TWO

Skeletor's Havoc Staff pushed aside the hide flap of his tent. He quickly followed, stalking into the center of the beast men's tribal grounds, each step accentuated by the thump of his staff on the dirt. He had tossed aside the black robes Lyn had brought him. The beast men had prepared clothes of their finest leather and bone for his return. It was a delicate balance. Too much material, especially metal, could disrupt the delicate energies of Skeletor's arcane power. Later, Skeletor would add his own touches, ones that would only amplify his power.

Skeletor eyed the beast men warily. They were little more than slaves, and only just smarter than a common ape. The beast men were the size of small men, but covered in fur with faces that betrayed their close ties to the primate family. Their bodies were no where near as powerful as their evolutionary cousins. The beast men were not accustomed to hard labor. They had gained the ability to control the animals of the jungles around them, and used those animals to perform even the most menial tasks. Skeletor had once fostered the idea of turning them into a fierce army, but the beast men were less than useless as fighters. Their killer instincts had been buried long ago. They would fight only when cornered. Still, they made good servants, and their loyalty was unquestionable. They thought Skeletor was a god, and would do nothing to anger him.

The sun had just begun to set. The beast men's shaman was preparing a fire for the ceremony Skeletor had demanded. The shaman was indistinguishable from the other beast men in all but the blue paint he were across his forehead and down the bridge of his nose. Each year the shaman was chosen based on the beast man who showed the greatest control over the animals of the jungle. A beast man who challenged the shaman for the position would summon an animal to do battle with whatever animal the shaman could summon. The two creatures would do battle until one died or ran off. In that way, the shaman's position was determined until the next spring without any beast men shedding the blood of their own kind.

Skeletor eyed the shaman's preparations with approval. He scanned the crowd of gathering beast men with disdain until his eyes fell on a human figure sitting against the side of a tent, paying no attention to what was going on around him. He wore the rags of what had once been a simple night gown. A cloth, dark with oozing fluid, was wrapped around his head, covering his eyes. The man was filthy and thin, near death but hanging on through force of habit. Skeletor sneered. The mighty had fallen hard in his absence, but he had no use for failed warriors.

The shaman's fire finally lit. Skeletor could have lit the fire with a simple gesture, but it had to be a natural flame in order for his spell to work.

The shaman backed away while the other beast men moved forward, beginning a religious dance that Skeletor had no interest in. Skeletor watched the stars, making sure everything was right with the powers he would draw from tonight. Not until the beast men ceased their dancing did Skeletor look back to the shaman's fire.

The crowd had split into two groups, males on one side, females on the other. Skeletor could barely tell the difference between the two. At the head of the groups was a tent. Two beast men ceremoniously pulled the flaps of the tent open. None of this was necessary for the spell Skeletor would cast. A beast man walked out of the tent. He was no different than any other beast men in the tribe except for the red dyes that had been smeared all over his brown fur, and the blue and white dyes that now marked his face. The red dye had been prepared by Lyn for this very night. Skeletor's victim had been chosen. He thought he would be receiving great power, and he would, but at the cost of his free will.

Skeletor spoke to the beast men who could understand for the most part, but did not have the physical ability to speak in kind. "Years ago I came to you with the gift of great power to one of your kind. That beast man was killed by the people whose lands even now infringe on your jungles. He died a great warrior, defended your jungle, and you know he is now a spirit god that protects this tribe. The humans in the lands beyond have grown in strength again. They wish to come back, burn down your trees, steal your water, kill your animals—but they will fail."

Several beast men grunted their vague approval. Many were having difficulty following Skeletor's speech. "Tonight, I will grant this beast man the power I granted the other. Tonight, he will become a god with me, and we will go forth to destroy your human enemies."

Skeletor gestured vaguely. "Bring him forward."

The red beast man walked forward slowly. He could not hide the fear in his trembling form, his breath coming in rapid panting Skeletor's red eyes fell on his. He wanted to run, but the eyes kept him locked in place. His knees were weak with a terror he had never known.

