ShopDreamUp AI ArtDreamUp
Deviation Actions
Literature Text
Chambers of the Monarchy
Sands of Time Desert
Colonel Markson was naturally suspicious of people offering to help in this strange alien land. Especially when the help was offered by people he had never heard of until a moment before.
"Oh?" the colonel said cautiously. "And why are you so willing to help when others in this place don't care, or can't?"
The pale woman stepped into the dim light of the corridor. "Let's just say I am an 'acquaintance' of the Sorceress, and I have my own reasons for seeing to it that Castle Grayskull does not fall into the hands of the Snake Men."
"Are you saying that king snake intends to attack the castle soon?"
The tiniest smirk fell over the Ancient woman's features. "I didn't say anything. One doesn't have to be a genius to realize with the castle now unsealed, King Hiss cannot afford to let anyone other than himself have access to the secrets and power contained within," Moria explained at length.
"That would be bad," Colonel Markson stated.
"Yes," Moria agreed. "I therefore have a proposition for you. Gather your people and I shall take you to a place from which you can attack King Hiss when he least expects it."
The colonel thought about the offer. It appeared simple and straightforward on the surface. He supposed he could talk to the Sorceress about this woman at a later time. For now, his instincts said to trust Moria, for the moment, so Jon keyed his mike. Within minutes, Sergeant Apone had the entire platoon assembled in a side chamber off the gigantic underground cave.
Making sure no one would come by at the wrong moment, Colonel Markson turned to the Ancient pale woman offering to take them to their intended destination. "So what now?"
In response, Moria cast a rueful smile, and extended her hand, thumb and two fingers raised. A shimmering portal, like the ones Jon had seen the Sorceress make when demonstrating her magical power, formed at the back wall. "I will go first. There are defenses I must deactivate before you may enter." Without waiting for a response, Moria stepped through the portal into whatever lay on the other side.
Minutes passed slowly by as the platoon waited for Moria to return. Jon grew annoyed as the ten-minute mark came and went. He knew one could stick their head through the portal to see what lie on the other side and pull back without losing anything. The only danger lay in the portal suddenly dissolving while one was actively passing through it. Such an event was always fatal.
Just as Colonel Markson was working up the courage to stick his head through, Moria reappeared. "It is now safe for you to enter," she said, and returned through the oval portal.
Jon looked around his nervous group, and knew he had to take first step. He never believed in the concept of leading by example because there was no real definition for it. Taking a calming breath, Colonel Markson led the way into the unknown.
They emerged one by one into the Chambers of the Monarchy deep under the Sands of Time. Moria awaited them near the end of a long stone corridor lined with busts of people long dead. Torches cast yellow pools of light near every bust, but it wasn't enough to dispel the gloom entirely.
"Home sweet home," Jon remarked idly. "Kinda dreary, isn't it?"
"I much prefer this to that cabin you have on some lake in the middle of nowhere," Moria replied. She smiled thinly as he showed his polite surprise. "You were just thinking about it," she stated simply.
"You're a mind-reader," Sonya stated flatly.
"I did not have to read his mind, Sonya Boradni. It was plain to see," Moria answered. "Or would you prefer it if I called you Guardian Hawk?"
"Okay, this is creepy," Brad said guardedly.
The white-haired woman turned towards them, her amethyst eyes whirling slightly as her gaze landed on Brad Johnson and Jeromy Ironwood. "Ah. Two more Guardians in my presence. Claw and Blitzkrieg, respectively. You should feel honored."
"Who are you?" Colonel Markson demanded. "Then we'll decide whether or not we're honored."
Moria turned towards him slowly, almost taken aback at the idea that there were people on this planet who did not know of her. "I am Lady Moria Vadorian, Fourteenth Monarch of the Dereskígía."'
"I've never heard of them… or you, for that matter," the Colonel stated, "How do we know we can trust you?"
"You don't," the Ancient woman replied shortly. "But you agreed to follow me, and it is now too late to turn back."
"…Guess we'll have to take your word for it. The Sorceress will confirm it when I see her," Jon replied, fingering the closest statue.
"I would advise that you do not touch anything. There are still dangers in these chambers that I have not bothered to deactivate." Moria warned evenly.
Jon made a show of removing his hand, saying, "At least the Sorceress has a sense of humor."
"Oh, I have quite a sense of humor, Colonel Markson. After all, you are still alive. No non-Dereskian who has ever entered these chambers has ever lived to tell about it. Other than the current Sorceress of Grayskull, you will be the first in the history of over seven thousand years that these chambers have been standing."
"I'm honored," a subdued Jon Markson said to Moria's retreating back.
"You should be," the Ancient woman said softly in reply, and then continued to lead the way.
After what seemed an unusually long time to Markson and his team, their guide opened the double doors to their momentary destination, and the group shuffled into a room that looks almost as though it should belong in Earth's Ancient Rome.
The chamber itself was gigantic, the marble floors stretching for at least fifty yards before it reached the back wall. Immense carved and engraved pillars filled the room, and it took Markson a moment to realize that they began with one vividly detailed pillar in the center and circled outward.
Sonya walked up to one and studied it closely, noticing with not a small amount of shock that a large hawk was engraved upon it. She looked at the top of the pillar, and her amazement grew. Just above the hawk, there was a claw. Beyond that, there was a lightning bolt engraving. Sonya stared at the pillar, looking at each symbol that progressed at the engravings went down. A wing, an arm, the hawk, the claw, the lightning bolt, and above that, a falcon. The six symbols of the guardian armor.
"I see you've discovered the purpose of this chamber," came a voice directly behind her. Sonya whirled around, coming face to face with Moria Vadorian.
"…What is this place?" the younger woman questioned uncertainly. "Why are the Guardian symbols on this pillar?"
Moria looked beyond her, inspecting the engraving of the falcon. "This is the Hall of History," she replied simply. "Every pillar in this room depicts images that pertain to a certain event in the history of the planet. These six…" she said, gesturing to the carvings Sonya had been studying, "show the Guardian armors, as you've just discovered."
"Can they tell us how the first Guardians used the armor?" Colonel Markson asked, stepping up behind the two women with Jeromy and Brad behind him.
The Ancient woman shook her head. "No. The pillars serve only as a record of the past. They do not go into detail."
Jeromy muttered beneath his breath, "Then why bother bringing us into this room if we can't learn anything from it?"
Moria's eyes flashed as she turned towards the young man. "I am so sorry these chambers were not designed to suit your needs, Mister Ironwood," she uttered, threat entering her voice where her words indicated that apology should go. "The truth of the matter is: these are my personal chambers," she continued, her eyes beginning to pinwheel faster as her ire grew. "There are very few rooms here that can fit a group the size of this one comfortably. This is one of them."
"I am sure that Jeromy didn't mean to offend you," Sonya said sensibly, her tone calming as she drew the Ancient woman's attention away from the smart-alecky operator of the Blitzkrieg armor. "Truly, we appreciate the fact that you have let us into your home and offered to help us."
The elder woman inhaled slowly, closing her eyes and exhaling even slower. She took a private moment, and then reopened her eyes. Markson and his team were relieved to see they were no longer pin wheeling. "Thank you," she said after a moment, and then looked at Jeromy. "Be glad that you have such a pragmatic member on your team as this one, young man. She just saved you from some extreme… discomfort." Lady Moria then turned her attention to Jon. "…You will excuse me, Colonel," she said with emotionless politeness. "I've not spent this much time around this many people in years."
Before Markson could question her actions or her words, the white-haired woman raised her hand and sunk down into the floor, vanishing before their eyes. "Do not leave this room," came her voice after she had gone, almost as an afterthought.
******
Not far from the conversing Guardians, Moria Vadorian sat alone in her bedchamber. She rested in an overstuffed armchair, her eyes closed and a hand at her temple. Her exit earlier had been nothing but a retreat, and she knew it. The multitude of people that had suddenly been thrust into her home had slowly stifled her. Every thought, every idea, every wisp of an unformed sentence that had lurked in their brains had leaked into hers. When she had been within Snake Mountain, it had not been quite so bad, because the walls of Skeletor's domain were designed to prevent such mind reading. Her own walls had no such hindrances in place. Indeed, the Chambers were specifically designed in such a way that almost no thought could escape being read, especially from Moria herself. Thus, when she had been confronted in verbal form as well, she had understandably been peeved. Her only defense had been to depart from the large group and set a barrier around herself. Now, alone in her bedchamber, she had peace enough to let her thoughts drift away, casting her consciousness outwards to find that of someone she cared for.
