FicWad

Chapter Seven
"Turning Points"

The days of February were fading now, and March was on the horizon. The Kissing Moon Festival, which was when Bright Moon and Dark Moon begin to cross as if kissing, and the seasons changed from Winter to Spring - also kissing. The snow, what little there was that fell on Eternos, had long since melted and the crops were just beginning to be sown.
Marlena Glenn, Earth's first visitor to Eternia, nervously watched as the preparations outside the Palace were beginning to take place. Today was the day, the day she had been dreading more than other. Weak knees and butterflies in her stomach had been following her for the past three days and today, they were worse than any of the others. Today was the day she was going to see the Council of Elders.
At least King Randor would be with her.
He had been very comforting and more than a little accommodating, by Earth standards (which seemed to fit with Eternian standards, as well).
There was a knock on the door. Not surprising, it was Susannah, Marlena's aide during her stay so far. A wonderful and kind woman, Susannah had come at last to take Marlena to the transport that would then take her to the Hall of Wisdom.
"Are they ready?"
"Yes, my lady."
"Okay then."
Susannah, detecting Marlena's apprehension, smiled gingerly. "Nothing to be worried about, my lady. The Council of Elders have been the guiding force here on Eternia for nearly a thousand years. I'm sure they will find nothing wrong with your presence here."
"I hope not. I'm not just . . . on my world, sorcery is usually just tricks in carnivals and in fairy tales. Never in my life would I actually have believed that I would be taken to a whole council of wizards and mistresses!"
"You have nothing to fear. Put your apprehension and reluctance aside, my lady. As long as you have told us the truth, all will be well."
Marlena paused. "You believe me, don't you? You believe that I'm not from those Horde people, right?"
"I do not believe you are, my lady. But that does not convince everyone,"
Marlena smiled a little, thinking about just whom this little test would affect. King Randor, she suspected, and a vicious little thought came to her. What if all this attention he had been paying her was actually his way of determining if she was some sort of evil agent? This thought smoldered within her, sparking some anger and resentment.
"Good morning, Lady Marlena."
On cue, there was King Randor, brown hair fluttered around his broad, friendly face.
"Sire," Marlena replied, hoping none of that sudden resentment was apparent. It needed to be kept hidden and subtle.
"I will be accompanying you," Randor told her.
"I have no doubt, sire."
Randor grimaced inwardly, but said nothing. Together, Susannah, Randor and Marlena traveled down the corridor. After a little while, they arrived at the hanger bay, where Duncan stood waiting for them.
"All set?" he asked, a smile plastered on his face.
King Randor gave him a funny looking over. "What's so funny?"
Duncan tilted his head upwards, as if the day was the finest ever. "Nothing's funny," he replied dreamily. "Just letting my mind wander."
Randor scoffed. "You're not the first one to fall in love, you know?"
Duncan laughed a little and hopped into the pilot's seat of the Hover Transport. "Please, your majesty, I have no idea what you're talking about."
Marlena attempted a small smile, but it didn't last more than a few seconds. She got into the back of the Hover Transport with Susannah. The Hover Transport lifted off the deck of the Hanger Bay and blasted out the doors, into the blue sky and went northward.
The view was nice, though nowhere near as intense as the trip with Stratos had been. They passed over the River Eternia, following it as it flowed south and they went north. It hid in trees and was opened up in fields and plains, but they followed it. Every now and then, there would be a fisherman at the side, or kids splish-splashing, or boat-riders using the River Eternia for the day. It reminded Marlena of the Mississippi River.
Her gaze broke from it when she saw that the River Eternia flowed into a huge lake. And on the other side of that lake was structure of pure white stone, standing into the sky as massive towers. It was a beautiful thing, giving off a soft-blue light. Marlena, who had seen many skyscrapers in her life, had never seen anything quite like this. She wondered what it would look like at night and realized it would probably light up the night sky in a way that Cleveland and New York City never would (being the only two cities she had been at after sunset).
They landed in front of the Hall of Wisdom, far from the edge of the lake and Marlena never felt more intimidated in her life. Not even when she went into space on an inferno of blazing thrust with a nuke ten feet from her back. This was the most intimidating moment of her entire life.
The Hall of Wisdom stood before them. Stairs led up to huge platform where the main doors sat. Statues of the Elders lined the exterior walls. Pillars kept the overhang above in place and were lined with gold, like the domes of some of the towers. Marlena and the group walked up the stairs. Her heart thundered in her chest and she just wanted to get this all over with.
Two guards stood at the huge, golden doors. They nodded at Randor and his party and the doors parted. Randor led Marlena, Duncan, and Susannah into the foyer. With the foyer were fifty small, human-sized statues. One, she noted, was covered in a huge, white sheet. She wondered briefly who this could be, but the thought was brief.
