix stepped through the ruined door into a long hallway. His green aura threw their shadows on the smooth marble walls.


    /Alpha Team: Semmi: This is way too nice for a prison Nix, there has to be a story here.


    /Alpha Team: Pon: Anyone notice that the temperature is getting colder, the further down the hall we go?


    /Alpha Team: Nix: There''s light up ahead, am ming out so everyone stealth up.


    Nix dropped his emerald aura and stealthed. He walked down the hallway and stepped into the dimly lit room.


    /Alpha Team: Nix: Spread out.


    Nix walked directly down the middle of the room, while the rest of the team paired up to take the opposite wall routes.


    "Wee, my friends." A cold voice spoke from the shadows, the speaker took his time moving into the light. "Permit me to illuminate things for you." A pping sound was heard and dozens of torches from the walls lit the room up.


    /Alpha Team: Pon: Sweet mother...


    Two sarcophagiy open in front of them. On the left was the beautiful Ain''Dhassi vampire they had been chasing. She waspletely nude and appeared to be sleeping. The other housed a muscr reptilian creature withrge horns. His entire body was scaled with natural armor, his chest cavity had been cut open. There was nothing inside but emptiness.


    /Alpha Team: Pon: F*ck... Those are demons, right? Fiends of some sort?


    /Alpha Team: Nix: Maybe. Look at the empty chestpartment. It seems to be missing a heart.


    /Alpha Team: Semmi: Take a close look at Morana''s chest.


    /Alpha Team: Pon: Right... very interesting.


    /Alpha Team: Wind: Old bastard, you''re just ogling her.


    Nix had already noticed the long vertical scar that ran the length of Morana''s chest. Suddenly he had an inkling he knew where the demon heart was. The voice stepped fully into the light. He was half the size of the first demon and although he didn''t have horns, he did have wings. He was nked by twopanions nearly identical to him. Nix frowned at the trio. "The light helps. You don''t seem like Oasis creatures."


    "Correct, but then neither are you." The small demons moved within a few meters of Nix, the rest of Alpha team were still paired up on opposite walls. Up close they resembled gargoyles, they were nearly the height of a human with lean but well-defined muscles.


    "I''vee for the Ain''Dhassi, you can step aside or be stepped on." Nix pushed Ice mes into his Archon de.


    /Alpha Team: Nix: ording to Kedric, Morana is an origin vampire, basically that means she has the ability to make other vamps. The ones that she makes don''t have that ability.


    /Alpha Team: Semmi: Makes sense, otherwise Oasis would be overrun very quickly. Is the demon heart in her chest?


    /Alpha team: Nix: My guess is yes.


    [Whisper: Nix to Beta] The heart that you want is actually a demon heart, correct?


    [Whisper: Beta to Nix] Yes, after a demon heart has been tasked as a vampire, it undergoes a significant change. Normal demon hearts are nearly worthless.


    [Whisper: Nix to Beta] This vampire making process, voluntary or involuntary?


    [Whisper: Beta to Nix] Does it matter?


    [Whisper: Nix to Beta] Yes.


    [Whisper: Beta to Nix] Involuntary.


    The demon stared at him with cold ck eyes, nearly the same color as Rhylia''s, but hers were warm and friendly. "We''ve put a lot of time and resources into Morana, perhaps we cane to an arrangement."


    /Alpha Team: Pon: Let''s take em.


    /Alpha Team: Semmi: Yeah, no deals with demons.


    /Alpha Team: Fajii: Whatever you think Nix.


    Nix shrugged at the three demons watching him. "Let''s hear it, I''ve already been here too long."


    The center demon held out a red heart that waspletely encased in crystal. "This heart holds a powerful Ice Enchantment, even nar creatures would pay any amount for it. I will give it to you, providing you leave in peace."


    [You have been offered a deal by a creature of the underworld, choose your words carefully.]


    Nix could feel the cold emanating from the crystallized heart. "Give me the heart and we will leave in peace unless forced to defend ourselves."


    "Deal!" The demon spoke quickly, his voice turning dark and twisted. He tossed the Nix the heart.


    [You have received the Crystallized Heart]


    [New Quest Avable: Restore the Queen of the North]


    "Thanks, " Nix walked toward the two sarcophagi while keeping a close eye on the three demons.


    "Where are you going human? You cannot break our deal!" The demonughed loudly, his voice echoing in therge hall.


    "Right... I only said I would leave in peace. I didn''t specify when, nor under what circumstances." Nix''s yellow eyes stared at the three demons, "I''ll be taking the Ain''Dhassi with me."


    /Alpha Team: Nix: Don''t attack them first.


    The center demon roared in anger when Nix moved beside the Ain''Dhassi vampire. "Cheater! Liar! Feces eating human scum!"


    Pon''sughter could be heard from the right wall. "You are really bad at insults, it''sing out all garbled. Perhaps if your demon buddy beside you pulled his %*^% out of your #$^%, you coulde up with something that didn''t sound like you were gargling someone elses *&%"


    Semmi''s face turned beet red, quickly she covered her ears with both hands.