Evil-Lyn was not far from her now, of that Moria was sure. Her daughter's mind was guarded, as if there were something she wanted to keep hidden, at least for the moment. This interested Moria, but as it was not uncommon for her daughter to keep small bits of information from her, it did not her cause great concern. Lyn's location, however, did. She was getting closer.
With a slight gasp, Moria sat up, her eyes opening wide as her consciousness returned to her body with a jolt. Her daughter was on her way here.
She nearly jumped out of her chair before she caught herself, realizing that she did have a short while before her daughter arrived. Even so, there was little time to waste. She would likely have to spend some time explaining things to Markson. With an exasperated sigh, the Dereskian Queen created a portal on the floor she stood upon, and then sunk into it.
******
"Where did our mysterious hostess go off to, anyway?" Jeromy idly complained, sitting down upon the marble floor as he waited impatiently.
"Well maybe if you hadn't offended her, she wouldn't have rushed off in such a hurry," Brad countered, sitting not far from the British smart-aleck.
Jeromy glared at the Sergeant. "How was I supposed to know she'd take offense so easily? All I did was ask a question…" he trailed off, trying to defend himself and not doing very well. "…I wonder if everyone in Eternia just comes and goes as they please…" he mused aloud.
"Only when they have vitally important, pressing matters to attend to, Mister Ironwood," came a familiar feminine voice from above them.
The members of the squadron looked upwards towards the sound of the voice, and Moria Vadorian dropped down nimbly from the ceiling, landing gracefully on her feet. Almost immediately, she turned toward Colonel Markson, who was rising from his own sitting position.
"There is a slight problem," the Ancient Woman stated flatly.
******
Home, at last, Evil-Lyn thought to herself, sliding through the portal she had created and appearing in her mother's bedchamber. Moria was not there. "Odd," the dark witch said aloud, looking in the adjacent chambers. "Mother is almost always here to meet me when I arrive." She decided to wait, knowing that as long as the Ancient Dereskian was anywhere within a few hundred miles, she would be able to sense her daughter's presence and would not be absent for long.
"So let me get this straight," Markson intoned, his arms crossed as he regarded the elder woman incredulously. "Your daughter, Evil-Lyn, who King Randor said is currently working with King Hiss, is on her way here, to this building, where myself and my entire squadron, not to mention half of the Guardian force itself, is just sitting here, waiting like sitting ducks?!"
Moria paused for a second or two, and then answered simply and flatly, "Precisely."
Jon glared at her for a moment, and then realized that it had no effect upon the Ancient woman. "And you want us to wait here, like good little sheep ready to be slaughtered, while one of our enemies sits upstairs?!" he growled, the last few words of his sentence growing loud.
"No," Moria stated, her tone calm but her face showing the first signs of irritation. "I want you to stay here, like good little 'sheep,' out of sight and hearing and wait for me to find out what it is she wants. More likely than not, she will have information as to King Hiss' plans, which she will tell me. My daughter will then leave, and I will come back here and tell you what, if anything, I have learned," she clarified.
Colonel Markson still looked uncertain. "And how do we know that you won't just tell her that we're all here and she'll call the Snake men to come and get us?"
"Several reasons," Moria bit back, her eyes beginning to pinwheel as she regarded the Colonel. "Firstly, because having the Snake Men invade my personal quarters would inconvenience me as much as it would you. Secondly, I have already mentioned the fact that having the Snake Men succeed in this war would not please me in any way, shape, or form. And thirdly, if I were going to turn you in, do you not think I would have done it by now?"
She was answered by an unsure look from the Colonel, but Markson slowly conceded to himself that she did have a point. "Point," he said after a moment. "What should we do?"
"Stay here. Do not touch anything, and do not leave the room."
Jon nodded affirmatively and moved to inform the rest of his squadron. The Ancient Queen held up her hand, making him pause.
"And Colonel?" Moria added in a hushed but strong tone. "Do try to and keep that mouth of yours shut. If my daughter finds you here, it would not be …advantageous… for either of us."
Markson was quiet for the briefest of moments as he considered that alternative. Stifling an involuntary urge to pop off with some smartass remark, he nodded again. "Whatever you say."
******
Evil-Lyn was getting slightly peeved. She was certain that her mother knew of her arrival, but Moria's continued absence was becoming irritating. The Ancient Dereskian was almost always nearby. Just when Lyn was about to cross the line of annoyed to angry, she recognized the familiar glow of a portal appearing in the floor. Through it, weary and looking rather tired, came Moria.
Upon seeing her daughter, she smiled softly. "Hello, dear."
"Mother," Lyn nodded back, allowing herself a rare genuine smile as her anger slowly dissipated.
"I have missed you, Moritënia," the Ancient Queen said gently, embracing her daughter and lightly caressing her cheek.
The former dark mistress of Snake Mountain momentarily rested her head on her mother's shoulder for a moment, before quickly pulling away, as if showing such emotion was a weakness and she feared someone might see. "I've missed you too, Mother," she admitted. "And I wish I could say that I came only to see you, but–"
"I understand, Lyn," Moria interrupted, smiling softly at her daughter. "It is too dangerous for you to leave King Hiss' sight for trivial matters. What has happened?"
While what Moria had said was true enough, her daughter was leery of simply spitting out the reason for her visit. She had not forgotten Moria's role in reviving the Sorceress, and while she was sure that her mother had her reasons, Lyn still felt a little personally betrayed. Instead of revealing Hiss' plan directly, she elected a more subtle plan. "Do you recall my plan involving the shaping staff? Or Skeletor's plan to summon Shagora to do his bidding? Or his use of the Dragon Pearl?"
Moria nodded. "You had a good plan going with the shaping staff until you gave it to that bone-faced fool, who let He-Man snap it in half like a twig. I left you as a frog for a week to remind you of the consequences of your plots. Shagora would have destroyed us all, as would Evil Seed, if you all had not joined forces with He-Man. The use of the Dragon Pearl was not a bad plan, though you continue to underestimate He-Man and his friends," she explained in a tired tone. "And let's not forget Skeletor's failed attempt to move Castle Grayskull into another dimension. Even there, he could not hold on to it."
"Well, yes, but most of the plans were sound…"
All of this recollecting was slowly getting on the elder woman's nerves. She could not forget that Markson and his men were just a few levels down, waiting impatiently for her to return. And all of this idle chatter with her daughter was eating up time. "Dear," Moria intoned slowly, interrupting her child in mid sentence. "While reminiscing with you is always nice, would you kindly inform me of the relevance of this?"
"I was just trying to help you recall the more vivid times when our combined power worked wonders over any odds," Lyn replied, a little angry at being interrupted.
"My memory is impeccable as ever, Moritënia. So let us skip the remainder of this story, shall we? What did you really come here to discuss?"
Moria's daughter crossed her arms in front of her chest and regarded her mother a bit callously. She sighed after a moment, and turned away from her mother's gaze. "King Hiss plans to invade Grayskull within the next twenty-four hours."
"So soon," Moria intoned mostly to herself, a little surprised. She reached out for her daughter's chin, bringing her daughter's eyes up to meet her own. "Tell me everything."
Grinning wickedly, Evil-lyn launched into the plan. It was very simple, really. A force of Snake Men with Horde ground support would assault the castle. They would occupy the human defenders while King Hiss used his formidable power to bring down the jawbridge and take possession of the castle. If the Sorceress had somehow been revived - which Evil-lyn did not confirm for him, much to Moria's surprise – then he would neutralize her and take the power of Grayskull for himself. If he was routed, an event he scoffed at the mere mention of, then the heavier Horde weapons brought down from the orbiting warships would converge on the castle and blow it from the face of Eternia. If King Hiss could not have it, no one would.
Lyn crossed her arms as she finished the report. "So that is the plan, Mother. The only question now is what you will do with it." The latter part of her statement was not so much a fact as it was a demand. She raised her brows at the elder Dereskian, pointedly awaiting her mother's answer.
It was not as readily forthcoming as Lyn would have hoped. "That is not your concern." Moria replied quietly, casting her eyes downwards before once again raising them to meet her daughter's. "But whatever I do, the outcome is one that will do nothing if not benefit you."
The younger woman felt her lips curl back in a small snarl. "Then why is it that every time I turn around you seem to be helping our enemies?!" Lyn exclaimed rather loudly, her eyes growing wide in her sudden anger.