The two doors before them opened and within was the Council of Elders.
Duncan and Susannah stopped. Susannah gave Marlena a smile and gripped her shoulder to reassure her. It didn't help, but Marlena appreciated it.
Randor and Marlena stepped forward a little, right before the opened doors. "I want you to know that I'm only doing this because we've had bad experience before. I trust you."
Those words were nothing to Marlena . . . until she looked into Randor's eyes and suddenly knew how much he meant them. He does trust me, she thought valiantly. A burst of bravery exploded within Marlena Glenn. She kissed him quickly on the cheek, then turned and walked into the council chamber.
It was a huge round room, the ceiling high above her illuminated by an eerie light. The light, she then realized, was coming from the Elders themselves. The Elders sat, floating above big pedestals beneath large balconies and in between two large sets of stairs.
They all looked different, some very old, some very young. Some very tall, some very small, some fat, some skinny. Some female, some male. There were twenty-five in all, making up a semi-circle and the center one was the obvious oldest of them. He was also the one that spoke before all the others.
"Welcome!" he told Marlena in a friendly manner. "You must be Captain Marlena Glenn of the planet Earth. How very extraordinary! You are the first Earthling to come to Eternia! Welcome, welcome!"
Marlena found herself grateful for such excitement and such friendliness from the old man. "Council of Elders," she addressed, and bowed a little, "thank you for seeing me."
"Nonsense," the old man returned. "My name is Eldor, leader of the Council of Elders. While many may have been suspicions about you, I have very little to none. Sit, my dear, and tell us about Earth."
It was the first time she saw a chair sitting in front of the Council of Elders. She walked to it and sat down. "What would you like to know?"
Eldor chuckled, and so did a few others. Everyone's eyes were on her. A young lady at Eldor's left spoke.
"My name is Ali, Captain Glenn, and I'm curious about your family. What are they like?"
It was a question that shocked Marlena beyond compare. "My family? Um, they're . . . well, where should I start?"
And that's what happened. For the next hour, Marlena told them stories about her family. About out of state summer trips and warm Christmas dinners while it snowed outside. About her sister and how much they both loved and hated each other in that bizarre sibling way. About her parents and how much they gave for her.
There were questions, of course, but none of them were what Marlena expected. Not a one was asked about military or about governments or the 'Horde' or anything like that. She told them, as the second hour started, about her career and the time she spent in college and then in the air force, and then how she became the youngest astronaut in history.
Not long after the third hour began, did Eldor press his old hands together, bringing an end to the session.
"I must say, this has been a very pleasant visit, my dear," Eldor said to her. "One of the finest we have had in quite a long time. I think we all agree with that, don't we?"
There were pleasant nods from all of them.
"Thank you," Marlena replied, amused.
"I apologize, truly, but I am afraid we'll have to stop here. We have a lot of business to attend to."
Marlena stood up. "I understand. Thank you. Thank you all."
She was about to head for the door, when Eldor raised his hand passively. "Wait, just one moment, Captain Glenn. I do have one more question to ask you."
Marlena turned around. "What is it?"
Eldor smiled with mild amusement. "This is just really a formality, but there are few people worried about it. A few less now than there were. You're not a Horde emissary, are you?"
Much to her own surprise, Marlena Glenn smiled. "Of course not."
The Elders all smiled then, and looked to each other reassuringly. "Excellent!" cried out Eldor. "A job well done. You have pleasant day and stop by any time!"
Marlena bowed a little once more. "Thank you! Thank you!"
The doors opened once more and she joined Susannah, Duncan and Randor in the foyer. "How did you do?" asked Randor.
"Good, I think. Definitely not what I expected at all."
"Good to hear," Duncan replied.
"Indeed. Nice to know you're not a spy," Susannah said with a calm smile.
Just then, there was a voice that carried through the doorway. It was Eldor. "King Randor! Can you and Commander Duncan come in here for just a moment?"
The pair glanced at each other, then entered the main hall. The doors thundered shut behind them, separating them from Marlena and Susannah.
"Good news," Eldor said in a business-like tone, "Captain Marlena Glenn has nothing to do with the Horde."
Randor nodded. "I already knew that, but thank you."
Eldor smiled at him like he knew something the king didn't. "Good. However, we are sensing something that may have some baring on you."
"What is it?"
"Keldor. Our telepathy detects something is about to occur that will shift the direction of his -- "
Randor put his hand up. "Keldor has divorced himself from the royal family. I want nothing more of him."
