.
.
.
sixteen: let's get down to business
.
.
.
The monitoring room was for one or two Royal Guards, with seating options to match. But palace servants had a tendency to appear out of thin air whenever the queen needed something, and now there were a good half-dozen of them carrying chairs and a small table into the monitoring room even as the Masters' group arrived.
Teela was still lagging behind, trying to tell her brain it was imagining things. It made sense: she'd climbed a mountain after she'd fought Adora to a standstill, after she'd been up before dawn laying the groundwork for the harpy raid, after only a miser's portion of sleep.
She was tired. Seeing things that weren't there. Obviously.
The thing she should be worrying about was the impending debriefing. She'd have to tell everyone about her dream-visions, and based on her past history of magically-powered intell, that wasn't likely to go over well. At all.
The rest of the group had already gone into the monitoring room by the time Teela reached it - except Adam, who was leaning on the wall just outside the door. He made a show of checking a nonexistent timepiece as she walked up.
"Ha," she said. Not her best response. At least she could plead preoccupation.
"Thought maybe you'd been abducted again," he said.
"Sorry to disappoint you," she said, dry.
He grinned at her. Wide and sudden and mischievous - an uncanny echo of Adora's. Déjà vu all over again.
She suddenly remembered her first dream, when Veena had redirected her to Adam's room at the palace. He'd gone to stare out the window, and Adora's face had replaced his reflection in the glass.
Okay. So. That brought up some questions.
But back to the more important - definitely more immediate - stuff.
She gave Adam's arm a quick tug. "Come on."
"What? Why?" he asked with a puzzled frown. He pointed a thumb at the door; inside, the servants had finished placing the furniture and everyone was seating themselves. "We gotta get in there."
"I need to ask you something first," she said in a low voice. "Something happened on Etheria, and - just come on. I don't want everyone to hear."
He glanced at the door of the monitoring room, then shrugged and followed her. They didn't go far; only down the corridor to the next doorway. Far enough.
Done with the furniture delivery, the servants filed out, but they headed the other way.
"So what happened?" Adam asked. "What's the question?"
She took a breath. It wasn't the same as the telepathy, she told herself. The dreams had been real. "The night of the party. Did you talk to Cringer about me? And about visiting the Sorceress in the morning?"
Adam looked more puzzled. "Yeah..."
Teela forged onwards. "And then later, when you were in Grayskull and you and the Sorceress were talking about looking for me, she thought she heard me, right? Telepathically?"
Now he went a little pale. "She said it was like you were right there in the castle. But - how -?"
"Because I kept having dreams, except I don't think any of them were dreams. This lady with wings - her name was Veena -"
"Queen Veena?" he said, shocked all over again, interrupting her. "King Grayskull's wife?"
Oh. Well, it made sense that she'd be lurking around Castle Grayskull, then… but how did Adam know about her? Throw it on the pile of mysteries for later, she told herself, too weary to be truly curious, and said, "Yeah. She kept popping up and telling me stuff. Showing me things on Eternia. Including Shadow Weaver."
Adam's face was gravely serious now. It wasn't an expression she was used to seeing on him, and it made him look quite a bit more like Adora, which she didn't need. "Teela, if you're having visions... this is big."
"Tell me about it," she said. "Anyway, I wanted - I mean, I don't have the best track record when it comes to this kind of stuff. You know. So I wanted to verify as much as I could."
He looked down the corridor toward the monitoring room, then at her again. Still serious, he said, "I'll always have your back, Teela. No matter what."
For some dumb reason that put a lump in her throat, and for some even dumber reason, she wanted to give him a hug.
She was tired. Obviously.
In any event, she'd done enough hugging today. You had to draw the line somewhere.
"Let's go," she said.
When they entered the monitoring room, King Randor and Queen Marlena were sitting on opposite sides of the table, with the rest of the group arrayed around them; Orko was hovering in a corner, fiddling with some piece of technology that he was inevitably going to break. Father had the communicator lines open and displayed on the main screen. Teela checked them automatically, going through a roll call and definitely not looking for He-Man.
Who wasn't there.
"We have a situation," her father was saying. "We already knew that Evil-Lyn has a new and powerful ally in Shadow Weaver. However, things are far worse than we thought. First, Teela, Adora, we'll bring you up to speed on events here."
