Eternal Foe
Chapter 17
The Snake Men hauled themselves from the Great Eternian River. They lay there panting hard, too sore and confused to move. This landscape had changed beyond recognition, nothing was familiar from the days of old.
This river they had been forced into had never before existed and these mountains that lay but a few leagues away were also alien. The Unbalancing had indeed revealed itself to be prophecy.
"Come on! To your feet!" Mekasha ordered his warriors, "Snake Mountain is nearby, I can feel it."
Wearily Rattlor, Tung Lashor and Sssqueeze stumbled to their feet.
"Where is it Lord? None of this is right, how can we find our way?" Rattlor asked.
Mekasha drew the Crimson Singer from its scabbard. "This will be our beacon." The Snake King drew a breath, "It already quivers with anticipation at returning to its birthplace, it too is restless." He looked at the craggy slopes in the distance. "There, a pass runs through there that will take us home."
Wearily they pushed forwards, the thought of returning to the lair, their home filled them with an aching motivation to reach there quickly.
Skeletor feast upon a fine roast dinner for the first time in months. Grough, a young calf had fetched the hapless boar at Skeletor's behest. The others Skeletor had let roam free so as they could hunt for food for themselves. He could only imagine how famished these creatures must be after centuries of slumber.
Nearby a full grown adult rested, apparently having had its fill. To Skeletor this particular bull was even more magnificent than its brethren, its scaled glistened a deep violet hue, of all the dragons this had had stayed the nearest. Skeletor had decided to make this one his command mount and had thus named him Skullwing.
Skeletor softly stroked the skull of his Havoc Staff, which now concealed the Eye of Il Grando beneath its bony surface. Through it he could sense the whereabouts of every dragon, read their every thought. In turn they responded to his every command. To Skeletor this was the true meaning of power, where his word was law and obeyed without question.
As more of the creatures ate their fill they flew in to rest. Skeletor wanted them to be in prime condition for when he introduced them to Eternia. He had said it many times, it had become something of a mantra for him, but this time he was more certain than ever - Eternia would be his.
The Sorceress sat slumped in a chair in her study, the ill effects of helplessness sapped her of her strength. So preoccupied she had been with the return of King Mekasha and what He-Man had seen in the library, that she had failed to see the storm approaching on the eastern wind.
That Skeletor had within his clutches one of the powerful artefacts of the ancients filled her with a nauseous dread. His was a twisted mind that bore no morals, he would be only too willing to use the power to rend the world asunder to achieve his own petty desires. For all his wicked intent Skeletor's ambition was small.
To add to an already grim situation, a vision had come to Zodac.
"Are you sure?" she asked the ephemeral spirit.
"This new threat demands counter-measures of an extraordinary nature. The riven soul must be healed; the Sword of Grayskull will be re-forged." The ancient guardian replied.
"We cannot know the consequences of this action. We may be inviting a larger catastrophe." The Sorceress said worriedly.
"We must have faith in our champion. We must balance the danger of the unknown against the threat we know exists."
The Sorceress bowed her head. "How do we do this?"
"We must relinquish that which has protected us, we will plunge the world into darkness and its peoples into servitude. These sacrifices we must make or He-Man will die, if that happens then all hope is lost."
He-Man sat alone in an alcove shielded from the unnatural light illuminating the Snake Chamber. The hours had passed slowly and all he could do to occupy himself was to reflect.
The images from Grayskull's library haunted him, they mocked him and his ignorance. How could his family keep such an important secret from him? Was that an indication of how much disregard they had for him? Would they have revealed the truth of his sister if they thought him a responsible son?
Adora had not died at childbirth, the warlord Hordak had taken her from the crib to Gods knows only where. The sister he never had, was she still alive someplace?
There was a time when he had thought of Teela as a surrogate sister, though that attitude changed around the time puberty had hit him. Teela - she too had been betrayed by familial secrets, though she was not yet aware of the fact.
All her life Duncan had told her that her parents had perished during the Horde War; that her father was a hero, felled by a Horde trap. He-Man knew that much to be true, now. Teela had also been led to believe her mother had died in a vain attempt to locate the body of Teela's father. It was true she had fled into the Eternian Mountains in search of Dannon, but perish she did not. She had given up her freedom in service to the greater good, she had made a painful sacrifice to be in a position aid in the defense of Eternia and He-Man wondered if the Sorceress ever regretted doing it.