Eldor nodded. "If that is what you wish. But I warn you, King Randor, that you have far from seen the last of your youngest brother. That is all, though we should have a word or two with Commander Duncan."
Duncan gulped and his face flushed. Randor gave him a confused and curious look. Duncan shrugged. King Randor turned around and walked out of the main hall. When the doors shut once more, Eldor spoke to Duncan.
"True love is amazing thing, Commander. But it also brings great heartbreak. While we are happy for you and the Sorceress of Castle Grayskull, we also know that there is trouble on the horizon. Be ready for it."
Duncan stood tall and proud alone to the Elders. "I am prepared for anything."
Eldor gave him a reluctant glance. "Perhaps."

*

Monteeg watched from the horizon as the village burned. Something went wrong, he knew it, but not because of the fire. Because of the fact that the fire was happening too damn early. It was hardly sundown, and the flames were supposed to be lit twenty minutes from now. Something went wrong and General Lursor - who had only grown more and more disgruntled since Eternos - was going to point the finger at who he believed was the source: Keldor.
The thing that Monteeg didn't like about that was that Lursor was most likely right. Keldor, though strong-willed and loyal to evil acts, was a klutz. Between his damnable weak heart and his lack of basic training, Keldor was a constant liability. He would have to prove himself soon . . . very soon, Monteeg suspected.
Lursor arrived with his party then. Ten of them went, now there were only seven, two of which were being carried. Keldor and Lursor stepped towards Monteeg, heaving big bags of stolen goods.
"The raid was a disaster!" shouted Lursor. "Barely any riches! And it's his fault!"
He pointed an ugly finger at Keldor. The fallen prince stood his ground. He dropped his bag of returns and pulled out his blade. "Stay your tongue or I'll slice it off!" Keldor threatened, Sword of Darkness gleaming in the early moonlight.
Lursor laughed heavily. "Another useless threat in a string of them! Face facts, boy, no one believes you any more!"
Keldor glanced to Monteeg. The human leader of the Orc pack nodded. "His words are true, Keldor. Your threats mean nothing to anyone."
Lursor jerked his head to Monteeg. "See? Not even your beloved mentor believes you! You want to show us you mean what you say? Then prove it!"
"What?" Keldor questioned, and once more looked to Monteeg.
"I'm tired of fighting your battles, Keldor. The time has come to face this on your own."
Keldor took in a deep breath. He was already exhausted from the raid; his chest aching as it did more and more everyday. The Sword of Darkness was lifted into a far more defensible position. "Then be it. Draw your sword."
General Lursor let loose a horrible laugh and waved his arms at the other Orcs. "Listen to him!" he yelled. "Listen to him! He speaks like a Prince! A weakling prince!" He laughed again and then steadied his beady yellow eyes on Keldor. "You're not even good enough to be a human and here you are trying to be an Orc! Monteeg has barely mastered both!"
Monteeg made no rebuttal, only grunted a little. Keldor, however, felt his rage break another barrier. The Sword of Darkness dropped from his hands and his violet cloak was unhooked from around his neck.
"I am through with you, Lursor! You think you matter to me? YOU DON'T! FACE ME, THEN, HAND-TO-HAND!"
Lursor roared in laughter. "Isn't your puny little heart too much for me? Hahahaha!"
"I will kill you, Lursor. You've done nothing but mock me since I joined you. Tonight you die."
The Orc pulled away his weapons and let them fall to the ground. "Fine then, little boy. I will always remember you for those words because they shall forever bring me laughter!"
Keldor felt strange. His heart thundered heavily as it never had before. Fury filled his entire being. As Lursor laughed, in his memory, so did Randor, Stephan, Johanna, and all of the others. This was the time to show Lursor - to show them all - that he is more than a weak heart.
He ran, feet slamming against the hardpan desert as he rushed towards Lursor. Keldor went in for a punch to the Orc's head, but ended up with Lursor's hand covering his face. He was pushed backwards, landing squarely on his ass. Lursor laughed and raised his arms to the other Orcs who had gathered around to watch. They laughed as well.
Keldor leapt up again, but was kicked right down. Even Monteeg surpressed a laugh at that sight. Lursor grunted and stepped towards Keldor. He kicked him in the face when the human tried to sit up. Lursor placed his foot firmly on Keldor's neck, pushing heavily.
"Tell the Ancient of Life and Death that she'll have to wait a while for me," Lursor told Keldor and prepared to stomp on his windpipe when, suddenly, Keldor formed a fist. With incredible anger, he slammed his tight fist against Lursor's knee.
