Eternal Foe
Chapter 14
Before him a set of double doors stood. He could feel the thrumming emanating from behind the door so resonant his teeth chattered. Skeletor had found the doors after a day or two of crossing the cavern - a single cavern! And for every few paces there were more of the amazing dragons.
At first he had tip-toed his way through the inert, yet visibly breathing creatures for fear of incurring their wrath. Yet it soon became apparent that Skeletor's presence was of such insignificance to the dragons that he had kicked a few to see if they were truly alive.
In hindsight, that was probably not very wise, but Skeletor hated being ignored. They did not react though; it could only mean they slept by way of some kind of spell, the thrumming perhaps?
The double doors were ornately decorated. Engraved flames travelled around the outer edges, framing a pair of yellow eyes, adorned by black slits. Ancient Eternian was inscribed below the eyes. Skeletor traced the intricate lettering with a finger, as though it would decipher beneath his touch.
In truth he could read the language, just not very efficiently. The only texts he had seen written in the tongue belonged to Hordak, whose possessive nature meant he did not share his things for long. Not that Hordak had any interest them; he had long ago divested the books of their secrets. It was inevitable when you lived more than a thousand years.
Silently, Skeletor formed the strange words in his head - two words to be precise, 'Star' and 'Dragon'; Dragon Star. Of course, this had to be the home of the Il Grando Star, the home of Eldor.
The wisest of the wise had been the label tagged to Eldor, the ex-officio leader of the Light half of the Eternian Council where no first was supposed to exist. His totem had been the Dragon, for it symbolised learned wisdom of the ages. Much like Hordak's totem was the bat, the symbol of his dominion over the nocturnal.
As with all the councillors from then, Eldor had possessed a weapon of power, an orb known simply as the Eye of Il Grando, the gift the God Il Grando left his people for their protection. Much like Hordak, who once possessed the Horde-Grace, shield forged in the image of a bat. Though Hordak was fool enough to lose the Horde-Grace during the Unbalancing, who knew where it was today?
Skeletor summoned together a sensor spell; doubtless the home of a powerful wizard such as Eldor meant traps for the unwary. He let the spell inhabit every crevice of the doors, running through the grooves of the flames, squeezing into fine cracks.
Small dips in the pattern indicated the lock's catches. He rapped the doors in those spots, a barely audible click telling him he hit the sweet spot each time. He tapped the doors a fifth time and they opened, swinging inward.
A long dark cave, lower and narrower than the chamber he stood in, started beyond the double doors. From somewhere far back a light emanated bathing the passage's walls in a dull, red glow. A humid, oppressive warmth greeted him, putting him in mind of the fiery cavern he had envisioned. Surely he was close now?
Skeletor hoped the cave did not run too far, he was tired of walking each step he took lately seemed to last minutes. He had given up even trying to deduce how long it had been since he had fled Eternia. Time seemed trivial when you could only live by the moment.
He urged himself on aware he was trying to delay what seemed an inevitably tedious hike. An hour, or maybe more, passed before he stopped before the mouth of another mammoth chamber. But this time there were no dragons, there was very little open ground for that.
Lakes of hissing and bubbling lava ran past a series of platforms and stalagmites. Impossibly low stalactites hung from an imperceptible ceiling. In the midst of it all one platform stood out from the others, for it held upon its surface a pedestal shaped like a claw and within that claw's grasp a jewel glinted.
As in his dream a single walkway stretched across the lava ending at the platform. Skeletor moved to take a step forward before stopping himself - so far it had been all too easy. He intuitively sent forth a sensory spell, winding it around the precarious catwalk looking for flaws, weaknesses or sleeper spells put in place for unwary travellers.
He recognised triggers that would collapse the walkway when stepped upon. Crude. Skeletor started to move out across the lakes, careful to set his feet down upon the safe areas. He had made it halfway across when a whooshing sound caught his attention. He turned to see spurts of lava disintegrating the bridge bit by bit. Ack, he had forgotten to check the rest of the environs for traps!
Skeletor abandoned gentle caution for a desperate run, still painfully aware of the many triggers embedded within the rock he could only hope he did not overstep a mark. The lava geysers quickened in their intensity, Skeletor swore he could feel his heels being singed. The platform neared and Skeletor still ran hard, throwing himself clear of the walkway as the spurts consumed the last vestige of the rocky bridge.
