The older man nodded, and they sealed the deal with a handshake.

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

Nix exited town a few minutes later; he rode one of the horses he had bargained for and led the other two. Rumors in town said that half of the Spire Chaser guild was locked in the stocks while the other half had gone into hiding, somewhere in the mountains.

A quick glance at his hud told Nix he was early for his meeting when rode into the gully that hid Zane's forge. His three partners had already arrived and were standing in a circle talking. He created a group channel and then invited all three of them.

/Spire: Nix: Heya guys.

/Spire: Mollie: Hi.

/Spire: Circa: Hey, Nix.

/Spire: Lu Ban: Afternoon.

Nix could see that Lu Ban was wearing some high-end armor, but he didn't ask to see it. "We ready to go?"

According to Nix's hud, the Oracle was located far to the east, close to the coastal mountain range that blocked off Neva's access to the sea. Nightmare led the procession, and the three mountain ponies fell in step behind her.

/Spire: Mollie: You're the guild leader of Inferno, right Nix?

/Spire: Nix: Yes.

/Spire: Lu Ban: Is Inferno big?

/Spire: Nix: Most of Inferno is made up of NPCs and Lifestyle players, our raid force is around fifty people.

The foothills they were riding in quickly became a series of low peaks and valleys, after a few hours of riding they entered a heavily forested valley bordered by steep rock walls. When they stopped by a fast-flowing river to water the horses, Nix slipped off Nightmare's kit and let her walk around.

Lu Ban stopped suddenly, letting the water he had cupped in his hands fall back into the stream.

[Track]

Nix: 3m. N

Circa: 3m. N

Mollie: 3m. N

Shado Benz: 10m. W

Rendel: 448m. W

Bone Cracker: 448m. W

Hyatt: 449m. W

Krensi: 449m. W

Yathiz: 449m. W

Orman: 450m. W

Delia the Beautiful: 450m. W

Captain Faex: 451m. W

Lu Ban laughed loudly and slapped his leg. "Nix! Come see this message that Zane sent us.

"Hmm?" Nix stepped closer and looked at the tracking screen the ranger had brought up on his hud. "d.a.m.n that Zane, he wants his armor back?"

[Summons: Ducky]

Ducky glanced around the area, her blue eyes taking in everything.

[Whisper: Nix to Ducky] Someone is close, bring them in.

Ducky nodded and strolled casually toward a dense stand of trees and disappeared from sight.

/Spire: Lu Ban: Who was that?

/Spire: Nix: One of my Spirit Companions.

/Spire: Mollie: I like the blue hair, what is she?

/Spire: Nix: Water Witch, she specializes in crowd control.

A few minutes later, Ducky returned arm in arm with a small man dressed in black. He wore his hair cut short, and his face had been darkened with mud or paint.

Ducky patted his arm. "Nix, this is Shado. He is a member of the group that is waiting for you."

Nix frowned at the small man who barely came up to his shoulder. "What do you want?"

Ducky answered for him. "They are after you. Word is spreading among the bandit camps; they want you out of the way."

Nix turned to the valley entrance; only trees were visible. "For what? Zed and his guild are barely worth it."

Ducky shook her head. "He doesn't know, but you've become their highest priority. The mountain pa.s.s has been sealed in case you try to escape to Free Trade City."

Nix shrugged and turned back to the river to collect Nightmare. "Could be worse. Anything else?"

Ducky nodded, her blue eyes following Nix while he saddled his mount. "There is an Intrepid with them."

Nix cursed. "That's worse."

Lu finally stopped staring at Ducky long enough to speak. "What's an Intrepid?"

Ducky pursed her lips together as she considered the best way to describe it. "They create a dead zone. A large area where no magic of any kind can be used. That includes artifacts and enhancements. Intrepids are very rare."

Nix nodded in agreement. "Forget about any bonus or ability your equipment adds also, nothing will work around her."

Mollie muttered a swear word under her breath. "How's that fair? Isn't such an existence against the rules of nature?"

Ducky's pretty face saddened slightly. "Intrepids are peaceful beings; once they activate their dead zones, they die within a few hours."

"They are on the move again, closing on our position." Lu Ban stared at his hud while pulling out his bow. "d.a.m.n...my tracking just shut off."

"The Intrepid is active." Nix walked away from the river to stand on the edge of a small grove of saplings. "Take care of Shado, but have him give his weapons to Circa first."

Ducky nodded and whispered something to the small rogue. Shado handed both of his daggers to Circa and then picked up the largest boulder he could manage.

Nix waited until Shado walked into the river and disappeared from sight. "Ready yourself, non-magic attacks first."

/Spire: Mollie: Where'd he go?

/Spire: Lu Ban: Forget him.