Phoenix Phire

The storm of Gemini flames subside, and a peaceful calm followed in its wake. Nix groaned loudly and rolled off the Altar, back in human form, the exhausted Fire Mage leaned heavily on the stone slab.

Nix [Race: Human/Salamander Hybrid]

Rank: Nemesis

Level 50 [Locked: Actual Level 100]

[Hidden Class: Statistics Unavailable]

You have learned Lance [Elemental: Fire, Air, Ice]

You have learned Gemini Bond [Gemini]

You have learned Critical Chain [Gemini]

You have learned Tides of Flame [Nemesis]

You have learned Incinerate [Nemesis]

You have learned Balefire Burst [Nemesis]

You have learned Archon's Armor [Nemesis]

You have learned Advanced Execution [Nemesis]

"Nix!" Fajii spoke from the archway, she ran toward him and hugged him tightly. The rest of Alpha Team started to follow before spinning around to face the opposite direction.

/Alpha Team: Pon: Put some clothes on Punk!

/Alpha Team: Semmi: Or not, pays to be flexible

/Alpha Team: Wind: Please... my eyes can't handle it.

Nix laughed and let Fajii go long enough to put his clothes and armor back on.

/Alpha Team: Sorry, guys, didn't realize my clothes had burned off.

/Alpha Team: Pon: Everything okay, Nix?

/Alpha Team Nix: Yes. Thank you all for your help. I will make sure that your efforts today are paid back in full.

The loud scraping of stone caused them all to turn their heads. The two large stone tiles behind the altar moved to one side, and a throne of black and white rose slowly. The left side of the throne was a beautiful veined white marble, while the right side was black obsidian, smooth enough to reflect the entire room.

"It's the Gemini Throne." A voice from the north archway caused them all to turn suddenly. Elune made her way to the center of the room and knelt before Nix. "Please take the throne."

/Alpha Team: Semmi: I think you should take a seat, Nix. More stuff for us, I bet.

/Alpha Team: Pon: Do it. I want to laugh my ass off when half of your face becomes Su'Dhassi.

/Alpha Team: Wind: If it was me... I'd sit down.

/Alpha Team: Fajii: I think it's a good idea, Nix.

/Alpha Team: Nix: I'll consider it. In the meantime, collect the loot from the last stampede of mobs. Bound to be some nice stuff in there.

Nix waited until his team wandered off in search of loot and then turned toward the Priestess. "We are new to this world, some of the rules we know don't apply here. Explain to me about Temples."

Elune stood up slowly while nodding her head. "Temples in Oasis must have a Lord Class Elemental to be active. If the Temple Lord is slain, the throne disappears until a new one takes over."

Nix studied her expressions, her Ain'Dhassi side seemed cold and distant, while the Su'Dhassi side gave off a feeling of warmth and friendship. "How does the new Elemental take over?"

"The Acolytes of the Temple and the Temple Lord were slain by the Fir'Dhassi. Shortly after that, Gemini minions took their place. If an Elemental Lord wishes to take over the Temple, they must defeat all the Gemini minions and assume the throne. Which you have done."

Nix nodded slowly, "are you one of those Gemini minions?"

If it was possible to smile and frown at the same time, Elune could definitely pull it off. "I am the Priestess of the Gemini Temple. I serve at the Lord's leisure."

"What kind of elemental was the last Lord?" Nix had read that Oasis contained a wider variety of Elementals than the stringent Colonial.

"She was a Storm Elemental, and she was extraordinarily powerful."

"Storm? Isn't that Air, Water, and Lightening?" Nix thought of the different possibilities. A storm lord would be a dangerous opponent.

Elune nodded. "You carry the blessings of Ice, Air, Fire, and you've awakened the Gemini Flames. That is also very impressive."

"This Temple is on Fir'Dhassi territory; it would be difficult to keep it. Eventually, they would come for us."

Elune moved to the side of the Throne and lay a hand on the armrest. "After you become the Temple Lord, you may move the Gemini Temple one time."