Teela occupied her time by experimenting with her newly acquired powers. She had discovered the armour also had the ability to blend in chameleon- like with the environment. She had tried to test this skill by sneaking up on He-Man but he had told her not to play around when she had gotten not within ten paces of him.
Ack, why was she playing for his attention anyway, the big oaf was more interested in flexing his muscles and beating on people to notice women. Not that she wanted to him to notice her anyway, it just, well, would've been nice, that's all.
If there was one thing she noticed about He-Man, is that he always seemed preoccupied, as though something was always nagging at the back of his mind. But he would never reveal anything that littered his mind, he was just as introspective as Adam. Hells, maybe he and Adam confided in each other, they always seem to know the other's movements so well.
It always seemed to Teela that they were always with each other and whenever Adam went running He-Man returns in his stead. They are always there for each other, they are so alike in personality and they are never seen together.
Something clicked inside Teela's mind. She tried to dismiss it, the idea was so preposterous so impossible yet it all seemed to fit; the like- mindedness, why they never appear together yet still there for each other. Adam, Prince of Eternia and heir to the throne of Eternia and He-Man, the greatest champion the world has ever known - are lovers. It made sense, neither would dare to be seen with the other in case their little secret became public knowledge. Ancients! Considering Adam's position that secret could undo the monarchy, it would mean no heir to succeed him! It also explained why neither showed a healthy interest in women.
She would not judge, Teela decided, in fact she felt guilty for coming down so hard on the Prince for his frequent absenteeism. It must have been him going to see his love all along. From now on she would be a lot more sympathetic to the young Prince.
King Mekasha and his group stood beneath the ceiling of the main chamber. Footprints criss-crossed the floor, leading off in every direction. Mekasha had absolutely no doubts who made them and that they still waited within. The Crimson Singer shook within his grip, it too was aware of the presence of the human warrior. A smile split the Snake King's face, the Crimson Singer would feed on the sweetest blood tonight.
Chapter 17
The Snake Men hauled themselves from the Great Eternian River. They lay there panting hard, too sore and confused to move. This landscape had changed beyond recognition, nothing was familiar from the days of old.
This river they had been forced into had never before existed and these mountains that lay but a few leagues away were also alien. The Unbalancing had indeed revealed itself to be prophecy.
"Come on! To your feet!" Mekasha ordered his warriors, "Snake Mountain is nearby, I can feel it."
Wearily Rattlor, Tung Lashor and Sssqueeze stumbled to their feet.
"Where is it Lord? None of this is right, how can we find our way?" Rattlor asked.
Mekasha drew the Crimson Singer from its scabbard. "This will be our beacon." The Snake King drew a breath, "It already quivers with anticipation at returning to its birthplace, it too is restless." He looked at the craggy slopes in the distance. "There, a pass runs through there that will take us home."
Wearily they pushed forwards, the thought of returning to the lair, their home filled them with an aching motivation to reach there quickly.
Skeletor feast upon a fine roast dinner for the first time in months. Grough, a young calf had fetched the hapless boar at Skeletor's behest. The others Skeletor had let roam free so as they could hunt for food for themselves. He could only imagine how famished these creatures must be after centuries of slumber.
Nearby a full grown adult rested, apparently having had its fill. To Skeletor this particular bull was even more magnificent than its brethren, its scaled glistened a deep violet hue, of all the dragons this had had stayed the nearest. Skeletor had decided to make this one his command mount and had thus named him Skullwing.
Skeletor softly stroked the skull of his Havoc Staff, which now concealed the Eye of Il Grando beneath its bony surface. Through it he could sense the whereabouts of every dragon, read their every thought. In turn they responded to his every command. To Skeletor this was the true meaning of power, where his word was law and obeyed without question.
As more of the creatures ate their fill they flew in to rest. Skeletor wanted them to be in prime condition for when he introduced them to Eternia. He had said it many times, it had become something of a mantra for him, but this time he was more certain than ever - Eternia would be his.
