The galaxies were not prepared for Skeletors assault, for the loss of so many prominent leaders, for such a crushing defeat when victory had been so close. Skeletors tyranny spread across the universe, destroying any resemblance of resistance that dared to stand against him. Eight hundred years went by, and planet after planet, system after system, fell before the might of the cruel tyrant. It seemed as if nothing could be done, as if nothing could stop the dreaded warlock. People talked of the legendary Templars, and their mightiest hero, He-Man, as some mythological savior. As tyranny and darkness once again spread across the Seven Galaxies, the people dreamed for someone to challenge Skeletor and bring freedom to the universe. They longed, and hoped for, that a hero would emerge to save them all.
Part 4:
Prince of Eternia
The sword and the quarterstaff were used with great ability by both combatants. But while one, the sword, was wielded relying on more fanciful maneuvers – such as the wielder spinning on his heel before striking or parrying behind his back – the quarterstaff was used more strictly, each maneuver carefully thought-out, often following a set pattern of attacks. The fight came to an abrupt end as the swordsman was struck to the ground as the quarterstaff connected with his head, sending him crashing into the grassy field found in the vast gardens of the royal palace of Eternia. Prince Adam sat himself up, rubbing the cheek that had felt the blow. His sword was lodged in the ground beside him, tip first, by his sparring partner.
"This is not a game, Adam."
"It's not life and death, is it?" the young prince, no older than twenty-two, said and pushed himself back on his feet. "And I'm your Prince" he then pointed out.
Teela shook her head as she backed away and readied herself for another fight by taking up a fighting position with her quarterstaff. "Until you beat me at this, you're just gonna be Adam" she said cockily.
The young prince just sighed and shrugged his shoulders and grabbed his sword, freeing it from the ground. Scratching his neck, Adam tried to find the mood to continue with the sparring. But it wasn't easy; Teela, who was six years older than him, had beaten him every time they had sparred for the past ten years, and Adam found it truly annoying. And on top of that, he found her very pretty and during his teens had had a secret crush on her.
Teela eventually dropped her guard and leaned with both arms against her quarterstaff. "Tired of getting your ass kicked by a girl, is that it?"
"You know" Adam said, "I'm not sure you qualify as a girl."
"What?"
"Yeah" the young prince continued. "I mean, you've been raised like a boy. Like a squire even. The only thing keeping you from becoming a man-at-arms in my fathers army is the fact that you have boobs."
"Is that so" Teela replied, quite obviously annoyed by now.
"Yup" Adam nodded. "Lets face it, your father has raised you to be a soldier. Its not like you played with dolls when you were a kid, now is it."
Teelas grip around her staff tightened. "You done?"
"Come on, Teela" Adam said, casually backpedaling as he slowly circled his sparring partner. "You know its true. Or maybe you stuck around all the men-at-arms for other reasons?" he then added with a wink.
Teela did not even bother with a reply as she went on the offensive. Prince Adam had a cocky smile on his lips as he parried the enraged attacks aimed his way. As long as Teela was governed by anger, the prince of Eternia easily had the advantage with his flamboyant style of fighting. Adam laughed as he led Teela through the magnificent and beautiful gardens of the palace; Adam urged her on by goading her with words and his overconfident smile, leading her through the bushes and flower-arrangements, past the trees and under their branches. Eventually, they found themselves separated by a small stream, carefully arranged to bring water to the gardens. While Teela tried to catch her breath, the prince grinned cockily from across the stream.
"So" Adam smiled. "I do believe I'm your prince."
"Prince?!" Teela barely contained her laughter. "You are a spoiled, ungrateful child, Adam."
The words stung his pride, that much was certain. "How dare you speak to me like that? I'm your prince, Teela! The future king of Eternia!"
Teela just shook her head. "An ungrateful, stupid boy" was her simple response.
"My father will hear of this!" Adam barked. "As will yours!"
