If Floyd felt any difort under the stares of the other Firsts, he didn''t show it. Sharl stood next to him; she had already swapped out her destroyed armor with the Inferno House Armor.
Tautius studied the Naga for a few moments before speaking. "Wee, Floyd, the First. The trials have chosen."
[Whisper: Sori to Nix] May I use Deep Blue for a moment? It won''t take long.
[Whisper: Nix to Sori] Yes. Ducky has it. Bring us back a healer.
[Whisper: Sori to Nix] Do not let Floyd greet the Serpent n until I return.
Ducky gave him a questioning look a few momentster; Nix nodded while he listened to the council greet, Floyd.
/Inferno: Nix: We''ll have to settle the Serpent n, Mari''Djinn was going to do it.
/Inferno: Chiba: How? We don''t have any contacts.
/Inferno: Floyd: Do not worry. I will handle this.
The Naga bowed low to the others on the tforms. "Please excuse me. I must introduce myself to the members of the Serpent n."
Tautius nodded his head. "If you need assistance, the other Firsts will help you."
Floyd''s face was expressionless while he thanked the council. He stayed in Naga form and joined the other members of Inferno.
/Inferno: Ducky: You okay, Floyd?
/Inferno: Floyd: No, I''m being overrun with the memories of my ancestors. I need a few moments.
/Inferno: Mt: What''s that mean?
/Inferno: Sharl: Floyd shares the racial memories of every Naga King that hase before him. Before now, only bits and pieces of it were easily essible.
Sharl ced a gentle hand on his shoulder. As his spiritpanion, she could feel his strength growing. "Focus on the memories; we will handle things until you are ready."
/Inferno: Chiba: I will do the Lion quest. I haven''t blooded my new gold de properly.
/Inferno: Nix: Sori went to get some back-up, you can team up with whatever healer is avable.
[Whisper: Sharl to Nix] Sori went to retrieve the Six.
[Whisper: Nix to Sharl] The Six?
[Whisper: Sharl to Nix] The Six best warriors among the Lamia. They have been trained for the sole purpose of protecting him when he ims his heritage.
[Whisper: Nix to Sharl] There isn''t a Lamia nation, they are all Scorched Earth Acolytes.
[Whisper: Sharl to Nix] The Serpent n will be his nation. This is probably the best oue for us.
[Whisper: Nix to Shar] We will give him whatever aid he requires.
Inferno sat together in the market ce; the scorching heat of the desert sun did nothing to prevent customers from looking for deals. In fact, it was just the opposite. Unlike the inhabitants of Phai City, the serpent city seemed to be bustling with energy.
Sori returned with the six acolytes. Also apanying her was Wind, Semmi, Jun Li, and Pinky. The Lamia Chief Acolyte approached Nix and returned Deep Blue. "Thank you, Champion."
[Whisper: Nix to Sori] Howe you aren''t one of the six?
[Whisper: Sori to Nix] My responsibilities lie elsewhere.
Nix slipped on his bracer withoutmenting further. He noticed that Pinkie was watching him, so he shook his head slightly. "Morti isn''t here, Pink. He is in Haven with his parents. I''ll probably summon him for the next trial, though."
Pinky greeted him with a wave. "That''s fine; I just thought he'' be here."
Pinky was one of the Inferno yers who focused on the Embassy; months earlier, she formed a group with S and Morti. With Morti tanking, the three of them dominated the leaderboard and were pushing steadily toward the 100th floor.
Nix kept tabs on the pink-haired cleric''s progress. A second group made up of Zhava, Nezbit, and Chael were the number two embassy group. "Do you mind joining up with Chiba for one of the trials? We need a healer."
Pinky shook her head slightly. "With Chiba? No problem, she''s awesome."
/Inferno: Nix: Thanks to everyone foring. We are here to back Floyd''s y. Get ready for a fight.
The two Gemini thieves approached him; Nix could tell that something was bothering them. "What''s up, guys?"
The frown on Semmi''s face deepened. "Pon is gone. No one has seen him, and he isn''t answering his messages."
Nix opened his hud and checked the Fire Mage''s status; the old man was anonymous. "He told me he had something to take care of and that he''d be gone a few days."
You have joined the Alpha Channel.
/Alpha: Semmi: What? Did you speak to him?
/Alpha: Nix: Yes. I''m sure he''s fine. No one''s going to mess with Pon.
/Alpha: Semmi: Why wouldn''t he tell me?
/Alpha: Nix: I''m sure he didn''t want you to worry. So... stop worrying.
/Alpha: Wind: He probably has another woman on the side.
/Alpha: Nix: Good point. It''s probably a side-woman.
Semmi stared at her two teammates for a moment, before the beginnings of a smile started to show.
/Alpha: Semmi: Who else would put up with that guy?
/Alpha: Wind: No one.
