Chapter Eight- The Final Conquest
The five of them were caged for the final full moon of the month before being brought before their master and king. They knelt and waited for him to speak. He took in their obedience before saying, "The time for my greatest triumph has arrived. Today, I will control Grayskull!"
"How, Master?" Adam asked, raising his head.
"A good question. It's simple, Adam. I've spent these few weeks learning a spell to steal the Sorceress' magic and leave her a defenseless mortal. I plan to have two of you hold her while the other three will ring her as wolves so I can use the spell. The only thing is how to enter Grayskull."
"Please, Master, allow me," Man-At-Arms spoke up. "I told the Sorceress of Adam, Teela, and the guards being loyal to you. As far as the Sorceress knows, I alone am against you."
"Excellent. Then you will get the Sorceress to open the drawbridge and once we're in you and the guards will transform and ring her while Adam and Teela come up from behind her and hold her."
"Yes, Master," they chorused and rose.
Skeletor descended from his throne and tapped the end of his staff on the floor that opened a dimension gate. He went through it and his werewolf pack followed him before it closed. The gate opened at the closed drawbridge. He hid behind on of the archway's pillars, directed the guards to the other one before gesturing for Adam and Teela to join him. "Call her, Man-At-Arms."
He nodded before turning to face the castle. "Sorceress, I need to talk to you."
"I hear you," came the Sorceress' voice from all around them. "I am lowering the bridge."
The bridge came down and Skeletor was elated. He came out of hiding and strode across the bridge and the others followed, Man-At-Arms last. Once he was inside, the bridge closed and he heard Skeletor's voice in his head. Transform and corner the Sorceress. He took his dark red werewolf form and the two gray werewolves followed him as they crept to the Throne Room, sticking to the shadows. Man-At-Arms stepped out of the shadows once in the Throne Room and growled at the woman on the throne. She rose with a confused noise and descended the steps to approach the werewolf. She was unaware of Adam and Teela sneaking around to get behind her, but she did see the other two werewolves approach from the sides. She hesitated; were these real wolves or not? She focused on the one in front of her. He seemed familiar to her. She focused harder and an image came to her mind and superimposed itself over the wolf. Man-At-Arms?
Suddenly, her arms were seized and held apart. She looked to see Adam and Teela were the ones holding her. Both looked at her with satisfied smirks and the Sorceress saw evil glints in their eyes. Horror filled her body. Her own daughter and the prince had become evil people!
"Ah, Sorceress," Skeletor said as he entered. "It appears I have succeeded at last. Grayskull is mine!"
"Not yet, Skeletor," Sorceress replied calmly.
"I take it you think He-Man will stop me."
"He won't," Adam said. "He-Man is dead, Master. I killed him."
The Sorceress stared at Adam, shocked. She had thought for a moment that Adam would tell Skeletor the truth, but perhaps the sword still had power to prevent Adam from doing so.
Skeletor read the Sorceress' expression differently. "As I said, Grayskull is mine and so is your magic." He raised his staff and began a lengthy chant. At first, nothing happened, but then a white glow surrounded the Sorceress before lifting off her body and flowing into the staff before entering Skeletor's body causing it to glow white as well. The Guardian of Grayskull started gasping in pain as her magic continued to be drained from her. The last of her magic trickled from her and once Skeletor had it, he ceased chanting. "Now, you are powerless and at my mercy. Oh, wait: I have no mercy." He gestured at the werewolves and then the Sorceress. "Kill her."
The Sorceress struggled to get free and flee, but Adam and Teela held on with the enhanced strength of their werewolf sides. Man-At-Arms pounced at the Sorceress and pushed her to the floor, making Adam and Teela release their grips. The other two werewolves moved in and together all three tore the Sorceress apart. The frenzy of the kill drove all three to proceed eating the Sorceress' body.
Skeletor meanwhile ascended the throne with Adam and Teela following. He turned and sat while Adam stood on the right and Teela on the left. He looked at the feasting werewolves with interest. They were crouched over the body, but soon they were on their hands and paws as if their spines could no longer hold them upright. He saw Man-At-Arms clawed hands change into paws with the claws still exposed and his glowing red eyes changed into gold wolf eyes. The guards' hands also became paws and their eyes also turned gold. Soon, three full wolves were eating the Sorceress. "Well, I didn't think that would happen."
"Master?" Teela prompted.
"There was a warning on the spell I used on Adam and that was if the wolf feasts on human flesh, they will be unable to take human form again."
"So, they're trapped," Adam stated uncaringly.
"Correct." Skeletor watched the wolves lay down by the Window of Spirits, ignoring the trembling tiger who hid in the shadows. Skeletor wasn't concerned about the tiger; with the magic he now possessed, he could easily enslave Cringer and make him into a fearless attacker like Panthor. But, for now, Skeletor had power to learn and master. He was king of Eternia, and the most powerful being on the planet. He was now a Master of the Universe.
The End