Chapter Twelve: "The Choice of Keldor"
It was late June at this point and things had progressed as one would expect. Love was indeed in the air for much of Eternos. Gossip had filled the streets of the city with word of this wonderful new relationship between King Randor and the beautiful alien Marlena Glenn. There was talk of this couple eating here, shopping there, being caught kissing at this place, and seen gazing at each at that place.
All-in-all, it was a great time for the entire kingdom. This blossoming love was so unlike anything the other had experienced. There was a certain . . . fate to it. A certain . . . fulfillment. Both knew where it was going, though they never talked about it. This was the kind of love that would last a lifetime. Though both knew it.
For Teelana and Duncan, things were also going well. Concerns about the future of their family were few and far in between. For Duncan, it was becoming obvious that he would have to raise the baby - their child - by himself. It was a thought that scared him but one he was starting to realize was an inevitability.
Teelana was developing as a pregnant woman would. Her belly was slowly getting larger, and each morning she was greeted by another bout of throwing up. Her mood was also swaying between extremes, which didn't make Duncan very happy, but it was something he had long since learned to accept.
Indeed, for most, life was good. The summer was a warm one, with just the perfect amount of rain and sun to help with the crops.
However, the euphoric sense of happiness would not bring in the new year . . .
Danger . . . and darkness was looming . . .
The world came into view as the ship passed by the triple moons. The commander of the vessel took a deep breath and gazed upon the orb before him.
"Eternia," he said so all around him could hear.
Hordak stood proud and tall on the bridge of his destroyer, gazing out at the world before him. He was a tall man and well built. His face resembled that of a pale bat, with high-tipped ears and a flattened nose; as well as fangs and a few ridges above his blood red eyes.
"What are your order, Hordak?" questioned Prahvus from behind him.
Prahvus was far larger than Hordak in all respects. A bizarre, glowing blue etching ran along his entire body, even up to his massive horns.
"Take the Three with you and seek out those that have great evil power. They will show you the way," he ordered.
Hordak motioned back to a trio of black-cloaked men. Sorcerers, known as the Three. Shadow Weavers, masters of darkness. On their robes was the Horde's sigil - a huge, red bat.
"Yes, master. I will see you back on Infinita."
Prahvus and the Three left the bridge. A few minutes later, a small shuttlecraft left the ship and headed down to the Dark Hemisphere.
Hordak readjusted the controls on his own ship. The 3-D navigational display that sat beneath the large window changed.
It zoomed out from Eternia and displayed the entire solar system. Out from Eternia and its three moons (Brightmoon, Darkmoon, and Org), there was Etheria and it's lone moon also named Brightmoon (it was unknown why, but Hordak had a few theories). Eternia made up the second planet from the sun, while Etheria made up the third.
The one closets to the sun was Prisonstar. The planet fourth in the system was Infinita, the dead planet. Fifth was Lattem, once a beautiful and lush world, but fell dead by (as legend had it) "a plague of greed" - it had two moons, Padawar and Steffan.
Sixth world from the sun was Imacross and it's two moons Mar-Vel and DeeCee. Seventh and final in the Eternian star system was Phantos.
Infinita was Hordak's goal, as it was the temporary headquarters of the Horde's power base in the solar system.
Keldor had changed and Monteeg knew this. In the weeks after the heart transplant and Keldor's rite of passage into darkness, the fallen Prince was showing signs of becoming far more powerful than Monteeg himself. Part of him truly feared that.
But it wasn't just Keldor's mind and spirit that was changing. Oh no, even his very appearance had changed. Somehow, through his encounter with death and the new heart beating in his chest, changed his skin color to a strange shade of blue.
The entire clan of Orcs were camped out in the Desert near the Dorango Mountains on the Dark Hemisphere. However, despite the late hour, all of the Orcs were restless. Some strange business was happening just beyond their camp. They could smell it.
And Keldor could feel it.
Even Monteeg, though only a slight sorcerer and had no uncanny senses, knew something was wrong. When the hour of Three Bells came, the leader of the Orcs roused himself out of bed and went from his tent into the camp.
At least 3/4 of the other Orcs were up and about, some standing by fires, others just watching the skies. Keldor stood alone by a bonfire, Sword of Darkness out, reflecting the flames.
