Chapter 2
"What do you mean 'You were out numbered'?" asked Emperor Hiss.
"Massster." Replied Snake Face, the leader of the scouting party Hiss had sent out to find a band of humans who had attacked several Snakemen. "We could not predict that the humans had fed our spy false information which led usss in to Beastmen territory."
"And where isss thisss spy?" asked Hiss as he began to pace the length of his throne room never taking his eyes off Snake Face, or what remained of his men. "I hope you have taken hisss skin for betraying usss."
Snake Face's head shot up instantly and even through his stone mask Hiss could tell that Snake Face had been caught by surprise.
"N-n-no Massster." Snake Face stuttered. "We did not skin the spy. I thought that he may still be usssful."
Hiss spun around to face Snake Face whose head snapped downwards quickly so that he would not have to look his master in the eye.
"Snake Face." Hiss said softly. "When I usssed my magic to encase you in that stone armour, it wasss for your own good asss your powersss can not be controlled. Now it seem I may have made your armour a little too tight."
Snake Face's head slowly raised his head again to face Hiss.
"I do not understand." Said Snake Face.
"I mean that weather our spy willingly gave usss false information or not, he hasss be uncovered and the humans are using that fact to trick usss at every opportunity. Ssso we must eliminate him so that the humans can not trick usss again." Explained Hiss. "Now do you understand me?"
"Yesss Massster." Replied Snake Face.
"Good." Said Hiss placing his hand on Snake Face's shoulder. "Now take your men to the healer and get them patched up. Then go and capture this spy."
Snake Face nodded and turned to his men and was about to order them to the healer's tent when the doors of the throne room burst open. Viper with Spittor strode in carrying a bloodstained bag in Viper's hand.
"What isss the meaning of this interruption?" snapped Hiss. "You best have a good reason to barge in here like this!"
Viper stood still and ignored Hiss's outburst.
"Show him." Said Viper turning to Spittor.
Spittor then turned to Hiss and threw the blood soaked bag to Hiss. The bag landed at Hiss's feet with a disgusting squelching sound. Slowly Hiss bent down never taking his eyes off Viper or Spittor. Snake Face and his men were still in the room watching this confusing display. Hiss slowly opened the bag and peered inside to see the snakeskin's that Hiss recognised as that of the Snakemen that went with Viper. Hiss's head snapped up he realised what must have happened.
"Seize them!" ordered Hiss.
Instantly Snake Face and his men moved at Hiss's command. Spittor leapt from beside Viper the crest on Spittor's neck flared to life with a rattling sound, Spittor then spat a large ball of boiling hot acid at one of the oncoming Snakemen. The Snakeman screamed in terror and agony, as the acid ball struck his chest and began to dissolve his body.
The two Snakemen that stood behind Viper and Spittor began their attack. The instant they began to move two snakes made of pure energy leapt from Viper's body and wrapped themselves around the throats of the two Snakemen. The two Snakemen tore at the energy snakes with their claws. The snakes dragged the Snakemen to the ground, across the floor and up the wall and held them there until they stopped struggling. Once the Snakemen had died the energy snakes disappeared dropping the dead bodies to the floor.
Hiss face remained emotionless as he watched Viper and Spittor massacre his men.
"Stop them!!" Hiss snarled at Snake Face.
"With pleasure." Said Snake Face his muffled voice barely audible over the screams of dying Snakemen. Viper hadn't moved a muscle since the attack started. His eyes never left Hiss's even when Snake Face stepped in to his line of sight. The deadly snakes contained inside of Snake Face's stone armour and made up his body began to slither their way out of the eye and mouth holes in Snake Face's mask ready to use their deadly powers to turn Viper in to stone. Viper just raised his hand and Snake Face let out a muffled scream. Hiss glanced Snake Face's way to see that the snake had been severed and had fallen to the floor, as Snake Face turned Hiss saw that his stone mask was now completely smoothed over blocking off any hole that the snakes could get out of and trapped them inside.
"That isss enough!!" snarled Hiss raising his hand and a bolt of blue crackling energy shot towards Viper.
Viper raised his hand again as the bolt of energy hissed and crackled all around him and Spittor, then it faded out to nothing. Instantly Spittor leaped forward and the crest on his neck flared once more with its rattling sound as he spat another ball of acid at Hiss.
"No!" said Viper raising his hand. The ball of acid disappeared just inches from Hiss's face. "I need him alive. For now."
Suddenly the bag in Hiss's hand began to move and the snakeskins of Viper's former men wrapped themselves around Hiss's arms and legs forcing Hiss to his knees.
"Tell everyone one to be in the courtyard within the hour." Viper said to Spittor.
"Yesss Master." Said Spittor then he left the throne room.
