The He-Man Inside
Ch. 6
AN: I have no excuse as to why I haven't updated in a while, save that I do not have a steady access to the Internet. Some times I have it and sometimes I don't. I apologize for that.
As Teela and Adam stood quietly in the garden, the shadows around them began to shift and move towards the palace at a slow crawl. Nothing stirred the air, save a small breeze and nothing could be heard, save the voices of the jubilant partygoers. However, the serenity of the night would not last forever.
An enormous explosion rocked the palace, debris flew in every direction, smoke began to choke the night air and the ground trembled with the force of the explosion. From their position in the garden, Adam and Teela could hear the cries of the people and could see the smoke billowing up into the night sky, shrouding the stars and casting an eerie darkness on the land.
"Let's move!"
"Wait!"
Adam was too late to catch Teela as she dashed off into the darkness. He felt an all-encompassing emptiness as he watched her go. Releasing a weary sigh he chased after her and, under his breath, he damned those responsible for this atrocity, the man responsible for this...Skeletor and his lackeys.
They reached the palace quickly, the noise of battle close by shattering their ears as the war cries and the screams of the wounded or dying pierced the night air. Adam took the steps two at a time, dashing ahead of Teela who was stuck climbing the steps slowly in her dress, turning around at the top he looked own at Teela, "Change as fast as you can and get back down here as soon as possible." Not looking back he raced into what was left of the ballroom, raced into chaos. Adam could only stare at the horror in front of him. Teela came to a crashing halt beside him, breathing in sharply when she saw the massacre before her.
Bodies were strewn all over the palace floor, their blood pooling on the marble beneath them. Tables and chairs were flipped over or broken into a thousand pieces, the smoke choked them as they made their way deeper into the room, following the sounds of battle, the trail of blood.... following the stench of death. Teela quickly fled the scene of the crime, racing towards her room to change, covering her mouth with her hand as she tried to keep herself from crying for her lost countrymen... sorrow and grief would come later.
Adam could only watch her go, wishing to help her only knowing that there were others who needed his help more. He headed down the hall, walking on a sea of crimson, taking everything into himself and branding it into his memory... into his very heart and soul. Noble Ladies and Lords lay on the floor, a vision of horror and fright frozen upon their faces and their eyes were open and filled with terror. These people had died quickly but not quickly enough to save them the suffering of realizing they were going to die and there was nothing that they could do about it. What had these innocent people done to deserve this abrupt end to their lives? They did not even have the chance to defend themselves and all of them, every single one who had been in the ballroom or right outside the doors... all were dead. Never again could they hope or dream. Never again. Amidst all the chaos and carnage of the massacre he felt a pang of relief to know that his parents were not among the dead...yet.
Adam wept silent tears for their loss, disgusted and enraged with himself and at the ones who had committed this heinous injustice against the people of Eternia. It was not fair! What had these people done to deserve this sort of punishment? What had given anybody, the Mass Murderer of the Innocent and Defenseless, the right to take the lives of these people? It was not right and it was not fair. Bile rose up into his throat, it sickened him to realize that the terrorists derived some perverse satisfaction at the death and destruction and the senseless slaughter of innocent and defenseless masses. Why? Why did these people have to die?
'If you had been the hero you were suppose to be then maybe this never would of happened.' The thought arose unbidden to his mind but he pushed it away. His doubts and insecurities would not help those that were still alive.
Swearing an oath, Adam drew his sword and sprinted down the cavernous hallway, dodging the bodies of the fallen soldiers who had lost their lives defending the palace and it's inhabitants. His heart broke and he cried out to them with his soul, swearing with all that he was worth that this senseless slaughter would end and hoping beyond hope that these brave men and women would forgive him... forgive him for not being the hero... for not being the He-Man inside. He knew his thoughts and maybe his feelings seemed irrational to others if they knew them yet he only knew that he was sorry. He knew he was somehow at fault or to blame for this massacre and for everything he knew he wasn't worth, he swore to the fallen that he would try to make right by them.
