n

n

nNix disarmed her and stowed the dagger she carried in his inventory. She was still squirming on the ground in fear so he removed his knee and stepped away.

n

/Alpha Team: Nix: Follow me, they must be in this direction if they've met the King.

nThe trio ran in the direction the crab-woman had come from. Almost immediately Nix picked up the thermal signatures of two people lying on the ground. The fire next to them nearly cloaked their image.

nEron leaped off of Fajii's shoulders and landed nimbly next to the Gemini Thieves.

"Spider Toxin, no damage besides that.

"

nDetoxification

nAll toxins have been removed from Wind.

nDetoxification

nAll toxins have been removed from Semmi.

nNix helped Semmi sit up, the blond coughed up a greenish looking fluid before spitting it out in disgust. Wind didn't manage that, he rolled onto his stomach and then vomited into the fire.

n

/Alpha Team: Pon: Welcome back. And thanks for the burnt vomit smell.

nWind climbed to his feet and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

"What the hell happened?

"

n

/Alpha Team: Nix: Ambush at the orchard, we were stunned and bound. I was killed and you two were carried off by spiders. We tracked you to this cavern. The King has been watching your back, we arrived just as the inhabitants of this place overstepped and he sent them packing.

nKing Lubo jumped nimbly to Nix's shoulder, a small webbed hand patted his cheek while chittering softly, after a moment he returned to Wind and disappeared.

n

/Alpha Team: Pon: They should return shortly.

n

/Alpha Team: Nix: Get ready to fight. No matter what, we need to ensure that Fajii survives.

nNix continued to scan the surroundings, within a few moments he could see the thermal images of their opponents returning.

nA man wearing an eyepatch was the first to return, if he was surprised that there were five armed guests waiting for him, he didn't show it.

"Looks like dinner has armed itself.

"

nNix pushed Gemini Flames into the Archon blade he gripped in one hand.

"Come and get it then.

"

n

/Alpha Team: Nix: I sense Ice in him.

n

"Forgive my poor attempt at humor. I am Yor, Captain of the Moon Goddess.

" Yor bowed slightly, he could see no sign of the gecko that had 'Feared' them.

"There's been a mix-up, I don't wish to fight.

"

n

/Alpha Team: Pon: Maybe just kill this guy now boss, save us the trouble of doing it later.

n

"If you can properly explain why we were ambushed, and why my people were brought here, then we can have peace.

" Nix watched as the Captain's three companions quietly flanked them behind the ice walls.

n

/Alpha Team: Nix: Two behind on the left, the other is directly right of my position.

nYor gestured to the spider amulet around his neck.

"This gives me domain over the spiders. I use them to bring us food, sadly they don't know the difference between dhassi and furies.

"

nNix didn't comment, he was fairly certain the man knew they weren't dhassi.

n

"My people brought your friends here. We were in the process of investigating their identity when a harmless looking lizard used some sort of 'mass fear' on us.

" Yor cringed at the words he spoke, it was nearly laughable unless you felt the mind-numbing terror.

nNix nodded,

"you met the King. He does leave an impression.

"

nYor let himself relax a little, the foreigners didn't seem bent on fighting.

"Come out, I'm sure they already realize you are there.

"

nTwo men and a woman stepped out from the darkness, all three of them had similar crab afflictions as the Captain. The female Nix had pinned to the ground stepped forward.

"I'm Shipwright Vy, the guy to my right is our First Mate Tully and the other gentlemen is Handsome Rollie.

"

nNix's thermal vision didn't pick up anyone else.

"Seem like a bit of a small crew Captain.

"

n

/Alpha Team: Pon: We could use a Shipwright.

n

/Alpha Team: Nix: Let's make her our number one priority.

nYor came closer and sat down on a rock near the fire.

"The Winter Witch has the rest of them, frozen like blocks of Ice, far beneath us.

"

nNix pulled out a half dozen cans of Kraken meat and sat them on the floor next to the fire.

"I'm Nix, The Guild Leader of Inferno. Let's share a proper meal so that you can tell us the story.