Teela had barely lowered herself into a chair between Father and Mekaneck; now she sat straighter. "Should we wait for He-Man?"
"No," Father said, curt, then sighed. "We'll get to that."
She looked at the main screen again. Where was he?
"Immediately after you fell into the portal," her father went on, "Shadow Weaver appeared in your place. She attacked He-Man. Cast some kind of mind-control spell."
"It's one of her favorites," Adora said, flat.
Father said, "Well, it nearly overpowered He-Man. The Sorceress was able to assist him and together they defeated the spell, but it was close. Too close."
"Wasn't that close," Adam muttered under his breath. He was slouched in his chair, arms folded over his chest, scowling at nothing in particular. Teela was slightly taken aback by his attitude; hadn't he been the one scorning He-Man's efforts in her not-a-dream? Now he was sticking up for the warrior?
Adam needed to get it together. Really.
Her father shot Adam a look that made the prince sit up a little straighter. As well he should.
Pointedly, Father said, "We can't have Eternia's greatest champion controlled by the forces of evil."
"As powerful as He-Man is, the damage could be catastrophic," King Randor said gravely, in the understatement of the year.
"I'm sure he himself would be devastated once the spell was broken," Queen Marlena said. She glanced at Adam, whose scowl had given way to a more thoughtful expression.
Father concluded, "He-Man will be staying off the field until there's a solution to this problem."
It made sense. A powerful weapon was worse than useless to you if the other side had it. But - Teela had done some fighting without He-Man recently. A heavy hitter made battle much more efficient.
"Now, Teela, please explain what you learned on Etheria."
Teela stood up, hands clasped behind her back and chin up, the way she had learned to deliver a report as a cadet. For a moment she felt like she was back in Glimmer's hut, trying to summarize an entire life before the royal porridge arrived.
Teela gave a quick recap of her Etherian tour: Evil Horde, Great Rebellion, Force Captain Blondie switching sides, Weaver's plan to free Hordak. Then she took a deep breath and said, "In addition, I - I had, um, some visions while I was there."
Everyone had looked serious while she was reporting. Now they looked startled - except Adam, who gave her an encouraging nod, and Adora, who only raised an eyebrow.
And Father, who frowned.
Elders. That did not bode well. Teela plunged onwards: "One of them showed Weaver and Evil-Lyn confronting Count Marzo. Weaver did something to his amulet; it turned black. After she put it on him, his eyes turned black, too."
"She can put her thrall spell into objects," Adora said to the group. "That way she doesn't have to maintain focus on it. It would take a lot of power to keep Marzo under control, but Weaver knew he would refuse to help them. She was prepared."
"Did your, ah, visions show anything else important?" the king asked Teela, who shook her head. "In that case, I think we need to hear more from you, Captain Adora."
Teela sat with some relief, and Adora stood. She delivered her report in precise, unemotional language that nonetheless made everyone in the room look as though hideous things had just crawled over their graves.
"Five hundred years ago, Hordak and his army were banished to the dimension of Despondos by King Grayskull," she said. "Doing so killed Grayskull and destroyed Hordak's physical body. It also created a seal or barrier of some kind. Hordak can only escape Despondos via a portal opened on Eternia, and the magic required is immense."
"Of course!" Orko said, zipping over to the table. Incongruously cheerful, he added, "A magician's dying spell is their most powerful."
Mekaneck asked, "Was Grayskull a magician?"
Orko scratched his head through his hat. "Umm… I'm not sure? But he turned Hordak's spell against him, so I guess he must've been."
Adam started to say something, but got another one of those looks from Father, and chose to close his mouth and sit back instead. Smart.
As if there'd been no interruption at all, Adora said, "Hordak has always been able to contact people here and on Etheria. He can also work magic through the barrier. That's how he created Skeletor and Shadow Weaver."
King Randor's expression sharpened. "Hordak created Skeletor."
Adora nodded. "After he was injured in battle. Acid to the face."
The acid had been meant for a much younger Captain Randor, which probably accounted for the furrowed brow and dark frown now. "Yes, we're all familiar with that part of the story."
"With Evil-Lyn's help, he fled to Hordak's sanctuary and begged him to save his life, which Hordak did. I don't know all the details."
Queen Marlena said, "Hordak expected something in return, I shouldn't wonder."
