Phoenix Phire

[Esta has joined the Charlie Team Channel]

/Charlie Team: Nix: This could be Tessa Beryngare.

Esta stepped away from the group, both of her hands glowing with electricity. "A Dark Pact? You dare do something so horrible?"

"You don't understand, Esta." The voice was cold and raspy; it seemed saturated with evil intent.

"I'm sorry, Tess... I should have joined you and fought for this Temple." Esta's voice was thick with emotion; her transparent face slowly solidified while tears ran down her face.

'It's not too late. Help me escape this place. The Darkfiend tricked me! I cannot repay my debt unless I'm set free into the planes."

"Tricked by a fiend... Are you surprised that a nether creature was less than honest?" Esta shook her head slightly, "I already know what I must do."

/Charlie Team: Nix: I'm sorry about this, Esta.

/Charlie Team: Esta: No, Nix. Thank you. From the depths of my soul, thank you. I will put to rest the person I loved above all others.

[Thunder Strike]

[Shield Wall]

Sharl has neutralized the effect of Thunder Strike.

[Null]

Nix has Silenced An Undead Queen.

[Flashblade]

Nix's blade sliced toward Tessa when her glowing hands came up to defend he reversed and swept her legs, sending her to the ground.

[Thunder Strike]

Esta has stunned An Undead Queen.

All four of Mina's Vilas piled on top of the former Gemini Lord. Nix raised a hand, and two strands of Gemini Flame punched through her chest and into the floor beneath her.

[Swiftstrike]

Jun Li has scored a critical hit on An Undead Queen.

[Critical Chain]

Sharl has followed up Jun Li's strike with a critical hit.

An Undead Queen has been mortally wounded.

[Chained Lightning]

A half dozen balls of lightning slammed into the undead Gemini Lord.

Esta has slain An Undead Queen.

[Balefire: Burst: Gemini Flames]

Nix's Gemini flames sizzled through the air and struck the Sarchophogus that Tessa Berygare had used. The stone box exploded outward, followed by a wave of power that knocked everyone off their feet.

Nix sat up slowly; he had managed to shield Shadai from the blast. She happily placed a group heal on everyone.

A moan from across the room caused the group to tense up. Chael slowly climbed to his feet; he shook his head several times as if to clear it. "Damn... I feel like shit."

Nix offered him a neutral smile. "Welcome back."

/Charlie Team: Sharl: All that work and no loot or chest?

/Charlie Team: Jun Li: It's a win, right? Although the start was a bit rocky.

[Whisper: Sharl to Nix] You know that I find my sister very troubling, but I can't help think that this would have turned out differently had she been on the team instead of Chael.

Nix didn't say anything; he only pursed his lips in thought. "I'm going to take a look around, make sure we didn't miss anything.

Esta was staring at the floor, her face unreadable. "I will help you."

/Charlie Team: Nix: I'll send everyone else back to Sanctuary.

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

Nansu wiped her face with the back of her hand, smudging the dirt that was already there. She brought up her hud to reference which seeds she was planting in the next row. A movement from the corner of her eye caused her to pause, her red lips curved into a smile when she saw him. "Chael!"

Chael waved like he always did, the usual smile didn't accompany the greeting. "Working hard, Nansu?"

Nansu nodded. The instance must have poorly gone; she had cautioned him about expecting too much from Charlie Team's first grouping. "You okay?"

Chael shook his head. "Not really. I was useless the entire afternoon."

Nansu sat her bag to one side and patted the ground next to her. "Sounds bad. Want me to cheer you up? Or leave you alone?"

Chael took a seat on the ground next to her, "Let's go with option one."

The ordinarily shy Nansu glanced around and then pulled him down between the rows. Her pale face was blushing slightly. "What can I do?"

Chael let her pull him on top of her, his blue eyes shining with emotion. "You can die."

Nansu's eyes widened in shock when he gripped her neck with both hands and started to choke her.

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

"You okay, Esta?" Nix put a hand on the Stormsinger's shoulder. The transparent body of his Chief Acolyte made some people nervous, but Nix accepted it without thought.

Esta nodded. "I thought I made peace with this, but I didn't."

Nix knelt and inspected Tessa's corpse; he found one jewel and one Gemini Stone on her.

Gemini Trickster [4th Tier]

Storm Crystal [Unidentified]

Esta watched him pick up the items. "A Storm Crystal? That would make a good crafting enhancement."

