The clouds were so thick that it was difficult to see or breathe. There was little wonder as to why his troopers had given up exploring this treacherous peak. Maybe the tyrant shouldn't have destroyed them, but that was in the past. Hordak stopped for a moment. He didn't want to look down, even if he could save himself. How could he have never heard of this castle? If it was as old as Ago implied then shouldn't there be written documents on the place? Not even Noah had told him of the castle's existence and that bothered Hordak.

The tyrant narrowed his eyes and continued on. Noah knew a lot about Etherian history and magic. He was a kind person, but like most sorcerers he was foolish. Hordak knew that going back to the Horde had torn Noah in many ways. The wizard had hoped for him to be a great magician. As if that was going to happen. At this point Noah probably wouldn't even shed a tear for the tyrant unless he was laughing at the tyrant's current situation. The great Commander Hordak who had abandoned the ways of magic and sorcery was now running like a coward from his own brother.

He climbed faster.

Maybe the tyrant was spending too much time scaling the mountain. Flying up there was no option; the peak was just too high. Hordak frowned. A thought crossed his mind. If this palace was so powerful, then why weren't there any traps or spells around to stop him? Surely this keeper of the castle would know when Hordak was coming, then why hasn't he made himself known? As a commander Hordak always had to expect anything that might come at him, but there was very little he could do against an attack right now. The tyrant was hanging on a ledge with barely any air to breathe and most of the weapons he had could cause him to fall. He was an easy target.

Hordak growled, now more motivated to reach the top.

The keeper probably doesn't see him as a threat. This runway hordesman couldn't possibly do any damage to the guardian of the Crystal Castle. Well, won't he be surprised? Hordak may not be strong enough to beat the Princess of Power, but he was no weakling.

This guardian didn't know who he was dealing with and would surely regret it. The tyrant's head shot up for a moment. A very large and strong slab of stone was directly above his head. Had he made it? Was this a dead end? No. There was an end to the ledge, most likely leading to the top of the mountain.

Hordak smirked and transformed his hands and feet into suction cups.

He climbed upside down. Yes, this had to be it. The keeper was probably waiting for him or his sentinels. Either way the tyrant was well prepared for a battle. Such a familiar feeling, it almost seemed foreign. This glory, this feeling of accomplishment; his goal was within his reach. Hordak reached the ledge and began to pull himself up as he transformed his hands and feet back to normal. A good supply of air reached into Hordak's lungs. Normally there should be virtually no oxygen at this height, but he wasn't willing to question it. Once the tyrant stood up he immediately transformed his arm into his traditional cannon. Hordak felt his hands tremble somewhat, wanting to cast another spell.

Magic was too risky now. Not when things were finally looking up for him.

The commander looked upon the magnificent castle while still keeping his guard up for any life forms. It was such a bright kingdom, so beautiful and majestic. Hordak would have sneered in disgust, but he didn't want to let his personal beliefs get him killed. The tyrant stood in the same spot near the ledge for over ten minuets. Was the keeper toying with him? Why weren't there any guards? Surely a place of such power would have a grand army to protect its secrets?

Hesitantly the tyrant walked forward with his cannon still charged.

He had to be careful. Anything could happen; it was the keeper's territory, not a part of the Horde (even though at this point Horde territory wasn't much safer). The castle seemed much bigger up close, but there was something different about it. Like BrightMoon, this kingdom didn't have any visible doors or windows. Clearly a spell was in progress, the tyrant sneered to himself. Should he blast a way inside or would that lead into a trap? Was there another entrance in the back or did the keeper want for him to enter that way?

Before the tyrant could decide what to do, his bones began to shake.

Hordak immediately transformed his cannon back into his arm and clenched his fists. A spell was being cast, he could sense it. Soon the jewel in the middle of the castle disappeared completely showing the inside of the kingdom. Hordak felt calmer now. Did the keeper just let him in? It must be a trap. What could possibly be gained from someone who wants to use the castle's secrets for his own conquest? Then again, there didn't seem like any other option other than to accept the keeper's invitation. It could be a trap, a death warrant. Though those things didn't matter as much.

Hordak had a lot to gain, but very little to lose.

He intended to fight this guardian with all that he had, without the help of magic. The tyrant finally went against his better judgment and went inside the kingdom. Inside the castle was an incredible contrast to the outside. Outside the kingdom gave off a nauseating feeling of hope and light, but the inside was very dark with dull pastel colors inside. This Crystal Castle was a complete mystery. Other than the mysterious opening that led him inside there didn't seem anything of great interest to the tyrant. It was just a kingdom like any other on Etheria, except much more barren.

