The silver beast radiated power; her scales shone in the bright light of the elemental world like a sun''s re over the desert. A momentter, the drakon disappeared and was reced with a young woman. Fey clicked her tongue in frustration at her silver tresses; they seemed to have grown all the way to the back of her calves again.


    "Need some help?" Nix dropped stealth a few meters away; in truth, it was the third time he secretly checked up on her in thest day. He had arge bundle of white cloth under one arm; Fey refused to wear other colors.


    "I''ve gotten stronger." Fey''s pretty face glowed with contentment; it had taken her a long time to absorb the wildling heart. She sat down at the edge of the pool and started braiding her hair while Nix set up a crafting queue.


    Nix studied her for a moment; her frame was still slender but seemed more mature than before. In all likelihood, her old gear would still fit, but he decided to go ahead and make her something new. "Unfortunately, you aren''t quite done."


    "Pardon?" Fey''s smile faltered slightly when Nix brought out a small box. She could sense the object inside. "Another heart?"


    "Yes, I have three in all for you. This should be a lot easier than thest one." Nix finished the simple robe and handed it to her.


    Fey sat the box on the ground before hugging Nix. She dreaded the pain of eating another heart, but her need to be stronger pushed her forward. She considered herself the weakest of Nix''s spiritpanions. When her strength improved, the rest of her family would be safer. "I will do my best!"


    Nix noticed his hud buzzing but ignored it while he spent a few minutes chatting with Fey. "Shae will be here in a few hours; after this heart, you''ll need to take a break and refine your strength."


    An hourter, Nix exited the elemental world through the Fire Pce entrance. He opened his hud and checked his messages.


    [Your Vasai Virtual ount is being used to ess the UP Lake Cabin.]


    /Logging off Colonial


    /Logging In Vasai Virtual/UP Lake Cabin.


    During theirst visit, Nix had given her ess to his Vasai Virtual ount. By setting up an alert whenever she used it, they could talk freely whenever she wanted to.


    Hara was sitting on the dock waiting when he arrived. She opened a small cooler and offered him a beer along with a wide smile. "We need to chat about one of Fey''s friends since I''ve received word that she''s in Vespri."


    *****************


    0900 Dharta, Vespri


    Not counting Free Trader City, Dharta was by far thergest city in Vespri. Nestledfortably in a deeply wooded area, the town thrived on its forest-based industries. However, in the Deep Winter, no one was logging, hunting, or fishing. Without the benefits of a gating tform, supplies from outside theirmunity had quickly run dry.


    Nix''s Phoenix form flew easily over the snowed-in pass that isted Dharta and the three neighboring cities of Yune, Bhagra, and Zeux from the rest of Mid-Everspire. The branches of the evergreens hung low under the strain of the ice that weighed down everything and turned it white. ording to the map he had studied before leaving Haven, he should be directly over the main supply route between Vespri and Free Trader city.


    It took twenty minutes of easy flying before Dharta came into view; immediately, Nix felt a sense of rm. He half expected to see a city like Lana, whose inhabitants were doing their best to keep the encroaching ice at bay, but this was nothing like that.


    The buildings werepletely iced in as if someone had dumped water on them and then sh-froze it into an ice-cube. Thick icicles hung from every eave while several of the buildings had copsed inward from the enormous weight.


    "Shit... Of all times not to have Del with me."


    [Whisper: Nix to Bali] Need a ranger, Bali. Got some tracking to be done.


    [Whisper: Bali to Nix] I''m at our Pawn Shop. Give me ten minutes to gear up and then open up a breach.


    Nix ignited his aura and walked toward the nearest building. The general iced-over appearance gave no clue to what type of structure it was. The ice shrank back from the Fire Mage, hissing angrily as it changed into water and streamed down onto the rapidly defrosting ground. He stood next to the door until the ice waspletely gone from around the door. "Heavy wooden door, looks like a guardhouse." The hinges creaked in protest when he pushed it open and stepped inside.


    Nix''s soft whistle echoed in the quiet chill of the room. Three dead guards huddled around a firece that had long since burned out. What he originally thought was a guard shack was actually the city jail. Tworge cells were in in view from the door; both were upied by the dead.


    "Too many bodies, not enough answers." Nix pulled an object from his inventory and equipped it.


    You have equipped the Crown of Bones.


    The room darkened considerably as several ck clouds became visible around the corpses. Nix examined the guardsmen first, and after finding one with captain''s bars on his shoulder, he equipped a second object.


