Fifteen
Quaedian Village
Prasinus Forest, Eternia
8 June 2017
The building that Frost and his company were led to was as nondescript as those around it. Frost supposed that with a diverse spread of villages strung throughout the forest, it didn't pay to advertise where the king's throne room was located. It made sense to have a throne building near the only entrance into the maze for audiences with outsiders.
Two armored mountains of feline muscle carrying sheathed swords and clutching halberds watched the group with open suspicion as they approached. The guide stepped forward, briefly spoke to the mountain standing to the left of the plain double doors, waved them forward, and pushed the doors inward. Frost led the way with Dhalon and Anyssa on either side of him, and Jake brought up the rear.
Kittrina stood close to the simple wooden throne at the far end. Frost noted that no one else was about in the chamber which was lined with stout pillars supporting the steepled roof. There were no windows or paintings, or any other kind of decorations on the sidewalls, just plenty of torches and oil lamps that did little to chase the gloom entirely away. As they approached, they saw that there was one decoration in the room after all. A huge tapestry of such excellent quality as Frost had never seen even on Earth, adorned the wall behind the throne bearing the crest of the Quaedian people; an animal Frost did not recognize.
Seated upon the hardwood throne was a male feline roughly the five-foot ten-inches high when standing erect. A dented crown missing several jewels and badly in need of polishing capped a shaggy mane of brown fur streaked with gray. While the clothes were as nondescript as the rest of the village, compared to Kittrina's noticeable outfit, and the powerful body starting to stoop just a bit with age, King Carnivus' eyes still shone bright with intelligence unfettered by his advanced years.
Following Frost's lead, the group bowed to the revered ruler of the feline race. Each nodded in turn as Kittrina announced them to the king. King Carnivus looked each human over with a critical eye, taking in everything he saw.
Despite the clear signs of aging, the king's voice, like his eyes, was still strong and vibrant. King Carnivus asked, "What brings such interesting outlanders to my small corner of this land?"
Dhalon spoke up immediately. "My Lord, they have come in search of their companion, who left their company two days ago."
"Is this the same human you discovered in the Evergreen Forest?" the king inquired.
"Yes. He was in pretty bad shape at the time."
Carnivus grunted. "The Horde mind sifter is unforgiving. I understand this man is improving. How is this possible? Some power your people possess?" The king's eyes settled on Jake Rockwell's medallion. "Or is this ability limited to a select few?"
"Um," Jake stammered, unused to speaking to nobility. He hated even speaking to officers above the rank of colonel. "I'm not sure, sire. My friend said it was a long story, and an interesting one, if I know him."
Carnivus adopted a curious expression. "He is awake, then?"
Dhalon nodded. "For a brief time."
"Interesting. I should look forward to speaking with this man once he has recovered," King Carnivus declared. "Now, what brings such extraordinary people to Eternia?"
Frost took a deep breath. This wasn't his area. A diplomat would have been better suited for this, but since one wasn't available, he would have to give it the old collage try.
He began with the arrival of the Horde fleet over two years ago, spoke of the attack on the Horde envoy, which they still believed to be staged, and the resulting retaliations. The arrival of the advanced starship with its lone, enigmatic passenger intrigued King Carnivus. Frost purposely left out the identity of the alien until he reached the part where the Guardian Force was formed. King Carnivus could not mask his surprise at hearing that the Sorceress of Grayskull still existed.
The corporal continued his narration, glossing over the rigorous training and jumped straight into their first mission. King Carnivus listened, politely interrupting only occasionally for clarification of unfamiliar terms. The feline was visibly impressed with their success over the superior Horde force that had pursued them. Even though the victory was largely due to simple blind luck, Carnivus knew from personal experience it was sometimes better to be lucky than good.
News of the mysterious degenerative disease the Sorceress had suffered from concerned the feline ruler. His eyes widened upon hearing of her death, but relaxed suddenly tense muscles as Frost quickly explained what little he knew of the cure they found inside the ancient castle.
"An interesting tale," King Carnivus rumbled. "I am impressed by your daring and ingenuity, but how long do you hope to last against the might of the Horde? The Snake Men alone have proven to be more than we can handle."
"Not if you have allies," Frost countered. "With allies we can take back this world and all the others conquered by the Horde."
King Carnivus' stare bored into Frost. "We had many allies in the days when He-Man and his companions battled Skeletor and the Snake Men. After He-Man left for the future to help an alien world, there was no one left with enough power to prevent King Hiss from conquering the planet. After five years, He-Man returned and eventually took up the fight once more, but the damage was done. Hiss had allies himself with Horde Prime after he was unsuccessful in penetrating Castle Grayskull's magical defenses. That spelled the end for whatever hope remained for freedom in the galaxy."
"So now you hide in your lands defending your people, and wait for the Horde to come for you," Frost snapped angrily. Anyssa placed a warning hand on his shoulder, but he shrugged it away. "Just because He-Man is gone does not mean you give up the fight."
"What would you know of our fight, human?" King Carnivus snarled, his razor-sharp fangs bared. Kittrina took an involuntary step away at the vehemence in Carnivus' voice. "For many years we have fought and died in battle with the Horde and their Snake Men allies. You have no idea what you are doing. Antagonizing the Snake Men will only bring an open war we cannot hope to survive." The feline ruler took a moment to cool his temper before continuing. "Take your companion and go back to whatever world spawned you. Give up this foolish fight before your world is destroyed."
"We'll take our friend," Frost promised, "but we'll return to Castle Grayskull."
"To what end? There is nothing for you on this planet," the king said, confused.
"Grayskull is no longer sealed," Anyssa replied. "How long do you think King Hiss will wait before attacking it? What do you think would happen if he succeeds in acquiring the power of the Elders?"
