Phoenix Phire

Chapter 58 - Phoenix

"You ready Nix?" Shae was holding his hand, her long red hair brushing his arm.

Nix nodded, the set-up reminded him of jumper cables on a car battery. He would ignite his aura and then place six tentacles on each of them. Shae would provide the juice while he relayed it directly to Severance. "Can't you just do it directly? What's the need for the middle-man?"

Shae leaned forward and kissed his forehead. "Because of our prior fire bonds, you can conduct my flames easily. I'm worried that without you here, it would be too much for her."

Severance frowned, "don't look down on this old Lord!"

Shae kept her face expressionless, "Then defend your territory properly. It's infested with water creatures."

"Okay... Who's ready to start?" Nix pulled Shae closer to Severance.

Severance had changed her ragged clothes and tied up her dark blue hair. "This isn't my natural flame Nix, it's a combination of my dieing seed and the essence you gave me. I've no experience with blue flames."

Shae stared at the old Lord, "Let's start. If this goes badly. I will kill you if it means keeping him safe."

Severance glanced at the skeleton still lodged in the molten rock, "I understand the sentiment."

Nix felt the need to remind Shae that he could easily be respawned at his binding point, but he refrained. She was just making sure Severance knew what her priorities were.

[Aura Ignition]

A wave of Emerald flame burst outward from Nix, causing both Salamanders to jump. He put all twelve tentacles on Shae, slowly their two aura's combined.

Severance waited, a slight smile on her face. More than anything she liked cooking water creatures. She gasped in surprise when her two companions flames merged. "It's brown! You have formed a brown flame... Amazing.

Nix gritted his teeth and faced Severance. Normally he would only merge the flames while he and Shae were having sex. The pools in her elemental world served to help him bleed off what he couldn't handle. Quickly he moved half of his tentacles to the fire lord.

Severance was lit up in blue flame, the brown flame coming from Nix immediately overpowered her borrowed flame causing the old Lord to scream in misery. Her eyes rolled back in her head as she dangled from the brown flaming tentacles.

Shae calmly watched her two companions, of the three she was the most comfortable. All she needed to do was meld with Nix's green flame. It was something she enjoyed doing anyway. She slowly cultivated the brown flame while the other two struggled.

Nix felt blood running down his chin from where he bit through his lip. Even protected by his aura, his skin felt like it was being cooked and then peeled off. He concentrated on moving the flame toward Severance, who had filled the cavern with deafening screams since they started.

The old Lord put up with it for several minutes before finally breaking free. "That's enough... protect him now!" Her voice brimmed with raw power, her bare feet causing the rock to splash like water. The brown flames swirled around her, "I shall burn them all!"

Shae pulled Nix close and enclosed him in her flames. Even without his aura, this flame felt warm and gentle. She watched as the old salamander dived straight down into the rock and disappeared from sight. A few moments later, the ground started shaking while the lava quickly filled the room and moved into the tunnels above.

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

Mina waited patiently on the deck of the Phoenix. The rest of the Aquarions were wide-eyed with fear. They could feel the build-up of their elemental opposite. An explosion caused the ship to shift suddenly throwing everyone to the deck, the ocean itself starting to churn. The entire top of the crater exploded, sending a wave of pure power in all directions. Immediately afterward, a fountain of molten rock erupted upward sending smoke and ash high into the air.

/Guildchat: Jun Li: Holy shit...

/Guildchat: Semmi: That's got Nix written all over it.

/Guildchat: Pon: I'm so jealous right now I can't stand it.

/Guildchat: Wind: He just got blown up... you fire mages are crazy.

[Guild Event: Onion Quest Updated] You have been summoned to the capital city of Lohai.

"I shouldn't have left him." Wylie was standing next to Mina, she kept thumping her staff loudly on the deck. A blur of movement caught her eyes, she pointed upward. "There!" A winged creature blurred through the cloud of ash moving toward the ships.

/Guildchat: Nix: Time to burn things!"

/Guildchat: Jun Li: Have at them guys!

Fey banked hard and dived toward the sea. Nix quickly summoned Soup and let him free fall into the water. The drake climbed quickly and turned back toward the armada while Nix targeted the nearest ship.

[Command: Ram My Target]

Jun Li and Semmi were at the rails of their ship, waiting to come within boarding range when they noticed the object in the water moving toward the enemy at a fast speed. A few moments later it crashed into the side of the ship and the waterline. Soup turned away and dived, immediately he was unsummoned.

Nix frowned at the unsummoned notice, "so that's one and done skill? He aimed for a second ship and then banked Fey into them.

