"Una said that half of these wildlings go crazy. What about the other half?" Raine sat across the table from the Inferno guild leader. It was late in the evening; everyone else had already turned in after spending a few hours talking and making strategies for the next day.

"They make it through adolescence without going crazy and are not bothered. These dragons don't develop the same kind of elemental strengths that normal dragons have. The soul strengthening offered by the dragon collective also increases their potential." Nix poured them both another glass of wine. "Did you enjoy Haven?"

"It's very nice, I've never heard of a seed world that large." Raine nodded. "I'm amazed, really. Inferno has outgrown the rest of us very quickly."

"Did you meet Soup?"

Raine's pale face blushed slightly. "I thought you were joking when you said you have a turtle spirit companion."

Nix smiled at her expression. "Is she scary?"

"Yes!" The Fir'Dhassi covered her smile by sipping some of her wine. "You shouldn't remember that conversation."

"Hmm... Sorry, it's not everyone who gets bitten on the bum by a turtle." Nix laughed when he recalled the conversation. It had been after he rescued her from two of her kinsmen who snatched her while she was taking a bath. She admitted that a childhood incident left her with an irrational fear of turtles.

"You're horrible," Raine said with a slight smile. "I feel disfigured."

Nix gave her a deadpan look. "Right... the tiny scar just ruins everything." For unknown reasons, he found himself grinning.

Raine stretched her long limbs, finally shrugging out of her worn leather armor. "I should get some rest. Good night, Nix." Her underarmor clung to her skin, emphasizing lean muscles that were offset by sleek, feminine curves.

"Good night." Nix suspected she barely ever took off her armor. "Leave that here; I will make some improvements to it."

The Xai Clan leader appeared hesitant; she was aware that Nix could improve armor. "I didn't take it off as a hint."

"We're fighting tomorrow. I do the same for everyone I team up with."

Raine set the armor down on the table, shrugging her shoulders slightly. "Thank you, Sir."

Nix watched her walk toward her room, waiting until the door closed before examining her armor.

Nature's Wrath: [Raine Xai Only]

Armor Class: 800

+10 to all Stats.

All incoming damage is decreased by 20 percent.

All Nature's Wrath Abilities are increased by 20 percent.

Nix glanced up to make sure she hadn't returned; he had an overwhelming urge to throw the armor in the trash. "This is total shit..."

"Let's see... we'll start with the sound enhanced camo-overlay."

Camouflage Fabric V

[Enhancements]

Complete Invisibility

Sound Suppression: When applied to armor.

Sound Amplification: When applied to weapons.

Lightning Resistant: Extra protection against Lightning-based attacks.

Bonus: Material is completely immune to fire.

Nix stared at the enhancements for a moment and then quickly set up another queue.

[Sound Enhanced Camo-Overlay] [Nature's Wrath] [Dragon Leather] [Kraken Leather]

Nix selecting the crafting icon and then picked up the armor again. "Better... What kind of form shall I add?"

Nature's Wrath: [Raine Xai Only]

Armor Class: 3800

+60 to all Stats.

+50 to Speed.

+200 to Lightning Resistance.

All Nature's Wrath Abilities are increased by 20 percent.

All incoming damage is reduced by half.

Description: This armor is designed

for moving silently. All ambient sound

within one meter of the wearer is

completely suppressed.

Enhancement: Complete Camouflage

is activated at will.

Bonus: Armor is Immune to Fire Damage

Nix swore under his breath. He was only carrying the damaged Nether-Rat puppet and an Orion puppet; the Orion was only at the Revenant level. "Shit. Now I remember that I still have to fix this one."

[Animator Interface Activated]

[Do you wish to use the Revenant Orion puppet to repair the Emperor Nether-Rat puppet?]

"Sure."

[The resulting repair will decrease the quality of the Nether-Rat puppet. Do you wish to proceed?]

"No. I'll try shrinking it."

[Nether-Rat Emperor] [Applied Miniaturization Text: .75] [Orion Revenant]

[The resulting repair will mutate the species of the Nether-Rat puppet. Do you wish to proceed?]

"Yes."

