Chapter 589: Vespri: Felid Sah (1/2)
The silver beast radiated power; her scales shone in the bright light of the elemental world like a sun's glare over the desert. A moment later, the drakon disappeared and was replaced 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 the last day. He had a large 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 the last 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 become stronger pushed her forward. She considered herself the weakest of Nix's spirit companions. 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 hour later, Nix exited the elemental world through the Fire Palace entrance. He opened his hud and checked his messages.
[Your Vasai Virtual Account is being used to access the UP Lake Cabin.]
/Logging off Colonial
/Logging In Vasai Virtual/UP Lake Cabin.
During their last visit, Nix had given her access to his Vasai Virtual account. 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.”
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0900 Dharta, Vespri
Not counting Free Trader City, Dharta was by far the largest city in Vespri. Nestled comfortably 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 platform, supplies from outside their community had quickly run dry.
Nix's Phoenix form flew easily over the snowed-in pass that isolated 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. According 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 alarm. 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 were completely iced in as if someone had dumped water on them and then flash-froze it into an ice-cube. Thick icicles hung from every eave while several of the buildings had collapsed 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 was completely 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 fireplace that had long since burned out. What he originally thought was a guard shack was actually the city jail. Two large cells were in plain view from the door; both were occupied 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 black 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 black 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 regularly. His head was shaved bald with arms and shoulders that were thick with muscle.
Nix felt no threat or emotion coming from the man. ”What has happened here? The city is completely 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.”