Chapter 554: Riddle Serpent

Nix stood at the edge of the surf, watching the distant waves that had seemingly come out of nowhere. One moment the blue surface had been calm, and then small swells started crashing against the shores.

Nix, Pon, Chiba, Gideon, and Deya stood in a circle talking. In the three hours since they scouted out the ocean, Beta had decided to swap out with Gideon in order to fight alongside her Commander. Apparently, it was something she never got to do.

Gideon's dark face held the barest semblance of a smile. "You guys disappointed that I replaced Beta?"

"Yeah, a bit," Pon admitted.

Nix nodded in agreement. "A second-stringer might slow us down."

Gideon made a rude gesture at the two mages, even though he was smiling at them.

Chiba feigned nonchalance. "If Master Beta wants to fight in Zed, that's okay with me."

Shae arrived a few minutes later, carrying one of Sinfaya's boxes. Before saying anything, she hugged Nix with one arm, kissing him several times despite the audience.

/Pathfinder: Deya: She seems to really like you, Uncle Nix.

/Pathfinder: Nix: Really? I barely know her name.

Pon snorted loudly before clapping his hands together. "These better not be swimsuits." He grinned at the redheaded salamander.

Shae gave the group a mysterious smile and then opened the box.

/Pathfinder: Deya: Woah!

/Pathfinder: Pon: Forgot we even had these.

Nix ran a hand over the smooth surface of the Darkwater Craft. It was thirty feet long and had three rows of seats. Inferno hadn't used them often, but only because they didn't have many underwater missions after the Cai'Song Artifact was destroyed.

Shae watched as everyone but Nix boarded the craft. She squeezed his hand. "Be careful, Nix. From what we know about Spectrum, even knowing about it is dangerous."

Nix leaned closer kissed her cheek. "See you when we get back. Going into Zed?"

Shae nodded and waited while he boarded. "See you soon."

Nix slipped easily into the captain's chair and activated the map interface that doubled as the forward viewing window. He set the destination as the cave entrance that he had scouted out, and a moment later, the craft started in motion with a sudden lurch.

Pon was sitting in the co-pilot chair, although there was really nothing for either of them to do once they started. The tinted protection of the craft's shields turned the deep blue water green. "How are we able to submerge? I thought this craft stays just below the water."

Nix watched as the underwater landscape slowly began to change; almost immediately, the craft pitched steeply downward. "That's the first setting. The second allows it to hug the ocean floor. If I used the first setting here, we'd be stuck a few meters beneath the surface."

Pon glanced over his shoulder at the three passengers. "The girl is a Miner? Does that mean she doesn't fight?"

Nix shrugged slightly. "Her dad didn't look like a fighter, but the reality was quite different. Let's keep an eye on her."

Pon nodded and then pointed at the approaching rock formations. The seaweed started to sprout up, but the craft pushed through them without slowing. "What do you think we'll find?"

The group went over some last-minute plans before their arrival. Nix would stay in the front, while Gideon and Chiba protected their flanks. Pon would keep an eye on Deya in the center of the formation.

The craft stopped at the navigation point that Nix had set before they left. The Inferno leader studied the displayed map; the cave entrance showed a path that extended into the darkness. It appeared to move forward about two hundred meters before stopping abruptly. He adjusted the Nav-point to the new destination before leaning back in his chair. "I hate fumbling in the dark."

The craft eased forward again, entering the cave; the passage narrowed immediately before beginning a sharp descent that lasted a handful of seconds. A loud scraping noise on both sides of the vessel caused Pon to start muttering curses under his breath. After a few rough areas, the path sloped upward before slowing to a slow crawl.

"Lights up ahead, Nix" Pon pointed at the shadows that were moving in front of them. The craft lurched forward one final time, breaking clear of the water. The protective barrier rescinded and showed a well-lit cavern nearly ten meters across. The path they had been following continuing forward, out of the water.

Nix climbed over the side and assisted his teammates as they disembarked one by one. "Any read on the spectrum, Deya?"

Deya nodded and pointed down the stone path. "That way."

The smell of seawater coupled with the damp mold of wet rocks filled the air as Nix activated his stealth and started forward. "Torches are new; someone is keeping this place up."

The path beneath their feet had been careful constructed with gray cobblestones; the walls were perfectly engineered out of the same color brick. Pon kicked at the moss-covered floor. "This seems like something you'd find in the Keep."

