Phoenix Phire

The sounds of two beasts fighting caused the small group to pause in mid-step. One was definitely the menacing growl of a feline, while the other was unrecognizable.

Pon shook his head and resumed his step. "The hell is going on in there?"

"STOP NIX! I gave up already!"

"Say it, then!"

"Damn you... Uncle Nix rules the roost."

Nix's laughter could be heard from outside the tent. "That's right... Try to remember that."

Alpha team arrived in the tent a moment later. The two uninhabited bunks were scattered and broken, while clothes and blankets had been completely shredded. An angry-looking Orion was covered in bites and scratches; the fur on her neck was sticking straight up.

"My bunk..." Fajii's face was expressionless as she took in the state the tent was in. "What happened in here?"

"Sparring!"

"Bullying!"

Both puppets spoke simultaneously; Nix hopped next to himself while Del stalked off into the far corner and started licking her fur.

Semmi moved closer to the Ravage and examined it. "This thing can fight?"

"Yes," Del answered sulkily from her hiding place in the shadows.

Fajii picked up her broken bunk and tossed it outside, before doing the same with Shae's. She clucked her tongue at Nix. By the time she returned, Nix had already dropped the Ravager puppet and was picking up her things.

"Sorry, Fajii. Got a bit carried away." Nix noticed that the entire group was wearing the [Thine Enemy] rings. No one had said anything, but he knew they were expecting to be deployed on some sort of mission once Intel came in.

Fajii nodded in agreement. "You'll have to make me a nice Golem to make up for it. Something really big."

"I can do that."

/Inferno: Semmi: Could someone bring a bunk to Nix's tent?

/Inferno: Gideon: I can, want to talk with him before he heads out.

/Inferno: Semmi: Better hurry then.

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

"This is my private bath." Glacia stared at the intruder while washing her pale shoulders with a round sponge.

Ducky shrugged slightly and knelt beside the edge of the large tub before holding her hand out. "I'm aware... Please excuse the intrusion."

Glacia handed her the sponge before turning away. "The Trifecta has been complaining about you. Apparently, you are stealing their members."

Ducky leaned closer and dipped the sponge into the water; it was colder than any ice she'd ever felt. Although it didn't bother the Water Witch, she preferred her baths warm. "I took one little thief as payment for being attacked."

Glacia closed her good eye and leaned forward slightly. "Say what you want, Ducky."

"The Ice Faction can no longer win this war. Once Nix brought Inferno here, that became impossible."

Glacia opened her eye and turned slightly. "We might be able to kill him together."

Ducky shook her head. "My Master wants him as an ally. The council of Dragons has plans for Nix."

Glacia didn't comment, and the silence between them extended for several seconds. The Trifecta had their own Agenda; they had originally been brought to the Fortress by Khione. It was a move that had finally pushed Glacia over the edge. Recently she was able to sense a grave injury to the Goddess of Winter; Glacia took advantage of the opportunity by plucking out the eye that watched and controlled her every move. "What would you have me do?"

"When Inferno Breaches the Keep, join with me to help defeat the remaining forces of the Ice Faction."

Glacia turned completely, staring at the Water Witch. "My own forces belong to Khione. Most of them only follow me because they no longer know her will."

Ducky shrugged slightly. "You, me, and my thief will be enough."

Glacia stood suddenly and stepped out of the bath, the water running off of her smooth skin as if on command. She dressed slowly while processing the new information. "Is the Nymph below part of your forces?"

Ducky shook her head. "Pradi mentioned something about that, but I would sense one of my own kind if that were the case."

Glacia stared at her visitor for a moment. "We need to know more. It could be one of Khione's minions that has been hidden away."

Ducky tilted her head slightly. Did the Eye of Khione create minions the same way that certain hearts did? Pathfinder discovered and killed five different eye holders. "I will investigate the matter."

Glacia watched as the Water Witch walked toward the door; she opened it and paused before looking back.

"I'll be expecting an answer when I return."

