Sectaurs Issue# 3

Story Title: Treason!

In the dead of night there rings forth from the royal palace of the Shining Realm the cry of treason!  

Regent Galken cries out for the palace guard as an arm is secured around his throat in an attempt to restrain him.  The arm belongs to Pinsor! The palace guard arrive only to be shot at. . .by Prince Dargon.  Dargon warns Pinsor of the onset of the guards as he continues to fire at them.  "You should have let me lop off your uncle's head with my battle axe before he could cry out, Prince Dargon," complains Pinsor.  Dismayed, Galken calls out to his guards believing that Dargon and Pinsor have gone mad.  He tells the guards to take them alive in an attempt to save them.  Eluding the guards, Dargon and Pinsor force Galken down a secret passage behind the throne which leads to the private chamber of. . .

Mantor the Wise!   

"Mantor? You mean Mantys. . .!" exclaims a confused Galken.  Mantor corrects him.  Mantys was his court title, but now that the Realm has been threatened he has reassumed his true name of power.   Galken once again fiercely denies any threat to the Shining Realm.  Staff in hand, Mantor raises his arms above his head, chants a few incantations, and causes a strange crystalline plant to emerge from the floor.  Galken, completely taken aback, denounces Mantor as a heretic and traitor who has bound Dargon and Pinsor to his will via use of the ancient lost arts.  Mantor corrects him, saying he would rather be called a keeper, and that Dargon and Pinsor act of their own free will because they know only the lost arts can save Shining Realm.  Mantor slams the crystalline plant with his staff causing it to shatter and release a light so intense it illuminates the dark of night.   "Far and wide the light rays stream, reflecting back images from all over Symbion----and imprinting captive moments of time upon these shattered shards," the old keeper states.  The shards create a circle with an image forming in the center.  The likeness revealed the inside of Castle Grimhold concentrating on a conversation taking place between Spidrax, Senrad and Empress Devora.  Spidrax complains about having to maintain the mockery of a truce and is eager to attack the Shining Realm.  Senrad counters that the attack will take place after Regent Galken has disarmed. Devora crows at how well her plan is evolving.  While Galken searches and condemns heretics, her troops will locate and claim the power of the lost hyves of the ancients, and with that power she will crush the Shining Realm.  The shard circle breaks and the fragments fall to the floor with Devora's laughter echoing throughout the room.  Galken kneels down and stares at the remains as they lay on the floor.  He asks Mantor how he can be sure that what he has seen was real.  "You know, Lord Galken. . .in your heart," Mantor replies simply.  Galken is devastated.  His hopes and dreams for peace have placed the kingdom his brother so dearly loved in jeopardy.  With his face in his hands, Galken passes the leadership of the kingdom over to Dargon.  The young prince rejects the offer, reaffirming his vow not to assume the throne until it is definitely known that his father is dead.  King Markor set forth on his journey to find the lost hyves before the Dark Domain did, but he never returned.  Dargon now offers that he follow in his father's footsteps to find the hyves and secure their power for the Shining Realm.  Galken rejects the idea, "My allowing you to leave on such a quest would surely give the Empress the only excuse she needs to declare outright war!" Dargon's response to his uncle is a simple one: don't allow it.  Let everyone believe that renegade traitors and heretics seek the hyve's power to overtake the Shining Realm.  When Galken questions who would be brave enough to undertake such a mission, Dargon, Pinsor and Mantor quickly volunteer.

In the outer halls, Dargon, Pinsor, and Mantor retreat down a flight of stairs with Regent Galken shouting treason behind them.  The guards finally catch up to the Regent at long last.  Galken directs his troops to capture and subdue his wayward nephew and accomplices on charges of kidnapping and betrayal.  The troops charge ahead determined to retrieve the three turncoats.  A brokenhearted Galken watches as the guards take pursuit.  "The plan is underway!" he thinks, "If you are caught now, nephew, I cannot help you! So fly, abjure the realm and the uncle who loves you like a son! Assume the hated role of outlaw for the sake of us all!" 

