Milandra has cast [Ice Coffin]

Sharl is immune to Ice Damage

Gypsy is immune to Ice Damage

Jun Li is immune to Ice Damage

Milat is immune to Ice Damage

Mina is immune to Ice Damage

Saji is immune to Ice Damage

Banzi is immune to Ice Damage

Ronnie is immune to Ice Damage

Floyd is immune to Ice Damage

Zhava is immune to Ice Damage

Tess is immune to Ice Damage

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

The sound of cannon fire caused the entire group to flinch. Nix scanned the walls, waiting for an impact, but none came. A moment later, three loud crashes in rapid succession sounded throughout the city.

/Alpha: Gideon: Those shots were lobbed. Why not aim at the walls?

Nix pushed flames into wrath, causing the white fury blade to extend its length.

/Alpha: Nix: Not sure, be ready.

/Inferno: Fey: Two dozen soldiers charging from the northeast camp. I doubt they'll get past your archers.

/Inferno: Nix: Understood. What about the damage to the city from the cannons?

/Inferno: Fey: Minimal, three buildings destroyed.

Bali watched from her perch in the towns Bell Tower, her sharp eyes darting everywhere. She glanced down to check her tracking, a habit she picked up from Captain Locas.

[Track]

Lieutenant Seino 25m NW

Lieutenant Vladik 178m S

Lieutenant Rhaqi 77m E

"Sweet mother..." Bali cussed loudly as Milandra's henchmen emerged from the wrecked buildings.

/Inferno: Bali: Nix! Three sub-bosses are in the city. They shot them in with the cannons!

/Inferno: Nix: Serious? Where?

/Inferno: Bali: One west of your position! The second is in the market place, and the third is running toward the front gate!

Nix grabbed Gideon and pointed west to Vladik, who was wading into the pug groups that tried to swarm him. "Get aggro and kite him to the market area!"

[Orion] Gideon has changed forms.

/Alpha: Nix: Everyone follow Morti to the Market.

Nix paused a moment until the t.i.tan cub charged toward the market square, his large body rumbling down the main street like a runaway freight train.

Instead of following, Nix sprinted toward the main gate. Two of the Lamia Acolytes were down, while the third was facing the bandit boss by herself.

[Perfect Defense]

Sori Dah's daggers have woven an impenetrable s.h.i.+eld around herself for the next 10 seconds.

Nix skidded to a stop, throwing dust and rocks into the air as a dozen emerald strand impaled Lieutenant Rhaqi before wrapping around his torso, pinning his arms to his side. He jerked back with all his strength knocking Rhaqi to the ground. "Gonna borrow this idiot, Sori!"

Sori froze for a moment as Nix started dragging the bandit sub-boss down the middle of the street. Quickly she helped her team to their feet, and a few moments later, they were following along, sending a steady stream of arrows into the screaming mob.

*********

Gideon sprinted toward Vladic, from a block away he could see a poorly equipped pug trying to take him down, in the few seconds it took him to arrive, the pug had already wiped.

Gideon has cast [Thorn Armor].

Sharp barbs emerge from Gideon's armor, creating a damage s.h.i.+eld around him.

Gideon changed to human form and stealthed, immediately he noticed that Vladic was still able to track his movements, he dived to one side just as Vladic attacked with a rapier. "Fast b.i.t.c.h, ain't ya."

[Parry: Backstab]

Successful Combination attempt.

Gideon has parried Vladic's attack and landed a critical hit.

Gideon circled and until he had his back to the market area. The downed group was just starting to recover, so the a.s.sa.s.sin faked an attack to move Vladic away from them.

Herin has landed an attack on Gideon.

Bolo has cast [Fire Burst] on Gideon.

"The h.e.l.l..." Gideon retreated, letting his armor take the brunt of the attacks. The archer and the mage from the group were targeting him. "F*ck me..." The entire group was staring at him with bloodl.u.s.t in their eyes, elongated claws and sharpened fangs were visible as they moved to s.h.i.+eld Vladic.