With an enraged battle cry he broke through the front doors of the palace and stood on the threshold, watching as the battle raged before him in the courtyard. The Masters and Eternian soldiers were winning but something was different about this battle. The enemy, Skeletor and his minions, were protected by a powerful force field that shielded them from the attacks of the Masters and Eternian soldiers, strangely enough though, Skeletor was being pushed back... or was he retreating? However, Adam could see from his perch above the courtyard that the force field was weakening and holes were starting to appear.
Bolstering himself, Adam leapt don the steps, often taking three or four at a time and jumping down to the landings when he came to them. When he reached the last step, he leapt down and sprinted into the fray, making his way to the front line and formed ranks beside Man-at-Arms, shouting out orders to help the older man. With a cry from Duncan the front line, which consisted mainly of the Masters, rushed forward and rammed the force field, knocking Skeletor and his forces back. Then the second and third line rushed forward with the same results, the Masters right leaping forward just as the third line fell back, readying themselves for another assault on the force field. Again and again the lines charged forward, steady wave upon wave, one line receded only to have another charge through and break against the barrier and again and again the enemy was pushed back. Through it all Adam could hear the soldiers' voices united in a mighty roar, as if they commanded the mighty power of the sea and sought to unleash their power on their nemesis. It was overwhelming and Adam was swept up into the emotional high, his mind consumed by the mob mentality and his heart pushing him forward, each time with renewed strength and vigor. Finally, the third line broke through and the soldiers gave a deafening shout of triumph as, with Man-at-Arms' cue, they all rushed forward to combat the evil forces one on one.
Skeletor was severely outnumbered, yet the Eternian soldiers were beleaguered while Skeletor's forces were ready to fight and much stronger than the foot soldiers. Skeletor rallied his forces and they fought back with a vengeance, however, the Eternian forces soon overwhelmed them and they were forced to retreat.
"This isn't over, Masters! I will be back and next time no one will be able to stop me!"
If many people had not been lying on the ground or leaning against pillars, dead or wounded, it would have been hilarious to hear Skeletor say such a thing as he ran away with his tail tucked between his legs, swearing that he would come back and be the victor of the battle field when, in reality, he had never won nor would he ever. However, Adam could find no pleasure in the victory, even as he heard the triumphant shouts of the soldiers, the slaps on the soldiers or the hug Teela had given him when she had come out from the throng of soldiers, breathing heavily and sweating profusely like most of the soldiers present. What was there to be pleased about? People, his people, were in pain and although the recent victory covered up the fact that his had been nothing more than a massacre, he was sure reality was going to pay a visit and when it did, the cities and the families who had suffered the loss of loved ones in this attack would be enshrouded with grief and sorrow and the need for revenge. People were going to demand that justice be served no matter the cost.
It disgusted him as it always did. Battles and wars were meaningless, many people even thought them glorious and even honorable and maybe, in some perverse universe, they were. However, there was nothing glorious or honorable about death... about murder and that is exactly what it is. The taking of another human being's life. Here, people lay wounded, their blood pouring out onto the ground, just like the ballroom and the hallway. Some lie dying... some dead and for what? War and small skirmishes such as this, were nothing more than a senseless slaughter of humanity. How could a person sleep peacefully knowing he or she had partaken in such things? He already knew the answer. Adam knew how one could be swept away in the fray, knew that he could not avoid fighting when it was brought into his home, when war was declared on his people and all things good. He knew why he must fight and he fought... but he hated himself for it. Knowing, when heading into a battle, that it might be required of him to take a life or the lives of those he fights yet despising it all... despising himself for not being stronger. Despising himself for not being able to rise above the base notion of war... hating himself for not finding a peaceful method to solve conflicts. He could not stand it but knew that he must and that is what galled him the most. In a sense he could not avoid it because he was He-Man and He-Man was a warrior but he was also Prince Adam and he was not a warrior. He often wondered when or if he two would meet.
