Mina was waiting for Nix when he boarded his houseboat a few minutes later. He decided he would upgrade her Kraken Armor while she gave him the mission details.

Nix brought up the crafting menu and chose the Overlay method that had been saved earlier. He began navigating through the menu to find the correct option. There was no Ain'Dhassi help screen this time.

"Let me see your amor Min." Nix held out his hand and waited while she unequipped the Kraken set he had given her.

"Was there a problem in Parliament?" Mina hadn't been spending as much time in the governing building as the rest of Inferno.

Kraken Armor [Water Mage only]

Description: This thick but surprising light

armor grants its wearer the boon of the sea.

+100 to Water abilities. Immunity to range damage.

All damage is reduced by thirty percent.

"A small misunderstanding. My intervention wasn't really needed." Nix placed the Kraken Armor in the targeting slot.

[Overlay: Camoflauge] [Kraken Armor]

[You can add up to four Bonus Enhancements for this overlay.]

Nix added the four legendary types of leather from his inventory.

[Overlay: Camoflauge] [Kraken Armor] [Bonus Enhancement: Kraken Leather]

[Bonus Enhancement: Leviathan Leather] [Bonus Enhancement: Lamia Leather] [Bonus Enhancement: Ced' Far Leather]

[Warning: Some of the Enhancement items carry bonuses that are unavailable in Oasis. In exchange they will be converted to the calculated equivalent.]

[Crafting Cost: 600 million Credits]

Nix stared at the crafting cost but didn't say anything to Min. Taking out a few of the enhancements would definitely bring it down. He had a feeling that it was the Ced 'Far leather that was driving the price up so high.

"Problem Nix?" Mina noticed his hesitation.

Nix shook his head. Since he regularly transferred credits into a real-world account, 600 million was nearly everything he left in Colonial assets. Nix glanced up, Mina was watching him. The image of a small Aquarion girl who liked to draw on Soup's shell flashed into his head. "No, it's fine."

Nix activated the craft icon.

Ocean Queen [Filamina Only]

Medium Armor: Tyrant IV

Armor Class: 1000

+ 30 to all Statistics

Damage Reduction 40 percent.

All Sea Abilities have increased by 50 percent.

[Special Ability: Minion]

Summon a Sea Devil to fight by your side.

[Immunities]

Range Damage

Critical Hits

Description: Seamlessly blends into the surroundings.

Camouflage only breaks when attacking.

Nix handed the armor back to her. He grinned at her when she put it on. The color had changed to ocean blue camouflage and a silver crown was perched on top of her white hair.

"Nix? What is this armor?" Min was looking at the statistics, it didn't match up with anything she had ever seen.

Nix gestured to his bedroom. "Better check out the rest in the mirror."

The Ocean Queen armor hugged Mina's contours perfectly. The faintest image of scales could be seen on the blue armor. Mina's hair which had been hanging down was automatically placed in a single braid that flowed down her back. The silver crown had a blue sapphire set in the middle.

"The amount of Vila in my stable dropped from 40 to 30." MIna frowned at the number, they had worked hard to get the Vilas.

"Maybe the Sea Devil will make up for it?" Nix stood up and headed for the side ladder. "Brief me on the way Min."

Min followed closely behind him, "our spies have discovered that the Matriarchs are seeding the God's path. Our recent progress may have alerted them."

"Seeding it with more Vila?"

"Doesn't matter. They are placing them on the 7th floor. In order to do that, they access a hidden entrance on the second stage of the 6th floor."

"We've already cleared 6.2." Nix grabbed Min's hand and chose the 6th-floor staging area in Mermaid City.

They stepped onto the 6th-floor platform. It was completely empty, none of the mid-tier guilds were even close to Inferno.

"Yes. We follow them through and then clear the stage. That jumps us to the 7th floor."

Nix nodded. "They both stealthed and then stepped onto the 6.2 platform, a few minutes later they were swimming down a long hall.

/Inferno: Nix: Where's the door located?

/Inferno: Mina: Turn left at the next intersection then it's halfway down the hall. A small discoloration on the stones marks the entrance.

/Inferno: Fajii: What are you doing in Mermaid City Nix?

/Inferno: Mina: Special Mission Fajii, please clear the channel.

/Inferno: Nix: We'll talk when we get back Fajii.

They arrived at the discoloration a few minutes later. They moved closer to the ceiling and maintained their stealth.

[Whisper: Mina to Nix] I keep thinking about the Chaos Gate. Why do you suppose we were married in the illusion?

[Whisper: Nix to Mina] You want a daughter, seems like they should be a package deal.

[Whisper: Mina to Nix] Makes sense I suppose.

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

Nix and Mina waited nearly two hours before moving down the hall could be seen. Two Matriarchs moved swiftly toward them, they stopped near a mark on the floor and one of them pointed a device at the wall. A moment later a small portion of the wall slid open.

Nix and Mina flashed through the opening before they had time to close it.

Nix raised both hands and shot six flame strands toward each Matriarch, the emerald flames wrapped around their torso, pinning their arms. Mina summoned her Vilas and turned them on the Matriarchs. A few months earlier this would have been an even battle, but not any longer.

With the Matriarchs easily disposed of, Nix picked up the device that had opened the wall while Mina salvaged the Ricoli Devices.

Nix paused while she retrieved the second one. "Doesn't this seem like a rather menial task for a Matriarch?"

Mina nodded in agreement, "it does. There should be a round chamber up ahead. We will need to start clearing mobs from then on. "

Nix nodded and they both stealthed before continuing down the hall. Tentatively they entered through the archway that led to the round chamber. The room was completely empty. "This right Min?"

Min shook her head. "It shouldn't be empty." A second archway on the far side of the room was the only other exit from the chamber.

Nix and Min started toward it when they heard the grating sound of stone on stone, a moment later two large doors slammed shut over the archways.

"Filamina... So nice of you to visit us again." A female voice sounded near where the entrance had been. A tall Aquarion woman, dressed in light armor and carrying a staff, walked toward them.

/Inferno: Mina: NIX! Gate out now!

Nix grabbed Min's hand and activated Deep Blue.

[You may not gate out of this location at this time]

Two other Aquarion's appeared near the first. "They moved forward slightly, flanking Nix and Mina.

/Inferno: Nix: Three Matriarchs, we've handled harder.

/Inferno: Mina: No Nix... These are Elder Matriarchs, the strongest of our kind.

"Filamina... You seem a bit distraught." The Elder Matriarch continued to walk toward them. All three of them summoned their creatures at the same time.

Mina had her 30 Vila move in front of them. "Three Elders, to deal with me?"

"You?" The Elder Matriarch laughed loudly, a sound that mimicked 'nails on a chalkboard.' "Why would I need help dealing with my own Grand Daughter? We've come to deal with the Archon before his strength grows beyond us."