/Inferno: Jun Li: There is nearly no information on the 4th stage of the 5th floor. It's is supposed to be a prison, so we might find some humans, rebels or even Aquarions.

/Inferno: Nix: Morti is taking a few well deserved days off, so don't ask me to summon him.

/Inferno: Fajii: I saw him with Rhy and Shae. They were heading to the Parliament.

/Inferno: Nix: That should be fun.

The group of 20 joined hands and Nix activated Deep Blue and chose the 5th Floor staging area. They crossed the courtyard quickly and stood on the 4th stage platform. An instant later, all 20 of them disappeared.

They appeared a moment later in the entryway of a large stone building. It was completely empty except for a door made of steel bars. Nix walked to the barred door and peeked through. He slipped on his Wolf mask to heighten his senses.

/Inferno: Jun Li: An Air Zone, that works to our advantage.

/Inferno: Nix: Just a creepy, dark stairs leading downward.

He pulled on the door, "it's locked."

Semmi kneeled down and spent a few minutes working the lock before it clicked open.

/Inferno: Wind: I need to get the lockpick skill too.

[Summons: Ducky]

Ducky appeared before them, she was already in Siren form. She seemed to be doing that a lot more lately.

Nix smiled at his companion. "Go with the scouts, I want to know where everyone is."

Ducky nodded.

/Inferno: Nix: Wind and Semmi scout out the area.

The three of them disappeared through the door, leaving the raid at the entrance. Nix watched the mini-map as it slowly filled with red dots. Ducky excelled at finding the enemy even though she didn't possess any kind of stealth talent. A few minutes later all three of them returned.

/Inferno: Semmi: Pretty straight forward. There is a prison block that we need to make our way through. The Inmates are in their cells and there are no guards.

/Inferno: Wind: There are four cells that are open, the inhabitants of these cells look like sub-bosses.

/Inferno: Nix: Is there an exit?

/Inferno: Semmi: The exit to this stage is at the end of the cellblock.

Nix led the way back down the stairs, the door to the cellblock was only a few dozen steps. The door creaked slightly when he pushed it open. The scout team had said that the halls of the prison were empty.

/Inferno: Semmi: The first open cell isn't until the end of this long hall. That's the first sub-boss, they look like standard humans. No way to know what they can do.

Nix noticed an open empty cell. and walked in.

/Inferno: Nix This cell looks open... Thought you guys said there were only four open cells.

/Inferno: Semmi: That's empty Nix. There's no bunk so it's probably not a cell to start with.

Nix glanced around the small barred room. He grinned when he saw the levers.

/Inferno: Nix: How about I put us on the fast track?

There were dozens of levers, none of them were labeled, however, four of them were up while the rest were pulled down. Nix reached out and grabbed the nearest of the four 'up' levers.

/Inferno: Nix: Anything happen?

/Inferno: Wind: Shit... the first boss cell just closed, with him in it.

Nix laughed to himself and pulled the next three in rapid succession.

/Inferno: Nix: This is the control room I think.

When he pulled the fourth lever, a small panel opened up and exposed a hidden lever.

/Inferno: Semmi: All the boss cells are closed Nix!

/Inferno: Ronnie: Short cut?

Nix pulled the hidden lever. The loud clanging of a steel door sounded in the distance. /Inferno: Jun Li: Damn... The exit door opened. Let's run for it!

They had only made it a few meters down the hall before the exit slammed shut and all four sub-boss doors opened up again. The raid members skidded to a halt.

/Inferno: Semmi: Worth a try I guess. Looks like we are doing this the hard way.

Ducky stared back at the way they had come. "Nix gone."

/Inferno: Sharl: Huh?

The tank walked back toward the entrance and entered the barred room Nix had been in. There were no levers visible.

/Inferno: Sharl: Nix?

/Inferno: Jun Li: He's grayed out in the raid group.

/Inferno: Semmi: I tried to whisper to him, says he unavailable.