[Mutator Animation developed]

[Nether-Ravager puppet created]

"Shit... I don't want to give you away!" Nix studied the puppet for a few minutes; it had the size of an Orion. However, its black body and snout were elongated like a rat. "Fucking beautiful is what you are." Nix grimaced as he added the Ravager to Raine's armor, he comforted himself with the knowledge that he had plenty of Nether Rat and Orion puppets in his storage. "Damn it. Why didn't someone say you could combine puppets?"

[Nature's Ravager: Raine Xai Only]

Ravager Shape Shifter Set: Evolving

Armor Class: 4000

+ 100 to all Stats

+100 to Speed

+ 200 Lightning Resistance

+200 Nether Resistance

+200 Ice Resistance

All Nature's Wrath Abilities are increased by half.

All incoming damage is reduced by half.

Description: This armor is designed

for moving silently. All ambient sound

within one meter of the wearer is

completely suppressed.

Enhancement: Complete Camouflage

is activated at will.

Bonus: Armor is Immune to Fire Damage.

Nix whistled softly, adding puppets to armor was something he learned he could do in Ever Flame. Those shapeshifter sets had never resulted in stat changes to the armor. "Is that what Mutator animation does?"

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

When Nix returned to the common area the next morning, only Una was absent. He handed Raine her upgraded armor and then squeezed in between Wind and Pon on the bench seating.

/Alpha: Pon: Johnny-come-lately is finally here.

/Alpha: Nix: Just call me John, old bastard. Where's Una?'

/Alpha: Wind: She went to pick up the match-ups.

/Alpha: Nix: Let's limit our skill set until the finals, I'm going with my Basilisk form and melee.

/Alpha: Pon: Ice Wraith.

/Alpha: Wind: Just me and the King.

King Lubo snuck out from behind Wind's collar and hopped onto Nix's shoulder. Its round black eyes were calmly watching the group.

/Alpha: Nix: Looks like the King is ready.

/Alpha: Pon: It's good to be King.

"Nix!" Raine had finally picked up her upgraded armor; her face seemed frozen in shock. "This isn't..."

[Whisper: Chiba to Raine] You'll embarrass him if you make too big a deal out of it. My Apprentice is this way.

Raine donned her armor, the color starting to return to her face. "Thank you, sir."

Nix waved her off. "We're teammates, so it's expected that we'll help each other."

/Alpha: Chiba: The rest of us will fight normally, hiding the fire strength of our group will give us a big advantage.

The group ate a small meal from the trays that had been brought out, Una returned a few minutes later with the schedule.

/Alpha: Una: Here is the first round.

Team Una vs. Team Hades

Team Dotha vs. Team Lariat

/Alpha: Pon: We know anything about Hades?

/Alpha: Una: Unfortunately for them, I know their strengths. They have a healing based dragon spawn named Durox; we'll need to CC him. They are mostly fire-based damage, not really a threat to us.

/Alpha: Una: I'll use my Air abilities to CC, let's go petless until the finals.

/Alpha: Wind: Except for the King.

Una stared at the tiny gecko, she remembered him from her time in Ionova, but she'd never seen him in action.

/Alpha: Una: Just him then.

An hour later, the six members of Alpha stood across a sand-covered arena from another group. They would face Hades first and then regather to watch the match between Dotha and Lariat.

Nix walked to the forefront of the group as if to assume the role of the tank.

[Basilisk]

Twenty-five feet of reptile appeared on the sands of the arena; its scales appeared to be heavily armored, especially around the head area. Two curved fangs were visible when it hissed at the blonde beauty standing next to him.

Chiba smiled and stroked its armor-plated head. "Such a lovely Apprentice."

Pon changed into his Ice Wraith form and moved next to the reptile.

/Alpha: Pon: Gonna stone the cleric?

/Alpha: Nix: That's the plan.

/Alpha: Una: Sending everyone my scouting report. If you die in the arena, you'll be rezzed in the holding area.

[Hades]

Durox: Cleric Known Elements: Wood, Water

Bistro: Tank: High Regeneration and Heavy Armor

Lula: Archer: Stealth and Poisons.

