Eternal Foe
Chapter 13
Mekasha slid up onto the sandy beach, fine sand parted beneath him as he undulated towards the high water line. The shoreline was marked by dozens of human soldiers with their swords at the ready. Mekasha knew instantly the muscle-bound warrior had come here.
He revelled in the shocked visages of the soldiers as he began to take his human guise. They were at a slight disadvantage, none of his men bore weapons but for Mekasha's own Crimson Singer. But it was only a slight disadvantage.
The men at Derren-Ma fell all too easily before the Snake warriors and these would be no different. They were not equipped to battle the unique abilities of the ancient soldiers.
"Halt!" A human stepped forward. "By command of Chancellor Theregin, you are ordered to give yourselves into our custody peacefully."
The human's insolence made Mekasha's scales bristle, "You are brave human to address a king so, yet amongst my people such nerve is punished in the most severe manner." True to his unflattering nickname Mekasha let out a sharp hiss, "For your presumptuous behaviour I will have your head."
"Sir, I know not who you are but there is only one King in Eternia, praise the name of Randor." The human again reiterated his demand.
Mekasha looked to either side at the few soldiers accompanying him. He looked back towards the human and raised an arm as if to salute but instead pointed at the line of human warriors. The Snake Men knew well the signal to attack and immediately sprang for their prey.
The Snake Men quickly reached the human soldiers and their attack was swift. Mekasha watched as Rattlor darted behind an unwary warrior and sunk his hand within the exposed throat of the Eternian, tearing away a sodden lump of flesh. Another - Lashor spat in the eyes of a soldier, causing the man to scream even before his skull was crushed.
The humans tried to rally but they were too lethargic for their reptilian foes. The human who had issued the decree ordered a retreat and the human soldiers quickly fell back. More fell, though as a couple of other warriors - Squeeze and Gorgonoss decimated the stragglers.
Their Eternian's reasons became apparent as Gorgonoss shrieked, his forehead pierced by an arrow. They had loosed a volley of arrows upon the Snake Men - pitiful. Mekasha cut an arc with the Singer and the arrows that still flew bounced uselessly upon an unseen barrier.
The humans, hopelessly in denial, continued the deadly rain, while Mekasha and his men moved unaffected up the embankment. When they reached the line of archers Mekasha dropped the barrier and his warriors again continued their assault.
Behind the archers stood more human soldiers, but this time instead of dozens, there were hundreds.
Even with their superior fighting abilities the Snake Men could not withstand such a force. Mekasha smiled grimly, this would be a perfect opportunity to demonstrate the power of the Singer.
"Snake Men, to me!" he bellowed.
The Snake Men retreated behind their leader, full aware of what he was thinking and that anything standing in his way would quickly be obliterated.
Mekasha cut at the air with the Singer, the humans barely had time to register his actions when the ground beneath their feet erupted. Bodies were flung carelessly in every direction. The archers regrouped and launched another volley of arrows towards the Snake Men. The Snake King barely moved but for the flurry of activity that was his sword arm. As they did before the arrows clattered uselessly to the ground. Another cut from the Singer sent a shockwave flying through the air directly towards the humans, who were sliced in half by the blast.
The surviving men looked in shock at the carnage and promptly fled. Rattlor and his men made as though to chase after them, but were restrained by their king.
"Let them go. It will not do to tire ourselves pursuing them and possibly run right into another ambush." Mekasha looked the city's structures. "Crude. One would have thought that this society would have advanced in our absence."
Rattlor interrupted, "Your Majesty.?"
Mekasha turned to his right-hand man, "Search the buildings, seek out any in hiding and take them captive, especially the women we will need them for the nest."
"At once Sire!"
Looking around at the unfamiliar structures Mekasha wondered what had happened after their imprisonment. Derren-Ma had been reduced to a sickly island, okay that was probably his doing and architecture had regressed near to the point of being primitive. 'It matters not,' he thought to his- self, 'that just makes it easier to conquer'.