Frost wheeled about and strode toward the doors. Jake followed close behind. Anyssa and Dhalon followed suit after a moment's hesitation.
"We'll return to Grayskull to defend it from the Snake Men and the Horde," Frost threw over his shoulder.
"And you will die," Carnivus declared, his voice devoid of emotion.
"Then I die. But at least it'll be on my feet with a weapon in my hands rather on my knees with a blade at my throat," Frost fired back acidly.
The guard to the left of the closed doors spat, "You have not been given permission to leave."
"I didn't ask for any," the Marine growled back ready for a fight. Though the feline was about Frost's size, he knew which was likely the stronger. He vowed to at least make the creature's victory a painful one. "You going to move, or do I move you?"
The feline guard was at a loss as to what he should do. The human standing before him had behaved disrespectfully toward his king, but the flip side was that this man was one of those who challenged Hiss' domain and liberated many slaves. Some of them were undoubtedly Quaedians. Before he could make his choice, the doors burst open from without. A haggard feline male in full armor stormed into the throne room, unmindful of the audience that was taking place.
"My Lord, please excuse the interruption." The warrior paused to gulp air and compose himself. "There is a force of approximately twenty Horde troopers outside the gates demanding entry."
The companions looked suddenly concerned. Did the Horde know they were here? Were they not as good at keeping a low profile as they had thought?
"Who leads them?" King Carnivus demanded.
"The mercenary called Blade," the soldier responded.
Frost hissed angrily. "He lied to us. Bastard sold us out to Hiss."
"He didn't," Kittrina said calmly.
The atmosphere changed abruptly with that declaration. The king turned inquiring eyes upon the rogue female warrior. "Explain."
"The night these humans attacked the palace, by sheer coincidence I was leading a strike against a modest Horde arms factory due south of the palace. We lost two in the attack and I led Blade away to allow the others to escape. Blade has been tracking me. That's why he is here," Kittrina explained.
"And the hits just keep on coming," Jake whined.
"Kittrina. Stay here. I will meet with this mercenary and see what he wants," Carnivus declared. Kittrina looked ready to object, but a stern look from him stilled her tongue. He turned his attention to his guests. "And you will accompany me. If he truly is not here for you, then maybe we can work something out."
Frost bristled at the idea of cutting a deal with the Horde, but since he was currently unarmed and did not have a better idea, he decided to go with his host's plan. Until it blew up in their faces, that is.
King Carnivus rose from the throne and led the way with a steady, purposeful stride. Word was sent ahead of him to allow the mercenary and his Horde companion entry. The mercenary did not waste time as the king's party approached the open gates.
"Save it, Carnivus," Blade growled, cutting the feline king off before he could start. "I know the renegade is here." He turned to the troopers, ordering, "Find her."
As the robots spread out to search for their quarry, civilians fled deeper into the forest or slammed doors to their homes. All activity in the area stopped the moment the Horde troops invaded their privacy.
Blade shifted to stand before Frost and his companions. "I thought I told you to never cross my path again."
"And I thought I told you we are searching for a friend. Our search ends here," Frost growled back.
"He's here?" Blade said, returning his attention to King Carnivus. "You are making quite a few poor choices of late, Carnivus. Allowing enemies of the Horde into your realm. Harboring renegades. King Hiss may just have to do something about this bad trend."
"He is welcome to try," King Carnivus replied, fangs bared.
"Forget it, Carnivus. You and your people don't have the stomach for a fight without He-Man around to help you," Blade pointed out acidly.
The being that was not really Kragor turned from the open door to Adrian's shack, lips compressed in a grin line. His mind worked furiously to come up with some way to get his new user out of bed. So far, Adrian just lay there wrapped in blankets ignoring his warnings. That's when the idea struck.
"You ever have one of those days when you wished you took the blue pill instead of the red?" The concept stemmed from one of Adrian's favorite movies. One he referred to from time to time ever since the powered armor had been revived.
Adrian's eyes opened slowly, a bad feeling creeping up the back of his neck. "What," he said as a statement rather than a question.
"Well, you're about to have another one, if you don't get up," the image of Kragor warned.
A commotion somewhere outside finally made up Adrian's mind. Kicking back the blankets, Adrian struggled out of bed. Fortunately, he still wore the black and gray uniform designed for the Guardians, so he was spared any embarrassment. He staggered to the door in time to see a rather striking female Quaedian dragged kicking and screaming from the large building on the other side of the compound. Her hands were locked in metal binders behind her back, and she was thrown roughly to her knees.
A one-eyed man Adrian had never seen before in the flesh, but had seen pictures of, stood before the captive. They exchanged heated words followed by the feline spitting at his feet for which One-eye backhanded her across the faced.
"Not a good sign, is it?" the apparition asked.
"They aren't here for us," Adrian stated mater-of-factly.
"Maybe, but it does look like the others have crossed paths with One-eye before, though."
Adrian looked again, and it was true. Frost and One-eye were exchanging words, followed by a pair of troopers being dispatched in the general direction of Adrian's hut. "Crap."
"Unimaginative, but adequate. I told you before that I can show you the door, but you have to make the choice."
"Another choice," Adrian sighed, depressed.
"Your whole life is full of choices. Sometimes they aren't choices you would like."
"You're big help. Thanks."
The image of Kragor sighed. Never in his long years of slumber on that uncharted moon did he ever imagine he'd be saddled with someone as headstrong and as unpredictable as Adrian Cobretti. It reminded the specter of his previous master who wasn't much older than the present one.
"So what's it going to be?"
Frost winced as Kittrina was dragged from the throne building, but there was nothing he could do with a ring of troopers surrounding them. Anyssa looked equally helpless. Her eyes reflected Frost's desire to act, but the odds against them were too great.
Blade smiled at his long-time rival now kneeling at his feet. "A pity King Hiss wants you alive, Kittrina. What the Snake Men do to their enemies is not a way I'd prefer a warrior to die, but I only do what I'm paid to do."