No guards. No castle insignias. He sensed magic all around him, but saw nothing.

Hordak clenched his fists. Turning back was absolutely no option at all. The tyrant had climbed a treacherous mountain for hours, risking his life each second, escaping the Horde, and sneaking into SpikeHeart just to get to this place; he was not leaving anytime soon. Hordak continued to walk through the straight hallway. It had to lead somewhere. The commander grinned for a moment. He wondered if Skeletor had even gotten into Grayskull yet.

A light brightened the passage for a moment before retreating back into darkness.

Hordak ran faster to wherever this place was leading him. The tyrant stopped as he entered a very large, circular room with a pit in the middle. There seemed to be a cave like opening that could have let to a downstairs, but was blocked by a large boulder. Other than that the room was completely barren. Hordak did not remember seeing any other hallways when he ran inside. Could this be the only thing left in the castle? But then what was that light? It had to be some sort of magic. A power still lingers in this palace and the tyrant could feel it.

A powerful entity resided here; he sensed it once upon touching the surface of the castle.

Hordak walked closer to the pit and looked down. There wasn't a stairway or ladder that could lead him down there. Maybe it was nothing, but he had to take the chance. Something was down there. The magic felt strongest in the pit. Before Hordak could decide what to do a spark of light could be seen in the cavity. A small beam of light shot up the pit and began to encircle Hordak before he could react.

It was a spell, but he could not break it.

Once again his body shook remembering the power of magic. The feeling flowed through him and blinded him. The commander had been attacked with many spells in the past, but only a few proved to be a threat against him with magic. Whoever was doing this was strong since he wasn't able to move at all. Hordak grunted. He hated spells, he hated magic, and he hated whoever was using this spell against him. Either way his worst fear had come true; the tyrant fell into a trap. Hordak tried to resist, but that only caused more pain. The spell finally consumed him and the tyrant fell down to his knees.

It had been too long since he used magic and there was no way for him to tell what type of hex was put into place. Hordak's head ached and soon he fell flat on the ground.

The Horde kingdom stood proudly over the lush green valley. The young warrior walked through the halls and admired the many trophies gained from all of their victories. Only a month ago the Horde had battled against one of the strongest clans on Etherius and most of the soldiers still celebrated over their victory. Hordak was proud of the clan's accomplishments and eagerly awaited the next fight.

The prince grinned.

Hordak had always proved himself to be more than useful in wars. Most of the time the Horde Prime would let his son devise strategies that often led to victory. The clansmen respected Hordak and trusted his judgment since he rarely lost a battle. The young warrior nodded to the guards as he passed them by in order to reach his destination. There was nothing like the feeling of respect and control. The kingdom was always considered an icon of power to him. Even though Hordak had spent most of his life in the palace, it still gave off a strong feeling of intimidation.

Out of the six clans on Etherius, the Horde was probably one of the strongest.

They rarely lost a battle and had some of the best warriors at their disposal. No one dared to challenge the Horde unless they were foolish enough to believe that they could win. Hordak clenched his fists in excitement. Wars happened all the time on this world; he knew that father would declare battle soon.

He just had to.

Hordak stopped in front of a door and took a breath. The Horde Prime wished to speak with the prince and he didn't want to be late. His father was a very powerful and demanding man; it would be foolish for anyone to disobey his commands. Hordak loved that fearful quality in his father since it seemed very effective to motivate the rest of the clan to battle. The prince wanted to have power over the clan like that, but he knew that it wasn't possible.

It wasn't his right.

The prince suddenly looked up hearing distant footsteps. Breaking away from his thoughts, Hordak grinned and greeted his older brother. They now knew that their father had called them both for a meeting, though the brothers did not know what it was about. Hordon returned the smile and was about to say something until a demanding voice called them both to enter the room.

Hordak nodded to his brother as they both looked towards the door with a straight face.

The brothers walked inside and immediately kneeled before their father who sat at the throne.

"Yes Horde Prime," they both declared.

The king snorted for a moment and told them to stand.

"The Garik clan has challenged the Horde to battle early tomorrow," Horde Prime stated with a smirk. "It seems that the fools truly believe they can conquer our empire, but we shall prove them wrong. My sons, I need you to both to prepare for this battle."