"He expected Skeletor to free him," Adora said. "Just as he expected Shadow Weaver to raise an army."
"Which she's done. But Skeletor destroyed Hordak's sanctuary," Father said, frowning, tapping one finger against the table. "And He-Man destroyed his other places of power."
"It was a setback," Adora said.
Monumental understatement, number two.
"Hey, how come Skeletor didn't free Hordak years ago?" Ram-Man asked. Typical Ram-Man: it might seemed like a dumb question on the surface - but it was actually a keen insight.
Why hadn't Skeletor freed Hordak back then? For that matter, why hadn't Hordak gotten free centuries ago? Five hundred years should have been plenty of time for a powerful evil sorcerer to execute a prison break.
"We raised the Mystic Wall soon after," Father said. It was more of a question than a statement. Not typical; it meant he hadn't already worked out the answer.
"All Hordak's places of power were in the Dark Hemisphere," Adam countered, quickly enough to make Teela look at him askance. Considering that Adam had been involved in exactly none of those fights, he sure seemed to have a solid grasp of their geography. "Skeletor would have been able to access them, easy."
"Perhaps Hordak was waiting for the preparations on Etheria to be complete," the queen said.
"Shadow Weaver and the Troopers are to assist Hordak's forces," Adora said, "but their numbers have never been great enough to do more than that, especially if they're leaving enough men behind to hold the Etherian garrisons."
"It seems obvious that Hordak has been waiting for something," the king said. "I worry that not knowing what could cost us dearly."
Those seated at the table looked at each other for a long moment, uniformly grim. Even Orko looked disheartened, which was a feat when your face wasn't visible.
Adora, of course, had on the same blank mask that she always did. She might have been a statue.
Finally, the king sighed and said, "Let's hear the rest, please."
"Using the sanctuary," Adora said, "Skeletor could have opened a portal by himself. Now, it will take at least three magicians with significant power."
"Weaver, Evil-Lyn and Marzo," Mekaneck said, ticking them off on his fingers.
"Well, that ain't great," Ram-Man said. Boy, this war council was an understatement party.
Father asked, "Where will they open the portal?"
Adora shook her head. "Only Hordak knows that."
So that avenue was closed.
Father and King Randor started questioning Adora about Hordak's army - how many men, their armor, weapons, and so forth. It was critical information, but Teela found her attention drifting away from it…
...and towards the two fair-haired people in the room, one sitting, one standing. It was her first chance to really observe them. Compare them.
Adam and Adora didn't actually look alike, she told herself. Feature by feature, the only thing they shared were bright blue eyes. Adora's hair was darker, Adam's jaw more square… a hundred little points of difference.
They didn't act alike, either. Take something as basic as sitting, for example. Adam slouched. He slumped. He sprawled. All chairs were potential nap zones, and he used them accordingly. Even right now he was lounging. Meanwhile, Adora'd sat as though she anticipated someone needing to use her spine as a flagpole in the next two seconds. She stood that way, too.
And yet. There was something.
Maybe… cousins?
But then how had Adora gotten to Etheria? It had taken some major spellwork to get Teela there. She couldn't see Evil-Lyn working quite so hard to send over a kid… what, like, sixteen years ago?
And did Adam even have cousins? She'd have to check, but she thought if he did, then they were all accounted for. A missing royal cousin would be noticed, that was for sure.
Well, they couldn't be brother and sister. She was absolutely certain about that. Adam was, famously, an only child. The whole planet knew it; in fact, every few years people started grumbling about it all over again, because King Randor had only named Adam in his Act of Succession and refused to add anyone else. "It invites dissension," he'd always claimed, while the complainers had always countered that multiple heirs provided more security.
Teela could see both sides. Adam was coming to the throne uncontested - but in a worst-case scenario, where the king, queen, and prince died at the same time, there would be chaos. Total, bloody chaos.
Icy fingers dragged along her spine. I was supposed to kill him. And his parents.
So maybe Adam was critical to Hordak's plans after all.
She glanced at Queen Marlena and caught the queen looking at her. As always, the queen's expression was mild, but there was an undercurrent lurking right below the placid exterior. Maybe disapproval for the way Teela was zoning out during an important briefing.
She sat a little straighter and put her focus back where it belonged, trying to ignore the embarrassed flush that she could feel rising to her cheeks.