"Just like a good little minion," Frost sneered.
"That's right. And this minion is going to deliver an added bonus. Free of charge," Blade snapped, making him meaning very clear. "Spread out and find his friend," the mercenary barked to the troopers. "I hear General Rattlor has a real bad interest in your companion, if he is who I think he is. Seems Rattlor has a score to settle."
"Maybe you can sell tickets. Don't forget to pre-sell the movie rights," Jake prodded.
"You won't be so glib when the Snake Men get through with you. If there is anything left, that is." Blade noticed the troopers zeroing in on a specific hut. "Your friend will soon be joining us."
Frost stewed over their bleak situation. While he thought furiously for a way out of this, Frost's eyes roamed the area. They eventually settled on the hut where Adrian lay recuperating. He had to struggle to keep his face a mask of calm dejection at the sight greeting him. A familiar humanoid shape the size of your average bodybuilder stepped back out of the light. Green glowing eyes stared back at him, yellowish razor teeth lay revealed when green lips peeled back, and powerful muscles rippled under dark green flesh. The lamps in the hut were quickly extinguished as the robot troopers approached.
Head still turned toward the hut, Frost shifted only his eyes to regard the smug mercenary. "Oh," Frost replied with a gentle lilt in his voice, "I don't think so…"
Blade was about to ask what Frost meant by that, but was interrupted by a horrific scuffle in the hut. Sounds of heavy impacts floated out through the open door followed closely by the tearing of metal, and the sparking of severed power cables. Pieces of arms and legs flew out to land in puffs of dust on the ground. A domed head, severed cables sparking as they discharged residual energy, landed amid the carnage of metal and plastic.
The troopers outside reacted instantly. Laser fire burned through the walls setting fire to the interior. Something big passed through the fires and smashed its way through the back wall. The firing paused as the robots searched for their elusive target. It appeared briefly in the shaft of torch light between the burning building and its neighbor. A hideous thing standing over six feet in height, dressed in rags which did nothing to cover its powerful upper torso, and the features vaguely resembling a rat stalked away. Laser fire tracked it, but the reaction time was too slow.
Troopers rushed after the creature, but in its wake. Instead they moved down the line of huts looking to cut it off before it could get away. While the robots moved to re-engage, the monstrosity lumbered along the tree line. It came upon a knot of Quaedians huddling in a small niche; a mother and her two children. The mother opened her mouth to scream, but the creature backed away placed a taloned finger to its lips in what it hoped was a universal sign to stay quiet. The mother complied, clutching the frightened and whimpering children closer.
Pounding footsteps drew their attention to corner of the hut. The beast slid up to the edge and waited. At the precise moment the robots bounded around into the blackness, the quarry they sought struck with a vengeance. The first trooper was shoved head-long into a thick tree trunk, crushing the domed head and the computer brain it protected. The second robot skidded to a halt, trying to bring its laser rifle into play. The creature grabbed the arm clutching the pistol grip and yanked. Powerful muscles squeezed, crushing artificial muscles and cables. The robot hurtled away minus the forearm and weapon, spinning into a heap ten feet away. Ditching the severed appendage, the transformed Adrian Cobretti fired several laser bolts into the robot to put it down for good. He dropped the weapon, morphed into a more suitable form right before the horrified eyes of the cowering natives, and took off like some grotesque spider with long, thin appendages, three-fingered hands, an impossibly elongated head, and a notched tail ending in a wicked tip.
Blade saw the new monster a split second before it sailed at full speed from the roof of the hut to land on top of a trooper, destroying it instantly. Three-fingered hands and spiked tail slashed, stabbed, and tripped up troopers in droves. Frost landed in powerful right cross to Blade, grabbed Dhalon, and ordered everyone to make a break for the path deeper into the forest. He snatched a discarded laser rifle with a bladed end where the butt stock should be and slipped the razor edge between Kittrina's bound wrists. The stout leather parted easily with in swift flick.
"Our weapons," Frost demanded. "Where are they?"
The female outlaw cast a furtive glance to King Carnivus, who nodded grimly. Kittrina led the way back down the path to the next small knot of buildings. Jake Rockwell backpedaled at a slower pace. He tapped the medallion hanging from its silver chain to activate his armor. The pursuers paused at Jake's startling transformation from human male into armored war machine. Twin-barreled gatling canons snapped out and around to where he could easily grasp the firing handles. He zeroed in on the leader of the robot force as he was recovering from Frost's punch, and gently squeezed the firing levers.
A buzz saw whine shattered the silence as plasma bolts ripped into the dirt. Jake wasn't trying to take them on alone; instead, he merely delayed the enemy long enough for his companions to retrieve their weapons and even the odds. In the sputtering flash of plasma fire, Jake saw the Alien take down another trooper when a troop transport soared in over the battlefield. Jake couldn't stay any longer when the ship opened up on him. The distraction was enough for the creature to leapfrog across the field to the throne building, and scramble up the side like some weird spider. Once on the roof, it watched as Jake continued to backpedal, alternating his fire between the troops on the ground and those in the air trying to pin him down. Jake's plan suddenly became clear. He was drawing the carrier in so Adrian could do something about it. Lucky for them the Horde robots were obliging by shedding altitude. In moments the craft was well within leaping distance of Adrian's transformed body.
A brief running start and a flex of powerful inhuman muscles shot the creature into the yawning troop door. The pilots perceived their danger when several troopers were flung out the open hatches. They saw the monstrosity stalking forward from the troop bay and turned back to the flight controls. The ship veered toward the towering gates to the Quaedian village when the creature reached the cockpit.