Sheathing his sword he left the courtyard and entered the palace. Bile rose up in his throat as the smell of death permeated the night air, suffocating the palace... suffocating him. Swallowing, he stumbled his way out the back of the palace and to his favorite spot beneath the giant tree next to the Eternos River. Leaning against the ancient tree, he vomited until there was nothing left inside, save a numb and hollow pit, and still when there was nothing, his body continued to purge all that he had saw and all that he had smelled. Soon his dry heaves turned into a terrible hacking. It was many moments before his body could rest peacefully, closing his eyes, he sighed and walked to the riverbank and sank down onto the cool grass, sitting with one leg propped underneath him, the other bent at the knee so he could rest his head upon it.
Reaching forward he scooped the cold water into his hands, watching as it glistened and sparkled in his palms, the water was clear and devoid of pollutants, unravaged by time and war. He gently brought the water towards him and washed his face off and rinsed his mouth of the taste of his vomit. Slowly, Adam fell back onto the grass, his legs bent at the knees. He stared unseeingly up into the night sky. It would be many years before he would ever get the sight of the slaughtered Lords, Ladies and Soldiers out of his mind.... if he could ever forget them at all. Never, in the history of Eternos, had there ever been such a travesty. It was the first of its kind and Adam feared the consequences, knowing there would be more in the future if something was not done.
Adam slept beneath the tree for the rest of the night, his sleep claimed by nightmares and the looks upon the faces of the dead, the tremendous explosion that rocked the palace and the screams of the dead and dying.... those sounds would claim his soul deep in the night, alone in his sleep and trapped.... within a nightmare.
The following morning, when Adam woke up beside the river, he went into the palace, finding it clean, some servants scurrying about still with vases of fresh flowers and other such things to cover up the smell of death and despair. However, Adam could still smell them, the smells hadn't lessened and never would the palace look or feel the same as it had before... it was tainted. The bodies of the dead had already been moved out into the courtyard. He learned from a young guards woman that most of the dead had already been buried but there were still quite a few left but all awaited the same fate, six feet under.
He walked past the dining room that had served as their ballroom on many occasions, not stopping and not daring to look into what remained of the room. He ended up standing in the middle of the foyer, watching as soldiers marched in lines, heading out toward the training field most likely in preparation to retaliate against Skeletor. An eye for an eye, so to speak. He stood there and listened to the vengeful chatter of the soldiers and the spiteful talk that came from the servants. All cursed Skeletor and his minions, and all wanted the same thing... revenge. Didn't these people understand that violence only beget violence? If they did, they did not care. All were consumed with rage and anger, and, most palpable, grief.
Why couldn't it go back to the way it was before Skeletor turned traitor? Why couldn't the people of Eternia live in peace with one another? Why could there not be only good in the world? If it was so, no one need suffer needlessly. The innocents and those who were defenseless against the onslaught of evil need not fear... they need not die. No longer would the Masters have to patrol the surrounding perimeter, in truth there would be little need of the Masters and no need for He-Man at all... or was he only trying to fool himself by thinking thusly? 'There will always be a need for He-Man.' Adam remembered clearly how many times Man-at-Arms and the Sorceress had said that to him when he became exasperated with the entire ruse. Now all he could do was wonder if they had been right all along and He-Man would always be a necessity where as.... Prince Adam never would be?
Adam left the foyer hesitantly, not wanting to head out into the courtyard, knowing what he would see but he knew he must. He threw open the doors and was blinded momentarily by the bright morning sun, that was when the smell of the rotting corpses reached his nostrils. He felt is stomach clench in revulsion. He did not throw up but knew he would have had there had been anything left in his stomach from the night before. He looked down and saw Man-at-Arms in the thick of it, directing soldiers where the bodies would go and what would be done with them. Adam walked slowly down the steps to join him, looking at the bodies as he went, branding them into his memory. He stopped beside his mentor, the older man had a weary expression on his face and Adam knew that it was not only his duties that wore on his body but also his heart. Adam too, carried that burden.
"Why don't you go get some rest Man-at-Arms. This is my duty and I'll do it."