The eyes of the ram topping Skeletor's Havoc Staff took on the glow of their master's eyes. The hair of the beast men stood up, and they began to howl furiously, though none could find a reason for their sudden anxiousness. Wind pushed through the trees, causing the fire to blow dangerously towards the crowd. In the jungle, the animals felt the fear of the beast men through their psychic connection and joined the panicked howling Even the ragged figure to the side, barely conscious of the world, began to whimper quietly. Skeletor's body flexed, thin muscles tightening, he thrust his staff into the air, and his mouth opened in a silent scream that only other creatures of evil could hear. The red beast man was motionless now, making no noise, his fear forgotten. His eyes never left the eyes of the staff. Skeletor's evil scream crept into his ears, getting louder and louder until he could hear the grunts and cries of his own people no longer. His muscles began to change, his body thicken. The dull teeth in his mouth grew into sharp fangs, while the nails on his hands became vicious claws. His instincts to kill were awakened from their centuries long dormancy, and then heightened to the level of sadistic cruelty. His senses were sharpened to an almost maddening level of awareness, and his mind quickened and dulled all at once. He would be cunning, but he would be servile. Even his ability to control the animals around him had been enhanced; he could now control even powerful monsters and use them to fight his battles.

The new, remade Beast Man howled. Skeletor slammed the end of his staff into the ground. The eyes went suddenly dead, but did not stop staring at Beast Man. With that, the tribe collectively fell to the ground, their energies spent in ways they could never understand. Some twitched, as if plagued by nightmares, but most slept as if dead. Indeed, the energies Skeletor had used had been their own. They would find themselves suddenly growing older more quickly. It was the price of the magic that they had unwittingly paid, but they would never make the connection.

"Won't He-Man be surprised to see you again, my friend," Skeletor hissed.

Beast Man snarled with delight. His master approved and nothing could bring him greater pleasure.

The ragged figure watched with sudden focus. "Lord Skeletor?" he whispered in a voice not used to speaking. Then he was gone again—lost in the torments of his own mind.

Adam walked through the palace gardens, half-hoping that he would find Teela still there. The trees had always provided a shady solace for Adam in his youth. He had insisted that in the construction of the Eternal Palace, remnants of the old garden he cherished were kept unspoiled. Adam couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia now for the long restless days of irresponsibility spent hiding from his tutors or shirking appointments. His father was strict, warning Adam that he was heir to the throne in a time of war. And he often worried that he was shielding Adam too much from the harsh lessons the war was teaching the rest of the world. His mother just smiled, pleased to see some bastion of innocence left in a world of monsters and black magic.

Then, Adam had been given the Sword of Power, following a voice that lead him to the previously hidden Castle Grayskull. The castle came alive, and Skeletor found what he had spent years looking for. With the sword, Adam became He-Man. It connected him with the people of the world, making him feel their sorrow, and convincing him that he had to work to end it. Adam became little more than a disguise, changing back to his adolescent body, the muscles were stripped away, but not the emotional burden he had felt when holding the sword. Adam kept up the disguise of irresponsibility so that no one would connect him with He-Man. But now his former leisurely lifestyle became a chore, when all he wanted to do was grab a spear and join the army to stop Skeletor. He wanted to be He-Man forever.

That was all gone now. Skeletor discovered his secret first, and used that knowledge to hit He-Man where he was most vulnerable, his heart. And so his parents were both murdered. He-Man set out that day to end the war for good, and he defeated Skeletor. Skeletor swore that his sprit would live on if he was killed, so the Sorceress banished him to an undying nightmare in the realm of Limbo. Adam's close friends discovered his secret, but it didn't matter. He gave up the sword. He-Man was gone forever. And now, he could only hope that he had He-Man's courage and strength as King.

In another hour, he would be hosting the dinner feast. Things had certainly changed.

Adam's reverie was broken when he heard the soft padding of a great animal in the underbrush to his right. There was only one giant predator allowed in the gardens—Cringer, who had saved Adam in Castle Grayskull and become He-Man's Battle Cat. Cringer's fear of violence was not a façade the way Adam's irresponsibility was. He was genuinely afraid of everything. It was funny coming from a cat eight foot in length with rippling muscles and a set of teeth and claws that could shred armor easier than most swords.

"Cringer, I was hoping to find you here," Adam said warmly.

"Where else would I be?" Cringer purred, stepping out onto the path and lazily stretching his green and yellow-striped body "The grass makes a much softer bed than the palace floors. And besides, the staff is always waking me up. They move around too much. I have sensitive ears, you know."

"Yes, I know. Listen, Teela and the Sorceress are here."

"Both of them. Oh… It's not bad news, is it?"

Adam hadn't really thought of that, but then, neither of them seemed to have hinted of some danger. "No, it's not bad news," he told Cringer. "I don't really know what it is, but it's not bad, I think. Anyway, they're making the formal announcement at dinner tonight."

"Well, whatever it is, you can count me out. I'm staying right here at the palace. There's plenty of food, the staff is too scared of me to wake me up when I'm napping, and the performers on festival nights are the best in Eternia."