Teela wasted no more words as she ran up to the stream, and with the aid of her quarterstaff, pole-vaulted across in a single leap and delivered a powerful kick to Adams chest. Adam stumbled and lost his balance, falling over and crashing into an arrangement of bushes. The prince tried to regain his wits, struggling to get free from the twigs and thorns as he searched for his weapon; reaching out for it, he was struck across his hand by Teelas weapon, making him pull the hand back from the pain. The tip of the quarterstaff quickly ended up by Adams face, effectively pinning the young man to the ground without actually touching him.
"Until you beat me" Teela said with a smile at the corner of her mouth, "you're just going to be Adam."
"Fine!" the prince snorted, struck the staff out of the way and began struggling his way out of the bushes and back on his feet.
Getting back on his legs, Teela handed the prince his sword; as he sheathed it, Teela watched him with a smile, resting her quarterstaff over her shoulder.
"Until you actually take this seriously, Adam, you will never win."
"Whatever" the prince frowned. Letting out a sigh he found a rock to rest upon. "Things are so serious lately."
"Skeletor is real" Teela said. "His tyranny is real. We must prepare."
"What would Skeletor want with Eternia?" the young prince said, striking out with his arms at the prospect of invasion. "We are a small, insignificant planet at the center of the galaxy, far from the wars and any alliance to actually pose a threat to the warlock. I doubt that the dark sorcerer even knows we exist."
The sound of an approaching shuttle caught both their attention and they aimed their eyes skyward, soon spotting the grim vessel that came hovering in over the palace, escorted by a pair of Eternian Battle Cat class gunships. Teela and Prince Adam stood side by side as they watched the Eternian gunships escort the cruel-looking shuttle towards the palace hangarbays.
Adam swallowed hard. "I have a bad feeling about this."
XXX
The giant doors opened up with a thunderous boom and slowly parted to allow entrance to the aweinspiring hall that was the royal court of Eternia. Banners covered the walls depicting the heraldry of Eternia itself, the roaring head of the famed Battlecat; a dozen of the magnificent and majestic beasts were kept in the courtroom itself, the huge felines shackled with chains, lending their majestic splendor to the court itself.
First to step through the doorway was the commander of the palace guard, dressed in the Eternian suit of armor; the commander escorted the two arrivals who had asked for audience. The woman was striking; beautiful to look upon, yet her aura and demeanor spoke of wickedness and greed, her step and manner was alluring and arousing, yet her dress and pieces of armor made her appear as an agent of sinister cruelty. Closely following in her wake came a man in murky green armor, carrying a sword on his back, wearing a helmet, the thing cybernetically linked with the man with three bionic eyes arranged to allow him a full three-hundred-and-sixty-degrees vision without even moving his head. The three-eyed swordsman always remained three steps behind the woman, radiating with the coolheaded confidence of a bodyguard that feared little in the universe.
As the commander of the men-at-arms escorted the two arrivals across the court, the nobles and merchants that spent their time in the palace parted in ample time to allow the guests an open road from one end of the great hall to the other. Many of the giant cats roared at the arrivals, snarling as if sensing danger, the green fur and the orange and yellow stripes of the beasts standing on end out of fierce agitation. Two large, impressive thrones rested on an elevated section at the end of the hall, flanked on either side by a smaller throne, no less as impressive as the two larger ones. King Randolph of Eternia waved away his closest advisors as he took note of the approaching guests, and his wife and daughter moved to take their places by his side, the queen in the second of the larger thrones, and the daughter by her side in turn.
"Sire" the commander of the palace guard said as he escorted the two arrivals up to the king of Eternia. "The envoy of Skeletor has arrived and asks your audience."
"Thank you, Duncan" the king said, his features hard and grim as this stern gaze never left the woman escorted into his presence.
Duncan, the commander of the palace guard, stepped aside and turned to face the visitors, keeping a watchful eye on the three-eyed swordsman especially; if the swordsman did the same he could not tell, since the man hardly moved at all, apart from his chest moving as he breathed.
"King Randor" the female envoy said and smiled deceptively. "Such an honor to finally meet you in person."
"I can not say the same" the king replied, clearly disliking the company. "What do you want?" he then inquired, quite demandingly.
"My lord, I am Evilynn, here on behalf of my lord and master, Skeletor."
