Nix groaned slightly, clutching his furred side in his sleep. The movement caused his eyes to blink open, yellow orbs that darted around the room. He spotted Lupi standing over a cookfire. "Kinda hungry... Don''t suppose I can trouble you for dinner?"


    Lupi shook her head slightly. She had the same white fur that her daughter had. "I can feed you, Nix. It''s breakfast time, though, so don''t expect much."


    "Breakfast?" Nix climbed stiffly to his feet. "How is that possible?"


    Lupi gave him an apologetic smile. "Deya slipped a sleeping tonic into your drink. You needed the rest."


    Nix muttered a curse and headed toward the exit, a simple cloth curtain that served as the door to Tofo''s modest mud hut. "Guess I''ll grab somethingter."


    "They''ve already left, Nix" Lupi''s words caused him to pause at the door. "Tofo led a small squad out four hours ago."


    The ck-furred Che broke into a trot. The small settlement of Sedi was made entirely from red y. It could be seen underfoot on the paved paths, around the settlement as a barrier to intruders, and in the structures themselves as the Che''s primary building material. White furred Che like Deya and Lupi were part of the popce referred to as redfeet since their pale fur was permanently dyed by constant exposure.


    Nix increased his speed; the small infirmary was thest building before the gate, he needed to stop there to grab a medical bag. The dome-shaped building was empty when he entered less than a minuteter.


    "Where the hell is Deya?" Instead of taking the time to look for her, he grabbed one of the prepared first-aid kits hanging from the wall and headed out.


    There were two paths to the Southern mine; the right branch took a few hours longer but was much less hazardous. They left trail entered the territory of a Lava worm and would be avoided under normal circumstances.


    Nix took the left path and increased his pace. His friends required help; Tofo, Amb, and Po. His stride faltered slightly as the fog over his memory started to lift. Tofo, Amb, and Po were already dead. The reality hit him like a kick in the stomach; he grimaced slightly. "No matter what, I won''t be in time."


    As he ran, his ck fur faded into the armor he had been wearing in the Well of Du''Wei. The pain from his side vanished, and his speed increased. After nearly an hour, he arrived at a massiveva field. Transversing the field usually required the use of three different foot-bridges. However, Nix ignored them and stepped into molten rock like it was luke-warm bathwater.


    Near the middle of the field, the infamousva worm showed itself. Nix tossed a ck Ice spear at him but didn''t slow down to fight. Instead of pursuing the Inferno Leader, it dived deep into the rocks, hoping the smander would leave quickly.


    As the second hour of running approached, Nix spotted the convergence where the path he was on once again joined the one that Tofo had taken. He rushed down the trail toward the mine; his sharp eyes spotted the torch that marked the entrance along with the two guards. "Where is the battle?"


    He slowed to a trot, letting himself take deep breaths as he walked towards the guard. The Tainted should have already been here. He was fifty meters from the mine when he heard the st of the warning horn. Nix nced toward the entrance, where one guard was waving madly for him to join them. Instead of running for the mine, he nced over his shoulder at the advancing horde.


    "Somehow, I managed to get ahead of them." Emerald mes erupted from him as he pushed white sonic mes into his sword hilt.


    The Tainted were half-formed men with blurred features and limited abilities. They could be very difficult to kill; arge dragon scale protected their heart. They were the creation of the Dragon, Yandro. He used a forbidden skill to taint his own blood so that he would have an army to serve him. The Spectrum was to spearhead his return to power.


    Nix removed the head of the first tainted who crowded him. After that, he set fire to the area around him, feeding the mes until nothing but him could stand in its path. They attempted to flee, only to be hacked down as his me de removed limbs and sliced through tendons.


    "NIX!"


    The Inferno leader paused when he heard the voice; Amb, Po, and Tofo were all at the entrance. Nix let the tainted retreat and headed toward them at a jog. Even though he knew them to be gone, he wished to see them once more.


    "My Boys!" Nix''s face split into a wide smile as he embraced Amb and Po.


    Tofo shook his head disapprovingly. "You should be resting, Nix!"


    Nix waved him off carelessly. "I''ll rest when we get back."