Jake watched as the ship turned away after disgorging several unwilling troopers. The steady flight abruptly became erratic and occasional flashes could be seen in the open starboard hatch. An insect-like form leapt through that orifice as the ship crossed over the gates. Moments later a fireball blossomed somewhere beyond followed by a thundering explosion. Satisfied that his friend was still in one piece, Jake stowed his canons, spun about, and sprinted off after his companions.
Adrian tore apart one pilot and enough of the controls to cripple the ship. His work done, Adrian turned for the open starboard hatch. He timed his leap just right and dove as the dying carrier crossed over the gates. Adrian landed heavier than he had intended and not at all where he wanted. His abrupt appearance had knocked several warriors over the rail. Two managed to climb back up and run the other direction, but the third dangled precariously without any way to get back up without assistance.
The Quaedian panicked when the black wraith leaned through the lower horizontal bars and reached out for him. Since Adrian could not speak in this form he jerked his hand out to the frightened feline. And second jerk, and the warrior's hands slipping from his precarious perch, was enough for him to take a chance.
In-human hands slapped forearms after several failed attempts to connect. Adrian heaved as the warrior's grip on the outcropping of wood finally gave way. He swung to the right and then was whipped back to the left using momentum to assist in getting the feline back up to the walkway. Adrian had to repeat the swing a second time before the warrior had enough momentum to make it. Once safely back up on the walkway, the pair crouched there looking one another over.
Adrian broke the moment by gesturing for the feline to take cover. His second gesture to the unresponsive warrior was punctuated by a shout from the ground quickly followed by intense laser fire. The Quaedian bolted south along the walkway while Adrian sprinted north toward the bland palace structure. Once close enough, he executed a soaring leap to the roof, and off into the treetops.
Blade ordered a cease-fire once the monster was out of sight. Several troopers started to pursue, but he ordered them back. Instead, he ordered the second assault carrier to ground outside. The remaining troopers pulled the doors open to allow the reinforcements entry.
"Send in the drones," Blade growled to his designated command trooper.
A full dozen battle drones marched through the gates in column formation until they reached the trail winding deeper into the forest. The unarmed scout took the lead while the remaining units formed up fifteen paces behind. All eleven were armed only with a single weapons pod attached at the right elbow. All were alert and searching for the enemy they knew to be hiding somewhere ahead.
Kittrina lead the group to a nondescript shack in the knot of buildings that was the next in a long string of clearings in the forest. Frost was shocked when the feline warrior simply pushed the door open and turned to light an oil lamp hanging inside near the door. King Carnivus explained that security measures for weapons were not required because all Quaedians were instructed in their use from an early age. This gave Carnivus' people the added advantage of being able to defend their homelands down to the last man, woman, and child. Frost likened it to his history lessons on Earth's Second World War where the United States had to find a different way to end the Pacific War without invading the Japanese home islands; islands which would have been defended in the same way.
Antone and Anyssa wasted no time in reclaiming their weapons. Frost slung the pulse rifle across his back, and checked out the sniper rifle. Anyssa removed the cap on a quiver of arrows and slung the contained across her back to where she could snatch an arrow from over the right shoulder. Frost finished his check just in time to watch his companion remove a compact contraption from a worn leather case. At the touch of a button, the devise unpacked itself from around a curious handle. In moments, a compound bow with string set at the desired tension was ready for battle.
Antone whistled appreciatively. "Sweet. Adrian loves bows. I'm pretty sure he would want one of those."
"Why don't we save this for another day?" Anyssa replied, with a sly grin. She pulled on a leather guard for the left arm, and a glove with only the middle and ring finger protected on the right hand.
"No well-dressed archer should be without one," Frost persisted, flashing his trademark cocky grin.
Anyssa left the hut and joined Jake at the edge of the clearing. Jake was scanning the gloomy train using his suit's powerful sensors. So far, all was quiet.
"I hope someone has a good idea," Jake said grimly. He caught them up on what Adrian had done before either of them had been forced to retreat.
Frost just shook his head. "For a guy who doesn't like what he has become, Adrian sure knows how to get a party started."
"Taught him everything I know," Jake declared proudly.
"That couldn't have taken very long," Anyssa interjected flatly. "Now, about the Horde?"
"Oooo. This could be a fair fight, after all. And who wants that?" Jake replied, sobering up.
Frost hissed a quiet curse. "Let me guess. Battle drones."
"Yup," Jake confirmed, watching the machines march steadily toward them in his visor's artificial display. "Hope you remembered to bring along some of Gabe's drone remedies."
"Yup," the corporal answered, making a sour face. He explained to Anyssa, "One of our scientists came up with caseless ballistic rounds of Etherium. Unfortunately, we only have a limited supply. The alloy is too difficult for our science to make in any great quantity."
The trio spread out to take up defensive positions overlooking the dimly lighted path. Jake settled back into the trees on the right. Anyssa and Frost took positions on the left in between the first two buildings. Anyssa loaded an arrow while Frost slapped a magazine painted with a red band into the receiver of the sniper rifle, snapped back the charging lever, and let it slam forward, chambering the first round.
Waiting was always the worst part, and the slow march of the battle drones only made it worst. At least Carnivous and Kittrina had something to do. They were arming every warrior in this clearing, and ushering the residents to either barricade themselves in their homes, or flee to the next clearing in the chain.
Frost had the sudden realization as to why this little kingdom still existed. Because the Horde would have to fight from one clearing to the next until they reached the end of the chain, the only other option available would have been an orbital bombardment. He also realized any serious engagement against any race on Eternia may provoke a renewed alliance like the one King Randor built in the years prior to He-Man leaving to help the beleaguered planet Primus. Such an alliance would prove very problematic for King Hiss.
Trouble was, how did one bring one-time allies back together again to take up the fight once more?
Frost shook off that line of thought. It wasn't his area of expertise. His job was to find the enemy and kill it. Antone was damn good at his job. He returned his attention to the trail connecting this clearing with the entrance area, and nearly jumped out of his skin.