Hordak held back a grin from the news while his father explained the details. He knew that the Horde Prime would not disappoint him by declaring war again so soon. With each clan wanting to test their strength, a large battle was nothing new. The prince kept his excitement to himself especially since he knew that his father's last statement was mostly directed towards his older brother. Hordon was an average warrior at best with some strategic skills. Their father had Hordon train with Hordak each day, but there was very little improvement.

To the Horde Prime, it was embarrassing to have such a weak heir.

Hordon wasn't a terrible fighter, but unlike his brother he wasn't anything special either. Hordak was always the stronger one who everyone respected. Most of the clansmen seemed to prefer Hordak over Hordon as a leader and they constantly showed it. Due to Hordon's weak combat skills many people in the Horde picked fights with him for an easy win. For years, the clan had disrespected Hordon, and Hordak had to defend him each time. The young prince glanced at his brother, knowing that their father was going to assign him hours of training for the upcoming battle.

Hordak wanted to become the Horde Prime; if only to relieve Hordon of his suffering.

"I expect you, Hordon, to be well prepared for this next battle. There is no place in the clan for mercy or weak leadership; I need you to be ruthless and cunning. Your younger brother was able to defeat twenty-three men on his own with only three weapons on hand. I expect no less from my heir Hordon, do not disappoint the clan like you often do," he faced Hordak. "Hordak, you will train your brother for an extra four hours to get him ready to fight. He must be at least strong enough to hold off three men, and then I need you to come back here to discuss our strategy."

"Yes Horde Prime, right away," Hordak answered with a nod.

The Horde Prime smirked; pleased with his son's enthusiasm. It was a shame that Hordak wasn't born first since he was clearly capable to take the title of Horde Prime. He was strong, intelligent, and the soldiers feared his power. Hordon just wasn't respected by the clan and the king feared that his empire would fall because of it. He needed to get stronger.

For the sake of the Horde.

The brothers then left their father's throne room and headed out to the training grounds. Hordak glanced at his brother once they exited the hall way. Nearly all of his life the younger warrior had to defend his brother from the many hateful clansmen in the Horde. Hordon clenched his fists, clearly upset with his father's words. It was incredibly frustrating to be as useless as he was. The heir could barely handle one warrior let alone three and his father expected him to improve so much in one day. Even Hordak found that to be a difficult challenge. It was somewhat of a burden to train Hordon for an extra four hours, especially since it probably wouldn't do him any good.

Hordon had been training longer than his younger brother, but he was still no match for Hordak. Most of the clan didn't dare to challenge Hordak unless they had some sort of death wish. On Etherius, battles and wars were very commonplace. Each clan needed to prove themselves in combat, which was the only way to survive. Even though someone would gain a lot of popularity if they ever beat Hordak in a battle, it was still foolish. The prince never lost and he didn't intend to start soon. Hordak faced his brother as they stepped outside; the entire walk was uncomfortably silent. He knew that it would only upset Hordon to talk about his combat skills. All in all it was just best to remain quiet until he spoke first.

Hordon may not be all that strong, but even Hordak didn't want to deal with his temper.

Eventually the brothers faced each other in the court yard drawing their weapons. They both knew the outcome of the training, but neither wanted to disobey the orders given by the Horde Prime. Hordon quickly charged at Hordak; he had gotten a lot faster over the years. The younger brother easily dodged the attack and swung his weapon at his brother's back. Hordon cried out in pain for a moment, but immediately distanced himself from Hordak.

The older prince glared at his brother in frustration. Why couldn't he beat him?

Hordak moved quickly to attack Hordon, but he blocked it.

"What do you hope to gain from this Hordak?" asked his brother while trying not to let him get the upper hand.

Hordak resisted raising a brow at the question. This was no time to talk; this is the time for action. He shouldn't be this careless in a true battle.

Hordak's weapon clashed with his brother's again. "What are you talking about Hordon?"

"This pointless warfare," he had a frustrated look on his face, "that our father constantly has us participate in. What do we,the clan, benefit from this?"

"Glory and strength for the Horde," Hordak knocked his brother's weapon out of his hands and grinned at him. "The only reward that matters."

Hordon stared at his brother's blade; Hordak had clearly won the match. The older brother returned his smile and stood up.

"Yes, glory and strength to the Horde is the only thing that I care about."