/Inferno: Pon: Damn it Wind... It was your turn to babysit the noob.

Wind laughed but then covered it up when Ducky and Wylie frowned at him.

/Inferno: Wind: It's Nix guys... If he gets in trouble he'll just go Salamander and blow this place up.

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

Nix bounced several times and then skidded to a halt against the steel bars of a cell. He gripped the bars and pulled himself back to his feet. "Who puts a trapdoor in the control room?"

Guildchat has been disabled.

Personal Messaging has been disabled.

It was then he noticed the person sitting on the bottom bunk. A smell like rotten eggs wafted off the creature. It was nearly the size of a man and covered in matted brown fur. Its red eyes watched him cautiously. Nix noticed that it was dressed in rags and the remanents of shoes on its clawed feet. It looked a bit like a ferret.

The ferret-man didn't act aggressively, he just watched calmly as Nix gripped the bars on the door and tried to shake it open.

Nix kicked the door twice before stepping back and sighing heavily. "F*ck me..." He glanced at ferret-man again. "You get the top bunk shorty."

The creature finally moved, it walked slowly on its hind legs, like someone who hadn't moved in a long time. It raised a narrow paw and pointed out of the cell. There were four levers on the wall.

"Damn, more levers. Know which one of those opens our cell?"

Ferret-man held up four fingers.

"Hmm." Nix extended a hand through the bars, a moment later an emerald strand of fire wrapped around the far right lever and he pulled and heard the clanking of a metal door opening in the distance.

Ferret-man shook his narrow head.

Nix scowled at his cellmate. "You said four! Obviously that means the far right one!"

Ferret-man gestured to the left with his hand.

"You arguing with me whiskers? How about we make ferret-kabob?" Another strand of emerald flame shot out and wrapped around the far left lever. When he pulled it down, their cell opened up with a loud bang.

Nix followed ferret-man out of the cell and immediately tried to open a hud map.

[Map features have been disabled]

[Summons: Ducky]

Spirit Companion is unavailable.

"Serious? How about you blindfold me? Or maybe handcuff my hands behind my back?" Nix was stomping down the dimly lit hall muttering curses when he heard the steel doors banging again.

Ferret-man was watching him with those red eyes, he had pulled the other two levers. A moment later the sound of footsteps running toward them could be heard.

Nix stared as two more ferret people appeared. One was fat and the other had stripes like a housecat. "The f*ck could you be eating in a dungeon that would make you fat?"

The two new ferrets walked over to stand beside the one that had pulled the lever. Then all three sets of red eyes stared at him.

"They with you? Fine." Nix turned from them and started down the hall again. "No more pulling random levers."

The hall was lined on both sides with cells, each cell had one or two skeletons in it. Nix noticed the exaggerated teeth of the dead prisoners. More ferret-men?

As they walked each of the ferret-men managed to pick up a makeshift weapon. Two of them were carrying bars that had been loosened from a cell. The third carried a long sharp bone, courtesy of a random skeleton.

Eventually, the hall came to a "T". Nix glanced down both halls before looking at his ferret-men companions. "Which way?"

Fat-ferret immediately pointed to the left, after a moment Cat-ferret did also. His original companion shrugged its narrow shoulders. "Nope... I'm going right." Nix broke into a trot and headed down the right passage, it stopped abruptly at a heavy metal door. It opened easily and the group moved forward. They hadn't gone more than a few meters when it slammed shut behind them and dozens of torches burst into flames all at once.

The ferret-men chittered their teeth loudly while shielding their eyes. They were in a large round room that was lit every few meters by torches. A gigantic snake statue stood next to an open archway.

"Hey... That looks like the way ..." He stopped when the statue started slithering toward them. "Of f*cking course." He shrugged apologetically at his companions. "This one is on me."

Nix stepped away from the group.