There, standing just inside the clearing, was a scout-model battle drone. The red sensor above the visor plate took in all the activity. No telling how long the blasted thing had been standing there, but the damage was done.
"Scout!" Frost shouted, snapping the rifle up to his shoulder.
No one got the chance to fire as a large, black insect launched itself from the treetops, and slammed head-long into the scout's armored chest plate with enough force to unbalance the machine's gyros. Machine and assailant toppled to the ground in a tangle of arms and legs. Sensing the danger to its existence, the drone lashed out with its hands in a futile attempt to bat the attacker away.
By the same token, the Alien could not get in a solid strike because of the robot's flailing hands. The creature took several blows to the head and shoulders, and the spiked tail did little more than make shallow dents in the machine's armor. Rearing up, the alien morphed into the carapace body of the syngenor, snapped out twin bone claws that were much harder than any bone could ever be, and plunged them deep into the drone's chest. Armored arms and legs shuddered for several seconds before easing to the ground.
The syngenor stood up, retracted its deadly weapons, and backed away. Reverting to human form, Adrian admonished Jake, "You're getting sloppy, Rockwell."
Armor activated in the amazing transformation that left any Quaedian in sight dumbfounded, Adrian moved to an ideal position from which he could draw enemy fire away from his companions allowing them to catch the machines in a crossfire.
Battle drones began emerging from the trail in pairs. As soon as the structures came into their sights the drones opened up with a withering barrage of laser fire. Their intent appeared to be to set fire to anything that would burn.
Frost snapped his rifle up, took aim at the drone to the right, and blasted a single round into its chest. Sparks erupted behind the chest plate marking the demise of the robot's central processing unit. Machines marching up from behind simply shoved their dead companion out of the way to make room for the march to continue forward.
Anyssa slammed an arrow into the chest of the drone on the left. The shaft punched completely through the lead machine to bury itself deep in the chest of the one immediately behind it. Both were unceremoniously shoved aside to make room for those bringing up the rear.
"My people learned economical ways of forging and casting Etherium long ago," Anyssa explained, flashing a slight smile, and drawing another arrow.
"When this is over, we need to talk," Frost replied, blasting another drone.
Adrian raised the plasma rifle to add his firepower to the defense of the village. He almost squeezed the trigger when his external speakers picked up feminine wails somewhere behind him. He whirled about, spotted the mother and two children, who had been too slow in taking cover, as laser bolts began raining down on their immediate area. Without thinking, Adrian crossed the thirty feet separating them in four quick strides, laser bolts splashing against his back. He scooped the Quaedians up, took another two steps to the front door of an abandoned shack, and slammed his right arm against it. The door jam shattered instantly, and the door swung inward hanging askew on warped hinges.
Adrian gently shoved his charges inside. "Stay here. You'll be safe," he advised.
"Who are you?" the cowering Quaedian whimpered.
Adrian did his best to sound non-threatening despite the terrifying look of his battle armor. "A friend," he replied, sounding as friendly as possible despite the external speaker's inability to convey the emotion.
More laser fire splashed against his armor followed closely by the terrifying sounds of railguns discharging. White corkscrew trails marked the flight paths of those lethal projectiles as the machines zeroed in on the most dangerous target in their sights. The neutronium shield deflected rounds harmlessly away while Adrian locked targeting sights of the nearest drone.
Can you ratchet down the discharge so that it only destroys the target?
Don't know, the suit's AI responded, not sounding confident. I've never tried that.
Look. You want me to accept our pairing and all that comes with it. Fine. You gotta meet me half way, Adrian thought to the reluctant machine. You never know what you can do until you try.
Very well.
The mental exchange last but a second, but the results were spectacular. A smooth squeeze of the rifle's trigger unleashed a powerful blast that vaporized the targeted drone without doing anything more than scorching the surfaces of a few nearby trees.
More laser fire and railgun slugs ripped through the war zone. Anyssa and Frost were forced to abandon their position in the face of a coordinated railgun assault while the remaining troop carrier added its fire from above. Jake sent mental commands to extend the armatures to position the twin gatling canons where he could bring them to bear on the enemy - but nothing happened!
"Jake! We need a little help here," Frost shouted over the dim of battle.
"My suit won't function. I can't make it do anything!" an agitated Jake Rockwell snapped.
Adrian's voice came across the tactical net the powered armor shared. "Jake. The suits are more than just weapons of war. They are living weapons of war. Threat him as such."
Jake left the real world without any warning whatsoever. A man about Jake's height, sporting a similar stocky build and rugged facial features, green eyes, and a full head of sandy blonde hair was the only other occupant in this white void.
"Who are you?" Jake demanded, irritably. He didn't have time for this.
"You know who I am, Jake Rockwell," the man replied in a neutral voice. "Search your memories."
"I don't have time for this! My friends need me!"
"Make the time!" the man fired back testily. "You have been ignoring the obvious for long enough. You have been ignoring us for long enough."
"You're the armor?" Jake said, dumbfounded. He vaguely remembered Cabe saying something about rudimentary intelligence in the armor software.
As if the man had read Jake's thoughts, he replied, "Oh, there is nothing rudimentary about us. Not anymore. We have evolved. We are aware. And we want to fight as much as you, but not as tools."
"Then what? I mean, if you are intelligent machines, what do you want?"
The figure approached until they stood less than a foot apart. "I am an extension of you, and you are an extension of me. We fight together. Two acting as one. That's what the experiment was."
"What experiment? What are you talking about?" Jake demanded, totally confused.
"Later. Do you agree?"
Jake gave the only answer possible, though he knew not why. "Yes. Yes. Let's get through this battle. Then I'll listen to what you have to say."