    "We aren''t going back." Amb stepped away from the group hug. "We''ve processed all the Spectrum avable and are going to hide it."


    "Hide it?" Nix searched his memory for a clue as to their objective. "You''re hiding it in Everspire?"


    Amb''s mouth fell open in shock. "How would you know that?"


    Nix scanned the surroundings. It wasn''t easy to guess... but the area where he''d found his friends shouldn''t be very far away. They had been involved in a running battle that left all of them badly wounded. "I caused that group to turn around."


    Po nodded happily. "I''ve never seen anyone cut them down so easily. We''d have been hard-pressed to deal with them."


    Nix''s face turned grim as he nodded in agreement. "Very hard pressed. Has anyone seen Deya?"


    "She wanted toe and help us, but I told her no. I expect that she''s back in the infirmary." Tofo grabbed Nix''s arm and pulled gently. "Let''s get going, Nix! With your help, we''ll stash our Spectrum and be back in a few days."


    Nix shook loose Tofo''s grip. "Deya must have followed you; the infirmary was empty when I left."


    Tofo shook his head slightly. "You''d have passed her on the way."


    "I took the shortcut." Nix bit down on the indecision that was haunting him and broke into a run. If she recalled her memories as he did, then she''d definitely follow. "Shit...The Tainted retreated down that trail."


    *****************


    Deya gripped her medical bag tightly as she ran, her breath quickly bing ragged as she attempted a pace that was too fast for her. "Toote! Toote!" The Che Miner bit down on the panic she felt. She kissed her father goodbye and then started working in the clinic. Nearly two hours after he left, Deya remembered everything.


    Tofo, Amb, and Po were sent on an important mission by Ha. Although they were all experienced fighters, the endless numbers of tainted had overwhelmed them.


    As if on-demand, the Tainted appeared on the trail in front of her. Deya slung her medical kit over her back and armed herself with a metal-tipped cudgel.


    Three Tainted charged her at once; she threw herself at the legs of the first one, causing all three to stumble forward. Before they could react, she crushed the skull of the nearest and mmed her weapon onto the foot of another with a sickening crunch that was echoed by screams.


    While attempting to retreat, a pair of strong arms wrapped around her and tackled her to the ground. In an instant, she was covered with the Tainted warriors, protecting herself as best she could; several blowsnded on her arms and chests, tearing openrge wounds.


    Deya bit deep into the throat of the Tainted, who stabbed a de into her side. She felt her vision starting to blur when inexplicably, the air around her started to heat up.


    Emerald strands burst through the chests of the four Tainted holding her down; the bodies of several others were strewn about recklessly. The four captives'' upper bodies disappeared in a shower of blood and bone that sttered on Deya.


    "Nix!" Deya climbed unsteadily to her feet.


    The Inferno Leader held her up. "You actually followed them that day?"


    Deya nodded. "When I arrived at the mine, it had been overrun, and many of my people had fallen."


    Nix patted her head softly. "You''re a brave daughter. Tofo would be proud."


    Deya shook her head. "Nix! You''re here now! The Tainted can''t stand against you. We can catch up with them, help keep them from harm."


    Nix pulled her close and embraced her. "Our friends are dead. Nothing we do here will bring them back."


    "Can''t we try? What''s the harm in trying?"


    Nix didn''t answer; he only stroked her bloodstained fur with one hand while holding her tightly. "They are already gone."


    After a few moments, the girl started to shake. Her cries getting louder until she was wailing. "Papa....PAPA..."


    "Son of a bitch," Nix muttered as the two of them vanished.


    Nix reappeared inside the Well of Du''Wei, still embracing Deya. The soft golden light did nothing to soothe him.


    "Well done, travelers." Enigma studied the pair for a moment. "The past can be a deadly trap to some."


    [You have retrieved a Piece of the Chaos Key.]


    Nix released the girl, slowly she floated upward toward the surface, both of her arms wrapped around her stomach as if hugging herself. "I won''t be long."


    Enigma pped his hands together excitedly. "Only one piece left to retrieve. I''m sure you will seed, Nix of the ck Gate."