Chapter Three - "The Ilkort/Bat Attack"

Randor sat in his quarters, looking over reports from all over the eastern kingdom. According to recent to the database recovered from the Horde base ten days ago, the Horde had one base in the Sands of the Time - a minor one - and two in the Desert. The Sands of Fire contained one, as did the Santalucia Mountains near the Bat kingdom.

There were indications of other bases, but the database had begun to delete itself as Duncan and Rohad started to download the information. The main headquarters, as well, was unknown. However, there were other fruits of their labors . . .

A few intact Horde Troopers, a couple of their vehicles - all would be tested for their weaknesses. King Randor was quite satisfied with that first major victory, but he knew better. The Horde was a legend - a creature of myth. Hordak and Morgoth were two of the most hated names in the history of Eternia. This would war was far from over.

Marlena stepped over from door and put her hands on her husband's shoulders. "How are things going?"

"Frustrating," he replied, not really liking being distracted form business. Despite it being so late in the afternoon, there was still a fair amount of work to be done.

"I expected as much. What are the reports saying?"

Randor grunted a little. "There's troop deployments throughout the Desert and Sands of Time. No military movements, though, and that's most frustrating. The first two battles have come and gone and there should be more. There will be more."

"Ah. I see."

She leaned in and gave him a small kiss on the cheek. He sighed and attempted a smile. Marlena frowned a bit.

"I guess the salad days are over," she told him.

"I don't understand what that means," he returned, voice filled with annoyance. Usually, he didn't mind listening to her exotic phrases - most of the time, they really interested him. But right now, it was the last thing he wanted to hear.

"It means that the happy, blissful days of the marriage are over. That the real meat of marriage has become. Salads are traditionally served early in the meal. The early days of marriage have passed and now . . . well, here we are. The salad days are regarded as the best days of marriage."

"I'm sorry then. I wish the 'salad days' were still happening, but with the war on . . ."

"I know. Listen, Randor, I wanted to talk to you about something. There is a war on. And I know that at some point, you're going to have to go into battle. I . . . I guess I'm okay with that. But my problem is that I need to do something. I'm the queen, but I'm also a scientist. I can help with something, can't I?"

Randor considered his wife now in a way that hadn't really crossed his mind in their short courtship. She was a scientist and of things as exotic as her own little alien phrases. There was work she could do, help she could provide.

"Why don't you help out some of the scientist in examining the pair of Horde ships we found. I don't think any of them were capable of space-travel, but I think it should be 'up your road," he said to her, using one of her exotic phrases. The annoyance was now melted away, replaced by a joyful feeling of closeness and pride.

"It's 'up your alley,' but I know what you mean, dear. I'll be in the hanger." She planted a kiss on his cheek once more and he returned it.

Rusher came to a halt at the bottom of the steps leading up to the Hall of Wisdom. Duncan re-checked his lasers and his dagger before he made the final decision to jump off the horse. As he did, two Gunslinger-Rangers came to him.

"Commander, you are not scheduled to see the Elders today," said one named Heath.

"I am an emissary sent out by Eternos. That should be all you need to know to let me in."

"This is a time of war," said Heath as his partner Dean eyed the area surrounding the Hall of Wisdom.

"Heath, Dean, get back to your position," came the commanding voice of Teelana, former Sorceress of Castle Grayskull. "Commander Duncan is as permitted here as I am."

Both Heath and Dean lowered their heads ever so slightly. "Of course ma'am," Heath replied. He turned to Duncan as if nothing had happened. "I will have an associate tend to your horse."

"Thank you. Teelana, my love."

The pregnant redhead waddled down the stairs and kissed her lover. "Would you mind if we walked in the gardens? I have been out so very little while you've been gone."

"Of course."

Their arms hooked at the elbows and both stepped into the beautiful gardens. The wind was cold and winter was coming fast. Autumn was fading as quickly as the leaves came from their trees. All around them, the autumn flowers were a bright cornucopia of reds, yellows, oranges, and blues.

"I hate this, you know," he told her bluntly.

"What exactly do you hate?" she returned, one hand resting on the bulge in her fur-lined coat.

"The war. Not seeing you. Teelana, I want to hold you. I want to sleep with you. I want to be there as you get bigger and bigger - as our child grows inside you."