"I'm fine, really. Besides, I've just given the last orders on what to do with the victims."
"Still, I'd like to help."
"Everything is fine. It's been taken care of. It's just..... I'm angry that this happened but I'm also worried. If they did it once then Skeletor will believe he can do it again."
"I wouldn't worry overly much about that. Skeletor never does anything more than once, so I doubt he'll attack us again using the same cowardly tactics. However, I agree that this isn't the last we've seen of him and you can guarantee that his head will probably swell to the size of a melon once he hears about the death count."
"When do we ever see the last of him? Skeletor is like the tide of the ocean, he comes and goes as he pleases, does as he pleases and in all cases people usually get harmed in his wake and there's not much we can do about it. At least, not until Skeletor is in the Eternian prison under watch and guard twenty four seven or... until he's dead. Either way, it accomplishes what all wish for."
"And what's that? To get rid of Skeletor one has to become the monster. Even then, as soon as Skeletor is gone another will rise to take his place."
"People are wishing for a sense of security and they long for peace. Besides, if someone rises to take his place then the Masters and He-Man will be there to stop them."
"Sounds a tad bit cliché, don't you think? Not even He-Man will be around for all eternity." Adam laughed self-mockingly, "You know what? I was wondering about something along those lines earlier this morning. Why was there evil in the world?"
"Did you find an answer?"
"No because there is no answer. If there was no evil then good could not exist and vice versa. They're like two sides of the same coin, both complete the other."
"Well, aren't you just a philosopher this morning." Teela walked up to the two warriors, dropping off an armload of supplies as she did so. She stopped beside Adam, looking him in the eye, seeing her pain reflected there. She had done the same thing he had last night, finding her own little niche to relieve her heart of the pain she felt at the loss of her people. She had only been up for an hour before she had seen Adam make his way towards her father.
"I'm serious Teela. Just look at this!" Adam gestured to the bodies of the dead, few though they were, that surrounded them, "All of this and for what purpose? What purpose did Skeletor serve? I wonder if the results were to his satisfaction." Adam's brow furrowed in anger and consternation as he looked back at Teela.
"I know Adam.... I know."
Adam sighed and ran one of his hands through his hair agitatedly, "I'm sorry. I just feel so out of sorts. I could have done something more to protect the people of Eternia."
"Oh and what would that have been? Would you have run away in the face of Skeletor's evil? I believe so, son, coward that you are." The word son was said with such derision that Adam cringed slightly, knowing as he turned around it would be his father who stood behind him.
"Hello father." The king completely ignored his son and walked straight to Man-at-Arms, positioning himself between Adam and Duncan.
"Duncan, I would have you interrogate the prisoner we captured-"
"Prisoner?! Why wasn't I told of this?"
Randor turned to his Adam, looking him up and down, measuring him and finding him wanting. "It is of no concern of yours. Now, keep silent and try to act like your doing something useful instead of just standing there and gawking at me as if I had two heads."
Adam kept silent, wandering off only a few feet so that he was able to listen in on his father's conversation with Man-at-Arms. Teela joined him at a table where medications were waiting to be distributed. They both listened intently.
"Duncan, I would like for you to take over the interrogation of the prisoner. I would see to it myself but unfortunately, last night's attack has caused for the leaders of Eternia to call a summit meeting. I will be away for sometime and we need any information we can get from the traitor. It would usually fall to my son to finish the task but unfortunately I cannot trust him with such an important task. It is up to you, my friend, to get the information we need from the prisoner."
"As you will, my lord."
"Good then. I will be back by the end of the week, hopefully. Protect the city well, Man-at-Arms."
Adam watched his father leave with nary a glance in his direction. He turned towards Teela, wanting to know if she had known anything about this prisoner but he only saw confusion in her eyes, then an idea flashed through his mind and his lips twitched to smile. "What do you say we go help Man-at-Arms interrogate this person they've captured?"
Yay!!! Done, finally. Sorry this took so long but right now I'm using some one else's PC to load this, ya'll. I'm sorry I can't get these up here faster.
