Bael Strom ignored Nix''s smile and continued. "This sort of thing is a big part of dhassi culture, not just the Fir''Dhassi."
/Alpha Team: Semmi: Is Nix still buzzing?
/Alpha Team: Wind: Unless he''s suddenly best friends with Bael.
Bael Strom found Alpha Team in the Parliament Market ce buying supplies for Loki. Immediately he had invited them to the Autumn Festival. The festival was an annual event that moved to different locations every year. This year it would be held in Inuit, and the Inferno n had received a special exception to attend.
/Alpha Team: Semmi: Boss, why don''t you put off answering until you feel like yourself again.
[ALERT: ARCHON FLASH IN THE VICINITY OF TYSTA LAKE]
/Alpha Team: Nix: Jun Li and Chael, report to Parliament ASAP, we''ll meet in the North Courtyard.
[Chael and Jun Li have joined Alpha Team Chat]
/Alpha Team: Nix: Arm up, we are investigating an Archon sh at Tysta Lake.
/Alpha Team: Semmi: Tysta? That''s the Izzin Territory.
[Whisper: Nix to Vyona] You okay Shipwright Vy?
[Whisper: Vyona to Nix] Nix! Yes, we are fine, there''s a bit of a disturbance near Spiro. We''ve sent people to investigate.
[Whisper: Nix to Vyona] I am investigating the matter also.
[Whisper: Vyona to Nix] Captain Aveck is in charge of the squad, he''s no longer answering messages.
[Whisper: Nix to Vyona] I''ll handle it from here and will notify you as soon as I discover anything.
Alpha Team only had to wait a few minutes before Jun Li and Chael arrived.
/Alpha Team: Nix: Thanks foring. In we go.
[Create Breach: Tysta Lake]
A momentter the group of seven appeared on the partially frozen shores of a hugeke. The sound of cracking ice and running water could be heard everywhere.
/Alpha Team: Semmi: Wow... This ce was under a dozen feet of ice not long ago.
Small bits of green could be seen sprouting out from the shoreline. Theke was rtively calm, with the exception ofrge chunks of ice crashing against each other. The temperature was much warmer than it had been during Alpha Team''sst visit.
/Inferno: Nix: All Avable Fighters standby at the Gemini Training Yard, non-mandatory deployment possible in a few minutes.
[Detect Disturbance]
A holo of Lake Tysta popped up in Nix''s view. There were five cities located on the shores of theke. An area near Spiro was marked with a red X.
/Alpha Team: Nix: That''s close, mount up.
Nix summoned sh and climbed into the saddle. He waited a moment while the rest of his group did the same. Flying was too risky. He pushed the ck horse into an easy canter and started towards Spiro.
/Alpha Team: Nix: Ten minutes and we''ll be there.
/Alpha Team: Semmi: You have wings now Nix?
/Alpha Team: Nix: Yep.
/Alpha Team: Jun Li: Really? Let''s see!
/Alpha Team: Nix: Later.
/Alpha Team: Pon: Can we get wings?
/Alpha Team: Nix: You''ll have to enter the Solomon City Academy as a trainee. Or be an elemental.
/Alpha Team: Wind: How do we do that?
/Alpha Team: Nix: I believe Fajii and Pon may already qualify based on their elemental sses of Earth and Fire. Don''t worry about the training, Breach Commander Mtui will get all of you in.
/Alpha Team: Semmi: Nix is the best.
/Alpha Team: Wind: Can we have Vooni train us?
/Alpha Team: Nix: She has to move her current group through the 3rd Phase, then she will.
"Here!" Nix pulled up and dismounted, immediately he sensed the coppery scent of blood. "Damn... be careful!"
[Summons: Ducky]
[Summons: Fey]
When hispanions arrive, Nix sent Fey into the sky to scout the surrounding area and Ducky to find the nearest Izzin. His scimitar appeared in his hand, the de glowing light blue from the Ice mes he pushed into it.
Ducky reappeared a few momentster. "Tunnel Nix, and some blood."
Nix muttered a cussword, "show us."
They followed Ducky for a few minutes until she led them to arge hole in the ground.
/Alpha Team: Pon: That''s not a tunnel, it''s a f*cking crater.
/Alpha Team: Jun Li: Was that always there?
/Alpha Team: Semmi: No way to know, this was under a dozen feet of icest time we were here.
The hole was a perfect circle, approximately 30 feet across. It went straight down into the earth, the end wasn''t visible.
[Balefire: Burst]
Nix shot white mes down the hole, the fireball went about thirty meters before impacting with the ground.
/Alpha Team: Semmi: Howe it''s always underground?