Yenzi: DPS: Fire Mage

Torn: DPS: Fire Mage

Summit: DPS: Flame Knight

/Alpha: Nix: Two fire mages?

/Alpha: Pon: Lame...

/Alpha: Nix: We'll CC the cleric, then kill all the dps while Chiba and Pon keep the tank occupied.

/Alpha: Chiba: Understood.

/Alpha: Pon: On it.

Both groups stared at the large torch that stood high over the entrance; the signal to start was when it was lit. The packed arena watched quietly and then roared when it burst into magnificent blue flames.

Nix moved to the right flank while Pon and Chiba engaged the tank.

The air around Una swirled and then thickened.

[Null][Vacuum]

Combination Successful.

Una has silenced Durox.

A surprised cleric appeared in front of Una a moment later. He raised his shield to defend when Raine feinted an overhead slash.

[Petrifiy]

Durox has been turned to stone.

Raine ducked under the shield.

[Hardened Blade][Wrath Strike]

Combination Successful.

Raine's blade has taken on a diamond edge.

Raine has inflicted a mortal wound.

The stone head of Durox fell into the sand a moment later with a soft thump.

Durox has been slain.

Lula has secured a firing position.

[Trueshot Burst]

Lula has wounded Nix.

Trueshot has been deflected.

Trueshot has been deflected.

The armor that protected the Basilisk's face raised after the first hit; Nix immediately flashed toward the archer.

Wind appeared behind the archer an instant later.

[Backstab][First Strike][Hamstring]

Triple Combination successful.

Wind had inflicted a critical hit x 2 on Lula.

Wind landed a significant strike on Lula.

Lula has been slowed by 40 percent.

[Unbalanced Chain: Desert Viper]

Nix has followed up Wind's attack with a significant strike.

The Basilisk clamped its jaws around the archer, its long body twisting around Lula as it started a death-roll.

Raine appeared in the air over the two fighters; her long blade slashed downward with razor-like precision.

[Nature's Fury]

For the second time in as many minutes, a head rolled onto the sands of the arena.

/Alpha: Nix: Holy crap! Warn a snake first!

/Alpha: Raine: Plenty of room.

A moment later, the entire arena was filled with orange flames.

Yenzi has cast Ring of Fire.

Torn has cast Ring of Fire.

Ring of Fire has stacked and become an Inferno Domain.

Nix squinted through the flames that sprouted up around them, Pon and Una were both in the air and were out of range. Everyone else had upgraded armor that gave them fire immunity. "Coming at us with fire... Kinda funny."

"Should we run around screaming?" Wind vanished in the flames, only to reappear next to the fire mages. Lubo peeked his tiny head out long enough zero in on the nearest one.

[Fear the King]

Both mages instantly began screaming before taking off in separate directions.

Summit has been feared.

Torn has been feared.

Yenzi has been feared.

Bistro has been feared.

/Alpha: Nix: Leave the tank and kill the dps.

/Alpha: Chiba: Understood!

[Master Strike][Weighted Thrust]

Combination successful.

Chiba has inflicted a critical strike on Summit.

Chiba has landed a significant attack on Summit.

[Backstab][Gutted]

Combination Successful.

Wind had inflicted a critical strike on Torn.

Wind has landed a significant attack on Torn.

[Unbalanced Chain: Viper Strike]

Nix has followed up Chiba's attack with a significant strike.

[Unbalanced Chain: Ice Fangs] Pon has followed up Nix's attack with a significant strike.

[Nature's Dilemma: One Strike]

Raine has landed a mortal strike on Summit.

Summit has been slain.

[Unbalanced Chain: Tail Whip]

Nix has followed up Wind's attack with a significant strike.

[Unbalanced Chain: Frozen Spear]

Pon has followed up Nix's attack with a significant strike.

[Unbalanced Chain: Perfect Strike]

Chiba has followed up Pon's attack with a mortal strike.

Torn has been slain.

/Alpha: Una: Stop attacking, the torch has been extinguished.

/Alpha: Pon: Huh?

/Alpha: Wind: They say, Uncle?

/Alpha: Nix Looks that way. Good job, everyone.

[Match One goes to Team Una.]