Phoenix Phire

"Thanks, Leva, hold the territories as best you can. I want to ensure that you are one of the five ruling Overlords. If there's any doubt, contact me right away and we'll get rid of a few more."

Leva nodded, her face still showing shock. "You killed Khan Azul... Sorry, it's thrown me that he could be beaten by such a small force."

"You have armies from six different Overseers if we count Zylanexor and Belchi. Weed out the weak or those who won't work with humans. Keep me apprised of any changes to the political landscape."

[Create Breach: Nether Well]

He stepped into the dark chamber a moment later, the carcass hadn't moved from the spot where it was shackled. Rat-King sat calmly waiting for him to return. Nix noticed that the rat-doll looked like it had bathed in blood. "Why are you covered in blood?"

"Do you know where a Dragon's soul resides Pon the Magnificent?"

"Call me Nix, and I don't care."

"In our hearts, I just absorbed my soul, to do so I had to consume my own heart. Finally, my dragon body is free."

Nix glanced at the corpse. "That's pretty gross, and ugly as hell."

"I don't disagree. I was an Ice Dragon, the strongest of my kind. That corpse was the result of decades of torture and exposure to Nether."

"We killed him if that's any consolation."

Tharaka moved closer to Nix, "I want to give you something important."

Nix didn't let his expression change. "What is it?"

"The location of Icaraphet."

"It's in Everspire according to the updated map I received from the Cabal."

The rat shook its head from side to side. "That's where I landed it initially, however, I had enough strength left to open a Breach to someplace else."

Nix whistled. "You opened a Breach big enough to move a city through?"

"Of course. So did Zylanexor, that's how Chyanama came to be in the Nether."

The reality that the Cabal didn't know as much as they thought they did put a smile on Nix's face. "You're an Ice Dragon? Can you teach me anything?"

The tiny rat chuckled, "I'm a rat now and even though you're a fire mage, you'd find my flames deadly."

"Think so?"

[Aura Ignition: Ice Flames]

"You have the Ice Flames? I sense many different flames in you. I miss the Ice."

"Where is Icaraphet?"

Rat-King stood on his back legs and waited for a hand up. Nix grabbed the doll and set it on his shoulder.

"Could you bring up a hud Nix?"

Nix brought up a hud. "Want the map interface?"

"Yes, in Oasis."

Nix did a doubletake. "Did you say that Icaraphet is in Oasis?" He quickly brought up a hud map of the Oasis continent.

"Move South of Inuit, about two hundred miles." The rat's beady eyes studied the map while Nix listened to his directions. "It will never rise again without assistance from Elynmoor."

"I've already raised Elynmoor," Nix admitted.

"You have?" Rat-King paused for a long moment. "I don't remember the exact coordinates, but there is a deep ocean valley nearly two miles down. That's where you'll find Icaraphet."

"How much time do you have left?" Nix was aware that his Revenant Rat came with a timer.

"I'm Raka, that's what my friends called me. There's a progress bar in my line of sight that says 2 days."

"That rat-doll is the best I can do at the moment. I could try to raise my skill enough to make an Emperor rat, but my odds of success would be very low."

"I promise I will exit this body before the deadline, no matter what."

"I also have a pretty cool looking Razir." Nix pulled out the golden creature he had constructed while at Loki.

"You don't have an obsession with rodents do you Nix?"

"Don't think so, besides this is part of the Mustelidae family. They are way cooler than rats." When Raka didn't show any interest he put it away. "Will a dragon be able to detect you?"

"Just as a rat. Are we going to see one?' Raka sat comfortably on Nix's shoulder.

"Probably. I'm sure Deidra Mtui will be there." Nix used two fingers to pick up Raka by the scruff of the neck before placing him on the floor. "I'm not your chair Rat-King, if I gotta walk so can you."

[Create Breach: Loki Docks]

Nix stepped through the Breach, closely followed by Raka.

/Oasis System Message: Guild Quest: Discover Everspire has been Updated.

/Oasis System Message: All 12 Pillar Alliance Members have been awarded the Dark Defender Badge.

/Oasis System Message: All 12 Pillar Alliance Members will receive the Nether-Breaker Armor Set.

/Oasis System Message: All 12 Pillar Alliance Members will receive the Daiken Flying Mount.

The Nether Crown has been added to your inventory.

The Nether-Breaker Armor Token [King's Set] has been added to your inventory.

A Shadow Daiken Flying Mount has been added to your inventory.

Nix tried to keep up with all the messages scrolling across his screen.

/Breach Commander Nix: Great Job everyone. Because of the secrecy necessary, we were forced to fragment our Alliance to accomplish many tasks at once. All participants will receive a +5 level increase. After-party at the Emerald Salamander!

"Guild Leader Nix!" Deidre walked toward him, the smile on her face could have melted butter. Unexpectedly she bowed low, "very well done, Sir."

Nix was somewhat taken aback by her politeness. "Thank you, I only did my part."

/Inferno: Ronnie: Hey there's a dog following you.

/Inferno: Nix: Don't call Pon a dog, it isn't polite.

/Inferno: Pon: Funny bastard, she means that f*cking rat!

/Inferno: Ronnie: You have a pet rat? What's his name?

/Inferno: Nix: Pon the Magnificent.

Deidra glanced at the rat and wrinkled her nose slightly, it reeked of Nether to her keen sense of smell. "The 12 Pillar Alliance is stronger than I realized, taking down the Dark Emperor and a handful of his Overlords in a single night."

Without warning a holo popped up in front of Nix, a Demon woman stood with her hands clasped behind her back. "Guild Leader Nix?"

Jun Li stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder.

[Whisper: Jun Li to Nix] That Xia, a Dark Priestess of the Nether, we met her when we visited the Cabal.

"Yes. I'm Nix."

"I'm Xia, the advisor to the newly formed Council of Five." Xia wasn't what Nix would call attractive, but her silky voice made the hairs on his arms stand up.

"Nice to meet you, Xia."

She opened a document and read aloud. "We the undersigned do agree to an unconditional surrender to Breach Commander Nix of the 12 Pillar Alliance. As requested we have realigned our political infrastructure to form the Council of Five.

[Signed]

NyCyndor

Ro'Sina

Genta

Chog the Furious

Leva the Fallen

Nix looked at the signatures and breathed a sigh of relief when he read Leva's name. "Where are BarFy and Mediaz? As Nix understood it, they were the two strongest Overlords.

Xia wide-set eyes showed her surprise. "You know a lot about the Nether, Guild Leader Nix."

"Where are they?"

"They were minions of Khan Azul when he was slain, they both died immediately." Xia rolled up the document and waited patiently.

"I accept the surrender of the Council of Five. Moving forward, planar access shall be granted to Nether folk as long as their intentions are peaceful."

Xia bowed low. "After conflicting for so long, we look forward to improved relations."

An instant later her holo blinked off.

/Inter-Planar System Message: The Nether War has ended with the surrender of the Council of Five. A binding Peace Treaty is now in effect.

/Inferno: Semmi: Did you just speak for all the Planes?

/Inferno: Chiba: A proper Apprentice.

Breach Commander Mtui put his hand out and shook Nix's with an iron grip. "Amazing job Nix. I'm stunned by all of this."

Deidra nodded in agreement. "My forces are at your disposal Nix, please rely on us more in the future.

The 1st Division of Flame Knights has been assigned to Inferno.

Nix smiled his acceptance. "We are having a strategy meeting at the Emerald Salamander, you are both welcome to attend."

/Inferno: Wind: Strategy meeting?

/Inferno: Pon: That means party right?

/Inferno: Nix: Yes.