*****Author''s Reminder********
A few characters pop up in this chapter that haven''t been seen in a while.
Tharaka: Former Dragon Master of Icaraphet that Nix put inside an Ashobel puppet.
Cyan: High Priestess to Shi at the dis Hub.
Banzi "Banz"- A tank with Inferno, he concentrates mostly on the embassy because it''s convenient for regr travel to the dis Hub. He''s in a rtionship with Wylie. He''s Inferno''s back-up tank.
Shi: Former Ice Spirit from Cyphix, she ranked up and has turned the dis Hub into her Temple.
Wylie: Knight of Colonial that is assigned to Nix. Currently serving as the Ice Champion for Shi.
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Nix stepped off of the gating tform in the dis Hub a few momentster. It hadn''t changed at all since his previous visit. Wylie and Cyan were training a small group of Acolytes while the rest observed them. Tharaka caught his attention right away, the Ashobel was by farrger than any of the Acolytes.
"NIX!" Tharaka''s big booming voice drew everyone''s attention as he called out the Inferno Guild Leader.
Nix smiled at the giant furred Ashobel. His coat was much whiter than it had been since theyst spoke, the ck ws still looked long and deadly. There was a power radiating from him that hadn''t been there since he left his dragon form. "Archon level?"
Tharaka nodded. "This form is ideally suited for the element of Ice, with it I have managed to restore many of my old spells."
"I''ll have to see what a flying Ashobel looks like." Nix followed him to a set of chairs overlooking the training mats on the far side of the hall. Shi and Wylie sat watching the group of acolytes, they had both already noticed him.
"Commander." Wylie stood up and bowed respectfully when he approached. She stared at Nix''spanion for a few moments. "Have we met?"
Fey nodded. "Many, many times."
Nix kept the smile off of his face with a bit of effort. Shi, Fey, and Wylie had nearly identical features. Fey''s hair was actually silver instead of white like the other two. However, both Fey and Shi resembled females in theirte teens. Wylie would never be confused with a teenager, she had the muscles and curves of a grown woman. "This is Fey."
Wylie''s pale face broke into a wide smile. "Very tricky. You evolved a human form, congrattions."
Fey''s thin face blushed slightly. "Thank you."
Nix spotted three Ice Furies moving toward them, they were muchrger than he remembered. "Holy crap... What are you feeding these guys?"
Two of the furies held back, but the third pushed ahead and stuck a wet nose in Nix''s face. Alpha team identally wiped out a Fury pack while on a quest. The six pups that survived were brought back to the dis Hub and given to them.
Wylie grabbed the Fury and shoo''d him to one side. "Mostly meat and fish. We have to import it from the other continents."
"It''s nice to see you again, Nix." Shi stood up and offered him her hand. Nix had personally defended her on a number of asions and because of this, there was a bond of trust between them. "I''ve been doing as you asked, getting stronger. Everyone here has."
"She is ranking up with me?" Nix turned to Tharaka who nodded in reply.
"I need the two of you to follow me." Tharaka led them to arge enclosed room with high ceilings. From appearances, it looked like it might have been a gym at one time. It was the only room in the dis Hub that was cut off from the heat. The walls and floors were coated with ice while the ceiling presented a jagged collection of icicles.
Nix was no longer someone that was bothered by the cold. He no longer needed to activate a heat ability to stay warm. Arge Ice tform was the only object in the room, so both him and Shi took a seat on the edge of it
"Could you disy your spells for me Nix?" Tharaka already examined Shi so he focused on the Inferno Guild Leader. "I don''t need to see everything, just your paths, and elementals."
"Sure. I ranked up my Air abilities earlier, but they haven''t been manifested yet."
Tharaka nodded, thankful that his Ashobel features didn''t allow him to show expression. Nix was vastly different than he was thest time they spoke. He read through the impressive list while Shi and Nix chatted.