He plunged the Crimson Singer into the hard packed dirt and watched as the blood of the fallen trickled towards the like-coloured blade. As the blood touched the blade it appeared to seep into the blade; it was a ritual Mekasha always liked to watch - the Feeding.
The Feeding went on for some time and Mekasha fell asleep as it went on. A light tap on the shoulder brought him awake and he opened his eyes to see Rattlor on a single, bent knee.
"Sir, the city has been emptied, the populace has fled."
That fouled Mekasha's mood slightly, they could not gather mates if the Son of the Council was warning every town and city of their coming. "Call the others, we leave now!" he ordered, drawing his sword from the ground. Within minutes the surviving Snake Men, whose numbers were dwindling every day since their release, had gathered around their king.
"Listen carefully, the humans may have fled but they can not be more than two days ahead of us. We will make haste and hunt them down as they flee, they will not again defy the will of Serpentius. Now Snake Men, we travel westward."
Man-at-Arms and Meckaneck and surveyed the scene from their Wind Raider. "What do you see Mecka?" asked the King's closest friend.
"It looks as though the entire city of Gephantide is on the road." the cybernetically enhanced warrior replied.
"Can you spot anywhere to land?" Man-at-Arms asked.
"We can turn back and land on the path ahead of Theregin, that's looks to be about the smoothest patch around for miles."
"All Raiders, follow me." Man-at-Arms ordered over the radio. Dust flew everywhere as six Wind Raiders touched down on the road some way ahead of the retreating townspeople.
It was about half an hour later when the first of the refugees came to where Man-at-Arms, Meckaneck and the Wind Raider pilots waited. Chancellor Theregin rode at the head of the massive train.
"Chancellor, you are well I hope?" Duncan asked as he bowed to the Gephantese ruler.
Theregin shook his head wearily, "For the moment, though I do hope He-Man's urgency was justified."
"I don't think you should worry in that regard sir, it's always been my estimation that He-Man knows exactly what he's doing in these situations." Duncan looked westward. "At any rate, we will know within a few hours; Stratos went to Gephantide City to investigate."
"Then shall I order a brief respite, the townsfolk are very tired?"
"I would advise against it Your Honour, from He-Man's account these Snake Men can move at speeds greater than ours, depending on how successful your men were in delaying them they may already be on the move." Duncan cautioned.
Theregin sighed, "We are about to fall from our feet as of now, little good would it do us to keep moving at a ponderous pace."
"Lord Enthas is sending horses and wagons from Anchval to taxi your people to Biughaer. Until they arrive my men and I will slow any pursuit from our Wind Raiders." Duncan looked at Theregin sympathetically, "Chancellor, this is difficult but we must keep our faith in He-Man, he has not failed us yet."
Looking towards the long, snaking line of Gephantese refugees Duncan said, "At any rate Chancellor you had best be moving before or this line will come to a halt. I and my pilots will wait here for Stratos and news of the Snake Men."
Theregin nodded his sad assent and spurred his mount forward. Duncan looked for where the line of refugees ended, but in a line of thousands that would be for hours yet. 'Keep our faith in He-Man' he had advised Theregin, yet he could not help but have doubts of his own regarding Eternia's champion.
When He-Man sent a courier from Biughaer to Eternos asking for help he mentioned that he had safely hidden Prince Adam from harm. What occurred as strange to Duncan is exactly what harm could Adam face from an enemy that did not even know of him? If these Snake Men were more than a thousand years gone as He-Man claimed then what did they know of the Royal Family and its members?
There was a strange, common bond between the Prince and Eternia's Champion. Duncan recalled how devastated both had been over the death of the hermit- woman Kisana, the normally extroverted Adam was completely reticent when asked about the events leading up to the Battle of Ilandra. Nor could He- Man be quizzed on his involvement, he had disappeared from view until now. Though there was nothing strange in that as Skeletor had apparently gone to ground, nothing had been seen of him since.
So what was it that bound He-Man and Adam together? They had little in common, the Gods only knew they spent little time together, in fact, Duncan could not recall a time when they had ever been seen in the same room. Never seen together.yet, they always seemed to be able to account for the other. Frustrated, Duncan tried thinking about something else; he absolutely hated problems with no conceivable solution.