"Our son," Teelana said plainly and looked for a reaction.

Duncan halted and looked at her. "Our . . . son? We're having a boy?"

"The doctors say so, yes. I . . . I'm very happy about that."

The two of them kissed deeply, then Duncan proceeded to kiss Teelana's belly. "A boy. How wonderful!"

All of that weight that he was carrying since the first battle was gone (at least for the moment) and he took her into his arms. As he held her in the cold, late autumn air, Duncan was filled with joy. Teelana was as well. If she was bearing a girl - like she had at first suspected - then that daughter would be bond to someday take the mantle of Sorceress. Which was a great honor, but also a very lonely one.

It was then Heath entered into the garden.

"Commander, the Elders wish to see you immediately."

"Me?"

"Yes."

Duncan glanced at Teelana and the pair followed Heath into the Hall of Wisdom and then into the main chamber.

The Elders glowed white even as the yellow late afternoon sunlight came through the windows.

"What is it, honored Elders?"

Eldor spoke. "We have detected a military movement. The Horde are preparing an attack."

"Where?"

"Avion."

Avion, jewel of the skies. Located in the Mystic Mountains, it is a kingdom settled in the highest of peaks; on top of stone towers that reach miles into the sky, all of it connected by an intricate series of bridges. The entire sky-kingdom is centered around the precious Egg of Avion, source of its peoples power.

Lord Stratos took in the sights of the city from above, eyes behind his goggles watching as his people soared leisurely through the early evening air. His title was one of pure honor, though his is highly regarded as the mightiest of all Avion. The High Senate is the true seat of power - Stratos is only a creature of monarchy. His voice resonated the direction of the High Senate, but in times like these, it's hard to get a clear picture on what the High Senate wants.

The Horde War that ten days ago seemed hot and wild in the south and east had since gone a bit stale. And while he pushed the High Senate to join with Eternos in the battle against Hordak, the Senate seemed to lost the passion that Stratos wanted. There were many that saw the Horde as a small threat.

"Fools," he whispered as he circled the city.

And that's when he saw it.

A boulder, huge and weighing nearly four tons, shot straight from the ground and smashed into one of the bridges that connected different spires of the Avion.

"We're under attack!" shouted an Avion nearby Stratos.

Stratos didn't reply. As many Avions flew around the falling debris - another such boulder was launched and smashed a second bridge. Stratos dove down and joined a legion of warriors in mid-flight. One of them threw him a rocket launcher and he strapped it on.

"Who is it?" he demanded.

"Ilkorts, Lord Stratos."

Stratos grimed and dove down past the towers of Avion. Below, through the mist, he could see them. Tall, gangly creatures with thin bodies, two huge tusks and golden yellow skin. Ilkorts were cave dwellers that often times battled with Avion. Very rarely had there been such an attack like this, though.

"Fire rockets! Full spread!" commanded Stratos.

The others behind him locked on and commenced firing. Rockets blazed from their jetpacks and exploded against the ground where the Ilkorts were launching their attack. The Ilkorts were gone in burst of fire and smoke.

"Good job, now let's - "

"LOOK OUT!" screeched Stratos' lieutenant.

A boulder came flying right at them. The Avion legion scattered and narrowly missed it.

"Send for reinforcements!" Stratos ordered.

A high-pitched squeal pierced the air. It came from just east of Avion. Stratos pointed in its direction and the legion shot forward, heading the source. They came just up from western edge of Avion and watched as a mass of darkness hurried towards them, shrieking.

Stratos adjusted his goggles and saw the fleet of Bats tearing through the air.

"BATS!" roared Stratos. He pressed his comm-unit and started to shout commands. "All cannons on! All warriors take wing! We are under attack by both Bats and Ilkorts!"

As Avion warriors took to the air, Stratos landed just long enough to reach his sister. The teenaged Avion named Hawk looked at her brother with shock and uncertainty.

"Hawk, get to the High Senate and order that the great shield be activated. We're going to try to fight them off as long as possible, but this is going to get ugly fast."

"Yes, my brother. Be careful."

"I shall."

Stratos took the air once more and headed straight for the mass of Bats now heading to Avion. He glanced back as another rumble shook Avion. A boulder battered one of the spires. He could see Ilkorts rejoicing from a far off ridge. A legion of Avions were dispatched to deal with them.