Nix spotted a gooey tar-like liquid was sttered around the surface, immediately he stepped away from the edge.
[Dragon Eyes]
/Alpha Team: Pon: Shit... I recognize that.
/Alpha Team: Wind: Yep, it''s demon blood.
[Direct Communication: Renz]
A holo image of Renz appeared in front of Nix, the dragonspawn was sitting at his desk. "What can I do for you Nix?"
"Archon sh in Oasis, demon blood sttered everywhere. A perfect circr tunnel leads into the ground. Know anything about it before we investigate?" Nix figured since Renz was the current Nether Breach Commander, he might know something.
"Perfect circle? Sounds like a wailer, it''s arge ck Netherworm that makes connections between ins." Renz could be seen operating a hud, "I''ll send you my best tracker if you will ept the help."
Nix nodded. "Yep."
A breach opened up and a small demon stepped through. At one time he must have hadrge horns, but they had been sheared off. He had scaled ck skin and blood-red eyes, both his hands and bare feet were equipped with long talons. The small demon bowed to Nix. "Breach Commander Nix? I am Tezlo, a minion of Breach Commander Renz."
/Alpha Team: Semmi: Should we bring more back-up?
/Alpha Team: Nix: Let''s see what we are dealing with first.
Nix pointed down therge hole. "Lead the way Tezlo"
The four-foot-tall demon had a half dozen gold loops in each ear that jingled when he nodded his head. "Follow me."
Nix has activated his bloodline.
[Third Form: Archon]
He pped his emerald wings once and picked up Tezlo, easily gliding to the bottom of the hole where it changed from straight down to about forty-five degrees. The rest of the team took their mantas.
/Alpha Team: Pon: I''m so jealous right now, I can''t stand it.
/Alpha Team: Wind: That''s why they call him Pon the Magnificent.
The splotches of ck blood stood out like fluorescent paint under Nix''s thermal vision. Tezlo started out at a trot and kept the pace up for several minutes before finallying to a stop.
"Lots of demons in the area Commander." Tezlo knelt low on the ground and pointed.
The steep passage down stopped after they covered close to three miles. It opened up into arge cavern that looked to be several hundred meters across. They were on the outskirts of a small city that had been carved into the rock. The dark ck granite gave the buildings a sinister look, the temperature would have been ufortably hot if Nix wasn''t a Smander.
The barest whisper of a familiar noise caused Nix to dodge to one side. The arrow meant for him took Chael through the forehead.
Chael has been in.
/Alpha Team: Nix: Get to cover.
Nix took two quick strides and dived into the small space between two buildings, bullets and arrows impacted the street where he''d been.
/Alpha Team: Pon: Semmi! Get back here!
The blond officer dodged back and forth while crossing the street under heavy fire. She grabbed Chael by the ankle and dragged him toward Nix.
[Archon''s Armor: Advanced}
Nix jumped out and grabbed the sniper''s arm, helping Semmi drag him into the alley. She had two arrows protruding from her back when she copsed to her knees.
/Alpha Team: Fajii: Stay undercover. I''m on my way.
[Earth Step]
Fajii has disappeared into the ground.
A momentter the ground beneath them erupted upward and Fajii stepped out. She rezzed Chael while Nix removed the arrows from Semmi.
"You are nearly worthy." The ck fox swished his tail and healed Semmi''s wounds.
The pretty officer smiled in response. "I''m working on it!"
Nix frowned when he noticed that his Demon guide looked like a pincushion, before he could make ns to pull him out, his corpse disappeared from the road.
/Inferno: Nix: Time to fight.
[Breach Commander Deployment Menu]
Avable Allies
1) Alpha Team
2) Colonial Knights of Glory
3) Souza ord
4) Fire Pce Acolytes
5) Earth Temple Acolytes
6) Air Pce Acolytes
7) Gemini Pce Acolytes
8) Central Kingdom: 1st Regiment Archers
9) Ain''Dhassi: Inferno Ranger Company
10) Broyan Alliance: 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Regiments
11) Captain Vooni''s Fire Team
12) 12 Pir Alliance
13) Misceneous Friends
Nix highlighted the 12 Pirs, all of Inferno, the Ain''Dhassi rangers and the Earth Temple Acolytes.
/Breach Commander Nix: An infraction from the Netherworld has taken ce in the Izzin city of Spiro. Prepare for an extended underground battle.
A life-size holo of Renz popped up while Nix was studying the cement map.
"Commander Nix! A full breach in the Netherworld has registered, I am attacking it from this side."
"Sorry about Tezlo. It looks like they''ve built a staging area. See you in the middle."
"No worries, Tezlo respawned here. See you in the middle."