Vladic laughed loudly when Gideon was forced to dodge again. "Come to me, my friend. Let's talk like men."

"Pa.s.s!"

Gideon has cast [Binding Barbs]

Herin has been bound and can no longer move.

Bolo has been bound and can no longer move.

Dyter has been bound and can no longer move.

Vladic has resisted Binding Barbs.

Sammo has resisted Binding Barbs.

[Trueshot: Burst]

Bali has landed a critical shot on Sammo.

Bali has landed a critical shot on Sammo.

Bali has landed a mortal shot on Sammo.

Sammo has been slain.

[Sudden Strike: Hamstrung]

Successful Combination attempt.

Gideon has scored a critical hit on Vladic.

Gideon has landed a crippling blow, Vladic movements have been slowed by fifty percent.

Gideon gave the bandit vamp the finger and started trotting toward the Market square. Vladic limped after him, leaving a trail of blood in his wake. His remaining henchmen began to follow but were targeted by the rangers who Bali had alerted.

***********

Lieutenant Rhaqi died half a block from the market; the sub-boss looked like a pincus.h.i.+on. The Lamia acolytes stopped firing and waved to Nix before heading back toward the wall.

A loud roar caused Nix to abandon the corpse and sprint toward the market. He rounded the corner just in time to dodge to one side as a projectile flew past him and slammed into Tanner Benton's shop. Incredibly, the projectile climbed to his feet and cast a glance at Morti before making a run for it.

"HEY!" The t.i.tan cub yelled at the fleeing sub-boss and ran him down. Although he looked fat and slow, it was just like he claimed, Morti was fast. A big paw slammed into the Seino's back, sending him skidding across the market place again. Lu was doing his best to target the bandit, while Molls was giggling so hard she gave up.

/Alpha: Nix: Hey... take this serious!

/Alpha: Mollie: Sorry.

/Alpha: Circa: Sorry, Nix... He sent him flying like ten times. That s.h.i.+t was funny.

/Alpha: Gideon: Got one more coming, careful he's a vamp.

/Alpha: Nix: I'll help Gid with the bloodsucker, you three finish Morti's target.

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

[1330 Hours: Shadow Ranger Force, West of Ever Flame]

Del Tali pulled on the reins trying to avoid the slash and ended up taking it on her blade. Although uninjured, the strength of the blow had numbed her entire hand.

A flas.h.i.+ng blade to her right announced that her trusted captain was still with her. "Circle back, Del! The outside line just collapsed, they'll be surrounded!"

Cora felt her horse trip when the log trap was released. Dozens of waist-thick logs rolled toward her group. She kicked her feet free of the stirrups and jumped from the saddle just as the beast tumbled to the ground. She dodged the remaining logs and calmly drew her bow back.

[Trueshot: Air Burst]

Combination Attempt successful.

Cora's arrow struck deep into the shoulder of the captain who pursued her; a moment later, it exploded outward, showering blood and bone onto the horse he was riding.

Captain h.e.l.lbent has been slain.

"Cora!" Del spotted her former protege calmly laying down destruction, seemingly unconcerned that she was about to be run down. "RUN CORA!"

Cora turned at the shout and then glanced back at the flank of their formation that had suddenly collapsed. There was nowhere to run. "d.a.m.n..."

A flash of white followed by a loud roar sent the horses that were charging down on her into a panic. The frost tiger paused for a moment. "Climb on, Cora!"

Cora leaped onto its back without hesitating. "Wind?"

Pon has cast [Snow Blindness]

The group of mounted riders were thrown into complete disarray as both rider and horse were struck blind. Suddenly there were large black cats everywhere; riders were pulled from their mounts while their terrified screams still hung in the air.

Cora held tight to the thick white fur on the Tigers back; instead of stopping, it circled and headed South. "Where are we going, Wind?"

"You forget what we taught you?" The words came from above her; a long flowing ice wraith flew swiftly overhead.

"Pon?" Cora smiled at her heroes, "I didn't forget! Prey waits!"