/Alpha: Nix: You''re a Saint Sem.
/Alpha: Wind: Looks like a group is approaching Floyd.
Nix turned to see two people walking toward Floyd. They were nked by a half-dozen others.
/Alpha: Semmi: Better get over there boss. We''ll stealth and provide back-up.
By the time Nix arrived, the group had already left. Floyd was standing with Sharl; the six Lamia acolytes were standing behind him. "What did they want?"
Floyd held up a small note written on parchment. "Those are the Serpent n leaders. The woman is named Thessa, and the male is Umbrik. I''m to present myself to the family heads tonight."
Nix waited until the group exited through the snake mounds before he replied. "What''s your first impression of them?"
"Both dickheads," Floyd answered.
"Floyd..." Sharl sighed and looked like she wanted to smack him.
"Fine... Sorry, Sharl. What I meant to say is that I don''t trust them."
[Whisper: Floyd to Nix] I''m not sure how to handle this meeting, Nix. My racial memories seem a bit ruthless.
[Whisper: Nix to Floyd] Either way, we''ll have your back.
[Whisper: Floyd to Nix] No rmendations?
[Whisper: Nix to Floyd] Well... I''m pretty good at diplomacy. If it were me, I''d go in hard and make examples of your enemies. Plenty of time to y niceter.
[Whisper: Floyd to Nix] That''s what my racial memories are saying. The n Leaders gave me a meeting ce in the Under-City.
[Whisper: Nix to Floyd] Let''s get ready then. How long until the meeting?
[Whisper: Floyd to Nix] It''s at 1600 hours.
/Inferno: Nix: Feel free to do a bit of shopping; if you have a snake form, the under-market is even more impressive.
/Inferno: Jun Li: Under-market?
/Inferno: Nix: The mounds with therge holes lead to a second city beneath this one.
/Inferno: Wind: Really?
*****************
1540 hours, Under City.
/Inferno: Semmi: Where do you want those of us without a snake form?
/Inferno: Nix: Group up and stealth in the market. Be ready for anything.
/Inferno: Semmi: Nansu analyzed the Terror Poison antidote while Shi was unfreezing the infirmary. She''s confident that she can copy it.
/Inferno: Nix: Great idea. Let''s hope we don''t need it.
Sharl, Floyd, Mt, Sori, and Nix were nked by the six as they made their way to the meeting hall. The streets and bazaar were notably empty when the Inferno Group passed through it.
/Inferno: Floyd: Seems too quiet.
/Inferno: Sharl: Whatever you decided, I''ve got your back.
/Inferno: Floyd: Thanks.
The meeting hall was arge dome building made from the same brown mud that the snake-mounds were made of. There weren''t any traditional doors, two round holes in the wall marked the exit and entry point. Nix morphed into his basilisk form and entered first. He slithered away from the entrance and quickly changed back.
Floyd''s ck snake was the next one through, he changed into his Naga form and waited with Nix. The circr room was packed with nearly a hundred people. Bench seating was set up in rows. At the from of the area was a raised tform. A man and woman from the Serpent n watched them along with everyone else in the room.
Nix could feel the hostility in the building. The asional whisper of ''outsiders'' and ''foreigners'' could be heard.
Floyd took the lead and moved calmly toward the n Leaders. His dark eyes studied the audience while they watched him.
Floyd has activated [Racial Heritage: Serpent Supression]
Instantly the atmosphere in the hall changed from hostility to fear. The emotionless faces of the n Leaders paled with shock. Whatever they nned to say disappeared when Floyd moved onto the tform.
"Outsider?" Floyd''s voice seemed shockingly loud. "Take a good look at me. I am the First."
Nix watched the audience; the n leader seemed like she wanted to return to the tform. Therge male with her whispered in her ear.
Floyd moved as close to the audience as the tform would allow. "All serpents are descended from the Naga."
"Ridiculous!" Thessa, the n Leader, finally found her voice. "Do you think you are a King?"
Floyd nodded. "Without a doubt, I am a Naga King."
Nix bit his lip to hide his reaction.
/Alpha: Nix: Get ready out there. Shits about to get real.
/Alpha: Wind: How''s our boy doing?
/Alpha: Nix: Coming in like a f*cking boss.
"First, let''s advance slower." Thessa moved beside him, one of the six shadowed her movement. "We have the same agenda; we wish the Serpent n to prosper."
Floyd considered her words for a moment before answering. "Was it you who hired the assassins to kill the Titan n leaders?"
"That was unfortunate. I am investigating..."
"Enough." Floyd interrupted her. "Those responsible for the attack on the Titan n Leader''s family will be punished. We will stay united with the rest of the Titan ns under Scarlet and Mortimus."
"Why?" A low voice spoke from the back of the room. Arge man, dressed in ck and surrounded by armored men stood up. "Why should we continue to answer to the bear n?"