Moria looked at her with surprise in her eyes. She had not anticipated her daughter's sudden anger. "They are not my enemies," she intoned in her defense, her voice passionate but not enough so to be classified as 'loud.' "They are King Hiss' enemies, yes; and since you are currently in his employ, I suppose that would make them yours as well. But that does not make them mine."
Evil-Lyn's reply was almost instantaneous, her anger building faster and faster with each passing second. "Then I suppose you now consider me your enemy, Mother?!"
"Of course not," the elder woman replied, sighing in a mixture of exasperation and sadness. "You know that I do anything and everything in my power to help you, Lyn," she continued softly, reaching out to put her hand on her daughter's shoulder and visibly stung when Lyn turned away.
A still silence fell over mother and child, then, and Moria wondered how their relationship had suddenly become so strained.
After a moment, the younger Dereskian finally spoke. "If you truly want to help me, Mother, then stop aiding those who would defend Grayskull's power and use your influence to help me get it."
Moria Vadorian swallowed slowly, closing her eyes and lowering her head in defeat. "I cannot do that, Lyn."
Her daughter nodded, as if she had anticipated that answer. But the expectation did not mean she was any less angry about it. Still facing away from her mother, Lyn snarled. "As I thought: you are willing to help our enemies, even willing to risk your health to bring the Sorceress of Grayskull back to life, but you won't help your own daughter," she found it difficult to say the next word, but managed to do so despite her hesitation. "Traitor."
A deep growl suddenly came from deep within the elder woman's throat. Her patience had been thin to begin with, but the use of that word rather than any other finally pushed the Dereskian Queen over the edge of her control. "I will not be called that by my own daughter!" Moria exclaimed, harsher than she meant to be but having little power over the force in her force.
Without losing a beat, Evil-Lyn whirled on her, as if she had been deliberately provoking her mother. "Then you expect me to just sit back and let you betray me?!" she practically screamed, her eyes flashing wildly.
Moria faltered, taken aback by the sheer malevolence in her daughter's tone. "I have your best intentions at heart, Moritënia. I always have." Slowly, the battle over her emotions was decided, and the unreadable expression once more fell across her face.
"I'm sure," Lyn spat back, bile rising in her throat as she glared daggers at the elder woman. As Lyn turned to go, angry and betrayed, she could not help giving her mother a glance over her shoulder. "I sometimes wonder whose side you're even on, Mother." The last word came out harsher than she probably meant it, but the sting, to Moria, was real.
Had Moria not been hiding behind her sangfroid, her face would have revealed the feelings of anguish that were now passing through her mind at Lyn's mistrust. "I do what I can to make the future what I want it to be. What you want it to be. I am on your side, Lyn. Always. " Before the echoes of her reply had faded, her child was gone, and the Ancient woman sighed raggedly. A feeling of great emptiness overcame her, as if a great piece of her heart and herSelf had left with her only child.
******
Castle Grayskull
The Sorceress awoke from her long nap feeling more alive than she could ever remember being. She kicked aside the blankets, swung her feet over the side of the bed, and sprang onto nimble feet. The cold stone floor went unnoticed as she paraded around in the pink nightgown she could not remember dressing in. The jubilation over having been completely healed waned after looking in the full-length mirror standing against the wall opposite an elaborately carved armchair. The Sorceress stared in shock at the image reflected back at her. The headdress that was part of the costume of the Guardian of Castle Grayskull was gone, replaced by her natural mane of strikingly red, shoulder-length hair. A stabbing pain like a knife to the heart gripped her chest, but only for an instant. She knew immediately that in order to regain her status as the castle's guardian, Teela'Na would have to go back into the Pool of Power.
She changed into the reignments of the guardian of the castle and was pulling on her boots when there came a soft rap on the door to the Sorceress' private chambers. Lieutenant Garber entered at her bidding. His eyes lit at seeing her up, around, and most importantly, alert.
"Well, you look better than you did yesterday. I must say you had me scared," Garber admitted candidly.
Sorceress smiled softly. "I'm feeling much better now. I can never repay you for all you have done for me. Losing a man in exchange for my freedom from King Hiss…"
Garber raised a hand to forestall the coming apology. "Don't apologize. We all knew the risks. Drake would be comforted to know you are healed; that he didn't die in vane."
Sorceress nodded, finished pulling on the right boot, and rose from the armchair.
Puzzled, the lieutenant asked, "No headdress?"
"I must return to the Pool of Power. In order to heal me, the castle was required to strip me of my magic and immortality. To regain both, I must return briefly to it," she explained.
"Oh," he replied, not really comprehending. "So this is your natural look?"
Sorceress nodded. "I was dressed differently and was much younger when I first came here."
"Well, I suppose I should get out of your way, then," Garber said, smiling. "I have a sneaking suspicion we are going to need your abilities in the next few days. And you need to catch up on what has been happening while you've been…away."
Her last memory before the assorted dreams of seeing her husband depart this world, and the chat with the strange female who was some kind of spectral image only she could see, was of Adrian Cobretti clutching her tightly in his arms. Did he know she had been healed? She reasoned something must have happened to him otherwise he would have been among the first to see her alive and well.
As the pair walked down the stairs toward the main chamber Garber explained what had been going on while she healed. Adrian's running off came as a shock, but not a totally unexpected one. She knew something of the effects of a Horde mind sifter. The Sorceress also knew that with the help of his armor Adrian could find the will to survive and heal himself. She was relieved to know Frost, Jake, and their new companion, Anyssa, were out looking for him.
Colonel Markson's group along with the remaining three Guardians had still not been heard from. Their communications equipment was limited. Despite using relays between the castle as their home base and the dropships ranging out across the planet, they still had no idea of the colonel's whereabouts or status. If he was dead or captured by King Hiss, they would have known by now.
They only thing they knew for certain was someone was keeping an eye on the castle. That someone was likely King Hiss. Snake Men had been spotted repeatedly just beyond the tree line watching the activity in and around Castle Grayskull. Several people volunteered to go root out and neutralize the scouts, but Garber vetoed the idea. Instead, he used the observers to his best advantage by allowing them to report only what the lieutenant wanted them to see.
At last, the pair arrived at the spot where the Sorceress had disappeared and later re-appeared. Lieutenant Garber could not hide his concern as the Sorceress looked for the proper stone block.
"Do not worry, lieutenant. I won't be gone long," she assured him.
A small crowd had begun to gather as word spread that the Sorceress was up and around. The Sorceress stepped upon a stone block indistinguishable from those around it. For a moment nothing happened, then the block slowly rose about twelve inches, then dropped just as slowly and smoothly into the pool below. Wisps of steam drifted up out of the opening followed by the flare of blindingly bright light. The scream of a large bird blasted from the opening an instant ahead of a mass of white energy that flew out of the pit. The mass rapidly solidified into the familiar shape of a red falcon with a blue beak, red, white, and blue striped tail feathers, red and blue wing feathers, and black orbs for eyes reflecting the intelligence no normal falcon possessed.
Zoar the Falcon squawked, flapped her wings to maintain her position around the average person's head height, then wheeled, and soared off around the impossibly large chamber. She looped around the globe and through large openings in stone support structures truly enjoying herself. After several minutes of putting on an acrobatic display no real falcon could ever be taught to perform, Zoar flew back tot eh stairway leading up to the stone throne where visitors would often find the Sorceress, and transformed back to her human form.
Both the headdress and the magic had been returned to her. The castle had not forsaken the Sorceress as she had first feared, and she was relieved beyond the ability to express vocally.
"Amazing," Garber replied, awed by what he had just witnessed. "Almost as amazing as this castle." He gestured to the globe, the skyline behind it, and the light coming from hidden sources. "Is that real or works of magic?"
"Both," the Sorceress replied. She and the lieutenant walked across the chamber to stand next to the staircase up to the eastern tower. The crowd dispersed as she explained the mechanics of what they were looking at. "You have undoubtedly noticed this castle is far larger inside that it is outside."
"That had not escaped my attention," Garber acknowledged.
"Well, think of it like this," the Sorceress said, hold both hands palms up. A black box materialized in each hand. The one in the left hand was about one quarter larger than the box in her right hand. "Which one is bigger?"
Frowning, the lieutenant pointed to the woman's left hand. "That one."
"All right." She walked over to the staircase and placed the larger box on the flattened spiral end of the handrail, and walked back or to the lieutenant. She held up the smaller box and asked, "Now which one is bigger."
