Chapter V: Angels and Demons
LORD HORDAK'S JOURNAL
23rd DAY IN THE TWENTITH YEAR IN MY CONQUEST OF ETHERIA
The last pockets of opposition have been vanquished, but there is still much to do before Eternia will be ready for Horde Prime's return.
While I control Eternia, Randor and Marlena have refused to surrender to me. In order to force them to give up the throne of Eternia, I have been torturing them. I have them strapped to a platform while swords hang above their hearts. The swords are attached to buckets of water which slowly drips on their foreheads as the bucket empties the swords get closer to their hearts and the only way I will release them is if they surrender.
While the king and queen are secured, I decided to prepare for my father's return.
While studying the history of the Tritheon, I learned that the Tritheon was last seen in Eternos in what is called the Trithenous Pantheus or 'Three Towers Square' that resides in the center of the city.
Something told me that my father will return soon and my enemies will be ground into dust.
After an hour, Mosquitor and Mantenna came into the library with some good news.
"My Lord Avion and Andreenos have fallen and have submitted to Horde Rule," Mosquitor buzzed happily as he showed me the surrender document.
"Well done, now leave me, I have work to accomplish," I said as I dismissed them and watched them exit the room.
Now that those two kingdoms have fallen, all of Eternia is now under my control and soon this world will be under the boot of Horde Prime and from Eternia he will conquer the universe!
QUEEN MARLENA'S JOURNAL
20th DAY IN THE EIGHTEENTH YEAR OF SKELETOR'S ATTEMPT TO ENTER CASTLE GRAYSKULL
I have never in all my life been so afraid; Hordak is torturing us till we give him the throne.
He has strapped us to a platform below a pair of swords attached to buckets of water. The buckets have holes in the bottom that slowly drip water onto our foreheads as the water drips out of the buckets the sword descends with their points aimed at our hearts.
I can feel my hands trembling in the straps as I watch the sword inch closer to my chest and the agony as my mind decays into madness as it tries to predict unsuccessfully when the next will drop on my head, oh I wish I could fall unconscious now so as not to feel the sharp steel when it penetrates my flesh, but the water makes sure that I will remain awake during the whole terrible experience
I wonder what will death be like, will it be painful or will be peaceful like my mother told me before she passed away.
It has been hours since Hordak began the torture and the sword is almost to my heart, I watched as the sword drew closer to my body, I can feel the cold steel of the point touch my skin indenting as if marking its target before it does it's cruel work, I fear this is the end. I closed my eyes and awaited the sharp, sweet pain of death.
Suddenly I felt as if I was in the air, I opened my eyes and saw that I was kilometers above Eternos. I looked up and saw the smiling face of Queen Angella; she had rescued me before the sword plunged into my heart.
"Queen Angella, I am glad to see you," I told her happily as looked up at her gliding gracefully through the air.
"I was just glad that I could rescue you in time," she said as she looked down and smiled at me as she soared through the heavens.
The view of the land I had was incredible; I could hardly believe that there was a war going on. Everything looked so peaceful; it was truly a magnificent sight to behold.
It was then I noticed that Angella didn't have Randor in her other hand, I began to dread the worse had happened but before I jumped to conclusions I decided to ask her what happened.
I swallowed and after several minutes of hesitation I got up the courage to ask, "Queen Angella, what happened to King Randor?"
Angella looked down at me and said in a serious tone of voice, "I'll tell when we reach Coalition headquarters," she told me wearily as we continued to fly above the land.
After an hour we reached the coalition's base, an old military bunker once used by the Eternian army during the Great Unrest.
Angella landed and gently placed me on the ground, she had a worried look in her eyes, I then knew something bad had happened.
"Marlena…," she said as she turned to face me, "Randor was dead when we broke in, we think he died of a heart attack," she told me with as a brave a face as possible.
My heart dropped as she spoke those horrible words, even though I knew it was true something in my heart refused me form accepting it. It could not be true; I just knew that could not be so.
"Angella, please say that it's not true," I pleaded with her hoping that she might have been wrong and by some faint chance that Randor was still alive.
