The Artic Slayer froze in place while her hackles raised in alarm. After a few moments, Del retreated several steps, her large paws flattened out naturally, to keep her on the snow's surface. Crouching slightly, she waited for any sign of aggression.

The beast sneezed once; calm yellow eyes scanned the surroundings while its nostrils flared slightly, tasting various scents in the air. Ignoring the feathered serpent, it covered the distance to the Slayer in a single bound.

"Nix..." Del couldn't help the fear that bubbled up. The beast was much larger than she had guessed, covered in heavy armor and sporting both shoulder and tail spikes; it looked like a dragon-slayer. The burning red-orange wings were furled neatly against the bone ridge that ran down its back. Sharp claws would have dug deep into the snow had it not instantly thawed when he approached. Steam hung heavy in the air, pushing back the bone-chilling cold of the pass. "You're beautiful."

The dread beast extended its wide snout, sniffing the side of the feline's face before licking the top of her head with a sandpaper-like tongue. When Del laughed nervously in response, the creature nudged her playfully, sending her skidding across the melted rocks.

/Alpha: Del: Hold one moment, Floyd. Nix changed into his Dread Beast form.

/Alpha: Pon: Be very careful!

/Alpha: Floyd: Understood. What are you facing?

/Alpha: Del: Some kind of feathered serpent named Kukulkan.

/Alpha: Floyd: Kukulkan? Retreat if you can, Del. According to my ancestral memories, Kukulkan is very formidable.

Del padded softly toward the dread beast, stopping when she was within a meter. "Not going to leave Nix here by himself, no matter what."

"My gracious offer won't match much longer, little beast." The feathered serpent lowered its head until it hovered near the ground; behind it, the long body coiled as if preparing to strike.

Kukulkan struck without warning, its maw stretching wide open as it blurred toward the dread beast. Razor-sharp teeth that dripped with Ice flame clamped down around the furled wings of the creature. With the captive firmly gripped, the head rose into the air, wrenching from side to side in an effort to tear it in half.

Del struck as soon as the serpent began to retreat, the Slayer slashed at its exposed throat, rending deep gashes that sprayed blood on the feline. Sensing the serpents counter, the Ain'Dhassi dodged the Kukulkan's tail an instant before it slammed onto the rocks where she'd been standing.

/Alpha: Del: Pon, Floyd, it has Nix!

Del circled the serpent; her sharp eyes noticed the Naga and Fire Mage closing on her position. "Careful! It..."

Del's words trailed off as an ear-splitting screech filled the air. Blood mist filled the air around Kukulkan's head. A moment later, it disintegrated in a ball of green fire that was accompanied by the disgusting smell of burnt feathers.

"The fuck just happened?" Pon appeared in his dread form, landing beside Del as he stared into the cloud of smoke and red mist. The loud 'womp' of Kukulkan's headless corpse slammed into the ground with an earth-shaking impact. The Fire Mage shielded the Slayer from the heat emanating from the mass of brilliant emerald flames. "Turn them off, Nix!"

As if understanding, the green flames disappeared, leaving an unharmed dread beast standing where it had been dropped.

/Alpha: Floyd: The hell are those?

Pon whistled softly under his breath. The dread beast looked like a reverse pin-cushion. Dozens of long bone spikes extended outward from its armor. The points were barbed like a fishhook. "You never showed that against Khione."

"You okay?" Del approached the beast, examing it for wounds. A few of its wing feathers looked ruffled, but besides that, it was untouched. "Doesn't he usually get mad and rage when attacked?"

Pon nodded. "He's calm." The Fire Mage watched as it pounced on the headless snake and batted it away with a clawed foot. Several meters of serpent was tossed into the air like it was weightless.

/Inferno: Deidra: I believe the Howlers are closing on our position.

/Inferno: Pon: Unhitch the teams; any of the lifestyle players that don't want to fight should stay in the middle.

/Inferno: Deidrea: Already, done.

Del checked Track, verifying that the large group was moving toward them. "She's right!"

"Coming, Nix?" Pon took to the air, pausing to see if the dread beast followed. It opted to stay on the ground while following Del and Floyd.

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

The Dire Wolf moved away from the defensive circle, its nose sniffing the air. "My lovely Apprentice has worked hard making these puppets. We must ensure they are returned in proper condition."

"Chiba! Stay in the circle and wait." Elan Mtui had the wolves form a circle that faced outward. The sleds were brought into the middle. All of the lifestyle players had opted to fight.

The large beast crouched as it paused for a moment. "Prey waits, and beautiful Chiba is not prey." It charged suddenly; three wolves followed her attack just as the first of the Howlers came into view.