Garber's frown deepened as he tried to wrap his brain around where this was going. "That one," he said, pointing to the box resting on the handrail.
"But it looks smaller."
"That's because it's further away."
"Right. Now if you could have a box that size and distance away, but have it here with this smaller one, the large box would now fit inside the smaller one," the Sorceress explained at length.
Garber exclaimed, "That's crazy!"
"That's trans-dimension mechanics; a key Elder discovery shortly after the Counsel of Elders was formed," she chastised mildly.
Before they could argue the point further, they were interrupted by a buzzing from his headset mike. Evidently, a couple of explorers ventured into parts of the castle Garber proclaimed off-limits. Two soldiers accidentally discovered one of several entrances to the heart of the castle were the true power of the Elders was stored. The explorers had been taken by surprise when the stone gargoyle-like face came alive and asked them if they sought the castle's secrets.
Lieutenant Garber excused himself and strode purposely toward the stairway back around the corner from the elevated throne where the many time/space portals were located. Sorceress smiled slightly listening to the lieutenant's threats to have her create a Navy yardarm for the express purpose of hanging the interlopers from it.
She cast her thoughts toward the immediate future, trying to discern whether or not Grayskull was in urgent danger. Before she could delve too far, however, she became aware of something else. The presence of a certain person began to fill her mind, and she silently groaned. She had been expecting this visit, for she knew that was what it was, but it was not one she had been looking forward to.
Knowing she had a few minutes before her 'guest' was due to arrive, the Sorceress drew her thoughts back to herself at a somewhat leisurely pace. She begged her leave of the Lieutenant and made her way upstairs, knowing that when the 'visitor' arrived, she would do so in her personal chambers. Still inwardly dreading this encounter but knowing that there was nothing she could do to stop it, the Sorceress made her way back into her room. Once there, Teela'Na sat down in her chair to wait. She took a private moment for herself, just relaxing her body as she waited. Dying always took so much out of someone.
After several long moments had passed, she looked towards the mirror in her room, idly fixing a few stray feathers on her headdress as she waited the final few moments for her 'guest.'
"Are you expecting someone, dear?" came the all-too familiar voice from behind her, and the Sorceress did not have to glance at the woman's reflection in the mirror to know who it was. Even so, she turned around, hiding her minimal surprise at the silent arrival.
She frowned slightly as Moria Vadorian smirked softly back at her, the elder woman's head quirked a little to the side as she stood against the back wall. "No one of importance," the Sorceress replied glumly. "Only you."
Moria put a hand on her chest, looking at the redhead theatrically. "Oh, you were primping for me. I didn't know you cared."
"I don't," the Sorceress nearly snarled, not even bothering to get out of her chair as she glared at the other woman. "What are you doing here, Moria?"
"What?" the elder woman questioned, feigning innocence. "I cannot just stop by to see how you are feeling?" Before the Sorceress could answer, the elder woman continued, genuinely. "How are you feeling, te lynïa?"
Teela'Na crossed her arms in front of her, suspicious. "Since when do you honestly care how I'm doing?"
The elder woman smiled softly at her, replying quietly. "Believe it or not, dear, your continued existence does matter to me."
"I'm sure it does," the Sorceress muttered sarcastically, knowing and not caring that Moria could hear it. "For some entirely self-serving reason." She groaned quietly, closing her eyes and then reopening them. "What do you want?"
The white-haired woman countered amusedly, "I have to want something, too?" She slowly took a few steps forward, caressing the Sorceress' cheek with the tips of her fingers. "What makes you so sure that I was not simply genuinely concerned for your well-being?"
"Because you always want something," the Sorceress stated flatly, batting the hand away and rising out of her chair.
"Ah. Well, I cannot argue you there, dear," Moria returned, smiling softly as she returned her hand to her side, leaning the other arm against the back of the chair Teela'Na had been sitting in. "In this case, however, what I 'want' correlates with your own wishes."
The Sorceress crossed her arms over her chest and muttered out of the corner of her mouth, "I doubt it."
Moria raised one eyebrow as she regarded the other woman. "Oh," she stated simply. "Well then, it appears I've been wasting your time. Do forgive me, dear." She turned, as if she were about to go. "I simply thought you might appreciate warning of King Hiss' imminent attack on this castle."
Teela'Na's eyes opened wider and she stared at the elder woman's retreating back, exclaiming, "What?! When?!"
With her patented smirk, the Ancient Queen turned back. "Within the next twenty-four hours. Do I hold your attention now?"
"Yes," came the immediate response, though Teela'Na disliked having to say it.
"Good. King Hiss has ordered that every fighter and piece of equipment that can be spared will descend upon Grayskull within the next day."
The Sorceress sat back into her chair, taking in the words of the elder woman with suspicion. "What makes you think this?"
"I saw it in my pool, and my daughter just confirmed it to me," came the reply.
Teela'Na barked out a short laugh. "And which of those is supposed to make me believe you? I have no reason at all to trust you."
Moria's eyes lowered, and she nodded slowly. "You're right. You do not." Gradually, her gaze rose, locking eyes with the other woman. "But I have very rarely ever lied to you, Te lynïa. And you did think he was going to attack."
"That isn't exactly guesswork, Moria. He has coveted the power in this castle for centuries," the Sorceress replied, turning away from the elder woman.
"And perhaps you knew, too, that he has given the order for its destruction?" the elder woman countered, her eyes beginning to pinwheel ever so slightly.
The redhead snapped her eyes back toward Moria. "What?!" she demanded almost wildly. Never, in the entire history of her guardianship of the Castle, had anyone simply tried to just destroy the castle. The secrets and power within had always been considered too much of a prize to waste by any force.
"If his forces and I will remind you that they will be considerable, do not succeed in the conquest of the Castle, he has given his commanding officer permission to destroy it," Moria repeated. She paused for a moment, watching as expressions of slight panic and uncertainty passed over the redhead's face. "Do you still think I am lying to you?" The Sorceress glared at her for a moment and then closed her eyes, sighing heavily in resignation. "No," Moria answered for her, smiling softly. "You cannot afford to."
Teela'Na sighed once more and then rose from her chair, turning to the white-haired woman. "I'll grant you that, Moria," she growled, not happy about the current situation. "But that does not mean I do not doubt your motives. What is in this for you?"
Lady Moria Vadorian straightened herself, hiding even her smirk behind her sang-froid. "How do you mean?" she questioned, her tone becoming as emotionless as her face.
"Why does it matter to you who wins this battle?" The younger woman pressed angrily, knowing that Moria's impassive state was a minimal retreat. "How does the fate of this entire war even affect you at all?!"
The Ancient Queen turned away, swallowing slowly as her expressionless composure began to ever so slightly crack. "…Hiss has my daughter in a position that she cannot get out of by herself. I want her to be free." Moria looked over her shoulder at the Sorceress. "I would think you, of all people, would understand that, Te lynïa."
The Sorceress hid her inner feelings, recalling with pain her last conversation with Teela. "Very well," she conceded after a long moment. "As you said, I cannot afford to not trust you, at least this time," she finished, stressing the last four words. "Should I expect further 'assistance' from you in the future?"
Moria chuckled softly and a tiny hint of her smirk fell over her lips. "It is possible."
Teela'Na nodded and sighed, as if anticipating something of the sort. "You won't give me a definite answer, of course."
"You know how I loathe being predictable, dear," the white-haired woman replied, smirking at her.
Muttering irritably, the Sorceress groaned, "How like you, Moria. You set the events in motion and simply stand back to watch them unfold."
"How like you, Teela'Na," Moria countered, surprising the Sorceress with the use of her real name, which the elder woman almost never used. "I offer you my assistance and still you resent me for it." She sighed softly, wondering idly to herself if these visits of hers would ever end without either of them being angry. Gradually, she turned to go, setting up her portal with a swift motion of her hand. She paused at the wall, just before leaving. "I wonder," she began quietly, looking inquisitively at the other woman as she decided to test something. "Even if I saved your life, would you still feel bitterness towards me?"
The Sorceress crossed her arms over her chest impassively. "Hopefully, we'll never have to worry about that," she responded as coldly as she could.
Moria nodded slowly, looking down at the floor. So Kodec had kept her word. "I suppose not," she replied, passing her hand through the wall. "Goodbye, Te lynïa. I shall see you again soon." She smiled not unkindly, and then was gone.
Afterwards, the Sorceress groaned quietly to herself. "Too soon, I'm sure."