Blood and viscera painted an abstract, crimson picture along the city streets. The fetid stench of human offal polluted the air, making it near unbreathable. With a cloth held firmly over his mouth he carefully picked his way through the mutilated bodies, trying his hardest from making the smallest contact with their gutted carcasses.
Stratos had seen many battlefields, many dead men, woman and even children, yet he still felt them sacred in some way, as though disturbing their remains somehow violated their sanctity.
He approached the shoreline where most of the slaughter appeared to have taken place. It was here he first sighted a Snake Men corpse, one to the hundreds of men he had seen slain. What manner of creature were they to ignore such odds?
There were five sets of bloodied tracks pointing eastward; it appeared the Snake Men had already moved on from the city. Stratos leapt into the air, propelling himself into the morning sky. He flew above the Great Eternian Highway watching for signs of the mythological warriors.
He came across them some two hours later, five of them as their tracks indicated. Heeding Man-at-Arms suggestion to avoid them Stratos flew on. There was not much time.
"I can see him." Meckaneck announced.
Duncan breathes a sigh of relief, "Good, I was beginning to worry."
It was late afternoon, Stratos had been out scouting since early morning, that was very unnerving when considering He-Man's urgent cautions.
The Avionian touched down and Man-at-Arms walked up to him. "There are only about five left, some had died on the road." Stratos said before Duncan could even ask.
"What of the soldiers in Gephantide?" Duncan wanted to know.
Before responding Stratos shook his head, "Dead, all of them."
Duncan said a silent prayer. "Dear Gods, what has been unleashed on us?" He turned to Meckaneck. "Can you inform the pilots of Gephantide, I want them to understand the seriousness of what we're doing."
"Stratos, how long do you estimate before they reach us?"
The winged-warrior thought it over, "Well, they probably travel on foot as fast as men on horseback, so I'd say they're at least a half-day behind us.
"Then we rest what we can until they arrive, I get the feeling we're going to need as much as possible."
Chapter 13
Mekasha slid up onto the sandy beach, fine sand parted beneath him as he undulated towards the high water line. The shoreline was marked by dozens of human soldiers with their swords at the ready. Mekasha knew instantly the muscle-bound warrior had come here.
He revelled in the shocked visages of the soldiers as he began to take his human guise. They were at a slight disadvantage, none of his men bore weapons but for Mekasha's own Crimson Singer. But it was only a slight disadvantage.
The men at Derren-Ma fell all too easily before the Snake warriors and these would be no different. They were not equipped to battle the unique abilities of the ancient soldiers.
"Halt!" A human stepped forward. "By command of Chancellor Theregin, you are ordered to give yourselves into our custody peacefully."
The human's insolence made Mekasha's scales bristle, "You are brave human to address a king so, yet amongst my people such nerve is punished in the most severe manner." True to his unflattering nickname Mekasha let out a sharp hiss, "For your presumptuous behaviour I will have your head."
"Sir, I know not who you are but there is only one King in Eternia, praise the name of Randor." The human again reiterated his demand.
Mekasha looked to either side at the few soldiers accompanying him. He looked back towards the human and raised an arm as if to salute but instead pointed at the line of human warriors. The Snake Men knew well the signal to attack and immediately sprang for their prey.
The Snake Men quickly reached the human soldiers and their attack was swift. Mekasha watched as Rattlor darted behind an unwary warrior and sunk his hand within the exposed throat of the Eternian, tearing away a sodden lump of flesh. Another - Lashor spat in the eyes of a soldier, causing the man to scream even before his skull was crushed.
The humans tried to rally but they were too lethargic for their reptilian foes. The human who had issued the decree ordered a retreat and the human soldiers quickly fell back. More fell, though as a couple of other warriors - Squeeze and Gorgonoss decimated the stragglers.
Their Eternian's reasons became apparent as Gorgonoss shrieked, his forehead pierced by an arrow. They had loosed a volley of arrows upon the Snake Men - pitiful. Mekasha cut an arc with the Singer and the arrows that still flew bounced uselessly upon an unseen barrier.
