Chapter 8
He-Man faced his nemesis, staring him down with an intensity that he'd never shown before. He clenched the Power Sword's handle tightly, his knuckles white as a result of his intense grip. The handle threatened to snap from the pressure, but He-Man's rage prevented him from noticing how hard he was holding it. He shot a look of utmost loathing at Skeletor, all the while imagining just how much he was going to enjoy ripping him apart.
Skeletor stared back, enjoying the sight of his enemy's fury. "My, my, murderous anger doesn't become you at all. You of all people should know that anger can lead to deadly mistakes in combat. And you're mistaken if you think I won't take advantage of that. "
The twisted smile returned. "Oh, but I won't be making any mistakes. I'm going to take my time killing you. By the time I'm through with you, there won't be enough left to bury."
"We'll see!"
The two warriors leapt at each other, weapons colliding with a thunderous clang. Sparks lit up the dark chamber as He-Man and Skeletor quickly prepared to renew their respective attacks. He-Man slashed at Skeletor's chest, drawing a thin line of blood. He followed it up with a kick to the villain's jaw. Skeletor stumbled, but managed to recover in time to fire an energy blast from his Havoc Staff. He-Man, startled, was forced to throw himself out of the blast's path, giving Skeletor time to deliver a hard kick to his ribs.
But He-Man's face showed no signs of pain. The smile grew even wider as he grabbed Skeletor by the left ankle and give it a quick twist. Skeletor winced as the pain shot up his leg, forcing him to his knees. The warlord was back on his feet quickly, but the damage had been done. He limped painfully, his ankle bone fractured from He-Man's attack. Nevertheless, he continued to fight, vowing to finish his enemy for good.
Their battle raged through the hallways of the castle, as the combatants fought more fiercely then they ever had before. The cuts and bruises accumulated, eventually taking their toll on the two fighters. Despite their injuries, they continued to battle, eventually reaching a chamber with multiple doors.
The room was one they remembered well. They had been here before, and they knew what was behind one of the doors-the very powers of Greyskull itself.
Skeletor was ecstatic. Silently he faced the doors, raising his Havoc Staff over his head. Energy issued forth from the weapon, splintering each door into many wooden fragments. In a chamber slightly to the right of the center was what he'd been searching for all this time: a silvery orb surrounded by a misty, cloudlike aura. He turned toward He-Man, as the biggest grin he could manage spread across his face.
"Thank you, He-Man! Because of you, I'm about to gain untold power! And with it, I will wipe you out of existence!!!" Cackling, he turned and ran toward the chamber. His ultimate goal was right in front of him, waiting to be claimed. Victory was almost in his grasp...
A sharp, burning pain in his left calf and foot suddenly halted his advance. Screaming, he looked down and saw the Power Sword pinning him to the spot. He-Man, who had thrown the sword as hard as he could manage, walked over to the villain and placed his foot on the small of his back as he grabbed the sword's handle. In one swift motion, he kicked outward while simultaneously pulling the blade free from Skeletor's leg.
As his nemesis clutched his heavily bleeding wound, He-Man sauntered into the chamber and plunged his hands into the center of the orb. Brilliant flashes of lightning surged through the castle, accompanied by fiercely howling wind. The orb dissolved, spreading from He-Man's hands to the rest of his body. Skeletor stared, horrorstruck, as the power he had craved for so long became absorbed into his most hated enemy. He-Man glowed as the power flowed through him, now making him a near deity.
The twisted smile was replaced by a look of pure mania, as he held his arms toward Skeletor. "SO YOU WANT GREYSKULL'S POWER?!!" he bellowed. "WELL THEN, TAKE ALL YOU WANT!!!"
Blinding energy surged toward Skeletor, striking him with the force of a mountain. It flooded through his body, burning him from the inside. Within moments, it spread to the outside, dissolving him as it went, allowing him only enough time to let loose one final shriek of terror.
He-Man lowered his now smoking palms and stared at the spot where the warlord had stood moments before. There was no sign that he had been there, save for a small patch of scorched stone. His thirst for revenge finally quenched, he flew to Snake Moutain with his newly acquired powers and levelled it with a massive blast of energy, eliminating the last sign of Skeletor's existence. Drawing the power sword, he stared into its reflective surface, a look of grim satisfaction prominent upon it.
"Greyskull's power is mine now," he thought to himself. "And as long as I have it, I might as well use it..."
TO BE CONTINUED...