"Spit it out, witch!" the king harshly commanded, obviously having little respect for the woman and the master she served.
Evilynn merely smiled. "My master asks of Eternia to become his vassals. To support his war with resources, such as ore, minerals and medicine; no manpower, no soldiers, are required to fight in Skeletors name."
King Randor was not impressed. "Why?" he asked. "Why is Skeletor interested in Eternia, when the wars are fought long away from here."
Evilynn shrugged her shoulders with her deceptive smile never fading. "One of the greatest generals to have fought against Skeletor for the past one hundred years, was Keldor of Eternia, your brother."
"My brother left Eternia on his own" Randor corrected the envoy immediately with stern voice. "He renounced his title and all rights to the crown before he left. Keldor did not represent Eternia, and no Eternian man-at-arms followed him to join the war. If you hold my people responsible and accountable..."
"Skeletor does not hold Eternia accountable for your brothers actions, King Randor" Evilynn assured the royal family.
At this time, Prince Adam and Teela entered the courtroom and as Adam found his seat next to his father, Teela joined hers by his side; the commander of the palace guard. Evilynn acknowledged the arrival of the prince with slight nod of her head.
"You have a beautiful family, King Randor" Evilynn then said, ever smiling confidently. "Adam, Adora... very beautiful."
"Don't you dare speak of my children" the queen said, her emotions cold towards the envoy of Skeletor. "Have you made your offer or is there more?"
"There is more" Evilynn admitted, tilting her head gently to affirm it. "Should Eternia refuse my masters kind and merciful offering... Skeletor will look unkindly on this planet, and its king."
"Merciful?" King Randor growled. "Skeletor, merciful? Don't you dare mock me, witch! My brother died fighting your masters tyranny; your master feared my brother who died a hero!"
"Yet in the end, he died" Evilynn pointed out, a smirk on her soft lips. "You claim I mock you" she then continued, "even though my masters enemies seek to win by destroying him utterly, while my master seeks only to win by disarming those who would stand against him. You tell me, King Randor, who is more merciful?"
Randor pushed himself out of the throne and took a couple of steps down the stairs leading up to his throne from the floor of the courtroom. "You listen to me, hag... I have no intention of sullying my brothers memory by submitting to the tyranny he died fighting against. Eternia is a free and independent planet, and it has been neutral in all galactic conflicts since the days of He-Man. If Skeletor doesn't take that kindly, then tell him to come here in person and I shall explain it to him."
"Is that your final answer, my lord?" Evilynn wondered, sensing things were drawing to a close.
"Duncan!" Randor growled, struggling to contain his anger and contempt for the woman before him. "Escort the envoy back to her ship and see that she leaves this planet at once!"
"With pleasure, sire" the commander of the palace guard said and placed himself between the royal family and Skeletors two representatives.
Evilynn bowed her head with a smile and then turned to cross the royal court the same way she had entered. "Come, Triklops" she said, addressing her three-eyed bodyguard, "We are done here."
And with that, she and her companion headed for the exit, closely followed by Duncan who was quickly joined by several men-at-arms to strengthen the escort.
Adam watched Evilynn and her bodyguard, Triklops, as they headed for the far end of the court. Turning to watch his father, King Randor, the ruler of Eternia was a reflection of serious grudge and determined stubbornness. While his mother, Queen Marlena, held his sisters hand to comfort her, his father, King Randor, sat in deep thought, eyes stern and grim; Adam felt discomfort, angst, for what was to come. He could not even expect what might come next. War? Invasion? Or possibly an alliance with Skeletor to avoid such a fate? As Adam studied his fathers eyes and determined expression, the young prince knew that his carefree life had come to an end, and that from now on, galactic conflict would shape his, as well as Eternias, future.
XXX
Prince Adam knelt next to a green pelted Battlecat, scratching it behind its ear, much to the beasts enjoyment as it purred loudly and pressed its head hard against his fingers. Queen Marlena and Princess Adora sat in a chair each in the small council-chamber, watching as the king, with hands crossed behind his back, studied the distant horizon and its sunset through one of the wide windows.