The humans, hopelessly in denial, continued the deadly rain, while Mekasha and his men moved unaffected up the embankment. When they reached the line of archers Mekasha dropped the barrier and his warriors again continued their assault.
Behind the archers stood more human soldiers, but this time instead of dozens, there were hundreds.
Even with their superior fighting abilities the Snake Men could not withstand such a force. Mekasha smiled grimly, this would be a perfect opportunity to demonstrate the power of the Singer.
"Snake Men, to me!" he bellowed.
The Snake Men retreated behind their leader, full aware of what he was thinking and that anything standing in his way would quickly be obliterated.
Mekasha cut at the air with the Singer, the humans barely had time to register his actions when the ground beneath their feet erupted. Bodies were flung carelessly in every direction. The archers regrouped and launched another volley of arrows towards the Snake Men. The Snake King barely moved but for the flurry of activity that was his sword arm. As they did before the arrows clattered uselessly to the ground. Another cut from the Singer sent a shockwave flying through the air directly towards the humans, who were sliced in half by the blast.
The surviving men looked in shock at the carnage and promptly fled. Rattlor and his men made as though to chase after them, but were restrained by their king.
"Let them go. It will not do to tire ourselves pursuing them and possibly run right into another ambush." Mekasha looked the city's structures. "Crude. One would have thought that this society would have advanced in our absence."
Rattlor interrupted, "Your Majesty.?"
Mekasha turned to his right-hand man, "Search the buildings, seek out any in hiding and take them captive, especially the women we will need them for the nest."
"At once Sire!"
Looking around at the unfamiliar structures Mekasha wondered what had happened after their imprisonment. Derren-Ma had been reduced to a sickly island, okay that was probably his doing and architecture had regressed near to the point of being primitive. 'It matters not,' he thought to his- self, 'that just makes it easier to conquer'.
He plunged the Crimson Singer into the hard packed dirt and watched as the blood of the fallen trickled towards the like-coloured blade. As the blood touched the blade it appeared to seep into the blade; it was a ritual Mekasha always liked to watch - the Feeding.
The Feeding went on for some time and Mekasha fell asleep as it went on. A light tap on the shoulder brought him awake and he opened his eyes to see Rattlor on a single, bent knee.
"Sir, the city has been emptied, the populace has fled."
That fouled Mekasha's mood slightly, they could not gather mates if the Son of the Council was warning every town and city of their coming. "Call the others, we leave now!" he ordered, drawing his sword from the ground. Within minutes the surviving Snake Men, whose numbers were dwindling every day since their release, had gathered around their king.
"Listen carefully, the humans may have fled but they can not be more than two days ahead of us. We will make haste and hunt them down as they flee, they will not again defy the will of Serpentius. Now Snake Men, we travel westward."
Man-at-Arms and Meckaneck and surveyed the scene from their Wind Raider. "What do you see Mecka?" asked the King's closest friend.
"It looks as though the entire city of Gephantide is on the road." the cybernetically enhanced warrior replied.
"Can you spot anywhere to land?" Man-at-Arms asked.
"We can turn back and land on the path ahead of Theregin, that's looks to be about the smoothest patch around for miles."
"All Raiders, follow me." Man-at-Arms ordered over the radio. Dust flew everywhere as six Wind Raiders touched down on the road some way ahead of the retreating townspeople.
It was about half an hour later when the first of the refugees came to where Man-at-Arms, Meckaneck and the Wind Raider pilots waited. Chancellor Theregin rode at the head of the massive train.
"Chancellor, you are well I hope?" Duncan asked as he bowed to the Gephantese ruler.
Theregin shook his head wearily, "For the moment, though I do hope He-Man's urgency was justified."
"I don't think you should worry in that regard sir, it's always been my estimation that He-Man knows exactly what he's doing in these situations." Duncan looked westward. "At any rate, we will know within a few hours; Stratos went to Gephantide City to investigate."
"Then shall I order a brief respite, the townsfolk are very tired?"