Ch. 6
AN: I have no excuse as to why I haven't updated in a while, save that I do not have a steady access to the Internet. Some times I have it and sometimes I don't. I apologize for that.
As Teela and Adam stood quietly in the garden, the shadows around them began to shift and move towards the palace at a slow crawl. Nothing stirred the air, save a small breeze and nothing could be heard, save the voices of the jubilant partygoers. However, the serenity of the night would not last forever.
An enormous explosion rocked the palace, debris flew in every direction, smoke began to choke the night air and the ground trembled with the force of the explosion. From their position in the garden, Adam and Teela could hear the cries of the people and could see the smoke billowing up into the night sky, shrouding the stars and casting an eerie darkness on the land.
"Let's move!"
"Wait!"
Adam was too late to catch Teela as she dashed off into the darkness. He felt an all-encompassing emptiness as he watched her go. Releasing a weary sigh he chased after her and, under his breath, he damned those responsible for this atrocity, the man responsible for this...Skeletor and his lackeys.
They reached the palace quickly, the noise of battle close by shattering their ears as the war cries and the screams of the wounded or dying pierced the night air. Adam took the steps two at a time, dashing ahead of Teela who was stuck climbing the steps slowly in her dress, turning around at the top he looked own at Teela, "Change as fast as you can and get back down here as soon as possible." Not looking back he raced into what was left of the ballroom, raced into chaos. Adam could only stare at the horror in front of him. Teela came to a crashing halt beside him, breathing in sharply when she saw the massacre before her.
Bodies were strewn all over the palace floor, their blood pooling on the marble beneath them. Tables and chairs were flipped over or broken into a thousand pieces, the smoke choked them as they made their way deeper into the room, following the sounds of battle, the trail of blood.... following the stench of death. Teela quickly fled the scene of the crime, racing towards her room to change, covering her mouth with her hand as she tried to keep herself from crying for her lost countrymen... sorrow and grief would come later.
Adam could only watch her go, wishing to help her only knowing that there were others who needed his help more. He headed down the hall, walking on a sea of crimson, taking everything into himself and branding it into his memory... into his very heart and soul. Noble Ladies and Lords lay on the floor, a vision of horror and fright frozen upon their faces and their eyes were open and filled with terror. These people had died quickly but not quickly enough to save them the suffering of realizing they were going to die and there was nothing that they could do about it. What had these innocent people done to deserve this abrupt end to their lives? They did not even have the chance to defend themselves and all of them, every single one who had been in the ballroom or right outside the doors... all were dead. Never again could they hope or dream. Never again. Amidst all the chaos and carnage of the massacre he felt a pang of relief to know that his parents were not among the dead...yet.
Adam wept silent tears for their loss, disgusted and enraged with himself and at the ones who had committed this heinous injustice against the people of Eternia. It was not fair! What had these people done to deserve this sort of punishment? What had given anybody, the Mass Murderer of the Innocent and Defenseless, the right to take the lives of these people? It was not right and it was not fair. Bile rose up into his throat, it sickened him to realize that the terrorists derived some perverse satisfaction at the death and destruction and the senseless slaughter of innocent and defenseless masses. Why? Why did these people have to die?
'If you had been the hero you were suppose to be then maybe this never would of happened.' The thought arose unbidden to his mind but he pushed it away. His doubts and insecurities would not help those that were still alive.
Swearing an oath, Adam drew his sword and sprinted down the cavernous hallway, dodging the bodies of the fallen soldiers who had lost their lives defending the palace and it's inhabitants. His heart broke and he cried out to them with his soul, swearing with all that he was worth that this senseless slaughter would end and hoping beyond hope that these brave men and women would forgive him... forgive him for not being the hero... for not being the He-Man inside. He knew his thoughts and maybe his feelings seemed irrational to others if they knew them yet he only knew that he was sorry. He knew he was somehow at fault or to blame for this massacre and for everything he knew he wasn't worth, he swore to the fallen that he would try to make right by them.