The man's green eyes continued to bore into Jake for a few heartbeats, and then he cracked a big, toothy grin. "Agreed. Now, let's go kill some robots!"
Reality snapped back into focus for Jake. Nothing had changed from the moment he had left it. In fact, according to his suit's chronometer, barely a second had passed. He didn't have time to think about it, however, as the twin gatling canons were extended out to the firing position. Jake grasped the trigger handles and tracked the hovering trooper carrier. Plasma bursts arched harmlessly into the night sky as the nimble machine darted away to Jake's left.
"Good to see you back in the game," Adrian replied, pointing his rifle skyward. "Get ready to throw the dog a bone."
Jake knew what that meant; they had practiced the maneuver enough. Adrian bracketed the annoying craft in his sights, knowing it would dart away the moment he fired. His medium-powered blast just missed as the Horde craft darted back to the east – right into Jake's waiting volley. The buzz saw sound characteristic of his weapons pierced the air. Plasma bolts lit the night as they sought the floating prey. The assault carrier evaded Adrian's attack right into Jake's fire just as they practiced it. Lethal energy bolts slammed into the armor, melting gapping holes in the plates, laying bare vital mechanical and electrical innards to the trailing plasma fire. The craft exploded well north of the village, where the flaming debris rained harmlessly down into thick clumps of trees.
The last four drones out of the original twelve entered the clearing, raining laser fire and railgun slugs down on the defenders. Jake blew one apart with a withering burst from his right canon assembly. Frost and Anyssa each dropped a drone. Adrian leaped into the air; wings spread and backpack thrusters firing. The drone's targeting computer tried to compensate, but its opponent was just too quick.
Adrian landed in front of the machine, too close for it to employ the weapons pod. His armor shrank down to a more form-fitting version of itself. Cylinders ten inches long and a little over two inches in diameter dropped into his palms. A snap-hiss from each devise marked the materialization of three-foot blades of pure energy. Blades thrummed the air as Adrian deftly whirled them about. The pattern ended with the sabers crossed at the machines throat. A quick backward snap of his arms severed the head. As the armored head bounced away like a basketball, the drone's body literally fell apart along the severing lines he made with the saber dance.
Frost, Anyssa, Jake, and a disgruntled Dhalon approached as the sabers were closed down. The battle was over for the moment. The troopers who had been following the battle drones retreated when the last one fell. Unfortunately, the only way out was straight ahead. Carnivus and Kittrina joined them.
"They're waiting for us," Frost said unnecessarily.
"Blade won't leave without a fight," Anyssa added.
"Blade, huh?" Adrian said, thinking back to the intelligence reports stolen from the Horde. He winced as a lightning flash of pain seared through his brain.
"You okay?" Jake asked, concerned his friend was not totally recovered.
"Fine," Adrian growled. "I think it's time the Blade and I met on a more personal level."
Frost opened his mouth to object, but an elbow to the ribs from Anyssa stopped him. Hohiro had specifically warned them against engaging the mercenary in personal battle because the man was extremely deadly with his swords.
"How?" Dhalon grunted.
"Oh, I'll just walk right out through this path," Adrian answered, transforming once more. Heavy footfalls preceded him.
"Ballsy," Frost said grimly to his friend's back. "Stupid, but ballsy."
Blade was joined by new arrivals delivered by an unarmed transport. Evil-Lyn, Beast Man, Tri Klops, Trapjaw, and Clawful entered the compound with six more troopers. The mercenary winced at the flaming destruction of the second assault transport. He knew the sound of a gatling canon when he heard it. Blade carefully masked any further reaction to the raging battle from the minions around him. Showing weakness to any of them, especially Evil-Lyn, could be dangerous.
Retreating troopers marked a temporary end to the fighting, and marked the demise of all twelve battle drones. An explanation was demanded from the lead trooper, identified by a red fin on the domed head.
"We had to retreat. They have an army waiting in there," the robot reported.
"Oh, I doubt that," Evil-lyn scoffed. "More likely there are only a few fighters and you let yourselves get beaten by them."
Tri Klops switched from one eye sensor to the next, trying different systems to locate the enemy. The last setting he used was magnification, and spotted the most bizarre thing he'd ever seen. The only reason he spotted it at all was because of the glowing silver, egg-shaped eyes starring back at him.
Beast Man sensed the creature's presence, and Trapjaw gave a shout of warning.
"What is that?" Blade hissed.
Enhancing her vision, Evil-Lyn replied, "It's him. The changeling." She shuddered, remembering the last time she had seen this form and the damage it had done to General Rattlor.
"He's mine," Blade growled, drawing both swords.
As the combatants approached one another, Frost, Anyssa, Dhalon, and the rest emerged from the trail with weapons at the ready. Tri Klops drew his sword, Beast Man prepared his whip, and Trapjaw reconfigured his mechanical right arm into a powerful claw.
Clawful charged at Frost, taking him by surprise and not allowing him a chance to get off a shot at the hulking crab-like creature with his pulse rifle. Huge claws snapped at him repeatedly. Frost knew if he got caught just once by those pincers, it would be all over. Frost found himself backed up against the trees with nowhere left to go. He ducked under a punch aimed at his head, and dodged to his left. Clawful twisted and drew back his right pincer for a powerful stroke aimed at ending this. An Etherium shaft darted in, pierced the pincer, and pinned it to a tree. Surprised, Clawful brought the other pincer around to try to free the trapped appendage, but another Etherium shaft slammed home, pinning that claw back.
Anyssa kept a weary eye on Evil-Lyn, who was doing the same. Both remembered their last encounter. She kept troopers at bay while Frost slid his right hand forward on the rifle to the firing lever for the grenade launcher. The first trooper caught a ten-millimeter grenade square in the chest, and blew apart. He pumped the cocking slide to jack the next round into the chamber. A second robot exploded near the first ten meters away. A third machine quickly fell in a fiery demise.
