"And her ambition was to extend her realm... to all the regions of the known world." "To this end, she gathered an army." "And she bore a son and named him Nekron." "And him she tutored in the black arts and in the powers of the mind." "And when Nekron came of age... and attained mastery of those powers... together they seized control of the region of Ice." "And from their castle called Ice Peak... they sent a giant glacier rumbling southward." "No village or people could stand against its relentless onslaught." "And so the remnants of humanity fled south... and huddled for warmth among the volcanoes... of a mountain region ruled by a generous king named Jarol... from his fortress, which men called Fire Keep." "And still Nekron pushed the Ice ever southward... into the temperate zone toward Fire Keep." "And no one dared guess at the outcome... of a meeting on the field of battle... between Fire and Ice." "Hold your positions, men." "Steady." "Lam, it cannot be stopped." "Join your brother." "You have done well, my son." "The North Village has fallen." "We have won." "I want to thank you, Mother." "The Great Plain is all that stands between ourselves and Fire Keep." "That is a long distance." "A distance we may not have to travel." "I am sending our envoys to Jarol with our new demands." " He will not submit." " Perhaps." "You will present our demands to King Jarol at Fire Keep and... give our royal regards to his lovely daughter." "But, Father, I want to be with you when you meet Nekron's men." "You will serve your people better here with your studies, my daughter." "Give me your love." "You have it always, Father." "All matter in our world is from the natural bases... which are earth, air, fire and water." "The four elements from which all things are created." "How can you talk about elements when the war draws nearer to us ever hour?" "Princess Teegra, we all have our duty." "Your father's duty is to be king and lead." "Your brother's duty is to soldier." "And your duty is to learn." "You mean my duty is to stay shut up... while all the men do the fighting and share all the glory." "We think that stinks." "Don't we, Shaitan?" "If you peacefully surrender, my lord Nekron will cease the destruction of..." "This is your message of peace?" "A demand for our total and unconditional surrender?" "We call it an offer of alliance, Your Majesty." "I call it blackmail." "My lord Nekron's offer..." "To hell with Nekron and his offer." "We are free men, not slaves." "King Jarol, be reasonable." "My son, Taro, speaks more with his heart than with his head." "But he speaks for all of us." "There can be no alliance." "We will fight you to the death." "Perhaps, you will soon change your mind." "No!" "Teegra!" "Guards!" "Make for the glacier." "Man the Dragonhawks." "Hurry!" "The Dragonhawks will find her, Father." "They've got to." "The night's so dark, the jungle so thick." "A bird couldn't find its own nest." " What do we do then, Father?" " We wait." " For Nekron's new demands?" " For his siege!" "What is your report?" "Have you done as I commanded?" "Have you captured the girl, Teegra, Jarol's daughter?" "Where is she?" "Bring her forth that I may see her." " Gone." " Gone?" "Gone!" "Escaped?" "You filth-spawned scum!" "What punishment does failure demand?" "Death." "Find the girl." "Find her, or his punishment shall be yours." "Gods of my father." "What do you want?" "If you want it, take it." "I am not a thief." "Not so close, you'll burn it." "I've always lived close to a fire." "Sometimes in the night, I'm so afraid." "It's getting colder." " Cold comes from Nekron." " I know." " Where are you going?" " I'm going home to my people." " Where is home?" " Far away, to the south." " I'm going south, too." " Yeah?" "You can come along if you behave yourself." "If I behave myself?" "No." "Larn." "You've caught me, but you'll never hand me over to Nekron." "You'll have to kill me first." "Don't hunt for death, boy." "It finds us all soon enough." "The travois was to keep you from killing yourself till you're all healed." "You need rest and food." "If you're gonna kill the Ice Lord, boy, you better learn to live with pain." "Ice Lord?" "You mean you're fighting Nekron?" "Him and his mother." "That wolf bitch, Juliana." "Teegra!" "They were here." "Nekron's dogs, they got the girl." "They took her west." "Guard Teegra." "They camped less than two miles from here." "Come." "I saw the girl before." "She is on the far side of the big tree." "You go get her out, and I'll distract the others." " There must be 50 of them." " That sounds about right." " Where's the girl?" " I couldn't find her." " No!" " The horses!" "No, they'd be on our heels before we could reach them." " But Teegra's still back there." " Then we'll come back for her." "First, we lead the Nekron's dogs on a wild chase." "Come." "We'll take our stand up there." "Come." "Enough!" "I want you to go to Nekron, to his mother, Juliana." " We must negotiate." " With