Chapter 592: Dark Seed (1/2)

Bali frowned at the frozen corpses, still exactly where Nix had left them when he originally melted his way into the city jail. She used a booted foot to sift through the pile of ashes near the table until she found a small black bracelet. ”How many of these things did that bad lady make?”

Leva shared a glance with Ducky; it was her first time meeting the Ain'Dhassi ranger in person. ”Tens of thousands, she's obviously a talented crafter.” The dark chancellor bent down and picked up the bracelet; it no longer held any power.

Bali stomped her boot to rid it of the human ashes before gesturing to the back wall that was stacked high with firewood. ”A working fireplace and plenty of wood to burn. How did this even happen?”

Ducky received the bracelet from Leva and turned it over in her hand while studying it. ”It's a layered charm. The first part convinces the victim that they are warm.”

The tiny ranger whistled softly, her breath sending out a large cloud in the room's frigid temperature. ”They died thinking they were warm?” Bali suppressed a shudder. ”I hope the Commander Nixes her.”

Ducky nodded in agreement. ”The second layer was a befuddlement spell, just enough to remove focus. Their life force was being siphoned during this entire process. It's quite possible that some of these people had a moment of clarity before their deaths but were too weak to do anything about it.”

/Inferno: Ducky: The guards all have the bracelets, Nix. They likely died from a combination of that and the temperature.

/Inferno: Leva: There's no way she could have absorbed the life forces from this many people. She must be using a dark seed to store it.

/Inferno: Nix: Understood. Maintain your position in Dharta for now.

Nix sunk slowly into the rock for a few meters before adjusting his course to a steep angle that spiraled downward. His silver dread flames caused the solid rock to melt for several meters around him, with Pon following closely, that distance was nearly doubled. Floyd and Sori maintained a healthy distance; although neither were threatened by normal fire, the dread flames were different.

/Alpha: Floyd: Will the Scorched Earth members be able to produce a dread flame?

/Alpha: Nix: Some variant will likely result if Deidra's Temple sends them into its depths.

Nix dropped his Aura suddenly when the rock around him became a large open space. Pon moved beside him while Sori and Floyd equipped their ranged weapons. A breach had been opened and was being kept active by a peculiar-looking crystal formation.

/Alpha: Pon: Did you know a breach could be left open?

/Alpha: Nix: Unless you close them, they expire in a few minutes. I'm going to step through the breach; I want you to take the crystals.

/Alpha: Sori: Won't you be trapped there? Never mind... You'll open a breach back.

Nix smiled at the Lamia Acolyte. ”Yep.”

Without speaking further, the Inferno Leader stepped through the breach and disappeared. Pon swept up the crystals and stowed them away just as another breach opened up. The old mage jumped through, closely followed by Floyd and Sori.

***************

You have entered the City of Verynzai.

Nix's dread flame aura suddenly burned out, forcibly extinguished by nearly unfathomable power. The shock of its abrupt removal left him gasping for breath; a glance at Pon showed that the old mage had collapsed.

You may not use the element of fire within Khione's Stronghold.

/Alpha: Floyd: Verynzai? Isn't that the city that replaced Talumbir in the Sky Kingdom?

/Alpha: Nix: Una Chelonia renamed Jargon Kane's city Verynzai. However, the original Verynzai is part of Khione's fortress.

”You okay, Old Man?” Nix helped Pon to his feet, painfully aware that if the Fire Mage couldn't use his flames, he'd be essentially toothless.