Clawful had been spouting curses and promising a painful death as soon as he got free of the arrows pinning his pincers. Having more than an earful of the mouthy creature, Frost reloaded the launcher, pumped the slide, jacked in one more grenade, walked over to the foul crab, and jammed the pulse rifle's muzzle into Clawful's gapping mouth.
"One pull of this trigger and we'll all find out what a pretty picture a grenade will make of your head, if you don't shut up!" Frost growled venomously.
Dhalon hacked away at several troopers on his way to engage Trapjaw. He evaded the massive clawed appendage deftly, and replied with a strike near the elbow with his battleaxe. The axe did no damage to the hardened alloy, however. Trapjaw chuckled and swept the annoying Quaedian aside, but Dhalon wasn't that easy to get rid of. He rolled to his feet and sprang back at the half-man, half-machine minion of the Horde. The Quaedian's sudden flurry of strikes drove Trapjaw backwards. Trapjaw realized he would have to deal with Dhalon before he could help out Clawful. Evil-Lyn moved to help him, but Anyssa mirrored the witch's moves with an arrow at the ready. Based on the speed with which Anyssa had fired at Clawful, Evil-Lyn had no doubt the warrior woman could launch an arrow at her if she even thought about erecting a magical shield.
Tri Klops and Beast Man moved in on Jake Rockwell. Normally, Jake liked two to one odds, but these two opponents were no slouches. With Blade and Adrian focused on one another, and no one daring to get in their way, Jake would have to deal with them himself. The pair rushed Jake simultaneously, but only one got through. A blur of brown fur and blue cloth dove from above and behind the Guardian to slam into the burly Tri Klops. Beast Man collided with Jake, taking them both to the ground.
Jake threw the king of beasts away and rolled onto one side to get back to his feet. The armor was durable, mobile and hostile, but it was only so flexible in full combat mode. Nevertheless, Jake dished out what he got. Beast Man flailed at the armored warrior with his whip, which was tantamount to smacking a battleship with a flyswatter. Jake made short work of the whip by catching it, ripping it from Beast Man's hands, and tearing it to pieces. In response, Beast Man snapped out the three-inch claws stowed in each fingertip, and charged his enemy. If he couldn't hurt Jake with the whip, he'd try the more personal approach.
Kittrina and Tri Klops waged their own battle amid the clash and clang of swords. Despite his muscular physique, Tri Klops was hard pressed to gain an advantage on his opponent. She was quick with strikes, parries, and thrusts all designed to keep him off balance. All the while, Kittrina steadily pushed him away from any help his companions could offer.
Adrian and Blade stared one another down in the middle of the battlefield. The creature snapped out twin bone claws in response to Blade's drawn swords. Blade thought simple bone was no match for his steel blades. He launched into a dizzying array of twirls and swings designed to confuse opponents until it was too late when the real strike landed. Moving with a dexterity no one would have believed possible in a creature's design such as this, the syngenor blocked all of Blade's attacks with forearms and forelegs. Sparks flew at each impact, and the steel blades sang the unique siren song when steel impacts steel.
That's not possible! Blade thought furiously. No carapace is that strong!
Adrian took the next overhead strike between the left arm claws. The sword scrapped down their length and slammed into the curled fist without doing anything but throwing off a pretty shower of sparks. He took a swipe at the mercenary aimed for the soft belly, but the man leapt backward out of the way. Blade returned the favor by making a stab for the thin gap along the left side where the front and back carapace plates met. Adrian deftly twisted away from the blade, letting it whistle by under his arm. He clamped a powerful hand down on Blade's, took a twisting step backward, and pulled the man with him.
Adrian used the momentum to sling the mercenary away from him, ripping the sword from Blade's hand in the process. Blade yelped in surprise that he'd lost the weapon so easily. When his opponent twirled it up to the ready position, Blade had a momentary stab of fear it would be used against him. Instead, the creature grasped the sword at the guard with the left hand, and then gripped the blade a foot in from the tip with the right hand. Those watching witnessed a further sample of the true power Adrian Cobretti commanded regardless of what form he took. Powerful muscles rippled beneath the carapace armor, and in a flash, snapped the steel blade clean in half roughly in the middle of its length. Throwing the pieces away behind him, Adrian stalked his prey once more.
The entire group of battles ended with a beaten Beast Man being thrown to ground at Evil-Lyn's feet. Tri Klops had been expertly relieved of his sword by Kittrina and chased toward the witch. Clawful finally managed to free himself, but Frost was too quick in getting away. Instead, he found himself staring down the shaft of an Etherium arrow, and wisely backed off. Evil-Lyn was a non-factor with Anyssa watching her like a hawk looking for any reason to put an arrow or two in her.
And Blade? Blade lost his other sword, which Adrian promptly snapped in half like the first. He grabbed fistfuls of tunic, and slammed the mercenary up against a massive gate door. Reverting to human form with the armor reduced to its more nimble form-fitting configuration, Adrian dangled the man a full foot above the ground.
"What are you?" Blade choked out. Not since battling He-Man had he been so soundly beaten.
"Relax, Blade. I'm not going to kill you," Adrian said between the occasional barks of Frost's pulse rifle. "I want you to go back to your master and tell him the Guardians have returned. The time of the Evil Horde is over. It's our time, now."
Adrian threw Blade in the direction of the gathered minions of King Hiss. No one caught him, and he landed hard in the dirt. Kittrina stepped forward and snapped her left arm out. Tri Klops' sword impaled the ground between his splayed feet, causing him to jerk back in surprise. Frost blasted the last trooper into robot oblivious, and turned his sights on the evil warriors.
