Chapter Three
A few hours later, He-Man and Penelope a.k.a. Lysia had left the party and had made camp deeper inside the forest. Both were now lying on the ground, with Battle Cat lying mere inches from their heads. Penelope's horse stood nearby, munching some grass on the forest floor.
"I really should be going," said He-Man.
"No, please…" said Penelope as she stroked his hair. "…Stay."
"No, I really must go…" As he rose to leave, he noticed that he was unable to move his legs. His legs were now as heavy and lifeless as two bags of cement. "My legs!" he cried. "I can't move my legs!"
"Sssh," murmured Penelope/Lysia as she pulled He-Man back down towards her. "You're just tired, that's all." She pulled him close and stroked his hair once more. "Tired … and sleepy … so VERY sleepy," she whispered seductively into his ear. "Rest now … Sleep."
Exhausted from the strain, He-Man fell into a deep sleep.
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He's getting worse, thought Zoar as she sat unnoticed on her perch high above the couple. First his stomach … now his legs. Her mind replayed the events of the past few hours. He was fine up until he had that … that wine.
It was then that realization struck her. Of course … the WINE! She laced it with something … a drug? A potion? A thousand questions now ran through her mind. What did she give him … and WHY?
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Night had fallen on The Emerald Forest. Lysia was asleep on the ground next to He-Man.
He-Man woke up to find himself almost completely paralyzed from head to toe; he could no longer move his arms, legs, or head. He couldn't so much as open his mouth to cry out for help. He could open and close his eyes -- and that was about it. He was now quite literally a prisoner inside his own body.
What's happened to me? He thought, panic-stricken. I can't move a muscle!
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Zoar was heartsick at the sight of the paralyzed He-Man. Part of her wanted to swoop down that instant and carry him back to Grayskull. No, she thought. Not yet. There are too many questions that need answering.
Over time, her grief was replaced by anger, determination, and outrage. How could she DO this to him? she thought. She needs to be stopped. She needs to be brought to justice for what she did to He-Man. For that, I need evidence -- HARD evidence.
As she focused her attention back to He-Man, an idea began to form in her mind. If I can't take him away from here, she thought, perhaps I can ease his suffering. She then concentrated and silently cast a spell, a spell that put He-Man into a deep sleep. Sleep, He-Man, she thought as He-Man closed his eyes and fell asleep once more.
At that moment, Lysia awakened. Thinking no one was watching, she silently got up from the ground, crept away from He-Man and towards her horse. Where is SHE going? Zoar wondered as Lysia mounted her horse and rode away. She hesitated for a moment, fearful of leaving the now-vulnerable He-Man. Battle Cat will watch over him, she thought as she left her perch to pursue Lysia. He'd give his life for him.