Nix [Race: Human/Smander Hybrid]
Primary: Path of the Fire Lord [Smander]
Secondary: Spellsword
Emerald me Strands 100 [me Snare] [Fire Root]
Fire Seed [Emerald]
[Fire]
Balefire
Meteor Storm
Combustion
Comet Strike
Tides of me
Incinerate
[Multi- Element]
Fire Burst [Fire, Air]
Balefire Burst [Fire, Air]
me Throw [Fire, Air]
Gusting mes [Fire, Air]
Pelt [Air, Earth]
Mire. [Earth, Water]
Lance [Elemental: Fire, Air, Ice]
[Air]
Null
Vacuum
Burst
[Lightning]
Storm Rider
Daisy Chains
Thunderfist
Chained Lightning II
[Water]
Deep Abyss.
Waters of Life.
Water Seeker.
Mariner.
[Earth]
Stonefist.
Rock Fiend.
Rock Shield.
Tharaka finished reading, his sharp fangs showing when he smiled. "Some of these spells may be changed or overwritten. "
Nix nodded. He''d been told a simr thing by Rhy. He''d already decided that he would give her the Blessings of Ice when he ranked up. Her Air abilitiescked offense, however, Ice had a number of impressive attacks.
Tharaka directed the two Ice Elementals to sit cross-legged on the tform while facing each other. "Ranking up Ice Elementals is much easier when done in pairs. Focus your thoughts on your Ice seed, there will be a slight ebb and flow, the first step is to find that rhythm.
The Ashobel move to one side and studied them. "I will let you know when it is time to move to the next step."
/Inferno: Nix: Wonderful... that''s clear as mud.
/Inferno: Fey: Hmm?
/Inferno: Nix: Nothing.
Nix focused on his Ice seed, he pushed it away from him, exposing it to the air. His yellow eyes watched and looked for patterns. He could feel nothing that resembled an ebb and flow. He did, however, find the smallest bit of darkness.
Tharaka wanted to say something when Nix''s Ice seed appeared in the air, but he didn''t. Sometimes the path to Nemesis diverged from the normal. Shi appeared to be swaying gently back and forth, it was obvious that she was already lost in the gentle rhythm.
Nix breathed out slowly, he found that he couldn''t look away from the ckness within the ice. Whenever he tried, his eyes faltered and reverted back toward it. It was here where he remembered Mina''s advice when he was caught in Khione''s trap, eptance not resistance.
The ckness expanded, turning the Ice seed gray and then ck. If Tharaka''s face could have shown emotion, it was have been confusion. Within seconds, the white crystal seed transformed to utter darkness that seemed to absorb the light from the room. The effect caused Shi to open her eyes, almost immediately the tips of her white hair darkened.
Tharaka cursed himself for putting them together. Nix''s vtile personality infused all of his elements, shadows dimmed the light to the point where the two Nemesis candidates seemed shrouded in darkness. Within seconds, Shi''s hair turned ck as night, both she and Nix started to sway back and forth in identical rhythm. The Ashobel threw up an ice shield to block himself just as the dark seed blossomed outward in an expulsion of power.
Nix struggled to his feet, his ears ringing from being mmed against the far wall. Messages scrolled across his hud so fast he couldn''t make sense of them.
Balefire and Balefire Burst has been reced by Hellfire
Meteor Storm and Tides of me have been reced by Fire Storm
Combustion has been reced with Elemental Healing.
Comet Strike and Incinerate have been reced by Smandra
Fire Burst, me Throw, Gusting, and Pelt have been reced by Elemental Napalm
Mire has been reced with Scorched Earth Mire.
Lance has been reced with Elemental Spear
Vacuum and Null have been reced with Silent Summons.
Burst has been reced with el.
Thunderfist and Stonefist has been reced with Elemental Fist
Rock Fiend. Has been reced with Elemental Fiend
Rock Shield. Has been reced with Elemental Shield
You have be a ck Ice Nemesis.
You have learned ck Ice Field.
You have learned ck Ice Sculptor
You have learned ck Ice Armor
You have learned Avnche
You have learned ck Ice Weapon
A soft moan a few meters away from him caused him to turn. Shi had also be thrown by the st. Nix helped her stand, for a moment the two stared at one another. Without a doubt, she had also be a ck Ice Nemesis, her once white hair shone like obsidian. She was slightly taller, and her cheekbones were more pronounced. The thin budding teen seemed older and stronger.
"ck Ice Nemesis," Tharaka spoke softly, in his years as a dragon, he''d never heard of such a thing. He knew about ck Ice and a few uses of it, but this was a first. "Two of you."