Nix frowned at the Priestess's words. "The last Lord moved it here?"

"Yes, it had been far to the south, in the Ain'Dhassi lands." Elune sighed heavily, "if you don't assume the throne, the Gemini minions will respawn, and I will be confined to this altar room and the Temple sanctuary."

/Alpha Team: Semmi: There's a lot of loot Nix. Most of it Tryant I, but quite a bit of Tyrant II gear and three Tyrant IV pieces.

/Alpha Team: Nix: Gear up then. Since you're level 100, we are going to start hitting Upper Tier Content in Colonial and the occasional target in Oasis.

/Alpha Team: Semmi: Correction... I was level 100 before you so nicely power-leveled me. Now I'm 102.

/Alpha Team: Pon: Heh... Punk, me too!

/Alpha Team: Wind: Same.

/Alpha Team: Nix: Thanks... I wish it were more.

"Show us this sanctuary Elune. Then we will decide." Nix motioned for her to lead the way.

Alpha Team followed the Priestess down the North Corridor to the Sanctuary; a heavy wooden door protected the entrance.

/Alpha Team: Semmi: Yeah... I'd live here.

/Alpha Team : Wind: Not bad...

The Sanctuary was about a hundred meters across; one large section contained an enormous garden with a wide variety of vegetables, a small orchard bordered a pond, and a small hut. They stopped when the platform behind the orchard became visible.

Nix stared at the portal before stepping onto it.

[Portal Inactive]

"The portal lost all its connections to the outside worlds with the death of the Temple Lord." Elune volunteered the information before they asked.

Semmi pursed her lips in thought. "You said worlds..."

Elune nodded. "Colonial, Oasis and..." The Priestess stopped, her eyes filled with uncertainty.

"The Sky Kingdom?" Nix finished the sentence for her.

Surprise showed in both of Elune's different colored eyes. "You know of the Sky Kingdom?"

Nix nodded. "I've made my decision. Let's go back to the altar room."

/Alpha Team: Pon: What's the Sky Kingdom?

/Alpha Team: Nix: It's the next world, one tier up from this one. For explanation purposes, let's call it a higher plane.

/Alpha Team:Wind: They are stronger than the fighters here?

/Alpha Team: Nix: Yes, it would be like comparing Colonial with Oasis.

/Alpha Team: Semmi: Let's pop in an see the place!

/Alpha Team: Nix: There's some sort of trial required to get there. If you attempt it before the trial, then you wouldn't enjoy the experience.

/Alpha Team: Semmi: Have you been there? Why not?

/Alpha Team: Nix: Yes, I could only handle it for a brief amount of time. Think of it as standard gravity x5.

/Alpha Team: Fajii: Gravity?

/Alpha Team: Semmi: It's the weight that pushes down on all things. Like how you can float in the water, but not on land.

/Alpha Team: Fajii: I see. This Sky Kingdom is like carrying five friends on your back?

/Alpha Team: Nix: Exactly. It was hard to move or even breath.

/Alpha Team: Pon: I wouldn't even be able to move.

/Alpha Team: Semmi: This is a second method of moving back and forth between Colonial and Oasis, we can't afford to pass this up.

/Alpha Team: Pon: But where do we place it? Are we going to place it in Loki? That would give the alliance the ability to travel anywhere; we'd lose our advantage in the embassy as soon as the Upper-Tiers came back.

Nix walked side-by-side with Elune as they made their way back to the Altar room. "Are there any benefits from having a Gemini Temple in your territory?"

Elune shook her head. "You don't receive any advantages or buffs if that's what you're asking. However, you do receive two Gemini Stones every month."

/Alpha Team: Semmi: She is talking about the thief stones that Wind and I used.

Nix understood that the Gemini stones were tier 4, and upgradeable to tier 5. If Inferno were going to continue to climb and become an Ascendant Guild, the Gemini Temple would be a crucial part of their development. "What other classes of stones are available?"

Elune walked through the archway and entered the Altar room; she moved to a spot next to the throne. "There are six Gemini Classes. Thief, Defender, Gladiator, Trickster, Mage, and Ranged."