The Bats came upon them now and engaged with full ferocity.

Their high-pitched shrieks threw many of Stratos' brethren off, causing their missiles to miss their targets. Stratos hoped against hope this wouldn't be the case for the entire battle. Blood flew through the sky, then, as the Bats ripped into the wings of many Avion soldiers and they went crashing to the ground.

"This is awful," he muttered and sent a fist into a pair of Bats. He dove, grabbed a falling Avion and threw him onto of the bridges. It would give him a broken limp, but at least he'd be alive.

"GRAB AS MANY INJURIED AS YOU CAN!" Stratos yelled. "DEFENSIVE PATTERNS! PULL BACK TO THE CITY!"

Stratos reached then for another falling Avion. Yet, just as he was about to grab the flailing warrior, a body rammed into Stratos.

"No!" snapped Stratos.

"Yes," replied his attack. "You are Stratos, leader of the Avions. I am Batros, leader of the Bats."

Stratos saw only one thing - a Horde symbol of Batros' chest. "You sold yourself to the Horde!?"

"And helped them form a friendly alliance with the Ilkorts, yes. Now - die!"

Batros screeched, the high-pitch noise rattling Stratos' ears. He tumbled back. Batros snapped forward and made to scratch Stratos. Stratos, however, dove and threw himself into Batros' gut. The screech was cut off and Stratos flipped up and kicked him right in the face.

"Stratos, the force field is going up at your command!" Hawk suddenly announced through the comm-line.

"Four minutes, Hawk!" Stratos answered fast. Before Batros could do anything else, he kicked him in the face and fell back to Avion. "BACK! BACK TO THE CITY!" he cried.

Hundreds of Avions dropped down from their positions, dodging rocks and boulders from the ground and deadly Bats that soared in the sky. They all made for the city, landing on the large balconies that composed of the entire spires and the bridges that stood between them.

Stratos landed just as a blue aura began to appear in an oval shape around the city in the sky. Some of the Bats made it threw, but they were struck down immediately. The force field stabilized. While most of the Avions made it in, the ones left on the other side were either killed immediately by angry Bats or attempted to retreat.

Whatever the case may have been, Stratos wasn't very happy about it.

"I need a roundabout count of just how many were lost and just how many were injured," he began ordering. "The force field will hold out for a long time, but they will try and destroy it. That can not happen. And someone get me King Randor on the most secure station available."

Hordak sat in a throne of bones and skulls, looking quite satisfied with the recent strategy being played out. Before him was a pair of monitors showing Haramesh, leader of the Ilkorts and Batros.

"The force field will hold out for weeks," Batros reported. "Bombarding it will overtax it, but it will take time."

"Attack it at night - from dusk until dawn. Every night," Hordak commanded. "It will wear on the spirits of the Avions. When the force field finally does fall, then they will be too scattered to muster a strong enough will to fight back."

"It will take nearly three weeks to completely destroy the force field is we attack only a few times over the course of the night!" hissed Haramesh.

"We are not ready to fight the Avions full on until we secure more of the Mystic Mountains," Hordak explained. "Our supply lines are currently delivering the necessary equipment to construct a base in the southern regions of the Mystic Mountains. After its construction is complete at the end of next week, the attack on Insectia will commence."

"What of Eternos?" asked Batros.

"That is the business of Calyx. You will be up-dated tomorrow in the morning. Snake Mountain out."

The monitors flickered off and Hordak stood from his throne. His gaze turned towards a window that looked out upon the Horde Troop-filled field below. Thousands of them, standing there - some on stand-by, some on alert. It was at the greatest point, now, this war.

The heavy combat was about to begin. The massacre at South Eternos was to show the Eternians just how powerful the Horde was and to give them a clear warning of things to come. The second battle - at the Borderlands - was one that Hordak had expected. It was logical for Eternos to assume that Hordak had rebuilt from Morgoth's old fortress. That battle, which he knew would be a victory for Eternos, was waged for two sole reasons - the first to test the meddle of Eternos' power; the second was to give them a false sense of dominance.

With Avion now under heavy bombardment and the rest of the Mystic Mountains about to be attacked, the Horde War had truly begun.