With an enraged battle cry he broke through the front doors of the palace and stood on the threshold, watching as the battle raged before him in the courtyard. The Masters and Eternian soldiers were winning but something was different about this battle. The enemy, Skeletor and his minions, were protected by a powerful force field that shielded them from the attacks of the Masters and Eternian soldiers, strangely enough though, Skeletor was being pushed back... or was he retreating? However, Adam could see from his perch above the courtyard that the force field was weakening and holes were starting to appear.
Bolstering himself, Adam leapt don the steps, often taking three or four at a time and jumping down to the landings when he came to them. When he reached the last step, he leapt down and sprinted into the fray, making his way to the front line and formed ranks beside Man-at-Arms, shouting out orders to help the older man. With a cry from Duncan the front line, which consisted mainly of the Masters, rushed forward and rammed the force field, knocking Skeletor and his forces back. Then the second and third line rushed forward with the same results, the Masters right leaping forward just as the third line fell back, readying themselves for another assault on the force field. Again and again the lines charged forward, steady wave upon wave, one line receded only to have another charge through and break against the barrier and again and again the enemy was pushed back. Through it all Adam could hear the soldiers' voices united in a mighty roar, as if they commanded the mighty power of the sea and sought to unleash their power on their nemesis. It was overwhelming and Adam was swept up into the emotional high, his mind consumed by the mob mentality and his heart pushing him forward, each time with renewed strength and vigor. Finally, the third line broke through and the soldiers gave a deafening shout of triumph as, with Man-at-Arms' cue, they all rushed forward to combat the evil forces one on one.
Skeletor was severely outnumbered, yet the Eternian soldiers were beleaguered while Skeletor's forces were ready to fight and much stronger than the foot soldiers. Skeletor rallied his forces and they fought back with a vengeance, however, the Eternian forces soon overwhelmed them and they were forced to retreat.
"This isn't over, Masters! I will be back and next time no one will be able to stop me!"
If many people had not been lying on the ground or leaning against pillars, dead or wounded, it would have been hilarious to hear Skeletor say such a thing as he ran away with his tail tucked between his legs, swearing that he would come back and be the victor of the battle field when, in reality, he had never won nor would he ever. However, Adam could find no pleasure in the victory, even as he heard the triumphant shouts of the soldiers, the slaps on the soldiers or the hug Teela had given him when she had come out from the throng of soldiers, breathing heavily and sweating profusely like most of the soldiers present. What was there to be pleased about? People, his people, were in pain and although the recent victory covered up the fact that his had been nothing more than a massacre, he was sure reality was going to pay a visit and when it did, the cities and the families who had suffered the loss of loved ones in this attack would be enshrouded with grief and sorrow and the need for revenge. People were going to demand that justice be served no matter the cost.
It disgusted him as it always did. Battles and wars were meaningless, many people even thought them glorious and even honorable and maybe, in some perverse universe, they were. However, there was nothing glorious or honorable about death... about murder and that is exactly what it is. The taking of another human being's life. Here, people lay wounded, their blood pouring out onto the ground, just like the ballroom and the hallway. Some lie dying... some dead and for what? War and small skirmishes such as this, were nothing more than a senseless slaughter of humanity. How could a person sleep peacefully knowing he or she had partaken in such things? He already knew the answer. Adam knew how one could be swept away in the fray, knew that he could not avoid fighting when it was brought into his home, when war was declared on his people and all things good. He knew why he must fight and he fought... but he hated himself for it. Knowing, when heading into a battle, that it might be required of him to take a life or the lives of those he fights yet despising it all... despising himself for not being stronger. Despising himself for not being able to rise above the base notion of war... hating himself for not finding a peaceful method to solve conflicts. He could not stand it but knew that he must and that is what galled him the most. In a sense he could not avoid it because he was He-Man and He-Man was a warrior but he was also Prince Adam and he was not a warrior. He often wondered when or if he two would meet.
