Chapter 13: The Jaws of Death
Dragstor stuttered, "I.. I have never lost a race before!"
"First time for everything," Road Queen said softly, her throat still sore from the amount of dust she had taken in.
"You only won by a few seconds." Dragstor stated firmly. "That's difficult to accept. Once I've made some modifications to myself you owe me a rematch."
Road Queen allowed herself to smirk at this. "Some other time. I've won fair and square. Now step aside. I'm taking Adora and leaving. As we agreed."
"You will not be taking Adora away from here." Dragstor said slowly.
Road Queen seethed and drew her laser pistol. "I should have known you'd double cross me."
"That was not what I meant." Dragstor said calmly. He did not seem to be intimidated in the least by the fact that Road Queen had both her gun and the Sword of Protection poised for attack.
"So what? Are you saying you're not going to stop me but you don't expect me to get past the other Hordesmen?"
Dragstor shook his head. "I would not think to suggest that given what you have just proven yourself capable of.
"Then what makes you say I won't be taking Adora away from here?"
"Simply that Adora isn't here herself."
Road Queen gawked at him in disbelief. "And you didn't see fit to mention this before we wasted all that time racing?"
"As the odds did not favor your winning the race, no."
Road Queen snarled, "The deal was if I won I got Adora back. Since I beat you, if she's not here you are obligated to tell me where she is!"
Dragstor paused as though considering this. "Technically I don't see how that is the case, but very well. Adora has been taken to the ancient ruins for her execution."
"Then that's where I'm going," Road Queen said as she placed the sword back in her coat and mounted her bike. She did however keep her gun out and trained on Dragstor the whole time.
"If I get there and discover you lied to me…"
"Don't be foolish," Dragstor scoffed. "I have no need to lie. Don't you know what's out there? What lurks in those ruins?"
"I know. The Beast Monster."
Dragstor's eyes shot open in shock. "And yet you still plan on going? Even if Adora hasn't been killed already the odds of both of you escaping alive…"
"I've already shown you that I'm one for beating the odds," Road Queen said. "Besides, I have to do this."
"But why?"
"You wouldn't understand," she said. "It's a little thing called loyalty."
"I know of loyalty!" Dragstor shouted.
Road Queen scoffed, "No you don't. You proclaim loyalty to Hordak but that's just blind obedience. Real loyalty is something entirely different."
"Then explain it to me."
"Even if I had the time I couldn't do it. In truth I don't fully understand it myself. But I can tell you this; if you were truly loyal to the Horde not only would you have gone back on our deal, you wouldn't have even bothered racing me."
With that Road Queen took off on her bike leaving Dragstor to ponder both her words, and why this young woman seemed to be having a strange effect on him. Something about her made him want to help her. Something … familiar.
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Adora frantically fought with the ropes binding her wrists. Panic was overtaking her, but one could hardly fault that. She could hear the Beast Monster growing ever closer by the second and had to get out of sight before it found her.
"Come on!" she shouted then immediately bit her lip, realizing she had just vocally given away her position.
Indeed at that moment the Beast Monster came into view from behind the old ruins. Adora couldn't help but whimper slightly at the sight of the voracious creature. The monster craned its long neck around and sniffed the air. Supposedly the beast's eyesight and hearing were not terribly great but its sense of smell was very astute. It knew its prey was close.
Adora desperately worked on the last strands holding her. Cutting and tugging at the ropes hoping to break them by either means. Just then the creature turned its head in her direction, paused, and let out a low growl. There was no doubt now. It had seen her. What's more, it apparently could tell she wasn't able to flee as it walked towards her at a slow menacing pace.
Adora did not scream. It wasn't that she didn't want to- just the opposite. So great was her terror that she could not emit any audible sound as the fierce reptile closed in it reared back its head preparing to strike. At that moment the ropes binding Adora finally broke. The princess dove out of the way just as the Beast Monster lunged forward to bite and its jaws closed around the wooden pole instead of her body.
The Monster bellowed in anger and shook it's head half flinging, half spitting the splintered wood away. Imagine expecting a nice meaty treat and instead getting a mouth full of old wood. Adora, meanwhile, was doing her best to run to safety but the most she could manage was a hobble as she was only wearing one boot. The beast's enormous size worked slightly to her advantage for the moment though as it had to clumsily shift its entire body around in order to pursue her.