"Get out of here. Go tell Hiss what I told you!" Adrian barked, transforming his armor into full battle mode. To goad the defeated warriors along, he aimed the plasma rifle in their general direction, gave them a moment to realize what he intended and then began snapping off low power blasts into the ground.
They retreated like a spooked herd of buffalo stampeding for the unarmed transport. The shocktrooper pilots lifted off immediately and tore off across the night sky, heading north.
Adrian deactivated his armor completely, and leaned heavily against the gate. The toll taken on him by the constant battle had been worse than he had feared. The damage done by the mind sifter had not been completely repaired. The fighting only aggravated the damage to the point where even with the use of the armor's amazing abilities; it would not be enough to heal him again.
"We're making friends fast around here," Frost commented dryly. "Hey, you all right? You don't look so good."
"No," Adrian answered, grimacing as another stab of pain struck. "We'll have to leave before they decide to come back in larger numbers."
Anyssa and Jake took charge of Adrian and helped him out past the massive wall. Frost turned to regard King Carnivus, Kittrina, and the small group of warriors gathering.
"So what's it going to be, Your Majesty?"
The companions watched as the gates closed with a heavy thump and the massive locking bolts were slid into place. Carnivus repeated that he would not antagonize King Hiss. Kittrina admitted that Frost and his friends had spirit, complimented them on their fighting skill, but said she would not join them. The Quaedian people would maintain their isolation in the hope of weathering the storm.
"Well, I guess we're back to square one," Frost sighed.
"The Guardians cannot fight this war alone," Adrian said weakly. "Even the Guardian Force won't last long once the Horde decides we are a serious threat."
"Well, you've got us," Frost replied.
"Who else do you need?" Anyssa added, grinning.
"Indeed," Dhalon declared.
Adrian cast a faint smile. "Well, it's a start."
Jake hissed a curse, staring off to the north. "Here we go again."
"Jake, you fight this one. I'm a little tucked out," Adrian said, sinking to the tall grass.
A pair of lights high in the night sky was rapidly approaching. It was too soon for King Hiss' minions to be returning for a rematch, unless reinforcements had already been on the way. The group waited anxiously as the craft slowly drew closer. Soon a sound could be heard riding in on the wind.
Adrian's head came up as his brain processed the sound's pitch. He and Frost looked at each other, saying in unison, "Dropship."
Indeed it was a dropship. It didn't take the pilot long to locate them and bath them the ship's spotlights. The craft cruised in lightly, stabilized, and settled to the ground twenty yards away. The engines throttled back to idle, but were not shut down. The companions made their way to the aft boarding ladder where a familiar female awaited them.
"Damn, you're a sight for sore eyes!" Jake exclaimed, grinning broadly.
Lieutenant Feril replied, "You're always a sight, Rockwell. Let's get aboard. We have to get back to Grayskull immediately."
"How did you find us?" Frost asked, fearing he already knew the answer.
"That Kodec Ungor person told us where to start searching. All we really had to do was follow the explosions," Feril answered with a rye smile. "You just can't do anything quietly, can you?" She looked around him at Anyssa and Dhalon.
"Why the rush?" Frost demanded, after introducing Feril to Anyssa and Dhalon.
She didn't have time for this, and Adrian looked like he was in dire need of medical assistance. "We received information that King Hiss is going to attack Castle Grayskull the day after tomorrow. His goal will be simple: capture the castle for himself, or destroy it so no one else can have it."
"And here I thought things couldn't get any worst," Jake said bitterly.
"Let's go!" Feril ordered. "I don't want to be in the air when those Horde transports start bringing down whatever they plan to through at us. We can get Cobra medical attention at the castle, too."
"What for?" Adrian snapped. "The Sorceress is gone. What chance do we really have?"
Feril and Frost exchanged stunned looks. In all the commotion, no one had taken the time to tell him what had taken place in his absence.
"She's not gone. Her body died, yes, but her soul, spirit, or whatever you want to believe in, was trapped in the castle while her body was repaired," Frost explained while an impatient Feril fidgeted.
"Don't play with me, Antone."
"I'm not! I saw her returned to us by the castle," Frost protested.
Anyssa added, "Kodec Ungor was preparing to finish what the castle started when I joined in the search for you."
They speak the truth, Adrian, Adrian's armor replied in his tormented brain.
And you know this – how?
I have contacted the Falcon armor, and she confirmed it; the Sorceress lives. She can help you.
An oval began to materialize off the nose of the dropship. It stabilized into the shape they had seen the Sorceress create a time or two. Adrian turned toward the portal cocking his head, as if listening to someone only he could hear. The others slowly boarded the ship, but Adrian hung back.
"What is it?" Frost asked cautiously.
"I can't go back with you. Not yet."
"Hey, look. I didn't come all this way looking for you only to go back empty-handed," Frost declared. "Whatever is wrong with you can be fixed at Grayskull."
"No," Adrian said, shaking his head. He looked back at the portal. "I need to do this. I can't explain why, but I feel it's necessary to walk through that portal."
"You don't know who or what is on the other side of that," Feril protested.
Adrian agreed, "No. I don't, but I get the impression there is no malice by whoever is there."
Frost blew out a resigned sigh. He knew he couldn't change Adrian's mind, especially when he knew he had to do something. Frost waggled a finger at his friend. "You better be there when we need you."
"I'll be there," Adrian promised, relieved this wouldn't be a fight.
He watched his friends board the dropship, raise the ramp, and take-off. He continued to watch into the ship was long out of sight in the night sky. Alone now except for the sentient armor, Adrian turned and, after a moment's hesitation, walked boldly through the portal.
Up on the massive Quaedian defensive wall, King Carnivus and Kittrina watched what had just taken place. Of course, the people from Earth were too far away to hear anything, but the body language said most of what they wanted to know. King Carnivus remained adamant that they should not get involved. However, as he walked away, Kittrina was not so sure just how much he really meant it.
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