Elders. She'd thought she was done feeling like a naughty student when she left the Academy, but the queen had gotten her two times in the last week.
"We need a strategy," King Randor was saying. "Particularly since He-Man will not be available. I'll open the floor to ideas. Nothing is too crazy at this point."
The Masters who were attending the meeting via communicator had been silent through Teela's and Adora's reports; now they began contributing in earnest. Teela listened to all of them, even though the communicator lines got crackly and distorted, particularly when a lot of people were talking. She had some ideas of her own that she wanted to put forward right away, but this was one occasion when she felt her youth and relative inexperience more keenly. Simply put, it was time to shut up and let the veterans hash things out.
Adora was also staying quiet. In fact, she'd taken a seat again. Teela thought she'd probably have better ideas than just about anyone else, since she knew the principal players. Maybe she was tired, too.
Or she was waiting to swoop in at the last moment and deliver a metaphorical killing blow.
Teela knew which scenario she considered more likely.
Adam stood. "I have an idea," he said to the room at large, but no one was paying attention.
Except Teela, who put two fingers to her mouth and whistled, loud and piercing, cutting through the discussion like a sword.
Queen Marlena looked at her again. More alarmingly, so did Father, with the same quelling expression he'd used on Adam.
Teela felt the embarrassed flush rising higher and crossed her arms over her chest in defense. So what? She could have Adam's back, too. No matter what.
Adam gave her a quick thank-you wink even as he cleared his throat and repeated, "I have an idea. It's, ah - it's definitely a crazy one."
"Go ahead, son," King Randor said, voice warm.
Adam took a breath. "I hate to say it, but… Skeletor."
Well. No one was looking at her anymore, Teela noticed. They were all staring at their prince, who had lost his mind.
Father said, in flat amazement, "You think we should team up with Skeletor."
Adam held up his hands in a placating gesture. "I know, I know, but he doesn't want Hordak here either - and he's more powerful than Evil-Lyn and Marzo, maybe Weaver too. If He-Man can't help us, Skeletor might be our best option." He paused, made a face, and added, "I can't believe I just said that."
"Skeletor," King Randor repeated, as if that was the only word he'd heard.
"Why does he hate Hordak anyway?" Ram-Man asked, delivering another excellent insight.
"Can't stand the competition," Mekaneck said with a half-grin.
"It's more than that," Adora said. "Hordak's body is gone. That doesn't matter in Despondos - it's outside space and time. But to survive here, he'll need a host. There are exactly two people on Eternia whose bodies have been altered by Hordak's magic."
"Shadow Weaver and Skeletor," Teela said. "And Hordak's only angry with one of them."
"Skeletor must have figured it out already," Father said. "That's why he destroyed the sanctuary. If Hordak returns to Eternia, then Skeletor will, for all intents and purposes, cease to exist."
"Which means he'll be really motivated to help us," Adam said.
"Adam is right," the king said. He ran his hand over his beard and sighed. "As much as it pains me to admit it, Skeletor is powerful, and we do need the help. I'll go to Snake Mountain immediately, and -"
"No, Sire," Father said, swift and firm, cutting the king off. "He'll view any approach by you as an attack."
"So I'll go," Adam said.
This time, every adult in the room said, "No!" at the same time.
Unfazed, Adam rolled his eyes. "C'mon, I'll take Teela with me. She won't let anything happen."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence, but no way," Teela said. "He'll just kidnap you. Again."
Adam gave her a dirty look. She returned it.
"I'll go too," Adora said. "I can verify your story as well as help Captain Teela protect you, Prince Adam."
Before anyone could throw out any more offers to help or objections, Father stepped in. "Adam, Teela, Adora, and I will go. I can remain out of sight while the three of you make the approach. Skeletor will be curious rather than alarmed to see you. And if he does attempt to grab Adam, the four of us should be able to effect an escape."
"We'll go too," Mekaneck said, pointing a thumb at Ram-Man. "We can stay farther back and come in if things get ugly."
Unexpectedly, the queen said, "It's a good plan, Duncan. I trust you to keep Adam safe."
"Thank you, Majesty."
Realizing that he'd won, Adam put his hands on his hips and grinned at everyone in the room.
Teela wondered if she was the only person who saw the unease beneath that confident, brash smile.
"Well," Adam said, "looks like my diplomatic tour is starting at Snake Mountain."