However, once it had turned the tables turned. The creature took only a few steps forward before stopping. Adora glanced back over her shoulder to check why it had stopped and noticed it hunching down and stretching out its neck past her. She turned back just in time to see what it had done. The beast's serpentine neck had allowed it to stretch out in front of her then turn its head back around facing her. Adora barely managed to come to a stop and turn back before she ran right into the creature's open mouth.
As it was the jaws snapped shut around her still booted foot. Luckily the creature had only so much flexibility in its neck and turned its head back around to the front before lifting it up. While this did mean Adora was dragged across the ground, it also bought her the time to twist and struggle free. Her boot had become wedged between the monster's teeth but Adora was able to wiggle her foot loose so that as the beast lifted it's head up her boot slipped off and she fell back to the ground now completely barefoot.
As the Beast Monster clawed at its teeth, trying to dislodge the irritating item, Adora scrambled up and ran for cover. Quickly she spotted the remains of what had once been an enclosed archway. Rubble had piled up around the entrance but there was a small opening just large enough for her to squeeze through. Inside however she found it to be a dead end with no other way out.
Within seconds the monster had closed in on her location and was attempting to reach in with its claws and pull her out. Adora backed up as far as she could go staying just out of range. Luckily the opening was far too small for the creature to get to her. She was safe for the moment but she was cornered and the Beast Monster was not going to give up so easily.
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Hordak sat on his throne with his head buried in his hands. It was over as far as he could see. Adora was lost and soon Caries would be filing the report to Horde Prime that would be the end of his rule. The dark lord strained his brain trying to think of something, anything, that could get him out of this situation.
He might be able to save his position if he eliminated Caries before she sent in her report. But what was the point now? Without Adora everything he had been planning and biding his time for was ruined. It would only be a matter of time before Horde Prime got rid of him anyway.
As the inspector entered the room Hordak suddenly found a glimmer of purpose. If nothing else he would have the pleasure of eliminating this detestable woman for all she had done to him.
"So have you filed your report yet?" he asked, not bothering to fake respect anymore.
"No not yet," Caries smirked, apparently drawing pleasure from prolonging Hordak's misery. "I'm waiting for the execution squad to get back with confirmation of Adora's death. After that everything will be in order."
"You've made a grave mistake in having her killed," Hordak snarled. "One that you will not live to regret."
A look of puzzlement overtook Caries. "You do realize what you just said don't you?"
"I realize it," Hordak nodded. "But I'm not so sure you do."
Puzzlement changed to annoyance. "Just what are you…" Before she could finish the execution squad marched into the room.
"Ah excellent," Caries grinned forgetting about Hordak for the moment. "You have completed your assignment then?"
"As ordered," the head trooper replied.
Hordak felt his stomach drop in despair. "Then Adora is dead?"
"She should be by now," a second trooper replied.
"What do you mean?" Caries said, all her pleasure vanishing in and instant. "Are you saying you left without confirming her death?"
"We left her helplessly bound in the beast's lair. She had no way of freeing herself and no rebels know she's there to rescue."
"But you didn't see the Beast Monster take her?" Hordak shouted, forgetting to hide his excitement in the heat of the moment. "She could still be alive right now?"
"I suppose," the trooper said. "But if she is she won't be for long."
"But you don't know for sure?" Caries shouted her eyes glowing with anger.
"It's highly unlikely…"
"BUT YOU DON'T KNOW FOR SURE!" Before the trooper could respond beams of purple energy shot out of Caries' eyes striking the robot in the chest causing it to burst into flames and explode. The remaining troopers drew back from the smoldering remains then looked at each other.
"I did not know she could do that!"
Hordak had not known this either but at the moment he was more concerned with the prospect of there still being hope.
"Ready the ship," he shouted. "I'm going out there to check on Adora myself."
"Not alone you're not," Caries said setting her report files down on table next to an unlit candle and picking up the laser pistol beside it.
"I don't trust you to finish the job Hordak. If Adora is still alive I'll kill her myself like I should have done in the first place."
"If you're coming you'd better hurry up," Hordak shouted from a distance. Caries turned to see he had not stopped when she spoke and was already at the far end of the hallway.
"You will wait for me!" she roared and ran down to catch up with him. In her haste Caries forgot to retrieve her report and left it behind on the table next to the unlit candle.
Why am I drawing so much attention to the unlit candle you ask? Because in truth it wasn't actually a candle at all. As soon as Caries was gone the candle stirred and with a flash of magic transformed back into Imp who picked up her report and fluttered away chuckling mischievously.