Adam smiled. Some things never changed, others did painfully. "Teela is the new Sorceress."

"Really. That's wonderful news."

"There's more, but I don't know the rest." Adam sat down under a tree where Cringer followed him.

"Why do you sound worried about it then?" Cringer asked, lying down next to his friend and lying his heavy head on Adam's chest.

"I don't know." He paused. "Teela's too young."

"She's older than you. And besides, the Sorceress must think she's ready or she would never… Oh, wait. You don't think she's too young. You have a personal interest in this, don't you?"

Adam looked at his friend in mild surprise.

"I've known all along. I am a cat, you know," Cringer purred.

"It's just not fair," Adam whispered, but Cringer heard clearly.

"Adam." Cringer lifted his heavy body and sat down in front of his friend. "Go to the dinner. Listen to what she has to say. Then tell her how you feel. You have to. You know, cats can sense emotions like smells. I guess less fortunate cats use it to sense fear in their prey. In fact, I really shouldn't be telling you this, but Teela has felt the same way for a long time."

Adam stared across the garden, but his thoughts were far away. "I've always thought so Cringer. I mean, I've always hoped so, anyway."

"Go to the dinner, Adam. I need to take a nap. This has been enough excitement for one day" Cringer padded away. Adam didn't watch his best friend leave, but he smiled as he heard his nearly silent steps slowly fade away. Cringer was not the slow-witted animal everyone thought he was.

The feast was magnificent. Adam so rarely allowed his staff to put their full powers towards making him a meal, even when he had guests, that they practically relished the opportunity to flex their celebration muscles. The food was brought from all over Randor and prepared by three chefs, each specializing in different foods. The staff wore fresh uniforms and real smiles. The crystal dishes sparkled in a rainbow of colors.

But all of the splendor and festivity was all but unnoticed in the King. He was so rarely in a bad mood that the staff didn't recognize its symptoms. They just thought he was being contemplative and quiet, surrounded as he was by old friends.

Duncan noticed, and he made a mental note to himself to ask Adam what was wrong after the dinner, not suspecting that what was such a joyous occasion for him could be so painful to a man he saw as a surrogate son.

The meal ended quickly, specialty deserts and drinks followed. Now was the time that Adam dreaded, but better to get it over with then let it stagnate inside him any longer. He stood.

"Friends." He looked around at the near hundred guests he had invited to the banquet. Many he hadn't spoken to in months. Some were regular guests of the castle. Two were dignitaries from across the sea, ambassadors from a land that Adam had never known existed before their arrival. Seated next to him were his closest companions. Duncan, who he had fought with against Skeletor and learned from his whole life. Teela, who had been his close friend and first love. And the Sorceress, who had guided his spirit through a war that so often left wounds that hurt the soul more than the flesh. "It is my great pleasure to have you gathered here with me today. Randor, once a small nation under my father, has now blossomed into the dream of peace and prosperity he envisioned. We are stronger than ever before. Our people live without fear and I believe they are truly happy. The people gathered here today made that possible." There was some cheering that started at the far end of the table. "Sorceress," he turned to face the woman to his left, dressed in a fine gown of white silk and looking like a Queen herself. "You have not visited the Eternal Palace since the war's end. It is a particular honor to have you with us today." He bowed.

The Sorceress smiled. Although she still looked like a woman in her young forties, she was old, and the knowledge of decades lived beyond the years of most men was alive in her eyes. She stood. "Your Majesty." Adam blushed. He would never get used to someone like the Sorceress using his title. "My journey here was one of true joy. The roads are safe. The towns are safe. The people have food in abundance. They have time to spend with their families without the fear of violence erupting around them. And let me assure you, they are all happy. We are all happy." There was clapping and another cheer from the other end of the room.

"I have made this journey with a glad heart. My work is nearly done—and it has been so long." Her eyes fell on Duncan, and then went to Teela, both across from her. "Just ten years ago I took my daughter, Teela, to Castle Grayskull to train as the next Sorceress. Many of you here know that this was never an easy task. Teela resisted sorcery the way mountains resist time. I had it all wrong, though. I was blind even. The sorcery was deep inside her, and when we found it, it out-shined my own damaged powers, but in an unexpected form. With our new discovery, we both came to understand that she was ready to be the new Sorceress."

The guests cheered and clapped with alacrity. Duncan put his arm around his daughter, his eyes beginning to water.