Semmi was listening in on the conversation. "Is the Defender a tank? What about the last three? It says Ranged, not Ranger?"

"Yes, the Defender is a Tank. The Trickster is a Crowd Control class, while the Mage class adds a long list of Gemini traits to a Mage. You wouldn't change elements or anything, so it's more of an enhancement than a class change. The Ranged class is similar in that respect; it adds Gemini traits to the existing Ranged class."

/Alpha Team: Pon: I'm in.

/Alpha Team: Fajii: So am I.

Nix placed a hand on the throne and glanced up at Elune. "We could place the Temple in an Oasis Seed World?"

Elune nodded. "You could place it in Colonial or the Sky Kingdom even."

/Alpha Team: Semmi: Wouldn't hurt to have two portals in Haven. It's certainly big enough.

Nix stepped in front of the throne and then eased himself down.

[Nix: Elemental, Nemesis Rank Recognized. Do you wish to claim Lordship of the Gemini Temple?]

"Yes."

[Granting Lord access to Nix.]

[Sanctuary Portal is now active.]

[Gemini Altar is now active]

[Do you wish to move the Gemini Temple?]

"Yes."

[When you exit the Gemini Temple, it will deconstruct. Place the Temple Stake in the ground of the new site]

[Access Gemini Temple Lord Menu?]

"Yes."

[Gemini Temple Menu]

1. Class Stones

2. Staffing

3. Library

4. Training Grounds

5. Alert

/Alpha Team: Semmi: Your name has a title in front of it now, Lord Nix.

Nix selected the first menu, Class Stones.

[Gemini Class Stones: Two per month: 2/2]

1. Ranged Fighter.

2. Defender.

3. Gladiator

4. Trickster.

5. Thief

6. Mage.

Nix chose the 6th option.

[How many Gemini Mage Stones do you wish to create? Options: 1 or 2]

"Two."

The altar in front of them glowed for a moment, Elune scooped up the two stones that appeared the on the flat stone and handed them to Nix.

Nix held the warm stones in his hands, before looking up at Pon and Fajii.

[Gemini Mage: 4th Tier]

Requirements: Possession of Gemini Stone.

"Lord Nix. There are intruders in the outer Courtyard. You should see an Alert option."

"Just Nix is fine, Elune." The Alert option in the menu had started blinking. He selected it, and immediately a hud was pulled up over the altar. The display showed a force of Fir'Dhassi waiting near the entrance.

Semmi frowned at the display. "I know that person. He's the father of that moron who wanted to take Rhylia home. Zen Dar came by the Parliament requesting an audience a few days after the incident."

"Let's give him an audience then." Nix stood up, handed the Gemini Stones to Fajii and Pon. "Use them now or wait until after."

Pon's old face wrinkled up in a smile when he stowed the stone away. "I'll wait, wanna have time to learn the new stuff before I fight with it."

Fajii nodded in agreement. "I also will wait."

Nix directed Elune to stay; apparently, it wouldn't harm her to be in the temple when it deconstructed; Alpha Team headed to the entrance to deal with Clan Dar.

[Summons: Mortimer]

[Summons: Ducky]

/Alpha Team: Pon: Holy...

The entire group stared at Mortimer. He had grown a few feet in height, and muscles could be seen rippling beneath his baby fat. His claws were much larger and curved wickedly.

Morti pushed his enormous head into Nix's chest. "I've grown stronger!"

Nix scratched the bear's ears. Morti's rank had been lowered to match his, so when he ranked up to Nemesis, so did the Cave Bear. "You look good, Morti."

"I've grown stronger too!" Ducky moved closer, smiling widely when Nix patted her head.

"Morti, there's a Fir'Dhassi outside named Zen Dar. He's going to start a fight with us, although we will leave peacefully if possible."

Morti's big head nodded. "Want me to swat him if he does bad things?"

"Yep." Nix opened the Temple Doors and exited with his companions and the rest of Alpha Team.