The underground area was dank and dark.

Consisting of ancient brick and steel, the floor was full of running metal tracks and a layer of stagnant water - mere puddles in some areas while feet deep in others.

As there was the ever-present smell of too long standing water, there was an unmistakable odor of oil.

Blackstone moved quietly despite his massive size. In the distance, at the edge of the nigh impenetrable blackness, he could see a dim light granted by an elaborate arrange of candles. It was a shrine of sorts adorned with gore and bones all arranged in an altar for the scaly false god Apophis.

Princess Tapia stood, arms bent and raised over her head, bound by chains leading down from a metal ring embedded in the ceiling. Given her location to the altar, this was the place of her impending sacrifice.

Her mother had described Tapia SongStar as a thing of beauty but had neglected mentioning that she was an epitome of lust. Her skin was smooth and had a slight tan to it not often found in elves. Her body had definition, muscles that did not take away from the perfect amount of fat that gave her round, supple hips and a pair of impossibly large breasts that moved all their own. Her face was like a wanton visage carved with a long but slight nose, high cheeks and full lips that promised they could wrap around anything.

As his glowing eyes simmered with distraction, something moved in the shadows behind Blackstone. Something large, something quiet.

"Who goes there?" The elven woman had a mane of hair that moved about her and over her crown.

"Worry not, elf," Blackstone said in as softly as a grumbling roar as he could. "I have been sent by your queen to retrieve you."

"My mother—?!?" the princess gasped, "Hurry, please! We are not alone! It's here!"

Blackstone paused in his movement. He had seen enough battle and death that he had an almost preternatural sense of when he was being watched, when he was being stalked.

The horned-helmeted warrior felt the same sensation again.

###

NOW.

The dark-armored giant of a man known only as Blackstone dove in a somersault. Despite his mass and size, the warrior was superhumanly agile and narrowly escaped a striking blow. The attack shattered a nearby ancient stone pillar. As the supporting structure erupted in the attack, a sign soared by that said "Times Square 42nd Street Station."

Blackstone spun back onto his feet and stood in a battle stance. His ax "Vengeance" and sword "Retribution" ready in his large, gloved hands.

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In the distance, the elvish princess he was sent to rescue. Clad in a sequin top and skirt, she was chained to the ceiling, a sacrifice for the demon-creature that had intent to feast on her and to crush Blackstone as well.

As the armored man's eyes glowed in the shadowy underground lair, there was the loud sound of something slithering and hungry hissing in the dark.

In the flickering candlelight, Blackstone looked up towards his enemy - a cobra like monstrosity endlessly long and nightmarishly large. Its goliath coils slithered around with scaly doom. Its body was a sight of seemingly eternal coils sliding over themselves in the creature's girth.

The creature's knife slit eyes also caught the flickering of the candles and the reptilian gaze filled with the little horned man on the ground. Its face while snake-like clearly displayed the emotion of rage.

Blackstone sighed. "Of course..."

The snake rose to its partial height and now cast a powerful shadow over the armored man. Its gigantic body trembled as it hissed and trembled in fury; the circumference of the beast's rows and rows were the thickness of at least two of the ancient, desolate cars above ground. Its scales alone were like countless sheets of metal plating each the size of Blackstone's goliath hands. The serpent was clearly some level of being worshiped by the spawn and given its horrific stature, it was worthy of its cult.

As the demonic maw opened in slowness, the horned warrior could not help but set his glowing eyes upon the extending fangs which were at least the length of a grown man. Venom spilled from the beast's mouth and could be heard sizzling and burning through the wet stone ground beneath.

As the abomination moved, there were crushed corpses of its latest prey that fell loose to the watery flooring. It was clear why the bones of so many powerful beasts lay above, crushed and nearly shattered. Like many scaly things, this gargantuan coiled around its prey and crushed it while it swallowed the feast whole.

But Blackstone and the buxom princess would make for a better meal than whatever animal had been on the menu.

The warrior dodged a powerful strike of the snake's goliath tail.

Another whip attack evaded and this time Blackstone swung his sword Retribution hard and fast. However, the blow was deflected by the scaly armor. The snake creature struck the horned warrior in his chest and sent the giant of a man soaring. The sword spun out of hand.

The battle continued for what seemed forever.

The reptile struck, Blackstone dodged. He tried his firearms against the hide of the monstrosity but to no avail. The reptile struck, Blackstone was hit and sent hurtling.

One last blow and the crystal in the warrior's chest was cracked - heralding a pained roar from the horned wanderer. Many had speculated on the nature of the dark stone in the chest of the giant warrior. It was mysterious, its importance unknown but many speculated it was both a power and a weakness.

Blackstone could take little more of this conflict. There was one last tactic that came to his battlefield-tested mind. The snake monster paused and trembled while studying the weakened opponent.

Princess Tapia did her best to turn in her chains and watch her fate unfold.

Staggering to his feet, the horned wanderer stood still while the beast took aim and lunged. Its massive body coiled through the ancient subway, sending tremors through the very ground and earth around them.

The mighty serpent lunged forward and Blackstone swung his ax into the beast's mouth - the only vulnerable area he hoped and prayed existed.

The monster roared and thrashed.

###

Thrashing about but stuck on the end of Blackstone's ax, the snake monster hissed and sprayed dark green blood throughout the lair. The horned man held his weapon steady with all his might. His body ached and his muscles screamed out.

The snake monster jerked its tremendous body in a death throe and collapsed.

The beast was still.

Blackstone took a breath and fell to his knees.

Just then, the child of Apophis snapped to life and stared Blackstone in the eyes. A bright flash burned from within the slits of the abomination.

For a moment, the warrior was transfixed until he shook his head and now buried his sword into the beast's mouth up and into what he hoped was the brain.

Its eyes rolled up into its head and it thrashed a bit again before collapsing.

It was dead.