[Command: Carpet Bombing]

A long narrow swath imposed itself on Nix's target. A moment later dozens of tiny explosions blasted the ship at deck level, Nix felt something slam into his shoulder but he kept his seat.

Fey climbed without being told, "their shooting at us Nix."

He placed a hand on her back, "you get hit, Fey?"

"Just nicked, nothing bad."

Nix grinned and dived for the next ship, "pick me up on the other side!"

"What?" Fey banked again when she felt her rider jump off.

Nix landed hard on the deck and rolled quickly to his feet.

[Aura Ignition]

Nix ran down the length of the ship, slamming sailors with his tentacles, tossing them in the water, the smelling of singed flesh filling his nostrils. He slammed into the door to the cannoneer's top row. "Hiya guys!"

He targeted the stack of powder charges.

[Comet Strike]

He quickly exited and ran for the stern just as the first explosion hit. "Holy F*ck!" The rail appeared before him and he jumped from it and leaped into the air. Fey dived hard and just managed to move beneath him as more explosions rocked the ship.

With her rider safe, Fey climbed steadily and moved back toward the Phoenix. "I've taken a few hits Nix, nothing serious but I must land."

They landed a moment later, just as the Phoenix turned back toward the armada, she had rushed out to sea to get out of range. Nix patted Fey's head and unsummoned her.

[Combustion]

Nix felt his wounds disappear as the air around him glowed.

"Nix!" An out of breath Wylie finally caught up with him. "No more running off on your own."

Mina had caught up also, she gripped his shoulder firmly with her hand but didn't say anything.

Captain Delphi noticed his arrival and bowed slightly. "We'll strafe the fleet a few times and then move into boarding range!"

The Phoenix closed on the fleet quickly. The ships that had broken off to pursue them suddenly found themselves within their enemies range. Captain Delphi had lured them away. "Hard to port! Ready cannons!"

At four hundred meters the Phonix turned broadside and lined up the pursuit. Both ships were still chasing since they were out of range.

Captain Delphi wait a few seconds longer. "Top cannons fire!"

The nearest ship was hit hard, the main mast had fallen and the deck was in shambles. The second ship decided to turn.

Delphi's smiled, "thanks for the bigger target. Fire bottom cannons!"

The second ship was hit harder, a large portion of its hull was damaged causing it to take in water.

Nix waited with the assault team. "That's the Alabaster, she's taking on water so they'll be desperate!"

"Let them wait then!" Delphi steered the Phonix towards the first ship. "Prepare to board!"

Grappling hooks flew from the Phoenix, holding the enemy ship in place. Nix targeted their deck.

[Meteor Storm]

The assault team waited while the green flames damaged both sailor and ship. Screams of pain filled the air while some of the sailors jumped overboard trying to put out the flames.

Wylie was the first to arrive. She landed in the middle of a group of smoldering crewmen, one wide swing put the lot of them on the deck.

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

Within an hour the sea battle was over. The four remaining ships from the Nottingham/Marauder coalition had retreated. The ships from Inferno had taken too much damage to chase. Repairs were already underway even before the looting was finished.

Jun Li and Semmi flew their manta to the deck of the Phoenix, Sharl, and Pon had already arrived. Jun Li shook her head at the lack of damage, did they even touch you guys?"

Captain Delphi shrugged at the new arrivals. "We were hit lightly a few times." She had to bite her lip to keep from grinning like a fool. The Phoenix was fast and furious, Nix and the Aquarion assault crew were a complete nightmare.

/Guildchat: Jun Li: Well done everyone. We starched them.

/Guildchat: Sharl: That was very satisfying.

/Guidchat: Ronnie: Where did your dragon go Nix?

[Inferno Guild has attained Sea-Farer Faction Tier-4. New Guild options are available]

Nix spotted a familiar face sitting on the deck among the captured crew. She had her hands tied behind her back and her eyepatch had been lost. He approached her and cut her bindings before helping her up. "Captain Faryn... sorry for the rough treatment." He handed her his canteen.

/Guildchat: Nix: Let's make sure we are treating the enemy captains respectfully.

"Thank you, sir." Faryn took a long drink and then handed it back. The Alabaster was sunk and she was out of a job.

Nix took the canteen back. "It was a good battle."

Faryn sighed unhappily, "it was good for you guys. We outnumbered you and were still put on our heels."

"Sorry about the Alabaster, but I'm glad to see that you are okay." Nix pointed to the rail. "Please wait here while Inferno discusses our options."

Faryn bowed again, "Thank you." She watched as he walked toward his guild members. She silently vowed that in the future, she would avoid missions that involved going against the Phoenix.