Viper slowly stepped over the dead bodies of the Snakemen and avoided the burning pools of acid from Spittor's attack. As he knelt down by the helpless Hiss Viper smiled. Hiss glared in to Viper's glowing crimson eyes and screamed as he saw what was behind Viper's eyes.
The courtyard was full of Snakemen waiting and wondering as to why Viper had called them there and not Emperor Hiss. The large pool in the centre of the courtyard erupted in to a huge tower of flames and within the smoke an image of Viper began to form.
"My fellow Snakemen I stand before you as the new ruler of Eternia." The courtyard fell silent at Viper's statement. "For years Emperor Hiss has promised the end of all human life on Eternia. But what has he done?"
Viper remained silent for a second before continuing.
"NOTHING!!! Emperor Hiss has sat back and watched asss the human crawled their way from the trees where they were spawned to take over some of the most important areas on the planet. Thisss Castle Grayskull by rights should have been oursss. It would have given usss the power to wipe out not only the humans but also the Beastmen, the Mermen and the other warm-blooded creatures that may one day attempt to rise and threaten usss."
The courtyard continued to remain silent for a moment then a small whisper began to run through the Snakemen gathered there.
"Viper isss right!" Shouted one Snakeman. "Hiss has failed usss."
"Hiss has led usss to victory countless times." Shouted another.
"Viper has never proven himself to be a leader." Shouted a third Snakeman.
"Hiss is weak." Another Snakeman shouted.
Soon the words turned in to violence as Snakemen loyal to Emperor Hiss attacked those who had spoke up for Viper to be leader of the Snakemen.
Viper watched the chaos in the courtyard from one of the huge windows in the throne room. The lifeform inside Viper's body began to feed off the violence slowly growing stronger.
"See how easy it isss to provoke violence in the weak-minded." Viper said to Hiss. "You see I can give your people a purpose. I will lead them in to the greatest battle the Snakemen have ever seen. Of cause they will die. But they will die with the knowledge that their blood has paved the way for my revenge."
Turning back to the window Viper glanced down at the fighting Snakemen Viper said.
"I think that there has been enough bloodshed for the moment." Viper then waved his hand and all the Snakemen froze where they stood.
"I see that I have to prove my leadership." Said Viper to the courtyard. The image in the smoke changed from Viper to that of Hiss bound with the skins of dead Snakemen.
Viper turned to Hiss. Hiss let out a horrifying scream as Viper raised one hand and flames of energy engulfed Hiss's body. Hiss's human skin began to melt away to reveal the deadly snakes that made up Hiss's true form.
"Hiss can not match my power." Said Viper triumphantly. "Anyone who does not wish to follow my leadership shall be executed. Those who follow me shall gain riches and power beyond all imagination."
Viper watched as one by one the Snakemen who had supported Hiss laid down their weapons and backed away. However some decided to ignore Viper's threat and either made a run from the courtyard or attacked the other Snakemen while their weapons were lowered. Instantly Viper struck them down with flaming balls of energy shot from the palm of his hand.
The remaining Snakemen watched in silence the smoking remains of the Snakemen. Suddenly a chant of Viper's name began to ring through the courtyard.
The flames in the pool died down and it slowly turned back to normal. In a flash of light Hiss appeared in the middle of the pool, his human skin restored to his body. Hiss was tied to a large wooden cross with Snakeskins.
Viper then appeared at the main door of the courtyard. The Snakemen slowly parted and lowered their heads as Viper with Spittor at his side walked over to Hiss.
"Now that your men have seen the power I control. I have a small assignment for you to fulfil." Said Viper taking hold of Hiss's head and snapped it back forcing Hiss to look in to Viper's glowing eyes. "I want you to go to the city of Eternos and tell the pathetic humans that their lives are now over. Tell them that the Snakemen are coming to pry the secrets of Grayskull from their dead fingers."
Viper then turned to the Snakemen.
"Prove your loyalty to me. For I am now Viper king of the Snakemen. " Called out Viper. "Drag this disgrace to the Snakemen out of Snake Mountain."
Viper then left the courtyard. Instantly the Snakemen led by Spittor rushed the helpless Hiss and dragged him struggling out of the pool and to the main gates. Once at the main gates they pushed Hiss to the ground. Hiss struggled to his knees and turned to Spittor.
"I shall get my revenge for thisss." Snarled Hiss. "You fools you are under the control of Viper. He will lead you in to destruction."
A ball of acid suddenly struck the ground at Hiss's feet.
"You are pathetic." Said Spittor. "I can't believe we have followed someone asss weak asss you for so long. Go give the humans King Viper's message."
Realising that arguing with Spittor was pointless Hiss turned and began to make his way down Snake Mountain. As Hiss got farther and farther away Hiss could hear a chant for King Viper echo through the air.
To be continued.