The howlers of Everspire looked similar to the ones in Colonial. Rough skin that ranged from pale white to very dark blue was covered in grotesque splotches by matted white fur. They were powerful bipedal predators that ran like a primate, using the knuckles of their hands.

Some of the Howlers were equipped with blunt clubs, but most killed with fangs and claws. The fastest of the group focused on the charging dire wolf, leaping several meters to strike downward at the wolf head.

"You are slow and ugly." Chiba-wolf dodged nimbly and appeared behind the beast with an easy movement, her sharp fangs tearing through the hamstring. The Howler went down with a blood-curdling scream and was promptly buried by the three wolves that followed her. Without pausing, she picked out her next target.

Pon has cast [Meteor Shower: Dread Flame].

Thousands of bright orange balls of flame struck the main body of the howler pack. The sound of explosions, shrill howls, and smoke filled the air. The snow-covered earth, quaked with impacts as a torrent of fire rained from the sky.

Del didn't even slow down when she found herself facing a pack of the larger howlers. The Slayer darted into its prey while its claws struck with enough force to tear off limbs and crush bone.

The dread beast followed her, occasionally killing them if they strayed too close. Unexpectedly, it found the howlers to be harmless and wasn't overly concerned with them.

"My Apprentice is lovely beyond words!" A Dire Wolf clamped its powerful jaws on the head of an attacking howler; before it could respond, three more wolves dragged it to the ground, where it was quickly torn to pieces.

What started as a numerical mismatch quickly turned into a rout, thanks largely to the dread flames of the old man who hovered over the once-frozen battlefield. Nearly all the howlers were slain; those that survived had lost their taste for battle and retreated into the storm.

/Inferno: Pon: Did we lose anyone?

/Inferno: Del: One, actually. I seemed to have misplaced Nix.

/Inferno: Pon: Shit, Del. One job, and you fucked it up.

/Inferno: Del: He has wings, and I don't. Besides that, listening isn't really his strong point.

/Inferno: Chiba: Don't worry, my Apprentice is probably out getting laid. That's the best way to unwind after fighting.

/Inferno: Pon: True... Probably found himself a stray dragon. Let's hook the sleds back up and continue to Trident. He'll follow when he's able.

/Inferno: Del: Kukulkan dropped something, but I didn't stop to pick it up.

/Inferno: Floyd: I'll go get it.

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

[Trident City, 1945 hours]

"It should be around here, Commander." A tall, burly man dressed in thick furs shielded his eyes from the blowing snow. He wore hand-made snowshoes that kept him from sinking too deep into the snow. Just after sunset, a green flash of light outside of the city walls had been seen.

"Just call me Cadie, Dux." The young woman wore lighter furs, but an expert had crafted them. Her tanned face was cute rather than pretty, with brown hair that continually worked its way into her eyes. Their caravan's command section had been killed by howlers, with no one else willing; she had taken charge.

"This is all fresh snow; something melted everything." Dux held a torch out in front of him, but it did little to help. Visibility was down to a few meters during the day, and the sun had already set.

Cadie nodded in reply and then stopped suddenly. A wave of warmth washed over her as she stepped forward, her eyes quickly spotting the man sleeping among the glowing embers. "Found someone!"

Dux's long strides caught up to her just as she crouched beside the unconscious figure. "Careful, he could be dangerous."

Cadie ignored the warning and turned the man onto his back before freezing in place. She lay a cold hand against his warm face, letting it rest there for a moment while she tried to find words. "Nix... The Guild Leader of Inferno."

"Nix? The Nix?" Dux pulled his hood back slightly. "He dead? We're fucked if he is. I've heard stories about Inferno."

Cadie shook her head while she examined him. He seemed completely intact; he wore finely crafted leather armor that looked like it had never seen battle. His familiar short black hair was pulled straight back to expose an angular, yet handsome face. "I can't find any wounds..."

"How is he alive in this weather?" Dux loosened his heavy fur coat. "We should leave him, no telling how dangerous he is."

Instead of listening, Cadie pulled Nix upright. "He saved our convoy several months ago. Since then, he also aided me when I was captured and taken to the Tembai Academy."

Dux sighed heavily picked up the Inferno leader for a moment before promptly setting him down. "Shit..."

Cadie fixed him with a confused stare. "He too heavy?"

Dux slipped off his heavy fur coat and tossed it to her. "No. He's warm, like standing next to a bonfire."

"Or a burning building," Cadie added with a smile. "Come on, let's get him back to town."