Sands of Time Desert
Colonel Markson was naturally suspicious of people offering to help in this strange alien land. Especially when the help was offered by people he had never heard of until a moment before.
"Oh?" the colonel said cautiously. "And why are you so willing to help when others in this place don't care, or can't?"
The pale woman stepped into the dim light of the corridor. "Let's just say I am an 'acquaintance' of the Sorceress, and I have my own reasons for seeing to it that Castle Grayskull does not fall into the hands of the Snake Men."
"Are you saying that king snake intends to attack the castle soon?"
The tiniest smirk fell over the Ancient woman's features. "I didn't say anything. One doesn't have to be a genius to realize with the castle now unsealed, King Hiss cannot afford to let anyone other than himself have access to the secrets and power contained within," Moria explained at length.
"That would be bad," Colonel Markson stated.
"Yes," Moria agreed. "I therefore have a proposition for you. Gather your people and I shall take you to a place from which you can attack King Hiss when he least expects it."
The colonel thought about the offer. It appeared simple and straightforward on the surface. He supposed he could talk to the Sorceress about this woman at a later time. For now, his instincts said to trust Moria, for the moment, so Jon keyed his mike. Within minutes, Sergeant Apone had the entire platoon assembled in a side chamber off the gigantic underground cave.
Making sure no one would come by at the wrong moment, Colonel Markson turned to the Ancient pale woman offering to take them to their intended destination. "So what now?"
In response, Moria cast a rueful smile, and extended her hand, thumb and two fingers raised. A shimmering portal, like the ones Jon had seen the Sorceress make when demonstrating her magical power, formed at the back wall. "I will go first. There are defenses I must deactivate before you may enter." Without waiting for a response, Moria stepped through the portal into whatever lay on the other side.
Minutes passed slowly by as the platoon waited for Moria to return. Jon grew annoyed as the ten-minute mark came and went. He knew one could stick their head through the portal to see what lie on the other side and pull back without losing anything. The only danger lay in the portal suddenly dissolving while one was actively passing through it. Such an event was always fatal.
Just as Colonel Markson was working up the courage to stick his head through, Moria reappeared. "It is now safe for you to enter," she said, and returned through the oval portal.
Jon looked around his nervous group, and knew he had to take first step. He never believed in the concept of leading by example because there was no real definition for it. Taking a calming breath, Colonel Markson led the way into the unknown.
They emerged one by one into the Chambers of the Monarchy deep under the Sands of Time. Moria awaited them near the end of a long stone corridor lined with busts of people long dead. Torches cast yellow pools of light near every bust, but it wasn't enough to dispel the gloom entirely.
"Home sweet home," Jon remarked idly. "Kinda dreary, isn't it?"
"I much prefer this to that cabin you have on some lake in the middle of nowhere," Moria replied. She smiled thinly as he showed his polite surprise. "You were just thinking about it," she stated simply.
"You're a mind-reader," Sonya stated flatly.
"I did not have to read his mind, Sonya Boradni. It was plain to see," Moria answered. "Or would you prefer it if I called you Guardian Hawk?"
"Okay, this is creepy," Brad said guardedly.
The white-haired woman turned towards them, her amethyst eyes whirling slightly as her gaze landed on Brad Johnson and Jeromy Ironwood. "Ah. Two more Guardians in my presence. Claw and Blitzkrieg, respectively. You should feel honored."
"Who are you?" Colonel Markson demanded. "Then we'll decide whether or not we're honored."
Moria turned towards him slowly, almost taken aback at the idea that there were people on this planet who did not know of her. "I am Lady Moria Vadorian, Fourteenth Monarch of the Dereskígía."'
"I've never heard of them… or you, for that matter," the Colonel stated, "How do we know we can trust you?"
"You don't," the Ancient woman replied shortly. "But you agreed to follow me, and it is now too late to turn back."
"…Guess we'll have to take your word for it. The Sorceress will confirm it when I see her," Jon replied, fingering the closest statue.
"I would advise that you do not touch anything. There are still dangers in these chambers that I have not bothered to deactivate." Moria warned evenly.
Jon made a show of removing his hand, saying, "At least the Sorceress has a sense of humor."
"Oh, I have quite a sense of humor, Colonel Markson. After all, you are still alive. No non-Dereskian who has ever entered these chambers has ever lived to tell about it. Other than the current Sorceress of Grayskull, you will be the first in the history of over seven thousand years that these chambers have been standing."
"I'm honored," a subdued Jon Markson said to Moria's retreating back.
"You should be," the Ancient woman said softly in reply, and then continued to lead the way.
After what seemed an unusually long time to Markson and his team, their guide opened the double doors to their momentary destination, and the group shuffled into a room that looks almost as though it should belong in Earth's Ancient Rome.
The chamber itself was gigantic, the marble floors stretching for at least fifty yards before it reached the back wall. Immense carved and engraved pillars filled the room, and it took Markson a moment to realize that they began with one vividly detailed pillar in the center and circled outward.
Sonya walked up to one and studied it closely, noticing with not a small amount of shock that a large hawk was engraved upon it. She looked at the top of the pillar, and her amazement grew. Just above the hawk, there was a claw. Beyond that, there was a lightning bolt engraving. Sonya stared at the pillar, looking at each symbol that progressed at the engravings went down. A wing, an arm, the hawk, the claw, the lightning bolt, and above that, a falcon. The six symbols of the guardian armor.
"I see you've discovered the purpose of this chamber," came a voice directly behind her. Sonya whirled around, coming face to face with Moria Vadorian.
"…What is this place?" the younger woman questioned uncertainly. "Why are the Guardian symbols on this pillar?"
Moria looked beyond her, inspecting the engraving of the falcon. "This is the Hall of History," she replied simply. "Every pillar in this room depicts images that pertain to a certain event in the history of the planet. These six…" she said, gesturing to the carvings Sonya had been studying, "show the Guardian armors, as you've just discovered."
"Can they tell us how the first Guardians used the armor?" Colonel Markson asked, stepping up behind the two women with Jeromy and Brad behind him.
The Ancient woman shook her head. "No. The pillars serve only as a record of the past. They do not go into detail."
Jeromy muttered beneath his breath, "Then why bother bringing us into this room if we can't learn anything from it?"
Moria's eyes flashed as she turned towards the young man. "I am so sorry these chambers were not designed to suit your needs, Mister Ironwood," she uttered, threat entering her voice where her words indicated that apology should go. "The truth of the matter is: these are my personal chambers," she continued, her eyes beginning to pinwheel faster as her ire grew. "There are very few rooms here that can fit a group the size of this one comfortably. This is one of them."
"I am sure that Jeromy didn't mean to offend you," Sonya said sensibly, her tone calming as she drew the Ancient woman's attention away from the smart-alecky operator of the Blitzkrieg armor. "Truly, we appreciate the fact that you have let us into your home and offered to help us."
The elder woman inhaled slowly, closing her eyes and exhaling even slower. She took a private moment, and then reopened her eyes. Markson and his team were relieved to see they were no longer pin wheeling. "Thank you," she said after a moment, and then looked at Jeromy. "Be glad that you have such a pragmatic member on your team as this one, young man. She just saved you from some extreme… discomfort." Lady Moria then turned her attention to Jon. "…You will excuse me, Colonel," she said with emotionless politeness. "I've not spent this much time around this many people in years."
Before Markson could question her actions or her words, the white-haired woman raised her hand and sunk down into the floor, vanishing before their eyes. "Do not leave this room," came her voice after she had gone, almost as an afterthought.
******
Not far from the conversing Guardians, Moria Vadorian sat alone in her bedchamber. She rested in an overstuffed armchair, her eyes closed and a hand at her temple. Her exit earlier had been nothing but a retreat, and she knew it. The multitude of people that had suddenly been thrust into her home had slowly stifled her. Every thought, every idea, every wisp of an unformed sentence that had lurked in their brains had leaked into hers. When she had been within Snake Mountain, it had not been quite so bad, because the walls of Skeletor's domain were designed to prevent such mind reading. Her own walls had no such hindrances in place. Indeed, the Chambers were specifically designed in such a way that almost no thought could escape being read, especially from Moria herself. Thus, when she had been confronted in verbal form as well, she had understandably been peeved. Her only defense had been to depart from the large group and set a barrier around herself. Now, alone in her bedchamber, she had peace enough to let her thoughts drift away, casting her consciousness outwards to find that of someone she cared for.
