I Have the Power!

Part Three

"Now, back to yew over there." The woman turned around and marched back to the stranger behind her, who shifted and fidgeted as if they would like nothing more than to hightail out of there. Kyle understood. That woman was terrifying.

"Listen, I already told you I don't know anything about it." The stranger put their hands up defensively. Based on the voice, Kyle couldn't pick out a gender, but something about it sounded familiar. He turned his head to try and get a good look at their face.

"I saw yew snooping around in prince Peekablue's chamber before. And don't pretend that it wasn't yew—" she said, jabbing a finger into the strangers chest. "I know yew can change yar face, shapeshifter."

Kyle blinked. Shapeshifter. Now it was coming back to him. The voice of the other stranger belonged to Double-Trouble, the actor that Catra had hired a long time back as a spy.

"Alright, fiiine. I was in the prince's room. It was for my character, you know—I'm an actor of many faces." They shrugged, and the shapeshifter's entire body changed into a flamboyant peacock man wearing blue makeup.

"Tell me what you found out," the woman demanded. "Tell me what you know about Keldor."

The shapeshifter returned to their original form raising a confused eyebrow. "Keldor? Who's that? I don't know any Keldor." The shapeshifter shrugged with both hands out, as if to emphasize their point.

"He stands about five feet tall," said the woman, "blue skin. His face is severely damaged from an acid burn he got several years back. Carries around a staff with a goat's skull on top of it." She raised her eyebrows. "Tell me what yeq know about him. Now."

Double-Trouble looked vastly alarmed, despite their regular poker face. "How do you know that I—but I never said anything about—" They stammered, sounding aghast.

"His stench is all over yew," the girl said by way of explanation. "I have a pretty keen nose for sniffing out trouble, and yew happen to reek of it."

Kyle knew he ought to leave, but he didn't move. He was engrossed by the conversation, and he couldn't seem to move. Curiosity killed the cat you know, Kyle, he chided himself. But rather than turning away, he leaned in, still standing. I must be a cat with a death wish, he thought.

"So spill," the woman continued, cocking her head at the shapeshifter. "What is Keldor after. And why did he come here."

The way the girl spoke sounded strange. She over emphasized certain words, like she wasn't quite sure how to sound them out. Like maybe she didn't know the language very well. Was she from another planet, maybe?

"Well, he's long gone now," the shapeshifter said, "so there isn't much point in your knowing what—" the woman's fist tightened around their collar. "Alright, alright." They held up their hands. The girl released them, and they busied themselves with straightening their rumpled collar before speaking again. "Well, first of all, whoever this Keldor is you keep talking about, he doesn't go by that name anymore. I heard his henchmen calling him Skeletor when they showed up here. He was so scary looking. I got chills." They said this last bit gleefully, wrapping their arms about themselves in mock fright.

"Skeletor..." the girl muttered. "I see. That fits." Then she raised her voice again and commanded "Tell me what he was doing."

"Him and his cronies showed up a few weeks ago in a pub where I just so happened to be staying at the time. They were making an awful lot of noise," Double-Trouble said, gesturing as they spoke. "I was minding my own business, not the slightest bit interested in whatever they were saying." They rolled their eyes dramatically. "Of course," they said, "I couldn't help overhearing some of the juicier bitters of their conversation."