Nix finished the last of the Dire Wolf harnesses shortly before Bali sent him the list of everyone going on the mission. Two names stood out from the rest, his dad and Deidra. "The hell is Bali thinking?"

Pon glanced at the list but didn't bother to comment. Dragons did whatever they wanted. "Three sleds are ready to go. How many will we need?"

Nix pulled up the hud map of the Vespri region. "Here's New Dharta. Our first target city is Trident. It should take about eight hours to arrive. My intel says there's already a Supply Caravan there. We can mod the wagons with wooden runners and hitch them with Dire Wolf teams."

"How big is the convoy at Trident?" Pon turned toward the opening breach and waved the Inferno members over.

"No idea at this point. Maybe as many as 40 or 50 wagons." Nix stored more than enough dire wolf pelts to create low-level pullers, making a few hundred lower-level puppets took far fewer resources than a single Emperor level one. "Let's get going."

/Inferno: Nix: Teams of four on each of the three sleds. The one nearest me is sled Alpha; in order, the next two are Bravo and Charlie. Here are the assignments.

/Inferno: Bali: My ranger team is leading the way!

/Inferno: Nix: Pon, Floyd, and myself will be the mushers. Before you ask, it's a sled driver. Head to your sled, and we'll get the harnesses on.

/Inferno: Deidra: Elan and I aren't assigned to a sled.

/Inferno: Nix: The two of you will join up with Del. Scout the trail ahead for obstacles and predators. Sending both of you a map of our route to Trident.

/Inferno: Deidra: Understood, Nix.

[Alpha Sled]

*Nix

Bali

Mik

Theo

Ginger

[Bravo Sled]

*Pon

Chiba

Beta

Wind

Rico

[Charlie Sled]

*Floyd

Sasi

Rabi

Donri

Banz

Nix slipped the harness over Bali's wolf head and then fed her front legs through before pulling it in place and attaching it to the tugline. "Bali! What's with Ain'Dhassi rangers and face licking?"

"Sorry, Boss, you looked tasty." Bali's wolf head tilted slightly while she watched Nix work. "What's that thing?"

"This is the tugline; it attaches to the gangline which is secured to the sled." Nix wiped the slobber off his cheek before moving to the next puller.

After he finished hitching the team, Nix helped Floyd out since Pon was nearly finished. It was a foreign concept to the Naga, but as with everything, he learned quickly.

/Inferno: Nix: Alpha sled will lead the way. We'll leave in ten minutes. Scouts may depart now; find us the easiest path.

/Inferno: Del: Understood. We'll find a suitable path.

The Artic Slayer broke into an easy trot that both wolves matched; within a few seconds, all three of them exited through the main gate and disappeared into the winter storm.

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

The sled expedition left New Dharta and very quickly disappeared into the whirling storm of Deep Winter. Visibility was limited to less than thirty meters. The white-out conditions not only hampered their progress but also masked them from potential predators. Several times over the first few hours, the sleds would follow Del in a wide detour to avoid one of the nasty surprises Everspire offered. Unlike traditional sled dogs, the Dire Wolves were unaffected by the harsh conditions or deep snow. Alpha sled effectively broke trail, making the going somewhat easier for those following.

/Alpha: Del: We've trouble ahead, Nix.

Nix frowned at the words and directed Bali to stop under a large stand of fir trees.

/Inferno: Nix: Short break while I talk with the scout team.

Nix has activated [Dragon Eyes].

The Inferno Leader's eyes glowed brightly as he scanned the immediate area; only Del's form stood out. Within a few moments, she approached with Deidra and Elan Mtui in tow.

Del's white fur was crusted with ice, but she showed no discomfort as she pushed her cold muzzle into Nix's face. Instead of admonishing her like he normally would, Nix took a moment to melt the considerable amount of ice that clung to her fur.

/Inferno: Nix: Howlers?

/Inferno: Del: No, although a large pack of them picked up our scent a few minutes ago.

/Inferno: Nix: Shit... How large of a pack?

/Inferno: Del: More than a hundred.

Nix glanced back at the sleds; he had moved a few meters away when he spotted the scout team. Everspire Howlers were the strongest of their kind; anything more than a few dozen could prove difficult for most groups. "I assume they're after our cargo?" Each of the sleds was loaded with frozen bricks of Arcturis'Fraiza meat, the creature that Inferno killed when freeing Eidengal.