"I would advise against it Your Honour, from He-Man's account these Snake Men can move at speeds greater than ours, depending on how successful your men were in delaying them they may already be on the move." Duncan cautioned.
Theregin sighed, "We are about to fall from our feet as of now, little good would it do us to keep moving at a ponderous pace."
"Lord Enthas is sending horses and wagons from Anchval to taxi your people to Biughaer. Until they arrive my men and I will slow any pursuit from our Wind Raiders." Duncan looked at Theregin sympathetically, "Chancellor, this is difficult but we must keep our faith in He-Man, he has not failed us yet."
Looking towards the long, snaking line of Gephantese refugees Duncan said, "At any rate Chancellor you had best be moving before or this line will come to a halt. I and my pilots will wait here for Stratos and news of the Snake Men."
Theregin nodded his sad assent and spurred his mount forward. Duncan looked for where the line of refugees ended, but in a line of thousands that would be for hours yet. 'Keep our faith in He-Man' he had advised Theregin, yet he could not help but have doubts of his own regarding Eternia's champion.
When He-Man sent a courier from Biughaer to Eternos asking for help he mentioned that he had safely hidden Prince Adam from harm. What occurred as strange to Duncan is exactly what harm could Adam face from an enemy that did not even know of him? If these Snake Men were more than a thousand years gone as He-Man claimed then what did they know of the Royal Family and its members?
There was a strange, common bond between the Prince and Eternia's Champion. Duncan recalled how devastated both had been over the death of the hermit- woman Kisana, the normally extroverted Adam was completely reticent when asked about the events leading up to the Battle of Ilandra. Nor could He- Man be quizzed on his involvement, he had disappeared from view until now. Though there was nothing strange in that as Skeletor had apparently gone to ground, nothing had been seen of him since.
So what was it that bound He-Man and Adam together? They had little in common, the Gods only knew they spent little time together, in fact, Duncan could not recall a time when they had ever been seen in the same room. Never seen together.yet, they always seemed to be able to account for the other. Frustrated, Duncan tried thinking about something else; he absolutely hated problems with no conceivable solution.
Blood and viscera painted an abstract, crimson picture along the city streets. The fetid stench of human offal polluted the air, making it near unbreathable. With a cloth held firmly over his mouth he carefully picked his way through the mutilated bodies, trying his hardest from making the smallest contact with their gutted carcasses.
Stratos had seen many battlefields, many dead men, woman and even children, yet he still felt them sacred in some way, as though disturbing their remains somehow violated their sanctity.
He approached the shoreline where most of the slaughter appeared to have taken place. It was here he first sighted a Snake Men corpse, one to the hundreds of men he had seen slain. What manner of creature were they to ignore such odds?
There were five sets of bloodied tracks pointing eastward; it appeared the Snake Men had already moved on from the city. Stratos leapt into the air, propelling himself into the morning sky. He flew above the Great Eternian Highway watching for signs of the mythological warriors.
He came across them some two hours later, five of them as their tracks indicated. Heeding Man-at-Arms suggestion to avoid them Stratos flew on. There was not much time.
"I can see him." Meckaneck announced.
Duncan breathes a sigh of relief, "Good, I was beginning to worry."
It was late afternoon, Stratos had been out scouting since early morning, that was very unnerving when considering He-Man's urgent cautions.
The Avionian touched down and Man-at-Arms walked up to him. "There are only about five left, some had died on the road." Stratos said before Duncan could even ask.
"What of the soldiers in Gephantide?" Duncan wanted to know.
Before responding Stratos shook his head, "Dead, all of them."
Duncan said a silent prayer. "Dear Gods, what has been unleashed on us?" He turned to Meckaneck. "Can you inform the pilots of Gephantide, I want them to understand the seriousness of what we're doing."
"Stratos, how long do you estimate before they reach us?"
The winged-warrior thought it over, "Well, they probably travel on foot as fast as men on horseback, so I'd say they're at least a half-day behind us.
"Then we rest what we can until they arrive, I get the feeling we're going to need as much as possible."