    You have opened the Book of the Dead.


    A name appeared on its ck pages when he touched the armored shoulder.


    "Do you wish to scribe this name?"


    "Yes, scribe Captain Tarot Finlow."


    The corpse''s eyes blinked open suddenly, exposing nothing but whiteness in their depths. He stared at Nix, obviously seeing him despite his condition. "You have awakened me. What is your bidding?"


    The captain''s face was wide and scarred heavily around the eyes, like someone who brawled regrly. His head was shaved bald with arms and shoulders that were thick with muscle.


    Nix felt no threat or emotioning from the man. "What has happened here? The city ispletely frozen. Where is everyone?"


    The man''s pale lips barely moved when he replied. "Felid Sah ordered a retreat to the Caverns in the southern part of the forest."


    "The town''s been abandoned?" Nix frowned at the words; Dharta had close to twenty thousand citizens.


    "The caverns could only house five thousand of us; the rest remained here."


    You must provide an energy source for Captain Tarot Finlow to continue functioning. Failure to do so will result in his name being removed from the Book of the Dead.


    Nix noticed that the man''s pale skin was darkening at an rming rate; within a few seconds, it changed from pasty white to charcoal. Before he could do anything else, the corpses copsed onto the floor, leaving behind only the clothes he wore and a pile of ashes.


    Muttering a curse under his breath, he walked outside and opened up a Breach from Free Trader City.


    The tiny ranger saluted crisply when she saw him, her face smiling warmly. "At your service, Commander."


    Nix dropped his grim look and returned her smile. "City of corpses, Bal. A small portion of them retreated south of here."


    Bali immediately brought up track, verifying what Nix said. "Just you and me in town. How far south?"


    Nix shrugged and brought up a map of the area. "My intel says there are caverns south of this forested area." He pointed toward a likely area that looked to have some sizable rock formations. "Keep track up, and we''ll head south."


    "That would be out of my range. We flying?"


    Nix nodded and pointed to a clearing not far from the targeted area. "We''ll fly to this point and then proceed on foot."


    The short flight from Dharta to their targetednding site took only a few minutes. The Ain''Dhassi ranger immediately gave him the thumbs up when they stowed their mounts.


    Bali leaned closer for warmth and showed him her tracking disy. "There''s arge group of people straight ahead; the range to this pair means that they are probably standing guard."


    Nix nodded and immediately stealthed. He had nced at the tracking hud long enough to find the two names he was most concerned about; Cadie and Felid Sah.


    /Inferno: Nix: Let''s make contact with them first.


    They found evidence of recent foot traffic at the edge of the clearing that they had used for anding site. Thanks to the constant blowing and drifting snow, there were no tracks, but the evidence of regr usage was clear.


    /Inferno: Bali: They probably use this trail daily, maybe for hunting or firewood.


    Nix nodded in agreement and continued to follow the ranger. After nearly ten minutes of walking, Bali signaled for him to stop.


    /Inferno: Bali: Two guards behind that tree. They are using some sort of heating device to stave off the cold.


    /Inferno: Nix: Keep your bow handy and cover me.


    /Inferno: Bali: Dodge right if you get in trouble.


    /Inferno: Nix: Right? Why not left?


    /Inferno: Bali: Always dodge right, Commander.


    Nix dropped stealth and walked about ten meters before stopping and raising his voice. "I''m from the Inferno Guild and am here at the request of Felid Sah."


    A small form peeked out from behind therge tree that hid the two guards from view. "From the Inferno Guild?"


    "That''s correct. I''m Nix, the Guild Leader of Inferno."


    "Hmm... What''s your Vice Commander''s name?"


    "Jun Li is the Vice Commander of Inferno."


    "Anyone could know that. What the name of your silver drake?"


    Nix nced back at Bali, who had lowered her bow during the conversation.


    /Inferno: Bali: These two are kids, Nix.


    "I don''t have a silver drake. My spiritpanion is a Silver Drakon named Fey."


    Two voices carried from behind the tree; they seemed to be arguing over something before one of them stepped out.


    "Guild Leader Nix?"


    Nix nodded and gestured toward Bali, who had already stowed her weapon. "That''s correct. This is Bali, one of Inferno''s Ain''Dhassi rangers."


    The guard pulled back her hood, revealing a round, feminine face. Her dark hair was cut close to the scalp, and her bent nose seemed toorge for her face. "I''m zie. I will bring you to Felid Sah."