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

Gideon stood in the doorway of Nix's tent a short while later, his dark eyes glancing at the pile of torn blankets, clothes, and rubble that were stacked outside. He stepped inside and immediately unfolded the cot he had brought before turning to face the small group. "Sorry, it took so long."

"Hey, Gid." Nix smiled from his seat on the only other bunk in the tent. He was sitting next to Fajii, who was holding a vicious-looking Ravager puppet in her hands.

"Just want to let you know that I left the Khione Artifact with Sulane and Caza."

Nix nodded. He had spoken with the leaders of Resolute before being recalled to the Bone Fortress. They were bunkered down in the Cyphix Coven and were busy running the three guilds of the Trifecta to ground. "

"Also, I want to volunteer Pathfinder for any future scouting missions here."

"After I scout out Honor Burrough and the Keep, we'll figure out the best way to utilize Pathfinder's skill set." Nix turned his attention to Darsi, who arrived with Alpha team at his request. "I want you to get up high and maintain a visual on the Keep. Never know when I might need support."

Darsi nodded slightly. "Got your back, Trip-7."

Nix studied his fellow Gladis crafter for a moment. He'd never asked to see her stats, but he had to assume they operated the same as his. The more you use them, the higher they climb. If that was the case, it would explain the crazy burst damage she'd been doing recently. The sniper rifle she carried was custom made by Kyla, the gunsmith who had followed them from Cyphix and was now the primary weapon maker for Inferno. Darsi's rifle looked like a modified Dragunov; it hung from her shoulder by a leather strap and was long enough to nearly reach the ground. She had made the long optic scope herself. "Take up the position you covered me with when I shot Duran out of the cannon."

Darsi nodded, her blonde ponytail bouncing slightly. "I'll get a few things ready."

Nix watched as she made her way to the doorway. "Hey... How did you end up getting that rifle into the Born Fortress?"

Darsi shrugged slightly. "You already know... I'll wait in the cove."

A few minutes later, a stealthed form crossed the eastern border separating the Peril and Courage Burroughs. Although it hugged the ground, the Ravager moved with an impressive speed, darting from one location to the next. Nix moved east across Peril until the foothills turned into rolling hills and he could hear the crash of waves from the shoreline. From there he turned due North and headed to the frozen Tundra known as the Honor Burrough.

Razor-sharp claws prevented any sort of slippage when the Ravager stepped onto the sheet of ice that covered the Honor Burrough. Unexpectedly the wind picked up drastically, the howling sound of it making any sort of verbal communication impossible. Swirling gusts of snow roamed in large circles like tiny ice dervish intent on freezing everything to the bone. In the distance, Nix could see several buildings huddled together.

The Ravager stood on its hind legs while his Thermal vision combed the distant buildings. There was no sign of body heat, or cook fires, or anything else that normally went along with an outpost. He moved toward the buildings, his thoughts already on scouting the keep when he stopped suddenly. "The hell..."

Nix could feel his fur standing on end, not just on the back of his neck, but everywhere. He paused out of caution and examined his surroundings. His vision switched from thermal to night with a thought as he waited. Since he knew Alpha team was still in his tent, he made an effort to speak with his own lips. "Somethings wrong."

"Where are you, Nix?" Semmi's voice seemed out of place, difficult to hear with background noise coming from two different locations.

"Honor Burrough, halfway across the Ice Fields. Feels like something bad is close, going to retreat for now and head for the Keep."

"We need that Intel, Nix."

"I know it. I'll make contact with Ducky first. We need someone with better scouting instincts to bring the Ravager here." Nix retreated across the ice fields, the instinctual warning ability of the Ravager would be better suited to Rabi since the little demons had a similar trait. "Have Rabi available when I return."

Nix retraced his route without stopping and moved directly to the Cove where Soup and Darsi were waiting. He dropped stealth when he approached although he could tell that Soup had already sensed his presence. "How's my girl?"

"I'm fine," Darsi answered with a laugh.

The Ravager moved onto Soup's shell before fixing Darsi with a yellow-eyed stare. "Don't listen to her, Soup. Take me back to Ducky's window."

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