He-Man faced his nemesis, staring him down with an intensity that he'd never shown before. He clenched the Power Sword's handle tightly, his knuckles white as a result of his intense grip. The handle threatened to snap from the pressure, but He-Man's rage prevented him from noticing how hard he was holding it. He shot a look of utmost loathing at Skeletor, all the while imagining just how much he was going to enjoy ripping him apart.
Skeletor stared back, enjoying the sight of his enemy's fury. "My, my, murderous anger doesn't become you at all. You of all people should know that anger can lead to deadly mistakes in combat. And you're mistaken if you think I won't take advantage of that. "
The twisted smile returned. "Oh, but I won't be making any mistakes. I'm going to take my time killing you. By the time I'm through with you, there won't be enough left to bury."
"We'll see!"
The two warriors leapt at each other, weapons colliding with a thunderous clang. Sparks lit up the dark chamber as He-Man and Skeletor quickly prepared to renew their respective attacks. He-Man slashed at Skeletor's chest, drawing a thin line of blood. He followed it up with a kick to the villain's jaw. Skeletor stumbled, but managed to recover in time to fire an energy blast from his Havoc Staff. He-Man, startled, was forced to throw himself out of the blast's path, giving Skeletor time to deliver a hard kick to his ribs.
But He-Man's face showed no signs of pain. The smile grew even wider as he grabbed Skeletor by the left ankle and give it a quick twist. Skeletor winced as the pain shot up his leg, forcing him to his knees. The warlord was back on his feet quickly, but the damage had been done. He limped painfully, his ankle bone fractured from He-Man's attack. Nevertheless, he continued to fight, vowing to finish his enemy for good.
Their battle raged through the hallways of the castle, as the combatants fought more fiercely then they ever had before. The cuts and bruises accumulated, eventually taking their toll on the two fighters. Despite their injuries, they continued to battle, eventually reaching a chamber with multiple doors.
The room was one they remembered well. They had been here before, and they knew what was behind one of the doors-the very powers of Greyskull itself.
Skeletor was ecstatic. Silently he faced the doors, raising his Havoc Staff over his head. Energy issued forth from the weapon, splintering each door into many wooden fragments. In a chamber slightly to the right of the center was what he'd been searching for all this time: a silvery orb surrounded by a misty, cloudlike aura. He turned toward He-Man, as the biggest grin he could manage spread across his face.
"Thank you, He-Man! Because of you, I'm about to gain untold power! And with it, I will wipe you out of existence!!!" Cackling, he turned and ran toward the chamber. His ultimate goal was right in front of him, waiting to be claimed. Victory was almost in his grasp...
A sharp, burning pain in his left calf and foot suddenly halted his advance. Screaming, he looked down and saw the Power Sword pinning him to the spot. He-Man, who had thrown the sword as hard as he could manage, walked over to the villain and placed his foot on the small of his back as he grabbed the sword's handle. In one swift motion, he kicked outward while simultaneously pulling the blade free from Skeletor's leg.
As his nemesis clutched his heavily bleeding wound, He-Man sauntered into the chamber and plunged his hands into the center of the orb. Brilliant flashes of lightning surged through the castle, accompanied by fiercely howling wind. The orb dissolved, spreading from He-Man's hands to the rest of his body. Skeletor stared, horrorstruck, as the power he had craved for so long became absorbed into his most hated enemy. He-Man glowed as the power flowed through him, now making him a near deity.
The twisted smile was replaced by a look of pure mania, as he held his arms toward Skeletor. "SO YOU WANT GREYSKULL'S POWER?!!" he bellowed. "WELL THEN, TAKE ALL YOU WANT!!!"
Blinding energy surged toward Skeletor, striking him with the force of a mountain. It flooded through his body, burning him from the inside. Within moments, it spread to the outside, dissolving him as it went, allowing him only enough time to let loose one final shriek of terror.
He-Man lowered his now smoking palms and stared at the spot where the warlord had stood moments before. There was no sign that he had been there, save for a small patch of scorched stone. His thirst for revenge finally quenched, he flew to Snake Moutain with his newly acquired powers and levelled it with a massive blast of energy, eliminating the last sign of Skeletor's existence. Drawing the power sword, he stared into its reflective surface, a look of grim satisfaction prominent upon it.
"Greyskull's power is mine now," he thought to himself. "And as long as I have it, I might as well use it..."
TO BE CONTINUED...