Arge courtyard behind the Fortress served as the ce where the n often ate together. It hadn''t been used since before Morti disappeared, but today there were tables stacked with all sorts of fresh meats and fruit. A hungry Nix grabbed a te and immediately began heaping food on it.


    "Hey, Nix." A humorced voice spoke from beside him. He turned to see the Ground Pounder Alchemist smiling at him. "A bit early for you isn''t it."


    "Yep," Nix readily agreed. Nix nced around at all the full tables. "Seems crowded today."


    "I was told to escort you to the n Leader''s table." The Alchemist waited while he grabbed a drink and then led him to one of the front tables, Mortimus and Scarlett were already there.


    Nix took a seat next to Mortimus and started eating. There was no formality, everyone ate together, catching up on thetest events. There was a sense of excitement in the air.


    "Did you get any sleepst night Nix?" Scarlett was carefully cutting her meat with a knife, theplete opposite of her husband who grabbed food by the handful and stuffed his face without giving it any thought.


    "Yes. I also finished my project." Nix slid his chair back and removed a Dire Wolf doll from his inventory. "I had to name it so I called it Alpha."


    Alpha: Emperor


    1) Self-Destruct


    2) Dominate (Up to 1000 Dire Wolves)


    3) Stealth


    Immune to Ice Damage.


    Scarlett leaned forward, "that looks really good."


    "Half of the Dire Wolves have a natural Ice Resistance, by using them as enhancements I was able to craft Ice Immunity into the line. It''s key to this mission."


    Mortimus stopped eating for a moment and examined the wolf doll. "You can control other Wolves?"


    Nix nodded. "Another key point. Don''t be rmed, I''m going to demonstrate."


    He took a seat on the ground and pulled the Dire-Wolf closer to him.


    [Animate]


    Your Animator Title enables you to double the effectiveness of all mannequins you inhabit.


    The entire n gasped in surprise as the Dire Wolf slowly stood up. Nix''s wolf ears caught every whisper. He felt phenomenally fast, like he could run all day.


    Mortimus approached him, his big hand reaching out to feel Nix''s fur. "It feels and looks real. It even smells like a wolf."


    "Thest one I made fooled a dragon." Nix spun in a quick circle, before turning and running through the courtyard. His feet blurred as he elerated to his top speed. He circled the courtyard a few times before trotting back to the n.


    By the time he returned to the table, Scarlett had joined her husband, her gentle hands touched the fur on Nix''s neck. "You said that Ice Immunity was key. Why?"


    "Menial does Ice damage," Mortimus answered the question. "No matter how strong you are, if the creature you are fighting is immune to your damage, you''re dead."


    "Correct." It was how Alpha Team had dealt with the Nether Emperor.


    "You can speak. Is that normal?" Scarlett couldn''t help herself, she scratched Nix''s head like he was the family dog.


    "Lower level dolls can onlymunicate with other dolls of the same type. However, this is an Emperor doll. The best I can make."


    An hourter, nine Alpha Wolves stood in the courtyard. Mortimus picked nine people for the mission and sent everyone else away. Nix stood in front of the pack, nodding in satisfaction at his work.


    "The wolve-dolls won''t get tired or hungry. They are stronger and faster than a normal dire wolf." He brought up a hud of Zintia, "it will take you an entire day to run there."


    "What if we are discovered?" Mortimus''s voice seemed out of ceing from a Dire Wolf.


    "Use stealth and avoid confrontation. However, don''t leave any loose ends."


    "You''ll meet us there?" Scarlett decided to go also since it was a mission that offered no real danger to her.


    "Don''t worry about me. I''m going in another way. Each of you can control up to a thousand Dire Wolves. Create as much chaos as you can."


    **************


    A short whileter Nix and Gil were riding their horses hard for the Iron Pike Trading Post; they would leave them with Hoot and then proceed North another five miles where they would enter the Breezie River. The Breezie river offered them a direct route into the Zintian Sea. After looking at a map, it became apparent that a second approach to Zintia could be made. An aquatic team coulde up from under the Ice and enter Menial''s stronghold.


    The journey passed by quickly. After leaving the horses with Hoot, they entered the Breezie river with Soup and clung to her shell as she used all of her speed to get them to the Zintian Sea. They entered the sea before dark and went deeper so they wouldn''t run into the forming ice as they moved north.


    Gil would asionally pat the Sea-Turtles shell or ask Nix questions but for the most part the journey was spent in peaceful darkness. He was d to have been asked toe, it was a chance for his Turtle n to shine.


    After traveling for nearly a day, Nix and Gil let Soup hunt while they continued to travel.


    Gil''s underwater vision was enhanced, so he understood that Nix must have something simr. "How close are we do you think?"


    "Only a few hours away." Nix could feel the Ice all around him, but more than that he could feel that a powerful Ice Artifact was close. It was one of the benefits of carrying the Blessing of Ice. "We''ll make it before the Wolf Team does."


    Gil felt a presence behind them and turned to see Soup chasing them down. "Soup''s back Nix."


    ************


    Nix drew Wrath and pushed mes into the hilt. Immediately the darkness of the deep sea lit up. An ice flow that was probably a quarter of a mile thick stood between them and any kind of entrance to Menial''s stronghold.


    Every time the Fury sword touched the ice, arge section of it immediately melted. The water followed them nearly the entire way up as they created a tunnel wide enough for Soup to enter. Nix didn''t understand the physics of it, but if he asked Bev, she could definitely give him an answer. Finally, the water stopped advancing upward with them and Nix cut out a side-passage.


    "That thing is really handy." Gil watched as Nix carved out an entire room for Soup to wait in.


    Nix nodded in agreement. "It''s good for killing things also."


    "Sure... that too."


    From here Nix and Gil continued alone. The Inferno leader changed into his armor and ignited his emerald aura. Tunneling through the ice became easy as they created a winding passage upward.


    Gil followed behind him asionally offeringments. "This is a long way Nix. What if we have to retreat?"


    "That''s the fun part, Gil. Sit on your backside and slide down."


    An hourter, Nix and Gil finally ran into the keep''s stone foundation. Having no other choice, Nix melted his way into it. The Turtle Titan was forced to retreat several meters because of the blistering heat.


    It only took a few minutes to enter into an open space. There were crates stacked nearly to the ceiling.


    "Looks like a storage room. Let''s ''wolf-up'' from here." Nix took out hisst two Dire-Wolf dolls and ced them on the floor.


    [Animate]


    Your Animator Title enables you to double the effectiveness of all mannequins you inhabit.


    "Yeah, I know. Stealth up Gil and follow."


    [Stealth]


    Nix scrambled over the top of the crates and pushed the door open with his huge head. He turned to see his partner following close behind.


    "Howe you''re bigger than me?"


    "Must be an added benefit of my ''Animator'' title. Let''s find Menial."