Evil-Lyn was not far from her now, of that Moria was sure. Her daughter's mind was guarded, as if there were something she wanted to keep hidden, at least for the moment. This interested Moria, but as it was not uncommon for her daughter to keep small bits of information from her, it did not her cause great concern. Lyn's location, however, did. She was getting closer.
With a slight gasp, Moria sat up, her eyes opening wide as her consciousness returned to her body with a jolt. Her daughter was on her way here.
She nearly jumped out of her chair before she caught herself, realizing that she did have a short while before her daughter arrived. Even so, there was little time to waste. She would likely have to spend some time explaining things to Markson. With an exasperated sigh, the Dereskian Queen created a portal on the floor she stood upon, and then sunk into it.
******
"Where did our mysterious hostess go off to, anyway?" Jeromy idly complained, sitting down upon the marble floor as he waited impatiently.
"Well maybe if you hadn't offended her, she wouldn't have rushed off in such a hurry," Brad countered, sitting not far from the British smart-aleck.
Jeromy glared at the Sergeant. "How was I supposed to know she'd take offense so easily? All I did was ask a question…" he trailed off, trying to defend himself and not doing very well. "…I wonder if everyone in Eternia just comes and goes as they please…" he mused aloud.
"Only when they have vitally important, pressing matters to attend to, Mister Ironwood," came a familiar feminine voice from above them.
The members of the squadron looked upwards towards the sound of the voice, and Moria Vadorian dropped down nimbly from the ceiling, landing gracefully on her feet. Almost immediately, she turned toward Colonel Markson, who was rising from his own sitting position.
"There is a slight problem," the Ancient Woman stated flatly.
******
Home, at last, Evil-Lyn thought to herself, sliding through the portal she had created and appearing in her mother's bedchamber. Moria was not there. "Odd," the dark witch said aloud, looking in the adjacent chambers. "Mother is almost always here to meet me when I arrive." She decided to wait, knowing that as long as the Ancient Dereskian was anywhere within a few hundred miles, she would be able to sense her daughter's presence and would not be absent for long.
"So let me get this straight," Markson intoned, his arms crossed as he regarded the elder woman incredulously. "Your daughter, Evil-Lyn, who King Randor said is currently working with King Hiss, is on her way here, to this building, where myself and my entire squadron, not to mention half of the Guardian force itself, is just sitting here, waiting like sitting ducks?!"
Moria paused for a second or two, and then answered simply and flatly, "Precisely."
Jon glared at her for a moment, and then realized that it had no effect upon the Ancient woman. "And you want us to wait here, like good little sheep ready to be slaughtered, while one of our enemies sits upstairs?!" he growled, the last few words of his sentence growing loud.
"No," Moria stated, her tone calm but her face showing the first signs of irritation. "I want you to stay here, like good little 'sheep,' out of sight and hearing and wait for me to find out what it is she wants. More likely than not, she will have information as to King Hiss' plans, which she will tell me. My daughter will then leave, and I will come back here and tell you what, if anything, I have learned," she clarified.
Colonel Markson still looked uncertain. "And how do we know that you won't just tell her that we're all here and she'll call the Snake men to come and get us?"
"Several reasons," Moria bit back, her eyes beginning to pinwheel as she regarded the Colonel. "Firstly, because having the Snake Men invade my personal quarters would inconvenience me as much as it would you. Secondly, I have already mentioned the fact that having the Snake Men succeed in this war would not please me in any way, shape, or form. And thirdly, if I were going to turn you in, do you not think I would have done it by now?"
She was answered by an unsure look from the Colonel, but Markson slowly conceded to himself that she did have a point. "Point," he said after a moment. "What should we do?"
"Stay here. Do not touch anything, and do not leave the room."
Jon nodded affirmatively and moved to inform the rest of his squadron. The Ancient Queen held up her hand, making him pause.
"And Colonel?" Moria added in a hushed but strong tone. "Do try to and keep that mouth of yours shut. If my daughter finds you here, it would not be …advantageous… for either of us."
Markson was quiet for the briefest of moments as he considered that alternative. Stifling an involuntary urge to pop off with some smartass remark, he nodded again. "Whatever you say."
******
Evil-Lyn was getting slightly peeved. She was certain that her mother knew of her arrival, but Moria's continued absence was becoming irritating. The Ancient Dereskian was almost always nearby. Just when Lyn was about to cross the line of annoyed to angry, she recognized the familiar glow of a portal appearing in the floor. Through it, weary and looking rather tired, came Moria.
Upon seeing her daughter, she smiled softly. "Hello, dear."
"Mother," Lyn nodded back, allowing herself a rare genuine smile as her anger slowly dissipated.
"I have missed you, Moritënia," the Ancient Queen said gently, embracing her daughter and lightly caressing her cheek.
The former dark mistress of Snake Mountain momentarily rested her head on her mother's shoulder for a moment, before quickly pulling away, as if showing such emotion was a weakness and she feared someone might see. "I've missed you too, Mother," she admitted. "And I wish I could say that I came only to see you, but–"
"I understand, Lyn," Moria interrupted, smiling softly at her daughter. "It is too dangerous for you to leave King Hiss' sight for trivial matters. What has happened?"
While what Moria had said was true enough, her daughter was leery of simply spitting out the reason for her visit. She had not forgotten Moria's role in reviving the Sorceress, and while she was sure that her mother had her reasons, Lyn still felt a little personally betrayed. Instead of revealing Hiss' plan directly, she elected a more subtle plan. "Do you recall my plan involving the shaping staff? Or Skeletor's plan to summon Shagora to do his bidding? Or his use of the Dragon Pearl?"
Moria nodded. "You had a good plan going with the shaping staff until you gave it to that bone-faced fool, who let He-Man snap it in half like a twig. I left you as a frog for a week to remind you of the consequences of your plots. Shagora would have destroyed us all, as would Evil Seed, if you all had not joined forces with He-Man. The use of the Dragon Pearl was not a bad plan, though you continue to underestimate He-Man and his friends," she explained in a tired tone. "And let's not forget Skeletor's failed attempt to move Castle Grayskull into another dimension. Even there, he could not hold on to it."
"Well, yes, but most of the plans were sound…"
All of this recollecting was slowly getting on the elder woman's nerves. She could not forget that Markson and his men were just a few levels down, waiting impatiently for her to return. And all of this idle chatter with her daughter was eating up time. "Dear," Moria intoned slowly, interrupting her child in mid sentence. "While reminiscing with you is always nice, would you kindly inform me of the relevance of this?"
"I was just trying to help you recall the more vivid times when our combined power worked wonders over any odds," Lyn replied, a little angry at being interrupted.
"My memory is impeccable as ever, Moritënia. So let us skip the remainder of this story, shall we? What did you really come here to discuss?"
Moria's daughter crossed her arms in front of her chest and regarded her mother a bit callously. She sighed after a moment, and turned away from her mother's gaze. "King Hiss plans to invade Grayskull within the next twenty-four hours."
"So soon," Moria intoned mostly to herself, a little surprised. She reached out for her daughter's chin, bringing her daughter's eyes up to meet her own. "Tell me everything."
Grinning wickedly, Evil-lyn launched into the plan. It was very simple, really. A force of Snake Men with Horde ground support would assault the castle. They would occupy the human defenders while King Hiss used his formidable power to bring down the jawbridge and take possession of the castle. If the Sorceress had somehow been revived - which Evil-lyn did not confirm for him, much to Moria's surprise – then he would neutralize her and take the power of Grayskull for himself. If he was routed, an event he scoffed at the mere mention of, then the heavier Horde weapons brought down from the orbiting warships would converge on the castle and blow it from the face of Eternia. If King Hiss could not have it, no one would.
Lyn crossed her arms as she finished the report. "So that is the plan, Mother. The only question now is what you will do with it." The latter part of her statement was not so much a fact as it was a demand. She raised her brows at the elder Dereskian, pointedly awaiting her mother's answer.
It was not as readily forthcoming as Lyn would have hoped. "That is not your concern." Moria replied quietly, casting her eyes downwards before once again raising them to meet her daughter's. "But whatever I do, the outcome is one that will do nothing if not benefit you."
The younger woman felt her lips curl back in a small snarl. "Then why is it that every time I turn around you seem to be helping our enemies?!" Lyn exclaimed rather loudly, her eyes growing wide in her sudden anger.
Moria looked at her with surprise in her eyes. She had not anticipated her daughter's sudden anger. "They are not my enemies," she intoned in her defense, her voice passionate but not enough so to be classified as 'loud.' "They are King Hiss' enemies, yes; and since you are currently in his employ, I suppose that would make them yours as well. But that does not make them mine."