Hordak picked up his brother's weapon and handed it to him. It was difficult to get frustrated with Hordon even if he lost an easy match. There was no one else that Hordak wished to spend time with more than his brother. The clan may praise the young prince for all of his achievements, but only Hordon truly appreciated what Hordak did for the clan. No one else's opinion mattered to Hordak other than his brother's. Hordon wasn't afraid to tell Hordak anything and the prince truly appreciated that the most.

After getting up and taking the weapon back from his brother, the heir glared down at no one in particular. Every time. There just didn't seem to be a point to all this training. Hordon cared for his younger brother, but it was incredibly maddening to lose to him. He had to prove himself, he had to get stronger. The heir then charged at his brother instantly, but as always his attack was blocked.

"What's wrong Hordon?" the younger brother teased. "Having a little trouble?"

"I will not allow you to win again Hordak!" he growled.

Hordon gripped his weapon tightly swung at random. All of his attacks were blocked by Hordak. It was strange to see the older prince fight this way; normally Hordon would distance himself from his enemies and let them come to him. This style seemed too direct. The young warrior seemed puzzled at his brother's change of attitude. Just a moment ago he was joking around, but now the heir was completely serious. He wanted to beat Hordak, it was all that mattered, but eventually the heir had lost the battle again and again.

As the young prince predicted, Hordon hardly improved at all. Each attack was similar to the last and he hadn't even attempted a well thought out strategy.

Hordak sighed over his brother's current loss, "Get up again Hordon, we aren't finished here."

The heir hesitantly stood up, clearly tired due to the training he recently endured.

"I know that Hordak, but I need to rest. Just for a moment," Hordon sat down.

Hordak held back a frown in frustration. He didn't like to stall training, no matter what, but even he knew that rest was essential. The young prince took a breath and sat beside his brother.

"I can't wait until we are full-fledged Hordesmen (1) like father, then rest won't matter as much," Hordak stated pompously.

"Yes brother."

"Well," the young prince began, "at least you will become complete before I do. Who knows, you might even tire me out sometimes!"

Hordak chuckled at his statement, but Hordon stared at him.

"That will never happen, Hordak," the heir stated coldly. "Don't even joke about it."

Hordak looked at him with a brow raised, "Don't take what I say so seriously Hordon, I didn't mean anything by it."

The brother's remained quiet for a few moments sitting down and admiring their claimed land. Hordak coughed a little. He hated the awkward silence.

"You were fighting more ruthlessly, brother." the prince looked at him, "Horde Prime would be proud of that. Charging at me as if you stood a chance, at least you changed your fighting style a bit. It was getting too predictable."

Hordon clenched his fists, "I'm still not strong enough to beat you."

The young prince beamed at the comment, "Most of the clan isn't strong enough to beat me, brother. Besides once you are the Horde Prime you won't have to enter into as many battles as you do now. It'll-"

"Hordak!" Hordon exclaimed. "I'm not strong enough to defeat anyone in our clan! They all see it fit to remind me of that. Father, the Horde, and even you Hordak constantly mock my weakness in battle. I need to get stronger, but no matter how hard I try there seems to be virtually no improvement in my abilities. How can I rule a clan that doesn't even respect me, Hordak?"

The younger brother was taken aback by Hordon's outburst.

"Nevermind," he muttered under his breath. "Let's just continue."

Hordon stood up and held his weapon towards Hordak.

"I will not allow myself to lose."

The two clans were at each other's throats. On Etherius, battles and wars were meant to test one's strength. The Horde was known for their formidable warriors and Hordak was in no mood to lose a fight. He charged towards three men and avoided one's attack. By doing so the man's assault was directed towards his own warrior until Hordak took care of the last. It had taken nearly all night to come up with a decent strategy, but it seemed to give the clan an edge.

Hordak took a deep breathe and relished the excitement he felt through his veins. Conflict was something he enjoyed; it was an incredible feeling. The Horde soldiers were fighting to the best of their ability while his father Hordos, the Horde Prime, led them to victory. Hordak grinned as he charged another warrior. Quickly as he fought the man, the young prince frowned. He had spend hours training Hordon, but he was nowhere to be found. Hordak quickly disposed of the soldier and looked around while blocking other attacks.

Where could he have gone to?

The prince noticed one of his father's generals fighting another clansmen; Hordak quickly stood beside him for backup.

"Have you seen my brother, general?" he asked.

"No sir," the soldier stabbed another man. "I haven't seen him at all."

