447 From the Ashes (1/2)
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Nix blinked the smoke out of his eyes, rubbing them against the sting of ashes that hung thick in the air like a dense fog. All of Ionova, flattened by a cataclysm, felt throughout Everspire.
/Inferno: Nix: Spread out, look for survivors. Call for a cleric if you find a body.
/Inferno: Jun Li: They're all dead, Nix. Wiped out. None of them can be rezzed.
/Inferno: Nix: Keep looking. We aren't leaving them.
”Sweet Mother...” Pon stared at the Khione's peak in the far distance, ash and fire were still billowing out of it. Half of the mountain has been instantly destroyed. ”Thousands of people in Ionova dead?” The old man shook his head and glanced at his friend. ”This isn't on you, Nix.”
Nix grabbed a broken column and rolled it off of the path. There were two bodies crushed beneath it. ”Isn't it? I'm the one in charge.”
/Inferno: Nix: Need a cleric at the southeast corner of the market square, two more bodies.
A few hours earlier, the call had gone out that Ionova had been destroyed. Every member of Inferno and all of their allies had shown up to help. Unfortunately, there wasn't much anyone could do. Digging the corpses out of the ruins was proving to be a gruesome task,
”Over here.” Nix waved at Pinky, who was searching through the rubble with Wind's help. Gypsy and Tess arrived at the same time from the opposite direction.
Tess knelt and checked the bodies. Her red hair hung in a face that was streaked with tears and ash. After a moment, she shook her head. ”No.”
[Whisper Pon to Nix] Clerics are taking this hard, Nix. Can no one be rezzed? Maybe say something to them.
Nix extended his hand and helped Tess up; he brushed some of the ash out of her hair. ”I know this is difficult for you. Let's keep at it. Our friends would expect at least this much.”
/Inferno: Ronnie: Oh, god... Nix, come to the old town.
”Old town?” Nix looked in the direction of the mostly abandoned old city of Ionova. There was already so much smoke in the air; he couldn't tell if it was burning. A moment of clarity was followed by panic. ”Oh no, the Trams... Follow me!”
”NIX! MY KIDS! MY KIDS!”
Bali's terror-filled voice echoed in their ears as the group tore into the charred building, removing sections of wall and ceiling in an effort to clear the area. They found the blond-haired ranger there, clutching a badly mangled Ginger Tram to her chest with one hand while trying to dig deeper into the rubble with the other.
”Find the other two.” Nix gritted his teeth and tried to focus on the task at hand. He watched as Pinky checked the young girl, she shook her head at Nix and then burst into tears.
”The brothers are over here.” Pon's voice came from the other side of the house. Nix followed Tess as she checked their status.
”Anything?' Nix waited for Tess to check them; instead of answering, she sat on the broken floor and started crying.
[Whisper Shae to Nix] I found Mina, she's not injured.
[Whisper Nix to Shae] Thanks. Stay with her for now.
Nix bent down and helped Tess to her feet, wrapping her up in a hug. They stood there for several seconds. Finally, he stepped away and gently picked up Theo Tram. ”Help me out, old man.”
Pon nodded and picked up Mik. ”What do we do now?”
Nix shrugged slightly and opened up a breach back to his previous location. ”Bali... Bring Ginger and follow us. We can't leave these kids out here.”
He entered the breach without saying anything else. Grief was mostly a personal thing, parts of it could be shared with others, but other parts had to be dealt with alone.
There was a small section of the square where Inferno members were starting to bring the bodies. Nix found himself unable to place Theo with them.
[Whisper: Pon to Nix] Over here works better.
Nix turned slightly and spotted Pon standing next to a cleared off section away from the others. Without speaking, he placed Theo on the ground next to his brother. Bali tried to do the same for Ginger, but in the end, they needed Tess and Gypsy to help her. She lay over the top of the three Trams, hugging them.
[Whisper: Pon to Nix] That girl is gonna take this hard.
”This isn't right... Aren't we the good guys? Why?” Pinky spoke quietly to the other two clerics, her voice shaking as she struggled to compose herself.
”Take a break, Pinky. Just breathe.” Gypsy stroked her pink hair. ”We'll continue in a few minutes.”
Pinky shook her head. ”I can't come to terms with this. I can't! This isn't right!
A brilliant light surrounded the cleric, her feet rising off the ground as a gentle wave of healing pushed outward in all directions.
[Sajana has activated her Bloodline]
[Gemini Sub-Class Detected: Archangel]
An instant later, the same light twirled around Gypsy and Tess, their ash smudged faces shocked as they also rose into the air.
[Gypsy Rose has activated her Bloodline]
[Gemini Sub-Class Detected: Archangel]
[Tess has activated her Bloodline]
[Gemini Sub-Class Detected: Archangel]
Three sets of gold wings sprouted from the backs of the Inferno Clerics. Golden light pulsed outward from them for several seconds before they landed on the ground.
Pinky glanced over her shoulder at the gold wings and then at the other two clerics.
Sajana has started [Heaven's Chorus: 1st Verse]
Gypsy Rose has started [Heaven's Chorus: 2nd Verse]
Tess has started [Heaven's Chorus: 3rd Verse]
[Area of Effect: Choir of Angels]
Theo Tram has been resurrected.
Mik Tram has been resurrected.
Ginger Tram has been resurrected.
Sterli Fare has been resurrected.
Greni Sota has been resurrected.