Floyd''s dark eyes focused on the speaker. "Why? War hase to Everspire. Khione sits in the north and waits. How will you fare when she covers this desert in a nket of ice?"
"She won''t do that if we ally ourselves with her now. We should step away from the other Titan ns and join her."
The air around Floyd seemed to darken. The darkness swirled around him before slowly rising upward. The entire room watched as a ck seal formed over the Naga.
[Racial Heritage: Enemy Divination]
The ck seal over Floyd''s head exploded outward in a burst of power. An instantter, ck marks formed over the heads of several different people, including the man who was speaking.
Redzik has been marked as an enemy of the Serpent n.
Hana has been marked as an enemy of the Serpent n.
Jopi has been marked as an enemy of the Serpent n.
ndo has been marked as an enemy of the Serpent n.
Festir has been marked as an enemy of the Serpent n.
Semerat has been marked as an enemy of the Serpent n.
Merktaw has been marked as an enemy of the Serpent n.
Ulynn has been marked as an enemy of the Serpent n.
Tyce has been marked as an enemy of the Serpent n.
Malibut has been marked as an enemy of the Serpent n.
Rethryk has been marked as an enemy of the Serpent n.
Thrakis has been marked as an enemy of the Serpent n.
Omitzo has been marked as an enemy of the Serpent n.
Umbrik has been marked as an enemy of the Serpent n.
/Serpent n: Floyd the First: All enemies of the Serpent n have been marked. y them without mercy.
Nix morphed into his basilisk form and shot into the crowd. He ignored the panicking n members and went directly after the culprit.
Floyd moved to follow but was stopped when Umbrik, the n Warleader, thrust a spear at him. Unexpectedly Thessa jumped in front of Floyd and defended the attack.
"What are you doing, Umbrik?" Thessa''s own spear was held out in front of her.
Umbrik''s face darkened with anger, his eyes staring at the ck mark that hovered over his own head. "Step away from him."
"Betrayer!" Thessa''s voice dripped with hatred. "I will defend the First!"
Instantly the room erupted in chaos.
Nix arrived in front of the man dressed in ck; two men instantly stepped forward with shields raised.
Nix has used [Tailwhip] to sweep his enemies aside.
Thrakis leaped to one side. "Fools, everyone change forms now!"
Thrakis has activated his bloodline [Hydra].
Three serpent heads swayed in the air. "Wee to thest day of your existence." The words echoed and hissed as all three spoke at once.
Nix struck forward suddenly, his dark head a blur. [Petrify] The center head of the Hydra turned to solid stone and fell onto the floor with a solid thud.
"Insolence!" Both hydra heads attacked at the same time. Thrakis has cast [Acid st] [Toxic Burst]
Nix retreated before the fanged heads. [Basilisk Armor]. The solid scale ps thaty t against the Basilisk''s head extended and shielded his face causing both attacks to bounce off harmlessly.
/Inferno: Semmi: Fighting has erupted out here, Nix!
/Inferno: Sharl: Our enemy has ck marks over their heads.
/Inferno: Semmi: Well... That makes it easy.
Moving forward over the broken pews, Nix advanced while Thrakis retreated.
/Inferno: Sori: You need help with him, Nix?
/Inferno: Nix: Nope. This form is bad-ass.
Thrakis as activated [Volcanic Field]
Nix ignored the burning puddle, slithering through it like it was water. [Viper Strike] The jaws of the Basilisk mped down on the left head of the Hydra, his long fangs punching through the head while injecting poison.
Thrakis has used [Great Escape].
The Hydra morphed into human form before dropping an object on the ground; a momentter, it exploded, sending bodies flying into the air.
Nix has been stunned.
The Basilisk raised its head a few secondster, its heavily scaled body unharmed. "Shit..."
/Inferno: Nix: One of the ringleaders escaped. Be on the lookout.
****************
Thrakis exited the under-city close to the city wall. Therge man cursed as he made his way toward the south gate.
"Hello, beautiful."
Thrakis paused as an old man stepped forward to block his path. The old man carried a gold sword in one hand and a nearly empty bottle in the other. "Step aside, old man."
The gray-haired figured scowled at him and finished off the bottle before tossing it to one side. "I''m a beautiful woman, asshat."
Thrakis drew his sword. "I don''t have time for craziness." He struck suddenly, his de thrusting toward the t chest. He stumbled slightly when his target disappeared.
"That wasn''t too bad." Chiba flowed in front of him, her de shing twice before she retreated. The man''s sword, along with both hands, dropped onto the paved road an instantter.
/Inferno: Chiba: Found your missing ringleader.
/Inferno: Nix: Really? You''re the best Chiba.
The old woman''s face reddened slightly before she frowned at the screaming man who had dropped to his knees. "Would you keep it down? My lovely apprentice isplimenting me."