Sheathing his sword he left the courtyard and entered the palace. Bile rose up in his throat as the smell of death permeated the night air, suffocating the palace... suffocating him. Swallowing, he stumbled his way out the back of the palace and to his favorite spot beneath the giant tree next to the Eternos River. Leaning against the ancient tree, he vomited until there was nothing left inside, save a numb and hollow pit, and still when there was nothing, his body continued to purge all that he had saw and all that he had smelled. Soon his dry heaves turned into a terrible hacking. It was many moments before his body could rest peacefully, closing his eyes, he sighed and walked to the riverbank and sank down onto the cool grass, sitting with one leg propped underneath him, the other bent at the knee so he could rest his head upon it.
Reaching forward he scooped the cold water into his hands, watching as it glistened and sparkled in his palms, the water was clear and devoid of pollutants, unravaged by time and war. He gently brought the water towards him and washed his face off and rinsed his mouth of the taste of his vomit. Slowly, Adam fell back onto the grass, his legs bent at the knees. He stared unseeingly up into the night sky. It would be many years before he would ever get the sight of the slaughtered Lords, Ladies and Soldiers out of his mind.... if he could ever forget them at all. Never, in the history of Eternos, had there ever been such a travesty. It was the first of its kind and Adam feared the consequences, knowing there would be more in the future if something was not done.
Adam slept beneath the tree for the rest of the night, his sleep claimed by nightmares and the looks upon the faces of the dead, the tremendous explosion that rocked the palace and the screams of the dead and dying.... those sounds would claim his soul deep in the night, alone in his sleep and trapped.... within a nightmare.
The following morning, when Adam woke up beside the river, he went into the palace, finding it clean, some servants scurrying about still with vases of fresh flowers and other such things to cover up the smell of death and despair. However, Adam could still smell them, the smells hadn't lessened and never would the palace look or feel the same as it had before... it was tainted. The bodies of the dead had already been moved out into the courtyard. He learned from a young guards woman that most of the dead had already been buried but there were still quite a few left but all awaited the same fate, six feet under.
He walked past the dining room that had served as their ballroom on many occasions, not stopping and not daring to look into what remained of the room. He ended up standing in the middle of the foyer, watching as soldiers marched in lines, heading out toward the training field most likely in preparation to retaliate against Skeletor. An eye for an eye, so to speak. He stood there and listened to the vengeful chatter of the soldiers and the spiteful talk that came from the servants. All cursed Skeletor and his minions, and all wanted the same thing... revenge. Didn't these people understand that violence only beget violence? If they did, they did not care. All were consumed with rage and anger, and, most palpable, grief.
Why couldn't it go back to the way it was before Skeletor turned traitor? Why couldn't the people of Eternia live in peace with one another? Why could there not be only good in the world? If it was so, no one need suffer needlessly. The innocents and those who were defenseless against the onslaught of evil need not fear... they need not die. No longer would the Masters have to patrol the surrounding perimeter, in truth there would be little need of the Masters and no need for He-Man at all... or was he only trying to fool himself by thinking thusly? 'There will always be a need for He-Man.' Adam remembered clearly how many times Man-at-Arms and the Sorceress had said that to him when he became exasperated with the entire ruse. Now all he could do was wonder if they had been right all along and He-Man would always be a necessity where as.... Prince Adam never would be?
Adam left the foyer hesitantly, not wanting to head out into the courtyard, knowing what he would see but he knew he must. He threw open the doors and was blinded momentarily by the bright morning sun, that was when the smell of the rotting corpses reached his nostrils. He felt is stomach clench in revulsion. He did not throw up but knew he would have had there had been anything left in his stomach from the night before. He looked down and saw Man-at-Arms in the thick of it, directing soldiers where the bodies would go and what would be done with them. Adam walked slowly down the steps to join him, looking at the bodies as he went, branding them into his memory. He stopped beside his mentor, the older man had a weary expression on his face and Adam knew that it was not only his duties that wore on his body but also his heart. Adam too, carried that burden.
"Why don't you go get some rest Man-at-Arms. This is my duty and I'll do it."