A sense of uneasiness caused Nix to equip his sword hilt. Without warning, a shadow moved toward him, causing the Inferno Leader to push green flames into his sword in an effort to block, blood-spattered against his face as a heavy blow landed on his chest, knocking him into Pon.

Gideon filled the void; his dual-wielded daggers held low as while he thrust outward with both blades. Stabbing only the empty air, the assassin assumed a guarded position. "No target."

Deya helped Nix to his feet, moving slightly away from Pon, who was glowing with orange flames. "I saw something, but it was fast!"

Nix coughed blood into his hand. Whatever struck him had completely bypassed his armor. He felt the warm flow of blood running down his abdomen. "Looked like a snake, only bigger."

/Pathfinder: Chiba: You okay, Apprentice?

/Pathfinder: Nix: Yep. Let's continue.

Nix has cast, [Elemental Healing].

Green flames erupted around the Inferno Leader, causing everyone to take a step back in surprise. When it rescinded, Nix's wounds were gone.

Since stealth wasn't an issue any longer, his Emerald Fury aura burned brightly as he led the team down the tunnel. The shadows of his five friends stretched outward like obscene stick men. Abruptly the source of shade disappeared as they entered a bright chamber.

The torches flared all at once before fading away completely. A single source of light hovered in front of Nix. Twin pin-points only a few meters away, after a moment, he made out the image of a large head.

/Pathfinder: Nix: The hell is that...

/Pathfinder: Gideon: Sea Serpent.

/Pathfinder: Pon: Big ass Dragon-Snake.

/Pathfinder: Chiba: Demon penis.

/Pathfinder: Deya: Please don't let it eat me... How is that a penis?

"You... the old man. Step forward and challenge me."

The torches on the walls relit as the speaker was rendered visible. It had a heavily scaled head with a snake-like body. Several sets of clawed legs ran down the length of it. Monstrous fangs protruded past the bottom of its mouth; poison dripped from the barbed tips, the impact hissing while corroding the stone floor.

Pon stepped forward, his hands glowing with power. "What do you want?"

"Not you, Mage of Fire. The other old man." The serpent's voice hissed with a spine shuddering sound like fingernails on a chalkboard. Both of its eyes focused on Chiba.

"What? Don't you dare insult me!" Chiba drew both of her blades and moved away from the group.

/Pathfinder: Deya: Be careful, Uncle Chiba.

"Stupid, Old man. I rule here, and all who pass must first better me. Answer my riddle, and I will answer yours; the loser of us must fall on their swords!"

Chiba continued to walk to one side until the serpent was forced to turn away from the group. "Ask your riddle then, Demon Penis."

A black forked tongue flicked toward the Spellsword, and it started to speak. "The King of the Bone Fortress has six daughters, and each daughter has one brother. How many people are in this Royal family?"

The old woman grinned behind her swords, one silver, and the other gold. "That would be thirteen."

/Pathfinder: Nix: Shit.

The creature blurred suddenly and struck at Chiba, the swordmaster flowed around the strike, slicing with both blades before creating distance by kicking its snout. It hissed loudly and retreated into a coil, black blood running down the side of its head. "You answered wrong; the answer was eight!"

Chiba considered the answer for a moment before glancing at her apprentice, who nodded in agreement. "Unfortunate. Answer my riddle now. Who is the most beautiful woman in all the lands?"

The serpent slowly rose from its coil, the head rising until it peered down at them from near the ceiling. "That is not fair! Beauty is subjective!"

Chiba shrugged helplessly. "I will allow you to lodge a protest in the event that you feel wronged."

The snake's tail slapped against the hard stone floor, its spiked end tearing up chunks of rock. "There are many, Khione is lovely, Deidra of the Dragons is beautiful... Wait! I know the answer. In the land of Everspire, there is an Intrepid called Delia the Beautiful. That is my answer, Delia the Beautiful."

The old woman shook her head sadly. "Unfortunately, you are wrong; it is I. Ellisand." The swordmaster slipped off her ring and smiled at the hissing creature.

"I..." It moved closer to her, stopping only when it met the tip of her silver sword. "It seems our riddles have ended in a draw."

The golden-haired goddess poked at its scaled snout. "Not going to protest?"

The serpent withdrew several meters. "No. Since it a draw, I will not give you the key."

/Pathfinder: Uncle Chiba is Aunty Chiba?