Skeletor stood and turned around only to almost inadvertently leap into the lava out of shock. An elderly man stood before him. There was no stoop to the man's shoulders, nor any signs of aged infirmity. He stood shorter than Skeletor but there was an aura about him that was no less dangerous.
The old man spoke, "Greetings friend. I am Eldor, the Star of Il Grando and king of the Ilcenekin."
"And I am Skeletor, Overlord of."
"Though I am no longer of this world, I leave behind this message..." Skeletor fumed as he realised he was about to introduce him self to an illusion. "What you see before you is the cold forge, where the Eye of Il Grando, Il Grando's gift to his earthbound children, lays.
Skeletor gasped as the realisation of what Eldor had said - the Eye of Il Grando? He began to quiver, such power! What could he achieve with the power of an ancient?
".I could not take this into the beyond with me, for it was a gift to the people and not any one being. I do this with a prayer that it will fall into just hands, a person with an eye to the wellbeing of our world." The old carp did whine on, Skeletor felt he was gaining an insight into why Hordak wanted to kill him.
".So go forth brave soul and call upon the power of the Dragonstar so that you can do deeds of good.and fare thee well."
The illusion disappeared leaving Skeletor alone once more. So that was it? A lecture from a mirage and the Orb was his? Skeletor wished that Eldor had remains he could resurrect so that he could laugh at the stupid old goat.
He approached the pedestal and lifted the Eye from its resting place. He could feel the jewel throb in his palm, a warmth emanated from its centre and sense of power waiting to be unleashed buzzed within the stone. Ancient Eternian had been emblazoned across its surface; 'Pro Draconus Decorum'.
He lifted the jewel above his head and chanted, "For the Dragon's honour!"
Everything seemed to erupt in a bonfire. Flames licked and scoured his body, worming and wending their way inside his very soul before exploding outwards in every direction. The flames subsisted and Skeletor gazed upon his own reflection gazing out from the Eye's surface. He now wore full red- tinged armour; the breastplate was gold-embossed with the face of a dragon, a visor-less helmet sat upon his skull which was mounted by a carving of yet another dragon. Black wings protruded to either side from his back, his legs were now encased in gold mail down to the red-tinged plating on his greaves. Skeletor felt stronger than he could ever recall.
He brought the Eye back to eye level. "I have the Power!"
Chapter 14
Before him a set of double doors stood. He could feel the thrumming emanating from behind the door so resonant his teeth chattered. Skeletor had found the doors after a day or two of crossing the cavern - a single cavern! And for every few paces there were more of the amazing dragons.
At first he had tip-toed his way through the inert, yet visibly breathing creatures for fear of incurring their wrath. Yet it soon became apparent that Skeletor's presence was of such insignificance to the dragons that he had kicked a few to see if they were truly alive.
In hindsight, that was probably not very wise, but Skeletor hated being ignored. They did not react though; it could only mean they slept by way of some kind of spell, the thrumming perhaps?
The double doors were ornately decorated. Engraved flames travelled around the outer edges, framing a pair of yellow eyes, adorned by black slits. Ancient Eternian was inscribed below the eyes. Skeletor traced the intricate lettering with a finger, as though it would decipher beneath his touch.
In truth he could read the language, just not very efficiently. The only texts he had seen written in the tongue belonged to Hordak, whose possessive nature meant he did not share his things for long. Not that Hordak had any interest them; he had long ago divested the books of their secrets. It was inevitable when you lived more than a thousand years.
Silently, Skeletor formed the strange words in his head - two words to be precise, 'Star' and 'Dragon'; Dragon Star. Of course, this had to be the home of the Il Grando Star, the home of Eldor.
The wisest of the wise had been the label tagged to Eldor, the ex-officio leader of the Light half of the Eternian Council where no first was supposed to exist. His totem had been the Dragon, for it symbolised learned wisdom of the ages. Much like Hordak's totem was the bat, the symbol of his dominion over the nocturnal.
As with all the councillors from then, Eldor had possessed a weapon of power, an orb known simply as the Eye of Il Grando, the gift the God Il Grando left his people for their protection. Much like Hordak, who once possessed the Horde-Grace, shield forged in the image of a bat. Though Hordak was fool enough to lose the Horde-Grace during the Unbalancing, who knew where it was today?
Skeletor summoned together a sensor spell; doubtless the home of a powerful wizard such as Eldor meant traps for the unwary. He let the spell inhabit every crevice of the doors, running through the grooves of the flames, squeezing into fine cracks.