Evil-Lyn's reply was almost instantaneous, her anger building faster and faster with each passing second. "Then I suppose you now consider me your enemy, Mother?!"
"Of course not," the elder woman replied, sighing in a mixture of exasperation and sadness. "You know that I do anything and everything in my power to help you, Lyn," she continued softly, reaching out to put her hand on her daughter's shoulder and visibly stung when Lyn turned away.
A still silence fell over mother and child, then, and Moria wondered how their relationship had suddenly become so strained.
After a moment, the younger Dereskian finally spoke. "If you truly want to help me, Mother, then stop aiding those who would defend Grayskull's power and use your influence to help me get it."
Moria Vadorian swallowed slowly, closing her eyes and lowering her head in defeat. "I cannot do that, Lyn."
Her daughter nodded, as if she had anticipated that answer. But the expectation did not mean she was any less angry about it. Still facing away from her mother, Lyn snarled. "As I thought: you are willing to help our enemies, even willing to risk your health to bring the Sorceress of Grayskull back to life, but you won't help your own daughter," she found it difficult to say the next word, but managed to do so despite her hesitation. "Traitor."
A deep growl suddenly came from deep within the elder woman's throat. Her patience had been thin to begin with, but the use of that word rather than any other finally pushed the Dereskian Queen over the edge of her control. "I will not be called that by my own daughter!" Moria exclaimed, harsher than she meant to be but having little power over the force in her force.
Without losing a beat, Evil-Lyn whirled on her, as if she had been deliberately provoking her mother. "Then you expect me to just sit back and let you betray me?!" she practically screamed, her eyes flashing wildly.
Moria faltered, taken aback by the sheer malevolence in her daughter's tone. "I have your best intentions at heart, Moritënia. I always have." Slowly, the battle over her emotions was decided, and the unreadable expression once more fell across her face.
"I'm sure," Lyn spat back, bile rising in her throat as she glared daggers at the elder woman. As Lyn turned to go, angry and betrayed, she could not help giving her mother a glance over her shoulder. "I sometimes wonder whose side you're even on, Mother." The last word came out harsher than she probably meant it, but the sting, to Moria, was real.
Had Moria not been hiding behind her sangfroid, her face would have revealed the feelings of anguish that were now passing through her mind at Lyn's mistrust. "I do what I can to make the future what I want it to be. What you want it to be. I am on your side, Lyn. Always. " Before the echoes of her reply had faded, her child was gone, and the Ancient woman sighed raggedly. A feeling of great emptiness overcame her, as if a great piece of her heart and herSelf had left with her only child.
******
Castle Grayskull
The Sorceress awoke from her long nap feeling more alive than she could ever remember being. She kicked aside the blankets, swung her feet over the side of the bed, and sprang onto nimble feet. The cold stone floor went unnoticed as she paraded around in the pink nightgown she could not remember dressing in. The jubilation over having been completely healed waned after looking in the full-length mirror standing against the wall opposite an elaborately carved armchair. The Sorceress stared in shock at the image reflected back at her. The headdress that was part of the costume of the Guardian of Castle Grayskull was gone, replaced by her natural mane of strikingly red, shoulder-length hair. A stabbing pain like a knife to the heart gripped her chest, but only for an instant. She knew immediately that in order to regain her status as the castle's guardian, Teela'Na would have to go back into the Pool of Power.
She changed into the reignments of the guardian of the castle and was pulling on her boots when there came a soft rap on the door to the Sorceress' private chambers. Lieutenant Garber entered at her bidding. His eyes lit at seeing her up, around, and most importantly, alert.
"Well, you look better than you did yesterday. I must say you had me scared," Garber admitted candidly.
Sorceress smiled softly. "I'm feeling much better now. I can never repay you for all you have done for me. Losing a man in exchange for my freedom from King Hiss…"
Garber raised a hand to forestall the coming apology. "Don't apologize. We all knew the risks. Drake would be comforted to know you are healed; that he didn't die in vane."
Sorceress nodded, finished pulling on the right boot, and rose from the armchair.
Puzzled, the lieutenant asked, "No headdress?"
"I must return to the Pool of Power. In order to heal me, the castle was required to strip me of my magic and immortality. To regain both, I must return briefly to it," she explained.
"Oh," he replied, not really comprehending. "So this is your natural look?"
Sorceress nodded. "I was dressed differently and was much younger when I first came here."
"Well, I suppose I should get out of your way, then," Garber said, smiling. "I have a sneaking suspicion we are going to need your abilities in the next few days. And you need to catch up on what has been happening while you've been…away."
Her last memory before the assorted dreams of seeing her husband depart this world, and the chat with the strange female who was some kind of spectral image only she could see, was of Adrian Cobretti clutching her tightly in his arms. Did he know she had been healed? She reasoned something must have happened to him otherwise he would have been among the first to see her alive and well.
As the pair walked down the stairs toward the main chamber Garber explained what had been going on while she healed. Adrian's running off came as a shock, but not a totally unexpected one. She knew something of the effects of a Horde mind sifter. The Sorceress also knew that with the help of his armor Adrian could find the will to survive and heal himself. She was relieved to know Frost, Jake, and their new companion, Anyssa, were out looking for him.
Colonel Markson's group along with the remaining three Guardians had still not been heard from. Their communications equipment was limited. Despite using relays between the castle as their home base and the dropships ranging out across the planet, they still had no idea of the colonel's whereabouts or status. If he was dead or captured by King Hiss, they would have known by now.
They only thing they knew for certain was someone was keeping an eye on the castle. That someone was likely King Hiss. Snake Men had been spotted repeatedly just beyond the tree line watching the activity in and around Castle Grayskull. Several people volunteered to go root out and neutralize the scouts, but Garber vetoed the idea. Instead, he used the observers to his best advantage by allowing them to report only what the lieutenant wanted them to see.
At last, the pair arrived at the spot where the Sorceress had disappeared and later re-appeared. Lieutenant Garber could not hide his concern as the Sorceress looked for the proper stone block.
"Do not worry, lieutenant. I won't be gone long," she assured him.
A small crowd had begun to gather as word spread that the Sorceress was up and around. The Sorceress stepped upon a stone block indistinguishable from those around it. For a moment nothing happened, then the block slowly rose about twelve inches, then dropped just as slowly and smoothly into the pool below. Wisps of steam drifted up out of the opening followed by the flare of blindingly bright light. The scream of a large bird blasted from the opening an instant ahead of a mass of white energy that flew out of the pit. The mass rapidly solidified into the familiar shape of a red falcon with a blue beak, red, white, and blue striped tail feathers, red and blue wing feathers, and black orbs for eyes reflecting the intelligence no normal falcon possessed.
Zoar the Falcon squawked, flapped her wings to maintain her position around the average person's head height, then wheeled, and soared off around the impossibly large chamber. She looped around the globe and through large openings in stone support structures truly enjoying herself. After several minutes of putting on an acrobatic display no real falcon could ever be taught to perform, Zoar flew back tot eh stairway leading up to the stone throne where visitors would often find the Sorceress, and transformed back to her human form.
Both the headdress and the magic had been returned to her. The castle had not forsaken the Sorceress as she had first feared, and she was relieved beyond the ability to express vocally.
"Amazing," Garber replied, awed by what he had just witnessed. "Almost as amazing as this castle." He gestured to the globe, the skyline behind it, and the light coming from hidden sources. "Is that real or works of magic?"
"Both," the Sorceress replied. She and the lieutenant walked across the chamber to stand next to the staircase up to the eastern tower. The crowd dispersed as she explained the mechanics of what they were looking at. "You have undoubtedly noticed this castle is far larger inside that it is outside."
"That had not escaped my attention," Garber acknowledged.
"Well, think of it like this," the Sorceress said, hold both hands palms up. A black box materialized in each hand. The one in the left hand was about one quarter larger than the box in her right hand. "Which one is bigger?"
Frowning, the lieutenant pointed to the woman's left hand. "That one."
"All right." She walked over to the staircase and placed the larger box on the flattened spiral end of the handrail, and walked back or to the lieutenant. She held up the smaller box and asked, "Now which one is bigger."
Garber's frown deepened as he tried to wrap his brain around where this was going. "That one," he said, pointing to the box resting on the handrail.
"But it looks smaller."
"That's because it's further away."