Upon hearing shouts of treason, Zak leaps into action.  Seeing three silhouettes fleeing from capture, and the former captain of the guards runs across a roof top to head them off.  He hears one of the figures voice a need to reach their insectoids.  Zak jumps off the roof and lands ahead of the escaping party.  He turns and fires several rounds directly in front of the traitors blocking their get away.  Mantor is puzzled by Zak's actions.  Why is he firing on his own friends? Dargon notes that they are shrouded in shadows and Zak cannot see them clearly enough to make them out.  Pinsor is incredulous at Zak's marksmanship and urges Dargon to step out into the light so that Zak may recognize them.  Dargon obliges, and Zak stops his assault immediately upon seeing his friends.  "I thought I had heard the alarms and cries of treason. . .!" he says.  Dargon identifies himself, Pinsor and Mantor as the traitors and asks Zak if he would be willing to come along if an explanation could be supplied later.  Zak, loyal to Dargon as always, agrees readily and turns his slazor on the pursuing guards.  

While trying desperately to reach their insectoids, the Shining Realm Knights run into the royal guard head on.  Pinsor slaps two guardsmen away with the very flat of his battle axe and Zak stuns a few others with his slazor.  Mantor is concerned.  On the one hand they have to keep the facade of being outlaws for their plan to work, but on the other, it is preferable not to seriously harm the guardsmen who are only performing their royal duty.  Mantor, adept in the ancient martial art of Kai, swiftly and precisely dispatches a guard attempting to subdue him.  Dargon is frustrated.  If the battle continues, someone will surely be gravely injured.  He telepathically calls out to Dragonflyer to come to his side.  Upon receiving the command, Dragonflyer begins to herd Battle Beetle, Raplor, and Bitaur toward their waiting masters.  Zak is cornered by four guardsmen; guardsmen he himself had trained.  Bitaur charges towards them, knocking all four guards down.  "Bitaur!" Zak exclaims, "what took you so long you lazy slug!" Bitaur hooks up with Zak and the two rejoin their companions.  Pinsor, riding on top of Battle Beetle, charges ahead  voicing a warning to his companions of the approaching  guards.  Just as he passes beneath a bridge, he is lassoed by several guardsmen standing above.  Stellara comes swinging out of nowhere knocking the guards aside and freeing Pinsor.  She jumps from the bridge and lands on Battle Beetle directly behind Pinsor.  Pinsor is amazed and thrilled to see his old friend.  "I heard my favorite friend was in some kind of trouble," she says, "so I came running.  Mind if I ride behind you?" Pinsor recounts with fondness how Stellara used to ride into battle beside him.  Even though Stellara has lost her insectoid, Pinsor exclaims that she has been a fighter since the day she was born.  Dargon suggests they reminisce about the past later.  The guards are closing the drawbridge in an attempt to halt their escape.  The young Prince manages to drive the guards away from the winch, but the drawbridge is halfway up, and they're running out of time.  Dargon and Dragonflyer fly over the castle walls while Pinsor, Stellara, and Battle Beetle jump off from the top of the drawbridge and over the moat.  Standing by a portal, Mantor has Raplor shoot his web line across the moat, enabling the old teacher to walk a tightrope to safety.  Zak and Bitaur are the only ones left.  "I know how you hate to exert yourself. . .," Zak says to Bitaur.  He and Bitaur make a dive for the moat and are caught in mid-air by Dargon and Dragonflyer.  Mantor remarks that the drawbridge is still up and that the guards cannot follow.  When he drove away the guards, Dargon jammed the winch.  It would be some time before it could be lowered.  Zak turns to his lifelong friend and shows his support, saying that he'll stick by the Prince regardless of what trouble the royal heir may be in with his uncle.  Dargon says that the trouble lies not with his uncle but with the safety of the Shining Realm itself.  He offers to explain everything to Zak and Stellara as they make their escape.

From the top of the battlements, Regent Galken watches as his nephew departs with a heavy heart.  Belana rushes up to him inquiring if the news of Dargon's sedition is true.  Galken confirms the rumor, and questions Belana about her concern for Dargon and not her betrothed, Zak, who was a co-conspirator.  Belana quickly denies her reaction as one of concern but of shock.  Galken thinks quietly to himself that Belana loved Dargon over Zak.  It was bad enough to treat Dargon like a exiled criminal, but to now break Belana's heart. . .yet the plan must go forward, for the safety and future of the Shining Realm itself.

Meanwhile, in the Dark Domain, Spidrax looks on as his half sister, Scorpia, conjures an image of the Shining Realm.  The two watch as Dargon and his companions flee from the royal guards as traitors to the realm and seekers of the lost hyves and their power.  Spidrax thanks his half sister for the information she has gathered for him.  The general declares that he will personally beat Dargon to the punch and claim the power of the hyves for himself.  Scorpia coyly chides her half brother, questioning his motives.  Don't you intend to claim the power of the hyves for the Empress? Spidrax pulls out his whip and smashes her crystal.  "I said, Scorpia," he says defiantly, "for myself!"