    [Raikri has cast hellfire]


    Pon smiled when the fire missle came at him, he threw up a me shield in front of himself and Semmi.


    /Alpha Team: Pon: Game on.


    A half dozen strands of Ice me punched through Raikri''s chest beforepletely wrapping him up. Nix held him in ce


    Ducky has charmed Beliz


    The remaining demon charged at Nix.


    [Rock m: Advanced]


    Fajii has scored a critical hit on Squint.


    /Alpha Team: Nix: I''ll hold Raikri, concentrate on Squint!


    [Critical Chain]


    Wind has followed up Fajii''s strike with a critical hit.


    [Pulsar]


    Nix surged his Ice mes directly into Raikri''s demon body, the fire creature howled in agony while it struggled to break free.


    Beliz pulled a dagger from his belt and plunged it deep into Squint''s back.


    Beliz has scored a critical hit on Squint.


    [Critical Chain]


    Semmi has followed up Wind''s strike with a critical hit.


    Squint has been mortally wounded and has entered a state of high vulnerability.


    [Rock m: Advanced]


    Fajii has followed up Semmi''s strike with a critical hit.


    Squint has been in.


    Beliz leaped at Raikri and backstabbed him.


    Beliz has scored a critical hit.


    [First Strike]


    Wind has scored a critical hit.


    [Critical Chain: Balefire Burst]


    Pon has followed up Wind''s strike with a critical hit.


    [Critical Chain: Advanced Execution]


    Nix''s slice through Raikri''s neck with a razor-sharp strand of Ice me, its head bouncing on the floor with a loud thump.


    Nix ignored the rest of the fight with thest demon and walked toward the Ain''Dhassi woman. The demon was in before he even arrived.


    [You stand before Morana the Queen of the North]


    /Alpha Team: Nix: Borrow me a dagger, Sem.


    /Alpha Team: Semmi: Sure.


    Nix traced the exact route of the scar on Morana''s chest; after cutting through he gently spread the chest cavity. A pair of brown hands gripped the ribs next to his.


    /Alpha Team: Fajii: I''ll hold it open Nix.


    /Alpha Team: Nix: Thanks, Fajii.


    There was no surgical or gentle way to remove the ck heart thaty within Morana''s chest so Nix gripped it with both hands and used brutal strength to tear it out.


    [You hold the heart of a Greater Demon in your hand. There are three lesser demons in close proximity to you. Transferring the heart to their bodies will make them your minion.]


    Nix ignored the message and ced the crystal encased heart next to the gaping hole.


    [Remove the heart from the crystal and restore it to Morana?]


    "Yes."


    The Crystal opened and Nix removed the heart; he ced it gently in the empty chest cavity. He picked up the ck heart and sat it in the small crystal case, it immediately closed up.


    Demon Heart: Nether Artifact [Crystal Encased]


    May be used to make demon minions


    or powerful enhancements.


    A momentter Morana''s eyes blinked open, they were deep blue like the Oasis skies, she sat up slowly, confusion written in those beautiful eyes.


    [You have restored the Queen of the North]


    [New Quest Avable: Cure the Discord]


    Nix pulled a cloak out of his inventory and draped it around the nude Ain''Dhassi while Semmi helped her out of the Sarcophagus. "Are you okay?"


    Morana shook her head at him, there was a deep pain in her eyes. "The horrible things I''ve done, the people that I hurt... Please, sir, cut out this heart of mine and leave me here."


    /Alpha Team: Nix: Damn... options?


    /Alpha Team: Semmi: Let''s take her to Parliament, this is a task for the Ain''Dhassi leadership.


    /Alpha Team: Fajii: We could bring her to Del Tali.


    /Alpha Team: Nix: Good idea, I was thinking about the Grand Elder instead.


    [Whisper: Nix to Sai Tali] I have an Ain''Dhassi with me that is in dire need of your help.


    [Whisper: Sai Tali to Nix] My help? I''ll have Bael Strom escort you from Parliament.


    [Whisper: Nix to Sai Tali] On my way.


    *****************


    An hourter, Alpha Team was riding toward the Ain''Dhassipound on mounts provided by Bael. He held the weakened Ain''Dhassi in his arms while leading the group.


    Fajii moved her horse closer to Nix''s and lowered her voice. "What does %*^% mean?''


    Nix gave her a deadpan look and whispered the answer in her ear.


    Fajii nodded as if she understood. "I see... What does #$^% mean?"


    Again Nix answered with a whisper.


    Fajii pursed her lips as if considering aplicated puzzle. "Then how about *&%?"


    Nix told her, a smile starting to seep out.


    "Oh... Then..." Fajii''s dark lips curved in a smile. "Pon is very good at insulting people."


    Nix nodded in agreement. "Yes, he has found his calling."