Small dips in the pattern indicated the lock's catches. He rapped the doors in those spots, a barely audible click telling him he hit the sweet spot each time. He tapped the doors a fifth time and they opened, swinging inward.
A long dark cave, lower and narrower than the chamber he stood in, started beyond the double doors. From somewhere far back a light emanated bathing the passage's walls in a dull, red glow. A humid, oppressive warmth greeted him, putting him in mind of the fiery cavern he had envisioned. Surely he was close now?
Skeletor hoped the cave did not run too far, he was tired of walking each step he took lately seemed to last minutes. He had given up even trying to deduce how long it had been since he had fled Eternia. Time seemed trivial when you could only live by the moment.
He urged himself on aware he was trying to delay what seemed an inevitably tedious hike. An hour, or maybe more, passed before he stopped before the mouth of another mammoth chamber. But this time there were no dragons, there was very little open ground for that.
Lakes of hissing and bubbling lava ran past a series of platforms and stalagmites. Impossibly low stalactites hung from an imperceptible ceiling. In the midst of it all one platform stood out from the others, for it held upon its surface a pedestal shaped like a claw and within that claw's grasp a jewel glinted.
As in his dream a single walkway stretched across the lava ending at the platform. Skeletor moved to take a step forward before stopping himself - so far it had been all too easy. He intuitively sent forth a sensory spell, winding it around the precarious catwalk looking for flaws, weaknesses or sleeper spells put in place for unwary travellers.
He recognised triggers that would collapse the walkway when stepped upon. Crude. Skeletor started to move out across the lakes, careful to set his feet down upon the safe areas. He had made it halfway across when a whooshing sound caught his attention. He turned to see spurts of lava disintegrating the bridge bit by bit. Ack, he had forgotten to check the rest of the environs for traps!
Skeletor abandoned gentle caution for a desperate run, still painfully aware of the many triggers embedded within the rock he could only hope he did not overstep a mark. The lava geysers quickened in their intensity, Skeletor swore he could feel his heels being singed. The platform neared and Skeletor still ran hard, throwing himself clear of the walkway as the spurts consumed the last vestige of the rocky bridge.
Skeletor stood and turned around only to almost inadvertently leap into the lava out of shock. An elderly man stood before him. There was no stoop to the man's shoulders, nor any signs of aged infirmity. He stood shorter than Skeletor but there was an aura about him that was no less dangerous.
The old man spoke, "Greetings friend. I am Eldor, the Star of Il Grando and king of the Ilcenekin."
"And I am Skeletor, Overlord of."
"Though I am no longer of this world, I leave behind this message..." Skeletor fumed as he realised he was about to introduce him self to an illusion. "What you see before you is the cold forge, where the Eye of Il Grando, Il Grando's gift to his earthbound children, lays.
Skeletor gasped as the realisation of what Eldor had said - the Eye of Il Grando? He began to quiver, such power! What could he achieve with the power of an ancient?
".I could not take this into the beyond with me, for it was a gift to the people and not any one being. I do this with a prayer that it will fall into just hands, a person with an eye to the wellbeing of our world." The old carp did whine on, Skeletor felt he was gaining an insight into why Hordak wanted to kill him.
".So go forth brave soul and call upon the power of the Dragonstar so that you can do deeds of good.and fare thee well."
The illusion disappeared leaving Skeletor alone once more. So that was it? A lecture from a mirage and the Orb was his? Skeletor wished that Eldor had remains he could resurrect so that he could laugh at the stupid old goat.
He approached the pedestal and lifted the Eye from its resting place. He could feel the jewel throb in his palm, a warmth emanated from its centre and sense of power waiting to be unleashed buzzed within the stone. Ancient Eternian had been emblazoned across its surface; 'Pro Draconus Decorum'.
He lifted the jewel above his head and chanted, "For the Dragon's honour!"
Everything seemed to erupt in a bonfire. Flames licked and scoured his body, worming and wending their way inside his very soul before exploding outwards in every direction. The flames subsisted and Skeletor gazed upon his own reflection gazing out from the Eye's surface. He now wore full red- tinged armour; the breastplate was gold-embossed with the face of a dragon, a visor-less helmet sat upon his skull which was mounted by a carving of yet another dragon. Black wings protruded to either side from his back, his legs were now encased in gold mail down to the red-tinged plating on his greaves. Skeletor felt stronger than he could ever recall.
He brought the Eye back to eye level. "I have the Power!"