The prince then cursed under his breathe and tried to ask a few more of the Hordesmen, but none of them had seen Hordon. Hordak bit his lip while keeping his guard up. If the heir was absent during a battle then the Horde Prime would severely punish Hordon. Hordak gripped his weapon and glared at the clansmen before him. Normally in a war the young prince would protect Hordon as best as he could, but he was just nowhere to be found.

Hordak swung his weapon at yet another man.

He was quickly surrounded. Due to all the extra training with Hordon and preparing strategies for the battle, Hordak was more tired than usual.

No. He had to stay focused or he would die. Hordon could die. The young warrior managed to keep his eyes open. He had to find him.

Another group was advancing quickly.

Hordak gripped his weapon and waited for the men to reach him. He would deal with them first. The young prince charged at the soldiers, but then stopped immediately. Each enemy before him had literally fallen to the ground, soaked in their own blood. The generals around Hordak slightly lowered their weapons in confusion. Soon more and more men of the Garik clan began to scream in pain before they fell to the ground and died. The prince stared at the scene with wide eyes. How could they just die like this? Was it an epidemic?

"Lord Hordos!" a general exclaimed to the Horde Prime. "Should we fall back?"

"No," he stared at the scene, "that won't be necessary."

The entire Garik clan lay before their feet, dead. Within a matter of minuets an entire regiment was slaughtered. Hordak stepped back slightly and kept his guard up. Whatever or whoever was causing this was extremely powerful. The young warrior looked at his father for a moment; had they won the battle? Or was there another one yet to come.

A Horde clansman looked ahead of the mass of dead bodies and noticed a figure in the distance.

"My Horde Prime! Someone is still alive!"

Hordak looked in the same direction and held his weapon high. To most of the Horde he looked like a brave soldier ready to fight his next opponent, but in reality he was afraid. For the first time, the prince was afraid. How could he compete with that kind of power? Either way Hordak pushed back the feeling and walked towards the man while avoiding the dead bodies. As the young warrior advanced his eyes began to grow wide.

It was Hordon.

And it wasn't Hordon; his brother stood in a powerful pose while his eyes had a bright red glow to them. He couldn't have done this. There was just no way. Hordon looked so powerful and confident with a stare that almost terrified Hordak. For a moment the warrior stood in shock. This feeling of fear, it was just so strong. How could he fear Hordon of all people? Hordon was weak, he was his brother. Nothing made sense other than the aura of intimidation that Hordon gave off.

Hordak barely heard a soldier come up behind him.

"It is the prince!" he shouted in surprise.

Hordos stepped foreward and looked closely at the figure. It was indeed his son, but he couldn't have done all of this. A few soldiers scoffed at the idea of anyone thinking that Hordon could have been the cause of this. There had to be someone else; not even Hordak could kill so many men in such a short amount of time.

Hordak rubbed his eyes. He shouldn't be acting this way. If Hordon was truly behind this then there was nothing to fear.

Hordak stepped forward cautiously, "Hordon?"

Hordon then looked at Hordak for a moment and then disappeared before his eyes. The young prince stared in shock at his brother's god-like speed until he heard cries of pain behind him. Hordak turned around and saw that many of the Horde soldiers were falling to ground dead. The Horde Prime's eyes widened at the scene and was about to signal a retreat until both of his arms were severed by the mysterious being.

Hordon stood before his father who kneeled in pain.

The Horde soldiers around them began to scatter. Hordos looked at his son with wide eyes. How could this happen? Hordon gripped his weapon and while his now red eyes glowed even brighter. He severed his father's head and then turned towards the retreating soldiers.

There was no mercy, just death. Hordak fell backwards in shock. He couldn't move nor could he close his eyes; the warrior watched as his brother killed the Horde soldiers. Some men had called for Hordak's aid, but he could do nothing. This man was so powerful, there was no stopping him. Hordak just watched as his father died, then his mother Kona. They died so horribly and shamefully, but the warrior couldn't turn away. The sheer brutality and power that was being displayed could not be compared to by any of the battles that Hordak had ever fought.

The young warrior's mind felt as if it was going to explode.

Absolutely nothing made sense. Soon the sight of falling bodies ended and Hordak recognized that a few clansmen were still alive. Those who did not publically ridicule Hordon. Hordon then appeared in front of Hordak, his weapon and hands soaked in blood.

The new Horde Prime grinned.

The tyrant clenched his eyes shut at the memory. Hordon, the Horde clan, Etherius, and his father. It had been a while since he had thought about them, but Hordak had not forgotten.

Why was he seeing these images?

Hordak grunted. "I have already lived through this once, why did I need to see it all again?"

