Nix sprinkled salt on the back of his hand before licking it off and biting into the lime, he gave Yams a sour look before tossing back his shot. "Next!"


    Mai''s brother waspletely different than her. His ck hair was worn long and his constant smile made him look like a born trouble maker. He grinned when Nix sat down. "Me first. Is my sister embarrassing my Gideon character?"


    Nix nodded. "Definitely. It''s especially cringe-worthy when she has to speak to female NPCs. "


    Kenjiughed loudly. "I try to give her advice, but she''s hard-headed."


    Nix decided he liked the younger brother. "How long you been married?"


    "Less than a year, although between us I only married her because I knocked her up." Kenji paused for a moment. "Is Hara your girlfriend?"


    Nix nced at Hara who had sat down with Suzie. "Did she say so?"


    Kenji nodded. "Yes."


    "Then she is." Nix sprinkled salt on the back of his hand. "Are you really a Yankee fan?"


    Kenji shook his head. "Dodger fan, but I had to go along with Mai. How many questions was that?"


    Nix shrugged and knocked back his shot. "Next!"


    Suzie had her eyes closed when Nix sat next to her a few secondster. "Pardon me, I''m a super-lightweight with any kind of booze, especially the virtual ones."


    "Skip this round, I''ll have yours." Nix relieved her of the shot ss in her hand. "Is it okay to drink virtual tequ in your condition?"


    Suzie opened one eye. "My condition?"


    Nix red at Kenji. "You aren''t pregnant..."


    Suzie had a prettyugh, she picked up one of the lime peels and pelted her husband with it. "Stop telling people that, you idiot!"


    Nix cleared his throat. "First question. Are you close with Mai?"


    Suzie nodded. "She fixed us up originally. My turn. How long have you known Hara?"


    Nix pursed his lips slightly. "Since I was a noob. Have you ever yed Colonial?:


    Suzie shook her head. "I''ve yed a few other Virtual games, but it''s not really my thing. What''s with Pon?"


    Nixughed at the question. "He''s an old bastard. What''s your favorite food?"


    "Thai... Yours?"


    "I''ll take a steak any day." Nix knocked back his shot and stood up just as Semmi bumped into him. After helping to steady her he took a seat next to Mai.


    Mai was grinning at him. "Shit... I better slow down or I''ll be face down by game time."


    "Hara ordered some Nachos, so we''ll eat after this."


    Mai focused on Nix. "I''m good. First question! Did you go to college and how old are you?"


    "Isn''t that two questions?"


    Mai shook her head slightly. "Not when you ask them really fast."


    "Twenty-five, Unversity of Vermont." Nixmitted his Henry Jones persona to memory. "How did you end up being Smander''s Guild Leader?"


    "I had to interview with our Board of Directors." Mai lean closer and lowered her voice. "Slept with any dragons?"


    Nix chuckled and nodded slowly. "Affirmative, I''m Nix the Dragon-Layer."


    Mai''s loudugh caused everyone to look at them. It was nearly a minute before she was able to stop.


    Nix grinned at her reaction, drunk Mai was very funny.


    A few minutester, Nix found a seat in the front row. The two rows were tiered so that you wouldn''t be staring at the back of someone''s head.


    "Want to share?" Hara was carrying a te of Nachos.


    Nix nodded. "Have a seat, it''s almost game time."


    To his surprise, Hara eased onto hisp, being careful not to spill her te.


    "I thought you meant to share the Nachos."


    Hara shook her head slightly. "No way, these are mine." She teased him with a smile before offering him some.


    "Couples go home!" Yams frowned at them from the next seat. "That looks cozy! Mai! Come sit with me!"


    Mai squeezed in next to her college roommate, arge bag of popcorn in her hand. "Better?"


    Yams scarfed a handful from Mai''s bag. "Not really," she mumbled around a mouthful of popcorn.


    Pon shot Nix an angry re when Semmi forced him to share. "Damn you, Nix!"


    Semmi ignored the protesting Texan. "Go Brankees!"


    Hara smiled at the petite blond. "The Brankees?"


    Nix shrugged slightly and wrapped his arms around Hara''s waist. "Brankees versus the Yaves? She''ll be sleeping by the third inning."


    Once the game started, a virtual waiter started taking orders while the small group watched. Semmi fell asleep during the first inning but woke up when the score was tied up at the top of the sixth.


    Pon grinned at an angry-looking Mai. "Three-run shot over left field. Looks like a new game!"


    In the end, the Brave prevailed when the Yankee''s pitching started to fade. The final score was 7-6 in favor of Anta.


    A chipper-looking Semmi was staring at Nix. "We going to do something else? How about that Lake cabin on the U.P.?"


    Nix nudged Hara who seemed content to use his shoulder as a pillow. "Want to?"


    The afterparty of the World Series moved to the Lake Cabin, where the group swam, barbequed, and enjoyed arge bonfire. The sound of theke hitting the dock woke Nix several hourster. It was after midnight and the temperature had dropped slightly.


    Nix groaned and stretched his back, instead of using one of the bedrooms, he''d fallen asleep on the dock. "Shit... Looks like we aren''t the only ones."


    A sleepy-looking Hara peeked her head from behind a nket. "Going in?"


    Nix nodded and gave her a hand as they carefully weaved their way through the sleeping group. A few minutester, he crawled into the Master Bedroom''s veryfortable bed. "I''m sleeping in."


    Hara snuggled up against him. "Thanks for inviting me!"


    "What are you talking about? I invited Pon and Semmi."


    Hara propped herself up on one elbow. "So I crashed the party?"


    Nix nodded at the smiling redhead. "Probably wrecked my chances of hooking up with Mai."


    Hara made a face at him. "Funny... They are nice people."


    "Except that Yams, never trust a Necromancer." Nix leaned up and brushed his lips against hers before letting himself fall back against the soft pillow.


    **************


    At noon the next day, Nix entered the control room on the Bone Fortress. Semmi and Pon watched as he made changes to the rules of war.


    Semmi watched as Nix went through the menu. "Dividing the area into just two territories?"


    Nix nodded as he split thendmass in half and ced arge training ground at the center with a singlemunity graveyard "They can battle here and recover in the graveyard if necessary."


    After cing arge barracks on either side, he nced toward hispanions. "Did I forget anything?"


    Semmi shook her head. "Looks good. Who are you bringing in?"


    "Time to put our Titans to the test. Lucid and her people are ready. I''ll talk with Nihlus and see how the Lion n is doing." Nix closed the control panel and exited the room.


    Semmi followed Nix out, her quick mind considering their choices. "What about Zinu and Guyanar?"


    *******Author''s Note*********


    Zinu is the cleric from Krayven n that apanied Nix on a few side missions. Guyanarter became the first Falcon Titan.


    *********************


    Nix paused in mid-step. Guyanar had been the old Chief of n Krayven. When Nix ced him inside the puppet of a Falcon Titan, the Falcon n had been born. "We''ll have to visit them. The hardening that takes ce here is something the newly evolved Titans can use."


    Pon frowned at the buildings. "Aren''t you spoiling them too much? We had to sleep in a cave when we first got here."


    Nix grinned at the old man''s sour face. "Probably.