Chapter 545: Death from Above (1/2)

[Bone Fortress, 0200 hours Ice Faction: 5,867 Undead: 1,203]

Two days later, the dragon puppet glided effortlessly through the clouds, its night vision picking up every detail of the continuing troop movements within the Deceit, Anguish, and Despair Burroughs.

/Inferno: Muncie: The combined force of the three Burroughs is about six hundred.

/Inferno: Nix: Thanks, Muncie, rendezvous back at the cave. We'll hit them in fifteen minutes.

Nix stood at the edge of the clearing, shaking his head at the sight of three dozen Bone Drakes. Fey was in her Bone Drakon form, talking to her second in command. The Drakes scattered in all directions when Muncie landed.

Nix whistled softly. He could feel the threat coming on the dragon. ”He feels like the real thing.”

Pon nodded in agreement. ”Except Muncie is snuggled up with a blanket back at the cave. A dragon who can cross the borders... It's another one of your cheats.”

Nix didn't bother to disagree. Instead, he climbed into Chupa's saddle and waited. This would be the first time Inferno went with an all-out-air attack. The melee fighters would be left guarding their territory while anyone with ranged damage and a flying mount was present and ready to go.

/Inferno: Jun Li: Good luck guys. Remember, no boots on the ground except for Alpha.

/Alpha: Wind: Pays to be grouped with the boss.

/Alpha: Semmi: Which Commander are we going after first?

/Alpha: Nix: We'll work east to west, so Deceit, Anguish, then Despair.

/Alpha: Pon: Where'd you send Milat and Gil?

/Alpha: Nix: Soup is bringing them to her underwater entrance. Want to make sure it's viable to send a large group through.

Nix watched as Fey sprang into the air and headed outward toward the ocean. Given their wingspan, small groups of threes and fours gradually followed suit.

/Alpha: Pon: They know our objective is North?

/Alpha: Nix: Yeah... Watch and learn.

Fey led her small group into a wide circle pattern less than half a mile off the southern tip of Xander. As the seconds ticked by, the numbers grew until Muncie, and all the drakes were present. With her group in tow, the Drakon continued south away from the Bone Fortress while gaining altitude.

/Alpha: Pon: Can't even see them now.

/Alpha: Nix: Get ready; they are already coming back.

/Inferno: Ronnie: All ranged fighters on me, soon as Fey passes us, we'll move out.

They came faster than anyone would have believed. One moment the night sky was empty; the next moment, an entire flight flashed by with the Drakon leading the way.

Alpha team waited until Ronnie's fighters left before starting their own objective. The group of five flew up the eastern coast in single file, low enough to hear the crashing surf.

/Alpha: Nix: We'll fly over stealthed and then.... sweet Mary...

Deceit was the largest of the Burroughs; the entire territory glowed like a small sun. Charred bodies, melted equipment, and the haze of smoke completed what could only be called Hell.

Chupa maintained a low altitude, not bothered by the insane heat coming up from the Burrough's glowing embers.

/Inferno: Ronnie: Caught sight of the Burrough Commander, Nix. He has a small force with him; they are close to the Anguish border.

/Inferno: Nix: Thanks, we'll take it from here.

Nix waited a few moments longer and then bailed off Chupa from about ten meters in the air. He landed in the middle of a brush fire; sparks cascaded in all directions from the impact.

/Alpha: Pon: Something wrong with landing?

/Alpha: Nix: This is quicker.

Nix walked out of the flames and slipped his [Thine Enemy] ring on before motioning to his scouts. ”Find us that Commander.”

/Alpha: Semmi: Woah...

/Alpha: Wind: Found him. There are three of the paired witches with him and those dog-things.

After giving Nezbit the one Nix brought back from the front, Inferno managed to learn a lot about the paired creature. They were smart and loyal, general consensus was that their potential was wasted by the Ice Faction, who used them as guard dogs.

/Alpha: Wind: Wouldn't mind one of those, if it's possible.

/Alpha: Semmi: Same.

/Alpha: Fajii: Me too.

Alpha reunited on a small ridge a hundred meters away from the Anguish border. The neighboring Burrough was already being burned into oblivion by Inferno's AirPower.

Nix did a double-take when he spotted the Burrough Commander. ”What is that thing?”

It was white in color and stood a head taller than an average man. It had four legs that were covered in some sort of natural armor plating, its upper body extended straight from the front legs, reminding Nix of the Centaurs from fantasy stories. Its upper body closely resembled a Preying Mantis with two long arms that ended in wickedly curved blades.

Nix has cast [Black Ice Armor][Elemental Fiend: Lightning]

Combination Successful.

A Lightning Fiend has been summoned.

A protective barrier has encased Semmi.

A protective barrier has encased Wind.

A protective barrier has encased Fajii.

A protective barrier has encased Pon.

/Alpha: Nix: Fajii and I will grab the Boss. The three of you take down those witches. The pets should stop fighting when their witch dies, providing you didn't piss them off.

[Daisy Chain][Silent Summons][Elmental Napalm: Ice Flame]

Triple Combination Successful.

Sarik Blade-Hands has been silenced.

Sarik Blade-Hands has been summoned.

Sarik Blade-Hands been covered by a thin film of Ice Flames.

Trila Rona has been stunned by a Lightning strike.

Urban Segret has been stunned by a Lightning strike.

Yano Bai has been stunned by a Lightning strike.

Nix targeted the surprised Burrough Commander and sent his fiend after it; instantly, a small bolt of lightning struck the creature.

Fajii has cast [Dead Earth][Rock Hands].