"I'm fine, really. Besides, I've just given the last orders on what to do with the victims."
"Still, I'd like to help."
"Everything is fine. It's been taken care of. It's just..... I'm angry that this happened but I'm also worried. If they did it once then Skeletor will believe he can do it again."
"I wouldn't worry overly much about that. Skeletor never does anything more than once, so I doubt he'll attack us again using the same cowardly tactics. However, I agree that this isn't the last we've seen of him and you can guarantee that his head will probably swell to the size of a melon once he hears about the death count."
"When do we ever see the last of him? Skeletor is like the tide of the ocean, he comes and goes as he pleases, does as he pleases and in all cases people usually get harmed in his wake and there's not much we can do about it. At least, not until Skeletor is in the Eternian prison under watch and guard twenty four seven or... until he's dead. Either way, it accomplishes what all wish for."
"And what's that? To get rid of Skeletor one has to become the monster. Even then, as soon as Skeletor is gone another will rise to take his place."
"People are wishing for a sense of security and they long for peace. Besides, if someone rises to take his place then the Masters and He-Man will be there to stop them."
"Sounds a tad bit cliché, don't you think? Not even He-Man will be around for all eternity." Adam laughed self-mockingly, "You know what? I was wondering about something along those lines earlier this morning. Why was there evil in the world?"
"Did you find an answer?"
"No because there is no answer. If there was no evil then good could not exist and vice versa. They're like two sides of the same coin, both complete the other."
"Well, aren't you just a philosopher this morning." Teela walked up to the two warriors, dropping off an armload of supplies as she did so. She stopped beside Adam, looking him in the eye, seeing her pain reflected there. She had done the same thing he had last night, finding her own little niche to relieve her heart of the pain she felt at the loss of her people. She had only been up for an hour before she had seen Adam make his way towards her father.
"I'm serious Teela. Just look at this!" Adam gestured to the bodies of the dead, few though they were, that surrounded them, "All of this and for what purpose? What purpose did Skeletor serve? I wonder if the results were to his satisfaction." Adam's brow furrowed in anger and consternation as he looked back at Teela.
"I know Adam.... I know."
Adam sighed and ran one of his hands through his hair agitatedly, "I'm sorry. I just feel so out of sorts. I could have done something more to protect the people of Eternia."
"Oh and what would that have been? Would you have run away in the face of Skeletor's evil? I believe so, son, coward that you are." The word son was said with such derision that Adam cringed slightly, knowing as he turned around it would be his father who stood behind him.
"Hello father." The king completely ignored his son and walked straight to Man-at-Arms, positioning himself between Adam and Duncan.
"Duncan, I would have you interrogate the prisoner we captured-"
"Prisoner?! Why wasn't I told of this?"
Randor turned to his Adam, looking him up and down, measuring him and finding him wanting. "It is of no concern of yours. Now, keep silent and try to act like your doing something useful instead of just standing there and gawking at me as if I had two heads."
Adam kept silent, wandering off only a few feet so that he was able to listen in on his father's conversation with Man-at-Arms. Teela joined him at a table where medications were waiting to be distributed. They both listened intently.
"Duncan, I would like for you to take over the interrogation of the prisoner. I would see to it myself but unfortunately, last night's attack has caused for the leaders of Eternia to call a summit meeting. I will be away for sometime and we need any information we can get from the traitor. It would usually fall to my son to finish the task but unfortunately I cannot trust him with such an important task. It is up to you, my friend, to get the information we need from the prisoner."
"As you will, my lord."
"Good then. I will be back by the end of the week, hopefully. Protect the city well, Man-at-Arms."
Adam watched his father leave with nary a glance in his direction. He turned towards Teela, wanting to know if she had known anything about this prisoner but he only saw confusion in her eyes, then an idea flashed through his mind and his lips twitched to smile. "What do you say we go help Man-at-Arms interrogate this person they've captured?"
Yay!!! Done, finally. Sorry this took so long but right now I'm using some one else's PC to load this, ya'll. I'm sorry I can't get these up here faster.