Del's blue eyes glanced at her tracking hud; instead of closing on them, the Howlers were keeping their distance. "That would be my guess. The real problem is the pass we are about to enter."

Nix brought up a map of the immediate area; the pass in question was only a few miles away. If their supply convoy stayed at the current pace, they'd be there within the hour. "What's wrong with the pass?"

/Alpha: Del: I'll show you.

/Inferno: Nix: Draw the sleds closer together and standby.

/Inferno: Deidra: Want the scouts to follow?

/Inferno: Nix: Stay here and help secure the group.

Nix slid onto Del's back and leaned over until his chin rested against her soft fur. The Slayer broke into an easy run, fading into the heavily falling snow within seconds.

The path they had been following had been sparsely forested, but according to Del's report, that would change drastically once they moved through the pass. The pass was about twenty meters across and buried in nearly two meters of snow. The Slayer's paws barely sunk into the snow despite her substantial size. When she stopped, her passenger eased off her back and studied the area.

/Alpha: Nix: What am I looking for, Del?

Del brought up her tracking hud and showed him everything within fifty meters.

[Tracking]

[Fifty Meters]

Nix (Ally): 1 meter. [TR: Substantial]

Kukulkan (Neutral): 20 meters North. [TR: Undetermined]

/Alpha: Nix: TR? Is that something new?

/Alpha: Del: Yes. It's unique to the Slayer's tracking. It means Threat Rating. For reference, a single Howler is rated at 'Limited.' However, the group rating for the size following us is 'Deadly.'

/Alpha: Nix: Your track has a group rating?

/Alpha: Del: Yes. This is also unique to the Slayer. Our team's rating is also 'Deadly.'

/Alpha: Nix: Shit... That Slayer puppet was pretty nice. I might have to seek compensation.

/Alpha: Del: I'm in heat... I could compensate you according to the old ways.

Nix laughed and shook his head. "The hell are you talking about? Did you get that idea from Chiba?"

"I did," Del admitted. She gestured toward the center of the pass. "Our target is there."

Nix moved a handful of meters to the north and stopped. "Kukulkan? I assume you can hear me. I'm Guild Leader Nix, from Inferno. My group and I need to travel through this pass."

"Nix... A hated name." The voice reverberated from everywhere, bouncing off the pass's sheer rock walls to echo in the pair's ears. "All of Khione's forces search for you."

Nix grinned at the words; he'd given the Winter Goddess plenty of reason to be pissed at him. "I'm not difficult to find. How hard are they really looking?"

Kukulkan's laughter was different from its voice; it was light and filled with mirth. "You may be right. The flames of destruction follow in your wake."

Nix frowned slightly. "Huh? That's hardly fair; I haven't really burned anything in Vespri yet."

Both Del and Nix stepped back when the pass shifted slightly; the thick cover of snow exploded outward as a dragon-sized head emerged. It stopped after a meter, its pale eyes focusing on the duo for a moment before continuing upward; five, ten, and then finally twenty meters.

/Alpha: Nix: Well shit...

The creature was as white as snow. Its serpentine head was long and narrow with several rows of razor-sharp teeth. Its white eyes seemed incapable of sight, but both were focused on the Inferno Leader. It resembled an enormous snake; however, it was covered in short, white feathers instead of scales.

"You seem surprised by my appearance, Guild Leader Nix." Kukulkan's long tail was coiled beneath it; the creature's total length was nearly fifty meters.

/Alpha: Nix: Can you find us, Floyd?

/Alpha: Floyd: Sure. On my way.

/Alpha: Pon: Need me too?

/Alpha: Nix: Not yet.

Nix nodded in agreement. "Very surprised. Although I do recognize the flames."

Ice blue liquid dripped from the massive maw, sizzling loudly when it contacted the snow. It was Ice Flames. For some reason, Nix guessed it was used in its bite, rather than shooting it out like dragon flames.

"Let's come to an understanding, Guild Leader Nix. You and your people will retreat from my pass. In return, I shall graciously let you keep your life."

/Alpha: Del: I'm sensing dual elements from it.

/Alpha: Nix: Same. Probably Ice and Fire... An enormous cheat. Retreat at once, Del.

/Alpha: Del: Not without you. We can't beat this thing.

Nix stepped away from the Artic Slayer. "You're partially right."

Nix has activated his bloodline [Final Form: Dread Beast].