Nix has activated his bloodline. [Third Form: Archon]

Fajii has activated her bloodline. [Second Form: Archon]

Nix flapped his wings hard, shooting upward into the sky, followed closely by Fajii. He pushed ice into Wrath, making the Black Ice blade emerge.

/Inferno: Nix: Need a tracker to find Vega and kill him. He's just a puppetmaster.

/Inferno: Bali: I have him on track, he's directly beneath us.

/Inferno: Fajii: Come to the crater. I'll bring you down.

Fajii banked away from Nix, heading toward the glowing hole in the Center Camp.

Bali ran towards the crater, dodging and darting the enemy as she made her way to the precipice. She spotted the diving Scorched Earth Archon and put on a burst of speed before leaping over the edge into open space.

Fajii dipped her wing slightly to adjust and caught Bali with both arms, the two of them gliding down into the darkness.

The two descended for a few seconds before landing in the cavern, Fajii dropped her Archon form and ran toward the doors.

[Rock Slam]

The Aquarion slammed both of her rock incased fists into the door, knocking them inward and tearing them off their hinges. "Find him, Bali!"

The ranger glanced down at her tracking interface and took off running down the hall. "This way!"

Bali took the first right and entered an adjacent room. Her feet skidding to a sudden stop, "the hell is that?"

A man was reclining on some sort of altar, his body surrounded by a protective barrier. The ranger shot three arrows directly into the barrier, each of them bounced off harmlessly. "This is Vega, Fajii."

Fajii hadn't released her rock-fists yet, she stepped forward and struck the barrier.

"Stop that at once!"

Bali turned at the sound of the voice. A strikingly beautiful young woman with dark hair walked toward them; she was accompanied by a thin-looking boy with pasty white skin. Neither of them looked threatening.

"How do I break the barrier?" Bali frowned at the pair, scolding herself for not checking the room properly.

The woman held up her hands and walked toward the barrier. "No need to fight, I will shut it off."

Muncie watched as his companion walked toward Vega, his face devoid of any expression. "It's a trick; she has a knife."

Bali's fist lashed out and struck the side of the dark girl's head, sending her blade clattering to the ground.

The girl's face seemed shocked as she looked up at the tiny ranger. "You dare touch me?"

Bali nodded and pointed her bow at the woman. "Welcome to Inferno, where we hit people who make us angry."

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

[Dragon Roar]

Dozens of allies stampeded in all directions in a desperate attempt to escape the angry dragon.

Nix is immune to Control Effects.

Semmi has been feared.

Pon has resisted fear.

Ronnie has resisted fear.

Wind has been feared.

Jun Li has resisted fear.

Nix banked hard and dived straight down at the dragon's back, driving his Black-Ice blade hilt-deep into the beast. He gripped the blade with both hands and pushed lightning into it.

[Black Lightning Strike]

A waist-thick bolt of black lightning streaked across the sky and struck the dragon, tearing a large hole in the creature's back.

The dragon reared back, roaring in pain as it scorched the entire area with a wide swath of Dragonfire.

Captain Locas has been slain.

Gypsy has been slain.

Ducky has been slain.

Morti roared in anger at the death of the Water Witch.

[Rage]

A Titan Cave Bear has become upset... run for your life.

Morti's size shot upward past thirty feet, he clamped down on the dragon's broken wing and pulled back with all of his strength. A sudden wrenching and cracking of bone sounded out as the wing shifted suddenly.

[Rage]

A Titan War Leader has become Enraged. Mortimus's sheer size pushed the dragon off balance as nearly fifty feet of Titan clamped its jaws on the dragon's right-wing. His teeth crushed through the bone as he dug his feet in and pulled back.

Floyd has cast [Copyright: Mortimer]

Milat has cast [Copyright: Mortimus]

The two trickster Titans suddenly appeared on the battlefield, a bit smaller than the real Titans, but their combined presence was terrifying. Both copies rushed to Morti's side, where he was starting to be pulled off balance from the power of his dad. The dragon's head reared back in agony, letting off a stream of fire that burned upward into the sky.

Ronnie turned her Golem toward the dragon and summoned Wilo.

Ronnie has cast. [Gemini Companion Bond: Rage]

The dark beauty howled as her strength spiked upward. Wilo placed her hands on Ronnie's back and lent the power of the air to her bow.

[Sonic Shot: Burst]

Ronnie has landed a Mortal strike.

Ronnie has landed a Mortal strike.

Ronnie has landed a Mortal strike.

Gaping holes appeared in the dragon's black scales, knocking it off balance.

Floyd has cast [Rage]

The Trickster Titan dug his paws into the turf and pulled back against the enormous strength of the Titan Warleader.