Lursor snarled and lifted his foot. Keldor quickly put both hands on the bottom of the foot and pushed up. Lursor tumbled onto his back. Keldor stood, wheezing, heart aching. He crocked his elbow and drove it against Lursor's face. Once. Twice. Three -
Lursor grabbed hold of Keldor's black hair and yanked him back, then slammed his face right into the hardpan. Blood spurted from Keldor's nose. Lursor then rammed a fist against Keldor's back, and the human heard and felt a horrific crack.
"You almost had me, Keldor. Almost."
Lursor's claws ran ripped into Keldor's flesh, blood flowing from the deep cuts. He turned Keldor over to face him. Keldor made a bold move. He lifted his hand and pointed at Lursor's face. Keldor whispered a few words and before Lursor could hope to understand them, a searing stream of energy fired from Keldor's fingers.
Lursor threw his hands to his face as tendrils of smoke lifted from his flesh. Keldor stumbled to his feet, his chest feeling like it had two tons sitting on it. He staggered towards Lursor, ready to do it again. However, Lursor, in pain and rage, was far faster.
"DIE!" cried the Orc. His claws ripped across Keldor's tanned face, flesh and blood spraying from the new wounds. Lursor's other hand formed into a fist and he punched Keldor in the gut. He kicked him in the groin, then kneed him in the gut again. His hand then opened and shut around Keldor's neck. His claws dug into his flesh, and rivers of blood flowed across his fingers.
"DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE!" chanted Lursor on and on. He was lifted Keldor by the neck now, and other hand was on Keldor's forehead. He forced Keldor's head back to snap his neck.
Keldor could feel it. His breath was gone, his left arm was numb and his heart was about to beat it's last. Keldor felt cold and warm at the same time as life began to leave him . . . no.
The fallen prince would not die because he would not allow it. His mouth opened as Lursor bent his head back, neck creaking. His mouth opened not because of that, but because it was letting a silent, horrible scream. A scream that, as Keldor forced himself away from death, became a sound that no one there would forget.
Keldor's head snapped forward, and he rammed his fists against Lursor's shoulders. Hard and heavy, the fists cracked the collar bone. Keldor was released and Lursor tumbled away. Lursor, however, was not going to down easy. He made a swipe at Keldor, but the fallen prince had other plans.
Even though his heart was in agony, Keldor leapt onto Lursor and began to pound on him. Lursor cried out as he was unable to fight back. Lursor crumbled, blood gushing, bruises appearing. Finally, Lursor was on his knees and Keldor stood above him. Keldor placed all of his hate and malice into one last blow and sent it fist sailing into Lursor's face.
Lursor collapsed, dead.
Keldor's first kill.
And now he would be dead as well, for Keldor's heart finally gave out. After nineteen years of service, the vital and symbolic organ finished its run.
Monteeg and the other Orcs gathered around him.
"Get Keldor's sword and give it to me!" Monteeg ordered. One of the Orc's did so. "We don't have much time, but I believe we have to do this! Keldor deserves life for besting the finest of you! He has our honor!"
Monteeg took the Sword of Darkness and sliced open Keldor's chest very carefully. He reached in then, and pulled out his dead heart. Monteeg handed it to one of the Orcs, then turned to Lursor's failed body. With very little care, he tore into Lursor's chest and ripped out his heart.
Muttering one of the few spells he knew, Monteeg took the Orc heart and placed into Keldor's chest. When he did, Keldor's eyes flew open.
"I AM NOT DEAD!" cried Keldor in a voice that sounded horrendously high-pitched.
The Orc heart thundered to life in Keldor's chest, and Keldor lived once more. However, after his stern exclamation, Keldor passed out.

When he came to, it was late in the night and early in the morning. The moons reached their apex in the sky. Keldor felt different. For the first time in his entire life, his heart felt strong. His body ached, but Keldor felt stronger and more powerful than ever before.
"Just watch those bandages," warned Monteeg as Keldor stood up.
"I shall." And then Keldor looked around. All of the Orcs were giving him a wide berth. That's when Keldor had an idea. "Where is my heart? My old, weak one?"
Expecting such a thing, Monteeg lifted it out of a bloody sack. "Here it is."
Keldor took the useless heart and stuck on the end of the Sword of Darkness. He then walked over to one of the blazing fires and held it above the flames so that it roasted. For forty-five minutes, he did this until it was dark.
Then, as all the Orcs and Monteeg watched, Keldor ate his own burned and dead heart. It was tough, and burned and tasted horrible. Blood still sat inside its walls and Keldor looked like a vampire as he scarfed it. To Keldor, it was the finest thing he had ever eaten.
When it was all over, Keldor lifted the Sword of Darkness and stood in the wide moonlight. "So ends all paths of good and just!" Keldor cried out. "Evil is my way . . . forever!"