The Sorceress sat slumped in a chair in her study, the ill effects of helplessness sapped her of her strength. So preoccupied she had been with the return of King Mekasha and what He-Man had seen in the library, that she had failed to see the storm approaching on the eastern wind.
That Skeletor had within his clutches one of the powerful artefacts of the ancients filled her with a nauseous dread. His was a twisted mind that bore no morals, he would be only too willing to use the power to rend the world asunder to achieve his own petty desires. For all his wicked intent Skeletor's ambition was small.
To add to an already grim situation, a vision had come to Zodac.
"Are you sure?" she asked the ephemeral spirit.
"This new threat demands counter-measures of an extraordinary nature. The riven soul must be healed; the Sword of Grayskull will be re-forged." The ancient guardian replied.
"We cannot know the consequences of this action. We may be inviting a larger catastrophe." The Sorceress said worriedly.
"We must have faith in our champion. We must balance the danger of the unknown against the threat we know exists."
The Sorceress bowed her head. "How do we do this?"
"We must relinquish that which has protected us, we will plunge the world into darkness and its peoples into servitude. These sacrifices we must make or He-Man will die, if that happens then all hope is lost."
He-Man sat alone in an alcove shielded from the unnatural light illuminating the Snake Chamber. The hours had passed slowly and all he could do to occupy himself was to reflect.
The images from Grayskull's library haunted him, they mocked him and his ignorance. How could his family keep such an important secret from him? Was that an indication of how much disregard they had for him? Would they have revealed the truth of his sister if they thought him a responsible son?
Adora had not died at childbirth, the warlord Hordak had taken her from the crib to Gods knows only where. The sister he never had, was she still alive someplace?
There was a time when he had thought of Teela as a surrogate sister, though that attitude changed around the time puberty had hit him. Teela - she too had been betrayed by familial secrets, though she was not yet aware of the fact.
All her life Duncan had told her that her parents had perished during the Horde War; that her father was a hero, felled by a Horde trap. He-Man knew that much to be true, now. Teela had also been led to believe her mother had died in a vain attempt to locate the body of Teela's father. It was true she had fled into the Eternian Mountains in search of Dannon, but perish she did not. She had given up her freedom in service to the greater good, she had made a painful sacrifice to be in a position aid in the defense of Eternia and He-Man wondered if the Sorceress ever regretted doing it.
Teela occupied her time by experimenting with her newly acquired powers. She had discovered the armour also had the ability to blend in chameleon- like with the environment. She had tried to test this skill by sneaking up on He-Man but he had told her not to play around when she had gotten not within ten paces of him.
Ack, why was she playing for his attention anyway, the big oaf was more interested in flexing his muscles and beating on people to notice women. Not that she wanted to him to notice her anyway, it just, well, would've been nice, that's all.
If there was one thing she noticed about He-Man, is that he always seemed preoccupied, as though something was always nagging at the back of his mind. But he would never reveal anything that littered his mind, he was just as introspective as Adam. Hells, maybe he and Adam confided in each other, they always seem to know the other's movements so well.
It always seemed to Teela that they were always with each other and whenever Adam went running He-Man returns in his stead. They are always there for each other, they are so alike in personality and they are never seen together.
Something clicked inside Teela's mind. She tried to dismiss it, the idea was so preposterous so impossible yet it all seemed to fit; the like- mindedness, why they never appear together yet still there for each other. Adam, Prince of Eternia and heir to the throne of Eternia and He-Man, the greatest champion the world has ever known - are lovers. It made sense, neither would dare to be seen with the other in case their little secret became public knowledge. Ancients! Considering Adam's position that secret could undo the monarchy, it would mean no heir to succeed him! It also explained why neither showed a healthy interest in women.
She would not judge, Teela decided, in fact she felt guilty for coming down so hard on the Prince for his frequent absenteeism. It must have been him going to see his love all along. From now on she would be a lot more sympathetic to the young Prince.
King Mekasha and his group stood beneath the ceiling of the main chamber. Footprints criss-crossed the floor, leading off in every direction. Mekasha had absolutely no doubts who made them and that they still waited within. The Crimson Singer shook within his grip, it too was aware of the presence of the human warrior. A smile split the Snake King's face, the Crimson Singer would feed on the sweetest blood tonight.