"Right. Now if you could have a box that size and distance away, but have it here with this smaller one, the large box would now fit inside the smaller one," the Sorceress explained at length.
Garber exclaimed, "That's crazy!"
"That's trans-dimension mechanics; a key Elder discovery shortly after the Counsel of Elders was formed," she chastised mildly.
Before they could argue the point further, they were interrupted by a buzzing from his headset mike. Evidently, a couple of explorers ventured into parts of the castle Garber proclaimed off-limits. Two soldiers accidentally discovered one of several entrances to the heart of the castle were the true power of the Elders was stored. The explorers had been taken by surprise when the stone gargoyle-like face came alive and asked them if they sought the castle's secrets.
Lieutenant Garber excused himself and strode purposely toward the stairway back around the corner from the elevated throne where the many time/space portals were located. Sorceress smiled slightly listening to the lieutenant's threats to have her create a Navy yardarm for the express purpose of hanging the interlopers from it.
She cast her thoughts toward the immediate future, trying to discern whether or not Grayskull was in urgent danger. Before she could delve too far, however, she became aware of something else. The presence of a certain person began to fill her mind, and she silently groaned. She had been expecting this visit, for she knew that was what it was, but it was not one she had been looking forward to.
Knowing she had a few minutes before her 'guest' was due to arrive, the Sorceress drew her thoughts back to herself at a somewhat leisurely pace. She begged her leave of the Lieutenant and made her way upstairs, knowing that when the 'visitor' arrived, she would do so in her personal chambers. Still inwardly dreading this encounter but knowing that there was nothing she could do to stop it, the Sorceress made her way back into her room. Once there, Teela'Na sat down in her chair to wait. She took a private moment for herself, just relaxing her body as she waited. Dying always took so much out of someone.
After several long moments had passed, she looked towards the mirror in her room, idly fixing a few stray feathers on her headdress as she waited the final few moments for her 'guest.'
"Are you expecting someone, dear?" came the all-too familiar voice from behind her, and the Sorceress did not have to glance at the woman's reflection in the mirror to know who it was. Even so, she turned around, hiding her minimal surprise at the silent arrival.
She frowned slightly as Moria Vadorian smirked softly back at her, the elder woman's head quirked a little to the side as she stood against the back wall. "No one of importance," the Sorceress replied glumly. "Only you."
Moria put a hand on her chest, looking at the redhead theatrically. "Oh, you were primping for me. I didn't know you cared."
"I don't," the Sorceress nearly snarled, not even bothering to get out of her chair as she glared at the other woman. "What are you doing here, Moria?"
"What?" the elder woman questioned, feigning innocence. "I cannot just stop by to see how you are feeling?" Before the Sorceress could answer, the elder woman continued, genuinely. "How are you feeling, te lynïa?"
Teela'Na crossed her arms in front of her, suspicious. "Since when do you honestly care how I'm doing?"
The elder woman smiled softly at her, replying quietly. "Believe it or not, dear, your continued existence does matter to me."
"I'm sure it does," the Sorceress muttered sarcastically, knowing and not caring that Moria could hear it. "For some entirely self-serving reason." She groaned quietly, closing her eyes and then reopening them. "What do you want?"
The white-haired woman countered amusedly, "I have to want something, too?" She slowly took a few steps forward, caressing the Sorceress' cheek with the tips of her fingers. "What makes you so sure that I was not simply genuinely concerned for your well-being?"
"Because you always want something," the Sorceress stated flatly, batting the hand away and rising out of her chair.
"Ah. Well, I cannot argue you there, dear," Moria returned, smiling softly as she returned her hand to her side, leaning the other arm against the back of the chair Teela'Na had been sitting in. "In this case, however, what I 'want' correlates with your own wishes."
The Sorceress crossed her arms over her chest and muttered out of the corner of her mouth, "I doubt it."
Moria raised one eyebrow as she regarded the other woman. "Oh," she stated simply. "Well then, it appears I've been wasting your time. Do forgive me, dear." She turned, as if she were about to go. "I simply thought you might appreciate warning of King Hiss' imminent attack on this castle."
Teela'Na's eyes opened wider and she stared at the elder woman's retreating back, exclaiming, "What?! When?!"
With her patented smirk, the Ancient Queen turned back. "Within the next twenty-four hours. Do I hold your attention now?"
"Yes," came the immediate response, though Teela'Na disliked having to say it.
"Good. King Hiss has ordered that every fighter and piece of equipment that can be spared will descend upon Grayskull within the next day."
The Sorceress sat back into her chair, taking in the words of the elder woman with suspicion. "What makes you think this?"
"I saw it in my pool, and my daughter just confirmed it to me," came the reply.
Teela'Na barked out a short laugh. "And which of those is supposed to make me believe you? I have no reason at all to trust you."
Moria's eyes lowered, and she nodded slowly. "You're right. You do not." Gradually, her gaze rose, locking eyes with the other woman. "But I have very rarely ever lied to you, Te lynïa. And you did think he was going to attack."
"That isn't exactly guesswork, Moria. He has coveted the power in this castle for centuries," the Sorceress replied, turning away from the elder woman.
"And perhaps you knew, too, that he has given the order for its destruction?" the elder woman countered, her eyes beginning to pinwheel ever so slightly.
The redhead snapped her eyes back toward Moria. "What?!" she demanded almost wildly. Never, in the entire history of her guardianship of the Castle, had anyone simply tried to just destroy the castle. The secrets and power within had always been considered too much of a prize to waste by any force.
"If his forces and I will remind you that they will be considerable, do not succeed in the conquest of the Castle, he has given his commanding officer permission to destroy it," Moria repeated. She paused for a moment, watching as expressions of slight panic and uncertainty passed over the redhead's face. "Do you still think I am lying to you?" The Sorceress glared at her for a moment and then closed her eyes, sighing heavily in resignation. "No," Moria answered for her, smiling softly. "You cannot afford to."
Teela'Na sighed once more and then rose from her chair, turning to the white-haired woman. "I'll grant you that, Moria," she growled, not happy about the current situation. "But that does not mean I do not doubt your motives. What is in this for you?"
Lady Moria Vadorian straightened herself, hiding even her smirk behind her sang-froid. "How do you mean?" she questioned, her tone becoming as emotionless as her face.
"Why does it matter to you who wins this battle?" The younger woman pressed angrily, knowing that Moria's impassive state was a minimal retreat. "How does the fate of this entire war even affect you at all?!"
The Ancient Queen turned away, swallowing slowly as her expressionless composure began to ever so slightly crack. "…Hiss has my daughter in a position that she cannot get out of by herself. I want her to be free." Moria looked over her shoulder at the Sorceress. "I would think you, of all people, would understand that, Te lynïa."
The Sorceress hid her inner feelings, recalling with pain her last conversation with Teela. "Very well," she conceded after a long moment. "As you said, I cannot afford to not trust you, at least this time," she finished, stressing the last four words. "Should I expect further 'assistance' from you in the future?"
Moria chuckled softly and a tiny hint of her smirk fell over her lips. "It is possible."
Teela'Na nodded and sighed, as if anticipating something of the sort. "You won't give me a definite answer, of course."
"You know how I loathe being predictable, dear," the white-haired woman replied, smirking at her.
Muttering irritably, the Sorceress groaned, "How like you, Moria. You set the events in motion and simply stand back to watch them unfold."
"How like you, Teela'Na," Moria countered, surprising the Sorceress with the use of her real name, which the elder woman almost never used. "I offer you my assistance and still you resent me for it." She sighed softly, wondering idly to herself if these visits of hers would ever end without either of them being angry. Gradually, she turned to go, setting up her portal with a swift motion of her hand. She paused at the wall, just before leaving. "I wonder," she began quietly, looking inquisitively at the other woman as she decided to test something. "Even if I saved your life, would you still feel bitterness towards me?"
The Sorceress crossed her arms over her chest impassively. "Hopefully, we'll never have to worry about that," she responded as coldly as she could.
Moria nodded slowly, looking down at the floor. So Kodec had kept her word. "I suppose not," she replied, passing her hand through the wall. "Goodbye, Te lynïa. I shall see you again soon." She smiled not unkindly, and then was gone.
Afterwards, the Sorceress groaned quietly to herself. "Too soon, I'm sure."
Suggested Collections
...
© 2011 - 2024 Deltara
Comments2
Join the community to add your comment. Already a deviant? Log In
Nice work on both parts, your talents for writing goes beyond awesomeness, keep it up, I'm really enjoying it.