"Because in the past is where the answers can be found."

The commander looked around, but saw no one. "Who are you? Show yourself!"

"I am LightHope the keeper of the Crystal Castle," the voice stated calmly.

The keeper had done this to him. Hordak glared at the ceiling a bit for getting caught in a memory spell, but it seemed that nothing had happened to him. He still had his weapons and armor. What did this keeper hope the gain?

"Fine then LightHope, but why are you showing me this? I already know what my brother did to the clan."

"But haven't you ever wondered how Hordon became so strong? How he obtained his immense power?"

For most of Hordak's life before joining the new Horde, he had wondered that. But due to Horde Prime's incredible power the tyrant quickly shoved away any thoughts about his brother. This LightHope seemed powerful, but how could he be trusted? Could he truly know?

"Yes I have, but-"

"Hordak. Let me show you what happened to your brother that day…"

Another bright light surrounded Hordak, and the room faded away.

Warrior screams and clashing weapons could be heard in the distance. Nearly every few weeks another clan would declare war on each other. Each of the six clans on Etherius strived to prove who was better than the other. Fighting keeps one strong and a great leader must be all powerful.

Hordon clenched his fists at the mere thought.

Etherius was a doomed and pitiful planet. Everyone focused so hard on who was the strongest that if one person showed the slightest bit of physical weakness was considered to be useless in the clan. Hordak constantly proved his strength in battle and even the Horde Prime would boast about his battles. Truly the clan would have been better off with Hordak as their next leader rather then the weaker brother.

The older prince shoved the thought away and stopped walking. He stood before Onyx canyon: a pit completely painted with shadows. The darkness didn't scare Hordon, but he still kept his weapon near him just incase. Hordak and the Horde Prime were probably discussing strategies against this new 'enemy.' Hordon grunted and started to climb down the gorge. They wouldn't be looking for him anyway and even if he did participate in another battle there probably wouldn't be a lot that he could do to help.

Hordon was weak and that frustrated him greatly.

Hordon looked down for a moment; he could see the bottom, but it was still very dark. Magic was an unpredictable, yet interesting concept on Etherius. Not many people understood magic and most clans often ridiculed anyone who did. Then again probably every clan forbade the use of magic; it seemed too unnatural for battle. Because of the penalty of tampering with spells most people focused on their physical abilities rather than their mystical ones. There was a story about this canyon that took place long ago about a wizard. The man was supposedly the only one on Etherius who was able to master spell casting.

Soon after the wizard's experiments were discovered his clan banished him to this area. Hordon began to climb again. He was always told that magic was a cheap way of fighting; a true warrior uses his skill to fight. The sorcerer and he had something in common.

Both were ridiculed for not being physically powerful.

That was only one reason the prince wanted to investigate the area. For many years people have reported seeing figures in this canyon and voices as well. At one point a Horde force group found two men lying dead right before the ridge. Many strange reports came from this area and even some too unusual to be considered true. The canyon only intrigued Hordon more and more; perhaps the wizard is alive and his magic is still strong. Hordon finally reached the bottom and looked around.

It was dark, but not dark enough to blind him.

He wasn't sure what he would say or do to the sorcerer, but he felt an urge to find him. The fact that this being (who was so much like himself) could still be alive made Hordon anxious. Hordon gripped his weapon and walked deeper into the darkness. It was eerily quiet and no signs of life could be seen. Sunlight could not get through the bottom of the canyon so plan life was scarce. There weren't even any animals around and Hordon got slightly worried. The prince shook his head and glared angrily at the dark. Was he so weak that even darkness scared him? Could he truly stoop so low? The next Horde Prime must be strong and brave; not weak and cowardly.

A clan was judged by its power and endurance, anything less will cause weakness for the people. That is what Horde Prime would always say and Hordon would admit there was some truth to that. Hordak could inspire the clan while Hordon made them feel vulnerable. The prince clenched his fists. There was nothing he could do to change their minds, he was weak and that is how it was always going to be.

A small rock fell before Hordon's feet.

The warrior had little time to react before five cloaked men surrounded him. One lunged forward, not giving Hordon a good chance to react. The man used his sword to slice Hordon's wrist; the prince's weapon was now out of his hand. He then punched Hordon in the stomach while the others pinned only his arms down.

"That was almost too easy," the man with the sword spat. "He does not deserve his rank."