"I have come to ask your support, King Adam of Randor. In two days, Teela and I leave for the abandoned ruins of Snake Mountain in search of a relic long-thought lost, but revealed to me by Zodac, who watches over the celestial forces focused at Castle Grayskull. We seek your aid in reaching Snake Mountain. The object must be found and Teela entrusted with Grayskull's care before the end of this month, or it will be years again before Grayskull will be ready to accept a new guardian." The Sorceress sat back, locking eyes with Duncan, who had already guessed the news and beamed with pride.

As much as Adam wished Teela would never leave the palace again, wished he could lock her in forever to be with him, he realized that he would be crushing the spirit in her that he loved. She must be free to do what she longed to do, and that was to take on the mantle of Sorceress. He knew what was expected of him. "Sorceress, you will have men and horses to guide you to Snake Mountain. You will have fresh supplies to sustain you on your quest. And, you will have warriors to protect you, any that will volunteer themselves to your service. Let me be first among the volunteers. I will guard your way."

Duncan smiled. This was what he lived for, traveling with his friends on the open road. "Perhaps your company could use an old Man-at-Arms to make the way a little safer, although the King's soldiers have already taken most of the exciting danger off the roads. I will be there."

There was applause and cheering again from the other guests, but Snake Mountain was the one place none of them would go, and they couldn't conceive of their King volunteering to join the group. The magics of Grayskull were revered by the people, but not entirely understood, and so they were feared. Snake Mountain had been a place of evil since the dawn of civilization, since the first wars centuries ago with the snake men and then again when it became the center of Skeletor's evil empire... Fear of that dark place was ingrained in their blood from ancestors long dead who had fought and died on the slopes of the accursed ground.

The party went on long into the night. Adam watched but did not participate. He could only hide his sadness so much, and he was embarrassed as well by his misery, attributing it to lingering adolescent immaturity.

Two days later, before the sun rose and the people lined the streets, Adam enjoyed the feeling of a saddle under him as he set off down the road with his small party of friends and the handful of loyal soldiers that Duncan had allowed to go with them. There had been too many volunteers to take them all. Snake Mountain was a week's travel away. He had to find the courage to tell Teela the truth before then or he knew he would never be able to.

Far from the jungles of Sahar'iah and the spires of the Eternal Palace, Lyn appeared on a small island not much bigger than a cottage. The island was really just a rock jutting out from ocean's depths. There was room for just one person to stand next to the rock on a small beach. Nothing could be seen from the island but endless ocean.

Lyn threw back her cape. She enjoyed showing off her body, knew she was beautiful, and the little clothing she wore was designed to prove that.

If Skeletor forced the magic to do his bidding, Lyn seduced it.

She turned to the rock wall and saw, hanging from a peg that had been thrust magically into its side, a conch shell. She lifted the conch off the peg and rubbed her hands over its rough service. She had etched magical runes of power into the conch years ago, knowing this moment would one day come. She put the conch to her lips and blew a note that roared across the ocean and into the water with the magical force of a hurricane. The fish below the water, even the great whales and deadly sharks, fled in terror.

The message was delivered. Now, Lyn had to wait. She delicately placed the conch shell back on its peg and stared across the water.

She did not have to wait long. Mer-Man's head quietly broke the surface of the ocean water, watching the beautiful dark figure who had blown the horn. No normal human could have seen him in the darkness with just his eyes above the surface, but to Lyn's sorcery, his presence was like a red flare. He had been imbued with Skeletor's magic. He could not hide from her.

"Welcome, Mer-Man. Please join me," Lyn gestured for him to come forward.

Scowling, Mer-Man swam closer to the little island until his chest was above the water. Mer-Man had the look of a barracuda that had been given human characteristics. His mouth split wide across his face, revealing row after row of sharp teeth. His eyes were wide, and could see clearly in the murkiest waters during the darkest nights. A layer of skin would close over each eye when he walked the world during the day, so that he would not be blinded by the bright light of the surface sun. Tough, crocodile skin, covered his body. It was all the armor he really needed, but he wore the bones of giant fish he had slain, and added strong shells that could deflect human weapons.

Mer-Man was not unique in the ocean. The race of mer-men had once ruled all the waters of Eternia, but their population had been decimated by a plague that they blamed on humans. The plague had actually been released by a great rock that had fallen from orbit around Eternia and slammed into its oceans, releasing the alien virus. The Sorceress of Grayskull at the time, centuries ago, banished the virus when she realized what it was doing to the fish of Eternia, and especially to the mer-men. The mer-men had no way of knowing this though. Terrified that the humans would do even worse to their ocean home if confronted, the mer-men adopted a policy of secret existence, staying hidden from all land-bound life. They had no skill with weapons. In fact, they viewed the use of weapons as a despicable human act, proof that the humans were unnatural fiends. No other creature in the world made use of weapons the way humans did. Each animal was blessed with the natural weapons that the creator had provided. The fact that humans had no such natural defenses was proof that they were an abomination. So they settled with attacking small fishing boats that drifted too far out to sea, or sailors that had fallen overboard and were going to drown anyway. As such, they were little more than legend to the sea-faring people of Eternia.