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Adora cowered in her hiding place trying to think of how she was going to get out of this situation. The Beast Monster had given up trying to get her out through the opening she had gone in through. Now it was thrashing away at the structure in fury. If Adora didn't act soon she would either be exposed when the creature broke through, or crushed should the edifice collapse in on her.
Suddenly the stone wall burst to her left then to her right and with a mighty cracking the entire ruin lifted into the air ripped away from its foundation. Now fully exposed Adora looked up in terror as the Beast Monster tossed aside the stones and glared down at her. Slowly its jaws parted and the monster's tongue slipped out and traced the edges of its mouth.
It's licking its lips at me! Adora realized in horror. It's actually licking its lips!
Indeed the creature now was drooling in anticipation of its beautiful meal. Adora braced herself for the end as the beast's jaws parted wide and it lunged down.
But then, taking both by surprise, the monster's attack was cut short by a barrage of laser fire slamming into its head.
"Hang on Adora!" Road Queen shouted out as she gunned her bike down into the pit.
"Reina, look out!"
Adora's warning came too late. Road Queen turned her head just in time to see the Beast Monster's tail whip up and knock her to the ground. As she hit the rocky floor of the pit the Sword of Protection fell out of its resting place in her coat.
"Here catch," Road Queen called. Though shaken from the fall she didn't miss a beat and quickly tossed the weapon to its rightful owner.
"What are you waiting for? Transform already!"
In all the excitement it had briefly slipped Adora's mind that Road Queen already knew her secret. She raised the sword up and began, "For the honor of… aaah!"
Before she was able to complete the magic words, the Beast Monster was upon her. Rearing down it clamped its teeth on the sword then flipped its head back. Then before Adora could let go of her sword she had already been flung into the air. A second later gravity took over and she fell helplessly into the monster's waiting maw.
"Oh shit!" Road Queen shouted as the huge jaws snapped shut around Adora. A flood of terror filled the young biker's mind. Not only for Adora but also for the horror that she was about to be next. Apparently not satisfied with one victim, the creature had now turned its attention towards her.
"Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!" Reina scrambled to her feet and took off as fast as she could run, measuring approximately one "shit" per step. She would have preferred getting back on her bike, however she now found the monster blocking her path. Due to it's massive size, no mater which direction she went it quickly blocked her path again. The only protection Road Queen had was her laser pistol, which seemed to do little more than infuriate the beast.
As bad as things looked for Reina however, they were nothing compared to Adora's troubles. She had been fortunate enough to land in the center of the creature's mouth but now had to constantly shift her body to avoid being thrown into the razor sharp teeth around her as the monster's tongue rolled her around. Adora wasn't sure if it was trying to move her to where she could be chewed on or if it was simply savoring her taste before swallowing. Either possibility both frightened and disgusted her.
The constant rolling around caused her to loose her grip on the Sword of Protection, which slipped away and slid towards the enormous throat. Despite what it meant she was doing, Adora realized this was her only chance for survival now and actually dove back after it. Her hand closed on the hilt just as it slipped off the back of the monster's tongue heading into the throat and the forwards motion caused Adora to follow it partly before breaking her fall.
It was actually a lucky thing Adora had lost her boots as she was able to dig her feet into the soft moist flesh of the monster's mouth and grip it with her toes. It was an unpleasant feeling but it was all that kept her from slipping down into the beast's gullet.
Tightening her grip on the sword she called out, "This time for sure. For the honor of Grayskull!"
Meanwhile Road Queen found herself unable to get away from the pursuing monster. She knew her fire was only making it angry, but she continued shooting. To a casual observer it would've appeared she was firing wildly but in truth Road Queen was actually aiming at different spots on the monster's body with each shot trying to find a weak point.
Sadly the Beast Monster apparently had no weak point to speak of and ultimately caught Reina with a backhand swipe sending her flying into the hard stone wall. This time she could hear and feel her bones crack and slumped down in pain as blood began trickling out her mouth. Slowly the beast moved in for the kill.
But just as it was about to strike the monster reared back in pain. Road Queen stared in confusion as flashes of light illuminated its throat. Then with a groan the creature slumped to the ground. Seconds passed in silence then with a low creak the enormous jaws began to slowly open, pried apart by the superhuman strength of the Princess of Power.
"She-Ra!"