"I'm afraid it is true, he is dead," she said as she comforted me.
I didn't want to believe but my heart now told me differently, Randor, my one true love my soul mate was gone.
"Marlena, I know what you're going through," she said trying to comfort me, but she didn't she doesn't know what is like to lose someone dear to you. Randor was my life, my heart, my all and now that he is gone I don't know if I can carry on with out him.
Later that night, Angella came to console me; she told me that she had gone through the same thing when Catra killed her husband, King Ambriel. She said that she even thought of committing suicide but she turned this tragedy into something meaningful and dedicated her life to vanquish the Horde and prevent any more loss of life.
"How long did you take do get over his death?" I asked her hoping that the pain of losing Randor would go away soon. It felt like there was sword had been plunged through my heart. I wanted her to say it wouldn't take long, but something told me that was not the case.
"I haven't gotten over it, but it is that sadness that compels to liberate my world from Hordak so no one has to go through what I did," she said as she removed a pin from the collar of her shirt, "this is seal of Seraphians, the class of Angellians I belong to. We're healers and consolers this pin will protect you from anymore pain allowing you to heal," she said as she placed the pin on my dress.
"Do you need anything?" she asked as she got up.
"No, Angella I'm fine," I told her as I walked her to door and watched as she left the room.
All that night I thought about Randor and what happened, I swore to myself that Hordak would be brought to justice and pay for what he did to Randor!
TEELA'S DIARY
20th DAY IN THE TWENTY-FIRST YEAR OF SKELETOR'S ATTEMPT TO ENTER CASTLE GRAYSKULL.
Skeletor has been busy these past months, or so Adam tells me. I haven't been able to do much these past months; I'm pregnant with my first born son.
I've tried to tell Adam that I can still fight but he said that he said that it would be best if I remain off my feet for awhile. I've been kept in an isolated room called a Primian birthing chamber where doctors monitor the fetus and make sure it is healthy.
Adam has been bursting with fatherly pride, I don't blame him the idea of being a mother has me excited I can't wait to hold the bundle of joy in my arms and after months of waiting I will finally be able to since today is my due date.
Even as I lay here in my bed, I can feel the contractions began.
I summoned the doctors who rushed in immediately with Adam following close behind.
"Is it true is it time?" he asked me as held my hand and smiled.
I looked into his blue eyes and nodded, I could see he was excited he was ready to become a father and couldn't wait to see his new son.
I started to push with all my might, the pain was excruciating but the thought of being a mother was greater than the pain and gave me the strength to endure it.
I was in delivery for hours and the pain was taking its toll on me, my face was flushed with exhaustion, tears rolled down my cheeks and my forehead was moist with sweat.
Finally I gave one last push and heard the beautiful sound of my baby crying, I sighed in relief and exhaustion as Adam took a cool cloth and wiped the sweat and tears from my face, "Congratulations honey, you're a mother," he said to me as he kissed my hand.
"Thank you Adam," I replied with a content smile on my face.
The doctor cut the umbilical cord and cleaned the blood off the baby, but I felt a sense of dread as my baby suddenly stopped crying.
The doctor turned to looked at me, "Mrs. Glenn…," he began to say with his head bowed, "your child has died, his heart just stopped, I'm sorry for your loss," he said solemnly as he showed me the child.
I refused to believe it, this couldn't be true, it was a trick, how could my child be dead.
I looked at my child, tears of sadness ran down my cheeks as I stroked what little hair he had on his head, "my poor child," I said to myself in anguish.
Why does Kalion allow such things to happen, why does she allow this tragedy to take place surely a goddess who believes in justice would have prevented this child from dying.
I stared into Adam's eyes and asked him, "Why Adam, why did this happen?" It wasn't fair what did that child ever do to deserve death's sword so soon.
"I don't know honey, I honestly don't know, but sometimes the Unknowable One has other plans for us and we are powerless to change it," he said as he held me and comforted me.
He was right, but it still stung and I wished it wasn't true, I hope it was a bad dream and that I would wake up but it was all too real, my first born son had died before he was a minute old and I all I was left with was a question: why!