Mer-Man did not agree with his people. Out of pure hatred for the humans that seemed to be invading his realm more and more, Mer-Man attacked the human ships over and over again, despite the warnings of his elders. He was reckless, caring little if a human saw him. Let them fear the water, he thought.

Finally, Mer-Man's recklessness proved his downfall. He attacked a boat of amateur fisherman just off the shore of a major port city. A nobleman and his son were on holiday, spending a few precious moments together. Mer-Man attacked, dragging the son into the water and quickly killing him. When he returned to finish the father who had seen him, he was struck with a fishing spear. Severely wounded, Mer-Man fled. The nobleman had no idea that the creature who had taken his son was intelligent, but he knew that some monster haunted the bay in his city. He put a reward on the monster's head. Fleets of fishermen from all over Eternia came to claim their fortune, thousands and thousands of fish died needlessly.

Mer-Man defended his actions to his people. They chose to banish one of their kind for the first time in their history. He would never again be allowed to swim the waters of the ocean.

For years Mer-Man haunted the swamps of Eternia. He still attacked people, but only the weak and defenseless. His hatred of humankind grew, becoming a dark trench over his heart. That's how Skeletor found him.

Skeletor granted a bit of his power to Mer-Man, then sent him back to find an object of power long buried on the ocean floor, a trident from legend that had power over creatures of water. He constructed a sword made of poisonous reef and shells. Skeletor blessed the sword with his unholy power, and Mer-Man used it to slaughter his own people, seeking revenge on what he saw as their injustice and lack of foresight. When Mer-Man found the trident, Skeletor discovered that only a creature of the water could use its power. So Mer-Man kept that too, and became a tyrant ruler. His people fled before him. The trident could not control them or the whales and dolphins that man considered friendly to them. The mer-men escaped his blood-shed by retreating to the far reaches of Eternia. Mer-Man was alone again.

"Hello, Evil-Lyn," his voice gurgled. "Your presence can only mean one thing. Lord Skeletor has returned."

"Yes, Mer-Man, the master has returned. We will strike Grayskull before the Sorceress can defend it. I trust you are ready to return to Skeletor's service."

Mer-Man's throat clicked nervously. "Countless battles, Evil-Lyn. We lost them all. I want to see the blood of humans coloring my waters red, but I do not know if I am ready to return to that life."

"Skeletor knows you better than you think, Mer-Man. First, I am to remind you that his power courses through your veins. If it were suddenly ripped from you, your physical body would crack and you would die. Second, Skeletor has no need of your services as a warrior at this time. I'm sure he will in the future, so just be ready when that time comes. He will only call on you again when he stands inside Castle Grayskull's walls."

"What has become of Skeletor's other forces?" Mer-Man interrupted. He knew most had been killed in the last war. "I saw Beast Man die. And the Sorceress dispelled the energies that held Trap-Jaw together. He is little more than a collection of parts now on the floor of Grayskull's dungeons. What of Tri-Klops and the others?"

"Tri-Klops is a shell of the man he once was. He lives with the beast men. I took him with me when the Sorceress blinded him."

"Pity from you, Evil-Lyn? I find that hard to believe."

"No pity, I assure you. I thought I could reverse the spell and at least return his normal vision, if not the magical sight Skeletor gave him, but I couldn't. There was no point in killing him. He's as good as dead anyway."

"And the others?"

"No more questions, Mer-Man," Lyn spat in indignation.

"Just one more, Evil-Lyn. If Skeletor does not yet need me as a warrior, why are you here?"

"I was coming to that. Not all of Skeletor's old forces are so easy to find as you are. You will use your trident to call through the waterways. Whiplash has taken to the deep swamps surrounding Grayskull. Contact him with this message." A crystal bauble containing the magical message appeared in Lyn's hand and then floated across the water to Mer-Man, who cupped it gently and then tucked it into his armored shirt.

"As you wish, Evil-Lyn."

"You will keep that crystal, Mer-Man. With it, I will contact you in the future with further instructions."

Mer-Man's lip curled, revealing row after row of sharp teeth. He then slipped under the water's surface and was gone.

A moment later, the island was empty again.