320 Instructor Bali (1/2)
”NIX!” Rabi smiled happily, his dark face bouncing up and down as he pushed on Nix.
”I eat demons for breakfast.” Nix opened his eyes and then narrowed them evilly. ”I smell a second one. Where is she?”
Rabi pointed to the side of the bed. Sasi was burrowed under the covers and had her small head on the pillow next to his, pretending she was asleep. ”Eat her first; I'm probably too stringy.”
Sasi opened one eye and pointed at her brother. ”That guy is way sweeter than me, Nix. Eat him.”
Nix pulled himself into a seated position, the weight of Rabi not even slowing him down. ”What's the mission? Kidnap me?”
Rabi nodded while Sasi shook her head, they glanced at each other for a moment and then Sasi nodded also. She sat up next to Nix, her head below his shoulder. ”We're here to save you.”
Nix yawned sleepily while Rabi moved to the other side of him. ”How's Uta and the Rage course?”
A frown suddenly covered rabi's sharp demon teeth. ”He's too serious. Always scolding me for nothing.”
Sasi pulled on his arm, causing him to turn. ”I brought you something! Nether Rats! Tons of them. I remember how much you liked them.”
Nix laughed at her expression. ”It was you who liked them, thank you, though. I still need to make an Emperor.”
Sasi's dark eyes were excited. ”A rat emperor? Will you make me one?”
”Yep.”
Rabi clapped his small hands together. ”Me too, Nix?”
Nix shook his head and then rolled out of bed, grabbing Rabi and picking him up in the process. ”Nope.”
”Unfair!” Rabi squirmed until Nix tossed him on the bed.
”She's my favorite Qi.” Nix laughed at Rabi's disappointed face and quickly exited into the closet.
”Kidding, right, Nix?” Rabi poked his head into the closet, his dark eyes curious about everything.
”Yeah. Kidding Rabi.” Nix patted his head and headed toward the kitchen.
Wind, Semmi, Beta, and Fajii were all sitting around the island talking when Nix entered. The pale albino stood to hug him. ”I see the Qi family accomplished the operation.”
Nix frowned at Beta. ”Operation Wake Nix up? Who did the planning?”
Fajii smiled sweetly when all the fingers in the room pointed at her. ”It's nicer when you are awake, Nix.”
Nix ignored her and scowled at Beta. ”No flirting with Wind in my kitchen.” He felt some level of vindication when the albino's face turned pink. ”Learned something pretty neat yesterday.”
Semmi, who had been quiet until now, leaned forward with interest. ”Spill it, Nix!”
”Better if I show you.” Nix walked over to the couch and took a seat before accessing the coffee table's hud.
Semmi plopped down beside him, watching while he accessed the Free Trader City Auction house. ”You're buying 50k pelts of those cat thingies?”
”They're called Orions.” Nix shook his head when Semmi didn't comment. ”Don't know the story of the Orions?”
Semmi shook her head. ”You've been here the longest, Nix.”
”They're a Polar feline that's been pushed out of their habitat by the sudden influxion of wolves.” Nix created a queue for Orions out of the best materials he had.
Semmi leaned closer to him, her arm brushing his. ”Making you nervous?”
Nix shook his head. ”You can see all the specials Orion's have. It's why I”ve been buying them up for days. ”
Semmi read them off, ”thermal vision, Ice Immunity, and enhanced speed.”
”Unfortunately, they haven't adapted their color to the new environment. The white fur sticks out and has put a target on them.” Nix brought up the image of one on his hud.
Semmi smiled happily. ”They look like albino jaguars. Gonna make me one?”
”No.” Nix nudged her with his elbow. ”I'll do better than that.”
/Inferno: Nix: Bali, are you around?
/Inferno: Bali: Yes! Not for long, though, I'm going to accompany Ronnie on an urgent quest.
/Inferno: Nix: I see. How's the varmint problem?
/Inferno: Bali: We've cleaned everything out, took care of the Bezos last night.
/Inferno: Nix: Where are the Trams?
/Inferno: Bali: I have them patrolling the woods with my team.
/Inferno: Nix: Have them bring the Wolf puppets here, you come too.
/Inferno: Bali: I'll be there in a bit.
Semmi's pretty face looked disappointed when he closed his hud. ”Change your mind?”
Nix shook his head. ”The Queue won't finish for an hour, and that's just the first round. A dozen or so Emperor level Orions are the goal.”
Semmi sighed heavily. ”I'll have to wait until you get back to see it?”
”Fraid so.” Nix left her sitting there and made his way to the front door; he stepped out just as Bali raced up on a brown horse, three Dire Wolves were chasing her.
Bali pulled up suddenly, causing the horse's hooves to dig grooves into the soft grass. ”I win!”
The three wolves circled her for a moment and then sat down, their tongues lolling out of their mouths.
Nix approached them; he found it hard to talk to Bali without smiling. ”How are they shaping up Bali?”
Bali glanced at the three wolves. ”They're good young-uns.”
”Going to need those three Dire Wolves guys, you won't need them when you begin your training.” Nix could already tell which Tram animated which wolf.
Theo cocked his gray head to one side. ”Training?”
Nix nodded. ”Ranger Instructor Bali is going to train you on how to be rangers.”