Part 1
Inside
the dark walls of Castle Grayskull, the quiescence of the night was broken as
the keeper of the castle was awoken by a gruesome vision. She quickly focused
on summoning Eternia's hero. Still shaking from the frightening sight in her
dreams, she could barely call him.
Stepping
out of her bed, she waved off one of the feather-gowned guards coming to her
side. She brusquely moved across the room towards the door. Avoiding more
servants running to help her from across the throne room she went directly to
one of the eyes of Grayskull.
Focusing
her mind on calling the hero while a tear ran down her face, her summons soared
across the mystic lands of Eternia directly into the capitol palace.
She
stood almost motionless, her eyes spanning the distance searching for a sign
Eternia's hero had received the message, as many servants had gathered behind
her knowing not to disturb her yet.
More
tears ran down her face as memories of the dream raced through her mind. One
servant started to come to her, but her arm rose in defiance.
Then
her head shifted as she saw a great light coming from outside the capitol city.
The great beam shot through the sky towards the castle. The Sorceress's hand
held tight to the windowsill as the castle began to shake and another tear ran
down her cheek.
As
the castle stopped shaking and the beam of magnificent light returned to its
origin, the Sorceress stepped back. "He-Man is on his way. The people are
safe now."
§ § §
Battlecat
turned the corner as He-Man had directed him. A ways down the road He-Man saw
the crowd of people in front of one of the houses. Battlecat's stride slowed
down, as he knew they had arrived at their destination.
The
crowd parted as He-Man dismounted from Battlecat. No one said a word to him as
he passed through. The Sorceress didn't give him much detail at all. He
realized why when he noticed the body lying on the ground covered by a sheet.
"How
did this happen?" asked the powerful voice of He-Man crouching down to
look at the body. His head rose expecting an answer from the crowd. No one said
a word.
He-Man
lifted the sheet, and he just as quickly dropped it and backed off. Turning
away from the body He-Man looked up at the house. Almost instinctively his arm
raised and drew his sword as he was ready to strike.
The
crowd backed away startled by the sudden movements of He-Man. After realizing
what he was looking at he put his sword back in its place. Then a small woman
from the crowd spoke. "It was awful He-Man."
"Did
you see it?" He-Man replied turning to see the villager who stepped out
from the crowd.
"I
saw just a much as anyone else here did, and I was just as scared by it."
He-Man
knew the sight of these people being killed had to be gruesome, and he now
understood why the Sorceress's call was so short and urgent. "Okay people.
I need a few men to help me bury these bodies before sunrise. Everyone else
needs to go back to their homes. Stay inside until sun rise."
The
people knew to follow what He-Man said, and they dispersed to their homes. Some
of the men stayed and cut down the body of Timiña. He-Man stopped the small
woman who had spoken up and pulled her aside.
"Did you know these
people?"
"Well,
yes. I knew them a little. They were such nice people. I don't see how anyone
could do that to them."
"Do you think you could
tell me what you saw?"
"I'll
try, but none of us really saw that much at all. You can come into my house. I
live alone right across the road here. I'd feel safer with you there
anyways," the woman showed him to her house as He-Man called Battlecat to
his side.
He-Man
entered the woman's small home followed by Battlecat. Looking around the room
he felt very comfortable in the surroundings. The woman asked him to have a
seat and brought him something to drink. Battlecat sauntered in and lay down
next to He-Man's chair.
The
woman took a seat for herself and asked, "So where do you want me to
begin?"
"First
of all, what made you go out there in the middle of the night?"
"I
heard a scream. The most horrid scream I've ever heard in my life."
"When was that?"
"It wasn't more than an hour
ago I suppose."
"What did you see when you went
outside?"
"I
saw Lianna in the middle of the road on her knees. Almost everyone was out of
their houses then," the woman explained. "It wasn't until I looked up
that I saw him."
"Who's him?"
"Timiña,
of course. Timiña was Lianna's husband. It was the sickest thing I have ever
seen. I don't think Lianna knew he was there though for some reason. I'm not
sure why she wouldn't have though, since she walked out of the house. My first
thought was she had killed him."
"Why would you have though
that, ma'am?
"You
see, He-Man. Lianna and Timiña haven't been getting along to well. There was a
rumor going around that Timiña was having an affair with another woman. I
suppose Lianna could have found out something."
"But
she obviously didn't kill him, since she is now in the ground right beside
him."
"That
is the next part, He-Man. Suddenly from the darkness behind their house a very
eerie green glow appeared and an ax flew right towards Lianna. My heart almost
stopped at this point. The whole crowd was still silent from the sight of
Timiña's body, and the only one that even tried to warn her was the man next
door."
"What would his name be?"
"That
would be Mr. Sendo. He ran towards her trying to knock her down, but poor
Lianna didn't even know what was coming. As soon as she turned around it...
well, you know."
"Yes.
It must have been a horrible sight for you Miss." He-Man said as he got up
in preparation to leave. "You've been a great help."
"You're
leaving so soon. Surely you're not going out there in the middle of the night
with that horrible murderer out there."
"Thanks
for you concern ma'am, but I don't want to see any more sights like I just did.
Make sure you keep your doors locked and have a nice night," He-Man turned
towards the door followed by Battlecat.
Outside
the street was vacant. The bodies had been buried in the forest behind the
house within the hour as was Eternian custom. "That was a nice lady. Don't
you think Battlecat?"
"Yes,
she wasn't that much help though. And how come I didn't get anything to
drink?"
"Oh,
c'mon Battlecat. Let's go have a look behind the house here. Maybe there are
some foot prints from the killer."
He-Man
and Battlecat walked around the victim's house. Battlecat sniffed around the
area while He-Man tried to find any kind of clues. He pulled out a torch from
the pouch on Battlecat's back and lit it. The only footprints he could see were
of the ones to the graves of Timiña and Lianna.
"Find anything,
Battlecat."
"Not
a thing, He-Man. I can't tell that anyone else has been back here."
"I
think we better wait until morning. I don't think whoever it was will be back
tonight. Let's give the Sorceress a visit and see what she can tell us."
"Maybe
it was the woman Timiña had been seeing, He-Man. Maybe he had a broke it off
with her, and she was jealous of Lianna and Timiña. It makes sense."
"I
don't think a woman could have done that to them though, Battlecat. Besides,
that was just rumor. It looks like Skeletor will probably be behind this
somehow. Let's go to Grayskull, " He-Man said as he took his seat in
Battlecat's saddle.
"Let's go, Cat."