Hordon tried to fight off the two men who held him down, but their grip was much too strong. The other three warriors drew their blades and held it near his chest. He closed his eyes. Even at death's door he was a coward, but there was just nothing he could do. As usual. Hordon didn't even want to know why they came for him. Horde Prime might even enjoy the fact that he is dead.

Then Hordak will be the next Horde Prime.

Hordon opened his eyes. No. He just couldn't let that happen. The first born was meant to be the heir and no one else. Hordon tried to struggle again, but this time the other man had to drop his sword in order to hold him down. The man who had first knocked him out growled at Hordon's actions and raised his blade to strike. Suddenly he threw his weapon into the rock wall beside him while his whole body began to shake. The men who were holding down Hordon began to shout at him for doing such a reckless act. Hordon continued to struggle while they were focusing on their partner. Still the cloaked being was shaking until he screamed in pain and fell to the ground. The four men looked at the man stunned.

Hordon used this to his advantage.

The prince managed to punch one of the people holding him down and get himself free. Hordon didn't get far before they surrounded him again. The man he had punched was about to draw his weapon until he was coughing blood and fell to the ground faster than the other one had. Soon enough each of the cloaked men began to shake and scream in pain before falling to the ground dead. Hordon stared at the corpses before him.

What had just happened? Was there truly another being down here?

Hordon had never seen such an attack like this one. Someone killing without using a weapon and doing it so quickly as well seemed impossible. He had only known Hordak to be able to take on that many men in such a short amount of time, but this didn't at all seem like the work of a Horde warrior.

It was much craftier than any other fighting style he had seen.

What did this?

Hordon then looked around for a moment until his eyes rested upon one of the dead mercenaries before him. These men attacked him for no reason. If they wanted any of his valuables then they would have gone strait for the knapsack rater than attack him. They wanted Hordon dead. The prince stared at the dead man whose face was flat on the dirt. Because the warriors attacked him so quickly he had not seen who they were; not that it mattered then. At the time he only focused on surviving and he couldn't even do that. Why was he so weak as to allow a bunch of outcasts to pin him down like that? Hordon glared at the man; why couldn't he do anything? Out of anger he kneeled down and turned the man onto his back so that he could see his face.

The prince's eyes widened at the discovery.

A Hordesman attacked him; one of his own clan members tried to kill him. Hordak stood and forgot about the possible presence of the mysterious attacker. It was all starting to make sense.

"They want him that badly," Hordon spoke, not caring who heard. "They all prefer Hordak as their leader because he is strong and I am weak. Hordak can take over twenty men at once yet I can only manage two."

The prince stepped on the man's chest as more blood flowed out of the corpse's mouth.

"If I had power they would respect me. I wouldn't be questioned or ridiculed if they feared my power. The Horde clan is pathetic! These battles against one another just to test one's strength is meaningless! They ridicule me for my weakness and praise him for his strength. Hordak is viewed as the true leader and these men saw me as an obstacle. Trying to kill me so that a 'proper' leader would take my place. A leader with strength and power. The fools!"

Hordon couldn't help but shout. His own clan wanted to get rid of him. He shouldn't be so surprised, but all the prince could feel was rage. Hordon was enraged that he was considered the weak link to the success of the Horde clan. Something had to be done. He couldn't stay this way.

"I see," a crackling voice chuckled. "We do have a bit in common now, do we not?"

Hordon quickly stood up and looked into the darkness only to see a person emerge from it. The man was decrepit and reminded Hordon of a rotted corpse. He looked like he used to be a Hordesman at one time in his life, but it was difficult to truly tell. His right arm was covered in a metal binding with flexible bar on it that helped him move his body. Hordon marveled at how the person was still able to walk or even breathe. Where did he come from?

"Who are you?"

"I?" his voice sounded as though it were clogged with dust. "I was once a Horde soldier like you. One who does not fight with weapons or fists."

The old man grinned slightly at his sentence while Hordon's eyes widened.

"You are the sorcerer!" he marveled. Magic. He must have used magic on the men, but how was he still so powerful or alive?

The man attempted to straighten his back, but failed. "I can see that I am not the only victim of the Etherius's erroneous laws. These men are clearly Horde soldiers as well and yet they attacked you because you are weak."

Hordon didn't glare at the man, but was impressed at how well he understood him. Possibly the stories the prince had heard about the sorcerer were not completely untrue. He was banished for his methods because they were viewed as weak; just as Hordon was ridiculed.

"Sorcerer," he blurted, "how are you still alive and so strong? If you had this much power then why did you let your clan banish you?"