Milat has cast [Rage]

A second Trickster Titan enraging was echoed by the sounds of breaking bones and tearing flesh.

Jun Li has cast [Gemini Companion Bond: Rage]

The Gemini Champion's power exploded upward as the left side of her body turned dark. The air around her blade pulsed with energy. Jun Li screamed in Rage, two enormous wings sprouted from her back, and she flashed toward the dragon.

[Final Strike]

Jun Li has inflicted a mortal blow.

Pon has cast [Gemini Companion Bond: Rage]

The body of the Ice Wraith tripled in size; its snake-like body targeted the dragon as the Wraith's body morphed into a spear.

[Collosal Spear]

A thirty-foot long spear impaled the body of the dragon, pinning it to the ground.

A deafening roar of pain reverberated through the air as both wings were torn from its body a moment later.

Nix has cast [Gemini Companion Bond: Rage]

A second set of wings formed over the top of his Archon Wings, and an orb of lightning energy settled around him.

[Tempest: Lightning]

A single bolt of lightning struck a man-sized hole into the dragon's body, Nix banked and then dived toward the creature.

[Execution's Last Form: Extinguish]

Nix's blade sliced cleaned through the dragon's thick neck, sending its head bouncing onto the ground.

A Black Dragon has been slain.

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

"Only so much?" Bali stared at the corpse of Vega; he had died ridiculously easy once the barrier dropped.

Fajii nodded. "They must have killed the dragon." The Aquarion glanced at the two civilians, "stay here for now. Trying to escape will probably get you killed."

Muncie nodded. "I'll wait."

A few moments later, Fajii and Bali took the two-way from the underground chamber into a wholly destroyed command tent. The Aquarion immediately headed toward the dead dragon.

Bali spotted her best friend lying on the ground and ran toward her. "Ronnie?" She touched the dark archer's warm skin. She was completely unharmed. "You sleeping, Ron?"

The ranger stood up, her sharp eyes scanning the battlefield. "Holy crap..." More than a half dozen Inferno members were dozing peacefully on the battlefield. Mortimus yawned sleepily and lay next to his son before starting to snore loudly.

/Allied Command: Vice Commander: Sulane: Nix, Jun Li, and Semmi are all down. Who is in charge?

/Allied Command: Bali: That would be me.

/Allied Command: Vice Commander: Sulane: Orders Commander?

Bali's pretty face lit up in a big smile, and she puffed her chest out.

/Allied Command: Bali: Gather the clerics and start rezzing everyone. Move the sleeping Inferno members closer together and post guards on them until they can be moved.

A few minutes later, Bali was humming happily to herself while she monitored the battlefield. Fajii and Hyai had taken Nix and moved him to the Turtle house. A hand on her shoulder startled her out of her bubble of happiness. The stoic face of Captain Locas stared at her.

"Commander Bali?"

Bali shrugged slightly. "I can explain everyth..."

"Well done, Bali," Captain Locas interrupted her with a smile. "Carry on."

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

[0900 Turtle House, 4 days later]

Nix sat up slowly, stretching his arms over his head. He had been changed and cleaned up while he slept. The bedroom was empty, but the smell of breakfast wafting in told him he wasn't alone.

Quest has been Updated.

Curse of the Ice Goddess.

Objective: Report to Free Trader City at your leisure.

The Ice Goddess is aware of your progress and has strengthened the Curse on you.

Your Archon and Breach Commander Abilities have been disabled.

"Lousy Ice Bitches..." Nix scowled at the message on his hud.

"Finally awake, hun?" Hyai's pretty face peeked into the bedroom.

"Was I sleeping long?"

"Four days, the rest of them woke up yesterday." Hyai favored him with a smile. "Take a shower, breakfast in ten minutes."

A half-hour later, Nix was finishing his breakfast while Hyai helped Fajii sort through some of the natural spices she purchased. "Hey... Where's all the loot?"

Fajii shrugged. "There wasn't any."

Nix stared at her, Fajii had a tell when she was joking. "Where?"

Fajii sighed, her lips curving in a smile. "How did you know I was joking?"

"You bite your lower lip whenever you're trying to fool me."

"I see... The loot is at HQ. There are four separate chests and of course the wingless dragon puppet."

"I'll deal with that tomorrow."

/Inferno: Nix: Guild party at the Turtle House, 1500 hours.

/Inferno: Pon: Sleeping Beauty!

/Inferno: Semmi: Party time!

/Inferno: Ronnie: I'm in!

/Inferno: Jun Li: Notify the party committee, Nix.

/Inferno: Nix: On it.

Nix turned to Hyai who was still talking with Fajii. "Party today."