"Our defenses have been strengthened all afternoon, and our fleet has been placed on high alert in orbit" Duncan said.
King Randor sighed and nodded. "Good. Any news from the Andreenids?"
Duncan sighed as he kept the answer to himself while tossing a glance at his daughter, Teela, whom also joined them in the chambers. It was obvious by her expression, that she knew the reason as to why her father was so reluctant in answering.
"Well?" the king said as he turned to face the commander of the palace guard.
Duncan sighed anew. "The Andreenids say that they do not wish to evoke Skeletors wrath needlessly. They feel that Eternia still has a diplomatic option and that war need not be our only path to choose."
Queen Marlena frowned. "So in other words, they want us to side with Skeletor, is that what they're saying? Or leave us to fight Skeletor on our own."
"It certainly looks like it, my lady" Duncan regrettably agreed.
"Ill be damned if I ever bow before Skeletor!" Randor growled and started to pace back and forth in the chamber. "To hell with that sorcerer and that golden mask of his!"
"But what can we do?" Adora wondered out loud, clearly worried over the situation.
"Have we no other allies?" Teela said. "Surely the Qadians..."
"Chief Carnivus was a close friend of King Miro" Duncan pointed out.
"Yes" Randor said and remembered the old chieftain well. "Carnivus would likely have rushed to my fathers aid, but, I am not my father... nor am I my brother."
"Randor" the queen said and got out of her chair to walk up to her husband.
"The Qadians respect prowess more than anything" Randor continued as his wife placed herself next to him. "During the Great Unrest, I was but a captain of the Guard... not a field commander like my brother and father."
"There is no shame in that, my king" Duncan cut in. "Your father placed the defense of the palace, and the royal bloodline, in your hands, sire. King Miro trusted you with perhaps the most important task he could think of."
Adam listened, remembering well the invasion from the north by the Kulataks, the indigenous natives of Eternia, snowmen living on the vast northern ice-plains of the planet. The Great Unrest was a time of famine and drought, and even the frozen wastes of the north suffered. Many towns and villages turned to riot as hunger drove the population to desperation, and as if that had not been bad enough, the Kulatak tribes came down from the north in search for food, plundering the countryside at will. Adam had been only a small boy at the time, but he still remembered his uncle and grandfather going to war.
"That still doesn't address the issue at hand" the queen said to Duncan. "We are not strong enough to defeat Skeletor on our own, correct?"
"Correct, my lady" Duncan confirmed.
"And if our closest friends, the Qadians and the Andreenids, will not come to our aid" the queen continued, "what other choice do we have?"
"Are you saying that we should surrender?" Randor said, astonished over his wifes apparent standpoint.
"No!" Marlena said, sighing as she started to pace about. "I am asking; What other choice do we have?!"
There was silence. No one said a word as the question did not seem to have an answer. Adam, gently petting the giant predator by his side, watched the others; his father had his eyes closed, a terrible weight upon his shoulders. His mother sat down in a chair, sighing heavily over the dilemma, and his twin-sister, Princess Adora, sitting in a chair of her own was close to tears. Teela did little, lost in her own thoughts, a reassuring hand from her father on her shoulder doing little to ease her discomfort.
"We have only one choice" King Randor eventually said, and turned to face the others. "We are going to war."
"Father" Adam said, anxious over the prospect of seeing war first hand on his home planet, and got on his feet; much to the disappointment of the Battlecat.
"Sire" Duncan cut in, as worried as everyone else over the idea of going to war with Skeletor. "We can never win on our own."
Randor was, however, determined by now. "He who sacrifices a little liberty for greater safety, deserves neither liberty, nor safety" the king said. "Skeletor will come" he said, "and I will fight him."
Princess Adora ran over to her mother and the two of them embraced, fear gripping them tight. Duncan gave his ruler a nod and then turned to his daughter; Teela, understanding all to well, said nothing as she left to inform the army and fleet to prepare for war. King Randor turned his head slightly to look his son straight in the eyes; Prince Adam swallowed hard, nervous and anxious over what was to come. Little was said. Words were redundant by now.