the enemy?" "No man is wholly evil." "Surely there is some way to appeal to Nekron." "You expect his mercy?" "Father, do you know what he will do if I enter his land under a flag of truce?" "We have no choice!" "We must take that risk." "You must take that risk, my son, for the sake of Fire Keep." "For the sake of your sister." "Go, ride swiftly." "Welcome to my hearth." "I am Roliel and these woods are my home." "You've had a trying journey." "Please let me give you some food and drink." "First, you shall rest." "Then we will talk." "Poor, poor darling." "Did Great Otwa frighten you?" "You mustn't be afraid." "He's as gentle as a child." "I saw him twist a chain apart with his bare hands." "Yes, he is strong, my sweet." "But he means well, my darling." "He brought you to me, did he not?" "I'm so tired." "Yes, my poor, poor darling." "Yes, you're so tired... and so beautiful." "You must..." "Tell me your secrets." "Nekron?" "The girl is wanted by Nekron?" "The bitch!" "She brings danger into my house!" "Perhaps I can turn this to my advantage." "Otwa, my son." "Go and bring the subhumans, Nekron's dogs." "Tell them we have the girl that he wants." "Tell them he can have her, for a price." "Kill." "Get out of here." " No." " The hell you won't." "Go find the girl." "Enter, my son." "It is not barred." "What's wrong with you?" "Where are the dogs?" "You would do this..." "Why do the living... disturb the sleep of the dead?" "I followed a trail." "I seek a girl, Teegra." "A girl?" "Yes." "She did this to me." "She and Nekron." "Cursed Nekron." "Where can I find her?" " Why should I answer?" " For revenge against Nekron." "Nekron?" "Akatar." "They take her to Akatar." "And from there to the Icy King's realm." "Avenge me." "Avenge me!" "Akatar." "Teegra!" "My Prince, all is arranged." "I've hired a ship." "It waits for us at the dock." "Nekron waits at Ice Peak." "Get the gangplanks aboard." "Move, you scum!" "We must be well on our way before sunrise." "Why have you brought me this?" "This is your bride, my son." "She will be mother to your sons." "How thoughtful, Mother." "I need no bride, and no sons." " But you need heirs." " I need nothing!" "Nekron?" "Nekron, you're a great power in the world." "You have all that any man ever wants or needed." "And yet you despair." "For there is one thing you lack." "One gift that only you can bestow between our people." "Peace." "This is the gift that heals the heart of the giver." "Nekron, I extend my hand in friendship." "I offer peace between our people." "Will you not take my hand?" "Will you not call me friend?" "Woman..." "I spit on peace." "I spit on you." "Next time you present me with one of your little sluts, Mother dear..." "I'll squash you like a bug." "Get that garbage out of here." "Don't look up." "We are riders of Fire Keep." "We pay no heed to such trash." "We have come, Lord Nekron, to negotiate between our two peoples." "And the return to Fire Keep of my sister, Teegra... whom your warriors basely kidnapped." "My father, King Jarol, has empowered me... to offer a peace between our kingdoms... in exchange for his continued sovereignty... and my sister's freedom." "It seems to me that my envoys made a similar offer not long since... and that it was spurned by your illustrious sire." "You know full well, Nekron, that offer was made... before your minions kidnapped my sister." "I fear, Good Prince, I cannot offer peace to a people... who have refused to proclaim me their rightful overlord." "As to your sister..." "I must admit that until this moment... the idea of mating with her filled me with loathing." "Perhaps I should reconsider." "Your sister, after all, is not wholly unattractive." "As lesser beasts go." "Pig you are." "And like a pig shall you die." "No!" "No, I don't think so." "You interest me." "Guards!" "Bring him to me." "Release him." " Why have you come seeking me?" " You killed my people." "We've had to dispose of so many undesirables of late." "Let him rest." "There is still fight in him." "Larn." "Teegra, is that you?" " Teegra, are you all right?" " Yes." "I'm trying to unlock the door." "Never mind the door, you've to get out of here." "I'm not leaving without you." "Maybe I can get a key somehow." "No, Teegra, don't." "Is he certain?" " It was my son you saw?" " They called him Prince Taro." "He died." " What about Teegra?" " He's got her, too." "Maybe she's still alive." "It's a chance." "Believe what you want, but that glacier is a fact." "For three days and nights it's been pushing south." "A thousand souls lost because of Nekron's rage." "Fire Keep is next." "We must attack." "I need the Dragonhawks." " The Dragonhawks are too few." " Enough to get in with." "One us might get through and destroy him." "But if that glacier passes beyond the river, I will have no choice." "I will have to release the lava." "Teegra." "Larn." "Nekron!" "Die!" "Die!" "Why don't you die?" "No, Larn!" "No, it's over, don't you see?" "We have to start over."