The primal force embodied by Beaky surveyed the familiar field of battle through characteristically narrowed eyes. A perpetual, though not unbecoming, snarl was fixed to his rugged visage. His brows knitted in a potential 8000 years of concentration as with mighty Steve his brave war stallion, he clove his purposeful yet undetermined way through the assaulting fibrous legions of Dr. Handperson. Remnants of that evil warmonger's rustling hordlings flew broken and limp through the air to the left and right and sometimes behind or ahead of the fury of Beaky's whistling two-handed sword of Shrieking Impalement and Flashy Brandishment.

Then with a suddeness shocking in its sheer immediacy, seven shimmering figures materialised before Beaky. Puce they were, and terrible to behold. It seemed that they were woven from the very substance of the tortured air, stitched in a pattern of foulness and dread from hell's own overlocker. Beaky, with a mighty cry of effort, in a single mighty circling slash, cleared the space around him of Handperson's hindering horde, that he might better inspect these new players to the stage of battle. Mounted on strange horses they were; unholy steeds with five glowing turquoise eyes, and manes of crimson snakes. Hissing snakes. Spooky hissing snakes. The fell riders themselves were uncanny in their stillness, neither fidgeting nor making idle banter, as they gazed from the bottomless depths of their tall plumed helms upon Beaky and Steve.

"I AM BEAKY. WHAT MANNER OF FOUL ANGST DEMONS BE YE ASSEMBLED FOES?"

, cried Beaky in his warm gravelly voice. And they spoke then, as one, in a bubbling sussuration of evil within Beaky's mind:

"WE ARE THE SEVEN ANGST DEMONS OF FAR FLAAARNGGGENARGGG, COME TO END YOUR DAYS MORTAL FOOL!"

With this declaration came a palpable wave of angst and dread, pummelling Beaky with its dark power, and causing Steve to whinny and tremble in horsely fear. But Beaky was undaunted. With a shrug of his mightful shoulders, Beaky cast off the cloak of fear and disenchantment with life, laughing cheerily:

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH - FOOLISH ANGST DEMONS OF FAR FLAAARNGGGENARGGG - WHAT IS ANGST TO ME BUT A FEELING OF ANXIETY OR APPREHENSION OFTEN ACCOMPANIED BY DEPRESSION? I HAVE BATTLED UNINTERRUPTED THROUGH THE FIRST THREE THOUSAND YEARS OF AN EIGHT THOUSAND YEAR UNINTERRUPTED BATTLE INTO THE DUBIOUS FUTURE. THINK YOU THAT MERE ANXIETY COULD STAY MY HAND?"

He calmed giant Steve with but the touch of that same hand, and Steve knew immense fury then, that he, mightiest of all mighty war destriers would be made to look like a prancing scaredy horse by these puce demons. Rearing high and giving forth a steedish snort of anger, he charged the dismayed Flaaarngggenargggian Angst Demons.

Two of the demons were decapitated and writhing on the ground within seconds, and the remaining five knew the taste of terror for the first time in their particularly immortal lives. Three more Beaky slew with his singing claymore of Positive Assertion and Pointy Impalement. With a baritone chortle he mocked the falling demons:

"FOOLISH FOES, TO HAVE SPENT SO LITTLE TIME STRENGTHENING YOUR SWORD ARMS AND YOUR PARTICULARLY POORLY DESIGNED ORNATELY SPIKY NETHERWORLDISH ARMOUR, AND SO MUCH TIME STRENGTHENING YOUR FUTILE ANGST WEILDING .... ..... ..... ARMS."

And with that, he totally eviscerated the remaining demon, who slipped groaning from its dread saddle, to bleed strange blood on that plain of battle.

With their evil masters dispatched, the crimson snake maned steeds of the enemy were dismayed, and whinnied in terror absolute. Beaky consoled them:

"GO FORTH, STRANGE STEEDS - GO FORTH AND LIVE WHAT LIVES MAY AWAIT YOU, FOR I AM BEAKY, AND I DO NOT FIGHT EVEN WEIRDING HORSES FOR NOBLE REASONS WHICH I WILL KEEP TO MYSELF."

And with that the strange mounts knew happiness, to have been released from their dread masters and freed to live their own strange turquoise eyed lives on the endless battle plain. Gaily did they stream away from the site of their emancipation, thinking only thoughts of gratitude for their benefactor Beaky, and how they would live out their eternal days by his example.

Beaky knew great happiness and sadness both as he watched the departing steeds. Then with a fleeting enigmatic grin he once more plunged hacking into the surrounding grey hosts, Steve as ever, valiant between his mighty legs.

Song of Beaky will continue after twelve hundred years of respectful recovery.

<-----Beaky Makes a Friend