Dargon and the others reach the borders of the deadly swamp.  As Zak trudges along, he thinks questioningly about the tale he has been told.  The Shining Realm is in danger and to save it, they have to go in search of some fairy tale hyves following the guidance of heretic Mantys. . .no Mantor! Zak isn't sure he trusts Mantor and why Dargon does is beyond him.  Still, as long as his Prince trusts the old man, Zak will follow loyally.  At that moment, Dargon lands Dragonflyer and gives orders to set up camp.  He has flown overhead and knows they have eluded their pursuers.  As the friends camp down for the night, a pair of eyes watches them from behind one of the trees.  It is Skito.  He slips away unnoticed to round up his Marauders.  A perfect opportunity for profit has been handed to him, and he is not about to waste it.  

Dargon and Mantor review a map of Symbion to determine their next move while Zak feeds rank swamp grass the insectoids.  Pinsor and Stellara sit near a fire.  The old warrior fears the insectoids will eat better than they will.  If she had known they would be leaving in such a rush, Stellara says she would have obtained provisions from her pub.  Still she has no regrets.  She would rather be an outlaw than serving nectar at her pub! Dargon tells Mantor he is going to explore the path they need to take tomorrow. Mantor hands Dargon a set of trinoculars and tells him to leave Dragonflyer behind.  He's far to large to fly through the dense swamp.  The wise old soul adds however that Dargon may find a friend when he least expects it.  Dargon questions Mantor's words as riddles.  Mantor says that sometimes Keepers speak of things unknown even to them, but they have a strange way of coming true.

Dargon wanders into the swamp alone when he is startled by something which flies over his head.  Using the trinoculars, the young prince spies Skito and his Marauders sneaking up on the Shining Realm warriors as they sleep.  Suddenly something lifts Dargon off the ground and into the air.  A flying creature has taken hold of Dargon and communicates telepathically that he means the brave knight no harm.  The creature's name is Parafly and he shares the swamps with Skito and his Marauders.  Parafly hates them as do all other living things in the swamp.  Parafly offers to help Dargon save his companions from Skito's sneak attack.  Dargon looks down at his armor and notices that it has turned a silver color and that he has suddenly obtained the ability to see in the dark.  Parafly drops Dargon right on top of Skito and his men and the young prince wastes no time in dispatching them.  As Dargon takes on the Marauders, Skito and Toxcid move up behind him.  Toxcid sprays venom at Parafly, knocking him out of the sky.  Enraged, Dargon fires a shot at Toxcid knocking him aside and then proceeds to challenge Skito to battle.  The Marauders abandon Skito and he is forced to face Dargon alone.  Although Toxcid is an excellent swordsmen, Dargon knocks him aside with a sharp blow.  Alerted to the sounds of battle, Dargon's friends arrive on the scene.  Outnumbered, Skito takes flight.  Dargon turns to Mantor and pleads with him to use his abilities to heal Parafly.  Mantor lifts his staff uses his powers to purge the venom from Parafly's system.  Parafly soars into the sky, and thanks Dargon for driving off Skito and his Marauders.  Dargon asks Parafly to join the warriors in their search for the hyve.  Parafly refuses, saying that his place is in the swamps.  Dargon says farewell to his new friend, and he and his companions continue with their quest for the lost hyves.

Commentary

When the comic first opens, you're shocked.  Without immediate explanation Dargon and Pinsor are seen kidnapping Regent Galken with Pinsor going so far as to offer to lop off the Regent's head.  We are then introduced to a secret passage behind the throne revealing Mantor's lab.  That's Mantor, not Mantys.  I couldn't get my hands on the action figures when they initially came out (my parents thought girls weren't so supposed to be interested in things like that).  Does anybody have any inside information on the difference between "Mantys" and "Mantor". How is "Mantor" a name of power? The story is pretty fast paced as Dargon and his friends elude the palace guards.  We are introduced more to Skito and his band of Marauders who reside in the Deadly Swamp.  Parafly was associated with the Night Fighting Dargon action figure.   Upon transformation from Parafly's touch, Dargon remarks that he can suddenly see in the dark.  In the TV mini-series, it is mentioned repeatedly that the Shining Realm Knights can not see in the dark while the Dark Domain warriors can.  Does anybody know if there was ever and explanation as to why (is it in one of the hard covers or mini-comics?). Overall, another great story and plot to set Dargon on his path to find the hyves.

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