Nix stared at the clear stone in his hand. "Anything else?"

Esta shrugged. "A few other things probably."

Nix handed it to her. "It's pretty if nothing else. Go ahead and keep it."

"Let's go, Nix. This place still feels off."

Nix nodded, "I think so too."

[Create Breach: Sanctuary]

He was about to step into the breach when the far wall caught his eye. Something...

Esta looked at him for a moment, and then at the wall. "What's wrong, Nix?"

"Symmetry. Every torch in this room is placed at the same height and distance apart." Nix pointed at the far wall. "Except that one."

A few moments later, Nix pulled torch, it moved downward easily and was followed by the grating sound of stone scraping across stone. A second sarcophagus stood just inside the small space.

Esta stared at it for a moment, a bit of horror creeping onto her face. "Two? What does that mean?"

"It means there were two of them. Stay here and get ready to destroy it!" Nix ran for the Breach that had remained open.

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

Nansu struggled against the man who had her pinned to the ground. Although she was just a lifestyle player, she knew how to fight and didn't hesitate to do so. In the end, she was only able to delay the inevitable for a scant few minutes. He gave up on trying to choke her and stabbed her with a dagger. She twisted away, her hand scooping up soil and throwing it into his face.

"Just die, you stupid bitch!" He pulled back his arm to slash the knife across her face, just as an emerald flame strand wrapped around his wrist and yanked him into the air.

A flash of white wings announced the arrival of Shadai.

[Hands of the Goddess]

The Holy Hands of An Air Priestess has healed Nansu's wounds.

Nix dragged the kicking Chael high into the sky, moving closer to the Gemini Temple before he released him. Emerald wings flashed, and Nix broke into a steep dive.

[Flashblade]

Nix's scimitar slashed at Chael before banking away.

[Execution: Advanced]

A half dozen strands of Emerald Flame punched through Chael's chest, Nix jerked the sniper toward him and removed his head with a flash of his red blade.

/Charlie Team: Nix: Destroy the Sarcophagus!

Nix pulled up out of the dive, not caring that Chael's body smashed against the stone walkway in front of the temple.

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

Nix called an emergency officer meeting a few minutes later. Everyone but Fajii and Shae was there. As Guild Leader and the person with the most knowledge of the events, Nix explained everything that happened in the lower levels of the Gemini Temple. In the interest of honesty, he made sure to be clear and blunt. Nansu was sitting as far away from Chael as she could manage. She refused to talk or look at him.

/Guild Officer: Nix: So that's everything. This has me completely stumped.

/Guild Officer: Semmi: Holy crap... I have no idea what to do here.

/Guild Officer: Nansu: I'd like to stay with you, Nix.

/Guild Officer: Nix: You can use the spare bedroom at the ranch, or even the Sea-World place.

/Guild Officer: Nansu: Your ranch, please. I'll be leaving now. Please ban him from visiting.

/Guild Officer: Semmi: Hey, Nan... Let's take a step back here.

/Guild Officer: Nansu: Please, Nix.

Nix nodded. "I'll see to it."

/Alpha Team: Pon: What a f*ck show.

/Alpha Team: Wind: Damn boss... we're gone for a few hours, and the entire world collapses.

Chael gated out, his face completely expressionless.

/Alpha Team: Semmi: This will blow over, right? Come on; the guy was charmed!

[Chael has left the Guild]

[Whisper Nix to Chael] Hey! No need to be hasty Chael, give her a few days.

[The person you are trying to reach is no longer logged in.]

/Alpha Team: Semmi: He's gone? Logged off too?

/Alpha Team: Nix: Damn it. I miss you guys, even you, Pon.

/Alpha Team: Pon: Of course you do punk bastard!

/Alpha Team: Semmi: So there were two of them? Both with dark pacts?

/Alpha Team: Nix: That's my best guess. When Esta didn't take the Chief Acolyte position, Tessa Beryngare must have given it to someone else.

/Alpha Team: Wind: The Instance is cleared then?

/Alpha Team: Nix: Completely, a second trickster stone dropped.

/Alpha Team: Semmi: The three of us are going to Solomon City tomorrow to look around.

[Whisper: Shae to Nix] Can you come to Lapu Crater?

[Whisper: Nix to Shae] Yes. Be there in a bit.