[Aura Ignition]

A loud rattle caused Nix to freeze in place, a moment later the gigantic head of the snake struck at him. Two hands pushed him to one side causing the snake to miss, both Nix and his helper were still thrown sideways as they were struck a glancing blow.

Nix quickly rolled to his feet, both hands glowing as he cast.

[Flame Snare]

King Fakris has been slowed by 40 percent.

[Flame Root]

King Fakris has been rooted in place.

[Flame Throw]

Emerald Flames erupted like a geyser out of Nix's raised hand, bathing the snake in a steady stream of fire.

All three of the ferret-men worked their way around the massive snake and were attacking it from behind with their makeshift weapons.

The rattling sound from the snake's tail grew unbearably loud.

You have been stunned.

Nix watched helplessly as the King Snake turned and ate Fat-Ferret whole. It then struck at Cat-Ferret but the striped creature managed to jump out of the way.

You have resisted stun.

Nix pulled his Scythe from his inventory and pushed his flames into it. magic

[Flight of the Gryphon]

The space between him and the snake instantly disappeared. Nix struck downward at the back of its head with the weapon. It sunk deep into the flesh with a loud hiss, a moment later the weapon was torn from his grasp. He raised his hands and 12 strands of Emerald Fire wrapped around the Snakes neck just below the head. They clung to each other, Nix gripped it with his legs while the Snake King coiled around him.

The two ferret-men continued to stab it, although they were small creatures, they struck gaping holes in the Snake-Kings flesh. Nix struggled to breathe, as the snake's body constricted around him. He pulled his strands with all his strength, they sunk into the flesh of the Snake King with the sound of sizzling bacon.

Finally, Nix let go of his strands.

[Balefire]

White flame burst through the back of the Snake King's head, once again the combatants were tossed clear, this time the creature fell to the floor. Its eyes quickly glazing over even before it finished twitching. The three remaining combatants lay on the cold stone floor, gasping for air.

After a moment, Nix jumped to his feet while drawing his hilt, he quickly pushed flames into the blade and stabbed deep into the snake's neck. Slowly he walked the sword toward the tail, slicing it open. He grimaced at the smell of blood and entrails as they spilled onto the floor. He stopped at a suspiciously large lump and let the sword flame out.

He stepped back to examine his handiwork, then moved forward and thrust both hands deep into the gash he had cut. The stench of snake entrails was nearly overwhelming, finally, he felt a small arm. With a surge of strength, he pulled it free from the Snake King's corpse. It splattered on the floor beside him while he rolled over and retched up his breakfast.

The lump he pulled from the snake slowly moved, it coughed a few times, the bloody arms and legs both moving frantically like it was trying to escape.

A few minutes later, Fat-Ferret was finally standing, although he leaned heavily on his two friends. Nix advanced forward with a smile on his bloody face. "You guys are pretty fierce."

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

Sharl slammed her shield into the chin of the Dread Guard, driving its head up long enough for Semmi to step in neatly and cut his throat.

Semmi has slain a Dread Guard.

/Inferno: Pon: Where the f*ck is that punk? Do I have to carry him through an entire stage now?

/Inferno: Jun Li: Good question. That's the exit, let's figure it out after.

The raid force of 19 had killed all four sub-bosses and the Dread Guard that ruled over them. Jun Li opened the exit door and stopped suddenly. Through the doorway was a solid stone wall.

/Inferno: Jun Li: Um... Perhaps we missed something.

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

Nix held out a hand to the three Ferret-Men. "From now on, you guys are my boon companions."

All three Ferret-Men grabbed his hand and squeezed it. "Of course I'm not sure what a boon companion is, but I really like the sound of it."

He opened the door and all four of them stepped through the doorway.

Colonial System Message: Congratulations to Inferno for being the first guild to clear Stage four on the fifth floor of Mermaid City.

Fat-ferret placed his hands on his belly. "Am I really fat?"

Cat-ferret shook his head. "Definitely not."

The other ferret considered it carefully for a moment. "I'm gonna say yes. You're a fatty."