The wizard stared at Hordon with a strange gleam in his eyes.

"I see, you truly do crave power don't you? So much that you wish to know about my own," he chuckled darkly. " I probably would not be alive if it weren't for these implants, though as you can see I am barely alive."

Hordon couldn't help his rudeness, "And your strength?"

The sorcerer studied Hordon for a moment then turned around.

"If you follow me it will be clear."

Despite how weak the old man looked he still managed to keep a good pace as Hordon could not help but follow him. His power intrigued him and it was almost a relief to meet someone so like himself. The wizard didn't talk for a while which had annoyed Hordon.

"Recently," the old man began, "I have found this energy, this power. It is the very foundation of my existence at this point. I know very little about this energy mass, but my studies have come somewhat close to finding out. At this point I know that it has more power than any clan on Etherius can dream of."

Hordon stared at the man with excitement in his eyes as the wizard spoke of this unusual power. How could something so strong exist without anyone knowing of it? Eventually the two walked into the darkest part of the canyon. It was nearly pitch black except for the gleam of the wizard's bionic arm. Soon enough the two arrived at a door way to a place that looked no smaller than a metal home or hut. The prince could tell that the place was taller, but he couldn't see much because of the darkness. Hordon raised a brow at the small structure, but continued to follow the wizard. Once the two walked down a flight of stairs the room they were in was extremely large. Hordon marveled at the large room, but the sorcerer insisted that they needed to venture deeper within the structure. From what the prince could tell was that the place seemed to be buried underground and could have been as large as a kingdom.

Eventually the two were inside another large room with only a circular pit in the middle. The sorcerer walked closer to the pit as did Hordon. Such power, so much dark energy from this pit filled him. Shadows swam inside the abyss while Hordon had visions of killing and conquest. The things he could do with such strength. So much control. The wizard began to say something to Hordon, but the prince could not help but stare into the pit. If only he could have this power. The prince had a wide grin as he continued to stare.

"It is incredible is it not?" the wizard spoke. "I know so little about it, but the strength it gives off is completely real."

Hordon faced him.

"Yes this power is very real. Imagine what one could do with such strength. It is mind boggling. Those fools who mocked me for my weakness can do so no longer. There is only one being who will be the next Horde Prime, wizard, and it shall be me."

Before the wizard could stop him, Hordon dived into the pit. The sorcerer covered his eyes as the room shook and the dark energy grew. After an ear shattering scream rang through the room Hordon finally emerged from the pit. His eyes were completely red and his body radiated with the power that they had sensed from the pit. Hordon successfully fused himself with the darkness.

"Soon that pathetic clan of mine will see," Hordon's voice became more hellish as he spoke.

The prince raised his hands and used his new found power to escape the underground structure. Yes, the battle at dawn. That is where he will begin.

Hordak could now only see white in front of him as he fell to his knees. For so many years the tyrant had wondered where Horde Prime's power had come from. Despite the tyrant's natural instinct not to trust anyone the vision seemed all too real. Even though he saw how Hordon got his strength it still raised questions.

"LightHope! What was that darkness Hordon had jumped into? What is the identity of the wizard?"

There was still so much to know and Hordak could feel that the keeper was about to answer until a loud banging sound filled his ears. The tyrant was beginning to snap back into reality until he was finally in the room he had arrived in. Eventually the doors were knocked down with incredible force damaging the room immensely. There in the door way stood Leech and Grizzlor with many spider-like creatures. Soon enough the Unholy King stepped through the doorway and in front of his men.

"I've finally found you, Commander." Arch-Arach growled.

READ THIS!

Wow I know that took forever to write but I certainly think it was worth it! Due to AP testing and midterms I couldn't finish this as soon as I wanted to! I'm really really sorry! (as if you hadn't dealt with my lateness enough!)

Ugh, well as an apology if you can guess who the wizard is I will make a drawing of your request on my deviant art for you!

(1): In my mind Horde beings grow differently that normal people. Hordians are born looking human but then their faces grow more and more grotesques as they get older. For instance prince zed still looks human enough because he is so young, but because of the way his ears grow he is starting to gain the features of a 'complete' hordesmen. A complete Hordesmen happens in a persons thirties where they have completely changed into their full creature form and with this transformation they gain strength and have less need to sleep or drink. Thus as they become more monster-like they become stronger as well. If you don't fully understand then just ask!

Alright guys I am massively sorry for the long wait! Please continue reading!