CHAPTER TEN

"He-Man versus Evil Lynn"

Great lava pools flowed across the dark and battered ground. Ever-loomed clouds waved over the land. A strange howl seemed ever present. But He-Man continued on forward, his ride on Battle Cat unceasing.

"There it is, Battle Cat," He-Man said, stopping finally.

Before them was none other than Snake Mountain itself. For some odd reason, it seemed higher and more fortified than it had ever been. Even still, He-Man felt a strange and eerie darkness and hatred towards the fortress of evil. The clouds high above it seemed thicker even.

"I don't like this, He-Man," said Battle Cat.

"It's alright. Don't worry."

Suddenly, there was a crack of lighting. Dropping down from the mouth of the great serpent that strangled the mountain came five figures - armed to the teeth and more than ready for a fight.

Tri-Klops. "Come on, He-Man. Make a move."

Clawful. "We're ready to cut you down to size!"

Mer-Man. "Make you fish food!"

Whip-Lash. "Let's just rush him and get it over with."

Trap Jaw. "We've been itching for a fight for five years, ya yutz. Let's get this show on the road!"

He-Man raised his hand, but kept his other one on the hilt of his sword. "I'm not here for a battle. I'm here to talk to the master of Snake Mountain."

"Ha!" laughed Tri-Klops. "No deal, He-Man."

"Yeah, he's right," agreed Mer-Man.

"After five years, you just show up and demand to talk to Evil Lynn. Ha! Like that's going to happen!" Trap Jaw exclaimed.

"Gentlemen," said Evil Lynn from above. "He-Man has come here not wanting anything but to talk. I suggest we give Adam that opportunity."

He-Man shuddered when she called him that. He suddenly remembered another reason why he kept the truth hidden for so long.

Evil Lynn made her way down to him.

"It's He-Man in this form, Evil Lynn. I've come to talk to you and no one else. Call off your goons."

"Call off yours," she said, pointing to a ridge about a mile away.

He pressed a button on his communicator. "Ram Man, you and Stratos fall back. I'm not going to be needing you."

"But He-Man - "

"Please. Trust me."

"Yes sir."

He-Man waved his arms as a gesture of acceptance. Evil Lynn snapped her fingers and the five warriors reluctantly made their way back into Snake Mountain.

"So," she began, pulling her cape over her. He-Man leapt off Battle Cat and followed her.

"So."

"If this is no formal declaration of war, then what have you come for?" she asked.

"A formal declaration of peace," he offered.

"Well, this sounds interesting."

"It should. We have you outnumbered, Evil Lynn. And it's obvious to me that everybody's been in that mountain of yours for quite some time, ready and rearin' to go."

"He-Man, Skeletor abandoned us. All because of you, you know. Simply because you were leaving, he left us too. For months, we had nothing else to do but argue. Did you know that for a time, flowers actually grew here?"

He-Man scanned the area. There was nothing here. It was quite a surprising thing to here. "I see. Without Skeletor's evil to . . ."

"No," she interrupted. "Without Skeletor's leadership, the power of Snake Mountain began to dwindle. We went to King Hiss to help us. With King Hiss and his allies, we planned an assault on Eternos, Grayskull and the Great Towers."

"But Hordak beat you to it."

"Exactly," she scoffed. "So, we signed a peace treaty with Hordak. We both knew, however, that war would erupt between the two of us eventually, but it was something neither were looking to do any time soon."

"What happened to King Hiss?"

"He and his 'royal Snake Men' found a sealed cavern beneath Snake Mountain. He had been curious about it for years. It seemed it was older than the mountain itself."

"Really?" He-Man asked.

"Yes. He and his men disappeared in the cavern after the treaty was signed. We've heard scant reports since."

"I was curious about all of this," He-Man confessed.

"Yes, well, you won't get your opportunity."

"Evil Lynn," He-Man started, "tell me something, won't you? You've followed Skeletor for years, haven't you?"

"Yes, of course."

"But not necessarily blindly, haven't you? You've had your reservations."

Evil Lynn paused. "Just what are you getting at?"

"Skeletor was always after me. After Eternos. After Grayskull. He was obsessed. Look, he even gave up his army to chase after me! And you know what happened? He ended up in exile. Skeletor took the path of war and destruction to accomplish his goals. He was single-minded," He-Man attempted. "It was faulty, this way of war. But now that Skeletor is gone, you have a choice. You either follow in your FORMER masters footsteps. Or you could make your own."

Evil Lynn looked at him, deep in thought. For a moment, he felt a strange connection being made. She spun around and walked along a river of lava.

"I'm . . . not sure."

He-Man watched her as she mulled over what he had said. For some reason, though, He-Man felt an urge to find out what King Hiss was after. Caverns beneath Snake Mountain - some that might even be older than the mountain itself - seemed to be a potential threat. Plus, He-Man also knew of King Hiss' reputation for using old powers for new reasons.

"I'll make you a deal then," He-Man said. "If you allow me and four or five others into those caverns, we will send no one here to attack you. Anything I see in Snake Mountain - as long as it involves no death or destruction, mind you - will ignored. In fact, you can blind-fold us as soon as we enter. All you have to do is make sure we get down to that cavern and promise not to attack Eternos, the Towers, or Castle Grayskull."

She looked him over, then out-stretched her hand. He took it.

"Agreed."

"Excellent. Then I'll see you in five days."

"We will be ready."

He-Man seated himself back onto Battle Cat. "I have your word, Evil Lynn?"

"Of course, He-Man, of course."

"Good."

He-Man rode off towards the horizon. Evil Lynn watched in fascination. As she did, Karg appeared by her side.

"Mistress Evil Lynn, I couldn't help but overhear - "

"The word is eavesdropping, Karg."

"Whatever the case may be, we aren't really going to let him into the caverns, are we?"

"Of course we will," Evil Lynn answered. "I don't trust King Hiss no more than Skeletor ever did. In fact, I'm thinking I trust him LESS than Skeletor did. If I can get He-Man to take care of King Hiss for us, then that's one less enemy waiting for us."

"Ahhh, so smart you are."

"Karg, for saying that, I will be granting you the first volley of attacks when we make our move."

"And just when will that be, my mistress?"

Evil Lynn paused and looked to a blackened and dead oak tree not far from her. "In the spring, of course. This development changes nothing."

"But about this temporary truce . . ."

She looked to her advisor and the Goblin army commander-in-chief. "He-Man and I both know that it is only temporary. Skeletor may have had it wrong, but not the way He-Man sees it. We will strike when peace is almost near. The most fitting victory of all."