"

nYor stared at the cans.

"What's in those?

"

nNix walked a few steps into the darkness, where a large rock lay propped up against the ice. He picked it up without showing the strain he felt and then placed it near the fire with a ground jarring impact.

n

/Alpha Team: Wind: Damn boss.

n

/Alpha Team: Pon: Show off.

n

"It's Kraken Meat.

" Nix sat down on the rock and motioned for his people to join him.

n*******************

nA few minutes later a large pot of Kraken was cooking over the fire. The entire group was huddled around the fire listening as Yor started to speak.

n

"We're from Tysta, you must have come through it when you traveled here. I came here on a fool's errand.

" Yor pulled a small item out of his inventory and held it up.

"I had heard that there was a Dying Stormsinger here, I sought to capture her spirit to craft a new figurehead for the Moon Goddess.

"

nSea Rune: Artifact

nDescription: Temporarily store the

nspirit of an elemental if it is slain

nin your vicinity.

nNix glanced at the artifact.

"I take it she wasn't dying.

"

n

"Correct. She has managed to capture hundreds of Ice Sprites and absorb their power. I don't believe anything on this plane can kill her.

"

n

/Alpha Team: Pon: He said this plane... Could she be from this Sky Kingdom that you mentioned?

n

/Alpha Team: Nix: If she is then that's very bad.

nNix turned back to the conversation.

"So we are looking at a very powerful Ice Elemental. What happened then?

"

n

"She cursed us and then encased us in ice, the Moon Goddess and her entire crew.

" Yor gritted his teeth at the memory, her beauty had been intoxicating to him and when she offered a deal...

n

"You don't look like you're encased in ice.

" Nix felt like he was missing something key.

n

/Alpha Team: Nix: What am I missing?

n

/Alpha Team: Semmi: Not sure.

n

/Alpha Team: Wind: No idea.

n

/Alpha Team: Fajii: Their ears aren't pointed. They are not dhassi.

n

/Alpha Team: Pon: Some sort of dhassi sub-class?

n

"The four of us were encased also, only a few years ago did we finally break free. At first, we tried to escape back to Tysta, but if we get more than a few miles from this cavern these cursed legs seize up and refuse to go any further.

"

nSemmi bent slightly to take a better look at the Captain's legs.

"There is a small layer of ice on them. What did you call your city, Tysta? I've studied lots of maps of this area at Parliament and never came across the name.

"

nYor nodded without really listening.

"The ice is melded with my legs and can't be removed.

"What is this Parliament you mentioned?

"

n

/Alpha Team: Pon: Uh oh.

nSemmi went straight into lecture mode.

"Parliament is the world governing body. It is made up of Ain'Dhassi, Su'Dhassi, FIr'Dhassi, and humans.

"

n

"Excuse me, Captain, one question please.

" Nix pulled up his hud and zoomed in on the area map of Fraya'Selene.

"This frozen lake North of us, would that be Tysta Lake?

"

nYor stumbled while trying to spring to his feet.

"W-What is that? An artifact?

"

nNix shook his head.

"You've never seen a hud? All the Oasis races have them.

"

nVy moved closer, staring at the hud.

"The land points are the same, why is Tysta bound in Ice? Where is Feski, Spiro, and Cyli?

"

nSemmi leaned toward Nix and zoomed in on the hud.

"If those are cities, I've never heard of them.

"

nVy pointed to a point North of them.

"This is a city?

"

nSemmi nodded,

"that's Fraya'Selene, the largest Ain'Dhassi city in Oasis.

"

nVy's voice shook when she spoke,

"Fraya' Selene? That's nothing but a dhassi village, a stable and a few huts.

"

nNix glanced at Semmi.

"What's the Oasis year Sem?

"

nSemmi pointed to the bottom right corner of the hud.

"Oasis calendar year is here! It's 4409, the month of Ticondera.

"

n

"4409?

" Yor's voice was barely a whisper.

"Two hundred years?

"

n