/Pathfinder: Nix: Yep.

Nix moved beside his swordmaster, his eyes on the spiked tail of the serpent. The Inferno Leader's eyes scanned the far end of the room where a heavy wooden door blocked any further advancement. "The key to that door?"

/Pathfinder: Deya: The spectrum is definitely behind that door.

/Pathfinder: Pon: Retreat to the back of the cavern, Deya.

The serpent coiled its length again, at least twice the size of Nix's basilisk. "Yes! My key opens that door."

/Pathfinder: Nix: Kill it.

[Storm Rider][Flashbade][First Strike]

Nix appeared behind the serpent's head and executed a horizontal slash before thrusting deep into its neck.

[Combination Successful]

The serpent struck with its tail without turning around, the spiked end striking Nix's back, gouging a deep wound into his side and spinning him around.

Chiba flashed toward the target, her blades creating a complicated pattern that ended in a dual strike across the face of the creature.

[Master's Blade][Parry][King's X]

Triple Combination Successful.

Chiba has landed a critical strike.

The serpents fanged mouth opened wide to strike at the swordmaster; an instant later, a dozen emerald flame strands punched into the soft gum of the creature's maw. Nix yanked the serpent's head to one side, causing it to miss the strike.

Pon stepped to one side and cast directly into the opened mouth.

[Balefire: Hex][Flame Strike]

Pon has landed a critical strike.

The Riddle Guardian has been seriously injured.

[Binding Barbs][First Strike][Backstab]

Barbed roots sprout from the stone floor, wrapping around the twisting length as it sought to escape. Gideon struck at the underbelly of the creature before stepping around and stabbing both blades into its spine.

[Guardian Blast]

A blast of Air exploded outward from the creature, striking everyone within range.

Pon has been stunned.

Chiba has been stunned.

Gideon has been stunned.

Nix is immune to Air damage.

[Burst][Burst][Execution]

Nix maintained his grip on the flame strands and blurred forward toward the far wall, jerking the serpent along behind him. A second burst in the opposite direction caused the serpent to slam onto the floor. The Inferno leader's blade slashed out at the snake's neck, nearly decapitating it as it flopped on the floor in a splatter of blood.

Nix has landed a mortal strike.

The aftermath of the fight saw Nix move in and stab the creature through the back of its head. It let loose an ear-splitting hiss before dropping lifelessly to the floor.

The Riddle Guardian has been slain.

You have gained the Guardian's Key.

Nix helped Chiba sit up before checking on Pon and Gideon.

/Pathfinder: Deya: Woah. You guys are really fierce!

Nix helped Pon to his feet. "Okay old man?"

Pon nodded. "Yeah. Scratch one dead snake."

Nix approached the wooden door while the rest of his team regrouped. "Damn... There are two keyholes."

One keyhole was obviously too small, so Nix tried the other. The key inserted smoothly with an audible click and turned easily when he rotated it. He could feel the tumblers and gears moving inside the lock.

[A second key is needed to open this door.]

/Pathfinder: Nix: Shit. We need a second key.

/Pathfinder: Pon: That snake thing only dropped one?

/Pathfinder: Nix: Yeah.

/Pathfinder: Chiba: Let's not lose sight of the fact that the Great Guardian admitted that Chiba is most beautiful of all!

/Pathfinder: Nix: Noted. Let's keep searching.

A second passage exited the door area; it curved gently before ending in a smaller cavern. At the center of the cavern was an old fashioned well that had been constructed from rocks. Nix could feel the presence of an unidentified element when he approached.

[This is the Well of Du'Wei, enter at your own risk]

/Pathfinder: Gideon: That's rather ominous.

/Pathfinder: Chiba: It's probably a bluff. Let's just dive in.

/Pathfinder: Deya: If you go, I'm going too! Another snake thing could show up!

Pon gave Nix a lazy smile. "Dunno, Nix. Looks a bit dangerous. Perhaps we should wait?"

"Hmmm.... Wait?" Nix spared a glance at Chiba as if contemplating. "What do you think, Master?"

Chiba slipped her ring back on, her old face creasing in a creepy smile. "I love it when you play these kinds of games, Apprentice. Prey waits!"

Gideon took a step towards the well. "So we're going in?"

Nix nodded and pushed Emerald Fury flames into his sword hilt. "Prey waits." An instant later, he jumped headfirst into the well, quickly followed by the rest of his team.