"What is it, Keldor?" asked Monteeg.
"Something stirs. Something . . . otherworldly. There is something in the darkness . . . moving, building."
Monteeg nodded and looked to the stars. "Is that what this all means? Keldor, I have known for quite some time that a great war is upon us. One that will grow far beyond these days. The world is changing. The world is moving on . . ."
Keldor gazed his ally for a long time. And then, there was a shout.
"There! Intruders!"
Keldor and Monteeg turned swiftly and saw four figures coming down from a huge dune. Three of them were draped in black cloaks with red bat symbols. The other was huge, a massive man with blue lines all across his large body.
"Get your weapons, but do not attack!" Monteeg ordered. "Remember, we have them outnumbered - but that doesn't mean deals can't be made!"
As Orcs scrambled, grabbing spears and swords and the like, Keldor and Monteeg went to meet with this quartet.
"Who are you?" demanded Monteeg with the blue-skinned Keldor by his side.
"I am General Prahvus. These are the Three."
The robed sorcerers drifted forward and pointed at Keldor and Monteeg.
"These two are the ones we seek!" they spoke as one. "These two are very powerful and very evil!"
Prahvus nodded. "Good then. Who are you?"
"I am Monteeg and this is Keldor. I'll ask you again, what do you want from us?"
Prahvus snarled. "We're here to offer you a deal."
At that, a wave of energy encompassed Monteeg, Keldor, Prahvus, and the Three. Instantly, they all vanished.
"Where are we?! Where have you taken us?!"
Monteeg and Keldor were marched down a long corridor with dome-headed robots with the same red bat symbol pushing them on. All around them, the sound of their heavy footsteps echoed through the air. They were no longer on Eternia - that much they could tell.
Monteeg didn't notice because he was yelling too much, but Keldor was in a strange calm mood. He acted as if something like this happened every day of his life.
The group came to a pair of large red doors. When they halted, the doors clanged open, revealing a huge, circular command chamber.
Hordak stood in the middle of it. He spun around and faced both Monteeg and Keldor rather quickly.
"Greetings, Eternian!" Hordak introduced, then snorting loudly.
"Who are you?"
"My name is Hordak."
Keldor's jaw suddenly dropped. "Hordak? The Hordak!?"
Hordak grinned. "The one and only."
"How can you still be alive?" asked Monteeg, in shock as well.
Hordak just laughed. "Let's not worry about that. I have been informed that the both of you are both servants of darkness and both contain evil energies. Is that so?"
"Yes, it is," Keldor answered quickly, garnering an unwelcome look from Monteeg.
"Then I have a deal I'd like to offer you. Join me in the invasion of Eternia. I am in need of agents that know the world quite well and you two are good, seeing as how you're both citizens of Eternia."
Keldor was stunned into silence. Long hours into the night had he studied Hordak's deception and skills. To meet him here and now, and for him to offer such a deal to them . . . it was amazing . . .
"NEVER!" roared Monteeg. "I WILL NEVER JOIN WITH YOU!"
Hordak snorted. "Fine then."
"Eternia will not fall to the Horde! Not to you and not to any one of your cronies!"
Monteeg jumped forward, huge body in motion. Before he came within a mere foot of Keldor, however, the human was blasted back into a wall.
"Fool!" Hordak snapped. "You dare attack me!? You dare defy me when I offer you an alliance! I shall see you die for that!"
"NO!" Keldor cried. Hordak looked to him.
"No what?!" demanded Hordak.
"I will join you, Lord Hordak. Long have I studied your ways. Let Monteeg go free and I shall serve you loyally."
Hordak considered this for a long moment, then nodded. "Alright. However, Monteeg can not go unpunished . . ."
The Three appeared then, floating around the room and then encircling Monteeg's fallen body. A brilliant light gushed from their hands and fell upon Monteeg. When the Three left him, then, Monteeg was transformed into something opposite of what he once was.
His nose and lips were shaped like a beak. His entire body was now only 18 inches in height. He was a freak and had paid the price for crossing Hordak. Keldor would remember this . . . forever.
"Take him back to the surface!" snapped Hordak. He then turned to Keldor. "Alright, boy, tell me about yourself and why you read up about me."
And Keldor told him . . . everything.
